For as long as David could remember, pro wrestling was part of his life. His parents grew up in the nineties, when wrestling was considered half way cool, and even though they did, in fact, grow up, they never lost his affinity for it.
Wrestling even found it's way into the kids, even Delilah liked it. Maybe he could be in the ring one day.
Then that fateful day happened.
He was working out in the garage when it happened. Leni, his girlfriend, Leni is happily bouncing on the trampoline and giggling as she watched David workout.
After awhile Leni hopped off, "Are you going to be done soon I wanna totes go to the mall?" she asked.
David rolled his covered eyes, "Almost just need to wrap up this last set." he said. He was on the bench press.
As David wrapped up his set Leni gives him a towel.
David wipes his face, "Ahh thanks Leni. I just need a quick shower and we hand head out."
Leni jumped up and clapped, "Yay!"
Luis suddenly besides his brother, "Hello, big bro."
Leni and David gets startled, "Yah!/Whoa!."
That afternoon, Luis came into the kitchen looking for a little after school snack. His stomach was grumbling and he needed something stat. He went to the fridge, opened it, and looked around. He spotted a jar of delicious pickle spears and licked his lips. He grabbed it and tried to open it.
The cap wouldn't budge.
He tried again, grunting and straining. His arm muscles burned and sweat oozed down his face. Panting, he stopped to regroup, then tried again. A fat vein popped out on his neck and he ground his teeth together.
He couldn't open it.
Luis showed David the pickle jar, "Please help me."
"Step aside and let a pro do it." David said. He took the jar and tried to open it. He cracked his fingers and then David twisted the lid and it popped right off.
David handed Luis the jar back.
"Wow you're so strong big bro." Luis said, "I wish I was strong like you."
"You should work out with Davey." Leni said, "He has, like, a totes radical routine."
David flexed, and Luis couldn't deny it, David had a respectable amount of muscle tone. He was shirtless and had a sculpted chest. Luis looked at his own twiggy arms and flushed with embarrassment, "I'm out of shape and I don't like it. I wanna be the best version of myself that I can possibly be, and in order to do that, I need to work on my flaws. Right now my biggest and most pressing flaw is that I'm weaker than a two day old kitten. I can always be better than I are right now. I could stand to put on a little muscle."
David was quiet for a long moment as he filtered Luis's words through his head. Finally, he drew a heavy sigh and let it out in a rush, "Alright, but the first thing you gotta do is put on some weight. You need weight to build muscle. Eat lots of protein."
Luis nodded.
Suddenly the three heard knocking and saw Ronnie Anne by the door.
"Hey Lame-o." Ronnie Anne said, "I need you to help me with something."
Not too long ago, Ronnie Anne became Luis's friend they both shred around town or played games at Gus' Games and Grub.
"What?" Luis asked.
Ronnie Anne rubbed her arm, "You still like wrestling, right?"
Luis gagged and pressed his hand to his mouth, cheeks puffing out with imaginary vomit, "Insinuating that I like that fake sport is the most offensive." Luis said with a smiled.
"Shut up!" Ronnie Anne said with a giggle. "Anyway, there's a WWE-sponsored junior tournament in Great Lakes City tomorrow. The grand prize is getting to meet and spend the day with La Tormenta." She whipped out a glossy 6 by 8 photo of a Hispanic woman in a greenish blue singlet with a lightning bolt on the chest and a luchador mask: Her hands were on her hips and she stared off to one side with a defiant expression, as though challenging her opponents to beat her.
A dreamy haze crept into Ronnie Anne's eyes, "La Tormenta is my hero and getting to meet her would be the greatest thing to ever happen to me."
Luis gave a confused glance, "What's that have to do with me?"
"I need two partners and one those partners are you." Ronnie Anne said.
The way the tournament worked, Ronnie Anne explained, was that teams of three would duke it out in a series of matches, and the one that emerged victorious would get to spend a day with La Tormenta.
"You want me to be your partner? Why I'm weak." Luis said.
To their surprise, Ronnie Anne dropped to her knees and balled her hands, "Please. This means so much to me. La Tormenta is my idol, I look up to her and wanna be like her so bad. I'd do anything. Anything."
Luis looked nervous he wasn't a fighter like Leo or David. He couldn't even open a pickle jar, but then he looked David and got a idea, "Alright." Luis said, "I'll do it."
"You will?" she asked hopefully.
"Under one condition." Luis said and held up his index finger.
Ronnie Anne's eyes darted nervously to his finger, "What?"
"David has to be able to train me so I'm able to survive," Luis said, "and David has to be our third partner."
"Guh?!" Ronnie/David/Leni yelled.
Luis crossed his arms, "Those are my terms."
For a long time, Ronnie Anne mulled over the proposition, "Fine." she said.
"I guess we're going to wrestle David." Luis said.
No sooner had he spoken, David exploded out off the bench press, and all three of them jumped in fright. Luis's first thought was that he had somehow anger him then he got a load of the David's giddy expression. "It's time to train for...WRESTLING!"
David charted out a three month plan to whip Luis into shape. The first month was dedicated to weight gain and light weight training. It started the next day: David dragged him out of bed and forced him to eat raw eggs and protein powder. At lunch and dinner, they ate nothing but meat. They did this for two weeks and Luis began to gain a little weight. David then pushed him into lifting, not much at first, just a bit. He also woke him up at 5am to jog around the neighborhood. Luis was groggy, tired, and could barely stagger half a block. David jogged backwards, barking orders like a boot camp drill sergeant. At one point, Luis collapsed, "Please, can we stop?" he asked.
"No." David snapped, "Now come on."
By the end of that first day, Luis was so sore and tired that he dropped into bed as soon as he was done with his meat and fell asleep. The next day played out pretty much the same way. And the next. And still the next. It was so hard and grueling that Luis was wishing for death.
Pretty soon, Charlie got ahold of him and made him do yoga and calisthenics with him. They held classes in Larry and Charlie's room every day, Luis reaching, kicking, jogging in place, and jumping rope. At first, he would get tangled in the ropes and fall over, pop and crack muscles trying to stretch, and generally fail. "You simply must master this class if you wish to attain physical perfection." Charlie said coldly.
Luis almost gave up, but he wanted to be fit too badly, so he soldiered on. It would all be worth it in the end. During the second month, they increased their weight training. Luis went from feeling bleh and tired to feeling pretty okay. He had more energy and his morning runs with David and soon Lynn weren't so hard anymore. He was starting to look a little more cut than he had previously, so what they were doing was obviously working.
Knowing that it was having the intended effect was the motivation Luis needed to not only continue his current routine but to push himself harder. After school, he and his siblings would hit the gym at home and do a little time on every single machine from the stationary bike to the treadmill and everything in between. When they were done, they would play a game of basketball. They started adding fruits and vegetables to their diets, and twice a day, Leni would make them smoothie that tasted good and more importantly was power packed with all the vitamins and minerals.
Slowly, over time, Luis improved at jumping rope. Cardio became easier, and he found a certain pleasure in being pleasantly winded and sweaty at the end of a good workout. Skate boarding was the best feeling in the world tho.
At the end of the second month, Lynn invited Luis to play a game to tackle football with her friends in order to see how far they had come. The opposing team was made up of the biggest, meanest girls Luis had ever seen, and he felt a twist of cold fear. Surely, they would destroy him and like heatseeking missiles.
He was wrong.
He was far faster and more agile than he had thought. He were able to duck and dodge, push and shove. His balance was even better, his hand-eye coordination was better, and everyone was complimenting him on his newly sculpted physique.
Luis got tackled a few times, and while it hurt a little, it didn't shatter them into a million quivering little pieces the way it might have just a few short months ago. They lost the game, but Luis held his own exceptionally well, which impressed Lynn. "You have come a long way spooky." she said on the walk back home. "I'm proud of you."
Luis blushed, "Thanks Lynn."
Three months... three months have passed since Luis got started on his training regimen and the results have been immense!
The grueling training that Luis put themselves under has given him bulging pectorals, washboard abs, muscular toned up arms, and legs. One would say that if he had spiky blonde hair they wouldn't look too far off from a certain alien warrior race.
Days before the competition David walked in on him while Luis and Johnny were brushing their teeth in the bathroom. David squealed and jumped up and down, "You look like wrestler. You can be in AEW one day. I'm so proud of you baby bro, we're so gonna wipe the floor with the other guys." He swept him into a tight bear hug and squeezed Luis to the point of almost passing out.
Johnny laughed, "Easy there big bro you're gonna knock out Luis before the tournament."
David realized and blushed, "Sorry! I'm just excited wrestling with Luis just has me so pumped!"
Frankie wheeled into the bathroom, "Siblings I have important announcement to inform you of."
"What's wrong?" Luis asked.
"I have just become aware of a recent update to the competition both you and our second eldest sibling are going to enter, the competition has lowered the age for participants." Frankie said.
David and Luis gasped.
Johnny spit in the sink and rose an eyebrow, "What, so are you saying that David can't enter cuz he's too old?"
"Precisely fifth eldest sibling David will be unable to participate in said tournament with his current age." Frankie said.
David looks sad, "Oh man I wanted to enter the tournament and now we're a person short."
Frankie rose a finger, "Not necessarily cuz you see I might have a remedy for your situation."
"You do?" Luis asked.
"Correct. Meet me in my room as soon as possible." Frankie said as he turned around and wheeled back to his room.
The three remaining brothers simply looked at each other.
After David and Luis brushed their teeth they met up with Frankie in his room.
"Siblings, thank you for coming. I am well aware of your excitement for entering this wrestling competition so I have found just the thing so you can still compete." Frankie showed them what he was talking about, "Behold! My aging gun."
"Oooooh!" David said.
Luis was impressed, "You built a gun that could change ages? That's amazing."
"Correct 7th eldest sibling with this I can de-age our brother right before the competition starts and he'll be able to participate." Frankie said.
Luis put his hands up, "Wait before you shoot David with that thing, we should probably test it first."
Frankie smiled, "Fear not sibling I've already tested this device multiple times and it's in perfect working order. I even did a test to make sure it wasn't overused observe."
Frankie shot a flower pot, but more precisely he shot the seed that was in it it grew to the size it'd be full grown sunflower.
"Wow that's so cool Frankie." David said.
"Wicked." Luis said.
Frankie chuckled, "Thank you siblings the compliments are welcomed. Now we simply must just get you ready for the tournament."
"But Frankie I've already been training Luis he's set for a tournament, what's left?" David asked.
"Oh no brother I am well aware of Luis's increase in muscle mass. I was referring to your costumes, you have yet to prepare them." Frankie said.
David slapped his head, "Oh I'm such an idiot! Of course we need costumes, we can't run around on stage in our normal clothes we'll look stupid." David then got a idea, "Wait I know just the person to help us!"
Later at The Loud House; Lori and Leni's room. David, Luis and Ronnie are asking Leni for help.
Leni jumped and down, "Yay! I couldn't be happier helping you talking fashion."
Ronnie Anne gave a skeptical look, "No offense, David, but how is Leni gonna help? We're not putting together prom outfits. This is wrestling!"
"Um, I love wrestling." Leni said, "I told this one boy if he keeps asking me out I'll give him the torture rack, followed by the Walls of Jericho, and finish with a cobra clutch, an hour on each." Seeing the stunned looks on Ronnie and Luis's faces Leni added, "Davey is into Professional Wrestling, I picked up a few things watching older matches with him, I just get so into the storylines. It's like a big, sweaty soap opera." Ronnie and Luis smile, realizing Leni genuinely is into wrestling and can help them. Leni pulls them in a group hug, "Makeover time!"
Leni has given them a wrestling makeover.
"What do you think?" Leni asked.
Luis's costume begins with a muscle tank top that is worn below a long black leather trench coat. He wore a pair of leather leggings beneath it. On his feet, he wears a pair of calf-height black boots. A pair of UFC leather gloves on his hands to protect them during a fight. Luis ended up looking like the undertaker. David was dressed looking like a Incineroar from Pokémon.
Ronnie Anne basically looked like a mini La Tormenta. La Tormenta wears a blue singlet with a stylized yellow lighting bolt coming from the top right, white wrestling boots and yellow wristbands in each arm. Her mask is blue with a white cloud at the front, with four little yellow lighting bolts coming out from each side. And while in her wrestling uniform her hair resembles that of a lighting bolt, tied into a ponytail with a yellow crunchie.
The three grin at each other, realizing the were ready to wrestle.
The day of the tournament at noon sharp, Luis, Johnny, and Ronnie Anne arrived at the Great Lakes City Convention Center, a great dome-shaped building wedged between the river and an interstate overpass. David drove them there and after parking he was De-aged to be preteen.
At the main door, a big guy in a black T-shirt emblazoned with SECURITY directed them to a side entrance marked EMPLOYEES ONLY. Another bouncer checked their papers. "Right this way." he said to the kids.
They went in. David stopped and looked the bouncer up and down, "Thank you, dude."
Inside, a stagehand led them to the locker room. The three looked around with eyes filled with wonderment.
Five minutes later, a lanky guy with a graying black beard came in holding a clipboard. Luis, Ronnie Anne, and David were sitting on a bench and lacing their boots up when he entered and stood over them, "Alright." he said in a thick New York accent, "You guys go on in five, bro."
"Ok, you guys ready?" Luis asked.
"I'm ready for anything bro!" David said punching the air.
"Keep in mind, this is a legit shoot fight, bro." The guy said.
"So...it's like the Brawl for All?" David asked.
The guy smirked. "Exactly, bro."
"Let's wipe the floor with these bozos." Ronnie Anne said and got to her feet.
Five minutes later, they made their way to the ring. Ranks of seats, all filled. Luis, David, and Ronnie Anne climbed through the ropes. Ronnie Anne crossed her arms and cocked her hip.
She didn't have long to wait before the opposing team came out.
Ronnie recognized one of them instantly.
Chandler McCann. Chandler is the son of a sewage plant worker, a massive factory building with a towering smoke stack and a vast parking lot that always seemed to be filled no matter the hour. His family was loaded. He can buy all kinds of stuff. Ronnie didn't know how much bank Chandler had on hand, but the kid handed out twenties like they were candy and wore clothes that cost more than the mortgage of a house in this town, so it was probably safe to say "a lot". He goes to the same school as Luis and her. He was one of the popular students in elementary school.
"Alright. Mr. poop money is going down." Ronnie Anne said to herself, "I have Chandler. you guys take the other two."
Chandler and his team got into the ring and they faced each other. The ref stood between them and motioned for the timekeeper to ring the bell.
Ding.
Luis, David and Ronnie Anne vs. Chandler, Anderson and Pablo.
David fought Anderson.
Anderson try to put David in a chokehold, but David reverses the hold and put Anderson in a leg lock the pain of that leg lock was excruciating, but Anderson pull through and reversed it David was stunned. No one reversed his leg locked before. But he couldn't let that stop him. Anderson was gonna hit David with a running elbow, but David ducked under it and got behind Anderson and grabbed him. David did a Supplex not once or twice, but three times knocking Anderson out completely
Luis was fighting again Pablo.
Luis was quick on his feet without realizing it Pablo was done in by a quick attack taking a blow to his ribs, legs and face. He was dazed and confused on how someone like Luis can move so fast he couldn't think to counter Luis moves on how fast he was he try to attack, but Luis ducked out of each hit and attack. Luis upper cuts Pablo making his brain rattle, with all of Luis strength he put Pablo on his shoulders and hit him with a attitude adjustment knocking Pablo out cold.
Ronnie Anne was against Chandler McCann.
Ronnie ran towards him she try to tackle him, but he jump over her he then kick her in the back a cheap move from him, but that just made Ronnie Anne mad she saw him threw his head back and laugh at her perfect time to go strike him without hesitation. She grab him, pick him up and slam him on his back. He was in pain and got up mad he ran at her and she ran at him she hit him with a Tornado DDT. He got back on his feet, but was to dazed to do anything that when Ronnie ran at him and delivered devastating spear to him he was out she got to the 3 count and won the match.
After several matches Luis, David and Ronnie Anne were waiting for their final opponent.
A black suited ring announcer appeared, a microphone in his hand. "And now...for tonight's main event…"
Luis blinked. It was almost over. They were one match away from winning.
"A three on one handicap match. The 11'0-Clock Express vs…"
The lights dimmed and eerie mist filled the entranceway. A form appeared in the fog, and pyrotechnics exploded on either side of the runway. Ronnie Anne's jaw fell open and David shook his head in denial. "No," he said, "it can't be."
"No way," Luis said, "No way."
The mist cleared and the crowd went wild.
"La Tormenta!" the announcer cried into the mic.
Luis sputtered, "What? A real wrestler?"
It couldn't be.
Yet there she was making her way to the ring with a championship belt around her waist, a stocky Hispanic woman in teal tights, white boots, and a mask. Ronnie Anne quivered in wonder like a Chirstian in the presence of Jesus and Luis swallowed hard. La Tormenta climbed through the ropes and walked, her hands planting on her ample hips. She sized them up, then handed the belt to the ref. "This shouldn't take long." she said.
La Tormenta fixed her gaze on David. La Tormenta walked up to him and stared down at him, "How old are you?" she asked.
"Uh...eleven."
"Hm. I've never beaten up an eleven year old before."
The bell rang, and La Tormenta rolled her neck.
Luis, David and Ronnie Anne vs La Tormenta.
La Tormenta ran as fast as lighting. She passed Luis delivering a devastating gut punch and tripping Ronnie Anne before David knew it La Tormenta was in front of him and hit David with a belly to belly Supplex.
David was stunned by it and on the ground with Luis and Ronnie. La Tormenta was gloating acting like the match was already over.
David look at Luis and Ronnie, "There's gotta a better way to take her down."
Both Luis and Ronnie ran towards her, clotheslining her legs with that she was falling. David hit her with a Power bomb and Luis and Ronnie got on the top rope and hit La Tormenta with a elbow drop and David hit her with a leg drop. David then grabbed her by her shoulders La Tormenta snap back into it and started hitting David, but not realizing that Luis and Ronnie on were on the top rope. Luis and Ronnie grab each other hands and hit her with a double handle clothesline sending La Tormenta hitting the ground hard she's was on her back. David, Luis and Ronnie piled on her, making sure she couldn't get up and the ref counted to one two and three they done it they won.
DING, DING, DING.
Luis gaped.
They did it.
"We won!" David yelled and jumped up and down.
Ronnie Anne and Luis let go and got to their feet. La Tormenta gets up next and looks at the group with a smile on her face. She then thrust out her hand towards Ronnie Anne, "Good match."
They shook.
"You're my hero," Ronnie Anne gushed. "I have all your posters on my walls, and your action figures, and your DVDs, oh, I even have the record you did. I wanna be just like you when I grow up."
La Tormenta smiled, "You're already on your way. Keep training, maybe you three could train with me someday. I'm itching for future rematch."
Ronnie Anne had the biggest smile on her face ever and La Tormenta raised Ronnie Anne's hand, "Are you guys hungry? I could go for some lunch."
"Me too." Ronnie Anne said.
"I'll pay." David said, "But first I need to get my pants."
La Tormenta laughed, "I got it covered cutie, being famous gives you tons of cash to burn. How about we get some pizza, how that sound?"
"Awesome, I really want to try the famous Great Lakes style my brother Johnny told about. Thick and cheese." Luis said.
The opponents turned friends left the ring and disappeared into the back.
THE END.