Post by Mr. PerpetuaLynch Motion on Oct 1, 2015 6:21:36 GMT -5
Part 17: Forward Momentum
”For every step backwards I seem to take two steps forward.” Those words have been swirling through my head all day since that tag team loss. Now I don’t know if it’s a means to keep my head above the water or whether I actually believe it but the more I say it the less this loss seems to affect me. I mean sure, this was the second time now that I’ve been on the losing end of a Tag Team match when the WFWF World Heavyweight Champion is standing on the other end of the ring. And sure, his partner was one of the last few people standing in my way in becoming a champion in the WFWF for the very first time. But on the flip side, look what I accomplished immediately following my last loss. I took the negative of being eliminated from the WFWF Tag Team Championship tournament and turned it into a positive by not just winning but dominating the battle royale to become the Number One Contender for the aforementioned WFWF National Championship. I guess turning negatives into positives has started to become a thing with me.
As I internalize all of these thoughts, a knock comes to my door and I attempt to put a stop to all of these ideas running through my head. As I open the door I’m greeted by a stunning beauty with long flowing red hair. Amy. Say what you will about our past instances but the thing that keeps me coming back after so much hard ship or at least the thing that’s at the top of the list is that she’s always been easy on the eyes. But I know what she’s doing here and I know I don’t want to hear any part of it.
Amy, I’ve told you that you can’t change my mind on this.
I know what you’ve told me Luke but I just refuse to believe that it’s actually you talking and not this puppet of a man.
This is not me being a puppet Amy. You saw what happened when I tried to wrestle one time without his guidance. I need him in my corner. I need you in my corner too.
Oh for crying out loud Lucas! You are a seven foot tall monster of a man! There is no way that you need anyone like a Justin Tyme standing in your corner.
I really had no interest in hearing any part of this so I grabbed my bag and made a move for the door. Amy put her arm up in a motherly “You’re not going anywhere until I’m done talking to you” kind of barricade. I’d be lying if I said my temper wasn’t rising.
Amy, you had better get out of my way. Now.
Not until you hear me out Lucas.
I have heard enough of what you have to say Amy. And now I need to go.
I make another move for the door but this time she puts her hand on my chest to stop me in my tracks. I look into her eyes and I see the same fire that has always been there. Her passion for helping others, for caring about other people. Her passion for me. I break down and drop my bags at my feet.
OK Amy, you win. Let’s have this discussion. You tell me why you think I don’t need Justin Tyme and I will tell you all of the reasons that I have figured out for why I do.
Amy opens her mouth to begin to speak but the sound of her doorbell cuts her off. I look at her with a “were you expecting company” type of glance to which she shook her head no in a puzzled manner. So easing by her I head down the steps towards the front door, making sure to hide her body behind my frame. This is Detroit, you never know when some crazed gunman could be standing at your front door and I’d rather take the hit than Amy.
The doorbell rings again and it’s followed shortly after by an aggressive knock. I indicate for Amy to sit on the stairs and not to move. As I inch myself towards the door, the knocking gets more deliberate. Finally I reach and open the door and standing in front of me, sun shining on his shoulders, hair tied back, full three piece suit, the man himself: Justin Tyme. He greats me with a warm smile and a pat on the shoulder.
Lucas my boy, while this is a fine establishment that you have spent your time in the last couple o’ days I think it’s time for you to come back home where you belong. Free from all of these distractions. Free from the soul crushing burden of hoisting this cities hopes and dreams upon your shoulders and free from these past Halliburtons otherwise known as these so called friends.
I see in my peripherals that Amy shot to her feet at Justin’s insistence that she is a Halliburton. I shoot her a cursory glance and indicate to her to take it easy before turning my attention back to Justin.
With all due respect Justin, anything that you can teach me down in Florida you can teach me here.
Justin scoffs.
Here? In Detroit, Michigan? Home of the downtrodden, the weak, the poor and the needy? Home of America’s biggest failure? The urban blight capital of this great nation? No sir, I would not be caught dead training my all-star protégé in a city as devoid of any other value than this one.
Justin has that grin on his face, the grin that he’s used so many times before that has bent me to his will. This time though, for some reason it had no effect on me.
If you will not train me here then I guess we’re finished.
Justin stepped really close to me, the grin disappearing from his face.
Now you listen here you fool. We still have a lot of work ahead of us and I don’t want you throwing it all away because of some gutter trash, red headed slut.
Without a moment of hesitation, I cocked my fist back and rocked Justin in the left eye with the hardest left hook I had ever thrown in my life knocking him to the ground. He clutches the side of his face as I shake out the pain in my hand and all of a sudden I hear him start to laugh. He pulls himself to his feet as blood trickles from a cut just above his eye.
That, my friend, is why we’re not finished here. Not by a long shot. At this point in your life I know you better than anyone else in your life knows you and that includes her.
What part of “If you want to be part of this, you do it our way” do you not understand?
Oh I understand that part just fine little lady. Now let me see if you two understand this part.
Justin steps up close to me again and I feel my fist clench. You know, just in case.
I own the paper on you, boy. You fight who I tell you, when I tell you and how I tell you. And if you don’t then all I have to do is pick up this phone, call my secretary back in Florida and your contract gets misplaced into a paper shredder. Your career will be over, no National Championship, no more high life living. You go back to being nobody, a never was that lives in a dingy downtown scumhole fighting for peanuts at the local fight club. Or dead in the gutter somewhere, I guess the choice is really up to you.
I stared into this man’s eyes filled with so much rage but feeling so helpless at the same time. I can’t very well hit the man again and watch my career end in a crumpled heap on Amy’s front landing. He grins because he knows he’s got me cornered and sarcastically sticks his hand out which I reluctantly shake.
I knew you’d come back around. And now, the limousine awaits! It’s time to put some hustle behind this muscle.
I look back at Amy, I tell her I’m sorry as I turn and head out her front door. She could do nothing but turn and look away as she saw this once strong man that she cared so much be extorted for the whim of an insane, rich madman. I felt sick to my stomach imagining it all. Justin made some words in my general direction when we got into the limousine but I didn’t catch any of them. Instead I stared out the window as I watched Detroit pass me by. Eventually I drifted to sleep.
Part 18: It’s Showtime!
We pulled into the hangar where Justin’s private jet was waiting for us. I ambled my way out of the back of the limousine still dizzy from everything that had just happened. How can I trust a man that so easily is willing to play the “extort your career and livelihood” card? Bridges are burning everywhere and pretty soon the whole city is going to be on fire. But I realize that as hard as it’s going to be, I’m going to have to put all of this at the back of my head and focus on what’s to come. I sit in the chair across from Justin as he pops the top off of a bottle of champagne. Grabbing two glasses, he pours some into my glass and hands it to me. After filling his glass he raises it in a toast.
To renewed confidence in the endgame.
All I could do was shake my head as he clanged his glass on mine.
Oh don’t look so glum chum. I know what I said back there was borderline cruel but sometimes it seems like it’s getting harder and harder to keep your head focused on what we’re trying to accomplish here.
I was without words. I knew if I were to say something at this very moment then it would result in the end of my career and for all I knew, he would have me tossed out of his plane at thirty thousand feet. So I figured going back to the silent, brooding type was probably best for my long term. Justin seemed to agree as he shrugged, put his glass of champagne down and reached into his suit jacket for a manila envelope. He hands it to me. Inside wasn’t the typical match prep that Justin usually gave me. This time all that was in it was a single page letter and a rolled up piece of glossy paper. I began to read the letter.
Your moment has finally arrived Lucas. The moment we have been waiting for since the moment you debuted. This coming week you will be competing in your very first WFWF championship match. That’s the good news, the bad news is… well, look at the poster attached.
Signed,
Justin Tyme
Signed,
Justin Tyme
I pull the elastic band off of the poster and unroll it. It’s a WFWF event poster and I’m on it. I couldn’t help but smile on the inside a little bit looking at my image on an actual event poster promoting a WFWF live event. I almost felt like I had already won my first championship. But then I studied it a little bit more and saw two others on the poster beside me. One was the WFWF National Champion, Nikki Dean which made sense. The other fellow was my tag team partner from the last show , “Diamond” Jack Sabbath. I looked up at Justin who has a look of regret on his face.
The title shot that I earned through my hard work in that battle royale is going to be contested in a triple threat match?
That is regrettably the case here. It seems the powers that be were using that tag team match last week as a means of testing out the dynamic between the three of you and they enjoyed what they saw.
But I was the number one contender.
You were the co-number one contender.
What the
do you mean “co-number one contender”? I won that Battle Royale. I didn’t just win it, I dominated.You’re absolutely right and you are being rewarded with the title shot that you so rightfully earned as a result of it. But it seems that “Diamond” Jack Sabbath had previously obtained number one contendership status a short time before you did.
That is not my
ing problem. There is too many variables in a triple threat match for me to get a fair shake. For any of us. I can lose my opportunity that I earned without having been pinned or submitted. That’s bullcrap.You are absolutely right but there is nothing about it that can be changed now.
The whole situation frustrated me so much I had begun to forget all the rage and hate that I wanted to project on Justin. Now the only thing my mind could think of is that my potential first shot at glory could be taken away from me without even being involved in the decision. Trust me when I tell you, that’s a pretty crapty feeling.
Look, Lucas you don’t need to worry about any of that. You know why? Because it can’t happen. Not to you. You know why?
I shake my head ‘no’
Because you have an ace in your back pocket. You have an X-Factor. Something that they don’t have. You are going to have me.
I stared at him blankly. I’ve had Justin with me this whole time so I wasn’t really sure what he meant.
I think it’s time for us to put the rumors backstage to rest and show them that Justin Tyme really is the man behind the beast of the WFWF.
You’re going to accompany me to the show?
Of course! I want to be present when the whole entire world sees Justin Tyme’s hand-picked, all-star, crown jewel pupil ascend to his rightful spot among the gods. I want to be there when the world sees the birth of Lucas Crowe, National Champion. And I want to be there so the world can see just what it is we are trying to do here. As you pick up championship number one and deliver it to me, I want the entire WFWF locker room to be put on notice that Justin Tyme is back and with the assistance of Lucas Crowe, I will be the master and ruler of this wrestling world.
Justin raises his glass again, the sight of the golden champagne and the always charismatic Justin Tyme has put my mind firmly into fifth gear, ready to tear apart the entire world. Through all of our turmoil, the man has been solely responsible for putting me on the level that I’m on. I am once again seduced by his charm as I raise my glass in another cheers.
So no scouting reports or mission statements this week then boss?
He stares at his glass contemplatively, swirling the liquid around.
No Lucas, I feel like the time for reports and scouting and dossiers and files are over. Now is the time for Lucas Crowe, the Motor City Mercenary to go out there into that ring and start choking out the entire world. The learning through folders and files has become a crutch, from this point onwards I want you to go out to that ring and just do what you do best.
Justin raises his glass one more time.
Crush, dominate, destroy… Win. It's Showtime my boy.
I feel a smile come across my face as all the ill will I had built up just hours earlier has completely dissolved away. This man has done wonders for me and my career up to this point, no turning back now. I lean my chair back, close my eyes and drift to sleep as the plane takes off the runway and we head back to Justin’s home in beautiful, sunshine-y Florida.
thanks for the feedback. Haha.
