It's Not Over
Usual disclaimer - see Chapter 1 for the full details, but I own nothing, all the people own themselves, WWE owns the trademark names, I'm doing this to exercise my creativity and for the sheer pleasure of writing. Ask my therapist!
Chapter 3
Dacey was excited by Jim's plans for her to eventually turn. Ginger as a character had the potential to be a great heel, and Dacey wanted to work it that way.
Over the next six weeks, the Brat Pack evolved and expanded, and Ginger began taking on matches of her own more often. The heel turn was set in motion when Eric Bischoff, in an attempt to break up the Brat Pack, ordered a match between Jeff and Ginger. There were vignettes about how they weren't going to fight, how Ginger would simply submit, or Jeff would get himself counted out. As these were suggested, Eric would change the match stipulations. It ended up being a no DQ, no count outs, falls count anywhere match.
Both Jeff and Ginger entered the ring, and in the beginning played it as a mundane wrestling match, neither really trying hard to win. Then Ginger stood back and appraised Jeff, allowing a smirk to cross her face. Suddenly she came rushing out of the corner and laid her best moves on him. That was exactly how it had been planned, but the crowd were totally taken in. Ginger had made her heel turn.
She and Jeff battled it out, and finally Jeff took the match in a pin. Ginger lay in the ring as Jeff left to be proclaimed the winner. When she stood up, her hair hanging around her face, she wasn't smiling. The cameras zoomed in as Ginger let loose with Luana's warrior queen scream, and vaulted out of the ring. Then she went on a tear backstage, throwing things and snarling.
The audience reaction was off the charts. Not since Trish had turned heel with Christian had a woman been so over. She even had a new entrance theme of her own. It consisted of sampling from "Control" by Puddle of Mudd, and she especially loved the part about "the way you smack my ass". Jim called Dacey in to discuss future storylines.
She was astonished to see Glenn Jacobs and Mark Calaway also in the room. "Am I early, Jim?" she asked.
"No, come on in."
Dacey took a seat, puzzled.
Jim spoke. "Dacey, your heel turn is going great, and we have an idea to team you up again in a few months."
Dacey looked over at Glenn and Mark. "With them?" she managed to squeak.
"We don't bite, girl," Mark smiled.
"Not much," Glenn chimed in, a blatently well-used act.
Jim smiled. "We've been looking for a way to get Kane and Taker teaming again, but not just as the Brothers of Destruction. We wanted a new angle - and what's newer than a woman who's right up there in terms of savagery?"
Dacey couldn't believe it - here was the chance to make a real name for herself as a wrestler. If Jim had suggested some stupid bride of darkness theme, she woud have turned it down. But this had real possibilities.
They discussed the idea. For the next month or so, Ginger would continue to wrestle as a single, against both men and women. The warrior woman would become more of her style. And then she and Kane would face off and she would be revealed as a creature of darkness like both him and Taker.
"Revealed how?" Dacey wanted to know.
"Well, we're still thinking about that. Do you have any ideas?"
Dacey thought about it. "Well, Kane has his mask, and Taker has the tattoos. Why not exposure of Ginger's own dark body art, that she's been keeping hidden?"
"You have body art?" Mark was intrigued.
"I have a navel piercing, and a tattoo. But I wasn't thinking about showing off my tattoo," Dacey chuckled.
"Why not?" Glenn asked.
"Let's just say it's not in a PG-13 location," Dacey smiled.
"So what are you thinking?"
"Well, how about my navel piercing? I could get a belly jewel that's a red and black stone - there's a link between the Brothers rigght there."
"I don't know Dacey, that's not going to have a lot of visual impact," Jim said, "but you're onto a good idea. How could we improve on it?"
Dacey thought for a moment, and then asked Julie from Wardrobe to borrow a red pencil and her sketch pad. She worked for a few minutes and then showed them a crude sketch:
"How about this? A belly jewel in the middle of a tattoo?" she asked.
"You'd be prepared to get a tattoo for this?" Jim was astonished.
"Well, not today! I was thinking that I could have it inked semi-permanently to see if the storyline works. If it does, I've been thinking of another tattoo and this would be pretty cool," Dacey said.
"On your belly? Man, that's gonna hurt," Mark winced. Dacey shrugged. Getting her first tattoo had hurt like hell, given its location, so it didn't really matter.
"You'd be prepared to wear a costume that showed it?" Jim checked. She'd been very adamant about showing too much skin when she came aboard.
"I wrestled in hipster tights at OVW that showed my piercing. No bikini style top though," Dacey said.
Julie had already been designing a new costume, and she turned her pad around. "I had something like this in mind, in a stretch pleather. But we can make the top shorter, to show off the tattoo."
"Ah, while you're at it, you might want to bring the neckline up a little too," Dacey said, blushing a little. The neckline the design suggested was way outside her comfort zone.
Jim Ross nodded in agreement. The costume design had the elements that they were looking for - even raising the neckline, it still had a sexy, dark warrior woman feel to it.
"Okay, so how do we make the reveal?"
Jim spoke cautiously. "I know your contract stipulates that you won't wear revealing costumes, but would you be averse to a brief shot of you in a bra?" He knew Dacey might well turn it down flat.
"Depends - tell me the set up," Dacey reacted with caution.
"Well, you and Kane have a confrontation backstage about something - perhaps you have lost a match and are throwing things and he gets in the way. He grabs you and as you pull away, your current wrestling top comes apart at the wrap. You fall backwards, and the shot reveals you in a bra, with a hipster version of your current tights that will show the body art." Jim held his breath.
Dacey thought about it. She could visualise a good confrontation with Kane, and it sounded like the reveal wouldn't be a huge nudity thing. The costume she was currently wearing suggested that it might be pulled apart just like that if the circumstances were right, and she would be wearing a bra, after all. It was probably okay for a shot that would focus more on her body art and for no more than a few seconds.
"I think I can agree to that. I really don't want photos of my breasts on the website though!"
Jim smiled and promised it her it wouldn't happen. Then they worked through some of the storyline ideas for the trio, who would collectively be known as Darkness, although having their own themes in addition to one to be used when they teamed. There was potential for conflict with pretty much the whole roster, and it sounded pretty exciting to Dacey.
"One final thing to discuss, Dacey. If this is a change in character and look, how about a change of name?"
Dacey considered this. It made sense to move away totally from Ginger. "Hmm, well if Ginger turns out to have been someone hiding this big secret, probably she's been hiding her real name too."
"So what is her real name then?" Mark asked, watching her carefully. He put a lot of thought into his character, and it seemed Dacey had the same instincts.
"I don't think anyone knows. I think she's a mystery - even to herself. Like the Sphinx - no-one left to know who she is, or whatt she means," Dacey thought it out, and she suddenly smiled. "How about calling her Sphinx?"
Damn, thought Jim Ross, her instincts were spot on. "I can go with that. Actually it gives us things to use for the storyline - a reluctant partnership, mistrust - all good things to work through and leave people guessing about where Darkness is going."
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Dacey walked out of the meeting with her mind reeling. This was too much - teaming with two of the biggest stars on the roster after such a short time. She suddenly felt very ill, and bolted for the nearest Ladies room.
Glenn and Mark had seen her run off, and looked at one another. "Nerves?" asked Glenn.
"What do you think? She's been offered a huge break, and she's scared she won't be able to cut it," Mark responded.
"What do you think - can she do it?"
"Hell yes - I wouldn't have agreed to go along with it if I didn't think she could. She just needs some time and support to help her realise she can," Mark said, slowly stroking his beard. "What say we invite her to lunch tomorrow, have a talk about it?"
"Good idea," Glenn agreed.
"You just volunteered to invite her, buddy," Mark grinned. "See you later."
Glenn glared at Mark as he walked away. Dacey was totally freaked, and he got to ask her to come to lunch with the two guys who were freaking her out. He supposed that he was slightly less scary than Mark, since he didn't have any tattoos. He waited until Dacey came out of the bathroom.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
She looked up at him and nodded. "Just a bit overwhelmed, I guess."
"That's what Mark and I figured. We thought it might be good if we had lunch together tomorrow here, talk a little. If we're going to be working together, it might make you feel more relaxed around us."
Dacey nodded, and accepted.
The following day, Mark and Glenn waited outside Titan Towers for Dacey, thinking it might make her less nervous if they met her outside rather than have her go looking for them. They were talking desultorily when the growl of a Harley engine made them both look around. Dacey's Softail rumbled into the lot. She turned off the ignition and booted the kickstand down. She pulled off her helmet and jacket and locked them in the bike's panniers, and walked over to the entrance.
"Nice bike," said Mark admiringly. "Is that the 100th anniversary edition?"
"Yep," replied Dacey. "I decided to go the whole hog - if you'll pardon the pun."
Mark laughed. "What were you riding before?"
"A '91 Sportster, second hand," Dacey explained as they walked in to the building.
"That's a big step up."
"Great. Now I'll have to listen to two people talk about motorcycles!" Glenn grumbled goodnaturedly. Dacey was guarded, until he grinned down at her. "Relax, girl. We really don't bite, and I don't care what you talk about - the fact that you're talking is a step in the right direction. Come on, let's get some lunch, I'm starving!"
Mark laughed. "Get used to that Dacey - this guy eats like five times a day."
She smiled shyly. "So do I. I have to work hard to keep my muscle mass, and that takes a lot of carbs or I start to look really freaky and ripped. I hate that."
"Yeah, it's not a good look. But we're lucky - being mesomorphs," Glenn said, gesturing to their similar body types. "Guys like Adam, they just get this whole skinny scarecrow thing happening."
Before she knew it, Dacey was sitting with the two men in the Titan Towers cafeteria, comparing the relative merits of protein bars and shakes. She was a bit astonished by the amount of food they both put away, but she figured they had a foot of height and around 150 pounds on her. That was a lot of body mass to sustain. And she wasn't exactly eating like a bird either.
They spoke of general things, and it wasn't until they were sipping coffee after lunch that the wrestling storyline even came up.
"Dacey, you know, you have what it takes to pull this off. I know you have doubts about that, but I don't," Mark said simply.
She goggled at him. Mark was the undisputed leader of the locker room, and a statement like this from him was gold. "Mark, I just don't know," she protested.
"We do," Glenn said. "We've watched your matches, and your tapes. You've got talent, and you've got good ideas. You can do this, Dacey, believe me."
"And you won't be out there alone - you'll have our big asses out there with you," Mark added.
"Watch it Calaway, your ass may be big, but mine isn't," Glenn said with a grin.
"Yeah, but yours is way more grabbable," Mark leered at him and then made a kissy face.
Dacey giggled. These men were obviously very close - although probably not that close. She smiled, thinking about how nice it would be to be included in that closeness. Being in the big show had meant a big increase in the people she could call her friends, which was a big surprise and a pleasant one.
"Okay, but if there's any ass grabbing going on, I am so out of here!"
"So does that mean I can't grab Glenn's ass - or I can't grab your ass?" Mark chuckled.
"I don't want to see you grab Glenn's ass, or any other part of him. As for grabbing my ass, try it and you'll lose a hand, big dog or not," Dacey gave him the Luana warrior woman glare.
That broke the two men up, and Dacey joined in. She felt more comfortable with them, at least comfortable enough to be cracking jokes. She hoped it would continue to be like this.
@@@
When she went for her first wardrobe fitting, to her surprise both Mark and Glenn were on hand. She took the outfit from Julie and moved into the change room to try it on. When she came out, she was unprepared for the reactions.
Both men flat out stared at her. Finally Mark broke the silence.
"Damn Dacey. You aren't showing much skin but that outfit will make blood pressures go up around the world!"
Glenn just grinned. "Looking real good, Dacey."
Julie walked around her, checking the fit, and Dacey finally got a look at herself in the mirror.
"Oh my god! I can't wear this!!" she exclaimed, bringing her hands up over her breasts.
"Why not?" Mark asked.
"The neckline is too low - if I bend over, you'll be able to see my navel down this thing!"
Glenn exploded with laughter. "Try it."
"Try what?" Dacey exclaimed with exasperation.
"Bend over - and I'll tell you if I can see your navel down your neckline."
Dacey used an expression that would have made her mother blush, and Mark laughed. Julie smiled and grabbed her pins, and raised the neckline until it was high enough for Dacey not to be embarrassed by it.
Objectively, she now looked at herself in the mirror. The costume fit very well, and felt comfortable. The waistband rode just low enough to show off the inked outline of the proposed body art, which was neatly framed between it and the top. In fact, now that the neckline was fixed, Dacey thought it looked pretty kick ass.
"Okay, now I'm happy," she said. "So, are you guys getting new wardrobe too?"
"Well, yeah. That's why we are here - they want to see how all three of us look together," Mark explained.
"Well thank goodness for that! I'd hate to think you were here just to check out my new costume," Dacey murmured quietly. But only Julie heard her, and tipped her a quick wink as she handed hangers to Mark and Glenn and shooed them into change rooms.
"Wait til you see what they're wearing," Julie whispered.
Dacey shot a quick look at Julie's impish expression. And then heard the outraged voices of the men.
"Oh no way Julie - no way!"
"Julie, this had better be a damn joke!"
"It is," Julie whispered to Dacey. "It's a long story, but I'm getting my revenge now." Out loud, she said, "What's wrong with the outfits?"
"Well, this leaves nothing to the imagination for one thing!" came Mark's outraged voice.
"Julie, I cannot wear this - my mother would have a heart attack!&quuot; Glenn shouted.
Dacey raised her eyebrows - oh those outfits had to be something! She grinned at Julie, who winked again.
"Well, I'm sorry - these were the first set of designs, and I do need to see them. Come on out here," Julie spoke sternly.
"No way!"
"Alright, let me take some quick shots with the camera. Then you can change into the other outfits and I can at least show these ones to Vince and Jim," Julie cajoled. "I'll show them to you later," she whispered to Dacey.
Julie convinced them to let her peek in and snap a few shots and then handed in the second set of clothes. When they came out, this was fairly obviously what had been planned from the start.
Mark wore pleather pants, with a vest similar to Dacey's although not so form fitting. Glenn's trademark black tights now sported silver buckles identical to those on the vests, with a black tank with a red flame pattern. Together, the three of them looked like a team. Julie happily snapped shots of them, for final approval by the execs.
"Dacey, what about your hair?" Julie asked as she put the camera down. "Any ideas?"
"Well, it won't be Ginger's mane, that's for sure. Perhaps a braid? Or just loose?" Dacey thought out loud.
"We'll set up a meeting with Makeup to try a few styles to go with the outfit," Julie said, and waved them off to get back into their street clothes.
Next on the agenda was selecting theme music. Glenn and Mark had plenty of choices from old themes, and decided to go with the darkest of those, but Dacey's new theme, and the Darkness theme needed to be totally new.
Dacey had been listening to plenty of music in an attempt to find something suitable, and suggested "Bring me to life" by Evanescence. The lyrics were dark, speaking of emptiness and rebirth into something, even if it were Darkness. The creative team actually thought that it made a good theme for Darkness as a whole, and planned a video montage set to the whole song to show the drawing of the three.
As for Dacey's theme, that was a bit more problematic. They were going to play the angle of Sphinx not really knowing who she was, or why she was drawn to Taker and Kane. The idea was that they would use her current theme, occasionally using a sampling from Nickelback's "Figured you out" to throw Dacey off. It would be something that could enrage her - a taunt from the brothers that they knew her while she didn't know herself.
Her eventual Darkness theme would be sampled from "Crawling in the Dark" by Hoobastank. It was an odd piece, not quite hard rock, but haunting. A mystery, like Sphinx herself. The first time it would be heard would be when Sphinx accepted Darkness and did a run in on a match to help Taker and Kane.
Evanescence -
Bring Me to Life
Lyrics
by Ben Moody, Amy Lee, David Hodges
How can you see into my eyes, like open doors
Leading you down into my core
Where I've become so numb
Without a soul
My spirit sleeping somewhere cold
Until you find it there and lead it back home
[Chorus]
(wake me up) Wake me up inside (I can't wake up) wake me up
inside
(save me) Call my name and save me from the dark
(wake me up) Bid my blood to run (I can't wake up) before I come
undone
(save me) Save me from the nothing I've become
Now that I know what I'm without, you can't just leave me
Breathe into me and make me real
Bring me to life
[Chorus]
Bring me to life
I've been living a lie
There's nothing inside
Bring me to life
Frozen inside without your touch, without your love, darling
Only you are the life among the dead
All this time I can't believe I couldn't see
Kept in the dark, but you were there in front of me
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems
Got to open my eyes to everything
Without a thought, without a voice, without a soul
Don't let me die here
There must be something more
Bring me to life
[Chorus]
I've been living a lie
There's nothing inside
Bring me to life