Rhea's Web.

Chapter 2

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Backlash 2022.

The air crackled with a different kind of electricity backstage at Backlash. Y/N felt it, a hum of nervous anticipation that settled deep in his gut. 

He was pacing back and forth in his cramped dressing room, the scent of liniment and sweat thick in the air. 

This was it. His first singles match on a WWE Premium Live Event. The pressure was suffocating.

And it was against Edge. The Rated-R Superstar. A first-ballot Hall of Famer, multiple-time World Champion, Royal Rumble winner, a WrestleMania main eventer. 

Somebody, who, despite the fact he hated what the man had become, was undeniably a legend.

 Somebody Y/N had a couple months ago wanted to emulate. 

Well, apart from the injuring AJ Styles thing, he probably wouldn't want to be like him then. But now, he was at the point where he had to win. 

Not just for AJ, not just to prove himself, but for him.

He carefully, almost ritualistically, put on his right elbow pad. It was a custom fit, designed to absorb impact, to protect him for the Phenomenal Forearm that he was sure he was going to connect with later on in the night. 

He adjusted the kinesio tape snaking across his shoulder and the blades, a flimsy barrier against the pain that still sometimes flared. 

He looked at the gloves, the custom design that was meant to be his signature, but he decided to forget about it for the night. He slipped on his sneakers, tying the laces with a practiced, almost meditative focus.

A shadow fell over him, chilling him despite the warmth of the room. He cautiously turned around, his heart giving a familiar lurch when he saw her. 

Rhea Ripley. She was even more striking tonight.

"Oh, hello," Y/N managed, his voice a little strained.

"Hey," Rhea replied, her eyes sweeping over his attire. "Like the attire." 

She had her own gear on tonight, a dark, aggressive ensemble that clung to her powerful frame.

Y/N's gaze inadvertently swept over her, taking in the confident, almost defiant way she carried herself. She looked just as hot as she did last time, if not more so. 

The thought felt weird to say, even in his own head, but it was undeniably true. 

But then he noticed something new. Her hair had changed colour. 

It was now a stark, glossy black, cut just as sharply and styled just as rebelliously as her platinum blonde had been, but the darkness made her seem even more formidable, more intense.

"I like the hair colour," Y/N said, a genuine compliment. "Looks... dangerous."

Rhea's lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. "Yeah, I thought a change was good. Out with the old, in with the new, you know?" Her eyes held a subtle glint that made Y/N wonder exactly what 'old' she was referring to.

"So why are you here tonight? If you don't mind me asking," Y/N asked, instantly regretting the question. It sounded too eager, too familiar.

"Just here to watch," Rhea said, her gaze unwavering. She didn't offer any more detail, leaving Y/N to wonder which match, or perhaps who, she was watching.