Las Vegas, Nevada -
Turnberry Towers
Perhaps one of the more familiar sites as of late where Carter Kasey-McKinney had been concerned as of late, but this time, things would be seen a bit differently. Because when the door that led inside of the fifth floor condo that the 2023 and 2024 Couple of the Year called home, it was not Miles who was accompanying Carter inside, but someone who had not been seen in some time – Carter’s best friend for a number of years, Ariana Angelos.
The day had been long and grueling, but not because the two besties had spent all of their time in training at the GO Gym, Carter to better prepare himself for Blaze of Glory XIV or Ariana to keep her ring skills razor sharp on the off chance she might be interested in an eventual return to the six-sided ring. No, the two had spent a rare day together at the movies and lunch, and then a shopping spree at the Fashion Show Mall that spanned the remainder of the day. When it came to shopping with Carter and his bestie, it was more of a sprint than a marathon and the two buddies were thoroughly exhausted by day’s end.
“Oh god, I missed this!” Carter exhaled with a smile, setting his shopping bags down to the cherry wood floor paneling at his feet, while an equally exhausted Ariana set her own bags on the Ottoman, turning to her closest of friends with an inquisitive smirk.
“What are you talking about?” She asked. “You go shopping at the mall all the time.”
“Not all the time!” Carter objected, walking across the foyer of the condo and he sat down on the white sectional sofa that dominated the living space. “I do the online thing too… maybe a bit too much. I’m on a first name basis with a few Amazon drivers.”
Ariana smiled as she joined Carter on the sofa and after kicking her open-toe shoes off, surly her feet up under her with an arm draped on the back of the sofa. She asked, “Where is that husband of yours anyway?”
To which Carter answered, “He’s off with LJ, somewhere on the Strip. Brotherly bonding and all that! They both invited me to tag along but I thought they needed time to themselves every now and then. Things are still new between them.”
“It’s not because of that whole mistrust issue you have with LJ?” Ariana asked, and Carter was quick to correct her, “‘Had,’ Ari. Past tense. I know things were tense at first when LJ showed up, but I can admit when I’m wrong.”
A single, perfectly coifed eyebrow rose on Ariana’s forehead, causing Carter to put on his best affronted act, a face that screamed aghast and hand on his chest. “I just don’t have that option often enough to know the feeling!” He declared, allowing her to nod with a satisfied smirk.
“That’s my boy.” She said. Ariana then glanced around and asked, “Where’s Ms. Thang?”
Carter then started to look around, noticing that his and Miles’s ‘baby girl’ didn’t come greeting them with head bonks to the shin or weave between their legs and cause a face plant to the floor like was a normal routine of the little black and white Tuxedo cat.
“I’m not sure.” He said softly before he started to cluck his tongue, a gesture that had started to act as close to a summoning or a calling for Ms. Thang as anything could.
He called aloud, “Here kitty, kitty…!” Before the mistress of the homestead finally deigned to grace them with her presence, but all was not as Carter might have believed it should be. Ariana spotted her first, only a split second before Carter himself did. The cat’s head peaked slowly, almost as if with caution, around the corner of the guest bedroom door which was slightly ajar, giving Carter pause. He could have sworn that he had closed that door after airing it out.
“Hey girl…” Carter cooed, leaning over at the waist in a gesture of invitation. “What’s wrong?” Realizing that she was not immediately heading over to them for her usual tribute of head scratches and massages. She almost seemed cautious before finally moving over into the foyer and hopping up onto the sofas where her daddy and ‘Auntie Ariana’ started cooing over her and helping her to relax.
“What’s wrong?” Ariana asked with a soft voice as she stroked the fur along her head, taking care to pay close attention to that spot between her ears. Ariana knew Carter and Miles’s girl well enough to know her massage preferences. Ariana added, “You know me!”
“Course she does!” Carter insisted. “She’s probably just still a little bitter about having to get her annual shots at Dr. Mary’s this week.”
“Aww!” Ariana pouted her bottom lip. Carter then leaned over and whispered like a co-conspirator, “Took two vet techs to hold her down and she still managed to draw blood.”
“That’s my girl!” Ariana chuckled, and finally the cat crawled up into her lap and perched there like Ariana’s lap was her throne. Ari then cast her gaze toward Carter and asked, “So how are you doing? Really.”
“Me?” Carter asked, confused. “I’m fine.”
Ariana rolled her eyes and said, “Carter. I’m your best friend. I’ve always been able to tell when you’re lying.”
“How?” Carter all but demanded, then quickly changed his tune and stated, “I most certainly do not!” causing his BFF to smother a smile, but not quickly enough. She pointed a forefinger toward her own eyes and answered, “You have this way about batting your eyelashes a little bit when you’re not being entirely honest.”
She then tilted her head to the side and asked, “Is this about your match with Miles?”
Carter sighed, seemingly avoiding her gaze as both she and Ms. Thang looked back toward him. He sighed, “Is it that obvious?” To which she pinched a thumb and forefinger close together.
He finally admitted, “I’m just nervous, Ari. This match is serious. It could be violent. And I’m in there against my own husband and I-I don’t know how to handle it.”
“Have you tried talking to Miles about it?”
“And say what?” He asked. “Confide that I’m feeling the same way that he probably is?”
“Fair.” She conceded. “But you have to talk to someone.”
Carter nodded, a downcast look on his face. “I considered Doctor Delacore but this is out of her realm of expertise. Besides, I can’t just go run to my therapist every time I have a problem.” He sighed and shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ll think of something.”
Ariana patted his shoulder before giving it a light squeeze. She said, “In the meantime, why don’t you pick out a movie for us to watch? I’ll order us a nice curry. I’m in the mood for something spicy!” She then glanced down at the feline who was now curled up on her lap and purring with contentment. “It looks like I’m not going anywhere for a while.”
“Now you’re talking!” Carter’s face lit up, all concerns over the past few minutes all but forgotten. He stood upright and crossed the immediate threshold to the shelves where he and Miles had grown quite the collection of DVDs and BluRays. True streaming was the thing now, but both he and his husband had an affinity for the classics.
“Hello?” he heard Ariana on the phone. “I’d like to place an order for delivery?”
Carter reached for the movie he had his heart set on when he paused, his face confused and his eyes roaming the collection. Noticing this, Ariana covered the phone with her hand and asked, “Carter? What’s wrong?”
“I’m not sure.” Carter said. “I just bought Kraven and thought we could watch it, but it’s not where I put it on the shelf.”
“What do you mean?” She asked, her brow knitted in a confused frown. “Where is it?”
“Well, it was on the shelf…” He answered, picking the BluRay up from the spot his eyes discovered it. “It’s just not where I put it.”
He turned around to Ariana and shook his head, “It was moved.”
The Elimination Chamber
Seven men will enter this history-making match in Sin City Wrestling, and only one will exit with both the honor of being the very first victor as well as being named the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship. Whether it be Finn Whelan or Alex Jones, both would be paying very close attention as whoever walked out of the Chamber would have earned it, and thereby declared themselves publicly as a legit threat to their championship reign.
And one of those seven men - Helluva Bottom Carter - stood on the viewing deck of the Las Vegas Strip’s Eiffel Tower, his eyes surveying the night life for the famed “City of Sin” that had become his home. All of the lights of the hotels and Casinos along the famed Strip beneath the night sky, while the lights of hundreds of cars passing along the historic route, going both to and fro.
“I’m going to fill you in on a little secret Bulldog. I know, I could call you by your given name of Bill or your surname of Barnhart but to me? As both a peer and a fan of this business before I ever set foot inside of the ring? To me, you’ll always be the Bulldog. Anyway, out of all the men I've competed against from SCU to SCW, you rank right at the top as one of my favorite opponents. Not just toughest, but favorite.”
“Reason being, for all of your accolades. For every championship and Hall of Fame induction that you've earned - and believe me when I say there's been plenty from both sides - you don't take yourself as seriously as you might want for us to believe. I mean, any grizzled veteran of the ring such as yourself that can break out into song during a promo?”Carter shows those pearly whites and salutes the camera.
“Respect! You and I have had our share of experiences inside of the ring, in both singles and tag team matches. And for someone who is as old school as you are, it amazed me just how open-minded you are as an opponent. You never once hesitated in getting up close and personal. You were, are, an equal opportunity butt kicker. In fact, the only thing I ever had against you doesn’t even really have anything to do with you, either as a person or a wrestler.”Carter leaned in closer toward the camera with his hand cupped over his mouth to stage whisper.
“It’s your wife and manager. And this isn’t even because of how she involves herself in your promos. I mean, who cares if she does some of the talking? She’s your manager. A manager is a mouthpiece for their wrestler, so you shouldn’t be penalized for her doing her job.”Carter briefly looked into the camera before resuming his shoot.
“No, this is because she’s both a back stabber and a hypocrite. Now I know you feel the need to defend her by proxy but let’s be honest. She’s about the most dishonest person in SCW and that includes Logan Hunter and Kevin Carter. This is the woman that helped blind Fenris and then told the world it never happened, even though everyone saw it! This is the woman who warns everyone not to interfere in your matches lest they incur her wrath – and then goes out and interferes in your matches herself. Get where I’m going with this, Bulldog? I’m hoping that you haven’t grown too comfortable with her lending you a helping hand because that’s not happening this time around. You’re going to be inside of a sealed pod and the Chamber itself, and she’s going to be on the outside with absolutely no way to help. It’s just you and six other men, Bulldog. Let’s make history!”That said, Carter briefly leaned over for something off camera and proceeded to pick up a small, potted cactus. He gave it the once over before setting it back down.
“Funny the things you find here in Vegas, isn’t it Vinnie? I remember that match I had with you back in January of 2023 like it was yesterday. Yeah, can you believe it’s been that long? Two years since you and I set foot inside of the ring against one another! I can only hope the fact that the memory still lingering to this very day is a testament to just what that match meant to me at Inception VI. I remember I wasn’t exactly in my best frame of mind - which I’m fairly certain that you can relate to. At least from a professional standpoint. I was ready to chuck it in and settle for being a curtain jerker for the remainder of my career, were it not for two certain individuals. One was, of course, my now husband Miles. He had no intention of letting me step back into the shadows of obscurity, and neither would the other person I make mention of… You, Vinnie.”Carter nodded.
“Yeah, you might not even be aware of what you did for me at that point in time, Vinnie, but I’m here to tell you now. I know full well that I wasn’t booked for Inception VI. Another Supercard event with yours truly holding down the fort in catering. A feeling that I thought I should get used to. And then you stepped in. You weren’t booked either. In fact, you were making something of a return as I recall and you wanted booked, and you wouldn’t take no for an answer. You are a former World and Internet Champion more than once and you weren’t going to be left out. And seemingly, you weren’t going to let me be left out either. You wanted a match, you wanted me as an opponent, and you and I practically set that ring ablaze with the performance we gave the world.”
“And I’ll be honest with you. I still feel as if I won that match by the skin of my teeth. You beat me from pillar to post and showed me the tough love inside of the ring that I desperately needed. You showed me why, despite all of your unique characteristics, you are a former World Heavyweight and Internet Champion. And that win against you was all the proof that I needed that I belong up there as well. It was that win that gave me the confidence I needed to win the Internet title from Peter Vaughn. And it’ll carry me on though this match and straight towards the World Championship. So I will thank you again Vinnie for everything that you did for me then, but you won’t be thanking me anytime soon for what’s going to happen in just over a week.”Carter then paused, arms resting on the rail of the deck, his head lowered. After several lingering moments, he glanced up and scoffed, shaking his head.
“You know Eddie Lyons, and what I am about to say is going to be said with respect so I hope that you take it that way. Out of all the men in this match, to me, you are the truest wildcard out of everyone. I’ve been inside of the ring against Finn Whelan. I’ve watched countless others step inside of the ring against the champion and it’s my personal opinion that you took one of the most dominant champions in SCW history to the brink of defeat. I was honestly shocked that you didn’t walk away with the gold that night, but that’s more a testament to the caliber of athlete Finn is than anything negative about yourself.”
“And I am positive that not only will you get another shot at the championship and one day will become top dawg around here, but it won’t be because of the Elimination Chamber because you won’t be the man with his arm raised in the end. Because when you decided to stoop low enough to infer that Miles and I were the ‘weak links’ of this match because of our devotion to one another, you made me all the more determined to see you not walk out the winner. You think that just because Miles and I aren’t willing to bash each others heads into the Chamber and reduce each other to bloody pulp that we don’t have it in us to win the Chamber?”Carter just shook his head, his eyes never straying far from the camera.
“I’ll tell you again what I told you then. Miles and I don’t have to turn each other into ground beef in order to compete against each other. You on the other hand? You flat out said that you’d do it for us so please, allow me to hit you with the one insult that is going to have you so damn pissed that it’ll make you want to use my head and the Chamber like a cheese grater! You are more like your cousin than you pretend to NOT be! And I welcome you to try anything and everything that you think yourself capable of doing at my expense – and we’ll just see for ourselves if you’re truly ‘Unbreakable’.”Carter stood upright and his face took on a more serious expression, one more annoyance than determination.
“And I will go on record and reiterate that Jayden Harris and J2H do not belong anywhere near this match! They don't! This whole thing between them has been dragging on since Jayden ran J2H down because, at the time, Daddy Dearest, was unable to get the job done. And that was how long ago? Let it die out already because it's getting to the point where nobody cares anymore! The only ones who do are …”Carter motioned from side to side toward the camera.
“The two of you. And you two could have had some big match to bring this thing between you to a close at Blaze of Glory. Something epic between just the both of you that would burn its way into the memories of wrestling fans and your own peers for years to come. But no. Instead, you horn in on a history-making event that neither of you belong in. Of course I'm pretty certain what the both of you are going to say. Or at the very least, what J2H is going to say. He's going to say what he always says - I'm J2H!... And that's it. That's his reasoning. That's his justification for being handed everything that he thinks he's entitled to.”
“J2H! 2016 and 2017 Wrestler of the Year! J2H! 2016 and 2017 Man of the Year! J2H! In 20168, ranked by Tommy Knocks as the greatest Superstar in SCW history! J2H! 2019 Hall of Fame inductee! J2H! Longest championship reign in the history of Sin City ..!”Carter briefly broke his focus, smiling and holding up a hand.
“Sorry, force of habit. That one doesn't belong to you anymore, at least it won't in a matter of days. That's when our current champion, Finn Whelan, will have broken your record. Now granted there are arguments that the competition levels between them and now differ like night and day…”Carter scrunched up his face and shook his head
“I can't say I agree with that, but it's neither here nor there. Point is that in a matter of days you are no longer going to be the Golden Child of Sin City Wrestling. Your time of waltzing in like you own the place and think you can call all the shots? Gone. Your time of thinking you have Mark Ward and Christian Underwood wrapped around your little fine? Gone. The days of you walking in and just getting a championship match just because you feel like it? Gone. Do you honestly think that if you win - you won't - but if you do and you happen to unseat the champion? That they'll let you get away with your usual modus operandi of MAYBE winning the championship and then just throw it back in the faces of EVERYONE by just vacating it rather than defend it like a REAL champion?”Carter closed his eyes and shook his head.
“Two times you won the World Championship and just vacated it. Two times you won the Internet title and just left it there like you were proving some kind of insipid point. I always wondered why you would do that when you worked hard to win the championship in the first place. Attitude aside, I actually respected you because you were one of the first wrestlers to prove that guys like us, guys like me - light heavyweights - belonged in this business and could succeed in it. And then the answer struck me from out of nowhere and even I have to admit it was a disheartening discovery. Maybe you preferred vacating rather than defending simply because – you couldn’t. I mean, you could but whatever reign you had in the now would pale in comparison to that first one and your ego just could not handle it. And your ego is not going to be able to handle the Elimination Chamber because there is not a man involved in that match who is not going to work overtime just to keep you from winning and once again tarnishing the prestige of the SCW World Championship!”
“But… as infuriating as your previous actions have been, at the very least you have proven time and again that J2H is money. J2H is a Main Event level star. You worked your way from the bottom to the very top, from being the laughing stock of the locker room to the envy of many. More than I can say really for Jayden Harris - the guy who shares the reason why either one of you are even involved in this match in the first place.”
“I mean, I get it. The bosses think a major feud will help sell this match - both Chamber matches actually because what they did for you two? They also did for the Bombshells’s Chamber match, gifting the spots to Candy and Necra rather than have them actually win a qualifying match to earn it.”
“But I suppose that’s just one of the benefits of being SCW’s resident nepo-baby, isn’t it Jayden? I mean, the sheer level of hypocrisy that practically radiates off of you is about as blinding as staring into an eclipse. Some time ago last year, you told the world that you were not your father, and you’re right. You’re not. While I am not the biggest fan of his for obvious reasons, at the very least, Michael Harris had a personality that wasn’t dominated by this overbearing chip on his shoulder. He at the very least had a personality that didn’t make him seem like Bart Simpson had stepped into the real world. Your father had style. He had charisma. And he had a legacy that is going to be remembered for years to come. Decades! Can you actually say the same? Because for a man that tells the world over that he’s not his father and wants to separate himself from his legacy, sure does seem to be reaping the benefits of being a second generation Superstar!”
“After all, how else can you really explain this immediate push to the stratosphere that you’ve been enjoying ever since you signed your name on the dotted line? Because you are the son of Michael Harris. It’s sure as hell not because of your own merit because you really haven’t done what you want the world to believe.”
“Okay, you made it to the Quarter-Finals of the 2024 Blast From the Past before you pussed out and stabbed your partner in the back. That alone showed your lack of maturity inside of the ring and proof you never would have made it past Whelan or whoever the champion might have been at the end of the tournament. But aside from that…?”Carter held his arms out with an expression of wonder.
“You’ve been so consumed by J2H and his bootlicks that you haven’t really noticed that there is a whole roster that is anxious for the chance to step inside of the ring against the so-called ‘future legend’ that you claim to be. Granted, you got some pretty impressive wins for yourself against the likes of Alexander Raven and Kevin Carter in the process, but once again: you have blinders on, taking your attention completely away from everything else going on around you. There is more to SCW than J2H. More than Kevin Carter. And even as we near the Elimination Chamber, why are you even involved? Because of your obsession with J2H! The simple truth of the matter is that you did not earn your spot in the Chamber like five other men did. You fell into it. You lucked out! True, you did make J2H tap out but at the same time, HE pinned YOU and I am STILL trying to wrap my head around the way that worked.”
“Oh and side note? Don’t get cocky because you made the great J2H tap out. You weren't the first to manage that. That honor goes to Fenris.”
“Which brings me back to my original point. When Song and Seleana Zdunich both missed out on their chance to get into the Chamber, they didn’t get a second chance. Nobody else that flubbed theory shot got a second chance, so why then did you? Answer: Because you’re the son of Michael Harris.”
“I admit it. I want to like you. After the hell you’ve been put through over the past year, I want to support you. I want to root for you and have your back if you need it the next time you get jumped. But Jayden, I am going to say two words that are probably going to haunt you in the years to come. Earn. It! Daddy isn’t here to help you out this time, and once that Chamber door closes, neither is anyone else.”Carter then leaned against one of the metallic support structures and drew in a deep breath, his face marred by concern.
“I guess you could say I saved the best for last. Carter shook his head, his visage confused.
“I still don’t know how this is supposed to play out if Miles and I are the two that have to begin this match, or if we’re the final two. Anything could happen in this match where we end up left alone inside of the Chamber and then what? Both of us have the same hopes and dreams going into this match; to win and secure for ourselves a shot at the World Championship. And for one of us to realize our dream, we have to dash the hopes of the one person we love. And I’ll be honest - the very thought scares me.”
“How do you look at the person who brought you from the brink of disaster and showed you a love that you never thought you deserved, and tell them that your dreams will be put ahead of their own? When I sat backstage and watched Miles earn his spot in the Chamber by beating Logan Hunter, I was as proud as a husband could be. I was telling everyone who would listen - willing or otherwise - that we were looking at the winner of the first-ever Elimination Chamber. And then I was scheduled for my own qualifying match against Connor Murphy. And when I won that match, all I could think afterwards was ‘what did I just do?’”
“Admittedly this isn’t the first time that Miles and I faced each other in a match - and I’m not counting that bullshit match that Victoria Lyons tried to force us into. I’m thinking more about the time that Miles was the Roulette Champion back in `22. For some god forsaken reason the powers that be granted me a title shot at the worst time in my life, and unbeknownst to Miles or anyone else, I walked into that match with a broken finger. And through no one’s fault but my own, I think I became the first person in history to tap out to a hammerlock. Not my proudest of moments but my point remains the same. That match was our last legit competitive match - well before we started dating and long before we got married. And now here we are, together in possibly one of the potentially most violent matches conceivable and I … I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to handle this.”Carter then moved over to the elevator and pressed the ‘down’ button. He turned toward the camera, his eyes glistening. And for all intents and purposes, he might as well have been looking at Miles himself.
“Miles, you know that I love you. More than any poet could ever describe and do it justice. But you and I have the same dream going into this match, and as much as we want to support each other's dreams, only one of us is going to be able to make it out of there as the winner.”The elevator door slid open and Carter stepped inside, giving the camera one last, lingering stare.
“So let’s you and I prove Eddie Lyons wrong and one of us win this thing without busting each other open?”He gave a wistful smile before the elevator door closed.
