Scorpio vs Artemis Kaiser

[Alex Smiley]

Reminder:

- Word limit for Group Stage matches is 1500.
- 1 RP per wrestler per match.
- Deadline: December 9, 2018, at 11:59PM Pacific.

[Russ]

Extreme Makeover

"Crème, I don't know how many times I have to say this... IT SAYS RIGHT HERE THAT THIS PSYCHO FUCKING BITCH MURDERED PEOPLE IN THE RING!"

Our scene opens on a trendy London penthouse apartment as the three members of Desert Sex appear to be having a dining room-based battle. The S-Factor himself has his hands clenched on the back of a chair, his acrylic nails threatening to dislodge with the pressure he's putting them under as he stares wide-eyed across the room at Crème de la Crème. The drag queen herself is sat at the head of the dining table, a glass of chardonnay in her hand as she stares up at Scorpio, raising a single painted-on eyebrow. Meanwhile Aaron 'The Cobra' Roberts is pacing up and down, muttering to himself, and painting the image of a child frustrated with mummy and daddy's continual bickering. There is a brief silence as Crème swirls her wine and places the glass down pointedly, staring directly into Scorpio's emerald-green eyes.

Crème de la Crème: "Sweetheart this is the Extreme Tournament and you're a legend now. What did you expect? A 30-second scrap with Kenny Freeman?"

For a few seconds the S-Factor stands there seething, apparently not knowing how to respond, before he lets out a blood-curdling scream and swipes a bowl of fruit from the table. The crystal orb flies through the air and makes contact with the wall, shattering into a thousand pieces which clatter to the floor. Crème barely bats a false-lash-laden eyelid.

Scorpio: "How long have you known me? You know for a fucking fact that I don't shy away from the tough fights. I broke myself against Drake Mosa... IT TOOK FIVE FUCKING YEARS TO GET PHYSICALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY BACK INTO THE FIGHT! I'm not some rookie bitch, I know the sacrifices that need to be made only too well. But Christ Crème I draw the line at taking on someone who is so ruthless she delights in telling everyone about necks she's broken and lives she's supposedly ended..."

Crème de la Crème takes another sip of her wine, pondering Scorpio's thoughts, and sighing deeply.

Crème de la Crème: "I mean, how do you know this is all true anyway? People say a lot to intimidate their opponents, half of it is bullshit, and the other half is exaggeration at best..."

Scorpio: "She's one of the von Lichts!"

Briefly Aaron Roberts' pacing stops as he turns to face Scorpio and raises an eyebrow quizzically.

The Cobra: "The singing family from The Sound of Music?"

Crème de la Crème: "No that's the von Trapps. You mean the painter that cut his ear off?"

The Cobra: "That's van Gogh! ... what about the fat Danish guy from TFWF?"

Crème de la Crème: "Vagn Dahl?—"

Scorpio: "A FAMILY OF BLOOD-THIRSTY ELITE FIGHTERS WHO LEST I REMIND YOU PRIDE THEMSELVES ON APPARENTLY HAVING BEEN INVOLVED IN ACTUAL DEATHS OF REAL PEOPLE IN A WRESTLING RING!"

Without another word Scorpio turns and walks out of the dining room, heading to the large floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the London skyline. Back at the table Crème and Aaron share expressions of concern and frustration, before Crème finishes the rest of her wine and stands. The Cobra begins to clear up the remains of the crystal fruit bowl as the drag queen manager heads over to her friend, the clip-clop of oversized high heels echoing throughout the apartment. She reaches Scorpio and places a hand on his shoulder, however the S-Factor immediately shrugs it off and shakes his head.

Scorpio: "I'm serious about this Crème..."

Crème de la Crème: "I know... I'm sorry... I just... I don't know what to say..."

Scorpio: "Five years ago I battled in the toughest war I've ever faced. I took on Drake Mosa and he pushed me to my limits physically, emotionally, in every way you can imagine. In one night, even if I did come out of it the winner, he broke my body and he broke my soul. On that same night the federation I called home, the family I had around me, fell apart. Over the last few years I've made peace with that, accepted that chapter of my life is over, understood that I was no longer Scorpio the wrestler. I was happy once more. And then the Experts came calling again... a fire awoke somewhere inside. I shocked myself when I said yes to the first match... I shocked myself when I said yes to the second... and then came the opportunity to be part of the resurgence of the Extreme Tournament..."

He pauses briefly and sighs, staring down at the London skyline. Lights flicker and blink throughout the city, the muffled sounds of cars driving, sirens wailing, the hustle-bustle of life all those many storeys below them.

Crème de la Crème: "And that shocked you too—"

Scorpio: "That's the thing, it didn't. It felt right. I got my shot at the True Expert Championship when I was so new to this sport, I got absolutely humiliated by Level-One, and I never stepped foot on the Experts stage again. I watched from the sidelines as so many made their names, found their glory, won gold, formed their legacies. I became a legend, a hero, a champion in my own right sure enough, but I always felt there was something missing. Then the Extreme Tournament came back... and fuck it... it feels so right, it feels like my time, it feels like the contest where at last I get to hold Experts gold and become an Extreme Tournament winner. Then I saw the draw and it all came flooding back... the past... the memories... the anxiety..."

He places a hand against the window, still staring down on the city below him, before slowly closing his eyes and leaning his forehead against the glass. He sighs.

Scorpio: "The more I learn about Artemis Kaiser the more I feel like it's Mosa all over again. She's won more gold than I can count, she's got more accolades than I can name, this woman is brutal and talented. At step one I'm facing my demons all over again, facing down a woman who could be my undoing before I've even started. Whether all this talk of in-ring murders and broken necks is bravado, there's no hiding from the fact she's ruthless and delights in breaking her opponents down in a style tantamount to torture. That's what I'm getting in the ring with... and I'm scared Crème..."

Crème de la Crème: "Of Artemis Kaiser?"

Scorpio: "Scared of losing it all. I want it so badly Crème. I want to face Georgie Nickles once more to decide our group. I want to get into that Elimination Chamber opposite Jack Benevolence, Doug E Fresh, Level-One, Michael Thunder, MDK, Sewaside, Smitty, whoever and whatever they can throw against me. I want to fight with everything I've got and then some... and I want to win the Extreme Tournament. Crème I've been out of the spotlight for so long and now I've tasted glory again... I want to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with legends and cut out the cancer that's destroying The Experts. And I so fucking badly want to be the True Expert Champion."

The S-Factor turns from the window and Crème offers him a comforting look. She puts her hand to his jaw, cupping it in a motherly fashion.

Crème de la Crème: "I know you well enough to know you'll be tearing yourself up inside for thinking so selfishly. Forget it. You've done your time, you've paid your dues, you've fought your battles, and you deserve this. I've also watched you take on the best this sport has to offer and come out on top time and time again. She might be new to us, but it's clear Artemis Kaiser is nothing short of experienced in the ring. Good for her. We've taken on bigger and badder than her and we've left them in our wake. You'll do the same again my darling... you know how to make it happen..."

Scorpio sighs, nodding his head slowly.

Scorpio: "Train. Work. Fight. Never give up. Never give in. Never back down."

Crème smiles warmly.

"And remember... there's always the option of fucking a bitch up."

Fin.

[Vonberry]

Artemis Kaiser is an anomaly to many of the competitors in the tournament. She's a new name that only two people may know and as such, it may be hard to pinpoint anything about her. On her exterior, Artemis is a destructive individual, who seeps out hatred and sadism from every part of her small body. Yet, it's not known what operates inside of the mind of the garden gnome sized destroyer of worlds.

Originally, people would sooner proclaim Artemis as a person who enjoyed bloodshed a bit too much than a competitor that would one day challenge for the best of the world spot. It was how barbaric of an individual she was that garnered her such a reputation. Yet, for whatever reason, when someone would ask her about her status, Artemis' expression wouldn't change from the neutral gaze that she always had when talking to interviewers. A silence might have lingered in the room, infringing on awkwardness until Artemis decided to speak up. When she did, she only said one thing.

"That's not my decision, is it?"

Those words, said with a vacant tone, were representative of the kind of woman that Artemis Kaiser was. In professional wrestling, there are many who become obsessed with the limelight and adoration of the audience and their peers. To be the best is a goal for many, and it eats away many of them to the point that they are a shell of what they formerly were. Yet, Artemis refrained from such feelings because truthfully...she didn't care.

It was enough satisfaction to reap the spoils of war after a gruesome battle. The acknowledgment of those around her didn't matter. Why would the opinions of potential victims sway her? It didn't matter if you were disparaging or respecting towards her presence, Artemis saw her fellow wrestler as a pound of flesh and blood. Their voices blended together into a song of criticisms and expectations. No one saw behind the eyes of the Last Empress, hearing her thoughts. The only thing that people would meet was an empty gaze but people would try to dive deeper, hoping they would be the one to figure her out.

"Artemis is missing the window of her soul. When you look into her eyes, it's like she's not looking at you. Like you're not really there." - Sophie El, Artemis' Younger Sister...and victim.

Littered across her ground by her feet, Artemis had championships and awards stained in blood. As the five years carried on, she started to see the point of winning the pieces of gold. Yet, she admitted only to herself why she did it. When she held a championship, she became a target to other people but she was a predator by nature. Like any spider, she used the championship as her web, drawing in competitors and ensnaring them without them even realizing it. When they were there, thinking they had a chance to defeat her for what she wanted. Only for a moment could they scream when she ate them up like the meals they were.

Prior to registering for the Extremes Tournament, she was given a question about why she made the move. Obviously, she lied to the presses. She said that it was competition, which in itself bore a hint of truth. Underneath the lie, the real reason was that 2018 limited her. She won her first world championship and defeated countless names, leading to her becoming a more prevalent name in the wrestling business. As such, she knew her needs wouldn't be met.

Artemis Kaiser's story through the legendary Extremes Tournament wasn't for the sake of glory.

This was a story of hurting other people.

⭗⭗⭗

Dear Scorpio,

Pain /pān/ (noun): physical suffering or discomfort caused by illness or injury.

Every single one of us knows the definition of this word by heart and experience. All of us have suffered it in some capacity. Unfortunately, some of us know it in worse ways. I, myself, have only been out of wrestling for a minor injury. I had something wrong in my neck and I took the hint and left before I made it worse. I took a few months off, healed up, and came back. I haven't been on the sidelines since.

Yet, a few years ago, your back just started hurting a little too much, huh? You lost everything because of that. You rallied back through. You beat the man who took your championship and your honor by jumping clean into some concrete. It was a moment to be spoken of for years to come but at the cost of your longevity in the business. It wasn't until now that you showed your face and this is my first time seeing it.

What a joyous occasion.

Anyways, you know a bit about me. There's a lot going around about me and I'm interested in hearing what many of you legends have to say about me. Many of you have gone through Survive and Conquer, earlier iterations of this tournament, and your Last Monster Standing matches, in your case. I can't say that I've done the same. I've competed in my fair share of deathmatches and people know that they've resulted in some...

Casualties.

We do share a similar incident.

I had to end my best friend's career too. I had to do it by putting her head first through a table.

...I still have the scars. I look at them every day.

Sometimes, I touch them just to reflect on the memories.

It was a fun time.

Was it fun for you to end your friend's career? Did it give you and your people a sweet release--in any manner of the term? I know it did for me. You're that kind of man, I've noticed. Did you "Touch Yourself" in the same way that I did when I beat my friend out of a career? I apologize if this got too personal but it's sometimes great to have these conversations with people you don't know. Because realistically, after this tournament, we may never see each other again.

But it's our jobs to leave a parting impact on every single person we get the chance to compete with.

You know you're going to leave that ring in a world of pain. All because you have the heart and courage to push on past the point of stupidity. You're going to give me everything that you have to try to start this tournament off on the right foot. But I ask you this, Scorpio.

Do you think you're safe?

If you do, it might be there because I don't know you. That sort of malice is reserved for people you hate. I have a few people that I hate in particular. People like Aurora Jansen, for instance. But you, Scorpio, this is our first ever meeting. So what will I do to you when that match bell rings, when it's time for us to fight like the warriors people see us as?

I don't know, I admit that.

We're not acquaintances.

We're not friends.

We're not enemies.

But does that make you safe from everything that I am? There's a likely chance that you're not. Because I can't hide why I joined this tournament anymore. Glory is nice and competition makes me drool these days but it's that unknown factor that drew me in. It has been such a long time since I felt that pain behind my knuckles from really punching someone. I haven't felt that shot of primal adrenaline from when I get to hurt another person. And outside of Nariko and Rex, I don't know any of you, which makes it all the easier for me to do exactly what I need to do to make myself feel...good again.

That being said, I can't just walk into a tournament and try not to win, right? That would just be a waste of everyone's time. I do want to walk into that Elimination Chamber match. I want to walk out of there as the winner just like you, just like everyone else. However, there's a small difference between myself and everyone else, I'm led to believe. This is a round robin tournament. It's surprisingly my first one ever and I have quite the strategy.

Everyone else wants to go through the tournament and fight everyone!

That's...not me. I can't stand inefficiency. I'm a woman that knows that time is of the essence. So outside of this carnal want to hurt you to satisfy these hedonistic desires, I want to make sure that you can't fight again in this tournament. I can win the whole block in a few matches if I do it correctly. Hell, I might be able to win the whole entire tournament!

Because you can't have a round robin tournament if there aren't enough people to go around, right?