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Sebastian Duke Offline
Registered but either hasn't added self to a roster yet or doesn't RP



XWF FanBase:
Very random

(heel alignment but liked by many; has earned respect despite breaking the rules often)


#1
01-24-2022, 07:02 PM

Jackson Hole, Wyoming – Present Day


Navigating my Lincoln through the streets of town en route to my brothers home, I quietly reflect on my life as a father. I was never good at it. Maybe a little in the beginning. It was easier then. Thaddeus was just an infant and we were getting to know each other. He had his mothers bubbly personality even as a baby.

He was easy to love.

I was never good at showing affection. That’s certainly not his fault. I made a lot of mistakes. Again, those aren’t his fault. The fact is, I went from fathering an infant and learning on the job while getting to know the little tyke, to being the single parent of a 15 year old boy all the while keeping up with my wrestling career and Illuminatus duties. I didn’t know him anymore.

It’s like coming home one day to find a stranger moved in and you’re not allowed to throw them back on the street. You don’t know them, you don’t know anything. Yet at the same time, you’re forced to coexist, forced to pretend to know one another, forced to love one another.

Shamefully, I just didn’t.

I was raised by a man that thought love was a weakness. Affection was a weakness. It was all a distraction that detracted from his goals as founder of the modern day Illuminatus. In his own twisted, perverted kind of way, I guess he’s probably right.

Just look at Thaddeus.

How often does he ignore his duties as king in order to sleep with some broad? Or to play with Frankie or the twins? Or to film a TV show or a movie? Or to go on yet another vacation? Don’t misunderstand me, I don’t blame him for any of it. He’s 23 years old and wired entirely different than I am. He’s more like Caitlyn than he is me. When I was his age, I’d have loved to have been able to just do whatever the hell I wanted. Instead, I had hundreds of mouths to feed and I had to figure out how to keep them from starving.

The fortune Thaddeus has now, it was amassed quickly and out of necessity. Almost none of it ‘above board’. My father was a great orator. He’d speak at length about the ills and perversions of the Catholic persuasion. A result of his sermons, if you want to call them that, was growing and strengthening numbers. We just didn’t have the resources.

Jake found a way.

My dear Jake.

How I miss the only true friend I ever really had.

He was responsible for the first fifty or so million of what turned into billions by the time Thad… relieved me of my duties... through smart investments. Now, he’s so filthy rich that his money makes even more money.



December 24 – Years Ago


A fire crackles in the fireplace. Caitlyn is resting comfortably in our bedchamber. Eight months pregnant with the heir that will one day rule everything my father and I have built. Some refer to it as a cult, but what it really is, is a crusade against the evils of the Church for centuries of terrible actions.

My father Asmodeus, better known on his birth certificate as Charles, rests in a chair with his cane by his side and a blanket covering his legs. Jacob Anderson, my right hand man and my best friend since junior high, sits to my right on the sofa.

”This is the day Sebastian,” my father says to me in the library of the Illuminatus Compound in Connecticut. ”The Prince will arrive at the stroke of midnight and I won’t hear another word about it.”

”It’s too early,” I protest. ”He’ll be premature.”

”Sebastian, I respectfully disagree with you,” Jacob says quietly. ”The Church has held their son’s birthday on the 25th and it’s false. We’ll celebrate our son on the 25th too.”

”But it will not be false,” Asmodeus chimes in. ”The first true son of the Illuminatus will share the day. He’ll be celebrated like the king of kings. Except in our world, it isn’t a lie.”

I’m the king, but in name only.

My father still runs the show.

You could ask all of our men who they support and reluctantly, they’d answer Father Asmodeus.

His will, is just stronger than mine.



Jackson Hole, Wyoming – Present Day


I pulled off the road some time ago. There’s just so much on my mind. Theo expected me over an hour ago and he’s called me several times. Each time, I just send it to voicemail.

I knew Thad didn’t like me much and to be perfectly honest, I’ve given him very little reason to. Never in my wildest dreams though did I ever think we’d come head to head in a wrestling ring. Never in my wildest imagination did I think he’d want to take every last thing from me.

Yet he has.

Thaddeus is a lot of things. Stubborn and bullheaded are among them. Personality wise he certainly takes after his mother. He’s outgoing and almost never quiet. He also has my fathers iron will. Combine those all together and its a sort of determination to be right, even if he isn’t.

In a lot of ways though, he is.

He accuses me of what amounts to jealousy and he may well be right. I intended to hang up my boots for good in 2019 after I won the right to challenge Robert Main for the Universal title but elected not to use it. When I did that, Thaddeus made a short lived but troubled return to the XWF.

It was easy, at first. I was happy to sit the sidelines and watch from afar as his popularity grew. I was proud to watch him rise from a green as goose shit rookie to a main event player in a short time just like I did. I was proud to watch him win title after title. I was heavily invested in his first Universal title match.

But he had demons, like we all do.

He returned and those demons were bringing him to the brink of colossal meltdown.

So my brother fired him.

Thaddeus himself admits that it was the best thing to happen to him from both a personal and professional standpoint. He found himself with no home in which to air his misguided grievances and as a result, sought counseling. That allowed him to regroup and refocus. It allowed him the opportunity to confront the demons that threatened to derail his entire life.



December 24 – Many Years Ago – 11:59 PM


My entire life, I never felt like I had much of a choice. I was told when to eat, when to sleep, when to wake, when to take a shit. Almost from birth, my entire life was dictated and I was groomed for my role as king. What I never realized was just how much my father thought of me as a throwaway. I was a bridge to the future of the Illuminatus.

The real future.

My son.

The night he was born, I didn’t realize just what was in store for me. I didn’t know that Thaddeus was meant to seize power, rather than wait his turn. I didn’t know his time as king would come while I was still relatively young and very much still alive.

Outwardly, I was passive on my son’s birth. Like any normal father, I wanted Caitlyn to carry him to term. Who wouldn’t? Inwardly though, I was stewing. I was fuming. I was seething with rage that no one was listening to me. What I lack in willpower, what I lack in intelligence, I more than make up for with brute strength.

No intelligent man stands in the way of what I want if I’m angry.

Thing is, as my father was apt to do, he outsmarted me and anticipated my moves. Not just this night, but most nights.

”Sleep child,” my father says calmly in his laboratory to Caitlyn as he places the mask over her face. Weak and unable to resist, she’s out cold in seconds.

”Scalpel,” he says, turning toward one of his aides. As the blade approaches the belly of my wife, I get cold feet. He knows it too. ”I’ve heard your pleas my son,” he says, turning to me for a moment before cutting open Caitlyn’s belly.

”I just...” I begin to explain, but my voice catches in my throat.

”Thaddeus will be fine, I assure you,” he says in an attempt to soothe my nerves.

”What about Caitlyn?”

”That is none of our concern,” he insists coldly. ”The boy is all that matters.”

I jump to react, but he anticipated it.

”NOW JACOB!” he shouts as the bell starts to toll in the tower signaling midnight on Christmas Day. Almost immediately, I’m struck in the head with something heavy and very hard. It dazed me and to this day, I have no idea what the object was. Betrayed by my best friend. Falling into the wall, he handcuffs me to a railing and I’m entirely helpless as my father cuts my son from his mother.

Through my foggy eyes, I watch as he wipes my crying infant son down and wraps him in a blanket.

”My son,” he says with a rare smile as he cradles the child. ”I have so many plans for you, my little conqueror.”

” ..t him dow...” I say groggily.

”The future king,” he says warmly to the whimpering infant. ”Nations will tremble with fear when you approach. You, my son, will bring that forsaken Church to its very knees.”

”Father,” Jacob interrupts before cocking his head in Caitlyn’s direction. She still lays on the table with her belly cut open.

”Dispose of her,” Asmodeus instructs as he walks off with Thaddeus in his arms. ”She’s outlived her use.”

After his exit, Jacob looks at me for a moment before unsheathing his dagger.

”Don’t,” I order him.

”I have to,” he argues.

”You… listen to me,” I tell him as I struggle back to my feet and shake the cobwebs. ”How long do you think I’ll be cuffed to this wall?” I ask as I yank hard against the railing. Dust falls from between the wall and the railing.

”I’m sorry, I have...”

”You take another step toward her and I will kill you Jake,” I warn him. ”Don’t make me kill you.”

He heeded my warning. Instead of giving into the wishes of a psychotic old man, he listened to me. In minutes, Caitlyn’s belly was sealed up and she was taken to her room to rest and recuperate. I was freed and immediately went to see my son. Quietly, I held the sleeping infant in my arms. Quietly, tear drops ran down my face. Quietly, I spoke to him.

”I’m sorry I brought you into this world,” I tell the content child. ”You have no idea what’s in store for you. You have no idea the hell your grandfather will put you through.”



Jackson Hole, Wyoming – Present Day


After nearly a year on the shelf and staying virtually radio silent, my son returned to the sport he loved and did it beneath a mask. Despite the obviousness of it all, he thought it was important. He really didn’t go out of his way to disguise who he was aside from the mask and calling himself Jaime Henry, or The Collector.

It was truly awe inspiring from a fathers perspective. As someone that knows what it’s like to be loved or hated based upon your name alone, I got it. He donned the mask and publicly pretended to not be him and the fans… quickly they fell for him. So much so that he abandoned the monikers and decided to be himself. They loved him so much. They’d almost worship the ground he walked on and it’s true, I was a little envious.

He embarked on a meteoric rise and in the last 18 months or so, he’s been one of the best not just inside the XWF but in the entire business. He’s well-respected within the industry and he’s earned every bit of that recognition. Maybe I should’ve told him how proud I am of him. Not only is my last name a household name, but because of him, other companies know who he is, other companies line up to give him boatloads of cash in order to sign him to a deal.

Still, despite the temptations, even when he has ventured outside of the XWF, the XWF is still his home.

The problem with that, is he may never get the recognition he truly deserves. I won’t say what he says and agree that I don’t deserve it, but because of me, he may well never get it. I can’t begin to understand what it does to him internally. To be as good as he is knowing you’ll never get to the place you belong has got to be agonizing.

But did he have to take everything?



Paris, France – The Last Day of the Illuminatus Civil War


Standing high above the fray in the Palace, I watch my sons forces as he closes in while sipping a tumbler of Bourbon. Minutes pass in seconds, it seems. My father was right all along. Even before he stole my crown he’d lead the military to victory in two separate wars… as a teenager.

That came to be after the German coup. My father occupied the Chancellery and named Thaddeus, at just 16 years old, the Minister of War. He had a knack for learning things quickly. War tactics were among many. Flying jets. Leading men twice his age. He had a gift for leadership and he saw it through to the very end.

Poland was first.

An explosion rocks the Palace.

And he destroyed them quickly.

Then our sights were set on Vatican City and to that end, Italy itself. Italy was a ‘means to an end’ my father would say. Then Prince Thaddeus brought the Church to heel, at the stroke of midnight… on Christmas morning… on his 17th birthday.

If it sounds incredible, it’s because it is.

Another explosion rocks the Palace.

My father would not live to see the 26th. He passed away peacefully in his sleep having achieved his lifelong goal of seizing the throne of Saint Peter. Like him, my son also has the gift of oration. Things he says, take new meaning with the way in which he says them. Those around him, those listening, those hearing his words often feel inspired. I’m not even sure he realizes he holds that gift.

With my father in the ground, all of the pressure fell on me to deliver. And I wasn’t good at it. I compounded mistakes upon other mistakes and it lead to Thaddeus feeling as if he had no other choice but to usurp the throne and seize power for himself. He and the military chiefs staged a bloodless coup and relieved me of my crown.

A third explosion rocks the Palace.

Loyalty is king, in our world. Split loyalties divided the Illuminatus in two. He had the benefit of real world combat experience. I didn’t. I’d find refuge in France. They’d harbored me as I tried to fight back. I made the mistake of hitting him first back in Italy.

The crown he wore as a pretender was mine by right and I wanted it back.

A fourth explosion rocks the Palace, blowing out the window in which the deposed King looks out. He retreats up a short flight of steps and takes a seat in an armchair.

The attack on the Vatican was countered by his vaunted air force. Ignoring the advice of my own Generals who warned me that would happen, we went anyway. My forces were decimated in one go. Since then, we’d stayed behind the French border thinking he wouldn’t come. He’d won the battle, he’d be satisfied.

I was wrong.

He’s never satisfied.

Even if he says he is, don’t believe it. He’s just lying to himself.

After a few weeks, his men began their march across French borders, pushing my men back along the way. General after General laid their gun at his feet in surrender. And now? He’s so close that he’s firing a tank at the Palace, just to announce his arrival.

I’m ready kid.

Come get me.



Jackson Hole, Wyoming – Present Day


Now pulling into the driveway of the Pryce Estate, I’m at a loss. How did my relationship with him fall so far off the rails that it has entirely engulfed my wrestling legacy? I’d love to point the finger at him and jealousy, and I know he thinks I have no conscience, but I do. I can’t point at that. It wouldn’t be accurate.

Maybe he’s right.

Maybe all along, I’ve resented him for being better than me. Everything I did in my career, he did it better. Everything I did to establish myself as a legend in my career, he did it better. From titles to marquee wins to lasting rivalries that capture attention to his standing within the industry… he’s done it all better than I ever did.

Theo opens the door and welcomes me inside.

”Bourbon?” he asks as I give his luxurious home a once-over.

”Yeah,” I reply quietly as I follow him into his study.

”You don’t come out here often,” my brother says as he hands me a drink.

”I don’t remember ever coming here,” I say with a sip. ”Might be my last chance.”

”Even if you lose, Sebastian, that doesn’t mean that...”

”If he wins Theo, that’s it.”

Theo looks me in the eye a moment, but says nothing.

”But I’m not rolling over for him.”

Theo smirks before taking another sip.

”So if he wins, then you’ve had your final match?” he asks, seeking clarification.

”I wanna make it real fuckin’ difficult for him,” I say as he and I both take a seat.

”What do you have in mind?”

”First thing I want is Chris Page removed from ringside,” I suggest. ”If Page is there, he’ll talk sense into the kid and I don’t need to outsmart two brains. Just one.”

”That can be arranged,” Theo agrees. ”You should think about using that little lionheart he’s got against him.”

Looking at him, I say nothing.

”I have no confirmation, but it would appear the lovers spat between Thad and Corey Smith is at it’s end. It seems they may have reconciled.”

”Have they?” I ask as I sit and ponder. ”So if Smith were forced to sit front and center and watch me rip apart his fuck buddy piece by little piece I’d be killing two birds with one shot.”

”Why stop there? Make Smith the referee.”

”That’s stupid, he’d just cheat me if he thinks Thad will lose,” I argue.

”If you think that then you really don’t know Corey Smith,” my brother retorts quickly. ”Honor and doing the right thing… so on and all that bullshit.”

”I beat Thad to a bloody little pulp and Smith has to watch,” I summarize aloud. ”Then he has to count his friends shoulders down for three. I like it.”

Sitting in thought, I travel back again to that afternoon in Paris.



Paris, France – The Last Day of the Illuminatus Civil War


Sitting in this chair with a revolver in one hand and my bottle of Bourbon in the other, I hear them ramming the main doors. The gunfire his slowly declined from almost constant firefight to a single shot here and there as Thad’s forces eliminate my own.

I sacrificed so much.

And he took it all.

I sacrificed my own personal happiness so that my father could achieve his dreams. I sacrificed my own personal happiness for my entire life so that one day, I might be able to rest. That I might one day be able to just unplug from it all and relax. I’ve spent my entire life dedicating nearly everything I did to furthering our cause.

And he took it all.

He has my crown.

He has my fortune.

He’s stolen the legacy I created.

Several floors below me, I hear the front doors cave in and crash to the floor. Soon after, yelling and screaming as Thad’s forces enter the Palace. I hear their boots hitting the marble steps as they make their way toward me.

He and his men enter the room I’m sitting in, guns drawn.

”Thaddeus,” I say to him while putting my revolver to my temple. ”I love you.”














POP!












Before I could pull back the hammer, Thad fires his weapon at my own causing it to fly from my hands. His men rush to me quickly. For a moment, I think about fighting them off, but I just don’t have any fight left. Instead, they take me to the ground and cuff my arms behind my back.

”Sebastian Duke,” my kid says and from my position, pinned down to the floor on my chest, I look up at him. ”You’re hereby under arrest for crimes against humanity, crimes against the crown...”

My crown,” I interrupt.

”And crimes against the Illuminatus State. You’ll be imprisoned at Asmodeus Air Base in Berlin awaiting military tribunal.”



For five years, that damn kid has been taking everything from me little by little. For five years, I’ve sat and watched as he started his own career. For five years I’ve contemplated taking back the crown that rightfully belongs to me. For five years I have stewed in my own anger thinking well maybe he’ll come to his senses.

As time goes on, it’s clear that won’t happen.

He hates me for no reason.

He despises the ground I walk on because I had the fortune of being first in line of succession before him.

That isn’t my fault but I get the blame all the same. I don’t hide and I don’t make excuses for my shortcomings as a man and as a father yet he insists on punishing me all the same. The crown wasn’t enough for him. The throne wasn’t enough for him. My fathers legacy wasn’t enough for him. The fortune that came with it wasn’t enough for him. No… he has to take the last thing aside from him, that has ties to me and that’s my XWF legacy.

Despite how he portrays my career, I worked very hard to earn everything I had. I worked very hard to make it to the top of this industry. I worked very hard and deserved to see myself immortalized by the only company I ever worked for.

And he’s taken it.

Lock, stock and barrel everything that reminded the Universe of who I was in my prime is gone.

And he’s gonna pay for it.

There are no holds barred.

There will be no Chris Page.

There will be blood on my hands and that too, will belong to Thaddeus Duke. And I’m gonna make Corey Smith watch while I do it. He’s taken away everything that reminds anyone of me: the statue, the championships, the gear, all of it is gone.

At Fire & Ice, the King of Darkness returns, maybe for the last time but the point is, the Lionheart has no fucking clue how dangerous I really am. He has no idea how fucked up and brutal I can be. I will take my time. I will meticulously take him apart while the world watches. I will savor every last moment as the little lion man fails to take the only thing I have left.

Thaddeus, if you think you got what it takes to stand toe to toe with me, to stand face to… well chest… with me. If you think you got what it takes to seize my legacy for your own…

Go ahead kid.

Try me.
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