HWA Message Board: Brother's Keeper

Yesterday Afternoon - Encino, CA – 7:12 p.m. – Sushi by Scratch

He’d made the reservation a about a month ago but hadn’t reviewed all the fine details. He often liked to be surprised with dining relying only on glowing recommendations. Unfortunately, he probably should have paid a little more attention to the details in the reservation. They’d driven over to the valley in ridiculous traffic, and 10 minutes after parking and going to the restaurant Jeremy was stomping back to the car, Matt speedwalking behind to catch up after apologizing to the hostess.

(Matt): We’re already here, we might as well just…

(Jeremy): No! What kind of shit is that?

(Matt): Babe…it’s not like we can’t afford it.

Matt was giving him a “Seriously” kind of look on his face.

(Jeremy): That’s not the point, it’s the principle of the matter.

This stylish Sushi Bar that they’d heard enough about to spark interest in a visit, carried a 20% Service Charge which meant that for a dinner that was already going to cost at minimum $370 they were forcing patrons to pay an additional $74 and of course would still have their hand out for a tip afterward. Jeremy was pissed, partly at himself for not paying attention to the information in the reservation and partly because this trend of “Service Fees” was just simply absurd to him.

There was no shortage of sushi restaurants in LA and they found themselves at n/naka by absolute luck due to a last-minute cancellation. No service fee, and at $365 per person, not including drinks…he happily paid over twice as much as would have at the other place. Matt thoroughly enjoyed the food, and the Kaiseki experience. As he sat with his belly satisfied, it was then that he thought of Sean. Like himself, Sean had probably had similar meals in Japan, but being so far removed it had likely been a while. This was a welcome taste from afar. He pulled his phone out and sent Sean a text message.

10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning…the Academy. I’m getting you two princesses together, so I am. Don’t make me come drag you out of the house… I’ll call Michelle to help, so I will.

He’d let Sean and Jeremy both stew since Ring Master, but neither’s mood was making any notable improvements. Outside of him, Jeremy was ready to snap at anyone or anything, and Sean had ghosted everybody except Michelle. It had been a while since they’d all been at the Academy together and had a good sparring session. It always did the trick in getting things out and nobody needed it now more then these two. He sent a text to Michelle on his plan and she wholeheartedly agreed and was down to help any way she could.

The Next Day – Santa Monica, CA – 9:55 a.m. – HWA Headquarters and Academy

He’s scheduled a ring with Sensei and was doing some warm-up stretches with Jeremy when Sean walked in with Michelle. They were all like celebrities now with recruits ogling them. Matt and Jeremy exited the ring to greet them.

(Matt): Right…whatever the two of you’ve got going on here (pointing to Sean’s chest) and here (pointing to Jeremy’s chest)…get it out! We’re going for a smoothie, so we are.

Matt sticks his arm out with a proud smile, Michelle takes it and the two of them head off to the nutrition bar. Jeremy looks at Sean.

(Jeremy): Sorry…this could have waited…I told him not to make a fuss.

Sean nonchalantly shrugs as if he didn’t really care as he cricks his neck from side-to-side.

(Sean): You know Matt, once he gets an idea in his head, there’s no swaying him… sounds like another couple of guys I know.

Jeremy hops up sitting on the edge of the ring apron, looking at the floor...then to his friend.

(Jeremy): Sean…what the hell am I doing? Sometimes I feel like he doesn’t even care about Maniac, about what he did, what’s happened to him, and me…that’s all I can think about it.

Sean gives another shrug as he stretches off, rotating his upper body from left to right and circling his shoulders.

(Sean): I dunno. Maybe he’s just past caring about it all. He knows first-hand what he’s like, how he operates, how to get a rise out of people and maybe he just knows when to just let sleeping dogs lie?

(Jeremy): Maybe he does…but I don’t. I love him Sean…I tried, but I can’t just let it go. That smug son-of-a-bitch is still flapping his gums. At least you put Fallen in his place and knocked him down a few pegs, but Maniac….it’s different. Everything’s different.

He suddenly looks a little sad.

(Jeremy): Once upon a time it was you and Matt running this place, look around Sean. At first I was just along for the ride but now….how did we get pushed out?

Jeremy shakes his head, as an indication of disbelief and frustration.

(Jeremy): I know they’re your family, but what are Butch and Wisdom thinking? Their own friend Hans…he came back for what…to be terrorized by some #### and have his hands tied? Matt carried this company on his back from day one and they’ve all but abandoned him. Stu-E spent all of last year cracking jokes, and calling us cookie cutter wrestlers out the academy and now he’s champion? Lunatik comes in, they literally sign a guy from audience last week at Havoc…I mean…what the fuk is going on? This isn’t how its supposed to be.

Sean was finding it really hard to even come across like he cared. Truth be told, he understood where Jeremy was coming from. HWA was no longer the place it was back at the Reunion show last January. He, Matt and Jeremy were going to spearhead a pro wrestling revolution and guys like Maniac, like Stu-E had taken a shit all over that out of some misguided sense of entitlement because of their age and experience. But ever since Ring Master, Sean was finding it harder and harder to care about things outside the periphery of his own tunnel vision.

Upon mentioning Stu-E’s name though, Sean felt his blood begin to boil. He didn’t have a personal problem with the HWA Champion. He hadn’t slighted or wronged him. But he was still the one that shattered his dreams into smithereens. His nostrils flared as he slammed a taped fist into the palm of his other hand and vice versa.

(Sean): We need the numbers I guess? Draconis and his family aren’t anywhere to be seen, Christ knows where the Blackthornes are, Sarah’s in Paris, Alexis is rehabbing her shoulder. We can’t exactly be knocking the shit out of new recruits every week on Havoc.

Sean shrugs again.

(Sean): I barely pay attention to what’s going on around me these days. Since Ring Master, I dunno… I just feel like anyone that even looks at me is going to get a punch in the face.

(Jeremy): Look, I don't want to dump my baggage on you...but numbers?...yeah we're all we've got now Sean. I was ready to go down swinging at Havoc and there you were to save my ass. I'll be there for you too when you need me and if you don't want to sit together at the lunch table otherwise...that's fine, I get it. Maybe this isn't a fight we win, I don't know, the forces are sure lining up against us.

He hops off the apron, his shoulders slump as he turns to the ring and grabs the ropes.

(Jeremy): Hell I don't know...I wasn't born into this like you, I learned to love it, and most of that was Matt. After Fallens bullshit you said you'd leave and put it all behind you if Michelle wanted to go. Would you do it now? I heard about the women's division, I know what she's going through. Could you walk away now if she did? Not that Matt's said anything but...I don't know, I'd be hard pressed not to for him.

Sean turns and looks at Jeremy properly for the first time.

(Sean): I wasn’t born into this, Jeremy. You think just because my surname is Parker that I was destined for this? I didn’t want to be a pro wrestler! You think I don’t hear everyone saying shit behind my back how I’m only here because of my name? That I only get opportunities because my uncle owns the damn company? And then, when the time finally came to show I’m bigger and better than my goddamn surname, I came up short! So yeah, right now, if Michelle decided to pack up and go back to Utah, you better you’re arse I’d follow her. But that won’t happen because she’s there for me as much as I am for her but there’s no way she’d forgive herself if I left. So I guess I’m f***ing stuck here, wallowing in self-pity. Might as well make the best of it.

Sean stops his tirade, not realising how loud he was speaking, his chest heaving. Some of the newer recruits had stopped in the middle of drills having overheard. Sean looks around, eyes blazing which causes everyone to go back to what they were doing.

Sean takes a deep inhalation through his nose, leaning his palms on the ring apron, his arms at full extension, his head low.

(Sean): I should’ve won at Ring Master, Jer. I should’ve f***ing won! If it wasn’t Matt, or you, it should’ve been me! All our hard work, our dedication, our blood, sweat and tears got this company back to where it was. Not them!

He'd never seen Sean this and as much as he understood it, it unnerved him. That bit of hope he had to find the camaraderie they once shared almost seemed lost. Sean was deep into his own misery. He didn't think he was being selfish, but it was clear that misery doesn't always like company and whatever Sean was going through he may not be able to rely on him. He looked at Sean nodding.

(Jeremy): I get it, and you're right...it should have been you. Maybe that's what gets to me, how easily we've been set aside. All that blood, sweat and tears like you said and I got out there and get booed, it shouldn't but it bothers me Sean...it really pisses me off actually. A guy like Maniac and Lunatik get cheered over us..."Us"...after all the shit he's done. I give up, I'm not going to try and walk a line anymore that isn't really there.

Jeremy gives Sean a nudge on the shoulders and nods to the ring.

(Jeremy): Wanna go a little? But keep your head about you alright...I'm not Stu-E!

Sean looks at the ring and back to Jeremy, the smallest semblance of a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth but it disappears just as quick as he hops onto the apron, climbing through the ropes and into the ring.

As Jeremy follows suit, Sean speaks up again.

(Sean): I know everyone thinks I’ve lost it. Everyone thinks I’m feeling sorry for myself…. But I’m not. I just have this… this anger in me… and it’s bubbling up like a fuking volcano… I told Michelle all I wanted to do was get back in the ring but that wasn’t entirely true… I want to hurt… really, really badly… so, if you really wanna do this? This us against the world shit? I’m in… but this isn’t about revenge, or vengeance. It’s about something else entirely… punishment.

He almost had a sparkle in his eyes at the word "punishment." The last week he'd struggled with the wonder of if he was on the right path. Maybe he was using Sean's current state as an excuse but he found it validating, and not just that but he saw it as being given permission. He didn't care if he was blinded by love.

(Jeremy): …and Michelle?

He looks across the room some distance away. Michelle and Matt are chatting it up at the nutrition bar with their smoothies.

(Sean): Michelle loves me. She trusts me to do what I need to do get back to… whatever I was before… as long as I don’t forget who I was to begin with…

(Jeremy): Something tells me Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky over there feels the same.

Jeremy looks over at Matt. His heart swells with equal measure of love for him and hate for Maniac, his allies and the fans who have turned their back on them. He wasn’t quite the machine Sean seemed to be, he couldn’t turn that off…the latter hurt his feelings after all the effort he’s put in, but he was grateful to those who remained real and true.

(Jeremy): Then it’s settled then, we do this. I don’t care about anybody but Hans and Sensei, I won’t cross those lines. Everybody else though…whatever bit of respect I do have for Stu-E, Draconis and his clan…we come first, and…

Jeremy and Sean’s phone both ping at the same time, as do others around the Academy heard in the distance. He looks up at the monitors all over and sees the Havoc logo across the screen. After a moment, there it is in screen, the card….his nostrils flare, and his breathing intensifies. He turns around and looks across the way at Matt and Michelle who have hopped off their stools and are coming back over. As he turns to Sean he’s hit with a Rolling Elbow and knocked straight on his ass. He clutches his jaw as he looks up at him, rolls his tongue in his mouth checking that all his teeth are still there as he stand back up.

(Jeremy): Geez…no time to waste then huh?

Sean, again, shows the smallest hint of a smile but it disappears from his face just as quick as he loosens his arms up.

(Sean): You saw how quick and out of nowhere you got jumped last week. Come on, we can’t let anyone get the jump on us. Let’s go.

They turned their attention to one another and the ring and began to grapple. By the time they finished they lay on the canvas chests heaving, they’d given one another everything they had. A simple sparring match to rival that of any main event ppv and recruits had gather around the ring watching in awe and inspiration, recording and sharing on social media. Finally they both sat up, turning to one another, looked in each other’s eyes and nodding knowingly as the scene fades to black.