Break When Needed

[Cory]

Natalya looped a lace through the final eyelet of her left wrestling boot. They were shiny and white, a nice contrast from the black and pink wrestling tights she was wearing. It was less than two hours before the start of Warfare, and she was putting the finishing touches on her outfit prior to the show. She threaded her laces into a knot as she heard a knock at the door. She stood up from her seated position and walked to the door, turning the lock with a soft click. She sat back down as the door opened, revealing Wes Ikeda, who silently cocked his head at his wife.

Natalya: You shouldn't barge in on a girl when she's changing.

Wes Ikeda: I would be sorry if you weren't putting on your last boot, and this wasn't my office.

Natalya smiled and shrugged.

Natalya: The girls in the locker room are particularly loud today. If I stayed in there any longer I might have put them all on the shelf, and then I'd have to wrestle a broom stick out there.

Wes Ikeda: Might be a better match. Besides, you know that you can have your own locker room if you want it, right?

Nattie looked up at Wes and smiled brightly.

Natalya: I don't need my own locker room. I have your office.

Wes Ikeda: Still nepotism. You know that, right?

Natalya: Speaking of nepotism. Why am I booked tonight, anyway?

Wes Ikeda: I didn't book it. Creative did. They wanted someone to shine Paige up for a bit.

Natalya: I just figured if they were going to bring me back, they would have a plan.

Wes Ikeda: Sometimes you have to throw shit at a wall and see what sticks. There's nothing going on with the women. Not that that's any surprise.

He felt a stiff shot to his leg as she punched him from her seated position.

Natalya: And how much of that is on the girls? You've got Sasha, Paige, and Becky, who are all amazing. Then you have Trish and Torrie, who still wrestle like they're in their twenties. Sasha and Trish have got the hottest Women's match building up in years. They've got...

Wes Ikeda: Nats. There's no enemy here. You know Joanie wants to see the girls do well, and she's going to do what she can to make that happen.

Nattie huffed in frustration. He was right.

Natalya: I know, I know. Sometimes its hard to turn off the Nattie that fought with Vince every week about this kind of thing. I just hope there's a plan. It's really hard not to take my scheduled interviewer personally. I didn't even get Renee Young. Am I that unimportant?

Wes Ikeda: I don't even fucking like Renee Young. Who did you get?

~~~~

Michael Cole adjusted his tie, producing the award winning journalistic smile that's carried him throughout his career. Tonight he had the opportunity of a lifetime. He had an interview scheduled with the boss' wife. This surely would be his chance to reclaim all the interviews from that perky, blonde, bimbotic usurper that had taken over.

Michael Cole: Greetings, EBWF Universe! My name is Michael Cole, and I am the voice of this company. Now, despite the fact that Renee Young has pretty much taken over all of the interviews, there are sometimes a few that EBWF can't trust her with. And when that happens, the higher ups turn to me! MICHAEL COLE! Joining me today is a former Women's Champion, a woman who faces Paige tonight at Warfare, Natalya!

Nattie stepped into the frame, fully dressed in her Hart Dynasty wrestling gear, complete with a black jacket with pink frills that had "Iron Maiden" bedazzled on the back. A tendril of pink hair fell in front of her face as she stood beside Michael, arms akimbo.

Michael Cole: As you know, you're scheduled to face Paige tonight in a one on one contest. Considering what Todd Grisham had to go through the last time someone interviewed Paige, are you at all concerned with your match tonight?

Natalya smirked, looking down for a moment in thought before responding.

Natalya: Michael, you may take the fact for granted but I've been doing this for a long time. I've travelled the globe and met all kinds in the ring. Women three times my size. Women who use barbed wire and two by fours to get their point across. I wouldn't be where I am at in my career if I let a high school mall rat intimidate me.

Michael Cole: But, she spoke in tongues...

Natalya: I can speak French Canadian, Michael. You're from Syracuse. As far as you'd know, I would be speaking tongues as well. Just because Paige used the language her D&D buddies cooked up doesn't make her possessed by the Devil. Nor does it make her a better wrestler. That's what it boils down to, doesn't it? Are we here to scare a couple 5 year olds on Halloween, or light up a room with our paleness? Or are we here to fight? I'm here to fight, Michael. If Paige steps into that ring and starts trying to weird me out with mind games, I'm going to knock her on the ground and lock her into a Sharpshooter. And she's going to tap out in whatever language she chooses to scream in.

Michael Cole: Does your appearance on Warfare signify a more long term presence on the show? Do you think you're going to make another run?

Natalya sighed. Her shoulders slumped slightly.

Natalya: You know Michael, I've answered "yes" to that question before. And for a while, I will come out here and I will do my hardest to beat my opponent and entertain the crowd the way only I know how to do. At the end of the day though, all I know is that when someone sets a woman up in front of me, I'm going to knock her down. Right now the spotlight is on Trish and Sasha Banks, and I'm going to watch with delight as the best female wrestler of any era goes in there and beats Sasha Banks for that championship. And while the spotlight is on them, I have more than enough glow emanating from the fluorescent lamp that I'm wrestling tonight. You might not see me on every show, every week. But that doesn't change the fact that when my name shows up on that card, the girl who's name is next to mine better start putting her affairs in order. I'm going to show Paige exactly what that looks like tonight.

Michael Cole: Last question, Natalya. This is the first appearance on Warfare that you've had since your wedding to...

Cole was immediately interrupted by a hand with black and pink colored nails in his face. Nattie walked off as the scene faded to black.