(Dragon): Rainbaby I know your unsure if that talking to Butch will really fix anything. I also know that you think that I want you to follow a certain path and that is wrong.
I want you to follow your path, not mine, not the Blackthorne girls, not even the Parker paths. I want you to follow your own and understand that no matter your path your family will always be here for you.
Luna looks up at her dad as a tear falls dow her cheek. William wipes the tear away and hugs her very tightly as they both walk towards Butch Parker's office. As they are walking she looks over at Wisdom, Alexis, and Sarah and the new recruits.
Luna Rain: What if I am not good enough like Alexis, Sarah, Michelle, or even Wisdom? Maybe I will be a joke. Maybe I can't even beat people like Erica, or the Blackthorne girls?
Have you thought about that dad? Has it run through your mind that maybe I would just bring shame to your legacy. Maybe me hanging with the Blackthorne girls was a way to see if I was good enough to be the Daughter of Anarchy!
William stops Luna before they get to Butch’s office. He looks into her eyes and sees the loss and confusion. He also sees the fear filling her eyes. William just grins and stares deep into her eyes to show her that she could never disappoint him.
(Dragon): Oh, Luna Rain Draconis, you are already good enough to be the Daughter of Anarchy, Luna the Conqueror. Hell, you have time to figure out who you are. My Legacy is mine, not yours or Jesse's.
What you both decide to do will create your own story. All I have done is give you the chance to write it. So you could decide that you don't want to follow Jesse and Kratos.
You could go and create your own Legacy. Your own story. Stop worrying about the SOA. You are my daughter nothing more and nothing less. Go find out who you are. The only way you can do that is by having this meeting. Getting your chance to rise from your ashes and make your stamp on the roster or whatever you want. So you and I will talk to Butch about the suspension and your chances in the future.
As they walk down the hall, William spots what appears to be Maniac, decked out in a black pinstripe suit, his hair slicked back. It looked like Maniac but something told it wasn’t. The man looked back at both William and Luna Rain as if he’d never clapped eyes on them before either and both parties walked past each other without a word. They get to Butch's office and William knocks hard onto the door. On the inside of the room, Butch can’t help but curse to himself.
(Butch): Jesus f*cking Christ…this day is never-ending…
Back outside the office door, William and Luna hear Butch’s muffled voice.
(Butch): Come in!
They walk into Butch’s office and he’s sitting behind his desk. He looks tired, bags under his eyes as he sees Draconis and Luna Rain walk in.
(Butch): Luna, William. Glad to see you’re feeling better. What can I do for you?
(Dragon): Thank you man. Yes, I'm alive and kicking; no thanks to Fallen. I will deal with him real soon when I drag him to the "Dragons Den" and end his reign of terror once and for all.
Luna looks at her father and then to Butch. She clears her throat loud enough that they both heard her.
Luna Rain: Mr. Parker, we are here to finally meet about what I did at Art of War. I want to earn my way off of suspension and to have a chance to follow my brother and Kratos onto the main roster….I understand that what I did with the Blackthorne girls was unsafe and wrong, especially since I was not an active wrestler like they are.
William sits down behind Luna Rain. She sits down in front of Butch who has stopped typing. Butch remains silent for a long moment. He looks tired. The beard decorating his face has more gray in it.
(Butch): Are you really sorry, Luna? Or are you just telling me what I want to hear? Because a little birdy tells me you don’t feel you’ve been getting a fair crack of the whip in the Academy? You think you’ve been hard done by? That my suspending you was harsh? Is that right?
Rain sits back in her chair and looks back at her dad. But then turns back around and looks at Butch. As she thinks of what she should say when. Her dad pops off with a commit.
(Dragon): So are you going to suspend yourself for going to a WWE and attacking Cody or is it just my kids you want to hold down? Because as I see it you're not a WWE superstar but hey, I could be wrong.
Luna Rain: Why would I tell you what you want to hear when I can tell you what everyone wants to hear, or do you want the truth?
Because the truth is I do feel like your suspending was a little too harsh. I've been suspended since Art of War just because I wanted to help someone? And do you think you would sit by and let someone you know get tied down by his beard and get beat up on?
Or would you try to help like I did? Would you try to run if you were tied down and just waiting to get beat on? I mean come on Butch, be a little civil and try to understand where I'm coming from…
Luna sits back preparing herself for what Butch had to say. William smiles as he is proud of her strength. Butch’s expression is unmoved, unimpressed. He looks to William first.
(Butch): William, why are you here exactly? Last time I checked, Luna Rain is a grown woman. This isn’t high school where you bring your daughter along to speak to the Principal. This is the real goddamn world, William where people are held accountable for their actions and I expected a man like you to understand that. I also expected a man like you, a father no less to understand the lengths a man will go to in order to defend his family. My actions the other night have absolutely no bearing or weight on this.
He turns to Luna Rain.
(Butch): Neither of you get it, do you? Luna, when I invited you, Kratos and Jesse to Art of War, it was as invited guests. You were not there as performers, as roster members, you were there as invited guests and family members of your father. You were there as if you were a fan who’d won a ticket. Would you expect a fan to run out there and help a superstar they were infatuated with? No!
Luna Rain goes to speak but Butch cuts her off with his hand.
(Butch): I’m not done, Rain. I don’t care if Fallen was caught in the ropes; that match was a street fight; anything goes. But that pertains to the competitors, anything goes between Fallen and Sean. There was no gray or ambiguous area that gave you the right to insert yourself into a PPV match. You were given the opportunity to watch from backstage with the rest of the guests or sit in the VIP box with the tickets you were given by Wisdom and I as a reward for how far you, your brother and cousin have come in your short time at the Academy.
William gives Butch a death stare at Butch. As he looks over at Luna Rain to see if he needs to protect her, he sees the fire but before he lets her go off again he taps Luna Rain on the shoulder and she stops from saying something. William shakes his head and begins to say something to Butch and Luna Rain.
(Dragon): She just likes how your kid is so important no matter if she is a kid or adult. See, you will go defend your child for what Cody did. But you're surprised that I won't do the same for my adult daughter even if you are the boss. You are still a man that I will fight to help my kid.
Luna Rain: Okay Butch, I'll stop worrying about Fallen, but I think you should still take me off suspension, we all know I can do and be more than just someone who runs into the ring to save people. And you know that I'm a good wrestler and that I can do better but you've got to give me the chance instead of just judging me because I saved someone who I thought I needed to save and it's not like I helped him win?!
But I also believe that I have also learned from my mistake I understand that should have not entered that match I should have just watched and let the Blackthorne girls do it and worked towards a chance like my brother and Kratos to get on the roster then I could make my own path rather than acting out like I did.
She stands in the middle of her dad and Butch as she sees the anger that they both are building towards. She looks at her father and sees how protective he can be and also sees that her choices are the main reason she is in this situation. Butch looks tired and frustrated.
(Butch): You both are completely missing the point and Luna, it is most definitely not for you to tell me what I should or shouldn’t do! And until you earn my trust back, it’s Mr Parker. I’m not asking you to follow Fallen or hang around him, although if you ask me personally I would advise against it. I want you to understand what you did was wrong. I want you to follow your brother’s and cousin’s examples. You all march to the beats of your own drums but the difference with you is that you feel you’re above reproach. Jesse and Kratos understand the bigger picture. This isn’t a game, Luna and your dad here should be the one telling you this, not me. I know how good a wrestler you are, I’ve seen you train.
Butch stops for a moment, looking down, sighing deeply before looking back up.
(Butch): Luna Rain, the HWA Academy has been in operation for eight years now. And in that time, do you know how many Academy students’ contracts I’ve had to suspend?
Butch holds his hand up in an O shape.
(Butch): Zero. You’re the first, because I’ve never had reason to do it. What CM Punk did the other week was not on and whilst you impressed in the ring, it doesn’t change anything. I’ve never once doubted your abilities in the ring or what you’re capable of. But how you behave and act outside of the ring will always cast an equal, if not greater, light on things.
This Academy isn’t just some wrestling school or developmental area; this isn’t NXT, Luna. Not everyone that signs an Academy contract goes on to succeed in HWA. Some don’t even have ambitions to be a pro wrestler, they come because they want to have a sense of purpose, to get fit, to get life experience. Now you, your brother and your cousin have been very fortunate to have a head start because of your dad. Now your old man is someone I have a great deal of admiration and respect for and it’s because of him that you’re not fired completely. I don’t want to fire you, hell I didn’t want to suspend you! But you left me no choice. You’re extremely talented. You, Kratos and Jesse, it’s clear your father has taught you well and all of you have shown great promise. But I can’t just let anyone loose on the main roster to do as they please. If you let the genie out of the bottle too soon and bad things happen. Look at Erica Martinez for example.
Butch stands up from his seated position behind his desk and walks around, sitting on top of it, next to Luna Rain.
(Butch): Now I’m not looking for some store-bought apology from you, Luna. I need to see it. You think you’re better than every female on our main roster? You need to prove it. It’s all good beating a fellow Academy student but if you want to impress me, impress Sensei Matthew, you have to prove yourself in the ring against a main roster member but you have to show me outside the ring exactly why I should put my faith in you. Do you think you can do that?
Luna Rain: I know that I will have to prove to you Mr. Parker better choices and that your faith in me is not wasted. That I have learned that my actions have consequences and that my last name is not a get-out-of-jail-free card…
…Mr. Parker I have been hearing what you have said and I know that I have shown and proven to you that I will be a better person than I have been lately and I'm ready to reclaim your and my father's trusts, Mr. Parker! I want to face the world and continue to show that I can be a sponge and learn and prove that I'm not the same as I was and that I will be a better wrestler and a human being.
William watches as his daughter stands there and starts to see that she has the drive to prove to the world, that what she did was wrong but that she is ready to fight to be part of the future.
Luna Rain: So, Mr. Parker, I am ready to fight and prove that I'm a better person and that I will be a better person outside of the ring. I'm just ready to heal and rebuild trust again. So, Mr. Parker, I want to prove that I have learned from my past and am ready to prove that I will be a better person.
Butch remains silent for a moment, stoic, expressionless. He looks at Luna Rain and glances over at Draconis. He breathes in deeply through his nose before biting his lip thoughtfully.
(Butch): Okay… I will rescind your suspension, Luna, effective immediately. It’s too late to give you a match at Havoc but we’ll see about the pay-per-view we have coming up. Last chance saloon though, are we clear?
Luna Rain: Yes Mr. Parker and thank you for giving me another chance.
Luna turns around and looks at her father with a smile on her face. William smiles and hugs Luna Rain. Butch can’t help but smile in spite of himself.
(Butch): You’re free to return to your training schedule, Luna. I’m sure Sensei Matthew will be glad to have you back in his sessions. Now, if you’ll both excuse me, I have a few important legal matters to attend to.
Luna Rain: Yes right. I'm on my way sir. Thank you both.
Luna opens Butch's office door and sprints down towards the Academy locker room as William walks from Butch's office as well. When the door shuts, Butch leans his elbows on his desk, his head down, sighing heavily. He goes to the drawer beside his desk and pulls out a bottle of Glenmorangie Single Malt Whiskey along with a glass. He pours himself a generous-sized drink and glugs back the golden nectar in one gulp before leaning his head back again as the scene fades to black.
Message Thread
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