Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

It was difficult not to look impatient as she paced the length of the gorilla, waiting for the moment her theme blared across the speakers. Kenna was alone, her fingers shaking as she twisted them around the hem of her leather jacket. She could feel eyes on her and it raised hairs on the back of her neck, but she didn't bother trying to meet eyes— she was still trying to get her nerves under control.

Her skin was still prickling where Dean had touched her and Kenna pressed her arms against a wall and pushed against them, screwed her eyes shut.

Alicia Fox. Win. Kane. Roman.

It was like a chorus in her mind, because lately she'd had trouble even focusing on one thing that wasn't Roman Reigns.

And then all she could hear was her theme.

It had crossed her mind more than a few times that if she was really supposed to be here to mess with her brother, she'd just use something that belonged to Motörhead. Instead, she'd chosen to go her own way and choose something that was a little less… Lenny.

As Kenna stood at the top of the ramp, she let the heat wash over her. Not one single person was cheering for her.

Somehow, this twisted the corner of her mouth up, and she started the walk towards the squared circle. The titantron behind her played a pre-filmed clip of Hunter and Stephanie deciding what to do with her, and then finally settling on this match. It was mostly for the storyline, and slowly the jeers became cheers as they realised she was out here not to talk, but to wrestle.

"Introducing first, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania— Kenna Swan!"

She leant against the ropes, fingers wrapped tight around the material as she waited for Alicia Fox to make her way down to the ring, and the other woman didn't look impressed at all; in fact, she looked both shocked and angry as Lilian announced her.

"What am I even doing here?" Alicia asked as obnoxiously as she could. "I'm not fighting the boss' little sister! You can't even wrestle!"

The woman stopped talking the moment The Shield's theme rang out.

Kenna could see the confusion followed quickly by fear on Alicia Fox's face. She was watching with wide eyes as Dean Ambrose led the pack down, Seth Rollins in the middle, and Roman Reigns rounding them up at the back, and when Kenna followed her gaze, she found she couldn't look away from Roman— because his arms were slick with oil and his hair was falling across his face, and his pale eyes were dead on her.

She was with The Shield now. She was The Shield now. It was all for one and one for all when it came to the faction, and Kenna had been stupid to expect for them not to show her support by staying ringside. She quickly turned back to Fox, assessed the way she hadn't laid her eyes on anything else except Dean. Interesting.

Though the Diva was tentative at first, the match started simple enough.

The two women locked up, Kenna's strength being tested when Alicia pushed her against the ropes. She shoved off and was thrown to the mat in a simple takedown, Alicia going for a quick cover. Kenna raised her shoulder before the ref could get to one and wasn't quick enough to move her arm— Fox had caught it and locked it in an adapted armbar. She raised to her feet and then felt herself sailing through the air again, Alicia going for another attempted cover.

And now she was getting frustrated.

Kenna locked her jaw, rolled to the other side of the ring for some breathing distance, and her eyes turned firey as she watched Alicia parade around the ring like she'd won something.

Kenna stood straight away and the Diva's attention was back on her, the two circling each other again before locking up a third time— and Kenna didn't hesitate. She angled both of their connected bodies down and then raised a knee into the soft flesh of Alicia's stomach, listened as air flew out of the woman's mouth in a shocked gasp.

She forced herself away and spun, sinking her boot into the same spot with an audible whack, and then threw herself up into a dropkick that landed right on the button of Alicia's nose.

Fast as lightening, Kenna had hooked a leg in a cover.

Alicia kicked out at two and seemed to be craving the same space Kenna had just moments before, because she rolled out of the ring to the sound of jeers… and turned right around to stare Dean Ambrose in the eyes.

She seemed to freeze.

Kenna found herself slowly walked towards the ropes, her fingers wrapping tightly around them as she watched a smirk tug at Ambrose's face.

"Now she's lookin' at someone who's just as crazy as she is!" JBL stated, and Kenna barely heard as she backed away from the ropes. Instead, she opted to move to the furthest ropes and leant against them, crossing one leg over the other to look as patient as possible.

Because if Dean Ambrose wanted to cost her this match, she knew that he wouldn't just have her to deal with— he was treading a thin line with Roman Reigns as it was.

It was only when the referee reached five in his ten count that Fox seemed to realise there was still a match happening. She slowly shifted her gaze back to the ring and slid into it, and Kenna could see in her eyes that something had changed. Was she scared? Did she realise that she couldn't use the outside as her own space? Because whatever it was, she had began to look at Kenna like she was a real threat.

The two women circled each other once more, meeting in another lockup, and somehow Kenna was pulled down into a headlock. Fox twisted her, tried to disorient her, but Kenna had the whereabouts to fling Alicia towards the ropes— and she ran at the opposite ones, quick as lightning as she turned and delivered a flying lariat that had the woman twirling through the air and landing on her stomach.

Kenna lurched forwards in a cover and clenched her jaw as Alicia kicked out at two, but she didn't let up. She lifted one of the woman's long legs and twisted them both, leaning back and smiling in glee as she locked in a single leg crab hold.

"Tap!" Kenna screamed, "Tap!"

Her face pulled in effort and Alicia was screeching, clawing at the canvas as she desperately tried to reach the ropes. "Tap, Foxy!" Kenna yelled again.

But the woman was defiant. A couple of seconds later and Alicia had reached the ropes, and the referee was in Kenna's face, yelling at her to let go— but Kenna just bit down on her bottom lip and shook her head, arched her back further and listened to the Diva scream in agony. It was only when the ref reached four that Kenna slammed the woman's leg down onto the mat.

Kenna turned, watched as Alicia writhed in pain, and her eyes flickered to where the men of The Shield were standing looking impressed. A smile tilted the corners of her mouth.

It wasn't like she had to prove anything to them at all, but knowing that they were slowly starting to respect her wrestling style had her heart fluttering happily.

"Disqualify her ref!" Alicia Fox screeched, and suddenly Kenna was focused back on her, stepping forwards only to have the referee pushed her back. "Hold her back! Who do you think you are, Swan?!"

When Kenna reached forwards for the Diva a second time, she found the ref in her way once more— Alicia had yanked him between them and used him as her protection, and Kenna's teeth bared in annoyance. And then he was gone and Alicia had launched her boot into Kenna's thigh, laughing in glee as she hit the mat face first.

Kenna was right back up, and Fox dived into her in a heavy clothesline, moving away quickly as Kenna got back to her feet— but not for long. Fox had her on her back in a matter of seconds, the wind gone from her lungs due to another clothesline, and Kenna barely kicked out of the attempted cover.

"C'mon, Kenna!" Alicia mocked her, straddling her waist, slapping at her face. "C'mon, fight back!"

The diva was gone suddenly, and she gazed up at the roof for a dazed second before rolling onto her stomach, hazel eyes focusing on woman perched precariously on the turnbuckles.

Kenna pushed up onto a knee and waited, waited until Alicia had turned and was preparing to jump off before the launched into a run, propelling herself up the same turnbuckles and jumping to wrap her legs around Alicia's shoulders— and then pulled both herself and Alicia back towards the canvas in an avalanche Frankensteiner.

Kenna made a quick cover and almost screamed when Alicia managed to kick out at two.

And she'd had enough. Kenna was starting to sweat, her eyes fiercely cold, and there was no way this match was going beyond ten minutes. Alicia Fox didn't deserve to be in the ring with her for that long.

Slowly and deliberately, Kenna picked Alicia off the mat and shoved her head between gartered thighs. She spun the woman so her back was to the Shield, so she could see the titantron, and chicken-winged both of Fox's arms behind her back— almost like she was preparing to deliver a pedigree. But instead, in an impressive showing of strength, she lifted the woman into the air and delivered a flawless sitout powerbomb.

Alicia didn't move as Kenna covered her and picked up the win.

Her finisher, Bloodline, was a play on Triple H's Pedigree. They both utilised the double underhook and the name of Kenna's finisher was a director synonym to Hunter's. If anything, that was what connected them beyond anything else.

She was as equally surprised as The Shield when she finally focused on what the crowd was screaming, and smiled genuinely when she recognised the 'this is wrestling' chant.

But as soon as the referee had raised her hand, screeching and searing hot fire shot through the ring posts and into the air.

Kenna spun wildly in the ring and visibly jumped when The Shield slipped into the squared circle. Her wide eyes latched onto Roman's and automatically he pulled her behind him, away from the ramp, and told Ambrose and Rollins to stay by her side as he walked towards the titantron.

They didn't listen to him.

Perched just slightly behind him, Dean and Seth were peering at the entrance ramp. They didn't notice the way the ring shifted, nor the darkened stature of a man now separating Kenna from them.

Because now Kenna was staring with wide eyes at the masked monster himself. Kane's hand shot out to wrap around her throat and as loud as she could, Kenna screamed Roman's name. But what Kenna didn't expect was for Kane to sling her arm over his shoulder, because she wasn't supposed to be taking a chokeslam.

Her back hit the canvas in such a way that the breath flew from her lungs, and there was another crash as Reigns flung himself into Kane with a spear.

Despite the lack of oxygen in her body, Kenna's head wouldn't stop spinning.

What had just happened?

—

"What the hell happened out there?!"

"We thought—"

"I told you to stay with her! We know how Kane works! We know it was a distraction! You decided to abandon someone who is just as much a part of The Shield as I am, so what the fuck were you thinking?!"

"We don't follow orders from you!"

"She is The Shield! We protect our own!"

Roman was bellowing. He was beyond angry, his fists clenching and unclenching, arms flexing, lips pulled back over his teeth as he snarled at Ambrose. They'd started on opposite ends of the room and were now nose to nose and the tension between them was raising the hair on Kenna's arms, the altercation not even coming close to stopping the pounding of her head.

Rollins sat quietly behind her, hands trying to press ice into her aching back.

The room descended into a heavy silence.

"Enough," Kenna finally said. "Both of you can stop. It was a mistake, a stupid decision. Never in a million years did I think Kane would ever chokeslam me, but if I'd known… I would have been out of there quicker than anything. I don't blame you guys for anything. This is on Kane, not you, so pull your heads out of your asses and figure out a way to make the score even, otherwise he's gonna get exactly what he wanted— a Shield that isn't on the same page."

For a long moment, Kenna thought that both Reigns and Ambrose had completely ignored her. But then Dean's eyes dropped, and he shifted a foot backwards as he stepped back from the confrontation.

"Kenna's right. Kane's gotta pay for what he did," Seth piped up. "He attacked us, so we go after him. He's got friends here, doesn't he?" The smirk was evident in his voice, and she could almost feel how his eyes darkened. "He won't have any after tomorrow night."

—

Kenna's phone buzzed for what seemed like the tenth time since she'd tossed her bags down in the hotel room. Though Roman wanted to stay with her, she'd pushed him towards his boys so they could spend the morning plotting without waking her. God knows she would need sleep after taking one hell of a bump during RAW.

Call me, the text from her brother read, and Kenna sighed before tapping one back to him.

Tomorrow, I'm exhausted and don't really feel like dealing with Kane or what happened.

She shut her phone down then and pulled her body off the queen bed, groaning as she stripped from her street clothes, lying back down on the covers with just a comfortable bra and underwear.

No words could capture her thoughts.

Maybe she'd been put into that canvas so hard it killed a couple of brain cells, but after the fallout between The Shield, she couldn't even be mad at what had happened; how could she? Kane needed to be angry and going a half mile wouldn't cut it in this business. Her body hurt, and she couldn't deny that, but it hadn't been for nothing.

She must have drifted off to sleep along that train of thought, because next thing Kenna knew, she jolted awake. Her body was rigid and the air in the room shifted and she couldn't see a damn thing because it was pitch black.

Was Dean in her room?

A hand trailed down across the back of her head and the bed dipped, a strong arm curling around her waist to pull her back against a large, solid body. Roman, she thought, because Dean would never be this gentle nor this calm in such a compromising position.

"How'd you get in here?" she murmured into the darkness.

His voice was just as soft as he replied. "Sweet talked the receptionist."

"Bet she fell into your charm like a fuckin' waterfall."

"He certainly did."

Kenna shifted in his arms to try and gaze at Roman's face, but there was nothing to see. "He?"

"My charm isn't reserved for just females."

Cautiously, Kenna reached a hand out and trailed it down his bearded cheek until her thumb was at his bottom lip, and then she arched up to press her lips slowly to his. "Go to sleep," she whispered against his mouth, "big day tomorrow."

so- Kenna wins her first match, tensions rise between the Shield members, and everyone's left wanting revenge against Kane...

Kenna's theme is "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is" by Jet, an oldie but definitely a goodie and definitely something that fits Kenna Swan to the T. Along that line, if you have any recommendations for me, be sure to tell! In case you want to know Kenna's wrestling outfit, just visit my polyvore site (under raaeebrucee) and it's the one called Kenna #8.

thankyou to Raquel the writer (Michelle McCool, the Undertaker's wife), quinzel harley (i find that water is a common factor in most of my newer stories... it was difficult for me to try and write Undertaker realistically, so i'm glad i did him justice in your mind! do you like Kenna's in ring style?), and Dana1 (must be a miracle that you got through 8 chapters, then, thanks :]) for leaving comments and some constructive criticism. Let me know what you think about this chapter!

next, we see Kenna finally talk to her brother and Stephanie about what Kane did, and how that affects the rest of the roster.

much love x