Thousands of people, Jen and women, young and old alike, travel to paradise every year from all across the world. And most, if not all, went for the very same reason; fun in the sun! The opportunity to get away from it all, the stress of every day life and simply relax back on the golden, sandy beaches and enjoy the sunshine and swim in those crystal clear waters.
Chrissi Ammos beach was no different. While scores of tourists flocked to not only soak up the sun and splash in the sea,but also to enjoy one another's company in the select restaurants and beach bars that offered up shade and amazing drinks. But then again we're not here about them, not really. Several of the touring Superstars and Bombshells of SCW were also taking some valuable time out of their schedules to simply relax and enjoy some rare time to themselves. Fenris, and those in his “inner circle” He affectionately refers to as his “pack,” are gathered on the beach known as the “Golden Sands.”
Dani and Aron, the brother of Fenris, were enjoying the warm weather to its fullest extent, lounging back on their towels, their heads e sting against small mounds of sand. Dani wore a black, pretzel bikini and Aron sported a black speedo that drew appreciative eyes in his direction -- one of whom was Bobbie Dahl, whom the group had dragged out from the confines of her hotel room. She wore a leopard print one piece and a pair of binoculars around her neck, the better to get a birds eye view of the random beefcake that strutted about, one of whom was Ty West who wore black, latex shorts and was laughing knee deep in the water, playing with Kyssa who splashed about with the innocence of a puppy at play. And the man himself?
Fenris was seemingly asleep, laying back just like Dani and his brother. Fenris was the more daring of their group, wearing just enough to be able to go out in public without the risk of arrest. Shades over his eyes, he wore a tiny, white speedo that complimented his tan perfectly and had put thoughts in Ty’s head of turning in early this evening.
Fenris had spent much of the week training, dragging the others along for the ride. But he had finally relented to the pressure of friends and family to take a couple of days to rest and recuperate. Any more training at this intense level and both Aron and Ty warned him he would burn himself out. So Fenris ‘allowed’ his friends and family to coerce him into taking at least two days for himself and for them, and they all made the most out of it.
Running parallel to the East Coast of Andros was the Andros Barrier reef, famous for its colorful underwater beauty, deep water sponges and the reef itself, in every natural hue of the rainbow. One could take to this area under the surface of the sea and go diving, and find yourself amidst sea creatures, such as stingrays, reef sharks, turtles, moray eels, and octipi. And the “Wolf Pack” was not one to turn away an adventurous challenge as Fenris led the group in an underwater scuba excursion, along with Ty, Aron, Dani and yes --- even Bobbie surprised her friends by donning the wet suit and having a go of it!
Blue Holes Blue Holes National Park
“Jan?” Ty said from the side of the boat that they had wafted across the surface of the blue hole, an expression of concern on his handsome face as Fenris was again in his scuba gear, ready for another adventure but this time, one that could be considered a hint more dangerous. He said, “Maybe this isn’t such a great idea?”
Ty had declined the adventure, as had Aron and Dani due to the danger and the rather sinister reputation of this particular outing. Diving in the Blue Hole was a pastime sought after by many adventurers, but unfortunately as stated by their underwater tour guide, not ever one made it out alive. Deep below in the caverns were bones of divers who did not make it back, and that was enough of a fact to keep Dani, Ty and Aron above water.
That, and the legends of the half squid, half shark creatures that dwelled at the deepest points of the cavernous holes.
Fenris sat on the edge of the boat, ready to fit the mask over his face when he frowned at his boyfriend and pointed out, “Going here was your idea!”
“Yeah but I never suggested you risk your life!”
Fenris just shook his head and rolled his eyes, snapping the mask on and said “We’ll be fine!” before he fell backward into the water.
Wait… ‘we?’
“Pussies.” Bobbie Dahl half joked as she fell backwards as well with a splash, joining him in the adventure.
The group then later found themselves at one of the street markets on Andros Island, buying souvenirs for friends and families back home. Poor Fenris absolutely hated shopping, even for groceries, but he had been out voted and dragged along semi-forcibly.
“What the fuck are you doing with that!?” Fenris scowled as Aron held up a shawl, an Androsia Batik, which are colorful island-made fabrics for sisters and moms.
“It’s for Mom.” Aron said simply, looking he colorful weave of joined fabrics in front of his eyes. “Might get one for Freyja too so long as I’m at it. Ty got one for his mom and Lora.” He nodded his head, indicating Ty in the distance, paying for his own purchases with the little man behind the counter.
Aron moved on further into the stall, but paused and saw from out of the corner of his eye his brother picking up two random ones himself, presumably for their other two sisters back home in Iceland. They were not close, and the bond was not there like their parents would have hoped, but recent events had helped ease some of the tensions of bridges having been burned so many years ago.
“Is he asleep?”
“Do you think it’s safe?”
Dani crept quietly toward the seemingly sleeping Fenris with a bucket of sand, ready to try and repeat her successful performance from two weeks prior. But as she stood over him and readied to dump the sand over his bare upper torso, his hand shot up and clasped her wrist, causing her to elicit a startled squeal of surprise.
“Don’t even think about it!” He warned, his eyes still hidden behind his shades but the tone of voice spoke of his sincerity, and a hint of bemusement that she would even dare try again. Dani put on her best, “Who, me?” face when there was a loud splash in the coast and a startled yelp. And a moment later, a soaking wet Kyssa came trotting up to her master with a soaked pair of blsckk, latex shorts in her mouth. She whined happily with her tail wagging, as all eyes turned, first to her, and then to the surf where a blushing Ty was waist deep, hidden, and still “shielding” himself with both hands!
Bobbie slipped a treat to a jolly Kyssa as Fenris grinned wickedly and he said in a husky voice, “Good girl!”
<HR>
If you've never been to Andros Island, the northernmost island of the Greek Cyclades archipelago has numerous beaches for the vacationing adventurer, and as varied as the vacationers that paid this island with a population of just over nine thousand. Some beaches were quite popular with tourists while others were remote and away from the casual soul. Some organized while others seemed wild. And while many had ease of access which drew tourists and locales alike for some fun in the sun, others were accessible only by boat.
Tis Grias to Pidima is one such beach, possibly the most popular on Andros if not one of the more remote. You will not arrive here and see any facilities, and visitors are advised to bring their own umbrellas as this beach has no natural shade to shield you from the sun's rays. What it did have was golden sand and crystal emerald waters, and towering cliffs, one of which stretched over sixty eight feet from the sea.
It was on this monolith of a cliff where sat a lone figure, the "White Wolf" of Sin City Wrestling; Fenris. He wore his favorite white cap on his head, the front shielding his eyes from the brightness of the afternoon sun, and while bare chested to allow his Nordic flesh to take on a bronze tan, he wore loose fitted, white shorts with the artistic emblem of a wolf's face on the front and sides, and his bare feet encased in flip flops. While he sat on a rocky surface of the cliff, he all but ignored the beach goers so far below him, enjoying the sand and the surf.
"Sometimes ever since I lost the World Championship, I've felt like I've been running in circles with no real direction in my career. When I was in EliteXL, things seemed simpler, if I'm going to be honest. You did not have fights on a weekly basis, but monthly. And sometimes not even that. Sometimes you would go longer if the fight was big enough money and to ensure both fighters were rested and recovered from any possible injuries that could spell disaster once we were in the cage. Get hurt too quickly and the fight was over, and what does that mean for the product and the money? It pretty much gets pissed down the drain, never to be seen again and the reputation of the fighter as well as the fighting promotion is sunk for the time being. if it ever truly recovers. When I was a champion in MMA, I can remember times when promoters would have me go two or more months before a scheduled title fight or defense, wanting to make sure we were ready because let me tell you..."
Fenris nodded with a knowing look behind his eyes.
"...if you've never been into or watched Mixed Martial Arts, the fans are rabid. Loyal as fuck, but rabid! Wrestling is pretty much the same in that regard, but there are differences. There has always been debates with the fans over which is the more popular of the two contact sports, and I have my opinion, but that's not a debate I really feel like opening up to right now, because in case most of you haven't noticed, I have bigger things to be focused on right now."
"When I was in MMA, fights, title or not, were further between and I think that is a fact that makes the worldwide rosters look deeper. When Gabriel and Odette first introduced me to Mark Ward and Christian Underwood, and I got to know their promotion SCW, I was thrown for a loop! I looked at their roster page and couldn't believe that there were so many men and women under one roof, all at the same time and in the same place! And the rosters, then and now, were numerous and from everywhere across the world! The States, England, Canada... Jesus! Back in my MMA days, if they wanted me to fight someone from Japan or South Africa that was signed to their rosters, nine times out of ten I had to go to that fighter's country, not the other way around! And the same when their management wanted them to fight me! I was based in the States even then, but if they wanted to fight me for contention or for my championship, they came to me. Not the other way around! But there I was, seeing all these names and countries represented, all under one roof."
He held his arms out and blinked with wide eyes, explaining as best he could.
"I was fucking floored, let me tell you! But as I've found out, it also had something of a negative effect, at least to me. With that many varied opponents all in one place, over the course of time, how many times could you compete as often as you wanted before you found yourself facing the same opponent time and again? I told Gabriel and now Aron, that I wanted my opposition to be as varied as possible, although I wasn't objecting to rematches against familiar faces if the need arose. My concern was how would I learn anything new by facing the same man in the ring over and over? Thankfully, this really hasn't been the case, and those I have faced more than once, I was lucky enough that they kept me on edge enough that I learned something from them and knew how to counter it. If not for the competition in the ring, then what the hell is the point?"
Fenris held up his hand and counted off his fingers.
Ty. Acquin. Vinnie. Austin. Yes, you Caleb! I've faced these and a few others more than once and I'm pretty god damn proud to say only fell in defeat once. But they gave me a fight each and every time! But for a long time, I had something else to fight for. I had the World Championship. I had something to live up to and even facing the same challenger, I knew they'd bring more this time than the last because they would not want to fall twice. Now that I'm not the champion?"
He shrugged casually.
"I just feel like I'm going in circles, waiting for the next opponent to step up. I don't need the World title, because I already proved I am what that championship represents; the best. And I know there are a number of people who simply didn't want me as a champion in SCW, but who the hell knows? Maybe someday..."
"For now? I know I finally got the match I've been waiting for since I set foot in SCW. I got Ben Jordan and on the biggest show of the year."
He smiled, eyes closed and gave a slight shake of the head in pure pleasure and satisfaction.
"Couldn't be happier about that, but what I have coming up next? What I have right before that match with Ben? This is the type of match any fighter worth his own reputation waits for. This is the opponent any man who really wants to test himself and prove he is the best wants! It's hard to explain because there have been a number of guys who took me to the fucking limit and beat the shit out of me! And Austin James Mercer? So far he's the only one who was able to take it that extra step and pin me. He beat me. It hadn't happened before, and it hasn't happened since. But guys like him and Jake Raab who busted me up like no other? They fought me. They earned my respect which as anyone who knows me will tell you, it's not a simple task."
"And then there's "Bulldog" Bill Barnhart. The man the bookers put in front of me this weekend. Now I admit I was fucking ignorant when I first entered this sport. I didn't know the ring announcer from the broadcasters, and I was taken to task for that ignorance more than once! Case in point; Alex Jones! Not knowing who that man is was a god damned joke I won't ever live down, but I learned who he was, and he me. And that is not a mistake I wanted ever to happen again, especially where "Bulldog" is concerned."
"Even in Iceland, we know Kevin Bacon and that stupid fucking game of Six Degrees. But look where we are right now with Barnhart and myself. And it all goes back to another wrestling promotion, the Asylum Wrestling Alliance."
Fenris nodded knowingly with his eyes wider than normal.
"Right? That's going back a fair few years, isn't it Bulldog? Now you might not know this, and I'm hoping it comes as a surprise to you because hey! What fighter doesn't enjoy catching his opponent off guard for an advantage? Remember your time in AWA, Bulldog? Remember the names Gabriel and Despayre? Two names that showed up in the AWA in the late 2000s and quickly became household names? Rookies who usurped the status of the veterans by becoming two of the most celebrated stars in the AWA? Two young men who started their own personal dynasty and became one of the greatest tag teams in memory? World Tag Team Championship. Singles championships. Gabriel and Despayre did it all in AWA."
He leaned in closer toward the camera.
"Including train me."
"You heard me, Bulldog. The very same Gabriel Stevens from the AWA is the man who took an MMA fighter and grafted his fighting style and skills to be suited for the wrestling ring! Now records are a little spotty, but you? You faced Gabriel and Despayre in AWA, didn't you? At least once. If you knew then what you'll know soon enough,, would you have done anything different? Would you have looked ahead and seen Gabriel as a maker of stars? Because that's exactly what the man is!"
He held up his hand once again.
"Evie Baang! Devona! Dani Weston! Myself!... All names known in SCW. All names trained by Gabriel and his wife Odette. And each and every one a superstar and champion! Evie and myself? I'd like to think of us as his star pupils, and wonder of fucking wonders! Here you get that star pupil, Bulldog, this Sunday! Right here in Andros!"
He swept both arms open to emphasize just where they were on the island of Andros.
"That's just got to blow your mind, right? A blast from the past, to borrow a phrase from SCW itself! A man you once had even the smallest piece of history with, responsible now for the training and career of the man who you're about to face! Now I know I seem confident, and shit! Why shouldn't I be? But Gabriel called me the moment this match was announced and told me that he would personally kick my ass if I lost because I underestimated you and overestimated myself!"
Fenris smiled and shook his head.
"Not happening! The losing part, that is! And maybe the underestimating you. I never overestimate myself -- I know how damn good I am in that ring! But you, Bulldog? Aron had Gabriel bring up some valuable footage from the AWA and while everyone else was using this tour to vacation and fuck off, I did what I always do. I trained. I used that footage to actually research and DAMN! You really are one tough old son of a bitch, aren't you? AWA Universal! AWA International! AWA United States! And AWA World Tag Team titles! Fucking A, you held them all! What they call the Grand Slam! An impressive feat. It shows just what you were capable of. But the question remains..."
"Are you still capable of that, now? Let's face facts, Bulldog. You're not exactly my age. You're not going to be one of those wrestlers I hear jokes about who are in their sixties and seventies and still refusing to hang the wrestling tights up?"
He held a hand up.
"I kid.... a little. No disrespect intended. But here Bulldog is where shit gets real. I hear you have a big match coming up at High Stakes IX, a chance for the Roulette Championship. Impressive, and I can honestly say that if Teddy is still the champion in Hawaii, then I hope to fucking god you pound his girly ass into pinky white paste and take that title for your own, and add it to your already glutted resume! It's a chance you've waited for ever since you signed to SCW, determined to show the rest of us that it's your yard."
This is the part where Fenris's smile turns only a hint brittle. He shook his head.
"But that's just it, Bulldog. It's not your yard."
He tapped a forefinger in between his bare pectorals.
"It's mine. I may not be the World Champion right now, but SCW has always been and always will be MY yard! And as impressive an animal as a bulldog is, there's not a bulldog anywhere that can stand against a wolf without being torn apart! Wolves, you see, are a very territorial animal by its nature, Bulldog, and you are facing the biggest and baddest Wolf in SCW. The six-sided ring? That is the territory of the 'White Wolf' and when someone sets foot in my home turf? I defend it? I meet that challenge, tooth for claw! Because in all your time in this sport, against men from Gabriel to Despayre to even names like Goth and Chris Shipman, you have never set foot in the ring with someone like me before."
"Gabriel taught me literally everything I know about this business and how the politics play inside of that ring. He taught me how best to use my experience in MMA to incorporate into a winning strategy and shit! It must have worked because look at me now! Me made me into something completely out of this world and unique! He taught me that so many opponents like to treat this sport like a child and play mind games to fuck with their opponents' mindset and get them to lose their temper and stray from their strategies. But here's the thing about that, Bulldog... that has never been a problem for me. I don't know if you're the kind of ring veteran who likes to play mind games, who fancies himself a master manipulator and get into the head of your opponents, but losing my temper?"
He shook his head and a soft laugh escaped from his lips.
"That's never been a problem for me because when I do lose it, I also know how to let it not be used against me! I know how to take that anger that an opponent caused and use it against him and beat him into the ground even harder! All that anger does, is make me want to hurt that poor bastard who caused it to happen in the first place! Take him down and make him cry until he can't take it any longer and he has to tap out to make me stop hurting him Just ask Teddy Warren."
Fenris contemplates for a moment, his head tilted just a hint to the right.
"Well, I didn't make him cry uncle so much as I knocked him out cold. But is that you, Bulldog? That's the question. Somehow..."
He shook his head.
"I don't think it is. You look to me more the type of traditional 'tough guy' who just likes to go into that ring, lay a hurting on your opponent old-school style and don't stop until you either win or you just can't go any longer. And that is what I can respect the most out of you! But don't think that respect is going to be in anyway some form of protection against me. There have been a long line of men in SCW I respect, names I already mentioned and I'd like to think I earned theirs in return. And while we respect each other, it wouldn't stop us from using everything we know and beyond to stop the other from walking out the winner."
Fenris drew his knees up and leaned into the camera.
"And I do plan on winning, Bulldog. Because while I may not have a world title match a=in Hawaii, or even a shot at the Roulette title like you do, I have the next best thing. I have Ben Jordan, and right now, to me? That is equal to any chance at championship gold!! And I am not about to add that second loss to my record right before I have the match I have been asking for, for over a year! And who knows? Once I beat you, and if you happen to win at High Stakes IX? Maybe I'll come into your yard and make it two for two!"
Fenris then slipped a pair of shades over his eyes and returned his attention to the sun over the sea's waves.
