Post by The Madness Menagerie on May 1, 2021 19:00:33 GMT -5
“Belle, I’m not a ‘perfect’ person. I have my rough edges, kind of like… Uhm, sandpaper?”
Zephyr Quinn shakes her head and pounds on it lightly as she paces in front of the front door to Mac Bane’s former residence. For a woman who took down the almighty Jack Michaels early on in her career in Carnage, a woman who stood toe to toe against the biggest monster she had ever seen before; met his gaze and laughed in revelry as the two danced a most violent battle that ended with a winner still undeclared; she still had no idea how to talk to Belle about the most sensitive parts of their relationship. The most delicate parts. She stops pacing as her phone beeps.
An incoming call, from… Silvio?
Zephyr looks quizzically at the phone, wondering what was so important. Last she knew, Silvio was spending his evenings at the hospital with Jon and Axton. “Hel…” Zephyr doesn’t get a chance to finish as she’s cut off. She listens and her face scrunches in surprise. “A roadtrip? Like… Now?!” Zephyr can hardly believe what she’s hearing and she again stops moving to listen to the voice on the other end of the call. “If it’s really that important, yeah. Come on over.”
A polite knock on the door makes Zephyr jump and almost drop her phone. “Yeah, just come over and we can discuss whatever it is. I have to go though…” With that Zephyr lets the phone drop to the floor and goes to answer the door.
Belle Silva stands before her, her face a mixture of emotion as tears stream down her cheeks. “Belle? What’s wrong?”
The reporter stumbles into Zephyr, Zeph barely catching her in time. Belle’s entire body quakes and she sobs into Zephyr’s shoulder. “The network just informed all the staff. They’re terminating Carnage’s contract. Something about it costing too much for insurance.”
Zephyr stands speechless as she hugs Belle close, stroking her hair out of habit. She stops as she realizes what she’s doing and Belle looks up at her.
“I… I’m sorry. Zeph, I…” Belle stops as she looks around and spies several holes in various states of being patched up. “So that kit DID come in handy didn’t it?!” She giggles as Zephyr tries to stammer and explain herself. Shaking her head, Belle grabs Zephyr by the chin and looks her in the eyes. “I get it. I get you…” She pauses. “What we have Zephyr, isn’t like anything I’ve ever been a part of before. You and I both know that. Everything that happened before? It’s all just a way for us to evolve. To make our relationship better, stronger.”
Zephyr’s heart flutters as she listens to Belle’s words. It starts to pound to the point of being uncomfortable as she tries to think of the words to say. “I… Belle, I’m…”
Belle laughs as she leads Zephyr in a slow circle, almost as if they’re dancing. “You suck at this. I know babe. You can do this though. Get better with me.”
Zephyr smiles. “I’m sorry I lost my focus on you. You’re my world but admittedly, I’ve been distracted by other things. Kane and the Ultraviolent scene, though it doesn’t sound like that will matter much. Mia in my head which I know…”
Belle nods. “It’s extraordinary and hard to believe. It’s like we’re living in some kind of science fiction movie isn’t it?”
Zephyr nods. “I WISH it was that simple. At least then we’d have a shot at predicting the ending, what was going to happen…” Zephyr twirls Belle and brings her back, the sound of Belle gasping in surprise and then laughing in the pleasure of the moment was magic to Zephyr.
Zephyr jumps slightly but pushes the voice back. She had gotten better at overcoming Mia’s consciousness, constantly trying to put in her two cents. However, she had a point. “Your laugh is music to my ears Belle. It’s moments like this that I can picture our future and treasure them forever. I don’t NEED to be some kind of fancy experiment to fight for what I believe in. WHO I love, with all my heart.” The two stop dancing and look each other in the eyes. Their faces get close, to the point that the tips of their noses gently touch each other. Belle scrunches her face and giggles, butterfly kisses being among her favorite things. But Zephyr wasn’t done there and as she inches ever so closer…
She’s interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Hey! I don’t mean to be pushy,” comes Silvio’s voice from behind the door, “but I’m honestly pretty wigged out by there being somebody stuck in the back of a car somewhere for this long and I’d really like to get a move on!”
Belle pulls away. “Who is trapped in a car?” Her expression goes from one of complete shock to one of understanding. “Mia. Go. I’ll be here when you get back. Looks like a professional needs to patch these holes.” She winks at Zephyr who is on her way out the door. “Love you…”
Zephyr smiles and blows a kiss behind her. “Love you more.”
The trip to the long abandoned and deserted parking lot, save for one beat up Subaru, was uneventful. Silvio had pressed Zephyr for information she was surprised he knew. She was honestly even more surprised that her psycho bitch twin sister had made the play she did. Still, she went to Silvio for a reason and Zephyr couldn’t blame him for wanting to be filled in.
“So yeah, Mia’s consciousness is stuck in my head after The Institute tried to take me down all those months ago. Mia is one of their original experiments, which would explain her ‘personalities’ Loki, Cheshire, and Amelia. P.S. and by the way, hope that Cheshire is in control when we get there. The other two can be a handful to say the least.”
Silvio’s brows raise.
“In the words of John Mulaney, ‘This might as well happen. Adult life is already so goddamn
weird,’” he intones sagely. “Alright, so it sounds like we’re not solid on what to expect once we arrive; gotta be flexible. I know that going to a hospital isn’t always an option. Normally, that’s where I’d take her immediately, but I know you all have a unique situation as far as your health goes.”
When Su approached Silvio, asking for help in getting away from the Institute and basically offering Mia as a goodwill gesture, the Oracle had been incredulous at best. His first instinct had been to call up the cops and get an ambulance out to the location Su had indicated, but after spending time with LRK as his roommate, Silvio knew that getting officials involved with those who had been subjected to government-funded experimentation wasn’t always the best course of action.
Zephyr’s eyes flash from their usual green to one of them fading into a vibrant purple. “Mia says there’s no need for a hospital, she’d know if there was something wrong physically. Mentally speaking is another story entirely.”
Silvio nods, fingers flexing against the steering wheel of his car and exhaling at length before looking at Zephyr. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be. The good news is that’s Mia’s car and it’s the only one here.” Despite the confidence in her voice, Zephyr still hesitates as she gets out of the car. What if this really was just a trap? Suddenly, another car zooms up next to Zephyr and none other than Trent Steel gets out.
“Your creepy doppelganger told me there was a party going on. Felt you’d like some company.”
Stepping out of his car, Silvio’s eyes widen at the newest occupant of the vacant lot. “Whoa! Hey, Trent!”
“Greetings and salu-fucking-tations.” Trent responded, stretching a bit as he stood outside of the car.
Apparently Su had hedged her bets.
Despite the odd turn of events, Zephyr couldn’t help but smile at the man she had come to know as a brother. She gives him a fist bump and the trio head to the seemingly abandoned Subaru.
Seeing no one in the seats, Zephyr leads Silvio and Trent to the trunk.
“Don’t suppose they gave us the keys?” Silvio asks. If not, it wouldn’t be a big deal. He’d brought his tools with him in case of just such an occurrence.
Zephyr shrugs and tries the handle. To everyone’s surprise, the door flings open and out hops Mia Rayne, her green eyes shining in the moonlight.
“Aw fu…” Zephyr is stopped mid curse with an uppercut from her older sister!
“Well...this is starting to look like my family reunion!” Trent chop blocks Mia’s body from behind to knock her on her ass. “Remember she’s not Mia right now. If you fought her before you’re gonna have to think outside of the box!”
As if to prove his point Mia rolls with the chop block and brings up and elbow and slams it into Trent’s throat! She kips up and looks at Silvio.
“Spoilers...you’re no fun Trenton.”
“You’re not exactly a barrel of laughs either,” Silvio snorts. “C’mon, didn’t our time together under the needle mean anything?” Moving closer, he feints with an elbow to her face while actually trying to hook his foot around her ankle to get her on the ground again.
Mia goes down as Zephyr leaps on top of her, pinning her shoulders down with her knees. “Loki, it’s time to go to sleep.” Zephyr raises a hand as it begins glowing with a faint light. However, before anything else can happen the entity known as Loki Synn pushes with all of her might and forces Zephyr to lose her balance! Loki rolls to her feet and stands smiling a somehow threatening smile.
“I’ve decided I’m tired of being kept on a leash and would like to… Renegotiate the terms of our agreement. I know you’re in there Mia… You’re not getting us back so easily. In terms of the tattoo? You’d have to ask Mia about that one.” Loki winks and then laughs, a shrill sound that sends a shiver down the spine of anyone within earshot.
Maybe a different tactic would work here.
Relaxing, Silvio raises a brow, offering a smile of his own.
“Oh...I think you remember,” he says, voice dropping into his sugar and smoke tone. “I think you remember...what it was to see how hungry they were. I think you remember almost being something’s dinner. Something...still there. And absolutely ravenous.”
Loki stops in her tracks and stares carefully at Silvio. “OOOooooo yes. I remember, how could I forget such an… Experience. The person who held my leash quivering in her combat booties as the unknown breached her mental defenses. I also remember what happened after it made the mistake of coming into this head and I also remember that thing turning tail and running as soon as it was challenged. You ready for round two then I take it? Let’s see what you got McSpooky.”
Trent gets up and grabs Loki from behind. A shocking sound is heard as Trent cuts on his hand held taser and jams it against Loki.
“Hey...fuckhead...Never turn your back on an opponent!”
Loki shrieks as the electricity shoots through her. However, with stunning resolve, she is able to reach out and grab Zephyr at the same time! The electric current shoots through both women as Trent continues to press the taser against Loki’s neck. After what seems like an eternity, Loki finally collapses, Zephyr falling on top of her. With a grunt, Zephyr curses as her hand once again glows and the faint outline of a lotus flower appears. She pounds the same hand onto Loki’s forehead as her hand also begins to glow, her lotus brighter than Zephyr’s. Seconds tick by and the light finally fades from Zephyr and slowly travels down to Mia’s lotus tattoo, the light growing brighter and then fading back to normal.
Panting Zephyr climbs off of her sister as Mia sits up coughing. The two exchange a smile before Mia is the first able to speak. “Ok, it’s nice to hang out with everyone and all, but next time can I pick what we do?”
The Subaru drives off into the distance as Silvio, Trent, and Zephyr stare at it. Mia promised not to go TOO far away for the time being, but needed some time to herself to really get herself back to as close to “normal” as anyone could get after experiencing their consciousness being transferred from body to body. Zephyr looks around her curiously and then smiles over at Trent.
“Ya know? This would be an amazing spot for a promo. The moon is perfect lighting and… Anyone happen to have a camera on them?” She looks behind her at Silvio who produces his phone from a pocket and Trent who brings out a…
“Polaroid camera?!” Zephyr had only ever seen her parents use them at birthday parties as a kid to produce pictures almost instantly.
“What? You said camera…” Then he looks at the phone. “Oh...I keep forgetting these things are in those now.”
“Maybe it’s the, artiste in me, but I think a promo done all in polaroids would be pretty cool.” He stopped to consider. “Something to think about later.” Nodding to Zephyr, he taps the record button on his phone.
“It’s funny how these things work out sometimes.”
Zephyr smiles at the phone Silvio is holding as Trent joins her in view.
“Think about where we were last year. I was lost in a sea of being a mindless experiment and in a moment of pure… Beastial madness I helped my sister Mia wrap a golf club around Lucy Wylde’s throat, and put her out for months, chasing her away from Carnage. I’m… Not proud of who I was back then. Kyra, I never got the chance to apologize for putting your family through that, so I’m sorry. I’m hoping that this match will be a way for us to put the incident past us and we can move on after. I can only imagine how you must have felt and what this match means to you. Maybe revenge. Closure?”
She smirks. “But… This isn’t about apologies. This is all about evolution. See, I’ve learned and grown in my time in Carnage. I’ve changed to be a better person. Or at least the best version of myself I possibly can be. If you can’t take MY word for it though, how about you look at the man in your life? Mr. ‘Godly’ himself.”
Zephyr grows restless as she shakes her head and starts pacing. “I’ve been condemned, Ken. You know this. You remember our little scuffle for the Baltimore title don’t you? I stole the strap, I desecrated it in some small town church, and then the topping on this messed up sundae? I actually won the thing. That’s not to say that you didn’t move on either. I mean… You went and messed up Jack Michaels who by all rights should have stayed retired. You tortured Amber Ryan and beat her for a title that she was SO proud to have. I don’t know where the turning point was Ken and in all honesty that doesn’t really matter. We’ve BOTH done some fucked up things in the past and I’m personally looking at this as just a way for us to work out some of those frustrations.”
She stops and stares at the camera, a devilish smirk cutting across her lips. “But we aren’t here to point out each other’s past. We aren’t in this match because anyone wants revenge on someone else. We’re here and ready to fight because it’s the business we live for. We don’t get better in complacency. We strive to improve upon what’s already there. The bonds we forge, THAT’S what we have to connect us. You two found each other and became better for it. You made yourself quite the connection, evolved your relationship, and the two of you are near impossible to stop. Me?”
Zephyr casts a glance over at Trent. “I did something like that too, only I found myself a bigger brother to have my back. Trent showed me something I never thought I’d see again after I was subjected to a world ruled by a cult. What it was like to have a family. Bonds that are unshakeable, unbreakable, and the source of so much more than the ability to call someone ‘brother.’ It’s about putting meaning behind those words, making people see exactly how much a person can change given the right circumstances. As a team…”
Zephyr looks back at Trent and the two share a smile. “Trent and I haven’t had much luck in terms of a win/loss record. Anytime we’ve come together, we have lost whatever match we’ve been put in. Much like this parking lot though…” She gestures around her and Silvio pans the camera around. “Trent and I have been through a lot. We’ve been cracked, battered, broken, abandoned, and bloodied. I have to reiterate that we’ve lost every one of the matches we’ve come together as a team and do you know what happens after we lose? We get drinks and we move the fuck on. We learn from our mistakes and we do what we can to make sure it doesn’t happen again. We keep coming back for more, testing our limits until we exceed them. We make each other better. Opponents, siblings, and people in relationships. The feeling isn’t exclusive to just the two of you and you aren’t the only ones that are allowed to experience a renaissance of who you really are. I applaud you for where you’ve gotten, especially seeing where you’ve been. When the four of us meet in the ring? We’ll find out which bond has grown strongest.”
Trent leans forward. “So I gotta ask Ken...are you actually happy? And I ask this not to be a dick for once because I want you to really think about it. Because no matter what happens tonight everything’s gonna change in a few weeks. You see, that’s when you’re gonna have your real test. Your real test of can I keep this going without Carnage. Let’s be honest here whenever anyone thinks of Carnage Wrestling it’s not you they think of. It’s her. And when this is all over, we’re all gonna sit around. Cry a little. Get really pissed off. And then...what’s next. Where do you go from here? I hope it’s together Ken after all the ‘effort’ you’ve made into being a better person. Let’s be honest though...You know I’m right. You need to figure out what you’re doing and soon. One more run for the world title? Who cares. One more battle? Who cares? What are you going to do about this? That’s what you should focus on, dog boy. Because everybody knows I’m going to be alright. Zeph’s gonna be fine. Kyra’s gonna be fine. The question is are you going to be fine? Fine just starting over again. You? You got a lot to lose for once Kenny. That’s gotta suck. And as far as Miss Kyra goes, don’t worry...I won’t break his damn nose too much. I’ll make him at least Phantom of the Opera mask worthy Ahahahhahah…”
Zephyr snickers. “We’ve been through the wringer, all four of us. Yet here we are, all standing and ready to put on a show. Whether it is in the name of past misdoings, vengeance, or whatever else people might imply this match means, Trent and I enter into that ring as two people who will refuse to quit and will give you a send off like no other. We’ll see you two real soon.”
Zephyr winks as Silvio shuts off the camera and the trio are left in the abandoned parking lot; truly ready for whatever the future may throw at them.
Zephyr Quinn shakes her head and pounds on it lightly as she paces in front of the front door to Mac Bane’s former residence. For a woman who took down the almighty Jack Michaels early on in her career in Carnage, a woman who stood toe to toe against the biggest monster she had ever seen before; met his gaze and laughed in revelry as the two danced a most violent battle that ended with a winner still undeclared; she still had no idea how to talk to Belle about the most sensitive parts of their relationship. The most delicate parts. She stops pacing as her phone beeps.
An incoming call, from… Silvio?
Zephyr looks quizzically at the phone, wondering what was so important. Last she knew, Silvio was spending his evenings at the hospital with Jon and Axton. “Hel…” Zephyr doesn’t get a chance to finish as she’s cut off. She listens and her face scrunches in surprise. “A roadtrip? Like… Now?!” Zephyr can hardly believe what she’s hearing and she again stops moving to listen to the voice on the other end of the call. “If it’s really that important, yeah. Come on over.”
A polite knock on the door makes Zephyr jump and almost drop her phone. “Yeah, just come over and we can discuss whatever it is. I have to go though…” With that Zephyr lets the phone drop to the floor and goes to answer the door.
Belle Silva stands before her, her face a mixture of emotion as tears stream down her cheeks. “Belle? What’s wrong?”
The reporter stumbles into Zephyr, Zeph barely catching her in time. Belle’s entire body quakes and she sobs into Zephyr’s shoulder. “The network just informed all the staff. They’re terminating Carnage’s contract. Something about it costing too much for insurance.”
Zephyr stands speechless as she hugs Belle close, stroking her hair out of habit. She stops as she realizes what she’s doing and Belle looks up at her.
“I… I’m sorry. Zeph, I…” Belle stops as she looks around and spies several holes in various states of being patched up. “So that kit DID come in handy didn’t it?!” She giggles as Zephyr tries to stammer and explain herself. Shaking her head, Belle grabs Zephyr by the chin and looks her in the eyes. “I get it. I get you…” She pauses. “What we have Zephyr, isn’t like anything I’ve ever been a part of before. You and I both know that. Everything that happened before? It’s all just a way for us to evolve. To make our relationship better, stronger.”
Zephyr’s heart flutters as she listens to Belle’s words. It starts to pound to the point of being uncomfortable as she tries to think of the words to say. “I… Belle, I’m…”
Belle laughs as she leads Zephyr in a slow circle, almost as if they’re dancing. “You suck at this. I know babe. You can do this though. Get better with me.”
Zephyr smiles. “I’m sorry I lost my focus on you. You’re my world but admittedly, I’ve been distracted by other things. Kane and the Ultraviolent scene, though it doesn’t sound like that will matter much. Mia in my head which I know…”
Belle nods. “It’s extraordinary and hard to believe. It’s like we’re living in some kind of science fiction movie isn’t it?”
Zephyr nods. “I WISH it was that simple. At least then we’d have a shot at predicting the ending, what was going to happen…” Zephyr twirls Belle and brings her back, the sound of Belle gasping in surprise and then laughing in the pleasure of the moment was magic to Zephyr.
“So tell her that…”
Zephyr jumps slightly but pushes the voice back. She had gotten better at overcoming Mia’s consciousness, constantly trying to put in her two cents. However, she had a point. “Your laugh is music to my ears Belle. It’s moments like this that I can picture our future and treasure them forever. I don’t NEED to be some kind of fancy experiment to fight for what I believe in. WHO I love, with all my heart.” The two stop dancing and look each other in the eyes. Their faces get close, to the point that the tips of their noses gently touch each other. Belle scrunches her face and giggles, butterfly kisses being among her favorite things. But Zephyr wasn’t done there and as she inches ever so closer…
She’s interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Hey! I don’t mean to be pushy,” comes Silvio’s voice from behind the door, “but I’m honestly pretty wigged out by there being somebody stuck in the back of a car somewhere for this long and I’d really like to get a move on!”
Belle pulls away. “Who is trapped in a car?” Her expression goes from one of complete shock to one of understanding. “Mia. Go. I’ll be here when you get back. Looks like a professional needs to patch these holes.” She winks at Zephyr who is on her way out the door. “Love you…”
Zephyr smiles and blows a kiss behind her. “Love you more.”
The trip to the long abandoned and deserted parking lot, save for one beat up Subaru, was uneventful. Silvio had pressed Zephyr for information she was surprised he knew. She was honestly even more surprised that her psycho bitch twin sister had made the play she did. Still, she went to Silvio for a reason and Zephyr couldn’t blame him for wanting to be filled in.
“So yeah, Mia’s consciousness is stuck in my head after The Institute tried to take me down all those months ago. Mia is one of their original experiments, which would explain her ‘personalities’ Loki, Cheshire, and Amelia. P.S. and by the way, hope that Cheshire is in control when we get there. The other two can be a handful to say the least.”
Silvio’s brows raise.
“In the words of John Mulaney, ‘This might as well happen. Adult life is already so goddamn
weird,’” he intones sagely. “Alright, so it sounds like we’re not solid on what to expect once we arrive; gotta be flexible. I know that going to a hospital isn’t always an option. Normally, that’s where I’d take her immediately, but I know you all have a unique situation as far as your health goes.”
When Su approached Silvio, asking for help in getting away from the Institute and basically offering Mia as a goodwill gesture, the Oracle had been incredulous at best. His first instinct had been to call up the cops and get an ambulance out to the location Su had indicated, but after spending time with LRK as his roommate, Silvio knew that getting officials involved with those who had been subjected to government-funded experimentation wasn’t always the best course of action.
“I’d know if there was something wrong with my body. I *think* I’m still connected enough for that…”
Silvio nods, fingers flexing against the steering wheel of his car and exhaling at length before looking at Zephyr. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be. The good news is that’s Mia’s car and it’s the only one here.” Despite the confidence in her voice, Zephyr still hesitates as she gets out of the car. What if this really was just a trap? Suddenly, another car zooms up next to Zephyr and none other than Trent Steel gets out.
“Your creepy doppelganger told me there was a party going on. Felt you’d like some company.”
Stepping out of his car, Silvio’s eyes widen at the newest occupant of the vacant lot. “Whoa! Hey, Trent!”
“Greetings and salu-fucking-tations.” Trent responded, stretching a bit as he stood outside of the car.
Apparently Su had hedged her bets.
Despite the odd turn of events, Zephyr couldn’t help but smile at the man she had come to know as a brother. She gives him a fist bump and the trio head to the seemingly abandoned Subaru.
Seeing no one in the seats, Zephyr leads Silvio and Trent to the trunk.
“Don’t suppose they gave us the keys?” Silvio asks. If not, it wouldn’t be a big deal. He’d brought his tools with him in case of just such an occurrence.
Zephyr shrugs and tries the handle. To everyone’s surprise, the door flings open and out hops Mia Rayne, her green eyes shining in the moonlight.
“Aw fu…” Zephyr is stopped mid curse with an uppercut from her older sister!
“Well...this is starting to look like my family reunion!” Trent chop blocks Mia’s body from behind to knock her on her ass. “Remember she’s not Mia right now. If you fought her before you’re gonna have to think outside of the box!”
As if to prove his point Mia rolls with the chop block and brings up and elbow and slams it into Trent’s throat! She kips up and looks at Silvio.
“Spoilers...you’re no fun Trenton.”
“You’re not exactly a barrel of laughs either,” Silvio snorts. “C’mon, didn’t our time together under the needle mean anything?” Moving closer, he feints with an elbow to her face while actually trying to hook his foot around her ankle to get her on the ground again.
Mia goes down as Zephyr leaps on top of her, pinning her shoulders down with her knees. “Loki, it’s time to go to sleep.” Zephyr raises a hand as it begins glowing with a faint light. However, before anything else can happen the entity known as Loki Synn pushes with all of her might and forces Zephyr to lose her balance! Loki rolls to her feet and stands smiling a somehow threatening smile.
“I’ve decided I’m tired of being kept on a leash and would like to… Renegotiate the terms of our agreement. I know you’re in there Mia… You’re not getting us back so easily. In terms of the tattoo? You’d have to ask Mia about that one.” Loki winks and then laughs, a shrill sound that sends a shiver down the spine of anyone within earshot.
Maybe a different tactic would work here.
Relaxing, Silvio raises a brow, offering a smile of his own.
“Oh...I think you remember,” he says, voice dropping into his sugar and smoke tone. “I think you remember...what it was to see how hungry they were. I think you remember almost being something’s dinner. Something...still there. And absolutely ravenous.”
Loki stops in her tracks and stares carefully at Silvio. “OOOooooo yes. I remember, how could I forget such an… Experience. The person who held my leash quivering in her combat booties as the unknown breached her mental defenses. I also remember what happened after it made the mistake of coming into this head and I also remember that thing turning tail and running as soon as it was challenged. You ready for round two then I take it? Let’s see what you got McSpooky.”
Trent gets up and grabs Loki from behind. A shocking sound is heard as Trent cuts on his hand held taser and jams it against Loki.
“Hey...fuckhead...Never turn your back on an opponent!”
Loki shrieks as the electricity shoots through her. However, with stunning resolve, she is able to reach out and grab Zephyr at the same time! The electric current shoots through both women as Trent continues to press the taser against Loki’s neck. After what seems like an eternity, Loki finally collapses, Zephyr falling on top of her. With a grunt, Zephyr curses as her hand once again glows and the faint outline of a lotus flower appears. She pounds the same hand onto Loki’s forehead as her hand also begins to glow, her lotus brighter than Zephyr’s. Seconds tick by and the light finally fades from Zephyr and slowly travels down to Mia’s lotus tattoo, the light growing brighter and then fading back to normal.
Panting Zephyr climbs off of her sister as Mia sits up coughing. The two exchange a smile before Mia is the first able to speak. “Ok, it’s nice to hang out with everyone and all, but next time can I pick what we do?”
The Subaru drives off into the distance as Silvio, Trent, and Zephyr stare at it. Mia promised not to go TOO far away for the time being, but needed some time to herself to really get herself back to as close to “normal” as anyone could get after experiencing their consciousness being transferred from body to body. Zephyr looks around her curiously and then smiles over at Trent.
“Ya know? This would be an amazing spot for a promo. The moon is perfect lighting and… Anyone happen to have a camera on them?” She looks behind her at Silvio who produces his phone from a pocket and Trent who brings out a…
“Polaroid camera?!” Zephyr had only ever seen her parents use them at birthday parties as a kid to produce pictures almost instantly.
“What? You said camera…” Then he looks at the phone. “Oh...I keep forgetting these things are in those now.”
“Maybe it’s the, artiste in me, but I think a promo done all in polaroids would be pretty cool.” He stopped to consider. “Something to think about later.” Nodding to Zephyr, he taps the record button on his phone.
“It’s funny how these things work out sometimes.”
Zephyr smiles at the phone Silvio is holding as Trent joins her in view.
“Think about where we were last year. I was lost in a sea of being a mindless experiment and in a moment of pure… Beastial madness I helped my sister Mia wrap a golf club around Lucy Wylde’s throat, and put her out for months, chasing her away from Carnage. I’m… Not proud of who I was back then. Kyra, I never got the chance to apologize for putting your family through that, so I’m sorry. I’m hoping that this match will be a way for us to put the incident past us and we can move on after. I can only imagine how you must have felt and what this match means to you. Maybe revenge. Closure?”
She smirks. “But… This isn’t about apologies. This is all about evolution. See, I’ve learned and grown in my time in Carnage. I’ve changed to be a better person. Or at least the best version of myself I possibly can be. If you can’t take MY word for it though, how about you look at the man in your life? Mr. ‘Godly’ himself.”
Zephyr grows restless as she shakes her head and starts pacing. “I’ve been condemned, Ken. You know this. You remember our little scuffle for the Baltimore title don’t you? I stole the strap, I desecrated it in some small town church, and then the topping on this messed up sundae? I actually won the thing. That’s not to say that you didn’t move on either. I mean… You went and messed up Jack Michaels who by all rights should have stayed retired. You tortured Amber Ryan and beat her for a title that she was SO proud to have. I don’t know where the turning point was Ken and in all honesty that doesn’t really matter. We’ve BOTH done some fucked up things in the past and I’m personally looking at this as just a way for us to work out some of those frustrations.”
She stops and stares at the camera, a devilish smirk cutting across her lips. “But we aren’t here to point out each other’s past. We aren’t in this match because anyone wants revenge on someone else. We’re here and ready to fight because it’s the business we live for. We don’t get better in complacency. We strive to improve upon what’s already there. The bonds we forge, THAT’S what we have to connect us. You two found each other and became better for it. You made yourself quite the connection, evolved your relationship, and the two of you are near impossible to stop. Me?”
Zephyr casts a glance over at Trent. “I did something like that too, only I found myself a bigger brother to have my back. Trent showed me something I never thought I’d see again after I was subjected to a world ruled by a cult. What it was like to have a family. Bonds that are unshakeable, unbreakable, and the source of so much more than the ability to call someone ‘brother.’ It’s about putting meaning behind those words, making people see exactly how much a person can change given the right circumstances. As a team…”
Zephyr looks back at Trent and the two share a smile. “Trent and I haven’t had much luck in terms of a win/loss record. Anytime we’ve come together, we have lost whatever match we’ve been put in. Much like this parking lot though…” She gestures around her and Silvio pans the camera around. “Trent and I have been through a lot. We’ve been cracked, battered, broken, abandoned, and bloodied. I have to reiterate that we’ve lost every one of the matches we’ve come together as a team and do you know what happens after we lose? We get drinks and we move the fuck on. We learn from our mistakes and we do what we can to make sure it doesn’t happen again. We keep coming back for more, testing our limits until we exceed them. We make each other better. Opponents, siblings, and people in relationships. The feeling isn’t exclusive to just the two of you and you aren’t the only ones that are allowed to experience a renaissance of who you really are. I applaud you for where you’ve gotten, especially seeing where you’ve been. When the four of us meet in the ring? We’ll find out which bond has grown strongest.”
Trent leans forward. “So I gotta ask Ken...are you actually happy? And I ask this not to be a dick for once because I want you to really think about it. Because no matter what happens tonight everything’s gonna change in a few weeks. You see, that’s when you’re gonna have your real test. Your real test of can I keep this going without Carnage. Let’s be honest here whenever anyone thinks of Carnage Wrestling it’s not you they think of. It’s her. And when this is all over, we’re all gonna sit around. Cry a little. Get really pissed off. And then...what’s next. Where do you go from here? I hope it’s together Ken after all the ‘effort’ you’ve made into being a better person. Let’s be honest though...You know I’m right. You need to figure out what you’re doing and soon. One more run for the world title? Who cares. One more battle? Who cares? What are you going to do about this? That’s what you should focus on, dog boy. Because everybody knows I’m going to be alright. Zeph’s gonna be fine. Kyra’s gonna be fine. The question is are you going to be fine? Fine just starting over again. You? You got a lot to lose for once Kenny. That’s gotta suck. And as far as Miss Kyra goes, don’t worry...I won’t break his damn nose too much. I’ll make him at least Phantom of the Opera mask worthy Ahahahhahah…”
Zephyr snickers. “We’ve been through the wringer, all four of us. Yet here we are, all standing and ready to put on a show. Whether it is in the name of past misdoings, vengeance, or whatever else people might imply this match means, Trent and I enter into that ring as two people who will refuse to quit and will give you a send off like no other. We’ll see you two real soon.”
Zephyr winks as Silvio shuts off the camera and the trio are left in the abandoned parking lot; truly ready for whatever the future may throw at them.