Massive Melee 2022

“Hey, you alright?”

Rogan says from beside me, nudging me softly in the side. I glance over to see his lips upturned into that playful and irresistible grin that’s become synonymous with him over the last year or so.

Well, not so much lately. It’s no real secret that things haven’t been the best between him and I since I lost the world title. But over the last week or so, I’ve seen that smile return to his face, and I’ve felt it return to mine too.

Sure, winning the Conquest title had something to do with it. And deep down inside, I know I shouldn’t be letting a title belt affect how I feel about myself or how I feel about anything outside of wrestling. But it wasn’t really the belt. It isn’t really the belt either…

“Yeah, I’m good. What about you?”

I reply, returning his smile and nudging him back. He brings his arm up and wraps it around my shoulder, pulling me a bit closer and kissing the side of my head.

“I’m fantastic. Now who do you think is gonna win this thing, Lass?”

He asks, motioning towards the monitor across the room from where we’re sitting and the Melee that’s going on.

“It ain’t gonna be either of us.”

To be fair, I probably would have put myself into the damn thing if Rogan hadn’t expressed his concern for my shoulder, and the rest of me for that matter. But it’s nice, actually, just sitting here without the pressure of anything hanging over my head. I’m glad I finally listened to him.

It’s comfortable. This is comfortable. He’s comfortable.

“Very true. I could see either Ken or Kyra walking out with it, you know it?”

Rogan remarks, pointing them out on the screen amid the chaos that’s happening out there in the ring. I nod my head and shrug my shoulders.

“I don’t know, honestly. They’ve both got a lot going for them, but I don’t know how much losing the Coop titles will hurt them there.”

“Damn shame, that was.”

“We went through the same thing… kinda.”

I state, matter of factly, referencing our own loss of the Coop titles.

“Granted.. We weren’t anywhere near history like they were.”

Rogan nods and leans his head onto mine.

“Still hurt though.”

“Yeah. You think we’ll get back there someday?”

I turn my head to face him again, and when he looks down into my eyes I don’t see any hint of uncertainty when he answers.

“Without a doubt. No fate but what we make, right?”

“Righ–”

Before I can even finish the word, a thunderous knock comes to the door of the room we’ve taken up residence in, and before either of us can say anything else, the door opens and a stagehand peeks in through the opening, his eyes settling on us.

“MacLean? You’re up in 5.”

Rogan immediately stiffened up, and the door was shut again before he could even respond to what the nameless employee had said. He sits up on the couch and I follow suit, staring at the side of Rogan’s head.

“You’re in this thing? I thought you weren’t going to–”

“I don’t know.. I didn’t want to be. I wanted to spend the evening here.”

I sigh and sit back again as he gets up and begins pacing around.

“It’s fine Rogan.”

“I don’t want you thinking that that’s mor–”

I shake my head.

“I don’t. You’re fine. Hell you could go out there and win the damn thing and get back to where you belong. Go.”

Do I want him to go? No.

Do I think that success is more important to him than me? I shouldn’t. He didn’t even know he was still gonna be going out there for the Melee. Right? I mean, he’s not even dressed. And he looks really frustrated that he’s got to go.

So why am I still telling myself that if he leaves.. He values the melee and the potential for success over what we’ve got here?

Maybe the bad taste from Run of the Mill is still lingering in his mouth…

Maybe things aren’t as okay as I thought.

“Lucy, I– I don’t–”

“I know. But I’ll be here when you get back. It’s okay.”

I try to say as reassuringly as possible, but by the look on his face, he’s not really buying it. I don’t know. That little interruption sucked all the air out of the room and now all I can think about is how he needs this because I fucked everything up and now Tempest is the world champion.

He hesitates again, for a few seconds before he sighs and moves to me, pulling my chin up and kissing me before leaving the room. Just a few minutes ago, I felt good.. Felt comfortable.

And now.. I just feel empty all over again.

I hate it.

”It doesn’t have to be like this…”

 

Chapter 1: Divinity

“Do you believe in God?”

The question hangs in the air as the fire crackles, the sounds of the dry wood crying filling the chilly night here within the Sonoran Desert. The bright red and orange hues lighting only the small area around the fire, and the face of the Dark Man as he leans forward and pulls his jean jacket tighter to his chest.

After a few seconds, he glances up – his eyes dancing with the very same fire that he was staring into as he asked the question again, this time peering at his partner, his one and only – The Dark Lady.

“I said, do you believe in God?”

“I heard you.”

The Dark Lady replies quietly, her own eyes dancing with the flames as they flicker upwards and into the eyes of her beloved. It was a question she had never been asked before, a question that she had never pondered.

It was now that she pondered what lies in the great beyond.

“I don’t know. A part of me believes something lies beyond what is here on this mortal plane…”

The Dark Man perks up, a devilish grin sneaking across his lips.

“And the other?”

“And the other thinks that once our shells wither away, that’s it. The only thing we leave behind are the impressions we leave on those we love…”

She smirks at the Dark Man.

“…Or the ones we hurt. Why do you ask?”

The Dark Man lightly shrugs his shoulders and exhales, his breath showing up in front of his face like a wisp of smoke – or for those who have already pondered questions like the one the Dark Man asks on this night – an otherworldly spirit, looking to pass on to the other side.

“There is one in our midst who views himself as a God among men.”

The Dark Lady softly chuckles to herself, leaning forward and extending her arms towards the fire to warm her hands.

“He wouldn’t be the only one that’s thought so highly of himself, only to fall to his own delusions. He wouldn’t be the first to crumble once brought back to the reality of what he truly is.”

Silence settles between them as the sounds of the darkened desert around them take over. Far off in the distance, an animal can be heard dying – Its cries permeating the air with the hunger of the beast that slays it for its own benefit.

The sounds do nothing to change the demeanor of the two travelers, still relaxing beside the fire.

Finally, though, the Dark Lady reaches up and removes the dark brimmed hat that covers her wavy, platinum blonde locks – the pin on the lapel of her tattered leather jacket seeming to follow her movements before blowing a sultry kiss in her direction.

“This man.. What is he after?”

The Dark Man looks up, his eyebrows raised in surprise at his ladies question.

“Well, he wants to partake in the same Conquest that you are on.”

The Dark Lady’s eyes flash red, as a wolf can be heard howling in the distance.

“No…”

She whispers, turning her eyes away from the fire and towards the darkness that surrounds them.

“No, that just won’t do.”

 

October 14th 2022

All’s well that ends well, right?

At least that’s what it’s supposed to be. Rogan didn’t exactly win the Melee, and when he got back to the locker room.. Things just weren’t the same. I could see the hope on his face when he came back, I could see it replaced with that soft, subtle disappointment that I’ve been seeing so often lately.

Why do I keep disappointing him?

”You can’t get out of your own way… And it’s going to cost you.”

I close my eyes and shake my head.

“Leave me alone…”

I whisper into my cup of coffee as I sit on the couch inside our RV. I can hear Rogan’s soft breathing coming from the bedroom down the short hallway and I don’t want to wake him. At least when he’s sleeping, there’s no pressure to be something that I’m not.

To say I’m not happy would be a lie.

I am happy. On the surface I guess, but beneath that paper thin skin? I don’t even know what I am anymore. I don’t know why I can’t figure it out and just… feel better. That’s all Rogan wants from me. He just wants me to believe him, and believe that I’m not everything I keep telling myself that I am.

And for a while, I actually felt good.

”You’re going to lose him.”

And this fucking voice… belonging to none other than the shadow that’s taken up residence wherever I am in that given moment. I glance up to see it standing beside the sink, hovering beside the coffee pot.

So, you like coffee too, huh?

”Stop changing the subject.”

I roll my eyes.

“He believes in me. Hell, he believes in us.”

”And if you keep going down this road…”

I close my eyes again and nod my head.

“I’m going to lose him.”

”And that’s your goal, isn’t it?”

That question makes my stomach sink, but I can’t deny it.

“I.. I don’t know.”

I half expected a response, but when I looked up – the shadow was gone and just when I breathed a sigh of relief… my phone begins ringing. I answer it quickly, without looking at the screen – trying once again to let Rogan sleep.

“Hello?”

I hiss into the phone as I stumble towards the door and step outside.

“Lucy?”

“Kyra?! What’s going on? Is everything okay?”

Kyra never calls me. Hell, she barely acknowledges my presence when we’re in the same room. Don’t get me wrong, she helped me when it counted – Keeping the Astro Creeps from ruining my first match against Tempest – but if it doesn’t involve my niece, Adina, or Ken Davison… Kyra’s just about as stone cold as it gets when it comes to expressing any kind of affection.

“Yeah, everything is fine. Christ. I just.. Wanted to see how things were going.”

Everything about the tone of her voice is weird to me. I can’t quite place it, but she almost sounds concerned.

Is this because I’m supposed to be fighting her husband in a few days?

“Is this because Ken’s facing me for the Conquest title?”

I hear a scoff come from the other end of the line.

“Fuck no. I ain’t getting involved in that. That’s ya’lls business.”

“Oh good. I was–”

“But…”

“I knew it! What? What is it?”

She sighs, not answering me right away. Now I’m frustrated. What could she be checking up on me about? Ken and I are both wrestlers, I think we can handle a match together for a championship without everything falling the fuck apart.

“Kyra?”

“Lucy, it’s just… I know you took losing the world title really hard.”

And there it is.

Jesus fucking Christ.

“Kyra.. I’m fine.”

She laughs.

“The fuck you are. Come on.. Everyone can see it, even if you aren’t broadcasting it like you used to. I’m sure your man has already told you three hundred thousand times but you didn’t fucking ruin anything.”

I don’t answer her right away, deciding to take a walk, moving towards one of the hiking trails that I’d seen when we pulled into the campground the other day.

“Lucy, I know what you’re doing. You can’t hide it from me because guess what? I’m just as fucked up as you are! You don’t think you deserve the shit you have, right? You think you should just be alone because you don’t do anything right.. And you most certainly don’t deserve Rogan because you let him down.”

I don’t have words for her as I just keep walking.

What more can I say? She’s just about covered it all.

“Lucy talk to me God damnit.”

“What do you want me to say, Kyra?”

“I.. I don’t know.”

I stop along the trail and sit down on a rock that’s protruding out of the brush. I put my head down on my free hand and let out a deep breath.

“I just.. I can’t..”

“You can’t…what?”

“I don’t want him to regret… me.”

A few minutes pass with the only thing I can hear being her breathing. I can only imagine what she’s thinking right now. What a fucking pathetic person her sister is… How fucking stupid I am..

No, she’s probably thinking a lot worse than that.

“Oh, Lucy..”

I can hear the pity in her voice and it throws me through a loop.

“Kyra, it’s fine. I’ll figure it out, I always do. Don’t worry about Monday… If Ken wins, I’m sure he’ll have earned it and I’ll be happy for him.”

“And what about you?”

I let out another sigh and shake my head.

“I don’t know, but I don’t plan on losing.”

 

This time around, we find the Dark Lady sitting in a dark corner, backstage at the arena.  Synergy is set to begin soon, and Lucy is already dressed in her ring gear, her long blonde hair pulled back into a low ponytail.  The damage done to her at Run of the Mill may be just a fading memory, but the scars remain on her chest and her arms and a few small ones on her face.  

She’s perched upon an equipment box, her head turned away from the camera.  Finally, she takes a deep breath and glances down at her hands as they lay in her lap. 

“I don’t really know what to say to you, Ken.  You’re my sisters husband, my brother in law and do I really want to step out there across from you later and fight you for this?”

She pulls the Conquest Championship up onto her lap and stares at it for a few seconds before continuing. 

“I don’t.  But it’s going to happen, and I’m sure you’ve already come to terms with the potential consequences of whatever will happen out there.   To be fair, I’m not entirely sure you give a shit about me, or who I am.. And that’s as it should be.  I hold this belt and you want it.   Shit is about as basic as it gets.  You and I.. we’ve never faced off and that’s for good reason.  You were over in Carnage and I was here – two completely different worlds.  Two completely different mindsets.”

She sighs. 

“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t forget the short stint I had in Carnage.. No matter how much I’d like to.  The facts are, I just didn’t fit in there.  I wasn’t of the mindset.. That mindset that took you and Kyra to the top of that place and helped you rule over there until it died its rightful death.   I can’t quite explain what I mean, but I’m sure you understand.  In order to compete in a place like Carnage, you have to truly be fucking insane… You truly have to not give a shit about how hurt you could get, or how badly you could injure another person…  And that’s just never been me.”

Lucy shrugs her shoulders, finally turning her eyes up and into the lens. 

“And when I found out that you were coming here… I won’t lie, I didn’t really think you’d last long, Ken.  I thought you’d be like a fish out of water but I was wrong.  You’re coming off a nearly historical reign as one half of the Cooperative champions and that’s not an easy thing to accomplish.  Rogan and I could barely make it through one defense.  So congratulations on that.  But I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that it certainly seems like you’ve been fairly unlucky here when it comes to fighting alone.”

She puts her hands up defensively. 

“I’m not saying what all the other bottom feeders are saying though.  I’m not saying that you’re unable to win anything without Kyra to shoulder half the load.   I know better than that.  Hell, you’re the world champion over there in SCW right now, and you did that without her holding your hand the entire way.  Maybe a lot of our peers don’t care to see what you’re capable of, Ken.. But I do.  And no, that’s not just because you’re married to my sister.  That’s because I want to know who I’m stepping into the ring with on any given night.  I want to know who you are and what you can do.. And I know you’re very capable of putting me down for the three and taking away my chance of getting five defenses.. and reclaiming what is mine.”

Her eyes narrow at the camera. 

“But that doesn’t matter, not in your grand scheme of things.  You don’t give a flying fuck about my motivations.   But what are yours, exactly?  Because I do care about yours, Ken.   I want to know if you’re willing to cheat me in order to get this belt.  I’ve seen some of your bullshit Ken, and if you’ve done your research, then you know that I’m not that type of woman.  I earned this belt clean, and if you don’t respect me enough to try and take it from me clean.. then we’re going to have a problem.”

“I know you’re a real wordsmith, and I’m sure you have so many ways of explaining away any misdeeds that you do  – but miss me with that horseshit, will you?   You wanna win this belt, do it with some God damned dignity.  Even if you don’t respect me enough to do it, respect yourself.. and your fucking family enough to fight me like a man with honor.”

“I can’t force you to.  And I wouldn’t even dare to try but just know… I don’t care who you’re married to when we step into the ring in a little while.   I don’t care who’s watching at home… Respect me and I’ll respect you.  Disrespect me and you won’t know what the fuck hit you.”

With that, she slides down off the equipment box and drapes the Conquest Championship over her shoulder. 

“But I’m not here to lose, Ken.  Neither of us are.  I guess it just comes down to who wants it more… and I can guarantee that you don’t want anything as much as I want to make it back to that Astro Creep son of a bitch and…”

She stops herself for a moment before she begins chuckling. 

“Hell, maybe Carnage did rub off on me a little bit.   See you soon, oh, ‘Godly‘ one…”