Date September 1st 2020 / Time 1:40AM / Status Not Recording
Location The Carnage Arena – Parking Lot – Baltimore, Maryland

It’s been an eventful evening, that’s for sure. Leaving Chaos with Ken, going to Trents… Having dinner there… Which was amazing, by the way. I heard that Trent could cook, and in all honesty I was expecting something good, but generic – But it wasn’t that.

I’ve gotta say, outside of being threatened and the general Trent Steel attitude… All in all, it wasn’t a terrible evening.

It could have been worse.

Though, there’s a part of me that sensed a bit of disappointment in Ken’s voice when he said he’d have to cancel the reservations that he’d made for us. I honestly didn’t even realize he’d made reservations… I wasn’t sure he had actually taken me seriously earlier.

It kinda blows my mind that he did.

“Did you like… Make reservations right after I left the locker room earlier?”

I finally ask after he stops the car in the parking lot of the Carnage Arena, which is empty – Obviously, aside from my own car that’s sitting lonely in the far corner of the lot. Ken sits back and puts his hands in his lap as the car hums softly amid the silence.

“Well, yeah. Had to make sure they’d be open. Bringing a lady to a closed restaurant isn’t exactly a good way to impress her.”

He finally says, looking down at his hands as he fiddled with his pant leg. He looks uncomfortable. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up. Of course, me staring at him probably doesn’t help, so I turn my eyes away and down at my own fidgeting hands in my lap.

We sit in silence for a little while – I don’t know what he’s thinking about but I know that I’m sitting here thinking that today and tonight is the longest time he and I have been… alone together. It’s honestly a little weird and I gotta say, I never expected to see an uncomfortable Ken Davison sitting beside me.

But here he is, and here we sit.

“So, what do you think? Did we accomplish anything this evening?”

Let’s see if changing the subject will help. I see his head turn out of the corner of my eye and I turn to meet his gaze. He nods.

“I’d like to think so. But time will tell. At least he didn’t shoot us.”

“Yeah, there’s a silver lining.”

We both chuckle and finally the tension in the car eases up a bit. I lean my head back against the headrest and let out a sigh.

“I told you, he’s really not a bad guy. He gets a bad rep because he’s passionate and he doesn’t take any shit.”

I look out the windshield, at the arena and I think about all the shit I personally gave him over the years.

“You know, when I owned this place – I thought no one could touch me. I thought I was the literal queen of the world because I was finally where I’d always wanted to be. Or at least I thought.”

“What happened?”

He asks as I still feel his eyes on me, probably gauging my reaction to the question. I smile and shake my head.

“What didn’t happen? I made a lot of enemies. People like Trent got treated like shit and I lost it. I let my issues with JD turn Carnage into a soap opera and the Network got rid of me. And people like Joe don’t let me forget that fact, either.”

He scoffs.

“But something good did come out of it.”

“Yeah?”

I nod my head, turning my eyes back to Ken’s.

“Yeah, I realized that I’m much better where I am now. I’m not cut out for that bullshit.”

I feel my cheeks heat up a bit and I shake my head. What is this, Kyra therapy hour? Christ sake. Embarrassing myself, telling him my life story… that’s a great way to make this… thing work. Whatever this thing is.

“Sorry, I..”

“No need for apologies. We’ve all got demons. Some people run from them. Some of us cuddle with them.”

He interrupts, a small smirk playing on his lips.

“You’re a complex person and I… I enjoy learning about you.”

I roll my eyes.

“You might regret that.”

“No, I don’t think I will.”

I let his words linger in the air, smiling just a little wider before breaking eye contact and glancing out the window at the world around us.

“We’ll see…”

I finally reply, letting my nerves calm down a little.

“I’d like to learn more about you too.. You know, outside of what I get to see in there.”

I say, motioning to the arena.

“So, what makes you tick… Ken Davison?”

“Mostly anger and loneliness. I don’t exactly get out much.”

I nod my head.  It’s funny, you analyze someone for long enough – Answers like that aren’t really surprising.

“I’ve noticed. But… I dunno, we can probably change that. Gotta start somewhere, right?”

Ken lets out a sigh.

“Right. Just warning you, I’m damaged goods. Got a lot of baggage. Hope that our luggage matches.”

I turn back to face him again, my eyes tracing the lines of his face.  I can tell he’s been through some shit.  I don’t know what.  Maybe someday I’ll find out.  

He hopes our luggage matches… 

I feel my cheeks burning just a little hotter, thinking about those words.  I let out a nervous chuckle and run my hands through my hair.  Play it off… Christ… Don’t be an idiot, I tell myself.  Don’t be an idiot.

“Have you met me? I mean.. I don’t mind. I’m pretty fucked up myself.”

“So you’ve said. I think we’re all messed up in our own way. So…”

Ken’s voice trails off, and I can almost see his mind working – Trying to figure out what to say next.  

“…Would Maisy’s have worked? I figure you can’t go wrong with American food on a first date.”

I nod and look down.  

“Yeah… Yeah, definitely.”

Another pause, followed by more listening to the car humming in the background.  If things couldn’t get more awkward… I sigh and bite my lip, staring down at my fingernails… God damn they’re horrid.  They’re–

“You know how weird this is for me? You put me in front of tens of thousands of people with all eyes on me and I’m the most confident man in the world. Here… with just you… I’m a wreck.”

I glance over as he breaks the silence, watching him fidget with his hands some more.  He grimaces and leans his head back against the headrest, closing his eyes.  

“Sorry. Oversharing.”

At least I’m not the only one that’s feeling like this.  Thank God.

I chuckle softly and shrug my shoulders. 

“Nah… I like it. It’s kinda nice seeing who you are under all that. Sweetens the pot a bit.”

“All that? I guess you could have said worse.”

I roll my eyes again. 

“Please… You know I could have said worse.”

“Fair. Very fair. So, what about you. What do you do for fun… aside from your recent hobby of giving me shit.”

My eyebrows raise in question.  

“And here I thought you enjoyed my giving you shit.”

“Well, yeah.”

He replies almost immediately and I can’t help but smile.  I like a guy that can take my bullshit.  That’s a real admirable quality.  I stay quiet for a few moments before I remember that he asked me a question.  I clear my throat try to figure out how to answer him. 

“I, um.. Oh lord… What do I do for fun.. Does catering to the whims of a three year old that’s just as big an asshole as her mother count? Honestly, I don’t really get out much myself.. Now that I’m out of Jack Michaels fairytale land.”

He leans his head over with a smirk on his face.

“You realize most fairy tales had horrible endings in the old days?”

“True. I’ve never been a happy ending kind of girl anyway.. If that much isn’t obvious.”

I let out an unintentional sigh.  

“I ain’t the easiest person to get along with.”

My history doesn’t do me any favors… Which I guess is why I’m so intrigued by him and his interest in me.  I’ve basically ruined everything I’ve touched and everyone around me doesn’t let me forget that fact – but it hasn’t scared him away… 

Yet.

“The trick is trying to find someone who will fight with you and for you.. At least that’s what I’ve been told.”

“Yeah… I–”

I’m interrupted by my phone as it starts ringing.  I give him an apologetic look as I pull it out of my pocket and see a text from JD – Something about Adina.   

Shit.

God damnit.

“Shit.. I.. I gotta go. But, I um.. This was nice. We should do this again, you know.. If you’d want.”

“I think the fact that I said I would reschedule dinner and not cancel it should tell you everything you need to know. We definitely need to do this again.”

“Well we’re gonna be teaming up so… Not getting rid of me.”

I open the door and start getting out of the car, pulling up the text message so I can see what the hell JD is trying to say about our kid… But I stop and turn back to Ken, a soft smile on my lips. 

“Talk to you soon.. And hey… I.. I like you too.”

 

Date September 10th 2020 / Time 10:09PM / Status RECORDING
Location The Carnage Arena – Baltimore, Maryland

The camera cuts on to see Kyra sitting cross legged in front of what looks like the back entrance to the Carnage Arena. The streetlights illuminate a light rain coming down around her, creating an aura around the Ultraviolent Champion as she stares directly into the lens, those golden eyes of hers highlighted in the limited light.

“You’re a joke, Joe.”

She begins, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah.. Laugh it up. Tell me that that’s awful rich coming from me… The biggest joke there is, hmm? Tell me that I have no reason to be telling you that other than the fact that I’m ‘threatened’ by you, or some other bullshit you’ll pull out of thin air in order to make me, and Ken look like we’re just jobbers to you.

Really, Joe?”

She shrugs her shoulders.

“And you wonder why I think you’re the joke.”

Almost as if on cue, the rain starts coming down a little bit harder as Kyra looks down for a few moments, gathering her thoughts before she turns her eyes back up into the lens.

“You’re all about coming for that World title, you’re all about prestige and proving that you’re the fucking best, yet you refuse to take anyone seriously. At least anyone except those you claim to care about. Even then, in the back of your mind you must look at a man like Trent and laugh at him because you just know that you’re better… Right?

Well take a look around, fuckface. Trent fucking Steel has done something in Carnage that you’ve never done. He’s won the World title. Look at Ken Davison, he’s done the same thing, hell he’s even been the Baltimore City Champ. And me? I’m the Ultraviolent Champ.

And yeah, I get it.. You don’t think Ultraviolence is real ‘wrestling’.”

She tugs at the jacket hugging her shoulders, pulling it off and throwing it to the side – Revealing numerous scars, a timeline of all the battles she’s been through over the years. She runs a wet hand along her arm, tracing some of the more prominent ‘trinkets’ she’s acquired in battle.

“What’s not real about these, Joe?”

She lets her hand drop back into her lap as she turns her attention back to the camera.

“…But that’s a debate for another day, I suppose.”

She smirks.

“The point is.. You look at us like we’re jesters.. Like we didn’t EARN the spots we’re in. Spots that you haven’t even earned your way to. You preach about respecting your craft and respecting those title belts.. But all you’re doing is shitting on them. Ken and I respect the titles we hold. We respect them a hell of a lot more than we respect you.

Yeah, you held world titles in other places. Good for you, prick. None of that shit matters here, so sling your dick around somewhere else, somewhere that they’ll actually buy into the bullshit you constantly spew out of your mouth. Hell you can’t even buy a title in UGWC, can you? Yet you look at us like we’re unworthy?”

Kyra cocks her head to the side, her lips turned down into a frown.

“Bitch, you ain’t got no room to talk about worthiness while you’re staring up at us from the bottom of that barrel.

But then again, that’s always been your thing, hasn’t it?”

She pauses again, taking a deep breath as the rain continues its deep soak.

“You talk and talk about what a bad guy you are, and how badly you can hurt people. I’ll give you credit, you can hurt people, Joe… You’ve hurt me more than once. But let’s be real here… How badly did you really hurt me? I’m still fucking here, and I’ve still done more than you’ve done here in Carnage.

So please, keep looking down your nose at me like I’m some lesser citizen simply because you don’t like the way I’m acting or the people I align myself with. I honestly don’t give a fuck what you think because you’re the fucking king of disappointing everyone around you, aren’t you? You can talk about my failed relationships, or my alignments with certain groups that you don’t like… or whatever in the fuck you want to say about me.

Oh, I’m a bad mommy? Well from where I’m standing, you’re a pretty shitty father yourself.

I wasn’t fit to own Carnage Wrestling? Well to be fair, neither the fuck were you.”

She narrows her gaze.

“We’re both shitty people, Joe. It’s just… One of us accepts that and embraces it.. And the other, well they act like they embrace it, but in reality they’re ashamed of it.

I gotta say though, Joe… If I weren’t just as, if not a more shitty person than you… I’d have fallen for it too. You’re a decent actor.”

She shrugs.

“And you’re not bad in the ring either. You’re good, hell you might even be better than good. But you’re not great. Not anymore. Nah, all you do lately is bitch and complain about not having all the shiny belts you want, or about how you were robbed of so much time in Carnage… Blah, blah, blah.

Let’s get one thing straight, honey.. You fucked yourself out of your job and as far as I’m concerned – You shouldn’t even be here right now. You shouldn’t be here, resuming your hopeless quest for championship gold in a place that is so obviously above you.

Poor little Joe… Got exactly what he wanted and he’s still not fucking happy.

Maybe if you’d take things a bit more seriously and quit acting like you’re God’s gift to this industry… Maybe you’d get a little further. But why listen to me? I’m just Lucy’s loser sister, right? I’m just a nobody who must have somehow stumbled into a championship that you don’t value…”

She hums, bringing a finger up to her cheek, tapping lightly as she pauses again.

“Yet… You fought Maggie for it, didn’t you? And you LOST that one too, didn’t you?

That must hurt. Can’t even win a belt you don’t give a shit about.”

Kyra lets out a humorless chuckle as she pulls a few strands of drenched hair out of her face, tucking them behind her ear.

“It’s time to face facts, Joe. You’re just an old man. An old man, struggling to find meaning in this downward spiral of a career you’ve got going on, and honey… There just ain’t nothing left for you.

Sure. You’ll win some more matches. Of course you will. You’re not a legend for nothing, but you’re not gonna find what you’re really searching for. Those days are behind you, and from what I’m seeing.. You won’t find it in the other place either.

Hell, the only thing you’ve got going for you this week is your partner. You know, the ‘kid’ who beat you in your first match back. The very same guy who ruined what you had hoped would be your triumphant return to Carnage Wrestling.

The one guy who can be something that you’ll never be again.”

She leans into the camera, her face shrouded in shadow as she speaks – This time her voice a little lower, more intimate.

“The future of this company.

Isn’t that right, Jon?”

Another pause, letting the question linger for a moment before she sits back, allowing the light to hit her face once more.

“I mean, let’s be honest. You’re the kind of guy this company loves. People like you are who the big wigs in Carnage wanna build this place around. The former World champ who fucked up his life with drugs, who’s now back and looking to redeem himself and prove that he’s worth the adulation and the love… It’s a great story.

And I’d say you’re well on your way to telling that story, exactly the way you wanted to.

But, that’s just my opinion. Take it or leave it. All I know is that watching you beat Joe at WAR, after listening to him drone on and on about taking you out and booting your head off your body… That gave me a hell of a lot of joy. You’re a talented guy, Jon.

Far more talented than people like Joe will ever give you credit for.

Now, I won’t stand here and tell you that you ain’t never stepped into the ring with someone like me, because I’m sure you have. I’m sure you’ve done your research, and you know what Ken and I are bringing into this match. I’m also sure that you’re dipshit partner will tell you that Ken and I are no more threatening than Mickey the Butcher and Anthony fucking Leonhart.

I just hope that you know better than to believe a word that asshole says.”

An exasperated sigh leaves her lips as she leans back against the bricks of the building, staring up at the light for a few moments.

“I’m not the Ultraviolent Champion because I look good. I’m not the Goddess of Ultraviolence because I’m not a threat. I didn’t get here by being a joke. But you already know that, don’t you, Jon? And for that reason, I’m so sorry that you’re being forced to team with some jackass that’s going to get the two of you another tick in the loss column because he refuses to accept that we can do very bad things to the two of you.

And we will.

You might think I’m a bitch, Jon. That’s okay. You wouldn’t be the first person to think that about me. You might even think I’m childish… Who knows. But what I really am, is honest.

Plain and simple.

Most people fail to realize that all I’m doing is what the majority of you can’t fucking do. I’m just telling the truth, folks. I’m just giving ya’ll the dose of truth that most of you can’t fucking handle.

I don’t think that’s you though, Jon. I think with everything you’ve been through, you’re probably the person with the most ability to handle the hard truth. I’m sure you’ve heard enough of it since you’ve come back, huh?”

She puts her hands into the air, palms facing the camera.

“But I ain’t here to judge.

Contrary to popular belief.

At least not to judge people like you, who haven’t found themselves on my bad side. Never say never though, right?

The fact of the matter is, Jon.. You’re just a nice guy.

Hell you told JC that beating him doesn’t make you better than him. Christ. For anyone else, that’s a real sweet sentiment. But we’re not talking about just ‘anyone’ here, Jon. You open that door to him now, you let him believe that he’s still somehow your better… Just give it a few months, maybe even a year and he’ll be turning his back on you too and booting your head off your shoulders because it suited him.

Just ask my sister how she knows…”

Kyra raises her eyebrows at the camera and smirks.

“But hey, you do you. You open all the doors, and pull out all the chairs you wanna, sweetie… and I’ll be around to tell you ‘I told you so’ when he does exactly what I’m saying he will. You’re just a little too into this whole nicey nice shit for my taste. But I get it. Former drug addict, trying to change the world, or find Jesus.. Whatever in the hell you’re trying to do.

It’s just not my thing.

It all boils down to this though, Jon.. When I look at you, you’re just a nice person. Hell, you might be in the running with Eli for ‘boy scout of the year’ at this rate, I don’t know. I don’t really care, either.

We’re gonna get into the ring at Chaos and we’re gonna fight. We’re gonna fight and that’s all I really care about. I care about seeing all that talent you’ve got put to work. If you wanna beat me and Ken… You’re gonna have to do a lot better than anything that your prick partner can throw at us.

Don’t let him tell you otherwise.”

Kyra sighs and shakes her head.

“Just… Just live up to all the hype, okay?

Let’s have some fun.”

Kyra winks as the scene suddenly cuts to black.

 

OOC: Ken Davison used with Permission
Word Count: 3697