“You failed to answer me!” Melissa screeched at the old priest. “I said what in God’s holy name is HE doing here!?”

I stood up, with a single hand out, I took a deep breath and composed myself as I tried to calm the situation.

“I am here to find out about my family, our family’s past…”

A tear rushed down her burning red face…

“How dare you refer to them as our family! Our family! You ripped this family apart. It’s never been your family! You’re a sadistic, murdering coward, who never paid for his actions. I heard about what you did to my father and my brothers. How could you do such a thing!? HOW COULD YOU!”

She rushed towards me, and she smacked me on the chest repeatedly with closed fists. I stood still, not saying a word as she fell to her knees in tears.

“I know I shouldn’t get involved, but perhaps this conversation should be had elsewhere… God’s home is not for a family dispute.”

I turned and looked at him, and shrugged my shoulders.

“There is no conversation to be had.”

She turned to walk away but my words caught her in her tracks.

“You think you had it hard do you Melissa? You think it was tough for you? Losing your father when you did? You’re not the only one who’s lost their father you know. I lost mine the day that I was born…”

A tear trickled down my cheek.

She stared at me. Her cheeks were red, her fists were clenched, and she cried. Her long brown locks were smooth and wavy, unlike the rugged curls I used to wear. Her face was symmetrical other than the tiniest beauty spot next to her right eyebrow. She wore a white shirt, blue jeans and Nike trainers. Her face was rather plain, but her teeth were pearls, perfectly aligned. Which is more than I could say for the majority of Brits.

“I… I…It still doesn’t make what you did anymore right. You’re a murderer, and you don’t belong in this town!”

She roared before exiting the church, I pursued her to the gate, where she had stopped and waited. She looked me up and down.

“I don’t know why, but seeing you has filled me with an anger I have never experienced before.”

“I’m your brother.”

“You’re no brother of mine.”

She walked off, despite me trying to reason with her. I wasn’t going to give chase any longer.

Father John had also followed.

“She might come around eventually. She comes to the church quite a lot, and as you know we preach forgiveness.”

“I’m not so sure she will ever forgive this though, John,” I still refused to call him father, even though I know he longed for it, I think it gave him a certain idea of importance. But in reality, he was just like the rest of us. Another clump of molecules that would eventually disintegrate into the earth. By the way, I realise that you probably think my outlook on life is slightly depressing, but I see it as enlightening, because every single day is an achievement for me.

“Maybe not. But all you can do is ask for forgiveness. When the wounded see those who damaged them, they are bound to be filled with the Lord’s fury. Forgiveness takes time, as does healing. Your face has opened old wounds. Ahem. Ahem. Ahem.”

“How old are you?”

“Oh too old. 86 if you must know.” To be fair he didn’t look a day over 70, and he acted even younger. Although he was slow, he still had a touch of energy and life about him. He was not the walking corpse that most 86 year olds were.

“Okay.”

“Why?”

“It doesn’t matter. What matters is whether I can get my sister to at the very least speak to me.”

I shook John’s hand and bid him farewell, I had to think of a way of making my sister at least listen.

---

---

---

The screen pans open to see me, the King Slayer, the Psycho Sensation, sat in a classic studio. You know the type. Red carpet, lots of cameras, large black chairs. And opposite sat me one of the most lovable idiots in XWF history. Steve Sayors.

“Thank you for coming Steve. This is your first live interview since your return to the XWF, and I have some questions that the public want answering. You’re an XWF legend, a former Universal Champion, a former THREE time Xtreme Champion, a former Television Champion, and also a former briefcase holder. Tell me, how does it feel to be back?”

“Well thank you for that kind of introduction, and I suppose when you list it all out like that, my career seems better than it perhaps has been. I’ve also been embarrassed. Beaten. Bruised. Bloodied. And I have also been entertaining. Destructive. Glorious. This business is cruel to be kind, and I have suffered more than most. But now, now I am happy to be back where I belong. I am happy to be competing at High Stakes because this is where I belong.”

“I couldn’t agree more Steve, now I am not sure if you remember your match at the first High Stakes, where you were unfortunately defeated by Unknown Soldier. Of course, anyone watching that match will remember that you were screwed out of the Xtreme Championship, in what was an exhilarating ladder match that also consisted of Franklin Fresh, and XWF legend Luca Arzegotti. Here are some of the highlights for you.”

Sayors points to a screen between us, I smiled.

Quote:JIM ROSS: "Wait a minute, he's gonna go for that devastating knee strike of his?! This is the same running knee that put Angelus on the shelf..."

Davids charges after Luca...

Luca turns around

and is smashed in the face by a flying knee from Davids!

JIM ROSS: "Good grief! Davids caught that Luca boy right in the side of his head with the flying knee. God damn it! That sick bastard! He might have just ended that boy's career!"

Quote:Davids continues the climb and is only an inch from touch the belt.

Davids is finally high enough and goes to grab the X-Treme Title...

But wait, the title floats upward, out of Davids' reach!

XAVIER REIGNS: "What the hell? Is this another prank?"

JIM ROSS: "Wait a minute, I think Soldier is somehow controlling the cable which the X-Treme Title is hanging from! He's using those demonic powers of his!"

XAVIER REIGNS: "Oh bullshit!"

With each step that Davids takes, the X-Treme Title is lifted higher and higher. Eventually, Davids is standing with both feet on the very top rung of the ladder but he still can't reach the title!

“And then from there, Soldier went onto win the match, how does watching that back make you feel?”

“You know what Steve. It makes me feel proud as fuck. My first singles match at a pay per view in the XWF and I took one of the greatest competitors of all time to his limits, and forced him to cheat to win. Do you know what? You’ve got me feeling slightly nostalgic and even more confident heading into this match. That flying knee might just make its return you know, because Arzegotti was folded in half for the majority of that match, and Angelus… Well Angelus tried to come back, but ultimately, I ended that man’s career, and he was a great competitor in his heyday as well. I may not have won my last ladder match at High Stakes, but I should have. And that was over four years ago, when I wasn’t half the man that I am today. I am now stronger, fiercer, more intelligent, more experienced, and even more devastating in the ring. Bearded War Pig, if you want any chance of defeating me in this match, I suggest you go back and watch High Stakes, because you’re going to need all the help you can get. You see the ladder can be used in all sorts of sickening ways, and you have no idea how to inflict pain like I do. You might well be able to hurt people when you’ve got a gun in your arms, but at High Stakes all you’ll have is your bare hands, and a ladder.”

“That being said Steve, you aren’t going into this match on good form. Admittedly, you were unfortunate not to beat Chris Chaos in your return match after Jenny Myst helped him to win, and then you did beat the Universal Champion, Gabe Reno, before Jim Caedus cashed in on him, but in that last match against Doctor D’Ville, forgive me Steve, but you didn’t look at your best.”

“Listen, Sayors. D’Ville did what he had to do to beat me, and he won. But who stood tall afterwards? Who was the one who lay on the mat while the other walked to the back fine and dandy? Him. There is no questioning the Doctor’s in ring capabilities. But one match is not the death of Steve Davids. At High Stakes, I will return to my former glory. I won’t fade into nothingness. And I swear to each and every non-existent god, that if some how, this is the end, I will go down swinging. Fire still runs through these veins, and I truly mean that. Charon is yet to say a word, and it makes him slightly mysterious going into this match, as for Bearded War Pig, well all he has done is talk about weed, partyin’, and good times. Well the good times end when I turn the War Pig into bacon. He can offer me all the beer he likes, but it’s not going to stop me from breaking his jaw at High Stakes.”

“Speaking of Charon, this is his debut match, has he got his work cut out for him?”

“Listen, I don’t know what to say about the guy, but if he doesn’t pipe up soon then I am going to lose interest in this dude real fast. And if he has nothing to say, if he thinks he’s too good to speak to Steve Davids? Well then, I am just going to have to bring his dumb head back down to earth by lifting him up and smashing him head first into a ladder. His roster page says that he is extreme, and well, there’s nothing much more extreme than fighting Steve Davids in a ladder match. Go to the commentary booth and ask Luca Arzegotti himself, I am sure he will give you an answer that involves unicorns made of glitter and ladders made of snow but if you read between the lines he will tell you that I am beyond vicious.”

“I don’t think anyone is doubting that, Steve.”

“Let me finish.”

“Sorry, sorry.”

“High Stakes is not just about Bearded War Pig and Charon. High Stakes is about each and every competitor, and I see there’s been some some uproar about my last promo. You don’t like being called out? You don’t like me suggesting that you will fall? Well deal with it. Right now, I am a lone wolf. I do not cower with the Kings or hide behind management. I am alone, but that doesn’t make me any less dangerous…Theo Pryce has made it clear he wants a match, and that is fine by me. But Theo, if you want to face me one on one, then let’s have a match. But I don’t want any of the Kings getting involved, so let’s have a steel cage match. When? Well that date we can discuss. But I said to you, I want to take your tag team belts, which is something I should never have said because I wouldn’t even really describe them as yours, they’re D’Ville’s, and you are living off others, just like you always do and always have. I want those tag team championships. It really is as simple as that. Any of you who were offended by my last promo, Mezian, Cadryn, or anyone else, if you want a fight, look no fucking further!”

I breath heavily, staring into the camera lens having lost my temper.

“Steve, I have just one more question for you. Do you think you can go on to regain the Universal Championship in your latest run in the XWF?”

“Of course I fucking can. And when I am finished throwing the Pig and Charon around the ring from ladder to ladder, I will go onto win the High Stakes battle royal, I will make the biggest statement I can, I will defeat Theo Pryce, and I will go onto win back the championship that he stole from me. And it won’t matter who the champion is. Caedus. Duke. Pryce. D’Ville. Whoever. Their reign will be over. But lastly, Pig, Charon. I pray that God has mercy on you at High Stakes… because I won’t.”

I walk out of the shot and the camera fades with Sayors looking rather stunned.

3x Xtreme Champion
1x Briefcase Holder
1x Television Champion
1x Universal Champion