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Thaddeus Duke · (01-31-2021)

John F. Kennedy International Airport || Queens, New York || 8:13 AM

Being the Universal Champion has changed my life. Previous to winning the big one, I’d been able to mostly come and go as I please. Sure, I’d do some press from time to time, I’d go to fan access events quite a bit. At most, I’d be gone an entire day and still be home to see Frankie off to school the next morning. Being champion is a lot more responsibility. As champion, you’re the face of the brand. As such, you get sent out on press tours in cities all over the world. While I take that responsibility seriously, and while I love visiting places I don’t get to see often like Tokyo or Sydney or London, I do miss my family. The hectic schedule just doesn’t allow for much family time on the trips and it interferes with Frankie’s schooling. As his father, or foster-father as the case may be, and as much as I’d love for Frankie to be with me on the road like he normally was, I can’t allow his schooling to suffer. I love him too much to be that selfish.

Today though, is a different story. I’m just in from London and on my way to Los Angeles for the day. Frankie is coming with me. This short layover in New York to refuel the bird was an opportunity to pick him up to spend time with him and I wasn’t going to miss it. Not for anything. He’s been my shadow for the better part of the last eight months, and I truly miss him. We Zoom when I’m in flight or in a hotel, but it’s not the same. He and I play video games online too when I’m out, but, even that isn’t the same as having him beside me.

Don’t get me wrong, I miss Elizabeth too and I wish she was coming along but she has to go to North Carolina to give her mother a hand with her sick father. Unselfishly, I’d rather her be with her parents. David, her father, doesn’t have much time left and I’ve occupied enough of her time.

The tires under Illuminatus Two screech as they hit the runway. It’s a large, heavy aircraft and it takes a long while for it to slow down and stop. Looking out the window, my anxiousness increases immensely as I see the motorcade. Flanked and surrounded by New York’s Finest, the armored limousine and all the rest speed across the tarmac. As the jet slows to a crawling stop, so does the motorcade. With excitement I throw off the seat belt and head for the door. Throwing it open, I have to wait impatiently as the stairs are steered over. Before they’re even locked in position, I’m running like a kid on Christmas morning down those steps toward the armored limousine containing the son I was never supposed to have.

As I near it, his protection detail flanks either side of his now opened door and Frankie steps out, dressed in a black suit and skinny black tie, wearing aviator sunglasses.

”Stylin’ and profilin’!” I say to him as he throws his arms around me. There’s something to be said about earning the love of a child that you’ve known less than a year.

”Can we go to In-n-Out when we get there?” he asks, causing me to laugh.

”Of course we can,” I answer him as we turn toward the plane. ”Where’d you get that suit?”

”Thad,” he says as he looks up at me as we near the steps. ”You should dress for the part. You’re the Universal champion and you shouldn’t be showing up to interviews in jeans and a hoodie.”

That’s probably a fair point.

”Liz took me to pick this out and have it tailored,” he says as we begin the slow climb toward the plane. ”Only cost you fifteen hundred.”

”Fifteen hundred!?” I feign shock. ”I don’t even have a 1500 dollar suit!”

”That should tell you something.”

”How much for the tailor? I’m sure that thing didn’t come in extra short size.”

”Thad,” he looks up at me again and stops. ”I might be short, but I look damn good in this suit.”

”That you do kiddo,” I say to him through my laughter as he steps aboard. Stopping in the doorway, I turn around to face his protection detail. I noticed a new face that I didn’t immediately recognize and now I have questions.

”Who are you?” I ask the man and he’s entirely ready for it.

”Brad Wallace, sir,” he says as he extends his hand to me. Hesitantly, I accept it.

”Brad I don’t recognize you,” I admit to him. ”I know everybody, but not you.”

”I transferred about a week ago. Karen promoted me to family protection detail.”

”Transferred from where?” I ask of him, my brow furrowed. Karen knows that any changes to the detail, need to be ran by me first.

”My previous post was training the air force in ground combat so that what happened in Berlin can’t ever happen again.”

He satisfies my curiosity for the time being.

”Welcome aboard Illuminatus Two,” I say to him before I head inside the plane. ”Brad?” I say, turning around again. ”You understand I take Frankie’s protection far more seriously than my own?”

”I’ve heard rumors, sir.”

”Then you know your rules of engagement if there’s any threat to him?”

”Shoot to kill, figure the rest out later,” he answers, finally relieving my apprehension.

After making my way toward the back of the plane to my private cabin on board, I help Frankie strap in. He isn’t a fan of takeoffs and always thinks his seat belt is too loose. It isn’t, but for his sake and peace of mind, I go through the motions. My number one job is to protect him and make him feel safe.

”What do you want to play?” he asks with a grunt as I give one last tug on his belt. The engines wind up as we begin taxiing to the runway and I take my seat beside him.

”Whatever you want,” I answer him. ”It’ll have to wait a little bit because I want to call Liz first.”

”C’mon man!” he pleads as he thrashes his legs wildly.

”The hell is your problem?” I ask him, referring to his odd reaction to me calling Liz.

”Nothing,” he says with a sigh. ”How ‘bout NBA?” he asks, returning his attention to choosing a game to play.

”I really hate basketball,” I answer him with a sigh.

”Fortnite?” he asks as the plane slows as it turns. ”Oh god...” he muses aloud as the engines wind up. He knows what’s coming.

”How come you never act like this when we go up in my jet?” I ask him as the plane rolls forward. Slowly at first, then faster and faster. Frankie doesn’t answer immediately. Instead he turns his head to the left looking out the window at idle planes and airport equipment vehicles whip by as we pass. He closes the shade and looks forward as the nose of the plane begins its ascent.

”Because then, you’re the pilot,” he says as Illuminatus Two goes airborne. ”You’d never hurt me.” He slams his right hand onto my left as we climb into the air.

”That’s true, but Bub, the best pilots in the world fly this plane. They won’t hurt you either.”

I flip my hand over in order to let him hold it. I don’t like that he gets scared. For a kid that’s never left Long Island until Liz and I came along, he does pretty well though. Maybe someday his fear of takes offs and landings will subside.

”You didn’t act this way in the helicopter that day me and Liz came to get you,” I remind him.

”It was a distraction,” he says and I turn my head to look at him. The ascent is rather turbulent today too, so that’s in no way helping Frankie. ”My mom was dead and my dad was in prison and I was all alone with people I didn’t know,” he begins to explain as the plane bounces around a bit. ”I wasn’t thinking of anything else that day but getting to ride in a helicopter and going to my new home.”

The turbulence calms down as we reach cruising altitude. With it, Frankie throws the shade open again to look at the tops of the clouds as the ‘seat belt’ sign goes out.

”Alright kiddo, I’m gonna call Liz,” I tell him as I stand from my seat. ”In the meantime, figure out what we’re gonna play.”

”Alright,” he says quietly as he continues to stare out the window.

Something is off about him today, I just don’t know what. Putting it in the back of my mind for the time being, I make my exit from the family room. Frankie’s detail flanks the outside of the door. Turning to the right, I make my way down the hall toward my on board Sit Room. It’s quiet there and no one ever bothers me, so it always seems like the right place to conduct personal business. It also has the added benefit of being entirely secure. Not that that matters so much on personal matters, but still, I do like privacy.

Sitting in my big chair, I open the laptop and pull up Zoom to call Liz. With luck, she answers almost immediately.

”Hi Baby,” she says excitedly from Ginny’s kitchen. Behind her, one of the members of her detail sips on coffee as he leans against the counter.

”Hey,” I say with a smile. ”Everyone stayin’ out of your mom’s way?”

”That’s all fine Baby, don’t worry about that stuff.”

”Well I do,” I tell her honestly. ”Can’t be easy having your life invaded by random armed men and women.”

”I promise, mom’s fine with it. She understands.”

”How’s your dad doin’?”

She falls silent for a few seconds.

”He’s good,” she answers in unconvincing fashion.

I give her the ‘bullshit’ look and she sighs.

”He’s good today,” she admits. ”Did you talk to Frankie yet?”

”Yeah I was just in the family room with him,” I answer her.

She gives me her ‘bullshit’ look in response.

”What?”

”He was supposed to talk to you about what happened in school,” she says as she leans forward toward the camera.

”What happened in school?” I ask, my face contorted in a confused manner.

”He won’t tell me and his Principal won’t either because I’m not his legal guardian,” she replies as a look of concern creases her face. ”He got in a fight.”

”A fight? What the fuck!?”

”He didn’t take off his sunglasses, did he?”

”Nah.”

”Take them off him, you’ll see his shiner.”

Leaning back in my chair, I run my fingers through my hair out of frustration. Of course, she calls it out.

”Baby just stay calm and talk to him.”

”Why wouldn’t he just tell me about it? He knows I don’t judge him. Hell, I think I’ve only even raised my voice to him like twice.”

”He’s just a boy Hun.”

”Why would he get in a fight?”

”I don’t know Baby, you’ll have to figure that out.”

”Kind of explains why he was getting’ all pissy when I said I was gonna call you.”

I begin to wonder if my propensity for violence is starting to take hold of him too. At Alister’s he saw first hand what happens when I get red mad. I knew it then that I needed to do better than that for him. The reality is, that I don’t want Frankie being a fighter. While I want him to stand up for himself and those he loves, I want him to do nothing but spread love around the world. The world has enough war.

Shut up, I know.

”Stay on the call, I’ll be right back.”

Exit my “lair” I head back toward the family room. Inside, Frankie doesn’t seem to have moved since I left him. He continues instead, staring out the window.

”Look at me,” I instruct him as even toned as I can. I don’t know the story. I don’t know why he got in a fight and I’m not trying to be the kind of parent that flies off the handle first, then asks questions later. Frankie though, takes his eyes from the window but looks toward the floor.

”Bub.” I say to him as a venture across the room and take a seat beside him. ”Take off the sunglasses.”

He hesitates, but obliges and looks up at me a second later. Part of me wants to split the wig of some dumb kids dad for giving him a black eye.

”What happened?” I ask the obvious question. Again, he turns toward the window and doesn’t say anything. ”No Francis,” I say to him as I start to lay down the law on him. He hates when I call him by his actual name.

”Look at me and talk. We don’t hide from our faults around here.”

”They’re gonna suspend me,” he says quietly, not taking his eyes from the window.

”Well, maybe you deserve to be.”

”This is why I didn’t tell you,” he pouts as he crosses his arms in front of him. ”I knew you wouldn’t be on my side.”

”How the heck can you even say that? I’m always on your side,” I remind him. ”But if you think we’re not gonna have words when you’re getting in fights and getting suspended from school, then you haven’t been paying attention Frankie.

“Actions have consequences. Always.”

”We were in the hallway before class and he came up to me and starting talking smack on you,” he begins.

”You don’t have to stand up for me Bub, I can do that on my own.”

”He was wearing his stupid MAGA hat and was calling you the F word, Thad! It’s one thing if I make jokes about you because I make them to you! It’s not okay when that jerk does it and I’m not sorry I hit him!”

”How’d you get the black eye?”

He looks at me incredulously.

”Because people hit back!”

…

Fair point.

”Well, just because some jerk kid calls me a fucker doesn’t mean you can get into fights, Frankie. This is not okay.”

”Really!?” he scoffs. ”You think I hit him because he called you a fucker? He called you a f*ggot, Thad!”

Oh.

I have no idea what the right answer is. On one hand, beating the hate out of bigots is a good thing, at least in theory. On the other, I really don’t want him choosing violence. This wasn’t in the handbook dammit!

”Violence isn’t the answer Frankie.”

Again, he looks at me incredulously.

”From the guy that makes his living beating people up on TV? This same guy that’s gone to war like 12 times and who knows how many people he’s killed?”

Siiiiiiigh. Instead of saying anything at the moment, I decided instead to consult by better half. Frankie has me outmatched.

”You took Barney Green off the top of a cage Thad! But no violence!?”

This little shit knows he has me on the ropes.

”Do as I say Frankie, not as I do!”

That’ll show him, I think to myself as I head for the door.

”Thad I think you just became a dad.”

Annnnnd back to my Sit Room and my Zoom call where Liz has waited patiently.

”How’d it go?”

”Went great!” I say, trying to hide my sarcasm.

”Hard to correct his violence in your line of work?”

”That and I’m pretty sure he’s just smarter than I am.”

”So what’s the story?” she asks.

”Some kid called me a f*ggot so he decked him. He found out people hit back though so the joke’s on him.”

”Awww,” she interjects. ”That’s sweet he was sticking up for you.”

”I mean, how am I supposed to be mad at that?”

”Don’t be,” she answers quickly. ”Kid obviously had it coming.”

”It’s cool Frankie, just make sure you beat up all the bigots,” I say sarcastically.

”Oh come on!” she says with a laugh. ”So the Principal won’t suspend him until he meets with you.”

”What the hell do I say to him Liz?”

”Baby, how are you gonna teach him to stand up for himself and those he loves but punish him… for standing up for those he loves?”

Leaning back in my chair in thought, it’s clear to me that she’s right.

”So I just forget it then?”

”No that’s not what I’m saying,” she answers. ”What you have to do is lay down ground rules. Fighting just for fightings sake is obviously not gonna fly. He loves you Thad! What would you do if you were in his situation? What did you do to Alister when you found out he hit me and had Frankie’s personal information?”

”I beat him up,” I say as I scratch the top of my head. ”But I don’t want him choosing violence if he can avoid it Liz? I don’t want him attacking someone just because some kids says something shitty.

“If he wanted to beat up everyone in the world that says shitty things, he’ll never stop fighting.”

”Then there’s your answer,” she says, confusing me greatly.

”What? What answer?”

”Teach him that fighting isn’t the right answer all the time. Use yourself as an example.”

Karen, the family protection detail chief, enters the screen behind Liz momentarily and I’m reminded that I need to talk to her. It’ll wait for a minute though.

”Of what not to do?”

”Exactly. And you’re gonna have to teach him how to defend himself. That’s a hell of a shiner he got.”

”Can you put Karen on a second,” I ask her. She turns to her left behind her and a second later, Karen leans over her shoulder.

”Yes sir?” Karen greets me.

”Karen you were on his detail that day right?”

”I was, yes.”

”Did Frankie at least get him good?”

”Bloodied his nose, but sir, Francis is small for his age. He was no match for the enemy.”

Her remark makes me laugh a second.

”Kid, Karen. Not an enemy.”

”Sir,” she retorts, cracking the slightest smile.

”You broke it up?”

”I did, yes.”

”Good,” I say as I gather my thoughts for what I want to say to her. ”You broke protocol Karen, why?”

She looks on at me confused, but says nothing.

”You added this Brad Wallace guy to Frankie’s detail and you know that any changes to family detail are to be cleared with me first.”

”Sir I haven’t added anyone to the family detail...”

My heart sinks immediately.

”Karen, crash the house!”

Placeholder.

It’s a word thrown around too much by the ‘also rans’ and ‘never wons’ of the wrestling industry. It’s a word that those in the hunt often use in order to discredit a sitting champion. It’s a word used to build a false facade of bravado and machismo. In Chris’s mind, I’m a placeholder. Just lounging around waiting for someone, him in this case, to beat me and take the title away from me.

What I am, what I really am, isn’t a placeholder, but a constant. THE constant. From the moment I walked back through the doors of the Xtreme Wrestling Federation, I have been the model example of consistency and a constant presence. I took my job seriously for maybe the first time in my professional life and all that has done for me is made me one of, if not the, most popular star on the roster. All it has done is seen me empty out merchandising shelves. All it has done is put my name back in the brightest lights. All it has done is made me the highlight of every god damn night. All it has done is added to the XWF coffers by way of gate and pay per view buyrate revenue. All it has done is made me win every god damn title I set my sights on. All it has done is made me better than Chris Page at being the wrestler, the workhorse, the reliable.

What I am and what I have been Chris Page, is an absolute constant thorn in your side that you just… can’t… beat.

He talks about himself being a workhorse and a great wrestler and better than 99% and he’s right. I’m all of those things too. Except I’m the 1%. He knows it, but he’s either too stubborn or too stupid to recognize it.

I’ve worked my ass off to get where I am and he may be more than twice my age but what does it say when at less than half his age I’ve accomplished something he never could? No I didn’t beat Robert Main for the Universal title, just like he didn’t. No, I didn’t beat Unknown Soldier for the Universal title, just like he didn’t. He can say what he wants about the final moments of the battle royal but the facts are the facts: I am the Universal Champion and I did it by outlasting 18 other men and women. While none of them were Main or Soldier, there were some pretty legendary names included and some probably will be legendary figures on top of it. D’Ville? Corey Smith? Bourbon? Alias?

Chris Page himself?

All of those names came knocking on the same god damn door I did and none of them wear the title. I do. But I’m a placeholder? You can use all the math you want to try and make that compute but it still adds up to zero.

He calls himself Chronic Chris Page because he’s a pothead. For this little snippet of information and in order to demonstrate the sheer stupidity of Topher Page… Can I call you Topher? Doesn’t matter. For this little bit, pothead is just a euphemism for dumbass. Anyway, I had this incredible moment of ‘what the fuck are you talking about’ when listening to him ranting about Heyman and it took me a fucking week to figure out what the hell he was on about.

Page claims that Paul’s contract with me expires after Snow Job and claims that it’s oh so convenient that it expires right after Page called me out for having him in my employ…

But here’s the thing…

No one ever said his contract was expiring. During that little snoozefest on Warfare between Mister False Bravado and Machismo himself Chris Page and my business manager, you know, before the “best wrestler in the world” beat up an old man that’s not even a wrestler… When I cut in… I said his power of attorney was expiring on February One dumbass, not his contract with me.

Lay down the weed man.

It makes you a fucking idiot.

Did y’all know I was floundering until Chris Page crossed my path? I mean, I just got back, shed the mask, beat Thunder Knuckles for the TV title, something he couldn’t do by the way, but I was floundering. More bad math from the number one cuntender. This is the same guy that says I’m self-centered while claiming my rise to the top had everything to do with him and nothing to do with me. If you want to look down deep into the fibers of what he’s saying… he’s pulling a Chris Chaos again.

What I mean is, he beats me one time just like Chaos did years ago, then goes on to lose to me in each and every subsequent match and now I’m only here because he made me. If that sounds familiar to anyone, then it should. Same dumbass shit Chaos said. Same dumbass mentality Chaos had.

But Chris Page isn’t Chris Chaos.

He said so himself.

And who is this they he speaks of? He says they put the belt on me as if this shit is scripted and predetermined like that garbage on USA or TNT. The only one that put the belt on me Page, is me. Keep on beating the drum of delusional dumbass because the world is watching you shit this opportunity away too and I’m totally here for it. So are they.

What is it with him saying Corey, Doc and I are just passing around the tag belts? You really are a dumbasses dumbass aren’t you? No wonder Robert Main let you be his friend. Anyway, it’s within the rules. Just because you’re so angry that I don’t have a match prior to ours which gives you a way, way, way better chance at taking my title, which you still won’t do by the way, no one is passing belts around. Believe it or not, it’s entirely legal for there to be more than two holders of the tag team titles. Take out your flip phone Old Yeller, find the interwebs part of it and punch in www dot XWF99 dot com. Find your way to the title history section and browse the tag team title history.

It’s not new.

“At least you’ll have a Universal Champion that wants to be champion…” his words, not mine. Is he saying I don’t want to be Universal Champion? Or is he saying that because I’m sharing my tag team championship wealth with my best friend that that means I don’t want that title? I can’t quite put my finger on it.

If it’s the former, then while he was busy using me and using Barney Green to take him to victory lane in tag team matches, I was busy defending my universal title right out of the gate against two former champions in Chris Chaos and the previously mentioned Barney Green. Apparently being a fighting champion makes you simultaneously not want to be champion at all.

If it’s the latter… dude, just shut the fuck up and get over the fact that you have one friend in your life and we’ll just see how much longer that shit show lasts.

This dude is so concerned about me taking off six weeks to recuperate a knee injury, calling me a pussy in the process, but totally overlooks the fact that his only friend hasn’t been seen since High Stakes. I mean, unless you count that ten seconds of screen time back on Warfare of ole Bobby Main taking a nap backstage. If recuperating a knee injury makes me a pussy then I guess his boytoy is a pussy too. Dude’s been in a hospital for like a month or some shit. Fuckin’ drama queen.

Remember, it’s all part of the plan. Lure me into some false sense of “I own him” just to turn it on and take my title. Been there. Heard that. Beat that. Gonna do it again.

Thad appears in his customary hoodie with the hood up as he looks up at the camera.

I hope you enjoyed the appetizers, Chris. Now it’s time for the main course.

Fade.

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