It is the middle of the week and, at ACW headquarters in Yonkers, New York, things are relatively peaceful. The majority of the superstars is either recovering from the latest pay-per-view, Striking Distance, or getting ready for the upcoming Adrenaline. Most of the Staff has also taken a few days off in between shows and, as a result, the atmosphere in the Mayfield Community Center is relaxed and peaceful. Here and there, a wrestler can be seen walking to and from the gym, or retrieving a soda from the vending machine; overall, however, there is a certain quiet restfulness about the building.
Suddenly, however, this peaceful atmosphere is shattered by the appearance of an other-worldly apparition. The newcomer, who barges through the doors of the Community Center as if coming in from a particularly violent hurricane, is a female, with short, jet-black hair fashioned into a spiky Mohawk, and clad in leather from head to toe. She carries a motorcycle helmet in one hand, and with the other pushes off anyone who stands in her way, as she strides purposefully towards the management offices at the back. Once in the relevant corridor, she seeks out one room in particular, then bursts into it, without knocking, and immediately gets in its occupant’s face.
Woman: Is this a fucking joke?!
The powerfully built blond man she is confronting clearly does not grant her much importance, not so much as looking up from the paperwork he is examining as he replies:
Man: Didn’t you ever learn to knock, Monroe?!
Jacqui Monroe – or, as she now prefers to be called, Liz – glares furiously at her boss, ACW General Manager John McHenry:
Jacqui M: Answer the question, Ace! I want to know why, after I said I wanted that scumbag Raiden Blaze in the ring, one on one, you are now booking me with him IN A TAG?!
The “Alpha Female” points at the copy of the match programme she is holding, fury contorting her features. McHenry, however, merely stretches his arms, in a gesture of admission as wide as his smug smile:
John McHenry: Because I can.
At these words, Jacqui is nearly apoplectic:
Jacqui M: EXCUSE ME?! ‘Because you can’!? Is that also why you screwed the title defence up for Bronko, and inserted yourself back into the title picture? ‘Because you could’?!
The GM, however, still does not seem disturbed by his employee’s violent reaction. He leans back in his chair and puts his heads behind his head, his grin even more smug than before:
John McHenry: That’s right. Because I could. That’s all the reason I need as far as you’re concerned. I don’t have to justify myself to you, or anybody else on the roster.
Jacqui, however, is not to be patronized to. She starts to open her mouth, intending to come out with another indignant retort, but McHenry holds up a finger, stopping her:
John McHenry: That’ll be enough from you, Monroe. Get out of my office before I call security on you.
Here, the former blonde does counter, defiantly:
Jacqui M: Security’s off-duty, you jackass!
McHenry, however, retorts with a grin:
John McHenry: Maybe, but the company attorney isn’t. And he’ll be *very* interested to know about that little stunt of yours last week. Remember who holds the contracts…?
Seeing that she has, once again, been defeated by bureaucracy and her own lack of control, the “Alpha Female” finally gives up the fight, merely groaning and throwing her arms up before striding out of the GM’s office, livid.
She hasn’t even taken two steps, however, when she bumps into the least desirable person imaginable at that moment: her former friend and recent tormentor, Raiden Blaze. The seemingly affable cruiserweight barely has time to process what is going on before the cyberpunk grabs him by the throat and pins him firmly to the wall, growling:
Jacqui M: And YOU, you pathetic little sack of shit! I’m not your partner, and I sure as hell ain’t your friend. I can’t wait to get you in the ring, one-on-one, so I can beat your sorry ass up for what you did to me! But this week, we’re being forced to tag. Big Johnny gets his rocks off on it or something. So I’m giving you fair warning: when we’re out there, you better do as I say and stay out of my way. You do that, and maybe I won’t kill you before the Pay-Per-View. Capeesh?
The smaller man nods, his eyes full of fear and apprehension. Seemingly satisfied, the butch female competitor roughly shakes him free from her grasp, commanding:
Jacqui M: Now SCRAM!
Blaze is more than happy to comply, scurrying off as fast as his faltering legs will allow him. Jacqui swings her steel-capped foot out, attempting to place a kick squarely on his rear end, but misses, and makes contact with only air. Apparently not too bothered, she shrugs and turns around, intending to leave. And that is when she is startled to find someone looking at her from a few feet away. Instantly defensive, she snaps:
Jacqui M: What’cha lookin’ at?!
The figure, however, does not seem intimidated by her teeth-baring, and calmly saunters closer, thumbs hooked somewhere around his belt line:
Man: You. I’m looking at you. I like women with balls…figuratively, of course. Nice make-up, by the way.
From up close, Jacqui can see that it is none other than the former World Heavyweight Champion, Syn, in full make-up, and wearing a wife-beater and stonewashed jeans. Faced with the Enigmatic Anarchist’s cool demeanour and bold words, the former blonde’s first instinct is to throw him a murderous glare; after a moment, however, she is surprised to find herself at a loss for words, and flashing the face-painted freak a split-second half-grin. She then immediately starts towards the door of the Community Center, striding hurriedly to mask her conflicting feelings, and leaving a satisfied Syn to appraise her backside as she exits.
”What the fuck was that, Liz?! Are you high?! Your track record with face-painted weirdoes is not so great, remember? Do you want another Demon in your hands? Nah, dude. You’re letting this McHenry shit get to you too much. You don’t want to fuck up your life worse than it already is, do you? Of course you don’t. Just forget about it. Go home and grab some rest. You’re doing fine on your own.”
(Permission to use everyone featured)
