Wednesday November 4th 2009

I’ve been thinking. A lot. Ever since dad showed me my adoption papers…I’ve wondered. Dad said he never told Brenton or Lauren that they were my Godparents. Come to think of it, Dad never even mentioned Lauren at all. I wonder if she even knows I exist? I wonder if they didn’t both work for NLWF…would Brenton even know I existed? Would Brenton or Lauren know that Chuck Matthews had a daughter?

I was in my room, getting ready. Tonight was a big night. Nick was scheduled to wrestle at the newly formed Salvation Championship Wrestling Federation, and I wasn’t going to miss his debut for the world. But first, we were headed to the home of Frank Hart. I was finally going to meet the legendary Frank Hart, the man who had beat my father twice, and a man Nick spoke very highly of. Yet…he didn’t seem too thrilled when he gave me the idea. I was eating breakfast, I think. Then he came in, and offered the trip.

“Morning Ashley.”

“Morning!”

I’ve always been a morning person. Sometimes it drives Nick nuts, especially when I wake him up as I get out of bed. Today, though, he didn’t seem to be in a good mood. He wasn’t upset at me. Believe me, I can always tell. No, he seemed to be lost in thought. I almost laughed. It was the same look my father had on his face all the time.

“What are you thinking about?”

I almost didn’t expect him to answer.

“Ashley…what would you say if I asked you to come with me to visit my Uncle Frank?”

Nick didn’t seem to fired up about the trip.

“I’d love to!”

His face softened.

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Nick smiled. He kissed the top of my head.

“Thanks.”

Now, the day was finally here. I was going to meet the only man that Nick still considered family. I stood there, in front of the mirror, looking myself over. I think I looked okay. No. No I didn’t. I looked horrible. I couldn’t meet Nick’s Uncle Frank looking like this. Could I? I’ll ask Nick.

Nick was sitting at the table, drinking a protein shake when I got downstairs. My adoption papers were there, right where I left them when I came back from SW. I made a mental note to file them away somewhere later. I struck a funny little pose for Nick.

“How do I look?”

He looked at me, smiling. He took a drink.

“You look the same way you always look Ashley, perfect.”

I kissed him. It didn’t matter what I did or how bad I felt or whether I screwed up or not. He always said the same thing.

“It’s okay. I love you.”

When I lost my chance to become the Women’s World Champion, Nick didn’t care. He still loved me. He was the world to me.

“I want to make sure I look nice. I mean, this is as close as I’ll get to meeting your side of the family.”

“Come on Ashley, you know I don’t like to talk about family. Unless it’s the family we’re starting.”

He’d mentioned that before. Starting a family with me. I didn’t really know what to say to it. Was he serious? I don’t know why he would joke about it. I love the idea. Nick is my God, my world. My best friend. Anything he asked me to do, I would, or I would die trying. But…I don’t know. Dad hated Nick. And…unless he were to agree, I could never marry Nick. At least, not until December.

I lied about my age. I told Nick I turned eighteen on September 3^rd. That’s not entirely true. In fact, my birthday is December 21^st. It’s just a little lie. Not relationship wrecking. But…if he knew I was still seventeen, would he have taken me into his house? Would he have cared for me the way he has all this time? Just give it a couple of months, and it won’t matter either way.

The room was quiet. Nick took a drink. I tried to restart the conversation.

“Well, I’m excited to meet him. He beat my dad twice, that’s impressive.”
Nick looked unsure.

“I’m just saying, Ashley. Frank is a great guy, but I just don’t consider him family anymore.”

He grabbed me and held me close. It was a bit of an awkward position, with him sitting and me standing. But it was sweet.

“I love you, Nick.”

“I love you too, Ashley.”

I glanced up at the clock.

“Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah. I have plans for us tonight. I want tonight to be really special.”

I loved plan nights. Most nights, we would get home and either go to sleep or watch TV or just do something together. And I loved it. But when Nick said he had special plans…It always meant something big. I never knew what to expect.

“Ok.”

Nick handed me the NLWF belt. I watched as he picked up our stuff and headed to the car. That was just like him. Always giving me the belt. I’ll never understand why.

“Nick, why is it you always want me to hold your belts?”

I wasn’t annoyed in the slightest. I was always just curious. I had never seen it done before. He smiled.

“Well, Ashley, I won the belt for you. The only reason I was able to win the championship is because you are my inspiration, you are what drives me, makes me want to be the best ever. The way I look at it we are the NLWF Champion, and I am the warrior who defends it for you.”


My heart melted. It was true what he said. He really didn’t have an ego. He was the most humble man I had ever met before. And as great as it was…Sometimes I felt it screwed him over. He was always selling himself short. Always feeling as though he didn’t deserve something, or that it wasn’t meant to be. He didn’t understand. I watched him win. I watched him dominate the competition. But he always attributed his success to Brenton Cyrus, or me, or some other outside force. Why couldn’t he see that everything he did was because of his own dedication and talent?

Nick threw our stuff in the trunk, and opened the passenger door for me. Within moments, we were on our way. My excitement was building. We were going to meet Frank Hart.

“So do you think Dad and Brenton are friends again?”

Nick turned down the volume on the radio.

“I think it’s finally over. I think we’ve just about achieved out goal.”

Perfect. This is what we had been working for since day one. Dad and Brenton had finally put aside their differences. They may not be teammates, but they were friends again. That’s all that mattered.

“I hope so, I just want all of this to end already.”

“Legends of the Fall is where everything ends, Ashley. That night Brenton will defeat Shadow Demon to become the Undisputed Champion, Chuck will defeat Corey Casey to become World Heavyweight Champion, and we’ll end the career of Mexican Samurai, in the End Game. It’s the perfect name for the match, the End Game.”

Nick was going to destroy Samurai. We had done it before, but it was obvious Samurai wasn’t intelligent enough to stay away from NLWF. Now he has to deal with Nick again.

“You’re going to light him on fire again.”

I wasn’t guessing.

“No doubt about that, I’m not going into that match to end his career, I’m going into it to end his life. To rid the NLWF of that piece of shit, once and for all. Forever!”

“I love when you talk about wrestling like this.”

I did. That was one of the things that attracted me to Nick. Not just the wrestling, but the passion he had. It was a turn on. The passion he had for wrestling, for NLWF, for me, for Salvation. The intensity in his eyes and his voice. The way his muscles would twitch, just under his eye when he really got going. I grabbed his hand and forced it onto my thigh. He immediately jerked it back to the steering wheel.

“I can’t.”

Not this time. I grabbed his hand again, and put it just a bit higher. Just enough.

“Can’t what?”

He wasn’t putting up much of a fight. I forced his hand a bit higher, right between my legs, right where it really counted. Oh my god…He was so close… Nick let out a nervous chuckle.

“Come on Ashley, it’s hard enough as it is.”

“I can tell.”

I saw the bulge in his pants. He wanted this so bad, I could tell. Just a little more persuasion…I did it. I just reached out and grabbed it, resting my hand on his jeans.

“That’s…Ahhh…Not funny!”

Sorry Nick. I’m not playing around this time.

“It’s not supposed to be funny.”

I rubbed him gently. I could tell he was turned on. He was going to do it. I really thought he was going to do it. I kissed his ear, whispering to him.

“Wow Nick, you’re huge.”

He yanked his hand back and pushed me into my seat.

“Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop!”

He was breathing deeply. He turned up the radio. I felt on the verge of tears. I looked out the window, trying to hide my face from Nick. It wasn’t the sex. Really, it wasn’t. Nick wanted to wait, and if it was that important to him, and he could wait, then I could too. But…This was more than just wanting it to be the best it could when we finally had sex. I knew why he wouldn’t do it. He needs his permission. He needs to pray, and do all this bullshit. Why can’t he follow his heart? He knows what he really wants to do. He knows how much we both want it. He knows we’re both ready. But still…I don’t know.

“Ashley, it’s not that I don’t want to, believe me, I’m still hard just thinking about it.”

It was the first thing he had said in over an hour. I just looked out the window, hiding my disappointment. Nick turned off the radio.

“I just feel like, we’ve got forever. I plan on being with you, and only you for the rest of my life. S there is no need to rush into things. The longer we wait, the better it’s going to be.”

That was always his excuse. The longer we wait, the better it’s going to be. How long were we going to wait? He isn’t waiting for sex. He’s waiting to figure out the answers to all his life’s questions.

“Ashley, are you awake?”

I looked at him. His face immediately dropped. He knew I was upset, and it killed him. I hated looking at him when I was disappointed. I knew it tore him to pieces inside. But…sometimes, I just couldn’t hide it.

“I just don’t understand, Nick. We’re both adults, I want it, you want it! Why are you letting Salvation control you?”

“Salvation doesn’t control me Ashley, I’m just a proud follower. I found Salvation before I ever met you.”

“You mean Salvation found you.”

“Right.”

“Nick, look at it like this. Brenton Cyrus and my dad used you to defeat Johnny Stylez at War Games. They beat you up, tortured you, and filled your head with a fake religion.”

“That’s one way of looking at it.”

“How else can you look at it?”

“Ashley, I really don’t want to go into it right now. Isn’t your life happy? Isn’t your life perfect? Think about what you’ve been through, everything leading to right now.”


I had been through a lot. My parents died when I was a little girl. Then I was stuck in Miami, with the Jameson’s…The memories still haunted me. My heart wrenched in hatred at the thought. My saving grace was my best friend Jenny, and wrestling. There was something wonderful about wrestling. No matter how horrible my life was, wrestling always seemed to ease my mind. There was always someone with problems worse than mine. Someone taking more pain than me. It didn’t matter to me whether they were just getting paid to play a role or whether they were really suffering. It comforted me to know that somewhere, someone was having a hard time. I wasn’t the most miserable soul on the planet. I felt…like somewhere, I had a friend I was yet to meet.

“Ok, now that you’ve thought about all that, look at your life now. Chuck and Brenton finished my pain, they ended my suffering, they saved me. Salvation saved me. I look at my life now compared to before Salvation, before you, and there is no doubt in my mind about Salvation. Brenton Cyrus saved me, so he is my God.”

“Well Nick, you saved me. So you are my God.”

Nick smiled. He knew I was right. He saved me. He was my best friend. The one that I knew was there, I just had to find him. His life was almost a mirror image of mine. A bad family life. Adopted by their childhood heroes, only to realize they weren’t the familiar faces we knew from TV. Johnny Styles was getting old. Weak. He wasn’t the warrior Nick had made him out to be. And Chuck Matthews…he was charismatic, yes. But there was a much quieter side to him that he didn’t show on screen. He seemed lost. Distant to the world. And yet…while his behavior was…erratic, to say the least…You could always see by the look in his eyes. The gears in his head were always turning. He was always thinking, calculating, trying to stay one step ahead, trying to remain in control. And when he was in control, everything was great. He was the man I knew. The man I watched as I grew up. But when things when wrong…when he miscalculated, or something happened that he never expected…He sealed everyone off. He became cold. As if…he refused to let anyone near to him until he realized where he had made his mistake. Nick and I…we shared the same life. He would tell me stories of his childhood, and I felt like he was telling me about my own life. We were meant to be together. I knew it from the first night I met him. We had spent the entire night on the phone, just talking. We weren’t the wrestlers’ kids. We were people. Like long lost friends, who hadn’t spoken in years. But…we had our differences. Brenton Cyrus was his God. I followed after my father. I simply couldn’t see Brenton as God. I tried, yes. I believe I made more of an effort than Dad did…but it just couldn’t click. The fact remained…Nothing Brenton did struck me as worthy of worship.

“What makes Brenton Cyrus God? You’ve done more impressive things then he has, you’ve done it without kidnapping people, without cheating. In fact, you’re the greatest wrestler in the NLWF.”

I truly believed it. Nick had done everything Brenton had done, and he did it faster, and better. And on top of all that…He had saved me.

“Ashley, I don’t want to be God. Can you imagine the pressure? Can you imagine having all those people depending on you? I’ve got you for that, Brenton uses his followers as motivation. I just need you.”

I didn’t know what to say. I felt honored. But at the same time, I felt a little selfish. I wanted Nick to be the best he could. This was exactly what I meant when I said his lack of ego screwed him over. He had the potential to be the greatest in NLWF. But he refused to take the spot. He refused to acknowledge his own ability. But…he attributed everything to me. His life revolved around me, and he was happy with it like that. So why couldn’t I accept it? Why did I want so much for him, when he didn’t want it for himself?

Nick pulled into the parking garage. Nick grabbed our bags, and I picked up his NLWF championship, holding it for the world to see.

“Ashley, you’re the greatest thing to ever happen to me. Greater then Salvation, greater then anything.”

He could never stop telling me how much I meant to him. It comforted me, to have that constant reminder. He knew it did. He looked at me.

“You’re the greatest thing to ever happen to me too.”

Nick wrapped his arm around me and we started our walk through the forest to the City. It seemed that no matter what time it was, the forest was always dark. An eerie atmosphere surrounded it. They opened the gate as we approached.

“Win the NLWF Championship in the city, and they don’t give us shit anymore.”

I giggled.

“Maybe they’ll let us move into the city next.”

Sal Ramis’s voice suddenly came from next to us. Where did he come from?

“You two will move into this city over my dead body!”

He annoyed me. I looked at him, a bit of a sarcastic tone in my voice.

“Sal we’re not in the mood ok, so how about you get lost, or we’ll set you on fire, and watch you burn!”

Sal Ramis looked at me, confused. He looked to Nick with an expression that said ‘Is she serious?’

“You heard the lady Sal.”

Sal walked off, a bit of a nervous look on his face. I smiled. I looked ahead, and saw the apartments. I knew somewhere inside there was Frank Hart.

“Are you nervous?”

Nick laughed. His smile suddenly vanished.

“Holy shit, I am.”

It was my turn to laugh.

“Don’t be nervous Nick, everything is going to go fine. I’m excited.”

We got to the door. I looked up at the building before us, wondering which level we were heading to. Nick buzzed Frank’s room on the intercom. A female voice answered us.

“Hello?”

Nick looked confused for a moment.

“Hey, it’s Nick and Ashley.”

Nick released the button. There was silence for a moment.

“Ok, I’ll buzz you two up.”

I looked at Nick.

“Who was that?”

“I’m not sure.”

We entered the building. Suddenly, Nick stopped. I approached Frank’s door before realizing that he had stopped. I looked at him.

“Ashley, we can’t go in there.”

His voice was low, almost a whisper.

“Why not?”

Nick paused for a moment.

“Umm…”

I knew he had no real excuse. I knocked on the door.

“Ashley!”

I giggled at Nick as the door opened.

“Nick Ridicule and Ashley Matthews.”

There he was. The man I had heard so much about. He took my hand and kissed it. I stole a glance at Nick. His expression was blank.

“It’s a pleasure to meet the love of Nick’s life. Please come in.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet the only guy Nick considers family.”

Frank stepped aside and motioned me inside. I walked into the house. I didn’t realize Nick wasn’t following. I took a seat on the couch and looked around. His home was decorated with plants, real and fake. He had pictures of himself and a woman. Family members. Friends. It was a comfortable place. Nick walked in, dropping our bags on the floor. He took a seat next to me on the sofa. I grabbed his arm and wrapped it around my shoulders, scooting closer to him.

“So Lex, are you excited about our match tonight?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. I knew that was his real name, and that was how Frank knew him, but it was just funny to hear. Nick looked at me curiously. I whispered to him.

“I’m not used to people calling you Lex, it’s funny.”

A look of disgust flashed across Nick‘s face.

“Frank, for the hundredth time, my name is Nick!”

Frank grinned slightly.

“Right, Nick.”

“And I’m sure tonight will be just as exciting to me, as when I beat you for the North American Title.”

Nick had been talking about this all week. He was fighting Frank Hart in the SCWF’s main event. He was so excited for it, and I was excited to watch it. When he won the belt, I wanted to be right there next to him, in his corner, watching it happen.

“Don’t get too confident Nick, No one thought I would beat Chuck to take the No Limit Championship from him, but I did, and tonight I might just get the win over you.”

Nick got up and stared at Frank.

“Frank I…”

A woman entered the room. She looked at Nick and I. Nick turned to look at me. I was still staring at the woman. She had long black hair. Green eyes. She didn’t look much like Frank. Was she related? Who was she? Why didn’t Nick ever tell me about her?

“Hi, I’m Lauren.”

Nick shook her hand. I stood up and shook it myself.

“Lauren, that’s Chuck’s daughter I was telling you about.”

So she knew my father…Wait a minute. Lauren…Taylor? Was this my godmother?

“Frank can I talk to you for a second!”

“Sure thing buddy, come on back to my room.”

Nick leaned towards me, whispering.

“Are you going to be ok?”

I smiled.

“I’ll be fine.”

I kissed him, partly to show off to Frank and Lauren, show off our relationship. First impressions are very important, you know. Nick smiled at me as he left towards the back rooms of the apartment, Frank right behind him. And there I was, sitting there with Lauren.

“Do you know who I am?”

I looked at Lauren.

“Lauren Taylor.”

“Well, yes. But what do you know about me?”

“You’re my godmother.”

Lauren raised her eyebrow.

“Am I?”

“That’s what my adoption papers say.”

Lauren bit her lip.

“I never knew that…”

There was silence for a few minutes.

“You know I dated your father, right?”

“So I’ve heard.”

Lauren stood up and took a seat on the couch next to me.

“He’s a great man, your dad.”

I could only nod.

“You know he almost proposed to me?”

“He did?”

“The day he debuted in NLWF. He said he wanted to start over. ‘A new promotion, a new life,’ he said.”

Dad had never even mentioned this to me. Was there really a point in his life where he was ready to settle down?

“What happened?”

“He never actually did it. He talked about it, and talked about it. He even went and began making plans for a wedding. But he never got on one knee and actually asked me to marry him.”

Typical dad. I could just imagine him planning out an entire wedding without even asking his bride-to-be if she actually wanted to do it.

“What would you have said?”

“At the time, I would have accepted n a heartbeat…but now…I have Frank. And he’s so sweet. He’s everything your father wasn’t.”

There was silence for a moment.

“Would you like to see some old pictures of Chuck and me?”

I smiled.

“I’d love to.”

Lauren stood up, and led me to a door in the front of the apartment. I looked over my shoulder, but there was no sign of Nick or Frank. They must still be talking in the back room.

Lauren opened the door, and allowed me to enter first. I walked in. It was a bedroom. She dug through a closet, and pulled out a large box, marked “Chuck and Me.” I couldn’t help but notice the hearts bordering dad’s name. Lauren dropped the box onto the bed, and backed away.

“Go ahead. Take a look.”

I slowly opened the box. It was filled with pictures. Some were of dad holding various titles from before NLWF. There was old merchandise from his earlier years. Most of it was photo albums of him, backstage at events. A camping trip with guys I had never seen before. Pictures of him and Lauren on a boat. There seemed to be the same four faces in most of the pictures. There was my dad, usually with a big smile on his face. Then there was a man I didn’t recognize at all. He was big, much bigger than Dad was. His arms were heavily tattooed, and he wore a hat in most of his pictures. The third face, I recognized as Johnny Electric’s. I had only met him once. Then there was Lauren. As the pictures got more and more recent, Lauren’s position in the photographs seemed to get closer and closer to my dad’s. The earliest, she stands off to the side, usually next to another man I didn’t recognize. But as time progresses, she moves closer to dad, until finally, at the end of the album, there are dozens of photos of Dad with his arm around her. The two cuddled up next to each other. On a boat. In a corn maze. Kissing in a tree swing. Laying in bed. At an amusement park. These were the memoirs of a beautiful relationship gone awry. Looking at the pictures, I couldn’t help but think in the back of my mind…What if this was just a precursor of my relationship with Nick? What if someday, Nick found himself standing in his girlfriend’s bedroom, showing his godchild pictures of him and me, together, wondering where it all went wrong?

I shook the idea out of my head. I turned around to look at Lauren. She wasn’t there. Suddenly, I felt an arm clasp over my nose and mouth, holding a cloth over my face. I struggled to get out of the grasp, but there was something in her hand…something. I was fading fast. The world began to spin. Everything went fuzzy. Then it all went black.

I don’t remember anything after that. My entire memory is a blank spot, up until a while later. I felt someone slapping me in the face, trying to wake me up.

“Wake up, you little whore.”

I slowly opened my eyes to see Lauren’s face staring back at me, grinning. My gut wrenched in hatred. I reached up to slap her, but I couldn’t lift my hands. They were bound tight. I was there, in a glass box. There was a large hole at the bottom, beneath my feet. My hands and feet were tied, and bound to the chair I sat in.

“Welcome back.”

Lauren laughed.

“What’s going on?”

“You are about to win Frank Hart the SCWF Heavyweight Title.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s very simple. A Live or Die match, tonight. You’ll be in this box, and you’ll watch as your little boyfriend lays down center ring, and let’s Frankie win the belt.”

“He won’t do it.”

“Do you know how Live or Die matches work Ashley? If he so much as lays a finger on Frank, that little hole next to you will become a door for cement to pour into. If he fights long enough, you’ll be buried alive.”

I stared at Lauren, horrified.

“Why?”

Lauren smiles, and steps away.

“You can blame daddy for that one.”

“My father?”

“Yes, your father. Because of him, Frank was out of a job. Your daddy almost ruined his life. And for what? Because he felt he had something to prove.”

“That’s not his fault.”

“Ashley, let me give some motherly advice. Keep your mouth shut about things you don’t understand.”

I stared at Lauren. This wasn’t the sweet woman I met at Frank’s house, and I knew this wasn’t the woman my dad fell in love with.

“Face it, Ashley. Your father is nothing but slime. He isn’t a great man, and he never was. Sure, he can fight a match. He can talk to a crowd. But you know who Chuck Matthews really is?”

She waited a moment.

“He’s greedy. Manipulative. Arrogant. He’ll sell out anyone if it means he can gain from it.”

“You’re lying.”

Lauren smiles.

“Am I? Think about it. Did you know, while we were dating, Chuck gave David King a one night stand with me so he could get a title match?”

She looked at me for a moment.

“Johnny Electric, one of your father’s best friends. They were tag team champions. The they lost the belts in a unification match. You know what Chuck did? He ditched Johnny and sided with someone else.”

I couldn’t think of anything to say. I remembered watching it, but I had always thought it was just an act. I didn’t think he really betrayed anyone. Lauren began pacing in front of the box, remembering.

“And it didn’t stop there. Look at Brenton Cyrus. As soon as Chuck got what he was after, he was gone.”

“That’s not true.”

“Oh, but it is. And then where did he go? He found a teammate in Jamean Jaxon, didn’t he? And when Jamean didn’t cut it? Off he went, into the woodwork.”

“My father is a great man.”

Lauren spun around, and stared at me. Her eyes were red and slightly puffy. She was about to cry. When she spoke, there was a slight croak in her voice.

“I loved him! And what did he do? He convinced me to come with him to NLWF. I quit my job for him! He fooled me, with illusions of a better life, and a family, and wedding bells. And for what? For him to go and meet Brenton fucking Cyrus and forget all about me! I left. I went my own way, I severed my ties with him. And he didn’t give a shit. He couldn’t have cared less. He went on his daily business, fucking every woman he met, winning matches, titles, making himself known, all in the name of personal glory. He never cared about me. I did everything for him, and he left me behind.”

Lauren was breathing heavily. Then, she started laughing. A sick laugh, twisted. It gave me chills. She grabbed my face, squeezing it tight.

“I helped Frank defeat Chuck Matthews. I helped him take away the think that mattered to Chuck the most. You want to hurt Chuck, you need to attack his material possessions, because that’s the only thing in the world he cares about. But losing the belt didn’t really phase him. But then…I saw. I watched God of War. I saw the way he looked when Brenton kicked you in the head, and I realized, that’s the key. You, Ashley, are the key to Chuck’s heart. To kill you is to kill him, from the inside out. And that’s what’s going to happen tonight. And the most poetic part of it all? When you die tonight, it will be by the hands of the man that you love so much. Two birds in one stone.”

Lauren closes the box, locking it tight.

“Take her to the stage. I have a meeting with a Mr. Alex Mark soon.”

Lauren laughs maniacally as two security guards hoist the case onto a cart and begin pushing it towards the arena. I heard cheering. Screaming. Music. They wheeled me out, in front of thousands of people. I saw the cement hose, sitting there, waiting for the box to be placed over. The men pulled the box off the cart, and positioned it over the hose. I saw the cement beneath me, sitting in the hose, waiting to be pumped into the box. With me.

Frank’s music played first. He walked out onto the stage, and looked at me. He waved, an evil grin on his face. He pinched his nose, mouthing ‘Be sure to hold your breath!’ before continuing down the ramp.

Then, Nick’s music begin to play. I twisted around to see him. He came out from behind the curtains, his title nowhere to be seen. He looked a bit out of breath.

“Introducing the No Limit Wrestling Federation Champion, Nick Ridicule!”

He smiled at me, nodding. I had never wanted to be with him more in my life. I wanted to feel his arms, hear his voice. I didn’t care what he did in that ring, if he threw the match or let me die. I was scared. More afraid than I had ever been. And there he was, my hero, my God, walking to the ring. The referee held the title high over his head. The bell rang. The two men stared at each other for a second. Then Nick walked to the center of the ring and lay down, to the boos of the crowd. Frank stomped down on Nick’s head. My stomach churned. Another stomp.

“End it, you asshole!”

It was useless to yell. The fans were too loud, Nick and Frank were too far away, and besides that, I think the glass was soundproof. Regardless, Frank went for the pin.

…1…
…2…
…3…

I felt like I was going to cry. He wanted that title, he told me he was excited to be the first to hold it. Now he didn’t even have the chance. Because I was stupid. Because I trusted Lauren and Frank. I fell right into their trap, and I had to call on Nick to rescue me.

“Here is your winner, the SCWF Heavyweight Champion, Frank Hart.”

Nick dropped out of the ring and began running up the ramp. The crew members walked towards the box to unlock it. Nick looked impatient as they took their time. They got the door open. Nick shoved them aside and stepped into the chamber with me. He untied my hands, which I immediately threw around his neck. He kissed me, and held me tight.

“I love you so much Ashley. Are you ok?”

I smiled at him.

“Yeah, I’m ok now.”

We left the chamber. We looked to the ring, where Frank was still celebrating.

“Ashley wait here ok, I’ll be right back.”

He ran down the ramp and into the ring. I watched him kick Frank right in the face. I giggled, watching Nick kick the hell out of Hart. He backed into the corner. I knew what was coming. He looked up the ramp at me. I blew him a kiss. He smiled, and looked back to Hart. He ran forward, and that was it. Frank’s head jerked to the side as Nick’s boot collided with his head. Nick jogged back up the ramp to me.

“Thanks for saving me.”

“I’m sorry for getting you into this situation.”

He grabbed my hand and began pulling me backstage before I could respond. He seemed defeated, upset. I hated to see him like this.

“Nick are you ok?”

He didn’t answer, just walking on.

“I have an idea.”

He let go of my hand, and I saw what he was staring at. There were a number of tanks of gasoline sitting there. Nick grabbed two of them, and started walking.

“Nick where are you going? What are you doing?”

“We’re going to visit a friend.”

He stormed from the arena, while I did my best to keep up. He stopped in front of a house. Mexican Samurai’s house? No. Wait. I think Nick mentioned something about Sal Ramis moving in when Samurai left Salvation. Nick kicked down the front door, and set down one of the cans before entering the building. Moments later, he reappeared, grabbed the other can, and walked back into the house. I watched him through the front door, dousing everything he could in gasoline. Finally, Nick emerged, and tossed me a matchbox.

“Burn it down Ashley.”

I smiled. I stepped towards the house, lighting a match. I thought about tossing it in, but stopped. Instead, I put the lit match back in the box, lighting the entire thing on fire, and tossing it through the front door. In seconds, the entire house was up in flames, and Nick and I stood there, his arm around me, the two of us enjoying the sight.

“Hey Ashley.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m still in my wrestling gear, aren’t I?”

I stole a glance at him and giggled. Sure enough, there he was, still in his wrestling trunks.

“Yeah, you are.”

We both laughed, and began heading back to the arena. Nick walked into the locker room, then stopped. He turned to look at me.

“Are you still following me?”

“Why not?”

“This is the men’s locker room, Ashley.”

I rolled my eyes.

“It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”

He laughed, and I walked in past him, sitting on a bench. In a few minutes, he was changed. We stood there for a moment, staring at each other.

“Ashley?”

“Yes?”

“We need to go to the church.”


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There won’t be any bullshit on Revolution. It’s Nick Ridicule against Shadow Demon and Corey Casey. No life or death situations. No nothing. Just the three world champions, fighting it out.

Shadow Demon is good. He’s proven it. He’s beaten The Notorious K.I.D, and he caused Aaron O’Shea to retire from the ring. He managed to defend his title a few times now, which is impressive. But think about it. Shadow has only been successful since joining Salvation. Who brought him in? Who opened his eyes to our ways? Nick and I. I know the truth, Shadow. You hate fighting loyal followers of Salvation. You’re the minister, after all. On top of that…what’s your motivation? The main event? Shadow, you’ve always been a great fighter…but you’ve never been one to demand main event spots. Truth be told…I don’t think you want it enough. This is just another match for you. There’s a reason it was your face under Sloth last month.

And Corey Casey. Corey, the Prophet. Corey, the man who’s been trying desperately to be half the man my father is. Look at him. Beating up thugs, the way my father beat up priests. Trying to be a protector of the people. Trying to be a preacher. Corey, you will never be as great as my father. You will never be as great as Brenton Cyrus. Most importantly, you will never be as great as Nick.

You’re real tough, aren’t you, attacking a man’s girlfriend? Corey, if you’re really that afraid of me, you can go right ahead and say it. Don’t worry, nobody’s going to look down on you. But look at some of the things you say. Comparing me to a snake? Saying everything I say is a lie? Don’t kid yourself, Corey. That’s one of the things people know me for. I don’t need to lie. I don’t need to manipulate. I give the facts, and let history speak volumes for me. You can call me all the names you want, Corey. All it does it further prove what I’ve been saying all this time. You’re weak.

You’re also constantly going on about how I’m only using Nick for my own personal gain. Are you truly that dense, Corey? What gain could I possibly have? I can’t win titles. I can’t even win matches for him. All I can do is stand in his corner and be the best manager…no. The best girlfriend I can be. What you fail to realize, Corey, is that I don’t love Nick for his success. If he was a loser, I would still be there with him. If he lost his titles, his matches, even his job, I would be at his side the whole way. You’re looking for excuses, Corey. Anything that can make Nick look like anything less than what he really is. The best NLWF has to offer. I love him with all my heart, and every night, I thank my stars that he lets me tag along for the ride. That he cares for me, and fights for me, even though I know he deserves better. Corey, all you have is a claim with nothing to back it up.

You even went so far as to say that I’m with Nick in some plot to bring my father back to his former glory…Let me correct you on something, Corey. There is no ‘Former glory,’ because that implies that it came to an end. But I look, and I see my father, the next World Heavyweight Champion. But let me humor you for a moment. Let’s pretend that my dad is a complete loser, nothing to his name anymore. How in the hell does my relationship with Nick help my dad? Call me crazy, but I simply can’t follow your logic.

Oh look, Nick just won the NLWF Title. Damn, Chuck Matthews is awesome.

Am I the only one who thinks that makes no sense whatsoever?

Someday, Corey, you might learn. You’ll appreciate what love really is. Only then will you under stance why I do the things I do for Nick. I couldn’t care less if I become all the more famous because of him. In fact, if he were to leave me behind, dump me, kick me to the curb and forget my name…I wouldn’t care. I would fight for him till the day I died, knowing that he was happier without me. To even try to break that bond between us, Corey? It’s pathetic. And it’s depressing. Really, it is.

This week, I’m going to take great pleasure in watching Nick crush you, flay you to an inch of your life. And then, after that, at Legends of the Fall, I’ll take even more pleasure watching my father destroy what’s left, and take the World Heavyweight Championship from you. Your life, for the next two weeks, Corey…They’re going to be hell on earth. My two favorite men will make sure of that.