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He exited the tube at one of the busiest stations in Central London, got off looking to see if Carmine was following him. The man with the broken nose was shaken. He was sweating. Running like that had aggravated his nasal fracture. Pain was rising and spreading across his face. Felt like blood was dripping from his nose. The bruising around his eyes felt magnified, his eyes again feeling swollen. He slowed down. He could run over twenty-six miles, wanted to do a one-hundred-mile run at some point, but with the hard time breathing, running in a suit and shoes and having to inhale through his mouth on a cold and damp night, he was momentarily spent. He’d run away from, Carmine expecting the man to give up chasing him in less than a quarter mile. No one chased for much longer than one lap. Carmine had kept up. That surprised and…frightened hum. Carmine was a killer too, and he wanted his championship back. Then he expected to hear a gunshot ring out. His contract told him that Carmine had picked up a SIG. and with that contract out, the man knew his days were numbered. Carmine had run like a monster that had been set on fire. A monster he could’ve put to sleep. If only he had been prepared He didn’t have his Eagle with him. He could’ve completed the transaction in that shit-smelling alley in Soho. But the money wasn’t in place. The goddamn money wasn’t in place If he did the job before he was paid, then he wouldn’t get paid for the job, however he did take the championship from Carmine, and left him wanting more Business. Just Business He had decided to follow Carmine. See where he was hiding out. But that went wrong Now the enemy knew he was out there. The enemy was aware. That changed everything He felt like he had been hunted. Nobody hunts the hunter. He touched his face, didn’t see blood, but it ached again, still had risen from the pits of hell. In a dark Italian suit. Every man on the tube had on a dark suit. Every other man was running for the tubes as if his life depended on it. But he was the only one with his face bandaged up. That fucker in Jacksonville had hit him with something made of lead. He wanted to kill that fucker all over again. He ran over to the Monument side of the tube. Took the District Line to tower hill. Came out and walked up the stairs, both his feet and muscles aching. His anger never-ending. One hundred and fifty meters later he was coming up on Novotel. Across the narrow street women were putting flowers on the curb and in the doorway at 1 Pepys. Mourners had been doing that all day. Like the dead WAG was their for the late Michael Jackson. Touching his nose, he passed by the teary-eyed mourners. That fucking fracture, He knew he needed rhinoplasty. That was cool. He was going to start a new life. With a new nose. He changed his bandages. Took aspirin, wondered how much a good nose job cost. Then he looked at the package again, Stared in amazement. Carmine was doing well for himself. Nothing like reading about someone else’s success to magnify you own failures. He’d do much better than that. He was confident, Once the soon-to-be-ex was gone. He showered, he wasn’t tired anymore. His feet no longer ached. He owned too much rage to rest. Gnashing his teeth. His father would be disappointed. Then he put on his custom-made holster. The Eagle was in its nest. He took the earplugs out of the package, dropped them in his pocket. No need going deaf. No workers’ comp in this line of woke, no 401(k) either. All cash-and-carry Prepared. He left Novotel, again passing by all the flowers and mourners. His night wasn’t over. The hunter still had to hunt Tonight somebody was going to die. And he would die a good death. - [ * * * ] – I may be a tag-team with Drew, but it’s been a while since we’ve competed as a team, and to some people we would look like a team that’s on the outs, but really are careers just went down different paths and we’ve never really had the time to team up. Drew was busy banging his wifey and I, will I was busy becoming the Undisputed Champion. But are paths both hit speed bumps and now were both ready to focus on the future as a tag-team Thus the contenders vs. Champions tag-team match Now to some people, NLCW and wrestling as a whole isn’t a sport at all. It’s an excuse to hurt somebody; an excuse to vent some pent-up rage. And that’s alright, in small doses. The nature of this profession will always give birth to the occasional nutcase. But when the promotion itself begins condoning this kind of behavior, even begins to book favorably based upon it… then we’re all fucked. I’m not a fighter, I’m an athlete. That’s why you don’t see me busting people open with chair shots or running down to the ring to interfere in matches. I turn up, I wrestle, I go home. Not because I love to hurt people but because I love to compete; because this sport has a special place in my heart. So tell me, Shiz, which are you? When we meet in the squared circle, are you coming to defeat me or do me harm? Maybe you’re still sore from your first run here in NLCW, maybe you’re out to prove that in dark times the Shiz can actually shine and become something instead of Project Mayhem’s bitch. Or perhaps you’re embittered by your fall from grace. Certainly this has to be an embarrassing time for you, when I first step on the scene, you were at the top of your game. I couldn’t wait to have a chance to step inside the ring with a man like you Shiz, there you stood astride the company, commanding the respect that you were richly afforded. And now look at you, made lowly by injury and defeat, clinging on to the mid-card by your finger tips, with a mid-card championship around your waist. Your nothing special anymore Shiz, sure you won the North American championship but really Drew didn’t even try to put up a fight. I was putting on what many are calling the match of the night, sure I lost but really after a performance of that magnitude no one really was a loser. Unlike your match, I showed the world I can take a hit with the best of them. I was getting dropped on my head by a man your size and shrugging it off. If there was any question as to whether or not a man of my stature could run with the pack here in NLCW, I answered it with vigour. Even beyond the physical, you’ve got to give me the edge going into this match. I’m as focused as I’ve ever been – eating, sleeping, breathing this sport. You, on the other hand, appear to be your Stray shopping cart, low-life self; which speaks volumes about where your head is going to be at. It’s going to be your arrogance which lets you down. Don’t get me wrong, you’re a great entertainer. There’s something undeniably enjoyable about your braggadocio – but if you bring that attitude to the ring, you’re going to get hurt, ‘cause I’m not here to entertain. I don’t stop to play to the crowd, I don’t stop to make a great sound byte… in fact, I don’t stop, period. Once that bell rings, I keep going until the job is done. While you’re hesitating to wonder what move will get you the best instant replay or what the fans would like to see, I’m only considering what move will put you out of the match completely. This is as real as it gets, Shiz. There will be nothing entertaining about our match at Avulsion. I’m going to take you to the limit and then break you. It will take every last ounce of strength to even match my pace. ‘Cause while you waste air time talking about trendsetting – I go out and fucking set them. Just like I did at Eternity and I did that while coming up short against Dom, and just like I’m going to do at Avulsion against you. But you’re not alone, and you’re not the man of my focus…That honor belongs to Dom… Dom, I can honestly stand here and say you were the better man at Eternity. You took everything I dished to you and you kept fighting back, and to you I say congratulations. Eternity was the most shocking event I have ever been involved with. Both NLCW Championship found a new home and we begun a promotion vs. promotion war with F1X. If there was ever an event to shake up the current status of the company- this was it. I didn’t emerge victorious yet I made a big jump in the NLCW rankings and in everyone’s eyes, because I held my own against an original superstar of the NLCW. Sure Dom, you may still feel as if I don’t belong at the main event level, but I proved to everyone else that I really do belong at the top. When I left Eternity, I had accomplished something great. I can’t be sure where this lose will take me exactly, but I know I turned a lot of heads at Eternity. Everyone expected me to lay down for Dom, but I had been warning everyone all week that I wasn’t going to have any bit of that. When I am performing like I did at Eternity, I have a shot to beat anyone in the world. Dom you won at Eternity and re-took your spot as the premiere competitor in the company, something I am not afraid to admit to say. You have improved by leaps and bounds and you now rule as Champion. The Shiz and Dom may actually be the favorite going into our match, just for this simple reason, but I really doubt this is the best time for him to consider a match with me. You have too much on your plate, Dom. You have are re-match just weeks away- which you’ll need to be in top shape for. And come on Dom, can you really see yourself teaming with The Shiz? I mean you teaming with Isaac was a stretch but this, this is just a bad pairing. That is the epitome of a waste of time. You two are being thrown together, while Drew and I have been a team for the last two months. It just doesn’t make sense. The truth though is you stand no chance at succeeding with the Shiz who in his own right is looking for a quick ride to the land of main stream, because just like I got there Shiz see’s the NLCW darkest hour as a shot to become something big. Having the Shiz as your partner Dom, is going to become more of a distraction than a blessing. Hell don’t take my word for it though, and why would you, you haven’t listened to a thing I’ve said so far. So go right ahead and have him there all you want – claim he is going to be a good partner, but I know he is there to save you from me. For you know you cannot stop the lion on your own even if you were at one hundred percent. Dom, you’ve stolen the Lion’s pride, now he’s ready to take it back, and he doesn’t mind killing a gazelle or two to get it. Deep down you know that and though you won’t admit it you are scared about the upcoming rematch, because you’re scared to lose the championship, because you will feel like a nothing without it. Well dawg seems you missed a payment for that bling and now the repo man is coming to take it and give it to someone who actually wants to be the face of this promotion. It will be taken from those who don’t deserve it and put around the perfect waist of someone who does. Dom, there calling us the Gatti/Ward of professional wrestling, it’s a shame you have to play the role of Ward, losing in the 3rd and final frame Ironic isn’t it Dom that the things you set out to do in order to save NLCW is the very thing that is making it a cesspool. Your entire Dawn/Next chapter philosophy is a scam to needless elevate yourself to a place of stature you don’t belong in, but enjoy it while you can – go to the highest room in the tallest tower of your kingdom and look out over all you feel is yours. Believe that you are truly making a difference and are above and beyond the entire roster including myself. For come 1NE your world comes crashing back down to reality with a vicious faceplant, I will take great pride in snuffing out not just your star but all of the hopes and beliefs that these fans had for you. It’s a fitting end that both you and all of these self-righteous people watching both live in the arena on come Avulsion and 1NE will justly deserve. I’m willing to kill to get my championship back As the castle you built through all your hard work, crumbles and comes crashing down. As to shall your long overdue fifteen minutes of fame and as you lie motionless partially buried on top of the rumble pile, I shall stand above you, pan the audience for a second and in the tradition of the old school gladiators I shall give you a hero’s execution as I jam the sword through your neck and down into your throat in order to pierce your heart. Much as I will at the end of our match at Avulsion then at 1NE, where I shall stand over your lifeless body with a remorseless look on my face, with the sunset lit distance and raise the my NLCW championship high as a new era begins in the year of the Lion. Your castle is slowy crumbling as we speak and I simply smile and watch it fall. -- That’s a Wrap! -- |