“So if you’re the bosses kid, why do you end up doing shit like this when you could just pull rank and make someone else do it?” Bella asked as they stood in line at the little deli in the downtown area of LA, waiting for the mass order of subs that Aaron was picking up for the staff at AnteUp. It was a reasonable question, Aaron couldn’t deny that. He was the boss’ son and a lot of people would assume that afforded him special privileges, at least where being a general dogs body was concerned… but while Aaron may have turned into something of a selfish asshole where his career was concerned, he hadn’t forgotten where he came from in his personal life and that mattered. “I mean, okay, so you’ve probably got access to daddy’s credit card or a card for the academy or something but seriously, I bet this play would just give credit if AnteUp uses it as often as you claim. Why don’t they just send one of the newbies like me or any other student down here to collect an order and claim it’s paying your dues like they do when we have to scrub the floor or clean the rings and stuff? You’ve already graduated, it makes no sense…” she went on as Aaron smirked; he wasn’t sure if she was actually curious why he would go out of his way to do this, adding a good fifteen minutes onto his journey to the school in the process, or whether she was just annoyed that it was delaying her journey there even further and the idea of doing a meaningless job like this was below her. “And why the fuck are you smirking? Seriously, it’s a genuine question, I just don’t get it…”
“It’s about remembering where you come from,” Aaron told her, deciding that she actually was puzzled as to why he’d waste his time on the lunch run rather than leaving it to someone else, rather than her own annoyance that she was being dragged along for the ride. “It’s all well and good pointing out that I could leave it to someone else because I’ve already graduated or because it’s beneath me or whatever… but that’s the same argument you could use for skipping training most days; I’ve already got a job in the business, I’ve already won championships, why bother continuing to learn. I offer to pick stuff up because I can… and I’m buying too by the way, I don’t have ‘daddy’s credit card’ so you can think again about that one too.”
Bella looked at Aaron for a long moment, weighing him up for several seconds before finally laughing at him, shaking her head. “You’re a fucking idiot, you know that?” She said with another laugh, mocking him. “Seriously, you waste your time on dumb stuff like this because you think it keeps your feet on the ground, is that it?” She asked and Aaron thought about it before shrugging and giving a small nod. “Wake up dude. You’re the kid of David and Regan Helms! You were one of the first graduates to sign a pro deal, you work for one of if not the biggest companies around and your name already makes you better than any of us scrubs still at AnteUp! Why the fuck aren’t you using that to your advantage, huh?!”
“I already did that,” Aaron said, frowning. “Do you really think SCW would have hired me if I was just another rookie fresh out of wrestling school? Sure, maybe they'd have offered me at spot in Emerge if the place was open back when I was ready to debut, but straight to the main roster? Not a chance! And yet Dave pulled a few strings and not only got me a contract but one that was about twenty grand a year better than any new upstart deserved when they did offer me one too!” he told her, waving away the frown that had fallen onto her face. “And you can stop with that look too. No offence Bella, but you’re still in the beginners class at the gym, you don’t know what the business is like. I do… and yeah, it’s shit on me from a great height once or twice, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t thankful they hired me on the terms they did in that first year…”
“You’re not thinking big enough here dude!” The brunette said back to him almost instantly, rolling her eyes at him. “I’m not talking just opening a door or two in your early days, I’m talking about all the free shit you could claim just because you happen to be a lucky bastard that got adopted by the right people!” She added, almost sounded frustrated with his blasé attitude. “Clothes, cars, endorsements… I had to sell my jacket to buy new boots last week, but you could pretty much go to any company you want and ask about sponsorship and boom, you’d have an endless supply! Why the fuck aren’t you taking advantage of that?!”
A part of him knew she was right, though he suspected she was overvaluing his worth somewhat too. He definitely wasn’t a big enough name to just walk away with a car or designer labels… but he probably could get a lot of stuff for free if he truly wanted to. “You don’t get it,” he said dismissively, shaking his head. “It was never about the ‘lifestyle’ for me Bella, it was about the business. I’ve loved wrestling since I was a kid and when I got the opportunity to be a part of it I jumped at it… but the money and the stuff, that never mattered, as long as I had enough to provide for the people I care about.”
“Jesus, you irritate the shit out of me at times, you know that?” Bella asked with a laugh, shaking her head before breathing out heavily. “Don’t you think you could provide for Scar and Elysia better if you had more money coming in? If you didn’t have to spend money on stuff you need, the basics, then you could spend it on what you want instead! Why’s that so hard to get?!”
It wasn’t. He understood where she was coming from, he really did. He also knew though, that her attitude was only the way it was because she didn’t have the comfort that he did in life, that was clouding her judgement. “I guess I just never felt the need to be that guy,” he said with a shrug, leaving against the deli counter as Bella shook her head at him.
“I’m saying it again, you’re a fucking idiot,” she chuckled, before turning to look towards the other side of the deli. “I’m gonna go take a piss; I expected to be half way towards the school by now, I’m not sure I can wait that long,” she told him, not even blanching at her oversharing honestly as she punched him on the arm playfully and started walking towards the bathroom on the other side of the shop.
Aaron watched her walk away, chuckling to himself before turning back to lean on the counter again, waiting for the order to be prepared. Maybe Bella was right; maybe he could ask for more out of life than he currently did, at least more stuff for free anyway. Was it really that dishonest to try and get some free stuff because he was famous, when companies would only be giving him stuff to use his fame to their benefit anyway? Until now, Aaron hadn’t really been the type to play on his name, at least not away from the ring anyway; there had been a time where he let himself be arrogant enough to believe that he deserved more respect just because of who he was, but he’d had a rude awakening with that one for sure, getting knocked down a peg or two at just the right time so that he didn’t let things get away from him. And then once again at the wrong time, when D. had tried to use him as a pawn against his own mother, which had been the final straw for Aaron’s ability to keep of any fucks whatsoever. But with all the changes he’d made over the past eight months, should he really be thinking so narrow-mindedly? Wasn’t that part of why he’d grown the attitude in the first place, that he was tired of being trodden on, that he wanted what he felt he deserved? Money being one of the key things on that list when all was said and done; he wanted a contract he thought he deserved in SCW and yet the board were purposefully lowballing him in order to try and force him to do what they wanted, because they didn’t see him as anything but a tag team wrestler who had no value other than as part of a tag team. They only had themselves to blame for who he’d become.
“AJ?” a pleasantly surprised and unbelievably smooth man’s voice asked from a few feet away, dragging Aaron out of his thoughts and back to the room around him and he turned towards the door, the direction of the voice, to see someone that hadn’t been involved in his life in more than twelve months. Foster Willard had tried his hardest to sign Aaron as a client, to get him on the books of his talent agency; he’d gone out of his way to draw Aaron in, getting him a signature sneaker deal from Reebok that never went into production and some modelling gigs that ended up being the reason Aaron never signed with him in the first place after an underwear shoot that proved to be riddled with the infectious presence of Lexi Von Aaron. “How long has it been, thirteen months? I like the new look,” Willard said as he stepped out of the line and walked over to where Aaron stood. “Not so sure about the color, but the style suits you. You’ve cut some weight too, looking at you... or maybe just leaner, but you look well for it. In fact, I could probably find you a lot of work if you were interested, though I suspect that particular path is one you won’t be interested in walking down for a second time,” he added with a grin and Aaron actually laughed. He didn’t find the joke funny, but the notion at least, that made him laugh. “Though if you were interested, I have to say that the shift in attitude over the last few months is very marketable right now... you’ve no doubt seen the attention that your father’s half-brother is getting, which is wonderful spin by the way... I could work wonder with you Aaron, given the opportunity,” Willard told him, and Aaron could actually see the dollar sounds flickering in his eyes, though Aaron had no intention of letting Foster Willard anywhere near him again. In fact, he hated just having to stand a foot away from him so that should explain how much interest he had in signing with his agency.
“No offence Foster, but I’d sign with absolutely anybody in the industry before I’d sign with your agency, and you know that already,” Aaron said, never wishing for an order of food to be made more quickly than he did in that moment. “But hey, thanks for the advice... maybe I’ll find a way of doing just that. I mean, like you said. It’s marketable,” he added, smirking a little as Willard visibly sagged under the inevitable news that Aaron wasn’t interested.
“Well, I can’t say I’m not disappointed,” Willard said, plastering a fake smile onto his face as he tried to appear upbeat. “But hardly a surprise, given the circumstances... if I’d have known that you had troubles with Ms. Von Aaron, I’d--”
“Dude, it wasn’t exactly a secret that Lexi was screwing with my life!” Aaron said, frowning as he cut the agent off. What he wanted to do was punch the guy, not just cut him off... Foster Willard had always given him that reaction, from the first meeting up until now. But he wasn’t going to risk being arrested just to satisfy that particular urge, not when all he had to do was to wait until the food order was ready so he could get the hell out of there. “Not that it matters... old news bro, just, yeah, leave me alone alright? It’s great to chat, nice to see you, you look well etcetera etcetera... now if you don’t mind?” Aaron said, hoping that the guy would take a hint and just leave.
It didn’t work. “No Aaron, I’d like to sort this issue out if possible, mostly just for my own conscience more than anything,” Willard said, shaking his head. “I do feel bad about what happened last year AJ, I had genuine interest in getting you to sign with my agency, I truly wanted to help you build a brand and I still think that we could do some great things together if given the chance but I do respect your decision. I also know that I placed you in an uncomfortable situation when I booked you to work with someone you had serious issue with...” he admitted, bringing a hand up to rub at his clean-shaven chin for a moment. “I probably should have known more about your situation, which shows I didn’t do enough research, but my own issue pales in comparison to what you suffered during that time. So for that Aaron, I apologize...” he finished, holding out a hand and Aaron was actually shocked as he looked at the proffered hand held out towards him. It wasn’t as if he didn’t believe that the agent wasn’t sincere with his apology. There probably was some modicum of regret in there somewhere, even if the majority of his regret was simply because he never managed to snare Aaron as a client... but sincere or not, Aaron didn’t care. He didn’t want Willard to think that he accepted the apology, because he was worried that that would open up the possibility of potentially opening communication between the two of them again. And that was something he had no desire for at all. Aaron ignored the hand and after a while, Willard seemed to accept that Aaron wasn’t going to shake hands with him. “Okay, I understand...”
“No, I’m not sure you do Foster,” Aaron said, sighing. “I’m not sure you do understand, because it’s not the nature of your business to understand, is it? It’s not down to you to understand how your clients are feeling, so long as you’re bringing in the deals for them. They make money, you make money. That’s business. But what you did by booking me and Lexi on a shoot together last year, that showed me that you don’t see the that your clients aren’t just commodities but people,” the twenty one year old told the older talent agent, and this time Willard actually showed a sense of shame, something which would have perhaps caught Aaron off guard once upon a time but not anymore. Perhaps he was hardened to it or perhaps he just didn’t care anymore, but either way he didn’t react to the expression of shame from the older man. “That’s what angered me the most about what you did, Foster; it wasn’t that you accidentally booked me and that psycho to work together... it’s that you went to such lengths to try and get me to sign with you but you didn’t bother to actually look into my career and see what may or may not be a good idea. That’s why I won’t sign with you Foster, because you don’t care about anything but lining your pockets, and no matter how much money you may have been able to get me for whatever projects you could set me up with, it was never about anything more than money...”
The two men stood looking at one another as Aaron finished speaking; Aaron could have gone on and on at length about why he hated the man before him, but he had nothing else he wanted to say and it seemed that Foster had no words. “Food not ready yet? Jesus, how long does it take to... oh... sorry, I should, uh...” Bella stammered to a close as she returned from the restroom and realized she was interrupting something. She was looking directly at Aaron when she spoke but she looked into the face of Willard and her body stiffened. Aaron didn’t realize it at first but he saw a change come over Willard, like he’d seen a ghost and his gaze shifted from the talent agent to Bella and saw an equally unnerving look on her face too, which made Aaron more than just curious.
“I should leave,” Willard said, his voice suddenly hollow and... was that fear Aaron could hear in those three simple words? He was sure it was, though the agent was quick to cover his emotions with another one of his fake smiles, which he plastered across his face and turned away from Bella to look back at Aaron. “AJ, it was nice to see you again, even if it provided nothing but confirmation that this particular ship has sailed... so I guess that’s all there is to say. Enjoy the rest of your day,” he finished weakly and turned to make a quick exit. Aaron watched his every step as he headed for the door with such haste that Aaron was left wondering what could have spooked him so badly.
“He didn’t order anything...” Aaron said quietly to himself, musing out loud more than anything as he stood staring at the door. He continued watching the door, one customer leaving and two more coming in before Aaron was dragged out of his thought processes by the clerk behind the counter finally sliding a loaded paper bag across the counter towards him. Thanking the clerk, he turned and headed towards the door himself without a word to Bella; they made it all the way back to his car and climbed in before Aaron finally broke the silence. “So what the fuck was all that about, huh?!” He asked, turning sideways to look at Bella, who had a sheepish expression on her face and was desperately trying to hide it, though she was a worse actor than Willard was.
“No idea what his deal was,” Bella told him, trying to brush the whole thing off. “I just felt awkward before I walked into some weird homoerotic drama between you and whoever the fuck that was... it was awkward.”
“Nah, that wasn’t just social awkwardness,” Aaron said, shaking his head. “And even if I thought about believing that, it doesn’t explain why he looked like he’d just seen a fucking ghost! He knew you didn’t he? You know him... what, he promises you the world, claimed to be a talent scout or something? Got you half naked in front of a camera or whatever. Sounds about right for him.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Bella told Aaron, frowning at him before turning away, looking out of the window instead. She was trying to ignore him and Aaron knew full well that that was what she was doing.
“Yeah. You do,” Aaron said, looking at Bella’s reflection in the glass of the window and he saw her eyes drift towards his reflection before darting away again. “Look, we could sit here and pretend that you two didn’t recognize each other and just head to the gym... but you know that I’m gonna keep badgering you if we do that, so wouldn’t it be easier to just tell me and get it over with?” he said, and at first he thought it wasn’t doing any good, but then he noticed her shoulders sag and she turned back away from the window again.
“He’s a former client, alright?!” Bella said, sighing heavily. “I’m not proud of it, and I’m trying to get away from that life as you know, so--”
“What, he bought drugs from you?” Aaron asked, cutting her off with his question as he tried to figure out what she meant. “I mean, okay I guess I can see why he’d react weird like that, but drugs aren’t exactly rare these days either...”
“I didn’t sell him drugs,” the brunette told him, looking guilty. Aaron looked at her in confusion for a moment before realization dawned on him and suddenly it all made sense and he felt awful. How much had it taken for Bella to admit to that? She was entitled to her secrets like everyone and he’d forced her to admit it. “Look, I’m not proud of my past, alright?” Bella said defensively. “It’s not like I want to run into old clients or... well, I don’t even want to think of them anymore, believe me about that!”
“Look, I’m sorry Bella, if I... if I had any idea, I’d...” He said and Bella nodded.
“I know, I know,” she replied, sounding defeated and still wearing the guilty expression on her face that was making Aaron feel so awful. “How the hell do you know him though? I mean, that’s kind of weird, isn’t it? Us both knewing the same creep?”
“I had a brush with him last year,” Aaron told her, happy to sort of change the subject, even if they were still discussing the man in question. “He wanted to sign me to his talent agency, tried getting me some endorsements and a few modelling gigs... that’s how I nearly ended up with my own signature sneakers, he got me the deal as a way of enticing me in to sign with his company...”
“Oh damn, you nearly signed with him?!” Bella asked, surprised. “Wow, I guess it really is a small fucking world...”
Aaron nodded his head. “Yeah, something like that,” he said, puffing his cheeks out then blowing the air out heavily. Something wasn’t sitting right with him though, and at first he wasn’t sure why, not until the final piece fell into place anyway and his face contorted with a puzzled expression. “One thing though... I thought Willard was married? I mean, he has a kid about our age, doesn’t he? I remember seeing a family photo on the desk in his office...”
“Yeah, I’ve seen the same photo, though I doubt we were there for the same reason,” Bella said, frowning again though the corners of her mouth twitched as she tried not to smirk. “He is married... and his daughter is pre-med, or was. I haven’t exactly caught up with the latest family newsletter, you know? But I used to go there at least once a week. There or his secret apartment or some studio in West Hollywood. I guess he got his jollies wanting to screw someone half his age or whatever... depraved motherfucker too, used to get off on being dominated,” she said, her jaw clenching before she saw the look on Aaron’s face. “What? It’s more common than you think, dude! He used to get me to spank him, twist his nipples and shit, that’s all. You and Scar not have that kind of fun at home?” she asked, finally allowing herself to smirk, but Aaron flipped her the bird in response.
“Can we not mention mine and Scar’s relationship in the same breath as that dick?” he said, rolling his eyes with a shake of the head. “So he’s really into that shit? And behind his wife’s back too... damn, now I’m definitely glad I didn’t sign with his company, no matter how many deals he promised to get me...”
“Shame though, I mean he’s made a fortune from that business,” Bella said, sighing. “He used to pay good money whenever I visited, and he was never in the same suit more than once when I met with him, Versace and shit. The good brands... never turned up in the same car either, though I dunno if he owned them all or just rented them...” she went on, and suddenly Aaron found himself wondering just how much money this guy had.
“You think his wife knows?” Aaron asked, wondering how he could do that to the woman he loves.
“Not a chance,” Bella told him, shaking her head. “He actually used to brag about how she thought he was meeting with clients or wining and dining some company ceo... she had no idea what he was up to...”
Aaron thought about that. He just didn’t understand it, how you could do that to someone you loved. And if he didn’t love his wife then why not just file for divorce? She must not have signed a pre-nup, probably would have taken him for everything if he tried. “You ever wish guys like him could get punished for their bullshit?” he asked, not entirely sold on where he was going with this, though ideas were already forming in his mind, more than likely triggered by what he and Bella were talking about before she had to go to the restroom.
“Of course I do,” the brunette replied, scowling. “But assholes like him, they always get away with it...”
“Not necessarily,” Aaron said, a smirk slowly spreading across his face as he turned to look at Bella. He wasn’t feeling like himself, the idea that was slowly developing in his mind definitely wasn’t like him, but then again with the changes he’d been through over the last few months, how sure was he about what was or wasn’t him anymore? And if he was going to truly embrace this new attitude, take on board the advice he was getting from Bella as well as others, then maybe he should step out of his comfort zone and try things that were a world away from who he really was. Okay, so it wasn’t just morally suspect but a hop skip and jump over the line between legality and illegality... and yet it seemed like the right thing to do. Bad people got away with being bad far too often in the world, assholes prospered every single day and if people didn’t fight back it would continue to happen too. “So call me crazy... but how do you feel about having a little fun and making the bastard pay for what he's done?” Aaron asked, still grinning and while Bella gave him a look that said she wasn’t sure she’d like what she was about to hear... she couldn’t say she wasn’t intrigued too. And that may prove to be dangerous... but Aaron was willing to take the risk. This was about getting with what he due, after all... according to Bella, anyway...
“So you feeling up for this?” Bella Downing asking from inside of the control booth of the studio that Aaron Helms has been working on for weeks now, a former radio station building that he rented out in the canyon. It was actually fully operational now, even if half of the features weren’t being used regularly and the communication system between booth and studio floor was working perfectly, though Aaron didn’t seem to be hearing a word that Bella was saying as he stood leaning against the far wall, his head shrouded under the hood of his jacket. “Yo, numbnuts, you listening? Aaron,” Bella shouted down the microphone that allowed the two rooms to communicate with one another through the sound proof glass that separated them. “Don’t tell me this thing’s crapped out already, it’s hardly been used,” she said again, though mostly to herself as she set about messing with some of the settings on the desk, assuming that Aaron couldn’t actually hear her.
“There’s nothing wrong with the desk,” Aaron said, his voice sounding a little quiet due to the hood masking the volume somewhat, and slowly he looked up to the window between the two rooms and lowered the hood from his head so that Bella could see him properly. “I’m just running over some things, getting in the zone... and if you’ll shut up for two seconds, maybe I’ll be ready sometime this year,” he added with a smirk, which only grew wider at the sight of the finger gesture levelled at him through the window. “Yeah, you too, and the horse you rode in on,” he said back to her and Bella’s face twisted into a crooked smile.
“Sorry, it was hard to tell if the thing was working given you were ignoring me for the last five minutes,” the brunette replied, turning her attention back to the desk to re-set the controls that she’d played around with while assuming the system was down. “You could have just told me to shut up for a minute, that would have done the same fucking job, you know? But at least I know the levels are working on the mic’s now anyway... I don’t want you suddenly yelling bang at me like you’re a human firework and feedback being the only thing the mics end up picking up...”
“That wouldn’t happen if you didn’t keep messing with the presets,” Aaron said, slipping his hands into the pockets of his jacket and taking a few steps towards the middle of the small studio space. “And yeah, to answer your question, I am up for it... but I usually am, even if I end up losing so that’s no real indication of anything,” he added, shrugging his shoulders as Bella looked up at him.
Tilting her head to one side, Bella looked surprised. “That almost sounded like doubt in your voice then dude,” she told him, smirking a little. “Seriously... you alright?” she asked, showing actual concern now, instead of mocking him and Aaron shrugged.
“Same old same, B...” Aaron said, kicking a foot across the floor a little as he took his hands from his pockets and ran one through his hair. “Not doubts, just... reflection? No matter what I say in the actual video, I always stand there before the camera rolls thinking about what I’m going to say and wondering if I should tone it down,” he explained as he rolled his head from one side then to the other, his neck cracking on each side, causing Bella to wince on the other side of the glass. The microphones picked the sound up perfectly. “I did the same before and I do it now... doesn’t ever really change what I say when the camera is recording, but it’s sort of my routine now I guess?”
“Not the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” Bella told him with a nod. “Though if you are second guessing what you’re going to say, doesn’t that make it less believable than if you showed conviction in your words from before the cameras are even on? I mean, if you’re wanting the douches at home to believe you, shouldn’t you believe yourself too?” she asked, still new to all of this. Aaron was glad she was asking questions too... he hoped it’d meant that she was paying attention and learning things.
“Not really,” he said with a shake of his head. “It’s not that I don’t believe in myself in front of the camera... it’s just a case of wondering if I should tone things down so that it doesn’t end up being too much. I don’t want my big mouth to run me into too much trouble, you know?”
“Alright, I get that,” Bella said, nodding. “But what about times when you pretty much guarantee a win and then lose?”
“What about them?” Aaron asked, nonchalantly.
“Well, it kind of makes you look like a dumb idiot, doesn’t it?” the brunette asked in response, wondering why he didn’t see that. “You can’t make promises and then fail to deliver all the time... people stop paying attention if that happens. Sort of like the boy who cried wolf and stuff?”
Aaron actually laughed at that. “Bella, seriously?” he asked, smirking to himself. “People are idiots... you think anything I say will be remembered in a week or two weeks? It’s all bullshit bravado, who can brag the most and sound most confident... I could assume I’m going to lose every damn match I ever compete in, but as long as I sound confident enough when I step in front of the camera, the dumb bastards watching the video won’t have a clue. And believe me, after nearly three years of doing this, I know how to hide the fact that I don’t believe in myself. I did it for two years before growing a fucking spine...”
“Alright,” Bella said with a shrug. “You’re the boss... not like I know any better. Just sounds counter-productive,” she trailed off before her face went more business-like and her hand hovered above a button on the desk. “Well, if you’re ready... we’re good to go?”
“Alright, light em up,” Aaron said, and inside the booth Bella hit a button on the desk and the lights lit up the studio, showering Aaron in perfect lighting. Bella’s fingers danced across more keys and after a moment, the little red light directly above the video flashed into life, telling Aaron that the cameras were now recording. His cue to begin speaking.
[[RECORDING UNDERWAY]]
“Wasn’t last Wednesday glorious… heavenly even, such a night, so many things that just ensured each and every single one of the fans in attendance left with a rosy feeling of euphoria and excitement for the future,” Aaron says, smiling blissfully before the smile turns into a mocking sneer. “Or… maybe not. At least not for you pissants at home at any rate, and I’m sure it didn’t have that effect on various members of the roster, past or present either… but that’s the beautiful irony of what happened on Breakdown last week, because for months now, this particular group I’m a part of and have been for weeks, we’ve been telling you all that we are the past, the present and the future of this company and hope many of you idiots may have failed to pay attention to our words, assumed it’s little more than bravado or - to coin a phrase from the Idiot In Chief - ‘fake news’... Sienna Swann proved each and every one of you dipshits wrong when she beat Kennedy Street to become the SCW World Heavyweight Champion! And honestly, I don’t get why you’re fucking shocked! I mean, I do; you’re idiots, it comes with the territory doesn’t it, idiots believing idiotic things and failing to see what’s right under their noses… but Sienna Swann is the Iron Angel! She isn’t just beautiful but deadly too, and all Sienna did last week was prove that she was right to claim that it was her destiny to become champion, whether people believed being Flawless was enough or not!” He says with a shrug. “And that’s not me bashing Kennedy Street at all… sure, I think the transition from Keenie to Kennie was a mistake, that Kennedy lost some of her killer instinct when she tried to clean up her act in some noble reform of character… but this is a woman who rode into Rise to Greatness on the back of a white steed and defeated the mighty of the Wonderland, furry rabbit, caterpillar and all. I won’t undervalue someone who is technically family, no matter how different our opinions may be… but when push cams to shove, last week? The Heavenly Angel was simply better, and she proved it!”
Aaron grins into the camera, showing pride in his friend’s victory, clearly overjoyed for her. But the smile soon turns into a smirk. “And it wasn’t just Sienna that brought home the victory either, was it?” He asks in a mocking tone, as if talking to young children, about the same mental age as the average wrestling fan all things considered in his opinion. “Did you morons actually pin your hopes on trash like Crissy Gardner? Oh man, you probably feel so dumb now, right?! God, the horror… and I hope you actually did hope for Crissy to beat me, to pin my shoulders to the canvas or force me to tap in the middle of that ring, because that just makes my victory all the sweeter for knowing that I cause so many of you so much disappointment. It’s great proving people wrong and fuck, if that isn’t what I did last week then I don’t know what would do that, because even the board of this dump thing I’m nothing but a tag wrestler. And they can’t deny that either, given it was said in front of a live camera feed straight from the horses mouth, or the jackasses mouth anyway when D. told me just how little the board thing of me anymore… guess that kind of rebounded on them a fair bit, huh? Maybe that’ll teach them why you shouldn’t kick the fucking hornets nest at least,” he says with a shrug before turning and starting to pace up and down, going from one side of the shot to the other, careful to never overstep the marks on the floor that told him where the camera's field of vision ended. “And you know, at one point maybe all it would have taken was for then to show me at least a modicum of respect, to tell me that they were sorry for the disrespect they showed me leading up to Unflawed, and maybe things would have worked out differently… I mean, I’m not unreasonable, you know? An apology can go a long way, as we learned last week. If the board had shown some fucking sense and apologised for their disrespect maybe I’d have kept my cool and I’d be that same weak minded naive pissant I was for the first two years of my career, which would probably have suited them just fine because we all know that the board loves to be able to control us and treat us as pawns to shuffle around the board in their little chess games… unfortunately though, D. is just the tip of the fucking iceberg where their arrogance is concerned, and as far as I’m concerned, I’m little more than a product of my fucking environment now… so I hope the board are elated with their hard work, because guys and gals of the board? In a metaphorical way, this bud’s for you guys… couldn’t have done this without you, so thanks!” He adds, raising an invisible beer to the camera in a mock toast before going back to pacing.
“Maybe I shouldn’t get too far ahead of myself here,” he muses to himself as he continues to pace. “Last week, I talked about how my loss at Rose to Greatness was meaningless and that losses only carry weight if you let them… I still stand by that and you can quote me on it all you like, I’ll defend that view to the death if needs be, I’m not afraid to stand by my opinions even if people wanna try and throw them back in my face… but I can’t ignore the fact that this week I face a guy who did win at Rise to Greatness and a win that no one probably expected him to get either, under the circumstances. Should I expect that to be thrown in my face this week when Blackbourne steps in front of the camera? Maybe. Probably. I’m not here to be an expert on psychology and predict what shit people are gonna peddle in order to justify their own self belief… I’m here because my employer likes us to make you dumb fucks at home interested in events sontjeu can sell more tickets and by proxy, peddle more merch to all the poor bastards that spend their hard earned on shitty tshirts and replica belts for their kids. I know, talk about overpriced junk, right?” He asks the camera, chuckling to himself as he reaches the spot where he began the video and turns back to face the camera again. “But don’t worry guys, your hard earned money is spent well… it helps pay for me to live the kind of life that your 401k could only dream of. My girlfriend and daughter thank you greatly,” he adds mockingly, truly rubbing it in. “And hey, other than the swearing, which SCW probably wishes they could bleep our in order to make things more marketable for them in the long run, i do each and every one of you idiots a favour anyway, because you can stick your bastard kids in front of a computer or tv and let us entertain them for a while, giving you some peace and reminding you just how much better life used to be before you finally popped out a puppy or two and your bodies started to go south… don’t worry, it happens to the best of us. If you can’t afford surgery and a decent skin care regime anyway, but at twenty one I’m far enough away from that to have to worry just yet anyway, so I can’t say I share your concerns there… but I’m getting away from the point, aren’t I?” He asks, brushing aside his previous comments with a bored wave of his hand. “I was talking about my opponent from last week, the guy who won the Television title at Rise to Greatness and a guy who shared not just a name, but other things in common with me too. Aaron Blackbourne.”
“It’s not just a name we share in common bro… nah, we’ve both been in the position you’re in right now once before, we’ve both been in the position I’m in right now on two different occasions, ready to challenge for a title that really takes it out of the person holding the belt… difference between us though, is that I just do it better,” he says with an arrogant smirk, not bothering to hide his disdain from the camera. “It’s nothing personal bro, in fact I don’t even know that much about you to be able to hold an opinion on whether or not I think you’re a waste of my time… I mean, you’re a two time TV champ, so you gotta be doing something right in that ring and beating who you did at Rise to Greatness, no mean feat and I can’t take that away from you… but the fact is, I don’t give a rats ass about you, because all I care about right here and now as I’m filming this thing is me! See, this isn’t an act bro, this isn’t false confidence or a show of arrogance to try and make myself believe that I can defeat whatever odds I’m up against, this is simply what it looks like when someone has the utmost amount of confidence in their own ability and while I’m sure there’ll be plenty of reasons for you to point out why I’m wrong, I simply couldn’t care less about that. I know I’m better than ninety nine percent of people who step into that ring and compete, I’m faster than most, more agile than most, more inventive than most and on my night I can beat most people too! Who ended Amy Chastaine’s reign as tv champ when she held that very belt you currently have in your possession huh? Me!” Aaron says, tapping himself in the chest with his index finger. “And that was the old me, the one who gave a damn about the morality of the business and the reputation of it, who gave a damn about rules and regulations, so can you even imagine what I’m capable of now those ropes that bound me have been cut? Not that you’ll probably give a damn, but that’s on you, not me. See, I’ve been made into a born winner, which sounds like a strange concept I know because you’re either born to be great or you’re not… but I’ve been trained by the best and guided by the best too, I’m not here to blow smoke up people's asses and just earn some cash, I’m here to become the best! And you can stand there and throw out platitudes and cliches about people having to pry that belt from your cold dead hands if you like bro, but at the end of day that shit doesn’t mean a fucking thing and all you accomplished last week was beat some fucking loser who didn’t deserve to be in the building with the likes of Past Present Future, let alone competing for a title on our show! But me?”
He points at himself again, letting out a small chuckle as he nods his head at the camera. “I deserve this… not because I beat the car crash known as Crissy Gardner last weak or because of any mundane reason that lesser wrestlers may cling to but simply because I’m that damn good and deserve to be in a position where people have to fucking accept it! I’ll see one thing for my opponent this Wednesday, he doesn’t listen to doubters and naysayers… I mean, that was obvious from his approach at Rise to Greatness; he knew people would tell him he did nothing for his opportunity or that he didn’t deserve to be there and he took a dump all over the argument by winning the damn title, which given the opponents, it’s pretty impressive I admit… but this isn’t about my view of him, it’s about my view of myself! I’ve sat back and accepted that I have to wait for chances in the past, and sure maybe some of them did come, but I was unable to take them,” he says, looking away from the camera and shaking his head at his own failures. A hint of embarrassment maybe? But he then turns back to the camera and glares at it with determination. “But I learn from my mistakes and this isn’t me from a year ago, it’s me right here and now and unlike the me of old I’m not just taking chances where they crop up, I’m making them! And while he may think about stealing the show again, like he wanted to do at Rise to Greatness - and ultimately did do as far as the television title was concerned - this week it’s my job to ‘pry that belt from his cold dead hands’ as he so eloquently put it last week and I have absolutely no plans to let Aaron Blackbourne hold up my own rise to the top, even if I have to wait to get there for as long as my own friend is world champ. I won’t screw over those I hold dear, no matter what... but the rest? I don’t have targets anymore, I don’t have goals. Everyone has a target on them, success is the goal, and I don’t give a fuck who I have to go through to get to where I belong, because I aim to get there eventually! You don’t build a house by just building four walls together, my dearest darling pissants, you have to build from the foundations... this week on Breakdown, I lay the foundation for my own rise, just as Sienna did at Rise to Greatness by becoming the official number one contender to the world championship. For me... that starts with the Television title, regardless of what Blackbourne thinks, regardless of what the board thinks and regardless of what each and every one of you dumb fucks at home think too! I’m not Autumn with her insecurity and ability to fade into the background while right under your nose and I’m not Sophie O’Brian with her personal quests and idiot brother... I’m A J fucking Helms, and if the name doesn’t tell you everything you need to know Aaron, then Wednesday night I’ll let my actions in the ring do that instead. I’m coming for that title... and when I’m done, I’m planning to ensure you’re a two time former champion and I’m the two time current champ! Still... least you got a successful defense in last week, huh? And I’ll be sure to do you the honor of defending it successful in your name next week when I face either Quinne or Kordy. You’re so fucking welcome... BANG!” he shouts with finality, smirking as he brings his hands up into a somewhat ironic Self High Five so that his face is shown between the gap in his hands and with that, in the control booth, Bella leans forward and taps a button to bring the video to a close.
[[/RECORDING STOPPED]]
“Alright, it was believable,” Bella said, sitting back in her chair now that the filming was done, ignoring the desk in front of her completely now. “But if you were reflecting before the camera started rolling, why the fuck would you say some of the things you just said, I mean are you mental or just an idiot?!” she asked before standing up and walking towards the door of her booth. Seconds later she stepped through the door into the studio, which swung shut silently behind her as she walked into the room. “Seriously dude, what the hell gives with that, huh? You can’t start telling people you’re simply better than them when only a few minutes earlier you were admitting to having doubt!”
Aaron looked at Bella for a moment, impassively just watching her before finally unzipping his jacket and slipping it off, which he casually tossed aside before turning back to look at the AnteUp student. “I can and I did,” he told her, without further hesitation. “It’s not about whether I truly am better than Aaron Blackbourne, whether I was better than Crissy Gardner either... it’s about having belief in myself and what I said. You need to stop clinging to this idea of doubt being a negative thing in this business... nerves don’t stop you from being great, they just remind you that you need to be great in that ring. Sure, maybe I’ll lose on Wednesday night. Shit happens. That doesn’t mean I believe in myself any less than I did when I stood in front of the camera just now, does it? It means it didn’t work out...”
“You literally told this guy you’re better than him and your taking his belt!” Bella said, stressing her concern with no doubt over how she clearly thought it was the wrong call. “If he wins now, you look like a fucking moron!”
“How?” Aaron asked, quirking a brow at the brunette. “There’s plenty of ways to lose a match, anything can happen out there. If he wins, cool. Good for him. That isn’t gonna stop me from continuing to believe in what I can do in the ring though, and I truly do think I’m better than most out there... I never said everyone, but most? Sure, why not. You’ve seen some of the idiots on the roster in SCW, is that too much of a stretch? If I lose, I lose... but I do think I’m the better man in this fight and I plan to try and prove that on Wednesday. I’m arrogant sure, cocky definitely... but I’m confident too. Confident in my ability, in the fact I can win on Wednesday and confident I’ll become champion. That’s all I said in that video and if Aaron Blackbourne or anyone else wants to get butt hurt then so be it...” he told her, shrugging his shoulder like he simply didn’t care.
Bella seemed unable to get her head around how cocky he was being in that moment, she couldn’t believe he could be so dumb. “But if you lose--” she started to say, but Aaron shrugged again and cut her off.
“Then I lose,” he told her flatly, not really caring. “If I lose, then I lose B... that’s it. The show ends, I go back to my hotel and get ready for the house show on Thursday. If I lose, I’ll wait until I get another shot at something, or take one. Either or. I don’t care anymore, I’m fucking good at what I do and I’m making sure everyone else knows that... lesson number one in this business; be your own number one fan and hype man in one package. Because if you’re not convinced then why should anyone else be?” he asked and Bella seemed to falter a little under the question; she seemed like she was about to answer, but then seemed to second guess herself. “Exactly...” Aaron said, noting the hesitation in her face. “If you lose, you find a way to spin it. You find a way to explain it and move on... dwelling on loses does nothing to help, so why bother? I’ve said what I want to say and now we’ll see what happens. Come on, let’s get this thing edited and then I’ll buy us food, sound good?”
Bella looked at Aaron with uncertainty on her face, she clearly wasn’t sure that he was making the right decision with this... but after a moment or two, she decided that he was the one who was a professional wrestler and she was the one that was still a student and if Aaron was sure about this then who was she to argue? “Sounds good,” she told him, shrugging her shoulders and turning to head through to the control booth. Maybe they could make it a little less arrogant in the edit anyway...
