#TheReturnOfSwagrid

[Wade Moor]

"So tired trying to see from behind the red in my eyes
No better version of me I could pretend to be tonight
So deep in the swirl with the most familiar swine
For reasons wretched and divine"

- Jackie and Wilson (Hozier)

Part I: City In Color

The decrepit motel room in the heart of Rock City was as quiet as the grave, save for an old clock radio picking up a shoddy FM station and spouting a vintage tune around the room. An old woman sitting in a worn floral print chair hummed along, waving her finger in the air as she did.

♫ Then I turn my face toward the sky
And say a silent prayer
Though God doesn't speak to me
I see him everywhere

He is all around me
He's everywhere I look
And each new day is but a new page
In God's coloring book♫

She raised a tea cup to her lips and took a sip of the steaming liquid inside as a pair of boot clad feet crossed the room. The aged wooden floor squeaked underneath as the man approached the clock radio and brought his hammy finger down, shutting it off as he turned on his heel.

"Turn this shit off", Wade's voice boomed across the room, "I can't even hear myself think."

Wade's mother huffed an exasperated sigh and slapped her hands onto her lap.

"William", she spoke sternly, "It's such a beautiful song. You know I love Dolly Parton."

Wade crossed the room, leaned over using his legs for support, and got right in his mother's face.

"My. Name. Isn't. William.", he said through gritted teeth, "Stop calling me..."

"Wade!" another voice hissed from the kitchen.

Wade turned and Nikita met his gaze. She motioned for him to come to her and Wade begrudgingly crossed the room.

"What?!" He snapped.

Nikita gave an exasperated sigh of her own.

"You need to stop", she commanded in a stoic tone, "You know she isn't right, Wade. I know this isn't fair, but you can't keep taking it out on her. I'm sure this isn't easy."

Wade put his hand against the wall, teeth clenched and face boiling with rage...but eventually, the anger and frustration gave way for a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time...

Complete and utter helplessness.

He slumped backwards and fell on the bed, his hat bounced from his head and rolled to the floor. He put his face into his fists and resisted the urge to bellow as loud as he could muster. Every day, every week, Wade had been following his plan, a rock steady course amid jolting waves in uncharted water. It had led him and his fellows to masterful domination time after time...but now, it felt like he was floating on a broken branch in the middle of the ocean with no sign of shore in sight.

“I'm sorry”, Nikita spoke as she put her hand against Wade's thigh, “ I know you're doing the best you can...”

It was Wade's turn to drop that exasperated sigh.

“Don't patronize me”, Wade shot, “I'm not a child.”

“I wasn't”, Nikita snapped back as she crossed her arms, “You ARE doing the best you can, Wade...and you're doing it all by yourself. I just wish there was more WE could do.”

Wade sat up and snatched his hat up from off the floor. He crossed the room towards the door, but his mother snapped her fingers which drew his attention.

“I GOT IT!”

Wade's brow furrowed as his mother took another sip of her tea and smiled.

“I just figured out the missing ingredient for my perfect gator soup recipe!”

His mother started humming whimsically to herself as Wade's shoulders slumped down and he turned to put his hand on the knob.

“I'm leaving”, Wade spoke, “The guys will start to wonder if I don't get back soon. Will you look after her?”

Nikita nodded silently as Wade turned to leave.

“Be careful”, Nikita said, but Wade had already slammed the door shut behind him.

Moments later, he was down in the shady parking lot of the seedy motel. He pulled the keys to his Camaro out of his back pocket and headed towards the car...but something stopped him in his tracks and made his black heart jolt. Andre Aquarius was leaning against the hood of the Camaro with a blunt in between his lips. He pushed off of the car, popped the collar of his leather jacket, and tipped his snapback as Wade drew closer to the vehicle.

“Sup nigga?” Andre said as he puffed on the spliff in his mouth, “Long time no see. The fuck you doin' casin' this shithole, bruh?”

Wade fixed the slack jawed expression on his face as he neared Andre. He formulated a story in his head as he drew closer. If he was truly great at one thing, it was coming up with a lie when his back was against the wall.

“Thought I might try this roach bed for some low level shakedowns”, Wade replied, “See if anyone here might know anything about the Owls.”

“Well nigga?” Andre asked, though Wade wasn't entirely convinced of his story, “You find out anything?”

“Nah bruh”, Wade replied as he put on his Swagrid mask, “Bunch of fucking meth addicts and prostitutes. Don't ask, don't tell.”

Andre laughed as he clapped Wade on his broad shoulder.

“Shit, I know that”, Andre replied, “Niggas on my block kept that mouths tighter than their assholes, ya feel?”

Wade relaxed a little as Andre started buying into his story. Wade did feel some semblance of shame in lying to people he considered to be his family, but he couldn't allow them to find out about his mother or Nikita...for obvious reasons. She used to belong to the Owls before something changed her mind. Ever since then, she has been following Wade around as he traveled from show to show, staying low key in these dive motels to keep her safe. She could take care of herself...

But everything had changed when Wade, Johnny, and Dustin had found his mother in his ramshackle cabin in the middle of that dingy swamp. It had only brought even more questions into his life, ones that he didn't have an inkling of where to find the answer. He swore Johnny and Dustin to secrecy, and luckily they had stayed true to their word...but Wade wasn't sure how long you can keep things like this hidden. Someone was bound to slip up. Andre had almost caught him here, which brought another question rushing into Wade's mind.

“What are you doing here anyways”, he asked Andre as he opened the driver side door of his car.

Andre seemed to think about it for a moment, but decided to answer the question.

“Jared asked me to keep an eye on you bruh”, Andre replied, “Said he was worried about you and shit. You know, brotherly love and all that shit.”

Now it was Wade's turn to be apprehensive of Andre's answer. He scanned his face for a second before locking eyes with Andre. He kept them open as wide as possible, staring down Andre for a good minute before Andre interrupted him by clearing his throat. He dropped his blunt to the ground and stomped it out.

“Yo, let's get some food”, Andre said while opening the passenger door of the car, “I'm fuckin' starvin' nigga.”

Wade watched as Andre climbed into the passenger seat of his car and disappeared from sight. Wade's expression changed. His eye slits narrowed as his nostrils flared. He knew exactly why Jared was having him followed. The night in the pub when he asked about Nikita...he had seen right through Wade. Of course, Wade knew. He had tried to lock his mind with all the strength he could conjure, but something about Jared has been different since his injury...stronger.

Wade started the engine and roared the car out of the parking lot and onto the main road. Andre kicked his foot up on the dash and sparked up another blunt, offering it to Wade after he took a few puffs. Wade snipped the blunt from Andre's fingertips and choked down a few puffs, but the weed only heightened the situation anxiety. He passed it back to Andre and focused on the road.

“You excited about the match this week, bruh?” Andre asked, “We all don't usually get to stomp out #fuccbois together. It feels right, ya knawmean nigga?”

“Yeah”, Wade replied, that Swagrid voice still laying on heavy, “Yeah I feel you nilla. #BitchLivesMatter and shit.”

The crippling anxiousness in Wade's chest began to ease as he felt the familiar rush and thrill of complete domination of his opponents coming along. He might not have much control of his life outside of the ring...but inside of it, he was the force of nature come to send #fuccbois through a whirlwind. He was the tidal wave sent to crush those who would stand across from him.

He was the #BeachKrew juggernaut. GodNilla staking his claim in good measure of destruction.

The Motherfucking Leviathan.

Wade snorted as his eyes changed from a deep ocean blue to that black abyss. He tipped his straw hat down over his forehead and slouched forward in his seat. He felt...in control.

“For the first time in a long time...#BeachKrew is stepping into the ring as a complete unit, ready to show the WSeaF why it's not smart to sleep on us. We've heard the whispers...the rumors...#BeachKrew is done. Cooked. Stick a fork in that shit and ring the dinner bell. They think we're weak now...spread out and divided. What they don't seem to understand is...

“That would only make us stronger. We take what some would consider weakness, chew it up, and spit it out as specialty. That's the mark of a truly great stable and tremendously talented wrestlers...it's ability to deal with everything thrown it's way and deal it back tenfold. They think because #BeachKrew had one bad month that we're just going to roll over and let somebody else take over...That's not how we do. That's not how we roll. If anything, one bad month has only made us hungrier, more relentless than we've ever been...and that bodes ill for anyone who is unlucky enough to cross paths with us on our way back to the top.

“Just like you, Joey Flash. Yeah, I know you're listening. In fact, I hope you're listening. That just means you're hanging on to every last word I'm saying, and I have you right where I want you. You th..you think you're little attack on us by The Pride had us reeling? Oh BOI! I'll alert TMZ. They seem to like reporting absolute trash. Maybe they'll do an article on how you were 'robbed' after I completely dismantle you at Explosion...

“But that's another story, for another time. Wouldn't want to waste that Grade A, right? Nah, BOI! Back to your 'master plan', your 'carefully crafted' attack on us by The Pride. It only served to prove the point that I've been making from the start...that you're an absolute coward. You didn't even have the taint to step to me face to face? You had to go and bury the careers of three worthless plebs before they even had a chance to get going?

“I guess that fits into the Joey Flash modus operandi, doesn't it? Get close to somebody and slit their throat at the first opportunity? #BeachKrew has never had to do that, and we've been successful because of it. We've held every title that matters between five guys and that wasn't even our greatest achievement. We've broken records and the mold for what makes a brand around here. I mean, we have guys trying to emulate us at damn near every turn, that's how you know you're successful.

“But my opponents this week? Shit, they aren't exactly what I would call riveting success stories. I mean, they've won some titles here and there Joey...but, I mean, come on. They're nowhere in our league, am I right? These aren't people I would look at and consider World Championship contenders, you follow?

“ZMAC...I mean, ZMAC is my boy. There's no denying that. What we did for that Internet Championship was immaculate. Together we elevated that belt to heights it hasn't seen in some time and ZMAC really does hold a special place in this Leviathan's black heart...but the internet is ZMAC's stomping grounds. Outside of it? He's just another worthless pleb that I have to stomp into the ground, just to generate some noise.

“And Katherine Pheonix? I heard you guys don't get along too much. It's ok, nobody really likes her. The ones that fuck her only tolerate her because she has that cookie pussy, you feel? I mean, she was even coming on to me on Twitter. If she wants a real 'hardcore' match, meet me in the bedroom you know? I'd use it, abuse it, and leave her by the curb if you know what I mean? What a sad fucking life, Katherine. Even the trash only gets dumped once a week.

“And then there's Teo Del Sol, lucha extraordinaire. Can't really wrestle in the ring so he wrestles his way into your heart instead. What a crock of shit, that is. The only reason my boy Johnny Rabid didn't take that People's Championship away from you is because that sand bitch Dune put his nose where it didn't belong...and even then people weren't talking about how Teo snaked out of defending the belt against ACTUAL competition, they were talking about Dune and Rabid. You're the very definition of a non entity, Teo.

“Vengeance and Mikey eXtreme couldn't co-exist long enough to lace each others boots, let alone wrestle an entire Godnilla damn match to completion. Damn, Seth must really have it out for you two guys. Talking about making America better than ever and blah blah blah. Hey, maybe you two could bore us to death spouting your worthless, trite nonsense that you're so fond of. That's the only chance the two of you have of winning this match.

“Then...there's one more guy, I think?”

Andre cleared his throat again.

“Uh”, Andre said while counting on his fingers and toes, “I think it's Shadowlove.”

“BOI?! What kind of shit fucking name is that? Shadowlove? You're not trying to white wash it or anything, are you? That shit sounds really rapey, if you follow? Anyways, I think I proved my point in the manner I brought you up...you are in no shape or form a threat to #BeachKrew. This whole match is a worthless tune up before we move on to what is truly important.

“And for me? That's regaining that World Championship. I only have eyes for you Flash, because you have around your waist something most dear to me. Everything depends on Explosion. I can't quite express to you the gravity of the situation before you...but like I said, that's a story for another time. You're going to have to wait another week to hear it, Joseph. Bye bye, for now.”

Wade stops at a red light and clicks his left turn signal on. He waits for the light to change, but before it does, his phone buzzes in his pocket. He swipes it open and reads the text message displayed on his screen.

Unknown

“Detroit isn't safe. Owls are everywhere.” - a friend.

But Wade didn't known where safe was anymore.