The explanation
He could feel it coming. The conversation. It was one of those moments, where for weeks she had sat and stared at him. Her eyes asked questions that the rest of her just couldn’t bring herself to bring up. Austin sat quietly. Bringing his coffee to his lips before letting out a deep sigh and looking over at his sister. She averted her gaze, looking elsewhere for a moment. She trailed outside to make sure that the children were not in earshot. Her son and Austin‘s son and daughter playing in their room upstairs
The sound of children’s laughter echoed down the staircase through the main hall and into the kitchen. Amy smiled, looking over at her brother, and taking in a deep breath, to bring enough confidence to talk to him.
She moved around the kitchen bench, standing just to the side of Austin around the corner. Placing her hands on the bench, she leaned her weight onto it before, tilting her head, and looking up at her younger brother. Austin raised an eyebrow, tilting his head, as Amy gave him a weak smile, still unsure of herself, and still unsure whether or not, she should even be breaching this subject. She finally worked up the courage to ask, a small quivering, voice betraying any confidence that she thought she could build. “So, that detective has come by a few times.”
Austin let out an audible drone, he couldn’t hide his annoyance and indignation about the constant harassment. Even though he was no longer in danger of going to jail, even though the matter, should’ve been settled, the fact that he was hanging around asking questions was a thorn in Austin’s side and the bane of his existence.
“What happened? He made it seem like Michael and Lisa’s deaths were linked somehow” Her eyes were full of questions that needed answering. Austin was not going to be able to get away with lying or trying to hide it from her. And he didn’t want to. He hated lying, he hated trying to deceive people who he loved and were part of his family. But he was also not going to be able to get away with not telling her anything this time. He could see it, in her body language, he could hear it in her voice, he was going to have to tell her everything.
“Michael….” he stuttered, taking a deep breath to steel his nerves before turning and looking at Amy with a frown on his face. He hated this. “He was responsible for Lisa’s death. She found out he was siphoning money from his business, from Wolfslair, and from Alicia to pay off a gambling addiction…” he trailed off a sudden anger appearing. Anger at himself for not knowing. Anger at Michael for doing it. “Lisa went to him….to ask him to get help….”
Austin shook his head, Amy leaned even closer, wanting to hear the rest. Also, she thought. “And? What? He had her killed?”
Austin stayed silent. But his eyes and body language said more than words ever could. Amy looked shocked, standing with her mouth open in disbelief as Austin put his hands on the bench and leaned forward. She took in a few deep breaths and turned away. Austin cleared his throat and looked over, reaching out and placing his hand on Amy‘s shoulder. “It’s a lot to take in. But there’s more…”
Amy swallowed, pushing all of her sadness down into the pit of her stomach before turning back to her brother. “Might as well tell me.”
Austin gave a small nod, trying to prepare himself for what he was about to tell Amy, and hoping that she would be prepared to listen. “I found out the guys who they put away for Lisa’s murder were…they were just two of them….of a bigger group.” He trailed off and shook his head before solidifying his resolve. “I found out, I knew where Michael was hiding when he disappeared and I….let them know where he was…”
It took a moment for Amy to register exactly what Austin was saying. In his mind, he was responsible for Michael‘s death. In his mind, he was a murderer. Whether or not, it was for revenge, whether or not it was for justice, and whether or not it was deserved was no matter to him. “Aus…”
He held his hand up. He knew what Amy was about to say. That it wasn’t his fault. That he did what anyone would do. But was that true? Would most people find out who someone’s enemies were after they committed such a grave fence only to have it repaid tenfold? Would they do that? Austin would. “What?....are you going to tell me it’s an understandable reaction? That revenge is a natural thought?” He paused and shook his head, trying to hold it all back but being agitated by his guilt. “No…what I did was wrong Amy. And I live with it daily.” He paused again, falling quiet as Amy seemed to have no idea what to say.
After a few moments, she spoke up, her eyes filled with worry and sadness. “Does….Alicia know?”
Austin gave a small nod and shrugged his shoulders. “She does, we only talked about it once but she knew before that…”
“And…she is still with you? Doesn’t that tell you something?” Austin stayed silent, Amy laughed to herself and shook her head, clearly disappointed that Austin didn’t pick up on it. “She’s with you, she took in all that information, all that emotional baggage, and damage, she accepted it and forgave anything that you believed was a slight…” He gave a small nod, taking it all in and accepting it but stayed silent. “If she can look past it and see that you acted in a justified…albeit extreme way, then why can’t you?”
“I don’t know” His voice was deep and almost disconnected. Like he was deep in thought but trying to respond the best he could. “Maybe she just hides it well..”
Amy groaned and rolled her eyes. “She loves you. She wanted to be with you. And through it all, she has had your back and understood it. In fact she probably has guilt with it too.” Austin looked up and gave a small nod, thinking back to what her actions and words had shown in evidence. “You should marry her…if she can stand by you in that she can do anything.”
Austin couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head. “Maybe one day…but, I still have a problem…Paloma isn’t going to let this go…I should tell him…and whatever happens…happens…”
Amy stuttered and stepped forward as Austin turned to grab his jacket, trying to stop him. “Tell him? TELL A COP? What the shit Austin?...AUS!”He moved to the door, closing it behind him. Amy shook her head and threw her hands in the air, clearly exasperated by it all.
The Lyon roars
” The match against Goth didn’t go like I wanted. To say the least.”
Austin leaned forward, his flowing brown hair was slicked back with a few strands sliding down over his forehead and eyes.
” But, I was beaten by the better man. I’ve never been one to mince words. If I go into a match with someone, and they beat me, then I will be the first person to congratulate them on a job, well done and be eager to see how they go in the future. if I lose to someone and genuinely believe I should’ve won? Well, I’ll still congratulate them on the win, but I will come at them with everything that I have because I know I can beat them. I know I can beat Goth, but I also know he is going to to a well-earned and deserved world title match.”
“But what about Me? What is in store for Austin James Mercer? I could do what people like Jack, Washington expect me to do, I could stop my feet and demand another match to get into the world championship scene. But contrary to popular belief that is not something I’ve ever done. Every single time I get selected to go into an opportunity for that world championship, a little part of me inside cringes, and I die. Because I never ask, I never beg, I try and earn everything I get.”
“That includes other title matches.”
“So, the distant future for me at December 2 dismember is an Internet championship match against Miles Kasey. But it’s not about the championship between myself and Miles. The fact the Internet championship is on the line is just an extra. The issue between myself and Miles is about respect, it’s about maturity, and it is about pushing someone to where they need to be, and making them who they need to be through any means necessary. That is what I’m going to do.”
Austin can’t help but chuckle to himself as he folds his large arms over his chest and shakes his head
”Miles and I have an issue that needs settling. And that is exactly what I aim to do at the end of the year. But before he and I get to go at it for the Internet championship and before I get to teach a lesson to someone who really needs it. I’m going to be making a detour. I get to face the “unbreakable” Eddie Lyons. And trust me on this, I am not the type of person to look past any opponent, let alone one as impressive, as Eddie has been since he stepped foot in a sin wrestling ring. I know who you are Eddie. I know what you’re capable of.”
“I don’t look past anyone, but you? You have my attention. You have won almost all of your matches in this company. Anyone who has crossed your path you’ve been except for Peter Vaughan, And. He is certainly not a pushover. Peter being the roulette champion was a highlight for that division. But it would’ve been for you as well. you and I certainly have a few things in common don’t we Eddie?”
“We both come from wrestling families. Wrestling royalty as it were.”
“My family, the Mercers ruled, the East Coast. My grandfather, my uncles, and my father, all spent time in the professional wrestling business. Stretching back generations. You? You’re from the Lyons family. The baby of the family. But, from what I’ve seen, you are definitely the most dangerous. And that is me knowing damn well what kind of competitor, your cousin Victoria is.”
Austin nods slowly in stark recognition.
”I’m not going to sugarcoat it, I’m excited to face you, Eddie. I want to know just how good you are. And I’m proud that I get to do it. You see I look at someone like Miles and I see someone who has wasted his potential. Someone who should be a world champion by now. Someone who should be in the main event scene, facing the biggest names in this company. but he can never get out of his way. He can never take that next step and always brings himself down. He fails and stumbles. No matter who is around him, and what they give him, whether that is time or knowledge or power he simply cannot get the job done.”
“So, before I step into the ring with him and get ready to take that Internet title, I get to step in the ring with you. Someone who is the opposite of miles. Eddie, you are the future of this company. I have nothing but respect and admiration for you and what you’ve been able to accomplish. you didn’t let your failure against Peter Vaughan stop you from stepping back into the ring and earning wins. Earning your way. And reminding everyone just how good you are.”
“I can see you becoming a champion.”
“A legend.”
“The best of the Lyons family.”
“Hell, I can’t go into this match with any promises of victory. I can’t sit here and say that I’m going to rip your head off or beat the hell out of you and force you to submit. I can’t use the fact that I’m a former world champion to intimidate you because you are very well prepared. I know you are. I know what type of person you are because I look at you and I see Me when I was younger. you grew up in and around this business, you grew up with a family who loves this business. And you all learned together. You are a student of the game and someone who prizes honor above all else.”
Austin can’t help but laugh as he looks over at his trophy case. A replica of the honor wrestling world championship sits there with his name on the nameplate. He scuffs and turns back to the camera before continuing.
”Honor, as a wider concept, is dead Eddie. It’s been dead for a while. And not just the company that I was once a champion of. The entire concept. There is no honor amongst thieves, and everyone in this business is a thief. They steal everything. They steal people's money. They steal people's time. They steal people's faith and they steal people's friendship. That is what we all do, and we are all guilty of it in some way shape, or form. you might be innocent, but I know you’re not naive to the way this business works. You’ve seen that with your family too. Just like I have..”
“I was ready to give my time to someone like Miles, and he stole all of that. He stole my time. He stole my motivation. He stole my knowledge, and he did nothing with it. So tell me, Eddie, are you going to steal my respect? I just sat here for the last five minutes and told the world how you are the future of this business and how I firmly believe in my heart of hearts that you could be a world champion in this company. So what are you going to do with that?”
“Are you going to take the respect I’ve given you and flush it down the toilet by not living up to my expectations?”
“And to be clear, my expectations are not that you are going to go out there and beat me easily. Hell, my expectations aren’t even that you are going to beat me at all. All I want from you Eddie is everything you have. And if everything you have ends up beating me? I will shake your hand and I will sing your praises to the moon. If all you’ve got is to give it all in the ring and still lose to me and fall to your knees and realize that I am still just as badass as I used to be? I will still do the same. But, we aren’t going to know that until the bell rings and you and I face off. And then we won’t know the definite answer until the bell rings again. From Bell to Bell, I want you to give me everything you have. If you do that for me, Eddie? Then you really will be unbreakable”
