Post by Ghost Spike on Oct 27, 2017 16:33:26 GMT
Despite what people might think about me I have never, ever, weaseled my way into a championship match. You can call into question my tactics throughout the years, about how I did despicable things to keep said championships around my waist, but every single championship in my twenty two year long career?
I earned.
I know what it takes to be a champion, I know what it takes to rise above the rest of the crop, to truly stand out and be a somebody….and behind it all? I know damn well exactly what it costs.
The question remains, do you Andrew?
You play the part of the hero, the unbreakable, the unquestionable, but you are really just as flawed as the rest of us, no matter what you’d have people believe. A few weeks ago, I shook your hand, you beat me fair and square, and I turned my back ready to leave and never again see the sights of the Imperial Championship again. I was prepared to head to the back of the line, because that is how it works….but then Ryan Shane took that cheap shot. I’m not going to lie to you Andrew, there was a very loud voice in my head screaming at me to leave you there, to allow Ryan to beat you to a pulp…..after all, you’d just beaten me, taken away my chance at being the Imperial Champion again, something I’d worked so damn hard for…
But I didn’t.
In some people's eyes I took a page out of your book and turned around, through caution to the wind, and threw my body into the mix, despite the grueling match we’d just had. It didn’t exactly work to my benefit, but I’ve always been the kind of man that would rather go down swinging with his friends, then leave them to get their asses kicked. If we’re gonna get beat down? Then we get beat down together, because fists and kicks divided equals less overall damage, but the truth of it all Andrew…
Is that we are not friends.
So why did I do it? Huh? Why did I do the most “un-Spike” thing I could in that scenario? Simple Andrew….to show you, and the whole world, that I’m better than you. That I’m a better person at my core, because I’m not going to watch someone get their ass kicked by some coward after they’ve gone through the ringer with me. You’re probably confused, right? It’s real simple Andrew.
Where were you when the Council attacked?
Where were you when your good friend Xavier Cross targeted us on a weekly basis?
Where was the hero of IWF?
Maybe, just maybe, you were in on it all along? Maybe, just maybe, the council were there to ensure you remained Imperial Champion by weakening your real competition. Who knows Andrew? I mean….we’ll never truly know because the Council failed so epicly…
However, maybe, just maybe, you’re starting to see my point about what being at the top really costs.
I’ve given everything to this company, to this business. It’s all I’ve ever known, ever since those Biker fucks pushed me into fighting for them, it was only going to lead one way….or does it stem from before then? When my old man used to force me to fight other kids, poor little orphans who never knew their parents…
The lucky sons of bitches.
….maybe, it was always going to happen? Maybe it’s destiny, maybe it’s fate.
If I’d have known then what Wrestling would take from me? I don’t think I’d have ever stepped foot in a ring for my entire life.
Except I did…..and in the process, I’ve lost two sons, my twin brother, someone I’d fallen madly in love with, my sister never wants to see me again…..and somehow, through it all, my old man….it still hurt.
I might have one of the most prestigious careers in all of wrestling, but it didn’t come for free.
The cost was far too high.
So ever since I was diagnosed with cancer, I knew, deep within me, that I needed to become Imperial Champion one more time. To prove to the world that I wasn’t done, to show the world that I wouldn’t be beaten so easily. That the God of Xtreme wasn’t going to whimper off and shrivel away into nothingness, that if need be? I’d die right in the middle of that ring, because despite everything that wrestling has taken from me? Despite the pain I’ve been forced to go through for almost all my life…
It’s all I’ve ever known.
So when I look down the barrell at you Andrew, when I tell you that I’m going into this match with absolutely everything I have behind me? I want you to truly understand the weight behind that. Of what this actually means. You may well be one of, if not the best technical wrestler of your era, but that won’t mean shit to me when we get in that ring at October Revolution. You are single handedly standing in the way of me becoming the Imperial Champion once more, and you quite honestly don’t understand what that means, what it will mean to everything I’ve done over the past year or so…….because when my hand is raised? When I’m announced as only the second man to ever be a two time Imperial Champion?
It validates everything I’ve done.
It makes every. Single. Thing. Worthwhile
~~~
We open up on Prouty Memorial Garden inside the Boston Childrens Hospital, where we can see a small crowd of children, and nurses gathered around. There’s a small little stand erected with a curtain covering it as one of the nurses stands up to talk to the children.
Nurse: Good morning boys and girls, I’m glad that you were able to make it today. Boy do we have a special surprise for you! I’m not going to take your time any longer, I just want you to know that there’s plenty of us around, so if you need any help at all just let us know….but now, I give you, superstars from the Imperial Wrestling Federation!
A small little speaker nearby begins to play some generic rock music as the curtain falls down to reveal Spike Kane, Pandora Freeman, and Astrid Hall. The kids begin to cheer, but only a couple of them get up, the rest, too sick to get out of their chairs….some of them still hooked up to IV machines. Pan smiles wildly as she rushes forwards to hug the ones that ran forwards, Astrid smiles a little awkwardly as she looks out at the children, Spike….flinches almost, before he smiles and begins to walk amongst the children, slapping high fives and fist bumps.
Nurse: We would like to thank Mr Kane for coming here today and also donating $2,000,000 to our Oncology department, and campaigning to keep our memorial here open!
Spike smirks a little, winking at one of the girls who is trying to crotch chop in her chair, but he just looks so awkward. Astrid has lifted two small children onto her shoulders and is parading them around, despite a nurse suggesting it’s not the best idea.
Pandora: Hey kids, who thinks that Spike should come back next week with the Imperial Championship!?
Spike rounds on her surprised, as another cheer rings out from the kids, he raises his hands a little and pushes them down a few times, as if to say “calm down” or “let’s not get ahead of ourselves” before one of the children begins to tug at his arm, he looks down and bends a knee to get closer.
Spike: What’s up honey?
The little girl holds up a Spike Kane action figure, it’s clearly been used a lot, and possibly seen better days.
Little Girl: C-c-can you…..sign this? I-i-it used to belong to B-b-billy….he really wanted to meet you b-b-but….b-b-but….
She can’t finish her sentence as her emotions begin to overcome her, one of the nurses notices and comes over, placing her hands on the girls shoulders and trying to comfort her.
Nurse #2: I’m sorry Mr Kane. Little Gemma here was really close with Billy, but unfortunately he lost his battle with leukemia, he was quite a fan of yours.
Spike lowers his head immediately, a grim look spreading across his face, before he quickly wipes it away and smiles down at Gemma, taking her into a tight hug.
Spike: I tell you what Gemma, I’ll sign your figure, and we can have a picture, and you know what? If we can arrange it, you and your family can come and watch October Revolution…..how does that feel?
Gemma leans into Spike, tears staining his t-shirt as she squeezes him tight, Spike pats her on the back, before she smiles up at him and quickly gets her phone out and begins calling her parents. Spike stands up and walks a few feet away, taking a deep breath and trying incredibly hard not to cry in front of these kids.
Pandora: Hey love, you OK?
Spike: I just…..god dammit Pan, why me? Why not them? I’m such an asshole! I don’t deserve this second chance, but them? Man….it’s just not fair….
Neither of them had noticed Astrid approaching them. She places a hand on Spike’s shoulder.
Astrid: This is the….survivor's guilt, no?
Pandora: She’s right. For whatever reason, you got better, and you’re trying to do something about that.
Astrid: You have given money to these children to try and help them, and are campaigning for them to keep their garden. Small steps lead to big things Spike.
Spike chuckles a little, as he wipes a tear from his face.
Spike: I swear I said that to you down in developmental.
She cracks a smile at him, before heading back towards the children. Pandora leans in and kisses him on the cheek, before she too heads off, but Spike stands there surveying the scene and the camera begins to fade away, but pans down, to show Spike’s tightly balled fist.
~~~
Many people like to harp on about my ego, but I find it funny….you see, you’re the one who wanted this match. You’re the one who interrupted me, to proclaim to the world how the fact you didn’t beat me was eating away at you. That YOU needed a resolution, even though merely weeks before you had already beaten me.
Fair and square.
I’m not the one who was campaigning for a rematch, I never stood in that ring and complained about how you never beat me. I said that I didn’t win, but how in the process I also wasn’t defeated…..THAT is when you stuck your nose in….because of course, nobody is allowed to have an original thought around here without IWF’s Hero show up and tell everyone how it was all his idea in the first place. You pushed Andrew, so I pushed back…..and when I struck a nerve?
You had the indecency to bring Pandora into this.
How heroic of you.
Whatever has gone down between you and me this past year Andrew? I’ve always kept it between you and me. Always. You are the one who is constantly dragging the people I love into this, my family, first it was Warren…...not matter what you think of our relationship…..it just wasn’t your place, and now? Now it’s Pandora, and I swear to whatever unholy fucking union I have to...if even the thought of her name touches your mind again?
I’ll kill you.
How heroic of me, right?
I couldn’t give a shit.
I’ve worked so hard since I returned to action. More often, more regular, and more harder than anyone else in this company. I put my nose to the grindstone and really put a shift in, every single week, no matter what, because this whole thing means so much to me. Being the best, means so much to me, being remembered is what I’m all about…..and you cannot possibly tell me that there is a single member of this roster, male or female, who has worked as hard as I have over the last year and a half. The only time I’ve had off, is when the booking team were too dumb to book me….when they couldn’t figure out the best match to make a fuck ton of money off….but that’s beyond the point….Andrew. I’ve worked way too hard for this, I’ve put in too much work, and I’ve dealt with too much hurt…..
I have never been more deserving in my life.
For me, this is all business, and that is all it has ever been. Maybe you’re taking a leaf out of my own playbook and trying to get into my head, but the last person to try and do that was Davey Ortega, and look what happened to him….it’s not really advised Mr Boyscout. Yet when people are happy to get personal? Then it just opens up a whole plethora of options…..it throws you off your game, doesn’t it Andrew? You pride yourself on being able to hold the moral high ground, it’s the crux of every single one of your arguments….so tell me Andrew…
How did beating me up help Warren?
How did winning the Roulette then ignoring my “monstrous” reign as Man of Steel help IWF?
How did feeding into my base desires of violence save me?
How did putting your ego in front of your championship make you a better man than me?
How can you possibly claim to be the hero everyone pretends you are? Just like how everyone pretends Nighthawk is the “wrestling machine” how he’s the “best wrestler on the planet” yet has a bigger losing streak than Johnny Fuckboy. Y’know, the guy trained by that fucknugget Gaither who was self trained in the first place? …..gee, that has to sting the pride, I know it’d bother me. The point, in case you missed it, is that you’re fake…..
A fraud.
I’ve seen the real Andrew Jacobsen, the man who gave in to that voice in his head, the man who strayed off the path because he was offered success, I’ve seen who you really are at your core Andrew….and no, not once have I tried to say I’m a better man than you, I know who I am, I know what I’ve done, the difference between us, is that I own my actions, I don’t pretend they never happened, I don’t pretend it was someone else…..I told the world, I’m not a white hat, I’m not a hero, I never have been and you know what!? I never will be.
I’m an outcast.
A rebel.
A degenerate.
You? ….the only thing that is real about you Andrew? Is that championship you hold, and just like you - when you came at me to try and take my gold away from me? I’m coming to take yours away from you. We’ve done this back and forth throughout the year now, for my gold, and for yours…..we’re somehow balanced at this point, and we come to the decider. You want a test, the ultimate test, and you push me so you’ll get it….trust me Andrew Jacobsen….
You’re in for a lot more than you bargained for.
And when the dust settles?
You will.
Be Broken.
Well howdy there pardner.