Sunday, September 21st, 2025

…

…hnnnnnnn…ehhhhhhhhh…

”e h auz oun im! O, UICK!”

…

…hnnnnnnn…ehhhhhhhhh…

…

Hurts… Fuuuuuuuuuuuck.

”ster, s rry ea e ay! is ask, omeo ak is ask ff!”

”EAV IT! ELP ME!”

…

Voices, echoing so loud in Flynn...

…’Graves’...

…

…Whatever.

Voices reverberating so loud in his head…

Like echoing screams along a thin pass between two impossibly close cave walls…

As if, for a moment, he would be trapped between them.

…Then, as if the walls begin to part, the echoes began to subside…

And the voices became clearer.

”OhGodOhGodOhGod…” Miss Furry panics, pressing a wet rag onto the top of his head. ”It just keeps coming…” She lifts it off… and he recognizes he couldn’t feel its presence, nor its absence as she peeled it away.

…He can see it’s… absolutely soaked in red.

”GO TO THE HALLWAY! GRAB A BUNCH! KEEP SWITCHING THEM!” A louder, authoritative voice shouts… betraying a level of stress, anger, and impatience at who he’s woring with at this critical moment. ”We need to keep pressure applied! MOVE!”

…Suddenly, a darkness blots out his pinhole view…

”Master Graves, I’m so sorry! I should’ve… Or… If that coward Flynn ever came to the ring to protect you!”

”MOOOOOOOOVE! GET OUTTA HERE!”

The darkness passes… And a door swings open… And clicks closed.

…

”*pheeeeeeew*... you’re okay, sir. I know you are. I know it, I know it… I know it.”

…

Somewhere in the room, the sound of quick work… bandages being torn, water being run…

”You’ve bounced back from beatings twice this bad, Mister Flynn! You’ve come back from the dead! You’re fine, you’re fine, you’re fine…”

The figure approaches a little closer just as his eyes get a little more focus to them…

A small, gangly nerd with thick glasses works with a smile on his face…

”You can recover if conditions are right! If I don’t let you down right now. And I’d never let myself let you down.”

…The image gets a little clearer… Irwin, his #1 fan, is rapidly doing everything he can to keep Flynn’s head from splitting in two like an overripe watermelon.

Irwin chews through a surgical thread, sewing… something at the top of Flynn’s skull shut.

…

”It’s you and me, Mister Flynn. I’ve stuck by your side through worse than this. I’m not going anywhere…”

…Irwin’s hands weave quickly, rapidly bandaging Flynn’s skull…

”I can’t let you down, I can’t, I can’t, I CAN’T.”

…

”Stay in it, Mister Flynn. I’ll find you in there, I promise, I promise, I promise.”

”...ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…”

”...Mister Flynn?”

Flynn feels a warmth on his hand.

”Squeeze if you can hear me. Hard as you can, sir!”

…Flynn tries to think about where his hand and squeezing it…

…His forehead strains… oh fuck, even thinking about moving gives him a splitting headache.

”C’mon, sir, you can do it.”

…He squeezes.

”There he is. Hang in there, sir.”

”...good soldier…”

---

Thursday, September 25th, 2025

”Over here, sir. This way.”

”Calm down, Irmano! I know my way around my own workplace… ”

”Of course, sorry, Mister… ‘Graves’.”

Flynn ‘Graves’ walks through the back… a slight limp in his right leg.

A slight of duct tape holds together the two halves of the mask that Corey punched in half with brass knuckles.

…’Graves’ gets to an intersection. Three routes ahead of him.

…

He squints… He turns left… Then, he turns right.

…Then, he stops, surveying his options…

Irwin catches up beside him.

”The medical staff’s office is to the right, sir.”

‘Graves’ grumbles. ”I KNEW THAT. NOT A FUCKIN’ INVALID.”

”Of course not, sir.”

”...razzafrazzastupidfuckinhallway…” ‘Graves’ grumbles as he takes the route to the right.

---

Inside the Medical Staff Office

”Okay, so…” ‘Graves’ squeezes his head, sitting up on the table… ”Furry was there… she was trying to apply pressure to my skull.”

”Ugh… yes…” Irwin sighs exasperatedly, remembering the moment, as he unwraps ‘Graves’’s skull, a new bunch of bandages ready to replace him. ”She… didn’t harm you. I should be more patient with her. The Union is about all of our contributions, right, sir?”

”Hrm.” ‘Graves’ grunts affirmatively. ”She seemed terrified.” ‘Graves’ chuckles. ”...And where was Parkor? Was he still knocked-out from Corey diving on him?”

”Actually, no! We all got you to the back as a team… and then Parkor took off the mask, saw all the blood, passed out right there.” Irwin exhales. ”I had to explain to the medical staff when they started examining Peter, that he wasn’t the one in need of medical attention.”

”Heheheheh.” ‘Graves’ giggles, before squeezing his ribs in pain. ”What a dream team.”

”You certainly know how to pick ‘em, sir.” Irwin finishes wrapping new bandages around ‘Graves’’s skull.

…’Graves’ smacks Irwin’s shoulder. ”I sure as hell do.” ‘Graves’ grins at Flynn’s number one fan. ”If it weren’t for you, they’d still be pickin’ bits of my skull out of Hotlanta.”

…Irwin beams briefly, before resuming an air of humility, unscrewing the cap of a water bottle, handing it over… ”Just doing my job as your assistant, sir.”

”Oh, come off it, Ir-dawg.” ‘Graves’ chuckles, as he takes a sip. ”At this point, I’ve tried to sell your soul, gotten you thrown in prison… enlisted you to help save twenty-some-odd children from head-exploding Saw Traps… We’ve fought an insane rogue North-Korean cyborg…”

Irwin raises his eyebrows acknowledging the many adventures they’ve gone on. ”Well, you were trying to do good for… well, half of those times. It was the noble thing to do.”

”But that’s the thing, Irwinner! You’re explicitly *not* noble! You fuckin’ HATE good guys!”

…Irwin sighs. ”I really do. Anybody out here calling themself a good guy is the scum of the Earth.”

…

Irwin blushes, politely bowing his head. ”Er, no offense, sir.”

”Ehhhhh, none taken.”

“It’s just… I feel I’m much more of a ‘henchman’ than a ‘sidekick’.”

”But, even so, you stuck with me! Doing sidekick shit! Hell, doing HERO shit! I was exploring the other side of the ‘good-evil’ spectrum, pissing off as many people as I did while heel-ish… and you were with me every step of the way.”

”Well, as your assistant…”

”Oh, shuddup, Irwin. An assistant clocks in and out. You’ve been by my side, 24/7/365.” ‘Graves’ finishes another sip. ”At this point, we’re friends.”

…

”...Really?” …Irwin’s face reddens, as a crooked, goofy smile spreads across his face. “You consider me your friend?”

‘Graves’ lifts his water bottle in toast. ”Hell yeah, Irwin!”

…Irwin, desperately wanting to be in this moment, grabs a water bottle and taps its against ‘Graves’’s bottle. They both sip, ‘Graves’ finishes his, tossing it away…

”So! Mister… ‘Graves’!” Irwin grins, ear-to-ear! ”The same night your… ‘colleague’, Mark Flynn, is inducted to the Hall of Legends… YOU become the first-ever XWF star to hold a belt for a whole year!” Irwin tilts his bottle to ‘Graves’ like he’s conducting an interview. ”What’s next for you?”

”What’s next?!?” ‘Graves’ snatches the bottle, entering the improv of an interview with Irwin. ”WE GO ‘ROUND THE SUN AGAIN, THIS BELT STAYING AROUND MY WAIST LIKE THE MOON ORBITS THIS BIG BLUE MARBLE!

I beat Atty ‘til they quoth the Ravens nevermore!

I 86 Mister XXXVI!

I nix Hixx!

I beat Summer in the spring!

I cut Razor down to size!

With how Smith-heavy my recent booking schedule's been, I beat Corey fourteen more times between now and NEXT Relentless…”

‘Graves’ tucks the bottle under his chin, ready to finish the ‘promo’... “And I become the first ever competitor to hold an XWF title for TWO STRAIGHT Y-”

Swip! As he lifts the bottle, it falls through his grip, seemingly leaping out of his hands.

Immediately, Irwin’s face returns to one of calm duty. ”I’ll get that, sir.”

‘Graves’ looks down at his right hand. There’s a visible tremor, his fingers disobedient as he attempts to concentrate holding them in place.

”...That’s… interesting.”

…

”Where’s NK?”

Irwin stands up with his rag, having cleaned up the spill quickly. ”Furry’s bringing him here.”

”...He didn’t see anything in Atlanta, did he?”

Irwin shakes his head. ”Absolutely not. He stayed asleep throughout match and… afterwards as well.”

”...Good.” ‘Graves’ nods. ”Good.”

That moment, a very familiar doctor walks in.

Doctor Dickbag

”Heeeeeey! There he is!” ‘Graves’ grins, shooting out a finger gun, like he’s seeing an old friend.

And not the man who told him he wished he were dead.

…The doctor turns around and is… visibly uncomfortable.

”What’s wrong, Doc? Think I won’t play the violin again?”

…The doctor purses his lips, before stepping forward.

”Uh… Mister… ‘Graves’... I made some comments, at our last visit that were… unbecoming of a medical professional. I’d just like to say… I’m s-”

”Feh. Water under the bridge.” ‘Graves’ shrugs.

…DD eyes ‘Graves’.

”Well. If you’d like, I can ask a colleague of mine to conduct your concussion test. Or simply recuse myself and allow another medical staffer to examine you. I don’t want you to feel like there’s bias or mal-”

”Doc, if I demanded the XWF kick everybody that didn’t like me out of whatever room I was in… I’d be walkin’ through lot of empty rooms.” ‘Graves’ grins. ”And I’d wrestle in front of an empty arena!”

”Heheh, good one.”

‘Graves’’s face lights up! ”Heeeeeey, got a laugh out of you! That’s gotta mean I’m concussion-free, right?”

DD politely smiles, before referring to his chart. ”Sorry, Mister ‘Graves’. Unfortunately, I still have to deliver my test.”

”I see two fingers!” ‘Graves’ interrupts, before smiling and waving the doctor on. ”Sorry, go on, Doc. Hit me with your best shot.”

”Yes, you know the dr-”

…scrtch scrtch scrtch….

”...Is someone clawing at my door?”

DD opens it up. Furry is outside scratching the door with one hand.

In her other hand? Is NK!

”EYYYYY! MY BOY!”

…

”Er, Flynn’s boy. Who has become very dear to me.”

”Excellent save, sir.” Irwin pats ‘Graves’’s shoulder, before retracting his hand.

”Finally!” Furry retracts her claws. ”Master! Flynn’s spawn is healthy and happy! I only hope having one fewer thing to weigh on your troubled mind, as you steer our revolutionary ship, like a proud lion leading his pride… Increased your ability to heal ten-hold!”

Furry gently hands over NK into ‘Graves’’s hands.

”Papa.” NK grabs ‘Graves’’s mask from his lap, trying to pull it down. ”Papapapapapa…”

”No, that’s Master Graaaaaaaves!” Furry slowly tries to teach NK… ”Maaaaaaster Graaaaaaaaaves.”

”Papaaaaaaa.” NK grins ear-to-ear, looking into the Dark Warrior's eyes.

”Hehehe…” ‘Graves’ bounces the boy on his knee as he giggles.

…

Irwin suddenly squeezes his nose, taking off his glasses.

”Gettin’ dusty in here, Ir-dawg?” ‘Graves’ snorts. ”Cat dander in the air?”

”Not me! I just shed!”

Irwin takes a deep breath, before resuming his stoic expression. ”No, I’m sorry, I’m just… thinking about my dad.”

”Oh. Ohhhhhh.” ‘Graves’ puts pieces together… Irwin getting a little emotional. Hospitals. NK… ”Is he sick or something?”

”...Sir, he died when I was young? In a fire? I’ve told you that a bunch of times.”

”...Riiiiiiiiight. I remember that.” ‘Graves’ lied.

”I’m just… I’m glad NK gets so much time with his dad.” Irwin wipes under his eyes.

”...Master Graves isn’t this child’s father?” …Furry looks over at Irwin confused. ”And here I thought Master Graves was the one being a head injury!”

”Er… dad slash… dad’s… colleague. Similar… area.”

…

”Welp. Gang’s all here and we’re wasting your time. Let’s get at ‘er, Doc!”

The Doctor nods, and raises his hand.

”How many fingers am I holding up?”

‘Graves’ smiles and looks at the hand.

…

……

His brow furrows…

His eyes… *try* to lock onto the Doctor’s fingers.

…But they seem to slip off. Like they trail past their intended target…

As if they're out of his control...

Four… no, two… no, one.

...Maybe... what if I look at his hand... I'll see what he's *not* holding...

'Graves' tries to peer downward... but even the doctor's hand is... blurry... Not even blurry just... slippery... It's there one second, then 'Graves''s eyes trail somewhere else...

‘Graves’ blinks, trying to clear his mind… As he tries to focus, a migraine sets in. His brain screaming from inside his skull, trying to perform the simplest fucking task, C’MON FLYNN…

”...c’mon… goddammit, c’mon…” 'Graves' mutters...

Irwin places a hand on ‘Graves’s shoulder. ”You alright, sir? Is the mask obstructing your view?”

”ehhh, fuck off, Irwin, I can see ju-”

Three. Irwin scratches three fingers into the back of ‘Graves’’s shoulder.

…

‘Graves’ looks down at NK.

Who smiles, as ‘Graves’ bounces him. Holding him tight under the arms.

…For a moment.

He thinks about dropping the bottle.

What if his grip gets worse?

What if he can’t hold his son?

…

……

”Three.”

”Phew…” DD smiles, as he drops his hand. ”For a second there, I th-”

”Is what you’re holding.”

…

”What if that’s not what I see?”

…

---

Breaking News: ‘Micheal Graves’ is vacating the XWF Anarchy Title. After injuries sustained after his most recent title defense, becoming the first ever competitor to hold an XWF title for over one calendar year, ‘Graves’ has been determined not medically cleared to compete.

What does this mean for the Anarchy Title? Tune in October 9th on Thursday Night Anarchy to find out!!!