Post by Aurora Knight on May 31, 2016 0:36:09 GMT -5
~Friday night~
Round 1 Arcade
Lakewood, CA
The sound of blaring pop music was deafening, but with the overlapping sounds of video games that covered every genre on the face of the earth – and some that didn’t seem to be of this world – not to mention the clattering of bowling pins, you couldn’t even tell what song was being played. It was hard to find a place where anyone could hold any sort of conversation that didn’t involve screaming over everyone else, but on the far side of the billiards area, a single round table sat next to the wall, its two chairs occupied by the newest tag team to grace an NGW ring, two of the Angelz of Destruction, Aurora Knight and Damon Graves. They sat with plastic cups of watered down beer in their hands, and a nearly empty pitcher between them, laughing as if they had just heard a joke.
Aurora: So he popped the stick of gum in his mouth, but no one told him it was joke gum. Next thing we knew he was screaming his head off for a glass of water!
Damon: Probably the first non-alcoholic beverage he’d had in a while…
Aurora: That night, anyway. Well, at least he learned to stay the hell out of my purse, so thank goodness for small favors.
She picked up her beer, tipping it back as the amber beverage made its way down her throat. She set the now empty cup down, then reached for the pitcher to refill it. Damon grabbed her hand and shook his head.
Damon: Nah… let me do this.
Aurora: I’m perfectly capable of pouring my own beer, you know.
Damon nodded his head, smiling at her as he stared with those emerald green eyes.
Damon: I know that; I’m trying to be nice, here…
Aurora: “Trying?” You’re either a nice guy, or you’re not.
Damon: True, but not everyone deserves my “nice side.”
Aurora shot her tag team partner a look of mild disbelief, then smiled as he grabbed the pitcher and poured her another beer. The last of the beer drained from the pitcher, a blob of foam falling from the spout and into her cup.
Aurora: Of course, now it looks like you’re trying to get me drunk…
Damon: I’m an asshole, but not THAT kind of asshole! I just thought that, you know, since we’re gonna be a tag team, I should make the effort to get to know you better. Besides, we’d need about 10 of these pitchers just to get a buzz. This beer is weak as fuck!
Aurora laughed, staring across the table at him. Or rather, at the end of his nose. She did her damnedest to avoid his piercing gaze. If she did, it meant trouble. Trouble she wasn’t sure she was ready for.
Aurora: Well, I see you’ve already mastered the art of getting me to open up.
Damon: Who needs truth serum when you’ve got beer? It’s cheaper, and you usually never drink it alone.
Aurora: True that. Drinking alone is just pathetic and sad. No wonder my ex was such an angry drunk. He was always at the bar by himself. Didn’t want me tagging along; thought I’d cramp his style.
Damon frowned, growling under his breath. He downed the contents of his cup in one final gulp, then set the empty vessel down.
Damon: Your ex sounds like a massive shitbag, if you don’t mind my saying so.
He shook his head as Aurora took a long drink from her cup. As she set it back down, he spotted a bit of foam at the corner of her mouth.
Damon: Um…
He pointed to the corner of his own mouth, which gave Aurora the clue to lick her lips, clearing the offending foam from her face.
Aurora: Thanks.
Damon: Don’t mention it. Hey, after you finish your beer, you wanna go play a few games?
Aurora: Hmm… drunken gaming… sounds like fun.
Damon started to laugh as Aurora finished her beer. They got up from the table and made their way through the sea of pool tables.
Aurora: Well, more like lightly buzzed gaming. So what should we do? Guitar Hero… Mario Kart…
Damon: Oh, so you’re looking to get into a little competition, are you?
Aurora smiled, looking at him with her eyes half closed. They walked into the gaming area, where seemingly endless rows of competitive video games were set up, along with several claw machines that held everything from Hello Kitty plushes… to ice cream?
Aurora: You know, maybe I am.
Damon: You sure that’s not the beer talking?
She scoffed, the smile on her face growing even wider as she turned to stand in front of him.
Aurora: As a matter of fact, I’ve never done anything while falling down drunk that I haven’t done while completely sober. You know what? I’ll make you a little bet. If – and that’s a big fat IF – you manage to beat me, then I’ll go out with you. But just once. I don’t want my manager thinking her little scheme worked.
Damon: And that scheme would be…
Aurora: She sees us as two of a kind. Said it was rare to find a pair that looked so natural together even when they don’t even know each other that well. This – us as a tag team – was her idea, but I think she expects there to be more between us than just wrestling.
Damon: Well, to be fair, wasn’t your manager romantically involved with one of her tag team partners? And didn’t they wreck the shit out of their division?
She fell silent. Aurora had hoped he wouldn’t go there, but he did. Never mind that he was right. Alicia and her husband ran roughshod through their division, defeating any and every team put in front of them. Aurora had found the perfect manager; she only wished that said manager would stick to managing her wrestling career instead of her love life.
Aurora: That they did. But just because it worked for them, that doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to work for us. In fact, the only reason I’m making this bet is because, well...
Damon: Well, what?
Aurora: You make me laugh, in a way that no one’s been able to do for a long time.
Damon: Glad to know I’m at least doing SOMETHING right….
She smiled as they passed a claw machine filled with Hello Kitty, dressed in hot pink leopard print. She pointed at one of them and turned to Damon, lightly elbowing him in the side.
Aurora: Remind you of anybody we know?
Damon: You know, I DO see a resemblance. There’s just one little problem. It’s nowhere NEAR prissy enough. Needs more glitter.
Aurora: And maybe it should be riding a unicorn that shoots rainbows out of its ass…
Damon: That covers half of our opponents right there! But there’s just one question…
Aurora: And that is?
Damon: Which one is Micki and which one is Mandi?
The pair shared a laugh as they walked past the row of claw machines to a row of racing games. They stopped dead in their tracks, looking back and forth between each other and the game. Without even saying a word, they sat down next to each other and got a game started.
Aurora: Looks like you read my mind.
Damon: Is that a good thing?
Aurora: Very. Now prepare to eat my dust!
The words “Ready… Set… Go!” flashed across both screens as Aurora tore down the track, catching an early lead. But Damon was soon right on her heels. Before long, he pulled ahead of her, shocking her to the point where she pulled her foot off the gas pedal. She blinked, shook off the fog in her head, then floored it to catch up to him.
Aurora: Oh no you don’t! I’m not giving up that easily!
Damon: I thought you said I was gonna eat your dust? Looks like I’m winning….
Aurora: Not for long, you’re not!
Aurora pulled ahead, retaking the lead with four miles remaining. Damon pounded his foot down on the gas pedal, pulling up neck and neck with her.
Three miles remaining…
Back and forth, they kept pulling ahead of each other, even to the point of pushing each other against the walls. A crowd of people gathered behind them, watching them as they raced. Not a single one of them had a clue of the wager that had been placed between them. They just stared at the screens, watching the action.
One mile remaining…
Damon pinned Aurora’s car against the wall, then broke off and made a beeline for the finish line. Aurora gunned it, making it within a hair’s breadth of even with him. She made a last ditch effort to pull ahead, until the screen signaling the end of the race came up. Aurora looked at her screen and sighed…
She pulled her foot off the gas pedal, leaning back as she released the steering wheel. Her breath was rapid and heavy, and her heart was pounding so hard, she thought it was going to burst right out of her chest. She turned to Damon, who sat there with the biggest, smuggest grin on his face.
Aurora: You son of a bitch… you win.
Aurora couldn’t help herself. She started to laugh as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. She got up from her seat, shaking her head as she put her hands on her hips.
Aurora: A deal’s a deal, after all.
Damon stood up, walking until he reached Aurora’s seat. He started to move past her, but she grabbed him by the arm. She waggled her finger at him and gesturing toward the machines.
Aurora: But what do you think about “double or nothing”?
Damon: You’re on!
Damon gave Aurora a knowing nod as she gave him a mischievous smile. They sat back down at their respective machines and started another game….
~Saturday afternoon~
Ernest S. McBride, Sr. Park
Long Beach, CA
Lush green grass spanned the grounds of the fenced-in park, with concrete carving curved paths that twisted from the front gate to the back of the building that housed the recreation center. In the distance, a red plastic spiral slide sat empty, as did the rest of the park, save for a picnic table close to the gate. The Angelz of Destruction, Aurora Knight and Damon Graves were sitting at this table, their eyes like daggers. Both the Angel of Chaos and the Angel of Rebellion were dressed in t-shirts that bore their stable’s logo, with Aurora pairing her shirt with a pair of black shorts and black Doc Martens. Damon wore blue jeans, ripped at the knees, with black steel-toed boots.
The partners exchanged a silent nod as Aurora rose from her seat, the glare never leaving her face.
Aurora: Right now, we are less than a stone’s throw away from my childhood home. I could literally hop the wall behind me and be back in my own backyard. But I’m not going to do that.
She shook her head, a scowl on her face the likes of which we have never seen on her. It screamed of anger and hatred.
Aurora: But I won’t. Throughout my childhood, I was constantly told how I should act, think, and feel. “Stop dressing like a tomboy or boys won’t like you.” “Girls aren’t supposed to like that kind of music.” And while you would think these sorts of comments would come from the resident “mean girls” that roamed the halls of Long Beach Polytechnic, a good part of the time, these words came from the lips of my own family. Aunts, uncles, cousins, my father; none of them understood why I didn’t act like a “normal” girl. My brothers understood. They were the only ones that accepted me for who I was.
Until I found the Angelz of Destruction. In them, I found a sense of family that I never got growing up. Like me, they all know what it’s like to be treated like shit from those that don’t consider you one of the “beautiful people”. You see, family isn’t always limited to those that share the same bloodline. Oftentimes, it can include those that you choose to allow into your lives.
She turned to briefly glance over her shoulder at Damon, who silently nodded his head.
Aurora: On June 4, 2016, I will step into my first NGW Tag Team match with my new partner, Damon Graves by my side, taking on not one, but TWO tag teams. The goal for us is twofold. First, to wreck the shit out of the two tag teams being put in front of us. Second, to put the NGW Tag Team division on notice that we will not be ignored. But first, I’m going to touch on those vomit inducing, saccharine glitter bombing fruitcakes, Micki and Mandi Lee. Yes, the very same dipshits that Damon and I tossed out of the ring in our debut.
Tell me, Mandi. For all of your disgustingly bubbly giggling about how your sparkle would carry you through to the winner’s circle, how did it feel to hit the arena floor, only to look up and see us standing there, still in the fight? How did it feel to learn that everything you ever told yourself was nothing but a fat fucking lie!?
You know, when I was in high school, I saw a LOT of girls that were just like you. Pretty, popular, always smiling, designer clothes… and every single one of them made me want to punch them until their lungs were forced out through their assholes. Why? Because they all looked at me like some sort of pariah because I wasn’t one of them. I was just the misfit girl that got kicked out of private school. For four straight years, I got flack because I didn’t dress like they did, or wore my hair like they did, or why I wore Doc Martens when everyone else was wearing Coach, Prada, or Nike.
But the more they gave me hell for not being like them, the more I realized I didn’t want to be like them at all. And every time you open your glitter-lip-gloss coated mouth, the more I’m reminded of those vapid little cunts from high school. And at Vendetta, I get the pleasure of doing what I never got to do in high school, and that’s go out of my way to completely demolish every tooth in your mouth.
And then there’s Micki Lee, the biggest idiot to put on a singlet since Michael Cole at WrestleMania 27. Now that I’ve actually had the misfortune of occupying the same ring as you, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that your claim to be one of the best mat wrestlers of all time is even more full of shit than a porta-potty after Coachella. After what I saw in the ring? Honey, I’ve seen five year olds with better mat skills than you! Sure, you’ve got the look. You’ve got the size. But putting on a singlet doesn’t make you a wrestler any more than having your picture taken in a leather jacket while standing next to a Harley Davidson makes you a biker. I’ve said it before, Micki. When it comes to wrestling, you’re a joke, only with you, the only time you get a laugh is when you’re getting your ass kicked, much like what’s going to happen to you and your sister at Vendetta… AGAIN!
Micki, I don’t know where you got your training from, but I’m almost willing to bet that it pales in comparison to how I’ve had to train to become the wrestler that I am today.
Damon snickered in the background.
Damon: What? I just think it’s funny that you of all people are talking about betting when we just…
Damon was interrupted with the mother of all death stares as Aurora turned around, which only made him laugh even harder.
Aurora: Hey, shut up! That was something else, entirely!
She rolled her eyes and growled before continuing.
Aurora: The Open Battle Royal was just a taste of what I can do in the ring. Now, you, your sister, and those two old farts are going to see what a REAL tag team does in the ring. And I know what you’re gonna say. You and your sister have been “tag team partners” since you were still in the womb, but when I see you two together, I don’t see a tag team; I see little more than a pair of squabbling siblings. About the only thing you have over us is the fact out of all the teams involved in this match, you’re the only team that has seen each other naked.
Damon: Wait, what?
Aurora: They’re twins. What? You didn’t know that babies can see when they’re still in the womb?
Damon: Fuck if I knew that. I’m an only child!
Aurora: What the hell did they teach you in Health class?
Aurora scoffed as Damon stood up, taking his place beside Aurora. He rested his elbow on her shoulder, which she acknowledged with a mild smirk. She crossed her arms and leaned slightly inward toward Damon, who narrowed his eyes.
Aurora: You Double Dipsticks are going to learn the hard way that it takes more than just sharing the same roof for your entire lives for you to get to know someone inside and out. Yeah, Damon and I may not have known each other very long, but already, he can read me better than anyone else I know. And that, my neon and glitter festooned friends, spells nothing but “Double Trouble” for you.
Saturday… June 4th. This marks the day that the Angelz of Chaos and Rebellion take flight for the first time as a unit. We are the true rising stars of the tag team division, and the rest of you fools will be sent back to the bottom of the dung heap where you belong. Damon and I will prove that blood isn’t always thicker than water…
Damon: But it’s a HELL of a lot harder to clean up.
Aurora turned to look up at her tag team partner, who had that shit-eating grin on his face again. She smiled back at him as the realization started to sink in.
Aurora: Did… did you just finish my sentence?
Damon didn’t say anything; he only shrugged his shoulders and cocked his eyebrow. Aurora turned away from his gaze. She still wasn’t used to him looking at her like that.
Aurora: Well, there you have it, Twinkies. You’re looking at the team that’s going to drop you like shit from a horse’s ass! Better hope you don’t get stepped on after the fact….
Aurora and Damon glanced at the wall that separated the park from her childhood home. They looked at each other and nodded.
Aurora: You thinking what I’m thinking?
Damon: You sure no one’s home?
Aurora: My parents always go to San Diego for Memorial Day Weekend. The house is as empty as Micki Lee’s head.
Damon: I was gonna suggest another part of his anatomy…
Aurora: Ewww!
They laughed as Damon boosted Aurora up the wall before scaling it himself. As they both disappeared over the wall, Aurora scoffed.
Aurora: Son of a bitch! Dad turned my room into his man cave!
~Sunday morning~
Aurora’s Condo
Long Beach, CA
6:30 am
Through the windows, the sky was a bright, clear shade of blue, with the occasional seagull flying over the ocean. Had it not been for the dark-stained wood of the windows’ frames, it would have made for the perfect summer post card.
In the corner of the living room, an HD television displayed a bouncing Blu-Ray logo that shifted in color as it moved across the otherwise black screen, an open Deadpool jewelcase beside the Blu-Ray player. The faint scent of pizza lingered in the air, coming from an empty box that sat open beside the sofa, where Damon Graves slept with his head resting against the back. His mouth hung open, and his snoring was loud enough to wake the dead. And yet it had no effect on the slumbering form of Aurora, who had her head resting against his chest and a blanket pulled up around her body.
Damon: ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzz….chimi-fucking-changas…..zzzzzzzzZZZZZZZ
A muffled ringtone started to play from some unseen place…
♪I wanna love you, but I better not touch (don't touch)
I wanna hold you, but my senses tell me to stop
I wanna kiss you, but I want it too much (too much)
I wanna taste you, but your lips are venomous poison♪
Aurora: What the…?
She groggily sat up, frantically feeling around for her cell phone as the ringtone continued to play. Her hand accidentally slapped Damon in the crotch, jolting him awake as he doubled over.
Damon: OOF! The fuck?
Aurora dazedly looked at Damon’s bright red face; it took her a moment to realize what she had done.
Aurora: Oh my god! I’m so sorry… it’s just that I’m looking for my phone…
The ringing suddenly stopped, and only then did Damon notice that something about his seat on the sofa wasn’t quite right. He picked up his left leg, reached down, and pulled out Aurora’s cell phone.
Damon: You mean this?
Aurora held out her hand, taking the phone from Damon with an apologetic look in her eyes. The crotch shot had been completely accidental, and even knowing this, she still felt bad.
Aurora: Thanks.
She looked around at the empty pizza box and the TV, then at the bright morning sky outside her window. A sheepish smile came over her face as she turned to Damon.
Aurora: Looks like we fell asleep.
Damon: I guess we did.
Aurora checked her phone; she knew Alicia had tried to call her, but with her phone lodged under Damon’s posterior, she couldn’t get to it in time. And with the added awkwardness of their present situation, Aurora wasn’t sure what to say.
Aurora: You know Alicia’s gonna eat this up when she finds out what happened….
Damon: Who says she has to find out?
Aurora snickered, clenching her eyes tightly.
Aurora: You have a point. Just try and keep quiet while I call her back.
Damon moved his hand across his mouth as if he was zipping his lips as Aurora returned Alicia’s call. As she put the call on speakerphone, Aurora put a finger against her lips as she looked at Damon pleadingly.
Alicia: (over the phone) Hello…
Aurora: Missed you by that much… I misplaced my phone.
Alicia: Indeed. Say, um… You wouldn’t by any chance happen to know where Damon is, would you? I tried to call him, but he wasn’t picking up his phone.
Aurora looked at Damon who was waving his arms in a panic as he mouthed the words “Stick to the plan.” She raised a hand, motioning for him to calm down.
Alicia: Everything okay over there?
Aurora: Yeah, everything’s fine. I just…
Damon tried to hold it in, but a sneeze forced its way out. He clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle it, in the hopes that Aurora’s phone didn’t pick up on the noise.
Alicia: Wait a second… who just sneezed? I know that wasn’t you, Aurora!
Aurora opened her mouth to speak, but words failed her. Damon flopped down on the sofa, throwing his hands in the air.
Damon: Well, fuck!
Alicia: AHA! He never left your place last night, did he? Wait… hold on… did you guys…?
Aurora: No we did NOT! Geez, what kind of girl do you take me for?
Aurora looked at Damon as she sat beside him, the sound of Alicia’s laughter emanating from the phone.
Alicia: Oh, come on! It’s 2016, for fuck’s sake! It’s not that big of a deal, really. Hell, I could tell you some stories.
Aurora: No need. You’ve already told THAT story.
Alicia: Fair enough. Anyway, I was calling to tell you that I have to fly out to Detroit for a few days on business. Don’t worry, though; I’ll be back in plenty of time for Vendetta. You think you two can keep out of trouble for that long?
Aurora and Damon looked at each other, collectively rolling their eyes.
Aurora: Oh, I can. The question is, can Damon?
Damon: HEY!
Aurora laughed.
Alicia: Alright, you two. Behave yourselves. And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Wait a minute… forget I said that.
Aurora: Yeah… there’s not much you wouldn’t do.
Alicia: Right. Take care, guys.
Aurora ended the call, exhaling deeply as she leaned against back of the sofa. Damon got up and walked toward the windows, staring out over the ocean.
Damon: That is one hell of a view…
Aurora pushed off of her seat, standing beside Damon with her arms folded in front of her.
Aurora: That’s why I bought this place. Hell, you can see the Queen Mary from here.
She pointed across the water to where the ocean liner-turned floating hotel sat permanently moored, near the dome that used to house the Spruce Goose. A wistful expression washed over her face as she sighed.
Aurora: When I was a little girl, I had always dreamed that I’d get married on that boat.
She shook her head, turning away from the window as she crossed the room to pick up the pizza box.
Aurora: But no… I had to stick it to my dad and get married in a Vegas drive-through wedding chapel. What a fucking waste! Four years of my life gone straight down the shitter, all because I…
Sensing the building rage in his partner’s voice, he moved in, grabbing her by both shoulders as he turned her around to face him. Her aquamarine eyes were burning with a fury hotter than the one he had faced in the ring; her face twisted into an almost bloodthirsty snarl.
Damon: Look… that part of your life is over with. You made a mistake, but you corrected it and moved on. No sense letting it get you all bent out of shape. But hold on to a bit of that rage. It’ll come in handy at Vendetta.
It was enough to defuse the situation. The expression on her face softened into something that better suited her features. The unbridled rage in her eyes soon melted away, leaving the headstrong spitfire he was more accustomed to.
Aurora: You’re right. We’ll save it for “Double Trouble” and those other two fuckers.
Damon: That’s my girl.
Aurora raised her eyebrow at the sentence that just came out of Damon’s mouth.
Aurora: What’s all this “my girl” crap? You’re staking claim on me now?
She jerked away, turning to face away from him, but only because she didn’t want him to see the grin she was desperately trying to force down. No… it was too soon for that. MUCH too soon. She bit her lip, almost hard enough to break the skin.
She forgot that the wall behind the sofa was covered from floor to ceiling in mirrors. She looked at the wall, staring straight into the reflected image of Damon’s eyes.
Yeah… he saw it. But to her surprise, he had an apologetic smile on his face.
Damon: You’re right. I probably jumped the gun a little bit.
Aurora: You think?
Damon: Fair enough. I can wait. But we need to hit the road. I’ve got the perfect place in mind for our first date.
Aurora: Hey, wait a minute!
Damon: Remember? I said last night’s pizza and Deadpool didn’t count.
She squinted at him, wrinkling her nose.
Aurora: Bite me!
Damon: Maybe later.
Aurora: You asshole!
Damon: I thought you liked that about me…
Aurora laughed, waving him off as she walked down the hallway. Damon watched as she disappeared into her bedroom. He opened his mouth as if to call out after her, but her bedroom door closed before he could utter a word.
Aurora sat on the top of a pilot case near the entrance to the underground parking lot of the building. She pulled out her phone to check the time.
9 am.
Damon was nowhere to be seen. According to the text message displayed on her screen, he had left to pick up the rental car that would carry them and their belongings along the six hour drive to San Jose.
That was almost two hours ago.
She waited with her luggage, staring at the tree on the opposite side of the driveway from where she sat, a thoughtful expression on her face.
Aurora: You know, there’s something to be said for learning about where your roots are. I’ve always been of the belief that you should give props to those that came before you. But the problem is when those that came before you are still around, trying their damnedest to hang with the younger crowd. To their credit, there are some that can pull it off. But there are some old school guys that need to take a page out of Queen Elsa from Frozen and just “Let it Go!” Billy Ray, I’m talking to you.
Don’t think I don’t get it, Billy… because I do. You’re at that age when you want so badly to prove you’re not just an old relic that needs to be relegated to sitting on a shelf and collecting dust. Deny it all you want, but that’s what the world thinks when they see guys like you still try to cut it in the ring with guys one third your age. But as much as I know it eats away at you, you have to come to grips with the fact that this is a young people’s game, and you, at 60-something years old, just don’t fit here anymore. It would have been so much better for you to step out of the spotlight and let the new breed show what they’ve got. But no… you have to grasp at whatever fragments of your former glory that haven’t slipped through your feeble old fingers and take up space from someone young and hungry. It’s one thing to come in once in a while, dust off the old gear and do the odd match for nostalgia’s sake. But when you get to be the age that you are, and you actually try to make a full time gig of it? Get a damn grip, old man! The fans are shelling out their hard earned money not to learn lessons about hope and integrity… these fans came to see us kick the shit out of each other! Morality doesn’t put asses in the seats, action does.
News flash; this isn’t the 80’s. Times have changed. And to be frank, if you had any integrity, you would have hung it up and gone home a long time ago. You want people to remember the days when wrestling meant something? Then pick up some kick pads, get in the gym, and start imparting some of that so-called “wisdom” of yours to the ones that are young enough to make something of themselves; don’t try to knock them off the ladder. Your history may make for good stories about what it was like in the old days, but that’s all it is. HISTORY! You’ve had your moment in the sun, and now it’s time for your sun to set so that a new day can begin.
I believe there’s a line from an old Kenny Rogers song… you got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em. Billy Ray, the time for you to fold your hand has already come and gone. Time for you to put down the cards and walk away.
A soft, barely audible scoff escaped from her lips as she leaned against the concrete pillar by the exit to the driveway. From where she stood, she could see an empty beer can rolling down the gutter, its aluminum shell clattering against the pavement.
Coors… that was Jered’s brand.
Just the sight of the Coors logo brought a look of murderous rage to her face the likes of which made her earlier outburst seem tame by comparison. Her fist clenched so tightly that her entire arm quivered as she continued through gritted teeth.
Aurora: And then there’s you, KEG. First of all, I want to make something clear. There is absolutely nothing wrong with knocking a few drinks back once in a while. Hell, there have been times when I’ve thrown back enough booze to drop an elephant. But you? Shit, for you, that’s just another day at the office for you, isn’t it? And that, my friend, is a problem. I’m not saying I give a flying fuck about the current condition of your liver. But it’s what you represent that makes me sick to my stomach.
You’re 30 years old, and your forehead alone looks like a fucking Thomas Guide, and the only reason I even know what those are is because my grandmother collected those things. But seriously, with that mug, I could see you getting asked if you’d like to use your senior citizen’s discount on a regular basis. But the one thing that pisses me off about you the most, is the fact that FISH drink less than you do. You represent everything that I hate; everything that I left behind. Four years of my life were wasted at the hands of someone like you… someone that did nothing but drink until they nearly forgot where they were on any given day. For four fucking years, all I was ever told was how useless I was; that I was nothing but a toy for that pig to do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. And when he had guzzled so much swill that the term “whiskey dick” wasn’t nearly enough to describe him, he’d tell me that it was because I wasn’t doing enough to turn him on.
As her anger intensified, her eyes stared like daggers as her cheeks burned red as apples.
Aurora: I look at your face and I see those same bloodshot eyes staring back at me; I smell the stink of cheap booze that he always had on his breath, and I hear everything he said to me in that horrid, scratchy voice. Why didn’t I leave, you ask? Because like millions of other women that were in the same boat as I was, eventually, you hear those same words enough times, you start to believe them yourself. To think that all it took was the sight of my own blood splattered on the wall courtesy of one drunken punch to make me say “ENOUGH!” [/color]
Her face softened, but only slightly. Her teeth were no longer clenched, but her lip was still curled into a twisted sneer.
Aurora: I know, KEG… you’re not my ex-husband. And it’s because of that fact that I won’t be out to completely wreck whatever’s left of your career. But that’s not going to stop me from taking four years of being verbally and physically beaten down by the man I gave up my entire family for, and stomping a mudhole in your drunken ass! Maybe there will be so much beer in your veins that you won’t feel the full effect of what Damon and I are going to do to you until after the hangover kicks in; or maybe you will. Either way, the only thing that matters to the Angelz of Destruction is making sure you and your tag team partner end up with your leathery necks underneath the soles of our boots.
Her flared nostrils twitched with each breath as she watched the road. Seconds passed, before a vibrating alert turned Aurora’s gaze to her screen. Damon’s name appeared at the top of a list of text messages, along with a paperclip icon, denoting an attached image. She opened the text to find a picture of Damon behind the wheel of a school bus, the words “be there in a couple minutes” appearing beneath the image.
Aurora: Damn it…
Her anger instantly melted away from her face, as she let out a quiet laugh. Shaking her head, she stuffed her cell phone into her pocket. The faint glimmer of a smile graced her face, but only for a second.
Aurora: Well, folks… in a few minutes, the Angelz of Destruction begin the journey to San Jose. As for the four fools that will be in that ring with us… don’t get your hopes up about beating us, because all you’re going to be doing is setting yourselves up for disappointment on an epic level. The Angelz of Destruction are gonna do just that – destroy the tag team division and anyone stupid enough to stand in our way… starting with you four shitsticks!
**HONK, HONK**
The sound was deep, but distant. Aurora looked down the road; sure enough, a large, yellow school bus thundered toward the driveway, and Aurora could just barely make out the mohawked silhouette of her tag team partner behind the wheel.
Aurora: Son of a bitch… he wasn’t kidding. This is gonna be one hell of a trip….
Damon pulled the bus up to the driveway, killed the engine and jumped down the steps to the curb. With a cheesy grin on his face, he started grabbing Aurora’s luggage as he tipped his head toward the bus.
Damon: Time to get this show on the road, partner.
Aurora: Gladly…
She gave Damon a sly grin as she grabbed a couple of suitcases. As she carried them up the steps and onto the bus, Damon cleared his throat.
Damon: I hope you brought your swimsuit… you’re gonna need it….
Round 1 Arcade
Lakewood, CA
The sound of blaring pop music was deafening, but with the overlapping sounds of video games that covered every genre on the face of the earth – and some that didn’t seem to be of this world – not to mention the clattering of bowling pins, you couldn’t even tell what song was being played. It was hard to find a place where anyone could hold any sort of conversation that didn’t involve screaming over everyone else, but on the far side of the billiards area, a single round table sat next to the wall, its two chairs occupied by the newest tag team to grace an NGW ring, two of the Angelz of Destruction, Aurora Knight and Damon Graves. They sat with plastic cups of watered down beer in their hands, and a nearly empty pitcher between them, laughing as if they had just heard a joke.
Aurora: So he popped the stick of gum in his mouth, but no one told him it was joke gum. Next thing we knew he was screaming his head off for a glass of water!
Damon: Probably the first non-alcoholic beverage he’d had in a while…
Aurora: That night, anyway. Well, at least he learned to stay the hell out of my purse, so thank goodness for small favors.
She picked up her beer, tipping it back as the amber beverage made its way down her throat. She set the now empty cup down, then reached for the pitcher to refill it. Damon grabbed her hand and shook his head.
Damon: Nah… let me do this.
Aurora: I’m perfectly capable of pouring my own beer, you know.
Damon nodded his head, smiling at her as he stared with those emerald green eyes.
Damon: I know that; I’m trying to be nice, here…
Aurora: “Trying?” You’re either a nice guy, or you’re not.
Damon: True, but not everyone deserves my “nice side.”
Aurora shot her tag team partner a look of mild disbelief, then smiled as he grabbed the pitcher and poured her another beer. The last of the beer drained from the pitcher, a blob of foam falling from the spout and into her cup.
Aurora: Of course, now it looks like you’re trying to get me drunk…
Damon: I’m an asshole, but not THAT kind of asshole! I just thought that, you know, since we’re gonna be a tag team, I should make the effort to get to know you better. Besides, we’d need about 10 of these pitchers just to get a buzz. This beer is weak as fuck!
Aurora laughed, staring across the table at him. Or rather, at the end of his nose. She did her damnedest to avoid his piercing gaze. If she did, it meant trouble. Trouble she wasn’t sure she was ready for.
Aurora: Well, I see you’ve already mastered the art of getting me to open up.
Damon: Who needs truth serum when you’ve got beer? It’s cheaper, and you usually never drink it alone.
Aurora: True that. Drinking alone is just pathetic and sad. No wonder my ex was such an angry drunk. He was always at the bar by himself. Didn’t want me tagging along; thought I’d cramp his style.
Damon frowned, growling under his breath. He downed the contents of his cup in one final gulp, then set the empty vessel down.
Damon: Your ex sounds like a massive shitbag, if you don’t mind my saying so.
He shook his head as Aurora took a long drink from her cup. As she set it back down, he spotted a bit of foam at the corner of her mouth.
Damon: Um…
He pointed to the corner of his own mouth, which gave Aurora the clue to lick her lips, clearing the offending foam from her face.
Aurora: Thanks.
Damon: Don’t mention it. Hey, after you finish your beer, you wanna go play a few games?
Aurora: Hmm… drunken gaming… sounds like fun.
Damon started to laugh as Aurora finished her beer. They got up from the table and made their way through the sea of pool tables.
Aurora: Well, more like lightly buzzed gaming. So what should we do? Guitar Hero… Mario Kart…
Damon: Oh, so you’re looking to get into a little competition, are you?
Aurora smiled, looking at him with her eyes half closed. They walked into the gaming area, where seemingly endless rows of competitive video games were set up, along with several claw machines that held everything from Hello Kitty plushes… to ice cream?
Aurora: You know, maybe I am.
Damon: You sure that’s not the beer talking?
She scoffed, the smile on her face growing even wider as she turned to stand in front of him.
Aurora: As a matter of fact, I’ve never done anything while falling down drunk that I haven’t done while completely sober. You know what? I’ll make you a little bet. If – and that’s a big fat IF – you manage to beat me, then I’ll go out with you. But just once. I don’t want my manager thinking her little scheme worked.
Damon: And that scheme would be…
Aurora: She sees us as two of a kind. Said it was rare to find a pair that looked so natural together even when they don’t even know each other that well. This – us as a tag team – was her idea, but I think she expects there to be more between us than just wrestling.
Damon: Well, to be fair, wasn’t your manager romantically involved with one of her tag team partners? And didn’t they wreck the shit out of their division?
She fell silent. Aurora had hoped he wouldn’t go there, but he did. Never mind that he was right. Alicia and her husband ran roughshod through their division, defeating any and every team put in front of them. Aurora had found the perfect manager; she only wished that said manager would stick to managing her wrestling career instead of her love life.
Aurora: That they did. But just because it worked for them, that doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to work for us. In fact, the only reason I’m making this bet is because, well...
Damon: Well, what?
Aurora: You make me laugh, in a way that no one’s been able to do for a long time.
Damon: Glad to know I’m at least doing SOMETHING right….
She smiled as they passed a claw machine filled with Hello Kitty, dressed in hot pink leopard print. She pointed at one of them and turned to Damon, lightly elbowing him in the side.
Aurora: Remind you of anybody we know?
Damon: You know, I DO see a resemblance. There’s just one little problem. It’s nowhere NEAR prissy enough. Needs more glitter.
Aurora: And maybe it should be riding a unicorn that shoots rainbows out of its ass…
Damon: That covers half of our opponents right there! But there’s just one question…
Aurora: And that is?
Damon: Which one is Micki and which one is Mandi?
The pair shared a laugh as they walked past the row of claw machines to a row of racing games. They stopped dead in their tracks, looking back and forth between each other and the game. Without even saying a word, they sat down next to each other and got a game started.
Aurora: Looks like you read my mind.
Damon: Is that a good thing?
Aurora: Very. Now prepare to eat my dust!
The words “Ready… Set… Go!” flashed across both screens as Aurora tore down the track, catching an early lead. But Damon was soon right on her heels. Before long, he pulled ahead of her, shocking her to the point where she pulled her foot off the gas pedal. She blinked, shook off the fog in her head, then floored it to catch up to him.
Aurora: Oh no you don’t! I’m not giving up that easily!
Damon: I thought you said I was gonna eat your dust? Looks like I’m winning….
Aurora: Not for long, you’re not!
Aurora pulled ahead, retaking the lead with four miles remaining. Damon pounded his foot down on the gas pedal, pulling up neck and neck with her.
Three miles remaining…
Back and forth, they kept pulling ahead of each other, even to the point of pushing each other against the walls. A crowd of people gathered behind them, watching them as they raced. Not a single one of them had a clue of the wager that had been placed between them. They just stared at the screens, watching the action.
One mile remaining…
Damon pinned Aurora’s car against the wall, then broke off and made a beeline for the finish line. Aurora gunned it, making it within a hair’s breadth of even with him. She made a last ditch effort to pull ahead, until the screen signaling the end of the race came up. Aurora looked at her screen and sighed…
She pulled her foot off the gas pedal, leaning back as she released the steering wheel. Her breath was rapid and heavy, and her heart was pounding so hard, she thought it was going to burst right out of her chest. She turned to Damon, who sat there with the biggest, smuggest grin on his face.
Aurora: You son of a bitch… you win.
Aurora couldn’t help herself. She started to laugh as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. She got up from her seat, shaking her head as she put her hands on her hips.
Aurora: A deal’s a deal, after all.
Damon stood up, walking until he reached Aurora’s seat. He started to move past her, but she grabbed him by the arm. She waggled her finger at him and gesturing toward the machines.
Aurora: But what do you think about “double or nothing”?
Damon: You’re on!
Damon gave Aurora a knowing nod as she gave him a mischievous smile. They sat back down at their respective machines and started another game….
~Saturday afternoon~
Ernest S. McBride, Sr. Park
Long Beach, CA
Lush green grass spanned the grounds of the fenced-in park, with concrete carving curved paths that twisted from the front gate to the back of the building that housed the recreation center. In the distance, a red plastic spiral slide sat empty, as did the rest of the park, save for a picnic table close to the gate. The Angelz of Destruction, Aurora Knight and Damon Graves were sitting at this table, their eyes like daggers. Both the Angel of Chaos and the Angel of Rebellion were dressed in t-shirts that bore their stable’s logo, with Aurora pairing her shirt with a pair of black shorts and black Doc Martens. Damon wore blue jeans, ripped at the knees, with black steel-toed boots.
The partners exchanged a silent nod as Aurora rose from her seat, the glare never leaving her face.
Aurora: Right now, we are less than a stone’s throw away from my childhood home. I could literally hop the wall behind me and be back in my own backyard. But I’m not going to do that.
She shook her head, a scowl on her face the likes of which we have never seen on her. It screamed of anger and hatred.
Aurora: But I won’t. Throughout my childhood, I was constantly told how I should act, think, and feel. “Stop dressing like a tomboy or boys won’t like you.” “Girls aren’t supposed to like that kind of music.” And while you would think these sorts of comments would come from the resident “mean girls” that roamed the halls of Long Beach Polytechnic, a good part of the time, these words came from the lips of my own family. Aunts, uncles, cousins, my father; none of them understood why I didn’t act like a “normal” girl. My brothers understood. They were the only ones that accepted me for who I was.
Until I found the Angelz of Destruction. In them, I found a sense of family that I never got growing up. Like me, they all know what it’s like to be treated like shit from those that don’t consider you one of the “beautiful people”. You see, family isn’t always limited to those that share the same bloodline. Oftentimes, it can include those that you choose to allow into your lives.
She turned to briefly glance over her shoulder at Damon, who silently nodded his head.
Aurora: On June 4, 2016, I will step into my first NGW Tag Team match with my new partner, Damon Graves by my side, taking on not one, but TWO tag teams. The goal for us is twofold. First, to wreck the shit out of the two tag teams being put in front of us. Second, to put the NGW Tag Team division on notice that we will not be ignored. But first, I’m going to touch on those vomit inducing, saccharine glitter bombing fruitcakes, Micki and Mandi Lee. Yes, the very same dipshits that Damon and I tossed out of the ring in our debut.
Tell me, Mandi. For all of your disgustingly bubbly giggling about how your sparkle would carry you through to the winner’s circle, how did it feel to hit the arena floor, only to look up and see us standing there, still in the fight? How did it feel to learn that everything you ever told yourself was nothing but a fat fucking lie!?
You know, when I was in high school, I saw a LOT of girls that were just like you. Pretty, popular, always smiling, designer clothes… and every single one of them made me want to punch them until their lungs were forced out through their assholes. Why? Because they all looked at me like some sort of pariah because I wasn’t one of them. I was just the misfit girl that got kicked out of private school. For four straight years, I got flack because I didn’t dress like they did, or wore my hair like they did, or why I wore Doc Martens when everyone else was wearing Coach, Prada, or Nike.
But the more they gave me hell for not being like them, the more I realized I didn’t want to be like them at all. And every time you open your glitter-lip-gloss coated mouth, the more I’m reminded of those vapid little cunts from high school. And at Vendetta, I get the pleasure of doing what I never got to do in high school, and that’s go out of my way to completely demolish every tooth in your mouth.
And then there’s Micki Lee, the biggest idiot to put on a singlet since Michael Cole at WrestleMania 27. Now that I’ve actually had the misfortune of occupying the same ring as you, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that your claim to be one of the best mat wrestlers of all time is even more full of shit than a porta-potty after Coachella. After what I saw in the ring? Honey, I’ve seen five year olds with better mat skills than you! Sure, you’ve got the look. You’ve got the size. But putting on a singlet doesn’t make you a wrestler any more than having your picture taken in a leather jacket while standing next to a Harley Davidson makes you a biker. I’ve said it before, Micki. When it comes to wrestling, you’re a joke, only with you, the only time you get a laugh is when you’re getting your ass kicked, much like what’s going to happen to you and your sister at Vendetta… AGAIN!
Micki, I don’t know where you got your training from, but I’m almost willing to bet that it pales in comparison to how I’ve had to train to become the wrestler that I am today.
Damon snickered in the background.
Damon: What? I just think it’s funny that you of all people are talking about betting when we just…
Damon was interrupted with the mother of all death stares as Aurora turned around, which only made him laugh even harder.
Aurora: Hey, shut up! That was something else, entirely!
She rolled her eyes and growled before continuing.
Aurora: The Open Battle Royal was just a taste of what I can do in the ring. Now, you, your sister, and those two old farts are going to see what a REAL tag team does in the ring. And I know what you’re gonna say. You and your sister have been “tag team partners” since you were still in the womb, but when I see you two together, I don’t see a tag team; I see little more than a pair of squabbling siblings. About the only thing you have over us is the fact out of all the teams involved in this match, you’re the only team that has seen each other naked.
Damon: Wait, what?
Aurora: They’re twins. What? You didn’t know that babies can see when they’re still in the womb?
Damon: Fuck if I knew that. I’m an only child!
Aurora: What the hell did they teach you in Health class?
Aurora scoffed as Damon stood up, taking his place beside Aurora. He rested his elbow on her shoulder, which she acknowledged with a mild smirk. She crossed her arms and leaned slightly inward toward Damon, who narrowed his eyes.
Aurora: You Double Dipsticks are going to learn the hard way that it takes more than just sharing the same roof for your entire lives for you to get to know someone inside and out. Yeah, Damon and I may not have known each other very long, but already, he can read me better than anyone else I know. And that, my neon and glitter festooned friends, spells nothing but “Double Trouble” for you.
Saturday… June 4th. This marks the day that the Angelz of Chaos and Rebellion take flight for the first time as a unit. We are the true rising stars of the tag team division, and the rest of you fools will be sent back to the bottom of the dung heap where you belong. Damon and I will prove that blood isn’t always thicker than water…
Damon: But it’s a HELL of a lot harder to clean up.
Aurora turned to look up at her tag team partner, who had that shit-eating grin on his face again. She smiled back at him as the realization started to sink in.
Aurora: Did… did you just finish my sentence?
Damon didn’t say anything; he only shrugged his shoulders and cocked his eyebrow. Aurora turned away from his gaze. She still wasn’t used to him looking at her like that.
Aurora: Well, there you have it, Twinkies. You’re looking at the team that’s going to drop you like shit from a horse’s ass! Better hope you don’t get stepped on after the fact….
Aurora and Damon glanced at the wall that separated the park from her childhood home. They looked at each other and nodded.
Aurora: You thinking what I’m thinking?
Damon: You sure no one’s home?
Aurora: My parents always go to San Diego for Memorial Day Weekend. The house is as empty as Micki Lee’s head.
Damon: I was gonna suggest another part of his anatomy…
Aurora: Ewww!
They laughed as Damon boosted Aurora up the wall before scaling it himself. As they both disappeared over the wall, Aurora scoffed.
Aurora: Son of a bitch! Dad turned my room into his man cave!
~Sunday morning~
Aurora’s Condo
Long Beach, CA
6:30 am
Through the windows, the sky was a bright, clear shade of blue, with the occasional seagull flying over the ocean. Had it not been for the dark-stained wood of the windows’ frames, it would have made for the perfect summer post card.
In the corner of the living room, an HD television displayed a bouncing Blu-Ray logo that shifted in color as it moved across the otherwise black screen, an open Deadpool jewelcase beside the Blu-Ray player. The faint scent of pizza lingered in the air, coming from an empty box that sat open beside the sofa, where Damon Graves slept with his head resting against the back. His mouth hung open, and his snoring was loud enough to wake the dead. And yet it had no effect on the slumbering form of Aurora, who had her head resting against his chest and a blanket pulled up around her body.
Damon: ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzz….chimi-fucking-changas…..zzzzzzzzZZZZZZZ
A muffled ringtone started to play from some unseen place…
♪I wanna love you, but I better not touch (don't touch)
I wanna hold you, but my senses tell me to stop
I wanna kiss you, but I want it too much (too much)
I wanna taste you, but your lips are venomous poison♪
Aurora: What the…?
She groggily sat up, frantically feeling around for her cell phone as the ringtone continued to play. Her hand accidentally slapped Damon in the crotch, jolting him awake as he doubled over.
Damon: OOF! The fuck?
Aurora dazedly looked at Damon’s bright red face; it took her a moment to realize what she had done.
Aurora: Oh my god! I’m so sorry… it’s just that I’m looking for my phone…
The ringing suddenly stopped, and only then did Damon notice that something about his seat on the sofa wasn’t quite right. He picked up his left leg, reached down, and pulled out Aurora’s cell phone.
Damon: You mean this?
Aurora held out her hand, taking the phone from Damon with an apologetic look in her eyes. The crotch shot had been completely accidental, and even knowing this, she still felt bad.
Aurora: Thanks.
She looked around at the empty pizza box and the TV, then at the bright morning sky outside her window. A sheepish smile came over her face as she turned to Damon.
Aurora: Looks like we fell asleep.
Damon: I guess we did.
Aurora checked her phone; she knew Alicia had tried to call her, but with her phone lodged under Damon’s posterior, she couldn’t get to it in time. And with the added awkwardness of their present situation, Aurora wasn’t sure what to say.
Aurora: You know Alicia’s gonna eat this up when she finds out what happened….
Damon: Who says she has to find out?
Aurora snickered, clenching her eyes tightly.
Aurora: You have a point. Just try and keep quiet while I call her back.
Damon moved his hand across his mouth as if he was zipping his lips as Aurora returned Alicia’s call. As she put the call on speakerphone, Aurora put a finger against her lips as she looked at Damon pleadingly.
Alicia: (over the phone) Hello…
Aurora: Missed you by that much… I misplaced my phone.
Alicia: Indeed. Say, um… You wouldn’t by any chance happen to know where Damon is, would you? I tried to call him, but he wasn’t picking up his phone.
Aurora looked at Damon who was waving his arms in a panic as he mouthed the words “Stick to the plan.” She raised a hand, motioning for him to calm down.
Alicia: Everything okay over there?
Aurora: Yeah, everything’s fine. I just…
Damon tried to hold it in, but a sneeze forced its way out. He clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle it, in the hopes that Aurora’s phone didn’t pick up on the noise.
Alicia: Wait a second… who just sneezed? I know that wasn’t you, Aurora!
Aurora opened her mouth to speak, but words failed her. Damon flopped down on the sofa, throwing his hands in the air.
Damon: Well, fuck!
Alicia: AHA! He never left your place last night, did he? Wait… hold on… did you guys…?
Aurora: No we did NOT! Geez, what kind of girl do you take me for?
Aurora looked at Damon as she sat beside him, the sound of Alicia’s laughter emanating from the phone.
Alicia: Oh, come on! It’s 2016, for fuck’s sake! It’s not that big of a deal, really. Hell, I could tell you some stories.
Aurora: No need. You’ve already told THAT story.
Alicia: Fair enough. Anyway, I was calling to tell you that I have to fly out to Detroit for a few days on business. Don’t worry, though; I’ll be back in plenty of time for Vendetta. You think you two can keep out of trouble for that long?
Aurora and Damon looked at each other, collectively rolling their eyes.
Aurora: Oh, I can. The question is, can Damon?
Damon: HEY!
Aurora laughed.
Alicia: Alright, you two. Behave yourselves. And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Wait a minute… forget I said that.
Aurora: Yeah… there’s not much you wouldn’t do.
Alicia: Right. Take care, guys.
Aurora ended the call, exhaling deeply as she leaned against back of the sofa. Damon got up and walked toward the windows, staring out over the ocean.
Damon: That is one hell of a view…
Aurora pushed off of her seat, standing beside Damon with her arms folded in front of her.
Aurora: That’s why I bought this place. Hell, you can see the Queen Mary from here.
She pointed across the water to where the ocean liner-turned floating hotel sat permanently moored, near the dome that used to house the Spruce Goose. A wistful expression washed over her face as she sighed.
Aurora: When I was a little girl, I had always dreamed that I’d get married on that boat.
She shook her head, turning away from the window as she crossed the room to pick up the pizza box.
Aurora: But no… I had to stick it to my dad and get married in a Vegas drive-through wedding chapel. What a fucking waste! Four years of my life gone straight down the shitter, all because I…
Sensing the building rage in his partner’s voice, he moved in, grabbing her by both shoulders as he turned her around to face him. Her aquamarine eyes were burning with a fury hotter than the one he had faced in the ring; her face twisted into an almost bloodthirsty snarl.
Damon: Look… that part of your life is over with. You made a mistake, but you corrected it and moved on. No sense letting it get you all bent out of shape. But hold on to a bit of that rage. It’ll come in handy at Vendetta.
It was enough to defuse the situation. The expression on her face softened into something that better suited her features. The unbridled rage in her eyes soon melted away, leaving the headstrong spitfire he was more accustomed to.
Aurora: You’re right. We’ll save it for “Double Trouble” and those other two fuckers.
Damon: That’s my girl.
Aurora raised her eyebrow at the sentence that just came out of Damon’s mouth.
Aurora: What’s all this “my girl” crap? You’re staking claim on me now?
She jerked away, turning to face away from him, but only because she didn’t want him to see the grin she was desperately trying to force down. No… it was too soon for that. MUCH too soon. She bit her lip, almost hard enough to break the skin.
She forgot that the wall behind the sofa was covered from floor to ceiling in mirrors. She looked at the wall, staring straight into the reflected image of Damon’s eyes.
Yeah… he saw it. But to her surprise, he had an apologetic smile on his face.
Damon: You’re right. I probably jumped the gun a little bit.
Aurora: You think?
Damon: Fair enough. I can wait. But we need to hit the road. I’ve got the perfect place in mind for our first date.
Aurora: Hey, wait a minute!
Damon: Remember? I said last night’s pizza and Deadpool didn’t count.
She squinted at him, wrinkling her nose.
Aurora: Bite me!
Damon: Maybe later.
Aurora: You asshole!
Damon: I thought you liked that about me…
Aurora laughed, waving him off as she walked down the hallway. Damon watched as she disappeared into her bedroom. He opened his mouth as if to call out after her, but her bedroom door closed before he could utter a word.
Aurora sat on the top of a pilot case near the entrance to the underground parking lot of the building. She pulled out her phone to check the time.
9 am.
Damon was nowhere to be seen. According to the text message displayed on her screen, he had left to pick up the rental car that would carry them and their belongings along the six hour drive to San Jose.
That was almost two hours ago.
She waited with her luggage, staring at the tree on the opposite side of the driveway from where she sat, a thoughtful expression on her face.
Aurora: You know, there’s something to be said for learning about where your roots are. I’ve always been of the belief that you should give props to those that came before you. But the problem is when those that came before you are still around, trying their damnedest to hang with the younger crowd. To their credit, there are some that can pull it off. But there are some old school guys that need to take a page out of Queen Elsa from Frozen and just “Let it Go!” Billy Ray, I’m talking to you.
Don’t think I don’t get it, Billy… because I do. You’re at that age when you want so badly to prove you’re not just an old relic that needs to be relegated to sitting on a shelf and collecting dust. Deny it all you want, but that’s what the world thinks when they see guys like you still try to cut it in the ring with guys one third your age. But as much as I know it eats away at you, you have to come to grips with the fact that this is a young people’s game, and you, at 60-something years old, just don’t fit here anymore. It would have been so much better for you to step out of the spotlight and let the new breed show what they’ve got. But no… you have to grasp at whatever fragments of your former glory that haven’t slipped through your feeble old fingers and take up space from someone young and hungry. It’s one thing to come in once in a while, dust off the old gear and do the odd match for nostalgia’s sake. But when you get to be the age that you are, and you actually try to make a full time gig of it? Get a damn grip, old man! The fans are shelling out their hard earned money not to learn lessons about hope and integrity… these fans came to see us kick the shit out of each other! Morality doesn’t put asses in the seats, action does.
News flash; this isn’t the 80’s. Times have changed. And to be frank, if you had any integrity, you would have hung it up and gone home a long time ago. You want people to remember the days when wrestling meant something? Then pick up some kick pads, get in the gym, and start imparting some of that so-called “wisdom” of yours to the ones that are young enough to make something of themselves; don’t try to knock them off the ladder. Your history may make for good stories about what it was like in the old days, but that’s all it is. HISTORY! You’ve had your moment in the sun, and now it’s time for your sun to set so that a new day can begin.
I believe there’s a line from an old Kenny Rogers song… you got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em. Billy Ray, the time for you to fold your hand has already come and gone. Time for you to put down the cards and walk away.
A soft, barely audible scoff escaped from her lips as she leaned against the concrete pillar by the exit to the driveway. From where she stood, she could see an empty beer can rolling down the gutter, its aluminum shell clattering against the pavement.
Coors… that was Jered’s brand.
Just the sight of the Coors logo brought a look of murderous rage to her face the likes of which made her earlier outburst seem tame by comparison. Her fist clenched so tightly that her entire arm quivered as she continued through gritted teeth.
Aurora: And then there’s you, KEG. First of all, I want to make something clear. There is absolutely nothing wrong with knocking a few drinks back once in a while. Hell, there have been times when I’ve thrown back enough booze to drop an elephant. But you? Shit, for you, that’s just another day at the office for you, isn’t it? And that, my friend, is a problem. I’m not saying I give a flying fuck about the current condition of your liver. But it’s what you represent that makes me sick to my stomach.
You’re 30 years old, and your forehead alone looks like a fucking Thomas Guide, and the only reason I even know what those are is because my grandmother collected those things. But seriously, with that mug, I could see you getting asked if you’d like to use your senior citizen’s discount on a regular basis. But the one thing that pisses me off about you the most, is the fact that FISH drink less than you do. You represent everything that I hate; everything that I left behind. Four years of my life were wasted at the hands of someone like you… someone that did nothing but drink until they nearly forgot where they were on any given day. For four fucking years, all I was ever told was how useless I was; that I was nothing but a toy for that pig to do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. And when he had guzzled so much swill that the term “whiskey dick” wasn’t nearly enough to describe him, he’d tell me that it was because I wasn’t doing enough to turn him on.
As her anger intensified, her eyes stared like daggers as her cheeks burned red as apples.
Aurora: I look at your face and I see those same bloodshot eyes staring back at me; I smell the stink of cheap booze that he always had on his breath, and I hear everything he said to me in that horrid, scratchy voice. Why didn’t I leave, you ask? Because like millions of other women that were in the same boat as I was, eventually, you hear those same words enough times, you start to believe them yourself. To think that all it took was the sight of my own blood splattered on the wall courtesy of one drunken punch to make me say “ENOUGH!” [/color]
Her face softened, but only slightly. Her teeth were no longer clenched, but her lip was still curled into a twisted sneer.
Aurora: I know, KEG… you’re not my ex-husband. And it’s because of that fact that I won’t be out to completely wreck whatever’s left of your career. But that’s not going to stop me from taking four years of being verbally and physically beaten down by the man I gave up my entire family for, and stomping a mudhole in your drunken ass! Maybe there will be so much beer in your veins that you won’t feel the full effect of what Damon and I are going to do to you until after the hangover kicks in; or maybe you will. Either way, the only thing that matters to the Angelz of Destruction is making sure you and your tag team partner end up with your leathery necks underneath the soles of our boots.
Her flared nostrils twitched with each breath as she watched the road. Seconds passed, before a vibrating alert turned Aurora’s gaze to her screen. Damon’s name appeared at the top of a list of text messages, along with a paperclip icon, denoting an attached image. She opened the text to find a picture of Damon behind the wheel of a school bus, the words “be there in a couple minutes” appearing beneath the image.
Aurora: Damn it…
Her anger instantly melted away from her face, as she let out a quiet laugh. Shaking her head, she stuffed her cell phone into her pocket. The faint glimmer of a smile graced her face, but only for a second.
Aurora: Well, folks… in a few minutes, the Angelz of Destruction begin the journey to San Jose. As for the four fools that will be in that ring with us… don’t get your hopes up about beating us, because all you’re going to be doing is setting yourselves up for disappointment on an epic level. The Angelz of Destruction are gonna do just that – destroy the tag team division and anyone stupid enough to stand in our way… starting with you four shitsticks!
**HONK, HONK**
The sound was deep, but distant. Aurora looked down the road; sure enough, a large, yellow school bus thundered toward the driveway, and Aurora could just barely make out the mohawked silhouette of her tag team partner behind the wheel.
Aurora: Son of a bitch… he wasn’t kidding. This is gonna be one hell of a trip….
Damon pulled the bus up to the driveway, killed the engine and jumped down the steps to the curb. With a cheesy grin on his face, he started grabbing Aurora’s luggage as he tipped his head toward the bus.
Damon: Time to get this show on the road, partner.
Aurora: Gladly…
She gave Damon a sly grin as she grabbed a couple of suitcases. As she carried them up the steps and onto the bus, Damon cleared his throat.
Damon: I hope you brought your swimsuit… you’re gonna need it….