The turning tide
He was furious. But, he needed to hide it. To calm his emotions and let the information sink in. A feeling of betrayal and a feeling of confusion. How could this happen? Why did this happen? The problem with finding answers is that sometimes those answers lead to even more questions. His hands clasped on the arms of the chair he was sitting in, he glossy wooden ends slid under his fingertips as his teeth ground together.
The waiting was the hardest part.
Not the things he had done to get to this point, the pain he caused for the information, the anger he showed and the aggression he needed to use. Austin was not a violent man. Ironic considering his occupation. But growing up, despite his size, his strength and his natural ability he was calm and collected. He studied in school, he played sports but preferred to read. Becoming a professional wrestler and following in his family lineage and living up to their legacy was one thing.
But the violence he needed to show for this? It was out of character for h9im, for his personality and who he wanted to be.
What does not make a human being worse in himself cannot make his life worse either: it cannot harm him from the outside or inside – Marcus Aurelius “Meditations” Book 4 Verse 8
Words to live by, wisdom to keep the mind moving. But, living by those principles was harder for Austin. Sitting here now and waiting. Knowing what he was probably going to do. Something that was personal made all the more cutting by who it was. Now he needed to find out the one simple question that was also more complex and confusing than anything else.
Why?
Why Lisa? Why his family? Why did it happen?
The door clicked, it opened and a man stepped through the door, the sound of keys hitting a glass table and the light clicking on rang out. And he suddenly stopped, looking in the doorway. There was silence between them before Austins booming voice finally rang out. ”Hello Michael”
Troll Slayer
He was annoyed. And who wouldn’t be? Being forced to stand in this match, forced to face someone who didn’t deserve to even be in the company. His nostrils flared, his teeth clenched and Austin groaned.
[coloor=lightblue]”The fact I have to be here, now and address this person, well, it’s demeaning. It’s demeaning to me and tyo my family. Demeaning to the bus9iness and thye sport we all hold dear. The man who is a self professed “Troll”....it’s a sick joke really…”[/color]
Austin pauses, leaning forward and balancing his elbows on his knees as he brings his hands together and placed them under his jaw.
”I have bigger issues right now than dealing with this moron. I told you all, I told you how I didn’t want to do what I was going to. I didn’t want to face Carter. I didn’t want to hurt Carter. But I had to. I had to, because a point needed to be proven to every single one of you. I spant weeks calling people out. I called out Ken Davison, and I was met with private messages asking me not to. I called out Chris Page only to be met with silence. So when Carter was standing across from me I needed toi make something perfectly clear..”
“I am to be feared.”
“I am to be respected.”
“I look bat the top of SCW and it makes me sick. Mac Bane, Ken Davison, The Harris boys. I showed them respect and in the end it meant nothing. Hell Calcin Harris beat me and I told him on that night he was the better man and I got hit with the equivalent of “Lol I know”. Really? That is what we’re doing now? So, imagine, if you will how surprising it was that when I set my sights on someone else that Michael Harris would take umbridge with it.”
Austin pauses and laughs to himself, shaking his head as he runs his hands through his wavy brown hair.
”Michael Harris. Our world champion. See, I went after Miles and you just happenerd to be in the way. I went after them because they are two names from my past that need to be made an example of. Carter and I were friends, Miles was someone I trained with and I looked at as a little brother. Someone I wanted to help realise his dreams. You, Michael, were just in the way…”
“I didn’t want you or your title.. I didn’t want anything to do with you and all you had to do was simply…..Walk away. Go on with your life, content in the knowledge that you dodged a bullet. But your ego couldn’t allow that. So, while I remained silent on it at the last Climax Control, you ran your mouth in a truly heroic display of ignorance and delusion that we had all come to expect from someone like you.”
“Not everything is about you, you arrogant fuckwit…”
“So, now I find myself embroiled in a third wheel situation. I want to end Miles. Go after him and teach him a final lesson yet Miles seems fixated on Harris and getting his hands on a world title while also fending me off. And Harris. Well, Harris is like the jealous side piece. Wanting all the attention…”
“But, they will; both have to wait…”
Austin pushes up, standing up straight, dressed in a leather jacket, a black button up shirt and black jeans. He titls his head and lets out a disappointed sigh.
”Now, I am being forced to deal with someone who has been a thorn in so many peoples sides for the last year or so. A man who calls himself a troll. And when you get people who are delusional in a room he still somehow manages to stand out. And no, Gabriel, that isn’t a compliment. You want attention so bad you say and do outlandish things, you stomp your feet and do anything you can so eyes are on you.”
“Actually. Now that I think of it. You and Michael Harris are more similar than most realize.”
“You stepped into my business. Ridiculous claims and stupidity about things you know nothing about. Typing on your phone or keyboard expecting to be able to get away with it. But when have you? When have you been able to? The power that Trolls have is that they can say things with a certain level of safety in anonymity. It’s something they all understand yet you…you say things with the full knowledge that we can all seer you.”
“We all know you…”
“To be honest, I’m not sure if that makes you extraordinarily brave, or stupid. But what I do know is that now you have to face me, in a ring. One on one. And it will not be a good night for you. It will not be fun or entertaining. It will be painful anfd awkward for everyone in that arena to watch. And you have no one to blame for this but yourself…”
