Legality.
”That bitch!”
The voice of Amy Mercer rang through the house as a car engine started outside. Lisa, Amy’s sister in law, Austins wife shook her head carrying plates into the kitchen, her eyes moving over to her husband. The hulking six foot six former world champion, the head of the family. The man who tried to take all the families issues and problems into himself. And this was no different. Austin thought it would be a good idea to invite his nephews grandparents over for a meal. To iron out any differences and ideas on visitation. To bring them into Amy and Dane’s life. But, the meal and meeting had not gone to plan.
Right from the start they made demands, they acted as if Amy was at fault, they looked down upon her and worse, Austin and Lisa. They looked at Austin with his long hair, his beard, the fact he was a “professional wrestler” seemed to be a joke to them, despite the house, the happy children and Austin inviting them in.
Lisa stayed level headed, even as they stared at her tattoos, her silver coloured hair, the piercings. But, they judged. They judged Austin, they judged Lisa and they judged Amy.
The night went on, they ate, they tried to talk, to be understanding of the situation their sons actions had put them in. TThe need to get to know a member of their family, as grandchild that until a few months ago, they had no idea even existed. But, words were exchanged, things got heated. And in the end they stormed out, they threatened legal action. And now as Lisa tried to clean and keep her emotions in check, Amy stomped back and forth as her anger became uncontrollable. But Austin….
Austin was furious.
The thing is with Austin James Mercer, is when he’s yelling, pounding his fist on a table and getting red faced, well, that is visible anger. That is controllable, that is something that can be measured and weighed. This anger was cold, calculating and silent. His hand reaching out to grip a bottle of water as he took it down and looked over at Amy with a sigh, his hands pushing off his knees to stand up and move across the room, he moved over and put his hand on Lisas back, she turned and swallowed giving her husband a nod, one that showed she could already read his mind and understand what he needed to do.
Austin looked over at Amy and shook his head. ”Calm down.” His voice was soothing and slow, measured and calm. Amy shook her head and balled her fists together, her knuckles turning white as she ground her teeth. Austin reached out and put his hand on Amys shoulder with a shake of his head. ”They want to fight...we’ll give them a fight.”
Amy closed her eyes and took deep breaths in and out, she was trying to calm down, her heart racing as the entire night went through her mind. Ever single slight, every insult. It all came back over and over in waves of pure disrespect.”Fight? Aus they have money, resources, officials in their pockets. What do I have? I have nothing Austin, I have a job I hate, a tiny apartment I don’t clean and they are going to take away the one thing making my life worth a damn…” nHer bottom lip quivered, Austin moved forward pulling his older sister into a hug.
”You have me, you have Lisa…”
There was a pause, a moment of silence and realisation, Austin felt Amy relax in his arms as she let out another deep breath, exhaling and pushing as much of the anger out of her chest as she could. Austin stepped back and Amy gave him a small smile. ”Thanks Aus, but...I don’t want to drag you and Lisa into this, I already did too much and I.” Austin shook his head and laughed under his breath, Amy raised an eyebrow. ”What?”
”You think I’m not just going to help you anyway? He laughed and looked over at Lisa who smiled back. ”We have your back, and we’ll fight with you. No matter what it takes.” Amy seemed to relax a little more, her eyes filling with tears as she looked over at the room where the kids were playing. Dane laying on a mat as Marcus and Lilly played.
”If yo0u’re sure…” He nodded again, Amy smiled and walked towards the room to pick up her son.
Austin pulled out his phone, Lisa watched him and started stacking the dishwasher. It started to ring, after a few moments the person on the other side picked up the phone ”Sonja….I need your help…”
A lesson.
”I never wanted this…”
Austin shakes his head and laughs under his breath, his large arms folding over his chest as he stares right ahead, focused.
”I know, weird to say right?. A championship that I didn’t want. In a company where everyone is title hungry, where championships are viewed as a necessity. I have one that in the beginning I didn’t want. And when I got put up for a title match, I was frustrated, angry, confused. My teammate, a member of the gym I train at as well as a member of a group in SCW had all the power. And what did she do with it? Alicia gave herself a bombshells championship match, and then me a mixed tag team title match. And I looked at her and questioned it…”
“Especially with who I was teaming with. See, if I have been put in with Johanna Krieger it may have been different, I would have thought maybe Alicia was just trying to bring more gold back to Wolfslair, give Johanna another run with a championship, cause, lets face it, no matter who I was going to team with, we were walking out with those mixed tag titles, cause fuck the Barnharts. But, she chose Tempest.”
“This was a lesson for me….Alicia trying to teach me something about teamwork.”
“And it worked. I didn’t know Tempest before we teamed together, I didn’t even think about her. But then as we met and got in the ring, magic happened. In her I have a partner who can match me in domination, who is bigger and stronger than everyone else on the Bombshells roster, someone who, like me is a giant in a world of average sized people. In fact, the only names on the SCW roster who match me for power are Vinnie and Mac Bane, Shane Borderland is a bigger guy, but I am still big man on campus, I am still a six foot six wrecking ball and I can still break people in half and am a world championship quality professional wrestler.”
Austin shrugs and steps to the side reaching down to grab his mixed tag title belt throwing it over his shoulder.
”Tempest is the same, she could become a world champion, she could destroy half the roster. In one go. In one match. All she has to do is realise her potential. Like I did, see, people forget when I first started I had doubts, I was good, I had natural talent and natural athletic ability and strength but at the same time I had trouble reaching the potential everyone said I had. But then, suddenly it all clicked. And a few years later I am a multi time world champion. Having held championships in multiple companies. This is what I do. I win championships, I put on performances that people envy and are in awe of.”
“Austin James Mercer is now a star and the potential has been realised.”
“And I don’t need to take up everyone else's precious time to show it by cutting a three hour long promo where I repeat myself every few minutes.”
“But, for a thrown together team that didn’t know each other at the start Tempest and I showed just how devastating we can be. And the opponents we have are faced with the same issue, the same puzzle that we had. Seleana Zdunich and Miles Kasey barely know one another, have never teamed together and have the disadvantage of facing myself and Tempest. See, they both one matches for an opportunity and that opportunity is these championships. And we are making them sought after prizes.”
“If Seleana wins them, she becomes a triple crown champion, having won the Bombshells world titles and the Roulette championship before. She will join a very select group that also includes myself and Alex. Both of us having won a midcard title, thw world title and the mixed tag titles aswell. And that is no mean feat, that is nothing to be scoffed at.”
“Even if Seleanas Bombshells title win was very, very suspect.”
“And I get it, it wasn’t her fault, it wasn’t her problem. It was her wife. And while Alicia has been very forgiving and while Alicia has softened her stance and respects Sleana Zdunich, I have no such emoptional attachment or feeling towards Seleana. World champions should have that koiller instinct, that desire to be the best and decimate those in front of them. And Seleana doesn’t have that. I won my world tirle by beating one of the best and most prodigious talents in SCW. Alex won his by beating a fan favorrite. Alicia won hers by beating Dani Weston, Seleana and then Evie Jordan. And we did it all without help, but Seleana?...”
“You won because your wife is a cunt…”
Austin offers a slow clap and shakes his head.
”As I said, Alicia may respewct and like you, but to me you’re just a leggy blond who would rather be a carer for animals than a real warrior from a “wrestling family” full of failures. I have yet to see a Zdunich worthy of being in this fucking business.”
“But…”
“As far as respect goes, well, everyone is expecting me to smile and be nice to lil Milo. After all, Miles is a member of Wolfslair, I see him almost every day in the gym, we work together occasionally and I smile and we give each other pleasantries. A nod, a kind smile, we shake hands, he askes me how my kids are, and we get to it.”
“I don’t dislike Miles Kasey, in fact to the contrary, I do like you Miles. I like your work ethic, I like your effort and I like your heart. I like the fact that no matter how often you get beat down you just keep coming back. But, what I don’t like, is that you are a fucking choke artist. And we have no room for that bullshit in Wolfslair. Because Wolfslair is the home of champions boy, and you have not been holding up your end of it…”
Austin growls and shakes his head looking frustrated.
”Alex, Alicia, Johanna, myself, Sierra Williams, Kallie Reznik, Aiden Reynolds, Dickie Watson even Lachlan Kane. We have held titles and championships, we have been names in companies at a time in history. But you? What have you been doing Miles? Cause In PWS Apex you haven’t been doing much, then here in SCW you win matches, get title shots and opportunities only to flush them all away and fail, and choke.”
“I want that to change Miles. I want you to come at me with everything you have and try and take these mixed tag titles from myself and Tempest, I want you to finally bring some gold home…”
“But, it will be easier said than done won’t it? And what’s worse...is you know it. You know how good I am, you know how dominating I have been and you know what will happen when we get in the ring Miles. And I welcome it.”
The reason
The last few days had been amazing. The food, the atmosphere, meet and greets with fans and other experiences. Austin and his wife had spent time alone as well as with the other members of wolfslair, the family they had built up over the last few years. Other members of the gym had to stay behind, hold down the fort, as well as work their own bookings. Meanwhile Alex and Charlie Jones the head honchos of Wolfslair New York and Wolfslair Orlando were on this cruise, head trainers Alicia Lukas and Austin James Mercer were relaxing.
The warm sun, the drinks, the relaxing nature as well as the fun and games all led towards a fan experience and one with SCW that no one would forget.
Austin stretched, he moved along the deck, his eyes moving from the water and back out towards the sunset as his hands moved across the railing. A smile coming across his face as he closed his eyes and took in the salty sea air. Alex smirked and moved up next to him, his arms folding over his chest. ”It’s definitely a sight isn’t it?” Austin smiled and gave a small nod before turning back and leaning against the rail. ”Ready for your title defence? Bonded with your partner?”
Austin gave a small nod and looked over at Alex. ”You know, I was really unsure when Alicia made that match. I thought she was punishing me or, I don’t know, playing a joke on me.”
”And now?”
Austin shrugged and cast his mind back, thinking about his time with Tempest. ”Now, well, I see there’s more to her than what you see on the surface. And I get why Alicia did it…” He trails off for a moment and swallows. ”I lost myself. I lost who I was, but at the same time, I needed to change.” There was sincerity in his voice, Alex just stood and listened looking at his friend and former student. ”And now, I have found that medium, I let people step over me Alex, I let people take advantage of the respect I freely gave...but now...they have to fucking earn it..”
Alex cleared his throat and smirked. ”And teaming with Tempest has shown you that?”
”I needed to team with someone else, outside Wolfslair, and Tempest has earned my respect, earned my trust. We’re champions and she also..” He paused for a moment choosing his words carefully. ”She’s been through some shit. Like real shit. She knows where she wants to be and will work hard, that level of ethic and heart should be respected…”
Alex smiled and stepped forward tapping Austin on the shoulder. ”Sounds like the makings of a good team.”
”Yeah, Alicia was right. But at the same time...I want that world title back.” Austin spit with venom, his hands closing into fists
Alexs’ demeanor changed to, he sighed and came face to face with Austin. ”I know, but I’m gunning for it to. I have no problems with both of us having sights set on it, but remember this, if you go overboard again, if you turn into that guy you were...you’re out of wolfslair…”
”I know...I remember” Alex had warned him, after the last few months, Austin changing, ap;ologising, realising his mistakes. If it happened again, there would be no third chances. He took a deep breath in and turned back as the sun finished going down, the smell of food coming from inside the dining deck moved out and across the ship. Austin swallowed hard, the mood turning awkward and quiet before he broke the silence. ”Come on...our wives will wonder where the hell we went”
”They should know wherever there’s food...you’ll follow”
Austin chuckled and walked towards the door. ”I’m six foot six, two hundred and sixty five pounds Alex...you should be impressed I’m not eating right now..”
A thank you
”We all make mistakes…”
Austin shakes his head and smiles.
”Caleb Storms made one when he got in my way, Fenris’ brother made one when he mouthed off. But one thing that wasn’t a mistake, was Alicia selecting Tempest to team with me. A woman who is honestly capable of things that would make most people run for their lives. In fact, if Tempest put her mind to it, if she walked down to that ring with Myra Rivers and Amber Ryan, well, Tempest would be the one walking out with two championships to add to the mixed tag team titles.”
“That might seem like a big call, but I have seen what she is capable of in the ring, in the gym and the mindset she has.”
“Tempest is the perfect partner for me. She has the same kind of attitude and work ethic I do and I pity any team who has to face us. Especially this one. You saw what we did to Bea and Bill Barnhart. You saw how we destroyed them verbally before doing it physically too. You saw what we are capable of facing and defeating a team who are husband and wife, who know each other incredibly well. But our challengers, as we have said, are two people who don’t know each other very well. Two people unlucky enough to win matches an an opportunity at OUR championships. Miles Kasey and Seleana Zdunich.”
“And while I know Milo and Seleana, it appears as if Seleana hasn’t been paying attention….and that is a mistake.”
Austin folds his large arms over his chest and shakes his head. His long hair tied back away from his face in a ponytail.
”Seelana stood there and listed members of wolfslair, and included Tempest in it. And while Tempest is my tag team partner and a champion, while Tempest would be more than worthy of being a member of the gym, the truth is, that she isn’t. She isn’t a member of the gym, she isn’t a member of the group. And the fact Seleana did that little research into her opponents tells you all you need to know about her.”
“It’s like all she did was listen to what I had to say, get some sand in her cooch and then complain in her promo. Whining about how she was a former champion after I pointed out that Alicia was nice top her and I wouldn’t be. And I meant it Sel…”
“You aren’t a former champion...you’re a name that should be black ed off that fucking record.”
“You got it handed to you as a consolation prize to stay with your abusing, moronic, cheating, arrogant, dumbfuck wife. And you took that title with both hands. You took the title and all the prestige that went with it and when you realised what happened and how everyone viewed you, when you realised that everyone thought you were a joke, you backpedaled, you backpedaled fast. But, as the months and years have gone on, you went from not accepting your win, to suddenly shouting it from the rooftops at me because I dared to refuse to kiss your ass like everyone else does….”
“Tempest is going to fucking eat you alive Seleana...and not in the way you probably wish, since your wife is too busy giving it to everyone else..”
Austin pauses and smiles.
”But, while Tempest will be busy destroying Seleana, I’ll be in the ring with Miles Kasey. And as I said, I respect Miles, he’s a member of Wolfslair, unlike Tempest, and he’s someone who I have watched train, I have watched in the ring. Miles is a great professional wrestler and an excellent competitor.But, as I said. Miles, you need to step up. You need to put all that heart, all that effort and all that fire I see in the gym day in and day out and put it in the goddamn ring. You need to be the competitor we know you can be.”
“So, I’m going to help you. Like a leader should.”
“I am going to elevate you through competition Miles. But I can only help you if you also agree to help yourself.”:
“You can’t think about the past Miles, about all the championship opportunities you have lost and let slip through your fingers, about the losses to guys like Alex, no, you need to look to the future, accept what you can do and what you can be about. Cause lets face it, the past, in SCW...isn’t bright. But your future might be. Win or lose as long as you learn something Miles. So, let me teach you. Let me teach you a lesson that will help you become the man you’re destined to be. And when we’re done, when we head to the back...you can look at me...and say two simple words…”
“Thank you.”