A very Wolfslair thanksgiving
The first thing that hit him was the smell.The amazing aromas that wafted through the air.Turkey, gravy, vegetables, Mac and cheese. It all smelt so incredibly amazing.Austin pushed the door open stepping into the gym. A gym that normally smells like body odour and sweat.But now it was the smell of food. Most of the equipment had been put away, the grappling mats law rolled up and shoved into the corner.And in the equipments place were tables pushed against each other. The chairs all around,members of the gym getting ready to sit down and enjoy a meal. Complete with laughter and conversation. Austin gave a smile, his wife and kids had gone away for Thanksgiving with Austin staying in New York.
But he wasn’t going to be alone. Alex had contacted him a few weeks before, telling him that a large thanksgiving dinner had been organised.
And here he was, standing in the main hall. Alicia Lukas, Alex Jones, Johanna Krieger, Sonya Jones, Charlie Jones, it was a family affair. A few members of the gym weren’t there, having other plans, but the core members, the originals. They were there and that’s what mattered. Austin took a seat, Sonya gave him a warm smile as he pulled a few pieces of turkey on his plate, gravy, the vegetables, a large scoop of mac and cheese. It was all amazing. And he was hungry. Alex leaned forward, looking Austrin up and down.
”So, your tag partner is absent…”
Austin sighed and shook his head. He had invited Tempest, he knew she was going to be alone. And he really didn’t want that. Their bond had grown, he found himself not just caring as a partner, but as a friend. ”Yeah, I dunno, I told her…” There was a hint of sadness in his voice. But he still had alot to give thanks for, as did everyone else. ”I guess she had other plans...anyway this all looks amazing...Sonya did you do all this?” She smiled and nodded slowly, Austin put a spoonful of mac and cheese in his mouth and sat back looking over at Alicia, she talked to Jo, the two biggest female stars in Wolfslair…..allegedly.
Alex smirked at Austin and shook his head, as the conversations died down and the meal started to come to a close Alex pushed to his feet, grabbing a glass of bourbon, hanging one to Austin as the two took a small post food walk. Alex took a sip and shook his head. ”So, what are you thankful for kid?
He scoffed and shook his head at Alex. ”I dunno….I guess there’s the regular stuff.My wife, my kids. Wolfslair...my career.”
”Your tag team partner?”
Austin laughed to himself, he shook his head and sighed. There was Alex again making sure he was getting in Austins head, reading his mind. ”Yeah, I am thankful for Tempest...it’s crazy man. Alicia put her and I together and I just never realised what being in a team would mean. Even if our own team was always there..” He trailed off, his mind flashing back to earlier in the year. ”I made lots of mistakes over the last year or so...the way I treated some of you. It was a hard time…”
”Is that why you have been like this?” Austin stayed silent, staring back towards the inside of the gym, watching some of the newer members talking to Sonya, Charlie, Alicia and Jo. He sighed heavily and swallowed hard. ”You’ve changed. You were out for yourself for so long, and after what happened..threatening Alicia, coming after me...you alienated everyone” He paused again for a moment. Shaking his head before breathing deep. ”You and Tempest have a great team going, and I think she’s taught you a few things….so I get it…”
Alex turned and moved down toward the table, grabbing a plate, he stacked it with leftovers, as much as he could, taking some foil and folding it over with a smirk and shoving it at Austin. ”Take that to her…” Austin took the plate in two hands and sighed heavily. ”Just do it. Maybe next year she’ll join us…”
He swallowed hard, looking down at the plate and then back up to Alex. ”Maybe,,,” He tapped Alex on the shoulder moving to the end of the gym and out onto the street.
The Rematch
Austin tapped his fingers on the SCW mixed tag title belt, obviously deep in thought as he considered his words carefully.
”The landscape of SCW has changed. A new power dynamic has joined this company and what a world we live in huh? A new group and everyone is so excited. This group of amazing athletes that are looking to take over SCW and be the best of the best. It’s just unfortunate that this company already has a group that is the best bof the best. It is unfortunate that this company has a group with myself in it. And while this group of loudmouthed newcomers decides to talk a big game and then lose, myself and the other members of wolfslair do what we do best. Win.”
“And for some, like Alex, that means defending the world championship, and for others, like Johanna dn Alicia it means earning their way back to the top, for me it means something completely different.”
“The Sin City Wrestling mixed tag team championships.”
“See, myself and Tempest have been the flagbearers for this division for a while now. We have been the champions for 175 days as of the next defence. Tied for most defences. We have ruled this division and we have done it better and with more pride in these titles than anyone else has, and that is with all due respect fo the former champions. Except the black sheep who substituted members out of fear. Tempest and I continue to overcome expectations and show the world what we can do and at Climax Control 317 it will be no different.”
Austin folds his arms over his chest and shakes his head.
”Even though, as much as it is hard for me to admit anything, Goth and Mercedes Vargas did even better than I thought they would. And don’t get it twisted this isn’t a shot at them, in fact much the opposite. See I have previously mentioned that Tempest and I won the titles in our first match together and as always there are growing pains as you start to team with someone, but she and I have gotten better each defence and through spending almost half a year as the champions, it took time for us to bond and form a team unti, Goth and Mercedes seem to have clicked even better than we did.”
“The sum of it’s parts already made the team formidable. Goth is a beast, a former champion, a man who, after being in the ring with him, could still operate at a high level and perhaps challenge for the SCW title. And Mercedes Vargas has that hall of fame career behind her and is also still an incredible talent.”
“They have already shown that they can be a great team. And with experience against the top team in SCW, it means they can only get better.”
“That will be difficult for us. Goth and Mercedes, with the calibre of competitor they are, were always going to be a tough test, but in our first match I focused in on the fact it was their first real match and there was a hurdle there. They lept over that fucking hurdle and now they’re getting even better than they previously were. So now where does that leave us? The champions? Well…”
He pauses a moment and looks down before a small smirk appears on his face. His eyes piercing in color and focus as he stares forward.
”Being a champion means more than simply holding championships and gloating about it. Being a champion means being the leaders of the division, it means showing the world that you do not back down from a challenge, instead you rise above it. And that is what Tempest and I do. We rise above. We rose above adversity to become the champions by having to work together, two loners who had no history, no past, no bond. We went above and beyond to become the champions.”
“We beat J2H, a fucking legend and Crhsitina...Crystal...you know….her…”
“We have been at the tops of our game and even with all of that I go into this match with the knowledge that you two are good enough to take these titles from myself and Tempest. But, with that being said, I’m sure you are both sitting there, knowing that we could also beat you just as easily. And keep these. And honestly, that fills me with all sorts of excitement. I like adversity, I like being challenged. I like having to actually try harder than normal and remind myself that I’m human…”
“And this match does that…”[/color]
Austin laughs under his breath and shakes his head before continuing.
”As much shit as we all give Mercedes Vargas for not being able to recapture her previous success, the truth is more complicated than that. We all go through ups and downs, we all pull ourselves back up and even though one could make the argument that Mercedes is trying to do the same thing Crystal did by plucking an SCW legend out of the ether to come after us, I can’t push Mercedes down that far. See, Mercedes I get it, I know what it’s like to lose the top spot and want it so bad that you just keep trying, pushing, building yourself up. But sometimes to get back to where you need to be, you need to take a detour. Try something new, or in some cases, retread ground you have previously walked…”
“And that’s what you’re doing right? Trying to win the Mixed tag titles back with a different partner. Get these titles to remind everyone you still have it in you to be a champion.”
“And you do Mercy, really you do. For years I have heard the legend of Mercedes Vargas, a woman who went to war in different companies, won titles and beat that companies best. I know more about you than most, but alot of that is because we did walk the same ground for a time. I’ve never been stupid enopugh to write you off, and neither has Tempest. See, Tempest isn’t just a mindless brute anymore than I am. We both have been put in that box in the past. Tempest is smart, strong and ready to tear you apart again….”
He growls the last few words and takes a deep breathe.
”I know the other fifty percent of this match is taken care of. So that means I just have to take care of my side. And that is of course Goth. And I’m pleased to say he really is as advertised. His return for some reason hasn’t been as big as it should. For months he has been mulling around the company, and honestly we should all be glas he’s back…”
“See, I have been in the ring with the best of the best. The greatest champions that SCW has had to offer. Fenris, Ben Jordan, Senor Vinnie, J2H, I have been able to get in the ring with all of them, even my own mentor, the current SCW world champion, Alex Jones. And I want you all to trust me when I say this.”
“Goth can still go with ANY of them.”
“But, he’s not just up against any of them and this isn’t a singles match. This is still a mixed tag match, and in the first one we had a few short weeks ago at High stakes, the biggest show oif the year it was my hand being raised, it was Tempests hand being raised and our title reign continued. You have to understand that beating us will never be easy, it won’t be a walk in the park any more than Tempest and I beating you would be. But at the biggest show oif the year you tried and we got through. You and Mercedes earned yourselves a rematch. But for us to break the defense record and hold these titles long enough for the reigns record...well...we have to get passed you…”
“And I want those damn records...so try and stop us Goth….try and stop me…”
