Monday 29th December 2012 – 10:32pm || University of Phoenix Arena || Phoenix, AZ


:: I throw the unravelled wrist tape into the bin in the corner of Defiance's locker room and look back up at the 42” Television that is hanging in the corner. About five minutes earlier, I had watched Gator pin Mastermind to regain the XWF TV Title, to which I was now the number one contender, officially at least. I would never actually challenge him for the belt, I have my own agenda – the XWF Universal Championship. I watch with little interest at the Tag Team Title match gets under way, absent mindedly removing the tape from my other wrist. All of a sudden, I hear lots of commotion coming from outside in the corridor. I turn towards the door and throw the tape towards the bin. It bounces off the wall and lands with a soft 'thud'. The door to the dressing room bursts open, and Gator comes bounding in, the TV Title brandished proudly over his shoulder. I nod my head and hold my hand out in an offer of congratulations, but Gator embraces me in a solid hug, the TV title digging uncomfortably into my collar bone. I let out a soft chuckle as Gator releases me, for once, and takes a step back. ::

“Congratulations, man. I knew you'd get the job done.”

“No no, Sane. We got the job done. Defiance. Us.”

“Yeah, I g..”

“Ah, I'm just playing man! I did do it, didn't I?! Did you see me out there? Wow, I haven't lost a thing. Got my baby back and this time, she isn't going anywhere!”

:: I frown slightly. Though I expect this reaction from Gator, and it doesn't really bother me, frowning at his own recognition seems like a natural response. He catches my expression, and waves it off with his right hand. ::

“Oh, but you were great too. Actually man, you were awesome. You dominated that match from start to finish.. and you put that green-headed walking fish-frog, Ghost Tank, in his place. Some might even say you were..”

:: Gator leans in and digs his elbow into my ribs as he says his next words. ::

“Just inSane!”

:: I let out something crossed between a sigh and a soft groan, in order to audibly profess my lack of appreciation for that comment. Gator fails to notice however and continues. ::

“You know what this means right? Oh, hey CorVus...”

:: Gator had just noticed CorVus sitting quietly in the corner of the locker room, his crow perched neatly on his shoulder. CorVus held up a hand in a lazy attempt at a wave, but said nothing. Gator just nodded and turned his attention back to myself.”

“We need to celebrate!”

“Celebrate?”

“Yeah man! I'm the TV Champ, you're the number one contender! Speaking of that, you seriously won't cash in on me, will you?”

“What? No, man, of course not.”

“Good, because I'd hate to have to beat you. I like you.”

:: I roll my eyes and just laugh. ::

“Anyway, we have plenty of cause to celebrate! Come on, man! Here, I brought us something for the occasion!”

:: Gator carefully places the TV Title on a seat by the lockers and reaches into his gym bag. After shuffling around for a moment, he pulls out a little wooden, maroon box with some gold trim. I recognise it straight away as he regains his vertical base and shows it off in my direction. ::

“Man, seriously? That's AsomBroso Reserva Del Porto, shit is like $3000 a bottle! I know because the old man had a bottle given to him a couple of years ago after serving the same company for 20 years.”

“I know.”

“What? How do you know?”

“Justin, where do you think I got the bottle from? I was leaving Christmas dinner the other day, nobody walked me out, I saw this and I took it.”

“You what?!”

“Well, hey man, you never got me anything for Christmas!”

“You never got me anything.”

“Yes I did! It's just not ready yet.”

“Of course it's not. Gator..”

:: I reach over and snatch the box out of his hands. ::

“..we are not drinking this!”

:: Gator let's out a long, disappointed sigh. He leans back down and reaches into his bag again, this time pulling out two bottles of Jose Cuervo. ::

“Fine, we'll drink some cheap-ass tequila instead. Don't blame me when you are hungover as fuck tomorrow.”

:: I slide the box containing the AsomBroso Reserva Del Porto into my own bag and grab one of the bottles off Gator. ::

“Just a couple, I'm not in for anything big man, Michelle is waiting for me at the hotel.”

“Sure thing man, whatever you say.”

:: There is a soft 'clink' as we each tilt the tops of our bottles towards each other and the glass bottles that house that demonic, sweet liquid make contact with one another. We each take a swig from the bottle, and I offer up a slight grimace and my taste buds momentarily protest the bitterness of the tequila. I can't tell what Gators reaction is, obviously, but he seems happy enough. I turn to CorVus, who is still sitting in the corner, expressionless. ::

“Want some?”

“Dude doesn't even open his mouth to talk, what makes you think he will open it for Jose Cuervo?”

:: In what seemed like less than a second, CorVus was upon both of us. Nobody spoke a word as CorVus slowly reached out and took the bottle from Gator's hand. I can't be certain, but I'm pretty sure Gator was in awe. We both watched on as CorVus took a few swigs from the bottle, wiped the back of his forearm across his mouth slowly, then returned the bottle to Gators hand. Gator took the TV title off his shoulder and lifted it in the air. ::

“To the best fucking TV champ the XWF has ever seen! To Gator!”

“.....to Defiance.”

“....yeah, that too.”

:: And with that, we all drank once more. Now, you have to understand, when I said just a couple, I meant it. But, as it turned out, Gator didn't. ::



Tuesday 30th December 2014 – 11:39am || Sane's Hotel Room || Phoenix, AZ


:: Consciousness finds me, but I keep my eyes tightly closed. The throbbing pain at the back of my skull tells me that perhaps last night wasn't such a good idea, and also reminds me that it wasn't the small night I intended. I can feel cold beads of sweat lacing my forehead, and my body feels like it is in an oven. I reach down and throw the covers off me. Instant, though only momentary, bliss. I open my eyes slowly and roll over to face Michelle. She is laying there, staring at me, a stern expression on her face. I go to speak, but my mouth quickly begins to salivate, and I become aware of my stomach churning. I catch my words and leap out of bed, dashing to the bathroom. In the nick of time, I plant the palms of my hands on either side of the cold, hard basin. In less than a second, my head is buried and all of last nights sin comes gushing out of my mouth. I spend about three minutes retching and bringing up every last drop of tequila I had consumed the night before. I spit, twice, turn on the cold tap and wash away the remnants of my vomit. I splash my face with the refreshing, cool water and turn the tap off again. I make my way out of the bathroom feeling considerably better. That is, until I catch Michelle's steely gaze again. I try to plead my case. ::

“Baby, I..”

“Where were you last night?”

:: Her words are cold, though with a sweet undertone that is almost mocking me. ::

“Out with Gator and CorVus, celebrating. I sent you a message..”

“One message, saying you were having a couple of drinks, Justin. In what world does that equate to rocking back in here at five o'clock in the morning?”

“Look baby, I'm sorry. I guess things just escalated quickly, you know how Gator is.”

“Don't blame this on him.”

“I'm not, I..”

“Were there girls there?”

“What? Yeah, probably, it was a bar..”

“Did you fuck anyone?”

“What?! No! What, you think I would just pick up some random girl at the bar?”

:: Michelle raises her eyebrows at me. ::

“Justin, we met at a bar.”

“Oh, come on! That's different, you know what I mean! Baby, I would never cheat on you, honestly! Besides, Gator has Scarlett and I don't even know if CorVus is interested in humans, let alone women. It was seriously just a boys night out. Drinking and talking smack, that's all, I promise.”

:: I wonder why I am even defending myself. I am offended that Michelle would even ask me if I slept with someone else, but I'm also too hungover to argue. Michelle considers me for a moment, staring deep into my eyes. Not sure what she is looking for, maybe she is just seeing if she can find any white in there, no doubt they are red as fuck. After a few moments, she smiles and says simply. ::

“Okay. I believe you.”

“You do?”

“Yes. If you say you didn't do anything, I believe you.”

:: I was surprised, but didn't press the issue. ::

“But, you are going to make it up to me. I'm going to shower, YOU are definitely going to shower, then you are taking me out to lunch.”

:: I didn't feel like eating, but I knew a full stomach would aid my recovery. I smile and nod in agreement as Michelle climbs out of bed and makes her way over to the bathroom. BING! My phone goes off on the bedside table. I lay back down on the bed and pick it up. It's Gator, and by the sounds of it, he is feeling better than I am. I lay there for a few minutes texting him. ::


:: I laugh to myself at the ironic nature of Gators last message. I hear the shower stop and speak to Michelle, increasing the volume of my voice so she can hear me clearly. ::

“Baby, how long have you been awake?”

“An hour or so, why's that?

“Have you been on the XWF website at all? Anything from that Austin Fernando guy?”

“Ohhhh yeah, I was going to mention that you were facing him in your contenders match this week. Nothing yet obviously, but there was a post on there about some video series on him they were putting up on the site tonight, so I'm sure you'll have something to watch later on.”

:: Michelle walks out, wearing nothing but a towel. Her damp brown hair curling slightly and bouncing off her shoulders. ::

“That is, if you're not too busy with this.”

:: I forget about my throbbing head and climb off the bed, grabbing Michelle quickly and tackling her playfully onto the bed. She giggles as I lay on top of her, my hands binding her wrists to the mattress either side of her head. ::

“I'm sure I can find time for both of you.”

:: I lean in to kiss Michelle, but she pulls her head away violently, laughing. ::

“Ew, Justin, gross! I just listened to you throw up for five minutes, I'm not kissing you! Go shower and brush your teeth, then we'll talk!”

:: I release her from my grip. She had a good point. In my defense, the second I saw her walk out in the towel, I completely forgot that I had laced the basin with vomit just minutes earlier. I drag myself to my feet and make my way towards the bathroom. Suddenly, my headache is back.. and I can feel round two with the basin brewing in the pit of my stomach. ::


Wednesday, December 31st, 2014 – 10:23am || Sane's Hotel Room || Phoenix, AZ


:: So here it is, New Years Eve. Last night, Michelle took most of my attention, as I had imagined she would. This morning however, I managed to catch that video series of Fernando on the XWF website. I couldn't help but laugh to myself afterwards. I wasn't sure exactly what to make of it, the guy contradicts himself more than Ghost Tank loses matches, and at times I felt like I was watching a cheesy c-grade movie. Nonetheless, he did spark my interest with a few of his words, and as is customary I must film my weekly edition of InSane TV. The hotel room is empty, but for our packed bags in the corner of the shot. The curtains are drawn so the level of light is average at best as I sit on the end of the bed, staring into the camera lens. ::

“Last Monday night, I ended 2014 exactly the way I said I would. I destroyed four other men to walk away with the number one to the contendership for the TV Title, a contract I have no interest whatsoever in using. Why? Because on that same night, my good friend Gator ended 2014 exactly the way he said he would – by leaving Madfare as the new XWF Television Champion.

You see, it's just like I said.. I write the scripts around here. Defiance was dominant at Madfare, ending 2014 with a bang, but that was just the beginning. The shock waves from Monday night are going to carry well into 2015 and beyond as we take the XWF for every damn thing they have. If you have any doubts about just how capable we are, why don't you go and watch how easily I destroyed the competition in my match again? Four other men, none of whom even came close to getting the job done against yours truly. Hell, even the Asylum tried sticking their fucking nose in my business again, but to no avail. I told you all I had a point to prove, that this match was about much more to me than the contendership I technically already had. It was a chance to get my hands on that neon green haired freak show, Ghost Tank.

And what happened, GT? After weeks and weeks of sneak attacks and you shooting off at the mouth from the safety net of the Asylum, you went missing. I didn't hear shit from you all week. Truth is, I figured you'd finally dug around and found a brain inside that thick skull of yours.. I wasn't even expecting you to show up on Monday night. But, you did and like everyone else, you were found wanting. You can stop running your mouth about being the MVP back at War Games all those months ago now – move on and find something else to hang your hat on. Nobody bought your bullshit before Monday night, and after I disposed of you with the greatest of ease at Madfare, I don't think there was any doubt left in anyone's mind about who the real MVP was.”

:: BING! My phone goes off. I pick it up from the bed beside me and unlock it, clicking into my messages.. it's Gator again. ::


:: I quickly reply and then set the phone down once more, before turning my attention back to the camera. ::

“Now, this week on Madness, the stakes are much higher. See, I made it clear last week that I am done wasting my time chasing after the Television title. This number one contendership means nothing to me, it's all about the Universal Title, and believe me.. it will be mine. This Monday night, I face off against Austin Fernando in the first round of qualifiers to become the number one contender to the Universal title, and Austin, I gotta tell you.. you're fucked. If losing to Hysteria last week left you feeling like you let down those closest to you, then you might just commit suicide after this week. I've got news for you Fernando, you just went from two rounds with the kid on the corner to ten rounds with Floyd Mayweather in the space of one week.

You know, I sat there and watched this morning as you made your heartbreaking journey home, only to find that after one match your entire community had given up hope on you. No seriously, it was so sad man, I went through like three boxes of tissues.. after I switched tabs on my laptop and visited Brazzers about halfway through because I was bored as shit. Do you honestly think anyone gives a fuck about your damn gym buddies, or how pathetic you are? Seriously man, you lost one fucking match, get over it. So some guy was stupid enough to bet on a like you and lost his gym? Big fucking deal. Then you go and let him have you clean toilets? And yet you have the audacity to come out and say that I am allowing Gator to control me? Ohhhh Austin, you're mouth is already writing checks that your ass won't be able to cash. I'm about to shoot so many holes in your “promotion”, as you call them, you'd swear you were drawing pistols at dawn with Billy The Kid.

First of all, you ignorant fuck, Gator doesn't control me. I do what I want, when I want, and everybody knows it. Perhaps you didn't get the memo, but the reason I would never challenge Gator for the TV Title is because I have absolutely no interest in that belt whatsoever. If you paid attention when your superiors speak around here, you would know that. I have eyes for only one bit of gold, and as fate would have it, you are currently standing between me and my destiny. That's a dangerous place to be Austin, because like you said yourself, I've been on a roll lately.. and I have no intentions of slowing down. For the past month, I have laid waste to everybody in my path. Oh, that's right, I forgot. They've all been, as you call them, 'weaker competition', isn't that right? I'm sure Mastermind and Vinnie Lane would just love the chance to go one on one with you and show you what weaker competition can do. Seriously, you've been in the door five minutes, had your ass handed to you by Hysteria and made a complete dick out of yourself. Shut the fuck up.”

:: BING! My phone goes off again. I sigh, and glance down to see who it is. It's Gator again, but the screen goes black before I can see it. I unlock it and see the message. ::


:: I replied, and received one in turn instantly. I try not to chuckle as I look back at the camera. Searching in my head for Austins words, my focus returns and I continue. ::

“And seriously, what is with everybody around here speaking before they think anyway? I mean, again, do you even realise how ridiculous you sound? One minute you're saying you respected me, then you're sprouting about how you lost all that respect.. then low and behold, in your next fucking breath you are saying that you have nothing but respect for me again. For fucks sake, I don't care if you respect me or not, but at least have the courtesy to talk sense when you are addressing me. I certainly don't respect you, Austin. Not before our match, not during our match, and most definitely not after. See that? It's clear and concise. I don't respect you. I'm not going to come out two days from now and tell you that I do respect you, because unlike every other dumb bitch around here, I don't do emotional back flips. If I tell you something, take it to the bank.

Like this Monday for example. I'm going to walk into Madness, make an example out of you, and walk out progressing in this tournament. Understand? It's that simple. Don't come out here talking about how I have no self-belief and no confidence, you make yourself look about as intelligent as Ghost Tank and the rest of those Asylum punks. Honestly, do you not have a TV in your starter kit locker room? Can't catch a glimpse through the curtain? If you did, you would know that if there is one thing that I am certainly not lacking in, it's confidence and self-belief. I have run riot over this place for the better part of the last two months and this Monday night, nothing changes. I'm going to give you some advice Austin, and don't get it twisted. I'm the beast at the top of this food chain. Not Davids, not Pryce, not Samuels.. and sure as hell not you. Learn your place, take your ass kicking like a man this Monday night, and hope you don't stray into my path again.

At Madness, I'm going to take one step closer to my destiny. Defiance is all about taking what we want, what is rightfully ours, by any means necessary. The Universal Title is something that I desire more than anything else and it's unfortunate for you that you find yourself in the firing line. At the end of the day though, Fernando, you brought this on yourself. You come out here slinging your jaw at the likes of Justin Sane and you deserve everything that comes your way. You best make sure to tell your little community to not make any foolish bets this week, I'm not sure they will be so forgiving a second time. Monday night, Austin, bring those pearly whites of yours, because I plan on sending every last one of them to the back of your fucking throat.”

:: And with that, I stand up and switch off the camera. ::

f a d e 2 b l a c k