Thursday May 22, 2014
Jacob K. Javitz Convention Center- Front Plaza
New York City, New York
2:19 PM Local Time.
“Hey everyone!”
The scene opens with Wendy Briese standing rather enthusiastically outside the Javitz Center, dressed in a black windbreaker and khaki capris. As she waves to the camera, she pauses, frowning, holding her hand out as if testing for rain, glancing up at the overcast and slightly menacing sky. She grimaces slightly.
“Y’know, Adam was right about holding it indoors this time. Just be careful to everyone upstate… looks like some real nasty stuff moving in up by Albany and Saratoga...”
Behind Wendy, a rather sizeable crowd has gathered in a circle, some holding signs, other holding freshly bought merchandise- both FFW and St. Jude’s related, all eager to watch one of their favorite stars cutting her promo for the day.
“Too bad the weather’s not exactly being cooperative. It’s absolutely insane how busy New York City is this week. And I mean moreso than usual- it’s the city that never sleeps after all! But as we head into the Memorial Day weekend, just a lot are going on. The 9/11 museum opened this week, and I got to go this morning, and it’s both awe inspiring and heartbreaking at the same time, seeing the stories that are told. Its an absolutely wonderful representation of one of the darkest and most important days in American history.”
Wendy’s clearly emotional about her experience there, and she’s forced to take a deep breath, before continuing with a small smile as she moves on to lighter topics.
“Of course it’s Fleet Week here, and there’s a few destroyers and Coast Guard cutters down at Staten Island, and they’re offering free tours of the USS Cole and the USS McFaul from today until Monday, so if you’ve ever wanted to see up close and personal some of the modern marvels that help keep this country safe, and are in the New York area, well, you’re in for a treat. And all those sailors, they’re now on shore leave, and that means theres been 1500 seamen turned loose on the Big Apple! In fact, a few of them are here!”
Wendy gestures over to a couple of sailors in their white uniforms, who wave and whoop excitedly, holding up a “Killer C” sign.
“Lot’s of people are here! Heck, I’m here too! We’re at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Hell’s Kitchen, just off the Lincoln Tunnel. And we’re still a few hours from bell-time, but it’s totally a carnival-like atmosphere right now. You can see behind me, there’s just a ton of people, and there’s a TON going on. We’ve got some exhibits set up, there are some games, you can meet your favorite Femme Fatale and get an autograph. Just a ton to do down here, and then of course, this evening, we’re going to be up on the second floor where the ring’s been set up for BYTE THIS 6! The third one we’ve had in New York, and our first ever indoor one!”
A small rumble of thunder sounds overhead, Wendy looking up and gulping slightly.
“Thank God… Anyways, we’ve got five matches set up, the headline being what should be an AWESOME showdown between FFW Evolution Champion Eileen Amaro and the Blondetourage’s Madelyne McTaggert. We’ll also get to see the return of Team Adonis- with Alex… God help us… facing Ignis and Undine along with Andy, who’s miraculously stopped faking his injuries… at least until after this contest. Although he may not have to fake them this time!”
She grins slightly, while the crowd behind her pops slightly. Wendy’s grin crinkles just a smidge at that- clearly she’s still not ENTIRELY used to the idea of Team Adonis being cheered.
“We’re also going to get a fun submissions-only showdown between Candi and Mercedes Vargas, not to mention what should prove to be a fantastic battle royal with the six remaining women in Future Shock- who then have to stuff into a charter plane together, and fly all the way across the country to Los Angeles for the third challenge of Season 14- a trios match. Wouldn’t we all love to be a fly on the wall in THAT plane? And of course, I’ll be taking on Stephanie Sullivan tonight, and I’ll touch on that here in just a few seconds but first…”
Wendy pauses and takes a deep breath.
“But first, it’s really important to remember the POINT of Byte This. It’s a lot of fun, we have a great fan-fair going on, you’re all going to get a great show with some great matches, but in the end, this is our chance, as a company, to give back, and to get you, the FFW faithful, involved in helping out a great cause. And we’ve done this for five wonderful charities in the past, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Action Against Hunger, the Wounded Warrior Project, the American Red Cross, and the Special Olympics. But tonight… tonight might be the organization I’ve been most excited to see us partner with. An organization that has made EVERY parent sleep a little easier at night thanks to one of the world’s best research facilities that absolutely refuses to sacrifice state-of-the-art patient care- the Saint Jude’s Children’s Hospital.”
“Of course, Saint Jude is the patron saint of hospitals, but he is also the patron saint of the hopeless and desperate. And it was to Saint Jude that a young man named Amos Jacobs Kairouz prayed one day back in the thirties. He was a struggling comic, recently married with a child on the way, and he promised Saint Jude that if he was given a sign on whether or not he should give up on his dream, one day he’d build a shrine in the saint’s honor. His career took off not long after, and he took the stage name Danny Thomas, becoming one of the most influential comedians, actors, and producers in entertainment history. His career and life was a wonderful testament to the power of faith and hard work.”
“And he never forgot his vow. And in 1957, he began the process of creating St. Jude’s Hospital, which would open in 1962, with the motto that ‘No child should die in the dawn of life’. And they’ve done that, to an absolutely breathtaking success. The hospital named after the patron saint of the hopeless has become a beacon for hope, and that beacon shines brighter every day. The most common type of childhood cancer is lymphoblastic leukimia, and in 1962, the survival rate was four percent. Just over fifty years later- it stands at NINETY-four percent! Overall childhood cancer survival rate has risen from twenty percent to eighty percent, and their goal is to make it ninety by the end of the decade. And of course the overall goal is to make it so that, one day, NO child will EVER die of cancer.”
The crowd pops behind her, and Wendy smiles indulgently while letting them cheer. All of course know that a complete elimination of the diseas is a LONG way up, but its a noble goal nonetheless.
“And unlike so many other hospitals, St. Jude’s does not keep its breakthroughs to themselves for some sort of competitive advantage. They freely share their findings with the medical community, because they understand that true success is going to come from everyone who can help. In 2012 alone, 775 articles were published in peer-reviewed journals by St. Jude’s researchers. That averages a new medical finding once every ELEVEN HOURS.”
“But here’s what seperates St. Jude’s from so many other medical research facilities. At St. Jude’s, they treat their patients like human beings, not lab rats to be experimented on. St. Jude’s understands that surviving cancer is more than just pumping chemicals into someone to kill the bad cells. You also need to keep their spirits up, to give them a reason to keep fighting, to make them feel valued. And even more important… no family is asked to pay ANYTHING. Travel, treatment, housing and food are all covered for, because when your child is critically ill, THAT is the one thing that should be focused on, not how will you financially manage all the bills that add up.”
“But here’s the reality, folks. When you have groundbreaking research, state of the art treatment for 67,000 patient visits a year, and you don’t require payment for services from any family… that adds up. It’s adds up a LOT. It costs 1.9 million dollars per DAY to operate St. Jude’s. That’s almost seven hundred million dollers per year! And three quarters of that money comes from individual contributions. Many companies the world over have helped raise funds to keep St. Jude’s operating, and today, we here at Femme Fatale Wrestling are proud to join that fight, and all our proceeds for today will be going to St. Jude’s, along with many contributions from both the roster and management.”
Another pop from the crowd around her. Wendy again pauses to let the cheers die down, before continuing passionately.
“But we’re going to need your help too for this. Unlike the first couple of Byte This, you don’t need to pay to watch- it’s going to be on ESPN. But we still encourage you to donate, either by going to our website, ffwrestling.com, or to stjudes.org. Just give whatever you can, and remember, your money’s going to good use. Every cent raised today will go straight to the hospital, and 82 cents of every dollar donated to St. Jude’s goes to either treatment or research. That’s a phenomenal efficiency for a donation-based hospital.”
“So let’s get to it, FFW Faithful! You’ve all been great at being generous in the past, and we’re asking you to do it one more time to help out this phenomenal facility, because every little bit helps, and every day St. Jude’s is open takes us one step closer to defeating cancer and other childhood diseases. And we thank you in advance for your generosity!”
Wendy pauses as she prepares to change tack, taking a deep breath, and adjusting her windbreaker. Luckily, the weather seems to be holding off for now.
“So, now about my own match tonight. The truth of the matter is, I’ve been in a bit of a unique situation from a booking standpoint for the past couple of months. I’m locked into Unstoppable 5’s main event, where I’ll face either Scarlett Kincaid or Mika Demidov for the FFW Championship. There’s really nothing you can put me in to help me push myself further up the rankings, because I’m already pretty much there, and there’s really nothing for me to defend either. So what do you do with me? Of course, you could keep me out of the ring, trying to shield me from the risk of getting injured, but none of us want that. You guys want to see me wrestle, and I’d go insane if I had to sit on the sidelines that long, not to mention pretty darn rusty by the time the big match has come around. So the FFW has come up with a different, much better solution to the problem… they’ve turned me into enhancement talent!”
Wendy grins, but holds up her hands, as if saying ‘wait! its not what you think!’
“Now, I know normally when we hear that, we think of either new wrestlers or the hapless, who are put into a ring to basically make someone else look good by getting the stuffing knocked out of them. Obviously- I don’t exactly fall into that category. But I’m still in the same vein in that I’m giving some colleagues a chance to improve themselves a bit, not by beating the everloving snot out of a hapless victim, but by facing one of the best wrestlers in the company. And I’ve enjoyed it so far, seeing who was able to step up to the challenge. Despite not being able to win, I’d say Sophie certainly did, and gave herself a launching pad to put herself as a serious threat to some of the upper echelon wrestlers here. Laura Steele didn’t- mainly because she wasn’t smart enough to grasp the opportunity for what it was.”
“Now, in nine days, I’m going to be facing the toughest one yet- Tara Thunder, who’s coming off a record setting No Surrender Championship run to compliment her record setting Evolution Championship run. I know for a fact that she’ll be passing the test- not saying she’s going to win, but she’s certainly going to be giving me all that I can handle. Which leaves tonight’s opponent…. Stephanie Sullivan.”
The crowd around her breaks into boos, and a rumble of thunder is heard over head. Apparently even God isn’t a fan of the Black Sheep.
“So Steph… what do you think? Do you think you can use tonight’s match to ENHANCE your own position in this company, no matter what the odds? Do you think you can take advantage of this opportunity? Do you think you can turn heads and change opinions in one big night?”
#DramaticPause
“No. I don’t think you can, Stephanie. Well, maybe you CAN, but I doubt you will. This isn’t a knock on your talent, Steph. You HAVE the talent to accomplish whatever you want in that ring. But talent has only ever taken anyone so far. You need that drive, that fighting spirit, that willingness to put yourself out there to meet your goals. And despite you dropping nearly every cliche and platitude possible to make it look like you’re taking it seriously… you never have, and you still aren’t.”
“And this is nothing new, Steph. This isn’t an attitude that suddenly popped up when you acted like a completely surly brat to Crystal when you faced STFU over in SVW. This the same idiotic state of mind you’ve carried for years. I remember it clearly the first time we faced, back in December of 2011. You remember that night, don’t you Steph? One of the three qualifying matches for the first ever No Surrender Championship. I won, and went on to win the title at Cold Blooded a month later. You lost and, well…”
Wendy holds out her arms in a gesture that suggests that she doesnt really need to finish the sentence, as the answer’s pretty obvious.
“But I remember VIVIDLY how much you irritated me leading up to that match. How STUPID you had decided to act. The fact that you had the AUDACITY to belittle my own accomplishments when you’d had all of ONE match in FFW that point, and LOST it, and felt the need to downplay everything I’d done. I remember very distinctly my response- that you should perhaps worry about getting your own FFW resume before you started knocking someone elses. And to make it even worse, I had to listen to you PROUDLY talk about how willing you were to isolate and even DESTROY your family if it meant in-ring success. It was honestly one of the most sickening things I’d ever heard.”
“So let’s fast forward two and a half years, now. And you know what? You got what you wanted. Your family’s destroyed and isolated. Now, to be fair, part of that is probably not your fault, Steph, because your husband turned out to be a piece of work on his own. But you’ve done more than enough on your own. You’ve burned your bridges with your friends. You’ve burned your bridges with the rest of your family. You’ve rendered yourself completely and utterly alone in this world, save for calling yourself “The Black Sheep” as some sort of justification, although it simply pans out to being Meaningless Stephanie Nickname #5.. or something. I lost count. But hey, it’s all worth it, right, when you can look around and see the overwhelming successes your selfish sacrifices have gotten you?”
A pause that is complete dead silence. Even the rolling clouds over head aren’t in any hurry to answer.
“Right. Here’s the funny part- in a tragic sort of way. Remember back at that match, when you pulled that ‘what have you really done in your eight months here?’ speech? Let me let you in on a little secret.”
Wendy leans forward, speaking in a mock stage whisper.
“I’d accomplished more in those eight months than you’ve done in the two and a half years since we faced.”
Half the crowd bursts out laughing, and a small pop. Wendy gives a crooked half-smile/half-grimace, shrugging almost apologetically.
“I wish I was exaggerating, Steph. But I’m not. At that point, I’d gotten twelve wins in FFW, and had held a title for fourteen days, and I’ve done plenty more since then. You currently have SEVEN wins in your ENTIRE FFW Career… and you’ve never held a title. Just two shots that both ended in disappointment, like everyone knew, would happen. And Stephanie SUllivan, the woman who used to brag that she LIVED the concept of ‘no surrender’ and overcoming the odds, can’t overcome ANYTHING, and has pretty much quit on herself, her friends, her family, her school, you name it.”
“And yet somehow… SOME BLOOMING HOW you got it in your BRAIN to play the EXACT SAME ‘what have you really done’ card on Starla McCloud in your last match! Mocking someone for failing to win the FFW Championship when you’ve never even COME CLOSE!?”
Wendy shakes her head in disgust.
“So here you sit, Stephanie Sullivan. No friends. No family. No likeability. No titles. No real success. No drive. No promise. And, the way things are going right now… no future. God, you’re not even showing any excitement for this match. You flat out told me point blank on Twitter that you were indifferent about all of this. You’re facing the number two contender for the FFW Championship in an opportunity far greater than you’d EVER deserve, and you’re INDIFFERENT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?”
Wendy can do aught but roll her eyes there, then wipe her forehead, evidently a bit of rain just got her.
“And I know you’re all sore because Crystal Hilton joined a trios team with Casey Atherton instead of you. And for all the problems I have with Crystal, for all I criticize her… well… she got that one right. I wouldn’t want to team with you either. I don’t think there’s a success-minded person in FFW who’d ever want to team with you, or have anything to do with you anymore.”
“You’re clueless, Steph. Completely and utterly clueless about pretty much everything. What this business is about. How to succeed. How to get respect from the fans. How to get respect from your peers. How to maintain personal and professional relationships. You don’t have a clue about any of it.”
“And the only thing surprising about any of it is how WE somehow end up being surprised every time it happens. We shouldn’t have been surprised when you betrayed Crystal, because we already knew how self-absorbed you were after disrespecting Lyn. We shouldn’t have been surprised about that, because we all saw how you treat your ‘idols’ with the junk you pulled on Colleen after a year of professing your love for her. We shouldn’t have been surprised about THAT because we saw how obsessive you were when you nearly drove Marc Castle away by absolutely refusing to listen to anyone’s advice on the matter… despite repeatedly asking. And we shouldn’t have been surprised about THAT because nobody thought calling yourself the “Queen of Submissions” was a good idea either, but not only did you IGNORE them, you took it to a ridiculous level by adding a crown and a scepter. And we shouldn’t have been surprised about THAT because your constant flaunting and posing and grinding in NO SURRENDER matches was a clear indication that you valued image over substance. And I’m sure we could keep going on and on back to the start of time.”
Another disgusted shake of the head.
“You want to actually surprise us, Stephanie Sullivan? You want to stun the company, shock the world? Pull your head out of whatever horrible, unsanitary place you’ve stuck it, and WAKE UP. Come to the realization that there are over seventy women in this company, and AT LEAST ninety percent of them have more heart and drive than you do. Learn that image plays itself out rapidly, and it doesn’t matter how many times you try to change it, it won’t matter as long as there’s no SUBSTANCE to accompany it. Realize that the ONLY reason for your extensive failures is yourself.”
“And cut the blooming attitude. You have it way better than the majority of people in the world, and everyone on this roster is getting sick of your apathy, negativity, and self-pity. You want to be respected here? Show some FIGHT. Show some honest to God sign that you actually CARE about your job, instead of just going ‘whatever’ like a petulant teenager every time something doesn’t go your way.”
Wendy’s voice quiets for just a second, as another roll of thunder comes over head, and rain begins to fall more in earnest.
“So what’s it going to be, Steph? Are you going to shock the world, grab that brass ring? Beat a woman who hasn’t lost a match in a fall for well over a year now? Finally give people a reason to respect you? Or is it going to be the same old Stephanie Sullivan? The one who can’t deal with disappointment, can’t deal with adversity, tries to talk a big game but shuts down mentally the moment things don’t go her way, and listens to others only to validate her own poor choices, instead of actually taking advice?”
More rain comes down.
“So what are you going to do tonight, Stephanie? Show’s in just a couple of hours, and then the match, a huge opportunity for you. is upon you. I’m coming hard either way, just like I do every single match. I’ve beaten you once, and I’ve seen countless other women bring you down. I have no question in my mind how to bring you down. It’s YOU that’s got to figure ME out, and it’s going to take FAR more than you’ve been willing to give.”
Everyone else is starting to flee for the indoors as the storm really starts to get into gear, with rain falling harder.
“Your choice Stephanie. Are you prepared to weather the storm… or are you going to wilt?”
*BOOM!*
As she says that, a bolt of thunder arches across the sky, Wendy leaping back as it hits a nearby skyscraper. Her eyes wide, she turns towards the camera.
“Uh… that was a bit close. We… ah… better go.”
And both Wendy and the cameraman book towards the convention center as teh scene fades.
