Ink Blot

[Cory]

Natalya looked up as a camera focused in on her. Her hair was tied back, except for one tendril of hot pink hair falling over her face. She was wearing new wrestling gear, black with lace cutouts down the leg and arms. She smiled arrogantly.

Natalya: I guess I shouldn't be surprised that EBWF has the nerve to put me in a Queen of the Ring tournament, to determine a number one contender for the EBWF Women's Championship. Any other respectable promotion and I would have just been awarded the number one contendership. Here I am, daughter of a legend, niece to the greatest wrestler of all time. I have scratched, and clawed, and raked, and eye gouged my way to the top of this business time after time. I am the best wrestler the women's division has ever seen, or ever will see. In any other company on this planet, I would be champion. But, that's not the way it's going to play out here.

Natalya rolled her eyes, dismissively scoffing.

Natalya: No, the way it's going to go down here is that I am in a tournament bracket. I have as much of a chance as a cover model for a Nickelback album who thought she might try her hand at wrestling. And shockingly, that's who I am facing tonight. I'm a former EBWF Women's Champion. I was a former tag team champion too, until I finally freed myself from what's left of Trish Stratus. My point is, I deserve a shot at... who's the champ now? Alexa Bliss? Are we kidding here?

She looked at the camera incredulously.

Natalya: What has happened to this division? I step away from singles competition for just a little while and the whole thing goes to crap!

She breathed in deeply, closing her eyes with a tight squeeze.

Natalya: Focus, Nattie, focus.

With a slow exhale, she was able to continue.

Natalya: Tonight, I have to get in the ring with someone who, at some point, has ridden bitch for a member of Hell's Angels, I guarantee it. And somehow, she thinks that because she looks like the person the tattoo artist practices on before he does actual work, that she's tough enough and has the chops to be in the ring with me. Well, allow me to be the first to welcome you to your first match with Natalya. When you're on your back, two ridiculously inked legs in the air...

She stopped, putting a finger over her own mouth.

Natalya: No, no wait. I get you're probably used to that too. What I mean to say is, when you look up at me and you're about to be turned over into the sharpshooter, I want you think real hard about what got you here. And then finally, when you hear the muscles in your legs start to tear as I crank back, I want you to remember that you thought you could hang. I want you to remember that you thought that this was where you belonged. Maybe that will give you some minor amount of comfort as your palm is furiously smacking the mat, begging the referee to stop me from doing permanent damage. You know what I will be thinking about? I will be thinking about the fact that I should never have even been in this match in the first place.

Nattie smiled sweetly.

Natalya: And I plan on taking that out on you.

She pushed the camera away as the scene faded to an EBWF logo.