"Is the princess somewhere in here?"

Ary's eyes widen at the masculine voice and her head shoots up, grin spreading across her face as she watches the Beast Incarnate swing around the corner.

"Brock!" She shoots forward, wraps her arms around the massive man, hugs him as tight as she can. "I've missed you!"

"Missed you too, princess." Brock gently pushes her away from him and gives her a once over. "Now what's this I hear about you putting yourself up for this?"

Ary shrugs, smirk pulling across her lips. "To be honest, I think it's a great idea."

"I could literally break you in half."

"Just pull back on your strength! It'll be fine," she laughs, glancing over her shoulder as Brock's meaty manager walks into the room.

Heyman is quick to look up, pulls the phone away from his mouth. "You two, with me. Stephanie wants a quick meeting."

Without question, the two superstars follow in Paul Heyman's steps, quickly listening to him bicker back and forth with whoever was on the other end of the call. "Is he always like this?" Ary asks softly.

"Have you met the man?"

"Well, yeah…" Brock gives her a pointed look and Ary laughs, shrugs again. "I mean, last time he was a lot chattier."

"Just because I'm in the middle of a conference call doesn't mean I can't hear you two," Heyman shot over the back of his shoulder.

"Ears like a bat," the man next to her whispers.

Soon enough, the entourage of on-screen talent walk into the room that Stephanie occupies. She has a couple of large folders in front of her, a cup of coffee on a coaster and three glasses of water on the opposite side. When she looks up, the head of Creative smiles at them. "Okay, so— Jesus Christ, look at the size difference between you two," Stephanie murmurs as her eyes flash in panic. She turns to Ary, lays a hand down on the woman's shoulder. "You don't have to do this. I mean, we can sort this out another way or have someone else do it or get one of the Divas—"

"No, no, I want to do this." Ary raises a shoulder, sends an anxious smile at the beast of a man standing next to her. "Plus, if everything goes to plan, it'll make for one hell of a feud."

"And Brock—"

"Stephanie, if this tiny thing here is okay with it, I'm okay with it."

Ary snorts, send Brock a disapproving look. "Tiny thing my ass."

"I mean, you could do a Kimura Lock—"

"No, Stephanie, it'll be fine."

Taking a deep breath, the woman nods with an anxious smile. "Okay. I trust you two know what you're doing. Are we going to tell Colby?"

Ary shakes her head at this. "Nope. I've told him that Brock's return is during my segment, that Paul's going to cut a promo, and that he needs to run out and try and placate the beast."

Over the next ten minutes, the four discuss the logistics of upcoming feud. Heyman leaves with a satisfied smile knowing that he gets a lot of speaking time, Brock drops a kiss onto the crown of her head and follows after his manager knowing that Ary is a-okay with everything that is coming up.

"Now that that's out of the way," Stephanie murmurs as she shuffles some of the papers lying in front of her, humming in triumph as she finds the one she's after. "I was thinking about what you said to me last week, a strong booking at a heel. Well, we're not booking you as a heel until after SummerSlam now."

Ary's interest piques. "Sorry?"

"We want to try something… different."

"How different?"

"Possibly a co-main event."

She stares at Stephanie's cheeky smile with her jaw dropped wide. "I'm sorry?"

"If the people buy into this, the event is going to be a co-main event."

"There's already two main events set for SummerSlam!"

"And now there's going to be a third."

"And how do you propose on doing that?"

Stephanie's lips curve again in another smile, eyes mischievous. "Do you remember what we did for WrestleMania 30 last year? How if Bryan beat Paul, he could enter the World Title match?"

"Of course."

"We're thinking of going along those same lines, but also a little different…"

—

RAW, 8th June

New Orleans, Louisiana

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome my guest at this time, Ary Hale." Ary steps into frame, smiles at Renee softly. "Ary, last week we saw the tension between you and the Authority escalate. What's your reaction to what Stephanie's asked of you?"

Ary shrugs and lifts her eyes, ponders her response. "Renee, I'm sure this isn't the first time the WWE Universe has found out what a power hungry, conniving witch Stephanie McMahon is. It's been customary for as long as I remember that the loser in a championship match always gets a re-match. Not this time, it seems. What I said last Monday? I meant every word of it. I will wrestle one-on-one against every Diva in that locker room if that means I get a chance at winning the title back. And tonight, I'll do just that when I go one-on-one against Summer Rae."

Renee nods. "And is there any further news on whether you're going to be pressing charges against Seth Rollins—"

"No," her lips curve up in a smirk, eyes glinting, head tilted. "There's more than one way to skin a cat, Renee. Even though I very well could, there's no way I'm pressing charges against him. I don't have the time or energy for it, and besides… payback is so much better when it's hand delivered."

And just like Ary said, she steps out from the gorilla to the sound of her music, silver wrestling shorts glinting in the light as it pours down on her. The black sleeveless hoodie draped across her shoulders isn't zipped up and from where the camera is, a little bit of the thin tattoo that spans across her hip is visible. Summer, who is already in the ring, looks like she's only just realised what she's signed up for — Ary seems ready to kill.

It starts as anyone would expect it too; with Ary in control. After a simple lock up, Ary pushes Summer back into the corner and slams a couple of elbows across her face. When she's shoved away by the referee, Ary paces back and forth, waits until Summer is feeling brave enough to walk out. The loud sound of skin slapping skin echoes around the arena as Ary drives a chop so hard against Summer's chest she's falling back to the ground, does it a second time just to prove a point.

Ary fists a hand in Summer's hair, throws her against the far ropes. When the woman rebounds off of them, Ary dives at her, the clothesline sends Summer Rae twisting through the air. Ary hits another quick diving clothesline.

Summer is slow to get back up.

Another hand fisted in the blonde hair, she tosses the woman against the ropes again, and when the blonde flies back at her, Ary delivers a winding spinebuster. The woman kicks out of the cover at a two.

But before Ary can get up, Summer has twisted her long legs around Ary's and pulled her into the Indian Deathlock — and holy fuck, her surprised scream echoes around the arena like it's the most pain she's ever been in. Her hands are thrown across her face, head back against the mat, and then she rolls her body weight to try and twist onto her stomach. And that's probably more painful, but Ary just grits her teeth and pulls herself towards the ropes.

Managing to crawl to her feet, Ary doesn't have much time to recover before the back of Summer's calf ricochets off of her face in a spinning kick.

Ary stumbles forwards and collapses, hand over her mouth as she's pulled into a cover. But if Summer wants to play the game of submissions… well, Ary will win.

She twists her body, locks her legs around Summer's wait, threads a hand between her body and her arm and holds the limb at an awkward angle as she power her way into a Kimura lock. And just like she had screamed, Summer's screams of pain sound like music to her ears.

Ary doesn't let go until Summer taps out.

—

It's not long before Ary finds herself back in the line of the cameras.

Seth Rollins is caressing his jaw, his segment with Joey and Jamie just finished.

"Whew," Ary drawls as she steps into the frame, glancing back over her shoulder at where J&J had disappeared. "Sure you can take on two gremlins at once? I mean, I know I can but—"

"What do you want?" Seth hisses back at her. He smirks then, raises a strand of her hair. "Finally figure out what a catch I am?"

She pulls a face and slaps his hand away, pretends to gag. "God, no." In her hand is her phone. Ary holds it out to him and motions to the screen. "Ambrose is much better looking. I mean, have you seen how good the WWE World Heavyweight Championship looks around his waist?"

He all but growls at her.

"How are you coping? Knowing that he beat you fair and square?" Ary laughs. "God, at least I lost the title off of a distraction, not because I wasn't good enough. But hey, good luck in your handicap match tonight, I'm sure you'll do just great."

—

"You know, Paul, I've known you for how long and this is the first time I'm getting to ride in this baby," Ary said, the sentence starting out snarky but ending in awe— it was hard not to be in awe as she glanced around the luxurious cabin of their private jet.

"You never asked."

"You never offered!"

Paul shrugged, shared a smile with his wife. "I'd say I'm sorry but…"

"Yeah, yeah, shut up."

Alongside Stephanie and Paul, Ary was on her way towards Tampa, Florida— specifically Full Sail University. Ary hadn't met the three girls they were going to bring up yet, and Stephanie intended to rectify that situation; so Ary was flying down with them to deliver the news of their promotion up to the main roster. Saraya had said during the SmackDown taping that they were wonderful women, but that Ary would connect with one in particular, and she'd yet to figure that out.

So four hours later, when Ary had barely managed to get two hours shut eye, the car they are in pulls up outside of the university.

"We'll take you to meet the girls first," Stephanie says as she walks through the almost empty training centre. "They'll be waiting in the conference room."

Ary only knows them by their ring names; Sasha Banks sits at the head of the table with her NXT Women's Championship in front of her, and flanking her on either side are Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair.

"Ladies," Paul says with a massive smile. "Thanks for letting us call the meeting. Let's get the introductions out of the way first."

Waving a hand, Ary shoots them a grin. "I'm Ary Hale. I know who each of you are but… do you prefer your ring names or your actual names?"

"Sasha," the magenta haired women says straight away, sending her friends a knowing look. "Sasha, please."

"Rebecca Quin, but Becky is fine with me," the Irish woman adds.

The legend's daughter is next. "Ashley is fine."

"Cool," Ary murmurs. She turns to Stephanie, wriggles her eyebrows. "So, you gonna tell them or am I?"

"Tell us what?" Becky asks suspiciously.

"We're promoting you guys to the main roster."

Excited and happy squeals rip through the room and Ary can't help but giggle in glee. She knows the exact feeling these women are experiencing.

RAW, June 15th

Cleveland, Ohio

at Battleground the night before…

Paige's title match had been reduced to rehatching an old feud between her and Nikki Bella.

Their match at Money in the Bank was set to be almost eleven minutes in length just after the half an hour mark of the show. So five minutes before they're set to go out, Ary finds herself readjusting the messy bun that's on top of her head. Studded, thickly heeled boots are on her feet, ripped black jeans on her legs, and a cropped sleeveless hoodie across her chest. The letters on the hoodie read 'respect the fight', something that had caught her eye when she had been riffling through the wardrobe earlier that day.

As soon as Paige retains the title, it isn't her music that blares across the speaker — it's Ary's.

The woman stands underneath the titantron alone, stares down the walkway at the successful Brit. There's a microphone in her hand as she walks towards Paige and then she's clapping, showing her congratulations while the pale woman holds the title tightly across her chest.

"I have to say, Paige, I think that's the best you've ever been," Ary starts. "Props to Nikki as well, even though her little twin magic stunt didn't work. But hey, congratulations on the win, I knew you could do it! I'm not sure whether you've been paying attention, Paige, but last Thursday, I knocked off Emma. Monday, I got rid of Summer. This past Thursday, I even softened up Nikki for you! I will go up against whoever you want me to go up against if you grant me my rematch."

"No, no," Paige says now that she'd got a microphone in her hand, "you've done quite enough. You did me good when our match at Elimination Chamber was changed by granting me a title match before, so it's only fair that I do good by you. Five weeks from now, Battleground… you'll get your rematch then."

A wide grin spreads on Ary's face as the words grace her ears. If this was Paige's option, Stephanie couldn't take it away from her. And five weeks left a long time for Ary to get some momentum up against the pale Diva.

And now, on RAW, just to prove a point, Ary had asked for a match against Alicia Fox.

So she stands in the centre of the ring, stretching out her muscles, waiting for the foxy woman to come down.

But when music blares across arena, it's not Alicia Fox that walks out; it's Seth Rollins.

He's brandishing the title proudly across his shoulder and walking down to the ring like he owns the whole building, his body swaying almost in a swagger.

"Don't mind me," he spoke into the microphone, "I'm just here to observe."

And observe he did.

Throughout the entire eight minute match-up between Ary and Alicia, all Seth does is sit ringside and avidly watch the match, hand absentmindedly stroking the WWE World Heavyweight Title sitting across his shoulder.

When Ary picks up the win in convincing fashion, Seth stands to applaud her.

—

In the background, Ary can hear the sound of Brock Lesnar's music tearing across the arena, the crowd going absolutely nuts at the sight of the Beast Incarnate returning. She can hear the roars, the chants of 'suplex city', but she can't hear his outspoken advocate.

"YOU!"

Ary, who's lacing up her boots, spins at the voice, eyes wide as she watches the man in question walk towards her. Paul Heyman steps into frame, his beady eyes staring at Ary like she's done something wrong.

"Hey, Paul…" Ary murmurs, gazing over his shoulder almost in fright. The beast can't be in two places at once, can he?

"Good, you know my name, we can just skip the pointless introductions and get right to the gold." Paul glances down at his phone and then shows it to her, replaying Seth's stolen kiss. "You and that slimy, incompetent weasel who calls himself the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins — you two are a thing?"

"No, no, we're not a thing—"

But Heyman wraps his thick fingers around Ary's arm and pulls her out of frame, the camera spinning to see them walk towards the gorilla.

He pulls her out in front of the WWE Universe, the live crowd, and then waddles down the ramp. Her eyes are wide as she takes in the scene in front of her. Seth is slowly backing away from Lesnar, his eyes downcast in submission, and Stephanie and Hunter are standing in front of the announce table.

As Seth manages to jump out of the ring, almost pissing himself in fear, Heyman shoves her into the ring.

Across the titantron behind her, Ary's dark eyes flash in realisation of whats about to happen. The audience starts to make the connection; not only does Ary utilise the submission hold that Lesnar made famous, she's also been toyed with by Seth for the past couple of months.

The beast turns towards her. He outstretches his hand, almost a kind smile on his face, and Seth is suddenly yelling out at her 'don't do it! Ary run!'.

But Ary doesn't listen. She steps from the corner, a smirk playing across her lips. If she teams with Brock Lesnar, she can destroy the man who had been a thorn in her side. Ary holds her hand out. Brock locks his meaty fingers around her skin. He doesn't shake it.

Instead, Lesnar pulls her towards him, ducks down to lift her into a fireman's carry. Ary screams, helplessly flails her legs to try and get off of him. It's no use.

Brock taunts Seth, taunts the man who has been toying with the woman thrown across his shoulders, but Seth is too scared to do anything — to scared to get into the ring and sacrifice himself.

The audience is screaming in protest even before Ary hits the mat.

wheew so that took a bit too long to get out... sorry! i dont know what happened, i just hit a block for this!

to Raquel the writer (i have a timeline mapped out somewhere on my computer but can't find it, but she definitely won it before Rollins winning at Wrestlemania, which makes her reign the longest that the company had until she lost. if that makes sense?) Bajor10 (tv progression! yay! let's see what Seth does while Ary is being F5d) and T (don't worry, she'll get it back soon enough :)! hope it was worth the wait! now i can tease about other stuff heh), thank you for your kind words!

let me know what you think, sending my love xx