Post by b on Jan 11, 2023 16:58:45 GMT
It was as if time itself slowed down with every flinching hit and those mocking cries from the crowd that accompanied it became all that Josephine Morant could hear, besides the rapid beating of her heart. This was what it was like every time Joss watched Dexter’s match for the past few months. Something in him had clearly changed, which he never denied, but what he stubbornly refused to admit was the why. Sitting there like the rest of the ticketed members of the audience, just watching this gruesome fight punish her older brother, Joss was only reminded of how helpless she was in trying to understand his reasons for the path he’s chosen. Him joining The Society was enough to worry her but when he started to distance himself from her and then claim them to be family and not her? That sent her into panic mode. Yet she still gave him space, hopeful that one day he would realize his mistakes on his own.
Until Jack Graves practically left a bloody Dexter in the middle of the ring after picking up the violent win at Oblivion III. Joss immediately rushed over to her brother who’s lying so still that she started fearing the worst. When she looked up, Jack had returned with that stupid barbed wire baseball bat they called the Nathan special. She remembered that look in his eyes, that dark desire to hurt, to bring more pain. But she had suffered enough. Throwing her body over her brother’s, she pleaded with Jack to stop. It may have been a dumb move, considering how easily Jack could have just gone through her to get to him. Maybe she really was naive. All that hoping and wishing for things to change and get better. Even Dex had said before, there was no use for hope. But luckily for her, Jack ended up changing his mind and left. And the next thing she knew, the medical staff returned to take her brother away…
One would think suffering a match defeat like that would knock some sense into Dex but knowing him, he’d be back on his feet looking for new trouble. And that’s exactly what he did as soon as the doctor gave him the clear. This time, he went after Rayven Hardy, a fellow Nightfall alumni and someone Joss looked up to. Besides that, Rayven was also Jack’s ex-girlfriend and Gavin’s best friend. There’s no looking past these facts and one may wonder if they were why Dex targeted her in the first place. He may just claim it’s all for the Noir championship but Joss knew her brother well enough to catch that he wouldn’t just pick a fight with someone for a reason that isn’t also personal. But that would mean that she must have done something that triggered him and Joss was determined to find out what.
It was already a few days into the new year and Joss had driven her way to Nightfall Fights to meet up with Dex. When she arrived, she found him working a hanging punching bag in the corner.
“Hey, Dex!” she called out with a big smile.
It was clear that he’s been at it for a while already and deep in focus, not realising at all that she had walked in. She waited patiently as he finished his rep. Once he finished up, he turned toward his sister and smiled widely.
“Sup sis?” He grabbed his water and took a quick drink before walking over to Joss. “What’re you up to today? Looking to get a workout in? I can be your sparring partner if you want.” Dex playfully punched his sister in the shoulder, which kind of hurt. It was obvious that Dex was working hard and that he was much stronger than before. And the doubts he used to have about himself? They were gone. Dex now oozed confidence but all of these changes came at a cost. Dex seemed to be a completely different person than the one that Joss knew. The brother that she had been so close to all of her life.
Joss chuckled sheepishly, rubbing her shoulder. “Yeah I’m up for some sparring but can we talk first? It’s important. It’s about you… and Rayven.”
She started to crack her knuckles, a subconscious habit of hers whenever she felt a little nervous or contemplative about something.
Dex’s brow furrowed when Joss mentioned Rayven. His eyes also caught Joss cracking her knuckles, so he knew that this was going to be a serious conversation. He sighed and shook his head. “Aw, come on, Joss! I know this is going to be some kind of serious conversation about how I shouldn’t do this or that and how Rayven is family. If Gavin can stay out of it, why can’t you?”
She tried to speak calmly, knowing not to agitate him further. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do, Dex. I just want to ask why her. I mean, I understand we’re all ultimately competing for the same things in this business, but this rivalry you have with Rayven… you’re really pushing it far with her. It’s just, very personal. Do you have something else against her? I’m just worried because of all people, it’s her, you know. And us being from Nightfall and everything, we’re family and we should be supporting one another. But this isn’t exactly supporting.”
Dex nodded. “You’re right sis, we all should be supporting each other. Lifting each other up.” He stepped closer to his sister and placed a hand on her shoulder as he continued on. “But you’re seeing things through rose colored glasses, sis. Rayven? She’s stepped over anyone and everyone she could to get to where she is. She did it to Jack. She did it to Gavin back in the day in Valiant. I didn’t see you saying this shit to her then, right? And then she made an open challenge for the Noir Championship and I stepped up and she ended up passing me up for the returning Kaia Grainger. She didn’t even say, ‘Hey wait, Dex should get the first shot!’”
Dex scoffed before throwing his hands in the air. “How many times did people look past us, Joss? How many times were we seen as a joke in Liberty? Then you left and I had to fend for myself. Society? They gave me confidence, they made me feel like I mattered. Now they’re gone but guess what? I’m still there and I won’t let anyone make me feel like I’m fucking worthless again! You got that? That’s why. So I hope that I cleared that up for you. You of all people should be on my side.”
“Dex, I am on your side. I’ve never lost my faith in you, I’ve always known you’re meant for great things. And I’ve never doubted you. Not even once. But you keep doing this thing where you feel like you’re all alone, someone betrayed you or whatever and you just lash out at everyone and everything until you get what you want or you crash and burn. I’m sorry you feel alone and I know you still resent me for leaving Liberty Pro but I’m still here for you. I still make time for you. I just want you to see that. But honestly, Dex, it’s getting harder and harder trying to talk to you because you always get so defensive. And the things you said about Rayven, what she did? How does that warrant you talking shit about her child just to get in her head?” She shook her head. “You’ve really changed, Dex. Like, really changed…”
Dex shrugged his shoulders. “I learned that mind games shit from the people here. Gavin trained us, Joss. He taught us to use people’s weaknesses against them. To verbally break them down and get in their head. You don’t remember that or you have blinders on because it’s Rayven? That’s all it is, isn’t it? So? Is she your best friend? Your confidant? Because that’s what I used to be. Not just your brother but those two things. What am I to you now? Just someone you’re disappointed in now that he’s found his way? Tell me, Joss.” He scoffed.
She shook her head again with a sigh. “Just because I’m disappointed with how things are currently, it doesn’t mean I stop seeing you as all those things. That’s never changed. You really need to stop saying like I’ve completely abandoned you because that hurts.”
There’s a catch in her voice and she paused for a moment, folding her arms.
“You’ve never said things like that before, not before the whole joining The Society. I don’t know what they did but they didn’t help you in any shape or form, Dex. If anything, they’ve dented you and now you’re taking out your frustrations on Rayven. That Noir championship you want so badly? Is it really that worth it to lose a friend in Rayven over? Mind games or not, Gavin didn’t teach us to compete at the expense of friendships. If you wanna talk about being abandoned, blame Society. Blame Becky. But not the people who actually care for you and have your best interests at heart.”
Dex laughs and shakes his head. “Oh yeah? Well then, where is my sister? My best friend? My tag partner? Without any rhyme or reason, she left me on my OWN!” He stepped forward and he glared at her now. “You ditched me, Joss! I was fighting for my life out there. And nobody was helping me! I was beat down by Dante Locke, by Xavier Laroux and even Jack Graves almost killed me but hey, you jumped out of the crowd to save me, that’s enough, right? RIGHT!?” Dex scoffed and shook his head. “You should be by my side. Like you had been our entire lives. But you’re not. You chose that path.” He pointed at his chest. “Not me. So you don’t have room to judge me and my actions. You don’t have room to come in here and tell me how I should conduct myself. I love you but to be frank? You can fuck off.” Dex grabbed his gym bag and looked as if he was ready to leave.
Joss flinched when he raised his voice but knew deep down, he was saying the same things she’d been telling herself. Or at least that voice in her head did. The voice of her self-doubt that kept whispering and making her stay up late at night, wondering if she had made the right choice leaving Liberty Pro in the first place. She watched him wordlessly, unsure of what to say because maybe he was right. She did leave him on his own. So what was she doing here, driving all the way from California, from Emeryville, the place she had seemingly chosen over her own brother.
“Is that true?” she managed to speak, her voice shaking a little. “Do you really want me to go?”
Dex turned back at Joss and nodded. “If you’re not with me, Joss? You’re against me. And you chose to not be with me. So? You can do what you want with that. That’s all I have to say to you.” Dex waved his hand in the air as he walked away from his sister.
She rushed over in front of him to stop him, a troubled frown on her face. “Dex! Just because I’m not physically with you, it doesn’t mean I’m against you. I’m not–”
Her cell phone rang, interrupting her. She immediately reached for it and saw that it was a text from one of the trainers back at Emeryville. She hesitated to open it and considered against it before looking back at Dex, her eyes searching for a hint of understanding and forgiveness. “Sorry, that was from Emeryville. About tomorrow’s class. Anyway, Dex. Like I said, I’m not choosing not to be with you. Don’t you want to wrestle on your own too? Wrestling has been your dream since forever! I’m just doing more training, that’s all.”
Dex laughed and pointed at Joss’ phone. “You should respond to that. Obviously that’s where you want to be instead of us growing together.” He leaned forward, his eyes had a mixture of anger and hurt in them. “Wrestling has been our dream, Joss. You and me. But you decided to change it from Dex and Joss to just Dex in Canada and Joss in California. We were supposed to learn and grow together.” He shook his head. “But if you want to be stagnant in a place like Emeryville while I continue to grow? While I chase my potential? Then fine. But just know that if you stay there? You’re never going to catch back up to me. You and me growing in this together? Like we did in Nightfall and everywhere else? It’s dead.”
There were clearly a lot of mixed emotions that Joss was feeling by this point. Sadness and frustration just swirling inside of her. She shook her head in utter disappointment but before she can say anything else, her phone rang again and this time, it was persistent. She checked the screen and sighed. This was possibly the worst timing for the school to call her.
She clenched her jaw before letting out another sigh. “Dex, everything you just said is not true, okay? We need to talk about that but not right now,” she winced, “I, uh, have to go. I need to go back to California.”
She reached out for his arm with a pleading look. “Please, Dex, can we stop fighting? I’m always here for you. I need you to get that inside your head. And all this stuff with Rayven and whoever else, it needs to stop. Or you’re gonna get yourself hurt. Okay?”
Dex pulled away. “The only thing I’m hurting is your frail ego. Because I’m going to prove you wrong. You and everyone. Enjoy California, yeah? I have a plane to New York to catch anyway.” Dex then turned to walk away, clearly not wanting to deal with any of this anymore.
Joss groaned in frustration but there was nothing else to be said at this point. Not when he’s still this stubborn and her phone indicating a few missed calls. Watching him leave made her consider bringing up the matter again when he’s in a better mood. With a defeated sigh, she turned the other direction and made her way to her car to drive back to California alone.
Until Jack Graves practically left a bloody Dexter in the middle of the ring after picking up the violent win at Oblivion III. Joss immediately rushed over to her brother who’s lying so still that she started fearing the worst. When she looked up, Jack had returned with that stupid barbed wire baseball bat they called the Nathan special. She remembered that look in his eyes, that dark desire to hurt, to bring more pain. But she had suffered enough. Throwing her body over her brother’s, she pleaded with Jack to stop. It may have been a dumb move, considering how easily Jack could have just gone through her to get to him. Maybe she really was naive. All that hoping and wishing for things to change and get better. Even Dex had said before, there was no use for hope. But luckily for her, Jack ended up changing his mind and left. And the next thing she knew, the medical staff returned to take her brother away…
One would think suffering a match defeat like that would knock some sense into Dex but knowing him, he’d be back on his feet looking for new trouble. And that’s exactly what he did as soon as the doctor gave him the clear. This time, he went after Rayven Hardy, a fellow Nightfall alumni and someone Joss looked up to. Besides that, Rayven was also Jack’s ex-girlfriend and Gavin’s best friend. There’s no looking past these facts and one may wonder if they were why Dex targeted her in the first place. He may just claim it’s all for the Noir championship but Joss knew her brother well enough to catch that he wouldn’t just pick a fight with someone for a reason that isn’t also personal. But that would mean that she must have done something that triggered him and Joss was determined to find out what.
It was already a few days into the new year and Joss had driven her way to Nightfall Fights to meet up with Dex. When she arrived, she found him working a hanging punching bag in the corner.
“Hey, Dex!” she called out with a big smile.
It was clear that he’s been at it for a while already and deep in focus, not realising at all that she had walked in. She waited patiently as he finished his rep. Once he finished up, he turned toward his sister and smiled widely.
“Sup sis?” He grabbed his water and took a quick drink before walking over to Joss. “What’re you up to today? Looking to get a workout in? I can be your sparring partner if you want.” Dex playfully punched his sister in the shoulder, which kind of hurt. It was obvious that Dex was working hard and that he was much stronger than before. And the doubts he used to have about himself? They were gone. Dex now oozed confidence but all of these changes came at a cost. Dex seemed to be a completely different person than the one that Joss knew. The brother that she had been so close to all of her life.
Joss chuckled sheepishly, rubbing her shoulder. “Yeah I’m up for some sparring but can we talk first? It’s important. It’s about you… and Rayven.”
She started to crack her knuckles, a subconscious habit of hers whenever she felt a little nervous or contemplative about something.
Dex’s brow furrowed when Joss mentioned Rayven. His eyes also caught Joss cracking her knuckles, so he knew that this was going to be a serious conversation. He sighed and shook his head. “Aw, come on, Joss! I know this is going to be some kind of serious conversation about how I shouldn’t do this or that and how Rayven is family. If Gavin can stay out of it, why can’t you?”
She tried to speak calmly, knowing not to agitate him further. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do, Dex. I just want to ask why her. I mean, I understand we’re all ultimately competing for the same things in this business, but this rivalry you have with Rayven… you’re really pushing it far with her. It’s just, very personal. Do you have something else against her? I’m just worried because of all people, it’s her, you know. And us being from Nightfall and everything, we’re family and we should be supporting one another. But this isn’t exactly supporting.”
Dex nodded. “You’re right sis, we all should be supporting each other. Lifting each other up.” He stepped closer to his sister and placed a hand on her shoulder as he continued on. “But you’re seeing things through rose colored glasses, sis. Rayven? She’s stepped over anyone and everyone she could to get to where she is. She did it to Jack. She did it to Gavin back in the day in Valiant. I didn’t see you saying this shit to her then, right? And then she made an open challenge for the Noir Championship and I stepped up and she ended up passing me up for the returning Kaia Grainger. She didn’t even say, ‘Hey wait, Dex should get the first shot!’”
Dex scoffed before throwing his hands in the air. “How many times did people look past us, Joss? How many times were we seen as a joke in Liberty? Then you left and I had to fend for myself. Society? They gave me confidence, they made me feel like I mattered. Now they’re gone but guess what? I’m still there and I won’t let anyone make me feel like I’m fucking worthless again! You got that? That’s why. So I hope that I cleared that up for you. You of all people should be on my side.”
“Dex, I am on your side. I’ve never lost my faith in you, I’ve always known you’re meant for great things. And I’ve never doubted you. Not even once. But you keep doing this thing where you feel like you’re all alone, someone betrayed you or whatever and you just lash out at everyone and everything until you get what you want or you crash and burn. I’m sorry you feel alone and I know you still resent me for leaving Liberty Pro but I’m still here for you. I still make time for you. I just want you to see that. But honestly, Dex, it’s getting harder and harder trying to talk to you because you always get so defensive. And the things you said about Rayven, what she did? How does that warrant you talking shit about her child just to get in her head?” She shook her head. “You’ve really changed, Dex. Like, really changed…”
Dex shrugged his shoulders. “I learned that mind games shit from the people here. Gavin trained us, Joss. He taught us to use people’s weaknesses against them. To verbally break them down and get in their head. You don’t remember that or you have blinders on because it’s Rayven? That’s all it is, isn’t it? So? Is she your best friend? Your confidant? Because that’s what I used to be. Not just your brother but those two things. What am I to you now? Just someone you’re disappointed in now that he’s found his way? Tell me, Joss.” He scoffed.
She shook her head again with a sigh. “Just because I’m disappointed with how things are currently, it doesn’t mean I stop seeing you as all those things. That’s never changed. You really need to stop saying like I’ve completely abandoned you because that hurts.”
There’s a catch in her voice and she paused for a moment, folding her arms.
“You’ve never said things like that before, not before the whole joining The Society. I don’t know what they did but they didn’t help you in any shape or form, Dex. If anything, they’ve dented you and now you’re taking out your frustrations on Rayven. That Noir championship you want so badly? Is it really that worth it to lose a friend in Rayven over? Mind games or not, Gavin didn’t teach us to compete at the expense of friendships. If you wanna talk about being abandoned, blame Society. Blame Becky. But not the people who actually care for you and have your best interests at heart.”
Dex laughs and shakes his head. “Oh yeah? Well then, where is my sister? My best friend? My tag partner? Without any rhyme or reason, she left me on my OWN!” He stepped forward and he glared at her now. “You ditched me, Joss! I was fighting for my life out there. And nobody was helping me! I was beat down by Dante Locke, by Xavier Laroux and even Jack Graves almost killed me but hey, you jumped out of the crowd to save me, that’s enough, right? RIGHT!?” Dex scoffed and shook his head. “You should be by my side. Like you had been our entire lives. But you’re not. You chose that path.” He pointed at his chest. “Not me. So you don’t have room to judge me and my actions. You don’t have room to come in here and tell me how I should conduct myself. I love you but to be frank? You can fuck off.” Dex grabbed his gym bag and looked as if he was ready to leave.
Joss flinched when he raised his voice but knew deep down, he was saying the same things she’d been telling herself. Or at least that voice in her head did. The voice of her self-doubt that kept whispering and making her stay up late at night, wondering if she had made the right choice leaving Liberty Pro in the first place. She watched him wordlessly, unsure of what to say because maybe he was right. She did leave him on his own. So what was she doing here, driving all the way from California, from Emeryville, the place she had seemingly chosen over her own brother.
“Is that true?” she managed to speak, her voice shaking a little. “Do you really want me to go?”
Dex turned back at Joss and nodded. “If you’re not with me, Joss? You’re against me. And you chose to not be with me. So? You can do what you want with that. That’s all I have to say to you.” Dex waved his hand in the air as he walked away from his sister.
She rushed over in front of him to stop him, a troubled frown on her face. “Dex! Just because I’m not physically with you, it doesn’t mean I’m against you. I’m not–”
Her cell phone rang, interrupting her. She immediately reached for it and saw that it was a text from one of the trainers back at Emeryville. She hesitated to open it and considered against it before looking back at Dex, her eyes searching for a hint of understanding and forgiveness. “Sorry, that was from Emeryville. About tomorrow’s class. Anyway, Dex. Like I said, I’m not choosing not to be with you. Don’t you want to wrestle on your own too? Wrestling has been your dream since forever! I’m just doing more training, that’s all.”
Dex laughed and pointed at Joss’ phone. “You should respond to that. Obviously that’s where you want to be instead of us growing together.” He leaned forward, his eyes had a mixture of anger and hurt in them. “Wrestling has been our dream, Joss. You and me. But you decided to change it from Dex and Joss to just Dex in Canada and Joss in California. We were supposed to learn and grow together.” He shook his head. “But if you want to be stagnant in a place like Emeryville while I continue to grow? While I chase my potential? Then fine. But just know that if you stay there? You’re never going to catch back up to me. You and me growing in this together? Like we did in Nightfall and everywhere else? It’s dead.”
There were clearly a lot of mixed emotions that Joss was feeling by this point. Sadness and frustration just swirling inside of her. She shook her head in utter disappointment but before she can say anything else, her phone rang again and this time, it was persistent. She checked the screen and sighed. This was possibly the worst timing for the school to call her.
She clenched her jaw before letting out another sigh. “Dex, everything you just said is not true, okay? We need to talk about that but not right now,” she winced, “I, uh, have to go. I need to go back to California.”
She reached out for his arm with a pleading look. “Please, Dex, can we stop fighting? I’m always here for you. I need you to get that inside your head. And all this stuff with Rayven and whoever else, it needs to stop. Or you’re gonna get yourself hurt. Okay?”
Dex pulled away. “The only thing I’m hurting is your frail ego. Because I’m going to prove you wrong. You and everyone. Enjoy California, yeah? I have a plane to New York to catch anyway.” Dex then turned to walk away, clearly not wanting to deal with any of this anymore.
Joss groaned in frustration but there was nothing else to be said at this point. Not when he’s still this stubborn and her phone indicating a few missed calls. Watching him leave made her consider bringing up the matter again when he’s in a better mood. With a defeated sigh, she turned the other direction and made her way to her car to drive back to California alone.