Chapter Text
Rhea spends the day after Bad Blood licking her wounds and figuring out how to move forward. Damian- bless his heart- stays by her side for the entire day as she travels to the venue for Monday Night Raw and Damian begins his trek home, working through possibilities for Monday, and she can’t help but feel a little bad. He should be focusing on the World Heavyweight Championship, but he’s shooting plans back and forth with her over instant coffee instead. She’s grateful for him- of course she is- but she also knows that he feels guilty for leaving her behind, especially after the breakdown she had the night before.
She’s still trying to convince him to turn his attention toward Gunther, but he is- as always- being stubborn as hell about it.
“I told you, Rips.” He says through a grimace at the acidic bitterness of the coffee, “I’m with you to the end.”
That’s what I’m afraid of.
She doesn’t voice her thoughts, instead imagining Liv’s terrified face when Rhea gets her cornered on Monday, and as for Raquel…
Well that’s considerably more complicated, isn’t it?
Her history with Raquel rivals that of her history with Liv, and both seem to follow the same story; friendship, anger, betrayal. She loved Raquel like a sister, practically idolized her when they were both coming up in NXT, but it wasn’t enough to stop the older woman from turning on her in a truly brutal fashion. Their Last Woman Standing match at New Year’s Evil was one of Rhea’s lowest moments- and not just because she was slammed through the floor- because no matter how strong she was, no matter how angry she got, no matter how much she spit and clawed and screamed, Raquel still put her down. Somehow, Raquel was simply stronger, tougher, better.
The wound Raquel inflicted on her that night followed her to Raw like a curse, poisoning her friendship with Nikki until she, too, turned on Rhea. By the time she and Liv became a team, they never had a chance. Rhea was already too far gone, and that pain and rage and fear that was buried deep inside her rose to the surface when they failed to obtain the Tag Team Championships together. It was all too easy for Edge to prey on those fears, to drip poison in her ear and convince her that Liv would only hurt her if Rhea didn’t make the first move.
So, she did- but that wasn’t the end of it, was it? Sometimes she wishes it was, because the two people that she hurt and was hurt by the most decided to stand against her as a united front. They brought up too many memories, made things too complicated.
She needed to get rid of them. What else was she supposed to do?
Rhea knows that what she did to Liv and Raquel wasn’t right. She never claimed that it was- only that she did exactly what she said she was going to do. They were sticking their noses in her business, interfering with her way of doing things when they should have been worrying about their own titles. She was a solo act, and the main thing keeping her on top was fear of and respect for her strength. Liv and Raquel getting in her way would have only opened the doors to more challenges, more women who thought they could stand against her dominance.
No, what she did to them wasn’t right. She’s been right in the past- she’s tried so, so hard to be right. She tried to do good, once. She tried to do good with Raquel, tried to do good with Nikki, and how did they repay her?
Raquel put her through the damn floor and Nikki knocked her down when all she wanted to do was offer her friendship. She’s been good before, she’s done good, and it was a thankless, futile endeavor.
Liv was a fresh start. They worked well together, they got along, and Rhea thought she might have found someone that would do good with her. Then, they started losing matches- all that momentum they’d built when they first started together went up in a puff of smoke. They had their moment at Wrestlemania, and they failed.
Edge found her, then. He reminded her of what happened the last time she let her guard down, what happened the last time she let herself be weak. He reminded her that she used to be somebody ; a champion, the first-ever NXT UK Women’s Champion, the woman who dethroned Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s Championship, the one who threw down the gauntlet with Asuka as soon as she got moved to the main roster and won. She used to be a force of nature, a dominating fighter and an unstoppable champion.
She got lost in the shuffle of the tag division, going right from Nikki to Liv, even after she said she wanted to get back into the solo title picture. Worse, she didn’t even realize she’d been choosing comfort over success until Edge whispered in her ear and lifted the veil from her eyes.
At least, that’s what it felt like he did, at the time. If she knew then that all he wanted were willing pawns to maneuver and control… well, things might have gone differently. But she didn’t, and there’s no use in dwelling on the past.
She needed a fresh start, a clean break, and she needed to leave the tag division behind. Part of her wanted to be good about it, to do it right , but when has right ever worked for her? Being right didn’t help her beat Raquel. Being right didn’t stop Nikki from calling her a villain and fighting tooth and nail to bring her down. Being right didn’t give her the opportunities she strived for her entire career.
So, she stopped trying to be right, and got used to being wrong. She attacked Liv, and something in her cracked, because she turned on the one person that trusted her more than anything, and there was no going back. How could she go back?
Sometimes she really, really wished she could go back, but when has wishing ever done anything in this business?
So, she moved forward. She joined Edge, then turned on him, then recruited Finn, then did many, many more wrong things, and she became a champion again, because being wrong worked .
But, Liv and Raquel wouldn’t leave her alone. Suddenly, Raquel wanted to be right , wanted to be good , and Rhea was so angry, and couldn’t Liv see? Couldn’t she see that she’d only be left behind again? Couldn’t she see that Raquel would only stab her in the back?
Except, she didn’t, did she?
When Rhea took out Liv, Raquel didn’t move on, she didn’t find a new partner or go off on her own. No, she went straight for Rhea, for her power and her pride and her title, not for the gleam of gold, but for Liv, and Rhea just couldn’t fucking understand it.
Why did Raquel suddenly decide to be good, for once? What was so fucking special about Liv that she deserved her loyalty when Rhea didn’t? What did Raquel see in Liv that she didn’t see in Rhea, that she didn’t see in the woman that looked up to her like a sister? Worse, what did Raquel see in Rhea that she didn’t see in Liv? Was there some seed, some hidden darkness or buried inadequacy that Raquel felt she needed to crush?
What in Rhea was so lacking that she was so easy to throw away?
Stop thinking about it, She chides herself, It doesn’t matter anymore.
Maybe it did, once. Maybe there have been some points of no return that she let slip by. Maybe, if she’d been a little stronger or a little softer or a little smarter, things would be different.
Instead, she’s wedged in a window seat on the way to their next city and plotting Liv and Raquel’s violent, bloody demise.
In all honesty, part of her is dreading it. Liv on her own isn’t much to worry about, even with Dominik helping her, but Raquel is different, she always has been. They’ve both changed- Rhea is stronger now, smarter, more ruthless and more determined than ever- but it doesn’t erase the sting that, the last time they went one-on-one, Rhea had to rely on Dominik’s help. It’s the one stain on her otherwise excellent record as the Women’s World Champion. Even after so many years had passed, Rhea almost lost to Raquel.
However, the trepidation she feels at confronting her old friend is overshadowed by her burning desire to inflict pain on everyone that dared to get between her and the championship- Raquel included.
She shifts in her seat, her tailbone aching from sitting for so long and shoulders tense from squeezing herself in the small seat on their budget airline, and groans. She’s tired, she’s sore, and her brain can’t seem to decide whether she’s more angry than she is sad or more sad than she is angry. And it’s all because of Liv fucking Morgan and her traitorous family.
“You ever think about moving to the blue brand?” She asks Damian, lolling her head to the side to look at him, “We could just leave it all behind.”
“Eh,” He shrugs, stirring a packet of sugar into his shitty coffee, “I watch Smackdown, they got their own problems.”
She watches him take a sip, grimace, and set the cup down.
“True.” She hums, cushioning her head on Damian’s shoulder.
“Besides, I think you’d miss Jey, wouldn’t you?”
“You’re lucky there’s not enough room for me to punch you.”
His frame shakes with his chuckles, and Rhea turns her face away so he can’t see her smile.
“Give it ‘till tomorrow, Rips.” Damian assures her, “You’re gonna set eyes on them, and you’re gonna do what you’re gonna do.”
“Bring the brutality.”
“Damn right.”
She takes a deep breath and lets it out. He’s right, of course- the time for doubt is over. Come Monday, she’ll make sure that Liv, Dominik, and Raquel regret ever crossing Rhea Bloody Ripley.
Liv and Raquel don’t even bother to show up to Raw that week.
Well, they show up for about thirty seconds, then decide to get back in their car and drive off. They’re gone even before Rhea can sprint from the locker rooms to the parking lot upon seeing their entrance on the viewing screens, leaving her unable to do little more than kick a storage crate into the wall before stomping off. Quite frankly, it pisses Rhea off. If they have the balls to fuck with her match, the least they can do is be brave enough to accept the consequences.
She manages to growl through a taped promo, but it’s not long until she’s pacing the locker room again, hands itching for a fight but lacking targets.
“Bitches.” She mutters.
“Tell me about it.”
Her head whips up to find Bianca Belair dropping her bag on one of the benches, gleaming Tag Team Championship placed gently next to it.
“Aren’t you on Smackdown these days?” She asks, more curious than hostile. She and Bianca have had their differences, to be sure, but there’s also a solid foundation of mutual respect after years spent coming up together in NXT.
“Tag champ.” She taps the metal plate of her title with an expertly-manicured nail, “We go where we’re needed. You saw Liv and Raquel turn tail?”
“Obviously.” Rhea huffs, “They got some fucking nerve. Coming off a big event as a champion and not even bothering to stay for a promo? Shit pisses me off.”
“A lot of things piss you off.” Bianca says, a tilt of wry humor settling on her lips.
Rhea barks out a laugh.
“True enough, but all those things are Liv Morgan these days.”
“That’s fair.”
Rhea settles down on the bench across from Bianca, finally calming down a little as she vents some of her frustration.
“So, what are you doing here? Do you have a match tonight?”
“Not tonight, but Damage CTRL's been making moves. Jade and I are gonna do a promo later to announce a title match against them for next week.”
Rhea nods, even as she bites back a bitter jab. Seeing Bianca with a title while Rhea has to go without stings a little, even if she knows that she’ll have another rematch eventually, given how Bad Blood ended. A few months ago, she would probably be lashing out and burning her bridges, but Rhea is trying to be better than that. She’s not in the Judgment Day anymore, and she thinks there might be something a bit freeing in that. She can have these conversations now, without the oppressive weight of her faction on her shoulders.
She could even- dare she say- make some friends.
“Be careful.” Rhea says, “Iyo and Kairi are good, but their main strength is their strategy. Just because one’s in the ring doesn’t mean you can take your eyes off the other.”
“Don’t need to tell me.” Bianca huffs, though the smile stays on her face, “That’s why Jade and I teamed up in the first place.”
Rhea turns her attention to her bag, where a set of her ring gear lays at the top.
“Guess I won’t be needing this tonight.” She mutters, more to herself than anyone else as she zips it up.
“Y’know…” Bianca starts, catching Rhea’s attention again, “Liv and Raquel are gonna be on Smackdown this week.”
Rhea blinks- this is certainly news to her.
“Why?”
“To fuck with Nia- why else? Crown Jewel is coming up, so the mind games are about to kick into high gear.”
“And you know this, how?”
“Word gets around. We go back and forth between brands more than most people on the roster, so if someone’s not where they’re supposed to be, we usually hear about it.”
She hums, sucking at her teeth.
“Interesting.”
“I have a feeling they wouldn’t be expecting anyone else from Raw to follow them.”
“You’re probably right, Bianca. Man, it sure would be a shame if someone caught them by surprise.”
“A real tragedy.”
Rhea’s lips curl into an eager grin, eyes sparkling at the idea of a brawl, and Bianca huffs out a soft laugh.
“Rhea Ripley, you are one crazy bitch.”
“We work for the WWE, Bianca- crazy is kind of a requirement.”
“I’ll admit, you got me there.” Bianca hefts her championship over her shoulder, fluttering her fingers in a wave, “I got a promo to shoot, but I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other again sometime this week.”
“Bianca Belair,” Rhea drawls as she departs, “You just might be right about that.”
She settles into one of the viewing rooms to watch the rest of the show play out, sorely missing Damian’s company. He’s back at his place in New York for the time being, since Gunther and Sami are set to duke it out tonight, not to mention his upcoming match against Cody at Crown Jewel. On the bright side, that means that she and Jey can meet up- platonically - after his match against Xavier Woods. There’s no doubt in her mind that he’s going to retain the title, not because Xavier isn’t good at what he does, but because Jey still feels like he has something to prove. It might not be the easiest thing to get a title, but retaining it is an entirely different level of effort. It’s a constant grind, an enduring uphill battle, because every champion knows that as soon as they overcome one challenger, there will be countless others lining up. That’s what Jey has set out to prove tonight, that he isn’t just someone with a title- he’s a champion.
Of course, the match goes the way she expects it to- Jey wins, and is able to hold his title aloft as he perches on the ropes. What she doesn’t anticipate, however, is a flash that leaves Jey Uso sprawled on the mat with Bron Breakker standing over him.
Rhea bolts up from her seat, worry and protective anger flaring to life in her chest.
How dare he? How fucking dare he?
Bron lost. He lost and Jey won and Bron even admitted it. He shook Jey’s hand, and now he’s turning around and throwing a tantrum? Why? Because he wants a rematch? Because he’s pissed that he lost?
If there had been foul play, then Rhea could understand, but the match had been a fair fight. There had been no cheating, no dirty hits, not even any moments of distraction. Jey won because Jey was hungry for it, chasing the title like it was the only thing keeping him alive. Bron went into their match thinking that his victory was inevitable, and that mindset is almost always a kiss of death for champions.
But now, it seems that Bron is looking at Jey with fresh eyes, and wants a rematch for the title he lost fair and square.
Rhea watches Jey limp back down the ramp, and rushes out of the viewing room to meet him halfway. Part of her wants to fret over him, wants to ask if he’s okay and tell him to sit down while she gets some medics to check his ribs. A larger part, however- the part still seething at Liv and Raquel’s quick departure from the venue- prompts her to stomp up to him like a woman on a mission. She’s been itching for a fight all night, and Bron’s just made himself a very appealing target.
“Where is he?” She growls, stopping just short of bowling Jey over, “I swear to god, I’ll-”
“Rhea.” Jey takes her hand, a fond smile overtaking his face even as it’s tinged with pain, “Take a breath.”
“No.”
“No?”
“No. I’m not gonna take a breath- I’m already breathing. What I’m gonna do is hunt down Breakker and introduce him to a Riptide. On concrete. In the parking lot.”
“You’re not gonna do that.”
She blinks at him, scrunching up her nose in displeasure.
“I’m not?”
“No, you’re not. You’re gonna focus on Liv and let me handle my own stuff, okay?”
She frowns up at him, trying very hard not to pout.
“He hurt you.” She says, “For no good reason. I don’t like just standing around when one of my people get hurt.”
She doesn’t even bother trying to downplay how telling that statement is- she thinks they’re well past that. Jey knows that she cares about him, just like she knows that Jey cares about her.
“You’re not standing around, Rhea. You’re dealing with Liv and Raquel, just like I’m gonna deal with Bron next week, yeah?”
Rhea huffs out a breath, clenching her fists to try and reign her emotions in. As much as she hates to admit it, Jey is right- there’s not much she can do about Breakker with Liv, Raquel, and Dom hanging over her head. Besides, she knows that he’s as eager to fight his own battles and stand on his own two feet as Rhea is, and she’d certainly be pissed if Damian or Jey tried to fix her problems for her. Finally, she sighs, allowing her shoulders to slump a bit.
“Just be careful, okay?”
His smile is crooked, gold canines flashing in the light as he nods.
“I’ll do my best. Can’t make any promises, though.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Jey squeezes her hand, and she feels the final trickle of tension leak from her body.
“You okay?” She asks, looking over him with worried eyes, “I know how bad spears can hurt.”
She’s certainly been on the receiving end more than enough times, especially back when Beth Phoenix got involved in the Judgment Day’s issues with Edge.
He shrugs, even as the action elicits a wince.
“I’ll be okay. Doesn’t feel like anything’s cracked or broken, so I think it’s all good.”
She presses her lips together in a thin line, but nods.
“Alright. You should still see the medics, though.”
He opens his mouth, as if to protest, but she levels him with a stern glare, and he hangs his head.
“Yeah, okay.” He perks up a little, a glint of hope shining in his eyes, “Do you still wanna get food after this?”
She chuckles, cupping his cheek for a mere moment before letting her hand fall away.
“If the medics clear you, we can get food.”
“Well why are we standing around, then?” He scoffs jokingly, “Let’s get to medical!”
He speeds away, Rhea following behind at a more relaxed pace.
He’s ridiculous, She thinks, but her smile doesn’t leave her face for the rest of the night.
True to Bianca’s word, Liv and Raquel show up to Smackdown that week specifically to ruin Nia Jax’s life. She’s in the middle of squaring up against Naomi when that goddamn music hits, Liv and her little sidekicks sauntering out like she has any right to be there, in the spotlight with Rhea’s title on her shoulder.
In the viewing room in the bowels of the venue, Rhea watches with a scowl as Liv, Raquel, and Dominik situate themselves at ringside for Nia and Naomi’s match. Rhea and Nia have never gotten along- hell, some could even say they hate each other- but tonight isn’t about picking either Naomi or Nia to help, it’s about making sure that any interference on Liv’s part is sorely punished. Honestly, even if Liv minds her own business, Rhea will still come out to put the hurt on them. Throughout the match, Liv, Raquel, and Dom are on the outskirts, watching and waiting like a pack of rabid dogs, searching for a moment of weakness to take advantage of.
And through it all, Rhea watches them.
They’re careful, she’ll give them that much, cautious of doing anything that would end the match in a disqualification in Nia’s favor.
Looks like they learned something from Bad Blood, after all.
Their inaction, however, can’t last, and it’s not long before Raquel throws a wrench in Tiffany’s attempt to sabotage Naomi. As much as she hates to admit it, Rhea supposes it is fair play- Tiffany was the one sticking her nose in the match first, after all.
What isn’t fair play, however, is Liv hitting Nia with Tiffany’s briefcase while Raquel distracts the referee. She growls, rising to her feet and stomping toward the gorilla. She might have hung back until now, mostly out of respect for Nia and Naomi’s match, but now that it’s over, she sees no reason to continue lurking backstage.
She passes a wide-eyed Naomi on her way out, exchanging a brief, somewhat-awkward nod as she goes.
“Give ‘em hell, Big Mama!” Naomi calls after her, sounding strangely amused at the turn of events, and Rhea allows herself a small smile- Naomi is funny, sue her- before sinking back into the headspace that demands nothing less than absolute carnage.
Her music hits, but she doesn’t bother with her usual entrance, instead sprinting toward the trio as soon as she sets eyes on them. She reaches Raquel first, locking up with her and aiming blow after blow to her face and taking great pleasure in watching her features contort in pain. She expects her to put up a fight, to give as good as she gets, but Raquel is unable to stop Rhea from throwing her into the barricade once, then twice before falling to the ground. Rhea stares down at her, breathing hard from exertion but not pain, and feels a strange mix of confusion and disappointment.
Raquel used to be her greatest opponent, someone who took her to her absolute limit. Now, it seems her time away has worn down her imposing strength. She’s out of practice, while Rhea’s been ready and raring to go since her return months ago.
Or maybe she’s just angry enough that she’s reaching new heights of dominating strength. Either could be possible, at this point.
With Raquel taken care of, she turns her attention to Liv. The blonde woman’s eyes widen in alarm, fleeing back into the ring only to be grabbed by a pissed off Nia Jax. Usually, Rhea would think the instant karma was funny, but Nia has her hands on Rhea’s prey and, like a starving animal, she’s in no mood to share.
She aims a swift kick at Nia’s head and the larger woman rolls out of the ring, reeling from the strike and releasing Liv. Rhea doesn’t waste any time, knowing that security could run in at any moment and drag her away. She tackles Liv to the ground, raining down blows as the smaller woman curls up to try and protect herself.
She catches movement out of the corner of her eye, and turns her head to find Dominik climbing up on the ropes, shouting at her.
She knows it’s a distraction, but Liv is in no condition to be catching her by surprise, and Raquel is still crumpled on the ground, so she bites. She rushes forward, taking a swing even as her fist meets nothing but empty air when he ducks out of the way. He darts to the other side of the ring to help Raquel pull Liv to safety, falling back before Rhea can wrap her hands around their throats.
Part of her is angry at their escape, but a larger part of her is exhilarated, the self-doubt of the past week falling away. She’s still Rhea Bloody Ripley, and she’s still the most dominant woman in the WWE. Nia couldn’t stand against her, Raquel couldn’t stand against her, and Liv fucking Morgan certainly can’t stand against her.
So, let them run. Let them flee backstage and speed off. They can’t avoid a fair fight forever, and it’s only a matter of time before all of their planning and their scheming comes to an end.