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Shawn Warstein · (04-24-2020)

Engulfed by darkness, the last thing I can recall was her soft lips on my forehead. The sound of voice echoing in my head, on repeat.

“Don’t Worry, I’ve got you.”

Over and over, like a calming mantra. There was so much said between the two of us, it makes me wonder why she’s here at all. After everything I put her through. From Jules, to Jacob and not knowing where we stand. Are we even a ‘WE’ anymore? I had this grandiose idea of what we were or are, and I fucked it up. When we last left off, to say the ground wasn’t shaky would be a lie, but she’s here.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”

It is fitting isn’t it? It brings me back to the first night it was just her and I alone. Away from the prying eyes of stardom. The bench, at the carnival. The moon hanging high above illuminating just enough light to see the sincerity in her eyes as I get lost in them for the first time and the cadence of crickets singing their songs in the silence of the night allowing us to be with our thoughts. Ever since that night, I’ve been chasing that feeling. There were no fights. There were no exes. There were no doubts. It was just the two of us and I’d do anything to get that back.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”

A phrase I’ve said to her, and now it’s her who is protecting me. Why? Dreamwalking is perfectly safe, a few concoctions, some illegal others not so much and you’re good to go. Full control of your dreams. Ever since I gained the Universal title, an uneasy feeling came over me. A bit of imposter syndrome crept into the back of my head. The plan had worked, but at what cost? What is the cost to my sanity? What of the cost of my friends? Was I even worthy of her affection anymore? It’s no wonder to anyone why in my dreamwalk I would end up in Ancient Greece, even if it was a bastardized version. There’s a reason why I’m trying to climb Olympus. It’s to get to her again. It’s to show that I am worthy. To show that I’m not going to give up on US. To show myself that what I’m feeling wasn’t lust, or some fleeting construct. It was something else.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

Have you ever gotten that feeling deep in your stomach that something just isn’t right? Deep down you just have the feeling that something or someone is manipulating situations to better themselves? All I know is that by now this little escapade of mine should’ve ended, but I can’t seem to get out. I’ve tried… Oh how I’ve tried. Yet all I get is a quick glimpse of her, and then I end up...

I open my eyes, as a ringing in my head crescendos. My eyes take a moment to adjust to the sunlight. Thanassi is sitting calmly against a rock, and perks up when my eyes open. As I glance around my surroundings, the ground is still torn up, as cracks run from the entrance of the cave to where we are sitting. I try to stand up.

“Arrrgggghhh.” Struggling to lift myself, my arms shake and quiver. Thanassi runs up and helps lift me to my feet. “Where did he go?” A puzzled expression comes over Thanassi’s face.

“Who are you talking about?” I glanced over to Thanassi and snarled.

“The asshole that did this..” Extending my hands over the terrain. “The guy who left me there battered and bruised. The one with the skull for a face…” Thanassi pondered the question for a moment and eventually relented.

“Just follow the path of destruction.” He points off towards the horizon. Destruction was right, trees were broken, the ground looked as if it was tilled. “He left not that long ago. He was poking you and then just lost interest and decided to rampage down the road. Mumbling something about not getting why he wanted.”

“That’s strange…” I crack my neck, and shrug. “Well then…. looks like we are going hunting.” Thanassi’s head falls backwards and takes a deep breath.

“Are you sure that’s what you want to do? I mean look at all the damage he did without batting an eye…” I glance around the area and pat Thanassi on the shoulder. As I head down the path of destruction, Thanassi hangs his head and follows behind. I look over my shoulder with a smug grin.

“What the fuck else are we going to do?”

————————Several Hours Later————————-

We approach an opening in the woods. I slowly raise a hand as a signal to slow down. A loud commotion is heard echoing the alcove in the woods. The two of us slowly walk to the edge of the tree line, and lean next to some trees to get a view of what’s happening.

A few men in what seems to be soldiers fear surround the Skull faced man as he breathes heavily with his head down. Then one of the men thrust kicks him in the side of the head, sending him flying towards the ground. Before he could get up, the Skull faced man is dragged back up onto his knees. He spits out some blood on the ground, as it seeps into the soil he laughs.

“Mere mortals…” A quick labored cough. “You can’t kill me…”

Without warning the sky became black, and an omnibus horn blared through the area. A low rumbling was heard, and then a cloud of dust from the other side of the opening began to rise over the horizon. A chariot covered in gold embellishments rocked down the narrow pathway, being drawn by two white horses. Behind that chariot there were a few more all just as ornate as the lead chariot.

The convoy stops at the soldiers, and they form a circle around them. Only one door opens and as soon as this person's foot touches the soil all the soldiers bow and kneel. He smiles and looks at the Skull Faced man. He draws his sword and places the blade on his shoulder.

“What were you saying about mortals?’

Yet another labored cough, and he spits on his foot. THe blood is thicker than the spit itself at this point. The man just laughs and shakes his foot.

“Close but that’s not going to get the job done.” The man raises his sword high into the air. That’s when I saw it. A glowing red orb on the hilt of the blade. Radiating, calling to me. I reach into my pocket and pull out the blue orb, and it’s once again active. Glowing bright, and pulsating. I look up at the blade again as the orb gets brighter.

“I am ACHILLES, the greatest warrior to walk this land. You have been charged with heresy against the Gods, and sentenced to die.” Achilles holds the blade up towards the sky. “Have any last words?” The Skull faced man looks up at him with a smirk, and then slowly turns his head towards Thanassi and I and nods his head.

“Actually I d….”

Before he could finish his statement Achilles swings his sword down. As if it wasn’t even a struggle the sword cuts the head of the Skull Faced man clean off. The head falls to the ground first, and then the body slumps over and lands with a thud nest to it.

“Search him…” Achilles wipes the blade off and begins to get back into the chariot. “If he came from the cave he’s got the orb. If not, just dispose of him.” All of the chariots pull away save for one. The soldiers begin to search the body.

“Come on let's go check it out…” As I slowly stepped out into the opening, Thanassi grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back.

“Did you just see what happened?” He explained with a look of worry on his face.

“Yeah, but that guys gone…” That’s when I felt it. The tap on my shoulder. As I turned around I had a huge smile on my face.“You see what had happened was…” A quick blow to my temple and I was out cold.

Only to be awoken by the rocking of the chariot and the clomping of the hooves of horses against the ground. I peer out of a small hole and lean my forehead against the wall.

“What is it with this fucking place? One three steps forward, then two backwards. Sure I’ve still moved forward but not nearly as much as I should’ve. And that’s the point I guess. No matter what I do, or how I do it, someone somewhere will have something to say about it.” I slowly lift my head off of the wall and lean back in an effort to get more comfortable. “Right? It took Carnes all of en minutes after the show to open his fucking mouth. I didn’t do it the right way? Who is to say what the right way is? I won the EXACT way I told you I was going to. I said I was going to pin Grif and send the two of you on your merry little way. I’d like to think I was honorable in that aspect. I’m nothing if not a man of my word, and I stuck to them like the infallible king that I am.”

“Sure I know that I have flaws. Atty and I argue about stupid shit. I may or may not use some recreational drugs occasionally, and I even dare I say it….drink alcohol. Minor flaws, but nothing compared to the flawless Calvary.” A quick head nod.“Yes that’s who has been lined up for me this week on Savage. As if I don’t have enugh to worry about with War Games right around the corner, but now I’ve got to deal with this fucking guy.”

“The literal moral compass for this company. The guy who couldn’t get it done over on Anarchy, so he decided to step his toe in over here. Well here’s a little lesson for everyone out there. When it comes to Anarchy, I NEVER lost a single match on that shit show. I was the show, and now that I’m gone what’s happened to it? Calvary gets a shot at the title and loses. Alas this is the XWF we are talking about, so he FAILED upward.” In an exasperated tone I continue. “ That’s just the mantra here. Hell I’m guilty of it, that’s how I got the X title, and ran with it for as long as I did. So it does make some sense, but going from what is essentially a title that is lower than the Federweight title, to the top title in the company is a bit ludicrous.”

“Honestly I’m not even completely sure this isn’t just some sort of sick joke being played on me. THe guy who stands for everything right in the world, being put into a Hell in the Cell with me. This has to be some sort of rib against me, and when I show up on Saturday everyone will get a big laugh and I’ll get the night off.” Once again I peek out the hole and look back.“I could really use a night off too. I mean being at the top of the food chain is tiresome. Once again I will do what is best not only for myself, but the company as a whole. I will show up to go to war at Savage. Yet I have to make it known to Calvary just like Achilles in the great lore…”

“He knew he was going to war to lose and was willing to make that sacrifice…” The chariot comes to a sudden halt knocking my head against the side of the wall. “Are you?”

The door I was apparently leaning on opened up, as I tumbled out of the chariot landing on the ground. It takes my eyes a moment to adjust to the sunlight, but there Achilles was standing over me, with his sword drawn and pointing right at my neck, as the camera fades.

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