Post by amyzing on Sept 11, 2013 8:00:03 GMT -4
::Rising above the city of Athens is one of the most famous rock formations and monuments in the world; the Acropolis, and built upon the ancient stones, the Parthenon. Although there are several acropolises in Greece, the Acropolis of Athens is famous enough to simply be referred to as the Acropolis. On top is seated one of the most holy sites in the Ancient Greek world, the Parthenon, a massive complex of temples and buildings dedicated to the gods of Olympus, in particular, the patron goddess of Athens, Athena, daughter of Zeus and the goddess of wisdom, crafts and battle strategy.::
::For countless centuries these temples have stood over the city of Athens as it rose to be the most powerful city-state in all of Greece and eventually the capital city of a nation. It has survived fires, sieges, sackings, invasions and the relentless march of time, connecting modern Greece with an ancient past buried in myth and legend.::
::Standing in the main temple dedicated to the goddess of wisdom and crafts, where once stood the legendary Athena Parthenos, a giant statue of Athena considered the most famous statue in Greek history before it was lost to history after the Roman invasion, stands the current reigning APW North American Champion “the Hong Kong Sensation” Amy Zing. She is dressed in a pair of jeans and white blouse. Her long hair is not bound in a ponytail, but hangs down her back and over her shoulders. Her eyes are closed. She takes a deep breath, and exhales slowly. This is not to calm herself or regain focus as she often does after she rambles. She is just taking it all in.::
“Can you feel it?”
::“The Hong Kong Sensation” opens her eyes and scans the interior of the temple.::
“Can you just feel the history and the mythology that just seems to flow through this land?”
::She takes a deep breath, as if breathing it in.::
“Wrestling was born here, in this country, and eventually evolved into what we do. Art, astrology, theater, philosophy, math, medicine, science, democracy, so many things that make up Western culture had their foundations in ideas and concepts and practices born in Ancient Greece, many of them right here in Athens, before they spread out through the rest of the world and evolved and developed into what they have become today. Greece is where the Olympics first began. The myths and legends of Greece have endured for centuries, spreading to where everyone knows them. You can just feel it in the air and in the ground. This place is one of the most ancient in the world. You can feel it.”
::Amy stops talking as she realizes she is starting to ramble more than actually say anything relevant at this point. As she always does, she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She exhales slowly, which helps to calm and center her, as well as help her regain her focus, and then opens her eyes.::
“Level One, last week, you spend the entirety of my match with your newest Syndicate member, Kaylyn James Evans, doing nothing but running me down, degrading me and mocking me while praising Kaylyn. You talked about how superior she was compared to me. You talked about how I didn’t have a chance at winning.”
“And yet, in the end, I did it. I pulled off the victory. The first time I ever beat her, they called it an upset. Not to sound overconfident, but I think it is safe to say that this time was not an upset.”
“But I am used to people doubting me. I am used to people saying that I was not good enough or that I would never be good enough or that I was just a flash in the pan or that I would never make it in wrestling and I should do something else or that I would never amount to anything. And honestly, I never really had a counterargument to what they said.”
::Slowly, she touches her waist where the North American Championship would be.::
“The fact that I have become the APW North American Champion is my proof, my counterargument to all the people who doubted me.”
::Her hand moves away from her waist.::
“You know what I love about Greek myth? It is not the stories, the great heroes or terrifying monsters or that unlike some legends, the places these stories took place in actual exist. It is the fact that each of those heroes went on quests with knowledge that there was almost no chance of survival. All those great heroes, guys like Jason, Theseus, Perseus, and Hercules, the strongest and most powerful demigod of all, somehow pulled it off. They never gave up.”
“So go ahead and count me out. Think that beating me will be the easiest thing you’ll do all week. I don’t mind, because I will take the fight right to you and I will never give up. You can beat me down all you want, but as long as I have enough strength to stand back up, I will get back up. You can underestimate me and I may just surprise you.”
::Amy runs her fingers through her hair.::
“This week I get that chance. Right here in Athens, on Thursday Night Overdrive, I team with Johnny Rebel, which is a rather odd choice for me to have as a partner, against you, Level One, and your newest teammate, Kaylyn.”
::For a brief moment, as if the match idea amuses her, the current reigning and defending North American Champion allows herself a smile.::
“Seems a rather strange team up really when one stops and thinks about it. Not you and Kaylyn, I mean. That combination makes sense. No, I was referring to myself and Johnny Rebel. It just seems a rather odd team up idea, as he is not particularly liked and has been something of a nomad in recent years, but is a very accomplished wrestler. Then there is me. I would like to think that the fans like me given they tend to cheer for me and I am not really all that accomplished. I just recently won my first and only championships. Rebel has like twenty times that many titles.”
“Now Rebel, you and I may be teaming for the first time, and we may be two completely different people, but we both have the same goal. We both want to go out there and win this match. I say we forget the differences or anything else that may be an issue, and we just go out and do that. That’s at least my strategy for this one.”
::Shrugging slightly, “the Hong Kong Sensation” smiles a little in anticipation for this match and the opportunity it presents.::
“I cannot deny that I have been waiting a long time to get into the ring with you Level One. It has nothing to do with you being the current World Heavyweight Champion. That is not even a factor. No, it is how you handled being the World Heavyweight Champion.”
“I watched you lose to Terry Marvin and immediately you went from being a confident and proud champion to being a child throwing a temper tantrum. It was like the World Heavyweight Championship had become some sort of sailor suit or something your mother was trying to get you to wear, because she thought it would look adorable on you, but you don’t want to wear it. It was pathetic and really just disappointing because you had been champion before and here you were, acting like a child. It was insulting to all of us that have struggled and worked our asses off to become champions or entered this business.”
“But apparently, since you won at Shockwave, you are over your little fit. That’s great. However, it does not negate your previous actions. You see, Level One, I may never get a chance at the World Heavyweight Championship. For all I know, this first reign as North American Champion may end up being my only championship reign ever. I have no idea how long it will last. It could be until a week or not, until One Night in Hell or a year from now. That championship may be all I ever earn in my career. I may never get an opportunity at the Undisputed Championship or the World Heavyweight Championship.”
“So, if this is the closest I ever get to the World Heavyweight Championship, then I am going to make the most of it. Doubt me Level One and I may just surprise you. I have waited a long time for this moment Level One, a chance to be in the ring with the World Heavyweight Champion. It is an opportunity I may never get again. Win, lose or draw, it is an opportunity I will take full advantage of and I will make it count.”
::Again, Amy allows herself a smile. This one is a little uncharacteristic as it not amused, but rather confident. She wipes that smile off her face though with her hand.::
“What were you saying Kaylyn, about how you were going to beat me last week? That first match we had, everyone called it a fluke, an upset, a lucky break when I beat you. They said it was impossible. Even I admitted it could have been called an upset. I mean, after all, you were Kaylyn James Evans, one of the greatest Women’s Champions in ACW history, a tough and powerful competitor who has proven to be one of the best women wrestlers in the world and I was a rookie, just a nobody that was just popular with the fans for some reason. You should have beaten me and I shocked you, myself and everyone with a win.”
“And then, last week on Overdrive in Paris, France, people were expecting you to pull off the victory. Yes, I had momentum from my first championship win, but that didn’t matter. Experts and columnist and whatnot in the wrestling business thought that the power and experience of Kaylyn James Evans would overcome the heart and determination of Amy Zing. Level One and Johnny Chase were both at ringside talking all through the match about how you were going to beat me, and how you would show me up and put me in my place and that I was nothing compared to you.”
“The first time I beat you Kaylyn, it was called an upset. No one is saying that now Kaylyn. No one is calling this one a fluke or an upset or just luck. I don’t want to sound cocky or overconfident, but I know, and have proven that, I can beat you Kaylyn James Evans. It is never an easy thing to do, but I have proven that I can beat you.”
::The clouds drift through the sky above Athens. The shadows move inside the ancient temple complex built high over the city. “The Hong Kong Sensation” again looks around the inside of the temple ruins before turning and looking in front of her.::
“Last week, Level One, Kaylyn, I would like to think that I proved myself. You doubted me, mocked me, and counted me out, and in the end, I survived and I won. Despite everything you said and everything you did, I pulled off the victory.”
“Now maybe this week that doesn’t happen. Maybe this week, I go into that ring and I get pinned by Level One or Kaylyn picks up the win and pins me. Or maybe Johnny Rebel and I pull off the victory. Who knows? I don’t. I am going to do my best to try and win.”
::Raising her right arm, Amy points westward, as if pointing off to something in the distance. She turns her head slightly in that direction.::
“To the west of Athens is a city that is just as famous in the stories of Ancient Greece, if not as influential in terms of politics and science and such. Maybe you have heard of it. It is called Sparta.”
::Amy lowers her arm, but keeps her eyes towards the direction of Sparta.::
“It was a city that trained and bred the greatest warriors in Ancient Greece. Yes, Sparta had farmers and craftsman and whatnot, but it was a city-state that produced warriors. Spartans were trained to fight, to ignore pain and keep on fighting. They were to never surrender and never give up. In the entire history of Sparta, only Athens ever managed to gain its surrender. Everyone has heard the story of the Battle of Thermopylae, and how 300 Spartans and an alliance of Greeks held off the Persian Empire for days before those 300 and a handful of other Greeks were overrun and killed to the last man.”
“Before battle, Spartan soldiers were told to either come back with their shield or on it. This meant that they were only to come back holding their shield in victory or laying on top of it in death. I can respect that. Kaylyn knows this, and I hope to prove it to you Level One, but I am not one to give up.”
::Amy shifts her gaze away from a westerly direction and looks around the temple.::
“So go ahead and tell me it is impossible, that I have no chance or that I am not in your league. Maybe you are right. Maybe I go up against the Hydra or Medusa or the Minotaur and I fail, I become just another victim. Or maybe I do what no one thought I could and I slay the monster.”
“This is the first time I have ever been to Greece, either for business or pleasure, and just like I did in Paris, France, I want to give the people of Athens a show. I have waited a long time for this opportunity Level One, the chance to get you in the ring and I am not wasting it. I have wanted to kick your head off for a long time. Kaylyn, I am always willing to get into the ring with you. I have beaten you twice, and I want to see if I can do it one more time. At Thursday Night Overdrive, I want to show the two of you and the people of this city why I am simply Amy Zing. Alpha, theta, epsilon.”
::With that, Amy turns and exits the building. The scene fades out on the interior of the temple of Athena.::
::For countless centuries these temples have stood over the city of Athens as it rose to be the most powerful city-state in all of Greece and eventually the capital city of a nation. It has survived fires, sieges, sackings, invasions and the relentless march of time, connecting modern Greece with an ancient past buried in myth and legend.::
::Standing in the main temple dedicated to the goddess of wisdom and crafts, where once stood the legendary Athena Parthenos, a giant statue of Athena considered the most famous statue in Greek history before it was lost to history after the Roman invasion, stands the current reigning APW North American Champion “the Hong Kong Sensation” Amy Zing. She is dressed in a pair of jeans and white blouse. Her long hair is not bound in a ponytail, but hangs down her back and over her shoulders. Her eyes are closed. She takes a deep breath, and exhales slowly. This is not to calm herself or regain focus as she often does after she rambles. She is just taking it all in.::
“Can you feel it?”
::“The Hong Kong Sensation” opens her eyes and scans the interior of the temple.::
“Can you just feel the history and the mythology that just seems to flow through this land?”
::She takes a deep breath, as if breathing it in.::
“Wrestling was born here, in this country, and eventually evolved into what we do. Art, astrology, theater, philosophy, math, medicine, science, democracy, so many things that make up Western culture had their foundations in ideas and concepts and practices born in Ancient Greece, many of them right here in Athens, before they spread out through the rest of the world and evolved and developed into what they have become today. Greece is where the Olympics first began. The myths and legends of Greece have endured for centuries, spreading to where everyone knows them. You can just feel it in the air and in the ground. This place is one of the most ancient in the world. You can feel it.”
::Amy stops talking as she realizes she is starting to ramble more than actually say anything relevant at this point. As she always does, she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She exhales slowly, which helps to calm and center her, as well as help her regain her focus, and then opens her eyes.::
“Level One, last week, you spend the entirety of my match with your newest Syndicate member, Kaylyn James Evans, doing nothing but running me down, degrading me and mocking me while praising Kaylyn. You talked about how superior she was compared to me. You talked about how I didn’t have a chance at winning.”
“And yet, in the end, I did it. I pulled off the victory. The first time I ever beat her, they called it an upset. Not to sound overconfident, but I think it is safe to say that this time was not an upset.”
“But I am used to people doubting me. I am used to people saying that I was not good enough or that I would never be good enough or that I was just a flash in the pan or that I would never make it in wrestling and I should do something else or that I would never amount to anything. And honestly, I never really had a counterargument to what they said.”
::Slowly, she touches her waist where the North American Championship would be.::
“The fact that I have become the APW North American Champion is my proof, my counterargument to all the people who doubted me.”
::Her hand moves away from her waist.::
“You know what I love about Greek myth? It is not the stories, the great heroes or terrifying monsters or that unlike some legends, the places these stories took place in actual exist. It is the fact that each of those heroes went on quests with knowledge that there was almost no chance of survival. All those great heroes, guys like Jason, Theseus, Perseus, and Hercules, the strongest and most powerful demigod of all, somehow pulled it off. They never gave up.”
“So go ahead and count me out. Think that beating me will be the easiest thing you’ll do all week. I don’t mind, because I will take the fight right to you and I will never give up. You can beat me down all you want, but as long as I have enough strength to stand back up, I will get back up. You can underestimate me and I may just surprise you.”
::Amy runs her fingers through her hair.::
“This week I get that chance. Right here in Athens, on Thursday Night Overdrive, I team with Johnny Rebel, which is a rather odd choice for me to have as a partner, against you, Level One, and your newest teammate, Kaylyn.”
::For a brief moment, as if the match idea amuses her, the current reigning and defending North American Champion allows herself a smile.::
“Seems a rather strange team up really when one stops and thinks about it. Not you and Kaylyn, I mean. That combination makes sense. No, I was referring to myself and Johnny Rebel. It just seems a rather odd team up idea, as he is not particularly liked and has been something of a nomad in recent years, but is a very accomplished wrestler. Then there is me. I would like to think that the fans like me given they tend to cheer for me and I am not really all that accomplished. I just recently won my first and only championships. Rebel has like twenty times that many titles.”
“Now Rebel, you and I may be teaming for the first time, and we may be two completely different people, but we both have the same goal. We both want to go out there and win this match. I say we forget the differences or anything else that may be an issue, and we just go out and do that. That’s at least my strategy for this one.”
::Shrugging slightly, “the Hong Kong Sensation” smiles a little in anticipation for this match and the opportunity it presents.::
“I cannot deny that I have been waiting a long time to get into the ring with you Level One. It has nothing to do with you being the current World Heavyweight Champion. That is not even a factor. No, it is how you handled being the World Heavyweight Champion.”
“I watched you lose to Terry Marvin and immediately you went from being a confident and proud champion to being a child throwing a temper tantrum. It was like the World Heavyweight Championship had become some sort of sailor suit or something your mother was trying to get you to wear, because she thought it would look adorable on you, but you don’t want to wear it. It was pathetic and really just disappointing because you had been champion before and here you were, acting like a child. It was insulting to all of us that have struggled and worked our asses off to become champions or entered this business.”
“But apparently, since you won at Shockwave, you are over your little fit. That’s great. However, it does not negate your previous actions. You see, Level One, I may never get a chance at the World Heavyweight Championship. For all I know, this first reign as North American Champion may end up being my only championship reign ever. I have no idea how long it will last. It could be until a week or not, until One Night in Hell or a year from now. That championship may be all I ever earn in my career. I may never get an opportunity at the Undisputed Championship or the World Heavyweight Championship.”
“So, if this is the closest I ever get to the World Heavyweight Championship, then I am going to make the most of it. Doubt me Level One and I may just surprise you. I have waited a long time for this moment Level One, a chance to be in the ring with the World Heavyweight Champion. It is an opportunity I may never get again. Win, lose or draw, it is an opportunity I will take full advantage of and I will make it count.”
::Again, Amy allows herself a smile. This one is a little uncharacteristic as it not amused, but rather confident. She wipes that smile off her face though with her hand.::
“What were you saying Kaylyn, about how you were going to beat me last week? That first match we had, everyone called it a fluke, an upset, a lucky break when I beat you. They said it was impossible. Even I admitted it could have been called an upset. I mean, after all, you were Kaylyn James Evans, one of the greatest Women’s Champions in ACW history, a tough and powerful competitor who has proven to be one of the best women wrestlers in the world and I was a rookie, just a nobody that was just popular with the fans for some reason. You should have beaten me and I shocked you, myself and everyone with a win.”
“And then, last week on Overdrive in Paris, France, people were expecting you to pull off the victory. Yes, I had momentum from my first championship win, but that didn’t matter. Experts and columnist and whatnot in the wrestling business thought that the power and experience of Kaylyn James Evans would overcome the heart and determination of Amy Zing. Level One and Johnny Chase were both at ringside talking all through the match about how you were going to beat me, and how you would show me up and put me in my place and that I was nothing compared to you.”
“The first time I beat you Kaylyn, it was called an upset. No one is saying that now Kaylyn. No one is calling this one a fluke or an upset or just luck. I don’t want to sound cocky or overconfident, but I know, and have proven that, I can beat you Kaylyn James Evans. It is never an easy thing to do, but I have proven that I can beat you.”
::The clouds drift through the sky above Athens. The shadows move inside the ancient temple complex built high over the city. “The Hong Kong Sensation” again looks around the inside of the temple ruins before turning and looking in front of her.::
“Last week, Level One, Kaylyn, I would like to think that I proved myself. You doubted me, mocked me, and counted me out, and in the end, I survived and I won. Despite everything you said and everything you did, I pulled off the victory.”
“Now maybe this week that doesn’t happen. Maybe this week, I go into that ring and I get pinned by Level One or Kaylyn picks up the win and pins me. Or maybe Johnny Rebel and I pull off the victory. Who knows? I don’t. I am going to do my best to try and win.”
::Raising her right arm, Amy points westward, as if pointing off to something in the distance. She turns her head slightly in that direction.::
“To the west of Athens is a city that is just as famous in the stories of Ancient Greece, if not as influential in terms of politics and science and such. Maybe you have heard of it. It is called Sparta.”
::Amy lowers her arm, but keeps her eyes towards the direction of Sparta.::
“It was a city that trained and bred the greatest warriors in Ancient Greece. Yes, Sparta had farmers and craftsman and whatnot, but it was a city-state that produced warriors. Spartans were trained to fight, to ignore pain and keep on fighting. They were to never surrender and never give up. In the entire history of Sparta, only Athens ever managed to gain its surrender. Everyone has heard the story of the Battle of Thermopylae, and how 300 Spartans and an alliance of Greeks held off the Persian Empire for days before those 300 and a handful of other Greeks were overrun and killed to the last man.”
“Before battle, Spartan soldiers were told to either come back with their shield or on it. This meant that they were only to come back holding their shield in victory or laying on top of it in death. I can respect that. Kaylyn knows this, and I hope to prove it to you Level One, but I am not one to give up.”
::Amy shifts her gaze away from a westerly direction and looks around the temple.::
“So go ahead and tell me it is impossible, that I have no chance or that I am not in your league. Maybe you are right. Maybe I go up against the Hydra or Medusa or the Minotaur and I fail, I become just another victim. Or maybe I do what no one thought I could and I slay the monster.”
“This is the first time I have ever been to Greece, either for business or pleasure, and just like I did in Paris, France, I want to give the people of Athens a show. I have waited a long time for this opportunity Level One, the chance to get you in the ring and I am not wasting it. I have wanted to kick your head off for a long time. Kaylyn, I am always willing to get into the ring with you. I have beaten you twice, and I want to see if I can do it one more time. At Thursday Night Overdrive, I want to show the two of you and the people of this city why I am simply Amy Zing. Alpha, theta, epsilon.”
::With that, Amy turns and exits the building. The scene fades out on the interior of the temple of Athena.::
