Long time no talk?

[OrochiGeese]

*It's late Sunday afternoon in sunny California. We fade into a building that says "Tae Kwon Do-jang". It's empty except for four individuals. On the male side we have UBL's Thunder Strike and Jang Bae. On the female side, we have LAWL's Marie Reyes and (OG-Joshi's) Alicia Gordon. Jang Bae is holding a heavy bag as Marie Reyes is laying into it. Alicia is sitting back giving some half-hearted encouragement to Marie. Thunder Strike is attempting to talk to her but she's not happy for the attention.*

[Thunder:] "Listen, the time is NOW to say something. I agreed with you that we should let everyone see what happened at LAWLiday before you made any big announcements. For LAWL's sake."

[Marie:] "Thanks!"

[Thunder:] "But whether you're done or not, you have to at least talk to your fans. They want to hear what you have to say."

[Alicia:] "No, the only thing the fans wanted from me was to stop Juli and Sandy from hurting Dizzy. My use to the fans, to Dizzy, to OG-Joshi, is over with. And if it wasn't for wanting to be there to make sure Cynthia doesn't pull anything against Marie, I'd be out of LAWL also."

[Thunder:] "What's the difference then? You're still trying to protect someone after all."

[Alicia:] "But it's Marie-"

[Thunder:] "All you've been saying to me for the last few months is that everything is YOUR fault. That you're incapable of doing anything right and that anyone that depends on you will pay the price for it. So...if Marie is your best friend and you have no confidence in yourself, just what good are you to her?"

*Marie turns around with an angry expression*

[Marie:] "THUNDER!

[Jang:] "Let them talk, he's making sense."

[Alicia:] "Cause I'd...."

[Thunder:] "The only mistake you made with Dizzy was-"

*Just then, the doors of the Dojang swing open as a female voice is heard*

[Voice:] "Was not finishing Holly off."

*All four inside the Dojang get into ready positions as they see General Celes and Mr. Clyde walk inside.*

[Celes:] "Settle down, we're not here to fight."

*Thunder doesn't let up his position*

[Alicia:] "Let them in, they would have attacked us already if they wanted to."

[Celes:] "Mr. Figaro and OrochiGeese are nowhere nearby. Geese...well, he's pretty much ruined his chances of beating you and Fiero after the beating he put himself through this weekend.

[Thunder:] "I don't know what you are referring to."

[Celes:] "You'll hear about it. As for Figaro, he's...what did he say, Clyde?"

[Mr. Clyde:] "I believe his exact words were...no, I won't relay them. But I think he's 'out' with Miss Cross."

*Alicia actually smiles a bit*

[Thunder:] "I don't know what that meant but that's the first smile I saw from her since February."

[Celes:] "May we sit down?"

*Thunder looks at Alicia who nods. Marie and Jang walk over as well.*

[Jang:] "Anyone want something to drink?"

*Jang goes to get a pitcher of lemonade for everyone.*

[Celes:] "Alicia, I have not heard from you since the PPV. Now, you do not have to tell me the level of emotional suffering you have been through since then. I guarantee you that I have shared it. We should have BOTH been more decisive and aggressive-"

[Alicia:] "MORE aggressive!? That's what caused this in the first place! Dizzy would still be ok if-"

[Thunder:] "No, I keep telling you that she wouldn't."

[Celes:] "He is correct. Juli and Sandy were under orders from Holly to do to Dizzy what they did and, more importantly, WHEN they did it. They made sure you were out of position to help her."

[Alicia:] "But if I hadn't split from HAWT*Wing-"

[Celes:] "Do you think I wouldn't have given you a match with Holly had you still been with HAWT*Wing? Do you think you would not have TAKEN match against Holly? Of course you would have!! You and Dizzy could have been best friends for the months leading up to it-"

[Thunder:] "And that would have just made it an even WORSE attack."

[Celes:] "...that is a good, albeit macabre, point. Alicia, you were in a wrestling match when Juli and Sandy attacked Dizzy in another part of the building. Regardless of what you did ONCE the attack begun, there is not a man, woman, or child that held you responsible for being where you were when it all started."

[Alicia:] "But there are PLENTY who hold me responsible for what happened AFTER it started."

[Celes:] "And they would be foolish."

[Alicia:] "Thanks, so now I'm a fool now."

[Celes:] "I am not going to sugar coat this. I'd rather you feel foolish now then responsible. The foolishness comes from guilt. Once you realize that you are indeed NOT responsible for what happened, you will no longer feel emotional and your foolishness will pass. Then you can get back on the path you need to be."

[Alicia:] "But how can you say I'm not responsible!"

[Celes:] "On a scale from 1 to 10, how do you rate the character and integrity of Holly, Juli, and Sandy."

*Alicia gives Celes a look of disbelief that she'd even ask that question*

[Alicia:] "Please."

[Celes:] "Exactly. So when Juli and Sandy offered to stop beating Dizzy if you would stop beating Holly, why did you take that offer? How could you TRUST Sandy and Juli? Two women who have lied to you in the past repeatedly. Sandy was a thorn in your side in your high school days. And Juli Krieger's LIES were what caused you to be hospitalized two years ago. Yet you somehow thought they were telling the truth at the PPV? After they had already blindsided and hurt Dizzy to an extent that no individuals with integrity would!"

[Alicia:] "I...I had to do what I could."

[Thunder:] "And what you COULD have done was take out the biggest source of their treachery - Holly."

[Celes:] "Yes, Thunder Strike is CORRECT. THAT was the mistake you made. Even Mr. Clyde didn't realize that til after Mr. Figaro surprisingly was able to make that observation. The option of saving Dizzy wasn't real, you could not have done it. NO ONE could have at that point. Holly won in that regard. She set up a plan that no one knew about and it worked. But she left herself wide open to you and THAT's where you failed: in not eliminating her at the same time, but rather, by trying to stop a plan that was inevitable."

[Alicia:] "So...what you're saying is that I'm now responsible for any FUTURE injury she causes!?"

[Celes:] "YES. You will be."

*Alicia's face turns red and she starts breathing hard. She looks down, not letting anyone see her eyes. Marie puts a hand on her shoulder but Alicia shrugs it off*

[Thunder:] "Now wait just a second..."

[Celes:] "No, she is right. Obviously, Holly is more responsible then anyone for her actions. But since Alicia had the chance to finally eliminate her and passed up on it, she is now partially responsible for the pain of Holly's future victims. I know Alicia meant well when she tried to save Dizzy, but good intentions have now just about doomed OG-Joshi. Cause Holly and Juli are stronger then ever, Sandy has a new partner, and Geese has turned a total blind eye and ear towards my desires and any sense of "JUSTICE."

*She looks Thunder straight in the eye at that last word*

[Thunder:] "I think you have some nerve coming in here and blaming Alicia for hypothetical future actions taken by someone else that have not happened yet."

*Alicia is still shaking*

[Celes:] "She HAD the chance to take out Holly. And if the situation was reversed and this was Geese in Holly's place, you'd be blaming yourself for doing the wrong thing also."

[Thunder:] "Geese would never-"

[Celes:] "Would never WHAT? Attempt to hurt one of your allies like Holly hurt Dizzy? Or get away with it? As you should know, Geese is both more bloodthirsty and competent then Holly is. Holly was able to pull off what she did precisely cause Geese was in charge. Holly was given the key to Dizzy's locker room and THAT'S how Juli and Sandy got to her. This never would have happened had Holly not been Geese's number one confidante and ally. And of all people to doubt Geese's actionsl, YOU are certainly a strange candidate."

[Thunder:] "I don't doubt his actions, his EVIL, it's just that-"

[Celes:] "Oh I know. You're just saying that YOU wouldn't have made the mistake that Alicia made cause Geese would never have left himself open like Holly did. THAT is another way in which you and Alicia differ. You have the stones to take out Geese and so he'd never leave himself open by tempting you with a choice such as the one Holly tempted Dizzy with."

*Thunder looks at Alicia, who briefly looks up at him, and then looks back at Celes.*

[Thunder:] "Fine, you're right, I wouldn't have made that mistake. But that doesn't make it Alicia's fault. She doesn't have hte experience I do in these cases. I've been through WARS."

[Celes:] "So have I, so has Clyde. And we know that any mistakes we make, whether through inexperience or not, are STILL our responsibility to fix. I have not insulted Alicia's character up til now, I realize she made a mistake. But now that we are at this juncture, she must recognize it and attempt to set it right. It is not my concern if she feels guilty any more, only that she corrects the path that she allowed to happen."

*An agitated Marie stands up*

[Marie:] "I'm sorry Miss Celes, but I really think you are going too far. Alicia has been in shambles since Dizzy's injury. And the last thing she needs is you coming in here and blaming her for any more. She was just telling me yesterday that she wants to be done with this all-"

*For the first time ever, Celes's expression suddenly turns to outrage. She gets even closer to Alicia and raises her voice, prompting Thunder Strike to stand up as well*

[Celes:] "Done? Alicia? DONE!? You're going to just LEAVE now!? Walk away from your responsibility? After all that happened? After what your mistake has now allowed? After you got so close to taking out Holly over the last year!? SO close that she felt she had to resort to hurting Dizzy to save herself?"

[Marie:] "Great, just blame her for THAT too..."

[Celes:] "It's a fact that Holly had Dizzy hurt to save herself from Alicia and also to send a message to everyone else of what happens when someone LIKE Alicia gets so close to eliminating Holly. We all know it."

[Marie:] "You don't have to SAY it...especially NOW."

[Celes:] "I do. ESPECIALLY now that Alicia wants to leave before finishing what she started. The stakes are higher then EVER now. And you're just gonna walk out after ONE casualty of this war? Dizzy's injury was a tragedy! One that wears on my conscience too. But damn it, this is MORE reason to fight! You run away now and not only are you responsible for Holly's future attacks cause of your failure to eliminate her at the PPV....*Celes's face is now bright red * ... but NOW you won't even be there to try to STOP those future attacks! How do you expect to feel then!? When you are sitting back here in California and you either watch on TV or hear on the news that Azumi Oonishi is the next one to have her career ended? Then what? How have you helped that situation by running away? How are things BETTER then?"

[Mr. Clyde:] "I think we should leave her now and let her think-"

[Celes:] "One moment, Clyde. Miss Gordon, I had a lot of confidence in you after you came back from Juli's attack. I thought you just MIGHT be the woman to finally rid us of Holly once and for all. But that person I saw is not the one I'm seeing now. You made a mistake at the PPV and so you must fix it. What happened to Dizzy is in the past, you can't change it. But you can at least ATTEMPT to correct your mistake."

*Celes gets up from her chair and begins walking to the door*

[Celes:] "There is still a spot on the roster if you want it. But I swear, if you come back to OG-Joshi looking as you do now, I will personally fire you. Cause in your current state, you are a threat to yourself and everyone around you. And I will have no more unreliable wild cards on my army."

[Thunder:] "Who is she booked against, next?"

*Mr. Clyde answers as Celes has already left*

[Mr. Clyde:] "I believe it's Lori Cuozzo. Celes thought it best to keep Alicia away from Holly at the start. But due to Lori's attack on Kat Black, a friend of Alicia, we are hoping that Alicia will get her motivation and "fight" back to teach Lori a lesson. Miss Gordon, I do hope to call your matches in the future."

*Mr. Clyde begins to leave but then turns to Jang Bae*

[Mr. Clyde:] "And thank you for the lemonade."

*Mr. Clyde leaves as Jang grins for a moment but then turns his attention to Alicia as Marie and Thunder try to calm her down.*

[Thunder:] "She had no right to come in here and say-"

*Alicia gets up and storms into another room, slamming the door.*