New Marzia, New Challenges

[CaptainL]

When faced with a face from her past, Marzia had tried throwing up walls, struggling to hold onto the image of a tough, ruthless, take-no-prisoners bad girl that Gail had helped her cultivate. Even when she was taken by surprise, she couldn't let it show; she needed to double down, just to make it clear that she wasn't the weak person she used to be any more! And yet, when Ryan arrived to the scene next, the emotions that came over her were too much for her to bear. She froze, staring back at him in shock; any words she had to say died in her throat. She was sure he was mad, and she could only bite her lip nervously at the thought of how he was going to react. She didn't know how she was going to handle it. In her pursuit of her new self, had she burned one bridge too many?

But instead of lashing out, Ryan stepped into the ring, letting Marzia come closer. She barely even hesitated before she followed, leaning up against his side and throwing her arms around him. She buried her face against his chest, squeezing her eyes shut to try and keep the tears from flowing - but still, they flowed. And as she felt them run down her cheeks, Marzia tensed. They felt like they were burning her skin; she didn't want to show this side of her. She didn't want to be this weak. But she couldn't help herself. What Ryan said was true. The two of them were in love - and when she had turned her back on her old life, she never thought it would come crashing back down onto her.

"You're...wrong..." Marzia whimpered under her breath, clutching the back of Ryan's shirt with a trembling hand. "I'm different now...I'm never going back...Gail knows I can be better than you could e-ever do for me..." But no matter what Marzia said, in a desperate attempt to save face, she didn't believe a word of it. Her heart told her so much more was true.

Misa could see now that she was looking in on something beyond her, and she nodded curtly to Jonathan before stepping away, ducking out of the ring. This was for them to handle, and she couldn't get in their way.

[Pegasus]

Ryan held Marzia as she cried and Jonathan told Misa to get out of here as the crowd witnessed everything on full display. Ryan closed his eyes and sniffled a little as well as he held Marzia’s hands in his own as he held up her chin.

“Please come back, chica. Even if we have this match between you and Jonathan, I want it to be the old Marzia to prove something. To prove to the world she isn’t weak! To prove she isn’t a failure!”

[CaptainL]

For a moment, in Ryan's arms, everything in Marzia's world slowed to a halt. For just those few minutes, she could forget about her efforts to shed her old image, and to come back stronger and more assertive than ever. Now, she was lost, she was hurting, and she had found solace in the arms of old friends and family. She sniffled, letting the tears run down her cheeks. This was the way it was always supposed to be. This was how it should have been. Why did she throw all of this away, like it was behind her and beneath her?

But then, Marzia bit her lip, shaking herself. No, no, what was she doing? As Ryan lifted up her chin, she blinked the tears out of her eyes, biting her lower lip as her face twisted into a scowl and she hissed through clenched teeth. Her fingers squeezed a little tighter around his own, and her body began to quiver. She couldn't believe what she'd just done. Was she really such a fool? Letting her walls fall, and being this vulnerable, this weak, in front of so many people? In the back of her mind, this was an act of sabotage. There was no other explanation! Anyone could see that her old self was hopeless. They just wanted her to embarrass herself for the world to see!

Suddenly, Marzia pulled away from Ryan with a huff. "No-! You don't get it, do you?! I'm better now! I'm stronger now that I've learned to stop clinging to the past, to all the things that don't matter any more-! I can finally move forward and grow! And I have! You...you can't take that from me-!" But, at the same time, Marzia's body was rigid, and her voice was choked with tears. She glanced away from Ryan, as though she was afraid of him seeing through the guise she'd put up. Deep down, she didn't want to do this. Not to them. But...it was the only way, she thought.

[Pegasus]

Ryan thought he had her back. His chica. His amor. But the new persona took hold and backed away the girl he wanted in his arms. Jonathan held Ryan back as he wanted to comfort his wife, but Marzia spitting out this new drivel acting like she was hot shit made his blood boil. He closed his eyes thinking over his next words carefully as he pushed Ryan into a corner rather harshly. Jonathan turned to Marzia and came up to her rather fearless, but calmly. He crossed his arms before sighing as Marzia glared him down turning her hands into tightly clenched fists ready to strike if Jonathan spoke out of line. Jonathan met her glare and simply took the green headband off her head as Marzia stared in utter shock.

“You'll get this back when you start thinking straight. Marzia, I don’t want to do this! But you forced my hand!”

Ryan watched the exchange as he grabbed the ropes and ran up to hug Marzia tightly crying his eyes out, but Jonathan pulled him off and shoved him outside as he fell off the apron on the floor. Ryan watched as Jonathan took one last look at Marzia as he sighed.

“It didn’t have to come to this, but it’s your funeral. Hopefully, after I’m done whipping that ass, you’ll be thinking a lot more clearer. You made a dumb move, kid. Just got a bit dumber.”

[CaptainL]

For a few seconds, Marzia had everything back. All the people who cared about her, who she had left behind - that she thought had left her behind, all this time. Everything was the way it should be. How could it not be, when they were this happy to see her again? When they'd missed her this much? She could have returned any time, and been welcomed with open arms. She could do that now, even - the offer was right there for her.

But she shook her head. She knew she couldn't take it. She had already shut too many doors and burned too many bridges. The old Marzia was gone, whether anyone liked it or not, and she was on to bigger and better things now! If she went back to them, she'd just be weak again! Biting at the inside of her cheek, she tried to stifle the tears welling up in her eyes as she pulled out of Ryan's embrace. It didn't matter what they wanted, or what she wanted, she told herself. She had to move forward. She had to be stronger.

When Jonathan stepped forward to pull the headband off her head, it was almost enough to knock Marzia back down to reality for a few more precious seconds. Her eyes opened wide, her mouth agape as she looked back at her former trainer. When she looked at Jonathan, she couldn't see someone who was holding her back and keeping her from achieving her dreams and more. No, this was someone who had done so much for her, who had elevated her into having true potential and talent that could take her far. And now, it was someone who she'd turned her back on, without even saying so much as a thank you. Was she really this...ungrateful? She could feel another tear starting to form in the corner of her eye, and this time, she let it fall, too stunned to care.

But it was only a few seconds later that she shook herself, clutching at her head with her teeth clenched in frustration as she tugged at her own hair. She knew better. They didn't care. The way they were speaking said enough; they really did look down on her, and they always had! Her eyes squeezed shut to stifle any more tears, and she shook her head, growling under her breath.

"Listen...listen to yourselves." She kept her eyes pointed to the ground, as though afraid to look either of them in the eye. "You're talking like a disappointed parent scolding a child. Is that all I am to you!? Here...here, I thought you of all people would take me seriously! But then...then-!"

Marzia couldn't even bring herself to finish the sentence. She simply threw up a trembling middle finger in Jonathan's direction, only to look away from him a second later after they had made eye contact. Then, she turned to storm out of the ring, averting her gaze all the while.

"Fine, then, it's settled-! I'll see you again in the ring - and there, you'll see I really mean business!"

[Pegasus]

SEGMENT END