"They want it... give it to them."

"But I spent my whole life taking a breath... counting to ten... avoiding that part of me..."

"Yes and you've done well... but this is the life you chose... and this is how this life is lived..."

"I don't know, Daddy..."

"You do know, Sol... you know how to control it... you know when to pull back..."

"What if I can't?"

"I believe in you... I've seen you do it... I've seen you take control when it mattered the most."

"What if this time is different? What if this time I go too far?"

"Nah, baby... that ain't you. You ain't your mother... what are you?"

"What are you?

Sol...

Solace!"

Solace comes to, realizing she had zoned out while watching Shawn Warstein's March Madness promo. Mark, her trainer, sits across from her at a lunch table provided in the gym's cafeteria.

Mark: You seem like you're somewhere else...

Solace: No, I mean, yeah, maybe a little...

Mark: Something on your mind?

Solace: Same stuff...

Mark: Solace, you are way too hard on yourself. It's clear that you are ready to do this, why are you faltering? Why are you letting yourself become distracted?

Solace: I'm not...

Mark: You've watched that Shawn Warstein promo on your phone multiple times. Before that, you watched Fury's a few times again also. You do realize you got this, right?

Solace: Yeah, of course.

Mark: Then why can't you focus. It's not like you.

Solace: I don't know, I just feel conflicted...

Mark: What's going on?

Solace: I think I'm stuck between who I want to be and who I need to be and in order to win, I need to be someone that I've been fighting to lock down most of my- no, all of my life.

Mark: Sounds like they are getting in your head a little bit. They are underestimating you but isn't that what you like?

Solace: Yeah, I don't give a shit if they call me a naive goody or whatever. It's not that.

Mark: Then what's the issue?

Solace: I try to keep things organized and when they can't be, sometimes I get frantic.

Mark: Because you're a control freak...

Solace: Hey, fuck you, man.

Mark: I'm sorry. I mean in that in the nicest way possible.

Solace: Whatever. I'm not a control freak.

Mark: Are you kidding me? You spend ten minutes wiping down every machine with a specific brand of disinfectant wipes that you buy and bring in when we provide them.

Solace: The gyms aren't as effective. I looked it up and compared it.

Mark opens his palms to invite her to see what he means.

Solace: So what? It's called cleanliness. Would you rather spend the time doing something the wrong way? Not me.

Mark: Okay, then when you do reps, you refuse to stop on an odd number.

Solace: It's just... I like to keep it balanced. I don't know! Leave me alone.

Mark: You will only drink from your water bottle, and it has to be Deer Park...

Solace: It's the cleanest water! I read a comparison about the different brands. What is the big deal?

Mark: You can be a bit particular is all I'm saying...

Solace: So what? It doesn't take much effort to do a little research, just because you don't feel like taking an extra minute to make sure your facial hair is aligned on both sides... or care to wipe that blemish off of your right sunglass lens... or trim your fingernails evenly.

Mark: I do!

Solace: Your left hand's thumb is weird.

Mark brings up his thumb in question to realize the slightest edge of a hangnail forming in the corner.

Solace: It's how I am and how I've always been. I have done well controlling my anger over little shit but right now, going into March Madness, I'm feeling pressure like no other and when that happens, I need to walk away and process things. I need to visit all aspects of XWF and evaluate, for myself, if this is a road I should be traveling because at this moment, these people are starting to push me towards a side they haven't seen... aside I don't really want anyone to see. This is supposed to be done a certain way... I need to prove it can be done without becoming...

Mark: Becoming what?

Solace: I just don't want to give in to my emotions.

Mark: What do you normally do to avoid it?

Solace: Breath? Take a step back?

Mark: Or what would happen?

Solace: I just become someone I don't want to be. I can become a little nasty.

Mark: It's wrestling, though... isn't that okay?

Solace: Yeah, dude... and I have no problem speaking my mind but, I'm really trying to do things a certain way.

Mark: Well, if you want to win this thing... and your way isn't working... what you gonna do?

Solace thinks back to her conversation with her father. She remembers where she had left off in her reflection during Shawn's promo. He was asking her something... he was reminding her who she was...

Daddy: What are you?

Daddy: Sol?

Solace: I'm a Tatum.

Daddy: That's right... and if this is the game you are playing... you gotta play by their rules if you want to get ahead...

Solace: But, Daddy...

Daddy: No buts, Solace. If they want you to prove em' wrong... then prove em' wrong. Let em' have it in the worst way.

Solace: But you've always told me...

Daddy: I know what I've always told you, baby. You ain't a child anymore... and I am so proud of you for everything you have done, and will continue to do... so, be you... all of you... even the side you don't like too much. Show em' what a Tatum does when tested.

---

Mark: So what are you going to do?

Solace's memory ends with Mark's question...

Solace: If they want the savage... I'm gonna give em' the savage.