"Treating a woman with respect is the ultimate way of being a BADASS." ~ Mr.Torgue
The scene pans in the office room of Ricky's agent, and friend, Robert Johnson. Robert's office, compared to his infamously overwhelming client, Robert's office was simple, neat, and organized. At his office, Robert was sitting with a Zen like patience, his hands holding a pair of scissors, using them with the up-most accuracy and care, his target being a Bonsai tree, a tree that Robert had taken up to help calm his nerves from whatever antics his client got him into. Rob then mutters under his breath as he leans in close, his little scissors being aimed at a stray stem.
"Just... one... more. Cut."
However, before Rob could even prepare for the typhoon of energy that could bust through his door, an upset Ricky Runn practically kicked in the door and ran up on his friend. There was a different air to Ricky's usually upbeat aura however, it was more upset, and troubled. The pure tangibility from the Daredevil's energy alone was enough to have Rob's precious source of peace sliced right in half from Rob's startled hand. Rob lets out a defeated sigh while Ricky proclaims in his boastful tone.
"Can you believe it dude!? This is nonsense! Nay, an outrage! I cannot go on!"
Rob's eyes didn't leave the sight of his now butchered bonsai tree. His head then hit the desk and grunted.
"Yeah yeah, just come in whenever you want... and I am taking it you just saw Les Misérables?"
The upset energy from Ricky paused for a brief moment when Rob pointed out the quote from the new hit movie. Ricky being the dim-wit he is, he did not notice the use and asks.
"Holy cow, how'd yeah know? Yeah, when I was England visiting Austin and his old ball and chain we saw the flick. Don't tell anyone this but Austin was in tears."
Rob's lips purse together with air escaping them. He moves the tree to the side and looks up to his friend, hoping to catch the infectious energy that came off his gutsy client.
"Alright, seeing as you busted right into my office, this had to be important. What's up, man?"
Ricky wipes his forehead and then mutters. The expressions on Rickys face showing a blend of disgust and embarrassment.
"I got the call from booking telling me I am going toe to toe with Isabel Stone this week."
Rob simply rolls his eyes, all the years he knew his friend, to this day he was confused as to why Ricky did not want to wrestle women. He then raises the question.
"And this is a problem how? Women like Izzy, Celeste, and Sandy are blazing a trail in wrestling as far as equality in wrestling. As a competitor, I thought you would relish the chance to be in any match?"
The hand that was placed in Ricky's face moves away and shakes at the direction of Robert and pronounces.
"Nah dude, you don't get it. I never faced a girl before. I know, it sounds crazy, but I never wrestled a girl before. I'm a intergender wrestling virgin dude!"
Rob's head tilted to the side, his question just resulted in more questions.
"That."
Ricky then cuts Rob off and says nervously.
" I mean, what if I make the wrong move? What if I get sudden B.O and my hands start sweating? What do I do man, I'm scared."
"Ricky, you're not taking Izzy out to dinner, you're facing her~"
Ricky's hand motions begin to get more violent, and as a result he accidentally knocks over Rob's bonsai tree, causing the trey holding it to bust into pieces, and dirt to spread on the carpet. Rob's face now releases a gasp while Ricky continues.
"What if our match is too quick and I finish before she does? I don't want to make her look too bad, or even worse make myself look bad. Izzy has done this before, she knows how to handle herself, I don't want to go out there and make myself look like an amateur?"
The stunned look on Rob's face melts slowly into a confused one. He took in a deep breath and said to his friend.
"Ricky, you are over thinking this. Look, wrestling a girl should be like wrestling Justin Cooper, or Alexander Stark."
Ricky, now curious squints his eyes, and answers the next part of Rob's wrap up with a careful answer.
"You mean Cooper and Stark are girls too? That explains a lot actually. I was worried about the weird looks Stark always gave me in the locker room, checking me out like a piece of meat."
Rob smacks himself in the face with the confusion, feeling his stress build up and continues speaking.
"No dude, I mean that Izzy is smart in the ring, and she knows how to use her gender to her advantage. If you're not smart... er, I mean if you don't look out, you can find yourself on the wrong end of that nasty submission of hers."
Ricky smirks and then jokes.
"So what you're saying is... I should look out, or she'll chew me up, and that she is a man eater?"
"Thank you for the simplification Hall & Oats."
"Weren't Hall & Oats two different people?"
Rob sat back in his chair and waves his hand to have Ricky sit down. Knowing Ricky, Rob knew that he should wait on cleaning his office, if Ricky could have his way he would use Rob's office chair as a skateboard. Ricky reluctantly calms himself down and looks Ricky in the eyes with Ricky returning the look as he says seriously.
"Rob, you know how I feel about hitting a woman, it is not in me... it is not in my nature. I don't think I can participate this week, I don't want to go out there and place my morals on the line for nothing."
Rob nods his head and agrees with the Daredevil for once, on the other side of the coin though Robert responds.
"I get that man, but this match isn't for nothing man. At least not in the eyes of the people upstairs. They're testing you and Izzy, they want to see if you can finally string two wins together. They are testing the both of you to see who's hungrier, this close to the cycle to Kingdom Come, you need to get off the bus running."
Ricky lays back in the chair and lets out a big air of depleted energy and looks over to his friend.
"So what are my options? Lose this match, and look like a complete chump, or win this match and look like a monster? Don't give me that lecture that other people on the roster have wrestled against girls before, and they had no problem with it, but I'm not like them, I like to think I can stand for something."
Rob looks over to his friend and pulls out his work phone and starts looking up the contact to the booking for WZCW, he didn't place the dial button yet and looks over to his friend.
"Ricky, you know I wouldn't let you do anything you didn't want to, because quite frankly I can't get you to do anything that would be good for yeah either, but there is nothing you love more than competing. I can call this match off for you, but you need to know if this is what you want to do. What means more to you man? A brighter future in WZCW, or your own personal code?"
Ricky leans forward and places his elbow onto the office desk, his hand supporting his forehead as he thinks over the pros and cons to his current debacle. After a bit thought, Ricky stood up from the seat and went back out of the way he came from saying over his shoulder.
"We all gotta make sacrifices, right?"
The careful look on Rob's face turns to a more concerned look on his face as he watches Ricky leave his office. He then says under his breath.
"The man saw all the sunshine in his business... looks like he needs to see a few storms to balance it out. Or at least I can hope."
The camera then pans in to the night of Ascension. Ricky is standing alone in the locker room decked out in his ring gear, ready for his match against Izzy Stone. Ricky just finished applying his yellow face paint onto his face and walks out. But before Ricky could even prepare he was acquainted with Derek Jacobs. Ricky being good friends with both members of Strikeforce, the Daredevil ended up a bit on guard, but appeared more startled than anything. Derek laughs and mutters to the Daredevil.
"A bit on end lately, huh?"
Ricky rolls his eyes and starts rolling his wrists, checking if the wrist tape he applied was done right.
"Can you really blame me? It isn't like you have the track record of a boy scout around here."
What was meant to be an insult made Derek smirk like a Cheshire Cat.
"Listen Ricky, cause this was the best advice I ever got around here... you can get friends, or you can get success... and it looks like you have plenty of friends here."
Ricky, much like Derek's response to Ricky's offhand comment got a different reaction from the Daredevil, an expression that actually made a bit of sense. Ricky at the moment just shrugged it off and walked away from the Enforcer for The New Church and said while walking away.
"Yeah whatever, best of luck in court when the Altar Boy points to where you and Mason touched him."
With Derek far behind him, Ricky stood behind the curtain, trying to focus himself for the match and then mutters under his breath, unable to let those words Derek spoke to him before he could exit to the stage.
"I can get friends... or I can get success... why does both seem so impossible? I am sorry Izzy, I really am, but I need a little bit more success here, I need to prove I'm hungry. Even if that means I need to give up personal feelings."
