Earlier in the week...

"Where the fuck is she!?" Fenris murmured in a harsh tone beneath his breath as he stood beside his boyfriend Ty West as they and several others stood on the pier on the island of St. Barts. The afternoon was a pleasant one where the sky was a bright blue and the temperature was not at all uncomfortable. It would have been perfect weather to be on the beach, just as hundreds of other tourists were doing at this very moment. It was just what Fenris's own brother Aron was doing with his Siberian Husky Kyssa at this very moment.

But they were expecting a special guest to arrive by ferry any moment, one whom they missed terribly. Yes, even Fenris missed ever since she had moved out of his and Aron's condo -- to a smaller one right across the hall.

"Be patient Jan." Ty answered as his eyes watched the approaching ferry off in the distance. Ty raised a finger and pointed it out. "See? That should be the one from St. Martin. Dani is supposed to be on that one."

Fenris folded his arms over his chest and shook his head. "Why the fuck she couldn't have taken a plane is beyond me! They do have an airport here after all! Granted, it's shit! But planes doo land on it!"

Ty turned his head to look at his boyfriend and there was a look of both adoration and incredulity on his own handsome face. He said, "Cut her some slack, Jan. Whatever happened with her and Nick, she wanted to get away and I think this is her first time on an island so she wanted to take the scenic route."

"If I known the ferry would take this damn long, I could have gotten you alone in our room first." Fenris said as he unfolded his arms and his one arm slipped behind Ty and grabbed a handful of his man's tight backside. Ty immediately flushed, as he so often did when his man unabashedly got hand on in public displays of affection. But perhaps what gave Ty an unabashed 'hot flash' was the look his man had on his face when he turned back to him and started to pull on his arm as the ferry started to dock.

"Jan," Ty asked, swallowing hard as Fenris placed his hands on his chest and started to forcibly back him up. "What are you doing?"

"Shed over there." Fenris nodded toward a row of buildings. "We have time."

"Jan, are you crazy!? We can't ... not out in the open..."

"It's not like we're at the damn park! That was one time...! We'll be quick..."

Ty laughed as he deftly swerved his body around and got away from his amorous lover, saying, "You know as well as I do that's never true! Now come on! Dani is..."

"I'm here!" Came the telltale call, the voice familiar to them both as Dani Weston was the first to rush off of the ferry and dropped her bags before she collided into the powerful arms of Ty West, hugging him for all he was worth! An embrace that Ty was only too happy to return.

Fenris was clearly frustrated, not by Dani joining them. hell! He was all for that, missing her after all. But he was frustrated by wanting some time alone with Ty, if you get what we mean. (and if you don't you have really led a very secluded life!) But his dour expression shifted to a half-smile as Dani let go of Ty and immediately "the White Wolf" found the young woman jumping into his arms, wrapping him tightly around the neck as if it had been forever since she had seen "her hero" last. And if it had been awhile, in fact. Fenris was never that much of an affectionate sort, at least not where family and his man wasn't concerned. But he did return the embrace, albeit a tad stiff, knowing whatever the reason was for her joining them, she needed it.

Ty gave her a light kiss on the top of her head as Fenris was (of course) the first to release the hug and Fenris asked her, "What's wrong?" as he searched her face for answers.

"What's..?" She smiled but shook her head. "Nothing is wrong!"

"You leave Vegas and whatever the fuck his name is and 'nothing' is wrong?" Fenris frowned but kept his one arm around her shoulder in a "big brother" protective gesture that did not go unnoticed as Ty lifted her dropped luggage into his own grasp. He went on, "You're full of shit!"

But rather than flush or act discomforted, Dani just rolled her eyes and shook her head. Having lived for months beneath the same roof as this volatile individual, she was all too used to his random outbursts. Even though the turning of heads turning in their direction at his verbal outburst did cause her to flush just a hint before a hard look from the Icelandic star gave the strangers cause to turn away.

Ty joined them and said calmly, "C'mon Jan, she's not here to be interrogated." He smiled down at her, offering her a bit of comfort. "She's here to join us for some fun and just relax."

"And to watch you..." She tweaked Fenris's nose, causing him to grit his teeth and practically snap at her fingers. "... win a match!"

That little statement mollified Fenris just enough that they left the pier calmly, but both Ty and Dani knowing that sooner or later, Fenris would have answers if there were any to be had.

Later....

What Dani really needed was to simply relax, and when in paradise, what better way to relax than to spend the day at the beach? Sunning yourself on the sandy beach? Swimming in the beautiful waters off the shore? Dani wanted to experience it all and Fenris and Ty were only too happy to oblige. Then when Aron led Dani and Kyssa to a small stand that was serving ice cream, Ty joined Fenris who was laying back on a towel, his head propped up on a sandbar. His eyes were hidden by his shades and Ty could swear he actually appeared to be calm as he relaxed under the blue sky and warm rays of the sun, baking his skin to a golden brown.

And no sooner did Ty drop down on his own beach towel beside his man than did Fenris quickly roll over and grab him by the back of the head, pulling him in for a rough kiss! Ty, startled but no less pleased by the action, returned the favor but once they separated, Ty was blushing which always gave Fenris a sense of diabolical pleasure.

"Let's call it a day." Fenris said in his husky, Icelandic accent, and Ty frowned.

"Call it a day?" He repeated. "It's only past noon! Why do you want to... oh. Oh!" Now he really was blushing by the intent and the lecherous smile on Fenris's face didn't help matters any. Ty was just about to agree, or at least find a way to escape to their room for an hour or two, when Kyssa skidded to a halt, sending sand flying everywhere!

Fenris cursed, brushing himself off as Dani grabbed both men by the wrist. "Come on!" She exclaimed in her perpetually excited manner. "Let's go swimming!"

Ty smiled, allowing himself to be brought back up to his feet and Fenris just fell back against his resting spot, cock blocked again! It was a good thing his eyes were hidden behind his shades but a bad thing he was wearing small swim trunks.

Ty said, "We just got out of the water!" To which Dani replied, "You can't be on a beach and not get in the water!"

"Think again." Fenris exclaimed, trying to hide his frustration from the tone of his voice. "I'll go later."

"You sure?"

But Fenris waved them off and tried to relax again and think of something else, anything else. The warm sun and sound of the water soon lulled him to sleep....

And some time later he woke up and found he was unable to move. He struggled but couldn't even lift his arms to take off his glasses as he was currently buried in a mound of sand!

"What the fuck!?" And Dani's head shot up, eyes wide as he had suddenly awoken!

"Come on Dani..." Ty said with a devilish grin, pulling her to her feet. "Let's go get something to eat." And he swiftly escorted her away as Fenris continued to struggle under the sand...

"Ty!"

And Kyssa trotted up and started licking her master's exposed face.

"TY!!!"

---

The sun was finally setting as the weekend approached at St. Barts, and the man known in both professional wrestling circles as well as the fighting cages of the Mixed Martial Arts scene as "the White Wolf" aka Fenris, was spotted walking along the beach. Even at this hour, there were people wanting to waste not a moment of sun, even as it was about to set and be replaced by the glorious night sky with sparkling stars and a moon that would be big and beautiful. Clad in a white Speedo made of lycra to compliment his lightly tanned body, the former World Heavyweight Champion drew stares from some of those beach goers, both male and female, but he ignored them all as his attention was on his 'baby girl' Kyssa, his beloved Husky, as she romped and played in the surf.

"After Summer XXXTreme VII, I was actually in a decent mood. Alex Jones and I had waited long enough for a one on one fight, and when we finally go into the ring on that cruise ship, we showed everyone why it had been both a mistake -- and the right move -- to make both the fans and us wait so damn long for what I think was the match of the night! It was a mistake because, damn! Alex and I could have torn that ring up and shown everyone why we're two of the top alphas in Sin City Wrestling! It was also the right move because, hey! You don't want a match like that to just happen any time. Much like movie studios, they planned smart because Alex Jones versus Fenris was the summer blockbuster in the ring! Alex and I tore it up, and like I said before; everything I tried? He had an answer for. So I had to try something different and hey..."

Fenris smiled in 'that' way, arms out in self presentation as his eyes fell on the horizon, the sun just beginning to set over the waters of the North Atlantic. The colorful display in the sky cast a dazzling reflection on the crystal blue waters famed by beach goers and paradise lovers the world over.

"I won but Alex made me fight for it and that is what I love best! He was never more right than when he said that I literally feed off of competition, and he gave me all that and more!"

Fenris then held up a hand and begun to count off of his fingers.

"Austin. Ty. Raab. Vinnie. And yeah. Alex. My top five -- so far. Caleb Storms? Ballsy runner up! Each one gave me the  competition that I want, and each one earned the one thing people accuse me of never showing. My respect! Those five? I will tell anyone who doesn't have a fucking hearing problem that I respect them and mean every damn word of praise! I'll kick their ass, they'll kick mine, them will go out and get shit faced with them afterwards! Because that is just how I roll! But after facing a man like Alex, I was wondering what I could possibly do to top that? Well, I just got tired of waiting and answered that myself, and just this last week I got the match I wanted for over a god damn year! Ben Jordan!"

He shrugged.

"Okay, sure. I had to play a little dirty to get him to sign for it, but fuck! I think I been more than a little patient! And when he said yes and it was made official I was elated! For the first time since I had won the SCW title, I was fucking through the roof! So I had the match I waited for, then got the match I wanted, and what comes next?"

Fenris pauses for a brief moment and closed his eyes. He drew a deep breath before opening his eyes and shook his head.

"Joshua fucking Acquin. Again! I'm not much for repeat performances, but why couldn't I have had a match like Lachlan Kane? Or Griffin Hawkins? Shit! Let Austin James Mercer and I tear the ring up a second time if they want repeats, but Acquin!? What exactly has this guy done that is so noteworthy? All I hear is how he's a challenge and he is a former Tag Team Champion."

Fenris popped his finger from his lips and twirled it around in the air.

"Well whoopty fucking doo! So he held the tag titles. It was over FIVE YEARS ago! Has he had a title since then? Has he even come close? Hell! Has he even gotten a win over anyone who even matters in all that time!?"

He held a hand up and nodded, as if relenting.

"Okay, so he got a win over Jon Dough. Two, I guess. Jon Dough... Matt Spears -- whatever. The guy is good but did anyone really take those wins seriously? Aside from Acquin, that is. After jobbing out so many times in a row, those big wins went straight to Acquin's head..."

He tapped his own temple with his forefinger.

"... and suddenly Acquin feels like he can do anything against anyone and not put in a fucking bit of effort! What, don't believe me? Just watch any of his promos and that should tell you enough. The man doesn't do shit! He hardly tries and that's either because he feels he doesn't need to try in order to pull off a win, or he just doesn't want to! And if he doesn't take himself seriously in the ring, then why the hell should anyone else!?"

Fenris noticed something from the corner of his eye and turned to spot Kyssa standing in the waters of the beach, with a small branch in her mouth. She was swinging it from side to side, playing like a child which drew a rare but sincere smile from the oft hot headed Icelandic superstar before he got back to business.

"And it is obvious that he does not. In any fighting sport, MMA, wrestling, whatever -- less is not more. Granted, least the man shows up. But every time I hear the name Joshua Acquin, I hear about all this potential that the man has. Well how about we actually SEE IT sometime!? Huh!? I don't know what got into Amy Marshall, Jessie Salco or Vinnie when they let Acquin into their little group. Were they hard up for another man so they could be a legit 'Freebirds' team, or maybe Salco just didn't want to be the one in the team that sucked the most. Who knows!? All I do know is that he hasn't done shit to make their choice justified, and it's all been downhill since for the ..."

**air quotes**

"Metal and Punk Connection. So what happens now when the bosses give Amy a break so she can actually get a win on her own rather than a loss because of him? They decide to toss me a bone -- maybe literally -- by putting Acquin in the ring with me and me alone. Well that's a bone no dog or wolf would waste their teeth gnawing on, so what the hell do they expect me to do? Pound him senseless? Tie him up in knots so tight the Scouts won't be able to untie him? Apply just that right amount of pressure until his face turns purple and you are about to hear the pop of a joint before he ruins the fun and taps out?"

Fenris shrugged.

"Alright."

Kyssa trots up, still dragging the stick in her jaws through the surf and now the sand as she arrives at her master's feet, tail wagging and flicking water in every direction. Fenris takes the stick from her and her ice blue eyes watch it and only it as he gives it a toss and she takes off after it in hot pursuit! Fenris turned back to the camera briefly.

"I could use an easy night before moving onto some real challenges!"

And he then turned his back to the camera and walked off after Kyssa...

 Family Matters Part II

When last we met, I promised that certain answers would be given over what had happened between Kristjan Baltasarsson and his visiting family from Iceland.

Promises made, promises kept.

This would be perhaps as good a time as any, the perfect time as it were, to tie up these loose ends in this story, as in a matter of days Kristjan and his brother Aron would embark on the Sun Princess cruise liner for a week-long working vacation that would culminate in Summer XXXTreme VII, and a match that the "White Wolf" had long sought against the premiere athlete, Alex Jones.  Those who had paid close attention over the last several promos are aware of what had been happening, dating as far back as June, but answers were slow to come as the unfolding of the story was just as important as the tale itself. Along with the possible ramifications, and the value of those who stand by your side when times were at their toughest.

But here, and now? On the off chance you need a slight refresher course...

Family Matters Part II

Las Vegas -
Two months ago

"C'mon Despy, let's go." Gabriel said quietly as he laid his hand on the shoulder of his pseudo 'little brother' and steered him around to exit the scene alongside his wife Odette, and give Kristjan and his family some semblance of privacy. It was a testament to the seriousness of the situation that the curious and childlike Despayre did or said nothing to encourage they stay or about the situation itself.

Kristjan watched from the corner of his eye as the Stevens led Despayre into another room of the gym and closed the door behind them, before he turned back to face his family. Aron stood as always at his older brother's side, as this was as much a mystery to him as it was to Kristjan.  But his father and sisters? They remained opposite of the two, Erin seated on a bench and looking as if she were a child about to be scolded for some misperceived wrong doing and her face spoke volumes that she would fight if that were indeed the case. Viktoria, the one whose discovered 'injuries' initiated this situation, remained standing in a rigid position, her arms folded over herself, her face downcast and her eyes roaming everywhere but at her brothers. Such was her wish that this had never come to light. Benedikt, all four of their father, stood at his oldest daughter's side, a father's protective nature at large.

"What happened?" Kristjan finally found his voice once again, speaking in their native tongue, but his words were not directed at his sister who he felt had suffered enough for whatever had happened. No, this time his ice blue eyes bore into his father's visage and sought answers.

Benedikt finally relented, and with a sigh took a step forward and thus away from Viktoria's side, as he answered, "You know Einar Halldórsson?"

It took a moment's pause on both brothers' part, but more so for Kristjan as the memory was his specific. He drew his arms up and folded them over his chest as he answered, "Of course. I went to school with him. He was in my judo class too."

Benedikt picked up the story and said in as calm a manner as possible, even though the memories drawn up were a parent's nightmare. "Well he and your sister had been seeing one another. Your mother and I thought he was a good boy ... at first."

Elin added tersely, "He would have made a god damn great actor."

"Elin..." Her dad spoke her name and when she glanced up, he shook his head and the effect was immediate. Benedikt then turned back to his sons and continued, "We, your mother and I, did not realize at first. You know how your sister is..." Kristjan and Aron found their eyes roaming to Viktoria who looked hurriedly away but they could spot the tell-tale glisten of a tear streak down her face as she did so. Their dad went on, explaining as best he could even though he was abhorred to admit what had happened, as he saw it as a weakness in himself as a father being unable to protect and defend his 'little girl.'

"At first it was just words and she had told Elin who told your mother and myself. Upsetting enough but Viktoria asked us to let her handle it. We thought she could, being ..." He struggled to find the right words, words Kristjan would have finished for him in the terms of "a raging bitch" but he did not. It looked like she had been through a hard enough time as it were.

Viktoria finally took up the mantle of the story herself as she wiped at her eyes with the back of her free hand before he said, "I fought with you all the time." And by 'you,' she was of course referring to her volatile brother. She drew in a shaky breath and went on, "I didn't know he had a temper like that. We fought so much I just thought it was the same ting we did. He called me names and insulted me like it was his right, but when I fought back and called him names, he went nuts...." It took her a few long, uncomfortable moments to calm and collect herself, moments that her brothers, for once, were not impatient to see come to an end. They knew Viktoria needed this time and if they were to be perfectly honest, they weren't entirely certain they wanted to know what they had a feeling was to come.

She finally found her voice and said, "He pushed me and I fell down. When I got up and pushed him back, he hit me... slapped me.... then he got so up-set. At himself. He was so sorry, he kept apologizing that I stayed with him..."

"Fuck's sake, Viktoria..." Kristjan growled, unable to fathom what he was hearing. Why anyone would remain with someone who abused them on any level; be it physical or mental. He glanced up at his father who held up a finger and shook his head in a warning glance and Kristjan respectfully remained silent.

"It kept happening though." She went on, her voice shaking in humiliation. So many times they had heard stories about abused women, and she swore she would never be caught in such a trap. Yet here she was... "He kept hitting me, and I'd leave him. He'd apologize and beg me to take him back and I... I always did and he'd just start..." She finally looked up and Kristjan and Aron saw the red rimmed eyes of her sister as she swallowed hard, "Then he wanted me to do something one night, and I-I didn't want to. he got angry... he got so angry... "

Aron blanched, understanding the unspoken and he asked, "Did he...?"

But Viktoria shook her head in the negative. "I fought him off enough I guess.  He just beat me down and was going to ... but he made too much noise and his neighbors must have called the police."

Elin stood up and gave up her seat for her sister, insisting silently that she sit and for once, Viktoria did not utter a protest. Elin then turned to the brothers and she said, "Einar got arrested, and she was taken to the hospital. He's still trying to fight it." She scoffed in disbelief. "He's trying to convince everyone that Viktoria attacked him and he was just defending himself. Defending himself! By beating a woman half his size!"

Aron frowned, "He's not out now, is he?"

Unfortunately, Benedikt nodded in the affirmative, "His family made bail for him, and are sheltering him. They believe him about what he's been saying about your sister. They did not like her from the start."

"Called her a bad influence and a hussy." Elin added, her hand massaging Viktoria's shoulder but the area with the bruise must have been tender as she subtly shrugged her sister's comforting hand from her touch.

"I've even been getting messages from his family about forgiving him and asking me to drop the charges." Viktoria sniffed back a fresh wave of tears. "When I wouldn't, I started getting these anonymous messages sent to me, threatening me to drop them."

"And that's why we're here." Benedikt said. "To keep her away from him or his family. Your mother and Freyja are visiting relatives in Mosfellsbær."

Aron exchanged a glance with Kristjan and asked, "When did all this start?"

Benedikt answered, "About six months ago."

"Six... six months!?" Kristjan almost choked on his own words. "What the FUCK!?"

"Watch your tone with me!" His father warned, and his words were like a hot knife through butter as Kristjan paused, taking a moment to collect himself and reign in that infamous temper of his. But it was a task far easier said than done as he shook his head, the efforts to control himself causing his body to shudder involuntarily.

"Why are we just haring about this now!?" Aron asked incredulously. "Some bastard has been abusing our sister for going on six months and we just now hear about it?" he held out his arms helplessly. "Why?"

But the choked sob cut off any protests the two upset brothers were having inside of their minds as Viktoria covered her face with her hand and shook her head, "I just didn't want anyone else to find out..."

Aron took a step closer to his sister and his soft side was on full display despite their antagonistic past. he lowered himself to a knee in front of her and shook his head, "But why?"

'Because I introduced them.' Kristjan silently pondered to himself, and it was the truth. At a football game back in Reykjavík, years ago. On a visit back home, the family had all joined together to attend a game and e8inar just happened to be in attendance. He and Kristjan had chatted casually, catching up as it were, and he had introduced the man to his family, Viktoria included. He just hadn't been aware that anything further had come of that moment.

"Fuck!" Kristjan muttered angrily to himself and he turned and walked toward the door to the gymnasium, Aron called after him "Where are you going?"

"Just outside." Kristjan answered, leaving his bag and equipment behind him. "I need some air."

Aron watched him, feeling as if he should go with him but Kristjan was his own man and did not need his little brother under foot any more so than he already was. The door closed behind him, and several minutes passed by with Viktoria's immediate family consoling her as best they could under the given circumstances. That was when the back door of the gymnasium opened and Gabriel emerged first, asking "Everything okay?"

Aron looked up at him, then to Viktoria who drew in a deep breath to steady herself and put on as brave a front as she could muster, so as not to have the story repeat itself to a new audience. "It's okay." Aron finally said, although he knew better. He just knew his sister.

Only then did Gabriel and Odette fully emerge with a cautious and timid Despayre behind them, the little guy constantly stealing a glance behind him and into the office. The Stevens did not know the details of what happened, but they knew well enough from the evidence alone. They arrived at the family gathered and Gabriel smiled, despite himself, and spoke in Icelandic for their benefit, "That offer I made? It's still on. How about that dinner?"

Benedikt looked to his oldest daughter and she gathered herself and gave her best, if not her most convincing, smile. The father looked to Gabriel and nodded, "Thank you. I think that would be most welcome."

"Good." Gabriel took Odette's hand in his own and said, "We'll close up here and..." But it was then that he noticed the missing party. He frowned and slipped into English, asking, "Where's Kristjan?"

Aron answered, "Outside." at the very same moment Despayre said, "Oh he left."

It was the second answer that caught the attention of Gabriel, Odette as well as Aron. The words were not understood to Benedikt, nor his daughters as they spoke no English, but the sudden atmosphere and mood change was evident.

Odette asked, "What do you mean he left?"

Despayre jetted a thumb back over his shoulder and toward the room they had just emerged from, saying, "I saw him through the window. He just drove away."

"Despy!" Gabriel called out, "Why didn't you say something??" And he ran for the door with everyone else right on his heels. Gabriel was the first to reach the parking lot, followed by his wife and Aron, Despayre, and Benedikt and his daughters...

And Kristjan's car was indeed gone. Aron closed his eyes... "Shit." he exclaimed, turning to Gabriel with worry and his words bore a serious threat. "He's going to kill him."

---

The lights were down low, and Kristjan -- Fenris -- sat perched on the steps outside of the six-sided ring. His knees were drawn up, almost touching his chest, and his elbows rested on his thighs while his fingertips steepled against his lips.

"I am not a man that is into games. And that being said, I can not claim to be any sort of student to this particular game without making myself out to be a liar and look quite the fool. I proved that a long time ago, when I didn't look at one of the best and see him for who and what he was. Not then, anyway, but I can now say with all honesty that my eyes have been opened."

"I like to think that I am the type of man that generally gets what he wants. I always have. I fight for it. I demand it. But I get it -- most of the time. And why? I'd like to think that not only have I earned it, but unlike some in this sport, I don't overload those in power with demands. I don't ask for much. The fact that I never pursued a rematch against Austin James Mercer should be evidence enough, and the fact I don't have a new name every week I want in the ring. I've asked for little in terms of opposition. I usually just face whatever unlucky bastard they put me up against. I've made very few requests for specific opponents, and even Caleb Storms answered. He did not like it. He would have preferred to avoid being in a ring with me altogether, but he had balls! Which is more than I can say for some who have avoided my repeated requests for a match!"

"I've even went so far as to lay out an open challenge, asking who would be next when I felt like I was doing nothing but run around in circles! And only one man..."

He held up his forefinger.

"... Just one, had the balls to answer and sign his name on the dotted line. Someone that I've faced before in the tag team division, but never one on one, and why?"

He shrugged.

"Fuck if I know! Alex Jones could have -- should have -- been one of the first ones I ever faced when I had that world championship around my waist, but great as he is, and as much as he's proven himself, the man has yet to be given any opportunity at a championship. Now maybe I am flattering myself here, and fuck knows I'm not the type to brag..."

He rolled his eyes, palm against his chest before he went on.

"But that makes me feel as much as he is the next step for me, I'm the next one for him. This match was bound to happen eventually, over a year in the making, and it could not have come at a better time than one of the biggest events of the year! Alex Jones, one of the most successful wrestlers not just in Wolfslair or SCW, but overall, against Fenris, the man who stayed undefeated for almost a year, and in over a year, has been pinned once... just once! And yeah."

He nodded.

"I remember well enough who it was that beat me, because when he ended my unbeaten streak, he also ended my world title reign. Quite a thing to say the first match you ever lost was also the match you lost the biggest prize in SCW, isn't it? And as it was a member of Wolfslair that got the first and only win against me, I'm not going to just let another member of that same group get the second. It just isn't going to happen."

Fenris looked straight into the camera, motioning between it and himself.

"You and I? We did not get off on the best foot, did we? I can still remember even before it was official that you had signed with SCW, you got offended by something between Austin and myself, and I can hardy blame you for that. A wolf protects its pack, and even if the business was between myself and Mercer, you stepped in. Respect."

"I've had twenty eight matches in my career so far, lost one, went to a draw in another. And only a handful of those matches, of the men I faced, ever really stood out to me. Matches that actually had me excited because I knew damn ell I would be in for a fight! Men like Kris Ryans and Casey Williams. The match I had against Ty West when I became the champion! The match against Jake Raab, a man who you hold little respect for which I can't agree on, who beat me bloody before I beat him period! And yeah."

His eyes were lit up as he nodded, biting his  lower lip.

"The match where I finally lost to Mercer. Most former champions cry foul or claim their title was stolen, but I won't insult Austin's accomplishment like that. He was the better man that night. He beat me. But then we have to go and remember what happened after that. This match we're about to have, it's not the first time we've faced each other, is it? It seemed back then the only time I could get an opponent that I really wanted was in a tag team match when I fucking hate tag team matches, but even I can't deny that one was fucking tight! You and Mercer lit Ty and me up, but let's not forget just who pinned who that night."

He smiled, showing the whites of his teeth.

"No brag. Okay, maybe some, but just fact. And that win is the real reason why I am looking more forward to this match than just about any other I ever had. Alex, you are as much a cocky bastard as I am, and I mean that in the most respectful way I can muster! And I know -- I hope -- that the end to that match is going to make you fight even harder than before. You have went through some of the same men that I have, and that just makes this between us all the more important."

"A win in a tag team match is one thing, but it's a win that you have to share. This match, between just us? One on one. Man to man. It's just us."

"This is what it's all about!"

 
Earlier in the week

The McCarran International Airport was it's usual bustle of frenzied activity, even at this early hour of just past 7am. Early for what might have been many of the nation's airports, but the McCarran was an international destination for tourists traveling the world over. If Las Vegas was their chosen destination, or simply a stop over, it was a lure for hundreds of thousands every year. And the arrivals were not the only ones feeling the effects of the early morning hour, but some of those who stood at the baggage claims, and case such as this, in the lobby outside of Immigration and Customs.

A small gathering of the public were in this room, some seated and other restless ones, or those who did not arrive in time to grab a vacant seat, remained standing. Three figures were quite familiar to the eye, that being SCW Superstars, Kristjan Baltasarsson and his significant other, Ty West. And accompanying them was Kristjan's constant and closest companion, his younger brother Aron. This was not counting the fourth member of their party, the white Siberian husky that Kristjan doted on so, his beloved Kyssa.

Care to guess which one not only had the only chair among the group, but also the most sour expression on his face?

"Where the fuck are they?" Kristjan growled in his native tongue, understood only by Aron and Ty, as they watched the office door open and someone else other than their expected guests emerge. He went on, "Their flight landed twenty minutes ago!"

"Hm, someone's grouchy." Aron observed in a joking tone, one which flew right over Kristjan's head.

"I'm tired A!" Kristjan said, to which Aron responded, "You're usually up earlier than this for your morning run. Nobody told you to stay up late, drinking."

"Or that much." Ty quietly observed. He was used to his boyfriends habitual love of all things alcohol, but it didn't mean he particularly liked it.

"You're supposed to be on my side." Kristjan stated with absolute belief, prompting Ty to just smile and turn his head aside to do a bit of 'people watching' whilst they waited. Kristjan watched after him for a brief moment before he shook his head and mumbled, "You'll never see me naked again."

Feeling ganged up on (picked on), Kristjan sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest in a classic sulk, prompting both Ty as well as Aron to enjoy a chuckle at his expense.

"We're just teasing you big baby!" Aron chided his brother.

Kristjan said, relaxing his pose, "Considering who we're here for, you two could cut me a little slack! I'm surprised I didn't drink more."

"Oh it isn't going to be as bad as you think." Ty said, causing both Baltasarsson brother's to exchange an incredulous glance. Aron turned to the man who was practically a brother in law to him and said, "Easy for you to say. Our sisters adore you."

Ty got a bit of a smug grin in his kisser before he nudged Kristjan's shoulder with his hip and quipped, "Must run in the family."

Aron swallowed hard, then curled his fingers of one hand against his lips and mumbled, "I think I just threw up in my mouth a little."

Ty just took the comment in good humor, knowing that Aron was only teasing. After all, Ty knew if anyone could lay claim to some responsibility in bringing Kristjan and himself together it was Aron. Ty then asked, "So did either of you find out why your sisters were coming with your dad?"

"No idea." Aron shook his head. "It was just dad coming for a visit at first, then out of nowhere, he tells us Elin and Viktoria were tagging along."

"He probably got a good rate for them on a broom somewhere." Kristjan said. "Just like them to mooch a trip off of our dad." But before he was able to continue with his tirade against his sisters and their seemingly endless sense of entitlement, the office door opened once again, but this time the familiar figures of Kristjan and Aron's father, Benedikt, and sisters, Viktoria and Elin, emerge from inside, prompting a "About fucking time!" to escape from between Kristjan's lips before he could stop himself, or think to speak the exclamation in English since his family (with the exception of Aron and Freyja) only spoke Icelandic.

But they were far enough away that they did not hear him, or chose to act like they did not as Kristjan rose from his chair, and immediately Kyssa stood up from her haunches, following her master's example, and the three four moved to greet the arriving family. And if that didn't catch the brothers off guard just a little, their sisters' mutual appearance did. Under most circumstances, through all the years they shared as siblings, both Viktoria and Elin were always made up to seemingly perfection; makeup, hair styles and their choices in clothes were second to none, even Kristjan was hard pressed to deny.

But both sisters looked a little worse for wear, their expressions tired and somber as opposed to their usual confidence and haughty. Plus their clothes were more relaxed and casual as opposed to designer tops and jeans or slacks that they favored when going somewhere, hoping to draw attention their way. Neither Aron nor Kristjan could deny the simple fact their sisters were beautiful; the problem was that they both knew it. But none of that confidence was on display, and they could only assume that it was because of the travel resulting in jet lag. A flight from Reykjavík to Las Vegas was over 6500 miles, and Benedikt had mentioned beforehand the flight was twelve hours. Tat and the time difference...

"What the fuck did you do to your hair? Kristjan caught himself asking aloud to Elin, whose usual straight, bright blonde locks were now curly and streaked with gold.

"Jan!" Ty started to exclaim but Elin frowned and replied testily, "Fine, thanks. And you?"

"I gave her a perm before we left Reykjavík." Viktoria immediately jumped to her sister's defense, as was her habit, but this time without the evident hostility behind her words that they had grown accustomed to. "A perm?" Kristjan responded, then turned to Elin and raised his brows. "You mean it's going to stay like that?"

"K!" "Jan!" Both Aron and Ty exclaimed in a vain effort to subdue any cross words between the siblings before any further toxic words could be exchanged, but too little. Too late as Elin huffed and said, "I was just trying to get it to match that carpet you have on your legs but can't get my hair long enough!" This dig caused Kristjan to frown but before any more words could be uttered between the pair, Aron brushed in between his two arguing siblings and embraced his father with welcoming arms.

"How was the flight?" Aron asked, as they separated and Ty took on the initiative to step up and offer his hand to the father of the man he loved, a gesture that was readily accepted as Benedikt answered, "Long. Had a three hour stop over in Seattle, but other than that?" He nodded, indicating that the flight had been uneventful.

Ty went to offer a handshake to the sisters but true to form, both of them brushed past his extended hand and hugged Ty instead, neither none too eager to let go of the handsome man. But the biggest surprise happened when Viktoria actually greeted her brothers with a hug, catching both Kristjan and Aron by surprise when they hadn't even expected a handshake! Kristjan looked over her shoulder and toward his dad for an explanation but none was forthcoming.

"Turbulence?" Kristjan asked, knowing that this sort of thong disturbed Elin greatly, causing panic episodes. He was none too thrilled with having a jet rocking violently six plus miles in the air himself, but not the degree to his sister.

"None, thankfully. Elin responded as the group started to move out of the lobby and they proceeded to head through the massive infrastructure of the international airport and toward the luggage claim to retrieve their bags. Ty had the foresight to grab a luggage cart, because if Kristjan and Aron knew their sisters, there would be a shit ton of it! Elin eyed Kristjan, seemingly caught off guard by his asking, seemingly out of concern. All the while, Kristjan and Aron could not help but notice that Elin had done the vast majority of the talking so far for the sisters, whereas "motor mouth Viktoria" had barely spoken a word.

Almost as curious as the fact Kyssa kept staring up toward Viktoria while they climbed aboard the airport tram that took them from where they had arrived and to the part of the McCarran where they could grab their bags and be heading home. Under most circumstances, Kyssa had sensed Kristjan's hostility toward his older sisters and adopted it as her own, but now the friendly pooch seemingly was showing concern; at least toward the eldest of the family siblings. Kristjan even could have sworn he heard a faint whine emanate from his baby girl in Viktoria's direction.

They then allowed the tram to take them on their course, and a piece of their childhood would allow them to enjoy the ride. It was almost like a miniature roller coaster around and through the exterior of the airport, until they slowed to a crawl and then a complete stop. As the doors slid open and the gathering stood up to exit, Kyssa instinctively moved closer to Viktoria, sticking by her side, drawing stares from the family. Viktoria especially seemed caught off guard by her behavior as they continued to walk. Even though they had been there in Las Vegas once before, just this past Christmas, all the lights and attractions of this airport still drew the eyes of not just the sisters, but the patriarch as well as they looked up and about.

"Are we staying at the same place as before?" Viktoria finally broke her endless silence as they descended an escalator to where the baggage claim was.

"No." This time it was Aron who answered. "You're staying at our place.

"Really?" Benedikt asked in confirmation, his brow knitting as they stood alongside other passengers of their flight, looking for their luggage as it maneuvered around on the carousel. "Do you have the room?"

Kristjan frowned as his sisters reached for their luggage and simply because, he, Aron and Ty grabbed for them first to lend an assist. He answered, "We've had a guest or two before. You two..." He nodded toward Elin and Viktoria. "... can share Aron's bed. Dad can have mine or we can share and A cam have the sofa."

"Will you be alright by that?" Benedikt asked his youngest boy, and Aron smiled and responded with, "I'll be fine. I stayed on the sofa for a few months while Dani lived with us. This won't be any different."

"Besides..." Kristjan spoke up as they hefted the last of the family's luggage off of the carousel and set it on the rack. "...if it gets too crowded, Ty said I could crash with him over night."

"I just have to make sure." Benedikt stated as they started to head out and toward the parking garage. "Plans changed a bit. We may be staying a little longer than expected."

"Oh?" Aron said. "What's the occasion?"

Benedikt cast a quick glance toward his daughters and away again, but Kristjan, Aron as well as Ty each caught the silent exchange but said nothing. Benedikt answered, "I thought we might stay and go to this next show of yours. See you in person for once. Other than that, does a father need a reason to want to spend extra time with his sons?"

Aron smiled, and Kristjan threw up his hands in mock surrender. Yet they weren't fooled. he had said a father and his sons, but said nothing about sisters and their brothers.

Kristjan finally offered, "Show is in Phoenix, we'll head there this weekend. But we can do the stuff you wanted to do last time you were here and didn't have time. Few things on the Strip..."

"That Mob Museum?" Elin asked, perplexing her brothers that their sister would be interested in a museum dedicated to Las Vegas's history with organized crime. But they nodded and Kristjan continued, "Just have one more training session scheduled at Gabriel and Odette's gym. Maksym is in town to help me since this isn't a normal wrestling match. More MMA based so I want to be ready."

"You want to (air quotes) 'be ready' for something you've been training for, for years?" Elin mused in mocking disbelief. "I thought you were an expert at MMA? You should have stuck with wrestling. It looks easy."

"You think so?" Kristjan challenged as they arrived at the mini van Ty had borrowed from his aunt Lora for just this occasion. Elin nodded, confident in her opinions and Kristjan just smiled.

He said, "Then you won't mind joining us at the gym." Both sisters stared at him and he smiled and said, "What? I know you two go running every morning like we do..." He motioned with a hand between Aron, Ty and himself. "Aron works out at the gym while I train al the time. No reason why you can't back up your big mouth while Maksym is helping me."

Kristjan tossed in the last piece of luggage, satisfied with the corner that Elin had boxed herself into. All Kristjan would have to do is get the okay from the Stevens. And once he told them about his sister's dismissive opinion on their chosen sport, he was fairly certain that they would have little to no objections to showing her (and Viktoria) that wrestling was anything but easy. Ty opened the passenger door and before Viktoria could climb inside, she was startled again by Kyssa who nuzzled her leg and then lapped at the back of her hand with her tongue. Kristjan was just about floored why his pet's behavior and even more so when she closed her eyes, enjoying a brief scratch behind the ears, courtesy of Viktoria before she climbed inside.

"Oh Kyssa...!" Elin gushed, wrapping her arms around the dog's neck in an embrace, believing that if she was being affectionate to Viktoria, then surely... Elin then went for a kiss on her nose when...

"CHOO!" Kyssa sneezed right in Elin's face, pursed lips and all. Elin squealed in surprise and disgust, jumping to her feet and wiping desperately at her face while Kyssa looked up at her in total innocence.

"She did that on purpose!" Elin cried as she hurriedly climbed into the mini van, causing their father to roll his eyes and climb in after, exclaiming, "Don't be ridiculous! How could she?"

And Ty, from out of the corner of his eye, caught Kristjan giving his girl a treat from out of the vision of his family....

---

Kristjan Baltasarsson, now going to by his in-ring moniker the White Wolf AKA Fenris, was standing in near total darkness at an undisclosed location. The only clue to his whereabouts was a simple punching bag hanging from the ceiling, some free weights that could be seen in the distance, and a six-sided ring, enclosed in the confines of a steel cage. It was quite obvious that this gym was not that of Gabriel or Odette Stevens, as it was quite smaller and dingier in atmosphere. Kristjan stood with his back turned toward the camera, bare chested and dressed in a simple pair of loose white shorts with his traditional matching mixed martial arts gloves on his hands has they rested on his hips.

He spoke in Icelandic with subtitles appearing at the bottom of the screen. His words voiced for the viewer, but we all knew were intended for one soul alone.

“You know, after a while, and after facing an opponent more than once, sometimes you wonder if you're going to find anything new to say or whether or not your words will just start sounding like everything else that everyone in this business tends to say. After all, how many different ways is there to tell a prospective opponent that you are going to basically kick their ass? You can talk about it great many things on the side, but when it comes down to it, the message is simple; you want to win. You are going to win. And you're going to do whatever it takes, to cause however much pain to your opponent, in order for your goals to succeed.”

“Now that does not mean that you're going to go out there with the intention of deliberately injuring an opponent. By Balder's Grace! Even I'm not that sadistic to want to deliberately injure someone when I'm in the rain with them, I don't care whether it's in the Caged octagon of mixed martial arts or the wrestling ring in my new chosen profession!”

He paused briefly before he shrugged his shoulders.

“Okay, so there was that one time in my last professional fight on the EliteXL roster, but that fucker deserved it for talking shit about my mother! But before then and ever since afterwards, I have not tried deliberately to injure anyone! After all, the men who get into the ring with me are only out to accomplish the same goals as I am; to win, and in many cases, support their families. I may not have a family to support, with the exception of a fur baby and the fact I like to buy gifts for certain family members, I still like to win. No, I tell a bit of a lie. I fucking LOVE to win! I fight hard, and I do whatever it takes, but I've been trained by the best to do just that but still not cause any kind of permanent injuries.”

“So here is hoping that this offers just a little bit of comfort towards my opponent, Caleb Storms. Not too much, mind you, because I still have every intention using the past several months worth of antagonism to kick his ass into the next century and make that boy tap! And the ironic thing about this entire situation between us is that he has absolutely nobody else other than himself to blame for the corner he's boxed himself into! The multiple corners!”

“First there was that tweet that started this whole mess between us, where that little shit practically celebrated with God that I have lost my championship to Austin James Mercer! A championship that I busted my ass to win and raise it back to some sort of respectable elevation! An elevation that Austin has carried on with success and pride! And who knows? One of these days I may just finally accept that one-on-one rematch that I'm owed and get my Championship back for the second time. Some say it's preordained, but fate is what we make of it. And right now, my fate has Caleb standing right before me. And this isn't the first time that we met in the ring. There was that non-title match that we had in February, the match I imagine that caused him great stress and that bit of great relief when he thought he wouldn't have to face me for the championship in the near future after I had lost to Austin! And of course there was our fatal 4-way match where Austin and Ty West rounded out the equation. Caleb wasn't too thrilled about that situation either, but both of those previous encounters pale in comparison to what he has found himself in this time!”

“Seriously!? A Lion's Den match!? Don't worry, I don't think for one minute that Caleb would seriously want to place himself directly in harm's way in a match like this against a man like myself who thrives in such an environment. I imagine it was just one more way for a certain sociopathic boss to get his rocks off at someone else's expense. But the match was made, the contract was signed, and here we are!”

Fenris then casually turned his head to the side just enough for a hint of his facial features to be seen by the camera, partially cloaked in shadow due to the single overhead light. His brow was, as usual, knitted in a frown that seemingly only left his handsome face on a rare occasion.

“In answer to your question, Caleb, from earlier in the week? Yes. I would much prefer going into a match like this with an opponent that at least has some semblance of an idea at what he's going on about. Where is the thrill in competition in a match where you are actually not facing any competition? You gave me that fight in our previous two encounters, even if I don't understand what is going on in your mind, putting your body on the line by performing such dangerous aerial maneuvers. But no, you went and actually sought assistance in the realm of mixed martial arts. The problem is, you are going about it in a bit of a mixed direction.”

“And no, I am not insulting the capabilities of neither Amy Santino or Casey Williams. Both are incredible athletes inside of the ring. I don't know who the fuck that other guy Casey has helping you is, but my point is that at least you're trying. I can respect that. But it's like I said; you're going about it the wrong way. Because as formidable as taekwondo or Brazilian jiu-jitsu is, there is a world of difference between mixed martial arts and a martial arts training. A mixed martial arts fight is nothing like a sparring match while training in a self-defense situation. Mixed martial arts is a competitive sport that has martial arts and submission wrestling as vital pieces to the puzzle.”

“You can train all you like Caleb, in whatever martial arts disciplines takes your fancy, but until you step inside of that octagon, until you experience fighting inside of that cage, you cannot lay claim to having experienced legitimate mixed martial arts! And the simple fact is, two weeks is not going to make a damn bit of difference and what is going to happen inside of that Lion's Den once that cage door is closed and locked! 2 weeks, two months, or even two years! I have been training like this since I was a teenager! I have been competing in mixed martial arts since my late teens has an amateur and four years as a professional as an adult! And despite what some may think, despite what you may believe, I never gave up on that training! While I may be a professional wrestler here and now? I have never given up on my mixed martial arts training or background. I still train regularly with Maksym Petrov, my MMA coach, when I am not in Gabriel and Odette's  gym, keeping my wrestling skills sharp and at their very best.”

He then turned around, facing the camera head on.

“That is what you are up against, Caleb. That is the type of training and dedication you are going to have to overcome if you have any hope of beating me in my own backyard! And little tip? You don't have a chance. Bit by bit, body part by body part, I am going to break you down. I am going to tie you up in a knot and you are going to experience such excruciating pain that you are going to have no other choice but to tap out! And after that?”

He leaned in and winked at the camera.

“I believe I promised to take you out and get shit faced. These issues between us have going on long enough. At Into the Void VIII, I'm bringing this story to a close.”

 
The following takes place before the events of Ty West's promo.
In more ways than one.

Las Vegas, Nevada

The evening had been a success, perhaps surprisingly so. At least for everyone other than the man who went by the in-ring moniker of Fenris aka the White Wolf. But for the man known as Kristjan Baltasarsson, the man outside of the ring, it was an evening like any other. One where he and his brother had been cordially invited to the home of his boyfriend Ty West and Lora West, Ty's aunt and a woman who had somehow managed to find her way past Kristjan's emotional defenses and into his heart. Not an easy accomplishment to manage by any means, but that was Lora West for you. Then, there was the other member of Ty's family; the reason behind the get together and perhaps the reason why many had showcased such surprise where Kristjan was concerned.

Ty had recently discovered family he had never known he had before, one being a lovely young preteen girl by the name of Ethan Caron. Yes, you read that right. A lovely young preteen girl, and her name was Ethan. Ethan was transgender, and Ty had worried needlessly about how his young niece would be accepted into the family that had grown around him. Given the growing acceptance among the LGBT community in this day, some feel that being gay, or being transgender, was more of a "fad" than it was a lifestyle. They believe it to be a choice, a decision that can be turned on and off like with a switch, but nothing could be further from the truth. The last people who should be telling gays what their lifestyle is all about is non-gays. And the last people who should lecture whether or not transgenders are what they say they are, are those who have not walked in their shoes and do not understand what is going on behind the proverbial closed doors.

But most especially, Ty was concerned greatly on how Kristjan would react to Ethan. Kristjan was rude, temperamental, and to be quite honest, not the nicest person on the planet. But he had surprised them all. I won't go into specifics in the how's or the why's. If you haven't seen Ty's promo yet, that will be enough to light a fire under you and get you moving.

For now, the sun had dipped down below the famed Las Vegas skyline over an hour ago, replaced by the night sky with the moon shining brightly where the stars could not be seen due to the Vegas lights shining brightly for miles. Outside of the condominium that Ty and Lora West called home, Kristjan and Aron had excused themselves and called it a night. The plan had originally been to send Aron home to their own condo in the Turnberry Towers near the Strip while Kristjan stayed the night, but at the last minute the plans changed for the time being. It was, after all, Ethan's first night staying with her uncle and "great aunt," and Lora had somehow convinced her nephew and Kristjan that maybe it would be better that Ethan not overhear those two and become traumatized her first night.

So a very disgruntled Kristjan, destined for an ice cold shower, headed for where he had parked his white Mazda MX, with Aron as always, at his side. It was true that some older brothers balked at having their younger siblings perpetually at their side, but not so for Kristjan. He wouldn't have had it any other way. Especially at the start of his foray into the worlds of professional wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts, Aron was something akin to a security blanket for Kristjan. Family. A friendly place in a strange world if you might. And despite all hostilities and roughhouse play, Kristjan loved Aron deeply. Even if he did not express that sentiment in words.

Kristjan tossed the keys to Aron, a rare thing indeed, and the alpha brother moved around his car to open up the passenger side and have a seat. He had a few beers tonight, hand delivered to him by a dutiful Ethan, and thus was in no fit state to drive. He was dangerous enough on the roads while sober! Aron shook his head, knowing to relent even a modicum of control was a feat for his strong willed older brother, and he then climbed into the driver's side.

Aron turned the key in the ignition, and then turned the top down on the convertible so they could let the warm air run across them as they took a brisk drive down the Strip before heading home. The request went unsaid, but Aron knew that it was another reason why the keys had been handed to him. Sometimes Kristjan just enjoyed a drive down the Vegas Strip at night, to watch as the throng of people milled about on the street, walking in and out of the hotels and attractions that lined every way the eye roamed. Gazing up at the towering monolith hotels and watching as the lights mesmerized the senses. The problem was that as they drove, the wind blowing across their faces made driver and passenger alike feel tired, and when you've been drinking, that feeling would only increase. So the solution was clear;

Aron would drive while Kristjan leaned back and relaxed, and by the time they got home, they would both rest easy.

Aron backed the car out of the parking spot when something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He turned a critical stare to his brother and said, "Seat belt."

"Oh for fuck's sake..." But Kristjan complied, and secured himself in. His outburst was more directed at his own expense than toward his brother. It was Kristjan who taught Aron how to drive, although the younger of the two was much more safe and stable behind the wheel. It was also Kristjan who had practically beat it into his brother to wear a seat belt. And now their roles had just been reversed. It was just one of the many little ways that the two showed their love for one another without Kristjan having to utter that dreaded four-letter word that started with "L." It was, in fact, the first lesson Kristjan had taught Aron for his own safety.

Almost.

---

"I love my brother. I do. I know it goes without saying, but truth is, we really don't come out and say it. At least, not to each other. Is it a man thing? I don't know, maybe? I see sisters who will tell each other freely that they love them and without hesitation or reservations. But brothers? Maybe it happens and I just don't know it, but it's not something that we do really between ourselves. When the one can't or won't say those words, we know that it's the little things that we do every day that shows how we feel. When one of us has too much to drink and is retching over the toilet, chances are the other is seated on the edge of the tub, ready with a hot wash rag and a drink of fresh water to rinse out that foul taste from our mouth. If one of is going through something and needs to talk, the other never refuses to sit there and listen. He doesn't always offer advice, because sometimes the other just wants to scream or tear at his hair and vent. Listening can be one of the best things you can do to show you care."

"As kids, the words 'I love you' flowed a little more freely, but even at that young age, actions seemed to speak louder than words, and in a household where our parents both worked full-time to support five kids (including two deadbeat daughters), sometimes you had to step out of your comfort zone where it mattered and lend a hand to the household."

---

Reykjavík, Iceland -
Somewhere close to twenty years ago

It was early morning in the Baltasarsson household. Benedikt and Eva, the heads of the household, had already left for work, which left the eldest of their children to fix their siblings' breakfast and get them ready for school. Ordinarily this would mean Viktoria or even Elin would be in charge, but those two were more interested in fixing their hair and discussing clothes and boys than to get their younger siblings ready for school or even feed them a good breakfast to start their day. The two eldest were in a different room entirely while the two youngest, Aron and Freyja, sat at the kitchen table while Kristjan, who was only a few years older than they, took it upon himself to get them breakfast.

Maybe not the healthiest that their mother might have wanted, but sometimes beggars simply could not be choosers as the eleven year old Kristjan set bowls filled with corn flakes and a plate of burned toast in front of Aron and Freyja, then sat down with his own bowl of cold cereal. It was funny how only when the young ones had food in front of them and started to dig in, that then and only then did Viktoria and Elin wander into the kitchen, and Elin had the audacity to ask, "Where's ours?"

"Get it yourself!" Kristjan said back as he shoveled a seemingly impossible amount of cereal into his mouth, answering, "I'm not your maid!"

"You made them breakfast!" Viktoria replied hotly, pointing at Aron and Freyja who were all but ignoring their sisters' mutual tantrums, altogether too used to such displays although they would always be annoying.

"Which is what you were supposed to do if you and Elin weren't ignoring us and screwing around instead of not doing what Mom said to!" Kristjan replied hotly, disliking when his older sisters were put in charge but never took that responsibility seriously.

"Fine!" Viktoria said with a trace of thinly veiled venom in her voice as she reached over and grabbed Aron's bowl of cereal in her hands, taking it for her own.

"Hey!!" Aron cried as Kristjan jumped to his feet and stood up to his older sister as she gave him a smug grin, taking spoon in hand. Kristjan seethed, balling his hands into fists as he said, "Give it back!"

Or what?" Viktoria replied with little fear as she took a mouthful of cereal -- right before Kristjan slapped the bottom of the bowl, sending the cereal and milk splashing all over his sister's face and blouse! Aron and Freyja clapped hands over their mouths to smother their laughs, and Elin looked mortified!

"You little brat!" Viktoria screamed in dismay. "It took me an hour to pick this top!" And she stormed away with her little lapdog Elin trailing after her.

"And that was the one you picked!?" Kristjan called after her with one final jab, before he turned around and slid his own bowl of cereal over to Aron and started to clean up the mess.

---

Reykjavík, Iceland -
Two years later...

"What. Happened!?" Then demand was adamant from his older brother as the twelve year old Aron sat on the edge of his bed in the bedroom he shared with Kristjan. Aron was sporting a bruised cheekbone and the beginnings of what would be a beauty of a shiner under his left eye and just above the cheekbone. His eyes watered from the pain and embarrassment. he tried so hard not to cry in front of Kristjan who he respected on a level that you had to be someone's little brother in order to understand. But try as he might, he could not escape the random stream of a salty tear trickling down his cheek.

Aron was a pacifist for the most part. Unlike his temperamental older brother, he generally believed that there was always a means to solve a problem without resorting to violence. He was kind and tender hearted, which made his popular with the girls in his class, and hated by the bullies. Even bullies who were not in his grade, but above by one or two years.

"I don't know." Little Aron explained in a pitiful choked voice, you know the one. "He just jumped on top of me on the playground and kept hitting me!"

Kristjan held a cold cloth with ice wrapped inside of it to Aron's eye, but he asked, "Does Mom and Dad know this little shit's been threatening you?" Aron shook his head, which was no surprise. Aron generally wasn't a tattle tale. Even when schoolyard violence came into play. Kristjan then asked, "Do the teachers know?"

And to this, Aron nodded.

"And they haven't done anything!?" Kristjan asked hotly, and Aron could just shake his head in the negative as his answer. Kristjan stared at him for a seemingly endless amount of time before he asked, "Do you know where he hangs out?"

To which Aron looked up and wiped his eyes....

An hour later, on the schoolyard playground that was open to students to visit outside of school hours, the aforementioned bully is seen standing with two buddies of his. talking and laughing when his pals look up and their skin turns a sickly green when they see a very protective and pissed off Kristjan storming over toward them....

The next day, Kristjan was seated outside of the school principal's office, while his mother Eva, having had to take a day off of work to have this meeting, sat on the other side of the closed door in a private conference. But this 'meeting' was not going altogether according to how the principal had thought it would...

"Missus Sigurðursdóttir, with all due respect, your son beat up a boy younger than him on school grounds!"

"No! What my son did was defend his little brother from a bully who is only one year younger than he is! A bully who just yesterday beat up my youngest son, three years younger than him! A bully who has been threatening to do so for weeks, and as I understand it, you school officials have known about this for some time!"

"We have heard rumors...."

"But rather than take action and protect a student from violence like you're supposed to, you instead sat back and let it play itself out!? You waited until this little brat beat my son!?"

"Missus Sigurðursdóttir! That is not why we are here right now! We are here to talk about your eldest son's punishment!"

"Fine! Yes. He should be punished for fighting on school grounds, although from what I'm told, for it to be a real fight then that other boy should have gotten in at least one shot..."

"Missus Sigurðursdóttir..."

"But you damned sure better be prepared to punish that other boy for what he did to Aron!! The exact same punishment you obviously already chose for Kristjan! Otherwise I swear my husband and I will see you, the school board and that boy's entire family in court for not only ignoring the threats and attack on Aron, but ignoring them!"

"... Please, you have to understand. That boy's mother is complaining..."

"Good! Let her come to me and complain. I'm not above a little fight when it comes to defending my children!"

Outside of the office, having clearly overheard, Kristjan could just smile....

---

"Aron has always been there for me. I don't think even he realizes the number of ways he's had my back without even realizing it. As kids when I fought with my older sisters and our dad would usually take their side, Aron was the first to stick up for me and try to get our dad to realize his precious daughters were the ones at fault, not me. These times defending me were some of the only times I could remember our parents arguing, because Aron made our Mom realize her two oldest daughters could be a couple of manipulative cows. But this isn't about my sisters, not even Freyja who I adore."

"This is about brothers. Ever since I started fighting professionally, the only constant I've had in my life has been Aron. The man has never given up on me, no matter how much of a raging asshole I would become. He never flinched when I would lose my cool and rant and rave, because he was used to it. But also because he knew damn well that I would never -- ever -- put a hand to him. The one time when I threw him out of our home last year for telling a personal secret to Ty West? I've not forgiven myself to this day. It might slip my mind, but now and then I will remember the look on his face when I slammed the door in it."

"But like family, like brothers, we got past it. We didn't even try. After my match with Jake Raab, it just happened. He was there to support me, even if I acted like I didn't want or need it."

"When I was outed by that stupid elevator incident with Kris Ryans, and was drinking myself into a stupor? It was Aron who stood by me. He was the one who fought to get through to me that my sex life was nobody's business and gay or straight, I still had him. My family. Who I slept with meant nothing when compared to that kind of love and loyalty."

"There were times when I would go out alone with friends and I was told I had to take my brother with me, or he just followed me on his own. Did I get annoyed? Sure. But I still brought him. Having someone look at you the way Aron does me, you don't just shrug off that kind of thing because once you do, you'll live the rest of your life regretting it and trying to get it back."

"Aron and I are equals. We each bring something to the plate when we're together in SCW. He can't fight like I can but I could never handle the business side of things like he does. I don't understand how two brothers can fight like maniacs. I don't get how one brother could attack his own to the point he puts him on the shelf with a fucking serious injury! When siblings fight, especially in sports like wrestling or MMA, it's usually because one is jealous of the others accomplishments. You might try to shift that and blame them for something else, something completely off the wall like abandonment or betrayal, even when its clearly not the case."

"Think that gives you all the reason to fight with your own flesh and blood? Think it opens a door for you to take out all of your frustrations in life on someone that doesn't deserve it and suffer no  consequences? Trust me when I say that's not the case."

"I am the fucking consequence!"

 
When Daniel Morgan had told Fenris and the rest of the guests of London Underground that there was plenty to do in the city of London, it was not an exaggeration by any means. There was always something to do here, being one of the biggest tourist destinations in the world. Funny then, how those who called London home did not see the same thing in awe as those who were visiting did, especially those who were here for the first time. To them, it was simply what it was; their home. In a casual chat over a group dinner earlier in the week, Devona had expressed the same sentiment about her own home city of New Orleans, even though when Daniel and company had paid her a visit for dinner last year, the members of London Underground had taken a little extra time for some sight seeing with Devona and her grandmother as their guides.

One person's home could always be another person's wonderland.

This was not the first time that Kristjan Baltasarsson had visited London, but it was the first time he had visited with time to be just a simple, every day tourist. The last time he had been in London, it was before his career as a professional wrestler and during his period as a professional MMA fighter. It was in late 2017 where he had ironically met the cast of London Underground who introduced him to an all new path in life, one in which he had excelled. And quite proudly if he were to say so himself. But he's not the type to brag so, you know!

So Fenris was making the most out of the time he had left before business took priority over simple pleasures. One day to himself, with his brother for the added company. There was no way that he would have been able to enjoy the day without the friendly comfort of his flesh and blood by his side. of course, Kristjan would have also preferred to have had Ty alongside him as well, but Ty had his own commitments in London and they would be meeting up this evening for dinner anyway. It just would have been....

Nicer. But don't you dare tell anyone that Fenris had said so!

The day had begun early, and Fenris had told the local agents for Sin City Wrestling that neither he nor Aron would be available all day. At all. Period! This was simple family time, and he would brook no interference. It was early, and the Baltasarsson brothers had just finished their usual morning run and shower back at the apartments of London Underground before setting out to have the day for themselves.

Not even the weather had deterred the brothers as they climbed aboard the River Taxi, which in reality seemed little more to the pair than a large boat that transversed the River Thames. The sky was quite overcast, covered in a blanket of light gray clouds with the sun really nowhere to be seen. Aron knew that Kristjan always preferred gray skies and rain as opposed to blue skies and the sun beaming down on them from overhead. That was why he strongly suspected Kristjan had opted for the River Thames to be their means of travel as opposed to the London streets and the many taxis and double decker buses that so many more tourists would have went for. If the sky had finally broken and rain washed down on them, to Kristjan it would have only enhanced the experience.

At least until their mother Eva found out and she'd take the eldest brother to task for risking Aron's health in such a silly way.

And if Kristjan saw something that drew his or Aron's interest, he would see they got off at the first opportunity to go investigate. They could always continue on once their curiosity had been appropriately satisfied. So the brothers climbed aboard the "river bus" along with the rest of the early bird tourists, settled themselves in along in a pair of seats along the side for a better view and off they went!

There was something almost magical about being on the water, a feeling and experience that both brothers shared. Perhaps it came from being from a nation that had a reputation of volcanoes and ice? Who knows! But Kristjan and Aron relaxed for perhaps the first time in complete bliss and allowed the Thames to rock them as they transversed the River aboard the boat, their heads turning and eyes drinking in everything on all sides. One brother would extend an arm, pointing something out and the other would take it in.

Kristjan was not one to be seen as the average tourist, and kept his phone in his pocket at near all times without taking a single picture. But Aron? The younger brother had his phone out at all times, taking snapshots of everything he noticed and what Kristjan had pointed out. Even a few shots of things he might have missed but overheard other passengers bring up to one another. Plus Aron couldn't wait to show Ty and Lora, and send the pictures to the family back in Reykjavík. Let them live a bit vicariously through the brothers.

Plus the little known sadistic side of Aron knew it would drive Elin and Viktoria absolutely nuts!

Kristjan then brought Aron from out of his private musing to grasp his sibling by the arm almost excitedly and point out the towering structure along the side of the Thames, the famed London Eye! Aron could not believe the twinkle in his hard nosed brother's eyes as it was clear that this would be their first stop, and as the "river bus" pulled up to a stop at the Westminster Pier where they and others disembarked. It would appear that Kristjan was a competitive sort, even when it had nothing to do with a sporting event, as he noticed others headed in the same direction that they had planned, and Kristjan grabbed Aron by the arm and picked up the pace in a brisk run, carrying themselves ahead of the others.

Aron asked in their native tongue, "K, slow down! What is the big hurry..." But the querie was lost on the older brother as he pulled Aron clear up to the forefront of the great wheel, where they and others would be loaded into one of the thirty two available capsules. They got up onto the walkway, where there was already an impressive line in wait for this historic ride.

"Fuck!" Kristjan grumbled as a tour guide that maintained order spoke up, "Originally, the London Eye was intended as a temporary structure, able to dismantled and transported to a new location..." But it was lost on the impatience of Fenris as he never had been known for his patience. Finally, after what seemed like forever (to Fenris at least) they arrived on the capsule loading sock and were ushered inside of an empty one, with a handful of others along with them; ironically and to Kristjan's discomfort (and Aron's amusement) a group of elderly nuns.

Fenris and Aron took their place at the back of the capsule, allowing the "sisters" to have the free space in the middle and along the sides. Say what you might, even the Norse brothers and Kristjan in particular were capable of respect to women such as this. The lift then started to rise only minutes later, and each time a capsule arrived at the pier for passengers to disembark and load up anew, they would stop which allowed the passengers in each capsule in the air to enjoy the view and take snapshots if they were so inclined. It was a slow process, but with the view all around them, one that was intended to be savored. One of the nuns, the brothers saw, held up a rather old fashioned camera to take a snapshot. Given the age of the device, they both knew it would not be the best of photographs but still one the nuns here and back at their chantry would appreciate.

At its peak, the London Eye was over four hundred and forty three feet. The height did not disturb the brothers in the slightest, but they both noticed one or two of the elderly nuns seemed discomforted. Slowly, the Eye went full circle, and they finally came to a stop back at the loading area. Once the employee opened the door, Fenris and Aron allowed the nuns to exit first, and then followed after. As they made their exit, Aron noticed a slight scowl on his brother's face.

"What's the matter?" Aron asked. "I thought you were enjoying yourself."

"I thought it was a fucking Ferris wheel!" Kristjan came skidding to a halt and stared wide eyed at the nuns who had overheard his colorful outburst and mumbled a hasty apology before turning to an amused Aron, "Fuck....!"

---

Of course more was to come, as the day had barely begun, even for as long as a time they had spent enjoying the London Eye. As expected, the brothers took the first opportunity to get back on another river bus and continue down the Thames. If truth be told. Fenris could have been perfectly content just doing this, spending the day on this open water and relaxing. It seemed he had little enough chance to do that on any other day, given his days always seemed to be filled to the brim with the duties of his given profession and training. Non-stop training.

They stopped again briefly to see up close the Houses of Parliament, and more specifically, famed Big Ben.

They then took a break as the noon hour approached and Kristjan and Aron found themselves outdoors along the riverbank at the Riverside Vegetaria restaurant. Aron, being a meat eater but never the less always a good sport, co,plied with his brother's choice and the two calmly ate together as comfortable siblings, deciding between themselves one or two more stops along the Thames before they met Ty later this evening for dinner. Once they finished their meal and went back along their way aboard a river bus, their next stop was almost preordained as it was always a heavily favored stop for most tourists;

The famed Tower of London.

Although much preferring to take self guided tours, this was a structured tour for all, and the brothers had little choice but to comply but it did nothing to take away from their enjoyment. They walked along with others in the interior of the ancient fortress, and listened as the Yeoman Wardens told bloody tales with their guests rapt attention. Some of the details may have been somewhat lost on Fenris, given his English was by no means perfect, but he still listening and as far as Aron could tell, enjoyed himself.

Figures the big lug would enjoy tales of the macabre over most else!

Then their final stop of the day, bringing their casual day between themselves to a close, was the Tower Bridge, built in 1894 and measuring over eight hundred feet between the two Towers which held the mechanisms that allowed the bascules, each weighing over one thousand pounds, to be raised in less than ninety seconds. As they and others walked across the bridge, they happened along the glass floor that gave all who walked over it an unsettling sensation of being out on the open air with nothing but the road and those famous red double deckers far below, and the River Thames itself over forty two meters down.

Aron paused in taking a small video memento on his phone and casually glanced to his left and down -- and did a double take at what he was seeing before him and others; his brother, the perpetual stick in the mud, laying flat on his back across the glass walkway, with a goofy expression on his face and his own camera held out above him for a comical snapshot.

No doubt to send home and scare the shit out of their mother!

---

The day had come to a blissful close, and now the evening was beginning to deepen in the sky. Only a slight amount of rain had fallen, but it left that delightful scent in the air as the evening sky and the lights of London colored the clouds above in hues of reds, oranges and yes, purple. Kristjan had sent Ty a text on where to meet them, and the three men had decided to close the day out by having dinner and enjoying the performances at the Medieval Banquet.

Fenris, Ty and Aron sat comfortably through a four-course medieval style banquet (with vegetarian options for Kristjan and Ty) while they watched the entertainments that included knights jousting, minstrels who wandered from table to table and magicians who performed tricks for the delights of their senses.

"Gabriel does better." Fenris whispered for the two to overhear when a young "maiden" shimmied up to the handsome Icelandic male and slipped her arm in his.

"No," Fenris started to protest, unaware that one of the entertainments was when the maidens would take unsuspecting gentlemen from the tables to share a dance with in front of others. Kristjan almost dropped his mug of ale and grasped blindly for Ty and Aron, both who avoided it expertly so that they could watch as the hard-edged man was coerced onto the dance floor with the young lady. After a moment's hesitation, Kristjan sighed to himself...

"Fuck it!" And he took the young maiden in his arms and the two started to dance around the floor, as Ty laughed and applauded with others, and Aron covertly recorded  everything on his phone to share with family and friends.

---

And as night fell and the city of London came to life with all its lights, Fenris found himself walking along St Katharine's Pier, adjacent to the Tower Bridge.

"I never was much of a talker to begin with, and when you're facing the same men more than once, and you have to focus on them time and again, things become difficult. I myself never thought to mince words. I always believed that putting my face into a microphone and spouting off a bunch of bullshit about what I was going to do and to who was pointless. You can talk all you want, but the fact is, whether it was in MMA or wrestling, if you weren't going to back up what you said in the cage or the ring, then no amount of bullshit you spout off was worth a damn!"

"You are right, Ty. I was not happy about this match when it was made official. I was even less happy when they decided to screw with our personal lives and add that tag team match to the equation, but the simple fact is; your team won, and my own did not. But the key to that fact is that I was not the one who was beaten in that match. You pinned Caleb, not me. Beating me is a much, much different experience, and takes a lot more if that's what any man hopes to accomplish. So far, only one man has managed it, and he was the one you were teamed with. Austin James Mercer pinned me, but what happens if the time comes where Mercer and Storms is out of the equation for a time and it's left to you and myself? I think you were rather surprised when I fought you the way I did in that tag team match, as if you didn't think I'd hit you now that we're together the way I did the previous two times we were set against one another. But you were wrong. That shiner I left you was testament to that."

He shook his head.

"There isn't a chance in hell that I will be out to hurt you Ty, but if it ends up you and me in the ring for any reason, I will be out to win because, as I'm sure you know, I hate to lose! And if you hold back, if you do anything to give me any reason to think you're trying not to hurt me enough to put my shoulders down or make me tap, then you and I are going to have problems, and I will be pushed to fight even harder. I may hate losing, but I do not want to be in the ring against a man who is holding back for any reason! I want to win, and I want the exact same thing from him! Otherwise, what the fuck is the point!?"

"I'm pretty damn sure that you wished this had been a singles match, Austin, man to man. One on one. It wouldn't matter if it were against Ty or myself, it just seems more natural to settle issues with nothing to divide your attention. Ty challenged you and you accepted, and you would see it be alone in the ring, same as if this were the return match that one day would be owed to me if I wanted it. If for any other reason than to lay aside any doubt cast in your direction, as to whether than win over me was a one time thing, or if it was you having, as you seem to think, my number. I give you full credit for taking advantage of the situation and pinning me cleanly. I could not have lost to a more deserving man! But, the question is, can you do it again? If it's just you and myself in there, and Ty and Caleb are incapacitated, could you do so again? You seem to have forgotten the first time we met, I was the one who beat you. Can I do it again?"

Fenris smiled.

"Well I'd answer that but I tend not to answer questions I already am confident in the answer to. Which brings me to the quiet one of the group so far, Caleb Storms..."

Fenris paused and looked out at the River Thames and rubbed his palms together.

"You have been terribly quiet since this match was announced, Caleb. What ever is the matter? Cat got your tongue? Or perhaps, has the wolf? It is not your tongue that interests me, Caleb. I have Ty for that. I think maybe for the first time since that tweet you posted, you have fully realized the shit storm that you've found yourself in and have been left speechless! What do you do when you get the very last thing that you could possibly want, Caleb? It was bad enough when we had that little non-title match, but we have the whole world ahead of us, and right now? The World Championship is the last thing on my mind! Time enough for that later, but it's not Mercer I will be completely focused on, and it isn't even Ty. Let those two fight each other to their hearts' content!"

He pointed a forefinger directly at the camera.

"You, Caleb. You are the one I want. Everything else? It's an after thought in this match! This may not be the end, but  can swear to god that what I do to you once that bell rings will give you a very bad taste in what is to come! And the best part?"

He smiled,, holding his arms out.

"Fatal Fourway! No count outs, so you can't run! No disqualifications, so you can't take a cheap way out! And if and WHEN I get you down on the map and tied up like the Gordian knot, if somehow you reach the ropes, I won't have to break it! I will keep that hold on just on principle until I hear that sweet, satisfying pop and you have no choice BUT to cry out that you can't continue! And then you'll have to face Mercer and explain to him, just why you cost him the World Heavyweight Championship!"

That being said, the moment had ended. Ty West approached from his left and snaked his hand in Fenris's own, and Aron joined the two on his brother's right, and the trio of men walked back along the Pier as the evening was brought to an end.

 
Dublin, Republic of Ireland - Richmond Park -
March 24, 2019

The final match of the evening had just reached its frenzied finale, and the shock was still evident for all as a brand new World Heavyweight Champion had just been crowned. An eight month long reign had been upended, and there was much talk going on backstage about that very subject. Several staff and wrestlers alike had been gathered at one monitor or another to watch the proceedings, figuring it would end up yet another victory for the dominant "White Wolf" aka Fenris. After so many months and almost a full year of nothing but wins and one single draw, it was practically expected by habit alone.

But how wrong they were.

When the final bell had sounded, and Austin James Mercer had been presented the World title belt, a surprised hush had befallen the backstage area. All save for the celebratory cheers of Alex Jones and Alicia Lukas, both teammates of the new champion's. One concern, at least those closest to the now-former champion, was how he would react to not just losing the title, but his first loss as a wrestler -- ever.  Fenris had a shockingly volatile temper. It was perhaps his biggest trademark that he was known for from as far back as his days as a professional fighter in the world of Mixed Martial Arts.

Now, as Austin continued to celebrate out in the ring to bring the show to a close, those backstage made ready as they knew Fenris would be emerging backstage any moment now. Others did the perhaps wisest course of action and found some reason to not be present.

The curtains were suddenly thrown wide open at the top of what was affectionately referred to as the "gorilla position." Heads turned and there Fenris was, alongside his brother Aron. However, despite what was expected of him, Fenris was not yelling or cursing. There wasn't even a scowl of anger or annoyance on his otherwise handsome face. No, what was most disturbing was he seemed perfectly calm, almost stoic. He was clearly feeling the effect of the match with Austin, as Mercer had to deliver a beating of epic proportions in order to do what no other man had done yet, and pin his shoulders to the mat. On top of everything else, two Claymore kicks and that pop up powerbomb maneuver that Mercer favored, combined to do the job.

SCW's Co-Owner, Christian Underwood, had been present as Fenris made his first appearance on the short end of the stick, and he patted the man on his bare shoulder. Congratulating him on not just an epic match and a fitting main event, but also for having solidified the championship with such a dominant reign.

Christian looked him over (no puns), then asked, "Do you need the paramedic?"

Fenris shook his head in the negative, then turned his head to address Christian and he said, "Nei, ég er fínn."

Having slipped back into his native Icelandic, Christian did not understand the words that had come from out of his mouth so he turned to Aron with an arched, inquisitive brow. Aron smiled and shook his head, "He's being stubborn. Says he'll be fine."

"Just watch him." Christian stared hard at his Superstar, the responsibility towards their well being meaning as much for their own welfare as for SCW's in the long run. He looked to Aron and said, "To hell with what he says or thinks. if he needs to..."

"I'll take him to the hospital myself if it comes to that." Aron reiterated. "Even if I have to drag him, kicking and screaming."

"It won't come to that." The drawl of Ty West heralded the arrival of Fenris's boyfriend, as he walked onto the scene with his favorite "auntie," Lora West, at his side. Ty continued, "I'll carry him if I have to. Auntie Lora has the chloroform from last time."

Ty winked, and Fenris just shook his head and huffed out a deep breath. Last time he had needed to be looked over by the backstage paramedics that SCW employed, it had been the normally innocent and naive Lora West who had managed to subdue Fenris's temper long enough to allow the paramedics to do their job without much fuss.

Christian then turned and went on his way do finish whatever business there was at hand to finish the evening, and Ty turned to his man and gave him a sympathetic smile. "You okay?" He asked with as much comfort in his voice. He was seen by many was the submissive one in their relationship, something he took in stride and no offense. He did not even wait as he took a step closer and enveloped Fenris in his arms for a quick, comforting embrace.

"I'm fine." Fenris repeated, as the hug ended and the two separated. Ty frowned and shook his head.

"I don't mean about if you're in pain or not." Ty said. "You wouldn't admit it either way. I mean..." He sighed, and his eyes lowered towards Fenris's waistline, where for over eight months the world title rested.

"I'm fine, Ty." Fenris said, this time a little more forceful than before. He turned to those around him; Ty, Lora an dyes, Aron. Not to mention a scattering of others who had cautiously approached to check on him. He held his arms out and said, "I am!"

He turned to Ty and said, "Couldn't stay unbeaten forever." He shrugged. "Said it was just a matter of time, anyway." He forced a smile, subdued as it was. "Least it was to someone like Austin that deserved it."

Aron patted his brother on the arm, and this time it was Lora, who oft thought of this man as another nephew, given his closeness to Ty, as she enveloped him in her own arms, prompting Fenris to have to lean over in order to allow her to do so. This one, however, lasted a little longer, and Fenris did not seem so inclined to release, despite the fact he was not the affectionate sort. A testament toward Lora's character and the affect that she had on this young man.

Finally, he allowed Lora to step back and Aron asked, "You want to get out of here and grab some dinner? Just the four of us?"

But Fenris answered with a slight shake of the head and he said, "Not hungry."

"Do you want to get a drink?" This idea came, shockingly enough, from Lora. To Which Fenris smiled gratefully and said, "Fuck yes!" Coloring her cheeks quite a healthy pink glow.

---

#looksaroundtomakesurenoonehearshim OH THANK GOD!

March 25

The International airport that served Dublin, was bustling with activity as several hundred travelers were up and hurrying about, seeking their terminal or locating their luggage, Dublin having been their chosen destination. His family and friends had coaxed him into having something to eat, the better for an evening of drinking without doing so on an empty stomach and thus, making himself sick. Perhaps he simply 'allowed' himself to be talked into eating something first, we may never know.

The comfort of the company present helped keep Kristjan's mood more reserved and not exploding at the drop of a hat. Several drinks helped him to forget his tension and ease the pain in his head and body to more tolerable levels. And Ty? Well he knew other ways to make his man feel better and went to some extreme lengths to put a smile back on his face, even at the expense of wearing himself out and nearly over sleeping and missing his and Lora's own flight too Belfast, the location for next week's show.

As for Kristjan and Aron? Kristjan had been offered a match, or at the very least, an appearance, in Belfast as a respectful gesture for his showing. Talk had already started on a rematch between Austin and himself, a topic that Kristjan had started to deftly avoid or turn to other discussions. Or simply ignore altogether. No, he and Aron would be taking some time away from the tour and were heading back to Las Vegas for a well deserved rest.

#looksaroundtomakesurenoonehearshim OH THANK GOD!

It kept staring at him, through his bleary eyes off the screen of his ipad. Caleb Storms had apparently taken a great amount of relief last night at Kristjan's championship loss, and made no effort to hide it. The problem was, that on social media, everything was open to witness, and like Caleb had been warned, Kristjan did indeed see the Tweet.

And he was incensed!

He was currently seated in the airport's gold standard lounge, courtesy of his VIP standing in the world of sports and sports entertainment. But while Aron was off getting them something to drink, to help wash the sleep from their respective systems at this ungodly early hour, Kristjan's Nordic blue eyes stared at the screen until you'd swear it would erupt in flame from the intensity.

"You know, it's not going to go away just because you keep staring at it." Aron said in Icelandic as he approached the booth they had claimed, drawing Kristjan's attention away from the screen, but only long enough to take the coffee cup from Starbucks from his brother's offered hand.

Kristjan stared with a puzzled expression at the green and white cup, then looked at his little brother taking a seat and having a draft of his own coffee, "I said I wanted a drink."

Aron nodded toward the cup in Kristjan's hand and answered, "That is a drink."

"You know what I meant!"

"Yes." Aron smiled and leaned back into the comforts of the cushioned booth. "But unfortunately for you, the bar isn't open yet to serve you anything stronger than coffee, so drink up."

"Fucking hate coffee..." Kristjan muttered as he took a deep drink, and scrunched his face up at the bitterness of the brew.

"Don't let it get to you, K." Aron said, and when Kristjan frowned, not understanding, Aron gave a lilt of his head toward the tablet in his brother's hand. "That Tweet. Kid didn't mean it."

"The hell he didn't." Kristjan said. "Little shit actually is happy I lost the title!?"

Aron could not help but smile, perhaps a touch of pride the reason being, as he pointed out, "You know it's because he doesn't want to risk having to face you again for the title? Not after what happened in your last match."

Kristjan turned off the tablet's power, turning the screen dark, and he set it down on the table, stating matter-of-factly, "I don't need a championship to get his ass in the fucking ring!"

"You have other things to be focused on, K." Aron said. "You know you have an automatic rematch clause. Say the word and I bet you and Mercer will be Main Eventing the next Supercard..."

But his word were silenced by Kristjan shaking his head in the negative, gently doing so due to his head feeling like a jackhammer was going out of control inside. "No."

Aron frowned, "What do you mean no? K, you could be a two-time champion!"

"I think I've earned a rest, A." Kristjan said, and his tone of voice told his younger brother that he would brook no argument on the fact. Not that Aron would debate the point.. After so many months on top of the world, and having dealt with such a rigorous schedule and so many grueling matches, Kristjan did indeed earn a brief respite if that was indeed what he wished.

"No rematch. At least not yet." Kristjan said, then leaned against the table, and extended an index finger from the hand that was clasping the coffee cup. Aron did not like the wicked gleam in his brother's eyes, nor the smoldering smirk on his face. Together, they bore ill for someone.

Kristjan said, "I want something else first..."

---

"Which brings us to the present."

Kristjan strolled through Chinatown, one of the largest Chinese communities in all of Britain, right here in Manchester. Aron was with him, but he was paying much more attention to the markets and stalls, than he was his brothers' words directed toward his main event tag team match this coming weekend. Fenris had let Aron talk him into coming here for a bit of relaxation and sight seeing, given Aron had studied the Chinese language and spoke it fluently. Plus, Kristjan had never been to China in all of his wordly travels, so this time he was using this trip to live a bit vicariously.

"Ever since I lost my first match and the World Championship, both to Austin James Mercer, I've had people practically crawling up my ass, wanting to know what was next for me. I've had a number of people talking to me about a rematch against Mercer. I guess they enjoyed seeing us beat the shit out of each other twice and both getting a win, what's one more time in their minds? But it's not something I want to do. At least not right now."

"I haven't had a match since that loss, and if I can be perfectly blunt (I know, shocking!), that's my business, and nobody else's. I think after everything I've done over the past eight plus months, all of the appearances I've made and all of the matches I've had against the likes of Senor Vinnie, Mercer and others, that I deserved a rest! But god forbid I decide to take a few weeks off from competing and gums start flapping and people start talking shit! They start some rumors where there was none before, and talking as if everything they're saying is fact! Some have asked if my taking time off is a sign that I'm hanging up my boots..."

Fenris closed his eyes and scoffed openly.

"Man, fuck that shit! I told everyone a long time ago that I knew I wouldn't stay undefeated forever! I told everyone that some day I wouldn't be the world champion any longer! I also said when both those times came, I would not be one of these guys who talk about retirement or leaving, all because of a single, fucking loss! But I take some time off to rest and heal, and the so-called experts start talking about what they know, not what they 'think' they know! To them, it's obvious that I've had enough and the days of Fenris being a dominant force are over and done with. And you know what I have to say to those bastards who are spewing this shit?"

He turned to face the camera and leaned in so closely that his face practically filled the screen.

"Fuck off you god damned prats! Nobody knows what my plan are, except for me, and a very close and select few. And they're not talking! Aron. Ty. Gabriel and Odette... and none of them would betray me to these hacks who try to live through us professionals since they obviously couldn't hack it inside of a ring themselves! Not like they're actual journalists or reporters. They're just full of shit!"

"Mark Ward and Gabriel have been the most consistent with me. Both have wanted me to keep going and yeah. They want me to have a rematch with Austin for the title. Just the two of us. But if that is going to happen...."

He held up a finger and smirked, shaking his head.

"I'm not talking. For now, I got what I wanted ... sort of. Even I know when I have to make a compromise to get something I want, and this time, it worked against me in a way. I will be facing Mercer for the title at London Brawling II, but I also get to face Caleb in that match."

He smiled widely.

"Good news for me, bad news for Caleb. But what I a not happy about is the fact that in that match, I also have to face the man who has been at my side and refused to give up on me, Ty West. My man. But there is time enough to deal with that issue. This week I'm in a spot that I don't mind admitting I do not like. It's not the fact that I have to team with Caleb Storms. I'll get my hands on him soon enough. For now, we just have to work together long enough to get past this week with a win, heading into London."

"I'm not even pissed about Mercer being on the opposite side of the ring from me again. When it comes to opponents, Mercer is the one consistent in my career. I've found some men that have earned my respect the hard way, inside of the ring. Casey Williams. Senor Vinnie. But Mercer is definitely a cut above the rest! Two times we've met before, and while so many are hoping for an eventual 'rubber match,' man to man, for now this will just have to satisfy everyone. After the type of fights he and I have had, I think we know what to expect from the other,, which is only going to make this weekend even more of a challenge! For all Mercer and I've done to each other, one or both of us is just going to have to work a little harder to bring the unexpected when we're in the ring at the same time."

"It's the only way things are going to work out in my favor, and I go into London with the win under my belt. "No, what I'm pissed about is who Mercer's partner is; Ty!"

He frowned, and shook his head, his arms held out in a gesture that practically screamed frustration.

"What the fuck is this shit!? Is this some sort of sick, twisted game that gives the higher ups their jollies? Ty should have been my partner, but no! The bosses decided that since we're going to be in that Fatal Fourway at London Brawling II anyway, why not be put on opposite sides in this match! Meaning if I want to go into London with all the momentum, then I have to fight my man in order to do it!"

He shrugged.

"Fine. What? Not the reaction you were expecting? Hey, it's like I said before. I am not happy with the fucking mind games they're playing, making me fight Ty, but I know damn well the man can handle himself in the ring. I've faced him twice before. True, that was before he and I were officially together, but I have a thing about overcoming adversity. I have not backed away from any opponent for any reason, and you know something?"

"Neither has Ty. He said himself it was to be expected, us eventually having to meet inside of the ring. I know what he can accomplish in a match, and he knows the same about me. And Ty knows above all else, that just because he and I are together outside of the ring, it doesn't mean that I will treat him any different than I would any other opponent tying to best me while inside of the ring!"

"Austin? Win or lose, and Caleb and I will be winning, I will gladly shake your hand. And Ty? Even if I have to make you tap out to get the win, you know I'll do it. We'll just have to make sure we make it up to each other afterwards."

He winked into the camera as Aron left a market stall with a hefty paper bag clasped in his hand.

"I'm in this one to win. The White Wolf is back!"

Aron joined him and the two brothers walked off-camera.

 
"There is a time for work and a time for play. I have been accused of being single-minded in my pursuits, even before my time in wrestling when my world revolved around Mixed Martial Arts. I trained, and when I wasn't training, I was training some more. Or at least that is how my personal trainer in MMA, Maksym Petrov, would phrase it. He believed, as did my brother, that there was such a thing as too much where training was concerned."

"I disagreed. I believe in commitment to what you have laying on the road ahead. When I am not competing, I keep to my schedule. But when I had a fight scheduled in MMA, or a match here in SCW, all thoughts of recreation were pushed to the back of my mind and I had but one goal; to win. But it was the whisperings from Gabriel Stevens that made me realize the threat of burnout. It hadn't happened yet in either career but given how mentally stressful and physically hazardous both professional wrestling or MMA could be, I came to understand the value of when and where to take it easy."

---

Las Vegas
The gym that served as a training facility for the future stars of the world of professional wrestling has become quite the familiar site for Fenris, especially over the past two weeks. With the exception of his venture to New York City last week alongside his man, Ty West, Fenris had surprised even those closest to him with the intense dedication that he was showing. Every morning after his usual jog, he would arrive for a workout with the state of the art equipment housed within this facility. He would then return after lunch for a sparring match, but Gabriel and Odette both insisted it be against either a graduate of their gym or someone else who made their respective sport their calling card; Despayre, Synn, even Gabriel himself.

Simply put, he was too intense to put in the ring for a sparring match against their students and thus risk injury.

And in the evening, before dinner, Fenris would engage in another training session, but this time with Maksym Petrov at the helm so as to keep his skills in the world of MMA sharp and focused. It was a small wonder why at the end of the day, Fenris always crashed heavily into bed, sleeping soundly until it was time to rise once again the next day to begin it all over again.

Now, it was morning, still early with the sun still freshly risen over the Vegas skyline. Soon the colorful array of pinks, yellows and oranges would fade to the clear blue sky expected. Gabriel was already present, up and wide awake, coffee in hand as he went about his usually opening rituals, getting the facility ready for the students who would be showing up within the hour. He himself had asked Fenris to meet up with him beforehand, earlier than their usual training time, so that they could have an important talk about his upcoming match. Since there was no Despayre or Angel yet at the reception desk this morning to buzz any visitors in, Gabriel sat there himself, reviewing a previous day's training session on his laptop when the front door opened, drawing his attention up.

In walked Fenris, who appeared tired and even crankier than he might usually be accused of. He too possessed a large cup of coffee in one hand, and in the other hand was a leash with his beloved Kyssa trotting in alongside her master, tongue hanging out and tail wagging a mile a minute. Bringing up the rear, and carrying his brother's gym bag, was of course Aron, who seemed unusually disgruntled. The two brothers were engaged in a heated exchange in their native tongue, and Gabriel smiled, privately thankful that he had taken the time to learn the basics of the Icelandic language.

"I don't see why you had to wake me up to come along." Aron argued. "Gabriel asked for you to be here early, not me."

"Tough. Shit." The hot headed Fenris replied through gritted teeth before he took a draft of the life giving java. "You're my manager. If I have to be up early then so do you!"

"Jesus you two look like shit." Gabriel joked, observing them both, and judging by their surprised facial responses, Gabriel hazarded a guess this early hour caused them to almost forget that he could understand every word.

Fenris, however, was ready with a reply as he said, "Well it is your fault, making us get up this damn early just to talk."

"Correction," Aron spoke up. "But it was your idea to get up even earlier so that you could go on your usual morning run."

Gabriel added, "And I only said I needed to talk to you. You didn't have to drag Aron out of bed." To which Aron gestured toward Gabriel with a silent 'See?' that Fenris ignored. Gabriel had gotten to his feet and walked around the desk and lowered himself to one knee so he could ruffle the snow white fur of the husky. He couldn't help it, being such an animal lover.

"Did mean ol' Kristjan make you get up early too?" Gabriel gushed at the canine and she answered with a loud bark that reverberated off the hallway walls, prompting a laugh from the Hall of Famer. He stood up and asked, "Why'd you bring her, anyway?"

"We just came from our run, straight here." Fenris answered. "I take her with me every morning."

Gabriel nodded, saying, "Well that explains that..." He then wrinkled his nose. "And the smell."

Fenris and Aron frowned, then turned their noses to their clothes and bodies but Gabriel grabbed both men by their shoulders and steered them toward the open door that led inside to the gym itself, saying, "I think you both need to hit the showers before we have that talk."

"It's not like we're not going to work out anyway and get sweaty all over again..." Fenris protested but Gabriel would not hear it.

"Think of my nose, man!" He said with a grin on his face, to this day enjoying busting the chops of one of his top students.

With mumbled protests, the two brothers were herded into the gym and toward the offered men's showers, when Gabriel reached down and grasped the leash from out of Fenris's hand. "Not you!" Gabriel mused as the dog looked up at him with her pale, blue eyes. "I'd rather the gym not smell of wet dog."

Kyssa huffed and Gabriel shot back, "Yeah, same to you too, sister!"

Later...

After the morning workout, Fenris and Aron sat on the ring apron of the six-sided ring, the one of two wrestling rings inside of the gym, while Gabriel stood in front of the pair with his arm folded.

Gabriel said, "Okay, before the new kids on the block show up, I just needed to talk to you, Kristjan, before we call it a day."

"Call it a day?" Fenris frowned. "I'll be back later..."

But Gabriel interrupted, shaking his head, "No. You're not going to have time. You have that interview scheduled later and after we have this chat, you're going to have enough on your mind to keep yourself occupied. I know you always work out right up until Friday evening, but you'll be fine."

Fenris looked like he was about to say something, possibly in protest, but Gabriel stalled him with a hand held up and he said, "Kristjan, you've been a goddamn machine about this match. More than usual. With the exception of your little jaunt to New York last week, you've been going at it, non-stop. After everything that Maksym and I've put you through the past two weeks, if you're not ready by now..." He shook his head seriously. "Then you won't be."

Fenris paused in thought, and finally yielded, shrugging his shoulders. It was the most Gabriel could want or expect given his student's stubborn nature. Fenris then asked, "So what is this talk about that will have me thinking?"

"Just the actual workings of this match against Alex, Jake and Travis." Gabriel answered. "We haven't had time to discuss how this is actually going to go, so that's why I wanted to do this early. Give you time to rest and recuperate from your physical workout while you let your mind do the rest."

Aron snorted back a laugh at that, to which Fenris delivered a sharp elbow to his brother's arm.

Gabriel continued, "Now, outside of tag team matches, you haven't been in anything like this before. Triple Threat or Fatal Fourway. Nothing outside of an individual opponent."

"Yeah, so?" Fenris replied. "End goal is still the same."

Gabriel shook his head, "But not as easy to achieve. You do know that pretty much anything goes in these matches, correct? I mean, you have to win by pinning or submitting an opponent, so it's almost impossible for a match like this to end in a disqualification or count out."

Gabriel's words were starting to sink into the stubborn mindset of Fenris and the teacher saw the moment the student started to understand the implication of what he was saying. Gabriel went on to say, "You've always competed in a structured environment. Rules and regulations. In a match like this, you have to throw that out the door and be prepared to improvise in case one of your opponents decides to fight dirty. Use a weapon or have someone on the outside lend a helping hand."

Aron observed, "I don't think any of them would go that route. Jake and Travis seem legit. I mean, maybe Alex would but he seems to want to win this legit too."

"That's all we can hope." Gabriel acknowledged. "But your brother needs to be ready, just in case." he then turned his undivided attention to Fenris and went on, "Not to mention, like I said to you as soon as this match was announced, almost half of your arsenal won't be as effective. The vast majority of your skill set is submission based. Given the stakes and the numbers game, none of those three men are going to sit back and watch while you slap on a submission hold. The moment you do, one or the other will be there to break it up. I told you then to come up with a solution. Have you thought about what you'll do then?"

Fenris answered, "I guess I'm just going to have to knock their asses out so they won't have the chance."

Gabriel smiled, for the first time since this talk started. Fenris understood, and the answer itself was simple, even if the match itself would not be. That was when they heard the tell-tale sound of the buzzer go off, and the door leading from the hall opened and a small group of young men and women walked in, carrying gym bags. Behind them was Gabriel's wife Odette, carrying their daughter while Lucas ran in after. The child's bright eyes lit up when he saw his dad and the two Baltasarsson brothers.

"Okay, go on." Gabriel said. "Take the rest of the day for yourselves so you can be ready for your interview. Preferably before Lucas asks for a rematch!" Referring to the "title defense" from earlier this week in Charlotte Elliot's promo. (And if you haven't read it yet, then shame on you! )

Fenris stood up from the ring apron and smirked, "I won, didn't I?"

"Only because you held the lad down and tickled him until he cried uncle." Gabriel laughed.

"Hey," Fenris shrugged. "Whatever it takes to win!"

---

Later that evening -
World Web Wrestling

Several small scenes cut across the computer screen, vertically and horizontally in film format, of the host, Dwayne Carter, interacting with professional wrestlers at sporadic events and on stage in his interview setting. As the music played slowly subsides in beat and tempo, finally fading away completely into the background, the screen shifts to the WWW Studio stage where two chairs are the main prominent feature.

In the first chair on the left of the screen, was Dwayne Carter, host of the program. In the remaining chair to his right was the reigning SCW World Heavyweight Champion, Fenris.

The final notes of the music vanish and Dwayne leans forward in his chair and speaks into the camera;

Dwayne says, "Hello everyone, and I want to welcome you to another edition of 'World Web Wrestling' the premiere online source of entertainment for your professional wrestling needs! My special guest this week will be defending the SCW World title against three men in a Fatal Fourway at this weekend's Blaze of Glory VII, the 'White Wolf' Fenris! Fenris, welcome to the show."

Fenris stared at the man beside him as if he were in pain, but he finally found his voice and answered, "I'd say it was a pleasure, but I really don't want to be a liar." He shook his head. "I never was one for interviews. Meeting fans can be fun though."

Dwayne says, "But as the World Champion, a title that you've now held for over seven months, public appearances, meet and greets, and interviews are all necessary evils."

"It's hell being the best." Fenris smiled, and Dwayne chuckled. "I can only imagine." He said. "But I was warned how you felt so I promise to make this as painless as possible. In fact, I thought it might be fun if this time around, the fans were to interview you for a change. We've opened the phone lines early, and we've already got the lines tied up with fans of yours who would like to ask you a question."

Fenris thought about this for a moment, then nodded. There was even the faint wisp of a smile on his face as if he believed this experience would be more comfortable than your average interview.

Dwayne then said, "Now before we take our first caller, this weekend you are scheduled to defend your title for the eighth time in Anaheim, California, at the ACC Arena against three other men. Jake Raab. Travis Levitt. And Alex Jones. How are you feeling going into this match?"

"Ready." Fenris answered straight away. "Gabriel and Odette Stevens, both who trained me for this sport. My MMA  coach Maksym Petrov. They've been running my ass ragged to make sure I'm ready. Hell! I've been running my own ass ragged! This is first time I defended against more than one man at a time so I can not afford to not be ready."

Dwayne asked, "Now you debuted on April 15th of last year, and have yet to suffer a loss. What would you say is the secret to your success?"

"Simple." Fenris smiled. "I'm better than everyone they put me against."

Dwayne chuckled, "Well it's hard to dispute that. Now, let's get to our first caller, shall we? This is Aidan from Chicago. Aidan? You're on the air."

Aidan asked, "Hey Fenris! I was just wondering who has the worst music tastes at Gabriel and Odette's gym?"

"Lucas." Fenris answered with a smile. "Kid switched the usual music with the soundtrack from Spongebob Squarepants once and I was ready to tear my hair out by the end of the day!"

Dwayne said, "Alright, next we have Noah from Winnipeg, Manitoba!"

Noah said, "Fenris! Who's the hardest worker out of Gabriel's students?"

Fenris just gave the camera that cocky smirk and held his arms out as if to silently say, 'Duh!'

Dwayne said, "This is Riley from Fort Wayne, Indiana."

Riley said, "Hey champ! What is your routine before a big match?"

Dwayne observed, "That's a good question."

"My routine?" Fenris repeated with a light hearted shrug. "Once a match is announced, starting Monday I do my usual routine, working out wrestling in morning and MMA in evening. In between, usual weight training and cardio. Until Friday night, as I usually take Saturday off from training."

Dwayne asked, "And is there a reason for that?"

Fenris shrugged, "If I'm not ready after all that, I might as well not be. So I take the day before the big match off to rest and prepare mentally."

Dwayne said, "Thank you for that. Now we have Mark from London, England! Wow! That's a loyal fan."

Mark asked, "Not really. Pub call. Anyway, do you have any superstitions or pre match rituals?"

Fenris shook his head, "Not really the superstitious sort. But pre match rituals? Well, you see me kneel and cross my heart on the stage. That is my prayer to Balder, the fallen god."

Dwayne asked, "Do you still practice the Norse religion?"

Fenris said, "I do. Too many people believe the Norse religions went out with Christianity. Not true. It is still going strong, even a thousand years after the Vikings."

Dwayne said, "Interesting. Okay, now we have Quinn from Columbus, Ohio."

Quinn asked, "Fenris, if you had to pick a tag team partner, who would it be?"

Fenris answered, "Ty West. But if I have choice, I'd prefer not to choose at all. I do not like tag team matches. Never have."

Dwayne said, "Fair enough. This is Elliot from Patna, India."

Elliot asked, "Do you have any Blaze of Glory VII Predictions?"

Fenris took a moment to think about this one before he answered, "Dani will win the Bombshell title a second time. Ty will win the Roulette title. And of course, I will retain. Obviously."

Dwayne, "Next up we have Grayson from... wow! Buchares, Romania!"

Grayson asked, "Do you have any hobbies?"

Fenris answered, "Besides training? I do not have much time for hobbies. I have my dog, Kyssa, I care for. Watch the occasional movie, or British sitcoms Gabriel got me into or some anime. Drinking?" He smiled and Dwayne laughed.

Dwayne said, "I suppose drinking could be considered a hobby. Now we have two more callers. First, it's Gene from North Las Vegas."

Gene asked, "Fenris, who would you say is your hardest opponent?"

Fenris frowned and looked to Dwayne and said, "That is rather personal question."

Dwayne said, "I think he means who was your toughest opponent to date."

Fenris nodded with a silent, 'Oh!' before he answered, "In that case, is toss up between Jake Raab and Senor Vinnie. Vinne took me to the brink of my first loss, but Jake busted me up like nobody had done before."

"Hi! This is...er, Ted ... E.! Yeah, Ted E.... Bear! Yeah that'll do... Anyhoo, First time caller, long time... well I can't say long time fan because that would be a fib and Santa is watching." This caller has Fenris and Dwayne exchanging confused glances when the caller asked, "Hey Fenris! Do you know where Angel put his Universal remote for my TV? I can't find it and we wanna watch TV before bed."

Fenris frowned and then finally said, "Despayre? ... How would I know where your TV remote is!?"

The caller said hotly, "First of all, it's Ted E. Bear! And second of all, Dwayne said we could call in and ask any question! **huffs** Never mind!" There was  a brief shuffling sound and a click, when the caller then said, "Boy it's no wonder nobody likes him! So. Rude!"

Fenris's eyes narrowed when the caller said indignantly, "No, Angel! I did so hang up! .... I think I know the difference between hanging up and putting myself on speaker pho-oh! Oops!" And with a nervous giggle, the call was promptly ended.

Dwayne said, "Well that was certainly interesting... and informative. Now before we bring this evening to a close, I wanted to ask the hard question. Fenris, after what happened several months ago with Kris Ryans..." Dwayne ignores the sudden frown on Fenris's face. "... have you noticed any difficulties in your career?"

"Difficulties?" Fenris frowned. "Like what?"

Dwayne said, "Such as, has any of your fans or colleagues treated you any different when it was revealed to the world that you preferred men?"

"What? No!" Fenris growled. "It was as Gabriel told me, nobody cares! And if any fans who liked me before, decided they do not like me now?" He shrugged. "Fuck them!"

Dwayne asked, "And you don't feel like you did the gay community who supports MMA or wrestling a disservice by not coming out sooner?"

"Excuse me!?" Fenris turned in his chair to face Dwayne directly. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean!? How is what happened to me in my personal life doing anyone any kind of disservice!?"

Dwayne blanched momentarily before he answered, "Well it's just that as a gay role model, many believe that you should have come out sooner."

"Says who?" Fenris asked hotly. "Hm? Who says I should have? And who the fuck business is it of anyone when or how I came out in the first place!?"

"Well as a gay role model..."

Fenris interrupted, "Back up! That is second time you call me a gay role model! Why the hell are you labeling me!? Why can't you just call me role model who just so happens to be gay!?" His stare has Dwayne frozen and speechless, but Fenris does not ease up.

"First of all," Fenris said. "I am only 'out' because of that fuck up I pulled with Kris! Would I be out now if that had not happened?" He shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe. maybe not, but it sure as shit isn't 'owed' to anyone! What? Now me putting my body on the line every god damn week isn't enough!? Bleeding like a fucking stuck pig isn't enough for them, they have to know what I do in the bedroom too!? Well shit! If I had known that then maybe that sex tape should have been made public! Because apparently now I 'owe' it to everyone to let them know who the hell I fuck!?"

Dwayne started to say, "Well..."

"BULLSHIT!!!" Fenris bellowed, startling Dwayne and causing the host to push back into his own seat in a subconscious effort to get away from the hostile guest. Fenris continued on with his rant, "My personal life isn't anyone's fucking business! It was not before I was out, and it sure as shit isn't now! If a gay fan looks at me and says if Fenris can do this, then I can to -- then great! Fucking A! But they should have that confidence in themselves not because I say so, but because it is so!"

Fenris then stood up and pointed at Dwayne who flinched openly, "If they think they don't have a place in any sport just because of who they go  to bed with, that's their fault! Not mine and fuck anyone who tries to say different!"

Fenris then stormed off the stage set, knocking his chair over and leaving the host very discomforted in his wake.

Across the city of Las Vegas, in the SCW offices... Co-Owner "Hot Stuff" Mark ward is staring at the laptop screen on his desk, having watched the broadcast with a noticeable smile on his face as he said aloud to no one in particular, "Well hello there Fenris! Where the bloody hell have you been?"

---

"You have questions, I have the answers."

The darkness was suddenly illuminated by a single spotlight over the ring where Fenris say on the canvas, cross-legged with the SCW World Heavyweight Championship strewn out across his lap.

"Have I ever been in a match like this, where I could lose my championship without actually losing the match? Been asked that question ever since this got booked and the answer is ... no. I have not, and I do not like it. I get why it was booked. SCW is all about equal chances. If the women are in this spot, then only fair the men are too. Does not mean I have to like it though. I prefer straight up fights, one on one. Man to man. Jut like when I won title by beating someone who wasn't the actual champion, I was not satisfied until I faced and defeated Kris Ryans. Now is no different. I'm pretty god damned sure that all three of these guys will be beating the hell out of me, or trying to at least, because they want to leave no doubts. They want to be the man who ends my streak. They want no fan or so-called experts saying they are not the true champion because they did not beat the champion."

Fenris chuckled.

"That strategy might work at first, but it won't last for long. Each man in this match, including me -- especially me, has an ego the size of Iceland! One will not stand aside and allow the other to get the win and the championship! Tempers will flare. Fights will break out! And then, that will be all the opening I need to lay one of their asses put and walk away with the world title still around my waist!"

"I'm no fool. I know that eventually their mindset will break down and soon they will not care who they beat, just so long as one gets the win and the title."

He shook his head.

"I even understand now that in match like this, no real rules to enforce since it can not end on a disqualification. That's fine. Even better! Does anyone out there actually think I can not handle myself in a brawl? If one brings friend to interfere and help him win, do you not think I can't do the same? I can, I would just prefer not to because unlike some wrestlers I have seen, I don't fucking need help in order to win a match! And I would like to think these three men I am against have the same moral code to want to win this on their own!"

Slowly Fenris uncrossed his legs and stood up, bringing the world title belt up along with him.

Fenris nodded as he said, "I know Jake Raab does. There has been talk, crude remarks about whether or not he should be in this match. Jake, if anyone says you do not, tell them to watch that fucking match that you and I had and what we did to each other! Tell them to watch what you did to me! You may not have won the match but you sure as shit won my respect! I will respect any man who can do to me what you did, and I will defend your right to be in that ring against me again! And what's more, I respect what the hell you came back from!"

"I know I went to all lengths to walk away the winner of our match because I knew damn well that you would do the same! Your hand, your shoulder? Both hurt. Both requiring surgery. And despite the fact, you just kept fighting, even if it meant risking further harm. You still fought Vinnie. You may not have won, but you had the heart to fucking show why you're going places! And hurt or not, here you are again. Against myself and two other men. And believe me, I have no doubt you'll want to answer back for what hell I put you through. Well, Jake?"

He leaned against the ropes.

"I wouldn't have it any other way!"

Fenris then stood upright, his blue eyes glaring straight into the camera/

"Have not heard much of anything from Travis, but that is alright. Even with  no words can be enough of a warning of what type of man he is inside of the ring. They always say to watch out for the quiet ones. Well, Travis has been quiet, but his actions are loud enough. I mean, who out there thought it would be Austin James Mercer who was going to win the triple threat against Travis and Caleb? Hm?"

Fenris briefly raised his own hand in acknowledgment.

"I know I did, and Travis proved me wrong. He proved a lot of people wrong when he won and advanced to this title match. Here's a little fact for you, Travis."

Fenris beckoned the camera closer with a motion of his forefinger.

"I don't like being proven wrong about anything, so as a gesture of respect, I am going to be proven right when I say I am going to win, but I make no pretense that it will be easy. I've watched you. And while you have been silent so far where our match is concerned, all that tells me is that you are the wildcard. Nobody knows what to expect, nobody knows what you might or will do once that bell rings and, if you'll pardon the expression, all gloves come off! I like a little mystery, and I love a challenge! You'll provide that, I am certain, even if it does not go entirely the way that you would want it to."

Fenris approached the corner of the ring and draped the world title belt over the top turnbuckle and stared at it before he turned around...

"I think above all else, it is the Black Dragon that I look forward to facing the most. Now that I know of him, I can honestly say the reputation precedes him. One day it will be one on one, but for now Alex Jones? We will have to just make the most out of this situation. Hoping Jake decides to take up Travis's time and vice versa, leaving you and me to deal with one another."

He smiled.

"But we'll see. So ... Black Dragon? Interesting. It makes me think of other dragons you read about. Stories. Fairy tales. Mythology. Take Smaug for example. Perhaps most famous dragon in modern literature, from the Hobbit. A beast that laid waste to a kingdom and hoarded its treasure for decades until the smallest of arrows pierced it's heart."

"A little closer to my own heart would be Fafnir, a dragon from Norse tales. Originally a dwarf that was cursed into dragon form. The strongest and most aggressive of three brothers, Fafnir guarded his father's treasure of gold and jewels, using poisoned breath to protect what was his and instilled terror into the hearts of the Norse, human and dwarf alike. It was only an act of jealousy that brought his demise at the machinations of his own brother, Sigurd."

"Of course, there were others. Krak's dragon in Polish tales. Yamata no Orochi from Japanese mythology. Really..."

He held up a hand and shook his head.

"There are too many to mention, but do you understand what I am getting at? The reference and implication? Each of these dragons, just as you do now, coveted something. Whether it be a woman or something more... golden..."

His hand caressed the center golden plate of the championship belt.

"... in the end, was always the same result. The treasure was the dragon's downfall. The dragon's greed and desire cost them in the end. You want what is mine, Alex. I know you do and I can not fault you for that. You know what it is like to hold championship gold, many times over as a matter of fact. Some say I'm arrogant as fuck and you know something? I think I deserve to be! And I've heard Austin call you cocky, well after reading up on the shit you've accomplished, I'd dare say you deserve to be too! That just brings us to the here and now."

"The White Wolf in the ring against the Black Dragon. Sounds like something out of a fantasy tale, and for the raging beast that you are, for the damage that you will cause, just consider me the knight in shining armor that is the end of the fire breathing beast. After all Alex, I beat one Honor Champion."

He winked into the camera.

"I think I can take another."

 
Wednesday

Snow in Las Vegas. Who would have imagined? Nobody who called the City of Sin home, that's for certain! And those tourists who came here dressed for the warm weather a desert oasis offered, or at least what they assumed it offered, they now found themselves huddled up by the furnaces in their hotels or hurriedly shopping for warmer attire so that their vacations might continue. In all actuality, it had been roughly ten years since Las Vegas had seen any credible snowfall on its streets, but here it was; cascading down from the gray, overcast sky and to the city streets below. It was well into the evening, the sun hidden back behind the cloak of clouds overhead yet not having fully descended to allow the night sky to rise in its wake.

It was hardly what one might call a blinding flurry falling from above, but judging by the reactions from those in the city, you might expect it to be so! People bundled up in their winter's best, or as close to it as they could come, hurried along on the famed Strip, moving from one destination to another. Clark County School District had already come to the decision to cancel classes for the following day, such was the forecast. More snow was to come overnight and into Thursday. Some flights at McCarran International Airport had even been canceled or postponed due to the freezing, wet weather.

"Pussies." Kristjan Baltasarsson muttered in his native Icelandic as he sat on the patio of the fifth floor condo he shared with his brother and, for now, still Dani Weston, at Turnberry Towers. Where some people preferred the sun shining and clear blue skies to go along with it, this was more to Kristjan's liking. The gray skies, the snow and earlier this morning, the freezing rain.

It reminded him much of home in Iceland.

So much was his comfort that he was not deigning to wear even the remotest of winter attire. No sweater or thick jacket. Instead he basked in the chill he deemed "brisk at best," clad in his simple comfort clothes he tended to wear around the homestead when he had nothing to do and nowhere to go. Muscle shirt, pajama pants, and he would ordinarily have gone barefoot but both his brother and Dani practically wrestled him into a pair of slippers at the very least. Aron was insistent, knowing his brother made for the absolutely worse patient in human history. Every joke, every stereotype of the typical man and how he acted when under the weather? That was Kristjan, according to Aron! His brother, the biggest, toughest mug you could ever meet, became the biggest baby when he was ill. So Aron, and by proxy Dani, had to avoid that at all cost.

"What was that?" Dani asked from the chair opposite him on the patio. despite her teasing and "busting his chops," Dani had not yet moved out as she was wont to do. She really wanted to be on her own, and believed that she had imposed on the brothers Baltasarsson long enough. Aron was such a good natured soul that he didn't mind one bit, and Kristjan? He was not reacting well to the idea of Dani finally moving out and getting a place to call her own. Just go getting him to admit it.

And as punishment for her teasing, Kristjan had pegged her to keep him company outside while they enjoyed the snowfall. And unlike Kristjan, Dani was bundled up against the frigid temperatures that continued to lower as time passed and the evening grew darker. She wore both a sweater and sweat pants, and borrowed (confiscated) Aron's comforter on the sofa to cover up with. That and a certain white Siberian husky being curled up against her shins and feet had her feeling relatively comfortable in this wet and unusual weather.

Aron would join them later, but he was busying himself in his bedroom, working on some details for a couple of personal appearances for Kristjan as the SCW Heavyweight Champion of the World. There were only so many things Kristjan would agree to do; an interview, a web broadcast, meetings with fans and the like. But as the world champion in one of the hottest indy promotions in the business, it was a necessary burden to bear.

"Nothing." Kristjan finally answered her, shaking his head. He still has his moments where he slips back into Icelandic when he's around those who do not speak the language. It was simply natural as his English was still not very good and it was just easier for him to speak in his own tongue. He continued, "Just can't believe the way people are acting. Like they never see snow."

"Well, they really don't." Dani reasoned with her buddy, knowing that snow and ice was something Kristjan would take for granted considering where he was from. It would be like someone from Florida being amazed at experiencing sunshine and warm temperatures. She then paused, contemplating, before she continued with her train of thought, "Well, the people who live here at least. The snowbirds are probably used to it but just weren't expecting it."

She glanced up, picking up her mug of steaming hot chocolate (with those little mini marshmallows!) to find his stare on her, his brow knitted into a frown as his lips seemed to be attempting to decipher something.

"Snow .... birds?" He shook his head. "If do not know this phrase."

"It just means people from cold climates who come to warmer climates to stay on vacations during the winter." Dani tried her best to explain so he might understand, even with the natural language barrier between them. She followed up with, "Then when summer comes, they go back home."

Kristjan nodded, although Dani had a reason to suspect that he still did not understand. At least, not completely. It looked like he might ask for some sort of clarification when they heard voices from the floor below....

"If can't believe you!"

"What is your fucking problem this time!?"

"You! You are my problem!"

Kristjan cast a sidelong glance at Dani and she saw a wicked little grin etch itself on his face. Now she knew why he had been so gung ho on sitting outside. It wasn't about the snow that reminded him of home. Well, not entirely. The neighbors in the flat directly below them had started recently to have some pretty good (and loud) arguments that got heated, and Kristjan had found it highly entertaining to listen in and amuse himself.

Dani shook her head, "Really, Kristjan...?"

But he silenced her with a coy finger to his own lips in a universal sign for "quiet, please" and he reached over to the small, oval table between them and picked up his own steaming mug. But unlike Dani who had cocoa, Fenris had mulled wine. Now under ordinary circumstances, he found wine a drink for sissies or just weak, but when it was hot and prepared right such as now, it was the perfect drink to accompany both the weather and some home theater, if you would.

"What the hell did If do this time Lynette!?"

"If asked you to pick me up one little thing at the store on your way home and you didn't do it!"

"It was fucking snowing, Lynette! People were driving nuts! If just wanted to get home!"

"Oh that's some excuse!"

"Then why the hell didn't you go? It's not like you had anything to do! At least If have a job!"

Dani cringed at that shot, but Kristjan pursed his lip and gave her a thumbs up, as though he approved. He downed a swallow of his mulled wine, and perhaps it went down the wrong pipe because he started coughing. Kyssa glanced up, and Dani was about to ask if he was alright, but he held a hand up and shook his head, warding off any show of concern. He set his mug back down and leaned over at the side so he might continue to listen and be entertained.

"If can't believe you, Kevin! You actually expect me to go out driving in weather like this!?"

"Oh but it's alright for you to want me to do it for you???"

"What a bitch..." Kristjan muttered, much to Dani's amusement. Ever since there was a recent outbreak in arguments with these younger tenants, Kristjan had developed some morbid fascination with listening in on the details. When prodded, he told them it was better than cable TV. When Aron joked he was worse than a couple of church ladies gossiping on a Sunday afternoon, it took Dani almost twenty minutes to pry his head loose from the bathroom cupboard drawer without damaging it -- and that was with the use of the canola oil!

God, how she was going to miss these two when she spread her wings and flew the nest.

"You are so selfish, Kevin! I wasn't asking much!"

"I'm selfish!? You wanted me to risk getting into an accident in this weather just to buy you some goddamn Red Hots!"

At that exchange, Dani and Kristjan both cringed and looked to one another, silently asking the other 'what the fuck?' Then the arguing continued but took on a different turn.

"Give me the remote, Kevin! I want to watch my show!"

"Forget it! We watched your show last night! It's my turn!"

"That's not fair! My show left on a cliffhanger! I have to know what happens!"

"So read about it online! I pay the fucking bill, Lynette! We're going to watch what I want to watch for once!"

"GIVE ME THE GOD DAMN REMOTE!!!"

"Alright, here!"

There was the slight sound of something hitting the patio below them, and Dani and Kristjan just assumed, without looking, that the mysterious Kevin just tossed the remote to their TV out onto their own patio.

"You are so fucking immature, Kevin! I...HEY!"

Then a door slammed downstairs, and the neighbor Lynette started screeching at high volume and pounding on the patio door.

"Open this fucking door Kevin! You open this door this instant!"

Kristjan suddenly fell back against the back rest of his chair and roared in laughter, pumping a fist in honor of all the husbands and boyfriends of the world who had been thrown out of their own home by girlfriends or wives, even if the home was bought and paid for by the boyfriend or husband themselves! Somewhere out there, at this very moment, the men of the house were taking a little extra bit of the blanket.

Just then, at that moment, there was to be a brief intermission in the entertainment as the patio door to their own home slid open and Aron stepped out, he too dressed casually as the cold weather did not bother him any more than it did his brother. Except at least Aron was wearing shoes.

He asked, "What are you two...?" But he then heard the sound of the downstairs neighbor, Lynette, screaming bloody murder to be let back inside and Aron exhaled. "Of course." He nodded, glancing casually at the watch he wore on his left wrist. "The evening show, right on schedule."

"How do they not get in trouble?" Dani wondered with wide eyes, her question for both brothers. "Hasn't anyone reported this?"

Aron answered, "A lot of people have complained to the management of this place, but they own their condo, just like we own this one." Behind Aron's back, Kristjan jetted a thumb toward himself and mouthed silently to Dani 'I own this one.' But Aron rolled his eyes, knowing his brother well enough. He said, "Point is, unless the cops get called, there's not a whole lot the management of the Towers can or will do."

"But they fight at all hours of the night!" Dani exclaimed.

"They're not any louder than the noise K here makes when Ty stays over." Aron quips with a smile, to which Dani thinks for a moment, then nods in agreement. Poor Kristjan looks back and forth between them, his eyes just screaming intensity at their quips at his expense, but before he could say or do anything to either of them, Aron held up his iPad and announced, "Just got a text from Mark Ward. Got your next match."

"You're shitting me." Kristjan grabbed his mug of mulled wine and leaned against the arm rest of his chair. "It's about fucking time! They haven't booked me since my match with Mercer and that was the start of the month!" He took a drink from the mug, then asked, "So who am I defending against this time?"

"No one."

Kristjan paused, about to put his mug back down when Aron answered him. He slowly turned his head and arched a brow. "No one?" He inferred. "I thought you said I had a match."

"You do." Aron explained. "You're just not defending your championship."

"A tag team match?" Dani asked, genuinely curious.

"No, a singles match." Aron answered her before he returned his attention to his inquisitive brother who seemed to be growing more visibly annoyed by the passing moment. He went on, "Against Caleb Storms, actually. You remember him? You wrestled during last year's Blast From the Past." He frowned for a moment. "Your second match, I think?"

Kristjan nodded, "I remember. Quick kid, loves that crazy shit; flying and jumping and diving."

"That's the guy." Aron pointed at him with a forefinger. "Probably the best aerial wrestler in SCW right now."

"And he won the Roulette title last year." Dani offered.

"`Kay. Good wrestler. Held a title?" Kristjan shrugged. "So why am I not defending the title against him?"

"They didn't say." Aron answered helplessly. "It's just classified as a non-title match."

"Fuck's sake...!" Kristjan fumed, almost kicking over the table that had his and Dani's drinks sitting on it, but for once in his life, he showed a little restraint. He probably just didn't want to waste any liquor, that's all. Aron understood his brother's annoyance; from the moment he first entered this business and heard about a little something called a non-title match, Kristjan called bullshit. He believed, and it showed his standing as a man and a champion, that any time a champion competed in the ring, their title should be on the line. No excuses.

"Well..." Dani fidgeted, hunching her shoulders. "At least of Caleb wins, you will still be champion?"

Both brothers turn to her and her cheeks immediately flush at Kristjan's expression for anyone even remotely hinting that he could or would lose this match.

"Sorry!" She hurriedly added to mollify the volatile of the two siblings.

"You okay?" Aron asked his brother, and Kristjan ran a hand down his face in silent frustration before he snatched hold of his mug and quickly drained it of its contents.

"Fine." He hissed. "Just fucking peachy!"

Aron started to go back inside when his brother caught his attention, standing up and leaning over the edge of their patio where Kristjan shouted at the downstairs neighbors, "SHOUT LOUDER! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!"

"Hey man!" Came the female's voice from down below. "Fuck you!"

"No, fuck you!" Bellowed Kristjan in return.

Aron leaned over to look past Kristjan and toward Dani, "If think we better get him inside."

Dani, eyes wide from the impending confrontation, hurriedly agreed and she and Aron quickly grabbed him by the arms and escorted him toward the open patio door as Kyssa hurried past them to enter first.

"It's for your own good, K." Reasoned Aron. "Yes!" Dani quickly piped up. "WE don't want you getting sick wearing those skimpy slippers."

I. Do. Not. Get. Sick!" Kristjan shouted, just as the patio door slid shut.

Friday

Kristjan was a pitiful sight, buried beneath the covers of his bed with a virtual mountain of pillows under his head and propping him up in a seated position. His brow was glistening from sweating out the sickness, their mother's prescription. His flesh was flushed, nose runny and eyes tired and watery. A dinner tray was straddling across his lap with the tattered remnants of crackers, soup and orange juice -- and a bell in his hand. Vicks vapo rub on his chest, a humidifier running on high....

And a bell that Dani had made the grievous error in judgment in giving him in case he needed something, anything -- but how could she have known!? Kristjan rang the bell as hard as he could, trying to draw the attention of those who were actually standing outside of his closed bedroom door, all wearing expressions of concern.

Not for Kristjan's well being, well not entirely. But more so for the living hell they've all been put through over the last twenty four plus hours since the cold struck Kristjan full force.... Aron, Dani and Lora West. Lora would not allow Ty to enter the premises for fear of her beloved nephew catching whatever Kristjan had, despite Ty's adamant objections.

"Who's turn is it?" Dani asked as the bell grew louder and now he was starting to shout for them in Icelandic.

Aron looked at Dani and said, "You go!"

Dani shook her head, steadfastly refusing and she pointed back toward him and replied, "Uh uh! You go!"

Aron shook his head, "Uh uh! She goes!" And before Lora could say anything to voice or raise an objection, Dani opened the bedroom door and Aron pushed her inside.....

---

Gabriel and Odette's Gym

Not in the gym section where one might find any of Gabriel and Odette's students honing their skills to razor sharp perfection. Nor where you might find any new faces seeking to break into the scene by learning from the Stevens' wisdom and experience. No, this time if you move further into the building and past the workout equipment and wrestling rings, you'll find a classroom setting behind closed doors. It would be here where Gabriel and Odette, and sometimes someone like Synn perhaps, would talk at length to their students about the inner workings of the sport, all the better to warn and prepare them for what might come.

On the large, plasma screen television set up against the back wall, the airing of one of Despayre's matches was currently being played. Aside from Caleb, Despayre was perhaps one of the most daring aerial wrestlers ever signed to Sin City Wrestling, and what better way to learn how to counter such death defying tactics than by studying those who specialized in it.

As the match continued on, and Despayre did some sort of handspring cartwheel OVER the ropes and crashing into his opponent on the outside, we find Fenris watching from one of the desks stationed in short rows along the room. His blue eyes were glued to the match proceedings, his brow knitted as he silently pondered to himself, "How, and why?"

"Caleb Storms. It's been a long time, hasn't it? April 22 of 2018, if I'm not mistaken? The Blast From the Past tournament, where I was teamed with Courtney Pierce, and you had the Roulette Champion Sam Marlowe in your corner. And while you had more experience going into this match, it was only the second time I had ever set foot inside of the ring. And look at where I am now."

Fenris stood up and moved from behind the desk where he proceeded to eject the DVD of the match he had been watching, and reached for another. On a flat table surface was a small stack of videos he had asked for studying purposes, and the vast majority of them had "Caleb Storms" etched on the surface, with only a few more with Despayre's own name. After all, he trained regularly with the speedy little grappler. He learned more in those frustrating sessions than he could watching his entire career history.

No, this was about Caleb, and thus the next disc he inserted into the player was one of Caleb's own. Fenris then sat back down as the video started to play, and his eyes never strayed far from the screen.

"Granted, that match didn't go the way I had wanted. True, my team did advance, but it was Courtney who defeated Sam Marlowe. The decision was not made between you and I. And why? You tagged out."

Fenris shook his head.

"Can't deny it. You're a fast fucker. Aside from Gabriel's friend Despayre, you're the fastest I've seen in the ring. I thought If had you down at the time. I thought If was in control. You proved me wrong. You got away from me. You knew you were in trouble and so..."

He held his arms out and shrugged.

"You tagged out, and kept me from getting my first win. And that -- that Caleb, is why I'm glad this match got signed. 308 days. Almost a full year since the last time we met, and I'd like to think we've both done relatively well for ourselves. You won the Roulette Championship, and I'm the World Champion since July of last year. You and I? We've grown, we've evolved ... but that one time, that one moment... it still nags at me Caleb, you know? It's why this is such a fortuitous moment. For me, at least. Because unlike the last time, you don't have anybody in your corner that you can tag out to. It's just you and me, and this time I've learned not to lose touch with the man I have down on the mat. Not give him time to get distance between us. Focus and intensity..."

He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"...Ohh that I have learned to excel at, and I have the Stevens family to thank for that. You? You should probably send them a fruit basket or something if you have a like mind. Or they might send you a condolence card. Ever since this match got announced, you've shown your hand. You've shown you're actually a pretty sharp man, expressing concern and rightly so. But far be it from me to just think I'll waltz past this match with little to no effort."

"It's like I said, you've tasted championship gold. You know what it feels like to celebrate and feel good to wear that belt around your waist. Anyone who has experienced that in SCW, given the level of competition, is good inside of the ring. They have to be, in order to be a champion! But all the aerial moves in the world, no matter how impressive or death defying they may be, is going to help end this match in any other way than for my hand to get raised -- again."

"Your mistake was your public concern. A wolf can smell fear a mile away. Gabriel had wondered if you might be trying to lull me into a false sense of security but...."

He shook his head.

"I doubt that you're that good of an actor. So I'll tell you what. I like you. I hold no grudges, so I'll do my best to make this as quick as possible. And after? Drinks are on me. You'd have earned it."

 <img align=left src= "http://www.geocities.ws/scwmaterial/Pictures/Fenris16.jpg" height=382 width=228>Reykjavik, Iceland - Landspítali, the National University Hospital of Iceland
Twenty something odd years ago

"Come on, now." The father Benedikt said gently as he held the hand of his son, a four year old Kristjan Baltasarsson, leading him into the small room where his mother Eva laid in bed, exhausted and recovering from the birth. His two older sisters, the six year old Elin and eight year old Viktoria, stood clear across the room, backs to the wall as if they were frightened at the prospect of catching something from the small bundle wrapped in a blanket and held to their mother's bosom. His sisters had ugly looks on their faces, and for once it was not directed at Kristjan himself, But at their new baby brother.

But that was lost on Kristjan, who paid his sisters no mind, as was the usual circumstance. Even at this tender age he knew it upset them greatly when he ignored their tantrums and spoiled brat moments, of which there were plenty. It was simply the prerogative of the little brother to be as great a nuisance to his sisters as was possible. Of course, by just being born he had been considered a nuisance. What could he say? His older sisters were bitches.

Bottom lips jetted out, arms folded and eyes narrowed, they watched as their "daddy" led Kristjan around the bedside and helped him stand up on a small stool so that he might get a closer look. Eva's eyes finally pried themselves away from the new addition to their family, and came upon until then, her one and only baby boy.

Kristjan's small fingers curled in the blankets that covered his mom and he leaned up to get a better look. Eva moved her body slightly to the side and winced, her recovery still a long way from being over after going through a seven hour labor and delivery. The small baby in the blanket was asleep, But his fingers moved, as if they were testing themselves. Kristjan looked up and saw what would be pride swimming about in his dad's eyes, even if he did not understand that at the time.

Little Kristjan looked back to his baby brother as his mom said, "Sweetheart, meet Aron. Your new baby brother."

Kristjan stared at his new little brother, and the newborn's eyes were open and gazing back toward him, taking in this new addition even if he was too young to focus properly.

"Don't worry." Kristjan whispered more for his own benefit than for baby Aron or his parents' benefit. "I'll protect you."

The Baltasarsson home -
Six months later

"Okay, be careful now Kristjan." Eva said as she carefully laid the baby Aron into her other son, the four year old Kristjan's lap. He had practically begged his mom to let him hold the baby. Eva resisted at first, as any mother might at allowing someone else, anyone else, to hold their child. But Kristjan was persistent, even all those years ago, up until the point where she had finally relented.

He had climbed up onto his mom's favorite chair and scooted all the way back so there was plenty of room on his lap. Then he did just as he was shown by his father and wrapped his arms up in a cradle under the baby to support Aron's body and head.

Eva stood back and watched with a smile as Kristjan gazed down at his brother who looked up at him with wide eyes, his tiny fingers seemingly reaching out towards the one who had promised those months ago to watch over and protect him. Eva picked up her camera from the table, and with a smile of delight, she captured the moment for the future.

Just at that moment, the telephone rang and Eva said to her son, "Be careful with him, Kristjan. I'll be right back as soon as I get that." And Eva reluctantly hurried away to answer the phone, then get back to the moment at hand. Only mere seconds later, his sisters swooped into the room like two little vultures stalking their prey.

"Why do you want to hold the little rat?" Elin said with a disdainful sneer on her otherwise pretty face.

"Leave him alone." Kristjan answered back, not looking at them But keeping his eyes right where they belonged; on Aron. But simply acknowledging the two was enough to give the two spiteful little girls an intense amount of pleasure, and it set them off.

"He's just a little rat!"

"Eww! Look how wrinkly he is!"

Of course, neither little girl was foolish enough to say any of this loud enough for either their mother or father to hear, nor risk it when they were in the same room. As far as Elin and Viktoria were concerned, they were Eva and Benedikt's little angels.

Kristjan finally looked up at them with a pouty, upset look on his cherubic face and he scowled, "I said leave him alone!"

"Oh yeah?" Viktoria smiled nastily. "Or what?" And that said, she reached right over and pinched the baby's skin between her thumb and forefinger, causing the baby to elicit a sharp cry of pain! Baby Aron's cries immediately filled the house But that was nothing compared to the cries of his sisters because as he promised, Kristjan protected Aron by reaching out with his free hand and socking his sister right on the shoulder.

Viktoria gave a great performance, grabbing her shoulder and sobbing great tears while Elin yelled at Kristjan for "attacking" her! Eva came running in and immediately she was bombarded by cries and protests from every side of the room, most notably her new son Aron and the rather impressive performance by Viktoria!

"I didn't do nothing!" Sobbed Viktoria. "He just hit me and Aron started crying!"

"That's right mom!" Elin defended her sister. Viktoria didn't do anything to him!"

"Kristjan!" Eva scolded her son, despite his tears and protests and she pulled Aron from his arms, much to his sisters' mutual delight. "I can't believe you it your sister! You know better than that!"

"No, mommy...!" Kristjan tried to plead his case But Eva had her back turned and that is when Kristjan saw the smug expressions of satisfaction on his sisters faces at having turned the tables on him and gotten him into a fair amount of trouble.

"Just wait until your daddy gets home young man!" Eva said with that dangerous tone only a mother can perfect. "He will ... wait, what's this?"

For the first time, Eva noticed the nasty bruise on Aron's arm where he had been pinched. She lifted the blanket to get a better look at it and showed concern as she looked at her other three children for an explanation.

"That's what I was trying to tell you." Little Kristjan said defensively. "That's where Viktoria pinched him and that's why I hit her!"

Eva's head snapped up and she stared at her two daughters who had sudden 'deer caught in headlights' expressions on their faces!

The Baltasarsson home -
Three years later

"What are you doing?" The seven year old Kristjan asked three year old Aron who was carefully walking from out of the kitchen with two large glasses of milk in his hands, taking extra precaution not to spill them on their mom's freshly cleaned floors.

"Taking these to Elin and Viktoria." Aron said mildly, so innocent in the ways of his sisters at this period in his life that he couldn't understand his brother's sudden annoyance. Kristjan pulled the glasses from his hands, spilling just a bit over the rims of the glasses, and set them on a table before he took Aron by the hand and marched him into the living room where their two sisters were lounging back, snacking on candy and listening to music without a care in the world.

"Where's our milk, slave?" Elin cackled, and Kristjan stepped in front of his brother protectively and he narrowed his eyes into slits.

He said, "Mom and dad didn't leave you in charge while they went to our school for meetings just so you could boss us around! You're supposed to be taking care of us, not making him take care of you!"

"I can do whatever I want!" Viktoria declared hotly, and Elin smiled, nodding her head in agreement. "I'm the boss! Me!"

"That doesn't mean you can just boss us around and make us get you things!"

Viktoria hopped to her feet and marched up to confront her brother, who at this age she was a fair few inches taller than him given the years between them in age.  Behind her, Elin lounged back with a candy bar in hand, fully enjoying the show.

Viktoria declared, "Oh yes it does. I can tell him what to do and he has to do it, and the same. Goes. For. You!" She added with a swipe of her arm, and the sweater that was their fathers that she was wearing, several sizes too ,large, had the long arm slap her brother across  the head, resulting in her grand smile.

An hour later....

"We're -- home...?" Benedikt called out and he and his wife stopped short in the door frame to find their two oldest daughters harnessed to the family coat rack, the sleeves of Viktoria's sweater wrapped back and around both girls, effectively tying them to place. The girls were still struggling and crying as the parents leaned over to look into the kitchen, only to find Aron seated at a chair and on a phone book for leverage so he could reach the bowl of fruit rings cereal Kristjan had poured for him for "supper."

Las Vegas, Nevada -
Now

Kristjan aka Fenris woke up in the middle of the night, the dreams of years past still haunting him ever since he had thrown Aron out of the condo that they had shared for all these months together. He frowned, fighting to get the sleep from his eyes and he squinted towards the clock to read the time.

3:43 AM

Shit. Almost two hours earlier than he had planned to rise to go for a run and begin his day. AS he sat up in the bed, the moonlight that drifted through the drawn shades in his room gave off a tantalizing shine on his bare skin from the waist up.

Normally Fenris slept naked, which was much to his preference, But ever since Dani had taken up residence in his brother's bedroom, he had yielded to at least sleep in a pair of boxer briefs. This was the end result when Fenris forgot about his guest and walked out in the middle of the night to get something to snack on from the pantry --- and Dani apparently had the same idea and instead got quite the show!

For now, he remained where he lay. Kyssa gazed up at him with those baby blue puppy eyes and he shook his head.

"Now don't you start!" He said in a hushed whisper. "It was his own fault!"

But the canine whined before she scooted further up the bed and laid her head gently across his stomach. She got what she wanted in that regard at least, as Fenris subconsciously reached up with his hand to lightly scratch her behind the ear, her favorite "happy spot." But he knew his beloved dog's behavioral patterns well enough through the years to know she was missing Aron, having been used to his presence for so long. Animals were affected negatively by change on a far more personal scale than humans were, as they understood the circumstances far less, if at all.

And yet despite his animosity towards his brother, Fenris could not help But feel the sting of the past few days absence. Despite what he said on social media, he did, in fact, know where Aron was. Gabriel had sent him a text to tell him Aron was staying with him for the time being. And yes, Gabriel went on further to explain to his charge during a phone conversation that while he didn't know the entire story, he did know that Aron had divulged a dark part of his brother's past to Ty West.

What surprised both brothers was when Gabriel had agreed with Fenris, although perhaps not to the same degree. Gabriel had told Aron between the two men that what he had done was wrong. He had no right nor business telling anyone anything so personal a secret from Kristjan's life. Betraying a loved one's secret was just that; an act of betrayal. Aron may have meant it for the best, But sometimes doing what was best, was not doing what was right.

But, he also told Kristjan when he had come to the gym for a training session, that too easily could the bonds between family be shattered. And the bond between Aron and Kristjan was something he had marveled at ever since he had first met them. If Gabriel was to be perfectly honest, it reminded him somewhat of the love Gabriel himself had for his pseudo 'little brother' Despayre and vice versa. And so, after their very last training session before Inception III would take place, Gabriel left him with two simple words in advice;

"Fix this."

A far easier task that was said than done. Fenris's temper had cooled no more now than it had the moment he had slammed the door in Aron's face at the end of last week. He had told everyone present that Aron was not to be let back, even warning Dani that she would be next if she made that grievous error in judgement. He then locked himself in his room and effectively isolated himself. The evening had been ruined, and it was Aron's doing.

It had been Aron's fault entirely.

"Fix this." Fenris scoffed as he finally rose, feeling it better to get up rather than toss and turn in bed in a vain attempt to reclaim his sleep when he knew he had little to no chance of it happening.He pulled on a t shirt over his head and slipped on a pair of pajama pants before he opened the bedroom door.

Kyssa was the first one out, and her master soon followed. Too soon for breakfast, that was unfortunate. Several times Dani had surprised him and Aron during her stay with home cooked breakfast, usually wheat pancakes which Kristjan had quickly grown fond of. Only after the disaster of a weekend this past week, Dani hadn't indulged him. It was almost as if she were upset or angry with his treatment of Aron, not the other way around. That, or she was simply nervous about doing anything in his present state of mind that might set him off anew.

He knew how she had felt. The one consequence he should have foreseen to his actions occurred early this week when he had made his usual weekly video chat with his mom back in Iceland...

"Where's your brother?" Eva asked, her inquisitive eyes roaming around the screen, as if she were trying to gain some glimpse of the young son that was not there.

"I don't know." Was the honest answer to her question, But Eva frowned at him as if he had spoken some foreign language that neither were privy to understanding.

"You don't know? What do you mean you don't know?"

"I haven't seen him in three days, Mom." Fenris confessed. "We had a fight, and I threw him out."

Eva's eyes widened as the words her son just uttered slowly sunk in. "You -- what?"

He said, "I found out Aron told Ty all about Jökull. Maybe that's why Ty took an interest in me." He exhaled a deep breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding. "Pity."

But Eva simply stared. Straight ahead.

At him.

"You threw your little brother out of your home, with no money. Only the clothes on his back. In a strange city in an even stranger country!?" By the last few words, Eva's sharp words grew in decibels, and Fenris had to fight to keep from flinching as if he were a small child once again. Say what you will about his father being the disciplinarian when they were children, but Eva was the heart of the family that kept them together and when she lost her temper...

Well, it should tell you something when it even gave someone like Kristjan pause.

"Where is he!?" She had demanded of him but al he could or would say was "I told you; I don't know! He could be on his way back to Iceland for all I care!"

It went downhill fast from there. Everything from "How could you do such a thing to him!?" to reminding Kristjan how he had promised to watch over and protect his little brother all those years ago! Like he needed the reminder. The worst was when the tears started flowing from his mom's eyes. She didn't do it as a means of emotional blackmail. She simply reacted as a mother would, being fearful not just for the welfare of her child, but seeing the breakdown of the loving bond between her two sons who had always been there for one another.

"Mom..." He had started to say, but she cut him off, "Don't. Just ... don't."

She wiped at her eyes unsuccessfully with the back of her hand, before she looked straight at her oldest boy with tear stained eyes. She then said the most cutting remark a loving son could possibly hear, "I am so disappointed in you." Shocking him to the core.

She then slammed the laptop shut, effectively ending their conversation and leaving him in the proverbial dark.

This week had been a fucking nightmare. And it was all Aron's fault.

<HR>

Las Vegas, Nevada -
Gold Coast Casino

Even at this early hour, the upper parking lot on the roof of the Gold Coast was packed with vehicles, from tourists and locals alike, who sought to make use of the restaurants, gambling facilities and entertainments being offered. Not far from the famed Vegas Strip, a mere four minute drive from the most famous casinos and attractions in the world, the Gold Coast was at no loss to bringing people in, especially this weekend as preparations were underway for the third annual Inception event for Sin City Wrestling, both the first Supercard and show in general of 2019.

Inside, there was a bustle of activity as music played across unseen speakers, with no clocks in sight so as to assuage the guests from realizing they've spent too much time risking their funds in games of chance. Men and women, young and old alike, sat at the tables and slot machines, enjoying themselves both privately as well as interacting socially with their friends and families, and in some cases, newly met acquaintances. The entrance double doors to the casino's lobby opened, and in walked the face of the SCW Superstar division, "The White Wolf," Fenris; the reigning World Heavyweight Champion.

Having been up since six a.m. and finished his usual run along Charlie Frias Park, Fenris had cleaned up and opted to hit the locale where in just two days time, he would be making history against Jake Raab. SCW always ensured their shows here at their home base went smoothly by setting things up at the start of the weekend, and Fenris wanted to get a bird's eye view of what was dubbed as the "California Ballroom," where a host of wrestling shows promoted by SCW had been held over the years. Dressed casually in a pair of old, faded blue jeans, a white muscle shirt open at the sleeves and his favorite white cap he (finally) retrieved from Ty West, Fenris blended in well enough with the rest of the casino's "guests," save for the chilly weather drew a few curious glances in his direction for wearing something that exposed so much of his upper body. Other glances, perhaps admiring ones. Either way, Fenris did not care. He knew he was attractive, But simply did not care. And as for the cool weather? He was from Iceland! This was nothing! No, his mind was on something else entirely.

Jake Raab.

Maneuvering through the bodies and past a golden Buddha statue on his far left, Fenris turned a corner and arrived at a pair of escalators that would take him, and soon hundreds of wrestling enthusiasts, upstairs to the ballroom salons where the show would take place. Hands on the moving guardrail, his fingers drummed slightly in a sign of both patience and annoyance until he arrived at the top and gazed about at the activity that surprised even him.

Staff of both the casino and Sin City Wrestling alike were moving in every direction, entering and exiting the Ballroom and setting up tables in the foyer where souvenir stands and meet and greet sessions with the fans would take place before and during the show. He could see the sound and video equipment being set up for pre-match interviews and post-match celebrations to the victors, But he spotted the open double doors along the center of the hall and set foot inside. One hotel employee thought to intervene, suspecting him a fan, But an SCW employee quickly intervened before any hostilities could break out and Fenris entered, unmolested.

As expected, the six-sided ring had already been set up, most likely during the earliest morning hours by the hard working ring crew employed by Mark Ward and Christian Underwood. Despite the fact that the two men rarely saw eye to eye on anything, their one consistent was they took no chances when it came to any show, especially the Supercard events that they promoted. Everything was done early, and tested multiple times to ensure a quality production from every aspect. As a matter of fact, Fenris spotted Christian, Starbucks coffee in hand as usual, across the ballroom with Mark, inspecting something or other while talking to a member of the production crew.

Fenris watched as several workers carted in stacks of folding chairs to set up around the ringside area for the fans, and so as not to get in their way, he backed up along the wall beside the entrance, and his eyes seemed to be entranced as he stared straight ahead toward the ring.

"You know, when this match was first announced, I had it in my head that Jake Raab was just some lucky bastard who practically had a championship fall in his lap. I thought he was narrow minded and took one too many strikes to the head, But I realized after listening to him run at the mouth, there is so much more to him."

His Icelandic words were translated to subtitles as usual, and Fenris folded his arms across his chest and his gaze narrowed.

"I never gave him enough credit for being so fucking stupid as he has pretty much proved himself to be. I thought that maybe, just maybe, there might be some chance he and I might have at earning one another's respect."

He jetted out his lip and shook his head in denial.

"But all that pretty much got thrown out the window after I saw that bullshit show he treated everyone too last week. I could see that Jake was a fighter. I experienced that first hand. I also knew that he was a dumb ass, But I had no idea that he was also a fucking bigot!"

Fenris turned to direct his gaze into the camera and he nodded knowingly.

"Yeah, I imagine that you're watching me right now Jake. You were probably camped out at your laptop, just waiting for any sign of life from the real champion between us, so you could watch and get all butt hurt at whatever it was that I might have to say. But don't for a second think that you can deny it now."

He shook his head.

"You pretty much told everyone just that, that you had issues with my being gay because you said it was one of the things that made me a bad champion to represent SCW! In your own word, the rumor of my being gay was But one of the scandals I was involved in that made me such. Well newsflash, Jake! It's no rumor. If you'd paid attention and did the research that you seem to have started to take pride in, you would have found out that months ago I was pretty much dragged out of the fucking closet, kicking and screaming along the way! I had no god damn intention of my private life being made public save for one colossal fuck up on my part, But the truth is I can own up to that! I had only myself to blame for my private life coming into the public eye. I made my peace with that..."

He shrugged casually.

"...so to speak, But to call it a scandal? For you to say that was one thing that made me a bad champion?"

"And maybe, just maybe, you thought you might kill two birds with one stone and use probably the worst time in my life against me in some sad little attempt at ring psychology. But that would be stupid of you Jake. Trying to use my lowest point as a means to gain some form of psychological edge against me would only result in pissing me off, not psyching me out! And true, when you get under the skin of most opposition, it might give you a distinctive edge. But against me?"

He shook his head, eyes blazing.

"All it's going to do is piss me off, and you can ask anyone who's been in the ring with me, anyone who has known me personally since I entered this business. Pissing me off is the worst mistake you could possibly make when you have me standing across the ring from you!"

He bit his lower lip and nodded.

"Oh I'll admit that was the worst period of my life, where I could have fallen no lower, But was it because of what I was? No. It was because of what I did. And before you get ahead of yourself Jake, no. I don't for a second regret that brief period of time I had with Kris Ryans. Only the lack of thought behind it. And if you had done your homework like you suggest you had? What the fuck was that bullshit about me dating two men? Where in Hell did you get two? Ty West. He's the only man I've dated ... well, ever. Kris and I? We fucked each others brains out, and that was it. Big difference. And that was long before Ty and I ever started seeing each other."

He unfolded his arms and shook his head, standing upright from where he had been leaning back against the white colored walls.

"All that shows is your fucking ignorance at the world around you, and prejudiced against your own flesh and blood. After all, your own cousin, Lord Raab, was here long before I ever was and we all knew that he and his hubby Samuel McPherson were playing regular rounds of 'hide the kielbasa!' In fact, from some of the promotional videos that Gabriel and Odette forced me to watch, those two made it somewhat of a habit for awhile!"

Fenris then cast his eyes upward while holding up a forefinger.

"And correct me if I'm wrong, But didn't Lord Raab once hold the very same title I do now? By you own admission..."

He held his arms out and cocked his head to the left.

"... wouldn't that  make your cousin a bad champion? Or is that different because he's your family, one of the high and mighty Raabs? I imagine it would, seeing as how you appear to not just be a bigot, But a raging hypocrite. Accusing me of taking the easy way out to get into this business, using the connections of my friends to transition from Mixed Martial Arts to professional wrestling. To that, all I can ask is..."

He frowned and blurted out.

"What the fuck are you on about!? I didn't even know who the hell Daniel Morgan and the rest of London Underground were when they approached me backstage after my last fight in EliteXL! Up until that point, I never watched a professional wrestling match in my life! I didn't know shit about the business or the people involved! I didn't know who the hell Gabriel or Odette or Despayre or any of those at that gym were when we were introduced! All I knew was Daniel and his team came to see my fight, and they thought I could make it in a different form of contact sport; wrestling! They talked Gabriel and Odette up as two of the best trainers the business had ever seen, so I thought 'What the fuck? My time in MMA was at a standstill for now, so why not give it a shot?' And you call that the easy way, my friends getting me there!?"

He jammed a finger back into his own chest.

"I got myself there, bitch! At the time, I would hardly call any of us 'friends,' which I'm certain Daniel and Gabriel would readily agree! Now, maybe. I'd like to think so. I'm not exactly the most likeable person on the planet. But I went in there and earned my spot at Gabriel's camp! I busted my ass to learn what he and his wife wanted me to learn! Or, wait a minute, were you possibly inferring that they were responsible for getting my foot in the door with SCW? If that's the case, then pardon me for going all grade school on you But DUH! Fucking yes they helped me get signed, and I have no god damn shame in admitting that! Everyone -- EVERYONE -- has some help getting that first foot past the door! Even you, Jake!"

He held out a hand toward the camera with a look of wonder on his face.

"Or... do you want to deny that as well? Were you the type to hang out in the lobby of the SCW office and when Mark or Christian approached, you jumped up and down like a little boy, waving your arms and crying, 'Pick me! Pick me!' Maybe your family didn't help you directly, But are you seriously suggesting that the name Raab played no role AT ALL in you getting signed!? Don't be stupid Jake and fact facts! If your last name wasn't Raab, you would never have been looked at twice! They would have just seen you as just another MMA fighter who wanted to be a wrestler, looking to do what I've already done! Like it or not, it was your family name that got you signed. It was your family name that earned you respect! It was your family name that got you that title shot to earn the belt you're wearing around your waist right now after dropping two matches back to back! So don't go accusing me of taking any short cuts because I trained and used legit contacts to earn a contract! Whereas you have been living off the family name since you made yourself known!"

Fenris then slowly stepped into the main aisle between the rows of chairs being set up and approached the ring. Once at the ringside area, he sat in one of the many chairs reserved for the VIP fans and guests of the SCW Superstars and Bombshells. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees.

"Jake, if you think my unbeaten streak is in any way some form of hindrance, then maybe the bosses should be checking to see if you have anything in your system that's obviously making you delusional. Every opponent that I've been in the ring against, from Ty West to Casey Williams to Ben Jordan, has brought something different to the table. No two wrestlers are truly alike, as each has something different to call their own speciality. Their own strengths, their own weaknesses. I'd like to say I agree with you that I've destroyed my opponents to date, But..."

He shrugged with a cocky smile.

<I?"... That would just make me as big of a delusional liar as you happen to be. There is a big difference between destroying an opponent and defeating them! The only person I can honestly say I destroyed was Kyle Kavanaugh. Anyone else? I dealt my damage, But I suffered it as well."

He frowned.

"Can you seriously accuse Casey Williams, or Dmitri, or anyone else I've been in the ring with, of being 'destroyed'? Because if that is what you're insinuating, then you've just displayed a sore lack of respect towards each and every one of them! If I was unable to take a beating, then I never would have been a success in the cage or in the ring! Those men I wrestled? Every one of them made me bust my ass to earn those wins! Each and every one! I had to think and reflect on what Gabriel taught me, remember strengths and weaknesses, and look for openings! I had to adapt to every man I was in the ring with because what I did to one wouldn't necessarily work on another! So yes, Jake!"

He nodded, his eyes emblazoned with annoyance and anger.

"I can honestly say that I have learned a lot from winning! Not just from Gabriel and Odette, But from every goddamn man I've been in the ring with! It wouldn't be called competition otherwise! To learn and adapt and come out ahead! And yes, the same thing happened when I was in the ring with you, in that tag team match. I learned where MMA was concerned, you are the real deal. Not some fucking pretender like Quinton Cross who fights underground in parking garages and calls it Mixed Martial Arts! You went through the same shit I did and earned your spots, just like I did! My trainer was an MMA legend in Maksym Petrov. I don't know who the hell trained you, But whoever they were knew what the fuck they were doing. You see, I can respect that. I can admit that!"

"You hit me in that tag team match and gave me a fight that I've been dying to have ever since I first set foot in the ring! All I needed since then was for you and I to have ourselves a private match, one on one -- and here we are!"

He swept his arms out before sitting back and stretching his legs out.

"I still think that it's bullshit that you got your hands on that title the way you did, But the Norns must have something in store for you. Maybe it was simply to lead you to me so I could make history as I know I'm meant to. To walk into Inception III with the SCW World Heavyweight title, and walk out with your Honor championship. Making myself the undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World!"

"And so long as you tossed the first shot in my direction, I don't feel so bad now in thinking what a load of horse shit it is that you even have that title to begin with. With all you said about me taking the easy way into this sport, at least I earned my place at the top of SCW! I went through the entire field of the Blast From the Past to become the Number One contender! I earned the World title I have now by winning it, and yes. I even later faced the man who vacated it and silenced any doubters or critics by beating him! And you?"

He raised his brow questioningly and waved a hand from left to right. He then closed his eyes and snapped his fingers in sudden realization.

"Oh that's right! The hierarchy felt so bad about you showings lately that they tossed you a bone and put you in that title match with Austin and Casey. And sure, things worked out in your favor, thanks to the machinations of the Norn, But guess what, Jake?"

His solemn face suddenly turned into that of a broad smile, his lips spreading and his pearly whites showing.

"In the end, it is in the Book of the Norn that it be my fate, my destiny, to make history this Sunday and become the first Undisputed World Champion, and I will be doing it at your expense! Your reign as the Honor World Champion will be very short, and extremely embarrassing! You will be just a blip on the radar of the history of Honor Wrestling. And me? I will continue on as I have been, being the best SCW has to offer, moving on to bigger and better things, and leaving you far, far behind me."

Fenris then stood up and turned around, making his way toward the open double doors to take his leave. But just before he stepped outside past the frame, he paused and turned back around.

"Oh and for the record Jake; I wrestle barefoot not because of an image But for simple comfort. And for the safety of my opponents. Because if I can knock their asses out with a kick with a bare foot, what the fuck do you think the end result would be if I were wearing boots!? So drop that funky foot fetish you have going, Jake. You're not my type."

He then stepped out into the hall and the doors closed behind him.

 <img align=left src= "http://www.geocities.ws/scwmaterial/Pictures/Fenris6.gif">Kristjan Baltasarsson could be seen as something of the confident sort, and why not? Ever since his debut in the world of professional wrestling in April of this year, he has not suffered a single loss. Thanks to the training of Gabriel and Odette Stevens, who had taken him under their wing to infuse his professional fighting career inside of the Mixed Martial Arts cage to the much more freestyle and complex style of professional wrestling, a hybrid had arisen that was far more wildly successful than perhaps the Stevens had even expected. Only three months after that debut, Fenris captured the World Heavyweight Championship, marking him as perhaps the fastest rising World Champion in the company's history, if not the fastest rising student of Gabriel and Odette's training camp, surpassing perhaps even the remarkable Evie Baang.

Fourteen victories and zero losses in eight months. And becoming the first wrestler ever to secure both the Rookie of the Year as well as the overall Wrestler of the Year awards, all in the same voting period.

The closest Fenris had come as of yet to suffering a loss was in a tag team match when he teamed with Kris Ryans and they had fought the pairing of Crimson and Ben Jordan to a no contest. But that was tag team competition. The closest he had come to suffering a loss in one on one encounter? it happened just last month at High Stakes VIII. Not against one of the many ring veterans SCW had on it's impressive roster, but a fellow rookie in his own right; Senor Vinnie. A man who had risen just as impressively in the ranks, securing his championship opportunity by winning a tournament against seven other individuals, rookies and veterans alike. Fenris retained, but it was not easy. By his own admission, Fenris won the hard fought match by the "skin of his teeth," marking Vinnie as his toughest opposition yet.

But when the chance came to defend a second time against such an individual came, Fenris wasted no time signing his name on the dotted line. Despite knowing his streak and world title reign would one day inevitably come to an end, Fenris thrived on competition. The harder his opponents fought to beat him, the harder he fought to keep from being beaten. And as trainers in his life like Gabriel and Maksym Petrov infused into his beliefs, "The better the challengers, the better the champion."

Tuesday

it was why Fenris found himself back at the origin of his wrestling career, the unnamed training academy that kick started his career. Confidant as he was prone to being, he was not one to allow himself to become lax in his training, preferring rather to keep both his wrestling as well as his MMA skills sharp. He knew well enough from their last encounter that Vinnie would come back stronger than before, having suffered that initial  setback. So, Fenris would have to do the same.

The only problem was, this training session had been something akin to a disaster from the very start. Gabriel had called on his pseudo 'little brother' Despayre to get into the ring with Fenris and spar with him while he and Fenris's MMA coach, Maksym watched from the outside. And despite his retirement from the sport, Despayre had used the quickness he was so well known for to thoroughly frustrate the Icelandic grappler. Fenris was an incredibly focused individual in the ring, it was a trait that had spelled out much of his success thus far. But this -- this was very unlike him.

Fenris did manage to send Despayre into a nearby corner and he came racing in after him, but the smaller man leapfrogged up and over him. Fenris stopped before he could collide with the corner turnbuckles and he turned around, only to watch with a perplexed stare as Despayre came toward him with a cartwheel into a handspring high cross body, knocking the reigning champion flat on his back. Maksym scoffed in a haughty sense of disgust and turned away as the session in the ring continued.

Fenris swung for a back kick toward his sparring partner, taking caution at Gabriel's warning not to hurt Despayre. But Despayre grabbed his bare foot in both hands and proceeded to sink his teeth into it, prompting a sharp howl of pain from Fenris and a raised brow from Maksym. Gabriel? He tried to hide a laugh escaping from his mouth but was unsuccessful for the most part. He was, however, growing as frustrated with his charge's lack of focus as he was concerned.

Fenris managed to roll through, causing the little pit bull's lockjaw to loosen so that he might escape. Fenris then was on his feet and lunged at him but Despayre scrambled on all fours through his legs, escaping his grip.

Gabriel had seen enough and called out, "Come ON Kristjan! What the hell are you doing in there!?"

Fenris turned around with a dark scowl on his face as he shouted back, "What the hell do you expect when I can't even get my goddamn hands on...!?" But whatever else he was about to say was cut off as Despayre hit him in the buttocks with a dropkick, knocking the man out through the ropes where he landed at the feet of his two trainers! Fenris begun to curse in his native tongue as he slowly pushed his way back to a standing position, and Gabriel knew the man's temper well enough to know when to end things before they got ugly.

As it looked like Fenris was about to climb back into the ring to continue, Despayre hopping in a comical boxing stance with his 'dukes' up, Gabriel placed a hand on Fenris's shoulder in a grip that was firm enough to stop him.

"Okay, Kristjan. Enough." But Kristjan wasn't listening, at least not at first, and he started to pull away and that was when Gabriel's grip grew tighter and his demeanor more serious where his students were concerned. ""I said, enough!"

Fenris came up short and turned around, his body glistening from the extreme workout the Stevens were known for putting their students through, all in the name of making a successful name for themselves. But he also saw frustration and disappointment in the man's cobalt-blue eyes, and sought the reason behind it. Gabriel then took a means to soothe troubled waters and he looked up into the ring, and he said, "And you..."

Despayre immediately stopped his boxing dance and his eyes grew wide. Gabriel continued, "Hitting people from behind isn't right, Despy. Why did you do that?"

Twiddling his fingers, Despayre smiled, "Honestly? it tickled me."

Gabriel  paused for a brief moment, staring at his little buddy before he slowly turned his head toward Maksym who looked even more perplexed and repeated, "it tickled him." Despayre bobbed his head in a happy nod and Gabriel motioned toward him, "Go get showered and cleaned up."

"Awww!" Despayre pouted as he dragged his feet toward the ropes to do as he was told, but Gabriel could not help but smile at his childlike antics. "Oh stop your fussing, Despy. Your Nan I on her way to pick you up and I don't want to send you to dinner with her smelling like that."

Despayre's head whipped around and he gave an audible guess of affronted, but Gabriel just gifted him with a smile and a wink, letting him know he was just teasing. As Despayre took his leave, Gabriel turned to Maksym and said, "Thanks for being here for this session. Same time tomorrow?" To which Maksym nodded. Gabriel then said, "Now I need to have a talk with this one." He said, jetting a thumb toward his protege.

Maksym gave him a nod, then turned to Fenris and said in his thick, Ukrainian accent, "Get your head out of your ass." before he too left. Gabriel then placed a hand on the small of Fenris's back as he sought to make a move for the locker room as well, halting him. Fenris gave him a curious stare and Gabriel shook his head, "Not yet." And he guided his student away from the workout facility and back towards the business office he shared with his wife.

Once inside, Gabriel closed the door behind him and Fenris watched as his trainer and yes, friend, walked around the desk and had a seat. Fenris raised a brow as he quipped, "Am I in trouble?"

"I just want to talk to you." Gabriel answered. "Sit down." His tone was calm and polite, but also stressed behind it that he would brook no argument. Once Fenris did as instructed, and Gabriel was satisfied, the teacher gazed upon his student and shook his head,. "What's going on with you?"

Fenris frowned and shook his head, but said nothing in answer. Gabriel said, "You know what I mean. usually you're a damn machine in that ring, whether it's a real match or training. it never matters with you. But that... out there..." He shook his head and engaged him in a frown. "What I was watching wasn't like you at all."

"Well can you blame me?" Fenris asked, his posture going rigid as he was unused to anyone questioning his performance. Gabriel was perhaps the only one who could and would get away with such.

"Hardly." Gabriel chuckled. "Used to piss off everyone the little guy was in the ring with. But I think you know what I'm talking about. Slick as Despy I, it's not like you to make so many errors." He shook his head. "Your mind isn't in this and I want to know why."

Fenris still remained silent, but Gabriel wasn't about to give up. He knew the young man well enough by now to know when he avoided someone's gaze, it meant something was troubling him. Even if he himself was unaware that he was doing it. Gabriel leaned forward on his desk and asked, "I it the match with Vinnie?" Fenris broke his stare at the wrestling awards on the wall of the office, the many shared and displayed by the Stevens household, and Gabriel pressed on, "Kristjan, if you weren't ready for another defense, why did you agree...?"

"it's not the defense!" Fenris answered a little more heatedly than he intended. "And I am ready!"

"I hope so." Said Gabriel. "Because I've no doubt Vinnie will come at you even harder than before to try and get that elusive win against you. So... what I it? I it that lawsuit?" Fenris frowned and Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Christ sakes, Kristjan! You do know that whole deal I a load of bullshit, right!? A plant cannot file a lawsuit against a human being! Hell! I seriously doubt a court would even hear a case like this between two people, given its based around a full contact sport! What you did to Vinnie was expected. Rough ... but expected."

Fenris stared at him, this time working overtime too avoid not looking into Gabriel's eyes as an equal, a measure of respect given to such a man. Gabriel said, "Vinnie I smarter than he lets on. He knows what you did to him and wants to throw you off your game. it's the only way he'd get any advantage over you in this rematch..."

Fenris shook his head, interrupting him, "it's not the fucking cactus."

"Good." Gabriel answered. "Because I arranged for that to be settled backstage in a wrestler's court." Fenris frowned, not understanding, and Gabriel explained, "it's just a way for wrestlers to settle issues backstage between themselves. Your fellow wrestlers act as jury."

Fenris rolled his eyes at this but Gabriel pressed on, "Is it your family visiting? I know your sisters coming was a surprise..."

"That's putting it mildly!"

Gabriel pressed on as though he had not spoken, "But they are family and it I Christmas."

"Hvað sem er." Fenris mumbled, then recalled that Gabriel was somewhat fluent in Icelandic, having taken his own lessons so that he might communicate with his pupil easier during their early days together. He looked to his trainer and said, "I'm not happy about Viktoria and Elin being here but I will live. I rented a place close by for my family to stay since I don't have room."

"Then what I it?" Gabriel asked. "You're going to have to help me out here Kristjan. I'm trying to understand so I can help you. This I a pretty damn big match you agreed to, to close out the year! it's not a good time for you to get distracted!"

Fenris narrowed his eyes and said, " I don't recall asking you or anyone else for help!"

Gabriel paused for a brief moment after that caustic remark, just long enough to give his perpetually angry and sarcastic student pause enough to contemplate whether he just said the wrong thing.

Gabriel stared cool as he said "Careful boy. You're this close to slipping into that 'bitch mode' that got you into so much trouble with us to start with."

Message received.

Fenris said nothing once again. his brow furrowed and his shoulders slumped, an admit ion from what Gabriel had learned over the past several months, was a sign of him shutting down. Something he did not want.

"Is it about Ty?" He asked, and that certainly got a reaction. Kristjan's head snapped up so quickly Gabriel wouldn't have been surprised had it popped right off of his shoulders. it was enough to tell him that he had just hit the proverbial nail on the head.

Fenris asked, "How did you know...?"

"Oh please!" Gabriel chuckled, taking on a smile reminiscent of the one that Fenris often wore, the one that had so many wanting to slap the shit out of him. Gabriel continued, "Wrestling I the biggest damn gossip factory! You can't get laid without everyone knowing!"

This caused Fenris's eyebrows to rise near to his hairline and Gabriel laughed despite himself. "So come on!" Gabriel said. "Fess up and tell me about the problems your mancake I giving you!" This, however, was taken the wrong way due to the lack of depth in Kristjan's English skills. He frowned and stood up, ready to leave when Gabriel leapt to his feet and reached out, grabbing him by the arm.

"Whoa! Hold up! Ain't you ever heard of busting someone's chops!?" Fenris stared blankly at him and Gabriel exhaled sharply, and shook his head. "I was just teasing, Kristjan. Now seriously... sit." Slowly, almost reluctantly, Kristjan did as he was instructed and only once he was settled, did Gabriel take a seat once again.

Gabriel said, "Look. it's pretty obvious that something I going on between you two. You've made that pretty damn obvious from Twitter alone." Kristjan turned his head aside but Gabriel went on, "Now I don't know what's going on. I told you when you had that affair with Ryans that your personal life was nobody's business, and I meant it. But something I obviously troubling you, and that concerns me. You can't fault me for that."

While he did not say anything in response, his posture somewhat relaxed and the perpetual frown of Fenris's slid into something more subdued.

"Are you having second thoughts about Ty?" Gabriel asked. "Maybe it's having your family meet your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend." Kristjan finally spoke up, turning his head to address Gabriel. "We're not dating. Not really."

"But you said you were having him stay with you for Christmas and having him meet your family." Gabriel smiled. it was the first sign of being human that Kristjan had really displayed since first coming to he and his wife in the early part of 2018. "That's a pretty big sign there." Gabriel waited, but nothing was forthcoming from Kristjan whom he knew was an insanely private person. After his 'coming out,' he had become even more so.

"I do not want to talk about this." Kristjan finally said, standing up and ready to leave with or without Gabriel's leave. Gabriel said, "Fine. I can't make you talk to me, but can I give you one last piece of advice?"

Kristjan paused, waiting, and Gabriel took that as an answer and he said, "if you like the guy, tell him. Trust me, you could do a lot worse than a man like Ty West." Gabriel shook his head. "But he's not going to wait round forever, and you can't go through life without taking risks."

"Someone died."

"What?" Gabriel frowned, caught off guard by this statement that came from out of nowhere.

"Someone died." Kristjan repeated. "I took a chance, and someone died. I lost them."

Now it was Gabriel who was rendered speechless, discovering perhaps a piece of the grand puzzle that told him why Kristjan had such a chip on his shoulders in all walks of life. if he lost someone he cared bout, he didn't seem the type to outwardly mourn. Kristjan was more like the type who would just bottle it up and allow it to eat him alive for the remainder of his years.

"Happy?" Fenris chided him. "I confided."

"I'm sorry." Gabriel finally said to him. "I am, Kristjan. I didn't mean to pry, I was just..."

"Concerned." Kristjan sighed. "Yes. Seems many are."

"I it really so hard to believe people care?" Gabriel asked.

After a brief moment's pause, Fenris finally yielded a nod and answered, "Yes. it I." Before he took his leave, pausing only long enough to say over his shoulder. "Will bring the family to dinner. Thank you for the invitation."

Gabriel simply nodded as his office door closed.

But Gabriel's words rang a certain truth behind them, much as Kristjan did not want to admit it. By nature he was simply a stubborn individual, a trait he had inherited from his father and paternal grandmother. Only he took it to the extreme. What Gabriel had told him was very reminiscent of what his own brother had said and stressed that there was nothing wrong with liking someone. Gabriel was more than a trainer in that regard; he was a friend although Kristjan found it difficult to acknowledge many as such. And Gabriel did perhaps what he set out to accomplish.

He made Kristjan think.

it was why that very night, Kristjan had invited Ty out for a few rounds at a local club near the Vegas Strip. Ty had a rough time of it lately, suffering the death of his birth father. They had shared an evening together, drinking to help drown out the pain of loss, but now Fenris had invited him out for a few more.

Just to see.

Wednesday

That was why we were now at the two story nightclub, the Chateau Nightclub and Rooftop, situated at the Paris Hotel. it was a trendy nightclub on both floors, filled with men and women who were drinking the night away and dancing to the DJ's pulsating rhythms not only on the dance floor, but wherever they might be standing.

But it was on the rooftop, where a roof garden had been pleasantly constructed, where we would find the men of the hour. Having taken the initiative to reserve a table between them overlooking the Strip, Fenris sat on one cushioned seat with a whiskey in his hand, while Ty sat opposite him with a beer in his own. The night sky was open above them, and strands of Christmas lights stretched out overhead to bath the patrons in whimsical fancy, while garland and poinsettias decorated the walls and banisters.

"So," Ty said to break the discomforting silence between them. "You never did say what the occasion was."

"Do I need a reason to want to hang out with you?" Fenris asked, taking a hard swallow off his honey infused whiskey and feeling the warmth of it burn it's way down his throat. The better to calm nerves and help warm himself up against the chill of a Las Vegas night in December.

Ty smiled, "No. it's always nice to be wanted." He cracked a grin at the warmth spread along the ears of the object of his affection. Kristjan wasn't the only one who could cause some charming responses. it just took a little more effort on Ty's part to get said reaction. He then said, "I was just surprised, I all. I thought you would be getting ready for your family's visit."

"I am ready." Fenris answered back. "Got a place for them to stay. Getting up early to pick them up from the airport..."

"They're not staying with you?" Ty shook his head.

"And sleep where?" Fenris smiled. "it's my parents and three sisters! You'll be staying in my room over Christmas. Dani has Aron's room and he sleeps on sofa."

"Right, right." Ty nodded, seeing the wisdom in the decision. Fenris then added, "I not hotel. I an apartment, furnished. Everybody I happy. Well..." Fenris looked up in contemplation. "Everybody but Erin. She's never happy about anything."

"You're really not making me feel very confidant when it comes to your sisters, you know that?" Ty shook his head.

"You'll be fine." Kristjan stressed. "Just do me a favor. Don't let on you speak Icelandic."

"What? Why?"

"Just a hunch." Kristjan answered with a wicked grin before he drained the last of his glass's contents. He then said, "Tickets even bought for them to go with us to Reno for the show."

"Really. Your family I going to go see you wrestle?" To which Kristjan nodded.

"They never saw me fight before, in person. MMA or wrestling. Since they arrive before the show, thought it made sense." Kristjan looked up to him with a sparkle in his eyes. "Mom I not too enthusiastic, though. Dad and Freyja are. Elin and Viktoria are probably hoping to see me get my ass kicked."

"I doubt it." Ty observed. "Not after the way you said they were watching your one title match with your family. Surprised even you."

Kristjan gave a curt nod to acknowledge this. it had indeed surprised him to learn his two older sisters had actually taken an interest in one of his championship fights, and even more so acted pleased and proud alike when he had again emerged victorious. Not to mention recoiled when he had taken some pretty bad bumps. He and his older sisters were not close, probably never would be. Still, it was something. He raised his glass and blinked, seemingly surprised to find that it was empty.

With a sigh of resignation, Kristjan stood up and reached for Ty's own bottle which he had drained only seconds before. As he went to get them a refill, Ty sat back in comfort and allow his mind to wander. Kristjan had been distant as was his nature, he supposed, but slowly, what Aron said had been accurate. Ty was managing to slowly get past the walls that the hostile and angry young man had erected around himself for self-protection. They had sex more times than Ty could remember. Hung out after shows and Kristjan and Aron had even insisted Ty spend Christmas with them rather than alone. Hell, Kristjan had even affectionately taken to Ty's own aunt, using his own nature to charm, and in many cases, embarrass, her.

As his mind wandered on the infinite possibilities that could come, he was not prepared for the familiar voice that said, "Hey, stranger!"

Ty started, and turned his head up to spot a smiling face looking down at him.

"Sebastian..."

Yes, Sebastian Phillips, who his closest friend, Effie Bingham, had set him up with on a blind date to either help him get over Kristjan, or to give the Icelandic man a kick in the right direction. Whichever worked first, according to Effie. He was handsome, very much so, and his body physically pleasing. He was a nice guy, and they had a fun time on their first and only date. the problem though, was that he wasn't Kristjan.

Ty had his heart set on Kristjan, and it wasn't easy to just cast feelings like that aside. Sebastian had attempted numerous times to call or text him for a second date, but Ty hadn't been responsive, holding out hope for something more meaningful with Kristjan. After awhile, the calls and texts slowly came to an end, and Ty figured Sebastian had given up. Now...

"I this what I have to do to corner you?" Sebastian smiled, taking the seat that Kristjan had just recently vacated. That act alone concerned Ty for how Kristjan might react when he returned.

"What are you doing here?" Ty finally asked after having found his voice.

"Just having a drink with a couple friends." Sebastian answered, settling in. "I saw you over here and thought I'd come over and see what you were up to here alone."

"I'm not --"

Sebastian continued, as if he had not spoken a word in protest that he was alone. "Thought maybe it'd be easier to see if you wanted to go out face to face than by sending a text. You stopped answering me."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. But..." Ty shook his head, not comfortable with the idea that he now had to 'shoot down' such a nice guy face to face. "I, I can't. Go out, I mean."

Sebastian frowned, "How come?"

Ty looked around, wondering where Kristjan might be, before he turned back to Sebastian and answered, "I'm... I'm with someone. Here, tonight." He shook his head. "I'm not alone."

"Oh!" Sebastian seemed needlessly surprised, that perhaps he felt Ty would have been waiting for him? That idea annoyed Ty more than he cared to admit. "Who?" He asked.

"Me."

Ty and Sebastian both turned their heads to the angry voice and found Kristjan standing there between them, holding fresh drinks in his hands. his eyes were burning hot, and that alone gave Ty pause in how the hell he was going to get Sebastian out of this without a fight breaking out. And if a fight broke out, Ty was pretty certain Sebastian would end up in a hospital, and Kristjan would end up in jail.

Ty cleared his throat, and spoke up, "Erm, Sebastian? This I Kristjan. The guy I told you about."

"Hey." Sebastian smiled, giving Kristjan a friendly wave as if he either didn't realize the spot he was now in, or didn't care. "You must be Ty's wrestling friend."

Kristjan's eyes flickered briefly toward Ty, but returned to Sebastian. And said nothing. Sebastian glanced at Ty with a smile and said in a joking manner, "Talkative sort, isn't he?"

He then returned his attention to Kristjan and said, "I won't take up your time. I had just come to say his to the man here and see if he wanted to go out..."

"No!" Kristjan barked, startling them both.

"No?" Sebastian repeated."No... what?"

"He does not!"

Sebastian exchanged a glance with Ty before he leaned forward in the chair that was Kristjan's and said, "Hey  man, listen. No offense but I think Ty can decide these things for himse-"

"He's MINE!" Kristjan all but yelled, then froze. his eyes were wide and his lightly tanned flesh paled, as if he had just realized what he had just said aloud. in front of everyone, and most of all, in front of Ty! Kristjan wouldn't so much as look around, to see if anyone was watching, but given his outburst and loud voice, he wouldn't be at all surprised were it so.

Oh, uh..." Sebastian seemed now at a loss for words, but realized that he had been backed into a very uncomfortable corner. He was a really nice guy, and did not want to cause any problems, so he opted for the best way out and slowly stood up, hands held up in a gesture of surrender.
"Okay. I'll ... I'll just go."

Bidding a goodbye (and good luck) to Ty, Sebastian got lost back into the crowd and to his friends, and Kristjan slowly sat down, his eyes staring at the two drinks in his hands.

"I one of those for me?" Ty asked, and Kristjan seemed almost surprised that he was still holding onto them. He wordlessly extended a hand out to Ty who took the bottle of beer from him, and they both sat back. Neither spoke, not at first. Not after what had just happened and what had been said. Kristjan seemed in shock that he had just claimed Ty for his own, and had done so openly and brazenly. inside, Ty felt an elation he had not thought possible. Talk about your Christmas surprises!

Kristjan, however, seemed lost at what he had just done. He remained silent as he lifted his glass to his lips and drank the contents in one long, slow pull, opening Ty's eyes wide. Did he regret what he had just declared? Was he more so embarrassed given his personal and private nature?

"Am I?" Ty asked, feeling the need to press the issue. He didn't want to make Kristjan any more discomforted than he already was, but realistically, Ty had every right to know where he stood. Kristjan slowly turned his head to Ty and raised his brow questioningly.

"What you said." Ty stressed. "Did you mean that?"

Kristjan seemed at a loss for words. his eyes stared vacantly at Ty, then cast aside, looking at nothing in particular. An uncomfortable silence passed between the two men, as Ty stared hard at his lover for the past several weeks, wanting an answer but the longer this silence permeated the distance between them, the more twisted a knot in the pit of his own stomach developed. Ty started to feel that Kristjan was indeed feeling regret, and cast his eyes downward, when he heard him say, "Já."

Ty looked up, his hand over his mouth as if he were trying hard to hide the smile on his face. He felt like a boy on Christmas morning who had just received the present that he wanted, and in this case, he just did. Kristjan nodded, his eyes shifted slightly toward Ty but the vexed nature remained on his face and in his posture. Slowly, he allowed himself to relax, or forced himself to, rather. He faced Ty and said simply, "Já. I Just, I just don't know how to..."

Ty said nothing else. He simply stood up and crossed around the table and squeezed himself into the small, cushioned seat beside Kristjan. Leaning back enough to drape his free arm around Kristjan's shoulder, Ty took a pull on his own beer and said simply, "We'll figure it out."

What followed was an evening of bliss for both men. A weight had seemingly been lifted off of the shoulders of Kristjan Baltasarsson despite the fact that he did not seem to know how to react to what he had said or done. For Ty, he had crossed a hurdle he wasn't certain he could, and now the possibilities were endless. He wanted to talk to Kristjan now about everything, but knew he had so much already on his mind, least of all a new relationship. And according to Aron, his first since the death of his beloved Jökull had his life tragically cut short. Kristjan also had a major title defense set up against Senor Vinnie, not to mention his family coming to the States, all the way from Iceland, to spend the holidays with him and Aron.

Ty could wait. They had all the time in the world.

Thursday

For now, Kristjan and Aron's home at Turnberry Towers was a bustle of activity. While his family was staying at a luxuriously furnished apartment at the Copper Creek suites, the majority of their time would be spent here. An evening dinner had been planned, a special one for his family's first full night in America; the first visit to the States by his parents and two older sisters. it was a spectacle, as Dani had transformed the condo into a Christmas wonderland, with a lot of help from Ty's doting aunt. A Christmas tree with mountains of gifts dominated the scene, but garland and Christmas lights were draped along every edge and over every surface.

Privately, Kristjan cringed at the thought of the cost of the electric bill once the holidays were over and done with.

Despite his protests, Eva, their mother, had went into overtime in the kitchen to prepare a feast for the evening. She had been shocked (horrified) to inspect his and Aron's kitchen to find virtually no groceries save for booze and snacks. When they explained that they just did takeout, she gave them 'that' stare mothers the world over had perfected and made them drive her to the nearest grocery to get everything she would need. Kristjan tried to protest toward his father but Benedikt shot him down fast and said to just let his mother do what came natural.

This was about more than just a nice evening meal with her family together for the first time in over a year. it also meant the family was going to get to meet  certain someone in Kristjan's life, and his aunt who their Aron had taken an affection towards.

Now the dining room table and kitchen counter surface had a spread about it that had everyone's senses reeling. Even Kristjan and Aron's older sisters could find nothing to complain about, as for every vegetarian option Eva had made for Kristjan with Freyja's aid, there were delicacies for their tastes as well.

"So when are we going to get to meet this special fellow of yours?" Benedikt asked as he emerged from the kitchen, a bottle of beer in his hand and Eva shot him a stare which he pointedly ignored.

"He and his aunt will be here soon." Kristjan answered, fidgeting uncomfortably at not knowing how this would all work out. "He wanted to get a couple bottles of wine for dinner."

"A couple?" Eva stood up. "Do you think we'll need that much?"

"One's for me." Kristjan sighed as he turned about, heading back into the front room where Freyja and Dani were chatting while they played with Kyssa while their older sisters gossiped without a care whether or not anyone was within ear shot.

"Can you imagine the kind of man Kristjan could end up with?" Elin joked, a nasty laugh behind the tone of her voice.

"I know." Viktoria answered. "You've seen those guys on TV with him. He's probably ugly. Hairy and fat too."

The two sisters cackled but Kristjan ignored them, knowing Ty was anything but the description that they had laid out between themselves. But timing was a perfect thing when there was a knock at the door, and Kristjan said aloud, "That must be Ty and Lora!"

"I'll get it!" Elin called out, giving Kristjan no leave to do so himself. As Viktoria followed her to the front door, they both had smirks on their faces for what they were about to get to experience at their brother's expense. Behind them, Aron came up beside his brother and gave him a jab in the arm, a smile on his face at how they were about to witness history at their 'bitchy' sisters expense.

As Elin grasped the door handle, she cast a look back at Viktoria who stood there with arms crossed and a nasty smile on her face, Elin said, "This I going to be good!" And she pulled the door open to see Ty standing there in a suit with his Aunt Lora at his side. Elin and Viktoria stared at the handsome visage and Elin sputtered, "Fuck mig!"

"Elin!!" Eva called out, aghast as Aron roared in laughter while Ty's eyes went wide. Kristjan bit his bottom lip to keep from smiling as he turned around, nodding in satisfaction at the egg on both his sisters' faces.

introductions had been made, and Eva stood front and center, staring hard at Ty as she scrutinized the man who had captured the attention of her boy. Something about Eva's stare reminded Ty of his own mother's strong disposition until she declared herself satisfied, and that Kristjan shared her taste in men. And if Kristjan thought his mom was doting on Ty, it said nothing on how his sisters did a sudden about face!

"He I so handsome!" Elin gushed, while Viktoria added, "You can tell he works out! His butt I about to bust right out of those pants!"

"Viktoria!" Eva chided, her eyes wide with shock.

"What!?" Viktoria laughed. "it's not like he can understand us!" To which Aron and Kristjan shared a knowing look but returned to the meal at hand. Kristjan had managed to snag the seat beside Ty's 'aunty,' just so that he could work his charms on her and amuse himself all at the same time. While Viktoria and Elin all but came to a struggle to get the free seat beside Ty, before Eva ended that debate quickly and took the seat for herself.

"Well. Stop. it!" Eva commanded her daughters, and it was a tone that Ty recognized would have been obeyed by anyone. Even Kristjan himself. Hell! Ty felt the desire to stop whatever it was he was doing!

"Did you see Kristjan's knees?" Elin spoke up in a hushed tone after some time had passed. This topic drew Kristjan's attention, and his parents looked up, Eva's brow narrowing but Elin reasoned to herself that the topic was about their brother, not Ty so it was fair game. "They were all skinned up?"

Viktoria smirked, brushing her hair behind her ear and smiled, "You know what that means?"

Ty picked up his glass of wine and responded -- in Icelandic, "That he has  a better social life than you do?"

Time came to a crashing halt! Every head of every one of Kristjan's family members turned to Ty. Elin and Viktoria's eyes grew wide as saucers and their faces turned deep red in a sudden realization. Kristjan leaned forward and smiled with much satisfaction as he said, "Did I forget to mention Ty speaks Icelandic?"

Viktoria quickly averted her gaze, while a thoroughly embarrassed Elin got up from her seat and left the table with Benedikt going after her, despite the fact she and her sister had done it to themselves.

"Kristjan..." Eva started to say but that was enough to open a floodgate as his head fell back and he started laughing uproariously! So much so that Eva could not find it within herself to further chide her son for having led to his sisters' humiliation in front of Ty and his aunt.

That would come later once their guests had left for the evening.

Once Benedikt had lured Elin back to the table, and Kristjan had calmed down, the evening progressed. Kristjan turned to Lora and leaned over, and said something to her in his native language, but in a husky voice, allowing his accent to truly shine through.

"Oh my!!" Lora blushed despite not understanding Icelandic. She simply knew that Kristjan was cheeky, and an insatiable flirt. Lora covered her lips as her cheeks turned a rosier shade than normal. Despite the smile on her face, Lora excused herself briefly from the table.

Ty watched her go, then turned and asked Kristjan, "What did you say?"

Smiling, Kristjan answered, "I asked her to pass the salt."

Friday

it was the dead of night, and Kristjan was unable to sleep. His family had returned to Copper Creek after a visit to Gabriel and Odette Stevens' home for an invited dinner on Gabriel's part. He and Odette had given his family a tour of their private zoo, amazing even the brash Viktoria and Elin at the animals that they had given homes to, and that was followed up with a visit to the training center where the family could see where Gabriel and Odette had transformed Kristjan from a disciplined MMA  fighter, to an unbeaten World Champion in the SCW Universe.

But now more was on Kristjan's mind, and he had insisted Aron take his room as he felt he would be unable to sleep anyway. Kristjan paced the living room, his eyes passing over the Christmas tree which was the sole holiday decor that remained illuminated.

"Vinnie, let's take a moment to reflect on why we're here again. Me? I think it would be fairly simple. in April, I set foot in the ring for the first time with Courtney Pierce  beside me in an event that, at the time, I really wanted nothing to do with. But still, Gabriel persisted and I can admit that I was wrong. Gabriel knew what was best to get my foot in the door, and that path to success started with a single win. Who would have thought when my team was announced, that two rookies... a Bombshell and Superstar who had never competed in a wrestling ring before, would beat fifteen other teams and walk away the winners of the sixth annual Blast From the Past memorial? I doubt anyone gave us much of a chance, let alone our competition, but look at who we faced -- and beat!"

"Quinton Cross and Otaki. Sam Marlowe and Caleb Storms. Equinox and Keira Fisher-Johnson. And last but not least, Shorty and our own Evie Baang. Each and every opponent someone to be celebrated -- well, except for Quinton Cross. He was a fucking poseur! But that was two rookies, two complete newcomers, who bested current and former champions to come out the winners and to see our futures assured. Championship opportunities guaranteed. History made. And after that, who crossed my path?"

"Ty West and Kyle Kavanaugh led up to my date with destiny. Funny how it led me to Ty, who now I a champion in his own right. The world title became mine on July 22, and it hasn't left my wait since!"

Fenris then raised a hand and counted off on his fingers.

"Since then? Ben Jordan and Crimson. The closest I came to a loss, to the point none of were able to win. Former champion Dmitri. SCW veteran Casey Williams. Kris Ryans, the man who I should have fought for the title in the first place!"

He brought up his other hand, continuing to count off, "Hall of Famer and Grand Slam Champion Kain! Joshua Acquin! My toughest match ever in Senor Vinnie, and yes, Jake Raab."

Kristjan grasped the handle of the patio door and slid it open, stepping outside into the night air well after two in the morning. The chill air had little effect on him with his bare chest and feet with pajama pants, given where his homeland was. He stepped close to the porch rail and looked out at the city lights in the distance.

"What about you, Vinnie. Have you any idea why you're here? Why you're really here? This I the third time that you and I have faced each other, and the second time where my championship will be on the line. A great chance for you to have the ultimate Christmas present for yourself. I imagine at this point,, you have to start questioning yourself, and wondering why this chance was given to you. Do you think you deserve it?"

Fenris shrugged.

"Why not? I do. Yes, I think you deserve this chance at the championship and ending my streak more than anyone else on the roster. Why?"

He turned to look into the camera.

"Because you took a fucking beating at High Stakes Viii and you gave me one in return! That I what I like! That I what I want! I was told years ago that if you want to prove yourself as a fighter, you not only have to be able to dish it out but you had sure as hell best be able to take it! You were able to on both points, and that I why you're here again! That I why you are still the number one challenger. You suffered only one defeat so far in your career, and just who was it that handed you that loss?"

Fenris tapped a finger to his sternum.

"I believe that honor was all mine! And since then? You haven't suffered a second loss against an otherwise imperfect record. And that I why I wanted to defend against you a second time!"

Fenris turned away from the camera to again look out at Las Vegas, the far off lights dancing in reflection on his own blue eyes. He nodded.

"Yeah, Vinnie. You're facing me again because I asked for it. When it came time to put the championship on the line at this Christmas show, you were the one I wanted to defend against -- again. You are the man I want to bring 2018 to a close against and make this the Year of the Wolf. But here's the thing..."

Fenris turned from the railing and walked the few short steps to come to the soft patio sofa that dominated the left wall. He had a seat and leaned forward, his elbows resting upon his knees with his fingers clasped together.

"I can't do that, without beating you a second time. Now normally I would be all in for the false bravado and feeding people bullshit, but the simple fact I that you came the closest to handing me a singles defeat, Ty West coming a close second. You, Vinnie. Much of what I see in myself, I can admit I see in you."

He cast a sidelong glance.

"Well, except for that whole cactus fetish. That I just fucking weird! No, you came in to SCW a virtual unknown in wrestling circles. While I had my own MMA past, nobody knew shit about you. And what did you do? You made them know! You made them open their eyes and see what was standing right in front of them. You won the Gold Rush tournament, beating guys like Joshua Acquin, Caleb Storms and yeah -- Ty West. The man everyone, myself included, had hand picked to win the whole tournament!"

Fenris nodded.

"Those names sound familiar, Vinnie? They should because all three were the exact same men that I had to go through to get to where I am today. And when you and I finally fought over the grand prize?"

Fenris shook his head and a low whistle escaped from his pursed lips.

"We fucking tore the house down! We OWNED that shit! But...!"

He held up a forefinger, then directed it back at himself.

"I won. Me. Now some critics said it wasn't much of a win, the same as when I won against Ty when he refused to submit and passed out in the Ride of the Valkyrie's instead. He made that choice rather than give me the satisfaction of forcing him to tap out. But you Vinnie?"

Fenris smiled.

"You couldn't tap out. That option had been taken away before I ever even slapped that hold on your ass! Because I kicked you in the head with Wolf's Bane and knocked your ass out!"

He sat back against the soft lining of the sofa and stretched his legs out, his eyes roaming everywhere. Taking in everything laid out before him.

"I think since then, when you woke up backstage, you knew what you had done to me. You know you had impressed not just me, not just the bosses, but everyone who watched that match. You also knew that you would have to be given a second chance at the championship. After all, if someone gives that kind of performance against the champion, what other choice do the higher ups have? They couldn't justify giving the title shot to anyone else, so it's all on you Vinnie. And that's also why you had to start playing your fucking mind games. I mean, really? A cactus filing a lawsuit for emotional distress?"

Fenris held his arms out and shook his head, looking amazed.

"Are you fucking kidding me!? That's the best that you can accomplish!? Even if Pedro were a person, and not a prick of a plant, it would go nowhere!! Wrestling, just like MMA or boxing, I a full contact sport. People hit each other. People hurt one another, and they get hurt. You think someone would be in the crowd, watching the fight of the century in the Octagon and think afterwards, 'Oh that one fighter went a little too far against that other fighter and hurt him! My emotional well being I damaged so I had better sue for distress!'"

Fenris rolled his eyes quite dramatically.

"The fucking moron would be laughed out of court, even if he could get some grease ball lawyer to take his case. And the same I going to go for you, or should I say, for Pedro. I don't know which insults me more, Vinnie. The fact that you actually thought it would work, or the credit you were giving my intelligence when you cooked up this harebrained scheme!"

"it's almost -- almost as bad, as you resorting to using Ty's aunt as a pawn."

Fenris nodded, sitting upright.

"Yeah, I think you are aware I'm onto you. Lora West I a treasure, and if you think I'm going to stand idly by and watch you hurt her, well you're wrong. I don't understand why Ty I just standing by and letting this happen. Seems you have him caught in the same web as you have Lora, but I can say without a shred of doubt that woman deserves much better than a freak like you with a cactus fetish! Lora could have the world at her fingertips, but that's not something you could ever hope to provide."

"This act of yours, I have to say Vinnie. it's getting tiresome. Although I can't help but admit the cactus I a refreshing touch, I still can't look at you without thinking that it's all been done before. The insane wrestler? Done. Now maybe I'm wrong, maybe it's not an act and you are as justifiably nuts as you put on. if not, well hats off to you! You have a whole world convinced that you're two tacos short of a combination plate. Mexican pun intended."

"But if you are, it's all the more reason for me to stop you where you stand. There are a lot of men out there that I respect, and yes, as a fighter you are one of them. But there are also a lot of men out there that I would fight all the harder to keep from losing my championship to, more so than others. You are also on that lit! I'll be damned if I let my streak end, or lose my championship, to some guy who tends to think he can play games with me in order to get the edge he so desperately needs! And yeah, Vinnie!"

Fenris nodded, his eyes gleaming under the Christmas lights adorning the roof of the patio.

"Make no mistake about it, you do need that edge against me!"

Fenris slowly pushed himself to his feet and stepped back up to the rail of the patio. He extended his arm straight out and swept it along in an arc, presenting the city as a whole.

"Look out there Vinnie, and tell me what you see. Not just the city, but the world! it's there before you, and the entirety I going to tune in to watch us do to each other what we do best! The world itself I at our fingertips, but only one of us will be able to reach out and take it by the balls and bring this year to a close with a win casting aside all doubt"

Fenris turned and looked at the camera.

"Despite all your hopes and dreams, and letters to Santa Clause telling him a win over me would make the perfect Yuletide present, it won't be you Vinnie."

Fenris then slid the patio door open again and set foot back inside of his home. He was greeted by his adoring Siberian husky, her tail wagging and a sloppy doggy grin on her face. He ran his hand along her back as he headed for the sofa where he had taken up  residence for the night's sleep. His canine companion trailing along behind him.

"You know why, don't you Vinnie? Because you're not the only one who has ways to instill inspiration in yourself."

He turned to look straight at the camera before he sat down.

"I know I'm good. I bear no false modesty when I say I'm the fucking best SCW has to offer right now! I am the World Champion, after all -- and undefeated! But it's like I said before, I'm no fool. I know it won't last forever, but it's not going to end now. And it's not going to end by your hands. I have more reasons than just retaining my world title to put you down. I want to do more than call an end to this business between us..."

Earlier in the week at the McCarran international Airport, Kristjan's jubilant mother ran into his arms at the baggage claim where they had agreed to meet, overjoyed at being reunited with her two sons for the Yule holiday, her family together for the first time in well over a year!

"There I nothing that you can threaten me with. Nothing that you can use against me."

Kristjan clasped his father's hand and shook, while Benedikt's free hand gently cusped the back of his neck and leaned in, his father's forehead brushing against his own in a familiar and affectionate display of love and pride.

"I have everything going for me, and you have everything working against you."

His baby sister practically jumped into Kristjan's arms. he wrapped his own tightly around her and swung her in a full circle, uncaring at any stares at this display of affection a big brother was afforded to such a darling little sister!

"I have the proven track record. I have the motivation, and inspiration."

Kristjan exchanged stiff and uncomfortable embraces with Viktoria and Elin, more so his mother's sake than any lingering affection that could truly exit between the three.

"This I the first time my family has ever deigned to see me fight in person. it never happened when I was fighting for EliteXL, and to date, had not happened in Sin City Wrestling simply because the opportunity had never presented itself. But guess what? They're here, now! My parents, my sisters! All watching, all wanting to see me do what I do best and that I put my boot up some damn fool's ass and walk away with my head held high! There I no greater inspiration to succeed than the will to do your family proud! Especially -- when your mom and dad are sitting right there in the front row, watching with pride in their eyes! A little sister with love in hers, and two older sisters who PROBABLY want to see me get my ass kicked, but..."

He shook his head with a sardonic smile.

"I can't let them have that satisfaction. But who knows?"

He jetted out a bottom lip and looked upward, as if in contemplation.

"They may want to see their little brother win, but they'd never admit it to anyone. And I won't let you have the satisfaction of a win at my expense either, Vinnie. Your journey ends here. Mine I only going to continue into the New Year, and inception iii. I have a date with destiny. I had hoped it would be Austin James Mercer that I would be facing in the SCW versus Honor Unification, but it would seem fate was not on Austin's side."

He shook his head.

"I admit disappointment, but the chance to face Jake Raab one on one?"

He then nodded with a satisfied smile,  soft and subdued.

"Now that I a consolation prize that I can get behind. And it I one that you will not deny me!"

Fenris held up his hand and counted off.

"Destiny. Family. Oo! I have it all Vinnie! if you weren't you, I'd almost feel bad for handing you your second straight loss."

He laid down on the sofa and covered up, while  Kyssa moved about in three circles before she too laid down at the side, at her master's feet.

"Merry Christmas Vinnie, and I mean that. I want you to have the safest and happiest of holiday seasons, because I am going to prove to you when I beat you for the second straight time, that not all holiday wishes come true, and all the letters in the world won't help good ol' Saint Nick pull the magic out of his bag to give you the World Heavyweight Championship! So take my advice. Drink some eggnog. Open some early presents. Pretend Pedro I an actual tree and decorate him while you're at it. This Sunday in Reno, there will be no peace on earth, nor good will towards men. I'm going to  prove to you that not all holiday wishes come true."