The Ace Who Shot Liberty Valance.

*3 Weeks after Avalanche 2016*

"1...2...3..4...1...2..."

The crowd in the Tokyo AFW-Dome began to cheer as they heard Neil Pearts familiar drum into, leading into the explosive and rapid bass of Rush's "Animate", which meant only one thing. Silver Ace had returned to Japan from Canada...and she brought back gold with her.

Clad in a new outfit, a hole cut like the Ace of Spades on her chest, showing some cleavage for the first time, along with new boots and pads, and for the first time, actual fingerless gloves instead of hand wraps, and new blue and white facepaint on her face, matching her outfit. But the biggest new addition to her attire, was the shiny golden title wrapped around her waist, with the words: "AFW Friction: Hardcore Champion" on it, and a name plate with the name "Silver Ace" on it, as well as side plates that bore her name, around an image of a spade.

Getting in the ring, Ace quickly went and grabbed a microphone, headbanging to her music before it faded out, and she could speak to her fans in her home away from home.

"Konnichiwa, Tokyo! You guys miss me!?"

The loud response she got back said that yes, yes they did.

"Aww, I missed you guys too! So as you all know, I was just in Canada, and uh, I picked something awesome, as you can see..."

She grinned, running a hand over the shiny shiny gold belt, before looking into the nearby camera.

"Now, first off, let me make this clear, the reason it took me a few weeks to come back, is because the previous owner of this belt, Adrian Kytes, is not only one of my best friends outside the ring, but is, in all honesty, one of the toughest women to ever step inside this ring, and deserves nothing but my utmost respect. Adrian, if your watching, we went through hell, and if you want another shot when you come back, I'll gladly meet you back on the battlefield."

With that said, she turned back towards the crowd, smile on her painted face.

"Ok, with that covered, let's get onto business! River Fucking Styx! I've HAD it with that bitch, for a long time! She claimed that she was "DONE" with me and my crew, and that she was moving on and never wanted to fight me again. Well, guess what Styx, that one thing, the only thing, the one little thing you wanted more than literally ANYTHING else? The Hardcore Title? I'VE GOT IT! RIGHT HERE! So if, and when River Styx decides she wants to come for her precious title, she'll all have to come to me and ask for a shot. I'll give her a shot alright, whenever she wants, and I'll not only prove I'm better than WAR, and get payback for everyone they've hurt, but I'll prove to River Styx, that I'm more Hardcore than she is!"

After Silver Ace’s thunderous and explosive entrance, the crowd was primed and ready to explode, brimming with anticipation. River Styx was the sort of woman who’d come out regardless of whether not she was invited, and wherever the hardcore title went , she was never too far behind. Any second now, her vulgar theme music would start, she’d come out, issue her threats, and Silver Ace would get her hands on the baldheaded bitch she owed a beating to.

Only that wasn’t what happened. At all.

Instead of heavy metal, they were treated with the rocking sounds of English punk rock - the Clash’s Riot of My Own, to be specific. A tune familiar to anyone who’d been paying attention to the hardcore scene for the past few years, music that belonged to one of its most recognizable stars…

”TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKKKKKKKKKKKKKKYYYYYYYYYYYYOOOOOOO!”

Liberty Vella can bursting from the curtain, with a microphone in hand and her long black hair flowing behind her. She was in her street clothes - black blue jeans and a red and white Friction shirt, one that could scarcely contained her full-bodied, muscular frame. She bounded about the stage, raising her fist to the audience, who were all happy to see her - if a bit confused.  So far as anyone knew, Liberty had no history with Silver Ace. They’d never fought, never teamed up, never had a match,  had never even been within a mile  of  each other, probably.  This required some explanation.

And they would get it, too. Liberty had much to say.

”Cut, cut, cut the music!” She waved her hand about, prematurely ending her own theme, as she bellowed into the microphone. ”What is this? What is this?!” She waved an accusing finger at Silver Ace. Shook her head. Stomped her feet hard enough to shake the ramp. ”Let’s do a little rewind, here. A couple years ago,  I was the champ.  Me.” Liberty thumped her impressive chest. ”Would’ve been a good one, too, but I had some personal stuff I had to take care of. So they took the title off me. Okay. Fine. I get it, I understand, I was fine with it. But then the belt got passed around and around and around, and now this? Her?”

Liberty folded her arms and turned her nose up at Ace, the disdain clear on her face. ”Everyone knows what’s going on  here - it’s the Blonde Conspiracy. AFW management is always trying to put their belts of the prettiest, whitest girls in the league.” That got more than a few boos from the audience, but if they fazed Liberty in the least, she didn’t show it. ”Check the facts. Cecilia Northman? Blonde. Valley Doll? Blonde. Gwenny? Blonde. Blonde champs, primpy Aryan princesses, all around. You’re just another product of the Machine, and I could see the truth, but I didn’t care too much. I had protests to go to, statements to make. But I’ll be damned - no, fucked, if I let you do that to the hardcore belt!”

Liberty took a few steps down the ramp and leaned forward, like she might burst into a charge at a moment, poised to strike with her usual insane fervor. ”I say you’re not a real champ. I say you’re just some skinny Barbie doll’s who’s gonna break when you break when she has to take on a born hardcore wrestler. I say that I never lost my title, which means it’s my title, which make you a thief, which means I should beat you like you stole something! Because you did!”

Tenuous logic, Liberty could admit, but she liked the way it sounded. A wild, feral grin crossed Liberty’s lip, as the proverbial gauntlet fell before Silver Ace’s feet. ”What do you say to that?”

Right. Well...that was unexpected.

"...You're a wordy little bitch, aren't you?"

Ace muttered, before raising her microphone to offer her reply, looking at the crowd.

"Right then. I remember you. You were that girl, from before I got here. You...did that thing and...had that match...you know, the one with the other person! Honestly, I had expected River Styx, but since she's apparently to much of a bald headed cowardly bitch to show up, and I already dressed for a fight, I've no problem using this former "champ" here as an example of what Styx has coming for her."

She looked back at Liberty, a smirk on her face.

"So, Liberty, was it? You wanna add an extra 5 minutes to your 15 minutes of fame, before going back to...whatever it is you do, at my expense? Sure thing. My first title defense, Hardcore Match, for the Hardcore Title, right here, right now. Whaddya say? Think long and hard about it Liberty, because while this is fun and all, if you step in this ring, you'll find I can be more hardcore and do more damage to you without weapons than you ever were with them..."

Liberty rarely thought long and hard about anything in her life, as a general rule. This time was not the exception, especially when there was so much on the line. She’d messed up her first run with the belt, but now she was getting a shot at a second, and nothing was going to get in her way. Especially not some Canadian maple leaf who was half her size.

”The name’s Liberty Vella, you skinny cagna! The best hardcore champ to ever hold the belt, and I’ll gladly prove it!” Liberty cracked her knuckles, getting a hearty snap from both fists. It had been too long since she’d had some good violence to sink her teeth into. ”You’re on!”

Never one to waste time, Liberty took a step back, hopped up on tiptoes to psyche herself up, then took off down the ramp at full speed, barreling straight towards Ace, turning herself into a human freight train - one that had the current hardcore champion right on its tracks.

Continued Here: