October 6
Orlando, Florida

When the call came to his phone, Lachlan was in the middle of a class at the Wolfslair Orlando facility, running through lockup drills with the newest crop of students that had signed up to the training school. It wasn’t until he felt a tap on his ankle and he looked down to see his wife Sierra standing outside the ring with a concerned look on her face and his phone in her hand that he paused the class and exited the ring.

“Everything OK?” he asked, his eyes immediately darting to her stomach.

“With me, fine. But your sister has been blowing up your phone for five minutes straight,” she said, holding it out to him.

One eyebrow cocked over his blue eyes as he took it from her and glanced at the screen. Just as she said, he saw that he had four missed calls and about a dozen texts from his younger sister Alanah. Immediately, his heart started racing and his mind began thinking of every worst-case scenario possible as he tapped the screen and brought the phone up to his ear, walking quickly to one of the back offices with Sierra walking along beside him.

She answered immediately after the first ring. “Lachy, thank God.” She sounded close to tears, and the anxiety rose higher in him.

“Lanah, what’s wrong? Are you OK?”

“It’s…it’s Jack.” She took a shaky breath, and he could hear the crack in her voice as she struggled to hold back her tears. “He got jumped at the Russow Academy…he’s in intensive care right now.”

The blood thundering in his veins turned icy cold in an instant. He was silent, his eyes wide and mouth hanging agape as Sierra gave him a curious look. After a moment, he brought a hand up and ran it down his face, letting out a long, slow breath. “Jesus Christ. What the hell happened?”

A sob that shattered his heart came over the line, and there was nothing more he wished in the world than to be able to hug his baby sister in that moment. “He went to do some training with Levi, but Jesse and Slappy showed up instead. They…it was awful, Lach. What they did to him…” She sniffled as another sob escaped her.

“Wait, wait, wait. You’re telling me Slappy did this to him?” He shook his head vehemently. “No, there’s no way…”

“Lach, he’s not the same person anymore. He doesn’t even go by that name anymore. It’s something like Slaps McKill. Jesse has been in his ear, filling his head with so much garbage…I don’t even know why.”

He paced the floor a few times, running his hand through his hair. “Are you safe? Where are the twins? They’re not going to come after you, are they?”

“I don’t think so. The twins are with Mal and Bella right now.” He could hear a voice in the background, and Alanah lowered the phone to answer and he couldn’t hear what was being said. After a moment she came back on the line. “Sorry, that was just the nurse coming to check his vitals. Anyways, I don’t think they’re going to come after any of us. They did this to send some kind of sick, twisted message.”

“Do you need me to come up there? I can get a flight first thing in the morning.”

“No, we’re OK. You’ve got SCW and PWE on your plate right now, not to mention Sierra. I don’t want to distract you from your own life.”

“Alanah, my brother-in-law was just brutally attacked to the point where he is in the ICU. Do you really think my wrestling career is top priority right now?”

“Lachlan, we’re fine,” she insisted. “I just wanted to let you know before you see some of the horrific things Jesse has been saying on Twitter.” Another voice could be heard in the background. “Jack’s starting to wake up. I’ll call you back later, OK?”

“Alright. Keep me updated?”

“I will. Love you.”

“Love you more.” He lowered the phone and tapped the screen to end the call, looking up to see Sierra staring at him expectantly.

“Well, what the hell was all that about?”

“Jack got attacked by Jesse and Slappy, bad enough that he’s in the ICU.”

Sierra’s green eyes widened in shock. “Holy shit.”

“Yeah.” He let out a long breath, resting his hands on his hips. It was quiet for a moment before he let out a yell and swung a fist towards a standing punching bag that was being stored in the empty office, hitting it with enough force that it crashed to the floor.

Startled by his sudden outburst, Sierra was immediately at his side and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Lachy…”

“It never fuckin’ fails. Just when it seems our lives get back to some semblance of normalcy, another round of bullshit rises up. I should be up there. I should be protecting them…What if they do go after Alanah and the twins? Or Mal and Bella?” He ran both hands through his hair, pulling slightly out of frustration. “I feel so helpless down here.”

“I’m sure the situation is more than handled. As much as I love how protective you are of your family, you can’t be everywhere at once.” She rubbed his back soothingly. “You just have to trust that the situation will be dealt with.”

The tension he had been holding in his body melted away as he turned towards his wife, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “You’re right, of course.” He wrapped her in his arms, holding her close to him for a moment. “Thank you for being the voice of reason.”

“It’s what I’m here for.”

—------

The scene opened up inside of a darkened boardroom, with a long wooden table running the length of the room in the centre surrounded on both sides with high back leather armchairs. One chair sat at the head of the table, more ornate than the rest and directly under the lone spotlight that shone down from the ceiling. A door could be heard opening off-screen before it shut softly and a figure moved into the room and sat at the head of the table. With his signature boyish grin gracing his face, Lachlan Kane kicked his feet up to rest on the table as he adjusted his Internet title draped across his shoulder.

“I gotta say, I’m getting used to this winning thing. Been a while since I’ve been on such a hot streak, and right now it feels pretty damn amazing. Makes it feel like everything I’ve gone through in my 10-year career so far has mattered. Back then, when I was just starting out in the business, I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined just where the road would take me. And I couldn’t be happier with the way things have gone.”

A faraway look came into his eyes as he stared at a point just off-camera. “I came from nothing. Dropped out of school at 15 to work and support my family. At 16, I was getting my ass beat in underground fight clubs for extra money. But no matter how many times I got my face bashed or my ribs caved in, I always came back for more. Once I started wrestling at 18, I clawed my way through Europe, Japan and then the US to make my name. And finally, after all the years of paying my dues, taking my lumps and struggling to get ahead…” He looked down fondly at the title draped across his shoulder. “It’s all come together in the best way possible. Not only with this little baby right here, but the friendships I’ve made along the way as well. In my journey to get to this point in my career, I was offered a place in one of the most prestigious groups in wrestling today. And I can honestly say that if it weren’t for their support and encouragement, I probably would not be sitting here as the SCW Internet champion right now.” The fond look faded from his face, replaced with a faint scowl as his eyes hardened. “And that’s why I have a bit of a problem with a certain Alexander Raven who’s decided to take aim at us.”

He dropped his feet to the floor and leaned forward in the chair, pressing his hands to the top of the table. “You think I’m just going to stand by and let you run your mouth about Wolfslair? I have to admit, you certainly do have a set on you. After all, you’ve already been beaten for the Roulette title by Miles - speaking of which, I saw you paying lip service to him afterwards, don’t think you’re being sneaky - and then when you kept on poking the hornet’s nest, you got a taste of the brutality of Austin James Mercer. And believe me, that was just a taste. If he wanted to, he could have ended your entire career just like that.” He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers to emphasize his point. “Just because he can. I’m not entirely convinced he’s not going to try again at some point. If I were you, I’d keep my head on a swivel. Now, I don’t want you to take that as some kind of veiled threat, because it isn’t. I won’t need any assistance from my Wolfslair compatriots to defeat you on Sunday…but I can’t really be held responsible for what they do outside of the bounds of the match, however.” He gave a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

“At the end of the day, all the fancy words you spout off don’t mean jack. This isn’t a debate, and words don’t win matches. Actions do. And I’ve proven time and time and time again that I am one of the most driven, relentless and toughest competitors on this roster. Add to the fact that I now have this shiny piece of hardware, something I’ve been chasing for four years now in this company…well, let’s just say that if I were a betting man, I would not like your odds, Alexander. It took me four years of dedication, sacrifice and good old-fashioned ass-kicking to finally lay claim to my first singles title in SCW. Do you really think I’m about to let some condescending holier-than-thou shitstain with a messiah complex just waltz right in and entertain his delusions of grandeur? By the time I’m done with you on Sunday, you’ll be lucky to remember your own name. The SCW faithful don’t want some pretentious twat that spews nonsensical drivel at them in an attempt to appear ‘enlightened’.” A sinister little smirk came across Lachlan’s face, something slightly out of character for the normally good-tempered Irish fighter. “It’s going to be quite the spectacle when I pull you down off that high horse you ride and stomp you right into the ground.”

He rose up from the chair to a standing position and adjusted the title higher on his shoulder as he glared down the camera lens, his blue eyes flashing with determination and grit. “People can scoff and sneer at this title all they want. They can look down their noses at me, they can think of me as an inferior champion. I couldn’t care less. Because just as I’ve done with all the other titles I’ve held, I will elevate the Internet title to new heights. I will bring prestige and honour to this championship with every successful defense I make. And it starts on Sunday night when I pluck the feathers from the Raven and bring him crashing down.”

He raised his right hand with his index finger and thumb extended, pointing down the camera lens before he turned to exit the boardroom, and as the door closed with a click, the camera cut right to black.

August 2
Orlando, Florida

“Daddy, daddy, will you tell us a bedtime story?”

Lachlan Kane smiled down at his two daughters, dressed in their pajamas and cuddling their favourite stuffed animals close to them. Olivia was wrapped around his leg, and Jade had her best puppy-dog expression in her big eyes as she stared up at him. “Of course, my little ones. Go give your mum a kiss goodnight and I’ll finish tidying up Jade’s room, OK?”

The two girls scampered off quickly, and Lachlan finished picking up the toys and books scattered around the room. As soon as he had shelved the last book, the girls ran back into the room and jumped onto Jade’s bed, eagerly awaiting their story. He laughed as he sat down in between them, with Olivia immediately crawling into his lap and Jade snuggling up under his arm. “Daddy, I wanna hear one of your stories. You tell the best ones.”

He chuckled to himself and cuddled his girls closer. “As it so happens, I have just the story that you two are going to love. It’s the story of a prince who went away from his kingdom for a while.”

“Was he away fighting dragons?”

“The biggest and scariest dragons in the whole world. He went all across the lands, fighting dragons and collecting lots of treasures.”

“But why did he go away from the kingdom?”

“Because he wanted to prove to his people that he was worthy to not only be their prince, but their king. He wanted to show the people that he was strong, courageous, and wise. But there were lots of others in the kingdom that wanted his place, and they all came forward and they pushed the prince out. They made him feel like he wasn’t worthy enough to lead his own kingdom.”

Jade’s eyes got big, but the expression was tempered by her letting out a big yawn. “Oh no, that’s so sad. What did the prince do?”

“Well, like I said, he decided that he would travel across the land and fight. But he didn’t only fight dragons. He fought all kinds of monsters and creatures, and he helped so many people along the way. These people told the stories of his courageous deeds, and soon enough the word traveled back to his old kingdom. One day, after a long time away, the prince returned to his kingdom, and he declared that he was back to take his rightful place.”

He noticed that the girls had gone still and quiet, and he looked down to see Olivia sound asleep in his lap, and Jade struggling to keep her eyes open with her head nodding forward. He smiled and leaned down to kiss Jade on the forehead. “Alright, I think it’s bedtime now, my wee darling.”

She pouted slightly as Lachlan scooped Olivia into his arms and stood up from the bed. He helped her underneath the covers and she clutched her stuffed unicorn close to her. “But I wanna know what happened to the prince. Did he get his kingdom back?”

“We’ll have to finish that story another time. Now, lie down and have a good sleep, a stóirín.”

She was asleep before he had even left her room. He took Olivia to her own room next door and laid her down and tucked her in, kissing her gently on the forehead. As he walked out of her room and gently closed the door behind him, he turned to see Sierra heading towards him and he smiled. But she just quickly brushed past him and made an immediate beeline for the washroom, closing the door behind her. He stared after her with a puzzled look on his face before shrugging his shoulders and heading to the living room.

—--

Later that evening

As much as he did miss his homeland of Ireland, Lachlan had to admit that they had chosen a beautiful place to live. It helped that between him and Sierra, they had managed to do well enough in their careers to be able to afford a fairly nice home in Orlando and be able to spoil their two daughters, while still able to plan for another child that they hoped would be on the way soon. They were able to help support Sierra’s mother after the death of her father, and her siblings were able to secure jobs with Wolfslair Orlando so that the family was able to remain close together. It was for reasons like this that Lachlan was grateful for his successes in professional wrestling, but there was still some unfinished business in his career…

Sitting in the backyard of his home, these thoughts rolled around in Lachlan’s mind as he relaxed in a lounge chair beside the pool. His fingers laced together and held at the back of his head with one leg resting across his knee, he was a picture of casual cool in black shorts and a plain white T-shirt with dark Ray Bans shielding his eyes from the early evening sunlight.

“There’s a reason that I called myself the Uncrowned Prince of SCW the last time you saw me. Because, if you know anything about my history with this company, you’ll know that I have yet to claim singles gold. Of course, I’ve had many an opportunity, as you all know, but I’ve never reached that pinnacle. But maybe…just maybe…this time around could be different…” A sly smirk curled up the corner of his mouth as he stared off into the distance, watching as the sun slowly began its descent into the horizon.

But then, his face turned back to the camera with a shit-eating grin plastered across it. “Or, I could just be completely bullshitting you all, getting Christian Underwood’s knickers all in a twist with the tease of a full-time return.” He chuckled. “Sorry mate, but I gotta keep you on your toes somehow. Think of it as a…photography tax.” He lowered his sunglasses slightly and winked a blue eye towards the camera before settling the glasses back across the bridge of his nose. "But let’s move on. The actual reason for this little video is due to the fact that I will once again be globetrotting from my home here in Orlando all the way across the world to the beautiful country of India to take part in SCW’s Global Tour. I gotta say, I had such a good time at the last match that when Christian invited me for a second one, I immediately said yes. Barring the travel - which, let’s be honest, it’s not exactly a picnic in the park - the experience has been nothing short of amazing, wonderful and humbling. The people of India have been incredibly generous and welcoming to the entirety of SCW while they’ve been there, and it’s been absolutely lovely to not only see, but experience as well. I don’t know why it’s taken me this long to wrestle there, but I sincerely hope I get more opportunities in the future to return to this wonderful country and perform for everyone.”

The smile fell away slightly as he reached up to push his sunglasses to the top of his head. “But, I gotta get into the real meat and potatoes of this video. I’m not just nipping over to India for shits and giggles, after all. I got myself booked into a match with the Bulldog himself, Bill Barnhart. A former Mixed Tag champ like myself…who actually has done something I haven’t managed and won a singles title.” Lachlan clapped a few times. “Now, I hope you’re not taking that as sarcasm, or as me doubting your abilities in the ring. Anyone who’s seen you in action knows that you’re not called ‘Bulldog’ for no reason. You’re a tough, tenacious son of a gun, and I genuinely do have respect for you. But respect only goes so far. See, I know I’ve said that I’m not really considering a full-time run back in SCW…but that doesn’t mean that I’m not coming to that ring to put on the performance of a lifetime. Every time I step between those ropes - doesn’t matter where I am, or for what reason - I make sure that I give everything I have and then some. There’s a reason why I’m still so beloved in SCW even after so much time away and despite the fact that I may not have a championship record like some of my peers in the company. It’s because the people know that when they come to a show with me on the card, they know they’re getting their money’s worth. They know that when I’m in that ring, I’m giving them pay-per-view event caliber matches, even on a regular card. They know that a match with Lachlan Kane involved is automatically going to be a classic.”

He leaned forward in the lounger, fixing his intense, focused gaze straight on the camera. “Bill, I know I said that I’m not going to underestimate you, and I meant that. But while I know the two of us are going to put on one hell of a match for the people of Bangalore, and I know that you are going to take me to my absolute limits…I hope you’re not holding any delusions of victory. You may have done one thing that I haven’t managed to accomplish in SCW, but that’s just giving me the extra drive and determination I need to put you down. It’s nothing personal, Bill. Just the way the business goes. You know that. I’m coming to India on Sunday night, and I’m coming to blow the absolute roof off of the stadium. And after that…maybe the Uncrowned Prince starts coming for a few crowns.”

With another cheeky wink and a grin to the camera, Lachlan relaxed back in the lounger as the camera panned over to the setting sun, slowly blurring the image before fading out to black.

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.”

--------

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.

Early afternoon
Saxon Hotel, Las Vegas

Sitting on the balcony of his family suite in the Saxon Hotel, Lachlan Kane was enjoying the warm desert air. He glanced at the digital poster glowing across the street from him on the side of a building, advertising the latest SCW card coming up on Sunday night. The various match banners flashed across the screen, and he smiled as he saw the image of himself and Sierra advertised for their upcoming tag match against the Trenton Tigers.

“Just like old times, huh?”

Lachlan smirked as Sierra came up behind him, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck and resting her chin on his shoulder. “Yup, reliving the good old days.” He turned his head to give her a bit of a concerned look. “Are you OK with this?”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “What do you mean?”

“I mean teaming with me again. I know we said we wanted to forge our own paths for a while…”

“Lachy, I’m just glad to finally have a damn match. The fact that I get to team with my husband is just an added bonus.” Now she was the one giving him a concerned look. “What about you? Are you OK with it?”

He turned slightly so that he was able to pull her down to sit across his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a boyish grin. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I know you’ve been busting your ass to get your first singles title. I just don’t want you to feel like this is a step backwards.”

“Why would I think that? I’m incredibly proud of everything we accomplished as a team. Of course I do want to make my name in the singles scene, but I am more than happy to be teaming again with my gorgeous, sexy, dangerous wife who’s going to show everyone that she is not a woman that is to be overlooked.”

Sierra rolled her eyes and slapped at his chest playfully, but he could see the faint blush in her cheeks. “Sweet talker.”

-------------------

Later that night

As the city slumbered below him, Lachlan Kane gazed down on the neon glow from the rooftop bar, drink in hand and feeling relaxed. He took a sip of the Jameson, savouring the taste as his clear blue eyes moved to the camera lens in front of him.

“Well, seems like you got the attention you were so desperately craving, didn’t you Tigers? But now that you do, I can promise you that Sierra and I will make you regret it in the worst possible way. You’ve bitten off way more than you all can chew, and we’re ready to make you choke.”

A cocky smirk appeared on Lachlan’s face as he set his glass down on the table next to him, leaning forward and pressing his fingers together in front of his face. “See, the Tigers all like to try to talk their big game and act like they’re big and intimidating, but the fact of the matter is they’re nothing more than a broken record. All they seem to talk about is how my brother Malachi and Bella Madison only got the opportunities they did by whining and complaining about it.” Lach shook his head. “Nah, you got it all wrong. What they did was call out the bullshit as they saw it. I can assure you that if it had been Sierra and I in that position, we would have done the exact same thing they did. We would have put you on blast for trying to pull a fast one over the division with that last-minute ‘freebird’ horseshit.” He gave a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. “You’re just pissed that you got caught, and you’re trying to twist the narrative and make it sound like they didn’t earn every single opportunity they got.”

“But, that’s not why we’re here today. No, we’re here because you four just don’t know when to stop running your mouths. You made this open challenge to any mixed tag team on the roster, and boy, did you sure get a lot of callbacks! Everyone came out of the woodwork to answer your little challenge...including the longest-reigning mixed tag team champions in SCW history. You certainly had your pick of the litter in opponents for your little challenge, and you decided on us.” Lachlan put a hand over his heart and fluttered his eyes a little bit, in a clear mocking effort. “You like us! You really really like us!” He laughed slightly, his face relaxing back into its regular look. “See, I know exactly why you picked us. You’ve probably got this deluded belief that you’re going to score the biggest win of your careers over us, and that’s going to catapult you back into title contention. Am I close?”

He shook his head ruefully. “Only one problem with that little fantasy, mates - it ain’t gonna happen. So maybe Sierra and I’s singles careers haven’t exactly worked out in our favour...but when the two of us are a team, we are unstoppable. How else did you think we held on to the mixed tag belts for a record-setting 175 days? We stepped up to every challenge before us, and we put everyone away, save one team. But then again, that team went on to disappear with their tails between their legs, never to be seen again. Isn’t that right, Char?” The cocky smirk was back on his face. “Now you’ve found yourself a new team to ride the coattails of, but it seems like it hasn’t exactly been coming up roses for any of you. You’ve become nothing more than the laughingstock of this division, as much as you try to deny it. And once you step into that ring with Sierra and I on Sunday night, we’re just going to drive the point home.” The grin on his face turned somewhat sinister. “And just remember one thing after all this - you asked for it.”

 2009
Waterford Boat Yard
Waterford, Ireland

“C’mon, get your skinny arse up, boy!”

The harsh growl jolted 16-year-old Lachlan O’Connell from his daze as he rose to his hands and knees, shaking his head from side to side to try and clear the ringing from his ears. His jaw felt like it had been shifted about four inches to the side of his face, and he could feel the warm trickle of blood pouring out of his nose and down his chin. He staggered up to his feet, face set in a look of ferocity as he raised his taped-up fists.

The crowd surrounding the makeshift ring hooted and hollered, banging the plywood and stomping their feet. Lachlan’s opponent, a huge burly man with the charming nickname of “Mike the Mauler”, laughed uproariously along with the crowd as he watched the scrawny teen attempt to stay on his feet. “This one’s got some fight in ‘im!” he bellowed, causing another roar of laughter to echo through the warehouse.

Lachlan took a swing at Mike’s midsection, only to have his fist caught in one meaty hand. He was tossed to the side as if he weighed nothing, letting out a grunt as his back hit the cold concrete floor.

“I almost feel bad tossin’ the lad around like this,” Mike said. “Surprised that first punch didn’t knock his head clear off his skinny little neck!”

The crowd laughed again, pointing and jeering at Lachlan. He simply rose to his feet and once again took a fighting stance. This time, when Mike attempted to swing at Lachlan, the boy ducked under his fist and landed a solid kick to the back of the bigger man’s leg. This caught Mike off-guard, and he staggered a bit, though he didn’t fall. He whirled around on the teen, an amused smirk on his face.

“Well, looks like the little scrapper’s got a few tricks up his sleeves,” he growled, cracking his knuckles and advancing on Lachlan. The boy ducked another attempted punch, but when he tried to go for another kick, Mike caught his foot mid-swing.

“You ain’t pulling that one on me again, ya little shit,” he said, pulling his fist back for another punch.

As he crumpled to the floor from the force of the blow, just before he blacked out, Lachlan could hear Mike’s voice calling out, though it sounded muffled and distant…

“Looks like the little scrapper’s fought his last…”

Half an hour later….

He sat on the packed dirt floor with his back pressed to the cold concrete wall, holding a towel under his nose that was already heavily stained with blood. He could feel the swelling beginning on the left side of his face, and if he were to get up and look in the mirror he knew he would probably see the telltale signs of bruising start to blossom across his cheek. His knuckles were red and raw, his head was pounding and he struggled to take deep breaths due to the pain searing across his ribs.

Getting harder and harder to explain these to Ma, Lachlan thought to himself, closing his swollen eyes and letting out a ragged breath as another searing pain shot through his back. How many times can I tell her that I walked face-first into the overhead crane before she begins to suspect something?

The squeak of hinges drew him out of his thoughts, and he cracked one eye open to see the thick wooden door swing inward and a haggard-looking man shuffle in, casting his gaze around until he saw Lachlan sitting in the opposite corner of the room. He sighed heavily as he walked over to stand in front of the teen, crouching down in front of him to look him in the eye.

“Three months you’ve been doin’ this,” the man said, his voice gruff. “Three months you’ve been getting your arse handed to ya. Why?”

Lachlan stayed quiet, shifting the towel on his face to press a clean patch of it under his still-bleeding nose.

The man sighed again, hanging his head. “I knew your old man near on twenty years. Everyone loved him ‘round here. Hard worker, good friend. We all took his death hard.” He looked back up, fixing Lachlan with a sorrowful gaze. “What do you think he’d make of you doing this, huh?”

Though he tried to keep his face neutral, there was no hiding the blaze of fury in Lachlan’s blue eyes. “Don’t matter. He’s dead.”

An uneasy silence hung in the air between them, before the older man straightened up to his full height, resting his hands on his hips. “What exactly are you trying to prove, Lachlan? Ever since your da passed, you’ve been throwing yourself headlong into all kinds of wild shenanigans. Bad enough your poor ma’s having to deal with Mal raising all kinds of holy hell everywhere he goes. Least you’re out and working to help support the family. But this…” he gestured to the door, as the faint sound of the roaring crowd rose up along with the sounds of brawling. “What exactly is this supposed to prove?”

In a flash, Lachlan had thrown the towel to the side and shot up to his feet, glaring at the man with narrowed eyes and his hands clenched into fists at his side. There was still dried blood smeared across his face, and almost the entire left side of his face was now covered with a bruise so dark it was nearly black. He looked like he was ready to launch into a tirade against the man, but at the last moment he ground his teeth together and shook his head, walking over to a line of metal lockers lined up against one wall and pulling out a black gym bag, flinging it over his shoulder. He brushed past the older man as he made his way out the door. “You wouldn’t understand,” he muttered under his breath.

Before he could leave, the older man grabbed his upper arm tightly, forcing the teen to stop in his tracks and turn to look at him. “Then help me understand,” he said, a hint of sadness in his voice. “I’ve known you since you were a wee lad, Lachlan. You’ve never been like this. I know your da’s accident hit you all hard -”

With a fierce growl, Lachlan ripped his arm out of the man’s grip. “You don’t know anything!” he yelled, and stalked towards the door and ripped it open, causing it to slam on the wall. The man watched him go with an almost pained expression on his face, before he ran a hand over his face and let out a defeated sigh, shaking his head and walking into his office at the other side of the room, the door closing with a soft click behind him.

--------

Present Day
Saxon Hotel - rooftop bar
Las Vegas, Nevada

Despite the fact that he had been staring out at this exact landscape for close to four months now, the glittering lights of Las Vegas never seemed to lose their appeal to Lachlan Kane. It almost reminded him of home, the way the lights seemed to mimic sunlight glinting off the sparkling waters of King’s Channel near his childhood home on the sunny afternoons he would spend playing with his brother and sister. He sat back in the chair positioned at the edge of the rooftop bar, watching the tabletop fireplace as it flickered and cast a warm glow across his face. He had a contemplative, almost serene look across his boyish features, his hands folded across his chest.

“I can’t exactly pinpoint when it started, but for as long as I can remember, I’ve had this incessant need to prove myself. To prove I belong. To prove I matter. To prove that I am worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the greats in this industry. And at first, I wanted to prove it to the crowds. To everyone out there watching my matches. Especially to the naysayers and the doubters. I worked my arse off night after night to improve my abilities. I trained harder and harder every day. I pushed myself to my absolute limits...and then pushed myself beyond them. I did it all to prove to every single one of you out there that one day...I was going to be on top of this business.”

His gaze wandered across the horizon, his eyes going distant as he voiced his thoughts. “But somewhere along the way, things changed. I went from wanting to prove it to the world...to needing to prove it to myself. Because ever since last December, my mind’s been my worst enemy. I came so close to finally shattering that glass ceiling...only to find out that it was made of bulletproof glass. And ever since then, I’ve become a bit obsessed, to be honest with you. Every chance I’ve had since then, I’ve come up short. And yeah...I’ve not always handled it well. I can admit that. But the one constant is that I never gave up. No matter how many times I was knocked down, I always got back up to face whatever came next. Sometimes it took a bit longer to climb back to my feet, but I never stayed down. Sure, maybe it would have been easier to just stay down, admit that I was out of my league and let the next guy in line step up.”

The distant look immediately fell away as he snapped his gaze back to the camera lens in front of him, replaced with the most intense look of determination as his blue eyes reflected the firelight, looking almost otherworldly. “But anyone who knows anything about me knows that I am not interested in the easy way out. There is no way in hell that I will ever slink away from a challenge with my tail between my legs, not while I still have a breath left in my body.”

He leaned forward in the chair, resting his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers together to bring them up under his chin. “And this week, I certainly do have one hell of a challenge in front of me. I have no doubts that Kedron is looking to extract his revenge on me for what happened three weeks back. Not only that, but I have the opportunity to secure the Roulette title and walk into Summer XXXtreme as the defending champion. There’s certainly a lot of cogs in the machinery of this match.” The corner of his lips twitched up into a little smirk. “But of course, leave it to me to be the one to throw a wrench straight into the works. Now, I want to reassure you, Kedron, that I plan on defeating you and claiming that belt 100 percent under my own will. You won’t have to constantly be looking over your shoulder for Sierra. Because I want there to be no doubt in anyone’s mind that I deserve that championship. I want to know that I gave my all. I want to leave everything I have in that ring, all my blood, sweat and tears...and know that it was all under my own power. I’m going to hold that belt high in the air after the match,  and I’m going to know that it was all me. No outside interference, no distractions. Just two of the best that SCW has to offer going head to head...and the better man walking away with my hand raised high and ten pounds of gold and leather wrapped around my waist. Call me cocky, call me conceited all you want. But this has been a damn long time coming, and I will not stop until my vision becomes the reality.”

With that emphatic statement hanging in the air, Lachlan relaxed his stance and leaned back into the chair, turning his gaze to stare back into the flickering firelight on the table across from him as the camera slowly went out of focus before fading out to black.

 May 30
Saxon Hotel - rooftop

“You may now kiss your bride.”

With that statement - and the biggest smile on his face - Lachlan leaned forward, cupping Sierra’s face in his hands gently and gave her the most heartwarming, tender kiss of his entire life while the small gathering around them clapped and cheered. When they finally parted, he pressed his forehead to Sierra’s, still smiling broadly, while she gave him a bashful little grin and her cheeks flushed pink. He took her hands in his and the newlywed couple turned to the crowd consisting of just their family. Lach could see Alanah dabbing at her eyes with a tissue while Jack gave them a double thumbs up. Mal had a rare genuine smile on his face as he applauded, while Bella was smiling warmly at them. Sierra’s parents and brothers were also giving them smiles and thumbs-up gestures, and Lach’s mother held her hands over her heart while she beamed proudly.

Lachlan felt like he was on cloud nine.

Despite the world being in a complete state of chaos, despite all his doubts and fears about his own career...he had just gotten married to the love of his life in front of his dear friends and family. Sure, it wasn’t the original affair that they had planned for, but to Lachlan, nothing else mattered except that Sierra was now his wife, and he was her husband. They could have gotten married in the middle of the street dressed in their sweatpants and T-shirts and it wouldn’t have changed how happy he felt.

And not only did he get a wife, he got two beautiful stepdaughters that he loved and adored as much as if they were his own flesh and blood. The two little girls in question had now raced up to the two of them and were excitedly jumping into their arms, Lachlan taking Jade and Sierra holding Olivia. Jade was giving him the biggest gap-toothed grin as she threw her arms around his neck. “Now I get to call you Daddy!” she declared excitedly, to the happy laughter of everyone in attendance.

Lachlan smiled even bigger - he wasn’t even sure that he could, his cheeks were already hurting so much - as he hugged her tightly to him. “That would make me the happiest man in the world.”

“Yay, Daddy!” Olivia clapped her little hands together as she grinned towards Lachlan.

He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes for the second time, the first being when he finally saw Sierra coming down the aisle in her wedding gown. “Well, what do you say we go have a party now? I heard there’s gonna be cake.”

“Yay, cake!” Jade said happily.

The new little family made their way back down the aisle as everyone cheered and clapped and they disappeared into the hotel to rest up for a little bit before the reception.

------------

A few hours later

The rooftop bar had been transformed into a beautiful reception area, with a dance floor cleared in the middle of the rooftop, tables and chairs set up around its perimeter, strings of beautiful twinkling lights strung up all over the place and a booth set up for the hotel DJ to play music for the guests to enjoy. Everyone was mingling and talking, waiting on the arrival of Lachlan and Sierra to officially begin the festivities.

Soon, the elevator doors dinged and slid open, and everyone turned to see them step out, dressed a little more casually but still nice, Jade and Olivia with them as well. As soon as they stepped onto the rooftop, the crowd clapped and cheered for them as they made their way to the head table, stopping to talk and thank everyone that came to celebrate with them. While their wedding had been more on the formal side, they had decided to keep the reception a more casual affair, more of a dance party with light food. Just a way for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves after all the stress of the past few months.

The DJ eventually got the music going, and soon everyone was laughing, talking, dancing, drinking and having a great time. Lach had managed a moment to himself for the first time since the party started, and he stood off to the side with a drink in his hand as he watched Sierra and her brothers in a cheesy dance-off to some old school hip-hop song, and he smiled at the sight.

“So, how’s life as a married man?”

He glanced to his left to see Malachi come up beside him, giving him a lopsided grin and clapping him on the shoulder. “Is it everything you dreamed of? Birds singing, rainbows everywhere you look, all that Disney shit?”

Lach gave a shake of his head with a wry grin. “I know you’re taking the piss, but yeah, it actually is. Despite only being about five hours into my marriage. And I’m looking forward to all the hours ahead of us, as well.”

Mal shook his head. “God, you sound like a cheesy Hallmark card. But in all seriousness, I’m happy for you. You deserve all this, after the shit you’ve gone through. Sierra’s a good woman.” He paused, giving Lach a sideways look. “But don’t tell her I said that. She’d probably think I was insulting her in some way and kick my ass.”

The brothers shared a laugh as they sipped at their drinks and continued to watch the dancing as the party continued on.

----------------------

June 19

The Vegas night was balmy with a fair breeze blowing over the city as Lachlan Kane sat out on the balcony of his hotel suite, enjoying the night air with a serene smile on his face. The newlywed Irishman

“So, here I go again. Another opportunity to prove myself worthy in the ranks of SCW. Pretty sure you’re all tired of this song and dance from me...but how do you think I feel having to live it? Seems like every time I get any kind of headway in this company, I find myself running into a brick wall. After this point, I should be as flat-faced as Bill Barnhart’s dog.” He chuckled. “Nevertheless, I persist. Because that’s just who I am. No matter how many times life kicks me in the stones, I will always get back up, wipe the blood from my face and smile, ready for the next go-round. And this week, I get the privilege of stepping into the ring with the new Roulette champion, our resident warlock Kedron Williams.”

He leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers together and resting them behind his head. “You know, I have to say I’m actually quite shocked. Everyone had Jack pegged as the future of this company, myself included. That kid comes from wrestling royalty. He’s got the looks, the talent, the charisma...he’s the whole bloody package. My money was on him completely obliterating Griff’s record with the Roulette title before he went on to become a World Champion. But then...Into the Void happened. Now, don’t take this to mean that I’m knocking your skills as a competitor, Kedron. I’ve seen what you can do in the ring, and you’re damned impressive. But I think - and don’t take this the wrong way - you were the underdog walking into that match. Everyone I talked to had Jack as the odds-on-favourite to win. So, congrats to you for bucking the trend and capturing that title.”

“And now, you and I get to meet up in that ring. First time for us, if I’m recalling correctly. Forgive my bad memory...years in this business taking bumps to the head will do that to a poor guy’s brains. Turn them into nothing more than scrambled eggs.” Lach let out a chuckle. “Though I’m fairly certain I’d remember if I went up against someone like you before. You...you definitely stand out in a crowd. Your look, your presence, your talent...you are definitely a one in a million type of performer.” He smirked a little. “Me, though? I’m once in a lifetime.”

He unlinked his hands and brought them back down to his knees, leaning forward in his chair and fixing the camera lens with an intense blue-eyed stare. “Now, I realize that this match is non-title. I know that wasn’t your decision, and you’re probably itching to defend it and prove that you weren’t just a fluke. And that time will come, believe me. Because I know that once we lock up in that ring on Sunday night - and I defeat you - I will be the next in line for a shot at that title. So believe me when I say that I am fighting like hell once that bell rings. I am gonna bring everything I have to you, and then some. I am going to fight like that belt is on the line, because once I do overcome all the odds and pin you in the middle of that ring, then maybe….MAYBE I can shake this demon and finally prove to everyone that I am more than one-half of the greatest mixed tag team in the history of SCW. That I am more than just ‘poor little Lach, can’t get a title’. I will finally prove that I belong in the title hunt.”

With a little smirk gracing his lips, he leaned back in his chair again and gazed out over the night sky as the camera faded out on his striking profile, highlighted by the neon glow from the street below.

 March 20
Brooklyn, New York

Lachlan Kane couldn’t remember the last time he had this much time off from the ring that wasn’t injury-related. If he was being honest with himself, it was driving him absolutely around the bend. Having to sit at home, watching while everyone he knew was busy competing...it rankled him to no end. But at the same time, he knew that it was probably for his own good. He hadn’t exactly endeared himself to Mark or Christian with his behaviour as of late, so he figured having this time off would be a good chance to get his head right, and hopefully rekindle his spark for the business.

Currently, he was sitting in his living room in the apartment he shared with his soon-to-be wife, Sierra Williams. She was busy putting the two girls to bed, so he took the opportunity to watch some of his old matches, back in the days of Division. He smiled as he watched his performances, remembering the happiness he had felt at finally being able to wrestle in the US. It had been something he had been wanted for so long, and that first year he had been on top of the world.

So where had it all gone so wrong?

Before he could go down that dark line of thought, a hand came to rest on his shoulder, and he glanced up to see Sierra looking down at him. “Reliving the glory days?” she said as she sat down next to him on the couch, cuddling up to his side.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, kissing the side of her head. “In a way. I just felt like I needed a little trip back in time. Try to remind myself how happy this business made me.”

“What brought this on?”

“It was something you said in your promo. The fact that I lost my spark for the business.”

Sierra hung her head a bit. “I’m sorry.”

Lachlan looked at her curiously. “What for?”

“It was my fault. I let my bad attitude kill your love of wrestling. If it wasn’t for me-”

She was interrupted when Lachlan took her face in his hands and gently pulled her towards him, giving her a long, lingering kiss. He pulled back and pressed his forehead to hers, looking deep into her eyes. “Listen to me, Si. None of that was your fault. You have been so amazingly supportive of me through all this, and I can’t begin to tell you how much you mean to me. We’ve both been stumbling since we went solo, but we’re gonna get through this together and make this year our year.”

Sierra gave him a smile, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a hug. “When you say it, I really do believe it.” She pulled away a bit, but stayed in his arms. “So, you’re back in action this week. How you feeling about it?”

Lachlan let out a breath. “Bit nervous, but I think I finally got my head straight. I know I was pretty pissed at Mark and Christian at first when they stopped booking me, but now I see that they were just trying to help me. They knew that I wasn’t myself, and I think they recognized that I needed the time away to reassess my priorities. I didn’t see it at first, but now I do and I’m grateful to them for giving me that.”

“So, you ready for Travis Levitt?”

“More than ready. After all, the guy hasn’t really been doing all that hot, has he? To be honest, I’m a bit surprised that he ended up in Wolfslair...well, as long as it lasted, anyways.”

Sierra let out a short laugh. “No kidding. Alex Jones must have been drunk when he made that call. Regardless, I can’t wait to watch you get back in that ring and back to what you love.”

Lachlan smiled and kissed her again. “You just want to see me in my ring gear again.”

Sierra rolled her eyes, lightly punching his arm. “That’s just an added bonus.”

They laughed as they settled in on the couch together as the scene faded out.

 January 16
8 a.m.
New York City

2020 was already looking pretty good as far as Malachi was concerned. He started the year as the World Champion in PWS Apex, successfully defended his belt at the first show of the year, and won the Match of the Year award for his triple threat cage match at their December PPV, Last Rites, in which he won the title. And now, he was looking to carry his success over to SCW.

It had been some time since he had been seen around the company in an in-ring capacity, but this Sunday he was finally going to be stepping back into competition. What surprised him was that management was teaming him with his girlfriend Bella Madison to take on the team of Bella’s friend Candy and the returning Chris Crippler. With a potential opportunity for Bella to gain a championship shot against Candy depending on the outcome of this match, Mal was more motivated than ever to start things off on a winning note in SCW for the new year.

The morning light shone through a crack in the curtains, directly over the face of Malachi, sleeping soundly in the apartment he shared with Bella. As the beam of sunlight fell into his eyes, he groaned and rolled over in the bed, attempting to get back to sleep. But he was the kind of person that, once he was awake, he could not fall back to sleep no matter how hard he tried. Sighing to himself, he sleepily opened his eyes to see Bella’s back towards him, and her deep, even breathing told him that she was still sound asleep. He smiled as he slid a little closer to her, brushing her hair over her shoulder and kissing the back of her neck. She stirred a little, but stayed sleeping, until he brushed his bearded cheek across her neck and down her shoulder. She shivered, finally turning around to face him with a bit of a sour look on her face.

“...the hell?” she muttered, rubbing at her eyes. “Mal, it’s 8 a.m.”

“Well, I couldn’t get back to sleep. So if I’m up, you’re up,” he said, grinning devilishly.

She narrowed her eyes at him, reaching over to grab her pillow and socking him in the face with it. “You are the WORST,” she groaned, flopping back down and attempting to fall back asleep.

But he would not be dissuaded so easily. He reached across and started tickling at her sides, pinning her down with his weight. “Nope, we gotta get up. We got things to do before the airport today.”

“ALRIGHT ALRIGHT!” she squealed though peals of laughter, trying desperately to wriggle out of his grasp. “You win! Knock it off already! You know I hate being tickled!”

He eased up, but kept his arms around her. “You know, we’ve got a little bit of time before we need to actually be out of bed…” Mal said with a sly grin, pulling Bella towards him. Bella giggled and kissed him, before she pulled back with a concerned expression.

“Did you hear that?” she asked.

The room was quiet for a moment as they listened, before they heard the unmistakable sound of paws on a tile floor. They immediately shot out of the bed, whipping open the bedroom door just as a massive CRASH! sounded from the living room.

“DAMMIT!” Mal yelled as they quickly made their way to the living room. “How the hell did she get out of that crate this time?!”

“I have no clue!” Bella said. “We put so many locks on that thing Houdini wouldn’t have been able to escape it!”

As they entered the living room, they saw the remains of one of the bookcases in the middle of the floor, books scattered from one wall to the other...and in the centre, their puppy Luka looking up at them with her tongue lolling out of her mouth and her tail wagging, blinking her dual-coloured eyes.

Mal sighed, running a hand down his face. “We’re bringing her with us to Miami, aren’t we?”

“We have to,” Bella said, picking her way through the chaos and lifting Luka into her arms. “She’s just not trained enough to leave her with anyone.”

“We’re just lucky that the hotel in Atlanta didn’t charge us damages for what she did to the lamp,” Mal said. “The minute we get back from Miami, we have to get her into obedience classes.”

“I know, I know,” Bella replied, handing the puppy to him. “I’m gonna clean up the living room. You better finish your packing.”

Mal glared down at Luka, who just reached up and licked his face. He grumbled under his breath and took the dog into the bedroom with him while he started grabbing clothes from the closet and putting them into his suitcase.

“You know, you better straighten up,” he said, watching as she played with a little rubber pork chop on the bed. “Bells may be in love with you, but if you don’t get your act together you’re heading back to the shelter.”

Luka looked up at him, cocking her head sideways as if she understood him. He rolled his eyes as he folded up a pair of shorts. “Don’t try to play cute with me, you little shit. You’ve been nothing but a destructive pain in the ass since I brought you home. If obedience school won’t straighten you out, there’s no way-”

She let out a little yip and jumped up onto her back legs, putting her front paws on Mal’s chest. Her blue and brown eyes stared up at him, and a whine rose up from her. He was taken aback at first, but when he looked down at her sad face, he felt his heart melt a little. “Look, I know you don’t mean to be bad.” He scratched her behind her ears. “You just don’t know what else to do. New people, new house...you’re just trying to get used to us.” He smiled a little. “And yeah, I guess you are kinda cute. Those eyes are something else…”

“Well, seems like someone’s not as immune to her as he thinks.”

Mal whipped his head around to see Bella leaning against the doorframe, arms folded across her chest and a smirk on her face. Mal rolled his eyes, but continued to pet Luka. “Yeah, well...what can I say, she’s growing on me. Like a fungus.”

“MALACHI!”

----

January 17
3 pm
Miami, Florida

The scene opened up on the interior of the hotel room that Malachi and Bella Madison were currently calling home. Having spent the day on the beach with their overeager puppy Luka, they decided to come back to the hotel and rest for a while, before heading out for dinner. Luka was snoozing on the bed behind Malachi, who was sitting on the balcony with his feet up on the railing. Dressed for the warmer climate in a tank top and board shorts, he raised his sunglasses to the top of his head as he gave the camera a smirk.

“So, here I am back in an SCW ring for the first time since October. Bet you all thought you’d seen the last of me then, didn’t you? Well, surprise surprise. I’m still here, and I’m not going anywhere for a long time. I’ve still got a lot of things I want to do in this company. Right now, I have the honour and privilege of teaming with my beautiful lady love against Chris Crippler, a decrepit old fossil trying desperately to regain some semblance of relevance and...ugh, Candy.” He gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes.

“Hey! You promised you were going to be nice.” Sliding into the camera frame, Bella shot Mal a playful glare, dressed in a simple short white cotton sundress. He just rolled his eyes again and pulled on her arm, causing her to tumble into his lap.

“Fine. I’ll just stick to talking about that raisin-faced ghost of SCW past.” Mal directed his hardened gaze towards the camera again, while Bella reclined in his lap. “I have no idea what museum you crawled out of to make your ‘triumphant return’, but if I were you, I’d hightail my wrinkled ass back there. You’re way out of your depth, old timer. This ain’t the SCW of yesteryear. New year, new guard. And I’ll be damned if you think you’re gonna come waltzing in here thinking that you’re gonna be King Shit again. The way I see it, you’ve probably been keeping up on the product during your time away. And now, you’re seeing SCW go from some two-bit Vegas sideshow into a global force to be reckoned with in the wrestling world. And now, you wanna dust off the gear, loosen up the ol’ joints and try to get back some of your shine, is that it? Well, I’ll tell you this right now - it ain’t gonna be at my expense.”

Shifting Bella in his lap slightly, Malachi dropped his feet to the floor and leaned forward slightly, his eyes blazing with a fiery determination. “Lemme give you a bit of backstory on me. I’m part of another company called PWS Apex. Back in December, we had a pay per view event called Last Rites over in Tokyo. And it was at that event that I beat the holy hell out of two other competitors in a Hell in a Cell match to become the PWS Apex World Champion. Now, I know what you’re thinking - ‘what the hell does that have to do with SCW?’. Well, let me elaborate for you. See, when I won that title, it was the biggest moment of my career thus far. And since then, I’ve had a successful defense, and also won the Match of the Year for that performance. I’m riding the biggest high of my life right now, and I’m looking to keep the momentum going in SCW. Starting by Bells and I walking into the arena, kicking both your asses, and walking out with our hands raised high in the air.”

“But before you go thinking that I’m gonna be hogging all the glory for my team, I’ll just stop you right there. I know that Bells has a huge opportunity in this match. When we defeat the two of you, she'll be straight in line for a shot at Candy’s little Roulette title there. And because I love this girl, I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure that happens. She’s been busting her ass ever since she stepped foot into this company, and if anyone deserves a shot at that title, it’s my Hell’s Bells.” Though Mal’s focus was on the camera, Bella gave him a fond look and a bit of a bashful smile as he continued on. “So if you think I’m going to let some washed-up has-been and a moron with the IQ of a turnip stand in the way of my girl getting a shot at said moron’s title, then you are sadly mistaken. We’re not some last-minute slapped-together team like you two. We live together, we train together. Even before this match was announced, the two of us have talked about the possibility of taking on the Mixed Tag Division. So this will be a perfect time for us to get our feet wet, so to speak. Who knows? Maybe Bells and I will get those titles and break my brother and Sierra’s record.” Both he and Bella laughed a bit. “But first things first. Sunday night, Climax Control. We are walking into this match to do nothing less than dominate, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Leaning back in the chair, Malachi smirked towards the camera again, flipping his sunglasses down over his eyes as Bella wrapped her arms around his neck and the scene came to a close.

 Earlier This Week
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Feels good to be home, Lachlan Kane thought as he pulled up to the house he now shared with his fiancee. In the car beside him, Sierra Williams smiled as she saw her two girls in the front window of the house, playing with their grandparents. When Jade and Olivia noticed the car pulling into the driveway, they immediately rushed to press their little faces to the window, laughing happily as they watched Lachlan and Sierra gather their bags from the trunk of the car and head inside. Once they stepped through the door, both of them were immediately attacked by two rambunctious little bundles of energy, Lachlan by Jade and Sierra by Olivia.

“Lachy! Lachy!” Jade said happily as she reached her arms up to him, demanding to be picked up. “I missed you!”

Lachlan laughed and scooped the five-year old into his arms, pressing kisses all over her face as she giggled. “No Lachy, your beard tickles!” she squealed.

“I missed ya too, a stóirín,” he said, using the Irish nickname that he had given her and she had grown to love. “It got a little lonely on the road without you and Livvy around.” He reached down into his bag and pulled out a stuffed unicorn, handing it to Jade. “But I saw this guy in a store, and he wanted me to take him home ‘cause he knew there was a funny little girl just waiting to be his best friend.”

Jade giggled again as she hugged the stuffed animal tightly with one arm, and wrapped the other around Lachlan’s neck in a hug. “Thank you Lachy! I love him!”

“I knew you would,” he said, kissing the top of her head as the four of them made their way into the living room where Sierra’s parents were waiting.

“Another stuffed animal?” Sierra’s mother Penelope exclaimed. “You’re spoiling these girls rotten, Lachlan.”

He gave her a little sheepish grin as he kissed her on the cheek. “What can I say? I’m a giver.”

She was about to retort, when a timer sounded from the kitchen. “Well, at least you and Sierra are just in time for dinner.” She got up from her chair to head into the kitchen to get the meal ready.

“Hey, how about you girls go with your poppa to get ready for dinner,” Lachlan said to Jade.

She pouted a bit as he set her down on the floor. “No, I wanna get ready with you.”

“I’ll be there in a minute, I promise,” Lachlan said, holding out his pinky finger to her. She immediately brightened as she wrapped her tiny pinky around his and they shook, before she scampered off with Olivia and her grandfather to the dining room. Lachlan watched them go with a smile, when a set of arms wrapping around his waist drew his attention. Sierra looked up at him with a smile, resting her head on his chest.

“Good to be home,” she said.

He smiled back at her, wrapping his arms around her. “Good to be home,” he echoed.

--------

A few hours later

No matter how hard he pushed himself, Lachlan couldn’t chase the thoughts out of his mind. After the girls had gone to bed, he decided to head to the nearby gym and get a workout in, if only to try and quiet his mind. Ever since Mark and Christian had announced that he was going to be a part of these qualifying matches to determine who would be a part of the next Supercard to face the champion, his anxiety had flared up in a big way. All his past failures had been pushed to the forefront of his mind for the past two weeks, and nothing he did seemed to shake them. Even being home with his girls hadn’t done much to stem the tide, and that worried him. Normally, when he spent time with Jade, Olivia and Sierra, everything else seemed to fade away. But not this time.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Sierra’s voice broke through the myriad of thoughts swirling in his head, and he turned to see her leaning against the wall, arms folded across her chest with a small smile on her face. He smiled back at her and took a few more swings at the punching bag he had been working over for the past half-hour. “Thought Canada got rid of pennies,” he grunted between punches.

“Good point. Besides, the way you look, I’d probably need about five bucks,” she joked. “I haven’t seen you this intense in a long time.”

He let loose with a flurry of strikes, ending with a solid punch straight to the middle of the bag that sent it swinging on its chain. “Yeah, well...I’ve got a huge opportunity in front of me this Sunday.”

The smile fell from Sierra’s face, replaced with a slightly concerned look. “Alright Lachy, talk to me. I know how you get in these situations. Is everything OK?”

He let out a long breath, starting to unwrap the tape from his hands as he walked over to the bench along the wall and sat down. Sierra followed along, sitting beside him and putting an arm around his shoulders. “To be honest, Si...no.” He balled up the used tape and tossed it towards the trash can in the corner, bouncing it off the edge as it went in. “Ever since Mark and Christian announced this whole qualifying match thing two weeks ago, my head’s been in a right state. All I can think of is how many times I’ve had opportunities like this in SCW, and how I’ve pissed them all away each and every time. I’m becoming my own worst enemy, and I hate it.”

Sierra reached out and took his hand in hers, running her thumb across his knuckles soothingly. “Lachy, listen to me. You may have had some setbacks, sure, but everyone goes through that. The important thing to remember is that you’ve never given up. No matter how many times you’ve been knocked down, you always get back up and face the next challenge in your way. This time will be no different.” She smirked a little. “Well, it will be, because you’re gonna go kick Alex Jones’ ass on Sunday and claim your spot in that title match at the next supercard. And then, you’re gonna kick everyone else’s ass and finally prove to everyone, especially yourself, that you’re not a failure.”

Lachlan was quiet for a moment, just staring down at his and Sierra’s hand laced together. He looked up at her, and she had such a look of pure determination on her face that he couldn’t help but feel his spirits lift. He smiled at her, leaning over to give her a soft, sweet kiss.

“What would I do without you?” he said when they parted, their foreheads resting together.

She smirked at him. “You’ll never find out.” She wiggled her left hand at him, her engagement ring shining in the light.

--------
Present Day
Toronto, Ontario

The city of Toronto was a winter wonderland. An early snowfall had coated the Six with a good layer of the fluffy white stuff, putting most everyone into a festive mood as the city began rolling out its holiday welcome mat.

But one person in the city was most definitely not feeling the holiday spirit. Sitting in a darkened alleyway on top of a discarded shipping crate, Lachlan Kane had his hands clasped together between his knees as he stared down at the ground. A moment of quiet passed, the noises from the street being muffled by the snow, before he cleared his throat and began to speak.

“I know what everyone’s thinking,” he started, his voice low and somewhat gravelly. “‘How in the hell does Lachlan Kane deserve a shot at the World title? He’s had countless opportunities, and every time he’s managed to fuck it all up for himself. What makes him so special that he’s even in the running?’”

He laughed bitterly. “I know, that’s the big story with me, isn’t it? Ever since I lost the mixed tag titles with Sierra, I’ve been nothing but a failure. I’ve had so many opportunities handed to me, it seems...and I’ve done nothing but squander them. Just when it seems like I get on a good roll, it crashes and burns.” He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a frustrated sigh. “And I have no one to blame but myself. Every time I get these big opportunities, I get too caught up in my own head. Every time I slip further down that ladder, the voice in my head gets a little bit louder. Telling me that I’m useless. That I’m nothing without Sierra. That I don’t belong…”

He shot up off the crate with a sudden burst of speed, letting out a vicious snarl as he kicked at a glass bottle, sending it flying down the alleyway where it shattered against a brick wall. He paced back and forth for a few moments, trying to get his temper under control. “Well, that shit ends today. Rather, it ends on Sunday. I’m done throwing myself a pity party. I’m through letting all these shit-talkers get inside my head and make me feel anything less than the god-damn badass that I am. I’m walking into Climax Control, I’m beating the ever-loving hell out of Alex Jones, and I am taking my rightful place in that match at December 2 Dismember.”

He finally turned to look at the camera, his bright blue eyes flashing with intensity and his mouth curling up into a smirk. “And this will be my biggest challenge yet, won’t it? Alex Jones is no stranger to the SCW faithful. He’s been one of the top names in this company pretty much since he set foot in here. Don’t get me wrong, he deserves all the accolades. The man backs up every word he says. He doesn’t cower from any challenge set in front of him. I suppose that’s something we have in common. Sure, he may have a better win-loss record, but like I said before, come Sunday I’m stepping up and I’m proving that I’m the next face of this company. I’m gonna prove it to all the doubters, all the naysayers, and every motherfucker who wants to talk about me like I’m some damn charity case that Mark and Christian took pity on.”

He reached behind his head to flip up the black hood of his coat, slightly shrouding his face in darkness until only his mouth and the bottom of his jaw could be seen. “See, I think my problem was I lost my edge. When I came to the US, I figured a change could do me good. I went from being one of the most ruthless gaijin that Japan had ever seen into the smiling, loveable little yes-man when I arrived in the States. I thought that playing to the crowd was the way to go. Sure, I picked up some success here and there, and I’m proud of my accomplishments. Especially being the lBut then, I hit that glass ceiling. And no matter what I did, I could never break through. At least, not with the attitude I used to have. I realized that if I was going to get anywhere, I was going to have to take my fist and shatter that glass ceiling. And that’s just what I plan on doing on Sunday. Not to mention shattering Alex Jones’ fucking jaw in the process.” The devious smirk returned to his face, reminiscent of a dangerous predator about to devour its unfortunate prey. “It’s time that I reminded myself - and introduce you all - to who I truly am. I’m the one that’s beating Alex Jones on Sunday. I’m the one that’s walking into December 2 Dismember. And I’m the one that will be walking out of it as the new SCW World Champion. This is the biggest shot I’ve ever gotten in the company...and you better believe that I’m more than ready to pull the trigger.”

Raising a hand towards the camera, with his index finger and thumb making a gun shape pointed straight down the lens, he mimicked pulling a trigger before turning on his booted heel and sauntering out of the scene, before it faded out to black.

 Last Week
Following Climax Control

Much like he had the previous week, Lachlan Kane burst into the dressing room he shared with Sierra Williams backstage. Unlike last week, however, he had a massive smile on his face as he grabbed a nearby towel and wiped at the sweat on his face as Sierra followed in behind him, pumping her fists and cheering.

“I told you! I told you we were gonna go out there and punch our ticket!” she yelled excitedly, running over and jumping up into Lachlan’s arms.

He stumbled slightly, but laughed as he swung her around the locker room. “And I shall never doubt you again, my French caramel goddess.”

She mock glares at him for a moment before smiling and sliding out of his arms back down to the floor. “Now that we’ve gotten that bullshit out of the way, we can focus on the real competition to come. We’ve got Vinnie and Amy, Jack and Emmie, or London Underground in whatever configuration they decide on.”

He rested his hands on his hips, letting out a low whistle. “Not gonna sugarcoat it Si, we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

Sierra scoffed, flipping back her long hair. “Look, the only ones I would even consider serious competition would be London Underground. They were the first mixed tag champs for a reason. The other two teams are new. They don’t have the experience behind them. Not to mention Jack and Emmie is as dysfunctional as it gets. It’s only a matter of time before that blows up in spectacular fashion.”

“Even still...we shouldn’t short-change anyone. Didn’t work out for us so great last week, did it?”

Sierra rolled her eyes. “Alright, alright, fine.”

Lachlan smiled at her and leaned down to kiss her. “That’s my girl.”

-----

Earlier this week
Long Beach

“Well, this is set to be one hell of a match, isn’t it?”

Walking along the Long Beach boardwalk in the middle of a hot summer’s day, Lachlan Kane was the picture of boyish effervescence. A far cry from the attitude he had been displaying in past weeks, today the Irish fighter was dressed in blue shorts, a white polo shirt and his treasured Vans slides. He had a black ball cap perched on his head and sunglasses shielding his eyes, but there was no missing the large grin on his face as he casually strolled through the crowds.

“Last week, Sierra and I were finally able to shake that proverbial monkey off our back and get back to our winning ways. So yeah, I’m in a bit of a better mood than I have been. But that doesn’t mean that I’m not ready to put the work in this week. Because let me tell you...there’s gonna be a lot of work to be done. When you’ve got the longest-reigning Mixed Tag champions going up against the very first ones...well, seems a shame that’s not the one that’s gonna be for all the marbles, doesn’t it?” He gave a little shrug of his shoulders. “If I’m being honest, I would have loved for Sierra and I to have faced London Underground at the pay-per-view for the titles, because that is a pay-per-view quality match. But, it is what it is.”

He walked over to the railing and leaned against it, looking down at the sparkling waters of the marina. “But don’t think for one second that I’m not giving this match the respect it deserves, because nothing could be farther from the truth. London Underground, you do have my respect for being the first champions of this division. You’re in the history books for that accomplishment. But, it does beg the question...what exactly have you done lately? Where were you all when Sierra and I were calling out the roster? Out of all the established mixed teams in the company, you were the only ones to stay quiet and not rise to the occasion.” Lachlan scratched at his cheek. “I get that you’ve got your little side project going on with the casino and whatnot, but don’t you think that could have been a prime opportunity to show up and cement your claim as the standard of the mixed tag division? Come in, beat a couple young upstarts and reclaim your gold?”

He pushed off from the railing and turned so he was leaning back against it, sliding off his sunglasses and hooking them into the collar of his shirt. His intense blue gaze bored into the camera lens. “No, you decided to wait. You waited until Sierra and I became the longest-reigning mixed tag champs in SCW history. You waited until we lost the titles, and until they ended up vacated. You waited until the announcement of this tournament. For what purpose, I wonder? Probably the same reason as every other team entered - you all probably thought that Sierra and I would be too focused on our singles careers to enter, and this would be the only opportunity you would get to even get close to those belts.” He smirked. “And then, we showed up. We came back like we forgot something. Because we realized that there was no way in holy hell we were going to let any of these teams walk in and think that they were going to take what was ours. Because no matter what anyone says or thinks...when all this is said and done, we will be raising those belts again. And we’ll go on another record-breaking title run. And hopefully this time we’ll get more competition.”

“See, Sierra and I live and breathe this tag division, unlike a lot of others. While we were the champs, we weren’t content to just sit back and let the challenge come to us, as scarce as it ended up. We went out and we hustled. We invited anyone and everyone to step to us and challenge for our belts. That’s why the division needs us on the top. We’ve worked harder for this division than even the god damn owners of this company.” He winked. “No offense, of course. But I’m sure even Mark and Christian would agree. We put a lot of eyes on this company, by virtue of our relentless drive and ambition, not to mention our desire to prove that we were the best team not only in SCW, but the entire wrestling world. For now, we’ll get to prove that we’re the best in the company when we face London Underground this Sunday.”

He slid one hand into a pocket of his shorts, as Sierra walked up beside him. He smiled at her and put his free arm around her shoulders. “So, while I was really hoping that it was gonna come down to us versus the Underground at Summer XXXTreme, we’ll just have to give the fans a treat. Cause they’re going to get to see a pay-per-view worthy match for free at Climax Control. And while I know this is going to be a match to go down in the history books, there’s really only one way it’s going to end - Sierra and I with our hands raised, and moving on to the finals. To get back what is ours.”

With a cheeky wink from Lachlan and a glare from Sierra, the couple saunters off down the boardwalk, getting swallowed up by the crowd as the camera cuts to black.