Journey to Enlightenment
Aug 17, 2019 10:03:53 GMT -5
Dandy DiVito, Guillotine (QDT), and 2 more like this
Post by Derrick Vayden on Aug 17, 2019 10:03:53 GMT -5
"Holy fuck, Magic I'm freaking the fuck out!"
"DV, relax! What's wrong??"
"I'm entered into the All In match!"
"...Isn't that a good thing?"
"Yes! But I'm not ready! I've never been in a ladder match! I am so fucked!"
Maddox gives Vayden a firm slap across the face, stunning him into silence.
"Thanks... I needed that."
"Now, what's the problem?"
"I-I guess I don't think I deserve it. Look at the field. Lissie and QDT have both beat me before. Leviathan and Teo are legends in this business. Riggs and Stylez just beat me! I'm a fish out of water here, dude! This is like that disaster with the Havoc Rumble. There are eight of us in this thing, way too many people to focus on!"
"Well if you're having trouble with so many people, don't you think everyone else is having the same worries?"
"Not in the slightest, magic man! This match is a who's who of top stars. Anyone of them could be world champion tomorrow if they had the chance. Seven of the world's best IN ONE MATCH!"
Magic puts a reassuring hand on Derrick's shoulder.
"Come on, DV, you need to give yourself more credit than that. You're the cruiserweight champion for my sake! You were the one to finally take down Pasternak!"
"Who quickly beat me two weeks later."
"And you beat him again! Lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice but you did!"
Vayden shrugs.
"You are just as good as half that field, even better than the other half. You just haven't had the chance to show everyone just how good you are, not even yourself."
"Don't kid yourself. I can't even lace Leviathan's boots. I've already lost to Riggs and Stylez, we've all seen how I perform against Lissie and Guillotine."
"But imagine the shock you would cause by winning it all! You would leapfrog all of them. You would prove everyone wrong just like you always do. Besides, everyone loves a dark horse."
"You're right, but that just won't happen. The dark horse never wins."
Derrick looks down at the ground as he runs his fingers through his hair. Maddox sighs as he thinks, trying to come up with a solution to his friend's woes.
"I think I know how I can help you." Maddox finally said.
Derrick looks up and gives Magic a confused look. Maddox holds his hand out for Vayden to take.
"Take my hand."
"Magic, we've been over this."
"Just take it."
Derrick sighs and takes Magic's hand. Suddenly there's a loud bang and a puff of smoke. Before Vayden knows what's going on, the scene around them changes.
Vayden doubles over, suddenly disoriented and nauseous.
"What the fuck was that?!"
"Sorry about that, man. You'll get used to it."
"Like hell I will... Where are we..?"
Instead of Vayden's home, the two men are now standing in an old, run-down wrestling ring. As his eyes adjust, Derrick looks around the decrepit arena and starts to notice banners hanging from the rafters by mere threads.
"Wrestling Championship Federation"
"Sunday Night Slam"
"What is all this?"
"An old WCF arena. You've never been here before, but Teo Blaze has."
"Oh yeah... I remember hearing about this place when Teo first came in. He was the final world champion there, right?"
"Yes. Also an Infinity champion, Omega, Internet, TV, Tag, Trios-"
"Okay, okay. I got it! Dude's dripping in gold. Suck his dick more, why don't you?"
"Well..."
"Shut up. My point is, yeah, he won a lot of titles here. a bona fide legend in WCF... But what about in Action? What has he done since debuting back at Evolution? The guy really isn't anything special here. We're all supposed to believe he's hot shit because of what he accomplished somewhere else? Of course, I can't discredit what he's done in the past, but he's done nothing since jumping ship besides waste every opportunity he's been given up till this point.
"Do you realize he was literally handed a spot in All In? He didn't even win a qualifier like everyone else. How are we supposed to believe he can win this if we didn't even see him compete for this spot in his match?"
"Good point."
"The dude almost lost to Spencer Adams in the Glory tournament. Who the fuck gets taken to his limit by *Spencer Adams*? The great Teo Blaze almost lost to Spencer Adams. By knockout no less. It's pretty sad that guys like him, guys who were somebodies somewhere, automatically get all these opportunities that should be going to guys like us. People who have been here proving ourselves getting the shaft in favor of guys like Blaze. Waltz in here and skip the line. I think it's time to show him how much I deserve this shot."
Vayden looks over to Maddox and catches the sly smile on his face.
"What?"
"I knew it would work."
"What would work?"
"You already sound more confidant! My idea worked!"
"Don't get too excited, Magic Mike. It's just Teo."
"Fine, let's move on!"
Magic grabs Derrick's arm and suddenly they are standing in a graveyard. Vayden lurches forward, throwing up into the grass in front of the tombstones.
"Warn me, god- you dammit!"
"Sorry, man."
"Fuck... Where are we now?"
"Looks like a cemetery."
"I see that."
"Oh, look."
Maddox points down at the grave directly in front of them. Vayden follows his point and gazes upon the perfectly crafted stone.
Here lies Claire Hawkins
"Why are those dates there? Wouldn't that mean she's only two months old?"
"That's the length of her TV title reign. Havoc to the Clash two weeks before Glory. That was her peak. Claire had a great title reign, one of the best. But after that surprise loss to RPJ, She fell. Hard. Since then, Claire Hawkins has done some great things here, but her time is up. In our tag team match, she was the one who ate the pin. And now I have an L by my name because of her. I refuse to let my name be tarnished by someone else.
"That's not saying she can't be a champion again. Not in the world title picture, but maybe she could find a partner who could carry her to a tag title run or two. Hell, give it a run in the cruiserweight division.
"Uprising will hammer the final nail in the coffin of Claire's time in the spotlight. And I cannot wait to be the one to drive it home. A bit of payback for dragging me down with her in that tag match. The 'Metal Witch' is going to go the way of KISS. She's talented, she's popular, but she's also irrelevant and past her prime. I think it's about time for her End of the Road tour."
Magic flicks his wrist and conjures up a beautiful red rose. He lays it down in the grass in front of the tombstone... right next to Vayden's puke.
"Ready to go?"
Derrick takes a deep breath to steel himself.
"Yeah, let's go."
Magic takes Derrick's hand into his own and the two once again to a new environment. This time, it is a white void, completely devoid of any discernible features.
"...Did we break something?"
"I... don't know. This is supposed to represent Allison Riggs-Preston."
"Ohhh... That makes sense."
"It does?"
"Yeah, because she has no defining characteristics. She's just another pretty face who only exists to appeal to the males aged between fifteen and fifty."
"She is a decent wrestler."
"True, but what's the point of being a good wrestler when you have no personality? You can only get so far on your talent in this industry. You need to have the it factor, Riggs only has the shit factor.
"Everyone in this match brings something exciting to the table. A former world champion and creepy sumbitch in Leviathan, shooting stars in Lissie and Q, a badass like Claire. Fuck, even Stylez or Teo winning would elicit some sort of pop. But Allison? Yawn...
"But for the sake of fairness, let's pretend that she did win the match, just for a sec. Would that not be the most boring outcome possible? Anyone who isn't a pre-teen boy can't give two shits about this chick. It would do terrible ratings. And we all know Torture is all about 'dem ratings. So for his sake, let's make sure she doesn't win."
"Okay, great. Now let's get out of here. It's cold and it smells like fish."
"Good idea."
The two teleport out of the bright white void. The new scene is that of a dark dance club. Loud techno music was blasting as muscular men without shirts sensually dance while a sea of male spectators cheer and toss money at the dancers.
Derrick looks around with a confused expression on his face as Magic looks around, hands on his hips and a satisfied smile on his face.
"Is... is this for Stylez?"
"Hm? Oh! Um... Look, I'm gonna level with you, DV... It's been a while since I took the subway to Poundtown. It's been weighing on my mind. All I want is for a man to-"
"OKAY! I really don't want to hear about this right now! Can we please get back on track?!"
Magic doesn't respond right away. Instead, his attention is directed towards a nearby dancer, who is gyrating rhythmically to the beat of the song while making eye contact with him.
"Magic!"
Maddox jolts back to reality.
"Oh! Y-yeah, let's get back to it!"
Maddox turns back to the dancer once more and motions for him to call him before teleporting away with Vayden in tow.
The scene is now a pristine white castle. Huge walls, tall towers, elegant banners with the letters "RF" on them dancing in the breeze. Vayden groans, for he knew this location far too well.
"The Royal Family? I hate these prissy bitches. Especially that Goddess of Ganjah Geri Miller."
"I know you do. But put your Geri hate fucking aside for now and focus on Lissie. She's your primary focus amongst these ladies."
"Yeah, you're right. I need to focus on Lissie but my primary concern lies within all of them. Lissie is a coward. I know how rich that sounds coming from the guy she beat in his debut, but it's true. Think about it. She's had the rocket strapped to her back since day one, no?"
"Seems like it."
"Okay, so why hasn't she gone after Lockhart sooner?"
"Maybe because management doesn't want her near him?"
"Bullshit. She's one of their top stars. Why wouldn't they do everything in their power to crown her as the top champion as soon as possible?
Wanna know what I think? I think she's scared. Scared that she isn't ready, that she isn't good enough. She's afraid that all the hard work she's put in up to this point will go down the drain because deep in her heart she knows that she can't cut it against Ryan."
"So you're saying she's afraid of Lockhart?"
"Not just him, she's afraid of a lot of people in Action Wrestling. Why else would she surround herself with a group of people? So she can hide behind them when shit hits the fan. It's, in all fairness, a smart move, albeit a cowardly one.
"I'll be honest and open. When I first stepped foot in this place, Lissie Hope beat my ass. And I suppose I should be thanking her. Because without her stomping me into the ground, I would never have gone down to the cruiserweight division and win two cruiserweight championships."
"See? Now you're getting it. That loss was just a slow start."
"Exactly! The Derrick Vayden who lost to Lissie Hope is dead. He was replaced with the man you see today. More experienced, more hungry, more confidant. She's expecting the same arrogant son of a bitch who's ego was bigger than his head. But she's in for a surprise when I come in there and kick her-"
"She doesn't have a dick."
"...head off..."
"That's better."
"The All In match is a free for all. She won't have those royal pains in my ass to save her from getting her ass kicked. I'm going to show that bitch just how much I've changed since our last encounter. I don't care if all four of those little bitches climb the ladder at once. I will knock each and every one of them off their thrones as I ascend to MY crown."
"Please don't tell me you're doing the king thing now too."
"No, Magic. I'm just running with the royalty theme."
"Okay good... There are too many kings and queens of nothing running around here."
"Anyways, I don't want to be here any longer than we have to. I can smell the cheap weed from here."
The two men once again teleport to the next location of their journey. This time, it was a beach. The trees were gently flowing in the wind, the cool waves gently rolling over themselves. The sun is shining bright, only a few little clouds in the sky.
"This place is for-"
"No, wait. This is fun, let me guess! Let's see... Q really isn't the beach type, Johnny does seem like the fuck boy, surfer type, but maybe more of a skater douche rather than a surfer dick. It's Wade! Beach Krew, I get it!"
"Correct!"
"Better yet, this reminds me of the Wade of old. The wade that was focused on the prize. The wade who didn't go fucking insane, before he developed a case of split personality."
"How is that better?"
"Well, Wade Moor was unstoppable. He's a former world champion, dominated in the Havoc Rumble. But Will Moor? Leviathan? They haven't done anything lately. They're so distracted fighting each other that they've lost sight of the task at hand. Mayhaps his time in the sun is finally over. The dissolution of Beach Krew must have really fucked with him because he just isn't how he used to be. He used to be a constant world title contender. Now? He probably couldn't even win the TV title.
"It's a damn shame, really. To watch a man slowly crumble in live action. To watch him slowly drift further and further away from reality and continue to torture himself all in an attempt to kill his demons. Sad, unfortunate, but inevitable. I suppose I'll have to put him out of his misery..."
The sky suddenly blackens with dark storm clouds. The waves begin to become violent and the ground under their feet begins to rumble. Something is approaching. Something big…
"What the hell is going on?!"
"Look!"
Maddox points out into the water, where a particular part of the sea begins to ripple and break as something comes to the surface.
"Holy shit, it's him! It's Leviathan!"
"We're fucked!"
Suddenly the large entity fully emerges from the water to reveal itself as...
A giant rubber ducky.
"Oh..."
"Well, that's not scary at all."
"Yeah... Let's get out of here and leave him to do... whatever it is he does."
The duck lets out a very loud and very deep "quack" as the two men teleport away.
The new scene is in the courtyard located in the center of a small village at dusk. A small group of people is gathered around a guillotine, a man tied down with his head stuck through. A man wearing a black executioner mask stands by the lever, waiting for the death orders.
"QDT, Guillotine. Too easy."
"Yeah... Let's get this one done quickly. These folks aren't too friendly to magic users..."
"All right, got it. Well, let's start at the beginning. It all started when we faced off at Havoc. I took the man to his limit. He got the win in the end, but it was far closer than anyone expected it to be. I made him fear me."
"You think Guillotine is afraid of you?"
"Doesn't it seem oddly coincidental that he left the cruiserweight division shortly after I showed up and almost beat him?"
"Well, yeah. But he wanted to go after Wade."
"Sure, that's the story everyone is running with, but I don't buy it. I think he knew just how good I am and that I would eventually unseat him and he didn't want to be embarrassed by getting beat by a rookie. So he saw his way out and began to chase Wade. He'd rather have his ass handed to him by a monster than getting beat honorably by me. Pick your poison, I suppose."
Some of the people in the crowd turn towards the two men and begin to chatter, remarking about their strange clothing.
"Oh shit. Hurry DV!"
"Speaking of Wade, he absolutely destroyed Q. Beat him within an inch of his life multiple times. So much so that Q snapped. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! Quixote was so tired of getting his ass whupped every which way and the only way he could get it to stop was to join the motherfucker. Much like Lissie, he's merely hiding behind an ally so he can protect himself."
The whole crowd has turned their attention to the time traveling teleporters and are now slowly making their way over.
"We're out of time! Moving on!"
The two men are now standing outside of a large house. A house that is completely new to Vayden.
"I... got nothing."
"This here is the Riggs manor."
"Ah. I get where you're going with this. LA Johnny Stylez almost lost multiple times to some cuck who couldn't even cut it in Action Wrestling. The guy had Damon Riggs come over and tell Johnny to stop picking on his boy. Yet Stylez still almost lost! It was pathetic for both parties.
"I stand by what I said. Stylez is all flash and no substance. Loud and obnoxious for the sake of being loud and obnoxious. When it comes to in-ring abilities, I have him beat hands down. My only worry is that he'll cause me to go deaf with his
"Sure, he has a leg up on people like Claire and what's-his-face Preston. But me? I'll send his Ninja lookin' ass back to The United Republic of Slamzone. He talks a big game on the internet but he sorta fails when it matters most. A win here, a win there, but chokes when the ball is in his hands on the final drive. I, on the other hand, am Tom Brady. I just win and win.
"Touchdown, bitch."
"You sound pretty confident."
"Yeah... I feel pretty confidant. Thanks, man, you were right."
"Then my work here is done. Good luck, DV!"
Maddox suddenly vanishes into a puff of smoke and a loud bang, leaving Vayden alone in front of the Riggs house.
"Wait, what the fuck! Magic, come back! I don't know where I am, how do I get home?!
"Ian dammit!"
----
Allow me to take you back to the Havoc pay per view. A brand new Derrick Vayden, only one match into his Action Wrestling career, is matched up against one of, if not the greatest cruiserweight champions in the company, QDT.
Nobody gave me a chance. I was just a minor speedbump on the incredible run of the Guillotine. But do you know what happened? Yes, I lost. However, it was not a one sided beatdown everyone was expecting. Instead, I took it to him. I came within inches of beating the legendary Quixote Della Torre.
Moving on to the Havoc Rumble itself. My brief time in the match set into motion something that would define my career. I marched to the ring, stood toe to toe with the US champ, Dandy DiVito and you know what I did?
I kicked the motherfucker right in the dick.
This guy, one of the most intimidating dudes in the business, the iron man of the Rumble, and I stood my ground. No fear, no flinching. Just me and Dandy. Thus was the start of something magical... The first brick that would become a booming city...
Next, let me take you to Evolution II. It is a Lucha Style match for the Cruiserweight championship. Alexander Pasternak walks into the show as the dominant champion, thinking he gets an easy win and an easy payday. But guess what... He wasn't ready for me. I shocked the world when I beat everyone to finally capture my title.
Nobody is looking at me as a serious threat. That's fine. Do you want to know why? Because that will make my victory all the sweeter. Nobody took me seriously when I first arrived in Action Wrestling back in April. I had to earn that shit. Guess what, I did. I earned respect at Havoc by taking QDT to his limit. If you didn't believe then, my victory at Evolution did it.
So now, here I am, once again, preparing to make everyone believe. Nobody in this match has what it takes to stop me. They can't compare to my grind.
I get it. Everyone wants to be the World Heavyweight champion. Everyone wants to be the one to knock Lockhart off his throne. But I know for a fact that none of you want this as badly as I want this. People like me do not get these opportunities. I've been typecast as a flippy shit cruiserweight, incapable of making it on the main roster with the big boys.
This is what makes me the dark horse in this match. People like Claire, Guillotine, and Leviathan know what it's like to win championships here in Action Wrestling. It's in their blood. Teo Blaze is a legend in the business. Lissie, Riggs, Stylez, they're promising up-and-comers with a knack for winning.
Me? Just a cruiserweight who has no earthly business being there. Just a body to jump and be thrown off a ladder. There for the wow factor, not supposed to get anywhere near winning. But what happens when I win? Will the world end? Will cities fall to ruin?
No. All that will change will the wrench in the wheel that is AW's booking. Do you want Hope, the chick with the rocket strapped to her back, to finally be the one to dethrone the god that is Lockhart? Or maybe for Leviathan to finally return to his spot on top of the mountain? Well too fucking bad. The only story you'll be hearing Monday morning is that the cruiserweight champion, Derrick Vayden, is Mr. All In.
That would just piss you off, wouldn't it? Well, that's what I'm going for. See, management may not want it. Most of the guys in the back may not want it. But the fans want it. I want it. I'm more determined than I ever have been. Nobody will be able to touch my grind.
I'm the underdog, the dark horse, and I'm completely okay with that. I'm used to being the one who nobody believes in. I'm used to defying the odds. And I absolutely can't wait to do it once more. Because I am Wisconsin's Finest, Cruiserweight's Finest, and soon enough...
World's Finest.
FIN
"DV, relax! What's wrong??"
"I'm entered into the All In match!"
"...Isn't that a good thing?"
"Yes! But I'm not ready! I've never been in a ladder match! I am so fucked!"
Maddox gives Vayden a firm slap across the face, stunning him into silence.
"Thanks... I needed that."
"Now, what's the problem?"
"I-I guess I don't think I deserve it. Look at the field. Lissie and QDT have both beat me before. Leviathan and Teo are legends in this business. Riggs and Stylez just beat me! I'm a fish out of water here, dude! This is like that disaster with the Havoc Rumble. There are eight of us in this thing, way too many people to focus on!"
"Well if you're having trouble with so many people, don't you think everyone else is having the same worries?"
"Not in the slightest, magic man! This match is a who's who of top stars. Anyone of them could be world champion tomorrow if they had the chance. Seven of the world's best IN ONE MATCH!"
Magic puts a reassuring hand on Derrick's shoulder.
"Come on, DV, you need to give yourself more credit than that. You're the cruiserweight champion for my sake! You were the one to finally take down Pasternak!"
"Who quickly beat me two weeks later."
"And you beat him again! Lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice but you did!"
Vayden shrugs.
"You are just as good as half that field, even better than the other half. You just haven't had the chance to show everyone just how good you are, not even yourself."
"Don't kid yourself. I can't even lace Leviathan's boots. I've already lost to Riggs and Stylez, we've all seen how I perform against Lissie and Guillotine."
"But imagine the shock you would cause by winning it all! You would leapfrog all of them. You would prove everyone wrong just like you always do. Besides, everyone loves a dark horse."
"You're right, but that just won't happen. The dark horse never wins."
Derrick looks down at the ground as he runs his fingers through his hair. Maddox sighs as he thinks, trying to come up with a solution to his friend's woes.
"I think I know how I can help you." Maddox finally said.
Derrick looks up and gives Magic a confused look. Maddox holds his hand out for Vayden to take.
"Take my hand."
"Magic, we've been over this."
"Just take it."
Derrick sighs and takes Magic's hand. Suddenly there's a loud bang and a puff of smoke. Before Vayden knows what's going on, the scene around them changes.
Vayden doubles over, suddenly disoriented and nauseous.
"What the fuck was that?!"
"Sorry about that, man. You'll get used to it."
"Like hell I will... Where are we..?"
Instead of Vayden's home, the two men are now standing in an old, run-down wrestling ring. As his eyes adjust, Derrick looks around the decrepit arena and starts to notice banners hanging from the rafters by mere threads.
"Wrestling Championship Federation"
"Sunday Night Slam"
"What is all this?"
"An old WCF arena. You've never been here before, but Teo Blaze has."
"Oh yeah... I remember hearing about this place when Teo first came in. He was the final world champion there, right?"
"Yes. Also an Infinity champion, Omega, Internet, TV, Tag, Trios-"
"Okay, okay. I got it! Dude's dripping in gold. Suck his dick more, why don't you?"
"Well..."
"Shut up. My point is, yeah, he won a lot of titles here. a bona fide legend in WCF... But what about in Action? What has he done since debuting back at Evolution? The guy really isn't anything special here. We're all supposed to believe he's hot shit because of what he accomplished somewhere else? Of course, I can't discredit what he's done in the past, but he's done nothing since jumping ship besides waste every opportunity he's been given up till this point.
"Do you realize he was literally handed a spot in All In? He didn't even win a qualifier like everyone else. How are we supposed to believe he can win this if we didn't even see him compete for this spot in his match?"
"Good point."
"The dude almost lost to Spencer Adams in the Glory tournament. Who the fuck gets taken to his limit by *Spencer Adams*? The great Teo Blaze almost lost to Spencer Adams. By knockout no less. It's pretty sad that guys like him, guys who were somebodies somewhere, automatically get all these opportunities that should be going to guys like us. People who have been here proving ourselves getting the shaft in favor of guys like Blaze. Waltz in here and skip the line. I think it's time to show him how much I deserve this shot."
Vayden looks over to Maddox and catches the sly smile on his face.
"What?"
"I knew it would work."
"What would work?"
"You already sound more confidant! My idea worked!"
"Don't get too excited, Magic Mike. It's just Teo."
"Fine, let's move on!"
Magic grabs Derrick's arm and suddenly they are standing in a graveyard. Vayden lurches forward, throwing up into the grass in front of the tombstones.
"Warn me, god- you dammit!"
"Sorry, man."
"Fuck... Where are we now?"
"Looks like a cemetery."
"I see that."
"Oh, look."
Maddox points down at the grave directly in front of them. Vayden follows his point and gazes upon the perfectly crafted stone.
Here lies Claire Hawkins
4/28/19-6/17/19
R.I.P
"Why are those dates there? Wouldn't that mean she's only two months old?"
"That's the length of her TV title reign. Havoc to the Clash two weeks before Glory. That was her peak. Claire had a great title reign, one of the best. But after that surprise loss to RPJ, She fell. Hard. Since then, Claire Hawkins has done some great things here, but her time is up. In our tag team match, she was the one who ate the pin. And now I have an L by my name because of her. I refuse to let my name be tarnished by someone else.
"That's not saying she can't be a champion again. Not in the world title picture, but maybe she could find a partner who could carry her to a tag title run or two. Hell, give it a run in the cruiserweight division.
"Uprising will hammer the final nail in the coffin of Claire's time in the spotlight. And I cannot wait to be the one to drive it home. A bit of payback for dragging me down with her in that tag match. The 'Metal Witch' is going to go the way of KISS. She's talented, she's popular, but she's also irrelevant and past her prime. I think it's about time for her End of the Road tour."
Magic flicks his wrist and conjures up a beautiful red rose. He lays it down in the grass in front of the tombstone... right next to Vayden's puke.
"Ready to go?"
Derrick takes a deep breath to steel himself.
"Yeah, let's go."
Magic takes Derrick's hand into his own and the two once again to a new environment. This time, it is a white void, completely devoid of any discernible features.
"...Did we break something?"
"I... don't know. This is supposed to represent Allison Riggs-Preston."
"Ohhh... That makes sense."
"It does?"
"Yeah, because she has no defining characteristics. She's just another pretty face who only exists to appeal to the males aged between fifteen and fifty."
"She is a decent wrestler."
"True, but what's the point of being a good wrestler when you have no personality? You can only get so far on your talent in this industry. You need to have the it factor, Riggs only has the shit factor.
"Everyone in this match brings something exciting to the table. A former world champion and creepy sumbitch in Leviathan, shooting stars in Lissie and Q, a badass like Claire. Fuck, even Stylez or Teo winning would elicit some sort of pop. But Allison? Yawn...
"But for the sake of fairness, let's pretend that she did win the match, just for a sec. Would that not be the most boring outcome possible? Anyone who isn't a pre-teen boy can't give two shits about this chick. It would do terrible ratings. And we all know Torture is all about 'dem ratings. So for his sake, let's make sure she doesn't win."
"Okay, great. Now let's get out of here. It's cold and it smells like fish."
"Good idea."
The two teleport out of the bright white void. The new scene is that of a dark dance club. Loud techno music was blasting as muscular men without shirts sensually dance while a sea of male spectators cheer and toss money at the dancers.
Derrick looks around with a confused expression on his face as Magic looks around, hands on his hips and a satisfied smile on his face.
"Is... is this for Stylez?"
"Hm? Oh! Um... Look, I'm gonna level with you, DV... It's been a while since I took the subway to Poundtown. It's been weighing on my mind. All I want is for a man to-"
"OKAY! I really don't want to hear about this right now! Can we please get back on track?!"
Magic doesn't respond right away. Instead, his attention is directed towards a nearby dancer, who is gyrating rhythmically to the beat of the song while making eye contact with him.
"Magic!"
Maddox jolts back to reality.
"Oh! Y-yeah, let's get back to it!"
Maddox turns back to the dancer once more and motions for him to call him before teleporting away with Vayden in tow.
The scene is now a pristine white castle. Huge walls, tall towers, elegant banners with the letters "RF" on them dancing in the breeze. Vayden groans, for he knew this location far too well.
"The Royal Family? I hate these prissy bitches. Especially that Goddess of Ganjah Geri Miller."
"I know you do. But put your Geri hate fucking aside for now and focus on Lissie. She's your primary focus amongst these ladies."
"Yeah, you're right. I need to focus on Lissie but my primary concern lies within all of them. Lissie is a coward. I know how rich that sounds coming from the guy she beat in his debut, but it's true. Think about it. She's had the rocket strapped to her back since day one, no?"
"Seems like it."
"Okay, so why hasn't she gone after Lockhart sooner?"
"Maybe because management doesn't want her near him?"
"Bullshit. She's one of their top stars. Why wouldn't they do everything in their power to crown her as the top champion as soon as possible?
Wanna know what I think? I think she's scared. Scared that she isn't ready, that she isn't good enough. She's afraid that all the hard work she's put in up to this point will go down the drain because deep in her heart she knows that she can't cut it against Ryan."
"So you're saying she's afraid of Lockhart?"
"Not just him, she's afraid of a lot of people in Action Wrestling. Why else would she surround herself with a group of people? So she can hide behind them when shit hits the fan. It's, in all fairness, a smart move, albeit a cowardly one.
"I'll be honest and open. When I first stepped foot in this place, Lissie Hope beat my ass. And I suppose I should be thanking her. Because without her stomping me into the ground, I would never have gone down to the cruiserweight division and win two cruiserweight championships."
"See? Now you're getting it. That loss was just a slow start."
"Exactly! The Derrick Vayden who lost to Lissie Hope is dead. He was replaced with the man you see today. More experienced, more hungry, more confidant. She's expecting the same arrogant son of a bitch who's ego was bigger than his head. But she's in for a surprise when I come in there and kick her-"
"She doesn't have a dick."
"...head off..."
"That's better."
"The All In match is a free for all. She won't have those royal pains in my ass to save her from getting her ass kicked. I'm going to show that bitch just how much I've changed since our last encounter. I don't care if all four of those little bitches climb the ladder at once. I will knock each and every one of them off their thrones as I ascend to MY crown."
"Please don't tell me you're doing the king thing now too."
"No, Magic. I'm just running with the royalty theme."
"Okay good... There are too many kings and queens of nothing running around here."
"Anyways, I don't want to be here any longer than we have to. I can smell the cheap weed from here."
The two men once again teleport to the next location of their journey. This time, it was a beach. The trees were gently flowing in the wind, the cool waves gently rolling over themselves. The sun is shining bright, only a few little clouds in the sky.
"This place is for-"
"No, wait. This is fun, let me guess! Let's see... Q really isn't the beach type, Johnny does seem like the fuck boy, surfer type, but maybe more of a skater douche rather than a surfer dick. It's Wade! Beach Krew, I get it!"
"Correct!"
"Better yet, this reminds me of the Wade of old. The wade that was focused on the prize. The wade who didn't go fucking insane, before he developed a case of split personality."
"How is that better?"
"Well, Wade Moor was unstoppable. He's a former world champion, dominated in the Havoc Rumble. But Will Moor? Leviathan? They haven't done anything lately. They're so distracted fighting each other that they've lost sight of the task at hand. Mayhaps his time in the sun is finally over. The dissolution of Beach Krew must have really fucked with him because he just isn't how he used to be. He used to be a constant world title contender. Now? He probably couldn't even win the TV title.
"It's a damn shame, really. To watch a man slowly crumble in live action. To watch him slowly drift further and further away from reality and continue to torture himself all in an attempt to kill his demons. Sad, unfortunate, but inevitable. I suppose I'll have to put him out of his misery..."
The sky suddenly blackens with dark storm clouds. The waves begin to become violent and the ground under their feet begins to rumble. Something is approaching. Something big…
"What the hell is going on?!"
"Look!"
Maddox points out into the water, where a particular part of the sea begins to ripple and break as something comes to the surface.
"Holy shit, it's him! It's Leviathan!"
"We're fucked!"
Suddenly the large entity fully emerges from the water to reveal itself as...
A giant rubber ducky.
"Oh..."
"Well, that's not scary at all."
"Yeah... Let's get out of here and leave him to do... whatever it is he does."
The duck lets out a very loud and very deep "quack" as the two men teleport away.
The new scene is in the courtyard located in the center of a small village at dusk. A small group of people is gathered around a guillotine, a man tied down with his head stuck through. A man wearing a black executioner mask stands by the lever, waiting for the death orders.
"QDT, Guillotine. Too easy."
"Yeah... Let's get this one done quickly. These folks aren't too friendly to magic users..."
"All right, got it. Well, let's start at the beginning. It all started when we faced off at Havoc. I took the man to his limit. He got the win in the end, but it was far closer than anyone expected it to be. I made him fear me."
"You think Guillotine is afraid of you?"
"Doesn't it seem oddly coincidental that he left the cruiserweight division shortly after I showed up and almost beat him?"
"Well, yeah. But he wanted to go after Wade."
"Sure, that's the story everyone is running with, but I don't buy it. I think he knew just how good I am and that I would eventually unseat him and he didn't want to be embarrassed by getting beat by a rookie. So he saw his way out and began to chase Wade. He'd rather have his ass handed to him by a monster than getting beat honorably by me. Pick your poison, I suppose."
Some of the people in the crowd turn towards the two men and begin to chatter, remarking about their strange clothing.
"Oh shit. Hurry DV!"
"Speaking of Wade, he absolutely destroyed Q. Beat him within an inch of his life multiple times. So much so that Q snapped. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! Quixote was so tired of getting his ass whupped every which way and the only way he could get it to stop was to join the motherfucker. Much like Lissie, he's merely hiding behind an ally so he can protect himself."
The whole crowd has turned their attention to the time traveling teleporters and are now slowly making their way over.
"We're out of time! Moving on!"
The two men are now standing outside of a large house. A house that is completely new to Vayden.
"I... got nothing."
"This here is the Riggs manor."
"Ah. I get where you're going with this. LA Johnny Stylez almost lost multiple times to some cuck who couldn't even cut it in Action Wrestling. The guy had Damon Riggs come over and tell Johnny to stop picking on his boy. Yet Stylez still almost lost! It was pathetic for both parties.
"I stand by what I said. Stylez is all flash and no substance. Loud and obnoxious for the sake of being loud and obnoxious. When it comes to in-ring abilities, I have him beat hands down. My only worry is that he'll cause me to go deaf with his
SaRcAsTiC sPoNgEbOb ScReAmInG!!!
"Sure, he has a leg up on people like Claire and what's-his-face Preston. But me? I'll send his Ninja lookin' ass back to The United Republic of Slamzone. He talks a big game on the internet but he sorta fails when it matters most. A win here, a win there, but chokes when the ball is in his hands on the final drive. I, on the other hand, am Tom Brady. I just win and win.
"Touchdown, bitch."
"You sound pretty confident."
"Yeah... I feel pretty confidant. Thanks, man, you were right."
"Then my work here is done. Good luck, DV!"
Maddox suddenly vanishes into a puff of smoke and a loud bang, leaving Vayden alone in front of the Riggs house.
"Wait, what the fuck! Magic, come back! I don't know where I am, how do I get home?!
"Ian dammit!"
----
So you think that you got me
Beat me down, beat me down, do you think you're on top
Well I'm not where you left me
I've been picking up steam and I've picked myself up
I'm stronger this time
Ready to defy
And no matter what you do I'm never gonna stop
-All In, Downstait
Beat me down, beat me down, do you think you're on top
Well I'm not where you left me
I've been picking up steam and I've picked myself up
I'm stronger this time
Ready to defy
And no matter what you do I'm never gonna stop
-All In, Downstait
Allow me to take you back to the Havoc pay per view. A brand new Derrick Vayden, only one match into his Action Wrestling career, is matched up against one of, if not the greatest cruiserweight champions in the company, QDT.
Nobody gave me a chance. I was just a minor speedbump on the incredible run of the Guillotine. But do you know what happened? Yes, I lost. However, it was not a one sided beatdown everyone was expecting. Instead, I took it to him. I came within inches of beating the legendary Quixote Della Torre.
Moving on to the Havoc Rumble itself. My brief time in the match set into motion something that would define my career. I marched to the ring, stood toe to toe with the US champ, Dandy DiVito and you know what I did?
I kicked the motherfucker right in the dick.
This guy, one of the most intimidating dudes in the business, the iron man of the Rumble, and I stood my ground. No fear, no flinching. Just me and Dandy. Thus was the start of something magical... The first brick that would become a booming city...
Next, let me take you to Evolution II. It is a Lucha Style match for the Cruiserweight championship. Alexander Pasternak walks into the show as the dominant champion, thinking he gets an easy win and an easy payday. But guess what... He wasn't ready for me. I shocked the world when I beat everyone to finally capture my title.
Nobody is looking at me as a serious threat. That's fine. Do you want to know why? Because that will make my victory all the sweeter. Nobody took me seriously when I first arrived in Action Wrestling back in April. I had to earn that shit. Guess what, I did. I earned respect at Havoc by taking QDT to his limit. If you didn't believe then, my victory at Evolution did it.
So now, here I am, once again, preparing to make everyone believe. Nobody in this match has what it takes to stop me. They can't compare to my grind.
Are you sure that you want it
Is the fire in your soul gonna keep you warm
Is this the prize that you covet
Did you find the reason that you were born
And if it's not
you better step aside
Because I'm coming for it, coming for it
-All In, Downstait
Is the fire in your soul gonna keep you warm
Is this the prize that you covet
Did you find the reason that you were born
And if it's not
you better step aside
Because I'm coming for it, coming for it
-All In, Downstait
I get it. Everyone wants to be the World Heavyweight champion. Everyone wants to be the one to knock Lockhart off his throne. But I know for a fact that none of you want this as badly as I want this. People like me do not get these opportunities. I've been typecast as a flippy shit cruiserweight, incapable of making it on the main roster with the big boys.
This is what makes me the dark horse in this match. People like Claire, Guillotine, and Leviathan know what it's like to win championships here in Action Wrestling. It's in their blood. Teo Blaze is a legend in the business. Lissie, Riggs, Stylez, they're promising up-and-comers with a knack for winning.
Me? Just a cruiserweight who has no earthly business being there. Just a body to jump and be thrown off a ladder. There for the wow factor, not supposed to get anywhere near winning. But what happens when I win? Will the world end? Will cities fall to ruin?
No. All that will change will the wrench in the wheel that is AW's booking. Do you want Hope, the chick with the rocket strapped to her back, to finally be the one to dethrone the god that is Lockhart? Or maybe for Leviathan to finally return to his spot on top of the mountain? Well too fucking bad. The only story you'll be hearing Monday morning is that the cruiserweight champion, Derrick Vayden, is Mr. All In.
That would just piss you off, wouldn't it? Well, that's what I'm going for. See, management may not want it. Most of the guys in the back may not want it. But the fans want it. I want it. I'm more determined than I ever have been. Nobody will be able to touch my grind.
I'm the underdog, the dark horse, and I'm completely okay with that. I'm used to being the one who nobody believes in. I'm used to defying the odds. And I absolutely can't wait to do it once more. Because I am Wisconsin's Finest, Cruiserweight's Finest, and soon enough...
World's Finest.
FIN