"For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!”
Then He asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many."
Mark 5:8-9, New King James Version
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WAKE UP!
His eyes fluttered open. He hadn't even been aware he was sleeping, but apparently he had. Whether he wanted to admit it to himself or not, this travel schedule between Carnage and CWF had been running him ragged. He wasn't in his twenties anymore. He looked around to see if he could find who had shouted at him. CWF's cameraman, who was riding on this flight to Portland with him, was fast asleep.
JC noticed that even asleep, the cameraman had done so in such a way that the camera was still on and propped up to point directly at him. He almost admired the man's professionalism.
There was no source of the voice, of course. Most of the passengers were asleep. He left Baltimore immediately after Chaos 81 and so it was in the middle of the night. Lucy was in the seat next to him, already asleep herself. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and groaned. He supposed if he grabbed the camera in front of him and ran back the tape, no shouting would be heard.
This was a realization he didn't like.
He decided he needed to splash some water in his face, if only to wake himself up a little more. Perhaps the voice was just a remnant of a nightmare. Those had been more frequent lately as well. He started to move and then looked down and realized that Lucy had fallen asleep embracing his arm.
The two were pretty much attached at the hip anyway. They only had each other, especially these days when certain World Champions in certain Maryland wrestling organizations were trying to turn people against them. This, however, was ridiculous.
Joe gently pulled one of her arms loose and placed it in her lap, then pulled his own arm free from her grip, just barely jostling her as he did so. She murmured and moved a bit before settling and he resumed his journey. Things were usually worse when they shared a bed. She had more limbs to wrap around him then.
He moved down the aisle and got to what could only generously be called a restroom, before stepping inside and switching the label to "occupied." He then looked at himself in the mirror.
Don't like what you see?
He didn't. The pills he had found before weren't working and in spite of his every attempt to make himself go get some that would, something always prevented him from doing it. The slippery slope that was his sanity was getting more treacherous with each passing day.
You don't want those pills. You know what they do. They numb you. They keep you from being your true self.
"Shut. Up."
He turned on the faucet just to have some sort of noise, just anything to drown out the voice in his head. He did what he intended to do, and splashed some of the water in his face. But he heard chuckling in the back of his head, and his face felt hot. It was more talkative and it felt as though his condition was going back to the way it used to be.
And yet..
Sometimes you like it.
Sometimes he did.
"Stop it."
He hit the side of his own head as he said this, for emphasis, knowing it would do him no good. The only thing it did was making him see a flash of light briefly. He reached down and drank some of the water, which had a bitter, metallic taste that made him spit back out. It swirled around the drain and mixed with the still running water, which he then shut off. He let out a sigh, which was then interrupted by a rapping on the door.
"Sir, is everything okay in there?"
Maybe you should have been quieter.
"Yeah...fine...just...too big for this tiny box."
He gave a small, humorless laugh that was fake and hollow. Anyone who knew him would know immediately that he was lying.
Someone that knew him was right outside.
"It's okay. I'm his girlfriend. I'll see what the issue is."
"Okay, but make it quick."
Joe thought a few expletives to himself but didn't voice them. Lucy did not need to know what was going on with him. He needed to get a handle on things himself and he was trying to do that. The door slid open and Lucy slid in, making an already tight compartment even tighter, no matter how much smaller she was.
"Joe, what the hell?"
"What? I hit my head."
Technically he was telling the truth.
"Yeah well, someone heard talking too. You know how people are with weirdness on flights these days."
"Okay, I hit my head and dropped a few choice f-bombs."
Not exactly a lie, except he never said those out loud.
Say whatever you want, but she's going to find out.
He closed his eyes for a moment, hoping to will the voice away. When he opened them, she had her head tilted to the side, almost studying him.
"Are..you okay? I know the stress of Carnage and CWF and all this is a lot but.."
"I'm fine."
She reached out and put a hand on his arm, and stepped forward. Lucy, of course, was not afraid of him. She never had any reason to be. Even when he was at his worst, which she'd seen and experienced first hand, she wasn't afraid. If she knew what was going on, the worst that she would be is afraid for him. But he didn't want even that.
He didn't want to hurt her in even that fashion. This was something he had to handle, and get control of, on his own.
"I know that I've been dealing with Kyra...but you can still talk to me if something's wrong."
"I know. But I'm fine."
He didn't look her in the eye when he said this. Perhaps it was this, or how bizarrely and shift he had been acting the moment she stepped in, but she knew immediately that something was off.
He moved past her to exit and stepped out, looking to see that a few people were staring at him, but most people were trying not to stare at him. She followed him out and watched him closely. What he didn't know is that she would be making phone calls soon. Calls to the pharmacy. Calls to the doctor. Calls that most people wouldn't be able to get info for, but that she was able to because he had her listed as his emergency contact and able to get such privileged information.
Lucy Wylde had been lied to enough in her life that she knew one when she heard it.
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His eyes fluttered open. He hadn't even been aware he was sleeping, but apparently he had. Whether he wanted to admit it to himself or not, this travel schedule between Carnage and CWF had been running him ragged. He wasn't in his twenties anymore. He looked around to see if he could find who had shouted at him. CWF's cameraman, who was riding on this flight to Portland with him, was fast asleep.
JC noticed that even asleep, the cameraman had done so in such a way that the camera was still on and propped up to point directly at him. He almost admired the man's professionalism.
There was no source of the voice, of course. Most of the passengers were asleep. He left Baltimore immediately after Chaos 81 and so it was in the middle of the night. Lucy was in the seat next to him, already asleep herself. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and groaned. He supposed if he grabbed the camera in front of him and ran back the tape, no shouting would be heard.
This was a realization he didn't like.
He decided he needed to splash some water in his face, if only to wake himself up a little more. Perhaps the voice was just a remnant of a nightmare. Those had been more frequent lately as well. He started to move and then looked down and realized that Lucy had fallen asleep embracing his arm.
The two were pretty much attached at the hip anyway. They only had each other, especially these days when certain World Champions in certain Maryland wrestling organizations were trying to turn people against them. This, however, was ridiculous.
Joe gently pulled one of her arms loose and placed it in her lap, then pulled his own arm free from her grip, just barely jostling her as he did so. She murmured and moved a bit before settling and he resumed his journey. Things were usually worse when they shared a bed. She had more limbs to wrap around him then.
He moved down the aisle and got to what could only generously be called a restroom, before stepping inside and switching the label to "occupied." He then looked at himself in the mirror.
Don't like what you see?
He didn't. The pills he had found before weren't working and in spite of his every attempt to make himself go get some that would, something always prevented him from doing it. The slippery slope that was his sanity was getting more treacherous with each passing day.
You don't want those pills. You know what they do. They numb you. They keep you from being your true self.
"Shut. Up."
He turned on the faucet just to have some sort of noise, just anything to drown out the voice in his head. He did what he intended to do, and splashed some of the water in his face. But he heard chuckling in the back of his head, and his face felt hot. It was more talkative and it felt as though his condition was going back to the way it used to be.
And yet..
Sometimes you like it.
Sometimes he did.
"Stop it."
He hit the side of his own head as he said this, for emphasis, knowing it would do him no good. The only thing it did was making him see a flash of light briefly. He reached down and drank some of the water, which had a bitter, metallic taste that made him spit back out. It swirled around the drain and mixed with the still running water, which he then shut off. He let out a sigh, which was then interrupted by a rapping on the door.
"Sir, is everything okay in there?"
Maybe you should have been quieter.
"Yeah...fine...just...too big for this tiny box."
He gave a small, humorless laugh that was fake and hollow. Anyone who knew him would know immediately that he was lying.
Someone that knew him was right outside.
"It's okay. I'm his girlfriend. I'll see what the issue is."
"Okay, but make it quick."
Joe thought a few expletives to himself but didn't voice them. Lucy did not need to know what was going on with him. He needed to get a handle on things himself and he was trying to do that. The door slid open and Lucy slid in, making an already tight compartment even tighter, no matter how much smaller she was.
"Joe, what the hell?"
"What? I hit my head."
Technically he was telling the truth.
"Yeah well, someone heard talking too. You know how people are with weirdness on flights these days."
"Okay, I hit my head and dropped a few choice f-bombs."
Not exactly a lie, except he never said those out loud.
Say whatever you want, but she's going to find out.
He closed his eyes for a moment, hoping to will the voice away. When he opened them, she had her head tilted to the side, almost studying him.
"Are..you okay? I know the stress of Carnage and CWF and all this is a lot but.."
"I'm fine."
She reached out and put a hand on his arm, and stepped forward. Lucy, of course, was not afraid of him. She never had any reason to be. Even when he was at his worst, which she'd seen and experienced first hand, she wasn't afraid. If she knew what was going on, the worst that she would be is afraid for him. But he didn't want even that.
He didn't want to hurt her in even that fashion. This was something he had to handle, and get control of, on his own.
"I know that I've been dealing with Kyra...but you can still talk to me if something's wrong."
"I know. But I'm fine."
He didn't look her in the eye when he said this. Perhaps it was this, or how bizarrely and shift he had been acting the moment she stepped in, but she knew immediately that something was off.
He moved past her to exit and stepped out, looking to see that a few people were staring at him, but most people were trying not to stare at him. She followed him out and watched him closely. What he didn't know is that she would be making phone calls soon. Calls to the pharmacy. Calls to the doctor. Calls that most people wouldn't be able to get info for, but that she was able to because he had her listed as his emergency contact and able to get such privileged information.
Lucy Wylde had been lied to enough in her life that she knew one when she heard it.
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I don't know about anyone else, but I'm feeling positively revitalized by this tournament.
Just every match. Every single step forward. I feel the rush. The push forward. I feel alive. This is why I do this. This is why I signed up.
Sure, I'm winning, but I think just being thrust into competition like this, sink or swim, is really what's doing it. I'm being pushed to be my best and I'm being forced to thrive. And oh do I thrive.
I said Omega Block was mine and I meant it. I demanded respect and I took it. Now I'm on top.
Just every match. Every single step forward. I feel the rush. The push forward. I feel alive. This is why I do this. This is why I signed up.
Sure, I'm winning, but I think just being thrust into competition like this, sink or swim, is really what's doing it. I'm being pushed to be my best and I'm being forced to thrive. And oh do I thrive.
I said Omega Block was mine and I meant it. I demanded respect and I took it. Now I'm on top.
But as I sit on my throne, it is no time to get complacent. Six points is not a comfortable lead by any means, especially when I have so many challengers desperate to take me down and get the World title shot that is currently mine to lose.
The latest is someone named Starlight. The Queenslayer. Oh excuse me, "someones". Yes, it seems my battle against the insanity that is the CWF roster continues. Now we have someone who thinks they're multiple people. You know, you people are making me look positively sane by comparison. I'm not referring to the roster as a whole, I'm referring to you, Starlight. I figure I might as well show you basic respect before I kick you all at once and take two more points away from you.
Look around Starlight. You'll find no royalty here. Only one of the dregs of society, ready to lash out and tear you apart for threatening to take what is his. A born villain, offering nothing but pain and torment to those who stand in his way.
Look at everyone who I've taken out already. Silas Artoria overlooked me and he fell. Autumn Raven mocked me and she went down. Everyone thought Ataxia unbeatable and I did it.
What makes you different? A catchy nickname? Creative use of Disney songs for your entrance? What exactly do I have to look forward to that's going to take away the two points necessary to cement my position on top? I'm sorry, but I just don't see it.
I've seen you call yourself the measuring stick but you're tied for fifth in the Alpha and Omega standings at best. Sure, it's early. Sure, there's another five weeks after this to catch up. Maybe, maybe you could turn it around. But I doubt it. Especially after I beat you. When I've gained eight and you're stuck at four, I think your chances of slaying anything are pretty much done.
You can bring your cryptic speaking style, bring your delusions, hell, separate into however many people you think you are and come at me at once. It won't matter. I'm on top and I will remain so until this tournament is done. Once it is, I move onto the finals and I claim the CWF World title.
You'll need more than what you've got to beat me. So be prepared for the worst. And expect worse than that.
Omega block is mine and it will remain that way until the end.
I've seen you call yourself the measuring stick but you're tied for fifth in the Alpha and Omega standings at best. Sure, it's early. Sure, there's another five weeks after this to catch up. Maybe, maybe you could turn it around. But I doubt it. Especially after I beat you. When I've gained eight and you're stuck at four, I think your chances of slaying anything are pretty much done.
You can bring your cryptic speaking style, bring your delusions, hell, separate into however many people you think you are and come at me at once. It won't matter. I'm on top and I will remain so until this tournament is done. Once it is, I move onto the finals and I claim the CWF World title.
You'll need more than what you've got to beat me. So be prepared for the worst. And expect worse than that.
Omega block is mine and it will remain that way until the end.
