Early Morning Wake Up call

[Lady Munin]

(Untelevised conversation, apologies if its hard to read...coding is impossible on this phone.)


*Ringtone*

A single hand found its way out of the covers to search the nightstand. It's mission was simple, destroy whatever was making that infernal noise. Unfortunately it was all to no avail, the damn thing was just out of reach.


So it was with a muffled scream that Munin threw off her covers, and reached over to grab her cell phone.


"Lo?"


Munin tiredly rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked at the hotel alarm clock. A bright red six am glowing brightly in the dark was a reward for her efforts.


She would have groaned at the sight, if her mouth wasn't so dry. Instead she dragged a hand through her tousled black hair, and searched the sheets for her bottle of water.


"Hello? If you hung up after calling me at this hour I will personally hunt you down."


"Hi, this is room service, your order of fried cat with a side of bull bollocks will be sent up shortly."


She pulled the receiver from her with a befuddled look, and wondered for a moment if she was still dreaming. But something about the voice pierced her groggy mind.


"The hell, Raze is that you?"


"It's me. Heard you've had a bad time of it lately."


With the phone wedged between her ear and shoulder Munin sat up in bed, resigned to the fact that she would soon be fully awake.


"I assume you are talking about Alex, which means that you've either been keeping track of things, or someone's been whispering in your ear. It doesn't really matter either way, suffice to say sometimes to get answers you have to get dirty, and when you get dirty things in general get messy. You know how it is..."


"I do, aye. So this fight, argument, rather... did you get the answers you needed?"


"Yes, yes I did."


She uncapped her newly refound water bottle with a sigh, and drank deeply until the bottle was dry. She was stealing moments she knew, but she was an unrepentant thief. Every second she spent downing her water was a second that she didn't spend talking. So it was with a sigh of regret and relief the she recapped her empty bottle, and tossed it to the side. There would be no running from Jericho Cross when he was curious.


"Not the ones I wanted, but they were answers I needed none the less."


"Sounds like you need to make do with them. So what happened? I'm not caught up yet"


"I wish I had a good answer, but honestly there is none. He has just become obsessed with the World Title. No on second thought it would be more accurate to say that he has become obsessed with the World Title and beating Leon preferably to death with the Title."


She shrugged her shoulders despite the fact that he could not see her.


"He isn't the first to go off the deep end and he won't be the last. As for where the obsession came from, I don't know...I guess it doesn't even matter at this point."


Raze gave a small grunt that conveyed how little this surprised him, and let Munin know that as always he was likely multi-tasking.


"His obsession will cost him. Seems he's getting careless, which means Leon already has the upper hand. Best to talk some sense into the boy, make him see what he's doing to himself. So what else has been going on?"


"I'm rather done with talking talking to him, I'd sooner start with a beating at this point. As for the rest..."


She broke off with a rough chuckle.


"What rest? It doesn't end there?"


"Obviously you've been slacking on your intel."


Her tone was a teasing croon in his ear.


He couldn't help but shake his head at her antics. They both knew that she wouldn't get a rise out him.


"Seems like it"


He could almost see her small pout at his lack of annoyance, and managed not to laugh when she continued with a huff.


"Kolic and his clown squad are supposedly destroying the company. But in all honesty I think Alex is doing more to destroy this company than Kolic. The Clown's main weapons seem to be boredom and typical heel in ring violence."


With a tilt of her head Munin began to examine her hotel ceiling. There was nothing special about it, but perhaps she could get lost in the blankness of it. She knew that she couldn't avoid Raze's curiosity and probing questions for much longer, the man was relentless.


"Not that I've been flooding the airwaves myself mind you, but I've needed time to reevaluate a number of things. I have come to the conclusion that verbally thrashing Kolic and his Clown Squad leads to nowhere, verbally beating a dead horse gets old after a while. In fact I think it feeds the beast, and so the time for addressing them is gone. Now is a time for action, my air time can be spent addressing more pressing matters than Kolic flipping his lid."


She paused for a moment, unable to hold back her yawn.


"Meanwhile, Eva is seriously considering burying titles in an actual cemetery. Do you know what happened the last time she convinced me that we needed to dig a hole in a fecking cemetery? I'm not going to tell you about it, but I will say that decomposing fat is never pretty."


She barreled through her unusual commentary without pause much to Raze's silent amusement. In the privacy of his own home he allowed himself a smile at her animated ramblings.


"Leon is having to deal with most of the roster losing their minds and their spines, that is if they had either to begin with. He is handling it admirably well all things considered. How he has managed to deal with having an ongoing argument over whether or not he actually has his title is beyond me. I think I would have tried to kill Alex at this point."


"Sounds like people are having a fucking meltdown. Did you and Alex make up, at least?"


"Well Eva and Leon aren't having a meltdown, their just managing the crazy like they always do. I haven't heard from Tamer who is supposed to be a team mate since last show, so I have no idea whats going on there. In Sean Locke made his great return...It was exactly as you would expect it to be."


She continued to brush over his later question, under guise of catching him up on recent events.


"Tamer's gone again? He'll resurface if he has unfinished business. As for Sean, why did he leave? When I walked away, things were looking really good"


After fluffing up her pillows she leaned back in bed once more.

"I believe he said something about being bored, but now they are saying something to the effect that he was injured. To be honest I wasn't paying much attention either way. Other than that Piper is kicking ass and slapping referees, but other than that the former Slaughterhouse is not very active. Which is a shame really..."


"Wait, Piper's fighting her own battles? Wow. By the way, why's Goth Features looking to retire a title?"


"She wants to retire certain titles while they still retain their glory I believe. It's not like there is an abundance of talent to work with at the moment. The new talent is more concerned about being locked in a love triangle than they are with actually doing their jobs.


"Love triangle? Are we talking about crossed wires or a threesome that got awkward? Who is the Women's champion anyway?"


"Crossed wires, and the Women's Champion was Amanda, but I believe I believe they retired that title."


"She's still alive? She quietened up fast."


"I may have head slammed her into a locker once or twice."


This was said without shame or repentance. In fact, Raze could almost see her small smile through the phone.


"What did she do to piss you off? I'm guessing she breathed too loudly. How wide is your grin, by the way?"


Her laughter was all the answer he needed. I was obvious that she sported a wide self satisfied grin.


"She was silly enough to kiss Alex when we were still together, but that's water under the bridge now. Where are you by the way? Things just aren't as fun without you."


"In that case, once or twice is letting her off lightly. You getting soft all of a sudden? I'm at home, I only stayed until I was no longer needed. So did you and Alex end it because of Amanda? Or have I misinterpreted?"


"Me soft?"


She scoffed at the idea, as it truly was ridiculous.


"No I haven't gone soft, but I am patient when I need to be. Timing can be everything..."


"Ahh, the patient route. There's the Munin I know and love. Well, tolerate."


"Uh huh, because you typically call to check up on people you just tolerate."


Her voice was ladened with an easy teasing tone that few could use with him.


"Heh. Got me there. By the way, I notice you keep changing the subject whenever I mention Alex."


"Honestly? Saying his name makes me feel slightly ill at the moment."


"Why?"


"Besides all the alcohol I mixed before getting in a bar fight?"


"Munin..."


The laughter vanished from her tone in an instant, and for that moment she sounded lost. Her words were edged with the aching sorrow that could tug at the coldest of hearts.


"Well it's like I said before, sometimes the answers we need aren't the answers we want."


"So vague today. Is it over between you?"


Such concern was rarely voiced towards anyone other than friends. Even so, this time was gentler than usual.


"Yes I would have to say it is, and if it's not it likely soon will be. After all I am truly horrible at going gently into the night, but rage...rage is something I do very well."


"Oh, I know that. It's part of why we get on so well. Come on, tell me the whole story. Maybe an outside perspective can help".


After a moment of heavy silence Munin begins to speak; softly and slowly at first. As if each word is being forcefully dragged from her throat.


"I couldn't tell you the exact day he started to change. It happened slowly and at first I thought nothing of it. Everyone goes through changes in this business, even the most popular faces have typically been a heel at one point or another, and honestly I wasn't in a position to judge."


She paused for a moment as if to weigh her words. Who would have thought that opening up to another person would be so difficult.


"I think he decided that if this company was going to beat him down and throw his goodness in his face he would give them what they wanted. If they wanted to treat him as a heel he would give them a heel, and he did...bit by bit and step by step. He became harder, ruthless, and angrier with each match, before he dreamed of winning the World Title, of earning his place among the best in this company."


"I know where that road leads. How far gone is he?"


"It's bad, in fact at this point it's not so much an issue that he is crossing lines, its that he doesn't seem to think they exist for him. He's reached a point where he no longer cares about earning anything.
It's become a matter of taking what he thinks he has already won, and if the company doesn't want to give him "his" Title he'll burn it to the ground to take."


She let out a tired sigh, and continued to say what she had avoided saying for months. It was time to talk though, and it was time to stop mourning for the man she loved.


"Preferably after beating Leon within an inch of his life, in fact I think he has become as obsessed with beating Leon as he is with the belt, and that's saying something. Maybe things wouldn't have ended the way they did if his obsession hadn't rolled into our personal life, but really how could it not?"


"Yep, that sounds familiar. It sounds like he took out his frustrations on you. But you can handle yelling".


Her laugh in response to this was short and humorless.


"Yes yelling I can handle, but yelling wasn't the problem..."


"What was?"


"The realization that the World Title and revenge mean more to him than anything else...in or out of the ring. He can deny it all he wants but at the end of the day the truth is there. He didn't talk to me for over a week, and then betrayed me in that ring Jericho. He couldn't put his petty revenge to the side for one night...one fucking night."


Her voice cracked with emotion before dropping off into silence once more.


"And the reason why is clear...there is no us anymore just Alex."


"Betrayed you? I know you don't take that kind of thing well. You ok?"


She started to give him the reply she had given everyone, but instead she answered honestly.


"No, but I will be..."


"What did he do? Did he explain himself, at least? You know you can tell me anything, I've heard worse".


"He betrayed me in that ring, he was so determined to get one over on Leon that he basically handed the win to the clowns. I was casualty in Alex Cross's private more once again. When I confronted him he had plenty to say, but the main part that stands out was rather simple and easy to remember."


"If I could change it all I wouldn't and you know why? Because in the end it's not about you and I it's about Leon and the World Title."


"I'm sure it's still floating around the GZW airwaves if you care to watch a train wreck."


"He's lost sight of what he's doing. Best let him fall. He brought it on himself".


"Yes, yes he did."


"Besides, I know you'll be thinking of a way to punish him for it".


"Oh yes, yes I most certainly am. You could come back you know..."


"Heheh. I bought a ticket for Heatwave. You'll need to settle for that".


She smiled at the news, and gave an obviously dramatic sigh.


"I guess I'll have to."


"Better than nothing, so- wait. What the fuck?!"


"Jericho?"


"Did I just see that? Hang on".


There is silence for a moment. In the background, the sound of Alex and Munin arguing can be heard.


"Ahh, yes it wasn't exactly a heart to heart."


"Ok... this can be put right. There are two solutions."

"I'm all ears."

"Option one; I head out and see Alex. Once that's done, I tell you where he's buried. Just in case you want to pay last respects."


"...and option two?"


"I don't tell you".


"Hmm, well as you said before I'm not one to take betrayal lightly, and I would hate to have you steal my fun."


"True, but that was done outside of a match. That was personal. Say the word and they'll never find him".


"No Jericho, while I appreciate more than you'll ever know, I will deal with Alex."


There is a sigh on the other end. The kind Munin normally hears when she's right about something.


"Alright. I know that you can. You crush that prick's dream good and proper, eh?"


"Yes sir."


"Good luck in your tag team match. And whatever you end up doing at Heatwave, I'll be rooting for you".


"Thank you, let me know if you change your mind about coming back?"


"I will. And Munin?"


"Hmmm?"


"I... I just wanted to say... you'll be alright".


His words touch her with their sincerity in a way that few others could. Who would have thought that the Dread King would be the one to give her a ray of sunshine.


The thought brought a small half smile, that twisted the corner of her mouth.


"I know I will be, how could I not be with friends like you and Eva."


"Go knock his arse out. And tell the Odd Couple I said hi".


"Will do!"


"Bye."


And like that she was alone once more. Left to look around a empty dark hotel room, while the sound of the tone buzzed in her ear, until that too was gone.


Yet despite the early hour, and her previous exhaustion, she suddenly felt more awake than she had in weeks.


With a sharp jerk she flung the covers off and got out of bed. The drapes were soon whipped open to let in the early morning light, and Munin soaked it in.


It was a new day, and the time for mourning was gone.