Flames

The Friend of My Enemy, part 2

"Why did you have to wear those boots on the day you knew you were going to kick me in the face?" Becky rubbed her jaw gingerly as Lyra entered the locker room. Since they were feuding, they were trying not to be seen together too much backstage, but the locker room was almost always a safe zone. Even Natalya's penchant for taking photos was put to the side to honour the space. It wasn't that long ago when the women barely merited a dressing room, so most of the older women on the roster didn't take it for granted.

Lyra plopped down beside her. "I'm three inches shorter than you!" she laughed. "I had to make up for it somehow." She leaned in to look at Becky's chin. "I didn't get you too badly, did I?"

Becky shook her head and straightened up. "Nah. I'm just out of practice, I guess. I should have had Seth wear his Chelsea boots when we wrestled."

"That's a visual I don't think anyone needed," Lyra replied. "Does it feel weird, both of you being heel at the same time? I know there's been whispers of you joining his group...."

Becky was a talker by nature, so it almost physically hurt to not reply right away. There were so many ways the story could go and while Hunter had given her some reassurances, she wouldn't fully believe them until they were playing out on screen. "There's always lots of whispers just after Mania," Becky said at last. "You'll develop a sense for what's legit and what's not."

Lyra grinned. "That's a very diplomatic way of not answering."

Becky smiled right back. "Does it feel weird for both of us to be heels? A little...."

She's got this. Becky tried to hold back a sigh of relief. She had seen how much the fans had hyped up a match between Charlotte and Tiffany, only for the promos to either fall flat or go off the rails. It was always a worry when an established star picked a fight with a newer wrestler, so she was relieved that Lyra seemed to be holding her own. The crowd was still singing along during her entrances and had cheered her rebuttals, which were both good signs.

"You're sure you're... you know, okay with me drawing on the social media stuff?" Lyra toyed with the ends of her hair.

Becky had to smile. Once upon a time, opponents didn't ask what they could and could not say in a promo; nothing was considered off limits. Some wrestlers still acted that way, but they tended to pay for it in the end. Now people were much more likely to run potentially sensitive barbs past their opponent to see if it was okay. "Yeah, I told you it was fine. Hell, Bayley said my husband only married me because he knocked me up," she pointed out, "so youre still in mild territory right now."

Lyra rolled her eyes. "I have to admit, I never understood that one. You two were engaged for at least half a year before you got pregnant, and you said you were planning to take time after Mania to get married before... well, before 3:16 Day happened," she grinned. "So that doesn't even make sense. Unless that's just the story you're telling everyone...."

"Looking for more ammunition, are you? Why yes, I was horrible and manipulative and got pregnant so he would be forced to marry me." Becky broke into laughter before she could spin the ridiculous scenario out any further. "And Roux is basically his twin, so there's no denying he's the father. Now I get to live the cafe-owner dream!"

"And a wrestling academy!" Lyra added. "Don't forget that. You're set for life." Both women laughed at the ridiculousness of it all for a moment before Becky reached for a water bottle. "But really, you're sure you're cool with it? I know there's the whole 'Becky Hogan' thing and people complaining about you getting title shots...."

Becky just shrugged. "That's why it works. It doesn't matter if we believe it—well, it does," she amended. "We need to believe it enough to sell it. But at the end of the day, the audience needs to believe it. If we reference their complaints, their gripes, it also gives us a chance to dispute them. It won't convince everyone or even change most people's minds, but the realism will give it heat. Which we sorely need, since we don't have much time before Backlash."