It was a quiet evening in the Suburban neighborhood of Eddie Lyons the street lights were just beginning to flicker on has the warmth of the day still lingered in the air as a soft evening began to set in inside the home of Eddie Lyons a baby monitor humped quietly in the living room where Eddie sat on his sofa, elbows on his knees with his hands clasped loosely together.
Jordan was sound asleep, and their golden retriever puppy Koda slept nearby on the floor. Eddie kept a focus on the baby monitor just in case, but that wasn't the only thing on his mind. He was heading into a match with Alexander Raven, one of the most unpredictable and dangerous men he had ever faced. As unpredictable as Raven may have been before, since his return there's something new in his eyes, and he seems to be more dangerous than he ever was.
Eddie would be lying if he told anybody he wasn't nervous. This wasn't just any match, and never wise with a man like Alexander Raven and that meant Eddie had to dig down deep if he didn't want his High Stakes journey to be cut short.
Sabrina appeared before him with two mugs of warranty in her hand she set one down in front of Eddie and then sat cuddling up next to him resting her head on his shoulder.
“Koda has been sleeping nearby Jordan a lot lately.” said Sabrina “I think those two are going to be good friends.”
“Siblings.” Eddie reminded her with a smile.
“Yeah siblings.” Sabrina smiled back.
There was a short moment of silence between them as they just sat there watching the monitor together.
“So you've been sitting out here for a while?” said Sabrina “Anything you want to talk about?”
Sabrina positioned herself upright and took a sip of her tea.
“It's Alexander Raven.” Eddie said, “That means I'm not going into any normal match. I'm going into a pit of chaos and I'm not sure what to expect. Alexander Raven is very dangerous, he's not the type of opponent you can prepare for.”
“And that worries you?” Sabrina asked.
“A bit, yes.” Eddie admitted “Alexander Raven is unpredictable. He doesn't just come to wrestle, he has this ability to control everything around him and manipulate the timing and space down to the smallest detail. Since he's returned to SCW, somehow he seems more dangerous than he's ever been before. I'd be a fool to not be worried.”
“You've survived dangerous opponents before.” said Sabrina “If anybody knows how to handle themselves against someone like that, it's you.”
“I know..” said Eddie taking another sip of tea “But I'm telling you Raven is different. He'll get inside your head, and once you think you have a read on him he changes into something else, something you don't see coming and that's what makes him dangerous.”
“Then you should focus on you.” said Sabrina “Focus on what you can control. Keep your skills and instincts sharp. That's where you have the advantage, he brings chaos and you bring stability.”
“That's what I keep telling myself.” said Eddie “But Raven is somebody that doesn't have respect for anyone, and he has no limits. He'll make you second guess every step you take before you even take it. For all I know his game with me has already begun.”
“Then don't play his game.” Sabrina said “Make him play your game. Show him how much you've grown.”
Eddie nodded quietly, taking in his wife's words.
“You're right.” he said “I know you're right, he's become more dangerous but so have I. I have so much more in fighting for now since he and I last faced off with each other. I know he's going to try every trick in the book but the one thing he won't do is break me.”
He looked down at the baby monitor, the grainy image of his daughter sleeping reminding him where his anchor was and what he was really fighting for. They were his strength and they would be what would keep him grounded as he entered the chaos of the storm that is Alexander Raven.
__________
The day's training at the Lyon's Den was coming to an end and the place was quieting down as most of the non-regulars had headed back home.
Eddie sat in the film room watching one of the monitors, where Alexander Raven was twisting through the defense of one of his opponents. Eddie kept his eyes locked on the screen, studying Ravens every move.
He rewound the clip again and again watching as Raven moved with improvised precision, every move calculated. There was a strange rhythm to his unpredictability, and just when you think you got close enough to figuring him out, he makes a shift that makes everything slip from your grasp.
Eddie paused the video with a sigh, the image freezing on a close-up of Raven's face. Eddie watched the screen for a moment looking into Raven's eyes.
“What game are you playing Raven?” Eddie muttered to himself.
Down the hall he heard some footsteps approaching as the door behind him creaked open.
“You still here Lyons?” came the voice of Cleo Phillips.
“Oh hey Cleo..” he said “Yeah, guess I am.”
“What you doin’ in here all by yourself?" she asked “You good?”
“Yeah I'll be all right…” said Eddie "Just trying to figure out Alexander Raven.”
“That's your next opponent in that High Stakes tournament right?” Cleo asked, taking a few steps closer to Eddie.
“Yeah.” Eddie said "Raven’s one of those unpredictable types, and I'm honestly not quite sure how to prepare for someone like him.”
“I see…” nodded Cleo “I know the type, and let me tell you sumthin’, this guy is already two steps ahead of you because he's in your head.”
Eddie had no argument, he knew it was the truth.
“Maybe you should stop trying to solve him.” Cleo said “Ground yourself in what you know, he wants you to second-guess yourself, don't give him the satisfaction.”
“You make it sound easy.” said Eddie.
“It ain't supposed to be easy.” said Cleo, "You need to stop playing his game and play yours. Remind him that you're Eddie Lyons and you don't crumble under pressure. You're the one keeping things steady when everything else falls apart. When he realizes his games won't work on you he'll start to crumble and that's when you finish him.”
“Yeah Sabrina was telling me the same thing.” said Eddie.
“Well there you go.” said Cleo, “Don't worry about the storm Raven will be bringing, just be the one to calm it.”
Eddie let Cleo's words linger in the air for a moment.
“Be the one to calm it..” he said “It's still easier said than done.”
“But that's what makes you Eddie Lyons.” she said “You're the one that can always hold it together and keep his cool when everyone else loses theirs. That's what separates you from everyone else.”
“You really think it'll be enough.?” Eddie asked
Cleo folded her arms and gave him a no-nonsense look, the one that said she wasn't playing games.
“It's not about it being enough.“ she said “Guys like Raven thrive on making people panic. Show him that his chaos won't break you and you strip him of the one thing that makes him dangerous.”
“You know..” Eddie said “Yeah maybe I'm starting to get it. I'm looking at this the wrong way. I don't need to figure him out. I need to make sure he doesn't figure me out. I need to take the control away from him and refuse to play his games.”
“Exactly.” said Cleo “You may not be the flashiest or the loudest, but when push comes to shove there's nobody steadier than you are.”
“Yeah.” said Eddie with a slight smile “Raven won't be ready for what he can't break.”
“Exactly..” said Cleo “Just remember what I told you, be the calm in his storm.”
“I'mma get out of here.” said Eddie “I should get some sleep, I got to fly out to California in the morning.”
“Yeah yeah fo’ sho.” said Cleo, “Don't worry so much, you got this.”
He gave Cleo a hug and made his way out of the Lyon's Den, he felt more confident going into this match with Raven yet still in the pit of his mind he wondered if this was what Raven wanted all along.
He couldn't worry about that though he had to focus on being the calm within the storm that was Alexander Raven, and then striking when the chaos fizzled out.
____________
The scene opens in an empty hallway, the lights are dim and Eddie Lyons stands leaning against a wall with his arms folded, a calm but focused aura about him.
“You know Raven, there comes a moment with every battle.” Eddie began, "It comes when the smoke settles and you find out who truly earned what was theirs and who can only scream about what they stole. You think yourself clever for stealing Carter's championship?”
He steps off the wall and slowly starts walking down the corridor, the camera moving backward, keeping pace with him.
“Is it supposed to make you look powerful?" said Eddie, "Because in my eyes it makes you look desperate. You couldn't win the World Championship, so you stole it and that speaks more to me than any act of chaos or mind games you can bring to the table.”
Eddie continues pace down the hallway, his shadow stretching along the walls behind him.
“I don't know what your game is.” said Eddie “But that championship doesn't belong to you. HB Carter earned his right to stand on top of that mountain and that belt represents his fight and his moment. But because you weren't the center of attention you had to go and pollute that.”
He shakes his head with a soft laugh.
“I've been spending all week studying you.” Eddie said, “Looking for a pattern, any sort of thread I can pull to unravel the chaos that is Alexander Raven. But I realized there is no logic in your storm, you don't fight with any sort of rhythm. You thrive on your own unpredictability.”
Eddie stops for a moment the camera stopping with him.
“You can't read a man like you because there's nothing to read.” said Eddie “But you're not as mysterious as you think you are. I see it now, you hide behind your riddles and theatrical nature, Because you're afraid that when people see past them, there's nothing left. So you try to force the world to notice you.”
Eddie remains calm letting his words hit sharp.
“You probably wonder why I even care.” said Eddie “That's not my world championship. It's quite simple really you didn't just rob HB Carter, you robbed this company. You stole what HB Carter earned, something he fought and continues to fight for, the very symbol of this entire company. It's a matter of respect and you disrespecting what that championship stands for.”
Eddie pauses with a slight laugh to himself.
“Maybe you planned this all along…” laughed Eddie, “I mean if you defeat me and you advance to the finals of the High Stakes tournament and can potentially EARN yourself a shot at that championship. Perhaps this is part of your game, you steal the championship knowing I'm a man of honor, and will want to restore it to its rightful owner, thus distracting me from the task at hand, my own high-stakes journey.”
Eddie shrugs casually.
“It's a good play, and you're right. I do want to take that Championship and return it to HB Carter.” Eddie continued, “But just because I intend to set things right, doesn't mean I'm losing sight of what's ahead.”
Eddie continues walking down the hallway, the camera keeping pace once again.
“You build your chaos like it's power," [/color]said Eddie “But at the end of the day, chaos is fragile and it burns out fast. Those who choose to wield it always end up consumed by the same fire they set.”
Eddie takes a slow breath continuing his pace down the hall.
“But you really convinced yourself that you've proven something haven't you?” Eddie continued “Like you've exposed some sort of corruption within the system. But the truth is all you really did was expose yourself.”
The camera continues pulling back, keeping pace with Eddie's walk.
“You showed what happens when a man who can't earn something decides to just take it instead.” said Eddie. “It's desperation dressed up as rebellion, and it's a fear that you'll never be enough on your own merit.”
Eddie lets his words linger for a moment before continuing.
“The championship itself isn't what defines somebody like HB Carter.” Eddie continued “What defines a man like HB Carter is what the rest of us saw. The fight he has in him and all the nights he bled to earn that championship all the times he got back up and kept fighting. He earned his right to stand at the top, and you stole that from him because you can't stand that someone else was shining brighter than you.”
His shadow continues to creep along the hall behind him as he keeps his steady pace.
“I see through all your smoking mirrors Raven.” Eddie said “And what I see is that you're running from proving yourself. You don't want to earn, you just want to take. Unfortunately for you I'm looking to earn, and you are standing in the way of my goals.”
His pace slows slightly as he turns a corner.
“Your games end here.” said Eddie “Because I'm going to be the one to eliminate you from this tournament. Then I will personally take that championship and return it belongs, into the hands of HB Carter….for now.”
He grins.
“For now..” he repeats “Because when this High Stakes tournament ends, and I've gone through every challenge in my way. I'm going to be the man standing across from HB Carter looking to take his championship, not to steal it, but to challenge him like a man and earn it.”
He speaks firmly making sure his words carry meaning.
“That's what separates men like me from men like you.” said Eddie "You're chasing moments, I build legacies. You hide behind your own smoke and mirrors because you can't stand the reflection looking back at you when the smoke clears.”
He stops again, the camera stopping with him.
“You don't understand honor because you have none.” said Eddie “Honors about truly putting yourself on the line, and it means if you fail then you learn and you come back stronger. But if you steal all it means is that you never really believed in yourself enough to begin with.”
Eddie takes a deep breath and exhales slowly.
“You won't drag me into your chaos Raven.” said Eddie “But I will drag you back into reality. I'll drag you out of these delusions that this company owes you anything. If you really want that world championship then you're going to have to go through me for that opportunity.”
His words remain firm and confident.
“Because that's what this business is Raven.” Eddie said “It's a test, you step in that ring and you prove if you belong there or not. When you can't, that's when people like you start taking shortcuts.”
He exhales again.
“But guys like myself, and guys like Carter..” said Eddie “We keep fighting, that's what makes us leaders, that's what makes us champions and that's why they will always have more respect for us than people like you Raven.”
Eddie walks past the cameras and they turn as he stops in front of a door with an exit sign above it.
“The games end here Raven." said Eddie "I will restore honor by eliminating you from the tournament. I will hand that championship back to HB Carter, and when I win the high stakes tournament, you'll be forced to watch the two of us show everybody who has earned the right to be called champion.”
With those final words Eddie pushes through the exit door out into the evening air leaving the quiet hallway lingering behind him as everything fades to black.
