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Vita Frickin Valenteen · (03-24-2019)

March 19th, 2019
1:43pm

”It’s so awful what happened. I really feel for him right now.”

VV said as she stared mindlessly at the television which was playing some romcom that she hadn’t been paying attention to.

”Um… He did it to himself girl, don’t feel bad for that jerk!”

The daze that she had been under clears upon hearing Jessica’s harsh and inaccurate assessment.

”How can you even try to blame him for this? This was the first terrorist attack on their soil Jess, of course the man is a mess right now, but it’s not his fault! If anything, the fault lies with the world's governments who continue to allow psychopaths to own and carry guns!”

Jessica is genuinely shocked by VV’s outburst and is quick to fire back defensively.

”Girl, chill! I was talking about the movie!”

VV glances at the screen where we find our hero in the film temporarily losing the girl because she found out that he had been lying to her the entire movie. You know, typical romcom stuff.

”Oh... “

Jessica mutes the television and leans in towards her friend, pulling her closer. VV leans in as well and rest her head on Jessica’s shoulder as Jessica squeezes her tight in a show of support.

”Are you okay?”

”I can’t complain…”

”Come on girl, it’s not like you to keep things bottled up like this. What’s going on?”

”It’s just... “

VV lets out a sigh before continuing.

”Okay, so I’m sure you heard about those shootings in New Zealand right?”

”Who hasn’t?”

”Well one of my coworkers is from New Zealand. Do you remember Mastermind?”

”Of course, he was defending his TV championship the last time you forced me to watch an entire XWF show. Is he okay?”

”No, I don’t think so… He put out a very strange promo. One where he showed the world how vulnerable he could be when he watched the news live, just after the shootings occured. He destroyed a hotel room in a tear filled rage, and he had to be sedated to get him under control.”

”That’s great right? I mean, I feel for him, but his weakened emotional strength should be enough for you to find an opening and take advantage, right?”

VV pulls away from Jessica and sits up, staring at her with a disgusted look.

”You know, winning and losing isn’t everything Jess. The man is experiencing real pain right now. Imagine if you lived in a peaceful Utopia, and one day you woke up to find that some nut decided to shatter that illusion and show you that even in a land of peace, true evil can find a way. How would you feel if someone tried to use that tragedy against you?”

Jessica doesn’t say a word. Instead she sits there silently feeling like an asshole.

”I’ll admit, I don’t know Mastermind too well. Our paths have never crossed until now, but I can say that I wouldn’t wish the kind of pain and remorse that he’s feeling on anybody.”

”You’re right… I hope the big guy gets over it soon.”

”Gets over it? I don’t think that’s something that you just “get over”. I don’t think Mastermind is going to ever be the same again, honestly. I mean, sure… eventually the pain will ease up, and eventually, he’ll be able to move on with his life, but he’ll never just get over it. The events of the Christchurch shooting will forever be with him.”

”Yeah, poor choice in words I guess. I just meant that I hope he’s alright.”

”I do too… Especially considering the fact that we have a match coming up soon. I’m worried that he’s not emotionally prepared to step into the ring, or pool in this case I guess. I’m just worried that he’ll do something that he’ll regret in this match. Like take all of his pent up emotionally fueled rage, and unleash it on either Jessalyn or myself.”

Jessica smirks, thinking that she’s figured it out.

”You’re just scared that he’ll come into your match an unstoppable pissed off monster and you’ll lose that title!”

”No, I’m scared that he’ll come into this match and lose control of himself, taking things way too far. We’re fighting poolside Jess. There’s going to be weapons littered everywhere, not including the pool. Imagine if a grief stricken Mastermind were to lose control and drown one of us? Or if he continued to pound away with chair shot after chair shot long after he should have stopped? He could kill one of us, and not even mean to do it. Now imagine him having to live through the rest of his life with that on his conscience!”

”Yeah, but if he’s that blinded by his emotions, you could easily find a way to outsmart him and…”

”Not the point Jess! I just wish that I could do something for him…”

The two of them sit in silence for a moment before VV mutters…

”I wish I could stop the Christchurch shootings from ever happening!”

Another moment of silence passes before Jessica’s eyes light up with an idea.

”What if there was a way to help him?”

March 19th, 2019
3:27pm

”Come on Jess, what are we doing here?”

Jessica reaches for the door handle, but hesitates to open it before answering VV.

”Okay, so when I said that I knew someone who could help, I meant it. When we go in, just let me do the talking, okay?”

Still confused as to why they are at Jessica’s university, VV plays along and heads inside, making sure to hang back and allow Jessica to lead the way.

”I say, is somebody there?”

Jessica throws her hand up to wave at the professor, a friendly smile accompanies it. VV continues to hang back as Jessica does the talking.

Hi Dr. Aykroyd, it’s just me!”

The doctors elderly face lights up as he adjust his very thick lensed glasses.

”OH, Jessica my girl, what brings you by the lab today?”

VV hangs back as something on her phone caught her attention. Jessica continues over to the desk where the professor is seated.

”Doc, I wanted to ask a favor of you.”

”Well of course my girl, what can I do for you?”

”I think that it would be better if we spoke in private.”

The doctor seems confused by the request at first, but then something clicks and he seems a little nervous by the realization.

”Oh, yes, well of course. Follow me my dear.”

Jessica and the professor disappear through a set of large metal double doors that lead into the lab area as VV remains in the main classroom, all of her attention focused on her phone as she watches the latest video released by the Mastermind camp. Tears form in her eyes as she watches Mastermind and his wife reunite. It was a sad, yet heartwarming moment. VV took comfort in the fact that despite the tragedy that they’re living through, that at least they have each other to lean on for support. The thought of this made VV crack a soft smile, but that smile wouldn’t last long. It completely vanished once Masterminds wife came across the screen. She had taken VV’s first vignette out of context. She believed VV to be mocking her husband and the tragedy that had befallen New Zealand and the Muslim race. She didn’t understand that VV was in fact in shock as well. She had never before seen something like this. Sure, terrorism is a very real thing in the world that we live in. New attacks, shootings, bombings etc, seem to be on the news everytime that you flip it on, but she had never in her life had one hit so close to home. Never before had she seen how those attacks can hurt someone, how they can change them. The Mastermind that she saw on her TV that day was not the same Mastermind that she shared the hallways of the XWF with. This Mastermind was so enraged that he had lost all control of himself. So torn apart that even his wife knew that he needed to be sedated for his own protection, and yet here VV was watching this and knowing that in just 13 days (at the time) she would have to survive a fight with this man. A man who she was sure would take all of this anger and raw emotion, and turn it on her and anyone else who stood in his way. The promo in question wasn’t meant as a sarcastic jab at her opponent for March Madness, but as a true call for concern… Is Mastermind mentally fit to compete? Probably not, who would be so soon after such a thing? But she knew that unless Mastermind himself backed out of the match, she would have to face him anyway. To hear that her words had been taken so inaccurately really seemed to hurt her. You could see it on her face as the video wrapped up. The imagery at the end, the flowers, the morning people, Mastermind standing before them offering his support, his tears…

”It’s a go!”

Her attention snapped away from the phone as Jessica jarred her back into reality.

”What’s a go?”

”You said that you wished that you could do something to help Mastermind? Well that’s exactly what we’re going to do!”

Confused? So is VV.

”But how?”

”Follow me and I’ll show you!”

VV did as Jessica asked, and followed her through the large metal double doors and into the lab. Once inside, Jessica lead her to the back of the lab where they seemed to keep all of their junk and spare parts from failed experiments and what not. VV looked around at all of the junk, still confused as to what exactly it was that they were doing there. Suddenly Jessica walked up to a big pile of metal parts that were lined up along the wall. She placed her hand on a hidden palm reader and smirked back to VV as the reader let out a chipper ding and a green light flashed. Next thing she knew, VV watched as part of the wall retracted into itself and rose into the ceiling to reveal a hidden secret lab.

”Do you believe in time travel?”

”Um.. Considering some of the things I’ve seen in the XWF, I guess I don’t NOT believe in it. Are you telling me that you guys have figured out a way to travel back in time?”

”That’s exactly what I’m telling you girl, and we’re going to use it to go back in time and stop the Christchurch shootings from ever happening! So what do ya say, are you ready to change the past to fix the future?”

VV mauls over the idea for a moment. Is this real? Can she really go back in time and stop that tragedy from ever happening? If she can, then doesn’t she have an obligation to try and stop all of the tragedies that have befallen the human race over the course of our time on this planet? She wonders to herself, even if it is real, even if she can stop it from happening, should she? But then she thinks back to the harsh words that Masterminds wife had for her. She recalls the tears running down Masterminds face, and the rage that outpoured from him when he first saw the news. She then thinks of all of the families who won’t ever again be able to see their loved ones or tell them how much they love them. It’s then that she decides that if this opportunity is real, then she needs to try. If she can stop so many from needlessly losing their lives, then whatever risk is involved is worth it!

”If this is real, then we have no choice but to try!”

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