---

Alexander had done it "by hook or by crook", to coin a phrase from the legendary Bret Hart. Hart was not only a man Aries had idolized growing up but little known fact was that Owen, Bret's younger brother, had trained our hero. That's right. He was a graduate of the Hart Dungeon.

At the young age of ten, Aries was already carrying out "hits" in his personal life for an unknown benefactor and using the money to get lessons from "The Black Hart". The two had become close over this time, like an uncle/nephew relationship. Needless to say, Owen's death at OTE 99' had hit Aries hard.

Hell, he attended the funeral of his "sensei", where he met his future wife, whose father became his benefactor. Even as he won his first pro match, it would never eclipse that one day.

But still, imagine that not only you are a young up and coming superstar. Imagine you've plied your craft in the independents, for over eight years. Then imagine the crowd's reaction and that feeling it gives you inside as you feel the cameras upon you. Imagine it.

Just imagine.

---

XWF Network Exclusive

Scene fades in backstage. Aries' music can still be heard in the background as the camera catches him bursting through the red X in the curtain covering the entrance to the stage. His hair is matted down with sweat and water as he chugs filtered spring water from his Legend of Zelda water bottle and pours it on himself, letting out a loud yell.

"Woo! I did it!"

The young man celebrated as if he had won the Superbowl, high giving uneasy stage hands and road agents. They were older, wearing XWF t-shirts, and eye balling the British Canadian. The Straight Edge Assassin looked at the men and women and snapped at them.

"What?!"

It was then that a young lady with short pixie cut red hair walked onto the scene with Aries, who spent twenty seconds just checking himself out in a mirror. Let me reiterate that, he checked himself out the whole time the hot ginger, no relation, introduced herself.

"Hello XWF Universe! Michelle McGrath here, and I'm going to get a post match interview with none other than "The Straight Edge Assassin" Alexander Aries!"

Booooooo! The fans had their own opinion of OUR hero, folks.

"Mister Aries ..."

She was promptly ignored as Aries posed in front of the mirror.

"Ummm...Mister Aries..."

Aries narrowed his eyes, the stagehands moving away from the location. The young woman looked up at Aries from her four feet eight inches of height and he stared back at her. Slowly, Aries lips curled upwards.

"You must want an autograph."

"Ummm...no...actually..."

His grin faded.

"Well you're not gonna suck my cock, ya groupie. So get up off of your knees. I'm married."

"Oh god, no!"

"I'm in journalism class in school, and Mister Oaktree is lettinge interview one of the Madness superstars for my final! My mame is Michelle McGrath and..."

He arched a brow, the camera zoomed in on our hero's handsome face. Then it zoomed out and he addressed Michelle respectfully and professionally.

"Good to know you are not just some harlot like the rest of the women of the XWF."

"Well...true. But should you really be talking about the women of the XWF and the CCWF like that? After all, you just had a hard fought back and forth battle with Oni Kimyku!"

He tilted his head, as if confused.

"Who?"

"Oni Kimyku! The lady wrestler you just beat in your first ma-"

Aries stopped her, and nodded.

"-Oh yeah! The glorified nail tech ninja bitch!"

"Yeah, I beat her. Fair and square, all by myself. Let me tell you something, it felt amazing Michelle. All this work I've done in the independents and it finally pays off. Know what I mean, eh"

Michelle looked confused for a moment as she looked into the eyes of a man who definitely believed his own rhetoric. Michelle however was always taught that "honestly" is the best policy. Which lead to her confronting "Mister Aries" about one of his claims.

"All by yourself? But...Mister Aries, what about the interference of Hired Gun?"

"What interference? I don't recall any interference."

"Okay...well, let's take a look at the footage."

Quote:The Hired Gun jumps up and grips the head of Oni, before dropping down to the canvas and smashing her face first against the ring floor, the jumping cutter renders Oni unable to move as she lays spread eagle on the mat, The Hired Gun simply shakes his head as he notices Alexander Aries is starting to get back up to his feet, the referee too is beginning to stir, Aries looks at The Hired Gun questionably, who just jerks a thumb towards the limp and lifeless body of Oni, before rolling out of the ring and leaving the arena after hopping the barricade once again. Aries shrugs to himself and drops down to cover the downed Oni, the referee slowly begins to make a count.

Aries grinned as we came back to the live feed, and he watched himself pin the incompacitated Oni. The way he was acting you would think that he had just won the Universal Title. Before Michelle could speak again, before she could draw a breath, Aries stated very smoothly.

"Did you see her face crash into the bloody mat with that Aries Effect? And look at that airtime!"

"Ummm...I saw the Hired Gun hit Money Talks."

"Nooooo. That is so not what happened, love. See right there? See how the back of her head hit the mat so hard? I kicked the bird in the chin so hard it knocked her backwards and the back of her head smacked the mat!"

"Come on, Shelly!"

Michelle eyed Aries who chuckled.

"That was a package piledriver from Hired Gun! You know this, the fans know this, everyone knows this! Now come on and fess up, Alex!"

Alex laughed his ass off and slapped his knee, the firey little ginger becoming a source of amusement for him. He knew the score. He knew that he was playing his role in this world of sports entertainment. He truly believed that he'd won that match with a combination of a superkick and his Aries Effect. Which, by the way, is better than "Welcome to Seoul". Just saying.

"Michelle, my dear, you must be like all college students. Up all night, cramming for finals. Eating your Pringles, having Bois over. Probably drinking coffee or...maybe...smoking crank?"

"What?! No! I mean yes, I drink coffee but I don't do drugs!"

He eyed her sternly.

"Caffeine is a drug too, Michelle. Staying up all night hocked up on your PixiStix and your Caffeine, playing your video games and studying. Ya know, Michelle, that's why I won. Because I don't do drugs and stay up all night. But you, you're hallucinating, young woman. But that's okay. There is help for addiction!"

She shook her head, seething.

"I. Know. What. I. Saw."

"Yup. You do. You saw me beat Oni and get my hand raised. There was no Hired Gun or whatever anywhere near this match. Okay?"

He patted her on the head like she was a puppy.

"I..."

"Shhhhh. Go home and get some rest, Michelle. You need it, you're getting cranky. I'm gonna go celebrate my win with a nice cold glass of hormone free organic milk and get a good night's sleep! Oh, and a shower would be nice but I barely broke a sweat dominating Oni."

Aries chuckled as he walked on past an angry young ginger, who just shook her head as she looked into the camera.

"Back to Brain and JR at ringside...I guess..."

---

In Conclusion

Roddy Piper once said that "Whenever they think they have all the answers, I change the questions." Having seen Aries' first performance, people thought he was just one of those guys who comes on and talks about how great he is. But you see, he has proven that he can go and as you can see he won. He truly believes in what he is saying. The performance and following interview has raised new questions. Did he know that CCWF's Hire Gun would be interfering in his match? Why didn't he call the women of CCWF whores yet he was quick to insult the women of XWF?

There are so many questions to be answered. Stay tuned. Same Straight Edge time, Same Straight Edge channel.