Las Vegas, Nevada-14 years ago…….
She was drunk again. A raging alcoholic. But tonight, well tonight there was no other man in the house. A random adult who would walk past Austin’s room and sneer. Or some whose eyes would linger too long to be comfortable. No, tonight it was just her. She stood in the kitchen in clear view of his bedroom.
She had told him to keep his door closed. She had received a phone call, one that had excited her at 1 in the afternoon. It was now almost 8, she had started drinking after the call, and was now standing there in a nightdress, one of the shoulder straps down. Her makeup smeared but in her alcohol fuelled mind she looked beautiful.
Austin swallowed hard as his fingers raised up and brushed against his cheek, a bright red mark that was quickly turning a yellow tinged purple. A reminder from hours before that he was nothing more than a burden in his mother's life. But tonight it all seemed different. After the phone call she had been happy and nice, even giving him desert after dinner…
The doorbell rang at 8 on the dot, Austin held his breath as his mother stumbled to the door opening it, a man stepped in, fall, handsome, looked to be early to mid thirties. His dark brown hair cropped short on the back and sides, slightly longer on top and swept perfectly being held in place by some form of product.
He was in shape, a natural athlete,perhaps. Poured into a tailored suit. Austin shook his head, questioning as you why such a man would be coming to see his mother. She wasn’t ugly by any means. But the alcoholism had taken their toll. He heard mumbling, pleasantries exchanged with slurred words and clumsy thinly veiled sexual advances from her…..
Then it happened, the yelling, the shouting. The arguing that seemed to escalate higher and higher. But only one voice passed that point. The shrill voice of his mother. The man’s voice was calm and deep. He simply sat there, took all her anger and defused the situation before standing up and handing his mother papers.
She swallowed hard and grabbed a pen signing them, a smaller piece of paper being handed to her. The man turned and headed towards Austin's room. The door opened and Austin looked up from under his shaggy brown hair.. The man smiled wide and kneeled in front of him with a sigh, he adjusted Austin’s shirt and cleared his through.
“Hello Austin. My name is Christian...and I’m your father…”
The night of My Bloody Valentine: The Struggle…
Austin stepped from the night air into the small bar. He held his ribs as he turned wrong feeling the pain of the physical contest he had been in earlier. As the commotion died down and everyone left, the noise died down and the deafening silence seemed to take hold. He needed to get out, he needed to find somewhere. And in the end it found him. The music played in the background, the voices were high. Laughter echoed through the room. As he made his way to the bar it hit him like a ton of bricks in the chest.
This was the first time he’d been away from her.
The first time in over 3 years that Austin had been left to his own devices since Lisa had come into his life. The first time that she had been at home with him at work. He had taken her everywhere. Austin shook his head pulling his phone out looking at the time knowing it would be late in New York. He knew if he called she’d pick up, she’d be there. But he could do this. He slipped the phone back into his jeans and looked up noticing the bartender. Her long silver hair and tattoos reminding Austin a little of his beloved wife. “What can I get for you?” Oh god she even sounded like Lisa. Austin laughed to himself and sighed “Just water please.”
The confused looks around him didn’t bother him, the strange silence and snickering under people's politeness didn’t either. The smell bothered him. All around it was there, the starchy smell of the hopes and barley from the beer, the deep wood smell of the aged barrel whisky. The sharp slight citrus from the tequila. It was all there invading his senses.The glass got put down in front of him, Austin gave the girl a small nod of appreciation and took a sip as he just watched.
Would it really be that bad?. I mean just one drink couldn’t hurt. Besides, he should be celebrating. He was a champion again, his life was on track, his personal life was repaired. And his wife wasn’t there, surely it would be understood just to have one and go back to the hotel for the night?. But what would it be?. Just a quiet beer?. A whisky?. A Vodka?. Some mixed drink?. Then his eyes caught her. The young bartender who looked so much like Lisa.
She served a group of men drinks. She was polite, and smiled at them. They all seemed to laugh and be happy but then it went too far. Austin ground his teeth together stepping forward putting his empty glass down just to the side of the group before turning his head slowly. One of them stared back and puffed his chest out. Austin simply stepped closer, his 6’6 frame towering over all of them, his eyes piercing straight through as he refused to blink.
They moved, they finished their drinks, the small group laughing trying to save face as Austin stayed silent and still, as immovable as a stone statue. As they all left he turned to the bar. The girl gave him a smile and a nod before mouthing the words “thank you”. He just smiled politely and walked out into the cold straight, the air hitting his face as he closed his eyes. And this is why he stays sober…
A few weeks ago: Upstate New York
”You had no right Austin…”
Christian paced back and forth. His eyes staring over at his son, his face now back to the look it had been before, fixing the damage. He sighed deeply picking up a cigar lighting it. Austin stayed silent, his large arms pulled against his body, one leg up and crossed horizontally over the other, his hands grasping each other as he just looked his father up and down. ”Amy deserved to know Dad...I found out, you think she wouldn’t wonder why I was so easy going with you? Why Elena was still in my life?” His words were stern but calm, a straightforward statement of fact.
Chistian an a hand through his short black hair before taking another drag on the cigar. He turned slowly, his body covered in a tailored grey suit, he placed his hands on the desk and slowly looked up, his face showing the regret he carried with him. ”What do I even say Austin? What do I tell her?” His voice was filled with sadness, his body language showed i9t too, Austin laughed to himself and pushed off the old hardwood chai moving around to his father's side. Christian was a big man, maybe 6’2 or 6’3. But Austin, much like he did with everyone else, towered over him.
He put his hand on Christians shoulder, a small smile sneaking across his face. ”The truth..”
It was short, it was simple and Christian couldn’t help but laugh. He sighed and gave Austin a small nod. Austin backed off and moved through the office opening the large doors. Amy sat there with her hands on her lap in front of her baby bump. Austin reached out taking his sisters hand. They walked back towards the office, Austin sighed and gave his sister a kiss on the forehead. ”Listen to what he has to say and...don’t judge him too harshly” Amy took a deep breath and grabbed the large brass handles walking in, Austin stayed outside and smiled slowly. Hoping his family was reunited.
Promo: I told you so..
The light glimmered off the faceplate of the new SCW Internet Championship title. Austin looked at it with a grin, his eyes moving across the leather to the main plate and across his nameplate. He pulled the title to his chest and held it there over his shoulder, an arrogant smirk on his lips.
”I told you all didn’t I?. I told you that I was going to get this championship. I told you that no one in that match was going to stop me. I told you Caleb was a waste of space, I told him Mark choke, I told you Jake was trash, I told you Teddy was just a giant pain in the ass, and I told you that Callaway was a failure”
“So do you believe me now? Do you see that one people from my group talk we mean what we say, and we are determined in our resolve.”
“Alex and Johanna went out there and won the mixed tag team championships. And to be honest with you I wish I could stand here and say that every member of the Wolfslair had championships but as always there is a weak link.“
“ Poor little Travis couldn’t get the job done. The rest of us held up our end of the bargain, we are champions. No one else in that match deserves to be Internet champion. I deserve to still be the world champion or at least be in the conversation. But I will wear the Internet championship with pride and I will do everything that I can to make sure this title is where it needs to be, and he’s looked at how it should be“
Austin laughs to himself and rolls his shoulders, straightening his posture looking every bit of his billed six foot six height.
”And the funny part is, I wanted to hit the ground running with this title. I was going to defended against anyone who stepped up to my open challenge. But I was already booked for the first round of the blast from the past tournament. But before I get into that, let me just say how disgusting it is that only Caleb Storms stepped up when I offered an open challenge.”
“The blast from the past had trouble getting its quota of people to be in this tournament, and I had only one person step up to face me. So all of you in this company or wanting to come in to Sin City Wrestling you should be ashamed of yourselves. Mark cross, Jake Raab, and Stephen Callaway you should all be ashamed of yourselves too.”
“But it seems time and opportunity have made fools of us all.”
“It’s time for the blast from the past. And this is my first time competing in this prestigious tournament. Alex had his shot last year, so did Alicia, and in the end Alicia got let down by her partner and Alex got to the final. It’s a tournament with a bright shiny carrot being dangled at the end. A guaranteed title shot for both participants, for any title they choose to challenge for.”
Austin chuckles again, looking over at his internet title before clearing his throat.
”I know some of you might think that I’m a little greedy being in this tournament as a champion. But, I did sign up before the Internet ladder match. The thing is, while I am determined to raise the stakes of the Internet championship and make it a prize worth fighting for I also have unfinished business with the SCW world heavyweight championship. And truth be told I still want to face the best of the best. And right now the best of the best is, Ben Jordan.“
”Now, assuming that Ben makes it as champion to when I would get my shot that is what would awaits me. And if anyone knows me, you know that I love competition. It’s the reason why I signed to SCW. See, I could’ve sat at home and just collected my on a contract being paid by the Saxons, but that’s not what I wanted. So I came in to a CW to face the best of the best. And I did that when I stepped into a ring with Fenris.”
“But then Jordan has come up and realised the potential that we all saw that he had and is now in that talk. He is in that circle of guys who you always see as dangerous. A threat to any world champion, dominant as a world champion, and while I will defend my Internet championship against anyone who wants the title shot when I win the blast from the past with Candy I’m coming for you Ben. I’m coming for that championship. And if you look at everyone in the male side of this tournament, I’m the only one who can really give you a challenge“
He sneers and shakes his head. The arrogance he has gained in the last few months shining through as he takes a long deep breath.
”Maybe I’m getting a little ahead of myself here. The first, I need to get through the tournament. But I have to admit at least I have a capable partner in the current SCW will let champion candy. Candy has shocked the world in her rise through the ranks of SCW’s bombshells division. You look at candy and all you see is this sweet bubbly somewhat hyperactive slightly annoying woman with a skip in her step and a twinkle in her eye. But in a short amount of time she has climbed her way up to show that underneath it all she is a very talented wrestler.”
“Together I’m sure we can make a very capable team. See, that is the fun part about the Blast from the past. You don’t know who is in what team.”
“You need a partner you know will turn up and do their part. Look at some of the other teams. Sierra Williams is a capable wrestler but she’s teaming with that weird little japanese guy who couldn’t hack it in SCW so her went to SCU. Then there’s fellow member of Wolfslair Johanna Krieger, teaming with broken down old Ace Andrews. I have a partner who is a current champion and a great competitor. And it seems like the Blast from the past curse hit Sam Marlowe hard.”
“See, in Sam Marlowe we have a woman who has done it all in SCW, well, just about. A former Bombshells champion, record setting roulette champion. A woman who is one of the best wrestlers on the roster who I would put up there with Alicia Lukas and Roxi Johnson. You should know Sam, I have tremendous respect for you. And if we look at the world of checks and balances you indeed can stand toe to toe with Candy. You have been in great matches and I personally view you as equals…”
He shrugs and sighs adjusting the internet title belt.
”And that is why I feel the need to apologise to you Sam. You see, while you and Candy may be equals and you can Stand face-to-face with each other if you look at the balance between our two teams I think you will find the scales tip in our favour. And the sad part is it will have nothing to do with your talent or lack thereof because you are an incredible woman. But look at your partner.”
He pauses and tilts his head raising an eyebrow.
”See you have this weird little Irishman as your partner. O’Malley. A member of the Sin city underground roster and we all know how I feel about them. But this one, this one is even more pathetic. You see we have seen this almost 40-year-old under 6 foot tall under 200 pound tiny little man before. We saw him in the 2018 blast from the past. A tournament in which he literally drew gold. The tournament where he got handed on a silver platter the best partner anyone could hope for in whole of Fame and 2 time bombshells champion, hell the current bombshells champion Roxi fucking Johnson”
“And what did he do?“
“He took one of the best wrestlers of our generation a woman who has talent oozing out of every single part of her body and he made her exit in the first round because he is so inept and such a horrible little piece of shit. That honestly takes incredible talent O'Malley, really does. And now you’re gonna do the same thing to poor little Samantha Marlowe.”
“Sam and Candy have had fights up and down SCW. But while you disappeared, rarely to be seen until your random comeback in that cesspool of mediocrity SCU I have been in this company, a real company, showing why I am the best. World titles, records, wins over legends, I have taken this company by the balls and now I am the SCW internet champion and you think you...YOU are going to be a threat or a challenge to me?. I’m seven inches taller, I outweigh you by over sixty pounds, I’m younger, more talented and better looking. So I will stand side by side with my partner and earn my next conquest while you will bring Sam Marlowe down to your level….and that’s just sad..”
