A Force Of Nature

[mothercanuck]

It was a darkened office that opened up this scene, the only lights that could be seen came from the floor to ceiling windows showing a view of central London, the lights of the city twinkling and sparkling like stars. But soon, a switch flipped and a single warm light from a desk lamp illuminated the scene, and the cool, collected visage of Edwyn Merrick came into view. Seated behind a massive antique oak desk in a familiar high-backed black leather chair and dressed as always in a bespoke three-piece suit, he sat in contemplative silence for a moment before raising his head to the camera.

“Well, so much for ‘carrying the load’, eh Nicky Boy?” Edwyn’s voice dripped with absolute disdain as his hazel-green eyes shot daggers straight through the camera lens. His hands were folded in his lap, ankle propped up over his knee as he adjusted himself in his chair. “If that’s what you call ‘carrying the load’, I wouldn’t trust you to carry a carton of eggs home from the market. What an absolutely pathetic display.”

His mouth twisted into a vicious sneer, lips pulled back over his teeth in an almost feral look as he dropped his leg and rose up out of the chair. Resting his hands on the desktop, he leaned across the desktop, almost filling the camera with his face. “See, your mistake was writing Kasey off from the jump. You sneered at the fact that she’s new to the company. You disregarded her past accomplishments and achievements. You wanted to play Atlas, and carry the weight of the world on your shoulders in this match. And where did it land you? Your arrogance and ego coupled with this petty vindictive agenda against Roberto Verona clouded your mind. You refused to allow Kasey to take to the ring, and in doing so cost the team some valuable points. I sincerely hope that last week’s little temper tantrum was a lesson learned and that we’ll be able to play a little more nicely this week, hmm?” The condescension in his voice was almost palpable as he plastered a faux-sincere smile across his face and sat back down in the chair, though his eyes still shone with barely concealed malice.

From behind the chair, Kasey strolled out almost casually, but those who were paying close attention could see the tension and barely contained rage simmering just underneath the surface. She was dressed head to toe in black, with the familiar light pink hair hanging loose down her back and over her shoulders, and the white fox skull mask firmly in place over the top half of her face. Her dark eyes seem somewhat darker behind the mask, and when she spoke her voice was darkened with a harsh, almost guttural growl. “If you ever pull a performance like that again Nick, I will personally see to it that your career comes to a brutal, unforgiving end. I’m in this company to make a statement, and I’ll use anyone I see fit as the billboard…even if it so happens to be my own partner in this little tournament. I will not be denied because of your arrogant idiocy. Do we understand each other?”

Her face softened slightly, though the hardened glare was still present in her eyes. “And as far as our opponents go…” she smirked slightly, the corner of her mouth curling up into her cheek. “Well, isn’t this just the cutest little thing? The happy couple, about to be joined in wedded bliss, fighting side-by-side for a chance to raise their stock in the company. It’s just all so sweet.” She fluttered her eyelashes, before her eyes rolled in a show of contempt. “Well, unfortunately for you, this is not the place for your fairytale happy ending. Like I said before, I’m here to make a statement, and what better way than by becoming the Heiress To The Throne in my rookie year with the company?”

She walked around to the front of the desk, leaning up against it and folding her arms across her chest. “I realize that out of the entire field of competitors, I am by all means the ‘new girl’, as my tag partner so eloquently stated last week. And while I do only have four matches under my belt, I have won each and every single one. Decisively. The only mark against my record was from last week, and I wasn’t even involved in the match. Through no choice of my own, I might add.” There was a short annoyed huff of breath. “But I fully plan to rectify that little miscommunication this week. Whether Nick likes it or not, I will have my time in the ring. And poor little Vivienne will suffer for it. But don’t worry, Vivi…I’ll try to make sure that pretty little face stays intact for your upcoming nuptials.” The smirk on her face grew as she uncrossed her arms and leaned back on the desk. “Although I can’t make any promises. After all, there’s quite a bit of pent-up aggression in me after last week, and it’s been crawling underneath my skin trying to get out. But I just want you to know that it’s not personal at all, sweetness. It’s strictly business. And, if you truly want someone to blame after I leave you broken and bleeding in the centre of the ring, look no further than my partner Nick Knight. After all, if it weren’t for his staggering arrogance, I would have had more of an opportunity to participate last week and purge some of this aggression out.” She gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. “Just something to keep in mind.”

She pushed away from the desk and moved closer to the camera, Edwyn smirking in his chair behind her with his fingers tented under his chin. “We may have stumbled at the start, but I guarantee that we’ll be the ones crossing the finish line at the end, even if I have to drag the so-called ‘Hollywood Butcher’ behind me. And once this part of the tournament is over, I’ll go on to face any and all other challenges to become the Heiress to the Throne. And there’s not a damn thing that anyone will do to stop me. I didn’t come here to make waves. I came to be a god-damn typhoon, laying waste to everything in my path. And may the gods help you if you think you can stand up to me.”

With a final glare towards the camera, the light suddenly clicked out and plunged the scene into darkness, leaving only the lights of London twinkling in the background before they too faded away into nothing.