Post by Ben-Stev on Mar 29, 2017 22:08:36 GMT -5
~~ 03/29/2017
9:34 AM ~~
As Benny Stevens himself had already stated, his schedule has been quite busy lately – sponsorship duties, company promotion and wrestling training take the majority of his time; nevertheless, the Daredevil of AWE always finds a way to spend at least a day or two in his hometown. Although Benny loves meeting new places and being on the road on a constant basis, Seattle is a place where he does not feel pressured by anyone & anything.
Benny, pretty much ignoring the rather cold weather, finds himself standing in front of his mother’s graveyard, which is located at the Lake View cemetery. He leans toward the tombstone and pats away a thin layer of snow, revealing the full name of his late mother engraved on top of it. His blue eyes get slightly teary for a moment as they meet the date of her death; however, Stevens quickly shrugs off the depressive feelings and lets out a big sigh.
“Long time no talk, huh, mom? Listen, I’ve been having a rough time… Not entirely rough, though. My career isn’t going as successful as I wish it was; however, I cannot complain about it. I love what I am doing and have no intentions of giving up.”
He smiles.
“Well, you know me... Giving up and Benjamin Stevens in the same sentence is an oxymoron. I’m aware that you used to get lowkey mad every damn time I said this, but I’d rather die with my clenched fists up than live on my knees. It’s not arrogance. It’s… I don’t know. Doesn’t really matter now.”
His arms cover his chest and ribs, the hands embracing his shoulders.
“Geez, what a cold ass day!”
Benny crouches and slides both of his hands on the top of his head.
“Last time I visited you, my hair wasn’t this short. Anyway, I’m kinda having serious problems and…”
The sound of steps on the snowy ground about nine yards away interrupts his monologue. For a moment, Benny glances at the individual whom approaches the graveyard; however, he focuses on his mother’s tombstone again.
“So… I’m dealing with some crazy shit in AWE at the moment. Remember Tragik? Well, Dexter. Things have gone downhill, mom. He thinks I fu… Ummm, slept with his ex-wife. On top of that, the new COO ain’t that…”
This time, Benny is interrupted by the individual’s presence nearby his mother’s tomb. He silently looks up to the well-dressed man standing tall with his eyesight focused on the AWE Daredevil. The man appears to be middle-aged and about six feet tall.
“May I help you?”
The mysterious man says nothing. He simply takes off his Ray-ban sunglasses and places them into his leather trenchcoat’s pocket. His eyes shined brightly after Benny asked him that question; as if he was doing anything he could to do not shed a single tear.
The proximity followed by the silence certainly bothers Benny, whom gets up to his feet and stares at the man in front of him. The man; however, stands relaxed as he methodically takes a flawless red rose out of the pockets of his dress pants and drops it besides the tombstone.
“Roses were her favorite flowers.”
Benny just analyzes the man’s body language. For a moment, the AWE wrestler feels like he’s heard that voice before, but he decides to keep that thought to himself.
“Were you a friend of her or something?”
The man smiles as he stares at her name on the stone.
“I would say so.”
The awkward silence lasts a minute. The man hesitates to say something, and Benny notices so.
“You okay there? I mean, for real, may I help you?”
The man looks into Benny’s eyes. He takes a deep breath and stutters the next words.
“Benjamin, I…”
“Oh, you know my name. A wrestling fan, I suppose? Look, man, I’m trying to talk to my late mother so leave me alone. I’m not gonna sign jackshit now and…”
The man just shakes his head and remains serious, which interrupts Benny’s quick rant.
“I am your father, Benjamin.”
He tried to look confident, but his voice sounded quite nervous. For a moment, Benny just stared at the man in silence, and then let out a quick laugh.
“Shiiieeet, you look different, Bobby!”
“No, no, no… Benjamin, listen to me. I am your real father.”
Benny was about to laugh once again; however, the serious face expression displayed by the man makes him change his mind.
“Just get outta here, man… I’m not in the mood for bullshit today.”
“I am not bullshitting you, Benjamin. Please, believe me… I have… I have waited for this moment for years, son.”
Benny analyzes his supposed father once again and shakes his head. Next, he scowls at the man and points toward another direction.
“Right, that’s enough. Fuck off, will you?”
“You were born in February tenth of nineteen ninety six, around seven o’clock. Your mother pretty much raised you by herself, here in Seattle. You won your first amateur motocross Championship when you were twelve years old. Let’s see… You used to play basketball in middle school. Shooting guard, correct? You weren’t as tall as most of your teammates, but you were faster and had skills. Also…”
Benny had to interrupt the man, mostly because he’d keep talking for a while if he hadn’t.
“No, no, no, no… No! Alright, shut up. You know stuff about my life, so what? I’ve dealt with obsessive fans before, trust me, some of these people will do anything to get my attention – whether it is a genuine attempt to befriend me or not.”
“Anthony Stevens.”
“What?”
“That’s my name… Look.”
The man pulls his ID out of his wallet and shows it to Benny. The latter simply snatches it off his hand and stares at it.
“I am sorry, Benjamin.”
Benny’s jawline twitches for a couple of seconds, as if he was gritting his teeth intensely.
“I tried to…”
Benny nonchalantly throws the ID at Anthony, whom crouches to pick it up before placing it back into his wallet.
“Okay… That’s all?”
“Excuse me?”
Benny doesn’t even look at him, but we can tell that he’s definitely angry by the tone of his voice.
“You’ve had plenty of opportunities before, but you had to do it after twenty motherfuckin’ six years, right?”
“Let’s not argue in front of your…”
“Fuck off, asshole. You don’t have the right to say anything! What do you want, anyway? You ran outta money or something? Just… Stay the fuck away from me. Like you’ve been for TWENTY SIX YEARS!”
Anthony places his hand upon Benny’s shoulder; however, the latter quickly taps it away.
“Touch me one more time and I’ll drop you on your back.”
Benny cannot even look at Anthony.
“Benjamin… Listen to me. Give me a chance. Whether you want to believe me or not, you need to understand that I have been watching you since you were born. Look, I was a coward, alright? You were right.”
“Bullshit.”
“I have been watching your wrestling career since your days in Texas, Benjamin!”
“BULL-SHIT!”
“IT’S TRUE! LISTEN TO ME, GODDAMN IT!”
A couple passes by shaking their heads, certainly judging both men shouting profanities at a cemetery.
“I know all about your career, my son. As soon as Jessica called me…”
“What the-? Jessica!?”
“She told me your whereabouts and I went after you as soon as I could. Do you not recognize me? You’ve probably forgotten, but I was in the Caribbean Islands to watch your Pride Championship match… Remember the blond guy that bought the bar in your honor? That… That was me.”
Benny finally looks at his father. His blue eyes are teary.
“Benjamin, please, let me help you. I’m tired of running. I’m tired of being a goddamn coward. I want to be in your life. Bobby Franchise is not your father… I am!”
“Despite having zero blood association with Bobby, he is more of a father to me than you will ever be. You are nothing compared to him, coward!”
“I agree with you, Benjamin. For now, I am nothing compared to him… But I want to change that. I want to help you. Let me give you an advice. You’re walking on thin ice at the moment, and for fuck sake, you need to make a move. YOU are the one standing idle while your company’s COO fucks you in the ass. YOU are the one running away from your responsibilities. Just… Just like me.”
“Fuck off!”
Anthony was about to rest his hand on Benny’s shoulder once again; however, he reminded of his son’s reaction towards that a few minutes earlier.
“It is the truth, Benny. Let’s face it, you fucked your friend’s ex-wife and you’re paying the price now. Instead of owning up to your actions, you’re just joking around and allowing Severin to get the upper hand… You NEED to make a move, son.”
Benny looked at tombstone, still upset and angry at the same time.
“I want to help you, Benjamin. Give me a chance! No more running… We’re going to be a family.”
As soon as he said the word family, Benny pulled his Magnum revolver from beneath his jacket and immediately pointed it at his own father.
“Shut. The. Fuck. UP!”
Anthony raises his hands and stares at Benny, right in the eyes. He speaks calmly, even though there’s a loaded revolver pointed at him.
“My Magnum… You’ve kept it with you. I am proud of you, son. You could’ve gotten rid of it, but you didn’t do it. Do you even know why I left you that revolver?”
Benny pushes the hammer. His arms shake; therefore, so does the revolver. Still, he points it toward Anthony’s face.
“You ain’t got the look in your eyes, Benjamin. I know a killer when I see one… You’re not a killer. You will not shoot me. Just try and relax. Lower the gun. Let’s get out of here; your mother would hate to witness something like this. Let’s talk man-to-man, son.”
Anthony extends his right hand for a handshake as Benny approaches him slowly. The latter looks paranoid. The revolver is still pointing at his father.
“I don’t wanna see your face again. Ever. Twenty six years and, out of sudden, you want me to ignore everything and just move on? No! Fuck you!”
Benny lowers the gun and sheds a tear, which causes his father to shed tears as well.
“I will not abandon you ever again, Benjamin. In fact, I have tickets for the next show… I will not allow Dexter to cost you another opportunity. I will not allow that worthless, peon, piece of shit Kassandrah to treat you like a fuckin’ amateur. I will be there for you, son.”
They stand eye-to-eye. Benny says the following with intensity.
“FUCK. YOU!”
After that, Benny bumps onto his father’s shoulder as he walks away. Anthony just stares at his son as he wipes his cheeks with a small piece of cloth.
“Stay out of my life, asshole.”
Anthony turns to the tombstone and lowers his head before closing his eyes.
~~ 03/29/2017
5:41 PM ~~
Later that day, still in Seattle, Benny Stevens stands on top of a junk car and, with a sledgehammer in hands, smashes its windows into multiple pieces. Next, he madly hits the carcass five times in a row. The pile of scrap such as junk vehicles and several types of broken objects surround the Daredevil of AWE. Benny, clearly angry, tosses the sledgehammer on the ground and climbs down the destroyed car, looking straight into the camera.
“What the fuck is wrong with you people?”
Benny takes off his jacket before tossing it on the muddy ground nearby the sledgehammer.
“Just look at the damn mess in the AWE, man… Come on. So, Kassandrah, is this some kind of retaliation? You still mad at me because I told you nothing but the truth? Actually, let’s put my personal issues aside for a moment and, instead, let’s talk about AWE as a whole. I mean, do you actually plan to take control of the company or what? It’s been a few weeks since you took over as the ‘undisputed’ COO thanks to our Resilience Champion, Dare Clemmens, but you’re still as useless as you’ve ever been. You’re pretty much proving my point, Kassandrah… As long as Tony Chu is away, the company is doomed – you’re basically lost without him. You can’t even keep your own emotions under control, let alone the whole fuckin’ company. Oh, I bet you enjoyed attacking Erica Bragg!”
Benny walks to one side and another as he speaks.
“To be honest, the fact that you cannot check yourself without Tony Chu is hilarious. Look at you… You’re an emotional wreck. It’s been, what? A fuckin’ month? About a month and you’re already going insane over the workload and its pressure. You cannot take adversities, can you? That’s something you could learn from your Resilience roster members – actually, not all of them. Trust me, some of these fools cannot handle losses. The vast majority of the people on this roster wouldn’t last a day in my shoes… I’m the definition of Resilience in this motherfucking place. I’m getting screwed over and over again, yet here I am.”
Benny smacks his chest; however, he doesn’t sound as confident as it seems.
“Don’t get me wrong, Kassandrah. This is not an ultimatum. I don’t need to do that kind of shit… So go ahead and keep screwing me over, I ain’t going anywhere anytime soon. As long as this company is alive, then so is the Daredevil of AWE. I’m sure there are several companies across the United States that wouldn’t hesitate to sign a loyal, passionate, talented athlete such as myself, but rest assured that I won’t give up on AWE. I won’t give up on my Resilience Championship campaign. I want to see my name at the motherfuckin’ top, Kassandrah… And I guarantee that I won’t rest until I make it a reality.”
Benny takes a deep breath in an attempt to calm down, but it’s not working effectively. He quickly picks up the sledgehammer and smacks the junk car one more time.
“The problem is, ghosts from the past are coming back to mess with my career, pathetic attempts to take me away from the path of glory and accomplishments that I deserve. Apparently, Kassandrah cannot put our personal issues aside, so she had to choose no one other than Dexter Severin to referee my goddamn match with Austin Gale… I can’t even decide which is worse: the fact that she’s trying to fuck with me like that, or that she was probably expecting the match to go perfectly fine; therefore, without a single interruption.”
Benny lets out a chuckle, this time, genuinely amused.
“But hey… You’d better go big or go home if you plan to fuck shit up, right? Not only have you decided to team me up with the individual that’s actually trying to ruin me, but you had to add a no disqualification stipulation to the match. Oh, on top of that, we get to face James Radford and his new pimp, Austin Gale. Wise decisions, Kassandrah.”
Benny just shakes his head, clearly disappointed after pronouncing the last sentence sarcastically.
“A goddamn mess, that’s what you’re turning the AWE into. Once again, Austin probably paid someone to get this match booked. That’s what he does, anyway… That’s all he can do. Gotta do what you gotta do, I suppose. If you can’t beat’em, then just find someone to get the job done for you. That’s your motto, right, Austin? You’re clearly lacking confidence in your in-ring abilities – that’s why you’re investing into James Radford. Honestly, it’s not a bad choice… Radford is clearly a talented competitor. After all, he’s the goddamn Alpha Cup winner! Or even better, he’s the man who handed Zack Fantana his first lost in the AWE – a feat that I tried to accomplish and failed. If only Radford was smart when it comes to the people that he associates himself with, huh?”
Benny shrugs.
“Welp… Kinda hypocrite coming from me. My partner, a man that I used to team with, wants to kill me because he thinks that I fucked his ex-wife. Not exactly a good association there, I suppose. Say whatever you want about us, but you cannot deny that I ain’t anyone’s bitch. You, on the other hand, Radford, have two people handling you like a fuckin’ puppet – ironic given the fact that one of your bosses, Austin Gale, is related to a lunatic that talks to puppets. The fact of the matter is, they say the word and you will follow them. You’re accomplishing a lot in the AWE; however, you’re lacking self-respect. You lack dignity. Anything to get to the top, right?”
Benny certainly feels better after the non-stopping rant. He sits on the hood of the junk car and lets out a chuckle.
“Radford and Gale have their own hidden agendas coming into this match, man. Unfortunately, for them, they are dealing with Benny Stevens and Dexter Severin. Hey, my partner wants to kill me, but this is some nostalgic shit. The Sons of Swag… So, I, once again, would like to ask you people the following: are you sure that y’all are not the ones getting played? Let me tell y’all something, The Song of Swag took over Texas during their prime – we, as a team, defeated former World Champions and hall of famers. What makes you think that we would put hoes before bros? Once a brother, always a brother. You, Radford, and you, Gale, are probably laughing at the fact that Dexter and I are having altercations both on Twitter and in-person, but trust me; I am the one who is going to laugh last.”
Benny gets up to his feet and grins as he looks to the camera.
“There’s but one thing I can tell you advance, gentlemen… You cannot predict the moves of a Daredevil.”
He winks and leaps out of the car’s hood, landing gracefully on the muddy ground.
“Make my day, folks!”
9:34 AM ~~
As Benny Stevens himself had already stated, his schedule has been quite busy lately – sponsorship duties, company promotion and wrestling training take the majority of his time; nevertheless, the Daredevil of AWE always finds a way to spend at least a day or two in his hometown. Although Benny loves meeting new places and being on the road on a constant basis, Seattle is a place where he does not feel pressured by anyone & anything.
Benny, pretty much ignoring the rather cold weather, finds himself standing in front of his mother’s graveyard, which is located at the Lake View cemetery. He leans toward the tombstone and pats away a thin layer of snow, revealing the full name of his late mother engraved on top of it. His blue eyes get slightly teary for a moment as they meet the date of her death; however, Stevens quickly shrugs off the depressive feelings and lets out a big sigh.
“Long time no talk, huh, mom? Listen, I’ve been having a rough time… Not entirely rough, though. My career isn’t going as successful as I wish it was; however, I cannot complain about it. I love what I am doing and have no intentions of giving up.”
He smiles.
“Well, you know me... Giving up and Benjamin Stevens in the same sentence is an oxymoron. I’m aware that you used to get lowkey mad every damn time I said this, but I’d rather die with my clenched fists up than live on my knees. It’s not arrogance. It’s… I don’t know. Doesn’t really matter now.”
His arms cover his chest and ribs, the hands embracing his shoulders.
“Geez, what a cold ass day!”
Benny crouches and slides both of his hands on the top of his head.
“Last time I visited you, my hair wasn’t this short. Anyway, I’m kinda having serious problems and…”
The sound of steps on the snowy ground about nine yards away interrupts his monologue. For a moment, Benny glances at the individual whom approaches the graveyard; however, he focuses on his mother’s tombstone again.
“So… I’m dealing with some crazy shit in AWE at the moment. Remember Tragik? Well, Dexter. Things have gone downhill, mom. He thinks I fu… Ummm, slept with his ex-wife. On top of that, the new COO ain’t that…”
This time, Benny is interrupted by the individual’s presence nearby his mother’s tomb. He silently looks up to the well-dressed man standing tall with his eyesight focused on the AWE Daredevil. The man appears to be middle-aged and about six feet tall.
“May I help you?”
The mysterious man says nothing. He simply takes off his Ray-ban sunglasses and places them into his leather trenchcoat’s pocket. His eyes shined brightly after Benny asked him that question; as if he was doing anything he could to do not shed a single tear.
The proximity followed by the silence certainly bothers Benny, whom gets up to his feet and stares at the man in front of him. The man; however, stands relaxed as he methodically takes a flawless red rose out of the pockets of his dress pants and drops it besides the tombstone.
“Roses were her favorite flowers.”
Benny just analyzes the man’s body language. For a moment, the AWE wrestler feels like he’s heard that voice before, but he decides to keep that thought to himself.
“Were you a friend of her or something?”
The man smiles as he stares at her name on the stone.
“I would say so.”
The awkward silence lasts a minute. The man hesitates to say something, and Benny notices so.
“You okay there? I mean, for real, may I help you?”
The man looks into Benny’s eyes. He takes a deep breath and stutters the next words.
“Benjamin, I…”
“Oh, you know my name. A wrestling fan, I suppose? Look, man, I’m trying to talk to my late mother so leave me alone. I’m not gonna sign jackshit now and…”
The man just shakes his head and remains serious, which interrupts Benny’s quick rant.
“I am your father, Benjamin.”
He tried to look confident, but his voice sounded quite nervous. For a moment, Benny just stared at the man in silence, and then let out a quick laugh.
“Shiiieeet, you look different, Bobby!”
“No, no, no… Benjamin, listen to me. I am your real father.”
Benny was about to laugh once again; however, the serious face expression displayed by the man makes him change his mind.
“Just get outta here, man… I’m not in the mood for bullshit today.”
“I am not bullshitting you, Benjamin. Please, believe me… I have… I have waited for this moment for years, son.”
Benny analyzes his supposed father once again and shakes his head. Next, he scowls at the man and points toward another direction.
“Right, that’s enough. Fuck off, will you?”
“You were born in February tenth of nineteen ninety six, around seven o’clock. Your mother pretty much raised you by herself, here in Seattle. You won your first amateur motocross Championship when you were twelve years old. Let’s see… You used to play basketball in middle school. Shooting guard, correct? You weren’t as tall as most of your teammates, but you were faster and had skills. Also…”
Benny had to interrupt the man, mostly because he’d keep talking for a while if he hadn’t.
“No, no, no, no… No! Alright, shut up. You know stuff about my life, so what? I’ve dealt with obsessive fans before, trust me, some of these people will do anything to get my attention – whether it is a genuine attempt to befriend me or not.”
“Anthony Stevens.”
“What?”
“That’s my name… Look.”
The man pulls his ID out of his wallet and shows it to Benny. The latter simply snatches it off his hand and stares at it.
“I am sorry, Benjamin.”
Benny’s jawline twitches for a couple of seconds, as if he was gritting his teeth intensely.
“I tried to…”
Benny nonchalantly throws the ID at Anthony, whom crouches to pick it up before placing it back into his wallet.
“Okay… That’s all?”
“Excuse me?”
Benny doesn’t even look at him, but we can tell that he’s definitely angry by the tone of his voice.
“You’ve had plenty of opportunities before, but you had to do it after twenty motherfuckin’ six years, right?”
“Let’s not argue in front of your…”
“Fuck off, asshole. You don’t have the right to say anything! What do you want, anyway? You ran outta money or something? Just… Stay the fuck away from me. Like you’ve been for TWENTY SIX YEARS!”
Anthony places his hand upon Benny’s shoulder; however, the latter quickly taps it away.
“Touch me one more time and I’ll drop you on your back.”
Benny cannot even look at Anthony.
“Benjamin… Listen to me. Give me a chance. Whether you want to believe me or not, you need to understand that I have been watching you since you were born. Look, I was a coward, alright? You were right.”
“Bullshit.”
“I have been watching your wrestling career since your days in Texas, Benjamin!”
“BULL-SHIT!”
“IT’S TRUE! LISTEN TO ME, GODDAMN IT!”
A couple passes by shaking their heads, certainly judging both men shouting profanities at a cemetery.
“I know all about your career, my son. As soon as Jessica called me…”
“What the-? Jessica!?”
“She told me your whereabouts and I went after you as soon as I could. Do you not recognize me? You’ve probably forgotten, but I was in the Caribbean Islands to watch your Pride Championship match… Remember the blond guy that bought the bar in your honor? That… That was me.”
Benny finally looks at his father. His blue eyes are teary.
“Benjamin, please, let me help you. I’m tired of running. I’m tired of being a goddamn coward. I want to be in your life. Bobby Franchise is not your father… I am!”
“Despite having zero blood association with Bobby, he is more of a father to me than you will ever be. You are nothing compared to him, coward!”
“I agree with you, Benjamin. For now, I am nothing compared to him… But I want to change that. I want to help you. Let me give you an advice. You’re walking on thin ice at the moment, and for fuck sake, you need to make a move. YOU are the one standing idle while your company’s COO fucks you in the ass. YOU are the one running away from your responsibilities. Just… Just like me.”
“Fuck off!”
Anthony was about to rest his hand on Benny’s shoulder once again; however, he reminded of his son’s reaction towards that a few minutes earlier.
“It is the truth, Benny. Let’s face it, you fucked your friend’s ex-wife and you’re paying the price now. Instead of owning up to your actions, you’re just joking around and allowing Severin to get the upper hand… You NEED to make a move, son.”
Benny looked at tombstone, still upset and angry at the same time.
“I want to help you, Benjamin. Give me a chance! No more running… We’re going to be a family.”
As soon as he said the word family, Benny pulled his Magnum revolver from beneath his jacket and immediately pointed it at his own father.
“Shut. The. Fuck. UP!”
Anthony raises his hands and stares at Benny, right in the eyes. He speaks calmly, even though there’s a loaded revolver pointed at him.
“My Magnum… You’ve kept it with you. I am proud of you, son. You could’ve gotten rid of it, but you didn’t do it. Do you even know why I left you that revolver?”
Benny pushes the hammer. His arms shake; therefore, so does the revolver. Still, he points it toward Anthony’s face.
“You ain’t got the look in your eyes, Benjamin. I know a killer when I see one… You’re not a killer. You will not shoot me. Just try and relax. Lower the gun. Let’s get out of here; your mother would hate to witness something like this. Let’s talk man-to-man, son.”
Anthony extends his right hand for a handshake as Benny approaches him slowly. The latter looks paranoid. The revolver is still pointing at his father.
“I don’t wanna see your face again. Ever. Twenty six years and, out of sudden, you want me to ignore everything and just move on? No! Fuck you!”
Benny lowers the gun and sheds a tear, which causes his father to shed tears as well.
“I will not abandon you ever again, Benjamin. In fact, I have tickets for the next show… I will not allow Dexter to cost you another opportunity. I will not allow that worthless, peon, piece of shit Kassandrah to treat you like a fuckin’ amateur. I will be there for you, son.”
They stand eye-to-eye. Benny says the following with intensity.
“FUCK. YOU!”
After that, Benny bumps onto his father’s shoulder as he walks away. Anthony just stares at his son as he wipes his cheeks with a small piece of cloth.
“Stay out of my life, asshole.”
Anthony turns to the tombstone and lowers his head before closing his eyes.
=================
~~ 03/29/2017
5:41 PM ~~
Later that day, still in Seattle, Benny Stevens stands on top of a junk car and, with a sledgehammer in hands, smashes its windows into multiple pieces. Next, he madly hits the carcass five times in a row. The pile of scrap such as junk vehicles and several types of broken objects surround the Daredevil of AWE. Benny, clearly angry, tosses the sledgehammer on the ground and climbs down the destroyed car, looking straight into the camera.
“What the fuck is wrong with you people?”
Benny takes off his jacket before tossing it on the muddy ground nearby the sledgehammer.
“Just look at the damn mess in the AWE, man… Come on. So, Kassandrah, is this some kind of retaliation? You still mad at me because I told you nothing but the truth? Actually, let’s put my personal issues aside for a moment and, instead, let’s talk about AWE as a whole. I mean, do you actually plan to take control of the company or what? It’s been a few weeks since you took over as the ‘undisputed’ COO thanks to our Resilience Champion, Dare Clemmens, but you’re still as useless as you’ve ever been. You’re pretty much proving my point, Kassandrah… As long as Tony Chu is away, the company is doomed – you’re basically lost without him. You can’t even keep your own emotions under control, let alone the whole fuckin’ company. Oh, I bet you enjoyed attacking Erica Bragg!”
Benny walks to one side and another as he speaks.
“To be honest, the fact that you cannot check yourself without Tony Chu is hilarious. Look at you… You’re an emotional wreck. It’s been, what? A fuckin’ month? About a month and you’re already going insane over the workload and its pressure. You cannot take adversities, can you? That’s something you could learn from your Resilience roster members – actually, not all of them. Trust me, some of these fools cannot handle losses. The vast majority of the people on this roster wouldn’t last a day in my shoes… I’m the definition of Resilience in this motherfucking place. I’m getting screwed over and over again, yet here I am.”
Benny smacks his chest; however, he doesn’t sound as confident as it seems.
“Don’t get me wrong, Kassandrah. This is not an ultimatum. I don’t need to do that kind of shit… So go ahead and keep screwing me over, I ain’t going anywhere anytime soon. As long as this company is alive, then so is the Daredevil of AWE. I’m sure there are several companies across the United States that wouldn’t hesitate to sign a loyal, passionate, talented athlete such as myself, but rest assured that I won’t give up on AWE. I won’t give up on my Resilience Championship campaign. I want to see my name at the motherfuckin’ top, Kassandrah… And I guarantee that I won’t rest until I make it a reality.”
Benny takes a deep breath in an attempt to calm down, but it’s not working effectively. He quickly picks up the sledgehammer and smacks the junk car one more time.
“The problem is, ghosts from the past are coming back to mess with my career, pathetic attempts to take me away from the path of glory and accomplishments that I deserve. Apparently, Kassandrah cannot put our personal issues aside, so she had to choose no one other than Dexter Severin to referee my goddamn match with Austin Gale… I can’t even decide which is worse: the fact that she’s trying to fuck with me like that, or that she was probably expecting the match to go perfectly fine; therefore, without a single interruption.”
Benny lets out a chuckle, this time, genuinely amused.
“But hey… You’d better go big or go home if you plan to fuck shit up, right? Not only have you decided to team me up with the individual that’s actually trying to ruin me, but you had to add a no disqualification stipulation to the match. Oh, on top of that, we get to face James Radford and his new pimp, Austin Gale. Wise decisions, Kassandrah.”
Benny just shakes his head, clearly disappointed after pronouncing the last sentence sarcastically.
“A goddamn mess, that’s what you’re turning the AWE into. Once again, Austin probably paid someone to get this match booked. That’s what he does, anyway… That’s all he can do. Gotta do what you gotta do, I suppose. If you can’t beat’em, then just find someone to get the job done for you. That’s your motto, right, Austin? You’re clearly lacking confidence in your in-ring abilities – that’s why you’re investing into James Radford. Honestly, it’s not a bad choice… Radford is clearly a talented competitor. After all, he’s the goddamn Alpha Cup winner! Or even better, he’s the man who handed Zack Fantana his first lost in the AWE – a feat that I tried to accomplish and failed. If only Radford was smart when it comes to the people that he associates himself with, huh?”
Benny shrugs.
“Welp… Kinda hypocrite coming from me. My partner, a man that I used to team with, wants to kill me because he thinks that I fucked his ex-wife. Not exactly a good association there, I suppose. Say whatever you want about us, but you cannot deny that I ain’t anyone’s bitch. You, on the other hand, Radford, have two people handling you like a fuckin’ puppet – ironic given the fact that one of your bosses, Austin Gale, is related to a lunatic that talks to puppets. The fact of the matter is, they say the word and you will follow them. You’re accomplishing a lot in the AWE; however, you’re lacking self-respect. You lack dignity. Anything to get to the top, right?”
Benny certainly feels better after the non-stopping rant. He sits on the hood of the junk car and lets out a chuckle.
“Radford and Gale have their own hidden agendas coming into this match, man. Unfortunately, for them, they are dealing with Benny Stevens and Dexter Severin. Hey, my partner wants to kill me, but this is some nostalgic shit. The Sons of Swag… So, I, once again, would like to ask you people the following: are you sure that y’all are not the ones getting played? Let me tell y’all something, The Song of Swag took over Texas during their prime – we, as a team, defeated former World Champions and hall of famers. What makes you think that we would put hoes before bros? Once a brother, always a brother. You, Radford, and you, Gale, are probably laughing at the fact that Dexter and I are having altercations both on Twitter and in-person, but trust me; I am the one who is going to laugh last.”
Benny gets up to his feet and grins as he looks to the camera.
“There’s but one thing I can tell you advance, gentlemen… You cannot predict the moves of a Daredevil.”
He winks and leaps out of the car’s hood, landing gracefully on the muddy ground.
“Make my day, folks!”