"Sorry, we're fresh out..."

[Jennie Docherty / Djinnie!]

THWACK!

THWACK!

THWACK!

The repeating sound of glove meeting the punching bag resonates throughout the private fitness center as the scenery fades in, unveiling the IWF Women’s World Champion dressed in common workout attire, and a pair of wireless headphones. Every punch she throws becomes harder and harder, as she grits her teeth, turns her hips, and throws another punch! The bag sways back and forth with every punch, but it doesn’t slow her down as each shot now is thrown with less precision, and more frustration.

“You don’t belong in the ring…”

Those words repeat in Jennie’s head many times over in the same tone and demeanor that they were first told to her. Words that were told to her from a good number of people, but the one that stung her, haunted her, the most came from her very own sister. It had been years since Tara told her that, and Jennie couldn’t help but consider the path that she had been on ever since– the path that would lead her to becoming the IWF Women’s World Champion not just once, but twice. The path that would lead her to becoming Heiress to the Throne, a feat that not even Tara was able to accomplish after being defeated by Rowan in the finals.

Every time she walked into a room– every time she stepped into the ring– she could feel the resonating hate radiating from the people that stood opposite of her as if it were an aura. Squeezing her eyes shut, Jennie could feel the piercing gazes of jealousy, and want. Jennie had put a massive target on her back when she reacquired the championship, and that target has already caused some people to try to tear her down and discredit her, the way everyone tried to tear her down physically as well as mentally the first time she held the championship. Every punch, she could only imagine everybody who ever told her that she doesn’t belong, and then all the people who have tried to tear her down.

“Save some of that for the ring!” Amber Vogel calls out from the entryway while tossing a towel over her shoulder.

Amber’s words fall on deaf ears, and Jennie’s whole body trembles while throwing every punch she has, exasperating herself in the process… Amber walks closer and closer to the champion, and places a comforting hand on Jennie’s shoulder, startling the champion as she takes a large stride back and pulls the headphones down to hang around her neck.

Heaving, Jennie blinks her eyes several times, “Hey–” her voice shakes, and she purses her lips together before continuing, “I– I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Your music is pretty loud…” Amber says almost sarcastically while songs from Fall Out Boy continue to blare out from the speakers. Jennie subtly shrugs and reaches for her phone to pause the music, and Amber can’t help but chuckle under her breath, “I didn’t really expect to find you here. Aren’t you the one that’s always telling me to stop staying cooped up in the gym, and go out and enjoy this world tour?” Amber asks while sitting down on the bench and tightening her shoes.

Stifling a chuckle of her own, Jennie lowers her head and stammers briefly before answering, “I just– I’ve had a lot on my mind, and…well…it’s strange, but I just didn’t feel like dealing with people…” She shrugs.

The statement catches Amber a little bit off-guard, as that statement didn’t sound like Jennie… Amber knew Jennie, everybody knew that Jennie was very much a people person – she had gone out of her way to go to every local convention at every leg of the tour, and mingle with the fans. Amber sits up, hunched forward, and rests her elbows on her knees while her gaze locks onto the champion, who has already become a close friend and mentor to her on the road, and she cocks her head to the side.

“Are you okay?” Amber finally asks.

Unfastening her gloves, Jennie can’t help but look a little bit lost while pondering the question. She tilts her head from side to side, in a futile attempt of shrugging off the question, but is unable to restrain herself, “I just– I don’t know when the hell I became the favorite! I– I remember everyone overlooking me. I remember everyone comparing me to Tara! I remember everyone saying that I wasn’t even half as good as she is! I remember everyone telling me to stop trying… And now–” Jennie scoffs, “I’m suddenly getting shunned? I don’t even know if I can forget what my partner told me! My partner! She’s trying to tell me every hoop I ever jumped through, or didn’t have to jump through, and comparing it like this is some sort of contest of who had the worst upbringing? Amber– they. Don’t. Know. My. Life.” Jennie claps her hands together between every word, and Amber nods.

“I know it’s strange to you, but Jennie… you really are the best I’ve ever seen get into the ring…” Amber’s voice trails a little bit as the scenery suddenly transitions to a completely new outlook.

Cobblestone covers the ground and a beautiful fountain sits in the center frame, and behind were small homes of alternating colors…sitting on the edge of the fountain is Jennie Fenix; she’s not wearing anything fancy, just a pair of jean shorts and a t-shirt, but the glimmering championship adorns her waist while she places one arm back and supports herself with it. A mild smile on her face, a smile that soon shifts into the Docherty smirk as she greets the audience with a gentle wave to the audience, “G’morning, lovelies…” she says with her voice trailing, and she lets the silence remain for a couple of seconds while adjusting in her seat and giving a side glance to the fountain behind her, before slowly rolling her eyes toward the camera.

“The story is there – can the champion and the challenger coexist for one night, and one night only, to take on a team that… well… let’s just say they know each other a little bit better than we do, okay? I can’t speak for my Night of the Immortals date, ‘cause, well, I’ll be honest with you: I don’t know. I don’t know if she can put our differences aside for one night, ‘cause the last time I went out to the ring to congratulate her…I become the subject of ridicule…I became the subject of judgment…I became everything she had to beat to prove herself, and for that reason, I’m not going to pretend to have the answer for you.” She pressed her hand to her chest, “I can put our differences aside for a night, because I have never had any animosity towards you, and was in fact looking forward to this match! Can I trust you to have my back?” She asks and lowers her head.

“Can I trust you to have my back as we go against – The Murder?!” she declares the name with a bit of emphasis and mockery, “Now, that’s a group that came in here with… so much promise… like, seriously, they shocked the world with their return! And what was the image everyone was focused on when they came back? The Murder… standing over… Jennie Fenix,” she says with a hint of disdain, “Buuut– I just– I have questions! What have you all done since then? Brooklyn was running around as the champion for a good while, and she thought she was some– magnificent champion, when really… What did she do? She sat around with the title and took easy pickings, while talking about how all of you are going to take people like– me– out.” She scoffs.

“Is that what you want to do, Miss-Wishes-She-Was-Wednesday? Are you going to try to do what your ringleader couldn’t, and eliminate me from the entire equation? Baby, please! PLEASE! Do it! PLEASE! Take your best shots… But your best isn’t gonna be good enough, neither you nor April– and let me go ahead and say this about April– I respected her. I wanted her! I wanted to be in the ring with her! I wanted us to do something that has never been done before, and the two baby sisters of bonafide legends… PUT THE STAMP ON OUR OWN LEGACY! That’s what I wanted! But– with all of you people pushing me… I’m going to make it clear to both of you this week, whether Charlotte has my back or not…”

Jennie cocks her head to the side, and ensures that she flashes another smirk at the camera, “You thought I wasn’t good enough to acknowledge before, and you’re not good enough to be in the ring with me now. Two on one, three on one, I’ll take all of you on! And you’re going to know why the fuck The Fenix Sisters are S-tier, and the rest of you carry on about what you used to be.”

Standing up, Jennie tucks her hand into her pocket…she doesn’t seem to find what she’s looking for, and checks her other pocket– she feigns a panic, and then ultimately shrugs, “Sorry, we’re fresh out of wishes. Ciao, bitches!” Jennie says and waves to the camera as the scenery fades to black.