>>> Standing Tall <<<

[Aerynn Donnelly]

>>> 13 June 2014 - Ogden, UT <<<

-- Aerynn was pacing in her room as she waited for word from Logan on how Gabriel was doing. He still hadn't gained consciousness and that worried Aerynn. She moved from the bed over to the desk that held her laptop and opened it up. Browsing through her emails, she came across the one that she had sent herself with the pictures of the symbols that she'd received from the unknown caller.

-- Scrolling through the pictures, she stopped and looked at one and frowned a bit. She couldn't quite place the symbol, but she could almost swear it was Celtic in nature. So, she pulled up a site and began her search.

-- Hours. That's how long she looked. Hours upon hours. She finally sat back, pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes close. Letting out a sigh as she sat back in the chair.

Aerynn: "Fuck."

-- She muttered outloud to the empty room. She looked over to her phone and reached over to pick it up. She scrolled through her contact list and highlighted Bethany's name. Touching the icon that would open a new text message, she typed out, "Call me, please." And hit send.

-- It only takes a minute for the call back.

Bethany: "Aerynn?"

-- Aerynn sat back and waited for the text to be received and then her phone rang. She swiped her thumb across the screen to answer it. And before she could get a "Hello." out, Bethany was already speaking her name.

Aerynn: "Hey, Bethany. So, I'm goin' tae need tae see ye an' tha others soon. Like, real soon. 'Fore tha Pay-Per-View soon."

Bethany: "Shouldn't be a problem. The band's really back together again now and I think I've got them to buy into the idea that workiing together isn't the Devil."

Aerynn: "Good. Now, I jus' need ye all tae buy inta tha idea o' gettin' some new tattoos done."

-- She let that sink in a moment. Waited for Bethany to say something.. Anything, really.

Bethany: "Have you looked at us? I don't think gettin' inked is gonna be a problem... Aside from finding some real estate on Ash. She's got a few already, more than Jezzy, Nik and me together it seems like half the time."

-- Aerynn laughed softly.

Aerynn: "Aye, well. These have tae be dong in a specific way. I have a guy tha' does tattoos in tha ancient way. An' tha ones we're needin' tae get, need tae be done tha' way."

Bethany: "And here we were givinig up the whole party/self medication idea for a while too..."

-- That got a sound of respect from Aerynn.

Aerynn: "Tha's good. I'm proud o' all o' ye. But, we all need tae be sober an' endure this procedure. It's brutal. It's nigh on painful. But, from whot I've gathered, this is how it needs tae be done."

Bethany: "I'll just tell Ash she can have a bottle of whiskey after. She'll probably make a face and then turn it down just to prove she can."

Aerynn: "Hell, tell her I'll throw in a bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey for her troubles."

-- Aerynn laughed at that. And then she turned serious for a moment.

Aerynn: "How's Jezsika doing? Really?"

Bethany: "She's better now that she doesn't think we all hate her. Melissa's pushing her to train more and was quite pleased with the no partying idea."

-- Even though Bethany couldn't see it, Aerynn nodded.

Aerynn: "Good. I'm glad tae hear tha'."

-- She still wasn't happy about what Jezsika did to Brody, but she was putting that behind her. For now. She knew there would come a point where it would come up. And on a personal level, Aerynn did have a score to settle.

Aerynn: "Ok. I need tae try an' get ahold o' Logan. We'll talk more at tha' match this week. Solidify plans tae get e'erythin' taken care of. Aye?"

Bethany: "Ok, I'll take make sure Ash sees the wisdom in this, even if she doesn't want to admit it. I'm pretty sure as long as we don't try to guilt her over Brody with it, she'll be fine."

Aerynn: "Nae, this isna 'bout Brody. Not at tha moment. I'm workin' on my own things tae find out where Brody is. He's my priority. But tha' doesna mean I'm takin' my eye off o' Joshua McBride an' tha' little harlot Priestess o' his, Maiko. Nae, ye dinna have tae worry 'bout me bringin' up Brody tae Ashley. Tha's 'tween me an' Jezsika. When tha time is right."

Bethany: "Good, Ash never really got over that whole... first night thing."

-- Aerynn shrugged. Again, more to herself than anyone.

Aerynn: "Be tha' as it may, I can assure tha' she doesna think o' tha' whene'er ye do a job. Do ye think tha' tha families o' tha people ye take out can jus' 'get o'er it'?"

-- She didn't mean to sound harsh. She really didn't. But, it was something that needed to be pointed out.

Aerynn: "She's pissed at me an' Brody fer whot happened. I get it. But at least she's still breathin'. How many can she say tha' 'bout?"

Bethany: "She ain't been on one of those. She usually plays bait and on those, we don't usually have to hurt them bad. The ones we did... "

Aerynn: "Again, be tha' as it may.. Whot's done is done. On all sides. Nothin' can change whot happened. An' no one can give by tha lives taken, either. But, tha's neither here nor there at tha moment. Right now, we need tae focus on Tha Children."

Bethany: "Given the choice between Brody and them, she'd pick smashing them every day of the week, twice on Sunday and an extra batch on holidays and holy days of obligation."

Aerynn: "Good. Tha's all I need tae know."

-- There came a beep from the other line and Aerynn pulled the phone back to look to see who the caller was. Seeing it was Logan, Aerynn brought the phone back to her ear.

Aerynn: "Bethany, tis Logan. I need tae take this. I'll see ye at Mayhem on Monday."

Bethany: "Later."

>>> Later that night. <<<

-- Aerynn Donnelly was standing at the top of the ramp of the arena that was going to be home to U.W.A.'s Monday Night Mayhem. She had spoken to Samuel to go to the arena and have a look around.

-- As she walked through the backstage and locker room areas, she kept going over something that Freeman had mentioned.

"Unleashin' tha Monster."

-- The sound of her voice came out of the darkness. And then suddenly, she came into view. Someone seemed to be standing a little bit aways from her.

"Ye speak o' unleashin' a monster inside o' ye, Freeman. Yer standin' on tha edge o' sanity. Ye dinna know which way is up. Which way is down."

-- She began to walk down the ramp that led to the ring. Slowly. Her hands tucked into the pockets of the black slacks that she wore. The look on her face was one that would make someone believe that she was thinking. Weighing her options, so to speak.

"Do ye really know whot tha monster inside ye is? Do ye know tha true damage it can do?"

-- She raised her eyes up and looked at the camera with a dark smile.

"I do. I know tha monster tha' lives inside o' me. I know tha damage an' havoc it can unleash if given even half a chance tae run free. I feel it clawin' at me temples. Screamin' tae get out.

Ye claim tha' ye've just started tae get a handle on yer monster. On tha beast tha' resides within ye. I dinna think tha' tis true, Freeman.

See, if ye had any kind o' handle on tha' beast, ye'd nae be blamin' Vince Jones fer whot happened tae ye on last Monday Night Mayhem. Ye'd be takin' tha blame on yerself. Ye'd own tha' ye fucked up. Ye grew soft. Ye let yer mind single in on one target instead o' tha many tha' surround ye.

Yer a protector, Freeman. Ye protect yer woman, but then ye turn on her tha moment it's convenient fer ye. Ye lay blame at her feet instead o' realizin' tha' Jones got tha hook on ye 'cause ye weren't payin' attention tae yer surroundings.

An' whot o' poor Skylar? Scarin' her like ye did by beatin' tha' man tae within an inch o' his life? Do ye nae believe tha'll come back tae haunt ye?

It will, Freeman. It'll come ta ye in yer dreams. It'll start tae haunt yer e'ery wakin' moment.

Ye want tae fight the Great Evil within U.W.A.? Dinna think tha' Vince Jones is tha' evil.

Ye know.. We all know.. Who tha' evil is.

Tha Children o' Nephilim.

So, Freeman, I make ye this offer.."

-- By this time, she had made her way down the ramp and had walked up the steps that was on every corner of the ring. She had slipped between the ropes and was now standing in the center of the ring.

"Stand with me. Stand with me, Jezsika Gautier, K.I.S.S. an' Bene Elohim against tha TRUE evil in U.W.A."

-- She turned to look back at the camera once again.

"E'eryone on the U.W.A. roster knows yer a force tae be reckoned wit'.

Tha only one tha's doesna realize tha'.. Tha only one tha' doesna KNOW tha'...

Is ye."

-- She slipped her hands out of her pockets and raised them out by her sides.

"Whot will it be, Freeman?

Will ye let tha monster win an' turn e'erythin' ye love tae ruins?

'R will ye stand by my side an' fight?"

-- The camera then fades to black.