Post by JaceParkerDavidson on Feb 3, 2023 20:31:30 GMT -5
It was a typical day in Vegas. The Strip was active, and the casinos were packed. The people were buzzing over the fact that Saturday night they’d witness Uprising’s Revolution 4 event. We shifted to the inside of The StrongHouse Gym. It was a place that both Jace and Samantha loved to train at while they were in Vegas. The owners of the gym were fans and had no problem closing out the place for an hour or two so that the stars could train in peace. Samantha Tolson was dressed in her workout gear and was inside the ring wearing her protective face mask due to the fracture along the bridge of her nose.
Jace’s manager Shelley Greene or as he personally likes to be known as Abdullah Choi stood in the ring while wearing a striped referee’s shirt. Samantha’s training partner happened to be her fellow Denver Dimes teammate Samantha Skylar. She was dressed in her own ring gear and the two women were going at it hold for hold inside of the ring. Tolson grabbed a hold of Skylar then took her up and over with a suplex. Tolson kipped up to her feet and then raced towards the ropes. She leaped to the middle rope and then sprung off for a moonsault but Skylar rolled inwards. Tolson managed to adjust in mid-air and landed on her feet. Skylar got to her feet and charged with a clothesline, but Tolson ducked it. Tolson grabbed Skylar and then rolled her up into a pinning situation as Choi dropped down for the count.
ONE
TWO
NO! Skylar managed to kick out before the three.
Both women rolled to their feet but on the outside of the ring, Jace slammed his hands down on the apron of the ring and began to shout.
“I’ve seen enough!” Jace slid into the ring under the bottom rope and then got up to his feet. “Just what are you doing, Sam?!”
Both women looked at each other confused over just which Sam he was referring to at the moment. Jace shook his head and pointed at Tolson.
“You had that won but you let her kick out.” He said in an exasperated tone.
Samantha looked at Jace, clearly puzzled by the tone of his admonishment. "I didn't exactly let…" Out came the FINGER QUOTES OF DOOM~! "...her kick out. It just happened. It's not exactly an uncommon occurrence y'know."
“You rolled her up.” Samantha nodded her head as Skylar stood there watching this unfold. “But that’s ALL you did. You didn’t grab a handful of her ring gear or put your feet on the ropes. You could have done either of those things and gotten the win right there. Got the win and got the hell out of the ring quickly and easily.”
Samantha just stood there, burning a hole through Jace's forehead with the look in her eyes. "Are you even serious right now? Really Jace? You know goddamn good and well I'm not taking a fucking shortcut to beat anyone, much less someone I share a locker room and football field with every Sunday!!"
Jace folded his arms over his chest and tilted his head.
“You’re not facing her; this is a training session. Your opponent is Serenity at Revolution, and you need to make sure that you can walk into that match and do what is necessary to beat her. I know you well enough to know that you don’t work as hard as you do to just end up with a loss in a match no matter what the stakes are.” Jace points over towards Skylar.
“She’s not going to take offense to you doing whatever you have to do to prepare for your actual opponent. She’s been in the ring before and knows how to handle herself. You need to get your mind right and stop the nice girl routine.”
Samantha turns away, pacing toward the ropes before turning back. Her face is red, her anger painted on it like the old proverbial crimson mask. "You do understand what you're asking me to do, right?"
Samantha pauses, but only for a millisecond before letting it all out.
"No, Jace, I am not going to fucking cheat to beat Serene. I am not going to grab a handful of tights; I am not putting my feet on the ropes. You're asking me to do that against a girl I've known since she was in elementary school, a young woman who calls me family by fucking CHOICE, not because we're actual blood."
She steps closer, looking Jace squarely in her eyes as she growls out her final counterpoint. "I didn't need to cheat to beat Andre Holmes, and I don't need to cheat to beat Serene Holmes. I've never needed to cheat to beat AN-Y-BO-DY."
Jace narrowed his eyes towards her but wasn’t about to back down no matter how heated she was by his suggestion.
“Tell me… what title belt do you have around your waist right now?” He asked but didn’t allow her to answer. “When is it going to be your turn to get a fair shot at the Uprising World Championship belt? Since clearly, you’re waiting in line instead of you know doing something about it. Silver State Championship? Nope, that Pumpkin bitch got a shot for that title while you did what exactly at Frozen Fury? There are always the Unity Championship belts but you need a partner for that.”
Jace looked around a bit like he was thinking.
“Let me see if I can find anyone on the roster that’ll go into their matches and do things ‘by the book’ even though a little extra effort could get your hand raised into the air and a Championship belt around your waist.”
Jace begins to tap his foot in an annoyed manner on the canvas.
“You think it matters that this 19-year-old prodigy considers you to be family? What does that have to do with your match? What does being called family have to do with putting yourself into a position to contend for a Championship belt? Do you think that this person who prided themselves on trying to be a World Champion before they were even at a legal age to drink alcohol is going to take your feelings into consideration in the heat of the moment? She wants gold around her waist, everyone on this roster wants gold around their waist. If walking into a battle expecting your opponent to play fair, then you’re already five steps behind before the bell even rings.”
"Do you really think I'm walking into this match that blind, Jace? Really? I know what Serene is capable of doing." Samantha bristled visibly for a moment, then continued. "Do you think that for the entirety of my career, I haven't been at war with people who are willing to give that extra effort you talk about, which is nothing more than sugarcoating the fact they're willing to cheat? I've faced down and beaten every single member of the One Percent at some point, and that's just in Uprising. I'm not fucking dumb, nor am I stupid."
Samantha paused for a moment, trying to contain her anger.
"Could I have won even more than I have if I'd had more disregard for the rules? Yes, I could have. Maybe double, in terms of sheer number. But playing by the rules, doing things the right way even when I've faced a slew and a half of opponents who don't, has gotten me where I am. I am one of the best fucking professional wrestlers on God's Green Earth, and I've proven it time and time again…and I've never had to cheat to do it."
“You totally skipped over me asking you what Championship belt you hold.” He said, more than willing to make her anger boil over. “You’re one of the fucking best professional wrestlers on God’s Green Earth? What do you have to back up that claim? Where is the fucking accomplishment you currently have to show that you’ve still got it?”
He paced around Tolson until he was standing beside Skylar.
“You play by the rules, and it got you where you are today, and you beat every single member of The One Percent.” The mocking in his tone was evident. “Where is the gold medal you got for beating each other of them by playing fair? Did you get a Hall of Fame nod for that? A main event spot at least? Cause last I checked. Chris Mosh is the person with the title around his waist. What about in 5BW? Madison helped screw you and Mary Ellen out of the tag titles and what have you done since then? What title match have you been in from that moment? There are how many belts in that company and which one of them is yours at the moment?”
He placed his hands on his hips and waited for a response but only briefly before he continued.
“No one cares if you do it fair and square, Samantha. There is no added bonus to it. No extra pay, extra opportunities, and it sure as fuck doesn’t make the world a better place. People win by any means necessary. You’ve been screwed over in matches how many times for how long now? When are you going to get over this foolish pride of yours and start fighting fire with fire? You’re at war inside of the ring, and you’re going to battle armed with a pool noodle. Yeah, you’re a good wrestler and yeah, you’re technically sound in a lot of aspects. But guess what? So are other people. In Uprising just being a good wrestler isn’t enough sometimes. Do you think a shark is going to care that he unfairly can swim faster than you if he smells blood in the water? No, of course not. You’re smarter than this.”
He exhaled a bit and tried to compose himself.
“I didn’t NEED to cheat to beat Molly Hatchet. But you bet your tight ass that if it came to that then I wouldn’t have hesitated. So, what if cried that I needed to cheat to beat her? I still got my hand raised into the air. I still got the victory and a win over a former World Champion. And I’m the one that moves closer to the top. And she gets what exactly? A pat on the back from Griffin Hawkins and more hollow, unwarranted praise? I’m not going to give out pats on the back, Sam. You can feel how you feel about it but it’s only cheating if you get caught.”
Samantha got right in Jace's face, not backing down a single bit.
"I know you sleep well at night, and that's fine. What works for you, works. But at the end of the night, when everyone is changing and leaving arenas, I have to look at myself in the mirror. Call me down for it all you want. I won't necessarily stand here and say you're wrong."
She gathered herself before flying off the handle.
"It would be really goddamn easy for me to walk that side of the line, and you know it. Hell, we've talked about it more than once. Do you think I enjoy getting screwed over? Passed over by people with a fraction of the talent, and not nearly that much drive as I have? No, I don't. And no, Jace, at the moment I don't have a title, but it's the first time in a long fucking time. But as much as what we do alone aids it, there's one thing you don't understand that helps me sleep at night, and that's the fact that I can look in the mirror and not hate myself for what I've done. If, or when, that changes, trust me, you'll find out firsthand because you'll likely be there when it does."
Samantha nearly growled out the rest.
"Until then, and as much as it vexes you my lovely, I HAVE to do this the right way. Not for you, not for a promoter…hell, not even for the fans. I have to do this for ME. I've never done this for a pat on the back because there aren't a ton of people lining up to do it. Griffin Hawkins doesn't pat my head like he does his friends. Molly, after this week, can take a long walk off a short pier. I'm not like either of them. I not only live with you, Jace, but I have to be able to live with myself. I have my own inner demons, clawing and scratching to climb out and wreak chaos on this entire profession. Every day, I fight them back, and every day it gets more and more difficult to do. You come by that side of the line easily. It's not that simple for some of us, so quit fucking pretending it is."
He looked her up and down silently. The tension in the air was thick but instead of arguing with her more he just nodded his head and turned towards Choi.
“Get them in separate corners and let’s do this over again.”
Jace ordered and Choi followed the instructions. Tolson moved to the far corner and prepared herself as Jace walked alongside Skylar and whispered into her eat.
“This time, fight dirty against her. Get under her skin and go to take off that protective mask. Back her into the proverbial corner and see how she responds.” Jace pats Samantha Skylar on the shoulder.
He exited the ring and took his place as Choi called for both women to go at it once again. It is clear that Tolson’s anger was fueling her to go at Skylar a little bit harder but still by the book. Samantha hit a suplex followed by a snap DDT. Tolson got to her feet and pulled Skylar off of the canvas, but Skylar fired over shots to the midsection. The other Samantha pounded away at Tolson’s ribs and abdomen until she lost her grip. Skylar moved to Tolson’s back and hit her with a belly-to-back suplex of her own. Tolson landed hard but was back up to her feet quickly. Skylar blatantly yanked at Tolson’s hair and snapped her back down to the canvas. Skylar mounted Tolson and began to pry the protective mask off of her face.
Tolson managed to kick Skylar off of her, but her mission was accomplished. Skylar had taken the mask off of Tolson as they both scrambled back up to their feet. Skylar rushed forward and cracked Tolson with a stiffer-than-needed forearm shot right to her jaw. Tolson stagger backward and would have hit the arena floor without the ropes to keep her upright. Tolson reached out and touched her nose to make sure no further damage was done. Samantha Skylar flipped her middle finger towards Tolson then twisted her own body and smacked her ass. The universal signal for Tolson to kiss it.
“Oh dear.” Choi mumbled as he waited to see what would happen.
Tolson glared at Skylar before charging to hit Skylar with a spear that cuts her in half. Tolson mounts herself on top of her LFL teammate and begins raining down vicious shots to the face of the blonde. Skylar tries to fight back and push Tolson off of her, but Tolson quickly transitions into a Kata Hajime submission. Tolson squeezes hard on the chokehold cutting off Skylar’s oxygen. Skylar begins to tap out on the canvas repeatedly but Tolson refuses to let go. She cranks hard on Skylar’s neck and begins to ragdoll her on the canvas. Choi tries to pull Samantha off of Skylar as Jace slides into the ring also.
“That’s enough!” Jace shouted as he tried to pull Tolson off with the help of Choi.
However, even the two men combined couldn’t pry Tolson off Skylar until Tolson was ready to let go of her. Skylar had passed completely out as Tolson shoots back up to her feet. Choi checks on Skylar as Jace stands up and stares at Tolson.
"So, you're mad now? Is that what it took? Still, want to play by the rules?!” Jace yelled towards her, but Tolson used both hands to shove Jace backward and onto his ass.
Tolson turns around and exits the ring without a second thought. Jace pulls himself up to his feet and yells out to her as she continues to walk away.
“Fine, be pissed off at me. It’s not going to bother me a fucking bit. Also, just because you’re in a pissy mood doesn’t mean that sex is off of the table. I’ll just fuck you from behind so that you don’t have to look at me while I do it!”
Tolson didn’t respond or even acknowledge him. There was a devious smile on Jace’s face as he watched her leave the gym. Clearly, he got the reaction that he wanted before kneeling down to check on Samantha Skylar.
Jace’s manager Shelley Greene or as he personally likes to be known as Abdullah Choi stood in the ring while wearing a striped referee’s shirt. Samantha’s training partner happened to be her fellow Denver Dimes teammate Samantha Skylar. She was dressed in her own ring gear and the two women were going at it hold for hold inside of the ring. Tolson grabbed a hold of Skylar then took her up and over with a suplex. Tolson kipped up to her feet and then raced towards the ropes. She leaped to the middle rope and then sprung off for a moonsault but Skylar rolled inwards. Tolson managed to adjust in mid-air and landed on her feet. Skylar got to her feet and charged with a clothesline, but Tolson ducked it. Tolson grabbed Skylar and then rolled her up into a pinning situation as Choi dropped down for the count.
ONE
TWO
NO! Skylar managed to kick out before the three.
Both women rolled to their feet but on the outside of the ring, Jace slammed his hands down on the apron of the ring and began to shout.
“I’ve seen enough!” Jace slid into the ring under the bottom rope and then got up to his feet. “Just what are you doing, Sam?!”
Both women looked at each other confused over just which Sam he was referring to at the moment. Jace shook his head and pointed at Tolson.
“You had that won but you let her kick out.” He said in an exasperated tone.
Samantha looked at Jace, clearly puzzled by the tone of his admonishment. "I didn't exactly let…" Out came the FINGER QUOTES OF DOOM~! "...her kick out. It just happened. It's not exactly an uncommon occurrence y'know."
“You rolled her up.” Samantha nodded her head as Skylar stood there watching this unfold. “But that’s ALL you did. You didn’t grab a handful of her ring gear or put your feet on the ropes. You could have done either of those things and gotten the win right there. Got the win and got the hell out of the ring quickly and easily.”
Samantha just stood there, burning a hole through Jace's forehead with the look in her eyes. "Are you even serious right now? Really Jace? You know goddamn good and well I'm not taking a fucking shortcut to beat anyone, much less someone I share a locker room and football field with every Sunday!!"
Jace folded his arms over his chest and tilted his head.
“You’re not facing her; this is a training session. Your opponent is Serenity at Revolution, and you need to make sure that you can walk into that match and do what is necessary to beat her. I know you well enough to know that you don’t work as hard as you do to just end up with a loss in a match no matter what the stakes are.” Jace points over towards Skylar.
“She’s not going to take offense to you doing whatever you have to do to prepare for your actual opponent. She’s been in the ring before and knows how to handle herself. You need to get your mind right and stop the nice girl routine.”
Samantha turns away, pacing toward the ropes before turning back. Her face is red, her anger painted on it like the old proverbial crimson mask. "You do understand what you're asking me to do, right?"
Samantha pauses, but only for a millisecond before letting it all out.
"No, Jace, I am not going to fucking cheat to beat Serene. I am not going to grab a handful of tights; I am not putting my feet on the ropes. You're asking me to do that against a girl I've known since she was in elementary school, a young woman who calls me family by fucking CHOICE, not because we're actual blood."
She steps closer, looking Jace squarely in her eyes as she growls out her final counterpoint. "I didn't need to cheat to beat Andre Holmes, and I don't need to cheat to beat Serene Holmes. I've never needed to cheat to beat AN-Y-BO-DY."
Jace narrowed his eyes towards her but wasn’t about to back down no matter how heated she was by his suggestion.
“Tell me… what title belt do you have around your waist right now?” He asked but didn’t allow her to answer. “When is it going to be your turn to get a fair shot at the Uprising World Championship belt? Since clearly, you’re waiting in line instead of you know doing something about it. Silver State Championship? Nope, that Pumpkin bitch got a shot for that title while you did what exactly at Frozen Fury? There are always the Unity Championship belts but you need a partner for that.”
Jace looked around a bit like he was thinking.
“Let me see if I can find anyone on the roster that’ll go into their matches and do things ‘by the book’ even though a little extra effort could get your hand raised into the air and a Championship belt around your waist.”
Jace begins to tap his foot in an annoyed manner on the canvas.
“You think it matters that this 19-year-old prodigy considers you to be family? What does that have to do with your match? What does being called family have to do with putting yourself into a position to contend for a Championship belt? Do you think that this person who prided themselves on trying to be a World Champion before they were even at a legal age to drink alcohol is going to take your feelings into consideration in the heat of the moment? She wants gold around her waist, everyone on this roster wants gold around their waist. If walking into a battle expecting your opponent to play fair, then you’re already five steps behind before the bell even rings.”
"Do you really think I'm walking into this match that blind, Jace? Really? I know what Serene is capable of doing." Samantha bristled visibly for a moment, then continued. "Do you think that for the entirety of my career, I haven't been at war with people who are willing to give that extra effort you talk about, which is nothing more than sugarcoating the fact they're willing to cheat? I've faced down and beaten every single member of the One Percent at some point, and that's just in Uprising. I'm not fucking dumb, nor am I stupid."
Samantha paused for a moment, trying to contain her anger.
"Could I have won even more than I have if I'd had more disregard for the rules? Yes, I could have. Maybe double, in terms of sheer number. But playing by the rules, doing things the right way even when I've faced a slew and a half of opponents who don't, has gotten me where I am. I am one of the best fucking professional wrestlers on God's Green Earth, and I've proven it time and time again…and I've never had to cheat to do it."
“You totally skipped over me asking you what Championship belt you hold.” He said, more than willing to make her anger boil over. “You’re one of the fucking best professional wrestlers on God’s Green Earth? What do you have to back up that claim? Where is the fucking accomplishment you currently have to show that you’ve still got it?”
He paced around Tolson until he was standing beside Skylar.
“You play by the rules, and it got you where you are today, and you beat every single member of The One Percent.” The mocking in his tone was evident. “Where is the gold medal you got for beating each other of them by playing fair? Did you get a Hall of Fame nod for that? A main event spot at least? Cause last I checked. Chris Mosh is the person with the title around his waist. What about in 5BW? Madison helped screw you and Mary Ellen out of the tag titles and what have you done since then? What title match have you been in from that moment? There are how many belts in that company and which one of them is yours at the moment?”
He placed his hands on his hips and waited for a response but only briefly before he continued.
“No one cares if you do it fair and square, Samantha. There is no added bonus to it. No extra pay, extra opportunities, and it sure as fuck doesn’t make the world a better place. People win by any means necessary. You’ve been screwed over in matches how many times for how long now? When are you going to get over this foolish pride of yours and start fighting fire with fire? You’re at war inside of the ring, and you’re going to battle armed with a pool noodle. Yeah, you’re a good wrestler and yeah, you’re technically sound in a lot of aspects. But guess what? So are other people. In Uprising just being a good wrestler isn’t enough sometimes. Do you think a shark is going to care that he unfairly can swim faster than you if he smells blood in the water? No, of course not. You’re smarter than this.”
He exhaled a bit and tried to compose himself.
“I didn’t NEED to cheat to beat Molly Hatchet. But you bet your tight ass that if it came to that then I wouldn’t have hesitated. So, what if cried that I needed to cheat to beat her? I still got my hand raised into the air. I still got the victory and a win over a former World Champion. And I’m the one that moves closer to the top. And she gets what exactly? A pat on the back from Griffin Hawkins and more hollow, unwarranted praise? I’m not going to give out pats on the back, Sam. You can feel how you feel about it but it’s only cheating if you get caught.”
Samantha got right in Jace's face, not backing down a single bit.
"I know you sleep well at night, and that's fine. What works for you, works. But at the end of the night, when everyone is changing and leaving arenas, I have to look at myself in the mirror. Call me down for it all you want. I won't necessarily stand here and say you're wrong."
She gathered herself before flying off the handle.
"It would be really goddamn easy for me to walk that side of the line, and you know it. Hell, we've talked about it more than once. Do you think I enjoy getting screwed over? Passed over by people with a fraction of the talent, and not nearly that much drive as I have? No, I don't. And no, Jace, at the moment I don't have a title, but it's the first time in a long fucking time. But as much as what we do alone aids it, there's one thing you don't understand that helps me sleep at night, and that's the fact that I can look in the mirror and not hate myself for what I've done. If, or when, that changes, trust me, you'll find out firsthand because you'll likely be there when it does."
Samantha nearly growled out the rest.
"Until then, and as much as it vexes you my lovely, I HAVE to do this the right way. Not for you, not for a promoter…hell, not even for the fans. I have to do this for ME. I've never done this for a pat on the back because there aren't a ton of people lining up to do it. Griffin Hawkins doesn't pat my head like he does his friends. Molly, after this week, can take a long walk off a short pier. I'm not like either of them. I not only live with you, Jace, but I have to be able to live with myself. I have my own inner demons, clawing and scratching to climb out and wreak chaos on this entire profession. Every day, I fight them back, and every day it gets more and more difficult to do. You come by that side of the line easily. It's not that simple for some of us, so quit fucking pretending it is."
He looked her up and down silently. The tension in the air was thick but instead of arguing with her more he just nodded his head and turned towards Choi.
“Get them in separate corners and let’s do this over again.”
Jace ordered and Choi followed the instructions. Tolson moved to the far corner and prepared herself as Jace walked alongside Skylar and whispered into her eat.
“This time, fight dirty against her. Get under her skin and go to take off that protective mask. Back her into the proverbial corner and see how she responds.” Jace pats Samantha Skylar on the shoulder.
He exited the ring and took his place as Choi called for both women to go at it once again. It is clear that Tolson’s anger was fueling her to go at Skylar a little bit harder but still by the book. Samantha hit a suplex followed by a snap DDT. Tolson got to her feet and pulled Skylar off of the canvas, but Skylar fired over shots to the midsection. The other Samantha pounded away at Tolson’s ribs and abdomen until she lost her grip. Skylar moved to Tolson’s back and hit her with a belly-to-back suplex of her own. Tolson landed hard but was back up to her feet quickly. Skylar blatantly yanked at Tolson’s hair and snapped her back down to the canvas. Skylar mounted Tolson and began to pry the protective mask off of her face.
Tolson managed to kick Skylar off of her, but her mission was accomplished. Skylar had taken the mask off of Tolson as they both scrambled back up to their feet. Skylar rushed forward and cracked Tolson with a stiffer-than-needed forearm shot right to her jaw. Tolson stagger backward and would have hit the arena floor without the ropes to keep her upright. Tolson reached out and touched her nose to make sure no further damage was done. Samantha Skylar flipped her middle finger towards Tolson then twisted her own body and smacked her ass. The universal signal for Tolson to kiss it.
“Oh dear.” Choi mumbled as he waited to see what would happen.
Tolson glared at Skylar before charging to hit Skylar with a spear that cuts her in half. Tolson mounts herself on top of her LFL teammate and begins raining down vicious shots to the face of the blonde. Skylar tries to fight back and push Tolson off of her, but Tolson quickly transitions into a Kata Hajime submission. Tolson squeezes hard on the chokehold cutting off Skylar’s oxygen. Skylar begins to tap out on the canvas repeatedly but Tolson refuses to let go. She cranks hard on Skylar’s neck and begins to ragdoll her on the canvas. Choi tries to pull Samantha off of Skylar as Jace slides into the ring also.
“That’s enough!” Jace shouted as he tried to pull Tolson off with the help of Choi.
However, even the two men combined couldn’t pry Tolson off Skylar until Tolson was ready to let go of her. Skylar had passed completely out as Tolson shoots back up to her feet. Choi checks on Skylar as Jace stands up and stares at Tolson.
"So, you're mad now? Is that what it took? Still, want to play by the rules?!” Jace yelled towards her, but Tolson used both hands to shove Jace backward and onto his ass.
Tolson turns around and exits the ring without a second thought. Jace pulls himself up to his feet and yells out to her as she continues to walk away.
“Fine, be pissed off at me. It’s not going to bother me a fucking bit. Also, just because you’re in a pissy mood doesn’t mean that sex is off of the table. I’ll just fuck you from behind so that you don’t have to look at me while I do it!”
Tolson didn’t respond or even acknowledge him. There was a devious smile on Jace’s face as he watched her leave the gym. Clearly, he got the reaction that he wanted before kneeling down to check on Samantha Skylar.