The traffic was bananas. She had never seen this many people in such a small area before, this many cars clogging roads that were far too narrow, and this many buildings in such a close proximity. It gave her the jitters, to be honest. Sure, she was from Las Vegas, and that could be a clusterfuck at times, but it's a desert. It is much more spread out than whatever this abomination is.

The Big Apple.

Big Apple is Bananas.

“I like to eat, eat, eat…apples and bananas” she hummed to herself as she looked out the tinted windows of the car she rode in. She hadn’t actually said a word since they picked her up at the airport. Or on the plane, for that matter. Or even since she humiliated Bobby Bourbon on national television. She had been mute. She really had nothing to say to anyone. She knew she was a wanted woman. A target on her back, and the entire XWF breathing down her neck. Nobody wanted her to be successful. Nobody wanted to see her glow up. Nobody seemed to care how far she has come in such a short time. She would speak when spoken too or when it was warranted from now on.

Her mind drifted back to the large double doors that took her on the tram from the terminal to baggage claim at the airport. The doors opened, on their own, for her. Initially tentative, she entered, pushing her foldable stroller which she brought with her on the plane despite the dirty looks--some people were so RUDE--and then they closed behind her. She looked at her reflection in the window of the tram door as it took off from port, and knew that there was no turning back now.

Jenny watched the belt spin, people's entire livelihoods on display for everyone else to see and touch. She would never allow Goldi to be touched by anyone else ever again. For that matter, she needed a new name. Goldi was Nickles stiche, and he was a deplorable human being. Every time she looked at Goldi' beautiful face, she saw his ugly mug. She smelled his B.O. Looking down into the stroller she smiled.

Angie was struggling to collect all of her bags as they came by, because OF COURSE they weren't together. She looked at Jenny as if to say "a little help, here?"

A hand came down and grabbed the last of the suitcases, yanking it off the belt.

"I mean damn girl, you moving in and didn’t call me so I could clean the joint first?! I mean fuck, we just living out here in these streets ain’t we, Miss Vaughn?!"

Elijah had arrived.

Elijah Martin was driving the car, and Angie Vaughn was in the passenger seat. Two XWF competitors she had drafted and was supposed to lead into War Games. Two people that she had confidence in as performers, and two people she hoped would still be friends when this was all done.

You can never have enough friends. She gripped Artie with her off hand, and glanced over at Goldi who was strapped in next to her. Buckled up like a good girl. Safety first, after all.

Elijah seemed to be navigating the traffic well. He was from this god awful place, after all. It amused her how often he used the horn.

“Go fuck yourself you son of a bitch! I'll come right outta the car and fuckin' whack ya, you fuckin' prick!

Why you fuckin' hard on! I'll fucking Aaron Judge yer fuckin' head with a Louisville fuckin' Slugger! Whaddya think of that ass fuck!?

This place was total gridlock. It reminded her a bit of the XWF. So many members, so many rushing to get to their destination, so many stuck in one place.

So many never get where they want to go.

The car shifted gears and the engine revved as it left its lane and cut off another to only get two cars ahead.

"You fuckin' bitch! Fuck you! You forgot to use your directional you dirty whore! I'll fuckin' drop you with a boot to the fuckin' skull you cum guzzling queen!

Die, you fuckin' prick! I hope you choke on a fuckin' bottle cap, ya fuckin' son of a fuck! Eat shit! Eat my shit!"

Elijah had some good insults! She wished she had a notepad with her, she would write some of these down!

"Shooters shoot" she laughed to herself. Fuck GARRY! Fuck him with a rusted metal dildo.

"Fuck you, you fuckin' uppity bitch! I'll fuckin' fuck you and all your lesbian fish-eating friends in front of your fuckin' mothers! You're gonna die, bitch!"

She giggled audibly. His rage was exactly why she drafted him. He was perfect. Lexi Gold didn’t deserve him.

She needed that killer instinct on her team if she was going to survive this War Game.

And she adored games.

”NO NO NO NO NOES! Mister Martin, sir, such foul language! And that behind the steering wheel! If ever someone was in need of having their mouth washed out with soap, sir, then well… you could certainly join the queue! My word, I say!”

Elijah didn’t seem particularly impressed however, and Angelica simply put her index fingers in her earholes and looked out the window to soak in the scenery and forget everything she’d just heard out of Elijah’s mouth.

Jenny wondered what she was thinking about, if she was excited for this game, too. She wondered how far Angie was willing to go, how down and dirty she was willing to get. She moved her head side to side, the symphony in her head nearing its crescendo. The trumpets…..oh the trumpets were on point tonight.

……and there’s the saxophone. The baritone. Even a tuba!

Angie decided she had had enough of Elijah’s vulgarity and put in her Air pods. Her sunglasses on and window was down, even though the AC was on, she seemed to be relaxed. Jenny envied that. Her BPM hadn’t been below 107 in months!

She couldn’t lie, she liked the rhythm. Sometimes she snapped her fingers to the beat.

The radio station droned on some drab alt-rock, but it was only white noise at this point. Her leg bounced in anticipation, she tapped her nails on the window. Get there. Get there. Get there.

THEY JUST NEEDED TO GET THERE ALREADY.

Her anxiety was beginning to build as the world crawled by just a few feet from her, jerked forward every 2-3 minutes by Elijah's shitty driving.

Deep breaths. Wooooosha.

The doctors had always told her to breathe through it like a fucking lamaze class.

HE-HE-WHOOOO-HE-HE-WHOOOO

She wasn't sure she could trust those doctors, or anyone for that matter. At this upcoming event, she had no choice. She had to put her faith in three other people to get the job done, to make sure the MEAT CLOWNS advanced. She had to put her trust in them, and them in her. Raion said he had a special treat for them, and he was going to be in New York. He seemed excited, and for someone with his normal stoic demeanor, this got her thinking. What kind of special treat could this be? He said to meet in a practical location, one that they could all feel comfortable at.

She just hoped Elijah's driving didn't kill them before they arrived there.

The car rolled up to Flame Hibachi on 3rd Ave. It was a swanky spot, right outside Central Park. The cars were a lot fancier on this side of town, and the people all dressed better. She wondered if they tasted better. Was that bad?

Elijah pulled the car up to the curb and got out, closing the door harder than necessary. He tossed the keys to the valet. Angie got out and immediately squealed at a small dog on a passerby’s leash. She asked to pet it. She just HAD to pet it. He kept walking. New York hospitality at his finest. Looking put off, she stood up with a frown and a sigh, pushing her sunglasses up onto her blonde head.

“This is the place huh?” she asked. “Any reason as to why?”

"Oh great, just what I need - sitting 3 feet away from hot flames and get sake squirted at my face like I’m a dirty five cent whore on a dead end street in the middle of Brooklyn… just what the doctor ordered for the newly single man!"

Jenny just stood and stared at the entrance for a few moments. The entrance was fancy with big glass doors and torches on each side of the massive doors. It was like entering a glass palace. It was like something she would see in her hometown of Vegas.

She doesn’t say a word but walks up to the massive glass doors, which open automatically for her. She looks at the door suspiciously. Walking in she walks right past the reception desk, right past the tables, into the kitchen.

“MAM! EXCUSE ME, MAM! You can’t go in there!”

Jenny kept walking. As the hostess who chased her down reached out to grab her arm, her own arm was grabbed.

Elijah stands here staring at her. The woman looks horrified.

She backs away slowly, and when he lets go, she runs back into the restaurant. He smirks. Looking back he only see's the back of Jenny's head as she is through the door already.

"Man, this fucking chick… few nuggets short of a Happy Meal, couple Aces short of a full deck, has some screws loose upstairs… and SHE is the fuckin’ captain of this ship?! OH DIOS MIO!!!"

”Shaking my head… Ess Emm Aitch! Jenny could you pl0x and kindly not be so totes rude? This isn’t a Wendy’s!”

Jenny, unphased, kept walking through the back door, opening two separate doors, which opened into what appeared to be an attached garage in the back of the building. There was a distinct clanging sound coming from the back side of the large room. Jenny, followed by her two other teammates, made their way towards the sound.

*CLINK!*

*CLANG*

This room was massive, almost the size of the restaurant itself, and not very well lit. Jenny pushed forward with reckless abandon, not afraid of what may lie ahead. She trusted her teammates to have her back if any scary monsters made their presence known.

*CLINK!*

*CLANG*

The sound echoed off the walls again.

Jenny walked closer to her fate, whatever it may be. Every step of her Converse sneakers seemed to be in rhythm with the cling and the clang now. The universe felt united. The galaxy in order.

The symphony had finally stopped.