While I was learning to live, we all were living a lie- I guess you got what you wanted
So I will settle for a slaughterhouse soaked in blood and betrayal
It’s always somebody else… somebody else was me- you want the real smile?
Or the one I used to practice, not to feel like a failure?
I don’t need you to do it for me/I don’t need you to understand
Betrayal
Off Camera
New York City
5 Years Ago
It hit him hard in the stomach, harder than any punch or kick every could. He stepped through the large glass doors and saw them, his half-sister Amy, their father Christian. Talking, explaining, yelling. He had asked Amy not to see Christian, she had agreed and promised. She had even said she would stay in the apartment because she was scared of the outside world. The agoraphobia was a lie, staying away from Christian was too. Had her promises and pleads of innocence been too?. Christian had looked at Austin from across the room, reading his son with ease, shooting back a glare of arrogance and knowing. He knew how to play Austin like a fiddle.
He turned and walked away out of the office, to the elevator and as the door was about to close a slender hand shot between the large metal doors stopping them from closing, Amy slid in the pressed the button to close them. She turned to say something but saw the look in Austin's eyes, his head shaking as he looked away. The silence between them was only broken by the horrible music. Amy seemed to be building up the confidence to say something, anything. But as she turned to open her mouth the high pitched ding o0f the elevator stopping at a floor interrupted her as two men got on.
They gave Austin a nod and stood in front of them, Amy suddenly reached over, white as a ghost and grabbed Austin's hand, he looked down confused, in his hurt almost telling her to let go, until he saw it. His eyes trailed to the same area Amy’s had. The two men in front of them, under the suits, under the cuffs of the white shirts, the light blue color of orderly scrubs. He had seen them before. From Briarcliff. ”No” Austin let the word out under his breath, the elevator made it to the ground floor. The doors opened and three other men were there, not dressed in suits to keep up the ruse. The two men in suits turned pushing Austin against the back of the elevator as the other three grabbed Amy.
”No!, Austin!...AUSTIN DON’T LET THEM TAKE ME BACK!” Amy kicked and screamed as the others grabbed her, Austin stood in silence as he noticed his father come from the side, his face full of sadness as he looked over at his daughter, then to Austin with a small nod, Austin's chest heaved as Amy’s pleads echoed in his ears. His head ached and then, before he knew what he was doing, he looked up and focused, his six foot six frame bursting forward throwing both the men off him with ease. ”Austin!” His father’s voice bellowed, but Austin had enough grabbing one of the men by the back of the neck ramming him headfirst into the black marble splashback, throwing his head forward into the jaw of another, Amy turned and kicked the last one in the crotch.
Austin looked at Amy and held out his hand. ”Come on…” She gave him a nod taking his hand firmly. Austin went to storm out onto the street but stopped turning back to Christian. ”You send them after me and you’ll be bailing me out of prison...and I’ll go public...about everything…” He leaned in closer so only he and his father could hear. ”And I mean everything.”
Amy tugged on Austin's hand pulling him away, Christian sneered and gave his son a small nod as they turned and made their way out onto the street running towards the subway. Austin now understood what and who the real betrayer was.
”I’m sorry…”
Amy’s voice was low and under her breath which seemed labored. Austin turned as they sat down on the train heading away from their father. He sighed deeply and put an arm around his older sister. ”Now...I’m sorry Amy….I told you...I’ll protect you…”
Raab one out.
On Camera
New York, New York
Present Day
”Winning, is a habit.”
Austin's hands were locked together, his long hair tied back as he wore a tight-fitting black and red work out top, the sleeves cut off as all they did was hinder his movements.
”It’s a habit that once you get into is hard to break, losing is the same and whatever path you take will always be one that will become more and more difficult to deviate from the longer you move down upon it. This is something that my father taught me, something he engrained in me. And while he and I didn’t see eye to eye when I was younger in the last6 year of his life I finally started to understand him. I understood the mindset he had. See, my dad, he could have been one of the biggest names in this business. He could have taken that small amount of in-ring success he had when he was in his twenties and could have followed that path to greatness and he would have reminded the wrestling world that the name MERCER carried weight.”
“But, that message would have to wait until I stepped in the ring. And now that message is something that I try and instill into students and anyone I talk to.”
“To have good habits, to have that determination and to be able to look at yourself and see that if you do start to lose, if you feel that becoming a habit, you break it. It was part of a movement I had been a part of when I was in WWH. I told them all I was going to break the system. But, that system broke me, because it was corrupt.”
“Honor and now SCW on the other hand. I have never felt more at home and I don’t just mean that because I am the SCW world champion, no….I mean that because this is a place that truly rewards winners and gives opportunities.”
Austin smiles and nods slowly, his boyish grin shining through his beard and piercing blue eyes. His wife Lisa steps in from the side, her heavily tattooed arms holding out their baby daughter for Austin to take in his arms with eagerness and love. Their son Markus tugging on his mother's hand getting her attention.
”Some opportunities are more important than others and were earned with harder obstacles. Take Kale Smith. He earned a title opportunity through a tournament where he was saddled with a spoiled arrogant brat as a partner. And he still got through, he still rose to the top and then challenged me at Into the void. And even though I was the one who came out victorious, even though I kept the title. Kale Smith still proved himself worthy.”
He smiles at his baby daughter Mia.
”And then look at my own road and journey. I won a title opportunity in Honor, SCW let me cash it in and I clai9med the Honor title therefor earning me a shot at Fenris. I had my title stolen from me and the person who stole it, Jake Raab, my opponent this week, went against Fenris and failed. He then got himself into a losing habit, while I rose up and faced Fenris myself, And through one of the biggest tests of my career, I was able to prevail. I was the one who dethroned one of the best champions SCW has ever seen. And now my goal is to become the best champion this company has ever had. To be better than Fenris, better than Kristopher Ryans, better than J2H. And to do that I just have to keep winning and keep facing every single challenge that is put in front of me and that brings me to Jake Raab….”
“Now, Jake and I do not like each other, I have my opinions on him and while I am fine with defending MY title against anyone at any time the fact Jake Raab has a title shot over Ty or Fenris getting another chance makes me sick. See Vinnie is also floating around but he has a shot he earned. Ty West has been killing it since returning and he should also get another shot. Fenris never had his one on one go and you damn well better believe I would love to face him again.”
“Hell Griffin Hawkins and Lachlan Kane would also be lined up as better opponents based off the heart they have but instead I have to go against Jake Raab all because he was able to beat Vinnie…”
“I thought you had broken your losing ways Raab, but then you stepped in the ring against Kedron and got shown for exactly what you are. A snake, with a horseshoe, shoved up his ass, a rabbit's foot tied to his balls and a four-leaf clover in his mouth. But the problem Jake?. After all that, the last few weeks of a win here, a loss there, all roads lead to me. You might be sitting there licking your lips about to tell the world how you “learned” from you past mistakes and you’re a better wrestler now, rinse and repeat. It’s all you ever say, it’s all you ever do. You apologize for who you were and promise us that you’ll be better and do better and live up to your last name…”
Austin scoffs and holds Mia close.
”But you don’t. You don’t learn. You go and dabble in MMA and dabble in archery just like you dabble in wrestling. You don’t know who you are, you don’t know what you want to be and now you’re getting handed this opportunity on a silver platter against me for a title that you do not deserve, you have not earned and you have failed to get your hands on. And there is no Casey Williams for you to pin this time and sneak out with a title. And we all know what happens when you face me one on one don’t we Jake?”
“You fail.”
“You choke”
“You get flustered and you fall to the ground”
“Just like Konrad and Lord Raab before you.”
“And the saddest part Jake?. You do have talent. You have shown it by being able to beat people like Vinnie and hang with Fenris or me. But you’ll never...NEVER...be good enough to beat me or Fenris or Ty one on one with the attitude you have of not knowing who you are or apologizing for it. See, I'm respected, I show respect but I also tell the truth. I told Ty harsh truths and at the time he hated me for it but when he saw I was right he has come back better and stronger. Cause that is what a champion does. You get beaten, you dust yourself off and come back ready to murder the other person and you do not have that heart….”
“You’re not a champion.”
“You’re not a wrestler..”
“You just exist and SCW deserves a better champion than that...SCW deserves me….so I’ll see you at 242, I will put the SCW world title on the line but for the good of the company I have grown to love and the title I respect and a reign I want to be proud of...I will have to break you and beat you….to teach you a lesson..”
