She's Never Been Quite The Same

“Don’t mind her. She’s just upset that someone dropped a house on her sister.” - Otho from Beetlejuice

{Las Vegas, NV - The home of Jack Michaels - “Permission”}

Jack and I were a sight to see, we had just finished with a brutal sparring match, both dripping with sweat and bleeding from busted lips. We sat on folding chairs, holding water bottles in one hand and ice packs in the other. I began shaking my head and laughing. Not too shabby for an old man. Old man.” I said to Jack, then laughing at my own damage. A bag lays neary and I just couldn’t keep from glancing at it often. “Well… Not bad for a kid I suppose and yeah, I still get to call you kid no matter how much you hate it.”. Another small chuckle escapes me before I cleared my throat. “I do have a bit more serious question for you Jack.”. It was then that Amber made her entrance into the gym,

looking at both of us

, she smiles and then rolls her eyes. ”Oh great, you two together? Jesus fucking Christ I am in trouble…” Colourful and sarcastic as ever, Amber leaned against the closest wall studying them both. ”No love, you’re not in trouble at all.” Mac responds with the same sarcastic tone, then sticks his tongue out at her playfully. ”Yeah, sure. Right… I'm gonna leave you guys to it and give the Hayabusa a bit of a tune up, maybe take it for a run. Just call me if you need me and don't roast me too much while I'm not around.” Playfully Amber returns the tongue poke before disappearing from the room, closing the door behind her with a soft thud. Mac waits a moment to see if Red doubles back to add more commentary, smiling he looks over at Jack who’s trying not to laugh and failing. “She’s something else, Mac. I love that girl.”, Jack says wistfully. “You may have noticed, I do as well. That’s one of the reasons for my being here today. There was something I wanted to have a serious conversation with you about Jack.”

The older man raised his eyebrow as he turned to me. Although he hadn’t known him that long, there was something in the tone of his voice that made Jack focus up. “Okay kid, what’s up?”. Before I get the opportunity to answer, the familiar albeit muted sound of swearing and annoyed painful biting of the tongue.Uneven footsteps and the continued cursing grows louder as Amber's voice brings almost knowing smiles to both men's faces. As the door opens again, the sound of Amber taking a deep breath trying to calm her shit before she pokes her head in- clearly doing her best to bite her tongue.``Everything alright?” Jacks asks her, even though it’s obvious that it’s not by her limp. “Yeah, wonderful. You haven't seen my steel toed boots around, have you?” I look at her with a bemused expression, I look over by my gym bag and see a pair of boots. Getting up, I grab the steel toed boots and bring them to her. ”These?” “ Yeah, those. Would have been handy two minutes earlier but hey...“ Amber goes to leave, however a last thought leaves her with a mischievous smile as she peeks back in momentarily. “Don't do anything I wouldn't do.”

With a wink, the redhead is gone again as her slightly uneven cadence disappears once more. Jack sighs and shakes his head. “If we did everything she’s ever done, we’d be dead.”, Jack says playfully. A muffled shout can be heard from the general direction of the door that Amber just went through, “ I HEARD THAT!” Shaking my head in amusement at the back and forth between the two. I hold up one finger and wait. When it was apparent that Amber was going to work on her motorcycle this time, I smiled at Jack and then reached into my gym bag. I pull out a ring box and watch as Jack’s eyes go wide. ”The contents of this little box are what I wanted to talk to you about, Jack. I’m an old school kind of guy. Where I come from, when a man wants to ask a woman to marry him, he goes to her father first.So, I’m asking for your permission Jack”.

Continuing to study Jack’s face and waiting on a response. Jack goes stone faced as he eyeballs Mac.“You… Want to marry… Amber…?”, he says with an almost amazed tone and turn of phrase. I nod slowly as I try to pick up on Jack. “Yes?”, I responded in an almost amused tone. Jack asks again, “My Amber?”. Again I responded in kind, “Yeah.”. Jack now becomes a bit more serious, “My adopted daughter. The woman who brought me into Carnage and has been a part of my life since the moment I’ve met her. The woman who has fought by my side, cried with me, bled with me and given everything she had because I’ve done the same for her? You want to marry HER?”

I was taken aback a little, uncertain of where this is going, as Jack seemed to study me, I could feel the weights and measures of a man being judged. After a long moment I responded, “She makes me happy, Jack. I don’t know what else I can say other than the truth. The truth is I love her.”. Jack takes a slow deep breath and shakes his head. “You son of a bitch…”, Jack says. I suddenly shift into attack mode over a perceived threat, feeling my body stiffen up before Jack breaks out into laughter. “Nah, I’m just messing with you kid. Yeah, marry the hell out of that girl. She deserves to be happy.” I feel the smile bloom on my face as Jack puts an arm around my shoulder and pulls me in for a small hug. I feel a sense of relief as Jack looks down at the box. “Can I see the ring?”, he asks. Nodding, as I open the box and show the three carat white gold engagement ring inside. Jack nods with approval as he keeps his arm around my shoulder.

“I’m glad you asked but I already knew you were a good man for her. We may not always see eye to eye on anything but you have a good heart… And I wouldn’t want anything less for her. You have my blessing and I truly wish you guys the most happiness in the world.”. Again, a sense of relief and you could say gratefulness to have her adopted father’s blessing washes over me. I finally do speak again after closing the ring box. “I appreciate that Jack, I really do, it means a lot that you understand tradition so well and your sense of family has always been a lot to admire and respect.”. Smiling, the two men shake hands, they part company as Jack heads for the shower and I continue to look down at the ring box. Jack gets about three steps from Me but suddenly stops and snaps his fingers. He turns back around. Jack’s eyes take on a hardened gaze, “Just one thing Mac. If you do anything to hurt her or use her in any way? I’ll kill you.”. Completely unfazed, my eyes never harden but there’s an edge to my voice. “I knew you would say something like that Jack. I get it, I’m a father too.”

Jack holds up a hand. Jack’s eyes take on a cold hue as he studies Mac.“I don’t think you would but I’ve been wrong before. Just know... If you do hurt that girl out there… I will follow you to the ends of the Earth just to watch you bleed out. My two Ambers mean more to me than anything else in this world. Don’t ever, EVER, forget that. Make no mistake kid, I like you. I respect you. I think you’ll do what’s right… But I will also burn down your entire fucking world if you go back on your word. Do we have an understanding here?”. I smile, knowing that Jack always has to have the last word, “we do Jack, I’d be much the same way if it were my daughter”. Jack suddenly breaks back out into his million dollar smile. He comes up and gives Mac a big hug. “Welcome to the family, son.”. I laughed, “She hasn’t said yes, yet”.

Fade.

{Baltimore, MD - Bane House - “A new investment?”

A chill ran the length of my spine as I turned the torque wrench. Not from the cool breeze that ran across my bare back but the memory of what had been said to me. The real problem though, is that when I considered what she had said. Pushing my ego aside, maybe she was right, maybe I wasn’t a good parent. Maybe I was everything she said I was, how does it feel to be such a complete failure, daddy? Those were her words, and then she tried to pain this image at the contract signing. The imagery she tried to create was that of a noble champion defending her title. She turned on so much charm that it almost made everyone puke. I finish torquing the bolt on the dirt bike and look over to where Amber is doing the same. I grab a shop towel and begin cleaning up from a good day's work. The look of consternation on my face must have been apparent to her as she sidled up next to me. “You don’t look like you’re okay with something…”. I smile down at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “It’s a whole lot of nothing and noise, love.”.

She gives me a steady gaze, “It’s okay to talk about it, ya know?”. I smile, nodding, “I know, it’s the head games with Kyra.”. I let out a slow exhale of breath that sounds more like a sigh than I would’ve liked. “She’s learned really well from Ken, I’ll give her that.”. She leans in closer and gives me a kiss, “don’t let them live rent free in your brainpan Bane. That’s not like you at all.”. I grunt in response, “No it’s not, maybe because….hell I dunno how she managed it. Even Ken could never do that to me.”. A voice came from behind us at the front of the garage, “You two look pretty cute all covered in oil and grease, hope I’m not interrupting anything.”. We both look up and see Jetty standing there, grinning from ear to ear. I laugh and wave her in, “Come on in girl.”. Amber looks down at her hands, then up at Jetty, “Sorry, if my hands weren’t so dirty I’d shake hands with you, I’m Amber.”. Jetty gives her a huge smile, “I’ve heard all about you, and trust me, it’s only the good things.”

Without warning, Jetty grabs Amber in a hug, “Plus I’m a hugger. You make that retard so happy it’s crazy.”. Amber’s fight instinct almost kicks in but she pushes that aside and hugs Jetty back. “Don’t tell him but he has the same effect on me.”. The girls laugh and I pretend like I didn’t just hear any of that. I shoot a wink at Jetty, “She’s pretty amazing.”. Jetty smiles, “You two go out and buy dirt bikes or something?”. “No, I offered to help John from next door with his two grandson's bikes. I’m just glad Amber was here to help me with it.”. She smiles at me, “Team effort Mac, I’m glad we had this to do together.”. I smile back at her, “We’re just getting ready to test them, see how good we really did.”. I walk over to the bike I had worked on, and swing my right leg over the seat. I stand up and kick the ignition over, starting on the first try. I look over to where Amber has done the same thing and hers also fires on the first try. In unison we kill the ignitions, meeting halfway we fist bump.

Jetty, “have you two ever considered starting your own garage?”. I look between the two of them, and I see the lightbulb go off for her. Then the most beautiful smile blossoms on her face. “I think we just did.”, I say and then chuckle. “The only problem I see is not having anyone to run it while we’re away.”. Jetty gives me that, “You’re a dumbass Mac”, look that causes me to laugh. “Or we could hire you to do that?”. “You always were a little slow on the uptake Bane.”, she shakes her head. “And we hire an all veteran crew to support the local veterans.”. Amber jumps in on it as well, “That could also help with your mission to get more vets off the streets.”. I smile at her, “Smart, gorgeous and tough.”, I say in a matter of fact tone.

“Mac, she’d have made one hell of a seal.”, Jetty says matching my own tone. I nod, “She would have indeed.”. It may have been a trick of the light or my imagination but I think Red actually blushed at the compliments. Jetty interrupts my focus, “What are you guys doing for lunch? I think we should put a business model together if you’re serious about doing this?”. I look over at Amber who smiles and then says, “Fuck Yeah! Let’s do this.”. Jetty laughs at Amber’s enthusiasm. “Hey Mac, did you ever do any more detective work on Webb?”. I shake my head, “Not yet, it’s been a very busy time. Johnny Webb will have to wait until later tonight.

Fade

{In-Studio}

The still air and nearly deafening lack of sound in the studio will drive you nuts if you’re not ready for it. I stand on the spot marked with painters tape in the form of an “x”. The technician and the boom microphone operator signal we are good and we’re recording. So I begin the monologue I had prepared.

“What does it take to truly defeat a man,woman or whatever pronoun you prefer? Not to simply beat them in one on one competition but to defeat them completely, crush the spirit, heart and soul of a person? To so completely crush them that they no longer have the desire to compete on any level? That was never my plan for Kyra Johnson, no, that has been her plan for me. She’s done everything in her power to demean and degrade me. She’s tried her damndest to get The Legion to turn on me. I would say the real question is why but it’s not really. I know why, and I know who’s behind it. Kyra did something that no one has been able to do to me in a long, long time. I’ll admit it freely, it’s all part of the “honest words” thing that I do.

She got in my head.

She made me question.

She made me doubt….

Every.

Fucking.

Thing!

Now, it’s her turn. She’s so tired of people calling her a no talent hack, not that she can’t do things other than ultra violence, that’s her preference.

Her calling card if you will.

You should have kept the weapons stipulation in for yourself kiddo. I know you’re trying to prove a point to Joe and everyone who ever called you untalented. However, I think you’ve overestimated your chances in a match like this against someone like me. I have a long history of matches like this. Comparatively speaking, you’re still wet behind the ears kid. You don’t have a tenth of my experience in these types of matches or in wrestling. Unlike many of the so called stars here in Carnage, I can actually wrestle. I don’t need a weapon, outside of what I was born with. I can stretch a competitor for days and make them wish I had beaten them with a kendo stick. The kendo stick would feel a damn site better than an inverted figure four does when applied by someone of my size and knowledge.

You do have advantages of your own however. You’re younger than I am and probably have the edge in quickness. The only other thing you had going for you, well, you simply decided that you’d throw that away. I was fully prepared to enter into this match without the use of weapons at my disposal. See, I hate gimmick matches to begin with, even though I’ve been successful at them, I truly despise them. That being said, I’ll never be the guy that shit’s on the history or tradition of this company. Carnage is my home, even though I’m splitting time with another company, this is my focus. When you said to me that you have no interest in the world title, I was stunned. What professional doesn’t want to be recognized as the very best? That’s what every single person in that locker room wants is to be the world's heavyweight champion.

If that’s not your goal, what the hell are you even doing here? It sounds to me that you’ve got some soul searching to do kiddo. Think about all the new people, the ones who haven’t received a title shot of any kind to this point. That’s insulting to everyone who has ever laced up a pair of wrestling boots KJ. You just bitch slapped everyone in the back, who has aspirations of being a champion in this company. No interest in the world title? You never have been the same since you tried to drop that house on your sister though have you? Well, it wasn’t really a house, it was a cage and she forgave you. Problem for you though is that I don’t think anyone else did. No one will let that go will they? No, and I don’t think they should to be completely honest. You tried to kill your own flesh and blood and for what? Some misguided sense of justice for yourself? So blinded by your own hatred that you couldn’t stop yourself. It’s one thing to try and end someone’s career but to try to end their life? There’s no justification you could possibly give that would satisfy anyone who saw that.

The way you carry yourself, it truly boggles the mind. You act like the world owes you something? Or at the very least that Amber and Jack owe you something. They’ve already paid the price for their supposed crimes against you little one. They’ve apologised, but it's you who can’t let it go. For you to continue to condemn them for doing what’s necessary in order to achieve their goals. I guess you have no sense of what it means to truly be a competitor in this business. A true competitor wants the opposition at their absolute best and most dangerous. Why would anyone ask for anything less? So, Kyra and Eli got their feelings hurt because someone didn’t clue them in to what’s going on. Listen here you little shit, why don’t you grow up!? Stop being such a selfish, basic bitch. You’ve always had such great potential as a competitor, you’ve never embraced what you could be. No, instead, you find a new guy who you think you can latch onto his coat tails and rise to a position that you don’t deserve. You were never good enough for someone like Jack. Amber certainly deserved a better friend than you. You proved this time and time again KJ. It was so easy for Ken to get to you.

You bought into Ken’s narrative though, and he’s made everything about Kyra. Poor KJ, so abused and mistreated by her family. Now she runs to the man who made it his mission statement to kill Paragon. Congratulations KJ, you get the assist or do they call that an accomplice? Not really relevant, you’ve made it nearly impossible for Jack or Amber to continue to be here at all. You returned what they did back to them one hundred fold, does that make you feel better or just more bitter. Did it bring you satisfaction or a false sense of belonging. The World Champion is supposed to be a standard bearer for Carnage Wrestling, not an example of what not to do or what not to be as a man. You see Kyra, I know him better than anyone in this business. He’s my brother and my best friend. I’ve tried to stay out of this from the beginning because of those two factors. I warned him almost a decade ago that if he ever put us on a collision course again that I would finish that fucking fight. I wasn’t kidding then and I’m damn sure not kidding now. After I’m done taking your shiny away, I’m going to go wreck his whole fucking world, don’t feel bad though, I’m gonna wreck your shit too. Good luck picking up the pieces kiddo, when all that’s left is a greasy spot on the fucking floor.

I’ve told everyone for a while now that I was holding everyone to a higher standard, that includes people that I consider to be like family. This unlike what the new blood is preaching is as inclusive as it gets. See? How lucky are you Kyra, you’ll be included. As I did with the Baltimore City Championship, I’ll elevate the Ultra-Violence title to heights it’s never known before. A new standard will be established. I’ll win this match, not because I have to or even because I want to. I’ll win this match, because I can and because Carnage deserves better. Then I’ll defend it on Chaos number one oh one.