06-16-2019, 02:42 PM
06-18-2019, 11:51 PM
This is a turn of events, have had a headache all day and was in the mind that I wasn't going to get anything done. But here I am, all the same with an RP i'm quite happy with and thankful Omar pushed me through it. #Teamwork!
Enjoy.
Best of luck Ruppy mate.
Ultimatum
Enjoy.
Best of luck Ruppy mate.
Ultimatum
06-18-2019, 11:56 PM
OOC: Not going to lie, I'm cutting it fairly close with this one despite spending pretty much most of my time after work on it, but I'm happy with what I did even if parts of it felt really draining on me. To be honest, I'm aware of all the fires Aaron has irons in right now, so I tried to piece together an effort that would not only address that in a way people might not have expected, but also start pushing towards the end for some of the stories I've been running for months now. My plan is to finish at least one of "Aaron's lingering problems" by Rise to Greatness, and I have a pretty good idea of which one and how I'll use its result to end the other, but right now I need to get to where I want everything by that point. Still, I like where Aaron's at right now and I can't wait to see where he goes on shows as I drive his CD work towards a few conclusions. Best of luck Jon!
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It’s amazing how much can change in a year.
Sometimes, those changes don’t always feel like they’re for the best either.
When Aaron thought back to where he was at last year around this time, he remembered feeling frustrated but ultimately couldn’t complain at the very end. His first attempt at the infamous Taking Hold of the Flame battle royal had not gone very well, his stint barely lasting maybe five minutes at best and nothing to his name before he was tossed out, and from there he’d spent the entire road to Rise to Greatness trying to establish any sort of momentum and falling short every step of the way, up until his constant interventions in the brewing hatred between Autumn Valentine and Sophie O’Brian landed him a spot on the pre-show where he overcame them both and walked away as TV Champion for the second time in his career. This year he seemed off to a slightly better start, as while he still had no eliminations to his name he still lasted a solid fifteen to twenty minutes in the battle royal this year, which was a vast improvement if nothing else.
Last year, however, he also had fewer problems sitting on his plate.
When he looked back at that entire road he recalled the worst of his issues being the storm subtly beginning to brew for the full-scale mental mayhem he was in the midst of now, as Nemesis was barely a factor it seemed like at the time and he was more preoccupied with the Twin Stars and their determined hopes of being showcased on the grandest stage by any means necessary. That left him free to contemplate how he would earn his place on the weekend’s card week after week in the face of mounting failures, which might honestly be preferable to where he stands now. After all, not only has that issue snowballed into all-out war with him caught in the middle but add in the unresolved issues of his brother’s passing even roughly half a year after it all went down and other things that he’d deal with as necessary until at least one of these was done and over with, and the creative soul found himself struggling to keep it together.
As much as he was somehow able to look composed and focused when the cameras were on, it was becoming harder to maintain the facade and save the stress for when he was either alone or in the company of those he could trust with it.
With the first Breakdown on the road to Rise to Greatness approaching, Aaron resolved that he desperately needed to make some headway into one of those major issues if he was to stand any chance of keeping it together the closer SCW got to its biggest show. Learning that he wasn’t booked for the Raleigh show allowed him to breathe a little easier, as he was willing to trade a later start towards his goal of sharing his imagination on the biggest stage possible if it meant a little extra time to ensure he actually made it there with his mind still intact. That was why he’d opted to fulfill his initial plans following the pay-per-view of using the short break period to return to his childhood home of Lowell to assess the latest twist in the games of a narcissistic megalomaniac.
“Thanks for coming with me Austin. I know this is probably hard on you, but you’ve had to go there before with mom and I’d probably have a hell of a time trying to find it.”
“No problem. I know how badly you want to get some answers since you’ve been the most out of the loop, and maybe you can use a better approach than what mom’s been trying to do.”
When he’d arrived home the only person that met him was Austin, who filled him in that their dad was busy working and their mom had gone to the police station in the town where Andrew’s life ended to make another attempt at trying to get any sort of breakthrough by keeping pressure applied on the corrupt cops that simply wanted to sweep it under the rug and forget about it. Alec was home, but he was locked up in his room and in no mood to talk after the news Aaron had heard before Taking Hold of the Flame about him being catfished into a situation that left him exposed and embarrassed as school was letting out for the summer, which still had the artist burning up inside. Austin could see it on his older brother’s face how badly he wanted to just throw it all away and resolve this in the most direct way possible but was desperately restraining himself, though he would never understand that part of the restraint related to the beast lurking within Aaron’s imagination that was salivating at the thought of that last thread of control finally breaking.
“I see Liane didn’t come with you… what’s she up to?”
“Oh, she stuck around in Canada for a bit to do a few lingering shows she managed to get booked. She knew how much I needed to do this, plus she wants to go back home and try to lend a hand with her family’s own problems right now, so we agreed to meet back up probably in Las Vegas for the following Breakdown.”
Austin nodded, at least happy that Aaron was open to small talk instead of being locked up inside his head like these kinds of scenarios tended to cause, even though he was behind the wheel right now. The two of them were basically following after their mom since Aaron had yet to take a stab at dealing with the ‘asshole officers’ as his mother so eloquently liked to refer to them over details from Andrew’s case that simply weren’t adding up as they would under virtually any other police jurisdiction in the United States, and even one piece of new information he could work with was a step in the right direction at the moment. Liane’s lingering shows and desire to try and help her siblings with their issue Aaron was aiming to also lend a hand with once he could give it greater priority kind of worked out, as he was hesitant about wanting her to come along for this specific endeavor because he had no idea how things were going to go down. It was one thing to read any news stories and blog posts about the things officers do that go against the core of their job description, but potentially dealing with it firsthand was an entirely different bag of worms altogether.
The main reason Austin was on board with Aaron taking a shot at it regardless, however, was the fact that he had one thing their mother lacked, especially when emotions were running high: the ability to read and adapt to a person in conversation. It might be considered a rare opportunity for the wrestling designer to put it to use beyond negotiating with a client, but it might help open up a few doors that were still locked up tight by approaching the situation without a desire to argue and demand new information even if it was rightfully owed.
“Alright, we’re here.”
As Aaron pulled into the parking lot Austin had directed him towards following almost an hour of driving, he was more than ready to step out of the car and take a deep breath to compose himself. Haven driven through a fair chunk of the town just to get here, it started to click just why Dylan would call this place home and seemingly get the cops on his side in this ongoing nightmare. Everything he’d seen so far made this place look like what would normally be described as ‘the bad part of town’ except for the fact that it seemed like that ‘bad part’ actually was the town. Even the nicest building he’d passed looked like they’d seen better days, and almost every person wandering about in the daylight could be described as a shady character from appearance alone, and that wasn’t including several groups he’d driven by that clearly looked like they were in the middle of drug deals in broad daylight without a care to give. This was one of those places that made you question why it even existed in the first place, and the moment Austin was out of the car he took the extra precaution of hiding away anything even semi-valuable that he didn’t want to bring inside with him before locking it up.
“I’d rather be safe than sorry around here.”
That was his response to his brother’s quizzical glance, and Austin nodded in understanding. When a town made you feel like even right in front of the police station wasn’t safe, you take every precaution you can. Once he was certain of that, the brothers began to make their way towards the front doors of the small rundown old building Aaron had a hard time believing was where the officers would set up shop, trying to mentally prepare himself for whatever was waiting inside that would probably make him feel even sicker than he already was over all of this. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you want to look at it), he would have to delay the payoff to that as the moment he reached the doors they opened up and he just barely stopped himself from colliding with a fairly bulky and intimidating individual dressed in a black trenchcoat that proudly displayed a badge, though it wasn’t one the artist immediately recognized. As luck would have it, the menacing look didn’t carry over to the guy’s speech once everyone had their bearings.
“Sorry about that, should’ve been paying attention to where I was going.”
“My apologies as well. Are you part of the force here?”
“Not exactly. Name’s Detective Cane, I work for the state. I’m here with a few other state officers and people from internal affairs because the men and women around these parts have been making quite a mess with their job, so we’re sorting it all out the correct way.”
Aaron raised an eyebrow at this, which got the slightest of smirks out of the man as they eyed each other carefully.
“Forgive me, but that doesn’t seem like information someone in your position would throw out so willingly like you just did.”
“Well, considering how much you look like the woman in there already trying to raise hell, I have a feeling you’d learn that shortly anyway. Am I right to assume you’re a Blackbourne?”
Aaron nodded, a bit impressed by this guy’s deductive skills befitting his title but still being hesitant to pry any further with him in particular. Call it being careful if you wish, but considering the surroundings, it was better to exercise caution than to invite disaster.
“I’m Aaron. I was Andrew’s oldest brother.”
“I see… I recognize the name. Pretty sure you’re out and about as a wrestler, right? I can’t begin to imagine how you’ve been holding up with this news on top of that schedule. Please, come inside.”
Aaron and Austin both followed the detective in, though Aaron kept his guard up. As he’d anticipated, the inside of the building wasn’t much better, looking like it just barely had enough of the necessary elements to make this place functional as headquarters for law enforcement. He could only shake his head at this sight, which the detective mimicked even after probably getting used to it for however long he’s been here already. When Aaron finally saw signs of life, it was painfully clear to tell who was from the state and who was actually part of this unit based solely on who was actually doing something that didn’t seem like a board office working just trying to kill time until they could leave for the day. To his relief, he had very little time to process this and let his emotions shift in a more negative direction over it before he was led into an empty office, with the detective motioning for Austin to close the door behind them as everyone took their seats. From the office next door, what sounded like a muffled but heated conversation could be heard, but not clearly enough to really take anything away from it.
“So… I think I have an idea why, but just for official records, what brings you in today?”
“Well, I was kind of hoping to hear about any progress for myself in regards to my brother’s case. You’re right about me being a bit out of the loop because of SCW’s schedule, but a lot of what my mom’s shared with me hasn’t sounded like there’s anything worth developing peace of mind over. Then again, she also didn’t mention anything about internal affairs…”
“I don’t blame you. This is a fairly recent development that your mother kind of spearheaded, though her concerns are very much justified after this was brought to our attention. The way this entire department has handled this case, let alone their jobs here altogether, has required us to step in and do some serious housekeeping to restore order. You’d be right if you understand a good reason why this city as a whole is in the shape it is, especially in dealing with outsiders like your brother was when he first moved here. For the sake of knowing where I need to begin, what all do you in particular know so far?”
Aaron glanced over to Austin, who nodded to ensure everything he’s shared with the eldest of the Blackbourne siblings has been accurate to this point to his own knowledge, before taking a deep breath to keep himself composed before answering.
“I know Andrew’s dead, and the official ruling as of right now is suicide. Supposedly hung himself with the jumper cables to his car. However, I’ve also heard from my mom and brother here that the coroner discovered bruising that creates the scenario that he wasn’t even conscious when he was hung, creating the possibility that the suicide was staged so the person behind it could get away with murder behind the right story. My mom’s been trying to get anything more out of the police here for a while but has pretty much been shut out since they prefer to answer primarily to Andrew’s ex-boyfriend Dylan for whatever reason. I guess Drew’s mobile carrier has been blocking attempts to subpoena phone records that would likely implicate him, and we know he’s in possession of the phone since we’ve all been getting text messages and social media posts from Andrew’s account and number. Apparently, somebody that lines up with his M.O. from doing this to Andrew catfished our youngest brother Alec into taking nude photos of himself that ended up becoming public shortly afterward, not to mention my fiancée and I have noticed that someone kind of seems like they’re stalking me that knows more than anyone not involved should about any of this.”
That last part definitely got the detective’s attention, and he quickly made note of it with concern etched across his face.
“I’ll say this: a lot of what you’ve told me is accurate, unfortunately, though your last statement is a new piece of information to us since we took over this case here. Probably the only thing you’re out of the loop on right now is the recent discovery that Dylan is in possession of your brother’s wallet as well, and while the cards have been deactivated due to his passing the bank’s been fighting us as well on a subpoena over financial records to prove they were used beforehand, not to mention the lack of cooperation from a local gas station we believe such transactions were made at the very night Andrew’s death was called in.”[/colpr]
Aaron quietly muttered something to himself about not being surprised at this point, though Austin put his hand on his brother’s shoulder to help him relax a bit. Considering the general mindset of the public towards police these days, it wasn’t shocking that some entities were willing to fight the law on matters that might end up implicating them in whatever case was being investigated out of fear of financial losses and irreparable public perception.
“If you don’t mind me asking you real quick so we can make sure to try our best to investigate thoroughly, can you provide some exact details on this alleged stalking you mentioned?”
“Well… the most recent instance of it I’m aware of was roughly two months ago or so at this point. I live in Seattle these days, and before I left town after an SCW pay-per-view in my proverbial backyard, a friend of mine who runs a tattoo parlor out there told me about a client he had shortly before I was to head to the airport that got a tattoo that I designed… which was made as a private design last year for Andrew as an ‘anniversary gift’ for his relationship with Dylan. I don’t know where he got it, but I did not release that design publicly for any reason and the only people who would know about it aside from he and I are Dylan and anybody who may have seen it. Between that and a few letters I got when I first went back home that were stylized kind of like those cutout ransom notes, I just have this feeling either Dylan or someone he’s friends with might be planning something for me. Between my parents’ breakdowns over the constant text and social media games from the phone of a dead man, Alec becoming a shell of himself from the harassment spawned from the catfishing incident and Austin here declining more in health from the general stress of it all, I’m the only one who seems like they’ve tried to move on, even if it’s not entirely by choice.”
Detective Cane pondered this even through the distraction of the noise next door, which seemed to grow more intense for a brief moment before dying off entirely. He jotted down a few more notes before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a card he passed over to Aaron.
“I’ll say this, young man: to keep doing what you’re doing despite all of this is truly impressive, and if it helps keep your mind occupied it might be more helpful right now than you realize. That’s my number, and I want you to keep in touch especially after what you’ve shared with me today. I’m going to use some connections I have in other states to see if we can keep our eyes peeled because while I have my doubts this man would actually take that risk personally, the fact that a stalker is not only dangerous in and of itself but may have a role to play in this case, I want to be absolutely sure we cover every possible base to guarantee your safety and the safety of those around you until justice is served.”
Aaron tucked the card away and was about to voice his thanks, feeling a little more at peace for the moment, but all attention was diverted to the door when it was thrown open by one of the officers who clearly looked like he was willing to play ball if it meant keeping his job. Standing behind him in the doorway was a man dressed similarly to Cane alongside Mrs. Blackbourne, who looked a little surprised to see her sons here but wasn’t given much of a chance to get answers on that front as the officer frantically spoke.
“Detective Cane, we have a problem. We just heard back from some of our men you tasked with gathering information out of Dylan’s friends to help the case, and according to them Dylan left the state months ago for reasons they only claim are ‘related to a job he needs to finish.’”
The detective immediately stood up and slammed his palms against the table, this turn of events clearly not sitting well with him as it’s valuable intel that should’ve been gained around that time but wasn’t. A quick glance to Aaron clearly showed where his thoughts were going, and the creative soul had a bad feeling they were on the same page about his hunch over his stalker’s identity not being as farfetched as he would’ve liked. The law enforcement agents quickly ushered the family out so they could get to work on trying to correct this colossal oversight immediately and track down the vital suspect in this entire case, and while a family discussion would be had later on once everyone was back home in Lowell, only on thought was on Aaron’s mind at that specific point in time:
How the hell do I focus on my hopes for Rise to Greatness and restoring order to my mind if I need to constantly watch my back for a madman now, too?
If Aaron was hoping for a Breakdown he wasn’t booked on to provide him some peace of mind he desperately needed, then he left Raleigh sorely disappointed.
After the news he’d received from stopping back in Lowell before SCW picked up steam again towards Rise to Greatness, not being able to set foot in the ring right away ultimately became a curse as he needed the distraction to gain temporary relief from the fact that it was almost a guarantee now that his deceased brother’s ex-boyfriend was stalking him for some unknown reason, though he could hazard a few guesses. He still tried to put it out of his thoughts to focus on the show in case something required his attention, especially during this time of the year, but the only thing he truly left with was yet another concern to add to the growing list:
The mental state of his best friend.
While he was still in the dark about exactly what happened at the moment and briefly hanging out after the show so they could both distract themselves hadn’t really calmed the situation, Aaron could tell whatever it was really got to the young man. Some of his tweets following that night had rightfully raised a few concerns as well, and while he honestly couldn’t use any more burdens on his overtaxed mind right now he wasn’t going to ignore that something was clearly up with one of the very few people in the business so far he could call an honest friend, which even he knew were few and far between with the general mindset of those he shared the locker room with.
If he didn’t make it clear enough when he agreed to help the Forte siblings deal with their parents somehow, he refused to ignore the plights of those he held close even if it meant leaving his own problems to fester in the process. After all, proving how far you were willing to go for the people you care about was one of the few things that would always be rewarded in ways that went far beyond things like money and championship gold, no matter how much people love trying to state otherwise for the sake of bolstering their images as uncaring bastards.
As he made the flight out to Las Vegas for the next Breakdown, he knew his devotion to helping Owen was going to be put to the test as he found himself squaring off with Chris Cannon, the very man whose piledriver attempt was what finally drew Aaron off the sidelines he was recommended to stay on and into the fray. He had little doubt on how Chris was going to approach this, but his attempts to figure out how he wanted to respond had been a disaster. There were simply too many fires he was trying to help put out and no way he was going to abandon those who could use his help solely to resolve his own issues, especially when they weren’t so easily dealt with in their own right.
“I know it could be taken as a shot at Chris if I actually said this, but I wonder if this is how Superman feels every time he goes out to save the day.”
It was a curious and appropriate thought, though one that Aaron couldn’t chuckle at like he normally might as he made the necessary trek. Being unable to formulate a plan of attack on the flight and knowing it was going to be some time before he’d be able to clear his head to the only person he knew was aware of all his current problems (while wishing he could come clean to Owen about anything going on in his head without fearing the kid would think he was some kind of nutcase), he decided the best course of action was to retreat to his imagination in order to vent about things sooner rather than later. Thankfully, he knew just the entity willing to lend an ear, especially considering he could use an idea or two on how to proceed regarding the aforementioned mental mess.
“It’s been some time Aaron. I know you’re aware I expected this, but I cannot help but be curious as to your decision to come to me.”
Aaron locked eyes with the master of time as he reached the top of the clock tower he hadn’t visited since the lead-up to Making Things Right, where Zeitgeist had been introduced to the world and given his aid in earning the creative soul a shot at the Adrenaline Title in the process. A true testament to the power he wielded was the fact that everything looked exactly the same as it did back then, almost as if several months hadn’t passed and he'd never left to begin with. Zeitgeist leaned on the staff he was carrying around at the moment, curious as to Aaron’s reasoning behind this visit even if he was already aware of the answer. The artist sighed and walked over to take a seat on one of the gear ‘benches’ scattered throughout the chamber.
“I needed somebody to talk to, and my options are kind of limited right now. It’ll be a while before I reunite with Liane, and if I just keep this bottled up I have a feeling I’m going to hurt myself well before Cannon gets his hands on me come Breakdown.”
Zeitgeist made no move to respond, opting to close the distance a bit to his creator as a sign that he was listening, but more willing to let him vent as opposed to chiming in unless absolutely necessary. It’s how things tended to go in the past whenever Aaron had turned to his oldest creation in situations like these, and he still didn’t know if he preferred it this way or felt upset that Zeitgeist wasn’t more inclined to communicate every step of the way. One thing the entity did take note of that seemed to really grab his attention was Aaron’s facial features… more specifically, how tired they seemed to look. He could swear the man was aging rapidly before his very eyes, and while there was no truth to that statement it wasn’t hard to understand why given the burden the artist was attempting to carry.
“I just… I don’t understand why things have to be the way they are. I shouldn’t be surprised considering how long I’ve been fighting as a proverbial ‘voice of the voiceless’ in a sense when it comes to the value of creativity in a world that seems to have forgotten all about it because that’s what those in power want, but this almost feels like it’s going far beyond even simply giving up hope in humanity. The ongoing mess with Andrew’s death… why Liane’s parents feel like they can use all their children the way they do… whatever’s going on with Owen now… that’s not even counting wherever the hell things are with this stupid war going on around us that only affects my well-being at the end of the day. I know it’s partly my fault for taking on so much, but-”
“I would have to disagree on that Aaron.”
Aaron looked up with an eyebrow raised as Zeitgeist met him with an emotionless stare, but after a moment the being turned towards his nearest time window held his hand out to it. Almost immediately the portal reacted, playing what could easily be described as a montage of some of Aaron’s selfless moments over the years, including a lot of his more recent ones like the help he’s given Liane and standing by Owen’s side no matter what whenever necessary. The sight of these clips actually brought a soft smile to Zeitgeist’s lips, which was admittedly a bit of a rarity in its own right.
“None of this is your fault. Your introduction to Liane’s life had no impact on how her parents chose to raise their children, Andrew’s death was not by your hands nor could you have done anything more to try and save him than the efforts you already gave, and you certainly cannot be faulted for whatever is going on with your friend or here in this world. If you had a choice, Nemesis wouldn’t even be trying to treat your life like a chess game that he must win in order to get what he desires, just as the twins would not have felt inclined to stop him even if it meant knowing they would be at odds with you initially.”
Aaron took a deep breath as Zeitgeist responded with what he needed to hear from somebody at that point in time, though he looked quite confused at the last thing he said. Zeitgeist picked up on this almost immediately and decided to answer before Aaron asked the questions he knew were coming.
“It may sound strange that I am vouching for them when they are just as much to blame, but if you had any doubts then you can trust my word when I say they are sincere in their efforts to help you. They only want what most of those you brought forth in this world desire, and while it might’ve taken the efforts of this ordeal for them to fully realize it, they have matured enough to realize where they were at fault.”
“It still doesn’t explain why they didn’t just say so in the first place.”
“Would you have believed them, even if they were clearly sincere?”
Aaron had to stop himself when he realized he couldn’t answer that in the affirmative. Even though it was a clear point by now, it was still one Aaron was having trouble adjusting to. It was the truth, though… Dreambender and Gleeful had long since lost his trust with their antics and what they contributed to this chaos in the first place, so changing their tune would sound pretty farfetched to believe from the get-go. The more he’d interacted with them as of late, however, the more he began to understand where they were coming from and why they had the difficulties they did in communicating with him just as all the others did. Then again, Aaron felt embarrassed to admit that he had no right trying to treat them the same as everyone else in the first place. The beauty of all his creations was the unique way they all lived their lives and used what he gave them for various purposes, after all… something he’d lost sight of amidst the stress. Aaron was pulled from his thoughts when he felt something cold and metallic on his shoulder, and he nearly jumped when he looked up and realized it was the blade of Zeitgeist’s time scythe resting on his shoulder.
“It should go without saying by this point Aaron, but even you need a reminder every now and then. What makes you special isn’t just your creative mind or the way you use it and defend that very foundation you so proudly stand upon. You gain strength from those around you, and how much you’re willing to fight for them just as much as what you believe in inspires so many people to do the same. It’s that reason why, no matter what is going on with Owen right now, your friendship has persevered this long and will continue to do so as you draw strength from one another, just as you stabilize Liane with a unique outlook on life that balances her endless positivity. We all stand behind you in your mind not because you made us, but because we learn from you just as you learn from us… do you understand where I’m going with this? Or do I need to continue?”
“No need Zeitgeist, I understand perfectly clearly. It’s just harder and harder to believe the longer this all is left unresolved and more gets added to it. Even I can’t keep fighting all on my own…”
“You were never doing this alone Aaron… you just need to be willing to let more people into your world to help you deal with the things you cannot on your own.”
Aaron stood up, biting his bottom lip as he slowly turned away. As usual, Zeitgeist had a point, but Aaron couldn’t move past his hesitation to pull the trigger. He knew Liane understood since they both realized they needed to open up to understand they weren’t as ‘normal’ as they might wish they could be sometimes, and his family would understand since they always acknowledged his creative mind and how easily he could get lost in it. But friends like Owen… potential friends and allies like Peyton Rice or Kennedy Street or anyone else on the SCW roster… would they truly understand no matter how vivid the picture he painted to them?
Seeing the road he was mentally traversing right now, Zeitgeist snapped his fingers, which not only got Aaron’s attention but also redirected it to the time window. The creative soul’s eyes could only widen at the picture presented before him, one that hadn’t happened yet but seemed very likely to as long as he was willing to lead his destiny in that direction. A prophecy of the fall of Nemesis, his cybernetic monstrosity of a castle in ruins as he stood alone against a combined force that had him leading the way. Many of the beings standing behind him were recognizable, from the Twin Stars to entities like Ferrugo and Kaldr that seemed like they would never be in this position. Even Zeitgeist, who preferred staying out of direct conflict unless absolutely necessary, was present, not to mention faces he would never expect such as Liane and Owen and his family. This image briefly flickered to show glimpses of other scenarios, all relating to Aaron’s problems and with a positive outcome, all because his efforts were finally repaid as the bonds he forged both real and imaginary gave him the strength and support he needed to survive.
When Aaron would wake up once his flight touched down in Las Vegas, he would be leaving the clock tower behind knowing that no matter what Cannon thought he could do to the man who dared to stop him from crossing a line and committing an atrocity in the wrestling business, he would survive. No one, from Chris to Nemesis to Dylan and anyone else that dared to try and destroy him, would succeed so long as he had that to fall back on.
And if it made him an anomaly in the wrestling world, then so be it. It was more fun getting to be the first to do something rather than walking in a path already laid out for you anyways.
I’m willing to bet that there are a lot of you out there who don’t understand me.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to feel offended by that. Unlike some out there, I’ve got far thicker skin and have put up with far worse to feel like questioning the methods to my madness is where I need to draw the line.
I do, however, understand where you might be coming from because the fact of the matter is… I don’t tend to approach things in the way many would expect. I rarely go in, guns blazing, and carve holes in someone just because it’s the popular way to approach this, no matter how much they may honestly deserve it. I don’t jump on a bandwagon approach to one specific problem. Instead, I prefer to get the facts as best as I’m able to and form my own decisions, and while you’re free to criticize me over it I would think that makes me someone who’s at least willing to look at certain situations from a different angle. After all, how many times have I felt in the past that just verbally tearing into someone wasn’t justified until they proved I needed to stand here and do exactly that. I think a lot of people have forgotten that morality is a little more grey, especially in today’s world, than most want to accept. After all, why bother thinking when you can just assume a party is guilty and decree they should lose their head right here and now?
I’ll admit, the way I do things isn’t always perfect, though to be fair nothing in this world is without its faults and flaws. That’s the exact reason why it took me so long to reach this particular point, but allow me to say that no matter how much it may have been justified I didn’t have the same emotional attachment to the situation as others did. Maybe that’s my fault for not trying to form more bonds with those in the locker room both past and present, but I know when I need to step into a situation and when it might be best if I wait and get the answers I need first.
That said… it’s truly sad to see what Chris Cannon has become.
I’m sure he’s just waiting to hear the same thing that Owen and Kennedy and so many others have confronted him with, but if he’s banking on that, then he clearly has no idea who he’s dealing with this time around. I’ll be honest Chris: I don’t know you or Kelcey as well as many others in this company do, nor do I know as much about whatever happened between you. The only personal experience I have with either one of you up to this point was the Halloween party last year, where I’ll admit I’m still grateful for you preventing the situation with a certain redhead I refuse to name anymore from getting any more out of hand. But that’s exactly why I held back while everyone around me was ready to crucify you because I wanted to hear what you had to say about it to know for sure if and how I wanted to approach this if I felt I needed to.
You probably don’t think I have any right to be getting involved period, but after what you tried to pull on Owen I’m going to have to disagree.
I’ve made it clear I’m a man who values the bonds I make in this world because the truth of the matter is you never know who may go on to mean something far more. How often do people actually walk away from this business knowing they’ve legitimately formed friendships that will endure long after careers come to an end? Yeah, maybe it’s not as valuable as a title belt or lining your pockets with cash night after night, but considering you never know what kind of wists and turns life can take it never hurts to know there’s at least one person you can count on to be there for you if you need it.
Plain and simple… if you thought I was going to stand by and watch you try to break Owen’s neck just because you’re a lot more fragile than you’ve led people to believe after all this time, then you need to unlock your lips from Sienna for a change and pay attention to what’s going on around you.
I’m not blind Chris, I watched what Owen said to you leading up to that match the two of you had, and I’m well aware he unloaded on you in a way that he’s justified about given he’s more familiar with that hurricane you just so happen to be the eye of right now compared to me. I wouldn’t doubt you took it personally, but I think you’ve forgotten exactly what kind of business this is. The unfortunate truth of the matter is that the more you’re willing to put out there about yourself, the less you have to blame if someone’s going to use it against you. Your change of heart and the actions that followed are an avalanche that only you are to blame for starting, and if you can’t handle it when someone steps up and calls you out on your hypocrisy then it should come as no surprise that things are only going to get worse as time goes on. I hate to break it to you, but you should already know full well that we don’t live in a perfect world where you’re free to do and say whatever the hell allows you to feel like Superman at the end of the day without someone with an opposing viewpoint waiting in the wings.
Let me guess: at this point, I should expect a piledriver in my future just because I had the audacity to stop you from breaking someone’s neck and to some degree save your career as well?
What happened to the Chris Cannon that was willing to live up to that namesake he so proudly wore? The man who could take any criticism thrown at him no matter what it was about and still prove he was a force to be reckoned with in the ring to let the everlasting sight of his hand raised in victory be all the statement he needed? I’m sure you think he’s the same man I’m going to meet in the middle of that ring in Las Vegas on Wednesday, but I’m not buying into that little plot twist. The fact of the matter is, I know I’m going to be facing off against a man who’s so concerned about defending himself from the mess he created that even what I’m saying now, a practice that this industry has been built on for decades, is probably going to set him off and cause him to do everything in his power to risk suspension so long as the sight of me leaving on a stretcher proves that he’s always right and I’m so very wrong like everyone else who thinks they know what he’s all about.
Who knew that siding with the Beauty Factory would make you just as shallow as the image Laura tries to build for everyone suffering under her ‘guidance’ in a realm she doesn’t fully understand?
Before you try to flip the script to try and prove to me that some partnerships are only going to come back to haunt me, I want you to consider a hypothetical scenario. Let’s say, in some alternate timeline, that you did end up going all the way and winning the battle royal at Taking Hold of the Flame. On that same night, maybe Sienna happened to overcome Syren’s bullshit and become the undisputed World Champion. Assuming no Trios contracts are used to alter it, you would main event Sienna at Rise to Greatness. Sure, we’d get all this promotion and promise of a ‘real’ main event and respect and all of that, but I do recall you claiming leading up to the battle royal that you were done living in people’s shadows and this was your time to stand atop the mountain.
In this situation, how would Sienna feel about that?
One thing I know for certain after months of watching her in action is that no matter how she presents herself, the one and only thing that gives Sienna purpose is being the absolute best, bar none. You can support her all you want and sing her praises, but at the end of the day for you to truly give your words any meaning you would eventually have to eclipse the angel you’ve now grown attached to, a fact that I doubt she would accept that gracefully. If the fate of the Trueloves is anything to go by, if you aren’t contributing to keeping Sienna where she thinks she belongs, then you’re effectively dead to her. Maybe you could accept the idea of falling to her and missing out on that coveted World Title reign just because it’s Sienna, but I find it hard to believe with everything I know about her that she would be so willing to return that favor if you prevailed.
That’s the big difference between what you have with Sienna and the friendship I have with Owen. If this scenario somehow played out in a way that put both of us in the Rise to Greatness main event, we’d put forth the best damn match possible and regardless of who walks away the winner, the respect and camaraderie would never fade. It’s something we’ve already proven on at least two previous encounters, so I know I’m not feeding you a pill that’s hard to swallow. Call it me trying to drive a wedge between you two all you like, but Sienna’s made it perfectly clear what kind of person she is and if you’re going to be blind to it, then it should come as no surprise when you outlive your usefulness to her and the honeymoon falls apart, leaving you with absolutely nothing as your own decisions finally catch up with you. The Trueloves, Ikiro… they’re warning signs, Chris, and only you can decide at the end of the day if you want to keep supporting someone who will only stab you in the back the second you try to live up to your own desire of no longer living in anyone’s shadow, or if you’re man enough to be willing to fight back when that glass house shatters above your head.
Right now, I’m not concerned about where my road to Rise to Greatness will lead, because I know I’ll have more control over it than last year to do whatever it is I want to do. My main concern come Breakdown? Simple… beating you in the middle of that ring to prove that you don’t have to try and put someone on the shelf just because you’re too petty to back up your words against someone who peeled back your thin skin. Sometimes, the best way to prove a point is a mark on their record that can never be erased.
Considering how insignificant I probably am to you beyond whatever burning hatred exists because I stopped you from crossing a line, I can only imagine how it’ll look when you lose sight of the task in front of you and have to explain to Laura and Sienna how some kid who has no business being in the ring with you managed to turn out your lights, all because I was willing to stand here and speak the truth that tears you up inside every time you hear it.
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It’s amazing how much can change in a year.
Sometimes, those changes don’t always feel like they’re for the best either.
When Aaron thought back to where he was at last year around this time, he remembered feeling frustrated but ultimately couldn’t complain at the very end. His first attempt at the infamous Taking Hold of the Flame battle royal had not gone very well, his stint barely lasting maybe five minutes at best and nothing to his name before he was tossed out, and from there he’d spent the entire road to Rise to Greatness trying to establish any sort of momentum and falling short every step of the way, up until his constant interventions in the brewing hatred between Autumn Valentine and Sophie O’Brian landed him a spot on the pre-show where he overcame them both and walked away as TV Champion for the second time in his career. This year he seemed off to a slightly better start, as while he still had no eliminations to his name he still lasted a solid fifteen to twenty minutes in the battle royal this year, which was a vast improvement if nothing else.
Last year, however, he also had fewer problems sitting on his plate.
When he looked back at that entire road he recalled the worst of his issues being the storm subtly beginning to brew for the full-scale mental mayhem he was in the midst of now, as Nemesis was barely a factor it seemed like at the time and he was more preoccupied with the Twin Stars and their determined hopes of being showcased on the grandest stage by any means necessary. That left him free to contemplate how he would earn his place on the weekend’s card week after week in the face of mounting failures, which might honestly be preferable to where he stands now. After all, not only has that issue snowballed into all-out war with him caught in the middle but add in the unresolved issues of his brother’s passing even roughly half a year after it all went down and other things that he’d deal with as necessary until at least one of these was done and over with, and the creative soul found himself struggling to keep it together.
As much as he was somehow able to look composed and focused when the cameras were on, it was becoming harder to maintain the facade and save the stress for when he was either alone or in the company of those he could trust with it.
With the first Breakdown on the road to Rise to Greatness approaching, Aaron resolved that he desperately needed to make some headway into one of those major issues if he was to stand any chance of keeping it together the closer SCW got to its biggest show. Learning that he wasn’t booked for the Raleigh show allowed him to breathe a little easier, as he was willing to trade a later start towards his goal of sharing his imagination on the biggest stage possible if it meant a little extra time to ensure he actually made it there with his mind still intact. That was why he’d opted to fulfill his initial plans following the pay-per-view of using the short break period to return to his childhood home of Lowell to assess the latest twist in the games of a narcissistic megalomaniac.
“Thanks for coming with me Austin. I know this is probably hard on you, but you’ve had to go there before with mom and I’d probably have a hell of a time trying to find it.”
“No problem. I know how badly you want to get some answers since you’ve been the most out of the loop, and maybe you can use a better approach than what mom’s been trying to do.”
When he’d arrived home the only person that met him was Austin, who filled him in that their dad was busy working and their mom had gone to the police station in the town where Andrew’s life ended to make another attempt at trying to get any sort of breakthrough by keeping pressure applied on the corrupt cops that simply wanted to sweep it under the rug and forget about it. Alec was home, but he was locked up in his room and in no mood to talk after the news Aaron had heard before Taking Hold of the Flame about him being catfished into a situation that left him exposed and embarrassed as school was letting out for the summer, which still had the artist burning up inside. Austin could see it on his older brother’s face how badly he wanted to just throw it all away and resolve this in the most direct way possible but was desperately restraining himself, though he would never understand that part of the restraint related to the beast lurking within Aaron’s imagination that was salivating at the thought of that last thread of control finally breaking.
“I see Liane didn’t come with you… what’s she up to?”
“Oh, she stuck around in Canada for a bit to do a few lingering shows she managed to get booked. She knew how much I needed to do this, plus she wants to go back home and try to lend a hand with her family’s own problems right now, so we agreed to meet back up probably in Las Vegas for the following Breakdown.”
Austin nodded, at least happy that Aaron was open to small talk instead of being locked up inside his head like these kinds of scenarios tended to cause, even though he was behind the wheel right now. The two of them were basically following after their mom since Aaron had yet to take a stab at dealing with the ‘asshole officers’ as his mother so eloquently liked to refer to them over details from Andrew’s case that simply weren’t adding up as they would under virtually any other police jurisdiction in the United States, and even one piece of new information he could work with was a step in the right direction at the moment. Liane’s lingering shows and desire to try and help her siblings with their issue Aaron was aiming to also lend a hand with once he could give it greater priority kind of worked out, as he was hesitant about wanting her to come along for this specific endeavor because he had no idea how things were going to go down. It was one thing to read any news stories and blog posts about the things officers do that go against the core of their job description, but potentially dealing with it firsthand was an entirely different bag of worms altogether.
The main reason Austin was on board with Aaron taking a shot at it regardless, however, was the fact that he had one thing their mother lacked, especially when emotions were running high: the ability to read and adapt to a person in conversation. It might be considered a rare opportunity for the wrestling designer to put it to use beyond negotiating with a client, but it might help open up a few doors that were still locked up tight by approaching the situation without a desire to argue and demand new information even if it was rightfully owed.
“Alright, we’re here.”
As Aaron pulled into the parking lot Austin had directed him towards following almost an hour of driving, he was more than ready to step out of the car and take a deep breath to compose himself. Haven driven through a fair chunk of the town just to get here, it started to click just why Dylan would call this place home and seemingly get the cops on his side in this ongoing nightmare. Everything he’d seen so far made this place look like what would normally be described as ‘the bad part of town’ except for the fact that it seemed like that ‘bad part’ actually was the town. Even the nicest building he’d passed looked like they’d seen better days, and almost every person wandering about in the daylight could be described as a shady character from appearance alone, and that wasn’t including several groups he’d driven by that clearly looked like they were in the middle of drug deals in broad daylight without a care to give. This was one of those places that made you question why it even existed in the first place, and the moment Austin was out of the car he took the extra precaution of hiding away anything even semi-valuable that he didn’t want to bring inside with him before locking it up.
“I’d rather be safe than sorry around here.”
That was his response to his brother’s quizzical glance, and Austin nodded in understanding. When a town made you feel like even right in front of the police station wasn’t safe, you take every precaution you can. Once he was certain of that, the brothers began to make their way towards the front doors of the small rundown old building Aaron had a hard time believing was where the officers would set up shop, trying to mentally prepare himself for whatever was waiting inside that would probably make him feel even sicker than he already was over all of this. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you want to look at it), he would have to delay the payoff to that as the moment he reached the doors they opened up and he just barely stopped himself from colliding with a fairly bulky and intimidating individual dressed in a black trenchcoat that proudly displayed a badge, though it wasn’t one the artist immediately recognized. As luck would have it, the menacing look didn’t carry over to the guy’s speech once everyone had their bearings.
“Sorry about that, should’ve been paying attention to where I was going.”
“My apologies as well. Are you part of the force here?”
“Not exactly. Name’s Detective Cane, I work for the state. I’m here with a few other state officers and people from internal affairs because the men and women around these parts have been making quite a mess with their job, so we’re sorting it all out the correct way.”
Aaron raised an eyebrow at this, which got the slightest of smirks out of the man as they eyed each other carefully.
“Forgive me, but that doesn’t seem like information someone in your position would throw out so willingly like you just did.”
“Well, considering how much you look like the woman in there already trying to raise hell, I have a feeling you’d learn that shortly anyway. Am I right to assume you’re a Blackbourne?”
Aaron nodded, a bit impressed by this guy’s deductive skills befitting his title but still being hesitant to pry any further with him in particular. Call it being careful if you wish, but considering the surroundings, it was better to exercise caution than to invite disaster.
“I’m Aaron. I was Andrew’s oldest brother.”
“I see… I recognize the name. Pretty sure you’re out and about as a wrestler, right? I can’t begin to imagine how you’ve been holding up with this news on top of that schedule. Please, come inside.”
Aaron and Austin both followed the detective in, though Aaron kept his guard up. As he’d anticipated, the inside of the building wasn’t much better, looking like it just barely had enough of the necessary elements to make this place functional as headquarters for law enforcement. He could only shake his head at this sight, which the detective mimicked even after probably getting used to it for however long he’s been here already. When Aaron finally saw signs of life, it was painfully clear to tell who was from the state and who was actually part of this unit based solely on who was actually doing something that didn’t seem like a board office working just trying to kill time until they could leave for the day. To his relief, he had very little time to process this and let his emotions shift in a more negative direction over it before he was led into an empty office, with the detective motioning for Austin to close the door behind them as everyone took their seats. From the office next door, what sounded like a muffled but heated conversation could be heard, but not clearly enough to really take anything away from it.
“So… I think I have an idea why, but just for official records, what brings you in today?”
“Well, I was kind of hoping to hear about any progress for myself in regards to my brother’s case. You’re right about me being a bit out of the loop because of SCW’s schedule, but a lot of what my mom’s shared with me hasn’t sounded like there’s anything worth developing peace of mind over. Then again, she also didn’t mention anything about internal affairs…”
“I don’t blame you. This is a fairly recent development that your mother kind of spearheaded, though her concerns are very much justified after this was brought to our attention. The way this entire department has handled this case, let alone their jobs here altogether, has required us to step in and do some serious housekeeping to restore order. You’d be right if you understand a good reason why this city as a whole is in the shape it is, especially in dealing with outsiders like your brother was when he first moved here. For the sake of knowing where I need to begin, what all do you in particular know so far?”
Aaron glanced over to Austin, who nodded to ensure everything he’s shared with the eldest of the Blackbourne siblings has been accurate to this point to his own knowledge, before taking a deep breath to keep himself composed before answering.
“I know Andrew’s dead, and the official ruling as of right now is suicide. Supposedly hung himself with the jumper cables to his car. However, I’ve also heard from my mom and brother here that the coroner discovered bruising that creates the scenario that he wasn’t even conscious when he was hung, creating the possibility that the suicide was staged so the person behind it could get away with murder behind the right story. My mom’s been trying to get anything more out of the police here for a while but has pretty much been shut out since they prefer to answer primarily to Andrew’s ex-boyfriend Dylan for whatever reason. I guess Drew’s mobile carrier has been blocking attempts to subpoena phone records that would likely implicate him, and we know he’s in possession of the phone since we’ve all been getting text messages and social media posts from Andrew’s account and number. Apparently, somebody that lines up with his M.O. from doing this to Andrew catfished our youngest brother Alec into taking nude photos of himself that ended up becoming public shortly afterward, not to mention my fiancée and I have noticed that someone kind of seems like they’re stalking me that knows more than anyone not involved should about any of this.”
That last part definitely got the detective’s attention, and he quickly made note of it with concern etched across his face.
“I’ll say this: a lot of what you’ve told me is accurate, unfortunately, though your last statement is a new piece of information to us since we took over this case here. Probably the only thing you’re out of the loop on right now is the recent discovery that Dylan is in possession of your brother’s wallet as well, and while the cards have been deactivated due to his passing the bank’s been fighting us as well on a subpoena over financial records to prove they were used beforehand, not to mention the lack of cooperation from a local gas station we believe such transactions were made at the very night Andrew’s death was called in.”[/colpr]
Aaron quietly muttered something to himself about not being surprised at this point, though Austin put his hand on his brother’s shoulder to help him relax a bit. Considering the general mindset of the public towards police these days, it wasn’t shocking that some entities were willing to fight the law on matters that might end up implicating them in whatever case was being investigated out of fear of financial losses and irreparable public perception.
“If you don’t mind me asking you real quick so we can make sure to try our best to investigate thoroughly, can you provide some exact details on this alleged stalking you mentioned?”
“Well… the most recent instance of it I’m aware of was roughly two months ago or so at this point. I live in Seattle these days, and before I left town after an SCW pay-per-view in my proverbial backyard, a friend of mine who runs a tattoo parlor out there told me about a client he had shortly before I was to head to the airport that got a tattoo that I designed… which was made as a private design last year for Andrew as an ‘anniversary gift’ for his relationship with Dylan. I don’t know where he got it, but I did not release that design publicly for any reason and the only people who would know about it aside from he and I are Dylan and anybody who may have seen it. Between that and a few letters I got when I first went back home that were stylized kind of like those cutout ransom notes, I just have this feeling either Dylan or someone he’s friends with might be planning something for me. Between my parents’ breakdowns over the constant text and social media games from the phone of a dead man, Alec becoming a shell of himself from the harassment spawned from the catfishing incident and Austin here declining more in health from the general stress of it all, I’m the only one who seems like they’ve tried to move on, even if it’s not entirely by choice.”
Detective Cane pondered this even through the distraction of the noise next door, which seemed to grow more intense for a brief moment before dying off entirely. He jotted down a few more notes before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a card he passed over to Aaron.
“I’ll say this, young man: to keep doing what you’re doing despite all of this is truly impressive, and if it helps keep your mind occupied it might be more helpful right now than you realize. That’s my number, and I want you to keep in touch especially after what you’ve shared with me today. I’m going to use some connections I have in other states to see if we can keep our eyes peeled because while I have my doubts this man would actually take that risk personally, the fact that a stalker is not only dangerous in and of itself but may have a role to play in this case, I want to be absolutely sure we cover every possible base to guarantee your safety and the safety of those around you until justice is served.”
Aaron tucked the card away and was about to voice his thanks, feeling a little more at peace for the moment, but all attention was diverted to the door when it was thrown open by one of the officers who clearly looked like he was willing to play ball if it meant keeping his job. Standing behind him in the doorway was a man dressed similarly to Cane alongside Mrs. Blackbourne, who looked a little surprised to see her sons here but wasn’t given much of a chance to get answers on that front as the officer frantically spoke.
“Detective Cane, we have a problem. We just heard back from some of our men you tasked with gathering information out of Dylan’s friends to help the case, and according to them Dylan left the state months ago for reasons they only claim are ‘related to a job he needs to finish.’”
The detective immediately stood up and slammed his palms against the table, this turn of events clearly not sitting well with him as it’s valuable intel that should’ve been gained around that time but wasn’t. A quick glance to Aaron clearly showed where his thoughts were going, and the creative soul had a bad feeling they were on the same page about his hunch over his stalker’s identity not being as farfetched as he would’ve liked. The law enforcement agents quickly ushered the family out so they could get to work on trying to correct this colossal oversight immediately and track down the vital suspect in this entire case, and while a family discussion would be had later on once everyone was back home in Lowell, only on thought was on Aaron’s mind at that specific point in time:
How the hell do I focus on my hopes for Rise to Greatness and restoring order to my mind if I need to constantly watch my back for a madman now, too?
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If Aaron was hoping for a Breakdown he wasn’t booked on to provide him some peace of mind he desperately needed, then he left Raleigh sorely disappointed.
After the news he’d received from stopping back in Lowell before SCW picked up steam again towards Rise to Greatness, not being able to set foot in the ring right away ultimately became a curse as he needed the distraction to gain temporary relief from the fact that it was almost a guarantee now that his deceased brother’s ex-boyfriend was stalking him for some unknown reason, though he could hazard a few guesses. He still tried to put it out of his thoughts to focus on the show in case something required his attention, especially during this time of the year, but the only thing he truly left with was yet another concern to add to the growing list:
The mental state of his best friend.
While he was still in the dark about exactly what happened at the moment and briefly hanging out after the show so they could both distract themselves hadn’t really calmed the situation, Aaron could tell whatever it was really got to the young man. Some of his tweets following that night had rightfully raised a few concerns as well, and while he honestly couldn’t use any more burdens on his overtaxed mind right now he wasn’t going to ignore that something was clearly up with one of the very few people in the business so far he could call an honest friend, which even he knew were few and far between with the general mindset of those he shared the locker room with.
If he didn’t make it clear enough when he agreed to help the Forte siblings deal with their parents somehow, he refused to ignore the plights of those he held close even if it meant leaving his own problems to fester in the process. After all, proving how far you were willing to go for the people you care about was one of the few things that would always be rewarded in ways that went far beyond things like money and championship gold, no matter how much people love trying to state otherwise for the sake of bolstering their images as uncaring bastards.
As he made the flight out to Las Vegas for the next Breakdown, he knew his devotion to helping Owen was going to be put to the test as he found himself squaring off with Chris Cannon, the very man whose piledriver attempt was what finally drew Aaron off the sidelines he was recommended to stay on and into the fray. He had little doubt on how Chris was going to approach this, but his attempts to figure out how he wanted to respond had been a disaster. There were simply too many fires he was trying to help put out and no way he was going to abandon those who could use his help solely to resolve his own issues, especially when they weren’t so easily dealt with in their own right.
“I know it could be taken as a shot at Chris if I actually said this, but I wonder if this is how Superman feels every time he goes out to save the day.”
It was a curious and appropriate thought, though one that Aaron couldn’t chuckle at like he normally might as he made the necessary trek. Being unable to formulate a plan of attack on the flight and knowing it was going to be some time before he’d be able to clear his head to the only person he knew was aware of all his current problems (while wishing he could come clean to Owen about anything going on in his head without fearing the kid would think he was some kind of nutcase), he decided the best course of action was to retreat to his imagination in order to vent about things sooner rather than later. Thankfully, he knew just the entity willing to lend an ear, especially considering he could use an idea or two on how to proceed regarding the aforementioned mental mess.
“It’s been some time Aaron. I know you’re aware I expected this, but I cannot help but be curious as to your decision to come to me.”
Aaron locked eyes with the master of time as he reached the top of the clock tower he hadn’t visited since the lead-up to Making Things Right, where Zeitgeist had been introduced to the world and given his aid in earning the creative soul a shot at the Adrenaline Title in the process. A true testament to the power he wielded was the fact that everything looked exactly the same as it did back then, almost as if several months hadn’t passed and he'd never left to begin with. Zeitgeist leaned on the staff he was carrying around at the moment, curious as to Aaron’s reasoning behind this visit even if he was already aware of the answer. The artist sighed and walked over to take a seat on one of the gear ‘benches’ scattered throughout the chamber.
“I needed somebody to talk to, and my options are kind of limited right now. It’ll be a while before I reunite with Liane, and if I just keep this bottled up I have a feeling I’m going to hurt myself well before Cannon gets his hands on me come Breakdown.”
Zeitgeist made no move to respond, opting to close the distance a bit to his creator as a sign that he was listening, but more willing to let him vent as opposed to chiming in unless absolutely necessary. It’s how things tended to go in the past whenever Aaron had turned to his oldest creation in situations like these, and he still didn’t know if he preferred it this way or felt upset that Zeitgeist wasn’t more inclined to communicate every step of the way. One thing the entity did take note of that seemed to really grab his attention was Aaron’s facial features… more specifically, how tired they seemed to look. He could swear the man was aging rapidly before his very eyes, and while there was no truth to that statement it wasn’t hard to understand why given the burden the artist was attempting to carry.
“I just… I don’t understand why things have to be the way they are. I shouldn’t be surprised considering how long I’ve been fighting as a proverbial ‘voice of the voiceless’ in a sense when it comes to the value of creativity in a world that seems to have forgotten all about it because that’s what those in power want, but this almost feels like it’s going far beyond even simply giving up hope in humanity. The ongoing mess with Andrew’s death… why Liane’s parents feel like they can use all their children the way they do… whatever’s going on with Owen now… that’s not even counting wherever the hell things are with this stupid war going on around us that only affects my well-being at the end of the day. I know it’s partly my fault for taking on so much, but-”
“I would have to disagree on that Aaron.”
Aaron looked up with an eyebrow raised as Zeitgeist met him with an emotionless stare, but after a moment the being turned towards his nearest time window held his hand out to it. Almost immediately the portal reacted, playing what could easily be described as a montage of some of Aaron’s selfless moments over the years, including a lot of his more recent ones like the help he’s given Liane and standing by Owen’s side no matter what whenever necessary. The sight of these clips actually brought a soft smile to Zeitgeist’s lips, which was admittedly a bit of a rarity in its own right.
“None of this is your fault. Your introduction to Liane’s life had no impact on how her parents chose to raise their children, Andrew’s death was not by your hands nor could you have done anything more to try and save him than the efforts you already gave, and you certainly cannot be faulted for whatever is going on with your friend or here in this world. If you had a choice, Nemesis wouldn’t even be trying to treat your life like a chess game that he must win in order to get what he desires, just as the twins would not have felt inclined to stop him even if it meant knowing they would be at odds with you initially.”
Aaron took a deep breath as Zeitgeist responded with what he needed to hear from somebody at that point in time, though he looked quite confused at the last thing he said. Zeitgeist picked up on this almost immediately and decided to answer before Aaron asked the questions he knew were coming.
“It may sound strange that I am vouching for them when they are just as much to blame, but if you had any doubts then you can trust my word when I say they are sincere in their efforts to help you. They only want what most of those you brought forth in this world desire, and while it might’ve taken the efforts of this ordeal for them to fully realize it, they have matured enough to realize where they were at fault.”
“It still doesn’t explain why they didn’t just say so in the first place.”
“Would you have believed them, even if they were clearly sincere?”
Aaron had to stop himself when he realized he couldn’t answer that in the affirmative. Even though it was a clear point by now, it was still one Aaron was having trouble adjusting to. It was the truth, though… Dreambender and Gleeful had long since lost his trust with their antics and what they contributed to this chaos in the first place, so changing their tune would sound pretty farfetched to believe from the get-go. The more he’d interacted with them as of late, however, the more he began to understand where they were coming from and why they had the difficulties they did in communicating with him just as all the others did. Then again, Aaron felt embarrassed to admit that he had no right trying to treat them the same as everyone else in the first place. The beauty of all his creations was the unique way they all lived their lives and used what he gave them for various purposes, after all… something he’d lost sight of amidst the stress. Aaron was pulled from his thoughts when he felt something cold and metallic on his shoulder, and he nearly jumped when he looked up and realized it was the blade of Zeitgeist’s time scythe resting on his shoulder.
“It should go without saying by this point Aaron, but even you need a reminder every now and then. What makes you special isn’t just your creative mind or the way you use it and defend that very foundation you so proudly stand upon. You gain strength from those around you, and how much you’re willing to fight for them just as much as what you believe in inspires so many people to do the same. It’s that reason why, no matter what is going on with Owen right now, your friendship has persevered this long and will continue to do so as you draw strength from one another, just as you stabilize Liane with a unique outlook on life that balances her endless positivity. We all stand behind you in your mind not because you made us, but because we learn from you just as you learn from us… do you understand where I’m going with this? Or do I need to continue?”
“No need Zeitgeist, I understand perfectly clearly. It’s just harder and harder to believe the longer this all is left unresolved and more gets added to it. Even I can’t keep fighting all on my own…”
“You were never doing this alone Aaron… you just need to be willing to let more people into your world to help you deal with the things you cannot on your own.”
Aaron stood up, biting his bottom lip as he slowly turned away. As usual, Zeitgeist had a point, but Aaron couldn’t move past his hesitation to pull the trigger. He knew Liane understood since they both realized they needed to open up to understand they weren’t as ‘normal’ as they might wish they could be sometimes, and his family would understand since they always acknowledged his creative mind and how easily he could get lost in it. But friends like Owen… potential friends and allies like Peyton Rice or Kennedy Street or anyone else on the SCW roster… would they truly understand no matter how vivid the picture he painted to them?
Seeing the road he was mentally traversing right now, Zeitgeist snapped his fingers, which not only got Aaron’s attention but also redirected it to the time window. The creative soul’s eyes could only widen at the picture presented before him, one that hadn’t happened yet but seemed very likely to as long as he was willing to lead his destiny in that direction. A prophecy of the fall of Nemesis, his cybernetic monstrosity of a castle in ruins as he stood alone against a combined force that had him leading the way. Many of the beings standing behind him were recognizable, from the Twin Stars to entities like Ferrugo and Kaldr that seemed like they would never be in this position. Even Zeitgeist, who preferred staying out of direct conflict unless absolutely necessary, was present, not to mention faces he would never expect such as Liane and Owen and his family. This image briefly flickered to show glimpses of other scenarios, all relating to Aaron’s problems and with a positive outcome, all because his efforts were finally repaid as the bonds he forged both real and imaginary gave him the strength and support he needed to survive.
When Aaron would wake up once his flight touched down in Las Vegas, he would be leaving the clock tower behind knowing that no matter what Cannon thought he could do to the man who dared to stop him from crossing a line and committing an atrocity in the wrestling business, he would survive. No one, from Chris to Nemesis to Dylan and anyone else that dared to try and destroy him, would succeed so long as he had that to fall back on.
And if it made him an anomaly in the wrestling world, then so be it. It was more fun getting to be the first to do something rather than walking in a path already laid out for you anyways.
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I’m willing to bet that there are a lot of you out there who don’t understand me.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to feel offended by that. Unlike some out there, I’ve got far thicker skin and have put up with far worse to feel like questioning the methods to my madness is where I need to draw the line.
I do, however, understand where you might be coming from because the fact of the matter is… I don’t tend to approach things in the way many would expect. I rarely go in, guns blazing, and carve holes in someone just because it’s the popular way to approach this, no matter how much they may honestly deserve it. I don’t jump on a bandwagon approach to one specific problem. Instead, I prefer to get the facts as best as I’m able to and form my own decisions, and while you’re free to criticize me over it I would think that makes me someone who’s at least willing to look at certain situations from a different angle. After all, how many times have I felt in the past that just verbally tearing into someone wasn’t justified until they proved I needed to stand here and do exactly that. I think a lot of people have forgotten that morality is a little more grey, especially in today’s world, than most want to accept. After all, why bother thinking when you can just assume a party is guilty and decree they should lose their head right here and now?
I’ll admit, the way I do things isn’t always perfect, though to be fair nothing in this world is without its faults and flaws. That’s the exact reason why it took me so long to reach this particular point, but allow me to say that no matter how much it may have been justified I didn’t have the same emotional attachment to the situation as others did. Maybe that’s my fault for not trying to form more bonds with those in the locker room both past and present, but I know when I need to step into a situation and when it might be best if I wait and get the answers I need first.
That said… it’s truly sad to see what Chris Cannon has become.
I’m sure he’s just waiting to hear the same thing that Owen and Kennedy and so many others have confronted him with, but if he’s banking on that, then he clearly has no idea who he’s dealing with this time around. I’ll be honest Chris: I don’t know you or Kelcey as well as many others in this company do, nor do I know as much about whatever happened between you. The only personal experience I have with either one of you up to this point was the Halloween party last year, where I’ll admit I’m still grateful for you preventing the situation with a certain redhead I refuse to name anymore from getting any more out of hand. But that’s exactly why I held back while everyone around me was ready to crucify you because I wanted to hear what you had to say about it to know for sure if and how I wanted to approach this if I felt I needed to.
You probably don’t think I have any right to be getting involved period, but after what you tried to pull on Owen I’m going to have to disagree.
I’ve made it clear I’m a man who values the bonds I make in this world because the truth of the matter is you never know who may go on to mean something far more. How often do people actually walk away from this business knowing they’ve legitimately formed friendships that will endure long after careers come to an end? Yeah, maybe it’s not as valuable as a title belt or lining your pockets with cash night after night, but considering you never know what kind of wists and turns life can take it never hurts to know there’s at least one person you can count on to be there for you if you need it.
Plain and simple… if you thought I was going to stand by and watch you try to break Owen’s neck just because you’re a lot more fragile than you’ve led people to believe after all this time, then you need to unlock your lips from Sienna for a change and pay attention to what’s going on around you.
I’m not blind Chris, I watched what Owen said to you leading up to that match the two of you had, and I’m well aware he unloaded on you in a way that he’s justified about given he’s more familiar with that hurricane you just so happen to be the eye of right now compared to me. I wouldn’t doubt you took it personally, but I think you’ve forgotten exactly what kind of business this is. The unfortunate truth of the matter is that the more you’re willing to put out there about yourself, the less you have to blame if someone’s going to use it against you. Your change of heart and the actions that followed are an avalanche that only you are to blame for starting, and if you can’t handle it when someone steps up and calls you out on your hypocrisy then it should come as no surprise that things are only going to get worse as time goes on. I hate to break it to you, but you should already know full well that we don’t live in a perfect world where you’re free to do and say whatever the hell allows you to feel like Superman at the end of the day without someone with an opposing viewpoint waiting in the wings.
Let me guess: at this point, I should expect a piledriver in my future just because I had the audacity to stop you from breaking someone’s neck and to some degree save your career as well?
What happened to the Chris Cannon that was willing to live up to that namesake he so proudly wore? The man who could take any criticism thrown at him no matter what it was about and still prove he was a force to be reckoned with in the ring to let the everlasting sight of his hand raised in victory be all the statement he needed? I’m sure you think he’s the same man I’m going to meet in the middle of that ring in Las Vegas on Wednesday, but I’m not buying into that little plot twist. The fact of the matter is, I know I’m going to be facing off against a man who’s so concerned about defending himself from the mess he created that even what I’m saying now, a practice that this industry has been built on for decades, is probably going to set him off and cause him to do everything in his power to risk suspension so long as the sight of me leaving on a stretcher proves that he’s always right and I’m so very wrong like everyone else who thinks they know what he’s all about.
Who knew that siding with the Beauty Factory would make you just as shallow as the image Laura tries to build for everyone suffering under her ‘guidance’ in a realm she doesn’t fully understand?
Before you try to flip the script to try and prove to me that some partnerships are only going to come back to haunt me, I want you to consider a hypothetical scenario. Let’s say, in some alternate timeline, that you did end up going all the way and winning the battle royal at Taking Hold of the Flame. On that same night, maybe Sienna happened to overcome Syren’s bullshit and become the undisputed World Champion. Assuming no Trios contracts are used to alter it, you would main event Sienna at Rise to Greatness. Sure, we’d get all this promotion and promise of a ‘real’ main event and respect and all of that, but I do recall you claiming leading up to the battle royal that you were done living in people’s shadows and this was your time to stand atop the mountain.
In this situation, how would Sienna feel about that?
One thing I know for certain after months of watching her in action is that no matter how she presents herself, the one and only thing that gives Sienna purpose is being the absolute best, bar none. You can support her all you want and sing her praises, but at the end of the day for you to truly give your words any meaning you would eventually have to eclipse the angel you’ve now grown attached to, a fact that I doubt she would accept that gracefully. If the fate of the Trueloves is anything to go by, if you aren’t contributing to keeping Sienna where she thinks she belongs, then you’re effectively dead to her. Maybe you could accept the idea of falling to her and missing out on that coveted World Title reign just because it’s Sienna, but I find it hard to believe with everything I know about her that she would be so willing to return that favor if you prevailed.
That’s the big difference between what you have with Sienna and the friendship I have with Owen. If this scenario somehow played out in a way that put both of us in the Rise to Greatness main event, we’d put forth the best damn match possible and regardless of who walks away the winner, the respect and camaraderie would never fade. It’s something we’ve already proven on at least two previous encounters, so I know I’m not feeding you a pill that’s hard to swallow. Call it me trying to drive a wedge between you two all you like, but Sienna’s made it perfectly clear what kind of person she is and if you’re going to be blind to it, then it should come as no surprise when you outlive your usefulness to her and the honeymoon falls apart, leaving you with absolutely nothing as your own decisions finally catch up with you. The Trueloves, Ikiro… they’re warning signs, Chris, and only you can decide at the end of the day if you want to keep supporting someone who will only stab you in the back the second you try to live up to your own desire of no longer living in anyone’s shadow, or if you’re man enough to be willing to fight back when that glass house shatters above your head.
Right now, I’m not concerned about where my road to Rise to Greatness will lead, because I know I’ll have more control over it than last year to do whatever it is I want to do. My main concern come Breakdown? Simple… beating you in the middle of that ring to prove that you don’t have to try and put someone on the shelf just because you’re too petty to back up your words against someone who peeled back your thin skin. Sometimes, the best way to prove a point is a mark on their record that can never be erased.
Considering how insignificant I probably am to you beyond whatever burning hatred exists because I stopped you from crossing a line, I can only imagine how it’ll look when you lose sight of the task in front of you and have to explain to Laura and Sienna how some kid who has no business being in the ring with you managed to turn out your lights, all because I was willing to stand here and speak the truth that tears you up inside every time you hear it.