Butch didn’t know how he felt at this point. Off-camera, Havoc had just gone off the air with the colossal announcement of the return of former HWA owner and one of Butch’s own fiercest rivals, Senester, to the public eye. The revelation had come right as Butch and Wisdom had been set to reveal their own special announcement for the next Havoc but at that moment, it was the farthest thing from his mind as a hurricane of emotions tore through him with the one man, he had hoped he would never have to see again at the eye of it. The sound of his own heartbeat thumped in his ears like an ominous battle drum.

(Butch): F*ck!

He angrily launched his cell phone across the room after trying to reach CBS Chief Executive George Cheeks for what had felt like thousandth time as he and Wisdom made their way through Gorilla position from the main atrium of the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. He paced back and forth as the ring crew and other staff quickly dispersed, sensing the coming storm. Butch inhaled quickly suddenly feeling panicky as he placed his hands on his head and he paced the floor, turning to his wife.

(Butch): Wis, what the f*ck? What the actual f*ck?!

(Wisdom): Babe, you need to calm down. I don't want you having an episode, not now. Listen to me...

Wisdom reached up and grabbed Butch's face, pulling it to face her, leaning her forehead on his.

(Wisdom): Breathe! We'll talk to George. We'll find out what the f*ck is going on, and somebody's f*cking head is gonna roll for blindsiding us like this. Okay?

Butch’s breath slowly steadied, the softening fiery glow of his lioness’s eyes calming the storm brewing inside of him. He nodded in acknowledgment, reaching up and holding his wife’s hands still nestled on his cheeks.

(Butch): This can’t… this can’t be a coincidence, Wis. Not on this night. Someone knew and they planned it. What do we do? Do we go to the CBS building? Is George even there?

Just then Wisdom’s phone rang as Butch's lays broken on the floor. The caller ID read “George Cheeks”. Wisdom looked at Butch, answering the call and putting it on speaker.

(Wisdom): George, you better ####ing have....

(George Cheeks): Listen... just listen...is Butch with you?

(Wisdom): He's right here, but so help me, George.

(George Cheeks): Butch, Wisdom....what I have to tell you isn't easy. I learned about this in early September; it was just a rumor at the time. We get rumors all the time in the media, but this being what it was...I had one of my top guys look into it.

He could be heard sighing deeply.

(George Cheeks): I won't lie to you...this is massive. The secrecy to keep this from getting out, you don't know what it took to find out. About a week ago through a million and one different means, I got a meeting with Netflix CEOs George Peters and Ted Sarandos. This sort of thing doesn't happen in this business, not between rival networks. This only came about from favors on top of favors.

I signed an NDA; as iron clad as they come. They essentially confirmed the rumors that they had been working on and were set to announce their biggest docuseries to date. The work they've done on this is beyond words and I only got the faintest of hints, if that.

I couldn't say anything. It would have ruined me – It would have ruined CBS! They'd have sued and wiped us all off the mat. I had no choice, I'm sorry I couldn't tell you, but I couldn't risk this getting out!

Wisdom was beyond words. She glanced over at Butch who didn’t seem any closer to any semblance of calm than her. He chewed on his bottom lip, trying to process everything that George had just spilled. His head, as a businessman, understood his point to a degree but it didn’t stop his heart swelling with rage.

(Butch): So what does this mean, George? For… I’m not even going to say that c*nt’s name…. What does it mean for HWA?

(George Cheeks): Guys...honestly, I don't know. Right now, to be honest all we can do is wait and see. The board is up in arms. We're talking about a extremely divisive and polarizing individual, the root cause HWA's original downfall. For this to resurface.... just prepare yourselves...you have a media storm coming and there isn't much I can do about that.

The approach here in the office, again...it's wait and see. CBS doesn't want this baggage, but I promise you, I will do my very best to support you, but from what I expect is coming, you're going to have to do the heavy lifting.

Wisdom was now pacing the floor, and it looked like she had a migraine from hell.

(Wisdom): Heavy lifting? For f*ck sake, George, you have no idea how heavy a load this is. No f*cking clue. You should have warned us! You should have said something, gave us some hint. some goddamn indication of something coming our way but you and the goddamn execs played the "Cover My Own Ass" game!

We've done everything you asked. Above and beyond the things we even wanted to do, and now you want to sit back and "wait and see”? Let me tell you something, you're in this as much as we are. But you know what...never mind. I guess we should be used to having everybody turn their backs on us. You all did it before, so if you’re gonna do it now, just do it and get it over with. We'll move on and do what we need do.

By this point she was fuming, her hands shaking as emotions overcame here. The truth was that she was afraid of what this meant, of the unknown, what and who was behind it, of what threat this could present to everything they have built in the last 10 years. Meanwhile, Butch himself was in a state of flux, his head swimming in a sea of bad memories he was trying desperately not to drown in. His mind’s eye involuntarily conjured up memories he’d rather have wiped from his memory but instead of are seared on the inside of his skull. The cobra that nearly killed Jake and Sarah. The mutilated dead lion left on their home beachfront as a warning. His own time spent in Dark Horse Towers in his bid to save his sister, Diana’s life.

Suddenly, Butch’s stomach began to swirl, that same sea of memories had now morphed into a tsunami, crashing against his insides and he involuntarily wretched, his hand instinctively coming up to his mouth as he doubled over. Wisdom immediately rushed to his side, grabbing him.

(Wisdom): Sit down! Sit down, babe. Oh Jesus!

She guided him to a seat as she hurried over across the room and grabbed a bottle of water and the box of Kleenex from the desk. She picked her phone back up.

(Wisdom): George, we'll call you back!

She didn’t even bother to wait for his response and just left the phone as she rushed back over to Butch, handing him the Kleenex and water. He leaned forward in a gesture to clean the floor, but she shoved him back.

(Wisdom): Leave it, I'll get someone in here.

There was an intense worry on her face as she knelt looking at her husband. The lustre of his green eyes had diminished, even dulled from their sparkling emerald to a murky forest green. Even though she had lived it alongside him, she could still hardly imagine what churned inside him, the overwhelming flashbacks of a time and life they thought was long gone and behind them.

(Wisdom): We'll figure this out, we always do. Maybe George is right, all we can do is wait and see. This f*cking Netflix shit, we don't even know what's in it.

The words were hard for her to say, deep inside she felt that they were lies. George was pissing himself over this. Well over one hundred shows and specials and news he managed...HWA was now his nightmare. If he were in a world of discomfort, surely, he undersold this "storm" they'd have to weather.

But it was Butch she was worried about. Ever since his bout with anxiety had kicked in all those months ago, he had been different. He had talked about officially retiring, his leg still gave him issues regularly. All the other nagging things of an aging athlete had taken shape, but he was freight train that pushed on and on. To see him like this, for his body to betray him vomiting on the floor at the mention on a name...it unnerved her. Her own stomach now cramped, she felt lightheaded, but this lioness would protect her lion no matter what. She rubbed his back now as he leaned forward after wiping his mouth and taking a swig of water, spitting it out into the trash bin she set in front of him.

(Wisdom): Let's just get home. I'll have a private jet chartered for us, so we can avoid all the media and public bullshit. We need some time to think, but we need to get the hell out of this damn arena first without every fan and media outlet under the sun saw hounding us like vultures.

As if on cue, a familiar voice cascaded through the room.

(Sean): Hey! I just saw what happened?! What the f*ck!

Sean saw the pile of vomit on the floor in front of Butch and the state his uncle was in as Wisdom stood over a hunched over Butch Parker, a protective arm around his broad shoulders. Sean’s eyes widened in worry, and he hurried over, squatting down in front of his uncle.

(Sean): Holy shit, Uncle Butch! Are you alright? What happened?

He looked up at Wisdom, seeing the worry etched on her normally fierce, resolute face. Sean hadn’t experienced any of what his aunt and uncle had went through before; his own in-ring career was only just starting–and temporarily ending. But he had heard the stories and seen the footage. But this wasn’t anything compared to what he only had an inkling of what it was like to live it.

(Sean): I’m guessing it’s too much to ask if this is all just a big PR stunt? Can I do anything?

Wisdom looked at Sean, grateful he was here but at the same time wished he wasn't. While he had every right to be she was very protective of Butch, especially his emerging vulnerabilities in the last year. Sean wasn't a child anymore, it was hard for her not to downplay the severity of the situation, but she felt like a mother figure to him as well and wanted to shield him in the same way she attempts to do with her husband.

(Wisdom): He'll be alright, he just needs to get a little fresh air.

She took his arm and gently but firmly guided Sean away from Butch.

(Wisdom): There's some things we need to sort out, but first we need to get out of here and I'm guessing every fan from the arena is waiting outside for us along with a news van or two already. I need you to do me…

Sean didn’t need a second to answer; he knew what he needed to. Suddenly, his own issues, Jeremy’s issues, everything else took an instant backseat, inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. Whilst he and Butch had been at odds more than evens as of late; he was still his family and aside from Sensei, the closest thing he had to a father. And as much as Wisdom had married into the family; in his eyes, she was every ounce a Parker as he was and a mother to him as well. He locked eyes with his aunt and nodded assuredly.

(Sean): Of course, anything you need. Michelle is in medical checking on Laney, so I’ll go and grab her and we’ll the car and head to the airport. Just text or call when you’re on your way and we’ll meet you.

He walked over to his uncle, not say anything; he knew not to. He just patted him knowingly on the shoulder before about turning and heading to the medical room of the Hilton Coliseum. The momentary silence was broken as Wisdom's phone rang again. She peered down at the vibrating handset in her hand and saw that it was Vanessa calling this time. She duly answered, keeping her eyes on Butch.

(Wisdom): Hey…

(Vanessa): Where are you guys? Butch’s phone is going to voicemail; Hans has been trying to call him!

(Wisdom): His phone broke…how is Hans?

(Vanessa): Honestly, I don’t know…you got the report from Matthew earlier, but now… after all this…

(Wisdom): I know!

(Vanessa): No! You don’t know. Wisdom, we love you guys, but we’ve got a family now, our son is barely a few weeks old! We’re not in our twenties anymore, we can’t go through this…this bullshit!

This was the last thing Wisdom needed to hear right now. If she had a moment to spare to even think about Vanessa and Hans in the last half hour, she’d have seen this coming like a meteor falling from the sky. She sighed deeply, one hand on her hips.

(Wisdom): We don’t know anything yet Van, that’s all Netflix does these days is crank out these documentary things. They did McMahon, they did that football player Aaron Hernandez, those…. those guys who killed their parents, the little Ramsey girl that was killed.

(Vanessa): Come on, Wis, this is different, and I think we all know that. I just looked it up online and this is a series, not some one-off episode. What the hell are they doing to drudge up? Why now?

Wisdom didn’t know what to say. Truth be told, she had the same questions herself. Silence passed for a moment between them.

(Vanessa): I want Hans to quit.

Wisdom’s head dropped like all the energy she had left had suddenly gone.

(Vanessa): When he gets home, I’m going to talk to him, but I want out – all the way out, which means him. People ambushing him in the back, and now this…it’s just too much. What if…

Vanessa broke down crying.

(Vanessa): What if something happens to him? We have a child, what am I supposed to do?

Vanessa was bursting with emptions pouring out of her.

(Vanessa): The whole Erica crap…I can’t take anymore, Wis, I just can’t.

What was she going to say? She looked over at Butch who was listening to the whole exchange. He hadn’t turned his head, in his own world of thoughts.

(Wisdom): Van, we love you…we support whatever you guys decide you know that. Listen, everything’s going to be fine. We’re going to be fine, it’s a stupid documentary bringing up the stupid past probably. It’s going to be uncomfortable; we’ll change the channel, absorb all the media crap and move on.

She could still hear Vanessa’s sniffles over the line.

(Wisdom): We’re about to get out of here. I’ll make sure Butch gets in touch with Hans, but please. Don’t let this keep you up at night, sweetheart, it’s not worth it.

(Vanessa): I’ll see you when you get back then.

(Wisdom): Okay, bye.

(Vanessa): Bye.

Wisdom hung up with Vanessa and looked over at Butch who had now finally turned his head to her. He steadily stood up, releasing a long exhale from his nose and

(Butch): We saw that coming a mile off… we can’t blame them, Wis. After everything that happened, what we’ve all been through because of him… we need to find out if Mandy dug up anything on who may have attacked Hans. It’s too much of a coincidence to just dismiss this as someone on the roster with an axe to grind. Let’s go…

Butch still felt his stomach churning, like the inside of a washing machine and he was still quite pale; something his wife hadn’t missed either. Wisdom quickly stepped in front of her towering husband, placing both of her palms on his massive chest.

(Wisdom): …Ah-ah-ah, where do you think you’re going, mister? We can reach out to Mandy later, right now, you and I are staying put until we hear from Sean.

Butch reluctantly backed down and looked over at Sean, conscious he hadn’t left the room yet after hearing the entirety of Wisdom’s conversation with Vanessa. Sean didn’t need to say anything; he knew his aunt and uncle well enough to know when discretion was the better part of valor and mimed a “my lips are sealed” gesture before leaving the room. Butch and Wisdom… husband and wife, lion and lioness… were suddenly powerless in this moment. The first black piece on the board had been moved and the clock was ticking. The scene faded to black.