Mutual Respect

October 12
Orlando, Florida
Wolfslair Training Facility

He hated feeling like this.

So completely and utterly powerless.

When he got the news last week that his brother in law Jack had been jumped, beaten to within an inch of his life and practically left for dead on a gym floor, it had taken everything in his willpower not to hop on the next flight from Orlando to New York and track down the bastards responsible. But both his sister Alanah and his wife Sierra had convinced him to stay put, that the situation was (or would be) taken care of.

He didn’t like it, but he did what he was told. With everything that had happened this past year with his battle with Angel, he was understandably on edge when he talked to his sister. He was the protector of his family, and he felt like he had failed. But Sierra had pointed out the fact that it was impossible for him to be everywhere at once, especially with the distance between them all. She had reassured him that everything would be fine in New York, and that he needed to concentrate on his work in PWE and SCW.

Of course, that conversation had taken place before he had unceremoniously lost his Internet title at the last SCW Climax Control show, which soured his mood even further. But she reminded him that he still had his opportunity at the PWE Victory championship, the one thing he had his mind on since the company started back up with season two. It helped to temper his mood somewhat, but there was still a metaphorical dark cloud hanging over his head as he walked into the Wolfslair facility that morning. There were no classes scheduled, just an open training day for anyone that felt like dropping in and getting some work in. He wanted to burn off some of the excess anxious energy that had been building up since he got home from Nevada, as well as get some training in before the PWE show upcoming on Monday night. He had quite the challenge in front of him in the form of relative newcomer Issak Otto, and he wanted to make sure that he was ready for anything that came his way.

After changing into some loose black shorts and a white T-shirt, he taped up his hands and wrists as he made his way over to the punching bags. He did some stretches to warm up his muscles, rolling his neck on his shoulders as he shook out his arms and bounced on the balls of his feet a few times. He was the only one in the building at the moment, not surprising as it was still fairly early in the morning. He was sure as the hours went on more people would show up, but for the time being he was grateful for the solitude. He threw himself into his routine, his mind going blank except for remembering the next steps in his workout. In no time he was sweating profusely, his hands were burning and his muscles ached, but he relished the feeling.

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but judging by the ache now taking over his body he had been at this for probably longer than he should have been. But still, he pushed himself past the aches and pains and kept on hitting the bag. It wasn’t until he felt a hand on his shoulder that nearly made him jump out of his skin that he finally stopped, whirling around to come face to face with his younger cousin Alfie, a student with the facility. The young blonde Brit gave Lachlan a cheeky grin, adjusting the backwards hat on his head. “Alright there, cuz?”

He took a few deep breaths to calm himself from the scare, while also grabbing a towel from a nearby cart and wiping the sweat running down his face. “I will be, once my heart stops trying to break out of my ribcage.”

“Sorry, I thought you heard me come in. I wasn’t exactly quiet about it.” He shifted the gym bag on his shoulder, giving a curious look to his Irish cousin. “How you holding up, otherwise? Yunno, with all the other…stuff going on?”

Lachlan slung the towel around his shoulders as he rested his hands on his hips. “About as well as can be expected, considering a man I considered a good friend just beat the holy shit out of my own brother in law. Not to mention losing the first singles title I ever won in SCW after only holding it a month, and worrying about my pregnant wife and sister…” He sighed heavily. “Just seems like it's been one thing after another lately.”

“Hey, Jack’s a tough kid. He’ll be alright, and that whole ordeal will get sorted out. As for Sierra and Lanah, they’ve both had babies before. They’ve got this. And the title thing…well, that sucks, I won’t lie. But hey, at least you’ve got your Victory title contendership to look forward to, right?”

Lachlan smirked wryly. “True enough. Just wish I had a few more good things going right now. Seems like the shit is outweighing the good.”

“Would a visit from an old friend help?”

This time, both of the men were startled by the new voice in the facility, and they both whipped around to look towards the entry doors. A tall man was standing just inside the entrance area by the registration desk, an easygoing grin across his handsome face. A shock of dark hair fell across his brow, and his hazel-green eyes were warm as they stared right at Lachlan.

He was sure his eyes were bugging out of his head cartoonishly as he stared at the newcomer, a face he had not seen in quite some time. It took him a few moments to shake off the shock, and he finally found his voice. “Holy shit…Eddy?”

—---

Seated in his office at the Wolfslair Orlando facility, Lachlan Kane grinned towards the camera as he kicked his sneakered feet up onto his desk, lacing his hands together and resting them behind his head. Although his body language showed him as being relaxed and at ease, one glance into his bright blue eyes showed the determination and intensity sparkling in their depths.

“When I say that I’m excited for this opportunity, that’s not just hyperbole. I’m always looking to test myself against new and exciting opponents. I’m not one to rest on my laurels and just coast by. I want to be able to look back on my career and know that I faced the best that the wrestling world has to offer. I don’t have a dream list per se, but I keep my eyes on the wrestling world for new and exciting people to test my mettle against. One of those people just happens to be my upcoming opponent this Monday night, Issak Otto.”

He lowered his feet to the floor and brought his hands down to rest on the desktop, fingers interlaced. “Now, while I may not know a lot about you Issak, I’ve been keeping my eye on you since you arrived in PWE. You’re unlike anyone else I’ve seen in wrestling today. You’ve got a good heart, boundless talent, an insane arsenal of moves, and tons of determination. In fact, you kind of remind me of a certain scrapper…” He chuckled lightly. “You’re definitely a rare breed in wrestling these days, and that’s why I’ve been hoping that our paths would cross. Now, I know that this match isn’t for any titles or opportunities. Like the match card says, it’s a showcase. All for bragging rights. Two of the brightest potential stars in PWE going head to head to show just why we are the number one contenders. I know that the two of us are going to put on an absolute clinic of a match, and we’re going to give the PWE faithful a memory that they’ll be talking about for years to come. I’m talking about a truly defining moment in PWE history.”

He rose up to his feet, walking around the desk to sit at the edge of it and crossing his arms over his chest. “But at the end of it all, when the dust settles and that last bell is rung, no matter the outcome it will be an honor to shake your hand.”