Scene 1: DEAD MAN
Where: Local Gym
When: February 3rd, afternoon.
“I swear to god… Sanders is a DEAD MAN”*The scene fades up inside a gym where Alexis Makarios was running on a treadmill. She had headphones in and was oblivious to the outside world as she ran. Her red/orange hair was pulled back into a messy bun on the back of her head. It bounced with every step as she ran on the treadmill. Her arms were pumping back and forth in unison with her legs as she ran at a decent pace. Her forehead glistened with sweat as it became apparent she has been running on this for a while. Her mind raced as she kept going.*
“I’m gonna kill him… first he messes with my match, then he attacks 2 of my friends. All because he got fucked over by Mike Hawk?”*A small chuckle escaped her lips as she said that in her head. As much as she hated the bastard, using his name in that fashion was always good for a laugh.*
“Gotta admit… Hawk was a genius with that move. Cash it in on a title no one expected, then cash in that title for a World Title shot? Why not pad his resume while he’s at it. It’s exactly what I would have done at one point in time.”*She stopped the treadmill and hopped off. She grabbed a rag and wiped the sweat off her forehead before grabbing a bottle of water. She chugged down about half of it when she heard a familiar voice coming up from behind her. It was her husband, James Younger. He walked over to her with a slight smirk.*
James Younger: You ready to go?
*She didn’t hear him, because her headphones were still in her ears. He gently put his hands on her shoulders, and it was enough to startle her. She turned around and swung, sucker punching him square in the nose! His thin frame crumpled to the ground. As soon as she saw it was him, she ripped the headphones out of her ears and dropped to the ground next to him.*
Alexis Makarios: OH MY GOD I'M SO SORRY! I… I had my headphones in!
James Younger: It’s ok.
*He moved his hands and saw that there was no blood. So that’s a plus. They both stood up to their feet.*
Alexis Makarios: I’m just so on edge after Sanders and his bullshit.
James Younger: Don’t worry. No harm, no foul. You told me to pick you up from here around 3. I sat out in the car for about a half hour. I figured you got wrapped up in your training.
Alexis Makarios: I really did. This Olla-Rumble is actually quite important. Not only am I in it to represent PWS, how cool would it be if an “outsider” won this huge rumble and got a shot at their belt? And even better, what if that outsider were me? Think about it. Alexis Makarios. PWS Hall of Famer. PWS:APEX United Champion. PWE World Champion. How frigging cool would that be?
James Younger: It would be pretty cool.
Alexis Makarios: And that’s exactly why I am pushing SO HARD! 2022… the Year of Makarios. I have a reputation to live up to. A legacy to stake.
James Younger: Trust me, you already have a legacy.
Alexis Makarios: But I tarnished it with everything last year. I had some troubles, I went crazy, and I ended up in a psych hospital for crying out loud. But I have overcome all that. I’m stronger than ever. I’m in great shape. And I’m determined. And you know that when I want something, I stop at nothing to get it. I don’t care WHO crosses my path.
James Younger: That’s no lie. I just worry. I don’t want you to push yourself too hard. Your doctors may have cleared you but… just call me the worry wart husband.
*Alexis smirked slightly as she shook her head a little bit, in amusement. He cared deeply and was always in her corner. Even at her worst.*
Alexis Makarios: Don’t worry. I’m not taking on too much. I know I have a lot on my plate right now, but giving myself a goal, a realistic goal, and focusing on achieving it is a great way to keep my mind and body sharp.
*She sensed his concern and gently placed her hand on his cheek*
Alexis Makarios: Don’t worry, if at any time I feel that I am overdoing it, I promise I will seek help instead of just losing my mind like last year. I NEVER want to feel that again. Ever. It was the lowest point in my life. I even missed our 1 year wedding anniversary because of it. I’m never going back to that spot again. NEVER.
James Younger: That’s good to hear. I just worry, and get protective.
Alexis Makarios: I know. It’s good to have someone like you in my corner. I know I have Audrey. And Heather. But Audrey has her own things going on, like the SCW tournament she signed up for and Aurora’s recovery AND now her brother. She doesn’t need to worry about that. And Heather? Well she is slowly going down the same path I was. Insanely jealous, and full of hate and rage. Frankly, it’s driving me crazy. I honestly worry that one of them WONT make it out of that chamber in one piece.
James Younger: My money’s on that being Heather… Audrey is… spunky to say the least. But you know they both care about you. Just have different ways of showing it.
Alexis Makarios: Yeah, but it’s kinda driving me BONKERS. And not what I need right now with all this going on. My United Title match, the Beat the Clock challenge, and Sanders doing his fucking shit… I swear to god if we are in the rumble at the same time…
James Younger: His ass is gonna die, isn’t he?
Alexis Makarios: That’s one way to put it. I could stand here and ramble about his pathetic ass for hours. But I got things to do. Let’s get going, shall we?
*James nods as they exit the gym, sending the scene to black*
Scene 2: The Rumble
Where: Empty Arena
When: Day before Magnificence
“Don’t be afraid of pressure. Pressure is what turns a lump of coal into a diamond”
Or at least that’s what they say, right? And it makes sense, you take something rough around the edges, you apply pressure to it, and BAM it becomes smooth and beautiful. That’s how it works, isn’t it? And that can apply to all aspects of life. You can take coal, add pressure, and get a diamond. You can take some struggling weak person, an unrefined soul with no sense of importance or confidence. You apply the right amount of pressure, and you can refine that person into a brilliant, shining diamond. But what people don’t realize is that not every story of pressure is a successful one. Sometimes, you take that lump of coal and you squeeze and squish… and it cracks, it breaks… it turns to dust before your eyes and blows away in the wind never to be seen again. I guess the question remains… are you a diamond… or are you dust?*The scene fades up with Alexis Makarios standing in a wrestling ring in an empty arena. It was the night before PWE’s show, Magnificence. What an interesting name, right? Alexis was in full wrestling gear. A black singlet that ended in short cut shorts, and the top portion came up and around her neck as a halter top, leaving her arms exposed except for the elbow pads and wrist bands that she had on. There was a cutout in the chest area that showed just enough cleavage. It was detailed with a bright green stitching, to represent PWS:APEX. There was green stitching on the sides that said PWS. Ya know, just in case anyone forgot who she was repping in this rumble. She had green boots on that were laced up and to the top of her knees, which were covered in black kneepads with the PWS logo on them. Her hair was down, her natural curls taking over. Surrounding the ring were a hand full of people. It was unknown who these people were. Trainers? Friends? Local talent? Who knows. But, they all had on some basic wrestling gear. Generic looking almost. They all almost looked like CAW’s from a wrestling video game. Alexis took a second to look at each and every one of them before she began to speak.*
Alexis Makarios: The Olla-Rumble. Talk about PRESSURE, right? 30 men and women enter this ring, all looking for their moment of glory. We all have one goal coming out here, and that is to outlast the other 29 and be declared the winner. Always watching your back. You need to keep an eye ahead of you and one behind you. You can’t overlook a single person because it takes a mere second to cost you everything. So which one of you is feeling froggy and wants to take the first shot?
*One of the guys slides in the ring. He had short brown hair, and was wearing basic trunks and no shirt. He was a little muscley. Not like “omg where did he get the steroids” muscles. But you could tell he tried. Alexis smirked a bit.*
Alexis Makarios: Can you live up to the pressure? Being the first one to step in the ring with me? You don’t know who I am, you don’t know what I can do. Much like most of the PWE roster. Hell, there’s only a couple names that I even recognize in this rumble. But that’s ok, because that gives me an advantage. They don’t know what I am capable of. They don’t know my moves, or how my mind thinks. Puts all the pressure on THEM, because I know what I’m going to do. I’ve been in this kind of situation before. I’m a seasoned veteran. I’M A HALL OF FAMER FOR GODS SAKE! So please, rise to the challenge and do your best.
*The guy looked angry as he charged at Alexis. She ducked and he bounced off the ropes and came back. She jumped over him as he caught himself on the other rope. She charged at him, sending him right over the top rope. She stands back up and flips her hair out of the way with a grin.*
Alexis Makarios: Dust. Nothing but dust from you. Good effort though. See, you tried, but you failed. And now, you can at least say you tried. That’s going to be a common thing at the Olla-Rumble tomorrow. People are going to try and eliminate me. But they are all going to fail. Because they all don’t understand that Alexis Makarios is a diamond. I’ve been in this business long enough, and had enough pressure on me, that I am a freaking diamond! The harder that anyone tries to dull my shine… the brighter it gets! I’m about to be the first PWS:APEX Triple Crown Champion. The only person in the world who will get to make that claim. So tell me… who’s next?
*Another guy gets in the ring. He was a standard build, average height as well. He had short, dark hair that was slicked back. Almost a little
too slicked back, if you catch my drift. He was wearing jean shorts and of all things… a Jonathan Sanders t-shirt. As soon as he entered the ring, Alexis took a deep breath.*
Alexis Makarios: You have a death wish, dontcha?
*The guy shrugged and charged at Alexis. He was able to catch her off guard enough to knock her to the mat. She looked up at him and inhaled sharply before sweeping his legs with her own, knocking him down the mat himself. She jumped up to her feet and began to stomp on the guy repeatedly. She grabbed him by his hair and lifted him back up to his feet. She kept a grip on his hair as she got right into his face.*
Alexis Makarios: JONATHAN SANDERS… IS A DEAD MAN!
*She spun him around, and jumped up putting her knees against his back and pulling back, dropping him with a backstabber. She kept ahold of his head and flipped over, so he was on his stomach and she was facing up. She wrapped his arms around his neck as tightly as she could and applied pressure.*
Alexis Makarios: YOU HEAR ME SANDERS??? THIS IS YOUR FUTURE! THIS IS YOUR FATE! YOU FUCK WITH MAKARIOS AND IT DOES NOT GO WELL FOR YOU! I WILL TAKE YOU OUT OF THIS RUMBLE EVEN IF IT COSTS ME THE WIN! YOU… ARE DONE FOR!
*She applied more pressure, and the guy was tapping out furiously with both hands until he looked like he was going to pass out. At that point, Alexis let go of the man, and he began to cough trying to catch his breath. She grabbed him and lifted him back up to his feet. She looked him in the eyes for a second before tossing him over the top rope. She stood in the middle of the ring, breathing heavy, her face red with rage.*
Alexis Makarios: I should be more concerned with winning this rumble, and bringing the prestige of the win to PWS:APEX. But, the second I see your stupid face in that match, it’s all over. That all goes out the window. I hate you, and I may not be the bitch I was a year ago. But that doesn’t mean I will spare you, Sanders.
*She looks right into the camera… as if sending a message straight to him*
Alexis Makarios: You messed up my match against Kallie Reznik. That girl deserved BETTER! She deserved MORE than your whiny ass throwing a temper tantrum! “Oh no, I got screwed over. I didn’t see it coming. I lost my little belt, and now I'm mad! He outsmarted me, and now I'm gonna go all emo ragey-rage until I get my way”... well guess what, bitch? IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY! You interfered in my match… Strike one. You attacked 2 of my best friends. That’s strike two. You don’t GET a chance to get strike three. So you better HOPE that you and I don’t cross paths. Because I don’t need to be in a PWS ring to take you out.
*She takes in a deep breath and looks around as the faces on the rest of the people outside the ring is that of shock, and a slight bit of fear. She cleared her throat and cracked her neck a little bit. She let out a slight chuckle.*
Alexis Makarios: Well, that was interesting, yes? Now, where was I?
*She thought for a second then shrugged*
Alexis Makarios: I just hope the PWE Roster is ready. Because this is MY YEAR. The year I make my comeback. It’s no secret that 2021 was a shitty year. In so many ways. I lost my Tag Titles. I went down a really dark hole. And yes, for those of you who have heard only bits and pieces, I spent a few weeks in the psychiatric hospital last summer. I had a break down. The pressure built up to be too much over years and years and I just didn’t know how to handle it all. But here I am, roughly 8 months later, and I am in the best damn shape of my life. I have been able to take the pressure and turn it into something amazing. I’m focused. Well, expect for wanting to murder Jonathan Sanders, but that’s different. It’s personal.
*Her face began to flush with anger again. She paused, took in a deep breath, and counted to 5 under her breath before continuing.*
Alexis Makarios: So let me put this out there to everyone in this Olla-Rumble. I don’t give 2 shits about you, who you are, who you know, what you’ve done, or what kind of promises you are making. I really don’t care. Because you are nothing more than a number to me. Stepping stones, if you will. See, I’m this stranger from another company that is gonna come over here- on your turf no less- and make you look absolutely pathetic. You guys have no idea what can of worms was opened when PWE opened this rumble up and I heard about it. And the best part? There’s not a damn thing you can do to stop it from happening. It’s fate. Or destiny. Whatever you wanna call it.
*She looked around as the rest of the people are starting to take a few steps away from the ring. She shook her head and chuckled a little bit*
Alexis Makarios: Figures… cowards. See, all the rest of you, and you’ll have to forgive me if I don’t wanna waste the time and effort to remember ANY of your names, are the ones that are going to be feeling the pressure out there. You’d think it would be me with so many big matches coming up. Hell, I have a non title match against our World Champion, Sierra Williams. The woman has been the champion for over 300 days now. Good for her. This is a huge match for me on my quest to the United Title. Then I have this rumble, and the title match itself at our PPV event in March. You’d think I’d crack and crumble under that kind of pressure? No way. I’ve said it before, and i’ll say it again. Alexis Makarios is a diamond. Forged under pressure.
*She looked around again, before turning back to the camera.*
Alexis Makarios: I thrive in this sort of environment. THRIVE! I don’t care who you are in PWE. I don’t care if you are a champion, a former champion, or just some groupie plucked off the streets. I really and truly don’t. I am here for ONE goal. And I'll let you figure that one out for yourself. Just keep one thing in mind…
*She brushed some stray hairs out of her face.*
Alexis Makarios: While some people buckle under pressure, the oaks grow strong despite strong winds and diamonds are made under pressure. I live for obstacles. Tell me I can’t do something, I’m gonna do it anyways. Just to prove you wrong. And I'll give you a big ole double bird at the same time. If you think that I will crack and break under pressure… and make a mistake? That’s the OLD Alexis. Hear me now…
*She takes a few steps towards the camera until it’s a close up shot of her face.*
Alexis Makarios: No cracks. No breaks. No mistakes.
… NO PRESSURE.*With that, the cameras fade to a blue image that reads “2022- Year of Makarios.*
