Heroes Journey

[Natasha Walker]

One of the first things you see entering Six Flags Mexico is the station to the Superman ride, but at this point in time The park was dedicated towards the Upcoming Halloween festivities, meaning of course there was a scare maze.

It was nice being in the park, especially with Rini, time away for them both, Rini's eyes lit up as they stayed close exploring all the stores and rides. It was the exact sort of Pick up Rini needed and wanted.

Food, fun, gifts and she was all for it in fact she was the one who pushed for it.

“Uranasuuuu, do you think you can win me a prize?!”

She wasn’t so much holding her hand as hugged on her arm as they moved between crowds and checked out games, Nat’s attention torn briefly between games she thought were not entirely rigged, the occasional flashing light or sound that threatened to overwhelm her senses and the ball of energy that was latched onto her arm and smiling up at her.

“I think I can manage that”

Things had changed very subtly , maybe Rini didn't think Nat had noticed it but they'd used the last few trips out to do little things like this more regularly, day out, food, gift.

Nat had noticed she was using this particular trip to return the favour, an unspoken agreement between the pair of them, neither was really advertising and sealed by held hands.

As dates went it was possibly the least weird way she’d ever done it, well she felt hat way it felt natural, easy.

Right.

Nat found the exercise was also a small way to try and help Rini through…whatever she was going through, nothing worse than professional frustrations but Rini had every gently asked her on the last tip out to try and not bring work to these meetings, to let them be them.

So right now, them was Nat trying to place a baseball through the annoying duck that was taunting the New Yorker to try and get that obscenely cute elephant plush.

“You realise we’re doing the maze Rini”

The whine of protest was enough to focus as the baseball slammed home and Nat smiled, Rini maybe hadn’t quite noticed the time of year, but Six flags had always used September through November to operate what was known as a ‘fright fest’ Halloween was a thing, Nat wasn’t one of the spooky one, but there was a guilty pleasure found in enjoying the season.

Which meant the 'DCeased' scare maze, a twee little tie in, zombified superheroes trying to get a scare out of people that walked through which amounted to nothing more than a poor attempt at jump scares.


Though to hear Rini it might as well be a coming apocalypse of eldritch horror.

“But Uranasuuuuu! It’ll be scary!”

She responded with a light smile even as she was attempting to soothe Rini’s frayed nerves.

“I got you the elephant, c’mon it’ll be fun, we’ll do a ride and food after, my treat? The price of Halloween demands an attempt to be scared.”

“They’ll eaaaaaat meeeeee!”

“They won’t eat you, they can’t, I'll scare them off.”

“But what if they eat you?! You'll attack me!”

“Nope, I’m immune; that’s my power. I’ll ward them off with my sheer awesomeness.”

Given the maze and a zombified Hal Jordan was lurking ever closer did not seem to occur to Rini until she made a squeal of almost legitimate terror and hid behind Nat.

As adorable as it was, Nat felt a slight flush of embarrassment as somebody let loose a chuckle at Rini’s behaviour and she straightened up to glare at the person even as she started to guide her through.

Rini pretty much used Nat as a shield the whole time, it was cute, Nat staying brave mostly on Rini’s account and trying to stop Rini from running words of assurance how somebody so strong could be unnerved by this, then again it took all kinds.

But the exit was soon reached and Rini, maybe forgetting herself, sought comfort in a Nat hug as Nat spoke gently.

“See? It wasn’t so bad I told you I'd ward them off..”

Rini still pouted as they scooted away from the maze and towards food.

“Hai! but it was scary.”

Nat slowed Rini up as she looked down at her and smiled.

“Lemme make it up?”

Rini was bashful as she looked down, Nat scooping just under her chin to look into her eyes with a little smile.

“I believe in you.”

Rini was about to countermand that when Nat gave her a kiss, direct, soft and gentle whatever protest entered her head just disappeared as the kiss softened and Rini blinked up at Nat with a brighter smile.

“Food now?”

Nat smiled with a slight chuckle.

“Yeah, food now.”

---

Beats of drums echo into a dark shot, the shape of a silhouette starting to form as it dances to the beat, light forming as Nat comes more into shot and she slides close to camera with a brow wiggle and grabs a steel chair which she unfolds and spins again to sit on it.

“‘Sup, been a spell, I was starting to get the sense you didn’t want me around anymore, I won’t argue about the time off, lets me rest and recoup after the absolute hammering I gave myself during the Japan tour but I wouldn’t trade that for anything, hell I missed that grind.”

She shook her head.

“But a quick word and I was back to the training and watching picking up notes, and seeing that Verona has some interesting stuff planned, probably shaping up to see who gets put in what shuffle and where , which Puts me in the historic country of Mexico, looking to face down one Thunder Sid.”

She turned sideways, resting a foot on the seat of the steel chair and placing her chin on her knee.

“You got RAM last week and now, here we are shaking hands and putting on a show in Mexico City. You're a strong competitor and you have heart, plenty of heart. Hell in another time and place you seem like somebody I can get behind but this week you happen to be standing opposite me so that means pedal to metal and go, go, go.”

She shook her head.

“It’s not easy, is it Sid? To be on the side of the angels I find myself in the position of being the bigger one, maybe not the stronger one though, but I’m telling you now Sid, my eyes are on the next horizon here in the IWF, I see where my road before me goes and I’m not going to slow down or bear losses are lessons, victories are celebrations, usual platitudes but I’m excited to see a new face, see what they’re capable of doesn't mean I’m gonna slack off on ya though.”

She taps her fingers across the back of her chair as she muses aloud, staring down the barrel of the camera like she’s speaking to Sid or the Audience.

“Being good isn’t easy, doing the right thing less so, standing up in the face of wrong and not taking a step back is even harder to do, I spent my life looking at my heroes , my heroines trapped between page and ink whilst I fought my own battles, usually by myself and you’re another obstacle place in my way…Hell ask my Stablemates. I’m more competitive with them than anyone else, but it’s never outta malice. We make each other better.”

She gives a small smile and grins.

“So, let's look at this like an extended Danger room sparring session eh? One of us will win because that’s the nature of these things but as long as you bring every ounce of your being Give me 100%? I’ll shake your hand and call it a good lesson, but I warn you Sid… I got the itch after being on the sidelines for a spell, it’s done me good but man I am ready to go to town!”

She bounces her head from side to side, standing easily as she bounces towards the camera and picks up the chair.

“The IWF faithful are going to pack every seat of that arena this week, and we are going to go out there we’re gonna put on a show, we’re going to show people what WRESTLING is all about and well I’m gonna show that I’m no long the future of the IWF but I’m it’s immediate present.”

She chuckles with a wink, adjusting on camera.

“I am the Techno Tsuchigomo, I am the Pearlescent
Peregrine; The Brooklyn bird o’ prey, and I have one challenge for you this week Sid.“

Her face hardens a smile as she smiles and offer up her final line with a fist towards the camera as if offering a fist bump.

“Try to keep up hon.”

Fade to black.