[Roux]

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Reunion
San Diego, California  - Jet City South
30th AUGUST 2023
OFF-Camera

My wife was a lot more excited about our return to Jet City than I was. I guess I understood. She never really lost the sparkle in her eye for this place. They were the ones that gave her a chance. They were the ones that helped push her through the Blast from the Past tournament. For her, this was a place filled with the best memories. This was where the two of us met, and where most of our best days were spent. I couldn’t blame her for feeling the way that she felt about our big return, I just couldn’t also share those feelings.

For me, this was the place that I broke my hand. This was the place that I gave up my career for. This was the place where my mentor was supposedly murdered, only to rise from the ashes over a year later. To me, this was a prison for my potential. Since I stepped away from Jet City, things had started going my way. I couldn’t remember the last time that I lost a match. I am the Bombshell Champion, and slowly people are starting to realize that I am not going away any time soon. For years the narrative of my career had been that I showed all the promise in the world, but could never capitalize on it. All I had to do was walk away from this building, and these people, to finally realize all of my dreams. Coming back feels like taking a big step back; maybe even several.

RUBY: First day back, and we’re walking in late…

On one hand, I could appreciate her anxiety. She wanted nothing more than for this to go smoothly. Ever since I walked out, she has been trying to convince me that it was a mistake. She even went as far as to say that I may have won the Bombshell Championship, but had to give up everything to get it. I had to cast aside friends and family. I had to put all of my professional relationships on pause. I had to focus on myself, and myself alone, because nothing was going to stop me from getting what I deserved this time. Everything else was just a distraction that I didn’t have time for. It made for a pretty lonely existence backstage. On the other hand, eliminating those distractions helped me turn my dreams into reality. I am not sure I would do it any differently if I could go back. I am finally in the place in my career that I always knew that I would be. If I didn’t need Jet City in order to get there, I didn’t feel like I really needed them now either.

COURT: Yeah well, when has anyone at Jet City ever actually been on time for anything?

Of course, as we pulled into the parking lot I saw how wrong I was. The cars lining the parking lot told me that we were, in fact, the last ones to arrive. It even looked like Jaycee was able to scrape himself out of whatever gutter he woke up in this morning to drag himself to the meeting.

RUBY: Kendall made it sound like whatever they’ve got planned was pretty important. Apparently all of the renovations are done, and they are showing off all of the new stuff now that all of us are back under the same roof.

The fact that they were calling it a renovation was worth a sensible chuckle. I had torn the place apart with a baseball bat six weeks ago, and Kris did everything he could to cover it up. I guess if it meant that the place looked less like a shrine to a person that wasn’t actually dead, I did them a favor. Still, as we approached the front doors, I couldn’t help but feel like I was taking a step backwards.

COURT: ...it’s a new day; same as yesterday.

My wife wasn’t having any of that attitude though. She pointed a finger in my face and glared at me with a final warning.

RUBY: You could at least go in and see for yourself before deciding that it’s a bad idea. Kris helped you for Violent Conduct. Give it a chance.

I shrugged and tried very hard not to roll my eyes, because that would start an argument that we would definitely take home with us later. I sighed, and tried to brush it off.

COURT: He operated a camera. I don’t count that as help….

Before either of us had a chance to reach for the double doors at the front of the gym, both of them pushed open. The face looking out at us was disappointed, but not at all surprised.

KENDALL: They’re all out on the floor already. I thought they told you two not to be late…

I shoulder-checked Mikah’s favorite student as I brushed past her with a laugh.

COURT: You're not out there either! What’s your excuse?

I tried to stop to see what she might say or do in response, but Ruby pushed me from behind so that it was impossible to break my stride. Once we were out of earshot she pulled on my shoulder hard enough to spin me around to face her. I had been pressing my luck the whole way here, but now she was done with the game.

RUBY: Stop being hateful already! Everyone seemed super excited to have us back, and even shouted us out after we retained the Bombshell Championship.

I could tell that I had definitely overplayed my hand, but she was already upset with me so it was the perfect opportunity to set the record straight. People were already talking about how I apparently needed to to retain MY championship against a scrub.

COURT: Feel like that was just me. I have been catching shit all week about how you inserted yourse--

Her expression hardened, and she pressed her lips together into a thin line while she bit down on her tongue to stop herself from saying something awful. I had seen this expression more than a handful of times during our relationship, and it never ended well for me. Luckily, I got bailed out by an even bigger fuck-up.

JAYCEE: Damn, even I managed to beat you two here? That’s gotta be embarrassing.

He stumbled into the two of us by accident and was just trying to cover for himself. Jaycee was dressed to work-out, but I could tell from the way that he was wobbly on his feet that there was no way that he had showed up to the meeting sober. I had put my neck out for him at Summer XXXtreme and he repaid me by missing shows, and falling apart in the ring when he did manage to show up. I was done making excuses for him and trying to put him back on the right path. He wasn’t my problem anymore.

COURT: You’d know.

I could see his wheels turning while he tried to figure out how offended he should be, but he was pushed away as more people started coming our way from the main floor of the gym. I didn’t even recognize some of the newer students, which was to be expected after so much time away. Others pretended like I didn’t exist, which I welcomed. The last one through was the one that managed to save Jaycee from himself.

COBY: I got it from here. You can all take five while Kris is wrapping up.

Nobody in the whole herd of students was going to argue with that idea either. Where Jaycee looked like he had come to compete, but had yet to break a sweat, several of the others looked like Coby had been putting them through the ringer long before Kris pulled them all together for whatever his big speech had been about. Ruby motioned the way that the crowd was moving, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me from being able to follow and continue our marital dispute.

COBY: Not you.

I sighed. It had been worth a shot, but I never thought it was actually going to work.

COURT: Of course not. I’m not that lucky.

He gave one look back over his shoulder and then turned back to me with a sigh. It was the same face that he gave me before he asked me to take part in this year’s Blast from the Past tournament when I was more than content to waste away in this gym.

COBY: They’re dealing with the little ones now, but they're mostly waiting for you.

And I understood immediately. It wasn’t just Kris that was going to be waiting for me out on the floor. Granted, he was more than bad enough by himself. The person that he was with was bad enough to have Coby worried though, so that could only mean one thing.

COURT: They’re? As in the two of them? I didn’t realize that this was Hawaii.

He wasn’t even going to rubber stamp my disdain for the married couple by responding to my sarcasm. He immediately took their side, just the way that my wife did.

COBY: Or maybe you should just see it as a show of good faith that they came all this way to make it easier for you. Yet, you couldn’t even show up on time. You trashed the place, and they fixed it back up. You both fucked up, they apologized. You left, they asked you to come back. If they give you hell, you earned it.

I opened my mouth to attempt to reframe the last few months from my own point of view, but Coby’s attention was pulled away from me before a single word left my mouth. The newbies were loudly headed our direction fresh off of their conversation with Reckless Elite.

OZ: What are we really supposed to learn from a guy that had to be handed the titles that we won on our first try? Feel like we’ve already long surpassed his level.

Oliver pretended like the comment had been directed at his partner, but it was plenty loud enough for Coby to realize that it was an obvious shot meant for him. Eiley didn’t take the bait though. That girl was smart enough to know when to keep her mouth shut, and was the only person I knew that could keep her partner in line.

EILEY: That just means it is an easier day’s work, right? If they think that Coby and Kendall can keep up with us, all we can do is prove them wrong. They’ll figure it out when we snap their records.

Eiley offered Coby a fake smile as the two of them passed by us without another word. With the distraction gone, I tried once again to defend myself, but he cut me off before I could get a word in.

COBY: ...as you can see, I have to go to work. Try to play nice.

He took off in the direction that the herd of students had gone earlier, likely hoping to catch them before the Mixed Tag Team Champions had a chance to start tearing into any of them. I yelled after him anyways with the first thing that came to mind.

COURT: Can’t do that, tiny. I trained here, and that wasn’t something you people ever taught me.

He didn’t stop, or even acknowledge that I had said anything at all. Then again, I had been the one in charge of keeping the newcomers focused on finally getting their big break not too long ago. I knew the pressure that he was under to create another star for Jet City. Plus, continuing our talk was just my way of avoiding what I knew was waiting for me out on the floor. I made my way through the gym until the hallways opened out into the main training area. Three new rings had been placed in the space to bring the total up to six. The skylights had been uncovered, and all of the old artificial LED lighting was gone. Instead of the single large photo of Kris with the Sin City World Heavyweight Championship on the wall, there were a half dozen others with him. Coby and the Mixed Tag Team Championship was on his left. Mikah with the Bombshell Championship was on his right. Eiley and Oz were heavily featured on an adjacent wall with LIMITLESS in big bold lettering underneath them. Across from all of those though, on a wall unto ourselves were me and Ruby, with smaller photos of our Blast from the Past tournament wins.

MIKAH: The Prodigal Daughter returns!

Kris had his back to me, as he was looking up at the images of Ruby and I on the wall. His wife spotted me the moment that I stepped into the space though. I didn’t even make eye contact with her, because doing so was going to cause both Coby and Ruby to tear into me about causing an argument later. Instead, I tried my best to brush her off as Kris turned to me.

COURT: Oh look, you actually showed up in a gym! Although, you’re still just filled to the brim with baby, so you’re not really of any use…

Kris shook his head. He had to have known this was going to happen though.

KRIS: Pretend you like each other for just ten minutes please…

I shrugged, and immediately tried to put it off on Mikah since she started it.

COURT: I can, but I don’t know if she ca--

I should have known that she wasn’t going to let me finish my sentence though.

MIKAH: This isn’t my gym. Pretend I’m not here.

It would have been funny if it wasn’t the story of our entire relationship. She was supposed to be my mentor, but instead had become more of a ghost that I was haunted by.

COURT: Shouldn’t be hard to imagine.

Kris must have had a rough time with all of the students beforehand, or maybe just Eiley and Oz because he wasn’t going to engage with either of us.

KRIS: I’m just going to ignore you both, and talk about what I want to talk about.

Mikah turned away from the two of us as I approached the ring, so I turned my sarcasm entirely to her husband.

COURT: So, the usual?

He sighed, but let that one slide as well. Maybe he really was intent on making this work for once.

KRIS: You’re the Bombshell Champion. Zoey Lukas is Queen for a Day. You know what that means, even before they announce the card on Sunday.

I rolled my eyes. The way that I saw it, I was probably in for back-to-back defenses. Wolfslair had walked out of Violent Conduct as Queen and King, and they always looked out for their own. It also made sense that they had Kris’ attention being that they were constantly shitting on his gym.

COURT: Yeah. It’ll be another main event for me. More publicity for you. It’s a real win-win if you’re planning on capitalizing on the fact that I added Jet City back to all my marketing.

He shook his head, and tried to stay on his point instead of patting me on the back for a cheap shoutout.

KRIS: I’m less worried about the business side of things and more worried about what we can do to help you get ready for the match that you already know is coming. I mean we might not be able to plan for whatever ways that Wolfslair will try and stack the deck, but we can at least work on the match-up between you and Zoey.

That was more laughable than thinking all of us working together was going to be anything other than a trainwreck.

COURT: Oh really? Are Mikah and the baby going to team up against me? All you have out there is Kendall or Eiley. Neither of them can do the things that Zoey is capable of doing.

He didn’t seem phased by the negativity though.

KRIS: I can.

All it took was those two words for my formerly broken hand to remind me exactly why that was a bad idea.

COURT: ...like that has worked out so well in the past.

That had him speechless, but of course his wife came running to his defense.

MIKAH: I thought the whole point of this new partnership was to do things better than you have in the past so that you can move onto a whole new brighter future….

I shot an angry look her direction.

COURT: I thought that you weren’t here…

She held her hands up innocently, but before we could go any further, Kris tried to refocus us on the topic at hand.

KRIS: She isn’t, but she’s right. I feel like we have a real shot to do things right this time around. I don’t have some agenda, or angle that I am working. I’m not gearing up to return to the ring. I just want to help while I can, if I can.

It seemed like he meant it. He wasn’t just trying to use me to sharpen himself back up for another run. It felt like he was actually trying to be a trainer for once, which was enough to gain my interest, even if I wasn’t convinced.

COURT: It’s going to take a whole lot more than my face on the wall to convince me that you aren’t full of shit.

He shrugged again, this time with his signature smirk coming to his face.

KRIS: I just thought that I was looking awfully lonely up there. There are so many more Jet City Champions that deserve their share of the spotlight.

I climbed up onto the apron of the ring, and took a look around the new Jet City.

COURT: Let’s just make sure that MY Bombshell Championship stays in our spotlight instead of going home with Wolfslair.

He extended his hand for me to shake with a laugh.

KRIS: There’s no group of people I’d rather see disappointed.

I shook his hand, which got an eye roll from Mikah. Even if Kris and I could get on the same page, there was still a deep divide between his wife and I, and there was no way to bridge that gap today. Besides, there were more important things to worry about.



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>COURTside: Jet City Main Event

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”Another Climax Control. Another Jet City main event. Another Bombshell Championship defense.”

”Such is life when you are The One. Honestly, it has been happening so often lately that I am kind of getting used to it. I like seeing my name on the marquee. I like that everyone else that competes on Climax Control is really just there rolling out the red carpet for me. Sure, all of the competitors in this company say they are coming out to steal the show, but we know the truth. The way that I look at it, they are just warming up the crowd for the real show. They are just building the tension in the room before I get to walk down the aisle. They are keeping the asses in the seats long enough for people to get to see what they actually came for: The Bombshell Champion.”

”...and yeah, maybe that is a shot across the bow of the men’s division in this company. I mean who really gives a fuck about Michael Harris? We were only vaguely interested in a J2H3 re-run, but even that got cut short. Where are the new rising stars of the men’s division?”

”....if anyone can find one, let me know.”

”While we’re waiting, let’s take a look at the mountain that I stand on top of. It is stacked from top to bottom. Laura Phoenix is one of the most underrated bombshells, but we’ll see how long that narrative holds. Ariana is coming out swinging these days now that I have restored her confidence. That new chick, Julianna DiMaria has all the promise in the world, and everyone is curious to see where she goes. Kayla Richards and Keira are always dangerous. Tempest is a near unstoppable force. We have a scary new Roulette Champion in Alexandra Calaway. We have the next big thing in the new Internet Champion Aleesha. And then you have the future of the Bombshell Division holding the Bombshell Championship. We have everything that the men’s roster wishes they had, and that is why we are stealing nearly each and every main event that we have in this company.”

”...and I appreciate that this division has stepped up from the moment that I took over as the face of the Bombshells. I appreciate how everyone is busting their ass to climb the ladder to face me. I appreciate that people are taking the time to call me out, and try and talk their way into a shot at MY championship, because that is what being on top is all about. I have the one thing that every woman in this company wants, and I have no intention of ever letting it go. Every bombshell knows that if they want to step up to The One it is going to take their best shot, and then some. Nobody disagrees that I am at the top for a very good reason. Sure, there are those that are going to point out that Ruby got involved in the match at Violent Conduct, but we all know that was nothing more than a shortcut. It didn’t change the outcome of the match. All she did was speed things up a little bit. Ariana was always going to lose. She was always going to come up short, but then again, winning wasn’t the point. I told her going into the match that I was going to rehabilitate her. I told her that I was going to give her back her confidence. Look at her now… I was right.”

”...and I know that she is going to whine her way into another shot that she doesn’t deserve, but I am moving on. If I wasn’t jumping at the chance to give Keira another shot at MY Championship, then why would I want to give a second freebie to one of the nobodies from the GO Gym? I could share the ring with a Hall of Famer if I wanted to rehash some shit I did last month. I don’t need a newbie for that. Sorry not sorry ladies. It’s the back of the line for the both of you.”

”...and the back of the line is where I feel that Zoey Lukas should be as well. She’s one of the ones that complained about the fact that Ariana was getting handed a shot at the Bombshell Championship at Violent Conduct, but she isn’t any better. Correct me if I am wrong, but she has had her chances to claim gold in this company. Has she ever actually followed through on all of that potential? Has she ever actually lived up to that famous last name that she is walking around with? Is she even worth half of what Alicia is to this company? ”

”Maybe that is unfair. Maybe she just hasn’t had enough time to make her mark. Maybe the setbacks weren’t always her fault. Maybe she deserves the benefit of the doubt. But, nobody felt that way when it was me holding the short end of the stick.”

”Everyone called me just another failure of Jet City. Everyone said that I was destined to never live up to the bar that my predecessors set. I have been told over and over again that I will never be as good as Mikah, and that I will never be as loved as Kris. I have been told that I have wasted years of my career by being too fragile. I was viewed as the bombshell that somehow squandered each and every one of her shots at greatness. People never thought that I was going to be the Bombshell Champion. Roxi fucking Johnson said that I wasn’t ready to lead this division, and that I would bail on it the moment that I got bored.”

”Well guess what, I didn’t squander shit. I may have had injuries, but they made me stronger. I may have faced obstacles, but I overcame them. Not only have I successfully led this division into being the only part of Climax Control worth watching, but each and every woman on this roster has upped their game from the moment that I took out The Icon. The entire Bombshell division has thrived with me at the top of the mountain, and everyone can see it. Not only was I ready for the position that I find myself in, I am arguably the best person for the job.”

”...but I know that not everyone is going to see it that way. Specifically, there is always a group of naysayers that are trying to shovel dirt on the grave of Jet City. No matter how many people recognize what my gym has been able to do in this company, there is always a tandem of idiots there to shit on us at every turn. They say that we aren’t loyal. They say that we are nothing more than flashes in a pan. Every time that we win something, they try to diminish it, and yet every time that we face off in the ring, the result is the same….”

”Of course, I am talking about Wolfslair.”

”This might be the first time that Zoey and I are sharing the ring with one another, but our two gyms seem to have a long history with one another. Kris and Alicia used to go at each other on the daily over social media before Wolfslair ever thought of stepping into a Sin City ring. Later, they even fought over who was the more popular star in this company. Austin James Mercer is always quick to demean and defame my students, even though Oz has clearly had his number since stepping onto the scene. Alex Jones never stepped up to Kris., and the young guns will never have the chance. Yet, every time they mention the name  Jet City, they spew nothing but hate, and I don’t understand why. Collectively we have won every single championship in this company, and most more than once. We have set records. We have drawn some of the biggest crowds this company has ever seen. We are synonymous with Sin City, and that is why we are always holding so much of the gold. We made our return for the Blast from the Past tournament, and look at what we have been able to do since. Mixed Tag Team Championships. Bombshell Championship. We are easily the most dominant group of individuals that this company has ever seen, whether we’re the Black Sheep, Reckless Elite, Limitless or just simply repping the gym that made us all famous.”

”...and that is why I am glad that Zoey walked away as the Queen for a Day at Violent Conduct. Let’s be honest, nobody wanted to see Mercedes win, because nobody wanted to watch me beat up an old lady that should have retired alongside Liz Smalls. Tempest would have put up a great losing effort if she would have been sharing the ring with me this week, but who would have actually cared? But Zoey Lukas has a last name that people still give a shit about. Zoey Lukas is affiliated with a gym that has always been the natural rival of Jet City. Zoey Lukas can be a representative of everything that her people have said about us, and she can catch all of the retribution that is coming to them. The two of us are going to be on the main event stage, and when my hand is raised at the end of the night, it is yet another victory over our biggest detractors.”

”Let’s be honest, this match was already going to sell itself even without all of that, because if you take away the gyms, and you take away all of the history, you are still left with two of the most impressive women in this company. You are still left with the most sought after prize in this company. You are still left with two of the most exciting Bombshells in the company squaring off with one another under the brightest spotlights. If you take away all of the bells and whistles, this match would still fill an arena. Why? Because we both have a lot more respect for this business, the Bombshell Championship, and Sin City itself than we do each other. Underneath all of the affiliations and championships, the two of us want the exact same thing. We both know that there is only one prize in this company that is worth chasing, and it is the whole reason that we ever signed a contract here. We are both here for the Bombshell Championship, and won’t settle for anything less. ”

”Unfortunately for Zoey, she is going to have to wait a whole lotta bit longer to realize her dreams, because I am not done living mine. Even if I was, there is no way that I am dropping MY Bombshell Championship to someone from Wolfslair. Your friends and family have been running their mouths for too long. I’ll have to put Zoey in her place so that maybe they will learn a lesson and keep Jet City’s name out of their mouths."

"Sorry not sorry.”