Post by Gerard Angelo on Aug 26, 2019 21:31:56 GMT -5
I sat in the dark on the couch in my living room, the only light coming from the large flat screen that was mounted on the wall. The blue glow from the screen was illuminating the room enough so I could lift the glass of scotch to my lips, the ice clinking against the rocks glass. I was doing the same thing I always did after losing a big match, watching it over and over again, looking for any mistakes I made. Re-watching this one hurt more then the others though.
It was the closing sequence of the match. I watched on the television as I had Grimm in position for Excalibur Prime, and let out a groan as he wiggled free and bounced off the ropes. The impact of the ring shaking echoed throughout my surround sound. Even louder still was the referee’s hand smacking the mat for three while the crowd chanted with him. I took another long drink of scotch on the rocks, trying to drown out the sound of the bell ringing.
Incredible. Simply incredible. Gerard Angelo has absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. He came up short, but he showed once again that he is a major threat to be reckoned with.
I snorted at Jerry Andrews’ words.
I had nothing to be ashamed of.
I had plenty to be ashamed of. I didn’t live up to any expectations during my short reign as the World Champion. Five months ago I was on top of Pure Class Wrestling and on the top of the world. I had just ripped the top title out of the death grip Kyle Shane had on it. I had all the momentum on my side. I had plans to change this place for the better. To leave my mark on this business.
How things have changed in such a short time. Since winning the strap I haven’t won a match. It was just a series of loss after loss. I had forced my way to the top of the card, yet it seemed like I couldn’t hang with the perennial contenders that hovered around the main event scene. It was completely frustrating the fuck out of me. Perhaps I had lost a step. I was on the wrong side of thirty with bum knee.Maybe I wasn’t as good as I thought I was. Was my improbable win of Kyle just a mere fluke? Maybe I was just at the right place, at the right time, for it to happen. Now I had lost to Grimm twice in a row, even thought each time I had left everything I had in the ring, to no avail. I had gone from being a massive star in Hollywood and wrestling, to worrying about ghouls and goblins.
So excuse me, Jerry Andrews, if I was a little bitter.
I grabbed the remote and clicked pause on the video, the picture freezing on Stormm and I shaking hands. I shook my head involuntarily. Why the fuck would I think it was a good idea to shake his hand? Maybe my brain was still fuzzy from all the Harvests I had taken, but the last thing I would do in my right mind would shake Justin Michaels hand. If there was one person in PCW that I genuinely didn’t like, it was him. Now if anyone heard that I’m sure they would all be like, Well what about Kyle Shane and Grimm? Yeah, what about them? Kyle and I were battling over THE World title. That was business. Grimm and I, well yeah, I was kinda upset about him going for my knee, but I respect him even if I’m not his biggest fan.
Justin, on the other hand, was simply a prick.
The guy had the longest reign in the history of the North American title. Go look it up.
I’ll wait.
Okay, you’re back? Good. See? He held it for over a year. More then three hundred and sixty-five days. And yet the only thing he did with the championship was burry it by constantly talking about wanting to have a shot at the World title one last time. Having the title that’s not the big belt and whining about wanting a shot at it is literally the most cliche thing in wrestling, like ever. In fact, I don’t think Stormm’s had an original thought about wrestling in his head for years. Just look at him. I’m surprised he doesn’t wear black and white face paint when he wrestles.
Maybe I’m just bitter considering he dropped me on my head with a Force of Nature. I just wanted to know why he decided to come for me after he already jumped Grimm. Probably because Justin can not handle anyone else being in the spotlight besides him.
The reason I dislike him is he’s one of the most entitled wrestlers I’ve ever been around. He talks and talks about wanting the main event when he’s done nothing to earn it. People say stuff you did before PCW doesn’t matter, which is true. But the things you’ve done back in two-thousand and five here don’t matter in this decade.
Also, someone needs to have a talk with management about people getting title shots around here. I couldn’t even sniff an Underground Championship opportunity for the life of me. I had to win the Deadly Rumble in an upset to get what I wanted. Stormm steals Grimm’s thunder by randomly hitting him with the title and Ace and Jerry freak the fuck out about how he’s the next challenger. What did he even do in recent history to even warrant a consideration?
I turned off the TV and left myself in the dark to muse over my thoughts. I took a another sip from the glass and grimaced. The ice had melted and watered down my scotch. I forced myself the swallow the rest of it in one gulp and placed it back down on my coffee table.
As much as I wanted to spend the majority of the match punching Stormm’s face into bolognese, there were other men involved with this tag match. Standing next to Stormm was gonna be Seromine. No wait. It was Jason Willard now. The Anarchist. This guy changed his identity as much as I change in wardrobe.
Willard and I haven’t crossed paths much in my brief time here in PCW. But I do know he’s one of the most dangerous competitors in the game. Willard has no regard for anyone that gets in his way, and if I don’t take him seriously, this losing streak will continue.
Hell, with how unstable he is, he could wind up doing legitimately anything to me. The man went from being a wild preacher anchorage of a cult, to a pathetic mama’s boy, and now he’s back to being the Anarchist.
But I’m not alone in this fight against two guys with egos the size of Australia. On my side I have a living legend. Rick Majors. A man I have tons of respect for. I even named one of my signature moves after his for a while. Rick even had a big hand, albeit indirectly, in helping me get my legs back under me in my return to wrestling. We had that classic falls count anywhere match when he was still Gabriel, and I credit that match in making the fans say “Oh yeah, this guy is as good as anyone.”
Rick and I are both entering this match in a losing streak. We both fell short in our goals at Return to Glory. And we both need to turn it around this week. WE desperately need this win.
And desperate men do desperate things.
I stood up and grabbed my glass, walking over to my liquor cabinet. I opened the wooden door with the small glass window in it and grabbed a bottle of Glenfiddich. I placed the glass on top of the cabinet and poured some of the golden brown liquid into the glass.
“Oh good. You’re dressed this time.”
I glanced over my shoulder and saw Amanda standing there, in a navy blue pants-suit. I didn’t say anything as I screwed the cap back on the bottle of scotch and put it back in its place. I was so used to her just popping up randomly at this point that it didn’t phase me that some elf was teleporting or whatever she does. The worse one was when she popped up in the passenger seat of my Jaguar on the freeway. Let’s just say it was almost as bad as it sounds.
I took a long sip of the alcohol before I turned to her, looking down at her five-one frame.
“And what do you want? Here to give me more answer that lead to another billion questions?”
She rolled her eyes and blew a tuft of curly black hair out of her face.
“No. I’m actually here to take you to get some answers.” She said, crossing her skinny arms over her modest chest. I let out a laugh.
“What are we gonna go talk to a tree instead of a rock formation this time?” I asked before taking another long sip of scotch. She bit her lip and glared at me.
“Actually my boss wants to see you.” She said like a teacher telling a student he had to go to the principal’s office.
“And is he a goblin?” I scoffed at her, causing her to frown.
“A satyr actually, but that not important. You just need to come with me. Now.”
“That’s gonna be a no from me, dawg.” I said turning away from her and finishing the glass of scotch before placing it back onto of the liquor cabinet. “I’m really just done with all this magic nonsense. It’s getting in the way of my career.”
“You can’t be done with this.” She said while she looked at me incredulously. “You’re an Electi!”
I waved my hand at her dismissively.
“Yeah, about that. I don’t want it.”
“It’s not about what you want.”
I snorted.
“All I want to do is be a wrestler.” I said, turning back to look at her. “I don’t want to have to worry about ancient evils or talk to golems in the woods, or even hang out with elves that give me more questions then answers. I’ve lost way more matches then I’ve won this whole year, so far. If you didn’t hear, I just lost to Grimm, again. AND I got jumped after the match by the lamest guy in the whole company!”
Amanda just stood there, looking up at me as I ranted.
“This isn’t about you. This is about your world, my world, and all plains of existence!”
“So why don’t you tell the government, the United Nations, LeBron James. Anyone else but me!”
“Well, we can’t do that.” She says, scrunching her mousey nose up. “DMP Rule Book, section eight, article two sixty-four states that no one who is an non-magical slash supernatural entity may know about the other plain of existence.”
Amanda smiled, knowing she had gotten it correct. It was my turn to roll my eyes.
“Shouldn’t that rule apply to me?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Well, too bad. I’m not going anywhere. In fact, I need to prepare for this tag team match so I don’t lose. Again.” I said, crossing my muscular arms over my white tee clad chest. “So now if you’ll excuse me. I’m sure you can find a way out.”
I turn around and go to walk away, hoping to put all of this behind me and move on with my life.
“We think the evil presence is responsible for that.”
I stop and turn around, looking at Amanda.
“What do you mean?” I asked rather sharply. Amanda sighed.
“We think the entity is sabotaging you, because it knows your an Electi. I don’t have all the details, as it’s classified. That’s why I need you to come with me.”
She extended her small, delicate, hand.
“So we can all get answers.”
I looked at her hand then at her brown eyes. They were silently pleading with me. I let out a sigh and nodded.
“Alright. I’ll go. But only because I need some answers. Besides, if I have to watch another Justin Michaels match, I might go blind.”
I reached out and took her hand. At first nothing happened. Then room started to shake. Only slightly at first, but it grew in intensity. Suddenly, it felt as thought the bottom had just dropped out of the floor and I was falling. My stomach turned over as it felt like I was hurdling ten million miles an hour. It stopped as suddenly as it started and I fell to my knees, heaving as the mostly scotch contents of my stomached spilled out onto the floor. It tasted a lot worse coming back up. I looked up at Amanda, who was scrunching her nose at me.
“I’m never doing that again.” I said, spitting the taste out of my mouth. Amanda shrugged.
“You get used to it.”
I got up on one knee, wiping my mouth with the back of my wrist before standing. I looked around, we were in a massive marble room that seemed to be set up as some kinda of reception area huge pillars carved out of marble rose up, marking the way towards the receptionist desk. Amanda hurriedly started walking towards the desk on he short legs, heels clicking on the marble floor. I was still trying got regain my equilibrium as I started after, stumbling more then once. Amanda stopped infant of the desk. So did I, but I was fighting another round of nausea. Amanda reached up on the big wooden receptionist desk and hit the small metal bell twice, it ringing out in the massive space. I looked across the desk, noticing a row of bronze elevator doors. I jumped back in surprise when a face rose up suddenly in front of me. The face wasn’t human. The skin was a pale grin and covered with warts and pock marks. The nose was long and crooked, pointing to the side slightly and then bending down. I couldn’t tell if it was from being broken multiple times or if it just grew that way. Two long, pointed and crooked ears shot out from the sides of its head. It’s thick, black, facial hair was braided into a long beard, long, tuck like teeth jutting out from the hair. It was dressed in a dusty blue suit with a red tie. It narrowed it’s eyes at me.
“What are you looking at, human?” He asked in a gruff voice. I was more shocked it spoke English then of it’s appearance. I shrugged.
“I guess I’ve never seen a… whatever you are, before.”
“I’m a goblin.” He answered curtly. He turned his yellow eyes to Amanda.
“What can I do for you Deputy Inspector?” The goblin asked. Amanda swallowed.
“I’m here to meet with the Chief Inspector, Furkk.”
Fur nodded and reached down below the counter and produced a massive leather bound book with yellow pages. He dropped it on the desk with a heavy thud and opened it. The creature produced a huge pair of bronze spectacles from its jacket pocket and put them on. I put my hand over my mouth, knowing how ridiculous this story would sound if I told anyone. Furkk dragged a long, clawed, finger down the yellow page, leaning in closely. I craned my neck over to look at the book, but I couldn't make out the tiny writing. He stopped about halfway down the page and nodded.
“Yeah, you’re right here.” He said in a raspy voice. “Elevator four.”
Amanda nodded at him and started to walk around the desk. I was still looking at the goblin in the spectacles. Furkk noticed me staring and growled at me. Not wanting to cause and inter-dimensional incident, I quickly turned and caught up with Amanda. Our footsteps echoed through out the reception area before wed stopped infant of the elevators. There were six of them set into the marble wall, all six doors were made of bronze. Amanda stepped in front of the one with the Roman numeral four carved in the marble above the double doors. The elf hit the button and the bronze doors immediately opened. She stepped inside while I followed. The doors closed behind me no sooner then I stepped in. I looked around the the cab. It seemed to be designed much like a modern elevator, through made completely of bronze. Something caught my eye. The button panel only had a single button, which Amanda immediately pushed. Nothing seemed to happen as the elevator pinged and the double doors slid open. Amanda got out and I went to protest before I looked out the doors. I could only assume we were on a different floor now. I followed the short elf out and the doors slide shut behind me. We were in an office of some kind. It looked like every office I’ve ever been in. File cabinets against the wall. A lot actually, about seven of them. Hung on the walls in various places were pictures of people and places. Towards the back of them room was a big desk which looked like it was carved from ebony. It was shine and smooth but covered by files and stacks of paper. So much that I barely noticed the small horns sticking out over the top of the papers. Amanda cleared her throat.
“Um, Chief Inspector?”
There was a grunt from behind the stacks of paper. An ugly little face appeared. Small horns jutted out of a large forehead. almost drawing my notice away from the terrible job his comb over was doing to hide the fact he was balding. A big, wrinkly, red nose dominated most of his face, the thick hair sporting from the big nostrils mixing in his short cropped facial hair that was speckled with white and grey, giving his whole beard a salt and pepper look. Two small, dark eyes peered at us from behind thick glasses that made them look huge. He suddenly slapped his head, as if saying ‘ah ha!’.
“Ah, Deputy Inspector Taeloius. Nice to see you again.” He said with a smile. The Chief Inspectors eye flicked towards me.
“And you must be the Electi. Good of you to come. Welcome to the Department of Magical Protection. We have a lot to discuss!”
I sighed. If I thought things were weird before, it was about to get a lot worse.