It’s early morning, the sun already flooding the room through the skylights, having not yet crept around far enough to flood through the full sized windows set into the far wall looking out onto the athletics track.
In one of the training rings is Alexis Rose, going through the motions of a warm up, stretching out her calf muscles at present.
Her attention is drawn to a man walking towards the ring, calling her to call out.
(Alexis): Morning Hans.
The man walks into focus, confirming his identity as Hans von Richtoven, attired in training gear himself, ready for the session they’d had planned.
(Hans): Guten morgen.
He nods to her, sliding his duffel bag down at ringside, reaching in and taking out an elbow pad which he slides over his left hand with the right as he walks round to a set of steel steps at one corner of the ring and walks up to the mat.
(Alexis): Didn’t think you’d want to do this with you facing Maniac instead of that bitch.
Hans flashes her a small knowing smile as he finishes sorting his elbow pad.
(Hans): We agreed to this Alexis, lots to learn jah, for you unt me both.
(Alexis): Either way, it’s a good chance to test my shoulder out. It’s been a few weeks since I last trained and it’s been niggling since Art of War.
She stretches her arms out over the ropes at one of the sides of the ring, leaning back, stretching out her back whilst testing the flexibility of her shoulder. She rotates it in small circles, gradually making them bigger. She grimaces ever-so-slightly for the briefest of seconds before shaking it off.
Hans gestures towards her with one hand, as he lifts up the top rope on his side of the ring to allow himself to move through the gap between it and the middle rope easier.
(Hans): Michelle had mentioned that. Have you been getting physio?
Alexis screws her face up in a way that suggests she hasn’t.
(Alexis): There’s not much more a physio can do other than what I’ve already been doing. I have a feeling I’ll probably need surgery eventually but now’s not the time. Too much happening; especially this match at Havoc.
A low sigh and a nod of acceptance comes from Hans, not entirely agreeing with her assessment of her health, but knowing full well where she’s coming from.
(Hans): Jah, been there, done that…
His tongue punches into the wall of his cheek momentarily, as he looks across at her. Another gesture with his hand follows as he points at her.
(Hans): What shoulder is it? I don’t want to aggravate it anymore than I have to with what we’re doing.
Alexis gestures with a sideways nod of her head towards her left shoulder.
(Alexis): This one. If we avoid submissions, it should be ok.
(Hans): Jah, we can miss them out for now. I don’t think you’ll get the chance to lock one in anytime soon given how many of you are in there…
By way of explanation, he quickly adds.
(Hans): You, Michelle, Sarah, Blackthornes unt die kleine teufelin…
He raises his eyebrows slightly at her, cocking his head to one side.
(Hans): Do you have a plan?
(Alexis): I do.
She releases the ropes and takes a few strides to stand in the center of the ring.
(Alexis): Aim for one of them, whoever’s closest, take them right out. Go for the throat as it were.
(Hans): Think you can do that, jah?
(Alexis): I know those three, they’ll be looking to wind up the crowd as much as they’ll want to wind us up. One of them won’t be paying attention, I guarantee it.
Nodding his head at that assessment, Hans begins to mirror her pose, the two of them unconsciously sizing one another up in preparation for the sparring.
(Hans): Jah, I can see that happening. But if not?
(Alexis): Then I figure we work on that now?
She smiles, as she gets into a position ready to lock in, Hans obliging her as the scene fades out briefly.
Fading back in, it’s later in the morning, the two of them having finished their initial sparring session.
Alexis is sat on top of one of the turnbuckles, looking down at Hans who is mirroring her own positioning from earlier, arms out over the top rope and leaning back slightly.
Both of them are at this point having an animated conversation.
(Hans): It’s not that I’m keeping things from her… well, I am. I’m not going rogue is possibly a better way of saying it. Don’t ask, don’t tell, jah?
Like she tries to avoid anything HWA related for now. She still loves the business… she breathes the business… just not this part…
(Alexis): Yeah, this bit sucks. Like, I get having your life under a microscope and being judged by people who only know you from magazines and what they see on TV is one thing, but having this happen is just too much.
She exhales, before making an ‘hmm’ noise from the back of her throat as she recalls something.
(Alexis): She ever thought about going elsewhere? You think of commentators and her name is up there. Y’know…
Hans smiles at this, understanding what she’s getting at.
(Hans): Jah, Khan’s reached out. She’d be a capture, for sure. She’s happy doing her podcast and writing for her site and as a guest for others.
A rise of the shoulders is matched with his hands stretching out palms wide.
(Hans): But who knows, jah?
(Alexis): She still keep tabs on Jason?
(Hans): Ach, those two are inseparable.
A chuckle follows, as Hans looks up at Alexis.
(Hans): I think I need to just let him move into one of the spare rooms, he’s around that often.
(Alexis): Least he’s a houseguest that’s invited round and you don’t mind him being there.
(Hans): Scheiße, there is that…
(Alexis): Not been any more issues with that since that crazy b*tch got in?
(Hans): Nein, but…
(Alexis): Maniac’s hinting…
A nod of the head towards her in acknowledgement.
(Hans): Jah, but he’s the boy that cried wolf, comes a point where it’s like reading the warning label on something and they’re trying to cover themselves off against everything unt anything…
Alexis hops down off the turnbuckle at this, turning to face Hans as she does so.
(Alexis): Well, this’ll take your mind off it for now, how about we go again?
They bump fists, moving to take up ready positions as again, the scene fades out, coming back in this time on moments after Havoc has concluded this time.
Hans, Michelle, having just gone up the ramp and passed by Cody and Brandi Rhodes from where they’re now standing at gorilla are watching the signing of the contract between them and the Parkers.
Both of them are throwing side glances at one another, gesticulating back down towards the ring and the events going on. Muffled as it is by the curtains and barriers, the crowd going berserk is still clearly audible.
That continuous wall of sound makes it impossible to hear what’s being said between them both, though given what had happened in the ring, it’s clear Michelle is still trying to apologize for not heading out sooner, Hans meanwhile trying to insist that she’s nothing to apologize for.
Still inaudible, they end with Hans embracing Michelle before placing both of his arms on her shoulders and saying a few final words to her as into view comes Alexis, still in her ring attire, followed by an EMT.
The camera moves in closer, as Alexis and Michelle embrace, the former congratulating the latter on her win in the earlier battle royale.
The EMT is by now fussing over the back of Hans’ head, where he’d been sucker punched by Maniac… again…
Michelle moves off camera, letting Alexis in, their voices becoming more audible the closer the camera moves in along with the roaring of the crowd subsiding somewhat.
(Alexis): Hell of a fight there, shame that b*tch can’t keep away. If it’s any consolation, you looked like you did a number on her leg.
She makes a twisting motion with her hands, mimicking the ‘Walls of Berlin’ that Hans had locked in on Erica not even 5 minutes before.
Adrenaline still coursing through him, riled up by the underhanded nature of the loss, the pain at the back of the head from the brass knuckles or whatever it was that Maniac had hit him with, as well as the singed eyebrows from the fireball, Hans is nodding back at Alexis.
A feral look, eyes narrowing as he responds through gritted teeth as the EMT checks over, a visible bump at the back of Hans’ head already forming.
(Hans): Scheiße, jah, felt good. A taste of things to come.
He places his hands on his hips, breathing out heavily, trying to calm his heart rate down.
(Hans): You did what you said you’d do too.
They smile at one another.
(Alexis): Yup, took that little b*tch right out. I caught only a glimpse of the shocked look she had before she went over the ropes…
She gestures up at one of the monitors.
(Alexis): Been watching it back on one of those though.
Alexis glances round, gesturing towards Michelle, talking now with one of the other backstage staff.
(Alexis): Girl did good though, knew she had it in her.
(Hans): Jah, she always has.
(Alexis): She brought up that you’d been training with her the last few months, kept it quiet from Sensei, even if I think he knows…
Not sensing any need to continue any pretense, Hans glances at Michelle then back at Alexis, nodding.
(Hans): We have, she wanted to stand up to drecksau like Fallen.
He tilts his head towards the monitor.
(Hans): Or sau’s like Erica.
(Alexis): Well it helped, helped a lot. So on that, if you’re wanting a sparring partner for next week…?
(Hans): Same again, jah?
(Alexis): Yeah, you scratch my back, I scratch yours. Anything to help get Erica back for what she’s done.
The two share that moment, Hans then extending out his hand, which Alexis takes.
(Hans): Next week then.
(Alexis): Next week.
She moves off camera, going to join Michelle.
By this time the EMT has finished, giving Hans some advice, Hans leaning in so that the EMT’s words aren’t heard on camera.
Behind, the Parkers have exited the ring and are coming through the backstage now, the hustle and bustle this causes brings the noise back up, as Hans makes a step towards his friend Butch as the scene fades out to black.
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