Aaron Blackbourne vs. Shilo Valiant

[Ruppy]

Sometimes, the things that haunt you aren’t able to comprehend when you’ve moved on and left them behind.

In the process, they only make your current troubles worse by providing an unneeded distraction.

While it might have been hard to tell during the course of Breakdown, Aaron wasn’t exactly in the best of moods going into that night in Houston. Given that he was just days removed from being separated from his fiancée as the latest step in the desperate efforts of ‘Doctor’ Nancy Black to try and make a name for herself at their expense, he had no reason to feel as though he were on cloud nine and not even the prospect of seeing what was next for him in SCW now that Shilo was finally in the rearview mirror could change that. The only thought running through his head that entire night, just as it had during the entire road trip into the Lone Star State, was fear for whatever was happening to Liane now that her parents had been given a dubious sense of control over her once more.

While he’d never been in one himself, thankfully, Aaron still had some justified beliefs as to how much being locked in a mental hospital was actually going to ‘help’ the love of his life, and every single concept just made him cringe.

Still, if there was one thing Aaron knew how to do, even if he’d been told several times over by this point how unhealthy it was, it was being able to mask his troubles in order to focus on what was directly in front of him. After all, Peyton had needed him, Owen and Kelcey to help keep her mind off both the aftermath of her broken wedding plans with Alistaire as well as the gloating of Glory Braddock when she decided to once again burn a Trios contract to try and become World Champion. Not to mention he’d been given time to speak as a means of casting the proverbial line into the water to see what fish would bite now that months of head games and attempts to make him doubt himself had finally come to an end, and standing in front of those fans did lift his spirits a bit as he got to speak what he believed would be his final piece on ‘The Man Who Laughs.’

Looking back on it, he really shouldn’t have been surprised that someone like Shilo, eternally hungry for the spotlight that was his calling card, wasn’t going to accept defeat that easily, no matter how clear it was.

When Shilo presented his challenge, wanting one last dance with the creative soul despite everything, it became difficult for Aaron to keep his frustrations sealed up, though if Shilo had noticed the cracks he decided not to say a word. The win at Rise to Greatness that had seemingly put an end to it all was the only positive he had to cling to after Liane had been torn away from him, and even that turned out to be a temporary reprieve at best. He’d managed to restrain himself from giving in that easily to the jester’s whims, buying himself some time to truly think about the trap that had been laid out before his very eyes and whether or not it was worth it.

For the rest of the night, he’d ignored the prodding he heard in the back of his mind to simply accept the match, not wanting to feed his stress any further and instead focus on trying to be strong for the people who needed his shoulder to lean on. After all, he’d hoped that with any luck, the biggest problem on his plate right now would be resolved fairly quickly and he could easily shift gears into deciding if indulging in Shilo’s ‘apprenticeship program’ one more time was worth it.

“She did WHAT!?”

The day after Breakdown, Aaron had managed to get a hold of Dr. Marsh-Asher, stating that they needed to talk urgently about some new developments in the mess regarding their ‘friend’ Nancy. James hadn’t been available beforehand due to a fairly high workload he’d been saddled with as more and more people began to mentally fall apart and act irrationally the closer the country got to election time, but he’d managed to make a hole so the two could have a video chat. Laying on the bed of his hotel room and silently lamenting how empty it felt not having Liane there with him, he’d explained everything to the therapist that went down in Royal Oak days prior and why it was just him on that side of the call, and to say that the former SCW star was in absolute disbelief was an understatement. Aaron briefly reiterated some of the information to, unfortunately, confirm that everything James had just been told was true, as well as reminding himself that it had actually happened as much as he wanted to imagine otherwise. It took the doctor a few moments to really let it all sink in, aided by a hand on his shoulder that reached in from outside of the camera that made it clear he had reinforcements if necessary on this matter, but he still sounded a bit shaky when he finally found his voice again.

“Aaron, are you sure of what you saw on those documents?”

“I wish I wasn’t, but they were clearly notarized by a city official. As much as I want to believe they were forgeries, I know from years of being a designer how to tell the difference between real and reproduction, and those papers were the real deal sadly.”

James leaned back in his chair and let out a very deep breath, a barely audible ‘fuck’ finding its way out of its lips in the process. He was clearly troubled by this, and given that he’d been kind of dealing with this woman as well through her efforts to get him out of the picture as a loose end that could unravel everything, that was a bad sign.

“If she actually got legal documents to give Liane’s parents the power to make decisions on her behalf on grounds of mental instability, there are only two ways she could have done it: stealing and modifying my notes regarding her, which is impossible since they’re always either here in my office or otherwise with me and don’t provide any evidence that being committed should even be considered an option, or forging her own and finding some loophole to present herself as her doctor even though all your medical records should have me listed as your psychological care provider. And sadly, given how she got away for weeks with the false police claims she used to tie me up with matters pertaining to the orphanage, that second option sounds reasonable.”

“I really didn’t want to leave her there James… I could see the fear in her eyes when we were told what their plan was, and I don’t blame her. If I can be honest for a moment…”

Aaron paused, mentally asking himself if he wanted to actually say this, though the fact that the doctor was given him his undivided attention now meant he’d already passed the point of no return. With a deep and shaky breath, he continued.

“If I can be honest, doctor… while I wasn’t lying when I told you on our first meeting that I had my concerns on how someone like you would view the kind of imagination I have, my fears are a little more rooted in reality. When my brother Andrew was mentally falling apart while he was still alive and in that toxic relationship, he was committed for a time because doctors thought it would help… and they only exacerbated the problem with how they treated him before my mom made them discharge him.”

“Your concerns are valid Aaron, as much as I hate saying that about something that falls in line with this profession. There’s a reason why committing people is an absolute last resort for many of us, and we typically pull the trigger not because we believe it will actually help, but because we consider someone so much of a threat to themselves and those around them that they need to be isolated for everyone’s sakes. In those cases, some progress can be made over time, but there’s a reason why some forms of media that treat those facilities more like a prison aren’t actually that far off the mark.”

James very clearly didn’t look comfortable saying any of this, especially seeing the look of horror that overtook the creative soul’s features on the other end of the video call, but considering being committed was an option that had been thrown around for himself on a few occasions and now he knew some of the secrets from being in a profession capable of doing that, he saw no point in sugarcoating anything on a process he held some disdain for in his own right. Still, he had a job to do, and Aaron’s concerns needed to be squashed for them to get anywhere.

“If she hasn’t been there that long, or hasn’t actually been committed yet, then we can get a handle on this mess before it snowballs. Do you happen to know where she was going to be taken to?”

“I’m afraid not. Her parents mentioned taking her somewhere as soon as I was gone, but they never said where. Although…”

Aaron couldn’t help but slip into thought as he tried to recall the details of that meeting, as much as he wanted to just forget any of it ever happened. As he did, however, something managed to stick out that made his eyes slowly widen, and this wasn’t lost on the man on the other side of the tablet screen. When Aaron’s eyes fully focused on James again, he saw him motioning slightly with his hand, giving him a look that clearly said to go ahead if he remembered something that might be of use.

“I know Liane’s mentioned in one of our past sessions that the driving force behind a lot of the way her parents acted was the belief that they were ‘too old’ to try and make their own dreams a reality anymore. I… might’ve made a comment about that before I actually left, just to get it out of my system since I’d planned to bring it up anyway as a sort of ‘peace offering’ I guess. David Helms becoming World Champion when he did actually kind of helped give me a valid example to fall back on, and… at least from the looks on their faces, I think I might’ve actually gotten through to them, even a tiny bit.”

“In that case, you may have sown the seeds that will allow us to fix this before any significant damage is done.”

Aaron’s caught off guard a bit by the additional voice, but James nods in agreement and shifts his camera over slightly to reveal who the hand from earlier was connected to. The man in question was much older than James, but his face clearly carried years of experience in this profession that quickly helped put Aaron somewhat at ease.

“I apologize for startling you, young man. I’m Dr. Sharpe, Dr. Marsh-Asher’s mentor and former therapist, as well as having some responsibility, unfortunately, in the creation of the problem you’re currently facing.”

“I hope it’s alright, but considering Nancy used to study and intern under Dr. Sharpe as well, he would know this woman and how she operates better than even I would.”

Aaron couldn’t help but nod at that assessment, considering that sometimes the person best suited for ending a monster’s reign of terror was the one who helped create it. He could hear something in the back of his mind calling this a horrible idea because ‘too many people were getting involved now’ but he shrugged it off. It was a weak effort by Nemesis to try and add unnecessary stress to an already volatile situation, but he wasn’t surprised the attempt was actually made if the stress-fueled abomination lurking in his imagination was growing desperate in regaining all the power he’d lost.

“In regards to what I’ve heard, both today and from my colleague here, I can’t say for sure whether or not Mr. and Mrs. Forte would have already gone through with their plan to commit Liane, but if you gave them even the tiniest reason to second-guess what they’ve gotten tangled up in, any hesitation might have bought us all the time we need. Make no mistake Aaron: Nancy has tried to manipulate both the law and basic medical conduct, but she’s so focused on what it will get her that she’s been doing a very poor job of covering her tracks. Considering that Dr. Marsh-Asher here has more than enough documentation to overrule this ridiculous notion that she is actually Liane’s therapist, and I have firsthand experience to call into doubt the legitimacy of Nancy’s practices, this is a decision that can easily be overturned.”

Aaron can’t help but smile as he leans back into the bed more, a wave of relief washing over him. All he wanted was for Liane to be safe and sound so the two of them could reach the stage where they could call one another theirs until death do they part, and all these unnecessary extra obstacles he had to overcome just to get that happily ever after were beginning to take their toll. Was it really that hard to ask for one moment in his life where something would go right and actually stay that way? Before he could indulge too deeply in the first bit of joy and relief he’d felt in days, his smile slowly faded when he saw Dr. Marsh-Asher holding up a hand to get his attention.

“I don’t want to rain on your parade Aaron, but just because all the evidence is in our favor to undo this doesn’t mean it’s something we can resolve overnight. Even ignoring the time we’d need to head out there to sort this out, a legal matter like this will no doubt have a few hoops that will take us some time to jump through, just like it did when Nancy pulled this stunt to try and have my orphanage in New York shut down.”

In response, Aaron spat out a frustrated sigh as he grabbed a nearby pillow and pulled it over his face to muffle the groan he couldn’t resist letting out. He knew better by now that nothing was ever going to be as easy as it might be if it took place within his imagination, but he still couldn’t keep from feeling hopeful in these kinds of situations until something anchored him back in reality. He vented a bit of this frustration by hurling the pillow at the wall, watching at it impacted before falling harmlessly to the floor. It felt good letting off a little bit of steam, though when he heard someone clearing their throat he snapped his focus back to the video call, eyebrow raising in curiosity as he noticed James now had a notepad out in front of him.

“I know you’re frustrated about all of this Aaron, and you have every right to be. And since we’re already mid-call… anything you want to talk about that will help you feel better until Dr. Sharpe and I fix this mess?”

Aaron was about to shake his head and bring an end to the call, considering they’d already covered the main purpose of this conversation, but he stopped himself when his thoughts flickered back to Breakdown, reminding him of the tiny bit of light he had amidst the darkness being ripped away because his months-long issue wasn’t over quite yet, not to mention the proverbial knife he could feel twisting in his heart when he was around Peyton because of how she was feeling in the wake of what happened with Ali.

“I guess… I wish Breakdown would’ve gone a little better last night, to at least give me some kind of rock to cling to in the meantime. But for as well as I tried to hide it so my personal and professional mindsets could stay separate, I was starting to crack by the end of the night. Between…” Aaron briefly paused, feeling uncomfortable about sharing some of the personal news of two people he was close to, at least until James reminded him of the rule of doctor-patient confidentiality, which helped him open that door a little further. “Between Peyton and Alistaire’s engagement falling apart, which I think has given Nemesis an excuse to start trying to spark negative thoughts on the same happening between Liane and me after everything that happened, and Shilo deciding he wants one more match with me, Under the Big Top, even when I beat him clearly in the middle of that ring because ‘my apprenticeship isn’t over yet,’ I left the arena feeling like I was losing what little control I had left on my life.”

“…I think you should accept his challenge.”

Aaron’s gaze had lowered while he was speaking, but hearing James’ response immediately snaps his attention back to the screen. The therapist has the kind of grin on his face that practically screams he’s got an idea forming, and it certainly catches the artist’s intrigue as he watches the raven-haired man jot down a few more notes before silently conferring with Dr. Sharpe on something, and once they’re both in agreement he decides to elaborate a little more on what he said.

“You know full well by now how Shilo operates Aaron, and I can tell you from my own experience that he has a serious problem with knowing when it’s time to let go of things. You’ve acknowledged how badly he needs you, and you’re well aware he’s probably willing to keep playing games until you finally give in. I have an idea, though, on how we can use this to solve more than just your Shilo problem.”

Aaron only looks more confused, which gives his mind the opening to be hijacked as he imagines several scenarios on how this whole thing could go wrong, but he visibly shakes it off. Even if he felt like he was losing control, he was going to hold onto whatever little bit he still had if it meant denying Nemesis whatever he was after. James takes notice of this but decides not to address it as he feels that if this works out the way he believes it will, it’ll resolve this issue as well without having to bring it up.

“Obviously, Shilo’s trying to challenge your creativity by asking for a match that’s synonymous with him and his showman ways, and I know full well you can win that game and leave him with nothing else to cling to so he’ll finally have no choice but to leave you alone. Spin that however you want to him, but I think it’s the kind of distraction that actually benefits you right now. More importantly… we can use this to show Liane’s parents how much wrestling and sharing your creativity means to you, as well as further proving your point about age being just a number in the grand scheme of things for pursuing one’s dreams. I can secure some tickets for them to be front and center for Apocalypse, preferably with Liane, so you can open their eyes while you put Shilo in his place one last time. How does that sound?”

Naturally, the more negative thoughts were the first to present themselves, trying to convince him that he would only be proving Mr. and Mrs. Forte right about him ‘assaulting people’ for his income and proving how unstable he truly was. Aaron, however, kept searching his thoughts, wading through the swamp of stress and slowly realizing that there were far more upsides to this plan than downsides. Considering their daughter Lane was actively wrestling now and was familiar with it long before that, they clearly had to have some level of interest in it, and seeing exactly what Aaron could do with Shilo’s ‘ultimate opportunity to express himself’ as well as witnessing firsthand the truth to his claims that, win or lose, there were men and women in SCW around their ages or even older that still gave this their all no matter what happened, by the end of the night something was going to have to give and the odds were more in the favor of that being whatever resistance they still retained once the doctors he trusted were done cleaning up the mess Nancy had tried to create this time. Aaron couldn’t help but actually chuckle to himself over this.

“I’d say it sounds like Shilo’s actually going to help me after all, and not in the way he truly thinks he will.”

“Then we’ve got our plan. Dr. Sharpe and I have a few sessions we need to take care of today, but the first chance we get we’re heading out to Michigan to start resolving this. We’ll keep you updated, and don’t hesitate to get in touch yourself if you need someone to talk to until this is sorted out.”

Aaron nodded as the video call came to an end and he tossed the tablet onto the bed. Slowly standing up and walking into the bathroom for a moment, Aaron couldn’t resist taking a look in the mirror as he splashed some water on his face. While at first he saw his own reflection, with a blink of his eyes the face he found staring back at him was none other than that of the jester who’d been trying to attach himself to Aaron’s career for far too long now. And yet… instead of anger or frustration, Aaron simply smiled, even chuckling to himself a bit more as the stress-induced illusion quickly faded and the ideas began to slowly build up in his head.

If Shilo wanted Aaron to be his ‘apprentice’ after all, then maybe he was going to get his wish… but with a little creative twist to it.

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The Under the Big Top Match is one of the most unique match ideas ever presented to SCW audiences; the brainchild of Masquerade and Shilo Valiant many years ago that went from serving as their signature match as Karnivale to being the final challenge of a bitter feud between the two after their friendship had dissolved. Since then, it has resurfaced in SCW very rarely, usually staying true to the belief that it was their match and should rightfully have one of those 'masters of entertainment' contained within.

That was the obstacle that stood before Aaron at Apocalypse: battling 'SCW's greatest entertainer' on what could be considered his 'home turf' one more time, having specifically been challenged to prove just how creative he could be with the bizarre structure.

The creative soul was no stranger to having his most prized attribute called out like that, and no matter what he'd shared from the endless well of his unique imagination over the years, he knew Shilo was trying his best to push the right buttons to extend his time in the spotlight he'd affixed to Blackbourne just a little longer. The jester had shown conflicting ideas over the months he had been playing games, torn between trying to act as though Aaron was meant to be his successor or believing his own claims that the creative soul was not worthy of that mantle, having copied Shilo's entire schtick and tried to pass it off as his own.

There was no truth to either of those claims, and Aaron had grown tired of the circus act, making it all the more ironic that a circus-like structure would be where it would all finally end.

Needless to say, trying to concoct ideas had proven to be a unique challenge. Not only had Aaron never participated in a match like this, but up until this point he hadn't really competed in any sort of match beyond battle royals and the Open Invitational that sort of broke away from the traditional rules of the wrestling ring. Adding to the difficulty was the fact that he hadn't been allowed to actually try to acquaint himself with the structure to get a solid foundation for what he was working with, no doubt a result of Shilo's insistence on using it to share a series of vignettes during the last Breakdown to spin a few nursery rhymes about what his opponent had gotten himself into.

Still, even when presented with a challenge that possessed so many unknowns, his imagination could find a close enough substitute to formulate a gameplan.

This was why his latest visit to the realm of his subconscious was spent at the Carnival of Rust, finally rebuilt and back in operation following the devastation created by Nemesis last year in an ultimately failed bid to take out one of the greatest threats to his plans besides his maker himself. To say that Ferrugo and his carnie crew were overjoyed at having their home back was an understatement, considering they had celebrated by doing a day of free operation for Aaron and all those who had helped him to bring the nightmare of negativity down with no strings attached, two things that you'd never expect from this twisted fairground otherwise. After all, money and your life force were the usual fees you paid for entry, as was part of the original design laid out by the artist years ago.

Needless to say, the cyborg carnie was delighted by the idea of helping Aaron try to defeat Shilo once more, hence why he'd modified his big top somewhat so that the interior was as close a match as possible to the structure Aaron would find himself in come Apocalypse, albeit larger given that ringside space wasn't a limitation here. He didn't know how much time had passed since time was a relatively vague concept in someone's imagination, but Ferrugo had spent a considerable amount of time watching as Aaron navigated the nets, acclimating himself to their resistance as well as trying out a few ideas here and there with some help from the other carnies that were more than willing to volunteer. The more the artist got a sense of what would and wouldn't work against the restrictions of the environment, the more he seemed at peace with what he had gotten himself into.

“You certainly look like you've had a fun time in my proverbial playhouse.”

Aaron had to stifle a laugh as he was helped out of the nets following his latest act by the ringmaster. He'd be lying if he said it didn't feel weird that Ferrugo had been more open to interacting with him without some sense of an ulterior motive behind it all, but a lot had changed in the wake of the threat Nemesis had once posed, and while he was still lurking out there somewhere and slowly trying to regain his strength, the other denizens of Aaron's mindscape knew that if they could contribute to keeping their creator in good spirits, it would limit what the abomination effectively used as his fuel.

“I can't help it. Shilo challenged me specifically on the grounds that he wants to see what I can do with 'his match.' I don't plan on letting him down.”

To most, the idea of Aaron being as calm and happy going into this would seem bizarre, and they'd be justified considering they'd all contributed to helping him when he walked into battle with the jester back at Rise to Greatness. They had all noticed a change in his demeanor since he'd been in contact with Dr. Marsh-Asher following the first Breakdown afterward, when Shilo had issued the challenge, and Ferrugo was certain he knew what was really going on.

“Is that it though Aaron? Or is there a hidden meaning behind your planner performance? Maybe wanting to make sure you impress not only Shilo but a few 'special guests' as well?”

“…is it really that obvious?”

“I think most of us had a feeling, but it's certainly hard to hide anything like that from a natural born showman.”

Aaron's gaze turned to his feet. Since he'd had that video call weeks ago, he'd heard from James that Liane's parents were willing to come to Vancouver and have front row seats to the show, and Liane would be coming as well. It was basically a test to see if he could get them to fully understand the parting point he'd made after all, or if he had made a mistake and was ultimately driving the final nail into the coffin of what he thought would be his future.

“I want to beat Shilo… there's no doubt about that. I want to leave him with absolutely nothing to cling to this time so that this truly is our final dance. But I also want Liane's parents to see me the way everyone else does… I want them to know what kind of creative soul I can be, how passionate I am for both this business and the message I try to spread. I want nothing more than to walk out of Apocalypse knowing I've killed two birds with one stone.”

“Which in turn leaves Nemesis with nothing. And if that's the case, if I may make a 'humble' suggestion, then your best bet against a showman Under the Big Top should be-”

“Someone who couldn't get the job done once before?”

The addition to their conversation had both of them whip around. Lounging around in the nets was a figure that wasn't there before, but it was a face that was all too recognizable. And yet, despite bearing the visage of Shilo Valiant himself, something seemed off. The voice certainly didn't match even if it held the jester's typical mocking tone that demanded to be made to laugh. As he slowly crawled off the nets in a way that was almost mocking Aaron due to the ease in which he’d performed the action, he took notice of what looked like some kind of fuel pipe snaking its way down the figure’s spine despite their best attempts to hide it beneath the long black hair, causing him to immediately put his guard up. Ferrugo had noticed it too, because as ‘Shilo’ approached he found himself stopping short as soon as the ringmaster’s mechanical arm transformed into what looked like a gatling gun, making sure there was a good amount of space between the two parties. Aaron held up a hand to make sure he didn’t simply start firing, at least until they had an idea of what was going on, and Ferrugo begrudgingly nodded in understanding.

“Oh come now Ferrugo. I know you’re jealous that there does exist a more successful showman out there who isn’t just a figment of someone’s imagination, but that’s no reason to threaten violence.”

“You’re not fooling anyone Nemesis. I would say that you’ve picked quite the new look, but I know you better than that. It’s actually kind of sad when Shilo’s made me so used to head games that I’m not even fazed by them from something that’s actually inside my head anymore.”

Nemesis just rolled his eyes but chuckled regardless, holding his hands up since he’d been caught but opting not to relinquish his facade.

“And who are you trying to fool Aaron? I was actually being nice when I gave you those warning flashes. A relationship between two clearly unstable individuals was never meant to last, and if such holy matrimony between two perfectly good human beings like Peyton and Alistaire can fall apart just like that, then what chance did you ever have?”

“I’m warning you Nemesis: if you don’t leave right now, I’m ejecting you from my big top the hard way. And this time I’ll make sure to finish what the twins started.”

“I’m only trying to help. You’ve got a shiny new carnival over that old decaying scrapyard you had before thanks to me, and Aaron deserves a chance to explore an aspect of his imagination he’s never seen before. Surely you don’t think that whatever you’ve been practicing here today will be enough to beat Shilo a second time, do you? Now… if you simply slipped into the darkness and let me show that clown how it’s done…”

Aaron closed his eyes, trying to drown out the rest of Nemesis’ attempts to taunt him, letting Ferrugo take up the banter and attempt to make him leave. At the end of the day, Nemesis wanted control, and he wasn’t stupid. Letting himself succumb to his stress and anxieties was only going to destroy him, and even if he physically and mentally survived the ride, he would never be able to take back anything that he’d done while under that influence. This monster didn’t have the power yet to try and make any blatant grabs at control, otherwise, he wouldn’t have resorted to this risk knowing full well he couldn’t have enough power to take on one of the strongest creations that resided in this world. But the gamble had to be worth the risk if he could get Aaron to slip just that little bit further, allowing him enough of an opening to try and make some kind of move regardless.

And yet, Aaron couldn’t help but think of the darkness… more specifically, that there was more to it than a tool to fall back on by people who sought to do serious harm. There were entities both real and fictional who had used the cover of darkness to actually do some good in the world, just as there were people who used the light to mask the heinous motives behind their action. They were always two sides of the same coin, never permanently locked into the stereotypes most chose to associate them with but always being interpreted in one form or another. There was something in the creative soul’s arsenal that fit that bill… something that could be considered a weapon of darkness, though to exactly what extent was subject to interpretation. The more he thought about it, the more he believed that it might be the missing piece to his puzzle.

While the conversation had been going on around him had certainly become heated, he could hear whatever Nemesis had been attempting to say come to ab abrupt halt when he finally opened his eyes. While he could see clear as day, the abomination pretending to be the man who had been plaguing his career for months saw a sight it had never witnessed before, and a sight it was certain it never wanted to see again: the sight of Aaron Blackbourne with nothing but endless black voids where his eyes once were. Slowly, he began approaching Nemesis, was took everything by surprise.

“Um… Aaron…?”

“What on earth do you think you’re…”

Nemesis is cut off again as Aaron takes its palm and slowly begins tracing something on it. What starts off as confusion slowly turns into horror as the monster sees that whatever Aaron is tracing is actually being drawn into the flesh, and despite its efforts to pull away its arm is seemingly paralyzed, allowing the drawing to continue. The artist finally finishes his small masterpiece and steps back, and the moment Nemesis takes full stock of the design of a melting skull with a nail driven into its head, the flesh around it is slowly beginning to bubble, the heat spreading as it feels like a fire has been ignited beneath the skin and is starting to blaze through its body internally. With a horrified scream as it could feel the skin starting to peel from the mask it wore, Nemesis quickly disappears into thin air, and only then does the darkness fade from Aaron’s eyes, seemingly snapping him out of whatever trance he’d fallen into. He turns to see Ferrugo staring at him, his lone remaining human eye wide in shock at what he’d just seen. Aaron, however, could only allow his lips to curve into a smirk of satisfaction.

“What… what the hell was that?”

“The perfect idea for how I’m going to present myself when I accomplish everything I set out to do come Apocalypse. It seems fitting that a design I brought to light one year celebrates its anniversary at the expense of someone who’s not so different from its last challenge when you think about it.”

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Obsession can be a dangerous thing. Those who have something they obsess over will never be able to admit to the problem, much like an addict will refuse to believe that they are destroying themselves with whatever substance they believe has to be coursing through their veins every second of every day. No matter what you do to help them, all that will ever go through their head is how they can take that next step towards the fix they seek. Those on the outside looking in are left to worry over the well-being of the individual in question, and the longer they go chasing after whatever has caught their eye, the more it all spirals out of control until, at the end of the day, there is absolutely nothing left.

I have watched, time and time again, as unhealthy obsessions have destroyed people around me, from those I held close to those who wanted me dead. If last year’s Rise to Greatness truly left me with anything, it was the mental scars of what happens when I am what someone obsesses over, and how horribly things can end.

I never wanted to find myself in that position ever again… and yet, here we are… barely a full year later, and I’ve been in the crosshairs of someone else for far too long all because they want to satisfy this idea that I will be the puppet they desire instead of being allowed to forge my own path in the world.

When I walked to the back at Rise to Greatness, I truly believed I had finally gotten the message across, loud and clear. The only thing I wanted to be was myself, and no amount of mind games or being made to stand under a spotlight was going to change that. You would think I’d be flattered, having all this attention from arguably one of the greatest individuals to ever set foot in an SCW ring… and yet, the longer it wore on, the more irritated I became. No matter who you are, people can only take being distracted and prodded and having their careers derailed for the sake of someone else’s twisted little game for so long before they finally have enough and attempt to simply shred the script you’ve been reading from up to that point. And yet, despite how frustrated I was, I walked into the biggest show of the year with a level head on my shoulders, knowing exactly what I needed to do to get the definitive victory that would speak far greater volumes than anything else had in the months this was going on, and because I didn’t let myself be blinded by the sideshow act that had all let up to that moment, I thought I was finally free.

I regret not realizing sooner that there was no way a man like Shilo Valiant was truly going to let this end that easily.

When we met on the biggest stage SCW had to offer, he made it clear that he wanted to see if I had what it took to overcome him on what he’s called ‘his’ stage for years. He made it sound so much simpler than it ever truly was, and even as I saw straight through his act and called him out on what he truly wanted out of me, I admittedly failed to realize that there was no way in hell he was truly going to let this go, just like that. That’s never been Shilo’s style, and anything less has always driven him madder than he already is. While SCW is a dream come true for many in this industry, Shilo exists as a cautionary tale of what happens when you become obsessed with everything you take away from getting to live it out, because while he was once a man who somehow found a way to main event Rise to Greatness year after year after year and enjoy that spotlight he craved so much… now he’s become a junkie, lost to his desire to hear the crowd chanting his name once more and blindly following the spotlight wherever he believes he can find that once more.

That’s why I’m ashamed of myself that I didn’t see this coming… that a man like Shilo wasn’t going to let this go after one plain old, ordinary match.

Shilo has made it clear that if he’s going out, it has to be in a grand fashion that will force SCW management and fans alike to forget about all else and sing his praises one last time, even in defeat. He wants to be allowed the chance to ride off into the sunset as people write folk tunes immortalizing him for all that he’s done… in a darker sense, he’s demanding a hero’s death so the world at large will never forget a man who has done so much for this company, despite the fact that no one will ever forget the name Shilo Valiant when they think about Rise to Greatness or list off the best World Champions in SCW history.

That’s why he wanted me to meet him one last time, and in his proverbial playground no less. He doesn’t simply want to give me a whole new world to truly push the boundaries of my creativity and in the process force me to be his successor despite what I want for myself… he wants me to give him the kind of grand finale that will make everyone completely forget about everything else on the Apocalypse card, regardless of how people may view me in the aftermath.

Once again, Shilo is letting his obsession lead to his destruction without any regard for the man he seems to want to follow in his footsteps despite it all, and he doesn’t care.

Make no mistake Shilo: I’ve seen everything I need to know about the Under the Big Top Match. I’ve seen it serve as the crown jewel of the insane brilliance that was Karnivale, and I’ve watched it be the match where you and your former partner nearly destroyed one another. I know you’re hoping that, with no rules to inhibit my creativity, that if you push me hard enough I will put you out of your misery in a fashion befitting the jester who’s always viewed himself as the one true martyr saving SCW from this perceived sense of mediocrity. You want to show me exactly why you were once called ‘The Blood-Stained Joker’ and do everything in your power to destroy me as a means to try and force me to return the favor.

I will fight Shilo… I will fight you with everything that I have, and if you doubt how much heart I possess to push me above and beyond then look back at what I’ve battled against since I first set foot in SCW and understand that I will not say die that easily. But despite that, I will not allow myself to be made into a monster so that you can smile to the grave believing that you ultimately won in the end. I will not seek to abuse this environment to go too far just so you can feel like you had the last laugh at my expense either way.

Try as you might Shilo, I will not be broken just so you can have the sweet release you are looking for.

But as far as a grand finale worthy of the name Shilo Valiant? I’ll give you that, and then some.

You want this to be the end, and you’ve allowed your addiction to demand that we close the curtain on all of this in a match that demands a high spot on the card and all the attention that makes you feel as though you’re back at the peak of your career, only caring about standing in the spotlight and giving the people what you think they want because it’s all you’ve ever known. We could have gotten to this point in any other fashion, but you chose the route that tried to paint me as the villain for daring to refuse your offer of taking your crown and creating this scene where you will either leave that structure of your own twisted design as either a bloody conqueror rejuvenated and ready to keep going or are left a broken man so no one will ever forget what you sacrificed in the name of entertainment. Instead, allow me to revise your script with a third option.

No matter what happens, this is the end of the line. No more matches between us, no more games… against my better judgment, I will give you a curtain call worthy of your legendary status, and I will do so not by feeding into your addiction, but instead doing exactly what you challenged me to do and making the Under the Big Top Match my own, sharing with the world exactly what it is that makes me the creative soul that caught your attention in the first place. And then, when all is said and done… I want you to shake my hand. I want you to prove to me that, despite everything you’ve pulled, you truly respect me and want nothing more than for me to follow in your footsteps, be the man who goes on to entertain those fans each and every week in my own unique way while still rising to the heights you have achieved in your own career. I want you to prove that you’re willing to accept the kind of show-stealing performance we will give those fans in spite of whatever happens and be willing to pass the torch before you take that final bow that allows for your name to be chanted one last time.

If you can give me at least that… then maybe I’ll be willing to carry on your legacy in my own way.

Otherwise… I’m sorry Shilo, but at the end of the night, you’ll be left looking at a broken reflection of the man you used to be, cursed to forever chase a spotlight that has led you astray… and despite my best efforts to help, you’ll only have yourself to blame for letting your demons win.