Look At Me Now

[Niobe 'Nightmare' Martin]

Up above, the skies are grey and overcast, not a speck of blue in sight. Truly a dismal day. Rain descends from the sky in a slow methodical downpour towards the ground, splattering off of the umbrellas of the people standing around a casket protected by a blue tarp so as not to soak the flowers sitting carefully arranged around it. The priest stood at the head of the casket, reading from his open bible some passage that Niobe couldn't put a finger on from where it was from. Then again, she had never really been the type to sit in a church and learn all that stuff. People kept sniffing and sobbing, shedding tears as they huddled together to try and stay warm, umbrellas bobbing and quietly moving as they were adjusted. She could feel the comforting arm of her father around her, squeezing her shoulder as they said goodbye to her mom. Imagine being an adult and having to deal with this. It wasn't something that she had expected to happen, her support just...gone.

Life wasn't full of rosy colors and pretty things anymore. Now was a time to be strong and be an adult, help with the family. People were going to have to band together now more than ever. The priest finished his reading and everyone was free to go their seperate ways. The loving hand that was around her shoulder dropped, leaving her cold and empty, leaving her to stand there. Niobe just stood there, staring listlessly at the coffin in front of her. A sigh escaped her lips as she placed a hand on the cool metal, a small tear escaping her eye and rolling down her cheek. This was a moment that proved for her that not everyone is as strong as they say they are. Everyone has a weakness.

"Goodbye." She whispered and turned away, rejoining the rest of the crowd as they dispersed to another house for food and more comfort.

A hand was placed on her shoulder, and Niobe blinked her eyes suddenly, shaking her head as she glanced around her at the nearly empty graveyard as if seeing it for the first time. Had she really been out of it that long? Her hand shoved into her pocket, attempting to pull her phone out before the male voice behind her answered her own question for her.

"It's been about 15 minutes, if you were wondering. You've been standing here like a statue staring at the grave. I just left you to your own."

Niobe chuckled, running a hand through her loose blond hair as she continued to look down at the gravestone, eyes tracing over the engravings on it. It had been a few years since then but Niobe seemed to remember it with acute clarity when she sat to think about it. She wanted to come here, get some peace of mind before she gave Robina a piece of hers for the last time.

"I must of looked really foolish. We are the only ones here aren't we?"

"Pretty much. And for your information, no you didn't look foolish."

"Thank goodness."

She reached up and patted the hand on her shoulder, showing she was okay. With one last look at the gravestone and a whispered goodbye, Niobe turned away with her companion in tow as the two of them walked back in the direction of her car sitting a distance away. This was a chance to show that she wasn't completely cold hearted, like Robina seemed to be. That she was a softy who could actually feel.

"Think you're ready for Robina, one last time?" Xavier asked her as they got into the car, watching as Niobe turned the key, letting the motor rev to life as she stared ahead at the small path that would lead them out of here.

"Yeah, I'm ready to end this little feud between us. I'm tired of everything, the games, the interference, the fact that she thinks she can go around and make everyone's life a living hell all because she's Sienna's god damn pet. She thinks she can do as she pleases because of it. I will put her in her place tonight and show her she has nothing to fall back on. She won't be able to cheap shot her way out of this one like she did with Warren Peace."

"What do you have planned?"

"A lot. I'm going to take out nearly two months of pent up anger and pain on that Brit's body. Whatever I can use, I'll use. I'll make sure Robina Hood is broken by the time she gets to her North American Championship match, if she makes it there at all."

As the car sped off down the path and onto the road ahead, Niobe's last words echoed as the scene slowly faded away.

"I'll make her respect me, once and for all."

~*~*~*~*~

The scene fades in after a while to focus in on the face of Niobe who is dressed in her wrestling gear at the moment. A black tank top with the phrase 'Nightmares Are Real' on the front in white. She wears black bell bottom pants that flare out around the knee, small flame decals on the bottom of the material. There's an intense look on her face as she sits on the top ring buckle in the ring, staring into the camera.

"January 7th, Robina. That's the first time you and I encountered one another in the ring. Right in the heart of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. You and I had it out in the middle of that ring, back and forth. You cracked me in the skull on the day of your debut, and then nearly succeeded in breaking my elbow in that match.

Then the following week in a handicap match you took that damned steel chair and cracked it into my injured elbow once again as I was distracted by your puppet master Sienna. Had you not gotten that chair shot I would have won and you damn well know it. You can laugh and say no, but in the back of your head you know it would of happened.

The first time around when you got your North American title shot, I cost you that by cracking you in the knee with the chair that you so loved to use on me. That day made me smile, I had made you feel the pain you had made me feel.

I prevented you from stealing a win away from Logan at Survive and Conquer, even though I had lost earlier in the night. I wasn't going to let your ass ruin something else that night as well. I cracked the title belt into your skull and chased you off that night like the scared little dog you were.

My proudest moment was when I knocked you unconscious with a steel chair right on the ramp. We never even made it into the ring that night. Was it worth getting dragged off by the referees? Hell yes. Was it worth getting yelled at by Sienna afterwards? You bet your pretty ass it was.

But enough of the history lesson." Niobe picked up the sledge hammer that was sitting just below camera's eye and patted the end against her hand. "We're going to end things tonight. No more games, no more run ins. No cheap shots to win this, Robina. This feud ends here in the middle of this ring."

"I'm going to do whatever I want to you in the middle of this ring or whereever I chose to. I'll beat you so bad you won't make it to your title match. If I made you, then you made me the way I am now. If I have even a little bit of your respect now, if I am the Nightmare and not the Nobody in your eyes then I've done my job and earned a little of your respect.

But I want all of your respect. And if I have to break every bone in your body, bloody that face all to hell with everything I can find then so be it. You'll whimper and wander away a broken woman, and I'll be victorious."

TAGGED . Robina Hood
WORDS . how many?
NOTES . This is it, we end it now.

CREDIT . this lovely template was made by Arro from Caution 2.0. and features lyrics belonging to the oh so amazing Jason Mraz. please leave all of this credit stuff in tact and leave a link for Miss Roro here if you are going to be using this anywhere.