RUSH CHAMPIONSHIP

[Zero]

DEADLINE ONE - 3,250 WORD RP ALL COMPETITORS 7TH JUNE 2019 2359 EST


DEADLINE TWO - 750 WORD SHOOT / SEGMENT 9TH JUNE 2019 2359 EST


DEADLINE THREE - 2ND 750 WORD SHOOT (WINNING CONTENDER AND CHAMPIONS ONLY) 12TH JUNE 2019 2359 EST

[DeviousDanny]

Sabrina Bello’s Apartment



It is the night after Sabrina Bello defeated Ryan Singer at Emerge 23, and she has rewarded herself by spending extra time in the shower. She steps out into the steamy bathroom and wipes a spot on the mirror quickly with her hand so she can see herself in it. The look on her face is not quite as you’d expect it to be after earning another win. No, she just looks tired. She lowers her head and lets out a heavy sigh before looking back up, nearly jumping right out of her skin when she sees Lindsay Morrison has somehow materialized virtually out of thin air directly behind her.



Lindsay smiles warmly,  even as she tucks a set of pins in her loose hair.  "You really need better locks, my dear," she says cheerfully.



“And why would I ever want to keep you out, Lindsay? Of course, the fact that you chose not to wait until I left the bathroom makes me wonder why?” Sabrina pauses for a moment as a thought crosses her mind, causing her to turn herself towards Lindsay, giving her a full view of what is normally covered in fabric.



“I suppose I should be happy you weren’t waiting for me the second I hopped right out of the shower. I very well might have had a heart attack had you been standing right there. I guess I should also start expecting you show up when I least expect it,” she smirks playfully. “Would you mind handing me that towel over there? Or if you’d like, I can just stand here having this conversation with you dripping wet.” Sabrina motions towards the towel.



Lindsay's eyes flick over Sabrina’s form in a calculated look,  before she grabs the towel, unfolding it with a sharp flick,  and holding it out to wrap around Sabrina.



"Carpe diem,  darling.  Seize the day.  Don't hesitate," Lindsay partially explains her presence. "But holding a conversation as you are now,  well,  it may end up rather distracted."



“Very, very true,” Sabrina lets a light chuckle escape her mouth. “So what do I owe the honor or your presence this evening, then? Did you come to congratulate me for seizing back-to-back victories? I suppose it will all be for not since I’m facing highly insurmountable odds in a couple weeks. It’s one thing to beat Jackson and Singer, but Sundown is a whole other level. He gets his hands on me, I might be luckily to leave that ship with the ability to walk,” Sabrina confesses with more than a tinge of fear.



Lindsay nods.  "Congratulations are indeed in order," she says warmly.  "Your demons seem to be firmly in the past now.  I have to say,  I'm proud of you,  Sabrina."



There is a blink-and-you'd-miss-it flash of something very much like maliciousness that passes over Lindsay’s face.



"Well if you wanted practice at facing a monster,  you could try and sit in the same room as Mordecai," she suggests.



A look of curiosity washes over Sabrina as she tilts her head in Lindsay’s direction. “What do you suppose I could learn by simply being in the same room as Mordecai? Is it just a matter of spending time around a monster to alleviate the fear of being in the ring with one?” Sabrina pauses and before Lindsay can respond she says, “I guess you have done nothing but give me great advice so far, so why start doubting you now?”



"Oh Sabrina,  I'm not some all seeing and all knowing oracle,  a font of wisdom.  Doubt me all you wish," Lindsay says lightly.  "But fear... fear is a curious thing. There is always a method to my madness.  Is this something you want to learn?"



“I want to learn everything and anything I can. I’ve spent much of my life in the dark and I need someone to help me fill in the gaps. If you’re willing to share your knowledge with me, I’m more than willing to listen to what you say,” Sabrina replies happily. “You have helped me a lot so far just by spending time in your presence.”



“I’ve always loved mentoring,” Lindsay admits, something open and vulnerable about her expression for a moment, before her usual mask drops back into place. “If you truly want this, tell me, and we can begin. The first step starts with you.”



With full confidence, Sabrina answers, “I want you...er, I want this. I want you to be my friend, my mentor and anything else you are willing to be for me. I was utterly lost before you came to me that night. I will admit to you alone that I was just about at the end of my rope as far as my career was concerned.” Sabrina does not appear to be lying or seeking sympathy with her tone, inching her way closer to Lindsay as she gets real serious. “You may never know how much it means to me that you entered my life when you did. And if I can be frank with you, I was always hoping that somehow connecting with your sister as I did would also bring you into my life. I’ve watched you from afar with great fascination and wonder for so long, and now here you are. You stand here before me in my very own bathroom and I’m here with you wearing nothing but a towel.”



Sabrina smiles a playful little smile and places her right hand on Lindsay’s left shoulder. She looks into Lindsay’s eyes, but finds that Lindsay is showing not much emotion at all. “I’ve had a dream very similar to this many times over the years. Only, most of the time it has been you wearing nothing but your birthday suit. I’ve wondered many times what it is you look like beneath all of those pesky clothes.” Sabrina brings her hand up to Lindsay’s cheek and very gently strokes it.



Lindsay accepts the touch to her cheek. "Here I am, indeed," she agrees,  but then dips her shoulder and steps back the smallest fraction.  "And as tempting a treat as you are, dearest Sabrina,  a mentor must have some restraint towards her student. This is not a no,  but a maybe."



With a quick movement,  Lindsay brushes a kiss as light as a feather across Sabrina's lips,  before turning and walking from the bathroom,  a distinct sway in her step.



Sabrina mutters under her breath, “I think I need to take another shower after all of that. Much colder this time…” Sabrina drops her towel to the floor and indeed turns the cold knob on the shower and hops back in. Within moments of stepping in, the sounds of her moaning in ecstasy can be heard above the water.



INNER MONOLOGUE



Can I really do this? It is such a tremendous opportunity, to be sure. Seemingly it would not be too much of a stretch to retrieve one of those briefcases. With any luck it would be Yvonne Knight who would grab the other one. I sure would love to get my hands all over her again. She is indeed one hell of an athlete but I feel if I get another crack at her I could emerge victorious.



I would probably have a better chance of leaving that ship with the RUSH Championship Title around my waist if I could get Lindsay to help me out a little. She and her family of minions could be quite instrumental in helping her...no, that is not what I want Lindsay for. I don’t need anybody out there with me to help me win. If I win, it will be all on my own and be something to be proud of. It will be a moment to look back on and say that I finally accomplished something.



I can’t stop thinking about Lindsay, though. I actually do feel like, as strange as this seems, that I don’t want to disappoint her. Could that be? No, that’s silly, isn’t it? Do I really think that if I keep winning she will want to fuck me? Oh, that is such a harsh, nasty word for how I feel about her. No, I want, no, I need to make love to her. That sounds better. And everybody loves a winner, right? I could be a champion and get myself a girlfriend all at once. Ahhhh, not sure if that’s how it will play out, but it couldn’t hurt. It’s been a long time since I felt these butterflies in my tummy, though.



Again, though, how the fuck am I going to get through all of this? I’ve never been in a Ladder Match, but I’ve seen enough of them as a fan to know that they are extraordinarily dangerous. I certainly put myself through pure torture and treacherous conditions throughout all that time in Japan. It’s all just about mind over matter, right? I’ve heard that before many times. Just gotta find a way to ignore all the pain and just keep climbing and climbing and climbing. Just gotta prove that I am as unbreakable as I like to claim I am.  

“SPECIAL” Interview

Sabrina Bello is feeling really good about herself right now. She has consecutive wins and looks to be a true threat to win a championship sooner than later. That could certainly not be said only a few months ago. She has even been showing an interest in the art of submission wrestling. So while she might have momentum, you might guess that she left disappointed to not earn a submission victory in either match. Luckily, you don’t have to speculate as she is sitting down for a special, exclusive interview with Emerge Reporter Lilee Snow.



Sabrina: I would like to thank you for taking time of your day to do this. I know I have been a complete and utter cunt towards you in the past. I won’t apologize for that as I had my reasons for my behavior. However, as you can likely tell just by looking me in the eyes right now that I am 100% sober and I will show much better restraint to show you how appreciative I am that you were willing to be here.



Lilee indeed stares at Sabrina’s half-smiling face for a few pregnant moments, smiling herself when she can sense that Sabrina is being genuine.



Lilee: Alright, then. You know, there are other people here who can do my job if you’d like. You don’t have to rely on me.



Sabrina nods slowly and smirks.



Sabrina: You are the best that Emerge has to offer. You are not afraid to ask hard questions and you rarely ask stupid questions. So heading into the huge Symphony of the Sea event, I wanted nobody but you to interview me.



Lilee: Um, okay. So, first question is, why are you suddenly so interested in making your opponents tap out? You’ve stated prior to both your match against Tyler Jackson and then against Ryan Singer, that you wanted to make them submit to the Gran Finale. You even doubled down by saying that you would refuse to let Singer leave without submitting. You never showed an interest in submissions before, right? So why now?



Sabrina: Simply put, I’m no longer concerned with only winning, but also on making a statement. I was confident that I would defeat Jackson, so why not try and put a little pressure on myself to go that extra step? Lindsay Morrison has told me that there are few greater feelings in this world than making someone submit to your will.



Lilee: So why, then, after failing to submit Tyler Jackson, would you double down when it came time to talking about Ryan Singer? Singer is whole higher caliber of wrestler than Jackson, few would argue. Failing to tap him out kind of makes it look like you’re maybe incapable of tapping anybody out.



Sabrina: Again, I am trying to go out there and make a statement. Set the bar high, right? Shoot for the stars and all that shit. Was I disappointed that I failed on both counts to submit them? Of course, but at the end of the day a win is a win and I have consecutive victories.



Lilee: I also find it peculiar that you would lean so heavily on submitting your opponents when you’re competing in a Ladder Match on night one of Symphony of the Sea. There are no submissions in that match.



Sabrina rolls her eyes and takes a deep breath.



Sabrina: You fail to realize that if I can lock in the Gran Finale for a substantial amount of time on even one of the competitors in the match that their ability to walk will be severely compromised. You don’t think that possibly taking Sundown’s knees out won’t help me get one of those briefcases? It seems to me that as long as that beast of a man is vertical and walking without pain, he is a particularly dangerous threat. Between Melissa Killgraves, Ryan Singer, Yvonne Knight and I, we should be able to possibly form enough of a temporary alliance in the case that one of us alone is not enough to keep Sundown from grabbing one of those briefcases. You think any of the four of us would want to go one-on-one with Sundown, especially given the hell we are sure to put ourselves through on Saturday?



Lilee: I suppose you raise some valid points there. It sounds as though you’re scared of Sundown. What role does that fear play in your strategy heading into that match?



Sabrina: If I were to tell you I was unafraid of Sundown, that would be one whopper of a lie. That guy is a scary motherfucker who is seemingly a horror movie monster brought to life. If I was not afraid of Sundown, I would be about as dumb as Donald Trump looks. The thing one needs to keep in mind when preparing for facing such a beast is that nobody in this world is unstoppable. When it boils down to it, he is just a mortal human being who feels pain. He is undoubtedly one hell of a force to be reckoned with, but he is only a man. Of course, what I mentioned before about taking his legs out and working with others to help take him out. There is always a way to defeat these so-called monsters.



Lilee: I know you’ve faced Ryan Singer a couple of times and you’ve fought Yvonne Knight very recently as well. You have never met Melissa Killgraves as far as I know, so what do you think of her?



Sabrina: Oh, she is a fiery and nasty competitor as far as I can tell. She got a lot of issues mentally that are working in her favor when it comes to putting a hurting on her opponents. Seeing what she did to Goddrick was quite impressive, so I’d be a damn fool to overlook what she brings to the show. She fought Yvonne Knight at Emerge 23 and escaped victorious, which I personally can not say. Of course, I know The Moustache Ride interfered in the match to give Killgraves the DQ victory, but as we all know, a win is a win.



Lilee: What do you make of that whole situation? Do you believe Yvonne Knight when she claims that she is not asking for The Moustache Ride’s help at all?



Sabrina shakes her head.



Sabrina: As far as I’m concerned, Ivy has given me no reason to doubt her. She is the picture of class and skill. What does she gain by those two knuckleheads interfering? They make her look bad by being out there supposedly trying to help her. I mean, we’ve all seen Ivy right? She does not need anybody’s help. I believe her 100%. I guess I should maybe make that 99% because there is ALWAYS the chance that I’m dead wrong and she is breaking bad. But no, I have a world of respect for Ivy, Lilee.



Lilee: Back to Killgraves, then, shall we?



Sabrina shakes her head again, this time more vigorously.



Sabrina: Nope. With all due respect, I’ve already spent as much time talking about her as I would like.



Lilee: Fair enough. So, would you mind telling us a bit more about your...I’m not sure if it’s a business arrangement or what it is, that you have with Shadowcat? This kinda feels like déja vú to be honest. It wasn’t long ago that I was asking you about your alliance with Mika Kozlov.



Sabrina: I certainly do not blame you for feeling that way. The thought has crossed my mind that maybe Lindsay is not so different than Mika, or should I say it HAD crossed my mind initially. That was until I really had the chance to spend some time with her. Having just experienced someone who was manipulating me and using me, you better believe I was wary of Lindsay when I first met her. Whatever it is she is to me at this point, her influence upon me has helped me put it all together. And I certainly don’t want to let her down. No, I definitely want to continue to make a good impression on her.



Lilee narrows her eyes and cocks her head sideways at Sabrina.



Lilee: Why is that?



Sabrina: Well, perhaps I have said too much as it is. I can’t go around telling the world everything now, can I? If you’d like, I could whisper it into your ear. You have to promise not to tell anybody, though. It’s more of an off the record kinda thing.



Lilee: Sure. Why not? Color me curious.



Sabrina motions for her to come closer to receive the whisper. Lilee gets out of her cheer and leans over in Sabrina’s direction. Sabrina starts whispering something that make Lilee’s eyes open very, very wide and then Sabrina sticks her tongue right in Lilee’s ear. That is enough to make Lilee fall right back into her chair. Lilee takes a deep breath and looks rather, perhaps exhilarated as she tries to compose herself.



Lilee: Um, that certainly is an, um, understandable reason. Thanks for uh, sharing that with me.



Sabrina puts her index finger to her lips to remind Lilee to keep her mouth shut about it.



Sabrina: If I hear that you said a word about that to anybody, then I will find you and I will break both of your damn legs. Capisce? Don’t make me regret sharing that with you



Lilee: I hear you loud and clear, Sabrina. Do you have anything else you’d like to talk about?



Sabrina: I would like to extend a wishing of good luck to Vanilla Skyy, actually, now that you mention it. It might sound strange to hear me say this, given my relationship with Shadowcat at the moment, but I hope that Vanilla get what she seeks, what she desires. Imagine what must be going through that beautiful head of hers right now? She loses her job as Emerge GM, them very soon thereafter is like, “fuck it, I’m coming out of retirement to gain my revenge against Mordecai,” like she didn’t skip a beat. Maybe I should be hoping that Mordecai forces her to retire for good so that there is no threat of her coming after me. Right? Who is to say that she doesn’t just absolutely go through Mordecai like a hot knife through butter and then decides it’s time to check off another name on her shitlist. I know the level of violence she is capable of.



Sabrina lets that sink in for a moment.



Lilee: You were quite instrumental in her—



Sabrina: You don’t need to remind me, darling. I regret many things that I did while under the spell of Mika and all that alcohol I was downing. Nothing more than what I did to Vanilla Skyy. She didn’t deserve what I did one bit. And while it pales in comparison to the torture that Mordecai our her through, I believe in her eyes I’m just as worthy of revenge as he is. So yes, Vanilla, good luck to you.



Lilee: Is that it? Just good luck to someone who hates your guts?



Sabrina: What do you want me to say? Ryan Singer’s a loser, Melissa Kilgraves is boring, Yvonne Knight is past her prime, that Sundown probably can’t even climb a ladder? Something along those lines? Some bulletin board material? Nah, I think I’ve said enough. I go into this show an underdog but leave a...CHAMPION.



Lilee: There you have it folks. “Unbreakable” Sabrina Bello.

[Ruppy]

Undefeated.

It was a word that carried a lot of power and respect to it, but also one that tended to not last very long when referring to someone. The pressure alone from carrying such a title was often too much to bear and caused even the greatest to crumble eventually, whether it simply be due to getting too full of themselves believing they were invincible or ultimately cracking from pushing themselves too hard trying to continue living up to such lofty expectations.

Melissa Killgraves never expected to still be undefeated after about four months of action with Emerge, and while publicly she would gladly gloat about it to no end… behind closed doors was a different story. On one hand, the pressure from trying to stay this way almost felt like she was being forced to live up to everything her father had expected of her after all, which she thought she’d left behind long ago. On the other, it was something she could take pride in knowing that she, and she alone, got to this point and he would certainly have to take notice of the point she was trying to prove now.

As Melissa thought ahead to Emerge’s upcoming Invasion event, she couldn’t help but mull over the situation before her. It would be the very first time she’d be competing in something that wasn’t a traditional match, and Matt had made absolutely sure to make clear the dangers of what awaited her. A Ladder Match, especially with multiple people, had all the ingredients for a catastrophe waiting to happen, and someone with no experience in such an environment was going to have to adapt quickly if they wanted to survive, let alone hope to win. She had tapes of some of Matt’s own Ladder Match endeavors from the past to give her an idea of what she was in for, and he’d altered her workout accordingly to try and prepare her both for that and the possibility of having to wrestle again the very next day no matter how much pain she was in.

Hence the reason why she was currently swimming full speed laps repeatedly in the pool Matt had gotten privately reserved at the local recreation center for the day.

Despite her body feeling ready to shut down, Melissa blocked out the feeling in favor of other aspects of the Ladder Match she needed to take into account. In addition to needing to readjust to climbing a ladder and grabbing something to claim victory, this would also be the first time she couldn’t focus on smashing just one opponent into the canvas. Four others would join her in fighting over two contracts all just to see who would go one-on-one the very next night. The concept wasn’t a new one to her despite lacking the experience to back it up… after all, her father ran her through all his military training, including accounting for more than one enemy at a time and dealing with the situation accordingly. The fact that this was all taking place on a cruise ship that would be out sailing on the ocean wouldn’t make any of it easier, but one that made it all worth it was the thought of getting her hands on the RUSH Championship. Being able to hold her first title belt high would be the ultimate proof that she’s finally made something of herself that wasn’t “daddy’s little soldier.”

Melissa was snapped out of her thoughts by a piercing whistle as she finished her latest lap, and she immediately leaned up against the edge of the pool to catch her breath. Every muscle felt like it was on fire despite the cool water trying to offset it, every breath was painful to take, but in her mind, she was starting to get more and more used to this and knew if she could lock down her prize in the Ladder Match on night one, then she’d still be more than ready to go with the title actually on the line for night two. She looked up at Matt from where he stood, and a simple nod was all she needed to know she was on the right track in his eyes. He extended a hand to help her out of the pool, but she shook her head and managed to pull herself out to at least sit on the edge until she felt ready to try walking.

“I don’t think I’ve seen anyone I’ve trained before, military or wrestling, keep up that kind of pace for so long. I know that’s all you as well kid, not anything your father programmed into you. Nice work.”

Melissa smiled and nodded, still trying to catch her breath to be able to verbally respond. He held out an open hand to see if five minutes was enough of a break before she resumed, and she nodded again. Maybe it wasn’t wise of her to be pushing herself this hard, but she knew championship gold and the validation she’d been seeking long before Emerge was ever an option was so close and she’d have to go well beyond even her impressive level of toughness to cross that finish line. Besides, she’d have plenty of time to recover before boarding the ship and having her match, so it was worth the extra precaution of making sure she could handle what was being expected of her going in.

“With that kind of perseverance, I wouldn’t be surprised if a little gold was also catching some sunlight on this cruise with us after the wrestling’s all done.”

Melissa turned her head and couldn’t resist raising an eyebrow as Claire strutted over to where she sat like a runway model soaking up all the attention in the room. Now, Melissa had every reason to be wearing her red and yellow bikini right now as the pool was her proverbial gym for the day so the attire had to handle the workout and not restrict her. Not that she didn’t look great in a swimsuit, as much as a certain glorified blogger would probably argue just for shits and giggles, but needless to say wealth wasn’t the only reason why Claire was so popular in school, and compared to the tough as nails woman needing something practical and tested, the blonde looked like a bombshell about ready to explode right out of the blue and silver bikini that just barely clung to her curves for no real reason at the present moment. She needed a minute to find her voice amidst the heavy breathing, but once she’d stabilized herself the military-bred combatant had to get some answers.

“Dare I ask why you look like you’re trying to attract everyone’s attention when Matt and I are the only ones here?”

“I just wanted a final opinion from my dear friend before we embark on that cruise. I know you’ve got business to attend to, but I figured it wasn’t worth wasting the chance to relax and enjoy the trip afterward.”

“Hold up… ‘we’? I know you’ve been a huge support for me in this endeavor Claire, but since when do you actually attempt to attend and watch when I get into the ring?”

Claire just giggled as she sat down beside her friend, resting a hand on her shoulder only to pull it away when Melissa winced slightly from the fact her body was still trying to get over the amount of full-speed laps she just forced herself to swim around the huge pool at their feet.

“OK, I know you can probably guess it’s partly because this show’s happening on the biggest and most extravagant cruise ship in the world, and I can say I’ve been on a public cruise for once instead of just sailing around on my family’s yacht, like we used to do during the summer, but I realized that I should try to be a little more supportive even after everything I’ve done so far. To help a friend get into this business and not even see them in action just once… what kind of a friend would I really be?”

“Still probably a better friend than those Moustache Ride buffoons to Ivy, but a win’s a win so I have no reason to complain.” Melissa couldn’t resist cracking a smirk at how her undefeated record remained intact and knowing her disregard for the ‘honor’ of the situation would drive the Englishwoman mad. The smirk didn’t last long, however. “Are you sure about this though? I know for years you’ve been trying to break past that stereotype of the ‘spoiled and sheltered rich brat’ but are you show showing off this much in public is the best way to do that? I can’t exactly play ‘bodyguard’ while I’m busy seeing if a ladder or someone’s body would break first if I throw them into it.”

“I’ll be fine Melissa. I know it’s not an ideal situation, but how else can I prove I’m able to handle myself? I can’t just expect people to ignore my presence even when I’m only trying to watch you do your thing, so I have to be just as prepared to stand on my own two feet for the future, just like you.”

“If I may offer a suggestion, I think Emerge is still advertising open slots in that battle royal they’re doing in a ring surrounded by a pool basically. I know you don’t need the money Miss Prescott, but-”

“Tempting, sir, but I don’t think I’m ready to break that far out of my shell or whatever just yet.”

Matt simply shrugged at the suggestion being shot down, still holding on to hope that he might be able to convince the young blonde to take a stab at the business herself one day. It was already doing wonders for Melissa’s confidence in herself. True, sometimes it felt like borderline egotism, but it was natural for a wrestler to feel a little cocky about their abilities at some point in their careers, especially early on if they were doing as well as she was. He’d prefer that over any more breakdowns she might suffer from psyching herself out with mental images of her father’s self-righteous ‘my way or the highway’ drill sergeant approach. He would never disagree with the positive values he himself would proudly defend in combat, but the subject of trying to forcefully inject them into someone who never wanted to have any sort of military influence was one he would stand his ground against all day long.

“Claire, I’m all for trying to follow my lead on kicking a father’s poor influence to the curb, and some R&R would sound great on that ship after I’m done hopefully claiming the RUSH Title, but I just don’t want you to put yourself in a situation that might-”

“So you can be a caring and supportive individual looking out for those in need, and you choose not to uphold those values in a public setting, because…?”

Miranda could feel her blood run cold at the sound of that voice. Eyes wide, she carefully turned her head and found herself making eye contact with the mountain of a man whose looks made it clear enough what kind of relationship she had to him. She was silently praying that, at worst, this was just another hallucination triggered by her brain from the exhaustion of her recent set of laps around the pool, but the fact that both Claire and Matt were also looking right at him with mixed emotions all their own made it clear this nightmare was a lot more real than she could hope for. Even if he wasn’t clad in his police uniform, Sgt. Killgraves could command attention and intimidate even the most dangerous of individuals with just that glare alone, and right now as he stood in the doorway there was only one person in his line of sight it was meant for.

“Brett, what are you doing here? I’ve got a private rental on this part of the rec center for the next-”

“One of my men saw you all come in while he was working out and informed me. As far as I’m concerned, I’m treating this like a missing persons’ case and it’s about time the young woman who fits that bill gives up this wrestling nonsense and comes home.”

That seemed to spark something in Melissa as the dull ache of her muscles became nonexistent in her mind as she shot to her feet and slowly marched in the direction of her father. Claire tried to grab her hand to keep her from doing anything she might regret, but one advantage to having recently been in the pool was still being wet enough to slip free of her friend’s grip and keep on moving. The officer stood still as a statue as his daughter slowly closed the distance with a fire in her eyes that he’d only ever seen whenever an argument broke out between them.

“Give this up? Give this up!? I’ve felt more like myself wrestling for the past four months than I have in roughly a decade and a half or so being programmed by you like I’m supposed to be some sort of robotic drone marching into war only because it’s what you want my life to be! I’m back-to-back matches away from being able to say I accomplished something with my own bare hands that you had nothing to do with!”

“You’re also about to cause harm to other human beings using ladders as weapons for no reason other than the ‘entertainment’ of other people. Do you really take delight in doing this? And especially bragging about it afterward?”

“Maybe I wouldn’t have turned out this way if you’d-”

“Not tried to raise my daughter to be-”

“A broken clone of yourself?”

“Try a young woman who could be a true inspiration to other young women in this country, but clearly you’ve let outside influences lead you astray.”

As father and daughter found themselves trying to get nose-to-nose, that comment felt like a sucker punch right to Melissa’s gut. She knew that was a shot directed right at Claire, who had absolutely nothing to do with the decisions she’d made up to this point. Blinded by rage, Melissa reared back, ready to cold-cock her old man, who squared up as though he were expecting it and waiting to see if she really had what it took to actually try and hurt him like she could any wrestler she shared the ring with. Before any lines were crossed, however, Matt had finally closed in and grabbed Melissa’s wrist tight, using all his strength to make sure she didn’t make a huge mistake right before what could potentially be the biggest moment of her wrestling career. She turned to glare at her trainer, but the veteran pulled her back so he could get between the two, keeping his own gaze locked onto the local hero who had served several times under him on the battlefield.

“That’s enough, both of you! Melissa, do some more laps if you need something to clear your head, otherwise, I think we can call it a day. And Brett… soldier to soldier, we need to have a talk, outside.”

For what felt like an eternity, the world seemed like it was frozen in time as Sergeant and General stood engaged in a silent battle of wills. Finally, Brett relented, but with one last glare towards his daughter and the words ‘We’re not done with this conversation’ mouthed clear as day he was almost forcibly pushed out the door by his superior officer in the military for a conversation that Melissa wasn't going to know the details of by the time Emerge hit the Symphony of the Seas. After watching the two men disappear outside, Melissa finally let out a frustrated scream before running and diving into the pool, immediately breaking back into a single lap around it before she slowed to a stop near where Claire was still sitting. She needed a moment to try and compose herself enough to form words again, but once she finally did a shaky voice is what greeted her blonde’s ears.

“I’m… sorry you had to hear my dad say that Claire. Don’t listen to him… you’re… you’re not any sort of negative influence on-”

Melissa’s train of thought was derailed when her friend suddenly threw herself both into the water and onto the reluctant soldier, knowing she would have the strength to keep them both from accidentally slipping beneath the water’s surface. Claire just clung tightly to her, not crying but still speaking softly as though she were, which jerked at Melissa’s heart to hear her like this just because of the man she resented for everything he tried to build her into.

“Don’t listen to that jerk Melissa… he’s not worth it. You’re stronger than this… you’ll prove it on that ship. You’ll prove it to four people who dare to stand in your way. You’ll prove it to the world… and I’ll get to watch it and see how strong my best friend truly is. A real inspiration…”

Melissa slowly returned the hug awkwardly, clearly not used to having someone actually care for her and her aspirations. It was a bizarre feeling… but one she was ready to welcome with open arms. No matter what happened at Invasion, deep down she knew she was going to make a statement, even if it wasn’t one most were expecting of her or even one they were expecting, period. Those two days would be the days where the world truly learned what Melissa Killgraves was capable of. No ladders were going to hinder her, no so-called monsters or technicians or gamblers or nymphomaniacs were going to deny her, and her father sure as well wasn’t going to be able to hold any power over her when she could stand in front of him, raise the RUSH Championship high and say to his face that she’s finally free.

And if he has a problem with the way she does it? He has no one to blame but himself, and so does all of Emerge for the storm that would soon seize that gold and never let it go.

[Sundown]

OOC: Read this RP before Minerva, thanks.



The Views Expressed By Sundown Is That of his Own and Do Not Reflect Those of the Publisher. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

THE FACE OF WRATH

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