Ascension 136 - Xander vs Flex Mussel

[ABMorales787]

From the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, Flex Mussel will face Xander.

RP Deadline is 03/12/19 at 11:59:59pm CST
Extension Deadline is 03/10/19 at 11:59:59 CST

[Yaz]

Match has been given a 24 hour extension.

[BK201]

Xander rubbed his face, trying to shake the awful headache that had lingered for the last couple of days. He looked around the drab, cramped hallway and shook his head. How the hell had he agreed, when he hates anything media-related, to come and do a magazine interview. Especially one called PILEDRIVER Magazine. I mean, really? That was the best they could come up with?

Maybe it was one of the chair shots Stetson Hayes had laid into him knocking him silly, and the ill-timed assistant who had asked him as he stepped through the curtain immediately after his victory. Maybe he didnâ??t listen to the question and he just said â??whateverâ?? to get him the hell away. Whatever the reason, here he was, head pounding, sleep lacking, not wanting to be there, waiting for some wrestling nerd to ask him mundane questions he couldnâ??t give any less of a shit about.

He thought back to the match; the triple threat on Meltdown, between himself, Stetson Hayes and Callie Clark. In truth, he initially wanted to be nowhere near it. The number one contendership for the Eurasian Championship felt more like a runner-up prize. The Bronze medal. He had no need for reminders of him not being the best.

But, the more heâ??d thought about it, and, perhaps more importantly, talked about it, the more heâ??d realised that wasnâ??t such the case.

â??You should be happy.â??

â??I am.â??

â??No, youâ??re not angry about it. Doesnâ??t mean youâ??re happy. Hell I donâ??t even think youâ??re content.â??

â??You think? â??Oh hey Jimmy! You aimed for an A+ but got a B-. But itâ??s cool, you still got a letter!â? Bullshit.â??

â??Well someoneâ??s grouchy today.â??

Xander continued looking out of the window of the plane. The flight was just a short hop between Las Vegas and Phoenix, but for him it felt like an age was going by as they passed through the clouds. Talia sat next to him, arms folded in annoyance.

â??Seriously, you beat two incredibly tough people and earned a match against Garth Black. I thought youâ??d be way happier than this, especially after talking to Geoff.â??

Xander thought back to his conversation with his trainer, Geoff Kingsley. Heâ??d been right in his assessment of the Eurasian Championship, and that Xander should treat it with more respect. But even so, it wasnâ??t the World Championship heâ??d set his sights on for years.

â??Youâ??re the one who said heâ??s right.â??

â??He is. Look at Garth Black. Look at Titus. These guys are former World Champions and they all took on the Eurasian title with pride. Titus in particular elevated that Championship to new heights. I know all that. Itâ??s justâ?¦â??

â??What?â??

â??Iâ??ve had one mindset for so long.â?? He turned to her and his piercing blue eyes locked with her emerald counterparts. â??Itâ??s taking some time to get out of it. I just need to focus on the Eurasian Championship, and not need to think about anything other than that. Not the World Championship, nothing.â??

She smiled, kissing him. â??Then stop bringing it up, dumbass.â??

A short burst of vibration came from Xanders pocket; an e-mail on his phone. He pulled it up and read the short message from Andrey, his agent.

American!

Next Meltdown; You vs the former Champ FlexAmerica!
The Road to the World Title is back on track my friend!!!

Andrey

Fuck you, Andrey.

â??Mr Knight?â??

An assistant had popped her head through the door ahead of him.

â??Mr. Carlson is ready for you.â??

Xander rose from his chair and walked through the door, entering into a reasonable sized room with a small kitchen area and a couple of sofas aimed at a giant flat-screen TV mounted to the wall. Xander recognised immediately what the screen was showing even with the sound muted. Goldrush. He looked over to the sofa where a man rose to greet him. He was skinny, yet at the same time definitely not in shape, and he wore baggy clothing, including a red flannel vest that looked like it hadnâ??t been washed in at least a few years.

â??Mr Knight! Joe Carlson, itâ??s a pleasure to meet you.â??

Joe stuck out his hand. Xander shook it, against every instinct he had regarding wrestling â??smart fansâ?? who looked like they needed a good bar of soap and some decent cologne.

He led Xander over to the sofas, where they both took a seat.

â??Would you like a drink?â??

â??Err, yeah. Soda. Pepsi, if you have it.â??

â??We only have Diet.â?? The assistant called from the kitchen area.

Xander took a deep breath and looked away. â??Tea?â??

â??Is decaf okay?â??

â??Water will be great.â?? He turned back to her with the most fake grin he could muster.

â??Now, I wonâ??t lie; I was a little shocked we got a yes to an interview with you here at PILEDREIVER Magazine-â??

Xander did all he could to resist the urge to shudder at the name.

â??-but weâ??re super psyched that you did say yes. Ever since youâ??ve started youâ??ve been a personal favorite of mine.â??

â??Really?â??

Oh boy. This will be fun.

â??Yeah. Ever since your debut on Aftershock 2. Ahh, I miss that show. Anyway, if you donâ??t mind Iâ??m just going to be asking you a few questions, nothing too nailed down. My assistant Jenny-â?? who, as if on que, brought over Xanders tap water and the delightful Joe Carlsonâ??s Iced Tea. Decaf, of course. â??-will be taking notes of our conversation, and at the end weâ??ll just get you to give them a once over and sign off. Sound good?â??

â??Sounds fantastic.â??

â??Great!â?? Both Joe and his assistant sat down, both completely missing the sarcasm in Xanders voice.

â??Now. First topic of conversation. Thereâ??s a little bit of poetic symmetry in your up-coming match with Flex Mussel, being that 1. When you last returned to the company he is one of the men you assaulted with a steel chair, and number 2. He is the former World Champion; a Championship youâ??ve strived so long to obtain. How do you feel about the run, and do you feel thereâ??s a certain level of destiny involved with how some of the matches youâ??ve had have seemed to shake out?â??

Xander grinned, though the smile was a façade to avoid a swear word. â??Well, if by destiny you mean is there someone in the WZCW offices who is making matches by following their sick sense of humour then, well, yeah, I guess I do. If not, then no. I make my own luck.â??

â??Without being harsh, Xander, it could be argued that youâ??ve not made any luck what so ever since returning. Multiple opportunities against top tier talent and yet here you are, no World Championship, not even a shot at the title, having to settle for the number one contendership to the Eurasian Championship; a Title you once described as being beneath you. If you make your own luck, would you agree that you need to put more effort in at the workshop?â??

Xander smiled again, rubbing his aching temple. â??Funny. Very funny. See, Jack,-â??

â??Itâ??s Joe-â??

â??I donâ??t really care. See Jack, I did say that about the Eurasian Championship. I even burned the Championship I once held because I didnâ??t believe it to be worth my time. But after a while, I realized that wasnâ??t entirely true. Iâ??d looked upon it with such disdain that I failed to see it for what it really was. An opportunity. Take Titus for example. Look at him. He held what I believed to be this albatross around his neck for years when, in reality, it was his Golden Goose. It became his ticket to the World Championship. Long story short; the goose is mine, and so will be the benefits.â??

â??Soâ?¦thatâ??s it? Win one title in order to hop ahead in the queue for another?â??

â??Why, it sounds so cynical when you say it out loud.â??

â??Youâ??ve had the opportunity to become number one contender multiple times in your history with the company. Multiple Lethal Lottery matches, separate number one contender matches and even a pair of shots at the belt itself. What makes you think that this time will be the one?â??

â??Travel is booked for California for Meltdown. Am sending the details to your email.â??

â??â?¦thanksâ?¦â??

Xander kept hitting the bag as hard as he could, fists, elbows, forearms, kicks, the lot. Andrey looked up form his phone, eyebrows raised.

â??You areâ?¦aggressive today? Everything okay with you?â??

â??Justâ?¦wanting toâ?¦get a clear headâ?¦â??

Xander stopped punching and rested against the bag for a moment. Andrey picked up his water bottle, passing it to his client while taking a seat.

â??Is your head not clear? Are you not focused?â??

â??Iâ??m always focused.â??

â??â?¦but maybe youâ??re not focusing on the right things?â??

â??What do you mean?â??

â??You focus on what you donâ??t have. What youâ??ve never had. But not what you do have, and not what is in reach. Look at this gym, in this apartment. This is yours, no?â??

Xander sighed, knowing exactly what direction this conversation as going in. â??Yeah.â??

â??Then success has followed you, my friend.â?? Xander sat beside his Russian friend, who patted him on the back. â??Focus can be viewed in two ways. While I was in Russia, gang I was part of had long term goals. Control over Russian underworld. We achieved by completing short term objectives. Sometimes you can do this. Sometimes you only need long or short term. Youâ??ve been looking ahead, aiming high. Respectable. Logical.â??

â??â?¦but maybe itâ??s been leaving me overlooking what lies in front of me.â??

â??Youâ??ve always been a short study.â??

Xander smiled, looking to Andrey. He held his fist out. â??From now on, every match is a Goldrush final.â??

Andrey bumped his fist with his clients. â??Starting with Flex Mussel.â??

â??Yeah.â?? Xander contemplated their upcoming match. Flex was a beast. He was part of one of the most successful groups in WZCW; Cerberus. Heâ??d beaten Tyrone Blades (a feat Xander himself had done) but he had done it for the World Championship. Heâ??d leapfrogged Xander to the top of the pyramid. But, like Xander, heâ??d been knocked down, and now it was Xander who had the opportunity for some gold and it was Flex who sat in pro-wrestling purgatory.

Xanders focus could be nowhere else.

Xander rubbed his forehead, thinking through his response carefully. â??Iâ??ll focus on that when it comes. For now all I need to do is win the Eurasian Championship. Long term that means beating Garth Black. Short term that means choking Flex Mussel out.â??

â??Youâ??ve never been one to discuss short and long term goals from what Iâ??ve seen?â??

â??Call it a change of stance. Call it whatever the fuck you want.â??

Joe smirked, sipping his tea. â??Fine. Speaking of Flex; the two of you have never faced each other one-on-one. While you dominantly put him on the shelf last year, he not only returned from that beatdown but he went on to jump ahead of you to win the World Championship. Do you really think you stand a chance against him, or will this be another example of Xander choking in the big matches.â??

â??Flex will be the one choking. Iâ??ll be the cause.â??

â??Ooh, nice line. Okay, so say you beat Flex, another former World Champion. And you then go on to face Garth Black for the Eurasian Championship, who again is another former World Champion. But youâ??ve beaten people whoâ??ve held the Big Gold Belt before. I just donâ??t see why itâ??ll be this time.'

â??Well, thereâ??s one mistake you seem to be making.â??

â??And that is?â??

â??That I give any fucks what so ever about your opinion.â??

â??Itâ??s still a valid question.â??

â??And youâ??re right. Youâ??re absolutely right. Why should it be this time. And Iâ??ve already answered your question.â??

â??How?â??

â??Iâ??m focused on Flex Mussel. No ifâ??s. No butâ??s. The furthest I will look is my Championship opportunity against Garth Black.â??

â??What the hell does that mean?â??

Xander shook his head. â??Geez, youâ??re a dumbass. If itâ??s my time itâ??ll be my time. Each match I have is my Kingdom Come main event. Maybe I havenâ??t looked at it like that before, and maybe thatâ??s an unrealistic way to look at things, but thatâ??s what Iâ??m doing now. Iâ??m not going to judge myself on matches three, four, five months away in a hypothetical future. You can do whatever the shit you want.â??

â??But looking ahead surely is what keeps you driving forward.â??

â??Not if youâ??re not looking where you are driving.â??

Joe sat back, pondering the last point. â??Do you believe you can win the World Championship.â??

â??I believe I will beat Flex Mussel.â??

â??Thatâ??s not what I asked.â??

â??It should be. Flex is one of the best WZCW has ever had step into that ring. Youâ??re doing him a disservice by focusing on the potential future. Exactly what I used to do.â??

â??Fine. How much of a challenge will Flex be?â??

â??Flex, as Iâ??ve already said, is one of the best. My focus needs to be laser-sharp. One misstep and Iâ??ll be done. But if I go out there and give my best, Mussel will be lying on the canvas, waking up wondering what just happened as my hand is raised above him. And trust me, my focus is solely on that outcome.â??

Joe nodded. â??Okayâ?¦I think weâ??re done here.â??

â??Thank Christâ?¦â??

Xander downed the water and shot up from the chair. Joe slowly stood up from his and signalled over to Jenny.

â??If youâ??re okay with Jennyâ??s notes-â??

Before he could finish, Xander had the notes in his hand and signed them without even looking at them.

â??You trust us?â??

â??No, I just donâ??t give a shit.â??

â??Awesome. Wellâ?¦â?? Joe stuck out his hand. â??â?¦thank you for your time. Itâ??s beenâ?¦well, itâ??s been.â??

Xander smiled, and, to Joeâ??s shock, shook his hand, leaning in as he did.

â??Go fuck yourself.â?? He let go and walked over to the door, turning back as he opened the door.

â??By the way, your magazine sucks.â??

â??So do you.â??

Xander smiled, firing off one last parting shot as he left the room.

â??Weâ??ll see how much I suck when Iâ??m tapping Flex Mussel out, douchebag.'

[HOMOFLEXUAL DYNAMITE]

Svetlana: Is he still out there?

Kole: Yeah heâ??s been there for a few hours.

The Queen of FlexAmerica and Keith Kole can be seen inside Flexâ??s home. They stare out of the window into the backyard which has a large unkempt lawn that has grown higher than it has any right to.

Kole: Do you think heâ??s mad at me for superkicking him?

Svetlana: Oh heâ??s furious, youâ??re lucky itâ??s Wasabi out there and not you.

------------------------------------------------------------------
Wasabi can be seen struggling for breath as he runs for his life through a sea of endless grass. He runs face first into a wild Ostritch and falls down.

Flex: To truly hunt one must become one with the jungle.

The fitness freakâ??s disembodied voice can be heard but not seen. Wasabi looks around in fear attempting to predict which way Flex will come from.

Flex: To truly hunt one must know their prey, think like their prey, but most importantlyâ?¦.be better than their prey!

Flex dives out of the grass and tackles Wasabi! He folds him up and immediately begins to tie his limbs together like a cowboy rounding up cattle.

Flex: You have become way too catchable Wasabi, I need new prey.

Svetlana opens up the window and begins speaking to Flex with a bullhorn.

Svetlana: HONEY, WHEREVER YOU ARE IN THIS VERY DISGUSTING LAWN, CAN YOU PLEASE STOP HUNTING WASABI AND COME IN FOR DINNER?

Flex: That must be the ole ball and chain, come Wasabi, hunting hour is complete.

The moniseur of muscle drags Wasabi through the large grassfield and back into his home. He then proceeds to sit at the dinner table and devours a Flex Fitness Protein Shake like a barbarian. Both Svetlana and Kole watch this peculiar action play out.

Svetlana: ]Everything okay Flex?

Flex: Things are fine, when does the next hunt commence?

Svetlana: Hunt?

Wasabi: He means matchâ?¦..

Kole goes to untie Wasabi who is strugling to breath

Svetlana: Oh, youâ??re facing Xander.

Flex flashes back to Xander smashing his skull with a chair well over a year ago.

Flex: Yesâ?¦..this pleases meâ?¦.this is where my new hunt shall begin. Xander is a much more worthy prey, and someone who should test my skills accordingly. He is a man just like many in this company has wronged me, and just like the rest shall face my vengeance.

The fitness trainer gets up from the table and approaches Svetlana and Kole.

Flex: Over the past few weeks our momentum, our legacy, and talent has been stiffled by unsuccessful ventures, until that is rectified I no longer consider myself a King, but Svetlana, you shall be Queen of FlexAmerica, run this nation like I would.

Svetlana: But Flex, what will you be?

Flex: I became a King and forgot my place as a warrior, I need to rearn my status as conquer of the barren and empty wasteland that WZCW has become. Only then shall my focus be placed back on the WZCW World title.