TAKE MY PAIN AWAY

The sky is black.

It's almost like there's nothing up there at all.

Crunch. Crunch-crunch-crunch. Footsteps on gravel.

Sonny Onoo steps into the shot and looks out across the vastness of the desert terrain through tea shades. He takes a drag from a cigarette and exhales smoke. There's no amusement on his face. He's uncharacteristically grim, despite the fact that he's wearing a loud, lime green suit with a hot pink button-up shirt underneath. He takes a deep breath as he stares off into the distance. At some point, the desert simply stops and there's nothing but blackness, like the environment simply hits a wall and ceases to exist. His upper lip twitches and then he huffs. He takes another drag from his cigarette and looks to his left. The RV is parked several feet away. On top of it, Momo Watanabe and Starlight Kid are resting on towels, scrolling through their phones. He shakes his head and flicks his cigarette into the distance.

SONNY ONOO: These fuckin' girls, man.

A coyote howls in the distance.

SONNY ONOO: What am I supposed to do with these two?

The rumors of WLCW's impending closure had been looming for days. There was no official confirmation, of course, but the news sounded final enough. Worse, it sounded real... and no one was debunking the rumors. Not Pat McAfee, not Mauro Ranallo, certainly not Mick Foley. Onoo shakes his head again and turns away from the RV. He places his hands in his pockets, finally realizing how cold he actually is.

SONNY ONOO: Brrrrrrrrrrr!

He shivers up and down and then chuckles to himself. "Brrr," indeed.

What kind of grown man says that out loud, he thinks to himself.

What an idiot.

THEN.

Whack!

There's a grunt of pain followed by a whimper.

The leader of Queen's Quest, Io Shirai, stands over the kneeling Momo Watanabe. Clad all in black, Io holds a kendo stick out in front of her, admiring it. Gripping it with one hand, she caresses it with the other. Momo stares straight ahead, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her white t-shirt is torn down the back, leaving her back bare for Io to do with as she pleases. Momo leans forward, her body hitching and rocking with heavy sobs. Io's eyes narrow and become so dark and empty that the risk of slipping and falling into them, becoming lost for all time, is actually legitimate. She grips the shaft with both hands and then swings, hitting Momo high across the shoulders... maybe even getting a bit of her neck in the process. Momo falls forward and almost eats the floor in front of her before catching herself with both hands.

IO SHIRAI: < Pathetic. >

Lying on top of the RV in an Arizona desert, this is what Momo Watanabe thinks about. She remembers when she was invited to join Queen's Quest and she remembers how Io Shirai treated her. She remembers how Io Shirai punished her for daring to show courage or think highly of her skills. She remembers the pain she endured for hours in Io Shirai's dojo... how Io made her feel worthless, like she had much work to do before she could even consider herself competent in the ring. Within days, she had beaten the training by Fuka out of her... she had beaten the mentorship of Jungle Kyona out of her. By the time she was done punishing her, she only knew Io Shirai as her mentor and she equated Io Shirai with the most devastating pain of her life.

Nothing else up to that moment mattered.

It was the best time of her life.

IO SHIRAI: < I am beginning to think that you are not worth it after all. >

Io Shirai paces back and forth, looking down at the bruised and bloody back of Momo Watanabe beneath her. She watches Momo's body tremble with intense pain. Io twirls the kendo stick in her hands and cracks a sly smile as she notices a ribbon of blood along one of the edges. She uses her thumb to wipe it away and then presses it to her tongue. Though her eyes remain dark and emotionless, like the eyes of a shark, there's a twinkle there for the briefest of moments... and then it's gone. She looks down at Momo and frowns, as though she's suddenly reminded of a bad memory. She touches the kendo stick to Momo's back, allowing it to trace one of the nastier wounds. Momo whimpers and sits up, bracing herself for impact.

IO SHIRAI: < I will allow only the best to join Queen's Quest. I will not welcome little girls under my wing. I will only teach those who have potential for greatness. One day, you might be asked to stand beside me in battle and I will not stand next to someone that I do not respect. Do you understand? >

Momo's voice was a little girl's then.

MOMO WATANABE: < Yes, sensei. >

CRACK!

Momo cries out in pain, nearly falling forward onto the floor again.

IO SHIRAI: < I asked you a question. >

Momo waits for impact that never comes.

IO SHIRAI: < Do you understand? >

Momo rights herself, sitting bolt upright on her knees. Her voice is more firm.

MOMO WATANABE: < Yes. >

CRACK!

Momo leans forward upon impact but doesn't allow herself to fall forward. She remains upright and forces the words out through gritted teeth. A single tear rolls down her cheek.

MOMO WATANABE: < I understand, sensei. >

Io Shirai raises the kendo stick and Momo braces for impact once again... but it never comes. There's a clatter as Momo drops the kendo stick on the floor next to Momo. Unable to see the face of her sensei, she's surprised when she hears the words that come out of her mouth.

IO SHIRAI: < Stand up and face me. >

Slowly, Momo struggles back to her feet. Her knees tremble with exertion. The pain is almost too much to endure but she endures it all the same. She holds her ruined t-shirt to her chest with both hands and turns to face Shirai. Shirai and Momo lock eyes. Shirai gets right in her face, their noses almost touch. Momo swallows hard as Io stares deep into her soul. Her voice is cold, emotionless.

IO SHIRAI: < Perhaps I was wrong about you. >

Io grabs Momo's face, squeezing her cheeks together with one hand.

IO SHIRAI: < You might do after all. >

She releases Momo's face and sneers before delivering an open hand slap that sends Momo back to the floor. She falls to one knee and catches herself with her hand. She looks up at Io... but Io is already on her way out of the room. She stops in the doorway and looks over her shoulder.

IO SHIRAI: < Do not disappoint me, Watanabe Momo. >

And then she's gone.

NOW.

"Will you hurt me like she did, Noa, Hikari?"

"Are you capable of inflicting pain the way that she was?"

"Or are you like all the rest of the girls in this company? Are you a poser? You say that you are a fan of death matches. You say that you are a death match princess... but I am not impressed by what I have seen. You have told everyone how good you are because you managed to pin me during Queen of the Mountain, but do not forget that I pinned you first. Do you remember? Or did you lose your memory when I hit you with that hammer?"

"I am better than you, Noa Hikari. I always have been. You came to this company with your worthless sensei, your Prime Minister Kagetsu... and what did she do for you? She turned her back on you to spend time with Yasukawa Acto, and she only runs to you now at the end. She thinks that she can help you defeat me and become WLCW Women's World Champion... but that will not happen. It will never happen. I am the first champion in this company... I am the best champion in this company... and you are nothing."

"Everyone knows that the true rivalry in this company is Watanabe Momo and Jamie Haytoru. You are nothing but a speedbump on a road that is coming to an abrupt halt... if this is the last time I will ever defend this championship, you are a pathetic excuse for a final opponent. I almost wonder if I should even show up at all... but I can't resist the opportunity to hurt you, to do to you what you can only hope to do to me. There will be no ultraviolence in this match... no light tubes, no thumb tacks... I will not allow it. You rely on these weapons because your skills are lackluster."

"We will call this a different kind of death match, okay? Because the chance of death is very likely for you. I am going to hurt you, Noa Hikari. I am going to hurt you in front of your prime minister and I am going to show you both what true violence looks like. The pain inflicted upon me by Jamie Haytoru on Vengeance... it only served to remind me exactly who I am. I am still standing... and now I am angry. With no Jamie Haytoru standing before me, you will take the beating that is meant for her. You will receive the punishment that was meant for her... and you will suffer for it, just as she would have if she had the courage to face me one on one."

"Noa Hikari."

"I am looking forward to our match."

"Starlight Kitto thinks that you have potential."

"Someone thought I had potential once, too."

"She hurt me more than I have ever been hurt in my life."

"She broke me... and put me back together again."

"I am going to break you, Noa Hikari. I am going to break you into pieces."

"What will you become if I decide to put you back together?"

"Bye-bye."