Meltdown XXII & Fallout 022 (Nov '22).

DAY ONE




Why is she doing this? Why is she here? What does she think will happen? Why would he of all people want to see her?

This is a bad idea. But yet she’s not walking away. She’s knocked on the door in front of her and just stands there waiting.

Maybe he’s not here. That would be the perfect excuse to get out of this right? He’s not here. But then there’s a noise from the other side of the door. She can hear footsteps…getting closer. And then finally a lock and the door swings open.

For a moment Gabrielle tenses up, expecting a clenched fist to meet the side of her face. But nothing happens. So she relaxes and just stands there in the doorway to Alyster Blacks hotel room. The former Black Caramel partners just staring at each other for a mini eternity.

No one says anything, and no one does anything. Its just silence for moment after moment before Alyster steps back slightly. Without speaking he lets her know she can come in. So Gabrielle ducks in under his arm and steps inside Alyster’s room. Her eyes quickly falling upon his X Championship which is haphazardly laid across a chair while beer bottles are strewn about the room.

Alyster flops down on his bed, resuming his drinking without having said a word to Gabrielle who stands just inside the doorway. She didn’t bail despite all her thoughts to do so, but now she doesn’t even know what to say or do. So she just stands there, leaning against the wall and watching him. Despite everything, despite even Executive Excellence Alyster has been one of the most important people in her life in recent years.

After several more silent moments where they barely seem to even acknowledge each other Gabrielle pushes herself off the wall, needing to force herself to get closer to Alyster.

“Aly…I…I…”

“I know.” He replies.

More silence follows. Alyster knows why she’s here. He knows what she wants, what she needs. He can see it in her eyes. Eyes that are threatening to unleash a flood of tears at any moment.

But she holds them back, for now. All façade of ‘The Goddess’ entirely gone from her being. Whether that be the Caramel Coated Goddess that people remember, or the Goddess she has tried to be in the return of Executive Excellence.

She’s just a woman standing in the Hotel room of someone who has meant a great deal to her at times. Has she ever been ‘this’ human before?

Alyster polishes off his latest bottle and Gabrielle approaches him, standing over his bed as she looks at him.

“Aly…you have to know…I…I…am…”

“Gabby. I know.” He replies, again.

Gabrielle sighs, but then falls silent. As does he. There’s so much they need to say. So much that needs to be addressed. The start of the year had seen them go from estranged friends to friends once more. Gabrielle’s ‘broken’ saga pushing them apart due to bad luck and self-loathing. Of all things a match for Alyster’s X Championship had brought them back together. A chance to unleash any bad feelings they had towards each other, and a chance to just be there for each other.

But that didn’t last. They drifted apart. Gabrielle flirted with retirement, turned her back on her mentee, and then played a key role in Executive Excellence forming for the fourth time. Alyster, well he just cemented himself as one of the greatest X Champions ever. So great that a World Championship was flirted before his eyes.

But Gabrielle alongside Danny Toner played a hand in making sure Alyster didn’t win. Attacking him, hospitalising Violet Dreyer, and just showing zero regard for their friendship.

So no. Alyster doesn’t know. And Gabrielle has to tell him.

“Aly…I have to say this…”

“Gabby. I know you. I know you better than you think I do, better than I thought I did. Gabs…its okay.”

“No Alyster. Its not. Its not okay. I’m sorry Aly. I’m so fucking sorry.”

With those words said a few tears begin to trickle down her face. Alyster sits up, wanting to comfort her but she holds him at bay with her hands.

“Aly…please. I’m so sorry.”

Those words could be empty and meaningless. They’ve been here before, and yet they’ve wound up here again.

“I just…I’m not the person I want to be, not the person I have pretended to be for so long.”

They just look at each other. Alyster wants to say something to help her, but he doesn’t really disagree with her.

“I only ever cared about myself Alyster. And it has always been that way for me. I care about myself more than I do anyone else, to the detriment of everyone else around me. You never really got to know me Alyster, the real me. The person that everyone else was warning you about when we first met. I remember people warning you, concerned that I’d use you, that I’d chew you up and spit you out like so many others who have come before you.”

“You didn’t listen, maybe you should have.”

An awkward pause.

“No…no I don’t mean that, not like that. I’m glad you didn’t listen to anyone else Alyster I really am. I needed someone like you in my life. I wish I had of met you when I was younger, maybe you could have made me into a better person.”

Alyster disagrees with that statement, he wants to say something. But at the same time he cant forget that Gabrielle gleefully put Violet Dreyer in the hospital just to get to him. She should have been better.

“I…just…I’ve taken every shortcut in my life Aly, and used anyone who could me to get ahead. I was so narrowly focused on getting to the top, once I saw that it was possible for a woman like me to be great out there in the ring its all I cared about, its all I wanted. Nothing else mattered. No one else mattered. I was a terrible person for so long. But I could bat my eyelashes and all would be forgiven just like that.”

“Everyone loved me, everyone wanted me no matter what I did. No matter how low I sunk. I reached the highest heights and that’s all that matters. Its all that has ever mattered to me, more than even my family if I’m honest. Its why now Aly you’re one of the few people I can consider a friend…even if our friendship is so broken because of me. All those other friends I’ve made over the years didn’t stick around.”

“And that’s fair. Because I used them, they were all always just pawns to me to help me get what I wanted. None of them really ever mattered to me Aly. All that mattered was being the Goddess, upholding that image and poise no matter what it took. I want to say that used to be me, I want to say that’s the side of myself that I hid away from you Aly. But it still is me, it is me…and I didn’t hide this from you well enough.”

“Aly I brought back Executive Excellence because the last time I was great their banner was behind me. I talked everyone into helping me get what I wanted by promising them everything they wanted. But its just about me. Danny, Mike, even Kayden they were all meant to help me get back to the top. But they all failed me. It hasn’t worked out how it was meant too work.”

“I’ve never wanted anything more in life than I want to prove myself again right now. I so desperately need to be back on top of the World Aly. Because I don’t have long left, I know that. I’m getting older, slower, less athletic, my confidence is completely shot, people don’t look at me the same way. Aly Executive Excellence was my last shot at anything. I didn’t care who I hurt, who I had to target, who I had to undermine all that mattered was I was meant to be back on top of the World.”

A long pause again. Gabrielle has unloaded a lot on her former Black Caramel partner. Each of them just letting her words sink in for a while.

“You deserve better Alyster. Better than a friend like me. I haven’t even asked you how you’re dealing with everything with Krash, or how Violet is doing. I don’t think I even really care. But I care about you Alyster, I care about making this up to you and making sure you know how truly sorry I am. I don’t have a good excuse, there’s nothing I can say that will make this all better and justify anything I’ve done to you.”

“But I’m sorry Alyster. I’m sorry I’ve been so weak, I’m sorry I’ve been so jealous of you. I should have been supporting you this whole time. Aly you’ve been so incredible, so damn great. No one can beat you for that X Championship…not even me.”

A smile had briefly crossed her lips, but those last few words bring an end to that.

“And I have to tell you, Danny was terrified of you. Terrified of the challenge you brought. Its why we had to throw everything at you to try and stop you from being Champion. I’m sorry for all of that Alyster. So sorry that my personal greed got in the way and made me think hurting you was the thing to do.”

Alyster closes the distance between them and rests his forehead against hers.

“Gabby I’ve known who you are all along. I recognise some of that darkness within you as my own inner demons. I don’t know if things can ever be the same between us again. I’m sorry but I cant just forget everything...but I do forgive you Gabrielle. I do, again. Maybe I shouldn’t and perhaps you’ll make me regret it but I forgive you Gabby. You need that even more than I do.”

A few more tears trickle down her face as she sobs softly and nods her head against his. It was more than she ever expected. More than she feels worthy of right now.

“Aly…why don’t you hate me?” She asks.

He lifts his head off of hers and looks deep into her eyes. “Because you self-loathing bitch, you hate yourself more than I ever could. Because you don’t need me hating you as well.”

She nods her head. There’s a glimmer of humour to his statement, but so much more truth to it.

“I don’t deserve you Alyster Black, but I’m so glad you’re in my life. You make me want to do better. You make me want to be the woman I’ve pretended to be, tried to be, wanted to be for so long. The woman that doesn’t need all the tricks and all the help. The woman who stands on her own two feet against the World. I want to make you proud of me Alyster. I want you to look at me and be proud of your friend and everything she’s doing. The way I’m proud of you.”

“I don’t know what that means, or just what I will have to do exactly but I’ll do it Aly. If I have to make amends to everyone else I’ve hurt. If I have to apologise to you everyday. If I have to stand in the middle of the ring and take my licks from everyone else in the FWA as a penance I will.”

“I don’t need any of that. Make yourself proud Gabby. That’s all I need.”



DAY TWO



The noise is almost deafening. Some generic sounding but fun pop-rap song with a decent beat, played just a little too loud. The lighting isn’t much better either, it’s a bit too dark in here save for the lighting over the bar and over the main stage. Though honestly this is probably to some of the girls benefit. The smell in here probably isn’t great either, a mixture of sweat, stale beer and probably some daddy issues.

It’s a strip club on a saturday. Their busiest time of the week. Their best girls are on. The place is packed. Some regular degenerates who spend far too much time here. Some guys at the start of a night out. Some guys enjoying a night away from their wives. Probably a few guys reading into the girls friendliness just a little too much.

And tonight, they’ve had a new girl start, though in actuality she’s worked here before. Quite a long time ago admittedly. She’s the oldest ‘dancer’ here tonight, with all her colleagues being in their late teens or early twenties. But this older woman, in her thirties is certainly no slouch. Fit, tanned, toned. Flowing blonde hair, a few tattoos here and there that draw the eye. Amazing curves to die for drizzled in a caramel skin tone. Wide, brown eyes and a wicked smile that seems to silently present so many possibilities.

The Clubs owner remembered her. He was surprised to see her but all to happy to let her work the main stage earlier tonight. The crowd loved her as she worked the pole and tore herself out of her clothes. She seemed so carefree and happy on stage. Making him some good money already, so she’ll surely be back up there later on. But for now she’s giving one lucky patron a more personal dance.

In a quiet(er) corner of the Club a middle aged man on his way home from work sits in a chair. He’d told his Wife some paper work was going to keep him in the office a bit late. But the only paper here is how paper thin this woman’s underwear is.

She’s on his lap, her skin against his suit. Grinding and writhing against him. Her legs wrapped in a pair of stockings straddling either side of his waist as she bucks her hips into him. Hips only clad in a small lacy red g-string which is stuffed with $1 bills. She runs her hands up along his chest before pressing her body tighter to his, her face next to his as she whispers in his ear. What she said we cant know but he reacts by unclasping her bra and then helping her out of it.

She giggles delightfully as she presses her nearly naked body to his, her glorious skin sparkling under the lights through a mixture of glitter and glow (men sweat, women glow). Her large breasts pressed to him as his eyes explore her body. A few more $1 bills are stuffed into her little g-string. If she wanted she could take every last cent from him with ease, but she doesn’t want his money, she needs something else.

She continues to writhe against him, a constant tease of something he thinks he’s going to get…though maybe he will. Once more she leans in to whisper in his ear, and then his hands start to explore her body. You’re not meant to touch the strippers, but she asked him too. He runs his hands along her thighs, takes a moment to cup her ass before running his hands further up her back. One hand on the small of her back, the other grasping at her hair. He pulls her head back slightly and she leans right back, arching her back until her hair dangles back onto the floor.

Its at this moment she see’s someone approaching them. A familiar face but not security (thankfully). He approaches them both but doesn’t say a word just taking a seat not far from them.

The man enjoying this lapdance is unfazed by this new arrivals presence for now. His attention fully upon the woman in his lap as he pulls her back up, she giggles playfully, wickedly as he grins widely. Then rising up in his lap to press her breasts to his face and let him motorboat her. She squeals with delight before sitting back down in his lap. Throwing a brief glance over her shoulder at this other man as she parts her thighs around her current ‘client’.

One of her slender hands slides between her legs, undoing his belt with something that can only be described as skilful ease. Her movements slow as she stares into his eyes and then slides that hand down his pants, making him grin even wider as her free hand then retrieves a key card from the top of one of her stockings. She hands it over to him as she leans in to whisper into his ear once more “meet me in the private room, I just have to talk to an old friend first.”

She gets up out of his lap, this lucky, happy patron of the club doing his fly back up, getting to his feet and then blissfully marching off towards the private rooms in back as this awkward reunion between Jack Severino and Gabrielle Montgomery begins.

“So…” Jack begins.

“…So…” Gabrielle replies.

“Back here Gabs?” Jack asks, though its more of a statement really. “Mike still own the place?” That’s an actual question. Though does Jack really care?

“No, his son has it now actually. Steve…remember him? I gave him his first lapdance when he turned 18.” Gabrielle replies as she stands there fidgeting with her fingers. Not quite not knowing what to do or even really say.

“Steve, yeah. He was a nice guy.” Jack smiles awkwardly. He doesn’t really know what to say either. It was bad enough when he just thought Gabrielle had come back to this strip club to visit. Its even worse seeing her working here again, seeing her nearly naked like this writhing in a strangers lap and even sticking a hand down his pants. “What is this Gabs?”

Silence for a while. She doesn’t quite know what to say, how to react, what to even do. She doesn’t know anymore what she expected or wanted from seeing Jack again. He’s the man who crossed the World with her. They uprooted their simple lives in New Zealand and came here together all those years ago, winding up in this same strip club together.

“I’m working in here Jack, my times valuable here. No one gets to talk to me or touch me or look at me without paying me for that privilege.” She walks over to him a suddenly more stern expression upon her face. Jack pulls out a couple of notes, unsure of how much money it is he stuffs it into the top of one of her stockings.

Her expression softens as she pushes him back into the chair behind him and then sits in his lap, or sits across his lap rather, her naked body glistening under the lights.

“You short on cash? Is that what this is? You’ve somehow run out of money?”

“Money? I don’t need the money Jack. I’m not keeping a single cent of this money. The other girls can have that, they need this money, I don’t.”

“So what then?” He asks in a pained fashion.

She sighs as she crosses her legs, Jack taking the time to rest a comforting hand on the small of her back. “I need to not fail Jack. I need to not lose, to not disappoint myself or the people around me.” She pauses for a moment, the realisation that she’s disappointing so many people that know and love her right now sinking in. But its fleeting and almost forgotten in an instant, forgotten or ignored. “I’m sick of failing Jack. I’m so sick and tired of failing at everything I do. Relationships, being a Mother, my Marriages, Acting, Pro Wrestling…I keep failing at all of it.”

“I cant fail at this, I don’t fail at this.” She takes a moment to look around the Club. A couple of girls on centre stage being showered with money right now, other girls giving their own personal lapdances, several guys nearby staring at her. “I walk in here, I dance, I take my clothes off and everyone loves me. I slipped off the pole earlier, no one cared, no one was disappointed. I didn’t lose anything from it. You stood there and watched me dance in that mans lap and he didn’t care. It didn’t ruin it for anyone.”

“I cant fail in this building. I’m special in here again Jack. I’m a Star in here. I put my clothes back on and walk outside and what do I have? Night after night of being put on my back in the ring? Good things happen to me in here when I go down.” How sad that statement is, is not lost on her. Gabrielle has sought some kind of solace and meaning in this place, but its not who or what she truly wants to be.

“You’re better than this Gabrielle.” Is all that Jack can seem to muster. Words that mean nothing to her right now.

“Jack…I gotta work.” She says it sternly as she gets back to her feet, brushing his hand aside as he reaches out for her. I don’t need you anymore.” He doesn’t get anytime to reply as she rushes off, leaving Jack sitting there not quite sure what to do. Should he sling her over his shoulders and carry her out of here? Should he call her Brother? Call Chris Kennedy? Would Alyster Black come help her? What about Kayden Knox or that Jean-Luc kid? He doesn’t know.

All he knows is Gabrielle is above this, even if she doesn’t think she is. She had to be this person ever so briefly when she was young and they had no money. Jacks always regretted letting her do it, he cant let her do it again now. She’s not a young kid desperate for money anymore. She’s a Woman who changed the World, who became a Goddess. This cant be her…

…

…

…

The door to the private room opens and the towering figure of Jack Severino is met by a single pair of eyes, but only for a brief moment. For the man sitting in the room with his pants around his ankles, Jack’s direction is the last place he wants to look. So he looks down as he tightens his grip on the back of Gabrielle’s head. As he sits there she’s kneeling between his legs, her hands resting on his knees as she bobs her head up and down.

Jack just closes the door behind himself and stands there besides the door, trying not too look, trying not to watch but almost hypnotised by the movements of her head. Up and down. Up and down. Up and down. Just like life – he thinks to himself. Anything to distract his mind. Things are always up and down. It can never be all positives forever, or all negatives forever. You have to take the good with the bad.

Up and down. Up and down. Up and down. Life is a rollercoaster really, you cant expect anything else.

There’s a loud grunt, and then a few quieter grunts, and then a loud satisfied sigh.

The man gets to his feet, pulling his pants up and quickly buckling them back up. “Damn girl, I’m definitely giving you a call when you get off work.”

“Thanks Baby.” She kind of mutters in an absent minded kind of way.

He pulls his last few dollars out of his wallet and just tosses them at her feet, or knees rather as it were. “I’ll fix you up next time alright, though I guess you never gave me a price…for ‘this’.” He pats her on the head, fixes his tie up and then makes his way out of the room, passing a glance and a comment at Jack. “Jesus man, you trying to ruin this for me. Damn pervert.”

Jack just ignores him as Gabrielle reaches down and picks up the few dollars on the ground, using one of them to dab at her mouth before sliding them into her stockings. Her shoulders then droop massively. Jack approaches her but she holds up a hand silently making him stop.

As she kneels there he just stands in silence, its hard to tell how long the silence lasts. The reality of everything Gabrielle has done tonight chasing some kind of rush or feeling of self-worth really setting in.

“I sent you that picture of me standing out front for a reason.” She finally speaks up as Jack scrolls through his phone and pulls up the photo Gabrielle had indeed sent him earlier in the day. She was just outside the strip club. It’s a simple selfie of her smiling with the clubs name above her head. Jack had seen it and just known he had to rush to her. Jumping on the first flight that would take him anywhere near her not knowing what he’d find.

“Jack did I just blow a guy for $3?”

Silence.

What do you say to that without crushing her spirit further?

“When I got here I thought I could find something. Maybe find where things had gone wrong. Maybe redo some mistakes. Start over. I don’t know. But I got here and got into Steves office quickly. Someone who looks like me saying they want to work here gets around pretty easily. He…he knew me. He knew I was some wrestler now, he didn’t watch wrestling but he knew I was some wrestler. I made him promise he’d keep that quiet, I wouldn’t keep any of the money if he kept it quiet.”

“But he’d seen my movies. Those stupid movies I was in. Movies I had to get my tits out in to even have a hope of starring in, movies I had to jump on the casting couch to actually get in. I did that Jack. I slept with every casting agent and every Director on all three of my movies. Movies he watched and enjoyed. He knew I was the Stripper that had given him a lapdance on his Birthday. His Dad, my boss, our boss had told me too afterall.”

“He knew me, he knew who I was, he knew I didn’t want money. But still…he bent me over his desk. But I didn’t complain Jack, I didn’t say no, when he slapped my ass I told him to do it again. Jack…I wanted it. It was what I was here for. I walked in those front doors and ten minutes later I was naked, bent over and loving every second of it as Steve had his way with me. I wanted that. I called him ‘Big Daddy’ just as he wanted.”

“He said he did it with all the new girls on their first shift. Then he said I was the best he had. Then Jack…then I cleaned myself up and I danced on that stage out there for so long, I stripped off all my clothes, I was naked out there being showered in money. When that was done, I gave lapdance after lapdance…and then…well…you saw what I did.”

“I earned every cent of these last 3 dollars.”

Jack approaches her, crouching down behind her, not interrupting her, just letting her speak, and letting her know he’s listening. Though he’s not prepared for what she says next.

“You want to know something about all of that Jack? I don’t regret it. I don’t regret any of it Jack. I feel sad because I feel like I should, like I’m meant to be disgusted in myself right now. But I’m not Jack. I feel hurt that I’m not hurt. I got on my knees on this dirty, stained floor and blew a guy I didn’t even know and I had so much fun. I danced out there naked apart from some glitter for strangers and loved the attention. I let a guy I hadn’t seen since I was eighteen call me his ‘bimbo pet’ as he used me…and I felt so…so powerful.”

“Jack today was the best day I’ve had in so long. I didn’t fail once, I didn’t come up short once, I didn’t go into anything with expectations that weren’t met. Jack I thought I wanted you here because I was having some doubts or second thoughts. But maybe its because other than an asshole like Shawn Summers you’d be one of the few people who might understand me. And unlike an asshole like Shawn Summers you wouldn’t mock me.”

“Jack…you understand what I am saying?”

He doesn’t reply. He doesn’t want too. A small part of him understands where her thought process is coming from. Gabrielle always had big dreams, lofty expectations and hated setbacks.

“Jack…”

“Gabs. You’re better than this, you’re so much better than this. You’re too good, too smart, too talented to be here doing this.”

“Am I? I used to be Jack, I used to be. Now this is how I find meaning in my life. This is what I have to do.”

“All those people that look up to you. Gabs…you changed the World. Women have never been more prominent in sport. Not just Wrestling either, but all sports. You see how the Black Ferns are being treated like Stars, like conquerors now after the World Cup? Gabs, you helped paved the way for that by being so successful.”

Gabrielle’s turn to fall silent. Its like she doesn’t want to hear praise, so she snaps back a reply.

“You think anyone would be surprised to see me here Jack? You think any of my fans, or even my own family would actually be surprised to know what I’m doing. This is who I am Jack, and who I always have been. I know this, you know this. We used this to get ahead. My looks, my sexuality, my willingness to throw on a short skirt opened doors for both of us Jack.”

“This is me. I know this, its why I’m here. In here I can be special, I can be great, I can excel. And this is what people think of when they think of Gabrielle. You know I’m right Jack.”

“Just look at the FWA, look at all these cinematic promos everyone loves now. When they want a ‘Gabrielle’ character she’s always the Slut, she’s always half naked. That’s all that matters. I’m never a Warrior, never a Goddess, never a Revolutionary, just a pair of tits and an ass. After every fucking thing I’ve done. The people around me don’t look at me as some great Champion, just some Bimbo the boys all love.”

“Danny Toner rang me up with this big idea for his promo at Lights Out. This psychedelic trip taking twists and turns…that all lead to me naked as we carried out a sex scene. I didn’t protest, I didn’t complain. I took my clothes off and rolled around in a bed with him to fulfill his artistic vision.”

Jack goes to chime in, but is quickly cut off.

“And then Chris Peacock calls me. Going on about how we should all be able to put aside any differences and act professional to one another. He has a part for me in his promo. I told him to get lost and never call me again. I saw his promo, I saw that woman who bore a passing resemblance to me. Half naked, sitting in his lap, rubbing her face against his crotch. He wanted that to be me. He probably thought if he could get me there in my underwear, skin against skin that things would go all the way and he’d fuck me…”

“And I probably would have let him Jack…”

“Wait.” Is Jacks reply. “That’s how you guys do promos now. You go around featuring in each others promos or hiring actors to play each other in all these crazy alternate realities?”

“Well…yeah.”

“How do I know how the Wrestler feels about their actual match then?”

“Its still all there.”

“Whatever happened to monologues?”

“No one likes them anymore. Too boring or something. Gotta play the game.”

“Man I was great at monologues.”

“So was I.”

…

“Gabs listen. I say this as someone who once loved you, someone who felt comfortable to leave everything he knew and move across the World because I had you by my side with me…you’re so much more than this. Don’t let everyone else dictate how you see yourself. Everything you’ve accomplished, and you wind up working in a strip club…for free.”

“I’m not going to drag you out of here Gabs, I’m not going to save you. You’re strong enough to save yourself. You’re strong enough to shock the World in the way you always have. Not here but in the ring. Gabs you’re the most beautiful woman to ever step foot in this building, and the most dangerous. Don’t forget that, in a fight…you’d kick my ass. You’d kick everyone else’s ass in this building. If you could just believe in yourself again…you’d get the best of every other person in the FWA, on the same night. Chuck them all in the ring at once, big Battle Royal style, and you’d be the last one standing.”

“You just need to remember that. You want purpose, you want meaning, you want to show up all those people who just see you as ‘this’ Gabrielle. Then go do what you did better than any woman to ever lace up a pair of wrestling boots.”

Gabrielle looks up at Jack. He doesn’t know but such an opportunity is right in front of her. The prize she has chased for four long years there for the taking. If only she could drag herself up out of this pit of self-loathing and take it.



THE IN-BETWEEN



The Old Woman is back. The one who seems to haunt Gabrielle’s every waking moment, and her every sleeping moment as well. The Old Woman she see’s everywhere. The sight of her always fills Gabrielle with dread, like she’s foreshadowing something terrible. Like her very presence is something to fear, and Gabrielle does, every time.

“Why are you showing me all of this? Why are you making me live these days out? Do you have any idea how much it hurts to see Jack staring at me with such sorrow like that? Or to know that I’ll never truly be friends like we used to be with Alyster ever again?”

Gabrielle enquires to this old woman, forcefully. Demanding an answer.

“Of course I know.” She replies. “I remember that pain. Jack was always special no matter what happened. His influence on our life meant so much. And Alyster, even if he’d never love us like we loved him, as much as you still try to pretend you don’t love him like that, he means the World to you. Even more than Kayden did.”

“Then why show me all of this again? Why make me relive these moments, these fever dreams over and over again?”

“Oh sweetie, because you hide from them. You have all these people who could save you, even Kayden could as well but you hide from all of them. You wont really let them in, and even if you do you take nothing they say to heart.”

“Do you realise Gabrielle there is an opportunity to be the World Champion right in front of you? That very thing that has eluded you and left you so broken. Danny Toner has abandoned you but left you a great opportunity. So I need you to WAKE UP and embrace it…”



NIGHT ONE



A startled Gabrielle is suddenly standing in front of that door, her hand raised and ready to knock on the door but she stops herself. The words of that Old Woman ringing in her head, and the memory of that conversation with Alyster replaying in her mind. So it didn’t really happen? She spilled her heart out, Alyster forgave her as much as he could but it didn’t matter, just a fantasy in her head? Like she’d pictured herself holding that World Title above her head one last time in her life, now she was picturing herself making amends with Alyster.

But this time, she froze, too scared to even knock on the door.

…

But then she didn’t have too. The door swings open, Alyster is standing right there a smile upon his face, things are so awkward between them and will be for a long time. But its not what she expected, he’s happy to see her, she’s happy to see him and that is all that matters.

“You get lost out there?” He asks her. It wasn’t a dream. She looks down in her hand at the bottle of bourbon she’d ducked out to get. She’d made amends with Alyster after everything, again. It was a weight off her shoulders. A great relief. Now she can get drunk with the sweetest friend she’s ever had. Something and someone she needs so she can believe in herself again.



NIGHT TWO



Gabrielle is startled awake in the dead of night by her phone chiming. A relief, it was only a nightmare. That old woman, that tormenting old woman showing Gabrielle another possible reality.

But…wait…its different. As she tosses the blankets aside and sits up her skin seems to sparkle and shimmer so much more than usual. As do her bed sheets, like its all touched by glitter.

Her phone chimes again.

And again.

So she reaches over and picks it up. A series of messages from a number saved as ‘Married Mike’. She opens her phone. The very first message is a photo. A photo that changes everything. A photo that makes that ‘dream’, anything but a dream. A photo this married man took earlier tonight when he stopped into a strip club on his way home. Gabrielle is kneeling before him in a little red g string stuffed with dollar bills, his hand on the back of her head, and her eyes staring up into the camera on his phone as she unmistakably engages in oral sex.

The next messages are text: Just showed some of the guys this photo, they didn’t believe I got with a stripper.

She freezes up as that Old Woman’s words replay in her head. She’s humiliated, embarrassed, but yes she’s somehow, someway a tiny bit of her feels some spark. If making things right with Alyster had been a great positive moment for her. This was a realisation that she’s hit rock bottom, and that she needs to get out of this. She needs to get away from this. She’s better than this. She cant be remembered as this. This cant be her Legacy, she has to save her Legacy.

The World wants her to be this, it tried to make her this in the past but she persevered and became a Goddess. Now she has to do that again…

-Cody St. Louis
-------------------

The Reunification of a Fractured Heart
Part II: Soul




There’s a chill in the air. The sky is dark, the world barely illuminated by the faintest errant beams of moonlight. A masked man sits on the edge of the shore, we know him to be Alyster Black, but one can never be certain as to the true identity of a man such as him. The mask covers all, it hides the wearers true intentions and conceals all that they wish not to share with the world.

The man himself is too preoccupied to question his own identity, having just arrived in this new realm. He finds himself resting on a bed of grey sand, watching as the black water swashes over the edge of this ever expanding beach. The foam backwash rises to meet his bare feet before receding into the black horizon that lays before him.

He lays down almost flat, resting on his elbows with his head risen, swivelling from side to side. The beach appears to have no edge, expanding into a dark abyss at all angles except for where the dark ocean reigns supreme.

This is truly an impossible place. Unrecognised by its only occupant and appearing to only exist to rouse his confusion. He has no memory of how he had arrived, nor any inkling as to where this beach is.

Though he barely has a care in the world he does have hope. And hope drives the masked man to his feet. He cannot wallow away on this beach, he cannot be lost. There’s a tournament to be won. An important tournament. His toes dig into the sand, the gold grains filling the recesses between them as he walks across the sand. Leaving footprints in his wake.

For hours he walks. No matter how far he travels the scenery does not change. He’s not even sure that he has travelled at all. There are no landmarks to judge the distance he’s travelled and every grain of sand is the same. There are no dunes, no hills, nothing. The tide remains the same, water swashing up the exact same range over the shore before receding back into the ocean.

Finally though Alyster encounters something rather unusual, footprints! Someone else is here with him, he needs only to follow their tracks and perhaps they can provide answers as to where this is and what is going on. The masked man is hopeful of that.

That hope runs dry as Alyster steps onto the first footprint and finds that the print matches his foot exactly. He grumbles before bending over and tracing a small X into the sand. He’s a theory and all the time in the world to test it. Onward he marches. For hours, following the footsteps until he reaches a familiar sight, the X he’d drawn into the sand. His theory had been proven, he was alone and this beach was truly an impossible place. With no memory of how he’d arrived and no idea as to what he was supposed to be doing, hope was starting to fade.

He layed back down in the sand. Silent. Motionless. With waning hope.

A gust of wind travels across the sandy shore, picking up sand in its wake and carelessly scattering the grains. Alyster is unmoving, still in the same position, now staring out at the horizon. The sand twirling around him, his inaction allows the gust of wind to almost bury him.

He’s startled, across the horizon he could swear there was a flicker of light. Rising to his feet, he walks out into the tide, the water rushing over his bare feet, sand scattering from between his toes. There it is again, that light. That faint ray of hope. It’s not the sun, it isn’t a star. It’s approaching!

The light increases in size from the smallest dot to a warm presence. A stark contrast to the cold dead beach. As it gets closer Alyster recognises its source, a lamp hanging from the end of an oar, the kind you’d see on a gondola. Indeed there is a boat approaching the beach, and its captain’s identity is a mystery. Perhaps this person is responsible for Alyster being trapped on this beach?

Alyster walks further into the tide to meet with the boat, submerged waist deep before they meet. The boat is being ferried by our fiery guide. The same who had appeared in Alysters dream during our previous adventure (See “Reunification of a Fractured Heart Part I: Hope). The guide is as he had appeared previously, bright, featureless, as if it was on fire but not projecting light to its surroundings. Impossible to describe.

“Apologies, re-commandeering this vessel required more finesse than I’d expected, and my rescue efforts, valiant as they were, have proven to be fruitless. How long have you perceived your time here to have lasted, a year, two?” Its warm Alan Rickman-like voice, smooth as honey and comforting, echoed through the abyss as it spoke. It reached out, offering Alyster a hand which he gladly accepted.

“I’m not sure, I don’t quite remember. I think about a day. Where are we anyway?” Alyster climbed into the boat, nearly losing his footing as the craft rocked back and forth. The guide pointed him to a seat at the head of the boat.

“I was afraid this would happen. Delving into the depths of these waters can destroy the mortal mind. You’re lucky to have only lost your short-term memory.” The guide begins to stir the oar in the waters, turning the board toward the horizon and paddling onwards. “This ocean is the gateway to the place where you lost your soul. We’re going to collect it.”

Alyster leaned over the edge of the boat, extending his fingertips to water, letting them trail as the boat travelled. “I lost my soul? I need my soul… How’d I lose it?”

“In your pursuit of the World Championship you put your whole being on the line, when you failed to claim that championship your heart was broken.” It scans its surroundings, making sure that the duo are safe. This realm is where your soul resides, captured by a powerful being, I doubt that they’ll be willing to part with it.”

“Fuck em, it’s my soul and I’m taking it back. I don’t care how powerful you are, you don’t steal the metaphorical building blocks that make up Alyster Black, not without consequences.”

“It’s easier said than done, but I admire your spirit.”

“Hey!”

“Sorry, poor choice of words. I admire your tenacity.”

“No, not that. Something’s grabbed hold of my wrist.”

Indeed, a skeletal hand has reached up from the depths and taken hold of Alyster, it weakly pulls. Trying to take him down into the depths.

“I wouldn’t worry, the spirits in these waters are weak and frail. Besides, the gate is coming up and we will have to dive. These spirits pale in comparison to what’s waiting for us on the other side.”

Hope reigned supreme for Alyster Black as he easily yanked his arm free of the spirit. He lacked fear, his heart wasn’t yet capable of feeling it. He wondered if this may be an advantage.

The boat washed up to a dock in the middle of the ocean. Attached to nothing, just floating on the water. The boat seemed drawn to it. The guide didn’t even bother mooring the vessel, the boat seemed to remain still and safe on its own.

“This is the place. We dive when you’re ready.”

Alyster nodded his head. He stood up and stared down into the dark depths below. There were no signs of skeletal hands, no spirits close to the surface. He couldn’t see anything, only blackness. Alyster sighed and took a deep breath then leaped from the boat into the water, the guide lept in right behind him.

The masked man kicked his feet and waved his hands, swimming down into the darkness but struggling. The more energy he exerted the slower he seemed to move. The guide shot ahead of him. It didn’t have to move a limb, gliding as if it was flying through the air.

It turned its head back to Alyster, “This isn’t really water.” It said as clear as day.

Alyster stopped flailing and relaxed. Focusing on moving forward. He began to move as the guide did, propelled by willpower.

They dove deep into the depths below. Disappearing into the darkness. Feeble creatures attempted to put a stop to their efforts but were easily brushed aside. All but one. Alyster felt a slimy appendage grab him by the ankle. It yanked him away from the guide, dragging him away from the path. Alyster fought, but like before the more effort he exerted the worse he fared. Quickly realising this he began to focus, fighting against the appendage.

Still he was being dragged, toward a rock formation, a crack in the wall was where the appendage had appeared from and was where Alyster was being dragged toward. He called for help but the guide was gone. All that there was when he looked outward was darkness. Despite his effort he couldn’t stop the appendage from taking him, in desperation he looked for another way out of his situation.

There! On the rock face, a short distance away from the crack was a door. A wooden door with a golden knob. Alyster willed himself toward it. Moving slowly, fighting the appendage with all his might.

He was so close but still being dragged. He reached out, fingertips brushing over the knob, but the appendage pulled him away. In one last desperate effort the masked man screamed and shot forward, taking the knob and twisting. The door opens and Alyster stumbles through, nearly tripping over the threshold as he finds himself on dry land. There’s no sign that he had been submerged in water, not a drop of water. Whatever had taken hold of him is gone.

He finds himself inside a ballroom. His clothes have been replaced with a black suit, black shirt, and red tie. His bare feet are now covered in black leather shoes. There’s a low hum of jazz being performed by a live band, all of whom are wearing Alyster Black masks, in fact and rather oddly everyone inside the ballroom is wearing an Alyster Black mask.

Taking in his surroundings he notes that the room is round and mid sized, able to fit maybe a hundred people. Not that the capacity for a hundred occupants is required, there’s maybe two to three dozen people enjoying the festivities, as well as wait staff circling the room with various hors d'oeuvres. The walls are adorned with white columns, red curtains hang down between each pillar. The ceiling is dark, as if staring at a blank night sky. The room itself is illuminated by a hanging golden chandelier that sparkles magnificently over a mirrored dance floor. Patrons are spread throughout the room, some dance, others are engaged in idle conversation.

There is, of course, a bar on the wayside that Alyster is immediately drawn to. His journey there is interrupted by one of the waitstaff offering him a thin slice of wagyu beef. Alyster refuses, he’s not hungry, he’s not felt hunger since washing up on the cold beach earlier. As the waiter moves on one of the party goers grabs onto Alyster’s arm. He immediately recognises them as Tommy Bedlam despite the fact that their face is covered with an Alyster Black mask. Perhaps the cowboy hat was what tipped Alyster off.

“Howdy partna. I’m gonna kick your head off, you know that right?” Tommy holds a beer up, toasting himself as a big shit eating grin spreads across his face that while obscured by the mask is obvious to anyone.

Alyster yanked his arm from Tommy’s grasp. “Fuck off mate. The only shot that counts is the One Shot I take. Buckshots are for cunts who can’t aim.”

Tommy throws his head back, cackling before taking a long sip of his beer through the mask whilst flipping off the X Champion. Alyster could hear him chirping from afar, “Fake tough guy!”

Skeeved and annoyed by the brash confidence of the second generation star, Alyster continues onward, desperate for a rum and coke. He leans up on the bar, raising a finger to try and garner the bartender’s attention but they’re too busy serving others. Another party goer steals Alyster’s attention.

“Hell of a situation we’ve got here.” Cyrus had his back to the bar, leaning back against it and overlooking the dancefloor. “Never would have happened if I was still the world champion. You know I never received a rematch for my title?”

“I heard.” Alyster lights up in response, he’d always admired Cyrus and had been frothing at the teeth for a chance to fight him.

“You never deserved a shot at Danny.” Alyster’s heart immediately sank as Cyrus voiced his disapproval of him, “This chicanery is really all your fault when you think about it. Krash’s little buddy receives a shot at the World Championship and everything goes to hell.”

“You couldn’t have done any better Truth.” Black retorts.

Cyrus was startled by Alyster. He took a brief moment to adjust his own Alyster Black mask before responding. “Sorry, I didn’t notice you there. I’ve never noticed you. Even back in CWA when you were running around with Krash.”

Truth was behaving oddly, quickly turning his attention back to the dancefloor and not paying Alyster any more notice. Deciding not to waste anymore time speaking to Cyrus, Alyster turned his attention back to the bartender, who had seemingly vanished into thin air along with all the drinks that had previously sat on the shelves behind the counter.

He left the bar in a huff, scurrying across the room. In the middle of the dancefloor was a friendly-ish face. A man dancing disco in a white jumpsuit.

“Hey Chris! What’s going on man?”

“Hmm?” Peacock’s dancing didn’t stop, not for a moment. Rolling his arms over one another he looked Alyster over. “Oh hey. I deserve the World Championship more than you do.”

Black sighed, “You probably do.”

Chris turned his back to Alyster, shaking his body from side to side as he struck a few poses. “Even if this party doesn’t work out in my favour, I still have a shot whenever I want. And I’m not about to go and pull an Alyster Black with it.”

“Jeez, what the fuck is everyone’s problem with me today?”

“You’re the favourite to win. They all hate you for it. Not me though, this is my time. I’m going to beat everyone here, especially you.” Chris’s voice faded as he disappeared into a group of Alyster Black mask wearing dancers.

“Fuck this.” Alyster began looking for an exit. Scanning the perimeter of the room and finding no obvious outs, the door that had brought him to this room has apparently disappeared.

He wanders through the party and encounters a disturbing sight. Gabrielle, wearing her Black Caramel mask and holding a leash. On the end of that leash on all fours like a good dog is Kayden Knox.

“Ah Gabby, how awful to see you again.”

Gabrielle is nonplussed by Alyster, coming to a stop in front of him and staring him down. The longer she lingers the worse Alyster feels.

“Sorry.” His head dips as his voice lowers. “I’m so sorry.”

Gabrielle sticks her nose up to Alyster and walks past him as Kayden begins barking at the X Champion. Alyster kicks at him, prompting Kayden to try and bite his ankle. Before he’s able to stomp her dog to death Gabrielle yanks on Kayden’s leash and drags him to safety.

Alyster kicks at the mirrored floor before walking toward one of the many pillars. He leans back against the white marble and slides down to a seated position with his knees raised, arms crossed and head buried.

He’d rather be alone on that cold beach again than caught up in all the drama and conflict again.

“Need a drink?” A familiar voice greets Alyster.

He looks up to the sight of a glass of coke being held in front of his eyes. The aroma of which lets him know that it’s mixed with what he craves.

“Desperately.” He replies as he takes the glass from Michelle and rolls his mask up to free his mouth and begin drinking away his woes.

MvH takes a seat down beside Alyster and begins to nurse her own drink. “Wild party isn’t it tulip?”

“If you can call it one.” Alyster held his nearly empty glass up to the light, casually inspecting it.

“A bad party is still a party. Your enjoyment doesn’t factor into its classification.”

“Right right. So what’s your deal Michelle, everyone here is being a massive prick to me. But you’re being nice.”

Michelle shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not participating in this fight tulip. I’ve no horse in this race. Well, besides that one.” She nods her head toward Gerald Grayson who is trading fists with Chris Peacock on the dancefloor.

“I hope Gerald does well. He was the first person to put up a real fight against me here, and besides Danny is the last one to pin me.”

There was a brief pause during which Michelle couldn’t help but to beam with pride.

“I’ll take an opportunity to conquer the World after I earn it. I’ll have to go through you to do it, but until then you are not my enemy.”

“You’re talking about the F1?” He inquired.

She nodded her head, “I probably should hate you though. You robbed me of my chance to fight Danny.”

Alyster grunted in response before posing a question. “Hey, do you think we’re in hell right now?”

“Not right now, no. And probably not ever, at least for me. Gerald is still kicking and he’s my ticket up there.” She turns to Alyster, her voice dropping as she delivers some bad news, “You’ll end up down there. Your Gerald left you too early, there’s no chance of him saving you now.”

“Probably.” The masked man’s head sank in dismay.

MvH smirked before her attention was captured by the sight of Devin Golden hunched over not even ten metres away from them. “Now that is just barbaric.”

“What?” He asked swinging his head as Michelle pointed toward The Golden One. Alyster swore under his breath. “I’ll be right back.”

“No you won’t. But it’s okay, we’re destined to meet again very soon.” Michelle called out after Alyster as he hurried toward The Golden One.

“What the hell are you doing Devin?” Alyster stood over Golden.

“Making improvements.” In his hand was a piece of glass, and scattered around the floor were mannequins, all wearing Alyster Black masks, all freshly cut into by Devin Golden.

“Would you knock it off? It’s fucking creepy.” Alyster clutched at his chest as he watched Devin begin carving a fresh mannequin.

“Sure. I’ve done all I can for these lost souls.” Devin tosses the piece of glass aside and lays down on the floor, staring up at the ceiling, or lack thereof, above. “I made you. You were nothing before I carved your heart out. And now you’ve lost your heart for real. All after you let me down. You should have beat Danny.”

“You carving ‘FWA’ into my chest didn’t make me Devin.”

“Of course it did! I made you, and I made everyone. I mean…I think I made everyone. I thought I had it all figured out. You know none of this is real right?”

“Yeah, I know. It’s all fantasy isn’t it? I’m not really here. This is a dream or something. That’s what it always turns out to be.”

“Nah, this is reality. It’s the reality that we’re all dreaming together. But it’s as real as anything else.”

“That’s very poetic Devin.”

“We’re the only two left now.”

Alyster’s heart skipped a beat. He knew exactly what Devin Golden was about to say.

“The rest of them are gone. Randy, Ryan, Krash, now Danny. You and I are the sole survivors, and the FWA is a worse place for it.” Devin’s eyes dart toward Alyster. “It’s your fault you know. You’re the reason why Krash and Randy died, and you’re the reason why Danny’s gone and we’re all in this mess.”

The X Champion was growing sick of apologising to people, he refused to in this instance. He raised his arms, placing both hands behind his head and sighing deeply.

“I’ll be gone soon too, then you’ll really be all alone. Isn’t that poetic? You tried to ruin everything that Golden Rock and TxR were building, and it came back to bite you in the ass.”

Alyster’s arms fell by his side, if his heart wasn’t destroyed he would be shedding tears. The thought of Devin Golden finally hanging up the boots, after sharing the battles he had with the X Champion was too depressing to even contemplate.

“At least you’ve given me another chance to be World Champion before I say my final goodbye. Thank you Alyster Black.”

Alyster nodded his head and turned his heel, stepping away from The Golden One. He paused for a moment, looking back over his shoulder.

“Hey Devin.” He called out, “Is a hotdog a sandwich?”

Devin smirked and cackled as only he could. A reference almost lost to time had tickled him pink.

Alyster turned again and accidentally bumped into someone. This person wasn’t wearing an Alyster Black mask. No, she was wearing her own mask.

“Sorry.” Black remarked before the masked woman shoved him back. He didn’t recognise her at first. “I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure. I’m Alyster Black.”

A smile crept across Vampyra’s face. She responded in Japanese, at least Alyster thought it was Japanese, he didn’t understand the language and most of what she said to him sounded like meaningless syllables thrown together to imitate the language. But in spite of his gap in knowledge he understood every word she’d uttered perfectly.

“It’s you!” She beamed, “You’re the one I’m going to fight!”

“Is that right?” The masked man’s mood immediately dropped, he was growing weary of this song and dance.

“I’m going to beat you too. I’m new and you don’t know anything about me. I’m going to surprise you and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.” She grinned, baring her fangs. “I’m actually a Japanese wrestler too, you’re jealous of that! You cosplay as one of us, but you never will be. We don’t respect you in Japan, we think you’re a joke.”

He grumbled in response, “That’s just hurtful.”

“Sure it stings, but does it hurt more than you missing out on fighting Danny again?” She began cackling an evil laugh as she turned around and left Alyster Black alone to contemplate her words.

She was right of course. She’d express every thought that was running through his head. Everyone did now that he thought about it. Everyone had said to him exactly what he imagined they thought about him.

He eyes the stage and makes a beeline toward it. A few wrestlers try to stop him. He pie-faces Caesar before the Roman has a chance to berate him. He ignores Parr as the Prodigy shouts something about Krash being happier teaming with him. The only person to say something nice to him, Lizzie Rose, is brought to tears when he refuses to acknowledge her and Joe Burr is stepped on, having not even shown up on Alyster’s radar.

Black almost stops to trade hands with Shawn Summers after his hated rival intentionally steps on Alyster’s ankle, the same one he’d snapped all those years ago, but he stops and marches onward.

Alyster climbs onto the stage and snatches the microphone from the band’s singer, stopping his mindless scatting. The rest of the band stops playing their instruments causing all eyes to watch the sage.

The masked man taps the microphone before speaking. “Hey, I just wanted to say that I’ve been having a terrible time at this gala and that you can all go fuck yourselves. When I regain my soul I’m going to fuck you all up and establish myself as the God-King of this shit. Now, if any of you know a way out of here then that’d be much appreciated. Peace!” He drops the microphone on the floor, feedback echoes through the room.

At first the room remains silent. Right before breaking into a venomous uproar. Shouting insults and sluts, flipping off the X Champion, spitting and throwing beer bottles and glasses.

Alyster takes it all in, raising both middle fingers in response as he overlooks the crowd. From the corner of his eye he spots MvH, standing by one of the pillars and holding the curtain covering the wall open. Behind the curtain is another door.

“Of course it’s behind the curtain…that’s fucking obvious.” Alyster kicks himself as he dives off the stage and takes down the rioting group of gala attendees. He rises to his feet quickly and darts toward the waiting MvH but is stopped along the way by a waiting Vampyra kicking him in the face.

He stared up at her from the cold mirrored dance floor. “Leaving so soon? Don’t you think you should focus a little more on me?” She said whilst stepping on his chest and posing proudly.

“Yeah, probably. Problem is that none of this is about you. It’s about me.”

He takes her by the foot and shoves her off, springing back to his feet before swinging at her. But the luchadores expertly ducks. He swings again and once again she avoids him, this time picking up an empty beer from the floor which she quickly smashes over the back of his head.

Alyster stumbles and swears, “I’m the goddamn X Champion, you think a beer bottle’s gonna take me out?”

He swings wildly, clumsily. She avoids everything. It’s almost as if she’s inside his head.

The thought repeats itself. He tries to fake her out and she doesn’t flinch. She knew.

Alyster steps back and takes inventory. “You gonna tell me just why you’re the only person here not wearing one of my masks?”

She smirks as the gale attendees all begin to circle around the duo, blocking Alyster’s exit.

“You strayed from the path and you’ve found yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time. But you’ve figured this all out haven’t you? Bravo.” She begins to slow clap and the faux-FWA wrestlers join in.

Alyster turns around and begins making his way toward the exit. The crowd doesn’t let him through, not without a fight.

Hands begin to claw at the X Champion, tearing his suit to shreds. Errant punches strike him all over. The crowd begins to collapse over the champion, swarming and suffocating him under their superior numbers.

Vampyra continues to rant whilst the gala attendants beat up Alyster further.

“You’re wasting your time. You’ll never regain what you seek. And in the real world you’re destined to fail. The battle royal, the F1, becoming World Champion. These are unrealistic goals. I mean look at what you’re trying to achieve? How self-centred can you be? You’re only doing this for yourself, you’re only focused on yourself. That’s why you’re going to be thrown out of that battle royal like a chump and it’s why you’re going to lose to Vampyra. You don’t know anything about her. You don’t know what to expect. You’re not prepared.”

Suddenly Black bursts out of the pack, climbing over bodies. His suit is torn to tatters as is his mask. His body is bruised and bloody. He doesn’t care, he thrives off the pain. Alyster begins throwing bombs, rights and lefts that catch every errant attacker. His knees are put to work as are his elbows. His whole body is a weapon.

He manages to break past the pack and makes a run for salvation.

Vampyra continues to call out to him, “You selfish cunt! You don’t deserve to win this! You had your chance already and you blew it!”

But he ignores her, he’s reached the door and in turn salvation.

MvH is still holding the curtain open. She rolls her eyes as Vampyra continues to shout out to him.

Alyster hesitates for a moment, “You’re not actually Michelle are you?”

She shrugs her shoulders, “Are any of us really who we claim to be tulip?”

Food for thought, not worth lingering on. He wanted out of this gala yesterday and reached for the door handle to do so.

Alyster steps through the door and finds himself in a familiar setting. Not one that he’s ever visited before, but one he’s seen a million times. It was a psychiatrist’s office. Green carpet with a beige rug, a glass coffee table sitting in the middle with two couch chairs on either side of it, being overlooked by a nice office desk. The walls are adorned with a pair of bookshelves, each shelf of which is tightly packed with reading material, as well as a long rectangular window sill, of which the blinds are drawn shut. A few beams of light leak through, enough to illuminate the office. Alyster recognises this setting as Dr. Melfi’s office from the Sopranos. The suit he’d worn at the gala has been replaced by a three tone polo shirt and slacks.

He isn’t alone, who should be sitting in Dr. Melfi’s chair but a familiar moustached rouge. Only younger and missing his trademark stache. Young Krashy barely resembles the man he would grow into, sporting longer hair, a well kept beard, and missing the scars and age lines that would distinguish him. This version of Krash looks like he’d just walked out of a 2011 CWA Adrenaline Rush taping.

“So what’s the implication here? That I want to fuck you?” Alyster rolled his eyes at the very notion.

“I was under the impression this was more of a comfort thing. That this would be a fun place for you to let it all out.” Krash sat back, crossing a leg as he pulled a clipboard and pen from seemingly out of nowhere. He clicked the pen and began scribbling notes. “Like Tony does in the Sopranos.”

“I don’t think you’ve seen the Sopranos.”

“And I think you’re lying to yourself when you say you don’t want to fuck me.” The non-moustached maverick nods his head and waves Alyster toward the empty chair across the coffee table, inviting him to sit. With not many other options available to him, Alyster accepted the invitation.

Krash smiles, it's a comforting smile. Comforting in a way that only Krash can achieve. “So how are you feeling buddy?”

Alyster sighs and sinks into the chair, “I dunno. Heartbroken I suppose.”

The non-moustached maverick leans forward, showing concern for his patient. “And why do you suppose that is?”

“I lost the big match against Danny Toner.”

“Bummer.” He recoils and scribbles down a few more notes. “Tell me about your relationship with your mother.”

The masked man raises both hands in protest, “Nope, we’re not doing any of that shit.”

Krash bellows in disappointment, “Fine.”

“I think I might be dogshit at multiman matches.”

“What gave you that idea?”

“I fucked up both Mile High Massacures that I was in. I’ve lost every Carnal Contendership and Wrestle Royals that I’ve entered. Cibernetico was a nightmare. Just now I got absolutely torn to shreds and practically thrown out of a gala by a bunch of FWA guys dressed up like me.”

Krash hummed, pondering his partner’s observation, “I don’t think anyone can really consider themselves good at multi-person matches, it’s a matter of luck.”

“If you say so. Didn’t you win one of those CWA battle royals, and a Mile High Massacre? I’d say you’re pretty good at them. Got any advice?”

“Have you tried sitting in the corner and crying? I imagine most everyone in the match would avoid you.”

Alyster sighs in frustration as a smirk crawls over Krash’s face.

“Tell me then, when are you going to stop obsessing over me? When are you going to let me go?”

“I don’t know mate, I miss you more than anything in the world. Like, don’t get me wrong, I’m sick of it too but you’re my best friend and you’re gone. That’s not something you just get over.”

“It’s starting to get pretty creepy is all I’ll say.”

“You shouldn’t have just died without giving me closure then.”

“That’s not how life works.”

There’s a brief pause before Alyster follows up with a question. “You’re not whatever the hell Vampyra was back there having followed me into this room are you?”

“I can assure you that I’m not. Though if I were, would I be honest with you?”

“I think you would be, cause I think this is all a sick game to you and…and…fuck…” Alyster clutches his chest, doubling over. “What the hell?”

“Fascinating.” Krash begins to rapidly take notes as Alyster hisses in pain.

The pain quickly fades and is replaced by tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. “God fucking… I can’t take seeing you anymore man. Why the hell did you leave me?”

“Come on now, you know why. You drove me away.” Krash replies curtly, “You drove me away with that Leather Boyz stunt and with your incessant prattling about your feelings. Do you know how creepy it is to have someone like you unburden themselves to me all the time?”

“You fucker…we’re supposed to be brothers.”

“Brothers roughhouse, not treat each other like their personal therapists.”

“Explain this then!” Alyster waves a hand, motioning to their surroundings.

Krash shrugs, “Irony.”

“Why the hell am I crying? I haven’t been able to cry since my heart was…was…Ah it’s you isn’t it? It’s the fact that you’re pretending to be Krash.”

“Krash was the heartbeat of CWA, and the heart of the Gang Stars.”

Alyster hops up to his feet, stumbling around the room. “This isn’t okay. Drop the act or illusion or whatever. Just end this shit and let me go with my soul in peace.” He opens the blinds but they look out into nothing, it’s pitch-black outside the room. He then moves to the bookcases, pushing each volume of psych literature to the floor.

“Hey! That’s uncalled for.” Krash tuts and rolls his eyes, “Fine have it your way you big baby.” He snaps his fingers and a blinding light envelops the room.

Alyster blinks and when he opens his eyes he finds himself submerged in the deep once again. Another blinding light sparks from seemingly nowhere and he’s brought to an interrogation room. Two-way mirror, white brick walls, steel table with a perp in handcuffs sitting at the table. Alyster is wearing a suit, not the one he wore to the gala, one that’s more in line with your classic detective. His badge hangs from around his neck, the insignia bears a large X and reads FWA X Champion rather than denoting what police force he belongs to.

The perp in question is a familiar face. Wearing an orange jumpsuit with a lit cigarette hanging from his mouth is none other than Danny Toner.

Detective Black slams his fists down on the steel table. “This isn’t funny!”

Danny simply winks at Black, infuriating him further.

“What’s the goal here? What are you trying to accomplish? You want me to pretend this is Danny? Fine I’ll play along, I’ve got a lot to get off my chest.”

Alyster hops up onto the table, grabbing Danny by the lapels of his jumpsuit and moving in close, practically nose-to-nose with the former World Champion.

“You abandoned me! You abandoned my hatred! We were supposed to fight forever! Don’t you understand what that means? It means forever! Until the end of time! We were supposed to trade hands until there was no one left but us. But you… you… you’re gone. Everyone I loved is gone, I can’t lose everyone I hate too!”

He shakes Danny violently as he screams in his face.

“I was supposed to beat you! I was supposed to take that World Championship from you and I…I guess I did but it wasn’t supposed to happen the way it did. I was supposed to beat you in the fucking ring, not find out I injured you after you beat me!”

Alyster lets go of Danny’s suit. Hopping down from the table and pacing back and forth, still ranting.

“Your leaving has tainted everything. What happens if I win the World Championship now? Huh? Huh? Every awful, vile, poisonous thing you said about me will be proven true. Well guess what Danny, you were right! You were always fucking right! I’m not on your level, you’re better than me. And the only way I could ever hope to become the FWA World Champion is if everyone leaves.”

He kicks out a chair in frustration, sending it flying across the room.

“Randy, Ryan, Krash, now you! There’s no Steve Storme here to hold me down. There’s no Randy Ramon here to kick my fucking head off. Krash sure as fuck isn’t going to break my heart by beating me for the fiftieth time. And you…you fucking broke me, that’s how bad you beat me. You literally broke my heart. I’m on some fucked up journey trying to fix myself. I’m getting sick of it! There was nothing wrong with me, I was fine, I’d gotten over all my issues and I was comfortable. Is that why I couldn’t beat you? Because I was feeling good about myself? Cause I wasn’t hopelessly depressed? Was I missing my edge? FUCK YOU!”

He takes a few deep breaths. Tilting his head toward the ceiling as he calms himself down. “There, I got it all off my chest. Are we done with all this therapy crap? Can we please move on?”

An otherworldly voice echoes in the room.“Yeah, whatever.”

Suddenly the brick walls, the table, the mirror, everything is engulfed in flames. Alyster is blinded by the lights. After some blinking his vision is restored. His surroundings have changed. The interrogation room is no more. Instead Alyster finds himself standing on a dirt mound, barefoot. A river of lava rushes by his side, pouring out from the top of a volcano that makes up most of the island and pooling into an ocean of lava that surrounds it.

Above where the sky should be is instead a dark abyss, an ocean. Alyster can see the edges of the tide as it washes over a beach, white foam forming and then sinking back into the sea.

Dead ahead, sat on a throne of bones is a giant red devil. A cartoonish depiction of Satan, only this one is wearing an Alyster Black mask. He appears to be bored, resting an elbow on his throne and in turn, his cheek on his palm. In his other hand he holds a chain link leash, at the end of which is a bright blue apparition. Alyster can only assume that the apparition is his soul.

“I was really beginning to enjoy myself. Thanks a lot for ruining that.”

Alyster sighs, “Whatever cunt. Just give me back my soul.” He waves toward the apparition, beckoning for it to come to him. It moves forward only to be yanked back by the demon.

“Come on now, you know that I’m not going to give it up that easily. I quite like having it down here. It ties the room together.” A sick, twisted smirk crawls over the demon’s face.

“You didn’t fucking earn it. You didn’t win it from me. I didn’t sell it to you. I lost it in a fruitless endeavour.”

“Sure I earned it. It was all alone, lost and I found it. You know what they say, possession is nine tenths of the law. Finders keepers.”

The demon sits forward, moving its elbow from the armrest of its throne to its thigh, rubbing its chin in thought. “But I’m not overly cruel, I’m willing to trade. So Alyster Black, what are you willing to give up for your soul?”

Alyster humours the demon. “What do you want?”

“Forfit the F1 Climaxx and throw yourself out of the battle royal for the World Championship.”

“No deal!” Alyster begins walking toward the throne. He picks up a femur from the dirt and twirls it in his hand, ready to bash the demon with it.

The demon laughs obnoxiously at the sight of Alyster swinging the femur, “What do you plan on doing with that? You can’t hope to hurt me, not here, not in my domain.”

“That’s the thing isn’t it? This isn’t your domain. It’s mine!” The ocean above crackles with lightning.

“Ah fuck…” The demon readies itself, rising to its feet and raising its free hand which sparks in flame.

The demon lets go of the chain and leaps from its throne, extending its wings and takes flight. It holds a hand out to Alyster, launching a fireball that the masked man swats away with the femur. Another fireball is swatted away just as easily. Alyster holds the femur up like a javelin. He screams at the top of his lungs and lightning strikes the femur, energising it. Alyster throws it, the demon is struck in the shoulder, the femur piercing through flesh, muscle, bone and wing. The demon spirals down into the ocean of lava.

The masked man turns his attention to his captured soul. They run toward each other but as they’re about to embrace and rejoin the demon bursts forth from the lava, screaming a death rattle, its flesh having been melted off. It reaches out with its boney hand and snatches the soul fright before Alyster’s eyes.

“Let it go!” Screams Alyster as he leaps onto the demon’s wrist, slamming his fists down onto the bone. “I’m so fucking over this. I’m sick of you living in the back of my mind and poisoning me. I’m sick of you trying to get out and ruin everything. I’m sick of you trying to claim what isn’t yours!”

The demon screeches in response, “You’ve no right to lock me away! All I've ever done is help you and you've let me down at every opportunity! I hate you! I hate you! I. Hate. You. Without me you'd be nothing!”

Alyster stopped, stunned at what the demon had just said. He muttered to himself quietly, “You’re right.”

The demon held Alyster’s soul above its mouth, unclenching its jaw and ready to swallow it. In a flash Alyster leapt, knocking the soul free from the demon’s grasp. Alyster closed his eyes and clutched his soul tightly, absorbing it inside himself as he in turn fell into the demon’s waiting maw.

When he opened his eyes he found himself laying down in the warm sands of Zandvoort beach. Maskless, shirtless, with a pair of sunglasses on, an umbrella looming over him, and a cigarette in his mouth.

“So you figured it all out at the end there.” His guide’s voice sounded off inside his head.

Alyster nodded, “I thought for a minute there that we were in hell or tartarus or some shit. And that I was going through some sort of ironic punishment. You know, fighting guys from the FWA outside of the ring. Hanging out with my best friend again in an awful and sterile environment. That whole thing with the boat was very Greek mythology too.”

He pauses, tutting as he thinks more deeply about the situation. “It wasn’t hell though, it was something almost as awful. It was the very depths of my own mind. It was the pits where all my paranoia and anxiety resides. That’s why everyone was being a prick to me at the gala, they were saying what I believe they really think about me deep down. Krash was too. That thing with Danny, that was just a tease. It was just there to rile me up and make me feel shittier.”

“Atta boy.” The voice echoes.

“Some demon didn’t come and take my soul. I lost it in the place where it belongs.” He exhales, blowing a few smoke rings for his own amusement.

“How embarrassing.”

“I just had to reach inside myself and find it again.”

“And you did it without sacrificing a large part of yourself.”

“Right. At the end there I realised that thing was a part of me, it was the very essence of what makes me the violent son of a bitch everyone knows and loves.”

“Ding-ding-ding. We have a winner.”

“What I don’t get is why it wants me to throw the F1 and battle royal.”

“It probably thinks that if you win the World Championship your urge for violence will be sated and you’ll give up your career.”

“Never. Where the hell did it get that idea?”

“Look at where it resides. All of that negativity, especially the poison that is spawned from your sick mind. Who could blame it for going nuts. And being overworked in your battle with Toner definitely didn’t help matters.”

“Right, so you think I’m ready for the battle royal on Meltdown and Vampyra on Fallout?”

“You overcame your inner demons and reclaimed your soul. There aren't many other tests that can prepare you like that.”

“Yeah, well we saw what happened last time.”

“The journey to becoming worthy is one that you’ve travelled, there’s nothing more to say or do. There’s no more growth for you to achieve. You either do it right now or you do it after you’ve won the F1. The path to get there may be different but the destination is the same.”

“Everything’s almost tied up in a neat little bow. The rest of it is on you, all you have to do is win the World Championship.”

“Easier said.”

“Nothing worth doing is ever easy.”

Alyster nods his head and takes what’s left of his cigarette in hand. He puts it out on the back of his hand, hissing in pain for only a brief moment before breaking out into a smile. He readjusted his position, crossing one leg over the other, placing both hands behind his back and relaxing on the beach in Holland.