[Johnny woke up that morning with his usual coughing fit. Over the past few months, it had only progressed and gotten slightly worse as he was getting into ring shape and closer to his physical condition coming closer in his prime. He rolled out of bed and scanned his Mexico City hotel room. Whereas Johnny’s room could be described as the definition of economy, a few blocks away Eric Dillinger was soundly sleeping in an alcohol induced coma with his new friend Maria.]
[Maria might relieve Dillinger of a few bills from his wallet later if he doesn’t wake up first, but only time tell.]
[Johnny Rage, meanwhile, had found his water bottle and began to choke down its contents. The coughing subsided and Rage began thinking about his pre-match prep. This morning would be weightlifting followed by cardio, first breakfast, his morning bowel movement, second breakfast, and then off to the spa to relax. At some point he would have to remember to inject the tren to go along with his nearly three thousand calorie daily diet. That was when he got the phone call.]
Johnny Rage: Hello?
Voice: You fucking son of a bitch…
Johnny Rage: All right, if this is Mothers Against Drunk Driving again I want to remind you that was over ten years ago and I donate fifty bucks a year to your organization.
Voice: What?
Johnny Rage: What?
Voice: You were in town and you weren’t going to say hi?!?
Johnny Rage: Hi? Who is this?
Voice: Shelly.
Johnny Rage: Shellyyyyyy… Rodriguez!
Shelly Rodriguez: The one and only. How are you? Saw you were back.
Johnny Rage: Yea, yea… Got a new kid with me, been showing him the ropes. Literally and figuratively.
Shelly Rodriguez: Saw him, he’s good, good looking, but I was really amazed to see you back. You looked good against the Reinhardts.
Johnny Rage: Terrible team name… but thanks.
[There’s a moment of silence on the phone as Johnny hears an audible sigh from the other side. His brow furled as he contemplated what was coming next.]
Shelly Rodriguez: You know, I don’t blame you for what happened in Westfield.
Johnny Rage: You don’t?
Shelly Rodriguez: No, we were both young. We were both juicing, I mean, who wasn’t back then?
[Johnny looked over at the small fridge in his room containing the trenbolone.]
Johnny Rage: Look, I… I am not proud of what I did. I never meant to hurt you.
Shelly Rodriguez: It’s ok. I’m a wrestler through-and-through. I can take a punch.
Johnny Rage: Thanks for… Just thanks.
Shelly Rodriguez: For what? Not talking to the cops? Dave Smeltzer? Those kids at Rock Culture? I am not trying to drag my skeletons out of the closet or anyone else’s. I didn’t talk to anyone for me. I just want us to finally stop running in the same circles and letting it be so damned awkward.
Johnny Rage: Yea, I-I’d like that. Maybe after the show tomorrow? We can catch up then.
Shelly Rodriguez: Of course.
Johnny Rage: Um… I’ve got to get going, though.
Shelly Rodriguez: Last minute prep before your match? Still doing second breakfast after you clog the toilet?
[The two old friends share a laugh over the phone as they said their byes. Rage tossed the phone to the bed when Eric Dillinger finally got up. Maria was gone. So was twenty dollars of his hard-earned, American cash.]
Eric Dillinger: At least she left my phone. Two missed calls, five texts, a Snap, couple emails, and a pounding head ache.
[Eric stumbled across the lush room to where the minibar was located. Finding the fridge door ajar, he pulled a luke-warm Modelo and popped the bottle to find the hair of the dog that bit him.]
Eric Dillinger: And that’s…
[Before he could complete that sentence his phone went off. An unknown number shown across the screen. Always one to mess with robo-callers, he answered.]
Eric Dillinger: A hoy-hoy.
British Voice: Hello, is this Eric Dillinger.
Eric Dillinger: Uh, yea… Is this Mother’s Against Drunk Driving? Johnny sends you fifty bucks every year, leave him alone already.
British Voice: No, my name is Marc Millare. I’m an intern at Rock Culture, specifically the wrestling channel. I’m reaching out on their behalf to see if you’d be willing to be interviewed.
Eric Dillinger: Yea? Yea, I mean, yea, I’m interested.
Marc Millare: That’s good to hear. You’re my fifth call to someone at UOW and they all hung up on me.
Eric Dillinger: Who did you call?
Marc Millare: Valora, Dasha, Biggs, Sato, and I think Vastrix.
Eric Dillinger: They are all turds, especially Valora.
Marc Millare: Not impressed, huh?
Eric Dillinger: With her? No. Not when we faced off and I’m not looking forward to teaming with her, either.
Marc Millare: Who’s idea was it to team you all together?
Eric Dillinger: Hers. She figures she can get the guys who helped break her arm to help her win against Sato and the commies. She’s right, but I don’t trust her.
Marc Millare: She talked to Johnny and not you?
Eric Dillinger: Exactly, but it’s a trial run at the tag champs before we get our shot. After we win the powers that be will want to put us up against the un-Americans.
Marc Millare: And Valora?
Eric Dillinger: If she gets in the way I’ll break her other arm.
Marc Millare: Ha, good stuff. You and Audrie are going to be great together on screen.
Eric Dillinger: Not Harley? I think Audrie is the one that hates me.
Marc Millare: Well, she doesn’t love you.
Eric Dillinger: Not yet. They don’t call me the lady-killer for nothing.
Marc Millare: That’s because they call your tag team partner that.
Eric Dillinger: Mc-scuse me, bitch?
Marc Millare: Right! Well, we’ll be in touch soon. I have your number once I had a date and time confirmed someone will be calling you back. Have a good day, bye, and thank you!
[In the Rock Culture office meeting room Marc nervously hung up the phone as Harley and Audrie McLaughlin broke out into laughter.]
Audrie McLaughlin: You’ve been hanging around us too much, Marc!
Harley McLaughlin: That was a good one, though. Way to make a leap forward for feminism, score one for cancel culture.
Marc Millare: Hash tag me too!
[The sisters stopped laughing and looked at him.]
Audrie McLaughlin: Really, Marc?
Harley McLaughlin: You can’t come to Lilith Fair anymore.
[Marc’s gaze fell to the ground as he got up and walked out of the room leaving the sisters behind. After a few seconds go by they break out into laughter.]
Audrie McLaughlin: We might break him before long.
Harley McLaughlin: It all comes with the territory. Get tough or die.
Audrie McLaughlin: I’m just glad he took to heart what we told him. That little bit of him being the fifth person he called, golden.
Harley McLaughlin: Can’t let him onto the fact we’re trying to get closer to the Johnny Rage story.
Audrie McLaughlin: And getting justice for Maria Schreiber. Rage will never talk to us, those cops in the US will never talk to us, but if we can gleam whatever we can out of Dillinger we might have something.
Harley McLaughlin: If he blows up on screen we’ll get a million views, guaranteed. You heard that, “Mc-scuse me, bitch?” Ha! Just don’t go in like you usually do.
Audrie McLaughlin: What do you mean?
Harley McLaughlin: You know what I mean.
-=The next day.=-
[Eric Dillinger hopped into the cab where Johnny Rage was already waiting for him. Eric was smiling as Johnny was nearly scowling at him.]
Eric Dillinger: What? What’s the look for?
Johnny Rage: Talk to anyone yesterday?
Eric Dillinger: Tons of people. Guy at the bar, girl at the pool, man in the mirror—
[Johnny cuts him off by pulling out his phone. View Tube is up with Rock Culture Wrestling’s page up. The latest video is entitled “RETURN OF BM SKUNK! Eric Dillinger doesn’t trust Valora and more!]
Eric Dillinger: Like that’s not common knowledge.
Johnny Rage: Not the point. You don’t know her like I do. After she’s no more use in someone she can turn on them.
Eric Dillinger: Worried about a post-match beat down? Scared she’s not going to invite us out for drinks after? Big effing deal.
Johnny Rage: You don’t get it.
Eric Dillinger: What’s not to get? This whole time we’ve been running through people, not giving a damn who we walk over on our way to the top. What’s with this?
Johnny Rage: That’s true, but we are using Valora to get to the tag titles. She’s not the woman you want to piss off. That’s it. She could cost us our shot at the titles. We need her.
Eric Dillinger: Ok, fine. When I see her, I will apologize for how I came off.
Johnny Rage: Yes, yes you will. She likes roses and hot Cheetos. Find some when we get there.
[With that, None More Black made their way to the arena and toward destiny.]
