Post by Brooklyn on Apr 23, 2018 3:17:33 GMT
“Hey,” Dean popped his head through the doorway startling the poor souls who’d been assigned kitchen clean up that week. Seeing the hastily grabbed, and still soapy dish, Dean smiles and stepped further into the doorway. “Sorry,” he smiled, a hand held out in front of him in a sign of peace, “Richard right?”
Richard nodded his head, placing the dish back into the sink and wiped his hands on his apron.
“Ah, yes sir” he stammered, extending his hand towards Dean who took it with a quick shake and a wave at the other individual inching backward. “S’okay guys, I’m not going to bite. I was just poking my head in hoping that somebody’d seen Brooklyn around.”
They weren’t sure if it was a question or merely a statement, but Richard, with a quick look backwards at his partner spoke first. “Well,” he began, clearing his throat, “um, somebody saw her heading towards the auditorium earlier tonight.”
Dean said nothing but nodded his head.
“She, uh, she missed dinner tonight so …” Richard continued, waving a free hand behind him which was quickly filled with a small plate of chicken, mixed greens and roasted potatoes. He handed it over to Dean who was quick to remark, “Wow, guys this is still warm! You been keeping it warm for her since dinner?”
Richard, blushing a bit, muttered “Well, Joey noticed that she wasn’t there and we didn’t want her to be hungry so …” he trailed off.
Dean smiled and nodded. “Guys, thanks for this and for the tip. I’ll let you get back to work, but seriously,” he pointed at the pair, “family!”
Richard and Joey nodded back at him with a, “Family!”
Dean made his way from the kitchen and headed for the auditorium on the far side of the compound. It was a warm, quiet night and there was an electricity in the air. With so much happening lately he really should have noticed her not at dinner tonight. Hell, if he hadn’t been carrying it, he wasn’t so sure that he could have told you what he’d even eaten.
Pushing the closed door open, the room was illuminated with the spear of light from the outside. As the door slowly closed behind him he found himself standing in the dim twilight until his eyes adjusted. Though, had he not seen her shifting around in the distance he doubted that he’d have found her.
He made his way through the empty rows of seats until coming to her row and shuffling sideways towards her.
“This seat taken?” He jokes. Brooklyn shrugged as Dean sat down.[/color] “Hey, you missed dinner tonight. Couple of the guys in the kitchen saved this for you in case …”
“Rich and Joey?” she asked.
“Yeah, know them?” Dean asked back, a small hint of a smirk on his face.
“No, well,” she shrugs again, “we’ve worked kitchen together a few times. They’re nice guys, but I think Rich has a thing for me.”
“That so?”
“I can’t do it, Dean” she says, pulling her knees up to her chest.
Dean places the plate of food on the floor beside him and places an arm around her shoulders. “Brook, if you’re not interested …”
Brooklyn looks at him, her face a mixture of dumbfounding and incredulity. “The match, not the boy … jesus, what’s wrong with you,” she says with a laugh. “This match, Dean, I’m being set up to fail here. They’ve thrown me into a metaphorical cage with a frothing berserker and just said, ‘pffft, I wonder how long she’ll last’. What the hell am I supposed to do here?”
She looked up at him, and he down at her for a long moment before saying anything.
“Once upon a time,” he began as she rolled her eyes, “let me finish,” he laughed. “Once upon a time I found this poor little thing just starving for an opportunity. I took her in, cleaned her up and made sure that when she earned her shot that she’d make something of it. D’ya know what?” He asked.
Brooklyn sighed, “What?”
“Each and every day since you first stepped foot here, it’s felt like home – not just for you, but for us too. Brook,” he reached down at placed a hand under her chin, raising it until she met his gaze. “You are more than that title you carry around your waist. You have made the most of every opportunity you’ve earned in that company and proved every doubting Thomas wrong. But more than that,” he says, “you’ve made me so damn proud. You came here directionless, but have shown us what you had buried deep down – the heart of a warrior.
No, you’re not as big and tough as Astrid, but hell, neither am I. Strength isn’t just measured in muscles, kid. You have an inner strength that can’t be called into question; it’s a strength that I’d put money on against Astrid, against Shea, against Fiona, against any of them.
They have no idea what they’re getting themselves into here, Brook. They think they’re backing you into a corner here, but the fact is that all they’ve done is lock their biggest and baddest in a room with our little Big Bad Wolf. And what does that make Astrid?” he asks.
“Just another sheep,” she answers with a chuckle.
“What’s that saying about sheep again?” he mockingly asks, extending a fist toward her.
“Like a lamb to slaughter,” she grinned and met his fist bump.
“Like a lamb to slaughter.”
“I’ve heard it all before” she muses, the corner of her mouth curling slightly as she smirks. “Since day one I’ve heard nothing but reason after reason for why I’m not worthy. I spent the better part of last year fighting against this, fighting back against everyone who kept knocking me down and saying that I wasn’t good enough.
I’d never be good enough.
There were many a night,” she sighs, “that I believed them as well. I’d lay there in bed wondering if I really had it in me – if this was a fight worth fighting. But,” she continues, “through every flicker of doubt THEY were there. From the word ‘go’ when I haven’t been hearing about how unworthy I was, I’ve heard about how wrong they were for me.
S’funny,” she says with a grin, “how none of those ‘helping hands’ really wanted to help – they just wanted to try and swat away the only people who thought I was worth a damn. The fact is that it wasn’t the Pack who took me in, it was Rowan … it was Dean … it was Max and Caleb; human’s not demons. You people,” she spits the word, “you’ve done nothing but vilify the lot of them since day one because they didn’t fit the mold of what you think a family should be. Maybe we aren’t the Waltons, but in a world full of Kardashian’s maybe WE aren’t the weird ones.
Who cares though,” she scoffs, “because you’ll never see us as we truly are. To you,” she sneers, “we’ll never be anything other than villains; a blight against humanity; the cancer that you try in vain to destroy. Look at yourselves,” she laughs, “you continue to throw your ‘heroes’ at us expecting the next wave to somehow be different from all those who fell before them. It doesn’t matter who you send headlong into our den, they’ll soon see that our bark isn’t nearly as dangerous as our bite.
Time and time again you think that by backing us into a corner you’ll gain some sort of advantage against us.” She bites at his bottom lip, a small chuckle escaping as more of a whisper than laugh. “You spend all your energy trying to beat us back into submission, to quell the uprising that you fear we’ll bring forth; ladies and gentlemen of IWF we are not the monsters. The monsters in this company are the men and women who stand before you talking out both sides of their mouths and hoping that you’re none-the-wiser.
Months,” she says with a shake of her head, “years really you spent being led around by the nose by women who had far more sinister plans for this company, for this division. Where was the mass outcry for change when Eternity was kidnapping poor Warren? What about when Ana,” Brooklyn pauses, a finger held up as though catching her breath, “what about when ‘She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’ held this title hostage for the better part of a year? Where were your heroes then? Oh, I suppose that it’s much easier to pick and choose when to be righteous.
For months now we’ve faced adversity under the guise of your righteous Watchdogs. This group, mind you, was created by your beloved company for the single minded purpose of destroying my family.
Spike Kane and Pandora …
Xavier Cross …
Bob Pooler …
And you,” she sneers, “Astrid Hall. On paper who could stand a chance against your combined forces? Yet,” she grins, “here we are, continuing to stand in the face of your indignation. It’s always been about this with you, though, hasn’t it Astrid? All of this, leading up to this moment. No,” she laughs, “I’m not talking about the Women’s World title, let’s not kid ourselves. You’ve never been one for titles, for accolades – trinkets to a woman like yourself. No, it’s always been about the battle for you. Since day one in this company you’ve never back down, never guarded your intentions or minced your words. You’re a woman who simply loves to fight, loves to inflict pain and prove herself as worthy to enter Valhalla as her ancestors.
I have never doubted this, if I’m being honest.
Truth be told,” she says with a small shrug, “it’s something that I’ve always been a bit jealous of with you. You walk around with your head held high, shoulders back not giving a second thought towards what anyone else thinks of you, says about you, or believes you to be. You exude a confidence that many, myself included, find intimidating. See, stepping into the ring with you should give me butterflies. Millions of years of evolution have hardwired this ‘fight-or-flight’ into my head – but if there’s one thing that I’ve learned from Max it’s that when your body tells you to run, when your brain tells you that there’s no way to win … THAT is when you push on; when you block it all out and let your true instinct take over. This fight,” she says with a grimace, “doesn’t matter who you ask – the answer is the same across the board. Everyone thinks I should save myself the hospital stay and just hand you the title here and now. Well,” she snickers, but it quickly turns into a sneer, “if there’s one thing that I’ve never been good at, it’s following directions and doing what I’m told.
Astrid, I’ve come to battle … I’m here for war … it didn’t begin with me, but it sure as hell is going to end with me. Maybe you want this title, maybe you don’t; but I know that what you do want is a fight and I’ll be dammed if I don’t give you at least that. Don’t think that I’m just going to roll over and submit just because you’re bigger and stronger than me. S’funny, you tend to learn a thing or two when you’ve always been smaller than everyone else – skills that are probably lost on someone of your stature. You’ve probably never had to learn what it’s like to be constantly knocked down, Astrid; to learn how hard it is to actually pick yourself up and try again. People like you have never learned about adversity … true adversity. These are lessons that are lost on you, but I’ll be damned if you don’t leave this match having learned nothing. I don’t care what it takes, what it costs me …
… Astrid, it’s time you learn to heel!”
Richard nodded his head, placing the dish back into the sink and wiped his hands on his apron.
“Ah, yes sir” he stammered, extending his hand towards Dean who took it with a quick shake and a wave at the other individual inching backward. “S’okay guys, I’m not going to bite. I was just poking my head in hoping that somebody’d seen Brooklyn around.”
They weren’t sure if it was a question or merely a statement, but Richard, with a quick look backwards at his partner spoke first. “Well,” he began, clearing his throat, “um, somebody saw her heading towards the auditorium earlier tonight.”
Dean said nothing but nodded his head.
“She, uh, she missed dinner tonight so …” Richard continued, waving a free hand behind him which was quickly filled with a small plate of chicken, mixed greens and roasted potatoes. He handed it over to Dean who was quick to remark, “Wow, guys this is still warm! You been keeping it warm for her since dinner?”
Richard, blushing a bit, muttered “Well, Joey noticed that she wasn’t there and we didn’t want her to be hungry so …” he trailed off.
Dean smiled and nodded. “Guys, thanks for this and for the tip. I’ll let you get back to work, but seriously,” he pointed at the pair, “family!”
Richard and Joey nodded back at him with a, “Family!”
Dean made his way from the kitchen and headed for the auditorium on the far side of the compound. It was a warm, quiet night and there was an electricity in the air. With so much happening lately he really should have noticed her not at dinner tonight. Hell, if he hadn’t been carrying it, he wasn’t so sure that he could have told you what he’d even eaten.
Pushing the closed door open, the room was illuminated with the spear of light from the outside. As the door slowly closed behind him he found himself standing in the dim twilight until his eyes adjusted. Though, had he not seen her shifting around in the distance he doubted that he’d have found her.
He made his way through the empty rows of seats until coming to her row and shuffling sideways towards her.
“This seat taken?” He jokes. Brooklyn shrugged as Dean sat down.[/color] “Hey, you missed dinner tonight. Couple of the guys in the kitchen saved this for you in case …”
“Rich and Joey?” she asked.
“Yeah, know them?” Dean asked back, a small hint of a smirk on his face.
“No, well,” she shrugs again, “we’ve worked kitchen together a few times. They’re nice guys, but I think Rich has a thing for me.”
“That so?”
“I can’t do it, Dean” she says, pulling her knees up to her chest.
Dean places the plate of food on the floor beside him and places an arm around her shoulders. “Brook, if you’re not interested …”
Brooklyn looks at him, her face a mixture of dumbfounding and incredulity. “The match, not the boy … jesus, what’s wrong with you,” she says with a laugh. “This match, Dean, I’m being set up to fail here. They’ve thrown me into a metaphorical cage with a frothing berserker and just said, ‘pffft, I wonder how long she’ll last’. What the hell am I supposed to do here?”
She looked up at him, and he down at her for a long moment before saying anything.
“Once upon a time,” he began as she rolled her eyes, “let me finish,” he laughed. “Once upon a time I found this poor little thing just starving for an opportunity. I took her in, cleaned her up and made sure that when she earned her shot that she’d make something of it. D’ya know what?” He asked.
Brooklyn sighed, “What?”
“Each and every day since you first stepped foot here, it’s felt like home – not just for you, but for us too. Brook,” he reached down at placed a hand under her chin, raising it until she met his gaze. “You are more than that title you carry around your waist. You have made the most of every opportunity you’ve earned in that company and proved every doubting Thomas wrong. But more than that,” he says, “you’ve made me so damn proud. You came here directionless, but have shown us what you had buried deep down – the heart of a warrior.
No, you’re not as big and tough as Astrid, but hell, neither am I. Strength isn’t just measured in muscles, kid. You have an inner strength that can’t be called into question; it’s a strength that I’d put money on against Astrid, against Shea, against Fiona, against any of them.
They have no idea what they’re getting themselves into here, Brook. They think they’re backing you into a corner here, but the fact is that all they’ve done is lock their biggest and baddest in a room with our little Big Bad Wolf. And what does that make Astrid?” he asks.
“Just another sheep,” she answers with a chuckle.
“What’s that saying about sheep again?” he mockingly asks, extending a fist toward her.
“Like a lamb to slaughter,” she grinned and met his fist bump.
“Like a lamb to slaughter.”
——————————— o ———————————
“I’ve heard it all before” she muses, the corner of her mouth curling slightly as she smirks. “Since day one I’ve heard nothing but reason after reason for why I’m not worthy. I spent the better part of last year fighting against this, fighting back against everyone who kept knocking me down and saying that I wasn’t good enough.
I’d never be good enough.
There were many a night,” she sighs, “that I believed them as well. I’d lay there in bed wondering if I really had it in me – if this was a fight worth fighting. But,” she continues, “through every flicker of doubt THEY were there. From the word ‘go’ when I haven’t been hearing about how unworthy I was, I’ve heard about how wrong they were for me.
S’funny,” she says with a grin, “how none of those ‘helping hands’ really wanted to help – they just wanted to try and swat away the only people who thought I was worth a damn. The fact is that it wasn’t the Pack who took me in, it was Rowan … it was Dean … it was Max and Caleb; human’s not demons. You people,” she spits the word, “you’ve done nothing but vilify the lot of them since day one because they didn’t fit the mold of what you think a family should be. Maybe we aren’t the Waltons, but in a world full of Kardashian’s maybe WE aren’t the weird ones.
Who cares though,” she scoffs, “because you’ll never see us as we truly are. To you,” she sneers, “we’ll never be anything other than villains; a blight against humanity; the cancer that you try in vain to destroy. Look at yourselves,” she laughs, “you continue to throw your ‘heroes’ at us expecting the next wave to somehow be different from all those who fell before them. It doesn’t matter who you send headlong into our den, they’ll soon see that our bark isn’t nearly as dangerous as our bite.
Time and time again you think that by backing us into a corner you’ll gain some sort of advantage against us.” She bites at his bottom lip, a small chuckle escaping as more of a whisper than laugh. “You spend all your energy trying to beat us back into submission, to quell the uprising that you fear we’ll bring forth; ladies and gentlemen of IWF we are not the monsters. The monsters in this company are the men and women who stand before you talking out both sides of their mouths and hoping that you’re none-the-wiser.
Months,” she says with a shake of her head, “years really you spent being led around by the nose by women who had far more sinister plans for this company, for this division. Where was the mass outcry for change when Eternity was kidnapping poor Warren? What about when Ana,” Brooklyn pauses, a finger held up as though catching her breath, “what about when ‘She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’ held this title hostage for the better part of a year? Where were your heroes then? Oh, I suppose that it’s much easier to pick and choose when to be righteous.
For months now we’ve faced adversity under the guise of your righteous Watchdogs. This group, mind you, was created by your beloved company for the single minded purpose of destroying my family.
Spike Kane and Pandora …
Xavier Cross …
Bob Pooler …
And you,” she sneers, “Astrid Hall. On paper who could stand a chance against your combined forces? Yet,” she grins, “here we are, continuing to stand in the face of your indignation. It’s always been about this with you, though, hasn’t it Astrid? All of this, leading up to this moment. No,” she laughs, “I’m not talking about the Women’s World title, let’s not kid ourselves. You’ve never been one for titles, for accolades – trinkets to a woman like yourself. No, it’s always been about the battle for you. Since day one in this company you’ve never back down, never guarded your intentions or minced your words. You’re a woman who simply loves to fight, loves to inflict pain and prove herself as worthy to enter Valhalla as her ancestors.
I have never doubted this, if I’m being honest.
Truth be told,” she says with a small shrug, “it’s something that I’ve always been a bit jealous of with you. You walk around with your head held high, shoulders back not giving a second thought towards what anyone else thinks of you, says about you, or believes you to be. You exude a confidence that many, myself included, find intimidating. See, stepping into the ring with you should give me butterflies. Millions of years of evolution have hardwired this ‘fight-or-flight’ into my head – but if there’s one thing that I’ve learned from Max it’s that when your body tells you to run, when your brain tells you that there’s no way to win … THAT is when you push on; when you block it all out and let your true instinct take over. This fight,” she says with a grimace, “doesn’t matter who you ask – the answer is the same across the board. Everyone thinks I should save myself the hospital stay and just hand you the title here and now. Well,” she snickers, but it quickly turns into a sneer, “if there’s one thing that I’ve never been good at, it’s following directions and doing what I’m told.
Astrid, I’ve come to battle … I’m here for war … it didn’t begin with me, but it sure as hell is going to end with me. Maybe you want this title, maybe you don’t; but I know that what you do want is a fight and I’ll be dammed if I don’t give you at least that. Don’t think that I’m just going to roll over and submit just because you’re bigger and stronger than me. S’funny, you tend to learn a thing or two when you’ve always been smaller than everyone else – skills that are probably lost on someone of your stature. You’ve probably never had to learn what it’s like to be constantly knocked down, Astrid; to learn how hard it is to actually pick yourself up and try again. People like you have never learned about adversity … true adversity. These are lessons that are lost on you, but I’ll be damned if you don’t leave this match having learned nothing. I don’t care what it takes, what it costs me …
… Astrid, it’s time you learn to heel!”
Well howdy there pardner.