A/N: Hi everybody! Wow, I'm just so overwhelmed (in a good way, of course) and ecstatic at amount of feedback I received for chapter five. It truly means the world to me when you guys leave reviews and I can't thank you enough for doing so. Also, the poll on my profile is now closed and the option for Valentina to team up with the guys and face Ryback and Team Hell No at TLC had the most votes. Huge thanks to everyone that voted! On that note, please enjoy this fluffy, intense chapter!
Oh, and in case you're all wondering why I re-uploaded this chapter, it's because I decided to revise Valentina's promo because I wasn't happy with how it turned out, but I feel a lot better about it now.
raaeebrucee – No problem! Yeah, I know I only mentioned the technical terms for her finishers in the previous chapters for like a brief second, my apologies for that. The Hard Goodbye is a rolling cutter (although this move is used in a variety of ways, so the best visual for the way Valentina uses it can be seen in the 'Top 20 Moves of Ivelisse Velez' video on YouTube, just skip to 2:37), Sin City is a bicycle kick, and Femme Fatale is an inverted facelock transitioned into a double knee backbreaker (the best visual for this one is to look up 'Angelina Love Break A Bitch' on YouTube). Hope that cleared things up a bit. Thanks again for reviewing!
caz21 – Thank you!
HelloP – Thanks!
MsConCon – So, I'm not gonna lie, I totally freaked out when I saw that you'd reviewed my story because I'm a really big fan of your work XD I'm really glad you like Valentina's relationship with the guys as well, when I was planning this story, I wanted Valentina to join The Shield prior to their debut and I wanted to do it in a somewhat heartfelt way, and it's good to know that I accomplished that. Oh, and don't worry, there's gonna be more tension between Seth and Valentina to come and eventually Valentina's history will be revealed and you'll see why the mere thought of this 'mystery guy' makes her want to scream. As far as Valentina and Dean go, well, I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I can tell you that they'll be more moments to come between the two of them. Thank you so much for reviewing!
PoopySal – Thanks a bunch! I'm really glad you're enjoying it so far and I'm also glad you voted since the votes were even before you did XD
Chapter Six – Making A Statement
"Can I ask you a question, please?
Promise you won't laugh at me
Honestly I'm standing here
Afraid I'll be betrayed
As twisted as it seems
I only fear love when it's in my dreams
So let in the morning light
And let the darkness fade away
Can you turn my black roses red?
Can you turn my black roses red?
Drowning in my loneliness
How long must I hold my breath?
So much emptiness inside
I could fill the deepest sea
I reach to the sky as the moon looks on
My one last year has come and gone
Time to let your love rain down on me
Can you turn my black roses red?
Can you turn my black roses red?
Can you turn my black roses red?
'Cuz I'm feelin' like I'll blame it on love
I'm feelin' like I'll blame it on love
I'm feelin' like I'll blame it on love, yeah, yeah." Black Roses Red by Alana Grace
Raw continued.
I hear voices in my head
They council me, they understand
They talk to me
I cracked my knuckles in anticipation as Randy Orton's theme sounded throughout the arena. He was Brad Maddox's opponent for tonight, and in order for Brad to get a WWE contract, he had to win the match. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that Brad was fighting a losing battle here. Sure, he had a decent amount of ring experience, but we all knew that it wasn't gonna do him much good, especially against the Viper.
"I think it's safe to say that there's about to be a Brad Maddox-shaped crater in the middle of the ring," I whispered to Seth as we watched the match from our usual spot in the crowd.
"Not if we have something to say about it," Seth retorted. "As soon as the match is over, we're gonna send a little message to Orton to ensure that he knows what justice feels like."
"And if he decides to retaliate after tonight?" I inquired playfully.
"Then I'll twist his spine into a pretzel," Dean said cheekily.
"I highly doubt you'll be able to do that on live TV without getting charged with manslaughter, Dean," I said sardonically.
"Stop being such a buzzkill, Monroe," Dean replied with a laugh. "Twisted spine or not, Orton's still getting his ass kicked tonight, and he'll get more ass kickings to come if he wants to fight back."
"Good to know," I mumbled.
Although Brad was able to get maybe two or three good licks in, Randy had pretty much toyed with and dominated him for the majority of the match. He finished Brad off with an RKO and that's when we had had enough.
We dashed into the ring and leapt on Orton, commencing our vicious onslaught on him. All Randy could do was cover his head and shield his face as we delivered kick after kick and blow after blow to his body.
"Get him up! Get him up!" Seth commanded.
Randy desperately tried to fight back as Dean and I hauled him up, but his efforts were useless and his back was on the canvas in seconds.
"BELIEVE IN THE SHIELD!" I screamed at the audience as Seth, Dean, and Roman set Randy up for a triple powerbomb.
"It's official; Valentina Monroe is a psycho!" Cole shouted, staring at me in horror.
"You think?!" Jerry shot back.
Whirling around, I squealed in delight and clapped my hands as the three of them laid Orton out with a triple powerbomb and glared down at him menacingly.
Whipping my hair out of my face, I giggled at Randy's now semi-conscious form. Then we calmly exited the ring and headed backstage.
"This is such bullshit," Dean grumbled as we watched Miz bombard Punk with numerous questions while he was hooked up to a lie detector.
"Yeah, my thoughts exactly," Roman said, shaking his head.
"Okay, we all know how this is gonna end," Dean scoffed, getting up from where he was sitting. "I say we play soccer with Miz's head once I knock it off."
"Patience, buddy," Seth chuckled, clapping him on his shoulder. "If Miz is dumb enough to ask any questions about us, then you can go out there and knock his head off."
"Wait! Wait!" I hissed, narrowing my eyes at the screen. "Guys, I think he's about to ask him…"
"Why don't we get something more concrete?" Miz snapped, giving Punk a cold look. "Did you work with Brad Maddox at Hell In A Cell?! Did you work with The Shield to win at Survivor Series?! Did you?! Did you?! Answer it! Answer it!"
"GO! GO! GO!" Seth yelled urgently.
Dean cracked his neck and Roman did the same with his knuckles as the four of us sprinted out of the room.
Before Punk could answer Miz's question, Seth dragged him out of the ring and tackled him to the floor. Dean, Roman and I climbed over the ropes and cleared off the table that the lie detector had been set up on and chucked it out of the ring.
Seth tossed Miz back into the ring and it didn't take long for the four of us to give him the same beating. Roman let out a roar before Seth and Dean picked Miz up and set him on the Samoan's shoulders. They gave Miz the triple powerbomb, and that's when our plan went south.
Kane and Daniel suddenly ran down the ramp and slid into the ring. Dean and Seth went after Kane while Roman and I backed Daniel into the turnbuckles and simultaneously kicked him.
FEED. ME. MORE!
"SON OF A BITCHING PIECE OF SHIT!" I screamed upon hearing Ryback's music. I was getting really tired of these assholes were sticking their noses where they didn't belong.
I clutched my throat and gasped in pain after Ryback hit me with a clothesline. Dean charged towards Ryback, but Ryback swiftly grabbed Dean's ankle and threw him out of the ring. Then he hopped out of the ring and threw Dean over the barricade.
I did a kip up and bolted out of the ring, leapfrogging over the barricade and sprinting over to where Ryback and Dean were. Ryback was still focused on Dean, so I to advantage of that by delivering a Sin City to his back, with much greater force this time.
Ryback toppled over and Dean winked at me before unleashing a barrage of blows on him, with me following suit. Despite it being two on one, however, Ryback was able to recover and overpower both of us. Kane and Daniel had managed to get the upper hand against Seth and Roman as well. In short, we got our asses handed to us.
"Well, that worked out nicely," I growled as we walked into the locker room. Roman punched one of the lockers in sheer frustration and Dean picked up a chair and chucked it at the wall.
"Hey! Enough!" Seth snapped, going into "Mediator Mode" for the thousandth time. "Alright, so tonight didn't exactly go according to plan, but they got lucky. Next time they won't get that luxury, and now they've each got a target on their backs."
"Damn right they do," Roman huffed, slumping down on the bench.
"They're an injustice to this company," Dean said, rolling his shoulders and clapping his hands together. "And we're gonna keep reminding them why they are until they get it through their heads. They need to understand that this is our yard now."
I nodded my head in agreement. "Couldn't have said it better myself."
A soft moan left my lips as I felt a pair of calloused hands gently rubbing my shoulders, massaging away all the built-up tension. I already knew who it was, and I bit my lower lip as he hitched my cami up and lightly traced his fingers over the tattoo sprawled across my lower back.
"Mmm, you're very good with your hands, Mr. Rollins," I said quietly, lifting my head to look over my shoulder.
"So does that mean you're not gonna hit me with a Sin City for interrupting your beauty sleep?" he joked, sweeping my hair to the side before bringing his hands up to knead my shoulders.
"Don't push it," I snickered, burying my face in my pillow.
I yelped in surprise as he suddenly flipped me over and crawled on top of me, his lips molding into a sly grin as he took hold of my wrists and pinned them above my head.
"What is this, Fifty Shades of Grey?!" I said in between laughs. "You gonna punish me, Sethie?"
"I may have to, if you say 'no' to what I'm about to ask you," he said, leaning closer and brushing his nose against mine. "I'm about to go Crossfitting, do you wanna come?"
"I take it Dean and Roman aren't coming?" I asked, quirking a brow.
He shook his head. "Nope. They went downstairs to the gym about twenty minutes ago, they'll probably be down there for the next two hours or so. It's just you and me for now, sweetheart. So, how bout' it? You in?"
"You're on," I said. "I've never done CrossFit before, so you better go easy on me."
"I'll try," he drawled, pressing a warm kiss to my cheek and rolling off me. "Which reminds me, we got a voicemail from Vickie earlier. We've got a match at TLC."
"WHAT?!" I exclaimed incredulously, bolting upright and whipping my head to the side to look at him. "Against who?! Ryback?! Goatboy?! Kane?! AJ?! All four of them?!"
"We're facing Team Hell No and Ryback… In an Intergender Tag Team match…"
I didn't know whether to jump for joy or scream bloody murder. Never in my eight years of wrestling had I faced a man in the ring. Sure, I'd been helping Seth, Dean, and Roman attack countless Superstars ever since Survivor Series, but that was child's play compared to going into a match that involved tables, ladders, and chairs!
"…. Holy shit," I gulped, running a hand through my hair. "Welp, there's only two things I can do to prepare for this. One, train with you guys as much as I can so I know what to expect, and two, watch as many Team Extreme matches as possible."
"Don't worry, you've got this in the bag, Vee," he assured me. "Not to mention, it's four against three. They don't stand a chance."
I took a deep breath and smiled hopefully. "You're right, we're gonna kick all their asses into next week. They're going down."
"Barbie called, she wants her leggings back," Seth snickered once he saw my workout gear, which was a pair of bright pink low-rise leggings, a black tank top that said I'm 99% Angel. But Oh..… That 1%... HOT DAMN, a black wristband that said Violence Isn't The Answer, But It's a Lot More Fun, and pink and dark gray Pumas. My hair was in a messy bun and my face was void of makeup.
"Fuck you! These are my favorite pair!" I said playfully, lightly elbowing him in the chest. "Plus, they also make my ass look phenomenal."
"Can't argue with that," I heard him mutter. I looked up at him and tried my hardest not to melt right into the carpet once I saw how good he looked. His two-toned hair was fastened in a low bun and he was wearing a gray A Day To Remember t-shirt and black basketball shorts.
Sucking in a breath, I quickly grabbed my charcoal colored Victoria's Secret duffle bag that had PINK written across it in gold sequined lettering and tossed some extra clothes and my phone inside.
"If I die after this workout, I'm haunting your ass for the next fifty years, Rollins," I warned, causing him to laugh.
"You're not gonna die, Vee. Trust me, you're about to endure the greatest workout of your entire life."
It took every ounce of willpower I had not to pass out after the first half hour.
After doing twenty-five kip pull ups, ten squat cleans, and fifteen ring dips, I collapsed on one of the benches, picked up my water bottle, and took a long swig. Greatest workout of my entire life, my ass.
"You did great, Valentina!" Seth beamed, staring down at me with a satisfied grin. "How do you feel?"
"Like I've just been suplexed a hundred times, hit by a train, dragged to hell and then dug my way out," I managed to gasp out. "Oh, and I also have the urge to hit you with an infinite number of Sin Cities, but that would require moving, and I'm in too much pain to do that right now."
He carefully wrapped an arm around my shoulders and helped me sit up. "There, there, Vee, have no fear, your favorite Architect is here."
With a sigh, I laid my head on his shoulder and laughed softly. "You can go ahead and carry on if you want. Just give me about ten more minutes or so and I'll join you."
"That's my girl." He patted my knee and stood up. My breath caught in my throat as he casually pulled his shirt off, revealing his chiseled abs and toned chest. My cheeks instantly flushed… and my reaction didn't go unnoticed.
"Close your mouth, Monroe, flies might get in," he told me with a wink before heading over to the other side of the gym to do some box jumps.
And here lies Valentina Ava Monroe. Cause of death? Wellll, she tried to keep it together, but after seeing her best friend take his shirt off during their CrossFit workout, she wound up going into a pleasure coma and never woke up.
I shut my eyes and quietly counted to ten in an attempt to erase all dirty thoughts of the two-toned ninja across the room, which immediately backfired on me when I caught myself staring at him again and biting my lip. I wonder if he'd oblige if I asked him to join me in the locker room for a cold shower and show me a whole new way of working ou- NO! NO! NO! GET A FUCKING GRIP AND STOP THINKING ABOUT BONING YOUR BEST FRIEND!
Stalking over to one of the power racks, I wrapped my hands around both sides of the barbell and slowly hoisted it upward and gradually bent my knees. I figured doing a few plie squats would help clear my mind before I joined Seth like I'd promised. Lord knows I didn't want him to catch me blushing again.
"Need a hand, Princess Leia?" he suddenly breathed in my ear, shifting forward a bit so that my back was flush against him.
So much for clearing my mind….
"N-No, I'm good," I replied, pursing my lips together and trying my hardest stay focused on my squats and not the gorgeous man behind me.
However, that plan was promptly tossed out the window when Seth chuckled and gingerly placed his hands on my hips and leisurely maneuvered them downward.
"Don't get me wrong, you're doing really good, you just need to bend your knees a little more," he advised me.
"Thanks," I mumbled quietly, my eyes darting up to look at the wall mirror in front of me. A small smile graced my lips at the sight.
"No problem," he said, snapping me out of my daze. He gave me a parting grin before jogging back over to the boxes.
Another hour went by before we both decided to call it quits for the day. I left the locker room and pulled out my phone. What really caught me off guard was the various tweets I'd gotten after my match with AJ… and the majority of them had a photo of Seth and I hugging in the ring.
OMG they're so fucking cute! #Raw
When's Rollins gonna wise up and ask her out already? #Raw
I ship them! I ship them harder than FedEx! Monrollins is officially my OTP! #Raw
They're a match made in heaven. They both get a sick thrill from beating the shit out of Superstars and Divas they think are an "injustice" #Raw
The Architect and The Killer Queen are gonna be the next Edge and Lita, just watch. #Raw
"More fan tweets?" Seth teased, peering over my shoulder.
"Oh yeah," I said with a nod before pulling up the camera on my phone. "I'd say me miraculously surviving my first CrossFit workout calls for a selfie, wouldn't you agree?"
"Hell yeah!" He smirked, wrapping an arm around me and leaning down to my height. I took a couple pics, then picked the one I liked the best and uploaded it.
TheKillerQueenOfWWE: So WWERollins convinced me to get off my lazy ass this morning and do CrossFit with him. It was exhausting and painful, but totally worth it! #NoPainNoGain #IOweYouRollins #Feelin'TheBurn
"Told you you'd enjoy it, Monroe," Seth said cockily as we walked towards his car.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, don't rub it in," I retorted, loading my bag into the trunk. My phone started vibrating again so I took it out of my bag before slamming the trunk lid shut. I unlocked the screen to see that AJ had reposted the picture of Seth and I with the following tweet:
WWEAJLee: Yuck, I think I just threw up in my mouth a bit. What Seth sees in this cheap, trashy, talentless loser I'll never know. #GoAwayValentina #YouWillNeverBeAsGreatAsMe #You'reNothing
"I'm gonna kill this bitch," I snarled under my breath.
"Valentina, don't let her get to you, that's what she wants," Seth said calmly, placing his hand on my shoulder.
I shook him off and scowled. "It's not about letting her get to me; it's about her not understanding the fact that I'm here to stay and trying to bring me down every chance she gets! There is a limit to how much I can take and she's pushed me to my limit! She wants to go down this road? Fine! Game on!"
Smackdown taping
December 4th, 2012
Charleston, South Carolina
"COME ON, AJ!" I hollered, seizing her by the back of her shirt and hurling her against the wall. Trust me when I say that I really, really tried to take the high road (Seth made me swear to do so when we got to the arena), but that high road turned into a highway to hell the minute she attacked me from behind by taking off her belt and whipping me across the back with it and then trying to choke me with it.
Hauling her up by her hair with one hand and grabbing a fistful of her shirt with the other, I threw her against the wall again, got on top of her, and wrapped my hands around her throat.
"You wanna choke me, huh?!" I spat, my grip constricting as I rammed her head against the concrete. "How do you like it?! Doesn't feel too good, does it?! When I told why it's a bad idea to piss me off, I meant EVERY word!"
AJ wiggled and gasped for air underneath me and before bringing her knee up and striking me in the gut. Her belt's around my throat again before I have a chance to retaliate and she wastes no time in pulling back with all her might.
I gasped and coughed as I felt my airway being cut off, my hands immediately taking hold of the belt and trying to yank it off my throat.
AJ giggled at my attempt and shoved me down so I was on my knees. "Give it up, Valentina! You're nothing! You're not so tough when your boys aren't around, are you?!"
As a last resort, I brought my foot up and gratingly stomped on her foot before harshly elbowing her in the stomach. She dropped the belt and I rubbed my throat as countless coughs left my mouth. Despite the fact that I was struggling to regain control of my breathing, there was no way in hell I was gonna give AJ the chance to throttle me again.
I snatched her up by her hair again and dragged her down the hallway, ignoring her screams of protest as I did so. AJ brought this on herself and I was way beyond showing her any mercy.
It didn't take long for us to come across some stage equipment lying around and I was more than willing to take advantage of this opportunity. I bashed her head against a road case nearby before landing a kick to her side, leaving her lying in a heap on the stone floor.
My gaze veered to the other items lying against the wall: a metal trashcan and two cookie sheets. Perfect.
Yanking the lid off the trashcan, I stormed back over to the fallen Black Widow and brutally smacked her across the back with it. AJ howled and writhed in agony as I followed up with two more shots to her back.
"Valentina what the hell are you doing?!"
I swiveled around to see Seth staring at me like I'd just grown eight tentacles, with Roman having a very similar expression. Dean, however, had an amused smile on his face, clearly being the only one that seemed to approve of AJ and I's street fight.
Dropping the lid, I clenched my teeth and shook my head. "Seth, I really tried to take the high road, but it's a little hard to do that when you're getting the life choke out of you!"
Seth raised his hands in defense and took a step forward. "I get that, but don't you think you've done enough?!"
Dean barked out a laugh and crossed his arms. "Lighten up, bro. I say we let em' fight. Besides, it looks like she's got the situation under contro- Valentina, look out!"
Dean's warning came about two seconds too late and I unleashed a piercing scream as the sudden sharp pain shot up my back. I brought my head up to see that AJ was now wielding the trashcan with a maniacal smile on her face.
Rolling over, I clenched my teeth as I pulled myself into a kneeling position. AJ launched herself forward and countered with another trashcan shot… right to my face.
My vision became blurry as I fell backwards, my legs were now tucked underneath my body. Ragged breaths left my mouth as I tried to bring myself back to reality and silently hoped to god that AJ didn't give me a concussion.
Through my peripheral, I saw Dean, Roman, and Seth move towards her. Concerned and amused looks were now gone from their features and had been replaced with pissed off, menacing ones.
"What are you three gonna do?!" AJ demanded tauntingly, tossing the trashcan aside. "Hit me?! You gonna hit a woman?! Last time I checked, that's an 'injustice'!"
In spite of the fact that I was still in a vast amount of pain, I saw this as an opening and I was gonna take it. I crawled backwards, snatched one of the cookie sheets, and gradually got to my feet.
"But this isn't!" I snarled, and struck her across the face with it, followed by the lower back.
We fought and beat the holy hell out of each other for another ten minutes backstage before eventually moving our fight into the crowd, with Roman, Dean, and Seth trailing close behind.
After violently tossing each other into god knows how many walls backstage, AJ and I were still disoriented and somewhat dizzy, but neither of us was willing to back down. That much was true.
My arm shot out, hitting her with a clothesline so vicious it sent her soaring backwards over the barricade. Then I hopped over the barricade, snatched her up by the back of her shirt and threw her in the ring. I was done fucking around. It was time to finish this.
Looping my arm around her neck, I executed Femme Fatale and then sat up. That's when a light bulb went off went off in my head.
Staggering over to the ropes, I directed my attention towards one of the producers and yelled for her to give me a damn mic. What I was about to do was about to make me even more feared and hated than I already was, but I didn't give a damn.
I brought the microphone to my lips and cleared my throat. "You know, I realize that some of you are still confused and disgusted at my actions as of late, so allow me to enlighten you. At first it took me a while to understand what Dean, Roman, and Seth have been trying to show me, and what they've been trying to tell me, but now, I get it. We're here to rally against injustice, and that doesn't just include Superstars like Daniel Bryan, Ryback, Randy Orton, and the Miz either! That's right; I'm talking about this sad excuse of a Divas division. What happened to the days where Divas weren't afraid to be as tough and as ruthless as the guys, hmm?"
I was getting a lot of boos from the crowd, and I had no doubt in my mind that all the Divas backstage wanted to massacre me for bashing them, but I was in too deep to stop now.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, go ahead! Boo me all you want!" I said scathingly, rolling my eyes. "It's not gonna change the fact that deep down in your heart of hearts, you all know I'm right! I didn't put my body through hell week after week for the past eight years and look up to so many great wrestlers just to sit back and allow this division become a joke! You see, I've watched this division crumble over the past few years and I'm absolutely disgusted that the Divas in this division have gone from beating each other with trashcans and putting each other through tables, to slapping and being concerned about breaking a damn nail every time they get in the ring! So, ladies, if you're all watching this, and I know you are, I'm here to put you on notice: I'm taking over this division and making it relevant again. Now, if any of you bimbos back there have an issue with that, then, by all means, feel free to come down here and "try" -by the way, I use that term very loosely- and prove yourselves. However, just know this; if you dare try to stop me from cleansing this division of all its injustice, I will take no shame in doing to you what I just did to AJ here. Scratch that, I'll do worse!"
I threw my head back and giggled quietly as the booing got louder. Pursing my lips together, I strutted two steps forward and continued, "My name is Valentina Monroe, and like my brothers, I'm a shield from injustice. This is their yard… and my Kingdom. BELIEVE IN THE SHIELD!"
Throwing the mic down, I glanced over to see Roman, Dean, and Seth now standing behind the barricade, all wearing proud grins. They jumped over the barricade and slid into the ring, engulfing me in a hug as my music hit.
"Well, Valentina certainly is determined to make a change" Josh Matthews commented.
"And she won't hesitate to take out anyone who gets in her way either!" JBL exclaimed. "Look at what she did to AJ for crying out loud!"
"Any ideas as to who her next victim's gonna be?" Michael Cole asked.
"No clue, but after what just happened, I think that any Diva that agitates Valentina is in for a world of hurt."
Damn straight
"Monroe, you killed it!" Dean exclaimed enthusiastically as we walked (or rather, staggered, in my case) backstage. "I mean, I knew you were capable of being cunning and deadly, but damn! You just kicked it up about fifty notches! I think it's safe to say that the Divas division just got a wake-up call."
"Not to mention she's just become public enemy number one," Roman commented. "Still, it had to be said. You made a lot of great points, baby girl. The Divas division is in need for a serious change, and you're the right girl to do it."
"Yeah, no shit!" I snorted. "I'm re-building this division and if those any of those bitches have an issue with it, they know where to find me." I looked over at Seth, who looked… surprisingly conflicted. What the hell?
"Seth, don't give me that look," I warned, crossing my arms. "I told you, she attacked me first, was I supposed to just let her choke me until I passed out due to lack of oxygen?!"
He sighed. "I'm not mad, sweetheart. Although I agree with everything you just said, that doesn't change the fact that I'm still gonna worry about you. I care about you a lot, Vee..."
"You should've seen the look on his face when AJ hit you in the face with that trashcan," Dean snickered. "He looked like he'd just witnessed you gettin' murdered or something."
"This coming from the man who was struggling to restrain himself when AJ was daring all of us to hit her," Roman said, rolling his eyes. "Then again, you're both crazy, so it doesn't surprise me that your personalities clash."
Dean just snorted in response before looking at me again. "So, we were planning on attacking Goatface after his match with Big Show, care to join the fun?"
"Are you out of your damn mind, Ambrose?!" Seth shouted. "She just got out of a street fight! She's in no condition to-"
"Count me in," I said, causing Seth to turn around and look at me wide eyed.
"Valentina, there's no fucking way I'm letting you go out there," he said, his jaw tense.
"I'm going out there with you guys whether you like it or not, Seth," I replied, leaning against the wall. "Look, I know you care about me, but you have to understand that even when I'm not at a hundred percent, I'm still gonna suck it up, go out there, and give it all I've got."
He blew out a defeated sigh. "Fine, but I'm still gonna make damn sure that you take it easy once we get back to the hotel, capiche?"
"I better not hear you two fucking while I'm trying to sleep," Dean muttered.
"And you better not bring some ring-rat back, Dean," I quipped with a snort.
"Well, if I do, you're more than welcome to join us, Vee," he grinned. "Seeing as Sethie's taking his sweet time and all…"
"Well, Ambrose, congratulations. You're officially on my Curb Stomp list," Seth muttered, rubbing his temples in irritation.
"Not my fault you still haven't made a move yet," Dean shrugged.
"Let it be, man," Roman sniggered. "It won't be long before they start staying in a separate room and we're forced to hear them fucking down the hall."
"ROMAN!" I shrieked, my mouth dropping open.
"Just stating the facts, baby girl," he chuckled.
We casually surrounded the ring as Big Show raised his championship in the air and looked down at Daniel. He took advantage of the fact that Daniel had gotten distracted by our presence and was able to pick up the win after nailing Daniel with a chokeslam.
Big Show glanced up at us as we calmly stepped onto the apron and quietly exited the ring, affirming that he wanted nothing to do with us.
We circled Daniel for a few seconds before stomping him, but four against one turned into four against two when Kane's pyro exploded and his music went off.
Kane's attempt to make the save quickly backfired as we all tackled and stomped him. Once we'd kicked him out of the ring, Seth launched himself forward and rammed Kane back first into the apron.
Smirking, I turned around and helped Roman clear the announce table, with JBL, Josh, and Michael quickly backing up as a result.
"Get him up!" I shouted, cracking my knuckles.
Roman brushed his hair out of his face and let out a roar, calling for the triple powerbomb. Dean and Seth picked Kane up and set him on Roman's shoulders again before executing the triple powerbomb.
We took a moment to glance at the two thirds of our opponents for TLC before looking at each other. We were more than confident that we were gonna emerge victorious come TLC, but we still wanted to send a little message to Kane, Daniel, and Ryback before we left the arena.
"I'm Seth Rollins," Seth said, holding up the camcorder that we'd gotten from one of the cameramen backstage.
"I'm Valentina Monroe," I said, mockingly waving as he pointed it to me. Then he handed it to Roman.
"Roman Reigns."
"I'm Dean Ambrose," Dean said, running a hand through his hair. "What do we know about injustice?"
"We don't just know injustice!" I said matter of factly.
"We've lived it," Roman affirmed.
"Last Monday, CM Punk, Champion for over a year, was disrespected with a lie detector test by the Miz?" Dean demanded incredulously.
"Welcome to consequences Miz!" I spat.
Seth grabbed the camera and scoffed. "Randy Orton took advantage of a young, defenseless Brad Maddox! Well welcome to payback, Randy!"
"We shield the WWE from injustice," Roman explained.
"Team Hell No?" Dean rolled his eyes.
"Well, guess what?" I sneered. "Nobody says 'no' to the Shield. It's about damn time you learned that the easy way, or we can keep teaching it to you the hard way."
"Ryback? You've been handed success on a silver platter!" Dean snapped. "You've been handed fame and fortune! You've been put on a pedestal! Well, we knocked you off that pedestal! We stopped you cold. Welcome back to reality, Ryback!"
"We don't work for anybody!" Seth said. "Not Paul Heyman, not the WWE Champion. We work for each other."
"I'm Dean Ambrose."
"Seth Rollins."
"I'm Valentina Monroe."
"I'm Roman Reigns. Welcome to the shield of justice." He handed the camera to Dean.
"At the TLC pay-per-view, bring tables! Bring ladders! Bring chairs! The Shield brings the sword."
Seth draped an arm around my shoulder and I blew a kiss to the camera. The four of us smiled smugly before setting the camera down and walking out.
A/N: My apologies if this chapter was somewhat rusty. I've had quite a bit of schoolwork lately and unfortunately it's sort of hindered my writing. With that said, I still want to know what you all thought of this chapter, especially AJ and Valentina's brawl. I really wanted to kick-off their rivalry via Attitude Era style and I hope it turned out okay. Same goes for Valentina's promo. Thanks for reading! ^_^