“This match happened already!”
“What?”
The reluctant tag team partners DC and Mason Westhoff sits around a table in a darkened room. Their faces are barely visibly but their general dissatisfaction is clear.
“This match happened a couple of months ago and he beat him; comfortably actually. Titus got injured at All or Nothing and left.”
“So are they so dry for talent that they had to pull the crock in off the sidelines?”
“Titus came back because he craves the rotting stench of spotlight and celebrity. Oh and the guy who put him on the shelf happens to be the new Eurasian champion so he comfortably slots into facing KO at Kingdom Come.”
“Well....that stinks. He only came back because he got a guaranteed title shot?”
“Tsk, that wouldn’t surprise me. The lack of disrespect is astounding but His time will come. He is far too strong to be held back from His destiny.” Mason continues to treat his partner with uncertainty. “It is our duty to ensure that he achieves everything and more.”
DC sits silently and he considers more of Mason’s sickly sweet praise. He pulls out his phone, glances at it for a second and stands up. “I need to go. Gotta take care of some business...I’ll....see you later.” His distraction is clear. Mason nods and DC leaves quickly.
“So much attitude, I’ve never seen one with so much room for growth yet gives no reason to accept it.”
“Let him fight it Mason.” A voice emerges from a dark corner. “It’ll make it easier in the end.”
“I still can’t say I trust him.”
“I haven’t asked that of you. I need you to be a bastion of support, be there for him like you have been there for the Altar. He may reject it but he will need it eventually now.”
“I am amazed by your belief Sire.”
“DC will come around, he will understand shortly because he will see something very familiar treading a different path but heading in the same direction.”
Mason is quiet, no agreement or concession. The silence speaks volumes.
“Mason, it is OK to doubt me.” This catches Mason off guard. “I’m willing to prove you wrong in time.”
___
Four weeks ago
“David, you have to accept this.” The unmistakable growl of The Grand Mystique is heard clearly but we do not see his face. Instead the scruffy face of David Whitman is in full view.
“Except I don’t have to do I? You came to me.” The man we see look anything but a man of legendary stature but this is why The Grand Mystique is here. “I don’t expect you to understand David. There are bigger reasons at play here. Even my closest ally isn’t aware of how things will pan out.”
Whitman is completely unimpressed; bored of wondering why the man in front of him is even here. Him being unmasked, showing his face did offer some interest.
___
In the darkness, GM toys with his crystal ball as he considers the events of recent weeks. The orb provides a small source of light that casts shadows over around the face of the masked man.
“An army is destined to rise up in the face of oppression yet when the battle lines are drawn, their blood will be spilt. In the face of an immense power, their desperate anger and furious spirit will see them fall short of their ambition. That is their destiny.”
“The so-called heroes seek their fortunes by aspiring to be better than they are. It’s cute to see these plucky idols try their luck. Titus is the poster boy for dumb luck and a weak heart.”
His face is barely visible though the whites of his eyes are framed perfectly as they pick up the light. The voice, a familiar growl that is deliciously evil.
“I have crushed him once and it will happen again. Just like before All or Nothing, Titus will be punished for his sins of ego and greed. The man who always wants more and demands something for nothing will endure pain and suffering like few can hand out.”
“Titus feels like the richest man alive because he feels the support of the fans, their love and adulation. The sheep need a shepherd to pray for and support but they will witness massacres as their hero fails once more when they need him the most. The hero will be laid bare, with his weaknesses exposed to the world. He will then be replaced by the endless cycle of would-be legends. What will come of him then?”
Suddenly the orb begins to shine much brighter. The mask of The Grand Mystique begins to show its colours and we see the hints of the shadows in the background.
“Chris KO will defend his Eurasian title in the most shameful of circumstances because Titus will have nothing left. It will be a shell of a man who appears at Kingdom Come and KO should be grateful that Titus has been worn down to nothing twice before they have faced each other, just like Triple X was.”
“Not unlike Strikeforce and Jacobs, there will be no heart and soul left. After we maul them on the grandest stage like a pride of lions in a torturous manner, we will lay their lifeless bones on our Sacrificial Altar for the world to see.”
Mason Westhoff enters the picture with a wide beaming smile, the smile of a man who stand united, seemingly in total agreement with his comrades. Beside him is David Whitman, whose solemn features paint a very different picture.
“We need to rid WZCW of their corrupt false idols. For now, we feast on an ample starter. There are legends of this man but they mean nothing to us.”
