“That’s what I like to hear.”

“How is tonight’s main event looking, Mister McKinney?” Kendra asked Gordon.

“Well…” Gordon began, holding up his iPhone and furrowing one bushy brow as he looked over the NMW Live app. The right side of his mouth twisted up, one meaty thumb hovering over the screen. Fiona and Kendra waited in silence. After about a minute he lowered the phone to his side, his eyes moving to Fiona.

“Raven Veyn holds the advantage currently, but Isabella was dominating for most of the opening.”

“Who seems to be the fan favorite?” Kendra asked with a touch of caution.

“It’s a close one,” Gordon said with a smirk. “Isabella Cadiz was the face of No Mercy Women’s Wrestling, and she had a following before then. Raven Veyn was the undefeated champion back at Crash Syndicate Wrestling, but… between you two and me, Isabella Cadiz is probably the toughest opponent that Raven has ever faced. Well… except for one other…”

Kendra started to ask who the “other” was, but Gordon’s phone pinged with a text. He glanced at it then quickly excused himself.

“Fiona, I’ll call you tomorrow with details about next week,” Gordon said as he stepped through the doorway, not looking back. “Go on back to the hotel and get some rest. You’ve earned it!”

Kendra smiled and crossed her arms, turning to Fiona.

“So, who would you rather face between those two?”

"Isabella, easily."

Fiona wanted to watch the match between those two as much as any of the fans in the stadium, but her phone was back in her bag in the locker room. She didn't doubt she'd watch the whole thing at least a few times over the next week, to gather as much information as she could on one of her upcoming opponents.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, I think Isabella's the better wrestler of the two, and she'd probably destroy me, but like... I've watched her matches for years. It's been a dream of mine to get in the ring with her, you know? She's a legend."

There wasn't any room for being a fan when the bell rang, but Fiona still felt like she could learn a ton and gain so much experience by sharing the ring with someone like Isabella. So when given the choice between two wrestlers that were very likely to crush her, of course she was going to choose the one she actually looked up to. Raven, on the other hand, did not seem like someone she wanted to meet. Not in the ring, not even backstage.

"Right now, though, all I want is an ice bath and a bed. I'll worry about the steel cage on Monday."

---

---

---

Kendra winced as Fiona sailed over the top rope, her body twisting midair before colliding with the steel mesh of the practice cage. The impact rang out with a sharp, hollow clang that echoed through the training room. Fiona’s momentum carried her downward, her limbs tangling awkwardly as she slid along the unforgiving metal until she ended up wedged between the ropes and the cage wall.

“Come on, Fiona,” barked Scott, one of the coaching staff, his tone sharp, “don’t let yourself get jammed up like that!”

Rick, the other of the two trainers, stepped up to the side of the ring and reached for the cage door, the hinges squeaking as he pulled it open. They had been at this for most of the morning and it was time for a breather. Gwen - the very brawny jobber who had just swung Fiona into the side of the cage - exhaled sharply and leaned over the ropes, extending a hand to Fiona. Her expression softened into an awkward smile, a smile that silently asked, “No hard feelings?”

As the door creaked wider, Kendra pushed off from the opposite side of the ring where she had been observing, arms folded. It was Tuesday, four days since Extreme Rules, and the atmosphere inside the NMW training facility carried a very familiar intensity. The kind where there was no time to bask in a previous victory, only to prepare for what was coming next. After taking the remainder of the weekend to recover from her match with Tanya, Fiona had hit the ground running. Kendra had booked an early Monday flight into New York City and got a hotel that afternoon. Monday had been about shaking off the “lazy” Sunday for Fiona. An hour of cardio followed by light weight lifting to get her back into the training flow.

Today, the intensity had shifted quite heavily as Fiona began actual practicing for the cage match. Three hours had already passed and while her improvement was noticeable there was still plenty of work to be done to prepare Fiona for Friday. Scott and Rick, two of the top coaches at NMW, had been pushing Fiona from the moment she stepped into the enclosure. And Fiona’s training partner for this week, Gwen, was pulling no punches. - Literally.

“You cannot let yourself get cornered like that,” Scott continued, pacing slowly along the outside of the cage. His eyes were locked on Fiona, analytical and unrelenting. “Raven Veyn uses cornering in cage matches for that very reason. So she can strike or grab her opponent and they have nowhere to go!”

That name alone seemed to hang in the air for a moment, adding weight to the lesson. Rick glanced over at the clock mounted high on the nearby wall. “Five after,” he muttered, before raising his voice slightly. “Let’s take an hour for a lunch break.” Scott nodded.

The two trainers turned and made their way toward the training room door, their conversation immediately shifting to adjustments for the next session as they seemingly forgot all about the three women in the room. Behind them, Gwen slipped between the ropes with practiced ease before ducking through the cage exit. She landed lightly on the outside floor, rolling her shoulders, the intensity finally easing from her posture. As the door into the training area slammed shut moments later, Fiona was left alone with Kendra.

Fiona took Gwen's hand to help herself up, meeting her awkward smile with a grimace, a mix of embarrassment and frustration, but certainly no hard feelings. Fiona liked her as a sparring partner, as a more self-centered competitor might've tried to use her chance to fight a rising star like Fiona as a springboard for their own career. Gwen was definitely making herself look good by repeatedly introducing Fiona to the cage surrounding them, but she seemed genuinely interested in doing the job of helping her prepare.

Fiona ducked between the ropes back into the ring, huffing for breath and tucking some long strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail back behind her ear. She wore all-black training gear, a stark contrast to the white and light blue gear she had lined up for her big match on Friday. She couldn't deny she was beginning to dread it. Fiona had been slow all morning, still struggling to shake off the effects of last week's brutal extreme rules match despite the light Monday. She had to hope her competition was feeling similarly battered, as Fiona was finding it hard to imagine she'd be at her best by Friday night.

Especially if she kept getting worked over trying to get used to this cage. She followed Gwen out and accepted a water from Kendra, wanting to cool down a little before getting some food, as well as just get a few minutes away from the trainers and anyone other than her best friend.

"This is going about as well as I expected so far," she said, sitting down on a steel folding chair, exactly the kind she'd taken across the back just a few days ago. "The other two have to be hurting just as much, right? I mean, Raven had to go through Isabella to get here."

Saying it out loud had the opposite effect she'd been hoping for. Raven Veyn was the clear favorite for the title now that Isabella was out of the picture, and if Isabella couldn't take her, what chance did Fiona have? Especially considering Elina Zamora would be there too, just a few weeks removed from her convincing debut win over none other than Fiona.

Kendra dragged a chair over and sat beside Fiona, crossing her legs as she settled in. For a few seconds Fiona’s partner remained silent, her lips slightly pursed as she considered what to say next.

“Look,” Kendra began, “you’ve never been in a steel cage match before. But this is just the first day of training - the first few hours, actually. And I’m not just trying to reassure you when I say I can already see improvement.”

Kendra knew her words might not sound particularly comforting, but she hoped Fiona could hear the practicality in them. Behind the casual cadence of her speech Kendra’s message was clear: she believed in Fiona’s potential. And while it was easy for Kendra to say all this while Fiona was the one being thrown around inside the cage, she knew it was true.

“Hey, try to remember something,” Kendra said, nudging Fiona in the arm. “You’ve faced some pretty heavy odds before. Don’t throw in the towel yet. I mean… have you forgotten Molly Mims? Raven Veyn may be tough, but she’s not Molly Mims.”

Fiona certainly hadn't forgotten about Molly Mims, the single worst match of her career, resulting in an ankle injury that sidelined her for a decent chunk of her rookie year. She faced extremely heavy odds in that one... and ended up crushed by them. Still, she understood the point her friend was trying to make. She found a way to overcome Tanya, and that wasn't the first time she'd pulled off an upset. Raven and Elina would be a much bigger challenge, but it wasn't hopeless.

"Honestly..." she said, suddenly thoughtful, "maybe it's for the best that it's a triple threat. I mean, if Raven and Elina decide to gang up on me, I'm probably finished, but why would they want to? They're old rivals from CSW, right? They fought for the title there against each other." From what she remembered, it was a close battle, too, with Elina coming up just short of defeating Raven.

"I'm guessing both of them would rather fight me for the title than each other. Maybe that's my path to winning, or... escaping. Need to find a way to stay in it until they've worn each other down, then make my move." She wasn't the biggest fan of the strategy, as she felt like staying out of the fight as much as she could wouldn't give her fans much of a show, but she didn't see any other way yet. One-on-one against either of them wasn't great odds for her, and if they decided to unite to take her out, well... that wasn't something she wanted to imagine.

"Thoughts?"

“That definitely is the best strategy, I think,” Kendra nodded, “like you just said, if they double team you… it would not go your way.”

Kendra leaned forward in her seat, resting her palms on her knees, “But that’s just it, I don’t really see those two joining hands for even a minute. I actually looked back into their time at Crash Syndicate together and let me tell you… there is no love to be lost between the Queen of the Goths and the Desert Diva.

“My suggestion is to just… skirt the edges. Lurk. Let those two just tear into each other and wait for only the most opportune moments to take your shots at either of them. They’re the lionesses and you’re…”

Kendra thought for and then grinned at Fiona, “A hyena. Be a hyena this Friday!”

"A hyena," Fiona repeated, unable to keep from laughing a little. "There are worse things to be, I guess."

It was a sound plan for any triple threat match. Thanks to the rather rigid scheduling of the now-defunct NMWW, it was going to be Fiona's first triple threat match, as well as her first match inside a steel cage. Hyena or not, Fiona was going to have to take on her two deadly opponents at some point. Maybe they did hate each other, but they also didn't find success in their respective careers by being stupid. They weren't going to just let her escape while they fought each other, nor would they let her get away with endlessly blindsiding them.

The longer the fight went, the harder it would be to escape the cage quickly, and if she wasn't the first to get out, she'd be trapped in a one-on-one against the remaining opponent. Everything was telling Fiona to do what Kendra said, skirt around the fight, take only opportunistic strikes, get them to fight each other again, and then find an early moment to get out and earn her spot in the title match. But all of that wasn't how Fiona wanted to fight, how her fans wanted her to fight. They wanted to see her get even against Elina, to prove she could hang with the best on the roster like Raven, to fight fearlessly like she had her whole career so far.

She could plan all she wanted; she knew she'd end up deciding what to do in the moment anyway, based on what felt right.

Sighing, she stood and tapped on Kendra's shoulder. "Come on, let's get something to eat. Got more work to do today."

---

---

Friday night had finally arrived, carrying with it the weight of weeks of competition. The triple threat cage match stood as the final hurdle of the grueling Rubicon Gauntlet. The match outcome would determine the two men and two women who would advance on to the coveted title opportunity in Las Vegas the following week. Raven Veyn, Elina Zamora, and Fiona Chevalier were the last three standing in the women’s division, having carved a path through fierce competition to reach this night. And then in the men’s division there was Jay Wyatt, Mihailo Vasić, and Uberto Cafrune. - The blue chip talent, the giant, and the luchadore. The air around the arena was charged as thousands arrived with expectations crackling like static. Inside the United Center, the steel cage loomed high, suspended above the ring in silent promise of what was to come. Every spotlight, every camera, every whisper among the gathering crowd seemed to point toward it.

Fiona’s preparation had been relentless in the days leading up to tonight. On Tuesday and Wednesday she spent the entire afternoon inside the steel cage with Gwen and then later another jobber named Stephanie. Hours blurred together as training sessions pushed her endurance, precision, and resolve to their limits. Kendra’s presence during the practice matches and drills ensured that Fiona stayed motivated. That final push had not been about intensity alone, but about sharpening instinct and maintaining focus. Every sequence and move execution had been another layer of readiness forged into Fiona’s body and mind. Thursday had been a day of light conditioning and studying clips from both Raven and Elina’s matches. Now it was time to see if the grinding would pay off for Fiona and see her standing before the masses in Las Vegas the following week.

The Unity Center in Chicago was filled to capacity, its vast interior abustle with noise and movement. Nearly twenty-five thousand people were packed the arena, their voices rising and falling in waves that seemed to shake the structure itself. Red and silver lighting swept across the stands and the stage. The ring sat at the center like the eye of a storm, the suspended cage casting a long shadow across the canvas. The show tonight had drawn not just fans but an atmosphere that felt almost tangible, pressing in from all sides.

Outside, in the dim echo of the parking garage, that same energy bled through in a distant roar. Fiona and Kendra moved toward the stage area, footsteps steady against the concrete as the muffled thunder of the crowd filtered through the structure. The sound was constant, a low rumble punctuated by sudden surges that hinted at the spectacle unfolding within. Overhead lights cast long, stark shadows that shifted with every step forward. The closer they moved, the clearer the vibrations became, as though the building itself was alive and pulsing. Somewhere beyond the walls, the cage waited, already lowered or perhaps poised for its descent. The separation between outside and inside felt thin, like a boundary about to dissolve. Everything pointed toward the same destination—the moment when preparation, anticipation, and opportunity would collide under unforgiving steel.

As much as Fiona wanted to say she'd earned her way into a main event match for NMW, she was glad the women's side of the tournament would be opening the show, and not forced to wait all the way to the end. She was as prepared as she felt she could be, but confidence had proven to be elusive throughout the week. Tonight she'd be stepping into the ring for the fourth time in five weeks, against two of the toughest opponents she'd ever faced. Elina had fought through the same tally of matches, but Raven would be the freshest of the three, having breezed through the first round. Fiona had to hope Raven was feeling lingering effects from her battle against Isabella.

She walked in silence beside Kendra through the parking area, dressed casually in a pair of baggy olive cargo pants, a cropped white tank, and sneakers, comfortable in the warmth of the late August Chicago evening. Fiona was used to surprising the fans and beating the odds at this point, but tonight she knew she'd need to surprise herself as well. Her focus settled where it usually did, on giving the fans the best show possible, leaving everything in the ring, and letting the rest work itself out. In a weird way, she was less nervous for tonight than she had been the last two rounds. She'd already crushed the expectations coming into this tournament, so it felt like she was playing with house money at this point.

By chance, Fiona spotted Elina Zamora making her way in at the same time, and suddenly Fiona was quite glad she had Kendra with her. She didn't think Elina would feel the need to ambush her before the match, but her record as a judge of character was less than perfect. Elina already had her gear on beneath a robe, and thankfully Uberto Cafrune was nowhere to be seen. Probably preparing for his own match.

"Elina," Fiona greeted, a little tersely, once it became clear that her rival was approaching her. "Congrats on making it this far. Ash and Ada were tough competition to go through." She meant it sincerely, too. Having watched both matches several times, Elina displayed remarkable toughness to be able to power through the offensives that were thrown at her.

Elina slowed to a halt a few steps away, her gaze sharpening as it flitted between Fiona to Kendra. For a moment she said nothing, just studying them both with an unreadable expression. Her eyes lingered on Fiona a second longer, traveling from head to toe in a deliberate, assessing sweep before she spoke.

“Yes,” Elina’s voice had a slightly hesitant tone and a trace of a Sonoran accent, “I appreciate that.”

Sensing the quickly growing awkwardness Kendra immediately said, “Well, I doubt Ash was any competition for you but… Ada is a… you know, a real up and coming prospect.”

“Right,” Elina retorted with obvious dismissiveness to Kendra, turning her head back to Fiona, “well, it has been quite a journey to reach this point. Hasn’t it, Fiona? Just four weeks and yet… it is as if so long has passed. Do you know what I mean?”

"I know exactly what you mean," Fiona agreed readily. "Feels like months ago we had our match. I know I've certainly learned a lot since then. I'm sure you remember how much you learned every few matches the first couple years of your career."

It was a bit blustery, but Fiona did genuinely feel like she was growing more dangerous with every few weeks that passed in NMW. The level of competition was forging her into a fiercer competitor than what her rookie year could offer. She wasn't arrogant enough to think she was on a level with the likes of Elina, Raven, and others at just twenty-one years of age, but she did feel like she was making steady progress towards that point.

"But... since I found you here," Fiona hesitated a moment, not very experienced toeing the line between being tactical and being underhanded, "maybe we shouldn't be wasting our focus on each other. We both know what we're up against tonight. And I think we both know tonight is our best chance to take her down."

She set her bag down, crossing her arms and glancing around at the parking garage, not seeing anyone else. "It would be a lot easier to fight Raven tonight if we both didn't have to worry about watching our backs... wouldn't it?"

As Fiona finished, Elina’s sharp expression wavered, a flicker of something unreadable crossing her features as Fiona’s words sank in. The suggestion was bold - unexpected. But there was obvious sincerity in Fiona’s offer that made Elina take pause. The idea of teaming up with someone other than Uberto - however briefly - wasn’t one she would normally entertain, but the logic was undeniable. Raven Veyn was a dangerous opponent, a former champion that had never been dethroned. And she and Elina had history to say the least. One part of Elina wanted to win this fight honorably, like a true luchadora. The other just really wanted the gold, no matter the necessity. Elina and Fiona had no kind of active rivalry with each other. - Though Elina did see Fiona as little more than an upstart. Still, Elina was curious. At the very least, how much Fiona had planned this out.

“You know she will expect that.” An statement but Elina wanted to see Fiona’s reaction.

"Sure," Fiona acknowledged. "Doesn't mean it's not the right idea, though. If you're on the attack against Raven, you won't have to watch your back for me. And it'd be nice to know I can count on the same." She didn't know Elina well enough to say if she could trust her even if she agreed, but it was worth a shot.

"I know if we're fighting each other, Raven's not going to stand and watch. She'll pick one of us and make it hurt. And my guess is she'd go for you first. I'd love to fight this out cleanly, but in a triple threat, is that even possible?" To tell the truth, she didn't know how her fans would react no matter what she did, what they would want her to do. Attack someone from behind, blindside them? Or stand back and let the other two duke it out? Either choice seemed underhanded, and faced with that, Fiona wanted to try what was most sensible for her chances in the tournament.

Elena tilted her head slightly, her expression indecipherable as she considered Fiona’s offer. Elena knew that trusting another competitor in a match like this was a dangerous play. She was no stranger to the chaos of triple threats, where alliances often crumbled the moment it became inconvenient to stab your partner in the back. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she thought about Raven. Elena was not entirely opposed to this idea, else by now she would have turned and walked away. The wheels in her mind were turning, but Elena was not ready to commit.

“So,” Elina smirked, “you and I team up… against Raven. We escape the cage together and then… what?… We go to Vegas together, winking among ourselves, as we prepare to compete for the first ever NMW women’s championship?”

"Don't think there'll be any winking," Fiona clarified, half-smiling at the thought, which was a little absurd after how mean their singles match had become a few weeks ago. "We're not going to become friends if this works. If I'm in the title fight a week from now, I'm going to fight tooth and nail to take it, and I know you'd do the same. This is just a one-night deal, plain and simple."

She could understand why Elina was being hesitant, as she no doubt had plenty of experience dealing with offers backstage and shaky alliances from her years in the profession. But Fiona was about as much of an open book as Elina was ever going to come across; she'd never backstabbed anyone in her career so far, and she didn't plan to. She hoped Elina would be able to see that.

Fiona picked up her bag again. "I've said my piece, you know my plan. We don't have to shake on it, just... think about it. And I'll see you in the ring."

She started towards the stage area again, Kendra following alongside, but it was hard to miss the way Elina's expression hardened as they separated. Suddenly Fiona found herself having second thoughts about the whole thing. Did I just make everything worse? She probably would've focused on Raven anyway, maybe all I did was put myself on her radar.

She pushed the thought from her mind, not really wanting to think about making deals and alliances anymore. She just wanted to get into her gear, and get herself ready for her first fight inside the confines of a steel cage.

“Ladies and gentlemen…” Antonio Deguara Sr.’s hoarse voice trailed off as the crowd immediately erupted, the General Manager of No Mercy Wrestling pausing on the main stage beneath the Titantron, smiling wide as he let the energy of the capacity audience wash over him. After about a minute, he raised the microphone back to his mouth, ready to continue as the noise slowly began to settle. Mark Trenton’s business partner and head of the Deguara family was the spitting image of the word “elegant,” dressed in a gray and white pinstripe suit with Stefano Ricci shoes on his feet and a glimmering Rolex on his wrist accenting his look. His gray hair was gelled and slicked back, and a very thin layer of makeup gave his aging face a youthful flush.

“Tonight is the night you have been waiting all week for,” Antonio continued. “Tonight, in a special showing, we are having our first ever No Mercy Wrestling steel cage matches.”

As the crowd stirred again the arena lights dimmed and were replaced by stark white beams that illuminated the massive steel cage suspended ominously above the wrestling ring. The cold metal structure glistened under the lights, each chain link casting jagged shadows that stretched across the canvas like a warning. Antonio looked up at the cage, his expression tightening for just a moment before he turned back toward the audience, feeding off their energy. He raised a hand, silently asking for the moment back, giving the crowd another few seconds to take it all in before bringing the microphone back up, ready to speak once more.

“Tonight… three women and three men will enter this ring. These steel cage matches will decide which two from each division go on to Las Vegas next week for the golden opportunity of claiming the championships.”

The brief lull broke as the audience surged to life for the third time. Cheers and shouts overlapped in a chaotic chorus, the sound rising higher and higher as more fans joined in, unable to contain themselves. What started as scattered noise quickly built into a roar, the kind that sundered the very air.

“It has been a long few weeks,” Antonio did not wait for the crowd to quiet down this time, instead continuing over the noise, “and the six competitors we have here tonight fought hard to get here. The final obstacle in their path before reaching… Caesar’s Palace. And after the final fight at Caesar’s Palace next weekend we - you - will have your first No Mercy men’s and women’s champions in the history of the brand!”

Fiona waited backstage, feeling like Mr. Deguara's speech was taking forever. Biggest stage yet, here we come. Her gear for the night consisted of a light blue bra top, bottoms, and knee pads, with a white, tightly-fitted fishnet crop top and hip cutouts, as well as white wrestling boots and fingerless gloves. She felt like it was a cute look, and would be a stark contrast to the colors Elina would wear, not to mention probably the exact opposite of the look the Goth Queen Raven would go for.

If there was a night to stand out, it was tonight. Her performance in the steel cage would no doubt cement the narrative around her, either that she was truly a rising star and a top contender for the belt, or that she was still a young midcard wrestler who just had a fortunate run through the bracket. Fiona was interested to find out the answer for herself. Either way, unless she got completely dominated tonight, she'd already succeeded in gaining the attention of plenty of new fans, who wanted to see where she was headed in the months to come.

She exchanged a glance with Kendra, who gave her space off to the side, nodding in support as the moment neared for Fiona to make her entrance. Her partner had put in a huge amount of effort and support behind the scenes to help Fiona find success, efforts the NMW fanbase hadn't even begun to acknowledge. Fiona couldn't wait until they could share the ring together again, and start fighting for some glory side-by-side.

For now, she had the fight of her life to focus on. Fiona let Antonio's words wash over her, letting her energy build alongside the crowd's. She'd need every bit of that energy to make it through what was sure to be a grueling battle to come.

“Boy, one thing about Mister Deguara, he knows how to make a good speech.”

Dan Rich, Rhonda Pierce, and Brent Christi occupied their usual seats at the ringside commentary table, eyes tracking the GM as he wrapped up his opening speech. This week, Dan and Rhonda had opted for simplicity, both clad in solid black suits that gave them a more “generic” presence than usual. Brent, on the other hand, stood out sharply in a bright red blazer over white pants. - A bold contrast to his colleagues’ muted tones.

“And without further delay,” the elder Deguara said with a flourishing wave of his hand, “it’s time to begin! Now, let’s welcome in our competitors for our opening event - the women’s triple threat steel cage match!”

The lights in the arena dimmed, and after a moment of relative stillness and silence, Fiona's music began to blare over the speakers, blue and white light bathing the fans around the stage area, who cheered at the revelation that the match's youngest competitor would be making her entrance first. Fiona came out all smiles and confidence, pointing and grinning at a large sign a fan made for her in the upper levels. She knew right away her opponents were going to get bigger pops from the crowd, with the years they'd had to establish a fanbase from their multiple accolades, but everyone in the building was looking forward to seeing Fiona wrestle too. Win or lose, her matches were never boring.

"Fiona Chevalier had a wild road to get here," Dan Rich explained after the ring announcer introduced her and she started heading down the ramp. "Her controversial round one win over Shin Choon-hee was left in the past after a brilliant performance agaisnt Tanya Redd in the extreme rules round."

"You're exactly right, Dan," Rhonda agreed. "She showed the NMW world just how tough she really is last week, and I think she'll do it again tonight."

"She'll have to," said Brent. "Surviving Tanya Redd is one thing. Surviving in a steel cage against two of the meanest NMW has to offer is another thing entirely."

Fiona passed beneath the suspended steel cage, eyes glancing up at it, exhaling a visible breath to keep herself steady and focused. She'd started to grow more comfortable with it sparring against her training partners, but Raven Veyn was going to require a whole lot more than that. As for Elina... she didn't know what to think. She hoped they could work together once the bell rung, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt like she shouldn't have said anything to her in the parking garage.

She walked up the steel steps at the corner of the ring, ducking between the ropes, her demeanor a little more serious than it usually was before a match, but she focused on her music, and finding groups of her fans in the crowd. Shaking hands with the referee and the ring announcer, she took her place in one of the corners as her theme started to fade.

"Fiona Chevalier's in the ring and looks ready for the biggest match of her career so far," Dan Rich commented. "Let's meet the first of her opponents."