I walked up the walk way, on a journey that seemed to go on for miles, to see that the front door was still open. It is the night of January thirtieth, around nine o’clock at night. I remember everything drenched in red. Everything. It didn’t occur to me at the moment that I was just seeing red. I could feel the veins in my eyes on the verge of bursting with an adrenaline rush unlike anything I have ever felt before. A fear that I had no idea I was capable of feeling had overtaken me earlier in the night. At this point, the fear had turned to pure anger, brought on by a new level of hate that I hadn’t thought possible. I felt my nostrils flaring up to the size of two saucers, and my breath as hot as fire.
I cannot say that I didn’t deserve to feel this way. What I had done was horrendous. It was despicable, even for the old me. Running down a man with a car is attempted murder, warranting several years in prison. I would rather have just been thrown in prison than to be exposed to this hell that faces me. I deserved every bit of revenge that this man wanted to exact upon me. But that is just it. I deserve it, not my family.
I heard Misty’s car door slam, and she was in pursuit just as fast as I was. The car was still running apparently, and the sound of the idle engine matched that of the police cars that I had hardly noticed when I made a mad dash to the front door. Even running, I felt like I couldn’t get through that door fast enough. My vision flashed between bright red, and a purple, from the lights flashing above the cop cars. Apparently we had beaten them there, and I could feel as they drew their guns. I heard the cold steel clicking, but I did not hear their shouts to get down to the ground. Apparently they had shouted two warnings before drawing their guns. I only noticed that by the fact that Misty had dropped down to her knees several feet back.
Now at the porch, I hear the calming tone of the wind chimes… Wind chimes, ha. I never thought I would own one, but here I am, slowly calming down thanks to them. I hear the police shouting, matched by Misty’s shouts.
”MY BABY! I JUST WANT TO SEE IF MY BABY IS OKAY!”
I put my hands behind my head, just short of the front step. Everything slowly came back to normal. The red vision, the bulging eyeballs, the nostrils, the intense shake of anger… they all faded. I slowly turned my head back to the police officers who are pointing their weapons at me specifically. I do my best to shout, but it comes out a stern sort of murmur.
”I called you.”
I cleared my throat as they moved in, suspiciously. I maintained my posture, and I gained a bit of control over my irritated tone of voice. I took one deep breath, which was the best thing I could have done in this situation. Upon exhaling, I felt a lot of the irritation and anger escape through my lungs. I had no idea your lungs were a receptacle for such a thing, but apparently so.
”I called you. I am Spike Staggs. My I.D. is in my right pocket, in my wallet. I just want to go in and check on my kids and my sister-in-laws.”
The officer kept a firm aim on me, and I felt every shift in the trajectory of the barrel raking across my back like a tattoo needle of deadly proportions. Another deep breath and I closed my eyes, still clinching my jaw a bit. I felt the officer dig deep into my right pocket, pulling out my wallet in a sort of suspicious manner as he thumbed through my cards as if it were necessary since my I.D. was right in the front. If I had my way, I would have gotten up and smacked some sense into this asshole so that I could go make sure everything was okay.
I remember that Desiree and Dixie came to the door and one of them said a simple “Oh my God” before watching the police give me a royal dick down. I heard the guns go back into their respective holsters one at a time before they gave me the words that somehow activated an unknown spring loaded mechanism in my knees. Before I knew it, I was through the front door, past Misty’s sisters, and up the stairs in a fraction of a second. It felt like the house had somehow swallowed me up, and at the speed of light, I was exactly where I should be. The darling little angel lying in her bed with her carrot topped brother playing Papa Bear in my absence.
I remember that stare. I got it only two times in my life thus far, and it was one that let me know I had really, REALLY screwed things up. Even though I was there, Tim did not leave his sister’s side. He just ran his hands through her soft hair, silently reassuring her that it is okay to remain in the wondrous freedom and euphoria of dreamland. As I approached, he slowly shook his head in the negative. I gave him a look as we had a sort of telepathic conversation. Him telling me to stay the fuck away, and me telling him I was the father here. I came just inches from my two children, and he lashed out at me in his pubescent voice.
”Stay the hell away from her before you screw her up with your bullshit, dad!”
”Don’t you talk to me that way, son, or I…”
Even though I towered over him by nearly a foot and a half, he seemed to grow about three feet. The roles seemed to be reversed, and I couldn’t stand it one bit. I met his glare with an equally intimidating glare, and then showed him up by about a hundred times.
”Or what? Huh? Are you going to hit me again? Hm? You gonna smack the hell out of me? You don’t change, dad. You just put on a new face. You’re still a monster, and you will ALWAYS be a monster.”
I had to take a deep breath to brace this entire conversation. This pissing contest had surpassed anything I was even remotely prepared for at that point. I remember grabbing at my hair, but I didn’t realize how hard until I saw small, black clumps leaving my head as my hands did.
”You know that none of that is relevant, son.”
Some of it was.
”I made a mistake as a parent, one time. Watching you ripped out of my life was the single most horrible experience ever. And in that time is when I had done many of the horrible things I had done, trying to kill the pain by giving it to others. Watching your mother damage you…”
”Don’t talk about my fucking mother!!!”
At this point, Misty had been standing there, watching and listening to everything. Even though she wanted to swoop in and set the facts straight, she did not. She was at ease that the earlier situation was merely a scare tactic. Misty quickly turned around at the mentioning of Roxanne, my first flame, and the deceased mother of my son. That is not to mention she was a bitter rival of Misty’s after Roxanne and I had been apart for some time. I never said I was Father of the Year at any point in my life… I used to be a monster. Now? I am a monster with a better disguise.
”I am sorry!”
I wasn’t really, which is sad.
”You and your sister mean the world to me. You are both a part of me, and I am a part of you. I’m tense because Rix Usher…”
”Yeah, he was here. I saw it on the webcast. I came in here and called the police on you. It kinda reminds me of our old father-son bonding times. Watching you on your knees with a gun pointed at your back because you are a sadistic bastard. Only this time, it didn’t end with us going two different ways in cop cars.”
Bitch, bitch, bitch… This kid is like his mother more and more every day. Until I see leather riding crops and stiletto boots, I won’t interfere. I felt like I was the child in this situation. But, maybe that had been my problem all these years. Instead of listening, and owning up to that which I was responsible for, I had always put a new coat of paint over a shitty situation, and spun it until it looked picture perfect. Ha, what a metaphor for my life until this point… A picture perfect turd…
”I hate you!”
”Well, that is unfortunate because I love you, son. You can send me to my room without dessert, take away my TV and video game times…”
Not really. I would go insane without video games.
”… and all those horrible things parents have to do to enforce good behavior in their children. But I will always love you. You get it? Because you are treating me like the child and all…”
”But you are acting like the child. You don’t think your decisions through. Just like in Halo the other day, when I told you that you should have stood guard by the flag, and you showboated across Asylum, and got mobbed and then they tea bagged your mutilated corpse? It wouldn’t have happened if you would have thought it through.”
In a very strange way, my son had opened my eyes to the error of my ways. Halo was, and still is a reference to how every man, child, and man-child should model their lives. A true Spartan never gives up. It was time to go in after what I wanted.
”I’m not a bad guy, Tim. I’m just not the best good guy sometimes. After all, I am the Sadistic Bastard/father of two. Just remember that I am not the monster I appear to be.”
I am a much, much neater monster who has his sights set on former victim, Kain and his equally cowardly Mystery Partner.
”Okay. Now, no TV and video games for a week. That should teach you to play with toy cars instead of real ones.”
We shared a friendly chuckle, one of sincerity. I bowed my head in a fake show of disappointment. Tim looked down at Eden who was awakened by our shouting, and eagerly watching our argument, counting something up on her tiny fingers.
”Oooooh, daddy’s in trouble. Go to your room mister.”
She jumps from under her covers and swatted my behind as I rushed off, faking a cry. I let her chase me around for a moment before going back into her room. She collides with Tim who picks her up as she squeals. He sets her back on her bed and kisses her forehead.
”Not tired! You guys woke me up!”
Tim and I take a corner of her cloud printed comforter, and he pulls it up to her chin, tucking her in gently as she kicks her feet in protest. Tim rounds the corner, and I follow closely behind.
”Hey, you wanna play some CoD?”
Yes I did.
”Hmmm, why yes I do.”
He began running toward the basement, with me taking my time. I wanted the game chair, but I didn’t feel a rush to get to it tonight for some reason.
”I call first!”
”Yeah, you’re grounded from video games for a month, sonny boy.”
He rolled his eyes at me as he turned around. He chuckled, but I didn’t. I smiled, and tilted my head to the side in the most smart assed display I possibly could, even narrowing my eyes at him.
”A joke isn’t funny when you rip it off from someone else, a la moi.”
”Well, that’s okay, because it isn’t a joke, and therefore it doesn’t need to be funny… You’re grounded from video games for a month. Seems to be just the first of many things for going off on your father, I think. What do you think, Misty?”
She gave me a look that affirmed she didn’t want to even get involved in this conversation. Despite my open invite, she returned to speaking with the police. This was something I really did not want to do at the moment. Tim stormed back upstairs grumbling things that elicited a call for the swear jar from Eden thanks to her first favorite non-relative wrestler, Despayre. I reluctantly approached the officers, and that urge to punch him in his face hadn’t faded much at this point. Luckily, one of the perks of being Spike Staggs is that you know how to bullshit in a flawless manner. A polite smile, and a diplomatic personality wins anyone over. I know, I’ve been there.
”Ms. Waters, Mr. Staggs. You have most certainly got the rights to pursue a restraining order on Mr. Usher. He left the camera he used to shoot the footage you saw, inside your doorway. This constitutes as trespassing and harassment. Now, Officer Stanley and I can fill out a police report, and your motion will be pushed through immediately. Now if you will just sign…”
”No thank you. My worry was that he had entered the home and hurt somebody, which he didn’t.”
Misty turned to me, and her eyes pierced my entire body like a hundred daggers. I swear, my family would have killed me a hundred times that night. She put her hands on her hips and looked about as confused and angry as possible, all at the same time. I started to speak, but she let her feelings be known before I could even make a peep.
”Not yet he didn’t! You didn’t just involve yourself in this situation. You involved everyone in this house… Our children and my sisters are involved in your mess. Since you can’t clean this one up on your own, then I guess I will have to insist that you let me!”
I knew it was a bad idea. I just knew it. As the connections were being made in my brain, I got an immediate feeling that I should not say any bit of what had been formulating in my mind. But, I did it anyway. And that is why I slept on the couch that night, and about three nights after that one.
”Well, it is my house, and as the homeowner, I have the right to decline, so..”
Misty took the clipboard from the officers hands and she signed and dated a portion of the paperwork, and then shoved the clipboard into my chest. I couldn’t help but find her extremely attractive in her state of irritation and anger. If I knew the pay off wouldn’t have happened later that night, I might have spoken differently.
”Well Mr. Home Owner… Mr. Staggs. Mr. Not My Husband STILL, maybe you should make use of YOUR house, and try sleeping in YOUR living room.”
She threw her hands in the air in a sense of aggravation, but she seemed to keep it in check for just a moment as she turned back to the police.
”Go ahead and get started on my restraining order, and my daughters. Unless he is totally brain damaged, maybe he will at least sign for his son, since we are being possessive tonight.”
”Misty, you don’t understand…”
I read over the paperwork quickly, and I obliged for the safety of my… our son. I handed the paperwork back to the officer in charge, and shook his hand. He gave me his card, along with some banter about how he will serve and protect, rather than stay parked in front of Dunkin’ Donuts. I could have cared less at this point. Bed linens were being thrown down the steps, and complaints about video games and swear jars were ringing around in the background. I thought I had it under control, even with all of this going on, I felt that calm, because I could hear those wind chimes bringing me back to sanity. Too bad they don’t rub backs, because I’m going to need it after sleeping on my old bachelor couch.
<img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v674/GXWSpikeStaggs/SpikeSceneBreak-1.png>
From the Mind of Madness comes Genius…
Nothing about this upcoming match set well with me. Mystery Opponent? Kain? Really??? Is that the best you got, Mark? The almighty “Hot Stuff” Mark Ward could not assemble his own mighty crew of titans to take down the supposedly inferior New X-Treme’s. He tried everything he could to get me to sign on with Sin City Wrestling. Why is he so surprised that I came at it like I do with everything that I take on? Did he expect that I would sign away my life to him when I signed this contract? I certainly hope he didn’t expect me to come back around as his lackey, because those days ended as soon as I won the GXW World Championship. But, as I said, he couldn’t assemble his own mighty army, so he enlists the aid of someone he beat the fuck out of on the last edition of Climax Control, and some coward who is so much of a pansy, he can’t even show his own face to us. No clue as to who he is? No nothing. Or, yes nothing.
I have demolished anything this guy has thrown at me. As soon as I bat away the first gnat, he throws another my way. I vowed to make him regret forcing me to sign with SCW all while upholding my promise to bring in the ratings, the fans, and the monetary digits the only way a Staggs knows how to. With style. With controversy. With panache. With results… That is why a Staggs have been involved in roughly ninety percent of the Main Events here in Sin City Wrestling. Now, I have been involved in exactly two matches since I signed with Sin City Wrestling. Both of those matches have been Main Events. I sell tickets, and I do it by keeping promises. My promise to the fans, staff, and fellow wrestlers, is that the result will be exactly the same as last time. I will be victorious. I will sell out Blaze of Glory, and every show I am involved with thereafter, just by my showmanship at Climax Control.
Kain… Haha… Yes, Kain. Six foot, three inches and two HUNDRED and FORTY POUNDS… of an over-hyped man wrapped up in a neat package of undeserved self entitlement. Out of all of the people that come close to making me think I MIGHT be intimidated if I were half the star I am… It would be you. You know how to fight. Congratulations, you were my toughest challenge in our last encounter, aside from teaming with an incompetent redneck, of course. You gave me a challenge of sorts, and it was refreshing to know that there are heels that can sort of hold a candle to the stature of former heel that I once was.
I say this only because, you are a cocky, arrogant prick. You really are. What is unique about that? Such a statement sums up Blade Alexander pretty well. Nick Jones has modeled his career around it, making it his gimmick, if you can even call it a gimmick. Blaque Hart Bruce Evans uses a Canadian Flag to try to cover up the fact that he is as boring as the aforementioned heels. He is a cocky, arrogant sonuvabitch. “Primetime” Matthew Kennedy’s gimmick? A self absorbed, arrogant prick. You can throw in a few factors, such as the nation of Canada, or an obvious superiority complex, but that does not distinguish you from the next. Give me some substance, because I feel like any of these names are interchangeable.
But you, Kain… While you act no different from any of these guys, you can fight on so many levels. I didn’t expect it from you. I actually have to commend you for that, Kain. Your personality, and your ruthlessness outside of the ring don’t compare to the things I have done in my career as a heel, as far as I have seen. But you fight for yourself, and you let everyone know upfront that you stand only for yourself. You aren’t backstage flaunting a contract that no one cared about to begin with. You aren’t giving Mark a handjob in his office to get a surprise number one contendership after beating no one of importance beside a stoner. You aren’t bitching and moaning about every loss or every bit of missed attention.
That is one, and only one thing I can truly respect about you when it comes to your personality. You and I are different on so many levels, but one thing that we have in common is that we can never be bought. Promise us anything you like, but the fact is that we prefer to earn it. We work for our opportunities. Unfortunately, I don’t really like you, and I refuse to let you beat me. I think another mark on my Win Column just might put me on the track to earning a Number One Contendership to the Sin City Wrestling Heavyweight Championship. I am not about to give that up to you, or your unfortunate situation of an ally.
Speaking of which, who is this mystery coward? Someone who has decided to cash in any bit of their integrity to align with my enemy, making them an enemy in the process? Who are you? Really. Hiding behind a vale of mystery, you might think you are being mighty crafty… but instead, you are hiding from the humiliating beating I will give you at Climax Control in front of the Colts of Carson High. While I am anxious to find out who you are, it is not because of any importance of your name, or your abilities. I am anxious to find out how far I can shove my size 16 up your ass. Or, as old school Spike Staggs fans might have expected me to put it, I am anxious to wafflestomp your ass into the mat.
Just remember one thing, Mr. “Mystery Opponent”… When your theme music starts, when your face is shown, it will be gloves coming off, not hats. When you step into that ring, I will take every bit of my frustration out on you, and if you haven’t eliminated yourself from the match, I will see to it that you are. Even though the match is every man for himself, it will be half of the New X-Treme’s standing tall above you and your partner, Kain. You will see the fire burning in our eyes as we watch you walk back up the ramp, wallowing in your own disappointment. It will not be through words, or ring invasions, or interviews with the lovely Ms. Willow. It will be through action that we make our next advancement onto the scene as the dominant force… the Golden Standard of Sin City Wrestling, and one step closer to making good on our promise to be THE GOLDEN STABLE!
You will be stepping stones to our success, and for that, you should feel special. Today, it is Kain and his pansy of a partner. Tomorrow, it will be aforementioned pansy and “Hot Stuff” Mark Ward. Then? Anyone wearing a championship belt will be a target. It is all for the greater good, and you should all be proud to be considered victims of New X-Treme’s. I am very much looking forward to meeting you face to face, Mystery Opponent…
*******************************************************
The front door creaks open in the completely blackened house as Misty’s silhouette is seen walking in through the single source of light in the entire house. Behind her is a very large man, roughly seven feet tall. Their voices are muted as they laugh amongst each other, only for Misty to stop dead in her tracks, stricken by the darkness and the silence of their home.
”Hello? Where is everyone?”
Misty found herself a bit worried now, given the events of the past week and a half. She leans back, whispering something to Casey who just shrugs his shoulders, taking the lead into the house. He takes just a few steps in the house, and immediately stumbles over something. He mutters curses under his breath as he holds onto his knee.
”Damnit… I thought you said Spike wanted us here to talk about our business at Climax Control and Blaze of Glory?”
”I thought so…”
Misty puts her hand along the outer edge of the lighted doorway, and finds the light switch. Once she turns it on, she still sees nothing. This only worries her a bit as she storms through the house.
”Spike? SPIKE?! Spike! Where are you and the kids?”
Casey follows quickly behind her as she notices a trail of papers of all colors leading through the kitchen and to the back door. A sheet of paper blocks the window of the door, and she flings it open in a panic. What she sees outside astonishes her to no end.
”SURPRISE!”
Casey rounds the corner in a bit of panic himself, but his expression lightens up a bit as he follows Misty out onto the back porch, which has been extended into a platform with a red carpet stretched across it. Casey looks around at the large crowd gathered in Spike and Misty’s back yard, and the many decorative black and red balloons and streamer along the fence and through the trees. As they walks toward the edge of the platform, Spike runs up the steps to the platform, and points upward for them. Hanging from one side of the stage is an Sin City Wrestling banner, and on the other side is an NWA banner. In the middle is a rolled up banner underneath a hand made banner reading “Congratulations Misty and Casey” and has been signed by everyone in attendance, plus some. Misty gives Spike a big hug, and then Spike steps up to Casey, and gives him a handshake, but pulls him in for a hug. He pulls out a microphone rigged to a small sound system set up around their back yard.
”Everyone here wanted to show their support for the amazing opportunities you two have been given with two different NWA Championship battles! Can we get a massive round of applause, everybody! If not for them, then for the free booze! Hey-yo!”
There is a roar of massive proportions from the fifty or so in attendance. Spike raises his arms in the air, trying to get as big of a reception as possible from them. Eden runs onto the stage nearly tackling Misty, and Tim follows in an attempt to stop her, but is just a second too late. Spike nods his head and then looks out into the audience. He points to a few different people and his grin raises. Jordan rushes through the crowd and onto the stage to join his comrades.
”This is a big time for the New X-Treme’s. While our family is not yet complete, we are already making our mark on SCW and NWA. I figured these events deserved a killer party. Such a party doesn’t usually involve a long-winded speech, but I wanted to let you guys know that Jordan and I are very proud of you. Blah blah blah, you guys want to drink, so let me introduce another special guest of ours for the evening. Party people, please welcome the reason we sell out any show we come to… Mr. Christian Underwood!”
The crowd cheers as the nicely dressed Christian Underwood jogs up the steps, nodding at Spike. He walks up to Misty and shakes her hand, giving his words of encouragement to Misty before turning to Casey and doing the same thing. Casey nods his head, thanking Christian. The crowd starts a chant of “Christian, Christian, Christian!” He turns and waves to the crowd before politely excusing himself from the stage. Misty hugs onto Spike, kissing him deeply in front of the crowd. He acts as if he is trying to pull away, which is not the case. Instead, he bends her backwards. He leans up and looks back toward the audience.
”Okay, we’re gonna be right back… Continue the party without us, coz it’s going to be a while…”
Misty laughs as she smacks Spike’s arm playfully. Just then, a loud mouthed voice comes from the crowd as Jamie Staggs stands on a chair, pointing.
”I TOLD HIM TO SAY THAT!”
He claps for himself, but Spike shakes his head.
”No you didn’t…. ANYWAY… Congratulations on your title shots, and good luck! Enjoy the party, because it is your night!”
Another round of applause and wild cheering takes over the audience as Spike leads them down toward the very welcoming crowd. Music begins playing through the spacious back yard as the partygoers begin gathering their drinks and snacks from the tables on either side of the yard. Misty mingles with her sisters and a few others there, and Casey joins Laura and Jim while Spike watches on with a genuine smile.
”They deserve a parade right now. I am so proud of them. Misty could be a double champion in just over two weeks, and Casey could be the first to bring NWA gold into SCW. Such amazing opportunities have been presented to them. It looks like we just might make good on our promise to become the Golden Stable, not only in SCW but on a much, much larger scale of NWA.”
Spike sits on the edge of the stage, watching on in a sort of delight. Jamie and his Dumbass University crew comes up to him and they talk to him. His lips move, but he is deep in thought, which is something these five men are aloof to.
”Everyone thought that New X-Treme’s was the Spike Show. I’m just the mouth of this group. I want every one of our members to strive for greatness in everything we do. Right now, my strength is encouraging my soldiers, and working my way up the NWA ranks to earn a title shot of my own…”
Spike nods his head and laughs as his youngest brother, Tommy, explains some scenario to him, using wild hand gestures and interesting facial expression. Jamie shoves Tommy and laughs. Spike shakes his head.
”Before I can pursue my own goals and dreams, I have two major roadblocks sitting in front of me. This week, I’ve got Kain and a mystery opponent in this Rumble style match up. Over-the-top is my strength. Maybe I can show my wrestling roots as a high flyer. For a big guy, I have showcased amazing agility in my day. Let’s see if I’ve still got it.”
Spike waves to Tommy and Jamie, shaking hands with Metalhead and Nate Starr as they follow after their cronies. Spike takes a deep breath through his nostrils. Misty looks over at Spike to see if he is okay, and he simply smiles at her, allowing her to continue on with her conversation.
”Kain and I have met before, and he saw me with my arm raised in victory. While he is a worthy opponent, I am a firm believer that history repeats itself. I will, once again, come out on top, and so will Casey. I am confident that the two of us will be the last two left standing in the ring when all is said and done. Nothing will stop us. Nothing at all…”
Spike slowly stands up from the edge of the stage and walks down the steps to join the group of guests. He shakes hands with former acquaintances, both friend and foe, from his wrestling past. Some of the names are clear, but other faces he barely remembers.
”The mystery situation intrigues me, of course. Not just because I will watch their face twist into anger and disappointment as I toss them over the top rope, but because they have willingly taken sides with my nemesis, and will be the opponent of Jordan Williams, and myself, at Blaze of Glory. Any man who willingly opposes me or my X-Treme’s will find my wrath. I just hope that Mr. Mystery knows exactly what they signed up for. It certainly wasn’t for a cake walk…”
Spike’s smile fades, and a look of seriousness overtakes his entire face. He slowly looks from the person he is talking to, and looks directly into the camera. As he does so, a real flame, blue in color, is in Spike’s eye, its flame sparkling in the moonlight. He winks his eye before slowly turning back to his conversation. As he opens his mouth, the first syllable comes out in a huff, and the scene fades… TO BLACK!
