~So don't cry to me ohhh baby. Your future is in a Oblong Box!~

Let the games begin...

Trust. It's a hard thing for me to give. It's even harder to be the first person to reach out, but if I am going to be a good owner and promoter. I have to reach out to the talent. I have to show them that I trust them, and after picking the perfect venue for this. I know exactly who I need to call...let's just hope she answers.

“Hello?” Ah good...MJ picked up.

“HELLO, FRAND!”I utter. There is a pause here. Not surprising. It's not every day the person you are going to be beating up this week calls you out of the blue.

“ ‘Tax?”

“The one and only! Listen, frand… we need to talk.”

“Why does he have your number?” Ohh someone's jealous. He's gonna be fun to play with.

“ All right, champ… you’ve got my attention.” As expected she is showing courage here. It was at least an eighty five percent chance she'd take me up on the offer. Her adventurous spirit with her never back down attitude did come into play in me choosing to contact her.

“Awesome Sauce! Now I'm going to send you an address. I want you to meet me there. Bring your pal along...I always love a threeway! See ya soon!”I hang up and almost throw up. Oh. Easy. Anxiety. It's going to be okay. You'll be fine. You'll be a good boss. Now come on. Time to get ready. I take off my mask and put on my “face” for the night. I'm sure this will be impressive...and hilarious to MJ. Picking this face is all part of the seduction to get her on my side. If I'm going to take over for Rish I'm going to need to have a world title contender I can depend on. After getting my “face” on and my mask I sit back watching the close circuit tv outside of my friend's new establishment. I told him I'd make tonight grand and they will enjoy it. A surprise is always good for business. Oh...a taxi...ah? Hehehe...I'm such a dork. MJ and her frand get out of the taxi. It's almost like this is a date of some sort I'm interupting. She exudes confidence where as I...well come on I wear a mask...I'm never comfortable in my own skin. Her friend looks like he's about to shit a brick though...nice butt however.

“Let’s just go.”

“Not today partay pooper!”I send the text with the instructions, and I rush to get into position. We turn off the lights and everyone is quiet as possible. This is going to be great.

“Come on in...Frands!” I hear Alonzo the doorman open the door. We're all so quiet. This is the best idea ever. The door shuts and I can almost taste the fear from him and the anticipation from her. It's like a buffet of tension.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this...”Harrison Ford he's not, but he does have a good reason to be afraid. Anyone else on the roster would be looking to gain an advantage. Me. I'm here to try and make peace the only way I know how. I can't walk around and be someone else and people recognize me. That would be a bad.

“Relax, babe.” I almost break out into Sonny and Cher. Then I decide to have a little fun...

“Yeah. Relax, babe! Your butt is so tense!”

“AHHH!!”Why does everyone react like that even if I am across the room...hehehhe...

The lights cut on and everyone cheers. They are so surprised. I smile thru my mask as I walk over.

“Seriously? Your butt chastity is safe, babe.” I can't help but laugh, but I do compose myself.”Hello frands! I hope you don't mind my surprise, but I figured we could hang out, talk, and enjoyyyy vidja games afterwards! Come with me to the back room.”

“Roj? Let’s go.”

“They’ve got the original Street Fighter II here.”

“Business first, then you can play.”

“Haven’t we had enough business tonight?”

They talk. Lover's spat? Someone not really liking wrestling? Hmm..Odd...I interject for my frand.

“So much butt tension...” “Mention my butt again...” “Butt soft...thru yonder stress it twerks.” He doesn't respond and starts looking around. My frand did a great job setting this up. It's like the entire video game history of arcades is here...whatever that means. I didn't get to play video games a lot as a child. I find them challenging...till I beat them. I lead them to the office, and I take off the mask much to the shock of MJ and her frand.

“What the?”

“Jinkies!”

Apparently my Silas face goes over well...I think it's well...I can never tell with people.

“What?...That thing is a bit hard to breath under.”

“Silas? Really?”Her fellow leans in...I don't like my personal space messed with...BAD TOUCH! NO BISCUIT!

“He looks almost lifelike.”He has a name assclown!

“I figured it'd be the closest thing to a civil conversation you'd ever have with the guy.”

“WORLD TITLE! WORLD TITLE!!!”Ahhh the bird. He's so cute...I wanna turn him into an emergency food supply. “WORLD TITLE!!”

“There’s the psychological warfare.”I don't like what he is implying but I'll let it slide.

“No...silly...that's a bird. Your friend is a bit odd isn't he?” I can see MJ smirk a bit.

“Odd? You… He’s wearing another man's face.”Ohhh the fuckery has begun I start to use my “gift” for impressions on him.

“What if I am Silas?”

“Stop that!”Got him. Got the tambor in his voice from hearing it. Now let's fuck with him!

“Okay!” Oh he doesn't like me using his voice. I can see the wheels turning in his burned out mind. He's trying to figure me out. Just like people...wanting to be nosy as fuck.

“He’s a non-com, Tax… he’s brittle. What’s going on?”All business. Well well well...I wink at the canoe de douche. He seems to be a bit of wet blanket, but hey...who knows. He might be a good guy.

“Ah yes! I asked you here because I want to discuss this with you.I quickly grab my contract for her. She looks at me oddly. “We need to discuss your contractual terms for when you re-sign with CWF.”

“Tax...you don't run CWF.”

“Yes I do. It's just a minor detail. And I came to you first because let's face facts. You've been one of the few people who has been consistent in the past few months. And to be perfectly honest I wanted to say that you've impressed me, and good work needs to be rewarded. That's why I make such a good employer.”I hope she buys this...my confidence I shot!

“Well… Thank you? But you don’t own the place.”

“Not yet, and when I get thru firing Rish then this will all work itself out and I want you to be right where you are. I want you to be here for a long time. It's a good home. It makes you feel like you belong somewhere...and I know what it's like to not feel like you belong anywhere. You're a great world champion to have on our roster. From one former to another...I wanted to welcome you to the club tonight. Just look over the contract and let me know what you think. We can negotiate later.”

“I… Ya know, I’m your opponent in Pittsburgh.”

“I KNOW! I'm so excited! You know all three of you that we faced in that three on three match have impressed me, but you...you focused on that defeat and overcame it. I can't wait to see how you try to take me out this time!” I am being honest. What do I do handshake...oh fuck it...HUGS!”THIS IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN FRAND!!!” I look over at sad sack. “You want a hug too, frand?” “I'll pass.”Hmm...he got'em stickum up the rectum...I'm gonna make him my new project!

“Alrighty then, Tax… on the level, straight up competitive match?”I can tell she wants me to be honest. It's been rough for her. If I know MJ she's beating herself up over the rumble. So close. She needs a boost to her confidence.

“What kind of boss would I be if I didn't have a hidden agenda! Of course I have one, but I'm nice enough to tell you up front.”

“But then it's not...nevermind.” He's still trying to bring logic into this. Silly boy.

“I want to give these people the best match of the night. I want them to talk about this fight for years to come. I want to do the best for these fans...so they won't go away. So tonight it's all about fun. Tomorrow...it's all business.”I wait with baited breath to see if she is going to say yes or not. She extends her hand to me...

“I can get on board with that.”

“We don’t shake here, frand.” I give her a hug again. She is so confident. She is so awesome. I decide I'm going to pay her a compliment. “Mmmmm, you smell like a responsible adult.”

I can feel the angry glare. Good. It's about time he takes charge. “Okay, look - that’s enough of that.”

“My apologies, frand!” I bring him into the group hug. This is night. This is how life should be, but then it's broken off...I might have hit a nerve. Oh dear. “Go forth, frands! Enjoy the fun and games!”

Homeboy gets the fuck out. MJ stops. I think she wants to say something, but she gestures to me and smiles leaving. I hope I didn't cause a problem for her. Stupid! Stupid! Why...WHY CAN'T I BE LIKE A NORMAL PERSON...why...

“You okay Tax?”

“Yes...I'm fine...thank you.”

“That turned out better than you hoped eh?”Out of the back room comes the owner. Justin Zane. Protege to Trent Steel. He smirks at me and gives me a hug. “You aight bud?”

“No...I don't know when I'm ever going to be alright.”

How much longer till I have to do what I've been avoiding for years...Please...Just give me a little more time.

A Flair for the Sympathetic...

This is starting to get bad. Everywhere I look I see the pressure mounting on the roster. They're scared frands. I would be to if I was anybody else...

This isn't me being insulting. This is me being serious. Our “fearful leader” seems to be lacking in sanity...and if I am pointing this out what the fuck is going thru all of your minds right now? This has to stop! There has to be change, and unlike this lovely country we call home...we don't have to put up with this till November...

So as of right now...Fun time is over!

Time for me to take a more front seat in running this place. Hell! I'm more qualified than anyone else at this point.

Everyone thinks I have it easy. That I am on top of the world right now, but I am not. I am far beyond that. This title means nothing. This group means nothing...if I can't save where we work and live then this is all been for naught. Rish is here for the money and his own personal ego. Me...I'm in it for all of us.

Even those I disagree with are family. We fight, but we are family. There is a way I can save everyone, but in order to do it I have to do what I don't want to do.

I have to assume control. I have to be the adult.

Because apparently I have to be the mature one here.

MJ is a tough opponent and I look forward to facing her, but my mind is in multiple places. I know. Funny isn't it. I'm focusing on my match while it happens, but afterwards it's time for a reckoning of sorts upon those that deserve my focus.

You picked on my beloved Rish...

That is not going to be allowed.

I suppose I should be thinking about my title, but it is not on the line. I know what this is. You want to try to keep me in line. You want to humilate me. You want to hurt me. You want to make me beg you for the position I am in...

Bitch...You need me mother fucker! Not the other way around!

You want me to destroy MJ! You want me to hurt her! You want me to break her...I could have done that tonight. I could have destroyed her mentally! I could have torn her soul apart!

...but I didn't...Because I'm better than that.

It's so easy to hurt people. They're like tissue paper. Any little thing on any day can destroy someone. I could have taken out her friend. I could have torn her whole life apart. I could have done something to her dad...I could have done thousands of things, but I didn't Rish...because being the Bad Ataxia never helped CWF.

I'm not the hero you want...I'm the hero you're stuck with!

I am not here to take over and make this my own playground. I am here to do what you have lost Rish. I am here to make CWF better, and I am going to do that by showing up and putting on the best match possible. So get ready MJ...

This is going to be a battle for CWF's soul and win or lose...I'll still win.

AHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAH...

It's finally time...I say to myself as I walk into Shadow's mansion. Everyone's asleep. Not a utterance. I creep past my beloved's room, Dorian's room...Shadow's room. I find the room he said I could have. Its as empty as my soul. I walk in with nothing and I wave my hands around. Suddenly it's there. The coffin. The oblong box. I open it. There it is...my bed. I lay inside of it and start to cry. Why can't I just tell them the truth...why...why do I have to do this? I hate this...but it's okay to cry for now...Tomorrow...Maybe I can change what I am destined to do...

Fin