There I laid in the hospital. The smell of blood and vomit permeating my senses, crusted and hardened in my nose and throat. Breathing was easier, and my vision wasn’t nearly as blurry as it was before. The humming and beeping of the monitors continue in their trance inducing cadence. The lights in the room were dimmed but not off and their buzzing added to the effects of the monitors. It was all becoming white noise at this point, it became harder and harder to keep my eyes open.

Every couple of hours a nurse would come in and check on me. They would never ask any questions, just in and out before you knew what happened. Sometimes they would check the monitors, other times change the IV drip. I was finally strong enough to open my eyes and there she was. Her long brunette hair and cold stare still as strong as ever. I smile shortly as she lifts her head up and makes eye contact.

“So how long have I been out?” My voice was weak and raspy. I attempt to sit up but my strength wasn’t quite there.

She glanced at me and just shook her head.

“You knew what you were doing didn’t you?”

“Of course. I got you here didn’t I?” She just shook her head. She knew the lengths I would go to get us back together in the same room. Since we divorced I’ve only seen her once at court. She was my everything. She was my only reason for being.

“You have always had a way with words.” She stood up and began to walk towards me. Then out of nowhere she slaps me on the top of the head. “Don’t you ever pull this shit again! Do you have any idea what you’ve put me through this week?!”

And there is was. I was out a week. I wonder how long I was dead for. Maybe that’s not the best question to ask right now.

“A whole week huh? Color me shocked that you would even think about staying this whole time. I just wonder what you were going through while I was… you know… dying. So sorry to inconvenience you, how inconsiderate of me.”

Shocked she sat back down and pulled out her phone. “Just look at everything I had to do because of you. I had to talk to all the news outlets, and let them know you’re not dead. I had to field calls from the XWF, tell them you’re fine. And then there is this guy Chris from the WG… whatever.”

Wait a minute, that’s not supposed to be there. Why is he calling me? That doesn’t make any sense. I don’t like home, he doesn’t like me, why would he be calling me?

“WGWF.”

“Whatever. He’s called like fifteen times.”

“And what did he want?”

“Didn’t ask, don’t care. You were on your literal deathbed. I don’t give a fuck what that asshat wanted!”

“That’s my girl.”

“Don’t!” I’ve heard that voice before. “You don’t get to ‘That’s my girl’ me anymore. The fact that I did all of this was because as your former business manager, I have to. Until everything this done, I still have to cover for your ass.”

“And a fine one it is, am I right?” I’ve got to try and diffuse the situation anyway I can. A little joke here shouldn’t hurt.

“Fuck You!” Well that didn’t work. “So did you see him again?”

I had completely forgotten that I told her that I’ve seen that man before. Last time he told me it just wasn’t my time and that is was a warning.

“Yeah.”

“So was this just another warning?”

“Nope. Legit this time.”

She didn’t believe me when I told her last time, but the doctors then said they didn’t know how I survived. After that she was fully convinced that is was the ferryman in purgatory to lead me to the gate. I now know that to be true, but she doesn’t know that quite yet.

“If it was so legit this time, why are you still here?” This is going to hurt like hell, but sh has to know.

“You.”

“Me?”

Her confusion wasn’t a shock.

“Yup. I knew you’d be watching the monitors. I just needed to see him again. I needed answers.” There it was, her watching over me like a guardian angel saved me.

“And if I wasn’t?”

“Dead.”

It’s hard to say that to someone. Nobody ever likes to say that they fully put their life in someone else hands, but she was the one I just knew I could.

“He was ready to take me, I told him not to underestimate your willingness to keep me alive. Even if it was for the alimony.” I look over to her and can see that she was both happy and extremely pissed off.

“Money! You think that was the reason I kept you alive? How fucking thick are you? I’ve got other clients… your fucking money means nothing to me! I kept you alive because at one point we had something. We were something. It’s not my fault you decided to throw it all away on some fucking pity party!”

The truth always hurt. Especially when it came from her. I knew that she didn’t need or want the money, the courts made that happen. She just always wanted the best for me. When I first started in this business she was there. When I left she was there. No she’s gone and I officially have nothing left.

“Pity party? Sure, that’s the reason.”

“Then tell me..”

“I had to make sure that he was wrong!”

“Really? This is all about you being right!”

“Yes. He said last time was a gimme and that next time was for keeps. Well here I am. I saw him. I talked to him. And I beat him. The Grim Fucking Reaper. Me I beat him at his own stupid game.”

“You really are stupid. It’s not a game! It’s your life you fucking imbecile!”

Truer words have never been spoken. Honestly this is what I’ve become. Someone hell bent on proving everyone wrong. They all said I couldn’t win title when I was 15. I did that. They said I’d never win the big one, I did that. They said I’d never run the place. I did that. Then the reaper says I can’t beat him. I did that.

“I only won because of you. We are a team… well were a team. I just knew that you still had my back and I could win.”

“ Yes we were a team, and this will be the last time I’m in your corner again!” I can’t tell if she serious or not, but the fact remains she’s still here.

“Thank You.”

She stares at me in bewilderment.

“Did you just thank me?”

I nod.

“Why?”

“It needed to be said. I wouldn’t have won without you. I’d be dead without you. I’m going to die without you. I just want you to know that whatever happens next, It’s not about you.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

I didn’t realize how the words coming out of my mouth were going to sound like, but they sure did sound silly at the time.

“I’m going to kill the Grim Reaper.”

“You must still be high. Just close your eyes and rest. We will talk again when you wake up.”

I wasn’t high. I was as clear as I could be. She didn’t want to think about it because it was silly. I knew it could be done, I just didn’t know how. All I needed to do was prove that he could be hurt. When there is a weakness then it can be exploited.

I slowly drifted off to sleep. The monitors still going, the lights still dim, and her still sitting there. The glow of her phone illuminating her face and I can see a stream of tears rolling down her face.

The Afterthought:

Well it’s almost that time boys and girls. War Games is right around the corner and can you smell that in the air? Do you know what that is? It’s called change, but this one smells familiar doesn’t it? No matter how much things change they will always stay the same. You were all witnesses to the War Games draft. I had thrown my hat into there and what I quickly found out was that… it was basically a pool of nobodies. Even if I wasn’t a captain of a team, I was going to outshine everyone on my team and in my match. I needed to find an out. Then like a sign from god, I was out and put into a match more fitting to myself.

I have once again weaseld my way to the main event here in the XWF. I know I’m astounded as well. I’m sure that I may have just set a record in the XWF, three different decades and I will be in the Main event of a PPV. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but I told you so. Was I expecting it to be this soon, nope, but isn’t it a sad state of affairs that I have one match back, and I somehow manage to end up in the Main Event. I know that there are some out there who are not happy that this has happened, and I can only tell you what I think, and that’s To Bad, so sad. Everyone in the back now officially needs to step up their fucking games. Before I decided to come back I sat back and I watched the XWF for a little bit and honestly I wasn’t that impressed. I saw how some just flaunted their mediocre abilities as something to be proud of, talking to you Gulliy. Or how others continue to run their mouths constantly only to not even bother showing up to the area, seriously there are a lot of you cowards out there that I couldn’t possibly be able to name them all.

I digress, the XWF allowed CCP to waltz in here, call out Raven, and boom the wheels were set in motion. I knew what I had to do, but let’s be honest getting one over on CCP wasn’t and still isn’t too difficult. The guy has basically smoked himself stupid. I know that while I’m a veteran here in the XWF, but seriously I’m only 35. I started here when I was 15, Page is about I don’t know 50. I had to break laws just to get a foot in the door and I had to claw and scratch my way to the top. I knew then what I wanted to do, now I have to ability and funds to make it happen. I love how everyone in this match it looking at James and Apex and they are going to focus on Page, and that’s fine I have no problem picking up the scraps that will be left on the table.

I’m like a hyena, I wait and wait and wait, then take the leftovers. I’m sure one of your thick brains will say, well I’m a lion, kudos for you, your ability to think and thrive under pressure is insurmountable. You see that’s where you’ll all go wrong. You’re all going to be focusing on the threats that are only present for a short amount of time. Wasting all of your energy on Page, MDK and Rage. Honestly I don’t give a fuck if you humiliate them in the middle of the ring. They aren’t going to last, I WILL. When you have long forgotten about them, there I will be standing, waiting in the shadows. Then when the time is right, I’ll emerge. You might have beaten me down and thought I was out, but there I will be. Waiting. Expecting. And as always Delivering. I want you to take them all out before me, that will make my victory so much sweeter.

Seriously people think that I want to be a part of The this team? Wrong. Just right place, right time. I don’t trust anyone in this match. Rage and Page are two sides of the same coin. Both have always shown their true allegiances to their own personal egos. MDK, I thought you were dead. Centurion has always been a coward doing anything to get himself ahead. I look at Apex, and yes while they are the Tag champs, I look at who they “choose” to defend them against and it’s laughable. Bob is no different with the Universial title, most recently I watched him give a title shot to someone who is nowhere near his caliber, just to get his numbers up. James, I don’t know what else to say. I said I didn’t want to go this route. I told you this wasn’t what I wanted, yet here we are.

Let’s get down to the brass tacks of everything. The match itself. Highly unpredictable, and nothing can be taken lightly. I look at Centurion and I see someone who is broken. Someone who has lost everything and gained nothing in the rebuild. Still as egotistical as always. Still spouting the same catchphrase that wasn’t groundbreaking then and still isn’t today. Not many of you know this but Cent and I go way back. There have been some battles between us, and guess what unlike today he actually won some of those encounters. I know color me flabbergasted as well. You see people back in my day, you know because I’m old, Cent used to be someone who was always fighting for the top prize, today he’s making an embarrassingly mild attempt at a comeback. When I showed my face here again everyone assumed I attacked Centurion. I didn’t. After his match with Jack, I was waiting for the right moment, but before that Jack attacked while the lights were down. I ran to the ring, by the time I made it to the ring Jack had already done all the damage he needed to, but when I saw Cent laying there I just knew I would be blamed for this. Luckily for me I quickly dispatched of Jack, and when I went to help Cent up the lights were up and there it was. I apologized and left. I can see that you won’t take anything I say Centurion, and that’s well deserved given everything in the past. Truly Centuion for what is about to happen to you, I apologize. Just hold your breath and wait until it’s all over, then you can continue trying to get laid over on Twitter. #GetCentLaid2019. Time will tell if Centuion will once again prevail over me, but looking at some of his current matches, I’m not going to bet on it.

Speaking of Twitter. Hello Drew. I’m really glad you have pulled yourself off of your computer long enough to hear me out. I don’t like you. I don’t respect you. Seriously I just literally a few moments ago lumped you into a group and didn’t mention you by name. That was all on purpose. I don’t see you as an individual, you are nothing more than the least memorable member of Apex. James has his Legacy, Bob has the Universial title no matter how he got it, and you…. well you’re half of… wait no… a third of the Tag Team champs. Right. A duo belt, you are ⅓ of the people holding them. I know I’m not great at math, but I think something doesn’t add up. I’m just waiting for James and Bob to realize they don’t need you and drop you faster than Noah says Cunt. You’ll have nothing left. I mean aside from all the pussy pics you post on Twitter. When it comes to weak links, you sir are the picture. It’s like when a toddler tries to fit a square peg in the round hole. It doesn’t fit, much like you on your team. You are the albatross that doesn’t make sense. You spend all of your time trying to play nice on Twitter, and have no substance. The thing that really should piss you off is simply, with a few key strokes, I pissed you off. Over the internet you were a big tough guy, but come War Games there will be no keyboard warriors. You will actually need to show me that you are worth a damn. I know what I think of you doesn’t matter, and that’s fine. Just realize that sometimes when people don’t care, it’s a weakness ready to be exploited. I know that I haven’t said anything that you haven’t heard before, and that’s fine, when the shoe fits. This may be the first and only time you and I share a ring together Drew, but know this, I’m out for blood. I out to destroy the name of Apex, and where many have failed, I will succeed. I’ve seen this a thousand times before, eventually everything will make sense.

Speaking of making sense, Bob. I know you don’t me, and could possibly not care one bit about me, but rest assure yourself, I am not someone to be trifled with. I don’t care that you talked your way into a title that you didn’t rightly earn. In my time people clawed and scratched their way to the top. It honestly makes me sick knowing the truth. I don’t care if it’s me, or someone else, I am going to jump for joy. Shoot off fireworks and get completely plastered because here in ‘Merica that’s how we celebrate when things just go according to plan. Bobby I want you to know I don’t hold any ill will towards the way you weasels your way into the title, hell I would’ve done the same, but I would’ve at least put up a proper showing when defending. Picking scraps off of the street, where’s the will? Where’s the pride? I get it it’s all ego. That’s fine but eventually, someone, maybe myself will find your breaking point. When that day does arrive, just know it wasn’t a fluke, it was destiny.

Plans are fluid. They can change, it was never supposed to happen this way. I wanted to come back here to the XWF and there was one man in the back who said I should. He said I was more than capable of handling the XWF today. When I was thinking about coming back I reached out to one man and one man only.

James Raven.

James told me that there wasn’t anything holding me back anymore here. There was a time when I only had eyes for the XWF. I left, he left, everyone left. This place was a shell. We all flooded to the WGWF. James continued on his path, and I left after a while. I left on my own terms. Nobody forced me out, I was done. I thought I had nothing left in the tank, but I was wrong. I still had one goal left, and now there he is. Like he always is, standing opposite of me. This wasn’t what the game plan was, but things are fluid. James I just wanted you to remember the past. This current crop of superstars doesn’t. They don’t know that Page is a former great here. They don’t realize that Rage dominated here. They don’t realize what MDK is capable of. Maybe it’s ignorance, or maybe it’s all too far gone, but the fact remains that we are all here. I didn’t put any calls out. Page saw what I see. The travesty that is this current product.

I need you to think James, what would TJ want you to do? I’m sure no one has brought up that name in a while to you, I hope he’s doing well now. I hope you take care of him. Tragic really what happened to him. A career cut short, only for you to take his place. Maybe he would’ve listened to what I said, maybe not but the fact remains, you shouldn’t be here. He was better than you. You were nothing more than a fill in after he got hurt. The past has a funny way of reminding people of what they really need. I hope and pray for you that you don’t take anything I say as needless words for the sake of words. I want you to know that the words I speak, may not always be the easiest to take, but they are true.

See I want the Apex Prophecy to know one thing, I’m not going out to that ring to win. No. I’m going out there to prove a point. All four of you think that you are untouchable. All of you think you are gods in the ring. I’m here to prove one thing and one thing only. I’m here to kill your egos, one by one. I’m going to make the Apex Prophecy bleed, and if a god can bleed, it can be killed.

Usually this is where one of you would put one of your clever punchlines.

Quote the Raven,

Your Final Fantasy,

Whatever those two say.

Sometimes when you’re done, you don’t have to say anything else, it’s better to just shut up, and walk away.