Violence.

“Violence… Drives… Us.”

The familiar voice belonging to Wraith is heard before there is any kind of visual; however, the visual slowly fades in along with the ambiance that undeniably belongs to the audience… Standing in the center of the ring is Wraith, with three unnamed opponents standing across from him. The trio are stricken by panic and fear as they look toward their opponent– the former champion– the youngest to ever do it… Even knowing his lineage already gave these three hopefuls doubt in their chance at holding their own against this monster. Wraith cocks their head to the side. They draw in a deep breath, and time seems to stand still. Wraith’s voice continues to be heard in the background of the current scenario.

“Violence– is our nature. Violence– shaped us, and it shaped our world. I would think of nothing else; when I ate, when I drank, when I breathed; anything, and everything, came with the thought of inflicting more and more pain to any who would stand across from me! People mistake me, people think that I just want to win… People think that I just want titles… People think that I just want the glory, and make no mistake: I do. I do want the glory. I do want the satisfaction to walk amongst everyone around me and let them know who the alpha predator is! I–” Wraith inhales heavily, sucking in the air through their teeth, “–enjoy the looks that everybody gives! The seething jealousy. The lust, the desire to want everything… There are so many people that are going to come into industry, and leave with broken dreams, but one short year in, and I have already taken everything that everyone dreams of, and I am coming for so much more!”

Their teeth chatter in the background several times, and you can hear a chuckle escaping lightly behind their breath, “I am coming for the Victory Championship! I am coming for the Impulse Championship! I am coming for the Excellence Championship! And– oh– I am coming for the Fusion Championship! These are all objects that I am going to take! People think that winning such things is going to stop me, but there is so much more to it than that. I want the titles– to bring the lambs to the slaughter. Oh, how I have enjoyed hurting the people that stand across from me!”

There is a momentary pause. Inside of the ring, Wraith tilts their head back and forth in a methodical manner; their cold eyes peering across the three lambs that have been given to him as nothing more than a sacrifice.

“I am not alone… While there are many, many people who cheer for me, and many, many people who chant my name. Many… many… people who would love to see just how far I am willing to go. They are wanting to see just how far I am willing to go, and the further I go, the better. All of these bloodthirsty fans–”

The shot suddenly shifts to the crowd that is crying for violence, and they chant the famous “you can’t kill him” that has become synonymous with Wraith since the night that they gave one of their greatest performances in their young career, a performance that he has yet to match within the confines of Pro Wrestling Excellence. However, while the shot shows the audience, the screen flashes several times; in the place of the typical audience is that of demons– demons wanting to see bloodshed– demons wanting to see Wraith unleash itself with the wrath, and bloodlust that has been displayed time after time… Whether it was their early matches in the company against Allen Chaney, the five-way contest for a shot at the Excellence Championship, Chelsea Skye, and Joe Montuori; Ellie Quinn, Jason Long, or Casanova English; there was no denying the violence they brought each and every time. The shot returns to Wraith still standing motionless inside of the ring, and time still feels as if it is standing still.

“–are itching for me to hurt someone! They are itching for me to break someone! They are wanting to see… destruction!” Wraith’s lips curl into a grin, and time returns to normal; Wraith snaps at one of the trio with a Genocide Kick, the superkick that has been passed down from mother to son, and then a Lights Out, a devastating knee…the other two people in the ring cower slightly until one tries to extend his hand to his opponent, believing that peace would be an alternative option; however, the onslaught continues! The Howling connects against that opponent, and now two out of the three men are laid out in the ring, but something catches Wraith’s eye.

Another monster.
The temptress.

The scene continues to unfold, and the last remaining member of the trio takes a cheap shot at Wraith while they are distracted. It seems like he may make a name for himself just yet, but even he could not resist from gloating after successfully taking down the monster! The gloating is what cost him in the end… really, some would argue whether he ever truly had a shot. The woman points behind the man as he is gloating, and Wraith is there like the monster under your bed, and he drags him down with the Fujiwara Armbar! The man is pleading for mercy, and tapping out before Wraith can truly lock the hold in.

The shot shifts back to the crowd, but much like before, they are not the crowd that we are used to seeing… It is nothing but demons in their place, demons that are calling for the same thing that the woman commands: break it.

In a fluid motion, Wraith transitions to a cross armbar, and with no hesitation, a snap is heard! The woman smiles. The crowd cheers, and Wraith’s lips curl into another sadistic grin until the lights suddenly go out. The scenery does return shortly after within the confines of the void; the vast emptiness surrounding Wraith, as they peer directly ahead of them with dried up blood staining their face.

“As much as I have become accustomed to clearing this industry of the filth that does not belong in the same ring with the likes of the rest of us– the gladiators– there is something else that ticks for me when I am finally in the ring with a worthy opponent! The people who have defeated me in the ring– those are the people that I want to be in the ring with! I want the people who are going to push me… I want people to take me further than I have been before! I want to see how much damage– how much blood– how much pain they are willing to take from me to secure themselves a victory! It is much more satisfying for us when people are willing to match me move for move… violence for violence. Blood for blood. Bone for bone. Scar for scar. Those are the people that make this so much fun. Those are the people that, while they were able to walk out, I promise– and it is not something that they would confess to, but they did not walk out the same! They walked out…a little colder… A little less human. Those are the people that I want to see ultimately– fall. Those are the people that I want to have looking up at me and admitting to themselves, and admitting to the world that they…do not know what they were in the ring with, but they knew in their gut, they knew in their heart, that they were not going to win. That is the feeling that they are going to get when I come for their titles. That is going to be their confession when I am in the ring with them again, and when I am what I am: a MONSTER. Y’see… I do not want easy prey. I do not want someone who is going to sit there and accept what I am going to afflict upon them. I love when they fight back. I love when they squirm for a chance. I love when they are able, truly able, to give me a fight! I love when they make me bleed. I love when they make me feel…something.” Wraith says while biting down on their bottom lip.

“That is something that I see when I look at one person who I am going to have the– pleasure– of sharing the ring with. Sarah Wolf! Your name precedes you, your reputation precedes you! There are people who swear up and down that you are the devil incarnate, and that no one in their right mind should ever wish to be in the ring with you… No one in their right mind would ever wish to be in the ring with you!” Wraith says, and cocks their head to the side, but that sly smirk is still resting on their face, a minor look of arrogance. “But I am not in the right mind, am I?” Wraith asks the rhetorical question whilst tapping their clawed fingernail against their skull, and snorts out a light laughter while trying to hold it in.

“I want to be in the ring with you, Sarah,” Wraith mutters. They hesitate in continuing, stammering momentarily for the right words, “I want that– I do– I want to be in the ring with you! I want you to show me just how violent you can be! I want you to scratch, claw, bite, and do everything you need to do to try to stop me from advancing! I want you to look across the ring at me– I want you to see that you have met someone… so… much… worse…” they say with gritted teeth, “Someone who even you are going to learn to fear. Someone who even you are going to think twice before stepping back into the ring with. Someone who even you are going to ask what length will I not go to to inflict as much pain onto those who stand across from me as I possibly can! And this is something that you had better get used to, and get used to it fast– these fans– are going to love you for it. These fans are going to cheer every single strike we take against one another! These fans are going to be treated to a bloodbath, and they are still going to beg to see more! These fans are going to watch us dismantle each other in the middle of the ring… and it is not going to be enough… Can you be that violent for me, Sarah? Can you make me feel something?” They ask, and the question lingers for several pondering seconds.

The shot pans out, unveiling more of Wraith within the confines of the void, as they sit with their legs crossed and now hunched forward with their elbow on their knee. They tap their finger against their chin a couple of times, and lick their lips before finally resuming, “As much as I wish that this battle were one-on-one, that is not going to be the case this week… We have someone– SOMEONE in our way. Someone who is not going to let us wage a war inside of the ring for the benefit of the audience in attendance, and for the people that are going to watch us compete from around the world… and truly… I pity him. I pity Colton Saint for being in the same ring as us, because there is nothing more that we want than to inflict pain onto each other, but he is not going to be safe from being caught in the midst of it! But now… I have to ask you, Colton: is this the place you want to be? Is this the fight that you want to be in?” There is another pause, as Wraith awaits an answer from another rhetorical question.

“Hmm?” Wraith persists.

“I know what you are feeling, Colton, because I, too, have a child of my own. I, too, would do anything to see her smile. I, too, want to inspire her. I, too, want to be an example– someone that she can look up to. Someone that she knows is going to protect her from everything– teach her– everything– … But I am not Sabin, do you understand? Whereas Sabin would protect her from the cruelty of the world, I will teach her to master it! I will teach her to control it! When the day comes that she is the next force to be reckoned with, and that day will come, she will be the one that everybody will fear inside of this ring! Maybe, Colton, maybe the day will come that your own children follow in your footsteps… Maybe… they will get in the ring with my own daughter when the day comes, but like you are going to learn, first hand at Victory: you are going to learn to fear being in the ring with me. This is something that I hope you will teach your kids! This is something that I hope they will know what they are getting into when that day comes to fruition: I hope that you will teach them to not get into the ring with my daughter! And, so I ask again, are you sure that this is the match that you want to be in? Does the Fusion Championship mean that much to you? Are you willing to risk your safety? Do you understand that getting into the ring with spirits like myself and Sarah Wolf, there is a good chance that you do not walk out the same as you walking in? Do you understand that it could be the last time that you have the strength to lift your head to merely look at your children?” Wraith clicks their tongue several times after the series of questions.

“I hope you think about it, Colton. I hope you really ask yourself if this is the place that you want to be… if a title is worth it…”

Wraith’s gaze falters away from the camera in front of them, and they nod their head a couple of times while the next thoughts begin to race through their mind. Of course, first and foremost on their mind was their upcoming match: Sarah Wolf and Colton Saint, but a chance to do something that Wraith had yet to do in PWE! Acquire a championship.

“The Fusion Championship…” Wraith mutters under their breath.

“This is a chance– a true chance for me to cement my legacy here. A true chance to show this company just what it is that I am capable of doing! All of the close calls that I have had… as close as I was to earning a shot at the Excellence Championship at my debut! As close as I was to taking the Impulse Championship away from Joe Montuori, and what I would have had… Ophelia… not intervened… and all the times that followed. This is a true chance for me to take gold; this is a true chance to put that target on my back, just where I want it, to force everyone to come after me for a chance to cement their own legacy… a chance to come after me for a chance to make a name for themselves… But I have given the world every single warning I possibly could: no one is going to walk out of the ring in the same mentality that they walked in! No one is going to leave the ring from me intact… I am looking at Issak Otto… Issak… has been more than a capable fighter, and has turned quite a few heads. But Issak, who are you rooting for? Who do you want to have in the ring with you when the time comes? Are you going to risk yourself– with Sarah Wolf? Are you taking the safe bet with… Colton Saint…?” Wraith sneers, “They have to make it through me. And I have hungered for this opportunity for far too long; I have hungered for taking the dominance that I have had at one part of the industry and carrying it to the rest of it! I have hungered to have gold, and so…with me being as hungry as I am… I do not like their odds. This week, we are going to make a nice little example of what you need to expect. This week, there will be blood. This week… as tough as you are… as bloody as you can get… you are going to ask to be removed, because you are not going to like what you are going to see.”

They take a momentary pause, taking this moment to stand up. They cock their head from one side to the next, and their eyes peer forward whilst biting down on his bottom lip, as if to savor a taste from this week… blood, and a victory.

“I will see you all very, very soon.”

The camera moves forward, almost directly into Wraith’s jaw as they open their mouth and snap their jaw shut. The scene ends.