Post by Angel Blake on Aug 18, 2023 23:54:18 GMT
Continued from: We lost sight, did we?
Tara steps out into the hallway where Angel stands, clearly listening to the tail end of the conversation. Heâs holding Lilith so sheâs facing him, the two of them making funny faces at each other, sticking out their tongues and wrinkling their noses.
âYouâre not mad are you?â
âWhy would I be?â
He says in a fun little baby tone that brings a large smile to Lilith's face. He turns to face Tara who looks deeply concerned. She doesnât want to drive a wedge between them but she also needs to do whatâs best for her oldest son.
âBecause we canât help you in this war with Knox anymore?â
Angel adjusts Lilith so sheâs now partially seated on his left arm while his right arm is wrapped around her chest keeping her in place.
âI understand why.â
âI know you say that but I canât help but feel youâre disappointed in us. First everything with Dean, the war with Knox, Sabin and I backing off. I donât want to leave you alone to fight this.â
âAlone?â
Angel says with an extremely large smile as he bounces Lilith up and down in his arms.
âHoney, I am not alone. Knox has more enemies than X followers. Besides, when have I ever needed help shutting someone up?â
Tara smiles with relief.
âSo youâre not disappointed in us?â
âHow could I be? Youâre doing whatâs best for Sabin. Which is exactly what I want for all of our children.â
Tara comes in close for a three way hug that gets little Lilith very excited. Tara pulls back just enough to look up at Angel.
âThank you.â
âI love you.â
Tara chuckles.
âI love you too.â
Angel pulls back for a second and looks at Lilith on his left arm. His eyes narrow as he takes a big sniff. Angelâs eyes go wide as he steps back and fully extends Lilith out with both of his arms.
âHowever, if youâre feeling that bad about it, someone here just went nuclear!â
Tara starts laughing pretty hard until the smell hits her too.
âOh my god!â
The two turn and look at the closed door to Taraâs office.
âJENNIE!!!â
âThe future isnât writtenâŚâ
His words come out of nowhere as you suddenly awaken.
âItâs malleableâŚâ
âIn fluxâŚâ
âEvery decision causing a reaction that drives the narrative forwardâŚâ
You try to look around but your head wonât move, itâs seemingly frozen. Your hands too as well as your legs. Youâre stuck. Itâs now that you realize you canât even see where you are. There is only darkness around you.
âThere is no road mapâŚâ
âNo well woven stringâŚâ
âNo destinyâŚâ
You try to force the whole of your body to move but nothing seems to respond to your commands. You are absolutely stuck wherever you are. Your mind begins to race with possibilities. Did he drug you? Abduct you? Are you now his prisoner at the bottom of a well waiting for a bucket of lotion?
âThe future is simply what you makeâŚâ
âGood or badâŚâ
âYouâre the authorâŚâ
âThe narratorâŚâ
âAnd the protagonistâŚâ
What if youâre strapped to a bed in his basement and heâs preparing to cut you up like in one of those Chainsaw movies? You feel your brow begin to sweat. Youâre body seems to shake. How the hell did you get here!?
âOr sometimes?â
âThe antagonistâŚâ
âSome people donât seem to understandâŚâ
âThey donât get itâŚâ
âThey think this whole world is preordained to service their selfish desiresâŚâ
âBut that isnât how the world worksâŚâ
âThat isnât how life worksâŚâ
âAnd soâŚâ
âSome people are their own worst enemyâŚâ
You try to yell âSHUT UP!â but your mouth canât even move enough to make the shape of the letters. Whatever heâs done to you itâs left you completely paralyzed.
âLike you for example, CalebâŚâ
Suddenly a blinding light shines down upon you.
âThe futureâŚâ
âThe Joker in the PackâŚâ
âPfftâŚâ
âMeaningless monikersâŚâ
âWhat you are is lazyâŚâ
âIncompetentâŚâ
âAnd tiresomeâŚâ
Your eyes begin to adjust and thatâs when you see him in all his horrible glory looking down upon you like some sort of sky God from an ancient culture.
Have you any idea how many âFuturesâ Iâve seen in my twenty four year career, Caleb?â
He seethes at you from above. His pale, painted face a visage of anger.
âCountlessâŚâ
âAnd every single one of them as passionlessâŚâ
âTalentlessâŚâ
âAnd inept as yourselfâŚâ
âIn my experience the sort of people who call themselves âThe Futureâ?â
âAre the sort of people incapable of making one for themselvesâŚâ
His large white hands come down like meteors before resting to either side of you. He leans over you now like a giant deciding how big of a bite to take out of his next meal.
âYouâre not good enough to out wrestle anyoneâŚâ
âNot talented enough to out-talk anyoneâŚâ
âYou donât stand out in a crowdâŚâ
âYou have no true image to portrayâŚâ
âYouâre just a guy clinging to a single catchphrase hoping nobody noticesâŚâ
âBut I noticed, CalebâŚâ
âI noticed you fail to retain the World Television ChampionshipâŚâ
âI noticed you fail to defeat Pax StormcrowâŚâ
âI noticed you fail to accumulate even a single point in the Heir to the Throne if even by mistakeâŚâ
âI noticed the liesâŚâ
âThe fallaciesâŚâ
âThe fantasies you tell yourself and anyone who will listenâŚâ
âPraying that if you just say it enough it will become realityâŚâ
âSpoiler alertâŚâ
âIt wonâtâŚâ
His giant hand begins to move toward, his palm sliding underneath you as he begins to scoop you up from wherever it is you were laying.
âThe Future of this business doesnât need to tell usâŚâ
âThey show usâŚâ
âDeanâŚâ
âSabinâŚâ
âRAMâŚâ
âDangerâŚâ
âUlfâŚâ
His fingers begin to wrap tightly around you as he holds you just beneath his massive pale face.
âAll of them have proved themselves worthy of carrying this company into the futureâŚâ
âNone of them needed to sink to the levels you haveâŚâ
âThey got to where they are through hard workâŚâ
âDedicationâŚâ
âAnd trainingâŚâ
âThey went above and beyond to surpass expectationsâŚâ
âEach of them in their own way taking their place as pillars of this companyâŚâ
âAnd what have you done?â
âThe World Television Championship?â
âImpressiveâŚâ
âAnd who did you lose it to?â
âI seeâŚâ
âOf course you have the briefcase, Iâd be remiss to forget thatâŚâ
âBut then that match is more about luck than talentâŚâ
âYou take away that briefcase and what have you really accomplished here?â
âWhat have you really done?â
His grip continues to tighten bit by bit.
âYou want so badly to be the futureâŚâ
âTo see destiny fulfilledâŚâ
âBut you refuse to put in any of the work to make it happenâŚâ
His left hand comes up now, clapping palm to palm with the right, you in the middle.
âTime and time again you fallback when it gets too hardâŚâ
âYou retreat when the enemy seems overwhelmingâŚâ
âYou do anything but plant your feet in the ground and make the future a realityâŚâ
His two hands begin to crush you, form you, move you around in such a way you didnât think was possible.
âI AM GOD OF PROFESSIONAL WRESTLINGâŚâ
âBut that doesnât mean my road to the top was paved for meâŚâ
âI have foughtâŚâ
âStruggledâŚâ
âSufferedâŚâ
âI have faced untold adversity throughout my careerâŚâ
âVery early on I had my back snapped in half by a man whose name youâd think made him a comedy wrestlerâŚâ
âBut he was deadly seriousâŚâ
âI came back from thatâŚâ
âI learned to walk againâŚâ
âLearned to wrestle againâŚâ
âI fought my way back to the topâŚâ
âAnd once I reached the pinnacle?â
âI fought even harder to stay thereâŚâ
He continues to crush, pull, prod and stretch you. The pain is almost unimaginable but you donât need to imagine it. You feel every bone crushing moment of it.
âThe road wasnât paved for meâŚâ
âGod or no GodâŚâ
âI had to earn every single shred of what I haveâŚâ
âJust like everyone elseâŚâ
âBecause thatâs the pointâŚâ
âIf the story was written for you then whatâs the fun in making a decision?â
âYou already know the ending so just skip over the journeyâŚâ
âWhich is what you yearn to doâŚâ
âYouâve read the first pageâŚâ
âThe Joker in the PackâŚâ
âNow you want to skip to the lastâŚâ
âThe World ChampionshipâŚâ
âYou donât want to read the storyâŚâ
âTo experience the adversityâŚâ
âTo earn the opportunity to represent this companyâŚâ
âYou just want it to manifest itself in your handsâŚâ
âWell Iâve got bad news for you, CalebâŚâ
âWanting something doesnât make it happenâŚâ
Suddenly the bone crushing pain stops as he pulls his hands apart slightly and gently places you down where you were previously laying.
âAction pushes the narrative forward!â
âAction makes your imagined future a reality!â
âDean didnât become a two time World Champion because it was his birthrightâŚâ
âHe faced down more adversity than anyone his age should ever have to experience and he overcame it!â
âSabin wasnât gifted a spot at the top of the rosterâŚâ
âHe worked himself ragged until there was almost no one on this planet that could match him in the ring!â
âMyself includedâŚâ
âThey made their futures!â
âThey knew what they wanted and they made it happen!â
âThe same as meâŚâ
âWhat future have you made for yourself, Caleb?â
âWhat obstacle have you overcome in your life that has prepared you for the Heir to the Throne?â
âAs far as I can tell?â
âYou climbed a ladderâŚâ
He looks down upon you with that terrible grin.
âI have stood at the top of our mountain on four different occasionsâŚâ
âThe only man to do soâŚâ
âI have won the Heir to the Throne beforeâŚâ
âAnd I will againâŚâ
âAs I will be World Champion againâŚâ
âHow can I be so confident, I hear you ask?â
âBecause I wrote every chapter of my lifeâŚâ
âI took control the moment I watched my father suffocate on his own vomitâŚâ
âI took that pen and I wrote a story I can be proud ofâŚâ
âA story I am happy to share with my familyâŚâ
âA story that will someday become a legendâŚâ
âI refused to coast through my life allowing things to happen to meâŚâ
âI refused to be a spectator watching the world happenâŚâ
âI SHAPE THE WORLD AROUND ME!â
âNo one elseâŚâ
âAnd not because I am GodâŚâ
âNot because I have divine powerâŚâ
âI shape it because there is no one better than meâŚâ
âNO ONE.â
He regards you for a moment, his right hand gently brushing over what you suspect is the top of your head before placing it palm down besides you.
âThis tournament doesnât mean to you what it means to meâŚâ
âA win for you is just another easy pass to the front of the lineâŚâ
âNot that youâve managed to win any matchesâŚâ
âFor me?â
âItâs another chance to face my son, DeanâŚâ
âAnd despite the story Knox wishes to tell himselfâŚâ
âI donât want revengeâŚâ
âI couldnât be happier for my sonâŚâ
âHe deserves to be World ChampionâŚâ
âWhat I want?â
âWhat this tournament means to me?â
âIs an opportunity to face the man who can currently call himself the best in the worldâŚâ
âThatâs what the IWF World Championship meansâŚâ
âThatâs the weight that comes with itâŚâ
âWhoever holds that title?â
âIs the best in the worldâŚâ
âAnd like iron sharpening iron?â
âI want to face the best.â
You try to move again. Your legs are still stuck but at least you know they are there. Your arms lay at your sides, unable to move. Your head is locked on that pale painted face in the clouds.
âAnd I have to go through you to do that, CalebâŚâ
That terrible smile fades into a sneer.
âSo while I donât respect youâŚâ
âI do see you for exactly what you areâŚâ
âA coward all too willing to take the coward's way outâŚâ
âBut know thisâŚâ
âNo amount of cheating will save you from meâŚâ
âEvery trick you know?â
âIâve seen it done before by much better men than youâŚâ
âThere is no escaping thisâŚâ
âNo retreatingâŚâ
âNo running awayâŚâ
âFor the first time in your life you will be confronted by adversityâŚâ
âAnd his name is Angel Blake.â
His right hand wraps itself around your waist as he picks you up once more.
âI will forge my future through youâŚâ
He brings you up to eye level and for the first time you see yourself in his black eyes. A person made of clay.
âBecause the future is malleableâŚâ
âAnd so are you.â
His grip suddenly loosens, his left hand comes in, the two palms come together once more andâŚ
We find Sabin training. His mind still stuck on that match, that moment. He keeps replaying it in his head over and over again trying to think of what he couldâve done differently and coming up with a million different answer. He feels his body breaking down, the exhaustion is setting in but he refuses to stop. He needs to be ready for next time, the next battle, the next war. He doesnât care what his mother says.
He will never forget that moment.
He will hold back. He will let Angel handle it. But he wonât forget and he wonât forgive. At some point somewhere in the future he will get another chance and when he does? He will make sure the ending is different.
âSabin?â
His step fatherâs voice snaps him out of his thoughts. Sabin suddenly realizes he doesnât even know what machine heâs training on. Apparently he was doing lateral pulldowns for the last eight minutes according to his stop watch. He lets go of the bar and reaches for a towel.
âYeah?â
He asks without turning to look at his step father.
âYour mother is right.â
Angelâs words sting him. He feels insulted. Humiliated. Sabin suddenly finds himself standing face to face with his step father ready to go to war with him.
âYou need to let it go.â
âWhy should I!? You arenât!?â
He bursts out at his step father who hasnât moved a muscle. He thinks back to the night he beat the great Angel Blake, he could do it again. In fact? The monster inside him wants to do it again.
âSabin, son, have I ever told you the story of why I joined NCW?â
The question caught him a little off guard. He was expecting anger or.. Well⌠Something else.
âNo?â
Angel gestured toward a one of the many flat benches in the gym IWF rented out for the week. The two of them sat side by side.
âAfter PWW closed there were a lot of promotions looking to sign me. I had my pick. But none of them really appealed to me. I looked at their shows, their rosters and I didnât see a challenge until one. NCW. Adam, who I knew from PWW sent me some footage he knew would peak my interest.â
âSpike?â
âSpike.â
His step father smiled as memories of his youth flooded back.
âI joined NCW simply so I could face Spike Kane and do you know what happened when I finally got what I wanted?â
Sabin shook his head no.
âHe humiliated me.â
Sabin cocks his head to the side, he doesnât believe it.
âHe showed me exactly how under prepared I was. Was I angry? Pissed off? Ready to murder someone? Absolutely⌠But instead of running right back into him I took my time. I trained. I got better. I earned another match against Spike Kane instead of demanding one and do you know what happened then?â
âYou won?â
âYes and I kept on winning. I won so much that my legend surpassed his own and now we, the Blakes? We are professional wrestling's number one family instead of the Kanes.â
Sabin takes a moment to think about that.
âI needed to remove myself from my own selfish desire to beat him to grow enough to actually do it. Thatâs where you find yourself now.â
Angel just looked at him for a moment, seeing so much of his younger self in Sabin. Brash, egotistical, quick to anger. They were so much alike youâd think they were actually related by blood.
âOne day you will beat Knox. I promise you. Your future is yours to forge the same as mine and I know, as my son, you will forge it.â
Sabin broke for a moment, as did Angel, those words meant so much to both of them.
End.
Despite the reassurance from Angel, Tara still took a quick glance at the room around her⌠Sabin⌠Jennie⌠and as Angel departed from the room, she stood up from her seat,
âI should go talk to him. Are you going to be okay, son?â
Tara asks as she gets to the doorframe, and turns to give him her attention.
Sabin clasps his hands together and gives a subtle nod.
âI should go talk to him. Are you going to be okay, son?â
Tara asks as she gets to the doorframe, and turns to give him her attention.
Sabin clasps his hands together and gives a subtle nod.
Tara steps out into the hallway where Angel stands, clearly listening to the tail end of the conversation. Heâs holding Lilith so sheâs facing him, the two of them making funny faces at each other, sticking out their tongues and wrinkling their noses.
âYouâre not mad are you?â
âWhy would I be?â
He says in a fun little baby tone that brings a large smile to Lilith's face. He turns to face Tara who looks deeply concerned. She doesnât want to drive a wedge between them but she also needs to do whatâs best for her oldest son.
âBecause we canât help you in this war with Knox anymore?â
Angel adjusts Lilith so sheâs now partially seated on his left arm while his right arm is wrapped around her chest keeping her in place.
âI understand why.â
âI know you say that but I canât help but feel youâre disappointed in us. First everything with Dean, the war with Knox, Sabin and I backing off. I donât want to leave you alone to fight this.â
âAlone?â
Angel says with an extremely large smile as he bounces Lilith up and down in his arms.
âHoney, I am not alone. Knox has more enemies than X followers. Besides, when have I ever needed help shutting someone up?â
Tara smiles with relief.
âSo youâre not disappointed in us?â
âHow could I be? Youâre doing whatâs best for Sabin. Which is exactly what I want for all of our children.â
Tara comes in close for a three way hug that gets little Lilith very excited. Tara pulls back just enough to look up at Angel.
âThank you.â
âI love you.â
Tara chuckles.
âI love you too.â
Angel pulls back for a second and looks at Lilith on his left arm. His eyes narrow as he takes a big sniff. Angelâs eyes go wide as he steps back and fully extends Lilith out with both of his arms.
âHowever, if youâre feeling that bad about it, someone here just went nuclear!â
Tara starts laughing pretty hard until the smell hits her too.
âOh my god!â
The two turn and look at the closed door to Taraâs office.
âJENNIE!!!â
The future begins now!
Hour of change, elimination
Eyes of disdain, cruel exploitation
Chaos and bloodshed dominate
Chaos and bloodshed, cause of hate
A new messiah, another lie
A new messiah to be denied
Hour of change, elimination
Eyes of disdain, cruel exploitation
Chaos and bloodshed dominate
Chaos and bloodshed, cause of hate
A new messiah, another lie
A new messiah to be denied
âThe future isnât writtenâŚâ
His words come out of nowhere as you suddenly awaken.
âItâs malleableâŚâ
âIn fluxâŚâ
âEvery decision causing a reaction that drives the narrative forwardâŚâ
You try to look around but your head wonât move, itâs seemingly frozen. Your hands too as well as your legs. Youâre stuck. Itâs now that you realize you canât even see where you are. There is only darkness around you.
âThere is no road mapâŚâ
âNo well woven stringâŚâ
âNo destinyâŚâ
You try to force the whole of your body to move but nothing seems to respond to your commands. You are absolutely stuck wherever you are. Your mind begins to race with possibilities. Did he drug you? Abduct you? Are you now his prisoner at the bottom of a well waiting for a bucket of lotion?
âThe future is simply what you makeâŚâ
âGood or badâŚâ
âYouâre the authorâŚâ
âThe narratorâŚâ
âAnd the protagonistâŚâ
What if youâre strapped to a bed in his basement and heâs preparing to cut you up like in one of those Chainsaw movies? You feel your brow begin to sweat. Youâre body seems to shake. How the hell did you get here!?
âOr sometimes?â
âThe antagonistâŚâ
âSome people donât seem to understandâŚâ
âThey donât get itâŚâ
âThey think this whole world is preordained to service their selfish desiresâŚâ
âBut that isnât how the world worksâŚâ
âThat isnât how life worksâŚâ
âAnd soâŚâ
âSome people are their own worst enemyâŚâ
You try to yell âSHUT UP!â but your mouth canât even move enough to make the shape of the letters. Whatever heâs done to you itâs left you completely paralyzed.
âLike you for example, CalebâŚâ
Suddenly a blinding light shines down upon you.
âThe futureâŚâ
âThe Joker in the PackâŚâ
âPfftâŚâ
âMeaningless monikersâŚâ
âWhat you are is lazyâŚâ
âIncompetentâŚâ
âAnd tiresomeâŚâ
Your eyes begin to adjust and thatâs when you see him in all his horrible glory looking down upon you like some sort of sky God from an ancient culture.
Have you any idea how many âFuturesâ Iâve seen in my twenty four year career, Caleb?â
He seethes at you from above. His pale, painted face a visage of anger.
âCountlessâŚâ
âAnd every single one of them as passionlessâŚâ
âTalentlessâŚâ
âAnd inept as yourselfâŚâ
âIn my experience the sort of people who call themselves âThe Futureâ?â
âAre the sort of people incapable of making one for themselvesâŚâ
His large white hands come down like meteors before resting to either side of you. He leans over you now like a giant deciding how big of a bite to take out of his next meal.
âYouâre not good enough to out wrestle anyoneâŚâ
âNot talented enough to out-talk anyoneâŚâ
âYou donât stand out in a crowdâŚâ
âYou have no true image to portrayâŚâ
âYouâre just a guy clinging to a single catchphrase hoping nobody noticesâŚâ
âBut I noticed, CalebâŚâ
âI noticed you fail to retain the World Television ChampionshipâŚâ
âI noticed you fail to defeat Pax StormcrowâŚâ
âI noticed you fail to accumulate even a single point in the Heir to the Throne if even by mistakeâŚâ
âI noticed the liesâŚâ
âThe fallaciesâŚâ
âThe fantasies you tell yourself and anyone who will listenâŚâ
âPraying that if you just say it enough it will become realityâŚâ
âSpoiler alertâŚâ
âIt wonâtâŚâ
His giant hand begins to move toward, his palm sliding underneath you as he begins to scoop you up from wherever it is you were laying.
âThe Future of this business doesnât need to tell usâŚâ
âThey show usâŚâ
âDeanâŚâ
âSabinâŚâ
âRAMâŚâ
âDangerâŚâ
âUlfâŚâ
His fingers begin to wrap tightly around you as he holds you just beneath his massive pale face.
âAll of them have proved themselves worthy of carrying this company into the futureâŚâ
âNone of them needed to sink to the levels you haveâŚâ
âThey got to where they are through hard workâŚâ
âDedicationâŚâ
âAnd trainingâŚâ
âThey went above and beyond to surpass expectationsâŚâ
âEach of them in their own way taking their place as pillars of this companyâŚâ
âAnd what have you done?â
âThe World Television Championship?â
âImpressiveâŚâ
âAnd who did you lose it to?â
âI seeâŚâ
âOf course you have the briefcase, Iâd be remiss to forget thatâŚâ
âBut then that match is more about luck than talentâŚâ
âYou take away that briefcase and what have you really accomplished here?â
âWhat have you really done?â
His grip continues to tighten bit by bit.
âYou want so badly to be the futureâŚâ
âTo see destiny fulfilledâŚâ
âBut you refuse to put in any of the work to make it happenâŚâ
His left hand comes up now, clapping palm to palm with the right, you in the middle.
âTime and time again you fallback when it gets too hardâŚâ
âYou retreat when the enemy seems overwhelmingâŚâ
âYou do anything but plant your feet in the ground and make the future a realityâŚâ
His two hands begin to crush you, form you, move you around in such a way you didnât think was possible.
âI AM GOD OF PROFESSIONAL WRESTLINGâŚâ
âBut that doesnât mean my road to the top was paved for meâŚâ
âI have foughtâŚâ
âStruggledâŚâ
âSufferedâŚâ
âI have faced untold adversity throughout my careerâŚâ
âVery early on I had my back snapped in half by a man whose name youâd think made him a comedy wrestlerâŚâ
âBut he was deadly seriousâŚâ
âI came back from thatâŚâ
âI learned to walk againâŚâ
âLearned to wrestle againâŚâ
âI fought my way back to the topâŚâ
âAnd once I reached the pinnacle?â
âI fought even harder to stay thereâŚâ
He continues to crush, pull, prod and stretch you. The pain is almost unimaginable but you donât need to imagine it. You feel every bone crushing moment of it.
âThe road wasnât paved for meâŚâ
âGod or no GodâŚâ
âI had to earn every single shred of what I haveâŚâ
âJust like everyone elseâŚâ
âBecause thatâs the pointâŚâ
âIf the story was written for you then whatâs the fun in making a decision?â
âYou already know the ending so just skip over the journeyâŚâ
âWhich is what you yearn to doâŚâ
âYouâve read the first pageâŚâ
âThe Joker in the PackâŚâ
âNow you want to skip to the lastâŚâ
âThe World ChampionshipâŚâ
âYou donât want to read the storyâŚâ
âTo experience the adversityâŚâ
âTo earn the opportunity to represent this companyâŚâ
âYou just want it to manifest itself in your handsâŚâ
âWell Iâve got bad news for you, CalebâŚâ
âWanting something doesnât make it happenâŚâ
Suddenly the bone crushing pain stops as he pulls his hands apart slightly and gently places you down where you were previously laying.
âAction pushes the narrative forward!â
âAction makes your imagined future a reality!â
âDean didnât become a two time World Champion because it was his birthrightâŚâ
âHe faced down more adversity than anyone his age should ever have to experience and he overcame it!â
âSabin wasnât gifted a spot at the top of the rosterâŚâ
âHe worked himself ragged until there was almost no one on this planet that could match him in the ring!â
âMyself includedâŚâ
âThey made their futures!â
âThey knew what they wanted and they made it happen!â
âThe same as meâŚâ
âWhat future have you made for yourself, Caleb?â
âWhat obstacle have you overcome in your life that has prepared you for the Heir to the Throne?â
âAs far as I can tell?â
âYou climbed a ladderâŚâ
He looks down upon you with that terrible grin.
âI have stood at the top of our mountain on four different occasionsâŚâ
âThe only man to do soâŚâ
âI have won the Heir to the Throne beforeâŚâ
âAnd I will againâŚâ
âAs I will be World Champion againâŚâ
âHow can I be so confident, I hear you ask?â
âBecause I wrote every chapter of my lifeâŚâ
âI took control the moment I watched my father suffocate on his own vomitâŚâ
âI took that pen and I wrote a story I can be proud ofâŚâ
âA story I am happy to share with my familyâŚâ
âA story that will someday become a legendâŚâ
âI refused to coast through my life allowing things to happen to meâŚâ
âI refused to be a spectator watching the world happenâŚâ
âI SHAPE THE WORLD AROUND ME!â
âNo one elseâŚâ
âAnd not because I am GodâŚâ
âNot because I have divine powerâŚâ
âI shape it because there is no one better than meâŚâ
âNO ONE.â
He regards you for a moment, his right hand gently brushing over what you suspect is the top of your head before placing it palm down besides you.
âThis tournament doesnât mean to you what it means to meâŚâ
âA win for you is just another easy pass to the front of the lineâŚâ
âNot that youâve managed to win any matchesâŚâ
âFor me?â
âItâs another chance to face my son, DeanâŚâ
âAnd despite the story Knox wishes to tell himselfâŚâ
âI donât want revengeâŚâ
âI couldnât be happier for my sonâŚâ
âHe deserves to be World ChampionâŚâ
âWhat I want?â
âWhat this tournament means to me?â
âIs an opportunity to face the man who can currently call himself the best in the worldâŚâ
âThatâs what the IWF World Championship meansâŚâ
âThatâs the weight that comes with itâŚâ
âWhoever holds that title?â
âIs the best in the worldâŚâ
âAnd like iron sharpening iron?â
âI want to face the best.â
You try to move again. Your legs are still stuck but at least you know they are there. Your arms lay at your sides, unable to move. Your head is locked on that pale painted face in the clouds.
âAnd I have to go through you to do that, CalebâŚâ
That terrible smile fades into a sneer.
âSo while I donât respect youâŚâ
âI do see you for exactly what you areâŚâ
âA coward all too willing to take the coward's way outâŚâ
âBut know thisâŚâ
âNo amount of cheating will save you from meâŚâ
âEvery trick you know?â
âIâve seen it done before by much better men than youâŚâ
âThere is no escaping thisâŚâ
âNo retreatingâŚâ
âNo running awayâŚâ
âFor the first time in your life you will be confronted by adversityâŚâ
âAnd his name is Angel Blake.â
His right hand wraps itself around your waist as he picks you up once more.
âI will forge my future through youâŚâ
He brings you up to eye level and for the first time you see yourself in his black eyes. A person made of clay.
âBecause the future is malleableâŚâ
âAnd so are you.â
His grip suddenly loosens, his left hand comes in, the two palms come together once more andâŚ
Future begins now!
Who will be the chosen ones
To be aware and transcend
Who will be the chosen ones
Living in a world without end?
A new messiah, another lie
A new messiah to be denied
Who will be the chosen ones
To be aware and transcend
Who will be the chosen ones
Living in a world without end?
A new messiah, another lie
A new messiah to be denied
We find Sabin training. His mind still stuck on that match, that moment. He keeps replaying it in his head over and over again trying to think of what he couldâve done differently and coming up with a million different answer. He feels his body breaking down, the exhaustion is setting in but he refuses to stop. He needs to be ready for next time, the next battle, the next war. He doesnât care what his mother says.
He will never forget that moment.
He will hold back. He will let Angel handle it. But he wonât forget and he wonât forgive. At some point somewhere in the future he will get another chance and when he does? He will make sure the ending is different.
âSabin?â
His step fatherâs voice snaps him out of his thoughts. Sabin suddenly realizes he doesnât even know what machine heâs training on. Apparently he was doing lateral pulldowns for the last eight minutes according to his stop watch. He lets go of the bar and reaches for a towel.
âYeah?â
He asks without turning to look at his step father.
âYour mother is right.â
Angelâs words sting him. He feels insulted. Humiliated. Sabin suddenly finds himself standing face to face with his step father ready to go to war with him.
âYou need to let it go.â
âWhy should I!? You arenât!?â
He bursts out at his step father who hasnât moved a muscle. He thinks back to the night he beat the great Angel Blake, he could do it again. In fact? The monster inside him wants to do it again.
âSabin, son, have I ever told you the story of why I joined NCW?â
The question caught him a little off guard. He was expecting anger or.. Well⌠Something else.
âNo?â
Angel gestured toward a one of the many flat benches in the gym IWF rented out for the week. The two of them sat side by side.
âAfter PWW closed there were a lot of promotions looking to sign me. I had my pick. But none of them really appealed to me. I looked at their shows, their rosters and I didnât see a challenge until one. NCW. Adam, who I knew from PWW sent me some footage he knew would peak my interest.â
âSpike?â
âSpike.â
His step father smiled as memories of his youth flooded back.
âI joined NCW simply so I could face Spike Kane and do you know what happened when I finally got what I wanted?â
Sabin shook his head no.
âHe humiliated me.â
Sabin cocks his head to the side, he doesnât believe it.
âHe showed me exactly how under prepared I was. Was I angry? Pissed off? Ready to murder someone? Absolutely⌠But instead of running right back into him I took my time. I trained. I got better. I earned another match against Spike Kane instead of demanding one and do you know what happened then?â
âYou won?â
âYes and I kept on winning. I won so much that my legend surpassed his own and now we, the Blakes? We are professional wrestling's number one family instead of the Kanes.â
Sabin takes a moment to think about that.
âI needed to remove myself from my own selfish desire to beat him to grow enough to actually do it. Thatâs where you find yourself now.â
Angel just looked at him for a moment, seeing so much of his younger self in Sabin. Brash, egotistical, quick to anger. They were so much alike youâd think they were actually related by blood.
âOne day you will beat Knox. I promise you. Your future is yours to forge the same as mine and I know, as my son, you will forge it.â
Sabin broke for a moment, as did Angel, those words meant so much to both of them.
End.
Well howdy there pardner.