UOW Friday Night Clash 7: A New Alliance:

Valora’s Safehouse, undisclosed location, somewhere in the Caribbean

Valora sat at one end of the table, sipping from her mojito. Next to her sat Samantha Topher. Across from them, Kronin, Lilly and Kara sat, the three of them each preferring to drink water. Kronin looks around the room. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.”

Valora smirked. “Some people decide to buy cars or other such crap to showcase their wealth.. My money went into.. Other directions. Mudcock has a company. Nice for him. I have my own fuckin’ island. Completely off the grid. Speaking of which, Samantha.” Samantha nods. “Your phones and other electronic devices will be returned to you before you leave. I needed to make sure they couldn’t be used to track you via GPS and such. If things go well, I have some apps that I can put on your devices that will let you use them here but hide you.”

Kronin smirks. “You always were paranoid, Val.” Valora shrugged. “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t all out to get you, Kronin. And look. They are, in fact, all out to get you and me both. I asked you here as a show of trust and good faith.. What the fuck else do you want from me?”

Kronin and Kara look at each other and nod before Kronin turns back to look at Valora. “We’re gonna have a little chat. No BS. No word games, no chess matches. We ask questions. You answer them. The truth. You ask questions, I answer. We need to be on the same page going forward. Let’s start off with the elephant in the room. Mudcock and McStrump accused you of being an assassin. Is that true? If so, who trained you and how did McStrump and Mudcock find out? And.. have you operated in Germany?”

Valora sighed and took a big gulp of her drink. “You know me, Kronin. I made my bones as a problem solver. Whatever title you wanna label it.. Yes, I’m an assassin Kronin. Or I was. I was trained in Krav Maga and other things by an agent of MOSSAD. I will not reveal the identity of said agent. For their protection. I received some training from a woman who was once in the CIA. I was trained by the Mexican Federal Police. Combine all of that with the fact that I went to Med school where I specialized in Psychology, Criminology, Criminal psychology and similar fields.”

Kara chimes in. “Which makes you, quite literally, the perfect criminal.” Valora smirks. “Ding, ding Kara Reinhardt. Also makes me the perfect person to fight against criminals and such. As for how Mudcock found out. Also, let’s not forget that for a time Allen Anderson had me working for him in Warhammer. Jeremiah Vastrix is allied with Mudcock. Jeremiah Vastrix has access to any record in Warhammer. Connect the fuckin’ dots. McStrump might have asked the CIA or NSA for files on me. They might have helped him, might not. Right now, I’m going to assume they know everything. Realistically, they probably don’t know about the MOSSAD.. Though anyone who watches me fight can identify Krav Maga.” Kronin nods. “Well, anyone with the right training, at any rate.”

Valora nods. “As to the other questions. I don’t believe I killed anyone you’d care about, but it’s certainly possible.” Kara chimed in. “I have a question.. How are you even standing let alone able to fight given the fact that every time I see you, you’re either drinking, fighting or preparing to fight.. Usually while drinking.”

Valora shrugs. “I find life is easier and at times more fun when you’re drunk. It also has the added bonus of encouraging people to underestimate me. My enemies look at me and they see what I want them to see. They see a drunk, foul mouthed thug. I look like my name is Valora Salinas and I’m coming to rob your house. They made the threat.. But I promise you not one of those genetic defectives actually believes I’m an assassin. They don’t know nor do they believe I have more money than McStrump or Mudcock. They don’t know I have followers as devoted to me as Summeroff’s cult that worships whale jizz. The total tonnage of what is true about me that people don’t know or wouldn’t believe.. They say the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn’t exist. I can’t convince people I don’t exist.. But I can add that extra level of humiliation to my beaten opponents. Every person I beat has to explain how he lost not only to a woman, but to a ‘washed up, drunken whore’ I believe were the words Mudcock used when I was first brought on board…” Valora narrows her eyes. “I am going to make that fat, old gringo fuckin’ choke on those words.. “

Valora sighs and takes a moment to compose herself, staring into her glass. “However, Summeroff is right about one thing… That little piece of shit in North Korea is a threat to my fuckin’ home and I simply will not allow that. So I’m going to kill him. Not because Summeroff, McStrump and Mudcock blackmail me. Threaten me. Force me. I ain’t doing this for them.” Valora looks back at her glass and drains it in one last big drink, setting the glass down on the table with an echoing thud. “I’m doing it because sometimes.. You gotta put the rabid dog down.”

Kronin raises an eyebrow. “You. Well I believe we were all given that task.” Valora nods. “Yes and you’ve got your damn rules. Rules of Engagement. Rules of Warfare. All that bullshit designed to let people like you sleep at night while finding a way to justify the actions that need to be taken in war. I have much few codes and rules than you do. If I take a job. I do the job. Then I get paid. Then...I usually get drunk. It’s a simple system. Point is.. I can kill him. That isn’t the problem. The problem is what happens after that point. I’ll wager Mudcock, McStrump and Summeroff plan to leave us all there to deal with the aftermath, so we’d be wise to make our own escape plans just in case I’m reading the situation right and we’re hung out to dry.”

Kronin considers this a moment and nods. “I think that’s a safe bet. Do you have an escape plan?” Valora shakes her head. “Beginnings of one.. Will take a bit more time to nail down some details, explore options, etc. We’ll have to come back to this as we get closer to the event. For now, we have a tag team match.”

Kronin nodded thoughtfully. “Well, technically, it’s a handicap match but.. I agree with you, there’s no reason the powers that be would set up a match so clearly in our favor. So before we get to actual strategy, maybe we should look at potential surprises.”

Valora nods. “Well, MOX news will do the standard stuff. I’m evil because I’m Mexican and you’re the bad guy because you’re German.. Never mind these modern day genetic defectives are merely running the same playbook your people ran with in the 30s.” Kronin narrowed his eyes. “Those weren’t my people. They were traitors who killed anyone who didn’t measure up to their B.S. standards. Jewish. Christians trying to protect Jewish Germans. Mentally ill, Mentally and/or handicapped Germans.. Anyone who didn’t fit the propaganda. It should also be noted my country is coming up on close to a century trying to atone for those sins.”

Valora glances at her own hands and nods. “Blood never washes off, Kronin. It’s always there.” Kronin nods. “How odd then, that you have never shied away from getting more blood on your hands.” Valora smirks. “Well, for awhile I thought maybe blood could wash blood off. The blood on my hands was… that of someone who deserved better. I hoped the blood of people who deserved death could mask it. I learned the hard way that isn’t true. Now, before we get to brainstorming about potential surprises.. Why the fuck are you here?”

Kronin shrugged. “You invited me. I’ve never been to the Caribbean before. Wanted to see what all the fuss is about.”

Valora raised an eyebrow, dumbfounded for a second. “Was that a joke? Are you okay? Did you pull something? And isn’t there a law in Germany about humor?” Kronin nodded. “I’ll have you know there are some who’d say I’m a barrel of laughs.” Valora nods. “These people dead? Or is the straight man routine popular in.. never mind.. I started that thought and realized Germans would make perfect straight men. I meant, why are you here? In UOW? I doubt you came back just for your love of wrestling. For one thing.. You’re too much of an elitist for American wrestling fans.” Kronin shrugs. “Sorry. It doesn’t take any real skill to bash someone’s head in with a steel chair or.. A lead pipe.” Valora nods. “You’d be surprised. Lead pipe takes some skill to use.” Kronin nods. “My sister and I work for the German government. After Wrestling, I went back to work I liked. With McStrump in charge, with his attacks on NATO, his B.S. demanding of money from Germany and other allies, and the fact that he seems to be a puppet of the Russian government, my country wanted tabs kept on him. By the By, I’d suggest NATO as a good blueprint for you and I to cooperate with each other.”

Valora thinks about this a second and nods. “We’ll see. But thanks for sharing that with me. So. What’s your bet on surprise? I’m thinking… Summeroff comes out with his pack of whale jizz addicts and goes for the beat down.” Kronin thinks for a moment before nodding. “Sounds about right.. But I think they’re going to want an actual match or something that resembles a match, which leads me to think surprise tag team partner. The only question is who. Most of the obvious choices are taken in matches already. If I had to guess, I’d suggest someone from Summeroff’s cult might be provided to aid, but I doubt we’d be that lucky.” Lilly glances over. “Lucky? How would one of Summeroff’s goons teaming with Walter Reagan be a good thing?” Kronin shrugs. “Because, Walter Reagan claims to be a Christian as well as a Conservative. He would not be happy or excited about the idea of teaming up with ‘Godless Heathens.’ That is why it would have been a good thing.”

Valora walks over to the liquor cabinet in the room and takes out a bottle of tequila, taking a long drink from it as she walks back towards the group. “Well, I don’t think it matters much if we can get on the same page.” Kronin nods. “Exactly. Luckily for us, we know each other fairly well.” Valora nods. “Which brings us to the question of how we work together.” Kronin blinked a few times as he tried to process that and Valora smirked. “You’re a little bit country, I’m a little bit Rock and Roll?” Kronin looked at Lilly after that one and Lilly smirked and gestured back to Valora who shook her head. “You’re an elitist snob when it comes to wrestling. You look at me as a.. ‘Garbage Wrestler’. I know we mentioned that earlier but it’s still there.”

Kronin walked over to Valora, the tall, powerfully built man looking over Valora as he thought for a second. “When we first met, in Wrestling Midwest..Yes. I thought you were just another garbage wrestler. Just another annoying American, arrogantly beating their chest and demanding to be listened to but not having anything of real import to say. Someone who used weapons and cheap shots to cover up lack of any real fighting ability. I saw what you wanted me to see. An ignorant, arrogant degenerate. More riff raff coming in to degrade the sport of Wrestling. But we have fought each other many times, Valora Salinas. We have even fought on the same team before. What I never understood was when you showcased your Lucha Libre talents.. That is when I saw it. You came out in your mask and I saw it in your eyes and heard it in your voice.. The same pride, the same sense of tradition that I had. That is when my respect for you grew. It grew even more the more we fought, the more you proved how good you really are.. I never understood why you kept the mask hidden so often.”

Valora had watched Kronin approach and never took her eyes off his as she listened to him and nodded. “Tradition, Kronin. In Lucha Libre, if you lose your mask.. You’re disgraced. You can never wear the mask again. You will never again be accepted as a Luchadore, or Luchadora in my case. American Wrestling has shown time and time again there is no respect for such things so I...choose not to wear it.. Now if UOW goes to Mexico, Latin America or South America, than I will probably have to wear it.” Kronin nods. “It almost sounds like you’re afraid.” Valora smiles a bit. “Maybe. Or maybe I’ve had so much taken from me that I’ve simply decided that this one thing is mine.” Kronin nods. “Now.. as for working together. I think we make a great team. Thunder and Lightning.” Valora smirks. “I’m as a fast as lightning and you provide the heavy hitting?” Kronin laughs a bit. “Something like that.. But you are damn fast Valora.. In attitude, speed and ability to back up your boasts you remind me a lot of-”

Valora cuts him off. “Ali. He was my hero growing up. I wish more than anything I could have seen him fight live.. I watched video of his fights.. Listened to him on the mic.. He gave me hope. He showed me that the way you make change is to stand up and fight back. He refused to fight in Vietnam, but he didn’t run to Canada. He didn’t get deferments like McStrump and the other cowards in the Republican party did. No, he stood up and said ‘This war is wrong. It goes against my beliefs and I refuse to fight in it.’ He went to jail. I learned a lot from that Kronin. I learned my mom’s approach of just keep your head down, was’t the way to go. That you stand up for your beliefs.. It used to be so simple, Kronin.. When I entered I just wanted the fame and the glory.. But that night in Mexico City,... when I won the World Title and the crowd made so much noise it registered as a small earthquake.. “

Kronin puts his hand on Valora shoulder and nods. “Everything changed. I know the feeling. But you had a choice… you have continued on your path, but you chose to become something more. Something better.” Valora smiles sadly and nods, speaking just barely above a whisper. “It’s what she would have wanted..” She then shakes her head and nods. “Anyways.. I think we can put something solid together. I’m on board with this alliance too. How deep do you want this to go?” Kronin thinks for a moment. “An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. Abbigail gets jumped, you and I come running in to help. In short, we help each other out, look out for each other. If we’re booked against each other.. Then we fight, fair honorable match and may the better fighter win.” Valora nods. “Done. We need to be on the same page because it’s Summeroff’s main source of power.. There is no dissension in his cult.. They do what he tells them to do.. We need a united front to stand against him.. And a united front will help us against McStrump and Mudcock and their B.S. too.”

Kronin nods. “Exactly. Now, speaking of Abbigail.. What’s the update on her?” Valora sighs. “Tara is trying to get her released even if it means ankle bracelet or something for her. If I were willing to completely screw over Sato, Tara could make the argument that Abbigail had no knowledge of the drugs but I imagine that argument is a hard sell without buying into the B.S. that Sato had those drugs. Also, we both know this is blatant blackmail. They know if they release her, I’ve got no reason to help them. I’m going to try a different approach.”

Kronin raises an eyebrow. “A different approach?” Valora nods. “Something odd last show.. McStrump almost seemed like he was taking orders from Summeroff.” Kronin frowns. “I don’t know what’s worse. McStrump on his own or McStrump taking orders from Summeroff.” Valora nods. “I think Summeroff is a slight improvement.. At least he is logical and predictable. The devil we know, as it was.. I’ll make contact with him and tell him that he convinced me. Both of us live on the West Coast, both of us are likely to be the first to be nuked if war breaks out. I’ll say because of that, I’m willing to work with him to assassinate the Emperor of North Korea, but in return I want a guarantee that there is an extraction plan, and I want his aid in getting Abbigail and Sato out of jail. I expect him to balk a bit so I’ll try and get Abbigail out now, and Sato out later. If all else fails.. I’ll think of something.. But I don’t want her in jail long. I’m not sure how she’ll fare.”

Kronin nods. “What is it with her? I never thought of you as the mentor type.” Valora smirks. “She’s… special. Her father is.. Well always in trouble and markets himself as a practitioner of magic. Abbigail managed to get herself an education, and in addition to jobs her education opens up to her, she also has worked as a magician. It’s a useful skill, whether one thinks it’s real or not is irrelevant. There is a useful set of skills. Sleight of hand, misdirection, and the like. Makes her a skilled person to know.” Kronin raises an eyebrow. “You’re open to believing in magic?” Valora smirks. “I’ve seen a lot of weird shit, Kronin. I’m open to the possibility.” Valora says with a shrug. “Now.. let’s get to work and get ready for our match.” She said before all 5 people in the room stood up and headed out, conversing amongst themselves as they left.