Ariel hit me with some unexpected news while I was recovering from my brutal confrontation against the head of the SCW organization, Mark Ward, at London Brawling. It was time that I made a visit to my parents’ graves in Illinois.
On this gloomy Thursday, the skies were howling with tremendous rain and lightning that crashed somewhere in the distance. My blue Dodge rolled up on the side and I parked it in front of the massive gate that was open to any who wanted to come in. I told Ariel, earlier in the day, that I needed to get some fresh air, to think things over on my own. She told me, in response, that she understood and that she’ll be home for the duration of the day. She wasn’t going anywhere, it seems. I kissed her goodbye and headed out, taking a red umbrella with me.
That was three hours ago.
Now here I sit, in the driver’s seat, thoughts of the past haunting my mind, constantly nagging at me like little red-devils laughing at me in some cold pit of Hell. I was wearing casual clothing, a nice red shirt that said “King Of Kings” on the front, blue pants, and sporting Nike shoes and socks on my feet. I was wearing sunglasses, but once I arrived at the Blue River cemetery, I immediately took them off and dropped on the front passenger seat off to my immediate right. My gaze never wavered from the iron gates, closed and standing like tall, stone statues of warriors that were instructed to guard it from all invaders. I didn’t think I would be coming back here, ever since the death of my parents happened years ago. But with the new information I discovered from Ariel weeks ago, I wasn’t sure how to handle it. It was best that my parents heard about it first before anyone else.
Taking a deep breath and letting it go, I opened the car door, then looked in the back and grabbed the red umbrella. Making sure to bringing it out into the open, I unleashed the contents and it opened fast. I stepped out of the car, setting the umbrella over my head, and closed the door behind me. I could hear the rain dropping fast, hitting the umbrella with quick splashes. The SCW camera crew were near me, but I resolutely ignored them, yet was aware that anything I said would be captured. At this point, I didn’t care,for these words had to be said before I departed from the cemetery. Pushing the iron gates before me was as easy as opening a typical door and the gates opened wide. The grave that I would be seeking out was located above every other grave, on a lone hill.
I entered the cemetery, with the camera crew trailing after me. It was like entering a new world that was forbidden to mortals. The cemetery was a place for the dead, souls that never cared about the living after they passed away from this mortal coil. To the living, it symbolizes death for all eternity, a place where no one wants to cross, but it happens to everyone. For me, though, I didn’t fear death. I accepted, long ago, that death is impending and would happen in my later years, after I retired from the business and after I grew old. When it happens, my legacy in the world that I fought in would be cemented and all would know of the legend that was the King Of Kings...the way it should be, really. Until then, I will continue to fight until my last breath has been drawn. I didn’t shudder as I saw plenty of graves surrounding me as I walked up the hill. The chill was cold, but like death, I embraced it swiftly and dropped it out of my mind.
After five minutes of walking, I climbed up the hill and stood, at long last, at the grave of my parents. Each of them were side-by-side, the way they wanted it. I slowly kneeled in front of the two graves, looking at their names. Kyle and Lauren Grayson, caught in the crossfire of a gang shooting between two rival gangs that fought each other at the time. I wasn’t there to see it, but I felt like it was my responsibility to keep them safe and protected. The day I heard of their untimely perish was the day that my good side died, planting the seed for my continuing darkness to come out and infect me in the years to come. And yet, with the news that Ariel broke to me, could this be a sign of change happening within me? Though the cold nor the environment wasn’t making me shiver, something within me force me to do so. My emotions were out of control, my mind in a total state of disaster at this moment. With the umbrella still hanging above my head as I held it in my right hand, I took the time to momentarily close my eyes, collect myself, gathering my thoughts, attempting to remember who I am and where I came from. Then I let it all go and my eyes opened.
I didn’t think I’d ever come back here. Not now. Not ever. But here I am, because I wanted the first to tell you both.
Tears were streaming down from my ears and entering my cheeks and then leaving altogether, like soldiers trying to get past all the gunfire on D-Day and climbing up to reach that hill, yet got gunned down quick and was rolling down the hill as fast as they climbed it. I brushed the tears away with my left hand, vulnerable to the core.
Ariel told me the news that I never expected to happen, not in a million years, to be honest. I didn’t dream of it, didn’t ask for it, but it happened. Unexpectedly and out of the blue, you could say. She didn’t say anything because I was and still am hellbent with vengeance after the fight with Mark Ward, one of many men that has stepped in my way. Not to mention that I was recovering from my injuries and couldn’t be bothered from anything else. Sure, I made an appearance once, but that was on my bed, back in the mansion, letting him know that I wasn’t afraid, that I was angry, and that I would return in full-form. Three weeks into my recovery, my body was healed, but I couldn’t walk as much. So I still laid low, not giving out any interview calls until the last few weeks. But it was within the fifth week that Ariel came to my side, one morning, as I was drinking green tea. She told me the news that changed everything for me.
She told me...that she was pregnant. With twins!
I shook my head, like I was in denial of it,shaking uncontrollably. In this moment, I’m no longer Kain, the King Of Kings, the man that is fearless and can destroy anybody that attempts to deny me of any victory. No. In this moment, I’m Alex Grayson, a young boy who grew to be a man, a simple human being whose rage got the best of him and forced him to become a person that was desperate, struggling to make ends meet, even if it meant taking shortcuts in his life. I was faltering, pieces of me shattering like a mirror breaking in full, the sound of glass breaking loud and ear-splitting. The tears are coming in full-force and I bowed my head, crying like a baby, unable to control my emotions. Lightning crashed in the distance, the rain was still coming down swiftly. The cameras tried to capture the emotions that was going on and they got it, as I brought my head up, my face in a troubled mess. I remember being this heartbroken and depressed, feeling vulnerable and betrayed, helpless with no one to turn to except a cop who I broke down and spoke of how angry I was, as if I was confessing a deep, dark secret and felt good about letting go. Even then, it was painful. Today, though, it may be a good thing.
Within the swirling storm of my madness, I managed to regain control of myself. Holding back the tears once again, trying to put a leash on my wild feelings, I spoke softly, barely a loud whisper for the audio to capture.
Twins! Can you believe it? Can you believe that I’m going to be a father of my own two children? She’s been two months pregnant now and we’ve determined the sexes of our babies. One will be male, the other female. We even decided on names! Can you believe it? You’d be proud of her, my girl, the most beautiful thing to ever happen in my life and now things will be better. Hell, we even decided on names already. In fact, mother and father, our son will be named Arthur Grayson and our daughter will be Rose Grayson. They will grow up in this world, learn from us both, and we will make sure that we can be the best parents that we can possibly be.
The camera crew must have think I was going mad, talking to a couple of graves, but it’s common for people to visit their dead friends or relatives and speak to them. So, in this instance, I was doing what everyone else did. I wasn’t crazy, nor did I had voices in my head, talking to me and I would reply back. No. How could the dead respond me? Like I said, the dead don’t care about the living, but maybe, just maybe...they would still be listening to those that spoke to them in earnest, like how I was doing here. Maybe my parents were listening to me after all. I nodded at the graves, as if I was agreeing about something.
I know that I’m not the best son in the world. I took my rage and hatred and it brought me to places that I never imagined before. No one in this world will be able to shake my confidence and drag me to the depths of Hell and still won’t be able to, you know? But with these twins on the way sometime later this year, perhaps it may be time to change. But for now, I can’t; I can’t walk away from the path I’m on. I still have a desire to be the best in the world at what I do. I can’t run away from that goal; I must embrace and commit to it at one-hundred percent and more. Maybe when my son and daughter are born, that day may finally bring out the good side in me. The news planted a seed in that, you know? But I can’t walk away; people expect me to be at the top of my level and I can’t disappoint them, you know? Not here. Not now. I still need to take over the organization that I work for, which will work for me when I am finished. I still need to be the greatest champion the world has ever known. I still need to be the man that created a legend that nobody can annihilate. In order to do that, I must stay on the path of the dark side. And I will continue to do so until everyone is injured permanently and out of the game, to the point of where no one can touch me. But maybe, just maybe, when my kids are born, I may change and someday, you will find yourselves proud of all that I have accomplished, for good or bad. You will someday find me to be the good son you prayed and hoped for when I was born. Until then, I hope you both keep me in your thoughts, still continuing to watch over me.
I slowly rose from my position, relieving the cramps and aches from my legs, worn out from the emotional assault that drained everything out of me, mentally and physically. I stood up from my height, everything contained once again. I continued to stare at the grave, uttering one final, yet powerful statement to my dead parents.
I love you both very much...!
My cell phone started to vibrate from the left pocket of my blue pants. I turned around and my game face was on. No longer was I Alex Grayson, but Kain, The King Of Kings, a man that was determined to take back everything and make the world his own. He will use his constant pain and torment as fuel for revenge against all those who seek to destroy him. As I started walking back, I grabbed my cell phone out of its pocket and opened it. It was a text message from Mark Ward, head of the SCW organization. Exactly how the hell he got my number, I wasn’t sure. I knew that I never gave it to him; my cell phone is given only to those that I trust fully. That monster is one I didn’t trust, yet somehow, he must have gotten my number by looking it up. After all, anyone’s number can be looked up if you search hard enough. Although the caller I.D. didn’t specifically say who it was, I recognized the number. It was the number that was on a business card that he gave me when he and I first met to talk about contract details and working under their banner. I started walking down the hill, a five-minute walk back to my blue Dodge, opening the phone and reading the text.
I know you’re out there somewhere, at home, but I wanted to be the first to tell you that you will be put on the shelf permanently after Wyatt Peterson is done with you. After he’s done destroying you, you won’t have any championship matches. You won’t be here at all, period. Give up now or be prepared for a beating that you’ll never forget!
I closed my phone and thought about what he said. Midway through the walk, I stopped. I smile widely. Then I laughed very hard, my eyes closed, in wicked glee. If this man thinks that I can be stopped, he is out of his fucking mind. I warned everyone, on Twitter, that everything would change when I returned. Nick Jones and Jordan Williams saw the fire in my eyes and knew that I meant business. I know that a lot of things changed, but it doesn’t matter. No one could be concerned about their friends or enemies at this time; it should only be me that they should worry about. The greatest threat in their lives has returned and sooner or later, everyone will be bowing to the King, including Mark Ward as well. So...I have to deal with Wyatt Peterson? The one guy that booted me in the face, the guy that was part of a team that won against my “team” earlier on in my career? Payback’s going to be a bitch!
With these thoughts in mind, I returned to my blue Dodge. Opening the driver’s door, I threw my red umbrella into the back, then got into the driver’s seat. Whipping out my keys from my blue pants’ right pocket, I fired up the car and the engine roared like a tiger. Then I turned the car around and headed out of the cemetery, the cameras pulling back wide as they saw my car in the distance and finally saw me gone. Then it looked up at the skies and became a silent witness to the pounding rain and harsh thunder that continued to pour like a hail of arrows coming down.
* * *
Wyatt Peterson...what I say to you may either benefit you or destroy you. As the King Of Kings, my word is true.
People fear change. Some human beings are able to adapt to it and shrug it off like nothing ever happened, but most people despise it. Others cannot accept the change of reality in front of them and commit suicide, thinking that their situation has no likable options to pursue and therefore leading to a not-so positive outcome. Change is a part of life and I have yet to discover folks who are willing to embrace those changes, for good and bad, and just roll with the punches. It’s sad, really. Not a lot of people out there are strong to handle any circumstances on their own, so they use a bunch of excuses or reasons to get out of the hole they are in. It’s unfortunate, but that’s how things work in life. Of course, that is what I see in most people. As for me? I don’t fear change. In fact, I don’t fear anything. What happens sometimes isn’t my fault and other times,it is. I’ve accepted my reality, fought my battles and wars, and continued to make a living legend out of myself day in, day out. Including the news that I received outside that shook my world from the ground-up, but that’s neither here or now. I am returning after a seven-week hiatus and that’s where people are thinking that I am not capable of doing what I do best.
Those people would be dead wrong. After I healed myself, I went back to work. I trained extensively and participated in low-key fights that allowed me to regain my instincts and power. I almost lost in some matches, but I prevailed in them all, proving why I am still the reigning champion in every territory I’ve entered. To this day, people are not going to like this new Kain, this evil, ungrateful, unmerciful son of a bitch that doesn’t care about the welfare of his opponents. People are going to fear this new change and will despise it. Mark Ward pushed me over the edge, thinking that I was controlled, I was tamed. He’s wrong. Everyone is wrong. I will not go soft. What happened at London Brawling was merely a taste of the grueling punishments I can’t wait to deliver to every opponent that thinks they have some kind of an advantage over me, whether they beat me or not. Somehow, someway, I resurface and give them something to think about. Like how I’m going to do for Wyatt Peterson, a guy who got lucky in a tag match, kicked me in the face, and helped in his team winning. But this time, all bets are off. The situation changed for the worse on his side of the street and I’m here for payback, not just for that kick though. I’m here to send a message to the entire locker room, not to mention the head honchos that think they can run this place without me. And he’s the perfect patsy for that message!
See, Wyatt, here’s the situation. This is not a tag-team match, where we have to rely upon others to “help” each other in earning a victory. Fact is, every tag-team match I’ve been involved in has been a disaster and it’s not because of me, but because of the incompetent partners that have been forcibly shoved down my throat! So therefore, all blame lies elsewhere, because I did my job. However, I did underestimate you; that will never happen again. You chose to be smart and eliminate me from our last confrontation, allowing your team a win that I couldn’t prevent. This time, though, no one will be able to save you. It’s you alone, out in the cold, with no one to aid you. This time, you will face me in the eyes and feebly attempt to knock me out of the game, hoping to jump over me and gain a better position within the company in terms of championship gold. You will fail, however. You will fail in your mission because you’re dealing with a man on your own. This isn’t just any kind of man, however. You’re dealing with the King Of Kings, a man that you should have bowed to when we first met. At Climax Control, I will punish your weak body, cripple your state of mind, and revel in the rage I have stored for so long, only to be unleashed upon a worthless soul such as you. I will earn payback, gain the upper-hand, and earn a victory that was long denied to me since we first encountered each other. The beating that I have planned for you will be brutal and once you are in my clutches, I doubt that you will be able to escape so easily!
Now, I’ve heard of how you parted ways with your mentor. If you intend to bring that pathetic drama to our upcoming battle, it will be ignored. Your problems are not mine to deal with. In fact, you shouldn’t even be thinking of whatever drama is shrouding your miserable life at this point. I’m the only thing in this world that matters, Wyatt. Not Mark Ward. Not the new Bombshells that entered our camp. Not Nick Jones, a man that existed as a heavyweight champion only to fall at the hands of Rage and is now a paper champion. Sooner or later, that championship will be mine, Wyatt, because let’s face it; Rage is only holding that belt until I become the #1 contender for the world heavyweight championship and when I destroy him and destroy him I shall, he will be a paper champion, like how his predecessor is now. In the end, I’m your end and you’re my beginning, Wyatt. That’s all that really matters! You will be the scarred painting on a wall for everyone to see, for people to see and hear, Wyatt. You will be a man that will let everyone know that Kain has returned and it’s all about business. I’m not here to play games anymore; I’m here to win at all costs. And so, you will be forced to confront the music that’s so loud and unnerving, you wish you could turn it off. But once you step into my world, Wyatt, you can’t. The music I deliver is a symphony of destruction, a wail of screams that emanate from my opponent’s threat as I deliver move after move onto their weak, fragile physical entities. No matter how hard you try, you cannot stop me. Not even a boot to the face will end me that quickly, You’re simply running on borrowed time, Wyatt, so after I’m finished with you, then perhaps maybe you should have stayed with your mentor and learned more from him, unless you want to see him getting his ass kicked by a god like me?
If you are hoping that I am full of rust and won’t be able to handle myself, prepare yourself for disappointment. I took it upon myself to bring myself back to tip-top shape and got myself in a few low-key fights that brought everything back up to speed for me. That includes my amazing instincts, my destructive power, and my ridiculous speed. That combination alone will be enough to take out anyone that dares to sit on my throne, including yourself. I can imagine that you’ll do your best to pummel me to the ground, but you have to remember, boy; I’m fazed by nothing. You think I feared the beating that Mark Ward gave to me at London Brawling, including that high fall from that building right at the end of our match? No. I took it all like a man and survived the carnage. I’m like a machine that can’t be annihilated by anything that hits him; you can do your best to wound him all he wants, but in the end, his wounds will heal completely and he’ll keep on coming for more until his foe is wiped off the map completely! What you saw last time was nothing but a tip of the iceberg. You’re going to be an unlucky, unfortunate man that just witnessed, first-hand, what I am truly like on the battlefield. No more Mr. Nice Guy! Never was that, but the beatings I gave was perhaps a bit too soft, yet still enough to do what it needed. This time, I’m here for business and if it means crippling my enemy to the point of where they can no longer walk, then so be it. As big or strong as you are, it won’t be enough to stop me, Wyatt Peterson. Hell, son, not even on your best day could you EVER hope to defeat me!
Someday, Wyatt, the light will shine on you. Someday, you may even hope to become greater than me. But until that day, you’re nothing. You’re like the rest of the sheep that want to be plucked out of the herd by doing something different and outstanding. But that day will never come for you, Wyatt. You got lucky once, but all of your luck has run out. It’s too bad that there’s no championship on the line, but rattling your cage in the most powerful way is good enough for me. The way I see it, nothing in the world can stop me from ruining the lives of many that dared to take away everything from me. It’s been nothing but losses and draws around here in my career, but I’ve had enough. My time is here and now and I wish to see nothing but victory in one fight after another. It doesn’t matter if I’m settling an old score or if I have fought a new challenger and overcame them with my wrath; it’s all about winning in the end. I intend to win. I intend to create a path of destruction that no one will be able to follow in my wake, Wyatt. The days of the Kain of yore are gone. Today, the Kain of new has arrived, armed with stronger confidence and a willful determination to see everything through his own way. So I’m going to say this once and only once; you better do the right thing. Right here, right now. Give up this futile quest of yours and just run away. Run away from this federation, run away from everything in this business, because your quest for gold or whatever else it is you are currently seeking ends here and now. Decide not to run away and it’s going to be a long, painful night for you. I’m not kidding around here, son. I’m here to show, time and again, why I am here and why I deserve to be on top of the world once more. Like I said before, I’ve underestimated you once and because of my ignorance and stupidity, you and your team emerged victorious. That won’t happen again! If you do decide to face me and take your well-deserved beating like a man, I just might say that I have a small amount of respect reserved for you. However, if you decide to anger me by making this fight harder on me, then the game is over and all bets are off. I will put you on the cross and crucify your name and your reputation, watching with no remorse as blood pours on the ground from your body. After I am finished with you, Wyatt Peterson, you will have nothing left. No hopes, your dreams are dead, and the only thing you’ll have is emptiness. You won’t be walking out of that arena with anything but a beating that’s within an inch of your life! It’s time for you to make a change and to accept the reality of things, just as I have! And thus...
My name is Kain. I am the King Of Kings. And your fate...is sealed!
