Chapter Thirty-Six: Take on the World
"Just say the word, I'll take on the world. Just say you're hurt, oh and we'll face the worst." - You Me at Six
Haley made her way to the Gorilla position dressed to compete in a red wrap around crop top with black detailing and matching black short shorts. Her honey blonde hair was partially braided back off her face and transitioned into loose, beachy waves courtesy of the Glam Squad, who'd also taken pains to apply her makeup in nude shades with gold undertones. Combined with the weight she'd lost, finally regained, Haley felt good about herself appearance wise and felt like her skills were up to snuff for her upcoming match.
The dance techno vibes of Alicia Fox's theme could be heard beyond the stage as Foxy made her way to the ring. Layla and Dave were out there on commentary tonight, and Haley planned on making sure they had plenty to talk about while she put Alicia away in tonight's match up.
There was a brief pause where Alicia's music faded, and then Honor Society hit the airwaves. The crowd, which had been a bit disinterested for Alicia, cheered a lot more brightly as Haley pushed back the curtain and rounded the corner onto the stage into view.
"And introducing her opponent, making her way to the ring from Boston, Massachusetts, she is the number one contender for the WWE Women's Championship, Haley Mariano!" Lilian Garcia announced her arrival and then left the ring in the capable hands of WWE official Mike Chioda.
Haley started down the ramp, taking care to tag the hands of the fans who strained against the security barricade, hoping for a high five, or at least some acknowledgement. Then she jogged up the steel steps, walking across the apron to the turnbuckle. She stepped onto the second triangular pad, posing with one fist raised in the air, reminiscent of The Rock.
Then Haley stepped up onto the top pad to push off jumping into the ring. She crossed the ring diagonally to the opposite turnbuckle and this time held both arms up in a pose much like Triple H, before pulling her arms in to trace a heart right over where hers lay beating inside her chest.
Mike Chioda reminded them both of the rules as Haley's music faded; no hair pulling, no eye gouging, no biting. "I want a good clean fight, Ladies. You ready?" When they both nodded, he gestured to the time keeper. "Ring the bell!"
At the sound of three consecutive rings, Haley met Alicia in the center for a lock up. The crowd, the noise, Layla, Dave and everything else faded as her focused narrowed. She had only one goal, to win. Alicia was crafty and went dirty, digging in her nails and trying to wrench Haley into submission by the hair.
Haley fired back with a hard forearm. Alicia scrambled out of the ring to regroup as Mike forced Haley back.
"Get her under control, Ref!" Alicia demanded, taking her time hopping back into the ring as he began to the ten count.
At three Alicia was back through the ropes, and when Haley came at her, Alicia was ready with a hip check, pulling her into a side headlock. She followed it up with a forearm of her own sending Haley stumbling backward. Alicia threw Haley into the corner and took a moment to play to the crowd.
Haley reversed positioned so that Alicia found herself in the corner and hit with a series of three sharp uppercuts.
"Out of the corner, Haley come on!" Chioda forced her back, but Haley went around him.
Again, fighting dirty Alicia grabbed Haley by the hair throwing her down. "How does it go again?" She mocked Haley's heart pose while Haley tried to shake off the sting from the canvas.
Alicia grabbed her from behind in a sleeper hold. When Haley refused to fade, Alicia tried to force her up to her feet and use and an Irish whip, which Haley reversed and took Alicia down with a Harley Race running knee.
The crowd began to cheer as Haley took control back, following it up with a handspring elbow drop and the first cover of the bout. "One, Two…" It wasn't enough to keep Alicia's shoulders on the mat for a three count.
Alicia scrambled into the corner, yelling at the referee to back Haley up. Which Haley did, just enough to get a running start, but her plan for a powerful shoulder block when up in smoke as Alicia dove out of the way and Haley met the unforgiving steel post holding up the turnbuckles.
Like a shark scenting blood in the water, Alicia had found her target and went into attack mode. She wrenched Haley's throbbing shoulder into an agonizing arm wringer. Then she began to jerk down on the injured appendage.
Through sheer force of will, Haley used the arm wringer to her advantage. She let out of a grunt of pain but managed to use an arm drag takeover to remove the hold Foxy had on her arm. Alicia came right back, whipping Haley into the ropes, but despite her throbbing shoulder, Haley countered with a head scissors, using her legs instead of her arms.
She vaguely heard the referee yelling at Batista to return to his seat but kept her eyes on Alicia, trying to ignore the pulsating of her right shoulder. Alicia shoved Haley backward into the ropes, ropes that gave far too quickly under Haley's weight as she was sent reeling back to the floor below the ring.
Startled, Haley took the impact shoulders first and her old injury, a previously dislocated shoulder from last year, send white-hot pain through her nerve endings. It wasn't dislocated again, but after the steel post, she wasn't in very good shape.
Looking up, she saw a smirking Layla back away from the apron where she pulled down the ropes as Haley hit them while Batista distracted the referee.
"Get back in the ring, Haley!" Mike Chioda ordered. "One, Two, Three!" He began his ten counts.
Haley sucked in a sharp breath of air and forced it out, pushing her pain to the back of her mind as she struggled to her feet.
"Five, Six, Seven!"
Haley rolled under the bottom rope back into the ring, breaking the ten count. Alicia was ready for her, once again grabbing Haley by the hair and tossing her in the corner. Alicia used her height over her Haley to force her up to sit on the top turnbuckle, not where she wanted to be judging by whatever Alicia had planned.
"Fight Haley! Use your fists. Pummel her." She could practically hear Randy barking encouragement in her head.
Listening, she began to punch away at anyway available flesh she could reach on Alicia's midsection, slowing her climb up after Haley. With a hard shove to Alicia's torso, she sent Foxy stumbling back across the canvas.
Haley stood on the second rope, remembering a maneuver she and Hunter had been working on before his injury at the hands of Sheamus. She waited until Alicia had stabilized her footing and then jumped forward into a diving neckbreaker, effectively taking the wind out of Alicia's sails.
The crowd popped as both women lay on the mat, Haley trying to catch her breath and Alicia in surprise and pain. They simultaneously began to get back on their feet.
"Come on, Haley." Again Randy's voice surged in her head and as Alicia ran for her Haley ducked low, catching Foxy around the waist and planting her with a spinebuster.
The crowd was cheering now, knowing what came next. It was time to finish this once and for all.
Haley turned to head for the ropes, then paused, realizing Randy's voice hadn't been in her head like she'd thought.
The Viper stood outside the ring, Batista down against the barricade recovering from what was most likely an assault from Orton. Layla was screeching from the opposite side of the ring but didn't dare do anything else.
He'd come to her aid. She'd been so focused on not losing the match, on trying to push through her shoulder pain, she hadn't realized that when Dave and Layla pulled their stunt, Randy had come out to back her up.
A smile broke out across her face, one that was answered on his. "Put her away, Hales. You got this!"
The pause had given Alicia the chance to get back on her feet. Haley could hear her moving around behind her, but she didn't look away from Randy's warm, steady gaze.
Alicia let out a war cry and lunged forward to grab Haley, who merely locked both hands around her opponent's neck, and dropped her with an RKO.
Haley rolled over to make the cover. "One. Two. Three!"
"Here is your winner, Haley Mariano!" Lilian Garcia announced as the bell rang for the final time and Honor Society began to play in the background.
"Nobody knows you, the way that I know you. Look in my eyes, I will never desert you. Just say the word, and we'll take on the world." - You Me at Six
"Yes!" Randy whooped as Mike Chioda raised Haley's left arm to show the victor of the match, then he joined her in the ring. "You okay?"
"Nothing a little ice won't fix." She assured him smiling. "Thank you."
"For what?" He pulled her to his side in a short hug.
"For that." She gestured to where Layla was helping Dave back to his feet. They both looked furious.
"That was nothing. They were being jerks and trying to sabotage my partner." Randy told her. "I have your back, so I took care of it."
"Then thanks for having my back." She chuckled, reaching up to absent mindedly rub her still aching shoulder. "It could have been a lot worse."
"I'll always have your back, Hales." He leaned over her as if inspecting her shoulder. "No swelling or bruising yet? You sure you're okay?"
"It's the one I dislocated a while back," She reminded him, remembering that Randy himself was prone to shoulder injuries and would understand. "It'll be sore. But ice and aspirin will take the edge off."
"Then let's get you some before it festers." He led her over to the ropes, pulling them apart to make it easier for her to get through. "Nice neckbreaker by the way."
"Thanks, been working on that one. First time trying it out on someone other than Hunter." Haley gingerly exited the ring and waited for him to join her.
"You keep up moves like that, and they don't stand a chance." Randy put a protective arm around her, leading her up the ramp.
"That's the plan." When they reached the stage, they both turned back around and posed for the crowd that was cheering for them. "In two weeks we're going to be doing this with title belts."
Randy grinned over at her. "That's the plan."