Gunn/Hawke/Strife Vs. Goode/Hampton/Willis

Streets of downtown Baltimore



Sebastian’s head is buzzing. As he finishes his drink and deposits the cup in the trash, he exits Starbucks and takes the time to put his earphones in to drown out the noise of a bustling downtown area. It’s not that he’s intimidated by the noise, but he would rather listen to something else. Turning the volume just right, Sebastian proceeds to walk to his apartment. After celebrating his and Axton’s triumph over Dragon Lady and Adrienne, Sebastian had spent a healthy amount of time training. This afternoon was actually the first time he’d been outside of his apartment and not working out; it felt nice. Hell, it was even with his soon to be opponent, and from the looks of things, Sebastian walked away from the experience with a new friend. It was certainly refreshing and instantly gratifying that Jon wasn’t one to try to instantly rip out Sebastian’s windpipe on sight. His phone goes off and Sebastian’s eyes casually flicker to the screen on his phone, showing the most recent alert, a text from his father demanding he get home ASAP. With a roll of his eyes, Seb ignores the alert and continues making his way through the throng of people.



It wasn’t that Sebastian didn’t love his parents, he did. They WERE his parents and were responsible for gifting the world with Sebastian’s sense of humor and moderately ok looks. Over the years though, Sebastian found himself, he had no desire to follow in his father’s footsteps and the few times he was able to get out of the house to a friend’s, he always found himself fascinated by fathers that actually treated their sons with love and respect. Sebastian could only imagine how bad it was for his mother right now… She never stood up for herself to begin with, but without Sebastian to provide a focal point for his father’s rage? The young Hawke shudders, but continues moving. His father was going to have to wait. He wasn’t anything more in Sebastian’s life than a massive shadow blocking him from seeing forward and now that Seb had finally had a taste of what life outside that shadow was like?



He wasn’t going to go back.

---

Sebastian’s Rental Car 


Sebastian shouldn’t have been surprised. But, considering who he was and who he was currently sharing a rental car with, he could barely contain his excitement. After being sent the address of where Dom’s training area was, Sebastian couldn’t help but to do some clever Google mapping and saw exactly what he was getting into. Before he had departed to go pick up the car and Axton, Sebastian made SURE he had all of his old ring gear from his days as a backyard wrestling persona. The flashy stuff was fun for sure and who honestly didn’t love the effect of lights on sequined pants? The place they were going though? It didn’t NEED that. Pulling out his worn wrestling boots and trying them on, grateful they still fit, as well as his old wrestling tights, Sebastian felt that old flame rise up and start to engulf him again. Was this what people spoke about when trying to define passion?



The drive to Dom’s wasn’t long, but it followed a lot of long roads with nothing on them. Axton didn’t seem up to do much talking, so Seb stayed in his head as much as he could. He understood, from what he saw on Twitter and everywhere else, Ax had his emotions go through a meat grinder and was now trying to reform them into a patty of wholeness. He couldn’t imagine what his tag partner was going through and Sebastian still wasn’t sure where they stood presently as friends. Were they friends? Were they going to be friends? Did asking these questions to himself make Sebastian crazy or seem desperate?



Smiling awkwardly at the almost unconscious Ax, Sebastian feels a rush of relief float over him, realizing that the conversation was still all going on in his head. Finally finding the landmark he was told to look for, Sebastian turns and let’s his mouth hang open in awe as he parks. The area brings him back to training at a friend’s place, away from the noise and the crowds. A place that would allow him to focus on what he was doing in the ring, providing entertainment for anyone paying attention. There’s still something off about it though. He’s almost instantly grateful that Dom chooses that moment to walk up. Forever his “cool” self, Sebastian steps out of the car and smiles in what he hopes is an expression that conveys he knows what he’s doing.



“This is a step away from the ‘big city.’” Sebastian hopes he sounds like he knew what he was talking about. He was never good at first impressions.



"That it is. I'd still lock your doors though," Dom warns as he motions toward the car. "It looks like a nice neighborhood, but they'll still jack your radio. Then how would you listen to the new Skull Fractures album?"



Sebastian laughs lightly, relaxing at the joke. “Who says I need a stereo?” He looks back at Axton, still seated in the passenger seat, the rockstar's gaze focused elsewhere. While Dom goes to rouse the him Sebastian stays put, gently placing his gear bag beside him. Nevada wasn’t known for its foliage, so anything that wasn’t barely surviving crispy grass was a new experience for him. Breathing in the fresh air he can feel his spirit soar. This was exactly what he needed to feel like himself again. Being joined by Dom and Axton once again, Seb follows the duo as he takes in his surroundings, excited to see what comes next.



“...the ‘yard. Better name still pending of course.”



Sebastian’s voice caught in his throat as he took in the three local talents already there, the ring set up with a makeshift roof overhead to protect from the elements. “THIS is more like it!” Even to Sebastian, his voice sounds too eager and he vaguely notes to tone it down some.



"It ain't much, but what she lacks in grace she makes up for in total obscurity," Dom said.



“Sounds like my first ex.”



Sebastian smiles at Axton’s quip before blurting out everything that’s on his mind without really pausing to consider if it was a good idea or not. “No, no… This is exactly where I learned how to wrestle; backyard stuff. This is all SUPER familiar and it feels… Right, ya know? Like… If I’m going to refocus and get back to where I was having fun with this…” A dark look comes over his eyes as he picked his bag back up off the ground. “Anyways, this is great dude.” Sebastian chose to sink back into his head as Dom leads Sebastian and Axton to the back.



Hawke sighs to himself. He came into Carnage, so sure he’d be well received in the locker room. Had Twitter for all of twelve hours and already had his first match against a man who was resolved to forever call him, ‘kid.’ The word echoed in his head, a callback to past memories that Sebastian wasn’t willing to go toward right now. It was time to focus on getting back to where he WAS when he fell in love with being in the ring. Backstage drama be damned, this was what really mattered. Entertainment. Not just for Sebastian, but for everyone watching him work. He never thought he’d be tagging with anyone. But from secretly watching wrestling since he knew how, Sebastian could see the magic of a well oiled team versus that of people who just didn’t synch together. As they round a corner and come up to the actual training area, Sebastian casts a glance at both of his partners for Chaos 100. Maybe it was just his desire for something more than being cast into the seas of oblivion and jobbing, but he could feel the same potential for that magic.



‘Giddy’ would be an appropriate word to describe the feeling Sebastian feels bubbling up inside of him as Dom introduces Rob, Mike, and Danny. Flashing back to the people he learned the sport with, Sebastian barely hears Axton introduce him. Feeling it appropriate, Sebastian waves at the trio before asking Dom about changing. Sebastian could barely contain his excitement to get started. He isn’t sure what he said as he was departing, but quickly found the makeshift locker room and changed his clothes. He can feel a smile forming across his lips the more of his old gear he put on. He feels like himself again.



This is it… This is his turning point, and maybe he isn’t destined to be a singles competitor. But if he became part of one of the most entertaining teams Carnage, nay… The INDUSTRY has seen, he was going to give it his all.

---

Fort McHenry

Baltimore, MD



A breezy fall day and as the wind casually blows leaves around, Sebastian strolls up to the camera, already rolling.



“Hello! Uh… Sebastian Hawke here!”



He scratches his head and comes closer to the camera, picking it up from where it was propped and looks into the lens, “Ok, so that wasn’t as smooth and suave as I would have hoped to come across as, but hey, I try.” He winks and starts to stroll along the tourist path he’s on, waving at the few people that have started to recognize him. Spinning around, a smile on his face, Sebastian enjoys the warmth of the fun and the chill in the air that fall brought with it before once again addressing the camera in his hand.



“Sorry, favorite season and whatnot. There’s just nothing better than a day that’s perfectly balanced between sun and chill. That isn’t why I’ve brought you here today though Legion! No, I’m here today to address mine, Axton’s, and Dom’s opponents come the biggest anniversary Carnage has seen, Chaos 100!” He raises his arms in the air, his voice loud with excitement. He tones it down though and lowers his arms as he continues his stroll.



“Now, nothing against Jon Willis or Harry Hampton. They are both amazing competitors and people in their own right. Just this past week, I had a chance to sit down with Jon and not a sour note was exchanged between us, both of us agreeing that together, the six of us are going to steal the show! How’s THAT for sportsmanship?



No, I’d like to address the third member of that trio, Eli Goode.”



Sebastian smirks to himself as he digs his hands in the pockets of his jacket.



“A match isn’t a match without opposition, so first off I want to say that there’s nothing personal going on here. Eli is… An amazing talent for Carnage to have. I know, not everyone would exactly see things that way, but if you all don’t mind some time, I’ll tell you all about it.” Another wink as Sebastian walks by a monument, dedicated to a battle in 1814 when the fort fended off a British war fleet.



“Twenty-four hours Eli. One entire day. This fort withstood a massive fleet of British warships. Not just some puny fleet either. We’re talking ten ships, five bomb ketches, and a friggin rocket vessel. Imagine, standing here on the shore and having all of that coming at you, yet for centuries afterward, you’re still left standing, a testament to what a constitution that the gods and goddesses of Olympus would envy. Do you look in the mirror, Eli, and see that? How many years have you spent in Carnage, sweating, bleeding, FIGHTING for what you believe? Like a rocket of 1814 in the Battle of Baltimore, you soar higher and higher. You make it to the top even, earning your rightfully earned title match. You’ve made it to the top of the food chain in the Baltimore City division. Ultraviolent. Have you had a World Title opportunity lately Eli? Have you put in the years of service, proven your fortitude just enough… To be considered to lead this company into the next era?”



Sebastian shrugs and moves on down the path.



“Time will tell, but history isn’t your friend Eli. You make it to the top of each respective mountain and when it comes to gut check time, you fall. I don’t know if it’s timing, nerves, or the champion at the time is just that much better than you. I’m not the person to give that opinion, though I’m sure you can put on an instant classic. It’s like… Zeus himself came down from The Mount and gifted you, a mere mortal, with demi-god powers. Jack Michaels gave you a lot to handle when he gave you a spot in Paragon. I wasn’t here for the events but from what I watched on tv back home, you were at the top of your game. Now?”



Sebastian shrugs again.



“It’s like that old mythos with Icarus. The dude that got his wings and flew too close to the sun, scorching them to nothing, and having what I would assume is a dreadful fall back to Earth. Being on the outside looking in, I can only see you falling Eli. You scramble, you claw, and by the gods do you FIGHT. But when it comes to it? You’re no Fort McHenry.”



Sebastian turns toward the camera, pulling his blue tinted glasses down his nose.



“I did NOT mean that to sound that way! It’s just…”



Sebastian’s face flushes with color before he looks up and starts strolling again.



“I could throw out so many adages about the people not learning from their history are only doomed to repeat it. I could tell you that as one of the newest on the roster, I’m going to outshine you in every aspect of the way, the NEW Eli Goode. I could say all of these things Eli, but what good would that do either of us? Instead… I’ve decided to adopt a new outlook on life. A ruleset that points my direction in the storm that is my future. No matter what, I… No, together with Axton and Dom, WE will put the fun back into this sport, actually ENTERTAIN as opposed to get involved in all of the backstage drama and politics. Bosses… They all suck. I have yet to encounter one that I’ve actually liked. It isn’t worth it and look at the state of the locker room, it’s like a black cloud hangs over everyone’s head instead of looking to the future and asking themselves, ‘What can I do to have some fun for once?’”



Sebastian’s flashes a smile at the lens that could light up a room.



“So in the spirit of having fun with my flowering career here in Carnage Eli, Jon, and Harry; I only ask that you bring your best. You try and make me eat all of those words I just said because the more you try, the better this match will be. We have the ability, the six of us in that ring, to steal the show from the legends and champions alike. Let’s say that we make you look just that much better Eli, as you rocket your way back up those ranks to get as close to that sun as you can. Just, be careful you don’t get burned.”



Sebastian winks at the camera as he closes the lens and ends the promo.

---

Dom’s Training Facility



Sebastian had never had that much fun training. Axton and he already had a head start in working together, to feel each other out in order to start building a chemistry the likes of which have yet to be seen in Carnage. Of course adding Dom to the mix added to the equation and while the beginning of the impromptu “match” was rough, it eventually turned into a well oiled machine Sebastian wouldn’t have thought possible after just one session. With an official match coming up around the corner, at possibly the biggest anniversary event that Seb had ever been a part of, there was no telling what the future held for the trio; but Sebastian could picture in his mind’s eye all three of them having a good time along the way.



It was that thought that pushed Sebastian to step back and share the light of the ring with his new team members. Soon, the bumps became fewer and like masters of equilibrium, Sebastian, Axton, and Dom started to learn to enhance each other’s strengths and cover each other at their weakest. There was no way they’d lose at 100. None.



"I wasn't a big believer in makin' this a career. I just needed the money. But I guess you get addicted to the rush. Ain't nothing like it."



“And you look hella good doing it,” Axton commented with a sagely nod.



The conversation between the two brings Sebastian out of his reverie as he nods his head as quick as he could. Enthusiasm and exhaustion weren’t great bedfellows. “Practice makes better after all…” Seb could hear how tired he was with every word he got out, but he couldn’t feel better about it. He leaned his back against the closest ring post, enjoying the coolness against his bare skin and throwing his legs up on the apron.



“A gym is all well and good, but there’s no… Camaraderie there? Like… You go to a gym and you don’t give two shits about the people around you. Stuff like this?” He gestures to the empty ring, “THIS is where you learn the type of wrestler you are. Who you like to work with, who you don’t…”



Axton’s laugh interrupts Sebastian. “You always find out real fast who you don’t.” Sebastian smiles and agrees with a laugh of his own before continuing. “This just takes me back to days of getting ready for my first backyard show.” Sebastian smiles at the memory. Excited for his chance to finally get into the ring for his first match EVER, he ran in during a battle royal and tripped, nailing his chin on the apron and getting almost instantly flipped out after making it into the ring. “I flopped of course, but once you feel that… kick of adrenaline, there’s nothing like it. Find it hard to believe I’ve actually MADE it this far. There’s always been so many rumors of people who come from the same background, and just… never get into a place.”



“Any performance sport is at least half luck getting in, and knowing the right people,” the musician said, tossing Dom another cold bottle of water from the cooler.



Dom cracked open the new bottle as he nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Hell, that’s kind of how it is for any business. Depends on who you know.”



Sebastian falls silent, taking another drink of water and contemplating the landscape of ‘the business.’ There was something bugging him from the moment he signed his contract, something that almost robbed him of his goal of just coming in and having fun. “What I don’t like? Once everyone gets a taste of what it’s like to be out there, they forget how to have fun and do whatever they can to crush all remnants of the like out. Good guys face off against bad guys and that’s all well and good but… Everyone is SO serious in doing it. I started this to have fun, ya know?”



Sebastian again fell silent. He didn’t appreciate the condescending attitudes of the 'vets' around him. It was like they all forgot what it was like to be in their first ever professional company and frowned upon the people who dare come in and threaten their world views. Sebastian was sure that Mitch had his own reasons for being the unbelievable, condescending prick that he was to the young Hawke during his debut and after. Everyone applauded Sebastian for accepting the match and even surviving; which lasted a whole day before it was right back to being called 'kid' again. Proving oneself should ascend them beyond being called stupid pet names that implyed they were looked down upon, scum upon the Earth. Mitch called it a 'persecution complex.' Sebastian called it asking for respect and the other party being too involved in their own stuff to realize that they were being offensive.



It didn’t matter to bring it up though. Anything said about it now would be judged harshly by the leaders and examples in the company. Instead, lesson learned, Sebastian was ready to move on in Carnage. His tag team victory over Dragon Lady and Adrienne gave him a boost of confidence that he had been waiting on and made him feel almost as if his debut never happened, like he got a clean slate and he took every advantage of it. Dragon Lady not believing in his apology stung of course, but there was no sense in dwelling on it. Not everyone was going to like him and if they didn’t believe him to be genuine? That was on them.



There was booty to be kicked and fun to be had. Sebastian was psyched to prepare to do both. Snapping out of his reverie, Sebastian raises his bottle in salute to Axton claiming that, “everyone takes things too seriously.” Mitch Heart’s scowl will always be burned, etched, and branded into Seb’s mind’s eye and he shudders to himself. What he wouldn’t give for a chance to go back in time and shock the world.



“What if we could change that?”



Axton’s voice snaps Sebastian to attention as the young rockstar confirms to Dom that he did indeed, have an idea. As Seb listened, his smile grew wider and wider, his eyes growing bigger with every word that Axton said. He could feel the excitement, the energy of what was destined to be something great. Suddenly, Sebastian’s pipe dream of bringing a sense of fun to a sport lined with dark tidings wasn’t so far out of reach.


What if indeed?