Liberation: Episode Fifty-Eight, January 26th, 2021

BACKSTAGE
Kendricks sitting on the ground leaning against the wall in the locking room as he has his knees up and his arms folded as his forehead is resting on his arms looking down at the ground. He takes a couple deep breaths and raises his head up to look straight into the camera.

KENDRICK KROSS: Tonight may be my last time to even get a shot at the Anarchy Title, I get that. That’s why I’ve been preparing myself and getting myself right for this match.

Kendrick looks up at the camera as he leans his head back and rests it onto the wall closing his eyes for a few seconds before opening them and eyeing the camera once again.

KENDRICK KROSS: It’s a handicap match and I’m ton a team with Cait and going up against PPV. I win? I get a shot? Cait wins? She’s champion and of course PPV stays champion if she wins. So we all have something we really want. The question then may be what about teaming with my partner? We both have very different goals.

Kendrick keeps his same position as he pauses for a few moments.

KENDRICK KROSS: Not only that there’s definitely a rift there, so that makes it even more of a problem. The one thing we both need though is PPV taken out. There could be a few different strategies here. They all could end up with Cait and I standing at the end and seeing who pins who. That’s where the major problem comes at.

Kendrick takes his arms off of his legs and pushes himself up to a standing position as he walks towards the door and the camera slowly follows him and ends up in front of him as he stops.

KENDRICK KROSS: In the end it’s all about me needing to win this match, me needing to make sure I get the pin on PPV. This is about the Anarchy Title in the end. I’ve worked my ass off to make sure I get the Anarchy Title again and I’m not about to have this be my last chance. So Cait, we’ll be getting the win, it just won’t be you getting the pin.

Kendrick smiled at the camera a bit as he eyes it.

KENDRICK KROSS: So see you both out there. And get ready to eat crow.

Kendrick walks past the camera as it fades out.

BACKSTAGE
CVO: “The Gotham Championship.”

Those were her first words as she dropped down into the view of the camera, plopping onto an overstuffed leather couch that suspiciously looked like a couch where one might get casted, and if you know what I mean then you’re going to hell.

CVO: “Or The Liberty Championship. Y’know, a shot I’ve already had. A shot I took. A shot I plan to take again, and again, and again. CVO’ll shoot from the hip, Tamsin can fuck around and get the whole clip. She’s gotta beat me every time. I’ve only gotta beat her once.”

Lifting her right hand like a pistol, she swung her feet around to plant them on the ground, eyes on the camera.

CVO: “Bang. Bang. Bang.”

Pretend firing at the screen with each bang, she was blowing the end of the barrel before dropping that hand back into her lap.

CVO: “But before we go there? Let’s talk real shit. Everyone on the roster had the opportunity to challenge. I never heard a peep from them. Not Scotty, not Patel, or Laroux. None of them stepped up and they had every chance I did. Were they read for it? Or were they scared? I’ve proven once already that I’ve got the fucking conviction to go for what I want. I plan on doing just that. I plan on swinging for the fences on these mother fuckers. Bet on it. Bet on me. Bet on CVO.”

With that, guess what she did? Yep, the same damn thing she always did, she snatched up Revy and beat that camera into non existence.

BACKSTAGE
The cameras pan to a rooftop, only they start from the feet up of the person in the frame, slowly panning in an upward angle. Its night out, and there’s just enough lighting around the structure to make out the face of one Ahalya Patel. Her feet are hanging from the side of the building and she has a soft, but affirmative smile on her face.

Ahalya Patel: “What’s good, Liberty?”

There was a lift of the head and a raising of her brow before she laughed, pulling down the signature hood that she’d come to wear. As she glance out at the brooklyn skyline, though the camera only captured her turning to the right.

Ahalya Patel: “Some might say my debut last week was a bit controversial. I did some moves you weren’t accustomed to, took some risks that weren’t my usual, and to quote some, ‘stole the win’ but we all know how it works in this biz and Little Pepper V took that L like a champ. Good for her truly, because I know we’ll meet again, some souls are just destined to collide as they say.”

She paused briefly.

Ahalya Patel: “But as with most things, the good things come an end and we come back to the present. A big opportunity and one no one should be surprised I am being given. Multi-time champion gets a shot at becoming a champion yet again. Not bad for a second-week gig, but what did you expect when you saw my name on the billing? What opportunities did you think I’d be seeking coming into Liberty Pro, it certainly wasn’t anything less than the best and that means going through whoever I have to until its my time to fight for the top prize. We all know that trip is inevitable and thus, here we are.”

There was a coy smile that came to her face then.

Ahalya Patel: “It starts with Gabriel Laroux, I’m not going to get into the situation dude has had going on lately. That whole mess just seems like something out of a bad B Movie, and the entire plot ended up with one of ‘em getting on their knees and kissing a boot, so it went from a bad B movie to. . . something else that’s really not suitable for public TV and ain’t got shit to do with me. The facts are this Gabriel has an established name, and we share a lot of similarities. Both wrestlers who’ve delved into the tag team scene and have been successful, but also know our way around the ropes as singles competitors, what’s the difference then? Well for starters I don’t talk in circles. I come out and say exactly what I’m going to do and then I do that shit. No beating around the bush, no playing games, no aggressive tendencies. No ominous threats because lets be realistic here, we’ve seen him make quite a few of those in the past few weeks that haven’t really been signed, sealed, or delivered.”

She tosses up her arms in a shrug.

Ahalya Patel: “But hey, spout some shit at me Gabe, tell me how you’re going to wreck me, or really don’t say anything at all. I don’t really care truthfully because my aim is the same when the bell rings. I’m taking that spot and you can go back to chilling with little brother after he finishes in the main event. Wouldn’t want you to overexert yourself.”

A laugh escaped her before she shook her head.

Ahalya Patel: “As for the other two, because we all know I plan on making it to that next bought, we’ve got CVO who is actually quite an impressive one. I ain’t ever had a problem with a strong and confident woman and calling herself the things she did on the last episode of Liberation, well really how am I going to crash on a chick like that. She’s a prize and I’d enjoy fighting her, but she has already had one shot at the belt, who knows though if she earns it we’ll duke it out and see. As for Scotty. . . Well I purposely left him off of last week’s match to bring it up now. Already took him out once and would do it again just as easily. Though it is curious that I’m being put up against the two dad’s back to back. Guess Sean is having a few daddy issues and wants to take it out on your two.”

She laughed again.

Ahalya Patel: “Guess we’ll see just what happens though won’t we, and as for that main event, I’m watching closely Tams. Better grip that title tightly.”

With that she rolls back and starts to walk away as the scene fades.

PREVIOUSLY RECORDED
Peacefully relaxing on a metal bench, basking in the afternoon sun, is none other than Precious Pepper Vain. She treats herself to the achingly beautiful overture to the Marriage of Figaro with her phone.

The luxurious brown mane caps a surfer-girl tan that could only have been nurtured under the sun of California skies.

Her upcoming title match against Cait Flannagan and Kendrick Kross doesn’t seem to be weighing too heavily on her mind either.

She pays us no mind for a long while before she speaks.

PPV: What an odd match. I’ve long been looking forward to having a #1 contender for the Anarchy championship. Aside from mine, there hasn’t been an Anarchy title reign worth a damn since Warren Corbett. Oh sure, it’s lived up to its name. Plenty of Anarchy. That’s what we’re getting tonight actually.

Rising to her feet, she lingers only to straighten the golden title belt around her waist. She unhurriedly marches to the Hammerstein Ballroom as if her match isn’t less than an hour away.

PPV: Fact is, you’d guess I’d be outraged when the card was announced. Defending my Anarchy title in a handicap match should get me in a huff. But truly, I am Fortune’s Favourite because this is a handicap match in name only.

A light chuckle escapes the two time Anarchy champion’s throat.

PPV: I’ve seen a lotta madness in my time, but this is something. For the past few weeks I’ve had the questionable pleasure of watching a car crash of a dysfunctional tag team from up close. Cait Flannagan and Kendrick Kross. I’ll be fair to Cait, Kenny whines a lot so it’s hard to get on with that. But oooh-wee! It hasn’t been pretty. It got bad.

PPV: It got so bad that I wanted to tease them and laugh at them over it. To ask them what the hell are they doing? Bickering over every little thing. But I’m not that kind. You never interrupt your enemy when they’re making a mistake. These two should have had this match in the bag but they’ll screw each other way before they’ll get to put me away. The only ones who can’t see it are those two. If they think they can beat me with eyes as blind as them they’ve got another thing coming. Kenny and Cait can't see the forest for the trees. They’ve got enough talent to put me away but they can’t put away their resentment for each other for one night only. That tells me you two cannot handle the weight of gold because if you two REALLY wanted this…”

She flaunts her gold plated strap.

PPV: You’d put up and shut up. But hey, who am I to complain. Y’all can join the long list of folks outplayed by yours truly. Cos ain’t nobody better at thriving in Anarchy than me.

BACKSTAGE
Inside her private dressing room, Cait Flanagan lounges on the white leather couch there, dressed in her ring gear with her boots kicked up on one arm and her head on the other. An unopened bottle of prosecco, a cheese plate, and several bunches of grapes are arranged on the table next to her, but Cait doesn’t seem to notice them.

“Do you think Kendrick’s sitting in his locker room right now, reminding himself that he’s a badass and that he can’t cry in front of me? Because that’s what I’m thinking. And yes, I realize that quite technically, he and I need to work together tonight in order to defeat Precious Pepper Vain, but it all comes down to who makes the pin.”

“If Kendrick gets it, then he has another opportunity to fail to obtain the Anarchy Championship. But if I get it? Then Crying Kross goes to the back of the line, and I become the new Anarchy Champion.”

“I’ve been told time and time again that I don’t have what it takes, that I’m not going to get past Kendrick because he’s willing to do whatever it takes.”

“I conned Declan Black for over a year so I could steal his money. You want to talk about being willing to do whatever it takes, come back after you’ve successfully executed a plan that took over a year to complete. I wanted his money, and I needed him comfortable enough for him to drop his guard around me so I could access the information I needed. There’s more to ruthlessness than just unfettered aggression, which is something that Kendrick Kross’s tiny brain could never comprehend.”

“I don’t need to be throwing myself into gusset boards and smashing light tubes over my head to prove why I should be the one reigning over the Anarchy division. I don’t need to have a Rorschach moment, telling people that instead of me being locked in with them, they’re locked in with me. Because I don’t need to go to those lengths to assert my power.”

“Growing up the way I did, you learn very quickly how to do whatever is necessary in order to get what you want. You need to have a plan, you need to be able to strategize, and you have to be able to do it all at a moment’s notice, because that’s how quickly shit can change. And with all that’s gone on, even though I do very much want the recognition that comes with that Anarchy title, what I want more is to embarrass Kendrick Kross. I want to make him see that for all his empty threats, all his complaining about how he was robbed of “his” championship, he is at best a simpering limp-dicked fool who doesn’t have the presence of mind to do what needs to be done.”

“Kendrick is an emotionally-driven hothead who has no drive, no ambition, and no focus. Me, on the other hand? Might as well be ice in my veins. That’s the difference between me and him - I’ll throw him or anyone else under the bus so long as it gets me what I want. I won’t sit here and complain about not getting my due. I’ll plan, and I’ll strategize, and I’ll play the game until I win.”

“So don’t tell me that you’re better than me, or that you want it more, or any of that nonsense, because you don’t. You can’t outsmart me. You can’t outflank me. And you can’t become the Anarchy Champion, because one thing we can always count on is you getting in your own way. Tonight, PPV’s Anarchy Championship reign ends, and mine begins.”

“And when that belt is mine, you can rest assured that I will go to the Callaghans and I will make damn sure that so long as I am the Anarchy Champion, Kendrick Kross won’t be able to challenge me for it. Maybe he’ll have better luck… but then again, probably not.”

BACKSTAGE
Big Tag Team Championship match here tonight at Liberation Fifty-Eight, as we open on the challengers. Derrick La’Bell and Honey, unofficially known as Beast Friends Forever, sit in a room somewhere backstage, going over a slide show that Mimi Smith is presenting them. Mimi is in her “BFF” cheerleader outfit and is pointing at the projector screen where pictures of OTK, Rory, Huck, and Micaela in mugshot style photos are up on the projector, introducing the champions to BFF one last time, for good measure.

Mimi: Now what do we know about Rotten?

Derrick and Honey both raise their hands, but out of old-school chivalry, Derrick lets Honey go first.

Honey: They’re dirty cheaters, and they’re pretty mean.

Derrick: That they are very irritating, and that I can’t wait to pound the whole squad into punk-pudding!

Mimi nods at Honey but scolds Derrick for being overly selfish in this fight.

Mimi: Now Bam-Bam, you know this is a tag team match. Honey is your teamy, and she’s been wronged by Rotten too. I know they picked on you, but you can’t just cut Honey out!

Derrick: It’s not just that though. I don’t care about Rory being a pest, Micaela acting like she’s too cool to comment on anything, or OTK thinking he’s some villainous mastermind. They ruined the tag title ladder match from Festivus and in the SAME NIGHT, the same match even, they took my briefcase away and gave it back to Tamsin, even though I had done nothing but put that briefcase on the line week in and week out to make sure I deserved it. That food out of our mouths and money we could really use right now.

Honey places her hand on her “teamy”’s shoulder.

Honey: I know you’re mad Derrick, and I want nothing more than my teamy to get his redemption from those rotten Rottens, but you have to remember you aren’t alone in this. I’m here, Mimi is here, the fans of Liberty are here… all for you. You said it yourself, they took food out of OUR mouths and that means WE gotta do what’s right, Teamy!

Derrick smiles at his teammate.

Derrick: You’re right. I’ve been going about this all wrong. I know together, we are going to beat Rotten and bring those tag titles to where they belong. All we have done since Liberty brought us together is train to be the best, and I know that we are top of the line as a team. Hell, we beat the Girls of Summer AND we were just about to win the tag titles when Rotten pulled their stupid stunt at Festivus that got them the titles.

Honey and Derrick hi-five, but Mimi isn’t done with her slideshow, so she clears her throat and tries to get them back on track.

Mimi: Glad we got you two on the same page, but now let’s get back to the slideshow! I worked very hard on this using time that I could have been utilizing for Ms. Emilia time.

A subtle look to Derrick, who tries not to blush, because relationship insiders and what not. Anyways, Mimi takes her pointer and circles OTK’s and Micaela’s faces.

Mimi: These are the two Rottens you will be facing according to the announcement card. As we know, Oliver Twist-Knott is the leader of Rotten, but oftentimes seems to do a lot of the dirty work for the rest of the team, so if they switch up their roster like they did last night, you have to keep an eye on him anyway!

Derrick: Not gonna lie, I REALLY wish Rory was going to be in this match. Imma take solace in punching OTK’s smug face, but it just won’t be the same.

Mimi: I haven’t gotten to the rude boy who got turned into the laptop just yet, Bam-Bam. So, hold your horses, okay! Anyways, he will be teaming with Micaela. She doesn’t have a last name, and seems to be like Nega-Honey… or even worse… Yenoh!

Honey: Oh no! Are you saying she’s an evil version of me! That’s not good at all! I heard she swears a lot too, which is just not good at all! I will have to hit her with some of my patented Honey Sunshine, guaranteed to make even the grumpiest of gusses smile for miles!

Honey nods determinedly after this, to put further emphasis on her sunshine abilities as if we didn’t already know.

Mimi: As you should, Cousin Honey! She’s a mean chica and she knows it. They all are really. For whatever reason, none of these cats and kittens were really much of anything until they made Rotten their whole personalities! It’s really sad.

All three of them agree on that. Honey and Derrick both came from hard lives, so did Mimi, but none of them felt the need to cause the mayhem that Rotten has, and that’s why they feel so offended by the actions of these… well… rotten wrestlers. Mimi shuffles through a few slides of different dirty tactics Rotten has used in the mast as well as different tag team moves.

Derrick: So, assuming that we are ACTUALLY going to face OTK and Micaela, I guess their new corny crony Huck is who we need to watch out for?

Mimi: Uh-huh! And also Rory! He said kind of nasty stuff on Twitter, and I think he got turned into a laptop because of it. Kinda like they did to Mr. Trump, but Rory lost his whole body. Which I’m fine with because he’s kinda creepy and kept trying to send me pictures of weird dilapidated cocktail weenies. It was really disturbing.

Derrick realizes what was going on and stands up, but Honey puts a hand up to stop him from getting all huffed up.

Honey: We know all of the moves and dirty tactics these mean creepos’ have. We just need to focus on stopping the outside interferences and keeping OTK in the ring so he can’t do any funny business.

Derrick: I couldn’t have said it better myself. You and Micaela are like evenly matched physically, but you have so much more skill and experience, so it shouldn’t be too hard to keep her at bay. I can definitely man handle OTK when given the chance, and I know you have high-flyin moves to keep him stunned and amazed when you can.

Mimi: Uh-huh! I know you two teamy friends will do great and bring the tag titles home!

They all do a group hi-five before Mimi sends them on their way to the match. Derrick and Honey barely reach the door though, before Mimi is calling out again.

Mimi: OH AND BAM-BAM!!! One more thing!!!

Derrick turns around to look at his girlfriend.

Mimi: Break that laptop boy in half if you can!

Derrick gets a big old… smile on his face when she said that. He winks at Mimi and promises that he will. Mimi gives out one last go-team before Beast Friends Forever walks out and the scene fades to black.

BACKSTAGE
We cut backstage to Jade Night walking down the halls of Hammerstein Ballroom when she runs into her future brother-in-law, Sean Callaghan.

Sean Callaghan: Yo, I don’t like that shit, Jade. You can’t be just showing up and attacking like that.

Jade scoffs and rolls her eyes.

Jade Night: You’re one to talk, Sean. Remember when you showed up and let me get dropped off of a scaffold? Or is your memory that short?

Sean chuckles and shakes his head.

Sean Callaghan: Nah, I was just letting Brendan not interfere. I did the right thing. Now if you want Ava, then you need to do it in the ring and sign a contract.

A sinister look comes over Jade’s face.

Jade Night: A contract?

Sean Callaghan: Yup!

She panthers it over before she nods.

Jade Night: Fine. If I win, Ava is fired. If I lose, I won’t go back to my managerial role and I’ll stay on as talent. Do we have a deal?

Sean nods.

Sean Callaghan: Hell yeah we do. Good luck with that.

RINGSIDE
The cover of 'X Gon Give it to You' by Fear of Water filled the air as none other than 'YOUR Favorite Drug' Xavier Laroux emerged out onto stage. In what would be a more common sight, he was joined on that stage by that hot manager of his, Kassi Taylor. Dressed to compete, Xavier wore that oh so arrogant smirk as the two of them made their way down the ramp.

Xavier slid into the ring while Kassi made her way around ringside, sweet talking a ring attendant into giving her a microphone. She joined Xavier in the ring and when he went for the microphone, Kassi moved it around behind her back. This caused Xavier to move even closer, his body pressed up against hers as he grabbed that microphone. She put on a smirk that was nearly identical to his as he took a step back, bringing that microphone up and began to speak.

Xavier Laroux: 'Tonight is a hell of a night. I gots a golden opportunity right at my fuckin fingertips. I go one on one with Tamsin with that Liberty Championship on the line. An opportunity I fully intend on makin the most out of.'

That smirk grew visibly more arrogant as he went on.

Xavier Laroux: 'See, I was sooo lookin forward to talkin shit back and forth the whole damn way to this match but nooo, Tam hadda get in this whole stupid ass: I ain't even talkin shit no more. Every match is a title match so I'll let my resume start speakin for me.'

The head of Xavier fell back as he groaned out at what a terrible idea that was, in his eyes. Bringing his head back up right, he shook his head a bit.

Xavier Laroux: 'You wanna talk bout resumes speakin for you? I'm signed to three promotions. And in two of those? I am the top of those companies. I'm not doubtin you in the slightest, Tam, but let's be real here. This is my match to win. Tonight, I'm completin the fuckin trifecta.'

Lowering that microphone a bit, he looked at Kassi who nodded in approval. With his free hand, Xavier rubbed the hair atop his head as he laughed a bit.

Xavier Laroux: 'This is the best I've been. I'm at the very top of my game. My head's clear. My focus is where it needs to be. I'm in prime fuckin condition here. Tamsin's run has been a fun lilthing, don't get me wrong but what Liberty needs is a guy like me.

The walkin trainwreck. Always somethin goin on, some fuckin..disaster loomin over my head. These people? They eat it up. They can't look away..whether they wanna admit it or not..they can't look away. Don't get me wrong tho, you're fun to watch and gonna be even more fun to pound on, but this is just one of those things that hasta happen.

It ain't my first attempt at that title you hold but here's how it is. When I see somethin I want I'll follow you to hell and back to get it. And in the end? I always get what I want. Let's go.'

He flashed a quick wink before letting that microphone fall freely from his hand. After it the canvas, Xavier kicked it out of the ring. Pulling that tanktop off and tossing it off to the ringside area. Kassi made it a point to look him over after that, even going as far as to drag her hand across his bared upper half. She gave him her own wink before exiting the ring as the two awaited the arrival of Tamsin.