Outside the Squared Circle

Hello once more, and thank you for giving this story a chance. I know that my fans would like me to get back on writing continuations to some of my previous works, but as I try and explore my own capacity more I hope this is still enjoyable to both those familiar with my work, and the newcomers. I decided to experiment with something a bit unusual as a plot-device for this story, but I personally think it came out good, however I will let my audience be the judge of that.

Push it to the limit, With no one left to stand in your way, You might get careless, but you'll never be safe, while you're still living!

The music from the TV was interrupted by the apartment door slamming shut, but Martin kept going. Facing forward, he pushed himself off the ground to continue his work-out. A few drops of sweat fell to the yoga-mat, and soon he heard the voice of his sister.

"Bro? I need to talk to you."

Martin sighed and reluctantly reached for the remote to pause the music. Cracking his neck, he turned around to look at his sister from a cross-legged position. She was wearing the same hoodie as always, coupled with some yoga-pants that were just a bit too tight. Snow had gathered in her blonde hair, making it almost shimmer in the light from the ceiling lamp.

"Well? What happened, apart from you apparently getting caught in a blizzard?"

Julia rolled her eyes at him and walked up to poke him in the chest. "Very funny, jackass. I'm sorry for interrupting your work-out, but this is important."

Martin rubbed the back of his neck while he looked up at her. "Alright, so talk then."

"I... I got a gig!"

He blinked, and stared at her. "A... a gig?"

Julia grinned back with a radiant smile. "Yes! With a nearby promotion, they are willing to take a chance on me!"

Martin got to his feet at those words, embracing his little sister. "That's fantastic! You've worked so hard for this chance, Julia!"

Julia giggled and patted his head. Despite being the younger of them, she had a good foot of height on him. "It feels like a dream. It really does. Though..." Her voice got quieter.

He took a step back, watching her. "There's a but, huh. So, what are they asking you to do? Bra-and-panties match? A mudpit match? Kiss-my-ass match? Gods, I thought we had left the attitude era behind decades ago." He shook his head.

Julia bit her lip. "No, it... well, you know how hard it is for us on the indies. We need to take every chance we can get, just for the opportunity to get a reaction, and maybe a payday."

Martin arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "You're not making this sound any less problematic, sis. What's up?"

Taking a deep breath, Julia collected herself. "It's... they wanted to run an intergender match. As an experiment. They were interviewing several of us in a group, and they asked if any of us had experience in that."

He watched her while rubbing his chin. "You said you did, didn't you?"

"Yes, but... I didn't mean to lie! I was put on the spot, and... and now they're expecting someone who knows what they're doing in an intergender match! The... the training is set to start in two weeks, with the performance in a month."

Martin let out a deep sigh and walked over to the small kitchen area, reaching into the fridge to get two beers for them. "So you want to train with me. You do realize I have no experience in it either, right?"

Julia gave a nod. "I know that, but... it couldn't be worse to train with you, compared to showing up and making a complete fool out of myself." She gave him a look and clasped her hands. "Pleeeease, big brother. I need this chance. It could lead to further opportunities down the road."

Martin came back over and handed her one of the beers before going to their two-seat couch. Cracking the can open, he listened to the fizzing of the carbonation for a few seconds. "Fine. But you'll have to take this seriously. Training with you in this, will mean less time for my own practice."

Julia held the can in one hand while rushing over to give him a one-armed hug. "Thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

He couldn't help but smile at that, and took a small sip. "Well... you are my little sister after all. Of course I want you to succeed, and if I can help? I'd be a real dick to refuse you."

Relaxing again, she sat down next to him, cracking open her own beer and drinking from it. "This is real, huh? We finally have a chance."

Martin let out a bitter chuckle. "You do, at least. I'm still struggling to get any real gigs. You'd think that times had changed, but height really is important in this sport. I've been looked over so many times, and you can forget any dreams of the big times. The E wouldn't even look at me."

Julia punched his shoulder. "Stop being so down on yourself! You've worked just as hard than me, if not more so. Not everyone can keep two jobs and still pursue their passion."

He rubbed his shoulder, but did give her a small smile. "Thank you. It really hasn't been easy, huh?"

She shook her head. "No. But nothing that comes easy is worth chasing. That's what we've always lived by, right?"

Martin shrugged and held out his beer. "I suppose so."

"Exactly." She clinked his can with her own, causing a muffled metallic sound. "Nowhere to go but up."

***

The pandemic. The cause of what many called the worst housing and job crisis in decades, if not more. With so many people being let go from their jobs, it was no shock to Martin when he was sacked from his position at the software developer that had taken him in two years earlier. There simply wasn't enough money or work to go around, so unceremoniously he was out on his ass in what would become a deep recession. So it was, that the night after he was fired, he resolved himself to never work in a job he hated again, and to not let his dreams go unfulfilled. Looking back at the photograph he still treasured, he saw his younger self, all smiles and hopes. A shining gold medal around his neck, as he stood atop the podium and waved to the crowd.

He had great aspirations back then. Years of amateur wrestling and intense work-outs had left him with a chiselled physique, and he had lofty goals. While he loved the physical aspect of the sport, it was too clinical for him. It was impressive, sure, but there was little showmanship to it. And while the accolades offered by his efforts were welcomed, he dreamed of something grander. Something more spectacular.

The poster on his wall had seemed a reminder of his abandoned goals back then. The bald man with a gold medal around his neck, and a shit-eating grin. The man who he had admired through his childhood, for his pure ability inside the ring, and for his ability to get people to hate him. Yet, the man was by most accounts a good dude, and could separate his on-screen persona from his true self. That had blown Martin away when he had first seen back-stage segments. There was a man who had reached the very top, and followed a trajectory that let him stay true to himself. He did not need a goofy gimmick or outrageous character. He was just an amazing wrestler, and he knew it.

Sitting alone in his apartment, Martin made a decision then. He would attempt to walk down that same road. He may not have the same credentials, but he had the drive. Hell, many wrestlers didn't start until they were in their 30's. Surely he could at least attempt it.

Things had moved rapidly after that. He used the funds he had saved up, along with the sale of the apartment, to get a smaller place across the nation. He had to get closer to the promotions, and sitting in the desert was not going to do anything for him. He had barely started unpacking, when he had gotten a call from his little sister.

"Julia? Hey, sorry, I'm in a bit of a mess right now, can I call you back later?"

Julia's voice on the other end had sounded so excited, which left him a bit perplexed. "Martin! Hey, I got approval from Mom and Dad!"

Martin had paused then, standing up and cracking his back. "Approval? For what?"

"I got laid off, just like you."

"That's not a good thing, sis."

Julia had laughed. "No, no, I know that, but... when you zoomed us two months ago? When you said you were going to pursue your dream?"

Martin had nodded. "Yes, I remember. Mom and Dad weren't happy, but they know that sitting on my hands is not really going to get anything accomplished either."

"Right, and... well, I asked them if... if I could try it as well."

"Try what?"

"Professional wrestling."

That had caused a pause. "You? You want to try professional wrestling?"

"Yup!" She had responded, giggling.

"I thought you hated it?"

"I hated what women were reduced to, dummy. Now, with women's wrestling actually being taken seriously? I want to give it a shot."

Martin was still stunned. "I... I mean, I guess? You know that things are going to get worse before they get better, right? Any gyms are closed, and who knows when crowds will be allowed back into the shows."

"All the more time to train and prepare myself. You still kept all your exercise equipment, right?"

"I did, but... well, place is going to be a bit cramped."

"I don't mind!" Julia had said. "So, is that a yes from you?"

Martin had let out a deep, deep sigh. "Fine. You win. Just know, that you'll be working your ass off, but we'll also need to find some form of employment to pay the rent. It's a smaller place in a suboptimal neighbourhood, but..." He shrugged. "If you're ready for that, we can at least give it a try."

The sheer volume of her squeals had caused him to pull the phone away from his ears for a moment. "Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you! You're the best big brother, Martin! I love you!"

Martin smiled. "Love you too, sis. Well... guess we'll need to talk about how we will solve sleeping arrangements."

"I can sleep in the living room, I don't mind."

Martin chuckled. "You speak as if there's any other room that's not the bedroom. Look, we'll work it out in the coming weeks, alright? I need to get back to unpacking for now."

Julia's smile could almost be heard through the phone. "Yes!. I'll talk to Mom and Dad and we'll figure it out. I want to get to you before I'm forced to isolate here. Every hour counts, right?"

"Right. Well... see you soon, future roommate."

"I'll talk to you soon! Goodbye!"

With the sound of the call being finished, Martin had lowered his arm to look around the apartment. It had been enough for him, but... with his sister moving in? "Guess we have a lot of work to do. Oh well." He lifted one of his boxes. "That's future me's problem."

***

The yoga-mat laid sprawled out on the floor between the two siblings, both of them dressed in training clothes. Julia had her hair tied back, a sports-bra, and tight leggings, and she was eagerly stretching her arms and shoulders.

"So, where do we begin?"

Martin looked back over at her, himself in the process of stretching, causing the t-shirt he was wearing to strain against his frame. "Well, first we'll need to work on the basics. There are many types of moves that's banned in these kind of matches, so we have a smaller toolbox to work with."

Julia gave a nod, squatting down to stretch her legs next. "Yeah, you can't really do chops to my chest for example. And head-locks are tricky as well, since..."

"I could get too close to your chest area and therefore it could be seen as improper, yes. So we'll be working the legs a fair bit, it's an area that both of us can attack each other in without risk of it being seen as... yeah."

"Okay, so... how do we start?"

Martin cracked his neck and fingers, satisfied by the pop it caused. "Punches first, it is the most basic of moves. You'll need to master the ability of making it look like you're really hitting your opponent. Sure, it also hinges on their ability to sell the offence, but you can only do your part." He stepped onto the mat and assumed a steady stance before giving her a nod. "Alright, hit me. First, for real, then? Try to stop yourself just an inch before making contact."

Julia hesitated, bringing up her fist to look at it for a moment. "Are you sure?"

He nodded, placing his hands on the knees for support. "Yes, come on. I can take it, just don't put all your might into the blow."

A few more seconds of hesitation followed, but then Julia threw a punch at her brother's left cheek, hearing the faint thud of fist against skin. Shocked, she pulled back and looked over at her brother with deep concern. "A-are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Martin had not moved, but his left eye was closed for a few moments as he reached up to rub his cheek. "Huh... I underestimated how strong you've gotten since you started training. That actually hurt a little."

Julia looked absolutely terrified, but she was stopped in her tracks by her brother's hand.

"No, it's alright. I asked for it, it's not your fault." He took a deep breath and resumed his stance one more, watching her with an intense focus. "Alright, so you know how to throw the punch. Now, see if you can stop your fist before you connect."

With hand trembling, she hesitated again. "I... are you sure? What if I don't stop in time?"

"Then I just get another jab to the face, no big deal. You weren't in danger of knocking out any teeth or anything. Just believe in yourself. You want this gig to lead to more, right?"

Julia gave a small nod, but remained silent.

"Then you need to have confidence. Trust me, if the audience see that you are doubting yourself? They are not going to have faith in you either. As performers, we need to believe in what we're doing, and truly commit. You can do that, right, sis?"

A tense quiet fell between them, but after mulling it over in her mind, she regained that look of determination in her eyes. Martin smiled and tapped his cheek. "Come on. You can do it, I believe in you."

Julia looked between her fist and her brother several times before taking a deep breath to steady herself. Tensing her shoulders, she then threw her arm forward, hand balled up into a fist.

When she finally dared to relax, she noticed that she could feel skin against her fist. However, there had been no low thud.

Martin let out a sigh of relief and gave an approving nod, pulling his head back from her arm. "Very close, but not quite there yet. You still connected, but with far less force. If we keep at this for today? I'm confident you will be able to throw a good punch without actually risking any injury."

That seemed to calm her, but she went down on one knee, catching her breath. "That... was so stressful. I didn't want to hurt you, but... I didn't want to disappoint you either."

Martin reached out and patted her shoulder, lifting her chin to look at him. "You didn't. I know this must be scary to you, but I know you can do it. Once we're done with simple punches, we can move on to elbows, knees, hell, even headbutts. The technique at its core is the same, but the difference is timing. So, do you feel ready to master the art of fake punching?"

Julia did look at him, seeing the confidence reflected in his eyes. She gave a small nod. "Yes. Please teach me so I can make this chance a success."

He smiled and kissed the top of her head before standing back, resuming his previous stance. "There's the fighter I know. Alright, we'll do sets of ten, followed by some shadowjabs. Your arms are going to be sore tomorrow, but its all for your benefit."

She stood back up, rolling her shoulders as she spoke. "Deal. I'll do anything it takes."

Martin smirked and leaned his head forward slightly. "Really now? Hm... okay, how about this. If you can go through the entire training session without hitting me... ten times, I'll give you a massage."

That sparked a glimmer in her eye, and she arched an eyebrow. "And if I do hit you ten times?"

"You'll have to give me one. I think I'd be owed it for being your punching bag."

Julia tapped her chin in thought, but soon she nodded. "Deal. You'd best be ready to undo all the knots in my shoulders once we're done. Because there's no way I'm failing at this."

Martin laughed at that, gesturing with his hands for her to begin. "Seems building your confidence up won't be a problem. Alright, let's begin." He reached for the remote, turning on the music on the TV. "Round 1... fight!"

***

Martin sat on the floor, back to the wall as he took deep, steady breaths. His shirt was soaked with sweat after the intense work-out, and he wanted to wait a few minutes before he tried standing. However, he was doing far better than his sister that sat across from him along the other wall. "Your footwork... it's getting better. We can probably transition to the next phase soon."

Julia wiped her brow with a small towel, her chest rising up and down with every shallow breath. "I... I hope so. It's been... a week already. There's only... three left."

He nodded, reaching for his water-bottle that was almost completely empty by now. "With training to start in one. I'm aware, but we can't go too hard." He took a deep gulp from the bottle, emptying it before tossing it aside. "It would be a complete disaster if you ended up injured before the match."

That caused Julia some pause, and she stopped mid-motion of grabbing her own bottle. "I... I hadn't thought of that. Not only would it look bad, but..."

"You might have trouble getting further bookings."

"Right." She took a small sip before leaning her head back and looking up at the ceiling. "So... what's next?"

Martin reached out with his leg to begin stretching, feeling the lactic acid working on his muscles already. "Next, we'll do some mat-wrestling. Get you acquainted with some holds, and how to get out of them. Naturally, we'll also be working on the most important part of the sport."

"Selling."

He gave a nod. "Precisely. Knowing how to make your opponent's move seem effective is crucial. So we'll be practising your facial expressions, and gestures to show you are in pain."

Julia sighed softly and looked over at him. "So... how will we be able to tell if I'm doing the right expressions? You can't see my face for every hold, can you?"

Martin shook his head. "Nope. However, I have a solution." He took another deep breath before moving to stand up, groaning slightly. Moving over to one of the closets, he retrieved a tripod and camera, setting it down on the floor. "We'll be filming you. That way, we can analyse what you're doing and make adjustments if needed."

She seemed to hesitate a bit at that, watching the camera. "Filming me..." She rubbed her sore shoulder, needing to occupy her hands somehow. "Alright. I... I'm a bit nervous, but it's all for the sake of me doing well in the match, right?"

Nodding his head, Martin walked over to the kitchen area, pouring himself a big glass of water. "Yes. I promised you I'd do whatever it took, and I intend to follow through. So starting tomorrow? We'll be recording the training sessions. It will be good practice for you to face the right way as well, towards the hard-cam."

"Oh, yeah. I nearly forgot about that. So... tomorrow then?"

"Tomorrow." He emptied the glass in one sweep, sighing as he set it down. "Things will get more intense. I hope you are ready for it."

Julia forced herself to stand and look over at him, crossing her arms. "I-I'm ready. I'll make you proud, big brother."

Martin walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her for a quick hug. "I know you will. You've already made good progress, so we just need to keep that pace up, alright?" He let her go, giving her a smile. "Now, we should probably finish stretching, and then get our showers in. Tomorrow is work after all."