Benjamin's P.O.V:

NXT the next day looks to be loaded with action as the Women's Breakout Tournament continues to progress with many matches taking place tonight along with the current rivalries continuing to boil over.

Before we get into that, Demi, The Judgment Day, and myself decided to accompany Racheal and her father back down to Florida for NXT. Since this was her first time making the trip from one show to another, we decided to head down with her to make it a little better for her, at least for this one before she starts getting more used to making the slightly hectic journey. Plus, it gave us all a nice excuse to stop by and visit NXT again, which is always great for us given we all started here upon coming to WWE; or in Edge's case, to visit the show he is a fan of while getting to visit his wife at work.

As we approach the stadium through the main superstar entrance, we immediately see an old friend of ours by the name of Trevor Lee Caddell, better known as the current North American Champion, Cameron Grimes.

"Hey, guys!" He welcomes them with a grin.

"Hey, Cam!" Racheal perks up as she goes to hug him.

It honestly warms my heart that they still have this bond with each other. To give some insight, they pretty much adored each other since they first met. They even dated for a short bit but it wasn't going anywhere, so they agreed to a mutual split and have remained friends since. To be honest, it always surprised me that it didn't work between them. They always seemed cute together and they clearly still care for each other a lot. Nevertheless, I respect their choice and hope they continue to do well.

"Great match last night!" Cameron compliments her before greeting Grace. "Hey, Little Baby!"

"Thank you!" Racheal smiles before Cameron notices us, growing excited.

"Yo! Hey guys!"

We walk up to each other to reunite.

"Howdy, partner!" I grinned as we did a bro-hug. "Still rockin' the title I see.'

"Same to you, U.S. Champ!" He says to me before switching focus to Rhea and Damian. "Priest! Ripley!"

They both laugh before Luis greets him with a bro handshake and shoulder bump.

"Sup, bro! Good to see you."

"You too, and welcome back guys!" He says before hugging Demi.

"Hey, Cam, it's great to be back here," she grins. "You've met Edge, right?" She asked while stepping aside and gesturing to the Hall of Famer.

"Yes, I have, great to see you again, good sir!" He politely shakes hands with Edge.

"The feeling's mutual," he nods.

"What brings y'all back down here?" He then asked, which Luis answered.

"We just wanted to accompany Little Wolf for her first back-to-back trip here and give us an excuse to visit."

"Awesome!" He happily cheers. "Of course, y'all are gonna notice a few changes since you last entered here."

"Oh, we're aware," Rhea jokes, causing us to laugh.

"If you'd like," Racheal chimes back in, "we're gonna drop our stuff off at the locker room and grab a quick bite before the show. Would you like to join us?"

"Sadly, I can't," he replies with regret. "But, if you... wanna hang out after the show later, we can."

They share this look as if sharing some sort of secret meaning, or at least that's what it seems like, but it could be just me.

"Sure, that sounds good," she nods with a happy smile.

"Alright, well, anyway, I'll let y'all carry on and catch up with you later," he politely smiles before we agree and exchange fair wells with him.

We drop off whatever we need to at her locker room before heading to the arena. Along the way, we encounter many of Racheal's colleagues, including rising young talents Cora Jade and fellow Texan, Roxanne Perez, both of which I've become a great big fan of. I've gotten to meet with and interact with them before, but it's still nice to catch up with them again. Not to mention, they've become good friends with Racheal as well. We continue our stroll through the land of NXT, interacting with many of the stars we've either befriended or are fans of that we encounter along the way. It's always cool to see these guys again, especially when in this special environment. However, as we neared the gorilla position, where Shawn had already gone earlier, we encountered someone that we didn't care to see too much: JD McDonough.

We see him chatting with the stable, Gallus, before he turns at the sound of our footsteps, becoming awkward and slightly annoyed upon noticing us. Gallus, on the other hand, politely greets us as we shake hands with them before they part ways with us. JD just awkwardly stands there with his arms crossed. Racheal angrily sighs while trying her best to ignore him before walking away. I glare at him after she walks off.

"It's good to see you again, Ben," he says in an attempt to remain polite.

It does nothing to change my demeanor towards him, nor do I give him a response. I just walk away while the others follow me, respectfully nodding at JD while wondering what just happened.

You would think me and JD would be good friends given that we're both proteges of Finn Balor. I'll admit we were at a time, but not anymore, and it's nothing to do with our competitive nature either, but I'd rather not get into that now.

"What was that about?" Demi asked as we followed in Racheal's direction.

"It's a long story, best not to ask right now," I irritably responded. "Don't bring it up in front of Racheal either, please."

"Okay," she politely smiles.

We enter the gorilla position and find Racheal talking with Beth and her father. The commentator perked up at the sight of her husband, who approached her and greeted her with a kiss and a hug. Demi and Luis were close enough to greet Beth and chat with her while I went to Racheal to check on her.

"You OK?" I quietly asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she assured me with that cute little smile of hers. "He doesn't bother me any. I hardly even see him, nor do I try to for that matter."

"Well, good, don't be afraid to say something if he does," I urged her, which she promised she would, but neither of us felt like he would cause any trouble.

He is still a professional athlete and he's not going to jeopardize his job here.

"Hey, guys?" Edge chimes in, snatching our attention away. "Would you mind if I just chill here with Beth? Let you guys have your own fun for a short bit?"

Me and Racheal glance at each other, already agreeing on a decision like only we can, like some hidden level of understanding that we share. It just goes to show how strong our bond truly is.

"Yeah, no problem," I answered first.

"You go hang out with your wife and we'll catch up later," Racheal promises.

Edge gave us the thumbs-up before returning to his wife. Racheal then turns her attention to Shawn.

"Hey, Pops, you joining us?"

"Not this time, sweetheart," he regrettably answered. "You kids go have fun, just don't be late for the show."

"We won't," she smiled. "See you later."

We start to leave with Rhea and Damian and I already knowing the place she's taking us to: the same Barbecue and Seafood joint she likes to go to with Shawn. I've gone with them a few times whenever I got the chance, which isn't often, sadly, because it is a great place, to be honest. We take the same walk that they take to get there, which additionally helps to walk off all the sitting we had to do for the trip down here even after walking around the backstage area. We reach the place, and then Racheal and I immediately recognize the owner at the counter.

"Hi ya, Gary!" I call out to him upon entering.

"Hey-hey!" He grew excited. "Been a while since you've been in here."

"My deepest apologies but it's good to be back," I smiled.

"And he's not the only one I brought either," Racheal noted before gesturing to our two friends. "I don't believe you've met these two before."

"No, but I have seen many of your matches," Gary half-grinned. "It's a pleasure having you both here."

"It's a pleasure being here," Damian nodded.

"Yeah, we love your place, heard a lot about it," Rhea stated.

"You're both too kind, just like your friends here," Gary compliments with a nod to me and Racheal, which we appreciate. "So, what can I get for you?"

"Ladies first?" I granted before glancing at Racheal.

"He already knows what I want," she jokingly said.

"And I see you have Grace with you as usual," Gary notes, the little Corgi becoming excited. "So, I'll get hers too."

"Alright, Demi?" I shrugged.

"Mmm..." she studies the menu, growing impressed by the number of choices. "Hard to say, there's a lot of options."

"Haha, tell me about it," I laughed, having had problems deciding myself while eating here.

"We get a lot of different cultures around here, so we like to have something for everyone, and people around here love barbecue and seafood," Gary explained.

Rhea and Damian chuckle before an idea pops in my head.

"Oh, hang on," I urged Demi before leaning on the counter and motioning for Gary to lean in as well.

The others are no doubt giving me weird, confused looks as I whisper into Gary's ear, hoping to make this a pleasant surprise for my good friend. He smirks once I give him the full disclosure and nods and agreement. I turn back to Demi and she's still giving me a weird look.

"Just trust me, I gotcha," I wink at her.

She seemed a little weary about what I had in store but she said nothing to protest my actions.

"And you good sir?" He asked Luis, snatching his attention.

"Um... I'll go with the southern barbecue ribs dish with extra spices and seasoning."

"Woooo, my kinda guy!" Gary cheers, causing Priest to laugh.

"Can I also get a black bean soup on the side?" He then asked.

"Yes you may, and for you, Benjamin?"

"I'll go with the Alfredo combo," I answered.

"Shrimp and chicken?"

"You know it," I smirked.

"Of course," Racheal joked. "Even he's starting to learn the patterns in your ways."

I laughed along with Gary.

We then ordered drinks to go with our food before sitting at a booth, Demi and Luis on one side with me and Racheal on the other. We chatted for a moment before Gary arrived with our drinks. We all got sodas except for Luis, who had a glass of water and a cup of Cuban coffee, which he allowed me and Racheal to try for the first time. It's true what they say, that it's different than regular coffee, and I actually prefer it to that too. Luis and I were both surprised Racheal had never tried it before, though. He's recommended it to her and she's been in here enough times. Of course, she got mad when I made fun of her for it. It's all part of the bond between us.

Minutes later, Gary returned with our food on a serving tray. He carefully sets down each plate of food along with whatever side piece accompanies them. I grow excited as he sets Rhea's plate down, eagerly studying her reaction as she becomes pleasantly surprised by what is set in front of her.

"Is this... a pizza?"

"Barbecued grilled pizza to be exact," Gary explains. "Made with ham, pineapple, veggies, and accompanied by... *sets down a small bowl* ranch dressing."

She glances at me with a combination of disbelief and happiness that I remembered her favorite food. I smiled back, feeling proud of this little surprise/gesture I made.

"Not necessarily a traditional meal for a place like this, I know, but it works and it sells," Gary adds with a smile.

"Well, thank you, it's wonderful," Demi praised.

"Not a problem, enjoy," he says before leaving our table, receiving thank yous from us all while Racheal sets Grace's bowl down.

"And thank you to you too, Ben," she then says to me. "This was very thoughtful of you."

"You're welcome," I kindly nod before growing cheeky; "but I still don't get how you can have pineapple on pizza."

"Same here," Racheal adds.

"Neither can I," Luis finished.

Now, Demi is annoyed, flipping us off while we all laugh. We then enjoy our magnificent meals together while sharing many laughs.

"I make no apologies for what I like to eat," Demi proudly states while taking a bite of her pizza. "I don't get why people are so high-strung about being anti-pineapple pizza," she adds with a mouthful of food.

"It's pretty weird, sis," Luis pokes at her.

"It's not the weirdest combo out there," she counters. "Hell, I've seen you eat weirder."

"Not as weird as some of the stuff I've seen you eat," he playfully fires back.

Me and Racheal just sit there laughing before she acknowledges something.

"Oi, at least you got it with the ranch. I do the same with pizza."

Demi happily smiles while I roll my eyes.

"You get either ranch or mayonnaise with almost everything you eat," I noted.

She just shrugs.

"Well, what can I say, I enjoy the taste and texture of white stuff..."

I immediately stop chewing the bite I just took as my hand drops down on the table.

"Wha- oh my god..." Luis groans with his face in his palm once he realizes what she means, causing Demi to laugh while I give Racheal an evil side glance.

She just snickers to herself, feeling no shame whatsoever.

"I don't like you sometimes," I tell her with a mouthful of food.

"Yeah you do," she smirks. "Besides, we women are technically designed for consuming said white stu-'

"Ok! Just..." Luis cuts off as more laughter emits from the table, only my eyes are rolling up into my head.

"No comment," Demi laughs.

"Can we just enjoy our lunch now without trying to make each other sick?" Luis pleads, which I agree with to the fullest.

Of course, the ladies at the table couldn't stop laughing at the innuendo made by the mischievously dirty-minded little wisecracker next to me. Admittedly, the little glances I kept giving her probably didn't help either.

However, the joke also made a wild and naughty thought pop up in my head about her, but I immediately brushed that away, attempting to restrain my own dirty-minded nature before it got carried away with one of my best friends.

General P.O.V:

NXT is underway with a lot of action set for tonight. However, before the action hits, the White Wolf's song sounds off. The audience cheers as the NXT Women's Champion steps out, her usual happy-go-lucky demeanor on full display. Of course, she has a lot to be happy about following her main roster debut, which included her biggest title defense yet. She carried the pride of NXT on her shoulders last night and is rightfully receiving a warm welcome back from the NXT Universe. She raises the championship high and proud on the ramp while receiving a standing ovation from her howlers.

Unfortunately, the moment is ruined by her getting jumped from behind by none other than Mandy Rose.

The energy is sucked from the audience as their cheers immediately transfer into boos with Racheal getting knocked down. It doesn't end there as Mandy rains down viscous stomps before picking her off the floor and driving her head first into the steel steps. She continues her assault with a series of rapid punches before seemingly stepping back and allowing her a break, only to run her knee into her head, connecting with Kiss by the Rose into the hard metal.

Racheal falls over as security and personnel finally make it out to break up the attack. Unfortunately, the damage has been done. Racheal is down and busted wide open from the blindsided attack. Mandy backs away with her eyes remaining on Moonster, breathing hard while appearing proud of her disgraceful act. She then turns her eyes to the nearest camera to send a message.

"Indi Hartwell! You're next, sweetie!"

With that, she retreats toward the backstage area while ringside doctors begin checking on the wounded champion. Even Shawn himself comes out to check on his daughter, blood running down her face as she looks dazed and confused, but her disoriented state quickly becomes more rageful, more crazed, some could even say more animalistic-like. Her eyes even begin to roll upwards, almost in the same vein as the Undertaker. Her breathing becomes shaky, almost emitting a growl. Those around her grow slightly disturbed by this sudden odd change.

Regardless, NXT's showrunner does not want this night to be kicked off with the sight of his daughter. So, he urgently orders for the opening match to kick off while the doctors begin assisting the champion to the back. The competitors for the opening match start making the entrances as Racheal is subtly escorted away.

Later in the show, all of Toxic Attraction is shown walking down the hall as their leader prepares for her match against Indi, which is up next. As they're walking, Mandy, as usual, has a few choice words for her adversaries.

"Racheal Moonster, constantly getting in my way of capturing gold and then avoiding me will prove to be the worst decision of your entire career. So, you think being champion and your daddy's favorite gives you a pair of big girl panties much too big for you and allows you to go running off to the main roster to play around with Natalya instead of giving me my rightful rematch?"

Then Jacy mockingly adds, "She's venturing off into the big blue world, all by herself, just like Indi Hartwell is!"

"Oh, and don't think I've forgotten about you, Indi," Mandy states. "How you also stood in my way by tapping out to Natalya last week. Well, tonight, you're gonna get the same lesson that your pal, Racheal, got earlier tonight."

"No tag partner, no life partner," Gigi adds. "Tonight is the-"

Chance and Carter appear out of nowhere to shut them up, only their attack is specifically directed at the women's tag team champions, not their leader. Mandy tries to assist her teammates, but security arrives quickly before an official urges her to go to her match.

X

Near the end of the match between Rose and Hartwell, Dolin and Jayne come stumbling out from the back, Kayden and Katana right on their heels as they continue with the attack. The crowd goes wild, chanting "holy shit" as Jayne and Chance take their fight to the inside of the ring, the ref trying to instruct them out, but to no avail. Jacy ends up knocking Katana back to the outside, only to receive a big boot from Indi that sends her out as well. Unfortunately, this distraction allows Mandy to take advantage and garner the victory.

Mandy stands tall and celebrates her victory while the two teams continue to brawl at ringside. She then swiftly makes her exit without getting caught up in the brawl, heading up the ramp while continuing to celebrate.

However, once she turns, she's immediately hit with a spray of blood-red mist to the face!

Mandy screams as she crawls back down the ramp with no sight or any clue about what just happened. Then, the audience erupts as the bloody Racheal Moonster steps out on the stage, stalking Mandy as she desperately tries to escape. She is a frightening image, like something out of a horror movie, as she struts out with some of the blood remaining on her face, almost like war paint of some sort, with the mist dripping from her mouth and some of her white hair stained with red. Returning the favor from earlier, Racheal sends her head-first into the steps before pounding away at her. She's stopped when Gigi pulls at her arm, but then grabs her hand and starts biting it. Now Dolin is screaming as she tries to fight Racheal off. She soon mercifully releases her, Gigi yanking her hand away before cupping it, only for Moonster to capture her head and land the Crescent Moon right on the floor. Then, poor Jacy Jayne foolishly attempts to stop the sudden rampage Moonster is on, only to be caught up and land spine first on the apron. She's then sent face first into the ring post before retrieving Mandy again and tossing her inside the ring. Racheal stays right on her tail as she crawls on the mat, stalking her like a hungry animal.

The blinded Mandy staggers as she gets to her feet, waving her arms around in confusion before she's caught by an iron claw. She almost immediately leans back, as if a sudden added strength is somehow being put into the grip before Racheal transitions the hold to set up for her finisher. First, however, she licks up some of the bloody mist she sprayed to begin with, disturbing the audience a little before whipping her back for the White Wolf's Kiss! It doesn't end there as she immediately crawls over her prey before biting her neck. Some officials pop up to pull her off of Mandy while her allies pull her out of the ring. All of Toxic Attraction retreats as they stare in horror while the red-covered wolf stares them down, never so much as blinking as she focuses in on her prey.

Later on, following the series of chaotic events, Carter and Chance explained in an interview the purpose of their attack, that they hunted them down since they wanted to keep ducking them and that they wouldn't be denied. They then challenge "Toxic Trash" to put their titles on the line at In Your House against them. After they make their challenge, they stop as the team and their interviewer turn to see Moonster enter the shot. She's still covered in the red stains both on her head and from her mouth. She gives them a quick look before turning to the camera, devilishly smirking before turning back towards the two teammates, who are, needless to say, a little off-put by her bizarre appearance.

"It's time that we bring the toxicity to an end..." she says bluntly, yet so menacing-like.

"Uh... yeah," Katana responds. "That sounds great, actually. Let's do it."

Racheal smiles before giving them a thumbs up and just walking past them. Kayden and Katana look at each other with shock and confusion before the show cuts away.

Closer to the end of the show, there's a quick moment where the commentators are standing at ringside, discussing the show before they are rudely interrupted by Toxic Attraction from their private lounge backstage. Mandy is shown having wiped off most of the mist, although some traces remain, with Gigi holding her jaw and neck after the damage she suffered earlier, and Jacy holding her head while looking stressed out.

"Shut up and listen!" Mandy demands to gather everyone's attention. "Racheal Moonster, I'm done, I'm done! With the... the childish wolf getup, the biting people like some overgrown baby, the stupid cowgirl hat; but most of all, I am SICK of seeing you walking around holding my NXT Women's Championship! You have stood in my way of claiming what is rightfully mine since day one when you're not even a real champion; you're an overgrown spoiled kid and I am a grown-ass woman! You wanna pull your little tricks and play your jokes then go ahead, because you're the joke! But me, I'm the baddest bitch in the whole locker room, and I want what I deserve."

Then Jacy steps in.

"Kayden and Katana, you say that you're the only real team here? *scoffs!* Let's be real here, you can't compete with us. You are literally two feet tall! And at In Your House, we're gonna send you back to little munchkin land! Along with, your new little guard dog and the rest of the Oompa Loompas around here. You see, there's a difference, between wanting the ball and running with it. We make it look easy! Even with your little ninja warrior skills, you can't keep up with us."

Gigi then steps in.

"Because the truth is, you're all just insecure. You saw how fast Toxic Attraction rose to the top in a remarkable amount of time. Meanwhile, you're struggling to even get a taste of what we have. So, you want your chance? You're gonna get it at In Your House, but we are gonna walk in as champions, and we are gonna walk out as champions, all of us this time. Next week, let's make it official."

Mandy decides to get a last statement in.

"Racheal, a week from Saturday, that title is coming-"

"Ok, enough of that boring load of bullocks!"

The trio panics as the audience cheers from hearing Racheal's voice sound through. She's unseen in the lounge or anywhere in the arena, but they can hear her voice.

"The baddest bitch in the locker room?! Clearly, you are the DUMBEST!!!" Her British accent is noticeably thicker, but only sharpens the stabbing velocity of her words that only further irate her rival. "You said it yourself, we've been butting heads since you first came back with your little high school sorority clique; and since then, you have discovered time and time again what happens when you provoke a wolf; and time and time again, you continue to make the same mistake! You're a neverending cycle of bad choices, self-destruction, and repeat! You want to keep venturing into the Wolf's Den? Fine! After all, this wolf needs a new chew toy. Heh heh heh."

Her tone is so threateningly eerie, sending chills down the spine of Toxic Attraction's leader, but not like from what she hears next.

"So, my chew toy... at In Your House, you'll get to step into my house, my den, inside a steel cage!"

The fans go wild as the fangs of fear sink into the heart of Mandy Rose. The instant regret of her actions begins to take hold as the entire weight of this situation she set herself up for begins crashing down on her shoulders. Racheal's menacing, almost childlike evil laugh only adds to the terror of the reality settling in for Mandy.

"Be careful what you wish for, eh Mandy?! Hahaha! But that's all... Oi, Jacy!"

Now the group is growing even more worried, especially Jayne.

"I must say, that little comment you made about me and my two friends made me think of something. Listen to this..."

The trio worriedly huddled together as they anxiously awaited what came next, which was...

"Oompa, Loompa, doomperty-doo, I have a toxic message for you!"

The trio grows confused in the weirdest of ways as everyone laughs at the unexpected shift before she continues.

"Oompa, Loompa, doomperty-die, three dumb bitches are about to die!"

Mandy screams as she jumps back on the couch in time for the roaring wolf to come charging through, spearing Jacy right through the lounge table! Gigi tries to retaliate but Moonster pushes her back, tackling her into the chair and toppling it back. Mandy watches in horror as the already wounded Harlot is instantly taken care of before her attacker peeks her head over the couch, sadistic and animalistic with sinister intent as Rose screams again, rushing away for her dear life with her pursuer giving chase. Cameramen around the area keep track of the chase as it looks like a classic horror scene with the slasher stalking their next victim. Mandy has her purse with her car keys in hand as she hurries off. A cameraman stays right on her tail as Moonster can be heard from behind them.

"Where you going, Mandy?! I thought I was in your way?! Don't you want to come back this way?!"

Mandy pays no attention to her as she moves as fast as she can. She makes it outside to the parking lot, nearly tearing through her bag while pulling out the keys to her car, unlocking the doors and practically ripping the door open to get inside. A camera stays on her while she rushes to start the ignition, but Racheal pounces on the hood before she can, causing her to jump back with a scream.

"You can't say you weren't warned, Mandy!" Racheal grins. "Now, at In Your House, I will huff, I will puff, and I will tear your bloody heart out!"

Mandy starts up the car and immediately floors the accelerator with Moonster still on the hood. She slips off and out from the camera's shot as it stays focused on the speeding vehicle. It stays on Mandy's car as she rushes out of the parking lot and far away from her stalker.

Once she is far enough, the camera turns back to see Racheal sitting on the concrete floor, laughing maniacally while rocking herself back and forth.

"Maaaaannndyyyyy... hehe, run while you still can..." she continues to giggle in the most bizarre fashion, further expressing a darker and more disturbed side of her.

"And that's who Mandy Rose will be locked in a cage with..." Vic Joseph comments. "God help her."

(A/N: Hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter of the new year!

Like the group's bond so far?

What do y'all think of this metamorphosis Racheal's character is taking?

Let us know and don't forget to vote! Thank you! Take care!)