New York, NY
Off-Camera
Ending the year 2020 on a high note was something Lyza needed to enter 2021 with the right mindset. In a time of uncertainty, she managed to further improve her collaborative skills in the ring with Devin. From their first encounter in the fall of 2019, the two have grown and strengthened their working relationship. From nearly destroying one another, to Devin going along with Lyza’s promotional antics, she was proud of herself for keeping an open mind.
While meditating on her living room floor, legs crossed in a lotus pose, images were flashing in her mind. With her eyes closed, she tuned out the world around her focusing on a body of clear blue water. The sounds of children running in the hallway, elevator sounds or neighbors’ music did not provide any distraction or impairment to the realm she had entered.
Inhale, exhale.
“Libérate,” a voice says to Lyza, deep in concentration. She places her hands on the floor beside her hips. Using her upper body and core strength, she presses her palms into the floor and raises her bottom half to the air. While continuing her breathing exercises, she then raises one hand from the floor moving it towards her.
Buzz!
Her phone vibrates on the glass coffee table inches away. She scoffs, annoyed with herself for breaking away from her session. She slowly lowers herself to the hardwood floor before reaching for her phone. The screen displays a new text message from Devin which reads, “be there soon.”
“Soon” could mean he was blocks away or entering the building. She didn’t want to take her chances, so she scurries back to her bedroom to change out of her workout clothes and into loungewear. “Oh, crud...the candles,” she says, exiting her room to put lids over the flames. She straightens up the accent pillows on her sofa and rearranges her coffee table right before hearing a knock outside the door.
“Hang on!” Lyza makes her way to the entrance. She looks through the peephole in confirmation of the person standing on the other side. The person looks enough like Devin for her to open the door anyway.
“Next time send a warning when you’re leaving JFK or no later than reaching 23rd Street,” Lyza says, stepping aside to let Devin in. She looks outside the apartment, before closing the door.
Though retaining his usual solemn demeanor, Devin seems to be more rested than normal. The bags under his eyes have faded, and there’s a tone to his face that indicates that he has been keeping hydrated. Perhaps the return to active competition has brought him back into healthier habits, or Lyza’s exuberant and persistent messaging has led him to follow orders. Either way, he no longer looked the part of a ghoul, trudging through life. Now he looked like a man who was closer to just dealing with life, instead of loathing it.
In contrast to Lyza’s bright existence, the man couldn’t help but let out a fatigued sigh. Devin had an immediate response to her statement but decided not to say anything. Even if she was joking, she was right. He couldn’t be a specter with her, just appearing at random. Additionally, he knew that it would be bad for her health at some point. “Sorry,” he offers while unbuttoning his coat.
Something in the air caught his nose, and he sniffed.
“Don’t worry about it. I prefer being prepared for guests, just a ‘Lyza thing,’ really. Make yourself comfortable,” she says, pointing at the sofa and accent chairs in her living room.
She just put them out. The faint smell of accented smoke. I also swore I heard some furniture moving.
“Was I interrupting something?” he questions, “I can always head back down and get something to eat.”
“Your timing may have been for the better now that I think about it. Maybe an out-of-body experience isn’t appropriate prior to the need to be somewhere - physically and mentally. It wouldn’t be fair if you were at work, and I’m at the Himalayas?” Meditation was a dicey area for her, as she didn’t always experience the usual positive outcomes that many do when they want to alleviate stress, high blood pressure, or sleep disorders.
“Can I get you anything to drink, throw some things on a charcuterie board?” she asks.
“No, thank you,” Devin responds, remembering the copious amounts of food he scarfed down before arriving. He flicks one of those disposable toothbrushes into the trash, hoping not to be seen doing so. He walks towards the window on the far side of the room, checking the surrounding area out of habit. With Klein still tracking them, he wasn’t sure when or how they would show up again.
He rubs his ribs, a faint register of the fight that both he and Lyza had to go through. Lyza was property to Stolzen, he understood, and he looked back at her with a glimmer of sympathy on her face. He couldn’t imagine it being in her position, not even a little bit. “Actually,” he begins, “I wouldn’t mind some coffee. Some caffeine might do me some justice right now.”
Before he makes his way over, Devin looks out of the window once more. His eyes widened as he saw someone on the other roof. They didn’t have a weapon, but they were glancing over at Devin.
Were they an enemy?
Were they a special agent?
…
Then they waved awkwardly. Devin lets out a sigh--it was just a worker.
Paranoia did its part in trying to kill his peace. Devin moves back to Lyza.
“They’re fine people. The neighbor from the unit near the elevator likes to get everyone on this floor involved in chipping in for the holidays as a ‘thank you’ for their hard work,” Lyza says reassuringly. She makes her way to the kitchen to prepare two cups of coffee using a French press and hot water stored in a kettle.
Since returning to the ring, the two have continued to meet up for training purposes, maintaining a routine and some normalcy until it was time to deal with the inevitable. She learned to cope with it as best she could, knowing it would not be permanent. At some point, she would be considered disposable or of no use to Stolzen. In the meantime, she went along with the cat and mouse game except she was no longer alone.
“This can’t be forever. I mean, living in a bunker and setting traps for soulless weapons in my ‘golden’ years doesn’t sound ideal. Along with humanity going to crap, I’m borderline pro-apocalypse at this point.”
After steeping the coffee grounds with the water, she pours the coffee into mugs, sliding one of them in Devin’s direction.
“How can we resolve this without ending up on a No-Fly list?” she ponders this, adding sugar and cream to her coffee.
Devin blinks, staring at the cup with a blank expression. The humor didn’t exactly tickle him, but he was thinking of ways to handle what needed to be done.
“Confronting them is no-go,” he starts, tucking his hand under his chin. “But they’ll be after us. What we need to do is wait them out, but not in the same way that you’ve expressed.
Stolzen as an organization had numbers, but due to the secrecy of their business they couldn’t just burst into rooms and shoot people down. They would draw the media. It would draw eyes. And it would draw people who know how to get in and out of places without a trace. Documents, secrets, and brilliant revelations would cause them to fall to pieces. They’re a powerful organization, sure,” he taps his chin. “But they’re scared of the light. Like the cockroaches that they are.”
She sighs in relief, disregarding the bunker idea. “Hm, yes ugly little buggers. The whole world is counting on them and their competitors to come up with the ‘cure’ or treatment that is needed to enjoy concerts and a warm embrace from grandma. Right now, we’re probably on the backburner. I’ve always been told to follow the money, and even though we’re priceless, we’re looking like chump change to them at this moment. Imagine that?”
In an odd way, she found comfort in the realization. It looks like they have bought some time.
On-Camera
Wooden City Tacoma Restaurant
Tacoma, Washington
Doom and Groove have traveled cross country to Tacoma, Washington for this week’s Breakdown. The duo is currently seated at a restaurant in an outdoor enclosure made up of a plastic, transparent semi-sphere. The arrangement, though unusual, shielded them from the light rain that is to be expected in the Pacific Northwest.
The server clears their table, and before leaving them alone, he places the checkbook between the two, unassumingly of who would cover it.
“Process of elimination,” Devin began.”It’s what I thought of when I saw this match come to fruition. We both overcame Jay Gold and Kelsai Adamson. We’re starting to make headway into the tag team scene here in SCW. And for you two, it can be a stepping stone. Vengeance defeats the team that won the World’s Best and that will definitely look nice on a resume.”
“Yet, to defeat us is a tall order, especially when you’re fighting yourselves.”
A hint of anger draws into the Last King’s features as he looks down at the ground. “Legacy seems to be the recurring theme in this company. It’s starting to give me a headache when I hear someone remotely mention it.”
“The Pina Coladas were built from the ground-up by legends here. I stick to the belief that reason is why people rooted for them. They’re talented, yes, but what did that and their legacy do to stop Lyza and I from winning? Nothing. If anything, those two things gave them something soft to fall on when we knocked them off their high horses.”
Devin places cash on the little tray provided. The server comes over, sees the amount, and goes to question. However, a cold glare tells him to be appreciative, take the money, and the leftover for his tip. A fledgling of a smile dawns on the server’s face before he leaves. Devin proceeds onward.
“So this time, it’s a lot higher. The Pina Coladas are young. They have a lot to learn, and the sky’s the limit for them. For you two, I have particular aggression towards you two.”
A malevolent glint sparks in the eyes of the Canadian.
“How long does it take for someone to drown in the shadows of their parents?”
A fanged smirk creeps on Devin’s face, if only for a second, but he smothers it back down behind his cool visage.
“I despise the concept of legacy. I know it’s unfair to you two since I hardly know you two. However, hearing Kimberly speak for too long will drive anyone just as insane as she is. But for people like me, seeing the farces of your careers makes me sick. You two have name value just for coming out of your mother’s filth. Whereas Lyza and myself have had to grind our way to the top of the mountain.”
“So, for me, it has festered this animosity towards people like you two. I cannot say the same for Lyza--I assume she’s much kinder than I am about the matter,” Devin gives Lyza a glance. “For me, I’ve taken explicit pleasure in mangling the next generation of families that plague this business. You two are no different, and really, it’s a little more personal for me.”
“There’s someone I can hurt by hurting the two of you.”
“And there’s someone that I can make smile by beating you two soon. However, I’ll have her speak her mind on that.”
Devin shifts the attention to Lyza. She raises an eyebrow in curiosity about the person that could be hurt. She decides to save the thought for the ride home.
“Entering in the God of Wrestling Tournament, I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy event. The Archangel herself came in with a determination to do what she does best and move forward. She completed all the necessary steps, moving towards execution, and I was never to be seen.”
She lowers her head, facing the table before looking at the camera again.
“Until The World’s Best Tag Team Tournament,” she continues with a smirk. “More than likely, I would’ve made my second trip to SCW, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to join the tournament, and it just so happened that Devin was looking to enter the ring again. Isn’t it nice how these things work out? I’m no quitter, either. Let’s just say I like to take a breather to regroup and come back with more tricks up my sleeve - not the cheap ones, though. This isn't an amateur hour.”
She shakes her head “no” before proceeding.
“I also cannot disregard Jessica and her perseverance. I heard about The Archangel and her feat over Ms. Aubrianna Powers at HKW: Global. I know what it’s like to be cheated, and dealing with dirty opponents. There’s nothing more gratifying than to outsmart your opponent, stand your ground when they’re trying to take you out. The third time was really the charm.”
Those words were said genuinely, in acknowledgment of The Archangel’s tenacity.
“Now when it comes to your sister, I can see the day and night dynamic here. Kimberly comes off as the black sheep of the two. She’s as beautiful as her sisters and the women in her family, yet aspires to be the living nightmare. Hanging out in boiler rooms like it’s your she-shed, saying things that send a chill down someone’s spine because it’s not expected from a redhead with porcelain skin. I see you and I am inspired to write a song about Merida and her affinity for her bow and arrow. And instead, it’s probably in my best interest to chug a few Four Lokos and keep an open flame if I’m going to be around you,” her eyes widened, imaging the sight of Freddy Krueger.
“Adding to Devin’s point, there is a burden with legacies. Able-bodied citizens take advantage of welfare systems because of legacy housing programs, and who is to blame there? We could debate that all day, but what about the surrounding neighbors who work hard to make a living on their own and support their families? For someone that wishes to serve justice (looking at you, Jessica,) one could say ‘it’s not fair!’”
She pouts for emphasis.
“But no, these are the cards that were dealt and you are both making the best of it. I must admit, when I see some of these wrestling families thriving, it only reminds me of how much of a dork I am for not becoming an engineer or doctor. Then it’s like, I can have family game night and bond with my brother when our schedules are clear. I can call my mother right now and vent about things, and it would never cross my mind to hurt her so that she is forced into retirement as SOME people will do. That couldn’t be me!”
Devin shoots her a look.
“Coming in between families can get messy, but let it be known we’re not here to ruin the dynamic. In fact, in a time of so much division, this is when strong bonds are most essential to fight the good fight. Remain united, because when it’s time to heal, you’ll need one another.”
Clearing his throat, Devin gets up to put his coat back on.
“And if you can’t depend on one another, you can always call your mother. Jessica, you can call your father--tell him I said hello.”
Wrapping his scarf around his neck, Devin starts for the door. Lyza follows suit, looking one last time at the camera to say, "Doom and Groove, baby," taking her belongings with her.
Off-Camera
Ending the year 2020 on a high note was something Lyza needed to enter 2021 with the right mindset. In a time of uncertainty, she managed to further improve her collaborative skills in the ring with Devin. From their first encounter in the fall of 2019, the two have grown and strengthened their working relationship. From nearly destroying one another, to Devin going along with Lyza’s promotional antics, she was proud of herself for keeping an open mind.
While meditating on her living room floor, legs crossed in a lotus pose, images were flashing in her mind. With her eyes closed, she tuned out the world around her focusing on a body of clear blue water. The sounds of children running in the hallway, elevator sounds or neighbors’ music did not provide any distraction or impairment to the realm she had entered.
Inhale, exhale.
“Libérate,” a voice says to Lyza, deep in concentration. She places her hands on the floor beside her hips. Using her upper body and core strength, she presses her palms into the floor and raises her bottom half to the air. While continuing her breathing exercises, she then raises one hand from the floor moving it towards her.
Buzz!
Her phone vibrates on the glass coffee table inches away. She scoffs, annoyed with herself for breaking away from her session. She slowly lowers herself to the hardwood floor before reaching for her phone. The screen displays a new text message from Devin which reads, “be there soon.”
“Soon” could mean he was blocks away or entering the building. She didn’t want to take her chances, so she scurries back to her bedroom to change out of her workout clothes and into loungewear. “Oh, crud...the candles,” she says, exiting her room to put lids over the flames. She straightens up the accent pillows on her sofa and rearranges her coffee table right before hearing a knock outside the door.
“Hang on!” Lyza makes her way to the entrance. She looks through the peephole in confirmation of the person standing on the other side. The person looks enough like Devin for her to open the door anyway.
“Next time send a warning when you’re leaving JFK or no later than reaching 23rd Street,” Lyza says, stepping aside to let Devin in. She looks outside the apartment, before closing the door.
Though retaining his usual solemn demeanor, Devin seems to be more rested than normal. The bags under his eyes have faded, and there’s a tone to his face that indicates that he has been keeping hydrated. Perhaps the return to active competition has brought him back into healthier habits, or Lyza’s exuberant and persistent messaging has led him to follow orders. Either way, he no longer looked the part of a ghoul, trudging through life. Now he looked like a man who was closer to just dealing with life, instead of loathing it.
In contrast to Lyza’s bright existence, the man couldn’t help but let out a fatigued sigh. Devin had an immediate response to her statement but decided not to say anything. Even if she was joking, she was right. He couldn’t be a specter with her, just appearing at random. Additionally, he knew that it would be bad for her health at some point. “Sorry,” he offers while unbuttoning his coat.
Something in the air caught his nose, and he sniffed.
“Don’t worry about it. I prefer being prepared for guests, just a ‘Lyza thing,’ really. Make yourself comfortable,” she says, pointing at the sofa and accent chairs in her living room.
She just put them out. The faint smell of accented smoke. I also swore I heard some furniture moving.
“Was I interrupting something?” he questions, “I can always head back down and get something to eat.”
“Your timing may have been for the better now that I think about it. Maybe an out-of-body experience isn’t appropriate prior to the need to be somewhere - physically and mentally. It wouldn’t be fair if you were at work, and I’m at the Himalayas?” Meditation was a dicey area for her, as she didn’t always experience the usual positive outcomes that many do when they want to alleviate stress, high blood pressure, or sleep disorders.
“Can I get you anything to drink, throw some things on a charcuterie board?” she asks.
“No, thank you,” Devin responds, remembering the copious amounts of food he scarfed down before arriving. He flicks one of those disposable toothbrushes into the trash, hoping not to be seen doing so. He walks towards the window on the far side of the room, checking the surrounding area out of habit. With Klein still tracking them, he wasn’t sure when or how they would show up again.
He rubs his ribs, a faint register of the fight that both he and Lyza had to go through. Lyza was property to Stolzen, he understood, and he looked back at her with a glimmer of sympathy on her face. He couldn’t imagine it being in her position, not even a little bit. “Actually,” he begins, “I wouldn’t mind some coffee. Some caffeine might do me some justice right now.”
Before he makes his way over, Devin looks out of the window once more. His eyes widened as he saw someone on the other roof. They didn’t have a weapon, but they were glancing over at Devin.
Were they an enemy?
Were they a special agent?
…
Then they waved awkwardly. Devin lets out a sigh--it was just a worker.
Paranoia did its part in trying to kill his peace. Devin moves back to Lyza.
“They’re fine people. The neighbor from the unit near the elevator likes to get everyone on this floor involved in chipping in for the holidays as a ‘thank you’ for their hard work,” Lyza says reassuringly. She makes her way to the kitchen to prepare two cups of coffee using a French press and hot water stored in a kettle.
Since returning to the ring, the two have continued to meet up for training purposes, maintaining a routine and some normalcy until it was time to deal with the inevitable. She learned to cope with it as best she could, knowing it would not be permanent. At some point, she would be considered disposable or of no use to Stolzen. In the meantime, she went along with the cat and mouse game except she was no longer alone.
“This can’t be forever. I mean, living in a bunker and setting traps for soulless weapons in my ‘golden’ years doesn’t sound ideal. Along with humanity going to crap, I’m borderline pro-apocalypse at this point.”
After steeping the coffee grounds with the water, she pours the coffee into mugs, sliding one of them in Devin’s direction.
“How can we resolve this without ending up on a No-Fly list?” she ponders this, adding sugar and cream to her coffee.
Devin blinks, staring at the cup with a blank expression. The humor didn’t exactly tickle him, but he was thinking of ways to handle what needed to be done.
“Confronting them is no-go,” he starts, tucking his hand under his chin. “But they’ll be after us. What we need to do is wait them out, but not in the same way that you’ve expressed.
Stolzen as an organization had numbers, but due to the secrecy of their business they couldn’t just burst into rooms and shoot people down. They would draw the media. It would draw eyes. And it would draw people who know how to get in and out of places without a trace. Documents, secrets, and brilliant revelations would cause them to fall to pieces. They’re a powerful organization, sure,” he taps his chin. “But they’re scared of the light. Like the cockroaches that they are.”
She sighs in relief, disregarding the bunker idea. “Hm, yes ugly little buggers. The whole world is counting on them and their competitors to come up with the ‘cure’ or treatment that is needed to enjoy concerts and a warm embrace from grandma. Right now, we’re probably on the backburner. I’ve always been told to follow the money, and even though we’re priceless, we’re looking like chump change to them at this moment. Imagine that?”
In an odd way, she found comfort in the realization. It looks like they have bought some time.
On-Camera
Wooden City Tacoma Restaurant
Tacoma, Washington
Doom and Groove have traveled cross country to Tacoma, Washington for this week’s Breakdown. The duo is currently seated at a restaurant in an outdoor enclosure made up of a plastic, transparent semi-sphere. The arrangement, though unusual, shielded them from the light rain that is to be expected in the Pacific Northwest.
The server clears their table, and before leaving them alone, he places the checkbook between the two, unassumingly of who would cover it.
“Process of elimination,” Devin began.”It’s what I thought of when I saw this match come to fruition. We both overcame Jay Gold and Kelsai Adamson. We’re starting to make headway into the tag team scene here in SCW. And for you two, it can be a stepping stone. Vengeance defeats the team that won the World’s Best and that will definitely look nice on a resume.”
“Yet, to defeat us is a tall order, especially when you’re fighting yourselves.”
A hint of anger draws into the Last King’s features as he looks down at the ground. “Legacy seems to be the recurring theme in this company. It’s starting to give me a headache when I hear someone remotely mention it.”
“The Pina Coladas were built from the ground-up by legends here. I stick to the belief that reason is why people rooted for them. They’re talented, yes, but what did that and their legacy do to stop Lyza and I from winning? Nothing. If anything, those two things gave them something soft to fall on when we knocked them off their high horses.”
Devin places cash on the little tray provided. The server comes over, sees the amount, and goes to question. However, a cold glare tells him to be appreciative, take the money, and the leftover for his tip. A fledgling of a smile dawns on the server’s face before he leaves. Devin proceeds onward.
“So this time, it’s a lot higher. The Pina Coladas are young. They have a lot to learn, and the sky’s the limit for them. For you two, I have particular aggression towards you two.”
A malevolent glint sparks in the eyes of the Canadian.
“How long does it take for someone to drown in the shadows of their parents?”
A fanged smirk creeps on Devin’s face, if only for a second, but he smothers it back down behind his cool visage.
“I despise the concept of legacy. I know it’s unfair to you two since I hardly know you two. However, hearing Kimberly speak for too long will drive anyone just as insane as she is. But for people like me, seeing the farces of your careers makes me sick. You two have name value just for coming out of your mother’s filth. Whereas Lyza and myself have had to grind our way to the top of the mountain.”
“So, for me, it has festered this animosity towards people like you two. I cannot say the same for Lyza--I assume she’s much kinder than I am about the matter,” Devin gives Lyza a glance. “For me, I’ve taken explicit pleasure in mangling the next generation of families that plague this business. You two are no different, and really, it’s a little more personal for me.”
“There’s someone I can hurt by hurting the two of you.”
“And there’s someone that I can make smile by beating you two soon. However, I’ll have her speak her mind on that.”
Devin shifts the attention to Lyza. She raises an eyebrow in curiosity about the person that could be hurt. She decides to save the thought for the ride home.
“Entering in the God of Wrestling Tournament, I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy event. The Archangel herself came in with a determination to do what she does best and move forward. She completed all the necessary steps, moving towards execution, and I was never to be seen.”
She lowers her head, facing the table before looking at the camera again.
“Until The World’s Best Tag Team Tournament,” she continues with a smirk. “More than likely, I would’ve made my second trip to SCW, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to join the tournament, and it just so happened that Devin was looking to enter the ring again. Isn’t it nice how these things work out? I’m no quitter, either. Let’s just say I like to take a breather to regroup and come back with more tricks up my sleeve - not the cheap ones, though. This isn't an amateur hour.”
She shakes her head “no” before proceeding.
“I also cannot disregard Jessica and her perseverance. I heard about The Archangel and her feat over Ms. Aubrianna Powers at HKW: Global. I know what it’s like to be cheated, and dealing with dirty opponents. There’s nothing more gratifying than to outsmart your opponent, stand your ground when they’re trying to take you out. The third time was really the charm.”
Those words were said genuinely, in acknowledgment of The Archangel’s tenacity.
“Now when it comes to your sister, I can see the day and night dynamic here. Kimberly comes off as the black sheep of the two. She’s as beautiful as her sisters and the women in her family, yet aspires to be the living nightmare. Hanging out in boiler rooms like it’s your she-shed, saying things that send a chill down someone’s spine because it’s not expected from a redhead with porcelain skin. I see you and I am inspired to write a song about Merida and her affinity for her bow and arrow. And instead, it’s probably in my best interest to chug a few Four Lokos and keep an open flame if I’m going to be around you,” her eyes widened, imaging the sight of Freddy Krueger.
“Adding to Devin’s point, there is a burden with legacies. Able-bodied citizens take advantage of welfare systems because of legacy housing programs, and who is to blame there? We could debate that all day, but what about the surrounding neighbors who work hard to make a living on their own and support their families? For someone that wishes to serve justice (looking at you, Jessica,) one could say ‘it’s not fair!’”
She pouts for emphasis.
“But no, these are the cards that were dealt and you are both making the best of it. I must admit, when I see some of these wrestling families thriving, it only reminds me of how much of a dork I am for not becoming an engineer or doctor. Then it’s like, I can have family game night and bond with my brother when our schedules are clear. I can call my mother right now and vent about things, and it would never cross my mind to hurt her so that she is forced into retirement as SOME people will do. That couldn’t be me!”
Devin shoots her a look.
“Coming in between families can get messy, but let it be known we’re not here to ruin the dynamic. In fact, in a time of so much division, this is when strong bonds are most essential to fight the good fight. Remain united, because when it’s time to heal, you’ll need one another.”
Clearing his throat, Devin gets up to put his coat back on.
“And if you can’t depend on one another, you can always call your mother. Jessica, you can call your father--tell him I said hello.”
Wrapping his scarf around his neck, Devin starts for the door. Lyza follows suit, looking one last time at the camera to say, "Doom and Groove, baby," taking her belongings with her.