Pre-Match Jitters (for Lethal Lottery Night #1)

[Cassie Hunter]

Small Town Southern Ontario, Friday October 23rd

Cassie is sitting backstage at a small indy show in a folding chair, dressed in her wrestling gear; a pair of small black wrestling trunks with red and silver detailing, a matching low cut sports bra top, knee pads and kick pads over black amateur-style boots, taping her wrists. Next to her is a fidgety young man, a lean cruiserweight type in blue trunks and boots, stretching. Cassie's watching him with a slightly amused smile on her face as she leans back in her chair.

"First match, right Pete? Feeling a bit nervous?"

The young man nods, stopping and leaning back against the wall, staring forward.

"Yeah... you've been doing this for a few years now, right? Do you still get nervous?"

"Oh yeah, a bit. Not like you seem to be though. Anything I can do to help?"

The young man smiles down at her a bit bashfully.

"The talking is helping actually. Gives me something else to focus on, y'know? So, uh, what did you do before wrestling? I mean, I can't imagine you got into that kind of shape in just a couple years of wrestling."

Cassie smiles a bit wider.

"Bit of flattery, but I'll take it. I played basketball and volleyball in high school, then I took up powerlifting in my early twenties."

"Wait, early twenties? I thought you were in your early twenties?"

"Funny, but I'm twenty eight. Anyway, I was doing powerlifting, then three years ago one of the guys from my gym suggested I check out the wrestling gym he trained at. The rest is, as they say, history."

"Cool. I heard you signed on with NPW, that's pretty awesome. Are you on that card in Mississauga on Wednesday?

"Yup. Facing off with some girl, April Hamill. Might be her first match too actually. I probably won't be trying to make her feel better like I am you though."

They both laugh a little, trading smiles.

"So, you feeling better?"

"A bit. Still super nervous though. Like I can't stop fidgeting, y'know?"

"Hmm. You in the opener?"

The young man nods, watching curiously as Cassie picks up her phone from her feet to check the time.

"Alright, well we've got fifteen minutes before the show starts, I know something that'll do the trick for you."

Pete watches her as she stands up, standing a good four inches taller than the young man. Cassie takes a hair elastic from her wrist, pulling her long, thick locks back in a ponytail. Saying nothing, she hooks her finger into the waist of his tights and all but drags the shocked but suddenly grinning cruiserweight into a nearby janitor's closet.

Five Minutes Later

Cassie emerges from the closet, adjusting her knee pads and wiping her mouth on the back of her wrist before glancing down, smirking a bit.

"Well now I have to do my lipstick again and retape my wrist."

Pete steps out a moment later, grinning and clearly more relaxed, adjusting his tights.

"That was... wow."

"Ready to go fight the world?"

"Hell yeah!"

Cassie grins over at him as she begins to unwrap the, well, stained tape from her wrist.

"Well give'em hell Petey, I've got my own match to get ready for."

Two Hours Later

"Making her way to the ring, from Trenton Ontario, Cassie Hunter!"

Cassie steps through the curtain to the strains of "Knocking At The Door" by Arkells, turning and doing a double bicep pose with her back to the small but vocal, cheering crowd before turning back, smiling as she strides down to the ring, striking another pose on the ring apron before stepping through the ropes. Her opponent is already there, a smaller (by comparison) blonde in a purple outfit. As Cassie turns to the crowd once more her foe attacks her from behind, knocking her into the corner, raining down blows for a moment before Cassie is able to turn and shove the woman back, creating enough distance for the referee to be able to get between them. He looks to Cassie to confirm she's still okay to go; the smiles are all gone now, determination and more than a bit of anger in her eyes as she nods to the official and the bell rings.

Three Minutes Later

The blonde is down on hands and knees, struggling to pull herself back up to her feet with the ropes as Cassie, sweat glistening on her skin, hair a bit disheveled, shakes out her left arm before crouching down as the crowd hoots and hollers in approval as they watch her stalk her prey. The blonde reaches her feet and Cassie charges, smashing her with a Yakuza kick, her opponent falling back into the ropes to be quickly caught by Cassie; she lifts the woman up onto her shoulders, walks a quick half-circle to position herself back into the middle of the ring before popping her up and driving her down with a picture perfect Amazon Bomb. She hooks the leg for the cover, one, two, three. Cassie lets the referee raise her hand, giving the crowd one more pose, smiling once again for the first time since being jumped, before rolling out of the ring. On her back up the aisle she spots the camera, turning and looking straight into it, still smiling a bit in the post-victory glow.

"April, no offense but I'm coming to NPW to send a message: I'm the biggest, I'm the baddest and I'm coming to be the woman in NPW. You might be good one day, but Wednesday you're just gonna be second best."

With that the shot fades to black as Cassie finishes walking back up the entranceway, disappearing through the curtain.