01-16-2021, 11:21 AM
01-22-2021, 08:01 AM
This was becoming a not welcome familiar sight for Blake Mason. He found himself inside of a hospital room sitting down in a chair at the bedside of Kelcey Wallace. What led the couple here in his mind could have been avoided entirely. The nature of professional wrestling is a chaotic beast as he knows all too well participating in the sport for over a decade. Never easy visiting your loved ones inside a medical facility. Here he is once again checking in on the well being of the love of his life. The second time in a span of three months. The first time wasn’t due to a direct wrestling occurrence, the culprit was a coworker, the same coworker who he views as responsible for Kelcey having to be looked over by doctors.
Her ally, Giovanni Aires, attacked Kelcey, shoved her in the back seat of the car. Sienna had intended to drive Kelcey off to god knows where, his fiance fought back, in the process, Sienna drove straight into another co worker’s (Selena Frost), tour bus, causing both Sienna and Kelcey grave harm. It was found out later that Selena wasn’t on the tour bus. Thank goodness for that. Shame Kelcey and Sienna were badly hurt due to there ongoing rivalry with no clear end in sight.
Blake broodly stares at the floor twiddling his thumbs, trying his best to compose himself.
He doesn’t notice Kelcey looking at him. “I’m fine, love.” Kelcey says to break the silence. “I’m a little banged up. Still alive.”
Blake lifts his head up. He piers into the loving eyes of his wife to be. “You shouldn’t be here!” he says unwilling to accept that this is their destiny. “None of this needed to happen.
Blake balls up his fist. He feels like he could punch through a wall if he concentrated enough. Unfortunately there was nothing to punch. No one's ass to kick. His aggression would need to be saved for another day. With a long inhale, exhale, he was able to center himself enough to allow the anger to pass, somewhat.
Kelcey says. “I agree, love. This has gone on long enough. I just wish--”
Kelcey tries to move, clearly she isn’t one hundred percent. She clutches her ribs. Blake shoots out his seat, resting his arm on Kelcey’s shoulder.
“You need to rest!” Blake insisted. “I doubt they are letting you out tonight, better get used to it.”
She looks up into Blake’s eyes. She sighs. “Suppose you’re right.”
“Sometimes I get lucky!” Blake smirks.
Blake returns to his seat. Rubbing his chin, he continues. “I want you to hear about this from me before you catch wind of the news.” The former two time tag team champion cleared his throat. “So I talked to Sasha. Considering everything that happened tonight I had no trouble convincing her that a rematch with Giovanni Aries was a no brainer. But that’s not all--” He knew the words that were going to leave his lips next weren't going to be met with solemom approval. No lies. No secrets. Kelcey needed to know. “-- I convinced Sasha to lift the ban on the piledriver.”
As he expected, Kelcey’s eyes widened. “Blake. No. You can’t. This is what he wants.”
Blake shrugs. He knew Kelcey and everyone else who was going to have an opinion on his decision was going to remind him that he is falling for the leader of the Wonderland’s mind games. “I don’t care.”
“Love, I understand you’re upset. I wasn’t pleased that he assisted Sienna in whatever they had planned for me if I didn’t try to stop her... no. Not like this. There’s another way.” Kelcey insisted.
“I agree, there is. My way!” Blake flatley states. “What I hate the most about all this, every single week all of us are waiting, anticipating what Giovanni and Sienna’s next move is going to be. We are on the defensive. We wait for them to call the shots so we can do what is supposed to be right. Just like Katya. You don’t know how badly I wanted to go on the offensive, cut Katya off at the knees. I walked into work every single week wondering what she was going to do next. How she was going to abuse her authority. I lost my TV Championship. I lost my confidence. I lost my balls in the process, becoming a shell of the competitor I once was all because I was afraid to do anything. I am tired of being a god damn lemming Kelcey. I am done walking a path that isn’t working. You will always be a better person than me, that’s part of the reason I love you. We both know there is a darkness that exists, sometimes, you got to let the monster out.”
“I don’t want you to throw away everything for revenge, love.” Kelcey reassures him.
“Kelcey, all I ask is you trust me on this one. I don’t expect you to condone what I am about to do. This situation requires a heavier hand, one that you are unwilling to wield. At Last Grasp of Reality, I am piledriving Giovanni straight to hell. More than once if need be. He is going to suffer a consequence for blazing a path of chaos. He is the type of monster who can’t be reasoned or bargained with, he wants the world to burn? I’m going to burn his. I don’t care if this plays into his narrative. This is about doing what’s necessary.”
Blake kisses Kelcey on the forehead. “There’s something I need to do. I’ll be back.”
He turns around to walk out of Kelcey’s room. Exiting the room he closes the door behind him. He leans up against it mentally exhausted. It has been a long, nearly tragic night. Taking a deep breath he walks over to the waiting area where Owen Cruze, Peyton Rice and Aaron Blackbourne are sitting, talking among themselves. He stands there watching, not letting them know that he is there. The Bostonian gathers himself. He loudly clears his threat. This gains the attention of the Perfect Pack members.
“Hey---” Blake coldly says. “The three of you, come with me.”
“Did something happen?” Peyton asks, worry showing in her response.
“No. All of us need to talk, somewhere private. There’s a chapel down the hall. Follow me.”
All three of the Perfect Pack look at each other. Aaron, Owen and Peyton stand up. Blake turns his back to them, making what feels like a long walk down to the chapel he was referring to. To his delight no one is in there. He stops at the entrance. Taking a step to the side he makes way for The Perfect Pack to enter the sacred space. Aaron is the last one to walk in before Blake enters the chapel himself.
Peyton, Aaron and Owen take a seat.
Blake closes the door behind him ensuring absolute privacy.
Tucking his hands into his pocket he takes a cold hard look at the collective that Kelcey has chosen to lead into the future. Without any hesitancy he pushes forward. “There is no easy way to say this so I’m going to. The Perfect Pack is officially disbanded.”
There is an eerie silence that lingers in the air. Owen, Aaron and Peyton were caught off guard, speechless at first by Blake saying that their trio is disbanded.
Peyton is the first one to react. “Is that what Kelcey wants?”
Blake shakes his head. “No, it’s what needs to happen. I’m making this call.”
Aaron is the next to chime in. “No offense Blake, this isn’t your decision to make.”
Blake calmly says to Aaron, “It is now! You three have done enough. It’s over. Period.”
Owen is the next to chime in. “Aaron is right. It’s not your place to boss any of us around..”
“Am I supposed to listen to you of all people, Owen?! Blake scoffs. “Sasha was going to exile Aires from Supreme Championship Wrestling. That madman wasn’t going to have a platform to spread his message. Of course you wanted your revenge. You felt you were equipped to handle the menace yourself. How did that work out, Owen? Did beating him at Rise to Greatness help matters? Did standing up to him and Sienna make things better? No. My FIANCE IS SITTING IN A HOSPITAL ROOM BECAUSE OF YOUR INSISTENCE TO BE ETHICAL.”
Peyton looks like she is going to come to Owen’s defense. Aaron is the one who steps in. “Easy Blake. We understand you’re upset. All of us are. We can’t let Giovanni win. This is what he wants.”
“Fuck that guy! What about me, Aaron?” Blake snaps back. “ I am sick to death of Kelcey winding up in a hospital. Sienna tried to kill Kelcey not once but twice, I am done coming to an arena every goddamn week knowing Supreme Championship Wrestling can’t find a way to keep a bunch of psychopaths in check. SCW isn’t the only guilty party. The three of you are as well. The only reason Kelcey returned to professional wrestling was to make a goddamn difference, to show the audience the goddamn way, that we can exist without traveling down the same road of the Infamous, the Sienna Swann’s, the Giovani Aires of the world. You three gave her a vehicle to put her life in danger every single time we come to work.”
Blake takes a moment to breath. Then he continues, “What I want Aaron is to get away from this sport. I want to live as quiet of a life as possible with my future wife. I don’t want to feel like I need to get a restraining order against Sienna. Which I am going to look into after all this. That bitch needs to be in prison. Aires needs to be buried under it. All of this could have ended if the three of you had the courage to do what was necessary. But you won’t. Morality matters? Being ethical matters? Not sinking down to their level matters? Being a hero matters? Here we are, in a goddamn hospital, so you tell me Aaron, is this Perfect Pack nonsense worth it?”
Blake turns to Owen. “Was it worth it Owen to teach Gio a goddamn lesson! This is all a by product of your actions. I mean it, Perfect Pack is dead. Kelcey won’t be managing you guys anymore. You want to martyr yourselves for a righteous cause. Be my guest. Unlike the three of you I am going to end this with Gio. Sasha lifted the piledriver ban. I am taking that sonofabitch to hell. Don’t stand in my way. Are we clear?”
“No, we are NOT!”, Peyton responds. “When you were parading around feeling sorry for yourself I was at bedside with her the entire time while she was in a coma! I lost Ricky doing that time when I could have been with him! I gave up my chance at Taking Hold of the Flame! I sacrificed everything in my life to be bedside with her because she is like a mother to me, and here you are telling us that the Perfect Pack is disbanded!? You don’t get to make that decision Blake! With all due respect I have always been a fan of yours but this is bullshit! I get that you are worried, aren’t we all!? Gio and his assholes almost killed me in the Chamber, remember!? I hate what happened! I hate it with a passion and why I am regretting ever getting into the goddamn business, but after what we have been through!? WE are going to see it through! WE are not going to let them win! WE are going to respond accordingly! And everything I did for her will NOT go in vain, whether you like it or not!”, she yelled as the rest of the group stayed silent. After Peyton has said her peace, she doesn’t give Blake a chance to respond. She storms off.
Owen rises to his feet. Him and Blake share a look. He is about to run after Peyton. Blake calls out. “Owen!”
The young man doesn’t turn around to look at Blake.
Regardless, Blake continues. “I still care about you Owen. Regardless of how you feel about me, you have a friend who is willing to dig their hands in the filth so you can keep yours clean. Not going to pretend what I am doing is one hundred percent altruistic. I am willing to take on the world's sins so they don’t need to. That’s all.”
Owen exits the chapel.
All that remains is Aaron Blackbourne. Him and Blake look at one another, silence occupying the room for what feels like an eternity.
Blackbourne is the one to break the silence. “You got a way with words.”
“No point holding back. This is for the best.”
“I am not going to pretend I know you. From our experiences you’ve been good to me, I appreciate that. It is not lost on me the man you used to be. How much you have tried to make better choices for your life. All your friends have forgiven you. Going to get married to Kelcey. Life is looking up. I can tell you are proud of the man you’ve become. Are you willing to throw all that away to piledrive one man?” Aaron calmly says.
Blake takes a moment to soak in what Aaron had to say. Tilting his head to the side Blake responds. “There’s no turning back from this, Aaron. If I felt there was another way, I’d do it. Facts don’t lie. Gio is a bigger threat than ever. The Perfect Pack way has been wrong. I am doing this the old way. I am his judge, jury, and ultimate executioner.”
Aaron nods, hearing Blake out. He pats Blake on the shoulder. “Alright. If you’re sure, nothing I say will change your mind. Know that I don’t agree with this approach, but I understand there’s no talking you out of this. Do what you must.”
Aaron goes to walk out the chapel.
Without turning around to face him, Blake says to Aaron. “Thanks for hearing me out.”
Blake doesn’t see Aaron turning around to nod in his direction.
Once Aaron leaves the chapel, Blake takes a seat. He stares at the Jesus statue behind the podium. He doesn’t want God’s forgiveness or permission. Forget absolution. He knows this is the point of no return. Consequences be damned.
...
Blake Mason stood outside the building of the Glenn Braddock Wrestling School in London, England. London is quite a bit of distance away from California where he has called his home for a good chunk of his life. There are plenty of wrestling schools in the California area he could step foot in. Except for the Ante Up Academy, he is not the biggest fan of Thomas Valentine, that is one school off the table. None of the wrestling schools in California or the United States for that matter are home to the one person he is seeking out. He walks into the building unannounced, walking like a man on a mission he enters the main gym where there is a wrestling ring set up with two students, a man and a woman having a sparring session. He stands near the entrance, doing his best not to make his presence known. The world is too small for a magnetic personality like himself to go unnoticed. Channeling his inner ninja he does just that as he watches the man and woman in the ring go through the motions of putting their training to good use.
His eyes were impressed by the intensity the students are showing. The future of professional wrestling is definitely in good hands.
The students stop. They shake each other’s hands. Both exited the ring.
As they made their departure, a familiar face entered the ring taking center stage, former SCW superstar Sophie O’Brien. Blake’s eyes are focused one hundred percent on her as she addresses the other students surrounding the ring.
“All of you have a long way to go. That’s why you are here. To learn the ropes. To learn as the great Glenn Braddock taught me. One day you are going to make that great man proud. And me too. You’re done for today. Hit the shower.”
The rest of the students clap in unison. All of them leave the ring to head for the locker room to heed Sophie’s instructions of taking a shower. With the room completely clear Blake decides now is the time to make his presence completely known. He saunters down to the ring, giving Sophie the same round of applause the students had just moments earlier.
“Fine speech.” Blake said sincerely as he stood in front of the ring.
Sophie walks over to the ropes. Looking down curiously at Blake she says. “Glory told me I needed to be a bit more... inspiring. Still working on it.”
“So reciting passages from The Art of War isn’t bringing the youngsters to the dance?” Blake smirks.
Sophie shrugs. “What can I say, most people are idiots.”
Blake walks over to the ring steps. Walking up the steps and across the ring apron he joins Sophie where she is. “Sounds like something my dad would say. Not saying you’re wrong. I can’t judge too much. Done a lot of idioctic shit in my day.”
Sophie folds her arms into her chest. Tilting her head to the side she says. “Not me.” she says with an arrogant smirk.
“Humble till the end.” Blake shakes his head.
“My best friend isn’t here. She barely is. Don’t blame her. Not that I need to tell you that, with her being the SCW Adrenaline Champion. Trying to regain her momentum in MWE. Running GCW. Family.”
“I am not here to see the illustrious Glory Braddock.” Blake states.
“Randall [Williams] is spending time with his children.” Sophie says, letting Blake know.
The former two time tag team champion sits down on the middle rope, parting the ropes open just enough so he can join Sophie inside the ring. Now inside, he leans back into the ropes, making himself comfortable.
“Not who I’m looking for.” Blake says, eliminating another person from Sophie’s list.
The best friend of Glory Braddock raises her left eyebrow. “You flew all of this way to see me?”
Blake nods. “The one and only.”
“What can I do for you?” Sophie curiously asks.
The icey way Sophie was staring at him made Blake Mason feel somewhat uncomfortable. This is a man who has been in the presence of the most infamous professional wrestling devils known to man like Mary Beth Mallory and Aiken Frost to name a few of the evils the industry have seen as long as he has been a pro wrestler. Sophie hasn’t come across as spectacular as the Mary and Aiken’s of the world, Blake knew enough to concede that Sophie, when she puts her mind to it, could cause as much havoc as those two names combined.
Blake walks over to the turnbuckle not breaking eye contact with Sophie the whole time, he takes a seat on the top one. “Simply put Sophie, I lost my way. A couple of years ago I went to my brother, Drake. Him and Loretta gave me this drug... don’t remember what it was. Whatever they gave me fucked with my mind. I dreamt of a possible future where my fifteen year old daughter called me a monster.” He pauses. He takes a moment to collect his thoughts. “What I took from the dream was if I continued on the destructive path I was on, the natural consequence would be the scorn of my daughter. No reasonable man wants his own children to hate him, so I did what I felt was necessary. I divorced Bree. Made amends with the friends I scorned. Wasn’t perfect. Kelcey and I are together now, I was chasing her when she was with Scott. Taylor before that... it was both of us, she opened the door, I walked through it. I wasn’t exactly an angel by any means.”
Blake sighs. “I have tried my best to do the right. What has that cost me in the end? I’m not in control of my life. The Sienna and Gio’s of the world believe they can walk all over me. I shouldn’t give a damn what they think, I have come to realize that all of this is not about them, it’s the perception that is out there that I am weak. The narrative needs to change.” Blake says with renewed vigor. “I’m tired of being weak.” Blake says, continuing his animated speech. “Being a victim is no longer on the table. From what I hear Ms. O’Brien, you are as devious as they come. What I need is your help to get back in touch with the monster I used to be. Giovanni Aires needs to be shut down. Will the master strategist take me under her learning tree?”
A cold, chilling, devious smirk flashes across Sophie’s face. “I was almost inspired, Mr. Mason. Every thought about giving a TED TALK.”
“I’ve gotten offers.” Blake laments.
“I see.” Sophie cracks his knuckles. “Anyway, I’m flattered that you think so highly of me. Lost track of how long it has been since anyone has asked for guidance to the extent you’re asking.”
“I’m surprised.” Blake remarks.
“You’d be shocked how many ignorant sheep want to play the hero.” Sophie scoffs. “I was always curious how long it would take for you to break. Glory did tell me you almost piledrove the man. Alas, it should not have taken you this long to come to this conclusion. Not afraid of how Kelcey will feel?” Sophie says, stating the obvious.
“Kelcey trust me, that’s what counts. And besides, I can’t run from my own darkness any longer. Once you let the darkness in, it never comes out. I am going to choke Giovanni with every bit of darkness that is inside me.” Blake says brimming with anger.
“Good.” Sophie nods. She extends her hand. “Mr. Mason, of course I’ll help you. Don’t be surprised if I ask you for a favor in return.”
Blake doesn’t hesitate to shake Sophie’s hand.
A deal has been made. Darkness, welcome back old friend...
--
Darkness is all that appears on the screen. A few seconds pass. Still darkness. Still a gripping abyss. Without warning there is light. A small light that comes from a candle on top of a table.
A voice soon cracks through the darkness.
“I am tired of running...” The monotone voice obviously belongs to William Blake Mason. He can’t be seen. Not yet. He’s still hidden within the mostly dark room. “... running from what you may ask? The simple answer to that is... myself.”
Blake allows for the silence to consume the room as he prepares to communicate what is on his mind. “As our match draws closer Gio, I have to confront a very ugly truth about myself. There is a part of me that does feed off the suffering of others. Sure, later on I would come to regret most of my actions; in the moment when I knew my actions would not go over well with the general population, dominating, making another human being feel utterly powerless; the adrenaline rush that comes from someone else's misery is kinda addictive. I never wanted to be wired like that, I never wanted to be that guy. I want to be... normal. As boring as that sounds, I wish I was a normal guy who didn’t get a rush from rendering another human being utterly powerless.”
Suddenly the lights in the boardroom came alive. Blake Mason can be seen sitting at the head of the table. Wearing a white v-neck sleeveless t-shirt, he is leaning back in his plush leather reclinable chair.
“Do you have any idea how exhausting it is to put yourself on a leash? To be frank, it’s tiring. Very tiring. For almost three years I tried to become a better version of myself... one day I woke up, looked at myself in the mirror, I told myself I would not go out of my way to harm another human being. For three years I kept that promise. Not going to lie, I have been tempted along the way to break that vow. The multiple times you Sienna have gone out of your way to cause harm to Kelcey. Giovanni your obsession with going after Mr. D, Kelcey and The Perfect Pack have earned my ire week in and week out. Instead of giving myself permission to do what was necessary, I looked into that same mirror, told myself that this too shall pass. That there was another way to solve this. All I needed to do was be the bigger man. Ethics and morality would win the day. That approach may work for some individuals. Lets be honest, I am not Captain America, I don’t stand for truth, liberty and the American Way.”
Blake sheepishly half smirks. “The world I came from, [the business world]; the only thing that matters is getting results. You win. Doesn’t matter how. Doesn’t sound altruistic. Not meant to be. For most of my life. Hell. Most of my career I operated with that same mentality. The irony with being killer, metaphorically speaking; is you don’t make many friends along the way, being a douche is not an effective life strategy to keep people in your life. To my benefit I was a charming douche, you know what they say, a douche by any other name is still a douchebag. If you listen to Katya, I am the biggest cancer in professional wrestling. Now I wouldn’t go that far, there have been more destructive forces than me, for a time I truly did believe that everything I touched burned to the ground.”
“Story of my life, right?” Blake winks.
“This coming Sunday I can manifest that same destructive energy, instead of burning my world to ashes, I can do Mr. D, his family and Supreme Championship Wrestling the greatest favor Gio by breaking your goddamn neck.”
Blake pauses. He allows silence to grip the room for roughly four seconds before continuing on with his impassioned speech.
“Lets not pretend I am strictly doing this for altruistic means. Will the world benefit from what I intend to do? No doubt. I believe one hundred percent Mr. D; his family, Kelcey, and the other people you have hurt Gio deserve justice. I don’t want to whip everyone into a frenzy. I don’t want any of you to leave this video with the misconception I am the man riding in on a white horse to save the day. That vile part of me I spoke about needs this. I have kept the dog in me on a leash for three years. He has been starving. Chopping at the bits. Salivating at the chance to naw his way through prime meat. He has bugging me. Barking so loud that he has become a very, very, annoying mut. I tell him to shut up! I can’t let you out. You’ll become the death of me. I can’t let you off the leash. This Sunday I don’t need to tame him. I don’t need to tell the dog in me to obey. Gio, you made it possible for me to let the dog out. I promised the dog he will get his wish, he’s coming; all the pain he caused a lifetime ago he’ll add to. I won’t hold the dog in me back anymore.”
Blake takes a deep breath. “The consequences you believe I am afraid of are completely thrown out the window. Perhaps in your mind you believe the consequences I am afraid of is losing the people closest to me. If that is your opinion, sorry, you’re wrong per usual, what else is new with you? The real consequence I was afraid of was becoming the guy who the entire roster stood against. The same guy who the locker room wouldn’t allow into the building when I gave the impression that I was going to piledrive Simon in his home. The same guy who is responsible for creating the menace Sienna Swann became. I hated that guy too. As much as Katya hates him. As much as Sienna despises the man who nearly ended her career before it began, no one can hate me more than I do.”
“I can try to run away from my actions until the cows come home, the guy who did all those horrible things will always be a part of me. Once you let the darkness in, it never comes out. I don’t hate that guy anymore. I am not afraid to let him loose. Part of me does wish I could be normal, I accepted I’m not. Trying to push the demon back into the bottle can only work for so long. Gio, you don’t get to control the narrative this time. I am finally taking control. Taking control of my story. Taking control of my career. Taking control of myself. There will be no schism when the bright lights shine on us. My light and my darkness agree on this one, it doesn’t matter how dirty things become, the only thing that matters is drinking from the sweet nectar of vengeance.”
Blake pauses a moment to allow his words to sink in. He stares at the candle still burning on his table.
“On Sunday January 24th I show up to work. Not to socialize. Not to speak to anyone backstage. I will walk to the gorilla position, wait for my music to play, march down to the ring with one singular goal. When that bell rings, the only thing I care about is getting the job done. Whatever happens from bell to bell, I will enjoy. I will get my adrenaline rush from the pain and suffering I intend to inflict, when that bell rings again, I intend to be the one who walks away from the fight, heading to the back, not caring that the EMTs are making there way down to the ring to take you to a local medical facility.”
“Me and Jaxson will walk straight to the parking lot, hop in the car. Head straight to the airport, getting on my jet. I will sleep blissfully knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt I left The Pepsi Center with my mission accomplished. He who fights with monsters soon becomes one. You showed me your monster Gio, this Sunday... I'll introduce you to mine.”
Blake snaps his fingers. The boardroom lights go out. Immediately he blows the light to the candle room, the room is developed with darkness again as the scene descends into darkness.
Her ally, Giovanni Aires, attacked Kelcey, shoved her in the back seat of the car. Sienna had intended to drive Kelcey off to god knows where, his fiance fought back, in the process, Sienna drove straight into another co worker’s (Selena Frost), tour bus, causing both Sienna and Kelcey grave harm. It was found out later that Selena wasn’t on the tour bus. Thank goodness for that. Shame Kelcey and Sienna were badly hurt due to there ongoing rivalry with no clear end in sight.
Blake broodly stares at the floor twiddling his thumbs, trying his best to compose himself.
He doesn’t notice Kelcey looking at him. “I’m fine, love.” Kelcey says to break the silence. “I’m a little banged up. Still alive.”
Blake lifts his head up. He piers into the loving eyes of his wife to be. “You shouldn’t be here!” he says unwilling to accept that this is their destiny. “None of this needed to happen.
Blake balls up his fist. He feels like he could punch through a wall if he concentrated enough. Unfortunately there was nothing to punch. No one's ass to kick. His aggression would need to be saved for another day. With a long inhale, exhale, he was able to center himself enough to allow the anger to pass, somewhat.
Kelcey says. “I agree, love. This has gone on long enough. I just wish--”
Kelcey tries to move, clearly she isn’t one hundred percent. She clutches her ribs. Blake shoots out his seat, resting his arm on Kelcey’s shoulder.
“You need to rest!” Blake insisted. “I doubt they are letting you out tonight, better get used to it.”
She looks up into Blake’s eyes. She sighs. “Suppose you’re right.”
“Sometimes I get lucky!” Blake smirks.
Blake returns to his seat. Rubbing his chin, he continues. “I want you to hear about this from me before you catch wind of the news.” The former two time tag team champion cleared his throat. “So I talked to Sasha. Considering everything that happened tonight I had no trouble convincing her that a rematch with Giovanni Aries was a no brainer. But that’s not all--” He knew the words that were going to leave his lips next weren't going to be met with solemom approval. No lies. No secrets. Kelcey needed to know. “-- I convinced Sasha to lift the ban on the piledriver.”
As he expected, Kelcey’s eyes widened. “Blake. No. You can’t. This is what he wants.”
Blake shrugs. He knew Kelcey and everyone else who was going to have an opinion on his decision was going to remind him that he is falling for the leader of the Wonderland’s mind games. “I don’t care.”
“Love, I understand you’re upset. I wasn’t pleased that he assisted Sienna in whatever they had planned for me if I didn’t try to stop her... no. Not like this. There’s another way.” Kelcey insisted.
“I agree, there is. My way!” Blake flatley states. “What I hate the most about all this, every single week all of us are waiting, anticipating what Giovanni and Sienna’s next move is going to be. We are on the defensive. We wait for them to call the shots so we can do what is supposed to be right. Just like Katya. You don’t know how badly I wanted to go on the offensive, cut Katya off at the knees. I walked into work every single week wondering what she was going to do next. How she was going to abuse her authority. I lost my TV Championship. I lost my confidence. I lost my balls in the process, becoming a shell of the competitor I once was all because I was afraid to do anything. I am tired of being a god damn lemming Kelcey. I am done walking a path that isn’t working. You will always be a better person than me, that’s part of the reason I love you. We both know there is a darkness that exists, sometimes, you got to let the monster out.”
“I don’t want you to throw away everything for revenge, love.” Kelcey reassures him.
“Kelcey, all I ask is you trust me on this one. I don’t expect you to condone what I am about to do. This situation requires a heavier hand, one that you are unwilling to wield. At Last Grasp of Reality, I am piledriving Giovanni straight to hell. More than once if need be. He is going to suffer a consequence for blazing a path of chaos. He is the type of monster who can’t be reasoned or bargained with, he wants the world to burn? I’m going to burn his. I don’t care if this plays into his narrative. This is about doing what’s necessary.”
Blake kisses Kelcey on the forehead. “There’s something I need to do. I’ll be back.”
He turns around to walk out of Kelcey’s room. Exiting the room he closes the door behind him. He leans up against it mentally exhausted. It has been a long, nearly tragic night. Taking a deep breath he walks over to the waiting area where Owen Cruze, Peyton Rice and Aaron Blackbourne are sitting, talking among themselves. He stands there watching, not letting them know that he is there. The Bostonian gathers himself. He loudly clears his threat. This gains the attention of the Perfect Pack members.
“Hey---” Blake coldly says. “The three of you, come with me.”
“Did something happen?” Peyton asks, worry showing in her response.
“No. All of us need to talk, somewhere private. There’s a chapel down the hall. Follow me.”
All three of the Perfect Pack look at each other. Aaron, Owen and Peyton stand up. Blake turns his back to them, making what feels like a long walk down to the chapel he was referring to. To his delight no one is in there. He stops at the entrance. Taking a step to the side he makes way for The Perfect Pack to enter the sacred space. Aaron is the last one to walk in before Blake enters the chapel himself.
Peyton, Aaron and Owen take a seat.
Blake closes the door behind him ensuring absolute privacy.
Tucking his hands into his pocket he takes a cold hard look at the collective that Kelcey has chosen to lead into the future. Without any hesitancy he pushes forward. “There is no easy way to say this so I’m going to. The Perfect Pack is officially disbanded.”
There is an eerie silence that lingers in the air. Owen, Aaron and Peyton were caught off guard, speechless at first by Blake saying that their trio is disbanded.
Peyton is the first one to react. “Is that what Kelcey wants?”
Blake shakes his head. “No, it’s what needs to happen. I’m making this call.”
Aaron is the next to chime in. “No offense Blake, this isn’t your decision to make.”
Blake calmly says to Aaron, “It is now! You three have done enough. It’s over. Period.”
Owen is the next to chime in. “Aaron is right. It’s not your place to boss any of us around..”
“Am I supposed to listen to you of all people, Owen?! Blake scoffs. “Sasha was going to exile Aires from Supreme Championship Wrestling. That madman wasn’t going to have a platform to spread his message. Of course you wanted your revenge. You felt you were equipped to handle the menace yourself. How did that work out, Owen? Did beating him at Rise to Greatness help matters? Did standing up to him and Sienna make things better? No. My FIANCE IS SITTING IN A HOSPITAL ROOM BECAUSE OF YOUR INSISTENCE TO BE ETHICAL.”
Peyton looks like she is going to come to Owen’s defense. Aaron is the one who steps in. “Easy Blake. We understand you’re upset. All of us are. We can’t let Giovanni win. This is what he wants.”
“Fuck that guy! What about me, Aaron?” Blake snaps back. “ I am sick to death of Kelcey winding up in a hospital. Sienna tried to kill Kelcey not once but twice, I am done coming to an arena every goddamn week knowing Supreme Championship Wrestling can’t find a way to keep a bunch of psychopaths in check. SCW isn’t the only guilty party. The three of you are as well. The only reason Kelcey returned to professional wrestling was to make a goddamn difference, to show the audience the goddamn way, that we can exist without traveling down the same road of the Infamous, the Sienna Swann’s, the Giovani Aires of the world. You three gave her a vehicle to put her life in danger every single time we come to work.”
Blake takes a moment to breath. Then he continues, “What I want Aaron is to get away from this sport. I want to live as quiet of a life as possible with my future wife. I don’t want to feel like I need to get a restraining order against Sienna. Which I am going to look into after all this. That bitch needs to be in prison. Aires needs to be buried under it. All of this could have ended if the three of you had the courage to do what was necessary. But you won’t. Morality matters? Being ethical matters? Not sinking down to their level matters? Being a hero matters? Here we are, in a goddamn hospital, so you tell me Aaron, is this Perfect Pack nonsense worth it?”
Blake turns to Owen. “Was it worth it Owen to teach Gio a goddamn lesson! This is all a by product of your actions. I mean it, Perfect Pack is dead. Kelcey won’t be managing you guys anymore. You want to martyr yourselves for a righteous cause. Be my guest. Unlike the three of you I am going to end this with Gio. Sasha lifted the piledriver ban. I am taking that sonofabitch to hell. Don’t stand in my way. Are we clear?”
“No, we are NOT!”, Peyton responds. “When you were parading around feeling sorry for yourself I was at bedside with her the entire time while she was in a coma! I lost Ricky doing that time when I could have been with him! I gave up my chance at Taking Hold of the Flame! I sacrificed everything in my life to be bedside with her because she is like a mother to me, and here you are telling us that the Perfect Pack is disbanded!? You don’t get to make that decision Blake! With all due respect I have always been a fan of yours but this is bullshit! I get that you are worried, aren’t we all!? Gio and his assholes almost killed me in the Chamber, remember!? I hate what happened! I hate it with a passion and why I am regretting ever getting into the goddamn business, but after what we have been through!? WE are going to see it through! WE are not going to let them win! WE are going to respond accordingly! And everything I did for her will NOT go in vain, whether you like it or not!”, she yelled as the rest of the group stayed silent. After Peyton has said her peace, she doesn’t give Blake a chance to respond. She storms off.
Owen rises to his feet. Him and Blake share a look. He is about to run after Peyton. Blake calls out. “Owen!”
The young man doesn’t turn around to look at Blake.
Regardless, Blake continues. “I still care about you Owen. Regardless of how you feel about me, you have a friend who is willing to dig their hands in the filth so you can keep yours clean. Not going to pretend what I am doing is one hundred percent altruistic. I am willing to take on the world's sins so they don’t need to. That’s all.”
Owen exits the chapel.
All that remains is Aaron Blackbourne. Him and Blake look at one another, silence occupying the room for what feels like an eternity.
Blackbourne is the one to break the silence. “You got a way with words.”
“No point holding back. This is for the best.”
“I am not going to pretend I know you. From our experiences you’ve been good to me, I appreciate that. It is not lost on me the man you used to be. How much you have tried to make better choices for your life. All your friends have forgiven you. Going to get married to Kelcey. Life is looking up. I can tell you are proud of the man you’ve become. Are you willing to throw all that away to piledrive one man?” Aaron calmly says.
Blake takes a moment to soak in what Aaron had to say. Tilting his head to the side Blake responds. “There’s no turning back from this, Aaron. If I felt there was another way, I’d do it. Facts don’t lie. Gio is a bigger threat than ever. The Perfect Pack way has been wrong. I am doing this the old way. I am his judge, jury, and ultimate executioner.”
Aaron nods, hearing Blake out. He pats Blake on the shoulder. “Alright. If you’re sure, nothing I say will change your mind. Know that I don’t agree with this approach, but I understand there’s no talking you out of this. Do what you must.”
Aaron goes to walk out the chapel.
Without turning around to face him, Blake says to Aaron. “Thanks for hearing me out.”
Blake doesn’t see Aaron turning around to nod in his direction.
Once Aaron leaves the chapel, Blake takes a seat. He stares at the Jesus statue behind the podium. He doesn’t want God’s forgiveness or permission. Forget absolution. He knows this is the point of no return. Consequences be damned.
...
Blake Mason stood outside the building of the Glenn Braddock Wrestling School in London, England. London is quite a bit of distance away from California where he has called his home for a good chunk of his life. There are plenty of wrestling schools in the California area he could step foot in. Except for the Ante Up Academy, he is not the biggest fan of Thomas Valentine, that is one school off the table. None of the wrestling schools in California or the United States for that matter are home to the one person he is seeking out. He walks into the building unannounced, walking like a man on a mission he enters the main gym where there is a wrestling ring set up with two students, a man and a woman having a sparring session. He stands near the entrance, doing his best not to make his presence known. The world is too small for a magnetic personality like himself to go unnoticed. Channeling his inner ninja he does just that as he watches the man and woman in the ring go through the motions of putting their training to good use.
His eyes were impressed by the intensity the students are showing. The future of professional wrestling is definitely in good hands.
The students stop. They shake each other’s hands. Both exited the ring.
As they made their departure, a familiar face entered the ring taking center stage, former SCW superstar Sophie O’Brien. Blake’s eyes are focused one hundred percent on her as she addresses the other students surrounding the ring.
“All of you have a long way to go. That’s why you are here. To learn the ropes. To learn as the great Glenn Braddock taught me. One day you are going to make that great man proud. And me too. You’re done for today. Hit the shower.”
The rest of the students clap in unison. All of them leave the ring to head for the locker room to heed Sophie’s instructions of taking a shower. With the room completely clear Blake decides now is the time to make his presence completely known. He saunters down to the ring, giving Sophie the same round of applause the students had just moments earlier.
“Fine speech.” Blake said sincerely as he stood in front of the ring.
Sophie walks over to the ropes. Looking down curiously at Blake she says. “Glory told me I needed to be a bit more... inspiring. Still working on it.”
“So reciting passages from The Art of War isn’t bringing the youngsters to the dance?” Blake smirks.
Sophie shrugs. “What can I say, most people are idiots.”
Blake walks over to the ring steps. Walking up the steps and across the ring apron he joins Sophie where she is. “Sounds like something my dad would say. Not saying you’re wrong. I can’t judge too much. Done a lot of idioctic shit in my day.”
Sophie folds her arms into her chest. Tilting her head to the side she says. “Not me.” she says with an arrogant smirk.
“Humble till the end.” Blake shakes his head.
“My best friend isn’t here. She barely is. Don’t blame her. Not that I need to tell you that, with her being the SCW Adrenaline Champion. Trying to regain her momentum in MWE. Running GCW. Family.”
“I am not here to see the illustrious Glory Braddock.” Blake states.
“Randall [Williams] is spending time with his children.” Sophie says, letting Blake know.
The former two time tag team champion sits down on the middle rope, parting the ropes open just enough so he can join Sophie inside the ring. Now inside, he leans back into the ropes, making himself comfortable.
“Not who I’m looking for.” Blake says, eliminating another person from Sophie’s list.
The best friend of Glory Braddock raises her left eyebrow. “You flew all of this way to see me?”
Blake nods. “The one and only.”
“What can I do for you?” Sophie curiously asks.
The icey way Sophie was staring at him made Blake Mason feel somewhat uncomfortable. This is a man who has been in the presence of the most infamous professional wrestling devils known to man like Mary Beth Mallory and Aiken Frost to name a few of the evils the industry have seen as long as he has been a pro wrestler. Sophie hasn’t come across as spectacular as the Mary and Aiken’s of the world, Blake knew enough to concede that Sophie, when she puts her mind to it, could cause as much havoc as those two names combined.
Blake walks over to the turnbuckle not breaking eye contact with Sophie the whole time, he takes a seat on the top one. “Simply put Sophie, I lost my way. A couple of years ago I went to my brother, Drake. Him and Loretta gave me this drug... don’t remember what it was. Whatever they gave me fucked with my mind. I dreamt of a possible future where my fifteen year old daughter called me a monster.” He pauses. He takes a moment to collect his thoughts. “What I took from the dream was if I continued on the destructive path I was on, the natural consequence would be the scorn of my daughter. No reasonable man wants his own children to hate him, so I did what I felt was necessary. I divorced Bree. Made amends with the friends I scorned. Wasn’t perfect. Kelcey and I are together now, I was chasing her when she was with Scott. Taylor before that... it was both of us, she opened the door, I walked through it. I wasn’t exactly an angel by any means.”
Blake sighs. “I have tried my best to do the right. What has that cost me in the end? I’m not in control of my life. The Sienna and Gio’s of the world believe they can walk all over me. I shouldn’t give a damn what they think, I have come to realize that all of this is not about them, it’s the perception that is out there that I am weak. The narrative needs to change.” Blake says with renewed vigor. “I’m tired of being weak.” Blake says, continuing his animated speech. “Being a victim is no longer on the table. From what I hear Ms. O’Brien, you are as devious as they come. What I need is your help to get back in touch with the monster I used to be. Giovanni Aires needs to be shut down. Will the master strategist take me under her learning tree?”
A cold, chilling, devious smirk flashes across Sophie’s face. “I was almost inspired, Mr. Mason. Every thought about giving a TED TALK.”
“I’ve gotten offers.” Blake laments.
“I see.” Sophie cracks his knuckles. “Anyway, I’m flattered that you think so highly of me. Lost track of how long it has been since anyone has asked for guidance to the extent you’re asking.”
“I’m surprised.” Blake remarks.
“You’d be shocked how many ignorant sheep want to play the hero.” Sophie scoffs. “I was always curious how long it would take for you to break. Glory did tell me you almost piledrove the man. Alas, it should not have taken you this long to come to this conclusion. Not afraid of how Kelcey will feel?” Sophie says, stating the obvious.
“Kelcey trust me, that’s what counts. And besides, I can’t run from my own darkness any longer. Once you let the darkness in, it never comes out. I am going to choke Giovanni with every bit of darkness that is inside me.” Blake says brimming with anger.
“Good.” Sophie nods. She extends her hand. “Mr. Mason, of course I’ll help you. Don’t be surprised if I ask you for a favor in return.”
Blake doesn’t hesitate to shake Sophie’s hand.
A deal has been made. Darkness, welcome back old friend...
--
==
PROMO TIME
==
Darkness is all that appears on the screen. A few seconds pass. Still darkness. Still a gripping abyss. Without warning there is light. A small light that comes from a candle on top of a table.
A voice soon cracks through the darkness.
“I am tired of running...” The monotone voice obviously belongs to William Blake Mason. He can’t be seen. Not yet. He’s still hidden within the mostly dark room. “... running from what you may ask? The simple answer to that is... myself.”
Blake allows for the silence to consume the room as he prepares to communicate what is on his mind. “As our match draws closer Gio, I have to confront a very ugly truth about myself. There is a part of me that does feed off the suffering of others. Sure, later on I would come to regret most of my actions; in the moment when I knew my actions would not go over well with the general population, dominating, making another human being feel utterly powerless; the adrenaline rush that comes from someone else's misery is kinda addictive. I never wanted to be wired like that, I never wanted to be that guy. I want to be... normal. As boring as that sounds, I wish I was a normal guy who didn’t get a rush from rendering another human being utterly powerless.”
Suddenly the lights in the boardroom came alive. Blake Mason can be seen sitting at the head of the table. Wearing a white v-neck sleeveless t-shirt, he is leaning back in his plush leather reclinable chair.
“Do you have any idea how exhausting it is to put yourself on a leash? To be frank, it’s tiring. Very tiring. For almost three years I tried to become a better version of myself... one day I woke up, looked at myself in the mirror, I told myself I would not go out of my way to harm another human being. For three years I kept that promise. Not going to lie, I have been tempted along the way to break that vow. The multiple times you Sienna have gone out of your way to cause harm to Kelcey. Giovanni your obsession with going after Mr. D, Kelcey and The Perfect Pack have earned my ire week in and week out. Instead of giving myself permission to do what was necessary, I looked into that same mirror, told myself that this too shall pass. That there was another way to solve this. All I needed to do was be the bigger man. Ethics and morality would win the day. That approach may work for some individuals. Lets be honest, I am not Captain America, I don’t stand for truth, liberty and the American Way.”
Blake sheepishly half smirks. “The world I came from, [the business world]; the only thing that matters is getting results. You win. Doesn’t matter how. Doesn’t sound altruistic. Not meant to be. For most of my life. Hell. Most of my career I operated with that same mentality. The irony with being killer, metaphorically speaking; is you don’t make many friends along the way, being a douche is not an effective life strategy to keep people in your life. To my benefit I was a charming douche, you know what they say, a douche by any other name is still a douchebag. If you listen to Katya, I am the biggest cancer in professional wrestling. Now I wouldn’t go that far, there have been more destructive forces than me, for a time I truly did believe that everything I touched burned to the ground.”
“Story of my life, right?” Blake winks.
“This coming Sunday I can manifest that same destructive energy, instead of burning my world to ashes, I can do Mr. D, his family and Supreme Championship Wrestling the greatest favor Gio by breaking your goddamn neck.”
Blake pauses. He allows silence to grip the room for roughly four seconds before continuing on with his impassioned speech.
“Lets not pretend I am strictly doing this for altruistic means. Will the world benefit from what I intend to do? No doubt. I believe one hundred percent Mr. D; his family, Kelcey, and the other people you have hurt Gio deserve justice. I don’t want to whip everyone into a frenzy. I don’t want any of you to leave this video with the misconception I am the man riding in on a white horse to save the day. That vile part of me I spoke about needs this. I have kept the dog in me on a leash for three years. He has been starving. Chopping at the bits. Salivating at the chance to naw his way through prime meat. He has bugging me. Barking so loud that he has become a very, very, annoying mut. I tell him to shut up! I can’t let you out. You’ll become the death of me. I can’t let you off the leash. This Sunday I don’t need to tame him. I don’t need to tell the dog in me to obey. Gio, you made it possible for me to let the dog out. I promised the dog he will get his wish, he’s coming; all the pain he caused a lifetime ago he’ll add to. I won’t hold the dog in me back anymore.”
Blake takes a deep breath. “The consequences you believe I am afraid of are completely thrown out the window. Perhaps in your mind you believe the consequences I am afraid of is losing the people closest to me. If that is your opinion, sorry, you’re wrong per usual, what else is new with you? The real consequence I was afraid of was becoming the guy who the entire roster stood against. The same guy who the locker room wouldn’t allow into the building when I gave the impression that I was going to piledrive Simon in his home. The same guy who is responsible for creating the menace Sienna Swann became. I hated that guy too. As much as Katya hates him. As much as Sienna despises the man who nearly ended her career before it began, no one can hate me more than I do.”
“I can try to run away from my actions until the cows come home, the guy who did all those horrible things will always be a part of me. Once you let the darkness in, it never comes out. I don’t hate that guy anymore. I am not afraid to let him loose. Part of me does wish I could be normal, I accepted I’m not. Trying to push the demon back into the bottle can only work for so long. Gio, you don’t get to control the narrative this time. I am finally taking control. Taking control of my story. Taking control of my career. Taking control of myself. There will be no schism when the bright lights shine on us. My light and my darkness agree on this one, it doesn’t matter how dirty things become, the only thing that matters is drinking from the sweet nectar of vengeance.”
Blake pauses a moment to allow his words to sink in. He stares at the candle still burning on his table.
“On Sunday January 24th I show up to work. Not to socialize. Not to speak to anyone backstage. I will walk to the gorilla position, wait for my music to play, march down to the ring with one singular goal. When that bell rings, the only thing I care about is getting the job done. Whatever happens from bell to bell, I will enjoy. I will get my adrenaline rush from the pain and suffering I intend to inflict, when that bell rings again, I intend to be the one who walks away from the fight, heading to the back, not caring that the EMTs are making there way down to the ring to take you to a local medical facility.”
“Me and Jaxson will walk straight to the parking lot, hop in the car. Head straight to the airport, getting on my jet. I will sleep blissfully knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt I left The Pepsi Center with my mission accomplished. He who fights with monsters soon becomes one. You showed me your monster Gio, this Sunday... I'll introduce you to mine.”
Blake snaps his fingers. The boardroom lights go out. Immediately he blows the light to the candle room, the room is developed with darkness again as the scene descends into darkness.
01-22-2021, 02:40 PM