Post by Tara on Jul 8, 2021 12:12:19 GMT -5
July 02, 2021
Proving Ground
Lima, Peru
It’s time… Tara thought to herself. I may be one step closer to the Warrior Rising Championship, but that… that is the goal.
People were walking to and fro behind or around Tara, as she stood absolutely still. Her eyes were glued to the monitor in front of her as she awaited the arrival of the Grand Champion, Ozymandias, to make his statement after his most recent acquisition of the belt over Mark Hunter. The smaller hunter, studying her prey. Her hands were tucked into her pockets, buried to the knuckle. She had a slight smirk on her face and ran her tongue across her bottom lip while waiting to see the visual queues that Ozymandias would be making his arrival, but the power throughout the building seemed to go out at once. The sound of whirring generators could be heard, as the emergency lights in the backstage began lighting up, and the sprinklers began showering everyone with a mist. The backstage crew seemed frantic as they tried to cover the electronics from damage.
That’s cute… She thought with a snicker. As the crew rushed in front of her to cover the monitor she turned and walked briskly. The water didn’t bother her. She didn’t try to shelter herself, she didn’t rush to get a coat; she merely walked and walked until she had reached her destination… She was standing at the second balcony for the audience, but the fans were so distracted by Ozymandias that they did not notice her standing there. She walked out for a clear view of the screen. Ozymandias made his speech, and Tara just watched… listened… paying attention to every word that he had to say. Every word. All the subtle hints that were hidden behind his mask.
“--If it means I must sit on that throne to make you all kneel, then so be it.” The words escaped from Ozymandias, and Tara could hear the pop from the crowd for each name that he had previously mentioned. Kneel. The mere thought of kneeling made her chuckle. Give me the chance. Give me the opportunity, and I will… conquer. She shook her head for a brief moment as if to knock the thought out of her head, and just focused on the remainder of his segment. “For now I am your Grand Champion but soon… the Legacy of this place will be mine. Feel the rain… recognize my reign… for those of you that the sea rejects, the inferno will feast.”
He sure knows how to make a scene. She thought with a smile. She noticed everything returning to normal and turned away before the crowd could charge for the restrooms to uselessly attempt to dry themselves.
I felt the cool water running down my arms, and dripping from my fingertips. I could hear the slushing of the water with each step I took, and the discomfort from wearing wet socks as the water sunk into my shoes. I took a deep breath, and tilted my head back to close my eyes and embrace the self-created storm… The storm that Ozymandias had brought to Lima-- I needed to re-experience it. I needed to be in it. Because now-- there was an opportunity. There is an opportunity for me to go after him. There is an opportunity for me to capture not only the Warrior Rising Championship, but also the Grand Championship. But Ozymandias-- Ozy-- he would definitely bring a storm. I could not let this opportunity escape.
The water dripped down from Tara’s fingertips, lips, as she was soaked from head to toe and her clothes stuck to her skin. She seemed to be lost in the moment, lost in a daydream, lost in the desire to hold two of the coveted belts offered by Proving Ground. It was a surefire way to send a message. It was a surefire way to put the industry on notice.
“Right time… right place.” She said in a mutter, almost inaudible, but the smile crept across her face, however, she kept her eyes closed as if to embrace the storm, “Not only did I do the impossible by dragging dead weight to victory, and taking a step closer to becoming the Warrior Rising Champion, but now I get more… good news.” Deep breath. She opens her eyes and takes a couple steps toward the camera, “I have a chance to take one step closer to becoming the Grand Champion… but let me go ahead and first of all congratulate you, Ozymandias, on your victory over Mark Hunter at Hell on Earth! But-- because of Project: Honor presenting me with this chance-- I must also regretfully inform you that-- well, let’s have a moment of silence.”
The smile she wore shifted into a smirk. Her eyes were locked on the camera for several seconds with the silence that ensued.
“A moment of silence for your--” she cupped one hand upward, and let the water fill her hand before finally letting it drop, “--reign. It is…” she brought her hand down, and the sprinkler system came to a sudden halt; she rubbed her hand against her thigh to get the excess water from her hand. “It’s not going to last long.”
I understand why people overlook me. They see me as someone who is over the hill, but that is what Daniel thought when I debuted… They see a warrior, a conqueror that has done everything. That has conquered everything. A conqueror with nothing left to chase. A conqueror ready to hang her weapons for the final time, but… there was always something. There were people that forgot, and people that needed to be reminded. When I do finally go out, it would be as a legend.
“There is no denying the presence that you can make-- have made-- and I truly, truly admire you… admire what you’ve done. I admire your presence! You have a presence, an aura, to you that not every person in this industry can accomplish. The most successful people that I’ve seen in my time, they were not able to create the presence that you made… the moment those sprinklers went off, the moment that those lights went out…” She gasps while recalling that moment, “Chills. Absolute chills.” I couldn’t help but raise my arm to see if I was trembling from those chills, and I did, but I knew I had to maintain control over my body. The chill was not there for fear, but rather for inspiration. The inspiration to face him. The inspiration to defeat him. “It was that moment, Ozymandias, that moment that made me know one thing… decide… one thing… that I want to face you. I want to defeat you. I want to take that championship away from you.”
And I would not be denied…
“This is not going to be an easy task… There are several names that are going to be stepping into this for the same chance, and I’m certain there are some people who have something that they wish to prove against you. People that you have said you defeated during your ascension are certainly looking to even the odds, and what better way than taking that belt away from you? Those people may have been in line longer, but they’re going to have to wait… even longer. I may not have a personal vendetta to want to face you, but I think about it a lot-- I’ve said it. A lot. I have something that I need to prove-- to myself, and to the world-- I need to prove that I still… am… the best that this industry has to offer. The best damn wrestler that this industry has known! That’s why I look… I pay attention… and I want to face the best. I want to fight the best. I want to conquer the best! There are people returning-- people like Dickie, people like Aiden, and… you know… I’ll even put my own name in that hat. I’ve been back for less than one year, and I’ve already conquered the top of the mountain at one company, and I am looking to ascend to the top of the mountain wherever I compete! When people look at Project: Honor, they are going to look at one name. They are going to look at Tara Fenix. This is my Cinderella story, so Dickie… Aiden… both of you are going to have to wait-- wait until I’m done.
There are people that are certainly looking for vengeance such as Lance Williams, our current X-Factor Champion. Is he, though? Every champion I know EARNED it, and you seemed to have it handed to you. A champion would want to earn it. You are a mere title holder, and that’s why I’m not particularly surprised to hear that Ozymandias broke you.”
Broken… There was no doubt that Ozymandias had it in him to break a lot of people. I have to take a moment-- I click my tongue, and lick my lips, taking that brief moment to re-focus.
“But it’s not just those three that are clearly going to look to make it through the roster to earn a shot at the Grand Championship. Everybody--” I gestured around me to resemble my own feeling: surrounded. I was surrounded by everybody with the same agenda. Win. At all costs. “--is looking to make a name for themselves! All of the people who have been lackluster since they arrived… all of the people with their disappointing debuts. All of the people looking to turn that around! All of the people who have had success with their debuts, and are turning heads! The people who have not had the chance to really cross my path, and they will cross my path on Proving Ground, are about to have all their hearts shattered. I’m going to have to go through each… and… every… one of them. I’m going to have to break each… and… every… one of them. When Proving Ground comes, there is going to be one thing they’re all thinking-- there is going to be one thing that you, too, will think…”
It felt like the right moment to let those words think. I wanted the viewers to think of every possible option… I wanted them to wonder what they would know at the end of Proving Ground. When I stand with my arm raised as the winner, and the number one contender for Ozymandias. After several seconds, I felt that they had finally had proper time to anticipate these words.
“There was nobody else. There was nobody else that could have walked out as the winner! There was nobody else that could be set to fight for that belt! There-- was-- no one else.” I felt the smile creep back to my face, almost out of instinct, and knew that it was there for something else… the words escaped my lips almost without me realizing it, “I want you to do it, Ozy.”
My voice trembled for a moment. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, and shuddered… I accepted it.
“I want you to break me, Ozy. Like you say you broke everyone during your ascension, I want you to-- try-- to break me.” My voice came out as more of a growl while making that command. He was not the first person with a reputation to destroy that I would eventually step into the ring with, and I know he’s not going to be the last, but I know that he simply… can’t. “When July 16th rolls around, I do not want to get into the ring after you’ve been eliminated! I want--” She chuckles, “--I want us to be the final two standing in the ring. I want to stand toe-to-toe with you, Ozy. I want you to hit me-- I will give you a free shot.” There was a brief flicker of the camera, as if to show the future: it showed Ozymandias striking Tara. The screen flickered back to normal for a moment, but another flicker and it showed the same strike causing Tara to spit blood out from the impact of the strike. Tara was against the ropes. A quick flicker; her eyes still fell on who longed to fight. Another flicker, and we were back to the present day. The camera backed up as Tara walked forward, and she knelt down and tapped a finger against her chin, “Right here, darling. Right here. I want you to hit me. I want you to hurt me. I want you to make me scream in pain. I want you to do everything you’ve done to everybody you’ve gone into the ring with before!”
She fell down to her knees and tilted her head a little bit to the side.
“I want you to drop me to my knees… and strike me down. Ozy: I’m begging, I’m pleading--” she pressed her hands together, as if in prayer, “--with you. Break me. Do enough damage to me that you think I will never be able to step foot in the ring… ever… again. Please. Do… everything. And I want you to do this…” she says while pressing her hands now against the concrete floor, and pushing herself back up to her feet. She stands tall and powerful. “... I want you to do this on Proving Ground. Because everything you do to me is not going to be enough to stop me from tossing you over the top rope and earning my chance to fight you for the Grand Championship! Like my name-- like the phoenix-- I will rise. The only way that I send this message to you-- the only way that you realize that I mean what I fucking say is for you to do what I’ve told you to! But this is not just about you, Ozy--” she wags her finger at the camera, and steps to the side broadly with the camera staying centered on her the entire time, “--no, no! This is about EVERYONE! This is so EVERYONE in Project: Honor knows that I’m not to be fucked with, because there is NOTHING that any of you can do to derail me. There is nothing that any of you can do to stop me. I need-- to be the best-- this isn’t just about you, this isn’t just about the Grand Championship. This isn’t even about Project: Honor.”
I felt my blood boiling… the fire in my spirit that urged me forward, but I restrained it. I stood still. I felt myself feeling-- rejuvenated-- a desire, a necessity to have Ozy do as I said. This was a feeling that I could not remember having since 2009. The last man who had the best chance to break me-- Ozy… had the best chance to break me. And I had to be unbreakable.
“This is… about me.”
Those words escaped me, but I couldn’t bring myself to speak again… I felt the oxygen come in and leave several times before I could bring the next words out.
“This is… about putting the world on notice. This is about reminding everybody that this game-- this sport-- I live for it. My life is a mirror to what I’ve done with my career! My first son, my second son-- both have fathers who are in the same game… and I do love my children. I want to make that absolutely clear, but there is no denying that they are products of the game that I’ve perfected. Do you want to know the problem that came up between my ex’s and me? They could not handle that I was just that much better than them! They couldn’t handle being outshined! That is why I say this: This is what I do. There is NO ONE! Not HERE. Not ANYWHERE that can hold a candle to what I can do when I decide that it’s time to take the gloves off. I become something else. I become something more. I become something that when people look at me… they know that they are not going to win.”
The gloves needed to come off. The gloves were off. All of the people that thought that I should have stayed retired-- Victoria-- JC suggesting I was over the hill-- the list goes on of people that thought I was done. That I should’ve stayed gone. The gloves are off.
“That’s something that I hope all of you can accept that people before couldn’t… accept it. Accept that I am going to step into the ring, and all eyes are going to be… on… me. Accept that people are not going to do it like me. Accept that you… are not going to win. Accept that you may have your moments of shining by throwing people over the ropes, and possibly getting some big name eliminations-- but I’m going to go ahead and tell all of you. WARN. All of you that there is one person that is off-limits… and that is Ozymandias. His name… is mine. If any of you want to question me on that, if any of you want to challenge me on that? Fucking bring it.
Let me welcome all of you to Project: Honor! Let me welcome all of you to Proving Ground! I’m-- still pretty new around the halls… to these people. To this company. But the rule goes back into effect: this is my playground. Play my game. Play my rules, and we’ll get along fine. This is my match-- this is my chance-- I’ll let the rest of you play… when I’m done.
Back to you, Ozy… for just a moment. You hinted at having anyone who dared challenge you to kneel-- I can’t help but think of how adorable that is, and I guess… perhaps… I should make that same offer to you. But I’m going to go ahead and say that I hope-- I know-- you aren’t going to take it. The Age of the Phoenix is upon us. The Age of the Phoenix is reborn, and the flame-- is mine. The fire-- is mine. Kneel, Ozy. Kneel. And I may share. But… please… for my sake: don’t take me up on that offer, but it’s there.”
I smiled one last time at the camera, although I couldn’t help but this one being seen as more sarcastic. I gave a slight tilt of my head before shoving the camera back a few steps, and turning to walk away.
The frustration was growing inside of me-- I’ve been doing this for so long, and I’ve perfected it every time. But it was important. It was important that we adapt. That we change. Otherwise it’s Father Time that will eventually take me, and that was something that I couldn’t have… I had some strong words… and I could not let myself down. Up… up… flip… down. Feet together. I felt my feet hit the canvas, but was not satisfied with the impact and groaned.
“Why can’t I hit this right?!” Tara shouted, as she got back to her feet and swung wildly at the air. Seth stood on the apron of the ring and seemed to be trying to think of what the issue was.
“It’s just-- too much momentum. You need to control your momentum better. You aren’t aiming for a moonsault; you aren’t aiming for a leg drop… you’re landing in the middle, and you need that impact to be--” Seth hit one clenched fist against his open hand, “--strong! I think it’s a great move to add to your arsenal, and people… they’re not going to see it coming. Do you want to take five?”
I shook my head. I knew I couldn’t take a break right now-- I wanted to be ready, and so I stomped my feet a few times in the frustration, and got some distance from the corner before preparing to launch myself, and--
“Hey, how’s your cruise coming along?” Seth asked.
The question took me out of my zone just long enough… I had to shake myself off, and just leaned back against the corner. “It’s going well. I’ve still got a lot of work to do, but I’ve got a stage, and I’ve got several companies agreeing to sponsor. Everyone seems to be onboard-- it’s still early, though.” Focus! “We’ll talk about that later, okay?” I pulled back on the ropes, preparing to launch myself forward again, and--
“What about Edward? I heard you had some good news about your custody ordeal…” Seth interrupted Tara’s zen again.
She just took a heavy breath, and nodded, “Yeah, I’ve had good news. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to take him with… y’know, be there for my birthday for a change. The lawyer is going to call me later, but for now-- can we focus?”
“Yeah, yeah. Alright. This is going to be a huge move against Ozy, if you master it… both, if you can master both. That second one is going to shift his momentum against him, this one is just going to knock the wind right out of him.” Seth said with a flare of confidence in his voice. He believed in Tara; he believed that she could master these moves… win the rumble… and earn a chance to face Ozymandias. A genuine smile was on his face. “Alright, go!”
END.
