There was a reason why few people would openly complain about the arrangements made for the stars of SCW, SCU and GRIME alike to stay at the Saxon Hotel for the duration of this quarantine period; it was luxury personified. All amenities, all services such as housekeeping and twenty-four hour room service remained open for use, just as if it were any other period of stay such as the tourist season and not a time of self isolation. The rooms were spacious and comfortable, from the suites where the champions and bosses stayed, and so on down. A roof-top nightclub that had to be seen to be believed, and a gym that would satisfy many a professional athlete.
There was simply no reason to complain or balk at the offered accommodations, as the staff of the hotel treated the men and women staying there for the foreseeable future like they were movie stars, waiting on them eagerly hand and foot. But it was still isolation, and with few small exceptions, the men and women here were warned against leaving for any unnecessary reasons. They could leave for short periods of time to fulfill their needs, whether it be a quick trip to the grocery for personal items, to take their pets for a walk, or simply to get a breath of fresh air. They were by no means prisoners.
Some simply felt like it.
Kristjan Baltasarsson, known to the SCW universe as Fenris, lived with his brother Aron and his canine companion Kyssa not too far away from here actually at Turnberry Towers not far from the famed Vegas Strip. But the brothers wanted to be safe, and wanted their peers to be, so being good sports, they were among the first to move into the Saxon Hotel for the duration, sharing a comfortable room with two beds. It was a far cry from the condominium that was over 1600 square feet of (mostly) open space. And given Fenris had never in memory been comfortable in narrow spaces, nooks and crannies, the vast difference in open space was one he struggled with but refused to complain or throw in the proverbial towel and go home.
The man himself was lounging back on the bed he had taken for his own, clad in loose shorts and a muscle shirt. The bed was disheveled at this hour as the housekeeping service had not made its rounds on his floor yet, and you know he couldn’t be bothered doing it himself! Perish the thought! He had already been on the roof for a breath of fresh air, even without the nightclub being closed. He had let Aron take the turn of walking Kyssa so his brother could get some time out of the hotel and his baby girl could get her daily exercise. So this left him to other devices to entertain and amuse himself.
“Aw, and you called me!” The young woman who has come to be known as Willow smiled from the other side of the video chat session in her apartment in California. None of Kristjan’s limited circle really knew this woman, save for Aron himself and of course, Dani Weston. But she had clearly had enough of an impact on Kristjan’s life that he had kept in contact with her, and before this pandemic, had even sought to spend time with her every now and then. Just like with Dani, he had come to be jokingly referred to as her Knight in Shining Armor for the time he had rescued her from an abusive boyfriend, and the pair simply clicked.
Willow said, “I’m sure it’s not as bad as you’re making it out to be.”
“It’s worse! If we don’t go to the shows or the gym, it’s pretty much just here at the hotel.” Kristjan said with a tone of voice that would brook no argument. Yet this did not seem to have much, if any, effect on this young woman who took it all in stride, like most of his closest friends and family did.
“Where you have all your meals provided and your room cleaned for you.” She leaned forward and made a pitiful face. “You poor thing! If I could reach through this computer, I’d pinch your cheeks in sympathy!”
“And I would bite them off if you tried!” He retorted, but the smile on her face and the upturned curve on his own lips testified to the jest behind the so-called threat.
Willow then said in an effort to stroke his (massive) ego, “I know it’s uncomfortable and you don’t seem the type to like or appreciate change, but at least you’re doing what’s best for you and the men and women you work with?”
He yielded to this logic with a nod, then scoffed to say, “Which is more than I can say for some!”
“What do you mean?”
“Probably ninety-five percent of us are staying at the hotel and following the guidelines the bosses set up!” Fenris frowned. “But there are a few selfish assholes who think the rules don’t or shouldn’t apply to them. Or they just assume they’ll be fine without worrying or considering going back and forth between their home and the places we wrestle risks infecting the rest of us, even if they test negative!”
“Seriously?” Willow frowned at the utter lack of care or consideration by these people who she didn't even know. Kristjan held up a hand and counted off on his fingers as his eyes remained on her. “Candy is one of them! Kris Ryans is another but he just came back so might change his mind. Who the hell knows? Roxi and Keira aren’t as sneaky as they think! There isn’t a person in this hotel that doesn’t know they sneak out to go back home! And don’t even bring up Mikah!”
Willow held up both hands, saying, “I wasn’t going to.” She then frowned and leaned in slightly. “Who?” Causing Kristjan to snort back a held in laugh.
He said, “Woman doesn’t even wrestle here anymore but she shows up for no other reason than to bug Mark Ward, flirt with Kris and waste camera time! If she’s not an employee, I don’t get why the fuck they even let her in the damn building when it risks each and every one of us!”
“Maybe that’s something you should be talking to that Mark Ward fella?” Willow shrugged, and Kristjan nodded, “Maybe.” Knowing full well that Mark was one of those rare bosses with an open door policy and who would not just listen to those who worked for him, but take their concerns into serious consideration.
“Shit…” Kristjan muttered as he cast a glance to the side of his laptop screen seeing another call coming in for a video chat request.
“What is it?” Willow asked from her end, and he answered, “My dad is calling. He never calls.”
“Probably just wants to check on his boys.” Willow smiled.
“He usually leaves the emotional stuff for our Mother.” Kristjan said in jest. Oh sure, Benedikt had his ways when it came to showing his sons love and support. That just so happened to be Eva’s specialty and their Father knew when to leave matters to an expert.
“Well you don’t want to keep your dad waiting.” Willow smiled. “It might be important. Call me this weekend?”
Fenris simply nodded, and neither said goodbye openly. Willow simply waved. Kristjan winked. And the call was ended. He then clicked ‘accept’ to speak to his father, and the moment the video feed played, Kristjan knew that something was wrong. There were dark circles under Benedikt’s eyes, and he had a worried, almost haggard look on his still-handsome features.
“Where’s your brother?” Was the first thing out of Benedikt’s mouth, to which Kristjan quipped, “Hello to you too.” But the look on his dad’s face told Kristjan that this was far from being the right time to be either sarcastic or witty. Something was not right.
“He’s out walking Kyssa.” Kristjan answered, and Benedikt closed his eyes and exhaled a breath he perhaps had not even realized he had been holding in.
“Damn it. I was hoping to break this to you boys together, but you’re going to have to tell your brother the news.”
“You’re not exactly making me feel confident here.” Kristjan stated, then frowned and nodded his head for his dad to go on. “What’s going on?”
Benedikt said, “I don’t know how else to say this other than to just spit it out.” He looked up at the screen and into his son’s gaze. “Freyja was diagnosed positive for the Coronavirus.”
Kristjan sat there, dumbfounded. He stared at the screen for an undetermined amount of time, as if he wasn’t certain that he had heard correctly or was simply trying to process the impossible in his mind. Not Freyja, sweet, little Freyja. All Kristjan could do was frown, shake his head and ask for clarification, “What?”
Benedikt answered, “She hadn’t been feeling well the past week. Your Mother and I thought it was because she was putting in too much time at the soup kitchen. We made her take a few extra days off but she wasn't getting better so she went to see Doctor Jónsdóttir. She confirmed it, Freyja tested positive.”
“... Fuck….” Kristjan cursed, turning his head away and covering the lower half of his face with his hand as he desperately sought to process this terrible news in regards to his beloved baby sister.
“Aron and I will be home by the weekend..” Kristjan started to say but Benedikt cut him off before he could even finish the sentence, holding his hand up and stating, “Don’t.”
“What? Why not??”
“Son, you wouldn’t be able to see her.” Benedikt answered. “You know that. You have responsibilities there for now. Your mother and I expect you and your brother to fulfill them.”
“I think my sister is more important!”
“And she is being taken care of. She’s at the cabin for the next two weeks. If anything happens, we’ll call you. But for now we want you and Aron to stay where you’re safer.”
“Safer?” Fenris raised his brow. “Are you kidding? This country’s response to this shit has been a fucking joke!” His father frowned at the open use of the foul language but Kristjan nevertheless persisted. “You have people storming city hall here with guns protesting the safety measures that are keeping them alive! They’re whining and bitching about being told to stay home because they want a night out with friends at some restaurant or they want a goddamn haircut! They’re bitching that all of this is either a hoax or infringing on their rights to go out and get sick or get others sick! This country is filled with entitled snowflakes!”
“My point exactly.” Benedikt said, trying to collect himself over the stress he had been going through as the family patriarch. “But you know the restrictions Iceland put into effect to deal with this virus. Plus your sisters, Mother and I have all been exposed. For right now, you and your brother are safe where you are.” Benedikt stressed. “And your Mother and I owe much thanks for that to those men you work for. But if you come back to Reykjavík, you’re risking more exposure to yourself and to your brother on the way to the airport, at the airport, and the trip itself!” Kristjan starts to argue but his father is one of the few able to silence him quickly and effectively. “Just … do as your Mother and I say, alright?”
“I do not like this.” Kristjan growled, and his dad could do nothing else but sigh. “None of us do. Freyja has her laptop, so if you want to talk to her, you can. But just stay put for now. Your Mother and I will call you if we need you.”
All Kristjan did was nod in the affirmative, a gesture Benedikt returned in kind before ending the call. Kristjan relaxed back against the headboard and simply sat and stared, his mind in utter turmoil over the news that had just been dumped in his lap.
“Fuck!” He suddenly shouted, and his free hand found the first thing that it could reach; a decorative sculpture on the night stand beside his bed and he hurled it across the room, shattering it against the wall!
And there stood Aron in the open door frame of the room, a startled expression on his face and Kyssa’s leash in hand.
“What’s going on?” Aron asked...
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is where we pick up from where Ben Jordan left off for us. Makes sense, doesn't it? To tag between roleplays for a tag team match? So I hope you read Ben’s first, otherwise we look quite the silly.
But as Ben waited patiently, continuing to jog on the treadmill at a steady pace, he cast a sidelong glance toward one of his most unlikely of friends and felt something hard and cold well up in the pit of his stomach. Fenris did not answer him. He did not even start jogging. He was simply standing on the treadmill, staring at the controls with a troubled expression on his face.
“Mate?” Ben chose to initiate the conversation. “What is it?”
While most men, hell, most people, would have stopped their workout to engage in a conversation like this, Fenris was not most people. He dogged gyms with his workouts and was like a man possessed in the desire to be the very best, and perhaps at least for this time, it was also to help him focus his mind off of things he had no control over. So his workout on the treadmill continued on as he said, “My sister tested positive.” That was it. No more need be explained as the implications were clear.
And Ben being who he was, was immediately sympathetic as he asked, “Which sister?” Knowing that his friend had three sisters. But it was like he already knew, given the man’s current mental state.
“Freyja.”
“Aw mate, no!” Ben immediately stopped his treadmill, while Fenris did not. His reaction was meant as no slight toward his other two sisters, the two older ones Fenris did not get along with. It was more to the fact that he had met the darling when he ventured to Iceland in December of last year to bring Kristjan back to the States, and she indeed was the sweetheart her brother professed her to be. She even lent him a hand, literally helping to push her eldest brother out the front door so the two men could go out and have those drinks that brought them to a better understanding of the other.
Ben turned to him and his hand rested on the handle bars, watching his friend for any sign he might be in need. Fenris hid his feelings well, better than most people Ben knew, but he also knew the man well enough to know that he was not as cool internally as he was on the outside. All Ben could ask was, “How?”
“She volunteers at a soup kitchen.” Was the answer. “Some fucker waited until after he ate before he let them know he had tested positive and wanted to get a meal before he self isolated. Selfish prick exposed all those people just because he was hungry!”
Ben closed his eyes and shook his head in disbelief, despite the fact that the selfish nature of man really wasn’t all that big of a surprise. And the fact the girl had risked exposure just to help people in need spoke highly of Kristjan’s sister.
“I’m sorry.” Was all he could say. What could you say? Fenris shook his head and went on, saying, “All I could think was why Freyja? Why the nice one? The innocent one?”He held up a hand to state, “Not that I would want it to be any of my family. I just … don’t get why it had to be her.”
Ben gave him all the time he needed, as what Fenris was going through pretty much trumped the things running through his own mind. There was a hard chuckle and Fenris finally said, “Reminds me when I was a kid and my mom had these two cats… God I hated those two cats, but even I had to admit that one behaved like this little angel. The other was hell on four paws! Well the little angel got really sick and my parents had to put him down. That just about did in my mom at the time. She loved both of those cats equally, and didn’t want to see either one hurt or sick, but she just couldn't fathom why it had to be her little sweety.”
“Sad fact of life, mate.” Ben sighed. Animal or human, the lesson in life was always the same; “Sometimes bad things happen to good people.”
Fenris scoffed in agreement, nodding his head. That was when Ben reasoned, “At least your sister is young -- healthy…”
“She has asthma, Ben.” Fenris finally paused his treadmill and rested his forearms against the front. “Bronchial issues. Hardly a winter passes in Iceland where she doesn’t catch bronchitis. Is why Gabriel started bringing the family out for Christmas. Help give the girl some semblance of relief.” He finally turned his head just enough to look at his friend and he said, “She’s one of the chief risks.”
Ben closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. That spoke volumes and not in a good way. Fenris’s baby sister was at great risk of losing her life because of her pre-existing health conditions. And he could tell it scared Kristjan, the thought of losing his little Freyja. Ben finally opened his eyes and asked, “So what happens now? Are you going back to Iceland?”
“A and I want to, but for the most part my family forbade it.” At Ben's look of incomprehension, Fenris explained. “Iceland issued strict edicts as far back as February to fight this shit. If A and I flew home, we'd be forcibly quarantined for two weeks at arrival. Our entire family has been exposed so my Dad thinks it'd be pointless to panic and rush home when we wouldn't get to see them until the worst was over.”
“Man makes sense.” Ben offered, to which Fenris yielded a nod. “Maybe.”He said. “Ice have a decision to make either way.”
“How so?”
“Any citizen traveling abroad is encouraged to return home. I don't know where A and I fit into that as we're not ‘traveling.’ We’re working.”
“So what are you thinking?” Ben asked.
“I think,” Fenris started, turning to address his friend directly. “A and I have a decision to make.”
There were few places in the Saxon Hotel where someone could go to get a little ‘alone time.’ The gym? There were always a number of people there? The library or lobby? No. Boredom is enough to even make readers out of professional wrestlers! Perhaps the rooftop club -- the hell with that! That’s the last place someone wanting to be alone would go! Especially where wrestlers were concerned!
Which was why Fenris sat huddled in a darkened hallway at this late hour, seated on the window ledge with his knees drawn up against his chest and arms wrapped around his bent legs. This was the perfect hour, as most of his peers were elsewhere; in their rooms or at the club. Rumor has it Daniel Morgan was hosting another poker game! But Fenris’s mind was on personal matters, with a touch of business at hand. His blue eyes looked out into the night life, or lack thereof, of Las Vegas.
“You know, there has been one good thing to come out of this isolation that we've been put on. It's giving me a lot of time to think. Now if my brother will kindly stop laughing, I can explain. I won't even bother trying to insult anyone's intelligence and claim to be some sort of intellectual. I’m not some sort of philosopher who tries to unravel the mysteries of the Universe. That’s for the gods to do in their own time. But I have my theories, and I have my beliefs, and here is one; In this whole, wide, wicked world, I’m coming to realize that there is really only one universal truth; that sometimes bad things happen to good people. It doesn't matter whether or not a person lived a life of virtue. Call it fate, call it chance, it really doesn't matter. This world has a twisted and sick sense of humor where the good are punished, while those with wicked hearts are constantly rewarded.”
“Now trust me when I say that I am going somewhere with this. Because the Norn, in their infinite wisdom, seems to have placed me on a unique path, one of which I very seldom find myself on in my professional career. I’ve made it known now and then how I feel about tag team matches -- usually when I find myself booked in one. So I really don’t feel the need to repeat myself yet again and bore anyone watching. Suffice to say -- I dislike them. Immensely! But this week, as I make the return home to the GO Gym for Climax Control, lo and behold I find myself in that rare spot; a tag team match. And you know something? For once, I’m not as bothered by the fact. I’ve been teamed with notable names like Courtney Pierce, Kris Ryans and Ty West. And this time I find myself with familiar surroundings in familiar territory. Because my partner this time around is not just one of the few people I can call a friend, he is also the reigning World Heavyweight Champion -- Ben Jordan.”
“Now, if that wasn’t enough to make me feel good about my chances of walking out a winner in this match, I have something even better. The two men on the opposite side? Both men that I’ve faced one-on-one, and both men who I beat in those previous encounters. Ironic that out of the three other men in this match, the one who I have been unable to beat is my own partner. It’s strangely fitting. And speaking of Ben, he’s faced Jake Raab once before as well, and won a rather easy encounter if I have to be honest. And I have all the confidence in the world that when Ben has the chance to defend his title against Cross, his number one contender, it’s just going to be another win recorded for ‘the Cockney King!’”
“But enough about the past and the future, this is the now, and Ben and I find ourselves with the deck stacked in our favor in every conceivable way.”
“To Cross’s credit, he has his own credentials going into this match. He is the current SCU Underground Champion, and has been so for a considerable time. He’s beaten the best SCU has to offer, and he’s even worked his way up in the Blast From the Past to become the man targeting Ben Jordan’s World Championship. Let’s take a look Cross, at some of the men that you went up against; Teddy Warren, no surprise you beat him. Griffin Hawkins. Hell of a match but it wasn’t your arm that got raised after the bell rang. Caleb Storms. Your own partner, Jake Raab. And, of course, myself. And while you’ve proven that while you may not win every match, you can and will hang with the best. Our match? It was one of the ones I’m most proud of. It’s just a damn shame that it wasn’t for the World Championship because that would have been the only way we could have generated even more excitement!”
“But Mark, what others don’t seem to realize is that while you’ve walked away with the win the majority of your time in the big leagues, you have a pattern going for you where any of the SCW championships are concerned. You challenged for the Roulette title twice, and neither time did you walk away as a newly crowned champion. You made the attempt to win the vacant Internet title, and once again, fell just a little short. Now, you’ll be going up against Ben Jordan for the biggest prize of all, a prize I carried for over eight months! Do you see where I’m going with this, Mark? Because I really don’t feel like drawing you a picture and I don’t know how else to explain without coming across as an asshole!”
Fenris turned and looked into the camera.
“Shut it!”
“And then Jake Raab, there’s you. Now this is a unique spot because Jake here is a man that has drawn the ire of several people around him. Men who call him overrated or saying things like he can't back up his words with deeds when it counts. Men that I respect personally are saying this about another man that I respect. Some might think this backs me into a corner but nothing could be further from the truth. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, and if Raab has his detractors, so what? I don’t happen to be one of them!”
“And do you know why? Because I know what the man is capable of inside of the ring. I’ve been in there with him, I’ve fought him! I know he is determined. Does the fact his record on paper isn’t spotless mean anything? Fuck no! We don’t wrestle on paper! We wrestle in a ring and inside of the ring, Jake Raab has the potential to be a beast! A fact I know all too well because he was the first man I went up against that gave me as good as I got! He was in there with another MMA fighter, so he fought me like one. And that was the moment I grew to respect him.”
“Do any of you remember the condition I was left in after that match? Cross? Ben? Do you, Jake? I may have won, but nobody had ever before or since made me bleed the way that you did! Eye swollen shut. Nose and head bleeding like a god damned stuck pig! I think you even bruised a couple ribs. Best fight hands down I’d been in, and you all think I would come away the winner feeling respect for a man that took me to that limit!? Two words; Fuck that!”
“I do respect you, Raab. I respect both of the men that Ben and I are going up against this weekend. But… just not enough to take it easy or go light. That’s just not my style. I go in there and fight to win, because that’s simply what I do best. Jake, you were the only man with the BALLS to accept my open challenge, and you even sweetened the pot when you wanted our match to be an MMA fight! You and I are going to make a first IN SCW history, and nothing will be sweeter than to send you into our match with a loss, and a first hand account of what you got yourself into by asking for that!”
“Unless we’re talking about Cross dropping right before he gets his chance to dethrone Ben as King of the Mountain. You see lads, this is what I was talking about. This is where I was coming from with the whole bad things happening to good people. Cross and Raab? You’re both good people -- but nothing but bad things will be happening to you on Sunday!”
Fenris stood up and looked deeply into the camera.
“I’d apologize for what was about to happen, but it’s just not my style. So don't take offense at what's about to happen. But I have had a VERY bad week, and sometimes a man just needs to vent!”
And he walked off camera, leaving the closing shot of what lay outside of the Saxon Hotel...
