Do you have what it takes? Throughout life, that is a statement that follows every human-being until they are fully able to formulate a complete answer to the question. It’s an unfortunate truth of life that most of us never truly have what it takes. There’s a reason that we don’t all always follow the first path that we wanted to take when we were children. At some point, we realize that we are not made to follow our dreams. Many children dream of being a doctor, but do not have the wherewithal to understand the true tenacity that it takes to make it in a profession that takes time and effort that many would never put forth. Lawyers do not become the stop sharks in their industry because they were not meant to be successful. We all have something that we are going to do, whether it is something that we wanted to do or not. The truth is, we’re all made for something. For some of us, it is exactly what we wanted to do. For others, it’s something that we are made to do. For me, I’m finally about to follow my dreams and become the GREATEST professional wrestler in the world. However, it’s coming at a cost that might be bigger than all of the fame and notoriety that I’m about to accumulate. Here’s the thing, I knew from day one that if I wanted to do something, I would be able to. I’m not like the rest of the people in this world. I do not take no for an answer, and I do not let any single obstacle stop me from doing what I want to do. Instead of going to college, I entered the military because I wanted to. I served the United States of America for five years. I excelled at serving, becoming a Sergeant First Class Soldier. I did my time, and I excelled. Then, somehow I found my way into modeling, and I excelled at that. Granted, it didn’t take talent, just my good looks. I did and still dabble in modeling to this day, but it’s not a passion for me. I have two true passions in my life, sports and politics. I excelled in sports throughout my entire High School career. I was scouted by many of the best colleges in the United States, but the love of my country propelled me into the military. Now, I pursued my love for politics back in 2018, and that did not go as I hoped. Not everyone is made for that, but athletics are my thing. Had I pursued furthering my education, I would likely be one of the best wide-receivers in the National Football League, yet that wasn’t the direction that I wanted to take. If I wanted to, I could have been a pitcher in Major League Baseball, yet I did not follow that path. At the end of the day, those aren’t the paths that I wanted to take. I guess, maybe I was not truly meant to be that type of athlete. I do, however, now know what profession I was always supposed to follow.
“Happy birthday to you”; the phrase that excites all people, young and old alike. We all love to celebrate our birthdays, for many different reasons. When you’re young, you enjoy the prospects of a party. You enjoy the attractions, the cake, and most of all, the presents that you receive from your friends and family. When you’re older, you look forward to celebrating in other ways. Today, I look at this birthday in a way I never expected to. Today, May twenty-second is the third birthday of one Sky Vanderbilt. It was a different kind of birthday than a typical three year old would normally receive. Given the state of the world, there would be no large party. There would be no extravagances that the Vanderbilt family would normally splurge for. There would be no cotton candy machines, petting zoos, or bouncy castles. Instead, Sky Vanderbilt would spend her third birthday cooped up in her mother’s apartment with her sister in Battery Park City. While the pandemic facing the world had put a certain damper on the planned festivities, that wasn’t going to stop Mason from putting a smile on his daughter’s face. It had been a weird two years for Mason and his family unit. While Mason obviously had love for his children, there was a certain lack of affection for the mother of his children, Christina Cole. It would be hard to spend the entire day with his daughters solely because of the contentious relationship that he has with Christina, but Mason was willing to attempt it because he loved his daughters that much. As Mason entered the apartment building, he took a deep breath. Carrying many different gift bags, he walked over to the elevator. He pushed a button to call the elevator down, and stands there, waiting for the elevator to make its way down to go to Christina’s apartment. The waiting seemed to last forever. He could not understand why an elevator in a building as expensive as his family was allowing her to stay, would take so long. Looking down at the floor, Mason sighs. Finally, a ding can be heard. He looks up as the elevator door opens. Slowly, Mason steps into the elevator, facing his back to the rear of the elevator. Slowly reaching towards the buttons, he pushes the button to take him to the seventh floor. The metal doors begin to close when an older blonde woman rushes to catch the elevator. Realizing that she was not going to make it in time, Mason quickly drops the bags he held in his right hand. His actions made the doors reopen, allowing the blonde woman to enter the elevator. The woman, who was obviously in her mid-fifties had a smile from ear to ear. Carrying her purse and a brown paper marker bag, she stood next to Mason. Looking over at him with a smile, she speaks with a deep tone.
“Thank you so much dear. I hate having to wait for this damn elevator. It’s been taking forever lately.”
Mason nods his head as he reaches down and picks up the bag full of his daughter’s gifts. With the doors finally closing, it was only the two of them inside of the elevator. The woman made no attempt to call for another floor, so he assumed she was going to the same floor as him. He looked over at the woman with a smile.
“I’m happy that I don’t live here. I know it’s a fantastic building, but I would rather take the stairs than to wait on a slow ass elevator.”
As the woman props her back against the elevator wall, she looks down at all of the bags that Mason was carrying.
“Oh, you don’t live here? I guess from all of the bags that you’re carrying you're making a COVID-nineteen birthday house call?”
Mason once again nods his head. He looks at the woman with a smile. Then, he looks over at the lights indicating that the elevator is now between the third and fourth floors of the apartment building.
“That’s exactly what this is. It’s my daughter’s third birthday, and I refuse to let her go through today without a visit from her father. I couldn’t imagine a birthday without a gift, and I know that this is a weird time in the world, but I’m not going to let that stop me. My baby girl deserves the world, and I really need to see her and her sister.”
The woman nods her head in agreement. She cracks a smile as she looks at Mason. She then darts her eyes over to the indicator which places the elevator on the fifth floor. Then, she looks down into her bag and begins to speak to Mason once again.
“Well, that’s awfully sweet of you. I wish that more kids had fathers like you. Kids in this generation often miss the love and affection of their parents. I can tell that you and their mother aren’t together, but at least these children are being loved, that’s all that matters. They are what’s truly important.”
It felt good for Mason that he was being acknowledged as a good father. Looking over at the woman, the two make eye contact. A smile comes over Mason’s face as he nods in agreement.
“Thank you ma’am, you have no idea how much I appreciate that. It hasn’t been easy since me and their mother split. I’ve been trying my best, but she hasn’t been making it that easy on me. It’s hard, and sometimes I don’t know what to do, but I do my best.”
The elevator reaches floor seven, and the doors open. Both Mason and the woman look over at each other, as Mason motions for the woman to exit the elevator first. Obliging, she walks out of the elevator. Mason soon follows and the two begin to walk down the hallway together. Their walk does not last long, as Mason stops next to apartment seven hundred and two. The woman gives Mason a quizzical look as she stops at the apartment across the hallway.
“Wait… Christina is your baby’s mother? Star and Sky are your precious little daughters?”
Mason smiles as he nods in agreement. He looks across the hallway, as the two once again meet eyes.
“Those are my little girls. I swear, they are the reason that I keep going in life.”
As the woman fumbles with her keys to unlock her door, she looks over her shoulder at Mason.
“I can tell that you’re a great father, but that Christina is a bitch. It was nice meeting you!”
She opens her door, and slowly walks into the apartment. Mason lets out a soft laugh as she turns his back to her. He looks at the door to apartment seven hundred and two. Taking a moment, he looks down at the gifts in his hand. After a moment, he picks up his right hand and knocks on the door with enough force to make sure that the knock is heard. For a few moments, Mason stands there to prepare himself. He did not know what was going to happen in this visit. Even if he were to stand there and would have a knock-down drag-out argument with Christina, it wouldn’t matter. He knew that he was there for one reason, and one reason only. He wanted to spend time with his daughters. Yes, it was Sky’s birthday, but this visit meant more. Star and Sky are Mason’s world. They are the driving factors that keep him going, and he knows that. It only took a moment before the door to the apartment would open. Mason looks up and sees the mother of his children, Christina standing there. Christina, still dressed in her pajamas and holding a coffee mug, she seemed less than impressed to see her ex standing in front of her.
“Mason, what in the hell are you doing here? It’s like eight o’clock. You know that I don’t accept visitors until noon ever. I know you said that you wanted to stop by to see Sky, but I really don’t see why you had to come this early.”
Taking a deep breath, Mason simply steps into the apartment. Instead of responding to her initially, he walks into the living room area and places the bags onto the coffee table. After closing the door, Christina walks into the living room, sipping on her coffee. Throwing himself onto the couch, Mason looks up at his ex and shrugs his shoulders.
“Look, I told you that I have to get out of town by noon. I can’t just wait. I need to get to Las Vegas, you know that.”
Rolling her eyes, Christina sips on her coffee. She places her mug onto the mantle of her fireplace as she looks over at Mason.
“I still can’t believe that you’re really following that stupid ass wrestling dream that you’ve had for years. You have done so many random fucking things since you left the Army, and you now want to go full-on in this wrestling thing? I don’t get it, I really don’t get you Mason. You could have made it even further in the army. You’re a published model, and you could go further in that. You really want to choose this path to continue to provide for your daughters? I swear, I don’t fucking get it.”
Mason shakes his head and scoffs at Christina. He looked over at the coffee table for a moment, before darting his eyes back up at Christina.
“Listen, I don’t really know why you think your opinion matters about anything that I do. Christina, we are not together anymore. We’re divorced, and you live in a nice little apartment paid for by me. I pay your rent so my children can live in a great area of this city. You don’t have to do anything but work in photography like you’ve always wanted to do. I provide for Star and Sky, and my family has made sure that they are set no matter what. Yeah, I could have done a bunch of different things, and you’ve supported one. I didn’t expect for you to support me, and that’s one reason why I definitely didn’t ask for you to support me. All that matters to me is that my daughters are safe and taken care of. I’m going to be making a lot of money off of this deal, and that’s going to help out a lot. I just wish you wouldn’t try to sit here and diminish all of the good things that I do.”
Christina looks around the apartment, never letting her eyes meet Mason’s. She walks away from the fireplace and makes her way over to the couch. Taking a seat next to Mason, she looks at him for a moment before she quickly darts her attention to the bags on the coffee table. Shaking her head, she looks back over at Mason.
“I don’t diminish anything you do. Mason, for five years, I was your devoted wife. I think you forget that. I tried to support you in everything that you tried to do. I’m grateful for everything that you and your family have done, but I swear you don’t get it. When you decided that you wanted to make a dumb run for Congress, I supported you. When you decided that you wanted to train to wrestle, I supported you. I supported you, until it took a toll on our relationship. I supported you until it affected our children. You don’t realize that your ambitions took.”
Shaking his head, Mason turns his head away from Christina. He looks over at the mantle of the fireplace. Looking at pictures of his daughter’s, he takes a deep breath.
“I do everything for Star and Sky, you know that. I just wish you’d realize that you had a big role in our breakup. You can’t just sit here and act like you didn’t do what you did…”
Before Mason can finish his statement, he notices that his daughters Star and Sky have made their way into the living room. All of the heated conversation that was bound to happen if it had continued no longer mattered to Mason. He didn’t need to sit there and continue to argue with Christina, because it would never truly change anything. All that mattered to him was he was about to finally spend time with his daughters. Star and Sky both run over to the couch and jump onto the couch, Sky next to Mason and Star next to Christina. As Mason looks down at his youngest daughter, he wraps his arms around both of his daughters.
“Girls, you have no idea how much daddy has missed you. Happy birthday, Sky. All of those gifts over there are for you, and I hope that you really enjoy them. Star, I do have a little something for you. It’s not your birthday, but daddy’s perfect angel deserves something too.”
The two girls get up from the couch, they walk over to the table and begin to fumble with the gift bags on the table. Turning his head to look at his ex, Mason notices Christina rolling her eyes. As she throws her arms across her chest, she notices Mason looking at her.
“You know that you cannot buy these girls' affection. Gifts don’t make being an absent father any better.”
Christina stands up from the couch and storms out of the room. Mason could only sigh. Christina was always one for the theatrics, but something about this was different, and Mason knew it. Taking a deep breath, he stands up from the couch, and looks down at his daughters. With Star and Sky obviously occupied for the bevy of gifts he had brought them, Mason walks out of the living room and over to the kitchen where Christina is now located. Christina, who is now aggressively washing the dishes inside of the sink. Slowly, Mason approaches her.
“Are you trying to seriously insinuate that I have to buy my daughter's affection? You are fucking idiotic if you really think I brought gifts on my daughter’s birthday to somehow make you look bad? Christina, I do everything that I possibly can to make sure that our daughters are okay. I’ve told you that, time and time again. You know that, I don’t understand why you just have to say shit like that. I’m no absent father. I might not be here every day, and I won’t be able to be real soon. I’m going to be out on the road for much of the year, but that doesn’t make me an absent father. I do everything for you and our daughters, and I don’t need to. I could have been a bastard and let you go back and live with your parents, but I wanted my daughters to have a place of their own. I do everything I can, and you sit here and diminish it as some kind of tactic to make up for being an absent father, fuck you Christina.”
Christina looked over at Mason, it was obvious that he had struck a nerve. Christina drops the dish that occupied her hands back into the sink.
“I want you out of my apartment. You’re not going to come in here and say that to me. You’re not going to somehow make this a moratorium on me, when you are the one who has always done me and your daughters wrong. Say your goodbyes, and maybe next time you’re in town I’m going to think about letting you see them. Mason, you’re no good for me or our daughter’s, and you know that. Go pursue your dreams, but don’t drag my daughters down with the crash and burn that is going to come when you fail at this.”
Mason walks over to Christina and places his right hand on the small of Christina’s back. Looking down at the mother of his children, the two meet eyes. Almost for a moment, it seemed as if all of the hostility would continue to subside. For a moment, the two don’t utter any words. Taking his hands away from Christina’s back, he begins to walk away from Christina.
“I’m going to make you eat those words. I’m going to show you that this is not some pipedream. I’m going to show you that this is going to make everything better for our daughters. Maybe you should start looking for something to do other than photography, it’s not like you do much with that little pipe dream either. Take care, Christina.”
He turns his back to Christina and slowly walks back to the living room. Looking into the living room, he watches Star and Sky playing with the dolls that he had purchased for them. There was a beauty in the moment that he was watching. Watching his daughters playing together, made him know that he was doing the right thing. Everything that he wanted to do with his life, was going to make their lives better, and he knew it. Walking back into the living room, Mason drops down to his knees, catching the attention of his daughters.
“Girls, daddy has to go. I… don’t know when I’ll be back. I just want you two to know that I love you dearly, and I will be checking in on you both as soon as I can.”
Both Star and Sky hug their father. Wrapping his arms around them tightly, Mason holds onto his girls, not letting them go. Star, the oldest of his daughters, looks up at him bewildered.
“Daddy, where are you going?”
Taking a deep breath, Mason lets go of his daughters. He guides them in front of him, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. Looking at Sky, then looking at Star, he smiles at his girls.
“Well, daddy has a job. This job is going to take me away for a while, but I promise that whenever I can, I am going to call and FaceTime. When I have some real good free time, I’m going to come back and you guys are going to spend some quality time with daddy. I am going to check on you all the time, I promise. Granny and Grandpa will be too, I promise. I’m not going to leave you two for long, okay?”
Sky goes in for another hug, wrapping her arms around her father’s neck. Star nods her head, having a clear understanding of what her father had told her.
“Okay, daddy. We love you!”
It was hard not to get a bit teary eyed. Mason looked down at his girls, once again pulling them in for another long, lingering hug. As he lets them go, he turns his head to side to see Christina standing in the doorway watching them. Taking a deep breath, Mason stands back up to his vertical base.
“Bye girls, daddy loves you.”
Slowly, Mason walks away from his daughters. Before he makes it to the doorway, he turns around to see that the girls have already gone back to playing with the toys that he had bought them. Turning back to Christina, the two meet eyes once again.
“Goodbye, Christina.”
Mason wastes no time walking past his ex-wife. Walking through the hallway, he made his way into the kitchen. He stops for a moment, and reaches his hand into his jeans pocket. Pulling out his iPhone, he presses the power button to show his home screen, a picture of his two daughters. Taking a deep breath, he makes his way towards the front door of the apartment. Reaching out, he twists the knob to open the door. Stepping out into the hallway, he looks back into the apartment one more time. Taking a moment, he surveys the apartment for one, long moment. Closing the door behind him, he turns around placing his back against the apartment door. There were a lot of hard things that Mason had faced in his life. There is nothing harder than looking down the eyes of death and war, however, none were as hard as telling his daughters goodbye. He knew that what he was doing was for the best for not only himself, but for his children. He just wished that everyone else saw it that way.
xxxxxxx
Sin City, a place that quite frankly never held a particular interest. Yes, who doesn’t love a good casino? Who doesn’t love extravagance? Who doesn’t love showgirls? It takes a cynical person to not love enough all of the ambiance and temptations that Las Vegas had to offer. Yet, at this time, Las Vegas isn’t really Las Vegas. There are no casinos to spend countless amounts of money at. There are no shows to see all the camp that this desert has to offer. There are no Showgirls flaunting about their goods for all the men to enjoy. Right now, Vegas, like most of the world, is dead. In its own unique way, it seemed the only thing going around Las Vegas was Sin City Wrestling and its properties.
For a Monday evening, it was rather quiet. That might normally be a tad bit strange for Sin City, but nothing is strange during a pandemic. Unfortunately for Mason, it was a hassle to come from New York to Nevada. Given the limited amount of travel that was being allowed from the Empire State, there were some doubts that he’d make it in time for his big professional wrestling debut. Luckily, there would be no trouble and that debut would be executed flawlessly. Now, it was the moment that Mason had worked three long, hard years for. As Mason exited the elevator on the tenth floor of the Saxon Hotel, there were many thoughts running through his head. For the last twelve hours, all he could think about was… failure. What if this new venture somehow didn’t work out? What if all of this was for not, and Christina was right after all. Thinking about his bitch of an ex-wife being correct was almost enough to cause an aneurysm. Walking down the hallway, he looked at the numbers on the doors. It was a different experience knowing he was sharing a hotel with his colleagues, people who would either love him or love to hate him. However, he knew that no matter the opinions of these people, one opinion would never change. Stopping at door 1019, he knew he was about to be in extremely friendly company. Raising his right hand, he knocks on the door. For a moment the stand in the hallway awaiting an answer from the one person he knew was completely in his corner. As the door opens, a smile radiates from Mason’s face. Standing in front of him, his mentor Cornelius Walker. Mason looks down at Cornelius for a moment, admiring the black silk pajamas. Not being able to help himself, Mason lets out a soft chuckle.
“It’s not even seven, and you’re in your pajamas already? I know you’re old, but really Corny? I know you’re not ready for bed already.”
Rolling his eyes, Cornelius steps to the side to allow Mason to enter the hotel room. Mason walks in and admires the room, which is admittedly nicer than the one he was given. Looking over at the kitchenette, he notices that there is a bottle of Courvoisier on the counter, along with two glasses.
“Look, I called you here to celebrate, not for you to throw shade at my silk sleepwear. We have a lot to be thankful for, and I know no better way to be thankful than a buzz.”
Naturally, Mason agreed. Both men walk over to the kitchenette, and take a seat at the bar. Without hesitation, Cornelius reaches over and grabs the tongs on the ice bucket. Dropping ice into the glasses, he looks over at Mason.
“So kid, are you excited to finally walk that aisle? Are you excited to step into that ring and finally show the world what you got? I worked really hard with you, and I know you’re going to do an amazing job.”
Mason looks down at the counter for a moment. He takes a deep breath, and hesitates answering for a moment. He then pulls his phone out of his pocket, and begins to fiddle around with it. Not using it, but fumbling it around in his hands. After a few seconds, he looks up to see that Cornelius has already poured two drinks from the bottle of Courvoisier.
“I have to be honest with you, I’m a little nervous. You know, I know I’m ready. I know that I’m a talent. I know that I can be the best thing to ever happen to this business, but I’m in my head. I went see my daughter’s before I left New York, and Christina got to me. She really made me out to be some selfish prick who doesn’t do anything for his children. I’m the exact opposite, I’m doing this to leave a bigger legacy for my children. I want them to have a dad that made it in doing so many different things. I’m a soldier, a model, hell, I was even a failed politician. I just want them to be proud of me and the decisions I made to build the best life possible for them.”
Taking a sip from his glass, Cornelius looks over at Mason. He places the glass back down on the counter and shakes his head.
“Look, take it from me, you’re doing the right thing. I’m sure I’ve told you before, I’ve never let a woman dictate my career. I’ve been married five times, and not one of those broads had any say so in how I conducted my professional life. I was the breadwinner, so they couldn’t tell me shit. Yeah, I was away a lot. Yeah, I probably wasn’t one hundred perfect faithful in my relationship, but that was the nature of the road. The point is, I still did everything for my wife and kids. You’re going to do what you need to do for your daughters. What Christina thinks is completely irrelevant. This is your journey, this is your destiny.”
Taking a sip of his cognac, Mason raises an eyebrow at Cornelius’ statement. Somehow, he knew that Cornelius was absolutely correct. This was his moment, and he needed to take it. Placing the glass back on the counter, Mason reaches over and places a hand on Cornelius.
“You know, I know you’re right. I don’t know why I worry about Christina’s opinions. She just gets under my skin, I guess it’s because I am at blame for our family not being together. Yeah, I was not faithful to her, but it doesn’t mean that I would ever hurt her or my children.”
Letting out a bit of a tsk, Cornelius finishes off his drink. Putting the glass to the side, he shakes his head at Mason.
“Son, just because you cheated on your wife, doesn’t make you a bad father. Yes, it destroys the existing family, but it doesn’t mean that you are a bad father to your kids. I know that’s the furthest thing from the truth. As long as I’ve known you, you’ve done everything for your children. Hell, don’t you pay for the apartment that she lives in? She knows that you and your family are loaded, so she’s eventually going to try to take advantage of that. I mean I’m sure you already pay her alimony. No matter what, you’ve been more than a willing helper. Don’t let that bitch have any power over you. You’re about to be the biggest name in the world, don’t let her destroy that.”
There was a reason that Mason looked up to Cornelius. It wasn’t merely because of his previous wrestling career. It was not because of the successes and failures in his personal and professional life. It all stemmed from the respect that Mason was given from Cornelius from the beginning of their relationship. From day one, Cornelius never treated Mason as an inferior, the two found a kinship that’s led them to where they are today. Standing up from his perch on the stool, Mason looks down at Cornelius, then begins to laugh. Caught off guard by the laughter, Cornelius looks up at Mason bewildered.
“I’m sorry, I’m not laughing about anything you said, but damn your head is shiny. I thought bald heads only did that in the natural sunlight. Seriously, you could probably reflect a ray off of that thing.”
Mason begins to laugh, and places his hands on Cornelius’ silk pajamas at the shoulders. Shaking his head for a moment, Cornelius could not help but to begin to laugh as well.
“Fuck you, Vanderbilt.”
As the two men continued to laugh, Mason realized that Cornelius was right. He was doing the right thing, and no matter what Christina thought, he was going to be a raging success. For the first time since truly starting his journey to Sin City Wrestling, Mason felt confident. He felt like he was about to embark on the greatest journey of his life. He had fought to protect the freedom of his nation, he traveled the world in several modeling endeavors, but nothing compared to the journey he was readying to set sail on. Sunday, June the seventh, his odyssey truly begins.
VANDERBILT 2020
FIRESIDE CHAT
STREAM BEGINNING SOON:
It’s hard to imagine a bigger desert oasis than Las Vegas. Though Nevada is one of the most serene states in the Union, it’s often defined by the industrious gambling epicenter that is the Las Vegas Strip. On any normal night, the city would be alive with grandiose events, yet tonight was obviously different. Casinos and clubs had not opened their doors in months, and that has yet to change. For Mason Alexander Vanderbilt, that put a damper on his plans. The initial envisioning of his first rally as the President of Professional Wrestling, could not happen. With no large gatherings being permitted, he had to reach into an old storied playbook to make his statement.
Nighttime in the Mojave Desert was nearly a different experience than during the day. While a day could bolster temperatures hot enough to fry a brain inside a skull, the nights were considerably colder. On this night, a fire has been set up inside the desert. The fire, no larger than your typical campfire, crackles and pops. Near the side of the fire, a large sign can be seen. The sign covered in American regalia reads “Vanderbilt 2002: The Man, The Myth, The MAVERICK”. After a moment, from the distance, The Sultan of Style, “Sweet” Cornelius James Walker walks up to the fire.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the renaissance of professional wrestling begins at Into The Void. Last week at Climax Control, I introduced you to your new President of Professional Wrestling. At Into the Void, the Maverick lands inside of a Sin City Wrestling ring. Now I, the Sultan of Style, love to talk. However, this isn’t about me. So, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the fireside chat of Mason… Alexander… Vanderbilt!”
Stepping up to the fire is the one and only, Mason Alexander Vanderbilt. Mason, wearing a surprisingly subdued red flannel shirt and blue jeans, looks down at the fire for a moment. Letting out a soft laugh, he picks up his head, and turns his attention over to Cornelius.
“Well, thank you for the lovely introduction, I knew I liked you for some reason.”
Turning his attention away from Cornelius, he looks down at the fire once again.
“You know, life has a funny way of screwing up the plans that we make. Have you ever had a birthday party at some grand outdoor location that got ruined because of the rain? Well, COVID-nineteen has truly put a damper on the coming out party of the Maverick. You see, I planned on having a grand rally for when I decided to address my people. Yet, I cannot do that because of the banning of large gatherings. I planned a parade of a champion. I planned to announce all the changes that I wanted to change in professional wrestling. Don’t worry, I still plan on divulging all of that information. Unfortunately, I have to change the venue slightly. You see, I was inspired by a bevy of great leaders that have led our country through times of uncertain turmoil. Today, I am inspired by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. President Roosevelt would use the power of radio to address the nation during World War Two in order to put the American people at ease. Tonight, I present to you the first of its kind, a professional wrestling fireside chat.”
Looking down at the fire once again, Mason crosses his arms over his chest. He takes time to take a deep breath before looking up once again.
“You see, I know that all of you are deeply concerned about the trajectory of professional wrestling today, and I completely empathize with you all. There are so many things wrong with the way that people are conducting themselves in this industry. Now, there are many issues that I do believe can be fixed. There will be a time in which I will address such issues, but those come at a time in which they are relevant. Tonight, we will address the most pressing of these issues. Tonight, we are going to discuss… psychos.”
Unfolding his arms, Mason slowly brings his hands into his jean pockets.
“You see I will be making my much anticipated debut in Sin City Wrestling. At Into The Void, I will be facing one of the most feared and reviled wrestlers in the entire company. I will be stepping into the ring with someone that makes everyone who comes into their sight stop in their tracks. At Into the Void, I will be stepping into the ring with a man who has no issue calling himself a psychopath. At the super card, I will be stepping into the ring with… El Dark!”
Hardly able to compose himself, Mason quickly turns his attention back to Cornelius. Almost instantly, both men burst into unrestrained laughter. For a few uninterrupted moments, the two men continue to laugh together. Eventually, Mason composes himself. He takes his right hand out of his pocket, and wipes away tears from his eyes.
“Jesus, I couldn’t keep my composure anymore. Everyone, I’m sorry for losing my professionalism. You see, I should be scared of someone who is as menacing as El Dark. I should be horrified of stepping into the six-sided ring with someone that is rough and tough. Yet, here I am… standing in front of a fire. Here I am, not preparing to face a psycho. I am here, talking to my beautiful constituents. See, El Darko, can I call you that? Well, it doesn’t matter, that’s what I’m going to call you anyway. El Bingo-Boingo, you think that the world is scared of you. Yet, you are winless in that Sin City Wrestling ring. You claim to be way more than you actually are. You see, all that you are is a heretic. You come down to the wrestling ring attached to a cross, like you are the messiah. You want the world to worship you, and that isn’t going to happen. There isn’t a soul in the world that would worship you. El Drinko, you should probably stay on your cross, and not even worry about stepping off of it. There will be no soul to worship you at Into The Void. Take up your cross, and stay the fuck on it. You are a joke, and that’s what’s wrong with professional wrestling. People like you, you make things a fucking joke. First things first, how in the world is anyone going to take you seriously, when you haven’t done anything of significance to begin with. You come down to the ring on a cross. You wear a scary little mask, and you claim to be a psycho. Yet, you haven’t done anything to collaborate any claim that you’ve made. See, you lost your debut match-up, and you won’t ever win. I hate to break that to you, but that is the harsh reality of the situation that you’re going to find yourself in. You might claim to be unstoppable, to be dangerous, and to be insane. Well, El Mariachi, let me tell you about danger.”
The expression that adorns the Maverick’s face changes. Up until now, his demeanor was relaxed. Suddenly, a serious expression comes over his face. Taking his hands out of his pockets, he once again crosses his arms over his chest.
“For five years, I served in the United States Armed Forces. For two of those years, I was stationed in the Middle East. I fought for this country, I saw the ravages of war. Do you know what it’s like to watch the blood spill of innocent civilians? Do you know what it’s like to watch innocent people die at the hands of an army that you’re fighting for? I don’t think you do. You claim to be a dangerous man, but there’s nothing more dangerous than war. There’s nothing that you could possibly do to me that could compare to the danger that I faced on the battlefield. You see, you hide behind that mask. I will never be intimidated by a man who cloaks his head behind a mask, when I’ve stared evil right in the fucking eyes, and I’ve won. What makes you think that I’d ever be fucking scared of you?”
Scoffing, Mason looks over at Cornelius. The two exchange a few unintelligible words before Mason looks back to his front.
“Please, I’ve seen vaginas scarier than you ever could be. See, you claim to be unstoppable, and that’s just not a fact that’s true. For one, you’ve lost already, so you’ve been stopped. Let’s just think about this for a second. We both weigh essentially the same, but you’re quite a bit shorter than me. Am I supposed to be intimidated by a male who has to look at my well defined pectoralis muscles instead of my eyes? Here’s the thing El Liberace, I’ve fucked supermodels taller than you. What are you going to do? I guess you’ll have to stomp on my feet to even be able to scare me with that mask of yours. Look, I’m not trying to be a dick or anything, but you need to hear this. Allow me to do what your parents obviously didn’t do, and give you a little intervention. I don’t know who might have hurt you in your life, but obviously you have a lot of repressed emotions. Those repressed emotions have made you think that you are actually built to be some intimidating force. Here’s the thing, you can claim to be this unstoppable psychopath, but you’re not even close. See, El Dick-wad, you should probably rethink your path in life. If you think you’re really about to step into the ring with me, and win, you have another thing coming. See, I’m a pure-bred athlete. I’ve worked for years to be the master of my craft. You’re not going to wiggle your way into intimidating me with some hokey Broadway threats. You know, come down to the ring on your cross. I guess that’s a good idea for you. In fact, let me tell you how to make it even better. Since you think that’s actually going to do anything, let me tell you how to make it truly scary. Let me tell you how anyone would ever take you as a threat. Come down on your little cross, but instead of letting people sing your name, I have a better idea. Since, nothing about El Dark is intimidating, have them sing something… campy. Since the only thing that you actually do well is camp, come out to something from Jesus Christ Superstar. I’m sure then someone will actually take you a little seriously. Hell, let me help you a little further. How about the hideous mask that you wear. You want it to be really scary? Why don’t we make it pink, and give you some rhinestones. Hell, I will even fork out money to get it done. In fact, I’d do one better, my daughter is great at bedazzling. See, here’s the thing about you Professional Wrestling psychopaths, you aren’t really scary.”
Cornelius walks forward, and makes his way towards Mason. As both men stand next to each other, they look out at the fire. Then, Cornelius reaches into his pants pocket, and pulls out a picture. He takes a moment to unfold it, before handing it over to the Maverick.
“See, you claim to be some unhinged monster that will do anything to spill blood and pick up a victory, yet you’ve been nothing but a whimper since your arrival. That will be the key difference between the joke that you are, and the person that I am. I am a man El Dark, and you cannot prepare for me. I am the essence of what professional wrestling has always been about. You cannot prepare for me, because I am not going to be intimidated by the little games you play. You lost to someone that I will decimate in the future. I’ve worked my entire life for this moment. Everything that I’ve done in life, was in preparation for what I’m about to do. This business needs a change, and I am that change. You are the problem, I am the solution. You might be the dark, but I am the light. I am the salvation of this business. At Into The Void, I am going to take you out to pasture, and give you a premature ending to the mediocre career you are destined for. Though this will be the end for you, I want you to know something. El Dark, there is a silver lining. You can always try to come back, but you’ll never be the same. Much like anyone who loses in the ravages of war, you’re never quite the same. So, I have a proposition for you. El Dark, after you lose at Into The Void, support me. Support me in the changes that I want to bring to professional wrestling. Join me in making this sport the greatest, like it always was. It’s simple really, renounce the shameful way that you conduct yourself. Come back, and embrace the real athlete that you are supposed to be. If you do that, maybe there’s hope for you. Until, there is no salvation, only damnation. You may claim to be whatever you think you, but after you step into the ring with the Maverick, you will never be the same. Mr. Psycho, consider Into The Void your execution.
Looking down at the picture in his hands, Mason begins to laugh. Slowly, he turns the picture around to reveal it to be a picture of El Dark. He moves his hands to the center of the picture, and rips in half.
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, El Dark, you’re dead to us.”
Taking the two pieces of pictures, he brings them together. Then, he begins to rip the picture into multiple pieces. Eventually, when he rips the picture into many multiple pieces, he throws them into the fire that was at his feet.
“At Into the Void, I arrive. At Into the Void, I save professional wrestling. I am your President of Professional Wrestling. I am the man, the myth, the maverick. I am Mason… Alexander… Vanderbilt, and I approve this message.”
Mason looks down at the fire, watching as the picture begins to be engulfed by the flames. Cornelius places his right hand on the Maverick’s shoulder as he looks down at the fire as well. For a moment, they continue to watch the fire disintegrate the picture. Picking up his head, Mason slowly begins to walk away from the fire. Soon after, Cornelius follows. The two men simply leave the fire, and the picture of El Dark, burning in the Mojave Desert.
