Blood is spilled while holding keys to the throne
Born again, but it's too late to atone
No mercy from the edge of the blade
They'll escape and learn the price to be paid
Is it true?
Off Camera
New York, New York
5 Years Ago
Austin sat in the living room of the small two bedroom apartment he shared with his sister. His eyes trailed across the floor and down the hallway to the big white door at the end. His sister inside her bedroom, she had started coming out more and more, she seemed like she was getting better. But coming out more oft6en was still once or twice a day, she would come out, get food and water, talk to Austin for a few moments and then go back into her room. When he would go out and come home for any length of time things would be different.
The kitchen cleaned, the bathroom cleaned. Washing done and tidy. Things Austin would forget but not ask his sister to do. All he wanted was for Amy to be happy. It has been a week since Austin has gone to see his father. A week since he had handed the file from the hospital Austin hadn’t seen the first time. And now it sat on the table in front of him. A half drunk beer next to it, his hands reached out toward it then came back. The trepidation ran through his mind as he took a deep breath in and out again. His eyes trailed back up to the door, he grabbed the file and moved down the hallway coming to a stop at her doo0r.
His hand raised ready to knock but he stopped, his heartbeat fast and he shook his head. He turned to walk away when he heard the doorknob turn and the door squeak open slightly, he felt Amy's eyes on his back and he stood in front of his own bedroom door. He heard her breathing before the door opened a little more and her voice rings out. ”Aus?”
He stopped, his hand halfway to his own door. He swallowed hard and slowly turned around with a half smile as Amy slowly walked out and closed the door behind her. Her long hair tied back, her face so much different than it was when he first went to see her in the hospital. It was full and happy.Her cheeks were no longer gaunt and haunted with the cars of her past. Her hair was now shiny and full of color. This was the Amy from the pictures, the vibrant young girl that he had expected to meet when he found out about her.
”I….I went to see Dad, Amy he, I need to know. I need to know what happened. She turned pale and looked down seeing the file in his hand, her head shakes and she mouths the word “no” over and over as she steps back. Austin swallowed hard and reached out taking his sisters hand. ”What happened that night Amy? He asked again, her eyes shifted and closed and her fists balled up, her could hear her breathing quickens and she tried to keep the tears in. A few started to slide down her cheeks as she looked up. ”I can’t. Please I can’t. I don’t...I want to forget Aus.
His heart sank to the pit of his stomach, this is what he didn’t want. What she doesn’t need. The guilt rose up as she moved forward. His arms wrapped around her tight He didn’t want her to become what she was. For the life that she had reclaimed to be taken again and for her to become that shell he saw in the hospital. That person without ba soul. Without anything in her eyes. Just emptiness. Austin sighed and stood back slowly pulling the file from his side up between them. Her eyes slowly moved down to it, her shaking hands wrapping around it.
”Open it. He couldn’t stop himself before he said it. His voice barely a whisper but still loud enough for Amy to hear. She took one, long, deep breath and slowly opened it, her eyes going over the words as she exhaled. She turned the page and inhaled sharply. ”No. No no no no. This, this is wrong. Her hands shook violently, she flipped through the pages breathing heavy and fast before dropping them and the pictures on the floor. Her words becoming a squeak and a stutter, Austin stepped forward and pulled her into another hug.
”I didn’t, I couldn’t. The words repeated over and over again, her hands grabbed Austins shirt as she seemed to slowly calm down. Austin shook his head and helped her back into her room, Amy laid down and breathed deep as Austin tucked her in before walking out closing the door. He sighed deeply and looked down picking up the papers stuffing them back in the file. ”What the hell do I believe?”
Hail to the king
On Camera
New York, New York
Present Day.
Austin growled and grunted pushing the weight bar up off his chest and lowering it back down again, over and over Austin growled and pushed it up, the veins in his arms popping out as he lowers it back down onto the bar before sitting up looking over at the camera...or Iphone...whatever it’s being recorded gorilla style.
”Well here we are. Into the void, the big showdown between Kale Smith, the winner of Blast from the past getting his shot at the gold. A shot he earned through and through. But the talent we have in SCW shows how competitive we can be. Guys like Vinnie, Fenris, Ty West, Alex Jones, Lachlan Kane and of course the man I faced at the go home Climax Control, Griffin Hawkins. I’m not going to deny that match was tough. Griffin is an incredible wrestler, a great champion and I am sure Lchlan and Griffin will tear the house down.”
“But, I was still able to beat him.”
“And it didn’t happen because it was a fluke. It didn’t happen because it was a fifty fifty competitive match. It happened because I am living up to my potential. Since I got to SCW the word has been potential. I have always had it, always felt it. But the last few months I feel like I’ve lived up to it. I feel like I have broken through that glass ceiling. And I mean, why wouldn’t I feel that way?. Three world titles in three years. The SCW world title within six months.”
Austin pushed up from the weight bench, standing tall. His long hair tied back as his arms fold over his huge chest.
”I walked in and beat Mickey Carroll. A guy who beat my trainer and friend Alex Jones. A guy who in SCW was looked at as a badass who could have been in the main event spot. I got revenge on Jake Raab and exposed him as a man who is not only a liar and a fake and a fraud but also someone who isn’t worthy of the SCW title or even a shot at it. I went on to go to war with Fenris and trade wins and I was able to take the title off him. A man who was the benchmark for six months. I beat him, I ended his run, I defended the championship against him, against Ty west. I have been a monster and I have tried to keep everything fair…”
“Completely fair. I don’t run my mouth without reason and while I respect Alex, and while he is one of my best friends and I wouldn’t be here without his help, I don’t fully agree with some of the things he says or does. See Alex is one of those guys who has been everywhere, done everything and seen it all. But me?. I know how good I am. I know what I can do and I have the title to prove it. So when I do talk when I do stand here and say “I did this, this and this and I am the champion” people listen. I even try to give advice. I tried to give Ty advice, I tried to tell him where he should look for success. That he was too emotional. And he didn’t listen.”
“I wonder. Will Kale Smith listen?. See, Kale is a great wrestler. An incredibly talented wrestler. He came into SCW and never really hit the ground running back in 2016 but that all changed when he came back for blast from the past. That run he had with Brittany Williams was incredible. It was inspiring. With all the other teams and great names in that tournament. Vinnie and Blade Alexander and Alex. He rose above all that and went through to win and earn the shot against me. I smiled when I saw that because I could see that I was going to face someone who wanted it. I could see that the championship was going to be defended against someone who would appreciate the gravity of this.”
Austin smiles slowly and shakes his head moving the Iphone to the side.
”But, I have to wonder, from your early days in SCW the first time, to returning to SCW for the Blast from the past did you stay in the business?. If you did why wasn’t your name out there?. Cause in SCW, while you were able to win the tournament since then, while waiting for this championship shot. What have you done?. From London Brawling to now?. From the night you won the Blast from the past, to Into the void?. I can answer that Kale. You beat Jake Raab, which, lets be honest here, unless Jake is in a three way where he can steal a win he ain’t exactly the top of the world. And you lost. To Griffin Hawkins. Now, losing to Griffin isn’t something to be ashamed of, but winning against Jake ain’t something to be proud of….”
“So, since you won your shot, you have been coasting…”
“That isn’t what a champion does Kale. And as good as you are in that ring, I have to question a few things. Your heart, your determination and whether or not, one on one, if you will be able to handle the spotlight. The match with Griffin was a test, a test you failed Kale. When the light was on you, when you were in a one on one match against a champion, you crumbled. And now?. The stakes are even higher. While you have been beating overrated Fenris wannabe’s and losing to champions I have been beating the best, facing the best and defending my title. This match is the big one Kale…”
“This is the point where potential and likeability means nothing.”
“People look at you and see an incredible athletic talent, as they should. They look at you and see the smile and the devilish grin and hear the Australian accent and they love you. And that’s great man it is. But at Into the void you will be stepping into the ring with a monster. I might not be a deadly, arrogant beast who just wants to cause pain and destruction, I might not be the stereotypical asshole who would cheat. But make no mistake Kale. I am a monster.”
“I am a six foot six almost three hundred pound prodigy. Born into this business, bred for greatness. Someone gifted with the genetics to be something special but also smart enough to know the effort that is needed to reach the top and stay there I’ve seen others like me fail because their pride was greater than their ambition and need. I’ve seen talented performers with so much in the way of natural gifts that they don’t have to try hard.”
Austin shakes his head reaching forward to pick up the camera before clearing his throat with a cough shooting a small boyish grin through his beard.
”I put in that work. I don’t just do it because I feel I have to I do it because I want to. I could just coast in life and in wrestling like you have Kale. Maybe it’s the easy going Australian attitude you have. Maybe it’s the lifestyle. You won the Blast from the past right at the beginning of may. And almost two months will have passed by the time we step in the ring at Into the void. And in that time, a time when you should have been constantly busting your ass and putting in the work needed to be a champion, so that when you did get in the ring with me you’d be ready you just...you just coasted...you crumbled…”
“Did the opposite of everything you should have and I’m not saying you’re a bad wrestler or you’d be a bad champion. You are talented, you are a great athlete. And you would be a good champion…”
“Good...champion…”
“Good isn’t what this title needs. Good isn’t what this company needs Kale. I am what SCW needs right now. I am the face of the company along with Alicia. I am the one people look up to. When the top talents from around the wrestling world wonder where they should ply their trade they look at SCW and they look at me as the champion and it lures them in. Fans want to see what I can do and if my roll will keep going and if I can make one hundred days and keep beating the best of the best and if I do beat the next person, who is next up?. Who is the next challenger?. Who has the balls to face a man like me?.”
“I don’t think we’d get that with you.”
“But it’s up to you to prove me wrong Kale. And nI don;t want you to have the same knee jerk reaction that Ty did when I was being honest. Because I’m not trying to disrespect you. In fact I want you to prove me wrong. Like Fenris wanted me to prove him wrong and step up to him. I want you to prove me wrong because if you can and you do happen to beat me in that ring then I know I can come back stronger and try and get the title back and I know that the SCW will stay at the level Fenris set for it and I have kept it at since SCW returned….good luck Kale...you’ll need it”
