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She wants it all.
Championship gold.
Success... the money that comes with it.
The practice ring is stained with the blood and sweat of dreamers
from the past, men and women who hoped to make it big one day...
just like her. Clad in a "WLCW" logo tank top and black exercise
pants, Rok-C struggles against the former five-time WCW World
Heavyweight Champion as he encourages her to move him at all while
they engage in the basic lock-up position. Standing over a foot
taller than his protégé, Booker T is leaned in, heels dug into the
mat behind him... The Prodigy doesn't stand a chance, audibly crying
out with exertion as she pushes against him. Without warning, he
shakes his head and shoves her away from him, causing her to flail
backward and land on her ass against the bottom rope. She looks up
at him, frustrated.
Dude, what the heck?!
Booker T shakes his head and places his hands on his hips. He looks
down at her with bugged eyes and opens his mouth to speak, but
thinks better of it and waves the thought away. He turns his back,
continuing to shake his head as if a problem has entered his mind
that he can't quite solve.
Man, I don't know.
Huffing, she gets up off the mat and dusts herself off.
You don't know? What don't you know?
I don't know if yo' ass is ready fa' this.
Seriously? If I'm not ready for this, then why would Mick Foley give
me a contract? You've seen what I can do, I was the first-ever Ring
of Honor Women's World Champion! And besides, if you're judging my
"readiness" based on this training session, it's not like I'm gonna
be working HUGE DUDES that happen to be former world champions.
Booker T slowly turns around. Sweat drips off his nose.
Lots o' dillies been signed t' big ass contracts dat wasn't ready
for it. Look at da' rosta' Foley's ass done put togetha', huh!?
Roman Reigns?! John Cena!? BROCK LESNAR?!
Those are all amazing, talented wrestlers. Legends, even.
Look, I ain't sayin' they ain't good but they some low hangin'
fruit.
Booker T tosses his head back, throwing his hair out of his face.
As far as I'm concerned, dis whole rosta' is a miss, son.
She sighs.
Anyway, you done jaw jackin' or you ready t' get back to this?!
Let's go.
She readies herself for another lock-up. They approach the center of
the ring and then go to lean into one another but Booker T goes low
unexpectedly and ducks beneath her lock-up attempt. He catches her
wrist on the way through and whips her around before pulling her in
and nailing her right across the neck and jaw with a STANDING SIDE
KICK! Rok-C turns inside out and lands on her head and shoulders
before rolling back into a seated position and scrambling backward
until she stops against the bottom turnbuckle. She rubs her jaw,
looking up at Booker T with genuine anger and confusion.
Are you kidding me right now!?
Booker T paces back and forth, clenching his fists.
Man, I done told you!
He stops and points down at her.
YOU GOTS T' PROTEC' YO' GOD DAMN NECK!
He motions for her to stand with both hands, bending at the knees
and eyeing her. Everything about his body language tells her to
"just bring it." Using the ropes for leverage, she returns to her
feet. He slowly backs up, eyes never leaving her as he invites her
to the center of the ring. Gently touching her jaw one last time,
she assumes a fighting stance herself.
Now, tell my ass what you gonna do when MEE-SOW come ATCHA wit' dat
COBRA KAI NINJA KICK FU, huh!? WHATCHO ASS GON' DO WHEN SHE PUTS DAT
BONZAI DROP ON YO ASS, HUH!?
Rok-C looks confused.
I mean, she doesn't do any of that so I guess I'd be... confused?
Without warning, Booker T lunges forward and launches off the mat,
directing a HARLEM SIDEKICK right at Rok-C's head. She swiftly ducks
it and ends up on the other side of him. He lands and catches
himself with the top rope, steadying himself.
DAT'S HOW SHE GON' GETCHO ASS, MAN! YOU UNDERESTIMATE THOSE
JAPANESE, YOU END UP PICKIN' YO TEETH UP OFF THE FLOOR! YOU AIN'T
NEVER SEE IT COMIN'! FIRST, IT'S THE MIST... THEN IT'S THE BONZAI
DROP! HI-YAAAAAAAAAAH!
Book, I'm one hundred percent certain she has never done any of
that--
DON'T TALK T' ME LIKE I AIN' NEVER SEEN KAZ HAYASHI WORK, PEASANT!
Why... why am I a peasant--
BECAUSE I'M THE KING, SUCKA!! YOU THINK THAT TITLE JUST GOES AWAY
'CAUSE WWE GOT BOUGHT OUT?!
She clears her throat.
I thought it might've gone away because it was like, twenty years
ago.
Tell me you didn't just say dat.
He throws his head around, slinging his hair in every direction.
TELL ME... YOU DID NOT... JUST SAY DAT!
Once again, he lunges toward her and goes in for a lock-up. She
ducks the lock-up attempt and executes a picture perfect go-behind,
gripping him as tightly around his large waist as she can. He
attempts to throw elbow strikes behind but she's way too short for
him to make contact. He reaches down and attempts to grab her wrists
but she's on her knees in a split second, driving her shoulder into
his knee and knocking him down to all fours! Before he can figure
out what's going on, she's rebounding off the ropes and nailing him
in the side of the head with a basement dropkick! Booker T rolls
onto the apron and gets up to one knee, looking pissed. Rok-C
remains on her knees in the middle of the ring, smiling proudly.
How was that?
Booker T touches his face where her boots made contact.
Woman, are you outta' yo god damn mind!?
His voice fluctuates ever so slightly, resembling that of mock
royalty.
How dare you strike the impeccable face of your better!?
Standing up and gripping the top right tightly with both fists, he
gently shakes his head. He looks around the room with confusion on
his eyes. She returns to her feet in the middle of the ring, hands
on her hips, ready to go again. Booker T wipes the sweat from his
brow.
Maybe... maybe dat's enough for today.
Really? We were just getting started.
He nods and hops down from the apron.
Just, uh-- do what ya' did just then--
He clears his throat.
You got dis.
Without another word, he walks into a nearby restroom. From inside
the ring, she can hear the clatter of a metal trash can hitting the
floor and then skidding to a stop against the wall. Confused by the
events of the last half hour and not ready to end her training
session just yet, she begins running drills on her own. Working up a
sweat as she runs the ropes with ferocity, she thinks about her
upcoming match with Misao. She's excited about the opportunity.
She thinks about how cool it would be to win her debut match.
But deep down, she worries... about Misao's reputation--
--and her trainer's deteriorating mental state.
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