It was an impressive sight, indeed; the training facility opened only too recently by former SCW Superstar, Gabriel. At the time, none of this was known to the public. Not, at least, until the signing of new Bombshell, Gabriel's first and, to date, only pupil, Evie Baang. Nobody outside of his immediate circle of family and friends knew that the former two-time World Heavyweight Champion had been laying the ground work for passing on the knowledge he had learned over the previous years onto an all-new generation of men and women seeking fame and fortune by putting their bodies on the line inside of the ring.
Evie Baang had simply been the first on what would one day, perhaps, be the opening of a floodgate.
The warehouse, unnamed as of yet, was located in Gabriel's resident city of Las Vegas, Nevada. Perhaps one day the magician-turned-wrestler would feel obliged to give his 'academy' some sort of flashy title, but much like his stage show, Gabriel preferred a bit of mystery and mysticism to his personal endeavors.
The sound of the front door of the warehouse opening was like a thunder clap against the sky, the acoustics of the building were such as that with few currently inside of the building. The expectant eyes of the principal owner, Gabriel himself, turned his attention from where he was standing near the workout equipment and the corners of his lips upturned into just the barest hint of a smile.
His little brother through love if not through blood, Despayre, dashed through the doors and into the interior, almost bowling over his much larger father, Synn who had almost made the cardinal error of stepping inside first. Synn should know better, Gabriel thought privately. His Despy always had to be first at everything, even when they were teaming together in AWA and SCW.
"Gabriel!" Despayre wailed in glee, as was the custom whenever he caught sight of his best friend and 'big brother.' Even if they saw one another regularly on the road, it did not stop him from his customary greeting of a great big teddy bear hug each and every time! Just goes to show that too much of a good thing is not always a negative.
Synn finally righted himself and made his way across the gym and weaved his way through the gym equipment and near the rings to where Despayre finally separated himself from his hug and his face lit up into a bright smile as he pointed at an elaborate set up near.
"What's that!?" Despayre asked, and Gabriel answered with a chuckle, "You've been in gyms before Despy. That's a Diamond Cage System..."
"Oo! What's that!?" Despayre interrupted and took off to look at something else before Gabriel even had a chance to answer his first inquiry.
"Excitable little fella, ain't he?" Gabriel watched with a laugh as Despayre tried to pick up a free weight and almost collapsed to the floor, along with the weight with a loud clang.
Synn answered, "Well you know how Joshua is whenever he experiences new things."
"New things?" Gabriel turned away from what was sure to be highly entertaining, everything Despayre seemed to get involved in often happened that way, to address Synn himself, "Despy's been in gyms before."
"True, just not your gym." Synn casually turned his head in every direction, drinking in all of the sights before him. "I can't believe it's taken us this long to finally have a look for ourselves."
"Neither can I." Gabriel frowned. "After all, you were one of my main investors. I should have thought you'd have been here since day one."
Synn shook his head. "Not necessary. I knew you had matters well in hand. Plus, I didn't want to interfere with your project when you first opened."
"Evie?"
"Mm." Synn nodded. "Impressive young woman. I knew you'd have your hands full with her." Synn finally turned to Gabriel with a sinister smirk of his own. "So I thought I'd sit back and watch the fun."
"And Despy wasn't the slightest bit curious about my gym?"
"Oh he was!" Synn almost laughed. Despayre was curious about anything and everything that was even remotely new -- and especially when it had to do with Gabriel! "But I managed to distract him, until now that is."
"Well it's not every day that his daddy gets to set foot in the ring to kick some arse." Gabriel smiled, leaning back against one of the three rings that were stationed in the floor plan of the warehouse. "I shouldn't think he'd be about to miss the old man getting back into shape."
"Old... man..." Synn repeated with a raised brow, but the irked tone bounced right off of Gabriel. Synn sighed and shook his head. "I still don't see why you or anyone else finds this necessary."
"Maybe because you haven't set foot inside of a ring since that tag match you had with Despy a few years back against the Surf Boys." Gabriel stressed, using his hands to pull himself up onto the ring apron. "And face facts; Travis might be a complete tosser, but he's still been a threat."
Synn rolled his eyes at that assessment, as Gabriel stepped through the ropes and then leaned against them. "And as impressive as I have to admit you were, it's a big difference between your last singles match and your last tag team match. Now shed the shirt and get in here. I ain't helpin' train someone with saggy tits..."
Whatever else Gabriel was about to say to playfully dig at his friend and mentor, and indeed father figure, was stopped short as Synn did as asked, removing his shirt, leaving himself in just a pair of lycra gym pants. Synn climbed inside and Gabriel frowned at the fact that the (age censored) year old Synn stood before him, a powerfully built sight to yet behold. Tanned and cut, his wife wasn't wrong when she once casually mentioned to Despayre that his dad was still stacked like a brick... well, you know.
Gabriel nodded, "Okay. Saggy tits are out. But we're still doing this." Gabriel looked up at the 6'8" Synn and winked, "I mean, we have to. How long's it been since you had a singles match? Ten years? Twenty? I..."
And Gabriel's words turned to a sharp yelp of surprise as Synn grabbed him by the neck and inner thigh and the former champion found himself military pressed high over Synn's head!
"Kidding!" Gabriel called aloud from above. "Just kidding!"
Slowly, once reassured, Synn lowered Gabriel back down to the ring mat and safely on his own two feet. Gabriel clapped the big man on his shoulder, then caught sight of something from out of the corner of his eye. He nudged Synn and jetted a thumb over.
"Look." Gabriel smiled. "Watch. Appreciate."
Synn turned his head and saw his son standing on the track of a high tech treadmill. He was staring curiously at the various buttons and gizmos, when he reached forward and pressed one in particular....
"Whoop!"
**zip!**
**THUD!**
Gabriel almost folded over laughing as Synn simply closed his eyes and shook his head.
"Ah Travis, you really have stepped in it this time, haven't you? You know, when you first decided to attack me from behind, then jump Despayre, you had no idea that you would find yourself in the spot that you are in now."
The sound of foot falls echoed in the hallowed grounds of the Las Vegas located House of the Lord, the Guardian Angel Cathedral. It was colorful, more colorful than most houses of worship that Synn had the misfortune of setting foot inside. Pastels colored many a mural on the otherwise traditionally white interior of the arched structure.
It was wide, almost empty space within save for the many rows of pews and the altar dais at the very end. Synn strolled casually down the center row, his eyes roaming while his hands remained clasped behind his back.
"Rather drab by comparison." Synn observed as his eyes roamed, pausing at the very first pew. He shrugged. "But I should think the Lord wouldn't have a care."
Synn then moved further forward and stepped casually up onto the dais and took a spot behind the podium of the altar, where the word of God was addressed through the lips of the priest each Sunday, a task Synn was taking on for himself for now in a very different manner.
"An ironic twist for you, is it not Travis? A man who appears flashy on the outside, but with very little on the inside to offer anyone. It describes perfectly what you bring not just to Sin City Wrestling, but to me, myself and I, as I set foot inside of the ring for my first singles match in well over twelve years."
Synn tilts his head to the side and exhales gently through his nose.
"Sad, really. I had hoped if the day ever came when I set foot in the ring, it would be against an opponent capable of drawing money. Someone that when opposed, it would actually mean something. Ah well."
Synn shrugged.
"Even I can't have everything. I had hoped for glory but suppose settling for revenge will have to do."
"I'm sure you thought beforehand, 'Oh! I bet if I attack Despayre, you know -- again -- then it's certain to get me my second straight attempt at the Internet Championship!' And under most circumstances, I would have to agree. I mean, after all, that was how you managed to sneak by and get your first opportunity against Despayre, now isn't it? An opportunity that you squandered when you did what you do best; fail. You thought, like so many others, that Despayre would be easy pickings. A simple chance to take advantage on a physically smaller young man with certain perceived disadvantages where mental capabilities are concerned. And you found out that everything you believed about him and your chances against him were ill conceived."
"The only problem is, that you found out the fact quite too late."
"So! You thought to yourself that you would give it one more go, and try! Try again!"
Synn frowned.
"The only problem is, is the fact that you held a lack of imagination. And ... a lack of foresight. Had Christian Underwood had his way, then your plans would have worked out for your own self interest, but that was not what happened, was it? I suppose we have Mark Ward to thank for that. Whereas you had hoped to integrate yourself into another undeserved title match against a man you have attacked twice now, now you have to face a very angry and over protective father."
Synn stepped out from behind the podium, his fingers drumming almost idly on the smooth, wooden surface.
"You should have put more thought into this situation, Travis. Although I have been gone for a number of years, away from the ring, who do you think has been responsible for the training of Despayre and Gabriel, former and current champions in both singles and tag team ranks? Men who have met you before inside of the ring and soundly defeated you. Were I not capable of handling myself inside of the ring, I'd have never been capable of training another to do the very same."
His head turned toward the camera.
"And a man, myself I might add, that has held a fair number of championships around my own waist in times past. EFWO. GXW. Which is more than I can say for you, Mister TNA. You come into this match with impressive credentials where minimal matches are concerned, but when the stakes are high? You tend to fall short. And mark my words, Travis. This is no regular match. A championship may not be on the line, but for you, the stakes could never be any higher."
Synn's eyes burned into the camera.
"Forget what you did to me. You messed with my son. You attacked him -- twice. You think you're tough in body and mind? You think you can be sick and twisted in order to get what you desire?"
Synn shook his head and an almost sick and twisted smile crosses his face.
"Delve into my past and you will see that you are but a rank amateur. 2017 will begin as a walking nightmare for you Mister TNA. And your excuse?"
Synn gazed around at his surroundings, before again looking deeply into the camera.
"I suppose the Devil made you do it. So blame him for the Hell your life is about to become."
That being said, Synn simply started walking back down the aisle of the church, the only sound being his footsteps until the loud clang of the church's door shutting behind him.
