An American Wrestler in London - Part I
Sept 18, 2021 1:25:27 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2021 1:25:27 GMT -5
A full moon shines brightly in the city of London.
A faint but distinct howl is heard in the distance.
The tower of London sits majestically overlooking the north bank of the Thames River. The full moon lights up the river with its reflection, providing enough light to show that the area is very empty tonight. A truck appears out of nowhere and stops right in front of the castle; the driver gets out and heads to the back where he is carrying a heard of sheep. He drops the back door to let out two men who were sleeping among the sheep: Xavier Lux and “Cholo” Santana. They sit up and look around, pushing sheep aside as they step out and stretch, clearly they've been cramped for hours. They appear to be exhausted, but the driver doesn’t seem to care as he hands them their backpacks and then quickly closes the door to the truck.
Driver: Here, lads, Her Majesty’s Royal Palace in all her glory!
Xavier: Um, thank you for the ride stranger that I don’t remember meeting before this very moment…
Gio: You have lovely sheep.
Xavier gives Cholo a ‘WTF’ look.
The driver gets back into his truck, rolls down his window and gives them a warning.
Driver: Boys, you picked up a hell of a night to come to London. Do yourself a favor, avoid any dark places, stay on the road. Good luck to you.
He drives away.
Gio stares at the truck confused while Xavier is looking around, still trying to figure out how they got here.
Xavier: Luck? Why would I need luck? My match against Crash Rodriguez is weeks from now. I don’t need any luck tonight.
Gio: Well, unless we run into some British mamacitas, am I right?
He elbows Xavier on the ribs, but he is not amused.
Xavier: Right, hey Cholo, do you remember anything before right now?
Gio: Nada, but if Paco has thought me anything is to "just roll with it".
Xavier: Roll with what? Which way are we rolling?
Gio: Well you wanted to see this White Castle, though if I’m being honest, I wish it was the White Castle burger joint, I’m starving.
Xavier: Me too, but I wanted to come during the day, can’t get in now. Why are we here so late? This is some weird shit.
Gio: ROLL WITH IT.
Xavier: Fine. Let’s do like the British dude said and stick to the road and go look for a place to eat, this is England after all, I'm sure the are pubs all over the damn place.
They begin walking down the street, heading for the corner of Lower Thames Street and Byward Street. The night is a chilly one, and as they walk along the river talking, smoke emits from their mouths.
Xavier: This isn’t really how I expected my first trip ever to London to get started.
Gio: How did you expect it to start?
Xavier: I don’t know, flying first class, riding a nice rental car, staying at a fine hotel that had access to a world-class gym so I can start to prepare for my bounce back match against Crash Rodriguez.
Gio: Do you think you’ll be able to?
Xavier: I know we haven’t known each other for a long time, but this is not the first time I lose a World Title. I have managed to bounce back each of those other times.
Gio: But the last time you held a World Title before this one was over a decade ago. Bouncing back may not be as easy as it was back then.
Xavier: What makes you think it was easy? I never had easy matches, back then we didn’t have a Massacre type show where I could face ‘enhancement’ talent just to show off what I got and get an easy win. I have had to fight and earn each one of my wins and I have fought and bounced back after each one of my losses. This time will be no different.
Gio: So you’re saying you won’t have any trouble getting past Crash Rodriguez and getting that Paradigm Championship off of his hands?
Xavier: Well, the title is actually in the hands of his representative, Louis Pohl who hopes to just hand it over at the pay per view. I really don’t know much about Crash aside from the fact that he debuted at under the lights and defeated some kid who was making his debut in OCW.
Gio: Dude, he’s not just some kid. He’s the son of Daniel Dream, a guy I fought, and have a lot of respect for. I know his kid is not him but he is just getting started, and he is definitely no pushover so for Crash to beat him speaks volumes not only for Crash, but for Ian.
Xavier: Good for him. Hey, we’ve been walking down this street for a while, passed the intersection and none of these damn pubs are open.
Gio: Except that one there at the end of the road near that alley, what’s it called?
Xavier: The Slaughtered lamb?
Gio: What the puta?
The sign hanging right outside of the pub shows a ferocious wolf's bloody head on a pike.
Xavier: Is that a severed fox head on a spear?
Gio: Ese, that's a wolf's head, on a spike.
Xavier: We sure we want to go in there?
Gio: Everywhere else is closed.
Xavier agrees and they entered the pub and right away are taken back by the musty smell. They look around and it feels like it hasn’t been touched or updated since the mid-fifties. As soon as the two darker-skinned males walk in, all the people, the pale AF white people stop doing what they were doing: whether it was drinking, playing darts or having a good old fashion game of chess. They all stare in a not so friendly way at the two wrestlers who are definitely not feeling welcomed at all, but still try to break the ice.
Xavier: Holy shit! You guys are whiter than Martha Stewart’s whitest sheets! You guys OK? Are you dead? You vampires?
Gio: Damn it X! What my amigo means is: hi, how are you? May we come in? We’re starving!
The bartender, an old lady around 60 years old replies.
Bartender: We have no food here, just spirits and beers.
Gio: Que? Not even some fish and chips?
One of the men playing chest quickly gets up and stares Gio down. He gulps down his pint and then points at the two of them.
Man: There is nothing here for you but trouble. You guys shouldn’t be out here on a night like tonight.
Xavier: Yo is that threat? Because I will fuck you up!
Gio: Relax holmes, why not Henry the 8th?
Silence.
Xavier: Fine, I’ll take your finest whiskey.
Gio: and do you guys have tequila?
Again, silence. Xavier looks at Gio and then looks around at everyone who are all still eyeing them, not moving at all. Xavier notices something on the wall and points it out to Gio. A red pentangle is painted and on either side burns a yellow candle.
Gio: Ask them what the candles are for.
Xavier: You ask them.
Gio: Look I have a tia who knows brujeria, that shit is a five-pointed star used in witchcraft, it's the mark of a wolf man.
Xavier bursts out laughing.
Xavier: So these people are wolf man fans? Get the fuck of here!
Another man comes over; he was the one playing darts.
Man: That’s actually a good idea, both of you should go, before it’s too late.
Xavier: Alright that’s it, you and Henry the 8th can come get it, right now. I need a warmup match before my match with Crash anyway, let’s go vaudevillians!
Most of the men get up but Gio quickly gets in front of Xavier and throws his arms up, trying to play the cooler.
Gio: Come on señores, there is no need for that. Fine, we’ll go, but we just have one question. What's that star on the wall for?
Dead silence but some of the men look at each other nervously while one actually looks back at the pentagram and shudders. Realizing they’re not going to get an answer Gio turns and pushes Xavier out who wants to stay and show them how much of a hooligan he can really be. Once they leave the pub the woman looks at the men.
Bartender: You can't let them go. You know what’s out there tonight!
Man 1: They're not our kind, our people!
Man 2: We didn’t bring them here, they came of their own accord, our hands are tied.
Suddenly a howl like we heard at the beginning of our story is heard again, except this time it’s closer than before, a lot closer.
Bartender: You hear?! They will not survive, and it is in your hands!
Man 1: Shut up woman, it is in God’s hands!
Man 2: May God be with them.
Everyone has a look of concern on their faces, but eventually go back to their business, all except for the woman who hears the howl again. She looks around at the men, but they pretend they didn’t hear a thing. Outside of the pub, Xavier and Gio are walking away from the bar. Even though the full moonlight shines brightly, it feels darker somehow. There is a mist coming in from the river and the temperature has dropped about ten degrees.
Xavier: Yo what the fuck was that about?
Gio: Forget them, did you hear that?
Xavier: Maybe, was that an owl?
Gio: Nah pendejo, there are no owls in London. Plus owls don’t howl, they hoot.
Xavier: Oh yeah, like that Alice chick.
Gio: That was a wolf.
Xavier: Oh so there are no owls but there are wolves? Man come on, let’s go back to the hotel.
Gio: What hotel?!
Xavier: Oh shit, you’re right. Maybe they’ll let us inside the castle.
Gio: Sure, and they will “let you train for your rebound match with Rodriguez too...”
Gio rolls his eyes. They hear the howl again and this time Xavier hears it, he looks around wondering just what in the hell could make this night weirder. They pick up the pace and notice the mist creeping out of the river and onto the street, they arrive at the castle and begin walking up the steps that lead to the main gate. As they do however, they hear another noise, not a howl, but a growl, coming from the other side of the gate.
Xavier: You know, I don’t think the queen is home. How about we go back to the slaughter lamb?
Gio: Better the lamb than us?
Xavier: Exactly.
They begin walking down the steps rapidly and they hear the growl again, this time a lot closer and they can actually hear the animal, the beast, whatever it is, breathing heavily. They try to head back to the pub, but the mist has now covered everything. Xavier starts to have a very bad flashback.
Xavier: You know, the last time I was surrounded by mist, it didn’t go so well for me.
They head the opposite way, towards a small forest with tall, bushy trees but they stop right at the entrance.
Xavier: Yeah that’s the last fucking place we should go.
Gio: Agreed, HAY CARAMBA!
Something launches at both from the trees, taking them down in one shot. Gio screams as he struggles to fight the beast which is trying to tear him to shreds. Xavier scrambles to his feet and tries to make a save but gets sent flying backwards by a huge claw that rips through his shirt and chest. The beast stalks him slowly, he looks up at it in both amazement and horror, as it is indeed a wolfman with a hulking shape and glowing eyes. Gio jumps on its back, trying to choke it but the beast simply flings Cholo off his back, slamming him to the ground. Xavier gets to his feet, but before he can react, the beast scratches at him again, this time catching part of his face. He falls down to the ground and the beast turns its attention to Cholo who is grabbing its paw. It begins to claw at Cholo, ripping the flesh of his back and then picks him up and chews out a good chunk of his chest before tossing him to the side. Xavier reaches out with his hand, making one last ditch effort to try to save his friend but the beast now moves towards him, dropping to one knee. The beast goes to bite him in his shoulder, and just manages to begin to sink his teeth in when shots are fired at it, dropping it to the ground in an instant. Xavier can’t believe what he sees, on one side, Cholo, dead, guts hanging out, completely mutilated. On the other, not the werewolf, but a man, an old naked Englishman, eyes wide open, dead, blood oozing from his mouth. Xavier hears footsteps coming, some head towards the naked guy and the others head towards him. He looks up at them, they are the men from the pub, all carrying shotguns and torches. Xavier dazed and bloodied tries to sit up and say something, but simply falls back and faints.
A faint but distinct howl is heard in the distance.
The tower of London sits majestically overlooking the north bank of the Thames River. The full moon lights up the river with its reflection, providing enough light to show that the area is very empty tonight. A truck appears out of nowhere and stops right in front of the castle; the driver gets out and heads to the back where he is carrying a heard of sheep. He drops the back door to let out two men who were sleeping among the sheep: Xavier Lux and “Cholo” Santana. They sit up and look around, pushing sheep aside as they step out and stretch, clearly they've been cramped for hours. They appear to be exhausted, but the driver doesn’t seem to care as he hands them their backpacks and then quickly closes the door to the truck.
Driver: Here, lads, Her Majesty’s Royal Palace in all her glory!
Xavier: Um, thank you for the ride stranger that I don’t remember meeting before this very moment…
Gio: You have lovely sheep.
Xavier gives Cholo a ‘WTF’ look.
The driver gets back into his truck, rolls down his window and gives them a warning.
Driver: Boys, you picked up a hell of a night to come to London. Do yourself a favor, avoid any dark places, stay on the road. Good luck to you.
He drives away.
Gio stares at the truck confused while Xavier is looking around, still trying to figure out how they got here.
Xavier: Luck? Why would I need luck? My match against Crash Rodriguez is weeks from now. I don’t need any luck tonight.
Gio: Well, unless we run into some British mamacitas, am I right?
He elbows Xavier on the ribs, but he is not amused.
Xavier: Right, hey Cholo, do you remember anything before right now?
Gio: Nada, but if Paco has thought me anything is to "just roll with it".
Xavier: Roll with what? Which way are we rolling?
Gio: Well you wanted to see this White Castle, though if I’m being honest, I wish it was the White Castle burger joint, I’m starving.
Xavier: Me too, but I wanted to come during the day, can’t get in now. Why are we here so late? This is some weird shit.
Gio: ROLL WITH IT.
Xavier: Fine. Let’s do like the British dude said and stick to the road and go look for a place to eat, this is England after all, I'm sure the are pubs all over the damn place.
They begin walking down the street, heading for the corner of Lower Thames Street and Byward Street. The night is a chilly one, and as they walk along the river talking, smoke emits from their mouths.
Xavier: This isn’t really how I expected my first trip ever to London to get started.
Gio: How did you expect it to start?
Xavier: I don’t know, flying first class, riding a nice rental car, staying at a fine hotel that had access to a world-class gym so I can start to prepare for my bounce back match against Crash Rodriguez.
Gio: Do you think you’ll be able to?
Xavier: I know we haven’t known each other for a long time, but this is not the first time I lose a World Title. I have managed to bounce back each of those other times.
Gio: But the last time you held a World Title before this one was over a decade ago. Bouncing back may not be as easy as it was back then.
Xavier: What makes you think it was easy? I never had easy matches, back then we didn’t have a Massacre type show where I could face ‘enhancement’ talent just to show off what I got and get an easy win. I have had to fight and earn each one of my wins and I have fought and bounced back after each one of my losses. This time will be no different.
Gio: So you’re saying you won’t have any trouble getting past Crash Rodriguez and getting that Paradigm Championship off of his hands?
Xavier: Well, the title is actually in the hands of his representative, Louis Pohl who hopes to just hand it over at the pay per view. I really don’t know much about Crash aside from the fact that he debuted at under the lights and defeated some kid who was making his debut in OCW.
Gio: Dude, he’s not just some kid. He’s the son of Daniel Dream, a guy I fought, and have a lot of respect for. I know his kid is not him but he is just getting started, and he is definitely no pushover so for Crash to beat him speaks volumes not only for Crash, but for Ian.
Xavier: Good for him. Hey, we’ve been walking down this street for a while, passed the intersection and none of these damn pubs are open.
Gio: Except that one there at the end of the road near that alley, what’s it called?
Xavier: The Slaughtered lamb?
Gio: What the puta?
The sign hanging right outside of the pub shows a ferocious wolf's bloody head on a pike.
Xavier: Is that a severed fox head on a spear?
Gio: Ese, that's a wolf's head, on a spike.
Xavier: We sure we want to go in there?
Gio: Everywhere else is closed.
Xavier agrees and they entered the pub and right away are taken back by the musty smell. They look around and it feels like it hasn’t been touched or updated since the mid-fifties. As soon as the two darker-skinned males walk in, all the people, the pale AF white people stop doing what they were doing: whether it was drinking, playing darts or having a good old fashion game of chess. They all stare in a not so friendly way at the two wrestlers who are definitely not feeling welcomed at all, but still try to break the ice.
Xavier: Holy shit! You guys are whiter than Martha Stewart’s whitest sheets! You guys OK? Are you dead? You vampires?
Gio: Damn it X! What my amigo means is: hi, how are you? May we come in? We’re starving!
The bartender, an old lady around 60 years old replies.
Bartender: We have no food here, just spirits and beers.
Gio: Que? Not even some fish and chips?
One of the men playing chest quickly gets up and stares Gio down. He gulps down his pint and then points at the two of them.
Man: There is nothing here for you but trouble. You guys shouldn’t be out here on a night like tonight.
Xavier: Yo is that threat? Because I will fuck you up!
Gio: Relax holmes, why not Henry the 8th?
Silence.
Xavier: Fine, I’ll take your finest whiskey.
Gio: and do you guys have tequila?
Again, silence. Xavier looks at Gio and then looks around at everyone who are all still eyeing them, not moving at all. Xavier notices something on the wall and points it out to Gio. A red pentangle is painted and on either side burns a yellow candle.
Gio: Ask them what the candles are for.
Xavier: You ask them.
Gio: Look I have a tia who knows brujeria, that shit is a five-pointed star used in witchcraft, it's the mark of a wolf man.
Xavier bursts out laughing.
Xavier: So these people are wolf man fans? Get the fuck of here!
Another man comes over; he was the one playing darts.
Man: That’s actually a good idea, both of you should go, before it’s too late.
Xavier: Alright that’s it, you and Henry the 8th can come get it, right now. I need a warmup match before my match with Crash anyway, let’s go vaudevillians!
Most of the men get up but Gio quickly gets in front of Xavier and throws his arms up, trying to play the cooler.
Gio: Come on señores, there is no need for that. Fine, we’ll go, but we just have one question. What's that star on the wall for?
Dead silence but some of the men look at each other nervously while one actually looks back at the pentagram and shudders. Realizing they’re not going to get an answer Gio turns and pushes Xavier out who wants to stay and show them how much of a hooligan he can really be. Once they leave the pub the woman looks at the men.
Bartender: You can't let them go. You know what’s out there tonight!
Man 1: They're not our kind, our people!
Man 2: We didn’t bring them here, they came of their own accord, our hands are tied.
Suddenly a howl like we heard at the beginning of our story is heard again, except this time it’s closer than before, a lot closer.
Bartender: You hear?! They will not survive, and it is in your hands!
Man 1: Shut up woman, it is in God’s hands!
Man 2: May God be with them.
Everyone has a look of concern on their faces, but eventually go back to their business, all except for the woman who hears the howl again. She looks around at the men, but they pretend they didn’t hear a thing. Outside of the pub, Xavier and Gio are walking away from the bar. Even though the full moonlight shines brightly, it feels darker somehow. There is a mist coming in from the river and the temperature has dropped about ten degrees.
Xavier: Yo what the fuck was that about?
Gio: Forget them, did you hear that?
Xavier: Maybe, was that an owl?
Gio: Nah pendejo, there are no owls in London. Plus owls don’t howl, they hoot.
Xavier: Oh yeah, like that Alice chick.
Gio: That was a wolf.
Xavier: Oh so there are no owls but there are wolves? Man come on, let’s go back to the hotel.
Gio: What hotel?!
Xavier: Oh shit, you’re right. Maybe they’ll let us inside the castle.
Gio: Sure, and they will “let you train for your rebound match with Rodriguez too...”
Gio rolls his eyes. They hear the howl again and this time Xavier hears it, he looks around wondering just what in the hell could make this night weirder. They pick up the pace and notice the mist creeping out of the river and onto the street, they arrive at the castle and begin walking up the steps that lead to the main gate. As they do however, they hear another noise, not a howl, but a growl, coming from the other side of the gate.
Xavier: You know, I don’t think the queen is home. How about we go back to the slaughter lamb?
Gio: Better the lamb than us?
Xavier: Exactly.
They begin walking down the steps rapidly and they hear the growl again, this time a lot closer and they can actually hear the animal, the beast, whatever it is, breathing heavily. They try to head back to the pub, but the mist has now covered everything. Xavier starts to have a very bad flashback.
Xavier: You know, the last time I was surrounded by mist, it didn’t go so well for me.
They head the opposite way, towards a small forest with tall, bushy trees but they stop right at the entrance.
Xavier: Yeah that’s the last fucking place we should go.
Gio: Agreed, HAY CARAMBA!
Something launches at both from the trees, taking them down in one shot. Gio screams as he struggles to fight the beast which is trying to tear him to shreds. Xavier scrambles to his feet and tries to make a save but gets sent flying backwards by a huge claw that rips through his shirt and chest. The beast stalks him slowly, he looks up at it in both amazement and horror, as it is indeed a wolfman with a hulking shape and glowing eyes. Gio jumps on its back, trying to choke it but the beast simply flings Cholo off his back, slamming him to the ground. Xavier gets to his feet, but before he can react, the beast scratches at him again, this time catching part of his face. He falls down to the ground and the beast turns its attention to Cholo who is grabbing its paw. It begins to claw at Cholo, ripping the flesh of his back and then picks him up and chews out a good chunk of his chest before tossing him to the side. Xavier reaches out with his hand, making one last ditch effort to try to save his friend but the beast now moves towards him, dropping to one knee. The beast goes to bite him in his shoulder, and just manages to begin to sink his teeth in when shots are fired at it, dropping it to the ground in an instant. Xavier can’t believe what he sees, on one side, Cholo, dead, guts hanging out, completely mutilated. On the other, not the werewolf, but a man, an old naked Englishman, eyes wide open, dead, blood oozing from his mouth. Xavier hears footsteps coming, some head towards the naked guy and the others head towards him. He looks up at them, they are the men from the pub, all carrying shotguns and torches. Xavier dazed and bloodied tries to sit up and say something, but simply falls back and faints.
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