"True nobility is exempt from fear."

― Marcus Tullius Cicero



Wayne County, Michigan
Saturday


The Detroit River flows from Lake St. Claire, around Belle Isle and past the massive city, and back into Lake Erie. The Doctor walks across the quiet street, up a few steps to the Belle Isle Fountain. He paces around it, peering into the water, noticing massive amounts of different coins sunk to the bottom. He admires the wishful thinking the people of this world seem to bear. The superstitions that some practice as they carry on with their everyday lives. He pulls a cigar from inside his coat and lights it before taking a seat along side of the fountain.

Doctor D'Ville- Hello, my friends!


Doctor D'Ville- I'm very glad you've taken to my sessions so openly, Mister Knight. Keeping my card as a gift rather than an invite seems a bit odd. And why would you have kept it so long if you fail to believe in my credentials? I hear myself as a broken record as of late, as you're not the first person to question and oppose my purpose here. But, whether you believe in me or not, here I am.

Backing up your lack of courage today with a story of courage from yesterday is a point in the right direction at the least. It shows you recollect and remember what it was like to have aplomb and no fear. Don't tell me you you're not dreading Madness, my friend. Everyone dreads madness. To us all, you've already pointed out where you stand. You hope that Mister Reynolds's and my differences will take over this session and you will idly stand by. You will sit aside and be forgotten. I have not forgotten you. I have not forgotten you since the moment I handed over my card, Mister Knight. To this very day I've awaited for you to approach my door. Seeking me and understanding what I am. But you never came.

The Doctor reaches down and pulls a fistful of coins from the bottom of the fountain.

Doctor D'Ville- Look at all of these wishes. Tell me, Mister Knight, did you ask for anything in return when you tossed your money into your fountain? Was it some act of payment? Or was it just something you did just in good faith. Or most likely you've seen it done in the past so you continue to follow a suit.

The Doctor tosses the coins over his shoulder. They scatter in the air and display a splash as the hit the ground and roll in all directions.

Doctor D'Ville- Did you make a wish, Jonathon? Because if you did, look before me. Surely it's among one of them. I'm not here to shatter your dreams, my friend. Nor did I come to hold you back. You've done that enough for yourself. If you wish to become the "Peasant's Champion", as you've called it, so be it. Lead the peasants, Jonathon. Lead them wherever it is you may be going. Lead them because you are one of them. You've always seem to lack the nobility you claimed to have walking through the XWF doors. Attacking not just weaker opponents but those of the opposite sex. I've had my encounters with at least one beauty of this organization. You specifically targeting all of them from the beginning? Where is your pride, my friend? Where is your nobility? I'm sorry to date back so far, but that is why you happened to catch my attention so quickly. After making your first few appearances, you gained the attention of Mister Loverboy. Seeing the resemblance in Loverboy to these "wenches" you're after, I can see how your debut was against him. Perhaps you could have used your wishing fountain back then, as well?

As the new "face" of the XWF now, Mister Knight. What do you you plan to do after our session? I see you mentioned the Universal Champion and myself in the same breath. Do you wish to reach new heights and take the XWF back from this... whatever it is that Shade's is doing? It sounds like a noble thing to do. In fact, it would be the first noble thing I've seen you done since you've claimed your nobility. Hanging out in dark alleys and in pharmacies looking for trouble sounds like trouble to me, Mister Knight. What were you doing in that pharmacy anyway? You seem like a healthy young lad. Were you picking up a prescription for your mother, perhaps? A friend? Maybe a prescription for some anxiety medicine because I know you're sweating all of this. Well, as your doctor, I don't remember prescribing you anything. Don't tell me you've once again fallen to peer pressure. Tell me you haven't given into any more evils beyond what you've already displayed. From your actions, I do not see the new "face" of the company at all. I see something even lower than the poor man you subdued in that very pharmacy you occupied. You can try your best to cover up what you're truly about here, Jonathon. But you should know already that I can see through you. Even through your shining armor. Make a wish, my friend.

The Doctor stands up from the fountain and begins walking away. He stops at once and sniffs the air. He looks around a bit and looks to the sky as if expecting something to fall. He shrugs it off and continues down the street.

Doctor D'Ville- Not to make you feel somewhat left out again Jonathon, but you're of course not the only one I've been watching. The man standing in the third corner is not one to shrug off, as well. Wyatt Reynolds. The man who gave me this.

The Doctor rips open his shirt to reveal the scarred, burnt tissue. Still it plainly reads: "In Wyatt I Trust" in burnt markings across his chest.

Doctor D'Ville- Mister Reynolds, I mentioned your history to me here is a mystery to me, unless you'd like to share a short life story with us as Jonathon did. But I do remember your return came a bit prematurely at one point. You approached the XWF roster offering your services to take down, beat down, or even completely remove someone for a price. And looking back, I can relate to you, because you were not taken seriously one bit. All you happen to show me was how your south upbringing has turned you into a blabbering bigot with a destructive nature. Adver--

The Doctor's train of thought seems to derail as his face turns blank and his spins around 180 degrees to the body of water behind him. The way his did so was as if someone was sneaking up or standing behind him. He peers offshore to a large boat that blows it's horn on it's way by the isle. Drawn to it, he begins to walk towards it.

From such a great distance, the Doctor can barely make out a little girl standing on the edge of the boat. The Little Girl cradles a doll back and forth in her arms as she stares at the Doctor as the boat passes him. The Doctor watches as the Little Girl drops the doll to her side and falls face first into the water in front of her. The Doctor puffs on his cigar as he never looks away. The boat blows it's foghorn again as it sails further and further away from the isle. The Doctor scoffs a bit and returns his composure.

Doctor D'Ville- Forgive me. I just thought I saw something, is all. As I was saying, Mister Reynolds. You advertised yourself as a hitman for the XWF. Someone who can "take care" of others' problems for them. After no one took you seriously, you remained absent for several weeks until you and I met face to face last week. After branding it into my chest, I see you're still standing by your message. "In Wyatt I Trust".

I am a bit curious why you've chosen the doctor as a martyr for this message. Would you have still targeted me if I was opening the show? Or was the end of the event, the closing moments your target. If it was Vinnie Lane, or perhaps even, the Universal Champion in the Main Event, would you have chosen them instead? If so, Shade's should feel as if he dodged a bullet then, since he believes I don't belong there. If you wish for the lime light, my friend, I'd gladly step aside for you. I didn't ask to be on top, I simply just fell into place here.

Then again, I could be wrong. You could just be out on a tangent. But speaking of trying to reclaim what you've once had here... Sounds bit familiar, does it not? I believe the Universal Champion is trying to do the same thing with the power he's filled in his head after winning the title. Reaching out to nearly all of us at once, trying to fend of cash-ins that were threatened to him. I know we've had a few discussions before, Mister Shades. And I know you find me no where near fit to compete with you. In fact, so far I've noticed you've found no one here near good enough to compete with you. Don't use my lack of time in the XWF as inexperience, my friend. As a champion you should know better than to look no further than these wrinkles and old body that you've steadily continued to mock. Your triumph was built on a strategy. A strategy of manipulation. You reentered the company after a long absence. You disguised yourself and called upon help from the outside to assist you in winning the title. And I must give you credit, because it did work. Now, after being rejected several times, you changed your outlook as a champion. You go on everyday and choose your battles, or avoid them for the most part. It never mattered to me how often you defended the Universal Title. And it never mattered to me what type of bargain you wished to present in exchange for your security. If I want to come after you, my friend, I will. And if you wish to hear a reason why you think I deserve a shot at the title, well, I do currently have a title shot in my back pocket. How the officials choose to use it is solely up to them. In fact, the title in which I will receive a shot at it is still a mystery to even me. But, just food for thought, I suppose.

The Doctor reaches the edge of a pier after walking some distance. A small ship approaches the dock from the main land to ferry any person or vehicle to and from the isle. he waits patiently for the empty ship to arrive and boards. Only one day remains before the Doctor's next session. Whether it be vengeance on his mind or whether he's put it aside for the sake of his session, the Doctor is ready.


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*Song "Green Sleeves" performed by Sebastian Boutin Blomfield via YouTube.