3x19 Ticket To Ride (air date March 17th, 2023)

3x19 Ticket To Ride (air date March 17th, 2023) Mar 18, 2023 15:44:02 GMT -6

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Post by gvb on Mar 18, 2023 15:44:02 GMT -6

3x19 TICKET TO RIDE

The Common Area
March 14th, 2023
8:11 PM

A slight sigh can be heard as the large frame of Brighton Lancaster plops herself down onto one of the sofas, her hand wrapped around her phone. She takes a quick look over her shoulder, making sure she was alone before she unlocked her phone and began to swipe and tap. With another, deeper sigh, she pressed a button and began to FaceTime her elder sister Juliet, better known as MWE’s Echo. Brighton knew what was coming, and yet, she subjected herself to it. The phone rang once…twice…then finally was answered.

Brighton Lancaster:
Hey sis! It’s been a while!

Echo was clearly between workouts, with the sweat drenching her face, her hair matted down above her eyes. She takes a towel and quickly wipes her face while shaking her hair out.

Echo:
It has. We gotta make this quick, I gotta get back to it.

Even for Echo, her response is…cold, to say the least. Brighton takes a moment, nodding, almost apologetically.

Brighton Lancaster:
Right, you’re right. I get it. Sorry. It’s just uh, um…I’m looking for some advice. Like, I know this is all new to me but I feel…kinda lost? I’m just looking for some advice, is all.

Echo:
Advice?

An eye roll and over emphasis on the word sold the sarcasm.

Echo:
You’re in a wrestling school with, what I understand, are some pretty good teachers. Or aren’t they good enough for you now?

Brighton eyes almost narrow in response, on one hand, Echo’s right, but on the other - it’s not like they’ve given her the most attention.

Brighton Lancaster:
Right, no, I know. They’re great. It’s just…I came in sort of late, to replace that other girl, so it was either hit the ground running or flounder. You know? I just wanted to know if you’ve gone through that?

Her words seem like they were prefixed with an apology if necessary, Brighton voice growing weaker as she rambles on.

Echo:
Everyone hits a bump or two in the road, but that’s not really your whole problem right now. It’s a lot more simple, really, and I guess you’re going to want me to tell you what it is.

Echo pauses to start sipping her water, almost as if to drag it out. Brighton begins to grin, mostly out of pure nervousness than anything else.

Brighton Lancaster:
Well, yes? Please?

Echo:
Alright, then.

Another long sip of water later…

Echo:
The entire problem is you’re built like a tank and you’re meek like a fucking mouse. You could be running over, or better yet, running through every cunt in the Academy, and yet you’re all smiley and happy with mediocrity, if you’re even approaching that. If you weren’t my family, I wouldn’t care, but you’re damn near embarrassing as it is now.

Brighton’s smile drops from her face as Echo speaks, she was right, completely and utterly. The words hurt to hear, and they hurt the most coming from her elder sister, her idol. Brighton throws some of her hair out of her face, her expression having seemingly changed in an instant.

Brighton Lancaster:
Okay then.

She refuses to offer much of a response - an embarrassment? Half of Brighton wants to burst into tears, whilst the other half wants to tear the whole Academy apart. Currently, the latter is winning the mental tug-of-war. Brighton eventually responds, words escaping through gritted teeth.

Brighton Lancaster:
I’ll let you get back to it.

Echo:
Thatta girl.

The trademark wicked grin of Echo’s spread across her face.

Echo:
I’ll stop by next time, maybe you’ll start acting like a fighter and less like a lost toddler.

Without waiting for a further response, Echo ends the call from her end. Brighton sits in silence for a moment, her elder sister’s words replaying in her mind over and over and over again. Staring off into space, she finally stands, storming off in the direction of the gym.

The Principal's Office
March 16th, 2023
7:55 AM

A knock at the door interrupted Gianluigi Vaccaro's focus as he was looking at coach's reports and charts of the students. The Principal raised his glance from the paperwork and glanced at the door, inviting whoever the visitor was to come in. He looked perplexed as he saw Alice Wagner stepping inside his office, but he quickly hid that surprise behind a welcoming smile.

Gianluigi Vaccaro:
Alice... Please, come in. How can I help you?

Wagner smiled back, although hers was a nervous and uncomfortable one.

Alice Wagner:
Good morning sir. I...

She let out a sigh, buying some time to choose her words carefully.

Alice Wagner:
I don't usually make requests of any kind and I surely don't like it but... I wanted to ask if you have already made a decision about the Gold Star match at the Pay-Per-View.

Gianluigi nodded his head, studying the young student with his eyes.

Gianluigi Vaccaro:
I did sent my suggestion to Elsa already, yes. But I reserved myself the right to change it until after Friday's show. That's when I will make my official decision.

Alice's lips moved, clearly mouthing a "crap". Without a doubt, this wasn't the answer she was hoping for.

Gianluigi Vaccaro:
I assume you have a request so please, do tell.

The student shook her head and pushed herself up from the chair.

Alice Wagner:
Nah, it's all good. I shouldn't have even come here, I'm cool with whatever your decision is...

Gianluigi Vaccaro:
I insist.

Gian cut her off and invited her to sit back on the chair with a gesture of his hand. His voice was calm, but at the same time authoritative. Alice had no chance but to comply.

Alice Wagner:
Well, I... I know that Dakota deserves a rematch after what happened last week, and I'm the first to admit that Scott has been nothing short than impressive recently. But part of me was hoping I could get a one on one match against Reyes.

Gian listened to Alice, not once taking his eyes away from her.

Alice Wagner:
I know it's kinda selfish but I want to test myself against Reign, without having to worry about other people. No excuses if I fail, no alibis for her if I win.

She spoke with conviction, the nerves she showed when she first walked in seemed to be gone now.

Alice Wagner:
And if you have decided to give them the rightful shot they definitely earned, then I'll ask you to pull me from the match and give me my match against Reign on the first show after the PPV. Even if she happens to lose the Gold Star.

Gian didn't answer right away, taking a few moments to think about what Alice just said.

Gianluigi Vaccaro:
I see. Was there something else you wanted to tell me?

Alice Wagner:
No sir, that'd be all. Thank you for listening to me. Whatever your decision will be, I'll accept it.

Alice added, standing up from the chair ready to take her leave. The principal raised his hand, asking him to wait a moment.

Gianluigi Vaccaro:
I wanted to tell you something too. A dispassionate advice, if you don't mind it.

Alice Wagner:
Of course. What's up?

Gian stood up as well, looking at the student as he spoke.

Gianluigi Vaccaro:
I can't and don't want to comment on your relationship with your father, you have the right to feel the way you feel about him. But you shouldn't be ashamed of using your family name. You have the talent to write some beautiful pages in the book of this sport and your family's legacy. Don't waste it.

Alice Wagner:
It's not shame...

She quickly replied in a trembling voice.

Alice Wagner:
When people hear the names of Rayven, Mckena, Jvstice and Junior... Their mind immediately goes to the man who trained them, uncle Robb. I don't have that luxury, Alice Hardy is not Robb's niece, she's Will's daughter.

Wagner shook her head, squeezing her eyes as she tried to keep her emotions in check.

Alice Wagner:
I don't want that. I don't want people to see my name and think of what my father did. Maybe, one day, I will have done enough to clean my name. Hopefully, in a near future, when people will see "Alice Hardy" on a card they'll have enough good things to associate to my name that my father's actions won't even come to their mind. But I'm not there yet, and I won't let my father taint this family's legacy any further.

She was barely hanging in there now, and she was well aware of it.

Alice Wagner:
Now, if that's it...

Gian nodded his head and Alice was already on her way out. Now alone inside his office, Gian grabbed the phone and quickly tapped with his fingers to dial a number.

Gianluigi Vaccaro:
Elsa? I just wanted to confirm the pre-show match for night two.

On the other side, the Millennium General Manager said something we couldn't hear.

Gianluigi Vaccaro:
I know I said I would make my decision after Friday's show, but I don't see a point anymore.

The conversation was not over, but the feed was cut, leaving the audience wondering what Gian's decision was.

Singles Match
Kyle Ashton VS Brighton Lancaster

As the match started, Kyle asked Brighton to pick a card from his deck. Not the first time the magician started things off with a trick but Lancaster was having none of it and slapped his hand away, scattering cards all over the floor. Ashton said something to his opponent and crouched to pick them up and received a brutal kick to the side of the head from the Australian-American.
Brighton didn't follow up on that, seemingly still conflicted between fully embracing her more aggressive style and sticking to that attitude and work ethic she showed in her first few weeks at the Academy. She hesitated, giving Kyle time to get up to his feet and tackle her to the mat. Ashton then started raining down punches to her face, while the ref took the chance to clean up the ring, pushing the cards out of the way.
Kyle connected with a stunner that caught Brighton off guard and resulted in a two count. He then followed with a springboard moonsault but the move was too telegraphed and Lancaster simply raised her knees and blocked the attempt.
After firing the opponent into the corner with an Irish whip, Brighton followed up with a splash and tossed him halfway across the ring with a belly-to-belly suplex.
Laser focused and determined, Brighton seemed to finally be living up to her potential and the expectations of her trainer, dominating the opponent and scoring another near fall with a brainbuster.
Kyle kept fighting, building some momentum with a volley of kicks, but Brighton grabbed his leg and took him down with a dragon screw leg whip. Lancaster then followed with stomps and a legdrop, but Ashton got his shoulder up in time. Brighton then picked him up and set him up on her shoulder, driving him on the mat with an inverted powerslam, finding her second win in singles competition.

WINNER: Brighton Lancaster
BY: Pinfall (Inverted Powerslam), 8:33

Singles Match

Leon Alexander VS Adrianna Garcia

In the second match of the night Leon Alexander took on Adrianna Garcia. After a good start of the year, La Chica has been struggling a lot recently, showing a poor form and seemingly some confidence issues as well. Leon Alexander arrived to this match needing a win after some recent good but unsuccessful performance, and he definitely started with the right foot, knocking Adrianna down with a spinning backfist after a quick striking combination.
Garcia relied on her kicks to try turning things around, but Leon wasn't going to stand there and be a target for the Latina. He started fighting back with some kicks of his own, sending Adrianna into the ropes with an Irish whip and raising his leg for a big boot. Garcia had exactly the same idea and delivered a running kick of her own. As a result, both competitors were now staring at the ceiling.
Alexander's clothesline sent Adrianna tumbling over the top rope, but she somehow managed to land on the apron. Leon swung with a right hand but Addy ducked it and countered with a head kick. Using the top rope as a springboard, she flew back into the ring and got caught in mid air by Leon who then dropped her on his knee for a rib breaker.
Adrianna tried to turn things around with a head kick but a well placed back elbow from Leon put an instant end to her comeback. The SoCal guy then followed with an atomic drop and a discus clothesline, obtaining a count of two.
An excess of confidence almost cost Leon a match that he seemed to have in the pocket already, but he was able to kick out of her running knee strike.
Garcia tried to keep the momentum going, charging toward Leon and wrapping her legs around his head for a headscissor but he was able to stop the momentum and powerbomb her into the canvas. And that was all she wrote, Adrianna failed to get her shoulder up before the three.

WINNER: Leon Alexander
BY: Pinfall (Powerbomb), 7:13

Singles Match
Scott Martell VS Alice Wagner

All eyes were on this match, especially those of the Gold Star Reign Reyes. Before the bell rang, Alice reached out with her hand and wished Scott good luck. A gesture we saw her doing quite often, a display of sportsmanship that saw Martell shaking her hand after a slight hesitation.
The match started with a classic collar and elbow tie. As predictable, Scott easily overpowered Wagner and pushed her back against the ropes. Alice used her smaller size to her advantage and shifted behind Martell's back, putting him into a wasitlock and pushing him into the ropes, trying to surprise him with an O'Connor Roll but Martell kicked out in two.
One of the most impressive things about Alice, maybe even more than her incredible talent, was the ridiculous amount of preparation she put in every match. This was the first time she faced Scott but it looked like they had this dance countless times. She had a counter for everything he threw at her. When he picked her up for a bodyslam, she immediately slipped out of his grasp and landed behind his back. A hard kick to the back of the legs took Martell down, flat on his back. Wasting no time, she jumped on his chest with a double foot stomp and picked up another near fall.
Martell was not to be outdone. A real student of the game, the Great One did his homework too, and when Alice put him in a hammerlock, he knew that she would immediately transition into a DDT. When she did, he was ready to pick her up and throw her backwards with a northern lights suplex, keeping the bridge for a count of two.
Not only grappling and technical wrestling, Alice was very welll versed in the striking department as well, hitting Scott with a combiantion of kicks and knee strikes culminating in a spinning heel kick that knocked the Great One down.
To get away from a possible pinning predicament and regroup, Scott left the ring. Wagner didn't hesitatate and launched herself between the middle and top rope with a suicide dive. Scott grabbed her in mid-air and used her own momentum to bring her to the mat with The Scoop on the floor. He picked her up and dragged her back to the ring. Alice grabbed the apron desperately, holding with everything she had in an attempt to prevent him from rolling her back in the ring, or at least buying herself as much time as possible. Eventually Scott managed to roll her back in and made the cover, but by that time Alice had recovered enough strength to kick out at the last moment.
Alice may have survived in that instance, but seemed to be in great difficulty like never before after that scoop on the outside. Scott kept the pressure on her with striking combinations, turning Alice inside out with a discus clothesline.
Wagner had rolled out of the ring to catch a breather but Martell wasn't going to give her the chance to recover. He grabbed her by the hair and suplexed her back in the ring, but Alice shifted her bodyweight and landed behind his shoulders. Just like that she was in position to connect her Severed Wings, but after dropping the Great One with the backstabbed she couldn't follow up with the dragon sleeper.
Both of them showed signs of fatigue in the final moments of the match. In times like this the most important thing is to keep a clear head and not make mistakes, biding your time if necessary and wait for the right opening to strike. Alice seemed to be better at that, slowing the pace and wearing Martell down with chokes. When Scott finally broke free, he tried to rush the war to a close with a massive spear, and that was the miscalculation Alice was waiting for. She jumped over him with a leapfrog and as soon as he crashed into the turnbuckle she rolled him up into a pinning predicament, picking up a hard fought win.

WINNER: Alice Wagner
BY: Pinfall (Roll-Up), 18:11

3x19 Ticket To Ride (air date March 17th, 2023)

Post by gvb on Mar 18, 2023 15:44:02 GMT -6

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