Elsewhere backstage, Aurelei Jamison, the number-one contender to the World Women’s Championship, is standing by with new ACW interviewer Jason Slade.  Dressed tonight in black leather pants and a silver chain belt under a blue-streaked black mesh top covering a form-fitting black halter top that clings closely to the woman’s curves, Aurelei looks almost serene.  Almost.::

 

JS: “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m here with Lady Death herself, Aurelei Jamison.”

 

::Turning towards his interview subject, the Dark Mistress, Jason poses his question.::

JS: “One week removed from Fall Fatale, you seem to be already having some success with your psychological warfare against one Kelsia Vector, the current World Women’s Champion.  How do you feel about your chances at the pay-per-view.”

::Tossing her blue-and-purple-streaked black hair over her shoulder, Jamison laughs quietly and shakes her head before responding.::

Aurelei: “Psychological warfare?  No, Jason, I’ll leave that sort of thing to our World Heavyweight Champion.  I’m eliminating excuses and giving Kelsia no room to complain when the inevitable happens.”

JS: “The inevitable?”

::Lady Death narrows her white eyes and nearly glares at Slade before smirking again and explaining for his benefit.::

Aurelei: “Yes, Slade…the inevitable.  In other words, when I get my title back next Sunday, that little pretender Vector won’t have any excuses.  And…”

 

::But she’s cut off by a sudden assault coming from off-camera.  The aforementioned Kelsia Vector bursts onto the scene and sends Jamison crashing forward into the set pieces for the interview.  That alone doesn’t do the damage, however, and an incensed Dark Mistress turns her attention immediately back to Vector…who fires off a right hand that sends Aurelei’s head back and knocks her to the floor.::

MS: “What a right hand!  Who know Kelsia had that kind of knockout power, Robbie?!”

RJ: “She doesn’t!  Look at her hand!”

::Under the high-powered set lights, the gleam of gold shines above Hot Chocolate’s dark-skinned hand.  Brass knuckles put to excellent use against her opponent at Fall Fatale. Mounting the groggy Aurelei, Kelsia grabs a hung of black and blue hair with one hand and fires a few more shots with the knuckles, busting Aura open over her left eye and at the corner of her lips on the same side.  She only gets in so many blows before security bursts onto the scene and pulls her off, but with a shriek she jerks herself out of their overbearing grips and picks up her dropped title, standing over the fallen, half-conscious Aurelei.::

 

RJ: “What the hell…has she lost her damn mind?!”

MS: “No, I’m pretty sure she knew exactly what she was doing.  It’s called sending a message, and as tough as Lady Death is…and as smart as she is…she really should have seen this coming!”

RJ: “I almost agree…”

 

::Kelsia glares at a shocked but unafraid Jason Slade before snatching the microphone out of his hands and leaning over her challenger, speaking in a breathy, heated tone laced with just a hint of her trademark unnerving passion.::

 

Kelsia: “Far from over, Aurelei…my exact words!  Hopefully I snapped something in that face of yours so you’ll be less inclined to talk so much -censored- next week before I put you down to retain this title!”

 

::Throwing the microphone down at the face of Aurelei and barely missing, Kelsia storms off the set as EMTs show up.  The scene fades to black for a set of commercials, one detailing an expansion for the ACW video game to be released soon.  After the break, the scene comes right back to the interview area with a brief recap of the short, brutal assault.::

 

RJ: “Fans, I think the only person more shocked than you and us is Aurelei.  Kelsia gets in the figurative and literal ‘first blow’ with her brutal assault, leaving Lady Death bloody.”

MS: “So much for her claims of being top woman around here, huh?  Hot Chocolate might just take that title off Aura’s hands at Fall Fatale.”

 

::Aurelei, conscious now, violently brushes aside the medics attempting to help her to her feet, storming off as soon as she can stand with any stability.  The EMTs move to try and talk reason into her, but with a single glare she backs them off before continuing at a walk, checking her step only once, down towards the locker rooms.::

 

RJ: “This isn’t over…Aurelei isn’t the most level-headed woman out there.”

MS: “What, worried about Kelsia?  The World Women’s Champion can handle herself.”

RJ: “She’d better hope she can…”