Post by Mr. PerpetuaLynch Motion on Sept 6, 2015 22:36:43 GMT -5
Part 14: Still Echoes
I hate flying. I know I’ve probably mentioned that before but given the amount of time spent in the air the last couple weeks flying to and from Japan, it bears repeating. The only solace I take in this is the fact that waiting for me at the other end of the sky is home. And I don’t mean “Home” as in just the United States of America, I mean home as in that cesspool pit of a city that can only be loved by the people that have grown up living there. Good ol’ Detroit, Michigan. Justin has allowed me to go home following my successes in Japan in order to spend some time with friends and train at some of my old haunts to sharpen up some holes in my game.
Turbulence. I hate flying. I decide to put in my earbuds and sooth my soul as well as my stomach with some tunes. Music has been playing an inordinately large part of my life and career these last couple days. I guess you could say I’ve been seeking solace in other people’s words to give me motivation to continue doing what I’ve been doing. The band of choice for this particular flight is Lamb of God, a good ol’ American band that could get anyone’s blood pumping. As I started to grove to “512”, one of their newer songs, a lady sitting across the aisle from me reached over and tapped me on the shoulder. It took me aback at first. I guess there is still that part of me that hopes he can travel places without being noticed but at the same time I’ve been able to use it as a gauge or how well my career has been going so far.
I take out my earbuds and give the lady about as soft of a smile that a man that looks like me is capable of giving. The lady is pretty cute with medium length hazel hair and a red blouse and knee length skirt. Sitting beside her is a young boy, couldn’t be more than eight years old. The lady looks at me and smiles.
Sorry to bother you but… are you Lucas Crowe?
Why yes I am, how can I help you?
Well you see my son says you’re his favourite wrestler. We used to live in Detroit but have since moved to Kalamazoo. Regardless though, he is so happy to watch a wrestler from Detroit succeeding and I guess I’m just wondering if you would be willing to sign an autograph for him?
Absolutely, I would be happy to.
She reaches into her carry-on bag and pulls out a black sharpie. The boy looks through his bag and finds an eight by ten photo of me which I haphazardly scribble my name on it. I still haven’t been able to get used to people wanting me to scribble my name on things so it continues to look like crap. But I’m always happy to do something for the people that have taken the time to support me, especially when they are fellow Michiganders. I hand the napkin back to her with a smile and move to put my earbuds back in but she puts her hand on my arm to stop me.
One more thing, sorry to bother you. He just has a question he has been asking me to ask you.
Sure, what would that be?
He wants to know if the rumor are true that you are working for Justin Tyme as some sort of hired gun.
Justin Tyme saved me from living a nothing life, pulled me from the streets and positioned me so I can be a hero to some like your son and a villain to others that don’t understand what I’m trying to do for the city of Detroit. I don’t work for Justin Tyme, I work with Justin Tyme.
I smile weakly and the lady smiles back. She looks at her son sitting beside her and I can see a dejected look on his face. He looks up at me
You shouldn’t be with Justin Tyme. He’s a bad man and you’re not a bad man. You’re really good. I can see it in your eyes when you wrestle. You should be by yourself.
The boy then sits back in his chair, staring at the newly signed eight by ten photograph. I give the boy’s mother another smile as I lean back in my chair and put my earbuds back in to the tune of “Footprints” by Lamb of God and for some reason, I decided to listen to the lyrics of the song. I closed my eyes to forget about being on an airplane hoping to fall asleep and wake up at home.
Part 15: Home Sweet Home
A turbulent flight, an awful landing but I’m now on home soil and I don’t know if I could have been happier. I almost wanted to kiss the ground when I got off the plane but figured that would be a stretch. Instead I headed straight towards the baggage claim carousel. On my way there, a man dressed to the nines in a suit approached me with a leather satchel under his arm. I knew from the look of this guy and others like him that this was another one of Justin’s lackeys that he gets to follow me around and I immediately began thinking that this wasn’t going to be much of a vacation after all. The man approaches me, said nothing, handed me the leather satchel and then walked off. These guys are getting less chatty as the days go by.
Looking inside I saw two folders and an extra piece of paper. It was a note from Justin. I read up to the part where it said “For your consideration re: Upcoming match”. That was all I needed to read for me to decide to promptly throw out the satchel in the nearest garbage can. I was waiting at the baggage carousel when I was attacked from behind by someone wrapping their arms around me. Instinct almost kicked in to throw the person until I realized this wasn’t some sort of rogue fan or anything like that but rather it was Amy Sanders surprise greeting me the only way she knew how, a big hug. She let go long enough for me to turn to face her and hug her proper. She may drive me crazy sometimes but I was just happy to be home and have the first (well second but… first important) person that greeted me be a friend rather than my employer.
We didn’t have to wait long for my bag to come out of the baggage claim so a lot of our conversation was mainly just small talk. Things like how the Tigers are doing, what the weather has been like. Some small, bullcrap chit chat that usually occurs between two people when the other has been away for a while. No one likes to be ambushed by in depth questions after just stepping off a plane. Amy knows this and knows how much I hate flying and decided to keep the conversation light.
I was happy Amy came to meet me at the airport because I didn’t have to hail a cab, she came and picked me up in her green 2015 Ford Mustang because why not support local industry? We fit my bag and my carry on into the trunk and tore out of there. I knew there was a lot of things she was going to want to talk to me about but I think she was just happy to see me too because she continued to keep conversation light. She asked me how Japan was, I told her some stories of going out to the bars. She scolded me about drinking but it was all light hearted. She drove me back to her place as she was going to let me crash there while I was in town. Justin had taken the liberty of listing my old apartment as for rent so I didn’t have anywhere else to go really.
Amy lived in a modest sized townhouse in Dearborn. It was cozy, exactly the kind of place I wanted to stay especially after having lived in Justin Tyme’s gigantic mansion. Amy’s house served as a reminder of just how far out of my element I have been living these last few weeks. First class airfare, giant mansions, having my criminal past expunged in order to be eligible to fly to Japan for several weeks to wrestle. My life has been a blur. Sitting on Amy’s couch though I could feel time slowing down and I was able to relax for the first time in what felt like forever.
Amy made us both a cup of coffee and sat on the couch beside me. I could feel her gaze upon me and it had changed from one of happiness to see an old friend to a look of concern. I looked at her and she put her hand on my knee.
Luke we need to talk.
I let out a deep sigh and put my cup of coffee on the coffee table.
I kind of figured this was coming.
It’s an important conversation that we need to have because as your friend I am genuinely concerned for your wellbeing. Unlike him.
Justin Tyme picked me. He saw what I am capable and has offered me a chance to better my life.
Luke, your life was fine beforehand. You had friends that cared about you.
It certainly didn’t feel like it when I got out of jail.
Amy let out a deep sigh.
It was wrong of me to treat you like a leper when you got out but I needed my space. I needed to figure out what I needed in life. I now know that I needed to have a friend like you in my life.
It felt good to hear her able to admit something like that. Amy was notoriously hard headed like me and it’s always been difficult for her to admit things and open up to people. This is an unusual dialog to be having with her, usually by this point it would have devolved into a screaming match.
But Justin Tyme is not good for you. He’s not your friend, he’s using you. He’s using you to obtain successes that he wasn’t able to obtain himself. Now you’re one win away from your first championship and I’m worried that this could be one of those point of no return type scenarios.
Trust me Amy, I am my own man. Justin is merely there to guide me through the landmines of the wrestling business. Otherwise I would be a blind man entering into a warzone. All of the success I’ve had so far I owe to him.
Are you familiar with a former WFWF wrestler by the name of Reo Speedwagon?
I just shook my head. I know of the band REO Speedwagon but not of a man named Reo Speedwagon.
Reo Speedwagon was a man who had a very brief stint in the WFWF, couldn’t have been more than two weeks long. He was a musician who wanted to give wrestling a try and people thought he had all of the potential in the world. Do you know who trained him?
I had a pretty good idea of where she was going with this but I still shook my head.
Justin Tyme did. He was tasked with taking this person who had no prior wrestling experience and attempted to turn him into a diamond. When Reo lost his second match, he dropped off the face of the earth. He stopped playing music, he stopped wrestling. No one knew or cared what happened to him because his run was a cup of coffee.
Amy paused and put her hand in mine.
Luke, Reo Speedwagon called me the other day because he found out we used to be together. He called because he wanted me to get a message to you. He wanted me to warn you that Justin isn’t the man he is letting on with you. Once you have no longer served your purpose he will drop you like nothing and move on to the next project. Apparently after Reo lost his second match, Justin dislocated Reo’s knee and shattered his ankle with a knee bar during training and Reo had to retire.
I got up off the couch and began pacing the room trying to process all of this information I was receiving. On one hand, Amy has been one of my longest running friends and she’s always shot straight with me but on the other hand, Justin has done nothing to tip me off that he would be anything less than genuine. Though I’ve always kind of felt uneasy around Justin especially from the start, he’s taken care of me as though I was a star pupil. It was all too much to think about.
Luke, I’m not telling you this to take your head out of the game. I’m so proud of you for everything that you have accomplished recently. I just want you to do it for you and not for Justin Tyme.
I continued pacing, continued to process this but it was hard. My head was filled with a million and one thoughts. I decided to grab my gym bag which doubled as my carry-on bag.
Luke, where are you going?
I need some fresh air. I think I’m going to go to the gym for a bit. Clear my head.
I completely understand. You can take my car if you want. Oh and Lucas, don’t forget about that jiu jitsu school. I told them you might swing by. Just… be careful Lucas.
I smiled, walked over to her and gave her a hug. She handed me her car keys and I walked out the door.
Part 16: Footprints
I don’t remember a times I hit the pads as hard as today. I needed a training session like that badly. I feel like my striking has softened over the last few weeks, especially after I found out how much easier it has been for me to rely on the Motor City Blackout. I had begun to lose sight of how important it was for me to have a fine tuned arsenal. I also took Amy’s advice and hit up the jiu-jitsu place and hit the mats for a little while too. All of it served as some much needed clarity. Amy set all of this up for me, Justin has been content to let me just roll on the skills I already had rather than learning and developing more.
I pulled up the driveway at Amy’s just after 11 and thought it strange that the kitchen light was still on. Amy should have been in bed long ago especially with her having to work. Maybe she just left a light on for me I thought. I unlocked the door, turned the corner to the kitchen and dropped my gym bag right there. Sitting at the kitchen table was Justin Tyme. I could feel my blood beginning to boil. I spoke slowly and tersely.
What. The
. Do you want? This was supposed to be a vacation. You promised me I could come home and have some time off. Change of plans kiddo, some business came up that I’m going to need you to take care of.
With that he placed a leather satchel on the kitchen table, the same leather satchel his lackey tried to hand off to me at the airport. I reached in side and of course there was a pair of folders and a note. The note was the one I began to read at the airport as well.
For your consideration Re: Upcoming Match.
Hello there future champ. A little change of plans for you post-Japan. You see, I thought that you would have a chance to have some time off until your WFWF National Championship match but there has been a shift. They are now requesting your presence in a match at WFWF Burnout. Enclosed in this satchel are details on your two opponents. The good news is that you’ve already fought one of them so studying should be fifty percent easier than other Tag Team matches you have competed in thus far. The bad news is that the individual in question is the WFWF World Heavyweight and now one half of the WFWF Tag Team Champions, one half of the team that is responsible or ousting you from the Tag Team Tournament, Drakz. The other is Nikki Dean, and all of the usual relevant information is enclosed in her folder. Sorry for the change of plans but that’s the business. I’ll be providing you with immediate travel back to Florida as well which you can pick up at the ticket counter under your name.
Signed,
Justin Tyme
Hello there future champ. A little change of plans for you post-Japan. You see, I thought that you would have a chance to have some time off until your WFWF National Championship match but there has been a shift. They are now requesting your presence in a match at WFWF Burnout. Enclosed in this satchel are details on your two opponents. The good news is that you’ve already fought one of them so studying should be fifty percent easier than other Tag Team matches you have competed in thus far. The bad news is that the individual in question is the WFWF World Heavyweight and now one half of the WFWF Tag Team Champions, one half of the team that is responsible or ousting you from the Tag Team Tournament, Drakz. The other is Nikki Dean, and all of the usual relevant information is enclosed in her folder. Sorry for the change of plans but that’s the business. I’ll be providing you with immediate travel back to Florida as well which you can pick up at the ticket counter under your name.
Signed,
Justin Tyme
Immediately without a thought I crumpled up the note and tossed the satchel back to him. This gesture appeared to take him by surprise as he rose to his feet. He stood just beyond arms reach away.
I’m not going anywhere Justin. Not right now.
This isn’t an option for you Lucas, you have a match to prepare for and you can’t do that here.
I actually have all of the tools I need to prepare myself for this match right here. And no, I’m not talking about your stupid mission statements and scouting reports. I’m talking about positive moral support. I’m talking about some much needed mental stability. I am talking about a boxing gym where people are familiar with how I train. I don’t need to be in Florida to get ready for this match.
Are you saying you don’t need me Lucas?
No, what I am saying though is that I took Drakz and his partner to the limit last time I took them on but came up short and that was with your training in Florida. Now he’s not teaming with a seven foot tall monster this week and now we’re going to be doing training my way this week.
How do you really think this is going to end Lucas?
It was at this point that my mind began recalling the lyrics to Footprints by Lamb of God, the song that I drifted to sleep to on the airplane. I began cycling through some of the words in my head.
Four more words and then I'm done.
(Get. The.
. Out) A violent need to speak the truth
Tired of bone and long of tooth
Let's be clear - you're not wanted here, my friend
How the
did you think this would end? I looked Justin dead in the eye and tried to maintain my composure as best I could.
This is going to end with someone getting hurt.
Justin looked at my puzzled.
I know I am more than capable of preparing for this fight by myself. Right now I need to prove it. If I am going to prove to everyone that I'm a contender for anything then I need to prove that I can prepare for things on my own. I am going to train for this by myself and I am going to win this match by myself. I just need you to trust me on this one. If you truly believe in my talents then you will let this happen.
Justin opened his mouth as though he was about to speak but I decided to cut him off
Or we could do it the other way. We could do it the way where I tell you four more words and then I’ll be done with you.
Justin seemed to know where I was going with that as he just nodded in acknowledgement and made a move towards the door. He placed the satchel on the couch on his way out and closed the door behind him. I grabbed the satchel, flipped through the folders and took it into Amy’s study to go over it myself and form my own strategies for Nikki Dean and Drakz.
