Problems
”How long has this been going on?”
”A few weeks.”
”You know….this could be a problem…”
”I’m aware.”
Alex looked disappointed. Like a stern father figure, trying to be supportive while also teaching some kind of profound lesson. Austin just stayed silent. While he wasn’t the young man in his early twenties that Alex met all those years ago, he still had a certain respect for Alex and his opinions. At the end of the day though, well, Austin was a grown man, in his thirties, he had lived a life that many others would both dream of and consider a nightmare.
From his birth mothers decline, his upbringing, his fathers issues and then of course his relationships. His life was a constant roller coaster, up and down.
But, it had hardened him. No longer was Austin the smiling, naive child. He wasn’t the type of guy who would let others walk all over him or suffer fools. Austin was now determined to live his life and be happy. To make those he cared about happy. His kids, his sister, his nephew, all his friends at wolfslair. And of course…
Alicia.
The cause of this conversation and truthful. Austin should have known something was up. He had walked in, it was still dark outside. He set up, he opened the doors, he looked over and said good morning to Alex and Sonja. But, something was off. They were slightly off with him, still saying hello, still happy he was in the gym. But there was something on their minds. Weighing heavily. And now Austin knows what it is. His relationship.
Alex had approached him, pulled him into the office with a heavy sigh as he clearly had been thinking about how to broach the subject with him. Austin sat back in the chair and shook his head with a sigh. ”Look, kid.” Kid? Austin’s nostrils flared as he swallowed hard and shook his head. ”Your personal business is not really my business.” Alex paused for a moment before clasping his hands together and leaning in. ”But, this is something that could affect Wolfslair as well as your career…..”
Austin gave a small nod and looked out the window for a moment before turning back to Alex ”Anytime you have any type of relationship or friendship it can affect you in this business.”
”Not like this.” Alex put his hand up dismissively and sighed before scratching the side of his head. ”Look at the issue between you and Miles. It is settled in the ring, settled how it should be…” Alex got to his feet, moving to the window that Austin had looked out through, seeing all the talent under the Wolfslair roof. ”But this, a relationship….we have others in this situation, training together, living together…but…”
”It’s different because of the history between myself and Alicia…and the other history we have…”
”Yes…”
Austin chuckled and shook his head getting to his feet to stand next to Alex, he looked out across the floor, his eyes settling on Alicia. She was sitting in a circle, her sister Zoey to her right, but surrounded by younger trainees. Austin smiled and looked at Alex as Alex studied his face. ”I understand your concern. I really do. But….we fit Alex.” He paused, his voice went from deep, brooding and monotone to lighter, happier. ”She and I have been through so much. We have lost people close to us, been pushed further and harder than anyone else. We deserve to be happy.”
”I’m not saying you don’t…I just…” Alex trailed off.
Austin laughed and turned away toward the door. ”If it ends you’re worried it will end badly. You’re worried it will break us both…..” Austin paused and shrugged looking over at his old friend. ”It’s great that you’re worried about us. And I know you, I know it comes from a great place. But she and I…this thing, whatever it is. It’s just starting, I don’t know where it will go. But, we both deserve to find out and we deserve to do it without the doubt of others..”
Alex softened and threw his hands in the air, some would say it was in defeat. ”You’re right…if either of you need anything, I’m here.”
Austin shot him a small grin and a nod. ”Thank you.,..” He moved out the door and down to the floor. Austin talked to Lachlan Kane and Aiden Reynolds two of Wolfslairs best before making his way to Aliica, she smiled and got to her feet, the two talked, they smiled at each other and Alicia grabbed Austins hand for a split second before everything went back to normal. Alex folded his arms over his chest, still concerned, still wary, but more accepting of all this.
For now.
Rivalries
”It’s incredible, the feeling of failure. It always stays with you. The losses. Wins are amazing memories. Don’t get me wrong. I will always sit back and remember beating someone like Fenris. A guy who is a beast of a man. Winning the world title, defending it against everyone. But, well, the things that really stick with you are the losses.”
Austin sighs and shakes his head getting to his feet and moving back and forth.
”Tempest and I did everything we could to regain those championships, and trust me on this, she and I are not done as a team. She is still my partner, she is still my friend and that woman and I are still the most dangerous mixed tag team, not just in this company but on this goddamn planet. So for right now, Oliver and Eiley need to cherish their moment in the sun, hold those titles close and remember the feeling of being champions as much as they can. Because soon, someday very very soon…”
“Tempest and I will be coming for those straps…”
He growls and nods slowly, a determination in his eyes that many have seen when standing across the ring from the six foot six destruction machine.
”However. Both she and I have our own chances this week to get a future opportunity to book a show. The queen and king for a day matches are back. And Tempest will be getting ready to break Alexandra Callaway toi earn her place in the queen for a day match. And if she happens to win it, well it will be up to her how she uses her powers for the night. Book us in a mixed tag team title match, or, and this is my own personal feelings. Tempest should book herself in a bombshells title match…”
“Cause no one deserves it more than her.”
“But, for me, well, I have to get passed someone I know quite well to get my opportunity. Miles Kasey. And,I had said time and time again that I wasn’t done with you Miles. And now we can settle this without the interference of a dipshit narcissist. By the way, before I get into the ins and outs of this match between myself and Miles, let me say that while I’m not the biggest J2H fan, I am more than happy to see that he is the SCW world champion and that Michael Harris is regulated back to being the bum that we all know he really is.”
“See, for those of you who need a quick history lesson on myself and Miles, let me refresh you all. Miles is a talent. I have said it from day one. Miles Kasey has the physical gifts and ability to be a star and a champion.”
“But…his mind is clouded by playing the clown…”
Austin sneers, clearly still angry about the situation.
”Miles could be so much more, so I decided, a a mentor should, to take some distractions out of the equation. So, I went after Carter. I did it for two reasons, one for Miles sake. To free him from all that was holding him back, forcing him to embrace that anger and come at me with everything, never holding back. And the other? Well, the second reason was more personal and I believe…selfish on my part. I took Carter out because he was one of the few strands of humanity holding me back…that friendship…”
“So I cut those goddamn strings. And just as I was getting it into Miles head what he needed to do, Michael Harris stuck his nose in our business. And very quickly we both lost sight of what we hated about each other and focused on hating Michael Harris and wanting to take that title from him. But that triple threat match, it did nothing to end our issue, it did nothing to prove my point and we found ourselves at an impasse.”
“So now Miles, I ask you…what are you going to do switch this opportunity?”
“Laying in front of you is a shot to get into a match, a match that could unlock all your dreams. A match where you could win it and book yourself in a match against J2H for the world title, or get yourself a rematch for the roulette title or the damn internet title. It;’s a match where winning would unlock so much potential. Unlock your failing, stagmnant and limping career.”
“And all that is standing in your way of this golden opportunity…is me…”
Austin chuckles, running a hand throw his brown hair that seems to be slowly growing back to it’s former long glory.
”You can take this Miles, take the opportunity and use it to get to the top of this business and you can do it by beating me and going on with it. The only problem, is I no longer have faith in you to be able to. I no longer believe that if I motivate you enough you will have the drive to do what needs to be dome. You’re a lost cause Miles, you’re weak. You don’t have it in you to cast aside your relationships and stop being the flippy floppy dancing clown you have become.”
“It defines you now.”
“So you’re too scared to leave it behind to chase real glory.”
“And that’s fine, not everyone has what it takes. You don’t, Carter doesn’t. Half of the members of Wolfslair don’t. Hell Malachi, Lachlan, Bella, Zoey….the whole lot of you had talent and could be anything, but when was the last time any of you lived up to it? No, the “second generation” of Wolfslair has not been able to live up to what Alex Johanna, Alicia and I created and did. So now Miles…now I am sick of taking a step back waiting for one of you to stand up and take that brass ring…”
“So…I’m going to take my rightful place at the top…and do what I should of done months agho…and send you home…”
