“A new cousin…” Victoria grinned, “Interesting. Yes. Fine. I’m done with you.”
Victoria turned and simply walked away from him, and Eddie didn’t complain one bit, he didn’t want to deal with her either, and was happily waiting for his date to arrive. He for sure didn’t need Victoria around causing her drama. He felt a bit bad sending her after Alexander like that, but his cousin Alexander could be a bit of a dick most of the time too, so it didn’t bother him THAT much.
Victoria’s departure couldn’t have happened any sooner either, because only moments after she left, did Eddie see her there in all her brown haired glory. Sabrina Woods. If you had told him he wasn’t going to leave the Princess Cruise with a championship, but with a girlfriend instead. Well he would have called you crazy. But here he was, looking at the wonderful person he got to call his lady.
“Hey babe.” he said, embracing her with a hug and then a kiss. “How’s your day been?”
“Better now that you’re here.” she grinned, kissing Eddie again, “So this is the infamous Lyons Den is it?”
“The one and only.” replied Eddie “Spent countless hours here, just training, and trying to make myself better.”
Sabrina nodded, “It’s nice, I’m no wrestler but I might have to bug you sometime to let me use those treadmills.”
“Hey, you’re welcome here anytime.” said Eddie, “Use the treadmills as much as you like. Or whatever you want really. I know gym memberships ain’t cheap.”
“I’ll have to take you up on that then, Eddie Lyons.” she grinned.
“Why do you do that?” he asked, “Use my first and last name?”
Sabrina shrugged, “I dunno, just feels right I guess. Would you rather me call you dipshit?”
Eddie laughed, “No, it’s kinda cute actually.”
“Well,” Sabrina giggled, “I’ll have to keep at it then…Eddie Lyons.”
Eddie smiled back at Sabrina.
“So, what do you do when you’re not around here training?” asked Sabrina.
Eddie shrugged, “Not much. I really just spent most of my time here, unless I’m on the road for SCW.”
“So you don’t do anything for fun?” she asked, eyebrow raised.
“Training is fun for me.” he said.
“I see.” she nodded.
“You see?” he replied, “See what?”
“Why our paths crossed again.” she said, “You need to learn how to have fun. You come off so serious sometimes. When you get back from Japan, I’m gonna show you how to have fun, and I’m going to bring out more of Eddie Lyons than just the honorable fighter who never gives up.”
“I know how to have fun…” said Eddie
“Well, we’re going to test that when you get back from Japan then.” she said.
That part did suck, he had to fly out to Japan so soon and he really wanted to get to know Sabrina even more. Their relationship was young, having been established for a little over a week now. He looked at her, and a thought crossed his mind. She wanted him to be more fun, and perhaps some spontaneity would help him down that road.
“Come with me.” he said.
“Come with you?” she repeated, eyebrow raised.
“To Japan.” he said, “Come on the tour with me. It’ll be fun and you said on the cruise you haven’t gotten to travel much. So why not come with me to Tokyo?”
Sabrina paused, and a smile grew on her face.
“I’d love to.” she said.
“Well, let’s go expedite you a passport then.” said Eddie, “We only have a few days.”
And off they went hand-in-hand. Maybe it was a little sudden to ask her to leave the country with him so soon into their relationship. But something felt right about Sabrina, maybe she would help give him whatever boost he needed to get back on the winning side of things, and if not? Well he still felt like a winner with Sabrina by his side.
__________
The cameras open on Eddie, at some undisclosed location in Japan, the exact location is unclear but Mt. Fuji looms in the background. After a few moments of seconds of letting the camera linger he speaks.
“I guess this is where we’re at now Aiden.” he said with a shrug, “Both of us just trying to get ourselves back on that horse, start picking up some wins soon. Been a tough go of it for us both recently hasn’t it? Neither of us able to recapture the Roulette Championship from Alexander Raven.”
He shrugs.
“Now we got this proving grounds series ahead of us.” Eddie continued, “I’m not sure what we get at the end of the road for this series, but you know damn well I’m going to strive to win this whole deal anyway. That said, I do think something needs to be done, and I feel a need to call some banners to war after what we saw at Summer Xxtreme.”
His eyes show some anger, mixed with frustration and annoyance.
“Those three bastards. Raven, Carter and J2H.” he said with a scowl, “I know you and I both share no love for Alexander Raven, and now that Kevin Carter has revealed his face as The Entity, I imagine we’re not thrilled with him either, and J2H? Well that bastard has one coming too.”
Eddie stares daggers into the camera.
“I for one am not going to be someone who sits around and lets those three goons run amok.” Eddie continued, “I’m saying it here and now that I stand against them and will support whomever else stands up and goes against them and their dishonorable act. An act we’ll be in store for more of if we don’t act now. Am I putting a target on my back by calling them out? Perhaps. Do I care? No. Because it’s the right thing to do and if they’re going for strength in numbers, then know I’m available to help even the odds.”
He pauses for a moment, to catch up with himself.
“My guess Aiden, is we get some sort of championship match out of this Proving Grounds series.” Eddie continued, “Which hopefully means one of us gets to kick the shit out of Alexander Raven and bring the Roulette Championship back into the hands of someone who will actually act as a champion. Call me selfish, but I need that to be me.”
Eddie shrugs.
“I want that belt back that you took from me” he said, “And I know you want it back too after my cousin basically screwed you over. I want to fight WITH you against them, but for now it seems if I want to get any closer to Raven, or any championship really. I need to go through you, and that’s just what I’m gonna gave to do.”
Eddie sighs.
“I guess we just gotta give them a show once again.” Eddie said with a shrug, and a smile on his face. ”My chance to even the score between us, and the first step in getting back to where I need to be. Getting back to having a championship, of any sort on my shoulder. Taking the strap back from Raven would be like icing on the cake, but beggars can’t be choosers and if my Proving Grounds journey leads me to Finn or HBC, then so be it. I’m sure I could probably find a Bombshell to help me go after Finn and Kayla if I wished. Point is, I’m tired of losing. It sucks, and I need to pick up a good, nice solid win. Not just any win. Beating the likes of Justin Smith or Bill Barnhart just doesn’t cut it anymore. I need to beat someone like you Aiden, someone who has the similar goals and desires as myself. Someone who has a similar mindset as myself. I belive I’ve said it before, if this company still had tag titles for just male tag teams. I think the wolf and the lion could be one of the best because we have a similar outlook, similar goals and yet still each have our own individuality about us.”
He pauses for a moment, and gives Aiden a nod of respect.
“At the end of the day, there can still only be one.” he said, “No, not Highlander. It’s gonna be me or you, and honestly that works for me, because if I have to pick someone other than myself then I would pick you. So I know at least if I do lose, then the man who defeated me is still someone I can respect, and as you once said, have a beer with. Still waiting on that beer by the way.”
Eddie grinned.
“We can talk about our hatred for Alexander Raven.” he joked, “None the less, I don’t need to tell you that I’m gonna have to come for your head. I’m gonna do whatever I can to make sure my hand is raised. I know you feel the same, and that’s cool. I dig it. So let’s just do what we do, and give the fans a god damn fucking show. I’ll see ya out there brother.”
He nods respectfully at the camera again, as the scene closes.
__________
Eddie had never been to Sensei Takerus dojo before, he had only heard about it. He had only met Sensei Takeru once, but he knew he had been a close friend of the family, his uncle Vincent Sr. in particular.
The place was a bit rundown, and it smelled a bit funny, yet somehow it still felt inviting, even if it was a far cry from the Lyons Den facilities back in North Carolina.
“I can’t belive you brought me with you halfway across the world, and still basically end up in the gym.” Sabrina said looking around the dojo.
“I know…I know..” Eddie shrugged, “But Sensei Takeru is a close friend of the family, and we don’t get to see him much unless a company tour takes us to Japan.”
“Eddie-san!” he heard a voice say, “You didn’t mention bringing a friend.”
“Hello Sensei.” he said, “Uh, yeah this is my girlfriend Sabrina.”
“Pretty like the cherry blossom in spring.” Sensei Takeru said with a smile.
“Oh my.” Sabrina blushed.
“What of Victoria-chan?” asked Sensei, “I understand you work together. Will she be coming by?”
“Working together?” Eddie said, “We both work for SCW, that’s about as fas as it goes... She’s changed. I don’t know that she’s stopping by on this tour. She’s got that too good for everyone else mindset.”
“Hmmm.” said Sensei Takeru, “Upsetting, but she must find her own way. As must you Eddie-san.”
“Yeah I know.” said Eddie, as he sat down on the apron of a nearby ring, “It’s just been a rough couple months for me since losing my championship. I worked hard for that, and in a moment. It was gone. Haven’t really been right since.”
“You must remain strong Eddie-san.” Sense Takeru said, taking a seat next to Eddie on the apron. Sabrina found a folding chair and looked at her phone while Eddie talked more with the family sensei, “Even a waning moon will become full again."
Eddie looked over at Sensei Takeru curiously.
“Have patience.” Sensei Takeru explained, “You must not rush. Pushing through your hardships will only make you stronger in the end, and there will be a day when the waning moon becomes full again, and it will be even more beautiful than before.”
Eddie nodded, taking in the advice as Sensei looked over at Sabrina
"When two carry it, even a stone feels light." he said, “Trust in her. She has a good aura about her.”
“Excuse me?” Sabrina said looking up from her phone for a moment, before going right back to it.
“Sharing a burden with another, will lighten the load.” said Sensei Takeru, “Just be sure to help carry hers as well.”
Eddie nodded, continuing to listen.
“Now, we must train. You didn’t come here just to listen to me talk.” Sensei continued, “You need a partner.”
Sensei Takeru looked around the room, and found who he was looking for.
“MAKENIU!” he called, to his student Makeniu Hakuchi.
As Makeniu made his way over, some instructions were given in Japanese, and soon after the sparring began, as Eddie squared off in the dusty old ring, stiff shots were thrown from each, to which Sabrina would wince at. Still once it was all said and done, Eddie did somehow feel a bit stronger, even with the new welts on his chest.
He took a drink of a water bottle, and sighed as he heard Sensei Takeru speak.
“Ready for round two?”
Round two? This was sparring, but it still ended up feeling like an actual match given how stiff Makeinu was delivering some of those chops, not that Eddie wasn’t returning in kind.
“No pain. No gain.” Eddie said, before getting back into position and locking up with Makeniu for the aforementioned round two, and later rounds three four five and yes even six.
__________
Eddie sits in a folding chair, the opposite way, because his friend Cleo told him that was the cool way to do it, his arms rest on the back of the chair as he leans forward ever so slightly as he speaks.
“I know it shouldn’t bother me..” Eddie started, “But I’m sick of losing. I need to my momentum back, and beating you Aiden is the perfect way to start getting that momentum back, because after all, my loss of momentum started with you. No excuses of course, you beat me. But it still was a major blow to my momentum. You understand though, you dealt with the same thing a few weeks later, and now we both have to see that asshole Raven hold a championship that would be better suited with one of us.”
He shakes his head.
[/i]
“Even worse, I have to deal with Victoria.” he grimaced, “Shouldn’t be lettering her get to me either, but sometimes, she just does. Like, she doesn’t shut up, and seeing someone like her actually win, and be successful while I’m trying to do things right, and be respectful, yet I get stuck in the rut here? How is that fair?”
He sighs, before continuing.
“Then she has to rub it in my face every chance she gets.” he continues, “Just be glad you don’t have to deal with her at Wolfslair, cause we’re all sick of her at The Lyons Den. I know Cleo is a few more off-hand remarks away from showing her how she used to handle people who talked too much shit. All I know is, Victoria needs to be put in her place, but at the same time..she’s at least half right. She has been backing her mouth up with wins, and that can’t really be argued. But that’s her thing, a lot of half-truths mixed with her lies and slanderous comments.”
He shrugs.
“I guess she’s a problem best left for the Bombshells.” he continued, “Not much you or I can do about it but press on with our own respective careers. You and I just gotta use this proving grounds to inject that momentum back into our careers, it’s just a shame only one of us can win, and I hate that I have to be the one to set you back even more, but that’s how the cards fell Aiden. As much respect as I have for you, I feel like I need this even more and all respect aside, if I get the opportunity I will absolutely kick your fucking head off.”
He keeps a steady gaze on the cameras.
“At least you won’t go out there and embarrass your country like Raygun.” he chuckled, “You’ll go out there and actually make your fellow Aussies proud, even in loss. There will be no kangaroo hops or rolling around on the floor like a stapler, it’s gonna be another hard hitting fight, but this time my hand will be raised as the winner and I will do it as I always do, with honor before glory.”
He looks into the camera, with fire in his eyes, as the scene fades out to black.
