Jesse Sovereign [vs] Nick Woods

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Jesse sat on a worn out bench in the locker room of Young Gun Wrestling that everyone inhabited. Over the years she got used to being the only girl in the training facility and during that time the boys learned she wasn’t one to mess with. It was a hard process that couldn’t be learned through words, she had to get their respect and prove them wrong in the ring. It only took her a few months to catch on to their tactics since she was a fast learner, and soon she was able to use their strength and stupidity against them allowing her to rise through the ranks of a sport that they claimed weren’t for women like her. Its easy to make such a claim when you are surrounded by people who think and act like you, but add a different element in the mix and it is bound to throw the balance off.

Hearing the last person make their way out of the locker room, Jesse nonchalantly looked over her shoulder to see who it was. It was no other than Adan, the man she had defeated just a few hours ago with his own finisher move that he thought no other could master. She enjoyed proving people wrong, but she wasn’t one to brag about it because wants she did, there are no need for words to be expressed.

Watching him she began to unwrap her hands of the tap she had bound them with when she saw that he had stop at the exit, and turned and looked at her. She met his eyes with her own as he seem to want to say something, running a hand through his sandy hair. Turning her head away in response, she let out a sigh, shaking her head almost amused at the continuous deja vu.

They all seemed to do that when they lose to her. Each one buying time till their the last one to leave so no one can witness them talking to her. In the end, they turn speechless, and just give her a tight smile before leaving.

Adan was their undefeated champion and In one night she showed him that everything could be taken away from him. Jesse almost wished his title was on the line but she knew when something like that happens to you in your career, it can either change you for the worse or change you for the better. For Adan’s sake... she hoped it changed him for the better.

“ei... Jess?”

Looking up, Adan was now standing over her, his hands fiddling with his back pack strap that was laying over his shoulder.She couldn’t help but smile as his eyes seemed to focus more on the floor than at her, the person he was addressing.

Jesse: Yes Mr. Mata?

Adan: You can just call me Adan.

Raising an eyebrow at him, she took a breath before looking back down at her hands where she continued to finish unraveling her left hand of the black athletic tape.

Jesse: Okay, Adan... what can I do for you?

Looking back up at him, he turned his head away leaving her waiting patiently for him to say something, anything but it seemed again he was tongue tied. Even the collar of his gray tank top began to darken the seemingly more nervous he became she began to wonder if she was indeed this hard to approach.

Clearing his throat Adan went to open his mouth but he was quickly cut off by their distinguished Trainer Marcus Aurelius, in which Adan suddenly looked relieved as he took it as his que to leave but before he got passed Aurelius however, he was stopped in his tracks as their mentor placed a gentle  hand on his shoulder and began to whisper in Adan’s ear causing him to turn slightly to give Jesse a quick glance before looking back at Marcus who gave him a tap on the shoulder giving him the okay to leave.

Marcus: You need to be more aggressive in the ring Miss Highlight.You can’t showcase your skills by being putty in your opponents hands.

He commented using her ring name as he walked towards her and  taking the free seat beside her.

Jesse: I do not need to be aggressive to achieve my goal Mr. Aurelius.

Taking a seat beside her,  Marcus let out a sigh of anguish.

Marcus: Your matches are coming up short. The most entertainment the fans get is your opponents making a mockery of you. I want you to showcase your moves, and show them what you can do.

Jesse: If I choose to use aggression Mr. Aurelius, then I lose control of the game, and do exactly what they want me to do.

Flexing her fingers a bit, she begins to examining it, holding it up to the light and turning back and forth one time before beginning to unravel her right hand.

Jesse: It is in a man’s nature to assume that the woman is the weaker sex. To prove this, they rather mock her and treat her as a joke instead of treating her as a real possible threat. It’s better to play into their hand and make it seem like they are winning. Then when I see an opening, I make quick work of them. In result, I did the same thing they were doing to me in just a matter of seconds.

It seemed like Marcus couldn't help but smile at Jesse’s words because she was right.

Marcus: heh, You’re real smart you know that? Just Wish you were able to showcase your talent, maybe then...

Jesse: You don’t need to worry about me. If they are good scouts, they should be able to see what I have to offer their company without me having to do anything.

Nodding his head he couldn’t help but look at her and smile. It always amazed him how bright she was for her age. Some of his students were in their mid twenties and they still acted like they were teenagers hitting puberty.

Marcus: You can call me Marcus Miss Highlight, I think you’ve deserved that tonight....

---

There was nothing for Jesse to really do in California, Los Angeles due to the fact that Jaci had taken over all negotiations over her contract with IWF. She figured it was in good hands especially with her aunts history in the business, and since she knew Mr. Dillinger personally, things were probably moving smoother than expected. So during this time, Jesse took it upon herself to make plans with Jason Hawk, a retired wrestler who was willing to teach her some of his tricks that made him so well known in the sport.

She already knew that they weren’t the most legalist of moves but in away they were necessary. Jesse enjoyed using other wrestlers tactics to defeat them, a tic for a tac. Plus the look on their face when they realized what happened is priceless. In the end they either respect you for it  or they get a bit cranky because they wonder how they could have been duped by the same tricks they pull.

It was already the second day in training with Mr. Hawk and already it seemed like she was starting to run laps around him, even teaching him a thing a two. Rather or not he would learn from her was another story. Though she really wasn’t sure if he was just that out of practice or if he was just distracted. The day she arrived at his home, it seemed like his mind was running a mile a minute. The tour was interesting to say the least especially when he told her to set down her bags in his room. She thought that they were joking but in the end it didn’t really matter they were both adults, though some wouldn’t categorize her as such.

As soon as the tour was over he rushed to go do the phone calls that he warned her about. She didn’t get to see him again to later that night and now Jesse was breathing heavily, looking down upon Hawk as he was down on his knees.

They were both going back and forth with reversals, each trying to get the upper hand as Hawk threw in some lessons about trying to outsmart your opponent which she quickly learned and understood how the game was being played and perhaps even taught him a thing or two in the process.

Leaning back against one of the corner posts, Jesse finally manages to slow down her breathing.

Jesse: You alright Mr. Hawk?

She asked with a bit of a smile on her face as a hint of worry played at her voice.

Jason: Of course, that was just the warm-up! We still got like an hour or so to go!

Shaking her head, it seemed like they were going at it for three hours now, and he wanted to go for another? she watched as Jason began to get back on to his feet but he instantly slumps down to the mat.

Jason: Ok, that was a lie. I am so tired I can barely stand up... And I think I might have a minor cramp.. I need some ice.

Rolling her eyes slightly, she couldn’t help but laugh slightly, probably the first she has done so since she was a child. Not many things made her laugh, out loud anyway.

Jason: I NEED ICE!!!

Pushing herself off the ring post, Jesse walked over to the kneeling Jason and offered him her hand so she could assist him to his feet. She almost wondered if this was one of his tricks, but the way his brow strained told her that he was indeed being serious.

Jesse: Then lets go get you some ice Mr. Hawk.

Jason grabs Jesse’s hand and she pulls him up. The two exit the ring as Jason walks with a slight limp.

Jason: I’ve been icing this calf for as long as I can remember. Stupid injury that never goes away...

Jesse exams him for a moment as curiosity began to get the better of her.

Jesse: Is that why you retired? because of the injury?

She watched as Jason turned his head to look at her, revealing smirk on his face before looking back at the path that laid before him.

Jason: That’s what I let people think. The reason I retired is way bigger than that and it is for the best if they don’t know.

The way he said ‘“hey don’t know” was almost as though he was giving her permission to press more, as though she didn’t fit in the category of “they”.

Jesse: You do realize you just intrigued me enough to where I want to know more about it.

Jason: Can you keep a secret?

Jesse: I wouldn’t go behind a mans back who has allowed me in their home, eat their food, share their bed....

Raising her eyebrows Jason sort of nodded his head in understanding.

Jason: Fair enough. If anyone finds out I am a dead man, and honestly I deserve nothing better. Do you know about the Golden Triangle?

Jesse stops walking and just stares at Jason for a bit. She hesitates knowing that she has heard of the name before. They were said to have hosted a Tournament of Death in Thailand. They were also rumored to have their hands in many things. Nothing has been proven so they were nothing more than rumors. Nodding her head, Hawk continued,

Jason: I am pretty high up in the hierarchy in the Golden Triangle. You don’t want to know any more.

Narrowing her eyes slightly, Jesse tilts her head.

Jesse: That is not the case Mr. Hawk. You just don’t want to tell me any more than that.

Jason: I don’t think it is good for you to know anymore. But hey! Now you know why I keep having phone calls in foreign languages!

Jesse: Yes, that explains a lot...

Most of the languages that Mr. Hawk has spoken in the late hours are ones that make her have urges. Urges she knows is best not to act on. She has already broken a glass trying to keep her urges under control just be the tightening of her hand. So when he would excuse himself to make his calls she just goes for a walk around his grounds or around london.

Jesse: I really appreciate you taking the time and teaching me your craft Mr. Hawk, and allowing me to stay in your home. Not many would be so welcoming to a complete stranger. So, thank you.

As she looked over at him she noticed how he began to rub the side of his head, it would seem that the medication he is suppose to take is starting to wear off. He said that he was a little more “serious” when he took it, but when he was around her she only noticed a subtle difference.

Jesse: You need to take your medication don’t you Mr. Hawk?

Jason: Hm? Oh yeah! probably, you mind taking Oliver for a walk? and maybe even feeding him for me?

Jesse: I can do that for you.

She forced a smile as he patted her shoulder, similar to what Mr. Aurelius would do to the boys in his training facility. She has never received one, and for some reason she didn’t like the feeling of it. There was something wrong with Mr. Hawk, she didn’t know what it was and she wasn’t one to be nosy, but it caused her to be concern for him and his well being.

---

The scene opens up, with Jesse sitting on a newly built bench in a locker room that has no dents on any of the lockers. She is all geared up and ready for her match and there is only one thing she needed to do was wrap her hands with the black athletic tape that she was already trying to pick the end of it loose off the roll.

Jesse: My name is Jesse Sovereign, I was trained by Marcus Aurelius at Young Gun Wrestling under the name Jesse Highlight in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. That is who I am, and that is what molded me into the wrestler I am today, but When people hear my name, they will not think about where I’ve come from, how I came to be. Instead, they will think of another name, and that name, is Jaci Sovereign.

A woman, who has changed the way women are viewed in wrestling. A woman, who is well respected and known. A woman, who has made a name for herself by doing things that men have deemed impossible. From this day forth, I will be compared to her, each and every day that is who I will be up against day in and day out.

When you see me wrestle, you will see Jaci Sovereign and not Mr. Aurelius. The man who has trained me for the past five years. You will compare me to a woman who has had no hand in what I have done so far in wrestling. It saddens me that I will forever be in a woman’s shadow all because we share the same name until I do something that makes me stand out from her and what she has done. Something that most people have already deemed impossible. Seems no matter what I do, It will all come back to her and now I am signed to a company where she has inhabited. Though her time in IWF was short, she was undefeated against some of the best diva’s IWF had to offer and even some of the men that they considered legend.

I’m not here to fill her shoes or try and replace what you have lost. I am here to make a name for my self under the name that was given to me at birth. Jaci may be the reason why I am here, but she will not be the reason why I will succeed, and I will start my journey down this long treacherous road at Underground.

She doesn’t look at the camera as she finishes wrapping her left hand. Lifting it so she could use her teeth as a way to tear the tape from the roll before beginning to go through the same routine with her right hand.

Jesse: When my match against Mr. Woods was announced, everyone has been asking me if I was excited in having my debut match and I responded by telling them it’s no different from any other match. The only things that will be changing is the atmosphere of where I will be competing and the opponent.

As any real wrestler knows, as soon as you enter the ring a new challenge is presented to you. No matter if it were a complete stranger or one that is familiar. Because with each match we grow as a wrestler. We learn from our opponents as are opponents learn from us. This process makes us better, and smart at our crafts and it prepares us for the next challenge that is set in front of us.

Stopping what she was doing, she sits up a bit straighter, as she takes a deep breathe of slight irritation before continuing her tasks.

Jesse: To me, this is just another match, but to Mr. Woods... this could be the beginning or ending of his career. All his life he could have been working for years for this one moment to shine, this one moment to tell him that he picked the right career path, this one moment so he can prove that he is no longer a man in need of a teacher.

The lesson that you may need to learn Mr. Woods, is that no matter where we go, we are always being taught, because teachers don’t necessarily present themselves in human form. They can go without being seen, they be as simple as the tiniest pencil shaving. Whatever the case may be, the fact is, we do not stop learning and we never lose a teacher.

Finishing up her right hand, again she uses her teeth as scissors before setting the roll aside. Looking at her handy work, she begins to flex her fingers, stretching out the tape so it would become more flexible and less strenuous when she balled her hands into fists.

Jesse: When you step through the ropes tonight Mr. Woods, i do not want you to look at me as your opponent but as your teacher. Because what you will learn from me, you won’t be able to learn from anyone else. Then I want you, rather if you win or lose to take what you have learned to your next match. With each match you go through, the better you become. I wish you the best of luck Mr. Woods and please, do not let my name fool you in thinking that I am a bigger threat then I really am.

Taking a moment with her head hung low, she slowly gets to her feet and walks out the locker room as she has walked that path so many times before....