March 15th, 2021...
Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital
William Blake Mason opened his eyes. He turned his head to the right to see the sunlight breaking through the hospital window. The cheerfulness of the early morning wasn’t enough to bring a smile to his face as he shifted his head to look straight up at the blank ceiling. He grimaced as he reached for his stomach. Last night he knew upon falling asleep that the next morning would remind him of the incident that landed him in a Texas hospital to begin with.
He sat up, discomfort shot through his back this time. Whatever discomfort he felt didn’t matter. Getting out of bed was the only objective on his mind. His stubbornness wouldn’t allow him to stay in bed all day.
One person could.
His attention shifted to the door. Stepping into the room was a six foot eight, two hundred and eighty pound mammoth of a man. Blake sighed, locking eyes on him.
“Thought I told you to go home.” Blake rolled his eyes.
The big man stuck his hands in his pockets. “And leave you here alone? Not a chance.” he said.
Sensing there was truly no way out of this predicament, Blake opted to slide back in bed. Staring at the ceiling, exhauerbated, Blake says, “Well Jaxson, I deserve to be alone thank you very much.”
A moment of silence passes. Jaxson opts to fill the void in the room. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. Last night you tried your best.”
Blake grumbled under his breath. As well meaning as Jaxson was trying to be, encouragement of any kind wasn’t what he wanted to hear. His desire was to be alone. Hopping on a private jet to get away from what was bothering him sounded like a great solution. Deep down he knows even if he managed to get past Jaxson, there is a hospital staff that wouldn’t allow him to make a speedy escape. All Jaxson’s involvement offered was a chance for Blake to realize angrily marching out the hospital was not the best plan of action.
His feelings about last night however... not so simple to escape. He reaches for the remote to the hospital bed, pushing the button the bed inclines up. Shifting his attention to the left he looks at Jaxson who stoically looks back at him.
“Leave. I’m fine.” Blake says.
Jaxson doesn’t budge.
“Please, I need a moment alone.” Blake insists. “I won’t go anywhere, promise.”
Jaxson doesn’t budge from his position.
Blake grits his teeth. “How about this, you’re fired! Now go.”
The third time wasn’t the charm; Jaxson shakes his head.
Blake takes a deep breath. “What do you want from me man? I’m a fucking failure. Why can’t I do anything right anymore? I had one mission for the past two months, avenge Kelcey. Slay the man who has manipulated all of Supreme Championship Wrestling in a state of chaos... no... I couldn’t accomplish that; look at me, I’m in a fucking hospital. Giovanni [Aires] is laughing all the way to the bank; how can I show my face anymore? I... I...”
All the emotions surging through Blake forced him to cough. Doubling forward, clutching his stomach, the pain coursing through his body trying to remind him to take is easy. He feels a calming hand on his shoulder. He looks up to see Jaxson trying his best to console him. Feeling a tad better Blake leans back. He takes a deep breath.
“I’m sorry about last night.” Jaxson says. “If you’re worried Kelcey will think any less of you, push that out of your head; not going to happen. Plenty of people in the company that’ll carry the torch.”
“Whatever.” Blake hisses. “No one else should need to carry the weight. Gio’s reign of terror should have ended with me. Me Jaxson. No one else. What I proved last night was I couldn’t get the job done. I’m useless. Completely useless. Hand me my cell phone.”
“B--”
“Please, can you at least do one thing I say?” Blake says.
“You did fire me.” Jaxson says with a warm grin on his face.
As much as it hurt him to laugh, Blake couldn’t help but find Jaxson’s comment funny.
Without much resistance, Jaxson did hand Blake his cell phone. He signed into his Twitter account. He knew what he wanted to tweet, took him no more than ten seconds to send his message out to the world. He hands Jaxson the phone. His friend returned the device where he got it.
With a weight lifted off his shoulders, Blake says, “It. Is. Finished.”
“What is?” Jaxson asked.
“My retirement. I’m done with professional wrestling.”
Blake looked at Jaxson to gauge his reaction. The big man couldn’t hide the confusion written across his face. “You can’t be serious.”
Blake nods. “There is a silver lining to this, Jaxson, I don’t need to worry about being pushed over the edge anymore. My life can resemble one of peace, no more conflict. No more needing to cross lines in order to get what I want. No more fear of crossing over to the dark side, what good did engaging on a path of revenge get me? Here. In a hospital. Driving myself crazy over failing to avenge the woman I love. I deserve a better life than this, Jaxson. So does Kelcey. We both gave professional wrestling enough, I’ll be damned if I give the business what’s left of my soul. When Kelcey gets here I’ll let her know. Until then, all I want to do is rest.”
Jaxson doesn’t bother to fill in the gaps of silence in the room. He finally gives Blake what he requests... a moment of silence.
~~~
A lot has happened since the fateful day William Blake Mason was confined to a hospital room due to being thrown off a scaffold by his arch nemesis.
His nagging injuries healed.
Once that finally happened, he got married to the woman of his dreams, Kelcey Wallace.
Life couldn’t possibly be better.
~~~
Three Months Later...
In the comfort of his mancave, Blake stared at a laptop resting on his huge oakwood desk. The laptop screen was black. He has lost track of all semblance of time, if anyone asked him what time it is, he wouldn’t be able to give anyone an answer. No device of any kind hung on the wall or was placed on his desk. His cellphone was in his bedroom. His father taught him clocks are a distraction, subconsciously a person would dart their eyes at anything measuring time just to see how much time was left before the work day ends.
Blake slammed the laptop shut. He props his legs on the desk. Leaning back in his plush leather chair he stares straight ahead to the closed door.
Restless, he removes his feet from the desk. Standing up he walks over to a trophy display case. All the professional wrestling championships lay behind the glass. The SCW Television Champion, his half of the World Tag Team Championships. The Adrenaline Champion is proudly displayed. There was a section of the trophy case that was intentionally left barren... the spot he intended on placing the SCW World Championship. Naturally he ignores all the other accomplishments in his decade plus stint in the business to linger on the one section of the trophy display case that remains barren.
He lowers his hand. Balls his hand in a fist. He comes close to driving his hand through the glass.
At the last possible second he halts his progress. Smart decision. The blood on the carpet isn’t going to clean itself. He turns around, walks back to the desk, removes a set of keys from the drawer. Walks back over to the trophy case, opens it up. He collects the titles including the ones he won in Volatile Wrestling Alliance.
Didn’t take him long to make his way into the living room and out the front door.
Without hesitation he tosses every championship he ever won into the street never to be seen by him again.
He turns around to see his young daughter astonished by what her father had done.
“Hey kid.” Blake says with a smile.
“Daddy... why did you do that?” she says, inquiring into the actions of her father.
Blake beacons her over. She runs to him. Getting on bended knee he rests his hand on his daughter’s shoulder.
“Kayla... all those championships were a constant reminder of the life I am trying to leave behind. I will always be proud of everything I accomplished. To quote a really crappy Star Wars movie, let the past die, burn it if you have too. I can’t let the past die being reminded of it. Finally time to push forward, kid.”
“I want to watch you wrestle again.” Kayla hugs her father around his neck.
Blake hugs her back. “You might get your wish. Working behind a desk isn’t all that's cracked up to be.” he can’t help but chuckle.
“Yay!” Kayla says beaming with excitement.
Blake looks up to see Kelcey not too far away from Kayla.
He stands up. Walking over to his wife he smiles. “Heard the great news I take it?”
She nods. “Knew it was a matter of time.”
“What can I say, you’re usually right.” Blake concedes.
“Always right.” she says with a sly wink.
Blake wraps his arms around her waist. Pulling his wife close he says, “Someone needs to be.” he says with a smirk. Soon his smirk goes away. “Listen, I can’t go back to Supreme Championship Wrestling. Last time I went back there was because I felt obligated to. My history. Feeling like I had something to prove. I felt if I didn’t become SCW World Champion I would be considered a failure. I can’t limit myself to one company. There is an entire wrestling landscape out there, a brand new start would be best for me mentally and spiritually. Time to let the past die.”
Kelcey soaked in everything he had to say. She responded with a kiss. “Whatever makes you happy, love.”
Blake kissed her back. “Thank you.”
Realizing the front door was still open he walks over to the door and closes it behind him.
~~~
<PROMO TIME>
The scene opens up with us staring at a man in a three piece suit sitting behind an oakwood desk. He has his feet propped on the desk in an effort to show how comfortable he is. With his hands resting behind his back, William Blake Mason says enthusiastically.
“Welcome to the Blake-Mason---” pauses for dramatic effect. “Ex-perience.”
A genuine smile forms on his face. “Sorry, it’s been roughly six-seven months since I’ve been able to say that.”
He inhales. Holds his breath. Lets out a deep exhale.
“Woooooooooo!” He lightly chuckles.
Blake removes his feet from the desk and he stands up. Walking around the desk once he reaches the front of it, he takes a seat. He makes himself comfortable by resting his hands on his knees. “Lets start with something simple, who is this handsome man gracing your screen? Only one person in this company can say they know me for absolute certain, hi Xaria.” Blake waves for his best friend in the world.
“But for the rest of you, stay where you are. Get your popcorn. Or not. How many of you actually take the time out of your day to watch this, can’t predict for certain. Either way, I have a message to all the fine fans who have decided to give Pro Wrestling Excellence a chance... this is mainly for you.” Blake nods, acknowledging the fans tuning in.
“Two thousand and eight; an eighteen year old fresh faced cocky son of a bitch by the name of William Blake Mason--” he points to himself, “jumped on the professional wrestling landscape. He believed he was the cock of the walk. Psh to being the next generation of professional wrestler, this asshole had the nerve to call himself Generation Next. I know right, I’d punch that kid in the face too.” Blake lightly chuckles.
“Like many a young folk; he had an ego bigger than the talent he was born with. Trust me, this Blake guy talked a big game. Won a couple championships along the way. Made more than his fair share of enemies, with the amount of trouble this guy caused, he’s lucky he’s not in a body bag by now.” Blake pats himself on the back in a self aggrandizing manner.
“Thirteen years since his debut, the one championship that has eluded him, well, me. Gotta stop referring to myself in the third person. Getting kinda annoying.” Blake winks.
“Anyway. The one championship that has eluded ME has been a World Championship. Before anyone says we are fighting for the Excellence Championship, I know. I can read. The Excellence Championship is PWE’s top title, therefore it’s a World Championship equivalent, my goal is still valid. Being in this wild and exciting sport we dedicated our lives to has taught me that we can’t guarantee victory. Getting through a battle royale is tough enough. Then having to compete in two singles matches after that will be no easy feat whatsoever. I didn’t sign up to lose. Obviously. The ultimate question is why do I feel I am going to run the gauntlet to become the first Excellence Champion in PWE his-story.”
Blake runs his hands through his hair. He returns to resting his hands on his knees.
“I want to believe that my stubbornness will actually amount to something;” He smirks. “The one thing I learned about myself on my twelve year journey of going through multiple career highs and lows, especially personal highs and lows, my pride won’t allow me to stay in the shadows forever. There were times in my career where I wanted to walk away. Hang up the wrestling boots. Live a nice quiet life in suburbia. Not to brag, I do have more money than God, I could fly off to my own private island, live the glorious life of a man who has never gone without anything. No amount of millions changes the fact that I am a man who has always been driven to complete his goals. To shoot for the impossible. Just when there are obstacles in my way that are insurmountable to overcome. When circumstances appear hopeless, there exists an inner drive within me to finally, no matter how long it takes, to finish the job I started.”
Blake pauses to take a deep breath. “What I promised myself when I was eighteen years old was to become a World Champion. Sitting on the sidelines for months, my goal kept calling to me. It would wake me up at night. My goal wouldn’t allow me to sleep. How could I not answer the call?”
Blake stands up. He pushes his hands in his pockets. “Chelsea. Kai. Jace. Tara. TJ. And to anyone else who crosses my path. You’re in my way. I’ll do what is necessary to claim the Excellence Championship. I have waited too damn long. No more waiting. No more being the bridesmaid at the wedding. This is my day. I dare anyone to stop. Me.”
Blake smirks as the scene fades to black.
