Eternal Land Down Unda

[Aiden Reynolds]

A new opportunity

He really wasn’t being his usual self. Aiden Reynolds normally a ball of energy and witty one-liners was silent. Sitting in his apartment, his hands clasped together. He leaned forward shaking his head from side to side. But he wasn’t alone, sitting across from him was his tag team partner, best friend and someone who looked at as a brother Dickie Watson.

The man who never lost fight NYCs biggest prize gave his friend a small smile, happy to sit in the silence and not push any issues he just stated had the same as Aiden.

He just waited for his Australian friend to break the silence, to tell him what was on his mind and to try and work through it. Aiden took in a deep breath and sat back before finally breaking the silence in his usual fashion. “Oi mate..so Kallie is up the duff…”

Dicki9e blinked a few times, raising an eyebrow before brushing his flowing brown hair to the side. “Uh…up the duff?”

“Pregnant mate…”

“Yeah…I know…we all know bro.” Aiden narrowed his eyes, Dickie folded his arms over his chest.

Aiden leaned forward again and looked right at his friend before breaking the eye contact and looking around his apartment. Dickie blinked and followed Aidens gaze across the small apartment. A place that was nice but very modest and small, not fitting to raise a family. “I wasn’t pointing out she’s pregnant to remind you mate…I…need a new job ya know?” Dickie nodded slowly. Aiden reached up and ran a hand through his hair. “With me PWS contract expirin and that other company not startin for a bit I need somethin now ya know?”

“I see…and?”

Aiden shook his head. “And I want to get the band back together mate. Commonwealth rides again aye aye?”

Dickie couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head. “No…” Aiden looked confused, tilting his head, picture a dog trying to figure out something and, well, you get the picture. “Look, Aiden, You and me…we’ll be teaming again, but I’m not ready, I got to much on my plate right now. And…to be honest…I think you need to forge your own identity…”

“Identity?...mate I know who I am…” Aiden laughed to himself, his hands placed on his knees and he pushed standing upwards and moving back around to his kitchen, opening his fridge and pulling out a few beers tossing one across the room to Dickie and popping his open. “But, I’m gonna be a dad, Kallie and my kid…they deserve better than this place….”

Dickie smiled and nods taking a sip. “You’re a good guy Aiden…you love her and you’re going to be a great dad…”

Aiden smiled wide and gave a small shrug. “Thanks…I needed to hear that. But…I need to find out the millionaire trick.”

“Millionaire trick?” Now it was Dickie’s turn to look confused and figure it out.

“Yeah mate…ya know…how to have your own jet and corporation like every other wrestler in the world does…” He pauses and folds his arms over his chest. “There’s more millionaires in wrestling than in corporate America right now…”

“Maybe they embezzle funds to pay off their mistresses?” Dickie smirks.

“I could never do that, why would I want more than one woman disappointed in me?” Aiden chugged down the rest of his beer as Dickie tried to hold in his laughter. ”Nah mate….seriously, I signed with a place…thought you might want in…”

“Oh yeah?...where?” Dickie smiled.

“Wrestleverse..” Aiden seemed so happy, ready to go and ready to compete, to show how good he was, and in his mind he realised Dickie was right, he could show just how amazing he was without Dickie by his side in the ring. But, Dickie started laughing, like not a kind laughter, just a friendly jest. This was different laughter. This worried him. “Uh…what…whats funny?”

Dickie shook his head.

“Dickie…”

“Nope” Shook his head again.

“Mate…” Aiden raised his eyebrow.

“.....So uh….I know people there…”

Aidens ears perked up. “Oh yeah?..who?...some others from Wolfslair?....cause I ain’t adverse to some backup…”

“Well..Lachy and-”

“Lachy Kane? Oh shit yeah I love that little irish git, of course it kinda sucks I won’t have the best abs in the company but I like Lachy…”

“...and Kerberos…”

Silence. Just, just silence. Until Dickie finally breaks it. “Aiden..mate?....”

His eye twitched, he put his hand up and shook his head before turning and walking into the bedroom closing the door behind him. Dickie stared at the door, then heard it. The sound of muffled screams and yelling and swearing, and a loud thud. Dickie stepped back, the door opened and Aiden stepped out, his hand sweeping his hair back as he grabbed his beer.

“You…you alright?”

“Yep…..fan-titty-tastic…”

Eternal

“Well, here we go aye. New company who dis?”

Aiden steps for2ward, his short brown hair cropped into a trendy style, his large arms bare as he wears a sleeveless shirt and a pair of jeans, his Australian accent shining through as he paces back and forth.

“The best thing about gettin in at the ground floor of a new company is that everyone is on an equal playing field. Sure, you’ve been in other companies, you have a name and you have fans who know who you are and what you’re about but when starting in a new place, we’re all qual as far as wins, losses and what we can do. Now, for those who know me, I’m sure you’re excited knowing I’ll be getting back in the ring since one place I was in closed and me contract ran out at the other. So, Wrestleverse gets me signature.”

“And what a signature it is. You got Aiden goddamn Reynolds. Six feet of pure Aussie beef baby. Athletically gifted, more charismatic than Steve Irwin, cod rest his soul…”

“Did…did you just say…Cod?...”

Dickie Watson, his friend, tag partner and stand in brother, as well as punchline sounding board steps in from the side, eating an apple so he looks like a complete asshole.

“Yeah mate, Cod rest his soul…”

“Not god?”

“You’re not makin any sense Dickie…”

Dickie just shakes his head and backs off finishing his apple.

“You’re salt of the earth Aiden…”

The big Australian just offers a shrug and turns back straight to continue his promo.

“Me point stands. See, this company startin off means that everyone, if they want it, gets a shot at greatness. So, most of the roster is gettin in the ring for a battle royal. Open invite. A huge list of names, some I know, some I don’t. And at the end of the night, at the end of this show that will take place on a steamy night in Florida, we will have a champion. And honestly..why not me aye? Why not me? I’m skilled, I’m funny, I’m good lookin, I’m talented.”

“And I’m humble…I mean come on..what a champion in waitin…”

From off camera “Humble?!?!?”

“Oi…shut up…”

Aiden narrows his eyes.

“See, for the last few years I’ve had this stigma on myself. That I’m a “tag team” guy. Cause, that’s where I had me most recent success. Fight NYC, PWS Apex, holding those tag straps were good for me, but I started off as a singles guy. A lone wolf if you will…that is where my dreams were, where my inspirations were. So, joinin this place, havin a shot at being the top guy from day one? Well, that is an opportunity that I can’t pass up, and lets be fuckin honest here..who the hell in their right mind would?”

Dickie, again from off camera. “Apparently Georgia Edwards.”

“Dickie!...I’m tryin to be nice to me new co-workers and not call em dumb as a bag of rocks on me first day yeah?”

He raises his eyebrows, Dickie just clicks his tongue and goes back to doing what he was doing allowing Aiden to go back to cutting his promo.

“So, as I was sayin before me Dick decided to become sentient and talk, this is an opportunity. And Not only is it my opportunity it’s one for me gym. See, I’m a part of Wolfslair one of the most prolific places in all of wrestlin, it trains champions, not just champions, WORLD FUCKIN CHAMPIONS. And you, wrestleverse, have not one, not two but THREE members of that gym here ready to try and fight it out tooth and nail to become your first champion. And truthfully, as arrogant as this sounds, my biggest challengers are probably those two lads. In Lachlan Kane I have a bloke who has untapped potential, a guy who has had a career full of ups and downs but still has that special somethin…”

“An X-factor few others have, as well as a great six pack, sexy as fuck irish accent and he looks like he’s smugglin a jumbo sized salami in a stretched rubber napsack when he gets in his main event panties…”

“That guy is a stud in and out of the ring and honestly? You should all be happy he’s here…”

“And then Kerberos…he…..uh…”

There is a long silence, an uncomfortable silence as Aiden stares ahead and places his hand on his chin, his brain clicking over as his eyes dart from side to side. Dickie, clearly amused by the silence decides to break it.

“You uh…need to say something about him…something positive maybe?”

“Yeah, yeah…I’m tryin…hold on…”

He stays staring off into the distance, if you could see inside his brain it would be like a small grouping of cogs ticking over, or a computer defrag program running extra slow slow before stopping, cutting to a blue screen of death and screaming “404 error:File not found” or, even worse…the Xbox 360 red ring of death…..sorry having PTSD…..

“He has….nice hair?”

“There you go!”

“But anyway, me an the other two are gonna be the biggest things to hit this company and we’re gonna hit the ground runnin. The rest of the field, all the lads and ladies in the battle royal are going to have to deal with the simple fact that we are here to take over. And when takin over a place becomin the champion is the best way to go. I don’t care if I gotta toss out Tommy Gunn or Johnny Black, or their multiverse counterparts Tommy Knife or Johnny White….I don’t care if I have to toss out that weird Amelia chick, or Cruze, or Axis…or even budget Miles Kasey…”

“Budget Miles?”

“Yeah mate, ya know, TJ Alexander? That bloke who had like an 0-10 record over at PWE? He looks like Miles….”

“Nah I don’t see it…”

Aiden just deadpans the camera and shakes his head.

“As I was sayin, Ol Danny Powers really picked a motley crew of people to be in his company and the first show we have it gonna be a banger as the kids say. But here’s the thing ladles and jellyspoons, I ain’t here to just be a name on a list, I ain’t here to just make everyone laugh and have a good time. And yeah, I get it, I have just spent the last ten minutes or so makin cheap jokes with my friend, tag partner, prospective manager, whatever. And I might be looked at as a bit of a goofball. But, I need you all to listen to me…not hear me…fuckin LISTEN to me…”

“I’m not just a devilishly handsome guy with a six pack, tanned body and incredible accent and fashion sense.”

“Looks an can deceiving and when I’m in that ring I am a killer, an athlete, a goddamn wrestling savant. I love pro wrestling, I love everything about it, but now, well now I’m doing it for other reasons, ones that are more important and real than any before. So strap up …cause I’ll see you all in Florida…”