Prague, 2006

It is the calm before the storm and she can almost get drunk of the anticipation. in a couple hours she is going to be in the thick of it, part of a crew putting together a score with just the right amount of chance that everything will go wrong, Her cohurts say it is foolproof but they are foolish men and Karina does not want foolish anyways. She wants adventure and danger. She wants the world outside her head to be as crazy as the world inside, even if only for a few moments.

The tea house is an odd fit for the night ahead, but Bodie loves tea. She has arrived far to early, because fuck time. She doesn't mind, because the stillness allows her to focus on her upcomming adventure. She sits at a tall wood table in the corner, all around her artist and acceltics sip expertly crafted tea. The whole scene is so delicate that Karina feels almost like the bull in the china shop. That is until she walks up to her table.

She is old but in all the ways that are splendid. She has long silver hair pulled back and a rugged face that shows she has been through some things. Her pants are elegant and simple. Her top is a startling contrast, a combination of bright jewel tones, torn up and refashioned in a punk style not far off from what Karina has on. Her eyes are clear, they see everything and they are looking right at Karina. For a brief moment, she forgets the score and her plans. Everything is quiet and all there is, is her.

Old woman: Do you mind if we share a cup of tea.

Karina should mind. She doesn't like strangers. She reads people too well and every new person in her life brings all sorts of baggage and extra emotions. Human interaction is messy and she tries to limit the real connections she makes. Also old people tend to creep her out because what if they just die right there while you are talking with them.

Karina: Da, sure.

She had no idea why she was doing this but the woman sat down with surprising grace. It than occurs to Karina that this woman moves like a fighter. Despite her age, this woman moves like someone who could jump up and kick you in the face before you knew what was happening. This would be a thought that would unsettle some but Karina found it oddly comforting.

Karina: Umm...so I am Karina.

Old Woman: My friends call me Jaa.

Karina: I don't what to call you...we just met.

The woman, Jaa, chuckles as if she is sharing a joke with a lover. Then she waves a waitress down and orders two cups of gunpowder green tea. The waitress quickly warms to Jaa despite the place being full of needy customers. She heads off to get the tea right away and Jaa turns her attention back on Karina.

Jaa: They say to really know another person you must have three cups of tea. The first one is as strangers, the next one is as friends and by the final cup you are family.

Karina: That seems a reckless way to make family...

Jaa: Perhaps....but a lot can happen over three cups of tea.

As the tea  was being brought to the table this whole situation seemed quite surreal. Despite this woman obviously being from Japan she spoke to Karina as if she was a grandmother or aunt. Yet Karina was sure she had never met he before. Who just goes up to  a stanger and start talking about tea and philosophy? Karina knew crazy people did such things, but Karina knew crazy and this woman was not so. A profound feeling of dejuvu settled in and made Karina feel light headed, she fumbled with her words.

Karina: I don't really, you know have the time to have three cups with you...so I guess we will stay strangers...

Jaa: Time is a relatively flexible thing....or as an old friend would say "fuck time."

Old women should not say fuck that was a universal rule....and the more Jaa spoke the more surreal things felt. Like she had been here before, even though she had only rolled into Prague a week ago. She had no idea what to say to that so she just drank her tea slowly. It was strong for green tea, but the stoutness helped ground her. They drank tea in silence and than Jaa got up, bowing slightly to Karina before walking off.

Three cups of tea. I didn’t know what she was talking about then, I was just some punk kid who knew little about the world. I didn’t even remember that day with her while we were dating. It wasn’t until she was gone that it all came back to me. My first cup of tea with the love of my life and I didn’t even know it. Her last cup of tea with me and I didn’t even thank her.

I know now that this whole thing is going backwards. Her first cup of tea with me has already happened for her but is in my future. Something about who I am in the future  was enough for her to fall in love with me at first sight, or so she says. I think about the person I am now and I figure I have a long way to go. I keep making sure not to walk into any place that has tea, I am not the hero she thinks I am. I am not ready for that fateful cup.

The second cup of tea was the best tea I have ever had on one of the worse days in my life and that is saying a lot. That was the day it all ended. Three years after we escaped the present to really journey space and time. Three years before I got my head together enough to come back to my own timeline. It was the madness, time of my life but for everyone but her it was the blink of the eye. Everything is so damn complicated and its about to get so much worse. I have seen the future, I have been there. I know what is coming next.

In the slums of Abidjan there is a hidden place, beyond a break in one of the high concrete walls. It's a place untouched by the cramped in tin shacks and tarp tents, a place where there is a little less trash. It is hard to notice but locals know it well. It's where the travelers gather....

No campers or vardos because no roads are big enough in the slums. Hardly any Romani either, too far from home. But it's traveler camp all the same. Fuma nomads mix with gutter punks, drug runners share quarters with Egpytian dancers. Soccer hooligans, revolutionaries and fools all gather around the fire. After five days here this has already become Karina's camp. Most of the Horde is stateside, and her brothers are in Europe but Karina makes family quick.

She currently sits by the fire were a hooka is being shared between a woman in the criss cross tribal wear of the Fuma and a burned out German poet named Fitz. Karina is maybe the only person in the gathering on a phone, but she is finishing up an important phone call.

Karina: Yeah, I know what I am saying but I need family with me. I know most won’t come but some will. I need all the help I can get.

Karina closes the phone up and puts it away. Fitz tries to pass the hooka but Karina declines, instead she stares forward. She is restless as she sits by the fire.

Karina: This Sunday I go back in the ring after loosing my chance at the Roulette title. Now I want to take a moment to let that sink in. I lost the chance at the title I helped make famous and on top of that I was eliminated by one of those little mean girls. I know I should sit here and talk about how angry I am….I should tell you the revenge I have in store for those bitches...but honestly none of that matters.

She stands up looking at the fire, her right arm starts to twitch and her eyes go wide looking into the flames. It is as if she is seeing more than just flames, both arms starting to shake as she does so. She takes a deep breath and her arms calm down.

Karina: I will destroy each and every little girl in that Mean gang, not because they deserve it, but because they are part of a terrible future that I must stop….something is coming and I am the only person that can stop it. The Mean Girls are petty, and foolish, but they play their part. I have to save the future and that includes them. See if each and every one of the Mean Girls has their mind, spirit and body broken….well than they won’t be around to play their part. I must save them from themselves….but of course I will have a little fun doing it.

The Romani mad woman now smiles and starts to pace as she speaks. Those that are gathered around the fire watch her as she keeps talking.

Karina: But hey, Ragdoll you are not even a part of this. How great is that? You know sometimes you get to go into the ring and just have yourself a match. No war games, no great rivalry. Lets just have ourselves a match, you and me. I know your a damn good fighter so lets show all those little girls, what women can do in that six sided ring.

Karina smiles and nods. She grabs her tea and sits back down at the fire as the scene fades out.  

 (OOC: I meant to make this look pretty but family emergency has made that pretty hard. But here it is.)

The scene opens in a den of sorts, luxurious and exotic. For those that know travelers one word quickly comes to mind, vardo. The walls and ceilings are covered in scarves, fabric and other materials all in dark jewel tones, grays and black. The cabinets are all dark wood and in the background a lush bed can be seen, filled with golden cushions. Candles are lit on the tables even though sunlight slips out from the small windows and strange, cheap artifacts from around the world can be seen in every nook and cranny.

In the middle of the room that might look familiar to fans of a certain Horde that likes to party, is a circle of people seated in wooden chairs passing around a bottle of rum. The bottle of Kraken reaches Karina Koji, the new leader of the Party Horde, that is dressed in a flowy purple dress. The Romanian fighter takes a long sip of the bottle before she speaks.

Karina: Da, it is now time to call the first gathering of this new clan. I know it is small, not much of a start but in years time when we gather around a group of hundreds we will smile at our humble beginnings, ya? So lets pass the bottle around and say our piece.

Karina hands the bottle to the rather large woman sitting next to her. She is built like a giant, a giant from some mythical north land with pale skin and red hair. However, she is dressed like a professor, with comfortable studious clothes and a pair of horn rimmed glasses on her face. She takes the bottle, inspects it and has a much smaller sip. Her name is Gloria but lately she has been going by Glory.

Glory: Oh well thank you dear. Most of you here know me, my name is Gloria or Glory depending. I met Karina in Romania recently, I was doing some fieldwork on the Romani culture. I had met one of her brothers and had started to become fascinated with the modern fight cultures...and well long story short I am now studying Karina.

Karina: And she is the nicest giant I have ever messed and a damn good fighter if you can get her drink.

Glory: Which is why I don’t drink….

Glory hands the bottle to a man that looks painfully ordinary in this group. He is dressed like a vast majority of Americans, t-shirt with jeans and a baseball cap. The man looks fairly confused and doesn’t know which unusual lady to look at. He holds the bottle and focuses on Karina.

Guy: Why am I here?

Karina: That is a fairly heavy question for so early in the evening. Lets get some drinks in us first.

Guy: No...I mean why am I here with you all. I just got hired to be a driver...I have no idea what you guys are talking about. This is not some cult is it?

Karina laughs looking at the man with a look that is intense for the smile she has on her face. She throws up her hands.

Karina: Don’t be silly. I hate cults, I have been in far too many. But give yourself credit...you are more than just a driver. You are THE driver for the Party Horde bus. We are starting a movement….and you..YOU..what is your name?

Guy: My name..uh is Ben.

Karina: Right well you, Ben, are the driver for that movement. It is a very important job. Very important!

Ben looks even more uneasy now and even more confused. He looks at the bottle unsure if he should drink it and instead hands it to the woman next to him dressed in contrasting Ganguro street fashion. She looks like something out of Tokyo in the nineties except for her hat and gloves that are clearly Victorian. To sum it up, the girl looks odd and out of place with her delicate features and messy brown hair. The girl takes the bottle and takes a huge drink that is surprising for someone so small. She wipes her mouth with a smile. This strange creature is named Dea Jaa.

Dea: Thanks for the booze. I am happy to be here, this is a historic moment whether you believe it or not. I should know, I am from the future. They talk about the first gathering in the future, of course many of the details have been exaggerated. I am disappointed, I was told there would be random goat roaming the vardo.

She happily hands off the booze to the final man in the circle, a large Samoan looking about as confused as Ben the driver. Those Party Horde historians might remember him as the burger flipping cook for Aleksei back when he had his adventures. The Samoan takes a drink like a man who needs one. His name is Pete for those that remember.

Pete: Yo..I thought Aleksei would be here, I mean not that I mind the job. I dug feeding the horde the last time but...man don’t take this the wrong way but aren’t you kind of crazy?

Karina: oh yes very much so, but it is the good kind of crazy now. It is a productive kind of crazy, does that make sense.

Pete: Hell no, none of this makes sense. But very little made sense when your brother ran things either. As long as you need people to feed, I am your man.

Karina: Oh yes...we will have people to feed. This whole thing is going to get very huge. The last Horde is going to seem small compared to what is coming next. Dea has seen in the future and I know it in my bones. We are going to sweep across the country like a strange wind picking up all the lovely freaks and oddities as we go. Then we will go to Africa and do the exact same thing. It will build..and build until the chaos is so grand, even I will not know what to do with it. So drink up because today we ride to California and this whole crazy journey can start with victory, and a big crazy party!

Everyone seems pleased with this except for Ben who still seems confused. There is an awkward silence before people realize the meeting seems to be over. Pete and Glory get up to get to know eachother and Ben, still looking a little lost, heads to the front to get the camper going. Dea gets up and moves gracefully over to Karina.

Dea: Not bad.

Karina: You think? It feels kind of silly to speak about grand things when passing a bottle around with six people, two of whom don’t understand. I keep thinking I am crazy to try to make this happen.

Dea: You’re not crazy in that way. You are crazy in all the ways that are lovely and fun. Don’t worry about the Party Horde, it will take off. I have seen it. Just do what you do best, fight in that ring and win.

Karina nods staring ahead of her, thinking hard. She takes a sip of booze as the camper starts off. Time goes on in the camper but Karina hardly moves as people move around her watching television, chatting and resting. The blazing sun of midday fades to something softer as evening soon approaches. Karina suddenly stands up.

Karina: STOP THE CAMPER...I NEED TO CUT PROMO!

Ben, the driver looks over his shoulder and then looks out in front of him.

Ben: Where? Like at that truck stop.

Karina: Yes, perfect.

Karina grabs her patchwork hoodie made from all her favorite hoodies and mimicking the style of her brothers long jacket. She strides out of the camper just as Ben pulls it to a stop outside a large highway truck stop. It is late afternoon and there is a steady crowd of travelers filling up, getting snacks. No one is prepared for what happens next. Karina strides into the middle of the truck stop before she starts talking.

Karina: Does anyone here want to be entertained!!! Is anyone tired of the boring drag of the road? Tired of the boring direction there life has taken? Is anyone in here looking for a party!!

At first everyone looks either startled or confused, but a group of young things in the back raise their hands as does the stocky clerk behind the counter.
Karina: My name is Karina Koji and I stand at the dawn of a movement. A horde is brewing just outside these doors. A party horde that is going to sweep through California like a tornado. You can’t track a tornado...no NO! And you can’t track us. We will ride the winds of chaos all the way to Long Beach. Some will get passed over and some will be changed forever. I know you can feel it!

She runs over to the counter looking at the guy who raised his hand. His name tag says Brett and Karina looks him over. The young man looks excited and scared all at once.

Karina: Brett can feel it! Ben knows he stands right on the edge of history and this guy..this guy wants to dive right in. Because the Horde...the Horde is building and we are looking for a fight. You know we are, Brett and who are we looking to fight?

Brett: My manager…? I mean he is a big dickwad.

Karina thinks about it a moment and grabs some nearby jerky while she thinks. She takes a big bite and then shakes her head.

Karina: No Brett! But good try. The Horde is not big enough to take on every jerk in the world. We must have focus and at this moment our focus is a match. A fight inside a six sided ring with the grand prize of Blast from the Past hanging in the balance. It all starts this Sunday. One match will lead to another will lead to another and we will get stronger. It will build and build! Until me and Jordan Williams stand as victors and all of you...all of you! Even you, with the weird hair can be part of this.

There is an awkward pause before Brett cheers out of nowhere causing Karina to giggle. Karina rushes down an aisle to a tall woman in a hard rock t-shirt is looking through cheap sunglasses hoping to complete the look. Karina puts her arm around her.

Karina: It all starts with Amy Marshall. Do you know who Amy Marshall is?

The woman shakes her head and Karia throws her arms up backing her way back to the center of the store as she rants.

Karina: OF COURSE YOU DON’T! Why would you? Why does she even matter? She is a nothing...a nobody. She was once a nobody known for getting naked, down and dirty on camera. Then she was a nobody who tried to be fighter in the ring. She was always a nobody, never very good at any of it...and don’t get me wrong. I don’t mind that she was a porn star...hell who doesn’t like porn.

An elderly lady pipes up that she doesn’t like porn and Karina rolls her eyes.

Karina: Okay...okay. Some people don’t like porn but that is hardly the point is it?! The point is that I have a lot less issues with a lady being a half ass porn girl than I do with someone being a half assed fighter. Stepping in the six sided ring should be about honor and skill. Amy has neither. This is a girl that couldn’t even beat Mercedes Vargas to hold on to the top prize in SCW. This is a girl that can’t even look cool with a mohawk! Who doesn’t look good with a mohawk!

Karina looks at the elderly lady, thinks about it a moment and then nods. She then hops onto the counter taking another bite out of her jerky. By this point the rest of the Party Horde has come in and seem pretty into it, except Ben who is trying to blend into the wall.

Karina: Now Amy is going to come out there and talk a lot of smack about me. But really, what can she say that is of any value. She will say that she can beat me! She will talk about my past as if that is a map to her future. She might even claim that I am crazy...guess WHAT...I am CRAZY and it is because of my lovely madness that she can’t hope to prepare for this fight. She doesn’t know who she is getting in the ring with.

You see...I use to just be a crazy person who loved to cause pain and knew a thousand different ways to break a person down. I use to be a lone wolf who would stalk my prey and destroy them..but now I have the HORDE. I have not lost any of my skills but I have gained a whole lot of motivation. I am getting in the ring not just for myself, but for everyone in the HORDE...everyone in this store. The bigger the horde gets the stronger I will get. This is not the past….right now, this Sunday I am a new fighter. I fight for the people and you better believe I am going to give this little girl everything I have got.

She hops off the counter now walking over the group of young adults who first raised their hands to join the movement. They are grinning still not sure what is happening but liking it.

Karina: Now you might tell me to beware of this tournament...maybe it doesn’t matter that I can outclass Amy. Maybe it doesn’t matter that I have the horde behind me and that I am a better fighter than she is...because I can tag in my partner and watch him lose it all. You might remind me of last year when that was the very thing that happened to me….but you would then forget that my partner is Jordan WIlliams. This is not some weak man I have to carry though this battle. This is the man who was part of the winning team. This is a man as skilled a fighter as I am, and I don’t say that about most of the men in Sin City. So...gather close Horde, let me tell you how this is going to go down.

The young fans gather close, as does Brett and those from the camper. Even the elderly lady moves in to hear what Karina has to say.

Karina: Amy is going to get in the ring with me filled with confidence. And soon enough she will learn just what kind of mess she has gotten into. She will feel pain in all new places. She will look out in the audience and see that the Horde is behind me. She will panic and she will run to her “partner.” So I will let her and I will tag in Jordan. This….is where things will get ugly, because Jordan Willams is going beat down this so called Goldenboy. Jordan is one of kind. The kind of brutality that looks so good you almost want to consider it art. So we will sit back and watch him go to work. Maybe he destroys Gene right away maybe not. Maybe golden boy runs to his corner and tags in his lady….

Watch for it...look at her eyes when this happens. Look at the desperation as she gets back into the ring with me. She can’t run away, her ego is too strong for that but she will want to. She won’t want to face me again. Every time she gets tagged in and survives, a little more of Amy will be broken. She will keep coming, and I will keep hurting her. I will put on a good show. You will all be entertained...and then I will lock in the Wolf Bite….it will all be over. Amy will fade away. Her greatest moment will be as a footnote in our history. She will have the honor of being the first fighter I defeat as the leader of the Horde.

But either way, no matter how it goes. We will win. Good and chaotic will win over the boring. Then Jordan and I can move on to more worthy opponents. Now...who is coming with me!

Karina strides through the crowd and makes her way out of the store. Brett and a couple of the younger folks follow her out. The rest of the Horde goes after with Ben trailing behind. Karina turns back.

Karina: Brett can you drive?

Brett: Oh...yeah..yeah sure I can drive real good.

Karina: Good your the new driver. Ben make friends with the old lady and dickwad manager

She prances forward into the camper while the Horde follows after. Soon they are all in the camper and are heading off to California. Victory and destiny awaits.  

 Fade to black and white. “The Duke” Ata Tupoi is walking down a busy street in a small American town. It is spring by the look of the budding leaves but it is still cool. Duke walks forward in the fading light of day ignoring the people around him.

Duke: Just got done watching your little promo, Rex. You are one delusional little punk man. If I gave a crap, it would be almost sad watching you try to act like your big time. For weeks I have beaten you down, without much effort, yet you act like you’re some modern day titan. You think you played me? You think you tricked me by letting your lame ass get beat down by me?

Duke stops walking and stares at the camera with his predatory smile.

Duke: You know on some level we are not that different. We both are young fighters known for our power and skill. We both know what it is like to join up with federations that don’t last long. We know what its like to have to wait while lesser men keep getting the spotlight. You know that is kind of what started this whole little war for me. I was talking to an insider...you know some guy in a suit that knows nothing of what a real fight is but thinks he is better than us...and this suit compared me to you.

The big man shakes his head with a sneer and keeps on walking. His tone getting louder, his eyes narrowing as he moves forward.

Duke: Now he didn’t compare us because of our careers. He said we were of similar talent, we were part of a rising class of new fighters. I tell you what, that little bitch is lucky we live in a civilized world because when he said that I wanted to crush his skull. First he dares to put me in the same class with anyone, but more importantly he included a no talent, boring ass hat like you in this class.

Let me be clear Rex. We have had some similar struggles but that is where the similarities end. You are just another pathetic American kid, a pro-wrestler who is happy to be grinded by this industry, looking for any small recognition and turning it into some great thing. You talk about your one month reign as if its history in the making. You talk about the SCW like it is your family, forgetting how short a time you have been here. Forgetting that you don’t even rank in the top ten on your own federation.

Duke stops at an intersection and turns right. The commercial area filled with diners, and tourist stops shifts to a more worn down area with local bars and night clubs. Duke stops outside one of the bars.

Duke: I am not a wrestler Rex. I am a warrior, and not just any damn warrior. I have noble blood in my veins. You act like a dinosaur to try to stand out, but I have the name Duke because its my damn title. I am from a long line of warrior kings. There is no class that I am apart of. I am the damn future of this business. Your history is to be forgotten Roulette Champion, but man I am going to run this alliance.
I grew up in a land filled with history. I grew up in a place where survival meant being strong and resourceful. You grew up in this town. This dirty, forgettable American city that should of died when the gold went away. Just like you...you are going to fade away once the gold goes away. I don’t even care about the belt...I already have a championship. Hell in a few months I will be a triple champion. I may not even keep the damn thing, the important thing is to take it away from you.

Duke looks at the door to bar and motions inwards.

Duke: I found some local losers just like you. I mean they don’t roar like a damn child but they went to school with you. They are washed up just like this town, they are looking for cash. So I am going to help them out. I am going to pay them each three hundred dollars to fight me and I am going to  break them slow. Now I know you’re not here to watch....hell if I grew up here I would run away as well...but don’t worry man. I will take a whole lot of pictures of the damage.

Ata Tupoi opens the door, the sounds of bar noise coming through.

Duke: Rest up Rex. Spend some quality time with that Belt of yours because I am going to take it from you. I am going to take everything from you, and nobody will think we are in the same class ever again...hell man nobody is going to talk about you much after this Sunday. Enjoy your last few days of relevance Rex...we are going to have some fun.

Duke heads inside and lets the door close behind him as it fades out.  

 
Karina Koji sits alone in a locker room. The room has the general chaotic vibe of a locker room after a major event. Half of the lockers are still open and a general level of trash has been left about, but Karina does not notice any of it. She sits with an ice pack on her head, her eyes focused on a spot on the worn carpet. She hardly moves but breathes at a heavy, quick pace while she continues to stare.
Then suddenly she rises to her feet screaming in a primal way. She kicks at the nearby lockers, and slams doors as she moves with no indication she knows where she is going. She throws herself against one wall of lockers. She continues to scream and starts to hit herself almost as often as the walls. One hand starts to bleed, and then as quickly as it started she gets quiet again. She stares out in a way that is less blank then before and more predatory. With a low growl she rushes out of the room just as security had come to see what the screaming was about.
Karina shoves past them and starts running down the halls. She makes no noise and takes a low stance as if she is about to pounce on someone. People that end up in her path either get knocked down or dive out of the way. She reaches the doors to leave the area and crashes through them. She takes only a moment to pause and sniff at the night air before taking off west of the arena leaving behind her bike and the Party Horde camper.

She runs for hours, very rarely taking a break. On occasion she pauses to look around at what surrounds her but for the most part she just keeps running. In the early morning hours before the sun rises she finds an alley way to sleep in, slumped against a dirty wall. Only after a few hours she starts running again. Her final destination is a shanty town on the outskirts of Bogota. She comes to rest, breathing heavy over the body of a sleeping hobo who has a blanket of plastic sheeting.

It takes the hobo a few minutes to realize that a figure is standing over him. He startles at first  trying to push himself away in case the figure means him harm. He then looks at Karina unsure of who she is until he looks further.

“Karina...?”

She nods and the men stands up. He is unsure how to greet her or how to feel about her presence. It seems as if he is seeing a long lost daughter or someone he cares about, but also someone who should not be there.

“I thought you were dead” the man says and looks over his shoulder in a shifty way.

“In a way I did die I guess, but not all the way. I only remember your name and that you lived in Botoga. And...I remember you were kind in a dark place.” she says sounding unsure of herself. Both her arms shake a little as she talks.
The man smiles warmly. “That place....the dark place. It messes with your head. Makes it hard to remember. I only remember a little bit more of it. Mostly I remember the end.”

Karina nods and almost motions to touch the man. “Where was it? What did they do to us?”

The man rubs his eyes and scratches at his head. He has a distant look in his eye. “No...I don’t know. It was Brazil, mostly underground. They did different things....but they had to shut it down. They were sending us back....but you attacked the Doctor. That was the last I saw of you.”

As he talks the words take their effect on Karina. The causes her to flinch as she gets bright glimpses of memory. She remembers rain and old buildings. People being shoved into vans and I man dressed far to nice. A man that she felt so much rage for that it was hard to think about. The hobo, a man named Pablo, stops talking.

Karina looks at him in desperation and with anger “thats it...that is all you know. Eight months of my life and all we know is we were underground...in Brazil. Who was the doctor? Tell me everything.” She shoves the man hard, he tumbles in the dirt and rises quick enough to suggest he was use to getting knocked down. Karina charges at him again and he quickly deflects her attack. He takes a stance that shows he is ready to attack.

“He was just the Doctor...and I don’t know more. I have spent all this time trying to forget..and j...just to stay calm. I cared about you inside but I can’t go back! Leave it in the dark, please.” he says his eyes going wild with fright. He body seems to be conflicted between fight and flight. Karina recognizes his body language and puts her arms down.

“Are you hungry?” she says her eyes looking down at the dirt, unaware of how abrupt a change in conversation this might seem. The man slowly relaxes his stance and smiles.

“Sure, lets eat. We can catch up.” Pablo knows better than to try to shake her hand but they walk together up a small hill heading towards a food truck.

When we catch up with Karina again she is at the parking lot of the airport meeting up with her brother and the Young Lions. His brother looks her over, with concern. It is obvious she has not slept much or changed her clothes since her attack the night before. Dried blood is on one hand and by now most folks had heard about her outburst. Even with all this concern Aleksei knew better than to ask how she was doing.

“Your lucky you caught up with us. I have flight to catch and the boys were going to take the camper to Peru.” he said trying not to focus on his concern. “We have you bike.”

Karina nods dismissively. “Did they book me in a match?”

“Da, you are in tag team match against Necra and Cortez.” he said  

“That is bullshit. I don’t want to have another tag team match. I want a match with Necra on her own..or either of her sister bitches!” she says glaring at her brother. Aleksei chuckles.

“Ok, I can work on that for now you have this match.”
Karina sighs, “Who is my partner?”
Aleksei takes a deep breath. “Salco”

Karina laughs and throws up her arms. “You know, brother when I use to watch wrestling with you I always thought it was silly how quickly a bad guy became a good guy or enemies became friends. But now we are working with Mark Ward who use to be a big jerk face.”

Aleksei chuckles “He still is.”

“Ah yes but we are part of his team. We fight for him, and now I tag team with girl that had my title for a while. A girl I have fought before but now we are team mates.”

Aleksei nods. “It is a screwy world. Speaking of I have to go check in on wrestling promotion I am part owner of. Now tell me that is not crazy. Listen don’t worry about the match, just train hard like you always do. Salco is good fighter, you will be fine.”

Karina waves him away dismisivly and starts to walk towards her bike.
“And Karina, please take care of yourself ok. I don’t want to come back in a week and discover your lost again.”

Karina looks over he shoulder and smiles. “Don’t worry, I can’t get lost. I have Loki.”

Aleksei does not look convinced but he has places to go so he turns to leave. Karina gets her motorcycle down from where it rest in the camper and checks her bags. She does not plan to stay with the camper long.
********************************************************************
Days later Karina is in the highlands of Peru. She stands just slightly away from her bike. She looks considerably more rested than the last time we saw her, she looks almost happy.

“When you stand out here looking out at these mountains you realize how big the world is.  You realize how petty most of the problems people have are. That is good for me to remember with the war that is brewing. It is good for me to remember that most of the people that try to do me harm, they don’t really matter.”

“Every week us fighters, we try to make big deal out of our silly lives. Every one of us is the best in the world, or is fighting epic fight between good and evil. Even I spend lots of time talking of being a hero. It is funny when I am out here all that seems so small but when I am in the ring those things are all that matters. I wonder sometimes what it is like for other fighters.”

Karina shrugs and looks over to her right. She shares a private joke with the woman who only she can see. The love of her life.

“Loki, thinks for most it is much more like a game. People like Amanda who like to talk a whole lot of smack outside the ring. She is the type that got into this business for attention. She wants us all to look at her hoping that being pretty and edgy will be enough. I mean she certainly does not have any substance beyond that. What can you remember about Amanda? What makes her special? She likes to be tickled? Please...it seems to me that somebody needs to grow up.”

I think that is why she joins Team Erik. She felt all sad and cranky that nobody thought she was top girl anymore. She knows we have all but forgotten the time she was champion. She knows that nobody cares about her tag team efforts, so she gets involved with a man who promises the world. How is that working out for you? Oh right, it is not going so well.”

Karina takes a long sip of water befores she continues.
“Now it is true that Amanda has beaten me in the ring. I hate to admit that but it is true. Perhaps that means she can do it again, but I think not. What most people have not realized about me yet is that I am constantly evolving. I am a different fighter than I was when we last met. I am better now. I fight for purpose and I fight with clear mind. I know how to beat you Cortez and I will make sure to share that information with my partner for next week. As badly as she wants to destroy you, I won’t have to do much to get rid of you but tag in Salco. Now Necra....thats a different story.”

Necra what happened last week has made things more personal. You have gone from delusional and confusing to annoying and now just looking at you sets me off. You must be confused. You think ganging up on me is same as real fight. Necra you have not seen me in a real fight. When we get to meet in there, you won't have your sisters. You won't have your illusions of godly powers. You will just have the reality of the pain I can cause you. Blinding pain that will make you regret ever going against me."

 Karina Koji sits at a corner table in a classy cafe on the Vegas strip. She wears a simple black dress and an amethyst necklace. She nurses a cherry coke as she sits with the person who is interviewing her. His name is Grant and he sticks out in a place like this. He wears jeans and a t-shirt with a green jungle frog on it. As he watches Karina he has star’s in his eyes.

Karina: So you want to start interview?

Grant: Yeah yeah...sorry. I still can’t believe I am here.

Karina: I am just a person. I mean to believe you we are on same spectrum or something.

Grant: Right...so ok. When did you know you were different?

Karina looks at him and smiles.

Karina: I knew early. I was young when I figured out I saw things other people did not. My mother she worries that I am crazy. My grandma says I am touched....you know like magic.

Karina chuckles and takes a sip of her soda.

Karina: They did not have Autism in Romania so you were just crazy or touched.

Grant: How did you deal with that?

Karina: I learned to play at normal girl. I pretend to be good girl for my mother until I can’t pretend. I get good at pretending.

Grant nods and chuckles a little bit as well.

Grant: Yeah a lot of us learn how to do that. So why did you take up fighting?

Karina: Well because I am good at it. I am youngest of seven and I have six brothers. They are good at causing trouble and that trouble would find me. So it is good I learn to fight.

Grant: Yeah but its not just fighting. You...kind of use the way your brain works right? Like the way you know all those submission holds.

Karina nods and looks to be working out the words.

Karina: Da I guess so. I see things and they stick in my brain. I did the wrestling thing as a joke. I was pretending, just pretending for a while but it took.

Grant: Are you still pretending?
Karina pauses again, the words struggling to come out. She takes another sip of her soda and then the food comes. Karina has a very elegant looking salad and Grant gets a plate of masked potatoes with white gravy and chicken. Karina finds her words.

Karina: No I am not pretending. This is all me now, not much else to it.

Grant: So on my blog last week I said you were a hero for kids on the spectrum.

Karina: I am no hero...but maybe someday. To be hero I win a belt the way I am now. Clear head and clear heart. Then you call me hero and maybe I nod.

Karina smiles and takes a big bite of her salad. She looks to her left as she eats her food and smiles very big. She makes a face to someone only she can see and continues her meal.  We fade out slowly.

***********************************************************************************

When we return we are back in Karina’s gym. She is dressed to train. Behind her her wall of screens. All of them show match clips of Daniel and Tiami Tyler.

Karina: I will keep this short because I must train. From what I can tell both Dainel and Tiami understand how little words will matter in a fight like this. I think we have not heard from the Tylers because they know what they are up against. That is fine. I don’t need to hear their words. I go to ring the same no matter what words I hear from them. I will win this match at Blaze of Glory, for myself but most of all Despayre. We should be at the finals but that is okay...we will get this win.

Karina smiles her strange small smile.

Karina: But I will spare a few words for the rest of the ladies at the SCW. I know many of you have met me in the ring. Some have met me in past lives and some have met me this time around. I make promise to all of you. None of you have seen what I can do. Before all I had was rage and chaos in my heart. But now is a different story. So when the Glory is done and we turn our eyes to South America I promise you this, you will finally see the real Karina Koji. And it will be worth watching.

She turns her back to the camera to train as the camera fades out.

 “We won”

“You did.”

“We won and we are still in it. We might win this thing.”

“You might. I know I am rooting for you.”

“There is something else”

“Yeah”

“Don’t want to say it.”

“Than don’t”

“I am having fun.”

*********************************************

Karina walks along crates of supplies as the crew starts packing up after last weeks Climax. She mumbles to herself and has a smile on her face that does not seem close to fading. She still wears the dress pants that went with her tux but has on a dark purple hoody. A SCW staff member chases after her not sure if he should interrupt even if she is alone.

Staff member: Ms Koji...Ms Koji...I was just asked to let you know of your match next week. I guess your phone is not working.

Karina stops where she is walking and leaps down right in front of the man.

Karina: Da, I broke it.

Staff member: Right, well you and your team...they are going to be facing Roxi and Gabriel.

Karina: But that is Despaye’s partner.

Staff member: Yes ma’am.

Karina: Don’t call me that.

Karina stares out beyond the staff member and stops talking. Her eyes that had flashed with anger suddenly grew wide with fright. Without notice Karina turns and starts running. The camera’s struggle to keep up with her as she pushes past people and runs for the door. She crashes through the door into the night air. She runs blindly down the street, almost getting struck by several cars as the camera loses track with her. The last we see of her she is running down an alley.

****************************************************
“ I saw her behind that scrawny little messenger of the bad news. She did not have her wings out but it was her. It was the fire and chaos, just standing there and mocking me. YOU said if I tried to build anchors she would not get to me but I knew it was too good to be true. All of this was too good to be true. Now I have six days before all is over.”

“You don’t know that to be true. Just because you saw her doesn’t mean she is going to get you. Maybe your fear made her appear or maybe she is just trying to mess with you. But I know you can choose to stay grounded. You don’t have to let the fire consume you, it has been months now...”

“That does not matter. Once when I was a girl I lasted seven months before she came for me, but she came for me. I was good daughter then next day I set trailer on fire. Then I run. My mother and I are never the same after that and now I will lose you.”

“Baby, you don’t even know how the match will end. Maybe you will win it and move on to the finals.”

“No chance in hell. Despayre will not fight Gabriel. I will be lucky if he shows up at all. My team will be broken. I will be fighting on my own and those odds too much for me. I will not win. She will come for me and burn away all I love.”

“I promise you. She can not burn me away. Just like she is a part of you. I am a party of you baby and I am not going anywhere. You just keep doing the good work. Make connections with the fans, take care of yourself and keep talking with me. I know in the past she has been too strong for you but now you have me. Together we will kick that bitches ass if she shows her flaming head.”

“We will see.”

************************************************************************

Days later we find Karina has stopped running. She has gotten back home and cleaned herself up. She is across the street from her warehouse home at the convenience store that carries all the junk food she loves to eat. She is looking at a display of disposable phones. She grabs one and waits in line making sure not to touch anyone. She then holds up the phone to the teen clerk who looks so bored he might go brain dead at any moment.

Karina: Is this price right?
Clerk: ummm yeah

Karina: This work like real phone.

The clerk looks at her like she is stupid and responds very slowly for her benifit.

Clerk: Yes...like a real phone.

Karina: Why you talk like that...wait I don’t care. So you are telling me if I break this phone it only cost me this much to get a new one.

Clerk: Yeah I guess so.

Karina nods. She turns quickly and grabs four more phones. The grabs a king sized snickers bar. She tosses it all on the counter as the clerk watches her with the same confused expression.

Karina: It is a king sized candy bar kind of day. You put all that in big bag, hand it back but don’t touch me.

Clerk: Whatever.

Karina takes her bag and makes her way through the store back out onto the street. It is early evening and the city is alive with humanity. Humanity that Karina works hard to avoid as she walks to the side of the building and opens up one of the phones. She paces for a while mumbling to herself before she makes the call.

Karina: Yes....is Despayre there. Da this is Karina.....no he won’t come to phone....shit. How about Angel? No...fine. Umm can I leave message. Da....okay you tell him that I don’t know if he shows up on Sunday but that I am still his partner. And that I think we can win it...and that I can win it for both of us...but also tell him I understand. I know things are all messed up. And...yes just one more thing...tell him that they sell really cheap phones that you can break.

Karina hangs up staring at the phone for a moment. She mumbles something in Romanian and throws the phone out into the street. She curses in Romanian and kicks a nearby trash can. She starts to breath heavy, her hands shaking until she reaches out for an invisible something. She grasp at it and her body calms. She takes a deep breath and heads for home.

**********************************************************************

Karina stands in the center of her training mat. Behind her the walls of monitors show many of Roxi’s matches playing on repeat. Karina stares right at the camera.

Karina: This is my promo. I will keep it simple and to point. I don’t know yet what will happen this Sunday. I work hard to know all the ways a match could go but this time I don’t even know how it will start. Maybe my partner will show up. Maybe he won’t. Maybe he will fight against a man that is his brother and maybe he won’t. Gabriel has made it clear he will try to win this match no matter what, but I don’t know what Despayre will do.

Either way I have no hard feelings for him. He is only and best partner I have ever had. Another fighter can’t demand someone to battle his brother. I can’t make him do this thing and either way Despayre and Angel have my respect. I will still be in their corner no matter what they do.

Chaos dances at the edge of this thing and that leaves me with one choice. Roxi, it will have to come down to you and me. The boys will be no use. Even if they both choose to fight they will not fight with all their heart so that is what we will have to do.”

Karina looks back at the monitors and then looks at her feet for a moment before speaking. She does not look up when she begins again.

Karina: This is the thing. I watch your tapes Roxi and must admit I like your style. You are submission fan, like me. You fight for yourself with a fire that burns from your soul. You are not a stupid girl like many bombshells and I think you will be a big star in the near future. I think you and I can put on a great match...

But the fact is that it is more than a match for me. Like you I am trained in the different ways to hurt people. I know how to make pain a weapon and just like you I can back up those weapons with hard fist and brutal kicks. I am a deadly beutiful creature when I enter the ring on any day....but this Sunday. This Sunday because of forces beyond your control and beyond your understanding you have got me cornered. I will strike without mercy.”

She looks at the camera now. Her face shows little emotion. She appears to be a blank slate aside from the eyes that burn with focus.

Karina: I do not know much about comic books. My brother read them when he is kid but the one thing I do remember is that every hero had a weakness. You are no different Roxi. You have weaknesses. You have joints I will bend backwards. You have pressure points that I will tear into. You have flesh and bone that I can bruise and break. More importantly you have a pain threshold and I will push you to it. This match will start and end with us. Once we get tagged in you won’t see a friendly corner. I will keep you on my side and break you quickly. Then when it is over I will offer my hand and help you up. But make no mistake I am going to win this match, not just for you but for my partner. That is all.

 The scene fades with in with Trevor Irons standing in the living room of his new Vegas home that he is sharing with Max Burke. It is a modest little house in the old part of the city.  He has various items laid out on the ground,: leather jacket, a shirt with blood on it, big Elvis like vegas glasses and a parrot in a cage. Trevor stands over these items wearing jeans and an a-shirt. Max sits nearby eyeing his partner not quite sure if he is thinking soundly.

Trevor: Alright...so first man I have this leather jacket that is obviously from some biker gang. I kind of remember playing pool and winning this from some guy who was not too happy about it....

Max: Yeah and that would explain why you had blood on your shirt.

Trevor nods thoughtfully. He picks up the glasses looking them over.

Trevor: Right..yeah..see that makes sense...and at the end of that promo I cut there was an Elvis impersonator. Right? and he had these glasses...and we all know that I do a mean Elvis impersonator.

Max: That is debatable...

Trevor looks at his partner with a scowl and then grins a little bit. He throws the glasses at Max.

Trevor: Don’t hate man....you know its true. Don’t hate on Elvis just because Canada is more known for Celine Dion....you could work on a kick ass Celine impersonation.

Max: I am not hating on Elivs....but on your lame impersonation but lets move on. What about the parrot?

The parrot bobs his head from two and fro. He then squaks shrilly causing both men to wince.

Trevor: Right! So I have been thinking about that. It seems the parrot can only say a few phrases and most of them are pretty vulgar. So I figure this parrot belongs to some mean crass like gamblin lady. One of those old ladies that work the slots and he escaped...and someone became my friend.

Max: Ok first...I don’t think that is very likely. Also that bird hates you. Every time you come nearby it tells you to screw off.

Trevor: Well there is that.

Trevor flops down on the couch. He ends up near the parrot cage. The bird looks at him.

Parot: Bugger off you ninny! Die in a fire!!

Trevor shakes his head and inches away from the bird. He runs his fingers through his hair

Trevor: But the one thing I don’t know is....well man I just don’t know if I did it with Amanda.

Max: She sure seems you did, and she bosses you around like you did.

Trevor: Right but you know I am not a stranger to drinking. This is not even the first time I blacked out. I have never had sex and not remembered a single thing...

Max: What does it matter man?

Trevor stands up and starts pacing making sure to avoid the bird as he walks

Trevor: because like you said that chick bosses me around like I owe her but if all that happened between us was a pool hall brawl and a angry parrot, well shit man. I can cut her loose.

Max: Yeah but you still have a match.

Trevor: Yeah but its not true tag team. I don’t need to be friends with her. Hell Thacher hates Misty and they advanced to the next round. All I have to do it bring the hurt to Despayre when its our turn to lock up. And hope that Amanda can handle Karina again.

Max: But can you beat Despayre....

Trevor: Yeah man of course I can. Listen Despayre is a beast in the ring, and there can be no doubt about that brother. But its like I say, a fight is a fight is a fight. And Despayre is not going to be bringing all he has. I mean we are a team right and its hard for me to fight without you in the ring, but its different with Despayre...he needs Gabriel...and he won’t have them. That levels the playing field.

Max: That is true man. Lets hope the same is true for Gabriel huh?

Trevor: You’re damn right. If there is any doubt that we are the hardest working team in wrestling..you or I are going to be at the Blast from The Past thingy and a tag team title match. Things are looking up for us man.

Max: Oh yeah, I have a good feeling. Now can we please get rid of that damn bird.

Parrot: Bugger off you ninny! Shit for brains! Die in a fire!!

Trevor nods and laughs.

Fade Out

 As the scene fades in we see Trevor in a giant hotel bed. He has blood on his clothes and is wearing a leather jacket and big cheezy elvis sunglasses. As he wakes up the camera pans out and the scene gets stranger. There appears to be a large mass of bubbles surrounding half the bed and a parrot is flying around madly. Next to him is Amanda Cortez nearly naked sleeping hard.

Trevor: Why am I wearing these crazy things....crap where am I.

Trevor looks over to Amanda and his eyes go big. He looks under the covers and his eyes get even bigger.

Trevor: I don’t believe I am about to quote that damn Romani but where the hell are my pants....ok Trev think back.....

THE LAST THING TREVOR REMEMBERS.....

Trevor and Max are sitting outside the Paris resort. It is late afternoon. The two men are having a late lunch and talking shop.

Trevor: I don’t know about this tourney man, I can’t believe you got me to sign up for this.

Max: What are you whining about....its a chance to get some exposure and you get to hang out with hot chicks...its a win/win right?

Trevor shrugs and finishes off his fries.

Trevor: What I want is a chance at the tag team titles....that is what we should be doing. I don’t know this Amanda girl...she kind of seems like one of those girls my momma warned me about.

Max: Relax. that is why we are going to have drinks with them. Now man up. Lets win this thing. Here lets get some beers...you need to relax. We are living the dream.

Trevor looks unsure but is not about to turn down beers. The cold ones come...and he takes a drink......and that is it.

WE RETURN TO THE HOTEL ROOM....

Trevor has currently pulled the covers off the bed as he searches the room for his pants. He finds them dangling off the ceiling fan. He reaches up to get them and the covers fall away showing a good view of his Ozark behind. On cue Amanda wakes up as he Trevor curses reaching for the pants.

Amanda: Nice ass Romeo...

Trevor grabs the pants and turns around covering himself up with the pants.

Trevor: Oh well hello there....your head pounding too?

Amanda: Hell yes...that was a wild night! You were hilarious

Trevor: oh...yeah! Well thats good...did we uh...you know? I mean I notice the lack of clothing and crap.

Amanda: What do you think...you owe me big boy so you better bring it Sunday.

Trevor looks pretty confused but nods. Amanda gets up wrapping the sheet around her. She walks through the bubbles and dodges the parrot. She picks up a CD on her way to the bathroom, walking over to Trevor.

Amanda: Now I am going to get dressed and get out of here. You promised to cover the room.

Trevor: I did?

Amanda: Sure thing....and you also made this video. You called it the best promo ever....hope your right.

Trevor: ummm right. Well I guess thanks for a good night I guess....

Trevor looks at the CD and shakes his head. He puts his pants on and ducks under the crazy parrot.

AND NOW TO THE “BEST PROMO EVER”

The tape starts and Trevor Irons is standing in the middle of a trashed hotel room. He is wearing jeans and a leather jacket with no shirt under it. A Burger King grown hands on his head at a jaunty angle. Trevor has the face of someone who has had a few too many but he is grinning like a mad man. In the next room people can be heard dancing and singing along to bad pop music.

Trevor: Here we are again. Man, I have been working the SCW for a while now and almost every time I have to see Kain’s ugly mug. But thats alright man...we can do this dance again. Shoot I am good at dancing.

Trevor does a little two step and picks up an empty bottle of booze smashing it against the wall. Then looks back at the camera.

Trevor: Here we go again. King against King! Thats right man I am a king now too...I got this here paper crown to prove it. Now you might say that doesn’t make me a king. Well then smart ass...what makes you King. What makes you so damn special....Kain. Shit man so far I have not been impressed.

Now I know you talk a lot of talk about being the best and I do know you kick hard.  Hell man , I know you’re a good fighter. I know this. But here is my point....we are surrounded by good fighters. There is this whole big alliance filled with guys just like us. There are the ones that are smart enough to know that any time they get in the ring they might get their asses kicked...and the ones who call themselves “King” thinking their unbeatable. Now I know I might be a country boy...but I am not stupid. I know I might not win this Sunday. Heck I might loose while hanging out at the turnbuckle...but I also know I can beat you. I know I am tough enough to beat you and just like you, I am not scared of you.

Now I am not worried about my partner. Unlike you...I can throw a little trust towards my partner. I mean I don’t think you even trust Frost now. Nah come Sunday I am looking forward to watching Amanda and Alexis go at it. Hell too bad girls like that....its going to be fun.

He gets a silly little grin on his face and then Trevor sits down on a nearby table clearing away pizza boxes and trash in the process. His eyes gain a little bit more focus as he talks.

Trevor: AND your damn right we are getting a rematch! You and Frost act like you are giving us charity by saying we are going to get that match but that aint charity...no sir. That match is owed to us and we are going to have it....and you know what else. There is a good chance we are going to kick your ass because when it comes to a true tag team match you have quite a battle.

You say I am delusional and pathetic....Kain you DON”T know me man. You have not even really gotten to face me in the ring. I am not an ant to be crushed by your boot and I am not some punk kid. I am a wrestler, a fighter that has been working my ass off for years to be in this ring. So lets forget this King bull crap.  Lets do our talking in  ring man.  Then once this fight is over we can move on to the next fight.

Trevor stands up stumbling a little bit. He grabs a box of pizza and pulls out a slice. Then the doorbell rings. Trevor walks over the door and opens it. A large man in an elvis costume walks in and behind him are three show girls. Trevor just laughs.

Trevor: Man this night just gets wierder....you guys with Amanda?

The video fades out.

 As the sun starts to fade on the desert expanse around Vegas, a beat down tour bus pushes along an unmarked road. Long patches of red and purple light stretch across the landscape. The bus use to be a tour bus for some hair metal band that was falling apart but now it belongs to Alexsei Koji. It has been painted black with purple letters on it. PARTY HORDE FOREVER! The door to the bus opens up and out walks Aleksei. He wears torn jeans and his trademark patchwork coat, complete with the new additions from Mark Ward’s wardrobe. He holds a bottle of rum in one hand and says something in Romanian to the driver.

Aleksei: I had my first fight when I was seven. It was back in the old country. My pa’s caravan had picked up some new families and one of the new kids was a stupid runt named Victor. His older brothers convinced him to do it. He shoved me outside my uncle’s camper and then the punches started to fly. I bloodied his lip and little Victory went crawling home to his family.

Aleksei shrugs and takes a sip of his rum. He then starts to walk up the dusty hill turned red with the fading light.

Aleksei: You know that kid kind of reminds me of Tom Dudley..da he was kind of goofy looking like Tom was. And just like Tom he traveled with crowd much bigger than he. See Victor’s brothers were tough, I should know I kicked all of there asses in the years to follow but Victor was always the weak link. Tom you’re that weak link. Your team knows it and so does ours. I know that all we have to do is bloody your lip and you will go running behind the other three. Your a weak man...and a coward. You...nah I am not very concerned with you.

He walks up the hill to reveal more rock and dust. A larger hill looms in the distance and Aleksei turns back to the bus. He motions for the vehicle to go further and he starts walking.

Aleksei: Now my first real fight was when I was fourteen. No big surprise here, it was over a girl. A lovely girl with big tits and she was mine. We’d make out behind school or back at the camper when my ma was working. Then this prick named Lucian stole her away using tricks, lies and the fact that he could drive. I use to watch that bastard drive around in his broken little car, one hand on the wheel and the other on MY girl.

Aleksei stops a moment and looks out past the horizon.

Aleksei: If I think hard enough I can still remember how her boobs felt....though to be honest I can’t remember her name. But I remember what happened to Lucian. One night I have to much to drink and I start to break his car. Da...I slash his tires and break the glass. Then Lucian sees me and charges at me. We end up fighting all over that car of his. I slammed his head into the sides, made a dent with his head and broke his hand. After that he did not look too pretty and that lovely girl...she even came back to me. Last I heard Lucian ended up getting shanked in a poker game gone bad....I don’t think he will be missed.

Aleksei laughs and keeps on walking as he takes a long drink from the bottle. The light continues to fade casting more reddish tones on the rocks.

Aleksei: Goth is kind of like that bastard Lucian. He took the Roulette Title from me like some thief and even though I had much bigger issues at the time it still always bothered me. I mean I look at that sorry excuse for a human and it makes me sick to think he got that title away from me. It doesn’t even matter that he lost it, does it? I don’t even mind that the brat prince has the belt for now though I hope my good friend Gianni ends up on top of that fight.

Just like Lucian you walk around like your better than everyone else but just like Lucian its all an act. All he had to impress the world was a broke down car and all you have is  broke down career. You’re never going to amount to much are you?....but you walk around big and tall. Just like Lucian I am going to enjoy brawling with you again. I am glad you got added to this match. It makes this whole thing that much better.

Aleksei reaches a pile of rocks and leaps up on one and then leaps on to the other with a big smile.

Aleksei: Oh it is going to be so glorious. A match to beat all matches. The return of a wrestling legend...

Aleksei looks at the camera and grins. He gives the audience of knowing wink.

Aleksei: Okay well maybe not a legend yet...but a charming guy none the less.

The Romanian sits on one of the rock and takes a drink.

Aleksei: You look back at my life and it is just a history of violence. I mark the periods of my life based on the fights I have had. I guess thats why I find myself looking back on the fights I have had as I get ready for one of the biggest fights of my life. All of Mark’s goons take pride in being big shots, but none of them are special. All of them remind me of a dozen other men that thought they were too big to fall. But any traveler will tell you that the path you walk on is built  on fallen empires. And those empires were build by fools who thought they were bigshots.

He takes another drink and gets up heading towards the rise again.

Aleksei: Guys like Jordan WIlliams and Nick Jones walk around like they are big men, and maybe at one point they were. I mean both have worn gold. Hell Nick has a little gang of lesser goons all his own. But look at you two now...you have worked so hard to become these icons only to choose to be Mark Ward’s lackeys.

Aleksei stops there and puts his hand through his hair. He looks at the camera with a smile.

Aleksei: I knew these two guys in prison. One was a big son a bitch named Sean Troy. He had anger issues and liked to past his time bashing in guys skulls. Then there was Smooth Reggie who was a pretty boy that liked to play the angels. Now I was only in prison for a little while but these guys were life time scum and both men thought they ran the prison. But both men had their run of things because of a friendship with an old man named Raffa. Raffa was old, and Romani like me. You know us gypsy’s are tricky lot. Raffa let the big boys knock things around but he pulled the strings. Before I left Smooth Reggie had Sean Troy stabbed in the back...and poor old Reggie ended up working for that old gypsy bastard his whole little life...both men tried to break me while I was there, but I outlasted them. So did Raffa...

The big Romani then gets quiet and thoughtful as he keeps on walking. He starts to climb the mound and we quickly discover it is a largish crater. Aleksei looks out at the blasted land with a smile and throws his bottle out into it.

Aleksei: Jordan and Nick are just like those guys. You think being one of Mark’s guys is just a powerful alliance but it is something simpler. You two guys work for him. You knock around who he says and you take your hits because of his decision. Hell he is not even going to be in the cage with you guys. He will play you until you break and then he will find some other power hungry punk to take your place. The midcard thugs are already circling like sharks for the opportunity to take orders. But that is not my problem, we will fight regardless of how stupid you two are. I will fight Tom even if he is not important to anyone and I will break Goth for what he took from me...but that won’t be enough. Not even victory in this amazing match will be enough to make things even.

Aleksei pulls out a piece of paper with four names written on them and none of them have been crossed off. He smiles but behind the smile is an intensity that is not often seen on the party boys face.

Aleksei: That man Raffa, tried to kill me a few months back. He beat me and left me for dead in a burning flop house in Singapore or some place like it. You know what funny thing is? I thought about this wrestling that I do and knew that I would miss it. I will be honest I started to become wrestler so I could hide out for a while but I have ended up loving it. I worked my ass off to get back to Sin City and on my return I was ambushed by men that had no issue with me. It was a cowardly move and one that each of those men will regret. Us travelers have a saying, it is that if you try to fight a traveler you better leave him dead. If the four of you were going to make your move on me you should have made it so that I never could fight again, because now I will not stop until all of you are broken. I don’t mark a single name of this list until that happens.

Aleksei starts to walk down the gentle slope of the crater as he sees his tour bus come up over the rise. It begins to drive down towards the bottom of the crater. Aleksei follows it.

Aleksei: I know that many see me as joke. They see the booze in hand and the silly jacket, they think me a clown. I don’t mind that because the truth is life is pretty fucking funny. But sometimes there are no jokes to be told. Sometimes it is not just about having a good time. Sometimes you have to go to war and that is just what I am going to do.

Aleksei pulls out his cell phone and makes a call. We overhear what he is saying.

Aleksei: Da I will send you directions but I need you to spread the word. Da adulanti tribuli. I mean everyone you can find. I am going to war my brother.

The big Romani reaches his bus and goes inside. The camera starts to zoom out as we see a small but steady trickle of vehicles heading to where the tour bus is.

 A cold rage has settled in and I have lost track of time. It might have been days since my match with Misty, maybe months. I returned to my “home” to find the phoenix, that bitch, there laughing at me. Her wings reached up in the rafters and I knew she meant to take me again. To erase all that I have been working. To burn me to ash and reform me into something knew. So I took my bat and I bashed her pretty little face.

Of course she did not feel pain. She is not real in that way, I know this to be true. But it felt good to break her face for a moment and spatter the floor with ember and smoke. It felt good to break things so I kept going. I took the bat to my monitors, turning their pristine screens into shatter shards of glass. I kept bringing the bat down until the heavy plastic and metal bent. I could see their insides, little green boards and tubes. I broke those too.

Then I started to train. I called in favors, had fresh bodies brought in every day. Paid people to beat the crap out of me or at least they tried to. I am not sure how long that lasted. They punched me and I punched back. They tried to break me and when I saw the fire return, I simply found a way to break them. Then I ran out of favors...ran out of victims...ran out of ways to escape fate.

Then there was a knock on my door.


The heavy metal door of Karina’s warehouse opens. On the outside is Aleksei Koji dressed in  jeans and a worn out t-shirt. He has his cane but does not need it. On the inside is a shell of Karina Koji. She looks bruised and beat up. Her eyes are hollow and it is hard to tell when she ate last.

Aleksei: Dear gods, what the hell happened to you.

Karina: What? I am training.

Aleksei: For what...the end of the world. Do you even know that you have a title shot this Sunday?

Karina: Roulette?

Aleksei: No....Bombshell. You’re the fucking main event.

Karina: What a waste....I imagine you want to come in.

Aleksei: Had not heard from you...hate to admit that I was worried.

Karina leads him inside. Her warehouse looks as if a bomb went off inside it. Aleksei laughs when he looks at the remains and shakes his head.

Aleksei: I know you don’t take advice well...but little wolf. You need a shower...a meal and then you need to cut a promo, because that brat Amanda Cortez is one step ahead of you.

Karina shrugs and looks over at what use to be her wall of monitors.

Karina: I seem to have destroyed my camera and such. They were looking at me funny.

Aleksei: You work on looking like a human being...I will handle the rest.

Karina: Da...ok.

Karina heads off to her shower grabbing a hunk of bread from one of the tables, taking a big bite out of it on her way to getting cleaned up.

******************************************
The camera fades in to see that Karina will be using her brothers equipment to broadcast her promo. She is standing in the middle of his tour bus looking slightly uneasy. A tower of beer and pizza boxes nearly reaches the ceiling at one point. There is a woman passed out on the couch and Aleksei can be heard in the background talking to someone in Romania.

Karina: You really live in this place?

Aleksei: Da, ce din!?

Karina rolls her eyes. She is wearing a black and purple hoody, and looks mostly human again. Her eyes are always looking away from the camera or in the distance. Her right hand twices ever so slightly.

Karina: I am told that I am to get a chance at the Bombshell Title. This comes as somewhat a surprise. I was training like I have never trained before for a chance at the real top championship belt in the SCW, the Roulette Title. I almost called up the boss men to tell them no thanks..but I start to think...why let all this effort go to waste. Not to mention who knows how much time I have left...

She looks beyond the camera with some concern.

Karina: Lets be clear. I do not know much about this Amanda Cortez. I tried to watch her little promo but to be honest I could not really be bothered. I got the general idea right away. She thinks she is the best in the SCW....the fans want her to stay champion...bla bla...and what have I done.

She starts to pace her right hand shaking a little bit more as she works through her thoughts.

Karina: Most times before a match I would study hours of tapes. I would try to get in the head of my opponent. Discover their weakness and figure out what submissions I want to use to exploit their weakness. I figure this is what I have to do to be my best but I learned something this week...that is not longer needed. I have evolved.

Her right hand becomes a distraction and she looks at it to slow it down. When it is more relaxed she continues to talk, choosing at the moment not to pace.

Karina: I told the world I had been reborn a fighter and that is truth. My blood burns with fury. My brain is filled with warrior instinct. I do not need tapes, I do not need research. All I need is a ring and an opponent. You, Amanda, are that opponent. That is all that matters to me.

Your title is joke. At one time this was not true but as much as I hate to admit it Odetta was the last woman of any quality to hold that belt. It has become a joke. Every month we get a new champion who says she is best and then she gets beat down. The flavor of this month is you, the tickle, tattoo girl. But your time on top will fade from memory just like the others before you.

She starts to pace again. Kicking aside a stray pair of boxers in disgust as she continues her rant.

Karina: I put my body and soul on the line to win the real SCW championship. I have competed in some of the most amazing matches in this federation. But none of that will prepare you for what I am going to do next....because that was before I evolved. My own mind held me back. I thought, with good reason, that this body had limits...but now I am not so sure.

I will enter the ring on Sunday and I will take that belt from you. Not only will I win but your body will be left broken on the canvas. I am going to make you scream, and I promise you it won’t tickle...not one bit. All that witness this match will see the future of the Bombshell Title. I will restore its glory. I will dominate every title defense and if I have to I will take on challenges every week. Your rematch can be the first and then maybe I will have Misty try to take it from me.

Week in and week out I will still stand. There will be no more flavor of the month. No more revolving door of piss poor ladies spoiling the reputation. There will only be legacy....followed by legacy. Who are you to stand in the way of that.”

Karina stops pacing and smiles at the camera. Her eyes still seem empty until they go wide with alarm.

Karina: And another thing.....

Flames started to dance along the edges of my vision the moment I entered my brothers shitty mobile. I knew I was on borrowed time. I tried to fit the words together before she took me. The flames continued to grow as I spoke. Know one can know how hard it is to focus when the world is burning around you. Nobody seems to notice that the bimbo on the couch is on fire. He body turning to ash. The camera is starting to warp from the heat, but that must be in my head.

Then she walks through the window. She wears my clothes and her wings dominate the small space of the trailer. Little wisp of fire fall down and she laughs, silently at me. She moves in close to me, her face is my face but it it is breaking away as it burns. I speak to her directly.

“FINE...FINE YOU WANT TO PLAY IT THIS WAY YOU FLAMING BITCH! WE MAKE A DEAL RIGHT NOW. THIS SUNDAY I HAVE A MATCH. IF I WIN YOU LEAVE ME BE.....AND IF I LOOSE YOU CAN TAKE ME.TAKE ME AND MAKE ME INTO WHATEVER YOU DAMN WELL PLEASE...DEAL.”

She keeps on laughing and starts to fly away. The flames die down. I have bought myself another week from the lady of flames.


Karina blinks at the camera unsure what she has said in her mind. In truth she said those words to both the demons in her head and the people in the trailer. Aleksei looks at her with concern. Karina just smiles and speaks with a soft voice.

Karina: See you Sunday Amanda...

The camera fades out.