Post-Battery

[Ameronth]

**Nikki Wyld continues down the hall, a scowl on her face. Suddenly, Derrick Arzon opens the door leading from the wrestlers’ locker room. He sees Nikki and quickly ducks back into the locker room. Nikki sees him and sighs. She stops outside the locker room door, leans against the wall, and crosses her arms. She glances back at the closed door and rolls her eyes. After a moment, Derrick pops his head back out of the door and glances tentatively in her direction.**

DERRICK: “Oh, hey! I uh... didn’t see you there.”

NIKKI: “Uh-huh.”

**Nikki sighs and pouts.**

DERRICK: “Hey, um... tough break out there. You almost had her beat.”

NIKKI: “Yeah... whatever.”

DERRICK: “And hey... it may not feel like it right now, but you did the right thing.”

NIKKI: “Yeah yeah... I cheated to win the first time, blah blah blah... virtue and honesty and all that.”

**Nikki shakes her head, disgusted. Derrick steps out of the door and leans against the opposite wall, facing her.**

DERRICK: “No I’m serious. You could have just taken that win and punched your ticket to a title shot. It took... uh... integrity to step up and do business the right way. That’s big. You can’t put a price on your honor.”

NIKKI: “I’m seriously going to throw up now.”

**Derrick puts up his hands.**

DERRICK: “Fine... fine, I hear you. But there will be other opportunities. You can sleep well at night knowing you are better than that. Besides. You almost had Nieve out there. Be proud of that! I saw you out there. Her leg was hanging on by a sinew.”

**Nikki looks up through her messy mop of hair.**

NIKKI: “Well... thanks. And hey, you totally kicked ass out there. I’d kill for another chance to put Mj1 and his stupid cutter in his place. That was a big win. You’re gonna have your own title shot before long.”

DERRICK: “Thanks. I hope Holiday was watching that. Every time I’m in the ring I just imagine what I’m gonna do to him the next time I have him in a fair fight.”

NIKKI: “He’ll get what’s coming to him. You just need to...”

**Just then, Damion Black rounds the corner and stops near the two light heavyweights. He smirks as he looks from one to the other. Nikki scowls at him. Derrick looks from her to Black and tenses up, sensing a confrontation.**

BLACK: “Well... look at you two. How long has this been going on?”

NIKKI: “What? Gross! Shut up you weirdo!”

DERRICK: “Gross?”

BLACK: “Now now... I didn’t mean anything by that. Actually I’m glad I ran into you Ms. Wyld. I saw your performance out there tonight.”

NIKKI: “Oh yeah, rub it in you big... big asshole. How could you be such a jerk?”

BLACK: “Now now, Ms. Wyld, is that any way to speak to the man who gave you your big break in professional wrestling? The man who puts bread on your table for your unemployed father?”

NIKKI: “You FIRED my dad, you ass!”

BLACK: “The man who can you grant you... a rematch for the #1 contendership against La Nieve?"

**Nikki and Derrick exchange a look. Nikki shakes her head and puts her hand up.**

NIKKI: “Wait, NO. I’m not falling for your tricks. You’ve got no reason to help me. Why would you fight to give me a chance at being the number one contender? Nieve already BEAT me and earned her shot.”

BLACK: “Did she now? The way I see it, you won your first contest. What some may call ‘dirty tactics’, I see as a talented competitor doing what she needed to do to get what she wanted. You got the three count, and your hand was raised. Now... tonight at Battery Nieve pinned you. So... the way I see it, that’s a win for EACH of you. To me, that means the world deserves to see you two in one final match on Battery this Tuesday. The winner of THAT gets to be the undisputed number one contender to the Light Heavyweight Title.”

**Nikki takes a step back and thinks hard. Then she steps forward and gets in Black’s face.**

NIKKI: “What the hell are you playing at Black? Why would you give me another chance like that?”

**Derrick Arzon steps up and frowns at Black.**

DERRICK: “Don’t let him get to you Nikki. He’s just using you and Nieve to wear each other out. He wants you two to beat the tar out of each other so whoever wins will be going into their fight with Beckett worn down. It’s all a game.”

**Black looks down at Derrick Arzon and smiles.**

BLACK: “I’d stay out of this one if I were you. I know your history with Brawler Beckett and the last thing I’m going to allow is for you to tarnish the PWA Light Heavyweight lineage with your baseless accusations.”

**Nikki states daggers at Black.**

NIKKI: “Derrick’s right isn’t he? This is just some mean game you’re playing. You don’t think either Nieve or I can beat Beckett anyway, and you’re using this fight to mark time and get your champ an easy win! You dick!”

**Black narrows his eyes at Nikki.**

BLACK: “So... you don’t want another shot at contendership. Is that what you’re saying?”

NIKKI: “Let me answer your question with a question. You absolutely sure Beckett can beat me? I’m focused, angry, and backed into a corner. You sure you want to put Beckett in the ring with me with that belt on the line? Because if you give me another shot and I win... I PROMISE you... I’m going into that match with Beckett to BREAK. HIS. LEG. That something you’re prepared to sign off on?”

**Black sneers, showing his teeth.**

BLACK: “This upcoming Battery... you and Nieve... one last time. IF you win... you’d better be able to deliver on your bold words.”

**Black takes a breath and smiles out of the corner of his mouth. Then he pushes past Nikki and Derrick and heads down the hall. The two light heavyweights watch him go with uneasy looks on their faces. Derrick and Nikki stare for a long while until Black disappears. A tired Nikki sighs deeply. Her hands suddenly curl into fists and she punches the wall next to her, grunting with the effort.**

DERRICK: "Hey, be careful. You're gonna break your hand doing that."

**Wyld puts her hands up to her face and sighs again.**

NIKKI: "... shut... up."

DERRICK: "Listen, I know an arcade near here with a machine that measures how hard you can punch. Whaddaya say we grab a Damion Black eight-by-ten, tape it to that machine and blow off some steam?"

**Nikki doesn't move for a few seconds, then looks up at Derrik and grins slightly through her frustration.**

NIKKI: "An arcade? What are you, like, 12?"

DERRICK: “What? No, I mean uh...”

NIKKI: “Totally kidding. Let’s do it.”

**Derrik and Nikki turn to walk out of the arena. After several steps, Nikki stops and shoots Derrick a suspicious look.**

NIKKI: "Hey wait a minute. Is this a date?"

DERRIK: "Y-!"

**Derrik halts and turns to Nikki, his face slightly red.**

DERRIK: "I, uh, just thought some time out of here would help you... you know... calm down. You know,.... maintain your focus?"

NIKKI: “Uh huh... ok then. Date it is.”

**Nikki struts past Derrick down the hall. Derrick stares after her for a minute, dumbfounded.**

NIKKI: “You coming nerd?”

DERRICK: “Uh... yeah, for sure.”

**Derrick jogs after her as the screen fades to black.**