Post by gothmother on Feb 25, 2022 8:15:26 GMT -5
WELCOME TO THE ASYLUM [WILLKOMMEN IM IRRENHAUS]
She didn’t wanna be here. And if she hadn’t made a promise she would have left directly, but Elena DeDraca held her word. Especially when given to the one precious in her life. Izzy. The most important person in her life and the one she never wanted to disappoint. It was hard enough to explain why mama came home in such a damaged condition. Izabella was smart and she knew all about Elena’s job. But that didn’t mean she ever stopped asking questions.
Sitting outside in the waiting room, she was more than happy that Hannah had decided to spend the day with her. Despite everything that had happened in the past, Hannah Morrison was still like an aunt to the little princess. She was probably somewhere out there, feeding her all the unhealthy things she loved so much. A small smile appeared on Elena’s face but faded a moment later.
Every smile hurts.
The first physical inspection was done right after the Crowning II. She wanted to protest but DeMarco wasn't having it. Considering that she couldn’t cover her wounds at this point, there was no need to fight. She was granted special treatment at the local hospital. Stitches, pain medication, and whatever else. Do you know those pills that make you feel like you walk on clouds?
I hate them.
Elena didn’t believe in pills. It was that sentence that made the doctors laugh. One of the younger ones then said something she couldn’t deny: You don’t have to believe in something for it to knock you out.
I will wait 3 more minutes, then I am out.
She was ready to get up when the door finally opened and a man in his early 40s looked at her. He gave her a gentle smile and stepped aside, symbolizing that she could come in now. It took a lot more effort than she wanted to accept to even get up. It felt as if every muscle in her body was sore. Thinking about all the bruises, this might not be far from the truth.
When they both had entered the room he quietly closed the door, walking past her. He took a seat in his chair, gesturing for her to take the other.
“Welcome to my ordination, Miss DeDraca. I did spend the morning hours going through your hospital reports, they don’t look too thrilling. I am honestly surprised that you stand in front of me like that.”
“You know, just a few bruises. Nothing too serious.”
She tried her best to sound confident in this very moment, but there were holes in the facade. Elena was biting her bottom lip when finally sitting down.
“Can we cut this short, doc? I am only here because my bosses require a piece of paper that tells them: She is good to go.”
The doctor looked at her for a long moment without a real reaction, but maybe she read some disbelief in his expression. He leaned forward, trying his best to stay professional at this point.
“I am sorry, Miss DeDraca, but I am in doubt it is a good idea when you return to action. Not this quickly after all that has happened…”
“Excuse my language, doc, but I don’t give a fuck about what you think. I have been doing this a lot longer than most, which means I know my body perfectly well. I feel good.”
“I have no doubt about that. And I could willingly ignore the mild concussion and the bruises, but not the injury on your abdomen. Sure they put stitches and medical glue on you, but I am in doubt that will hold through the whole match.”
This time it was upon her to lean forward. She smiled at the man in a challenging manner.
“I try not to offend you, but that is bullshit. I will give you a little resume about my career or better said the injuries I have lived with. Five years after I started my career, I have been out of action. Why? Because the bimbo next to me wasn't a safe worker. They diagnosed a broken neck and told me I could never return to the ring. But I proved them wrong. Them and the whole world. I came back better and more dangerous. And after that? Multiple concussions, broken bones. a broken nose… and the list goes on. And this here?”
She lifted her shirt. The skin around the stitches was dark red and there were numerous bruises shining in different colours.
“Is nothing more than a little scratch. Someone like Arik Holt doesn’t have the power to put me out of action. So I will repeat my request. I need a piece of paper that gives me green light. We both know that at the end of the day you will agree anyhow.”
There was this odd silence between them, only interrupted by the doctor letting out a deep sigh. He was looking for something in his bag before looking back at Elena.
“I do realize this, you are very strong- minded. And obviously used to getting your will, Miss DeDraca. But if you want me to agree to this totally absurd deal, there will be rules to follow. I am not going to risk my reputation because of a stubborn, young female.”
To say she was impressed would have been the underestimation of the century. This man clearly had guts. And as much as she wished to spill them all over the expensive mahogany table, she remained still. She was willing to hear him out and then make a decision.
“I want you to come back to me before you leave for this match. I will run all the necessary tests and look over those stitches. If necessary I will add some. And glue you back together once more… “
“Is that all?”
“No, it isn’t. I don’t know much about your job, but I have seen enough of those injuries to paint the picture. No matter what, make sure to protect your head and abdomen. If necessary, wear a bandage underneath your costume.”
She laughed but regretted it immediately.
“I don’t wear a costume. I am not working as a showgirl or at the freakshow. Don’t get on my bad side, doctor Phil.”
“I apologize, then underneath whatever you wear. Those are my rules, do you think that you can follow them?”
She slowly rose from the chair, taking a deep breath.
“I will see what I can do.”
It didn’t get more honest than this, but it seemed to be good enough for him. He signed all the necessary papers before releasing her. Somewhere in the back of her head, she knew that he only meant her well, but that didn’t matter. Elena didn’t function like that. Even though she had gone through a long phase of growing up, there was still this rebellious child inside of her.
Sorry, not sorry.
She didn’t bother saying goodbye to the lady on the outside, instead she walked out of the building. All her dark thoughts were erased the moment she spotted her daughter. She and Hannah were sitting on a bench, eating what looked like the biggest piece of ice cream ever. Elena shook her head, but she was not in the mood to lecture either of them.
“Not like they would listen…”
She was mumbling to herself before walking towards them, taking a seat on the same bench. Immediately she was offered the ice cream and although she wanted to decline, she took a quick lick. The smile on Izzy’s face was more healing than any pill ever could be.
“So, what is the news? Did the doctor give you the green light? Because I know that Hendrix would be sooooooo sad if you couldn’t fight.”
Despite the fact that Hannah was a grown- up woman, she still had something so childish about her. Something Elena admired her for.
“It’s all good. He told me to not overdo myself, but honestly- I have slowed down so much the past years. So he doesn’t have to worry about that.”
Elena tried her best to sound careless and even though she knew Izabella fell for it, the look on Hannah’s face told another tale. But she wouldn’t start a fight. Even though the young woman with the blue hair could be full of fire, there was this undying respect for Elena. Someone she saw as a mother figure.
“Good. I wouldn’t wanna hand tissues to Hendrix… “
“This sounds wrong in so many ways, Hannah. You certainly spend too much time with Petey.”
For a moment it was absolutely silent before Hannah bursted out laughing. It clearly took a moment before she understood what Elena was talking about. And just like every time this happened, the laughing wouldn’t stop for a long while. Elena licked from the ice cream another time, leaning back while closing her eyes.
“Welcome to the asylum.”
RELEASE THE HOUNDS [LASST DIE HUNDE LOS]
Sometimes it was necessary to leave your comfort zone. Nobody knew that better than Elena DeDraca. Her career was filled with decisions that led her to where she was today. But none of them ever were easy. Behind closed doors, she had to fight her toughest enemy, over and over again.
I will get you down.
Herself. But she wasn't the type to look back in regret. Sure things could have been easier, but would they have been worth it? Probably not. Going up against Arik Holt was a tough challenge in many ways. Not only did he try to end her career in that very ring, but he wanted to get in her head. And he did. To a degree. But at the end of the day, he made the one mistake that everyone else before him did. He didn’t finish the job. It was the one credo that Elena kept repeating to everyone that came for her. If you wanna break me, then you have to end me.
But back to the comfort zone. Not once in her lifetime had she opened the door to her mansion to strangers. But she was at a point where it felt like the right thing to do. For almost two hours she watched the crew building up their stuff. Here and there she heard the nasal voice of Crystal Ward. She never was a fan of the girl, but that's beside the point. After a long talk with Mister Ekaterin she agreed to have an exclusive interview.
Leeches.
Elena had picked the huge library that Mark built for her, or better- said order to be made. He was a lot, but definitely not Bob the builder. While everyone around her seemed strangely busy, Elena was sitting in her favorite chair. Her make-up and hair were done and like mostly she was dressed in black. It was both elegant and eloquent to who she was. It took another twenty minutes before Crystal took the seat right above her. She gave a smile to the Fist of Hydra, but didn’t get one back. This was work for Elena and nothing else.
“You ready, Elena.”
There was no verbal response from the former LEGACY champion, instead, she nodded. This seemed to be enough for the interviewer as she gave a sign to the camera guy.
[REC]
“Ladies and gentlemen, I am grateful to welcome you to this exclusive interview today. It is a premiere in many ways. For the first time in almost two decades, Elena DeDraca decided to open the gates to what she calls home. So we are the first team to get to sit down with the Fist of Hydra. Thank you for that, Elena.”
“It’s Miss DeDraca.”
This obviously caught Crystal off guard and you could see her cheeks blush slightly. But being a professional she swallowed that down. This time it was her that did nod towards Elena, clearly feeling uncomfortable at this point.
“Not even a week ago we witnessed Elena DeDraca going up against Arik Holt. It would be an underestimation to say that this was one of the most brutal matches that Project Honor ever had. How are you feeling today, Miss DeDraca? It looked like you had been badly injured by the hands of the former Fallout General Manager.”
Elena took her time to let all the words sink. For a moment her hand moved to her abdomen, feeling the numerous stitches holding together her skin. When she added some pressure she was close to let out a scream, but that never came. Instead, she removed her hand, grabbing the cup of tea standing in front of her.
“Arik Holt. What a colourful man, huh? Or at least that is what he sees in himself. Someone that did so well for this business. The one that saved Fallout. Aren’t those some of his greatest hits? I will tell you something, Crystal, he was nothing more than a fraud. An empty shell that tried to prove a point. But what he didn’t realize was this, if you wanna prove something- you have to offer the world something to see. And there was nothing. I am sure there are people out there right now saying I didn’t earn this win but guess what? Your opinion affects me as much as a bicycle falling over in China. Even before Christian DeMarco appeared to settle his score, I had Arik right where I wanted. I looked into those watery eyes and had all the answers. I don't need any assistance from Christian, but who am I dictating the actions of other people? Arik tried to fuck me over badly, but what he did with Christian? I was highly surprised he made it out of that arena alive.”
Elena sipped from her tea which by now had the perfect temperature. She took her time, knowing that Crystal was getting even more nervous.
“But I will not deny that Baldo got me good. I have quite the bruises and stitches that tell a story, but here I am. Not broken. Not out of a job. And most importantly still able to look into the mirror without disgust. I have had far worse battle wounds in the past. So I am sorry if I can’t give Arik Holt the satisfaction he needs or longs for. I am sure his little whore will know how to cheer him up. No hard feelings and all that crap, just not this down for the future: If you wanna mess with me, get the job done.”
Her green eyes now were focused on Crystal again, waiting for the next question. Deep inside she hoped it would become better than that.
“I think everyone is aware when it comes to your opinion about Arik Holt. Thank you for finding clear words though. But away from this, you are only a few days away from facing one of Proving Grounds biggest superstars. Both in size and his standing with the company. How do you feel about going up against Brandon Hendrix?”
There was an amused grin that now played around Elena’s lips. She laid her head to the side, but still looked at the interviewer.
“One of the biggest superstars? You are cute. I don’t mean for this to sound rude, but what for? This is a serious question, Crystal.”
“He won a lot of matches …”
“So that’s it? This and that he obviously gives you wet panties? Cheers, that's quite the achievement. But then again Indy did too before you became an ungrateful bitch. Another story, for another time. I don’t say those things to belittle Mister Hendrix, but I am the curious type. What milestone has he hit since being part of this company? Winning matches is good and all, but that doesn’t make you a big superstar. It makes you good at your job, that’s it. I will not pretend that I know everything about my opponent, but I know he is hard to miss. Considering his size.”
She looked at Crystal still, this time rolling her eyes.
“But if you look back at my career, which has lasted for almost twenty years, you will figure out that size truly doesn’t matter to me. I have slain dragons and all kinds of monsters. What does a simple man have to offer against me? I would be thankful for answers, Crystal, but we both know you don’t have them. Brandon has what it takes to become the next golden boy, yet it seems to me he is rather lazy. He never goes that extra mile. So what am I supposed to do with someone that is used to working the minimum? Correct, I will hunt him and make sure to get him to the edge. And when he stands there, I will make sure he takes that final step. He considers himself the main guy, doesn’t he? I am kinda confused when it comes to that. What exactly did he do to become that? Or is it just another time that someone throws out a self given name and we are all supposed to buy it?”
One of the staff workers couldn’t help himself but giggle at this point. Crystal shot him a warning look, which brought him back to business.
“We don’t just come up with nicknames. They are given to us by colleagues, fans or even management. But I am far from believing that anyone ever called Brandon Hendrix the main guy, at least not in this company. But this kinda leads to a good story. One that fits this situation. In my career I have been called a lot of things. Some are more flattering than others. But there were names among those times that I didn’t agree with. Two of them are the most overused ones in the history of this business. Queen and Goddess.”
“I find those names very flattering and fitting, Miss DeDraca.”
Elena couldn’t help herself but laugh out loud.
“Of course someone as hollow as you would think that, I can’t even be mad about it. But you miss the point, Crystal. I never asked or begged for those names or to be recognised. My actions did that for me. Before you so rudely interrupted me though, I was trying to make a point. Since my match against Arik a new name was added to the list. Matyr. I went up against management, something that so many people blah blah about. Don’t think that I am blind to those that so badly long for attention. Unfortunately when they have my attention, they really don’t want it. How will it be for the main guy Brandon Hendrix? Does anyone think he is ready for that kind of dance? Because I have honest doubts. Sure he could jump on my latest ups and downs, I fully expect that. But what would that prove? Nothing. ”
Crystal nervously looked over her notes. Clearly she had expected for this interview to go in a different direction or a little bit more smooth. But that was the point, you couldn’t plan for someone like Elena DeDraca.
“Brandon put out an extraordinary performance at the Crowning II. And if it hadn't been for Sonya Benson he could have become the Tyrant. Something illustrious that for example Shawn Warstein managed to do before him…”
“Do you even listen to yourself, Crystal? Probably not with that rather annoying tone of your voice. Woulda, coulda, shoulda. You know what they say about missed chances? They will never come back. I agree with you that Brandon did an amazing job, but then what? He didn’t put the final nail in the coffin. And of course a weasel like Havoc would take such a chance to outsmart him. Make no mistake, I have been in situations like that before. Take my match against Slade. I had him. But I was too arrogant to put a quick end to it. And then what? Arik sent his toothless dogs after me. And that is how losses happen. I can fully respect Brandon for his talent and to a degree for his self esteem, but I am no damn rookied. If anything, I am at a point in my career that allows me to enjoy what we are doing. No need to prove myself or cement my legacy in stone.”
Another sip. Another pause. Elena had more fun than she would ever admit to the public world. It was a damn good feeling to fuck over every little plan that someone as eager as Miss Ward had made.
“If I wanna twist Brandon’s nipple to a point it bleeds, I will just fucking do it. Or if it feels great to break one of his strong fingers? Why not? I have no personal vendetta with him, if anything he reminds me of my adopted son. Same size. Same arrogant grin. Probably even the same lame jokes that will still make me laugh. But that is the problem, I got no sentimental spot. Maybe for my daughter and my husband. Everyone else? Not so much. I know I got a job to do. It is an easy job too, not sure why so many fail to do it. I don’t go into this match with any expectations or high hopes. I just want to fight. And if there is a thing I can give Mister Hendrix credit for, he knows how to fight. Just the outcome isn’t always in his favour.”
The tea was finished and Elena put the cup on the wooden table. Right before the interview they had come to terms that Crystal had limited time for this interview. To be exact, as long as it took Elena to finish her tea. Small sweat pearls formed on the interviewer's head.
“Will you allow me one more question, Miss DeDraca?”
“Why not? I won’t pull a Burns on you and tell security to ‘Release the hounds’.”
Although Elena’s voice was perfectly calm, there was a warning undertone to it. Crystal looked at her notes one last time, then back at her guest.
“Some of the fans are concerned that you are not a hundred percent fit for this match. You have been rumored to have fought with injuries in the past. Can you tell us how you feel? Do you think that Brandon will go for your injured spots?”
“You are quite adorable, darling. All that worry about my health, I almost could fall for it. I can tell you this much, if I wasn't fit enough- the doctors wouldn’t have allowed me to compete. Right? Project Honor wouldn’t allow it. So to you, the fans and of course Brandon Hendrix- I am fine. I have lived through enough wars to know my limits. A few bruises will not stop me from going to your limits. And for your other question, Crystal, I would be disappointed if he didn’t. That is what divides a mediocre performer from a real superstar. And that is the point, right? Brandon Hendrix wants to be the man. That is his goal, even though he thinks he has reached that already. From me to you, Brandon, if you see a weak spot- you better attack it. If not? I will make sure to attack all of yours at the same time.”
“You are welcome.”
Elena finally got up from her leather chair. She wasn't paying anymore attention to Crystal, instead she turned around walking towards the massive door. Her hand already rested on the doorknob as she once again looked over her shoulder. A devilish smile spreads over that pale face.
“And Crystal? Now we come to the not so pleasant moment…”
She finally opened the door, five security members waiting on the outside. Elena still focused on the young woman.
“... release the hounds.”
Knowing the camera was still filming, the Fist of Hydra walked out of the library, laughing.
[FIST OF HYDRA]
