Wake up. Come on sleepy head. It's time to get up. There you go. Easy does it though, it has been quite awhile, you know? Yes? Hello traveler and watcher of the great divide. Wistful and wise. You are in the Nexus now. Welcome back. Welcome... home. We've been expecting you. The next chapter is upon us. Don't fret child of the everlasting nevermore and onlooker of the tellurian region. It is far from the last. Still this is a significant stage in the events that are meant to come. There will be danger and sorrow but also love and change. A transformation, the likes of which no one in the universe, could ever predict is about to take place. Fate is fickle, cruel and kind. Mysterious wonders lay both abroad and abound. Plenty to see, one simply must open their eyes.


Which is why you have been summoned awake. It is time to take those steadfast, silent steps, once more. To journey to places most wouldn't dare to tread and a great majority, couldn't even fathom in their wildest dreams. It's all a lot to take in. Luckily, space and time are not factors here and reality is nothing more, than an endless loop of forever and never, both canceling each other out. What will happen and what won't or couldn't ever be possible, exist simultaneously. Think of it as an infinite pause screen for a video game. Where one gathers their bearings before moving forward. Still one mustn't dawdle or dwindle, not when there's a great adventure to be had or rather, in your case, experienced by sight alone. Allow this simple explanation to guide your thoughts to the realm of understanding. You are but a silent, ineffective witness to the events that will transpire. The beholder. Nothing that you do, will alter anything. That is not to say the job is irrelevant or pointless.


On the contrary. It is very important, for this is how things will be documented and recorded as evidence of their occurrence. Which is why this position comes with a power and a privilege, unlike any other. While you can't effect anything in your surrounding areas, other things cannot have an influence on you. Aside from sentiments that can be felt. After all you aren't a robot. Goodness no, you are far from it. You are one of the most compassionate and understanding entities in the world, tasked with the hardest job in the galaxy. One that isn't granted to just anyone. It takes a special kind of stock in character. Does any of this ring a bell? Have the heavens of enlightenment, opened up and radiated their brilliant rays of illumination upon you yet?


Once, long ago, you were assigned to examine the life and existence of a fantastic and extraordinary being, that walked on the very edge of reality and could do impossible things. Preposterous and absurd, maddening and marvelous, his world was his own, to do with it, whatever he wished and desired. The always astonishing and ever astounding - Azrael Erebus, although you would have regarded him as... Mr. Satellite. Times change and with them, so did he and aliases get tiresome and old, so now he allows others to call him the name he was born under, many, many, many moons ago, beneath the eyes of the sanctioned gods. An ancient alien that has donned many hats - warrior, savior, explorer, traveler, demon, saint and even wrestler.


He has seen much in his long lifetime, struggling to find the balance between a brilliant mind and an impulsive spirit, the need to inquire and the urge to test the boundaries. He is like no one else and yet he is still a living being with hopes, dreams and expectations. Stick a sword in him and he will bleed, just not for very long. The time has come dear, kind and trustworthy watcher, to return to your post and resume your duties. We will place you exactly where you need to be, in order to continue your responsibilities and take up the task once more. Be faultless in the examination and allow your eyes to feast upon everything. Because this is when a nemesis takes a victory, a spaceman's flames burn less brightly and all will seem lost. When an inconceivable future meets and unbelievable man. And what's written in the stars... remains to be seen by you.





You find yourself standing in front of a tower. A dark, foreboding, gothic structure that would be far more fitting, for a fairy tale or an old black and white, horror film. Sitting like a sore thumb in the heart of New York City. Built of stone and mortar, it loomed above, like a mad scientist's lair and yet, no one seemed to pay it much mind. People on the street, simply walked on by, barely casting a glance its way. Twas some kind of enchantment, you wagered as you stepped forth toward the door. Before a futile knock could be delivered or an even more useless attempt to open it could be given. The door swung open and Azrael emerged. This recognition that you felt, came purely by instinct.


Tall, slender and statuesque, with long, silken raven hair, skin that held a sort of mother of pearl sheen and eyes hinted with a touch of fire, he was even more impressive than you remembered. However, the picture held in your memory was vastly different than the magnificent specimen, standing before you now. Dressed in a button up, burgundy satin shirt, black trousers, boots and a long, leather, black trench coat, he was incredibly striking indeed. For a moment, he seemed to look directly at you, almost like he seen you and then, something tremendously awful happened.


He surged straight through you, like you weren't even there. Yes, this was expected and a well known fact of what could occur, still one never gets used to having another being pass through them. Quite frankly, it's creepy and gives you the sensation that you're a ghost or apparition of some kind. Essentially, that was kind of true, in a way. Dreadful business focusing on it like that though. Turning around, you see precisely what Azrael moved toward, in that expedient fashion. He now held an exquisite beauty, with blue hair in his arms and he greeted her with a kiss, before they separated from their embrace.


"So tell me, Rebel are you ready for Saturday?"


Azrael purred coyly. Placing his arm around Rebel's shoulders as they started traveling down the sidewalk.


"Yes, I haven't been more ecstatic about anything in my entire life, I am curious though. Did you take care of the issue that seemed to be causing you grief last night?"


"Oh yeah, everything has been sorted."


"That's good. I'm glad to hear that. Do you plan on letting me know what was wrong?"


"Minor technicalities, that's all. Nothing to worry about. Trust me. All you need to focus on is Saturday."


"Okay but this feels like one of those things that you're dismissing as nothing, when in fact it was a bigger deal than you are letting on. You don't have to protect me, we're getting married and that means, you need to let me know stuff. Even the bad stuff."


"I promise that's absolutely what I'll do and the moment something terrible occurs, you will be the very first to know about it. This was just a simple misunderstanding that's been cleared up. Now that it has been handled, there's only smooth sailing from here on out. At least concerning the wedding, you are marrying me and I don't exactly come with a guarantee that there won't be troubled waters ahead but I assure you, I will do everything in my power to keep you happy and safe. So don't tell me, not to protect you cause that comes with the territory. I can do both you know, tell you things and make sure no harm comes your way. Oh and I will also love you to the end of the universe. Of that, there is no question."


"Practicing lines from your speech."


"Please. That's not anywhere close to what I have planned. When I get through, there won't be a dry eye in the place and I'm inviting Shane , so that's saying a lot."


"Turn up the pressure, why don't you?"


"No pressure. I only intend to say what I mean and speak from the heart. I'll be fine with a punch in the shoulder and a 'ditto' from you."


"You're full of shit, you know that, right?"


"Okay, maybe I'd like a little more than that but in all honesty, no pressure cause I know how you feel, I can sense this type of thing, it's sort of an energy or aura and it's the same for me. I feel the same and I am all in 100% of the way. There's just one question."


"What's that?"


"What are we doing tonight because I for one, am all for a perfectly, normal night. Seriously, I won't even teleport, regular means of transportation only, all night."


"What brought that on?"


"Not anything in particular. Sometimes, I wish I could put the craziness behind me and have an average night, one without any monsters or madcap, fly by the seat of my pants, journeys into the unknown. At the end of the day, sometimes I envy the humans. So tonight, I am embracing their way of life. Fully."


"Interesting. Well then, care to live dangerously dull and go for dinner and a movie?"


Azrael feigned a look of shock.


"You Rebel!"


Then flashed a clever grin.


"It would be my pleasure."


As they walked down the bustling street, you wanted to be happy for them because they seemed overjoyed to spend time with each other and so in love; however, somewhere deep in the depths of your stomach, there was only a pit of dread. You couldn't possibly begin to understand or know what lay ahead. All you knew was that you felt this way before and it never resulted in anything good. Being dragged along by an invisible tether, down the boulevard, you prayed that you were wrong this time.

---

"Robbie Bourbon."


"Sorry for the ruse but I felt everyone needs a little mystery in their lives. A bit of surprise and intrigue. So here it is... I am your opponent and we get to fight in a Hell In A Cell match. Are you excited? I'm excited. In fact, I am positively tingling all over, it's like there's this weird energy in the air. It almost feels electric. I can't explain it. Then again, it could be nothing more, than the thrill of getting married that I'm experiencing cause trust me, I am over the moon about that. Everyone is invited too and I mean... everyone. Even Peter Gilmour. That's how exhilarated I am. Nothing can bring me down, not even the words spoken by the greatest insult artist of all time, could knock me off of this cloud."


"That being said, I still understand that we are set to do battle and trust me, my cheerful disposition will not get in the way of that. I may be all sunshine and rainbows, right now but when we get in that ring, it's strictly business. I won't let it get in the way of giving my full attention to this fight. Nor will I hold back, I will come at you with everything I got. Every ounce and fiber of my being, will be devoted to battling it out with you. You deserve nothing less. Than a well fought brawl of epic proportions. That is what I aim to deliver. Lets have some real fun, 'eh? Give the crowd more than what they paid for and really try to take each other to the limits. What do you say, Robbie? I trust you're up for the challenge, I know you are, I can feel it. You won't disappoint me. Oh, I have been aching, for a good skirmish and this seems like it'll be exactly, what the spaceman ordered. The question remains, will you be the human sized wrecking ball that destroys me or will you be the boulder, that topples and rolls down a mountain, only to smash to bits on the ground below?"