*Clang clang clang*
Unnnhhh....what the....?
*Clang clang clang*
Hey! Fuckin' knock it off, would ya? Ugh, my head...
*Clang clang clang*
"Wake up, sunshine! You have a visitor!"
Who the fuck are you, and where do you get off calling me 'sunshine'? And what do you mean, 'a visitor'? In the middle of my match?! Are you serious, bro?!
Wait...this isn't ACW...where the fuck am I?
...what the shit...?
JAIL?!
I'm in jail?
How did I get here...? When...?
Oh, great. It must have been the taser. Somebody saw it and blabbed, or something. And they came in and arrested an unconscious woman. Just fucking perfect. Welcome to America, folks!
Goddammit it. This is fucking embarrassing. Lisbeth Salander never got fucking arrested. Way to model yourself after her, Liz. But then again, Lisbeth had Blomkvist on her corner. I have nobody. Zack's busy, and Raiden's been missing since...
Wait a second...no he hasn't...I saw him at the match...he was...Demon?!
"C'mon, toots, we ain't got all day 'ere!"
Cool it, jackass! I'm tryin' to think here!
....Oh, fuck that. Better go see what they want.
"What?!"
"Someone 'ere to see ya."
Someone to see me?! Who the fuck...? It better be someone good! I'm in no mood for fucking around!
Wait...is that...?
It is.
Oh shit.
"C'mon Monroe. I'm bailing you out. Let's go."
Apparently, Ace hasn't heard the news. I don't go by Monroe anymore. If he chooses to call me that, he shouldn't be surprised if I don't answer.
"Are you deaf, Monroe? I said let's go! I haven't got all day!"
Geez, the boss is thicker than I thought. He hasn't even cottoned on yet. Better throw him a bone.
"I don't go by Monroe. My name is Lisbeth Salander."
"Oh, really?! 'Cause I came to bail out my employee, Jacqui Monroe. Guess she's not here, then, huh? Good, maybe I can go back home..."
Touché, asshole. Big John one, Liz zero.
"OK, OK, I'm coming. Gimme a minute."
A minute for what?! It's not like I was carrying anything with me. Well, except my taser. But I suppose they will have kept that.
"All right, let's go."
He nods. That's right, Ace. Give me the silent treatment. I'm perfectly happy not talking to you.
"You know, Monroe, I can't have this from you every week. I just can't."
Oh shit, guess I spoke to soon. What the fuck does he want?
"I can't have my workers getting arrested, fined, what have you. This will be the last time. Are we understood?"
He's joking, right? Who does he think he is? Silent treatment for this asswipe.
"Dammit, Monroe! I'm talking to you!"
He just won't quit, will he? Whatever.
"I did what I had to do. You wanted to get rid of the Demon, you gave me a no holds barred match, and I barred no holds. Simple."
"I hardly think shocking someone with a taser counts as a 'hold'!"
"Whatever. The creep deserved it. Oh, and another thing...I want fucking Raiden Blaze. In the ring. One on one, With me."
What's so funny, asshat? Wipe that shit-eating grin off your face before I wipe it for you!
"I think that's going to have to wait, Monroe. As of right now, I'm suspending you indefinitely for..."
Oh, not this shit again! This time, though, I'm ready. Time to bring out the big guns.
"You're not going to do shit, Big Johnny. You know why? 'Cause I happen to have been in touch with a lawyer. And guess what?! That last suspension you gave me? That was very dodgy. In fact, it constitutes grounds for harassment and bullying. Now, if you work with me, I'll be perfectly happy to forgive and forget; but if you suspend me, you leave me no choice but to come out in public with it. And how's *that* gonna look, huh, Ace?"
That sure made that shit-eating grin go away really fast! Big John one, Liz ten millon. Time for the 'coop de grease'.
"So here's what's gonna happen. You're gonna give me Raiden Blaze, and you're gonna put as few obstacles in my way as possible. Capeesh?"
That's right, asswipe. Sweat for me. You know who's got your balls right now, don't ya, big guy? Better play along like a good boy.
"Go to hell, Monroe."
EXCUSE ME?!
...nah, not worth the trouble. He's agreeing to it anyway. I can feel it.
"All right. A tag match this week, and Raiden Blaze at the pay-per-view."
A tag match?! Who is he, Teddy Long?
...meh, at least he's doing what I want. Still, the question remains:
"A tag match with who exactly?!"
He better say Zack Bronko...!
"Dave Summers. And I'm teaming Blaze with Brandon Banks."
Dave Summers? A rookie?! Is he kidding?!
"Hell no!"
"Take it or leave it, Monroe. Remember, you may have your little lawyer on your side, but I have grounds to terminate your contract immediately. Which one will it be?"
There's that shit eating grin again. He knows he just got one of his balls back,
All right, McHenry. You win this round. But remember: I've still got your other nut right here in my hand. You may have won this battle, but you haven't won the war.
(Permission to use John McHenry.)
