Forgive me not.
New York, New York.
Last Year.
He couldn’t believe it. He felt like he had been playing a game of cat and mouse. Chasing this motherfucker through Colorado, finding him the first time and threatening him, coming to an understanding and helping his sister to move on. Only for it to come right back and bite him in the ass. Finding out Amy's ex was not only alive but had another family and had paid to have Amy moved, that was bad eno0ugh. But finding out her had spit in Austins face with his offer and contacted her?.
That caused Austin to change tact, to look for Xavier again, and this time make sure he understood.
But never in his wildest dreams when he contacted Amanda Carr would he think he’d find Xavier so close back in New York. But here he was, sitting right outside an apartment building across the road from Austin and Lisa's apartment, the same apartment where Amy had been staying with her son. Austin promised Amanda he wasn’t going to let it get under his skin, to change him and allow him to do something he regretted. But the last few days, since he travelled back from Colorado and had time to think. Well, Austin was now angrier than ever.
He opened the door and stepped out onto the street, a long deep breath sucked in as he watched Xavier move from the building.; He turned to walk down towards the small corner market. Austin had no idea why he would do this, what he hoped to accomplish. But he was damn sure going to find out. Xavier walked in, Austin moved and turned down a corner into a small alleyway next to the market. He pulled the hood up from his sweatshirt. Xavier only moved at night.
This worked in Austin’s favor.
He took a deep breath and as Xavier walked back passed Austin made his move, he quickly moved out, wrapping his arm around Xavier’s throat and the other around his midsection easily lifting the smaller man into the shadows. In one movement he turned and spun Xavier sideways down the alley. Xavier went to call out, Austin placed a finger over his lips and then slowly pulled the hood back as Xavier backed up towards the brick wall behind him. Xavier’s jaw dropped and he shook his head. ”Austin!...hey whoa...what?...how did you find me?” The question evoked an urge from Austin, an answer that wasn’t just straight forward and true…
But one that would show he wasn’t screwing around. ”I told you didn’t I?” His voice was low and deep, his eyes stayed right on Xavier as he tilted his head, his long hair flowing down either side of his face. He towered over Xavier and he couldn’t help but feel the fear. Fear was good. ”I told you that you were to stay gone. I warned you, and it seems that you didn’t believe me.”
He stepped closer, Xavier put his hands up and took a few deep breaths. He swallowed hard and his nostrils flared. The paper bag full of groceries sat on the ground to the side, a few cans rolling out as Xavier ran out of room.
Austin stood right in front of him, a low growl coming from his chest as he looked down at Xavier, his hands balling into fists. ”Why did you contact her? And why, of all places, would you come here?” The question was simple enough, two things he needed to know, one of those things he warned Xavier Coates NOT to do.
Xavier swallowed hard and shook his head. ”What choice did I have?” He was still scared but he also seemed to try and push some sort of bass in his voice and authority in his body language. Something that greatly amused Austin. ”My wife found out, she saw the bank statements. She took my son away, left me….” His voice slowly turned into a whisper, but some venom behind it, his hands also clasped into fists like Austins. It seems they were bothy angry, for different reasons. ”You forced my hand….so I told Amy everything…”
Austin reached forward, unable to control himself grabbing Xavier by the throat and pushing him against the wall, the force almost lifting Xavier clear off the ground with one hand as he struggled to breathe. Austin leaned forward, his voice even more like an animalistic growl than before. ”You lied to her, you used her as a side piece until you got bored and went back to your fucking wife.” He let Xavier down but leaned in slamming him against the wall. ”She deserved better than that, her son, YOUR SON deserved better than that. But...I warned you to stay away, do the right thing..” Austin lost control, her turned and threw Xavier across the alleyway into the opposite wall, he hit the wall and landed with a thud, Austin stepped over and pulled Xavier back up again.
He hit him once, twice, a third time and Xavier put his hands up with blood trickling from his lip and under his eye.”I did love her I swear!, I was going to stay away!. But...I thought…”
”YOU THOUGHT WHAT?” Austins voice bellowed, his hand raised to strike him again.
Xavier cowered back. ”I thought I could be a good dad, get it right this time!” Austin stopped, he sighed heavily and looked over at his fist, his knuckles bruised and bleeding. His hand was shaking. He took a long, deep breath calming himself down before shaking his head.
His voice was calmer now, he stepped back and sighed. ”There is no coming back for you, not with Amy. But, go…..maybe you can meet someone else. Treat them right...start again…..but….” He looked back at Xavier, his eyes burning with anger. ”If I ever see you again...or hear from you again….I’ll make you fucking disappear…” Xavier looked up in terrifying fear, he gave Austin a nod and scrambled to his feet grabbing his groceries, tripping over his feet as he turned the corner away from him. Austin looked at his hands and closed them, a single tear rolling down his cheek.
The first step
His breathing was different. Deeper. Normally when Austin would get ready to cut a promo it would be a normal physical reaction. Normal breaths, normal feelings. But this time something was different. From his breathing pattern, to his body language. Even his voice dropped a few octaves as he started.
”Caleb Storms is a joke.
Strange way to start. Considering Caleb is not his opponent. Nor is he someone who Austin is actively chasing in any way shape or form.
”The internet championship too, is a joke. And while I can stomach a fellow SCW roster member looking like a complete moron, god knows we have more than one, the fact a championship I held and brought back to prominence is now a simple afterthought being passed around like a cheap whore at a bachelor party makes me sick. It is just indicative of how the wrestling world is viewed right now. Handing out participation trophies. So when someone like myself comes along and breaks that mold it doesn’t matter. Your accomplishments, accolades, championships, records, wins. All of it crumbles into dust because they are comparable to things that are HANDED to others.”
“The cold, hard facts are, that now, hard work means nothing in the professional wrestling business.”
“I worked hard from day one, not only having to prove my worth as a rookie in a cutthroat industry but also having to live up to the name I was born with as well as carve my own path. And I did. I came into professional wrestling, I worked hard and in doing so I have become a three time world champion. Yet, when I speak it falls on deaf ears. I’ve been here over a year now and I tried to give advice, to help uplift others and to show respect to everyone I faced no matter what kind of person they were or what kind of failure they really are.”
“I promoted the company, I did it on social media, I did it through Wolfslair, I did it through being on shows and making my opinions known. I did all that as the world champion. I did all that for Sin city wrestling. But now where are we? This company has become a haven for whiny, self entitled shitheads. We have a world champion who doesn’t care about honor and dignity. He doesn’t care about the company and bringing eyes to the product or keeping that title relevant. We have mixed tag team champions where one of them is so unfocused on those titles he may have to give them up if he beats said world champion…”
“We have a Roulette champion I didn’t give two shits about and had to actually look up because the guy who was the champion tucked his tail and left.”
“And we have the aforementioned Internet champion….”
Austin sarcastically claps, slowly and with a shake of his head, a small smirk of arrogance etched on his face.
”So, last week I attacked Caleb, I let out some of that aggression and anger to prove a point. And who should decide to stick his nose in my business?. Fenris. And, while part of me is happy to see him back, there is also another part of me that is now, broken. Broken because he was one of the few that I still had a shred of respect for. But, after seeing him come out to stand in the way of the beating Caleb Storms had coming, well, I never took Fenris as someone who would protect the beta males of the world.”
“Yet there he was.”
“So Fenris and I will deal with whatever issues we have as he makes his return to the ring against Bill Barnhart, and I step in the ring against newcomer Lincoln Daniels. Watch me shake in my little fuckin booties. I mean, think about this for a moment. I am a former Sin city wrestling world champion, A former internet champion, faced the biggest names in this company and just had a face off last week with one of the best world champions this company has ever had.”
“And I’m supposed to give two shits about some smiling newbie who looks like an over inflated balloon animal?”
“Really?”
“I’m sorry Lincoln, but my says of verbally building up an opponent to get the best out of them are long gone. See, a few months ago if you had faced me I would have welcomed you to Sin city wrestling, I would have sung your praises, I would have pointed out all those amazing positives you showed in your first match. I would have tried to help you….”
Austin closes his eyes, another smirk forming on his lips under his beard, his long hair framing his face as he folds his huge arms over his chest.
”Those days are long gone now. And while you may be impressive physically and may have a great career in SCW ahead of you, this week you’re facing the alpha male of the company. And a win over that skinny little bitch Miles Kasey isn’t going to impress me. See, I finally get what Alex has been trying to teach me over the last few years, nice guys finish last and respect for others only gets you so far. But fear? Fear is something that can be worked with. Fear is something that can be used as a tool. And so can people like you.”
“You can be used as a tool to send a message Lincoln. So you do have a purpose. You do have a use for someone like me and you should feel honored. The final show of the year, you get to face a former world champion and you get to be destroyed by a former world champion. And you will also be that all important first victory on my way back to championship glory. And here’s a scoop for you, something special to add a little flavor into our match. The title I’ll be going after...it’s not the Internet or Roulette..oh no..”
“I’m getting my world title back…”
“And to make sure people realise the extent to which I am willing to go, to make sure people also understand that I’m not playing by their rules anymore, I’m going to make a statement with you. I am going to beat you, but now just beat you and walk away Lincoln, that would be too easy. I am going to crush you, destroy you and then leave you a broken, bleeding mess in the middle of that ring. And you will be the first of many messages I send, and truth is...you might not be the only victim this week….”
“But….”
“That story is for another time, and another place. I’ll see you on Climax Control Mr Daniels….and despite it all...I wish you luck…”
