Chapter XII: First Blood Challenge.
Cont. of Raw Monday: 08-10-2001.
"You don't wanna do that, kiddo," the man who'd grabbed her said.
Valerie turned to Triple H, her face anxious.
"But my father…" she began.
"I know, but you're gonna have to wait until the Dudley's are gone."
Valerie let out a trembling sigh and Triple H wrapped his arms around her while they waited for the Dudley's to leave.
Valerie heard her name being called from down the hall and looked to see Jeff running up to them. Triple H frowned as the young man reached them.
"Valerie, I was afraid you were going to go out there," Jeff said, only affording Triple H a single glance.
"I was going to," Valerie said, only now realizing how dumb that would have been.
"Are you alright?" Jeff asked.
"Why would you care?" Triple H snapped at him, wanting to know what business it was of Jeff Hardy's.
"Hey," Valerie said as she stepped to Jeff and put her arm around him.
Triple H frowned and then slowly smiled. "You two are together?"
Valerie looked at Jeff and he nodded at her so she said, "Yeah, we are. But don't mention it to my dad, he's still pissed about the whole thing."
Triple H smiled again and nodded. He could see why Taker was upset. Jeff Hardy wasn't what you would call 'son-in-law' material. 'Of course,' Triple H mused as he watched Jeff fuss over Valerie. 'Who was the dead man to talk?'
The Dudley's finally left ringside and came walking by. Bubba Ray gave Valerie an eerie look but when Triple H scowled at him he wisely backed off. As soon as the Dudley's were gone, Valerie ran to the ring to get to her father. Taker was already on his feet being supported by Kane and Valerie ran to his side.
"Daddy, are you alright?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm alright," Taker said, blinking to clear his vision.
"I was so scared when I saw you go through that table," Valerie said, hugging her father around the waist.
Taker's face softened as he looked down at his daughter and tightened his arm around her.
"You worried about your old man, huh?"
"Of course," she said, looking up at him with a surprised look on her face.
Jeff had taken a few steps back when Taker came backstage and Taker now turned his attention to him. He switched his gaze between his daughter and Jeff Hardy, his expression unreadable. Valerie tensed up as she saw it.
"Meet me in my dressingroom after the show is over," Taker said to Jeff. He glanced at his daughter and then added, "Alone."
"But dad…" Valerie began, thinking what a bad idea that was.
"No buts, Joyful, or there won't be any talking at all," Taker said firmly.
Valerie sighed and kept quiet, she knew there was nothing she could say to change his mind and now she could only hope for the best.
Later that evening Valerie was in her father's dressingroom along with her father, Sara and Kane. She was writing some stuff down on a notepad as her father, stepmother and uncle watched the show on the monitor.
"Oh boy," Taker muttered suddenly.
"Oh good, I was beginning to miss them," Kane said, sarcasm evident in his tone.
Valerie looked up from her notepad with a frown and looked at the monitor. The Alliance was coming out to the ring with Steve Austin in the lead. They stepped into the ring and Shane McMahon took the microphone. The fans booed him loudly but Shane ignored them.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Alliance has come here tonight to take care of some business. We're here to issue a challenge to a certain young individual, a challenge that will be accepted. Right now, I would like to ask Valerie Calloway to come out and hear what we have to say."
Valerie started when she heard her name. She looked at her father and saw that both her father and her uncle had gotten up.
"You stay here, we're gonna find out what all this is about," Taker said to his daughter.
"But, dad, they're calling me out," Valerie argued while getting up herself.
"I don't care, you're staying right here with Sara," Taker said, his tone brooking no argument.
Valerie looked at her uncle for support but saw that he was with her father this time. She groaned and sat back down. Taker, satisfied that his orders would be followed, stepped out of the room and headed for the ring along with Kane. Valerie watched on the monitor and saw her father and uncle stepping onto the ramp to see what the Alliance wanted with her. Taker accepted a microphone and went to speak but Shane beat him to it.
"Now, wait a minute," Shane said, not sounding the least bit surprised. "We called Valerie out here not the two of you. This has nothing to do with you."
"You got a beef with my daughter, you got a beef with me," Taker said simply. "Now you better start talking, boy. What is it you want?"
Austin then grabbed the microphone from Shane and did what Taker had ordered Shane to do. He started talking.
"I got a challenge," Austin spat, ignoring the fans' repeated chants of 'What?'. "And the challenge is for Valerie, not for you two sumbitches. Now, where the hell is she?"
"Make your challenge, Austin," Kane said in the microphone Taker was holding. "Valerie wont be the one accepting it."
"Is that right?" Austin challenged, a smirk on his face. "But think she will. I challenge Valerie to a first blood match next week on Raw."
Backstage Valerie very nearly fell from her seat as he said that. She stared at the monitor in disbelief as Taker replied, "You don't actually think that's gonna happen, do you, Austin?"
"Actually I do. She's gonna accept this challenge for one very simple reason. If she doesn't, the Hardy Boyz ain't getting that shot at the WCW tag team titles."
Valerie cried out, "Oh hell no."
She stormed out of the room before Sara could stop her and made her way to the top of the ramp. Her father demanded that she would go backstage again but she refused.
"This doesn't involve you, Joyful," Taker said.
"This does involve me. They are not taking that title-shot away from Matt and Jeff. Not as long as I have a breath left in my body."
"Valerie…" Austin called.
Valerie turned and looked at Stone Cold, who was smirking at her. "So good of you to turn up. How about responding to my challenge?"
"Why are you doing this?" Valerie demanded.
"Answer my damn challenge," Austin spat. "Do you accept or not?"
"Yes, I accept," Valerie yelled.
The crowd gasped in shock. Steve Austin laughed as did Shane McMahon but Taker was furious.
"What the hell are you doing? You can't get into the ring with him," he practically yelled.
Before Valerie could respond, Shane turned to Kane and the Undertaker and said, "And in case the two of you are considering interfering in the match, you are both banned from ringside. The same goes for the Rock."
This only served to piss Kane and Taker off even more. The Alliance was laughing and mocking them until Valerie said coolly, "That's fine. But why not make it a little more interesting. Shane…"
Shane turned to Valerie and listened.
"You look like you wouldn't mind getting a piece of me yourself," Valerie said.
Shane nodded and smiled.
"Well, then perhaps we should make it a tag team match," Valerie said, sounding convincingly indifferent.
"Where are you gonna find a tag team partner, babygirl?" Shane mocked. "Your daddy and your uncle are banned from ringside and so is your buddy the Rock, who's gonna be your partner?"
"Oh, don't worry about that. I have someone in mind."
Shane seemed unfazed by her confidence but Austin was less enthusiastic. Uncharacteristically, he balked at the thought of facing an unknown tag team partner. He wanted a piece of Valerie, sure, but at what cost?
Shane remained confident but saw Austin's reluctance. "Stone Cold, this is something to consider. Now we'll both get a piece of her."
"She said she has someone in mind," Austin argued.
"She's bluffing," Shane said, brushing it off. "And even if she isn't, who's gonna stop us from destroying her?"
Stone Cold thought for a second before he smirked and nodded.
"You got it, babygirl," Shane said with a smirk on his face.
Valerie smiled and Taker looked at her as if she'd gone crazy.