Aaron Blackbourne vs. Bree Lancaster

[Konrad Raab]

SCW United States Championship

3 RP Limit for singles

Deadline: 5 PM ET Saturday, July 20, 2019

[HardyGirl]

OOC: CD only, promo in #2. Evil Bree is evil. Enjoy!
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Rise to Greatness #1

[Ruppy]

OOC: So, this is a bit unorthodox, but since this RP is pretty long as it is, I’m going to be linking to a Google Doc with the full explanation behind this, because I have a lot I need to say about the CD and why I did it for anyone interested. A couple of notes I do need to make before we get to that, however: chronologically, the promo is filmed at some point between Breakdown and the CD and happens first, hence its order in the grand scheme of things. In-character, we can blame it’s ‘delay’ in airing to SCW officials sorting out whether or not Blackbourne can even compete at the PPV. I bring that up because of the CD, which takes place right before the Hall of Fame Ceremony would’ve happened on Friday night. I’ve already discussed the matter with Olek because something that does happen in this CD needed to be cleared because, to make the most sense, it’s an extra last-minute detail to add to the actual Aaron/Bree match when it happens. Because of this, Aaron is considered absent from both the HoF show as well as the fanfest and pre-show that would’ve been happening today according to the schedule but will be present to compete, albeit at less than 100%, at RtG proper. There will be a ‘news article’ on the matter being posted shortly in the CD forum that makes most of the content of the CD public knowledge, so if anyone wants to react to it on Twitter they are certainly free to do so. That said, I’ll also give fair warning that there is a bit of graphic content involved in the CD. With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy the RP, and if you’re curious as to everything I need to say about this CD piece, click here.
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Do you want to know something that even I can’t seem to figure out, even if I have the endless imagination to come up with virtually every possible explanation under the sun no matter how ridiculous it may actually sound?

No matter how much I think it over, I just can’t seem to understand the appeal of being so shallow and petty that you’d resort to anything you can get your hands on to protect a fragile facade of who you truly are.

It’s an unfortunate fact that not every member of the human race is a good person, and you only need to watch the news every once in a while to see I’m sadly not making that up. Call it ‘fake’ if you wish, believe your name is being slandered, but when the monster hidden beneath the surface is exposed for all to see, how do you justify trying to hide behind a veil of innocence and ‘kindness’ no matter how blatantly obvious it is that the only thing that matters in your own little world is you?

But then again… why listen to the vultures when you can listen to the voice that constantly tells you all that this person is everything they say they are and more?

For the past month or so, I’ve been getting criticized by certain people all because of the fact that I decided to take a stand against the very people who have been lying to you from the beginning all in the name of preserving their own image and nothing more. Perhaps most amusing to me is the fact that every step of the way, their criticism hasn’t been about the fact that I dare to call them out on their bullshit, but the fact that I’m only doing so because these very people are the number one enemy right now to a man I call my best friend. I’m merely the foot soldier being sent into battle on the behalf of Owen Cruze because people like the Beauty Factory have hurt his feelings and I’m just being a good friend without any rational thought or input to call my own on the matter.

I would ask if anybody associated with that toxic label has even heard what I’ve had to say up to this point, but sadly I already know the answer to that one.

I can already tell that’s the very same route Bree Lancaster is going to take heading into this match. After all, she’s no doubt seen the replay and knows Owen encouraged me to do what I did in stepping up to the title reign she was handed on a silver platter because Gio’s made so many enemies it finally came back to haunt him for a change. For as much as she’s going to try and shove it down my throat that I’m only copying Owen’s fight against Sienna and Chris, she’s being just as hypocritical by regurgitating everything they’ve already said to me over the course of the past month when I’ve stepped up to meet them in the ring.

‘This isn’t my fight.’

‘I’m only doing this because Owen hates Sienna and Chris.’

‘I’m just parroting what he’ll say to them because I’m not as creative as I claim to be after all.’

You want me to be honest for a second Bree? The one and only reason I needed Owen to say anything to me at all about doing what I did is purely because I’ll be the first to admit: given my recent defeats that I know you’ll focus on and ignore the fact that I pushed both Chris and Sienna to their limits and they had to resort to whatever means necessary would steal the win at the end, I wasn’t prepared to throw myself out there as the first challenger to your latest reign. Regardless of my feelings towards you, I respect the United States Title to understand I didn’t feel I’d earned a shot. Had the title not even been in the equation at all? I’d have marched out to that ring without a second thought or anyone needing to ‘give me marching orders,’ stood nose-to-nose with you and challenged you to this match because I know you care so much about who you want those people to think you are that anything perceived as disrespect would have to be stamped out to protect the illusion. And don’t even try to paint this picture that I’m ‘beneath you’ and thus this match would have no reason to take place.

After all, I’m talking to the very woman who I know from personal experience doesn’t comprehend the meaning of the word ‘respect.’

Do you recall the very first time our paths crossed Bree? Probably not since you don’t like to dwell on things that don’t matter in the here and now to you, but leading up to our first clash with one another I did something that, in retrospect, I should’ve reconsidered doing from the beginning. I showed you respect… I may have said I was looking to defeat you and had problems with your attitude, but despite all of that I gave you the respect you were complaining week in and week out that nobody ever showed you. Even if you may not have deserved it, I was nice enough to be honest in admitting to the talent I know you possess between those ropes and what it’s gotten you in your career.

I gave you exactly what you asked for, and you shoved it right back down my throat.

Plain and simple Bree… perhaps even more than Sienna and Chris, you are the very definition of the word ‘hypocrite.’ Any time you have a chance to speak you bitch and moan about how no one shows you the respect you feel you deserve and you’re being treated unfairly despite the fact that you spent months defining your last U.S. Title reign by ducking a challenge you were afraid to take and when you lost the title when it finally happened, the very first thing you did was demand a rematch because the idea of losing to someone like Selena Frost went against everything you built yourself into. All your efforts to hide from the fact that you couldn’t beat her clean were finally exposed, and when turnabout became fair play you devolved into the petulant little child you’ve been all along, weaving this narrative that you were being put down because a ‘chosen one’ had to be protected when the truth of the matter is that you’d done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to prove you deserved to jump back to the very beginning of the line. Hell, the fact that you took offense to having to choose between two titles you used to hold in regards to a rematch is enough proof in and of itself, because how many people are even lucky enough to be able to get one title shot, let alone hold two belts at once?

At least people like Selena, Angelica and James earned their opportunities by busting their asses every single week and made the most of them when the time came.

Go ahead, preach about how I disrespected you because I dared to steal your spotlight and challenge you to this match. Call me whatever you feel will back up your claims and make this an open and shut case as to why your victory is a foregone conclusion. Run my name through the mud if it helps you sleep at night because I know who the real Bree Lancaster is beneath the mask you wear. Underneath the beauty and ‘good intentions’ lies an abomination who only knows how to take advantage of everything and everyone around her to get ahead in life because you know you can’t get the job done on your own when push comes to shove. Friends, family, people with the power and influence to make you into something greater than you deserve to me… you are nothing more than a parasite leeching off what they’ve given you to try and convince the world that you are this ‘perfect girl’ that is being wronged at every turn because people are just jealous of what you have.

If I was in your shoes Bree, I’d put a bullet in my skull because I’d be so disgusted at what I’d see looking back at me in the mirror.

I showed you respect once Bree… that’s a mistake I won’t be making again. You don’t deserve respect because it’s never enough for you, and the more you crave entitlement the more clear it becomes what kind of cancer you are not just to SCW, but perhaps even the human race itself. In the time I’ve been part of SCW alone I’ve watched you nearly cripple the woman who mentored you and helped you get to this point in the first place because you took great public offense to a life choice of hers, something that could’ve remained a private affair if you didn’t sense the opportunity to put yourself over as this ‘paragon’ of love and marriage, I’ve seen you demand to be near the very top of the food chain for no other reason than the ‘friends’ you currently keep and this belief that you’ve surpassed everyone you owe for getting you here in the first place, and perhaps most damning of all… for a woman who’s stood in front of a camera and claimed countless times in the past that you want nothing to do anymore with a certain woman you feel consumed your life ever since things with Blake began falling apart, you’re not ashamed to support everything that’s happened to Kelcey Wallace all because it promotes the ‘good’ of Sienna Swann and what she claims to stand for.

Maybe I should be asking if you’re even able to comprehend who you are anymore because it looks to me like you’ve become consumed by the very lies that were supposed to only be the shell you could hide within when things got too ugly for you to handle.

Condemn me if you wish for calling you out on living in your own little world when I’m not ashamed to share what resides within mine with those around me, but there’s a big difference between us Bree. I may enjoy the sanctuary I give myself from the world around me, but at least I know that I can’t hide there all my life and have to accept that the real world sucks despite the efforts of people like me to try and fix that. You, on the other hand… you only know the world within your head, the safety of the bubble that you believe protects you from everything you don’t want to hear because this harsh truth that you’re not the indomitable saint you think you are is too much for you to bear.

Humans are flawed by design Bree, and the longer you try to hide from that fact the closer your bubble comes to bursting. Go ahead and fortify your defenses if you wish by believing that two victories over me in the past guarantees that streak will continue, but if there’s any fact I want you to take note of, it’s one very crucial statistic from last year’s Rise to Greatness. I walked into the pre-show with no wins to my name in the entire build-up to that weekend, I was called out on the fact that I was challenging for the TV Title despite that, and in the end, I walked away as the champion because I proved everything I needed to about why I deserved that shot regardless in the ring against two other opponents. This year is an almost identical scenario, and while I’ll admit to feeling like I don’t deserve the title opportunity, that doesn’t mean I won’t make the most of it to give that championship a holder who actually respects everything it stands for and what this country as a whole should represent.

America wasn’t founded on the backs of egotistical liars only interested in themselves and trying to remake the world in their twisted visage.

This country was built on the dedication and hard work of people willing to bust their asses to prove they belong here and stand up to defend what they believe in, and the very fact that you are United States Champion challenges everything I believe this country should stand for.

I hope you’re ready for your wake-up call Bree, because I can promise you this: come hell or high water, I’m bringing every last bit of what makes me who I truly am to Rise to Greatness, and I’m walking out of the AT&T Stadium as a champion who can give the people something you never could.

Hope.

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It’s always darkest just before the dawn…

Those words have taken on several meanings over the course of history, those most would tend to associate it with the basic idea that things would always get worse before they got better. Granted, this belief was usually taken to the extreme in a general line of thinking, but sometimes even the most subtle of thoughts and actions fit the bill perfectly so long as you were willing to look at all angles of a given situation. From a piece of bad news that may or may not be one hundred percent true to a string of setbacks despite your best efforts, these seemingly insignificant feats may not seem all that ‘dark’ but could still be a daunting platform with just enough power behind it to open the floodgates for hell itself to consume you, ready to see if you were truly worthy of being able to survive to see the sunrise the following morning.

Such a seemingly minor scenario full of that very potential was what stood before the man known as Aaron Blackbourne, even if he didn’t realize it at first.

2019 could best be described as a year of challenges and heartbreak for Aaron thus far, as through the flashes of glory and happiness from moments such as proposing to Liane and earning championship opportunities, it was hard to look on the bright side of seven months that felt like they were slowly being tainted by matters that, while distracting and bothersome individually, could pile up into a hurricane capable of devastating half the country let alone the psyche of a single human being altogether. Between feeling like his sanity was slowly being ripped away from him to falling short in those opportunities he’d earned, and adding in the death of his brother and the virtually clear knowledge now that his ex-boyfriend simply refused to stop until the entire Blackbourne family was in shambles, it was impossible for him to truly call this year a positive one in any capacity. When the recent passing of Ricky Octavius and the bad blood boiling over between his friends and people like Sienna, Bree and Chris was included as the ‘cherry on top’ it truly became a wonder how the man hadn’t simply collapsed in on himself yet from the stress and pressure of the raging inferno surrounding him.

Aaron was no stranger to overcoming situations like these, but never before had they been as bad as they were right now.

Even if you were inclined to ignore most of the first half of this year, that age-old phrase could even be applied to the past couple of weeks all on its own. Again, Ricky’s passing and the situation regarding standing against the shallow egotism of the Beauty Factory had made things difficult enough, but considering his mind was being weighed down by the information he finally had involving the circumstances behind his brother’s ‘suicide’ it would be no surprise why his endeavors in the ring had been a struggle in their own right heading into the biggest show of SCW’s calendar year. At least that was something he was familiar with, given that he’d been ice cold heading into the show last year and still turned it all around by walking out of the pre-show with his second Television Title, but the fact that he’d still managed to push both Sienna and Chris to their limits even if they’d never admit to it as well as pulled off the victory in an incredible match against Alexis Quinne just a few short days ago despite everything working against him would give the impression that there was hope to be found amidst the chaos.

Anyone in his position would give an arm and a leg for that to be the case, but two days before he was set to do battle for the United States Championship against Bree Lancaster was still plenty of time for virtually anything to happen.

Needless to say, the city of Dallas had become consumed by SCW fever as of Friday morning as the weekend festivities were beginning to kick off in honor of Rise to Greatness being just over the horizon, and spending most of the day signing autographs and meeting with fans was both surreal and exhausting even if this was nothing new to the creative soul by now. Unfortunately, rest would have to wait as his presence was required for the Hall of Fame Ceremony in a few hours, and as much as he would’ve loved to skip it considering he wasn’t the biggest fan of anybody going in this year for fairly obvious reasons, nothing short of a last-second emergency could get him out of it and he’d had enough of situations like that already this year. At least he wouldn’t have to suffer through the unchecked gloating alone as he couldn’t help but steal a kiss from his fiancée as she straightened his tie while he finished attaching the pink rose that had become a staple of her comedy appearances lately to her dress.

“Has anyone ever told you how great you look in a suit and tie?”

“My mom has a couple of times, but that’s about it I think. I’m not really the biggest fan of getting all dressed up unless I have to.”

“Well, at least I know that our wedding day will be one of those special moments then, and I’ll cherish the image forever.”

Aaron chuckled a bit as the two stepped back from one another to make sure they were all good, and it was hard to deny that if they weren’t already together there’d be a lot of interest in either one of them, though the designer was silently thankful that wouldn’t be the case after the whole mess with Scarlet Grey just last year that started not too long after Rise to Greatness season closed. He really didn’t want any repeats of that in the aftermath this year… he was already struggling with enough and finding a way to put it all behind him was all he really wanted to try and close this year out on a high note. Winning the U.S. Title on Sunday would certainly be a big step in the right direction, that was for sure.

“You alright? I know how much you don’t want to be dressed to kill and feel like doing just that considering who’s getting inducted, but if anything we can at least stay close to Owen and them if it helps.”

Aaron hadn’t realized his happy facade had slipped until Liane had said something, her lips curling into a concerned frown in the process. There was a reason for it, but he had been trying to suppress the thought himself in hopes that what he’d heard was either wrong or wouldn’t lead to anything. Something he’d been quiet about was the fact that shortly after Breakdown on Wednesday, he’d received a call from Detective Cane with an update on his brother's case. What had started off as good news regarding finally getting the cooperation of the companies that were trying to fight subpoenas to protect their own image if anything could be linked back to them which had led to several of Dylan’s friends and allies being arrested for their involvement or knowledge about everything that had happened had turned south with one particular piece of the conversation.

“Unfortunately, we still don’t have Dylan’s whereabouts just yet, though I did get a call from some of the officers down where you are that they think they’ve spotted him a few times in the state of Texas, though they haven’t been able to confirm this by cornering the individual to find out for sure. I know you’re there for your big show this weekend, so I’m advising you to be extremely careful and letting you know that officers are on high alert if necessary.”

It was an unsettling thought, to say the least, though somewhere in the back of his mind he wasn’t too surprised at this point. All the signs were there for months that Dylan had seemingly been stalking him, and meeting with the detective weeks ago had confirmed the likelihood of this when some of Dylan’s cronies had coughed up the revelation that he wasn’t even in the state of Massachusetts anymore. Still, despite all the efforts he’d made to try and further tear away at the mental state of Aaron and his family, Dylan had made no effort to directly try anything with him, and considering how busy things would be due to the nonstop party that seemed to follow the biggest show every single year it’d be virtual suicide if he made a move now. Aaron shook this thought off and moved in to surprise Liane with another kiss that was more to give himself peace of mind, but she certainly wasn’t going to turn that down.

“I’m fine Liane. I think I’m just getting a little worked up after everything that’s happened and knowing what awaits me in a few nights. I was thinking I might call my family quick to see if they’re doing well before we start heading out.”

Liane’s face made it clear she didn’t totally buy this explanation, but she wasn’t going to pry any further this time. She knew how delicate Aaron’s mind had been as of late and if a call home would help sort it all out for now, then who was she to question such a request?

“Alright mister, I believe you. I’m going to go down to the lobby to get something to drink while you do that. Don’t take too long, or else SCW might send the hounds after you.”

“I won’t honey. And I don’t think I’ll have to worry about the ‘hounds’ when they’re probably too busy getting all dolled up themselves. The Beauty Factory does have a reputation they believe they need to keep, after all.”

That got a chortle out of Liane as she began to leave the room, giving her future husband some space so he could think about where he was at right now. He stood in front of the mirror, eyes roaming over every detail of the dress clothes he didn’t feel comfortable in as he questioned if he really had anything he needed to worry about. He wasn’t as worried about Rise to Greatness, again recalling how last year he had zero momentum going into the show and still walked out of it with some gold, a fact that Bree had better be aware of before she wrote him off completely despite at least having a little bit of momentum this time around. The Dylan situation was as tense as ever and probably would remain so as long as he was on the loose, but he had to remind himself that the odds of the self-indulgent sociopath trying anything during a time when all eyes would be on just about every facet of SCW would be a risk even he wouldn’t be crazy enough to take. There were still concerns about what was going on in his head, but to his surprise, things had actually been fairly quiet on that front as of late. He wasn’t sure if it was due to the Twin Stars coming through for him and keeping things at enough of a stalemate that he barely noticed anything or if there was a period of calm he could just take advantage of before the real storm began, but he wasn’t going to complain.

Aaron glanced over to the bedside table for a moment, eyes locking onto his phone as he contemplated what he’d told Liane just a minute ago. There was a part of him that did want to call back home and check in with his family, if for no other reason than to make sure they were doing well in the face of the news and confirmations the detectives had shared recently, but he was also hesitant to bother them. There was a time zone gap that meant they were probably getting ready for bed right now, and he didn’t want to interrupt when he wasn’t even sure whose peace of mind he was truly seeking to gain from the conversation. Plus, he really didn’t want to get involved in an in-depth discussion about the matter, knowing that it would not only likely run him late for the ceremony and upset SCW officials, but also potentially backfire and sour his mood depending on which direction it all went.

“Maybe I’m better off just not thinking about this and spending tonight quietly heckling Dark Fantasy and their Hall of Fame company with Owen or something…”

Before he could ponder the possible distraction to get him through tonight any further, he heard his phone start ringing. Aaron was a bit confused, to say the least, considering he figured that most people who had his number wouldn’t bother him now knowing he was on the verge of being unavailable for the next few hours, but his eyebrow rose a little further when he grabbed the device and saw the name ‘Clown Princess’ staring back at him. A small pool of concern began to form in his gut at seeing the pet name he’d given his precious comedian, but he tried to shrug it off as he answered.

“Hey babe. Is everything-”

“Aaron, we need to go. Now.”

Very rarely did Aaron ever hear the serious sense of urgency in her voice that he did just now, and alarms of all shapes and sizes were starting to go off in his head because of it. He tried to remain as calm as possible, though, knowing that at least one of them would have to if there was some kind of situation at hand.

“I haven’t taken that long Liane, and we can still make it to the Hall of Fa-”

“I think that Dylan guy’s here, and on his way up to our room as we speak.”

That got the creative soul’s attention, and almost immediately that pool of concern was turning into a solid block of ice trying to burst right out of his gut. There’s no way… Aaron thought. He’s not stupid enough to actually make a move now, is he!? Even he’s can’t be smart enough to think he’s not throwing away the freedom he doesn’t deserve if he tries anything with everyone having SCW fever right now.

“Are you sure? It could just be-”

“Aaron… I can tell from years of wearing funny costumes that he’s trying to disguise himself, but he looks too much like that picture you showed me a while back. Plus, I kind of eavesdropped a bit while he talked with the front desk, and he was clearly asking about making ‘a delivery’ to whatever room you’re in.”

Aaron’s brain almost seemed to shut down after hearing that, the phone nearly dropping from his hand. Part of him was still convinced that there was no way Dylan would dare risk anything at this time of the year, of all times, but the more he thought about it the more he began to ponder a horrifying thought: the possibility that Dylan simply didn’t believe he had anything to lose. He’d done a hell of a job thus far evading the authorities while digging away at the psyche of his family members after Andrew’s death, but if he was tired of running and looking to make his last stand, then what better way to do it then possibly making headlines and putting an entire company in a pickle if they had to exercise the ‘card subject to change’ statement for their biggest event of the entire year?

It was at that moment, however, that Aaron’s demeanor seemed to change. As he considered his options and knew trying to get out of his while he still had time was obviously the smartest course of action, a strong urge was brewing that wouldn’t even allow him to consider that possibility. He was about to come face to face with the very man who had tried to make life hell for both himself and his relatives in addition to taking his brother’s life with no remorse to be found, the first time they had even been in such a position since before Aaron had moved to Seattle so long ago to get away from everything toxic in his life at the time. As ill-advised as it was, especially knowing things would very likely get ugly, he was entertaining a thought he’d just had about finally being able to take a more proactive approach to put an end to this nightmare. He obviously didn’t want to do anything that was going to jeopardize the pay-per-view or his wrestling career, but thinking back to how he’d stood up against the members of the Beauty Factory and everything they were willing to do for their own self-satisfaction and nothing more gave him this idea that even a dangerous individual like Dylan was no different, and sometimes it made a bigger statement to stand and fight the problem at hand instead of sitting back and letting it continue to torment you.

“Aaron?”

Aaron closed his eyes and took a deep breath, doing it loud enough so Liane could hear over the phone that he was still with her. As his eyes opened, though, a new look of pure determination greeted him in the mirror, making it clear that he was ready to fight if he had to and there was no changing his mind now.

“…Liane, I need you to listen to me carefully. Whoever’s at the front desk right now, tell them about your concerns. Fill them in on the entire situation and make them understand who they just gave my room number to for God knows whatever reason. Then, I don’t care if it’s you or them, but call the police and get them here as soon as possible.”

“I- I can do that Aaron. But-”

“Room service!”

That call was accompanied by a knock at the door, and despite the attempt to use an accent that would have any actual Texas native fuming over disrespect at how poor and stereotypical it sounded, Aaron could hear straight through it and knew exactly who that voice belonged to. There was no denying it any longer… Dylan was here, and unless Aaron was ready to try and freefall out the window to certain death below the option of escape was now completely off the table. He took a breath to try and steady his nerves, although it was clearly shaky at best, but he steeled himself regardless for what he knew was now inevitable.

“I love you Liane… please, call the police, and keep yourself safe.”

“Aaron, wait-!”

He ended the call and quickly shut his phone off before tossing it under one of the pillows, not wanting to let Dylan get a hold of it like he did with Andrew’s phone should anything happen. In his mind, he refused to even consider that possibility, but at this point, there was no telling what was going to happen. You know what they say about the best-laid plans, after all.

Slowly, he approached the door, being cautious about this even as Dylan repeated the knock and his poorly-accented call from before. Even though he’d rarely been around Dylan personally, he’d heard more than enough to know exactly what he was dealing with. Needless to say, if you thought the actions of Sienna and Chris regarding Kelcey Wallace were disgusting and heartless, then you’d actually feel a part of your soul die if you heard Dylan was capable of making those two look like honest-to-God saints even despite that. The artist carefully peeked through the peephole but saw only black, quickly establishing that whoever was on the other side was covering their bases regarding their identity until the door was open just in case he did have some secret escape plan. With one last breath to calm his nerves as much as he possibly could in this situation, he carefully opened the door.

“Alright sir, sorry to disturb you, but I’ve got an order of- what the hell?”

As soon as the door was open, Dylan wasted no time quickly moving inside before there was any chance to lock him out. To his confusion, however, the room looked empty, and he started cursing to himself that its occupant had been tipped off by someone and fled before he could get up here. He quickly reasoned that this was impossible, considering the door was opened for him, but before anything could really click on this matter he heard an actual click in the form of the door closing. Whipping around, the man with dirty blonde hair containing a dyed dark brown triangle in the front as a ‘sign of affection’ for his now-deceased former lover found himself locking eyes with the proverbial green-eyed demon he was hunting, but despite the intense anger in Aaron’s eyes the manipulative bastard couldn’t help but crack a smile.

“You know, there’s better ways to try and get the drop on me if you knew I was coming, and that’s not one of them.”

Aaron didn’t respond, his fists slowly clenching tighter as he continued to stare down the amused murderer. Despite being on the receiving end of the kind of look that would certainly kill if there was any truth to that phrase, Dylan wasn’t phased. He’d seen that look all too often out of his younger brother when their relationship started turning sour, and it was clear to him Andrew was more used to wielding it than his eldest sibling was.

“I get it now… you’re pissed at me, and I wouldn’t blame you if our roles were reversed. I mean, Andrew kind of dug his own grave and I just made sure he actually got there instead of backing out at the last second like he’s done before. I’m sure Alec will cry to you all about how I now know that being small isn’t something that just applies to his height, or mommy will keep bugging the police that could care less about what I do or don’t do because they have much better things to do with their time. But you… you’ve got a golden opportunity to actually DO something.”

As he said this, Dylan leaned forward, sticking his chin out and even tapping it a few times with a smug grin. As badly as Aaron wanted to take the open shot, he did his best to restrain his growing hatred for this man. True to what he’d heard, especially from Andrew’s stories about various points in their relationship, Dylan was doing a masterful job of trying to goad him into attacking, knowing that if he kept pushing buttons until just the right moment, he could weave the narrative to the police if and when they arrived that he was simply defending himself. All it took was one slip of his emotions, and while Dylan would no doubt fall for all the crimes he was wanted for, Aaron would go right down with him for ‘taking the law into his own hands.’

“Heh… never thought I’d say this about a couple of fake Barbie doll bimbos, but those girls you keep trying to fight against in that wrestling company of yours? They’re right about you. You can’t fight your own battles, you can only fight the ones others start and talk you into because you’re such a model citizen. Be the hero when it fits, but when called out on it you back off and cower like the little bitch you truly are. I mean, I’m practically gift-wrapping you a perfect chance to unload everything you feel about me, and you won’t take it because I’m guessing you’re afraid you’ll lose everything you have going with that wrestling bullshit, am I right?”

Aaron grit his teeth beneath his lips to try and keep from flinching, refusing to give this smug prick any satisfaction in doing his job effectively. Dylan knew exactly where to pry to try and get the desired result and he wasn’t afraid to run his mouth until he got it, and that one, in particular, had struck a nerve. Dylan was clearly paying attention to SCW despite a clear lack of care for the business itself, doing his homework all for this moment. He’d heard the infinite loop from the Beauty Factory members Aaron had been crossing paths with along this entire road to Rise to Greatness about how he was primarily doing any of that for Owen and otherwise would’ve stayed out of it entirely and was twisting it for his own purposes. Aaron’s friend may not have anything to do with this situation, but it wasn’t hard to slot his brother or any of his family members into that blank space and get the same result.

“You do realize that doing nothing is just as bad as doing something because someone else wants you to, right? I mean… if you don’t fight, you’re still going to lose everything before this night’s over.”

Thankfully, Dylan had failed in one aspect of his approach in terms of trying to blind his opposition with pure rage, because Aaron saw through the fog long enough to notice that while he was delivering this last verbal shot, his hands were slowly reaching behind himself. Before anyone, if they were watching this play out, would’ve realized what was happening, Aaron found himself rolling behind Dylan as the assailant had the sharpened end of the swan neck of a crowbar jammed into the wall, which he quickly yanked free before swinging behind himself in case Aaron was looking to use the opportunity to retaliate, though he got nothing but air as this wasn’t the case. Instead, Aaron was slowly backing towards the bed, quickly trying to shed his suitcoat and dress shirt to feel less restricted in his movements. Dylan gave him an annoyed glance before charging in, yelling in fury before he found himself being cut off by the coat being draped over his face like a matador blinding a bull. Dylan collided with the bed and flipped onto it as Aaron quickly shed the last of his upper body clothing, but this would prove somewhat costly as shortly after he found himself recoiling with a hand to his side. Dylan had swung with the hook end of the weapon and caught Aaron just a bit, leaving a cut that wasn’t really serious, but still noticeable. He looked down at the cut and the small trickle of blood that began dribbling from it before turning his attention back to the sociopath who was violently throwing his shroud aside.

“Why?”

Dylan raised an eyebrow as he got off the bed, halting his advance as Aaron gave him the kind of look he would normally expect to see from someone trying to interrogate him in hopes that with enough pressure he’d crack and spill his guts.

“Why would you do any of this? Why attack me now, knowing you’re condemning yourself to a prison cell for the rest of your life even if that’s the least of what you deserve? Why kill a man who truly did love you with all his heart and soul and endured your worst to prove how much he cared even when everyone else wisely told him to let you go? Why keep playing games after he was dead and his family was grieving when you pretty much felt like you’d already gotten away? You clearly think I can’t possibly tell anyone at the end of all this, so the least you owe me is an explanation!”

Dylan just blinked, looking almost dumbfounded at what he’d just heard. Aaron wanted an explanation for his crimes? And he was willing to acknowledge that he’d likely be taking that information to the grave if Dylan had his way with all of this? The very thought had Dylan erupting in laughter that he knew was frying more and more of Aaron’s few remaining nerves in the face of all of this.

“STOP LAUGHING AND ANSWER ME, DAMN IT!”

Aaron made a motion to charge at his attacker, but barely managed to hold himself back, doing everything in his power to keep from making a move that would backfire on him, whether it be walking right into an open shot or being the one on the offensive if the police burst through that door right then and there. Dylan continued to laugh before wiping away a tear that had started to form in his eye before staring Aaron down, the very definition of a shit-eating grin plastered all over his face.

“Why? You want to know why? Humor me for a moment… why does your precious wrestling business condone a man and his whore recording themselves in front of the man’s comatose wife and treating the whole thing like it’s their civic duty to be her protector even despite the infidelity? Why are people allowed to be rewarded for bitching and moaning about their inferiorities claiming it’s just them being screwed over more than a two-dollar hooker? Why does anybody pretty much do anything anymore in this fucked up world of ours?”

Aaron stood his ground, irked at the analogies as Dylan was still trying to use his profession as a weapon against him knowing he’d resist fighting back because of it, but that didn’t stop Dylan from leaning as close as Aaron would allow him to get that was out of range of the crowbar to give his ‘answer.’

“It’s simple Aaron… that’s just what it means to be a human being.”

Aaron’s eyes widened, first from the audacity that this was the answer he was being given for why anything had happened, and then from having the air driven out of him as the hook of the crowbar made contact with his gut, knocking the air out of him and dropping the wrestling designer to his knees. Aaron quickly tried to regain his breath, but focusing on that necessity was difficult when his brain felt like it had been fried in the face of what he’d just been fed. Dylan stood over him, twirling the crowbar like a parade marshal would a baton as he admired his handiwork while it lasted. Aaron knew he was there and had prime opportunity to strike, but his thoughts were slowly becoming a hazy mess of voices and thoughts as he blankly stared up at the man threatening him.

“I’m sorry the truth is just that mind-blowing Aaron, and while I’ll admit you’re pretty hot I’m not in the mood for a Blackbourne blowjob right now. I probably don’t have much time left, so let’s wrap this up, shall we?”

As Dylan stopped spinning his weapon so that the tip he’d sharpened specifically for this purpose was pointed down towards his victim, Dylan slowly raised the crowbar above his head, ready to plunge it into the skull of the man he’d heard was probably one of the most creative people on the planet. Still unable to find his breath or will his body to respond, Aaron could only stare at his impending demise, his brain still trying to process the reasoning that Dylan did all of this just because he could do so as a human being. He knew that the world was far from a perfect place, but to try and justify that every human had the potential to be like this… he believed it couldn’t be true, but between the way several members of the SCW roster acted seemingly without repercussion, the way Liane’s parents had treated her and now their other children, even the fact that his own head seemed ready to unleash legitimate monsters at any given moment in its unstable state lately and the changes to Owen’s attitude after whatever he’d gone through… his last thought as the crowbar plunged towards the space between his eyes with pure malice behind its impressive speed would be the understanding that humanity as a whole might just be born to do horrific deeds for its own survival and no amount of effort fighting against it was going to ultimately change anything.

Dylan braced for the spatter of blood he was expecting with the force behind his attack, but to his shock and confusion, it never came.

He looked baffled as he stared down at Aaron, who had somehow managed to shake off his condition just in time to get his hands up, grabbing the end of the crowbar and using all his strength to keep it from going any further than the bladed tip pressing into his forehead, opening up a wound that began to bleed but nothing more than that. The attacker growled like an animal as he tried to put more of his weight behind his motion, but not even that seemed to force the crowbar to budge any further.

“Has it not gotten through your thick skull already? You have no way of getting out of this unscathed, not against me! There will be no Rise to Glory or whatever the hell it’s called for you, so just give up and let me reunite you with that bastard brother of yours in hell already!”

“…sorry, but I can’t let you have this that easily.”

There was a disturbing calm about the way Aaron delivered that line, and for perhaps the first time in his entire life Dylan actually felt a chill run down his spine. Aaron’s eyes slowly seemed to regain clarity, and Dylan’s hands begin to shake when he realized his own malicious gaze was being returned by this man he might have finally pushed over the edge. Before he could process this change in the man he should’ve had lying in a pool of his own blood right now, he found the favor being returned as all the air was driven out of his lungs by a well-placed punch to the gut, his hands leaving the weapon as he staggered backward and almost tripped onto the bed a second time tonight. He quickly caught his breath and started getting off the bed, but froze when he found Aaron back on his feet, the tip of the crowbar now pointed at him.

Dylan’s mind was racing a mile a minute trying to process this turn of events. He’d decided tonight was the night he’d strike, knowing it was a foregone conclusion he was probably going down in the process. Even still, he had nothing to lose and didn’t fear being locked away in jail again even if it was a permanent stint this time, and he’d been prepared to even take a beating if it meant Aaron would be going down with him if he didn’t simply add the life of a second Blackbourne to his resume. What did he care if he killed a pro wrestler, after all? His name would live on in greater infamy to an SCW audience than anybody that had ever competed for those initials could ever hope to obtain! Not once, in his entire line of thinking, did the idea that he could actually die if things went horribly wrong ever cross his mind, and while he knew he’d still have the last laugh in the end because not even self-defense would justify his murder in this day and age, there was still an odd feeling of uneasiness not that he found himself realizing that maybe, just maybe, Aaron actually would go through with killing him.

“Y-you… you wouldn’t dare. Good ol’ Aaron Blackbourne wouldn’t dare do anything to jeopardize his safe little way of life! Your girl, your career, your friends… you’re really going to throw that all away because of me!”

Dylan had tried to keep to his demeanor to stay in Aaron’s head, but his voice betrayed him as he clearly sounded more like he was pleading for his life. He’d lost control for what was clearly the very first time and he was scared to death of not knowing how this was going to play out from here. Aaron continued to glare at him as he slowly approached, any trace of the ‘good man’ Dylan was now trying to appeal to seemingly lost. Through the blood trickling down his face, there was only a look that questioned how Dylan thought he was going to get away with anything he’d done and made it clear that if only one of them was leaving this room alive, it was going to be the man currently holding the crowbar, reputation be damned. Dylan threw his leg out, but the kick attempt was in vain as Aaron easily parried it and slipped into a position that had the blonde’s legs pinned against the bed as a free hand moved to press down on his chest, a surprising amount of strength keeping him pinned like this despite the attempts to pry the hand away. Dylan could only look up in horror as Aaron simply shook his head and made the same move he himself had tried just moments prior, the tip of the crowbar aimed square between the eyes as it came down with wicked intentions behind it.

Dylan closed his eyes, embracing his impending demise and trying to take solace in what he knew would certainly have to follow in the aftermath.

A few moments of silence passed before he found himself opening them again, staring up in disbelief at the sight of Aaron trying to seemingly restrain himself, almost as if he was in a tug-of-war within his own head.

Even if he didn’t fully understand it, Dylan was right… Aaron would never dare throw everything away even if it meant getting long-overdue vengeance against a man who deserved nothing less than rotting in the deepest, darkest pits of hell itself.

In those brief moments where Aaron had taken control of the situation, he couldn’t honestly claim he was even in control of himself. The next thing he’d fully realized was that he was seemingly inside of his own head, watching through his eyes as someone else took control to ensure he wasn’t departing from this world on this night after all. Out of all the possibilities as to who would do this, there was only one who would willingly disregard everything Aaron had gained in his life if it meant gaining a victory in his own right as far as putting his host in a state of mind where he was powerless to control his own destiny anymore. Nemesis had actually intervened, knowing he would die right alongside Aaron if no action was taken, but he refused to ignore the opportunity before him that he could be the one that resolved the Dylan issue once and for all and with Aaron’s life and career destroyed, he would be the only real winner in the end.

Aaron refused to take this pyrrhic victory and had wasted no time in struggling with Nemesis for control once he regained his senses, refusing to kill Dylan no matter how deserved it was. He would never go so far as to intentionally stain his hands with the blood of another as no one, no matter how bad they truly were, deserved to die and especially by someone else’s hand. Everything that had led up to this moment was forgotten about as that small shred of dignity that served as a constant reminder that Aaron was just one such human being that wielded hope that things could change if you were willing to stand and fight pushed him to stay strong against the hatred and manipulation. He knew he was above it… he was above needing to sink to the level of people like Dylan or anyone else he claimed was simply ‘being human’ as justification for their disturbing and horrendous actions, and he wasn’t going to allow the embodiment of all his stress and negative feelings decide this outcome for him.

While Aaron would manage to wrestle control away from Nemesis, it came with a heavy cost. Too consumed by the brief fight for his own mind, the lapse had given Dylan plenty of time to shake off the shock of whatever had happened in order to rip the crowbar out of the creative soul’s hands, and the very moment he felt he was back in the driver’s seat he was greeted by a bloodcurdling scream of agony leaving his own lips as an agonizing pain the likes of which he’d never felt before in his entire life emanated from his midsection. Aaron recoiled and dropped to a knee as he clutched at his ribcage, immediately feeling that something wasn’t right and getting further confirmation when his attempts to breathe were met with a burning sensation in his lungs and blood being launched from his mouth like one of those spitting fountains. He slowly tried to get to his feet, but the only thing consuming his every thought right now was the pain coursing through his body and the inability to take anything more than short, pained breaths.

“I knew you wouldn’t do it… and you wonder why you keep getting your ass handed to you for trying to ‘fight the good fight.’ You’re a waste of a human being that doesn’t even deserve the life you’ve been given.”

Aaron could barely process Dylan’s barbs as he tried to refocus on his assailant, but his vision was beginning to blur as more and more blood escaped from his mouth. His body was beginning to fail him in the face of the horrific blow Dylan had landed with the hook that was no doubt going to send him into the pay-per-view in two days with some kind of internal injury, but that was the last thought on his mind because it was assuming he actually made it to Rise to Greatness at this point. Dylan didn’t seem to care, his attention from the task at hand only being diverted by the sound of sirens and the bright flash of red and blue lights from way down below that signaled the police had finally arrived. Knowing time was running out and Aaron was in no shape anymore to simply frame once they made it up to this floor, he knew his window of opportunity was closing and there was only one course of action left. With Aaron’s legs slowly being reduced to jelly as he could barely focus on where he even was anymore, Dylan blitzed him, ready to strike the final blow that would end all of this and send him off to jail knowing he’d be immortalized as the man whose actions destroyed not only the one man who had been able to serve as a rock throughout all of his attempts to further torment and break the Blackbourne family, but also completely destroy the joyous atmosphere of an entire company’s biggest weekend and cast a shadow over their biggest spectacle that they would never be able to find a way out of in time.

“Aaron, move!”

At that moment, everything seemed to move in slow motion for Aaron as he barely managed to regain his bearings. He swore he heard the long lost voice of his deceased brother, warning him of the incoming danger, and that was the domino that started the chain reaction where he managed to notice Dylan’s charge just in time and dove out of the way, not caring that he ended up throwing himself against the wall and likely caused further damage if it meant his life was spared. Dylan’s eyes went wide as he realized he missed, and he’d thrown so much momentum into the motion to be absolutely sure he landed a killing blow that he had no way of stopping himself from falling forward onto the floor. But there was one last detail Aaron picked up out of this that would stick with him for a long time to come.

Despite the shock, there was a smile on Dylan’s face as Aaron realized the hook end was the one he’d been swinging with, and there was nothing between the sharpened tip at the other end and Dylan’s own throat as the distance between the two objects closed rapidly.

Through the haze being caused by the immense pain he was in, the only thing Aaron could remember after that was seeing the twisted smile forever etched on Dylan’s lifeless body as the crowbar had pierced deep into his throat from the impact. It wasn’t too long after that when police had broken down the door and stormed into the room to find the aftermath of the struggle, immediately taking Aaron to the hospital while Dylan was ultimately declared dead at the scene. Aaron would give his statement the following day once he was all patched up and he remembered having to hold Liane close as she broke down from knowing she’d nearly lost the love of her life to a sociopath who’s only justification for anything was that he was simply ‘being human.’ Thankfully, Aaron’s story would be corroborated by guests in nearby rooms who had heard everything from the scuffle as well as the reports that were already public knowledge about the crimes Dylan was wanted for before he even pursued this course of action.

It was all a blur to Aaron, though, as Dylan’s lingering smile was the only thing that consumed his every waking thought, knowing his death would still be enough to know that he’d not only made Aaron’s task of trying to succeed at Rise to Greatness perhaps near impossible now, but that lasting image would forever scar the man who had already dealt with too much death already this year alone and remind him that even despite his pleading moments before, ultimately Dylan was not afraid to die if it meant he still broke Aaron at the very end.

It was that very thought alone that led to Aaron making the call doctors advised heavily against. Despite the injury, they did declare he was still able to compete even if it was very ill-advised, and that’s exactly what he was going to do. He didn’t care if Bree now had a huge advantage to try and get through Sunday night easier, and whatever pain he knew he’d be in after it was all set and done was irrelevant.

To prove that people like Bree and her cohorts didn’t deserve anything they weren’t willing to earn no matter what obstacles stood in their way.

To prove that there was more to ‘being human’ than just believing that was an excuse to do anything you pleased, no matter how cold and heartless.

To prove that he would not, under any circumstances, allow Dylan to win the day no matter how much he believed there was no other outcome regardless of what happened that night.

Aaron Blackbourne was going to walk out of Rise to Greatness as the SCW United States Champion, no matter what Bree threw at him, because at this point… if he could survive attempted murder, he knew he could survive a self-entitled woman living her life under the same misguided pretenses as a man who could truly be personified as the absolute worst humanity had to offer.

[HardyGirl]

OOC: All appearances with approval. I love when I get to conclude a long-term arc and it comes out almost exactly the way I imagined when it was planned months ago. There is a bit in here that was aired on TV so as usual feel free to use that, as well as the events at the end that no doubt would have made it to the news. You'll see what I mean when you read it. Good luck, Ruppy, always a pleasure.
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Rise to Greatness #2