Adina hadn’t been in school for that long but in that short time, Kyra had gotten very used to almost daily calls from her teacher, or rather teachers about certain… ‘behaviors’. Today was no different, except the fact that today the teachers wanted a meeting.

So here she was, standing just outside the door to the preschool classroom.

She could only imagine what her daughter had done now, but before she could think any further about it, she heard someone walking down the hallway behind her.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Johnson.”

Kyra turned around to see one of Adina’s teachers and she forced a smile onto her lips as she extended a hand. “How’s it going, Mrs. Davis?”

The slightly shorter blonde took Kyra’s hand and shook it briefly as she moved towards the door and gripped onto the knob. Kyra wasn’t this woman’s biggest fan, since the first time they’d met – but Kyra, she knew she had to play nice. Adina was already a lot of trouble in that tiny little package, and she didn’t want to inadvertently teach her any more undesirable behaviors.

Considering the little ‘promo’ her kid had unknowingly attached to the ending of she and Ken’s before their match… Adina’s already picked up enough.

“I’m well. Thank you for coming in today.”

“What is this about anyway?”

Mrs. Davis proceeds to open the classroom door and motions for Kyra to come inside.

“Well, let’s head in and we’ll sit down and talk.”

Kyra let out a sigh, nodding her head as she took a few steps through the door and into the classroom. There was just something about this room that made Kyra feel uncomfortable. She, the woman who gets her ass beat for fun, who enjoys bleeding and using weapons.. Can’t help but stand uncomfortably by the door of a preschool classroom. Mrs. Davis moved past Kyra, and towards her desk in the far corner of the empty room – all except for Adina’s other teacher Mrs. Garcia and Adina herself – who was preoccupied with whatever she was drawing at a table on the opposite end of the room.

“Adina, you stay here and finish your drawing and I’ll be right back, okay?”

Kyra heard Mrs. Garcia say as she followed Mrs. Davis towards the desk. Kyra kept her eye on Adina until the little girl finally turned around and saw her mother. “Mommy!”

“Hey baby girl..”

Adina dropped her crayons and ran across the room, ignoring the pleas of her teachers, asking her not to run inside. Kyra knelt on the floor and wrapped her arms around Adina, placing a kiss on the side of her face.

“I gotta talk to Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Garcia, okay? So go back to your drawing and we’ll head home soon.”

Adina pulled away just so, her little eyebrows furrowing ever so slightly. “Am I in trouble again Mommy?”

The way she said ‘again’ made Kyra chuckle, but she coughed to cover it up as she shrugged her shoulders.

“I guess we’re gonna find out, huh? Go on, go play.” Kyra replied as she turned Adina around and directed her back towards the table.

A few moments later, Kyra was sitting across the desk from Adina’s two teachers, neither of which looked especially happy to be having this little meeting. Finally though, Mrs. Davis leaned forward and took a short glance at Mrs. Garcia before turning her attention to Kyra.

“So what’s up?” Kyra said, before Mrs. Davis could say anything. “What did she do now?”

“About that..” Mrs. Davis replied, casting a glance in Adina’s direction. “As you know, it’s been a challenge as of late, trying to contain Adina’s outbursts. But today was an especially bad day.”

Kyra’s eyebrows raised in surprise.

“And what exactly does that mean?”

It was Mrs. Garcia’s turn to sigh. “Today, Adina…”

Her voice trailed off and Kyra rolled her eyes.

“What? Spit it out already… What did she do?”

“She hit another student with a.. with one of the chairs.  And when Teresa and myself tried to explain to her that that wasn’t something she should be doing..”

Mrs. Davis then leaned in. “She told us to go eff ourselves.”

“But she didn’t say it that way.”

Kyra was simply nodding her head, but internally she was rolling her eyes. Not because of what Adina did. Not because of what the teachers did to discipline her daughter.. But because these two have some aversion to using the word ‘fuck’ and Kyra couldn’t stand the way they skirted around it.

“I see.” Kyra replied, shaking her head. “Is the other kid okay?”

Both teachers nod their heads.

“She is, but honestly Ms. Johnson.. We’re unsure of how to curb these behaviors and we can’t continue risking the safety of our other students.”

“I’ll talk with her.” Kyra states matter of factly, rising from her seat. “Thank you for bringing this to my–”

Mrs. Davis cuts Kyra off, standing up across the desk. “There’s one more thing, Ms. Johnson. We’re abundantly aware of what you do for a living…”

“Yeah…”

Kyra already knew what they were going to say, but she stood there anyway – glaring at these two women – wondering how ‘nice’ they were going to be as they judged her choice in careers.

“..And we can’t help but wonder if Adina’s influenced by what she sees you do… at work.”

“She does very often tell the other students about what you do. And considering that she injured her head when she jumped off the jungle gym last month – It does seem to me like she’s trying to replicate what she’s seeing.”

Kyra crossed her arms over her chest. “So what you’re telling me is that I’m a bad example for my daughter. Is that it?”

Across the desk, both sets of eyes widen and they both begin shaking their heads.

“Oh, no! No, not at all!”

“No, we’re just concerned that she doesn’t understand that what you do… It’s not something people should be doing… you know, outside of your place of work.”

“You’re right.” Kyra began, placing her hands on the desk and leaning in towards the teachers. “And that’s something I’ve known, and I’ve spoken to her about quite a few times. Believe me, I don’t want other students to get hurt because my overzealous kid wants to do what she sees. I’ll talk to her again. I–”

Kyra’s interrupted by her phone dinging. She glanced down to see a text message from Ken. She knew he’d been at the doctors today, and as she read his report from the doctor – she moved away from the desk.

“Come on Adina, let’s go.”

Ken was at the hospital. Apparently the doctor had found something off during the exam and now he was there, getting checked out.

“Ms. Johnson, I–”

“I’ll take care of it.” Kyra said, pointedly as she grabbed Adina’s hand and the two started for the exit.

“Mommy, am I–”  

Adina asked, glancing up at Kyra with that ‘deer in the headlights’ look on her face. 

“You sure as hell are.  But we’ll talk about that later.”

 

Kyra sighs.

Yep, that’s how this promotional video is beginning. Kyra is seated outside her Baltimore home, on the steps. The sunlight shines down, bringing a bit of shine to her long brunette hair as it blows around in the light breeze. After a few moments, she brings her eyes down level with her audience.

“Dark Destroyer, huh? Mr. ‘two hundred and seventy seventh best wrestler in the world’…”

Her voice trails off as she shakes her head.

“The funniest part of that isn’t even the fact that you take your inclusion on that list seriously. Nah, the best part is that you take it seriously, AND you think it’s somehow intimidating for the rest of us when we inevitably end up with our names across from yours on the card. But you do you, boo…However… I do got some bad news for you bud. Your numbers? They’re a bit outdated.”

She can’t stop the grin as it washes over her lips.

“Mr. Five hundred and forty seventh best wrestler, meet Mrs. Eighty eighth best wrestler in the world.”

She sits back and laughs.

“As if a number on a meaningless ranking system means anything, but by your calculations… I’m nearly five hundred people better than you. And judging by the embarrassing loss you took to my sister a few weeks ago… This oughta be a cake walk for me, huh?”

Shrugging her shoulders, she thinks about it for a moment before continuing.

“Lucky for you though, I’m not the type to look at shit like that and let my ego get the best of me. You see, I come from a place where we had the Masked Debaters. To this day, I can’t even begin to fathom how those goofy fucks still had jobs in Carnage, considering. But I see a lot of them in you, and trust me.. That’s not a compliment. But like them, I’ve gotta assume that you’ve got some ability deep down inside yourself that would somehow propel you to win… IF your opponent took a misstep.”

“And judging by your record, I’m guessing that doesn’t happen too often. But that’s okay. Not gonna happen this week either. No offense to you, of course. We all have our little parts to play in the narrative that is the UGWC, you know? Yours just so happens to be… Well, I don’t really think I have to say it. Everyone knows it. I ain’t the type of girl that likes beating a dead horse just for the sake of it.”

She sighs once more, brushing a few stray hairs out of her face.

“I’m just a bit disappointed coming into this week. Ken’s going up against Dave.. And I guess I hoped I’d be going up against Mr. Personality himself, Donovan Hastings. But apparently the powers that be don’t wanna waste a showstopping match like that on a Synergy. But don’t you worry Donny.. I’ll still have plenty in the tank for you when the time comes.”

She blows a kiss at the camera and winks.

“But back to you, Dark Destroyer. Love the name, by the way. You know, there was a five minute span where I was considering putting my daughter out here and letting her shit talk you a bit. At least she’d be spitting at someone who’s at the same reading level as her. But I thought better of it, seeing that I’ve got my hands full already and I don’t need that little head of hers to get any bigger than it already is. So you’re stuck with me, and to be honest… I’ve said all I really need to say here.”

Kyra stands up and the camera follows as she begins pacing around.

“Everyone sees you as a joke. But I’m not gonna take this match as an easy win because that attitude has bitten me in the ass more times than I can count. I am, however, gonna look at you as what you actually are. An obstacle. Granted you might not be the highest hurdle to jump over, or the steepest hill to climb… But you’re there, in my way regardless and boy do I love getting motherfuckers like you out of my way. I just haven’t decided on how I’m gonna do that just yet.”

She feigns a thinking face as she turns back towards the lens.

“But I’ll let you find that one out on Monday. It’s more fun that way.”

With that she winks again as the scene fades slowly to black.