Act CI: A King Without a Crown

31 August 2022
New York City

One-and-oh. It was good to see that again. A good first step back to prior success. So far, so good...

Right?

I walked down the streets of New York, thoughts boggling around in my mind like heavy lead as I tried to figure out my next move. Sure, I could just keep opting in, but... there had to be more I could do, right? I wasn't quite as boisterous as I once was - the old Finn would be calling out people left, right and center and frequently got shown up in the ring because of that abject laziness I was trying to avoid falling into again.

So, I was going to have to be smarter when it came to picking my fights. But then... there was an opposite end to this spectrum, wasn't there? If I just went in, took my fights and went out, sure I could get my name back out there again with strong wins, but then... I'd just be another name lost in the shuffle, wouldn't I? A dichotomy present with no strong clear answer between the two - the real answer had to be somewhere lying between the two. I knew I wanted to be a champion here, more than anything else - but I just had to get to that point in the first place.

Arriving at the front door of my apartment building quickly took me out of my thoughts. I looked around, making sure there were no muggers nearby before going inside. The building was deadly quiet, save for my breathing and footsteps. Everyone in here was already fast asleep, save for the one person who was just coming in.

I haven't been back here in years. Ever since I fell out of the company for the first time years ago, I went straight to Germany in an attempt to find myself while still quietly paying my bills over here in the hope that I could return to my home a new man. I'm not sure if I've gotten to that point yet, but the fact that I could rejoin the XWF was at least a good first step.

And of course, the fact that I started off with a win still was only a good sign still.

"Home sweet home..." I muttered quietly, unlocking and opening the creaky doorway into the dark dwelling. A patch of cobwebs was the welcome-home gift I received, causing me to cough and sputter to regain my breathing for a moment as I fumbled for a light switch. The layout of this place felt almost alien at this point with how long I've been out of things. Finally though, I managed to flip it on as the bright light stung my eyes.

The furniture itself was of a fine make. I had spent much of my money I had gotten from my contract to start renovating things on that end, but with no one here to look after things for years on end, an intense layer of dust had coated almost everything here. I wafted my hand about, breathing through the thick air to get my mind straight as an intense feeling of nostalgia coursed through my veins.

I moved slowly, taking in everything. My body was still run ragged from the match I went through, but I made the mental note at least to spend some time cleaning things up. If I was going to dwell on what I needed to go through in order to keep moving forward, the least I could do was just try and improve... well... myself. But no, I went to my bedroom, seeing the covers still as neat and orderly as they were on the day I made sure to pack up and leave. And alongside that, was an ornate sheath, decorated regally.

A sinking sensation emerged in my gut as I sauntered over to my bed, sinking into the fabric. Reaching over to my side, I pulled the sheath, bringing it onto the bed with me and slowly opening it, revealing a silver longsword with a beautiful luster. The sword I left behind. The sword I held, that was my own symbolization as the 'Kaiser.'

I sank back onto the bed, holding it in a reverse grip. Parts of those days felt like old, distant, hazy dreams I could barely even remember. The times I would spend with Isabel and the others. Establishing my own group in Paragon that lasted for only a brief spell. And yet, the vivid memories of failures those days held, again and again, replayed themselves in my head ad nauseum.

I wasn't good enough then. I wasn't sure if I was good enough now. Was going through all of this in the XWF just going to set me up for failure again? The definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. For all I know then, I could just be a mere madman throwing myself into the fire and letting myself be killed over and over again.

...But that could be an issue for me in the future to handle. For now...

I'll sleep on it.

7 September 2022

"Wow, you look like you could use a pick-me-up," the blonde mused as she stared at my sunken eyes. Sweat was permeating my forehead as I quickly wiped it off. My clothes had been looking especially ratty - given that I was in the middle of a workout, I wasn't quite in the mood to pay attention to attire.

"Well," I responded with a wave of my arm, inviting her to take a seat at the kitchen table. She had come out of the blue, not invited in the slightest. It was annoying, but not entirely unwelcome - I knew if she was going to be here, it was going to be regarding the matter of my next opponent. I was going to have to cross this bridge sooner or later. "That's nothing new for me..." I squinted, trying to piece together the woman's name once again. It had been just on the tip of my tongue, too...

"Crystal."

"Christine," She responded again, once again nudging me back to trying to memorize her. I had thought I had it again, but listening to John Black's promo the other week in confusing her name had managed to get my own thoughts on her scrambled once more. Still, she wasn't fazed as she continued. "Well, we all go through rough periods. But I'm sure you can get back on things sooner or later. After all, you're the Kaiser, and the amount of times you've picked yourself back up to try again is unpara-"

"Don't call me that," I found my mouth moving before my filter could catch up. Christine blinked in surprise, almost not having caught what I actually said before I figured I might as well continue. My eyes drifted off to the side, going over to the window overlooking the dark alleyway right outside. So much for a good view... "The 'Kaiser' might as well be dead. I wasn't good enough back then to claim such a title for myself, no matter what I wanted to claim. My record from back then proves that fact. If I'm going to call myself that again, I need to prove I'm worthy of such a title. And that's that. Right now... I might as well be a mere King in Rags."

Christine paused, taking a long look at me uncertainly. What looked like an inkling of doubt shot itself to her gaze, turning into almost pity.

"Don't patronize me," I grumbled. "You and I both know the shortcomings I had in the past, for someone who knew about me. I need to shed my old image if I'm to come alive again. It's as simple as that."

"I guess you're right," Christine finally said with a sigh. She felt like she was going through her own internal thoughts right now, but she did well to not vocalize any of that at the moment. No, instead a repeat sight presented itself - a brand new manila folder, much like the two she had ready for me before last Warfare, was plopped down onto the table. "Well, we should get right to business then. Your opponent for Relentless is still getting ironed out on the cards and all, but before you get to that point, you still have one last pitstop on Warfare. You're in the opening match, and we have at least a little information on your opponent..."

"Only a little?" I questioned, arching an eyebrow. "After how extensive and in-depth you went before the last show digging into their histories, I was anticipating at least more than a little..."

"Well... that's actually the thing," Christine got out nervously as she twiddled her thumbs. "With John Black and Lexi Gold, we at least had histories we could go in and dig up for you to look into. Here though... that's not the case. Your opponent is basically brand new and a complete anomaly. What we do have, at least, is a transcript of his vignette his crew posted online, as well as some pictures of his tryouts before we had sent him the contract. I can say though... he's good. Like, really good from what we've seen..."

"Is that a fact..." I murmured while staring at the folder. For some reason, some inexplicable reason, holding it in my hands felt like a large weight that was going to be determined to sink me mentally as soon as I opened it. I struggled with the sensation, pursing my lips as Christine kept talking in the background. Though, it wasn't exactly about this upcoming Warfare...

Rather, it was about the grumbling in her stomach.

"Hoooh, man, I'm starving. I kinda skipped lunch on the way here since I was too busy having to deal with some company shenanigans in the Video Archives department. I was trying to get some footage, but there was something happening with the head of the department and it made a big fuss... anyway, I'm just rambling now." You don't say? I bit in the burning sensation to remark that given her pudgy frame, skipping a meal or two might do her some good as she instead brought out her phone. "I think I'm gonna order for here. I never had New York-style pizza before, so... now's as good a time as any! You want anything?"

Well, how nice of her to ask to use my home for her lunch escapades. I sighed, shrugging as I was more concerned with just trying to get her to stop talking so I could clear my head. "I don't know. Plain, I guess."

"So vanilla..." Christine snickered as I rolled my eyes at the display. Whatever - at least she was still helping me out by being a connection with the company and getting me some good information on my opponents with these folders. For someone who hasn't caught up with the company in years still, it was a valuable resource.

And speaking of folders, I found myself shaking my head as I stared at the still-closed trove of information. Was I really acting afraid of a mere folder? I was better than this, surely. And so, I opened the folder, not sure what awaited me...

"Isaiah King..." My fingers brushed over the papers, starting to go through everything listed to me.

"Yeah, that's him, alright!" Christine hadn't even bothered to look up, as she was still ordering the food on Uber Eats. "And not only does he look good in the ring, he just looks good in general. Haaah..." She finished tapping in her order, going to the checkout as she brought the phone to her chest and quite literally swooned. "So dreamy..."

The vibration coming from her phone quickly set herself off though as she jumped before looking at it... and then proceeded to yelp loudly. "Gaaaaah - the phone went off and was selected off of my chest! I put a bigger tip than I waaaaaaanted to!"

I snorted at the display. Karma is a bitch, alright. Besides, she could afford to spare a few extra dollars given her cushy office job. Enough about that, though.

"He's certainly physically imposing, at least," I remarked as I peered in closer. "Our height and weight is almost the same, but he's more ripped than I am. So I'm willing to bet in a battle of strength, at least, he has a narrow edge."

I squinted at the pages. I was starting to pick up on a few things on the basic overview sheet, but I held my tongue for the time being. Instead, I turned the pages over, intending on heading over to the transcript. I figured it'd be best to know who exactly I'm dealing with here. And yet, as I did...

My jaw found itself unconsciously clenching. My hands tightened into fists, as my eyes grazed over each and every word he was spewing. The pieces to the puzzle were starting to fall into place, the foundation being set by the overview page I had managed to look over briefly. Wider and wider my eyes became, almost in disbelief of just what I was seeing...!

"Uh... Earth to Finn?" Christine said, waving her hands in an attempt to get my attention. "You alright? You're looking like you've seen a ghost."

"I might as well have..." I let out a breathy chuckle, shaking my head and tapping my fingers against the table before I looked up at her. "I figured it out. Like, holy shit..."

"I'm looking in a fucking mirror right now."

A moment of silence hung in the air, my words now the new weight that was hanging on my shoulders now that I came to this revelation. I blinked, looking back at the pages, looking through again and eager to see more, only for Christine's voice to pierce through again.

"...Finn, I'm flattered, but I don't think I look anything like yo-"

"Not you!" I shouted back, shaking my head profusely as I looked back at her. "King. I'm talking about King."

"Ooooooh..." Christine said, nodding along with my words now. "...I don't think he looks like you, either, though-"

That earned a loud facepalm from me out of sheer disbelief before shaking my head. "METAPHORICALLY speaking. The similarities are almost uncanny at this point."

"Oh. That makes more sense, then..." Christine finally was starting to pick up what I was putting down. Or at least, I thought she was, but instead she put a finger on her chin in confusion before she spoke. "So, uh... how so, exactly?"

"It's obvious," I said as I returned my attention back to the transcript. "The supposed ties to royalty. The intense sense of superiority. Wanting to prove his power through supposed prowess in the ring. And even the small stuff, too. Trying to rock the pretty boy aesthetic. Us both coming from New York City primarily. And even in his moveset too - he has inspiration from Europe as well, and we're both even using a discus elbow as a signature!"

I buried my temples in my palms, staring at everything in front of me, still in that sense of sheer disbelief. "It's obvious what he is, now. He's Finn Kühn-lite. But he's trying to make himself seem even grander than how I was presented, going on about trying to find the King and beat him into submission. What better way to do that than by beating the supposed King? If I'm not who he was trying to refer to - and I heavily doubt he wasn't trying to refer to me, given the circumstances - then I was going to be in his path sooner or later."

"But now, I can say I'm more than thankful for this match. I was looking for a sign to figure out whether or not I was as good as I was at my peak, and this is going to be as good of one as any. The result of this match can tell me exactly the answer I'm looking for."

"So... then you're confident that you're going to win, right?" Christine said, trying to chime in and gauge my true feelings regarding this match. "I mean, with so much time that's passed, the experience you've gained, surely you have to be confident about this match, right?"

"...I didn't say that, no." I shook my head as the cartoon question mark was practically appearing right over Christine's head with how confused she was. "There's one of two ways this can go when we're stepping into that ring come Warfare. Either he's going to automatically assume he has a victory in store for himself and go into things lackadaisical, and get caught lacking by myself. It'll be nothing short of Kabelsalat for him."

"But... if he treats this match seriously... if he comes at me with everything he's capable of... then the result isn't going to be nearly as cut and dry. That's what I'm hoping happens. Because in the case of the former, that proves nothing for me. Anyone can beat someone who's not taking a match seriously and gets felled in only a few blows. But someone who can bring an actual fight like this..." I took a deep inhale, finding myself again before nodding. My resolve was still present, even if my confidence was shaky, to say the least. "I don't know for sure if I'd win in that case. Hell, with the amount of time I've spent away from high levels of competition, there's a good chance I'd actually lose. But... I can guarantee one thing that'll happen when I step into that ring."

"I. Will. Not. Go. Quietly."

"I will show everyone there exactly what I can do. I will show everyone there everything I am capable of. And if I will not win, I will at least dig down deep. I will reach into that man who wears my own visage, and rip my hand into him, and I will pull out each and every limit he has and I will bear it all on display for everyone to see. I will make people see the real Isaiah King on full display when he and I face off against each other. I will make sure that deep down, in my own heart, that I'll surpass what I am now and put myself back on track to make something of my career again."

"Because it's about to be twenty-eight years. Twenty-eight years I've been alive, and I only have one accolade in this company among all that time I can show for myself. That's going to change... but I'm going to prove to myself first I have what it takes in order to stand among the heights in the XWF. Then, and only then, can I say this place is my empire, and I am the Kai-"

DING-DONG!

"...ser." The rude arrival of the doorbell quickly snapped me from my thoughts as I reclined back into my seat, not amused as I stared at Christine, who's face practically lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Ooooh! The food's here!" Christine said with a giddy expression, clapping her hands excitedly as she got up to go answer the door, leaving me at the table and staring at Isaiah King's perfectly chiseled body that was pictured.

I meant what I said. I have to put my body on the line if it means I can go forward and surpass myself. I had to accomplish my dream. Because in the end... if I couldn't do that in the end...

I'd have nothing left.

"Wooooaaaah... woah, woah, woah, woah, WOAH!" Christine's wobbly voice indicated to me that she was having trouble with the food, and I furrowed my brow. How much did she even order?! I looked over my shoulder, only to widen in surprise as she was bringing in several pizza boxes, two canisters of garlic knots, three canisters of buffalo wings and somehow managing to squeeze in four two-liters of soda in between her forearms and her body.

"I'm sorry, but you did not just order ALL of that food just for yourself to eat," I said, shaking my head.

Christine successfully managed to somehow pilot all of the food to the coffee table in front of the sofa and before the flatscreen, giving a victorious 'hmph' before spreading everything out. "You're right! I ordered this for US to eat!"

"...Come again?" I asked, blinking in surprise as she looked up at me with a smug expression.

"Why do you think I was in Video Archives for so long? I was busy pulling strings to get us a complete collection of everything you've missed these past few years, between show results, major promos, hype packages... doing something like this gives you WAY more comprehensive of a selection than just buying a subscription to the XWF Network, and best of all, it's all free for you! So, for this next week before you head out to Cali, it's just us, the big screen, hundreds of hours of XWF footage... and a feast of food."

"So much for keeping a handle on my calories..." I shook my head, ready to tell her no and tell her off for doing something that was clearly so irresponsible on her end. Fuck, but she was giving me puppy-dog eyes as she was already sensing my hesitance.

Reluctantly, I gave a deep sigh of acceptance. "Fine. Let's just do this..." I muttered as I walked on over.

"Yesss!" Christine patted the seat next to her on the couch, gesturing for me to join her as she flicked on the TV, getting ready to hook it up to her own laptop she had brought along. "So I know you were here when Apex had gotten started, but you weren't around for how they broke up, exactly..."