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Thaddeus Duke · (09-02-2020)

On Board Illuminatus Two || The Skies Over Germany

The month of August has not been kind to Thaddeus Duke. For a man with his championship pedigree, suffering crippling defeats at the hands of Robbie Bourbon on Warfare a couple times and Chris Page on the Savage brand, losing his Television title in the process, the losing streak has been frustrating at the easiest of times and downright infuriating at its worst. For better or worse, the XWF’s resident Lionheart, coined ‘Rembrandt’ by a Savage announcer, has always worn his heart on his sleeve whether its joy or pain, anger or frustration.

Try as he may, he isn’t a perfect person. At times, like anyone, his professional frustrations can bleed over into his personal life. En route to Berlin for Warfare in Munich, he decides to seek the guidance of the only man he trusts with professional advice: his father.

”So… where do I go from here? What do I do next?” Thaddeus asks from the comfort of a recliner in the family room tucked deep in the heart of the jumbo airliner. Panning across the room from Thaddeus, his father Sebastian Duke is lounging sprawled out on the sofa.

”The first thing you gotta do, is put together a plan for yourself,” he begins to explain. ”All the things that are dragging you down, take all of that and decide what you can do about them to correct them. If it’s something you can’t change, throw it out and move on.”

Sebastian Duke is no stranger to trials and tribulations in the wrestling business. His own XWF career started with a string of losses before things finally started to click for him.

”The things you can change, the things you can do something about… that’s what you prioritize.”

”I don’t like people interfering in my matches. It undercuts the successes I’ve had and makes me out to be somehow less than despite winning, ya know what I mean?” Thaddeus attempts to explain.

”Then tomorrow night on Warfare, send a god damn message.”

Thaddeus ponders his fathers advice for a moment. ”How?”

”I can’t tell you that,” the elder Duke answers with a glance at his offspring. ”It’s got to be on your terms, and your terms only.”

”Okay so I walk into the Allianz Arena, I fire a shot across the bow of the Xtreme Wrestling Federation...and nothing changes because nothing ever does.”

”Kid,” Sebastian Duke says as he throws his feet on the floor and sits up on the sofa. ”Be the change you seek!”

Thaddeus looks confused at the moment.

”No one listens, until you force them to. Things don’t change and won’t change unless you speak up with action. You can’t just snap your fingers and expect things to get better like that,” he says as he snaps his fingers.

”I don’t know, maybe I have too much going on in real life to even be doing this right now.”

”Thad, listen,” Sebastian says as he leans forward. ”I did the exact things you do. I still carried on with my wrestling career. I even wrestled far more often and took less time off to find myself.”

”Dad, I know that but...”

”But nothing! Your problem, is that your mind races. Yeah you have a ton of shit going on with Frankie and your mothers dad, and the Ares Project which you won’t let me help you with. What you need to do is learn how to set personal shit aside when you enter the arena doors.

“You put your business suit on and you go to work. There’s time enough later on to resume the family life.

“That being said, I took the liberty of making a phone call for you.”

Thaddeus looks across at his father. ”Call? What do you mean call? Who the hell did you call?”

”Someone who has the ability to kick your ass into gear and get you to focus on taking care of business when its time to take care of business,” he answers with a rare smile.

Puzzled and shaking his head, Thaddeus ponders his fathers cryptic messaging.

”Someone who has taken a literal who’s who in the wrestling business under his wing and helped them realize their full potential.”

”Who?”

Sebastian leans back against the sofa with a smile and the realization sits in for Thaddeus as to who his father is referring to.

”What!? No! For the love of GOD! No!”

”He’s already in Berlin. You might as well meet with him.”

”Is this a fucking joke?” he asks of his father, a bit rhetorically. ”Dad, he’s...”

”The best in the fuckin’ world at what he does.”

”But...”

”Look, just take the meeting with him. Tell him what you’re thinking and just hear him out. I wouldn’t steer you off a cliff, kid.

“I’ve never really told you this, because I didn’t want you to get a big ego or something. I wanted you to stay you. I wanted you to stay grounded. But...”

”What?”

”Truth is… you’re one of the best I’ve ever seen in that ring. Your athleticism is unrivaled. Your mat skill is in par with the best of the best. The way you can fly and contort yourself in flight is just unparalleled. The way you work those crowds into a frenzy for a Thad Duke comeback...man they eat out of the palm of your hand and I love watching you work.”

”Dad,” Thad interjects, choking back some emotion. ”You have no fucking idea how much that means to me.”

DING!

”This is your captain, General Major Admiral, and we’re on final approach to Asmodeus Air Base. Please take your seats and buckle up.”

”Really?”

”What?”

”You got a dude named General Major Admiral?”

”Well, General is his rank. But yeah, strange right?”

”Anyway, your potential, kid. It’s unmatched. I don’t particularly want to see it go to waste and if anyone can help guide you, and help you realize that potential.

“It’s him.”

Thaddeus rolls his eyes as he switches seats to the traditional plane seats along the left side of the room and buckles in. His father buckles in beside him.

”You don’t have to take him on, Thad. I’m just advising you to take the meeting, take it seriously. Explain what’s going on in your head, hear him out and go from there.”

”You coming to Warfare?”

”Nah I got some business things to do in Denmark. I’ll be watching though.”

Thaddeus sighs deeply as the plane touches down on the runway with surgeon like precision.

”I’ll meet with him,” Thad concludes as he stares out the window.

After disembarking from Illuminatus Two, Thaddeus and his family put on a meet and greet with his brothers he hasn’t seen in nearly two years. Brothers is what he refers to them as. In reality, they’re his most decorated pilots that fought along side him in the wars of the past.

After dinner, Thaddeus takes Frankie to tour the base and show him his fighter jet.

”That’s so cool!” Frankie says as he tries, and fails, to jump and tap the wing of the plane.

”Damn right that’s cool,” Thad says to him with a grin.

”How fast does it fly?” Frankie asks as a ramp attendant rolls in a small staircase and opens the canopy.

”Really fast,” Thad answers him sarcastically.

”Thaaaaad!” he begs.

”It’s an F-16 Viper. It’ll get up to 1,500 miles per hour.”

”Holy shit!”

”Frankie!” Thad yells out with a laugh. ”Language, Bub.”

”Will you take me up?” Frankie asks, jumping onto Thad’s arms and climbing up to his shoulders.

”No Bub, I don’t think so.”

”Aww c’mon Thad!” Frankie begs as he curls around Thad’s neck, accidentally kneeing him in the face in the process. ”When am I ever gonna get this chance again!?”

”You’re getting too big to climb on me like this ya know?”

”So?” Frankie quips back. ”Don’t change the subject.”

”Chet,” Thad says to the ramp attendant.

”Sir?”

”Get it fueled up, I’m gonna take him up.”

The truth of it is, he planned to do it all along. He even had a flight suit made for him just for this visit. In his excitement, Frankie starts to crawl down Thaddeus from the front and accidentally kicks him in the groin.

”Oomf!”

”Sorry!” he offers wide eyed.

”Gonna feel this one for a minute,” Thad tells him as he doubles over.

”Does it hurt?”

”Just tickles,” Thad answers sarcastically. ”I swear you kick me in the nuts like once a day. Are you trying to be sure I never have any kids?”

”You already have one,” Frankie says with a grin.

”I know but maybe I want an actual baby one day,” Thad offers as he stretches out his back.

”Why would you want an actual baby? They can’t ride bikes or play video games with you. Babies are stupid.”

Thaddeus laughs. ”Some of that is true. But, I don’t think they’re stupid. You were a baby once. You’re not stupid.”

Several minutes later, Thaddeus gives Frankie a boost onto the ladder attached to the side of his aircraft. In his mind, he thinks Frankie looks adorable in his miniature flight suit but also can’t wait to make him scream like hell.

”Put your helmet on and lower the shield,” Thaddeus instructs him as he starts to climb the ladder. Once inside the jet he straps Frankie into the rear seat.

”I can’t breathe,” Frankie says as Thaddeus makes his way to the front.

”Yeah you can,” he says in response. ”It’ll feel a little looser in a few minutes.”

He lowers the canopy and locks it before initiating the starting sequence.

”You ready to puke?” he asks Frankie, slightly drowned out by the engines revving up.

”What?”

”Are you ready to go?” Thaddeus asks louder this time.

”Let’s light this candle!” Frankie yells excitedly.

”Frankie?”

”What?”

”You’re grounded from Top Gun.”

Frankie giggles at Thad’s comment, but then the signal is given: clear for takeoff. Thaddeus pulls back on the throttle and the craft lurches forward. Slow at first, then within a few seconds, the speed is increased dramatically and in a few more seconds, the F-16 is airborne much to the delight of Thad’s young passenger.

”Faster!” says the aspiring adrenaline junkie and Thad increases the throttle, nearing 400 miles per hour. ”Hey, you think I can meet Robbie on Wednesday?” he asks of Thad.

”Sure, why not?” Thad replies. ”How fast you wanna go?”

”Ummmmm...” he hesitates as the F-16 reaches in excess of 550 miles per hour. ”What are we at now?” he asks shakily.

”Faster? You got it Bub!”

”Wait!”

The man didn’t wait. Instead, he engages the afterburner and within a few seconds: THWAP! BOOM!

Young Frankie breaks the sound barrier.

”I’m gonna be siiiiick!”

”Lift the shield first!” Thaddeus warns him.

Frankie lifts his shield up and rips off the hose before projectile vomiting forward. Right onto Thaddeus’s back.

”Oh god dammit! It’s in my suit and running down my back!” Thaddeus throttles downward and steers the jet back toward the air base. After a minute or so, the jet lands softly on the runway and slows to a stop a little while later. The engines wind down as Thaddeus unlocks the canopy and tosses it open.

”You okay?” Thad asks of Frankie.

The boy was not okay.

”Thad?”

”What’s up Bub?”

”I pissed myself,” Frankie informs him to returning laughter from Thad. ”I’m not joking. It’s all down my leg and in my shoes.”

”When did it happen?” he asks with a grin.

”The boom. It scared the crap out of me.”

Thad helps the youngster from the cockpit and down the ladder. The boys legs are like jello so he basically had to carry him.

”Come on kiddo, let’s go get us both cleaned up.”

”Thad?”

Thaddeus looks down at his tiny friend as they make their way to the barracks.

”Can you bend down for a second?”

Thaddeus stops and kneels down on one knee. ”What’s up?” Frankie doesn’t say anything right away. He only throws his arms around him and hugs him tight. Thad of course, returns the gesture.

”Thank you,” Frankie says quietly. The boys foster dad kisses him on the side of the head.

”If it’s within my power to give you, its yours. You know that.”

”I don’t mean that,” Frankie says as he releases his grip. ”I mean for taking me and trying to adopt me.”

The two boys resume their walk to the barracks.

”I love you kid, I couldn’t live with myself if I let you fall into the system,” he replies as he vigorously rubs the top of Frankie’s head. ”You reek of piss and puke so let’s get you cleaned up.

“You smell like a frat house, so remember that one day when you go to college.”

”You went too fast,” Frankie retorts with a smile at Thad.

”I couldn’t take you up and not break the sound barrier.”

”Can we go up again?”

Thaddeus laughs.

”My little man!” He holds his hand up and Frankie high fives him. ”We’ll go up again before we go home.”

Thaddeus Duke is more like an older, protective brother than a father figure more often than not. It’s moments like this where he’s growing closer to Frankie that gives him inner peace. It’s times like this that makes all of the trials and tribulations of being in the world of professional wrestling, entirely worth it.

I made a mistake.

I’m not referring to tangling with Robbie on Warfare or making Cataclysm look like complete idiots on Savage only for Page to return the favor when it counted and allowing him to steal my Television title, legitimately this time. The mistake I made was waiting until a few hours ago to watch the last Warfare in its entirety. I mean, you’ll have to forgive me. I’ve been rather busy the last few weeks and last Warfare, I wasn’t even inside the arena. I was on the streets of ole Paris so I missed something.

Chris Chaos traded in Jenny Myst for Mandii Rider and holy shit did he trade down. I mean, I’ve never been a big fan of Myst but fuck dude. She might be a bit plastic but she’s still downright gorgeous. It’s like he traded a Ferrari for a fucking 1974 Ford Pinto. I mean, how could he think that was a good idea? All these years, the best thing about Chris Chaos was the eye candy he had with him in Jenny Myst. Now that’s over with so he’s left with relying on himself and some uninspired cunt to help his career.

Jesus.

Once mighty Chris Chaos has fallen so damn far so fast that he’s trapped in a black hole of the same old regurgitated bullshit that was never popular to begin with.

I’m just playin’. I’m kidding. Chaos was never “mighty” to begin with.

As I said, he relies on the same old tricks over and over and nothing ever happens for him. So clearly the right call, Chris, is to keep doing the same things that are literally doing nothing for you.

Fucking imbecile.

Let me learn you something big guy. I’m not exactly happy right now, professionally. I’ve taken some licks the last month and I’m not accustomed to it so what am I doing about it? Well, you’ll have to watch Warfare to get the big picture but on the short side of it, I’m changing something. I’m adapting to the new reality that’s setting in and I’m doing something… dare I say… different. Think about that hombre. I know something is off in my game so I’m identifying exactly what that is with a little help from my friends… and I’m actively taking action to right the ship.

You? You’ve been treading water for the last few years and everything always stays the same.

You can come out here and sugarcoat things to make yourself feel better. You can lie to yourself saying you didn’t care that you were facing me but let’s be real. It’s been in the back of your mind since the card came out. You nervously paced around your house, racking your brain about what you could possibly say to me or about me that might make some sense and you worried so much that you waited until the last fucking day to drop anything.

Why do I boast of our history if you’re such a joke? Because you’re my fucking opponent you dipshit. What did you want me to do? Pile false praise on you to boost your ego? Fuck that and fuck you. I’mma leave you a broken shell of a man because I earned that right by being your Kryptonite.

This guy claims he isn’t gonna watch my promos this week and I’d be cool with that except there’s one problem: he’s watched intently. I know that because he’s using things I said about him and trying to use them against me. Like the small pond bit.

You’re not transparent at all man. Literally no one can see through your weak attempts to pretend you don’t care.

You’re right about one thing, Chris. No one cares about the Television title, except Chris Page but that’s another story. I was the champion, and even I didn’t care about the TV title. Despite your baseless claims that I puffed my chest out because I was TV champion, I should direct you to my promos leading up to Leap of Faith to begin with. I repeatedly said that I had no interest in being Television champion. I meant it then, I meant it while I was the champion, and I mean it now.

I had no interest in being the Television Champion. I have no interest in holding any championship because unlike you, I know my worth. I know the value I bring to XWF programming. I don’t need extra luggage to carry around to make myself feel important or to validate myself as a professional wrestler.

I’m the best there is in that ring and I already know that. No one can touch me. Not your new fugly bitch girlfriend. Not you. Not anyone.

No one’s cared about Thaddeus Duke since Dolly Waters hit puberty. Yet if I was Universal Champion, they’d roll out the red carpet for me. So which is it? It literally can’t be both. They can’t care about me and not care about me at the same time.

Not a single Universal Champion has ever beaten Chris Chaos cleanly.

High Stakes ring a bell?

Jim Caedus ring a bell?

In case you forgot, I was in that match too. I was there. Caedus pinned you clean.

How I feel and how I felt about management are two different things. Before my latest sabbatical, I and management cleared the air. Evidenced by the fact that I’m back here in the first place.

I could go on and on and tear apart every little thing you said because half of it contradicts the other half and I don’t have to prove you’re a dumb mother fucker. You do that all on your own every time you open your mouth so let’s end this shit.

Chris, you can claim you don’t care about facing me. You can say you’re untouchable. You say that this person or that person is better than me and maybe you’re right about that and maybe you’re not, but you know the one thing that is absolutely true?

I'm better than you. I was better than you three years ago. I’m better than you now. I’ll be better than you tomorrow night in Munich. Buckle up bitch. I’m about to put you down again.

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