At the United Center, Chicago IL.

Kate rushed through the labyrinth of the backstage area. As she approached the general locker room she slowed her pace as she saw her opponent of a few hours earlier, Knightmask.

"Knightmask!" She said hurriedly. "I just wanted to thank you for a challenging match, I'm going to be training the rest of the week, so now is my only time to say it. But if you want a rematch, I'd be happy to give it to you."

Knightmask makes no reply an instead enters the men's restroom.

"Not even a nod or a handshake, what a jerk!" Kate says to herself.

Knowing her time is limited she barged in the general locker room. Off to the left was a corridor leading to the ladies private changing rooms. She made for that direction offering half-murmured apologies as she pushed her way through the much bigger wrestlers.

Finally upon entering the ladies room, she opened her locker and began to change from her wrestling suit into her ragged clothes.

"Ugh. Once I get some money I need much better clothing. these are getting a bit too old." She said aloud to no one.

With her backpack of various non-essentials she prepared herself to exit the arena and go to the hospital to get her broken nose fixed. Most likely she would also run into Ann Thraxx at Chicago General, Kate wanted to thank her as well and wish her a speedy recovery.

As she exited the general locker room she said loudly. "See you all next week!"
no one paid any attention to her, she may have won her triple threat but she was still a rookie.

"Fuck off." She heard an unidentifiable male voice say.

Under her breath she said. "Well fuck you too, asshole!"

With the full knowledge that her mentor and trainer was likely getting very tired of waiting for her. Kate stepped up from a brisk walk to full run. She had to make it to the exit near the stage entrance as quick as possible.

But as she ran she saw paramedics wheeling Ann Thraxx on a gurney. She was covered in blood and her body looked like it had been run over by a back-hoe multiple times.

"Jesus, Ann. I'm so sorry for you." She said quietly enough that Ann or the paramedics couldn't hear her.

Then she remembered she ha to get moving and resumed her sprint to meet Kristine at the exit.

"That took longer than I thought it would, sorry." Kate said to Kristine who was standing under the awning of the exit while rain poured from the sky. "I hope you're not mad at me."

"I'm not mad Kate. We're still making good time." Kristine took a drag on her cigarette and waved as she exhaled the smoke to a black car with its lights on. "The plane I've reserved is on standby. They won't leave without us. But fortunately for us, Chicago General has one of the best ENT surgeons in the country. Well fortunate for you."

As the car pulled up to the awning where the two women stood Kristine flicked her cigarette and lit another as the two entered the back seat of the car.

"Are you allowed to smoke in here?" Kate asked.

"I sure as hell hope so. I paid the driver enough. I'll crack a window so it won't be too stuffy for you.

The drive was short but on the way Kate demanded a stop at a local specialty flower shop. For the remainder of the ride Kate held on tightly to a bouquet of white flowers in a small crimson vase. Finally they arrived at Chicago General Hospital.

As they walked in Kristine flicked her last cigarette for the next few minutes. Kate knew that Kristine was such a heavy smoker that she'd be outside at every available moment. Kate quickly explained her need to get her nose fixed to the emergency room nurses.

--Later--

Kate scrunched her nose in the mirror. It looked as good as new. It still hurt like a bitch and she could only barely breathe through it.

"Guess I'll just have to deal with mouth breathing for a while." She said to herself.

After checking the profile of her restructured nose in the mirror she picked up her white flowers in their shiny blood-red vase.

She walked out to the primary nurse station and asked, "excuse me I'm looking for a friend to bring these to."

"Her name?" The surly overweight nurse replied.

"Uh... she's a wrestler like me so maybe Ann Thraxx, two X's, car accident. I don't know her legal name."

"Yeah Ann Thraxx, she's in spine trauma down the hall Room 223" the nurse replied and pointed.

Kate walked slowly, partially because she was observing the other unfortunate patients but also to keep an eye out for Kristine, who was likely outside chain-smoking.

After entering the Spinal Trauma ward she heard unintelligible yelling that sounded a lot like her opponent from earlier that night, Ann Thraxx. Indeed it was room 223 the ruckus was coming from. After two nurses stormed out muttering obscenities under their breath. Kate poked her head in the doorway to see Ann Thraxx completely incapacitated.

"You look better Ann." Kate said as she stepped into full view of the obviously miserable Ann Thraxx.

"Go fuck yourself, Kate." Ann replied.

"I wanted to thank you for a challenging match. you really kicked my ass for a bit there."

"Well I guess I didn't kick it hard enough cause about knocked me out with that facebuster. I wake up, the ring is empty and before I know it a bunch of Black Circle goons are taking me somewhere."

"I know, I saw. There wasn't anything I could do. I wish I'd jobbed the match to you so you'd have been prepared to kick those Black Circle's asses. But I had no idea they were coming for you. Does it hurt?" Kate asked

Of course it fucking hurts! But it's not the pain that bothers me. I've never had many problems with pain. It just is... you know?" Ann replied.

"Yeah. Kinda. My life has been pretty painful too. You just get used to it. It's not thast you get numb you just accept that the pain is a fact of life."

Then suddenly the voice of a doctor entered the room, "Uh, Kate, we need to see you to evaluate your operation and possibly correct a mistake."

"Yeah, ok, I'll be back at your office soon. I just want to finish up here."

"Ok, Kate. Thanks!" The doctor said and left.

"What are you in for?" Ann asked.

"You broke my fucking nose, bitch."

"Heh heh, ha ha ha haaaa!" Ann laughed with a sinister and insane tone. " Fuck yeah I did, I remember it, you looked so clueless then POW! I nailed you good. How'd that feel , bitch?"

"It hurt...a lot." Kate replied. "But I guess I had it coming. All the rookies gotta pay their dues."

"Damn fuckin straight." Ann acknowledged

"So I uh, got you a little gift to get well." Kate began hesitantly. "It's flowers." Kate pulled the bouquet from behind her back.

"Oh my God!" Ann exclaimed. "I think. I think. I think I'm going to puke."

"Well they're not just flowers. They're Hemlock." Kate said hoping to catch her interest. "Hemlock is like super poisonous, It'll kill a person in seconds. Very painful. They just remind me of you. In a sorta way."

"Aww thanks Kate!" Ann said sweetly with a smile on her face. "That's very thoughtful, can I hold them? I looove the vase!"

Kate hadn't ever seen Ann talk this way, she had a feeling Ann was up to something. She handed Ann the vase of Hemlock anyway.

"Thank you so much, my dear!" Ann said as she held the vase and looked carefully at the glass vase and the delicate white flowers. "But you know what?

"Huh?"

"I'm abso-fuckin-lutely disgusted. Do I look like a flowery chick to you? Oh yeah, let's go pick daisies next week after Shove It. I can tell you're a waterhead Kate, but seriously, fucking flowers? I'mnot as as you are. Tell you what."
Ann lifts the flowers in her right hand and with all her remaining strength she hurls them at the wall. "Fuck your flowers and fuck you too! Now get out of here, or as soon as I can walk again I'll break your nose again! Dumb Bitch."

Kate sighed as she looked at the shattered remains of her carefully selected vase and exotic flowers. "I uh. I think I hate you, Ann."

"Good! Now leave!" Ann replied in a roar.

And Kate did leave. "I really hate that woman."

"With good reason you should." Kristine said as she approached Kate in the hall. "She's your enemy. You're not in the XWF to make friends."

"I know." Kate said as they walked.

"Now hurry this doctor needs to see you before we can get out of this place." Kristine said as they walked into a waiting room.

"Kate!" The receptionist said "Excellent!" Doctor Nedry will see you now!"

As Kate walked into the rear room she saw the Doctor sitting on a chair and various equipment out and ready for use.

"It's not a huge problem, Kate." The doctor said. "But your new septum might be a tad out of place. It will save you a lot of pain and discomfort to fix it now. You've probably noticed difficulty breathing through it."

"Yeah" Kate said. "I have" But how long will this take?"

"No more than an hour." The doctor replied

Kate looked at Kristine who nodded her head. "You're an athlete Kate, you need to breathe as good as possible. We've got time. Do it."

"Okay." Kate said "If you think we have time. I know this training tour around the world is very important to my development."

"It is very important, but we don't have to be in Tokyo until 5pm Japan Standard Time. Which is around 4 pm our time tomorrow. It's midnight now, plenty of time."

"There's no need for paperwork we've got it all taken care of from the previous operation." The doctor said. "So if you'll just lay down on the gurney our anesthesiologist will put you under."

"Okay." Kate said with uncertainity. She looked to Kristine. "Are you sure about this Kristine?"

"Of course Kate! Trust me, before you know it, you will be knee deep in training and all the better for it." Kristine said as she moved to the door. "I'll let the doctor take care of you, I'm going to pop outside for a smoke."

Okaaaay...." Kate said as she fell asleep.

----

Epilogue:

Kate awoke with a terrible headache and feelings of nausea. She studied her surroundings for a moment. She was on a plane. The cabin was spacious a television flickered mounted on the cockpit divider. It was an XWF match of Ronnie Wilkins against someone she didn't recognize. Her vision was blurry.

"Uhhhrm." She moaned as she turned her head and say Kristine relaxed in a big stuffed chair. She was smoking a cigarette, her pack of Virginia Slims next to an ashtray and a half full glass of wine. "Where am I?" She asked Kristine.

Kristine took a long drag on her cigarette and exhaled a large cloud into the air above her. "In the air over Alaska. We'll be arriving at Tokyo Narita in 8 hours." Kate noticed how she pronounced Narita with a flick of her tongue making in the R sound like a D and a L together. Was Kristine fluent in Japanese. She'd find out soon enough, she guessed.

"Why do I feel so bad?" Kate asked "and my shoulders hurt."

"Well, two things. Or three" Kristine took a long drag from her cigarette and before exhaling a sip of her red wine. The smoke trailed from her nose and as she spoke short bursts of tobacco smoke sputtered with each word. "One. your septum is fixed. you can breathe regularly now. And Two, there are now two electric barbs inserted in your shoulder blades. Should you try to escape your training regiment, they will activate and administer a shock that will knock you on your ass. Same if you try to remove them. And three, you're probably noticing a headache and nausea as well as a deep craving need in your heart, lungs and brain. Kind of like nicotine addiction. you used to smoke, right?"

"Yeah," Kste responded "but this feels a billion times worse."

"That's because it is a billion times worse, dear." Kristine replied "You are experiencing withdrawal."

"Withdrawal?" Kate said slightly alarmed. "Withdrawal from what?"

"Heroin." Kristine responded with a frown and dragged from her cigarette again, as she stubbed it out in the nearly full ashtray, she spoke, "I'm sorry Kate. It's very brutal. But it will make you stronger." Kristine lit another long cigarette and continued with it dangling from her mouth. "It's a necessary evil. Modt addicts don;t make it because...can you tell me why?"

"I don't know" Kate responded with uncertainty.

"Think Kate. Why would an addict not be able to overcome their addiction?"

"They have no will power." Kate responded with confidence. "They are weak."

"You are correct." Kristine replied while spewing volumes of smoke into the air. "Are you weak Kate?"

"No Kristine, I am not."

"I don't think you are, but you need to prove it.Not just to me, but to yourself. You absolutely must conquer this heroin addiction. If you ever hope to acheive at the XWF or even life for that matter."

" I know, Kristine."

"Do you know what happened to Jake the Snake?"

"No."

"Crack addiction."

"Wow. For real?"

"Yes. That and injuries and his lacked the willpower to endure. It allegedly got to the point when here stopped showing up to shows until he called in one day and demanded the WWF get him some Crack or he wasn't going to show ever again."

"Wow."

"Yep. He later fell off the radar and became a nobody. A fuckin bum. Are you going to become a bum Kate? Do you want to go back to Erie County?"

"No. I don't." Kate sat up and then vomited into a near by trash can.

"Well then you're going to beat this endurance course I've designed and cope with heroin withdrawal." Kristine said holding her cigarette in the air and watching the smoke circle up to a vent in the ceiling in the cabin rather than watch Kate wretch her guts up into the plastic trash can.

"Oh. I feel so awful." Kate said as drool and bile dripped from her lip. "I'll prove it to you, my will is unbreakable."

"You have to Kate." Kristine said as she took another drag on her cigarette. "It's tough and where we're going there's not going to be any heroin to help you, but while we're still in the comfort of the plane, try some wine and I can share my cigarettes with you. They won't make the craving and pain go away, but they'll help ease it's intensity. But once we touchdown in Tokyo, you're on your own."

"Um. Ok," Kaste reached over and slipped a long white cigarette from the pack. At the same time a black man in uniform stepped next to her.

"I can offer scotch if you'd like it, miss." He said leaning over to see her face.

"Yes. Scotch. Oh God yes. No ice, leave the bottle." Kate said through a scratchy voice.

As the attendant returned with the drink and the bottle Kate had moved to a stuffed chair next to Kristine. She smoked her cigarette lightly, imitating the gestures of Kristine had when she smoked. Within seconds of the drink being set down on her table, Kate downed the drink without tasting it and poured herself another.

"Fucking Heroin. I hate you Kristine. Almost as much as I hate Ann Thraxx."

"Kate." Kristine said sternly. "Don't give me that shit. You and I both know this was your idea. You read that book by Melissa and began to contemplate experimenting with heroin to test your willpower. I made it a reality. Everything you'll experience over the next week has come from your twisted mind. I just make it reality.

"Oh... then I think I know what's going to happen in Tokyo then." Kate replied.

"Probably you have an idea, but the details will surprise you." Kristine replied exhaling more smoke through her nose. "That hanging up over there is the outfit you will wear as we exit the plane.

Kate looked to the side of the plane and saw the most scandalous outfit she'd ever seen. Leather microskirt, Pink tube top with SLUT written in sparkling fake rhinestones across the breasts. Laying next to it were a pair of thigh high stiletto boots. "I'm going to look like a trashy hooker, Kristine."

"That's the idea, dear." Kristine said and extinguished her cigarette only to reach for another. "Look into your soul and heart, find your will and strength, you're going to need it in... oh, 7 hours now!"

--------
End Epilogue. Read Kate's RPs on the Shove it boards to find out what happens next!

Sincerely,

Kristine the evil bitch demon