_______I know I'll make my mark here and you won't forget it...

Intrusive cameras track a worn out wrestler through the agitated stadium's corridors, careless about the rest she needs or the moment of privacy she may request after a gruelling fight - her body possibly less scarred than her broken spirit.

The soulless men behind the unpleasant machinas solely motion towards the interviewer of the night, rushing her to ask the requested questions no matter how in distress Charlotte actually looks, her mind still affected by the madness any match turns into these days.

Leaning with difficulty on the nearest crate, the haughty blonde discreetly rolls her eyes, grandly annoyed by any situation requiring her talking since she's well aware that promos never were her major strenght.

"Sasha is an overhyped loud mouth who would be nothing without her acolytes." The audience could practically see the wheels moving inside her head whilst Charlotte is weighing each word coming out of her mouth, unable to deliver any bit naturally.

Ironically enough it is her bitter rival that comes at her rescue, causing a slight relief perceivable on the Flair's features, only to bury her even deeper.

Banks longs for supreme domination over her former NXT's friend, willing to assure once more that the gigantic gap between the two keeps extending itself.

"Let me clarify something here, I've always been the mastermind of my respective stables while you've done nothing but following orders." The lethal beauty boasts, replacing the few locks of her flawless hair framing her divine face.

Without letting Charlotte any chance to retaliate or even mumble some senseless sentences, doubt invading her mind easier than the shadows crept in Sasha's soul, she cautiously gets closer.

"You're a walking, breathing puppet in the hands of your bosses but guess what ? I'm the Boss of that entire battlefield." The Boston native murmurs in the blonde's ears, assuring her that she's well aware of what truly is behind the facade.

Although the surface is already seemingfully fragile, the rest of her entity is actually pitiful in Banks' eyes. Charlotte's a Flair, one of the most influencious families in the whole business and yet, instead of representing the flamboyant name with pride and confidence, all she ever did was hide behind it.

"Be ready to drop the weapons or to get dropped right where you're standing." To emphasize the second half of her statement, the Devil's daughter lets her microphone falls to the ground in a haunting and resonating sound.

Her tone is cold, menacing, unyielding. She's spitting out a death threat anyone should take seriously if caring to walk upon this earth another day.

The air is rapidly thick with animosity as baby Flair is smiling out of fear in an uncomfortable way whilst Sasha's sending daggers her way, bad intentions written in her dark gaze.

The intensity of the scene effortlessly catches the attention of a couple of talents standing near the promos' set, admiring the evolution of a murderer butterfly escaping its chrysalid.

As Owens is looking in her direction, his aching head resting on a damaged wall, the fact she's been emerged into the wrestling's world for only six years absolutely blows his mind. Sasha's dangerously approaching he's own veteran level as every day passes and she nearly kills herself in the gym.

For that dedication and resiliency, he couldn't be prouder to be a part of her merciless squad.

Kevin eventually spots his longtime friend warming up not so far and vigorously approaches him. He roughly takes Sami's earphone off, to what the latter retords with a couple of complaints - their sound drown under the constant backstage's racket.

"She's always been influenced by his methods, don't you think ?" Zayn grimaces, still bitter about his former friend complete personality's change, kindness as her principal trait being nothing but a distant memory.

"For the best and for the worst. But she had a huge effect on him as well, didn't she ?" Owens insists, still uncapable of blameing neither one or the other, even if they were to drag his own body to their new home : Hell.

They loved to use the cigarette and lighter's metaphor to explain their dynamic.

She'd be the cigarette, useless without fire but once ignited, finding a purpose in life.

He'd be the lighter, able to function on its own, devastating everything around but once lighting up the cigarette, able to channel its destruction's impulses.

But no matter how they complement each other, both end up entirely burnt, empty and destroyed.

________

Exhausted entities reunited in the middle of an empty arena find the strenght to voice their opinions, to free their secretive desillusions and apprehensions in the presence of their trust worthy companions.

Combustible elements clash in an outburst of trivial arguments and unspoken rancour as the Intercontinental Championship is once more a subject of dissension between the two Canadians.

"Enough, there is more important going on right now." Sasha ultimately explodes, straightening her acolytes out in an impactful sentence that immedialely puts an end to their foolish dispute.

She takes this opportunity to recall everyone the exact and crucial purpose of their late meeting, all five of them being possibly kicked out at any giving moment and therefore couldn't offer to lose time over trivial conversations.

The wrestlers are indeed presents to discuss a possible addition to their stable, extremely important to even the odds facing a clear number disadvantage.

Banks takes a deep and meaningful breath, still trying to convince herself that the words repeating inside of her brain are the key to their survival and overall glory : "Rollins is the perfect fit".

"I think he could be really helpful for once." Banks calmly explains, talking over a growling Corey who lets out a taste of the hatred growing between his teeths.

In a sudden lively and mixed reactions her teammates make sure that their voice are heard, each eventually merging in an intelligible buzzing.

To avoid unecessary lost of time Sasha is quick to propose a show of hands, both fair and efficient. In response Owens naively claims that besides Seth's mental unstability, he's still worthy of their trust while Zayn reluctuantly backs up his best friend's vote.

The others obviously have a very different take on the events and both Emma and Graves object that his betrayals' list should be enough to reason anyone in their right mind.

Because of that draw Banks' decision will be the one determinating their future. Either she chooses wisely and her alliance turns out to be extremely productive or she's wrong and signs their own death warrant.

"We don't trust him. We use him for our own benefit, is that clear ?" Sasha's voice becomes more aggressive than earlier, well aware that the slightest hesitation will be a golden occasion for the pack to cast doubt on her capacities.

Deep inside she is conscious that, even though she's pretty skilled at putting on the masquerade, Mercedes' lack of confidence would break through at any waking moment, ruining everything Banks worked for during the past two years.

As Graves, Sami and Emma casually leave the sits they took position in, she can feel the cracks in her armour beginning to show more and more frequently.

"Remember what you told me at the hospital ?"  Owens interrupts her usual reassessement's phase by pulling her apart after the meeting.

"I may be breakable on my own.-" Cherished words escape through his bleeding lips and a spark lights up his stare.

"But together, I know we're invincible." She lets out, surprised he picked up on such thing, the oath as cliche as one can get yet also the most sincere she's spoken in months.

"Stop overthinking, we're gonna be alright." He assures in an authoritive yet benevolent tone, the warm touch of his hand delicately rubbing her shoulder in a comforting way.

Banks manages to draw a shy smile on her tired face, gaining Kevin's relief as he's persuaded his attempt to cheer her up is a total success.

The second he turns his back to her, the second Mercedes' vulnerability comes back hitting her rib cage's sides, making it harder to breathe as if air's suddenly poisoned by her own demons.

_____________

E L E N A ;

Who do you think Sami + Kev were referring to in the first half of the chapter ?

Is Rollins seriously going to join Banks' crew ?

Will she be able to overcome her hypersensivity and the pressure of her responsabilities to carry her masquerade long enough ?

Thanks a whole lot for reading this book, every vote and comment means so, so much to me.

love you guys xxx