February 20
New York City
Wolfslair Gym
How many times had Lachlan walked past this building, in the two years or so that he’d lived in New York City? He’d never really given it much thought, even after he had crossed paths with many of its alumni in SCW. He knew that it was a school that produced champions, that many of its members had gone on to achieve multiple successes and title runs across many different companies around the world. Hell, he had witnessed it first hand, with both Alex Jones and Austin James Mercer becoming SCW World Champions. Two men that he’d gone toe to toe with in the six-sided ring, so he was well acquainted with the calibre of talent being produced in the Wolfslair gym.
So, when he’d gotten the invitation from Alex Jones to come down and have a chat, he jumped at the opportunity. But now, standing in front of the building and staring at it with what he was sure was slack-jawed awe, the nerves were starting to fire up. What if this is just some kind of set-up? he thought to himself. What if I get in there and I get jumped? What if -[/i]
He gave a hard shake of his head, clearing his mind of the negative thoughts before taking a deep, resolute breath and reaching out to give the handle of the door a solid pull. The creak of the door opening sounded loud in his ears, though none of the other occupants of the gym even spared a glance in his direction as he stepped over the threshold and let the door close behind him.
Into the heart of the Wolfslair….literally.
With a slight shake of his head and a low chuckle to himself, he hefted his gym bag a little higher on his shoulder and strode purposefully through the gym space, finally earning the attention of the patrons. Johanna Krieger barely gave him a raised eyebrow before she turned back to her bicep curls. Petite Kallie Reznik cocked her head to the side, her blonde ponytail swinging behind her as her puzzled eyes followed him across the floor, while Aiden Reynolds gave him a smirk and a jaunty little salute (though after Lach’s gaze was off him, he stared down at his stomach with a bit of an intimidated expression, poking at his abs with a finger). Sonja and Charlie Jones paused in their sparring match to return the respectful nod he gave them before they went back to it. Alicia Lukas gave him a little smile and a small wave, but that didn’t stop her relentless stride on the treadmill. There was one conspicuous absence from the group, but it was one that Lachlan was glad for, at least for the moment. He didn’t want this meeting to turn into something...aggressive.
He weaved his way through the exercise equipment, heading towards the back of the building where the offices were situated. Straight to the office of the alpha, so to speak. He stopped at a wood door with a silver placard hung on it that read Alex Jones - Head Trainer in a neat, clear font. With another long, slow breath in and out, Lachlan reached out a hand and gave the door a sharp rap with his knuckles, hearing a male voice on the other side call out for him to enter. He opened up the door and stepped into the office, seeing Alex seated behind a large wood desk. The fact that he was dressed in workout gear made the scene a little odd, but Lachlan didn’t comment on it as he shut the door behind him. Alex looked up from the pile of papers on his desk and gave Lach a smile, standing up to greet him and extending his hand in a handshake. “Lach, glad you could make it in.”
“No problem. Thanks for calling me, even though I’m still a little confused as to why,” he chuckled as the two men took their seats.
Alex raised an eyebrow at the young Irishman curiously. “What do you mean?”
Lach fidgeted nervously in his seat a bit. “Well, I didn’t think I was exactly on your radar. I mean, how many times have I had title matches in SCW and failed? I don’t think I’m exactly Wolfslair material, you know?”
Alex was quiet for a moment, before he folded his hands on top of the desk, piercing Lachlan with his dark brown eyes. “Do you really think that we wouldn’t want you because you haven’t held a bunch of titles?”
“...I mean, when you look at who’s all in Wolfslair, it’s kind of assumed that you only recruit champions.”
Alex shook his head. “Lach, we’re more than just a stable. We’re a training school. We take in those we believe have a future in this business. A good, long, successful future.” Lach opened his mouth to protest, but Alex held up his hand to stop him. “I know what you’re about to say, that you’ve been in the US for two years now with nothing to show for it other than a mixed tag title reign. But I see more to you than that. I see limitless potential. I see untapped greatness. Hell, I know how good you are firsthand. You beat me for a shot at the SCW World Championship. And I fully believe that had it been a one on one match, you would have won that title. You have more heart, determination and pure passion for this business than almost anyone I know. That’s the Lachlan Kane I want for Wolfslair. And with our help and training, you will be a champion in no time. Not only in SCW, but in any company you set foot in.”
Alex stood up from the desk, leaning over it slightly and reached out a hand towards Lachlan. “What do you say, Lach? Are you ready to step up and take control of your future?”
With a confident smile and a renewed sense of purpose, Lachlan grasped Alex’s hand in a firm grip, giving it a solid handshake. “I’m ready. More than ever.”
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Present Day
New York City
Wolfslair Gym
The Wolfslair gym was fairly deserted on this particular day, save for one individual who had set up at the back of the workout space. Lachlan Kane was shirtless, dressed in a pair of loose black shorts with sneakers on his feet, as he kept his attention hyper-focused on a swinging punching bag in front of him. His hands, wrapped in layers of white tape and balled into tight fists, were held up to the level of his eyes as he snapped them forward in a succession of sharp jabs that hit the leather of the bag with a dull thwap! thwap! He moved around the bag with practiced steps, continuing to lash out at the bag and weaving out of the way when it came swinging back at him. Finally after a few moments, he reached out to steady it, his workout seemingly at an end. Wiping his forearm across his sweaty brow, he gave the camera a side-eyed glance with a little smirk on his lips as he rested his hands on his hips, relaxing his tense posture with a roll of his shoulders.
“So, I’m fairly certain that by now you’ve all heard the news that the infamous Wolfslair has gained a couple of new members, one of them being yours truly. And if you hadn’t heard, well…”
He brought a hand up to point his thumb over his shoulder, where the camera panned up to see the massive ‘WOLFSLAIR’ banner in thick red font plastered across the wall. The camera then slowly panned back to Lachlan, where the smirk was replaced with a full-blown boyish grin. “Now you know. Yep, you’re officially looking at one of the three newest members of Wolfslair. When I got that call from Alex Jones himself, asking me if I wanted the opportunity to work with some of the best wrestling talent in the entire industry...well, how can you turn down an offer like that? I’ll admit, I was a little confused at first. After all, I’m not exactly dripping with achievements like most of the Wolfslair team. You look at guys like Alex Jones, like Austin James Mercer, Aiden Reynolds...guys that have crisscrossed the globe and have a mile-long list of title reigns between them. Women like Alicia Lukas, a three-time SCW Bombshell champion and the first ever female SCW Wrestler of the Year. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg in this place. So yeah, to say that I felt a little out of my league would be an understatement.”
He gave a little shake of his head as he started to unwrap the tape around his hands. “But Alex told me that Wolfslair was about more than just collecting titles like Thanos collects Infinity stones. It was about shaping the future of the business. It was about bringing together the best in the world to train the next generation.” He unraveled the last of the tape, and stared at the crumpled mess for a moment, an unreadable expression on his face. “And then, Alex said something that really floored me. He said that he saw the potential in me to one day be one of the very best in this business.” With a short laugh, he balled up the tape and tossed it into a nearby trash bin. “If that ain’t the biggest ego boost…”
He ruffled a hand through his short brown hair, sending sweat droplets flying through the air and careening to the floor under his feet. “So, after getting over the initial shock of that declaration, I realized that this was the best possible move I could make for my career. When you have the opportunity to sit at the feet of multiple-time champions and absorb their knowledge to better yourself, you’d be a fool not to take it. Add to that the fact that I’m paired up with a legendary Bombshell like Mikah in the Blast from the Past tournament...I’d say my stock just rose dramatically. I’m more focused and determined than ever to make sure that the two of us win this whole damn thing, and I get the chance to prove that I have what it takes to be a dominant champion in SCW.”
“Now, the two of us didn’t have it easy in our first round by any means. I’ll give the credit where it’s due, Hitamashii and Lucy Seraphina gave us a hell of a run for our money. But in the end, they fell short. Just like our next opponents will. To be honest, I’m a little disappointed that Daniel Morgan had to bow out, as I’ve got a little score to settle with him.” Lachlan let out a little chuckle, taking the edge off his statement. “Nothing serious, mind you. But I was hoping to avenge the loss I took against him from a while ago.” He gave a little shrug of his shoulders. “Well, I suppose that will have to happen some other time. Instead, Mikah and I get to take on the team of her protegee Ruby Steele and Mark Cross, who’s getting a second chance in the tournament after being knocked out in the first round.”
He paced a few steps back and forth, the sound of his footsteps echoing slightly through the empty space. “Now Mark, I know you probably have some big dreams about becoming a two-time Blast from the Past winner, so I would bet that getting knocked out of the tourney in the first round stung a little bit. However, I wouldn’t go getting your hopes up just yet, my friend. See, I like you. I think you’re a stand-up guy, and you’re one of the few guys in this tournament that I knew if I were to end up across the ring from you, I knew I’d be in for one hell of a match. So while I’m disappointed that Daniel dropped out, I’m more than happy that you’ve stepped up to take his place. Because I want to win this tournament knowing that I went up against the best this company has to offer. I want that trial by fire. I want to step into that ring Sunday night, and I want to go to hell and back. By the time that bell rings at the end of the match, I want every muscle and joint in my body to be aching, screaming in pain...and I’ll feel it all with a smile on my face and my hand in the air in victory alongside my partner. Because then I’ll know that I’ve got what it takes to keep on, to push through, to fight with everything I have inside of me...and come out on top.”
“Now, as far as my partner goes, I know that she wants to win this thing just as badly as I do, but she has a bit of a challenge ahead of her. She’ll be facing off against her own student, and while I have no doubt in my mind that Mikah has what it takes to do whatever it takes to go for the victory, I have to wonder if she can really put aside her feelings for her friend when it comes down to it.” He gave a little shrug of his shoulders. “I guess we can only wait and see what happens come Sunday night. But if she’s anything like the woman I’ve been seeing as of late, then if I were you Ruby, I might be a little concerned. Because she is a dangerous woman, and she’s on a mission to win this whole thing. Just like I am.”
He took a few steps towards the camera, filling the frame with his imposing figure and staring daggers through the lens with his intense blue eyes, replacing the easygoing demeanour the Irishman had come to be known for. “Keep your head out of the clouds, Mark. Don’t be dreaming of a back-to-back tournament win because so long as I’m around...ní bheidh an bua agat.”
His blue eyes bored straight into the camera as he made this final statement. “Ní fhaigheann mac tíre bás riamh.”
With one last smirk across his face, Lachlan turned on his heel and headed to the back of the building, disappearing around a corner as the camera faded out to black.
