Pack Animal

[Ghost Spike]

"My mind is like a puzzle or a rubix cube.
But figuring me out is something that you shouldn't do
Because my thoughts are locked inside a padded room
And if these padded walls could talk I'd surely be doomed”

Ever since that fateful night where the odds were defied, and one man who never held a true claim for the Imperial Championship shocked the world by defeating yours truly….I’ve been floating around the edges of the main event scene, I’ve been talked about in hushed voices, whispered about for fear of me hearing. I am the greatest Imperial Champion this company has ever, and will ever know….and the fates, it seems, have been doing everything they can to keep that championship out of my hands.

For a second reign, would surely belittle anything that came after?

I should have been the one to fight Davey Ortega, I should have been given the respect and honor of a rematch…..instead the big wigs played their games and moved their pawns…..and Malaki Toala got his chance. I should have been the one to defend the championship against the Gladiator….but the fates conspired against me. Then….when sheer force of will granted me a chance to fight for the title in a match the likes of Mike Laszlo never belonged in…..Xander Famularo saw fit to cost me my chance at redemption.

So I all but cost him his career.

I fell short in the Roulette….of this, I’m well aware. Yet, those who came after me? (Besides Our Father, of course) I have defeated twice within a month or so….I’ve scraped, clawed, and crawled my way back to the top, on my own merits, under my own momentum. I am where I belong…..I am where I deserve to be, can you all say the same with a clear conscience?

I am destined to be the greatest superstar this company has ever known.

So get out of my way.

~~~

The breeze rolls through the curtains and I feel the hairs on my body stand up ever so slightly. The moonlight trickles through the open window, barely enough to illuminate the room. The glow in the hotel room doesn’t seem to fit right, like an inhuman illumination filtering through, layering everything I can barely see through my sleepy daze. Ana is sleeping next to me, the soft sound of her breath keeping my own demons in check, or so it seems.

-<You think that she keeps you safe, don’t you?>

I don’t respond, partially because I can’t move. Like something is holding me down in the bed. Like the sheets wrapped around my almost naked body, are possessed, or made of lead….with a mind of their own.

“She has become your single focus…”

My eyes widen up, as the voices I’ve been hearing throughout the last few months seem to be distant now, almost as if coming from outside of my head rather than the opposite. The shadows in the room seem to move, almost as if the breeze controls them now. I try to lift myself up to a sitting position, but my arms just don’t want to obey me.

-<You’ve lost your way Michael.>

“You don’t seem to remember what the end game was.”

The usually opposing voices are seemingly on the same side, and I can feel a sense of dread fill me. That one voice inside my mind that helped get me through has turned against me, that one voice that stopped me from harming Ana when my rage came to the boil. I can feel my teeth grit as I try to fight against them.

-{You’ve fallen from your pedastol Mike.}

‘Rob’ I think to myself, and the silhouette of Rob Diamond plasters across the wall in the shadows, but the breeze moves it away with one swift motion.

“We tried to help you.”

-{We tried to guide you}

-<We tried to warn you.>

I feel my brow furrow at the word ‘warn’ but I can’t react. That’s when it happens, the curtains blow wide, and the breeze rolls in strong, filling the room with darkness, obscuring the moonlight.

“It’s…...it’s too late.”

And just like that, there is silence. The room falls quiet, not a sound, and I see the light from outside start to trickle back through, as if the shadows are deliberately allowing the moonlight to illuminate her face. I feel the weight and resistance against me give, and I turn to face her, but as I do I catch my reflection in the mirror….and something completely inhuman stares back at me with a smirk.

[[Hello.]]

‘Wh….who are you? ….Wha-what happened to the others?’

[[They’re gone. I was hungry.]]

My eyes fill with fear, as the demonic image stares back at me with a sick grin on his face, and I feel my stomach lurch.

[[It’s time to wake up…..Michael.]]

Cut.

~~~

“Well, trouble's what they told me since the day I was born. 
Evil's what they stamped upon my hospital forms.
I tried to choke my mom with my umbilical cord.
The doctor was too busy amputating my horns

So the devil and the Lord won't keep waging a war
Pulling me in opposite directions, I'm torn.
A change of course, a deadly force, a terrible storm,
Kicking down the devil's door to settle the score.”

Do you think I find it a coincidence that so many people in this match I have at some point in my career called friend? Or brother? Or ally? I’m not blind, and I’m sure you all are not either. The bloodlines, if you will, run deep….from federations ago. From the days of Overdrive, all the way up to The Forgotten. I know that each and every one of you would love to put me down if given the chance…..yes, I mean each and every one of you. From my former allies, to my former victims, to the man who has never been able to beat me…..to the one who truly doesn’t belong here - you know who you are. I could sit here and rifle things off about each and every one of you, but why should I bother? Why should I lower myself to your level?

Each one of you has a reason to hate me.

Each one of you has a specific reason to prevent me from walking out of this match as the victor, with that contract in my hands, and my ascent to the top of this company firmly within my reach. Some of you might claim that it’s just your intention to win, to be the victor. Hell, some of you will claim that you’ve already won, that you’re the best…..that nobody can touch you. Some of…..are egotistic, without anything to back it up. Some of you….are fools. However, there’s something you all have to remember, even my ally in the Age of X…

I have every reason to hate each and every one of you.

Admittedly, I have more anger directed towards some of you than others…..those of them should really know who they are, *cough* Alex *cough* The thing is boys, I’m not going to be here to pad this match out. I am not here to make any of you look good, to give you the proverbial push up into the limelight. I would rather lay myself out in the middle of the ring than do that for any of you. You see, I’m well aware that I am a selfish asshole. Newsflash - it’s how I’ve survived in this business for so long. Thing about it kiddo’s, just IWF alone - except for our ladies only show…..I’m the only roster member to participate at every single pay per view event this company has produced. Not a single one of you can claim such a feat, can claim such longevity. Hell, a handful of you are incapable through my own actions.

My Empire.

The thing is, everyone believed that I would be nothing without the backing of my Empire. Without my knights to do my dastardly deeds. Everyone seemed to forget how capable I was on my own, they all seemed to forget how dangerous the God of Xtreme was…..so I’ve been reminding them, one by one, worthless soul after another. Tell me, dear friends…..do the likes of The Ace and Xander Famularo belong amongst us in this match? Hell….do you all even belong? Former Man of Steel, Former Heavyweight, Former Tag Team…..hell, former Imperial. A list of champions, formerly of course….two champions who were unable to defend their title even once….amusing, isn’t it?

That you believe you’re equal to me.

I expect the self righteous rants, I expect the holier than thou speeches, hell I even expect the whole “I’m darker and scarier than you” remarks from the lesser folks. The single truth throughout it all is, no matter what any of you say…..not a single one of you are on my level. I hate to admit it, because there are those in this match who have abilities that I respect, that I would love to see develop…..but the truth cannot be denied. You all can try, but I don’t spit lies, I don’t delve into that realm….I deliver only truth, because the truth is much more delightfully painful. Those of you deemed “spot monkeys” will entertain the fans at Night of the Immortals, the more technically gifted of you will put on a “clinic” as they say…..but you’ll all forget that I’m like a chameleon and that I belong to more than one camp. I am the epitome of the modern day wrestler, I am the apex predator, I have evolved ahead of you all. So when it’s all said and done, you all have to take me out…..I’m the number one priority, the biggest threat….so what can I say to that?

Come at me bro.

~~~

[[Wake up. Michael.]]

My eyes shoot open, and for the life of me I swear I hear the door click closed. The dream no longer fresh in my mind, fading further and further with each passing second. The voice speaks, and I don’t even question it.

[[She’s gone.]]

In my dopey haze, I hadn’t noticed that Ana wasn’t lying next to me. I tried to scan the room quickly, realising that my promo t-shirt was gone. I figured she’d probably gone to get some food, or a drink, or just something. We weren’t too keen on room service. We didn’t like being interrupted. Slowly I began to climb out of the bed, my boxer shorts the only clothing covering me. I slipped on the jeans I’d dropped in the heat of our passion earlier that night, and step across the room to root for a t-shirt. That’s when the note catches my eye.

“Michael,

Needed some Monster - feeling a little zapped of energy, haha.

Love,

Ana xx”

[[Lies.]]

The voice speaks, and instantly I feel suspicious of her, the woman I’ve fallen head over heels in love with. I hurriedly slip on some socks and shoes, before I head out into the hallway, not paying too much attention to the people around me. Fans know who I am, but I think my appearance puts them off approaching me. I’m not exactly rushing, but I’m not exactly subtle with my movements either. The more I move, the more I feel my heartbeat pick up, pacing, almost as if I know there’s trouble down the stairs waiting for me. I round the corner, and freeze, as if ice instantly flooded my veins. 

[[See, she lied to you.]]

Without realising it, I took a step back, sliding behind a pillar. Watching her, watching HIM.

[[Betrayal is all you’ve ever known Michael.]]

His hands rose and touched her face, and she moved with it. I couldn’t quite see from my angle, but it filled me with rage. I wanted to crush his throat there and then…..but I had sworn my allegience to him, he was my father, and we were the House of X.

[[You have your chance, at Night of the Immortals….]]

I could feel the heat in my head rising, as my anger rose with it. I wanted to interrupt them, but I didn’t have the courage. I didn’t have the audacity to question the man who had led me so far. A thought flew through my mind…..Ana said she was getting some monster, funny that she turned out to be meeting one.

[[She has no idea what is in store…..none of them do.]]

Closing my eyes I backtracked, I didn’t want them to know I’d seen them, I didn’t want them to know anything. I’d play along, help Angel build his Age of X, help everything go according to plan, and then just when they all least expected it….I’d bring it all…

[[Crashing down.]]

Cut.

~~~

"Well, soon they'll be the point where I have a chance.
Cause now I'm stealing fame, I'm in the ears of the class.
All the high school kids are sick of being told to relax
The crazier the kid, the tighter his pants.

Yeah, let's start a revolution bringing gothic back,
Got them marching like an army wearing black-on-black.
Power of a thousand of these motherfucking copy cats,
None of them can do it quite like I can.”

Night of the Immortals is a landmark event for our company. It’s the night we celebrate reaching a year in operations, officially. However, do you all not realise that it is also the night Our Father will capture the Imperial Championship? Fitting, no? How about that two of the members of the Age of X sit in this match up, ready to take up the mantle of number one contender. Do you think that this is all just a coincidence? That we haven’t laid the paths months in advance? That we haven’t been sowing the seeds of our ascension before IWF even opened it’s doors?

Who do you think backed my Empire?

Who do you think had been whispering in my ears before the other place had even closed their doors? Oh yeah, things have changed since then, but who cares, right? IWF is where it’s at. IWF is where the talent have made their home….and you’re all welcome, by the way. Oh what’s that, what for? Don’t play coy with me children, you should all know that without me this company would have flopped after merely three months. With the likes of Joe Everyman and Lex Sense dropping the ball, someone had to step up and carry the company. I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but I think as we hit the one year mark, I did a pretty fucking good job. Oh...who am I kidding...I love to brag. I’m the God of Xtreme for crying out loud.

I am your superior.

Matches such as this…”joker in the pack” have an increasing odds of chance to them. All it takes is one lucky moment and you walk out with that contract, and the spotlight shines on you brighter than on anyone else, save perhaps the Imperial Champion himself. Do you guys really believe you have what it takes to surpass five other men to take your spot at the top of this company? I’ve done it before….similar circumstances as this. I had an ally, nay-a brother on my side….Rob Diamond, at the time we were InFamous, we were the undefeated tag team champions. I took on five other men to claim the right to fight Lex Sense for the Imperial Championship….so here we are, something like ten months or so removed from that event, and you know what I see? You know what I can feel, and the rest of the world can see it too?

History repeating.

I don’t care if Alex Jones’ hatred towards me clouds his mind, and all he can think about is stopping me from winning. I don’t care if Kyle tries another attempt at making me “see the light”, hell I don’t care if Sephiroth tries to lower me down to his pathetic outdated fanfiction of a life. Mike Laszlo could throw his entire arsenal at me….and I won’t even flinch….even the oddest of allies I find myself with in Xavier Cross, will not stand in my way. I am destined to win this match, I am destined to reclaim my throne, and none of you can stand in my way. Whilst Our Father wages a battle on his front, I wage one on my own…..we will wrestle control of this company from the greedy, and the Age of X will see those strong enough to survive thrive….and those too weak? They will fall to the wayside and rot like the scum they are.

No more Joe Everyman.

No more Lex Sense.

No more Davey Ortega.

No more Ryan Blade.

The weak will have nowhere to hide, and only the strong will survive. Much like this match itself with prove, only the strong will survive, only the fittest can walk out with their hand held high and the contract for the greatest prize in this game in their hands. A typical clusterf*ck as they call it in lesser circles. How do you get some of the top talent to perform without over clouding the card? Easy...throw them in with some people who don’t stand a chance in hell, and put a great prize on the line. Simple right? It gets the bigger names attention, and it gives the….lesser breed something to clamber towards. The crowd will be hot, and the men inside the ring will all but kill each other to walk out the victor….the thing is. I’m not one of those people…..I won’t stop. Nothing any one of you can do will keep me from winning this match. I will break every single one of you…

Our Father demands it.

War walks into this match, and nothing any one of you can say will take my eyes off the prize. Nothing either of you could say will stray me from my course of action. I am fulfilling my duty, with the skill, and passion that only I could. You see, I have what so many of you lack….I have faith….I have conviction. I am a man who believes, and tell me boys and girls, when you really face up against a man ready to give everything he has for a cause, for a world he knows isn’t for him to live in….but for those he cares for….a man who will do everything in his ability to take the prize for himself, for his belief….for the Age of X.

Tell me….

Is there anything you can do at all?

“And I know in my heart I can reach for the stars.
All the things that you dreamed weren't dreams like before.
So let's hope for the best, and just say, ‘F*ck the rest’.
And just say, ‘F*ck the rest’.”

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