We are introduced to the sight of Corey Smith diving underwater. He pushes himself to the bottom of the deep end, body cutting the water like a dart. Lean muscle, built up from months of Lux's intense training regiment, bunches and cords as he pushes himself further down into the cerulean depths. His finger tips touch the bottom, a child-like gesture of accomplishment, just to show it could be done. Breath depleting, he then kicks off the bottom, pushing himself to the top. Eyes shut against the bite of the chlorine, he takes a breath and pushes his locks out of his eyes as he crests the surface. His eyes open, and he sees a man on his hands and knees at the edge of the pool.



Corey spurts some water out past his lips in surprise. Jesus, Steve! Ya creepin'? I'm underage for like 2 more months, dude.

Steve recoils a bit, sputtering. What?! No! However, the professional impulse soon takes the wheel, and he thrusts a microphone out towards Corey's face. I would like a few words though.

Corey stares at the mic, and then back at Steve. If you drop that in here, I'll die.

Nah, it's just an 8 Volt. I think.....

That's like a car battery.

Okay! Or whatever the small little boxy ones are then, I dunno.....

Corey wades over to the side of the pool, and clambers out dextrously. His body showing little evidence of wasted movement in even this small thing, like this exact maneuver has been rehearsed ad nauseum. A testament to the fact that Lux has successfully retrofitted this boy into a human weapon, a practiced machine of grace and mercilessness, so much so that the keen reflexes and inherent skills didn't even vanish when she wasn't in control. A complete union. Whole.

Corey grabs for his towel off a nearby lounge chair and starts running it through his hair, causing the unkempt curls to spill everywhere. So what's up, Steve-o?

Steve picks himself up off the floor with considerably less grace, but at least manages not to take an impromptu swim. Well, Lux was pretty tight lipped about cashing in her TV title for a shot at Robert Main's Universal Championship. And it was kinda surprising given that she just got done helping Apex fight off Page AND opted to team with Centurion for the tag tournament.

Corey smirks a bit as he towels off his torso. So you're going digging? Gotcha. But there's no gold at the bottom here, Steve. There's no heat. Lux is fine with Main. She's just pushing for more.

So despite your relationship with the Engineer, there's nothing more to this than good old fashioned competition?

If you're asking if this is some kind of revenge, the answer is an emphatic no. Corey, having finished toweling off, slaps it over his shoulder. Dexter is at peace with his legacy. And besides, I think this company deserves a break from the banal bullshit parade that has been Chronic Chris Page loosing his bowels all over our television screens.

Steve winces. That was....illustrative.

Corey shrugs. It's what I do. But the bottom line is, you can't tell me that people don't want to see Lux and Main square off. It's a license to print money. Now if you'll par-don moi I'm gonna go take a shower. Unless you want to follow me in and take some shots for TMZ?

What?! Ew, no! What kind of grotesque sleaze peddler do you take me for!

Cool, cool. But really, I gotta jet. Thad Duke already hopped in like 10 minutes ago and he promised me he'd soap that spot on my upper back I can't reach anymore because of all my sweet new muscles.

Steve's face goes slack with shock as Corey walks off camera, and then back peddles back on screen laughing. Hahaha, kidding! Thad and I are still just bros. Sorry shippers.

Aaaaand, he walks off again.


Later....

We see Corey again, rounding the corner at a hospital nursing station with a big bouquet of red roses in hand. He goes straight for the nurse's station and leans against it, wearing his most winning smile. Hi.

The nurse looks up at him, nonplussed. Hello.

I'm Corey Smith, here to see my girlfriend Vita Valenteen. Errr, you probably have her in there as Ashley Johnson.

The nurse quirks an eyebrow. She's not accepting any visitors right now.

The boy's face goes tight with worry. Oh, damn. Is she okay? I...I didn't think it was that bad....

She's recovering. She suffered a mild concussion. Lucky girl, all things considered. But she's still not accepting visitors.

Well, heh, just tell her Corey's here to see her. I'm sure she didn't mean me...

She said no one. The nurse speaks with a clipped air of finality. Corey's expression drops.

Oh....

Right then?

Yeah. Sure.

Corey slowly turns away from the station, flowers dropping to his side. Seeing a nearby waiting area that looks empty, he takes one of the seats and slumps down in it. Suddenly, Lux appears in the seat next to him.

You okay? She leans towards him.


Corey doesn't answer at first, as he plays absent mindedly with the petals on one of the roses. Why didn't she want to see me?

Lux sighs and looks down at the floor. Maybe she just didn't feel up to it yet.

Something's wrong. He drops the roses down in the empty aside beside him. Lux's eyes flick towards the flowers, speaking words unspoken, but she reorients her focus on Corey. She didn't answer my calls after Leap of Faith. I felt like she was avoiding me.

Corey, she got a concussion. That match she had with Griffin was brutal.

But even before that! I tried to find her, get in a little pre-match, uhhhhh, canoodling....

“Canoodling”? Lux prods with a smirk. You're such a dork.

Not the point! The point is, it's like she was making herself scarce. And...and....she's been losing all these matches. Something's wrong... He shakes his head.

Lux bites down on her bottom lip, every atom in her body screaming at her mouth to just speak the words. “You have another option.” But she couldn't. She wouldn't. Her love for Corey transcended that. It had to.

But God was it hard.

Give it time, Corey. She pushes the words out, a dull stab resounding in her chest.

Yeah.... Corey breathes the words, but doesn't sound convinced.

Look, Atticus wants a promo spot on Griffin before we leave tonight. I can do it if you're not...

Corey scoffs audibly and looks at Lux. You expect me NOT to shoot the fucker that put my girlfriend in the hospital into the sun?

The edge of Lux's mouth curls up into a half smile. Point taken. It's all yours. A pause. But if you need to talk...

Yeah. I know. And thank you.


Still more laterer......

The scene is set back at ground zero, the site of Leap of Faith. The sky over the grounds of Buckingham Palace is slipping into night, but the overhead lights of the work crew who are doing the final last minute break down of the set provides enough illumination for the promo. Corey is sitting atop one of the huge boxy XWF production trucks, no doubt breaking a ton of OSHA laws. But we're not in the United States anymore, are we? Suck it Nanny State!

Corey's feet dangle over the edge, gently tapping off the wall of the truck as he watches the work taking place down below.

Sorry in advance, but the following promo is going to be rated “P”, for maximum PETTINESS!

Corey looks at the camera, a fire in his eyes.

Fuck you, Griffin. Fuck you, fuck your stupid powers, fuck your middling record, fuck your greasy hair, in fact fuck that whole “Daryl from the Walking Dead but even more trailer parky” look you got goin' on! Fuck you for getting a TV title match even though you have done nothing to earn it (yeah, yeah, you're not the first to get one off a cold streak, petty remember?). Fuck you for being the person in Donovan's social circle with even less of a personality than Ezra. Sorry homey, but its kinda true. Don't hold it against Lux that I'm a dick, 'kay?

Corey makes a wincey face at the camera.

And most of all....FUCK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID TO VITA! He takes a deep breath. Yeah, if ya didn't guess, that's what this is about. Now I know, rationally speaking, that what happened between you two at Leap of Faith is a natural downside to the job. Sometimes, ya just get beat the fuck down in that ring by some curtain jerker with an axe to grind. It happens. But unfortunately for you, I'm not contractually obligated to refuse to hold that against you. So I am. #Petty4Life

Which is also why, it brings me more joy than a child on Christmas morning, to tell you that no, this match will not be for the TV championship. The title is 100% GONE. Lux gave it up for a future shot at Main. So eat shit ya blue collar wank stain. YOU GET NOTHING.

Corey starts, and almost topples off the truck, but he steadies himself.

NO! I take that back! You get SOMETHING! Yeah, you're going to get rolled the same way you rolled my girlfriend at Leap of Faith! Lux is going to beat you until you crap your pants. NO!

Corey holds a finger up melodramatically.

I'm going to beat you until you crap your pants.

….wut?

I'm taking control in this match. I'm wrestling this match.

Lux appears next to Corey. Naturally, you can't exactly see her, so the following conversation just looks like Corey having it out with himself.

You most certainly are not!

Yes, I am! I can do this! After all the training you've put my body through, I can do this! Corey lifts up his shirt. I HAVE ABS! He does.

Lux shakes her head incredulously. Yes, my training has put you in the best shape of your life. But the technique is MINE, Corey. The skills are MINE. You get in that ring to fight Griffin, you're going to get us hurt.

Come ooooon! This guy SUCKS. He's like, the WORST super power guy on the roster! Worse than Ghost Tank, even!

He's still a step above your typical human being.

So what?! Corey throws his arms out for emphasis, and Lux watches him nervously as he teeters.

Do ya think you could scoot back?

Corey, ignoring her, plunges ahead. Verbally, not physically, for clarification. Folk tales, history, and pop culture are chock full of stories of people overcoming the odds against people they shouldn't have beaten. David versus Goliath. The Fellowship versus Sauron. Average Joes versus Globo-Gym!

Average...what?

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. It even has “underdog” in the name!

You're not being rational. Lux looks at he camera, noting it's still rolling. We're going to talk more about this later. Lux disappears before Corey can retort. Grousing, he returns his attention back to the camera. He smiles.

It's all good. Lux has complete faith in me. He clears his throat. But just to be on the safe side, I'm gonna train my ass off extra hard over the coming week for this match. Not because I NEED to, but because I want to shame you just that much harder. And yeah, please do come back at me with how it's not your problem Vita couldn't cut it in that match. I want you to touch that poop, Griff. I'm banking on it. Because I'm gonna play that shit on repeat on my phone as I practice teeing off on that oily skull of yours.

And you know what, aside from Leap of Faith, just what the hell have you done around here? Huh? You and your cut rate Superman ass. You are “that guy” Griff. You're that guy the bookers toss on the card because everybody's else's dance card is full and they can nominally trust you not to fuck up too bad. But they, and everyone else, know that ultimately you will amount to NOTHING more than a hot, steaming piss in the wind coming back to coat your pant leg. You're the go-to for maintaining the status quo, a flimsy facsimile of a real challenge.

Yeah, I got this. Consider your mediocre dime store Netflix superhero self put on notice, Griff. Prepare to get your face rocked off by a 17 year old Tiger Beat cover model who couldn't fight anything tougher than an opiate craving six months ago. Think on how bad you're gonna look after this. Think on it.

Maybe next time you'll have second thought before stuntin' on somebody's girl. Prick.

With his peace more than spoken, Corey shuffles over to the edge of the truck and hops down onto the top of the cab, and then onto the hood, before reaching the ground. He walks off camera, but as he does so the shot lingers on something in the background. Because it would appear that a member of the XWF ring crew has taken notice. It's a woman, trim, with raven black hair and clothing marred with dirt and grease. She parts her bangs out of her eyes as she watches Corey go, her expression intrigued but otherwise inscrutable.



Finally, her lips crease into a slight smile before turning away and returning to her work.