The show heads back to the ring, and there we find Gaby once again standing in the center with her microphone in hand.
Gaby: The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Zack: This could be a huge opportunity for newcomer Tracey Murdock, if she’s able to pick up the win here.
Lyn: She’s going to have to be careful with how she takes this match on.
The lights shift to a turquoise hue as the chorus of Kristina Maria’s “Move Like A Soldier” erupts over the PA system. Tracey Murdock emerges from behind the curtain with a bright smile, throwing both arms high into the air. When she gets to the edge of the ramp, she pumps her fist into the air three times, a firework going off for each pump, much to the delight of the crowd. The lighting returns to normal after the third firework.
Gaby: Introducing from Lanikai Beach, Hawaii….please welcome TRACEY MURDOCK!
As Tracey moves down the ramp, she slaps hands with the fans, occasionally stopping to let one snap a selfie with her. Tracey quickly slides into the ring under the bottom rope and is on her feet in a split-second. She is all smiles as she climbs to the top turnbuckle. She throws up the hang-loose gesture to the crowd with her right hand, then ropewalks to the opposite turnbuckle, and throws another hang-loose gesture with her left hand. She drops to the canvas and takes her spot in the corner.
Zack: Tracey Murdock has been nothing short of impressive since arriving in Future Shock. She’s still on the hunt for that first win, no better time than tonight to do it.
Lyn: No better time, no better opponent to cut your teeth on.
The dark, haunting opening chords of “Liar Liar” fill the arena as it is bathed in silver strobes. As the drums and guitar kick in, the lights flash out momentarily and a spotlight comes on to show a man and a woman, The woman is Angel, and the man Christian Kincaid. Angel is down on bended knee, fist pushed into the ramp. She comes up without warning and as she does,pyro goes off around her.
Gaby: Making her way to the ring, please welcome ANGEL!
Would you pray if I said you were dying?
Would you be a little stronger, or fall down on your knees?
Would you stay with me if you knew that I was lying?
Would you walk away or turn the other cheek?
I tremble where I stand,
My wish is your command,
The nature of a truly desperate heart.
Give me something real so I can truly feel,
(Liar liar) on the wall.
As the verse and bridge are played, Angel and Christian make their way down the ramp, the platinum blond deliberately keeping as far from any fan contact that she can, looking to Christian occasionally. At the bottom of the ramp, she stops and looks out around her while Christian has headed to her corner.
Whisper, whisper in the dark,
Tell me what you see.
Poisoned by your fly-infested poetry.
Liar, Liar on the wall, give the world to me.
Wasteland or a monarchy (liar liar)
Tell me what you see…
Angel walks up the steps and through the middle rope, where she heads to her corner and waits for Christian to hop up to share some last minute things with her and the music goes out.
Zack: Angel is sitting in the catbird seat as it pertains to the Aspire Ring. We’ll be finding out after this match what choice Bianca has made, and that is something Angel is just as interested in as we are to learn.
Lyn: I imagine she only wants to know what she’s up against so she can have the ring for herself.
Referee Angela Keanan checks both women for international objects, and immediately calls for the bell. Tracey starts hyping up the crowd with her hands, already getting them behind her while Angel seems disinterested in what they think. The pair meet in the center, and lock up. Angel uses her strength advantage and starts pushing Tracey back towards the ropes. But Murdock breaks before they get there, and uses a drop toe hold to send Angel across the middle rope. Before she can get up, Tracey leaps onto her back with both knees to snap her down to the canvas. The crowd begins to get louder as the Hawaiian hits the far side ropes, and returns with a baseball slide to the ribs that rolls Angel into the ropes. Murdock takes off for the far side as Angel is getting back to her feet, and catching her with a handspring into a discus punch that drops the veteran to the canvas.
Lyn: A little pepper on that swing and it caught Angel straight upside the head!
Zack: That’ll rattle your molars and all points up as well! Tracey’s got speed in spades, and Angel’s gonna need to find a way to contain that.
Angel doesn’t get back to her feet fully before Tracey catches her with a running high knee to the head, followed by a bounce off the ropes into a seated senton. She quickly hooks the outside leg for the cover as Keanan drops to count.
Zack: Tracey’s looking to seize the moment, and there’s the cover!!
ONE!!!
TW-NOPE!!
Angel shoved her off the cover as the two count struck the mat. Tracey bounded back to her feet with Angel not far behind her. The Hawaiian grabbed her head into a front facelock, seemingly looking for a tornado DDT. But Angel countered when she left her feet with back suplex to the mat.
Lyn: Murdock had the right idea with that DDT but those were veteran instincts from Angel that took over.
She sat up a moment, collecting her wits before rolling to the side and raining elbows into Tracey’s body. Several shots connected before she got back to her feet. The crowd had died down a fair bit now as Angel pulled Tracey to her feet, burying a knee into her ribs before she hoisted her up into a fireman’s carry. She then dropped her with a backbreaker across her knee to the mat. Giving the crowd a dirty look as they booed her, she bounced off the near side and delivered a double stomp to Tracey’s back. She grabbed her feet, and applied a Boston crab (appropriately enough).
Zack: Angel’s doing all the damage she can to Tracey’s back, trying to take some of the fire out of the rookie. The last thing she wants is her picking up speed, like we saw at the start.
Lyn: Speed kills, especially when it’s coming from Murdock.
Keanan moved to Tracey’s side, asking if she wanted to submit. But the Lanikai starfish shook her head through gritted teeth. She started trying to reach the ropes, not finding any within reach before she began trying to claw her way to them. Hand over hand, she dug her fingers in as best she could and started dragging Angel towards the nearest set of ropes. As she was about to grab them, Angel stood up and dragged her away towards the center. Murdock drove her fist into the mat with irritation as Angel sat back down in the hold. Keanan checked again for a submission, only to get the same response as before.
Zack: Angel knew Tracey was close to the ropes, and she let her think she was almost there. And just like that, she took it away from her. That’s excellent ring awareness and psychology right there.
Lyn: She wants to be deep, deep in Murdock’s headspace. That’s when you make mistakes.
Angel looked amused whens she heard Tracey’s frustrations, but Murdock remained determined. She started pulling them towards the ropes again, while Angel shook her head. She made it a second time before Angel stood up. But this time, Tracey got her feet free and rolled onto her back. Angel went to grab them, only to get shot backwards like a pinball. The veteran regained her balance as Tracey got up, and took off towards her. Murdock surprised her coming in by scooping her up and falling backwards with a stun gun across the top rope. The crowd came back to life as Angel staggered coughing, and Tracey delivered a yakuza kick that dropped her where she stood.
Lyn: Good God what a boot to the head!
Zack: I don’t think I’ve ever seen her hit that! That yakuza kick was devastating, and I’m sure Angel will agree when she remembers her name.
Murdock headed for the corner, stopping briefly to clutch at her back before going up top. She walked down the top rope halfway, and launched herself into an Asai moonsault for the cover! Keanan dove to make the count.
Zack: What agility! Upset!
ONE!!!
TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
THRE-NOPE!!
Angel got her shoulder up in time, and Tracey sat up on her knees. She held her back again for a second before getting back to a vertical base.
Lyn: Murdock’s right back up but her back is tweaked!
Angel was slow to move as Tracey took off towards the ropes. She rebounded quickly as the veteran got to her feet. Murdock went for a leap frog over her head, but Angel countered it by snatching her around and waist and bringing her down with a massive spinebuster! It folded Tracey in half after the impact before Angel rolled through for the cover. Keanan slid into position immediately.
Zack: Almost a pop-up spinebuster from Angel, and Tracey’s night may be through right here!
ONE!!!
TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-NOPE!!
Angel grumbled as she got back to her feet, stomping away at Tracey before she headed for the top rope this time. As soon as she made it up though, Tracey was there to greet her as she headed for the corner. Murdock climbed up onto the middle rope, firing shots overhead into Angel’s face. It was short-lived before Angel gave her a headbutt to the nose. She then executed a sunset flip powerbomb from the top rope to the canvas. Murdock bounced off the mat as Angel had both legs hooked for a cover.
Lyn: Top rope flip bomb and if Murdock’s back was tweaked before, it’s twisted in knots now!
ONE!!!
TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-NO!!
Tracey reached out and grabbed the bottom rope. The referee pointed it out to an increasingly irritated Angel before she got back to her feet. She stomped away at Tracey a few times before pulling her up, and sitting her on top turnbuckle.
Zack: You know what Angel is looking for here, Lyn! She’s one cyclorama away from putting this match to bed!
Lyn: Make way for the coming, make way for the...
Angel wasted no time as she came off the top rope with the cyclorama Zack had just mentioned. She snatched the outside leg with a vicious expression on her face before the referee dropped to make the count.
Lyn: MONSTER’S ARRIVAL!
ONE!!!!
TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
Keanan called for the bell as Angel rolled off the cover. She got back to her feet, and had her hand raised in victory by the referee.
Gaby: Here is your winner…….ANGEL!!
Zack: Angel’s picking up major momentum heading into her Aspire Ring match, against whomever it may be!
Lyn: She’s not worried in the small details, Zack. As long as that ring is her’s.
Christian joined her in the ring, and gave her some applause. The crowd didn’t seem too happy about it, but that didn’t bother Angel in the slightest. Christian held the ropes open for her as she exited to the floor.
Zack: Lyn, I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to find out Bianca Reed’s decision. And I’m sure Angel is too!
Lyn: Well let’s find out!
Zack: Let’s send it to the back.
As the pair head up the ramp towards the back, we cut elsewhere.Bianca’s DecisionFuture Shock heads to the back, and the camera is tightly focused on the Aspire Ring. It shines brightly under the light as the shot pulls back to find its wearer with the Future Shock Director. Adam looks quite happy to see Bianca, and shakes her hand.
Adam: I know I said it on Twitter, but I want to congratulate you in person on retaining the Aspire Ring in the triple threat at Genesis. That was an outstanding performance, and I couldn’t be prouder of you.
Bianca grins up at Adam.
Bianca: Thanks so much Adam, I really appreciate it. And I have to hand it to my competitors - neither Mila Martin or Elizabeth Lannister made this easy on me. But I did what I said I was gonna do from the day I won that ring, and I made it through three defenses. So now it seems I’ve got a choice to make, am I right?
Adam nodded his head.
Adam: Yes, you do. It’s kinda like Deal or No Deal. You’re entitled to a Future Shock title shot if you want to hand me the Aspire Ring now. Or you can go two more defenses, and I’ll personally bring you a full contract with FFW. No graduation polls or anything like that.
He paused for a moment.
Adam: Shame there’s not a Banker to make you an offer, come to think of it.
Bianca: It’s okay, I never watched that show so it’d be kind of lost on me. Now, I know the goal here in Future Shock is to eventually go up to the main roster, and believe me, I want to do that one day. But you know… in RISE, I never got this opportunity. I never had the chance to be a champion. So I want to take my shot. I’m here to say that I am officially handing in my Aspire Ring for a shot at the Future Shock Championship. And I hope that whoever is holding that title when my time comes gets a good long last look at it before the match.
Adam holds out his hand with a nod.
Adam: You got yourself a deal. You’ll meet the champion after Gillie and Harley meet for the title at Anarchy. Until then, I got you penned in on the next Future Shock card. It’s kind of a ‘what if’ match. You’ll face Angel, whom you would have faced had you went for five defenses. Up for the challenge?
Bianca: When am I not up for a challenge? Come on now, Adam. I’ll face anyone you put in front of me… whether I have the Aspire Ring or not.
Adam: Then we’ll see you back on the next show. Good luck, and congratulations again.
He takes the Aspire Ring in hand before the camera zooms in on it again. From there, we head elsewhere.
The Privileged CircleAfter the break, we head back to down to ringside with Zack and Lyn is standing by.
Zack: Welcome back to Future Shock. People are still buzzing over Gillie Barnes becoming the number one contender to the Future Shock Championship by defeating Valerie McKinley at Future Shock Genesis.Take a look at this…
The scene changes to the following video from Future Shock Genesis…
~~~~~~~~~~~
As Valerie moved Gillie into perfect position, the brunette surprised her with a headbutt to the face. The redhead dropped her, and stumbled backwards as Gillie got to her feet. When the 1 Percenter turned around, Gillie delivered her open palm thrust to the face and dropped her where she stood! Barnes dove for the cover as the crowd counted with the referee.
Zack: OLD SCHOOL JAM!!!
ONE!!!!!!
TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
The Phoenix crowd roared as the bell rang, and Gillie sat up with a dazed look on her face. She asked the referee if she had won, and got a nod after she got to her feet and had her hand raised.
Missy: Yes!!! Gillie definitely had to work for this win and that will just make it all the sweeter for her!
Gaby: Here’s your winner and the #1 contender to the Future Shock Championship….’OLD SCHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL’ GILLIE BAAAAAAAAAAAARNES!!
Gillie beamed brightly as it dawned on her what she had done, and climbed up onto the turnbuckle to shout “Old School” into the crowd as they returned it in kind.
Zack: Congratulations to Gillie on putting herself in the top spot to challenge either Andi or Harley for the gold!
Valerie began to stir on the canvas, anger etching across her face as she looked towards the back and began waving her hand for something or someone.
Missy: Either match up is going to be awesome to watch, and Gillie deserves her shot, no question! What the hell is Valerie waving at though?
All eyes turned to the entranceway as Valentina Lozano and Isis Morales headed down the ramp. The boos only got louder as they climbed into the ring with her, each of them raising her hand in victory. Gillie started to get up, only for all three of them to start putting the boots to her.
Zack: Good Lord, Gillie’s getting the life stomped out of her….and I think Valerie McKinley may have joined Ascension! It’s a three-on-one mugging!
Missy: There is absolutely no need for this. Valerie already lost the match, this is just disgusting!
Valentina pulled Gillie’s head up, and let Valerie slap her across the face again. The live crowd’s boos only got louder still as Isis started to pick Gillie up next.
Zack: Valerie with another slap across the face to Gillie, she didn’t get the title shot! And Gillie’s gonna pay for it!
As Isis was picking her up, NHB and Mallory Bennett bolted towards the ring from the back. Mallory had a chair in hand, and the trio exited to the floor.
Missy: That certainly got them moving, thankfully! I don’t blame them, Mallory with a chair is not something I’d stick around for either if she was coming at me.
Zack: Gillie’s got the title shot, but Valerie has apparently joined Ascension! I can guarantee you they haven’t heard the last of this.
Valentina and Isis raised Valerie’s hands at the top of the ramp to more disdain from the crowd….~~~~~~~~~~~
As the video ends, the scene changes to Sara Wilkins, who stands in the center of the ring, preparing to speak into the microphone.
Sara: Ladies & Gentlemen, please help me welcome my guest at this time….”The One Percenter” Valerie McKinley.
The lights in the arena sharply cut off, leaving everything in complete darkness. The chiming of a clock is heard echoing in the darkness, followed by a chipper, circus like chime tone. As the tone chimes on, a vibrant gold spotlight shines down on the top of the stage. The circus chimes are soon replaced by the opening chorus of “Villain” by Wild Fire.
"Tic tic toc, the time bomb clock
Ticks grinning ear to ear here baby
Tic Tic Toc, the time bomb clock
ticks counting down...
tic, tic stop!"At the exact moment “stop” is sung, the song kicks into full gear, setting off a series of shimmering gold strobe lights going off on either side of the ramp….
….But there’s no one coming out. Sara looks on at this with confusion, along with everyone else in the arena, wondering what’s going on. That is until….
“Cut the music.”
The words capture the attention of the sold-out arena. Everyone is looking around the arena to see where it is coming from. It wasn’t long until the spotlight flashes onto one of the luxury skyboxes in the arena where Valerie McKinley proudly stands, along with Valentina Lozano & Isis Morales. Valerie waits for her music to fade out before clearing her throat.
Valerie: Much better. You really didn't think I was going to come to the ring in front of all of you and explain my actions, did you? Since when do I let you people dictate what I say or do? That isn't how this works. I'll tell you everything you ever wanted to know….
She looks at Valentina and Isis.
Valerie: When WE decide.
The fans shower her with boos. But Valerie could care less. And she displays her confidence well as she basks in the negativity of the crowd for as far as she was concerned, she had everyone in that arena right where she wants them to be...beneath her.
Isis then steps forward for Valerie to present the microphone to her. The boos intensify as the red-haired giantess gets her hand on the mic. She places some of her hair behind her ear as she looks out to the crowd, obviously waiting for the heat to die down before beginning to speak.
Isis: This is so typical. Then again, I can’t be too surprised given that all of you are just a bunch of sheep.
The fans in the arena let Isis have it with their negative reaction again, letting her know how insulted they are by her comment. But of course, it doesn’t rattle Isis one bit.
Isis: One of your “favorites” was made an example of and now you're all up at arms demanding some kind an explanation, like you are owed that or something. Take that filthy piece of trash Gillie Barnes for instance...
She then looks at Valerie & Valentina and gives a smile.
Isis: …and we damn sure did.
The two ladies share a laugh as Isis continues.
Isis: When are you fools going to get it? Don't worry about what happened. Just know that it did happen. And be concerned that it can...and will happen again.
The boos continue to flow to the arena as Isis graciously gives Valentina the microphone and allows her to stands tall on the skybox walkway, observing the arena like it’s her conquered land.
Valentina: I told you before, everything changes. And what happened at Genesis is just the beginning. Everything that you are used to seeing will be molded into a new era. And whether you like it or not, you will adapt & embrace it…and that includes submitting to the Alpha women who will be the primary agents in making this era happen; The Titaness, The One Percenter, and The Latin Goddess.
The boos continue to flow as Valentina patiently waits, showing a mixture of confidence and mild intensity, before continuing to speak.
Valentina: Believe in The Privileged Circle….or you will be made to.
The fans in the arena resume their boisterous negative reaction at the three ladies as they stand tall in dominant postures looking down at them, enjoying the view and staking their claim with the camera focusing on them before Future Shock heads to commercial.
A graphic showing Lacey with the words “Lacey Appreciation Night” appears on the screen just as she blows a handful of red mist at the camera. When the mist fades, now we see a man sitting on a sofa next to a woman with a bag over her head. The same voice behind the camera begins to speak.
Voice: Can you introduce yourselves, please?
Man: Sure, I’m Jonathan and this is my wife, Annette. We’ve been married for four years.
The woman with a bag on her head nods.
Voice: Can you tell me how Lacey has changed your life, please?
Jonathan: Absolutely! For four years, I’ve been married to Annette here. And then I saw Lacey appear on television for the first time. And it changed my life. I decided that I deserve a woman who looks even half as gorgeous as Lacey. So I told Annette here to get to work on herself, she’s a real mess, let me tell you.
The woman with the bag on her head turns towards her husband as he continues.
Jonathan: So I put her in one of those places where you send people to get better, kinda like rehab but for unattractive people. She was there for three months learning how to be more desirable. Of course, I told her I didn’t expect a miracle. No one looked as good as Lacey, or ever could. But she owed it to me to try.
Voice: Well that sounds reasonable to me. How did it work out?
Jonathan: I’ll show you!
He turned towards his wife, and plucked the bag off her head to show she had bright red hair (just like Lacey’s), and wore the same kind of makeup as well. She was also powdered heavily to make her face paler, though the rest of her body visible wasn’t anywhere close. Jonathan looked back to the camera.
Jonathan: She’s as close to passable as she could hope to be! Lacey’s existence saved our marriage! God bless you, Lacey!
His wife gave him a very cold stare. The sound of someone getting punched in the face is heard before we close on the same image that started the segment: Lacey blowing red mist at the camera. We then head back to the live show.
Have A SeatThe show takes us to a location not seen on Future Shock broadcasts before, and that would be the arena’s loading docks. Hanging on the walls are spare ropes, the floors hold spare ring equipment as well. But as the camera whirls around, we see the Future Shock Director with Mandy Gray heading through towards a specific location.
Adam: I thought you and the viewers might be interested to see this chair that we got shipped a few days back. It took the staff a few days to put it together, not easy to do without any instructions for assembly.
Mandy: You’re damn right I want to know what it is! That was quite the thing to see. Got people talking too, so I guess in that way it did its job. I’m quite honoured you asked me to join you for this one, not every day you get to experience something like this.
The pair headed through the loading dock, and to one of the white walls on the right hand side. And there it stood, the ornate chair with a back higher than either Adam or Mandy stood.
Adam: Over 80 pieces later….this is what was sent. What do you think?
All Mandy could do was stare at the large, ornate seat that was stood in front of them, mouth slightly agape with awe. Finally, forcing her mouth shut, she nodded her head slowly.
Mandy: To...call that impressive is to do an injustice to it. All I have now are questions though. Is it a throne? What does it represent, because it would be unusual for it to be here for no reason. And...why is it so damn big?!
Adam: Your guess is as good as mine. They measured the back of it to be just a shade over seven feet. You can see why it took so long to put together. First thing I thought of was Natalya, but thrones like this aren’t really her style. Plus she hasn’t talked with me about coming back either, so….
Mandy: So what you’re telling me is that this...thing has shown up, in Boston, and no one has any idea why? That’s...worrisome, actually.
Adam: The only note that came with it was that it was to be set up in the arena. So we’ll be making room for it by the next show, and maybe...we’ll find out what it’s all about. Specifically supposed to be on the second floor overlooking the ring.
Mandy: I was intrigued by all of this, and now all I can think is that someone very clearly has an opinion of themselves that only Valentina Lozano could match...and even then I’m not sure that even she would go this far!
Adam: She’d probably just buy a lot of shoes with a sharp heel on them. Either way, we’ll have it out there next show, and---
Adam didn’t finish his sentence before one of the crew approached him, pointing to a round cardboard container. All three looked back to see two crew members pulling out a very ornate rug. The one who nudged him had a piece of paper in his hand that read “For my throne” on it.
Adam: Apparently the chair is to be placed….on this rug.
Mandy let out a loud sigh and seemed to visibly resisting the urge to roll her eyes. And failing at that too.
Mandy: There is nothing I hate in this world that quite matches up to a person who must make the fact they’re nothing short of a diva known.
Adam: Let’s not cast judgment till we see what this is all about. Maybe we’ll find out on the next show. Is it just me, or does stuff like this always seem to happen in Future Shock? No one can just...arrive with maybe a video introduction.
Mandy: It never does seem to happen that way, does it? But I suppose when a large part of the brand is to make sure that people take notice of you...then it stands to perfect reason that people are going to do stupid things like this. That pisses everyone else off.
Adam: Well I’m definitely looking forward to meeting the woman behind this. I have a feeling it’s going to be a real experience.
The camera focuses on the high back throne before we fade to a commercial for Future Shock Anarchy.
Rosalina Is Not AmusedThe dance beats of DJ Cutman's "I"m The Boss" blare through the sound system as lights blink in white, baby blue and purple. Skipping to the beat, Rose Gardner comes out from the back, with her arms open in an airplane-like stance before she stops right at the top of the ramp, staring into the crowd, with her boyfriend, seen for the first time in Future Shock programming not wearing a cosplay, right behind her. She then makes her way down the ramp, highfiving as many fans as possible in the way. As the chorus of the music approaches, she darts to the ring and hops onto the second rope, showing off for the crowd, pointing to herself with her two thumbs as the lyrics say...
I'm the boss!
I'm the boss!
I'm very, very sorry for your loss!
I'm the boss!
I'm the boss!
And just in case I didn't get the point across
I'M THE BOSS!Gabrielle: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome... POISON!!!
Poison then removes her sunglasses and throws it into the audience for some fan before hopping down to the ring and making a beeline to her "aunt", Gabrielle, for the microphone. Her music dies down, as she smiles at the still cheering fans, and then at Alex and Gabrielle.
Rose: You know, I really wish I had a clever way of doing what I want to do right now, but at the same time, when have I ever been known for being a smart cookie, eh? So I guess I'll just go with the first thing that comes to mind and we'll see if it sticks. That being said... WHAT'S UP, MY HEROOOOOEEEEESSSSS!!!
The fans cheer loudly once more, as Rose's smile grows even wider.
Rose: Hey, that didn't sound so bad, maybe I'll have to try it more often! But seriously, you guys are damn heroes for braving this cold. I swear, with a weather like this, you go and take a hot shower and it feels like it's hailing on your head, it's crazy!
Soft laughter follows. Some groans, but... laughter.
Rose: But enough joking around. I'm out here to talk about something important. And, as you can see, I'm not alone. Ladies and gentlemen... Alex.
Rose then introduces her boyfriend to the crowd. Most cheers, some boos from men who hoped to land a girl like Rose before, some cat calls from the girls in attendance. Rose smirks and then nips up on the tip of her feet to peck Alex on the lips before she speaks up again.
Rose: I know, it's rare for you guys to see us without cosplay... And you've never seen HIM without a cosplay. We're enthusiasts of the thing. And two weeks ago, at Future Shock: Genesis... We were ready to score another cosplay duet!... Actually, let me go to the start of this story: a little over one week before Genesis, I got a call from this guy, dunno if you've heard of him, this Adam Grant? Tall, clean cut... Yeah, that guy. And he told me, "y'know what, Rosalina, would you mind being there for Genesis for a match? I mean, I know you ain't doing anything for the event, and I'm getting kinda sick of this whole self-indulgent thing going on with Tara Cortez..."
And at the mention of the 10-Star Prospect, the crowd begins to boo raucously. Rose nods.
Rose: I know, she's kind of an annoyance in my book too, but that's not the point here, you guys. See, when Adam Grant called me to be at Genesis, I already had this other cosplay ready. We had been saving this up for a while, because that was my second match of the year. And you guys did see Alex here cosplaying as Captain America. And I was going to cosplay as... The Black Widow!
And as Rose points to the big screen atop the ramp, it displays a picture of Alex and Rose side by side before Genesis. He, dressed up as Cap'n America. She, dressed up as Black Widow, complete with redhead wig and all.
Rose: How badass is that, y'all?! We REALLY wanted to show that one off for you. But then... But then.
With a sigh, Rose refers to the big screen again...
~ ~ ~
Courtesy of Future Shock: GenesisRose shoved Tara away as she got to her feet, watching as Bri made her way slowly through the ropes. The cosplayer told her she had Tara pinned, to which Bri said she didn’t care. The redhead then pointed to the video wall with a smile, where we now see a shot backstage of someone dressed like Captain America being taken out of the building in handcuffs.
Zack: That must be Rose’s boyfriend! Brianna finally caught him before he came out, and it looks like he’s being arrested!
Kaoru: Arrested?! For what?! He’s probably a Plus One anyway! This is just ludicrous, and it reeks of dubious planning.
As this went on, Christian reached into the ring and pulled Tara out by her arm and leg towards him. He dragged her outside to the floor, and laid her down on it before she rolled under the ring apron. As soon as she did, she also rolled out on the other side. Cortez dove into the ring as Rose stared at the video wall. The “10 Star” Prospect took off towards her, catching her with a chop block that brought her to all fours. She bounced off the near side, and connected with a curb stomp!
Zack: Wait...did you see that?!
Kaoru: I saw Tara take a moment to get her wind back while Rose was being made to watch this, and boy did she ever!
Cortez darted for the ropes, using them to land a slingshot corkscrew Arabian press into the cover. Christian pushed someone’s boot under the apron with his hand as Bri dropped to make the cover!
Zack: That’s the C-BOMB!!
ONE!!!
TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!~ ~ ~
... and as we come back to present time, the crowd is booing HARD as Rose shakes her head negatively.
Rose: THAT. THAT is what I want to address with you guys tonight. Because you see, at first, I wanted to give Brianna Singer the benefit of the doubt. Like, "hey, maybe she wants to do a tryout as a referee" or whatever. But then her sticking her nose in my matches again and again and again... And again and again AND AGAIN, it started becoming clear to me that it was a little bit more... You know? Aimed at trying to piss me off. Now, I can't say she's an unbiased referee, because for most of the times she was there to call my matches -- and believe me, there were PLENTY of those -- I FORCED her to count MY victories and raise MY arm at the end. And THIS is where the problem begins. Because I have no idea what the hell she has against me... But then again I don't think we've ever heard what she had against Mel Avilo when she came up with the bullshit prom date thing or whatever the hell she had going on. And I can't believe I'm actually on the side of a member of the Brazilian Storm right now, and this is crazy, but we oughta be fair here.
Rosalina paces around the ring as she measures her words.
Rose: So here's where it gets funny, guys: Brianna Singer failed to bring me down. At every corner. She wanted to be the referee of my matches to be there when I failed, and most of the times I just went there and won. Then it became a little more on the nose, when she told me I was barred from doing costume changes under the ring. And again she failed, because I found a way to do it without going under the ring. And then... That. The whole shebang about getting my boyfriend arrested. An experiment on utter BS she pulled on me, just to watch me lose my train of thought and lose the match to Tara Cortez.
And more boos happen. This time, though, Rose raises her arms in an attempt to calm the crowd down.
Rose: No, guys, it's okay! It's cool! I can kind of admire someone with a competitive edge such as Tara Cortez. She's like the inbred basement kid playing an emulator game with cheats: she's tampering with the rules, not really playing the game the way it was supposed to be played, but she's having fun and she's winning, so ten-outta-ten, I guess.
Laughter ensues.
Rose: And it's like I said on social media before: I'm not letting wins and losses shape who I am! If Rosalina is a thing-- If Rose Gardner, "Poison" is a thing, it's because you guys... Every single one of you allowed her to be a thing, and it's not being distracted by Brianna Singer and then having a fucking ostrich jump on me for a three-count that's going to change who I am and what you all mean to me.
And more laughter thanks to the ostrich joke.
Rose: The problem is... This is exactly what Brianna Singer expected to happen. You know what she did? She blamed Alex of trespassing.
Rose shakes her head with a smirk that says "freaking really?".
Rose: Friggin'... TRESPASSING. I brought him to FFW's backstage as my plus-one, and EVERYONE back there knew him. Including Brianna. So she sicked Phoenix's finest on Alex, and they did their job. And she did it... so she could see me despair. So she could see me lose my cool, so I'd, I dunno, maybe, throw my toys out, drop the gimmick, maybe puch her in the face so I could get suspended or something-- at this point, why should I care about it? She thought I was dumb enough to get myself in trouble with her when I lost my cool just so she'd have the pleasure of doing away with my fun.
Rose shakes her head again... Before reaching into Alex's shirt and producing a credential that's hanging from his neck.
Rose: Cooler minds always prevail in the end, though. Not only we did clear the air -- with Adam's help, no less, and again, I need to thank our Director for being there for us --, but you also got Alex this shiny li'l credential right here! So now he's ALLOWED to be backstage at ALL Future Shock shows, being my plus-one or not! All because of your tampering with our fun, Bri-Bri! Aren't you a smart little girl! IS this the payoff you expected?
A little dramatic pause as Rose smirks mischievously.
Rose: But then comes another question, and that is... What happens next? Because now that Ms. Executive Assistant's claws are out for me, and I know she wants nothing but to spoil my fun -- OUR fun... There's a possibility that things may get a little... A little weird, a little rocky? Sooooo, what's a Rosalina to do? Well, I think you'll all be glad to know that I have decided that it's time... To get a bit more serious.
The tone coming from Rose is somber and ambiguous, leading the crowd to silently go "oooooh..." Before Rose smirks again.
Rose: ... by which I mean, things are gonna get REALLY FUN now! Because, hey, here's some news for ya, Bri-Bri: you wanna stop me from having fun? You wanna stop the Future Shock crowd, the FFW Faithful to from having fun? Well, think better. Because if there's ONE THING you will DEFINITELY fail to pull off is make me lose my cool. And you wanna know why? Because you don't DESERVE to see me lose my cool. I don't have the time to grow any form of hatred for anyone. Not for a selfish glue-eating inbred giraffe like Tara Cortez, and not someone like YOU. But if you wanna play a game with me, I'll have you know... I'm one hell of a gamer, and you are a CLASS! "S"! ASS!!!
More cheers.
Rose: So consider the following, baby girl: I do it for THEM. These guys out here, these guys who have braved the cold, these guys who have paid ten, twenty, a hundred, I-don't-give-a-damn-how-many bucks to be wowed by people like me and go back home with a smile on their faces; and I know EXACTLY whose side they're on. So if I were you... I'd think real hard about my next move. So what do you plan to do next? You can't really keep refereeing my matches knowing that I'm very much capable of winning them, so you'll have to raise my arm whenever I do. You can always barf your little commandments, like "thou shall not go under the ring", but I was bred to be creative, and I can punk you at every corner. Then what? You're gonna fire me, or suspend me?
The crowd boos HEAVILY at the idea, which is exactly the reaction Rose expected from them.
Rose: Listen to them, Bri-Bri. They're here to have fun, just like me. And if you're out to kill the fun, you're out to kill your own audience. Great fucking plan, that one of yours, bra-vo. Fire me, and I'll pop up somewhere else. And most of the people here? They'll be there with me. My legion of heroes! My champions! And listen to me when I say I'm a trouble maker... A thrill seeker... And a trail blazer. I'm gonna keep being trouble for you if you want to see me like that, Bri. It's all a matter of perspective. But hey, best case scenario, you don't have to worry too much about it. Because when Rosalina takes on THE WORLD... It's very possible that you, Brianna Singer... won't have to put up with me in Future Shock for much longer. And in case you decide to be the referee for that match as well, maybe I'll give you the pleasure of raising my arm in victory one final time. And the thought of THAT...
That's when Rose raises two fingers in what seems to be a V for Victory... Before Alex completes with a sideways V, helping Poison make the hashtag motion.
Rose: ... is really good.
And as she smirks, "I'm the Boss" hits the sound system again, to the crowd's houseful of cheers!
Zack: Well, game on, it looks like! Rose Gardner has had enough of watching Executive Assistant Brianna Singer tamper with her matches, and she just vowed to make things... More insane!
As Rose produces a red rose from her pocket and flicks it at the camera with a wink, we fade out to something else.