- Frank, Hellraiser
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------He was done.
Not just with the match, but his career just came to an end, and it was his own girlfriend that did the deed. He had already knocked away the ring crew who led him to the back and was staring into a mirror in the locker room for his team, pouring bottles of water on the mist that was sprayed into his eyes.
It was December 15, 2019, and he was leading his team against the top stable of Carnage in a War Games match for, more or less, control of the company. He was so confident in a win that he put his career on the line, and now it was over. All of it. Done.
He didn't even look at Lucy after she did what she did. And not just because the voice in his head told him not to.
The reflection stared back at him, a black smear around his eyes that looked like war paint. But the war was over.
He lost.
He lost everything.
You shouldn't have trusted her.
Ever since he gave into his psychosis and stopped taking his medication, he was sure that it would lead him to victory. He pushed away everyone. His brother, his girlfriend, his fans, just to win this fight and prove that he was the future of this company. Or at least the right one to show the way to that future.
They couldn't do it on their own. They had to blind you and she had to help.
For the first time in months, he was sick of that voice. Sick of his dark passenger.
"Shut up."
"I haven't even said anything yet, boss."
JC turned his head around, not expecting or wanting any visitors, and his blurry eyes locked on Trent Steel. Trent had just been eliminated only a few minutes before him and was apparently the only team member that was still talking to him. His brother was on his way to the hospital, his own fault, and who knew where the other one was.
Lucy was still fighting, and likely losing. Or maybe she joined them.
He didn't much care either way.
"What do you want, Trent?"
"Did you even realize I've been here this whole time?"
He hadn't. He stormed in, threw the staff off of him (and one of them into the lockers) then went to work trying to clean out his eyes. Now he assumed his tag team partner, best friend and best man at his last wedding was watching him the entire time.
"I was preoccupied."
"I noticed."
"Where's Mac?"
"He's not happy with you. Your brother is..."
"I already figured that out on my own. And he's not speaking to me besides. We had a fight last night before this thing went down."
"I would think Lucy's not going to talk to you either."
Good. That bitch doesn't...
He cleared his throat in an attempt to make a noise to drown the voice out.
"After what she did, I'm not surprised."
"After what she did? How about what you've been doing?"
JC frowned. He expected this from GI, even Lucy to an extent. But Trent was literally a son of a bitch. His partner in crime. A fellow Rogue.
"You too? You didn't actually push back when I asked you to join the team."
"Just because I wanted Paragon out of here doesn't mean I think you being crazy again is a good thing. At least it was them you were kicking in the face and not me."
The last time JC was this bad, he nearly killed Trent. He stopped himself and sought help. And now he was frayed at the edges yet again, and all he could think about was how the world was against him. All he wanted to do was what was best for the company. Everyone was holding him back.
And Lucy most of all. Lucy fought his decisions every step of the way. And now, just when he could have won, she took the decision out of his hands.
He wondered if forgiveness was even possible at this point.
Don't do it.
"Listen..."
"I don't really want to hear it, Joe. I'm tired. I got my ass kicked and had someone knee me in the fucking head."
Trent slung his bag over his shoulder and headed towards the door.
"I know how this sounds coming from me, but get some fucking help. I'm not gonna abandon ya or anything, but you are better than this and you know it."
His tag team partner left the room and left him alone. Just as alone as the last time he let himself get this bad. Alone with the voice in his head and new feelings of guilt.
The TV near the back had been showing a live feed of the event. He heard the bell ring and realized the match was over. That meant Lucy would be coming back here soon. He was too angry to even begin to talk to her right now. Plus, maybe Trent was right. Maybe he needed help.
Or maybe this is who you really are.
He shook his head and grabbed his own bag. He didn't know what he was right now, except a loser. Lost the match, lost his job and apparently lost the respect of those closest to him.
And yet, he couldn't get rid of the feeling that she was holding him down.
He also couldn't tell if he resented her or really resented himself.
He left the room, and it would turn out, he missed her by only a minute.
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Jay Cee. Jay Cee. Jay Cee.
Another voice in his head, eight months later. Not anything related to his illness, that was suppressed with a battery of medication. No, this was various things Tempest had said that had wormed their way into his head, playing with his already fragile self-esteem and confidence.
Do ya think maybe… Lucy is behind your shortcomings? And, dare I ask, do you think perhaps she’s purposely holding you down?
It was bullshit, of course. Obviously. Just mind games from a punk wearing a Halloween costume. The fact that he beat Sah'ta Thor in less than ten minutes was proof of that. He was in a slump and now he was out of it. That was all.
But was it all?
Either way, the talk from Tempest was nothing compared to what he did. Lucy had beat him fair and square, and for her troubles he dropped her on her head. All the while repeating JC's name.
Joe guessed his little rivalry with Tempest wasn't over. More than that, the little shit made it personal.
He was sitting down outside of Lucy's locker room, waiting for her to come back from the trainer's room. They didn't let him in, so he sat her waiting. Alone. With his thoughts.
Don’t you think we had our moments, Jay… Cee?
They had, and after what he did they were going to have a few more. And Tempest was not going to like them.
Joe turned on his phone and browsed his email, and noticed one from the Consortium in UGWC. He was booked again. Konrad Raab, next Monday.
He didn't want Konrad Raab. He wanted to grind Tempest's grease paint into the sole of his boot, and maybe add some color of his own.
He went to the camcorder option of his phone and decided to get his thoughts out the best way he knew how.
It seems the longer I stay in UGWC, the more I have to talk about. Beating up nobodies who work for me somewhere else. My own recent shortcomings. People who haven't realized The Crow hasn't been relevant since the 90s. But as far as I'm concerned, Tempest isn't relevant himself right now. I may have a newfound interest in tearing his skull from his shoulders but there will be a time to talk about that.
It almost isn't fair to Konrad Raab that he's going to be my latest unwilling victim in the middle of all this. But then, it's not fair that my fiance has to deal with my problems, and here we are.
Now Raab, I admitted that you got me in the Melee. I let my ego get too big and underestimated you. That's my fault and you took advantage. Well played, Konrad. Enjoy it.
It won't happen again.
I know, I know. I'm probably putting my foot in my mouth again. Here's the thing though, I'd argue I'm not the same JC as at the Melee. Oh, I'm still a force to be reckoned with. My match against the false god of thunder proved that. But I've got a lot of grievances lately and since I can't take them out on the people I want to, I have to take them out on you.
He thought for a moment, pausing the recording. How was he going to approach this? After all, Konrad didn't do anything but get booked. It wasn't his fault.
He breathed in for a moment and sighed. It's never anyone's fault. But he had to do what he had to do.
He hit record again, a humorless grin on his face.
It's nothing personal. They just put you in front of me.
I can't go for the World title right now. I'm not up for any title at all, actually. And I've got a horror convention cosplayer sticking his nose in my business.
Unfortunately for you, they made you my opponent instead of him.
But don't think that you're not going to have my complete focus at Synergy, because you will. I promise you that. You've earned that much.
"Are you...cutting a promo while you wait for me?"
Joe looked up and saw Lucy standing next to him. He hit the pause button. She had a sarcastic smirk on her face, almost as if she thought what he was doing was funny. She nudged him with her boot and sat down next to him. Just an engaged couple commiserating on the floor. Nothing to see here.
"What did the trainer say about your head?"
"It's nothing. Little bastard just caught me off guard, that's all."
"I'm surprised he gave you any thought at all."
"Yeah, considering he's got a crush on you."
Joe scoffed and gently grabbed her wrist, showing her the engagement ring on her hand.
"I'm taken, remember?"
She smiled, genuinely, and lowered her head slightly as she brushed her hair out of her face.
"I seem to recall something like that happening, yeah."
"We do need to do something about him though. All this talk about you holding me back and shit."
"Ridiculous."
"Although if you asked me before..."
She frowned at him, then pulled her hand away.
"Sorry. It was just a bad joke. I'm over that. I really am."
"I know. But...it doesn't stop me from feeling bad about it. Seems like it's this wedge between us that we can't get rid of."
He pulled her close and hugged her.
"We will. We're both just very neurotic people and we've got to accept that."
She nudged him playfully, before pushing herself up to her feet.
"You're worse than I am."
She stared down, almost expecting him to get up to. He didn't. He just sat and looked at her.
"I'm going in. You coming?"
"In a minute. I've got something to finish, first."
She nodded and opened the door, heading into her locker room while he sat out in the hallway. He stared at the phone, which was still paused.
For a moment, he couldn't even remember what he was talking about. Then it hit him, and he continued.
Yes, my complete focus. But what does that mean, really? What does it ever mean?
For starters, it means you can't sneak up behind me and eliminate me from a match. Oh no, I won't take that away from you. You did a great job. I would have done the same. But I think you know, or you should, that this is a lot different than a battle royal. You have to keep your head in a swivel in the Melee.
It's very different when the only opponent I have to focus on is you.
Let's be honest, Konrad. The story is the same as it was before my match with Thor. Only one person has been able to pin me. You may be good. I might have overlooked you before. But now you have my full attention and you've caught me in a very bad mood.
It's the same thing I told Thor before I bounced his decrepit ass all around the ring. When I get in a bad mood, I take it out on whoever is in that ring with me.
You're in that ring, and that means you're in trouble.
It was a tough balancing act trying to explain how you were going to win a match while also not tear your opponent down too much. After all, if he makes Konrad look bad and he wins, then he didn't accomplish anything. If he makes Konrad bad and Konrad wins, then he makes himself look worse.
I might have a modicum of respect for you, but you would be foolish to think that extends to anything but a brief handshake and a few nice words before we square off.
Let me get the niceties out of the way now. Konrad Raab, you are good. You are better than I've been told and better than I thought. One day, you will be a champion. You might even be a champion at the next PPV, who am I to say?
But you won't be beating me. This is my first UGWC main event ever, but not my first main event period, you understand? I've been in this game too long and I'm not prepared to let myself get embarrassed again.
I hope you brought your working boots for next week's Synergy, Konrad. Because I'm not nearly as honorable as the myth surrounding me might suggest. You need to get the idea of who you thought JC is out of your head right now, because the monster is real, it's in your face and it's going to fucking maul you.
And it's going to enjoy it.
JC hit the stop button, reasonably satisfied with what he recorded. He meant every word, as much as he wished he didn't. He was in a foul mood and that was likely to get worse as the week went on. Konrad was going to have his attention, but that didn't change the fact that Konrad was going to take the punishment that someone else should be getting.
Jay Cee. Jay Cee. Jay Cee.
Something had to be done about Tempest. UGWC's rules were more like guidelines, and left unchecked people could do basically whatever they wanted. He had seen the likes of Gabriel Baal and Necron, back when he was around, do just that.
He was too old to be dealing with the machinations of people who preferred to fight in the way Tempest did.
He had to cut it off at the knees and get back on track with his goal of becoming World champion, whatever the cost might be.
The Answer pushed himself to his feet and as he did so, he had the most fleeting thought. It was so brief that later he would forget he had it at all, but his subconscious wouldn't. Something inside him, locked away with medication, would remember that thought very well, as it stirred deep in the recesses of his mind.
What if Tempest was right?
Jay Cee. Jay Cee. Jay Cee.
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