(Camera Man Greg): Why did you want to come to HQ?
(Erica): You’re starting to sound like them, don’t piss me off Greg. I work here don’t I? I have a right to be here don’t I? This is the training center, so I’ve come to train just like I did before. Just follow me, okay?
(Camera Man Greg): Alright, we’re live and rolling in 3….2…1….
Erica makes her way from the garage elevator directly to the training floor. The place is buzzing with the clanking of weights, grunts, the sound of bodies hitting the mat in the distance, the motorized hum of the treadmills, bikes and elliptical machines. Needless to say everything is in full swing inside and a lot of eyes are on her as she comes in. Trainees throughout the place stare, whisper and divert their eyes when they see her. She’s making her way over towards the locker room to change and put her bag away when she sees a group of recruits glued to the large screen in a viewing area. There on the screen is Alexis Rose, carrying on with her misguided bullshit. She stands behind the recruits who don’t even realize she is there as she watches with them. She catches them off guard as she chimes in on what Alexis says.
(Erica): Dios mio, how can you guys even listen to that?
She mocks Alexis’ voice with a whiney vernacular.
(Erica): “You were on Team Sensei”…. “You were pulling on my arm”…. “you were smiling and smirking as Sean Parker flirted with Michelle”…. “you’re a hypocrite”…. “you’re insecure”….. “you’re bitter and desperate.”
Erica steps up to a young recruit, getting right in the girls face.
(Erica): Do I look insecure to you?
She looks over at a young man, couldn’t be more than 18 and skinny stick at that.
(Erica): How about you Slim Jim,…do I look desperate?
They’re intimidated by her, none saying a word, diverting their eyes from her fierce gaze.
(Erica): Alexis…puta, por favor! Yeah, I was on Team Sensei, until I figured out that he was blowing smoke up our asses. Those training sessions with him were like training at Trump University, you thought you were learning something but you really weren’t getting shit out of it in the end. He’s a con man, and they have the nerve to throw him on a pedestal as if he’s had some great career, and want to give him a “well deserved” send off. I mean, they guys never even been in the ring with Maestro I don’t think. How could he have really been if he never even got in the ring with one of the best? They put all this time and effort into brining Shinsuke Nakamura to HWA, which is no small amount of paperwork I imagine…but couldn’t even write me a decent sponsorship letter for my Visa. Do you think that’s fair?
Erica looks at one of the girls standing there.
(Erica): Hey…I’m talking to you. I said do you think that’s fair?
Erica shoves her in the shoulder, pushing her back towards the wall.
(Erica): Do you?
The girl diminutively says “No” as she shakes her head. Erica nods and smiles.
(Erica): See, everybody here agrees with me Alexis. Praise him all you want, but you just walked in the door, you don’t even know the man like I do, so you’re talking out of your culo! And me smiling at Sean and Michelle…
Erica smiles shaking her head…
(Erica): If you knew what I was really smiling about, you wouldn’t think I was all happy for them and their budding romance. Trust me when I say, there’s a lot more to it than you think but for now, that’s between me and Maestro…one of those juicy secrets I just had to tell him. Hey you…
Erica looks over at the skinny kid and puts her arm around him, he looks like a deer in the headlights.
(Erica): Tell me the truth because I don’t like liars. Who do you think is going to win at Havoc…me or Alexis?
(Young Trainee): Ummm… probably you!
Erica turns looking at him with an offended look on her face.
(Erica): Pinche cabrón, “probably?” What do you mean “probably?”
Erica shoves him in the face and he trips over his own feet falling on the floor, but gets up quickly and embarrassed.
(Erica): I’m not “probably” going to do anything at Havoc Alexis. I am going to beat you. I am going to show you that you are not the baddest on the block like you thought you were. You think you’re going to be the line leader? We don’t take turns around here, Maestro has picked me as line leader and you, and Michelle, and Sarah, and these little recruit bitches here all walk behind me. I’m not stirring up chaos, puta we are chaos. That’s lesson #1 from Maestro! I’ve fought for everything I have, and you’re damn right I’m bitter about. You American’s are all alike…because you were born here and spoon fed the milk and honey of the land you don’t know what its like for the rest of us. Someone had to milk that cow for your fuking milk. Someone had to harvest those bees for your honey.
Its people like mi mama, mi padre, mi hermanos who worked themselves to or near death for barely a livable wage while people like you benefited off our labor. Where do you think you’re coffee beans come from for you stupid Lattes and Frappuccino’s? The hard work of others. I’m no stranger to hard work, but desperate…damn right I am. I’m desperate to see my father’s dream come true of a better life for our family. I’m desperate to stand out in this business where the blondies like you smile, wink, and shake your ass in front of perverted promotors and they give you pushes you haven’t earned because you’re eye candy. You don’t believe me…ask Sarah. If she tells you anything different, she’s a fuking liar!
Erica can feel her temperature rising which is what she hadn’t intended and she takes a quick breath to cool down.
(Erica): You see what you did there Aleixs? You’re pushing my buttons, and if I were you I’d stop while I was ahead. You don’t want to push my buttons at Havoc because rather than just beating you, and throwing you aside like a tamale husk, I’ll have to humiliate you on national television. You wouldn’t want that would you? So “you” keeping running “your” mouth and see what happens.
Erica reaches into her jacket pocket and pulls out a cigarette, lights it and takes a drag.
(Young Female Recruit): You can’t smoke in here Erica, there’s no smoking…you know that!
(Erica): What? No smoking? Is that one of Sensei’s rules? Oh right, no smoking, no drinking, no drugs on premises. House Rules right? I remember.
Erica drapes her arm over the girls shoulder, blowing out a cloud of smoke that makes her cough and gag.
(Erica): I’m going to tell you something Maestro taught me. I’m giving this to you as a freebie pendeja so you better appreciate it. “Rules are for Suckers!” Lets go with the “No drinking on premises”…how much do you want to bet me Butch doesn’t have a bottle of Scotch in his office upstairs?
She looks at the girl waiting for an answer who thought it was a rhetorical question.
(Erica): I said how much? How much you got, chica?
(Young Female Recruit): I….I don’t have any money?
Erica looks at her disappointingly, then mocks her in a childish voice…
(Erica): “I don’t have any money!”
The girl looks a bit scared, but Erica smiles and pats her on the back reassuringly.
(Erica): Hey, it’s okay. You can pay me later. You owe me $100, puta! You better be good for it.
She gives the girls a shove and she and some of the others go rushing off.
(Erica): You know there’s someone else I need to say something to. Hans…I’m disappointed in you man. After Havoc, I thought a lot about what you first said. You seemed to understand, said you’ve been there and I actually appreciated the fact that you recognized my right to make my own choice and maybe in your eyes my own mistakes. You seemed content on knowing what this business holds and sitting back to watch what unfolds with me. But then you turn around and start telling me that maybe it’s not the system that’s the problem it’s me, and that you’re all better off without me? That hurt man, that really hurt. If you really understood, if you’ve really been where I am then you should have left things there with what you first said. I was actually glad you said you understood, and I know you might not agree, but you really should have left it there and kept my respect. But you had to do a 360 and kick me to curb.
Erica takes another drag from her cigarette.
(Erica): What changed your tune Hans, was it the wife? After things settled down at home were you in bed and Vanessa’s laying there reminiscing about her calling me a “turncoat” at Havoc? Did you say what you said to keep the peace with her at home? I get it, but let me ask you something Hans. Is she worth it? Is she worth sacrificing your true values for just to be agreeable?
Erica’s tone changes as she looks into the camera. She bites her bottom lip seductively before continuing.
(Erica): I’ve heard about those feisty red-heads, but she’s no Latina. You want some real fire, you come and talk to me Papi! I won’t hold those last words against you. I like you Hans, you should stay out of this, I hope you do. And I wouldn’t go provoking mi Maestro either, it’s not going to end well, and I’d hate to see you get hurt. But if you do, know that I can make you feel a whole lot better than she can.
Erica winks, then puts her cigarette out on a nearby trashcan.
(Erica): Sorry Alexis, I got sidetracked. There’s an obvious connection of sorts between us foreign superstars. You wouldn’t understand 90210! But I know something you will understand after Havoc…you’re going to understand that the spot you thought you had, is occupied, and I’m not giving it up. After our match, go and tell Miss Broken Hearted Sarah, and Little Miss Pray for Everybody Michelle, what they’re going to get themselves into because I’ll be coming for them next.
Some of the facility officials come over to her and she rolls her eyes.
(HWA Trainer): Erica, you’re going to have to leave. You can’t be here like this.
(Erica): Like what? I didn’t do anything?
(HWA Trainer): You’re harassing people, and you’re smoking in here. You gotta go, get yourself together and come back when you’re ready to follow the rules.
Erica smiles, shaking her head.
(Erica): You see Greg, this is what I’m talking about. Alexis chokes Michelle, right the fuk over there…
She points at the area, they were previously in. Then points towards the rings on the opposite side behind them.
(Erica): Sean, tosses Jeremy around on his head over there, and I didn’t see any officials running over kicking them out. Nobody told them to get out, and get their shit together before they come back in. This is exactly what I’m talking about Alexis…people like you walk around and do whatever you want and the rules don’t apply to you, but you want them apply to me, to the rest of us like Maestro.
Erica points her finger in the trainers face.
(Erica): I’m going, but I’ll be informing Maestro about this. About how I was mistreated here where I’ve trained for the last year and a half but suddenly I’m not welcomed. I’m an HWA superstar, I have a right to be here who the hell are you to kick me out? I should go and put my bag down and go workout anyway. What are you gonna do about it? Let Sensei come and kick me out himself if he wants me to leave. Or even better Hans. I wouldn’t mind him getting those hands on me. You’re nobody, you’re just their lackey. Whatever…I’ve got shit to do. I’m outta here.
Erica looks pissed as she turns and starts making her way towards the elevator to go back to her car in the garage. She see’s the young girl from earlier on the treadmill now and rushes over shoving her off. She falls off and slams hard up against the adjacent machine. Erica looks down at her.
(Erica): Snitch! Don’t forget my $300 pendeja!
She gets in the elevator and Greg ends the live feed, putting the camera down.
(Camera Man Greg): You told her $100 before!
(Erica): That was before she went and ran to go snitch on me.
The reach the car, get in and head out of HWA HQ as the scene fades to black.
Message Thread
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