4.20.18
Chicago, Illinois
OFF-Camera
“Really…? Again?”
The day started off just like any other in the last couple of weeks. Ever since SCW announced that they were reopening their doors, things moved so much faster. I found myself running out of hours in the day. From the moment my alarm went off at five in the morning, it was off to the races. By five-thirty my playlist was ringing in my ears and I was on the three mile run to the gym so that I could be there just as the doors were opening. Mikah never showed up until nine or ten at the earliest, so I had a few hours to work my way around the gym warming up. By the time she made her way through the doors I was usually just starting to hit my second wind. I hadn’t realized that I kind of started to rely on it. I kind of wish that I didn’t.
Relying on someone gives them power over you.
That’s what I learned today.
Because, today she didn’t show up.
As sure as I was that it probably wasn’t anything related to me, it didn’t make it feel any better. I wasn’t about to waste the day by just moping around, so I tried to push on by myself. Control of the single ring residing in the back corner of the gym was mine, and there was no way that I was going to give up any practice time inside of it. I was headed that way when an all-too-familiar voice came up from behind me.
Kris: “Getting a submission victory in your debut is actually pretty impressive, Court.”
I didn’t give him the satisfaction of turning towards him. I had seen enough at that point. From his coming to the gym last week just to mess with me, to whatever he wanted to call his new persona, I knew I didn’t need any more advice from him. I definitely wasn’t going to give him the respect that he wanted by looking at him.
Court: “Really…? Again? What is it that you want from me this time, champ?”
I hated the way my voice sounded when I was trying to be condescending. Instead of coming across as hurtful, it always sounded more sing-songy with just a hint of sarcasm. It was something that I was going to have to work on. Luckily, I kept my eyes forward on the ring, and kept my feet moving towards it. I wasn’t going to let him slow me down, so it didn’t matter what his reaction was to my words. Unfortunately, even addressing him seemed to pull him in tow as I crossed the gym.
Kris: “Maybe I just wanted to congratulate you. You know? You did well. Not as well as I did in my debut, but still.”
This was one of the rare times where underestimating a rookie was going to earn him a verbal slap in the face. I turned on my heel so abruptly that he almost slammed into me. My hands were just barely faster than his this time, and I gave him a shove back before he ran into me. He opened his mouth to say something, but I pointed my index finger up at his face before scolding him in my best impression of my own mother.
Court: “You lost in your debut match to Gabriel Asar on Climax Control 89 you liar!”
He raised up his hands and took a step back from me, looking slightly impressed that I was able to call him out on his bullshit. I took a little personal pride in it, even if there weren’t any cameras around to prove that it happened.
Kris: “I really didn’t think there was a chance in hell that you were going to know that.”
I knew if I hung around, he was going to find a way to flip it back on me. Instead of indulging him, I rolled my eyes, and turned back towards the ring, hoping that he was not going to keep following me.
Court: “Goodbye, Kris. I am busy.”
I climbed up the stairs of the ring and walked along the apron, only for Kris to take two running steps and then hop up onto the apron in front of me. He cut me off from being able to step inside the ring, and leaned back against the ropes to make sure that he stayed directly in my way.
Kris: “You’re not busy. Mikah’s busy. That’s why she’s not here. That’s why I’m here instead. We worked so well together last time. I thought we would give it another go.”
I could have easily accepted the offer. It would have been less stressful to just take him up on it. Something told me that there was always more of a game to it than just the words that came out of his mouth though. There was something there that he did not want me to see. Something that he had tried to talk past. That was the part that I jumped on.
Court: “So you’re doing errands for Mikah now? Is that what being the SCW Heavyweight Champion is these days? I’m glad I was born with lady parts.”
He looked away. That one must have really packed some kind of sting to it. I took a step back from him and stepped between the middle and bottom ropes, leaving him behind on the apron. Again, I wasn’t lucky enough to leave him behind for long. Kris hooked his arms around the top rope and flipped backwards, landing back in front of me and backing up to the center of the ring.
Kris: “Part of getting the Kris and Mikah Show set back up means being here Fridays. Let’s just call this some way to amuse myself while I am stuck here. It’s a win-win for both of us.”
I didn’t exactly agree with that sentiment.
Court: “This doesn’t feel like a win for me. This sounds like a waste of my time.”
For some reason he found that funny, and laughed in my face. I was started to see why everyone always appeared so frustrated when they were talking to him. He’s funny when you are not the subject of whatever game he is playing.
Kris: “I didn’t mean you. I mean for her, and for me. She gets to blow off being here. I get to come and impart some wisdom.”
That is where I draw the line.
Court: “No. All you are is a walking distraction. I work too hard for this to stop and entertain you. I don’t owe you anything, Kris. You doubt me. I told you that I was going to win last week. I did. I don’t have anything left to prove.”
As far as channeling inner-confidence went, I didn’t think it sounded too bad. I refused to let any kind of nervous smile try to form on my face, and tried to keep a blank expression. If I didn’t give him anything to make fun of me about, maybe he would get bored and leave me alone.
Kris: “You had Otaki last week. She wasn’t ever going to be full time. Her head wasn’t in it. That’s not going to happen for you this week. You’re not going to be able to catch Sam Marlowe off guard like that. As much as I make fun of the girl, she’s not the worst competitor on the roster.”
That was it. I didn’t need him to try and tear me down, only to build someone like her up. If it was his goal to get to snap at him, that was the right button to push, because I gave him exactly what he wanted.
Court: “Sam is my least favorite type of person. Everyone says she acts so sweet, but she isn’t. That’s not true. She’s literally so damn sweet that she doesn’t realize that she’s a total bitch. People celebrate her for it.”
He seemed a little impressed at the fact that I didn’t really like her. It was probably just another test.
Kris: “Looks like someone has been doing their homework...”
It was meant to be an insult, but I didn’t take it as one, just to get under his skin.
Court: “Some people are smart enough to pay attention to their opponents without needing to be told to.”
If anything, I think my confidence probably sparked his curiosity. I could see him mentally changing gears, and maybe giving me a little more credit than he originally had.
Kris: “So what have you learned about these opponents, huh? Enlighten me.”
As he spoke he moved across the ring and picked up to padded gloves before sliding them onto his hands. He held them up in front of his chest as he came back across the ring, and instinct took over.
Court: “Sam wanted Ben in the tournament. She said it last week.”
I hit the pad on his left hand with my right and then raised my left knee towards him ribcage. He was able to drop a gloved hand to my knee and shove it away before it could make contact, forcing me to take a step back to maintain my balance.
Kris: “And?”
I wasn’t going to let him push me back. Instead of going for one of the pads, I kicked towards his shin, causing him to take a wide stance to avoid it. The distance that it created allowed me to take a running step towards him and use his leg as a step up. I swung my foot towards his head, but he ducked under it, leaving me to crash hard to the mat without making contact with it.
Court: “And...”
I was a little irked that I had missed, but didn’t wait to push myself up from the mat. I faked a right hand once I was back on my feet, only to make him raise his glove. I didn’t follow through, and instead raised my foot from the mat to hit him with a straight kick in the sternum that caught him by surprise.
Court: “It means that she doesn’t really trust Caleb. What’s the first thing that Caleb did, huh? He talked about what an honor it was to team with a champion, and said he had nothing to worry about. What did Sam do? She said she wished it was Ben, and then acted like she didn’t know Caleb was there before SCW closed. She said it was nice to meet him like they didn’t work at the same company.”
He managed to force some air back into his lungs, and stepped up towards me with maybe a little bit of growing respect. I’m not sure if it was because I had landed a strike, or because I had seen through Sam Marlowe, but something had changed.
Kris: “That’s all real nice, but you’re forgetting something.”
I shrugged me shoulders, content to just let him tell me instead of trying to guess at what he wanted.
Court: “What’s that?”
His face scrunched up like he was disappointed in my response. It couldn’t have possibly made me happier.
Kris: “How is any of that going to help you beat her?”
I thought that was obvious to someone as experienced as he was, but I didn’t mind laying it out plainly.
Court: “I have watched her matches. I have listened to her rant in promos. I’ve seen what she does backstage. There is nothing Sam Marlowe can do that I’m not ready for”
He tossed the two gloves to the side and charged towards me. I was faster than he gave me credit for, and probably a much smaller target than he was used to. Of course, that is assuming that he really wanted to hit me at all. I slipped behind him, but kept my shoulders squared to him. As he turned, he threw another punch my way, but I was able to lean back out of the way of it.
Kris: “You watched the match, right? Sam always runs in.”
I kept back-pedaling, but my shoulder blades hit the ropes. He saw it and tried to close off my left side. I knew it was all a ploy though. He was left handed. Instead of straying away from that side, I made him move that direction, and easily slipped around a second strike, and a third.
Kris: “Raynin had the power to put her down when she did, or the skill to counter out of it. You don’t look very strong.”
I could not find the words to answer him, before I saw the opening that would prove it to him. I rolled right, knowing that he would chase me with his left hand. At the last second, instead of just dodging away, I hooked my arm around his and then dragged him down to the mat over me. He rolled through the arm drag and got back to his feet quickly, but my point was made.
Court: “I’m used to being smaller, with over-excited opponents. And Sam doesn’t just have a problem with always charging in. You should watch that last match again. She creates too much space. Just like you were doing.”
A smile actually comes across his face, and his demeanor softens. He actually brings his hands together and claps softly.
Kris: “It’s worse when she actually connects. She flubs and opens herself up to counters all the time, but the way that you beat her is the space she creates when you are on the mat. Watch that match and follow Raynin around the ring. Every time Sam gets the upperhand, Raynin is suddenly gone. Take the opportunity to tag. Take the break on the outside. Wait for her to rush in, and then be the one with the counter.”
I nodded my head, and had to give him at least a little credit. There was only one thing that I didn’t really agree with.
Court: “I can’t let her tag out. Fenris is good, but Caleb was able to pick up the win for that team last week. He has the momentum for them. I need to take him out of the equation.”
As proud as he may have been moments ago, he looked equally disappointed now. He started to shake his head even before I was finished. By the time I was done he was basically jumping up and down with excitement to tell me that I was wrong.
Kris: “No. You put Sam out on the apron because she doesn’t have as much faith in her partner as you do in yours. You wait for her to get impatient. You wait for the fans to rally around her. You pick your moment, make her tap, and win the match.”
His eyes pulled away from me in the middle of his rant, and I allowed to trail mine off in the same direction. His words picked up tempo, and he started to move away from the center, and back to the ring ropes as he talked. Once he was finished, I spotted who he had seen. The same man that had popped up last week had stepped through the door and was looking his direction. This time, I was not going to let it go unnoticed.
Court: “I guess you don’t want to keep your creepy stalker dude waiting, right?”
To my surprise, he did not even sound offended by the jab. He turned back towards me, but continued to walk backwards towards the exit.
Kris: “Nah, that would be rude.”
He winked, and gave me that annoying smirk before turning back around and disappearing out the door with the man. If it were anyone else, that may have been a reasonable answer. However, being that Kris was nothing if not rude, there was clearly something going on that he didn’t want me to figure out.
4.20.18
“Two And Oh!”
The camera comes to life looking down at Courtney. Instead of being inside an arena like they were last time, she is standing in the middle of what looks like a park. Her eyes are down, retying her black and white running shoes while sitting down on a bench. The camera, clearly being flown around similarly to last week, veers off to her left side, and catches her attention.
”I wasn’t going to start this until a little bit later, but I guess I was in the minority in that one….”
She looks off to the right of the camera at someone not shown in the frame.
”It’s been an interesting day already. Really, it’s been an interesting week. I mean, just one week ago I was hanging out in the middle of a ring and telling all of you that I was going to walk into Blast From The Past and prove to everyone that I was ready to compete in this company. One amazing debut, and three taps of Otaki’s hand later, I made good on that promise.”
She shrugs her shoulders and pushes herself up off of the bench. She starts to walk along the sidewalk, the camera floating in front of her as she goes.
”I wasn’t worried about Fenris squaring off against Cross. I didn’t want a different partner. I wasn’t looking at other teams and finding myself intimidated. I went out there and made my dream come true. I’m not going to do that Sam Marlowe thing and pass off credit to other people. I’m also not going to be a bitch and talk down about Otaki. Anything I had to say to her, I did via a submission hold. Once I was Over It! that match was over. She’s in my rear view, and the only person in my sights is the Bombshell Roulette Champion.”
Court looks away from the camera, a smile playing on her lips. She tries to laugh the thought away in order to stay on point, but she cannot seem to shake it.
”She is someone who would have given up her championship if Christian Underwood had asked her to last week. She is someone who worked the concession stands instead of just walking away when she wasn’t appreciated. She is someone who makes the same mistakes over, and over, and over again.”
She manages to compose herself and get back on track, putting an end to her laughter.
”In one week she had to question who her manager even was, complained her manager was not her partner, got passed off to someone who had to be tricked into managing her, nearly gave up her title, and had the announcers dump on her concession days. To me, that sounds like a joke. That sounds like someone that is in way too far over their head, championship history or not. Sam Marlowe doesn’t look like a champion to me. She looks like the person that was a last resort challenger back at Full Circle.”
As she makes her way through the park, she shifts gears a little bit.
”Now I know that this match is not for Sam’s title, so her lackluster champion status is a non-issue. But don’t think just because I talked a little about that, that I forgot about you Caleb.”
The smile widens on her face, and she cannot help but throw an insult.
”I remember from the last time SCW was open, and I have seen your matches in Honor. You’re not terrible. You showed that last week when you were able to pick up the win for your team. As much as Sam doesn’t really want to be part of your team and would rather be sitting on the sideline with Ben Jordan, you seem to have a lot of faith in her. You had her back in your promo last week, even when she left you hanging. I bet that had to sting a little bit afterwards, huh?”
She makes a clicking noise with her tongue against the inside of her cheek as she shakes her head.
”She needed you to carry your team to a win last week, Caleb. You saw what happened when she was in the ring with Raynin. Either Raynin put her down, countered what she had planned, or always managed to escape. You think that story is going to be any different this week? If you leave her in the ring with me, I am going to beat her.”
Upon second thought, that did not seem like such a course of action for her. She let that point sit while she moved onto the next one.
”Then again, after that last week, I would be pretty determined to show my partner that I wasn’t some bitch. She did not believe in you, and you did the work that pushed the two of you to the second round while she almost botched the whole thing for your team. You almost can’t trust her to be in the ring with me, but Fenris is just going to dismantle you if you don’t tag out. I guess you have to decide if you have more faith in yourself than Sam has in you..”
She shrugs her shoulders, either route appearing favorable for her team and Caleb’s feelings on it didn’t really matter.
”I’ll be seeing you two in a couple days. I hope you all find some answers before then.”
With that she blows a kiss to the camera, and puts her earbuds back into her ears. She turns with the sidewalk, and breaks into a run as the camera ascends away from her. It stays focused on her until she is just a small moving blur, and then the feed fades out to black.
