09-26-2022, 05:07 PM
+++ Ciao Bella Pizzeria – New York 12th September 2022 +++
After speaking with Finch, Jason and Willow, everyone seemed to be up for the wrestling school revamp that would hopefully bring in a wider range of studies, and greater opportunity to give the youth of New York a starting point. Jason seemed eager to once again be a part of the MMA scene, and Willow being Willow didn’t care, if she was with Jason. Finch still had some misgivings however, and Owen knew that he needed to nip them in the bud. Owen didn’t advertise for an assistant manager, because he already had someone in mind, someone who already lived in New York, and who he knew was looking for employment. Sat in the Pizzeria, he was a lot calmer than he had been meeting Peyton not so long ago, most because who he was meeting, was someone who had never turned there back on him and probably never would. She was perfect for the job, and he hoped that she wouldn’t take much in the way of persuading.
???: Owen Cruze… you don’t get any prettier bro.
Owen turns around, and he was already smirking having recognized the voice. He gets to his feet and faces Chloe Willis, one of his best friends from school here in New York, and someone who he had known most of his life. Chloe had been studying both Business and Art at University in the City and had passed both with honors this year. Chloe was the perfect candidate and was also someone who Owen knew wouldn’t take any crap from Finch. Owen pulls out a seat and she sits, Owen then motioning towards the Waitress who immediately brought over a bottle of wine for them to share. With Owen satisfied as to the wine’s quality, they finally settle down to talk. Chloe, as usual driving the conversation.
Chloe: Well, isn’t this nice. Knew that if I met you for lunch, it wouldn’t be at the nearest McDonalds.
Owen: Nothing wrong with McDonalds but seeing as we’ve not seen each other for a while, I’d make it a little more special.
Chloe: Ever the Gentlemen Cruzey
Owen: I try… I took the liberty of ordering you the Hawaiian.
Chloe: You remembered… how cute, always said you’d make a good husband.
Owen: I guess we are going to find out.
Chloe raises her eyebrows, a look of total shock on her face
Chloe: You didn’t?
Owen: Oh, I did, and the really surprising thing is she said yes.
Chloe: Wow. Kloe said you’d grown up, but Owen Cruze getting married. That’s… unbelievable.
Owen: Thanks… hold on, you spoke with Mum?
Chloe: Yeah, she was in the city for some reason, she didn’t say why.
Owen: No, didn’t tell me either.
Chloe: Seriously though Owen, congratulations. I know Jennifer is a special girl and you deserve to be happy after, well, everything.
Owen: Don’t worry, I find it difficult to believe as well. Considering where I was only a year ago, I wouldn’t have thought it possible never mind anyone else. But enough about me, what about you? How’s the job search going?
Chloe scrunches up her nose.
Chloe: Not great… I knew it would be difficult to find employment that used my Art degree, but I didn’t realize it would be quite THIS difficult you know. Something will happen for me though; I know it will. I’m too damn good to be unemployed for long…
Owen laughs, Chloe feigning annoyance before then breaking out into a smile of her own.
Chloe: And if nothing turns up, then there is always prostitution… I’m sure men would queue miles to get a piece of this
Owen: I don’t think a couple of bucks an hour is going to keep a roof over your head.
Chloe: Oi cheeky. It will turn around it always does. Remember when I had nowhere to stay, and Dave Helms bailed me out with the flat above the wrestling school.
Owen: Course I remember, I was the one that sorted it.
Chloe: Oh yeah, so you did.
They both chuckle again, though Chloe had legitimately forgotten that fact.
Chloe: One break, that’s all I need. I just need to make sure I don’t run out of cash first. Worst comes to the worst, I’ll go back to waitressing.
At the totally wrong moment, the waitress brings over their Pizza’s.
Chloe: Sorry… no offence.
Waitress: None taken… do you need anything else?
Owen: No thank you
Waitress: Enjoy your food.
Chloe tears off a slice and bites into her, swallowing before she continues.
Chloe: I didn’t work this hard for me to give up on the dream, to become an Artist, and I’m in the best place to achieve that dream. We can’t all be one of the best wrestlers in the World and a multi-millionaire, can we?
Owen: Nope, you don’t have my looks and charm for starters.
Chloe: Charm Cruzey? That’s not the nerdy little kid I remember.
Owen: You’re right there… he left the building a long time ago. He had to.
Chloe: Yeah, well don’t tell anyone but you’re kinda my example. That if you keep at it, there isn’t a single thing that you cannot achieve. One day, I’ll have my own exhibition in the heart of New York, you’ll see.
Owen: I know you will Chloe. I’ve always believed it.
He now picks up a slice of his sweet chili chicken pizza, and takes a bite, waiting till his mouth is empty and taking a sip of his wine before he speaks again.
Owen: But what if, until that happened, we made use of that other degree you earned?
He takes another bite of the pizza as Chloe regards him questionably. Owen enjoys holding her attention, but it is Chloe who speaks next
Chloe: The Business degree… I only took that for shits and giggles because I had spare time on my hands.
Owen: I know, but the fact is you passed, and so therefore you know what you’re talking about right?
Chloe: Well, you’d have thought so, wouldn’t you?
There was an element of sarcasm in her voice but contained within was also intrigue.
Chloe: So, come on then, enough of the riddles, what you talking about?
Owen: You know the wrestling school I opened near the Memorial?
Chloe: Yeah, walked past it the other day but you were closed.
Owen: Exactly my point. I believe that we have been limiting ourselves by only teaching wrestling. Let’s face facts, young kids of today don’t necessarily believe that ‘wrestling’ is the coolest of sports. Yeah, they want to fight but it’s Mixed Martial Arts that’s in fashion. Everyone wants to be the next Conor MacGregor, or the next Anderson Silva. Some want to be Usyk or Tyson Fury. I may be amazing, but not everyone wants to be the next me.
Chloe: There can’t be anyone who wants to be the next you. That’s REALLY scraping the barrel. But all that said… what does that have to do with my Business Degree?
Owen: I’m glad you asked… the guy running it now, Finch, you must have heard me talk about him.
Chloe: Yeah, the guy who replaced me as BFF in Los Angeles.
Owen: Yeah, that’s him… he’s been running things, and he’s been doing an amazing job. But where this is going, I need someone with a bit more know-how, someone who can think logically where he may not. First person I thought of, was you. I want you to be his Assistant, and together I want you to take care of the whole revamp, plus help grow the shelter into the premises that I’m looking to buy next door. It won’t be what you could probably earned elsewhere, but the benefit of working for me is no notice required. You get your break as an Artist; you’d be free to pursue that straight away. This way, you’d don’t skint yourself in the process.
Chloe: And I’ll have a say? I won’t just some really pretty but glorified PA to Finch.
Owen: Definitely
Chloe: Can I think about it?
This comment surprises Owen because he thought she would jump at the chance.
Owen: Err… yeah, I guess so.
Chloe bursts out laughing, Owen realizing the joke but just a little too late.
Chloe: You’re such a dummy do you know that? I’m in… when do I start?
Owen: Well, there’s no time like the present. How’s about we finish up here and then head over to the place? You can meet Finch and he can show you around.
Chloe: Sounds like a plan
Owen: One thing though… about Finch?
Chloe: Here we go… is he like a mass murderer or something?
Owen: No, but he does like the ladies, especially the pretty ones.
Chloe grins, picking up another piece of pizza.
Chloe: Well, he’s going to love me then, isn’t he?
Owen chuckles to himself, the truth being he was a little concerned, and only half joking about Finch. But Chloe knew how to take care of herself, she always had, and she’s kept him in line. The next stage complete, he could now set about buying the premises next door, which would then enable them to expand the shelter, and into phase two. Something that he hadn’t shared with anyone yet.
+++ Owen’s House – Miami 17th September 2022 +++
Feeling the roar of the crowd, his now hometown crowd, was something he had looked forward to for a while. After events at Rise to Greatness, it was important to get back in the ring, but he had needed the extended break just to work on a few things before his return, things that had cost him against Josh Hudson. Shaun telling people it was down to personal problems hadn’t been ideal and was a fabricated lie. But Owen hadn’t made a big deal of it, even though every other person in SCW seemed to have come over and ask him if he was ok. Of course, winning made it special, but what was perhaps more special was the fact he had slept in his own bed that night. The icing on the cake, Jennifer haven’t made the trip and lying with him. Now, a couple of days after Breakdown, she was still there, and as Owen makes his way into the kitchen, the smell of bacon hits him like an arrow. He is soon distracted however by Jennifer wearing one his tee-shirts… only his tee-shirt. He walks up behind her and cuddles her, before kissing her on the neck and sitting down at the table.
Owen: That’s a sight for sore eyes let me tell you
Jennifer smiles at him, and places some bacon on a plate, adding tomatoes, mushrooms, and scrambled eggs. She then brings it over and places it in front of Owen, and then takes a seat of her own.
Owen: Thanks, you not having any?
Jennifer: Nah, the juice is fine… eat up before it gets cold.
Owen had to admit he was ravenous and polishes off the breakfast no trouble. Throughout him eating, Jennifer never takes her eyes off him, and by the end Owen is questioning what is going on. As he finishes off, and takes a sip of orange juice, he cannot help but ask the question.
Owen: Is something wrong?
Jennifer: No, not at all.
Owen: Then why are you staring at me?
Jennifer: I don’t know… you just… it’s different that’s all.
Owen: Bad different?
Jennifer: No… don’t think that. Just, and don’t take this the wrong way, you’re not a boy anymore are you?
Owen: I’m twenty-two so I should hope not.
Jennifer: I’m messing this up… what I mean is, you carry yourself differently, more confident in yourself. It’s like you know what you want, and you’re going to get it. It’s really attractive that’s all, seeing you with so much clarity.
Owen: I’m not the finished product Jen, but I’m getting there.
Jennifer nods, and for the first time in a while diverts her attention from him, and to the sea view from the window. Now it is Owen’s turn to watch her for a moment, and he gets to his feet, holding out his hand.
Owen: Come with me
Jennifer takes his hand and Owen leads her through the patio doors and to the decking outside, the waves lapping underneath them. Owen leans against the barrier, and for a moment they are both transfixed by the ocean, until finally Owen speaks.
Owen: You know something Jen, even when I was at my lowest, after I was in conflict with Olek, with Shaun… even in that mindset when I couldn’t care less about anything, my only regret was you. When Daisy took me to one side and asked me the one thing I wish I could have back, it wasn’t wrestling, in fact I was done with the industry. No, it was only you. Throughout all the pain and suffering, both physical and mental, you being in my life was what kept me going. Even now, with us back together. Every single thing I am doing, the wrestling, the shelter, the school, it’s all so that I can make you proud, and give something back for all the suffering that I caused.
Jennifer: You don’t have to do that
Owen: Maybe, maybe not, but I want to. I want to be a good person. I want to give you the life I always promised you, that you always dreamed of.
Jennifer puts a hand on his cheek lovingly.
Jennifer: And you are.
Owen: Do you mean that?
Jennifer: Yes I do… remember we are looking to the future now, not the past.
Owen: Exactly, I feel like I’ve been running away from things all my life. Dad’s legacy, the Cruze name, Peyton, you… I made such a big deal about that I wasn’t ever scared of any challenge, but that was bullshit, because I was petrified Jen. I was petrified that I wasn’t going to be the man everyone expected me to be… whilst at the same time not realizing that I was still a kid, still making kid mistakes. But, I’m not running away anymore Jennifer, not from any of it. The responsibility, the belief in me… I’m using it, to become not the man everyone expected me to be, but the man I want to be. The man you love.
He pauses for a moment, before looking directly into her beautiful eyes.
Owen: This right here, is my home Jen. I’ve never felt happier than I do here, where I have space to grow. And I want it to be your home too, so what do you say? Will you move to Miami and build this perfect life with me… together.
Jennifer turns back to the ocean, and for a moment Owen believes it to be hesitation, but it isn’t. She turns back to him, and nods her head.
Jennifer: I’d love to.
They embrace, and then share a kiss. NOW Owen believed that he was back where he was before the breakdown. Back where he was before it all went wrong. He’d made mistakes, but he’d learned from them, and although he couldn’t promise that there wouldn’t be more, what he did know that with Jennifer by his side he would come through it all. This was it. The New Beginning. Who was Owen Cruze? Everyone was about to find out.
+++ ‘Level Up’ Wrestling School – New York 24th September 2022 +++
Owen sits on the apron of the ring where many of the students had been training only hours before. Finch was helping him film this promo by taking on camera duties, and he was currently waiting for Owen to give him his cue. Owen looks around the place with pride, in his head already envisioning the evolution of the school, a smile forming on his face. He turns back to Finch, and he nods his head, Finch pressing record
/RECORDING
“You know what, I could probably bring my promo from Breakdown, and narrate it word for word right now, and it would still suit my current situation. Brainwashed minion… check. Someone who has advanced their career under the Haus of Nirvana… check. Someone who doesn’t seem able to win matches under their own steam… check. This is the situation you are in, whatever name you currently go by. Whereby right now, you cannot control your own life. And you know what hun, I more than most can understand that. I know right, imagine having something in common with little old me. After all, it would be remiss of me to not note the fact that I was once brainwashed by the exact same individual. Which means that I am more than able to advise you on your current situation. See, just like Samuel, you were given an opportunity to work under Giovanni’s and Holly’s banner which helped along the way for that cost whatever it may be nowadays. I cannot deny, Holly and Giovanni have elevated you, and Samuel over and above the station your found yourselves at not too long ago. I listen to you love, and I understand how it feels, to be riding the crest of the current wave, a wave that even led you to a championship belt, or at least half of one. There is no point me arguing with your choices, because you HAVE benefitted, no question. But you know something Clamidiya, I’m going to call you that because I’m not getting into Holly’s bullshit, you might be enjoying your moment right now, that fifteen minutes of fame, but I promise you that it won’t be worth it. When it comes down to the nitty gritty of all of this, the money for the subscription means nothing. Giovanni and Holly will only keep you around for a long as you are useful. The minute you overstay your welcome, they will destroy you. They will tag you as a failure, a disappointment to the brand, just like Giovanni tried to imply I was a disappointment to my father. The difference between you and Samuel and myself though love is quite simple. I’m my own person, I have mental strength the likes of which you couldn’t possibly understand. I never needed Giovanni, just like I’d never need the Nirvana he’s been preaching for years in different guises. You need his preaching’s, and Holly’s branding because in your opinion, without them you amount to absolutely nothing… zero. Tell me something Clamidiya, do you feel like you have grown under the Haus? Do you feel that if you were no longer a part of this charade, say you cancelled your subscription and instead put it towards, I dunno, developing a personality of your own? Would you still be able to exist at this level, or would you once again be relegated to a bit part? Personally, I reckon you’d be ok. There isn’t anyone who’s ever signed for SCW that doesn’t have some worth or isn’t a talented individual or one way or another. But that’s not the point is it? It doesn’t matter what I think, it’s what is going on in your head. And the fact is, it’s crystal clear that you believe you need them, when the truth of the matter is NO ONE needs their preaching’s. No one ever did.”
Owen pushes himself off the ring. If there was anyone that he knew most in this company, it was Giovanni Aries, and in his various guises he had always been the same, out for himself. When he’d been found wanting, and unable to achieve his goals, he’d then turned to minions and people to do his bidding. It was a tale as old as time. Owen hoped that these last couple of matches weren’t pointing towards another war with him, because there was nothing to gain from once again fighting that battle. If he never faced Aries again it would be too soon, not out of any element of cowardice, but because of how exhausting it had been in the past.
“And that’s why in many ways Clamidiya, we couldn’t be anymore different, and I’m insanely happy that is now the case. When I was taking advice from Giovanni, I believed I needed it, when the reality is I should have taken control of my career a lifetime ago and listened to only one person. Myself. And before you travel down that route, that isn’t arrogance. I’m not saying that every decision I make from here on in won’t be a mistake. I’m not saying that I know everything, and my methods are the tried and tested route to success. Look at it this way, when you won that championship, who took the credit? When you lose a match, who’s fault is it? That’s how one sided the Haus of Nirvana is, they only take the positives, and not the negatives. Me, I either live, or die by my sword. If I lose, or I win, it’s all on me. You know what confidence is hun? I know I’m good enough to achieve success in this company under my own steam. I know I can take on and defeating the very best this company has to offer. Josh Hudson, United States Champion, arguable the best technician in the world, got past me by a hair’s breadth, the narrowest of margins. He beat me, because he was better than me, it really is as simple as that. You win hun, how many times was it because you were better? You lose, how many times was that because you were left to your own devices. This industry, it’s almost as much mental as it is physical, and if you aren’t allowed your own mind, how can you know what to do when it all goes to shit? If you’ve got to look over to your ‘mentors’ for advice during a match, what happens when you come up against someone who knows what to do instantly? Don’t take my word for it, you only must look back to Miami, was I wrestling Davies, or was I wrestling the Haus? There’s no script to work from, wrestling is all about being proactive and reactive, no matter the situation. Truth time Clamidiya, you still the same scared little girl because Giovanni took you under his wing… and how much have you paid into Holly’s trust fund thus far? Do you get a discount being their star pupil? Of course, you don’t. because although you won’t admit it, they are in it only for themselves. And when you lose to me at Apocalypse, it won’t be your fault, it will be theirs, because of a total lack of preparation on their part for what you are about to be put through. The people you have put your faith in, are just as stupid as you are for placing yourself under their wing. I’ll admit it, they prey on the weak, and when Giovanni turned my head, that was indeed my lowest point, and I fell for their smoke and mirrors. Fact is, I don’t really care what happens to you, you’re not my friend, nor will you ever be. I have no feelings at all for what might happen to you once this all goes wrong. The only way I could possibly respect you, is if you saw sense, and through their crap, but of course that’s never going to happen, so engrained are you in their ‘Cult’. This is no different to the Lizard Kingdom, nothing has changed except the package. You know what, I was wrong, I do have feelings about this situation. I feel SORRY for you, sorry that there is a certain inevitability that this will all end in tears. And a certainty that those tears won’t be Holly’s of Giovanni’s… because they will be too busy counting their coin.”
He was telling the truth, he did feel sorry for anyone who felt that they were that insignificant that they had to basically sell themselves to the devil, instead of simply looking within themselves for that change.
“But the thing is, none of this truly matters. Like I told Samuel, and I’ll say it to you as well, I’m not going to take you lightly like so many others have done, knowing that in all actuality I won’t just be facing you, and that many other obstacles will be placed in my way. Samuel, Giovanni, Holly… or anyone else from the whole list of ‘characters’, any of them could be called upon to assist. Make no bones about it, you’re my primary focus, but my head will most certainly be on a swivel. To some, I’ve no doubt that this would be seen as a throwaway match. It certainly isn’t one of the more ‘anticipated’ confrontations, I think that’s clear. But like Amy Chastaine warned, I most certainly won’t be ‘sleeping’ on you, I’m going to make damn sure this isn’t the upset it could potentially be. Fact is, since I returned to the company, my pay per view records hasn’t been exactly faultless, and so therefore I will be looking to do something about that. I won’t lie to you Clamidiya, Rise to Greatness hurt. It hurt like a bitch. It was a moment that I firmly believed I was going to become United States Champion, and it was cruelly ripped from my grasp. These events haven’t exactly been kind to me, but I’m certainly not going to be paying a subscription or looking for anyone to help, when I know full well that I can get through any malaise by myself, without the need for someone else to claim credit for my success. I call it a malaise, but I lost ONE match, a match that I stand here before you right now knowing I should have won. Those are the lessons you get from this industry Clamidiya, and you get nothing from the banal meanderings of a progressively bitter man. I feel stronger by experiencing that defeat, if you stripped back the Haus, and looked at yourself are you anything more than you were before? Only you know the answer to that hun… worst of all, I think I know exactly how you would reply. From experience, I know you only recognize the truth when it’s too late. When you look over that precipice and into the abyss of your broken life. And if that sounds dramatic, then that’s because it’s supposed to.
So, when I deliver that Heart Punch, and for just a moment the blood stops pumping around your body and you feel that incapacitation, I want you to only be thinking about one thing. When I Cruze Stomp your head through that canvas, or take your head off with the Cruze Missile, I want you to see the clarity for yourself that the Haus of Nirvana has untruthfully promised you. When I am only a blur, and you are struggling to keep up, or if you do get some shots in, but still cannot find it within yourself to put me away, remember something. That being you were the one who chose to throw your self-worth out the window for a short cut to the… well middle of the road. You were the one who tired of following the age-old adage of WORKING to be better, every single time you step between those strands. They tried to recruit me, but I endured, and now I have dedicated my life to ensuring that the talent of tomorrow stays out of the likes of your clutches, not by preaching, but by teaching. Not by bullying, but by leading by example. You’ll say that Holly Adams IS the example… I say that only proves my point. That point being that no matter how good you are, or the skills you may well possess, you’ll forever be cast as a bit part in the pantomime that is the Holly Adam’s show. Perhaps that is enough for you. Maybe that is all you aspire to, to be a part of something. But hun, I’m aiming much higher than that, I’m aiming for the top. And whether that be the United States Championship, or the pinnacle of our industry, the SCW World Championship, I’m treating every match as a part of that process. It doesn’t matter if its Xander, Josh Hudson, or if it’s you Clamidiya, every match will lead me to where I want to be. And that’s the worst news I could give you. If you haven’t listened to a single thing, the please make sure you take this in. I’ll fight you as hard as I would Xander Valentine. You get that? I’d treat you in the same way as the World Champion, even though I hold you on nothing like the same pedestal. And you know what, I believe I can beat you both. I KNOW I can beat you both. But more importantly I KNOW words mean nothing, and I must prove it by actions…”
He pauses, and winks at the camera
“And at Apocalypse, I promise you this. Prove it… I most definitely will.”
/ENDRECORDING
Finch lowers the camera, puffing out his cheeks, taking the footage back to the beginning so it could be sent into the SCW media team.
Finch: She’s not going to know what’s hit her bro.
Owen: That’s the plan… it all starts here.
Finch: What does?
Owen: I’m a wrestler Finch, the School, the Shelter, they are just a piece of the puzzle. If I’m not successful as a wrestler as well, it will take the shine off everything else.
Finch: So, what would a success be?
Owen: That’s simple… winning the World Championship again. Or becoming a Supreme Champion and winning the lot. There would be no better example to the students than that.
Finch: And you reckon you can do that?
Owen: No Finch, I don’t…
Finch gives him a quizzical look, but Owen hadn’t finished.
Owen: I KNOW I can
Finch nods his head, seeing a belief that Owen had been lacking in the past, but which now he had in spades. Owen knew it wouldn’t be immediate, he wouldn’t get another chance for a while, but he was willing to wait, and if it took. He’d won the World Championship once, but that reign had been all too brief. This time however, he would be ready to carry that weight. It started with Samuel, it would continue with Clamidiya and then. No one knew. But more than anything, Owen was excited to see what happened next, and if his redemption truly was complete. And with Under Attack just around the corner, he was ready to put on a show.
After speaking with Finch, Jason and Willow, everyone seemed to be up for the wrestling school revamp that would hopefully bring in a wider range of studies, and greater opportunity to give the youth of New York a starting point. Jason seemed eager to once again be a part of the MMA scene, and Willow being Willow didn’t care, if she was with Jason. Finch still had some misgivings however, and Owen knew that he needed to nip them in the bud. Owen didn’t advertise for an assistant manager, because he already had someone in mind, someone who already lived in New York, and who he knew was looking for employment. Sat in the Pizzeria, he was a lot calmer than he had been meeting Peyton not so long ago, most because who he was meeting, was someone who had never turned there back on him and probably never would. She was perfect for the job, and he hoped that she wouldn’t take much in the way of persuading.
???: Owen Cruze… you don’t get any prettier bro.
Owen turns around, and he was already smirking having recognized the voice. He gets to his feet and faces Chloe Willis, one of his best friends from school here in New York, and someone who he had known most of his life. Chloe had been studying both Business and Art at University in the City and had passed both with honors this year. Chloe was the perfect candidate and was also someone who Owen knew wouldn’t take any crap from Finch. Owen pulls out a seat and she sits, Owen then motioning towards the Waitress who immediately brought over a bottle of wine for them to share. With Owen satisfied as to the wine’s quality, they finally settle down to talk. Chloe, as usual driving the conversation.
Chloe: Well, isn’t this nice. Knew that if I met you for lunch, it wouldn’t be at the nearest McDonalds.
Owen: Nothing wrong with McDonalds but seeing as we’ve not seen each other for a while, I’d make it a little more special.
Chloe: Ever the Gentlemen Cruzey
Owen: I try… I took the liberty of ordering you the Hawaiian.
Chloe: You remembered… how cute, always said you’d make a good husband.
Owen: I guess we are going to find out.
Chloe raises her eyebrows, a look of total shock on her face
Chloe: You didn’t?
Owen: Oh, I did, and the really surprising thing is she said yes.
Chloe: Wow. Kloe said you’d grown up, but Owen Cruze getting married. That’s… unbelievable.
Owen: Thanks… hold on, you spoke with Mum?
Chloe: Yeah, she was in the city for some reason, she didn’t say why.
Owen: No, didn’t tell me either.
Chloe: Seriously though Owen, congratulations. I know Jennifer is a special girl and you deserve to be happy after, well, everything.
Owen: Don’t worry, I find it difficult to believe as well. Considering where I was only a year ago, I wouldn’t have thought it possible never mind anyone else. But enough about me, what about you? How’s the job search going?
Chloe scrunches up her nose.
Chloe: Not great… I knew it would be difficult to find employment that used my Art degree, but I didn’t realize it would be quite THIS difficult you know. Something will happen for me though; I know it will. I’m too damn good to be unemployed for long…
Owen laughs, Chloe feigning annoyance before then breaking out into a smile of her own.
Chloe: And if nothing turns up, then there is always prostitution… I’m sure men would queue miles to get a piece of this
Owen: I don’t think a couple of bucks an hour is going to keep a roof over your head.
Chloe: Oi cheeky. It will turn around it always does. Remember when I had nowhere to stay, and Dave Helms bailed me out with the flat above the wrestling school.
Owen: Course I remember, I was the one that sorted it.
Chloe: Oh yeah, so you did.
They both chuckle again, though Chloe had legitimately forgotten that fact.
Chloe: One break, that’s all I need. I just need to make sure I don’t run out of cash first. Worst comes to the worst, I’ll go back to waitressing.
At the totally wrong moment, the waitress brings over their Pizza’s.
Chloe: Sorry… no offence.
Waitress: None taken… do you need anything else?
Owen: No thank you
Waitress: Enjoy your food.
Chloe tears off a slice and bites into her, swallowing before she continues.
Chloe: I didn’t work this hard for me to give up on the dream, to become an Artist, and I’m in the best place to achieve that dream. We can’t all be one of the best wrestlers in the World and a multi-millionaire, can we?
Owen: Nope, you don’t have my looks and charm for starters.
Chloe: Charm Cruzey? That’s not the nerdy little kid I remember.
Owen: You’re right there… he left the building a long time ago. He had to.
Chloe: Yeah, well don’t tell anyone but you’re kinda my example. That if you keep at it, there isn’t a single thing that you cannot achieve. One day, I’ll have my own exhibition in the heart of New York, you’ll see.
Owen: I know you will Chloe. I’ve always believed it.
He now picks up a slice of his sweet chili chicken pizza, and takes a bite, waiting till his mouth is empty and taking a sip of his wine before he speaks again.
Owen: But what if, until that happened, we made use of that other degree you earned?
He takes another bite of the pizza as Chloe regards him questionably. Owen enjoys holding her attention, but it is Chloe who speaks next
Chloe: The Business degree… I only took that for shits and giggles because I had spare time on my hands.
Owen: I know, but the fact is you passed, and so therefore you know what you’re talking about right?
Chloe: Well, you’d have thought so, wouldn’t you?
There was an element of sarcasm in her voice but contained within was also intrigue.
Chloe: So, come on then, enough of the riddles, what you talking about?
Owen: You know the wrestling school I opened near the Memorial?
Chloe: Yeah, walked past it the other day but you were closed.
Owen: Exactly my point. I believe that we have been limiting ourselves by only teaching wrestling. Let’s face facts, young kids of today don’t necessarily believe that ‘wrestling’ is the coolest of sports. Yeah, they want to fight but it’s Mixed Martial Arts that’s in fashion. Everyone wants to be the next Conor MacGregor, or the next Anderson Silva. Some want to be Usyk or Tyson Fury. I may be amazing, but not everyone wants to be the next me.
Chloe: There can’t be anyone who wants to be the next you. That’s REALLY scraping the barrel. But all that said… what does that have to do with my Business Degree?
Owen: I’m glad you asked… the guy running it now, Finch, you must have heard me talk about him.
Chloe: Yeah, the guy who replaced me as BFF in Los Angeles.
Owen: Yeah, that’s him… he’s been running things, and he’s been doing an amazing job. But where this is going, I need someone with a bit more know-how, someone who can think logically where he may not. First person I thought of, was you. I want you to be his Assistant, and together I want you to take care of the whole revamp, plus help grow the shelter into the premises that I’m looking to buy next door. It won’t be what you could probably earned elsewhere, but the benefit of working for me is no notice required. You get your break as an Artist; you’d be free to pursue that straight away. This way, you’d don’t skint yourself in the process.
Chloe: And I’ll have a say? I won’t just some really pretty but glorified PA to Finch.
Owen: Definitely
Chloe: Can I think about it?
This comment surprises Owen because he thought she would jump at the chance.
Owen: Err… yeah, I guess so.
Chloe bursts out laughing, Owen realizing the joke but just a little too late.
Chloe: You’re such a dummy do you know that? I’m in… when do I start?
Owen: Well, there’s no time like the present. How’s about we finish up here and then head over to the place? You can meet Finch and he can show you around.
Chloe: Sounds like a plan
Owen: One thing though… about Finch?
Chloe: Here we go… is he like a mass murderer or something?
Owen: No, but he does like the ladies, especially the pretty ones.
Chloe grins, picking up another piece of pizza.
Chloe: Well, he’s going to love me then, isn’t he?
Owen chuckles to himself, the truth being he was a little concerned, and only half joking about Finch. But Chloe knew how to take care of herself, she always had, and she’s kept him in line. The next stage complete, he could now set about buying the premises next door, which would then enable them to expand the shelter, and into phase two. Something that he hadn’t shared with anyone yet.
+++ Owen’s House – Miami 17th September 2022 +++
Feeling the roar of the crowd, his now hometown crowd, was something he had looked forward to for a while. After events at Rise to Greatness, it was important to get back in the ring, but he had needed the extended break just to work on a few things before his return, things that had cost him against Josh Hudson. Shaun telling people it was down to personal problems hadn’t been ideal and was a fabricated lie. But Owen hadn’t made a big deal of it, even though every other person in SCW seemed to have come over and ask him if he was ok. Of course, winning made it special, but what was perhaps more special was the fact he had slept in his own bed that night. The icing on the cake, Jennifer haven’t made the trip and lying with him. Now, a couple of days after Breakdown, she was still there, and as Owen makes his way into the kitchen, the smell of bacon hits him like an arrow. He is soon distracted however by Jennifer wearing one his tee-shirts… only his tee-shirt. He walks up behind her and cuddles her, before kissing her on the neck and sitting down at the table.
Owen: That’s a sight for sore eyes let me tell you
Jennifer smiles at him, and places some bacon on a plate, adding tomatoes, mushrooms, and scrambled eggs. She then brings it over and places it in front of Owen, and then takes a seat of her own.
Owen: Thanks, you not having any?
Jennifer: Nah, the juice is fine… eat up before it gets cold.
Owen had to admit he was ravenous and polishes off the breakfast no trouble. Throughout him eating, Jennifer never takes her eyes off him, and by the end Owen is questioning what is going on. As he finishes off, and takes a sip of orange juice, he cannot help but ask the question.
Owen: Is something wrong?
Jennifer: No, not at all.
Owen: Then why are you staring at me?
Jennifer: I don’t know… you just… it’s different that’s all.
Owen: Bad different?
Jennifer: No… don’t think that. Just, and don’t take this the wrong way, you’re not a boy anymore are you?
Owen: I’m twenty-two so I should hope not.
Jennifer: I’m messing this up… what I mean is, you carry yourself differently, more confident in yourself. It’s like you know what you want, and you’re going to get it. It’s really attractive that’s all, seeing you with so much clarity.
Owen: I’m not the finished product Jen, but I’m getting there.
Jennifer nods, and for the first time in a while diverts her attention from him, and to the sea view from the window. Now it is Owen’s turn to watch her for a moment, and he gets to his feet, holding out his hand.
Owen: Come with me
Jennifer takes his hand and Owen leads her through the patio doors and to the decking outside, the waves lapping underneath them. Owen leans against the barrier, and for a moment they are both transfixed by the ocean, until finally Owen speaks.
Owen: You know something Jen, even when I was at my lowest, after I was in conflict with Olek, with Shaun… even in that mindset when I couldn’t care less about anything, my only regret was you. When Daisy took me to one side and asked me the one thing I wish I could have back, it wasn’t wrestling, in fact I was done with the industry. No, it was only you. Throughout all the pain and suffering, both physical and mental, you being in my life was what kept me going. Even now, with us back together. Every single thing I am doing, the wrestling, the shelter, the school, it’s all so that I can make you proud, and give something back for all the suffering that I caused.
Jennifer: You don’t have to do that
Owen: Maybe, maybe not, but I want to. I want to be a good person. I want to give you the life I always promised you, that you always dreamed of.
Jennifer puts a hand on his cheek lovingly.
Jennifer: And you are.
Owen: Do you mean that?
Jennifer: Yes I do… remember we are looking to the future now, not the past.
Owen: Exactly, I feel like I’ve been running away from things all my life. Dad’s legacy, the Cruze name, Peyton, you… I made such a big deal about that I wasn’t ever scared of any challenge, but that was bullshit, because I was petrified Jen. I was petrified that I wasn’t going to be the man everyone expected me to be… whilst at the same time not realizing that I was still a kid, still making kid mistakes. But, I’m not running away anymore Jennifer, not from any of it. The responsibility, the belief in me… I’m using it, to become not the man everyone expected me to be, but the man I want to be. The man you love.
He pauses for a moment, before looking directly into her beautiful eyes.
Owen: This right here, is my home Jen. I’ve never felt happier than I do here, where I have space to grow. And I want it to be your home too, so what do you say? Will you move to Miami and build this perfect life with me… together.
Jennifer turns back to the ocean, and for a moment Owen believes it to be hesitation, but it isn’t. She turns back to him, and nods her head.
Jennifer: I’d love to.
They embrace, and then share a kiss. NOW Owen believed that he was back where he was before the breakdown. Back where he was before it all went wrong. He’d made mistakes, but he’d learned from them, and although he couldn’t promise that there wouldn’t be more, what he did know that with Jennifer by his side he would come through it all. This was it. The New Beginning. Who was Owen Cruze? Everyone was about to find out.
+++ ‘Level Up’ Wrestling School – New York 24th September 2022 +++
Owen sits on the apron of the ring where many of the students had been training only hours before. Finch was helping him film this promo by taking on camera duties, and he was currently waiting for Owen to give him his cue. Owen looks around the place with pride, in his head already envisioning the evolution of the school, a smile forming on his face. He turns back to Finch, and he nods his head, Finch pressing record
/RECORDING
“You know what, I could probably bring my promo from Breakdown, and narrate it word for word right now, and it would still suit my current situation. Brainwashed minion… check. Someone who has advanced their career under the Haus of Nirvana… check. Someone who doesn’t seem able to win matches under their own steam… check. This is the situation you are in, whatever name you currently go by. Whereby right now, you cannot control your own life. And you know what hun, I more than most can understand that. I know right, imagine having something in common with little old me. After all, it would be remiss of me to not note the fact that I was once brainwashed by the exact same individual. Which means that I am more than able to advise you on your current situation. See, just like Samuel, you were given an opportunity to work under Giovanni’s and Holly’s banner which helped along the way for that cost whatever it may be nowadays. I cannot deny, Holly and Giovanni have elevated you, and Samuel over and above the station your found yourselves at not too long ago. I listen to you love, and I understand how it feels, to be riding the crest of the current wave, a wave that even led you to a championship belt, or at least half of one. There is no point me arguing with your choices, because you HAVE benefitted, no question. But you know something Clamidiya, I’m going to call you that because I’m not getting into Holly’s bullshit, you might be enjoying your moment right now, that fifteen minutes of fame, but I promise you that it won’t be worth it. When it comes down to the nitty gritty of all of this, the money for the subscription means nothing. Giovanni and Holly will only keep you around for a long as you are useful. The minute you overstay your welcome, they will destroy you. They will tag you as a failure, a disappointment to the brand, just like Giovanni tried to imply I was a disappointment to my father. The difference between you and Samuel and myself though love is quite simple. I’m my own person, I have mental strength the likes of which you couldn’t possibly understand. I never needed Giovanni, just like I’d never need the Nirvana he’s been preaching for years in different guises. You need his preaching’s, and Holly’s branding because in your opinion, without them you amount to absolutely nothing… zero. Tell me something Clamidiya, do you feel like you have grown under the Haus? Do you feel that if you were no longer a part of this charade, say you cancelled your subscription and instead put it towards, I dunno, developing a personality of your own? Would you still be able to exist at this level, or would you once again be relegated to a bit part? Personally, I reckon you’d be ok. There isn’t anyone who’s ever signed for SCW that doesn’t have some worth or isn’t a talented individual or one way or another. But that’s not the point is it? It doesn’t matter what I think, it’s what is going on in your head. And the fact is, it’s crystal clear that you believe you need them, when the truth of the matter is NO ONE needs their preaching’s. No one ever did.”
Owen pushes himself off the ring. If there was anyone that he knew most in this company, it was Giovanni Aries, and in his various guises he had always been the same, out for himself. When he’d been found wanting, and unable to achieve his goals, he’d then turned to minions and people to do his bidding. It was a tale as old as time. Owen hoped that these last couple of matches weren’t pointing towards another war with him, because there was nothing to gain from once again fighting that battle. If he never faced Aries again it would be too soon, not out of any element of cowardice, but because of how exhausting it had been in the past.
“And that’s why in many ways Clamidiya, we couldn’t be anymore different, and I’m insanely happy that is now the case. When I was taking advice from Giovanni, I believed I needed it, when the reality is I should have taken control of my career a lifetime ago and listened to only one person. Myself. And before you travel down that route, that isn’t arrogance. I’m not saying that every decision I make from here on in won’t be a mistake. I’m not saying that I know everything, and my methods are the tried and tested route to success. Look at it this way, when you won that championship, who took the credit? When you lose a match, who’s fault is it? That’s how one sided the Haus of Nirvana is, they only take the positives, and not the negatives. Me, I either live, or die by my sword. If I lose, or I win, it’s all on me. You know what confidence is hun? I know I’m good enough to achieve success in this company under my own steam. I know I can take on and defeating the very best this company has to offer. Josh Hudson, United States Champion, arguable the best technician in the world, got past me by a hair’s breadth, the narrowest of margins. He beat me, because he was better than me, it really is as simple as that. You win hun, how many times was it because you were better? You lose, how many times was that because you were left to your own devices. This industry, it’s almost as much mental as it is physical, and if you aren’t allowed your own mind, how can you know what to do when it all goes to shit? If you’ve got to look over to your ‘mentors’ for advice during a match, what happens when you come up against someone who knows what to do instantly? Don’t take my word for it, you only must look back to Miami, was I wrestling Davies, or was I wrestling the Haus? There’s no script to work from, wrestling is all about being proactive and reactive, no matter the situation. Truth time Clamidiya, you still the same scared little girl because Giovanni took you under his wing… and how much have you paid into Holly’s trust fund thus far? Do you get a discount being their star pupil? Of course, you don’t. because although you won’t admit it, they are in it only for themselves. And when you lose to me at Apocalypse, it won’t be your fault, it will be theirs, because of a total lack of preparation on their part for what you are about to be put through. The people you have put your faith in, are just as stupid as you are for placing yourself under their wing. I’ll admit it, they prey on the weak, and when Giovanni turned my head, that was indeed my lowest point, and I fell for their smoke and mirrors. Fact is, I don’t really care what happens to you, you’re not my friend, nor will you ever be. I have no feelings at all for what might happen to you once this all goes wrong. The only way I could possibly respect you, is if you saw sense, and through their crap, but of course that’s never going to happen, so engrained are you in their ‘Cult’. This is no different to the Lizard Kingdom, nothing has changed except the package. You know what, I was wrong, I do have feelings about this situation. I feel SORRY for you, sorry that there is a certain inevitability that this will all end in tears. And a certainty that those tears won’t be Holly’s of Giovanni’s… because they will be too busy counting their coin.”
He was telling the truth, he did feel sorry for anyone who felt that they were that insignificant that they had to basically sell themselves to the devil, instead of simply looking within themselves for that change.
“But the thing is, none of this truly matters. Like I told Samuel, and I’ll say it to you as well, I’m not going to take you lightly like so many others have done, knowing that in all actuality I won’t just be facing you, and that many other obstacles will be placed in my way. Samuel, Giovanni, Holly… or anyone else from the whole list of ‘characters’, any of them could be called upon to assist. Make no bones about it, you’re my primary focus, but my head will most certainly be on a swivel. To some, I’ve no doubt that this would be seen as a throwaway match. It certainly isn’t one of the more ‘anticipated’ confrontations, I think that’s clear. But like Amy Chastaine warned, I most certainly won’t be ‘sleeping’ on you, I’m going to make damn sure this isn’t the upset it could potentially be. Fact is, since I returned to the company, my pay per view records hasn’t been exactly faultless, and so therefore I will be looking to do something about that. I won’t lie to you Clamidiya, Rise to Greatness hurt. It hurt like a bitch. It was a moment that I firmly believed I was going to become United States Champion, and it was cruelly ripped from my grasp. These events haven’t exactly been kind to me, but I’m certainly not going to be paying a subscription or looking for anyone to help, when I know full well that I can get through any malaise by myself, without the need for someone else to claim credit for my success. I call it a malaise, but I lost ONE match, a match that I stand here before you right now knowing I should have won. Those are the lessons you get from this industry Clamidiya, and you get nothing from the banal meanderings of a progressively bitter man. I feel stronger by experiencing that defeat, if you stripped back the Haus, and looked at yourself are you anything more than you were before? Only you know the answer to that hun… worst of all, I think I know exactly how you would reply. From experience, I know you only recognize the truth when it’s too late. When you look over that precipice and into the abyss of your broken life. And if that sounds dramatic, then that’s because it’s supposed to.
So, when I deliver that Heart Punch, and for just a moment the blood stops pumping around your body and you feel that incapacitation, I want you to only be thinking about one thing. When I Cruze Stomp your head through that canvas, or take your head off with the Cruze Missile, I want you to see the clarity for yourself that the Haus of Nirvana has untruthfully promised you. When I am only a blur, and you are struggling to keep up, or if you do get some shots in, but still cannot find it within yourself to put me away, remember something. That being you were the one who chose to throw your self-worth out the window for a short cut to the… well middle of the road. You were the one who tired of following the age-old adage of WORKING to be better, every single time you step between those strands. They tried to recruit me, but I endured, and now I have dedicated my life to ensuring that the talent of tomorrow stays out of the likes of your clutches, not by preaching, but by teaching. Not by bullying, but by leading by example. You’ll say that Holly Adams IS the example… I say that only proves my point. That point being that no matter how good you are, or the skills you may well possess, you’ll forever be cast as a bit part in the pantomime that is the Holly Adam’s show. Perhaps that is enough for you. Maybe that is all you aspire to, to be a part of something. But hun, I’m aiming much higher than that, I’m aiming for the top. And whether that be the United States Championship, or the pinnacle of our industry, the SCW World Championship, I’m treating every match as a part of that process. It doesn’t matter if its Xander, Josh Hudson, or if it’s you Clamidiya, every match will lead me to where I want to be. And that’s the worst news I could give you. If you haven’t listened to a single thing, the please make sure you take this in. I’ll fight you as hard as I would Xander Valentine. You get that? I’d treat you in the same way as the World Champion, even though I hold you on nothing like the same pedestal. And you know what, I believe I can beat you both. I KNOW I can beat you both. But more importantly I KNOW words mean nothing, and I must prove it by actions…”
He pauses, and winks at the camera
“And at Apocalypse, I promise you this. Prove it… I most definitely will.”
/ENDRECORDING
Finch lowers the camera, puffing out his cheeks, taking the footage back to the beginning so it could be sent into the SCW media team.
Finch: She’s not going to know what’s hit her bro.
Owen: That’s the plan… it all starts here.
Finch: What does?
Owen: I’m a wrestler Finch, the School, the Shelter, they are just a piece of the puzzle. If I’m not successful as a wrestler as well, it will take the shine off everything else.
Finch: So, what would a success be?
Owen: That’s simple… winning the World Championship again. Or becoming a Supreme Champion and winning the lot. There would be no better example to the students than that.
Finch: And you reckon you can do that?
Owen: No Finch, I don’t…
Finch gives him a quizzical look, but Owen hadn’t finished.
Owen: I KNOW I can
Finch nods his head, seeing a belief that Owen had been lacking in the past, but which now he had in spades. Owen knew it wouldn’t be immediate, he wouldn’t get another chance for a while, but he was willing to wait, and if it took. He’d won the World Championship once, but that reign had been all too brief. This time however, he would be ready to carry that weight. It started with Samuel, it would continue with Clamidiya and then. No one knew. But more than anything, Owen was excited to see what happened next, and if his redemption truly was complete. And with Under Attack just around the corner, he was ready to put on a show.
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