[Christian Underwood]

Please post all roleplays here! Have fun and good luck!

[TheLyonsDen]

THE LION AND THE DRAGON Pt. 1

Round two felt different, round two in SCW championship opportunities for the young Eddie Lyons, he felt more ready than he did against Peter Vaughn and after a win over BRADDOCK he had a ton of momentum on his side. Still, each of the athletes in that match all had their own goals to accomplish.

Miles Kasey, the new champion was likely looking to keep that newly won championship. Nobody wants to lose their championship in their first defense. Miles would be looking to continue his ring at all costs.

And BRADDOCK? He was likely going to be angrier, and even more dangerous. Here was a man with two straight losses, one to Eddie himself, and the other to HBC, the boyfriend of Miles Kasey. If there were any people BRADDOCK would want to punish, Lyons and Kasey were probably at the top of the list. A third loss for BRADDOCK would be devastating, and something he’d certainly want to avoid.

And then there was Eddie, who not only had his win over BRADDOCK, but a recent victory over Tyler McCulligan and Helluva Bottom Carter as well. The Unbreakable was riding a wave of momentum and looking to continue that through High Stakes by winning his first championship.

Then there was Finn Whelan, who made it clear which championship looked the shiniest. In his arrogance, he only set his focus on Kasey and Harris, not taking into account that in short time Eddie Lyons, or even BRADDOCK could be holding that championship.

And of course, Calvin Harris just might want a rematch to try and regain his championship. There was a ton of paths the division could go down, and Eddie along with Coach Kaiser were set and focused on making Eddies path successful.[/i]


—-------
3:24  PM on a Tuesday
The Lyons Den Wrestling Academy
Charlotte, NC
Off-Camera
—-------

The school was in it’s usual fare, many unnamed rookies went about their usual routines, and Eddie was no different. Kaiser was taking the time to  work with some of the other students, now that he was traveling with Eddie, the head trainer wasn’t around as much so he took advantage to help out his other students when he could.

Eddie felt their presence, coming over to him as he was finishing up a set of pushups, his goddamn cousins. Those three gnats were the last thing he needed in his life right now, now collectively calling themselves The Pride and seeking out contracts of their own to no avail.  Led by the silver-tongued siren herself Victoria Lyons.
Try as she might, her song wasn’t about to break Eddie, she may have control over the other two but not him.

“What do you want Victoria?” Eddie huffed, annoyed he just wanted to workout and focus on his championship match.

“We just wanted to congratulate you on the success you’ve had recently.” said Victoria. “You know we’re rooting for you to bring another championship to The Lyons Den.”

“Bring A championship to The Lyons Den you mean” said Eddie, “We currently host no champions, only former ones.”

“Well, technically you’re right. But there is the matter of the three of us.” Victoria explained, “Alex, the final PWS United Champion. Vincent Lyons Jr. the final HWL Affliction Champion, and myself, Victoria Lyons the final PWE Victory champion. All of our companies closed before we could be defeated, making us all FOREVER CHAMPIONS.”

She laughs arrogantly as do the two brainwashed males with her.

“Right..keep telling yourself that.” said Eddie shaking his head. “And didn’t HWL resurface for a bit or something after that closure?”

“If they did, nobody beat Vincent for anything so my point still remains.” Victoria insisted.

“Is that all?” Eddie said, still annoyed, “Because I’ve got a big match to prepare for, and would prefer less distractions.”

“Like I said, we just wanted to congratulate you.” said Victoria, “You’re the one acting all hostile. We just want to wish you good luck, and to remind you to you know…be careful.”

“Careful?” Eddie said, raising an eyebrow, “Careful of what?”

“Your Coach.” she said, “He has no faith in you, so he had to go come along and babysit you. You do realize that right? This is how he puts himself back in the spotlight. You think he’s there to help you? He’ll make it all about himself and take all the credit for everything YOU accomplish.”

“You’re wrong.” said Eddie shaking his head, “Keevee wouldn’t do that. He just wants whats best for me, and if he feels I need a little more guidance, then I’ll take it because I know he has my best interests at heart, he has all our best interests at heart.”

“What about us? He hasn’t even tried to find us contracts anywhere!” Victoria complained

“Because he doesn’t want you working just ANYWHERE.” said Eddie getting louder, “If he finds a place for..whatever the three of you are doing he wants to make sure it’s legit cause so many of these places come and go.”

“That’s bullshit, Kaiser is playing favorites again.” complained Alex from behind Victoria.

Victoria raised her hand, calming the wild, more feral member of the Lyon family.

“It’s fine Alex, relax.” she commanded as Alex nodded and took a breath calming himself.

“You know him I get, he’s her twin and they have that weird twin connection….” said Eddie making a motion at Vincent Jr, “But I thought you were smart enough not to buy into her bullshit. But I guess I should have expected it, you need someone to follow since you don’t have Sanders or Calaway anymore. Calaway has moved on to her own SCW career, and Sanders has gone to god knows where. You need to be somebody's puppet right? Why not hers?”

Alex went to lunge forward but was again held back by Victoria. Vincent Jr still remained ever silent.

“I thought so.” Eddie said with a confident grin, he wasn’t going to just be bullied by these three anymore. “I know you just want to drive a edge between Keevee and myself but it won’t happen. Im not interested in being part of your Pride, or whatever you’re calling all of this. I have far more important things to worry about, like winning a championship in a company that’s actually functioning.”


Victoria scowled and stomped on the ground, “This isn’t over.” she muttered as she walked off.

“Vincent. Alex. Come.” she commanded, and the two followed as Eddie just rolled his eyes and went back to his routine, he did wish his cousins well but as he stated, he needed to worry about capturing the Internet Championship.”

—-------
4:01  PM on a Wednesday
Casa De La Kaiser
Philadelphia, PA
Off-Camera
—-------
“How you been? How’s school? You’re in High School now right?”
It was a few years ago when Keevee Kaiser moved his family from California to Philadelphia so he could be closer to The Lyons Den and focus on his trainer duties. He was only slightly disappointed to discover it was in act NOT always sunny there, but at least the cheesesteaks were as delicious as advertised.

It had been hard enough making the 8 hour drive from Philly to Charlotte every week but now he was traveling with Eddie, which meant less time with his family. Luckily SCW was kind enough to allow more time when a Supercard was coming up, so he did have time to visit his wife and two kids, and of course bring Eddie along.

It was a nice home, Eddie sat admiring the living room. Kaiser had worked hard his entire career to be able to have his family in a home like this and hopefully one day he could do the same with a family of his own when it was time for a third generation of Lyons to come into the business, of course that would be years into the future, if ever. Right now it had to be about the current generation of Lyons, it had to be about Eddie.


“Eddie!” a teenage girl said approaching him, and giving him a warm hug. It was young Erin, Keevee’s 15 year old daughter, named after his good friend Aaron Asphyxia and the heiress to the Kaiser throne. Eddie encountered her multiple times down at the Lyons Den, she just hadn’t made the tip down too often since school started back up.

“Hey kid!” said Eddie,

“Yep.” says Erin, “I miss training though. But my dad says that school comes first. That my studies come before my training.”

“And he’s absolutely right.” said Eddie, “Nothing is more powerful than your education.”

“I just..I really want to wrestle.” said Erin “I’m gonna be “The Dragons Daughter” Erin Kaiser, and carry on my dads legacy.”

“I’m sure you’ll be an absolute menace.” said Eddie, “I’ve seen you training and you keep getting better every time. Cleo told me you’re one of the toughest kids she’s met, and you know she’s met some tough people in her life.”

“Cleo said that?!” said Erin with excitement, “That’s awesome! She’s so cool!”

Eddie laughed, “That she is. That she is.”

“And what are you two talking about?” interrupted the voice of Keevee Kaiser, returning from the kitchen with a pair of drinks, lemonade.

“Just reminding your daughter the value of her education.” said Eddie.

“Cleo said I was one of the toughest kids she’s ever met. She told Eddie that!” said Erin happily.

“Did she now?” said Kaiser with a smile, “Well, you know she too would tell you the same thing about your education. She put her career on hold to go back and finish school.”

“I know..she already told me that over the summer too.” said Erin, feeling somewhat annoyed with the adults at this point, even if she knew they were right.

“Did you want a drink sweetie?” asked Keevee, “I didn’t realize you’d be home from school already.”

“No, I’m okay. I’m gonna do relax a bit then do some studying.” said Erin, “Education first. I’ll be down when mom gets home with Sawyer.”

“Alright dear, we’ll be down here if you need us.” said Kaiser, giving his daughter a kiss on the forehead, before she clambered upstairs and disappeared into her room.

“Kids.” said Keevee with a shrug.

“Hows the boy?” asked Eddie

“Sawyer?” replied Keevee, “Just turned ten recently, and becoming a little man of his own. Total mommas boy though, he’s out running errands with Marissa now.”

“A mommas boy, and a daddy’s girl” Eddie said with a laugh, “It’s almost like you wrote it that way on purpose.”

“Are you implying that none of this is real, and it’s being written by a different version of myself to live out some fantasy life he doesn’t actually have?” asked Keevee with a grin

“No, that would be ridiculous.” said Eddie with a laugh, “But you have to admit, mommas boy? Daddys girl? It’s a bit cliche.”

“Well, it is what is.” shrugged Kaiser, taking a drink of his lemonade.

“I suppose so.” said Eddie, taking a sip of his own lemonade. “....Marissa makes really good lemonade.”

“Yeah she does.” Kaiser agreed, “In any case, when we’re ready we gotta do your promo, let Miles and BRADDOCK know how you feel, state your case and all that. I setup an area out back for us.”

“Sounds good to me.” Eddie said, and the two would spend the next hour or so chatting before it was time to record the promo, and get it all sent off to the SCW media.

—-------
5:30  PM on a Wednesday
Casa De La Kaiser
Philadelphia, PA
On-Camera
—-------
Finding a promo location was always one of the more frustrating tasks for Keevee Kaisers talent coming out of The Lyons Den. Usually it was find some random spot, and just let the talent speak their minds, and it was no different as Eddie and Coach Kaiser were in Kaisers own backyard, with only the well kempt landscaping behind them, the flowered bushes were clearly well taken care of.

Coach Kaiser stood by as his student cleared his throat, and let some thoughts mingle as Eddie paced a bit back and forth, before directing his attention finally, to the camera.

“I told you BRADDOCK.” Eddie began with confidence, knowing he already had one over on the big man, “Power alone wasn’t going to be enough to put me away. I hope you take the time to reevaluate your strategy, because I assure you the same tactics, will yield the same result and I’m also certain they won’t work on Miles Kasey either.”

Eddie smirks and raises up a finger.

“I’ll get to you in a moment champ.” said Eddie, “I just want to remind BRADDOCK that this will be the killshot for him if he doesn’t take a step back and rethink some things. You hit hard BRADDOCK, I can attest to that but it takes more than that to become a champion. HBC defeated you, then I defeated you. You can’t afford to take another loss here, and you damn sure don’t want to be the one getting pinned. It would kill your whole image wouldn’t it. Just some brute who gets beat all the time, and in the end really just looks scary.”

Eddie shrugs.

“And since I already beat you once, you REALLY don’t intimidate me now.“ Eddie continues, “I’m sure my words anger you, they may even upset you. But they’re nothing more than the truth BRADDOCK, you’re the one who really needs to step it up. I mean, hey prove me wrong.”

Eddie paused again for a moment, and paced some more, with his coach still standing by for moral support but letting the talent have the floor.

“February 26th, 2023”. Eddie began, “Do you remember that date Miles? I’m sure you do but in case you don’t, that was the date you won the Leo Medallion in PWE. You won a triple threat against Archer, and a third man…me. That night you pinned my shoulders to the mat and walked away with the medallion. I hope you remember Miles, because that fight is coming to you once again, and this time I’ve leveled up as they say, this time it’s going to be me who pins YOUR shoulders to the mat and I’ll be walking away with the gold. I don’t need to beat BRADDOCK, I need to beat YOU.”

That last comment got Kaisers attention, and he motioned to tell Eddie something, but  Eddie raised a  hand as if to say “let me continue.”

“I know Coach..I know” Eddie continued, “It might be smarter to try and pin the guy I already beat, because I don’t NEED to pin the champion to win. It’s a smart strategy, but I want to to this by defeating YOU, by making sure I pin the actual champions shoulders to the mat.”

Kaiser remained respectful and let Eddie continue onward, but he was going to have to talk to him about this later, he needed Eddie focused on winning the match, even if that meant pinning BRADDOCK instead of Miles.

“That is the honorable way of doing it.” said Eddie, “And that is he way I’m going to do it, because fighting with honor is all I know how to do. You’ve done a lot around here Miles, but your next accolade is about to be “Shortest Internet Championship Reign of all time” because I’m about to take my first championship home to The Lyons Den.”

Eddie paused for a moment, and looked back slightly at his coach who nodded and gave some words of his own.

“You’ve heard that name before, The Lyons Den, haven’t you Miles?” Kaiser said, “Back in PWS you faced off against Cleo Phillips early into her career, and you even teamed with a Russow to try and take down Alexander Lyons and his band of goons.  Both times coming up short may I add. Now, I know neither Cleo nor Alex are Eddie, but he was still born in the same orphanage as they were, point is, know damn well what Lyons Den students bring because you’ve faced at least half of my active students before. I promise you Eddie is going to come with the toughness and fighting spirit of Cleo, and he’s going to come with the ferocity and tenacity of Alexander, and he is going to take the Internet Championship and make his mark on SCW as the Rookie Standard and win the award for Future Star of The Year because HE is Eddie Lyons and HE is UNBREAKABLE.”

“Award? What award?” piqued Eddie

“You didn’t hear? The end of the year awards man, you’re up for one and so am I.” said Kaiser, “Now, I personally don’t feel like I deserve to win manager of the year since I just got here, but you’ve been getting better and better and damn well deserve that award.”

“Well, the award would be nice, but the championship is sweeter.” Eddie said back to the cameras, “I may have come up short against Peter Vaughn, but I’m ready now. I’m ready to become a champion and take on whomever may be keeping their eyes on that championship. I just hope those eyes are focused, because when I capture it, I’ll be ready to…watch my six.”

Eddie smirked and winked at the camera, Kaiser took in a deep breath and shook his head.

“That’s right Finn Whelan.” Eddie continued, as his manager threw up his hands behind him. “You want to act like you don’t remember, but you do. You remember giving me hell in my PWE run. You know we have unfinished business, and if I need to win the Internet Championship to get to you, then I will, and I will do it with HONOR BEFORE GLORY.”

Eddie looks back at Kaiser who gives him a “what the hell was that?” look, before sighing heavily.

“Miles Kasey. BRADDOCK….we’ll see you soon.” said Kaiser

As both men look into the camera, it slowly fades out.

—-------
1:19   PM on a Saturday
MGM Grand Hotel
Las Vegas, Nevada
Off-Camera
—-------

High Stakes was a little over a week away, which meant Lyons and Kaiser found themselves back in Vegas, ready to use the next week for any and all final preparations they needed to get Eddie to capture the Internet Championship, or at the very least make getting the win difficult for both Kasey and BRADDOCK.

Kaiser was relaxing, listening to his Raycon earbuds when he noticed Eddie approaching him with a gift wrapped box, he raised an eyebrow.

“What’s this now?” asked Kaiser

“Happy birthday coach!” said Eddie, handing the box to Kaiser.

“Damn, did it sneak up on me already?” Kaiser laughed, “The older I get, I tend to sort of forget these things I guess, or maybe I don’t want to think about the fact I have one more year till I turn forty.”

“Maybe you should open it.” Eddie nodded.

It only took a moment, as Kaiser tore off the wrapping and inside the box revealed a 49er Jersey, #16, Joe Montana.

“The Goat!” exclaimed Kaiser, “No way!”

“No problem, just my way of saying thanks for all the help.” Eddie smiled, as Kaiser immediately put the Jersey on.

“It fits perfect.” Kaiser told Eddie.

A friendly exchange and brohug was shared between the two, before Eddie took a seat of his own.

“So next weekend, big match.” said Kaiser, “How you feeling?”

“I feel ready.” said Eddie, “It just feels right this time.”

“That’s good.” said Kaiser, “Just remember to stay focused on becoming champion, and getting the win.”

“Always.” said Eddie

“You sure about that?” Kaiser questioned.

“What do you mean? I’m always focused.” Eddie replied

“I know you are.” said Kaiser, “But sometimes you get focused on the wrong aspects or people.”

Eddie said nothing, but did give Kaiser a slightly annoyed look.

“Hey, I’m only trying to help.” Kaiser continued, “This past week you’ve talked about wanting to be sure to pin Miles Kasey, and furthermore I feel like you only want to become champion so you can try and get on a pathway to Finn Whelan.”

“Well, Finn has been talking about the Internet Championship..” Eddie muttered.

“He has.” said Kaiser “But right now isn’t the time. If we have to deal with Finn, then we’ll deal with Finn but I don’t need you poking the bear right now. I need you to worry about winning the Internet Championship first.”

“I AM focused!” Eddie insisted, “But Finn drew first blood, not me. I didn’t even know the guy and he chose to harass ME.”

“In PWE!!” Kaiser replied, “You can’t stay hung up on the past, my own career stalled because I couldn’t put IWF or HWL behind me. This is what Finn wants, he wants to be in your head.”

“I’m not afraid of Finn Whelan.” said Eddie.

“Nobody said you were, I just want yo to focus on the task at hand” explained Kaiser, “And that’s winning the Internet Championship. Don’t worry about Finn, worry about Kasey and worry about BRADDOCK. They are who stand in your way of becoming champion, not Finn Whelan.”

Eddie said nothing, only listened, with a slightly grumpy face

“You also need to get it together and understand, pinning BRADDOCK to win this mach won’t make you any less of a champion.” said Kaiser “I’m not asking you to cheat, or be underhanded. I would never ask that of you. I just want you to be a little smarter. I get it, pinning the actual champion might look a little better but you know what’s going to look the best?"

Eddie raised an eyebrow

“Winning the Internet Championship.” said Kaiser, “It’s not about who you beat, but how you do it. You can stay true to your values, and still pin the other man. I can promise you, BRADDOCK isn’t going to care if he has to beat you or Kasey.”

Eddie sighed heavily.

“You just don’t understand.” said Eddie, “I have to do this, and I have to do it my way. I appreciate the support but I still need to fight my own fight, and as far as Whelan goes, maybe he is in my head, but I need him out and for that we need to finish our fight. I will win that Internet Championship, and I will get my hands on Finn Whelan and finish what HE started as well. Maybe it’s time you start looking at this from MY eyes instead of yours.”

Eddie, annoyed gets up and leaves the room as Kaiser tries to protest that he’s only trying to do his job and coach Eddie. It wasn’t going to be easy. He knew Eddie was good, just thick-headed and stubborn at times. Maybe he had some points though, the kid couldn’t get his mind off Whelan, perhaps they did need to fight. Win or lose at least it would put an end to it. But first priority, was getting Eddie to focus properly on how to win the triple threat. Coach Kaiser needed to figure out how to get his students mind right, and he had a week to do it.

[/i]

[MiloKasey]

He Wants to Meet Me?
2 weeks ago
Las Vegas, NV

There is something to be said when a family does everything they can to reconnect. Joan’s visit seemingly did a whole lot of good to Carter, despite how much he found himself hurting with the news of his father’s situation, it ended up with him agreeing to meet up with his dad for the first time in a long time.

While it took some convincing and a bit of trickery on his part in the promise that he’d meet up with Cillian Macguire along with Carter, Miles decided that father and son needed to meet one on one. Carter was rather...peeved at him when Carter left to meet up with his dad but seeming all was forgiven when Carter returned in a mood that was practically 180 switch from when he left.

That was hopeful.

And made Miles feel less nervous about what was coming up the day after.

A text message from Carter’s mom, Joanna, had said that during his visit to Vegas to meet with Carter, if all went well - which it did - there was a slight hope from Cillian that he could possibly meet Miles as well.

He was rather tempted to kill two birds with one stone when Carter met up with his dad the day before, but he knew if the roles were reversed, he would want the same situation for Miles.

...not that it would ever happen considering that Lyle Kasey has been worm food for just around 18 years. And not that Miles would ever give that piece of shit the time of day after the way he treated not only him, but his mum and sister. He let their family suffer before he shuffled loose the mortal coil at the end of a bottle, a needle and the business end of a car.

In a way, Miles was partially jealous that Carter could have this chance with his dad. In other ways, Miles was really glad this would never be him unless some wild miracle would happen and even then the thought of running Lyle over with his Rubicon...well lets just say the thought crossed his mind a few dozen times.

Not for him, but for his mother and sister because they did not need to relive that hell ever again.

But back to the message from Joanna, that Cillian wanted to meet him as well: Considering the things he had heard about this man were through Carter and no one else, the opinion was rather low but knowing what was happening now, the failure and the inevitable outcome, he had set what he wanted to be hostility aside for a man that simply just wanted to mend the bonds between the man that Miles loved and cared for more than anything in this world and the man that helped raised him but foolishly gave it up for his own selfish pride.

Pride is what got Cillian into this. Miles’ pride wasn’t nearly as boastful as some would think to not grant a dying man a chance to continue to make peace. But he needed to wait until Carter was able to speak with his father first before he would send the message shortly after his return, to give the approval or denial.

And he agreed, the next day, an early afternoon Miles opened his door to Cillian and welcomed him inside their home and was currently in the middle of giving him the 10 cent tour.

“Aren't you concerned Carter will walk in and see me here?”

“Your son went shopping. We'll be lucky if we see him within the next week.”

It was seemingly a light feeling between the two gentlemen as Miles ushered them into the open living room of the home of Miles and Carter, it’s in disarray for a while but it just got to a point where it looked more lived in.

“You’ll have to excuse the mess. I let my mouth get ahead of my brain several weeks ago and told Carter that he had open reign to give the whole place a makeover with a few exceptions.” Miles let out a little laugh, “This of course has led to magazines, pictures printed out and those awkward paint strips practically everywhere.”

“That’s alright, he gets it from his mother. Joanna was the exact same way when we moved into our first home, after a while though she just gave in and let her mother make the final choices because she was just so indecisive.” Cillian said, looking around and seemingly rather impressed, “I’m just glad you invited me here and I get a chance to see where my son is living and meet the man that my son has fallen head over heels for.”

“I’m sure there are a million questions that you have for me.” Miles stated, looking rather uncomfortable as they took a seat in the living room. Miles had offered the recliner that he usually sat in to Carter’s father while he took his place on the couch not that far off.

“On the contrary, Carter answered quite a few of those for me and gave me the impression that well, after everything-”

“Mr. Macguire-”

“Please, Mr. Kasey, call me Cillian.”

“Then you can call me Miles.” Miles smirked, “E’ery time I hear ‘Mr. Kasey’ I think of my old man, and believe me, I rather I didn’t. Not that I’m not thankful that he didn’t help bring me into the world but it was the mess he left behind that made me realize from a rather young age that I would never sell myself or my family up the river and leave them without a pot to piss in.”

“I get that one and it’s nice to hear, honestly.”

Miles stops him, “If you start prattling on about responsibility, I’ll show you the walk-in closet on my side and it’ll change your mind in a heartbeat.”

“No, but it means that you actually care about your wellbeing and Carter’s as well."

"Well we are in a relationship and love one another." Miles said with absolute certainty, "It was something that even I had to get used to. I have friends that occasionally gave a shit, some that even put roofs over my head but not someone like him. It still amazes me to this day how he will always put everyone else's feelings before his own."

"What do you mean?" Cillian asked with a curious tone.

"Well, despite how it looks now, I definitely rode the proverbial struggle bus for the majority of my life, spent a lot of time trying to take care of my mum and sis in the only ways I ever knew. It was a whole lot of surviving so for me and the majority of the time it was on my own with some luck on my side.” Miles looks around, “So when I look at your son, I see someone that is selfless, to a fault but he’s perhaps one of the strongest people I have ever met. Which maybe you can understand why I had a little bit of a trepidation about wanting to meet while you were here.”

Cillian swallows hard, “Ah, you are thinking that there is a hidden agenda for the months of reaching out to Carter.”

“Call it pessimistic and being burned one too many times.” Miles shrugs, “Also it’s part of the protective streak I have with him that I just can’t seem to help myself. I worry”

“That and the general distrust of the father figures that you have dealt with in your life, I’m sure.”

“That too.”

“I can really tell that your feelings for Carter are for absolute real and....well, I lost a lot of time with Carter because of my own stubborn pride, time that I have no chance of getting back. I’m not about to give him reasons to not trust me.” Cillian said, setting forward leaning on his knees to look Miles right in the eyes, “I’ve also just wanted to meet you for a pretty simple reason.”

“Yeah? And what is that?”

“I wanted to make sure that you were truly serious about taking care of my son. You said it yourself, he is strong, selfless but he’s also been hurt. Mostly by me. I wanted to make sure that...” Cillian’s emotions seemingly catch up with him, which throws Miles off a little bit. He wanted to be such a hardass towards this man but just didn’t have the heart. Cillian swiped at his eyes, pushing the tears away, “I’m sorry, this is twice in the last couple of days that this has happened.”

Miles blinked a few times, unsure of what to say. The man had all but accepted that his fate was the inevitable end that we all would face. Carter’s dad wasn’t there to interrogate him but just to make sure that he would be willing to take care of his son when he was gone.

This was actually a good man and deserves the benefit of the doubt.

Miles would stand up from his seat and head into the kitchen for a moment and when he returned he offered Cillian a bottle of water as he sat down a little closer and opened up his own bottle. Miles would smirk at the older gentleman, “Usually, I would offer a beer but figured this was a little better for the both of us.” Cillian would take the bottle, with a look of confusion, “I want to make you a promise. No matter what happens, you will have nothing to worry about when it comes to Carter when it comes to me. I promise you, with me, he is safe and will remain that way for as long as possible.”

Cillian smiles gently, “Well, at least that much is settled.” he looks out the window, “Can you guys see that sphere from here?”

“Oh, there is a reason we had to get the thicker curtains. Freaked out the cat the first time she saw it.”

“The infamous Ms. Thang? Where is she?”

“Probably hiding to make sure you won’t steal her treats. You sure you wanna meet her?” Miles asked with amusement.

“How bad can she be?”

...


Justin: HERE IS YOUR WINNER AND THE NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWW SCW INTERNET CHAMPION, MILES KASEY!

Secrets To Success
A Week Ago
Las Vegas, NV

He had to be asked to be pinched following the win in Reno. His hand raised, Carter practically tackled hugging him in the ring and then Calvin with the passing of the torch of that SCW Internet Championship followed up by a congratulatory manly hug didn’t seem to be nearly enough but finally after almost a year later, Miles Kasey was a champion in SCW.

Despite all the nay-saying wet mops, he finally cracked that next level ceiling and found himself victorious. All that hard work paid off ten-fold.

His bag was a wonderful 20 pounds heavier. And there were a few people that he had to thank personally.

The atmosphere buzzed with energy as Miles Kasey walked into the gym, fresh from his victory in Reno. The weight of the SCW Internet Championship belt was a testament to his hard work and determination. He felt a mix of pride and anticipation, knowing that he had a title to defend and a reputation to uphold.

“Well, I didn’t think I’d see you today!”

He heard it as soon as he crossed the threshold into a place that recently opened their doors to him via an invite from the man himself. Gabriel Stevens.

Miles smirked as he shook the man’s hand, “Why? You’d think I’d just rest on my laurels? I have a defense coming up after all.”

“In a triple threat no less. Congratulations by the way, I’m sure K will be happy as hell to see you.” which was said with a little too jovial tone.

"I said I didn't wanna rest on my laurels... Not get stretched into oblivion." Miles said with a laugh, "Thanks again for the invite though for letting me into the intersanctum as it were. And thanks for the hush about it for the time being."

"Hey, it's paying off for you and that's all that matters. Besides, it gives the students someone new to work with."

"HEY! ARE YOU GONNA KISS HIS ASS ALL DAY LONG OR ARE YOU FINALLY GONNA GET YER ASS IN HERE?!" Kristjan called out from across the Go Gym. Kristjan, a familiar presence in the gym, chimed in with his usual gruff humor, setting the tone for the rigorous training session that awaited.

"Oh good, he's in a mood. Pray for my joints." Miles joked. "We really need to get him back in a ring on a regular basis."

"That or not set Karen's at his door." Gabriel joked back. "Oh yeah, he told me all about that."

All Miles did was drop his head back and let out "Fuck." followed by Stevens wishing him luck.

Two Hours Later

Sitting... No... More like slumped in a corner sopped in his sweat, both Miles and Kris had put each other through the proverbial ringer.

"You're an asshole," Miles let out with a smirk.

"You'll thank me later. Especially when you retain that damn title." K too soaked, smirked and slapped Miles' foot, "Go again?"

"You're a machine! Don't you have a husband to get home to?" Miles let out with a laugh. "Seriously though, mate, if it wasn't for you kicking my ass lately I'm not sure if.."

The man known as Fenris sits up and points at him, "Don't get all sappy on me, Milo. You earned a little bit of credit in that win against Calvin."

"Yeah now I just gotta survive Braddock and Eddie Lyons." Miles says, setting up himself, running his hands through his drenched locks, "Gotta admit, that's one hell of a hill the climb."

"Admit nothing, there isn't a single guy on the roster that isn't beatable on their best day. You, Miles Kasey, have done what few have and found your way and now sit with the second highest rated championship in SCW." K said, "They have to beat you or best you and with how hot things have been lately, I somehow doubt that either one is going to be ready for what you are about to bring.”

“Now who’s asskissing?” Miles laughed, as he pulled himself up and offered his hand to Fenris who takes it and gets pulled up to his feet, “OK, one more round and then I gotta get home before Carter. He had a doctor’s appointment again today and something is telling me that I need to be there just in case he’s ready to come clean as to why.”

“Things ok between him and his old man now?”

“I would assume so...Carter is up to something though and I have a feeling I know what.”


Miles Kasey stood in the center of the dimly lit room, the SCW Internet Championship glimmering on his shoulder, rocking a simple suit, loosened tie and a smirk on his face. His eyes burned with determination, his voice carrying the weight of his newfound responsibility.

"You know, they say the measure of a champion isn't just in the fights they've won but in the challenges they face. Braddock, you my man are one HELL of a competitor, but your arrogance blinds you. Underestimating opponents has been your downfall before, and it'll be your undoing again. You see, I'm not just a kid who lucked into this championship. I fought my way through the mud and blood, through years of struggle and pain. This title isn't just a trinket around my waist; it's a testament to my grit, my resilience, and my refusal to back down."

Miles's gaze hardened as he continued.

"Eddie Lyons, you're no stranger to high-flying antics and crowd-pleasing moves. You've dazzled fans, and you've earned your respect. But this isn't just a match. This is a battle of wills, a clash of styles, and I'm not planning on being another highlight in your highlight reel. I've worked too damn hard, faced too many demons, and bled too much to let someone else snatch this title away from me."

His grip tightened on the championship, his knuckles turning white.

"It may be something stupid to say but hell with it...I respect the both of you. I respect your skills, your passion, and your love for this sport. But respect isn't going to stop me from fighting tooth and nail to keep this championship. I won't let Braddock's arrogance or Eddie's charisma cloud my focus. I won't let them take away what I've earned, what I've fought for with every ounce of my being."

"I am the SCW Internet Champion, and I didn't get here by luck or chance. I earned this, and I'll be damned if I let anyone take it away from me, especially so soon after finally breaking through that God Damn glass ceiling that I’ve been banging my fists on for so damn long. So, Braddock, Eddie, get ready for a fight like you've never experienced before. Get ready to face a champion who will defend his title with everything he has. Because when I step into that ring, I'm not just fighting for myself. I'm fighting for everyone who believed in me, everyone who supported me, and everyone who ever doubted me."

With a final, determined look, Miles clenched his fist, the championship glinting in the dim light.

"And mark my words, when the dust settles and the bell rings, I'll still be standing here, still holding this championship high. This isn't just a title; it's a symbol of my journey, my sacrifices, and my dreams. And I won't let anyone shatter those dreams. Not now. Not ever."

“This title right here? This is mine and many others want it, a few have had it but now you’re gonna have to kill me to get me to let it go.”

Miles holds that pretty SCW Internet Champion up close and personal and his blue-green eyes look ahead as to dare anyone who try.....

“Come and get it, if you dare.”

[TheLyonsDen]

The Lion and The Dragon pt. 2

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows with Eddie Lyons and Keevee Kaiser at the moment, Eddie was keen on making his own choices, doing things his way.  Keevee felt as thought Eddie was doing good, great even, at least better than he expected. He didn’t want Eddies decisions to get in the way of his success. Decisions such as the desire to win Eddies upcoming triple threat by defeating Miles Kasey, the champion instead of the third man BRADDOCK whom Eddie already had a singles victory over. He wanted Eddie to understand, that winning the championship was more important than which man he had to defeat to win it. There was also the distraction of Finn Whelan to worry about, with Eddie still upset about his previous encounters with Finn in a previous company.

Eddie was of the opinion that defeating Miles was the most honorable route, making sure you win a championship by actually beating the champion. He thought perhaps he wouldn’t be seen as a true champion if he didn’t actually beat the champion. As far as Finn Whelan, Eddie just wanted to finish the fight. They still had unfinished business, and Eddie just couldn’t settle down until it was in fact finished.

Both had their points, but both needed to get themselves on the same page before Climax Control or Eddie certainly would be winning no championship.[/i]

—-------
9:32 AM on a Monday
Lake Mead
Las Vegas, NV
Off-Camera
—-------

Annoyed, that’s what Eddie was. Why had Keevee even come to SCW? He was picking up wins just fine on his own, but now here was “Coach Kaiser” here to babysit him.

And that wasn’t true. He knew Keevee really did have his best interests at heart and this was no babysitting gig. He just wanted Coach Kaiser to understand where he was coming from. He just wanted to be the best, and in order to do that he had to beat the best and in his eyes Miles Kasey was one of the best. Kasey’s was a name that had made its rounds just about everywhere and always stood out among his peers in the various locker rooms he’s been a part of, that was a man Eddie wanted, that he NEEDED to beat to get himself to the next level.

He didn’t even have any disrespect for BRADDOCK either, but Eddie had proven himself against BRADDOCK once already. He knew how strong BRADDOCK was, the power the big man contained was surreal but when you beat someone like that, it’s hard to be intimidated by them in your next encounter.

The air was fairly crisp, perfect for a nice hoodie, one of Eddies attire of choice. He was wearing his new SCW hoodie that was given to him for free by management, perks of being a SCW superstar.

He had come alone, he just wanted to look at the water and clear his mind. He knew he shouldn’t have stormed out on Kaiser, but also wished sometimes his coach would listen to him, this was supposed to be his story after all, Eddies story.


Were his cousins right? Was Keevee trying to relive his old glory days? Was this just Eddies story with Keevee as the director? Or was Keevee right? Maybe getting the win by taking down BRADDOCK again isn’t such a stain on ones honor, so long as it’s done the honorable away, with no shortcuts. Still, it would feel so much better to Eddie if he were able to take down Miles Kasey.

“You gotta figure this out Eddie.” he muttered to himself, as he skipped a rock along the water. Six skips.

Bzzzt…

Bzzzt…

Bzzzt…

Eddie checked his phone, it was Kaiser. With a sigh, he ignored the call, putting it back in his pocket. He just wanted his alone time, he’d talk to his coach later.

Bzzzt.

Voicemail. That he could check at least, he listened to the voice of his coach.

“Hey Eddie, sorry about the other day. Maybe I need to think about my approach to this relationship. I could let you take the reigns a bit more. I just want you to be the best you can be, and really only wish to give you advice. I mean no disrespect. Just, call me back, when your ready of course. We need to talk.”

The voicemail ended. Eddie took in a breath, and skipped another rock. Six again. He did need to get on the same page as his coach, especially with a championship match coming up. With another sigh, he found Keevee’s number in his phone, and hit the call button.

‘.....”

“Hey.” said Eddie.

“.....”

“Yeah, me too.” said Eddie.

“....”

“This afternoon?” Eddie said, “Yeah, that’s cool. See you then. Whatever’s good by the way. Not fast food though.”

Eddie ended the call, and went back to skipping some more rocks. Seven. New record.

—-------
9:32 AM on a Monday
MGM Grand Hotel
Las Vegas, NV
Off-Camera
—-------

Maybe he had been to hard on the kid. He did just hand him an awesome birthday present and right away he went straight to talk about the match.  Perhaps that talk could have waited till the next day, or a least some time later.  Now Keevee found himself unable to reach Eddie, as his student wasn’t returning his calls.

Eddie had his honor, and he understood that. But what Eddie didn’t understand was not taking a chance to win by pinning BRADDOCK was foolish, and one could still have his honor by simply winning in an honorable way, regardless of which opponent you put away for the victory.

What did he know about honor anyway? Keevee that is. Most of his career he’d been an egotistical asshole, controlled by a devilish blonde siren of a woman called Kat. Going as far as switching the IV bag of his hospitalized friend with a vodka bag. To this day he doesn’t understand why Aaron still talks to him after that, and he’s pretty sure she still doesn’t trust him fully and probably never will. He had to meet his current wife Marissa and start a family to finally put his evil ways behind him, had she not come along he would probably still be that self-centered prick he once was.

Eddie was different though, he didn’t seem to have a bad bone in his body. There was always that one person who was just…good. That was Eddie at The Lyons Den. Not that some like Cleo Phillips weren’t good, but Cleo had her shady past as well with secrets that she still kept to herself. Eddie was just good though, and maybe that’s something Keevee needed to understand.

“You need to let Eddie be Eddie…don’t be so pushy.” he said to himself, as he sat on the edge of the bed, “But also get him to understand your point.”

He decided to give him a call, maybe he’d pickup this time. He found Eddie’s number on his phone, and gave it a call.

……

…….


……..


No response. Well, all he could do now was leave a voicemail.

“Hey Eddie, sorry about the other day. Maybe I need to think about my approach to this relationship. I could let you take the reigns a bit more. I just want you to be the best you can be, and really only wish to give you advice. I mean no disrespect. Just, call me back, when your ready of course. We need to talk.” he said, before clicking the phone shut.

Hopefully Eddie called, they had to work this out. He wanted Eddie to become Internet Champion, as much as Eddie wanted to win it. Just as soon as he set the phone on the nightstand, it rang. Eddie. He hadn’t expected the callback so soon, and quickly picked it up.

“Hey.” said Kaiser

‘....’.

“Hey man, sorry about the other day…” said Kaiser

'......'

“Can we meet for lunch somewhere this afternoon? I’ll text a location later unless you have something in mind? ” asked Kaiser

“........”

“Alright, sounds good. See you then.” said Kaiser

He ended the call on his end, and laid back on the bed. Things would work out in the end, they always did, this time next week another of his students would earn the right to call themselves a champion. SCW Internet Champion Eddie Lyons had a nice ring to it too.

—-------
2:15 PM on a Monday
Big Ed’s Steakhouse
Las Vegas, NV
Off-Camera
—------

A casual midrange steakhouse was chosen for Eddie and Keevee to have their lunch. Big Ed’s was a step above Outback, but not as quite as luxurious as Salt Bae, but hey who needed to pay thousands of dollars for a subpar steak covered in gold flakes, salt and whatever falls off Salt Bae’s arm when he sprinkles the salt, like seriously some of the salt falls off his sweaty arm into peoples food, is that not a hazard? Anyway getting a bit off topic, the two had some things to discuss before Eddie participated in his big championship match this weekend and that’s what they really needed to focus on.

After they placed their orders, both choosing the New York Strip, both medium rare but Keevee went for a side of mixed veggies and a baked potato, while Eddie chose baked beans and 2 shrimp skewers.

With the orders placed, and 2 Dr. Peppers ordered to drink, the waitress took their orders back to the kitchen.

After a short moment of silence, it was Keevee who spoke first.

“Look, I don’t know how to start this.” he said to Eddie, “But if I offended you, I’m sorry that wasn’t my intention. I just want you to have as much success as possible. I know I probably should have maybe waited, but you know me. I push all my students hard. You know that.”


Eddie shrugged, “Yeah man, I’m sorry too. I could learn to take criticism a little better. I know I can get a little too serious at times, and could lighten up. But also like, this is still my career, my story and I need to be able to make decisions for myself too.”

“Of course.” Keevee replied with a slight nod, “All I want to give is advice, it’s up to you to take it or leave it. I’ll still stand by your side, win or lose. But still it’s always just that, advice. As with the rest of my students, you still have your own free will.”

“Yeah, I get it.” Eddie said, “You’re right though…I get so caught up on honor and all that and mak dumb decisions for it.”

“They’re still yours to make.” said Kaiser, “You’ll only learn by making your own decisions, even if they end up being mistakes. My job is to support you no matter what.”

“You really think I can do it this time?” said Eddie, “Take home a championship?”

“Absolutely.” said Keevee “Just remember, and again….only advice, but getting the victory over BRADDOCK won’t make anybody see you as any less of a champion, not anyone with a brain anyway.”

“I think Miles might be underestimating me a bit.” said Eddie

“No, Miles is smarter than that.” Keevee replied, “He’s shared and been in the ring with your Lyons Den colleagues before, he knows exactly what he’s in for and I assure you is taking this more serious than BRADDOCK is. Plus you already beat BRADDOCK once, and that will likely be in his head, putting him off his game.”

“I see your point, but I’m still going to try and take Miles down.” Eddie said.

“And you’re free to do that, but just remember if the opportunity presents itself to win over BRADDOCK instead, maybe take it. Thats my advice.” said Kaiser

“Fair enough.” said Eddie

“I wouldn’t think to much on it.” said Keevee, “I firmly believe you’re taking that championship home, however you choose to get it done, you’ll get done.”

“Yeah..” said Eddie cracking a smile, “Yeah..I will.”

“I think the foods coming…” said Keevee.

And it was, the food was placed in front of them an they began getting ready to chow down, moving the chatter into some more casual conversation.

“How bout them Browns?” said Eddie with a smirk

“Watch yourself.” said Keevee, a grin of his own.

The two would casually converse for the next several minutes over their meal, before it came time to pay the bill and go about the rest of their day. They still had a promo to shoot, and that became their next point of focus.

—-------
4:44 PM on a Thursday
Unspecific Gym Lockerroom
Las Vegas, NV
On-Camera
—------

Eddie was next to his coach in an empty locker room, seated on on a bench a towel around his neck, as Keevee Kaiser stood beside him. With determined eyes, he wastes no time delivering one final declaration in his goal to become SCW Internet Champion.

“I AM coming to snatch that championship away. I definitely dare.” he began, his determined gaze set on the camera. “You aren’t the only one with something to fight for around here Miles. I know you have your own goals, dreams and aspirations. I know you won’t let those be taken so easily either, but understand you need to be ready..”

Eddie keeps his gaze on the camera, his eyes telling the story of how much he wants this., and how much it means to him as well.


“You need to be ready for the fight of your life, and you need to be ready to face potential heartbreak.” he continued, “I have my aspirations, hopes and dreams as well. I’m out here trying to prove that I am the next generation of talent around here and I need to do that by beating the best. That includes you Miles, because in my eyes you are among the very best. Taking away your shiny new championship would cement MY mark as the Rookie Standard of SCW.”

He paused for a moment, adjusting the towel around his neck slightly.

“And what of BRADDOCK?” Eddie continued, “Another opportunity at the Internet Championship, and another opportunity to fail to capture the Internet Championship. I know that I’m coming into this match guns blazing, and ready. Can the same be said about you? I know Miles is going to bring the fight of his life. But are you ready BRADDOCK? I’m not sure you are, I told you before that the power game alone will only get you so far, and until you understand that you will be forced to deal with failure after failure.”

Eddie runs his hands together, pondering over his next words.

“You know, I’m glad you’re bringing a real fight Miles, because that’s what I want.” Eddie continued, “I don’t want to beat Miles Kasey on an off day. I want to beat the BEST of Miles Kasey, because I want no excuses when I have my hand raised as your NEW Internet Champion. I promise you I’m ready now, ready to move to the next level in my career here in SCW, ready to be called a champion.”

Keevee places a hand on Eddies shoulder, giving him a signal he’d like to speak for a moment.

“If you’re unsure just what Eddie can do Miles, just ask Carter.” Keevee said, “Eddie Lyons is on a run right now, riding a wave of momentum that won’t be quenched. I don’t think we need to remind BRADDOCK. When Eddie Lyons arrived, the expectations of what a rookie can do was raised higher, he is the Rookie Standard now because now, every rookie in the future is going to want to “start their career like Eddie Lyons did. You aren’t the only one who has worked hard. EVERYONE at The Lyons Den are hard workers, who fight for what they believe in and have a no give up attitude. They may all have different goals, and dreams, their desires may be different but the fighting spirit is all the same, because we train apex predators at The Lyons Den, and it takes a real effort to take one of my students down, and Eddie just might end up the best of all of them.”

“You got all that Miles? BRADDOCK?” continued Eddie, “You are just the next to get swept away in the wave that I’m riding and I’m taking the Internet Championship with me, and continuing onward into the future to reach my destiny as one of the best of all time, and I’m going to do it with HONOR BEFORE GLORY.”

Eddie and Kaiser both stared determined at the camera, as it faded out, it was up to Eddie now, he had all the tools to get the job done and become a champion, but it wasn’t going to be easy. He had two tough opponents ahead of him, a determined champion looking to keep their championship and an angry monster  looking to catch the perfect rebound. But were any of those two ready for the wave of Eddie Lyons to come sweeping over them? Whomever wins,  the SCW Internet Championship match is going to be one to remember.

[MiloKasey]

How Do You Say Goodbye?
Seattle, WA

Nothing can ever prepare you for this.

No matter how much you try, you hope against hope, the inevitable happens.

Carter seemed to be at a loss as to what to do next, so Miles went into action. First was booking the red-eye from Vegas to Seattle and if nothing was available, he would drive the 17 hours himself to get him there to be there with his mother and grandmother.

Thankfully they were able to get onto a flight in just 4 hours.

Next up with Ms. Thang.

There were no 24/7 boardings for pets around, so he did the next best thing.

Banging on the Baltasarsson’s door at 1am with the cat in a carrier, pissed off but at this point the prissy little shit was just gonna have to forgive him. He’d make it up to her later for sure. Aron opened the door and at that point he could have easily passed for Kristjan with how pissed he was. That subsided the minute he saw a hint of panic on Miles face and the cat carrier in his hand Aron immediately knew what was going on and took her and shoved Miles back out the door to keep him focused on what needed to be done.

By sunrise Saturday morning, they were at Carter’s mom’s doorstep. Shocked but relieved that they were there.

“We would have picked you boys up at the airport,” Joan said as she hugged the both of them.

“I told him you would but he insisted on renting a car so as to not wake either of you up.” Carter pointed to Miles as he had carried their bags the rest of the way in, they were unusually heavy but when you are packing in a blur and make sure you have enough for whatever was going to happen in their week there, even though they were certain that there was plenty of shopping to be done for something forgotten or just not right.

“And after I get these into your room, I plan on making sure there will be breakfast. Whether it’s cooking it or ordering it, I’ll leave that up to you all.” Miles said before lugging everything up and over his broad shoulders and heading directly into the room that he already spent some time in, the Stitch inspired room that still brings a smile to his face. He would carefully place everything down with a reminder to unpack it all later. He’d make it back into the living room to find a scene that almost broke his heart. It was personal at that moment, so he slipped into the kitchen, poured a couple of cups of coffee emptying the pot and immediately began another. He was going to be at their beck and call, after how Carter’s mother and grams welcomed him months ago during Christmas.

They deserved to be spoiled.

Starting with breakfast and going from there. He wasn’t about to let them worry about another thing that he himself couldn’t handle.

The week for the most part went about as good as it could. He made sure that Carter’s family had everything they could possibly need, being there.as much as he could for all of them and they would insist that he would have time to escape. In fact after a bit mom and grams would force them both out the door.

Carter wasn’t one for running and the weather in Seattle through the week had resembled that of Miles hometown.

Truth be told, Miles would take him a mile or so down the road, let him go into the closest coffee shop, tell him to give him a half hour, but order and sit in silence before he kissed him and took off. He knew Carter would need that alone time too.

With music blaring in his headphones that he brought with him, Miles would put in a bud and just run. It would help him clear his head for a little while, trying not to go back to the conversation that he and Cillian had just a couple weeks prior before his untimely death.

‘I wanted to make sure that you were truly serious about taking care of my son.’

Well Cillian, here’s hoping you have your answer.


You’ll Have to Excuse Me
Seattle, WA

Finally a dry night in the Emerald City as we focus on Miles Kasey, his eyes filled with a steely determination, with the SCW Internet Championship by him. Now we know why the bag was so heavy. He was kicked back on the back porch, seemingly enjoying another quiet moment.

“Eddie, you’ll have to forgive me because I misspoke. YES, I do remember my short lived time in PWE. You'll also have to excuse me because I've been hit in the head one too many times." he taps on his head, like it’s a little empty with a smirk.

"And you know what's funny I still carry around that Leo medallion. It actually got sewn into my bag that I take with me to every show. I use it as a symbol to remind me of a time where I finally was starting to come into my own." he tilts his head and looks up at the night sky, "I wasn't supposed to be the guy to come in out of nowhere and pin you to the mat, but here we are. So if you're going to still hold a grudge eight months later then who am I to tell you differently?"

"But that was then, and this is now. You say you've leveled up, and I believe you. But I have some massive news for you, bruv. So. Have. I.”

Miles shifted for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts carefully.

"You want to make this honorable, Eddie, and I respect that. I respect your dedication to the fight and your desire to face me head-on. But remember, honor doesn't win championships. Skill, determination, and heart do. I won't underestimate you, Eddie, not for a second. I know the fire you bring, the spirit of The Lyons Den. I faced Cleo, I faced Alexander, and now, I'll face you, again."

He leans forward.

“Only difference between February and now?? I have myself the SCW Internet Championship and you have a win streak that is impressive. I have had my ass beaten for no less than being the most improved star in SCW last year and because people are scared of what I can do without so much as a second thought.”

He laughs because this next thought is just funny to him. He hasn’t been granted the time to even concern himself about things beyond High Stakes.

“I’m not even concerned about Finn because I rather focus on someone who is an honest to goodness challenger like you and even like BRADDOCK. And honestly, neither should you! You have real threats right here to even get you whatever may be beyond Las Vegas. You should be really worried about me and even in a way, you should be concerned about Braddock. Mind you he has thrown himself around and found himself in a situation with a whole lot to prove as to why he is even involved in our match at High Stakes. It should be you and I. You beat him and you beat Carter. You have earned this shot. But it’s never that simple. Be in the NOW and not the then because there is absolutely no guarantee that you will even get there.”

Miles has to calm himself because he is just so sick and fucking tired of people looking past him like he hasn’t kicked his own ass to even get to this moment.

"You talk about honor, Eddie, and that's something I understand deeply. I've fought for every opportunity, every victory, and every title I've earned. I didn't get here by taking shortcuts or relying on luck. I got here by putting in the work, by facing challenges head-on, and by refusing to back down. And I won't back down now, not from you, not from Braddock, not from anyone."

Miles stares ahead, those blue-green eyes actually somewhat gray at the moment in the light, giving it a steely gaze than the usual playful Milo.

“As for Lyons Den, I remember them fondly. I remember Cleo kicking my ass back in Apex. I also remember giving her a shit ton of respect following that match because she brought it all. But Lyons Den has changed, hasn’t it? Seems like we have something in common, both pawns in the games that they are trying to create. And I hope, I really hope that you are serious about keeping this on the level because mate, there is nothing I wouldn’t love more than to kick your ass once again.”

Miles holds up his hands with a smirk.

“Respectively, of course.”

Miles reaches over and pulls the title into his lap, looking down on it, “I have this championship, a symbol of my hard work and dedication. I'm not just fighting for myself; I'm fighting for everyone who believes in me, for everyone who has supported me on this journey. And I won't let them down."

Miles took a deep breath, his voice resonating with confidence.

"Braddock, Eddie, whoever stands in my way, they'll have to face the undeniable truth. I'm not just a champion; I'm a fighter. I've faced adversity before, and I've overcome it. High Stakes won't be any different. You guys, you want to make a mark? You want to prove your worth? Well, bring your honor, your passion, and your best game. Because I'll be there, standing tall, ready to prove why I am the SCW Internet Champion."


Lay Your Head On My Shoulder

It had been a long week, and the longest of it was this day.

The funeral had been interesting to put it mildly and after everything he needed to pull Carter away from the madness and the daggers from his dad’s side of the family.

Now, as the attendees gradually dispersed, Miles guided Carter away from the crowd, his hand a reassuring presence on his shoulder.

They found themselves on a quiet hill overlooking the cemetery, a place where the world seemed to fade away. Miles spread out a blanket, and they both sat down, their silence echoing the unspoken words between them.

Carter stared ahead, his eyes fixed on the horizon, yet seeing nothing. His grief was a heavy burden, and he felt like he might crumble under its weight. Miles, sensing his pain, wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close. Carter leaned into the embrace, seeking solace in Miles' warmth.

"I miss him, Miles," Carter's voice cracked, his words heavy with sorrow. "I can't believe he's gone."

Miles tightened his hold on Carter, his own heart aching for the man he loved. "I know, babe," he whispered, his voice gentle. "Even though I lost my da all those years ago, I can't even imagine what you're going through. But remember, you're not alone. I'm here, and I'll always be here for you, no matter what."

Carter nodded, his tears finally flowing freely. He buried his face in Miles' shoulder, allowing himself to grieve, to let out the pain that had been building inside him. Miles held him, his fingers gently running through Carter's hair, offering silent comfort.

They stayed like that for a long time, the world around them fading into the background. In that moment, all that mattered was the two of them, their love a beacon of light in the darkness of grief.

“I will say that letter he wrote was amazing and beautiful. Made me kind of jealous for a moment. Lyle Kasey would have never done that even when he was sober,” Miles laughed in spite of himself, “And I’m glad that you were able to make amends, because I don’t want what I go through on the daily when it comes to my old man...well I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

“I wish you had the chance to really get to know him, hell even really meet him.” Carter said, “I really think that you would have found him a whole lot better than the things I told you about.”

Miles smiled because Carter didn’t know about the visit that he had had with his dad a couple weeks ago, “Yeah, about that.” Carter looked up, “He sorta paid a visit before he left Vegas.”

Carter sputters for a moment, “What?”

Miles looked a little uncomfortable for a moment, “Look, I- I didn’t know how to bring it up. But when he came to Vegas to meet with you, he requested to meet me as well. I guess part of me was honestly curious, and it was a lot of ‘I just wanna make sure’ talk between him and I.”

“And you’re just telling me this now? MILES! That’s serious!” Carter glared at him.

Miles sighs, “I KNOW! I know I promised no secrets between us but I just didn’t know how to bring it up.”

“‘Hey Carter, your dad and I met.’” Carter blurted out, “Wait...Where did he meet you?”

“At the condo.”

Carter cringes, “He saw that mess? Oh my god, that’s a wonderful picture.”

“Told him it was nothing, that he should have seen my closet.” Miles laughed leaning in closely to kiss Carter on the cheek, “Thankfully we have no skeletons in there.”

“You are- I cannot believe you.”

Miles leaned back with a smile, “I think he was half expecting me to make sure it was ok for us to get married one day.”

Carter’s eyes grow huge, “Did- did you...”

Miles leans in, “Of course not, I know better and that question will go to your mother because she’d kill me if I didn’t!”

“Can we not do the death talk thing here!”

“Why not? We are in a cemetery.”