Saturday June 4, 2011
Jane Addams Expressway- Inside Terrence’s Charger
Chicago, Illinois
7:41 PM Local Time
I puffed a loose strand of hair from my face as I watched the buildings off the Jane Addams expressway pass by. Despite earlier rainstorms that had wracked the area (and pushed back the start of Terrence’s race nearly a full hour), the Chicago evening was clear, with only a smattering of high-altitude clouds in the sky, the setting sun casting an orange glow as it slowly lowered into the western sky.
I tugged at the pink shirt I was wearing, and took a glance behind me at the duffel bag on the back seat, where my practice gear sat. I had just finished my final training session before Fatal Attraction. The next time I would step into a ring, it would be surrounded by razor wire, electrified, with weapons dangling above it.
“Wendy!”
I jumped at my manager’s voice, and wheeled to look at him. Pollaski was driving, but he seemed to be looking at me almost as much as he was paying attention to the other cars on the road. “What? What is it?”
Pollaski’s face was etched in concern. “I was asking you a question but... forget it. You okay there?”
“Yeah, I”m fine.” I replied, turning to look back out the window again. “I was just thinking.”
In truth, it hadn’t been the first time I’d been caught staring off into space. I know that several times over the past week, I had let my mind wander. It had happened almost everywhere- while eating, watching television, even during Terrence’s race today. About the only time I hadn’t ‘zoned out’ had been when I was in that ring, practicing.
I knew why my mind kept wandering, and I felt stupid for it. This was hardly the first deathmatch in history- even one of this magnitude, and I was hardly the first female to ever compete in one. Heck, I had been in deathmatches before myself, although I had never particularily enjoyed them. I had known about this match for three months- heck, I had expected it to take place a month and a half ago! And all the while, I had worked hard with my husband and manager to devise a gameplan and techniques to help me get through it.
So why now, on the night before Fatal Attraction, did I feel like a condemned criminal waiting for their sentence to be carried out?
“You’re doing it again.” Pollaski’s voice rang out again, and I gave another start.
“I’m sorry.” I sighed, frustrated with myself. I noticed that we had pulled off the highway. We were nearing O’Hare, and the Marriott where we were staying. We had an early flight the next morning- get to Calgary in plenty of time to prepare and relax before the big night. “I guess I need to snap out of it, hunh.”
Pollaski snorted, and shrugged. “I ain’t worried.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Well, that makes one of us.”
“Why be worried? The last couple of training sessions, you’ve been at your absolute best, and today was no exception. Yeah, you’re nervous. But I’ve known you for nearly a decade, Wendy. The moment you step in the ring, regardless of the situation, or the odds, or whatever, you know what to do. Tomorrow isn’t going to be any exception.”
“I hope so,” I responded. I could see the Marriott just ahead, we were almost there.
“I know so,” Pollaski replied. “Look, we’ve gone over as much tape as we could find, and you’ve faced Flynn twice anyways, so we know what to expect, and we’ve got a good gameplan. You’re the world champion for a reason, of course. The biggest issue you have is the match type. And in reality- it’s still the same thing. You need a pinfall or a submission. There’s just a lot more ways you can go about obtaining those here.”
“Just...” Pollaski paused in his lecture to turn into the Marriott’s lot, and he shot a sidelong glance at me. “Just remember the promise you made me.”
I nodded, “I know.”
Pollaski shook his head as he pulled the car to a stop in front of the Mariott’s main entrance. He looked back over at me. “I want you to say it, Wendy, and I don’t want you getting out of the car until you do. What is the ONE thing you are not going to do in this match?”
“Hesitate,” I replied softly.
“What does that mean?”
“That I do whatever I think I need to win this match, regardless of how I might feel about it,” I replied, almost robotically. “If it needs to be done, no hesitating, no second-guessing, just do it.”
“Damn right,” Pollaski replied. “It’s a deathmatch, Wendy, and you’ll need to wrestle like you’re in one. You won’t have time for regrets or remorse out there. Just keep that in mind, and you’ll fine. Now...” Pollaski broke into a small smile. “just go up and relax tonight, okay? It’s over twenty-four hours until your match, and you’re not going to do yourself any favors dwelling on it the entire time.”
“Alright. Thanks Dan,” I said, smiling at my manager gratefully. I opened the door, and climbed out of the car.
“Remember, the flights at six!” Pollaski called after me, rolling the passenger window down. “Cassie, Theresa and I will meet you at the gate.”
“Okay!” I responded automatically, before I realized what he had just said. I wheeled around. “Wait! You have The-”
But the Charger was already pulling away, and my words died in my throat. I shook my head, and shrugged, and walked into the hotel. It’s not that I worried about Theresa’s safety with my nanny and manager, but I sure wished that people would clue me into what was going on!
Ah well, I guess people probably figured I had enough on my mental plate, I thought as I walked by the front desk into the elevator. Although I hadn’t been to the hotel yet, Terrence had texted me the room number during our workout- 1504. I patiently waited as the elevator climbed the floors, than opened the doors to let me out.
The doors opened, and I stepped out, walking down the hallway. Oddly, the doors on this floor seemed spaced a lot further apart than I would normally expect from a hotel. Still, it didn’t take long to reach 1504. To my surprise, the door was cracked open, and I pushed my way inside.
My jaw dropped. Almost immediately, I realized why there were so few rooms- the fifteenth floor was devoted to the luxury suites, which my husband had apparently seen fit to reserve. But what I noticed the most was that none of the lights were on- the only source of illumination coming from the fading sunlight through a balcony door, and about twoscore candles littered around the suite. As I closed the door, I heard the opening notes of Bob Seger’s “We’ve Got Tonight” begin to play.
“Hey, you’re back.” I heard a voice from around the corner, and I turned and walked into the suite’s bedroom. Terrence was sitting on the bed, Pollaski’s College Football preview magazine in his hands. Despite the rooms romantic atmosphere, he was dressed in a Taco Bell Racing t-shirt and a pair of jeanshorts.
“Hey,” I replied as Terrence tossed the magazine aside, and stood up, giving me a kiss.
“How was training?”
“Good! Well, at least I think so. Pollaski seemed confident...” I looked around. “What’s all this for..?”
Terrence put his arms around me, and leaned in close. “Just, I know you’re worried about tomorrow, and you’ve been working so hard for this match. I just wanted to make tonight special for you. You know, help you relax.”
“Thanks Terry,” I began, haltingly. “But wouldn’t I be better off relaxing AFTER Fatal Attraction?”
“Perhaps,” Terrence replied, then shot me a sly wink. “But for what I have planned, you’re probably going to be too sore for a few days.”
“Oh,” I said, arching my eyebrows. “And what exactly DID you have planned, Mr. Thompson?”
Terrence shrugged. “Well, I figured we’d order some room service for dinner. Then maybe a movie on in-demand. Then...” he trailed off and leaned in close, kissing me on the forehead. “We’ll see.”
“Sounds lovely, although I hardly feel romantic, right now,” I confessed. “I didn’t shower after my workout.”
“Well, I haven’t showered after my race, either,” Terrence replied. “And, well, they’ve been talking a lot about how we should save water. We should probably be environmentally conscious.”
I giggled. “Is the shower big enough?”
“Yup,” Terrence replied. “And it has those little non-slip sticky thingies on the floor.”
“Oh good.” After an unfortunate incident on our honeymoon, Terrence and I had discovered that those things were kind of a requirement.
Terrence slipped his arms around mine, and I found ourselves swaying to the rhythm of the music. “Whatever you want to do hon,” he whispered. “Tonight is all about you, after all.”
“Well, I think you have a pretty good itinerary,” I replied, nuzzling myself close into him. “But should we call for room service first, or wait?”
“Depends on how long a shower you want to take,” my husband replied. “The menu says expect thirty minutes for delivery.”
“After it is, then,” I replied.
It was the beginning of what would be a wonderful night.
=============================
Sunday June 5, 2011
Edworthy Park- Bow Riverbank
Calgary, Alberta
2:31 PM Local Time
“The day has arrived.”
[Scene opens on the bank of Calgary’s Bow River, in Edworthy Park. It’s a fairly nice day in the Stampede City, with partly cloudy skies, the temperature a mild 19 degrees. (Celsius, since we’re in Canada. That’s 66 for your Fahrenheiters out there). Wendy Briese stands about five feet back from the banks of the river, her flame-red hair rustling slightly in the beeze. Wendy’s garbed in a pair of jeans, and a simple black and white windbreaker, and she’s looking out at the Edworthy Park pedestrian bridge, spanning the river. She slowly turns towards the camera, her face expressionless.]
“It’s been three months since I learned what kind of match I would be defending my title in, and two months since the identity of the man I’m to face became official. All the while, I’ve been planning, studying, trying to find the best approach I could take to this match. In the meanwhile, my husband retired from wrestling, X3W took an unexpected hiatus, and my relationship with my challenger, once amiable, has deteriorated to a point that is well beneath the lines of civility.”
“And now, here I stand, mere hours away from my first world title defense, and I honestly have no idea what to think. I’ll admit, there’s a part of me that’s waiting for a phone call or text message, telling me that there’s either been another delay, or that the components of the Fatal Attraction were unavailable, and the contest has been reverted back to a standard match. But there’s another part of me that just wants to get this over with, so I can get on with my career without this infernal match hanging over me. Still, there’s a part of me that’s excited- for the true test of a champion is not earning the belt, but defending it, and tonight I finally have that opportunity.”
[Wendy pauses, and looks back over at the river for a second, taking a deep breath.]
“And lastly, there’s a part of me- a part that’s steadily growing, mind you- that’s fairly satisfied that if I’m going to climb into a brutal, Satanic structure to try and defend my title, at least I’ll be able to do it against a despicable weasel like Kevin Flynn.”
“I see once again you’ve taken the low road, Kevin, and to be honest, I’m far from surprised. I suppose I should be outraged or scandalized, or something from the little vignette you aired earlier, but honestly, I’ve given up caring what people think of me and my lifestyle a long time ago. I’ve never claimed to be virtuous, or a saint, or anything along those lines. I just try and do the best I can...”
[Wendy breaks off, and chuckles, shaking her head]
“The sad thing is, Flynn, is that if you wanted to do a smear piece on me, with a little time and effort you could have probably dug up some REAL events, and spun them to turn me into a hypocrite. But you couldn’t be bothered to do anything that would actually qualify as research, could you?”
“Because I didn’t debut as a wrestler 2006. I debuted in December of 2001, retired in 2005, and returned in 2010. Heck, when I beat Szalinski at Revelations, it was my first singles championship in six years. If I’m to be offended by anything you say, Kevin, it’s the fact that I, your opponent in a pay-per-view over a title you obviously want very badly, apparently are so irrelevant to you that you couldn’t even be bothered to get the timeline straight when you spread lies about me!”
[Wendy snorts derisively, and rolls her eyes, shaking her head in disbelief]
“And YOU have the audacity to lecture ME about studying and preparation?”
[Wendy bursts out laughing and shakes her head again]
“This is nothing new from you. Everything that’s come out of your mouth in the past two months has been an indication that you don’t have a clue about who you’re facing at Fatal Attraction, and you’re just too lazy to actually figure it out. It’s like, you’ve invented this alternate reality Wendy Briese that you want to face, and you’re hoping the real life Wendy just happens to match up.”
“Well, you’re about to become one very disappointed person.”
“Ever since you hit me with an Ultrasault to announce your admission into the Powers That Be, I’ve sat quietly, Kevin. I’ve listen as you’ve cracked cheap shot after cheap shot in your press conferences. Most of them were so amazingly inaccurate that they never even warranted a first thought, much less a second one... but once, just once your words actually had an affect on me. It would have been in Seattle, when you and Kristi stood in front of Key Arena and announced that since I cried, I lacked mental toughness and didn’t deserve the right to be champion.”
[Wendy pauses, and glances over at the river again, a moment of silence reigning. When she speaks, her voice is softer]
“I know I am a bit on the emotional side- perhaps too much so. I’ve always worn my heart on my sleeve- at least I would’ve if my ring gear had any. Joy, sorrow, anger, even fear- I’ve never been good at hiding them. Probably why I’m such a lousy poker player. And I’ll admit it, whether its from frustration, or sorrow, or allergic reactions, or whatever, tears probably come a bit quicker to me than they probably should.”
“But Kevin, if you quit looking at the ‘evil mastermind former porn star whore who slept her way to the top’ Wendy Briese you’ve created, and actually went back and looked at my REAL history, you’d never question my mental toughness. Without mental toughness, I couldn’t have carried on after the whole mess with my parents. Without mental toughness, I wouldn’t have returned to the ring after my ankle was fractured. Without mental toughness, I wouldn’t have faced my demons after my kidnapping.”
“Without mental toughness, I wouldn’t be stepping into that ring tonight.”
“See, Kevin, I think you need to actually realize WHY I’m even competing tonight. Obviously, I would love to retain my title. And I sure as heck don’t want to see the belt fall into your filthy little hands, or any members of the Powers that Be. But the main reason I’m getting into that cage tonight is because if I didn’t, I would never forgive myself tomorrow. I’d like to spend the rest of my life being able to look at myself in a mirror.”
[Wendy nods, and takes several steps to her left, careful to not get too close to the river]
“Through all the pretentious crap you’ve managed to utter, Flynn, there’s one thing you’ve actually managed to get right. You ARE my measuring stick. You’re the only person in X3 who can claim to have beaten me in singles competition. At least until tonight, You’re the only person in the world who’s walked into the Fatal Attraction cage, and won. And there’s no denying that you are the rightful challenger to my world championship.”
“And that’s why, through the potentially career-ending peril I’m facing, I see the opportunity, and it goes beyond walking out with the X3 Championship around my waist. If I beat you, Flynn, I’ll have avenged the only pnfall or submission I’ve taken in this company. And if I beat you in a match that I despise, a match so twisted and sadistic that it has actually given me a couple of nightmares...”
[Wendy pauses for just a second, and shudders.]
“... then there isn’t anything in professional wrestling... anything in life itself that I won’t be able to do.”
“I’m sure people are going to think that’s a hokey thing to say, but I don’t care. It’s what I believe, and I’m not going to pretend anything different. Because that’s who I am. I’m Gwendolyn Constance Thompson, nee Briese. I’ve been called Wendy since I was a baby, primarily due to my mother’s love of the Peter Pan stories. And I do believe that hard work and determination pay off in the end, and anyone who doesn’t like it can either shut off the television, or root for my opponent.”
“But at least I’ll be able to sleep at night knowing that I’ve done my best. That I approached this sport as honestly as I could, and I’ve never tried to be anything that I’m not. And I can certainly be proud of the fact that I’ve never had to share a name with a brand of cookies to gain attention. Or that I’ll never be so desperate for acceptance that I’ll join a faction of despicable rogues just to get back in the good graces of a significant other who betrayed me.”
[Wendy actually cracks a small smile at the dig, then fixates herself so her emerald eyes are boring directly into the camera]
“Kevin Flynn, if you want my title, come and get it. If you want to break me, batter me, burn me, even bury me, you are more than welcome to try. But I’m the world champion for a darn good reason, and I’m three taps of a hand on the mat, whether yours or the referee’s from keeping it. Weapons, razor wire, electricity, explosions- at the end of the day, none of them will ultimately win the match. Its pinfall or submission, just as its always been.”
“But I don’t think you’re expecting a match tonight, Flynn. You, and all your cronies, are expecting nothing short of an execution followed by a coronation. But win or lose, I think you’re going to be pretty disappointed come the end of the night.”
“Because while I won’t be so bold as to guarantee victory tonight, I will promise one thing. When I walk.. yes... WALK out of the Fatal Attraction cage at the end of the night, whether I have the title or not, my head will be held high. Cause while you might cause pain to me, slice my skin open, maybe even beat me, you will never, EVER break me.”
[A small smile]
“Just make sure you bring an umbrella, Kevin. ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ is about to rain all over your victory party.”
[Wendy turns to walk away from the river, and the scene fades]
Jane Addams Expressway- Inside Terrence’s Charger
Chicago, Illinois
7:41 PM Local Time
I puffed a loose strand of hair from my face as I watched the buildings off the Jane Addams expressway pass by. Despite earlier rainstorms that had wracked the area (and pushed back the start of Terrence’s race nearly a full hour), the Chicago evening was clear, with only a smattering of high-altitude clouds in the sky, the setting sun casting an orange glow as it slowly lowered into the western sky.
I tugged at the pink shirt I was wearing, and took a glance behind me at the duffel bag on the back seat, where my practice gear sat. I had just finished my final training session before Fatal Attraction. The next time I would step into a ring, it would be surrounded by razor wire, electrified, with weapons dangling above it.
“Wendy!”
I jumped at my manager’s voice, and wheeled to look at him. Pollaski was driving, but he seemed to be looking at me almost as much as he was paying attention to the other cars on the road. “What? What is it?”
Pollaski’s face was etched in concern. “I was asking you a question but... forget it. You okay there?”
“Yeah, I”m fine.” I replied, turning to look back out the window again. “I was just thinking.”
In truth, it hadn’t been the first time I’d been caught staring off into space. I know that several times over the past week, I had let my mind wander. It had happened almost everywhere- while eating, watching television, even during Terrence’s race today. About the only time I hadn’t ‘zoned out’ had been when I was in that ring, practicing.
I knew why my mind kept wandering, and I felt stupid for it. This was hardly the first deathmatch in history- even one of this magnitude, and I was hardly the first female to ever compete in one. Heck, I had been in deathmatches before myself, although I had never particularily enjoyed them. I had known about this match for three months- heck, I had expected it to take place a month and a half ago! And all the while, I had worked hard with my husband and manager to devise a gameplan and techniques to help me get through it.
So why now, on the night before Fatal Attraction, did I feel like a condemned criminal waiting for their sentence to be carried out?
“You’re doing it again.” Pollaski’s voice rang out again, and I gave another start.
“I’m sorry.” I sighed, frustrated with myself. I noticed that we had pulled off the highway. We were nearing O’Hare, and the Marriott where we were staying. We had an early flight the next morning- get to Calgary in plenty of time to prepare and relax before the big night. “I guess I need to snap out of it, hunh.”
Pollaski snorted, and shrugged. “I ain’t worried.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Well, that makes one of us.”
“Why be worried? The last couple of training sessions, you’ve been at your absolute best, and today was no exception. Yeah, you’re nervous. But I’ve known you for nearly a decade, Wendy. The moment you step in the ring, regardless of the situation, or the odds, or whatever, you know what to do. Tomorrow isn’t going to be any exception.”
“I hope so,” I responded. I could see the Marriott just ahead, we were almost there.
“I know so,” Pollaski replied. “Look, we’ve gone over as much tape as we could find, and you’ve faced Flynn twice anyways, so we know what to expect, and we’ve got a good gameplan. You’re the world champion for a reason, of course. The biggest issue you have is the match type. And in reality- it’s still the same thing. You need a pinfall or a submission. There’s just a lot more ways you can go about obtaining those here.”
“Just...” Pollaski paused in his lecture to turn into the Marriott’s lot, and he shot a sidelong glance at me. “Just remember the promise you made me.”
I nodded, “I know.”
Pollaski shook his head as he pulled the car to a stop in front of the Mariott’s main entrance. He looked back over at me. “I want you to say it, Wendy, and I don’t want you getting out of the car until you do. What is the ONE thing you are not going to do in this match?”
“Hesitate,” I replied softly.
“What does that mean?”
“That I do whatever I think I need to win this match, regardless of how I might feel about it,” I replied, almost robotically. “If it needs to be done, no hesitating, no second-guessing, just do it.”
“Damn right,” Pollaski replied. “It’s a deathmatch, Wendy, and you’ll need to wrestle like you’re in one. You won’t have time for regrets or remorse out there. Just keep that in mind, and you’ll fine. Now...” Pollaski broke into a small smile. “just go up and relax tonight, okay? It’s over twenty-four hours until your match, and you’re not going to do yourself any favors dwelling on it the entire time.”
“Alright. Thanks Dan,” I said, smiling at my manager gratefully. I opened the door, and climbed out of the car.
“Remember, the flights at six!” Pollaski called after me, rolling the passenger window down. “Cassie, Theresa and I will meet you at the gate.”
“Okay!” I responded automatically, before I realized what he had just said. I wheeled around. “Wait! You have The-”
But the Charger was already pulling away, and my words died in my throat. I shook my head, and shrugged, and walked into the hotel. It’s not that I worried about Theresa’s safety with my nanny and manager, but I sure wished that people would clue me into what was going on!
Ah well, I guess people probably figured I had enough on my mental plate, I thought as I walked by the front desk into the elevator. Although I hadn’t been to the hotel yet, Terrence had texted me the room number during our workout- 1504. I patiently waited as the elevator climbed the floors, than opened the doors to let me out.
The doors opened, and I stepped out, walking down the hallway. Oddly, the doors on this floor seemed spaced a lot further apart than I would normally expect from a hotel. Still, it didn’t take long to reach 1504. To my surprise, the door was cracked open, and I pushed my way inside.
My jaw dropped. Almost immediately, I realized why there were so few rooms- the fifteenth floor was devoted to the luxury suites, which my husband had apparently seen fit to reserve. But what I noticed the most was that none of the lights were on- the only source of illumination coming from the fading sunlight through a balcony door, and about twoscore candles littered around the suite. As I closed the door, I heard the opening notes of Bob Seger’s “We’ve Got Tonight” begin to play.
“Hey, you’re back.” I heard a voice from around the corner, and I turned and walked into the suite’s bedroom. Terrence was sitting on the bed, Pollaski’s College Football preview magazine in his hands. Despite the rooms romantic atmosphere, he was dressed in a Taco Bell Racing t-shirt and a pair of jeanshorts.
“Hey,” I replied as Terrence tossed the magazine aside, and stood up, giving me a kiss.
“How was training?”
“Good! Well, at least I think so. Pollaski seemed confident...” I looked around. “What’s all this for..?”
Terrence put his arms around me, and leaned in close. “Just, I know you’re worried about tomorrow, and you’ve been working so hard for this match. I just wanted to make tonight special for you. You know, help you relax.”
“Thanks Terry,” I began, haltingly. “But wouldn’t I be better off relaxing AFTER Fatal Attraction?”
“Perhaps,” Terrence replied, then shot me a sly wink. “But for what I have planned, you’re probably going to be too sore for a few days.”
“Oh,” I said, arching my eyebrows. “And what exactly DID you have planned, Mr. Thompson?”
Terrence shrugged. “Well, I figured we’d order some room service for dinner. Then maybe a movie on in-demand. Then...” he trailed off and leaned in close, kissing me on the forehead. “We’ll see.”
“Sounds lovely, although I hardly feel romantic, right now,” I confessed. “I didn’t shower after my workout.”
“Well, I haven’t showered after my race, either,” Terrence replied. “And, well, they’ve been talking a lot about how we should save water. We should probably be environmentally conscious.”
I giggled. “Is the shower big enough?”
“Yup,” Terrence replied. “And it has those little non-slip sticky thingies on the floor.”
“Oh good.” After an unfortunate incident on our honeymoon, Terrence and I had discovered that those things were kind of a requirement.
Terrence slipped his arms around mine, and I found ourselves swaying to the rhythm of the music. “Whatever you want to do hon,” he whispered. “Tonight is all about you, after all.”
“Well, I think you have a pretty good itinerary,” I replied, nuzzling myself close into him. “But should we call for room service first, or wait?”
“Depends on how long a shower you want to take,” my husband replied. “The menu says expect thirty minutes for delivery.”
“After it is, then,” I replied.
It was the beginning of what would be a wonderful night.
=============================
Sunday June 5, 2011
Edworthy Park- Bow Riverbank
Calgary, Alberta
2:31 PM Local Time
“The day has arrived.”
[Scene opens on the bank of Calgary’s Bow River, in Edworthy Park. It’s a fairly nice day in the Stampede City, with partly cloudy skies, the temperature a mild 19 degrees. (Celsius, since we’re in Canada. That’s 66 for your Fahrenheiters out there). Wendy Briese stands about five feet back from the banks of the river, her flame-red hair rustling slightly in the beeze. Wendy’s garbed in a pair of jeans, and a simple black and white windbreaker, and she’s looking out at the Edworthy Park pedestrian bridge, spanning the river. She slowly turns towards the camera, her face expressionless.]
“It’s been three months since I learned what kind of match I would be defending my title in, and two months since the identity of the man I’m to face became official. All the while, I’ve been planning, studying, trying to find the best approach I could take to this match. In the meanwhile, my husband retired from wrestling, X3W took an unexpected hiatus, and my relationship with my challenger, once amiable, has deteriorated to a point that is well beneath the lines of civility.”
“And now, here I stand, mere hours away from my first world title defense, and I honestly have no idea what to think. I’ll admit, there’s a part of me that’s waiting for a phone call or text message, telling me that there’s either been another delay, or that the components of the Fatal Attraction were unavailable, and the contest has been reverted back to a standard match. But there’s another part of me that just wants to get this over with, so I can get on with my career without this infernal match hanging over me. Still, there’s a part of me that’s excited- for the true test of a champion is not earning the belt, but defending it, and tonight I finally have that opportunity.”
[Wendy pauses, and looks back over at the river for a second, taking a deep breath.]
“And lastly, there’s a part of me- a part that’s steadily growing, mind you- that’s fairly satisfied that if I’m going to climb into a brutal, Satanic structure to try and defend my title, at least I’ll be able to do it against a despicable weasel like Kevin Flynn.”
“I see once again you’ve taken the low road, Kevin, and to be honest, I’m far from surprised. I suppose I should be outraged or scandalized, or something from the little vignette you aired earlier, but honestly, I’ve given up caring what people think of me and my lifestyle a long time ago. I’ve never claimed to be virtuous, or a saint, or anything along those lines. I just try and do the best I can...”
[Wendy breaks off, and chuckles, shaking her head]
“The sad thing is, Flynn, is that if you wanted to do a smear piece on me, with a little time and effort you could have probably dug up some REAL events, and spun them to turn me into a hypocrite. But you couldn’t be bothered to do anything that would actually qualify as research, could you?”
“Because I didn’t debut as a wrestler 2006. I debuted in December of 2001, retired in 2005, and returned in 2010. Heck, when I beat Szalinski at Revelations, it was my first singles championship in six years. If I’m to be offended by anything you say, Kevin, it’s the fact that I, your opponent in a pay-per-view over a title you obviously want very badly, apparently are so irrelevant to you that you couldn’t even be bothered to get the timeline straight when you spread lies about me!”
[Wendy snorts derisively, and rolls her eyes, shaking her head in disbelief]
“And YOU have the audacity to lecture ME about studying and preparation?”
[Wendy bursts out laughing and shakes her head again]
“This is nothing new from you. Everything that’s come out of your mouth in the past two months has been an indication that you don’t have a clue about who you’re facing at Fatal Attraction, and you’re just too lazy to actually figure it out. It’s like, you’ve invented this alternate reality Wendy Briese that you want to face, and you’re hoping the real life Wendy just happens to match up.”
“Well, you’re about to become one very disappointed person.”
“Ever since you hit me with an Ultrasault to announce your admission into the Powers That Be, I’ve sat quietly, Kevin. I’ve listen as you’ve cracked cheap shot after cheap shot in your press conferences. Most of them were so amazingly inaccurate that they never even warranted a first thought, much less a second one... but once, just once your words actually had an affect on me. It would have been in Seattle, when you and Kristi stood in front of Key Arena and announced that since I cried, I lacked mental toughness and didn’t deserve the right to be champion.”
[Wendy pauses, and glances over at the river again, a moment of silence reigning. When she speaks, her voice is softer]
“I know I am a bit on the emotional side- perhaps too much so. I’ve always worn my heart on my sleeve- at least I would’ve if my ring gear had any. Joy, sorrow, anger, even fear- I’ve never been good at hiding them. Probably why I’m such a lousy poker player. And I’ll admit it, whether its from frustration, or sorrow, or allergic reactions, or whatever, tears probably come a bit quicker to me than they probably should.”
“But Kevin, if you quit looking at the ‘evil mastermind former porn star whore who slept her way to the top’ Wendy Briese you’ve created, and actually went back and looked at my REAL history, you’d never question my mental toughness. Without mental toughness, I couldn’t have carried on after the whole mess with my parents. Without mental toughness, I wouldn’t have returned to the ring after my ankle was fractured. Without mental toughness, I wouldn’t have faced my demons after my kidnapping.”
“Without mental toughness, I wouldn’t be stepping into that ring tonight.”
“See, Kevin, I think you need to actually realize WHY I’m even competing tonight. Obviously, I would love to retain my title. And I sure as heck don’t want to see the belt fall into your filthy little hands, or any members of the Powers that Be. But the main reason I’m getting into that cage tonight is because if I didn’t, I would never forgive myself tomorrow. I’d like to spend the rest of my life being able to look at myself in a mirror.”
[Wendy nods, and takes several steps to her left, careful to not get too close to the river]
“Through all the pretentious crap you’ve managed to utter, Flynn, there’s one thing you’ve actually managed to get right. You ARE my measuring stick. You’re the only person in X3 who can claim to have beaten me in singles competition. At least until tonight, You’re the only person in the world who’s walked into the Fatal Attraction cage, and won. And there’s no denying that you are the rightful challenger to my world championship.”
“And that’s why, through the potentially career-ending peril I’m facing, I see the opportunity, and it goes beyond walking out with the X3 Championship around my waist. If I beat you, Flynn, I’ll have avenged the only pnfall or submission I’ve taken in this company. And if I beat you in a match that I despise, a match so twisted and sadistic that it has actually given me a couple of nightmares...”
[Wendy pauses for just a second, and shudders.]
“... then there isn’t anything in professional wrestling... anything in life itself that I won’t be able to do.”
“I’m sure people are going to think that’s a hokey thing to say, but I don’t care. It’s what I believe, and I’m not going to pretend anything different. Because that’s who I am. I’m Gwendolyn Constance Thompson, nee Briese. I’ve been called Wendy since I was a baby, primarily due to my mother’s love of the Peter Pan stories. And I do believe that hard work and determination pay off in the end, and anyone who doesn’t like it can either shut off the television, or root for my opponent.”
“But at least I’ll be able to sleep at night knowing that I’ve done my best. That I approached this sport as honestly as I could, and I’ve never tried to be anything that I’m not. And I can certainly be proud of the fact that I’ve never had to share a name with a brand of cookies to gain attention. Or that I’ll never be so desperate for acceptance that I’ll join a faction of despicable rogues just to get back in the good graces of a significant other who betrayed me.”
[Wendy actually cracks a small smile at the dig, then fixates herself so her emerald eyes are boring directly into the camera]
“Kevin Flynn, if you want my title, come and get it. If you want to break me, batter me, burn me, even bury me, you are more than welcome to try. But I’m the world champion for a darn good reason, and I’m three taps of a hand on the mat, whether yours or the referee’s from keeping it. Weapons, razor wire, electricity, explosions- at the end of the day, none of them will ultimately win the match. Its pinfall or submission, just as its always been.”
“But I don’t think you’re expecting a match tonight, Flynn. You, and all your cronies, are expecting nothing short of an execution followed by a coronation. But win or lose, I think you’re going to be pretty disappointed come the end of the night.”
“Because while I won’t be so bold as to guarantee victory tonight, I will promise one thing. When I walk.. yes... WALK out of the Fatal Attraction cage at the end of the night, whether I have the title or not, my head will be held high. Cause while you might cause pain to me, slice my skin open, maybe even beat me, you will never, EVER break me.”
[A small smile]
“Just make sure you bring an umbrella, Kevin. ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ is about to rain all over your victory party.”
[Wendy turns to walk away from the river, and the scene fades]
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