HWA Message Board: Business As Usual

Los Angeles, CA – HWA Corporate Offices and Academy – 48 hours After Havoc

It had begun. The stares awaiting their reaction, the whispers that speculated and spreading rumors, the eyes that diverted to evade direct contact, and the bodies that turned 180° giving them a wide birth to avoid uncomfortable closeness. Everyone around Butch and Wisdom the last days had treated them either as a plague or waited with bated breath for some semblance of hope and their official response to Havoc.

The media response had become a non-stop influx of requests for interviews and statements, any pebble of information they could run with. While a terrible tragedy, she couldn’t help but hope that the fires raging through Los Angeles would help divert attention from them. The thought was futile. This was a global phenomenon and from the fires in Los Angeles, to the War in Ukraine or Israel, or President Trumps new term, there was no greater story.

Wisdom had remained in her office the vast majority of recent days, her door closed, a bottle of Tylenol on her desk, a complete blackout of all media, and their staff was well aware that she and Butch were both not to be bothered. Her door opened and Butch stepped in. His injured leg giving him an uncomfortable sway that he hated. He had told his wife that he felt like a “####ing penguin.” As he stepped in she holds up her phone, waving it to him, eyebrows raised.

(Wisdom): 43!

She declares to him as he reaches in his back pocket retrieving the new phone he purchased after breaking his at Havoc, and wags it at her.

(Butch): 58!

(Wisdom): Fine, you win!

(Butch): Do I though?

It was a rhetorical question. His face showed how tired he was. He turned around the conference table towards the sofa, and plopped himself down. The leather cushion making a whooshing and slight squeaking sound as 275lbs of Scotsman pressed into it. The last days between them had largely been filled with small talk. Each either giving the other time to process things, or not really being ready to engage certain subjects themselves.

The kids do their homework?………………Yes!

You didn’t eat anything!………………I’m not hungry!

I’m going to bed.………………I’ll be in shortly.

Going to the office tomorrow?………………I don’t know!

Maybe we should…..never mind!……………… What? ………………Nothing!

Now, somewhat out of their self-imposed absenteeism they’d begun the game of who had the most calls and emails. It was a dumb, little thing, but it was something that made a little of light of the situation and gave them a bit of normalcy. Wisdom, in all black from her miniskirt and silk blouse to her Christian Louboutin heels was elegant and seductive as ever. Butch was comfortably attired in his black Venom Assassin’s Creed shirt and sports pants that Sean had got him for Christmas. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and hands clasped together at his forehead. She stepped in front of him and he reached out, pulling her forward, burying his face into her as if she were a pillow. He inhaled and exhaled deeply.

(Butch): We best get at it then.

Her hands go to his head, the scratch of her nails on his scalp was so soothing as she ran her fingers through his hair, he felt like purring. He turned his head upwards looking at her, and her thumb brushed the eyebrows to those eyes she loved so dearly.

(Wisdom): Let’s do it!

They parted, and she went behind her desk, sat down and started opening items on her computer. It was time to get back to business, or at least put on the brave face of doing so.

(Wisdom): Right, so…first things first…Havoc.

(Butch): Original plans then?

(Wisdom): Why not?

He shrugs, not finding any particular reason not to proceed as originally planned.

(Wisdom): Business as usual, we hold our heads up and we move forward.

(Butch): Business as usual? I’ll trade you then.

(Wisdom): You have it easy mister, all you have to do is tell everyone “Back to Work” and their asses get in gear.

(Butch): If it were that simple. It’s not the words, it’s the words behind everyone’s eyes, the questions they dare not ask, and I don’t want to fuking answer. Hell, I don’t even have answers.

(Wisdom): Which is why we have to just move forward.

(Butch): That works for some, but what about Hans? Matthew? For fuk sake, Sean was just a wee kid back then. What do I say to them?

(Wisdom): I haven’t heard from Vanessa, I’m assuming she and Hans talked. Think she’ll convince him to leave?

(Butch): I know Hans….on any other day I’d say “No,” he’s the truest friend a guy could have. He only came back for us. Because the dark cloud that drove him, and drove Heinrich away to begin with was long gone. Now…I don’t know to be honest.

She sighs…

(Wisdom): I know. They’ve worked so hard for so long for this baby and after all the Erica shit, they finally have happiness back in their lives. This isn’t their problem.

Butch waves his hand in front of his face as if waving off a vision.

(Butch): I don’t want to get sidetracked with that shite right now, my heids about to burst. Havoc…what of it?

(Wisdom): So, original plan, just those slight changes we already discussed. I just can’t stomach doing the usual video, so I’ll just make a published announcement and be done with it. The element of surprise was ruined at Havoc so it is what it is.

Anyway… David Hoff is requesting his own segment on Havoc, he’s placed a formal complaint of “disparate treatment” claiming he hasn’t been awarded the same opportunities that Wolfy has with his HWA Kids Adventure Zone.

(Butch): Fuk sake!

(Wisdom): I know, I know, and even though Wolfy’s program is before Havoc, he has had some active parts in the show so legal has recommended giving Hoff a trial to be continued at our discretion.

(Butch): Fine, what else?

(Wisdom): The design team is starting to work on the marketing materials for Fatality, Sean and Matthew’s match.

Butch just nods in acknowledgement.

(Wisdom): With all the new facility updates now complete, we’ve increased the budget this year for the Talent Relations Department.

(Butch): MmmHmm….

(Wisdom): Brady, Cynthia, Derek, Maya have all been medically cleared, Matthew will get them back on schedule and continue their academy training this week.

(Butch): Ok great….

Butch’s leg bounces up and down on the ball of his feet, and along with his short responses, and now fidgety hands Wisdom picked up quickly on the signs. His anxiety was kicking in. He probably wasn’t even listening at this point. She got up and went over to him.

(Wisdom): Babe, why don’t you take a quick power nap. I’ll order us some lunch. I’ll bring it over and we’ll eat in your office when it gets here.

Butch nods. He hadn’t eaten regularly in the last days, a few protein shakes, and picked at the rest of his meals so food did sound good to him right now. He wasn’t sure about taking a nap, but his head was all over the place and before he knew it his body was up off the sofa and walking back to his office as if on auto pilot. Wisdom returned to her desk and started to type the Havoc message. When she was finished, she published it out to the talent and a separate version to web team to update online.