Aaron Blackbourne vs. James Evans

[HardyGirl]

SCW World Championship
Aaron Blackbourne vs. James Evans

For all matches, 2 RP Limit per wrestler
Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Saturday, February 15, 2020

[James Evans]

https://jamesevansiam.wordpress.com/2020...rning-6-1/

[James Evans]

https://jamesevansiam.wordpress.com/2020...rning-6-2/

[Ruppy]

OOC: Not going to lie, I've spent a good chunk of yesterday and all of today working on this monster and just now finished it. The idea was originally to split the CD in half and post this as 2 RPs (first time I'd have done that in an eternity), but unfortunately work was a lot more hectic last night than I'd hoped so I was too exhausted to get this far enough along that I could justify doing that. Still, I'm really happy with how this turned out and everything I poured into it, especially for my first direct World Title match as a handler since Thirteen lost the belt God knows how many years ago at this point. I'll also be getting Aaron's bio updated here in a little bit with my plans for the show, just had to put that on the backburner to make sure I could get this finished in time. Best of luck!
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Sometimes, all it takes is one moment for everything to change.

Usually, when you think of this concept, there are negative connotations behind it. Understandably so, considering that throughout our lives there will always be that one seemingly random incident when everything is going your way that not only sets you back but causes matters to snowball and become worse and worse as time goes on, leaving you desperately clinging to hope that it will come to an end soon and you can get yourself back to where you want to be and beyond.

It seemingly doesn’t happen very often, but the opposite is just as true. Even when the world around you seems like it’s utterly consumed with darkness, one moment could be just the light you need to guide you out of the abyss and into the fabled promised land where everything is finally going your way and everything you’ve tried to work for is at your fingertips at long last.

Aaron Blackbourne knows this all too well, having fought all his life to keep moving forward no matter how many times he’s had to endure the former and all the heartwrenching setbacks that tend to come with it. He’s a perfect example of someone who always seems to attract misfortune just as things finally begin to look so similar to a dream come true he could mistake it for being lost in the peace brought about by his own imagination. Even if you were a believer in a natural balance in the universe, you would likely find it hard to justify why a lot of the positives in this man’s life were quite small in comparison to the negatives and tragedies that burdened his mind and soul. Every ounce of hard work and effort he gave to try and make something of himself was always so easily undone and left him struggling to climb back to that same spot just for the process to repeat itself all over again.

There was a reason Aaron’s more negative mindset had seemingly taken on a life of its own, after all.

2020 so far hadn’t been a year really worth speaking of when it came to the creative soul, who just seemed stuck in the same cycle that had been afflicting him for so many years of his life at this point. His design work had seemingly stalled as he’d been getting little to no commissions on the side to maintain that half of his normal income, no doubt with the constantly shifting economic situation leaving many wondering if such things were necessary or worth the investment at this point in time. Big matches he could use to really build his name up in the ring had left him lacking in any definitive results to either push him forward or even set him back, which was just as frustrating as losing any ground, to begin with. Even a seemingly big opportunity to have a major role in SCW’s impending Trios Tournament had hit a brick wall, and he couldn’t fault anyone who did get those opportunities for turning his word into fact that the tournament did not exist to him once Day of Infamy was all set and done.

And then the announcement was made.

Despite the stoic demeanor he displayed when he made his way out onto the stage after Sasha had dropped the bombshell, he was anything but composed when he’d gotten the news both before and after that moment. He had publicly stated time and time again that, no matter how grateful he was for all the fans and longtime veterans within SCW that believed his time would come, he personally didn’t believe he was ready to take that major step up quite yet. But those in power seemed to agree with everyone else that it was time, and come February 16 in Dallas, Texas, the creative soul would be faced with his biggest challenge to date as he set foot on the Trios stage after all, not for the tournament itself, but instead to challenge James Evans for the SCW World Heavyweight Championship.

It would be easy to assume that this was the proverbial ‘light’ that would turn it all around for him, but for as significant as the match announcement was, the true turning point would be if he could actually succeed on his first, and maybe even only, shot at the top of the mountain.

There was a reason Aaron had tried to keep himself fairly restrained in the aftermath of Sasha’s announcement, and not because he was afraid to let potential overexcitement open a few loopholes for various others he knew full well didn’t like him to start writing their own twists to villainize him and assassinate his character. Plain and simple, he’d been through this song and dance before and wasn’t about to fully commit himself to something that could be temporary for all he knew. After all, his Adrenaline Title opportunity the previous year had been understandably put on hold due to the ongoing power struggle and had ended up with the match happening mere days after his brother was put to rest. And how can we forget his U.S. Title opportunity at Rise to Greatness being tainted by an attempt on his life forty-eight hours earlier that, despite thankfully failing, had left him with both easily exploitable physical injuries and mental scars that may never heal? There was a reason Aaron had insisted time and time again that he wasn’t ready yet, and it had nothing to do with a lack of accomplishments or credible wins to justify it.

If the potential of impending success only invited disaster, then what awaited him as his biggest match to date crept closer and closer?

He’d be lying if he said the thought hadn’t plagued his mind for most of the day, but he was trying desperately to bury and forget about it. Even if it wasn’t to try and hope that would allow him smooth sailing for a change into this Sunday, then at the very least to let him enjoy today. It was Valentine’s Day, after all, and he owed it to the love of his life to put his focus on the two of them having a great time together and nothing else. He’d had plenty of time, and still had a little more, to prepare for the match ahead, but this day only came around once a year, and considering it was pretty close to the anniversary of both the start of their relationship and their engagement as well, it only felt right to give this night his undivided attention. Being in Dallas had made for an interesting challenge in trying to figure out special ways to celebrate this special day, but Aaron and Liane had enjoyed themselves immensely and had capped it off with a simple but very nice dinner together.

“So, any ideas at all about our wedding? I know I’ve been wedding patiently to start figuring things out.”

Aaron chuckled a bit at the pun as the two of them walked back to their hotel room, deciding to enjoy the beauty of the city at night before they got to the last thing they wanted to do together on this special day. Despite the joke to lighten the mood, he was well aware that this was a topic they had barely discussed since he’d proposed. Different travel schedules while she was on her comedy tour as he wrestled, along with trying to sort out the mess in his head, were easy to blame, even if they weren’t the only factors in play.

“I think the only thing I know for sure, aside from the fact that it’s going to happen, is that we aren’t going to just do something simple. Even if it’s the smarter option money-wise, something small and quiet almost feels like it would be a slap in the face to two creative individuals such as ourselves.”

“You’ve got a point there. I don’t think I’ve imagined a scenario where we do something that wouldn’t be on the scale of a nationally televised ‘wedding of the century’ kind of deal.”

They both shared a laugh at that, even if it was true. Between the two of them, they certainly had the funds to go as over the top with this as they needed to. It certainly wouldn’t be out of character for them to draw as much attention as humanly possible to the moment where they both say “I do” to one another. That said, Aaron’s tone gained a layer of concern at something that came along with that very thought.

“Liane… I know we still need to settle on a date too before we start seeing what we can actually pack into this spectacle, but I can’t help but ask… do your parents know we’re engaged?”

He hated to bring up such a sore subject, considering last he’d heard things between the Forte parents and children were still on shaky ground, but given that the only interaction he’d had with either one of them a good while back hadn’t left the best of impressions, even if he was justified in defending the woman he loved, he knew that her parents could very easily undermine the whole endeavor with those two dreaded words no one wants to hear when holy matrimony was so close. Her siblings and his family were no longer an issue there, thankfully, but he knew they weren’t completely in the clear just yet.

“…no, they don’t… I still haven’t even spoken to them since-”

“Heeeeeeey good looking! How’s about you ditch the zero and come home with me?”

The creative couple stopped dead in their tracks at the rude interruption to their conversation. They both turned around to find a man in a business suit staggering toward them, his movements combined with the lack of any filter or volume control in his speech making it painfully clear he was intoxicated. The smell certainly didn’t help either, causing both Aaron and Liane to take a few steps back to try and keep a good amount of distance from this guy.

“Come on babe, I don’t bite! Buuuuuuut, if you’re into that k-kind of fun…”

“She and I are engaged, thank you very much. And you really need to have someone take you home.”

“Shaddup, ass… asswipe. I could buy you if I wanted to. Let the lady answer. It’s 2020 after all, and women have the power to get-”

“I should make a joke about this, but even I don’t have the heart to poke fun at this sad scene. He and I are engaged, now please leave us alone.”

Liane started to turn to leave, and while Aaron did too he couldn’t help but keep his head turned and eyes fixated on the drunkard. Part of it could easily be chalked up to making sure he didn’t try anything, especially since he had a familiar bad feeling gnawing away at his insides about this situation, but there was a part of him that also felt like this guy deserved an ass-kicking. Him trying to convince Liane to go with him would have been enough validation for that, but the way this guy was dressed and the sheer arrogance that seemed to radiate from him that was only amplified by his inebriated state was rubbing him in a wrong way that was all too familiar to him. Thoughts of the proverbial ‘corporate fat cats’ that constantly influenced the world to remain set in its ways as opposed to daring to try something new and innovative that could progress the human race to a far better state began dancing through his head, though he managed to keep it at that as his feet started moving, albeit at a slower pace than his fiancée’s.

Aw, our little artist is finally accepting the facts of the world. I don’t blame you Aaron… I’d be scared of him too. He said he could buy you, after all, and who knows how much more he could stand to gain to pay you to take a dive and blow your big World Title opportunity if he sobers up and realizes who you are.

A low growl escaped Aaron’s throat that had Liane cast a concerned glance in his direction. Of course he would pick now to try and start something… was the first thought that ran through his mind in response, hating that Nemesis always had such impeccable timing when it came to knowing exactly when he wasn’t welcome in order to try and make a problem even bigger. Aaron knew exactly what he was trying to do, and he simply bit his bottom lip and tried to block the monster out, knowing that once the businessman who clearly had way too much to drink tonight was well out of sight he would throw in the towel and be silent once more.

“Damn girl, that’s quite an ass you’ve got there! I bet this broke dude could never appreciate it like I can.”

Liane quickly whipped her body around, finding that the guy was apparently trying to follow them. Worse yet, his antics seemed to be attracting a bit of a crowd from the nearby bar he’d no doubt wandered out from. Her face turned crimson at his remarks, and Aaron’s eyes were beginning to narrow into a dangerous look that would’ve been enough of a warning had this man been in any right state of mind right now.

“Come on! I can take you on a shopping ssssssspree! Buy you all sorts of things to show that booty off! Those nice tits should be on display more too!”

Listen to this sad sack, drunkenly rambling on about your beloved’s body and objectifying her. Shouldn’t her white knight step in to knock some sense into this guy?

The thought was very tempting, and the longer Aaron stared this guy down the angrier he could feel himself getting, but he was desperately trying to maintain control. No matter how bad he deserved it, Aaron refused to play right into Nemesis’s hands. He wasn’t blind… no matter how justified it may be, if news broke that he’d assaulted some guy on the street just two days before his World Title match, not only would SCW no doubt exercise the dreaded ‘card subject to change’ plan, but the legal ramifications alone would likely set him back to a point he could never recover from, assuming he’d even be allowed back into a wrestling ring, to begin with. Taking a deep breath to try and keep himself composed, Aaron put himself between Liane and her unwanted suitor.

“She’s not interested, and she’s already with me. Nothing you say is going to change that. I’m trying to be nice about this, but if you don’t leave us alone I’m going to call the police and report you for harassment and public intoxication.”

“You think I’m afraid of the po… the po… the cops? Ha! I could buy their sorry asses and have them beat you to death buddy! You’re just too much of a… a sissy pussy to fight me like a man! Yeah, that’s it!”

Aaron’s body visibly tensed up at this point, and it was taking a significant amount of willpower to restrain himself from simply trying to maul this guy. It wasn’t that his comments were getting to him, considering he’d heard far worse from people who actually took the time to think it all out, but the longer this standoff went on the harder he found it to keep from contemplating all the different reasons why this guy deserved to get his ass kicked. He wouldn’t doubt that Nemesis, befitting his current position as the embodiment of all his negativity, was intentionally trying to feed the flames to get Aaron to slip up, and he could not let that happen.

“…let’s go Liane. I don’t care what he says, we just keep moving.”

Aaron glanced over at the growing crowd at the entrance to the bar, who were clearly begging for something to happen, and that was even more of a reason to, unfortunately, have to deny them their request. He took Liane’s hand and the two of them glanced at one another before turning to try and leave once more.

“I knew it! You’d be a goddamned coward t-tonight!”

A roll of his eyes was the only response Aaron gave at this as the couple began trying to return to their hotel once again, their pace quickening.

Really? You’re just going to let him get away with calling you several different shades of a coward while making such distasteful remarks about your girl? Even you aren’t that pathetic Aaron. What if he was James Evans doing these things? Would you let HIM get away with this so easily all just to maintain your misplaced sense of honor?

Aaron rapidly shook his head to try and shake Nemesis loose from his thoughts. No matter what he had to try and ‘add’ to this situation, he and Liane needed to keep moving. If he didn’t lash out, the demon didn’t get what he wanted and any moral victory at this point was a step in the right direction to deal with that hell.

Unfortunately, he simply couldn’t be that lucky, as the two stopped dead in their tracks once again when Liane let out a yelp and nearly jumped several feet in the air. Aaron turned to look, as much as he really tried to restrain himself from doing so, and it was all but impossible for him to see nothing but red when he found the guy had managed to somehow creep up behind them and grab a handful of Liane’s rear.

“Holy shit, it feels so firm and full! How’s a girl like you get as ass like-”

The drunk got no further with his undeserved and unwarranted comments as Aaron grabbed his wrist and pulled it away from her, holding it tight as he gave the man a murderous glare that was impossible for even the most inebriated person to ignore.

“When I let go of you, you’re going to walk away from us and forget that you ever crossed our path tonight. Otherwise, I can promise you’ll be waking up tomorrow morning with far worse than a hangover.”

The much darker tone of voice that certainly didn’t sound natural coming from this man seemed like it had its intended effect, as the drunkard looked terrified beyond what little comprehension he still possessed. Despite the very clear warning, however, Aaron allowed them to stay like this for a moment longer to try and drive the point home before letting go and turning around, trying to usher Liane away as quickly as possible. They’d barely taken two steps when more grabbing ensued, only this time the man had grabbed him by the wrist, suddenly looking like he was ready to throw down.

Did you really think you were going to get out of this trying to play the pacifist? Threats will only get you so far in any situation Aaron… I guess now you’ve left me no choice but to show you how it’s done. You can thank me after you’ve become the man in SCW.

The drunken business had said something, but Aaron didn’t catch it. All he could hear was Nemesis’s remark, which was almost immediately followed by a mental strain he hadn’t felt in an eternity. The demon’s intentions were clear, and the struggle to escape from his impending fistfight took a backseat to the struggle to stay in control, fear over the possibility that Nemesis could even pull this off taking hold and fueling his fight. He remembered his eyes registering the guy pulling with all his might to jerk him forward, intending to hit him, but for a brief second the creative soul felt control slip away from him as someone else commanded him to throw his head forward until contact was made. His vision became blurry as the streets of Dallas seemed to fade to black, the last thing registering in his mind being the fearful cries of the one he loved.

“Aaron? AARON!?”

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Eyes suddenly opening, Aaron’s body jerked around momentarily, the sound of something violently scraping against metal registering in his ears before his vision cleared and he found himself somewhere he didn’t recognize. It certainly wasn’t anywhere that could exist in reality, given how technologically advanced it looked. Even if he were to guess that he’d ended up inside his imaginary world, he never recalled creating any place like this at any point in time or for any reason. The only other things that registered to him at this moment were that he could barely move and his head felt like someone had just taken a sledgehammer to it.

“Ugh… my head…”

As he tried to clear the cobwebs, he continued attempting to piece together the scenario at hand. The room he was in was pitch black, the only exception at first being the bright displays of several advanced computer monitors directly across from him. He tried to stand up but found that attempt blocked by the soft sound of metal gently hitting against metal. Trying to glance behind him from his seated position made him realize he was placed against a metal pillar that ran from floor to ceiling and had tons of bladed spikes of various lengths protruding from it, making him realize his recent bout of thrashing when he came to could have created even more problems and he’d simply gotten lucky. Still, he could feel something heavy binding his wrists together behind the pillar, and he wasn’t about to doubt there was a spike positioned just above it that was impossible for him to navigate around to at least get his feet under him.

“Oh good, you’re awake.”

Aaron’s attention shifted to a doorway he hadn’t noticed before, and part of him wished it had stayed that way as he saw Nemesis entering the room, a grin on his face despite the clear annoyance he could see in the nightmare’s eyes. Doing his best to keep that hidden, he walked over to where Aaron sat, radiating confidence as he seemed to try and take delight in the control he had at the moment.

“Where are we? What have you done?”

“What I’ve done is something that should have honestly been done a long time ago, and that’s take control. Unfortunately, it appears our rude little acquaintance was hiding something about how hard-headed he truly was, because instead of being able to truly do as I see fit, I’m still here right along with you, waiting for you to wake up.”

While there were some holes in his explanation that he didn’t doubt would need to be filled in later, it certainly explained a lot about why he was seemingly inside his head again and especially why he had the mother of all migraines even now, a feeling that seemed to be shared by Nemesis as he rubbed his temple with the more human of his hands. His mind briefly tried to run through what he could remember last, and a sense of clarity began to form.

“You tried to forcibly take control…”

“Correct, to some extent, which brings us to your other question. What do you think of this lovely little relay tower I’ve been working on? Trying to get everything to come together and function properly without tipping you off was quite a pain in the ass, and I’d be much happier if things had worked out more to plan, but I guess I share your curse of not always planning for every seemingly irrelevant scenario until it’s too late.”

Aaron tried to maneuver his way to his feet, but once again the design of the pillar kept him from getting too far in that endeavor, which got a chuckle out of the mangled monster standing before him.

“I would save your energy if I were you. Those cuffs I shackled to your wrists both keep you bound to that spiked pillar and completely suppress your creative power, so there’s no getting free. You can try to exert some force if you think it’ll help, though I think even you’re smart enough to realize what excessive movement might do with all those razor-sharp skewers just waiting to be introduced to your flesh.”

A low growl escaped from Aaron’s throat as he fiddled his hands about, trying to see if there was any way he could possibly free himself by perhaps using one of the spikes to pick the lock, though finding said lock to pick was proving to be rather difficult. Nemesis turned his attention to the monitors, putting his back to Aaron as he observed them, knowing his struggle was futile. Because of this, he missed Aaron’s eyes suddenly going wide to suspect that something was up. This was because the creative soul’s fingers had brushed against something fuzzy that made a small, barely audible noise that you could only catch if you were listening for it. It was at this point that Aaron recalled the scraping sound he’d heard when he’d come to.

Maybe I did catch one of the spikes after all, and it damaged the cuffs! It’s not enough to set me free, but I did just try imagining something that feels like what my fingers are brushing against. It’s not much, but right now even a small amount of creative ability might just do the trick.

“I’m not going to lie to you, Aaron… I know you’re very much aware of who time favors in this little struggle of ours. That’s why you’ve been seeking every available option, even ones you wouldn’t normally consider even if your life depended on it, to try and turn the tables. You’ve found a therapist willing to lend a hand instead of lock you up or go along with your crazy plan that probably would’ve seen you kill yourself, you still have your princess and the support of virtually all of your imaginary subjects… you’re even on the verge of what could be the single greatest moment of your professional wrestling career. Did you think I was just going to sit idly by and watch you seemingly shrug off so much effort to keep your head in a very dark place?”

“Not going to lie… I was hoping you’d started to weaken with things beginning to turn around for me again. I figured that might be why you were going quiet again.”

“Hardly. As much as it pained me to leave you be to start trying to pick up the pieces, I had to turn my undivided attention towards all of this. Granted, I did need your help to start eroding away at your sense of tranquility, but once that door was open all I had to do was use this tower to make it so much easier to rip control away from you, much like I did that worthless ringmaster during my little trial run months ago.”

Aaron’s eyes narrowed into a glare at the reminder, thinking back to the momentary mental lapse he’d fallen into while battling Shilo back at Clarity where Ferrugo had seemingly been stripped of the control given to him, and it had ultimately allowed the match to end in a draw. Despite this, Aaron let Nemesis gloat and ramble on, not bothering to question the cliché of ‘the evil mastermind confidently lays out his plan’ because as far as the walking nightmare was aware, he had full control of this entire situation. Plus, it served as the perfect distraction, because while he was focused on talking, the true master of this realm was busy using the blind spot created by the pillar to prepare a message to be relayed.

It wasn’t often Aaron got to use the hidden talent that was his surprising understanding of most languages, which was something he’d invested time into to be as accommodating as possible in the event he ever found himself doing design work for someone who couldn’t comprehend his native tongue. Taking this into account, he’d given the tiny fluffball he’d imagined into existence the ability to understand sign language, giving him the avenue of nonverbal communication to exploit to give his messenger his very important task. Once he’d finished signing what needed to be passed along, he eyed Nemesis carefully before giving the signal that the small creature was clear, allowing it to quickly scurry along the floor and leap out one of the windows before vanishing in a small flash of light. Too caught up in his speech, Nemesis was none the wiser.

“Unfortunately, we’re currently at an impasse because your physical body is in a state of unconsciousness, a risk I’ll admit I should’ve considered even if the guy didn’t look like much of a fighter. Trust me, though… as much as I know you’ll argue otherwise, this is truly for the best. After all, do you honestly expect James to take it easy on you? Do you believe, for one second, that despite how much he’s beloved by the fans that he’s going to fight you ‘by the book’? If you tell me ‘yes’ right now, then you’re simply confirming how little hope you had of ever defeating him in the first place.”

“You think I don’t have a chance of overcoming whatever he throws at me?”

“You’ve got all the tools… the problem is the fact that he will no doubt make it clear to you that he will do whatever it takes, no matter how much he becomes reviled for it, to keep that title in his possession. Therein lies the fundamental problem with ‘fighting the good fight’ Aaron… you can throw your absolute best at him, but all it takes is one instance of bending the rules because he doesn’t adhere to that same moral compass you do, and you’ll find yourself right back at the bottom of the mountain, assuming he even lets you have the capability of starting over.”

Nemesis turns back around and walks over to Aaron, the grin that was once again plastered to his face making the artist’s skin crawl. Slowly, the monster kneeled down and cupped his maker’s chin in his fingers, forcing the two to lock eyes.

“Like it or not, you need me, Aaron. Only I can counter what you know James is going to do to succeed by meeting him on that same front. You’ve found yourself in a similar scenario before, and Bree Lancaster did not hesitate to take advantage no matter how much sympathy she truly had for the fact that you almost perished before meeting her in the ring.”

“I’m not stupid Nemesis… I know if I give you control, it won’t be as simple as you try to win me the title and then everything’s back to the way it should be. You won’t let this slip through your fingers… one night to ruin everything I’ve spent years building myself into is never enough for someone like you.”

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Helpless…

It was a feeling that Liane hated with every fiber of her being.

Unfortunately, it was the only feeling she could identify as she sat there in the hospital, gazing upon her future husband as he lay in the bed with no sign of life to be found. She had no idea what was probably going on inside his head, but she doubted it was anything good. Thankfully, there was nothing serious that was going to create any problems beyond tonight. From the angle that anyone saw of what happened, the drunken businessman that had been harassing them on the street when they were on their way back to their hotel room had jerked Aaron towards him too much and they’d literally butted heads. She knew there was probably a bit more to it than that, but even she couldn’t see if what the police were going with from eyewitness reports was true or not. All she knew was that the impact had left her beloved dazed before blacking out. She’d tried calling to him to wake him up, but he was out like a light. The intoxicated nuisance, however, had been staggered but still able to get his wits about him enough to try and grab her again, but he was stopped when the police arrived. Thankfully, someone at the nearby bar had enough common sense to not simply be an onlooker and knew things were going to get worse.

“Aaron…”

It was hard seeing him in this state, even if it was touching that he would stand up and defend her like he always did. It was never worth this, though, and she hated feeling like she truly didn’t have the ability to make a difference. True, she had been able to hold her own back during the whole Scarlet Grey debacle, but she still had Aaron’s help during that nightmare. As much as she wanted to breathe a sigh of relief that the doctors had reported no signs of a concussion and Aaron had simply been knocked out more by the unexpected impact, it didn’t mean anything if all she could do was sit here until he came to.

“I wish there was something more I could do…”

Fighting to hold back tears, Liane gently reached down and took Aaron’s hand, rubbing his wrist in some vain hope that the feeling would help pull him out of whatever unconscious predicament he was possibly in right now.

It didn’t seem like much, but if she could somehow make him aware that she was there by his side, maybe it would help bring him back around.

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“You really don’t get it, do you? For as much as you tend to reflect back on your life and everything that brought you to this moment, you fail to comprehend that I am a necessary evil. There isn’t a single person in the world who has truly found the success they’ve sought through hard work alone, and before you start listing off your little friends you should remember that such successes never lasted for very long when they were faced with someone who has no sense of morality. For everybody who’s busted their asses and worked long, tedious hours just to make ends meet, there’s someone who’s living the life of wealth and luxury courtesy of screwing those hard-working men and women over any way they can.”

Nemesis suddenly recoiled as Aaron spat at him, the look on the creative soul’s face making it clear he hated that it was all he was capable of doing at that moment, but at least it made it clear he wasn’t going to buy into what he was hearing that easily. The abomination simply wiped the spit from his cheek and chuckled to himself.

“I see I struck a nerve there. I’m sorry that the truth is that harsh Aaron, but sooner or later it needs to be drilled into that thick skull of yours.”

“You really think I’m going in blind to any of this? Even if we’ve never faced I know what James is capable of, what that title means to him and what he’ll do in order to keep it. I know the world also sucks and I don’t have as much as I would have liked to show for everything I’ve ever done in all the time I’ve been on this earth. Even still, I’d rather die knowing that I stayed true to myself and fought my fight until the bitter end than let myself fall apart just because I couldn’t handle a few nasty pitfalls. Believe it or not, there’s a difference between learning something from failures and tragedies and letting it change you because you were too weak to keep moving forward because of them.”

Nemesis was a bit taken aback with the building confidence that Aaron was suddenly displaying, even in the face of how hopeless this situation seemed for him. Being defiant was one thing, but acting as though by not simply giving in he still had hope even when it was clear Nemesis would just forcefully assume control anyway? The monster’s disbelief could almost take on a life all its own at what he was seeing.

There was a reason behind it, though, and it was becoming clear there were a few other variables Nemesis forgot to account for. While he couldn’t fully explain it, while making his counterpoint he’d felt a warmth radiating from his wrist. It left him with a sense of love, of compassion, of a desire to help even when that seemed impossible. It wasn’t something he had conjured up on his own… it almost felt like someone who truly cared for him was trying to break through to help him from beyond the veil of his imagination, and there was only one person he knew would be in the immediate vicinity to give him such hope with this much strength. The warmth of her touch was enough to actually materialize into something tangible he could use, such as a force that slowly but surely allowed him to get one of his hands free from his cuffs.

“You really think you actually have the strength to use everything that’s happened to you to overcome someone who’s let similar downfalls turn him into a monster? For someone so passionate about his creativity, you’re certainly lacking in-”

Nemesis had begun to approach Aaron again, intent on using force if necessary to make his point a little clearer, but he found out the hard way that Aaron was suddenly not as helpless as he thought. After all, a helpless person wouldn’t be able to suddenly whip their arms around and use a heavy shackle to crack you across the face now would he? Nemesis staggered back, using his computer setup to remain on his feet as he gazed in pure shock as Aaron moved away from the pillar he’d been secured to and stood up, and while one wrist was still trapped and his imaginative power still restrained because of it, he was in a position to at least be able to fight back.

“How…? How in the…?”

Aaron didn’t need to say a word as it slowly dawned on Nemesis what was happening. All he needed to see was a faint glow emanating from his creator’s wrist to realize what had set his prisoner free. The very idea of an outside influence actually giving him the strength he needed to continue fighting against what he firmly believed was a hopeless situation left the embodiment of negativity enraged. He pushed himself away from his console with a roar and aimed a wild punch right at Aaron’s head, but the creative soul ducked it and his mechanical arm simply left a deep crater in one of the bare spots of the metal pillar. Aaron moved in and threw a kick, but Nemesis managed to sidestep and Aaron had to stop himself before his foot ended up being impaled on one of the spikes. This, however, left him open to being belted across the face with a backhand that launched him into the wall near the open window of the structure. Aaron let out a cry of pain as his body forcefully met the metal wall before he slowly slid down to the floor, coughing and trying to regain his breath as his enemy stalked him.

“Credit where credit is due: you keep finding new ways to surprise me and cling to this belief that you can actually stop me, both now and permanently. But did you honestly think that a small taste of freedom was going to give you the upper hand?”

Aaron slowly fought his way back to at least being upright, using the wall to keep him that way as he tried to recover from the heavy blow. Clearly, he was still feeling drained from one of his arms still being hindered by the cuffs that seemed designed to do far more than simply keep him from weaponizing his creativity in the place where it was at its strongest. Despite this, there was a feeling he couldn’t deny pulsing through his body, and it wasn’t simply the hope the was feeling from Liane even if she wasn’t physically here with him right now.

“Maybe… but I know for sure it bought me all the time I needed.”

Nemesis raised an eyebrow at both this statement and the smirk Aaron was beginning to wear, but he wouldn’t have to wait long for his questions to be answered as a huge cosmic fireball suddenly came barreling in through the open window, slamming into the abomination with the force of a meteor and driving him into the opposite wall, where said fireball suddenly exploded into countless colorful ribbons that almost immediately wrapped themselves around him and managed to stitch themselves into the wall, trapping him. Nemesis yelled out in a mixture of pain, surprise, and frustration at his sudden predicament, and he could feel his anger reaching a boiling point when two spectral entities with the appearance of children suddenly flew in and put themselves right in front of Aaron.

“I would say sorry for crashing the party, but it’s kind of rude trying to start something without inviting us.”

“Give it up Nemesis, you’re not causing any further damage today!”

Nemesis just growled like a feral animal as he struggled against his colorful restraints, glaring at the Twin Stars who refused to back down. He was about to call out for one of his mechanical minions to come and assist him, but his attention was diverted to the monitors as one of them switched from the pitch-black ‘live feed’ from Aaron’s physical body still being in a state of unconsciousness to show what looked like the wasteland outside of his relay tower, where his metal monstrosities were being mangled by an army of various other creatures of Aaron’s design over the years. Standing out amongst that crowd was Ferrugo, who seemed to be conducting a symphony of sorts as he and his carnies made a circus act out of the destruction they were carving through the enemy forces. He didn’t know how they had found out what was going on or where to find their creator, but at this point, logic was giving way to madness as his entire plan seemed to be falling apart far beyond the simple setback from the beginning.

“DAMN YOU ALL!”

The pure red eye on the mechanical portion of his face suddenly blasted a laser right at the diminutive duo, but they both sidestepped it. Nemesis tried to calm himself with the realization that Aaron was still in its path, but the creative soul threw up his arm and blocked the beam with the cuffs, which caused it to disintegrate and allowed him absolute freedom once again. Trying to remain undeterred, Nemesis looked down and used another blast to cut through the ribbons, but before he could start moving to counterattack he found Dreambender and Gleeful right in his face, palms glowing with energy before they unleashed a dual shockwave that slammed him against the wall once again, allowing them to fly back and put some distance between the two sides before he could recover. Nemesis tried to shake off the cobwebs as he realized how quickly he was beginning to lose control just when he had victory at his fingertips.

Dreambender and Gleeful glanced back at Aaron, seeing the pain he was in despite looking ready to join the fight, and they simply nodded that they had this from here. Aaron could only smile at this as he tried to focus his mind elsewhere, though that became a bit difficult when Nemesis could be heard laughing through whatever pain he was feeling.

“Look at you two, foregoing your own problems with your creator to stand by his side when he needs you most. How quickly we’ve forgotten that he’s the same man who abandoned you over something so trivial.”

Nemesis groaned as he pulled himself away from the wall, holding his hands up to indicate he wasn’t looking to fight. The Twin Stars didn’t lower their guard, but the look on their faces made it clear they had become open to hearing this freak of nature out.

“What do you honestly gain from any of this? I would accept the notion of ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’ but even you wouldn’t so recklessly risk your lives standing directly before me now if you actually didn’t still possess some level of care for Aaron.”

“Uh… duh, we wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for him, and neither would you, to be honest.”

“No matter what kind of grudge we may have held or how we’ve acted in the past, none of it matters when faced with the possibility of not even existing if you manage to take charge.”

“And yet, despite how valuable you are to him, perhaps even his greatest assets, why is it that Aaron has never bothered to give you a chance to be shared with the world? So many others have held that honor long before you, including one that was actually of my own creation to haunt his nightmares. Are you two really the naive children you appear to be physically to trust in someone who sees you as nothing more than a tool to be used to try and stop me?”

Aaron bit his bottom lip, being able to notice even if he could see their faces that Nemesis was trying to get through to them in his own twisted way. The idea of losing these two at such a crucial point in this latest chapter of the ongoing conflict was painful enough, but something else seemed to carry more weight to it… the idea of letting two of his greatest creations become tainted by this monster who sought only to destroy him and everything he held dear. It was a feeling he hadn’t been able to latch onto for the longest time when it came to Dreambender and Gleeful, but there was no denying that he needed to intervene now before he lost them to this madman’s machinations.

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She didn’t know how much time had passed by or paid any attention to the doctors and nurses who had stopped in to see that Aaron was still out cold. Her mind barely registered a hushed discussion among two of them that had been in the room at one point that for Aaron to be out for as long as he had been with no signs of a concussion surfacing in any of their tests was cause for alarm. The only thing that mattered to Liane was hanging on to hope that Aaron would awaken soon and be alright, no matter how much that hope may be fleeting. She kept squeezing his hand, hoping it would remind him that she was still there with him, and always would be.

“There has to be something more I can do… like those fairy tales where the princess receives a kiss from the prince and awakens from-”

The comedian trailed off with a pained chuckle, knowing that the idea sounded absurd even to her. Still… she had to try something. Role reversal be damned, if it actually helped break through to him she would never disagree with those old fantasy stories ever again. Clutching his hand tighter, she slowly leaned down and pressed her lips against his, pouring every last ounce of her passion into this one gesture.

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Nerves were beginning to set in as Aaron watched Dreambender and Gleeful turn to him, their gazes lacking in any sense of trust though waiting to hear what he had to say before they simply bought into Nemesis’s persuasion that easily. Aaron opened his mouth but closed it again as he found himself desperately searching for the right thing to say that would leave no doubt to what they meant to him. It was in that moment that a great warmth began to spread across his lips, appearing as a familiar faint glow that had Nemesis growling in anger once again. Liane was still by his side beyond his imagination, still giving him hope and strength to stand against his problems no matter how bleak the situation may seem. Thinking back to the confidence he’d displayed earlier when she had intervened, Aaron suddenly gave a kind smile to the Twin Stars.

“I know I haven’t given you two your moment yet, and I apologize for that. But you know there is a time and a place for everything, and if you didn’t respect that you would have never stopped fighting against both me and him for control so you could indulge before you were ready. You aren’t the same Dreambender and Gleeful I first created all those years ago… you’ve evolved into something much greater. You’ve become a force that understands what needs to be done, when to simply hold back instead of blindly rushing in. The Twin Stars of old would have never stood beside me, put aside your grudge with Ferrugo or even realized who the true problem is here. You realized your faults and grew because of them… and Nemesis is trying to turn you against me because he’s afraid of the power you possess, the power I respect because it goes far beyond anything I could have ever given to you myself. He’s afraid because even he knows that your time may be closer than you think, and he can’t afford to have you supporting me just like I know you would if I told you I wanted the two of you to be what James Evans sees when he wand the entire world witnesses the greatest prize SCW has to offer being held above OUR head.”

Dreambender and Gleeful’s eyes widen as they can feel the honesty in this statement virtually radiating from their creator’s very soul, their cosmic forms beginning to glow brighter and brighter as though they’ve become linked with him, much as any being Aaron relinquishes control to would. Slowly they turn their heads towards a stunned Nemesis, eyes narrowing into dangerous glares as they raise their hands side by side. Before Nemesis can even utter a single word of protest, the two of them unleash a blast of energy that seems to cycle through every color in the spectrum, nailing Nemesis head-on as his screams of agony pierce through even the fighting still going on outside. Aaron has to shield his gaze from the blinding display, but his ears register the sound of various thick walls of metal being blown apart with little effort. After a moment when he could hear the force come to an end, he slowly opened his eyes and saw the Twin Stars on their hands and knees, exhausted from using far more power than even they had displayed before. Directly in front of them was a clear view to the outside of the tower, no longer obstructed by the several dark walls that should have been blocking this view. The twins both turned to Aaron with tired smiles and he couldn’t help but feel proud of them for saving him.

Before any praise could be exchanged, however, the tower began violently shaking, and bits and pieces of the ceiling were beginning to collapse. Realizing that either the sheer force of the blast had an adverse reaction on the tower’s structure or Nemesis had managed to somehow remotely trigger a self-destruct sequence, Aaron quickly scooped the children into his arms and hurled himself out the open window, concentrating with his rested power to slow his descent until the three of them had managed to make it safely to the ground below, where he allowed them to recover as he turned and watched the tower slowly collapse until there was nothing left but a mountain of rubble, one that slowly began to get bigger as the rest of his own imaginary army began hurling the remnants of Nemesis’s machines into the pile. He allowed himself to fall back into a seated position, finally gaining a moment to relax as he felt the spectral entities grab each of his hands.

“Did you really mean what you said? About it being our time?”

“Heh… after what I just saw, there’s not a doubt in my mind that you two are more than capable of taking center stage for my biggest fight to date.”

“But what about the fact that we’re still two separate entities?”

“If you’re willing to hear me out, I may have an idea about that…”

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Maybe it felt a bit silly to keep this going, but something in Liane’s mind was telling her to continue kissing her fiancé. Maybe it was fear that there was something worse in play, desperation to break through the haze and bring him back… whatever it was, it faded away when her eyes widened at the shock of her kiss suddenly being returned! A few moments passed before their lips parted, and Liane pulled back so that her huge smile could be clearly visible as Aaron’s eyes finally opened. He groaned as they needed to adjust to his new surroundings, but once he saw Liane he couldn’t help but smile back, causing her to hug him tightly.

“You’re awake! You had me so worried…”

“Sorry… I didn’t mean to be out for however long I was… I don’t even know what knocked me out to begin with.”

“That guy that was harassing us… turns out this isn’t the first time he’s been involved in an altercation while being intoxicated. He’s a regular drunk the police said they have to deal with, and after he caused an accident some time back… the other driver didn’t survive while all he got out of causing it was needing a metal plate in his skull.”

“No wonder it felt like my head got smashed into a block of steel… hopefully he ends up being locked away and won’t bother anybody anymore.”

She held him tighter and he gently sat up and wrapped his arms around her as well, knowing he was probably still going to need to talk with doctors and the police about what happened before he’d be free to go. Despite the headache, he felt fine… better than fine, actually. For perhaps the first time in what felt like forever, he truly felt like he was ready to step up to the plate and take the shot many felt he’d been long overdue for.

“I’m sorry Aaron… I couldn’t do anything more to help… all I could do was-”

“Remind me that you are always by my side and believe in me, as so many others do. As weird as it may sound… that may be the best Valentine’s gift I could have gotten this year, all thanks to my princess.”

He wiped away a tear that had slowly begun rolling down her cheek before the two of them kissed again, separating only when one of the nurses walked in and realized that Aaron had finally awoken before running to grab a doctor. This was when he learned that despite how long he was out, which doctors simply chalked up to sleep deprivation at this point which at least fit with the usual issues he’d been having for some time, he would be perfectly alright to compete with no issues on Sunday. That was all he needed to hear from them, because he knew full well what he needed to do.

He needed to show James Evans, the SCW locker room, and the world around him exactly what made Aaron Blackbourne the man he was. More importantly, he needed to show exactly why he was strong enough to overcome every last trace of adversity thrown his way to earn the happy ending his story truly deserved. And while he could feel in the back of his mind that Nemesis wasn’t quite gone yet, he knew the toxic threat would no longer be a factor that would keep him from making his dreams into a reality.

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The future…

It’s funny to think how one little idea can contain so many meanings, both positive and negative depending on who you ask. Some view the idea of the world changing as it moves along the road liberating, taking every experience both good and bad and using it to build upon who they want to become. Others are afraid that the closer we move towards that unknown, the more they feel themselves slipping into obscurity as time forgets all about them, no matter what they’ve done to etch their name into the history books for all eternity. As much as I feel it necessary to point out who’s in the latter of those two beliefs, I’m not going to, because the people who fear the future the most are the ones who will take any small mention of their name and run it into the ground as justification that they haven’t been forgotten and still hold some small sliver of power over everyone.

If you truly feel you’ve left your mark on the world, then there will always exist someone who will remember you no matter how much time passes by. Otherwise, the harder you struggle to add to a legacy that is already quite impressive, the easier it fades away as people prefer to look only at how you tarnished it in a desperate bid to remain relevant after your time had long passed.

I’ll be honest with all of you… I’m not the first thing that comes to mind when you build a wrestling company from the ground up and draw up the blueprints for what a World Champion should be. True, I’ve always strived to be the bigger person in any scenario I’ve found myself in, but I’m far from the biggest or the strongest or maybe even the most talented wrestler to ever grace the canvas. I’m not the first name that leaves people’s lips when they talk about who the stars of SCW are, the one who first pops into your head when you think about who should stand against the people that have been at the top for far too long and simply don’t comprehend when their time is up. To many, I’m the guy that loves to express himself creatively, and that’s about it to many out there.

I’m the guy who made no secret about the fact that he lost a member of his immediate family knowing full well someone who lacked a heart could take full advantage of that if they wanted to.

I’m someone who almost didn’t get to walk into the biggest show of SCW’s calendar year, or perhaps never make my presence known in any arena anywhere ever again, because of a man who held a nonsensical vendetta over the fact that I wasn’t simply going to let him destroy or take my life so easily.

I’m a man who’s gone through more in the span of one year than many have to endure in their entire lives, and instead of letting it break me, used it as motivation to keep going.

It’s easy to forget about everything that brought me to this point. After all, many would be quick to point out how easily I got lost in the shuffle despite a big victory that, by all accounts, should have put me here far sooner. They can express their dissatisfaction with the fact that I’m not as blunt or aggressive or seemingly willing to do whatever is necessary in order to get the job done. They can even bury my fight beneath all of my faults and setbacks as justification for why someone else should be the one fighting for them instead of me. And you know what? That’s alright, believe it or not. After all, we are all entitled to our opinions and beliefs. That’s the very reason why some people simply won’t throw in the towel even when it’s painfully clear they should have a long time ago, and no matter what you do to them they will continue to find justifications and loopholes to continue to be a plague on this business and the world at large.

That’s why I may not agree with some of the actions of our World Champion, but know that I can’t simply tell him to change his tune.

You may find this hard to believe James, but for as much as I love to embody what it means to be a creative soul, my head isn’t as lost in the clouds as some people might think. I know how much that title means to you and everything you’ve done to get it, and I know that people would be willing to see you end my career if necessary if it means you walk out of Dallas as World Champion, and you probably wouldn’t think twice about taking that route either. I heard some of the boos while you were watching me draw what could very well be in my future… it’s not the first time I’ve encountered a vocal resistance to everything I represent, and I know it damn sure won’t be the last time either. But that’s not going to stop me from walking into the only non-Trios match on Sunday night’s card, taking everything you have to throw at me and finding whatever way possible to weather the storm and make the most out of what could very well be my one and only opportunity to ever stand at the very top, ready to go to war against everyone who believes I do not deserve to be where you are right now.

I will survive, and I will thrive, by doing things my way.

Choosing to fight even when I knew I was physically and mentally damaged all to try and dethrone someone you no doubt also feel has overstayed her welcome… not voicing displeasure with the fact that I was not given a chance in the Chamber even after I proved that with nothing but my own abilities I could defeat someone considered by many to be one of the best in SCW history to the point where even she understood it was best to let that one go… even my decision not to join the open invitational and have an opportunity at the very title you now hold much sooner… these are all decisions I have heard criticism about, and they are not the only ones I have endured throughout my life. The fact that I chose to walk away from my own crumbling family once upon a time for the sake of my own mental well-being when I was expected to be their lone pillar of support and could not live up to that expectation could be used against me by many, just as my attempts throughout my life to simply be more than just a wrestler only to find resistance from a world that fears creativity knowing it will weaken their hold on the world they can command with a snap of their fingers can become a weapon to demonize me.

And yet, I own up to each and every one of these decisions… because to ignore the fact that I am human and prone to making my own mistakes would make me no different than everyone I have had to fight against since the day I came into this world.

I have never hidden what I am. I am an artist, a dreamer, a man who is proud to share what goes on in his head with the world around him as living proof that one’s imagination should not be feared. No matter what I’ve had to endure, no matter how I may look when I walk down to that ring, those are things that never change. No matter what hell I am put through, not only can I still survive to fight another day and grow as both a wrestler and as a person from the experience, but I can do so without ever forgetting about who I am or what I’m fighting against. That is what winning the World Title on the night of Trios will mean to me: validation that I never had to sacrifice any part of my very being to prove that I could make it to the very top.

That, James, is something I don’t believe you can also attest to.

Maybe it’s inexperience or a sense of pride that you may believe makes what I want impossible, but the fact that I’ve made it this far and still know exactly who I am and what I’m fighting for is all the validation I need to know what I have to do on Sunday night James. To me, nothing else exists beyond you, that championship, and everything you plan to do to hang on to it. I’m well aware that there are several other factors to consider, but I’m not the one worrying about any of that right now, am I? That’s because I am just as willing as you are to defend that throne with everything that makes me who I am, but I know that I have to claim it from you first before I can look towards the future.

I will not only walk out of this match stronger than when I came in, but also knowing that when I wake up Monday morning I will still be the creative soul fighting the same exact fight you are James, even if I’m doing so on my terms. That will not change no matter what the outcome is on Sunday night… the real question is what’s going to happen to you if I am the one who walks out with the title in his hands.

Will you continue your fight regardless knowing that even if we do not exactly agree on methods we aren’t as different from one another as you think?

Or are you so consumed by the idea that your fight only means something if YOU and you alone are World Champion that you will become no different than those you’ve been fighting against for months now in trying to get it back.

The one thing I can promise those fans, whether they love me or hate me for threatening the title reign of the man willing to go to any lengths to stand out in an ever-increasing sea of those who feel SCW needs to be purged and remade into their version of paradise, is that when I leave that ring Sunday night, even if this will be my one and only shot… you will all know exactly who Aaron Blackbourne is.