Kingdom Come X: Xander (c) v Steven Holmes (WHC)
Xander shocked the world by winning the Lethal Lottery but another shock happened in the same event. The return of Steven Holmes. Himself a very decorated superstar he has the backing of the WZCW universe. Will Xander defend or will the Elite become world champion?
Deadline Tuesday 15th October 11:59pm Eastern (No extensions)
'Son, you're the Champ. Grab a fuckin' chair!'
The Day Before
Kingdom Come X
The camera faded in, focusing solely on a close up of the interviews subject. It focused on his eyes, shifting down to the grin that encompassed the lower portion of his face.
'You know, there's a parallel universe out there, where it's Triple X being interviewed as a multi-time World Champion. He's sitting here, in this seat, probably wearing a Slipknot t-shirt with converse on his feet, ripped jeans and seven colours in his hair. And he's happy. Happy to be going to Kingdom Come and happy to perform in front of the tens of thousands of people.'
The smile faded; a deadly serious look in its place.
'The only thing that world has in common with the real one?'
The camera pulled out...
...revealing the belt on Xander's shoulder.
'I'm the Champion of the god-damn World.'
. . .
One Week
Ago
'When you're twisting the arm, you wanna...snap down on it like that.'
'AAAARGH!!!'
'Yeah. That's right. Cry it out you little shit.'
Geoff Kingsley pushed the student over to the corner of the ring. He bounced into the buckle, holding his arm tight. King turned to the class, a slightly sick smile on his face.
'It hurts. It'll make you wanna quit, right there and then, and you'll wonder why no-one in the history of professional wrestling has ever submitted to an arm wringer.'
He looked around the students; the young men and women in their sportswear all had worried looks, as if they had no idea what they'd stepped into . Kingsley smiled again.
'That is because-'
'It's because he'll beat the shit out of you until it feels like a slap on the wrist.'
Kingsley looked behind the group, who all turned to find the source of the voice. Xander stood there in a smart navy suit, with the World Championship on his shoulder, with Talia by his side in a dark red flowy dress.
'S'up King?'
Kingsley smiled.
'Looks like y'all have a treat here on this fine morning. It's not every day a World Champion walks through your door. Hey kid; you wanna get in here and show them how you use an arm wringer?'
Xander smiled, shaking his head. But he obliged, passing a smiling Talia his World Championship before rolling into the ring. He threw his jacket over the ropes, rolling up his sleeves.
'Lawson, take a break. Jenkins; in here! Take one from the Champ.'
The kid Kingsley nearly ripped the arm off of rolled from the ring, and in slid a kid no older than eighteen, with a Bullet for my Valentine shirt, baggy shorts and blue hair.
He held out his arm and Xander wasted no time, grabbing it, yanking it, before twisting it round. He had it just at the furthest it would spin, and threw a stiff forearm to the kids face.
He rocked back, sliding down to the bottom turnbuckle, holding his face. The rest of the students all gasped, holding their own faces as if the pain had reverberated to them. Xander stood over the kid, emotionless.
'That is the biggest lesson you need to learn. If you were paying attention you'd have seen the forearm coming a mile away.'
He turned to the class outside the ring, leaning over the ropes.
'Who gives a shit if you're training? Big fucking deal. You need to be ready for anything and you simply aren't. You're too focused on getting the technique right, making the move look nice, but you're missing the fundamentals. Make the fucker hurt. Cause pain, and get the win. Who gives a shit if the move is completely textbook?'
He turned his head, looking at Kingsley who smiled back, nodding.
'You're all sitting around, hoping to learn how to do the cool stuff. I can tell; you know why? I was the same. I wanted to know all the cool moves, do the impressive shit, but over ten years later and here I am, and I do what I need to do, and I win. And I won that.'
Xander points over the ropes to Talia, who looked to the Championship on her shoulder.
'Do your fucking job. Don't look to be a superstar. Look to be a winner.'
. . .
'The first time I met Steven Holmes was in the ring. 2012, on Ascension 45. Myself playing the plucky young rookie versus the midcard familiar. And I beat him for his Elite Championship on the first attempt, in what was only my fifth ever match in the company. An upset, sure, and I know it embarrassed him, but everyone and his dog knew I had at least something about me. What made that special was that no-one, and I mean no-one, saw it coming. Hell, I didn't. But I always believed. And you know the funny thing?'
Xander leaned in closer to the off-camera interviewer.
'I knew the fans believed in me, too.'
. . .
The shine of the gold centreplate reflected back, lighting up Kingsleys face. He smiled, passing it over to Xander.
'I gotta hand it to you kid.'
He patted him on the shoulder, before leaning on the ring apron.
'You need to start taking it easy.'
'And you need to mind your own damn business.'
Xander laughed, and sat down on the mat. Kingsley shook his head laughing.
'Son, you're the Champ. Grab a fucking chair.'
He shook his head.
'I'm always gonna be your student, King.'
Kingsley smiled at the notion. He turned to Talia, who was in fact sitting on a chair.
'Still this stubborn?'
'You have no idea.'
He shook his head again, still grinning.
'Stubbornness has good and bad traits, kid. It's gotten you this far. But look what it did to you against Chris KO. You need to be so careful against guys like him, and your old buddy Holmes.'
'What happened against Chris was an off-day. One I can't afford to have.'
Talia leaned forward.
'If you're going to have an off day though, it might as well be on Meltdown without the title on the line though, right?'
Kingsley looked back round to her.
'Your girl's got a point, kid.'
He smiled.
'Yeah, she's good at that.'
'I'm serious.'
She stood up, walking over to Xander, kissing him on the forehead, then on the lips.
'When I perform in a play, if the dress rehearsal is all kinds of crap, it means the performance itself is ten times better than it has any right to be. Don't ask why, I don't know, but it happens.'
'So...me losing to KO means I'll kick Holmes' ass?'
'...basically.'
'You...do remember he lost to Kagura on the same night, right?'
Kingsley snorted.
'That's some fucked up math, lady.'
She turned, shooting Kingsley a look. He smiled.
'Hey, I didn't say I didn't like it.'
'Speaking of Kingdom Come...'
Xander pushed himself off the ground, walking over to Kingsley.
'You'll be there, right?'
For the first time in a long time, Kingsley looked awkward, shuffling his feet slightly.
'Xander, kid, I can't afford that. All the money I have is poured into this place. I'll be watching, sure, but-'
'No, King, you don't understand...'
Xander walked over to the ring, pulling his hanging jacket down from the top rope. He reached into the inside pocket, pulling out an envelope, handing it to Kingsley.
'...you'll be there.'
Kingsley narrowed his eyes at Xander, before methodically tearing the envelope open. He reached in, pulling out two tickets, front row. Emblazoned on the top; WZCW PRESENTS: KINGDOM COME X
'...kid...'
'Just fucking be there.'
The old mans eyes watered.
'You sappy prick.'
'Old bastard.'
The two hugged. Not like friends, not like mentor and student, but more like father and son.
'Im proud of you, kid.'
'Yeah...I'm proud of me too.'
Kingsley pushed a smiling Xander away.. He walked slowly over to the chair Talia had been sitting on, lowering himself down. He wiped his brow, shaking his head.
'Thank you.'
'Thank Talia. Her idea.'
He smiled at her. He beckoned her over, taking her hand, kissing it.
'I thought you'd like it.'
He smiled again, wiping his brow once again.
'Okay, we gotta shoot. I promised mom we'd make our way over tonight. I'll see you at the big show!'
Kingsley smiled back.
'You will. And thank you...both of you.'
Xander scooped the World Title belt from the floor and took Talia's hand; the two smiling back as they left, with Kingsley staring at the Kingdom Come X tickets.
. . .
'But the 2012 Elite Championship isn't the match I want to talk about. No.'
Xander looked away for a moment, a smirk flashing across his face and disappearing just as fast. He looked to the ground as he spoke.
'February 24th, 2013. All or Nothing.'
Quote:
The crowd is going wild as X looks around and then sees that Holmes is in perfect position. He does his best to crawl to the corner, ascend the turnbuckles slowly and perch himself on the top. He makes the sign of the cross as X performs the Firefly...
...
...
...
... as Holmes moves out of the way!
Connors: He missed!
Cohen: I think that might have been his last opportunity.
Holmes clutches his entire body as the crowd watches on as Holmes slowly gets to his feet, brings up the crumpled heap of Triple X and finishes off "Old Yeller" with the Imperial Impaler. Holmes covers the body of X...
... 1
... 2
Copeland: C'mon X!
Cohen: He's done for.
... 3!
The referee signals for the bell as the collective voices of the crowd are in shock and sadness that one of the most evil men they know has just been awarded a World championship opportunity. They let their voices be heard with boos from everywhere as Holmes stands to his feet with a smirk.
Harrys: Here is your winner and the Number One Contender to the WZCW World Heavyweight Championship at the Lethal Lottery; Steven Holmes!
Xanders eyes remained on the floor as the image returned to him, still smiling.
'That's the moment. Right there. Sure, I went on to win the Eurasian Championship after this, but that was my chance. And that's the thing I've come to learn, Steven. Life is built on moments. Moments make us who we are; they define who we become. But you have to take them, grasp them, snatch them, because if you don't...well. Someone else will.'
The camera zoomed back into his face as he looked up, which contorted into a scowl.
'Like you took mine six years go. You won, you went on, and you beat Showtime Cougar and became the World Champion. Now, am I saying that 2013 Triple X had it in him to beat an all-time great like Showtime?'
Xander held his arms out, with almost an apologetic grin.
'Probably not. But honestly, there's one factor that could have helped him get across the line.'
Xander pointed off camera.
'The fans.'
. . .
The distant ringing pulled Xander out of his sleep. He pushed himself up to a seated position; Talia was flat out, half her body uncovered by the sheets while she softly slept. Xander picked his phone up from the sideboard. 03.11am, and an unknown number.
'H...hello?' he spoke through a yawn.
Talia sturred, pulling the sheets back to cover herself as she watched Xander on the phone. It took a secodn for her to realise the colour draining from Xanders face.
'I'm on my way.'
He dropped the phone on the floor, swinging out of bed, grabbing the nearest clothes.
'Shit Xander, what??'
'It's King.'
'Oh fuck.'
Talia threw the sheets back off, throwing on the nearest track pants and vest she could find, before following Xander out the door.
. . .
'I'm no idiot. I know exactly where some of my early success came from. Those people; when they cheer, it gives you ten extra gears. It fills you full of super soldier serum, and makes you think you can conquer the world. They make it so you can conquer the world. And for the longest time I knew that. I relied on it. I embraced it. Then...'
Xander looked back to the ground, an almost sorrowful expression etched into his features.
'... you took them away from me.'
A thin mist had enveloped around the cemetery, giving the whole area a grey tone. The plot was surrounded by people Xander didn't fully recognise, but he knew who most of them were. The older men and women were some of Kings comrades in arms; the people he wrestled with and against back in the day. Some looked in a bad way, with at least two in wheelchairs, while others looked like they were doing well. The younger ones; students, some of which Xander again knew. A mix between people he'd seen on the circuit, and others he trained with.
At the front of the seats, Xander saw a picture someone had chosen...
He smiled, leaning into Talia.
'He fucking hated that picture.'
He exchanged pleasantries with a few of the older ones, along with a married couple who had met in Xanders class, before taking his seat next to Talia. They sat there, Xander in a black suit with Talia in a black dress, as the priest began to talk.
Nothing he said mattered to Xander. His mentor, Geoff Kingsley was gone.
. . .
'And ever since you took them away, it was never the same. They had hope, they had dreams that I could win the big one, so that one day, just maybe, even they could go on and achieve greatness. I was their hope, their surrogate. They lived, vicariously, through my achievements. And you fucking stole it.'
Xanders fist rested on his knee, clenched tightly into a ball. He took a breath, releasing it.
'I was no longer their choice. I would do, sure. If no-one else was around. But I wasn't the name on everyones lips. Hell, the next time I even touched a Championship opportunity was after I realised this. But Steven, lets be clear. You screwed me out of that opportunity all of those years ago. You, and your brother. And you stole, my chance, my Championship, the fans, everything. And for what? You pissed it away at the next Pay Per View. You were a paper CHampion, Steven. A one hit wonder.'
He reached off camera, taking a sip from a glass of water.
'But do I blame you for taking your opportunity? No. That would be hypocritical. No, instead I blame you for choosing to take it against me, Steven. Because everything has a price, and the devil comes due. And now, after all this time you walk back in to this company a beaten, broken down has-been and never-again-will-be, in an attempt to regain the glory of days gone by at my expense?'
He launched the glass off-camera, the smash echoing around the room.
'FUCK YOU.'
. . .
'At this time, I'd like to call Alexander Knight to say a few words.'
Talia released her grip from Xanders arm, rubbing his back as he stood. He looked back at her red, glassy eyes and smiled to reassure her. He walked over to the priest, facing the crowd. He took a breath, thinking long and hard before beginning.
'Jackson King. That's how I knew him first. Not as Geoff, but as the technical, hard hitting dude that was a mainstay in the American wrestling scene for years. He never won a World Championship, yet what he did win is reflected by the people whoa re out here today. He won respect. And that is something much more valuable than Championship titles.'
Xander cleared his throat, looking back out.
'I never knew what it was like to be punched in the face until I met Geoff Kingsley. That sounds like an odd way to start, but please indulge me. King would call us all into the ring, and in the middle of showing us something he just...waffle us. It was his way of showing us that we needed to be prepared for anything, no matter what we were doing. "Be ready for a meteor strike even if you're on a beach in Barcelona" was one of his lines he'd say. And he would kick my ass, and there would be days I would wonder whether I could take it. I'd doubt what he was doing was right.'
Xander looked towards his feet, taking another deep breath.
'I stand here today the man I am because of him. I don't doubt a thing, because I get it. Life isn't fair. Life sucks, and it's up to us to find the bright spots. No matter what we need to do.'
He looked around. Old timers and young beginners alike were smiling, nodding.
'King didn't want to just teach people, he wanted to prepare them. And he did. I've never met a single person who knew him that didn't fall deeply in love with that gruff exterior. Because for all his faults, all his aggressive words, all the elbows, kicks and punches, he cared. He cared so much. And he wanted to make sure no-one could ever hurt us more than he did. He wanted to make sure we were as prepared as could be, and for that I thank him, and will miss him.'
Xander looked overto the grave, feeling a tear escape from his eye.
'Though I gotta say, King, this fucking hurts.'
. . .
'You don't get to walk into my story and take my spot. You don't get to come and carry on, as if I'm some afterthought. No, I've been there, and you will never, ever get the chance to do that to me again. Do you understand that, Holmes? Never again.'
. . .
'How you holding up?'
Talia took Xanders hand, as he stood looking down into the grave. The Coffin sat at the bottom; white and red roses littering the lid.
'He was so proud of you, you know? And still is, wherever he is.'
Xander nodded.
'And he wouldn't want you to wallow. He'd want you to carry on. If not for you, for him.'
Silent tears rolled down Xanders eyes. She smiled a soft smile as she stared at him, before returning her gaze to the coffin.
'He knew you could do it, babe. And so do I.'
She kissed him on the cheek, letting his hand go, as she left him to his thoughts of one of the greatest men he ever knew.
. . .
'I'm done with letting that memory haunt me. I'm done with letting the past shackle me down. You are the dragon I need to slay, and so help me Steven I will slay you the fuck down, put my foot on your chest and send you back out of the company where you belong. I'll slay you for the other me you stole the chance from. That parallel version of myself, who never fell out of love with the people, and who the people never felt the need to turn on. I'll fucking do it for them. I'll hold that Champion, and become more than the place holder you were, and you won't, will not, take this moment. I will hold this up high...'
Xander held the World Title from his shoulder up high.
'...as still the World Heavyweight Champion.'
He lowered the Championship, staring into the centre plate. He looked back up, staring into the camera.
'Lethal Lottery...X. Kingdom Come...X. Coincidence? Not a God-damn chance. You chose the wrong time to come back, Holmes. You came back in the middle of the Age of X. And it isn't fading away anytime soon.'
. . .
He reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out the Kingdom Come tickets. He stared at them intently, tears joined by soft rainfall dropping down onto the paper. He crouched down, kissing the ticket, before throwing it into the grave, landing on top of the coffin
See you there, King.
. . .
Xander stood, staring down at the camera; hate in his eyes as if Holmes were right in front of him.
'In contrast to your comeback Steven; it's only just begun.'