Waste of space.

Failure.

Title shitter.

Iceman.

These were some of the words to describe Joshua Solomon, to torture him.

His mind has been eating away at him, quite literally. Ever since War Games, way back in October. His performance was lackluster, even in his mind, he knew he under-performed, which forced him to be carried by his teammates. Ever since then?

Loss.

Loss.

Loss.

Tag Team Tenacity? Loss. He was the only member left in the first match, excluding the Kings. He still put on a decent showing, albeit, but not enough to conquer the then- Universal Champion and the then- #1 Contender to said title.

Gold Rush? Chalk up yet another loss. He hadn't stood a chance against the Doctor. Throw in TJ Wallace? That performance was shameful to watch.

Then, mostly minor losses went from there, until he was involved in a match that literally shaped Madness' future...

Team Tigris against Team MacClay.

Quote:Lane stumbles to his feet and pushes the top part of the stairs away. But he’s slowly followed by Maverick! Maverick looks pissed! He rushes towards Lane who nails a superkick on Maverick! Maverick is out on his feet! Lane picks up Maverick and… and…


BAM!


BLACK. LABEL. DRIVER!

Maverick’s head collides with the steel and he’s not moving. Lane lays across him on the stairs. The referee begins counting!

1….












2…















THREE!

Justin Roberts: The winners of this match are… ‘LOVERBOY’ VINNIE LANE, ‘THE AERIAL KNIGHT’ JOHNATHAN HEARTSFORD, TJ WALLACE, AND XAVIER SWANN… TEAM MACCLAYYYYYYYYYY!

That was one of the big losses. Losing a person their job... it ate away at Joshua. Especially considering that person was nice enough to let him be a part of her team.

When he thought there was going to be no more bullshit, at Turning Point, what happened?

Loss.

Quote:Holy shit! Maverick rolls off of Gator and he turns to the crowd.

Crowd: ICEMAN SUCKS ICEMAN SUCKS!

Maverick is arguing with the crowd? Don’t be a dumbass, finish the match! Gator slowly crawls to the feet, and Maverick flips the crowd off, and slowly turns around only to eat a Disaster Drop! Gator with the pin!



1















2

















3!!!

Maverick has been eliminated!

Or, how about most recently? The match everyone expected Joshua to win, a match that he literally couldn't drop the ball on? Or so he thought.

A three stages of hell match... against Mastermind.

Quote:The Mind Controller is fully locked in!

Maverick is screaming in pain! Can he get to the ropes???



…




…




No! Mastermind pulls him back to the center of the ring and settles down, sinking the hold even deeper onto Maverick!


Maverick taps! Maverick taps out to the Mind Controller!!!


This one’s all over!!!!!

Justin Roberts: "The winner of this match is..... MASTERRRRRRRMINDDDDD!"

That loss was the one that truly ate away at him. He put in work, he was even told a few times that at the beginning, he showed huge promise, but then what happened?

Respect loss.

Doctor D'Ville Said:Yes because the respect from you meant so much to me. I'm sorry but the feeling was not mutual. You had a chance to earn my respect at a match at War Games, but you failed. Failed miserably. You nearly took Team Victory Forever and changed it's very name.

Insults thrown.

Mastermind's shirt Said:

AND

MADE HIM

SQUEAL

ALL THE WAY HOME

TO HIS MOMMA.

And all the while, the fans, just... taunting him. He was only a toy, a toy to satisfy their entertainment. They didn't care of the residing bottomless pit in his gut, not one bit. And that, that was why he detested the fans.



The overtaking feeling of sorrow.



The cold hand of mediocrity, taking him and milking him for all that was worth.



They didn't care.



Not one bit.



So yet, why does he do this?

Why does he torture himself, day in and day out, to face the cold, harsh faces of his peers, and the unrelenting boos of the crowd?

He does it...

For him.

---

---

---

Ten Years Ago

The year is 2005.

The younger, seventeen year old Joshua softly let out an exhale. He was at an independent wrestling show for the Midwest Territorial Wrestling. This was his first attending at an actual wrestling event. He had watched DVDs, and watched them on television programming and pay- per- views, but this, this, was his first true event. Sitting beside him was...



Robert Solomon. Otherwise known as the father of Joshua Solomon.

A former independent wrestler in his own right, what Robert lacked in skill, he made up for in work ethic. He always went out there and busted his ass day in, and day out, never missing a show. They used to say wrestling was in his veins, that it was a necessity for him.

But then... she came along.



Sierra Harper. Otherwise known as the person who was the mother of Joshua Solomon.

Being a huge wrestling fan herself, Sierra went out on a road trip, one day, towards one of the independent shows, and lo and behold, she met Robert there, creating love at first sight.

Eventually, the relationship began steering Robert's life. He began taking the odd day off just to be with her. Nothing major, as he was still attending about 90% of the shows that he was scripted to be at. You remember how it was previously mentioned how wrestling was in Robert's blood? Well, Sierra was literally Robert's brain. Whenever Robert wasn't dealing with the necessities- food, water, sleep, wrestling, he was with her.

Eventually, they got married, and a few months after that, Joshua was conceived. It was storybook. Until...

Sierra had passed away giving birth to Joshua. Now having to deal with a baby, Robert quit the wrestling biz to take care of Joshua. And, not to mention, Robert's bumps taken in the wrestling biz finally caught up with him. He's now forced to use a cane, his left leg being extremely stiff. That didn't mean Robert didn't raise Joshua to be a child of wrestling, oh hell no. Robert somehow managed to maintain a level of economic stability by latching onto whatever mundane 9- to- 5 job he could. Due to that, he could afford the necessities. A roof over their head, food, drink, two bedrooms, a bathroom, and actual beds.

But when it came to wrestling though... they had always made sure to watch each program when they could. They watched greats like Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Roddy Piper, etc., all on their television sets. Kinda surreal, really.

"Excited?" Robert asked as he and Joshua scooted down a line to find their seat. This venue was hosting a lot of people, around 375 to 400 people. Might not seem like a lot compared to today's standards, but for a Midwest Territorial Wrestling show, this place was packed.

"Yeah! I mean, first wrestling event I'm getting to see in person and all. Of course, I'm sure your used to this kind of atmosphere." Joshua plopped down in his seat, while Robert groaned, having to use his cane to support him whilst he was going to sit down.

"To be honest, Josh-" Robert groaned as he sat down. "This is all new to me. Every time I was at a wrestling event live, I was a competitor, not a spectator."

"Really?" Joshua stared wide- eyed at his father due to this new- found revelation.

"Hah, yeah. I grew up pretty much poor. When I was wrestling, I was always too busy to just go out, relax, pop a beer, and watch a show. Same goes for when I was with your mom. I'm just glad I can at least share this experience with you."

"Heh, yeah, I'm just glad I can share this with you too."

Both father and son leaned back as the show began. They were mostly silent throughout the show, not really being loud nor rowdy fans, unlike Joshua's friends, Leon and Dustin. They did, of course, give off the occasional whoop or droop or cheer or jeer as the show progressed, but they were mostly tame and reserved with their emotions.

After the show, the mob of fans left, feeling satisfied with what they saw for their daily dosage of entertainment.

Robert and Joshua were purposely lagging behind, not wanting to be a part of the mob due to Robert's stiff leg. Therefore, when they got to the parking lot, the majority of cars were leaving.

The brisk winter air met their skin, the air plunging their knives of coldness into the human bodies.

Robert huffed and puffed, clouds of smoke exuding from his mouth. "Eugh, it's too cold for the car to start up and be warm automatically." He decided. He fished out his car keys and handed them to Joshua, saying, "Go on ahead and start the car. I'm going to be too slow getting to there. No, it'll be much faster if you just start it and meet up with me partway to the car."

Not saying another word, Joshua took the car keys and began leisurely walking into the car, trying to process the events that have happened thus far, not even realizing he made it to the car.

After starting the car, Joshua began walking back at the same leisurely pace as before, until he came to a crosswalk. One one end was Joshua. One the other, was his father.

Joshua began walking rapidly towards his father; vice versa with his father.

The next few events happened in a blur for Joshua.

A car. A driver, and a passenger.

The faint scent of alcohol stuck to the car.

The car was obviously speeding, the people inside the car, drunk.

All of a sudden--






In a matter of seconds, the car had went from merely driving, to running over an innocent man. And it seems as though the car has no signs of slowing down.

"DAD!" Joshua called. He immediately scrambled over to his father, tried to get some signs of life to him. Robert was lying down, hardly breathing. People who were passing by screamed. Joshua heard some people shouting for 911.

More blurish moments. He spent what seemed like forever with his father, tears cascading down the young seventeen year- old's face. Eventually, an ambulance did come. They pulled out a gurney, and loaded the dying man onto it, pushing him into the ambulance. Joshua followed after him, ignoring the people's cries of, 'Don't go in there!'

They didn't hear the sickening CRUNCH of Robert's bones being shattered, they didn't know that he wasn't going to make it, and he was forced to watch his father die.

It was a silent, but blood- pounding ride to the hospital. The aids inside payed Joshua no mind and began working on Robert, setting up IV's, hooking him up to life support, etc.

A cough.

Another.

"Th- that's enough." Robert wheezed.

"Mister Solomon?" One of the aids said.

"I said that's enough. I know I'm not going to make it. I've lived a long life though, and that's what counts to me. Now, I know my son is in here."

"Ye- yeah." Joshua nervously stammered, bringing himself up to his dying father. Robert placed his hand on the young boy's hand.

"Joshua... you have to stay- *cough* *cough*- stay strong for me."

The tears were pouring down Joshua's face now, as he managed to choke out, "Y- yes sir."

"Don't cry. You have to stay strong. For me."

"B- but daddy," Joshua sobbed. "Yo- you're dying. You've always been there for me, and I don't want you to go!" Joshua threw pride out of the window and buried himself into his father's shoulder, sobbing.

"If you want to make my last moments peaceful, *cough* *cough*- you need to promise me something."

"Yes, daddy?" Joshua managed to sob, still muffled by his father's shoulder.

"You have..." Robert's voice was getting faint now. "You have to *cough* *cough* *cough* promise- promise to me that... you'll follow in my footsteps. You'll be better than me though. Make it to the big leagues... and be... *cough* the greatest... wrestler... of all... time."

Joshua took his face out of his father's shoulders and looked him dead in the eye, those eyes quickly becoming devoid of life. "Ye- yes daddy. I promise. *Sniff*" One might say Joshua was acting over- emotional, but given the circumstances, it could be excused.

"Good, good..." Robert turned his head over to the aid from earlier. "Take me off of life support, please. I can pass on in peace now."

With a sad, sad look at Robert, the aid turned his attention to the life support machine, and deactivated it. With his last breath, Robert turned his head back to Joshua and said, "Goodbye, my son."

Robert Solomon closed his eyes for the last time.

---

---

---

A picture.

One picture was all he has left of him.

And before that picture now, was a sad, and emotionless Joshua.

He said, "Daddy. I'm sorry. I broke the promise." Joshua turned back, only to hear a familiar voice.

"It's not over yet, you know."