Post by Roxi Johnson on Jan 15, 2013 21:10:14 GMT -5
Hello MPW.
Sorry for the silence as of late. But there was a lot to do. A lot of things that had to happen.
First, let me address my loss last week. Drake Hunter did was no one had done in 113 days. Good for him. Perhaps there was little overconfidence on my part, So thank you Drake, for erasing it. That's a mistake that will not happen ever again. Because you showed me what I will have to be willing to do. It was a learning experience to say the least. One that I have taken into account for what lies ahead.
But I think you need to understand this, because it’s really starting to annoy me:
I don’t wrestle in a superhero costume. Okay? Why on earth would I do that? You sat there, in the ring with me, with no costume on, red hair and everything, and somehow, you still think I wrestle in a superhero outfit. Go home Drake, you’re drunk.
Now, onto more important things.
Well, it seems the time is upon us.
30 wrestlers, one ring, one winner, one survivor, winner gets a shot at the MPW world title. I must say, as good as this Television championship is, the World title sounds better. World Champion is what I strive to be. Almost as much as when I triumph over evil, or break a bad guy’s face.
The Army of one Rumble.
Do you all know what that means? It means that you, dear listener, have had to suffer. Suffer the intolerable drivel and with a whole slew of TV spots from everybody and their mother who's involved in this thing. And guess what? They are ALL going to say the same thing. And it's a phrase that, over time, you will discover makes them all lairs. Yes, you heard me dear listener. They all are going to lie to you. All of them. Get ready people, to hear it over and over and over again. And that phrase is...
"I'm going to win the Rumble."
Yeah, it already hurt, didn’t it? I heard the groans. Didn’t everyone say that yet? Aren’t you getting tired of that? Isn’t it about time that just can to a screeching halt? Maybe they’ll stop now…
Nah… You and I both know better than that.
Oh, wait, it’s already started again hasn’t it? How many so far? 10? 15?
What else has there been? Oh a bunch of guys are going to make outrageous claims. Some guys will claim their going to throw the other 29 guys out. Some will say they're going to go all out. And of course, someone will try to be cool and say something like "I'm going to let fate decide" or something cryptic like that because for some strange reason people think they're deep. Hey, how many times will guys scream and threaten the cameraman? How many will fight with their significant others?
Oh, all of that... it's already started too.
So who will show you?
Oh...no one?
So, now that that little piece of business is out of the way let me welcome you to the place where you will NOT hear any of that. No, I will not make guarantees. Nor will I play it "too cool" and downplay the importance of this match. I'm not even going to tell you that I'm going to win. Just call it your breath of fresh air. Something different in a world where everyone tries to be the same.
Trust me, you'll thank me more and more as this whole thing rolls on.
Also, I’m not going to sit here, and pick out 5-6 people and tell you about them. Much like everyone else seems to be doing. Oh, let me talk about person X,Y,& Z. Because they need to know how much I dislike them. Or that I consider them a threat.
I will speak only in general terms, because I consider all of you threats to win. Some more than others maybe, but that’s not the point of this. The point is to prove the world that you have what it takes to win, and robotically going through person after person and delivering an essay on them and telling the audience things they already know…that’s for the birds. If you mentioned me, great, if you didn’t or don’t, whatever. Understand that I am talking to all of you. Every person who has entered or will entered.
Now I am fully aware that when the Rumble comes to pass, I will be a marked woman. Here I am the MPW Television championship around my waist. A champion is obviously marked. Men like Brandon Nytrus and Andrew Tyler Rose would just love to be the one who throws me over the top rope. Don't you think it would look great on their resume's that during the biggest array of talent in one ring on one night that they threw me over the top? That they ended my dream? I took both these men down a peg, so of I course I realize that revenge is on their minds, and quite frankly, revenge is a very powerful motive. Revenge can make men do things they never dreamed of doing. I get it.
But I'm not afraid of it.
I will not shy away from those men or any others who want to try to make a name for themselves at my expense. If you think you can do it, please come and try.
Ladies, Gentlemen I'm fully aware that I have already struck a nerve and you are all eager to get revenge, or make threats, or whatever. Some of you will ignore this entirely, probably because you think you're going to outsmart me or something to that effect, but yes, I thought of that too. I didn't think of everything, just everything you will all think of.
Because what you'll see from everyone is what they know, it's what they're comfortable doing.
Drake Hunter will act like a total douchebag...
Jason X will continue to tell you and everyone who will listen, that he means business, and whole host of catchphrases he probably stole from somebody...
And Tristan Slater will continue to act like a total tool, because he's forever trapped in a 1980's teen move.
So on, and so forth, you get the picture.
But I on the other hand, will bring you something that's never been done, something new and exciting, as always, to let you and the rest of them know that I am ready for the Rumble.
Once it's all said and done, and January Seventeenth comes to pass, you'll see exactly why I won't and never needed to tell you I'm going to win the Rumble.
You'll already know.
Because I'm about to show you.
Roxi arrives at Fortress of fight and gets greeted warmly by the guys and Warp. Suddenly a wave of apprehension washes over her, but only for an instant. She reminded herself of the goal She has set. ]
Warp - Welcome, Ms. Johnson, Commando and his crew are waiting up ahead, Along with most of the guild for your physical evaluation. I'll take you there when you're ready.
Roxi - I appreciate that, Warp. I'm ready to roll.
Warp - Right. Just follow me.
Roxi - Lead the way
Roxi - So what's on the agenda?
Warp - This is brand new, as a matter of fact, you're going to be the first person to go through it.
Why do I get the feeling I'm really going to regret this...
Roxi - Great.
[Roxi holds on as She and Warp disappear.]
[ Moments later, they are at a small room with a bed. ]
Roxi - Whoa. That was cool
Warp - You can drop your things and change here. This is also the medic bay, in case anything happens.
I'm not liking this at all now...wait...this is a psyche job! Nice try, Commando.
[ Warp teleports out of the room and Roxi changes. A few moments Later, Warp is still waiting outside, and in a flash they're gone again. ]
Huh... I'm actually a little disappointed. It's one little station with some mats. I figured they would have something better planned.
[ She spots about 5 guys talking among and almost snickering to themselves. Commando walks towards Roxi with a broad smile on his face. ]
Roxi - You seem proud of yourselves. Quite the setup.
Commando Oh this...this is the first part.
Roxi - First part?
Commando - Yeah, first part. This is just the beginning. Warp, let's show her the whole thing.
Roxi - So what is this?
Commando - This is the new eval.
Roxi - Cute.
Commando - I know you're in pretty good shape, so I figure we can put your shape to the test.
Roxi - What is this?
Commando - We were just at Station 1, which is a little calisthenics. Sit-ups, Push-ups that kind of thing. You run a mile to get to it, do it, then you get to go for a second mile run.
Roxi - Another mile
Commando - A mile run, to the next station.
Roxi - Okay.
[ Commando is still grinning like the Cheshire cat when He touches Warp on the shoulder, and then all three are gone. Instantly arrive at Station 2. ]
I wonder how many of these there are?
Commando - Here is station two
Roxi - What am I supposed to do here?
Commando - This is 200 yards, 100 of them, you will high crawl, then low crawl the last 100.
Roxi - Okay..
Commando - We'll demonstrate the proper technique. You might want to put your hair in a ponytail for that. Hehehehe.
Roxi - Right.
Commando - Then you get another mile run to station three
Roxi - What's station three?
Commando - We're heading there now.
[ They disappear again. And poof, station 3. ]
Roxi - So what's it going to be?
[ There's about 10 attack dogs, barking as loud as they can at Roxi.
They do not look happy.
Commando - Attack dogs. We'll demonstrate that as well.
Roxi - And after that...
Commando - Well..
Roxi - Let me guess, another mile to station four?
Commando - Yup.
Roxi - Figured. And at Station four?
[ They disappear again. Seconds later, they're at Station 4. ]
Commando - Baton training
Roxi - Oh, that doesn't sound too bad.
Commando - You'll be fighting four people at once.
This isn't getting any easier.[/i]
Roxi - I see.
Commando - Good. Anyways, another mile, then station five, a 100 yard dash.
Only 100 yards....?
Roxi - What's the catch?
Commando - You have to drag a fully clothed, fully geared, 250 pound mannequin with you.
Roxi - Perfect.
Commando - Then one last mile, and then...station six.
Roxi - Which is?
Commando - Pepper Spray.
Roxi - I get pepper sprayed?
Commando - Then do some fighting techniques and then wash it out.
Roxi - Okay.
Commando - Sound easy enough?
Roxi - Let's do this.
[ She begins to stretch like mad, knowing after each station, She has a mile run. The first station looks easy enough, but this is obviously going to get progressively harder and she'll have less energy. And She begins to think about the Rumble. I think about those 29 other people who are gunning for the same prize she is. ]
You can do this. Think about how much work you've already done. How much it'll mean to win. You have a lot on your plate, and you have a job to do.
You HAVE to be ready for it.
She motions after a few minutes that she am ready to begin. Warp indicates they are waiting for one more person to show up, since he has the rules.
Mr. Amazing swoops down and gets cheers as he walks towards Roxi. He runs by and slaps her on the back and pulls some papers out of his pocket.
Mr. Amazing - Alright, settle down everyone. I'm here, you can put your fears aside. Anyway, let's get down to it. Ms. Johnson here asked for our help in getting her ready, and that's what we're gonna do. right?
Volunteers- Yes, sir!
Mr. Amazing - Okay then, let's get this show on the road. As you already saw, a mile down the path here, in station one. It will consist on 2 minutes of sit-ups 2 minutes of push-ups, and 6 minutes of some good ol' fashioned PT. Total time will be 10 minutes. Station one will be the only timed station. The rest is on you Ms. Johnson. Then you will jog a mile to station 2. Complete station 2, and so on and so forth until you have completed all 6 stations. Everything clear so far?
Roxi - Crystal.
Mr. Amazing - Oh yes, at each station you will be given a minute rest period, and water will be available. We also have paramedics standing by in case something happens. Weather conditions appear normal for this time, so we're good to go.
[Mr. Amazing asks her if she is prepared, and she nods in approval. He stands back, and the rest of the people clear the path for me to run. She readies herself, and Mr. Amazing pulls out a stopwatch, and holds his arm in the air
C'mon Roxi, you can do this...
Mr. Amazing - On your mark, get set, go!
Wow. I can't believe it. My nervousness and anxiety are peaking. I can't believe I'm even doing this. But I'm in pretty good shape, and I've always set a pretty good pace when I run.
Just like the pace I set for the Rumble. One I continue to do this week as well. Just focus on January 17th, when you have to step into a ring with twenty-nine others. Think of all of them. Think about all those arms and legs. All those bodies. All those threats....you know, I'm actually enjoying this for a little while.[/i]
Station 1:
[She breezes through the first mile, in a little over 6 minutes. She decline water, but she does stretch more during the break. After a minute, She has most of her wind back. She looks eager to begin. Roadblock instructs her on the proper technique for push-ups and sit-ups, He is her workout partner for this little event. In four minutes She does 90 sit-ups and 71 push-ups. They do jumping jacks, leg lifts, things of that nature for the next six. She take a small swig of water, to keep moisture in her mouth as she starts the next mile. ]
Bliss, Drake, Trey, Guys who I don't hate, at least not completely, but on that day, I have to be better than. You know what you have to do. You have to win. Forget the TV title reign, forget the win streak. Forget everything but winning. Winning the rumble. Being that Army of One. [/i]
Station 2:
[ She gets to station two, this time in 8 minutes, and she needs a little water. But she gets a little break as they demonstrate the proper technique for high crawling and low crawling. High crawl is the one you see in the movies which looks like a low crawl, a guy on his knees and elbows moving.
She gets into position and She is given an old World war II helmet for protection. Above her head is barbed wire. She takes the time to tie her hair back and go for it. She makes it about 40 yards before she begins to fatigue a little. Crawling on your elbows is very painful after a while. Sweat is getting in her eyes, but, in her mind it's worth it. She's also throwing dirt into her own eyes with her movements, She has to stop at about 60 yards because She almost can't see where she's going.
She finally make it the last 40 yards in about 8 minutes. 100 Yards on her elbows and knees, in 8 minutes. She's obviously hurting a little bit. ]
Remember what this is all for. [/i]
[ She prepares for the low crawl...it looks brutal. Spider demonstrates that She's basically going to be dragging her body for 100 yards. Her head is on the ground she has to reach forward with both arms and pull herself forward. She is able to catch a small breather as this is explained.
She begins and it's really difficult for her to get her barrings. She's basically kissing the dirt and it's getting in her mouth as she moves. Since she really can't look up at anything, She gets off course every now and again, since she can only feel like she's moving forward, when she's moving forward and left or right at the same time. ]
What the?...Really?
[ She does have a light-hearted moment, A problem of her ass being in the air and getting her pants caught on the wire itself.
She finally finishes in 18 minutes. Fatigue is really beginning to get comfortable, and She takes several swigs of water, and really catches her wind before she go on. ]
I'm almost halfway done, and It's only been about an hour. You can do this...you WILL do this. Let's go!
Station 3:
[The mile takes 11 minutes, Physically her body doesn't want to run to much anymore. ]
C'mon your body can go a lot longer than your brain thinks. Mental toughness is just as important as physical toughness. I'll need that in the Rumble too.
[ The dogs. They go insane as she approaches, barking nonstop. For the first time, She places her hands on her knees and drops her head. She's actually pretty tired at this point, but again, she's awarded not only 1 minute of rest, but a few more as the station is explained, She begins to take big breaths to regain her wind, and for the most part she gets it back. The dog handlers break the one dog at a time out of the cage. A German Sheppard. K-9 wraps her arms and demonstrates what she'll need to do. She's baiting these dogs. There are three of them. She needs to run a small distance, then the handler will release the dog.
Amazingly, this is one of the easier stations as the dogs do most of the work. Of course they all catch her fairly easily, and she sticks out her wrapped arm and the dogs bite in and try to tear it apart. Each dog knocks her to the ground with the force of a linebacker. It only takes a few minutes to do all three dogs, so she get some more time to recover my energy, and at this point I'm halfway done. ]
Wow. I may need to bulk up for this when a dropkick from a German Sheppard knocks me on my ass. But with this figure...I'll just need to avoid people charging at me. Superior speed can trump power.
Station 4:
[ She only spends about 10 minutes at the third station, and it served its purpose. It really helped with energy, since she didn't expend a whole lot. This mile takes another 11 minutes ]
I'm over the hump. We got this.
[ She still needs water, now more than ever. is giving me the instructions on baton fighting. From a small shack come 4 guys dressed in padded gear. You could hit them with a baseball bat and it wouldn't hurt them. They will attack her, all at once, for two minutes straight. She must fight them off, using only the baton. She's not allowed to use any other body part. ]
Multiple attackers.... Hard to focus... [/i]
[ Those guys beat the crap out of her. They seemingly punch her at will, and her fatigue causes her to think there are 20 of them. She's clearly at a disadvantage, seeing as she can only use one arm, but she stops them a couple of times and move around a bit to keep them to one side. It still hurts like a mother when she gets punched in the jaw, but she last the whole two minute barrage.
Now, She's not only Fatigued, but beat up as well. ]
I may get attacked by more than one man at the Rumble, so this is helpful. I just handled four guys at once, but I'm sore now from punches with the equivalent of boxing gloves. But I'm hitting the home stretch now.
I can't stop. I won't stop. All this is worth it for the prize I need.
Station 5:
[ This mile is brutal. She hits a wall, and she wants to stop running. Her legs and lungs had to be on fire. Water is basically dissolving in her mouth. It takes 18 minutes.
She arrives, and staggers into position. She takes a minute break, but it's really no help now. The full sized mannequin is loaded onto a makeshift sled. It's 250 pounds of dead weight. She will be essentially dragging it the length of a football field. Obviously she's pulled dead weight before, but this is something different. It will offer no help.
She begin dragging this thing, and after about 10 yards, She's drained. She peers up at the distance, and it looks endless... ]
No...what if..... I can't do this... I...[/i]
[In that same moment... ]
Think of ANYONE ELSE winning the Rumble. That cannot happen as long as I'm around. I won a TV title despite them. I won match after match, All to go unnoticed. No! No! It will not happen! ]
[ She's getting angry now.
She looks back down at the mannequin, and begins to pull. She's yelling and grunting, straining to get this thing to come with her. Slowly, it begins to get lighter. ]
I don't know if it's inner strength or not, or a second or even third wind, but now I'm hauling this sucker. C'mon...almost....there!
[ She drags it across the finish line and looks relieved. She drops to her knees. She's exhausted. But now, She has found inner strength. Wrestling announcers like to say "a little something extra, deep down inside". ]
I found it. This was the homestretch...All of this will pay off in the end.
Station 6:
[ She puts a lot of effort into the final mile. It took 15 minutes. She was back in the right frame of mind. Ready to face the world when she stopped at the final station. She takes a mighty swig of water, and begins her rest. She was breathing very heavily, but she knew she had done 90% of what needed to be done for this day. This last piece was all she needed. ]
So close now, but I know it's going to take more, so much more to accomplish my goal. [/i]
[She smiled a bit to myself, knowing no one...NO ONE was working this hard.
And for the last test? Commando was there, grinning. He would administer the pepper spray. he warned her about using my hands to wipe away the spray, saying it would only make it worse. He told her that she only have to do a simple takedown and then it was over. But it was another padded guy, like station four. She would have to tackle this guy... blind.
[ She stood with her arms behind my back, and he counted to three and sprayed. ]
GOOD GOD! IT BURNS! [/i]
[ It looked like she was throwing a small temper tantrum, because she did so much to stop herself from wiping her eyes. He kept saying blink, but she couldn't. It burned so much.
She was done. She dropped to her knees in unbearable pain. ]
Commando - You can quit at any time.
****. YOU. I WILL NOT QUIT. [/i]
[She stood up and blindly tried to find the padded guy. She could barely begin to see, All she could see were splotches of red. So she charged...
... and speared that dude to the ground. She could hear Commando "ooh" at the impact. Dust and dirt kicked up, further hurting her eyes, but at that point she didn't care. ]
I did it.
[ Commando motioned for the medics to come with a bucket of water which also contained Johnson's baby shampoo. They dunked her head in the bucket. Her muscles were useless at this point, so they had to pull her by the hair, out of the bucket, or she probably would have drowned. She could barely open my eyes, or lift my hands to my face, but the medics did a great job to wash that spray out of her eyes.
She looked at Commando who was smiling and applauding her effort. She did it. Her job was done for the day.
Almost a minute after it was over.... Blackness ]
I....I must have passed out. I was mentally and physically done. I needed rest. The last thought that went through my head was trying to piece together how this would help me in the Rumble.
I couldn't think of anything. I think Commando was being an a-hole.
But the important thing is:
I know today, I won . So go ahead, bring on tomorrow. Bring on the Rumble. Bring on 29 people, Bring the fight. Bring the Pain. Bring your own beer… whatever. I’m still a little delirious. Don’t judge me.
The point is, It doesn’t matter who enters, it doesn’t matter who they are, what they look like, what they act like. It doesn’t matter if they are friend, foe, or in between. All that matters is the win. The biggest win of the year, and everyone would like it. But I…I HAVE to have it. And if what I just went through wasn’t tough enough to win the Rumble, I have no idea what is. You’ve heard all the talk.
… All they've done is talk.
All I've done is show you. You've seen me do everything under the damn sun to get myself physically and mentally ready for the Rumble. I have never been more ready for anything in my life. Never trained or done anything more difficult in my life, and now I will enter the Rumble with everything that I need.
So no, I'm not going to tell you that I am going to win.
Why?
See you then. [/i]
Sorry for the silence as of late. But there was a lot to do. A lot of things that had to happen.
First, let me address my loss last week. Drake Hunter did was no one had done in 113 days. Good for him. Perhaps there was little overconfidence on my part, So thank you Drake, for erasing it. That's a mistake that will not happen ever again. Because you showed me what I will have to be willing to do. It was a learning experience to say the least. One that I have taken into account for what lies ahead.
But I think you need to understand this, because it’s really starting to annoy me:
I don’t wrestle in a superhero costume. Okay? Why on earth would I do that? You sat there, in the ring with me, with no costume on, red hair and everything, and somehow, you still think I wrestle in a superhero outfit. Go home Drake, you’re drunk.
Now, onto more important things.
Well, it seems the time is upon us.
30 wrestlers, one ring, one winner, one survivor, winner gets a shot at the MPW world title. I must say, as good as this Television championship is, the World title sounds better. World Champion is what I strive to be. Almost as much as when I triumph over evil, or break a bad guy’s face.
The Army of one Rumble.
Do you all know what that means? It means that you, dear listener, have had to suffer. Suffer the intolerable drivel and with a whole slew of TV spots from everybody and their mother who's involved in this thing. And guess what? They are ALL going to say the same thing. And it's a phrase that, over time, you will discover makes them all lairs. Yes, you heard me dear listener. They all are going to lie to you. All of them. Get ready people, to hear it over and over and over again. And that phrase is...
"I'm going to win the Rumble."
Yeah, it already hurt, didn’t it? I heard the groans. Didn’t everyone say that yet? Aren’t you getting tired of that? Isn’t it about time that just can to a screeching halt? Maybe they’ll stop now…
Nah… You and I both know better than that.
Oh, wait, it’s already started again hasn’t it? How many so far? 10? 15?
What else has there been? Oh a bunch of guys are going to make outrageous claims. Some guys will claim their going to throw the other 29 guys out. Some will say they're going to go all out. And of course, someone will try to be cool and say something like "I'm going to let fate decide" or something cryptic like that because for some strange reason people think they're deep. Hey, how many times will guys scream and threaten the cameraman? How many will fight with their significant others?
Oh, all of that... it's already started too.
So who will show you?
Oh...no one?
So, now that that little piece of business is out of the way let me welcome you to the place where you will NOT hear any of that. No, I will not make guarantees. Nor will I play it "too cool" and downplay the importance of this match. I'm not even going to tell you that I'm going to win. Just call it your breath of fresh air. Something different in a world where everyone tries to be the same.
Trust me, you'll thank me more and more as this whole thing rolls on.
Also, I’m not going to sit here, and pick out 5-6 people and tell you about them. Much like everyone else seems to be doing. Oh, let me talk about person X,Y,& Z. Because they need to know how much I dislike them. Or that I consider them a threat.
I will speak only in general terms, because I consider all of you threats to win. Some more than others maybe, but that’s not the point of this. The point is to prove the world that you have what it takes to win, and robotically going through person after person and delivering an essay on them and telling the audience things they already know…that’s for the birds. If you mentioned me, great, if you didn’t or don’t, whatever. Understand that I am talking to all of you. Every person who has entered or will entered.
Now I am fully aware that when the Rumble comes to pass, I will be a marked woman. Here I am the MPW Television championship around my waist. A champion is obviously marked. Men like Brandon Nytrus and Andrew Tyler Rose would just love to be the one who throws me over the top rope. Don't you think it would look great on their resume's that during the biggest array of talent in one ring on one night that they threw me over the top? That they ended my dream? I took both these men down a peg, so of I course I realize that revenge is on their minds, and quite frankly, revenge is a very powerful motive. Revenge can make men do things they never dreamed of doing. I get it.
But I'm not afraid of it.
I will not shy away from those men or any others who want to try to make a name for themselves at my expense. If you think you can do it, please come and try.
Ladies, Gentlemen I'm fully aware that I have already struck a nerve and you are all eager to get revenge, or make threats, or whatever. Some of you will ignore this entirely, probably because you think you're going to outsmart me or something to that effect, but yes, I thought of that too. I didn't think of everything, just everything you will all think of.
Because what you'll see from everyone is what they know, it's what they're comfortable doing.
Drake Hunter will act like a total douchebag...
Jason X will continue to tell you and everyone who will listen, that he means business, and whole host of catchphrases he probably stole from somebody...
And Tristan Slater will continue to act like a total tool, because he's forever trapped in a 1980's teen move.
So on, and so forth, you get the picture.
But I on the other hand, will bring you something that's never been done, something new and exciting, as always, to let you and the rest of them know that I am ready for the Rumble.
Once it's all said and done, and January Seventeenth comes to pass, you'll see exactly why I won't and never needed to tell you I'm going to win the Rumble.
You'll already know.
Because I'm about to show you.
Roxi arrives at Fortress of fight and gets greeted warmly by the guys and Warp. Suddenly a wave of apprehension washes over her, but only for an instant. She reminded herself of the goal She has set. ]
Warp - Welcome, Ms. Johnson, Commando and his crew are waiting up ahead, Along with most of the guild for your physical evaluation. I'll take you there when you're ready.
Roxi - I appreciate that, Warp. I'm ready to roll.
Warp - Right. Just follow me.
Roxi - Lead the way
Roxi - So what's on the agenda?
Warp - This is brand new, as a matter of fact, you're going to be the first person to go through it.
Why do I get the feeling I'm really going to regret this...
Roxi - Great.
[Roxi holds on as She and Warp disappear.]
[ Moments later, they are at a small room with a bed. ]
Roxi - Whoa. That was cool
Warp - You can drop your things and change here. This is also the medic bay, in case anything happens.
I'm not liking this at all now...wait...this is a psyche job! Nice try, Commando.
[ Warp teleports out of the room and Roxi changes. A few moments Later, Warp is still waiting outside, and in a flash they're gone again. ]
Huh... I'm actually a little disappointed. It's one little station with some mats. I figured they would have something better planned.
[ She spots about 5 guys talking among and almost snickering to themselves. Commando walks towards Roxi with a broad smile on his face. ]
Roxi - You seem proud of yourselves. Quite the setup.
Commando Oh this...this is the first part.
Roxi - First part?
Commando - Yeah, first part. This is just the beginning. Warp, let's show her the whole thing.
Roxi - So what is this?
Commando - This is the new eval.
Roxi - Cute.
Commando - I know you're in pretty good shape, so I figure we can put your shape to the test.
Roxi - What is this?
Commando - We were just at Station 1, which is a little calisthenics. Sit-ups, Push-ups that kind of thing. You run a mile to get to it, do it, then you get to go for a second mile run.
Roxi - Another mile
Commando - A mile run, to the next station.
Roxi - Okay.
[ Commando is still grinning like the Cheshire cat when He touches Warp on the shoulder, and then all three are gone. Instantly arrive at Station 2. ]
I wonder how many of these there are?
Commando - Here is station two
Roxi - What am I supposed to do here?
Commando - This is 200 yards, 100 of them, you will high crawl, then low crawl the last 100.
Roxi - Okay..
Commando - We'll demonstrate the proper technique. You might want to put your hair in a ponytail for that. Hehehehe.
Roxi - Right.
Commando - Then you get another mile run to station three
Roxi - What's station three?
Commando - We're heading there now.
[ They disappear again. And poof, station 3. ]
Roxi - So what's it going to be?
[ There's about 10 attack dogs, barking as loud as they can at Roxi.
They do not look happy.
Commando - Attack dogs. We'll demonstrate that as well.
Roxi - And after that...
Commando - Well..
Roxi - Let me guess, another mile to station four?
Commando - Yup.
Roxi - Figured. And at Station four?
[ They disappear again. Seconds later, they're at Station 4. ]
Commando - Baton training
Roxi - Oh, that doesn't sound too bad.
Commando - You'll be fighting four people at once.
This isn't getting any easier.[/i]
Roxi - I see.
Commando - Good. Anyways, another mile, then station five, a 100 yard dash.
Only 100 yards....?
Roxi - What's the catch?
Commando - You have to drag a fully clothed, fully geared, 250 pound mannequin with you.
Roxi - Perfect.
Commando - Then one last mile, and then...station six.
Roxi - Which is?
Commando - Pepper Spray.
Roxi - I get pepper sprayed?
Commando - Then do some fighting techniques and then wash it out.
Roxi - Okay.
Commando - Sound easy enough?
Roxi - Let's do this.
[ She begins to stretch like mad, knowing after each station, She has a mile run. The first station looks easy enough, but this is obviously going to get progressively harder and she'll have less energy. And She begins to think about the Rumble. I think about those 29 other people who are gunning for the same prize she is. ]
You can do this. Think about how much work you've already done. How much it'll mean to win. You have a lot on your plate, and you have a job to do.
You HAVE to be ready for it.
She motions after a few minutes that she am ready to begin. Warp indicates they are waiting for one more person to show up, since he has the rules.
Mr. Amazing swoops down and gets cheers as he walks towards Roxi. He runs by and slaps her on the back and pulls some papers out of his pocket.
Mr. Amazing - Alright, settle down everyone. I'm here, you can put your fears aside. Anyway, let's get down to it. Ms. Johnson here asked for our help in getting her ready, and that's what we're gonna do. right?
Volunteers- Yes, sir!
Mr. Amazing - Okay then, let's get this show on the road. As you already saw, a mile down the path here, in station one. It will consist on 2 minutes of sit-ups 2 minutes of push-ups, and 6 minutes of some good ol' fashioned PT. Total time will be 10 minutes. Station one will be the only timed station. The rest is on you Ms. Johnson. Then you will jog a mile to station 2. Complete station 2, and so on and so forth until you have completed all 6 stations. Everything clear so far?
Roxi - Crystal.
Mr. Amazing - Oh yes, at each station you will be given a minute rest period, and water will be available. We also have paramedics standing by in case something happens. Weather conditions appear normal for this time, so we're good to go.
[Mr. Amazing asks her if she is prepared, and she nods in approval. He stands back, and the rest of the people clear the path for me to run. She readies herself, and Mr. Amazing pulls out a stopwatch, and holds his arm in the air
C'mon Roxi, you can do this...
Mr. Amazing - On your mark, get set, go!
Wow. I can't believe it. My nervousness and anxiety are peaking. I can't believe I'm even doing this. But I'm in pretty good shape, and I've always set a pretty good pace when I run.
Just like the pace I set for the Rumble. One I continue to do this week as well. Just focus on January 17th, when you have to step into a ring with twenty-nine others. Think of all of them. Think about all those arms and legs. All those bodies. All those threats....you know, I'm actually enjoying this for a little while.[/i]
Station 1:
[She breezes through the first mile, in a little over 6 minutes. She decline water, but she does stretch more during the break. After a minute, She has most of her wind back. She looks eager to begin. Roadblock instructs her on the proper technique for push-ups and sit-ups, He is her workout partner for this little event. In four minutes She does 90 sit-ups and 71 push-ups. They do jumping jacks, leg lifts, things of that nature for the next six. She take a small swig of water, to keep moisture in her mouth as she starts the next mile. ]
Bliss, Drake, Trey, Guys who I don't hate, at least not completely, but on that day, I have to be better than. You know what you have to do. You have to win. Forget the TV title reign, forget the win streak. Forget everything but winning. Winning the rumble. Being that Army of One. [/i]
Station 2:
[ She gets to station two, this time in 8 minutes, and she needs a little water. But she gets a little break as they demonstrate the proper technique for high crawling and low crawling. High crawl is the one you see in the movies which looks like a low crawl, a guy on his knees and elbows moving.
She gets into position and She is given an old World war II helmet for protection. Above her head is barbed wire. She takes the time to tie her hair back and go for it. She makes it about 40 yards before she begins to fatigue a little. Crawling on your elbows is very painful after a while. Sweat is getting in her eyes, but, in her mind it's worth it. She's also throwing dirt into her own eyes with her movements, She has to stop at about 60 yards because She almost can't see where she's going.
She finally make it the last 40 yards in about 8 minutes. 100 Yards on her elbows and knees, in 8 minutes. She's obviously hurting a little bit. ]
Remember what this is all for. [/i]
[ She prepares for the low crawl...it looks brutal. Spider demonstrates that She's basically going to be dragging her body for 100 yards. Her head is on the ground she has to reach forward with both arms and pull herself forward. She is able to catch a small breather as this is explained.
She begins and it's really difficult for her to get her barrings. She's basically kissing the dirt and it's getting in her mouth as she moves. Since she really can't look up at anything, She gets off course every now and again, since she can only feel like she's moving forward, when she's moving forward and left or right at the same time. ]
What the?...Really?
[ She does have a light-hearted moment, A problem of her ass being in the air and getting her pants caught on the wire itself.
She finally finishes in 18 minutes. Fatigue is really beginning to get comfortable, and She takes several swigs of water, and really catches her wind before she go on. ]
I'm almost halfway done, and It's only been about an hour. You can do this...you WILL do this. Let's go!
Station 3:
[The mile takes 11 minutes, Physically her body doesn't want to run to much anymore. ]
C'mon your body can go a lot longer than your brain thinks. Mental toughness is just as important as physical toughness. I'll need that in the Rumble too.
[ The dogs. They go insane as she approaches, barking nonstop. For the first time, She places her hands on her knees and drops her head. She's actually pretty tired at this point, but again, she's awarded not only 1 minute of rest, but a few more as the station is explained, She begins to take big breaths to regain her wind, and for the most part she gets it back. The dog handlers break the one dog at a time out of the cage. A German Sheppard. K-9 wraps her arms and demonstrates what she'll need to do. She's baiting these dogs. There are three of them. She needs to run a small distance, then the handler will release the dog.
Amazingly, this is one of the easier stations as the dogs do most of the work. Of course they all catch her fairly easily, and she sticks out her wrapped arm and the dogs bite in and try to tear it apart. Each dog knocks her to the ground with the force of a linebacker. It only takes a few minutes to do all three dogs, so she get some more time to recover my energy, and at this point I'm halfway done. ]
Wow. I may need to bulk up for this when a dropkick from a German Sheppard knocks me on my ass. But with this figure...I'll just need to avoid people charging at me. Superior speed can trump power.
Station 4:
[ She only spends about 10 minutes at the third station, and it served its purpose. It really helped with energy, since she didn't expend a whole lot. This mile takes another 11 minutes ]
I'm over the hump. We got this.
[ She still needs water, now more than ever. is giving me the instructions on baton fighting. From a small shack come 4 guys dressed in padded gear. You could hit them with a baseball bat and it wouldn't hurt them. They will attack her, all at once, for two minutes straight. She must fight them off, using only the baton. She's not allowed to use any other body part. ]
Multiple attackers.... Hard to focus... [/i]
[ Those guys beat the crap out of her. They seemingly punch her at will, and her fatigue causes her to think there are 20 of them. She's clearly at a disadvantage, seeing as she can only use one arm, but she stops them a couple of times and move around a bit to keep them to one side. It still hurts like a mother when she gets punched in the jaw, but she last the whole two minute barrage.
Now, She's not only Fatigued, but beat up as well. ]
I may get attacked by more than one man at the Rumble, so this is helpful. I just handled four guys at once, but I'm sore now from punches with the equivalent of boxing gloves. But I'm hitting the home stretch now.
I can't stop. I won't stop. All this is worth it for the prize I need.
Station 5:
[ This mile is brutal. She hits a wall, and she wants to stop running. Her legs and lungs had to be on fire. Water is basically dissolving in her mouth. It takes 18 minutes.
She arrives, and staggers into position. She takes a minute break, but it's really no help now. The full sized mannequin is loaded onto a makeshift sled. It's 250 pounds of dead weight. She will be essentially dragging it the length of a football field. Obviously she's pulled dead weight before, but this is something different. It will offer no help.
She begin dragging this thing, and after about 10 yards, She's drained. She peers up at the distance, and it looks endless... ]
No...what if..... I can't do this... I...[/i]
[In that same moment... ]
Think of ANYONE ELSE winning the Rumble. That cannot happen as long as I'm around. I won a TV title despite them. I won match after match, All to go unnoticed. No! No! It will not happen! ]
[ She's getting angry now.
She looks back down at the mannequin, and begins to pull. She's yelling and grunting, straining to get this thing to come with her. Slowly, it begins to get lighter. ]
I don't know if it's inner strength or not, or a second or even third wind, but now I'm hauling this sucker. C'mon...almost....there!
[ She drags it across the finish line and looks relieved. She drops to her knees. She's exhausted. But now, She has found inner strength. Wrestling announcers like to say "a little something extra, deep down inside". ]
I found it. This was the homestretch...All of this will pay off in the end.
Station 6:
[ She puts a lot of effort into the final mile. It took 15 minutes. She was back in the right frame of mind. Ready to face the world when she stopped at the final station. She takes a mighty swig of water, and begins her rest. She was breathing very heavily, but she knew she had done 90% of what needed to be done for this day. This last piece was all she needed. ]
So close now, but I know it's going to take more, so much more to accomplish my goal. [/i]
[She smiled a bit to myself, knowing no one...NO ONE was working this hard.
And for the last test? Commando was there, grinning. He would administer the pepper spray. he warned her about using my hands to wipe away the spray, saying it would only make it worse. He told her that she only have to do a simple takedown and then it was over. But it was another padded guy, like station four. She would have to tackle this guy... blind.
[ She stood with her arms behind my back, and he counted to three and sprayed. ]
GOOD GOD! IT BURNS! [/i]
[ It looked like she was throwing a small temper tantrum, because she did so much to stop herself from wiping her eyes. He kept saying blink, but she couldn't. It burned so much.
She was done. She dropped to her knees in unbearable pain. ]
Commando - You can quit at any time.
****. YOU. I WILL NOT QUIT. [/i]
[She stood up and blindly tried to find the padded guy. She could barely begin to see, All she could see were splotches of red. So she charged...
... and speared that dude to the ground. She could hear Commando "ooh" at the impact. Dust and dirt kicked up, further hurting her eyes, but at that point she didn't care. ]
I did it.
[ Commando motioned for the medics to come with a bucket of water which also contained Johnson's baby shampoo. They dunked her head in the bucket. Her muscles were useless at this point, so they had to pull her by the hair, out of the bucket, or she probably would have drowned. She could barely open my eyes, or lift my hands to my face, but the medics did a great job to wash that spray out of her eyes.
She looked at Commando who was smiling and applauding her effort. She did it. Her job was done for the day.
Almost a minute after it was over.... Blackness ]
I....I must have passed out. I was mentally and physically done. I needed rest. The last thought that went through my head was trying to piece together how this would help me in the Rumble.
I couldn't think of anything. I think Commando was being an a-hole.
But the important thing is:
I know today, I won . So go ahead, bring on tomorrow. Bring on the Rumble. Bring on 29 people, Bring the fight. Bring the Pain. Bring your own beer… whatever. I’m still a little delirious. Don’t judge me.
The point is, It doesn’t matter who enters, it doesn’t matter who they are, what they look like, what they act like. It doesn’t matter if they are friend, foe, or in between. All that matters is the win. The biggest win of the year, and everyone would like it. But I…I HAVE to have it. And if what I just went through wasn’t tough enough to win the Rumble, I have no idea what is. You’ve heard all the talk.
… All they've done is talk.
All I've done is show you. You've seen me do everything under the damn sun to get myself physically and mentally ready for the Rumble. I have never been more ready for anything in my life. Never trained or done anything more difficult in my life, and now I will enter the Rumble with everything that I need.
So no, I'm not going to tell you that I am going to win.
Why?
See you then. [/i]
