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Centurion · (09-24-2020)

(The boardwalk of Wildwood, New Jersey.

During the summer, it is a hotspot of tourists and beach goers looking to soak up the rays and buy their cheap trinkets. Granted, it is not the vacation spot it was in the 60’s and 70’s, but it still gets its fair share of vacationers, especially those from nearby New York and Philadelphia, who are looking for something a little “quieter” and with a “different pace”.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, however, the tourism has gone down significantly. Now that we’re getting into late September and the temperature begins to drop? It’s practically a ghost town.

And yet, this is where we see Centurion, sitting on a bench overlooking the ocean. A cool, consistent breeze flows throughout the area, and very little foot traffic is seen behind him. The area is mostly silent, with the exception of the ocean, and the nearby highway. As Centurion sits and ponders his thoughts, a voice breaks through the silence – a sultry, robotic voice that imbeds into the minds of all that hear it.)

“Watch the tramcar, please!”

(Yes, even when the tourists no longer arrive, the annoying as hell tramcar continues to operate, all while shouting its repetitive message into the air. Those who live on the Jersey shore or have spent some considerable time in the area will be hearing those four words in their head during the final moments of their lives.

Luckily for Centurion, as well as everyone within listening distance, another voice is heard not long after – the sound of a familiar Greek accent.)

Genevieve: Hey.

(The redheaded Greek comes from behind the bench and gently places her hand on Centurion’s shoulder. Centurion does not move – in fact, he doesn’t do much of anything. Genie, however, walks to the other side of the bench and sits down next to Centurion. She also looks out into the ocean, and closes her eyes as she takes a deep breath in.)

Genevieve: There are very few things more beautiful and more peaceful than the ocean during the fall. There’s a certain…smell to it, if that makes any sense.

Centurion: It’s part of the reason I love living in this area. It has nothing to do with the summertime. In fact, I like to be away for most of the summer. I want to be here during the spring and the fall. I consider those to be the perfect seasons.

(Centurion puts his head down and takes a deep breath of his own, as he begins a conversation he knew was coming, but that he always tried to avoid.)

Centurion: This is going to be really uncomfortable, isn’t it?

Genevieve: It doesn’t have to be. Not if you’re open and honest, and you’re able to communicate your true feelings.

Centurion: That’s the problem…I don’t know what my true feelings are. My brain, my heart…they’re all just a mess. I haven’t felt this clouded in a very long time. And the last thing I want to do is make a mistake that will heart so many people.

Genevieve: Well, let me start…you’re in love with another woman.

(Centurion takes a deep breath, but he does not raise or lower his head. He stares down at the wood of the boardwalk for a few seconds, until he raises his head. He does not look at Genevieve, however, and instead continues to stare out into the ocean.)

Centurion: I don’t want to be.

Genevieve: We can’t control what our heart wants.

Centurion: My heart’s an asshole. This…this isn’t fair. It’s not fair to me. It’s not fair to you. And it’s not fair to her. All this will do is cause pain – pain for everyone.

Genevieve: Don’t worry about me. I knew going in that this might not be a permanent thing. You told me not to get attached, and I didn’t. See, sometimes people DO listen to you.

Centurion: *slight laugh* Sometimes, I wonder if I was telling you, or if I was telling myself. This was perfect for me, Genie. Since Nikita, I swore to myself I’d never fall in love again. You come along, and we have a ton of fun together. We travel together, we hit the clubs…hell, you made me feel young again. It was exactly what I needed – exactly what I said I would pursue if I ever tried to move on from Nikita. But then…THIS happens…and now I’m all messed up.

Genevieve: You may not have seen this coming, but I did. You’re a passionate man. You fall in love. It’s what you do. You can try and tell yourself that you’re some cold, emotionless statue all you want, but it’s not based in reality. You hate, you love, you get depressed, you get happy – you’re guided by your emotions.

Centurion: Which is exactly what I tell younger wrestlers not to do.

Genevieve: You try to tell others not to follow the path you did, because you’re so incredibly hard on yourself. You’re harder on yourself than any of your critics ever were. You’re match with Warstein, for example. Who were you really trying to impress? The fans? Warstein himself? Or was it you? After you lost the Hart Title, everyone praised you for the tremendous title run you had, and yet you did nothing but second guess yourself every week since your defeat. And now, with your match against Cataclysm just around the corner, you’re trying DESPERATELY to not have any emotions…but the feelings you have, you can not suppress. You’re nervous. You feel doubt. And, most importantly, you feel a sense of duty and protection, which is putting more pressure on yourself. Your failure isn’t coming from lack of skill, nor is it coming from being too emotional. It’s from trying to be something you’re not.

Centurion: And what if I don’t know who I am?

Genevieve: Then let others help you. You’re so traumatized from your past that you refuse to lean on anyone for help. You’re trying to make up for lost time. And I understand that, truly, but you’ll never fully heal unless you learn to forgive yourself. Those you have hurt the most have found themselves back in your life. People care about you, Andy. That should be evidence enough that it’s ok to move on.

Centurion: Not everyone I hurt has forgiven me. There is one relationship I will never get the opportunity to repair…

Genevieve: Are you certain of that? I know you’re not into the “spirituality thing”, as you call it, but maybe it would be a good idea to take some time and listen. Those who have left us are constantly trying to communicate with us, one way or another. Many are unable to listen. I think, if you take the time to search your heart, you’ll find that Nikita has been attempting to reach out to you all this time.

(Genevieve stands up and walks around the back of the bench, but Centurion still does not move. Genevieve stands directly behind Centurion and kisses the top of his head.)

Genevieve: You’re a good man, Andy Cortinovis. And everyone whose lives you have touched agrees. The only person that matters who is still trying to tear you down is you. So, heal. Forgive yourself. Then go back out there and pursue love, because you deserve it…and she deserves you.

(And with that, Genevieve turns and walks away, leaving Centurion alone on the bench. He lays back and takes another deep breath, stretching his arms across the back of the bench, taking in everything Genevieve has said. Centurion’s time with Genevieve has been invaluable, and he knows he’ll never be able to truly show her how much Centurion has grown thanks to her. But right now, he needs to listen to her and take her advice.

Centurion pulls out his cellphone and unlocks it. He flips through his contacts, and clicks on one before immediately typing a message.)

Quote: Me:
Hey, if you’re free, I’d like you to stop by my place for a bit. I have something really important I want to show you.

(Centurion sets his phone down and begins tapping his fingers on the bench. He is more nervous now than he has been in a very long time. The step he is about to take is one that would make many others flee. Perhaps, for him, that would be the best case scenario. At least then there is an end. There is an answer. He can accept that. As it is, he has no idea what’s going to happen over the course of the next few days – a few days which may change his life forever.

Centurion’s phone buzz’s, and he picks it up to read the incoming text message.)

Quote:Rubes:
Sure, bud! I’ll stop by tomorrow. And I’m paying for lunch this time. I don’t care what you say! 👊

------When you try your best but you don't succeed------

What do you think Chris Page and Robert Main are doing right now?

I don’t mean in the overall, general sense of the word. I mean, right at this moment, what are they talking about? What are they engaged in? Because they clearly spend all their time together, and it can’t just be all “murder and violence” ALL the time. There has to be downtime, right? They have to have dinner and sleep and do things that normal human beings do, despite what they may list to put on in front of the camera.

So when they’re not torturing human beings and murdering them for their own pleasure, what are they doing? Do you think they binge watch Netflix? Are they big Madden players? Maybe they like to cool off with a nice game of tennis. Or maybe they just sit in the dark, staring at each other crying while My Chemical Romance plays in the background.

No matter what it is, the image is humorous, is it not? These two dark and scary dudes who love to show off how much destruction they like to make, sitting down at a table with a nice sandwich and a Coca-Cola. Maybe the crusts are cut off the sandwiches, and there’s a little toothpick with an olive on it. It’s funny because of the persona they put on, but it’s also funny because of how accurate it very well may be.

See, no matter what Main and Page like to show off, the simple reality is that they’re still human. They may be dark, twisted humans, but they are still humans. They bleed. They get tired. They get hungry. They enjoy the taste of red velvet cake. This is the stuff Main and Page don’t want you to see. This is the part of themselves they would like to keep hidden from the world.

By the way, I continue to use “Main and Page”, because those are their names. I don’t care if they like to be called “The Beast” and “The Warlock” or whatever the hell else they say. No, their names are Robert Main and Chris Page. They were born. They were children once. They walked this earth as normal human beings. And that is how I will treat them.

Sure, they’re talented as hell. I’m not going to say they aren’t. And they are also very scary. If I was new in this business, I would look at Main and Page and be petrified. They seem to enjoy pain. They get off on the suffering of others. They gloat and they brag about hurting the people closest to them. Yeah, if I was a rookie, I would stay as far away from these guys as possible.

But I’m not a rookie. I’m someone who has been in this business a LONG time – long enough to see pretty much everything this busines has to offer. Main and Page may be psychopaths, but you think it’s the first time I’ve ever been in the ring with psychopaths? Hell, it isn’t even the first time this YEAR that I’ve been in the ring with psychopaths. Two men who claim to be demons or possessed or different personalities or whatever it is they do? You think that’s original? Like that isn’t an opponent I’ve stood across the ring from 900 times in my life.

That is the problem with folks like Main and Page. When it comes to their path of destruction, they rely on two things. One is their skill, which they have plenty of, and I certainly will not diminish. The other is their ability to scare folks and get into their heads. Most of the time, this pays off – but they happened to pull the short straw on that one. Neither of these men scare me, and it’s not because I don’t think they’ll do the things they say they will do. I absolutely do think they would love nothing more than to bash my head against a cinderblock and watch all my thoughts spill out onto the street. I just don’t think they CAN do it…and if they can, I really don’t CARE.

You can’t put the fear of death into the mind of someone who isn’t afraid to die. There are plenty of wrestlers out there who have a whole lot to live for. That’s not me. I already made peace with the fact that I will likely die in a wrestling match, and if it happens to be against Cataclysm, then so be it. It would be a better way to go than what I was originally expecting, which was being 70 years old and dying after trying to perform a shooting star press on James Raven Jr.

I think the thing that upsets me the most is seeing what Robert Main has turned into. No, it isn’t because he’s my “brother” – we’ve already been over that. It also has nothing to do with him squandering his skills, even though he did not step up against either The Engineer or Shawn Warstein when both of them were practically begging for him to challenge them. No, it’s knowing the friends that he did have. James Raven, who put his legacy on the line to work with him – he can’t possibly enjoy watching Main turn into a rabid monster…and one who teams with Chris Page, no less. Ned Kaye, who looked up to Robert Main. Main’s turn for the worse may be the reason Ned decided to leave the federation for good. And poor, poor Drew Archyle. That man is rolling in his grave right now knowing what Main has turned into.

Oh yeah, by the way, Yes, sad, I know. You’d think he would have died by being stabbed or being eaten by sharks or something. No – he had the Mumps. Seriously, the Mumps! I didn’t even know that was still a thing. In Drew’s quest to fine some buried treasure, he ended up finding some 19th century diseases. Still kinda badass, though, if you think about it.

I understand my place in this business. I’m a massive overachiever. My size? My background? My laundry list of mental and physical problems? I basically made a Hall of Legends career out of duct tape and cardboard. I should not still be competing in a pro wrestling ring. I probably should have retired 10, maybe 15 years ago. But I worked my ass off. I studied the business, I adapted to my surroundings, and I kept pushing and fighting for every scrap I got.

You, Robert? You’re an underachiever. Yes, you have the Universal Title reign, and the list of accolades that will make a lot of wrestlers blush. But I think of the top wrestlers to ever walk into this federation – the best of the best. The Steve Jason, James Raven, Brand types that aren’t just in the Hall of Legends – they are in the Hall of Icons. Hall of Wrestling Gods. And you’re not there, Robert.

Oh, you COULD be there. You absolutely could be. If you would have stepped up against Engineer and made him look like the fool he was, you would have gotten one step closer. The fact is, with all the talent behind you, and with a mind for the business like so many others have not seen…you should be doing so much more. But for some reason, you’re not. You intentionally keep yourself out of the top spotlight. And yes, others need to headline, too, but in this industry, it is so easy to be forgotten. If you don’t strike while the iron is hot, some new punk will come in and swipe your spot away.

Hell, look at the main event of Relentless – the entire show, not just the induvial days. Sarah Lacklan Vs Charlie Nickles. At the last pay per view, the headliners had a combined FORTY YEARS of XWF experience behind their belt. This pay per view? It’s a combined year and a half. That’s how quickly you can get discarded around here. “Sweet, Leap of Faith, two legends having their final battle! What a great showcase of a bygone era! Now scram! We have new talent we have to get over.”

What do you think is going to happen if you keep toiling around in the situation you’re in now? When you eventually decide you’re tired of fighting for tag team and Xtreme titles, do you think it’s going to be as simple as you just walking out and saying “ok, I want my title shot now”? Of course not. The brass at XWF HQ has been working diligently to replace all the old bastards. First it was myself and Warstein. Then it was Raven. And soon, they will come for you. You’ll get a lifevest, though. The ownership always wants one older guy near the top to make the younger talent look good by comparison. So they’ll have one spot left open…

And that’s when Page is going to stab you in the back. Because of course he is! Because I’ve been in pro wrestling long enough to know how ALL these stories end! There was a time when I would stand at the top of the mountain and scream until I’m blue in the face in hopes you’d finally realize that you’re walking into a trap. I honestly wanted to stop you from making the same mistake countless others have made before you. Now? When Page buries your ass, I’m just going to laugh.

And don’t turn around and act like I’m speaking out of turn here, Page. I don’t care if you’re the pothead, or the owner, or the emo drama queen – you never change. Your style remains the same no matter where you go or who you meet. You use your charm and your charisma to convince some poor sap that they will be better off with you on their side, and you boost them up and make them relevant again, and just when it looks like the two of you are going to take over the world…you toss them to the wolves. Because there is no such thing as a team at the top of a federation, is there, Page? There can only be one king, and your ego won’t allow it to be anyone else.

Yes, you’re not actively going after Sarah Lacklan right now. You know better than that. You never jump on a champion when they are early in their run. They’re still fresh. They still have something to prove. No, you wait until they are a couple of months in. When they’ve had a few grueling matches under their belt. When they start to think there are no more challengers left to take down. THAT’S when you make your mark. I know you know this, but for the newbies in this business, they may not know any of this.

It’s sad that you’ve turned Robert Main into nothing more than a puppet, Page, but I guess I shouldn’t be shocked by now. It was going to happen to someone. You tried it with Tristan Slater, but even you couldn’t turn his career around. That’s the thing – you can’t just take some nobody. No, if you’re going to get into someone’s head, it has to be someone who is really good, but who is doubting their own abilities. You’re not going to manipulate Chris Chaos, for example, because you’ll get nothing from it. There isn’t a person in the world who would consider him a legitimate threat; however, in three months, when you’re in Robbie Bourbon’s ear, it’ll be pretty easy to deduce what you’re actually doing.

Go ahead and continue to fill Main with your lies, Page. Go ahead and tell him that nothing I am saying is true – that you really are an “evil beast” looking to tear apart the XWF as equal partners. I’m sure you, or Main, or both, will come on television and tell me how dumb I am, and how dumb everyone else is for believing me. You’ll say some cryptic shit about demons or whatever, but deep down, you’re just buying your time as Main continues to get more and more comfortable with you.

I can no longer prevent Robert Main from being evil. That’s over and done with. I can no longer prevent Chris Page from being a manipulator. He is and always will be that. But my transformation is almost complete. See, unlike you’re partnership, Ruby and I are ACTUALLY making each other better. While I am teaching her the ways of how to be a little bit meaner and a little bit more cerebral, she’s teaching me how to shed my past and become the best Centurion I can be. She’s teaching me how to become Super. And while many have asked what Ruby can learn from me, the better question is – what can I learn from her? It is not me that is making her better – it is her that is making me better. I may look like a broken, pathetic man now, but trust me – once Relentless comes, I will be a brand new person. Each day I am getting stronger. Each day I am getting closer to becoming Super. And come Relentless…

Justice will reign!
Evil will fall!
And a brand new era of heroes will rise from the ashes of the villainy spread before us.

Most importantly, the Sisterhood Of Besties – currently pending a name change – will take down Cataclysm, and become the new XWF Tag Team Champions.

And there will be joy among the people!

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