BFTP Rd. 2 versus Jack Washington and Bobby Dahl
“The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Foreword:
The screen for the viewer starts out as static or snow as some might call it. Then it transitions into a full shot of me. I was dressed in black jeans, boots, lavender, and a colored button down with my black and red “Texan” bandanna on. I begin with a neutral expression and eyes as black as death itself.
Round one began and ended as expected. Having not heard from my friend, Fexx, I was surprised he showed up at the building at all. He chose not to speak to me before the match, and well you see how that worked out for him. I thought he was my friend but at the end of the day, he was simply another victim. I won’t apologize for what I did or the things I’ve said to him or anyone else. The unblinking black eyes never shift, my tone is soft and my words are measured and with purpose. I’ve completely taken all emotion out of the equation.
This week, Laura and I face a new and different challenge in the form of Jack and Bobby. Everyone knows how much I admire her for coming back for this event. I know she was tricked into it by her “manager” Artie, but this will be good for you my dear friend. Unless you decide to do to me what you thought was a good idea in the first round. My eyes narrowed after the completion of my opening statement.
I only entered this tournament for the sake of the company, in other words, I did it as a favor. I brought colleagues along for the ride as well. Chris Page and Peter Vaughn were put out in the first round under shady circumstances. Seems to be a trend around here, that friends of mine lose under those conditions. In time, that will be rectified by me. Only a few remain from CCPE. Kim, JMont, and Goth, all CCPE, will they suffer the same ending as the others in the second round? Not if I can help it, well other than “Mister you spelled my name wrong.” Fuck off Joe, you shouldn’t throw rocks when you live in a glass house. I bow my head momentarily, and then look back at the camera, no change of expression and eyes as black as my soul.
That’s all for now, I have to go to Colorado to deal with a family situation.
Family Matters
As I entered the school, all eyes were on me, they knew I was pissed, although some were not sure why. I could feel the concerned amusement radiating from Whisper as I entered. Kim was a mixture of defiance and fear, Kat was just scared that I was mad at her. I sighed heavily as I slowed my walk allowing my eyes to go back to their natural color, containing the rage became easier over time and that’s not what I wanted for this conversation. So, I did what any father figure would do, I radiated reassurance and as much love as I could muster. Kat and Kim, along with Whisper met me at the center of the room. “May I use your office for a moment?” I asked Whisper with a friendly smile and a wink. “Sure,” she said and returned the wink in a conspiratorial way. I looked at Kat and Kim and in the same voice I used to use on my boys I said, “Office, now.” I watched as Kat bowed her head, and Kim started to say something but I shot her a look that said, “Don’t you fucking dare.” She quickly made her way to the office with Kat trailing not too far behind. I gave Whisper a quick hug, “Not too hard, Mac.” I smiled in return, “Just an attention getter is all it will be, promise.” I allowed them a minute to stew on what had my anger up enough for an emergency visit and then went to the office.
There was a cup of coffee waiting on me and I smiled as I went to it. “Whichever one of you made that for me, thank you.” Neither of them looked up quite yet but then it was Kat that spoke, “Whisper made it, actually.” I smiled and sent gratitude her way. “Less chance of me being poisoned today,” I said with a wry smile. “Kat, I’m not mad at you, so please don’t sulk.” Her eyes fired up, “I am not…” I held up my hand, “Yes you are sulking and I know why.” I glared at Kim who hadn’t even looked up yet, “You had better put those black eyes away, girl.” She was struggling with it and I knew it, so I flooded her with love through our shared bond, beating at the walls she had erected until I finally broke through. She looked up at me in shock, but her eyes were the normal color. “I love you both, more than I could ever put into words. I hope you both know that.” Both women now looking at me with eyes full of tears and radiating as much love through our bond as I used to dismantle Kim’s mental defenses. This of course caused my eyes to well, love is a strong emotion, much more so than anything you can ever experience. “Now, Kim,” I said with sniffles and tears running down my face. I stopped and we all laughed at the big tough Texan showing this much emotion. I grabbed the box of tissue and handed it to them first and then took a couple for myself.
“Kim you really don’t know why I was mad about a picture you shared?” She shrugged but then saw the look on Kat’s face. “Think about who she is as a person, private to the core, and way past modest about her own beauty. She just came out of a bad break and just needs time to sort through that.” I paused for a moment to allow either to speak and neither did. “Kim, you know what you need to do but the real question is will you?” She looked at me, the confusion was obvious but I waited. She turned her chair so she could face Kat, “Sister, I am so sorry, I won’t do that again.” Kat in turn turned her chair to face Kim, “Thank you,” she said to Kim and the two embraced. I stood up with coffee in hand and left the office so the two could have that conversation continued or not. I shut the door quietly behind me and walked out to the center of the school floor. I watched various students working out in the ring and outside of it. There were teaching sessions going on all over the place. I smiled at how popular the Hell’s Gate School had become. Over the years I had recommended it to anyone who would listen, as had my wife Amber. Becca or Whisper was one of the finest teachers and mentors I’d ever known. “This place has absolutely exploded with students,” I murmured softly.
“Not surprised really,” I said, “Becca has a reputation in the business for being one of the best teachers and mentors around, period.” Another sip of coffee as I headed for the door, I needed a cigarette and I would never disrespect this school by smoking in there. The views here were breathtaking, to say the least. I stood there on the extended deck and just let the warmth of the sun bathe my face for a moment. Setting the cup on the railing, I dug a cigarette out of my pack and lit it. I warm hand touched my bare arm, “Thank you for doing that.” I looked over and saw a genuine smile on the face of Whisper. I nodded, “I’m glad I could help.” She smiled again, “The fact that they listened was the amazing part.” I barked a laugh, “Ha! You’re not wrong there.”
“Honestly though, you all mean so much to Amber, and me, this family is amazing,” I left the rest unsaid for now. “It’s more with you than without you,” she said quietly, “you do realize that, yeah?”
Fade
The Mystery? Or just horseshit?
The mystery of the three lighthouse keepers remains unsolved to this day, or that’s at least what they tell tourists to keep them coming to what was a good draw for Scottland. Eilean Mor, Flannan Isles, Scotland didn’t really have much going for it other than that. I was by myself this time as I looked up at the lighthouse from the old stone quay, it would be a long walk but that was okay, it gave me time to ponder not just the mystery but my future in SCW. I was still feeling more than a little hostile about losing the title, especially to someone like that. Normally trips like this one were guided tours, but family history allowed me to do things that a lot of people couldn’t. I was well known in the highlands and even here, there were plenty of wrestling fans that knew me or at least my reputation. Back in the old days, I would sometimes cut promos in Scottish Gaelic. They got a real charge of that here in Scottland, they loved it when people used the old tongue. Anyway, back to the task at hand, the mystery of the 3 workers who disappeared. “Local legend had it that on Boxing Day in 1900, the clocks stopped as three lighthouse keepers on a remote Scottish island vanished without a trace, leaving behind their untouched meals and work notes for the following day.” I was reading from one of the pamphlets that they provided.
“It went mostly unnoticed until ships started reporting the lights were out at the lighthouse. So, teams were sent out to investigate.” I mused, “Yeah that’ll get your attention, won’t it?” A gust of wind hit me hard just then as I watched the pamphlet get ripped from my hands and blown out into the ocean. “Yep, that’s one theory of how the men disappeared. The winds here are pretty strong, so one person thought that all 3 had met the same fate? Unlikely.” I continued walking up the stone steps toward the lighthouse. “Others think that a freak wave took the three men out to sea,” I mused. I looked at the distance from the ocean to the lighthouse itself, “Fuck off with that, would take the hands of God to create a wave that fuckin’ big.” I shake my head but remind myself that people get wild ideas sometimes, conspiracy theories are not new in the world we live in. “There are a hundred and sixty steps that lead up to the lighthouse,” I mused. “Another theory was that one of the men had killed the other two and then threw himself to the sea and died.” I pause my walking now about halfway up to the lighthouse. “Maybe he was bullied by the other two? Plausible but not likely, I would think that they would have found some form of evidence to support that. The only thing they did find was half-eaten meals, notes on the slate or chalkboard if you will for the next two days.”
I continued my climb without further comment, strangely enough, the base access point was unlocked. “The other interesting thing about this is the weather, the day they went missing. According to the logs, they reported severe storms and winds that the mariner in charge had said he’d never seen the likes of in twenty years of experience.” I smirked at the thought. “There was more, one of the men, Ducat I think was the name had become very quiet. He was known for his levity, telling bawdy jokes and the like.” I entered the building, the lights were on but not a soul was there. “Another log entry showed that the second of the three, McArthur who was known as a tough guy had been crying.” I shrugged, “Given the right circumstance that can happen to the toughest of men.” I continued through the building and up to the kitchen area. “On the third day, it said that the three men were all praying… weird since the lighthouse was still only a year old at the time. What could scare three men with that much experience.” My path through the lighthouse continued on and upward. “When the search teams arrived all they found here in this entire building was three large black birds on the roof of this lighthouse.” There were plenty more theories out there but none of them really seemed to stick. I had a couple of my own, having been in the Navy and met many a lighthouse keeper in my time. One was that, the history of the lighthouse keepers is full of stories about being docked pay for losing equipment. Maybe two of them went down to secure equipment in preparation for an oncoming storm? “Probably not a case of securing equipment,” I said out loud. “Locals reported no storms in the area on the days leading up to or after the men went missing.”
I looked out over the sea and smiled, “There have been legends about sea hags and the like for centuries, maybe a beautiful woman seduced all three men and they jumped into the sea,” I mused to myself. A soft feminine voice, “Would that be so out of the realm of possibilities, Lord Bane?” I turned quickly and saw no one there, I chuckled softly, shaking my head. “I must be losing my mind.” A soft laugh responded to me, “Not likely, you’ve always been a non-believer.” Then the voice went silent, I shrugged having exhausted the entertainment value of this “investigation”. I started to exit the building but found the door locked at the bottom of the stairs, I couldn’t unlock it which I found to be strange since they lock from the fucking inside. When I turned back around and began searching for alternative ways out, I saw seaweed slap against the window. Then a face appeared there, soft lines, angular features. The creature had slightly pointed ears. “No way,” I started to say and then he or she flashed me a smile. The teeth were all very pointy and serrated. “Way,” it said. “This is the way,” I said in return. “Nay Lord Bane, not this time, there will be no fighting between you and me but we wanted you to know the truth of this place.” I nodded, “Thank you.” It inclined its head, “You’re welcome, I believe is the correct response.” I smiled in return, “I’m not even certain how to address you, you’re appearance matches so many legends of Elve’s of the sea or residents of the fabled city of Atlantis.”
She chuckled again, “We simply are of the sea, and that’s enough for now.” I heard the manipulation of the lock, and the door opened. I pulled my cowboy hat down as a show of respect and she or he calmly gave me a polite bow.
Fade
Taking Out The Trash.
The staccato of boot heels on wood flooring echoes as the camera records. The door opens and swings open almost silently as I step into the room. I swing the door back closed and it latches with an almost audible click. I smile at how effective the sound dampening works in our home studio. I roll the sleeves of the lavender button down shirt up to the elbow. I smile as my eyes shine bright.
Round two of the Blast from the Past tournament. They call it the quarter finals, but it doesn’t matter what they call it until we reach the finals. None of the matches leading up to that matter one bit to me, until Laura and I face whatever poor suckers are left. This is just another mixed tag match that will lead us to that moment, should we get past Bobby and Jack. Whether he believes it or not, he’s got a good partner in Miss Dahl, just not as good as mine. Laura Phoenix is a difference-maker in matches like this. She can hold her own against any woman in this company, period. The camera zooms in on my eyes, still the normally bright blue color they’ve been since birth. There is a twinkle or a spark there that had been missing the previous week. The anger seems to be gone from the man behind those blue eyes.
Jack managed to win the Internet Title from Raven last week. That is no small feat in itself, no one had been able to beat that man in a while. Congrats champ, the real question is can you hold onto it? That’s always a question of willpower and circumstance, right? You can if the opportunity doesn’t arise for me to take it all away. The ebbs and flows of a match can be violently sudden as Fexx found out last week. He never stood a chance because I didn’t allow it. That being said, I take nothing away from my partner, she dominated that match and secured the pinfall for us to move on. I remove the black and red “Texan” bandanna from my head and allow my locks to fall freely, partially framing my face as I look down at the surface of the podium. I appreciate the lines that make up the grain of wood.
He cannot be allowed to advance in this tournament, I think to myself.
Jack and I have a history in this company, well he has a history of beating me is what I should say. One on one, I’ve never beaten him. That will be his story that he will stick to until the end of time. I don’t blame ya one damn bit, Jackson. I’ve done the same thing to others in the past. If you have the advantage, use it. The last time that Jack and I were in the same ring, he wasn’t involved in the pinfall. He was in the match and made the mistake of focusing on the champ instead of the real threat. Going into that match I knew that Ken was not focused on defending that title. He tried to, don’t take that shit out of context. He was distracted, and bravo to you, Jack for recognizing it. I give him the polite golf clap with a wry smile on my face.
I knew you wouldn’t be able to pin him, so yes I focused on Knox and beat him from pillar to post, inside the ring. The wry smile turns into a feral grin and I laugh.
It must really suck, when you think you’re the smartest guy in the room and you’re proven not to be, huh? You overestimated your ability and drank way too much of your own Kool-Aid. I wonder if it was red or purple? I raise my hand to my chin imitating the thinking man emoji.
Shit Jack, it doesn’t matter I guess, right? Maybe you didn’t care enough about the title, to begin with. Maybe you didn’t care about that match because it wasn’t one on one. Did you deserve a one on one match for the title? Absolutely, you had beaten me twice, so in my opinion, you had earned it. But, as you can tell, my opinion around here doesn’t carry much weight. If it did, it would have been Goth in that match instead of myself. I was grateful for the opportunity and it did pay off, allowing me to tie a record.I smile a little more knowing how much Jack hates it when I mention it.
A four-time world champion, just some dumb hick from Texas, right Jack? That’s what you like to call me. You were wrong then and you’re wrong now, slick. You’re still not the smartest person in this match, and you’ll prove me right again.I look down at the podium again, and that’s when the mood changes. When I look back up, the black eyes have returned. For some, they’ll think it's special effects or a trick of the lighting that I use here. For those that know me best, they know this to be a dangerous sign of things to come.
I want you both to look into my eyes and understand that I will not be denied what is mine by right. This tournament was your only hope of a future one on one against Harris for you Jack and for your partner, that person is still Roxi. Laura and I are the only thing standing in your way. When you look into my eyes, you’ll understand what it’s like to stare into the eyes of death. I am the apex predator in Sin City, that’s the way it’s been since day one. Jack knows it but doesn’t have the balls to admit that I’m superior to him in every way. I’m sorry Bobbie, this is the end of the line for you my dear. Tell Artie to stop putting you in these positions.Still staring into the camera with eyes as black as my soul, the grin fades and when I speak, my voice is full of gravel, rough but direct.
I am continuing my path of destruction, it doesn’t matter who’s across the ring from me. Jack, this will likely be the last time we meet in that ring, you better make it count, princess. Stay out of the way Artie, I’ll do more than hurt your feelings. fade.
