Post by somethingwicked on Jul 20, 2020 18:07:55 GMT -5
The Parts Unknown ballroom, finished and decorated lavishly, is presented to us from the fade up. Caterers move about the room creating stations of food dedicated to every kind of delicacy known to man. A carving station with roast beef so bloody it practically lives. A sushi station with two sushi chefs who roll so tight Johnny Stylez would be impressed. In the middle of the room, Angelique Wolf orchestrates it all. It is not every day that her husband’s one wish comes true. That his family is made whole. She takes her job seriously but jovial, and instructs each station of their expectations and requirements. She tries her best not to scare the Carving station ladies, but to prepare them for the amount of work they’ll be expecting. The Wolf family do not fall in with the ridiculous ‘we are actual wolves’ mentality as some might think. Except for their protective nature over one another, and the overall love of blood red meat.
Standing off to the side, Ciara Wolf, Rose Wolf, and Callan Wolf look on. Rose and Ciara, both on their phones, sending each other links and posts they could just show one another, as Callan takes on the portrait of confusion.
“Roe…” He asks, touching her arm nervously, hoping she won’t respond to his question in her usual sarcastic manner. He could handle it usually, but it was a bit much too much these days, and it started to make him feel like she didn’t like him.
“Yea, weirdo?” She responds, lovingly mostly, but obviously a little annoyed. As much time as they spend together, she knows how insecure he is about damn near everything. He’s a good kid, a smart kid. Had he not been denied the comfort of a twin by his own doing, he may be different. It was tough standing out in this family. Especially when you’re only one of two.
“Who is this guy?” he asks, looking at the ‘welcome back’ sign being hung in the center of the room. “Wasn’t he here already?”
“Yeah, but now he’s moving back. Like for good. And you remember him. He used to hang out with us all the time.” Ciara responded, not looking up from her phone even for a second. “He used to sing you to sleep, like all the time.”
“He did?” Callan asked, shocked that this person he didn’t know or remember used to be there when he went to sleep. No one was there when he went to sleep except for mom and dad. Who was this guy?
“Ok, so like..You know how uncle Kal dresses like he can’t see colors other than like blacks and browns?”
“Yeah?”
“And you know how Uncle Jack never wears anything but polos or suits?”
“Yeah?”
“And you know how Dad and Mom dress like their bad guys from that Keanu movie you like? The Matrix?”
“...ok.”
“Well, Uncle X is like, the only one of our entire family with any sense of fashion, or style.”
“Louis Vuitton asked him for opinions. On the real.”
“...is that an uncle, too?”
“No, weirdo. It’s a clothing line. It’s practically all most of us women wear.”
“YOU’RE NOT A WOMAN YOU’RE A KID!” Callan screamed. He loved his sisters but it bothered him how they always acted so much older than him. As if they had turned 13 and suddenly they were grown ups and he was a baby. They still played tag, they still had fun. Far as he could tell no adult in this family liked fun.
“Look, Uncle X is like, the coolest of all the uncles. He’s got style, he smells amazing all the time, and he’s got the best sense of humor. Trust me, it’s so huge he’s coming home.” Rose said, smiling but also not looking up from her phone.
“He hit dad with a shovel.” Callan stated, mostly to himself, as a reminder it seemed.
“Yea well…” “Nobodies perfect.’ Said Ciara and Rose, at the exact same time. Both looked up from their phone and celebrated in the way that teenage girls usually do. Callan went to walk away, but ended up walking directly into one of his older Cousins, Simon Wolf. Kal’s son.
“What up dood.”
“Hey Si. Rose and Ciara were telling me about uncle X.”
“You excited to see him? You were only 2 the last time he saw you. I know he wanted to see you the last time he came by, but you were out with your dad.”
“...Do you think I’ll like him?”
“Cally, baby. You’re gonna love him. You know why? Because he loves you. You should’ve seen his face when your dad asked him to be your godfather. He was so excited.”
“My godfather??” Callan knew who his sister’s Godfather were, because Uncle Damon was always around. They loved him a lot and uncle Kal would always talk about how Damon was the perfect godfather for girls. Whatever that meant.
“Yea. If anything happens to your mom and dad, he’ll take care of you. It’s usually Uncle Jack, but your dad and him were pretty close back then.”
As Simon went to say something else, the room erupted in applause, and all eyes turned to the entrance. Standing in the doorway, Xavier Wolf, and Le’andra Fury looked out upon the pack, now complete for the first time in 5 years. A halfcade. A Deca? The room separates and the kids, all of the kids save for Callan, rush forward to greet Xavier. For what he lacked as a brother, or a friend, he more than made up for as an Uncle. Fishing trips, sneaking them onto movie sets, or bringing them shopping in places they didn’t know existed. Xavier hugged them all and fought back the urge to break into tears, all the while keeping his eyes on Callan who hadn’t moved a muscle. Stepping across the room, he approached his god son, and knelt in front of him.
“You don’t remember me huh?” Callan shook his head in response. “That’s fine, It’s been awhile. I’m your Uncle Xavier.” X put his hand out and Callan hesitated to shake it. “It’s okay. You don’t have to.”
“I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Why’d you hit my dad with a shovel?”
“...I didn’t have anything heavier.”
Callan cracked a smile, and felt terrible for it. But he was funny. Just as his sisters had said. “Its not funny.”
“I know. But you’ve got sisters right? Do you always like them?”
“Ye-” Callan began. “Be Honest.” Xavier interrupted. “No.” Callan finished sheepishly.
“What me and your dad have to work out, it’ll be worked out. But what me and you have to do id gst motr important. We need to eat some lunch so we can terrorize that cupcake station as much as possible. Can I count on you?”
“Yes!” Callan said, a smile easing from ear to ear. Xavier looked at him. His face was the same, but it was different. Gone were the features of a baby, and in their place were similar, but much more mature features. If he tried, Xavier could see his grown up face. He could see what he would one day look like as an adult. And in his heart he felt a pain for the transitions he’d already missed. His eyes floated from the boy's face and landed on the boy's father, and a coldness took over him. Xavier does his best to shake it off, but it’s not as easy as he tries to make it look. Standing up, he comes face to face with the boy's mother, VooDoo. She is dressed down for the occasion, and looks quite comfortable, save for the expression on her face.
“Xavier.” She speaks, frigid in tone and expression. “Welcome home.”
“Aw, I knew you’d be happy to see me.” He says with a smirk. She takes Callan’s hand and looks down at the boy, her face taking on a softness that a mother has for her child, but only lasts for the moment she looks upon him, and is gone the second she looks back to her brother in law. “Come. Uncle Kal would like a family photo.”
The entire pack, together again for the first time in 5 years. As the flash of the camera begins. We can see Xavier smiling, his eyes glaring over at his brother, Vincent. And we see Vincent, stoic and staring back. On the last flash, we fade out, and come back to an exterior shot.
The sounds of birds chirping and insects flying by bring us to find two kayaks floating before us. The left one, a bright orange one, holds the Alpha of the Wolf clan, Kal X Wolf. The right one, a day glow green, holds his younger brother, and OPW Elite, Xavier ‘Marke’ Wolf. They both pull up their fishing rods, and begin to bait, as their conversation, which has been ongoing for sometime, continues.
“So it turns out the guy I had done the work, didn’t understand engines at all, and I had to have it redone. Dane overheard me, told me he could do that with his eyes closed.”
“Cocky but ok.”
“And that’s how he became my main guy. Fucker is talented as shit.”
“Could’ve done better with the mentor, but yeah he’s the best wrench I’ve ever seen.”
“You think you’ll ever let go of that beef? You and Damon?”
“Let me think: nope.”
“Ok. So you did choose Nomad because it was his name backwards?”
“I would never admit to doing that, even if I did, because it would make his entire life worth living. But between you and me, it was just a coincidence.”
“Alright. I guess I’ll be inclined to believe.” Kal threw out his line and before it hit the water, memories hit him. He recalled the last time they were out in the water. It was 7 years ago and things were better. Different. Not only did they not have any of...this...to worry about, but they were as tight knit as they ever were. He tried to stop himself from missing those days so much that he didn’t appreciate this one, but he’s only human, and this makes him feel it more than most things could.
“So there’s something I need to ask you, big.” Xavier said, slowly reeling his line to tempt any fish. “So I asked Le’ to marry me, officially. In a very real way. And I thought my side was gonna be a bit empty except for Johnny and Blair. But...you reached out. And that means a lot to me. So I was wondering if you’d be my best man.”
Kal puts his pole down, and grabs his oar. He begins to paddle his boat in a flurry, pushing himself close to Xavier. Xavier looks at him oddly, not sure what is about to happen.
“What’re you doing, big?” “I’m coming to hug you.” “you’re scaring the fish.” “I don’t care.” “You’re scaring me.” “I care even less.”
Kal reaches X and pulls him in. The two men hug while trying not to tip their Kayaks, which as anyone who has been in a kayak will tell you, is easier said than done.
“It would be my genuine honor.” Kal says, pushing himself away from Xavier.
“I’m glad. But there’s another thing.”
“Oh?”
“You gotta come with me to tell her dad.”
“GET The…” Kal took a deep breath. “Fine. It’s fine.At least it’s not the mother.”
“...you know the mother?” Xavier said, shocked in a genuine way.
“Brian and I had our differences. And yes, the main one was that we each wanted to kill the other, but in the end, we weren’t enemies to the bone. So we talked. Two things, One, he respects that woman as a fighter as much as he does the mother of his children, and two, he cherishes his children, his family, above anything else in the world. Something else we have in common.”
“You gonna tell me I shouldn’t be fighting our family?” Xavier said, expecting the speech that he’s been expecting to finally start.
“Nope. Because our family is wrong. I should’ve never sent Vin to join you. I thought it would help, but I didn’t look at it the right way. Vin is...Intrusive. Controlling. He is who I used to be. And with how things with you and him went...it was the wrong play.”
“...who are you..”
“I’m the guy I should’ve been. I love Vin and I love Voo so much. But they’re wrong about you. Because if I wasn’t sick back then...I would’ve been the one to go.”
“Nah, you’ve got kids and a wife that need you. It had to be me.” Xavier looked down at the water, and looked at Kal, who was taking a long sip of his beer. “Dude. Are there fish in this lake?”
“Fish? No. Not yet.”
“Ah. Cool.” Xavier said, shrugging as he takes a chug off his own drink. We slowly pan away and as the distance between the lake and ourselves increases, the light diminishes. As the shadow grows, a new light appears, and it is mobile. Hanging from a ceiling, it moves to and fro, illuminating the man beneath it in passing. Drenched in sweat, his hand wraps torn and tattered, he sits perfectly still, his eyes gazing straight forward, unblinking. Until they do, and a smile appears across his face. He stands up, and the lights come on. We see that it is not an actual room Xavier Wolf is standing in, But that of a small set, constructed to look like the corner of a gym. As he steps down off the stage, we see different people who all have different jobs, associated with whats about to happen. The most important being the boom operator, who is now following Xavier as he walks, and more importantly, talks.
“I love appetizers. You wouldn’t know looking at me, but I’m a very big fan of food. It’s probably why I work out as much as I do. So I can eat whatever I want and not feel guilty. Not that I even think I’m capable of that at this point. I mean, I legit recorded a video to make my ex-girlfriend, and somewhat of a family member, think I murdered her dad. I could’ve defeated what is essentially my best friend and taken her title, but I decided I’d rather take her from Roger than take a belt off of her. I should feel guilty. I should feel a lot of things. But you know what I feel? I feel fucking hungry. And I think it’s time I start devouring people the way I devour food. So let’s start with the appetizer. Sahara, that would be you.”
“For those of you who are not aware, Sahara is one of the wonderful people that Johnny picked up at what is essentially the yard sale of this business. She’s a wonderful actress that can be seen on the Netflix show ‘american vampire.’ It’s fantastic, and I will say that the girl can act. But I do wish she’d use those talents to act like she knows what the fuck she’s doing, and not open her mouth in ways that won’t end with her getting cast by Harvey Weinstein.”
“Sahara came to OPW thinking that she was somebody. Convinced that she was somebody that not just anybody could be. But truthfully, Sahara is not somebody. She’s not even anybody. She is simply A BODY. If the word Placeholder needed a mascot, I am sure she could land that role much easier than she’s landed her other ones, and my god, would she be convincing. Because to this business, that is all she is. I won’t say she’s a small fish in a big pond. I will say that while she may have been the best of the best in the last group of whores she belonged to, this ain’t there. We ain’t them, and she ain’t shit.”
“War with us. Silly trick, this ain’t for kids. And while you aren’t a kid you must be kidding if you think you can wage a war with us and win anything other than the ass kicking you’ve been seeking, and subsequently are about to find. You should stop talking about us. Stop waving your hands in our face. Girl, You shouldn’t even look in our direction. You might be able to see why kids like cinnamon toast crunch but can you see why you’re out of your fucking mind if you think you can stand up against the syndicate? The most powerful stable this business has seen since ever. And by yourself, may I add. We have each other's backs. Who has yours? Damon?”
“And I thought my jokes were bad.” says a sound clip of Heath Ledgers Joker from the movie The Dark Knight, a clip that surely cost Xavier an arm and a leg to get the rights to.
“He’s the only joke bigger than you and neither of you are funny. Though, we do laugh at him quite often. You, not so much. It’s not that we don’t think well of you. I mean, we don’t. But that’s not why. It’s because we don’t think of you at all. And why should we? You said it yourself, you’ve no idea why you’re even in this match for a shot at the belt. Even you, in your peroxide wisdom, know you’re out of your league. And if you don’t then you’re out of your mind.”
“Do yourself a favor, girl. Put the dick back in your mouth and keep our names out of it You can’t afford to pay for what you did to Blair, and you damn sure can’t afford to pay for what we will do to you.. By the way, Murphy says hi.”
“Moving on, but not exactly upward. Apathy. Not the main course, but something more than an appetizer. Let’s call you the pasta dish. Small portion, just enough to hold you off until the main course is ready. And despite the fact that you’re fighting for the big belt, that is all you are to me. Yet another smaller dish until something else is put in front of me. I wouldn’t even mention you normally. I would ignore you, the way you ignore everyone else. But there are certain things that I’d like to give you the chance to hear, before I give you no option but to feel. You want to feel like you’re important to this world. We all do. To you though, it’s slightly more important. I know for a fact it’s because you know as well as I do, that you have an expiration date. Your time here, being one of the big dogs, is dwindling away. Every second, a grain of sand that slips from your grip to the ground. The ground that will soon be the grave that your career eternally rests in. You, the jerry springer of this entire business, who walks around backstage spewing nonsense that either no one cares about, or no one asked for, if not the usual of both. You, who dare to speak to others the way you yourself, and only yourself, should be spoken to. Blair has been a constant in this business. Anicka has been a constant in this business. The only thing constant, or consistent about you, is your inability to shut the fuck up and do your god damn job. If making excuses made you great. You’d be a fucking legend. But all you’ll ever be is a myth.”
Myth Nasty...
“A myth you tell yourself to defend yourself from yourself. If you fucking tried half as much as you made it look like you tried, you’d still be a piece of shit not worth bending down to pick up. But at least we’d respect the effort. Way more than we’d ever respect you. I’m sure you’ll have feelings about this, and cry your sorry eyes out, but be well aware of something. Anicka didn’t jump sides because of Johnny. She jumped sides because of me. I made this happen. I convinced her it was a good move, to try and win me back. And I took the hope she had a broke it. And then I broke her. I did this, Apathy. The Syndicate isn’t the most powerful group this business has ever seen because of Johnny, but because of me. Because I’ve got the kind of mind that this business hasn’t had but always needed. And when your entire world comes crashing down, it won't be because my dear friend who once stuck his dick inside you deemed it should. It will be because of me, who wouldn’t fuck you with Wright’s dick and Moore pushing.”
“So do us all a favor and start stockpiling excuses now. You’re gonna need a lot of them soon enough. And I’ll be responsible for that, too.”
“On to the main course. Not, the main course that you get and are all excited for. But the one you order because it’s really the only option you’ve got. Like maybe everything has cheese and you’ve got the lactose intolerance. So you order what you can and you eat it, but truthfully you wish you had something else, anything else, even diarrhea, other than what you’ve. That’s you. You’re not my first choice. You’re not the one I wanted. You’re just slightly better than diarrhea.”
“And let’s be honest, ID iot, when we think of you, loose shit is the most fitting description one could come up with. Thankfully tho, you’re def one of those bouts of loose shit that when you go to wipe your ass, you find there’s not any shit on you. Because like you, when I’m done, there’s not gonna be any fucking proof you were ever even near me. I almost said inside of me. Which we all know you’d love to be. If only so you can stop being the sad and pathetic piece of ring rat trash that you are, for even a goddamn second.”
“Blair came to the press conference so she wouldn’t get fined, but you show up week after week so you don’t get found. Found to be lacking. Found to be who you really are. Found to be the weakling, mentally and physically, that you’ve been the entire god damn time. I won’t need to find this out, I will on the other hand be the one to point it out.”
“Jayson Violence, which is the best name never, made a point to say that The Pack, and the Syndicate, are two sides of the same coin. They are both threatening to destroy this company for their own well being. Well, Jay-Son. I agree and I disagree. While I agree that we are two sides of the same coin, I will argue that my side of the coin is at least entertaining, and successful, and not a bunch of sad bastards spouting about boring things, like fairness, and ethics. My side gets people to come. If it was a bunch of white hats shaking hands and blowing each other, the only people that would watch are Damon Riggs, and that’s only so he could masturbate his swollen sense of being. ‘Im gonna help sahara fix her ribs’. Help her do her hair next, woman.”
“Here’s the difference Jayson doesn’t see between us tho. The pack is ruled by a code of behavior. They choose to do what's right, not for them, but for the business as a whole. They look at the rules, the things they decide are important, and they draw this line on the ground with a stick and refuse to cross it. No matter how much good can come of it, they’ll stand their ground and defend that line.”
“Fuck that Line.”
“Fuck that line lionel richie style...ALL. NIGHT. LONG.”
“Better yet. Draw the line, hand me the stick and allow me to shove it up your ass with the rest of the sticks that you have up there, which is the only explanation for why you wish to be who and how you are. This business is not about right and wrong or left and right. It’s about me saying I’m stronger than you, and proving it. Should I do it mentally, or physically, or however, doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is saying you can, and proving you will.”
“And I’ve done that. I’ll keep doing that. Not because it’s ‘who I am and it’s what I am and it’s what I came to do.’ I say with a mocking tone...Because not a single fucking one of you can stop me. I am not an all powerful god. I am not the unbeatable devil. I am in every way, shape, and form...so much fucking worse.”
“Bring your best foot forward. Know the consequences of half measures. Be aware that we are not equals, and we do not see things the same way. From the jump, from the very beginning of this fight, we will not be on the same page, despite being in the same ring. You’re coming for a fight. You expect a fight. The bell that rings at the start of the match will tell you it’s time to fight. And it’s gonna tell me…”
“it’s time to eat.”
“It isn’t time to complain about the people you’ve been given to fight previously, because they don’t meet your lofty standards that only you seem to think you deserve to have. It isn’t time to beg for an opponent that you feel will grant you the attention you’re obviously desperate for. This business is not about who you fight, but how you fight. It’s about how you show the world, even when it isn’t looking, who you are, and how you handle your shit. You remind me of someone, and no, this isn’t a pleasant memory. But you remind me of someone who I used to know, fuck it lets be clear, who I used to be. I had to come up in this business the hard way. I didn’t get respect handed down from my brothers, or friends. I had to earn it, day in and day out. I didn’t talk about ‘luck’ or ‘worthwhile fights’. Losers blame luck. Winners don’t blame anything. It took me a long time to figure that out. And it seems it’s taking you quite a bit of time, too.”
“Don’t act like you disagree. You act enough. Like this set behind me, most of the things you do are done for the sake of doing. They are for lack of a better term, performative. You act better because you wish you were better. You spit on those beneath you so to help in forgetting that for the most part, you’re beneath far more people yourself. And you want somebody worthy. Worthy of what? Listening to you cut promos for other wrestlers who are fighting for belts they won’t give you a replica of? Busy shit talking about other fighters who are leagues above you? Do a solid, IDiot. Stop making excuses for Apathy. Concentrate on making them for yourself instead. Oh wait. You already do.”
“Well save some for next week. Save some for when I do what I do and your left wondering why you said what you said. Why you put on the act you did. Good news though, Mr. Want somebody worthy. You got what you begged for. You got somebody worthy. Hopefully some day soon, I will to.”
As Xavier exits the frame, we see a poster on a back wall that had been blocked by his presence. In the center of it is a picture of ID, with the words “ID; Getting The Attention He So Desperately Wants! Watch as he fights for the respect he so adamantly tells us he deserves!” As we slowly fade away, a man walks up to the poster and slaps a sticker on it. The words glow in the darkness of the void and are the only thing left as we re-enter the void. “FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY.”
Xavier Wolf breaks the void with the push of a door. Entering the smoke filled bar room of the [REDACTED] one of 3 bars located in [REDACTED], the town just outside of Parts Unknown. Stepping up to the bar, he is greeted with a napkin and a nod.
“What can I get ya?” Asks the old man, his flannel shirt opened just enough to reveal a large head of Christ medallion. “Same as yer brother?”
Xaviers head snaps and he finds Vincent Wolf, seated in a corner table by himself. A bottle of gin in one hand, and a glass of said gin in the other. Xavier looks to the bartender and asks for “the best bottle of whiskey you got.”
The bartender pulls out a bottle of Jameson, and a shot glass. “Oohh you fancy huh?” Xavier pulls a wad of cash from his pocket and shaved off two bills and slides them to the bartender, and makes his way over to Vin’s table. Sitting down, he pauses when Vin snaps and sits forward, his hand slapping the table.
“Well. Look who it is. The turncoat.” Vin says, a smile easing across his lips.
“We’re not gonna start with name calling, are we? Figure we could work our way up to it. Otherwise, we’re just gonna get banned from this lovely establishment.”
“If you believe restricting ourselves from the giving to one another descriptive monickers, is going to stop us fro-“
“Vin. Take the night off, ok? I’m not here to cause trouble. I’m here to make you an offer.”
“You have nothing I want.”
“How about the love and respect of your family? How about a seat at the table of the dynasty I’m building?”
“You hit me with a shovel.”
“Oh wahhhhhh bfd. If we grew up together we’d have done a lot worse. Because that’s what brothers do. I told you time and time again to stay out of my business, you didn’t. I told you to back off, you didn’t.”
“You turned on me. For Styles.”
“I turned on you for me. I didn’t come back into this game to be a fucking tag team. Wear matching panties and come up with some rad finish. Fuck outta here. I came back for what I’m owed. And I ain’t leaving without it. But My point...I don’t like being against you. I want you on my side.”
“I am not like you…”
“I’ll take what the fuck are you taking about for 200, Alex.”
“You’re a disease, X. Using your proximity to Johnny to have your way with OPW.”
“Like I need Johnny for that. I could, if I chose to, run the fucking mill on everyone here, yourself included.”
“There are people who would stop you, even if I couldn’t. You’re gonna pay for your actions.”
“So this moral superiority you, who used to beat people with an Axe Handle, seem to have developed.. Who does it come with? You’ve chosen the side, who else is on it? Damon? The man who literally had sex with your wife while still being married? The guy who dropped off Red at your place because he thought there was no way she’d fall for you? That guy?”
“I’ve made my piece with Damon’s transgressions prior to-“
“See, That? That’s bullshit. You can forgive a man for that but you can’t get over me, hitting you with a shovel, because you deserved to be hit with a shovel.”
“You expect me to jump ship?”
“I expect you to see the truth. This isn’t about good or bad. This isn’t right or wrong. It’s about giving them what they want. And what they want is a war. We can give them that. But you’re on the wrong side of it.”
“I beg to differ.”
“You’re gonna beg for something, Vin...but it ain’t to differ. Who do you have? Sahara? She’s far too fucking busy being a C list celebutante to be serious about this. You might as well hire replacement Becky to take her spot when she taps. Jay Violence? His name should be Jay ineffectual because that’s what he’s gonna be known for. Dude might as well be a pacifist the way he fights. Miss Michelle? The community mattress? She should come with a sleep number control because that’s how often she’s got people on her. Damon included.”
“They’re related.” Vin responds, frustrated by the monologue he’s on the unhappy end of.
“Even worse. What about Roger? He’s lost, kid. He has been for a while and trust me, it’s only gonna get worse. Buy him a map, a compass and a gps and he still ain’t finding his way. Or you know what, maybe you’ll get in with ID and Apathy. They might be the same person for all I care to know, but they’ve got you written all over them. I’m sure K. Oss, lovely fucking name that is, would love the opportunity to hang out with you, and be your friend, right? Listen to me, You’re alone, Vin. You just don’t see it yet.”
“I’d rather lose with them, then win with you. With John Styles. How you work with him...”
“How I...Because when you all fucked off, he was there. He gave me a purpose. A family. And money. I ate at his table because it was the only table I was allowed to sit at, and I feasted. He’s a friend, maybe he’s a fucked up friend but hell, so am I. So it’s fitting. And I am so glad you’re ok with losing, darko. Because shits gonna get real, real soon. Remember this for me? I tried. You denied.”
“You’re trying to neutralize your opposition's biggest weapon, Xavier. Simple as that.”
“No Vin. I’m trying to spare my brother, the opposition’s only weapon, an ass kicking he may not come back from. Call in sentiment. But I figured I’d try to save the person you used to be, but I’ll just have to demolish the man you’ve become.”
“You should worry less about me, and more about Apathy..”
“What you meant to say, was ID, but I see how you could make that mistake.”
“No Xavier, I mean Apathy. The lack of enthusiasm, interest...or concern. You don’t lack the former, but the latter. The latter you’ve had a deficiency of for a number of years. You don’t have a healthy fear of those out to get you. You don’t even have respect for them. But they’re coming, brother. And they won’t be coming alone.”
“You think I should be more careful about who I pick my fights with?”
“For the hundredth time, yes.”
“Well, I think you should keep in mind that I don’t pick fights, I start wars. And the only people around here that should be careful are you, Apathy, the ID, and anyone else who has gotten this far in life without learning the most important lesson there is; Careful what you wish for.”
“...I wish you’d fuck off for another five years. How close is that one to coming true?”
“Tell you what, I’ll give you a taste of it and get going. You enjoy your night. Kiss your wife for me, Actually...you know what, I’ll tell Oss to do it instead.”
Vincent stood up and for a second all noise ceased. Xavier, smiling from ear to ear, waited for the move to continue. “He’ll get what he’s got coming. As will you. And it won’t be a pretty belt, ‘avi.”
“Silly boy. I didn’t come for a belt.” Xavier said, taking a swig from the bottle in front of Vincent. He leaned in, bearing his teeth in a confident and threatening growl, and spoke clearly, slowly, and menacingly. “I came for a throne.”
Xavier put the bottle down, and winked at his brother. Backing away, he began to whistle a tune to himself, and ducked out the door with a smirk. Vincent Black sat down, and gritted his teeth. His brother had come to get him on a side. He had chosen not to join his, had denied him his request. And in the mere moments after, Xavier had made sure that if Vincent would not join his side, he’d cement his need to join the other.
As he begins to snarl, we lose the light to the void, and return once more to the darkness from which we came.
Standing off to the side, Ciara Wolf, Rose Wolf, and Callan Wolf look on. Rose and Ciara, both on their phones, sending each other links and posts they could just show one another, as Callan takes on the portrait of confusion.
“Roe…” He asks, touching her arm nervously, hoping she won’t respond to his question in her usual sarcastic manner. He could handle it usually, but it was a bit much too much these days, and it started to make him feel like she didn’t like him.
“Yea, weirdo?” She responds, lovingly mostly, but obviously a little annoyed. As much time as they spend together, she knows how insecure he is about damn near everything. He’s a good kid, a smart kid. Had he not been denied the comfort of a twin by his own doing, he may be different. It was tough standing out in this family. Especially when you’re only one of two.
“Who is this guy?” he asks, looking at the ‘welcome back’ sign being hung in the center of the room. “Wasn’t he here already?”
“Yeah, but now he’s moving back. Like for good. And you remember him. He used to hang out with us all the time.” Ciara responded, not looking up from her phone even for a second. “He used to sing you to sleep, like all the time.”
“He did?” Callan asked, shocked that this person he didn’t know or remember used to be there when he went to sleep. No one was there when he went to sleep except for mom and dad. Who was this guy?
“Ok, so like..You know how uncle Kal dresses like he can’t see colors other than like blacks and browns?”
“Yeah?”
“And you know how Uncle Jack never wears anything but polos or suits?”
“Yeah?”
“And you know how Dad and Mom dress like their bad guys from that Keanu movie you like? The Matrix?”
“...ok.”
“Well, Uncle X is like, the only one of our entire family with any sense of fashion, or style.”
“Louis Vuitton asked him for opinions. On the real.”
“...is that an uncle, too?”
“No, weirdo. It’s a clothing line. It’s practically all most of us women wear.”
“YOU’RE NOT A WOMAN YOU’RE A KID!” Callan screamed. He loved his sisters but it bothered him how they always acted so much older than him. As if they had turned 13 and suddenly they were grown ups and he was a baby. They still played tag, they still had fun. Far as he could tell no adult in this family liked fun.
“Look, Uncle X is like, the coolest of all the uncles. He’s got style, he smells amazing all the time, and he’s got the best sense of humor. Trust me, it’s so huge he’s coming home.” Rose said, smiling but also not looking up from her phone.
“He hit dad with a shovel.” Callan stated, mostly to himself, as a reminder it seemed.
“Yea well…” “Nobodies perfect.’ Said Ciara and Rose, at the exact same time. Both looked up from their phone and celebrated in the way that teenage girls usually do. Callan went to walk away, but ended up walking directly into one of his older Cousins, Simon Wolf. Kal’s son.
“What up dood.”
“Hey Si. Rose and Ciara were telling me about uncle X.”
“You excited to see him? You were only 2 the last time he saw you. I know he wanted to see you the last time he came by, but you were out with your dad.”
“...Do you think I’ll like him?”
“Cally, baby. You’re gonna love him. You know why? Because he loves you. You should’ve seen his face when your dad asked him to be your godfather. He was so excited.”
“My godfather??” Callan knew who his sister’s Godfather were, because Uncle Damon was always around. They loved him a lot and uncle Kal would always talk about how Damon was the perfect godfather for girls. Whatever that meant.
“Yea. If anything happens to your mom and dad, he’ll take care of you. It’s usually Uncle Jack, but your dad and him were pretty close back then.”
As Simon went to say something else, the room erupted in applause, and all eyes turned to the entrance. Standing in the doorway, Xavier Wolf, and Le’andra Fury looked out upon the pack, now complete for the first time in 5 years. A halfcade. A Deca? The room separates and the kids, all of the kids save for Callan, rush forward to greet Xavier. For what he lacked as a brother, or a friend, he more than made up for as an Uncle. Fishing trips, sneaking them onto movie sets, or bringing them shopping in places they didn’t know existed. Xavier hugged them all and fought back the urge to break into tears, all the while keeping his eyes on Callan who hadn’t moved a muscle. Stepping across the room, he approached his god son, and knelt in front of him.
“You don’t remember me huh?” Callan shook his head in response. “That’s fine, It’s been awhile. I’m your Uncle Xavier.” X put his hand out and Callan hesitated to shake it. “It’s okay. You don’t have to.”
“I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Why’d you hit my dad with a shovel?”
“...I didn’t have anything heavier.”
Callan cracked a smile, and felt terrible for it. But he was funny. Just as his sisters had said. “Its not funny.”
“I know. But you’ve got sisters right? Do you always like them?”
“Ye-” Callan began. “Be Honest.” Xavier interrupted. “No.” Callan finished sheepishly.
“What me and your dad have to work out, it’ll be worked out. But what me and you have to do id gst motr important. We need to eat some lunch so we can terrorize that cupcake station as much as possible. Can I count on you?”
“Yes!” Callan said, a smile easing from ear to ear. Xavier looked at him. His face was the same, but it was different. Gone were the features of a baby, and in their place were similar, but much more mature features. If he tried, Xavier could see his grown up face. He could see what he would one day look like as an adult. And in his heart he felt a pain for the transitions he’d already missed. His eyes floated from the boy's face and landed on the boy's father, and a coldness took over him. Xavier does his best to shake it off, but it’s not as easy as he tries to make it look. Standing up, he comes face to face with the boy's mother, VooDoo. She is dressed down for the occasion, and looks quite comfortable, save for the expression on her face.
“Xavier.” She speaks, frigid in tone and expression. “Welcome home.”
“Aw, I knew you’d be happy to see me.” He says with a smirk. She takes Callan’s hand and looks down at the boy, her face taking on a softness that a mother has for her child, but only lasts for the moment she looks upon him, and is gone the second she looks back to her brother in law. “Come. Uncle Kal would like a family photo.”
The entire pack, together again for the first time in 5 years. As the flash of the camera begins. We can see Xavier smiling, his eyes glaring over at his brother, Vincent. And we see Vincent, stoic and staring back. On the last flash, we fade out, and come back to an exterior shot.
The sounds of birds chirping and insects flying by bring us to find two kayaks floating before us. The left one, a bright orange one, holds the Alpha of the Wolf clan, Kal X Wolf. The right one, a day glow green, holds his younger brother, and OPW Elite, Xavier ‘Marke’ Wolf. They both pull up their fishing rods, and begin to bait, as their conversation, which has been ongoing for sometime, continues.
“So it turns out the guy I had done the work, didn’t understand engines at all, and I had to have it redone. Dane overheard me, told me he could do that with his eyes closed.”
“Cocky but ok.”
“And that’s how he became my main guy. Fucker is talented as shit.”
“Could’ve done better with the mentor, but yeah he’s the best wrench I’ve ever seen.”
“You think you’ll ever let go of that beef? You and Damon?”
“Let me think: nope.”
“Ok. So you did choose Nomad because it was his name backwards?”
“I would never admit to doing that, even if I did, because it would make his entire life worth living. But between you and me, it was just a coincidence.”
“Alright. I guess I’ll be inclined to believe.” Kal threw out his line and before it hit the water, memories hit him. He recalled the last time they were out in the water. It was 7 years ago and things were better. Different. Not only did they not have any of...this...to worry about, but they were as tight knit as they ever were. He tried to stop himself from missing those days so much that he didn’t appreciate this one, but he’s only human, and this makes him feel it more than most things could.
“So there’s something I need to ask you, big.” Xavier said, slowly reeling his line to tempt any fish. “So I asked Le’ to marry me, officially. In a very real way. And I thought my side was gonna be a bit empty except for Johnny and Blair. But...you reached out. And that means a lot to me. So I was wondering if you’d be my best man.”
Kal puts his pole down, and grabs his oar. He begins to paddle his boat in a flurry, pushing himself close to Xavier. Xavier looks at him oddly, not sure what is about to happen.
“What’re you doing, big?” “I’m coming to hug you.” “you’re scaring the fish.” “I don’t care.” “You’re scaring me.” “I care even less.”
Kal reaches X and pulls him in. The two men hug while trying not to tip their Kayaks, which as anyone who has been in a kayak will tell you, is easier said than done.
“It would be my genuine honor.” Kal says, pushing himself away from Xavier.
“I’m glad. But there’s another thing.”
“Oh?”
“You gotta come with me to tell her dad.”
“GET The…” Kal took a deep breath. “Fine. It’s fine.At least it’s not the mother.”
“...you know the mother?” Xavier said, shocked in a genuine way.
“Brian and I had our differences. And yes, the main one was that we each wanted to kill the other, but in the end, we weren’t enemies to the bone. So we talked. Two things, One, he respects that woman as a fighter as much as he does the mother of his children, and two, he cherishes his children, his family, above anything else in the world. Something else we have in common.”
“You gonna tell me I shouldn’t be fighting our family?” Xavier said, expecting the speech that he’s been expecting to finally start.
“Nope. Because our family is wrong. I should’ve never sent Vin to join you. I thought it would help, but I didn’t look at it the right way. Vin is...Intrusive. Controlling. He is who I used to be. And with how things with you and him went...it was the wrong play.”
“...who are you..”
“I’m the guy I should’ve been. I love Vin and I love Voo so much. But they’re wrong about you. Because if I wasn’t sick back then...I would’ve been the one to go.”
“Nah, you’ve got kids and a wife that need you. It had to be me.” Xavier looked down at the water, and looked at Kal, who was taking a long sip of his beer. “Dude. Are there fish in this lake?”
“Fish? No. Not yet.”
“Ah. Cool.” Xavier said, shrugging as he takes a chug off his own drink. We slowly pan away and as the distance between the lake and ourselves increases, the light diminishes. As the shadow grows, a new light appears, and it is mobile. Hanging from a ceiling, it moves to and fro, illuminating the man beneath it in passing. Drenched in sweat, his hand wraps torn and tattered, he sits perfectly still, his eyes gazing straight forward, unblinking. Until they do, and a smile appears across his face. He stands up, and the lights come on. We see that it is not an actual room Xavier Wolf is standing in, But that of a small set, constructed to look like the corner of a gym. As he steps down off the stage, we see different people who all have different jobs, associated with whats about to happen. The most important being the boom operator, who is now following Xavier as he walks, and more importantly, talks.
“I love appetizers. You wouldn’t know looking at me, but I’m a very big fan of food. It’s probably why I work out as much as I do. So I can eat whatever I want and not feel guilty. Not that I even think I’m capable of that at this point. I mean, I legit recorded a video to make my ex-girlfriend, and somewhat of a family member, think I murdered her dad. I could’ve defeated what is essentially my best friend and taken her title, but I decided I’d rather take her from Roger than take a belt off of her. I should feel guilty. I should feel a lot of things. But you know what I feel? I feel fucking hungry. And I think it’s time I start devouring people the way I devour food. So let’s start with the appetizer. Sahara, that would be you.”
“For those of you who are not aware, Sahara is one of the wonderful people that Johnny picked up at what is essentially the yard sale of this business. She’s a wonderful actress that can be seen on the Netflix show ‘american vampire.’ It’s fantastic, and I will say that the girl can act. But I do wish she’d use those talents to act like she knows what the fuck she’s doing, and not open her mouth in ways that won’t end with her getting cast by Harvey Weinstein.”
“Sahara came to OPW thinking that she was somebody. Convinced that she was somebody that not just anybody could be. But truthfully, Sahara is not somebody. She’s not even anybody. She is simply A BODY. If the word Placeholder needed a mascot, I am sure she could land that role much easier than she’s landed her other ones, and my god, would she be convincing. Because to this business, that is all she is. I won’t say she’s a small fish in a big pond. I will say that while she may have been the best of the best in the last group of whores she belonged to, this ain’t there. We ain’t them, and she ain’t shit.”
“War with us. Silly trick, this ain’t for kids. And while you aren’t a kid you must be kidding if you think you can wage a war with us and win anything other than the ass kicking you’ve been seeking, and subsequently are about to find. You should stop talking about us. Stop waving your hands in our face. Girl, You shouldn’t even look in our direction. You might be able to see why kids like cinnamon toast crunch but can you see why you’re out of your fucking mind if you think you can stand up against the syndicate? The most powerful stable this business has seen since ever. And by yourself, may I add. We have each other's backs. Who has yours? Damon?”
“And I thought my jokes were bad.” says a sound clip of Heath Ledgers Joker from the movie The Dark Knight, a clip that surely cost Xavier an arm and a leg to get the rights to.
“He’s the only joke bigger than you and neither of you are funny. Though, we do laugh at him quite often. You, not so much. It’s not that we don’t think well of you. I mean, we don’t. But that’s not why. It’s because we don’t think of you at all. And why should we? You said it yourself, you’ve no idea why you’re even in this match for a shot at the belt. Even you, in your peroxide wisdom, know you’re out of your league. And if you don’t then you’re out of your mind.”
“Do yourself a favor, girl. Put the dick back in your mouth and keep our names out of it You can’t afford to pay for what you did to Blair, and you damn sure can’t afford to pay for what we will do to you.. By the way, Murphy says hi.”
“Moving on, but not exactly upward. Apathy. Not the main course, but something more than an appetizer. Let’s call you the pasta dish. Small portion, just enough to hold you off until the main course is ready. And despite the fact that you’re fighting for the big belt, that is all you are to me. Yet another smaller dish until something else is put in front of me. I wouldn’t even mention you normally. I would ignore you, the way you ignore everyone else. But there are certain things that I’d like to give you the chance to hear, before I give you no option but to feel. You want to feel like you’re important to this world. We all do. To you though, it’s slightly more important. I know for a fact it’s because you know as well as I do, that you have an expiration date. Your time here, being one of the big dogs, is dwindling away. Every second, a grain of sand that slips from your grip to the ground. The ground that will soon be the grave that your career eternally rests in. You, the jerry springer of this entire business, who walks around backstage spewing nonsense that either no one cares about, or no one asked for, if not the usual of both. You, who dare to speak to others the way you yourself, and only yourself, should be spoken to. Blair has been a constant in this business. Anicka has been a constant in this business. The only thing constant, or consistent about you, is your inability to shut the fuck up and do your god damn job. If making excuses made you great. You’d be a fucking legend. But all you’ll ever be is a myth.”
Myth Nasty...
“A myth you tell yourself to defend yourself from yourself. If you fucking tried half as much as you made it look like you tried, you’d still be a piece of shit not worth bending down to pick up. But at least we’d respect the effort. Way more than we’d ever respect you. I’m sure you’ll have feelings about this, and cry your sorry eyes out, but be well aware of something. Anicka didn’t jump sides because of Johnny. She jumped sides because of me. I made this happen. I convinced her it was a good move, to try and win me back. And I took the hope she had a broke it. And then I broke her. I did this, Apathy. The Syndicate isn’t the most powerful group this business has ever seen because of Johnny, but because of me. Because I’ve got the kind of mind that this business hasn’t had but always needed. And when your entire world comes crashing down, it won't be because my dear friend who once stuck his dick inside you deemed it should. It will be because of me, who wouldn’t fuck you with Wright’s dick and Moore pushing.”
“So do us all a favor and start stockpiling excuses now. You’re gonna need a lot of them soon enough. And I’ll be responsible for that, too.”
“On to the main course. Not, the main course that you get and are all excited for. But the one you order because it’s really the only option you’ve got. Like maybe everything has cheese and you’ve got the lactose intolerance. So you order what you can and you eat it, but truthfully you wish you had something else, anything else, even diarrhea, other than what you’ve. That’s you. You’re not my first choice. You’re not the one I wanted. You’re just slightly better than diarrhea.”
“And let’s be honest, ID iot, when we think of you, loose shit is the most fitting description one could come up with. Thankfully tho, you’re def one of those bouts of loose shit that when you go to wipe your ass, you find there’s not any shit on you. Because like you, when I’m done, there’s not gonna be any fucking proof you were ever even near me. I almost said inside of me. Which we all know you’d love to be. If only so you can stop being the sad and pathetic piece of ring rat trash that you are, for even a goddamn second.”
“Blair came to the press conference so she wouldn’t get fined, but you show up week after week so you don’t get found. Found to be lacking. Found to be who you really are. Found to be the weakling, mentally and physically, that you’ve been the entire god damn time. I won’t need to find this out, I will on the other hand be the one to point it out.”
“Jayson Violence, which is the best name never, made a point to say that The Pack, and the Syndicate, are two sides of the same coin. They are both threatening to destroy this company for their own well being. Well, Jay-Son. I agree and I disagree. While I agree that we are two sides of the same coin, I will argue that my side of the coin is at least entertaining, and successful, and not a bunch of sad bastards spouting about boring things, like fairness, and ethics. My side gets people to come. If it was a bunch of white hats shaking hands and blowing each other, the only people that would watch are Damon Riggs, and that’s only so he could masturbate his swollen sense of being. ‘Im gonna help sahara fix her ribs’. Help her do her hair next, woman.”
“Here’s the difference Jayson doesn’t see between us tho. The pack is ruled by a code of behavior. They choose to do what's right, not for them, but for the business as a whole. They look at the rules, the things they decide are important, and they draw this line on the ground with a stick and refuse to cross it. No matter how much good can come of it, they’ll stand their ground and defend that line.”
“Fuck that Line.”
“Fuck that line lionel richie style...ALL. NIGHT. LONG.”
“Better yet. Draw the line, hand me the stick and allow me to shove it up your ass with the rest of the sticks that you have up there, which is the only explanation for why you wish to be who and how you are. This business is not about right and wrong or left and right. It’s about me saying I’m stronger than you, and proving it. Should I do it mentally, or physically, or however, doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is saying you can, and proving you will.”
“And I’ve done that. I’ll keep doing that. Not because it’s ‘who I am and it’s what I am and it’s what I came to do.’ I say with a mocking tone...Because not a single fucking one of you can stop me. I am not an all powerful god. I am not the unbeatable devil. I am in every way, shape, and form...so much fucking worse.”
“Bring your best foot forward. Know the consequences of half measures. Be aware that we are not equals, and we do not see things the same way. From the jump, from the very beginning of this fight, we will not be on the same page, despite being in the same ring. You’re coming for a fight. You expect a fight. The bell that rings at the start of the match will tell you it’s time to fight. And it’s gonna tell me…”
“it’s time to eat.”
“It isn’t time to complain about the people you’ve been given to fight previously, because they don’t meet your lofty standards that only you seem to think you deserve to have. It isn’t time to beg for an opponent that you feel will grant you the attention you’re obviously desperate for. This business is not about who you fight, but how you fight. It’s about how you show the world, even when it isn’t looking, who you are, and how you handle your shit. You remind me of someone, and no, this isn’t a pleasant memory. But you remind me of someone who I used to know, fuck it lets be clear, who I used to be. I had to come up in this business the hard way. I didn’t get respect handed down from my brothers, or friends. I had to earn it, day in and day out. I didn’t talk about ‘luck’ or ‘worthwhile fights’. Losers blame luck. Winners don’t blame anything. It took me a long time to figure that out. And it seems it’s taking you quite a bit of time, too.”
“Don’t act like you disagree. You act enough. Like this set behind me, most of the things you do are done for the sake of doing. They are for lack of a better term, performative. You act better because you wish you were better. You spit on those beneath you so to help in forgetting that for the most part, you’re beneath far more people yourself. And you want somebody worthy. Worthy of what? Listening to you cut promos for other wrestlers who are fighting for belts they won’t give you a replica of? Busy shit talking about other fighters who are leagues above you? Do a solid, IDiot. Stop making excuses for Apathy. Concentrate on making them for yourself instead. Oh wait. You already do.”
“Well save some for next week. Save some for when I do what I do and your left wondering why you said what you said. Why you put on the act you did. Good news though, Mr. Want somebody worthy. You got what you begged for. You got somebody worthy. Hopefully some day soon, I will to.”
As Xavier exits the frame, we see a poster on a back wall that had been blocked by his presence. In the center of it is a picture of ID, with the words “ID; Getting The Attention He So Desperately Wants! Watch as he fights for the respect he so adamantly tells us he deserves!” As we slowly fade away, a man walks up to the poster and slaps a sticker on it. The words glow in the darkness of the void and are the only thing left as we re-enter the void. “FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY.”
Xavier Wolf breaks the void with the push of a door. Entering the smoke filled bar room of the [REDACTED] one of 3 bars located in [REDACTED], the town just outside of Parts Unknown. Stepping up to the bar, he is greeted with a napkin and a nod.
“What can I get ya?” Asks the old man, his flannel shirt opened just enough to reveal a large head of Christ medallion. “Same as yer brother?”
Xaviers head snaps and he finds Vincent Wolf, seated in a corner table by himself. A bottle of gin in one hand, and a glass of said gin in the other. Xavier looks to the bartender and asks for “the best bottle of whiskey you got.”
The bartender pulls out a bottle of Jameson, and a shot glass. “Oohh you fancy huh?” Xavier pulls a wad of cash from his pocket and shaved off two bills and slides them to the bartender, and makes his way over to Vin’s table. Sitting down, he pauses when Vin snaps and sits forward, his hand slapping the table.
“Well. Look who it is. The turncoat.” Vin says, a smile easing across his lips.
“We’re not gonna start with name calling, are we? Figure we could work our way up to it. Otherwise, we’re just gonna get banned from this lovely establishment.”
“If you believe restricting ourselves from the giving to one another descriptive monickers, is going to stop us fro-“
“Vin. Take the night off, ok? I’m not here to cause trouble. I’m here to make you an offer.”
“You have nothing I want.”
“How about the love and respect of your family? How about a seat at the table of the dynasty I’m building?”
“You hit me with a shovel.”
“Oh wahhhhhh bfd. If we grew up together we’d have done a lot worse. Because that’s what brothers do. I told you time and time again to stay out of my business, you didn’t. I told you to back off, you didn’t.”
“You turned on me. For Styles.”
“I turned on you for me. I didn’t come back into this game to be a fucking tag team. Wear matching panties and come up with some rad finish. Fuck outta here. I came back for what I’m owed. And I ain’t leaving without it. But My point...I don’t like being against you. I want you on my side.”
“I am not like you…”
“I’ll take what the fuck are you taking about for 200, Alex.”
“You’re a disease, X. Using your proximity to Johnny to have your way with OPW.”
“Like I need Johnny for that. I could, if I chose to, run the fucking mill on everyone here, yourself included.”
“There are people who would stop you, even if I couldn’t. You’re gonna pay for your actions.”
“So this moral superiority you, who used to beat people with an Axe Handle, seem to have developed.. Who does it come with? You’ve chosen the side, who else is on it? Damon? The man who literally had sex with your wife while still being married? The guy who dropped off Red at your place because he thought there was no way she’d fall for you? That guy?”
“I’ve made my piece with Damon’s transgressions prior to-“
“See, That? That’s bullshit. You can forgive a man for that but you can’t get over me, hitting you with a shovel, because you deserved to be hit with a shovel.”
“You expect me to jump ship?”
“I expect you to see the truth. This isn’t about good or bad. This isn’t right or wrong. It’s about giving them what they want. And what they want is a war. We can give them that. But you’re on the wrong side of it.”
“I beg to differ.”
“You’re gonna beg for something, Vin...but it ain’t to differ. Who do you have? Sahara? She’s far too fucking busy being a C list celebutante to be serious about this. You might as well hire replacement Becky to take her spot when she taps. Jay Violence? His name should be Jay ineffectual because that’s what he’s gonna be known for. Dude might as well be a pacifist the way he fights. Miss Michelle? The community mattress? She should come with a sleep number control because that’s how often she’s got people on her. Damon included.”
“They’re related.” Vin responds, frustrated by the monologue he’s on the unhappy end of.
“Even worse. What about Roger? He’s lost, kid. He has been for a while and trust me, it’s only gonna get worse. Buy him a map, a compass and a gps and he still ain’t finding his way. Or you know what, maybe you’ll get in with ID and Apathy. They might be the same person for all I care to know, but they’ve got you written all over them. I’m sure K. Oss, lovely fucking name that is, would love the opportunity to hang out with you, and be your friend, right? Listen to me, You’re alone, Vin. You just don’t see it yet.”
“I’d rather lose with them, then win with you. With John Styles. How you work with him...”
“How I...Because when you all fucked off, he was there. He gave me a purpose. A family. And money. I ate at his table because it was the only table I was allowed to sit at, and I feasted. He’s a friend, maybe he’s a fucked up friend but hell, so am I. So it’s fitting. And I am so glad you’re ok with losing, darko. Because shits gonna get real, real soon. Remember this for me? I tried. You denied.”
“You’re trying to neutralize your opposition's biggest weapon, Xavier. Simple as that.”
“No Vin. I’m trying to spare my brother, the opposition’s only weapon, an ass kicking he may not come back from. Call in sentiment. But I figured I’d try to save the person you used to be, but I’ll just have to demolish the man you’ve become.”
“You should worry less about me, and more about Apathy..”
“What you meant to say, was ID, but I see how you could make that mistake.”
“No Xavier, I mean Apathy. The lack of enthusiasm, interest...or concern. You don’t lack the former, but the latter. The latter you’ve had a deficiency of for a number of years. You don’t have a healthy fear of those out to get you. You don’t even have respect for them. But they’re coming, brother. And they won’t be coming alone.”
“You think I should be more careful about who I pick my fights with?”
“For the hundredth time, yes.”
“Well, I think you should keep in mind that I don’t pick fights, I start wars. And the only people around here that should be careful are you, Apathy, the ID, and anyone else who has gotten this far in life without learning the most important lesson there is; Careful what you wish for.”
“...I wish you’d fuck off for another five years. How close is that one to coming true?”
“Tell you what, I’ll give you a taste of it and get going. You enjoy your night. Kiss your wife for me, Actually...you know what, I’ll tell Oss to do it instead.”
Vincent stood up and for a second all noise ceased. Xavier, smiling from ear to ear, waited for the move to continue. “He’ll get what he’s got coming. As will you. And it won’t be a pretty belt, ‘avi.”
“Silly boy. I didn’t come for a belt.” Xavier said, taking a swig from the bottle in front of Vincent. He leaned in, bearing his teeth in a confident and threatening growl, and spoke clearly, slowly, and menacingly. “I came for a throne.”
Xavier put the bottle down, and winked at his brother. Backing away, he began to whistle a tune to himself, and ducked out the door with a smirk. Vincent Black sat down, and gritted his teeth. His brother had come to get him on a side. He had chosen not to join his, had denied him his request. And in the mere moments after, Xavier had made sure that if Vincent would not join his side, he’d cement his need to join the other.
As he begins to snarl, we lose the light to the void, and return once more to the darkness from which we came.