Willing Mistakes
The roar of the crowd is addictive.
Ask any wrestler, any real wrestler. They’ll tell you the same thing, they all have an addiction. But as the roar fades, when you walk backstage the feeling is still there. And it takes time to calm down and fade away. So what does a wrestler do when their match is over and they can hear the rest of the show? How do they wind down? Well, most talk with the boys, have a laugh, take a shower and then hit the town.
Aiden was no different.
After the match was over, a win for he and his tag partner Steve Morrison, he walked backstage, had a small talk with a few of the boys, moved past catering and went to have a shower. Feeling the hot water run over his body made him relax. His aching muscles released after being so tense. The incredible high of being out in front of everyone was starting to wind down. And as he turned the water off he took a deep breath, pushing all the adrenaline out and grabbing his towels, wiping himself down, wrapping it around him and throwing the second towel over his neck.
He stepped out, expecting to see a locker room full of guys, instead. There was silence. He blinked a few times looking around. But it was just himself and Steve. His british friend and tag team partner looking down as he sat on the edge of one of the benches. Aiden raised an eyebrow, looking from the door and back to the shower and back again. Before Aiden could say anything Steve sighed and shook his head. ”You’re lucky I love ya….ya git…” Steve stood up and moved over toward the door, reaching out and grabbing the handle. ”Ya got five minutes, that’s all I could buy…”
Aiden was confused, stepping forward as Steve stepped out. Then he saw her. Akari.
Standing in the corner, wearing a white flowing dress, a red leather jacket with three quarter sleeves, and holding a matching red leather handbag. Aidens jaw dropped, staring at her and for a moment forgetting he was basically naked. ”Aiden…I’m sorry, but this is the only way we could talk…” He snapped out of it and gave her a small nod before reaching over and grabbing his pants, sliding them on under the towel before grabbing his shirt and throwing that on to. Akari sighed heavily and moved around the lockeroom. ”I got your messages….”
Aiden smirked and shook his head. He had left a few of them, text messages, a voicemail and a hand written note. All just wanting to know if she was alright after that night. ”I just hadn’t seen ya around. I wanted to know you were alright…”
She smiled and sighed heavily. Sitting down next to Aiden on the bench in front of his locker. ”I was always going to be safe. Those men would never have hurt me…”
”Yeah, I figured they would be more concerned with hurtin me.”
She turned and spoke up, straightening her back with an air of authority in her voice. ”My fathers men wouldn’t have done that.”
Aiden sho0ok his head, his normal demeanor of being someone who would deflect through humor had melted away. And instead we had a serious version of Aiden, he leaned forward and clasped his hands together, his mind flashing back to that night, focusing on details that Akari missed. ”Akari, they weren’t men employed by your father…” He paused, her eyebrows narrowed and she tilted her head. Aiden turned and looked her in the face. His mind flashing back again, focusing on the small gold crests they word on the lapels of their suits. ”They were Yakuza.”
”What?...No….you’re wrong…you have to be…”
Aiden took in a deep breath and pushed it out. It had been widely known, an open secret if you will. That the Yakuza had their hands in almost every single legitimate business in Japan. And professional wrestling was one of those businesses. Aiden swallowed hard and shook his head. ”I don’t know which family has stakes in your fathers company. But you don’t get anything done in this country without them. Atleast nothing with this much money behind it…” He trailed off. Akari stood up and moved away from Aiden.
She was thinking, clearly going back in her mind to everytime she had seen them, every single time she had seen her4 father with them. ”Shit…”
She was angry, frustrated and upset. Aiden clasped his hands together. He jaw clenched and his heart sank. ”I’m sorry you had to find out this way darl…”
Akari looked down and tried to calm herself, reaching up to wave and wipe the tears from her eyes. ”No, it’a alright. But, I understand that you will never want to see me again. It’s too dangerous. For your career and your life.” She turned, moving toward the door. Aiden stood up, moving over and reaching out to grab her arm.
”Aye, I didn’t say that.”
”What?”
Aiden turned her toward him, a smile on his face as he shook his head, his hair all over the place from still being wet, his body causing the shirt to cling to him, standing barefoot in the lcckeroom, but a smile etched on his face nonetheless. ”Look, I ain’t the type to get scared away by anythin like tha.” He stepped back as Akari looked up at him, confused. ”We had somethin, a connection. We got alone and you were able to see past my awkward defense mechanisms. I made ya laugh, ya made me smile. So….what the real crime would be…is not pursuin that…”
She let out a relieved sigh and her shoulders dropped, all the tension and sadness seemed to leave her all at once. And it hit Aiden like a ton of bricks. She was lonely. ”Thank you…but, now I know why I have been so distant from everyone. It was never a choice. Even friends in high school and college….I was treated like a second choice for everything…” She trailed off. Aiden swallowed and looked away before giving in to his instincts and leaning in taking her into a hug. Akari relaxed even more, pushing her body into his.
After a few moments the door opened, it was Steve. ”Oi, you two, I can’t fool these fuckers any longer, wrap it up yeah?”
Aiden gave a small nod and looked down at Akari. ”I’ll text ya, we can set up times to see each other…we can figure this out…” He smiled again, Akari nodded slowly and turned to step out, but before she did she turned back, getting on her tip toes and kissing Aiden on the cheek. She smiled warmly and slipped out the door, letting it shut behind her as Aiden sighed heavily.
What did he just get into?
Handsome Mutha Fucka
”I can’t believe I’m doing this…”
Hey kids, it’s Kayla Richards!. I’m sure you’re all wondering what the fuck she is doing in Aiden Reynolds promo. And, well. Much like the MCU everything the handler of this shit writes is inter connected. So sometimes people like Kayla will turn up. And trust me…
She’s here for a reason.
”Aiden?...where are you?”
She turned and saw him, or what we can assume is Aiden, her eyes narrow and she folds her arms over her chest.
”Alright I’m here. Kallie asked me to help and be your little guest star this week. I wasn’t going to do it but she begged and then told me that Finn royally fucked it up last week, so I wanted to ptove I was better and….why are you dressed like that?’
The camera pans around and we find Aiden, hair slicked back except for a wavey curl at the front, his jawline pushed out to look more square. Oh, and he was wearing a superman outfit, complete with fake muscles. Which…looked even more ridiculous.
”Oi yeah, ya know, reasons. Anyway I need to redeem meself. See my last match was that bloodbath thing. And it was crazy as a racoon stuck in a clowns pants chasin a quokka.” Kayla looked confused, but AIden continued. ”I was a little sore after that match. I mean JEEEZUS. Blood everywhere, weapins n a cage and all that shit. I mean look, I am no stranger to crazy brawls but that was on another level. mYa get it Kay? I mean of course ya do. You’re no stranger to hard hittin hardcore action….with all sorts of toys bein u8sed and meat slappin meat…”
”I know what you’re doing and I’m not going to dignify that with any type of reaction. And shouldn’t you be focusing on Ben Jordan? You know?...your opponent?”
We cut back to Aiden, who, this time is wearing a grey wig, some kind of armour with a wolf medallion and two plastic swords strapped to his back.
”Wait…how the fuck did you do that?”
”You’re right. I do have to focus on Benny boy Jordan…and it’s hard cause the blokie is..”
”Oh wonderful, I’m being ignored.”
”He’s so handsome ya know? I mean shit, I might get distracted by that strong jawline and those piercin eyes. The bloke is a damn stunnin piece of work. But the scary part Kay? Is he’s a bloody gun in the ring. Like holy shit. Dude is a former world champion here. A former roulette champion and a tag champion when they had mens and womens titles and lets face it, the guy is still a force now. He should be and will be, in my opinion a hall of famer. ANd he deserves the utmost respect for all he’s accomplished…”
Kayla shakes her head and rolls her eyes.
”Yeah but, what has he done lately? Aside from fail to drag Sam Marlowe to a mixed tag title victory?”
”Nah, see, that’s the thing Kay. You can get trapped thinkin that way with a bloke like Ben Jordan. See, I can get into that mindset that he’s somehow a faded star. Like all of you have with say, Mercedes Vargas on the womens side or everyone with our old mate Austin on the male side. I could sit right there, and look right into the camera we set up to record this and wax lyrical about Ben and his career. Talk about how it’s been years since he held that world title or about how he has had opportunity after opportunity only to come up short.”
“I could do that”
“In fact it wouldn’t even be incorrect. I could spin every single little thing he has failed at over the last few years n throw it back in his face. Use all that to my advantage to somehow tear benny boy down. But, that would do two things. One it would discredit him if I beat him, makin me fucking victory mean NOTHIN and two it would put me in a dangerous headspace. I’d get cocky…well, cokyer. And i’d make a mistake. And lookin at a guy like Ben Jordan, it would only take one mistake.”
“One”
“One opportunity for a bloke like Ben to capitalise on.l See Ben, I know the kind of guy you are. Technically sound, smart in that ring with a high ring IQ and athleticism to fall back on. A guy who won’t be goin into this match unprepared and a guy who ain’t stupid enough to underestimate me. So, nah Kay, I ain’t goin down that rabbit hole…ya get me?”
Kayla slowly nods and sighs, silently agreeing with AIden, it has to be silently, she’d never say it out loud, she looks away for a moment and then back at Aiden before throwing her hands in the air.
”Oh what now?”
Aiden is now dressed in a suit, a fake looking mustache glued to his face.
”August walker? Ya know, from Mission impossible? Pfft, anyway I’m lookin forward to this match Benny boy. For all the reasons listed. See, I’m a pretty easy goin guy and some people tend to believe cause I’m easy goin and I like to have a bit of a laugh that I’m not worthy of bein taken serious. But I think ya know different don’t ya? Hell, we even have a national rivalry to fall back on. The ashes. Not that I like cricket or give a shit about it but it’s close enough. And trust me on this, I am well aware of what a win over ya will do for me career.”
“And also what it’ll do for SCW. See this company has lost some major stars and names. Mac bane split, Ken Davison split, Matt Knox split, Alex is semi retired and Austin is dealin with personalo stuff and Fenris and Jack Washington ain’t around. So as far as big names, there’s Goth, Finn, you and Raven.”
“Four big names, four blokes who could be in the main event.”
“This company needs new stars and hey, why not me?”
“So I know what this match can do Ben. You haven’t lost alot in your career. Less than twenty losses in youe entire SCW career. That is fuckin nuts. So believe me, despite the jokes the gravity of the situation ain’t lost on me. You’re a fuckin beast in the ring, a man to be respected an fuckin looked up to…but…who the fuck am I right?”
Aiden stands up, taking the fak mustache off and letting out a deep breath. Kayla raises an eyebrow and sits back.
”I’ve held tag titles, I’ve been a champion in a few different companies but I have never reached those heights. The one where me name transcends companies. I was a shit kicker in jap-an, born and raised in Australia and for the last few years I’ve been tryin me best to break out from the pack. I have done some outlandish things to stand out and trust me Ben, It ain’t because I’ve been tryin to hide me shortcomings. I know I ain’t perfect.”
“But what I do know, is I can be a star. I can be a big name in SCW and help lead it into the future. I can challenge for the Internet title, the roulette title and even the worlsd title after I have earfned my way there. Hell a loss to you wouldn’t be the end of the world but what if I win?”
“What if Aiden Reynolds. An untried, untested new face in SCW beats a guy who should be in the hall of fame and could still be the world champion if he had a shot? What if I can beat a guy one on one who just showed what he can do against me and two others in a fuckin barbaric match like the blood bath brawl?”
“That is the beauty of professional wrestlin, eh Ben? We have all these questions we can answer. We have an SCW veteran who many say are past his prime, who I believe could still be asforce facin someone they don’t know about. It’s enough to get anyone interested. So this week I’m gettin into that ring and I’m gonna give ya everything I’ve got. EVERYTHING. And I hope you’ll do the same.. And win, lose or draw….beers on me after mate…””
