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Las Vegas, Nevada -
Turnberry Towers
The elevator on the sixth floor slid open, the only sound to herald the arrival to this level of the Turnberry Towers was the tell-tale soft ‘ding’ with two very specific figures stepping out into the carpeted hallway.
“I don’t get it, Miles.” Carter said, carrying a small, covered tray in his hands as his husband Miles stepped up to his side and led him down the short hall toward the specific destination. “Why are we doing this?”
“Why not?” Miles shrugged. “She’s new to the building and could probably stand to meet a few of her neighbors.”
“My point exactly.” Carter brought Miles to a halt, turning to face him directly. “We’ve never played ‘welcome wagon’ with anyone else that moved in. What makes this one so special?”
Miles fought to maintain his composure, smothering the smile that almost lit up his face. A fact that did not go entirely unnoticed by his ever-observant husband. Kristjan and Aron had both warned him about this new arrival, but not exactly in a bad way. And thus far, he and the brothers Baltasarsson had managed to keep Carter in the dark about this new neighbor. All the better to surprise him.
Miles finally sighed and answered, “She moved into Karen’s old place. Isn’t that reason enough?”
Carter raised an eyebrow, hinting at a slight state of disbelief as Miles placed a hand on the small of his back and gently steered him further up the hall until they arrived at a specific door and Miles rapped his knuckles hard on the door frame. And only a fraction of time later, the door swung open with a flourish and the boys were greeted by….
“Hi boys!” - A rather robust blonde woman, full-figured in her early forties. She was voluptuous, if nothing else, with a bright and expectant smile on her face as she stood in the door frame to her home, and showing what Carter thought to be showing way too much cleavage for this early in the afternoon.
“Hi.” Miles spoke first, as for once Carter seemed to be at a temporary loss for words at the sight standing before them. “I’m Miles, this is Carter.” He gestured toward his husband, and a small nudge from Miles helped break Carter from the trance he seemed to have fallen under.
“Hi.” He croaked, before clearing his throat and spoke more clearly. “Hi. Welcome wagon!” He held up the covered tray and the neighbor's eyes lit up with a sparkling delight at the bounty within - chocolate Rice Krispie treats.
“Ooohh!” She cooed with delight, stepping aside and giving the two men free entry into her home. And no sooner did Carter set foot inside than he came to a sudden halt, almost causing Miles to walk right into him from behind were it not for his slick reflexes.
“Wow…” Carter simply said as his wide eyes roamed around the condo that was the same floor plan as their own, but decorated completely differently with a heavy emphasis on pinks and whites with flecks of gold thrown in for good measure. Where Carter had taken painstaking measures to decorate his and Miles’s home in as modern and tasteful a manner as he could, with help from his Grams, this woman seemed to have just set off an explosion in RuPaul’s interior design firm. I mean, there was even an ivy swing fixed against the far wall as part of her decor!
“You like?” She asked with a hopeful smile, her squeaky accent unique to their ears. “I decorated it myself!”
“And I believe that.” Carter said with a nod, earning him another nudge from Miles in a silent beckoning for him to behave. But this seemed to have flown completely over her head as she smiled and directed Miles and Carter to take a seat on the bubblegum pink loveseat, taking the tray from Carter’s hands and placing it on the coffee table between them.
Oliwia sat on a powder blue chair with more pillows along the back than what was necessary, folding her hands in her lap. “I am Oliwia.”
“Olivia?” Carter repeated, thinking he had misheard.
“No, Oliwia.” She corrected him with a shake of her head. “With a ‘w’. My parents were allergic to olives.” Carter shot Miles a curious look but it bounced right off of him, Miles having had some ample time to better prepare himself for this unique new neighbor. Unlike Carter who couldn’t seem to be able to stop his eyes from finding something new around this place that had the visual equivalent of staring into an eclipse.
Oliwia then asked, “Which condo do you boys live in?”
“The one right below you, actually.” Miles answered.
“Aww.” Oliwia cooed again. “Well it will be a pleasure to have you boys under me.” Almost causing Carter to choke on his own spit at her unique turn of a phrase. Miles just closed his eyes with a tight smile, shaking his head and enjoying every moment of what Carter was experiencing with this woman.
Oliwia then pointed a painted nail that seemed to have been bedazzled between them and she asked, “Are you boys best friends then?”
“Miles is my husband.” Carter answered her amicably, but had he known what her reaction might have been, he would have been sorely tempted to withhold that nugget of information as Oliwia’s eyes opened about as wide as her mouth did, until her entire face was smiling.
“Well o-KAY!” She squealed in her thick accent. “I love da gays! What do you boys do for a living? OnlyFans!?”
“No!” Carter quickly corrected her, then managed to quell his emotions, before answering, “We’re wrestlers.”
“Ooo!” Her brown eyes sparkled. “Like in mud or oil!?”
“Professional.” Miles answered. “We’re professional wrestlers.” And they could practically see the hope in her eyes extinguish as her shoulders sagged in vast disappointment. “Oh, that’s so boring.” Earning a near comedic frown from Carter. But knowing his husband and even more so his acidic tongue, Miles quickly interrupted and broached the topic, “What do you do, Oliwia?”
To which she answered, “I run a male modeling agency. We specialize in men's underwear.”
And for the first time, Carter and Miles caught sight of several black and white framed photographs placed strategically around the condo of men in various states of undress.
“Really?” Miles nodded, his mouth open almost as wide as Carter’s own, and Oliwia was obviously quite proud as she answered, “Oh yes. There are big things in men's undies.”
“I’ve always thought so.” Carter said before Miles could even try to stop him. Meanwhile, Oliwia reached over and popped the cover off of the tray to reveal the chocolate bounty. Oliwia took note of Miles’s own muscular physique, most notably his arms and she leaned in with a coy wink and asked, “You look very fit, Miles. Have you ever considered modeling in your undies?”
She offered the tray to the two guys, and while first Carter took a treat and then Miles, Miles answered her, “Well ....”
Carter interrupted, “Tell her no.” To which Miles immediately mimicked, “No.”
“Aww.” Oliwia seemed very much disappointed as she took a bite of the chocolate Treat, and immediately made a comedic, scrunched up face as she chewed. Here in the United States, Rice Krispie Treats were a treat. Clearly wherever Oliwia was from, the feeling was not entirely mutual.
Carter and Miles watched in amusement as she tried her best to put on a brave face with a polite smile that she was unable to hide.
“Oliwia?” Carter pressed. “Is something wrong?”
“No.” Oliwia answered, still trying to maintain her polite facade. “But better luck next time with your meatloaf.” Causing Carter to spin his head to look incredulously at Miles who almost choked on his own Treat.
Las Vegas, Nevada -
SCW Offices
More specifically, the part of the offices of SCW that is open to the public and serves as the ‘official’ Hall of Fame. It would be here that we find Helluva Bottom Carter as he is dressed in a smart casual sense - complete with skin-tight denim jeans, tanned boots, a cream colored Polo and his eyes hidden behind a pair of shades. Carter strolled about these hallowed halls, his attention straying from one Hall of Fame induction display to another.
All the while, other fans of Sin City Wrestling also had been taking this opportunity to tour this esteemed facility. Ever careful not to stray but always hopeful to catch sight of a particular favorite Superstar or Bombshell…
“I know when you’re involved in this sport, the one thing that should be on the mind of every athlete, man and woman alike, is that prize at the top of the mountain. The World Championship. That gold belt tells the entire world that you are the best of the best, and if that isn’t the end goal for you in your dream career, then I have to ask; what is even the point of getting involved in this business? I mean, sure there are plenty - and I do mean plenty - of perks when you sign on to put your body on the line inside of the ring. The pay is great. Sin City Wrestling is probably the only wrestling promotion that I’ve ever heard of that offers medical insurance and believe me when I say that this perk comes in handy!”
“There is also the point that we as Superstars and Bombshells get to tour the entire world, to places that I personally never would have believed I’d be able to travel to. When I first started training to wrestle at the GO Gym, I thought that I’d be competing in high school gymnasiums and that maybe I’d get to go as far as Canada and maybe Mexico. And I have! I’ve been there and back again. I’ve been to Japan - a dream place for anyone that is a wrestler because they take their sport more seriously than any other nation. And the fans in Japan treat us like rock stars - only with infinite more respect! I am lucky enough to have traveled and competed in six of the seven continents of this world and those are experiences that I will never take for granted.”
“Those are some of the better benefits of wrestling for SCW - but to become the World Heavyweight Champion? That is something that every man signed should be striving for. Because otherwise you are just wasting your time, the time of Mark Ward and Christian Underwood - and let’s face facts! You’re wasting the time of every fan who is watching us both online and from inside the arenas. Because to become the champion or just for the opportunity to fight for the championship, you have to be at your best, facing the best. And at the end of the story, isn’t that the entire point of living out your dreams?”
“I’ve been lucky enough to have had a handful of chances to compete for the World Championship, and thus far I have to admit that the gold has eluded me. So far it just hasn’t been my time, but those times are changing and I’ve only just recently found myself in position to get another chance at the title, whether the champion be Finn Whelan or Alex Jones. I just have to get past six other men in SCW’s first-ever Elimination Chamber match, where the winner will be declared the number one contender to the champion. And yeah, I admit I stand by my opinion that our match should be like the Bombshells. It should be for the championship, not just for a chance at the gold. But, that’s why I’m not the boss or matchmaker. I’m just one of the lucky SOBs who earned their way into the Chamber match. Alongside such names like Jayden Harris, Bill Barnhart, J2H, Eddie Lyons … and yeah. My own husband, Miles Kasey.”
Carter bit at his bottom lip and cocked his head.
“I know I shouldn’t express anything short of appreciation at this opportunity, but I find myself backed into a corner, being in the same match that my husband is in. I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time that Miles and I have had to step inside of the ring against each other, but there is absolutely no way to try and convince the world - and more importantly, myself - that this experience won’t be different. We’re talking about being inside of a twenty foot tall steel structure where anything could happen that could hurt one another.”
Carter shrugged.
“What happens if the time comes where it’s myself against Miles? What happens if it comes down to just the two of us and only one of us can have that all-important chance at whomever the World Champion happens to be? Only one of us can win, it’s every man for himself.”
Carter closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath before continuing.
“But for now, I have other things to focus my attention on. One other person rather than six. I said it’s a waste of time to not want to be the best, and the man that I’m facing this week? He’s had a number of chances at the World Heavyweight title and so far? He’s been the king of SCW two times. A two-time World Heavyweight Champion.”
Carter held up two fingers.
“Alex Jones. A walking history maker in Sin City Wrestling. A former Roulette Champion. A World Mixed Tag Team Champion with Johanna Krieger. I mean, I could go on and on about this man’s credentials - and that’s just here in SCW! I mean, Alex Jones is in the Class of 2022 Hall of Fame! He’s probably won more awards than most! He is a certifiable, walking legend. Not just in SCW, but wherever he decided to lace up his boots and teach the younger generation what it means to take pride in what you do inside of the ring. And now I get the chance to stand inside of the ring with him, and I have to admit; it feels like there could be more than just pride on the line between us. Or… am I reading the room wrong, Alex?”
“Fact. You and I both want to win this match and use it as a means to an end. A way to march ourselves into Tucson at Blaze of Glory to carry the momentum on our side. You going into your rematch against Finn Whelan for the gold, and me against those six other men in the Chamber. And compared to you Alex, I’m still a rookie even though I’ve been going the better part of five years in my career. But in that time, I’ve faced my fair share of ‘legends’. I am talking about names like Goth, Senor Vinnie, Austin James Mercer, ‘Bulldog’ Bill Barnhart’, Michael Harris and yes – J2H himself. I’ve won some, I’ve lost some - but every experience has been a learning one. And when I can learn from men like that - from men like you? I might not have my arm raised in the end every single time but the wealth of knowledge men like you provide? In that regard, I am very much a winner.”
“So when Sunday comes around, I have to ask you this one question, Alex. Are you and I going to have a problem? Other than trying to get one step further up the ladder at the other’s expense, that is. I ask this because history is not so lost on me as some might imagine. And believe me when I say I remember well everything that has happened between Miles and Wolfslair. I remember everything Finn and you have said about him, about his betrayal. About his attacking Finn to get one step closer to the World Championship, and you know what?”
“Enough! Enough with bitching about what happened in the past! Enough with the hypocrisy! That’s right, I said it! Ever since all of this started between Miles and the rest of you, I found it hilarious how you would call him out for what he did to Finn, turning his back on Wolfslair - your words, not mine. While at the same time, you and yours turned a complete blind eye to everything that Austin James Mercer did to me to get to Miles. I mean…”
Carter held out his hands while wearing an inquisitive facial expression.
“Really! How was that any different? Was it because Austin was one of the main cast? One of the core members to Wolfslair? If so, then please allow me to call you and everyone else out on that extreme level of bullshit! Being one of the main members of Wolfslair, you would think that would also mean that Mercer would be held to a higher standard! To serve as a better example in how to behave with one another, but apparently I’m wrong! Because I can fully remember bringing this all up before and not a single one of you took the time to address anything I had to say about the matter. Not one of you could look me in the eyes and tell me why Mercer attacking the man of a Wolfslair member - repeatedly - and putting me in the hospital, was in any way, shape or form - different! Or…”
Carter then pointed right into the camera.
“How what you did at Inception VII was any different. Huh, Alex? Go on and try to explain that. You have burned Miles Kasey in effigy for his attacking Finn Whelan from behind for months, but you go and attack that very same man! Hitting him in the head and back with a steel chair and not a god damned person speaks up! Again, how is there any difference? The answer is actually very simple, Alex.”
Carter leaned in closer.
“There is no difference. It’s just a very simple matter of you not practicing what you preach! Of you letting things get to you and that’s alright but when Miles did the same, according to you it was the crime of the century.”
“I am going into this match against you Alex with no burdens on my mind other than the mad desire to set you and the rest of Wolfslair’s heads on straight. To hopefully get you and everyone else’s eyes to open and see things for the way they are. Because if you happen to go into this match against me blind, the only thing you’re going to accomplish is to get lost in the darkness.”
Carter headed toward the exit but paused just long enough for one final word.
“No offense.”
Before he took his leave, closing the door behind him.