Another loss.
Another, stupid, pathetic loss.
JC sat on a table in the trainer's office while the UGWC staff physician looked over his neck, something that had to be done after every match now, but particularly one in which he was dropped on his head for 'The Devil' four times.
Joe drove his fist into the side of the table, barely paying any attention to the pain that suddenly shot up his arm through his knuckles.
"There's no need for that," the physician said nonchalantly behind him.
"Shut up," he growled.
There was some method to beating Hide Yamazaki. There had to be. Sebastian had done it. For that matter others did it during the Global Challenge, and in under ten minutes.
So why not him?
What was it about JC that he could give Hide the fight of his life, but still come up short? It was all fine and good to put his past behind him, but when the present wasn't looking to great, what was all of it for?
He angrily hit the table once again. This time, he felt something give. Looking down, he noticed that he had dislocated his finger.
"Fucking wonderful," he muttered.
The alarmed physician moved away from his neck to gently lift and inspect his hand. He didn't want her to bother, but he also knew he let himself get too angry and would pay for it later. He pulled his hand away and hopped off the table.
"We need to get that in a splint, JC," she said.
"Don't bother," he said. He then grabbed the finger, his middle one, and located where it had dislocated. Wrapping his fist around the middle joint, he jerked it back to the side, where it popped back in place. The pain was excruciating, and he bent over, letting out a low, guttural groan. When the doctor tried to check on him, he refused the effort. "I'll get it looked at later. I'm fine."
To prove his point, he wrapped the sore hand around the handle of his gym bag, although the twinges of pain as he bent his finger proved he might have made another poor decision. He switched hands then walked out of the trainer's room.
On his way out, he spotted Konrad Raab, trying not to be seen but doing a poor job of it. Raab had also lost earlier in the night, to a guy JC never met named Carlson Rex. Raab seemed to be in a downward slide and seemed, at the moment JC found him, to have trouble with his emotions.
Knowing the angle provided him the rare opportunity to people watch without being seen, JC watched what would later be revealed as his Synergy opponent stewing but trying very hard to keep it inside. As someone who routinely dealt with his own anger problems, the telltale signs were all there. Raab was almost shaking. He was unable to keep still. Most importantly, his hands were clenching in and out, which didn't seem to be a voluntary action.
JC set his bag down and walked over to the former Cross-Hemisphere champion. He may not be able to control his anger, but Raab holding his in wasn't healthy. And he kind of liked the guy, so he decided to stop thinking about his own problems for a moment and see if he could help.
"Tough loss," he said, startling Konrad out of whatever thought he was mulling over.
"Oh," he replied. "Hey JC."
JC and Konrad never really talked often...or at all. But this was as good a time as any.
"Seems like you're not handling it very well either," JC added.
"What do you mean?" Raab asked.
"Come on, Konrad. It's all over your damn face. You're pissed off but for some reason you're not letting it out."
Raab lowered his head and JC could see his fists clenching again out of the corner of his eye. At least he wasn't being an idiot and dislocating his finger, unlike some people in the conversation.
"I'm not good with anger. I'm afraid of showing it." Konrad said quietly.
JC scoffed.
"Then why the fuck are you even a wrestler? What is it exactly that you think we're doing here? Playing charades? It's no wonder you're always stuck in neutral if you're not willing to tap in your emotions a little bit and use them. Probably why you lost tonight."
Raab looked back up at JC and frowned.
"If you came over to insult me, I'd prefer you just go elsewhere."
JC got closer, almost getting in Konrad's face. He kept his words low so as not to attract any attention.
"Listen here. I see you struggling and I know why. It's because you're weak. You're too weak to show people who you really are and you're too weak to overcome your fears. And weak people don't belong in the business. Weak people lose. So I tell you what, Konrad, I'm gonna go track down whoever is running things and I'm gonna ask for a match with you at Synergy. And I'm going to beat the hell out of you and win with ease. Because I need a rebound win and a weakling like you is sure to..."
Konrad had apparently heard enough, because he immediately punched JC in the face. It wasn't incredibly hard, perhaps because he was still holding back, but JC seemed to have struck a nerve. He immediately regretted it, and as his mouth tried to form the words of an apology, JC looked back at him and smirked. A small trickle of blood began to form at the end of his mouth.
"That's more like it," he said, wiping the blood away. "There may be hope for you yet."
Raab blinked and stared at him dumbfounded.
"You...were testing me?"
JC smirked again and walked away, grabbing his bag on the way down the hall.
"I'm still asking for that match," JC yelled back.
