The old warehouse was cold and dark when Zayvion stepped into it. He wasn't sure why Cleo had him come here, but given some of the surroundings the dots were starting to connect.
A collection of large spare tires of various sizes, lay in a corner, a climbing rope hung from the rafters, and an empty pool took up a good quarter of the room. Zayvion still had little time to take it all in before he was nearly blinded by a giant spotlight illuminating the area.
“Hello?” he called out using his hand to shield his eyes.
“In order to build a champion.” came the voice of Cleo “One must let go of their comforts.”
“Cleo?” he called out looking around his eyes now adjusting “Is that you? What's going on? What is this?”
“One has grown too attached to the pampered training Of The Lyons Den.“ Cleo's voice echoed throughout the warehouse once more.
“Is this some sort of weird initiation?” said Zayvion “Come on, where you at? Stop playin’ with me.”
He suddenly heard her voice come from right behind him.
“Ain't nobody playing with you.” she said "It's about to get real.”
Zayvion turned around slightly startled to meet Cleo face to face.
“Sup?” he said.
Cleo remained still and serious.
“You ready?” she asked.
“I don't even know what we're doi…” Zayvion began, getting interrupted by a hard slap to the face.
“That's not what I asked.” Cleo said “I asked if you were ready.”
Zayvion rubbed his face.
“What was that?!?” he said “I just want to know what…”
Another slap, this time harder.
“It's a yes or no type of question.” Cleo said “Are you ready?”
When he looked back at Cleo again, she had the most serious look in her eyes he had ever seen. He knew she wasn't playing around and whatever she had planned for him, he just had to go for it and learn to face the unexpected.
Learn to face the unexpected….
Maybe that was the point….
Cleo had never let him astray before and he knew she had the best intentions for him.
“Yes.” He said “I'm ready.”
He was only slightly frightened by the way Cleo smiled and laughed in response.
“Good.” she said “Go grab a tire and start flipping it. A big one.”
“For how long?” Zayvion asked
“Until I tell you to stop.“ Cleo replied
“So you want me to just keep flipping the tire over and over?” he said.
“I want you to stop asking questions.” Cleo replied sternly
Zayvion received the message loud and clear and walked over to grab a tire and started to roll it toward the center of the warehouse before Cleo yelled at him.
“No.” she said “Carry it.”
He nodded and lifted up the tire, which was a good deal heavier than it looked and carried it back to the center of the warehouse dropping it to the floor with a thud.
“Go.” said Cleo as she stood observing like some sort of urban Mr Miyagi.
Zayvion knelt down and placed his hands on the cold rubber of the tire, and with a heavy grunt he heaved it up and forward, the sound echoing through the warehouse as the tire hit the concrete.
He looked over at Cleo who said nothing, only watched him with stern eyes as he bent down and flipped over the tire once again.
again
again
again
and again.
Over and over Zayvion flipped the tire, his arms growing more and more tired each time the slam echoed throughout the warehouse. He didn't know how many times he had flipped that goddamn tired by the time he heard Cleo's Voice once again.
“Stop.” She said “Good work, are you ready to move on?”
“You think I can get some water real quick first?” ask Davion.
Cleo nodded.
“All right, cool you got a cooler or something around here?” asked Zayvion between breaths.
Cleo smiled and pointed upward near where the rope was tied at the top of the rafters, also sat a cooler resting on the beams.
“You've got to be kidding me..” said Zayvion “You expect me to climb the rope, and retrieve the water bottles out the cooler.?”
“You catch on quick.” said Cleo.
“Can I at least rest my arms for a second?” He asked “They're a little tired….”
“Oh are they?” said Cleo sarcastically, "Do you think Alex Jones cares if your arms are tired? You want water, go get it.”
“Man, you different for this.” said Zayvion with a heavy exhale, as he tugged on the rope. It was sturdy, not that he expected it not to be.
The ascent began has he climbed upward, pulling himself up on more willpower than actual strength. His arms were throbbing but he couldn't give up.
“Come on let's go!" he could hear Cleo yell as he got about halfway up the rope “You want that water you have to fight for it.”
That's when it dawned on him this wasn't just about him getting water bottles, they were a metaphor for the roulette championship and the climb he was going to have to go through if he was going to be able to earn the right to call himself champion.
“Legs!” Cleo called out “Use your legs!”
He adjusted wrapping his legs tighter around the road using his feet to push him upward which honestly only helped a little but it was enough to get him all the way to the top, to hook one arm around a beam for balance, grab a few water bottles and shove them into his waistband.
He had to slide most of the way back down his hands burning from the friction but his feet finally hit the concrete where he lied at a heavy exhale and immediately took a big drink of water and dumped some over his head.
For a brief moment there was peace, and he almost felt relaxed then came close voice again.
“I hope you enjoyed that..” she said “Because we're not finished.”
Zayvion looked up at her with a heavy exhale and eyes that said what next?.
Cleo pointed over to the stack of tires.
“Grab a tire and do laps around the pool.” she said.
“It's kind of narrow..” Zayvion said “What if I fall in?”
“Oh. don't fall in.” Cleo said bluntly.
That comment felt more like an order rather than a safety warning, Zayvion made his way over to the collection of tires and picked up one of the regular smaller ones, hoisting it under his arm and onto his shoulder. It was lighter than the tire he flipped but more suited for carrying such a fashion. Although, after what he had already gone through, a bicycle tire would have felt like an anvil.
He could already feel the weight of the tire halfway through the first lap weighing on him like a second spine that wasn't supposed to be there, but he had to push forward. Cleo was testing them and as hard as it was he damn sure was going to pass the test.
He continued pace as the first lap turned into the second he felt his foot skitter across the edge and had to wave his arms that regain his balance and continue pushing forward into lap number three
“Focus!” he could hear Cleo call to him.
As lap three turned into four he could feel himself getting a good rhythm everything still hurt but he was starting to get used to it now
And then the lights went out.
“Hey, c'mon!!” he called out “Are you trying to kill me before I even get to Blaze of Glory?
“No.” he heard the voice of Cleo reply back “I'm trying to make sure there's nothing that can.”
Of course. It made sense though. Being the roulette champion meant chaos, and if he ever hoped to hold that championship, he would have to learn to deal with the chaos and the random nature of the wheel. Who knows he might even have to wrestle somebody in the dark in the future should the wheel command it.
He continued forward through the darkness using only instinct to find his way as the third lap rounded off into a fourth and he narrowly missed the same spot he had slipped before.
“If you want to throw in the towel, just let me know.” Cleo called “And we can go back to the nice mats and air conditioning at the Lyon's Den. “
Another test. She wanted to see if he would quit.
He wouldn't.
He made his way through the darkness, lugging the tire around into lap five. By the time he came around again, the lights burst back on, nearly blinding him.
He could hear Cleo clapping.
“Good work.” she said “That's what I like to see. Now when you're in there with a champion like Alex Jones and you think you don't have enough left, you remember this day, you remember this moment.”
Truthfully she had pushed him past his limits or at least further than he thought he himself could go, and that's something Zayvion respected about Cleo, she brought things out of you even you yourself didn't know you had in you. Now, she was no longer trying to create a professional wrestler out of him, She was trying to create a champion.
“Go ahead, take a breather." she said “You've earned it, we'll get back to it in 15 minutes.”
“There's more?” said Zayvion
“Of course.” Cleo replied “That was only the first set, we've got plenty more to go. I rented this place for the day, I need to get my money's worth."
Zayvion nodded, all he could do was roll with it and honestly, somewhere deep down he actually kind of liked it. He knew it was just the beginning of the road, and at the end of it he would call himself a champion. For now he just enjoyed the 15 minutes of rest until you heard Cleo call out again.
“ All right breaks over, let's start with flipping the tire again…” she said.
__________
The spot hadn't changed much at all, it was still the same park across the street from Rufus's liquor store, the wood picnic table even still had the “ZL” that Zayvion had carved into it almost 8 years ago.
He had a lot of memories here with his crew, Bug, 3-Ball and Lo’. The four of them were as thick as thieves growing up and had known each other forever. Bug and Lo’ were already there when he arrived.
“Zay!” Bug said as Zayvion approached “How you doing homie?”
Andre, or “Bug” was the one Zayvion had known the longest and the one he had always been closest to. He didn't remember how Bug got his nickname, but it had always been there. Even his own family called him Bug.
“I'm good.” Zayvion said, dabbing Bug up, “Just staying on my grind, you know me.”
He turned to Lo’, short for Lorenzo. Lorenzo was the one in the group known in trouble more often than not.
“Yo, Lo’! What's good?” said Zayvion.
“Just keepin’ it real.” said Lorenzo, “Nice of you to come around.”
Zavion raised an eyebrow as he dabbed Lorenzo up, something about his tone felt off.
“So where's 3-ball at?” Zayvion asked “Running casually late as usual?”
He noticed Bug shoot a look at Lorenzo.
“Three is in jail.” said Bug. “They got him for a suspended license and a DUI.”
“Damn.” said Zayvion “How long?”
“Twelve months.” said Bug.
Calvin, or 3-Ball, sometimes three for short was the fourth member of their crew. He was a good guy but didn't always make the best decisions.
“You'd have known about it had you came around more.” said Lorenzo
“Lo’...not now.” said Bug
“Just sayin, we ain't heard from you in months.” Lorenzo said “Was worried you'd forgotten about us.”
“Man y’all my crew.“ said Zayvion “You know ain't nothing changed, I'm just out there trying to get my bag is all.”
“Yeah Lo’ come on we're just here catching up.” said Bug.
“Yeah you know I ain't got nothing but love for y'all.”, said Zayvion “I've just been busy with this whole wrestling thing you know.”
“I know… I know..” Lorenzo sighed “It just feels different, you know? Things are changin’, you out there doing your wrestling, three locked up, it's just me and Bug out here now.”
Zayvion nodded, taking in his friend's words, sensing the subtle frustration in them, that feeling that life is moving forward around you and you're still standing in place
“I get it dawg.” said Zayvion “But that's life you know, things change. Don't get it twisted though, I always got love for the block. It's like that Biggie line, I'm blowing up like you thought I would call the crib, same number same hood.”
“You know, I've been thinking bout my future too…” Bug spoke up “Started taking classes at the community college.”
“Yeah?” asked Zayvion curiously “What kind of classes?"
“Some basic general education ones.” said Bug “And some culinary classes. I'd kind of like to open my own little restaurant someday, and want to learn how to cook more than just using the grill.”
“Hey man, that's cool.” said Zayvion “You always grilled up the best burgers at the cookouts you'll do great.”
“Thanks man.“ said Bug.
“Just promise me you'll save me a spot opening night when you get that restaurant.” Zayvion said playfully punching Bug in the shoulder.
“Of course.” said Bug, returning a playful punch of his own to Zayvion's arm. “With VIP treatment.”
“Well look at y'all..” Lorenzo said “One about to be the next wrestling world champion, and the other about to be on the Food Network. “
“What about you Lo’?” Zayvion asked “You still workin’ at your uncle's shop?”
“Yeah.” Lorenzo replied “But business has been a bit slow lately, Unc can't afford to give out too many hours.”
“Well don't worry too much.” Zayvion said “You'll be all right, above it you're a survivor Lorenzo, you always find a way to survive.”
“Yeah..” said Lorenzo “I guess that's all any of us can do, survive.”
Zayvion nodded, visiting the old block was a nice getaway from the intense training he had been going through with Cleo. But like Zayvion himself the block was changing, some people were moving forward and some were staying treading water. But in this moment it was nice just reconnecting with his friends and feeling like his old self again even if just for a moment.
_________
The cameras open on the quiet corner of a park where Zayvion Lyons sits at a concrete picnic table underneath a wide tree. He sits on the table rather than the bench resting one foot on the seat decked out in a casual street fit. Cleo Phillips sits on the bench beside the table, decked in her own street fit leaning back casually on the table itself. The camera lingers on them for a moment before Zayvion speaks.
“It's spots like this that I grew up in Alex.” he began “Where you don't got anybody in your ear telling you what you're supposed to be. It's just you and reality and the reality is I got the biggest amount of my career coming up.”
He pauses for a moment.
“I know it's easy to say that with it being my third match in this company.” he continued “But that doesn't make it any less true or make this match any less important because rest assured this match will be a major turning point in my career.”
He takes a moment to adjust his sunglasses.
“Current Internet Champion, former world champion. Alex Jones is a main event level talent who's done everything there is to do in this company.” Zayvion continued “He is the kind of an opponent you measure yourself against. I beat Alex Jones and that's confirmation that everything I've been saying about myself ain't talk.”
“On the real tho Zay.” Cleo said “They don't put you in a position like this if they don't know what time it is already.”
Zayvion nods.
“No doubt because the truth is Alex.” continued Zayvion “I might be newer to this stage than you but I'm hungrier. You've been to the mountaintop, you've been fed. But I'm still feeding, and I know as far as my fatal four-way at Blaze of Glory is concerned this match is going to decide exactly what sort of threat I am when that comes around. I fully intend to go into that match as the guy who beat Alex Jones. I beat the Internet champion, and suddenly the conversations different.”
His words come confident and firm.
“You have all your accolades for a reason Alex. You didn't just fall into them.” continued Zayvion “By hook or by crook you went out there and earned that resume. That's exactly why if I'm supposed to be the next one up, then beating you isn't optional, it's necessary.”
He grins.
“You see Alex you've had time to get comfortable.” he grinned “That's just what happens when you've been on top for so long, you get used to the spotlight and being the name on the marquee. You get to walk into a match with people already knowing what you're capable of. I don't have that luxury, but that's exactly what makes me dangerous.”
“Because he's still proving it.” Cleo said.
“I'm still mostly unknown.” Zayvion continued “Still working my way up. You're defending a position and I'm trying to take one. I'm going into my Blaze of Glory match with a victory over a champion on my shoulders. You're going into yours having to explain to Miles Kasey why you lost the match to the new guy.”
He grins playfully.
“No disrespect.” he said “Just the reality of the situation. You're a benchmark around here, a name that built this place into what it is and I'm carving my name into it. I need this more than you do and I'm willing to go further for it. You gain nothing by winning this match, but I have everything to gain and I'm going to do whatever it takes to capitalize on that. I had a good first couple weeks but this is the match where Zayvion Lyons arrives.”
“They ain't ready.” said Cleo.
“Win or lose I'm bringing you a fight.” said Zayvion “It's time to show the world that I'm more than just a rookie. I'm Magic Johnson in game six and I'm about to dunk on Alex Jones, ride the momentum all the way through Blaze of Glory and on to the Roulette Championship.”
“Does that make Eddie Kareem?” Cleo said
“Something like that.” laughed Zayvion “But like I said when I first arrived I'm my own man. I'm not going to use my last name to carry me, and on Climax Control when I beat Alex Jones everybody will know exactly who I am.”
“Bet.” said Cleo.
The cameras linger on them for a moment, Cleo looking cool while Zayvion looks into the camera with a confident aura as everything fades to black.
