The Moreno Tale: Chapter Three - A Cold Reality.
Aug 9, 2015 5:38:51 GMT -5
Crow McMorris, David Sanchez, and 2 more like this
Post by Derek Moreno on Aug 9, 2015 5:38:51 GMT -5
The tree canopy blocked the beaming sunlight showering over the rest of the world, the forest creating a thick barrier that left everything shaded and dark, Derek Moreno walked along a small dirt trail with one headphone in, absentmindedly nodding to the beat of the song that played while he took stride after stride along the dirt, each step creating a small print that would be found by the next person that ever happened to walk along the peaceful path. Not too far ahead of where Derek Moreno walked lay a clearing where the sun shone down vibrantly on the surprisingly well-tamed grass that didn’t even come past ankle height, a perfect place to sit down and fall into a powerful, deep trance of thought, which is exactly what Derek had fallen into in recent times, especially after receiving his first taste of action between the ropes of a WCF ring. Ultimate Showdown proved to Derek that everything he had worked for had paid off in a way he never could of imagined, and with Mitch along with him for the ride, he had a feeling things could only get better from this point onward. One goal had been achieved, debuting in the biggest wrestling federation in the world, and now another one had to be set, but what would that be? With little to know direction, Derek Moreno was almost shocked to realize that now he had accomplished his life-long dream, he had zero idea as to which road he’d take, deep in the back of his mind he knew he would have to make the right decision on where to go, but in a world like the one we live in today, what exactly is a “right decision” anymore? The white and black choices that may have once been a reality in our world has only become varying shades of grey, and the thought of failure and demise, after reaching a height like he had – scared the living hell out of “The Redeemed One.” With that thought etched in his mind, Derek stopped the head-banging to the tune reverberating through his earphones, and began to solemnly step nearer and nearer toward the clearing, he quickly ate up the distance and felt the warmth of the sun on his flesh and for the first time for the day, he managed to give off a weak smile at nothing in particular, he continued to walk until he reached the middle of the open space that allowed the sun freedom to reign over all, before slowly squatting down and taking a seat right in the center of the space, with the sun hitting the back of his neck, he shut his eyes momentarily. They stayed that way shortly, before they suddenly snapped back open, a new look replacing the one of the old, from weak and forlorn to determined and energetic, his weak smile turned into one of a bit more genuine happiness.
“Ultimate Showdown, an event to be remembered I’d imagine, many different people walked into that arena and only a few came out on top, like Dune, who fought against every odd imaginable and kept that World Title secured, where a guy like Kyle Kemp failed to back up everything he had been talking and got beat fair and square in the center of the ring, and where a valiant man like Adam Young…”
Derek Moreno chuckles slightly, almost unbelieving of what he is about to say.
“Managed to defeat Joey and pick up a big win, although I don’t know how legitimate that must be considering Joey didn’t give a flying fuck about the match-up, but I digress.”
Derek looks down for a short second, contemplating his next words before drawing breath to speak once more.
“But, another key event took place at Ultimate Showdown, no title had been rewarded for the particular match-up, and many people probably didn’t take notice at all, which may just be their unbecoming as realization slowly begins to dawn on them. At Ultimate Showdown, the debut of Mejor Redemption took place, at Ultimate Showdown, Mitch “El Mejor” Morales and Derek Moreno took everything Vengeance and Apocalypse had and threw it back in their faces handily before picking up the win in astounding fashion, at Ultimate Showdown, we gave everyone a split-second glimpse of what we’ll be doing to every other team in this federation. Maybe a bit of an arrogant statement, sure, but I’m willing to back it up, as Mitch is. Bring the competition in any form, hell don’t be surprised to see Mejor Redemption taking their shot at Jonny and Joey sometime soon, I live for the challenge and I don’t back away from that shit. Guys like them are too busy telling the world of their incredible talents and their unmatched abilities, that they don’t even realize what’s happened when they get their asses pinned in the centre of that ring. You saw it with Jonny Fly at Ultimate Showdown, guy be talking like he going to DOMINATE everyone in that fucking match and then got completely obliterated, sure it took a hell of a lot to do it but I wouldn’t put it past Mitch and I to do the exact same fucking thing. Don’t get me started on Joey either, guy hasn’t gotten a main-event match in forever and it’s likely to stay that way for a very, very long time.
“What am I getting at here? There’s no reason I’m going to fear anyone in this federation, and Mitch feels is the same, we’re going to one by one pick apart anyone who may come against us, we’ll give the crowd a match they’re deserving of, we’ll put on a match to remember with our opponents, and even when it doesn’t look like it’s going our way, we’ll be the two walking away with the victory and moving onto the next challenge set for us. That’s the way we do things, we walk from match to match unperturbed, even in the face of defeat we will rise and stand tall, we’ll do things the way we’ve been doing it from the very start, and we’ll show you all that success can be achieved through the dedication and commitment that many guys on the roster are lacking today. You see guys who’ve got that FIRE, and then you’ve got the guys who choke up and fail on the big stages, Mejor Redemption doesn’t do that, we do what we do, and you’ll find out what that is at next Slam, when we take to the field of battle once again and march away with the victory from whoever may happen to be matched up against us.
“I may come across as a bit of a dick in this regard, but it’s the competitive spirit taking over, that drive and will to win, I’ll show that throughout my career here and everyone the roster will be put on notice as Mejor Redemption continues their meteoric rise to the top.
“You don’t believe me?”
Derek mockingly scoffs, but continues to keep the good-natured grin set over his face.
“Just you wait and see.”
LATER…
“I told you, you didn’t have to worry at all, Derek.”
Derek let a rueful grin emerge at his lips, his face slightly reddening as he gave a darting side-long glance toward Olivia, who stood in the kitchen and raised a single eyebrow up at him, as if she was daring him to make a snide remark about her comment. The thought ran through Derek’s mind for only a second, before he conceded defeat, raising his hands up into the air and chuckling.
“I admit it, you were right, I should’ve listened to you.”
“You really should of, even though in reality you still got carried by Mitch.”
Derek made a little oval shape with his mouth, looking away from his phone which he held within his hands and stared up toward Olivia, who had the ghost of a smirk building up from the corner of her lips, her head bent down, her eyes avoiding his momentarily while he continued to give her a mock stern look, that only served to make her laugh, Derek sighed a little.
“There’s always got to be one doubter.”
“I’ll fill that quota for you, just to make sure no-one else does.”
Derek shook his head embarrassingly and went back to his phone, he wish he had more to converse about with her, he hadn’t seen her since he had flew out to compete at Ultimate Showdown, and he only just got back today, a little too busy celebrating his victory alongside Mitch and checking out every possible place he could in Japan. He could always talk about that experience, of course, but Derek tried to stay as far away from wrestling talk as he could when he was with Olivia, due to how much it came up between them, unfortunately enough for him right now, it was the only thing that came to mind, meaning he miserably failed any hope of steering the conversation in a different direction. He let out another sigh, albeit a smaller one this time, while he continue to glare downwards towards his phone, a notification popped up on the top bar of his phone, using his finger he navigated through his messages nonchalantly before a smile crept over his face, his head darted away from his phone as he used his momentum to kip up from his couch, hopping off of it and landing on his feet, before he looked toward Olivia who was cutting a few pieces of fruit and placing them into a bowl.
“Honey, I’m going to head out for a bit, got someone to meet up with.”
Olivia looked up from her fruit momentarily before glancing back toward them nonchalantly, giving a slight shrug.
“Go ahead, mind telling me who you’re meeting up with?”
“No-one special, just my old basketball coach.”
“You mean the one who kicked you off the team for being an unruly idiot?”
“Yeah, that one.”
That managed to get a small laugh out of Olivia, she knew a lot of Derek’s past, he had told her almost all of it, something she appreciated very dearly.
“Why do you want to meet with him, of all people?”
“We kept contact after I got kicked off the team, I didn’t get expelled or anything, I kept seeing him around and he eventually told me he didn’t want to kick me off the team, just that he got forced to, we continued to talk after that and he sort of… guided me along the way. You two should talk sometime, he’s got some great advice, and you really need some.”
The last sentence came in a joking manner as Derek hurriedly put on his shoes and burst through the door in a similar way to how he did as the young energetic child he once was, he wasn’t willing to sit around and listen to the response that would come from Olivia, who had already been drawing breath to ranting at him, he grinned to himself whilst he opened the door to his BMW M3 Pure, he quickly lit the ignition and backed up out of the driveway of his home, rocks and stones rattling slightly as the car hovered over them, before he put the vehicle into drive and traversed along the bitumen road, the car rounding the street corner speedily.
THE REUNION…
The reverberation of a basketball hitting up against the hardwood flooring of the striped court almost sounded like a symphony playing in the left ear of Derek Moreno, the sound couldn’t be heard through the right due to the earphone loudly blaring hip-hop music whilst he played, it felt good to be back on the court after all the time spent away, all the time spent slaving away training and improving, all in an attempt to make it onto the grand stage, with that out of the way for the time being, Derek knew he would have to relieve all the strain and worry somehow, and what better way to do it than with meeting an old-time friend, or in the eyes of Moreno himself, a mentor who had helped him carve his path to the “top” of the mountain. Even though in reality Derek had only just started his trek along the steep slope of the impassable mountain known as the WCF. The ball felt miniature in Derek’s hand as he floated up a shot from right in between the free throw line and the basket, the ball flew upward and then dropped down, etching a path downward straight through the net. Derek nodded in satisfaction before he bent down to pick up the ball, dribbling it with his palms a little before hearing the opening and shutting of a door from somewhere near the corner of the room, where he had entered from previously. He carelessly threw up a shot and glanced quickly over toward where he suspected the new arrival had entered from, he was correct and a sad yet at the same time joyful smile broke out over his face as he saw his old basketball coach, who he hadn’t seen in person for what had felt like an eternity. Derek sped up his pace, nearly breaking out into a jog to chew up the distance between himself and his old coach, and as mentor and student met near the sideline of the court, they both gave each other an awkward handshake and slap of the back, in typical male fashion. Derek managed to splutter out an incoherent mutter that sounded somewhat similar to a greeting, George on the other hand just stood in place and grinned, a grin that looked like a mirror image of the one on Derek’s face, both men stood quietly for a second, before Derek spoke up.
“Well, with all that pleasantries out of the way…”
“They weren’t all that pleasant.”
Derek chuckled lightly at the remark.
Still the same last I saw him.
“I think I know what you’re going to tell me next.”
George raised both eyebrows upward, creasing his already clearly wrinkled forehead, a forehead that had obviously gone through an abundance of years with much action and many tales to tell, Derek gave him an easy-going grin before spouting out his next words.
“We’re going to play a game, aren’t we? No other point to bringing me out here.”
He referred to the way the text message he had received from George went, which explained to Derek that the two of them would meet at the nearest recreation center, Derek had wondered why there had been no-one around but the receptionist at the front when he had entered, but now he had a growing suspicion why, his thoughts were confirmed with his former coaches next statement.
“You’re right we’re going to play, thought I’d hire the place out, make it unavailable for anyone but you and me to enter, just so you wouldn’t get embarrassed so thoroughly in front of everyone.”
“It would’ve costed you a bit of coin to rent it out for the entire day though, and I know you aren’t exactly the richest guy around, where’d you find the money?”
“I didn’t pay for it.”
“Who did?”
“You.”
After getting in the last word, like he always managed to do whenever the two of them had their little verbal jests, George walked over to where the ball had gradually rolled over toward after the missed shot from Derek, he gave Derek a knowing look, Derek opened his mouth to make a remark but failed to think of anything to say, only wondering how many other people would dig into his pocket. Just another thing to get adjusted to know that he’d have a decent sized pay-check rolling into that account of his, and with the way he knew he’d be winning, that pay-check would only continue to grow, he laughed a little at himself, for the amount of naivety he had been presenting thus far in his short stint at the WCF. Realization had only just began to dawn on him, and George’s comments had certainly taught him a lesson.
People will start to try and take me for their own advantage, whatever that may be.
He felt no ill-will toward George, he had expected nothing less from him, hence why he had been providing him with money on a fortnightly basis, Derek and Olivia were both living in what felt like luxury to the two of them, and their lives were certainly better than many of the other people they had met, the exact reason why Derek had no problem lending a hand to people who were less fortunate. But he knew the situation could become something larger in the future.
Just another thing to be afraid of.
Far too much to be afraid of.
“Are you alright, Derek?”
Derek straightened up instinctively from the slouched position he had fallen into, his head darted around momentarily to try and find the voice that spoke to him, he spun around and saw George with ball in hand, looking at him with an awfully worried expression on his face, his wrinkles creased deeper than before and the well-natured grin now turned into a curling frown. Derek gave his mentor a meek smile before replying.
“Sorry, I’ve just been thinking, ready to play?”
He gestured toward the ball that was now being bounced around carelessly by George, but was disheartened to see him nod and beckon for him to sit down at the chair, he knew what would come next.
“No, you seem to be troubled by one thing or another, take a seat and we’ll sort it out, then I can school you like I did back when you were just a yelling teenager who got in trouble all the time.”
“I’m an angel man, you know it.”
The sarcastic tone in Derek’s voice rang out within the recreation center, which earned him a piercing look from, he raised his arms up in a mock defensive manner as he backed away and sat down upon the wooden bench, it agitated his already slightly sore body, not an after-effect of his match but rather the extensive training he had been doing AFTER the pay-per-view. All-knowing of the fact that he’d be getting a week off, Derek made sure to put in maximum effort in his training for the week, since there would be no match he’d have to compete in. He was regretting the efforts know as he writhed around on the seat in an attempt to get comfortable, after a few moments of fiddling and fidgeting he compromised with the chair by leaning half up against the white wall behind him, giving him a slight amount of comfort as he surveyed the rest of the court, which appeared extremely dusty now that he took a closer look, he instinctively glared down at his shoes in a small amount of disgust before feeling the bench dip a bit, he gave a sidelong glance to the right and spotted George, who maintained the look of concern he had on his face earlier, only making Derek even more uneasy and annoyed.
I came here to enjoy my time, whatever little time I have remaining, I’m about to go out on the road again, not too long from now.
I’m worried, I’m scared, I’m afraid, and now I’m stuck having to listen to George again, he might be right on whatever he may say next…
But why am I trapped? Everything I do… why must it be wrong?
One question I’ll find the answer to shortly.
The other, just another unanswered question that’ll remain that way for eternity.
Trapped in a cycle, the life of Derek Moreno.
I’m not fucking redeemed, I’m not the next big fucking thing.
I’m just another ordinary guy who thought I could make it.
What a joke.
A FEW DAYS LATER…
“You never told me what went on between you and George.”
“I told you, we’re not going to talk about it.”
“I know something happened, you can talk to me about it, Derek.”
“You don’t need to know anything except the fact that we talked, and at the moment? I’m just re-evaluating everything, I don’t need to get into an argument with you right now.”
Olivia threw her hands up into the air in a frustrated manner, before flopping down onto the couch across from the one Derek sat upon, he was peering toward the television which had been airing a repeat of Ultimate Showdown, the match Derek competed in was long over and was just getting into the start of the main-event, Derek sighed as his hand darted towards the remote control and promptly changed the channel, his feet pattered against the soft carpet beneath his feet constantly, Olivia observed him quietly with her lips pursed, before she grabbed her phone off the small table in front of the couch she sat upon and began to focus her attention on that instead, in an attempt to not throw all her frustration out onto Derek who clearly had a problem that he just hadn’t figured out a solution to. Derek ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it up and sending it in even more directions than it had been in before, he sat contentedly for a short while before placing his hands purposely on his knees and pushing himself up to his feet, he glanced quickly toward the ticking clock on the wall and then peered out the window, assuming that there’d be at least a few hours of daylight left.
“I might go meet up with Dale.”
Olivia glanced up at him momentarily before looking back at the bright screen of her phone, she waved a small hand in acknowledgement, not wanting to say anything that would cause even more strain between the two of them, he took it as a sign that she’d be fine with him leaving, which he immediately started to do, grabbing his key belongings including his phone, keys and wallet, before heading out the door, soon enough Olivia could hear the rumbling of a car engine, and the subsequent sound of tires rolling over gravel and stone, eventually hearing nothing at all as Derek drove himself out of the street and towards Dale’s house. The tiniest of tears began to trickle down the cheek of Olivia’s face, she wiped it away hurriedly and put her phone to the side, placing her hands in her face as only one thought ran through her mind.
What’s happening to him?
THE MORENO PERSPECTIVE…
“What? You want me to video tape your shoot for your next match?”
“I just need to get it off my chest man, and I don’t want to do it with Olivia breathing down my neck.”
“She only wanted you to know that she’ll be there for you man, that you can talk to her whenever you want, don’t you get that?”
“I do, but I don’t want to talk about it alright? I’ve got enough on my plate right now, and I don’t need anymore, her family will be coming to visit in a bit and I don’t want to screw up any more than I already have, man.”
“Fair enough, you want to get set-up, then?”
“Sure.”
Dale darted into the room which was presumably his study, after a quick moment he returned out into the backyard with a video camera in hand, he nodded toward Derek who simply sat down on the clean cut grass underneath his feet, with a water bottle in hand, Dale gave him a short thumbs up, Derek’s face lit-up as a smile formed over his formerly frowning and thoughtful lips.
“Shit, I’d bring up Ultimate Showdown and how we won and all that, but I’m kind of tired of that subject, I’ll sum it up quickly. Mejor Redemption did exactly what they said they would do when they walked out and won that match, and we will continue to do that to the best of our ability when we step into that ring each and every week, exactly like what we’ll be doing at the very next Slam, where we will be facing off against the newly introduced tag team, ACPC.
“Man, to think I had been the first one to welcome the two of you into the federation, now I’m going to need to do that shit officially when I thoroughly slap either one of you down and then hit that sweet Redemption, or that epic Shadow Strike. Hey, I might even decide to pull out that GAWD DAMN MO-RE-NO PLUNGE again, just like I did in my debut! The crowd about to be amazed once again when Mejor Redemption quickly and effectively put an end to any doubt that may be circulating around, we’re about to show that we’re not to be looked down upon, man! The two of you will be believing that when we pick up that W over you. But hey, unlike the two of you, I’m not the type of guy to give zero actual logic behind why we’ll be walking out triumphant, I’ll gladly explain right… now.
“Shit man, like not trying to be a prick or anything, but what were the two of you thinking when you come out with that pre-recorded pile of crap you liked to call a promo? Hell, at first I thought I must have been watching some Vengeance type shit when I saw that body-bag just randomly pop out on my screen, I noticed the two of you looked at it pretty carefully meaning either…
“Plan A. The two of you are going to be fitted into one once Mejor Redemption are through with you.
“Plan B. Wait, never mind man, no Plan B, only thing that’ll be happening on Slam? Option A all the way, baby.
“Listen, you might think you’re all cool and edgy pulling that type of shit, but you aren’t nothing man, and when you started rambling on like a Vengeance clone I wanted to fucking throw my face up against a brick wall, for real man. You be talking about how you’re better than everyone when you haven’t done anything except TELL everyone that you’re the best. What, you’re going to burn the WCF down to the ground? How exactly do you plan on doing that when you’re going to be getting hit around like a virtual punching bag in every single match you participate in? You’ve got no logic man, you’re acting like nobody can stop you when you’ve already been shut down by multiple people, ZMAC tore the two of you up into nothing when he decided to hop onto your twitter page, and he called you on all your bullshit and that had been the end of that. Now you’re both popping up talking about how you going to be DAW-MI-NAY-TING? Get the fuck out of here man.
“But alright, you started going back on track when you began talking about what you wanted to achieve here, talking about the winning the “World Tag Team Championship.” Didn’t realize only one belt would be given out for winning that joint, kind of ruining the point of winning don’t you think? Just playing man, I know you just made an error, no big deal, right? Wrong, you keep slipping up in the ring like you’re doing with your tongue and you’re going to find that you won’t be making it very far here my men, just making it clear to the two of you, alright?
“Moving on, you talk about how the two of you have been DAW-MI-NAY-TING all of your life. You have any proof of everything you’ve supposedly conquered? Probably not, just like pretty much every other guy in the federation you’re crafting up a fake story about how great you are and how you’re the next big thing, and don’t get me wrong, you can do that, but don’t cook up a half-baked story that anyone can just shoot to shit in a minute, like what I’m doing right now, you get me? Maybe P should’ve let AC do a bit more of the talking since he straight up be annihilating himself in just one single promotional video, what happened there, by the way? You needed to hog the spotlight and not let AC get a word in just to propel yourself upward a little more? You definitely need it man, since at the moment your stock at rock bottom and it probably won’t be going up any time soon. I mean, your team name virtually ripped off ACDC meaning you’re either the most unoriginal duo I’ve ever met or you’re just trying to gain a following by trying to represent a group more well-known than you will ever be.
“I think a little bit of both actually, kind of pathetic of the two of you, don’t you think? No matter, you two are just another duo placing a façade over one another, giving each other a feeling of worth that neither of you have ever felt before, you’re out here talking about how dominant the two of you are and how you conquer everything, yet you’ve done fuck all. At the moment I’m just spotting a heap of insecurity served on a platter for the entire world to look at and laugh at.
“Now, let me just take a quick look here… yeah, AC couldn’t even put in a ten-word performance for your little promo, probably too worried about how that body-bag looked on the camera, and wondering how well he’d fit into it after total annihilation he’d be put through on the next Slam. All good my man, but for real, you don’t need to be worried at all. Mejor Redemption aren’t going to be doing anything except doing enough to pick up that W, taking a look at what we’ve been presented with recently? Shouldn’t be too much before we’re celebrating backstage and moving on toward something bigger and better. Hey, if Jonny and Joey take out Omega and Black I wouldn’t mind squaring off against them sometime soon, actually scratch that, once Seth be done with putting talented people in an opening match like the one I’ve been put into, I would be fine with taking that Television Title away from the esteemed Jonny Fly. But that will be for another day, and Mitch and I won’t be looking too far into the future just yet, we’ll do what we need to on Slam and move forward from there.
“But man, to add to the list of crap you’ve been blabbering about, you mention how ACPC are going to be sucking the enjoyment out of the WCF. How do you plan on doing that, really, I’m just trying to think of some wonderful way the two of you would even get near achieving that goal, and after wracking my mind for a total of about one second, I came to an astounding conclusion. You fucking can’t, you aren’t going to do anything except be fed to people week in and week out, you’re destined to do that, you aren’t destined to conquer or destroy, you’re just here to propel other people. Now, before you start getting angry and whatnot, keep in mind that I’ve got nothing against either of you, I’m just annoyed at the fact that the two of you have the audacity to think that you have the right, and the power to tear down the WCF bit by bit. Saying something like that? You deserve getting your fucking teeth kicked straight down your throat, or through the back of your neck, either way wouldn’t bother me. It’d be my way of thanking the WCF for giving me a warm welcome and allowing me to make a living in the only way I know how, fighting against the best of the best and entertaining people around the globe. I live for that shit, but from what I’m hearing, the two of you are only here to try and make the WCF your only little playground, well why don’t I let you in on a little secret? You aren’t getting anywhere near making that little pipe-dream a reality, and Mejor Redemption will prove that on Slam when we tear you down piece by piece, until you reveal to the world exactly what the two of you are.
“A duo of scared, insecure little men who think they’re better than what they really are. In reality, we don’t even need to prove it at all, we’ve seen all we need to see. ACPC? A walking cliché, literally, you’re like every villain in the known world, you talk a lot of shit and end up getting whooped, like nearly every single time, and at Slam it won’t be any different when we put you down right in your place. Just to make certain that the two of you realize you aren’t going to be tearing down anything, or destroying anything, you’re just going to do what we’re all here for. Wrestling, entertaining, and in the situation of pretty much everyone but yourselves, winning.
“But let me tell you something, the two of you have confidence, probably a little too much for your own good, but you’re confident, and I can respect that in a way. You’re both coming out and telling the world exactly what you’re going to do, and I’d be a hypocrite if I said that’d be the wrong thing to do, since I did the exact same thing in my first week, I let each and every intention I had be known to everyone, and I’m glad that neither of you are shying away from that. But when you have the intention of dominating, you better be able to back that shit up with actual talent, not just an incredible showing of stupidity that will only make people think you’re some type of joke. I’m just being real with the two of you, the tag team world be lighting up right now and we need more people who are willing to put the work in, neither of you are willing to do that. You’re already complacent and you’ve done jack shit, and think about it. You’re talking everyone that you’re better than everyone in the world, that you can’t be stopped, that you can’t be controlled, what will people think about you when you get fucking annihilated in your debut? Not very much, I don’t think, something I hope the two of you will learn when Mitch and I are done mucking around and we’re ready to end that shit in the most incredible way imaginable. You saw the shit that went down at Ultimate Showdown right, everyone never thought they’d view something like that in their LIFETIME. That’s exactly what Mejor Redemption will be bringing to the table each and every time we step into that ring, we never aim to disappoint, we’re here to put in the best effort we can muster up, even if it won’t result in a victory every time. We’re all about improvement and evolving, getting better than what we already are, while the two of you are seemingly stuck in some unknown past, some past where you were the best at everything and thought yourself better than everyone. You’re going to be snapped out of that dream really fucking quick when you walk out of the arena feeling the pain of suffering your first defeat here in the WCF.
“Anyway, we better start getting onto that great twitter page you own, ever since you created it just about every guy and their uncle have decided to take aim at you for the absolute nonsense you type out over there. Half the time we struggle to even comprehend what bullshit you’re trying to tell everyone, some of the stuff up on their can be that fucking mind-numbing that we can’t even decipher that utter crap that we’re unlucky enough to have to bear witness to. Your first post had to be the biggest reminder of us, giving me that GAWD DAMN Vengeance vibe again when you come out here talking about how you going to spill blood in the streets. Don’t come at us with that crap man, do at least something that somewhat contributes to the WCF before you fire off with that sort of stuff, you’re already speaking of how we’re all supposedly jealous of you when all we currently know you for are the news guys with zero thought process behind the jacked up twitter posts they be posting. Seriously man, it’s getting to the point where you’re starting to wonder if Seth will just accept fucking anybody into the federation, and yeah, I went there. Considering we’ve got guys like Adam Young and BioWalker running around doing fuck all with their careers and getting stomped just about every week. Sounds like something the two of you will be doing pretty soon in this federation, am I right? You’re throwing away any chance you may have here just because of your overconfidence, it’s surely going to be your undoing. When you receive the shock of your lives at Slam, where you get dealt with in a matter of minutes, your fall from “grace” will be speedy as you end up struggling to breathe in the all-encompassing ocean that is the WCF.”
Moreno chuckles lightly to himself.
“Did I say that in a manner that’s easy enough for you to understand, P? I hope so, I tried to add your own little flair to it, consider it paying homage to the guy I’m going to fucking annihilate in my next match. You’re not someone special yet, P, you have to earn that right, and you’re going to be starting from humble beginnings just like everybody else here, just like Mejor Redemption is. We aren’t taking anything for granted, we’re still training, we’re still aware of the fact that we aren’t the best at the moment, that improvement will be required before we amount to anything great in this uber-talented federation, something that the two of you have clearly failed to understand since your arrival here. Although I have little doubt in my mind that this will be the start of a steep learning curve for the likes of you, who think they are somehow above everyone else, like they somehow have the right to look down on the hard working society who give it all they got.
“You think you’re better than the rest, ACPC? Fucking prove it, until you start bringing in the results here, you aren’t nothing but another rookie tag team who needs to earn their keep. Mejor Redemption? Mitch “El Mejor” Morales and Derek Moreno? Two guys who are going to do just that, we’ll keep bringing in the results each and every week, getting into big time matches and paving our way to greatness and glory, through the hardest of times and the easiest of rides, we’ll be doing it all and taking it in our stride as we attempt to carve our path here in a place that has many twisting, winding roads that all lead to the same place… the top.
“So guys, you keep doing what you’re doing, you keep mouthing off on twitter, you keep feigning this act of superiority that you seem to like to hold over everyone but each other, but try as you may, you’re going to have to do it the hard way. With the way the two of you act, it’s clear you’ve been getting your hand held from place to place, you’ve taken the easy road every chance you’ve gotten, cruising along until you finally made it into the big leagues. You disrespect the federations you’ve been at in the past, spitting in the faces of all the fans and management there, and then act like you’re entitled to greatness here at the biggest wrestling federation the world has ever seen? Well, whatever success you may have had, whatever dominance you showed at your other federations, that’s all past glory that you’re going to have to forget about. While you’re already looking to the stars, you’re forgetting about all the people you think below you, lingering in the darkness, biding their time, and waiting to cut you down at the opportune moment.
“Just kidding, we don’t need to wait, we don’t need to find the time to do it, we’ve already booked our appointment, our date is set, you guys are royally screwed, there is no other way to put it, there’s no nicer way of putting it. Your lack of determination and arrogant nature is going to end up killing you as we strike you down in one swift movement. A sad truth that you will have to realize eventually, the defeat will cut deep with you, and I honestly hope it motivates you to rid yourselves of this uncanny thought process the pair of you seem to own. This mentality that everyone you ever come across is purely nothing when compared to you, better men have though the same and those same men have fallen to their knees and begged for mercy against some of the greatest that have stepped into the ring, or if we’re talking about ACPC, “in the streets.”
Another small chuckle escapes the lips of Derek Moreno, who is now well and truly eased into the shoot, rather than feeling stressed and strained as he did when he first arrived at Dale’s home.
“Until you’ve proven yourself here, you don’t have the right to proclaim greatness over anyone here, I could name pretty much anyone on the roster and you’d still fall underneath their oppressive boot, it’s a simple fact that you’re unable to accept due to your unwillingness to realize that you’re just not as good as you think you are. We all should be our own harshest critics, and that’s something that the two of you aren’t, you’re content, complacent, everything that you shouldn’t be in a harsh environment such as the WCF, one we’re you’re forced to change and adapt and evolve in ways you could’ve never imagined. You’ve been stuck in your ways quite clearly for some time now, and until you start breaking out of the old mould you’ve set yourself in? You’re going nowhere, just take my advice, for real guys. Keep travelling along the road you’re on and something is bound to go wrong.
“But then again, that something that’s wrong has already happened, you’ve been pitted up against Mejor Redemption, the cream of the new crop that are going to be bringing their talents to the WCF and giving the crowd matches that they could never have dreamed of. New talent is coming in from all over the place, are ACPC going to be the two that get lost within the pack?
“Better call Joey Flash to make a bet on that one, I know where my money is going.”
Derek smiles and nods towards the camera once more, before making a subtle hand movement that tells Dale to switch off the camera, Derek takes a quick swig of the water bottle that he had held at the beginning of the shoot and allows the water to slowly course down his now extremely dry throat, Dale watches him with a slight grin as he watches Derek gradually get back up to a vertical base. He could already see the apparent weight that had been lifted off of his friends shoulders, he no longer saw the creases in the forehead he noticed earlier on, the pursed lips and the light coating of sweat that covered over his friends face, the tension was all gone within his muscles, like the peaceful and tranquil Derek Moreno had returned to the Earth once more. Dale switched the camera from his right hand that had begun to ache from the weight of the camera, and placed it delicately onto his left, before drawing himself nearer toward Derek and handing him the camera, Derek took it and nodded thanks, grinning in relief.
“You feeling any better than what you did at the start?”
“Much better, I just needed to get that off my chest, I couldn’t handle it any more, man. I had to vent it out on somebody.”
“You’re not worried about being the nice guy anymore, then?”
“I can be a prick when I want to be, but I never feel good about it, I’ve got nothing against ACPC, really. Sure, they’ve said a bit of whack shit on their twitter and in that promo they popped up after Ultimate Showdown, but in reality I just want them to know that they can’t continue that way man, acting like they’re better than everyone on the planet, just not right in my book.”
Dale could almost tell that Derek had experienced something heavily relates to this before, Derek’s head bent down whilst his eyes surveyed the ground, realizing he may have let out a little more than he wanted to, clearly troubled, Dale just patted him on the back and beckoned for him to come along with him.
“I feel you man, anyway, you want to hit up a place to eat?”
The questioned seemed to linger for a second, Derek failed to respond immediately, still searching for something that had been racking his mind, his face cleared up momentarily, his head rising upward and then turning toward Dale.
“Yeah, I think after we’re done I’m going to have to talk to Olivia though, man.”
“No problem, we won’t be too long, just hungry."
“Same here, ready to get going?”
Dale nodded and the two men left the backyard area, their footsteps oddly loud for this time of the day as all was quiet and solemn, just as it was within the mind of Derek, who still hadn’t found the answer to some of the most important questions he had ever come across. He shook his head sadly to himself, still unsure of just about everything going on in his life at the moment, everything had become one huge mess in one quick moment, a small spark remained within the darkness, a beacon of hope, something that told him things could only possibly get better from this point onward.
He had to believe in something.
IN THE PAST…
Robb leaped up into the air, ball in hand, off of the hardwood court, a collective gasp went up from just about everyone in the arena, a defender stepped up to contest the shot, arm up in the air as he instinctively looked toward the scoreboard one last time that read sixty-seven to sixty-six, young Derek Moreno watched from the sideline, lips tightened and fingers crossed, the shot form Robb floated up into the air momentarily, longer than it should’ve possibly remained in the air for as it began its descent lower and lower toward the hoop. It hit the front of the ring with authority, and then bounced forward, spinning in the air and hitting the back portion of the ring, it sat there for a second, before it limply rolled out of the ring to the left, the buzzer sounded straight after the missed shot, Robb fell to his knees, as did the rest of his team, face in hands, Robb barely reacted at all as he simply took in what had happened, Father and Derek Moreno glanced toward one another sadly – they knew how much the grand final match had meant to sixteen-year old Robb, who had been working towards this the entire season. The cheers of the opposition team rang loud through the recreational center, as they exchanged smiles and encouraging slaps on the back with one another, the teams soon lined up for the customary handshakes given out after every game. Robb meekly shook the hands of his rivals, while giving disappointed glances towards his Father and younger brother, they avoided his gaze. A bit more celebrating went on by the other team, before both teams were once again brought together to give out the trophies for the end of season, the losing team went first, with Robb being the first to get called up, he had wiped away any traces of tears he may have left behind earlier, attempting to stand tall and proud as he received what he felt was the biggest consolation prize imaginable. After receiving the trophy, he firmly shook the hand of the man who had handed it to him, and abruptly turned, before stomping out of the hallway where the teams had been gathered, Robb saw Derek and Father waiting for him, he gave a dishonest half-smile toward the both of them.
“Are you alright, Robb?”
“Let’s just get out of here.”
Father looked distraught as he watched his son’s begin to travel toward their car, which had been parked just outside the recreation centre, right at the very front. They had arrived early to give Robb all the preparation he needed, it only hurt more as he realized even his son’s best efforts couldn’t have brought them the victory here today. Father followed after the two boys, his steps hitting lightly of the stone beneath him, before he opened up the car door and hopped in after his boys, who were already seated and waiting. One of them waiting to ask a whole lot of questions, and one of them waiting for the chance to just have some alone time. Derek drew breath to speak right as his Father entered, but the air circulating around Robb told him it wouldn’t be a good idea just yet, Father’s stern face said very much the same, so he left the matter for the time being, as they began the solemn drive back home.
HALF AN HOUR LATER…
The Moreno Trio had just arrived back home, each of them feeling a certain away about the events that had just transpired, Robb’s seething anger was clear, he pushed open the glass sliding door and stepped inside, virtually threw off his basketball shoes and stomped toward the shower, soon the water pressure could almost be heard throughout the household as steam rose from the shower, some of it seeping out the door and into the hallway just outside the bathroom. Father walked over toward the immense pitch-black leather couch that was the centrepiece of the red carpeted family room, he deliberately sat in the chair and ran a hand through his thick set of brown hair, a thoughtful look appeared over his face as his hazel-eyes peered out through the window to the outside, where the sun still shone, yet in his own mind, life as he knew it was just an unrelenting storm, a place where the hits just never stopped coming. Young Derek Moreno followed after his Father, but slowed down as he observed his Father’s actions, the way he seemed to be contemplating everything, he shrugged and moved nearer toward his Father, before standing right in front of him, a curious expression on his face.
“Father?”
Father almost looked to be snapping out of a trance as his eyes locked onto Derek in a glance that bored straight through Derek, it made him slightly uneasy as he shifted weight from one foot to another.
“What’s the matter, Derek?”
“What’s wrong with Robb?”
“Do I need to explain it to you?”
“I just want to make sure he’s alright.”
Father sighed and patted the seat next to him, Derek’s muffled footsteps that came as a result of stepping on the soft red carpet brought him toward the couch, he spun around and sat on it, still giving Father the exact same look he had started with, Father’s lips twisted together as he thought of what to say, and the right way to say it.
“Robb had a dream, Derek. Just like you do, he wants to achieve something great and reach the top, he’s exactly like you in that regard, and a loss like the one he suffered today… it ruins his mentality, and it ruins his chances of ever making it onto a better team. Without a big win on his record, he walks home with nothing. He’s about to hop into year eleven, schoolwork is only going to get harder, I know you can’t be bothered doing it, and you’re not even in high school yet.”
Father paused for a moment, as Derek tried to comprehend what his Father was telling him.
“But Robb’s awesome! He’s still going to play!”
Father’s frown only deepened as he looked at his son, who still hadn’t gotten the message yet.
“Robb won’t be playing anymore, after this, he told me as much before the match. He doesn’t have the time, and he feels if he’s not bringing in the results now… he’ll never be able to do it at a higher level of competition.”
“What do you mean, Robb’s not going to be playing?”
“It’s over, basketball will only be a hobby for Robb now… I tried to convince him but I just couldn’t, he’s going to be focusing heavily on his schoolwork, and I think you should start doing the same.”
“Why?!”
Derek stood up off of the couch, suddenly very enraged by the idea that his Father of all people would tell him to give up on his dream. Father swayed from side to side lightly, whilst looking at his son, he too stood up off the couch, and then knelt down in front of his son, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, Derek tilted his head to the side in confusion.
“It’s a cold reality, but most dreams just never come true.”
And with that, he stood up from his kneeling position, and left to go to his own room, Derek stood, unable to make sense of anything he had just been told. Tears sprung to his eyes, welling up in one quick instant as he looked at his Father’s being, which was moving further and further away from him with every step, he sat back down and looked at the ground, a single tear dropping down and hitting soft against the red carpet, darkening it just a shade. He remained this way as his stomach churned, the gears of his mind turning as he fell into a deep train of thought.
AT THE ARENA…
Derek deliberately began to tie his black wrestling boots up, feeling them push up closer towards his feet as he tied a loop and threaded it through, his face was a masked in thoughts and sheer contemplation, as he looked back on what his Father had told him as a little, hopeful child.
Every day of my life, I still think back onto what my Father told me in that one moment, where he told me everything I didn’t want to hear. I fought it with all my might, I gave it everything I had, and did it benefit me in anyway? Did I really make it to the place I wanted to make it?
I’d say everything I went through to get to the humble point of the mountain I sit upon… had been worth it.
I defied what my Father told me in that moment, he knew of it to, I continued to hone my craft and do the best I could, but where am I heading now? What road have I decided to take?
Have I committed the biggest mistake of my life, one that I can’t redeem like every other error I’ve ever made?
The path I’m deciding to take, could lead me away from everyone in my life except for Mitch, I could be slowly leaving them behind with every step I take up the huge mountain. I’m on a trail I never wanted to go down, now I can’t even speak to Olivia without some problem coming up, and every time, I have to link it back to wrestling. Maybe I’m just not cut out for it, I went through the independent circuit, Mitch and I competed together, we did all we could all to get to the biggest and greatest of them all, the Wrestling Championship Federation.
But now I can only sit here and ponder if I’m ever going to make it far here, with the doubt creeping into my mind at every moment, every turn I take, something unexpected could take me out. All the time, I’m forced to go through a new, uncanny development, most of it being a huge tragedy.
My whole life, described in just one word… tragedy.
Olivia… wrestling… the only bright spots in my life.
I’ve been stuck in a cycle, surrounded by failure, I’ve been destined to fail from the very beginning, and maybe once I step into that ring once again, I’ll succumb to that inevitable fate.
Maybe it’ll all be over in one, resounding moment, my entire career and life gone in the blink of an eye.
Self-doubt, something I’ve struggled with since the very beginning, I’m going to overcome it tonight.
Mejor Redemption… we aren’t going to fall quick, we’re going to achieve all we can, we’re going to blow the roof of the stadium with our match against ACPC, no matter how long we’re in there for, no matter if we’re walking out triumphant or in defeat.
Confidence, something I’ve been lacking lately.
That’ll all change tonight, my life, my journey, I’m the only one that can change it, I’m the only one that can make it all worthwhile in the end.
I’m the writer of the story, I will decide how I continue it, and how I eventually end it.
Failing now would just be a spit in the face of everything I’ve ever stood for, a disrespectful slap that I just can’t commit right now.
I’m going to go out there and do what I’ve planned to do from the beginning, I’m going to make everyone proud, I hope they’re all watching, whether it be from the crowd, the television… or in spirit, up in heaven where I’ve left some of them.
I hope you’re all watching.
I’m giving it my all.
Derek’s fist pumped up against his own heart once, as he looked up to the heavens, and although the perfect blue sky was technically blocked off by the dull ceiling atop of him, Derek felt like he could see through it, like a shining light was being placed right over the top of him. A blessing that would help him through all of the steps he takes throughout his career here in the WCF.
For the first time that night, Derek gave off a genuine smile, the crowd was ready, the show was about to get underway, but most importantly…
Derek was ready.
All the twists and turns and failures he had been through, it all came flooding through his mind at times, but he knew it no longer mattered if he thought about it from time to time.
He only needed to know one thing.
It was all worth it.
“Ultimate Showdown, an event to be remembered I’d imagine, many different people walked into that arena and only a few came out on top, like Dune, who fought against every odd imaginable and kept that World Title secured, where a guy like Kyle Kemp failed to back up everything he had been talking and got beat fair and square in the center of the ring, and where a valiant man like Adam Young…”
Derek Moreno chuckles slightly, almost unbelieving of what he is about to say.
“Managed to defeat Joey and pick up a big win, although I don’t know how legitimate that must be considering Joey didn’t give a flying fuck about the match-up, but I digress.”
Derek looks down for a short second, contemplating his next words before drawing breath to speak once more.
“But, another key event took place at Ultimate Showdown, no title had been rewarded for the particular match-up, and many people probably didn’t take notice at all, which may just be their unbecoming as realization slowly begins to dawn on them. At Ultimate Showdown, the debut of Mejor Redemption took place, at Ultimate Showdown, Mitch “El Mejor” Morales and Derek Moreno took everything Vengeance and Apocalypse had and threw it back in their faces handily before picking up the win in astounding fashion, at Ultimate Showdown, we gave everyone a split-second glimpse of what we’ll be doing to every other team in this federation. Maybe a bit of an arrogant statement, sure, but I’m willing to back it up, as Mitch is. Bring the competition in any form, hell don’t be surprised to see Mejor Redemption taking their shot at Jonny and Joey sometime soon, I live for the challenge and I don’t back away from that shit. Guys like them are too busy telling the world of their incredible talents and their unmatched abilities, that they don’t even realize what’s happened when they get their asses pinned in the centre of that ring. You saw it with Jonny Fly at Ultimate Showdown, guy be talking like he going to DOMINATE everyone in that fucking match and then got completely obliterated, sure it took a hell of a lot to do it but I wouldn’t put it past Mitch and I to do the exact same fucking thing. Don’t get me started on Joey either, guy hasn’t gotten a main-event match in forever and it’s likely to stay that way for a very, very long time.
“What am I getting at here? There’s no reason I’m going to fear anyone in this federation, and Mitch feels is the same, we’re going to one by one pick apart anyone who may come against us, we’ll give the crowd a match they’re deserving of, we’ll put on a match to remember with our opponents, and even when it doesn’t look like it’s going our way, we’ll be the two walking away with the victory and moving onto the next challenge set for us. That’s the way we do things, we walk from match to match unperturbed, even in the face of defeat we will rise and stand tall, we’ll do things the way we’ve been doing it from the very start, and we’ll show you all that success can be achieved through the dedication and commitment that many guys on the roster are lacking today. You see guys who’ve got that FIRE, and then you’ve got the guys who choke up and fail on the big stages, Mejor Redemption doesn’t do that, we do what we do, and you’ll find out what that is at next Slam, when we take to the field of battle once again and march away with the victory from whoever may happen to be matched up against us.
“I may come across as a bit of a dick in this regard, but it’s the competitive spirit taking over, that drive and will to win, I’ll show that throughout my career here and everyone the roster will be put on notice as Mejor Redemption continues their meteoric rise to the top.
“You don’t believe me?”
Derek mockingly scoffs, but continues to keep the good-natured grin set over his face.
“Just you wait and see.”
LATER…
“I told you, you didn’t have to worry at all, Derek.”
Derek let a rueful grin emerge at his lips, his face slightly reddening as he gave a darting side-long glance toward Olivia, who stood in the kitchen and raised a single eyebrow up at him, as if she was daring him to make a snide remark about her comment. The thought ran through Derek’s mind for only a second, before he conceded defeat, raising his hands up into the air and chuckling.
“I admit it, you were right, I should’ve listened to you.”
“You really should of, even though in reality you still got carried by Mitch.”
Derek made a little oval shape with his mouth, looking away from his phone which he held within his hands and stared up toward Olivia, who had the ghost of a smirk building up from the corner of her lips, her head bent down, her eyes avoiding his momentarily while he continued to give her a mock stern look, that only served to make her laugh, Derek sighed a little.
“There’s always got to be one doubter.”
“I’ll fill that quota for you, just to make sure no-one else does.”
Derek shook his head embarrassingly and went back to his phone, he wish he had more to converse about with her, he hadn’t seen her since he had flew out to compete at Ultimate Showdown, and he only just got back today, a little too busy celebrating his victory alongside Mitch and checking out every possible place he could in Japan. He could always talk about that experience, of course, but Derek tried to stay as far away from wrestling talk as he could when he was with Olivia, due to how much it came up between them, unfortunately enough for him right now, it was the only thing that came to mind, meaning he miserably failed any hope of steering the conversation in a different direction. He let out another sigh, albeit a smaller one this time, while he continue to glare downwards towards his phone, a notification popped up on the top bar of his phone, using his finger he navigated through his messages nonchalantly before a smile crept over his face, his head darted away from his phone as he used his momentum to kip up from his couch, hopping off of it and landing on his feet, before he looked toward Olivia who was cutting a few pieces of fruit and placing them into a bowl.
“Honey, I’m going to head out for a bit, got someone to meet up with.”
Olivia looked up from her fruit momentarily before glancing back toward them nonchalantly, giving a slight shrug.
“Go ahead, mind telling me who you’re meeting up with?”
“No-one special, just my old basketball coach.”
“You mean the one who kicked you off the team for being an unruly idiot?”
“Yeah, that one.”
That managed to get a small laugh out of Olivia, she knew a lot of Derek’s past, he had told her almost all of it, something she appreciated very dearly.
“Why do you want to meet with him, of all people?”
“We kept contact after I got kicked off the team, I didn’t get expelled or anything, I kept seeing him around and he eventually told me he didn’t want to kick me off the team, just that he got forced to, we continued to talk after that and he sort of… guided me along the way. You two should talk sometime, he’s got some great advice, and you really need some.”
The last sentence came in a joking manner as Derek hurriedly put on his shoes and burst through the door in a similar way to how he did as the young energetic child he once was, he wasn’t willing to sit around and listen to the response that would come from Olivia, who had already been drawing breath to ranting at him, he grinned to himself whilst he opened the door to his BMW M3 Pure, he quickly lit the ignition and backed up out of the driveway of his home, rocks and stones rattling slightly as the car hovered over them, before he put the vehicle into drive and traversed along the bitumen road, the car rounding the street corner speedily.
THE REUNION…
The reverberation of a basketball hitting up against the hardwood flooring of the striped court almost sounded like a symphony playing in the left ear of Derek Moreno, the sound couldn’t be heard through the right due to the earphone loudly blaring hip-hop music whilst he played, it felt good to be back on the court after all the time spent away, all the time spent slaving away training and improving, all in an attempt to make it onto the grand stage, with that out of the way for the time being, Derek knew he would have to relieve all the strain and worry somehow, and what better way to do it than with meeting an old-time friend, or in the eyes of Moreno himself, a mentor who had helped him carve his path to the “top” of the mountain. Even though in reality Derek had only just started his trek along the steep slope of the impassable mountain known as the WCF. The ball felt miniature in Derek’s hand as he floated up a shot from right in between the free throw line and the basket, the ball flew upward and then dropped down, etching a path downward straight through the net. Derek nodded in satisfaction before he bent down to pick up the ball, dribbling it with his palms a little before hearing the opening and shutting of a door from somewhere near the corner of the room, where he had entered from previously. He carelessly threw up a shot and glanced quickly over toward where he suspected the new arrival had entered from, he was correct and a sad yet at the same time joyful smile broke out over his face as he saw his old basketball coach, who he hadn’t seen in person for what had felt like an eternity. Derek sped up his pace, nearly breaking out into a jog to chew up the distance between himself and his old coach, and as mentor and student met near the sideline of the court, they both gave each other an awkward handshake and slap of the back, in typical male fashion. Derek managed to splutter out an incoherent mutter that sounded somewhat similar to a greeting, George on the other hand just stood in place and grinned, a grin that looked like a mirror image of the one on Derek’s face, both men stood quietly for a second, before Derek spoke up.
“Well, with all that pleasantries out of the way…”
“They weren’t all that pleasant.”
Derek chuckled lightly at the remark.
Still the same last I saw him.
“I think I know what you’re going to tell me next.”
George raised both eyebrows upward, creasing his already clearly wrinkled forehead, a forehead that had obviously gone through an abundance of years with much action and many tales to tell, Derek gave him an easy-going grin before spouting out his next words.
“We’re going to play a game, aren’t we? No other point to bringing me out here.”
He referred to the way the text message he had received from George went, which explained to Derek that the two of them would meet at the nearest recreation center, Derek had wondered why there had been no-one around but the receptionist at the front when he had entered, but now he had a growing suspicion why, his thoughts were confirmed with his former coaches next statement.
“You’re right we’re going to play, thought I’d hire the place out, make it unavailable for anyone but you and me to enter, just so you wouldn’t get embarrassed so thoroughly in front of everyone.”
“It would’ve costed you a bit of coin to rent it out for the entire day though, and I know you aren’t exactly the richest guy around, where’d you find the money?”
“I didn’t pay for it.”
“Who did?”
“You.”
After getting in the last word, like he always managed to do whenever the two of them had their little verbal jests, George walked over to where the ball had gradually rolled over toward after the missed shot from Derek, he gave Derek a knowing look, Derek opened his mouth to make a remark but failed to think of anything to say, only wondering how many other people would dig into his pocket. Just another thing to get adjusted to know that he’d have a decent sized pay-check rolling into that account of his, and with the way he knew he’d be winning, that pay-check would only continue to grow, he laughed a little at himself, for the amount of naivety he had been presenting thus far in his short stint at the WCF. Realization had only just began to dawn on him, and George’s comments had certainly taught him a lesson.
People will start to try and take me for their own advantage, whatever that may be.
He felt no ill-will toward George, he had expected nothing less from him, hence why he had been providing him with money on a fortnightly basis, Derek and Olivia were both living in what felt like luxury to the two of them, and their lives were certainly better than many of the other people they had met, the exact reason why Derek had no problem lending a hand to people who were less fortunate. But he knew the situation could become something larger in the future.
Just another thing to be afraid of.
Far too much to be afraid of.
“Are you alright, Derek?”
Derek straightened up instinctively from the slouched position he had fallen into, his head darted around momentarily to try and find the voice that spoke to him, he spun around and saw George with ball in hand, looking at him with an awfully worried expression on his face, his wrinkles creased deeper than before and the well-natured grin now turned into a curling frown. Derek gave his mentor a meek smile before replying.
“Sorry, I’ve just been thinking, ready to play?”
He gestured toward the ball that was now being bounced around carelessly by George, but was disheartened to see him nod and beckon for him to sit down at the chair, he knew what would come next.
“No, you seem to be troubled by one thing or another, take a seat and we’ll sort it out, then I can school you like I did back when you were just a yelling teenager who got in trouble all the time.”
“I’m an angel man, you know it.”
The sarcastic tone in Derek’s voice rang out within the recreation center, which earned him a piercing look from, he raised his arms up in a mock defensive manner as he backed away and sat down upon the wooden bench, it agitated his already slightly sore body, not an after-effect of his match but rather the extensive training he had been doing AFTER the pay-per-view. All-knowing of the fact that he’d be getting a week off, Derek made sure to put in maximum effort in his training for the week, since there would be no match he’d have to compete in. He was regretting the efforts know as he writhed around on the seat in an attempt to get comfortable, after a few moments of fiddling and fidgeting he compromised with the chair by leaning half up against the white wall behind him, giving him a slight amount of comfort as he surveyed the rest of the court, which appeared extremely dusty now that he took a closer look, he instinctively glared down at his shoes in a small amount of disgust before feeling the bench dip a bit, he gave a sidelong glance to the right and spotted George, who maintained the look of concern he had on his face earlier, only making Derek even more uneasy and annoyed.
I came here to enjoy my time, whatever little time I have remaining, I’m about to go out on the road again, not too long from now.
I’m worried, I’m scared, I’m afraid, and now I’m stuck having to listen to George again, he might be right on whatever he may say next…
But why am I trapped? Everything I do… why must it be wrong?
One question I’ll find the answer to shortly.
The other, just another unanswered question that’ll remain that way for eternity.
Trapped in a cycle, the life of Derek Moreno.
I’m not fucking redeemed, I’m not the next big fucking thing.
I’m just another ordinary guy who thought I could make it.
What a joke.
A FEW DAYS LATER…
“You never told me what went on between you and George.”
“I told you, we’re not going to talk about it.”
“I know something happened, you can talk to me about it, Derek.”
“You don’t need to know anything except the fact that we talked, and at the moment? I’m just re-evaluating everything, I don’t need to get into an argument with you right now.”
Olivia threw her hands up into the air in a frustrated manner, before flopping down onto the couch across from the one Derek sat upon, he was peering toward the television which had been airing a repeat of Ultimate Showdown, the match Derek competed in was long over and was just getting into the start of the main-event, Derek sighed as his hand darted towards the remote control and promptly changed the channel, his feet pattered against the soft carpet beneath his feet constantly, Olivia observed him quietly with her lips pursed, before she grabbed her phone off the small table in front of the couch she sat upon and began to focus her attention on that instead, in an attempt to not throw all her frustration out onto Derek who clearly had a problem that he just hadn’t figured out a solution to. Derek ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it up and sending it in even more directions than it had been in before, he sat contentedly for a short while before placing his hands purposely on his knees and pushing himself up to his feet, he glanced quickly toward the ticking clock on the wall and then peered out the window, assuming that there’d be at least a few hours of daylight left.
“I might go meet up with Dale.”
Olivia glanced up at him momentarily before looking back at the bright screen of her phone, she waved a small hand in acknowledgement, not wanting to say anything that would cause even more strain between the two of them, he took it as a sign that she’d be fine with him leaving, which he immediately started to do, grabbing his key belongings including his phone, keys and wallet, before heading out the door, soon enough Olivia could hear the rumbling of a car engine, and the subsequent sound of tires rolling over gravel and stone, eventually hearing nothing at all as Derek drove himself out of the street and towards Dale’s house. The tiniest of tears began to trickle down the cheek of Olivia’s face, she wiped it away hurriedly and put her phone to the side, placing her hands in her face as only one thought ran through her mind.
What’s happening to him?
THE MORENO PERSPECTIVE…
“What? You want me to video tape your shoot for your next match?”
“I just need to get it off my chest man, and I don’t want to do it with Olivia breathing down my neck.”
“She only wanted you to know that she’ll be there for you man, that you can talk to her whenever you want, don’t you get that?”
“I do, but I don’t want to talk about it alright? I’ve got enough on my plate right now, and I don’t need anymore, her family will be coming to visit in a bit and I don’t want to screw up any more than I already have, man.”
“Fair enough, you want to get set-up, then?”
“Sure.”
Dale darted into the room which was presumably his study, after a quick moment he returned out into the backyard with a video camera in hand, he nodded toward Derek who simply sat down on the clean cut grass underneath his feet, with a water bottle in hand, Dale gave him a short thumbs up, Derek’s face lit-up as a smile formed over his formerly frowning and thoughtful lips.
“Shit, I’d bring up Ultimate Showdown and how we won and all that, but I’m kind of tired of that subject, I’ll sum it up quickly. Mejor Redemption did exactly what they said they would do when they walked out and won that match, and we will continue to do that to the best of our ability when we step into that ring each and every week, exactly like what we’ll be doing at the very next Slam, where we will be facing off against the newly introduced tag team, ACPC.
“Man, to think I had been the first one to welcome the two of you into the federation, now I’m going to need to do that shit officially when I thoroughly slap either one of you down and then hit that sweet Redemption, or that epic Shadow Strike. Hey, I might even decide to pull out that GAWD DAMN MO-RE-NO PLUNGE again, just like I did in my debut! The crowd about to be amazed once again when Mejor Redemption quickly and effectively put an end to any doubt that may be circulating around, we’re about to show that we’re not to be looked down upon, man! The two of you will be believing that when we pick up that W over you. But hey, unlike the two of you, I’m not the type of guy to give zero actual logic behind why we’ll be walking out triumphant, I’ll gladly explain right… now.
“Shit man, like not trying to be a prick or anything, but what were the two of you thinking when you come out with that pre-recorded pile of crap you liked to call a promo? Hell, at first I thought I must have been watching some Vengeance type shit when I saw that body-bag just randomly pop out on my screen, I noticed the two of you looked at it pretty carefully meaning either…
“Plan A. The two of you are going to be fitted into one once Mejor Redemption are through with you.
“Plan B. Wait, never mind man, no Plan B, only thing that’ll be happening on Slam? Option A all the way, baby.
“Listen, you might think you’re all cool and edgy pulling that type of shit, but you aren’t nothing man, and when you started rambling on like a Vengeance clone I wanted to fucking throw my face up against a brick wall, for real man. You be talking about how you’re better than everyone when you haven’t done anything except TELL everyone that you’re the best. What, you’re going to burn the WCF down to the ground? How exactly do you plan on doing that when you’re going to be getting hit around like a virtual punching bag in every single match you participate in? You’ve got no logic man, you’re acting like nobody can stop you when you’ve already been shut down by multiple people, ZMAC tore the two of you up into nothing when he decided to hop onto your twitter page, and he called you on all your bullshit and that had been the end of that. Now you’re both popping up talking about how you going to be DAW-MI-NAY-TING? Get the fuck out of here man.
“But alright, you started going back on track when you began talking about what you wanted to achieve here, talking about the winning the “World Tag Team Championship.” Didn’t realize only one belt would be given out for winning that joint, kind of ruining the point of winning don’t you think? Just playing man, I know you just made an error, no big deal, right? Wrong, you keep slipping up in the ring like you’re doing with your tongue and you’re going to find that you won’t be making it very far here my men, just making it clear to the two of you, alright?
“Moving on, you talk about how the two of you have been DAW-MI-NAY-TING all of your life. You have any proof of everything you’ve supposedly conquered? Probably not, just like pretty much every other guy in the federation you’re crafting up a fake story about how great you are and how you’re the next big thing, and don’t get me wrong, you can do that, but don’t cook up a half-baked story that anyone can just shoot to shit in a minute, like what I’m doing right now, you get me? Maybe P should’ve let AC do a bit more of the talking since he straight up be annihilating himself in just one single promotional video, what happened there, by the way? You needed to hog the spotlight and not let AC get a word in just to propel yourself upward a little more? You definitely need it man, since at the moment your stock at rock bottom and it probably won’t be going up any time soon. I mean, your team name virtually ripped off ACDC meaning you’re either the most unoriginal duo I’ve ever met or you’re just trying to gain a following by trying to represent a group more well-known than you will ever be.
“I think a little bit of both actually, kind of pathetic of the two of you, don’t you think? No matter, you two are just another duo placing a façade over one another, giving each other a feeling of worth that neither of you have ever felt before, you’re out here talking about how dominant the two of you are and how you conquer everything, yet you’ve done fuck all. At the moment I’m just spotting a heap of insecurity served on a platter for the entire world to look at and laugh at.
“Now, let me just take a quick look here… yeah, AC couldn’t even put in a ten-word performance for your little promo, probably too worried about how that body-bag looked on the camera, and wondering how well he’d fit into it after total annihilation he’d be put through on the next Slam. All good my man, but for real, you don’t need to be worried at all. Mejor Redemption aren’t going to be doing anything except doing enough to pick up that W, taking a look at what we’ve been presented with recently? Shouldn’t be too much before we’re celebrating backstage and moving on toward something bigger and better. Hey, if Jonny and Joey take out Omega and Black I wouldn’t mind squaring off against them sometime soon, actually scratch that, once Seth be done with putting talented people in an opening match like the one I’ve been put into, I would be fine with taking that Television Title away from the esteemed Jonny Fly. But that will be for another day, and Mitch and I won’t be looking too far into the future just yet, we’ll do what we need to on Slam and move forward from there.
“But man, to add to the list of crap you’ve been blabbering about, you mention how ACPC are going to be sucking the enjoyment out of the WCF. How do you plan on doing that, really, I’m just trying to think of some wonderful way the two of you would even get near achieving that goal, and after wracking my mind for a total of about one second, I came to an astounding conclusion. You fucking can’t, you aren’t going to do anything except be fed to people week in and week out, you’re destined to do that, you aren’t destined to conquer or destroy, you’re just here to propel other people. Now, before you start getting angry and whatnot, keep in mind that I’ve got nothing against either of you, I’m just annoyed at the fact that the two of you have the audacity to think that you have the right, and the power to tear down the WCF bit by bit. Saying something like that? You deserve getting your fucking teeth kicked straight down your throat, or through the back of your neck, either way wouldn’t bother me. It’d be my way of thanking the WCF for giving me a warm welcome and allowing me to make a living in the only way I know how, fighting against the best of the best and entertaining people around the globe. I live for that shit, but from what I’m hearing, the two of you are only here to try and make the WCF your only little playground, well why don’t I let you in on a little secret? You aren’t getting anywhere near making that little pipe-dream a reality, and Mejor Redemption will prove that on Slam when we tear you down piece by piece, until you reveal to the world exactly what the two of you are.
“A duo of scared, insecure little men who think they’re better than what they really are. In reality, we don’t even need to prove it at all, we’ve seen all we need to see. ACPC? A walking cliché, literally, you’re like every villain in the known world, you talk a lot of shit and end up getting whooped, like nearly every single time, and at Slam it won’t be any different when we put you down right in your place. Just to make certain that the two of you realize you aren’t going to be tearing down anything, or destroying anything, you’re just going to do what we’re all here for. Wrestling, entertaining, and in the situation of pretty much everyone but yourselves, winning.
“But let me tell you something, the two of you have confidence, probably a little too much for your own good, but you’re confident, and I can respect that in a way. You’re both coming out and telling the world exactly what you’re going to do, and I’d be a hypocrite if I said that’d be the wrong thing to do, since I did the exact same thing in my first week, I let each and every intention I had be known to everyone, and I’m glad that neither of you are shying away from that. But when you have the intention of dominating, you better be able to back that shit up with actual talent, not just an incredible showing of stupidity that will only make people think you’re some type of joke. I’m just being real with the two of you, the tag team world be lighting up right now and we need more people who are willing to put the work in, neither of you are willing to do that. You’re already complacent and you’ve done jack shit, and think about it. You’re talking everyone that you’re better than everyone in the world, that you can’t be stopped, that you can’t be controlled, what will people think about you when you get fucking annihilated in your debut? Not very much, I don’t think, something I hope the two of you will learn when Mitch and I are done mucking around and we’re ready to end that shit in the most incredible way imaginable. You saw the shit that went down at Ultimate Showdown right, everyone never thought they’d view something like that in their LIFETIME. That’s exactly what Mejor Redemption will be bringing to the table each and every time we step into that ring, we never aim to disappoint, we’re here to put in the best effort we can muster up, even if it won’t result in a victory every time. We’re all about improvement and evolving, getting better than what we already are, while the two of you are seemingly stuck in some unknown past, some past where you were the best at everything and thought yourself better than everyone. You’re going to be snapped out of that dream really fucking quick when you walk out of the arena feeling the pain of suffering your first defeat here in the WCF.
“Anyway, we better start getting onto that great twitter page you own, ever since you created it just about every guy and their uncle have decided to take aim at you for the absolute nonsense you type out over there. Half the time we struggle to even comprehend what bullshit you’re trying to tell everyone, some of the stuff up on their can be that fucking mind-numbing that we can’t even decipher that utter crap that we’re unlucky enough to have to bear witness to. Your first post had to be the biggest reminder of us, giving me that GAWD DAMN Vengeance vibe again when you come out here talking about how you going to spill blood in the streets. Don’t come at us with that crap man, do at least something that somewhat contributes to the WCF before you fire off with that sort of stuff, you’re already speaking of how we’re all supposedly jealous of you when all we currently know you for are the news guys with zero thought process behind the jacked up twitter posts they be posting. Seriously man, it’s getting to the point where you’re starting to wonder if Seth will just accept fucking anybody into the federation, and yeah, I went there. Considering we’ve got guys like Adam Young and BioWalker running around doing fuck all with their careers and getting stomped just about every week. Sounds like something the two of you will be doing pretty soon in this federation, am I right? You’re throwing away any chance you may have here just because of your overconfidence, it’s surely going to be your undoing. When you receive the shock of your lives at Slam, where you get dealt with in a matter of minutes, your fall from “grace” will be speedy as you end up struggling to breathe in the all-encompassing ocean that is the WCF.”
Moreno chuckles lightly to himself.
“Did I say that in a manner that’s easy enough for you to understand, P? I hope so, I tried to add your own little flair to it, consider it paying homage to the guy I’m going to fucking annihilate in my next match. You’re not someone special yet, P, you have to earn that right, and you’re going to be starting from humble beginnings just like everybody else here, just like Mejor Redemption is. We aren’t taking anything for granted, we’re still training, we’re still aware of the fact that we aren’t the best at the moment, that improvement will be required before we amount to anything great in this uber-talented federation, something that the two of you have clearly failed to understand since your arrival here. Although I have little doubt in my mind that this will be the start of a steep learning curve for the likes of you, who think they are somehow above everyone else, like they somehow have the right to look down on the hard working society who give it all they got.
“You think you’re better than the rest, ACPC? Fucking prove it, until you start bringing in the results here, you aren’t nothing but another rookie tag team who needs to earn their keep. Mejor Redemption? Mitch “El Mejor” Morales and Derek Moreno? Two guys who are going to do just that, we’ll keep bringing in the results each and every week, getting into big time matches and paving our way to greatness and glory, through the hardest of times and the easiest of rides, we’ll be doing it all and taking it in our stride as we attempt to carve our path here in a place that has many twisting, winding roads that all lead to the same place… the top.
“So guys, you keep doing what you’re doing, you keep mouthing off on twitter, you keep feigning this act of superiority that you seem to like to hold over everyone but each other, but try as you may, you’re going to have to do it the hard way. With the way the two of you act, it’s clear you’ve been getting your hand held from place to place, you’ve taken the easy road every chance you’ve gotten, cruising along until you finally made it into the big leagues. You disrespect the federations you’ve been at in the past, spitting in the faces of all the fans and management there, and then act like you’re entitled to greatness here at the biggest wrestling federation the world has ever seen? Well, whatever success you may have had, whatever dominance you showed at your other federations, that’s all past glory that you’re going to have to forget about. While you’re already looking to the stars, you’re forgetting about all the people you think below you, lingering in the darkness, biding their time, and waiting to cut you down at the opportune moment.
“Just kidding, we don’t need to wait, we don’t need to find the time to do it, we’ve already booked our appointment, our date is set, you guys are royally screwed, there is no other way to put it, there’s no nicer way of putting it. Your lack of determination and arrogant nature is going to end up killing you as we strike you down in one swift movement. A sad truth that you will have to realize eventually, the defeat will cut deep with you, and I honestly hope it motivates you to rid yourselves of this uncanny thought process the pair of you seem to own. This mentality that everyone you ever come across is purely nothing when compared to you, better men have though the same and those same men have fallen to their knees and begged for mercy against some of the greatest that have stepped into the ring, or if we’re talking about ACPC, “in the streets.”
Another small chuckle escapes the lips of Derek Moreno, who is now well and truly eased into the shoot, rather than feeling stressed and strained as he did when he first arrived at Dale’s home.
“Until you’ve proven yourself here, you don’t have the right to proclaim greatness over anyone here, I could name pretty much anyone on the roster and you’d still fall underneath their oppressive boot, it’s a simple fact that you’re unable to accept due to your unwillingness to realize that you’re just not as good as you think you are. We all should be our own harshest critics, and that’s something that the two of you aren’t, you’re content, complacent, everything that you shouldn’t be in a harsh environment such as the WCF, one we’re you’re forced to change and adapt and evolve in ways you could’ve never imagined. You’ve been stuck in your ways quite clearly for some time now, and until you start breaking out of the old mould you’ve set yourself in? You’re going nowhere, just take my advice, for real guys. Keep travelling along the road you’re on and something is bound to go wrong.
“But then again, that something that’s wrong has already happened, you’ve been pitted up against Mejor Redemption, the cream of the new crop that are going to be bringing their talents to the WCF and giving the crowd matches that they could never have dreamed of. New talent is coming in from all over the place, are ACPC going to be the two that get lost within the pack?
“Better call Joey Flash to make a bet on that one, I know where my money is going.”
Derek smiles and nods towards the camera once more, before making a subtle hand movement that tells Dale to switch off the camera, Derek takes a quick swig of the water bottle that he had held at the beginning of the shoot and allows the water to slowly course down his now extremely dry throat, Dale watches him with a slight grin as he watches Derek gradually get back up to a vertical base. He could already see the apparent weight that had been lifted off of his friends shoulders, he no longer saw the creases in the forehead he noticed earlier on, the pursed lips and the light coating of sweat that covered over his friends face, the tension was all gone within his muscles, like the peaceful and tranquil Derek Moreno had returned to the Earth once more. Dale switched the camera from his right hand that had begun to ache from the weight of the camera, and placed it delicately onto his left, before drawing himself nearer toward Derek and handing him the camera, Derek took it and nodded thanks, grinning in relief.
“You feeling any better than what you did at the start?”
“Much better, I just needed to get that off my chest, I couldn’t handle it any more, man. I had to vent it out on somebody.”
“You’re not worried about being the nice guy anymore, then?”
“I can be a prick when I want to be, but I never feel good about it, I’ve got nothing against ACPC, really. Sure, they’ve said a bit of whack shit on their twitter and in that promo they popped up after Ultimate Showdown, but in reality I just want them to know that they can’t continue that way man, acting like they’re better than everyone on the planet, just not right in my book.”
Dale could almost tell that Derek had experienced something heavily relates to this before, Derek’s head bent down whilst his eyes surveyed the ground, realizing he may have let out a little more than he wanted to, clearly troubled, Dale just patted him on the back and beckoned for him to come along with him.
“I feel you man, anyway, you want to hit up a place to eat?”
The questioned seemed to linger for a second, Derek failed to respond immediately, still searching for something that had been racking his mind, his face cleared up momentarily, his head rising upward and then turning toward Dale.
“Yeah, I think after we’re done I’m going to have to talk to Olivia though, man.”
“No problem, we won’t be too long, just hungry."
“Same here, ready to get going?”
Dale nodded and the two men left the backyard area, their footsteps oddly loud for this time of the day as all was quiet and solemn, just as it was within the mind of Derek, who still hadn’t found the answer to some of the most important questions he had ever come across. He shook his head sadly to himself, still unsure of just about everything going on in his life at the moment, everything had become one huge mess in one quick moment, a small spark remained within the darkness, a beacon of hope, something that told him things could only possibly get better from this point onward.
He had to believe in something.
IN THE PAST…
Robb leaped up into the air, ball in hand, off of the hardwood court, a collective gasp went up from just about everyone in the arena, a defender stepped up to contest the shot, arm up in the air as he instinctively looked toward the scoreboard one last time that read sixty-seven to sixty-six, young Derek Moreno watched from the sideline, lips tightened and fingers crossed, the shot form Robb floated up into the air momentarily, longer than it should’ve possibly remained in the air for as it began its descent lower and lower toward the hoop. It hit the front of the ring with authority, and then bounced forward, spinning in the air and hitting the back portion of the ring, it sat there for a second, before it limply rolled out of the ring to the left, the buzzer sounded straight after the missed shot, Robb fell to his knees, as did the rest of his team, face in hands, Robb barely reacted at all as he simply took in what had happened, Father and Derek Moreno glanced toward one another sadly – they knew how much the grand final match had meant to sixteen-year old Robb, who had been working towards this the entire season. The cheers of the opposition team rang loud through the recreational center, as they exchanged smiles and encouraging slaps on the back with one another, the teams soon lined up for the customary handshakes given out after every game. Robb meekly shook the hands of his rivals, while giving disappointed glances towards his Father and younger brother, they avoided his gaze. A bit more celebrating went on by the other team, before both teams were once again brought together to give out the trophies for the end of season, the losing team went first, with Robb being the first to get called up, he had wiped away any traces of tears he may have left behind earlier, attempting to stand tall and proud as he received what he felt was the biggest consolation prize imaginable. After receiving the trophy, he firmly shook the hand of the man who had handed it to him, and abruptly turned, before stomping out of the hallway where the teams had been gathered, Robb saw Derek and Father waiting for him, he gave a dishonest half-smile toward the both of them.
“Are you alright, Robb?”
“Let’s just get out of here.”
Father looked distraught as he watched his son’s begin to travel toward their car, which had been parked just outside the recreation centre, right at the very front. They had arrived early to give Robb all the preparation he needed, it only hurt more as he realized even his son’s best efforts couldn’t have brought them the victory here today. Father followed after the two boys, his steps hitting lightly of the stone beneath him, before he opened up the car door and hopped in after his boys, who were already seated and waiting. One of them waiting to ask a whole lot of questions, and one of them waiting for the chance to just have some alone time. Derek drew breath to speak right as his Father entered, but the air circulating around Robb told him it wouldn’t be a good idea just yet, Father’s stern face said very much the same, so he left the matter for the time being, as they began the solemn drive back home.
HALF AN HOUR LATER…
The Moreno Trio had just arrived back home, each of them feeling a certain away about the events that had just transpired, Robb’s seething anger was clear, he pushed open the glass sliding door and stepped inside, virtually threw off his basketball shoes and stomped toward the shower, soon the water pressure could almost be heard throughout the household as steam rose from the shower, some of it seeping out the door and into the hallway just outside the bathroom. Father walked over toward the immense pitch-black leather couch that was the centrepiece of the red carpeted family room, he deliberately sat in the chair and ran a hand through his thick set of brown hair, a thoughtful look appeared over his face as his hazel-eyes peered out through the window to the outside, where the sun still shone, yet in his own mind, life as he knew it was just an unrelenting storm, a place where the hits just never stopped coming. Young Derek Moreno followed after his Father, but slowed down as he observed his Father’s actions, the way he seemed to be contemplating everything, he shrugged and moved nearer toward his Father, before standing right in front of him, a curious expression on his face.
“Father?”
Father almost looked to be snapping out of a trance as his eyes locked onto Derek in a glance that bored straight through Derek, it made him slightly uneasy as he shifted weight from one foot to another.
“What’s the matter, Derek?”
“What’s wrong with Robb?”
“Do I need to explain it to you?”
“I just want to make sure he’s alright.”
Father sighed and patted the seat next to him, Derek’s muffled footsteps that came as a result of stepping on the soft red carpet brought him toward the couch, he spun around and sat on it, still giving Father the exact same look he had started with, Father’s lips twisted together as he thought of what to say, and the right way to say it.
“Robb had a dream, Derek. Just like you do, he wants to achieve something great and reach the top, he’s exactly like you in that regard, and a loss like the one he suffered today… it ruins his mentality, and it ruins his chances of ever making it onto a better team. Without a big win on his record, he walks home with nothing. He’s about to hop into year eleven, schoolwork is only going to get harder, I know you can’t be bothered doing it, and you’re not even in high school yet.”
Father paused for a moment, as Derek tried to comprehend what his Father was telling him.
“But Robb’s awesome! He’s still going to play!”
Father’s frown only deepened as he looked at his son, who still hadn’t gotten the message yet.
“Robb won’t be playing anymore, after this, he told me as much before the match. He doesn’t have the time, and he feels if he’s not bringing in the results now… he’ll never be able to do it at a higher level of competition.”
“What do you mean, Robb’s not going to be playing?”
“It’s over, basketball will only be a hobby for Robb now… I tried to convince him but I just couldn’t, he’s going to be focusing heavily on his schoolwork, and I think you should start doing the same.”
“Why?!”
Derek stood up off of the couch, suddenly very enraged by the idea that his Father of all people would tell him to give up on his dream. Father swayed from side to side lightly, whilst looking at his son, he too stood up off the couch, and then knelt down in front of his son, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, Derek tilted his head to the side in confusion.
“It’s a cold reality, but most dreams just never come true.”
And with that, he stood up from his kneeling position, and left to go to his own room, Derek stood, unable to make sense of anything he had just been told. Tears sprung to his eyes, welling up in one quick instant as he looked at his Father’s being, which was moving further and further away from him with every step, he sat back down and looked at the ground, a single tear dropping down and hitting soft against the red carpet, darkening it just a shade. He remained this way as his stomach churned, the gears of his mind turning as he fell into a deep train of thought.
AT THE ARENA…
Derek deliberately began to tie his black wrestling boots up, feeling them push up closer towards his feet as he tied a loop and threaded it through, his face was a masked in thoughts and sheer contemplation, as he looked back on what his Father had told him as a little, hopeful child.
Every day of my life, I still think back onto what my Father told me in that one moment, where he told me everything I didn’t want to hear. I fought it with all my might, I gave it everything I had, and did it benefit me in anyway? Did I really make it to the place I wanted to make it?
I’d say everything I went through to get to the humble point of the mountain I sit upon… had been worth it.
I defied what my Father told me in that moment, he knew of it to, I continued to hone my craft and do the best I could, but where am I heading now? What road have I decided to take?
Have I committed the biggest mistake of my life, one that I can’t redeem like every other error I’ve ever made?
The path I’m deciding to take, could lead me away from everyone in my life except for Mitch, I could be slowly leaving them behind with every step I take up the huge mountain. I’m on a trail I never wanted to go down, now I can’t even speak to Olivia without some problem coming up, and every time, I have to link it back to wrestling. Maybe I’m just not cut out for it, I went through the independent circuit, Mitch and I competed together, we did all we could all to get to the biggest and greatest of them all, the Wrestling Championship Federation.
But now I can only sit here and ponder if I’m ever going to make it far here, with the doubt creeping into my mind at every moment, every turn I take, something unexpected could take me out. All the time, I’m forced to go through a new, uncanny development, most of it being a huge tragedy.
My whole life, described in just one word… tragedy.
Olivia… wrestling… the only bright spots in my life.
I’ve been stuck in a cycle, surrounded by failure, I’ve been destined to fail from the very beginning, and maybe once I step into that ring once again, I’ll succumb to that inevitable fate.
Maybe it’ll all be over in one, resounding moment, my entire career and life gone in the blink of an eye.
Self-doubt, something I’ve struggled with since the very beginning, I’m going to overcome it tonight.
Mejor Redemption… we aren’t going to fall quick, we’re going to achieve all we can, we’re going to blow the roof of the stadium with our match against ACPC, no matter how long we’re in there for, no matter if we’re walking out triumphant or in defeat.
Confidence, something I’ve been lacking lately.
That’ll all change tonight, my life, my journey, I’m the only one that can change it, I’m the only one that can make it all worthwhile in the end.
I’m the writer of the story, I will decide how I continue it, and how I eventually end it.
Failing now would just be a spit in the face of everything I’ve ever stood for, a disrespectful slap that I just can’t commit right now.
I’m going to go out there and do what I’ve planned to do from the beginning, I’m going to make everyone proud, I hope they’re all watching, whether it be from the crowd, the television… or in spirit, up in heaven where I’ve left some of them.
I hope you’re all watching.
I’m giving it my all.
Derek’s fist pumped up against his own heart once, as he looked up to the heavens, and although the perfect blue sky was technically blocked off by the dull ceiling atop of him, Derek felt like he could see through it, like a shining light was being placed right over the top of him. A blessing that would help him through all of the steps he takes throughout his career here in the WCF.
For the first time that night, Derek gave off a genuine smile, the crowd was ready, the show was about to get underway, but most importantly…
Derek was ready.
All the twists and turns and failures he had been through, it all came flooding through his mind at times, but he knew it no longer mattered if he thought about it from time to time.
He only needed to know one thing.
It was all worth it.
