Fetch

[Deleted]

Part 1: Regain (I.L.F. Part eight) 

: How did you enjoy your night? Did you sleep well?

The words slide off of the figure’s tongue with a vibe laced with sickening calmness as a warm beam of sunlight cast upon his already well-established farmer’s tan, his eyes unsettling orbs used to make the man in front of him crazy with a mind like a schizophrenic.

: Here. Drink this. You’re probably pretty parched.

The callused hands of the figure reach upward, extending a small bowl of water like you would to an abused animal. The officer suspended in front of him reluctantly slurps down the water, feeling a bit of relief from the burning sun. Water dribbles down his chin as the figure grins and chuckles a bit.

: You must have been pretty thirsty then I take it.

As he finishes drinking, he takes a moment to catch his breath as he gazes upon the man holding him captive with great disgust.

Officer: Fuck you..

The cop looks down at the figure, his hands and feet bound to a cross in the middle of the field by thick rope and tight knots.

: My boy, my boy Jeb, he told me you had quite the mouth on you. I now see that he was not lying. Don’t you appreciate this all? I find this land to be quite lovely.

Officer: What is all this?

: What do you mean exactly?

Officer: Who are you people and what is all of this?

The figure gets down on the ground next to the captive officer, sitting with his legs crossed in front of the cross.

: First off, you remind me that we haven’t been properly introduced. The children call me father, but you may call me McGrady. I’d get up and shake your hand, but it appears that you are somewhat...preoccupied. Now this land, this place that you find yourself welcomed into is my pride and joy, just like those who inhabit it with me.

Officer: Your...your boy, he mentioned something about John Adams being his brother. So..what did he mean?

McGrady: You were brought here by my son Jeb. He refers to John Adams as his brother because that’s exactly what he is. Everyone here is part of our family, our way of life.

Sweat pours down the officer’s face as his head droops a bit, the heat becoming a growing burden to him.

Officer: Your way of life..whatever it is...I can already tell it’s not right.

McGrady: Oh, it’s not?

McGrady rises to his feet once more, moving even closer so that he can still be heard clearly while coming to a near whisper.

McGrady: See, there’s no right and wrong, only progress and regress. People get the two confused far too often. Morals, they vary too drastically from person to person. It’s a charade. What’s really important is advancement by any..means..necessary.

A sudden thud is heard as the officer’s head is split in half like a log, a sharp edge embedded deep into the front of his skull. His brain goes numb and silent as a stream of blood trickles down his face, dripping off of him and collecting at a pool at the base of the cross. McGrady turns around with a look of slight frustration as he sees Jeb walking towards him.

McGrady: Jebediah, that wasn’t necessary.

The son walks past his father, reaching up towards the handle of his tomahawk. He grips it tight and gives it a couple of calculated yanks as the blade pops out of the man’s frontal lobe, causing brain matter and a thicker flow of blood to pour out of the wound. Jeb reaches his hand into his pocket and pulls out a small cloth, wiping the blood from the tomahawk before attaching it to his belt.

McGrady: Dammit, I was having a very nice conversation with this officer here. Why did you do that?

Jeb: I was in the kitchen and heard yelling from the window. Then I walked outside and saw this bastard giving you lip. That’s why I went ahead and grabbed my tomahawk.

McGrady: It’s fine. I will say that I don’t think that the family will be to happy when they find out that they missed out on the cleanse. This one will just have to be dumped I suppose.

Jeb: How would you like me to go about it, father?

McGrady: We must erase everything, just like we did with your brother. After today, the world will never know that this man existed and that’s the way that it must be in order for us to continue on.

The son nods his head.

Jeb: As you wish.

Jeb walks off towards the house as McGrady begins to untie the lifeless corpse suspended in front of him.

Part 2: Picking up the pieces 

Teo: So, how are you feeling about everything? I know it’s been rough recently with some of the losses and now Vic stepping away from the ring.

The luchador holds his hands up as Spencer continues to practice his sparring. Each blow lands swift and precisely as perspiration runs down from his hairline.

Spencer: On to the next one, man. You know that’s how this shit has to go. Losing the belts can’t be what matters going forward. We have to keep looking ahead and keep an eye on whatever challenges lie ahead. For you, I think that means beating the tar out of anyone stepping up to you and that people’s championship. As for me, the opportunity of a lifetime is just a couple weeks away. If I have it my way, The People’s Choice won’t only represent the fans, but will also represent an elevated level of excellence. This is the year that I’ll hoist up that top prize for guys like us, the dreamers.

Teo: I respect that, but it’s one step at a time. We both have some pretty big challenges ahead of us. I mean, I have Dune and you have to go against Howard and Occulo. Those aren’t exactly you average challenges you know. Both of us are going to need to really step it up this time.

Spencer: Don’t we always?

Teo: Well yeah, but it’s about always looking for ways to continue to climb and a couple of victories this week would be monumental.

Spencer: For sure. I wouldn’t mind sending a message to the competitors at Fifteen either.

Teo: You mean Steve Orbit?

Spencer: Yeah, I was actually talking strategy with the guy for this week. We had a bit of a training session to make sure that we’re ready for The Sentinels.

Teo: You still think you can beat Howard Black?

Spencer: Shut it.

The two share a chuckle as Spencer continues to lay into the pads with a series of kicks and punches.

Teo: I think you’ll do just fine though. I know you’ve been training really hard for matches like these and to top it all off, you get to team up with a modern legend in the WCF in Orbit. That’s huge for you, man.

Spencer: It’s gonna be a good one for sure.

Teo: Thoughts?

Spencer: I think that what you have here is a really good match for the fans. It’s four fan favorites battling it out for bragging rights and to put on a great show, right? This is one of those matches that could really go either way. I’m not looking at this as something that is unwinnable, but rather a situation where the pressure is on even more. I’m used to looking at matches where I’m the underdog going in against a more established opponent. I’ve made a career off of throwing everything I have in me at people who some may consider me no match for. This is a tough week because of the fact that it all depends on who brings out that little bit of extra from within themselves. Whether me or Orbit pick up the pin or Occulo or Howard manages to, the person grabbing that three count will only do so as a result of one or two small difference making decisions.

Do I expect to go out there and crush this like a match against someone like Biohazard or Tyler Walker? No. I wouldn’t have gotten up at five in the morning just to start training today if I thought this was one of those freebie wins like that. I’ve had matches like those and I’ve had matches against people like Joey Flash and Howard Black. I know what comes with each situation and by now, I like to think that I’ve gotten pretty good at competing against guys at that top level. Have I always seen success when tilting my head up and staring into the eyes of formidable foes? No, I haven’t, but I’ve never been the type of competitor to try to crawl into a hole when the odds aren’t in my favor. Hell, they never have been, but I’ve done pretty fucking well as far as making progress and holding my own in this company goes.

Teo: So then what exactly is your strategy when going against guys like these? Knowing that you haven’t quite been able to pull out the win against them, what are you looking to change about your approach in this one?

Spencer: I know that there are a lot of people out there who think that getting knocked down means that they have to throw the entire playbook out the window and start over from from scratch, but that hasn’t been the case yet and it won’t be the case anytime soon. I know that it’s been a steady mix of hard work and looking for things to add on to my skillset that have gotten me to the place that I’m at today. I didn’t walk into this place with a lack of ability. Credit I’ve ended up learning a lot of valuable lessons in my time here, but when I go back and look at the tape, I’m not disappointed with the things that I see myself doing. It’s not about changing the things that I do, it’s about improving on the things that I do right. I must also look for the weaknesses and keep molding myself so that those become my strengths.

These guys like Occulo and Howard Black, they’ve gone through most of the same challenges, many of the same opponents that I have. When you put me in the ring with guys like this, there’s an understanding. You don’t see a bunch of manipulation, because we all know that it would basically be everyone shouting out checkmate when the even matchup reveals itself. So no, I haven’t been able to gain victories over Howard Black or Occulo in the past, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t. I recognize that these two have the advantage over me and Orbit as an actual tag team, but that’s still Steve Orbit and I’m still Spencer Adams. Did Howard and Occulo beat us for the trios titles a couple weeks ago? Yes, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m one of the next up, one of the people to look out for in this company.

I’m basically the face of “you win some, you lose some” at this point, but never have I been the guy to get steamrolled. Spencer Adams is not the kinda guy you look at and think that you’re getting a squash match against. Now the matches that I do win, I make the most of. That’s how I’ve gotten ahead. I take whatever I have in front of me and I turn that shit into gold. I went into WAR as an average contender and ended up almost winning the fucking thing. A feud against Kyle Kemp in the beginning of my career? That shit shot me much further up the card. A “feud” against Adam Young? Hell, I actually managed to make that guy seem watchable. The point is that the losses mean little when compared to the progress that I make every single week that I step foot in a WCF ring.

Now with these tag matches, you have to look for the weakest link and attack it as hard as you fucking can. Some might look at me and try to say that I’m the weak link in this situation, but I know me better than anybody and I can guarantee that’s not true. I can be a fucking camel if I have to. I’m capable of taking the workload and achieving what I need to no matter what the cost. You know who definitely isn’t anywhere close to being weak link material? The fucking guy who started off as a scrub and transformed into a mutli-time champion in less than a year’s time. That’s why I will continue to remind the world every single week that I am a force in this industry.

Yes, I do have my weak points, I’ll admit that. Sometimes I’m not as sharp as I could be out there and that’s something that could always use some practice, but I’m still the one that’s been here on a very consistent basis, busting my ass ever since I arrived. You know what I see as weakness? I see weakness in the fact that a guy like Occulo went from losing the US title to getting beaten by Dustin Beaver in a TV title match at One. This doesn’t mean that I respect him any less or that he’s not a capable competitor, but I’m not trying to respect the guy into a state of unconsciousness, I’m trying to win a wrestling match. Occulo’s a great competitor, this is a guy that has been hyped up as being right at the edge of the main event scene ever since I arrived here and yet, he hasn’t actually shown that.

#BeachKrew is considered to be the final boss in the company at this point, right? They’re the guys to beat, the ones that you really have to look out for, the ones that you really must be at the top of your game for if you want to stand a real chance of beating. Occulo lost to Beaver who is far from being the top dog. Not only did I take Jared Holmes out of WAR, but I also won a tag team championship by beating both him and Wade Moor. I’ve been able to stand up to those top guys and really look capable of being a top guy. If you wanna go look back and compare the accomplishments and progress of me and Occulo, I’m gonna have to say that I have the edge there. I’m not scared of a guy like Occulo. I know that I can beat him and I will this week. If anything, I’ve shown that I’m at least at that same level as a guy like Occulo and that I’m going to make sure that I make my way to the top and I’m more than willing to climb right over the top of him if it gets the job done.

I don’t see this as a matchup where I’m drastically superior while Occulo is this fucking noob that I’m going to destroy, but rather a situation where I have the opportunity to put the big dogs in the locker room on notice by handing a loss to someone that many would have to say is right at my level. In fact, this is a two on two matchup that is so good and so competitive that you could consider this shit to be fantasy warfare. So I’m coming down to the ring this week to do what I can to make sure that I’m ranked higher than this man. The goal is to not only best Occulo, but show everybody that I deserve the position that we both want. It’s a cutthroat business and I don’t intend to be anywhere near the bottom. I have no ceiling and I’ll continue to make that known.

Then we come to my friend Howard Black. A lot of people would dread having to face somebody that they’ve never beaten, somebody who’s had their number every time the bell rings, but I don’t hang my head in defeat, I simply stand up higher, because you can’t get to the top if you convice yourself that you’re a loser when you see defeat. By now, I feel as though I’ve faced Howard Black almost as many times as I’ve faced Kyle Kemp, but unlike facing Kemp, it’s a pleasure to go against somebody who really understands the spirit of competition and fights with that level of honor and respect that I feel is really important in this business. However, that doesn’t mean that the fire isn’t there. Howard knows that I’m going to make sure to come out swinging and I know that he’s going to do the same.

Again, I’m right where I’ve always been since I signed a contract, looking for any way that I can to make a positive difference in my career. I’m one of those guys that goes out there and grinds every single week, because I know that I absolutely have to if I want to continue to climb. Now if there’s one thing that I find pretty disappointing about Howard Black it’s that he decided to go semi-retired in his fucking prime. Who does that? Sure, Howard was injured for a while and injuries happen all the time in this line of work. I won’t sit around and act as if that injury makes Howard any lesser, but it’s a fucking drag to see this guy consider himself retired for the most part.

Howard Black is the real fucking deal when it comes to this wrestling shit, but I think he’d tell you himself that he’s not the man yet. He crushed Bates last year and has been a big part of a dominant team with Occulo and Dune, but he’s not at that legendary level yet. Even after he hangs up his boots for good, many people will talk about how Howard Black was “pretty good”, but at this point, he hasn’t come close to earning himself a hall of fame ring or anything like that. Am I at that top level yet? No, I’m not, but I have kept chugging along and doing what I have to do to ensure that I end up there.

While he has always been a promising upper midcard talent, there’s still work that needs to be done in order to make the kind of impact that I know he’s capable of making. These things take time and Howard simply needs to put in more of it. Does this guy need a motivational speech or what? With some guys, I might tell them to fuck off and never come back, but I appreciate everything that Howard Black has done as a competitor. Howard Black is a guy that I’ve taken a lot of pointers from as I build my own legacy, I just wish that he would take this one from me and get back to the grind like everybody else. I’m a professional wrestler, but I grew up as a wrestling fan. I’ll admit, I mark out hard for guys that I think are fucking awesome and Howard Black is an awesome fucking talent. I know it, the fans know it, and most of the locker room knows it.

I guess the way I see it is that Howard Black has unfinished business with more than just a history with The Sentinels. We all know that. He’d be discrediting everything that he ever fought for here if he were to hang them up for good anytime soon. You know what I’m coming out to do this week? I’m coming out to do the same thing that I do every week and that’s to bring a brilliant match out of not just myself, but my opponent as well. Howard Black is one of those guys and that’s why I look forward to this encounter. This week, me and Steve Orbit are handing Howard Black a loss. I’m going to make sure of it. I’m going to be handing Howard that loss to help him. Spencer Adams picking up a win this week would be huge momentum and I’m going to get the job done.

Onto my partner. I’m not just teaming with a legend in Steve Orbit. Steve Orbit is also teaming with a future legend in Spencer Adams. I think Orbit knows that a great up and comer has his back, but I don’t think he knows exactly how good I am and I’m going to make sure of that this week and show him that I’m his biggest threat in the Final Destination match. Nobody needs to worry about cohesiveness though. Yes, Occulo and Howard Black grab a point there, but I know what I’m doing when it comes to tag team matches and I’m bringing everything that we’re going to need to take one from The Sentinels this time. Orbit will be getting a little preview of what exactly it is he’ll be up against in the Final Destination match.

Teo: Always nice to hear that confidence, man.

Spencer: It’s the little things, man.

Teo: So you’re ready to go?

Spencer: In situations where I know it really counts, I’m always ready.

The scene fades to black as the two continue to spar.

Part 3: Fetch (I.L.F. Part nine) 

McGrady: Jebediah, come in here please.

The door to an upstairs room in McGrady’s farm swings open as Jeb steps through, looking towards McGrady who is kneeled down in front of the closet, going through boxes of various documentation.

Jeb: What is it, father?

His father stands up with a box of papers in his hands, sitting them on a nearby desk. He pulls out an envelope and hands it to his son.

McGrady: Here.

Jeb: Another one?

McGrady: This one is different than the last. This person will be handled differently than we handled that officer out there.

Jeb: What do you mean?

McGrady: I want you to make sure that this person is treated with nothing but kindness. That man out there, he was somebody who disrespected the family and what we stand for. He got in the way of our movement and that’s why he met his fate in the way that he did. This one though, this person is family, one of your long lost brothers.

Jeb: I still don’t understand. If they are our family, why have we not seen them here?

McGrady: You’ve been one of the most loyal and dedicated members of this family. Soon, you will find out exactly why our system works in the ways that it does. I can assure you that each and every decision is made to better this community.

Jeb: I will continue to do my best to serve, father.

McGrady: That’s good to hear. Now, this file that I’m giving you is very important to us. It has everything you will need to locate your lost brother. He lives in the city and has a busy life, but I’ve documented his routine quite well. Engage him peacefully and I think that we may be able to get him to come on his own free will.

Jeb: When should I leave?

McGrady: Not quite yet, it will be a couple days, I just wanted to let you know of the objective a little bit ahead of time. Monday morning would be best I believe. That should be a good time to get to where you need to go.

Jeb smiles as he walks out of the room, clutching the envelope in his hands. He steps out into the hallway and closes the door behind him as he turns the folder over, opening it up and reading the bold lettered name at the top of the first sheet.

SPENCER ADAMS