Post by Alice on Jan 8, 2021 8:48:57 GMT -5
Alice hobbles into the dressing room following defeat on CruiserClash. Frustrated; she now hasn’t won a match since pinning Kabukii last May. A ping of a text being received on her mobile goes off; she opens her locker to retrieve it.
Keep your chin up, you're awesome. You’re still a cornerstone here on CC, you just need that big W. Pick yourself up, cause next week I’m giving you another chance to shine, against CJ Phoenix! D-Day |
After deliberating for a while, she finally undresses and heads for the shower.
Alice stands in the shower, water runs through her hair, her eyes closed.
“I need to do better, I can’t afford another defeat. Pre-covid, I was the hottest thing going on CruiserClash. Now? I’m an afterthought. Losing isn’t helping, I just need to get that all-important win.”
“Maybe walking away was a mistake? Maybe I should have stayed and gutted it out? The kids would have been ok with Mum and Dad.”
She wipes her face and opens her eyes.
“What am I talking about? I know I made the correct decision. The children’s father already abandoned them; there was no chance I would do the same.”
“SNAP OUT OF IT GIRL! YOU ARE BETTER THAN THIS!!”
“I’m Hard as Fuck for a reason, James left me with nothing. I’ve scratched and clawed for everything the kids and I have. I’ve earned the little success I’ve had here through my own merit, not because of who I used to be married to.”
“I know who I am, and I know what I need to do to be better.”
“CJ Phoenix, on the other hand, is lost, hence why he has had to resort to turning to The Following for guidance on how to reach his potential.”
“Looking at the landscape here; we have The Following, Philidor Holdings and The Lost Breed. Each faction, on the outside, they all appear to support their members, but we all know that truly, they are merely ways of ensuring their leaders achieve their own individual gains. In your case CJ, you are cannon fodder for Kyle Kemps’ cause.”
“Do you think he cares about you? Talent like yourself, you’re a human shield between your supposed leader and those who look to knock him off his perch.”
“You’re an idiot if you think Kemp spends much time thinking about how he can better your career. You were simply a means of a way for Dandy and himself to secure the Tag Team Titles, you were easily seduced into becoming an insurance policy. You delivered the Titles, but what do you get out of it? Your five minutes of fame will soon fade, people will forget you, your time with The Following will end with you being as empty-handed as you were when you agreed to become their pawn.”
“Maybe you’re comfortable at being a ‘Young Lion’ your whole career, some never reach their true potential. You're sitting under the wrong learning tree, you need to cut those strings and break away from your puppetmaster if you ever want to achieve your dreams.”
“I’m different, I’m a strong independent woman. I’m not going to whore my services out to The Lost Breed, nor any other faction. I’m a leader, not a follower; if I’m gonna be in a faction, I’ll sit on the damn throne.”
She turns off the shower, squeezes out the excess water from her hair, grabs her towel and heads back to the dressing room.
After dressing herself, Alice grabs her bag to leave when she notices a note sticking out of her locker. She pulls out the note, it reads:
Forever xxx |
She opens the locker to find a single black rose, she pauses for a moment before picking it up. She exits the locker room, with the rose in hand. She eventually walks past a TV monitor, several talents are crowded around, watching in shock as Nightingale undertakes his heinous act of violence against Vic Venable and his fiance, Christina.
They turn and scowl at Alice as if she was partly responsible for her husband’s actions. She ignores them and smells the rose as she turns and heads for the exit.