Kingdom Come 7: Eve Taylor (c) vs. Flex Mussel vs. Ramparte - Elite X Title

[Richard Blonoff]

(Description to come later)

Deadline is Tuesday, November 10th, at 11:59PM CST. Extensions available upon request.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

Deadline has been extended by 24 hours.

 

[FlexAmerican Dynamite]

???: He’s getting too fat, he’s eating us out of a house and home and his medical problems are increasing.

???: Well what do you suggest we do? He’s our son, we can’t just abandon him.

A mother and father can be seen arguing in a bedroom as a small but extremely chubby child watches on unnoticed in the closet.

Father: We’ve tried to keep him away from fattening products but he keeps finding a way to get to them. Everytime he gets to them he gets closer to a heart attack and increases his blood sugar to dangerous levels. He was diagnosed with diabetes last week and he just doesn’t care.

Mother: He’s a child he doesn’t know what he’s doing.

Father: You can’t keep making excuses for him, you’ve always babied him and that’s why he thinks he can get away with everything. I can’t keep doing this, I can’t support his medical bills, this house, and everything else while you stay at home feeding him nothing but sweets while he watches silly wrestling.

Mother: I don’t feed it to him! I don’t know how he gets it, I hid the last of the Halloween chocolate bars in the closet. Also don’t pretend that I stay here all day doing nothing, I home-school Franklin because he can’t work well in the public education system.

Father: He’s an antisocial child because you shelter him to the degree where he’s alienated himself from everyone beside his parents! His weight problem certainly isn’t helping with making friends and he’s beginning to talk to a plastic mask for christ sake!

Mother: Well what do you suggest we do?

Father: Maybe it’s a good idea for him to spend some time away from us, I’ve heard about a camp that specializes in the “slimming” down of overweight children.

At that exact moment the small child accidentally lets out a massive burp alarming his parents on the outside. The Father immediately rips open the closet door revealing his child with chocolate bar stains all over his mouth and clothes and he’s covered in wrappers.

Father: Well surprise surprise, guess who found the sweets….

Mother: Franklin, I asked you not to look for the chocolate.

Father: It’s about time we stop asking and start telling him!

Franklin’s father begins to unhook the belt from his pants as he stares a hole through his son who looks terrified. As his mother quickly puts together what her husband intends to do she gets in between them to try to calm him down.

Mother: Stop, you can’t hurt him, he’s fragile!

Father: It’s the only way he’s going to learn!

As his mother and father are arguing Franklin struggles to get of the closet and eventually starts to flee the scene. While he can’t go very fast he puts all his energy into escaping the wrath of his father. As he exits the room and gets closer and closer to the stairway leading to the first floor his father notices this and shoves his mother out the way. He sprints toward Franklin just as the child gets to the top of the stairs and grabs him by the arm. Franklin knows he can’t overpower his father so he instead bites his hand, his father screams out in pain and unintentionally shoves his son backwards. Franklin yells in fear as he begins to fall down the flight of stairs until he eventually reaches the bottom in a crashing slam. All he can hear is the terrified screams of his mother and father as he feels a warm liquid that he can only assume is blood trickle down his head as he begins to lose consciousness.


FRANKLIN!
FRANKLIN
FRANKLIN
FRANKLIN
FRANKLIN
FRANKLIN

Svetlana: Franklin wake up!

Flex: What is it?!!

The Monisuer of muscle is startled awake as he can be seen sitting in the patient’s room chair of a doctor’s office laying on a table. Next to his Russian lover/mentor Svetlana who seems very concerned by the current situation.

Flex: How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that name, I don’t like it.

Svetlana: Sorry, you were mumbling it in your sleep, you have nightmares yes?

Flex: It’s not important, is the doctor here yet?

???: Call my name three times and I shall appear.

Flex and Svetlana’s conversation is interrupted as the Head Doctor of WZCW’s medical staff enters the room with a dossier of folders in hand.

Flex: So what’s the situation Doc?

Doctor: Well Mr. Mussel you are a very interesting case, usually in my position I’m not so hands on with the testing of my patients but the upper management of WZCW has personally requested that I run a significant amount of tests and research on your current condition. As I’m sure you’re already well aware they consider you a liability and a health risk going into what is sure to be a very physically grueling contest against Ramparte and Eve Taylor.

Flex: Thank you for the recap but I’m well aware of the circumstances, I’d like to know the results of my test please.

Doctor: Very well then, after running multiple MRI’s, CT scans, and general physical tests it would seem your skull has taken an enormous amount of damage within recent weeks. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you which two people have caused such damage but I’d like to ask if you’ve ever experienced such cranial damage before.

Flex: Yes I have actually, when I was...younger….

Doctor: Hmm, I thought that may be the case. Well Mr. Mussel despite the reservations of the medical staff and the concerns of your superiors you’ve just barely managed to pass your physical exam by the lowest margin possible and I have no choice but to medically clear you for your match at Kingdom Come. However, going through with this contest is not something I’d recommend in the slightest.

Flex: If you were in my shoes you’d realize that stepping into that ring is the only option I have left.

Doctor: While I do understand where you’re coming from I just don’t look at these situations from the perspective of what I see on these pieces of paper. At Kingdom Come you are stepping into the ring with two of the most dangerous superstars on this roster and you know that better than anyone. Do you know how many superstars Cerberus sent into this office waiting to hear if they’d be able to compete again? The list is honestly a lot longer than I’d like to admit. If you were going into a match with Darren Bull or even Johnny Scumm I wouldn’t exactly be worried about your well-being but your facing a desperate woman who will do anything it takes to hold onto what she has left and has already cracked your skull. Not only will she be a problem but there is also a psychotic and deranged competitor who loves to cause endless amounts of pain also looking to hurt you in the worst way he can. You need time to rest Mr. Mussel, and I’m afraid if you step into the ring with those two it may be the last match you ever have.

The healthiest man alive has no clever retort, no nonchalant response, or even a cocky smirk to throw at the doctor as the realization seemingly begins to set in for him. It’s a look of uncertainty that Svetlana hasn’t seen in his eyes since he was forcibly placed into her camp as a child. Flex gets up from his seated position and proceeds to exit the doctor’s office with Svetlana following close behind with a look of concern on her face. The two enter their vehicle and begin to drive back to their hotel in complete silence. No radio, no small talk to distract themselves, not even any Flex Fitness motivational tapes. The bodybuilder is completely stone faced as his attention is on nothing but the road but Svetlana can obviously tell there’s more to it than that. The silent car ride eventually turns into a silent dinner after Flex and Svetlana’s arrival at their hotel. No words are uttered between the two and eventually Flex begins to fall into a deep sleep. However, the monsieur of muscle does not have the usual slumber he’s used to. Memories begin to flash back and forth in his head as he begins to toss and turn. He begins to remember Revolution 2015 as all of Cerberus stands tall with their newly won championships held high. It was unquestionably the proudest moment the three shared together. He remembers that despite being in physical pain the emotion and happiness he felt could not be rivaled. He stands in the middle of the ring next to his comrades as the fans watch on. He then turns to greet the other heads of Cerberus only to look on in horror as the faces of Eve Taylor and Ramparte have instead been switched with his mother and father!

Flex: What the hell is going on?

Mother Taylor: I told you to stay away from the sugar Franklin.

Father Ram: I guess the only way he’s ever going to learn is if we beat the fat out of him.

The creepy parental counterparts of the second and third heads of Cerberus inch closer and closer to Flex who is confused and stunned by what he’s seeing. The bodybuilder doesn’t know how to react as he continues backing away until he trips through the ropes and crashes his head on the floor. Suddenly the atmosphere changes as he is no longer in the WZCW arena but in his childhood home. In fact he is at the bottom of the first floor stairs bleeding from the back of his head. His vision becomes blurred and dazed but he sees his parents coming down the stairs to check on him. As they get closer and closer he sees that his earlier nightmare has been switched as his parents bodies have Ramparte and Eve Taylor’s faces on them!

Mother Taylor: Look what you did! I told you you're always too rough with him!

Father Ram: He needs to learn to toughen up! When my old man made me bleed it was no accident!

Flex watches on in fear almost as if he’s still a child while his Cerberus Parents continue to argue. The louder they get the hazier the memory becomes. Eventually their screaming puts him in such a daze he attempts to close his eyes and cover his ears to block it all out. Once the sound of their squabble can no longer be heard he opens his eyes and ears only to find himself in the middle of the ring where all his problems started. He sees Eve and Ram arguing with him in the middle. Their faces once again flipped with his parents. Flex tries to calm the situation down but there’s no use as their anger has been building up for quite some time. Next thing he knows Mother Taylor takes a swing at Father Ram only to miss and hit Flex. The healthiest man alive watches on from the ground as Father Ram plants Mother Taylor right into the mat. Flex just lays there watching a defiant and angry Father Ram continue to yell and screech at the top of his lungs. He feels hopeless, worthless, and useless as he now feels there’s nothing he could have done to stop the his parents’ divorce, their subsequent abandonment of him, or the breakup of Cerberus. The arena atmosphere slowly quiets down until the arena is pitch black, no one seems to be there besides Flex who is left to ponder his thoughts. He sees the faces of all the people who told him what he never believed. He sees Vance Bateman warning him, Becky Serra criticizing him, Johnny Klamor and Stacey Madison questioning him, Everest trying to motivate him, and finally he comes face to face with Masquer who is looking down on him, almost like he’s disappointed with Flex.

Masquer: I warned you from the beginning it would come to this Flex. I warned you that they would abandon you and turn on you unless you did it first. You sleep with dogs you’re bound to get fleas. So if you live with hell hounds I guess you’re destined to burn for eternity.

The plastic mask disappears from Flex’s nightmare and instead a single spotlight shines on Flex in the ring. Before he knows it he is being surrounded by two hounds circling the ring, there’s no escape as the vicious dogs begin to maul Flex, he attempts to fight them off the best he can but they get the best of him and with every bite and scratch he flashes back to his parents, his volatile classmates, fat camp, Cerberus, and eventually his own Grimm future until he is awoken from his terrifying slumber by a petrified Svetlana.

Svetlana: This stops now Flex, tomorrow you will see someone, and you will tell him exactly how you’re feeling.

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As the next morning approaches Flex wakes up in his bed only to find no Svetlana next to him. Confused he puts on some clothing and exits the bedroom. As he exits the master bedroom and enters the living he does not find Svetlana but instead WZCW legend and psychologist Steven Kurtesy.

Flex: What’s going on here?

Kurtesy: Why don’t you take a seat Flex, Svetlana left some orange juice and fat free food items for you before she left.

Flex: Where’d she go?

Kurtesy: She didn’t say, but she did think her absence would be best for what’s about to transpire.

Flex: And what exactly is that?

Kurtesy: Svetlana and Everest are concerned about you Flex. With such a massive task ahead of you at Kingdom Come your state of mind has come into question.

Flex: And what exactly does that have to do with you?

Kurtesy: Well I thought I’d do my old friend Everest a favor and attempt to help this Flex Mussel I’ve been hearing so much about. I was already in town for the Kingdom Come pre-party and thought I’d make my way over to your hotel.

Flex: I appreciate you coming down here and everything but I don’t think any psychologist is going to make me feel any better.

Kurtesy: Well you can either sit and try to let me help or continue to spend your nights being ripped apart by hell hounds.

A silence fills the air as Flex recognizes that the former WZCW veteran knows more about the situation than he’s leading on. So Flex sits and downs the glass of orange juice before continuing his conversation with Kurtesy.

Flex: So Svetlana told you about my dream last night?

Kurtesy: Nightmare would seemingly be a better way to describe it, she let me in on the gist of things and informed me last night wasn’t the first time something like that occurred. Have you been having these visions since the implosion of Cerberus?

Flex: They happen on and off, but something was worse about them last night.

Kurtesy: And what was that?

Flex: I...Eve Taylor and Ramparte along with my parents were one in the same…

Kurtesy: Interesting….well I’m sure you probably know what happens next Flex, tell me about your parents.

Flex: Not much to tell, they argued a lot, mostly about my failing health as a child. They eventually got a divorce and neither wanted the responsibility that came with raising a diabetic petri dish alone so they sent me off to a fat camp and the rest is history.

Kurtesy: I don’t think things are as simple as that.

Flex: Well isn’t that where you come in? Aren’t you supposed to psychoanalyze the entire situation and tell me how to solve my problems?

Kurtesy: If you’re in complete denial of the situation anything I tell you will fall on deaf ears Flex. So I’ll say it again: I don’t think things are that simple.

Flex: Look I haven’t seen my parents for over half my life. I don’t know if they’re dead, alive, or in a nursing home. I don’t know if they even realize I’ve changed my name to Flex and am now wrestling all over the world. I’m not sure they’d even recognize me to begin with considering the last time they saw me I was unbearable to look at.

Kurtesy: I take it that’s why you’ve strived to be in peak physical condition for so long.

Flex: I was sick of kids laughing at me, adults judging me, and being the catalyst for my parents’ arguments and subsequently leading to their divorce.

Kurtesy: Do you think you’re the reason Cerberus imploded?

Flex: No, the egos of everyone involved is what led to our downfall.

Kurtesy: But why is the fallout leaving such a deep scar on your psyche? I mean I don’t see Eve Taylor nor Ramparte hesitating to attack nor do I see them showing signs of remorse for what they’ve done.

Flex: I’ve shown both Eve and Ram that I am not one to be messed with.

Kurtesy: After Ramparte repeatedly smashed your skull into the mat and Eve cracked it wide open with her championship. You were left with no choice but to retaliate, it was either that or be destroyed. Did you wait so long because they each remind you of the parents who left you behind? Have you truly accepted the end of Cerberus or is it just some front that you’re putting on? Are you willing to cause just as much damage to them as they have to you? Are you okay with the fact that you can be walking into what may be the last match of your career based off your horrendous concussion reports as of late?

Flex: Look a lot of people see my very outgoing personality and think that means I’ve had a lot of friends throughout my life but the truth is I’ve only had two. And those people were Ramparte and Eve Taylor. So no I wasn’t exactly gung ho about Cerberus imploding on itself and fighting to the death because that meant the two people closest to me in life are now going to be gone. I don't need to tell you how dominant Cerberus was, it's already well documented, and to be honest I never wanted it to end. And yes I do realize the similarities between them and my parents are becoming closer and closer. My parents were people I looked up to but eventually disappointed to such a degree that they wanted nothing to do with me. The more I grew closer to Ram and Eve I feared that would be the case but the truth is our implosion has more to do with greed than anything else. A year ago if this triple threat was happening people would be picking Eve Taylor to retain her championship by the snap of her fingers, but the odds are no longer unquestionably in her favor, and she knows that. She realizes just how much Ramparte and I have grown as competitors and realized that sooner or later she would come up against us and she tried to preemptively cut our legs from under us. Both me and Ramparte realized this but I didn’t truly want to accept that was the case while Ramparte showed no mercy in making it clear he wanted the Elite X title. I got in his way of that so he tried to put me down just like he did Eve, and while I tried to convince him to stop Eve took us both down and caused a concussion that almost led to me not being able to compete in the biggest show of the year. In fact a lot of people think I still shouldn’t compete.

Kurtesy: Well what do you think?

Flex: I think I have to do this. Not just because it’s for the Elite X title, that’s just the icing on the cake of this encounter. I have to do this because I have to prove that I’m not only a tag team wrestler, I have to prove that I’m not just successful when I’ve got people watching my back. I need to know in my own heart that no matter who has abandoned me in the past or will abandon me in the future that I can rely on my own devices to succeed at everything I want to accomplish. And what I want to accomplish is becoming the Elite X champion.

Kurtesy: Well what makes you think that just because you want means you’re going to get it? What if Ramparte and Eve want it more?

Flex: See that’s just it, they want it more but for all the wrong reasons. Eve wants to hold onto it so she can keep her ego in tact and proclaim she has no equals within Cerberus while Ramparte wants to prove that he’s no third wheel and that he shouldn’t be underrated. But the truth is their own fears and insecurities are so unjust that it will cause their downfall. For a very long time I considered Ramparte the better half of our Cerberus tag team and others did as well. But I believe as he focused more on his jealousy towards whatever romantic entanglement I had with Eve I surpassed him. The last time we stepped in the ring together we were both hesitant to go full strength towards each other. I doubt that will be the case for him now, but he couldn’t put me down back when I only wanted peace, so what the hell is he going to when I only want to hurt him as much as he’s hurt me?

Kurtesy: And what about Eve? She proved on Ascension she may just have your number?

Flex: The truth is Eve is without a doubt the most talented female wrestler to ever grace a WZCW ring. But she’s going up against two men who have nothing to lose in a match where her legacy is on the line. My head isn’t 100% but she will have to end me for good if she intends to retain her championship. But if we look at the statistics based off the last year alone no Elite X champion has successfully defended their title since last year’s Kingdom Come. And no disrespect to all the people who have won the belt in the last year but none of them have had such a personal reason for wanting that belt as I do.

Kurtesy: Are you trying to convince me or yourself?

Flex: Look it would be easy to say I hate Ramparte and Eve Taylor but to be honest I don’t. Even after all that's happened I could never truly despise them. For over a year they were my family and that's just not something you give up on overnight. However neither of them are the people I thought I once knew. Ramparte is now the best friend who smashes your head into the ground based off his own personal jealousy. Eve Taylor the girl you thought you loved who cracks open your skull to preserve her own ego. The most dominant stable in WZCW crumbles under the weight of their own personal agendas with treachery and deceit. With friends like these who needs enemies? Oh wait, they've made themselves my enemies, and at Kingdom Come they will soon be my past, because once I become Elite X champion they will realize why I'm the future. No longer will anyone Hail Cerberus, hell no one even has to Hail Mussel, but by the end of Kingdom Come regardless of whether you like me or not I will have earned your respect.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

______________________________

______________________________​

Ramparte: "My cadillac is waiting for you right outside. There's 60 grand in the trunk. I no longer require your services. Think of this as a retirement pension paid in full."

The Catalyst looked up from his copy of Paradise Lost to gaze at his old butler. Morley stood there, not believing the words that just came from his employer. Ramparte cracked a sad smile, stood up, and walked over to the study's window. It was bright outside.

Ramparte: "You think this is some trick...some awful stunt I'm pulling, don't you? It's not. I know now the error of my character. You've seen me revel in filth. Kept quiet out of fear, no doubt. Hell-you saved Cerberus against Team Russia, do you remember that?

Morley nodded quietly. The Catalyst pulled Alice out from the folds of his robe; the cane twirling in his grasp. He played with it hypnotically, nodding to the voices only he could hear. He licked his lips.

Ramparte: "I am not nostalgic. I am not a lover of the sentimental. Go. You have your leave. I give you that which should be adequate. Enjoy the rest of your years away from my bloody path."

And with that Morley turned to leave. But as his arthritic hand caressed the doorknob, he spoke aloud to his employer.

Morley: "M-master Ramparte, sir-"

Ramparte: "Please, no more formalities. You're not my servant."

Morley: "Godf-frey. Godfrey Ramparte. With me gone, maybe you should look for another housekeeper. A maid or a cook, perhaps? It does not do well to be alone, sir. Never alone."

The Catalyst gave the gentleman a curt nod. Then, unexpectedly, he offered his elder a handshake. Morley took it, and realized in that moment his boss's eyes were rimming with tears. Before his former butler could say anything, Ramparte let go and turned back to the window; cane twirling in his hands once more.

"It does not do well to be alone, sir. Never alone."

Alice repeated Morley's last words over and over again to the shut-in. As the cadillac dissipated from the horizon, the clouds gathered. The weight of Cerberus's downfall crashed around Ramparte in that moment...in a rage he threw the cane across the room, upturned the chair he previously sat in, and ripped out the pages of Milton's work. He slumped down against a bookcase and covered his face. The tears came.

The hatred for Flex Mussel came.

The loathing for Eve Taylor came.

It all came pouring from his eyes, as if held in since childhood. Not once did he ever envision himself lying on the ground crying. A weeping wolf without a pack.

He wiped the Hell from his eyes and looked out towards Heaven.

"Never alone."

It started to rain.

______________________________

______________________________


Now Hiring For A Housekeeper

Inquire Within.​

Ramparte shuffled through the very large stack of applications and stumbled on the young maid's ineligible handwriting. He grimaced, and looked up at the blonde haired woman that sat across from him.

Ramparte: "So...it says here you're experienced in house sitting. Have done so in the passed 18 years. But it has your age down as 18 years old."

???: "HAI! Yessiree. Konichiwa Ramparte senpai. I know all about being a shut-in like yourself. I ams the one they call 'Super Maid Ultra Batti Muthafuggin Otaku!!! Pleasure to meet you at long last." :S

Batti squirmed in the wooden chair, anticipating some kind of evil from the dastardly Ramparte. What fate has brought her this golden opportunity to spend time with one of the broodiest, most unorthodox wrestlers from her favorite show, WZCW? She cocked her head at Ram's reaction, which was confused at best.

Ramparte: "Umm alright. Please be frank with me, Miss Otaku. What experience do you REALLY have as a maid?"

The Catalyst surveyed Otaku's attire. It was an ill-fitted French maid costume.

Batti: "I can't be Frank. I'm Batti. I don't have those things Titus punches people at! Oh I keep up with WZCW. I know all about Cerberus and their historic feuds with guys like Hard Metal Penetration and SaboSax."

Ramparte: "...that's err whatever anyways you're going off topic. What have you done before filling out your application? What jobs?"

Batti: "I can't tell you that..." :$

Ramparte: "And why the hell not?"

Batti: "I told you. I'm not Frank. I'm Batti."

She laughed at her own joke. Ramparte's face started to go red.

Ramparte: "Yes...you are...well I think I've seen enough from this interview. I trust you can find the door, Miss Otaku."

The former tag team champion placed her app underneath the pile and waited for her to leave. She didn't. Instead, she produced a feather duster apparently out of her costume and started going to work on bookshelves and windowsills.

Ramparte: "Miss Otaku! Where'd you even get- oh for fuck's sake I don't care. Please leave my study at once before I call the police."

Batti: "I know who you are."

The cheerful, brainless tone in the fangirl's voice was no longer there. In its place was a gritty seriousness that took Ram aback. She stared up at him and held his gaze. Otaku stroked her chin, and then stroked Ramparte's.

Batti: "I may not be your biggest fan. To be honest Cerberus isn't even close to my favorite team. But I know heartbreak. I cried when Eve Taylor threw you and your partner out of the Lethal Lottery. I bawled like a child when each one of you betrayed the other. Your pain is mine as well. That's what the audience is for. To support you performers. Why else would we be there? Just to be entertained? What bullshit."

She inched closer to the bookworm. He was perplexed.

Batti: "I want them to suffer. I want you to be the one to bring that empire down and rise as the new Elite X Champion. You are a dark horse, you know. Copeland and Connor say it on TV. There's nothing that can stop you from being the one. I...I am here for you. Of course I don't want to be your maid- fuck that! I want to help you. Manage you. Be your muse."

"Listen to her."

"It does not do well to be alone, sir. Never alone."

Befuddled, Ramparte jerked away from the psychotic girl's eyes and backed up. He didn't want to be alone. Not now that the Kingdom was at hand and everybody would be watching. There was something about this geeky chick that made him uncomfortable.

It was damn near intriguing.

The voice of the voiceless seemed to cry out to Ramparte. The fans. The very people he once ignored outright seemed devastated that his beloved friends had turned into his greatest of enemies. They spoke through Batti Otaku. They were upset. He was upset. Maybe through their pain he could be their personal messenger to the Hounds of Hell. Maybe.

Batti: "Eve ruined my ship, anyways. I shipped you and Flex so hard. I even drew fan arrrt. Wanna see???" ^_^

Suddenly the seriousness ended and she was back to insanity. Once again she reached into her costume and produced a piece of wadded paper. It was of Flex and Ram in a very compromising position. A heart was etched over them. The style was Manga.

Ramparte: "Ship?"

Batti: "Yeah! That's when you take two people who aren't in a relationship together and wanna get em together. When it is real, it is called canon. I do want my ship to be canon..."

Ramparte: "...I see."

In that moment, Batti Otaku glomped Godfrey Ramparte. She held him close, nearly breaking his ribs. Bewildered, Ramparte stood there taking the hug.

Batti: "This is the start of a boooootiful friendship, Ramparte senpai."

He looked down into her frenzied eyes, unsure of what just happened. Alice was quiet once again, and that was never good. He shrugged, and spoke to himself.

Ramparte: "What the hell am I getting myself into?"

 

[Viola Moonlight]

Nothing in this world came easier to Eve Taylor than walking.

No matter what she did, Eve was always on her feet. Whether it be walking to school everyday in tattered shoes, working out on the unforgiving fields of her family's farm or elegantly displaying the latest dresses on the finest runways of Milan in the tightest high heels... Eve could never stop walking. It was agonizing at first, putting so much pressure on her joints in such harsh conditions but over time, Eve learned to deal with it. Even the mild arthritis she suffers now in her mid-twenties never truly bothered her. Eve didn't know if it was a high pain threshold she had developed over years of abuse or keeping an "always move forward" mentality even when things were looking grim. Whatever it was, Eve persevered and kept walking... but on this day, it was different.

Eve Taylor was struggling as she pushed up the mountain to the monastery. Sweat dripped profusely down her face as she took deep breath after deep breath with each step. The sun's rays and a lack of wind wasn't helping Eve, neither. Eve slowed down and look up at what's left, seeing the end in sight. It brought a wave of relief as she saw she had almost conquered the mountain and gave Eve a second wind.

"C'mon Eve!" Eve panted. "Just a few more steps!"

The difficulty of this hike should've been a piece of cake for Eve Taylor despite the luggage she was carrying on her back but this trek had almost bested her. Why? Had the years of constantly walking finally catch up to Eve? She looked down at her ankles and they were as perfect as usual; no swelling and no pain pulsating through her bones. She felt great physically... but why was she sweating? Why did she have a tight chest? Either way, Eve decided it be best to get to the entrance of the monastery.

With one final push, Eve collapsed on the wooden stairs. She let out a sigh of relief as she pulled out her water bottle, taking a quick sip before pouring the rest all over her to cool her body off. She switched out the empty bottle for her clean hand towel and wiped herself down before getting into a comfortable seated position and staring out, admiring the beautiful view. Eve had come very far to get to this point, not only today but in her life; symbolic of her journey, always climbing mountains to get to the top...

"Oh jeez..." Eve scoffed to herself. "No need to think of generic symbolism at a time like this."

She was right, Eve didn't climb this mountain to a monastery in preparation of her big match at Kingdom Come so she could reflect on her life's journey and become spiritually connected. Why would Eve waste her time on something as stupid as that? The only reason Eve came here was because this idiotic location of a monastery was the place where she could find her...

Eve grew impatient of her chest tightness and sweating not going away and acted on getting out of this place as soon as she could. She needed to find her whilst she still had the time.

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Eve spent the entire day searching the monastery looking for her but her efforts were all for naught. She checked everywhere of this terribly designed spiritual hole, even going as far as engaging with the local monks and asking them but they remained selfish to their beliefs and kept silence instead of helping a friendly damsel. Angered and tired by her failed attempts, Eve sat by the pond and splashed some water onto her face. She wanted to take a moment to recover before heading back down the mountain and flying back to Canada to prepare for Kingdom Come.

"Why did I even bother coming here?" Eve questioned herself. "I'm the Elite X champion and I've got the biggest match of my career coming up. I just wasted an entire day here - not to mention the travel time on flights - looking for someone when I could be back there training. Worst of all, now I won't have enough time to hand-pick a special outfit for the event!"

Eve threw her face into her hands, not believing the day she was having. It felt like the world was crumbling underneath her. She had completed no training for the match taking place half way across the world in a matter of days against her former friends for the only possession he had left in her life, the Elite X title. Eve just wanted to give up.

"Well... at least can't get any worse."

"Once you've hit rock bottom, it's only up from there."

"Exactly."

Slowly, Eve got to her feet and grabbed her things. It was time for her to head down before the darkness removed all her vision. If the walk up was anything to indicate then... wait, hold on a second. Eve remembered that voice; it sounded familiar. She turned around to see the person she had been searching for the entire day, sitting next to where she was at the pond.

"Aubrey?"

As she heard her name, Aubrey Sloan turned her head and looked at Eve directly. Eve couldn't believe what she saw and rubbed her eyes, checking to see if it really was her and not a mirage. Aubrey gave a weak smile back and instantly, Eve stood straight with a smile going from ear-to-ear. She dropped everything as she ran over to Aubrey and jumped at her, wrapping her arms around her and giving her the biggest hug she could.

"It really is you!" Eve cried out gleefully. "I knew you were here! I've been searching all day for you! I'm angry, I'm tired, I'm hungry and I've gone through all my rations in my search and I was about to give up but you're here! Oh... I feel so relieved."

Eve's temporary happiness faded quickly as she realised that her best friend wasn't hugging her back; she was merely sitting there absorbing it all. She let go and looked at Aubrey, checking to see if it was her timid nature keeping her from hugging back but the bodily & facial expressions suggested otherwise. Eve tried to keep her smile.

"Hey Aubrey! It's me, Eve Taylor." She reminded Aubrey. "Y'know... you're best friend... the model... Eve... hey, Aubrey?"

She didn't respond. Eve's tight chest returned and she could feel sweat beads coming through her pores. She began to breath a bit heavier as her smile faded.

"Aubrey? Won't you say something?"

Aubrey turned her head away for a second, thinking about something before looking back at Eve.

"Did you want something to eat?"

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Aubrey had led Eve to a small eating hall with only a few low tables in the room present. She had told Eve to sit down and wait as she went to prepare the food, leaving Eve by herself sitting cross-legged with all her luggage. Eve didn't take much notice of the decorations and designs in the room; she was too overwhelmed with seeing Aubrey once more and decided to go through her luggage, seeing which items she wanted to show Aubrey first. She felt like a kid in school for show and tell only this time others would be inclined to listen.

It wasn't too long before Aubrey came back, carrying a bowl of noodles and giving them to Eve. Delighted to see some source of sustenance, Eve grabbed the chop sticks and shoving her face full of food. Aubrey was a little taken back by Eve's eagerness, hesitating to sit down. Eve noticed this and placed the bowl down on the table, straightening herself up with an awkward smile.

"Sorry." She said. "I'm not usually like this. I'm just excited."

Aubrey gave a weak smile back and sat down cross-legged on the other side of the table, watching Eve eat at a much slower and normal rate. Eve noticed that Aubrey had no food in front of her.

"Where is your food?"

"You're eating it."

Eve stopped mid-slurp of a noodle as she heard the words. She looked down at the bowl to see that almost all of the food was nearly gone. Eve ate the last of the noodle in her mouth before putting the chop sticks down.

"Um... sorry. I didn't know..."

"Everything I have here I share with you, including my food."

Eve was touched. "Aw, that's sweet of you."

"Actually, those are the rules of the monastery. Any outsider you bring is in your care."

"Oh..." Eve said, not so touched. "Well, thank you either way. I didn't realise how long the trip was to see you but I'm glad I did it. Feels good to hang out with you again. Reminds me of the old times when we were rolling together back in WZCW. Ah, the fun we had. Oh!"

Eve just remembered something and pulled out her Elite X championship.

"I finally did it, Aubrey!" Eve said with excitement. "You remember when Constantine held the title and you & I tried our luck in getting this? Well, I finally won it. Not from Constantine though and the rules have changed a bit but I got it! Won it at the Lethal Lottery. I also won the Eurasian championship as well and became the first-ever female champion to win a title by herself... but I lost it to that thief Theron Daggershield who actually beat Constantine for the World title. I'm still not actually sure how I feel about that... I don't like neither man but who would I prefer-"

"Why are you here?" Aubrey asked bluntly, interrupting Eve.

Eve hesitated to answer, not exactly sure what Aubrey meant.

"Did you come all this way to tell me about your achievements?" Aubrey asked again bluntly.

"Um... I, er..."

Eve couldn't construct a sentence. It felt like the cat had got her tongue and shoved a frog down her throat for good measure. Trying to answer Aubrey's blunt questions and looking at her stern face wasn't doing any wonders, neither.

"It's been an entire year since we faced each other at Kingdom Come and this is the first time you've come into contact with me, being happy and cheery like nothing ever happened between us. You can't just turn up here on a moment's notice and expect me to reciprocate, Eve. You hurt me in more ways than one."

She wasn't wrong. Eve knew everything Aubrey said was right even though she didn't want to accept the past. She thought enough time had past that they could've talked like normal and return back to the days of old. Clearly, Eve assumed incorrectly.

"So if you're here to 'hang out' and 'meet up over coffee' then you're sadly mistaken."

"No, it's not that-"

"Then what is it, Eve? Why are you here?"

"I-I just..."

A wave of emotions ran through Eve and she couldn't control them, having all the haunting memories of what she did to Aubrey flood her mind. Everything she did to her best friend... she couldn't stand it.

"I just wanted to see what life was like if I chose you!" Eve shouted out.

Aubrey did not answer, taking what Eve said in. Eve covered her mouth, not meaning to yell her answer to the heavens. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down before continuing.

"Everything I ever did you, I regret. Not a single day passes when I don't think of you and the friendship we had together. I tried to distract myself by focusing on winning championships and being dedicated to the success of Cerberus but all of that didn't do anything. My thoughts kept drifting towards you... and everything I did to distract myself has come around to bite me on the backside with Cerberus no longer together. I lost myself in my success and the friends I thought I had in Flex Mussel & Ramparte have turned against me over the very thing I won to help me deal with the loss of you. I know hindsight is 20/20 and you cannot change the past but believe me when I say that if I had to the option to choose once more, there would be no doubt in my mind that I would've chosen you over Cerberus! If I knew choosing Cerberus meant losing you then they would've never been an option."

Aubrey sat silent for a few seconds as Eve waited for her to respond, hoping it would be enough to satisfy Aubrey's queries.

"Choosing me over Cerberus would've also led to you not winning the Eurasian nor Elite X championship and breaking records as a female competitor. Would you be prepared to face without that success?"

Eve was a little confused by the question. "I could've won the championships if I picked you."

Aubrey shook her head. "You said it yourself, Eve. Picking Cerberus and abandoning me gave the drive and the determination in honing your craft enough to win those championships. Removing me from the picture despite your feelings for me meant you wanted to perserve no matter the cost. What would've happened if you picked me and were content? Would you have won those titles?"

No words came out of Eve's mouth even though she wanted to answer.

"We may not be friends any more Eve but I know enough about you to tell you what you are as a person. You're driven on success; everything you've done in your life you chose to achieve the highest success possible. You were the top model and now strive to become the top wrestler. You say it was a distraction when ultimately, it is all you've really ever wanted. How many friends have you made in your lifetime, Eve? Really, how many genuine friends? Other than me?"

Eve counted to herself and when she found the answer, she understood.

"None."

"Exactly. You chose Flex Mussel & Ramparte over me not because you wanted to expand your social circle. You chose them because you knew it would lead to more success and having me tag along - the girl scared of Western culture - would've only slowed you down. Who needs friends when you've got enough fame, money & glory you can buy fake friends who compliment you on everything you do? It's all you ever wanted, right? Success and attention? Why else would you choose a career in modelling? Why else did you choose to side alongside two other people who are just as self-absorbed as you?"

If this were any other person on the planet, Eve would've gotten angered enough to jump across the table and gouge out their eyes with the chop sticks she used to eat her last meal. These words tore a hole through her heart and all she wanted to do was tear through the person speaking those words as well, just to make sure they knew the pain she was feeling... but this was Aubrey Sloan, the only person in the entire world she could honestly call a friend. Even though Aubrey didn't feel that way, Eve respected her enough to keep calm and take it all in. Instead, she lowered her head slightly and looked into the bowl of noodles.

"When did you get so good at reading people?" Eve joked, trying to diffuse the situation.

"I'm not the only one who spent days on end thinking about what happened." Aubrey replied, ignoring the lighthearted attempt of Eve. "The difference between you and I is that I haven't all that much to do here to keep me distracted. At least you've got a championship to defend."

Eve looked down at her championship. As much as she wanted to stay here and resolve everything with Aubrey, she had to get focused on being the very best she could be as a champion... wow, Aubrey was right, wasn't she? Even when Aubrey told Eve the truth, she fell back into her old ways almost immediately. Success over friendship. Eve felt like a sucker.

"I can get rid of this title and come back here to work things out!" Eve said, desperately.

"Then what was the point of destroying our friendship and experiencing the partnership with Cerberus?" Aubrey replied. "Look... I'm not sure if I'll ever forgive you for what you did to me and how you hurt me but at least let the destruction of our friendship mean something to you. If our friendship can't last, then at least we can be happy for the other, right?"

Eve lifted her head up and looked at Aubrey.

"Are you happy?"

This time, it was Aubrey who could not answer. She tried looking at Eve but instead opted to look away, focusing on something else.

"I don't know what else to tell you, Aubrey. I'm truly sorry for everything that has happened and I hope that one day, we can get back to the place where we once were but until that day, you've given me words to live by. I'm going to use our broken friendship to continue fueling the fire inside me to attain the success and attention I strive for and make it to the very top. I sacrificed more than any person normally would to earn this Elite X championship and I'm going to go out there and defend it with every fiber of my being. As much as it pains me to go against people who I thought were my friends and have history repeat itself as I destroy another friendship at Kingdom Come, I will stand up and fight Flex Mussel & Rampare in the middle of the ring and keep this title around my waist. If Cerberus was destroyed all because of this championship and the success it brings then I might as well carry an extra burden on my back to continue representing this championship."

"That's not exactly what I mean..."

"No, it isn't but as you said, I sacrificed our friendship for this title. If I can somehow channel your energy through this title and somehow believe you can live vicarious through this strap of gold then that's enough for me to keep on fighting for happiness, a prize I've been seeking for my entire life. The closest thing to that happiness was living a life as your companion... but if I can't have that and the next closest thing is to defend this championship in your honour, then I will give up everything - including being the Third Head of Cerberus, the most successful faction in WZCW history - to do so.

"It may not be what you want Aubrey but that's how my life has to pan out. Everything Flex Mussel & I have been through, all the teenage love that floated in the air when we locked eyes and the personal feelings we developed for each other has to be thrown out the window. Everything Ramparte & I have been through with our love of beauty and preventing each other from drowning in a pool of self-wallowing whenever we were left alone has to go, too. Everything the three of us accomplished together as an unstoppable unit must no longer be allowed to function... because that's how my life has to pan out. I have to throw the life I knew with Cerberus to successfully defend this title and become one step closer to happiness. As much as I don't want to lose yet another person - let alone two - I have to do it for my own happiness. If Flex & Ramparte were at any point my true friends, they'd understand if I beat them at Kingdom Come and defend my title to find my own happiness, right? You're happy for me so why shouldn't they?"

The question remained unanswered between the two girls. Aubrey didn't really have the answer but more importantly, she wanted Eve to find out the answer for herself. This was Eve's life after all and not her's, she couldn't provide all the answers for Eve and somehow, this same thought crossed the mind of Eve as well. Eve did not persist for an answer and left the question rhetorical, leaving both of them silent for a minute to let all the feelings and words be taken in properly.

"The sun is setting." Aubrey notices, breaking the silence. "Maybe it's time you should head off. You don't want to be caught up here when its dark."

Eve nodded. "Sounds like a great idea."

Eve got up and readied her things. The food and the small rest gave Eve enough energy to head back down the mountain. Luckily, the tightness in her chest and sweat had subsided after her talk with Aubrey so the trek down wouldn't be difficult at all. She grabbed her luggage and put it on her back, looking at Aubrey as she goes to say goodbye.

"Well... this isn't exactly how I planned things to go but it was great seeing you again. Maybe this won't be the last time?"

As Eve goes to turn around, Aubrey grabs the hand of Eve.

"Eve..."

Eve's heart begins pounding as she turns around, holding the hand of Aubrey.

"Live your life they way you wish and then, when you are ready to try this friendship once more, come back to me. Okay?"

Aubrey held Eve's hand tight as she said that final word. Eve was frozen in place, staring into the eyes of Aubrey. Seeing how she couldn't respond, Aubrey let go and took the silence as a response. It took Eve a couple of seconds to find her bearings before adjusting the Elite X championship across her shoulder & turning around to leave. As she gets to the door, she stops and turns her head slightly looking at the ground.

"Wish me luck."

"I will."

With that, Eve went outside and headed down towards the track feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Although Eve was about to walk straight into the pits of hell to take on two of her former allies for the Elite X championship, she knew she was about to embark on a journey to find that happiness she once thought she'd never find again. No matter where she ventured, she knew that if she could keep ahold of the Elite X title or at the very worst, pursue after it, she could get one step closer to happiness. The journey was going to be arduous and long but luckily for her...

... Nothing in this world came easier to Eve Taylor than walking.