New York
2 Years Ago
“From the First Person View of Austin James Mercer”
The water ran from the tap into the clean white sink. I watched it for what seemed like an eternity. My hands wrapped around the sides, I could feel it, the cold on my palms, the smooth edges. The expensive higher end porcelain that my father had paid for. I was lost. My brain ached and felt twice as big as it should be. There was a ringing in my ears. It slowly faded out as I heard the water flow and the tap running.
I plunged my hands into it running it over my face and over my head. My hair becoming damp and staying in place as I slowly looked up in the mirror. Who was I?. I wasn’t even sure anymore. I swallowed hard and dried my hands. My facial hair usually trimmed meticulously now a mess. The spots I normally clean shaven now covered in small, harsh stubble.
She noticed, she remarked on it but in her sweet southern charm opted against pushing the issue. She loved me, I know she did and I loved her. So why did this worry me? Why did I care?. I didn’t know the answers and wasn’t even sure I wanted them. The words rang out in my mind making my headache again.
I reach out for the bottle, it felt hard in my hand as I fumbled the top unscrewing it. The liquid went down my throat, it felt warm, comforting. Like a hug from a loved one. I felt safe as I felt it go through my body. I closed my eyes, my head started to feel better, my body swayed. I dropped the empty bottle, it bounces off the tiles as I slid down onto the floor. My back against the bathtub.
I shook my head with a sigh, looking up at the roof, to the large white light above. It seemed to burn brighter and brighter, the ringing in my ears split and for a moment I wished for death….then it all went black
New York
Last Year
“A talk with the father.”
He sat on the balcony looking out above the New York City skyline. He could hear the cars below, the voices of the people, shouting, yelling, swearing. Usual sounds coming from the heaving masses. Austin smiled slowly folding his arms over his chest before looking through the large glass doors into his father’s office. Christian stood talking to many of his advisors. All men of a similar age, all wearing custom-cut suits. Austin shook his head looking at his reflection in the doors. His long hair down, a simple black t-shirt and jeans. He scoffed as Christian walked out holding a few pieces of paper.
“Sorry to keep you waiting boy…” Austin groaned under his breath at the sound of the word “boy”. His father still to this day saw him as a child. He stood back leaning against the rail, his arms folded over his chest. “Oh, it’s quite alright old man…. He smirked knowing the old man shot would get to him, Christian raised an eyebrow with a smile. Despite his advancing years he still looked to be in incredible shape. Standing six foot four and built like a powerhouse despite the muscles being hidden under a dark navy blue suit. Christian looked so much like Austin, minus the long hair and his beard trimmed as opposed to more wild like his son.
“What can I do for you?” Christian sat down and motioned for Austin to join him handing him a bottle of water as he did. Austin cleared his throat and sighed “Well, I’ve been thinking about training at a different gym instead of just at home” Christian gave a small nod as he put on his reading glasses going over a few contracts, his hand moving up to signal that Austin should continue. “I was thinking of traveling upstate...to wolfslair….”Christian stopped and put the contracts down with a sigh.
He tilted his head and looked down. “You wish to train at the facility I half own with Alex and Sonja?” He gave a small nod again and sat back clasping his hands together. “Austin, that place is for beginners, you should be a trainer there not a trainee.” Austin groaned again and looked up and away at the bright blue summer sky. He sat forward before readjusting.
“If I’m to be successful, I need to get better. I’ve been treading water. I have a lot of important matches coming up and I-” “Alright boy, I get it, I understand.” Austin grits his teeth together and raised an eyebrow out of annoyance. He got to his feet and folded his arms over his chest again as Christian smiled with a small laugh. “I’m sure you’ll do fine Austin. If you want to train there you have my permission….”
Austin smirked and turned to walk away grabbing the large metal handle of the glass doors, Christian stood up to follow before speaking up in his deep booming voice. “And Austin….good luck”
New York City
5 Years Ago.
“Great work guys. See you tomorrow.” His body ached as he rolled his shoulder. Austin was wracked with pain as he turned and moved across the floor of the gym, his long brown hair wet with sweat. The other students all crowded together laughing and carrying on as friends. As buddies. A brotherhood. Austin shook his head never being a part of it. He heard them all, he heard the words. He knew they despised him, hated him.
Like I give a fuck.
The words moved through his mind and for a split second he turned like he was going to say something. They all stopped. They all stood and waited with bated breath. Then it hit him, a realization. They were intimidated. Austin had used his last name. His father's last name. In New York and the east coast, the name Mercer was god. He was the next generation of a family that had gone missing from the business they helped build 20 years ago. He rolled his eyes stepping away, this isn’t what he wanted. He didn’t need it. The dreams he had were his own not his families. Sure it was based in the love he had for the business and the lineage. But Austin was his own man.
He left them alone. His chest puffed out. He was the biggest, strongest. Most naturally gifted. But he also worked the hardest. He walked into the locker room throwing his shirt across the room into his bag before he grabbed a fresh one throwing it over his 6’6 frame. He stopped and looked around checking the area. Usually, it was quiet, he heard the laughter, the coaches now joining in. Austin's hands shook, he could feel it, the headache. It was starting to come on like it did every day. He needed to stop it, to silence it.
He reaches into the bag sitting just inside the blue painted steel locker. He pulled out a small silver flask. A golden embossed M on the front. He breathed in sharply and unscrewed the top before bringing it to his lips. The sting and warmth of the alcohol hit his tongue as he took it down. He swallowed as much as he could as fast as he could resting his head against the shelf inside the locker.
Useless boy.
Your Father ran away.
You’ll be nothing.
They faded away. His body calmed. His hands stopped shaking. The lid screwed back on as a warmth came over his body and he shut the locker tight. He turned to find one of the other students looking at him. A smaller man, only a little younger. Austin looked at the locker then back at him before looking down. As he picked up his bag and walked by he heard him whisper.
“It’ll be ok….” Austin stopped mid-step and turned his head with a small sigh and a nod of appreciation. He moved back out through the gym as the group still chatted happily about training and their lives.
New York, New York
Present Day
”I told you all…”
Austin’s long brown hair hangs down, it’s wet from sweat as it clings to his muscular upper body, his six foot six frame cutting an imposing sight as he stands up straight, the large main workout room of Wolfslair training academy in New York City was deserted, it was dark outside as the sun seemed to be rising through the large windows. Large heaters keeping it warm inside as the harsh cold of the final days of spring beckon winter.
”Mickey was a great champion, there is no doubt about it. For six months he held the Honor championship and many thought he would be the man to end the Honor legacy. See we all saw it coming, the unification matches. SCW and Honor Wrestlings merger was leading to this and the one hurdle Mickey had before getting to that big match with Fenris, was me. And now the countdown is on. Inception 3:Clash of the champions. It will be a night where Honors best faces SCW’s best and we can truly bring the two companies together as one.”
“There are a lot of great names and athletes in SCW as there is Honor. And this is not about direct competition, this isn’t about us vs them or any such mentality. No, this is a company becoming great. This is the spirit of competition and I only hope that Fenris and I do get to face one on one, I hope I get to prove just how good I am.”
“It’s already clear to me that I’m one of the best WWH had to offer, I was one of the best in Honor as I remained undefeated since I returned including winning the mayhem survival. I ran through that company like a hot knife through butter. There was only a matter of time before I claimed the title as my own. But after I won a number one contenders match against Kevin Hunter it hit me. With Honor’s merger, I might not ever get my shot. But, true to their words. Brooke, Mark, and Christian made sure Mickey and I would step in the ring. And Mickey has not been seen or heard from since I beat him at High Stakes, I hope he returns soon as I want to re-iterate. Mickey Carroll is a hell of a competitor. And he is capable of so much in this business and in Sin City Wrestling.
Austin moves around the gym, just in a pair of black and red gym shorts and black and white trainers. Two large weighted ropes sit on the floor near him as well as various weights and a pull-up bar, set up for circuit training. Austin laughs to himself and sighs.
”But before I get to Fenris and any future huge title matches I get to keep on getting my name out there, I get to show that I am the real deal. See, some people may not be that familiar with me. They might know my last name, they might know who my father was, they might know who I train with and the titles I won. Maybe my wins in Shoot Society never mattered to them. Maybe my Hellsgate title victory in WWH was looked upon as nothing. Something that, in hindsight, I can understand. But, even if you don’t look at my lineage, my past history in other companies and the sheer size and potential. You have to recognise what I was able to do in Honors final days and what I have been able to do in one match for SCW….”
“One appearance…”
“One moment”
“I took a man who was a proud champion, a man who fought and clawed his way up from being a lackey to the rest of the bad boys, a guy who was always overlooked and who reached the top. And I beat him. And now here I am being put in a match against two men who I am sure are talented and work hard. But who, and I mean this with all due respect. Are not in my league. Now, I get that might seem arrogant and even a little ignorant but really….the proof is in everything I have learned and seen from them….”
Austin sighs slowly and folds his massive arms over his chest, a boyish grin forms on his face as his eyebrow cocks up.
”On the one hand, I have Caleb Storms. A guy who was in SCW before their hiatus. He was having some success but then when they closed he made the jump to Honor Wrestling. He started competing and scratching and clawing. He climbed up0 a few rungs of that ladder but as Caleb got to the top, he suddenly just stopped. He never got to the top, he never touched the ceiling above. He just kind of existed. You’re a talented guy Caleb, you have proved that week in and week out with some heart filled performances. But when push came to shove, you failed.”
“Truth be told Caleb, all you’ll be known for is losing to Alex Jones twice.”
“You faced the best of the best in Honor and failed and stumbled. Never quite able to go from solid talent to one of the “best”. I did more in four matches than you did the entire time you were there. And hell, in SCW, a place you were at in the original incarnation, a place where you stand now, I did more in ONE MATCH than you have your whole time here Caleb. You had a shot to turn that all around at High Stakes, you and Casey had a shot at becoming the roulette champion and you failed there too. You have lost your last three matches and the truth is I can’t remember ever losing three matches in a row and in most companies, I haven’t even lost three matches….”
“At all…”
“That isn’t to say you can’t turn it around man. You have the talent, you have the drive, you have the heart. But, I question if you have the commitment. If you have the killer instinct. I guess we’ll see….”
Austin smiles wide again and paces back and forth, the sun now beating through the windows.
”But a man who has all the physical skills in the world also awaits. See when I first saw Casey Williams I was in awe. I’m a big guy but Casey dwarfs me. It’s just a shame that the record and past just don’t match up with him. How does a man who is a giant, strong as a horse, and built like a brick shit house be so incredibly….bad?. I just don’t understand Casey. You have been in SCW for seven years.”
“SEVEN YEARS”
“And in that time you have a most improved award. A tag title run and a Roulette title run to your name. But that was six years ago. Do you know what I was doing six years ago Casey?. I was in college. I was a skinny 20-year-old frat boy. Six years of irrelevance Casey. I give you props for hanging in there and giving effort but when you are in a company for almost ten years, have an award and two mediocre title runs to your name and over a hundred matches and a less than 30 percent winning percentage?. I think it’s time to think about hanging up those boots big fella.”
“But, much like Caleb, you could turn it around. You could burst back through that glass ceiling and make something of yourself. And from a part of me that is a hopeless believer in the underdog, and yes you are a seven-foot-tall underdog, part of me is actually pulling for you Casey. The only problem is, you have both come up against the single most destructive force in wrestling today. I have it all going for me. Size, Strength, Speed, Skill, a rocking head of hair, a hot wife….I’m living the dream….but my dream is a reality...your dreams?...they’ll disappear the minute you step in the ring with me….good luck boys…
