<img align=left src= "http://www.geocities.ws/scwmaterial/Pictures/Fenris8.gif">June 30 - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Radisson Hotel
Come on. We were all wondering, from the moment where we had left off. We couldn't just leave it at that cliffhanger ending, now could we? Now granted, while Kris Ryans takes his brief time away, we can't go into full detail. That just wouldn't be fair. Besides, rumor has it that what went on in that elevator could get us shut down if we were to show you. Sorry pervs!
So we move on to the next morning, actually almost the afternoon. The morning had already come and gone, and inside of his shared hotel room, Aron Baltasarsson was at his wit's end! He had fallen asleep late last night, knowing his brother would return to their room after one of his binge's in whatever bar he found himself in. or at least, he thought he would. Turned out, that when he awoke this morning, when he went to wake Kristjan up to go get breakfast, his brother had not returned. His bed had not been slept in, save for the large Siberian husky who had been sprawled out, snoring almost as loud as her master. He immediately checked his phone to find no messages had been left for him. He called down to the hotel's front desk to check and found the same end result. Aron then took the next step and contacted Gabriel, but his brother's wrestling mentor had not heard from him, and also informed him that before he could contact the authorities, a twenty four hour period would had to pass. For a worried sibling, that twenty four hours might as well be twenty four hundred hours!
All he could do was wait.
The first thing Aron did was go down to the front desk and pay for another day in the hotel. Luckily for him there were no waiting reservations that might have interfered with this. Once done, he had breakfast and fed Kyssa, before taking his brother's beloved canine for a walk. Privately, he hoped/prayed that Kristjan would be waiting back in the hotel room when they returned, but it was not to be.
By now, Aron was fearing the worst. Given his brother's attitude and mouth to match, he believed something bad could have easily happened. And he was quickly considering ignoring that twenty four hours period in order to contact the authorities early. It was what family did. He tried to distract himself with the television, but he found he had about as little love for American TV programs as Kristjan did. And he was not about to spend the exorbitant amount the hotel charged to watch a simple movie on demand. So all he really could do was lay back on the bed watching a television program he cared little for, idly scratching Kyssa behind her ears, or seated at the desk in the shared room and Internet surfing on Kristjan's laptop, or playing pinball on it. His mother had called on video chat to talk to Kristjan about his victory the previous night, but Aron had to think quick in order to keep her from finding out her eldest son was missing. You know mothers and how they fear for their children's safety!
The noon hour had just passed, and after having fed Kyssa, Aron was contemplating getting some lunch for himself when he heard a sound outside of the hotel room door. Someone bumping up against it and working the electronic key. The handle from the interior of the door moved, but did not open and he heard an audible Icelandic curse on the other side...
Kristjan!
Aron leapt up from the bed, Kyssa following suit having sensed his eagerness! Kristjan always had issues with those damn key cards. Aron power walked over to the door and grabbed the handle, pulling it wide open swiftly, almost causing his older brother to topple into the room before he was able to catch himself!
"What. The. Hell!?" Aron exclaimed in a mixture of emotions, both relief and now anger! That was the funny thing about family; you could be both happy to find out that they were safe after having been missing, but beyond the feeling of rage once they had returned to your loving arms!
Kristjan straightened himself up from leaning on the door frame, and Aron suddenly saw just what bad shape he was in. Not physically harmed, mind you, but one could tell he was sorely feeling the after effects of his night out drinking! His lightly tanned flesh was paler than normal, his clothes were disheveled and his eyes ... well, they were hidden deftly behind his shades to avoid any light, the sun or otherwise. His hair was still damp and slicked back, so wherever he had been, apparently he had showered so that was a plus, but you could still smell the rank scent of alcohol all over him.
"What the FUCK!?" Aron exclaimed hotly as Kristjan stumbled into the room, but at his brother's (loud) outburst, the MMA and wrestling Superstar cringed, gritting his teeth. Fenris held a hand to his head to calm the thunderstorm inside while making his way slowly across the room. His fingers glided through Kyssa's white fur as she walked up to check on her "daddy" and she let out a happy bark of greeting, and Kristjan almost whined himself.
"Fuck, you too?" He practically moaned. He turned to Aron and whispered hoarsely, "Not so loud,. Feeling like shit right now." But Aron was unsympathetic as he leaned over and shouted right in his ear, "SERVES YOU RIGHT!!!"
Fenris fell back a step, a hand propped against the edge of the table against the wall and he took a moment to let the sudden explosion of pain in his head subside before he turned to Aron and he shouted back, "What the FUCK, A!?" To which he moaned and grabbed his head again, this time it being his own fault.
Kristjan lowered himself to the edge of the bed, while Kyssa sat on her haunches and rested her chin on his lap. Her blue, almost white eyes gazed up at him as Aron loomed over him, looking damn near apocalyptic as he said aggressively, "What the... what the fuck!? Where the hell were you!?"
"I told you I was going out for a drink!" Fenris tried to reason with his unreasonable (in his mind) brother. "What's the big deal!?"
"You were gone all damn night! That's the big deal!" Aron replied hotly. "Mom called to check on you, like she always does, and I didn't know where the hell you were so I had to tell her you were walking Kyssa! So thanks to you, I'm a liar with our mother! You didn't call! You could have been lying in a god damn ditch for all I knew!"
"Well I'm sorry 'Mom,'" Fenris replied, feeling insulted that he should be expected to "check in" with his younger brother. "But there wasn't a fucking phone in the ditch I was laying dead in!" The two brothers took a moment's pause in their heated exchange, trying to calm down (and quiet down) before they got any complaints from any of the other guests in the hotel.
In a surprising move, for any that knew him at least, Fenris looked up and squinted from behind his shades to say, "Look, I'm sorry. I just ran into someone I knew..."
"Who?"
"Never mind! We just got to drinking and ... I lost track of time." He started to look around at the room and sighed, "Literally. Guess we have to pack..."
"No." Aaron answered, hands on his hips. "I actually added an extra day out of my own pocket so I could wait for you!"
"Thank fuck!" Fenris flopped back on the bed, his hair flying everywhere as he sighed in content, as if he were about to pass out. "Can sleep then. Haven't been to bed since yesterday morning!"
Aron frowned at this bit of leaked news and he asked, "If you weren't sleeping, what the hell were you doing all night?"
"..... Never mind." Fenris replied after an extended pause. But Aron wasn't about to allow Kristjan to just get away with this uncaring act of selfishness. He slowly walked around the bed on which Fenris was trying to rest on until he stood at the side. He then leaned over and said in a caring tone, "You sure you don't want anything to eat first before you sleep? I could probably get room service to make a late breakfast for you."
"No..."
"Maybe some lumpy oatmeal?"
"No, A...!"
"I know! What about some scrambled eggs with a shit load of gooey cheddar cheese?"
"Shut up Aron!" Fenris choked.
But Aron snapped his fingers with a smile, "Buttermilk pancakes it is, dripping with melted butter and lots of sticky syrup..."
And Fenris leapt up from the bed, gagging and he raced for the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Aron smiled with much satisfaction and turned away when he frowned, "I wonder why he's walking so funny...?"
Las Vegas, Nevada
Yes, the Fatal Attractions tour for Sin City Wrestling had drawn to its grand finale and in only a matter of days would the feature attraction of the summer take place, the Supercard event known as Summer XXXTreme VI. The Superstars and Bombshells of SCW would be joining hundreds of fans aboard the Sun Princess Cruise for six fun-filled days of swimming, games, gambling and interactions. Fun-filled? Hm, they never spent much social time with Fenris, have they? The current number one challenger to the World Heavyweight Championship had originally been looking forward to this event, but not for the social interactions and meet and greets with the fans. Well, not entirely. Signing autographs and posing for pictures could be fun, but he had more important things to be focusing on.
Namely the Sin City Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship.
Fenris had been eagerly anticipating this since he and Courtney Pierce had won the sixth annual Blast From the Past tournament at the end of May this year, but all plans he had for meeting then-champion Kris Ryans for the gold in the Main Event went out the window with the news that the champion had suffered an undisclosed injury and was forced to step down as the champion. Now all of his training for a specific opponent had been for naught, as he would instead have to sit back and wait to see who emerged victorious in a battle royal to determine what he saw as the "number two contender." Not a very convincing way to prove your dominance if you asked him, and even if you didn't. If it weren't for the title match and a chance to take a stand atop the mountain so quickly in his new wrestling career, he would have chucked the idea of even setting foot on the boat.
Especially when he found out that pets were not allowed and he would have his sister Freyja fly in from Iceland to spend the week keeping Kyssa company as a kennel was fuck all out of the question.
"Happy Birthday sweety!" Fenris's mother Eva said with a bright and loving smile over the miracle of Facebook chat. The video messenger was as close as they could get to being together for her oldest son's special day, but for her it was enough. Just so long as she got to see her "little boy" and wish him well. Oh make no mistake about it; she would much prefer to have him home, but that was just a mother's fond wish.
Birthdays or holidays of any sort were of no real big deal for Kristjan, but he knew they meant the world to his parents, so he could put on a brave face and smile while he responded with no false amount of love in his voice, "Thanks, mom." For all of his abrasive personality, those closest to him such as Gabriel Stevens would have to admit surprise at his being a massive and proud momma's boy. He missed her terribly but had professional responsibilities he had to fulfill to achieve his career success.
"Where's dad?" Fenris found himself asking, to which Eva answered, "At work. He got called in so he asked that I wish you a Happy Birthday from him and let him know that he loves you."
Kristjan could not help but smile. Many grown men would feign embarrassment at the loving wishes from a dad, but not their mom. Not so with Kristjan. He loved both of his parents dearly and despite his off-putting sense of self, he could not hear often enough of their love toward him.
Eva said, "Freyja wishes the same and aid she'd call you tonight, so she and your dad can both talk to you on your birthday. maybe Elin and Viktoria will too?"
"Oh yeah," Fenris scoffed. "That'll be the day."
"Kristjan..." Eva warned in a tone that would brook no argument. She knew well enough the animosity between her children, but that did not mean she had to like or accept it. She then thought to calm the troubled waters and instead asked, "Where's your brother?"
"Oh he's off in his bedroom," He answered with a glaringly obvious roll of the eyes. "On the phone and finalizing plans for the surprise birthday party he thinks I don't know about."
"Just try to act surprised." Eva smiled, shaking her head at her son's derisive attitude towards a simple but meaningful thing like a birthday party. "You're away from most of your family on your birthday. Your brother loves you and wants you to have a special day. So suck it up."
Fenris started at his mom's choice of words but that one arched eyebrow rising told him she would suffer no back talk so he just shook his head in defeat. "I told him I did not want a party, Mom." He said. "I had hoped he would have listened to me this once."
"Well he's never listened to you before when you said you didn't want to do something." She smiled, the laughter dancing in her eyes. "Why would he start now?"
Fenris's expression spoke volumes as to the truth of his mother's words. She said, "Just try to have a good time, okay? Your brother went through a lot of trouble for your birthday and I understand he has a special surprise in store for you."
Fenris took on a note of interest and asked, "He does, huh? What is it?"
Eva scoffed with a bright smile and shook her head. "That trick didn't work when you were a little boy and it works even less now!"
"Can't blame a man for trying."
"I suppose not." She said. "Anyway hon, I do have to get going but will talk to you later when your father and Freyja call. You got our presents?" She asked with an inquisitive brow.
To which Fenris nodded and answered, "They arrived yesterday. Thank you. Can I assume the ticking one is from Viktoria?"
She answered, "If it's ticking loud enough for you to hear, then she's slipping." A rare instance where Eva played along with the notion of the intense dislike between Kristjan and his older sisters. "I love you." She smiled.
"Love you too, Mom." And he gave the ca,era a wave, to which Eva kissed her hand and returned the gesture in a display of a mother's love before the call was ended.
Later in the evening...
Just before the hour of eight PM, and the sun was finally beginning its descent to allow the night sky to rise to its own prominence. The lights from the nearby Las Vegas Strip would soon dominate the evening, even from across such a distance. But for all the effort Aron had put in for the evening, and even Kristjan had tried playing along for their mother's sake, Aron had learned his brother had found out about his not-so-secret plans and decided to just throw the surprise portion out the window and leave it at a normal dinner party instead. It's not like Kristjan would have been able to fool anyone, anyway. He really sucked at acting.
Yet that was not the only problem that had arisen with Aron's plans for a special birthday for Kristjan away from their family. The most humbling part had been the guest list. The brothers knew very few people personally outside of the small circle from Gabriel and Odette's training facility, and damn near every one that had been invited RSVPed that they'd be unable to attend. Daniel Morgan and his team of London Underground stated they had a previous engagement. Evie Baang didn't even offer any explanation other than "I don't want to." Dani Weston was in another city, and outside of the facility, Ben Jordan wasn't even able to go. Courtney Pierce had, of course, been invited but she was still dealing with her injury. Odette Stevens had to remain at home due to her pregnancy but she had prodded her husband into attending just long enough to deliver their present and pay their respects to their student.
The only one that did show up and eagerly I might add?
"SURPRISE!!!" Despayre called out gleefully as he jumped through the door as Fenris opened it at Aron's prodding. Despayre tossed a handful of colorful confetti at the "White Wolf" to emphasize his exuberance, and he ran into the room with a brightly wrapped gift box in one hand, and Angel in the other. Fenris spit out a mouthful of confetti and picked more from his hair as Synn followed his son into the luxury condo and he stared at Fenris with a simple, "Surprise."
Despayre looked around at the "Happy Birthday Kristjan" banner that hung across the patio windows, and the spread of food and gifts along the table against the wall. He turned to Aron and asked, "Where is everyone? Are they still hiding to say surprise?"
"No, Despy." Gabriel answered from where he was sitting on a cushioned chair in the living room. "Most couldn't make it. Looks like it's just the five of us for now."
"Oh." Despayre turned to Fenris with wide eyes. "How embarrassing for you."
Fenris frowned as Despayre danced away to closely examine the presents and place his and his dad's own amongst them. With the "birthday boy" distracted watching this, Synn whispered to Gabriel, "So what really happened?"
"What do you think?" Gabriel answered matter-of-factly without really having to say anything.
"Great party A." Fenris said as he walked past Aron en route to the table where the drinks had been set up. He patted him on the shoulder and added with sarcasm, "Really great."
"We could play a game?" Despayre offered, and Gabriel asked, "What kind of game?" He was almost worried at anything Despayre could cook up in that mind of his to have what he deemed "fun."
Despayre took a moment to think, as if he were not expecting anyone to even take his suggestion seriously, before his face lit up with a smile and he offered, "How about Kes And Edih?"
"What exactly is that?" Synn frowned.
"Hide and seek, spelled backwards." Despayre answered with much pride. "It's an adult version of the game."
"How does it differ from the children's version?" Aron asked, beside himself.
Despayre looked back and forth between everyone as if the answer should have been obvious before he said, "Adults play it."
"Pass." Fenris said promptly as he filled a crystal glass in his hand with an amber colored liquid. He swallowed deeply at its contents and felt the warmth of what would probably be the first of many drinks tonight slowly course through his body.
Despayre flopped his arms to his sides and huffed, "Well I'm all out of ideas to save this sinking ship! How about you, Angel?" But surprisingly (or perhaps not) there was no answer forth coming from his teddy bear companion so he shrugged and skipped over to where his dad was standing with Gabriel. The evening passed by slowly, and painfully it might be added. Only an hour as they ate together, but it was painfully slow, and awkward to boot given the circumstances. Casual conversation was exchanged from where they ate, and it seemed the only truly happy member of the party was Kyssa. She laid comfortably beneath the dinner table and happily ate up all the offerings that Kristjan and Aron (and Angel) gave to her.
Gifts were next, which was always the highlight of any party if you were to ask Despayre. Gabriel and Odette had gifted their student with a slew of MMA oriented accessories, including a new gym bag and workout clothes. Synn had given him an engraved and personalized black flask gift set. Other gifts included a neck and shoulder massage pillow from Freyja, a streaming service subscription to Funimation from his parents (side note; Fenris loved anime), and from Despayre?
"What the...?" Fenris murmured as he picked up the teddy bear with the long blonde wig and MMA style shorts and gloves, bearing a striking resemblance to Fenris himself! (What? Did you exact anything different?) He held the bear up, staring at it before turning his eyes to Despayre, "Seriously?"
But all traces of his sarcasm was lost on Despayre who smiled and nodded, "You're never too old for a protector!"
"Especially when you act like a..." But whatever Synn was going to state was cut off by a sharp jab to the arm from the nearby Gabriel. Fenris sat the teddy bear down almost gingerly, as Aron stood up.
"Okay," Aron said, an excited expression behind his smile. "I can't put this off any longer. He'd probably kill me if I did, but its time for my present." Their eyes curiously watched as Aron walked across the condo toward the hall that led to the bedrooms. He opened his own bedroom door and said, "Okay, he's ready."
Necks craned and heightened interest was evident all around amongst what guests there were, as a man emerged from the bedroom. He was older, perhaps in his early fifties but that did nothing to detract from his physical shape which was impressive to say the least. Handsome in appearance, but his expression was almost stony save for the wisp of a smile that was unable to be completely smothered. Dark hair, a tanned complexion, he looked familiar to Gabriel when the realization came to him from some of his research into Fenris's MMA past.
"Holy..." Gabriel murmured and causally dropped a dollar into Despayre's waiting palm. "... shit!"
Maksym Petrov, a virtual legend on the earliest days of the spectacle of Mixed Martial Arts, and now a coach to rising MMA stars. Fenris's own professional MMA coach! All the way from his native Kazan, Russia -- he was here! In Las Vegas! He walked casually across the condo with Aron bringing up the rear, as Fenris slowly rose from his chair at the table, his expression bearing one of genuine surprise.
Maksym paused at the table nearest where his student stood and nodded with a now open smile, "Kristjan."
"Maksym?" Fenris frowned, unable to process this surprise. He turned his head to Aron and asked, "This is my present?"
Aron, looking quite pleased with himself for having successfully pulled off this surprise, nodded and said, "Yes! Happy Birthday!"
"Happy Birthday!?" Fenris suddenly roared, his expression swiftly changing from surprise to shocking rage, flesh darkening and veins bulging. "You call this mother fucker a present!?"
Immediately the tension had filled the room, and the discomfort all around was evident. There was shock at this sudden outburst, and nobody was more shocked than Aron himself as what smile he had vanished. The same could be said for Maksym who's own smile slid fro, his face and he shook his head before turning to Aron, "You brought me here to be insulted by this ungrateful ..."
"If I had known this was the surprise I never would have let Aron throw this stupid fucking party!" Fenris bellowed, his eyes flashing with intensity. "So why the fuck don't you just turn around and get the hell out of my home!?"
"Well he can't do that." Despayre offered innocently. "We haven't even cut the cake yet..."
"Nobody asked you so SHUT UP!!" Fenris yelled at Despayre, and if you thought his anger directed at his former coach was shocking, there was dead silence now from the anger directed at the innocent Despayre! And by dead silence, just exactly that was meant. There was no sound. Nothing. It would have been eerie were it nor for the rising anger felt by both Synn and Gabriel for someone, anyone, having yelled at Synn's son and Gabriel's little brother! Their eyes found Despayre who had hung his head in humiliation and shame, his feelings all but gutted for someone having yelled at him. It was simply not something that he was used to, and not even those who served as his rivals in professional wrestling, such as J2H or even Travis Nathaniel Andrews ever spoke to him with such an ugly tone.
They caught sight of the tear streaming down his cheek where his fair complexion was tinged with pink from his embarrassment, and he drew in a shaky breath.
"Joshua?" Synn spoke up in a tone of voice that belied the threat beneath. His green eyes flashed rage at Fenris but his words were for his son alone. "Go wait out in the hall. We're leaving."
Despayre did not argue, even had he wanted to. He slowly stood up and with Angel tucked in his arms against his chest, he turned and headed for the door. Even the look on Fenris's face spoke that he felt maybe he had just made a dreadful mistake. Not for what he had said, but for who he said it to and how. Aron hurriedly got to his feet and to the door, opening it for Despayre to step through. Despayre turned around with a sniffle, big Aron goodbye as he waited.
Synn stood up, and made the feeble attempt to brace himself from his growing anger at anyone speaking to his son like this man had just done. His head was bowed down, but when he looked up, his face was shockingly calm, and if you were to ask Gabriel, that was the time to be worried.
Synn said in a dangerous whisper, "If your brother were not here, I would have already put your head through that wall. But if you ever, and I mean ever, speak to my son that way again, your god damn balls will be back in Iceland before you are!" That being said, Synn turned and walked away, stepping through the door to join his son to leave.
Aron was about to shut the door behind them when Gabriel spoke up, "No, don't." He then stood up and headed for the door, announcing, "I'm leaving too."
"You don't have to..." Fenris started to say but Gabriel spun around and shook his head, "No. Don't! I can not believe what you just did! I won't tell Odette, but I am fucking ashamed! Ashamed of how you just acted, and ashamed of the day I ever took you on as a student! Do you even know why nobody showed up for this party!? Huh!?"
Gabriel took a step away from the door to confront his student.
"Because nobody fucking likes you!"
Gabriel then turned his back on Kristjan and marched out the door, pulling it from Aron's grasp to slam it shut behind him, prompting a bark from Kyssa. Silence reigned all around in their wake, and the only thing Aron could think to say was, "He didn't mean it..."
"No." Fenris said, his head hung down low. "He meant it." He said nothing else. He simply walked forward and past Aron. He pulled the door open and left.
"Kristjan? Kristjan!"
"Sometimes I wonder why I even bothered." Fenris mumbled to himself as he had taken his leave quietly of the party, or what was left of it, and quietly walked out onto the city streets and headed for a long breather in the direction of the famed Vegas Strip. By car it was a mere eight or nine minute walk. By foot, well he really didn't care. He just wanted to get out and get away, his mind reeling from what he had just experienced and unsure in how to handle it.
Aron had went through a great deal of trouble, apparently, to help him celebrate his birthday. Because, hey, it's what family did. Unfortunately his efforts did not pay off, in more ways than one. First the vast majority of the guest list did not even show, and second, what party did come of his efforts were fucked up royally. And the sad truth of the matter was the fact that Fenris really had nobody to lay blame to but himself. He could accept the fact of his actions, and perhaps even make an attempt to make amends with Aron. After all, he was completely unaware of his past with Maksym and why the relationship with his professional MMA coach went sour. Losing his temper? Well, that just seemed to be the going thing for him these days, didn't it?
But taking all of this out on that poor kid in one short burst of anger. That was indefensible. There was no excuse for it. He would, or should, try to make it up to the boy and his father, Synn, but that was often where his pride would come into play.
"I didn't ask for this party!"
"I TOLD Aron I didn't want to celebrate this year!"
"Despayre should have not butted in like that!"
And on and on would the blindly reasoned excuses come. It helped him keep from admitting fault and damaging his own sense of worth, but it was what Gabriel had said before he had taken his own leave from the party that really wasn't that stung. There was no sense in denying it. It hurt to think that nobody liked him well enough to want to celebrate his birthday with him. The only one aside from Aron who wanted to come but was unable was Courtney, the young woman whom he quickly and affectionately looked to as a little sister of sorts. But she was unable to travel or do much of anything while she tended to the injury caused by the fault of that bastard, Ty West. The only other who came willingly and with a smile? Yeah. The same one he had nearly reduced to tears.
"Way to fucking go, Kristjan." He sighed, taking care to look around and ensure that nobody was near to notice his admitting of guilt. He allowed his mind to wander on the events of the evening, which in hindsight would have been perhaps the worst way to handle things. The longer he thought about everything, the worse he grew to feel and pretty soon, all he wanted was to be able to drown himself in alcohol and make this day go away. A good thing, then, that he had finally found himself at the Strip. He gazed up at the brilliant cascade of lights that stretched to the night sky to douse the stars' own brilliance away. All he needed was a place to crawl into the corner of and drink himself into oblivion.
Taking care to pause at the corner
Blondies Sports Bar & Grill - A college style sports bar in Planet Hollywood Sports and Casino would serve. Everywhere else near the Strip was too bright and too flashy, loud music and dancing. He had stopped in first at the Fuel Bar, but two persistent female admirers had attempted to coerce him to forget about hi drink and move on to the dance floor with them, and possibly beyond after the evening was over. Every man's dream, right? Wrong. Kristjan had quickly downed the remainder of his mug and walked out without a word, leaving the young women in a surprised state in his wake.
But now here he was, seated quietly in the corner at a table to himself, his attention on neither the people around him or the games on the flat screens on the walls and above the bars. An extra large basket of fried onion rings sat in front of him, a snack quickly becoming one of his favorite comfort foods; evident by the fact that it was half gone already. His blue eyes were damn near vacant, as he stared ahead towards the game playing out on the screen but his attention was elsewhere entirely.
"This isn't how I wanted things. None of it."
The words were in his native tongue, as it was easier, but the English translation appeared in subtitles for the benefit of those watching.
"The moment Courtney and I won the Blast From the Past, and when Kris Ryans retained his championship, making our match at Summer XXXTreme VI official, I thought I had everything figured out. Prepare for Kris Ryans. Go into the ring on July 22 against Kris Ryans. Beat Kris Ryans. Become the new World Champion."
He shook his head and scoffed.
"The Norns sure as hell have a way of inserting themselves into what could have been, and what should have been. Now don't get me wrong. I feel for Kris. I don't know what exactly happened to warrant this thirty days off..."
He looked left and right and then leaned toward the camera.
"I really don't, but nobody deserves that. No athlete wants to be so injured that they have to take even a brief stay away from their chosen sport. No champion deserves to have their title stripped from them, and put up for grabs in what will only amount to a stroke of luck for one; both good as well as bad. Because we all know whoever walks away the winner of that battle royal doesn't prove a damn thing. It's a battle royal! I may not have been in one yet in my career, and I have no real interest in doing so, but I've been shown a few of them thanks to Gabriel and what do they really prove? Who can hide outside the ring the longest? Who can duck in a corner and stay there? People get ganged up on and thrown over the ropes and to the floor. How exactly does that prove who is the superior athlete? You pin nobody. You make nobody submit."
He held his arms out in wonder and shook his head with a sneer.
"So what does it prove? It doesn't prove who the biggest or strongest is. (Sorry Casey!) Even the big men aren't guaranteed who will walk away the victor. Everyone always insinuates the biggest have the best advantage, but the only advantage they have is being the first to get ganged up on and thrown out! Everyone else? Luck. So allow me to offer my congratulations to whoever wins that match to get to move forward to the championship match, because that will be the last match you win that evening. That is where the bad luck starts because then you have to get in the ring with..."
He tapped a forefinger to his sternum with a cocky smile and nod.
"That is where all hell breaks loose, and one of you will end up flat on your back, out cold or crying from pain and humiliation at having tapped out and handing the new King his crown. But it won't be so bad. Just think; you will be able to say you got to be the closest one to witness the one that got away. You will have no excuses, none of you. Your match is early, so you can't say that isn't fair. You will have enough time to rest and recuperate. You won't be able to say you're tired. Can you say you're hurt?"
He shrugged.
"Who the fuck cares? This is wrestling. We're ALL hurt at some point or another! And we fight on, or at least we're supposed to! It is what a champion does. That is what I will do. I have to. I need this!"
He tapped a forefinger to his chest with an intense expression on his face.
"You see, I did not know until Mercedes Vargas pointed it out, that no Blast From the Past winner ever moved on to win the championship with their designated shot."
He shook his head but then broke out into a smile.
"That might say that history is working against me, but all that does is make me even more determined to walk away with the championship. It makes me want to fight harder and be more aggressive... good for me, bad for whoever I end up against."
Fenris then sat back in his chair, the picture of relaxation with a look of contemplation on his face.
"And just who would that be exactly? Only one or two of the six actually stand out to... oh! Excuse me!"
He held a hand up, eyes closed.
"Five. As is my understanding, Equinox up and pussed out. With his reputation, he had maybe the best chance at winning, but then he would have found himself against me, you know -- again. And seeing as how I already beat him senseless once, it would have been really embarrassing to do so twice. You know ... for him. But who else is there? Ty West?"
He held his hands out with a quizzical expression on his face.
"Ty West. Are you fucking serious? The same guy that I just beat senseless less than a month ago? And didn't he just lose a match to Tony Thorn, a man that was making his professional wrestling debut!? A man loses a match to a fucking rookie, and ends up in a world championship title opportunity!"
He jetted out a bottom lip and nodded knowingly.
"Makes sense! And that was the second time he had lost in a row, the first being to me. A man loses back to back matches and gets to fight for a possible world title match. Hunh! Whose dick did you have to suck to get that chance, huh Ty? Wait, I know, I know. Mark Ward doesn't bend that way so I guess that answer is glaringly obvious! If anything, it should be Tony Thorn in this battle royal, not you!"
He held a hand up, eyes closed.
"Ty is soothing his fragile ego by going around and telling everyone that since he passed out in the Ride of the Valkyries, that I did not beat him. Not really. Bullshit! Go back and look at the evidence, 'Pretty' Ty. That is unless you're so sensitive toward the truth that you can't stand to be proven wrong. I knocked you out with that switchblade kick before I ever even locked in the Ride! I could have pinned you then and there, but I wanted to humble you, put you in your place. But for you to go around and tell everyone that since you didn't submit in the hold, that I never beat you?"
He scoffed with an open smile, showing his pearly whites. He then shook his head.
"Hey, whatever gets you through the day. But everybody saw what happened in there, and the record goes down that it was a win for me. Sure you had a few inches on me in height, and outweigh me by almost fifty pounds, but that didn't mean shit in the end. I beat you so god damn bad that your own body gave up on you! I just feel bad that I didn't do to you what I did to Kyle Kavanagh, and knock your ass out sooner! Especially after what you did to Courtney!"
A frown creased his face and he nodded.
"Yeah, that alone is the only reason I hope you walk out of that battle royal as the winner so I can face you again and get some payback for my 'little sister' Oh I know, most are saying that it was not your fault that she threw a punch at you and hit a wall. I also imagine that you are the loudest to voice and declare your innocence. For one, you have been chasing after her relentlessly for weeks, despite her telling you repeatedly to leave her alone. What does she have to do, file a lawsuit with the higher ups for sexual harassment before you get it in your head whatever happened between the two of you was a mistake? Then you go and take a verbal shot at her, which made her lose her composure and take that swing at you. A swing that, I have to add, you dodged like a little girl."
He smiled.
"What's the matter, Ty? Big, bad Ty West afraid to be hit by a lady? Have a glass jaw, do we? So be it. Win that battle royal. Step back into the ring against me where the stakes are higher and I have more than just a world title to fight for against you. I'll take that glass jaw, and I'll shatter it!"
He picked a large onion ring and shoveled it into his mouth so fast, the eye barely had time to contemplate what he had done. He then washed it down before moving on.
"Now if we're talking size, that makes me actually very interested in Casey Williams walking away from the battle royal as the winner. Seven feet tall, nearly four hundred pounds?"
He puckered his lips and let out a low whistle of admiration.
"I mean, daaamn! I had hoped that he and I would have met before this event. I had silently rooted for him to be one of my opponents in the Blast From the Past just so I could test myself against someone that size. See what exactly it took to break him down, and he would break down. 'The Freight Train of Pain' they call him, but Casey Williams' experience with pain is rather lopsided. He knows how to dish it out, but when was the last time he had it doled out against him. Can a man that size live through pain? I guess he'll have to find out if he ends up against me for the World Championship, because all that height and weight advantage won't matter. Now I get it. You're big. You're fucking HUGE! You've been around probably the longest out of all the active SCW stars, and you've done pretty damn well for yourself."
He smiled.
"Then along came Fenris. Unlike you, Casey, I know I can take pain. I did so often enough in the Octagon cages of MMA, but the difference is I also know I can hand it out too. I don't presume to think I can take a punch from someone your size. I won't be stupid enough to simply stand there just to find out! But you're a pretty big fella so one has to wonder if someone your size can dodge punches or kicks from someone like me? You can only move so fast, and a man as big as you are is little more than a huge moving target. I get you down on your back, and I will, and your face will end up looking like ground beef! That's where the challenge comes into play. When I was being trained by Gabriel and Odette, and they told me about the lack of real weight divisions, they said everyone would always say that the only thing you had to do against a big man was get him off of his feet and down on the mat. But what nobody ever explained was that keeping him there was an altogether different story!"
"I think I'd like to fond that answer out for myself. The key to knocking down a mountain is to start at the base. Take your legs out Casey, keep you from even being able to stand, and that size of yours doesn't mean shit! The bigger you are, the more you weigh, the more likely you are to have leg and knee problems. And that's an issue I'd be only too happy to exploit if it means making a big man like you tap out and walking away with the gold."
He leaned toward the side of his chair, resting an elbow on the arm rest and propping his chin on his hand.
"I have to admit that I was a little surprised to see Matt Spears announced as a participant. My first thought was ... who? Isn't this the same guy that..."
Air quotes.
"'Gave away' his Golden Briefcase to Jon Dough a few months ago so he could win the Roulette title from a group of men who actually deserved it? I can't help but wonder if this joker is going to think he can try and pull another fast one in the battle royal, or even in the match against me. What is he going to do, be advertised to be in there against all of those Superstars, only to have Jon Dough go in his place? Or if he does win himself, Jon shows up against me thinking it can be him versus me for the World title?"
He shrugged.
"Hell, I say bring it on! Just so long as Jon would understand that his roulette title would be on the also. Not that this would even be an issue, considering chances are likely he'll be trounced by Ben Jordan in their match. So sorry Jon, your opportunity for glory at Summer XXXTreme VI will be out the window when you lose the Roulette title to the Cockney King. This one is all on Matt Spears, and his chances aren't altogether that great in the first place. You see, I did a little homework. I'm no fool. I know damn well what a man has to go through in order to succeed in this business, and the moment I found out I wasn't facing Kris, it was time to crack open the proverbial books and start doing my homework! The facts are there. You have been known to pull off a win or two, that I see. But when you get a win that builds you up to something bigger, say a title match? The end result is always the same. When the chips are down, you choke. Those are the facts, Matt. You don't have it in you. Now, can you win the battle royal? Well you DID win a battle royal to win the golden briefcase you gave away, and you did so, ironically enough, at last year's Summer XXXTreme V. And you did it against men like Jeremiah Hardin and Steve Ramone. But the question begs what would have happened had you cashed in on the Roulette champion, or even the world champion? If history speaks accurately, you would have lost -- and lost badly. So I'm just saying ... don't get your hopes up. You'd only be setting yourself up for a big fall."
"The name Caleb Storms surprised me almost as much as Matt's. He's been acting like a spoiled, entitled little bitch ever since he found out that he got passed over for a Roulette Championship rematch against Jon Dough in favor of Ben Jordan. Now granted, I always assumed any former champion was given a chance to regain their title, but I can only assume that entitled attitude of Jessie Salco's somehow rubbed off on Caleb to the point that the bosses decided..."
He shrugged.
"Fuck it. We don't want him possibly regaining the gold. That would only escalate that entitlement issue, ruining it for those of us that know we're better and know that we deserve what they want."
He nodded, staring hard into the camera.
"You heard me, Caleb. I'm better than you. I know it, and I'm going to prove it should you win so that you know and accept it too. And a part of me actually does want you to win so that we can face each other. If for no other reason than the fact I actually like fighting you high flyers and grounding you."
He shook his head and shrugged.
"I admit that I don't understand men like you. Men who take to the air and risk falling fifteen or twenty feet with nothing to break that fall. Risking everything in a death defying ring style and for what? Winning? Granted that is the name of the game and you think being flashy will make your name all the more known, but there are other ways, better ways, to walk away with your head and hand held high. Let's not forget, you are actually a little bigger than I am, but I'm no high flyer. It's a stupid risk that I'm not willing to take. I don't need to. And you're not the first flyer that I've been in the ring against. Remember Equinox? I faced him and what was the end result? I kicked his head clean off, knocked him out cold, and pinned his ass right in the middle of the ring! And that's the same thing I would do to you if you end up the winner of this battle royal. And like I said, part of me hopes that you do. You wanted a shot at greatness. You wanted to prove yourself worthy of being a champion. Well here's your opportunity, Caleb. Make the most of it!"
Fenris then paused and took a few moments to drain his mug of beer and signal to the waitress for a refill. He sat back and quietly eyed the room, people watching as it were, until the young woman in uniform delivered his beverage. Handing her his cash, he picked up the mug and moved on.
"But if there's anyone out of those five men who I actually, and I mean really, want to face, I saved the best for last. Dmitri. The minute that man's name was announced, Gabriel had me in front of the television at his gym watching everything possible that he had available. A former World Heavyweight Champion. A man that has been there once and one who wants to be there again. if you think a man that has never tasted championship gold before can be hungry, try to imagine a man that had championship gold once, only to lose it and want it back. He's desperate, craving the taste again. He's not just hungry. He's fucking starving! That's Dmitri, that's the man I want in the ring! I want that same man who repeatedly took J2H to the limits for the World Championship! I want Dmitri to face me, to fight me, just like he fought J2H, because a champion is only as good as his opposition and if I'm going to win that title, I want to beat the best!"
Fenris slammed the mug down, almost sending some of the contents sloshing over the side and to the wooden table.
"Leave the Fallen home, Dmitri. Leave your woman out of this. I don't want to fight Dmitri, the homemaker. I want to face that competitor that all but laid waste to the competition, who made J2H fight harder than any other ever had before or since! You believe your 'vampire nature' gives you an edge, perhaps even intimidates your competition."
He snorted back a derisive laugh and shook his head.
"With me, not so much. I am of Icelandic heritage, Dmitri. A man descended from proud, Nordic traditions. Odin watches over me, and it will not be me that the Valkyries are eyeing with interest if we are to meet on the battle field. The Choosers of the Slain eye only the ones who are destined to fall, and that would be you."
He held up both hands, palms out.
"All respect given, Dmitri, but this is my moment, my time. From the moment Gabriel and Odette took me under their care to the moment Courtney and I won Blast From the Past! That World Championship is mine, and that is a message for each and every one of you. I may have my preferences, but in the end it doesn't matter who I face. The White Wolf will win. The first Icelandic Superstar will become the first Icelandic World Heavyweight Champion!"
"And Evie? Cupcake? You know when I win, that means I'll be Gabriel and Odette's star student. I'll have upended you as their fastest rising student, their new Crown Jewel."
He winked.
"Just thought I'd remind you. Right. Now before we put this to rest, I am going to address one last thing; Kyle Kavanagh. I've been hearing it non-stop from people after what happened in our match two weeks ago. I've been hearing it from men like Ben Jordan, and even the owner of Sin City Wrestling, Mark Ward, had to chime in that what I did wasn't right."
He held his arms out and shrugged, confusion evident on his face.
"And what was that? Win? Win quickly? Defend myself from an attack from behind? What part of what I did was wrong? Kyle came up from behind me and grabbed me by the arm. The bell had rung but my back was turned. For all I knew, he was trying to attack me from behind for an early advantage. So I knocked his scrawny ass out. I could have pinned him. I could have put him in a hold but your referee stopped the match, said Kyle was unable to continue and so I won."
He shook his head.
"It's not as if I wanted to win like that, have a match end that quickly, but it's like I said on Twitter, I don't get paid by the hour so when it was over, I didn't argue. But I am getting just a little bit tired of being made out to be a villain simply because I did what was expected of me; I won! And Mister Ward, trust me when I say I know the differences between MMA and professional wrestling and in the end, there really aren't that many save for the fact that in MMA, it' fought in rounds and you don't pin your opposition. Hell, sometimes in wrestling you even find yourself in a cage! And pardon me if I'm wrong, which I know I'm not, but didn't my own trainer Gabriel Stevens wrestle some tosser named Steve Ramone in an MMA-style Lion's Den match in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa?"
"So the lines are being blurred just a little more than what seems fair. It can't be because of my style because deep down, the fighting styles in MMA and wrestling are amazingly similar themselves. Wrestling. Submission. Striking. All three are key factors in both sports. Okay, so I have a preference for kicks. So what? Can anyone out there explain to me why it's okay for men the size of Casey Williams to lay someone's ass out with a single punch, but it's wrong for me to do the same by kicking them? Huh? Okay, get back to me on that if you have to."
"And before any more accusations are thrown around, no disrespect was intended. To Mark Ward, to Ben Jordan, to anyone! Am I confident?"
He nodded.
"You would be too. But I am not the bad guy here!"
Fenris then closed things out by leaning back in his chair and started to allow his eyes to roam around the bar. The majority of those in attendance were young, like him. College age perhaps, but here and there, there were a few older generation in the mix. Groups of two or more, friends all gathered. Some were watching the game on the television, others simply gathered around their tables and booths, smiling and laughing. Happily chatting away with one another.
Friends.
Fenris felt a knot in his sternum, and he frowned. Exhaling gently, he reached over to his glass and picked it up. He raised it up to eye level, staring at the contents before he brought it toward his lips.
"Happy fucking Birthday to me."
~~ And if you read the roleplays of London Underground, now you understand!
