OOC: I decided to use some things that I had set up regarding the Halloween party here without really addressing the party this year, mostly because I had a pretty solid idea of what I wanted to do for this as I continue to push closer to the end of this arc. I think I've got a full idea now of how I want to end this, it's just a matter of getting there now and then figuring out what's next. Best of luck as always Omar.
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The more things change, the more they stay the same.
It’s not a concept Aaron necessarily liked, but it’s one he’s unfortunately become used to dealing with over the course of his life, no matter what endeavor he was pursuing. The more he tried to preach the idea of creative freedom to further innovation, the more the message was smothered by those afraid of such changes to keep the status quo intact and retain all their wealth and power. The more he tried to contend with the stress that seemed to weigh him down every day of his life, the greater the burden seemed to become. And the more he tried to fight for what he felt the wrestling business desperately needed, the shorter the moments of hope seemed to become before the future was ensnared by the darkness it just escaped from.
Under Attack had left the artist feeling frustrated once all was set and done. It wasn’t because of anything to do with him, because he’d taken care of his own business in putting Abigail Lindsay down for the count for her attempts to pay him back for knocking Syren down several pegs not too long ago. Unfortunately, out of concern for the blows he’d taken to the head during that match, namely the sucker punch with the brass knuckles right at the beginning, he’d been confined to the trainer’s room for the remainder of the night to ensure he could clear the concussion protocol, meaning he was powerless to lend a hand when things broke down with the Chamber at the end of the night. Seeing Sienna Swann escape with the gold after months of doing nothing but complaining and painting a picture that only made any sense to her and her cronies made it feel like all the progress SCW finally had going for it was suddenly dead. There was always hope that Sasha would sort things out when Breakdown rolled around, but everyone knew by now that anything she decided would be met with harassment from the Beauty Factory unless it was exactly what they wanted and nothing else.
This frustration hadn’t been doing his mind any favors either. No matter how much he managed to shrug it off, the nightmares and reality-distorting hallucinations were getting worse and worse. Aaron may have been able to somehow keep his own wave of success going, but Nemesis was only getting more and more desperate if the past few weeks were any indication. He’d managed to keep himself in order during the annual Halloween party, but he knew it was only a matter of time. There was no way his ‘nightmare of negativity’ was going to let Sienna’s win just pass him by without weaponizing it in some fashion. He owed a lot of his ability to resist to having Liane around to keep a smile on his face and a positive vibe in the air, but he couldn’t ask her to skip the comedy tour she’d managed to secure after her big standup performance weeks ago just to make sure he could make it through the next few weeks of SCW shows.
As much as he was grateful for her being in his life, he knew at the end of the day this was his fight. It didn’t matter how much strength he could get from her and anyone else he was willing to let in on his mental plight, because ultimately he, and he alone, would be the one to have to finish the job.
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The plan was slowly coming together, and the forces were being amassed. No matter how great Nemesis believed his army to be, they couldn’t stand a chance against the combined and diverse might of so many entities of Aaron’s imagination that had grown and developed over the course of his entire life. The stress-fueled abomination had no real support outside of whatever apparitions he could conjure in hopes of trying to cut the head off the proverbial snake staring him down, and the goal was to make it perfectly clear, once and for all, just how unwelcome he was in the only place where he could be what he was allowed to be, with no one but himself to blame.
Aaron was pleasantly surprised with how much things had turned around regarding Dreambender and Gleeful, as those who once despised them or tried to fight against them were now willing to agree to the cosmic twins’ plea for help to put an end to the greater threat. He knew it likely had more to do with his well-known signature on the treaty to help give their story of redemption some truth and they were probably doing it more for him before passing renewed judgment on the duo, but that was a bridge to cross once everything was well and truly back to normal. After all, while Aaron knew his life would probably never be truly devoid of what Nemesis represented because there was truly no such thing in the world as a one hundred percent eternally happy and stress-free individual, he could at least destroy the form his mind had given it so it could stop being a sentient source of misery trying to constantly burn him down until there was nothing left.
Still, he knew there were a few who would need more than just his word backing up their rallying call before they would throw their hat into the mix, and trying to get them to even go along with him face-to-face was just as likely to fail.
That was the reason Aaron found himself trekking through the landscape of his imagination towards the home of one particularly crucial individual, lamenting along the way at what had become of the world around him. Before any of this had started, the only desolate wastelands that existed here were ones intentionally designed that way for one reason or another, but now there were very few areas that didn’t seemingly look like a dark cloud was constantly hanging over them, which was a terrible sign of how battered the creative soul’s hallowed inner sanctum had become. It almost reminded him of SCW in a way: while he knew there were bright spots filled with hope, such as his impending showdown with Peyton Rice that would arguably be a main event worthy match in and of itself, they were becoming harder and harder to find as more and more cases like the Beauty Factory and Infamous getting their way by doing nothing but whining and creating the kind of PR spin that would make the current U.S. President proud were becoming common. It was sickening, but it was a disease that currently lacked a permanent cure.
“I can’t wait until this is all over. Even if it’ll still take work to get SCW back to where it should be, at least I can truly have my escape from reality back to the way it’s… supposed to be?”
Aaron slowed down his walk as he found his thoughts derailing a bit as he reached his destination, only for his eyes to widen in shock at what greeted him. Considering he was heading towards the Carnival of Rust, the last thing he expected to see was the equivalent of an area fresh off of being ravaged by a category five hurricane. This was one of the very few places in his mindscape that was seemingly untouchable in the grand scheme of things, namely due to how powerful its ringmaster was. That was the whole reason he’d come out here: to try and recruit Ferrugo to his army. Even if he knew the twisted ringmaster wasn’t the fondest of the Twin Stars or many outside of his own little corner of this imaginary world for that matter, he held enough respect for his creator and hatred towards Nemesis of his own to potentially join forces. And yet, as he made his way through the wreckage of the once-proud fairground, all he could see was the remnants of the rust-coated attractions. There wasn’t a sign of life to be found, from any imaginary soul visiting to the metal-limbed carnies who called this place home.
“What… happened here?”
To say that Aaron was concerned was a heavy understatement. When it came to the more powerful entities he’d created over the years, only a select few could rival Ferrugo in power, which was the whole reason he was trying to recruit him in the first place. He’d even watched as the carnie master dueled both Twin Stars and not only ultimately won, but had enough power to spare to fix any damage done to his beloved little section of this alternate plane of existence so that they had never attacked in the first place.
Something had to be up, and Aaron was hellbent on getting answers.
It was for this reason that he made his way into the Hall of Mirrors attraction, which somehow remained standing even when everything else around it was reduced to rubble. It may not have looked too battered from the outside, but the inside told a different story as many of the funhouse mirrors adorning the walls were now lining the floor with their fragments, daring someone to risk turning the soles of their feet into ribbons exploring. Thankfully, the idea of ‘my world, my rules’ meant Aaron could traverse this normally treacherous walkway with no damage done, but it was still unsettling to see no sign of life and plenty of evidence towards something horrible happening. As Aaron explored deeper, he found some of the mirrors still intact, but most reminded him of a jigsaw puzzle having been scattered all along the floor at this point.
“How does it feel?”
Aaron suddenly whipped around at the unexpected voice, and it didn’t take him long to start piecing together what happened here when he saw his reflection in one of the mirrors that was still standing but cracked fairly good. What gazed back at him was not the figure clad in the black cloak he’d taken to wearing around this world these days, but rather a picture of what he was on the night of his favorite holiday. The visage was every bit the spitting image of the creative soul it should’ve been, except for the fact that it was adorned in a green and purple three-piece suit and the face was masked behind hair dye and face paint that made it look like the clown prince of crime himself had leaped off the comic book pages and stood face-to-face with him. If a quick check of his attire wasn’t enough to realize the reflection was something all its own, Aaron knew something was amiss from the fact that unlike the look of disbelief he wore despite knowing there was no limit to what could happen here, the Joker reflection’s smile was threatening to split his face in half and truly take on the red lining running through the cheeks.
“How does it feel staring down what you’ve truly become?”
“Sorry, but the Joker getup was a one night stint and Halloween’s long over I’m afraid.”
“You know I’m referring to the fact that you’re embracing the role of the villain. The madness tearing your mind apart and driving you to lash out at those above you in the world… how does it feel to finally become one with it?”
Aaron turned away, trying to ignore the twisted reflection and what it was trying to tell him, but no matter where he looked or how much farther he went into the remnants of this building, any mirrors that survived had that painted face waiting to greet him. Not another word was spoken from them, their body language making it clear they were eagerly awaiting the artist’s response, but Aaron wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction when he knew who had to be pulling the strings.
“I know you’re here Nemesis… I know you’re trying to hide behind my Halloween ideas this year since you’ve done it before. Show yourself!”
The only response he got was a chorus of laughter that echoed throughout his head, nearly driving him to his knees at how maddening it sounded. He desperately tried to ignore it as he rose back to a stand as the echoing voice of the deranged clown reflection addressed him again.
“Is it really that farfetched Aaron? You decided you wanted to pretend to be a villain on Halloween, knowing full well that several people in the world already know you to be such. You try to stand in their way and tell them their opinions are wrong because you believe you have the moral high ground, and yet you so easily stoop to the level of trying to play mind games when you feel it’s justified. If anything, I am the admission of what you realize you’ve become at long last.”
Aaron shook his head and began to make his way back towards the entrance, where he knew most of the mirrors were destroyed and this game couldn’t bother him. As easy as it would be to destroy the mirrors, he had a feeling that’s exactly what was being expected of him and it wasn’t a trap he was going to get suckered into. Trying to go deeper in search of answers wasn’t worth putting up with this, and he still had far more ground he could comb through to figure out what he wanted beyond these walls. And yet, no matter how far he felt like he was traveling, the entrance never seemed to appear to him, the mirrors seemingly growing more and more numerous as his Halloween costumed doppelganger continued to laugh at his attempt to simply walk away from all of this.
“Do you really think you can simply walk away from all this? I thought you always dealt with your problems head-on… or is this not considered ‘your’ problem?”
That was the voice that finally got Aaron to throw in the towel on trying to find his way out of here, and he silently cursed at the belief that just by walking in here he was now trapped until he was done being played with. He slowly turned around to find some of the glass shards slowly rising from the floor and putting themselves together to form an entirely new mirror, and despite the puzzle-like appearance, there was no denying its reflection was different from the rest. No makeup, no costume, not much in the way of human features left to speak of… there was truly no surprise to see he was right about Nemesis being behind this.
“Where’s Ferrugo?”
“Why is he of any concern to you? Last I checked he was simply an ally only when convenient, much like you treat everybody you come into contact with. It doesn’t matter if it’s here in your mind or out in the real world… if you’re aligned with Aaron Blackbourne, don’t expect him to come knocking at your doorstep unless it’s to ask you to help him. After all, where were you when those masked men ruined the Chamber? Or when Peyton could’ve used your help after you clearly didn’t knock Damian’s brain around enough?”
Aaron let out a low growl that was barely audible amidst the laughter of the other mirror clones around them. Anybody in the locker room could vouch for him that it was hard to come to the rescue when you’re stuck in the trainer’s room or in the middle of a shower believing your job’s done for the night and finding out too late that something went down. Besides, Aaron and those he called friends were all more than capable of defending themselves in most cases, and the numbers game was a perfect example of when all bets were off on that front. He knew better than to try explaining that to this being, though… it would get nobody anywhere.
“Just face it Aaron… what Bree said to you back at Rise to Greatness was true, even if you were too busy taking someone’s life from them to catch it. People like her and Sienna simply run the world, and people like you aren’t capable of changing that no matter how hard you try. Some facts of life are just inevitable, like your feeble attempts to try and build a force capable of ending me when we both know I will exist so long as you, like any other human being, have that part of who you are that just makes you feel like life sucks and isn’t worth the effort to deal with.”
Aaron shook his head, his mouth opening but immediately closing. He knew he had rebuttals for everything Nemesis was saying, and he wasn’t afraid to use them, but the more he thought about it the more he began to realize he was simply going around in circles. It didn’t matter what he had to say in response because he would be met with one in kind and they’d keep going back to square one. Nemesis just grinned as he and Aaron continued to stare one another down with only the wall of glass separating them.
“You know, deep down, that I’m right Aaron. Once you cut through all the creativity, you’re truly a master manipulator who only knows how to puppeteer everyone around you to paint the picture you desire, just like you think others are prone to doing for their own benefit. You did it with my Ink Demon after all, turning him to your side after realizing he still existed deep in your subconscious. How do you think Peyton’s going to react when she realizes you’re not the person you’ve painted yourself to be? Do you honestly think she’ll buy whatever script you’re writing about being a fair and honorable challenger when we both know how badly you want to lull her into a false sense of security only to rip that title from her cold, lifeless-”
“You know, carnivals are usually in the business of showing, not telling.”
The sudden addition to the conversation was followed by the sound of fingers snapping, reverberating throughout the building and causing every mirror still standing to suddenly begin to shatter. One by one, the visions of ‘the villain within’ as Nemesis was trying to paint them as were reduced to fragments on the floor, and despite the glare he wore in response to both this and being interrupted, his mirror was not safe from this fate either and soon joined the others in a pile beneath Aaron’s feet. His eyes were wide with surprise at first, but he relaxed a bit as he turned to identify the source of the intruder as the actual ringmaster of these grounds.
“Can’t say making sure you weren’t buying into his act was part of my show today, but everything’s always subject to change these days, isn’t it?”
“It’s sad when I’ve grown so used to his games by now that I know it’s not even worth responding anymore, even if he sees that as a win. What happened here, Ferrugo?”
“Eh, your deformed doppelganger and an army of machines he’s probably been working on stormed the gate while we were trying to just conduct business as normal. My carnies and I started to fight them off, but he brought enough to outnumber us and he kept me tied up enough that trying to just reduce them all to scrap metal wasn’t in the cards without casualties. I may have been designed to be ruthless, but I have a heart and my carnie family has a pretty important spot in it. They’re all safe… at the cost of what makes us feel like we have a purpose.”
Ferrugo looked at the shattered glass beneath his feet before his cybernetic prosthetic leg firmly crushed several pieces to dust with one hard stomp before he turned and began to walk away, knowing Aaron would follow behind him as it was his best chance of getting out of here.
“I’m sorry about your carnival Ferrugo. I swear it will be rebuilt-”
“I don’t doubt that you’ll bring it back to life better than ever Aaron. I’m sure you’ve thought up thousands of ways to improve upon its design after all these years. I want it to stay like this for now, though… a reminder of what happens when you dare to challenge me and destroy everything that my carnies and I have built all because you know I’m a threat. Nemesis needs a firsthand reminder of why I AM considered one of your most dangerous creations beneath the fun and games I represent… or did you travel out this way for a different reason entirely?”
The moment they went through the exit to the House of Mirrors, Ferrugo spun around in true showman fashion, grinning at the surprised look that greeted him. Aaron truly didn’t believe that when he came here today he would be able to recruit the twisted ringmaster that easily, but it was clear that Ferrugo had all the reason in the world to retaliate considering his home was lying in ruins around him. Slowly, from seemingly out of nowhere, several men and women all wearing carnival attire and sporting rusted metallic cyber-prosthetics began to emerge and surround the duo, with the realization slowly setting in on the creative soul as he proceeded to seal the deal with a handshake that if he was getting the ringmaster, he was also getting his entire crew, bolstering his army’s numbers considerably.
The more time passed and the more desperate Nemesis got, the deeper he seemed to be digging his grave, and Aaron truly believed the day wasn’t too far off at this point when this nightmare would truly be all over once and for all.
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Aaron slowly opened his eyes and stretched his arms out, taking a moment to piece together his present situation. The morning sun peering in through the window made it obvious his latest mental recruitment attempt was at least a somewhat better dream than he’d been dealing with lately, and it put him at ease knowing that Nemesis would have two of his most powerful creations to contend with now along with himself and everything else his mind was ready to throw at the abomination. Even if he felt like his army was large enough to get the job done at this point, he still wanted to have a clear-cut plan of attack first, to be absolutely sure this would be the end of it all.
Beyond the light, the familiar sight of his bedroom greeted his eyes, reminding him that he was still in the middle of the typical SCW hiatus following pay-per-views, though it wasn’t due to last much longer as today was the day he’d be flying out for the small string of house shows that would precede the next Breakdown. He also realized he was alone in bed, meaning Liane was likely already up. That was no surprise, considering she had an earlier flight to catch than he did because while he was spending the next few days in the center of the country, her comedy tour was due to begin over on the east coast. A quick check of the time told him she likely hadn’t left yet as there was still a few hours before her plane left, but she was probably due to head out the door any minute now. This thought had him removing himself from the comfort of the bed and stretching out a bit before heading towards the door.
He wasn’t going to lie to himself about feeling some anxiety about what was on the horizon. While separating because of their different professions wasn’t uncommon, especially now that it seemed like Liane was finally catching her big break, this was going to be the first time they were really splitting up since the incident over Rise to Greatness weekend. Liane had been insistent on staying by her beloved’s side after Dylan nearly killed him, and while he was grateful that her presence had been a lifesaver in the face of his increasingly volatile meltdowns courtesy of the stress demon, he felt horrible about the idea that she was putting aside her own ambitions just when her star was finally taking off all just to keep him stable, and while he’d easily do the same no matter how much SCW officials would likely flip a table over the idea, he knew she deserved the opportunities she’d been working so hard to get.
Besides, if he could survive a few weeks on his own from here, then he knew the endgame was upon Nemesis.
“-just don’t know what else can really be done to help him.”
Aaron heard Liane’s voice from out in the hallway, confirming that she hadn’t left yet. He quietly tiptoed to the corner that turned into the apartment’s kitchen, hoping to surprise her and go from there, but he raised an eyebrow when he heard a second voice that sounded vaguely familiar to him.
“I understand your conundrum, elder sibling, though I fail to see why you believe I can be of any help in this situation.”
“It’s like I mentioned, Louise, Aaron’s not too keen on seeing a shrink about what’s going on in his head. You know how little they helped when mom and dad tried to have one peek into my noggin when my April Fools’ pranks started getting more out of control before they gave me the boot. You think any of them would listen to a word he says and do anything besides put him in a straight jacket?”
“…I suppose you have a point there.”
Aaron stopped at the end of the hallway and carefully peeked around the corner, finding Liane sitting at the small table in the kitchen where they normally ate breakfast. Between consuming some pieces of toast so she had some energy for the long flights ahead of her, she was focused on the tablet Aaron had bought her some time back for her birthday as a means of helping her keep her budding comedy career a little more organized… even if he wasn’t one to talk on such matters if you ever saw the way he tried to keep ideas and projects filed away if it wasn’t on a computer. She was currently having a video chat with Louise, the second youngest but smartest of the Forte children, and while Liane had her back to where he stood he was able to see the child genius on the screen as she seemed split between reading through a book while tightening a few bolts on some kind of machine partially in the shot.
“From what you’ve told me, these ‘problems’ he’s been having have been a frequent occurrence, much like your own tend to do when you’re not in the best frame of mind, but have been more persistent since this attack months ago. Correct?”
“Uh-huh, and that’s why I’m really worried about going on this tour. I know he’s told me he’ll be fine and he really doesn’t want me to waste this big opportunity, which is really sweet, but I can’t stomach the thought of something really bad happening and no one’s around to snap him out of it.”
Aaron bit his bottom lip as Liane almost sounded like the very thought was going to bring her to tears. It was a very understandable fear even he had right now, though now he was banking on the fact that after standing his ground and getting some major help for his mental forces that he was in a much better position to keep himself in order. If it came down to it, perhaps he could let the cat out of the bag to Owen and hope he’d be willing to lend a hand if absolutely necessary. He did feel like he needed to have a conversation with his friend still as it was, and the Halloween party felt like an awkward time to really discuss it all things considered, so he’d let it go.
“Allow me to ask this, as I may be able to provide you with a possible answer even if it’s more scientific than psychiatric: has Aaron taken any considerable amount of time away from all of his endeavors since this incident?”
“Now that you’ve mentioned it… no, not really. The time off we had after Rise to Greatness was mostly eaten up by him being back in the hospital after he wrestled through the rib injury, and any other time he’s had even the briefest of breaks from SCW he’s been wrapped up in some sort of design project or commission for a client or helping make sure my comedy shows have been well-advertised and gone smoothly. Come to think of it… he didn’t even really shelve his work when his brother died earlier this year.”
“Perhaps that is the answer to this problem Liane. If the trigger for these breakdowns is the constant stress he’s under, then the solution to better managing it lies in a necessary vacation to properly cope with everything he’s been through these past 300 days or so. Maybe it would even give you both the opportunity to proceed further with your wedding plans.”
“I would love that Louise, I really would… but I don’t know how willing he’d be to jump on board that boat. He knows he has a role to play in trying to help his friends in the business clean things up, especially after how that last pay-per-view ended, and he wouldn’t just abandon them no matter how much he could use the break. And… don’t tell him I said anything about this, but I’m really worried about his next match. It’s nice that he’s getting to face someone he respects in the ring for a change, and it’d be awesome to see him win and take an SCW record for most reigns, but if he becomes TV Champion again that means he has to compete every single week until he loses the belt. I… I’m not sure if he’s at a point where he can mentally handle that right now, no matter what kind of physical condition he’s in.”
Aaron moved his body a bit so that he knew for sure he was out of sight in case Liane turned around or Louise happened to peek past her sibling’s shoulder from the other end of the screen, his lips curling into a frown. As much as it hurt him to hear Liane seeming like she really didn’t want him to succeed for a change, he knew her concerns were valid. While he didn’t doubt Peyton would battle him tooth and nail even despite the respect they held for one another because a victory would guarantee she’d become the longest-reigning TV Champion in the belt’s history, his arm being raised at the end would not only mark an unprecedented third reign with the belt, but it would also begin the familiar challenge of competing every single week with no chance of a break in order to defend it. While there was a part of him that agreed with Louise’s suggestion of a proper vacation to truly sort out his thoughts, Liane hit the nail on the head that he wasn’t too keen on that idea at this point in time. Not when Owen, Alistaire, Peyton and so many others needed him to stand by their side to bring forth the SCW that everyone who busted their asses truly deserved to have, and not when he’d never taken a break to contend with the problems in his life before to consider now the best time to start.
“I’m afraid I do not have many other alternatives to suggest at this point in time without delaying you, sibling. It would be advisable to bring it up in conversation all the same.”
“I appreciate the sentiment Louise, and I’ll certainly take it under advisement. But first, I think I want to use this as a way of trying to prove how strong I really am, especially to myself.”
The Forte sisters were both surprised when Aaron suddenly joined the conversation, especially Liane when she found his arms gently draping over her shoulders as he held her close and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. When she looked up at him, she could see the concern on his own face that indicated he’d been eavesdropping and was just as concerned about his immediate future as she was, but there was enough in his eyes to show her his fire was still burning brightly in terms of standing against it no matter what. Louise cleared her throat to return the lovebirds’ attention to the screen, albeit briefly.
“I suppose I shall leave you be, although if you’ve been listening in Aaron I highly urge you to consider my input. Perhaps when I have less on my own plate we could discuss this matter further, even if I am unsure of how much assistance I can truly be.”
With that, the call ended and Liane set the tablet down before plucking a piece of toast off and holding it up for Aaron to eat, almost like a pet being rewarded with a treat.
“How long were you listening in?”
“I heard the past couple of minutes or so. I haven’t been up too long… actually managed to get some sleep at least with good news on the front of what’s going on in my head, but I know things are about to get a lot harder. And before you say anything, I’m still adamant that you take advantage of being given a chance to do a proper tour to build yourself up even more. It’s like any title opportunities I’ve gotten in SCW: they don’t come around too often.”
“But what about…?”
“I’ve given that some thought while you and Louise were talking… I really want to take a stab at this to try and prove that, on my own, Nemesis can’t get to me as easily as he thinks now. That alone should be a big step forward, but… if worse comes to worst, I’ve been considering letting Owen or someone in on this too, for more support just in case. I was hoping to chat with him anyway to maybe be done with this whole ‘I’m a murderer’ nonsense that keeps coming up frequently when this happens, so…”
Liane stood up and pulled her fiancé into a kiss as he trailed off, being all the sign he needed to know that she trusted him even if she still had her reservations. Louise had certainly given a suggestion with a lot of weight to it, though, and maybe once things calmed down a bit more in SCW he would ask for some time off to really sort himself out. He was hopeful that the issues with Nemesis would be completely settled by then and he could just use the break to wash away the remnants in the aftermath, but now was the time to cement himself, both in SCW and in that mental war. It would start with him and Peyton tearing the house down in a match that would make both Owen and Alistaire proud and serve as a statement that hopes for a brighter future in SCW weren’t dead yet, and whatever happened next would be dealt with accordingly.
One thing was for sure: no matter how worn down this man was, you weren’t going to break his spirit that easily, no matter how hard you tried.
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Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you through it. So long as you hold out hope, that light will never go out.
I know that for many of us, this doesn’t seem like an ideal time to be a part of the SCW roster. With everything Xander Valentine’s done that has hopefully come to an end, masked men getting involved as they see fit for reasons no one is truly clear about and the fact that we once again have a World Champion that, despite every claim she could make, is doing that title a great disservice with how she both got to that point and ultimately won it… it feels like any progress towards what the people truly deserve is being undone more and more with each passing week. People like Owen, like Alistaire, like Peyton and myself and so many others are all more than willing to put in the time to give you what you pay to see week in and week out and that’s the best wrestling on the planet from people who are just being themselves with no drama or PSAs trying to convince you that we’re not what you see when that bell rings. We’re not talking down to you like you don’t matter or trying to find shortcuts, and yet it’s hard to look on the bright side when some people are more than happy to hide behind excuses and shove their handcrafted image down your throats to remind you that you aren’t them, among other things you all don’t deserve to be hearing.
Trust me when I say this: some storms are worth weathering in order to find the brighter days waiting for you beyond them.
We all know that when Breakdown hits the airways again from Omaha, Nebraska, there’s going to be a lot of fallout from Under Attack to sort through. Some people will no doubt take to gloating, some questions will hopefully be answered… one thing I can certainly promise you all, though, is a battle that will make you glad you paid for your ticket or turned in on this special Friday night. Just like two people close to us in Owen and Alistaire tore the house down in the main event of Apocalypse, just as they deserved to do, now Peyton and I will have our turn to remind you all of what SCW is truly all about and make you glad to be a wrestling fan.
After all, how often do you have a match where you know history could be made no matter what the outcome?
To lend a hand to the wrestling historians and stat keepers out there, let me set the scene for you: when Peyton and I meet for the TV Title on November 8th, records are going to be in jeopardy. If I manage to overcome Peyton and walk away victorious, then I will be the first person to have held that title three times… I know, some people might scoff at that as it means I did lose it twice before and I own up to that fact, but knowing I stand alone having the most reigns might be something to light a fire under a few people who may have an issue with that. However, if Peyton prevails over me, then if she makes it through whatever defense awaits her on the following Breakdown she will claim the record for longest-reigning TV Champion in SCW history.
I can hear some people scoffing at that whole thing just because it’s not THE top title around here, but I think Peyton will agree with me that being TV Champion is a big deal in and of itself because of the grueling challenge that awaits you week in and week out… the perfect test of how capable and durable you are in that ring.
As odd as this may sound Peyton… the first thing I feel I need to truly do is apologize to you. Two weeks ago on Breakdown you were attacked by Damian Angel after your latest defense, and while I know you dealt with him at Under Attack I still feel I owe you an apology for not making it out there to chase him off. I thought I got the message through clear enough when I defeated him earlier in the night and started getting cleaned up, but I guess not… I feel like I owed it to you to finish keeping him at bay so you were truly a hundred percent heading into your match with him that Sunday, and in that respect I failed. It won’t be happening again… I trust you and see you as a good friend just like I do with Owen and Alistaire, and you deserve to know I’m watching your back if you ever need it just like I would do for them. I may have gotten tied up with my own thing along the way, but something tells me Infamous will be leaving me alone for the foreseeable future to keep me from lending a hand again.
Truth be told… I’m truly honored to be having this match with you Peyton, even if there wasn’t gold on the line. I know everyone’s made a big deal out of you when you came here, from being the protégé of Kelcey Wallace to the unbeatable inaugural EMERGE Champion, but I’m not the kind of guy who easily buys into all the hype. After all, it’s easy to hear all these people call someone the best thing to ever set foot in a wrestling ring, even that very person themselves. But I kept tabs on EMERGE when you were running the gauntlet down there as champion, and you know I’ve seen you perform enough times here in SCW to know you’re the real deal. Hell, I even had the opportunity to team together with you earlier this year in my hometown of Seattle… even if it wasn’t the homecoming I wished it would’ve been, all things considered. Still, I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been looking forward to the day when our paths would cross in the ring. Beyond getting to indulge in my creative endeavors, I consider my most enjoyable work in the ring to be against those I know I share a mutual respect with, from my bouts with Aliataire and my clashes with Owen… now to you.
One thing I’m sure you’ll agree with me on is that nothing’s really come easy for both of us since arriving here. Matches we felt we should’ve won, challenges we felt we should’ve been better equipped for, people and scenarios we wish we didn’t have to put up with in the first place that stalled our careers. If anything sends a message to that locker room about what kind of match we can put on come Breakdown, it’s the fact that we’re both still here, still pushing forward and fighting to earn our place around here. For almost five full months now, you’ve defended that TV Title week in and week out with no complaints, finding a way to overcome every opponent put in front of you no matter how hungry they were or what kind of games they wanted to play. You’ve even done all this in spite of the tragedy that happened earlier this year… if you ask me though? I’m sure my brother would probably send me a message from up above to back me up on this if he could, but I’ve got a pretty good feeling Ricky Octavius is smiling down on the competitor you’ve become and would love for nothing more than to see you honor his name a little more by breaking a record that many believe to be inconceivable purely for the amount of work it took for you to get this far.
Of course… what kind of friend and fellow competitor would I be if I made this easy for you?
Make no mistake Peyton, for as much as I would love to see you smash that record not only as proof of everything you’ve battled for over the past one hundred and almost-fifty days but to know that the record belongs to someone who earned it every step of the way unlike the woman currently in possession of that accolade, I have to put up the kind of fight that makes it clear I want to hold that title again just as badly as you want to hang onto it. I’ve heard the talk that despite my acceptance of not getting a spot that I still should’ve been in the Chamber, that I’ve proven I’m ready to take that step up to the main event. There’s plenty of buzz about me being a potential favorite when voting for the World Title shot at the end of the year rolls around… but I truly feel like I still have some more work to do before I’m ready for that chance quite yet. I’ve beaten former World Champions, including the self-proclaimed ‘greatest one of all’ in Syren, and I’ve been on a roll for some time now, but when I see the fight Owen and Alistaire put up when that sacred crown is at stake, and when I see how far you’ve come since winning the very title we’re about to face off over and the meaning you’ve brought to it, I truly feel like I’m not quite there yet.
Maybe it sounds a little weird to want to end something that’s inspired me, but trust me when I say that if this Friday is the night where your run has to end, you’ll not only be leaving the title in very capable hands but I feel like after the fight you’ve shown for so many weeks without any sort of break, you’re probably more deserving of consideration for a World Title opportunity than I am. When I look at the TV Title right now, the idea that I could suddenly smash a record all my own just by winning is a nice thought, but it’s the last one on my mind. I see a chance to try and follow in your footsteps, test myself each and every week one more time to prove that I’m finally ready to take that next step up and compete at the highest level without any doubt. I feel like this is a chance to make it clear how far I’ve come and how much fight I have no matter what is put in front of me… it all starts with trying to overcome someone who’s more than proven to the entire world by now that when you say you’re more than just a pretty face, you’re telling the undeniable truth.
And maybe, when all is set and done… I can meet you up there in the main event, competing with you and Owen and Alistaire and putting on the greatest pure match ever held in pro wrestling history for everyone who deserves to see that battle at least once in their lifetimes.
Maybe I’m being a little overdramatic about this, but I want to be absolutely clear to both you and everyone watching this Peyton: I respect you and everything you’ve done, and that’s not something that will ever change no matter what the future holds. For as monumental as this clash between us feels, I can’t go in thinking that I’m going to lose. You wouldn’t want anything less than my best if you’re going to go on to potentially shatter a record, and I want to know, with absolute certainty, if my best is enough to overcome your best at this stage of our careers. No matter how this match turns out Peyton, know that it’s an honor to have this opportunity to test myself against you, and I know we’re going to put on something special for that crowd in Omaha on Friday night.
Best of luck Peyton… let’s put on the kind of match people will consider one of the greatest in Breakdown’s long history, and maybe even the kind of match that shows our good friends they can’t have all the fun stealing the show, huh?
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