The Greatest Story Ever Told
Sept 22, 2017 23:10:07 GMT -5
Stephen Singh and Leon "Purple" Hayze like this
Post by "Iron Heart" Ethan King on Sept 22, 2017 23:10:07 GMT -5
The Smoldering Heart of The ONE.
It didn’t take long for Ethan to find the old suburban home that he had lived in up until he had turned sixteen years old. The street looked relatively similar to how he had always remembered it, the same lengthy bitumen road stretching from one end to the other, and a row of houses on either side which – for the most part – appeared as though they hadn’t changed over the six years he had been gone.
Then again, it would be inappropriate to suggest he hadn’t been here for that long. In fact, the most recent time he would’ve come back to the place he had been raised would’ve been just before the beginning of his wrestling career, in February of 2016.
However, as more time went by, perspectives changed, his eyes and mind grew more wise and weary as he experienced both highs and lows. Even at his young age, he felt well beyond his years in some aspects of life, and this was one of them.
His return marked a sort of milestone for him, for it was the first time he had ever arrived on his old street, walked up to his home, knocked on the door, and didn’t feel like a complete child, making his begrudging return with a rueful smile.
No, Ethan was an adult now. He held his own responsibilities and had grown up to be a man that put an emphasis on earning his way, doing everything on his own – not relying on others… something that he wished his father could have taken a step towards a long time ago. But he had not come for the purpose of rehabilitating his father, in a useless attempt to change his ways that would end in certain, unavoidable failure.
Ethan Atticio had come with a different purpose, one that went away from his usual trends of selfishness and indifference towards The World that encompassed him. Today, Ethan had arrived to the nostalgia of his childhood home, in the hopes of finding any information that could lead him towards the whereabouts of his sister.
He rang the doorbell to the once exquisite home that he lived in years ago. The cheerful ascending tone of the bell hadn’t changed a bit, but the aesthetic had degraded over time a considerable amount. Perhaps he hadn’t noticed it during his regular visits prior to becoming a wrestler, but the sturdy wooden door that had intricate patterns masterfully carved into it – an import from France – was now covered in dust, with nasty cobwebs in the upper left and right corners of the imposing door.
Along with that, the couple of steps used to reach the doorway had been chipped away at over time, feeling like they were more likely to give way rather than easily carry and transfer the weight of the individual that stepped over it.
He wished to spend more time analyzing a place that was once the biggest part of his childhood upbringing, but he was abruptly stopped by the sound of a key unlocking the door before him, which then swung open to reveal the dishevelled figure of his father. The man had shaggy light brown hair, which could’ve somewhat been similar to his son’s – had it been washed within the last week. His clothing was baggy and casual, with various food and oil stains that even caused an odd aroma to be picked up by Ethan’s nose, one that mixed in with the obvious and unwelcoming scent of alcohol.
Ethan’s father blinked his eyes rapidly and then narrowed them, as though he was trying to sharpen his vision so he could identify whoever it was that stood before him, which caused Ethan’s lips to immediately curve downward in a frown.
‘It’s me, Dad.’
Apparently, his father’s hearing was not impacted by his clearly disorderly state. A wide, beaming grin grew over his face, as he instinctively leaned forward and embraced his son in a welcoming hug.
‘Ethan? Is it actually you? I thought you’d never come back after… after…’
Ethan did not return the embrace, he felt none of the love for his father that may have been felt on the opposite end. He managed to nod in a manner that seemed empathetic and understanding, as he gave his father a stiff pat on the back that was meant to be encouraging.
‘No need to worry, I’m here now.’
The two then proceeded to engage in an uncomfortable bout of small-talk, small-talk which Ethan despised and his Dad adored. After being lead through the house and shown what had changed during his time away, the feelings of disgust which had begun to plague Ethan only grew worse. By the end of the impromptu ‘house tour’ he had received, there was a taste on his tongue that sickened him to the very core.
But, he had become apt at putting on a smile to get what he wanted out of people, and so he did, in an attempt to appease his father, appeasement that could lead to getting the information that he desperately desires.
And it didn’t take long for Ethan to direct the conversation to the matter of importance.
‘Tell me, do you know where Kylie has been lately?’
‘Weren’t you told? She left to go find you. She went to Chicago with your ex-girlfriend. They’re both looking for you… I think.’
Ethan’s face went pale, and his feeling of illness deepened.
‘Not "I think", Dad. Either you know, or you don’t.’
A moment of hesitation crossed his father’s features, before he nodded in utmost certainty.
‘I know, Ethan. She told me, she left a note for me.’
‘Bring it to me.’
Five minutes later, Ethan was standing outside the doorway of his old home, his sister’s letter held in his left hand, while he reluctantly held his father’s hand with his right.
‘Ethan, once this is all over… once you’ve found her, I want… I want...’
Knowing what he would say next, Ethan immediately slipped his hand out of his father’s grasp.
‘If you weren’t such a mess right now, I would be criticizing you far more than what I’m about to, but Dad… you need to get help. Serious help. I’m not a fucking therapist, okay? You need to sort out your own problems. You need to quit alcohol, you need to fix up this home, and you need to respect Mom’s memory, because what you’re doing right now?
‘It’s fucking disgusting.’
His father becomes silent, mouth drooping in disappointment. He has no words for his son, and as tears begin to sting his eyes, he can only nod in a wordless apology. This doesn’t stop Ethan from continuing.
‘After I’m done with my next match, after I’m back from Japan, I’m going to find her. I’m going to do what you failed to do, what we BOTH failed to do, and that’s protect her. Alright? And maybe, just maybe, if you take a step in the right direction, I’ll consider coming back. But until then? Don’t expect anything from me, other than Kylie return to where she belongs, in a PROPER home where she’s safe, and loved. A far cry from what she got with you.
‘So until then, Dad? Goodbye.’
He turns to leave, but he is stopped by his father’s strong hand gripping upon his shoulder. When he swings his gaze to look over at him, he realizes that his father’s face is now streaked with tears, his voice now weak and quiet.
‘But why after your match? Why can’t you just go now, why can’t you find her and bring her back so that we can all be together again?’
Ethan gives him a hard look at first, but can then only smile, as he turns away again and looks up to the cloudy skies that provide him with a pure, beautiful image at last.
‘If I can’t keep to my promise of winning The World for her, then how will I ever be able to save her, protect her, and give her the life she deserves?
‘This is something I need to do.’
24th of April – Aftermath 2016.
United States Title Match: Steve Orbit v Ethan King v Mikey eXtreme (c)
Quote of the Night: “He’s (Ethan’s) showing a lot here tonight. Even I’m impressed.” – Gravedigger.
The twenty-fourth of April was a night of many things for Ethan, a night that would set the bare minimum standard for the rest of his career that would be soon to follow. On this night, Ethan King stepped into the ring as a fresh-faced, green as grass rookie, who was looked upon as the underdog by everyone in the arena.
And on that night, Ethan surprised many people, by ultimately being the man that would avoid a move that surely would’ve ended his championship dreams by Mikey, knocking him out of the ring, and then hitting a brilliant, flashy springboard Tornado DDT on a WCF Legend and multiple time World Champion, Steve Orbit, to secure not only his victory, but his first championship in only six matches of active competition.
His pride upon winning the title was immense. At the time, this championship had been solidified as the consensus most prestigious belt behind the World Title, due to the men that had recently held the belt over the last year, such as Occulo, Kaz Mazy and yes, even Mikey eXtreme himself.
What would follow later that night, however? That would change Ethan’s perspective on his status in the company forever. That night, he watched on as his supposed ‘unofficial mentor’ at the time in Joey Flash, defending his championship belt against his long-time rival in Grayson Pierce (AKA Gemini Battle).
The battle was intense, and both men were on a level that few others could even dream of being on. But even so, the difference in skill was obvious, Joey Flash was in another league altogether, and although Pierce was one of the best to set foot in WCF rings during the year of 2016, he was inevitably defeated.
And whilst this was going on, Ethan King was watching this entire match from a secluded corner of the locker room. He held his newly-won United States Championship close to his chest, as he watched every move, every technique used, every counter, and attempted to imprint into his mind, on the off-chance that he would need to use these one day to secure himself as THE top competitor in the WCF.
This young rookie, one that nobody expected anything from, saw before him the destiny that he would one day reach out for, the destiny that been laid out before him – the World Title.
This was simply the first step, but the road to get there would be long, it would be tiresome, and it would be…
Conquered.
The screen transitions back to where we last left off with Ethan King during his second promotional video, he is back in the forest clearing, having just said the line that would set off the chain-reaction, one which would envelop the entirety of the WCF.
‘It’s about time you all saw the real me.’
His smirk turns into his trademark grin, one filled with arrogance and confidence, but today? There’s something different behind the eyes, a smoldering look of incessant fire that never once threatens to fade out.
‘The fact that you’re all still here is commendable, and a fact worth celebrating. It’s a wonder that any of you even bother at all, knowing that my inevitable victory and certain advancement to the main-event of ONE is right before your very eyes, and yet you all struggle in vain to overcome the odds that are simply impossible to defeat.
‘You all don’t seem to get it yet, why this match has already been won, why none of you, no matter how much ‘effort’ or ‘time’ you’ve put into working your way back into the positions you’re in now, no matter how much ‘heart’ or ‘determination’ you have, won’t mean ANYTHING when I step in there and leave you all ruined and broken as a sacrifice to my eventual reign as World Champion.
‘Before we go through anything, before I even acknowledge why the remainder of you – the people who are being hoisted upwards as potential ‘contenders’ to win this match are going to get thoroughly obliterated and then unceremoniously eliminated from this match – let me tell you all what is about to go down in the sixteenth annual WAR match.
‘I am about to put on the greatest athletic performance in the history of sport. Not just wrestling, but in sport itself. In WAR XVI, I will be the first man to enter the match, and I will be the last man to walk out on both my feet, with my victory assured and my opportunity at ONE for the World Title set in stone.
‘There will be no other man in the history of The World that can lay claim to putting on a better performance than me, I will last hours in this match, as I eliminate one after another after another in a furious rampage that ends when the runner-up of this match eats the canvas in a broken and bloodied mess, and is left with no memory or recollection of what happened to them, as Ethan King renders them as nothing but a fucking footnote in the history of his journey to the World Championship.
‘For all of you who like to talk about records, you’re all about to be put to shame by what I’m about to do. It will be unprecedented, it will be unheard of, and it will be the greatest thing that you bear witness to. It is something that only a once in a generation talent can ever manage to achieve, and it’s something that you can’t defeat or react to – you can only marvel at it and hope that you don’t get the worst of it.
‘Most time lasted in the WAR match? Trivial.
‘Most eliminations? I have spent my entire career pinning legends, champions, and contenders whilst avoiding succumbing to this fate myself, this is something easily accomplished for a natural talent myself… but something that will be cherished as a spectacular feat by all of you.
‘But the greatest record of all, the one that will leave you all shocked, speechless, and unable to combat my unmatched, unquestioned talent?
‘Being the first man ever, to enter the WAR match at number one… and walk out the victor.
‘This will never be done again, and no-one will ever come close to it again. So watch carefully, watch every strike, watch every move, and watch every single thing that I do, for this is quite literally a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ moment that will pass you by quickly… but will be remembered forever.
‘And just how exactly am I going to accomplish this, you ask? Just how am I going to do all of this while being hounded by hordes of competitors that include more than forty men who say they want this ‘just as badly’ as I do?
‘Well, allow me to explain.’
7th of May – Aftermath 2017.
Tag Team Titles Match: Steven Singh/Ethan King vs The CAPTAIN/John Rabid.
Quote of the Night: “Personally, I’m surprised King and Singh didn’t end up turning on each other…”
Ah, yes. The Tag Team Titles. Won at the same pay-per-view as his first ever championship as a wrestler and yet… not quite so sweet. Was it because he had to share the glory with a partner? Was it because he wasn’t the one to get the pinfall that solidified him as the one to earn the victory, rather than the man that fought alongside him? He didn’t know, he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but one thing was for certain…
This was not the way he intended things to go. Five months since his return to a WCF ring, after surviving the Mexico Incident and returning with a vengeance… and this was all he was given in return? A tag team championship that would do nothing except peg him down as a tag-team wrestler – the one thing he despised while being the undisputed leader of The Pride.
But even he knew that sacrifices had to be made, even he knew that one the road to greatness and success, you needed to build up and ensure that you didn’t try to hastily jump the gun. If you did that? Then there was a chance that you get knocked down, lose all your momentum, and never get your chance again. Ethan King could not allow for this, he WOULD NOT allow for this, and so he decided to take the slow and steady route.
He and Steven Singh had secured gold for Everest, and this would be the beginning of a long path of dominance for the faction, who would go on to achieve far more than just these two simple titles.
Now look at where they both are – Singh is the World Champion, and Ethan is the Hardcore Champion.
Why ever would two such talented men, “brothers in arms”, with their allegiances pledged firmly towards the overarching goal of the team of Everest, ever turn on one another?
I wonder.
The screen returns to Ethan King, picking back up where he left off.
‘Ever since walking into the company, I have been the most relentless, most consistent, and most engaging performer this industry has ever seen. I put on the best matches, I continued to improve my impeccable record, and I further proved myself as the future World Champion that many expected me to be.
‘But what happened, you ask? Why was I never given that opportunity, why was I never given the chance to ‘break out’ like so many other men have?
‘I was overlooked.
‘While I was winning every fucking title match I was put in, while I was butchering all the competition, whether they be in the main-event, the opening match, or in the mid-card, I ruined them all. When I lost a match? It was a fucking shock, and all of my so-called losses? They came from count-outs. They came from disqualifications. They came when I was so fucking bored due to the mind-numbing amounts of talentless faggots that I had to come up against, that I just cruised and allowed myself to lose here and there.
‘Because what’s the fun in winning all the time? Where’s the fun in killing these guy’s dreams when they’re so damn bad that they don’t even have any real, tangible objectives here in the WCF? Why should I bother wasting my time in the lower-card murdering people with no aspirations, when I myself am a World Title contender who should be given more respect than to be expected to slum it with the bottom of the barrel? That isn’t me.
‘Give me any big match. Name every big match I’ve been a part of in 2017, and I have put on a show, and 95 percent of the time? I have come out on top. Then, ignore the match where my two ‘partners’ in the Ultimate Showdown match did everything they could to eliminate me – because they knew I was too big of a threat to keep in the picture for too long – then that number becomes an unmatched ONE-HUNDRED PERCENT. And keep in mind, I still managed to upgrade from a fucking tag team title to the Hardcore Championship, and it would’ve been the World Championship had I not lost my concentration for one damn moment and allowed myself to be embarrassed by Sidney J Warwick, the FIRST and ONLY man to ever land a pinfall on me.
‘So take all of this into account, and include the fact that:
‘In every title match I have been in, I have walked out with a championship strapped around my waist.
‘That I have defeated countless World Champions, legends, and main-eventers on my path to WAR...
‘And that I am unequivocally the most determined and talented man on the current roster…
‘And you are left with no other reasonable conclusion, other than at WAR XVI…
‘I secure my claim to The Throne, and that when I am given my chance at ONE? I will rip The Crown straight from the head of whoever has taken my rightful place, and will solidify myself as the one and only ruling force of this industry.’
11th of June - Asesinato De Mayo.
Trios Cup Tournament Final.
Quote of the Night: “I’m not sure anyone in the WCF is as hungry as Ethan King.”
Although it wasn’t quite the final straw, tonight was the night that Ethan King came to a grim realization, one that made him understand what the fatal flaw with Everest was. It wasn’t a matter of the two men that he stood alongside, nor was it a problem he had himself. Rather, it was something that not any one of them could control.
There’s only one World Title, and there’s only one of them for a reason.
On this night, something occurred that would change Ethan’s career forever, a constant reminder that he would never purposely allow his opportunities to be hindered by another man, because on this night? He could’ve earned himself the right to face off against Jared Holmes for the World Title.
He was right there, having just seen the lights go out of Gravedigger’s eyes – a telling sign that the man had just been knocked out – yet, rather than drop him to the mat and go for the pinfall… he rolled out of the ring.
And he allowed David Sanchez to take the glory, and the title match that came with it, all for himself.
At first, upon realizing they had won, he had grown ecstatic. His third title match and his third title win, and this one came along with the bragging rights of being the Trios Cup winners itself. Along with that, he was even guaranteed entry into the Ultimate Showdown match, due to already being a tag champion by the end of the tournament.
But even with all of this… his hunger had not been sated.
He was still not satisfied, and he knew there was only one way that he would ever be satisfied.
The World Title was still not within his grasp.
'It’s odd that all these legends, these hall of fame talents, these mainstays of the brand, continue to criticize me and act as though I have not earned what I have been given here in the WCF. These are the same fools who seem to think that a relevant argument against me is that I have never won a WAR match.
‘An argument that would be both sound and valid… had I ever taken part in a WAR match before.
‘It is logic like this that confuses me as to why any of you think you stand even the slightest chance of beating me in this match. Men like Gravedigger and Steve Orbit, the kind of people who have either critiqued me in the past, or continue to do so now. These are two men that I have out-performed and pinned before, these are men who are yet to understand that while they have been regressing and diminishing bit by bit, I am yet to even reach my full potential. Jayson Price fits into this category too, as a man who is well beyond his prime yet still attempts to reach towards a bygone era that he can no longer replicate through his admittedly above-average talent… that is still nowhere near good enough to even touch upon my abilities.
‘At WAR, I am going to unleash all of this potential I have in a moment of blazing glory, and while you will stare and watch in awe, there will then come a time where you come underneath my judgement, and I decide that you are no longer worthy of being in my presence.
‘And that is when your time will end, and I will eliminate you from this match, giving rest to your dreams and aspirations of reaching greatness once more, as I make it crystal clear that in MY WCF, you are nothing but long forgotten relics.
‘And this applies towards men such as Odin Balfore as well, pure forces of dominance who will surely run rampant over the field… but not me. I am not the common man, I am not someone who will be relegated to simply being an ‘example’ for all the other competition, by a man who doesn’t even have the heart and guts to make constant appearances around here anymore. Odin will show up for WAR and even Final Destination, and then he fails, and then leaves, and then nobody… gives… a fuck.
‘The same applies for Jay Omega. You have this mercenary mentality yourself; you return back on your knees to the WCF, hoping and praying that you will get the recognition and the spotlight that once made you a relatively respectable star here in this federation… and then you throw it all away. You have none of warrior’s spirit that will make you a tangible threat in this match, you are nothing but a talented competitor who will attempt to cruise through this match and then be met by a rude awakening…
‘You experienced it at the hands of Wade Moor, you experienced it at the hands of Joey Flash, and now? You’re going to be humbled once more.
‘You’re all just bit-players in a story that has been written specifically for a King. Not for the King of Darkness. Not for the King of The Brotherhood. Not for the King of The Deathmatch. Not for the King of All Wrestlers.
‘No, this story belongs to The Future King, and the beginning of the end is fast approaching.
‘So, what are you people going to do to stop it?'
30th of July - Ultimate Showdown.
The Ultimate Showdown Match.
Quote of the Night: “He’s (Ethan’s) one of the best, but somehow hasn’t gotten the same opportunities that lesser men have.”
The match had been gruelling, the match had been exactly what he had expected it to be, but the result? It had been a disappointment, a complete and utter tragedy.
For any other man, going up from a Tag Title to the Hardcore Title? It would be a monumental victory, it would be a success that would bring joy to the person who had won it. But instead? He saw this as nothing but a failure.
Unlike what a man like Andre Holmes thinks, Ethan didn’t see this as a demotion, more as a failure on his own behalf – as something that he could’ve avoided through his own skill and ability, and yet he hadn’t.
He had let it all slip, his first chance at the World Title, gone.
And when he rose up from his daze, after being eliminated from the match, he heard a certain tune playing, one that caused him to look up immediately in anger.
The sight he saw did nothing to calm him down.
Steven Singh, holding the World Title to his chest in the middle of the ring.
He goes to get up, but is stopped by a ringside official who has his newly acquired Hardcore Championship in his hands. He offers it to Ethan, who is forced to begrudgingly take the belt.
The metal is cold, and while it is comforting to a small extent…
He could only imagine what he would have been feeling had he gone just one… step… further.
‘There are only two men left who matter to me in this moment, in these few moments leading up to what eventually will be a bloodbath. Andre Holmes, you managed to scrape by last week on the fact that I wanted to put you away in the most stylish way possible.
‘That mistake will not be made again.
‘You are a dangerous competitor, one that is talented and with a fire behind him that in another universe, could possibly match my own.
‘But this is my universe, and this ring that we’ll be stepping into at the Tokyo Dome? I own it.
‘There isn’t going to be any flashy maneveur that puts you away, you’re simply going to be stopped in time, and as I hit you with the T I M E S K I P, your whole World is going to change before you, as you see the man that you will always look up to…
‘But never be able to match.
‘And then there’s you, David. You were the one behind this whole masterpiece, right? You were the one who orchestrated the gathering of the three most talented men in wrestling today to create… Everest.
‘And you took me under your wing, you did. You showed me what The World could do to you, you showed me the pain and suffering it caused, and you showed me how to cause just as much suffering back when I needed to.
‘In a way, you are in part responsible for creating the monster that you see before you. You are one of the people who helped speed-up the process of me reaching a point of indomitable ability and resolve that would have taken far longer to achieve without you.
‘And with this, you have guaranteed the fact that you will never, ever, be able to take what it is that you desire most.
‘Because in what can only be described as a twisted turn of events, David... it’s what I want even more than you do.
‘And by the end of WAR, when the dust settles, and the ring is stained with the blood and sweat of men from around The World, their minds shattered, their dreams eviscerated, their bodies rendered useless... you will look up and see ONE man left standing, with his chance at the ultimate prize finally being realized. You will look up, David... and you will see me.
‘You will see what you have helped create… and you will pray.’
It didn’t take long for Ethan to find the old suburban home that he had lived in up until he had turned sixteen years old. The street looked relatively similar to how he had always remembered it, the same lengthy bitumen road stretching from one end to the other, and a row of houses on either side which – for the most part – appeared as though they hadn’t changed over the six years he had been gone.
Then again, it would be inappropriate to suggest he hadn’t been here for that long. In fact, the most recent time he would’ve come back to the place he had been raised would’ve been just before the beginning of his wrestling career, in February of 2016.
However, as more time went by, perspectives changed, his eyes and mind grew more wise and weary as he experienced both highs and lows. Even at his young age, he felt well beyond his years in some aspects of life, and this was one of them.
His return marked a sort of milestone for him, for it was the first time he had ever arrived on his old street, walked up to his home, knocked on the door, and didn’t feel like a complete child, making his begrudging return with a rueful smile.
No, Ethan was an adult now. He held his own responsibilities and had grown up to be a man that put an emphasis on earning his way, doing everything on his own – not relying on others… something that he wished his father could have taken a step towards a long time ago. But he had not come for the purpose of rehabilitating his father, in a useless attempt to change his ways that would end in certain, unavoidable failure.
Ethan Atticio had come with a different purpose, one that went away from his usual trends of selfishness and indifference towards The World that encompassed him. Today, Ethan had arrived to the nostalgia of his childhood home, in the hopes of finding any information that could lead him towards the whereabouts of his sister.
He rang the doorbell to the once exquisite home that he lived in years ago. The cheerful ascending tone of the bell hadn’t changed a bit, but the aesthetic had degraded over time a considerable amount. Perhaps he hadn’t noticed it during his regular visits prior to becoming a wrestler, but the sturdy wooden door that had intricate patterns masterfully carved into it – an import from France – was now covered in dust, with nasty cobwebs in the upper left and right corners of the imposing door.
Along with that, the couple of steps used to reach the doorway had been chipped away at over time, feeling like they were more likely to give way rather than easily carry and transfer the weight of the individual that stepped over it.
He wished to spend more time analyzing a place that was once the biggest part of his childhood upbringing, but he was abruptly stopped by the sound of a key unlocking the door before him, which then swung open to reveal the dishevelled figure of his father. The man had shaggy light brown hair, which could’ve somewhat been similar to his son’s – had it been washed within the last week. His clothing was baggy and casual, with various food and oil stains that even caused an odd aroma to be picked up by Ethan’s nose, one that mixed in with the obvious and unwelcoming scent of alcohol.
Ethan’s father blinked his eyes rapidly and then narrowed them, as though he was trying to sharpen his vision so he could identify whoever it was that stood before him, which caused Ethan’s lips to immediately curve downward in a frown.
‘It’s me, Dad.’
Apparently, his father’s hearing was not impacted by his clearly disorderly state. A wide, beaming grin grew over his face, as he instinctively leaned forward and embraced his son in a welcoming hug.
‘Ethan? Is it actually you? I thought you’d never come back after… after…’
Ethan did not return the embrace, he felt none of the love for his father that may have been felt on the opposite end. He managed to nod in a manner that seemed empathetic and understanding, as he gave his father a stiff pat on the back that was meant to be encouraging.
‘No need to worry, I’m here now.’
The two then proceeded to engage in an uncomfortable bout of small-talk, small-talk which Ethan despised and his Dad adored. After being lead through the house and shown what had changed during his time away, the feelings of disgust which had begun to plague Ethan only grew worse. By the end of the impromptu ‘house tour’ he had received, there was a taste on his tongue that sickened him to the very core.
But, he had become apt at putting on a smile to get what he wanted out of people, and so he did, in an attempt to appease his father, appeasement that could lead to getting the information that he desperately desires.
And it didn’t take long for Ethan to direct the conversation to the matter of importance.
‘Tell me, do you know where Kylie has been lately?’
‘Weren’t you told? She left to go find you. She went to Chicago with your ex-girlfriend. They’re both looking for you… I think.’
Ethan’s face went pale, and his feeling of illness deepened.
‘Not "I think", Dad. Either you know, or you don’t.’
A moment of hesitation crossed his father’s features, before he nodded in utmost certainty.
‘I know, Ethan. She told me, she left a note for me.’
‘Bring it to me.’
Five minutes later, Ethan was standing outside the doorway of his old home, his sister’s letter held in his left hand, while he reluctantly held his father’s hand with his right.
‘Ethan, once this is all over… once you’ve found her, I want… I want...’
Knowing what he would say next, Ethan immediately slipped his hand out of his father’s grasp.
‘If you weren’t such a mess right now, I would be criticizing you far more than what I’m about to, but Dad… you need to get help. Serious help. I’m not a fucking therapist, okay? You need to sort out your own problems. You need to quit alcohol, you need to fix up this home, and you need to respect Mom’s memory, because what you’re doing right now?
‘It’s fucking disgusting.’
His father becomes silent, mouth drooping in disappointment. He has no words for his son, and as tears begin to sting his eyes, he can only nod in a wordless apology. This doesn’t stop Ethan from continuing.
‘After I’m done with my next match, after I’m back from Japan, I’m going to find her. I’m going to do what you failed to do, what we BOTH failed to do, and that’s protect her. Alright? And maybe, just maybe, if you take a step in the right direction, I’ll consider coming back. But until then? Don’t expect anything from me, other than Kylie return to where she belongs, in a PROPER home where she’s safe, and loved. A far cry from what she got with you.
‘So until then, Dad? Goodbye.’
He turns to leave, but he is stopped by his father’s strong hand gripping upon his shoulder. When he swings his gaze to look over at him, he realizes that his father’s face is now streaked with tears, his voice now weak and quiet.
‘But why after your match? Why can’t you just go now, why can’t you find her and bring her back so that we can all be together again?’
Ethan gives him a hard look at first, but can then only smile, as he turns away again and looks up to the cloudy skies that provide him with a pure, beautiful image at last.
‘If I can’t keep to my promise of winning The World for her, then how will I ever be able to save her, protect her, and give her the life she deserves?
‘This is something I need to do.’
24th of April – Aftermath 2016.
United States Title Match: Steve Orbit v Ethan King v Mikey eXtreme (c)
Quote of the Night: “He’s (Ethan’s) showing a lot here tonight. Even I’m impressed.” – Gravedigger.
The twenty-fourth of April was a night of many things for Ethan, a night that would set the bare minimum standard for the rest of his career that would be soon to follow. On this night, Ethan King stepped into the ring as a fresh-faced, green as grass rookie, who was looked upon as the underdog by everyone in the arena.
And on that night, Ethan surprised many people, by ultimately being the man that would avoid a move that surely would’ve ended his championship dreams by Mikey, knocking him out of the ring, and then hitting a brilliant, flashy springboard Tornado DDT on a WCF Legend and multiple time World Champion, Steve Orbit, to secure not only his victory, but his first championship in only six matches of active competition.
His pride upon winning the title was immense. At the time, this championship had been solidified as the consensus most prestigious belt behind the World Title, due to the men that had recently held the belt over the last year, such as Occulo, Kaz Mazy and yes, even Mikey eXtreme himself.
What would follow later that night, however? That would change Ethan’s perspective on his status in the company forever. That night, he watched on as his supposed ‘unofficial mentor’ at the time in Joey Flash, defending his championship belt against his long-time rival in Grayson Pierce (AKA Gemini Battle).
The battle was intense, and both men were on a level that few others could even dream of being on. But even so, the difference in skill was obvious, Joey Flash was in another league altogether, and although Pierce was one of the best to set foot in WCF rings during the year of 2016, he was inevitably defeated.
And whilst this was going on, Ethan King was watching this entire match from a secluded corner of the locker room. He held his newly-won United States Championship close to his chest, as he watched every move, every technique used, every counter, and attempted to imprint into his mind, on the off-chance that he would need to use these one day to secure himself as THE top competitor in the WCF.
This young rookie, one that nobody expected anything from, saw before him the destiny that he would one day reach out for, the destiny that been laid out before him – the World Title.
This was simply the first step, but the road to get there would be long, it would be tiresome, and it would be…
Conquered.
The screen transitions back to where we last left off with Ethan King during his second promotional video, he is back in the forest clearing, having just said the line that would set off the chain-reaction, one which would envelop the entirety of the WCF.
‘It’s about time you all saw the real me.’
His smirk turns into his trademark grin, one filled with arrogance and confidence, but today? There’s something different behind the eyes, a smoldering look of incessant fire that never once threatens to fade out.
‘The fact that you’re all still here is commendable, and a fact worth celebrating. It’s a wonder that any of you even bother at all, knowing that my inevitable victory and certain advancement to the main-event of ONE is right before your very eyes, and yet you all struggle in vain to overcome the odds that are simply impossible to defeat.
‘You all don’t seem to get it yet, why this match has already been won, why none of you, no matter how much ‘effort’ or ‘time’ you’ve put into working your way back into the positions you’re in now, no matter how much ‘heart’ or ‘determination’ you have, won’t mean ANYTHING when I step in there and leave you all ruined and broken as a sacrifice to my eventual reign as World Champion.
‘Before we go through anything, before I even acknowledge why the remainder of you – the people who are being hoisted upwards as potential ‘contenders’ to win this match are going to get thoroughly obliterated and then unceremoniously eliminated from this match – let me tell you all what is about to go down in the sixteenth annual WAR match.
‘I am about to put on the greatest athletic performance in the history of sport. Not just wrestling, but in sport itself. In WAR XVI, I will be the first man to enter the match, and I will be the last man to walk out on both my feet, with my victory assured and my opportunity at ONE for the World Title set in stone.
‘There will be no other man in the history of The World that can lay claim to putting on a better performance than me, I will last hours in this match, as I eliminate one after another after another in a furious rampage that ends when the runner-up of this match eats the canvas in a broken and bloodied mess, and is left with no memory or recollection of what happened to them, as Ethan King renders them as nothing but a fucking footnote in the history of his journey to the World Championship.
‘For all of you who like to talk about records, you’re all about to be put to shame by what I’m about to do. It will be unprecedented, it will be unheard of, and it will be the greatest thing that you bear witness to. It is something that only a once in a generation talent can ever manage to achieve, and it’s something that you can’t defeat or react to – you can only marvel at it and hope that you don’t get the worst of it.
‘Most time lasted in the WAR match? Trivial.
‘Most eliminations? I have spent my entire career pinning legends, champions, and contenders whilst avoiding succumbing to this fate myself, this is something easily accomplished for a natural talent myself… but something that will be cherished as a spectacular feat by all of you.
‘But the greatest record of all, the one that will leave you all shocked, speechless, and unable to combat my unmatched, unquestioned talent?
‘Being the first man ever, to enter the WAR match at number one… and walk out the victor.
‘This will never be done again, and no-one will ever come close to it again. So watch carefully, watch every strike, watch every move, and watch every single thing that I do, for this is quite literally a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ moment that will pass you by quickly… but will be remembered forever.
‘And just how exactly am I going to accomplish this, you ask? Just how am I going to do all of this while being hounded by hordes of competitors that include more than forty men who say they want this ‘just as badly’ as I do?
‘Well, allow me to explain.’
7th of May – Aftermath 2017.
Tag Team Titles Match: Steven Singh/Ethan King vs The CAPTAIN/John Rabid.
Quote of the Night: “Personally, I’m surprised King and Singh didn’t end up turning on each other…”
Ah, yes. The Tag Team Titles. Won at the same pay-per-view as his first ever championship as a wrestler and yet… not quite so sweet. Was it because he had to share the glory with a partner? Was it because he wasn’t the one to get the pinfall that solidified him as the one to earn the victory, rather than the man that fought alongside him? He didn’t know, he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but one thing was for certain…
This was not the way he intended things to go. Five months since his return to a WCF ring, after surviving the Mexico Incident and returning with a vengeance… and this was all he was given in return? A tag team championship that would do nothing except peg him down as a tag-team wrestler – the one thing he despised while being the undisputed leader of The Pride.
But even he knew that sacrifices had to be made, even he knew that one the road to greatness and success, you needed to build up and ensure that you didn’t try to hastily jump the gun. If you did that? Then there was a chance that you get knocked down, lose all your momentum, and never get your chance again. Ethan King could not allow for this, he WOULD NOT allow for this, and so he decided to take the slow and steady route.
He and Steven Singh had secured gold for Everest, and this would be the beginning of a long path of dominance for the faction, who would go on to achieve far more than just these two simple titles.
Now look at where they both are – Singh is the World Champion, and Ethan is the Hardcore Champion.
Why ever would two such talented men, “brothers in arms”, with their allegiances pledged firmly towards the overarching goal of the team of Everest, ever turn on one another?
I wonder.
The screen returns to Ethan King, picking back up where he left off.
‘Ever since walking into the company, I have been the most relentless, most consistent, and most engaging performer this industry has ever seen. I put on the best matches, I continued to improve my impeccable record, and I further proved myself as the future World Champion that many expected me to be.
‘But what happened, you ask? Why was I never given that opportunity, why was I never given the chance to ‘break out’ like so many other men have?
‘I was overlooked.
‘While I was winning every fucking title match I was put in, while I was butchering all the competition, whether they be in the main-event, the opening match, or in the mid-card, I ruined them all. When I lost a match? It was a fucking shock, and all of my so-called losses? They came from count-outs. They came from disqualifications. They came when I was so fucking bored due to the mind-numbing amounts of talentless faggots that I had to come up against, that I just cruised and allowed myself to lose here and there.
‘Because what’s the fun in winning all the time? Where’s the fun in killing these guy’s dreams when they’re so damn bad that they don’t even have any real, tangible objectives here in the WCF? Why should I bother wasting my time in the lower-card murdering people with no aspirations, when I myself am a World Title contender who should be given more respect than to be expected to slum it with the bottom of the barrel? That isn’t me.
‘Give me any big match. Name every big match I’ve been a part of in 2017, and I have put on a show, and 95 percent of the time? I have come out on top. Then, ignore the match where my two ‘partners’ in the Ultimate Showdown match did everything they could to eliminate me – because they knew I was too big of a threat to keep in the picture for too long – then that number becomes an unmatched ONE-HUNDRED PERCENT. And keep in mind, I still managed to upgrade from a fucking tag team title to the Hardcore Championship, and it would’ve been the World Championship had I not lost my concentration for one damn moment and allowed myself to be embarrassed by Sidney J Warwick, the FIRST and ONLY man to ever land a pinfall on me.
‘So take all of this into account, and include the fact that:
‘In every title match I have been in, I have walked out with a championship strapped around my waist.
‘That I have defeated countless World Champions, legends, and main-eventers on my path to WAR...
‘And that I am unequivocally the most determined and talented man on the current roster…
‘And you are left with no other reasonable conclusion, other than at WAR XVI…
‘I secure my claim to The Throne, and that when I am given my chance at ONE? I will rip The Crown straight from the head of whoever has taken my rightful place, and will solidify myself as the one and only ruling force of this industry.’
11th of June - Asesinato De Mayo.
Trios Cup Tournament Final.
Quote of the Night: “I’m not sure anyone in the WCF is as hungry as Ethan King.”
Although it wasn’t quite the final straw, tonight was the night that Ethan King came to a grim realization, one that made him understand what the fatal flaw with Everest was. It wasn’t a matter of the two men that he stood alongside, nor was it a problem he had himself. Rather, it was something that not any one of them could control.
There’s only one World Title, and there’s only one of them for a reason.
On this night, something occurred that would change Ethan’s career forever, a constant reminder that he would never purposely allow his opportunities to be hindered by another man, because on this night? He could’ve earned himself the right to face off against Jared Holmes for the World Title.
He was right there, having just seen the lights go out of Gravedigger’s eyes – a telling sign that the man had just been knocked out – yet, rather than drop him to the mat and go for the pinfall… he rolled out of the ring.
And he allowed David Sanchez to take the glory, and the title match that came with it, all for himself.
At first, upon realizing they had won, he had grown ecstatic. His third title match and his third title win, and this one came along with the bragging rights of being the Trios Cup winners itself. Along with that, he was even guaranteed entry into the Ultimate Showdown match, due to already being a tag champion by the end of the tournament.
But even with all of this… his hunger had not been sated.
He was still not satisfied, and he knew there was only one way that he would ever be satisfied.
The World Title was still not within his grasp.
'It’s odd that all these legends, these hall of fame talents, these mainstays of the brand, continue to criticize me and act as though I have not earned what I have been given here in the WCF. These are the same fools who seem to think that a relevant argument against me is that I have never won a WAR match.
‘An argument that would be both sound and valid… had I ever taken part in a WAR match before.
‘It is logic like this that confuses me as to why any of you think you stand even the slightest chance of beating me in this match. Men like Gravedigger and Steve Orbit, the kind of people who have either critiqued me in the past, or continue to do so now. These are two men that I have out-performed and pinned before, these are men who are yet to understand that while they have been regressing and diminishing bit by bit, I am yet to even reach my full potential. Jayson Price fits into this category too, as a man who is well beyond his prime yet still attempts to reach towards a bygone era that he can no longer replicate through his admittedly above-average talent… that is still nowhere near good enough to even touch upon my abilities.
‘At WAR, I am going to unleash all of this potential I have in a moment of blazing glory, and while you will stare and watch in awe, there will then come a time where you come underneath my judgement, and I decide that you are no longer worthy of being in my presence.
‘And that is when your time will end, and I will eliminate you from this match, giving rest to your dreams and aspirations of reaching greatness once more, as I make it crystal clear that in MY WCF, you are nothing but long forgotten relics.
‘And this applies towards men such as Odin Balfore as well, pure forces of dominance who will surely run rampant over the field… but not me. I am not the common man, I am not someone who will be relegated to simply being an ‘example’ for all the other competition, by a man who doesn’t even have the heart and guts to make constant appearances around here anymore. Odin will show up for WAR and even Final Destination, and then he fails, and then leaves, and then nobody… gives… a fuck.
‘The same applies for Jay Omega. You have this mercenary mentality yourself; you return back on your knees to the WCF, hoping and praying that you will get the recognition and the spotlight that once made you a relatively respectable star here in this federation… and then you throw it all away. You have none of warrior’s spirit that will make you a tangible threat in this match, you are nothing but a talented competitor who will attempt to cruise through this match and then be met by a rude awakening…
‘You experienced it at the hands of Wade Moor, you experienced it at the hands of Joey Flash, and now? You’re going to be humbled once more.
‘You’re all just bit-players in a story that has been written specifically for a King. Not for the King of Darkness. Not for the King of The Brotherhood. Not for the King of The Deathmatch. Not for the King of All Wrestlers.
‘No, this story belongs to The Future King, and the beginning of the end is fast approaching.
‘So, what are you people going to do to stop it?'
30th of July - Ultimate Showdown.
The Ultimate Showdown Match.
Quote of the Night: “He’s (Ethan’s) one of the best, but somehow hasn’t gotten the same opportunities that lesser men have.”
The match had been gruelling, the match had been exactly what he had expected it to be, but the result? It had been a disappointment, a complete and utter tragedy.
For any other man, going up from a Tag Title to the Hardcore Title? It would be a monumental victory, it would be a success that would bring joy to the person who had won it. But instead? He saw this as nothing but a failure.
Unlike what a man like Andre Holmes thinks, Ethan didn’t see this as a demotion, more as a failure on his own behalf – as something that he could’ve avoided through his own skill and ability, and yet he hadn’t.
He had let it all slip, his first chance at the World Title, gone.
And when he rose up from his daze, after being eliminated from the match, he heard a certain tune playing, one that caused him to look up immediately in anger.
The sight he saw did nothing to calm him down.
Steven Singh, holding the World Title to his chest in the middle of the ring.
He goes to get up, but is stopped by a ringside official who has his newly acquired Hardcore Championship in his hands. He offers it to Ethan, who is forced to begrudgingly take the belt.
The metal is cold, and while it is comforting to a small extent…
He could only imagine what he would have been feeling had he gone just one… step… further.
‘There are only two men left who matter to me in this moment, in these few moments leading up to what eventually will be a bloodbath. Andre Holmes, you managed to scrape by last week on the fact that I wanted to put you away in the most stylish way possible.
‘That mistake will not be made again.
‘You are a dangerous competitor, one that is talented and with a fire behind him that in another universe, could possibly match my own.
‘But this is my universe, and this ring that we’ll be stepping into at the Tokyo Dome? I own it.
‘There isn’t going to be any flashy maneveur that puts you away, you’re simply going to be stopped in time, and as I hit you with the T I M E S K I P, your whole World is going to change before you, as you see the man that you will always look up to…
‘But never be able to match.
‘And then there’s you, David. You were the one behind this whole masterpiece, right? You were the one who orchestrated the gathering of the three most talented men in wrestling today to create… Everest.
‘And you took me under your wing, you did. You showed me what The World could do to you, you showed me the pain and suffering it caused, and you showed me how to cause just as much suffering back when I needed to.
‘In a way, you are in part responsible for creating the monster that you see before you. You are one of the people who helped speed-up the process of me reaching a point of indomitable ability and resolve that would have taken far longer to achieve without you.
‘And with this, you have guaranteed the fact that you will never, ever, be able to take what it is that you desire most.
‘Because in what can only be described as a twisted turn of events, David... it’s what I want even more than you do.
‘And by the end of WAR, when the dust settles, and the ring is stained with the blood and sweat of men from around The World, their minds shattered, their dreams eviscerated, their bodies rendered useless... you will look up and see ONE man left standing, with his chance at the ultimate prize finally being realized. You will look up, David... and you will see me.
‘You will see what you have helped create… and you will pray.’
