Richard Blonoff
Make America Rassle Again
Deadline is Wednesday, July 6th, 11:59PM. Extensions available upon request.
Unscripted: Eve Taylor(c) vs. Austin Reynolds - Elite Openweight Championship
- Thread starter Richard Blonoff
- Start date
- Status
Viola Moonlight
I'm Literally Just Here for WZCW
The setting is a plain room
Occupied by an arm chair.
Everything else is emptiness;
The room has nothing to bear.
This place feels uninspired
Yet oddly familiar; redolent.
A metaphor for her thoughts,
Or a symbol for being negligent?
The 'her' is Eve Taylor,
The focus; the subject.
So why did it feel irrelevant?
Why was there a disconnect?
No thoughts from Eve Taylor,
Her head without any voice.
A first for Eve's busy brain,
But was it time to rejoice?
All Eve ever did was think,
Ponder about her own life.
Yet much like this plain room,
Attempted thoughts caused her strife.
Was it the plain room,
The place Eve went to invade,
Causing this cranial crisis
To sing a silent serenade?
Then, if there were silence,
How do these words exist?
Forming a poetic rhyme, no less.
Why do they continue to persist?
Eve finally entered the room,
And closed the door behind.
Slowly, she sat down on the chair.
Hoping for a change in her mind.
Alas, the more she stayed the same
Shackled by the thoughtless burden.
Inside this room, the walls held up,
Much like the fortress of Verdun.
The longer Eve sat in this room,
An answer became more true.
It was not the room that caused a void,
But her brain becoming anew.
She could feel a new chapter,
As her time was coming to an end.
The Elite Openweight Championship
Began venturing for a new friend.
She had almost given up
In the middle of the ring,
But her terms were not valid,
According to the Vis Imperium king.
The two exchanged words
With some malicious intent.
Eve felt nothing, however,
She was unaffected; unable to disorient.
Senshuken was a title she came to love,
Defending it with honour and pride.
But Eve held indifference,
Bored by the championship tide.
She was the longest reigning champ,
And a female competitor to boot.
Many would kill to achieve this feat,
Yet she was open for a substitute.
Austin Reynolds was the first to appear,
Forced by his controlling mentor.
A fine competitor, a worthy challenger
If he were not the Vis Imperium ****e.
It was a conflicting feeling.
Eve wanted to leave this place,
But not by someone who plays a puppet;
Senshuken does not deserve such disgrace.
She wanted Senshuken to achieve glory,
By the hands of another noble hero.
Eve has no choice but to survive Austin,
So the title prestige did not reach zero.
If Eve did not want Austin as champ,
With her will to defend beginning to wane,
How could she survive a title match?
Let alone one that inflicts terrible pain.
Ladder, TLC, or First Blood;
Three options available to the fans.
To Eve, there was no difference
By the end, blood would spill on her hands.
Was this blood by destroying Austin,
Much like every opponent she has faced?
Or to lose Senshuken to him,
And all her hard work gone to waste?
This caused much frustration for Eve,
As she became weary from her travel.
Eve was champion for nearly a year,
And her lust for wrestling began to unravel.
She wanted a real challenge,
Something Senshuken could not provide.
Eve wished for her body to be put to the test,
As Elite champion, it was her time she had to bide.
Many opponents came at her,
But none was to satisfy.
She needed to move on,
And an appropriate challenge was nigh.
The Lethal Lottery was on the horizon;
A major match with a major prize.
A chance at the World championship;
The title Eve began to idolise.
She felt ready to become the best,
Before Senshuken wore her down.
She was training non-stop,
So she could wear the greatest crown.
These were Eve's visions;
An opportunity of ultimate glory.
What could Austin possibly do,
To end the Eve and Senshuken story?
"Constantine, SHIT, Flex Mussel,
Ramparte, John Doe and Garth Black.
All six men have tried their luck,
But championship material, they did lack.
Maybe you might be luck,
And catch me off-guard.
For I look toward the future;
I think not of you; in fact, you I disregard.
But my goal is to reach the top,
Beat the Lottery and to the Kingdom, I will come
To win the World Heavyweight championship
And under my reign as Queen, WZCW will succumb.
You are a tool of Steven Holmes,
Nothing more than a warm body.
What skill do you possess?
What championship heart do you embody?
No matter the stipulation,
You better bring everything you got.
I'm training for the World title,
Because you're just an afterthought.
I know I'm being dismissive,
As you can be a credible threat.
I beg you, show me the true Austin Reynolds,
Expend the blood, tears and the sweat.
Show me you actually deserving,
To hold this prestigious title.
Don't just be a pawn to Steven's words,
Prove to me that this belt, to you, is vital.
Show me you cannot exist,
Without having this belt on your shoulder.
Let me see the same flame I had in my eye,
When I started my reign as the longest titleholder.
Don't give me another bland performance,
Like all others have done before.
Be more than this plain room,
And make me think, feel, adore.
I'm here for the competition,
So don't become someone tossed in.
Prove to me you deserve this title,
Show me why you can be the next champ, Austin."
Occupied by an arm chair.
Everything else is emptiness;
The room has nothing to bear.
This place feels uninspired
Yet oddly familiar; redolent.
A metaphor for her thoughts,
Or a symbol for being negligent?
The 'her' is Eve Taylor,
The focus; the subject.
So why did it feel irrelevant?
Why was there a disconnect?
No thoughts from Eve Taylor,
Her head without any voice.
A first for Eve's busy brain,
But was it time to rejoice?
All Eve ever did was think,
Ponder about her own life.
Yet much like this plain room,
Attempted thoughts caused her strife.
Was it the plain room,
The place Eve went to invade,
Causing this cranial crisis
To sing a silent serenade?
Then, if there were silence,
How do these words exist?
Forming a poetic rhyme, no less.
Why do they continue to persist?
Eve finally entered the room,
And closed the door behind.
Slowly, she sat down on the chair.
Hoping for a change in her mind.
Alas, the more she stayed the same
Shackled by the thoughtless burden.
Inside this room, the walls held up,
Much like the fortress of Verdun.
The longer Eve sat in this room,
An answer became more true.
It was not the room that caused a void,
But her brain becoming anew.
She could feel a new chapter,
As her time was coming to an end.
The Elite Openweight Championship
Began venturing for a new friend.
She had almost given up
In the middle of the ring,
But her terms were not valid,
According to the Vis Imperium king.
The two exchanged words
With some malicious intent.
Eve felt nothing, however,
She was unaffected; unable to disorient.
Senshuken was a title she came to love,
Defending it with honour and pride.
But Eve held indifference,
Bored by the championship tide.
She was the longest reigning champ,
And a female competitor to boot.
Many would kill to achieve this feat,
Yet she was open for a substitute.
Austin Reynolds was the first to appear,
Forced by his controlling mentor.
A fine competitor, a worthy challenger
If he were not the Vis Imperium ****e.
It was a conflicting feeling.
Eve wanted to leave this place,
But not by someone who plays a puppet;
Senshuken does not deserve such disgrace.
She wanted Senshuken to achieve glory,
By the hands of another noble hero.
Eve has no choice but to survive Austin,
So the title prestige did not reach zero.
If Eve did not want Austin as champ,
With her will to defend beginning to wane,
How could she survive a title match?
Let alone one that inflicts terrible pain.
Ladder, TLC, or First Blood;
Three options available to the fans.
To Eve, there was no difference
By the end, blood would spill on her hands.
Was this blood by destroying Austin,
Much like every opponent she has faced?
Or to lose Senshuken to him,
And all her hard work gone to waste?
This caused much frustration for Eve,
As she became weary from her travel.
Eve was champion for nearly a year,
And her lust for wrestling began to unravel.
She wanted a real challenge,
Something Senshuken could not provide.
Eve wished for her body to be put to the test,
As Elite champion, it was her time she had to bide.
Many opponents came at her,
But none was to satisfy.
She needed to move on,
And an appropriate challenge was nigh.
The Lethal Lottery was on the horizon;
A major match with a major prize.
A chance at the World championship;
The title Eve began to idolise.
She felt ready to become the best,
Before Senshuken wore her down.
She was training non-stop,
So she could wear the greatest crown.
These were Eve's visions;
An opportunity of ultimate glory.
What could Austin possibly do,
To end the Eve and Senshuken story?
"Constantine, SHIT, Flex Mussel,
Ramparte, John Doe and Garth Black.
All six men have tried their luck,
But championship material, they did lack.
Maybe you might be luck,
And catch me off-guard.
For I look toward the future;
I think not of you; in fact, you I disregard.
But my goal is to reach the top,
Beat the Lottery and to the Kingdom, I will come
To win the World Heavyweight championship
And under my reign as Queen, WZCW will succumb.
You are a tool of Steven Holmes,
Nothing more than a warm body.
What skill do you possess?
What championship heart do you embody?
No matter the stipulation,
You better bring everything you got.
I'm training for the World title,
Because you're just an afterthought.
I know I'm being dismissive,
As you can be a credible threat.
I beg you, show me the true Austin Reynolds,
Expend the blood, tears and the sweat.
Show me you actually deserving,
To hold this prestigious title.
Don't just be a pawn to Steven's words,
Prove to me that this belt, to you, is vital.
Show me you cannot exist,
Without having this belt on your shoulder.
Let me see the same flame I had in my eye,
When I started my reign as the longest titleholder.
Don't give me another bland performance,
Like all others have done before.
Be more than this plain room,
And make me think, feel, adore.
I'm here for the competition,
So don't become someone tossed in.
Prove to me you deserve this title,
Show me why you can be the next champ, Austin."
Darkness isn’t a new quality for a talent in WZCW, plenty of whom have been pre-disposed to lurking in the shadows. Ty Burna embraced it and he’s the best of all time. Others slink in and out to suit their disposition. Austin was not in a great mood and today the shadowy bar allows him to sink in and feel unnoticed in the gloom.
This was not an unusual feeling. Austin rarely emerged in daylight anymore if he could help it. The loss of so many positive features in his life, his career, his wife and best friend all in quick succession, had made Austin feel resentful of the naturally positive & beautiful glow that the sun gave everything. He had next to nothing in his life left but in the darkness, he would not be taunted by his loneliness in this small and poorly lit establishment.
He was not alone when he went to work and that felt right. Currently, work was the furthest thing from his mind, his actions from the past few weeks didn’t trouble him more than the thoughts of his twin daughters. Now that there was even the slightest chance that he may become part of their lives, he couldn’t let that slip.
But his relationship with the girls had only existed because of Steven Holmes.
In an instant work was forefront in his mind. Austin gripped his glass of whisky tightly. Austin is in bed with the devil and his two best friends. He regularly fought over whether he could accept this or not, it had been difficult for him to stomach. There’s no doubt that they had worked well together, the obvious personality clashes hadn’t surfaced at all and Austin reveled in his role, no pressure to talk or sell or be the Ratings Winner. He just had to be there just like against Logan McAllister. A gun for hire of sorts, point, shoot, win.
The match against Justin Cooper had more riding on it, more than either match so far. Austin had been tasked softening up Justin Cooper ensuring that he could be less effective at Unscripted, on behalf of Vis Imperium. There was no burden of what a win or a loss may do for him; he could chose to accomplish his task through any means for the interests of the group. Austin used & abused every shortcut in the book. Cooper didn’t have the answer.
Now he has a championship back in sights, a championship that he didn’t lose in a fair fight. A championship that he lost in no small part due to John Constantine.Now that he has three victories under his belt, Austin is very much a known quantity but has endured many changes in his life since he last held the Elite X Championship. Above all he is now working with Constantine. The make-up of this relationship is very much a mystery to everyone.
What’s clearer are the events at Ascension where Austin appeared on three separate occasions and directly influenced the outcome of two matches. His actions have affected the prospects of Vis Imperium at Unscripted and put him on a collision course with the most dominant champion in WZCW.
The Ratings Winner would have relished this contest but typically he would have come up short, while trying some crowd-pleasing antic. With the dominant Vis Imperium behind him, there would be no room for that and that suits Austin perfectly.
There is no doubt that Eve Taylor was incredibly talented and had dominated everyone in recent months but Austin now realised that he feared no-one. This Eve Taylor was no Ty Burna and this Austin Reynolds, who was sitting in the gloom, was not the Ratings Winner. Vis Imperium feared no-one.
This was all thanks to Steven Holmes for bringing him back from the dead.
Every now and then the door of this small bar would creak open and another social deviant would enter, shuffling in from the hum of humanity. Austin would barely break his thoughts if only for the disturbance that it would create in his liquor. So when he’s approached by someone, he instinctively tries to curl inside and lifts his glass to his cheek as a shield.
Leon: "Austin, you’ve been difficult to pin down."
Austin just lifts his hand and moves the glass to his forehead. Of course he knows the voice of Leon Kensworth.
Leon: “The least you can do is ask how I did it.”
Austin: “I could but I’m not interested.”
Austin breaks his silence and at the same time pours another two fingers from the bottle that was next to him.
Leon: “I tracked you down because I want to be the one to do an exclusive about your return. Now I’ve followed a trail of breadcrumbs to get to you.”
Austin finally moves his head enough to glare at Leon who for the briefest moment shrinks back but his journalistic desire pushes him forward.
Leon: “I’m not leaving without a story.”
Austin makes an indeterminate gesture towards the bar. A barman moves out from the shadows , puts a second glass next to Austins’ and heads back to his hiding place. Austin pours a splash ignoring Leon’s attempt at an objection. Leon fusses over pulling over his voice recorder.
Leon: “So Austin, you’ve returned and became part of the most dominant group in WZCW today. What changed?”
Austin: “Everything.”
Leon: “I had figured that seeing your peers achieve what you failed at would be a big motivating factor.”
Austin lies confined to a restricted position in a hospital bed. The footage streams on a tablet in front of him. The vision of The Elite celebrating his championship win with such gusto tortures Austin; that his condition forces him to observe the revelry only makes it more painful than any physical discomfort. He can’t unsee it.
Austin increases his morphine dosage and forces his eyes over to a sleeping Hayley at his bedside.
Just for an all-too-brief moment, Austin looks up at Leon and there is something unspoken between them, which convinces Austin to talk.
Austin: “I guess there was some fulfilment in seeing talent that I came in with rise up, shine through and succeed where I couldn’t. I could appreciate this. The painful part is knowing that I could match these guys on my best day but the chances that I had, I came across an immovable object. You see a guy like Steven Holmes entering the main event of Kingdom Come 5 and Constantine winning the King for a Day briefcase at the same event. We broke through at the same time and you can respect their successes. My memories of that event are dominated by waking up in the morning and barely being able to move my fingers.”
Leon: “So you are able to look back at your career with some satisfaction?”
Austin: “I guess. What happened to that point was something that I could be content with. What happened after, not so much.”
We see Austin lying a comfortable looking armchair at home, he’s holding a can of beer in one hand and a letter in the other. On a large screen is Meltdown 100, which he recorded last night. We can hear Hayley rushing down the stairs before she comes into view. She runs to Austin and pauses the TV.
Hayley: “Darling, look!”
Austin: “Babe what am I looking at?”
In her hand she holds a little white stick which she now puts closer to him with a huge grin on her face.
Hayley: “We’re pregnant!”
Austin rises slowly to his feet, pulled up a little by his other half and he embraces her with all his strength. The letter falls to his floor and as we zoom in, we can clearly see the sentence
… unfortunately the procedure has not been successful…
Leon rubs his chin ruefully. As if he needed clarification, Austin has been hurt by his first run in WZCW. There’s no doubt that while he was successful, what he missed while absent was painful for him to observe as an outsider. These wounds were exposed even now.
Leon: “I had no idea that you found it such a struggle.”
Austin: “It was just a build-up, I knew the surgery didn’t work before I’d even had confirmation. Before I knew it I was drinking to fill the time, to replace the buzz of being out on the road.”
Leon: “So what put you on the road to Vis Imperium? Was it as simple as Ricky winning the championship that evaded you? Did that push you to give up and become even more bitter?”
Austin: “It got a lot worse before those guys got involved.”
Leon: “Did Ricky get in touch?”
Austin: “Of course not. But why would he? The mentor is lying at home watching his pupil win the big one. Ricky did what he did, it never really got to me.”
Leon: “It never got to you? He surpassed all expectations. He achieved everything because of the road that you started him on. That would be enough to make anyone feel a little bitter and unappreciated.”
Austin: “It never got to me because the company never got in touch. If they couldn’t be bothered then why would he?”
For the first time, Leon struggled to hide his scepticism. Austin wasn’t even looking at him. He was desperate to dig for more information, even if that showed up Austin as being hypocritical.
Leon: “You can understand why I’m surprised. Given what’s happened, that’s gone on since you came back. I figured that there would be something else that would make an alliance with Holmes somewhat appealing.”
Austin: “That was a few months away at this point.”
Leon: “So what was next? Come on Austin. You know that I know there was something more to all of this. For all of my digging, I know that there was one major event, something so massive that it effectively ended your marriage and sent you on a collision course with Steven Holmes as his hired gun.”
Austin: “You’ve struggled to get details on that haven’t you.”
Leon nods as Austin finishes off the last of his whisky.
Austin: “Yeah there’s a good reason for that.”
We see Austin in the same chair again but this looks like a place that is not as happy as it once was. The floor is littered with cans from an twelve pack of beer that was unceremoniously ripped open. Unscripted is on and Austin is watching intently. So intently that he is in fact completely oblivious to his beloved talking about baby names.
He brutally opens another victim from the box and downs a large gulp with barely a second thought.
Hayley: “Austin!”
Austin: “WHAT!”
The sheer volume of the outburst sends a shock through Hayley and she looks on petrified. She knows better than anyone how dramatically Austin has changed in recent weeks. Her clean-shaven superstar had morphed into a temperamental beast whose emotions could turn on a sixpence. The transformation was intense and it felt clear to her that he was dramatically struggling with the end of his wrestling career in combination with the failure of his neck surgery. She had always been willing to accept this but never in her wildest nightmares did she envision that it could escalate to this.
Austin takes another long mouthful and crushes his latest casualty, allowing it to fall off the arm of the chair. Hayley sighs, gets herself up, scoops up the cans and the others that had been littered around. Austin is ignorant to everything but what is going on in front of him.
It happened. How on earth could the little scrote pull that out?
Austin: “I’m going out.”
He forces himself to get out of the chair and walks slowly to the door, picking up his car keys from the side. Hayley sees him stumbling and barely able to keep his feet moving forward in a straight line. She drops the cans in her hands and runs over to him.
Hayley: “What are you doing?”
Austin: “Let go of me!”
She tries to pull the keys from his hands but he is strong enough and maintains his grip on them. Hayley can barely keep her balance as he pulls his hand away from her.
Austin: “I’ve got to go!”
Hayley: “Not this again Austin! Come on, you know you’re not able to start training yet! You can’t drive, you’re drunk!”
Austin: “You can take me. Or get Dom to do it!”
He storms out the door and despite still holding the keys, he does get in the passenger seat. Hayley breathes a massive sigh of relief to calm herself, as much as anything and texts Dom quickly before slamming the door behind her.
[SOS. 10]
Twenty minutes later and in the pouring rain, Hayley pulls up in front of the old R&R gym. Austin had taken over the place with every intent of making it a fully-formed franchise but tonight it was quiet and empty, as it had been for a number of months. Hayley knew that this was the first thing that had suffered in the wake of Austin’s retirement; he had barely been able to face coming here. Tonight’s incident was not a one-off and they always ended up here. Austin had hidden delusions that he could return to action in WZCW and they always surfaced in violent fashion like this.
Hayley’s SOS to Dom ensured that he was there when they arrived. The ten ensured that he knew Austin was worse than he had ever been. She stayed in the car, saw Dom embrace Austin before driving off with tears streaming down her face. The two best friends were left alone but it was a terse union.
Austin pushed forcibly at the door until Dom subtly unlocked it. He then heads straight on to the treadmill and tries to get it started with no luck but in a few seconds Dom has turned on the power and the lights before comes over to stop Austin banging the console on the running machine. The tension filled the space.
Dom sits as he watches his friend struggle to get up to a decent speed and rhythm. Dom rubs his stubbly chin ruefully. Every drunken misstep from Austin causes him to wince. Watching is a painful experience. After five minutes, Austin is sweating profusely. Dom decides that enough is enough, steps up to the machine and offers his friend a bottle of water.
Dom: “Buddy can we talk?”
For all his time in the States with Austin, Dom’s Scottish accent is as broad as the day they met. Austin slows down to walking pace and accepts the bottle, but only taking in a small sip.
Austin: “What’s to talk about Dom? I’ve got to get back in training; I’m going to get back. The doctors are wrong. I can do this, we can -”
Dom: “Austin, stop.....STOP!”
He smacks the running machine, turning it off and Austin has to catch himself from falling over.
Austin: “What the fuck!”
Austin’s rage that seemed to tempered by being in this space flares up again. Austin pushes Dom up against the wall but he gets pushed back by his friend.
Dom: “Are you kidding me? Seriously Austin! You need to have a look at yourself! You’re in no fit state to be here. You don’t know what damage you could do if you hurt yourself! You’re in a right state; you’re not even able to use this equipment properly because you’re wasted. You’re an incredible fuck up you know that?”
Austin lowers his forehead and pushes himself toward Dom, unable to contain himself for all the explosive fury. Dom simply sidesteps him and Austin loses his balance, crashing straight into the wall.
Dom: “STOP IT!! Look at yourself! Think about what you’ve done! You’re destroying Hayley! Think about her and the kids! You think she is going to stay around & let you be a father to those two when they’re here?”
Still facing the wall, Austin is panting, through sheer exhaustion and exasperation at the situation. He drags his sweaty forehead up the wall, scraping and ripping his skin against the exposed brickwork.
Austin: “I just want to get back to it Dom.”
Dom: “I know, I know bud. But you know, it’s not the right time, not like this.”
The Scot picks up his friend, grabs an arm and puts it around his shoulder.
Dom: “Let’s get you back home and when we’ve slept on it, we can think about what we’re going to do about this all going forward. With a clear head eh?”
Dom gets Austin back to the car where he slumps in and out of consciousness while Dom closes up. A few minutes later they’re back on the road, to get Austin back to the house. They’re calmly discussing the events of the evening.
Austin: “I just felt that I could do it that’s all. I’ve felt so rubbish since I stopped. I don’t feel like the same person that I was.”
Dom: “But you were blotto. Even if you were fit & able, you were going to drive there?”
Austin is silent. Dom knows that he feels guilty.
Dom: “I get that there is some sort of validation or redemption that you’re looking for, to show you’re a medical marvel who can defy medical advice to come back better than you were but maybe you’ve reached the end of that path.”
Austin: “Maybe I can.”
Dom: “No Austin.”
Dom dismisses his sheepish response with a firm dismissal.
Dom: “You’re a long way from even being close, you know that right? And even if you get back in shape, they don’t have to take you if you can’t deal with the workload. But I tell ya bud, if you don’t get your shit together, why would they even think about it?”
Austin lashes out, violently pushing at Dom and the car veers across the carriageway.
Austin: “Why the fuck did you come tonight?”
Dom just about regains control of the skid.
Dom: “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?! Don’t be such an idiot!!”
Austin: “I don’t know too much about what happened after that. The car ended up in a wall and we were crushed pretty badly. Dom took the worst of it, they barely got him out alive and he died at the side of the road.”
The voice trembles as he recalls the final moments.
Austin: "He was there because of me."
Leon has been furiously scribbling as many details he can. The details of the story are better than he could possibly have imagined and at the same time it’s the most haunting possible tale. He was right; everything had changed.
Austin was directly responsible for the death of his best friend. How do you come back from that?
Austin: “So you’re asking what led to Vis Imperium. That was it, the singular moment. I came out from hospital weeks later, barely feeling human but I had survived it somehow. Hayley had put a restraining order so I couldn’t even see her as she was about to drop and I didn’t really see anyone. I ended up just withdrawing into myself. So being on my own, drinking like this. It had become a bit of a way of life.”
Leon: “You struggled to accept what had gone on.”
Austin: “I’m never going to get over it, I mean, he was our best friend. Hayley became petrified of me and who can blame her. What relationship could survive that? It got a bit better eventually. Holmes came to me while I was pretty low and sorted some stuff out pretty much straight away.”
Leon then considers his next question, something that may never have been uttered before. He hesitates before asking it, considering the implications and the details that have just been revealed.
Leon: “So you’re grateful for what Steven Holmes has done for you?”
Austin is sat on the corner of the roof of his building. It’s a pleasant day, not particularly warm yet no breeze to speak of. Three floors down is his bedsit apartment and two below that are the establishment from where Austin has just purchased a particularly cheap whisky. He gulps quickly, not hesitating to consider the burn that it leaves in its’ wake.
Suddenly he stands up, with no grace and barely a semblance of balance, he mulls over the possibilities in front of him. He could easily step off and cling to the inevitable doom that would follow but there’s something inside of him that pulls him back. Something good, wholesome, just.
It’s in that moment where he appreciates that he is now not alone yet he is struggling to comprehend what he sees in front of him. He is certainly familiar with the face, yet the body in front of him appears to have failed the incumbent in a not-dissimilar way. Standing in front of him was the unmistakeable features of Steven Holmes.
The man Austin recognised as The Elite stood in front of him as such today. Gruff but with a regal air, he stands tall with an inimitable air of superiority, leaning on a black cane.
Holmes: “Don’t be a fool lad. I’ve come all the way down here and I’d be fuming if it was a wasted trip."
Austin is aware enough to know that his face must be a picture yet he is struggling to believe what he is actually seeing and can’t resist asking the obvious question.
Austin: “What are you do-?”
Holmes: “Now, now lad. At least understand that I have the resources to find something when I want to. Sit down won’t you.”
Austin does as commanded, suddenly unable to resist the lure of the one person who he could have thought would turn up here and now.
Holmes: “Austin, we never crossed paths but as you may imagine I have fingers in pies and birds on trees. I knew you as one of the best of our time, unappreciated but fondly remembered. A great trier but a dull blade. Now let me propose something. As you may be able to tell, my time has passed but my mind is strong and I feel like WZCW is ready to fall to a new alliance at my hand. Now I have recruited a remarkable talent, one with the strength of three men but a blank canvas that I will work into devastation. Now you’re going to ask why I’m here. Could it be simpler than being part of a larger plan? To feed my ego? Or all of the above? It doesn’t need to be more than that? Right here, right now, I have the people who can make you better, stronger and get you back in WZCW at my side. You can get everything that you want in your life and more than that. You’re on the brink but show me that you have the strength to pull yourself away and I will handle the rest.”
Austin is unsure but isn’t able to hide that he is sorely tempted.
Holmes: “Come on now Austin. You know what resources I have at my fingertips. How else would I know that you would be here, at this point in time? I know all about your family troubles, your medical issues and I can throw enough money at a problem to make it go away. Put your faith in me Austin and you will not regret it.”
Austin: “You don’t expect me to trust you do you?”
Holmes: “Trust is overrated but you must know that I wouldn’t be here if could not offer you a solution, I just want you to be in the ring where I cannot. Just consider the alternative, five floors down”
Austin: ”You want me to do the dirty work.”
Holmes: “More like actions that I would do myself except as you can see, the mind is willing but the body is less so. I am sure that there will be things that the old you would have found objectionable.”
Austin: “Do I need to remind you that I am a broken man? I don’t know why you think I am able to stand up to much right now. I’ve lost everything that I had; I’ve thrown it all away.”
Holmes: “Austin I do not expect that you are able to see it right now but that is exactly why I have chosen you. With your experience and my brains, we can heal some of your wounds. We can fix your body then get you in the correct mental shape.”
Austin shakes his head in disbelief. Holmes stands up in front of him and offers a handshake.
Holmes: “Will you believe me when I say that this will pay off?”
Austin says nothing but does return the gesture.
Once more Leon is stunned into disbelief as to the version of events. He stops writing and puts his pen down. He muses over his next question.
Leon: “So you’re at your lowest ebb, life literally cannot get any worse but your knight in shining armour is Steven Holmes?”
Austin shrugs his shoulders in acknowledgement. The blank response causes Leon to show his frustration a little.
Leon: “And Holmes of all people has offered his money to ****e you out for one last shot at glory in WZCW.”
That gets a reaction.
Austin: ”What’s that got to do with it?"
Leon: “You were desperate and took the shortcut.”
For the first time Austin shows some bite, some passion at the accusation that this is a selfish gesture. As a result he now begins to pay more attention to Leon than the drink in front of him.
Austin: “A shortcut? I had put faith in everything else and look where it got me. Holmes brought me back because he saw an untapped resource that he could mould to his own requirements. He was the only one who could accept that I wasn’t done. I’ve not said a single word to anyone in WZCW until today and I’ve still managed to make that very clear. Why would I care? No-one cared about me when I was gone. I know I am back and better for the experience and I don’t have to waste my energy caring about anyone else’s opinion. Above all do you think that I care how I got brought back when that was all I wanted to do?”
Leon: “You bought into what he was selling and it’s got you a place at his table and an Elite Openweight championship shot.”
Austin: “Vis Imperium have demonstrated what happens when three powers come together with the assistance of a great mind. We are an unbeatable force and are aligned on the same page. I’ve waited a long time to get back in the ring at a WZCW pay-per-view as there is no better place to unleash the full force of what I am capable of and above all I will be able to demonstrate my gratitude to Mr Holmes for bringing me back to show that I am not finished.”
Leon: “I get that you’re happy to be back in the ring and I’m happy to see it too but I cannot fathom how you and Steven Holmes are on the same page.”
Voice: “And that Leon is why you watch and we do.”
Leon turns in shock at hearing not only a voice but a voice that he recognised; a voice that had taunted WZCW superstars and fans around the world. Leon turns around to see the Power Trip John Constantine in all his suited glory. Naturally he is not alone.
Constantine: “Now Leon, I’m sure that I don’t need to remind you that you’re talking to the next Elite Openweight Champion”
Holmes: “Leon do you not have somewhere to be? I believe you’re due on your flight to Australia later. It’s clear from what I have heard that Austin just wants to take back what he gave up. I’m sure that you can craft an enriching tale based on his heart-wrenching journey to this point.”
Abel: “And Mistah Reynolds is gonna get everything he wants ‘cos Vis Imperium will be at ‘is side.”
Leon can feel three pairs of eyes bearing down on him and he looks over at Austin but he has just reclined back in to his whisky, taking the passion & hunger that Leon had just unearthed with it. With that single act, Leon knows that his interview is over. He reluctantly starts to pack up his things.
Leon: “Thanks for your time Austin and er, good luck at Unscripted.”
Kensworth doesn’t hang around and soon Vis Imperium stand alone. Austin pushes the glass that Leon didn’t touch toward Constantine but Holmes snaffles it up, drawing a glare from his stable-mate.
Holmes: “Now that the little peon has disappeared.”
Austin: “He’s not so bad, just doing a job that’s all.”
Holmes: “Well he’s not here so I can do what we came here for.”
Constantine observes his surroundings which resemble squalor compared to the manors where they reside.
Constantine: “And what can I ask is that?”
Holmes: “I want us to revel in our formation as we approach Unscripted of course and Austin’s match with Eve Taylor may be the most significant of them all.”
Austin: “It’s significant to me because after years of combining forces for common goals, Steven Holmes and John Constantine finally have put the pieces together that will win the war that they have been fighting for years. Abel Hunnicutt is the damndest specimen that this company has ever seen and thanks to Steven, I am going to be able to do what I wasn’t capable of years ago.”
Holmes seems impressed and even Constantine is unable to stifle his reaction.
Austin: “So there’s no room for cock teases or false proclamations, we’ve promised that we will be dominant, Unscripted is our time to really make it count on the biggest of stages.”
Whether this bravado was meant to have this effect it’s not entirely clear but there is a reaction.
Constantine: “HA! Utterly brilliant! I could not have scripted it better!”
Holmes: “Well dare I say that I could have worded it a little more eloquently.”
Abel: “But that there sentiment is kinda perfect.”
Austin: “Then it can happen, with the force of us all pulling in the right direction, we’ll be irresistible. But enough with the revelry, right here now we’ve won nothing yet.”
Holmes: “Absolutely, we have to emerge from Unscripted with both titles. We have been the target of some absurd comments recently and it will be the ultimate statement of intent.”
Austin: “If I’m going to emerge victorious then I need to be prepared for Eve Taylor and everything that she will throw at me. I need to know to how to beat her. The best way that I can figure this out is by picking the brains of someone who lost to her recently but has beaten her before.”
Constantine perks up. His reaction indicates that he is still a little sore about the recent loss at Meltdown 129 but he seems positive about the idea of a tête-à-tête to bring down the woman who surpassed him as the longest reigning Elite Openweight Champion.
Austin: “John, is it OK if we speak alone?”
This was not an unusual feeling. Austin rarely emerged in daylight anymore if he could help it. The loss of so many positive features in his life, his career, his wife and best friend all in quick succession, had made Austin feel resentful of the naturally positive & beautiful glow that the sun gave everything. He had next to nothing in his life left but in the darkness, he would not be taunted by his loneliness in this small and poorly lit establishment.
He was not alone when he went to work and that felt right. Currently, work was the furthest thing from his mind, his actions from the past few weeks didn’t trouble him more than the thoughts of his twin daughters. Now that there was even the slightest chance that he may become part of their lives, he couldn’t let that slip.
But his relationship with the girls had only existed because of Steven Holmes.
In an instant work was forefront in his mind. Austin gripped his glass of whisky tightly. Austin is in bed with the devil and his two best friends. He regularly fought over whether he could accept this or not, it had been difficult for him to stomach. There’s no doubt that they had worked well together, the obvious personality clashes hadn’t surfaced at all and Austin reveled in his role, no pressure to talk or sell or be the Ratings Winner. He just had to be there just like against Logan McAllister. A gun for hire of sorts, point, shoot, win.
The match against Justin Cooper had more riding on it, more than either match so far. Austin had been tasked softening up Justin Cooper ensuring that he could be less effective at Unscripted, on behalf of Vis Imperium. There was no burden of what a win or a loss may do for him; he could chose to accomplish his task through any means for the interests of the group. Austin used & abused every shortcut in the book. Cooper didn’t have the answer.
Now he has a championship back in sights, a championship that he didn’t lose in a fair fight. A championship that he lost in no small part due to John Constantine.Now that he has three victories under his belt, Austin is very much a known quantity but has endured many changes in his life since he last held the Elite X Championship. Above all he is now working with Constantine. The make-up of this relationship is very much a mystery to everyone.
What’s clearer are the events at Ascension where Austin appeared on three separate occasions and directly influenced the outcome of two matches. His actions have affected the prospects of Vis Imperium at Unscripted and put him on a collision course with the most dominant champion in WZCW.
The Ratings Winner would have relished this contest but typically he would have come up short, while trying some crowd-pleasing antic. With the dominant Vis Imperium behind him, there would be no room for that and that suits Austin perfectly.
There is no doubt that Eve Taylor was incredibly talented and had dominated everyone in recent months but Austin now realised that he feared no-one. This Eve Taylor was no Ty Burna and this Austin Reynolds, who was sitting in the gloom, was not the Ratings Winner. Vis Imperium feared no-one.
This was all thanks to Steven Holmes for bringing him back from the dead.
Every now and then the door of this small bar would creak open and another social deviant would enter, shuffling in from the hum of humanity. Austin would barely break his thoughts if only for the disturbance that it would create in his liquor. So when he’s approached by someone, he instinctively tries to curl inside and lifts his glass to his cheek as a shield.
Leon: "Austin, you’ve been difficult to pin down."
Austin just lifts his hand and moves the glass to his forehead. Of course he knows the voice of Leon Kensworth.
Leon: “The least you can do is ask how I did it.”
Austin: “I could but I’m not interested.”
Austin breaks his silence and at the same time pours another two fingers from the bottle that was next to him.
Leon: “I tracked you down because I want to be the one to do an exclusive about your return. Now I’ve followed a trail of breadcrumbs to get to you.”
Austin finally moves his head enough to glare at Leon who for the briefest moment shrinks back but his journalistic desire pushes him forward.
Leon: “I’m not leaving without a story.”
Austin makes an indeterminate gesture towards the bar. A barman moves out from the shadows , puts a second glass next to Austins’ and heads back to his hiding place. Austin pours a splash ignoring Leon’s attempt at an objection. Leon fusses over pulling over his voice recorder.
Leon: “So Austin, you’ve returned and became part of the most dominant group in WZCW today. What changed?”
Austin: “Everything.”
Leon: “I had figured that seeing your peers achieve what you failed at would be a big motivating factor.”
Austin lies confined to a restricted position in a hospital bed. The footage streams on a tablet in front of him. The vision of The Elite celebrating his championship win with such gusto tortures Austin; that his condition forces him to observe the revelry only makes it more painful than any physical discomfort. He can’t unsee it.
Austin increases his morphine dosage and forces his eyes over to a sleeping Hayley at his bedside.
Just for an all-too-brief moment, Austin looks up at Leon and there is something unspoken between them, which convinces Austin to talk.
Austin: “I guess there was some fulfilment in seeing talent that I came in with rise up, shine through and succeed where I couldn’t. I could appreciate this. The painful part is knowing that I could match these guys on my best day but the chances that I had, I came across an immovable object. You see a guy like Steven Holmes entering the main event of Kingdom Come 5 and Constantine winning the King for a Day briefcase at the same event. We broke through at the same time and you can respect their successes. My memories of that event are dominated by waking up in the morning and barely being able to move my fingers.”
Leon: “So you are able to look back at your career with some satisfaction?”
Austin: “I guess. What happened to that point was something that I could be content with. What happened after, not so much.”
We see Austin lying a comfortable looking armchair at home, he’s holding a can of beer in one hand and a letter in the other. On a large screen is Meltdown 100, which he recorded last night. We can hear Hayley rushing down the stairs before she comes into view. She runs to Austin and pauses the TV.
Hayley: “Darling, look!”
Austin: “Babe what am I looking at?”
In her hand she holds a little white stick which she now puts closer to him with a huge grin on her face.
Hayley: “We’re pregnant!”
Austin rises slowly to his feet, pulled up a little by his other half and he embraces her with all his strength. The letter falls to his floor and as we zoom in, we can clearly see the sentence
… unfortunately the procedure has not been successful…
Leon rubs his chin ruefully. As if he needed clarification, Austin has been hurt by his first run in WZCW. There’s no doubt that while he was successful, what he missed while absent was painful for him to observe as an outsider. These wounds were exposed even now.
Leon: “I had no idea that you found it such a struggle.”
Austin: “It was just a build-up, I knew the surgery didn’t work before I’d even had confirmation. Before I knew it I was drinking to fill the time, to replace the buzz of being out on the road.”
Leon: “So what put you on the road to Vis Imperium? Was it as simple as Ricky winning the championship that evaded you? Did that push you to give up and become even more bitter?”
Austin: “It got a lot worse before those guys got involved.”
Leon: “Did Ricky get in touch?”
Austin: “Of course not. But why would he? The mentor is lying at home watching his pupil win the big one. Ricky did what he did, it never really got to me.”
Leon: “It never got to you? He surpassed all expectations. He achieved everything because of the road that you started him on. That would be enough to make anyone feel a little bitter and unappreciated.”
Austin: “It never got to me because the company never got in touch. If they couldn’t be bothered then why would he?”
For the first time, Leon struggled to hide his scepticism. Austin wasn’t even looking at him. He was desperate to dig for more information, even if that showed up Austin as being hypocritical.
Leon: “You can understand why I’m surprised. Given what’s happened, that’s gone on since you came back. I figured that there would be something else that would make an alliance with Holmes somewhat appealing.”
Austin: “That was a few months away at this point.”
Leon: “So what was next? Come on Austin. You know that I know there was something more to all of this. For all of my digging, I know that there was one major event, something so massive that it effectively ended your marriage and sent you on a collision course with Steven Holmes as his hired gun.”
Austin: “You’ve struggled to get details on that haven’t you.”
Leon nods as Austin finishes off the last of his whisky.
Austin: “Yeah there’s a good reason for that.”
We see Austin in the same chair again but this looks like a place that is not as happy as it once was. The floor is littered with cans from an twelve pack of beer that was unceremoniously ripped open. Unscripted is on and Austin is watching intently. So intently that he is in fact completely oblivious to his beloved talking about baby names.
He brutally opens another victim from the box and downs a large gulp with barely a second thought.
Hayley: “Austin!”
Austin: “WHAT!”
The sheer volume of the outburst sends a shock through Hayley and she looks on petrified. She knows better than anyone how dramatically Austin has changed in recent weeks. Her clean-shaven superstar had morphed into a temperamental beast whose emotions could turn on a sixpence. The transformation was intense and it felt clear to her that he was dramatically struggling with the end of his wrestling career in combination with the failure of his neck surgery. She had always been willing to accept this but never in her wildest nightmares did she envision that it could escalate to this.
Austin takes another long mouthful and crushes his latest casualty, allowing it to fall off the arm of the chair. Hayley sighs, gets herself up, scoops up the cans and the others that had been littered around. Austin is ignorant to everything but what is going on in front of him.
It happened. How on earth could the little scrote pull that out?
Austin: “I’m going out.”
He forces himself to get out of the chair and walks slowly to the door, picking up his car keys from the side. Hayley sees him stumbling and barely able to keep his feet moving forward in a straight line. She drops the cans in her hands and runs over to him.
Hayley: “What are you doing?”
Austin: “Let go of me!”
She tries to pull the keys from his hands but he is strong enough and maintains his grip on them. Hayley can barely keep her balance as he pulls his hand away from her.
Austin: “I’ve got to go!”
Hayley: “Not this again Austin! Come on, you know you’re not able to start training yet! You can’t drive, you’re drunk!”
Austin: “You can take me. Or get Dom to do it!”
He storms out the door and despite still holding the keys, he does get in the passenger seat. Hayley breathes a massive sigh of relief to calm herself, as much as anything and texts Dom quickly before slamming the door behind her.
[SOS. 10]
Twenty minutes later and in the pouring rain, Hayley pulls up in front of the old R&R gym. Austin had taken over the place with every intent of making it a fully-formed franchise but tonight it was quiet and empty, as it had been for a number of months. Hayley knew that this was the first thing that had suffered in the wake of Austin’s retirement; he had barely been able to face coming here. Tonight’s incident was not a one-off and they always ended up here. Austin had hidden delusions that he could return to action in WZCW and they always surfaced in violent fashion like this.
Hayley’s SOS to Dom ensured that he was there when they arrived. The ten ensured that he knew Austin was worse than he had ever been. She stayed in the car, saw Dom embrace Austin before driving off with tears streaming down her face. The two best friends were left alone but it was a terse union.
Austin pushed forcibly at the door until Dom subtly unlocked it. He then heads straight on to the treadmill and tries to get it started with no luck but in a few seconds Dom has turned on the power and the lights before comes over to stop Austin banging the console on the running machine. The tension filled the space.
Dom sits as he watches his friend struggle to get up to a decent speed and rhythm. Dom rubs his stubbly chin ruefully. Every drunken misstep from Austin causes him to wince. Watching is a painful experience. After five minutes, Austin is sweating profusely. Dom decides that enough is enough, steps up to the machine and offers his friend a bottle of water.
Dom: “Buddy can we talk?”
For all his time in the States with Austin, Dom’s Scottish accent is as broad as the day they met. Austin slows down to walking pace and accepts the bottle, but only taking in a small sip.
Austin: “What’s to talk about Dom? I’ve got to get back in training; I’m going to get back. The doctors are wrong. I can do this, we can -”
Dom: “Austin, stop.....STOP!”
He smacks the running machine, turning it off and Austin has to catch himself from falling over.
Austin: “What the fuck!”
Austin’s rage that seemed to tempered by being in this space flares up again. Austin pushes Dom up against the wall but he gets pushed back by his friend.
Dom: “Are you kidding me? Seriously Austin! You need to have a look at yourself! You’re in no fit state to be here. You don’t know what damage you could do if you hurt yourself! You’re in a right state; you’re not even able to use this equipment properly because you’re wasted. You’re an incredible fuck up you know that?”
Austin lowers his forehead and pushes himself toward Dom, unable to contain himself for all the explosive fury. Dom simply sidesteps him and Austin loses his balance, crashing straight into the wall.
Dom: “STOP IT!! Look at yourself! Think about what you’ve done! You’re destroying Hayley! Think about her and the kids! You think she is going to stay around & let you be a father to those two when they’re here?”
Still facing the wall, Austin is panting, through sheer exhaustion and exasperation at the situation. He drags his sweaty forehead up the wall, scraping and ripping his skin against the exposed brickwork.
Austin: “I just want to get back to it Dom.”
Dom: “I know, I know bud. But you know, it’s not the right time, not like this.”
The Scot picks up his friend, grabs an arm and puts it around his shoulder.
Dom: “Let’s get you back home and when we’ve slept on it, we can think about what we’re going to do about this all going forward. With a clear head eh?”
Dom gets Austin back to the car where he slumps in and out of consciousness while Dom closes up. A few minutes later they’re back on the road, to get Austin back to the house. They’re calmly discussing the events of the evening.
Austin: “I just felt that I could do it that’s all. I’ve felt so rubbish since I stopped. I don’t feel like the same person that I was.”
Dom: “But you were blotto. Even if you were fit & able, you were going to drive there?”
Austin is silent. Dom knows that he feels guilty.
Dom: “I get that there is some sort of validation or redemption that you’re looking for, to show you’re a medical marvel who can defy medical advice to come back better than you were but maybe you’ve reached the end of that path.”
Austin: “Maybe I can.”
Dom: “No Austin.”
Dom dismisses his sheepish response with a firm dismissal.
Dom: “You’re a long way from even being close, you know that right? And even if you get back in shape, they don’t have to take you if you can’t deal with the workload. But I tell ya bud, if you don’t get your shit together, why would they even think about it?”
Austin lashes out, violently pushing at Dom and the car veers across the carriageway.
Austin: “Why the fuck did you come tonight?”
Dom just about regains control of the skid.
Dom: “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?! Don’t be such an idiot!!”
Austin: “I don’t know too much about what happened after that. The car ended up in a wall and we were crushed pretty badly. Dom took the worst of it, they barely got him out alive and he died at the side of the road.”
The voice trembles as he recalls the final moments.
Austin: "He was there because of me."
Leon has been furiously scribbling as many details he can. The details of the story are better than he could possibly have imagined and at the same time it’s the most haunting possible tale. He was right; everything had changed.
Austin was directly responsible for the death of his best friend. How do you come back from that?
Austin: “So you’re asking what led to Vis Imperium. That was it, the singular moment. I came out from hospital weeks later, barely feeling human but I had survived it somehow. Hayley had put a restraining order so I couldn’t even see her as she was about to drop and I didn’t really see anyone. I ended up just withdrawing into myself. So being on my own, drinking like this. It had become a bit of a way of life.”
Leon: “You struggled to accept what had gone on.”
Austin: “I’m never going to get over it, I mean, he was our best friend. Hayley became petrified of me and who can blame her. What relationship could survive that? It got a bit better eventually. Holmes came to me while I was pretty low and sorted some stuff out pretty much straight away.”
Leon then considers his next question, something that may never have been uttered before. He hesitates before asking it, considering the implications and the details that have just been revealed.
Leon: “So you’re grateful for what Steven Holmes has done for you?”
Austin is sat on the corner of the roof of his building. It’s a pleasant day, not particularly warm yet no breeze to speak of. Three floors down is his bedsit apartment and two below that are the establishment from where Austin has just purchased a particularly cheap whisky. He gulps quickly, not hesitating to consider the burn that it leaves in its’ wake.
Suddenly he stands up, with no grace and barely a semblance of balance, he mulls over the possibilities in front of him. He could easily step off and cling to the inevitable doom that would follow but there’s something inside of him that pulls him back. Something good, wholesome, just.
It’s in that moment where he appreciates that he is now not alone yet he is struggling to comprehend what he sees in front of him. He is certainly familiar with the face, yet the body in front of him appears to have failed the incumbent in a not-dissimilar way. Standing in front of him was the unmistakeable features of Steven Holmes.
The man Austin recognised as The Elite stood in front of him as such today. Gruff but with a regal air, he stands tall with an inimitable air of superiority, leaning on a black cane.
Holmes: “Don’t be a fool lad. I’ve come all the way down here and I’d be fuming if it was a wasted trip."
Austin is aware enough to know that his face must be a picture yet he is struggling to believe what he is actually seeing and can’t resist asking the obvious question.
Austin: “What are you do-?”
Holmes: “Now, now lad. At least understand that I have the resources to find something when I want to. Sit down won’t you.”
Austin does as commanded, suddenly unable to resist the lure of the one person who he could have thought would turn up here and now.
Holmes: “Austin, we never crossed paths but as you may imagine I have fingers in pies and birds on trees. I knew you as one of the best of our time, unappreciated but fondly remembered. A great trier but a dull blade. Now let me propose something. As you may be able to tell, my time has passed but my mind is strong and I feel like WZCW is ready to fall to a new alliance at my hand. Now I have recruited a remarkable talent, one with the strength of three men but a blank canvas that I will work into devastation. Now you’re going to ask why I’m here. Could it be simpler than being part of a larger plan? To feed my ego? Or all of the above? It doesn’t need to be more than that? Right here, right now, I have the people who can make you better, stronger and get you back in WZCW at my side. You can get everything that you want in your life and more than that. You’re on the brink but show me that you have the strength to pull yourself away and I will handle the rest.”
Austin is unsure but isn’t able to hide that he is sorely tempted.
Holmes: “Come on now Austin. You know what resources I have at my fingertips. How else would I know that you would be here, at this point in time? I know all about your family troubles, your medical issues and I can throw enough money at a problem to make it go away. Put your faith in me Austin and you will not regret it.”
Austin: “You don’t expect me to trust you do you?”
Holmes: “Trust is overrated but you must know that I wouldn’t be here if could not offer you a solution, I just want you to be in the ring where I cannot. Just consider the alternative, five floors down”
Austin: ”You want me to do the dirty work.”
Holmes: “More like actions that I would do myself except as you can see, the mind is willing but the body is less so. I am sure that there will be things that the old you would have found objectionable.”
Austin: “Do I need to remind you that I am a broken man? I don’t know why you think I am able to stand up to much right now. I’ve lost everything that I had; I’ve thrown it all away.”
Holmes: “Austin I do not expect that you are able to see it right now but that is exactly why I have chosen you. With your experience and my brains, we can heal some of your wounds. We can fix your body then get you in the correct mental shape.”
Austin shakes his head in disbelief. Holmes stands up in front of him and offers a handshake.
Holmes: “Will you believe me when I say that this will pay off?”
Austin says nothing but does return the gesture.
Once more Leon is stunned into disbelief as to the version of events. He stops writing and puts his pen down. He muses over his next question.
Leon: “So you’re at your lowest ebb, life literally cannot get any worse but your knight in shining armour is Steven Holmes?”
Austin shrugs his shoulders in acknowledgement. The blank response causes Leon to show his frustration a little.
Leon: “And Holmes of all people has offered his money to ****e you out for one last shot at glory in WZCW.”
That gets a reaction.
Austin: ”What’s that got to do with it?"
Leon: “You were desperate and took the shortcut.”
For the first time Austin shows some bite, some passion at the accusation that this is a selfish gesture. As a result he now begins to pay more attention to Leon than the drink in front of him.
Austin: “A shortcut? I had put faith in everything else and look where it got me. Holmes brought me back because he saw an untapped resource that he could mould to his own requirements. He was the only one who could accept that I wasn’t done. I’ve not said a single word to anyone in WZCW until today and I’ve still managed to make that very clear. Why would I care? No-one cared about me when I was gone. I know I am back and better for the experience and I don’t have to waste my energy caring about anyone else’s opinion. Above all do you think that I care how I got brought back when that was all I wanted to do?”
Leon: “You bought into what he was selling and it’s got you a place at his table and an Elite Openweight championship shot.”
Austin: “Vis Imperium have demonstrated what happens when three powers come together with the assistance of a great mind. We are an unbeatable force and are aligned on the same page. I’ve waited a long time to get back in the ring at a WZCW pay-per-view as there is no better place to unleash the full force of what I am capable of and above all I will be able to demonstrate my gratitude to Mr Holmes for bringing me back to show that I am not finished.”
Leon: “I get that you’re happy to be back in the ring and I’m happy to see it too but I cannot fathom how you and Steven Holmes are on the same page.”
Voice: “And that Leon is why you watch and we do.”
Leon turns in shock at hearing not only a voice but a voice that he recognised; a voice that had taunted WZCW superstars and fans around the world. Leon turns around to see the Power Trip John Constantine in all his suited glory. Naturally he is not alone.
Constantine: “Now Leon, I’m sure that I don’t need to remind you that you’re talking to the next Elite Openweight Champion”
Holmes: “Leon do you not have somewhere to be? I believe you’re due on your flight to Australia later. It’s clear from what I have heard that Austin just wants to take back what he gave up. I’m sure that you can craft an enriching tale based on his heart-wrenching journey to this point.”
Abel: “And Mistah Reynolds is gonna get everything he wants ‘cos Vis Imperium will be at ‘is side.”
Leon can feel three pairs of eyes bearing down on him and he looks over at Austin but he has just reclined back in to his whisky, taking the passion & hunger that Leon had just unearthed with it. With that single act, Leon knows that his interview is over. He reluctantly starts to pack up his things.
Leon: “Thanks for your time Austin and er, good luck at Unscripted.”
Kensworth doesn’t hang around and soon Vis Imperium stand alone. Austin pushes the glass that Leon didn’t touch toward Constantine but Holmes snaffles it up, drawing a glare from his stable-mate.
Holmes: “Now that the little peon has disappeared.”
Austin: “He’s not so bad, just doing a job that’s all.”
Holmes: “Well he’s not here so I can do what we came here for.”
Constantine observes his surroundings which resemble squalor compared to the manors where they reside.
Constantine: “And what can I ask is that?”
Holmes: “I want us to revel in our formation as we approach Unscripted of course and Austin’s match with Eve Taylor may be the most significant of them all.”
Austin: “It’s significant to me because after years of combining forces for common goals, Steven Holmes and John Constantine finally have put the pieces together that will win the war that they have been fighting for years. Abel Hunnicutt is the damndest specimen that this company has ever seen and thanks to Steven, I am going to be able to do what I wasn’t capable of years ago.”
Holmes seems impressed and even Constantine is unable to stifle his reaction.
Austin: “So there’s no room for cock teases or false proclamations, we’ve promised that we will be dominant, Unscripted is our time to really make it count on the biggest of stages.”
Whether this bravado was meant to have this effect it’s not entirely clear but there is a reaction.
Constantine: “HA! Utterly brilliant! I could not have scripted it better!”
Holmes: “Well dare I say that I could have worded it a little more eloquently.”
Abel: “But that there sentiment is kinda perfect.”
Austin: “Then it can happen, with the force of us all pulling in the right direction, we’ll be irresistible. But enough with the revelry, right here now we’ve won nothing yet.”
Holmes: “Absolutely, we have to emerge from Unscripted with both titles. We have been the target of some absurd comments recently and it will be the ultimate statement of intent.”
Austin: “If I’m going to emerge victorious then I need to be prepared for Eve Taylor and everything that she will throw at me. I need to know to how to beat her. The best way that I can figure this out is by picking the brains of someone who lost to her recently but has beaten her before.”
Constantine perks up. His reaction indicates that he is still a little sore about the recent loss at Meltdown 129 but he seems positive about the idea of a tête-à-tête to bring down the woman who surpassed him as the longest reigning Elite Openweight Champion.
Austin: “John, is it OK if we speak alone?”
Holmes is less certain, he cannot even hide the fact that he is reluctant about leaving these long-term rivals alone.
Austin: Its fine Steven. I promise not to finish what ended at Kingdom Come 3.
Theres more than a little indignation showing in his face but surprisingly Holmes doesnt address it.
Holmes: Well I suppose I can make myself scarce. Come on Abel. Well see these gentlemen another time.
Holmes nods to both gentlemen and leaves with Abel following close behind. Constantine goes to pour another drink but to his surprise Austin declines. He waits for Constantine to sip before speaking again.
Austin: Its difficult not to appreciate the irony that weve represented polar opposites in the past, weve gone to war but now that we are fighting on the same side, were going to have a common goal.
Constantine: Mutual respect goes an awful long way.
Austin: And I may not be able to forget what the Showtime Power Trip did to us all those years ago but I can accept that there is a much greater reason ahead of us for us to work together.
Constantine: Precisely. We know exactly what each other are capable of; we have the scars to prove it. So you know that if I am unable to best Eve Taylor then she truly is a remarkable opponent. Theres no doubt in my mind that she is your most capable opponent since your return. Now for all that I could tell you about Eve, just be aware that you can forget everything that you think you know by looking at her. Thats not who you need to beat, you will need to defeat the warrior inside who is every bit as determined as you to hold that championship at the end of the match.
Constantine: Now for all of our differences, you and I are similar as we are natural born champions. I can sense that now that this opportunity has been presented, you feel like you have something new to prove. I saw that at Ascension, when you hit Noah Ryder and I can see it now. A glint in your eye, you know that need this championship to prove that you made the right decision to accept our help.
The Power Trip finishes off his drink in short measure.
Constantine: So the biggest issue that I can foresee is her personal attachment to the championship. It fuels her, it drives her and it embodies everything she does.
Austin: Championships arent about personal attachments. Theyre prizes, trophies to fight for rather than accessories. You cant grow attached to it, you dont love it like you do a person.
Constantine: Quite so. Now I believe Steven put you forward because he has seen a clear moment of weakness in her over time. She had clung to this championship despite everything. She endured as champion when Cerberus broke up and survived a fierce rivalry with John Doe. It has some real value to her. But she was about to give up her championship just to get an opportunity at something bigger.
Its difficult to say that Austin is comfortable in the company of his new ally but there is something unsaid between them which makes this conversation spark with a deadly intent.
Austin: If she was willing to give up something that she cared so deeply about, then this belt is mine for the taking. Its little wonder that she was so easily distracted. Let her focus on the World Championship for all I care. If that her relationship with the belt is her biggest strength then I see it as her biggest weakness. Thats my in.
Constantine: Of course it wont be as easy as all of that. There are the inevitable Unscripted stipulations which will try to throw a spanner in the works. But as Im speaking to the guy who defended the same title in an Inferno match, Im certain that these hold no fears for you.
Austin considers what he is scared of in life nowadays. Not seeing his kids scares him, not being part of their life petrifies him but when it comes to WZCW, what really could bother him nowadays?
Not being a champion? No worry.
Losing at Unscripted? Austin could foresee Holmes wrath being unmatched but Holmes put him in this position. He was just happy that an inferno Match wasnt an option this time.
Being on the same page as John Constantine? Maybe that was concerning if Austin spent any time thinking about it. Yet here they were, having a purposeful conversation about a shared goal and the ambitions of their group for the future.
Austin: Between the three of us, we have fought in every type of match going. Hell, the fewer rules that I can be bound by the better for me. So the stipulations dont bother me. In fact the people can choose what they like, let them choose a match which suits her to the ground."
Constantine: Then they can see you take the championship from their hero. This could be a great night for Vis Imperium. To deliver on two fronts, on the same night really would be remarkable even by the high standards that we hold ourselves to. Steven must be convinced that you are the man to do this.
Perhaps Austin could move past his past with Constantine. It would certainly bode well for Vis Imperium if they could both co-exist or even thrive.
Constantine: And above all I do not see why he is not correct.
Constantine leans in even closer.
Constantine: Listen Austin, if you can beat Eve Taylor as she is on the straight road to the World Championship then you prove that you are back among the Elite in WZCW once again. Enhance your legacy and prove that Vis Imperium has no weak links
Austin rarely felt like he deserved such status in life nowadays but at work things were different. Vis Imperium had propelled him to new heights in short time and now, he could fight for a championship which he felt a real attachment to. He had value once more, he was appreciated.
All because of Steven Holmes.
Austin: Its fine Steven. I promise not to finish what ended at Kingdom Come 3.
Theres more than a little indignation showing in his face but surprisingly Holmes doesnt address it.
Holmes: Well I suppose I can make myself scarce. Come on Abel. Well see these gentlemen another time.
Holmes nods to both gentlemen and leaves with Abel following close behind. Constantine goes to pour another drink but to his surprise Austin declines. He waits for Constantine to sip before speaking again.
Austin: Its difficult not to appreciate the irony that weve represented polar opposites in the past, weve gone to war but now that we are fighting on the same side, were going to have a common goal.
Constantine: Mutual respect goes an awful long way.
Austin: And I may not be able to forget what the Showtime Power Trip did to us all those years ago but I can accept that there is a much greater reason ahead of us for us to work together.
Constantine: Precisely. We know exactly what each other are capable of; we have the scars to prove it. So you know that if I am unable to best Eve Taylor then she truly is a remarkable opponent. Theres no doubt in my mind that she is your most capable opponent since your return. Now for all that I could tell you about Eve, just be aware that you can forget everything that you think you know by looking at her. Thats not who you need to beat, you will need to defeat the warrior inside who is every bit as determined as you to hold that championship at the end of the match.
Constantine: Now for all of our differences, you and I are similar as we are natural born champions. I can sense that now that this opportunity has been presented, you feel like you have something new to prove. I saw that at Ascension, when you hit Noah Ryder and I can see it now. A glint in your eye, you know that need this championship to prove that you made the right decision to accept our help.
The Power Trip finishes off his drink in short measure.
Constantine: So the biggest issue that I can foresee is her personal attachment to the championship. It fuels her, it drives her and it embodies everything she does.
Austin: Championships arent about personal attachments. Theyre prizes, trophies to fight for rather than accessories. You cant grow attached to it, you dont love it like you do a person.
Constantine: Quite so. Now I believe Steven put you forward because he has seen a clear moment of weakness in her over time. She had clung to this championship despite everything. She endured as champion when Cerberus broke up and survived a fierce rivalry with John Doe. It has some real value to her. But she was about to give up her championship just to get an opportunity at something bigger.
Its difficult to say that Austin is comfortable in the company of his new ally but there is something unsaid between them which makes this conversation spark with a deadly intent.
Austin: If she was willing to give up something that she cared so deeply about, then this belt is mine for the taking. Its little wonder that she was so easily distracted. Let her focus on the World Championship for all I care. If that her relationship with the belt is her biggest strength then I see it as her biggest weakness. Thats my in.
Constantine: Of course it wont be as easy as all of that. There are the inevitable Unscripted stipulations which will try to throw a spanner in the works. But as Im speaking to the guy who defended the same title in an Inferno match, Im certain that these hold no fears for you.
Austin considers what he is scared of in life nowadays. Not seeing his kids scares him, not being part of their life petrifies him but when it comes to WZCW, what really could bother him nowadays?
Not being a champion? No worry.
Losing at Unscripted? Austin could foresee Holmes wrath being unmatched but Holmes put him in this position. He was just happy that an inferno Match wasnt an option this time.
Being on the same page as John Constantine? Maybe that was concerning if Austin spent any time thinking about it. Yet here they were, having a purposeful conversation about a shared goal and the ambitions of their group for the future.
Austin: Between the three of us, we have fought in every type of match going. Hell, the fewer rules that I can be bound by the better for me. So the stipulations dont bother me. In fact the people can choose what they like, let them choose a match which suits her to the ground."
Constantine: Then they can see you take the championship from their hero. This could be a great night for Vis Imperium. To deliver on two fronts, on the same night really would be remarkable even by the high standards that we hold ourselves to. Steven must be convinced that you are the man to do this.
Perhaps Austin could move past his past with Constantine. It would certainly bode well for Vis Imperium if they could both co-exist or even thrive.
Constantine: And above all I do not see why he is not correct.
Constantine leans in even closer.
Constantine: Listen Austin, if you can beat Eve Taylor as she is on the straight road to the World Championship then you prove that you are back among the Elite in WZCW once again. Enhance your legacy and prove that Vis Imperium has no weak links
Austin rarely felt like he deserved such status in life nowadays but at work things were different. Vis Imperium had propelled him to new heights in short time and now, he could fight for a championship which he felt a real attachment to. He had value once more, he was appreciated.
All because of Steven Holmes.
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