Uphill. // Chapter XII

"Uphill."
Chapter XII

The moisture in the crisp morning air had caused small droplets to form onto the nylon mesh. This was an easy point of access, hanging just a couple feet above Issak’s face. One droplet collided with another to form a drop that was twice the size. Our young droplet picked up speed, moving along the mesh and gathering other droplets along the way until it had enough weight to drop. Through the mesh it fell, soaring through the air and landing directly on the left eyelid of our hero. The sudden shock of the cold water against his face was enough to flutter his eyes open.

Prior to that, Issak had been in a deep slumber. The only thing he recalled before dozing off was how hard the ground was. Somehow, he managed to drift to sleep despite not being on his usual queen-sized Tempur-Pedic mattress. Still, he smiled.

For a moment, he lingered there starring at the top of his tent. His life had gotten quite messy as of late; there was a part of him that wanted to lay there for the rest of his life. His parents had always loved taking him camping when he was a kid. Maybe that’s why he felt so safe here inside the cocoon he’d create for himself.

Looking back, it had to have been his mother that liked it more, considering they never went again after she passed. Issak had been thinking a lot about her lately.

It was the flowers left in his room that had done it. Issak’s mother was a florist, leading to many bright memories of his childhood involving loads and loads of flowers. Their very aroma brought him back to that time in his life. It had been almost fifteen years since her passing, but it was now more than ever that Issak found his mind wandering to her.

Would she be proud of the man he’d become?

He promised he’d grow up to be a good man, to strive to do the right thing, to never shy away from the difficult path. The very idea of The Class Act had come from these promises to his mother, as well as a promise to never turn into the kind of man his father is.

He thought about what she would say, what kind of advice she would give. He couldn’t help but nod his head in response to his own thoughts. How helpful it would be if he’d be able to ask her for advice.

The benefit of this new melancholic mood was that it had kept him from drinking. He couldn’t rightfully have all these thoughts in his head while still attempting to drown his sorrows every night. Drinking was something new and fun, Issak had broadened his horizons if only by a smidge, but he’d also learned a ‘new and fun’ lesson in indulgence. Too much of anything was never going to end up benefitting him in the long run. He knew that now for certain.

But there was still so much that he didn’t know.

The flowers themselves were nothing by a mystery. He thought back to when he’d first seen The Wolf. It was during his match at Victory XIX against Kim Jaewoo and Donatella Martinelli. Issak turned, looked up at the entranceway and there she was. The Wolf pointed to him, and Issak tried to remain calm. The Wolf gave him a thumbs down. Issak was able to lock in the Class Action and get the win, but by the time he looked again The Wolf was gone.

Victory XX was completely different. It was so much more personal, to the point where Issak felt like he knew these people. Sure, there were more than enough clues to point him in the direction of the Aylas. But the White chrysanthemums, bittersweet flowers, mock oranges and orange roses that covered the entirety of his room felt like they had been chosen just for him.

The whole incident sort of made his skin crawl, only to come face-to-face with not just The Wolf, but also The Bunny. This of course led to the attack. Issak remembered the encounter with The Wolf. She had seemed so familiar, like it was a dance he had done before. It was mostly the surprise that caught him off guard and ended with his head being smashed into the wall.

Otto brought up a hand to the back of his head, wincing. It had long since stopped hurting, but simply the recall was enough to make him wince. Oh yes, and what was it that was written on the mirror?

Do You See?

Issak scoffed, moving his arms above his head and using them as a headrest. Issak most definitely did not see. He felt completely blind, walking into this whole thing alone and confused. This was the second time he'd had contact with them, yet he was no sooner to understanding. At least, that’s how it felt.

It could all be some sort of rouse. He’d toyed with this idea, naturally. The Aylas had come back into PWE, surely with dominance in mind. They’d proudly sat atop their thrones before, so it only made sense that they would want to sit there again. Issak had been rather loud about his opinions on Season One and certain competitors. Tyrants, he called them. In a place where very few dared step against the Aylas, it wasn’t a far jump to think they’d want him gone.

Was that it? They wanted him gone. Is that all he needed to understand?

If that was all, then it wasn’t going to work. Since Magnificence, he’d worked his way back to two wins. Despite everything else, he was trying to remain focused. Which was made even more difficult by competitors being hotheaded over hotdogs. Issak would probably never agree with JMont on much, but he couldn’t help letting out a small chuckle when he thought about Allen being hit in the face with raw hotdogs. The whole thin was ridiculous.

“You better not be thinking about the next Victory!”

Carson Campbell’s voice boomed through the tent, his face suddenly appearing on the other side of the mesh. Issak had given himself away with the chuckle, revealing himself to be awake. Campbell placed his hands on either side of the tent, shaking it slightly.

“I’m not!” Otto shouted back, pulling his sleeping bag up as a shield against the falling drops of precipitation that had clung to the top of his tent.

“This is supposed to be a get away…as in get away from stress, get away from work, get away from all that bullshit. You’ve got plenty of time to think about all that stuff when we get back down the mountain. Time to get going!”

It had been Carson’s idea to go camping. Get out of the city, clear his mind of everything going on. Issak also knew it was in part to keep him from drinking, which was probably a solid move. When he was drinking, Issak had claimed the bartender Bobby to be his best friend, though it was clearly Carson. Nobody had done anywhere near as much to help him in his life, and for that, Issak would always be grateful. Though currently, the shouting was making him rethink this.

“Alright, alright. I’m getting up!”

“That’s my boy! I’ll make a quick fire and heat up some coffee. We can pack everything down and head up the rest of the way. We should reach the peak by midday!”

Carson gave him the finger guns, before sprinting off and away. True, being forced into these activities was the best thing for him right now. It was keeping him healthy, and Carson knew he wouldn’t find Issak holed up in his rooms with thumbtacks and string all over the place.

Issak sighed, slipping on his nearby shoes. A moment later he was unzipping the tent, the brisk air smacking in in the face. He bundled up his jacket a little more, meeting Carson at the bundle of twigs that would soon hopefully become a fire.

“Let’s see what the day has in store for us.”

Carson held a large smile on his face, despite failing at starting his flames for a third time. He pointed towards the mountain peak, tracing a rather steep trail leading up to it.

"It's all uphill from here, Issak."

“For a long while, I could proudly say that my greatest match here in PWE has been with Kanna Verger.

I know some are surprised I didn’t say Allen, but both of our battles have been cast in shadow. The first was the gauntlet, and I suppose I would say our bout at Magnificence if my thoughts on it hadn’t soured for reasons I’ll get into a bit later.

However, as I looked at the card for Victory XXI, I thought that I may actually have a bout that could be greater. My opponents need no introduction, by now everyone knows who Casanova English is and they definitely know who Damian Ayla is. I don’t need to tell anyone about who they are and what they’ve done to get to this point.

I know that the PWE universe already had themselves a grand time when these two met prior, so management sat back and thought about how they got outdo themselves. Not only will they run it back, we’ll throw Issak Otto in there and put the Impulse Contendership on the line! What a predicament I find myself in, between a rock and a hard place. Two men who love violence. The stipulation says it’s a Standard Triple Threat, which really doesn’t mean much when it comes to violence and PWE.

I’m not going to sit here and go over opinions I have on the Aylas and their virtues, because at the end of the day it won’t solve anything. My opinions on the kinds of people I’m up against have no weight on them as competitors.

I suppose that’s something I’ve been misunderstanding about the wrestling industry as of late. The greatest competitor doesn’t mean you’re the purest of heart, nor does it mean that you’re the most cutthroat individual out there. I’ll ask both of my competitors to remember this when we’re heading into our match. My opinions on you mean nothing, just the same way that your opinions on me mean nothing. I know full well what Damian thinks of me as a person. I believe he said he thought me to be wearing some kind of mask, when I’ve only ever tried to be myself.

The only thing that really matters is how we perform in the ring. I know I’ve had some missteps, but I’ve also been one of the most consistent competitors in season two. You can tout more opinions about what you think the competition climate was like without the Aylas, but for every person you find that agrees I’m sure I can also find someone that doesn’t.

The opinions of the Aylas, and I refuse to play their games.

PWE has always been the playground for the violent. It’s where the sick and twisted come to play, and I knew that when I came here. It’s one of the reasons people like Damian and Casanova do so well here. It’s tailor-made to that mindset. Not by the design of the Aylas or anyone else for that matter, but they just happen to fit perfectly into that mold.

I don’t, and I never have. Maybe it was foolish of me to think I could go up against such an ideal, but I’ve done so, regardless. I’ve done so knowing that I would be fighting an uphill battle.

Prior to my Excellence Championship shot at Magnificence, I was given the stipulation choice. A heavy decision, indeed. In keeping with what I believe to be important in wrestling, I chose a Pure Rules match. Before the match even took place, the PWE twitter account was already announcing that from then on, the Excellence Championship would only be defended in high stakes matches. Now, maybe my name wasn’t mentioned, and maybe the match wasn’t specifically called out, but it’s hard not to believe that was aimed at me and the stipulation of my choice. Personally, I do think a Pure Rules match is high stakes, especially if the competitors involved are of a high caliber. If it’s blood that PWE wants, Allen and I still busted each other open with nothing but our bodies as weapons.

Don’t get me wrong, violence has a time and place in this business. Of course it does. I’m not so blind. All I call for is balance.

I’ve continually fought against this idea that I need to be bloody and I need to be violent in order to be recognized here in PWE. Despite sticking to my guns, despite each and every week trying to put on one hell of a wrestling match instead of a bloodbath, I managed to work myself to the top of the PWE mountain. Neither of you have had to fight against the adversity that I have had to here. I’ve fought each one head on, and more often than not I’ve come out on top. I know I sound like a school boy but I’m always on the honor roll, I’m always among the top.

I only say this so you understand that I’m not going to be slim pickings in this match. You two look at me as some young, naïve hopeful and that’s a mistake. Refusing to take me as a threat isn’t going to make you look like some bigshot, it’s going to make you look foolish. Because by now, PWE HAS seen the kind of competitor I am and they HAVE seen what it’s like when I’m hungry for something! The crowd may yearn for violence, but I’ve still managed to earn my way into their good graces. I’m looking to do more than that, I’m looking to earn my way to gold here in PWE.

I’ve been close. Twice now. Ever so close, yet so far away. Sitting here now with both Damian and Casanova standing in my way, it somewhat feels further away than ever before.

But I know that’s not true. Each and every time I’ve stepped into the ring, I grow. I’ve never claimed to know it all, like some of these people do. I know the world is ever changing, and you’ve got to keep changing if you want to keep up. I’ve adapted the best I could to PWE, and I continue to adapt to the situations that present. That’s one of the reasons that I don’t think either of these two will be able to cite my losses to Allen as weaknesses. I’ve learned from the losses the Excellence Champion gave me, and I’m proud they’re the only losses on my record, thus far.

Besides, here in PWE, the roster has proven time and time again just how tight the competition is. All it takes is one missed kick, one wrong step. Jason proved that when he beat Allen. The most prepared wins. The hungriest competitor is going to have his hand raised, and I know that’s me!

I know I have what it takes to beat Jason, because I’ve done it before. However, I can’t rightfully think of Jason right now, considering who my opponents are. It wouldn’t be wise of me to look passed Damian or Casanova. Due to my technical background, I can easily spot a weakness and target it. Which is what I’ll be doing in this match, spotting the weakness, which is easier said than done. Just know, that anything can happen in a triple threat. Adding just one more person increases the chaos exponentially. PWE knew what they were doing when they booked this match.

I’m not going to cower at the thought of these two, I’m going to face it head on like I always do. Say what you want about my personality, but I’ve never backed down from a challenge. I’ve always competed fairly, I’ve succeeded my way. The Class Act will always be The Class Act, no matter the adversity. This is who I am, you will not break me!"