Meltdown 164/Ascension 141

[JustCarl]

Carl hung his head in shame, he had been defeated again and this loss hurt. He debated screaming but took a deep breath and set the controller down. The Blazing Bull mini-boss in Sekiro: Shadowâ??s Die Twice was no joke and beginning to piss him off. Carl facepalmed himself at getting angry over a video game before taking a sip of his vanilla pepsi and rising to his feet. He stretched his back and gazed at his watch, already 4 oâ??clock. He scratched his beard and finished his soda. Carl got his phone and flipped it around on himself.

Carl: â??Hey everyone, your resident jobber hereâ?¦ thatâ??s right, Itâ??s Just Carl. Looking ahead to 2020 after a rocky 2019 is a hard task to do. I go out there and I give it my all but so far, my all hasnâ??t been good enough. One win to my name in the WZCW and several losses. The fans have probably given up hope on me at this point and Iâ??m sure the boys in the back have as well. Iâ??m not one of the boys in the back, Iâ??m just another fan in over his head.â?

Carl shakes his head and sits back down.

Carl: â??And listen, Iâ??m not blaming them for those thoughts. If I was in their shoes, Iâ??d feel the same way. I have been awful this year, shocked I even still have a job... But I have more to bring to the table, I promise. Donâ??t give up on me just yet, donâ??t shut that door. You never know what you're capable of until your back is at the wall and yall, I've darn well IN the wall at this point. Next year Iâ??ll prove Iâ??m one of the guys, prove I belong. Earn myself title shots and even bring home a title. Business may be slow but itâ??s only just begun. Call me corny but Iâ??ve got 20-20 vision as we head into this new decade and business is going to be picking up!â?

Carl gives a big smile.

Carl: â??Maybe weâ??ll even get those WZCW Tag Titles back in order yea? I think I know someone looking for a partner. The faces of the WZCW Tag Division has a pretty good ring to it.â?

Carl winks at the camera.

Carl: â??2020? Yea. 2020 is looking good. Bet on that.â?

Carl ends the recording and then emails it to WZCW management before retrieving his controller, this time he was going to beat the Blazing Bull.

[Skairipa]

#Goals

A House In San Antonio, Texas:

Kingdom Come had come and gone, and of course I won, did anyone seriously expect anything different? I still had my title opportunity whenever I wanted it and after taking a much needed vacation after the show, I was back in the states and focused on becoming the greatest wrestler WZCW had ever seen. But tonight, tonight was a girls night in as I was staying with Kira at her place for a night before I had to go back on the road and that meant watching lots of disney plus. Next on the watch list was Boy Meets World season 6.

You know I still think it's crap Shawn and Angela didn't end up together.

Right!? Like come on after everything they went through, and then they didn't even get together on Girl Meets World either, the one big flaw with the show.

I nodded in agreement as I ate some popcorn and the next episode started.

Like come on they deserved their happy ending. At least I provided a happy ending at Kingdom Come to everyone by beating that crazy little whore Alice Adams and knocking her down right where she belongs.

Yeah but I mean, you did get lucky in a way, I mean grabbing the X as you were being lifted up for her finisher? That couldn't have been easy.

Of course it wasn't, but I'm just that good and that smart.

I smirked.

And now that that's taken care of, soon I'll be getting my Elite Championship back whenever the right moment comes, and taking my place back on top of the mountain.

Well I'm rooting for you, but is that all you have in mind?

What do you mean?

I mean think about it...last year at Kingdom Come you won the Elite Title, this year at Kingdom Come you fought for a shot at the Elite Title, you haven't exactly moved up yet. I know you said you have goals left to do with the Elite Title, but don't you want more?

Well of course, the Elite Title is just the start my dear Kira. Because it's simple, I want it all. The fame and the fortune and more.

More?

I want my name in lights, I want my star on the door, I want all the glam, all the press, all the fame, the success, I want it all.

....Did you just quote a High School Musical song?

I shrugged.

Sooo not the point Kira! The point is, I want it all and this is my time to get it, I want every single person wanting to be me and worshipping me, I want to become a grand slam champion, hell I wanna bring back the tag titles just to win them by myself and prove that I can! I want every championship, every record, every accomplishment, every win, and of course the grand prize that everyone is chasing, I want the World Title.

Well yeah but like you said everyone is chasing it, and you've had chances to win it or get a shot at it and didn't. You probably aren't at the front of the line.

I shrugged and laughed. Was she really talking to me about lines right now?

VIP's don't wait in line sweetie, you know that. Sure past opportunites might not have gone my way but look at the road blocks who have stopped me, Eve Taylor? I retired that bitch. Mikey Stromrage? That fatty is looking like a has been lately. Alice Adams? Taken care of. This is the beginning of a new era, the Callie Clark era, and by next Kingdom Come I will have accomplished exactly what I set out to do. But there is one thing I do need to take care of at some point this year...

What's that?

I need to beat Kagura, the one person who's blocked my path to the top that I haven't taken care of. And sooner or later, she will be dealt with.

I nodded with determination.

But right now the only thing I wanna accomplish is going back and watching that episode of Boy Meets World because we got talking and missed it.

We both laughed and turned our focus back to the tv. Disney Plus was quickly turning into my new obsession, well one of.

[Yaz]

This really was an idea I wasn't a fan of. I had hundreds of other things I could be doing. Eating Thanksgiving leftovers. Going Christmas shopping. Saying I was going Christmas shopping but in reality just going and getting myself ice cream and pizza. Playing The Outer Worlds, which still sat unplayed thanks to the extensive Latin and South American tour. Anything would be better than the corporate media circus.

Las Vegas was ass anyway. You see it played up as this massive party city, but most of the party was your parents basement with your ugly Dungeons and Dragons friends. It had highlights for sure, and was enjoyable with the right people, but for the most part it was tourists eating overpriced food and throwing their mortgage payments and children's college funds down the drain after stupidly hitting on seventeen each time. Only about eleven percent of the strippers were attractive AND not addicted to meth. Traffic was Freddy Krueger levels of nightmarish. Everything outside the strip looked like post Katrina New Orleans. Like it was just an unpleasant place.

WZCW HQ was at least pleasant. It wasn't a bukkake of color, but it was enough variation to buck the bland trends of most corporate buildings. It also wasn't just a bunch of faceless drones rushing around a hive. Sure, there were the interns and office workers whose names would never be known to the world at large, but it wasn't them shuffling past at light speed without raising their heads. They would acknowledge you. I always smiled and nodded when I was in a rush. Often a "hey" or "how are ya" if I had a minute. There wasn't an abundance of potted plants everywhere either. It all helped make the corporate experience, one that I loathed, a bit more manageable.

I took an elevator to the third floor and took a seat outside one of the production rooms. After two or three minutes of me checking on wedding planning updates on my phone, Sebastian Copeland walked around the corner. I felt relieved as the wedding planning was a real pain in the ass. I wanted to get the interview started.

"Seabass, what the hell is up man?"

We shook hands and I stood to pat him on the back, classic bro hug. He patted my upper back gently. Copeland was always a professional on screen, truly one of the best to ever call a match. Off screen he usually maintained that demeanor...usually. Occasionally he would lower the professional and proper standards to be more personal. To see him that way was rare, but rarer even was being on the receiving end of that. Only a privileged few veterans got that. It felt nice.

"Business as usual. Taking care of some of the post Kingdom Come obligations. Interviews, voice overs, and such."

"Well lets get down to business then. Got to get this interview done and Huns to defeat."

The look on Copeland's face told a different story.

"Actually, I got switched. I'm interviewing your friend, Titus."

"He's not my friend, guy."

Copeland just sort of shrugged.

"Well who do I have now?"

Copeland's face told the story again. I knew right away. Goddamn it.

As he walked away, the door across the hall opened and out stepped Jack Cohen. He smiled.

Fuuuuuuuuck. I knew it.

I pushed past him and walked inside. I looked over at one of the monitors and could see what I looked like on camera.

Not exactly thrilled by the turn of events and you could tell.

Jack sat down and we were fitted for our mics and given the go ahead.

"How are you doing today Mikey?"

I rolled my eyes.

"It was better about five minutes ago."

"No need to be hostile, I'm just here to do my job."

"Your job typically involves shitting all over me. I know you don't like me, and I don't like you so let's just get this over with."

"What ever gave you the idea I didn't like you?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe ask the tech over there to pull up a clip of any of the five thousand times on commentary you have made fun of me or wished harm on me or cheered when I lost."

"I do actually have a clip queued up."

Jack Cohen takes his headset off and goes to the broken ring. Flex Mussel clutches the Elite title, muttering "It's mine. It's mine". Cohen passes him without a glance.

Along with a half dozen medics, Cohen checks on the well being of Mikey Stormrage. After a few uncertain minutes, Mikey gives the staff as well as the arena the thumbs up. The arena fills up with chants of gratitude for Mikey. Jack Cohen nods in reassurance, and gives Mikey's shoulder a squeeze. Cohen returns to the broadcast booth.

Jack sat there with a smug look on his face. I just sorta hung my head a little.

"I'll be completely honest with you. I don't like you. You are fat, sloppy, annoying. You represent so many things I can't stand. When I learned I was shifted to interview you today, I threw up a little in my mouth. That's how I feel about you. There is one thing, and one thing only I can stand about you. You live and breath wrestling. You are a Hall of Fame talent who goes out to that ring, even when you don't want to. I respect wrestling and I respect that. So even if I don't like you, goddamn it I respect you."

He stuck his hand out, and I returned in kind. It wasn't a happy or friendly shake, but it was a strong one.

"So let's just cut out the pleasantries and get to it?

"Sounds good."

"You are coming off a loss at Kingdom Come, one in which you lost the Elite Title. You were the longest reigning champion in the company going into that event. Some would say, just as your opponent that night did, that you made the Elite Title the most prestigious title in WZCW due to the prestige and length of your reign..."

"I don't mean to cut you off Jack, but I want to touch on that. Before I had won that title, it was the one title in WZCW that had eluded me. Around that same time I threw my hat into the Mayhem grinder and won that title and defended it a few times, but no one with a sense of self dignity is going to hold Mayhem title reigns in that era in high regard. The double champion bit I can also tack onto my resume, it makes me look good, but it has an asterisk on it and everyone knows it. The Elite Title, that was my main focus. Hell, I jumped off the top of a cage through a table to make sure I won it. Had I have successfully defended the title against Flex, it would have been a calendar year in WZCW that I held that title when the next pay per view came around. It's no Ty Burna World Title reign and it wasn't the EurAvison Era, but I put the elite back into the Elite Title when I held it close while every other title was being passed around like a cheap stripper at a frat house. I came fingertips away from the World Title while I held it. So yeah, I would agree with those who said the Elite Title was the title of the time. And I have full confidence that Flex will keep that prestige."

"Well that does cover part of my next question, how do you feel about the loss?"

I made a raspberry with my mouth.

"Now come on homie, what do you think? You've been around this business long enough to know the answer to that question. How many times in your career did you cheat to avoid a loss?"

Jack laughed a little.

"Fair point, I will give you that."

"But, I know what you mean when you ask it in this situation. It does suck. I've lost at Kingdom Come before, I've lost a World Title at Kingdom Come. This hurts, and it hurts a lot. When I lost to Justin Cooper, I felt like I had failed WZCW and the fans. I know you don't wanna hear me go on about the fans, but they are the blood that causes the heart of WZCW to pump. Without the thousands who pack the arena and the millions who watch at home, we are no better than the troglodytes who do this in backyards. And I did let them down by letting a snake in the grass like Cooper take the top spot. That was one of the most painful losses I ever had for that reason. This hurt is a bit different, it stings a lot because I'd never faced Flex in a one on one situation and I wanted to put that notch in my belt. I saw a lot of what Cooper pulled as well. I was doubly motivated. This time I don't think I let anyone down. Flex, I'm not going to sit here and say he is my best friend. I'm not even going to say I really like him, but much like you Jack, I respect him. I think he proved what he is capable of. Former World Champ or not, he went out there and for the most part was with himself and in the end he beat me fair and square. He had to break the ring to do it, but he did it and I tip my cap to him.

Jack nod his head along as I was speaking.

"But don't get it twisted, I would have preferred to win."

Jack looked down at his cue card and then back to me.

"You know what, I've watched you for years now. I know better than most you are a seat of your pants kind of guy. Let's just toss these softball questions out of the way. I'm gonna be blunt with you. You are now the fourth longest tenured person on the roster, you have won every title, put your name in the Hall of Fame, you have done almost everything and those things you didn't accomplish you came close. WZCW has gone through a lot of changes, but Mikey Stormrage is still there. Titus looks to be headed back down a dark path. Xander loathes the fans. Garth Black is all over the map. Of course you have Steven Holmes and Chris KO, but they have only just returned form lengthy layoffs. I think its fair to say you are the most beloved, the most well liked superstar in WZCW. Is that what keeps you going or is it something else? What keeps you from walking away? What is it that you hope to accomplish still?"

I stopped to ponder. It was a question I asked myself a lot. Sometimes too often.

"You know it may just be in my head, but I don't get the respect other veterans get. I love wrestling. I live and breath it. Can anyone else in my position say that? Let's look at the names you mentioned earlier. Titus? He's here for glory. He's good but he exists to put people down. Xander revels too much in gold. Black? Good luck figuring out what he is trying to do. KO is a family man first and only wrestles when he has the time. Holmes can still go, no one doubted that, but his status is his primary concern. Matt Tastic, all hate and love aside, wanted to pursue other ventures. I'm here, giving my life to this. I want to see WZCW grow and thrive. I want to see new stars born and shine."

"So the goal is to help build the younger generation?"

"You know, there was a time when I would be happy to say yes. I've been in more partnerships than most. I used to look at WZCW as this place where everyone had a common goal and we could all achieve that. Then, as time went on, I wasn't as naive. Pro wrestling is not some stroll through the garden. It is a jungle. There is no room for the civilized when grown men rumble in that jungle. To borrow a literary reference from a man Flex used to run with, there is a reason Simon and Piggy died. Ralph had good intentions, but he failed to protect Simon and Piggy and along the way, he was hunted just like the animal he tried to keep the other boys from turning into. I used to think I could be Ralph, but you can't. I want to protect and lead this company, but you can't do that with good intentions. So my motivation Jack, is to be Jack. I will lead the next generation, by any means necessary.

"You want to be a leader? I think its fair to say a lot of people already look up to you."

"It goes beyond that Jack. See I've been working on planning a wedding. My lovely fiancee has taken the lead in most of that, but we are at odds with her family on one key issue. Church."

"Church?"

"Church. We don't want to get married in a church. Never been a fan of churches. They tell us, we need religion. They tell us, they tell me, when I enter into that church for my special day, that I will have a religious experience. That I will see and feel God. I don't buy that though. I've never had a religious experience in a religious place. The closest I have ever been to seeing or feeling God, was when I was in that twenty by twenty. Wrestling is my religion. WZCW my church. So I invite anyone who wants to follow. I will lead you. I will keep you safe as I keep WZCW safe. Under my watch, my eye, you and WZCW will prosper. By any means necessary."

[Echelon]

Angry. Rage. Fury. Those were the only emotions going through my head as I wailed on Mark Keaton. I brutalized him with shot after shot, but yet he kept coming. He didnâ??t give up. In the end I made a mistake and soon I felt myself being driven headfirst into the canvas. My head nearly bursting like a ripe cantaloupe being thrown into a woodchipper. The Voltron Suplex would follow. I could feel the wind being driven from my body as the man I once retired practically drove me through the ring. Three seconds later and the Eurasian gold was his.

â??Good for him,â?? I thought as I rolled out of the ring, clutching my head. â??I didnâ??t want that title anyways.â??

I was a horrible champion; Iâ??ll admit that. Now the Eurasian title was around the waist of a man who would respect it. I couldnâ??t picture Mark Keaton dropping the belt off of any balconies anytime soon. Now I was free to do what I wanted to, and what I wanted to do, was destroy. Nothing for me had changed one single bit. I still held so much contempt in my heart for everyone. For Vance Bateman. For the system itself. Without a single look back, I walked up the ramp and made my way backstage.

Minutes later I was standing in silence, Sasuke beside me, as I began wiping off my face paint. The older man reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, not even caring about the no smoking symbol located nearby.

â??Why do I even bother sticking around, Kag? I mean, itâ??s clear that you donâ??t care anymore.â?

â??I do care, Sasuke - about hurting people. You know you donâ??t have to be here if you donâ??t want to.â?

I watched him shrug his shoulders, â??Meh. The moneyâ??s good, even though I donâ??t really need it. Iâ??m basically an overpaid translator now. Any who, if you need me, Iâ??ll be getting drunk at the titty bar across the street. Laterâ?¦ but donâ??t stay up too late brooding. Youâ??ll kill my buzz when I get back. And donâ??t put your fist through any more walls.â?

â??Whatever,â? I scoffed.

I was going to back to the hotel. I was going to sleep off this loss; fuck it. Honestly, I didnâ??t know what I wanted to do at this point in my career. I was just tired of all the bullshit the industry had to offer. I thought about just retiring and going back home to apologize to my family. What a bunch of ingrates they were. If any of them found out that I was loaded theyâ??d surely start hounding me for donations to the shrine. Well except Uncle. I got changed and started to place my clothes in my bag. The show was over and Xander was still champion.

â??Congrats to him, really,â?? I thought to myself. Inside I was seething. He was living my dream. That could have been me in the limelight, but of course I choked again like I always did when the chips were down. Hahaha, yeah right!

I wasnâ??t going to be sad about losing anymore. At this point I just wanted vengeance for all the time I felt I wasted trying to prove to myself that I was somebody. For always playing the good girl. The cute little foreigner girl that wound up being a doormat and a steppingstone for others. What a cute little novelty figure I was for all the weebs out there that wouldnâ??t know squat about my country if their homes were bombed. In the end, my successes didnâ??t seem to matter to anyone.

I slung my bag over my shoulders and began walking towards the front door. I called up a taxi and responded in my best broken English to â??get cab to door pick up now!â? but I donâ??t think he understood because I wound up waiting for ten minutes at the back entrance just twiddling my thumbs. I seriously thought about going to get drunk with Sasuke. We were in Brazil after all and I couldnâ??t think of a better country to get plastered in.

I was about to ask directions to the nearest nudie bar when I heard a voice call out in Japanese behind me. I turned and nearly dropped my bag. Actually no, I didnâ??t. His unexpected presence just really startled me. It was my fiancé, Derrick.

â??Hey there, beautiful,â? he said.

â??Whatâ??re you doing here?â? I asked in shock. Legitimately I was flabbergasted. Last I heard he wasnâ??t going to able to make it due to work commitments.

â??Can a man not travel thousands of miles to surprise his fiancé at work?â?

â??I would have preferred it if you hadnâ??t,â? I stated as a matter of fact. Not that I wasnâ??t happy to see him, it was just a lot to take really. For starters, I looked and felt like shit at the moment. And I was pissed off and ready to fight a motherfucker again.

He just laughed and brushed me off. Same old Derrick. â??Come now, how long has it been since we had a proper date?â? He asked.

I sighed. I couldnâ??t fight him on this and didnâ??t really feel like trying. For the first time in months the burning hatred that had formed in my heart seemed to dampen for a moment. It was then that I realized that this dude might have been even crazier than I was, but then again, I had been so preoccupied trying to beat my opponent into another forced retirement that I hadnâ??t noticed him supposedly sitting front row cheering me on. Yikes.

Uh yeah, so, that was my badâ?¦

An hour later I found myself at a local restaurant. I felt horrible that I was only picking at my food, but we sat and talked. That was something I felt like I hadnâ??t done in a while. I told Derrick everything that had happened to me since he left to go back to Japan. Unsurprisingly, heâ??d seen it all on TV. My rise to the top of the card, the victory over Xander at the finals of Gold Rush, beating Titus at Unscripted, losing the belt at Lethal Lottery, and my decent into madness after that. He was surprisingly okay with that evening knowing that I had spent thousands of dollars in fines over the past few months. Not that I could hide that. It was all over the industry news. Throughout that ordeal he remained surprisingly quiet. I wondered if it was my grandfather who spoke to him about the issues I was having with my family.

â??So you know that Iâ??m a disgrace who was booted from the shrine, right?â? I asked.

â??Pretty much,â? he responded in deadpan tone.

I groaned wanting to sink into my chair. â??Listen Kagura,â? he replied. â??I didnâ??t fall in love with you because of what you are, be that a wrestler or a shine maiden, but because of who you are. I travelled with you for a long time and I watched you put up with a bunch of shit. Iâ??m glad that youâ??re finally getting the lead out.â?

â??So youâ??re not disappointed in me?â?

â??No, but try not to get fined anymore.â?

The meal continued in relative silence. That was until Derrick spoke up again. â??What is it about WZCW that keeps you going. What more do you have to prove at this point?â?

I sat there, staring out into space, absentmindedly watching as my fork tapped the side of my plate. â??Nothing,â? I blurted out.

â??Absolutely nothingâ?¦â?

â??Deep down I just wanted recognition for my achievements, thatâ??s all. Iâ??ve felt for a long time that I was overlooked, unappreciated, and underestimated. Winning Gold Rush and then winning the belt again was my career achievement. I donâ??t think that Iâ??ll ever accomplish something like that again and it pisses me off. It pisses me off that I tried so hard only to make a fool of myself in the end. I told myself that I wasnâ??t going to blame myself for my failures this time, but in the end thatâ??s exactly what happened. Well thatâ??s partially true. I still canâ??t bury my anger. I canâ??t just go back to being the Kagura I used to be. Not now. I canâ??t gear myself up for another climb to the top, not again. It just all seems pointless, because yeah, deep down I know Iâ??ve got nothing left to prove. The only thing I havenâ??t done in the company is win the Lottery itself or win the two titles that are now extinct, but that doesnâ??t bother me much. In the end I got to be world champion twice.â?

â??In the end no one can take your accomplishments away from you. On paper, youâ??re one of the most decorated performers in company history. Youâ??ve broken down barriers and youâ??ve inspired millions.â?

I grinned, â??I suppose youâ??re right.â?

â??Iâ??ll tell you what,â? he said. â??When you do finally get tired of busting heads around here, come back to me. Iâ??ll be waiting for you, silently supporting you, because to me youâ??ll always be number one no matter what.â?

I laughed, â??Oh you sad sap!â?

â??I donâ??t know what the future holds for me in WZCW, Derrick. Even though I claim to be able to see it. Right now I plan to coast and see what I can find. What I do know is that I have a bright future ahead of me post retirement with the man I love.â?

[HOMOFLEXUAL DYNAMITE]

Flex Fitness Industries along with NBC Jive Present: The State of The Flex-

The title intro is cut before it has a chance to finish. Itâ??s rewinded.



Flex Fitness Industries along with NBC Jive Present-

The intro is once more abruptly stopped, rewinded again.



Flex Fitness Industries-

Stopped, third timeâ??s the charm.



Flex

The title card is paused. The name of the newly crowned Elite Openweight champion sits on screen. Alone in the spotlight the monsieur of muscle himself stares at the large emboldened letters in the press area his normal public addresses happen. This time however, he is silent. No crowd to play to, no pesky reporter questions to answer, no allies by his side to scheme with. Over the last year and some change Flex Mussel had returned, built an entire nation, put an end to old rivalries, won the World title, rose from the ashes of thievery and defeat, and became a champion once more, yet somehow he still felt nothing. Was it due to the lack of locker room appraisal from his hard fought victory against Mikey Stormrage? Could it have been that his closest friends in Cerberus have finally rode off into the sunset for good? Or is it possible that in all his accomplishments he now feels lost? He knew he didnâ??t have much time to decide as many wanted what he now had. He caresses his newly won championship as he knows itâ??s only a matter of days before he must face the locker room, the management, and the public universe once more. There and only there will he make his intentions truly known.