Post by Adrien | Adam on Sept 14, 2017 1:44:37 GMT -5
NOTE: I know you want me to say up top that Alechs Aurelio and Jazmyn Rain contributed to this piece. SO HERE, I'M DOING IT!!!
Date: August 20th, 2017
Cameras: OFF
“Where did I put my phone again?”
Adrien Cochrane frantically glanced around the locker room as he finished placing the last piece of his wrestling gear inside of his duffle bag. He looks up to see his manager standing in the doorway, Adrien’s phone in his hand.
Eddie: “I kept this safe for you. Catch.”
Eddie Walker tosses the iPhone 7 Plus towards the Dropkick King, who snatches it out of the air with relative ease. He shoves it into the pocket of his blue jeans before he tosses his bag over his shoulder.
Adrien: “Thanks, bud. Is the car ready?”
Walker nods his head before taking the bag from Adrien.
Eddie: “Momentarily. And let me get that. I’ll put that in the car for you. You might not have won your match, but you certainly got under the skin of Mr. Shields, if I do say so myself.”
Adrien: “Hey, the whole cage dropping down if they attacked was your idea. Give yourself some credit.”
As soon as Adrien finished his sentence, he saw another figure in the doorway.
Alechs: “Adrien! Adrien! Hey!”
Alechs Aurelio rushed out of the hallway to try and catch him. He was not with his girlfriend and tag partner, Honey. His bag slipped over his shoulder.
Alechs: “Hey, I was hoping to catch you.”
He breathed heavily.
Alechs: ”You got a sec?”
Eddie: “I’ll go ahead and take this to the car. He’s all yours, Mr. Aurelio. Good to see you again, young sir.”
Walker tosses Adrien’s bag over his shoulder before giving the two wrestlers privacy to speak. Cochrane pulls a chair out of the corner of the room and opens it across from the bench of the locker room, offering Alechs to take a seat with his gestures.
Adrien: “What’s on your mind, Alechs?”
Alechs: “Tonight...That shit with Shields? If you said the word, we would have been out there. It is always a numbers game with them, you know that man.”
He looked concerned at Adrien.
Adrien: “I know. I had that one time plan I knew would eliminate their numbers. They clearly won’t fall for it again, but had to use it this one time I could. Also didn’t want to drag you into a three on four scuffle. In the end, they retreated, Matt took a nice tumble...it worked out. Now, he sees that I’m prepared to use strategy against him and even our big match at Convergence is going to eliminate the risk of interference.”
Alechs: “Lucky tonight, yeah? But in the future? Come on man. You are smarter than that.”
He shakes his head.
Alechs: “Honey and I are in this with you. We owe Tillman an ass kicking for before. Storm already tucked his tail. And as long as The Destroyers are around, we need to make sure to keep them down as much as we can. Four on three is better than four on one, right?”
Adrien: “You’re not wrong.”
Adrien nods his head before repeating it to himself.
Adrien: “You’re not wrong, I’m not saying that. Working together is the best course of action for the future. But it wasn’t luck, I promise. I knew what I was doing, trust me. I even timed how long it would take me to dropkick all four sides of the cage to make sure I could protect myself.”
Adrien places a hand on the shoulder of the Redemption Wrestling Tag Team Champion.
Adrien: “Listen, I don’t want anyone getting injured on my behalf. You are holding that championship and I want to keep you holding that as long as possible. I’d rather I get hurt than you and Honey. Your safety is more important than mine. I know, I pulled out a trick there, but if you are serious about being a full fledged partner with me in this, I’ll include you in whatever else I plan next. You have my word.”
Alechs takes a moment, and he drops his bag on the ground.
Alechs: “Titles come. Titles go. You know that I am sure. Friends? Good friends at that? They last a lifetime, man.”
Alechs holds his hand out to Adrien’s.
Alechs: “You were there for me when I needed it. I am ride or die. Period. And Honey? She and I may not be on the same page tonight but we are still a team. The Cubs are always part of the Dropkick Posse.”
He smiles.
Adrien: “I really hope that isn’t what we are calling this.”
Alechs: “Nah, man. A joke. But this whole cage thing? That is not a joke. You ever been in one before?”
Adrien: “Three, in fact. Keep in mind, I’ve been in this business for twelve years.”
Alechs: “I wasn’t trying to come at you. Chill, AC.”
Alechs tries to calm the mood.
Alechs: “We still got our blood pumping, I get it. I just meant you know what you are getting yourself into, right? I ain’t doubting your skills. But Shields? He’s gonna find a way to break you. Hurt you. Make you bleed. With weapons, or his little cronies. A cage might try to keep people out, but you gotta prepare for the worst. It ain’t my place to tell you what to do, just know I am worried. And if you want me out there to make sure things stay copacetic, I got you.”
Adrien smiles a little bit.
Adrien: “Well, we know he’s going to have Kayla Richards on the outside as his manager. She’s got her big Heavyweight title match later in the night so she isn’t going to want to put herself at risk to get hurt before that. We will just leave her be for the time being. But if you see Coda or Tillman pop up, feel free to dart down to there with Honey.”
Alechs nods.
Alechs: “And you know it… say the word. We are there.”
He holds his hand out once more as he can see Eddie getting impatient.
Eddie: “Oh don’t mind me. I was gonna have to be filled in with what the plan is anyway.”
Adrien rolls his eyes at his manager as he shakes the tag champion’s hand once more.
Adrien: “I appreciate it, Alechs. And to ease your worries a bit, I’ve got Matthew Shields’s number. When Convergence is over, the crown will be taken from him. And that little monarchy the Destroyers have enforced over this roster for almost a year will be burned to the ground.”
Alechs goes to walk away, but stops and turns around.
Alechs: “You know, AC, it might be good for us to get a fourth.”
He tilts his head as Alechs walks away heading out of the building.
Eddie: “I mean, he’s not wrong. A fourth wouldn’t be a bad idea. It would certainly even out the numbers. It’s a shame you don’t have Stacy around.”
Adrien pauses for a moment as he looks at his now empty locker, lost in his own thoughts for a moment.
Adrien: “Yeah, but I think I know a capable fourth to fill that slot.”
Date: August 21st, 2017
Cameras: OFF
“You are aware that I have other clients that I need to attend to at some point, correct? I can’t be sitting here in this airport for another flight if we miss this one.”
Adrien Cochrane rolls his eyes as he pulls out his luggage bag out of the car. The trunk of the car is slammed shut by the man complaining to Adrien.
Adrien: “Oh Eddie. We’re still here with plenty of time to go. We’re gonna be okay. Do you have the tickets?”
The face of Adrien’s manager, Eddie Walker, freezes up for a moment. He starts patting his pockets before his expression becomes a bit more worrisome.
Eddie: “Oh no.”
Adrien: “Aren’t they digital these days?”
Cochrane raises his eyebrows as he slings both bags over his shoulders. Both men are wearing blue jeans, with Adrien wearing a green plaid shirt covering his Green Day t-shirt that is acting as an undershirt with enough buttons undone to see the t-shirt. Walker, on the other hand, was wearing a polo shirt, striped with the colors of red and white.
Eddie: “Oh yeah. They are on my phone, aren’t they?”
Walker pulls out his iPhone, and with a few swipes, has both tickets on his device, prepared to get them on the next flight to New Orleans. They begin walking inside as they continue their conversation.
Adrien: “So what time does it say we board?”
Eddie: “Seven in the morning.”
Adrien: “And do I even need to look at my wrist to see how early we are?”
Eddie: “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get your point. We’re early. I get your point. Don’t need to rub it in my face.”
Adrien: “I’m just doing to you what you would have done to me.”
It doesn’t take long for Adrien to get through with the receptionist at the front counter, getting Adrien and Eddie’s luggage checked in and out of their hands for the time being. It was as soon as he started walking into the interior part of the airport with his manager a few minutes later that he sees the face of someone else from the Redemption Wrestling roster.
“Hey! I wasn’t expecting to see you here!”
The voice came from Jazmyn Rain, who is in good spirits on this Monday morning. Sporting a purple, long sleeved t-shirt with a pair of jeans and a pair of black Reebok shoes, all while sporting a matching headband, the self-proclaimed “Guardian Angel” is happy to see Adrien for the first time since the One Night Only special of Glory in Memphis.
Jazmyn: “What brings you here? And… I take it this is your manager?”
Jazmyn looks at Eddie, obviously hearing about him.
Eddie: “Oh wonderful. Even your quote unquote friends have no idea who the hell I am. I told you I need to appear on television maybe a bit more often on your behalf! I know you don’t necessarily need me to, but come on, man! I need to get my name out there too, you know!”
Adrien completely ignores Walker’s complaint before offering a handshake to Rain, who he greets with a smile on his face.
Adrien: “Good to see you, Jazmyn. Yes, this middle-aged bundle of snark and sarcasm is Edward Thomas Walker.”
Eddie: “Eww, full name…”
Adrien: “And allow me to make sure that you know that it is an absolute pleasure of his to make your acquaintance.”
Jazmyn: “The pleasure is all mine…”
Jazmyn smiles as she says this, further punctuating the bright spirits she is in right now. But, that smile gives way to a slight look of concern when she looks at Adrien.
Jazmyn: “I have to say, last night was crazy. Good on you for being able to keep the Destroyers at bay but I can’t help but be worried. I’m really concerned for you knowing that they are going to do whatever it takes to come back even stronger… especially Shields…”
She pauses, taking a small breath to calm herself down and prevent herself from getting too worked up about the situation.
Jazmyn: “Pardon me for being a tad overprotective, but are you sure you’re going to pull through this okay?”
Eddie: “Wow, Adrien, that’s twice in not even twelve hours.”
Adrien shoots his best friend a dirty look before turning back to Jazmyn with a grin on his face.
Adrien: “I am absolutely positive that I am on the best route to dismantling the Destroyers.”
Jazmyn: “I admire your confidence, I really do. Without it, there’s no way you can make that possible.”
Eddie: “You might even say he BELIEVES in himself. Right?! Right?! Come on, it’s a marketing thing!”
Jazmyn: “Riiight…”
Jazmyn chuckles for a bit before continuing on.
Jazmyn: “In Memphis, you managed to have Kenzie as your partner. That was great that you had backup and talented as she is, she’s not part of the Redemption roster. Even though you have Shields in a cage, there’s still four of them and…”
She pauses, wincing slightly.
Jazmyn: “...to my knowledge… one of you…”
Adrien: “Well, since I was the one who made Kenzie into the competitor she is today, she was glad to make that one-time appearance when Eddie here asked her to. I actually had no idea she was going to be my partner for the night. As for Convergence, there’s a reason I wanted a cage match. And their numbers is exactly it.”
Adrien attempts to give a reassuring grin to try to make Jazmyn feel less worrisome about the match.
Adrien: “The whole reason I wanted this match to be a cage match was to keep Kayla, Jack, and Coda OUT of the ring the entire time me and Matthew are in there. And while Matthew has been making it absolutely public knowledge that this match plays into his favor because of how ‘violent’ he is, I think having him isolated from his cronies is one way to keep him off balance. Remember how often he uses Kayla to win matches.”
Jazmyn nods, understanding where Adrien is coming from.
Jazmyn: “He does lean on her way too much for my liking. You made a very wise decision now that you explained it to me the way you did. We may barely know each other, but just from talking to you, I get this vibe that you’re not even afraid one iota of Matthew’s ‘violent’ tendencies. When you put it that way, you may end up having the deck evenly stacked. Still, and I’m sorry for pressing so much, you never know what they might pull. I know it’s not exactly the same, but last night when I took on Caroline, confident as I was going in, I was very aware of her reputation and the shortcuts and cheap shots she is capable of. Let’s not underestimate their intelligence here. What if they have something unpredictable up their sleeves?”
Adrien: “Well, the wonderful about having this man employed is that he actually came up with most of these ideas. The cage match and even using the cage last night...those were Eddie Walker ideas.”
Walker makes a graceful bow like an actor at a curtain call.
Adrien: “And believe me, I know for a fact that they are going to be bringing something to me from some angle I haven’t thought of. But at the same time, I need to bring something at them at some angle they haven’t thought of. But when it comes to straight up one on one fighting, the fact that Matthew Shields struggled at One Night Only when he found out how quick I was in the ring...I feel like I have a chance to really change the environment of our workplace.”
Eddie: “I’ve actually thought of something. I might need you in this little plan of mine, Miss Rain. I’m still trying to figure out details so I’m not going to go over this right now. But this is much bigger than just Adrien and Shields now. We’ve got the Young Cubs on our side now.”
Adrien: “Eddie has even begun working for Coda, who has made it clear to Eddie that she wants nothing to do with anything directed at me. She was visibly annoyed at some of the tactics of the other Destroyers ruining perfectly good contests with their shenanigans.”
Eddie: “She was LIVID when Shields interfered in that tag match.”
Adrien: “Exactly.”
Jazmyn raises her eyebrows with intrigue over what the two gentlemen just told her.
Jazmyn: “That’s very… interesting… for lack of a better term. I hope you know what you’re doing Eddie because we know how dangerous Coda can be. That being said… you just mentioned something about a plan and how you might need me to be involved in it?”
Her expression changes to that of curiosity as she continues.
Jazmyn: “What is this plan all about?”
Eddie: “I’m working on it. I haven’t even told blondie here about it yet. I think he tunes me out when I talk about having an unfinished plan until I tell him it’s done.”
Adrien: “I’m sorry, did you say something?”
Jazmyn: “He mentioned something about a plan and me being involved. It sounds like he was listening when we met up in Memphis and I told you that if you ever needed me for anything, I’d be there. Is that what this is about, Eddie?”
Eddie: “Well, honestly, we don’t even know if you’re going to be absolutely needed for this, honestly. It’s just something of a precautionary step I want to make to ensure this guy gets to keep dropkicking people for years to come.”
Jazmyn: “Precautionary steps are never a bad thing.”
Jazmyn nods, indicating that her worries over Adrien’s situation are dissipating.
Jazmyn: “So… what’s on your mind?”
Eddie: “How many songs I’m going to hear this guy sing on our flight to New Orleans? I’m setting the over/under somewhere around five and a half. He sings when he’s bored. Hell, he even does it on Twitter.”
Adrien chuckles a little bit.
Adrien: “Heh, I do do that, don’t I?”
Jazmyn: “Hey, I’m not going to judge! You do you!”
Jazmyn smiles and laughs.
Jazmyn: “I’m going to reiterate what I told you in Memphis though, Adrien. If things out there get haywire and you’re in some deep, serious trouble, I’ll be there and I’ll take that fight to the Destroyers or anyone that wants to cause danger for you, the Young Cubs or anyone on that roster that needs any help they can get. I trust that you’ve got things in hand, but just in case… you know you can count on me.”
Adrien: “Never a bad thing to have a good, capable ally. I appreciate it.”
Eddie: “I appreciate it too if anyone cares. For all I know, I might get targetted for some attack and need her rescuing too.”
Adrien: “Anyone targeting you paints a target that all of your clients will probably start pointing at from both sides of good and evil. I’m not sure I envy the person who has me, Coda, Blair, Jew Blazer, Mariano, Rayven Hardy, Scotty Latimer, Melina Garrison, Alicia Lukas, Kenzie, Stacy, Morgan Russo, Melissa Reeves...am I missing any?”
Eddie: “You got a majority of them.”
Adrien: “Yeah, I don’t envy the person who has all those guns pointed at them.”
Jazmyn: “That is a LOT of clients…”
Jazmyn laughs.
Jazmyn: “Point taken though. I’m sure Eddie will be alright!”
She pauses to deliver a playful wink before continuing.
Jazmyn: “Anyway, it was great catching up. Unfortunately, I should get going. It’s only a matter of time before my own flight back home to Charlotte starts boarding. You both stay safe until Convergence, alright? And Adrien, best of luck to you. I BELIEVE you’re going to do great things in that cage against Matthew Shields!”
Jazmyn smiles at Adrien, reassuring her confidence in him.
Adrien: “I appreciate it, Jazmyn. And I #Believe that you will win your match against DeSean Walker.”
Eddie: “Aww, crap, he belongs to me too. Try not to beat him too badly. Even if you win, I’d like to have him back in one piece. He’s a good kid that I think can have a bright future.”
Jazmyn chuckles, knowing that she’d never do a thing to hurt anyone on purpose.
Jazmyn: “No worries! I’m not out to end his career! Thanks for the positive sentiments guys! I’ll see you both soon!”
The Guardian Angel waves to the two gentlemen before departing in the opposite direction.
Adrien: "Hey, Eddie, even our chat with Jazmyn doesn't change the fact that we're stuck sitting in this airport for another hour before they even start wanting us anywhere near our gate."
Walker weakly shakes his head, rolling his eyes at his best friend.
Eddie: "I'm sure you'll give me your rendition of whatever band's kick you're currently on. Is it at least one that I enjoy too? Just...please no more Panic! at the Disco..."
FOR THE PROMO PORTION OF THIS PIECE, CLICK HERE!
The cycle repeated
As explosions broke in the sky
All that I needed
Was the one thing I couldn't find
And you were there at the turn
Waiting to let me know
We're building it up
To break it back down
We're building it up
To burn it down
We can't wait
To burn it to the ground
Date: August 20th, 2017
Cameras: OFF
“Where did I put my phone again?”
Adrien Cochrane frantically glanced around the locker room as he finished placing the last piece of his wrestling gear inside of his duffle bag. He looks up to see his manager standing in the doorway, Adrien’s phone in his hand.
Eddie: “I kept this safe for you. Catch.”
Eddie Walker tosses the iPhone 7 Plus towards the Dropkick King, who snatches it out of the air with relative ease. He shoves it into the pocket of his blue jeans before he tosses his bag over his shoulder.
Adrien: “Thanks, bud. Is the car ready?”
Walker nods his head before taking the bag from Adrien.
Eddie: “Momentarily. And let me get that. I’ll put that in the car for you. You might not have won your match, but you certainly got under the skin of Mr. Shields, if I do say so myself.”
Adrien: “Hey, the whole cage dropping down if they attacked was your idea. Give yourself some credit.”
As soon as Adrien finished his sentence, he saw another figure in the doorway.
Alechs: “Adrien! Adrien! Hey!”
Alechs Aurelio rushed out of the hallway to try and catch him. He was not with his girlfriend and tag partner, Honey. His bag slipped over his shoulder.
Alechs: “Hey, I was hoping to catch you.”
He breathed heavily.
Alechs: ”You got a sec?”
Eddie: “I’ll go ahead and take this to the car. He’s all yours, Mr. Aurelio. Good to see you again, young sir.”
Walker tosses Adrien’s bag over his shoulder before giving the two wrestlers privacy to speak. Cochrane pulls a chair out of the corner of the room and opens it across from the bench of the locker room, offering Alechs to take a seat with his gestures.
Adrien: “What’s on your mind, Alechs?”
Alechs: “Tonight...That shit with Shields? If you said the word, we would have been out there. It is always a numbers game with them, you know that man.”
He looked concerned at Adrien.
Adrien: “I know. I had that one time plan I knew would eliminate their numbers. They clearly won’t fall for it again, but had to use it this one time I could. Also didn’t want to drag you into a three on four scuffle. In the end, they retreated, Matt took a nice tumble...it worked out. Now, he sees that I’m prepared to use strategy against him and even our big match at Convergence is going to eliminate the risk of interference.”
Alechs: “Lucky tonight, yeah? But in the future? Come on man. You are smarter than that.”
He shakes his head.
Alechs: “Honey and I are in this with you. We owe Tillman an ass kicking for before. Storm already tucked his tail. And as long as The Destroyers are around, we need to make sure to keep them down as much as we can. Four on three is better than four on one, right?”
Adrien: “You’re not wrong.”
Adrien nods his head before repeating it to himself.
Adrien: “You’re not wrong, I’m not saying that. Working together is the best course of action for the future. But it wasn’t luck, I promise. I knew what I was doing, trust me. I even timed how long it would take me to dropkick all four sides of the cage to make sure I could protect myself.”
Adrien places a hand on the shoulder of the Redemption Wrestling Tag Team Champion.
Adrien: “Listen, I don’t want anyone getting injured on my behalf. You are holding that championship and I want to keep you holding that as long as possible. I’d rather I get hurt than you and Honey. Your safety is more important than mine. I know, I pulled out a trick there, but if you are serious about being a full fledged partner with me in this, I’ll include you in whatever else I plan next. You have my word.”
Alechs takes a moment, and he drops his bag on the ground.
Alechs: “Titles come. Titles go. You know that I am sure. Friends? Good friends at that? They last a lifetime, man.”
Alechs holds his hand out to Adrien’s.
Alechs: “You were there for me when I needed it. I am ride or die. Period. And Honey? She and I may not be on the same page tonight but we are still a team. The Cubs are always part of the Dropkick Posse.”
He smiles.
Adrien: “I really hope that isn’t what we are calling this.”
Alechs: “Nah, man. A joke. But this whole cage thing? That is not a joke. You ever been in one before?”
Adrien: “Three, in fact. Keep in mind, I’ve been in this business for twelve years.”
Alechs: “I wasn’t trying to come at you. Chill, AC.”
Alechs tries to calm the mood.
Alechs: “We still got our blood pumping, I get it. I just meant you know what you are getting yourself into, right? I ain’t doubting your skills. But Shields? He’s gonna find a way to break you. Hurt you. Make you bleed. With weapons, or his little cronies. A cage might try to keep people out, but you gotta prepare for the worst. It ain’t my place to tell you what to do, just know I am worried. And if you want me out there to make sure things stay copacetic, I got you.”
Adrien smiles a little bit.
Adrien: “Well, we know he’s going to have Kayla Richards on the outside as his manager. She’s got her big Heavyweight title match later in the night so she isn’t going to want to put herself at risk to get hurt before that. We will just leave her be for the time being. But if you see Coda or Tillman pop up, feel free to dart down to there with Honey.”
Alechs nods.
Alechs: “And you know it… say the word. We are there.”
He holds his hand out once more as he can see Eddie getting impatient.
Eddie: “Oh don’t mind me. I was gonna have to be filled in with what the plan is anyway.”
Adrien rolls his eyes at his manager as he shakes the tag champion’s hand once more.
Adrien: “I appreciate it, Alechs. And to ease your worries a bit, I’ve got Matthew Shields’s number. When Convergence is over, the crown will be taken from him. And that little monarchy the Destroyers have enforced over this roster for almost a year will be burned to the ground.”
Alechs goes to walk away, but stops and turns around.
Alechs: “You know, AC, it might be good for us to get a fourth.”
He tilts his head as Alechs walks away heading out of the building.
Eddie: “I mean, he’s not wrong. A fourth wouldn’t be a bad idea. It would certainly even out the numbers. It’s a shame you don’t have Stacy around.”
Adrien pauses for a moment as he looks at his now empty locker, lost in his own thoughts for a moment.
Adrien: “Yeah, but I think I know a capable fourth to fill that slot.”
The colors conflicted
As the flames climbed into the clouds
I wanted to fix this
But couldn't stop from tearing it down
And you were there at the turn
Caught in the burning glow
And I was there at the turn
Waiting to let you know
We're building it up
To break it back down
We're building it up
To burn it down
We can't wait
To burn it to the ground
Date: August 21st, 2017
Cameras: OFF
“You are aware that I have other clients that I need to attend to at some point, correct? I can’t be sitting here in this airport for another flight if we miss this one.”
Adrien Cochrane rolls his eyes as he pulls out his luggage bag out of the car. The trunk of the car is slammed shut by the man complaining to Adrien.
Adrien: “Oh Eddie. We’re still here with plenty of time to go. We’re gonna be okay. Do you have the tickets?”
The face of Adrien’s manager, Eddie Walker, freezes up for a moment. He starts patting his pockets before his expression becomes a bit more worrisome.
Eddie: “Oh no.”
Adrien: “Aren’t they digital these days?”
Cochrane raises his eyebrows as he slings both bags over his shoulders. Both men are wearing blue jeans, with Adrien wearing a green plaid shirt covering his Green Day t-shirt that is acting as an undershirt with enough buttons undone to see the t-shirt. Walker, on the other hand, was wearing a polo shirt, striped with the colors of red and white.
Eddie: “Oh yeah. They are on my phone, aren’t they?”
Walker pulls out his iPhone, and with a few swipes, has both tickets on his device, prepared to get them on the next flight to New Orleans. They begin walking inside as they continue their conversation.
Adrien: “So what time does it say we board?”
Eddie: “Seven in the morning.”
Adrien: “And do I even need to look at my wrist to see how early we are?”
Eddie: “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get your point. We’re early. I get your point. Don’t need to rub it in my face.”
Adrien: “I’m just doing to you what you would have done to me.”
It doesn’t take long for Adrien to get through with the receptionist at the front counter, getting Adrien and Eddie’s luggage checked in and out of their hands for the time being. It was as soon as he started walking into the interior part of the airport with his manager a few minutes later that he sees the face of someone else from the Redemption Wrestling roster.
“Hey! I wasn’t expecting to see you here!”
The voice came from Jazmyn Rain, who is in good spirits on this Monday morning. Sporting a purple, long sleeved t-shirt with a pair of jeans and a pair of black Reebok shoes, all while sporting a matching headband, the self-proclaimed “Guardian Angel” is happy to see Adrien for the first time since the One Night Only special of Glory in Memphis.
Jazmyn: “What brings you here? And… I take it this is your manager?”
Jazmyn looks at Eddie, obviously hearing about him.
Eddie: “Oh wonderful. Even your quote unquote friends have no idea who the hell I am. I told you I need to appear on television maybe a bit more often on your behalf! I know you don’t necessarily need me to, but come on, man! I need to get my name out there too, you know!”
Adrien completely ignores Walker’s complaint before offering a handshake to Rain, who he greets with a smile on his face.
Adrien: “Good to see you, Jazmyn. Yes, this middle-aged bundle of snark and sarcasm is Edward Thomas Walker.”
Eddie: “Eww, full name…”
Adrien: “And allow me to make sure that you know that it is an absolute pleasure of his to make your acquaintance.”
Jazmyn: “The pleasure is all mine…”
Jazmyn smiles as she says this, further punctuating the bright spirits she is in right now. But, that smile gives way to a slight look of concern when she looks at Adrien.
Jazmyn: “I have to say, last night was crazy. Good on you for being able to keep the Destroyers at bay but I can’t help but be worried. I’m really concerned for you knowing that they are going to do whatever it takes to come back even stronger… especially Shields…”
She pauses, taking a small breath to calm herself down and prevent herself from getting too worked up about the situation.
Jazmyn: “Pardon me for being a tad overprotective, but are you sure you’re going to pull through this okay?”
Eddie: “Wow, Adrien, that’s twice in not even twelve hours.”
Adrien shoots his best friend a dirty look before turning back to Jazmyn with a grin on his face.
Adrien: “I am absolutely positive that I am on the best route to dismantling the Destroyers.”
Jazmyn: “I admire your confidence, I really do. Without it, there’s no way you can make that possible.”
Eddie: “You might even say he BELIEVES in himself. Right?! Right?! Come on, it’s a marketing thing!”
Jazmyn: “Riiight…”
Jazmyn chuckles for a bit before continuing on.
Jazmyn: “In Memphis, you managed to have Kenzie as your partner. That was great that you had backup and talented as she is, she’s not part of the Redemption roster. Even though you have Shields in a cage, there’s still four of them and…”
She pauses, wincing slightly.
Jazmyn: “...to my knowledge… one of you…”
Adrien: “Well, since I was the one who made Kenzie into the competitor she is today, she was glad to make that one-time appearance when Eddie here asked her to. I actually had no idea she was going to be my partner for the night. As for Convergence, there’s a reason I wanted a cage match. And their numbers is exactly it.”
Adrien attempts to give a reassuring grin to try to make Jazmyn feel less worrisome about the match.
Adrien: “The whole reason I wanted this match to be a cage match was to keep Kayla, Jack, and Coda OUT of the ring the entire time me and Matthew are in there. And while Matthew has been making it absolutely public knowledge that this match plays into his favor because of how ‘violent’ he is, I think having him isolated from his cronies is one way to keep him off balance. Remember how often he uses Kayla to win matches.”
Jazmyn nods, understanding where Adrien is coming from.
Jazmyn: “He does lean on her way too much for my liking. You made a very wise decision now that you explained it to me the way you did. We may barely know each other, but just from talking to you, I get this vibe that you’re not even afraid one iota of Matthew’s ‘violent’ tendencies. When you put it that way, you may end up having the deck evenly stacked. Still, and I’m sorry for pressing so much, you never know what they might pull. I know it’s not exactly the same, but last night when I took on Caroline, confident as I was going in, I was very aware of her reputation and the shortcuts and cheap shots she is capable of. Let’s not underestimate their intelligence here. What if they have something unpredictable up their sleeves?”
Adrien: “Well, the wonderful about having this man employed is that he actually came up with most of these ideas. The cage match and even using the cage last night...those were Eddie Walker ideas.”
Walker makes a graceful bow like an actor at a curtain call.
Adrien: “And believe me, I know for a fact that they are going to be bringing something to me from some angle I haven’t thought of. But at the same time, I need to bring something at them at some angle they haven’t thought of. But when it comes to straight up one on one fighting, the fact that Matthew Shields struggled at One Night Only when he found out how quick I was in the ring...I feel like I have a chance to really change the environment of our workplace.”
Eddie: “I’ve actually thought of something. I might need you in this little plan of mine, Miss Rain. I’m still trying to figure out details so I’m not going to go over this right now. But this is much bigger than just Adrien and Shields now. We’ve got the Young Cubs on our side now.”
Adrien: “Eddie has even begun working for Coda, who has made it clear to Eddie that she wants nothing to do with anything directed at me. She was visibly annoyed at some of the tactics of the other Destroyers ruining perfectly good contests with their shenanigans.”
Eddie: “She was LIVID when Shields interfered in that tag match.”
Adrien: “Exactly.”
Jazmyn raises her eyebrows with intrigue over what the two gentlemen just told her.
Jazmyn: “That’s very… interesting… for lack of a better term. I hope you know what you’re doing Eddie because we know how dangerous Coda can be. That being said… you just mentioned something about a plan and how you might need me to be involved in it?”
Her expression changes to that of curiosity as she continues.
Jazmyn: “What is this plan all about?”
Eddie: “I’m working on it. I haven’t even told blondie here about it yet. I think he tunes me out when I talk about having an unfinished plan until I tell him it’s done.”
Adrien: “I’m sorry, did you say something?”
Jazmyn: “He mentioned something about a plan and me being involved. It sounds like he was listening when we met up in Memphis and I told you that if you ever needed me for anything, I’d be there. Is that what this is about, Eddie?”
Eddie: “Well, honestly, we don’t even know if you’re going to be absolutely needed for this, honestly. It’s just something of a precautionary step I want to make to ensure this guy gets to keep dropkicking people for years to come.”
Jazmyn: “Precautionary steps are never a bad thing.”
Jazmyn nods, indicating that her worries over Adrien’s situation are dissipating.
Jazmyn: “So… what’s on your mind?”
Eddie: “How many songs I’m going to hear this guy sing on our flight to New Orleans? I’m setting the over/under somewhere around five and a half. He sings when he’s bored. Hell, he even does it on Twitter.”
Adrien chuckles a little bit.
Adrien: “Heh, I do do that, don’t I?”
Jazmyn: “Hey, I’m not going to judge! You do you!”
Jazmyn smiles and laughs.
Jazmyn: “I’m going to reiterate what I told you in Memphis though, Adrien. If things out there get haywire and you’re in some deep, serious trouble, I’ll be there and I’ll take that fight to the Destroyers or anyone that wants to cause danger for you, the Young Cubs or anyone on that roster that needs any help they can get. I trust that you’ve got things in hand, but just in case… you know you can count on me.”
Adrien: “Never a bad thing to have a good, capable ally. I appreciate it.”
Eddie: “I appreciate it too if anyone cares. For all I know, I might get targetted for some attack and need her rescuing too.”
Adrien: “Anyone targeting you paints a target that all of your clients will probably start pointing at from both sides of good and evil. I’m not sure I envy the person who has me, Coda, Blair, Jew Blazer, Mariano, Rayven Hardy, Scotty Latimer, Melina Garrison, Alicia Lukas, Kenzie, Stacy, Morgan Russo, Melissa Reeves...am I missing any?”
Eddie: “You got a majority of them.”
Adrien: “Yeah, I don’t envy the person who has all those guns pointed at them.”
Jazmyn: “That is a LOT of clients…”
Jazmyn laughs.
Jazmyn: “Point taken though. I’m sure Eddie will be alright!”
She pauses to deliver a playful wink before continuing.
Jazmyn: “Anyway, it was great catching up. Unfortunately, I should get going. It’s only a matter of time before my own flight back home to Charlotte starts boarding. You both stay safe until Convergence, alright? And Adrien, best of luck to you. I BELIEVE you’re going to do great things in that cage against Matthew Shields!”
Jazmyn smiles at Adrien, reassuring her confidence in him.
Adrien: “I appreciate it, Jazmyn. And I #Believe that you will win your match against DeSean Walker.”
Eddie: “Aww, crap, he belongs to me too. Try not to beat him too badly. Even if you win, I’d like to have him back in one piece. He’s a good kid that I think can have a bright future.”
Jazmyn chuckles, knowing that she’d never do a thing to hurt anyone on purpose.
Jazmyn: “No worries! I’m not out to end his career! Thanks for the positive sentiments guys! I’ll see you both soon!”
The Guardian Angel waves to the two gentlemen before departing in the opposite direction.
Adrien: "Hey, Eddie, even our chat with Jazmyn doesn't change the fact that we're stuck sitting in this airport for another hour before they even start wanting us anywhere near our gate."
Walker weakly shakes his head, rolling his eyes at his best friend.
Eddie: "I'm sure you'll give me your rendition of whatever band's kick you're currently on. Is it at least one that I enjoy too? Just...please no more Panic! at the Disco..."
You told me, "Yes,"
You held me high
And I believed when you told that lie
I played soldier, you played king
And struck me down, when I kissed that ring
You lost that right, to hold that crown
I built you up, but you let me down
So when you fall, I'll take my turn
And fan the flames
As your blazes burn
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