Questions. Answers (For Killcarrion)

Backstage at the Friction Arena

Silver Ace stood, a bit uncomfortably, backstage in front of a large Summer Splash logo. She wasn't on the match card that evening, which, honestly, was a bit of a godsend, as she was still sore from her Cyber Saturday triple threat match with Alaina and Rebecca, so a night off to recover sounded great, and once she finished this backstage interview she had been booked for, she would do just that.

She blinked as the smaller asian woman came up to her, a new interviewer. AFW seemed to go through a lot of those didn't they. She mentally shrugged, preparing to answer whatever questions were thrown her way. Interviews weren't exactly her favorite part of the wrestling business, but it helped her keep a closer connection with her fanbase, which, in her eyes, made them worth it.

First question. How are you feeling after your loss in the triple threat title match at Cyber Saturday?

"I think all three of us were banged up and bruised after that match. Rebecca is a very skilled fighter with a bright future here, and Alaina is a BEAST in the ring. I'm disappointed I lost, of course. But that was just my very first attempt to win the Friction World Title, and let me tell you, it will NOT be my last. I WILL be your Friction World Champion one day soon, I know it!"

One down, simple and clean.

Second question: Why do you wear a mask to the ring now?

Huh...that one hit closer to home.

"Actually, there's a personal reason for that. I trained in Mexico for years when I first started, and I was taken in and trained by a wrestler named Silver King, a legend in Mexico. When I took my sabbatical from AFW, I went back there and he trained me again, helped me get my head right. He wore many masks, and when I left back to Japan, he gave me one, as a keepsake to remember him and my roots..." She let out a small sigh before continuing. "He...died, a few months later. So I wear the mask now before all my matches so he's fighting with me in spirit, and gets a front row seat for when I become champion!"

Third Question: It has been a while since we've seen Valley Doll by your side. Considering you've been together in AFW a long time, do you feel different with her gone?

Well...that was a bit personal, wasn't it?

Ace grinned directly at the camera, blowing it a kiss and waving.

"First of all, Hi Valley! I'm gonna steal your moonsault every match until you come back to stop me! In all seriousness, Valley has been back in California in recent months to take care of some personal business. Of course I miss my dear sweet California Valley Doll to death...but that's just more motivation for me. I'm not gonna stop just cause of feeling a little lonely in my bed at night. I'm gonna keep on fighting, and show just why I'm THE Ace of AFW!"


Fourth Question: Since you've come back to AFW, you've won PPV matches at Avalanche, had your first hentai match, even competed for the world title. What do you have planned next?

Ok, now time to shine.

"Well, I mean, more of the same really. I came to AFW to prove I was THE best wrestler in the world. I got sidetracked for a while with WAR and River Styx and that mess, but I'm back to rise and prove just how good I am. I want to show I'm the best at EVERYTHING. Tag team wrestling, hentai wrestling, all of it. So you'll be lucky enough to see some more Haley Cote hentai matches from time to time, and Valley and I WILL be getting those tag belts once she's back. But until then, I'm setting my sights on a rematch with Alaina! I'm planning on climbing that mountain, knocking the Amazon off her perch, and taking the world title for myself!" she exclaimed, pointing emphatically at the camera with a gleam in her eye as she proclaimed her victory in advance!

Johnny Atlas:

"WOW...Bravo, now that is quite the compelling portrait you have painted for yourself, Silver. No really, you got my eyes all watered up and everything. Ah, but where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself..." From off camera a sharply dressed and rather dapper gentleman in a feathered bowler hat would casually stride into frame in a brazen interruption of the interview segment. The befuddled interviewer between them swiftly bringing her microphone closer to the mouth of one..."The name's Johnny Atlas, of Atlas Worldwide talent representation fame and acclaim."...who'd introduce himself while using a slight of hand trick to produce a few of his calling cards between his gloved fingers. Afterwards offering one business card to both Ace and the petite interviewer before straightening up his posture with his cane propped on the ground in front of him.

"My sincerest apologies for interrupting this delightful little soap opera drama you have going on here, but unfortunately Silver, I'm afraid I've got some bad news. The fact of the matter is...you should have never even been in that Triple Threat in the first place. The wrestling world knows that you've never been the same since your Hardcore title run left you battered and beaten. And it doesn't matter what dusty old mask you try to hide the truth behind. We all see through it, and you jus don't have that good of a Poker face for someone named Ace, hun. You're like banged up ol' jalopy the company keeps wheeling out for name recognition and nostalgia...when in reality, you're part of the past now. Old technology. And I'd say it's high time for this federation to start booking for the future with the new generation of stars entering the company. Superstars like my latest client~..."

Bashira:

Johnny would steps aside for the well-timed introduction of a rotund behemoth of a woman. Ominously striding into camera frame was Bashira Matsumoto, practically blotting out the fluorescent light behind her and dagger-eyed intensity centered on Silver Ace. Raw power and massive girth emanating from her mere presence as the timid Japanese interviewer began wondering just what she had gotten herself into. But nevertheless dutifully raised her microphone to Bashira's face. "Best listen to the man, Silver. I should have been the one challenging for the main title, and you should have been staying your ass home. As a matter of fact, that's what I recommend you do right now. Be smart, go on to Cali, enjoy a nice early retirement with your pathetic loser of a girlfriend...before I retire you myself." Bashira's statement being a much more directed threat towards Ace with Johnny smirking just off to the side.

The moment another voice cut Ace's off, the woman barely reacted, not even surprised as she just closed her eyes and sighed in frustration. Every time. Every. Damn. Time. Why did she even bother doing interviews anymore? Somebody was just going to interrupt her and that was going to end up in a match with her kicking their ass.

Like clockwork.

Ace kept her back to the man as he spoke, letting out a sigh and hanging her head in clear and utter annoyance...before suddenly jerking her head up.

Did he just call her mask, a treasured gift from her since-deceased mentor Silver King, a "dusty old mask?"

Did he just call her a beat up old jalopy!?

Ace spun around, fully intending to give this well-dressed but irritating little man a piece of her mind...when a shadow eclipsed her entire form as Bashira walked out. The woman wasn't entirely unknown to Ace. She tried to keep up on the AFW shows and new wrestlers, even with balancing her time between Friction and Tension now, and had heard the woman had been starting an impressive run of dominating opponents, and seeing her up close...she could see why.

She listened, as the big mean bear of a woman glared down at her, insulted her girlfriend, and flat out threatened her career.  Funny enough, Bashira reminded Ace of a younger her. Not so much the size, but she had been pretty cocky and arrogant too when she first arrived. The Super Rookie, they called her. Even talked trash to future world champs Akashi and Taylor Parker in her second and third matches. Funny that.

The former Entropy and Hardcore champion had zero doubt that the woman had the ability to back up her retirement threat, but stayed in in place after Bashira finished attempting to intimidate her.

Well...Ace would like to say "attempted", but...she'd be an utter idiot to not acknowledge the small raised hairs on the back of her neck right now. This woman was big and with size like that meant power.

But...even if picking fights over insults was foolish...She couldn't abide this.
No way in hell was she going to let this woman insult her lover, insult her career, insult threaten to terminate it, and think she could walk away unscathed.

When the small reporter moved the mic back to her for reply, Ace spoke, calmly, and with confidence.

"You know...I was 16, when I dropped out of high school and started my wrestling journey. I spent most of my inheritance getting trained and surviving, I've no other job experience, and I'm not on great terms with my folks. I literally sacrificed everything just to make it to AFW."

"Lately, I was reflecting on how I've been here 8 years this Avalanche, and in that time, lots of the people I knew have left, and lots of these new wrestlers have shown up. Lot of em younger, some of them bigger, some of them stronger, some of them smarter, and I always wondered if I would ever been seen as big enough, important enough, that one day one of them would try to use me as a stepping stone...so I guess I should see this as validation."

She stepped closer, getting right up to Bashira's girth, looking the taller woman in the eye, before pointing at the Summer Splash logo on the wall behind them. "So instead of going to California...how about I see you at Summer Splash in Texas, and you can try your best to retire me there. Key word...try."

She turned to leave, but suddenly turned back towards Bashira and spoke again.

"Oh, and little advice for you, youngblood..."

*SMACK*

With one incredibly swift motion, looking like a silver blue, Ace's hand came up and SLAPPED Johnny Atlas as hard as she could, right in the damned face, before pointing at Bashira.

"...If your going to use The Silver Ace as a stepping stone...you better step hard."

With that, she turned and walked away, uninterested, but un-afraid, of a potential brawl, but feeling confident it wasn't coming. It was time to hit the gym and get ready, and put thoughts of her mentor or her legacy or even the missing Valley Doll aside any issue with the future of her career forgotten.

She had a match to prepare for.