Post by King Richius on Mar 1, 2018 15:21:34 GMT -5
Prologue: Pyrrhic Victory
Parts Unknown : February 5, 2018 : All or Nothing
Congratulations. You won.
Lila strides into the locker room like she owns it, which might as well be true since the owner is content to remain anonymous and hide behind her. If it’s possible to have an expression that is both defeated and smug, then Lila has mastered it. With a quick swipe of her hand she dismisses the medic who just finished stitching up the cut on my head for the third time in as many shows. Damn cut is never going to heal at this rate.
Anything you want to say to me?
She wants me to say I told you so. That’s what most other WFWF wrestlers would say after winning a match with so much at stake. But I’m not most other WFWF wrestlers. I’m Frank Lynn, leader of a revolution that took two steps forward and one step backward tonight. I have much to atone for when I run the show.
Not really.
Of all the wrestlers who’ve come through the WFWF, you were the last one I expected to be Trace Demon’s kryptonite.
Been listening to Joe Bishop have you? Oh ye’ of little faith. I am the future of this company. When will you accept that?
Meh. I’m still waiting to see the Trace Demon everyone is so afraid of.
You had help.
Her eyes glance at Daphne, who up to now had been sitting quietly trying to mind her own business.
Trace started it.
And now young Mr. Draven is being examined for a possible concussion.
El pequeño bastardo obtuvo lo que se merecía.
<The little bastard got what he deserved.>
I wish Daphne would go back to her quiet contemplation. She’s starting to embarrass me. I hope Lila doesn’t speak any Spanish.
F***. She does.
That’s debatable. He deserved to be escorted from ringside. He did not deserve to be hit with a chair. Tell me Frank, is this what your revolution stands for?
No, absolutely not. As childish as it sounds, Trace did start it and we finished it. I don’t like it but I don’t regret it either. Enough people tell you not to bring a knife to a gunfight and eventually it sinks in.
*pause*
Please tell Tyler that I’m sorry and I hope he is okay. I’m sure he is a nice kid but he needs to choose his friends better. When you hang out with the king of the sh*t show, you start to smell like sh*t too.
I’ll tell him.
Her tone softens. Is that a sign of sincere concern? What is Tyler Draven to her?
Anything else? My head is pounding and I’d like to get out of here.
You want any advice on running the “sh*t show”?
Yes… but not from you. Enjoy your vacation.
That came out harsh but it’s true. She’s been running this place so wrong for so long that if she did give me any advice, I would do the exact opposite.
She doesn’t bother to respond, just gives me a dismissive wave as she strides out of the locker room.
She won’t be able to dismiss me so easily after the next show.
It wasn’t pretty but the revolution won. It’s time for the victory party.
A party everyone is invited to attend at Back to Basics.
WFWF Back to Basics RP
The Light at the End of the Tunnel
featuring Frank Lynn
”The masses are the decisive element, they are the rock on which the final victory of the revolution will be built.” - Rosa Luxemburg
Framingham, MA : February 14, 2018
Chillin’ at the home of Frank Lynn
Sarah is laying back in the lounge chair on the deck a few feet from the fire pit, the flames dancing in the air and creating a bubble of warmth that keeps the winter chill at bay. There is a light snowfall, the type of winter storm you can enjoy because it won’t leave behind two feet of snow to be shoveled tomorrow. She is absentmindedly rubbing her growing stomach with her left hand, the ring finger now adorned with ten thousand dollars worth of chocolate diamonds.
She said she didn’t want me to ask her if I was doing it because of the baby. I assured her I would have asked even if she was as barren as the Sahara. Not my most romantic sentiment but I’m a wrestler, not a poet. She knows me well enough to see the sentiment behind the words and accepted the ring with all the grace and dignity of someone who has left the morning sickness behind and replaced it with a growing concern that she is slowly turning into a whale.
The ring goes a long way to explain the smile on her face but she has been smiling nonstop since my big win over Trace Demon. Good for her.
I’ve had a hard time finding much about the match to make me smile. As far as I’m concerned, the only good thing you can say about it is that I won. It will take a long time for me to forget Trace Demon laying on the mat laughing and yelling “I win!” because the leader of the revolution brought a baseball bat to the ring and used it in the match.
Back to Basics is my chance to prove him wrong. Book a great show, win a clean match, send the fans home knowing they just saw the best damn wrestling show ever. Should be easy, right?
Best Valentine’s Day ever. So why are brooding?
Sorry. Trust me, I’m happy… happier than I’ve been in a long time. But I do have a lot on my mind. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel but I’m not quite there.
You need to relax. Stop and smell the roses. You beat Trace Demon at his own game.
At his own game. The very idea I’m trying my damndest to forget. In order to beat the king of the sh*t show I had to become the king of the sh*t show.
It was too easy.
Easy? You call that easy? I was worried that you would end up in the emergency room yet again.
That’s not what I meant.
Oh? What did you mean?
Like you said, I beat him AT HIS OWN GAME. When push came to shove I took the bat and I used it. I cut Trace Demon. I spit blood in his face. No hesitation. No regrets. And Daphne knocked out a kid with a steel chair!
Every time I relive the match, I feel like I’m looking into an abyss and I don’t like what is looking back at me. I didn’t just slide down the slippery slope, I got a running start and leapt off the f***ing cliff.
Good for both of you. Trace was going to smash your head like a pumpkin with a bat that the kid brought to the ring. You both did what you had to do.
Did I? Was there something else I could have done to avoid sinking to his level? I mean, I left a scar on his chest that will serve as a constant reminder for all to see. The leader of the revolution IS A HYPOCRITE.
Sarah gets up and comes over to sit on my lap, her hands stroking my head.
You did what you had to do. Anybody who thinks less of you is an idiot.
She runs a finger along the scar on my forehead.
Why should you be the one getting scarred for life?
Her finger runs back along my forehead to a spot behind my left ear.
Did you know that when you let your hair grow for a few days, you have a patch that comes in white? Right here. Another scar from when Drakz dropped you through the electrical equipment.
Her finger continues down my neck and over my shoulder. She drapes her other hand over my other shoulder, then both hands caress my shoulder blades.
And then there’s these two scars from where Schneider hung you from the rafters.
She leans in close and kisses my forehead… my cheeks… my lips.
You have nothing to feel guilty about. Trace Demon is an animal. You did what you had to.
Do unto others before they do unto you, eh?
Eye for an eye. That’s what the Bible says.
It’s exactly what I’m trying to get the WFWF away from. Wins and losses should matter, not have you scarred more than you’ve been scarred.
I understand her concern but she missed the most important scar of all, the one left on the inside after I tore into Trace’s chest with the shards of a broken baseball bat. I can live with the physical scars. It’s the emotional scars that scare me. I don’t know if they will fade over time.
You’re too noble for your own good. Nobody asked you to fight a revolution. For damn sure, nobody is going to thank you if you succeed.
If?
Yes, if. Don’t be naive. Deep down you have to know the odds are stacked against you. You’re an ant trying to move a mountain.
There’s no point to fighting only battles you know you can win. If that’s how I felt I never would have left Legacy.
She leans back now, locking her hands behind my neck forcing me to look right into her eyes.
What was it Josh told you?
I don’t need the revolution, the revolution needs me.
He’s a smart man. If you won’t listen to me then you should listen to him.
Sarah gives me one more peck on the forehead, then slides off my lap and goes back to her chair. She’s still smiling but there is slight sadness in her eyes.
She doesn’t have to worry. She’ll see. So will everyone else. The aptly named Back to Basics show is the start of a new era for the WFWF.
Boston, MA : February 19, 2018
Working hard at the Legacy Facilities
I hang up the phone. Bad news. I wish I was on the phone in Abe’s office so I could slam the receiver down. Too bad I was on my smartphone. What do you do? Swipe extra hard? It’s not the same.
What’s up, Tiger?
Daphne hovers around me. She’s been doing that a lot ever since she got hurt. She was an enthusiastic manager before but now that her wrestling career is on hold she’s become obsessive. She really needs a hobby.
Dammit! I really tried to do something special with this show but I’m getting c*ck-blocked.
How? You’re the general manager. Your word is law.
Turns out that isn’t completely true. I may be the GM but I still have to answer to the owner.
Oh! You talked to the owner? Who is it? I’m dying to know.
No, I didn’t talk to the owner. He talked to me… through Lila. Said the card is fine but I can’t make Brennan versus Bishop a title match. Not for the world title. Not even for the International title. Brennan’s belts are off limits. I swear I could actually hear the smug smile on her face when she gave me the news.
Joe deserves a title shot as per his champion’s rematch clause. Instead of getting it he’s being pushed to the back of the line so we can sit through the final implosion of the New Epoch. Hell, who remembers much less cares about some defunct faction of @ssholes from years ago? Not me, that’s for damn sure.
Yet again, the WFWF isn’t about getting what you earned. It’s all about the spectacle. All hail the sh*t show.
I should have stipulated that I get to be owner for a day.
What? After all we went through to beat Trace? Can he do that?
He is the owner so unfortunately yes, he can. I really wanted to give Joe a shot at getting his title back. Damn it!
This isn’t right. We have to do something!
Daphne’s right. Maybe I can’t take a piece out of the DB f’n WF but there has to be something I can do. This is my one chance to highlight the revolution on the big stage. A message must be sent.
Well, he said Brennan’s belts are off limits. He didn’t say anything about the Golden Opportunity.
Daphne lights up like Times Square on New Years Eve. Too bad its because she knows Ante Whitner is the Golden Opportunity champion and when it comes to Ante, all she can think about is revenge for what he did to her. Am I going to have to put her on a leash and muzzle?
That’s what I’ll do. The revolution is about earning opportunities and then taking advantage of them. Ante earned the Golden Opportunity but hasn’t done jack sh*t with it. I’ll make him sh*t or get off the pot.
Why not switch up the card? Instead of Kyzer, book yourself versus Whitner for the Golden Opportunity.
Me beating Ante is old news. Same reason I didn’t take on the princess or the janitor. Been there, done that. I want Kyzer. That is a match that sends a message for the revolution and maybe I can push my way to the front of the line for a shot at Brennan’s belts. I’d love to crash the New Epoch party.
Why didn’t you give yourself the Brennan match?
Joe deserves it more. We both represent the revolution so it doesn’t matter which one of us beats Brennan and which one beats Kyzer.
Some times I don’t get you. But hell, you got us this far so I’ll back you. *mutters* Still think you should have fought Brennan…
It doesn’t matter who faces Brennan or Kyzer, does it? Kyzer only beat Joe because of his leg. Joe is still the alpha dog, someone fully capable of holding up his part of the revolution. I’m the one who had to prove himself to Joe, not the other way around. Right? RIGHT?
While I stew in my thoughts, Daphne starts to giggle uncontrollably. I didn’t realize she thought the revolution was a laughing matter.
Did I say something funny?
There’s another option. Don’t take a match. Just march down to the ring and declare yourself the Intergalactic Hamshank Memorial X-breed Champion. We can get the guys at Dominick’s Auto Shop to make a belt - a golden ham with a giant X grill mark and a silver ring around it like Saturn.
Worst idea ever!
I can’t wait for you to be off the pain killers.
Let Daphne get distracted by opiate induced flights of fantasy. I can’t afford to. I have to beat Kyzer. He is already one up on the revolution. I’m not going to let any of these New Epoch @ssh@ts get in the way of the revolution. They had their chance and they royally f***ed things up.
All the work we’ve put in means nothing if we fail at Back to Basics. Kyzer must fall. Brennan must fall. And it HAS to be clean. No more baseball bats or steel chairs. Just one on one competition where the better man wins. As long as the better men are Joe and I.
Boston, MA : March 5, 2018
Taking flight at Logan International Airport
My nerves are getting the better of me the closer I get to Back to Basics. It’s more like All or Nothing, part two because if things don’t go well then the revolution will be just as dead as it would have been had I lost to Trace.
I did my best putting together a card to highlight the values of sportsmanship and fair competition. It really should be the revolutions night to shine.
But… so many buts… so many ways the show can blow up in my face.
Anna Ahriman the self entitled princess could show up instead of Anna Ahriman the prodigy out to prove she can do this on her own. Billy Broom could show that he really is a joke out for a quick buck instead of a true fighter with a heart of gold. Joe Bishop could be a broken former champ fighting on one bad leg instead of a former champion ready for another run at the top. David Brennan really could be the best wrestler in the world. Please God anything but that.
Possibly worst of all, Kyzer could drag me down to his level, force me into another bloody barroom brawl instead of the technical wrestling showcase I want to have. Can the revolution survive another bloodbath?
It’s up to me and Joe Bishop to see that it doesn’t have to.
And speaking of Joe, I look up from my laptop to see him making his way through the crowd, his suitcase click-clacking on the tile floor, to join me at Gate 18 waiting to board flight 472 to New Orleans. He looks amazingly spry and chipper for a man with a possibly bad leg who just sat through the long flight from London to Boston AND then had to deal with customs.
Cheers mate.
I extend my hand and he shakes it, then pulls me close for a manly bro hug. Strange, I don’t remember him being quite this ?affectionate? before.
And a hearty hello to you too.
You really did it. You made a difference. I never should have doubted you. I’m sorry.
Water under the bridge, man. You’re not the only one I surprised. You should have seen Lila’s face after the show.
Did you take a picture?
Dammit, no! My phone was right next to me too. Would have made for a great picture to hang in my office.
Heh heh.
Joe and I take our seats and size each other up.
We didn’t really talk before, during, or after All or Nothing. To be honest, we both had other things on our mind. I know he joined me in the ring after I pinned Trace but that’s a moment that will forever be a fuzzy blur of a true holy sh*t moment in my memories. The details are overshadowed by the emotions.
Looking at him now I see the old Joe Bishop. The man who ran the table in the Supreme Gauntlet and became World Champion. The man who spearheaded a movement to bring honor and sportsmanship back to the WFWF. The man who finally and truly believes in me as someone who can get the job done.
Then I wonder, where is that reporter who follows him around like a lost puppy.
Where’s Poppy?
Home. She doesn’t travel so well right now. Preggers.
Congratulations?
It’s not mine.
Oh…
Awkward. Now would be a good time for the boarding call. Joe handles it far better than me, shifting the focus onto my apparently happier personal life.
I hear congratulations are in order for you. You got engaged. And a baby on the way.
Thanks. It’s gonna’ be a long engagement though. Sarah won’t walk the aisle until she has the baby and gets back in shape.
Another silence, not quite so awkward but proof that neither of us is all that good at small talk. We both know the one and only thing that is on our minds: the revolution.
I tried to make your match with Brennan a title match. The owner overruled me. Apparently he’s in love with the New Epoch and has hit heart set on Brennan vs Kyzer for the title. Sorry. The only prize up for grabs is respect.
No apology necessary. I know you tried. Management loves a good spectacle. Brennan, Kyzer, and Drakz may be @ssh*les but they are spectacular @ssh*les.
That gets a good laugh out of both of us, drawing confused looks from the people sitting nearby.
Doesn’t matter anyway. Back to Basics isn’t about titles. It’s about showing the wrestling world that we haven’t been blowing smoke up its ass for the past year.
Agreed. You earned this opportunity for us. I won’t let you down.
Deference from Joe Bishop? He wasn’t lying when he said he would play whatever part I saw fit to ask of him. There’s no doubt the torch has been passed. I am the leader of the revolution.
I won’t let you down either. I’ll take out Kyzer, then you take out Brennan. We do it the right way, by outwrestling them. Leave no doubts. We don’t need weapons or shortcuts. Our skill and desire is more than enough to win the matches and entertain the fans.
Kyzer’s going to be out for blood. Was it a smart idea to invite Schneider for a ringside seat? You’re good but not good enough to handle both of them. Nobody is.
I have Daphne to watch my back. Besides, rumors have placed Schneider in Berlin, Morocco, Tokyo, Hong Kong… just about anywhere in the world other than New Orleans.
It’s not fact but as close to fact as rumors can be. Scott contacted just about every sport agent he knew trying to track down Schneider. All signs point to him refusing my invitation. I’m disappointed and relieved.
He prefers to come when he’s not expected. Inviting him was probably the best way to make sure he wouldn’t show up.
Or maybe he saw me come back from his attack stronger than ever and he’s running scared. At least, I’d like to think so. Heh heh.
I hope you’re joking. Nobody’s ego should be that big.
It’s not. What have I done in the WFWF? You’re the one with the long career and championship pedigree. Me? I’ve beat Trace Demon twice. That’s it. May impress some people but it’s not getting me into the Hall of Fame. I’ve never beaten Drakz, Brennan, Schneider, Josh, you,… Kyzer.
Back to Kyzer. He didn’t get into your head, did he?
Maybe a little. I know next to nothing about him, his style, his strengths and weaknesses. Most of the tape on him is several years old. Not the most reliable study material.
My losing to him didn’t help.
You had a bum leg that he jumped on. You had ring rust. It was hardly a true test of your or his skills.
Don’t make excuses for me. I lost. If he beats you too he could be the man who ends our revolution.
It really has become important to a whole lot of people that they be the one to end our revolution. Joe and I have become a feather for someone to stick in their cap. As Josh might say, a sign of “twisted respect”.
Ugh. Kyzer. Your Stoned Messiah. The God of F*ck. I bet he would love to add “Ender of Revolutions” to his list of made up accolades. Guys like him love their stupid nicknames.
Whatever you say, Mr. “Lethal Weapon”.
Is that a joke? From the usually too serious for his own good Joe Bishop? Wow.
Touché. But it sells shirts to fund the revolution and is far less obnoxious than “Streak Destroyer Destroyer Destroyer”. Did I get the right number of “destroyers”?
Ha. You can’t be too worried about Kyzer if you’re making jokes.
I’ve done all I can to prepare for him. We’ll see what happens when the bell rings. My money is on me.
Same way I’m approaching Brennan. But we can do a little more to prepare you for your match. It’s a long flight and I have a lot to tell you about Michael Kyzer.
I’m all ears.
Then the boarding announcement is made, at least I assume it is the boarding announcement. It’s hard to actually understand the voice over the speakers that make everyone sound like an adult in a Charlie Brown cartoon.
We grab our bags, take our place in line, and get ready to board the plane that will take us to New Orleans… to Back to Basics… to our destiny!
New Orleans, LA : March 6, 2018 : Back to Basics
A Few Choice Words for the God of F*ck
What did your words taste like when you had to eat them?
The villains don’t reign supreme. In fact, the villains along with everybody else answer to me, if only for one night.
You may have beat Joe but you didn’t kill him. There’s plenty of fight left in Joe Bishop as you will surely find out if you ever step in the ring with him again. The only reason I didn’t book a rematch is that I wanted a piece of you first.
As for me, I’m damn sure not dead. Trace Demon pulled out every dirty trick he knows including that moldy oldie the red mist. It didn’t work. I beat him again. Any dreams he had of destroying the revolution are as dead as his career.
Now it’s time for me to move on…
…to you.
The Stoned Messiah.
The God of F*ck.
Michael Kyzer.
Is this the point where I tremble in my wrestling boots while you run your mouth about having to take out another vanilla bean who is just a stepping stone in your quest to destroy what remains of the New Epoch legacy?
You gonna’ throw your victory over Ante in my face? Guess what? Been there done that…twice!
You gonna’ swear a lot and threaten to kill me a dozen different ways? I can swear a lot too you goddamn mother-f***ing c***-sucking sh*t-stain. And I’ll do worse than threaten to kill you. I’ll threaten to make you tap. You’ll have to live with the embarrassment of coming up short against me.
See, no matter what vitriolic crap you may spew in my direction, I don’t care. I’ve heard it all by now and it hasn’t helped anyone beat me. You can’t scare me by acting like an ultra-violent moron with Tourettes Syndrome.
Now let me drop some truth bombs on you.
You’re living in the past if you think the New Epoch matters.
Drakz is gone, hopefully locked up in some jail cell in Puerto Rico that smells of puke and piss, preferably his own.
Brennan doesn’t need you. Never did. Seeing what he’s done since sobering up, it seems likely that you were actually holding him back.
And you? You’re just another skeleton from the WFWF closet that’s crawled into the light for one last swan song. You think that Brennan will provide that epic final encounter that cements your legacy.
I have to interrupt your regularly scheduled programming with a special news bulletin.
Brennan vs Kyzer won’t be epic.
It will be anti-climactic, a disappointment for fans hungry for a different match. I’m going to choke you out. That will make me the real number one contender. The man the fans want to see challenge Brennan for the title. Not some washed up has been who talks the talk but tripped and fell on his face when he tried to walk the walk.
As you might put it, I am going to f*ck you up to show David that you are NOT ready for him.
Are you ready to hear chants of “You’re not Frank!” during your inevitable match against Brennan?
I made DB f’n WF happen and that was an accident. I can make You’re not Frank! happen too.
What else will you say in the build up to our match?
Maybe you’ll tell me the same thing you told Joe: that you’re gonna’ finish what Trace Demon started.
You’re welcome to try.
When it comes to Trace Demon, all he does is lose to me. He wanted to end the revolution. The revolution ended him instead. No return to glory. Just the walk of shame after another loss to the “biggest mistake” of his tenure as WFWF owner.
I’ll do the same to you. You want to take the World Heavyweight title from Brennan. You want to be the villain that rules the world. I’ll make you the former number one contender who never got his title match. I’ll make the world forget you even existed.
I’m going to crush your dreams under the heel of my boot and grind them into dust.
That’s not an idle threat. I don’t make idle threats. I make promises.
Ask the wrestlers in the International Championship Open Invitational Gauntlet. I said I would beat them all and I did. Brennan was mine if not for the outside interference of Schneider, who wasn’t even in the gauntlet. A temporary delay. Brennan will have to face me eventually. It will be epic when it happens.
I am the Lethal Weapon Frank Lynn. My rise to the top is inevitable.
I am the future of the WFWF. The revolution is the future of the WFWF.
You are the sad sorry sordid past of the WFWF. There is no room for you in my WFWF. I’m going to bury you once and for all.
Say goodbye to Kyzer, the God of F*ck.
Say hello to Kyzer, God of the F*cked.
New Orleans, LA : March 6, 2018 : Back to Basics
Taking care of business
Thirty minutes to show time. One last action to take before I put organizing the show behind me and get back to being a wrestler with a big match to win. I sign the paper and hand it to the intern.
Make sure this gets filed before midnight.
Can you really do this?
I’m the GM. I can do whatever I want, including giving myself a little insurance policy. Now go file the documents and keep your mouth shut.
Parts Unknown : February 5, 2018 : All or Nothing
Congratulations. You won.
Lila strides into the locker room like she owns it, which might as well be true since the owner is content to remain anonymous and hide behind her. If it’s possible to have an expression that is both defeated and smug, then Lila has mastered it. With a quick swipe of her hand she dismisses the medic who just finished stitching up the cut on my head for the third time in as many shows. Damn cut is never going to heal at this rate.
Anything you want to say to me?
She wants me to say I told you so. That’s what most other WFWF wrestlers would say after winning a match with so much at stake. But I’m not most other WFWF wrestlers. I’m Frank Lynn, leader of a revolution that took two steps forward and one step backward tonight. I have much to atone for when I run the show.
Not really.
Of all the wrestlers who’ve come through the WFWF, you were the last one I expected to be Trace Demon’s kryptonite.
Been listening to Joe Bishop have you? Oh ye’ of little faith. I am the future of this company. When will you accept that?
Meh. I’m still waiting to see the Trace Demon everyone is so afraid of.
You had help.
Her eyes glance at Daphne, who up to now had been sitting quietly trying to mind her own business.
Trace started it.
And now young Mr. Draven is being examined for a possible concussion.
El pequeño bastardo obtuvo lo que se merecía.
<The little bastard got what he deserved.>
I wish Daphne would go back to her quiet contemplation. She’s starting to embarrass me. I hope Lila doesn’t speak any Spanish.
F***. She does.
That’s debatable. He deserved to be escorted from ringside. He did not deserve to be hit with a chair. Tell me Frank, is this what your revolution stands for?
No, absolutely not. As childish as it sounds, Trace did start it and we finished it. I don’t like it but I don’t regret it either. Enough people tell you not to bring a knife to a gunfight and eventually it sinks in.
*pause*
Please tell Tyler that I’m sorry and I hope he is okay. I’m sure he is a nice kid but he needs to choose his friends better. When you hang out with the king of the sh*t show, you start to smell like sh*t too.
I’ll tell him.
Her tone softens. Is that a sign of sincere concern? What is Tyler Draven to her?
Anything else? My head is pounding and I’d like to get out of here.
You want any advice on running the “sh*t show”?
Yes… but not from you. Enjoy your vacation.
That came out harsh but it’s true. She’s been running this place so wrong for so long that if she did give me any advice, I would do the exact opposite.
She doesn’t bother to respond, just gives me a dismissive wave as she strides out of the locker room.
She won’t be able to dismiss me so easily after the next show.
It wasn’t pretty but the revolution won. It’s time for the victory party.
A party everyone is invited to attend at Back to Basics.
WFWF Back to Basics RP
The Light at the End of the Tunnel
featuring Frank Lynn
”The masses are the decisive element, they are the rock on which the final victory of the revolution will be built.” - Rosa Luxemburg
Framingham, MA : February 14, 2018
Chillin’ at the home of Frank Lynn
Sarah is laying back in the lounge chair on the deck a few feet from the fire pit, the flames dancing in the air and creating a bubble of warmth that keeps the winter chill at bay. There is a light snowfall, the type of winter storm you can enjoy because it won’t leave behind two feet of snow to be shoveled tomorrow. She is absentmindedly rubbing her growing stomach with her left hand, the ring finger now adorned with ten thousand dollars worth of chocolate diamonds.
She said she didn’t want me to ask her if I was doing it because of the baby. I assured her I would have asked even if she was as barren as the Sahara. Not my most romantic sentiment but I’m a wrestler, not a poet. She knows me well enough to see the sentiment behind the words and accepted the ring with all the grace and dignity of someone who has left the morning sickness behind and replaced it with a growing concern that she is slowly turning into a whale.
The ring goes a long way to explain the smile on her face but she has been smiling nonstop since my big win over Trace Demon. Good for her.
I’ve had a hard time finding much about the match to make me smile. As far as I’m concerned, the only good thing you can say about it is that I won. It will take a long time for me to forget Trace Demon laying on the mat laughing and yelling “I win!” because the leader of the revolution brought a baseball bat to the ring and used it in the match.
Back to Basics is my chance to prove him wrong. Book a great show, win a clean match, send the fans home knowing they just saw the best damn wrestling show ever. Should be easy, right?
Best Valentine’s Day ever. So why are brooding?
Sorry. Trust me, I’m happy… happier than I’ve been in a long time. But I do have a lot on my mind. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel but I’m not quite there.
You need to relax. Stop and smell the roses. You beat Trace Demon at his own game.
At his own game. The very idea I’m trying my damndest to forget. In order to beat the king of the sh*t show I had to become the king of the sh*t show.
It was too easy.
Easy? You call that easy? I was worried that you would end up in the emergency room yet again.
That’s not what I meant.
Oh? What did you mean?
Like you said, I beat him AT HIS OWN GAME. When push came to shove I took the bat and I used it. I cut Trace Demon. I spit blood in his face. No hesitation. No regrets. And Daphne knocked out a kid with a steel chair!
Every time I relive the match, I feel like I’m looking into an abyss and I don’t like what is looking back at me. I didn’t just slide down the slippery slope, I got a running start and leapt off the f***ing cliff.
Good for both of you. Trace was going to smash your head like a pumpkin with a bat that the kid brought to the ring. You both did what you had to do.
Did I? Was there something else I could have done to avoid sinking to his level? I mean, I left a scar on his chest that will serve as a constant reminder for all to see. The leader of the revolution IS A HYPOCRITE.
Sarah gets up and comes over to sit on my lap, her hands stroking my head.
You did what you had to do. Anybody who thinks less of you is an idiot.
She runs a finger along the scar on my forehead.
Why should you be the one getting scarred for life?
Her finger runs back along my forehead to a spot behind my left ear.
Did you know that when you let your hair grow for a few days, you have a patch that comes in white? Right here. Another scar from when Drakz dropped you through the electrical equipment.
Her finger continues down my neck and over my shoulder. She drapes her other hand over my other shoulder, then both hands caress my shoulder blades.
And then there’s these two scars from where Schneider hung you from the rafters.
She leans in close and kisses my forehead… my cheeks… my lips.
You have nothing to feel guilty about. Trace Demon is an animal. You did what you had to.
Do unto others before they do unto you, eh?
Eye for an eye. That’s what the Bible says.
It’s exactly what I’m trying to get the WFWF away from. Wins and losses should matter, not have you scarred more than you’ve been scarred.
I understand her concern but she missed the most important scar of all, the one left on the inside after I tore into Trace’s chest with the shards of a broken baseball bat. I can live with the physical scars. It’s the emotional scars that scare me. I don’t know if they will fade over time.
You’re too noble for your own good. Nobody asked you to fight a revolution. For damn sure, nobody is going to thank you if you succeed.
If?
Yes, if. Don’t be naive. Deep down you have to know the odds are stacked against you. You’re an ant trying to move a mountain.
There’s no point to fighting only battles you know you can win. If that’s how I felt I never would have left Legacy.
She leans back now, locking her hands behind my neck forcing me to look right into her eyes.
What was it Josh told you?
I don’t need the revolution, the revolution needs me.
He’s a smart man. If you won’t listen to me then you should listen to him.
Sarah gives me one more peck on the forehead, then slides off my lap and goes back to her chair. She’s still smiling but there is slight sadness in her eyes.
She doesn’t have to worry. She’ll see. So will everyone else. The aptly named Back to Basics show is the start of a new era for the WFWF.
Boston, MA : February 19, 2018
Working hard at the Legacy Facilities
I hang up the phone. Bad news. I wish I was on the phone in Abe’s office so I could slam the receiver down. Too bad I was on my smartphone. What do you do? Swipe extra hard? It’s not the same.
What’s up, Tiger?
Daphne hovers around me. She’s been doing that a lot ever since she got hurt. She was an enthusiastic manager before but now that her wrestling career is on hold she’s become obsessive. She really needs a hobby.
Dammit! I really tried to do something special with this show but I’m getting c*ck-blocked.
How? You’re the general manager. Your word is law.
Turns out that isn’t completely true. I may be the GM but I still have to answer to the owner.
Oh! You talked to the owner? Who is it? I’m dying to know.
No, I didn’t talk to the owner. He talked to me… through Lila. Said the card is fine but I can’t make Brennan versus Bishop a title match. Not for the world title. Not even for the International title. Brennan’s belts are off limits. I swear I could actually hear the smug smile on her face when she gave me the news.
Joe deserves a title shot as per his champion’s rematch clause. Instead of getting it he’s being pushed to the back of the line so we can sit through the final implosion of the New Epoch. Hell, who remembers much less cares about some defunct faction of @ssholes from years ago? Not me, that’s for damn sure.
Yet again, the WFWF isn’t about getting what you earned. It’s all about the spectacle. All hail the sh*t show.
I should have stipulated that I get to be owner for a day.
What? After all we went through to beat Trace? Can he do that?
He is the owner so unfortunately yes, he can. I really wanted to give Joe a shot at getting his title back. Damn it!
This isn’t right. We have to do something!
Daphne’s right. Maybe I can’t take a piece out of the DB f’n WF but there has to be something I can do. This is my one chance to highlight the revolution on the big stage. A message must be sent.
Well, he said Brennan’s belts are off limits. He didn’t say anything about the Golden Opportunity.
Daphne lights up like Times Square on New Years Eve. Too bad its because she knows Ante Whitner is the Golden Opportunity champion and when it comes to Ante, all she can think about is revenge for what he did to her. Am I going to have to put her on a leash and muzzle?
That’s what I’ll do. The revolution is about earning opportunities and then taking advantage of them. Ante earned the Golden Opportunity but hasn’t done jack sh*t with it. I’ll make him sh*t or get off the pot.
Why not switch up the card? Instead of Kyzer, book yourself versus Whitner for the Golden Opportunity.
Me beating Ante is old news. Same reason I didn’t take on the princess or the janitor. Been there, done that. I want Kyzer. That is a match that sends a message for the revolution and maybe I can push my way to the front of the line for a shot at Brennan’s belts. I’d love to crash the New Epoch party.
Why didn’t you give yourself the Brennan match?
Joe deserves it more. We both represent the revolution so it doesn’t matter which one of us beats Brennan and which one beats Kyzer.
Some times I don’t get you. But hell, you got us this far so I’ll back you. *mutters* Still think you should have fought Brennan…
It doesn’t matter who faces Brennan or Kyzer, does it? Kyzer only beat Joe because of his leg. Joe is still the alpha dog, someone fully capable of holding up his part of the revolution. I’m the one who had to prove himself to Joe, not the other way around. Right? RIGHT?
While I stew in my thoughts, Daphne starts to giggle uncontrollably. I didn’t realize she thought the revolution was a laughing matter.
Did I say something funny?
There’s another option. Don’t take a match. Just march down to the ring and declare yourself the Intergalactic Hamshank Memorial X-breed Champion. We can get the guys at Dominick’s Auto Shop to make a belt - a golden ham with a giant X grill mark and a silver ring around it like Saturn.
Worst idea ever!
I can’t wait for you to be off the pain killers.
Let Daphne get distracted by opiate induced flights of fantasy. I can’t afford to. I have to beat Kyzer. He is already one up on the revolution. I’m not going to let any of these New Epoch @ssh@ts get in the way of the revolution. They had their chance and they royally f***ed things up.
All the work we’ve put in means nothing if we fail at Back to Basics. Kyzer must fall. Brennan must fall. And it HAS to be clean. No more baseball bats or steel chairs. Just one on one competition where the better man wins. As long as the better men are Joe and I.
Boston, MA : March 5, 2018
Taking flight at Logan International Airport
My nerves are getting the better of me the closer I get to Back to Basics. It’s more like All or Nothing, part two because if things don’t go well then the revolution will be just as dead as it would have been had I lost to Trace.
I did my best putting together a card to highlight the values of sportsmanship and fair competition. It really should be the revolutions night to shine.
But… so many buts… so many ways the show can blow up in my face.
Anna Ahriman the self entitled princess could show up instead of Anna Ahriman the prodigy out to prove she can do this on her own. Billy Broom could show that he really is a joke out for a quick buck instead of a true fighter with a heart of gold. Joe Bishop could be a broken former champ fighting on one bad leg instead of a former champion ready for another run at the top. David Brennan really could be the best wrestler in the world. Please God anything but that.
Possibly worst of all, Kyzer could drag me down to his level, force me into another bloody barroom brawl instead of the technical wrestling showcase I want to have. Can the revolution survive another bloodbath?
It’s up to me and Joe Bishop to see that it doesn’t have to.
And speaking of Joe, I look up from my laptop to see him making his way through the crowd, his suitcase click-clacking on the tile floor, to join me at Gate 18 waiting to board flight 472 to New Orleans. He looks amazingly spry and chipper for a man with a possibly bad leg who just sat through the long flight from London to Boston AND then had to deal with customs.
Cheers mate.
I extend my hand and he shakes it, then pulls me close for a manly bro hug. Strange, I don’t remember him being quite this ?affectionate? before.
And a hearty hello to you too.
You really did it. You made a difference. I never should have doubted you. I’m sorry.
Water under the bridge, man. You’re not the only one I surprised. You should have seen Lila’s face after the show.
Did you take a picture?
Dammit, no! My phone was right next to me too. Would have made for a great picture to hang in my office.
Heh heh.
Joe and I take our seats and size each other up.
We didn’t really talk before, during, or after All or Nothing. To be honest, we both had other things on our mind. I know he joined me in the ring after I pinned Trace but that’s a moment that will forever be a fuzzy blur of a true holy sh*t moment in my memories. The details are overshadowed by the emotions.
Looking at him now I see the old Joe Bishop. The man who ran the table in the Supreme Gauntlet and became World Champion. The man who spearheaded a movement to bring honor and sportsmanship back to the WFWF. The man who finally and truly believes in me as someone who can get the job done.
Then I wonder, where is that reporter who follows him around like a lost puppy.
Where’s Poppy?
Home. She doesn’t travel so well right now. Preggers.
Congratulations?
It’s not mine.
Oh…
Awkward. Now would be a good time for the boarding call. Joe handles it far better than me, shifting the focus onto my apparently happier personal life.
I hear congratulations are in order for you. You got engaged. And a baby on the way.
Thanks. It’s gonna’ be a long engagement though. Sarah won’t walk the aisle until she has the baby and gets back in shape.
Another silence, not quite so awkward but proof that neither of us is all that good at small talk. We both know the one and only thing that is on our minds: the revolution.
I tried to make your match with Brennan a title match. The owner overruled me. Apparently he’s in love with the New Epoch and has hit heart set on Brennan vs Kyzer for the title. Sorry. The only prize up for grabs is respect.
No apology necessary. I know you tried. Management loves a good spectacle. Brennan, Kyzer, and Drakz may be @ssh*les but they are spectacular @ssh*les.
That gets a good laugh out of both of us, drawing confused looks from the people sitting nearby.
Doesn’t matter anyway. Back to Basics isn’t about titles. It’s about showing the wrestling world that we haven’t been blowing smoke up its ass for the past year.
Agreed. You earned this opportunity for us. I won’t let you down.
Deference from Joe Bishop? He wasn’t lying when he said he would play whatever part I saw fit to ask of him. There’s no doubt the torch has been passed. I am the leader of the revolution.
I won’t let you down either. I’ll take out Kyzer, then you take out Brennan. We do it the right way, by outwrestling them. Leave no doubts. We don’t need weapons or shortcuts. Our skill and desire is more than enough to win the matches and entertain the fans.
Kyzer’s going to be out for blood. Was it a smart idea to invite Schneider for a ringside seat? You’re good but not good enough to handle both of them. Nobody is.
I have Daphne to watch my back. Besides, rumors have placed Schneider in Berlin, Morocco, Tokyo, Hong Kong… just about anywhere in the world other than New Orleans.
It’s not fact but as close to fact as rumors can be. Scott contacted just about every sport agent he knew trying to track down Schneider. All signs point to him refusing my invitation. I’m disappointed and relieved.
He prefers to come when he’s not expected. Inviting him was probably the best way to make sure he wouldn’t show up.
Or maybe he saw me come back from his attack stronger than ever and he’s running scared. At least, I’d like to think so. Heh heh.
I hope you’re joking. Nobody’s ego should be that big.
It’s not. What have I done in the WFWF? You’re the one with the long career and championship pedigree. Me? I’ve beat Trace Demon twice. That’s it. May impress some people but it’s not getting me into the Hall of Fame. I’ve never beaten Drakz, Brennan, Schneider, Josh, you,… Kyzer.
Back to Kyzer. He didn’t get into your head, did he?
Maybe a little. I know next to nothing about him, his style, his strengths and weaknesses. Most of the tape on him is several years old. Not the most reliable study material.
My losing to him didn’t help.
You had a bum leg that he jumped on. You had ring rust. It was hardly a true test of your or his skills.
Don’t make excuses for me. I lost. If he beats you too he could be the man who ends our revolution.
It really has become important to a whole lot of people that they be the one to end our revolution. Joe and I have become a feather for someone to stick in their cap. As Josh might say, a sign of “twisted respect”.
Ugh. Kyzer. Your Stoned Messiah. The God of F*ck. I bet he would love to add “Ender of Revolutions” to his list of made up accolades. Guys like him love their stupid nicknames.
Whatever you say, Mr. “Lethal Weapon”.
Is that a joke? From the usually too serious for his own good Joe Bishop? Wow.
Touché. But it sells shirts to fund the revolution and is far less obnoxious than “Streak Destroyer Destroyer Destroyer”. Did I get the right number of “destroyers”?
Ha. You can’t be too worried about Kyzer if you’re making jokes.
I’ve done all I can to prepare for him. We’ll see what happens when the bell rings. My money is on me.
Same way I’m approaching Brennan. But we can do a little more to prepare you for your match. It’s a long flight and I have a lot to tell you about Michael Kyzer.
I’m all ears.
Then the boarding announcement is made, at least I assume it is the boarding announcement. It’s hard to actually understand the voice over the speakers that make everyone sound like an adult in a Charlie Brown cartoon.
We grab our bags, take our place in line, and get ready to board the plane that will take us to New Orleans… to Back to Basics… to our destiny!
New Orleans, LA : March 6, 2018 : Back to Basics
A Few Choice Words for the God of F*ck
Joe, there isn’t a reason for you to come back to the WFWF after I kill you. Frank will be dead. Josh is already dead. There are no good guys left to rally with you.
Only the villains reign supreme in the WFWF.
- Kyzer, 1/21/18
Only the villains reign supreme in the WFWF.
- Kyzer, 1/21/18
What did your words taste like when you had to eat them?
The villains don’t reign supreme. In fact, the villains along with everybody else answer to me, if only for one night.
You may have beat Joe but you didn’t kill him. There’s plenty of fight left in Joe Bishop as you will surely find out if you ever step in the ring with him again. The only reason I didn’t book a rematch is that I wanted a piece of you first.
As for me, I’m damn sure not dead. Trace Demon pulled out every dirty trick he knows including that moldy oldie the red mist. It didn’t work. I beat him again. Any dreams he had of destroying the revolution are as dead as his career.
Now it’s time for me to move on…
…to you.
The Stoned Messiah.
The God of F*ck.
Michael Kyzer.
Is this the point where I tremble in my wrestling boots while you run your mouth about having to take out another vanilla bean who is just a stepping stone in your quest to destroy what remains of the New Epoch legacy?
You gonna’ throw your victory over Ante in my face? Guess what? Been there done that…twice!
You gonna’ swear a lot and threaten to kill me a dozen different ways? I can swear a lot too you goddamn mother-f***ing c***-sucking sh*t-stain. And I’ll do worse than threaten to kill you. I’ll threaten to make you tap. You’ll have to live with the embarrassment of coming up short against me.
See, no matter what vitriolic crap you may spew in my direction, I don’t care. I’ve heard it all by now and it hasn’t helped anyone beat me. You can’t scare me by acting like an ultra-violent moron with Tourettes Syndrome.
Now let me drop some truth bombs on you.
You’re living in the past if you think the New Epoch matters.
Drakz is gone, hopefully locked up in some jail cell in Puerto Rico that smells of puke and piss, preferably his own.
Brennan doesn’t need you. Never did. Seeing what he’s done since sobering up, it seems likely that you were actually holding him back.
And you? You’re just another skeleton from the WFWF closet that’s crawled into the light for one last swan song. You think that Brennan will provide that epic final encounter that cements your legacy.
I have to interrupt your regularly scheduled programming with a special news bulletin.
Brennan vs Kyzer won’t be epic.
It will be anti-climactic, a disappointment for fans hungry for a different match. I’m going to choke you out. That will make me the real number one contender. The man the fans want to see challenge Brennan for the title. Not some washed up has been who talks the talk but tripped and fell on his face when he tried to walk the walk.
As you might put it, I am going to f*ck you up to show David that you are NOT ready for him.
Are you ready to hear chants of “You’re not Frank!” during your inevitable match against Brennan?
I made DB f’n WF happen and that was an accident. I can make You’re not Frank! happen too.
What else will you say in the build up to our match?
Maybe you’ll tell me the same thing you told Joe: that you’re gonna’ finish what Trace Demon started.
You’re welcome to try.
When it comes to Trace Demon, all he does is lose to me. He wanted to end the revolution. The revolution ended him instead. No return to glory. Just the walk of shame after another loss to the “biggest mistake” of his tenure as WFWF owner.
I’ll do the same to you. You want to take the World Heavyweight title from Brennan. You want to be the villain that rules the world. I’ll make you the former number one contender who never got his title match. I’ll make the world forget you even existed.
I’m going to crush your dreams under the heel of my boot and grind them into dust.
That’s not an idle threat. I don’t make idle threats. I make promises.
Ask the wrestlers in the International Championship Open Invitational Gauntlet. I said I would beat them all and I did. Brennan was mine if not for the outside interference of Schneider, who wasn’t even in the gauntlet. A temporary delay. Brennan will have to face me eventually. It will be epic when it happens.
I am the Lethal Weapon Frank Lynn. My rise to the top is inevitable.
I am the future of the WFWF. The revolution is the future of the WFWF.
You are the sad sorry sordid past of the WFWF. There is no room for you in my WFWF. I’m going to bury you once and for all.
Say goodbye to Kyzer, the God of F*ck.
Say hello to Kyzer, God of the F*cked.
New Orleans, LA : March 6, 2018 : Back to Basics
Taking care of business
Thirty minutes to show time. One last action to take before I put organizing the show behind me and get back to being a wrestler with a big match to win. I sign the paper and hand it to the intern.
Make sure this gets filed before midnight.
Can you really do this?
I’m the GM. I can do whatever I want, including giving myself a little insurance policy. Now go file the documents and keep your mouth shut.