Post by Justin Kaard on Jun 6, 2016 21:58:11 GMT -5
"God damn it!"
James looked up as a training dummy crashed into the wall. Justin stomped up and kicked the dummy in its side, cursing as he went. James did his best not to smirk, as a former member of Pure Class Wrestling he knew all too well the frustration of losing a title. Though he'd never reached the same heights as his young protégé his career hadn't been entirely unremarkable, a run with tag time titles and the final North American Champion before the company had been forced to close down. Before that the only reason he'd lost the tag team titles was because of him. James hadn't thought of him in years outside of the odd nightmare every now and then.
James watched Justin rampage around the room a little while longer before he headed over to stop his hot headed apprentice before he hurt himself.
"All right, Justin, that's enough."
Justin whirled on the older man, "It's not fair, James. I had him, I fucking had him."
James sighed, kid's never changed, "You did have him, Justin. You had him beat. You had every opportunity to beat him and instead you chose to showboat and go for something high risk. Guess what, you took a shot and you missed. It happens. Now you can either continue throwing a temper tantrum like a toddler or you can get to work."
"But now they've got me facing Alexa Black," Justin whined, "I don't give a shit about facing her, I want Grimm and I want my title back."
James scoffed, "Kid, with that attitude if you faced Grimm right now he'd eat you alive and pick his teeth with your bones. Christ, with your attitude right now Alexa Black might do the same thing. One more thing," he paused.
James cuffed Justin aside his head.
"Don't ever disrespect an opponent. I don't care if you're facing Grimm for the title or greenest rookie on the roster. You show respect to everyone you face. If I recall Alexa not only beat Rhodes but put him on the shelf and took his title while she was at it. She beat the man who beat you and did it convincingly. And somehow with all of that under her belt you've deduced that she's not good enough to face you? That is beyond arrogant."
"Yeah but-"
"Yeah but nothing, Justin. I'm honestly embarrassed for you . Embarrassed that I have to remind you of something that's a universal truth in our business. It doesn't matter who you face, you show them respect."
Justin looked sullen and properly chastised.
"Look at it this way, Justin," James sighed, "Say you go out there and run your mouth about how she's not good enough to face you and she's got no chance and blah blah blah. Then you face her and you beat her, what do you gain from it? Nothing. Not a single god damn thing. But if you go out there, you run your mouth, and you lose? Well now you look like the biggest fool in the world because this person who wasn't fit to be in the same ring as you just beat you cleanly."
Justin looked away as James continued, "But if you show Alexa, if you show anyone the respect they deserve and you beat them. You not only win but you gain their respect too. The same goes for what I do, what you'll do someday as well. The monster's I hunt, the creatures I kill, I respect them. I may loathe and despise everything they stand for, but I respect what they can do. Not giving an opponent that respect leads to underestimating them, and what happens when you underestimate an enemy in our line of work?"
"You die," Justin answered.
"You die," James confirmed, "So go out there and show Alexa how much you respect her by beating her cleanly."
Justin nodded, "Sorry, James. I know you're right and I know I was acting like a little shit. I'm just sick of not being taken seriously. I'm a two time World Champion and both times I've lost it to Grimm."
"There are always going to be those brick walls you run into, kid. Sometimes they're men like Grimm and sometimes they're things like addiction. Watching you walk around with that title, watching you preen and strut around like you were the greatest thing in the world showed me something, Justin. You're an addict."
"Look, just because I had a bit too much to drink the night we met doesn't make me an addict. I haven't touched a drop since."
"I wasn't talking about that, Justin. You're addicted to glory. You're so busy worrying about what everyone else thinks about you that you put it above anything else. It's the reason you went for that move of the top rope and it's the reason you lost your title. It's the reason you're going to die doing this. If you really knew what was good for you you'd march into whoever is running the show these days and resign. Leave the titles, leave the glory, leave the spotlight. Focus on this, on doing some actual good in the world.
Justin's temper flared, "Who the hell do you think you are? Do you have any idea how hard I've worked for this? The sacrifices I made? You're just some has-been who couldn't hack it in this business so you got roped into this. I've accomplished more in less time than you ever did, James."
Rage flashed across James' face and for the briefest moment Justin thought he was going to strike him.
"Fine."
James turned and left, shouldering past Richard as he left. Justin called out, tried to follow but Richard blocked his path.
"I'd let him go, if I were you."
Justin looked up at the old priest. Their relationship had been a rocky one ever since he'd bailed Justin out of jail. From there it had been a series of cryptic job offers until the night Justin and James had finally met. Richard had served as one party concierge, one part bodyguard. Today Justin saw a new part. Friend.
"I caught just enough of that to know that going after him now wouldn't end well for you," Richard drawled.
"I didn't mean it, I didn't mean to hurt him."
"It doesn't matter what you meant, Kaard. You said what you did and it's done. He'll go and cool off and tomorrow he'll be back and you two probably won't ever speak of this again. Did you know that when he started talking about bringing you in that I opposed it?"
"I'd have never guessed," Justin remarked sarcastically.
Richard ignored him, "I opposed it because when I look at you I see so much of him. He does too, it's why he recruited you in the first place. He believes in this mission with all of his heart, but for some reason I can't fathom he still has a soft spot for that circus you call wrestling. He was devastated when it closed down and he had to give back that gaudy belt. So believe me, he knows what you're going through."
"Richard, I-will you just tell him that I'm sorry. That I didn't mean to say what I did. I was angry, it just kind of slipped out."
Richard shook his head, "I'll do no such thing. This little spat is between the two of you isn't something I'm going to get involved in anymore than I already am."
Justin sighed, his shoulders bobbed slightly, "He wanted me to quit, Richard. I've done that once already, I can't do it again. Not if I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror."
Richard laughed. It was a booming, genuine laugh of good humor. The first laugh that wasn't intermixed with a snarl that Justin had ever heard from Richard, it unnerved him.
"I warned him about that. Told him not to bother trying to make you give up your circus, even told him that it was going to end badly, stubborn fool should have listened."
"But I thought you hated what I, what we did?"
"I do, Kid, I surely do. But considering he had pretty much the same reaction when I told him the same thing..." Richard trailed off.
"Wait, you told him to quit PCW?"
Richard chuckled, "I did, he took it about as well as you did. Words have power, Justin. It's something you've both got yet to learn."
James looked up as a training dummy crashed into the wall. Justin stomped up and kicked the dummy in its side, cursing as he went. James did his best not to smirk, as a former member of Pure Class Wrestling he knew all too well the frustration of losing a title. Though he'd never reached the same heights as his young protégé his career hadn't been entirely unremarkable, a run with tag time titles and the final North American Champion before the company had been forced to close down. Before that the only reason he'd lost the tag team titles was because of him. James hadn't thought of him in years outside of the odd nightmare every now and then.
James watched Justin rampage around the room a little while longer before he headed over to stop his hot headed apprentice before he hurt himself.
"All right, Justin, that's enough."
Justin whirled on the older man, "It's not fair, James. I had him, I fucking had him."
James sighed, kid's never changed, "You did have him, Justin. You had him beat. You had every opportunity to beat him and instead you chose to showboat and go for something high risk. Guess what, you took a shot and you missed. It happens. Now you can either continue throwing a temper tantrum like a toddler or you can get to work."
"But now they've got me facing Alexa Black," Justin whined, "I don't give a shit about facing her, I want Grimm and I want my title back."
James scoffed, "Kid, with that attitude if you faced Grimm right now he'd eat you alive and pick his teeth with your bones. Christ, with your attitude right now Alexa Black might do the same thing. One more thing," he paused.
James cuffed Justin aside his head.
"Don't ever disrespect an opponent. I don't care if you're facing Grimm for the title or greenest rookie on the roster. You show respect to everyone you face. If I recall Alexa not only beat Rhodes but put him on the shelf and took his title while she was at it. She beat the man who beat you and did it convincingly. And somehow with all of that under her belt you've deduced that she's not good enough to face you? That is beyond arrogant."
"Yeah but-"
"Yeah but nothing, Justin. I'm honestly embarrassed for you . Embarrassed that I have to remind you of something that's a universal truth in our business. It doesn't matter who you face, you show them respect."
Justin looked sullen and properly chastised.
"Look at it this way, Justin," James sighed, "Say you go out there and run your mouth about how she's not good enough to face you and she's got no chance and blah blah blah. Then you face her and you beat her, what do you gain from it? Nothing. Not a single god damn thing. But if you go out there, you run your mouth, and you lose? Well now you look like the biggest fool in the world because this person who wasn't fit to be in the same ring as you just beat you cleanly."
Justin looked away as James continued, "But if you show Alexa, if you show anyone the respect they deserve and you beat them. You not only win but you gain their respect too. The same goes for what I do, what you'll do someday as well. The monster's I hunt, the creatures I kill, I respect them. I may loathe and despise everything they stand for, but I respect what they can do. Not giving an opponent that respect leads to underestimating them, and what happens when you underestimate an enemy in our line of work?"
"You die," Justin answered.
"You die," James confirmed, "So go out there and show Alexa how much you respect her by beating her cleanly."
Justin nodded, "Sorry, James. I know you're right and I know I was acting like a little shit. I'm just sick of not being taken seriously. I'm a two time World Champion and both times I've lost it to Grimm."
"There are always going to be those brick walls you run into, kid. Sometimes they're men like Grimm and sometimes they're things like addiction. Watching you walk around with that title, watching you preen and strut around like you were the greatest thing in the world showed me something, Justin. You're an addict."
"Look, just because I had a bit too much to drink the night we met doesn't make me an addict. I haven't touched a drop since."
"I wasn't talking about that, Justin. You're addicted to glory. You're so busy worrying about what everyone else thinks about you that you put it above anything else. It's the reason you went for that move of the top rope and it's the reason you lost your title. It's the reason you're going to die doing this. If you really knew what was good for you you'd march into whoever is running the show these days and resign. Leave the titles, leave the glory, leave the spotlight. Focus on this, on doing some actual good in the world.
Justin's temper flared, "Who the hell do you think you are? Do you have any idea how hard I've worked for this? The sacrifices I made? You're just some has-been who couldn't hack it in this business so you got roped into this. I've accomplished more in less time than you ever did, James."
Rage flashed across James' face and for the briefest moment Justin thought he was going to strike him.
"Fine."
James turned and left, shouldering past Richard as he left. Justin called out, tried to follow but Richard blocked his path.
"I'd let him go, if I were you."
Justin looked up at the old priest. Their relationship had been a rocky one ever since he'd bailed Justin out of jail. From there it had been a series of cryptic job offers until the night Justin and James had finally met. Richard had served as one party concierge, one part bodyguard. Today Justin saw a new part. Friend.
"I caught just enough of that to know that going after him now wouldn't end well for you," Richard drawled.
"I didn't mean it, I didn't mean to hurt him."
"It doesn't matter what you meant, Kaard. You said what you did and it's done. He'll go and cool off and tomorrow he'll be back and you two probably won't ever speak of this again. Did you know that when he started talking about bringing you in that I opposed it?"
"I'd have never guessed," Justin remarked sarcastically.
Richard ignored him, "I opposed it because when I look at you I see so much of him. He does too, it's why he recruited you in the first place. He believes in this mission with all of his heart, but for some reason I can't fathom he still has a soft spot for that circus you call wrestling. He was devastated when it closed down and he had to give back that gaudy belt. So believe me, he knows what you're going through."
"Richard, I-will you just tell him that I'm sorry. That I didn't mean to say what I did. I was angry, it just kind of slipped out."
Richard shook his head, "I'll do no such thing. This little spat is between the two of you isn't something I'm going to get involved in anymore than I already am."
Justin sighed, his shoulders bobbed slightly, "He wanted me to quit, Richard. I've done that once already, I can't do it again. Not if I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror."
Richard laughed. It was a booming, genuine laugh of good humor. The first laugh that wasn't intermixed with a snarl that Justin had ever heard from Richard, it unnerved him.
"I warned him about that. Told him not to bother trying to make you give up your circus, even told him that it was going to end badly, stubborn fool should have listened."
"But I thought you hated what I, what we did?"
"I do, Kid, I surely do. But considering he had pretty much the same reaction when I told him the same thing..." Richard trailed off.
"Wait, you told him to quit PCW?"
Richard chuckled, "I did, he took it about as well as you did. Words have power, Justin. It's something you've both got yet to learn."