Las Vegas, Nevada
The GO Gym
It was a familiar enough site for anyone familiar with the history of Sin City Wrestling. One of the top four wrestling academies in the sport of professional wrestling, alongside other hallowed grounds such as Wolfsair, Hero Academy and Jet City. Notable stars such as Evie Baang-Jordan, Fenris, London Underground and others have called this elite and upscale gym their ‘alma mater’ including one face who did not go to the same lengths as her ‘gym mates’ - that being Tempest. Tempest was a name that struck awe in the Bombshell division of SCW, even though to date the only championship she wore around her waist, she shared with one of the more hated and controversial men in the business, Austin James Mercer. That being the World Mixed Tag Team Championship.
Not that she had not had the opportunities granted to her now and then, but Tempest had personal setbacks that prevented her from making the same strides forward in the business that her peers had enjoyed. Not that she allowed that to be a setback for her. More so she lived her career in sports entertainment just as she did when she served as a bail bondswoman and a bounty hunter; she preferred to go slow and take her time, so that she had a better chance to succeed. And when things did not go her way in one instance, she did not lose her temper as she was prone to do in many other matters. She simply stood back, examined where she went wrong and came up with a solution that would help her to move forward and take that next step in the path to success.
And that proverbial ‘next step’ was to throw herself into her training, given that a golden opportunity had practically been dropped into her lap. Along with the laps of roughly eight other Bombshells. Nobody expected the news that Aleesha, who had dethroned Kayla Richards and been on a dominant tear ever since as the Bombshell Internet Champion, would ever have the ill luck of a serious training injury that caused her to relinquish her title without ever having technically lost it. Her loss would be another's gain, and the moment Gabriel had texted her the news, she knew without a doubt that this would end up being one of the most difficult and chaotic matches she had ever been involved in within her relatively sporadic career.
Every day, from the moment that she dropped her stepdaughter Anela off at school right up until it was time to go pick her up, Tempest was either at the weights, setting new records with her strength training, or she was inside of the ring, sparring with some poor unfortunate soul. If the sparring partner was unlucky, it was a promising new recruit to the gym. Gabriel considered it a way of weeding out the weak. But if Tempest were lucky, it was one of the Gym’s graduates she could get inside of the ring with to keep her skills sharp. More often than not it was either Charlotte Mackenzie or Mackenzie Page from London Underground as they were the only two women in the Gym (aside from Odette) that could stand toe to toe with Tempest in a heated sparring match. But Gabriel knew his student’s preferences, no matter whom they happened to be, and he knew that due to her size and strength advantage she held over most of the Bombshell roster, she much preferred to train alongside the men. Yet only two or three men in the Gym were willing to help her in that regard. Not Despayre - forget that! But Daniel Morgan and Osbourne of London Underground? And Gabriel Stevens himself. He was the one most willing to train with his student, as he held the staunch belief that he could not expect any of his and Odette’s students who lent a hand in training the Gym’s students to do anything that he himself was not willing to do.
As a matter of fact, that was where we had just come from, as Gabriel had put Tempest through quite the test inside of the six-sided ring where the two now sat on the ring apron, taking a much needed respite with a bottle of water each. To his credit, Gabriel took much satisfaction that Tempest had worked up quite the sweat inside of the ring against him. Against such a physical specimen, it told him that he still very much ‘had it’. On the flip side, he had been in the ring with men who were not capable of doing some of the feats of strength that this woman had just put him through.
Gabriel: So, have you found out what’s going on with your girl?
Of course, Tempest had softly confided her worry about her stepdaughter Anela and what she was going through in school. The first person she had spoken to was her closest friend in Austin James Mercer. The other being the man seated to her immediate left. The truth was, Gabriel himself knew something was amiss because his son Lucas had told him Anela was having some trouble at school. But when his dad pressed him for details, Lucas showed his loyalty to his friend by repeating her oath that he would not tell anyone. A frustrating spot to be in if you are a parent, but Lucas was as loyal to his friends as Gabriel himself was to his own. Gabriel’s eyes shifted to Tempest who took a drink from her bottled water and shook her head.
Tempest: Not a clue, and it’s driving me crazy. She used to love going to school from what my husband’s sister told me, but now? She just seems so morose after her first day and has even tried to convince me that she was sick a few times to keep from having to go. One time she even cried about going, and when I pick her up, she just shut down completely. I don’t know what to do. All these years I wanted her back, to be her Momma, and now I’m failing her…
Tempest found Gabriel’s hand on her arm in a reassuring gesture. It was a testament that she did not shrug it off or remove it as she might most others.
Gabriel: Hey, listen to me Alleyne. You’re not failing her. You’re not going through anything that all other parents go through. Kids keep secrets, good and bad. It’s part of their nature. Is the school helping? At all?
Tempest scoffed.
Tempest: Those jackasses are about as useless as boobs on a man. They told me they don’t know anything – haven’t seen anything. I call bullshit. That school isn’t that big that at least one of the teachers wouldn’t have noticed something going on. I just don’t think they want to get involved and spoil their cushy image of the perfect institute of education.
Gabriel: You’ll figure it out. And I’m still trying to get Lucas to open up. He’s been Anela’s shadow since she started school. Whatever’s going on…
But whatever else Gabriel was going to say was interrupted as the door that led from the Gym to the lobby where students checked in opened up, and a sheepish looking Despayre stepped through with Angel cuddled against his upper body. Despayre casually walked across the Gym’s spacious floor plan, by-passing the equipment until he arrived at where his ‘big brother’ Gabriel and Tempest sat, chewing on his bottom lip.
Gabriel: Everything okay, Despy?
To which Despayre shrugged his slim shoulders.
Despayre: There’s a phone call for Tempest.
Tempest frowned.
Tempest: For me?
Despayre nodded, and she turned to Gabriel looking perplexed.
Tempest: Who the hell would be calling me here?
As Gabriel shrugged his own confusion, Despayre answered the question.
Despayre: It’s Anela’s school.
Tempest’s head whipped back around to stare hard at Despayre briefly, then she jumped to her feet and headed for the lobby door to take the call. Despayre watched her go and Gabriel cleared his throat behind him. ‘Despy’ turned his head back to his best buddy.
Gabriel: Despy? What’s going on?
Las Vegas, Nevada
John S. Park Elementary School
The tension in the principal’s office was high. The principal herself, a Missus Jennifer Benizio, sat behind her desk, her hands clasped on the edges surface. Eyes from behind her glasses looking back and forth at the gathered number before her. Seated to her immediate right, was a teacher in the school, Mark Cohen. Together the two school staff looked at the nine year old Anela, who sat on a chair to the right of the office with an empty seat beside her. Anela had dried tears that stained her cherubic cheeks, her eyes downcast and her fists jammed into her lap. Across from her, was a boy her own age, who was holding an ice pack to his swollen nose and was already sporting a beauty of a shiner. And beside him was obviously the boy’s father, a stern looking man.
Father: Look, can we hurry this up and get this over with!? I left work because you let my son get assaulted!
Principal: Mister Marek, we have to wait for Anela’s mother…
Father: Why!? It’s as obvious my son was attacked and I want this dealt with…
But that was when the buzzer of the intercom on the Principal’s desk sounded, distracting them all from the man’s tirade. The Principal pressed the button…
Principal: Yes?
Secretary: Anela’s mother is here.
Father: (muttering) Finally…
Principal: Thank you, Dinah. Send her in.
And a brief moment later and the office door opened and in walked Tempest, changed from her workout clothes and now in her street attire.
Teacher: Missus Mahoe, how nice of you to join us.
Tempest paused as she was in the process of shutting the office door to allow them the allotted privacy. She shot the teacher a sharp look as the sarcasm of his words was heard by all ears.
Tempest: Yeah, you’ll have to forgive me. There was a three car accident on the way here. Might have been casualties, but who knows? Next time you summon me I’ll make sure to stop and ask for details so I can give you a reason for my lateness. She finally closed the door and was quite satisfied to see the teacher appear thoroughly chastised. She walked around the office to take the empty chair beside her daughter.
Tempest looked right at Anela…
Tempest: What’s going on?
Teacher: It would seem your daughter has some anger issues, Missus Mahoe. You can see the end result of a little tirade she had earlier in my class.
Tempest looked to where the teacher was indicating and saw the swollen nose and heavily bruised eye of the boy, his father trading an embarrassed scowl with his son before staring daggers at Tempest herself. Tempest all but ignored the man as she looked at Anela instead.
Tempest: You did this?
It took a moment before Anela finally yielded with a nod.
Tempest: Why?
Teacher: Your daughter was trying to tell me…
Tempest: ExCUSE me!
Tempest’s outburst silenced the teacher who seemed as if his words were stuck in his throat. She had her hand up to forestall any further words from the man…
Tempest: That is the second time I have asked her a question and you took it upon yourself to answer for her! Do you mind? Because I was speaking to my daughter, not to you! Which tells me that you’re either rude or you don’t want her to answer me for some reason. So, which is it?
But the teacher sat back in his chair, his face flushed as the principal gave him a look, and then she turned back to the two gathered families. Tempest again looked to Anela and she asked…
Tempest: Well?
Anela: He’s seated behind me and kept pulling my hair.
And by ‘he’, she obviously meant the boy.
Anela: I told him to stop it but he kept doing it! Mister Cohen told me to quiet down and when I told him what Andy was doing, he told me to just ignore him! But Andy pulled my hair again after that so I turned and hit him!
The father sat back in his chair, obviously looking ‘vindicated’ at this admission of guilt as it were.
Father: There, you see? She even admitted it!
Tempest turned away from the father, all but rolling her eyes and she instead focused on the teacher himself.
Tempest: So why did you call me down here? To discuss my filing charges against this boy and the school? Mainly this sorry excuse for a teacher?
Teacher: Sorry excuse…!?
Father: Filing charges…!?
Principal: Now let’s not get ahead of ourselves….
Father: You can’t file charges when your daughter is the one who attacked my son!
Tempest: I can actually file charges because what your son was doing could easily be classified in any court as assault and what my daughter did was defend herself when her teacher couldn’t be bothered to do his job!
Teacher: Excuse me, but it is not my job to…
Tempest: To what? To stop bullying in the halls of this school?
She then looked straight at the principal.
Tempest: I was under the impression that this school had a strict No Tolerance policy on bullying? I mean, that is what’s advertised on your website and fliers! Or am I mistaken?
She then looked right back at the teacher, not even giving the Principal a chance to answer.
Tempest: So you’ll forgive me for telling a teacher how to do their job but I think it IS your job to put a stop to any bullying tactics inside of YOUR classroom! Or is there some reason why you couldn’t be bothered?
She looked to the Principal.
Tempest: Does this school have a junior football program?
Principal: It does but…
She then turned to look at the battered boy.
Tempest: And are you on that team?
There was an awkward silence in the room before the father himself nudged his son…
Father: Answer her!
And he did. Not with words but a sullen nod. That was all Tempest had to see, as she turned and shot the teacher a knowing look.
Tempest: That’s why, isn’t it? It might not be college level or even high school, but I know the school systems well enough to know just how much football is revered, even at the possible cost of the education system itself! And … just how protected the players are no matter their age! And you… the man in charge of their education and well being during school hours told my daughter to IGNORE a boy yawning her hair so hard he was bending her neck back and could have caused possible damage!? LOOK AT THEM!!!
Her loud outburst caused even the father to start.
Tempest: He is bigger than she is! Stronger! Heavier! How exactly is she supposed to ignore him pulling on her hair like that!? Would you be able to ignore it if I grabbed a handful of YOUR hair and pulled!? How hard would it have been for you to simply tell that boy to stop!? One word. That’s all you had to say and you just could not be bothered!
Teacher: I thought it was just a little bit of rough house play between children and boys will…
Tempest: I swear to God if you say ‘boys will be boys’ to me I will take you out back myself and show you just how wrong that is! Because ANYONE who says that is just enabling some spoiled, entitled boy to do whatever he wants to! Those are the exact words some fathers use for their sons to excuse them slipping some girl a drug or taking advantage of her while she’s passed out…!
Principal: Missus Mahoe, I think we’re getting away from the reason why we’re here…\
Tempest: Oh I couldn’t agree more, but if you think you’re just going to punish Anela here for defending herself and let this boy just walk, you got another thing coming! Because the moment we set foot outside of this building, I will be on the phone calling every damn lawyer in the phone book if I have to and what would that do to the sterling reputation of this school!? If you want to punish her, fine. I can’t stop you. But whatever you punish her with, you had BEST be looking to punish that boy the EXACT. SAME. WAY!
Her arm was completely extended across her daughter and pointing straight at the boy. Now even the dad appeared apprehensive but still troubled/embarrassed at his son having been ‘beaten up’ by this little girl.
Tempest: My opinion? He got exactly what he had coming to him because your system has him so spoiled and entitled he thinks he’s untouchable but my girl showed him that just wasn’t true! And if you can’t be bothered to take care of the children in your class, I am left wondering what the hell you’re even doing teaching!
Principal: Mister Cohen has always been one of our top…
Tempest: Bull! The best don’t play favorites, and this man is clearly playing favorites!
Tempest then turned to the principal.
Tempest: I am taking my daughter home now. If he doesn’t start doing his job, then I am going to insist Anela get removed from his class and transferred to a different one! You have my number. Call me if and when you decide on some punishment – but remember what I said about punishing that boy, too!
She looked at Anela and motioned toward her…
Tempest: C’mon, go get in the car. We’re going to Dairy Queen.
Anela grabbed her jacket and school bag and stood up along with her stepmother, leaving the father looking flabbergasted.
Father: Dairy Queen? You’re going to reward her for…?
Tempest: And you…!
She all but jammed a finger at the man, shutting him right back up.
Tempest: I hear so much as one word on how your boy is still picking on my daughter then you and I will go a few rounds! And I can promise you that what my daughter did to your son won’t even compare to what I will do to you!
She did not even wait for any of those present to respond. Tempest jerked the door wide open and stood back for Anela to walk through before she followed and slammed the door shut behind them so loud it caused the desk to rattle and those left inside of the office to jump!
“Someone once asked me to summarize this business into just one word. I’m not sure the hows or the whys, but I think they were just curious where I, a woman who would be seen still in her rookie years in this business, would go with such an innocent question. It took me quite a bit of thought. Some with their heads in the clouds will say ‘glamorous’. Me? I’m a realist. I always have been, and that is why I answered with a single word – chaos.”
“I mean, tell me I’m wrong. Tell me when, in all of the shows no matter if they are a regular weekly show or a pay-per-view, when did everything go absolutely according to plan? When were there no backstage altercations or outnumbered attacks inside of the ring? When did someone not go for a steel chair or some random ass weapon to try and steal a win because they didn’t have the physical or mental capability to do it on their own? When did chaos not reign supreme at least once in this sport that we have all dedicated ourselves to? I’ll tell you when – never. And the fact that we are here, in this given situation that I and eight other women find ourselves in, is proof enough that this sport, this business, is nothing if not chaotic! The Internet Champion, Aleesha Jones – has been shelved. Injured somehow while training – which admittedly I can relate to all too well. But this injury was severe enough that she would be out for the foreseeable future and had to be stripped of the Bombshell Internet Championship, and rather than fight for the opportunity to challenge her at High Stakes XIII, we’re now in a Battle Royal to decide a new champion! And … you tell me … what match in wrestling has more potential for sheer chaos than a Battle Royal??”
“Think about it! It was going to be wild enough fighting for the chance to fight the champion but now nine women – NINE – are going to be inside of that ring, fighting to BECOME the champion! I mean, personally it’s not the road I would have taken to decide a new champion but I imagine Mark and Christian were pressed for time and had to go with what worked. Throw someone over the top rope and BOOM! You’re the champion! Great! Terrific! But some of us in this match might have it a little easier in this type of match than others.”
“Zoey Lukas? She’s right up there at my level, because she is one seriously bad ass chick! I’d like to think I’m the stronger of the two of us, bigger too – but she has to come the closest out of any woman to ever step up to me! And she has – more than once. I beat her one on one last year but damn! That match we had weeks ago where she picked me up the way she did? No other woman - no one - was ever capable of doing that to me! This might be my first Battle Royal since entering this sport, but I’ve seen them enough to know that she and I have a target on our backs just because of who we are! Well, good luck girls because that ganging up strategy is easier said than done! And I am calling it right now that Lukas and I will be the last two women inside of that ring! Then she and I are going to give these people the rematch they deserve before she gets thrown out of the ring and we have ourselves a brand new champion – me!”
“But as much as I see Zoey and I as the top chicks in this match, I can’t ignore the fact that there are others involved. Like the little biplanes that got swatted out of the air by King Kong. Take Luna Vanity for example. That girl started off in SCW so fast and so strong that nobody thought she was going to be stopped! Nobody thought she would beat Alexandra Calaway in a Hardcore match but she DID! Nobody thought she would win singles gold so soon after her debut, but she DID! Then what happened? Nobody knows because she’s fallen flat as quickly as she rose up. She is not the dominant force she started off as, and this match is just going to be another example of just how far and fast she’s fallen.”
“And speaking of fallen, Sammi Marlowe! It’s GOOD to see the Girl Scout of SCW back in the thick of things! Now, for a late addition to this match, this is not bad. I haven’t been inside of the ring with you in a LONG time, and I am looking forward to getting reacquainted with you, girl. Where’ve you been? What have you been up to? And why, might I ask, were you not one of the original names listed in this match? And how did you get added? Was this some backstage political pull on your part or did you have someone intervene on your behalf? Whatever, it doesn’t really matter. Can’t deny with your rep you deserve this chance as much as anyone else. But, sister – you are going to regret petitioning to get yourself involved because sooner or later, I am going to get my hands on you and them… over!”
“Now if there was a woman I wanted to face that I haven’t got the chance to yet, it’s Kat Jones. The girl came back after how much time away and the first thing she did was shut the mouth of Keira Fisher-Johnson! Now that might not seem like much to anyone on the outside looking in but to the rest of the women’s locker room? Girl I think we ought to chip in and buy you a fruit basket! I’m looking forward to this and after? First round is on me!”
“Now when I was talking about big names and people who deserved to be in this match… I might have mentioned Mercedes Vargas but really – when was the last time that woman has really earned much of anything? Oh sure, she has the past credentials to back up the hype she’s given or that she gives herself, but that’s just it – the past. When was the last time she won a championship? Hell! When was the last time she won a match of any importance? Yes. She won each and every title offered to a woman in SCW. But … the past. And you can’t live off of your past forever, Mercedes. Sooner or later, the present – me – is going to come crashing down on you. I did it once between just the two of us and it’ll be a pleasure to do it one more time.”
“Seleana Zdunich… now there’s a name I’ve been looking forward to finding some time alone with when we’re in this chaos. You see, I met her once before and I admit … She got the best of me. I blame myself really. I looked at her and didn’t see much substance. To me, she was all style. Flash and nothing else. But that cost me and chicky… I am SO looking forward to a little payback!”
“And of course, there’s my little sparring buddy, Ariana Angelos. Or as the world is calling her – Krystal 2.0. The girl who has proven just what exactly the phrase ‘fair weather friend’ really means. For years we looked at this girl and saw a Girl Scout … the girl next door. Happy and laughing and cooking some god awful shit, but deep down she was hiding this facade of a conceited, angry and entitled little girl. She proved that easily enough turning her back on her closest friend in this business but then when it looked like she couldn’t ride on Carter’s coattails anymore in the tag team division, she sure turned about face to make nice, didn’t she? Because she has had chance after chance to shine in the singles ranks just like her so-called BFF had done before, but her spotlight was always at his side … or behind home rather because every person watching knows he was the backbone of that tag team! But she started running her mouth and taking it out on everyone else when she couldn’t get her foot past that door to success. She cried foul and rather than step up and fix what went wrong, she just pointed fingers and blamed everyone else BUT herself! Well go on then Ari. Blame me. Run your mouth at me. I mean, you have everyone else so why not? And we’ll see just how far I can toss you like a freaking lawn dart!”
“Which brings us to last … and least. Krystal Wolfe. Now as bad as Ari has been acting, she’s really just become a pale imitation of this one. A girl who stabbed everyone in the back and couldn’t even last a month in Hells Gate after she all but abandoned the Go Gym! She and I butted heads, yeah. And I whipped her ass in front of the entire world! She attacked her own flesh and blood and used rookies as a punching bag, breaking their limbs because she didn’t have what it takes to do the same to the women who actually mattered! And now look at her. After becoming POSSIBLY the single most hated person on the roster, she’s now putting on the ‘good girl’ act like nothing ever happened and everything is a thing of the past! She’s on this ‘redemption’ quest to become better loved in the eyes of the world – as if anyone with any common sense would ever trust her again! She has proven that the only thing that matters to her is winning. Well this is a good time to tell you that you are in for a very bad revelation, Krystal! Because you won’t be winning this weekend. You won’t win the match and you will not be winning the Internet title! You are in the ring with every single woman that you have done wrong! You were finished the moment this match was signed.”
“This is my time, ladies. My moment. And soon enough, my championship!”
