>>18278458After being tackled and then driven into the chair with a punishing Kade Crusher, Andi Kestrel's world explodes in pain. Her signature red bandanna was knocked off to a corner of the ring, and the arena is spinning, the din of the crowd barely perceptible over the ringing in her ears.
And yet she is still conscious, somehow.
She had been feeling awful. Lillith stuck out her neck for her, put herself in harm's way to help, and Andi had let her down in return, failing to break up the decisive pinfall in time. But now, with the blinding flash of extreme pain, her brain teetering on the edge of unconsciousness, there comes clarity, and then anger. If Cassie Kade wanted to do THIS to her, why had she not challenged her to a match personally?
Andi starts to move. Her stomach heaves as she gets up to her hands and knees, but there's nothing in it to throw up. Her head's not even throbbing, it's just constant pain. Fighting off nausea, dizziness, and a deep and broad ceaseless roar of agony spread throughout her skull, Andi Kestrel stands up from the Kade Crusher in time to stare up the aisleway at Cassie just before she leaves.
>"IS THAT ALL YOU GOT!?" It's empty bravado. She can barely stand. If Cassie gets back in the ring and actually wants to fight, Andi knows she stands no chance in her current shape.
Reeling from her injuries, Andi staggers back over to Lillith, who is starting to stir as well. She helps her up, and puts an arm around the big woman's shoulders, as much for her own support as Lillith's. She speaks softly to her through a haze of pain.
>"Thanks for having my back and sticking yourself out to help me like this. Sorry it ended in us both gettin' stomped. But this isn't over, at least not for me."With pain and disappointment etched on her face, Andi gives Lillith a firm one-armed hug.
