The Syren Song: Verse 440
“You know what really pisses me off?”

By the time I stepped out of the shower, I'd managed to wash away the sweat, the hairspray, and most of the evidence that I'd spent the evening wrestling somebody who'd tried very hard to choke me unconscious.

Unfortunately, the shower hadn't done much for my mood.

Or my jaw.

I'd spent the better part of twenty minutes standing under the hot water, telling myself that everything was fine. I'd won my match. Ravyn was fine. The baby was fine. Nobody had been seriously hurt, and before we knew it we'd be back home, where I could crawl into my own bed and pretend the entire evening had been nothing more than another particularly unpleasant day at work.

It was a convincing argument.

Or at least it would've been if I hadn't spent most of those twenty minutes imagining hitting Waylon Creek with increasingly heavy objects.

I wasn't usually somebody who needed a shower to calm down. Normally, by the time I'd made it backstage after a match, the adrenaline had started wearing off and I was already thinking about what came next. Sometimes that meant celebrating. Sometimes it meant complaining about how much something hurt. Occasionally it meant convincing Lexy that I didn't need to make a public statement about whatever had happened that night, and she absolutely couldn't make one on my behalf.

Tonight, though, I didn’t want to talk to anybody.

I'd wanted to stand under the hot water until the image of Creek's hand resting against Ravyn's stomach finally stopped appearing every time I closed my eyes.

That hadn't worked either.

I pulled on a pair of sweatpants and an old T-shirt, dried my hair as best I could, and glanced at myself in the bathroom mirror. The swelling along my jaw wasn't particularly impressive, which somehow made it more annoying. Considering how much it hurt when I touched it, I felt like I deserved something more dramatic to show for it.

I pressed two fingers against the sorest part.

“Ow.”

That was stupid.

I did it again anyway.

“Ow.”

Apparently, seventeen years of wrestling hadn't taught me everything.

I abandoned the mirror, gathered up my clothes, and made my way toward the lounge at the front of the bus.

Lexy was pacing. Ravyn was sitting on the sofa, looking at something on her phone.

Neither of those things surprised me.

What surprised me was how quiet it was. Normally, whenever Lexy was on my bus, there was a fairly good chance she'd be talking. Sometimes to me, sometimes to Ravyn, occasionally to somebody on the phone, and quite often to nobody in particular. She had an extraordinary ability to fill silence with whatever thought happened to be passing through her head at the time.

Tonight, she seemed to be concentrating on wearing a hole in the carpet.

“Oh, good,” I said. “We're still having a crisis.”

Lexy stopped pacing. “How's your face?”

“Still attached.”

“That's not what I meant.”

“Then you'll have to be more specific.”

She gave me a look that suggested she wasn't in the mood.

Neither was I.

Ravyn glanced up from her phone, her eyes briefly settling on my jaw before returning to my face. “Did the shower help?”

“I'm clean.”

“An achievement, certainly. Bravo.”

“Thank you.”

“Although not quite an answer to my question.”

I dropped my clothes onto an empty chair and sat down opposite her. “It helped a little.”

That was probably the closest thing to the truth I could offer.

Ravyn studied me for another moment. I could tell she wasn't convinced, but thankfully she didn't press the issue.

Instead, she returned her attention to her phone.

I found myself looking at her stomach.

It was ridiculous, really. She was sitting there looking perfectly comfortable, dressed exactly as she'd been when we'd arrived back at the bus, behaving as though nothing particularly unusual had happened. She'd told me she was fine. She'd told the trainer she was fine. She'd even told Alex she was fine, and he'd seemed about as convinced as I was.

Yet I couldn't stop looking.

“I'm still pregnant, Zoe.”

I blinked. “What?”

Ravyn didn't look up. “You keep checking.”

“I'm not checking.”

“Be that as it may, I remain with child.”

“I know that. I’m not looking at that, I'm looking at… you.”

“A distinction I'm sure you find reassuring.”

Lexy looked between us. “For the record, I am actually checking.”

Ravyn sighed. “Yes, Lexy. I've noticed.”

“Well, somebody has to!”

“Apparently, two people have to.”

I tried to smile.

Yet all I could think about was how easily Creek had backed Ravyn against that wall. How he'd stood over her, knowing perfectly well that she couldn't simply push him out of the way. How he'd put his hand on her stomach as though he had some right to touch her.

And how, for those few seconds, I'd been lying on the floor trying to recover from a blow I hadn't even seen coming.

I looked away before Ravyn could catch me staring again.

“Has anybody heard anything else?” I asked.

Lexy immediately stopped pacing. “About what?”

I looked at her. “Take a guess.”

“Because there are several things we could be talking about right now, and honestly, none of them are good.”

“Creek. Heaven. Whatever the hell that was supposed to be.”

“No,” Ravyn said, setting her phone aside. “Nothing further.”

I nodded.

I wasn't sure what I'd expected. A message? An explanation? Some kind of apology?

Actually, an apology would've been interesting.

I wondered how many teeth Waylon Creek would still have by the time I finished explaining exactly what he could do with it.

“I've already made some inquiries,” Ravyn said.

I looked back at her. “About security?”

“Among other things.”

“Good.”

I meant it. Whatever else we disagreed about, I wasn't going to argue with the idea of making sure nothing like tonight could happen again.

“And whatever it costs, I'll cover it,” Lexy announced.

I turned toward her. “You will?”

“Obviously! What kind of best friend would I be if I let you get murdered because somebody wanted to save a few dollars on security?”

“That's… actually really sweet, Lexy.”

“I know.” She smiled, looking rather pleased with herself. “Besides, I can probably write it off as a business expense.”

There it was.

“Can you?” I asked.

“Of course! You're my client. Protecting my client is part of my job. Therefore, anything I spend protecting you is a legitimate business expense.”

Ravyn looked up. “That's not quite how accounting works.”

“Well, maybe not for Satan.”

“Or anybody else.”

Lexy ignored her.

“Anyway, I can just put it under additional management services. Maybe charge a small administration fee.”

I stared at her. “You're going to charge me for the security you're offering to pay for?”

“Not charge you. Invoice you. It's different.”

“How?”

“One sounds more professional.”

Ravyn smiled faintly. “An important distinction.”

“Thank you!”

“Not a compliment, Lexy.”

“Still taking it.”

I shook my head. “You know what? Fine. Whatever. Thank you for offering.”

“You're welcome. And don't worry, I'll make sure you get the friends-and-family discount.”

“I thought I was your best friend.”

“Exactly! That's why the discount's so good!”

I decided not to ask how much she was planning to charge.

Some things were better left unknown.

“I've also been looking into the arrangements for Apocalypse,” Ravyn continued. “I'd prefer not to rely entirely on whatever precautions SCW decides are appropriate.”

“Definitely not,” Lexy agreed. “Because their idea of security apparently involves letting giant murder men wander around backstage threatening pregnant women!”

“An unfortunate oversight,” Ravyn replied dryly.

“That's one way of putting it.”

I shifted in my seat, trying to find a position that didn't make my jaw ache.

“Well, whatever you need to arrange, just let me know.”

Ravyn raised an eyebrow. “How accommodating.”

“I'm serious.”

“I know you are.” She picked up her phone again. “I'll need to confirm a few details before making any arrangements. Particularly concerning where we'll be permitted to park and which entrances will be available to us.”

I frowned.

“We?”

“Yes.”

“What do you mean, we?”

Ravyn looked at me. “I'm not sure how much clarification that particular word requires.”

“You're talking about Apocalypse?”

“I believe I mentioned that, yes.”

I stared at her. She stared back. And somewhere in the middle of that silence, I realized we were about to have an argument.

“Ravyn, you're not going to Apocalypse.”

Lexy stopped pacing. Ravyn slowly lowered her phone. “Am I not?”

“No.”

“How interesting.”

That wasn't the response I'd been hoping for. “I'm serious.”

“So am I. I'm particularly interested in discovering when you made this decision on my behalf.”

“I'm not making decisions on your behalf.”

She tilted her head slightly. “You have just informed me that I won't be attending an event I fully intend to attend. How would you describe that?”

I opened my mouth.

Closed it.

“You know what I mean.”

“I do. I'm simply giving you an opportunity to express it differently.”

“Fine. I don't think you should go.”

“That's better.”

“Ravyn.”

“Zoe.”

I took a breath.

The problem was that I knew what she was doing. She was refusing to let me turn my concern into an instruction, because the moment she allowed me to do that, she'd effectively agreed that somebody else got to decide what she was capable of doing.

And under normal circumstances, I might even have agreed with her.

These weren't normal circumstances.

“You saw what happened tonight.”

Her expression changed slightly. Not much. Just enough for me to know that I'd finally said something she wasn't going to turn into a joke.

“Yes,” she said quietly. “I was there.”

“Then you know why I don't want you anywhere near him.”

“Of course I do.”

“He threatened you.”

“Yes.”

“He threatened the baby.”

“I'm aware, Zoe.”

“And you still want to go?”

“I intend to go,” she corrected. “Want has very little to do with it.”

Lexy looked between us.

“Okay, just so we're clear, I'm actually on Zoe's side about this.”

For once, I was grateful. “Thank you.”

“Because I think everybody should stay away from Waylon Creek. Ideally forever. But definitely until somebody figures out how to make him less enormous.”

Ravyn looked at her. “An ambitious undertaking.”

“I'm brainstorming!”

“Clearly.”

I wasn't in the mood for their usual routine. “This isn't funny.”

Both of them looked at me.

“I know you think you can handle yourself,” I told Ravyn. “And normally, I'd agree with you. But Creek isn't somebody you can talk your way around, and if he decides to come after you again—”

“Then I would rather have anticipated that possibility than spend the next several weeks pretending he doesn't exist.”

“That's not what I'm suggesting.”

“Then what are you suggesting?”

I looked at her.

And the answer seemed so obvious to me that I couldn't understand why we were even having this conversation.

“That you stay somewhere safe.”

Ravyn considered that for a moment. “And where, exactly, would that be?”

“Home.”

“Our home?”

“Yes, Ravyn. Our home.”

“The one we recently moved into?”

I frowned. “You know we've only got one.”

“I'm establishing the details.”

“Why?”

“Because I'm curious as to what makes you believe our house is safer than an arena containing several thousand people, professional security personnel, and a considerable number of witnesses.”

“Because Waylon Creek isn't going to be at our house.”

“You don't know that.”

I looked at her. “What?”

“I'm not suggesting he's planning to visit us, Zoe. I'm pointing out that you're making an assumption. William Heaven knows who we are. He knows we're together. He knows I'm pregnant. I would be rather surprised if he were incapable of discovering where we live.”

I felt something unpleasant settle in my stomach.

That wasn't a possibility I'd particularly wanted to consider.

“You think he'd actually come to our house?”

“I think William Heaven has demonstrated a willingness to involve people who have very little to do with whatever disagreement he has with Alex. I'm not inclined to assume his willingness to do so ends at the arena doors.”

“That's supposed to make me feel better?”

“No. It's supposed to make you recognize that staying home isn't a magical solution to the problem.”

I leaned back against the sofa.

My jaw hurt.

I was getting a headache.

And I was beginning to seriously regret having left the shower.

“So what's your solution?”

“Taking appropriate precautions.”

“And going to Apocalypse anyway.”

“Yes.”

“Where the man who threatened you is going to be.”

“Presumably. Unless he's developed a sudden aversion to attending his own wrestling matches.”

I stared at her. “Can you please stop doing that?”

She looked genuinely puzzled. “Doing what?”

“Making jokes about it!”

Her expression changed.

I hadn't meant to raise my voice. Not quite that much, anyway.

But once the words were out, I couldn't take them back.

“He put his hand on you, Ravyn. He put his hand on the baby. He stood there and threatened both of you, and all I could do was lie on the floor and watch!”

The bus fell quiet.

Even Lexy stopped moving.

“I know.”

“Do you?”

“Yes, Zoe. I was there.”

There was no sarcasm in her voice. Somehow, that made it worse.

I looked down at my hands.

“I couldn't do anything.” I hated how small my voice sounded. “He hit me, and I couldn't do anything. I couldn't even get up fast enough to stop him.”

“You'd just been struck by a man considerably larger than you, when you weren't expecting it.”

“I know what happened.”

“Then perhaps you should stop treating it as though you somehow failed.”

I looked back at her. “He could've hurt you. He could've hurt the baby. And you still don't understand why I don't want you there?”

Ravyn sighed.

Not the exasperated sigh she sometimes gave Lexy when she was being particularly ridiculous. This was something different.

“Of course I understand.”

“Then why are we arguing?”

“Because understanding why you're frightened doesn't mean I have to agree with your proposed solution.”

I shook my head. “I'm trying to protect you.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you making this so difficult?”

She was quiet for a moment. “Because I'm pregnant, Zoe. I'm not helpless.”

I closed my eyes.

There it was.

I'd known that was coming. Of course I'd known. I'd spent enough time with Ravyn to recognize when I'd wandered into an argument I was never going to win.

But that didn't make what I was saying any less important.

“I didn't say you were helpless.”

“You don't have to. You're asking me to change my plans, remain at home, and allow somebody else's threats to determine where I'm permitted to go.”

“I'm asking you to be careful!”

“And I'm telling you that I intend to be.”

“By putting yourself in the same building as him?”

“By making arrangements to ensure he doesn't have the opportunity to approach me again.”

I rubbed my forehead. “You know you can't fight him, right?”

Ravyn raised an eyebrow. “An observation so astonishing that I'm surprised nobody's brought it to my attention before.”

“I'm serious!”

“So am I. I'm perfectly aware that I cannot physically overpower Waylon Creek. Fortunately, my ability to manage dangerous situations has never depended entirely on my ability to punch somebody in the face.”

“Mine kind of does.”

“Yes, darling. I have noticed.”

I almost smiled.

Almost.

“I have to get in the ring with him. I can't spend the whole match wondering whether he's got somebody waiting backstage to come after you again.”

That finally seemed to give her pause.

She studied me for a moment.

“Is that what you're afraid of? That you'll be distracted?”

“Yes. That and I won't know if you're okay. That something could happen and I wouldn't be there. That I'll be in the middle of trying to stop a guy who's twice my size, and somebody's going to tell me you're in trouble again!”

My voice was getting louder.

I knew it.

I couldn't seem to stop it.

“They already did it once. They put Heaven on that screen because they knew I'd react. They knew I'd come running. And then Creek was waiting for me! So why wouldn't they do it again?”

Ravyn didn't immediately answer.

For the first time since we'd started arguing, I thought I'd actually given her something she couldn't simply dismiss with a clever observation.

Then she leaned forward slightly.

“Because this time, we'll be expecting it.”

I stared at her.

“And if they do something we aren't expecting?”

“Then we'll deal with it.”

I laughed.

There wasn't anything particularly funny about it.

“You make that sound so easy.”

“I didn't say it would be easy.”

“You make everything sound easy.”

“And you have a remarkable tendency to assume that because I'm not panicking, I must not appreciate the seriousness of the situation.”

I looked away.

“I'm scared, Ravyn.” The words came out before I could stop them. I swallowed. “I'm scared of what he might do to you.”

For a few seconds, nobody said anything.

Then Ravyn reached across the space between us and took my hand.

“I know you are. And I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't concerned myself.”

That surprised me.

“What happened tonight was unpleasant. William Heaven deliberately involved my child in his attempt to provoke you, and Waylon Creek made it very clear that he has no objection to intimidating a pregnant woman.”

Her fingers tightened around mine.

“I'm not dismissing any of that, Zoe. Nor am I suggesting there's nothing to be frightened of.”

“Then—”

“But I refuse to allow those men to decide how I live my life. If I stay home because they threatened me, what happens the next time they make a threat? Do I stop leaving the house altogether? Do I wait until William Heaven decides I'm permitted to feel safe again?”

I didn't answer.

“I'm going to Apocalypse,” she continued. “I'll take precautions. I'll make absolutely certain that the people responsible for security understand what happened tonight. And I'm going to do everything reasonably within my power to ensure that neither of those men gets anywhere near me again.”

“And if that isn't enough?”

She looked at me for a long moment.

“Then we'll have to hope the Antichrist is capable of defending itself.”

I smiled.

“OH, THANK GOD,” Lexy practically shouted.

Both of us turned toward her.

She was standing beside the kitchen counter, looking relieved.

“I was starting to think I was the only person who remembered that baby is literally Satan's offspring!”

Ravyn closed her eyes.

“Lexy.”

“What? You said Antichrist! I heard you!”

“I was making a joke.”

“Well, it's about time! I've been standing here listening to you two argue about security for, like, forever, and neither of you has mentioned the obvious solution!”

I stared at her. “Which is?”

“Demonic protection!”

“Of course,” Ravyn said.

“Think about it! Creek's all big and scary now, but what's he going to do when your baby starts shooting fire out of its eyes?”

I rubbed my forehead again.

“Lexy, the baby can't shoot fire out of its eyes.”

“Not yet! Nobody knows what the Antichrist can do before it's born!”

Ravyn looked at me. “She does raise an interesting point.”

I turned toward her. “Please don't encourage her.”

“I was merely considering whether demonic protection might qualify as an additional management service.”

Lexy's eyes widened.

“Oh my God. It totally would!”

For the first time all evening, I actually laughed.

It hurt my jaw.

“You know what really pisses me off?” I asked.

Ravyn looked at me. “I suspect the list is rather extensive.”

“This isn't even about me.” I sighed. “Heaven sends Creek after me, threatens you, threatens the baby, and it's all because he wants to get to Alex. I'm just somebody he can hurt to get somebody else's attention.”

“Then let him fight for himself,” Lexy muttered.

I looked at her.

“Lexy—”

“No, I'm serious. My dad's perfectly capable of looking after himself. I don't see why you should have to get beaten up because somebody's got a problem with him.”

“I'm not fighting Creek for your dad.”

“I know.” She looked at me for a moment. “But I don't want you getting hurt because of him, either.”

I didn't know what to say to that.

Ravyn squeezed my hand.

“Whatever Heaven's intentions, Zoe, you're still entitled to decide what this means to you.”

She was right.

I'd spent months proving I wasn't the person Frank Delatosso wanted everybody to believe I was. I'd finally started feeling like I had some control over my own life again.

I wasn't about to let William Heaven take that away.

“I'm still fighting Creek.”

“I know,” Ravyn said.

“And I'm still going to worry about you being there.”

“I have no doubt.”

Lexy sighed.

“And I'm still going to worry about both of you.”

I looked at her.

“You think I'm going to lose?”

“Of course not.” She shook her head. “I think you can win. I'm just scared of what it might cost you.”

For once, I didn't have a clever answer.

I just reached out and took her hand.

And for a little while, none of us said anything.

To Be Continued…

Zoe "Syren" Sperling © 2026 So Totally Awesome Productions