Supreme Championship Wrestling

3 RP Limit for singles (REGARDLESS OF SHOW)

Deadline: 5 pm ET Saturday, July 25, 2020

The screen fizzles and the sound distorts, sounding off-pitch and haunting as it strains to continue playing, the graphic warping and twisting until the image has changed to something completely different. Before the audience's eyes now is a dark, cracked concrete, with crumpled leaves and ripped posters of 'entertaining acts' littering the floor. There is the sound of creaking chains and a warped, slow version of "Pop Goes The Weasel" as a merry-go-round is seen, unmoving as the camera focuses on some of the lights and horse heads.

Another shot is seen, this of an electronic 'Zoltar' fortune-teller, its eyes alight and its mouth moving but no sound is coming out. All that us heard is that warped "Pop Goes the Weasel" as the camera shot slowly changes again, this time to the inside of a dressing room. To the far end, there are three mirrors, each with a perimeter of lightbulbs surrounding it. There are masks of various shape and artistic design placed on mannequin heads or hanging on the walls, they blank holes for 'eyes' staring down at the man sitting at the central mirror, his back to the camera.

All around S-C-double-you, the artist chased the jester... he sings slowly, as slowly and haunting as the music, which is now revealed to be a warped jack in the box. The artist thought he'd figured it out till...

The jack-in-box suddenly pops open, revealing a twisted version of Aaron Blackbourne in one of his many 'persona' makeup designs. The second 'Blackbourne' is out, however, the man's closest hand reached out and catches it, crushing the doll and spring with a loud 'crunch'. Reigned the jester...

With a swift movement, the man smashes the doll and box into the closest mirror, shattering it into pieces! Slowly... Slowly, he turns in his seat, his head down and shoulder-length hair covering parts of his face. The shot shifts to the masks for a moment, an eerie, haunting sight, before returning back to the man.

I am Shilo Valiant. he declared simply. I am the jester so spoken of. I... Am the Man Who Laughs!

And how I have laughed at you, Aaron Blackbourne. Laughed and cried. Laughed and cried. the image of a comedy and tragedy pair of masks is shown, alternating with Shilo's words before the shot goes back to Shilo.

For you are the SCW's best kept joke. And, in the same breath, the SCW's saddest excuse for a wrestler. he tilts his head. Oh do I offend? Are you mad, Aaron? Is this where you stomp around in your little video and call it 'art'? Is this where you march down to the ring, declaring it your 'canvas' as you stand there and cry and whine about 'mean old Shilo'?

The Entertaining One shakes his head. If I wanted to see that, Aaron, all I need to do is go back to Rise to Greatness X where I beat the hell out of Syren, took the World title from her - and listened to her bitch and whine about it for the rest of her career. If I wanted to be dealing with another Syren...

Turning back to stare into the shattered mirror, Valiant runs a few hairs away from his face as he gazes at his cracked reflection. You know, you truly are an ungrateful child, Aaron. You've been nothing but ungrateful from the beginning. And despite my forgiving nature - despite me giving you chance after chance to make amends... You've just continued to disappoint me and everyone that wastes their time investing in you, haven't you?

Suddenly, the camera zooms into the cracked shards of glass, the shot warping and twisting as it becomes something, Shilo's voice narrating everything. Did you really think anyone was invested in you, Aaron? Even when you became Television champion? You were given the chance to earn their support. Earn their investment, and what happened? You choked and failed to become World Champion, didn't you? An event that would repeat, much like your antics in dealing with me.

You were a good mid-card boy. Good to have around while the majority of the audience need a match to skip to relieve themselves in the washroom. Good to have around when the champion needed someone to knock around to look good and dominant. Good to have around as a punching bag to get to your buddies like Owen Cruze. Footage shown of Aaron Blackbourne on episodes of Breakdown and PPVs, but it's all black and white and looks like a spotlight is fading on the poor boy until it goes dark.

The boy with some potential... With some kind of gimmick... But ultimately, for all his talent, didn't have the skills or the brains to know how to get the job done.

But I... the screen is black. I saw something different.

Immediately, the scene explodes with color as footage from Shilo Valiant returning to challenge Aaron Blackbourne for the Television Title on an episode of Breakdown. People are cheering and chanting Shilo's name as he gets in the ring and wrestles Aaron.

I saw a speck of potential. Something so similiar to when I was young and inexperienced in this business. If only it could be worked on. I believed in you, Aaron. So I bend down, picked you up, and let you play in my fame and spotlight. When the world rushed to their televisions to see if the rumours were true - if Shilo Valiant, the greatest entertainer in SCW history, was indeed back... I let you stand in that spotlight, Aaron. I let you be in MY spotlight so that, for a moment, the eyes of the SCW Universe were on you.

More than that, Aaron, do you honestly think I ran away from you that night?

The footage changes to Shilo sliding out of the ring, mid-match, and walking up the ramp, gesturing to Aaron and declaring him as 'someone to watch'. I, who have beaten practically every legend. I, who have accomplished nearly everything there is to accomplish? The man that DID beat Syren. DID main-event Rise to Greatness three times in a row... Running from you?

Your inexperience and arrogance blinded you, Aaron. And it was the first time I saw the cracks in your 'art'. For if you were a true 'artist', an 'entertainer', like myself, you would have realized the first rule of entertaining the masses. The footage is shown of Shilo smiling as he gazes at Aaron in the ring, who is confused by Shilo's antics. Always...leave them...wanting... More.

And more they wanted, Aaron. They wanted more of me... They wanted more of you! In five minutes, I had done for you what you couldn't do in your entire time in SCW to that point. I made Aaron Blackbourne relevant again! I made Aaron Blackbourne someone to watch, because if Shilo Valiant - THE Shilo Valiant - thought this Blackbourne was something special, than it must be true.

You know what SCW didn't put my history in RTG as "RTG moments"? Choosing people like Andrew Raynes and a losing Xander Valentine, instead? Because no one needs to be reminded about my success at Rise to Greatness, Aaron. It's gospel. It's legendary. It's defied time to the point that my name is on the top of SCW's 'numbers' when it comes to "The World Title Main-Event".

And how did you repay me? How did you repay this legend, this God of Entertainment?

The footage changes to that of Aaron Blackbourne standing in the ring, clearing yelling into a microphone, though no sound is heard.

You cursed me. You blamed me for YOUR short-comings. You blamed me for 'distracting you', causing you to lose when all I did was cheer you on like the fan that I was! Not once did I attack you. Not once did I go near you. I merely cheered for you - do you blame the thousands of fans in attendance that night as well? Those that I made cheer for you by making you relevant? Do you blame them, Aaron, for YOUR failure?

For a moment, the footage shifts back to the present scene, where Shilo, his back still to the camera, lifts a gloved hand and drags it across the cracked mirror.

Still, I continued in my mission to try and help you, Aaron. I tried to fine-tune your, supposed, 'creativity'. I kept you relevant by constantly showing up, keeping the audience in engaged. Because you, dear boy, for all your brags about being an 'artist' with 'unchained creativity'... For all of that, the world seemed to pick up your 'secret', as it were. Come in, get in the ring and yell and whine, wrestle and, nine times out of ten, lose. And if I happened to show up, blame Shilo Valiant.

You never realized how you, despite no success worth mentioning, was STILL getting attention. Was STILL getting talked about. Because of me. But alas, lesson two of entertainment: Never give them the same trick twice.

The shot changes back to the black and white footage of Aaron Blackbourne in episodes of Breakdown. Some are of him talking in the ring. Some are of him standing there. Some are of him wrestling and, usually, losing.

You seemed content in your generic formula, which included blaming me for your problems. So... I had to do the work. the shot changes to that of Datura, lying on the ground, beaten up at Retribution earlier this year. The footage, unseen until now, is shown of Shilo Valiant slipping on Datura's robe before shifting to reveal the robed figure standing in the ring.

I took down a dangerous woman, bringing her into our little set of lessons.

The footage than changes to a later episode of Breakdown, with Shilo sitting in the audience, taunting both Aaron, but also Jay Gold.I got the ire of an SCW Hall of Famer, and manipulated him into our world as well.

A graphic is shown of Aaron Blackbourne vs Jay Gold vs Datura vs Shilo Valiant at Cold Blooded 2020. I set up everything for you. For you to spring ahead of the pack, Aaron! To not only get your revenge on me - giving me the beating that your fanbase that I had built for you wanted - but also for you to claim victory on two Hall of Famers and the most dangerous woman since Regan Street!

The footage of Cold Blooded continues, showing Shilo, perfectly fine and conscious, lying on his back in the middle of the ring, looking right up at Aaron Blackbourne, who stares down at him. All you had to do was pin me.

The footage changes to Datura pinning Shilo and winning the match. But you couldn't even do that, could you, Aaron? Shilo's voice growls. Another FAILURE - YOUR failure.

Shilo is seen walking backstage, wagging his finger at Aaron, Datura and Jay Gold.

I was prepared to write you off then, Aaron. You clearly had the talent, but not the hunger or the smarts to use them to be entertaining like me. I had raised you up to something great! To be something great! To be... Well, perhaps as good as me! And at every turn, you let me down. You failed, you choked, you cried, you whined.

But lesson three of the entertainment? one of Shilo's masks is seen, and a gloved hand picking it up. Every crowd has a silver lining. A light laugh is heard before footage is shown of Aaron Blackbourne winning the number one contender spot for the World Championship at Fatal Fortunes. It was time for this old clown to learn something - or at least re-learn something. For suddenly, there you were, Aaron - my little project. My experiment, after elevating you, getting the crowd to pay attention to you. Getting other superstars to want to fight you! Getting LEGENDS to take you on... You finally began to show some promise. Finally, you began to pay me back, or so I had thought.

For there you were... the graphic of Bree Lancaster vs Aaron Blackbourne for the World title at Taking Hold of the Flame is shown. On the cusp of achieving what I knew you could do since the beginning. What I had pushed you towards.

And Aaron, I truly DID believe you in the beginning. And I truly believed in you again. Because I was ready to not only discard my pawn, Datura from the board... A shot is shown of Shilo nailing Datura with "The Broken Smile" and pinning her to beat her, the jester smiling as he does. But I showed you what else I was ready to give you.

In a flash, three different shots were shown, all of Shilo Valiant main-eventing Rise to Greatness three years in a row. I was prepared to win the Royale for you, Aaron, and in doing so, give you the main-event that would immortalize you. The main-event that defines Rise to Greatness. A main-event at Rise to Greatness with Shilo Valiant. My show. My land. My earned keep. I was prepared to give it to, Aaron. To, as I did before, share my spotlight with you and push you like I tried to do. I was giving you the WORLD, Aaron...

And all... You had to do... Was win the World Championship...

The footage is shown of Bree pinning and beating Aaron and retaining her title.
Win the world championship...
Bree is seen holding up her retained title.
Win the world championship...
Aaron is seen, his head lowered in frustration and sadness at his lose.
ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS WIN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!

The shot changes to the spotlight shining down right on Aaron after his loss.

In that moment, Aaron, I saw you for what you truly are.
Aaron's words echo as the footage stays where it is. My canvas is the ring.

You were no artist! You were no entertainer! You were a fraud! A charlatan! A joke of a man that saw me- Shots are shown of Shilo's various reincarnations and accolades in his past. Saw how I did it... And just copied my act! The 'unchained creativity' was not 'unchained' but 'unoriginal'! A brat trying to use my art, my entertainment and pass it off as his own!

Shilo is seen marching out of the Royale after being eliminated, no longer caring about it. I knew then what I had to do.

More shots are shown of the spotlight coming down on Aaron at various Breakdown episodes. Under the bright spotlight, I was going to destroy what I had raised. What I had created! I had given you fame. I had given you notoriety. Now? I was going to take it all away!

And I watched with delight as you were regulated back to your losing matches. As you were pushed back to dark matches - as you became, once more, nothing but an accessory to your friends. A minor attraction to the greater Owen Cruze and Kelcey Wallace.

Slowly, the footage changes back to the present. Through the cracked mirror, Shilo's eyes bore into his own reflection. But that wasn't good enough for me...

Footage is shown of Shilo sitting on a high-rise in the parking lot, looking down at Aaron and his friends.

I was content in my retirement, Aaron. I was fine with how I left things. I was happy with the mark I left in SCW. A shot is shown of Shilo, genuinely smiling and teary-eyed as he accepts his induction into the Hall of Fame. To end my career being inducted into the Hall of Fame? That was good enough for me.

But I came back because I thought I could help. I thought I could make someone be "the next greatest showman"!

But you denied me that, Aaron! With your failings and your lies, you took away my 'happy end to my career' and tainted it! You tied my name, my legacy to the waste of talent - waste of a man - that is Aaron Blackbourne! And I would be damned if I allowed my history, my LEGACY as the greatest entertainer in SCW to be tarnished because of YOU!

The shot fizzles and changes to the final Breakdown, with Shilo standing in the ring, dripping blue paint and grinning at Aaron.

So, tonight, Aaron... I will not raise you. I will not save you. I will not help you. I will not guide you. I will not promote you. I will not support you.

No... Rather, I will take back MY spotlight... And wipe your stain of existence from MY SCW! Various shots are shown of Shilo nailing superstars with The Inside Joke and The Broken Smile. I will erase the fraud that is Aaron Blackbourne! I will erase the embarrassment to the entertainment that is Aaron Blackbourne. I will erase the disappointment to SCW... That is Aaron Blackbourne!

The scene returns to the present, inside the dressing room as Shilo is suddenly standing, his clothes having changes from a black robe, to crimson red and black attire. Adjusting his clothes slightly, Shilo cracks his neck a little with a jerk of his head. I let you taste my generosity, Aaron. I let you taste the joy of my spotlight. Now? I will make you choke on having that spotlight and what little fame and credibility you still possess ripped away from you. I will STEAL the show from you and from every other superstar competing here tonight.

Rise to Greatness will be what it has always been about - the name Shilo Valiant. The Entertainment. And when it's all said and done, Aaron, and I finally fully expose you as the fraud - the failure - that you are... I, and I alone, will stand in MY spotlight... On MY show.

Lowering his head, the Man Who Laughs squeezes his right hand, causing red paint to ooze between the fingers. And I will leave you in the darkness, where you belong. Unwanted... Unloved... Unoriginal...

With a grin, Shilo smears the paint over the side of his face. The paint seemed to seethe and bubble, hardening to, somehow, form a red version of his skull half mask. For I am the only person that can entertain SCW. I see that now. Only Shilo Valiant can be "the world's greatest showman". And at Rise to Greatness, I will rise and prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

And you, fraud? You can be the one who makes me laugh... Shilo's grin widens as the spotlight forms around him, the rest of the room darkening to black. Make me laugh... he whispers before suddenly shouting. MAKE ME LAUGH!!! Ssssh! he shushes with his other gloved hand, his lands words a whisper as well.

Make me laugh, Aaron... Before I take it all away and leave you... he snaps his fingers and the spotlight blinks out, but Shilo's voice is still heard: a horrifying whisper...

In the dark... Ha ha ha ha ha...

His laugh fades slowly as the video comes to an end.

When Rise to Greatness 2019 rolled around, Aaron was entering the weekend with a sense of dread hanging overhead, and it ultimately proved prophetic with the attack he suffered prior to the show that many argued cost him his chance to leave the biggest pay-per-view of the year with championship gold.

One year later, and it was almost like déjà vu.

When the final Breakdown before the big show came to a close, Aaron left the arena that night feeling frustrated and concerned about what lay ahead. Losing to Ace Marshall in a very hard-fought battle was one thing, and Aaron felt no shame in the effort he gave. Losing that match because Shilo Valiant had to play one last game with him, however, was a different matter entirely. The spotlight, the face-to-face encounter with Shilo literally dripping wet with paint and daring him to create a masterpiece with it… it took every last ounce of willpower the creative soul had to keep from simply decking the jester right then and there, knowing that's exactly what Shilo wanted. He would have his chance on Sunday to silence him once and for all, and he would do so on his terms. That thought alone is what allowed him to hold back in that moment, saving the aggression for when it would be most appropriate.

Aaron could easily shrug off the idea of heading into Rise to Greatness lacking in momentum. After all, two years ago he’d gone into the show on a lengthy losing streak and ended up leaving as TV Champion, so the idea that he needed momentum to ensure a better chance of winning wasn’t a concrete one in his mind. It was the fact that there was more to this than simply Shilo trying to have one last round of fun at his expense that weighed heavily on his mind, as last year had proven how dangerous it was to be going into this high profile weekend with loose ends outside the ring that sought to threaten what he looked to accomplish inside of it.

It was exactly one year ago when Dylan had attacked him in his hotel room the day of the Hall of Fame Ceremony, not only injuring him to the point where he had to miss both that and the fanfest as well as put his status for the show itself in jeopardy, but also inadvertently taking his own life in the process… an image that still haunted Aaron’s mind to this day. Months of the man trying to add on to the fact he’d taken Aaron’s brother’s life and tried to cover it up as a suicide by tormenting his family in any way that he could culminated in attempting something so brazen that there was no way even the creative soul could’ve imagined the possibility, all because it seemed like the perfect time to strike when his focus was on what was, at the time, arguably the biggest match of his career on the biggest stage SCW had to offer.

While Aaron didn’t have someone seemingly considering an attempt on his life this year, thankfully, there were still plenty of loose ends that could unravel at the worst possible time. Ever since Taking Hold of the Flame, there had been a mysterious woman seemingly trying to dig as deep as she could for any dirt on both Aaron and Liane, though for what reason he couldn’t possibly begin to imagine. The fact that she knew enough to already trigger Liane’s psychotic other personality and nearly cause Aaron to do something that would’ve ruined his impending World Title match at the time raised enough red flags as it was, but knowing that she had also made efforts to enter into discussions with Liane’s siblings about her had put the couple on high alert and had them warning everyone they knew about this shady character. While he wanted to doubt that she would attempt to directly confront either of them again, especially with how Aaron managed to respond to her the last time she tried that, this was the weekend that seemed to always beg for something horrendous to happen to him, and merely being on the card at all felt like it was just tempting fate for her to try again.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the artist had received quite the shock prior to Breakdown that still had him reeling. What had started as a simple daydream session to try and plan out his entrance for Rise to Greatness this year and send a clear message to Shilo had found itself hijacked and plunged into nightmare territory as he lost control for the first time in months, ultimately finding himself face to face with the embodiment of all his stress and negativity for the first time since he and his army of loyal creations had driven him off prior to the Trios Tournament. Perhaps it was no surprise considering the amount of stress he’d been under between dealing with Shilo and worrying about this woman digging for information she had no right to possess, not to mention the added issues that stemmed from his assistance in dealing with The Wonderland, but of all the times Nemesis could have resurfaced, this was easily the worst possible moment, and the abomination certainly knew that. Why else would it opt to not wait until one of the roughest times of the year for his ‘master’ was in the books to mount a comeback?

Needless to say, if Aaron was going to make it through the crown jewel of SCW’s calendar year in any sort of decent shape this year, he was going to need some help.

Thankfully, Breakdown emanating from Milwaukee this week proved beneficial despite the fairly short turnaround time before Rise to Greatness was set to take place in Minneapolis. While it wasn’t that long of a rip between the two cities, Chicago was even closer to Milwaukee, and everything finally seemed to line up just right to allow for Aaron and Liane to take a small detour for a much-needed appointment. Not only were they hoping to finally get some answers about their mysterious new shadow, but Aaron was certainly in desperate need of getting his head screwed back on straight if he was to have any hope of ending things with Shilo once and for all.

“Aaron, Liane, it’s so good to see you again. I apologize that we couldn’t meet sooner… it seems some moving parts were rearranged to kind of clash with each other to try and prevent this meeting.”

As the couple made their way into his office after roughly two hours of driving and a little longer sitting in the waiting room the day after Breakdown, Dr. Marsh-Asher was clearly trying his best to make them feel as welcome and comfortable as possible before the storm he knew would slowly unfold. After shaking hands and getting them settled in on the couch, the SCW alumni took his seat and grabbed a folder that was full of something that Aaron could easily see wasn’t sitting well with a man who had seen horrors of all kinds in his life both inside and out of the ring, which was already a bad sign to the artist.

“I know what we need to discuss, but I guess I should open with the customary question of how you two have been doing, especially after we were last in contact with one another.”

“I’ve been doing much better, thankfully. Aaron’s been a huge help in keeping my head where it needs to be, and him being able to attend some of my shows around Breakdowns has made him the rock that keeps me in the comedy zone and not losing myself to the menace I really don’t want unleashed on the world.”

The therapist smiles at that, taking some relief in this development as Liane squeezes her fiancé’s hand. The two exchange heartwarming smiles, although Aaron’s is quick to fade and this is easily picked up on by the entire room.

“I want to say I’ve been doing well, but I’d be lying, doctor. Between this situation with this woman we told you about, putting up with Shilo and The Wonderland in SCW… this being the time of year when I was attacked and nearly killed last year while watching a man die before my very eyes… I feel like I’ve been slowly spiraling.”

“We’ll be addressing the first of those in a moment, but I think I need to shift gears after hearing this. You’re sounding like something’s happened-”

“Nemesis is back. After months of being free of him because things were finally starting to look up for me, the stress of everything going on seems to have reawakened him.”

Liane can’t help but gasp at this, but aside from that an eerie silence falls over the room. Aaron looks at his significant other and is greeted by a concerned look that’s clearly questioning why he didn’t bring this up to her until now, and he can only offer a wordless apology. Both turn their attention back to Dr. Marsh-Asher when he takes a deep breath and silently assesses the situation at hand before turning his attention back down to what’s sitting in the folder in his lap.

“From what I know of that situation up to this point, I think our best course of action in response to this is to work to try and keep your stress levels down. Obviously there’s not much I can offer in regards to my old ‘friend,’ though if we can get you in a state where you can put your undivided focus on defeating him this Sunday night, that issue should resolve itself.”

Aaron nods, having a feeling that’s what it was going to come down to, but a definitive victory over the entertainer would not only be huge for him as another former World Champion and Hall of Famer he’s conquered, but would also give him nothing left to stand on as far as trying to continue this game any farther than it’s already gone.

“The first issue you listed, however, is one I know you’ve both been waiting for far longer than you needed to for answers about, and I cannot apologize enough for the delay.”

“It’s not your fault, doctor. We know you’re busy with other patients and you said there was something about that orphanage-”

“That I now know she was responsible for.”

The look of disdain that graces the therapist’s face in that moment paints a pretty clear picture that this woman has clearly grated on his own final nerves, and she was making a dangerous enemy in the process.

“Aaron, you know that I allowed Thirteen to resurface back in the Taking Hold of the Flame battle royal. While it allowed my ‘other half’ to get his fill of wrestling for the time being, my entry as a whole was a cover for a more important task. After you two called me prior to that show, I had a feeling she might try to wait until you were in a more vulnerable position to try something, and after I was eliminated I caught her trying to get backstage to interview you, trying to use her nonexistent association to me. Needless to say, I put her in her place and she took off… and then the orphanage I now co-run with my sister found itself facing legal threats over nonsensical violations that kept me tied up from not only meeting with you again, but several other patients as well. False reports she filed under a pseudonym that couldn’t be tracked in hopes it would eliminate me from the picture.”

Suddenly, it made a lot more sense as to why this had to be delayed for so long. Naturally, any sort of legal issue would have to be addressed immediately, especially if the fate of children who had nowhere else to go was hanging in the balance. Aaron was slowly starting to paint a clearer picture of this woman in his head now, and while it wasn’t a very pretty picture beforehand after what she’d tried to pull on him and Liane thus far, the fact that she’d clearly violated the law and tied up the police just to try and buy herself some time knowing someone who could expose her was on her trail solidified that there was nothing too low that she wouldn’t resort to in order to get whatever she was after.

“Who the hell does this woman think she is?”

“Someone who’s lost her way and doesn’t care about the destructive path she’s walking so long as she has something to gain from it.”

Dr. Masrh-Asher grabs one of the documents from the folder and shows it to the couple, revealing a document with a big red ‘REJECTED’ stamp across it. The photo that was paperclipped to the paper showed a much younger woman, but the likeness was clearly there to the person who’d appeared before the both of them lying about being an assistant to their therapist in hopes of getting them to spill their guts to her.

“Her name is Nancy Black. Long before he became my mentor in becoming what I am today… long before he even took on my sister and I as patients when we finally sought answers for our own psychological issues, a colleague of mine named Dr. Sharpe mentored this woman as well in her efforts to become a therapist. There was just one problem: she quickly seemed to lose sight of what this profession truly means and was only enamored with the idea of being able to say she was the doctor to high-profile patients and could publish anything that would gain her awards and notoriety, even at the expense of violating the sacred right of doctor-patient confidentiality… something I’ll fully admit I’ve kind of walked a fine line with myself to some degree and am trying to improve with. In any case, Dr. Sharpe put his foot down and dismissed her, and outside of seeing that she apparently did earn the necessary degrees at some point to officially call herself a doctor, he basically washed his hands of it and moved on with his own career.”

The sigh that followed from James was all Aaron needed to hear to see they were on the same page in the flaw about Dr. Sharpe’s line of thinking here. It was easy to assume that if she did ultimately put in the time and work to get her degrees, this Nancy Black woman must have changed her tune about this profession and become a proper therapist. In this day and age, however, it was very easy to simply pretend long enough until you had exactly what you needed, and given her actions as of late it was clear this is exactly the kind of stunt she pulled.

“So you think the dirt she’s trying to dig up on us is to make herself some kind of psychology celebrity at our expense?”

“Dr. Sharpe and I both think so. It lines up with her initial motives perfectly, and it makes a lot of sense. An up-and-coming comedian and a well-respected artist and professional wrestler both having some dark secrets exposed that makes it seem like they’re lying to the world about how mentally stable they truly are and paints them as a threat she ‘took care of’ by saying something… all she can see with this in front of her is dollar signs, interviews and probably some kind of award, all of which she doesn’t deserve.”

Liane can’t help but cling to Aaron after hearing this, visibly shaken by the idea of someone trying to tell the world that she’s a nutcase who deserves to be locked away because she could hurt someone without meaning to, despite trying to get help for it. Aaron gently stroked her hair in an attempt to comfort her, but he wasn’t taking this revelation well either. This woman was basically putting herself into the role that Aaron always gave to therapists up until he actually met with the man sitting across from him that was willing to actually try and understand him in order to help: someone who treated his imagination as a descent into insanity and deemed him unfit to be a part of society until he was one hundred percent immersed only in reality.

“Has she had any further contact with you since we were last able to talk?”

“Not with us… but she has been trying to approach our families looking for anything more she can use. After my brother called me and let me know, we spread the word to the rest of my family so they knew to keep an eye out for her.”

“I did the same with my family. I even got a text while we were driving out here from my mom to let me know she ran into her while grocery shopping, and she just ignored her and got away from her as soon as possible without telling her anything.”

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me that this is the next step she’s taking, though you did the right thing in working to limit the routes she can take to try and get anything. We’re already working on our own measures to put an end to her little game before she can actually do anything, especially now that she’s wanted in the state of New York for the false reports she filed against my orphanage. I promise you both that she will not be allowed to get away with anything she’s done or seeks to do.”

Aaron hugs Liane a little tighter as the both of them look relieved that there’s already plans in place to try and put a stop to this before anything happens, and Dr. Marsh-Asher regains his smile as he closes the file and throws it down onto his desk as a sort of exclamation point to the whole thing, wanting this woman brought down just as badly as the patients of his she sought to bury in the name of her own selfish gain. He slowly rises to a stand and walks over to the seated couple before placing a hand on Aaron’s shoulder, which causes him to raise an eyebrow for a moment.

“I know this isn’t an easy time of year for you Aaron, and what we just talked about doesn’t make it any easier this year. But don’t forget that you’re not alone in this fight. You have friends and people that care about you, both inside of your head and out. That’s not exactly something I had for the longest time. Put your trust in them to be there for you and help you out when you need it most and don’t be afraid to share with them when something is bothering you. The more you let them know, the more they can help you, no matter what the problem may be.”

The creative soul’s eyes can only widen in response to these words and the grin that the doctor gives him, almost as if they set off a light bulb inside his mind. As they brought this session to a close so Aaron and Liane could be on their way to the end of this road where Rise to Greatness awaited the designer, he started to realize the true significance of what he’d heard in that moment. Out here in the real world, he would always have the support of people like Liane and the other members of the Perfect Pack and he didn’t need to struggle with bearing his soul to them when something was wrong as he often tended to do. But if he ever did find himself facing that problem, Dr. Marsh-Asher had reminded him that he had an entire world full of beings residing within his mind he could also turn to, who would never judge him and respected him enough as their creator to be able to offer whatever help they could if he was unable to think of something himself. Between those two different planes of existence, he was never at a loss for a support system at any point in time, and there was always a solution to every problem that plagued him as long as he was able to turn to either one for assistance.

I think there’s enough in place out here in reality to stop this Nancy woman. Once Liane and I get to Minneapolis and settle in, I think I need to take a little trip to find some help regarding Nemesis’s return. And maybe even a few ideas on how to put this issue with Shilo to bed once and for all, while I’m at it…
If there was any good that came out of the war that had been waged against Nemesis for so long, it’s that unexpected bonds had been forged by the fires that monstrosity had caused and a greater sense of unity now existed within Aaron’s imagination that hadn’t been there before.

Not only had some creations that had been bitter enemies or were more willing to pick a fight with one another upon locking eyes now suddenly on speaking terms and even willing to do things together, but the area that had once been their little pocket dimension within this creative space to serve as a base camp hidden away from their enemy had now evolved through their combined efforts into a sprawling metropolis that virtually became the capital and centerpiece of this fantastic world. Appropriately named Synthesis, this city had become a place where many creatures had effectively either made a second home in addition to their own sections of this endless mindscape or chosen to live after theirs had been an unfortunate casualty of the battles. It was a place where even the most reclusive of creatures were more open to being out and about and willing to try interacting with others.

A city built of the bonds between designs that weren’t originally created to work together… the end result of the man who brought them all to life when he needed them unified most for the sake of everything they all cherished.

Which is why many of them were quite curious when they saw him sitting in the central plaza of the city, drawing ideas into existence only to erase them before they were finished because they weren’t working for him.

Some were familiar with the concept of Aaron retreating into his own mind and literally creating something out of thin air in the one place he could actually pull that off, though it was something he tended to do in some secluded part of his mental landscape only he could access. Being in a place where he could be seen doing it, and especially by the vast majority of his demons, was quite the unexpected surprise that many were curious if their creator was either trying to open himself up a little more to them in return for all their help or if there was something deeper at play. When he visibly expressed frustration after erasing yet another idea before it was finished, the thoughts quickly shifted to the latter, though many just kept surrounding him and staring, questioning if they should intervene or not. Finally, someone did take the risk, and Aaron snapped out of his daze and dropped the pen he was using when he felt a hand on each of his shoulders.

“You feeling alright, hombre?”

“You’ve been at… whatever you’re doing for a while now, and I think we can actually speak on behalf of everyone here in saying we’re a little worried.”

It was at this point that Aaron took a look around and fully realized the scene he’d caused, the crowd of creatures of all shapes and sizes completely enclosing the plaza now as they all looked at him with  mixture of curiosity and the aforementioned worry. The creative soul actually felt a little embarrassed at all the attention he’d drawn as he looked back at the Twin Stars, who were just as concerned but had gathered the resolve to snap him out of it.

“Sorry, I guess I kind of zoned out there for a bit. Just kind of sat down and lost myself.”

“No offense, but considering how long most of us have known you for, it’s pretty odd for you to zone out here, considering you’re usually zoning out to actually be here and all…”

“What the heck are you even trying to work on, anyway?”

Aaron sighed as he turned his gaze back to the ground, his sudden nervousness immediately being felt among everyone present. He bent down to retrieve his pen, but Gleeful was quick to snatch it up, giving him a look that basically demanded that he come clean if he wanted it back. He gave her a brief glare in response, but he couldn’t maintain it. After all, he knew she was only doing it for his well-being, and she especially out of virtually any of his creations could tell when he was trying to hide something. Emotions were her whole thing, after all. He finally caved as he slowly rose to a stand, giving Gleeful some room to return to her brother’s side as he looked around at the crowd he’d unintentionally amassed.

“I apologize for worrying you all. I was trying to come up with an idea for something that makes it clear to the so-called ‘entertainer’ who’s been trying to set up shop here in my head without an invitation for months now that this isn’t going to end however he believes it will… that everything he thinks he knows about me is wrong and this game he’s been trying to play for far too long is finally going to end. I thought I had a plan for this… but…”

He slowly trailed off, a little hesitant to actually continue. Even if they all knew the possibility existed, the fact that they were finally free and united for the first time deserved a chance to endure a little longer before it was threatened. He knew that not saying anything could have dire consequences, but he didn’t have the heart to make this about more than just ending this carnival ride he felt he’d been on with Shilo for an eternity now. The Twin Stars, however, had clearly decided they were going to be the necessary emotional support beams that kept him standing tall if need be, and after a quick nod to one another, Aaron suddenly found Dreambender teleporting the short distance to float right in front of him, placing his hand on his creator’s forehead as his eyes began to glow. The creative soul could only bite his bottom lip, fearing the reaction to the nightmare he’d had some time ago but knowing it wouldn’t be long until everyone knew. In a matter of moments, Dreambender suddenly broke off the connection and quickly recoiled, eyes widened in horror as Gleeful was immediately by his side, trying to calm him down before he voiced the concern that quickly spread throughout the plaza.

“NEMESIS IS BACK!?”

Their creator could only put on a guilty expression as small conversations began to roar to life around him, mostly of anger and fear that things were going to start falling apart again with the nightmare of negativity resurrected and wondering why he’d chosen to stay quiet about this. Thinking back to his therapy session with Dr. Marsh-Asher, however, it became clear what he truly needed to do in this moment. With a snap of his fingers, he summoned a literal soapbox and stepped up onto it, which slowly silenced the crowd as he seemed to gain more and more strength from all the attention being given to him now.

“Yes, I’m afraid it’s true. Nemesis has seemingly returned, and I’m sorry I kept it quiet from all of you. After everything we’ve managed to build from the ashes of the damage he caused the last time he was around, I was fearful of watching this all fall apart again when we’d finally attained an improbable peace. He has only appeared to me once and I cannot say for certain how much power he currently has, but I do know one thing: he’s replenishing himself off the stress I’ve been under once again, but I’ve come to realize that I know better than to repeat the mistakes that allowed him to become the threat he was before. The therapist I’ve been seeing opened my eyes to the support I’ve always had, not just beyond this realm, but from all of you as well. You, who chose to come together and stand by my side to put an end to his tyranny for all our sakes, even at the risk of everything you still held dear.”

The speech was certainly having an effect, as a steady wave of confidence and strength seemed to be spreading among those who were listening. It was empowering to see their creator standing tall and addressing not only his own faults, but the faults of everyone that had given the monster his opening once before. But together, they had put an end to this once before, and it was starting to become clear among everyone present that they could do the same again. Aaron could only smile at the growing unity that warmed his heart before he pressed onward.

“Nemesis grows in strength when I, as your creator, am at my most vulnerable. Out in the real world, I have been struggling to keep it together in the face of the antics of a clown who only sees me as a cheap imitation of everything that he once was, as well as the growing storm of someone who does not care about my mental well-being so long as she can make a profit off of it. The latter is already being dealt with, but the former? With Shilo permanently evicted from my head, that cuts off one of Nemesis’s biggest lifelines. It’s something I might be able to accomplish on my own, but I know that all of us together would stand a much better chance of setting the cogs in motion that will ultimately see us be rid of Nemesis and his corrupt influence once and for all!”

The roar of approval that accompanied this declaration filled Aaron with a sense of pride that he hadn’t truly felt in a very long time. When he’d had the support of his creations in the past, part of him always questioned how much of it was out of legitimate respect for him for bringing them to life and not just trying to play nice hoping they’d be the next one to get to introduce themselves to the world through him. When they had all come together to stand as one against Nemesis, he contemplated the lingering possibility that it was only out of necessity and it wouldn’t last once they had prevailed. But standing here now, seeing everyone coming together and showing their honest support for him, willing to help him become the best version of himself he could truly be… as odd as this might sound, for perhaps the first time in his life, Aaron truly felt at home within his imagination, and it was an experience he would never forget.

“It’s truly impressive to see what you’ve accomplished Aaron… most possibilities I foresaw never had you coming this far, which speaks volumes in my humble opinion.”

A collective gasp resounded throughout the plaza before a stunned silence overtook everything. All eyes turned to the new voice in the conversation, and it wasn’t hard to understand why everything seemed to suddenly grind to a halt. Floating right behind Aaron, at least until his feet met the ground from his descent, was Zeitgeist. The fact that he was standing here, joining with everyone else in visibly showing their collective support for the creative soul, felt like a once in a lifetime event was unfolding before their very eyes, as even if it wasn’t for the fact that the master of time never seemed to leave his clock tower, he always made it a point to remain a neutral party no matter how dire the situation may be as his power could easily influence the outcome, something he felt should only become the case in a situation where a certain outcome was absolutely necessary and something he had yet to truly come across.

“Zeitgeist? You’re actually… here?”

“As shocked as I know you all are, even I understand the importance of helping you have a clear path forward to do as you see fit. And to that end, I believe I have an idea on how we can make that message loud and clear to Mr. Valiant.”

As everyone followed his motion to gather around, Zeitgeist began to lay out his idea, and it didn’t take long for enthusiasm in going forward with it to spread like wildfire. Aaron would come away from this in disbelief that he’d actually witnessed a true collaborative effort between himself and literally all of his creations over the years, but he couldn’t argue with the results. The master of time had presented an idea that would not only remind Aaron of all the support he had at the crucial moment where his confidence would threaten to waver, but was also both creative enough to be one hundred percent him and clear enough that should he tell Shilo he would truly know who Aaron Blackbourne was by the end of this final dance between them, he would mean it.
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but there are some who not only misconstrue that old phrase, but read so much into it that they can no longer separate fantasy from reality.

All my life, I’ve prided myself on my creativity and how I use it. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m hardly the first creative soul in the world, nor will I be the last. But the beauty of that is knowing that even if there is someone out there who has the same sense of imagination and creative strength that I do, very rarely will the things we come up with truly be similar. Should that be the case, it can either be attributed to sheer coincidence or an admission that one of us figured out a way to take an idea of concept that already existed and built upon it to make something new and unique, and even in those scenarios credit is always given where it’s due. While there may have been moments here and there where I’ve repeated myself when it comes to SCW, for example, there’s always been a different reason or story behind those actions, and I am always striving to share something new to keep everyone on their toes and show the world just how deep my creativity runs, hoping that it’ll inspire others to dig for themselves to see what kind of creative efforts they can unearth if they give it a chance. Who knows? Maybe one day, this sense of creative progress will ultimately be enough to change the world and create that incredible future we all dream of every now and then.

Of course, progress can only be made when some people learn to let go of the past, and I feel like that’s the biggest reason why a certain Hall of Famer refuses to let me off this merry-go-round he’s managed to lead me into riding for the past several months.

I’ll be honest: all the way back in November of last year, when Shilo Valiant revealed himself to be a mystery challenger during my last TV Title reign, I was ecstatic. The idea of testing myself against a true legend of this company and seeing how well I would fare, especially with championship gold in the balance, was more than enough to get my blood pumping on that night. To Shilo, however, this was merely the beginning of a game he wanted to play. Denying me a proper outcome to that match and expressing his approval for what I could mean to the future of SCW, distracting me in order to cost me that title the following week and changing his tune, trying to remind me for months on end that I’m the one standing in the spotlight of his little show only because he’s allowing me to be there… for nine months now, off and on, Shilo has been trying to prove a point that I am nothing more than a copycat of everything that once made him who he was, all the whole sticking to the shadows and relying on mind games that would inevitably fail once I began to see straight through the smoke and mirrors and adapt to his tricks.

Throughout all of this, Shilo wants you to believe that I’ve developed an obsession with him. The reality of this scenario, however, is that it’s the other way around.

No matter what he’s done since he came back on that night to first ‘test’ me, it’s ultimately circled back around to me at the end of the day. When he disappeared after we tried this back at Clarity and didn’t get a conclusive result, it was all a ploy to ‘reveal my obsession’ and make me derail my career. The moment I started to move on and prove that I wasn’t going to fall for it, he reappeared to try and make sure I wasn’t going to forget about him that easily. When he tried to drag Datura and Jay Gold into the mix and tell me that I simply had to ‘wait in line’ for this opportunity, he never stopped addressing me in the process and trying to convince himself that he was getting in my head, only to double down when I once again shifted my attention away from him and onto the top of the mountain. The spotlight, trying to divert my attention when I watched my best friend willingly leave the arena with a lunatic, the paint stunt he pulled a few nights ago on Breakdown… all the hallmarks of a desperate man wanting to make absolutely sure my attention was on him, and him alone, to fit his narrative.

All because he’s looking for an heir to his throne.

I wouldn’t be surprised if many of you are scratching our heads at that idea, and I wouldn’t blame you. After all, throughout this entire circus act Shilo’s been putting on, he’s taken every opportunity he can to preach to the world that I am just ripping off everything that makes him the entertainer that once ruled the roost around here, a claim he’s also made in regards to just about anyone else on the SCW roster because he believes he, and he alone, is the alpha and omega when it comes to what makes SCW what it is and always has been. What I’ve found odd for the longest time is the method to the madness of these repeated claims. How many times have we been face-to-face and nothing’s ever truly come of it? How many times has Shilo had the perfect opportunity to start a fight with me and backed down instead? Even the few times we’ve shared the ring for a match, he’s either made it a point to avoid a fight with me or simply walked away before we could ever reach any sort of conclusion. I would’ve figured that if Shilo really had that much of a problem with me ‘copying’ him just because he thinks my attempts to share my imagination with all of you in hopes of inciting inspiration are an exact replica of every last bit of showmanship that he’s relied on throughout his career, he would’ve eventually hit a point where he realized the mind games weren’t working and taken a more direct approach to try and make me ‘stop.’ Even if I’m wrong on that, I’m familiar enough with Shilo’s approach to things to know that nine months is far too long to keep this song and dance going, even for him. A true performer knows their audience well enough to know when it’s time to close the curtains and call it a night, after all.

For Shilo to have invested all this time and effort into parlor tricks and an otherwise pacifist approach to something he’s spent a great deal of time fuming about, he clearly wants something out of me that’s not just trying to rid SCW of my creativity, especially when I’m not the only one he’s called out on this whole ‘crusade’ of his.

Unfortunately for him, I’m not here to be Shilo Valiant 2.0. I’m here to be me.

The games you play, the depths you’re willing to sink to, all in the name of entertainment by your own definition only and having that spotlight all to yourself… that isn’t who I am Shilo, and it never will be. My methods have been criticized to hell and back by people who have offered far more convincing arguments than you’ve ever been able to deliver, and yet I’m still building my own path forward. You want to know why? Because while you feel validation so long as that spotlight is surrounding you, my validation comes from knowing I was able to overcome whatever challenge was put in front of me without losing sight of everything that’s made me who I am today. I find creative ways to accomplish my goals within the confines of a given set of rules because it adds to the challenge of figuring out how I pull that off without having to simply ignore that the rules exist. I surround myself with people that truly believe in me, both real and imaginary, the same way I believe in them because there’s more to this business, and life as a whole, than simply telling the world over and over again how many times you’ve been able to call yourself one of the all-time greats. After all, there are some things that unfortunately do fade away with the passage of time, and I think even you understand that even if you refuse to admit it.

That’s why you need me to give in and see things your way…

Why you need me to admit that I’m just a carbon copy of you, no matter how much it isn’t true…

Even with all you’ve accomplished and a place in SCW’s Hall of Fame, you see how SCW has moved on without you, and deep down… that thought terrifies you. But if you can’t keep up anymore, then you need someone to pass that torch to, someone who will take up your mantle and continue your legacy, someone that is enough of a kindred spirit to leave you feeling like everything you’ve built is in good hands.

I want to be flattered, Shilo, but not only have you turned me off to that idea now that I’ve seen how far things will go all just so you can be able to tell the world that I am the new you, you failed to take one very important detail into account:

At the end of the day, only I have the right to decide what my legacy should be. And I’d prefer not to walk the exact same path that someone else laid out before me because we’ve already seen it before, so we all know how that story ends.

Like it or not Shilo, this all comes to an end at Rise to Greatness. There will be no more running, no more tricks… you have home field advantage since this is your stage, after all. You wouldn’t dare disappoint all those people now. But when all is set and done and that spotlight finally fades, you’re not going to walk away from this with the heir you’ve become obsessed with having.

At the end of the night, you, and all of Minneapolis and everyone watching round the world, will understand, once and for all, that I am Aaron Blackbourne… and that’s all I ever need to be.
While most of the world’s attention turned to Minneapolis as Rise to Greatness weekend was preparing to kick off its festivities, there was one person who had other things to focus on.

While it would’ve been the perfect opportunity to try and exploit the chaotic festivities to get what she was after, she had a feeling by now that SCW wasn’t going to be too fond of her presence. The unexpected appearance of the therapist she’d been trying to piggyback off of to get the psychological analysis that would make her a household name at long last the last time she’d tried that had thrown an unexpected wrench into everything, and she wouldn’t be surprised if his fact-checking earned her a permanent ban from being anywhere near anyone who would be able to expand upon what she already had.

They were on to her, if the struggle to pry information out of their perceived unexpecting families was any indication, though she’d hoped the stunt she pulled with Dr. Marsh-Asher would buy her enough time to set her endgame into motion.

There was one possibility she hadn’t tried to exploit yet, and with the attention of everyone who might have a chance to stop it turned to what’s going on over six hundred miles away, she had to strike while she had the chance. That was why she found herself standing on the front porch of this particular house on this particular afternoon, ringing the doorbell and silently cursing at the little shock she received in return from what had to be faulty wiring for it. It would all be worth it once she was done talking with the balding man who answered the door and his wife that stood just behind him out of her own curiosity.

“Excuse me, but is this the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Forte?”

In the mind of Nancy Black, nothing was going to stop her from achieving what she believed was always owed to her, even if it meant a few innocent souls had to suffer for the problems they happened to have in the process.