Strife/Hawke vs AFH/Poppy

I'm not insidious...

...or at least I don't think that I am. A few months ago I was caught in the middle of this whirlwind worldwide pandemic. At my age, I was just trying to find my way in the world. I wasn't looking for a place to belong... I just needed a place. I was sure that I didn't belong anywhere. I knew that I was going to be on my own.

Money's hard to come by normally when you're young and have no discernible skills. I had a good life up until the moment that my father kicked me out. I tried wrestling as a need... as a means of supplementing my income. I couldn't even afford wrestling school. I didn't know that I'd be good at it. I didn't know that the fighting would help me release some of the pent up anger and aggression I kept hidden from the world at large. I didn't know that I'd be getting a shot at the local promotion that literally everyone has heard of.

I didn't know that I'd find a place to fit in.

But let me be clear. As far I'm concerned, the jury's still out on that. I'm one bad fall, one misstep, one poor decision away from having it all taken away again. Thin ice and a short leash together? Even I'm not sure that I'm cut out for this place. The main difference between then and now is that I know where I want to be. I want to be in Carnage Wrestling, making a living in front of a crowd watching me go through my bi-weekly therapy sessions on some poor soul's face. (Does a soul even have a face? It doesn't matter.)

Now that I know where I want to be, my only problem is knowing how to stay.

I'm not a bad person, I think. But I've done bad things. I'll continue to do bad things, too, if that's what it takes.

Whatever it takes, I have to keep reminding myself over and over and over again.

Whatever it takes.

---

Everyone loves a hero. But not everyone loves me.

After a little Twitter spat with she-who-can-do-no-wrong told me everything that I needed to know about where I stand with the Legion and the locker room, I decided to let my actions speak the distances that my words could not travel.

I'm not insidious. But whatever it takes, right?

The heroes in Carnage Wrestling like to talk up their good deeds. Take threatening anyone and everyone in order to 'protect' she-whom-I-refuse-to-directly-name. (I thought she could protect herself?) In my own way, I just had to take it one step further. I promised on social media that I'd drive down to inner-city Baltimore and clean up the place. When the time came, I wasn't sure how I was going to accomplish, well, anything. But it was more about showing them that it takes actions to be a good person.

Even if my motives were bad.

The illusion of purity hanging in the balance, I found myself once again saved by the grace of my sister's best friend Isla Burke and the unlikely bond that had been forged with the other two members of the Entourage. Together, the four of us took to an old rusty pick-up truck and a rental car to do what so many others and regimes of city government failed to do. We were going to make Baltimore a better place.

"He keeps mumbling something about a horseshoe?" Sebastian asked with his head sticking through the back window of the truck.

Our passenger, who was riding illegally in the bed of the truck, was too sus(picious) to ride in the rental with Isla and Ax. He had tattered, filth-ridden clothes and frizzy hair that most likely hosted several parasites. He smelled like cheap wine and regret, though he was in the back and I was driving.

"Ahh, he must be talking about the casino." My eyes darted from side to side at every traffic light, looking for that stray patrol car. "It's the new one they just put up about a year ago near the stadiums."

"I thought I saw something about that when we were at the Royal Farms Arena for 100," Sebastian replied. "You think they're gonna let our friend in?"

"I seriously doubt that he's going there to get in."

"What do you mean?"

The thing I learned quickly about being stablemates with a couple of west-coasters is how little they understood of inner-city Baltimore. I'm not sure what it's like in Vegas, or LA, but here, there's desperation... and plenty of it to go around. Most stop-lights there are people with change cups or kids with window spray and squeegees. This is the place that I come from. You either figure life out, or you don't.

There's just way too much 'don't' around here.

"He's probably goin' there to beg the winners for a few bucks."

"Huh?" Sebastian yelled, as the truck's movement made hearing him next to impossible again.

I grabbed him by the back of the shirt and pulled his head back into the cab.

"Hey man, when I said 'keep an eye on him', I didn't mean you had to have your head poking out over him the whole time."

"Oh," He remarked as he kept his glare on our passenger. "We still taking him to the casino though? I seriously doubt that they're going to let him in looking like that. Maybe we should take him to get cleaned up first?"

I shook my head.

"Look man, I don't know what you know about hitchhikers. But let me just lay it all out for ya. We'll be lucky we get him to the casino before he kills us."

Sebastian laughed.

"He ain't gonna kill us, dude. I mean look at us. We're the Entourage, either one of us could take him on his best day and our worst."

"Yeah... but what if he's got a knife? Or a gun? Or even worse, a hypodermic needle? I don't know about you, but I didn't exactly frisk Horseshoe Bob before he hopped in the back."

"His name's Bob?" Hawke asked.

"I dunno- I just made it up." I sighed. "I just want to get Bob back here up to the casino like he wanted so Bob feels like somebody helped him today."

"But if we were really trying to help him, wouldn't we-"

I gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"No. Because Baltimore is a big fucking city, Sea Bass. All I want to do is make some sort of impact, okay? That's why we brought the truck." I stammered, "I- I-... I didn't think we'd be picking up hitchhiking bums and taking them to places where they'd get arrested... assuming we don't get arrested in the process. I wanted to go to some vacant lots and fill up the truck with trash or something-"

"We can still do that." Hawke chimed in.

"Not if I'm picking up every motherfucker standing on a street corner!" I snapped back. "Can you at least check on Bob again? It's been at least fifteen seconds since the last time you looked and he's making me real uncomfortable."

Sebastian glanced back.

"Uhh, Dom?"

"What?"

"I'm pretty sure Bob's asleep. Or at least I hope he's asleep."

"What do you mean you hope?"

"Well, there's only two options, the way he looks right now. Asleep or-"

"Don't. Even. Say it." I shuddered because of the bone chilling sensation that crept up my spine. "How in the hell am I going to explain to cops how a dead guy ended up in the back of my truck?"

"I don't know, Dom. You want me to check on him? I think I can fit through the window if you can try to not hit any bumps or something."

"Oh dear God no. Just wait until I stop, okay?" I replied. "Last thing I'd need is two dead guys in the back of my truck."

Sebastian laughed.

"Wouldn't go over too well with CSJ if you killed your partner before our big tag match."

I scoffed. "Yeah, like I'm real worried about what CSJ thinks right now."

"Speaking of, what were you doing in CSJ's office at the end of 100 anyway?"




We carefully dropped 'Bob' off at the outskirts of the casino with the hope that he'd do me the favor of forgetting my name and face. Thankfully, he was alive. It was merely substance abuse that had caused him to take a nap in the bouncing bed of a moving truck.

I was less thankful and more anxious to finally be rid of our excess passenger. The crazy part about this whole idea was I couldn't afford to have any of this traced back to me. C$J wasn't really on my mind, but since it had been brought up, he did make it clear that if I wanted to remain employed by Carnage Wrestling that I'd have to get rid of my truck.

I wasn't exactly ready to do it. Sure, I made enough on Carnage salary that I probably could afford a truck payment... maybe. But this old rust-bucket was fully paid off and in my name. Her only problem was that she was too ugly on the outside for people to see that she still had a lot left to offer under the hood. I guess I appreciate that more than most... at least, I assume.

Finally we had come to a stop at a place that was more in-tune with my original idea. A vacant lot. The four of us. The kind of place that looked like somewhere 'Bob' would go to waste away a few more hours of his life.

We weren't allowed to be there. We didn't ask anyone permission to clean the place up. We kinda just started doing it. Gloves, safety goggles, bright orange protective hats. Heroes don't wait when they see a person or a place in desperate need. They just do what has to be done to make things right.

I'm not insidious, but perhaps I could have gotten Isla to take a few more pictures of us working.

Whatever it takes.

"You know Dom, this is actually the most fun I've had in awhile." Axton Gunn, the multi-millionaire who also happens to be the lead singer of his own band that just released the album Skull Fractures, casually blurted out with a stack of termite-chewed 2x4's in his arms, and grime all over his loaner Strife Delivery Tee. "It's nice to be able to give back."

"Yeah, it really is." Hawke said in reply to him, with a load of black-rotten plywood just a few steps behind.

"I'm glad at least you guys are having a good time." I replied with a glance over at Iz.

Isla looked stunning as ever, though she was dressed to work all the same. I guess it didn't really matter what she wore. She always commanded my attention. As the boys were loading up the materials she was in the back organizing them along the bed of the truck so that we could fit as much as we could before taking it all off to the dump.

"You do realize that it'll take us a week to clean up this lot at this rate," She replied, "You might want to think about getting a bigger truck before we do this again."

"I don't want a bigger truck-" I growled as I hurled my own pile of debris into the back.

"Seriously Dom, how many times do I need to ask you this before you finally take me up on my offer?"

I glanced over at Axton and rolled my eyes.

"I dunno Ax," I replied. "How about we set a solid number and when you get to it, then I'll be willing to take a small loan from you or something. At least that way we'll be on the same page moving forward."

"How small are we talking?" Ax shrugged. "Are we talking 500 grand... or less? Because seriously, if we really want to get this business up and running to the point where we can make a real dent... I wouldn't go any lower than 250k. No interest, obvi."

Two-Hundred and Fifty Thousand dollars.

That's a small loan.

I shook my head vigorously.

"No no, absolutely not." I balked when I probably should have taken him up on his offer. I just couldn't. In my heart of hearts, there was something that just seemed so wrong about taking Axton's money right now. "I'm doing good right now and if we can just keep up the roll we've been on. I'm sure winning those tag-titles will go a long way into building the business. Then we can definitely help the city a lot more."

A lot more than a certain Baltimore City Champion anyway...

"Then we need to really kick Insidious' ass next week, huh?" Hawke added with a cheshire grin on his face.

"...I'm not insidious..."

I looked up, and all of the other three members of the Entourage were just staring at me like I said something...

...did I say it aloud?

"Wwwhat I meant was, I... I mean... we're not Insidious... because look at us. We're not in-fighting, taking down our own leader for some stupid power-grab in a faction that nobody really cares about anyway. We're the Entourage, we have no real leader, and yet we get stuff done and we have fun while doing it. No knifing ninjas involved."

“Unless we were the ninjas the whole time,” Axton said as he scratched his jaw thoughtfully. “...On second thought, nah… ninjas are overdone. We’re too cool for ninjas.”

"You think we'd know if we're the ninjas." I replied. "We don't even carry knives."

"Speak for yourself, Dom." Isla replied as she held up her box-cutter.

"Ooh, you know what?" Sea Bass chimed in. "This gives me an idea for our promo."

Oh Lord, here we go.

"What if?" Sebastian had that brightness in his eyes that let us all know beforehand that his idea was going to be a doozy. "We did a play. Julius Caesar. I could be Thor, as Caesar. And you could be-"

"Let me guess." I stopped him right there. "I"m Brutus. AKA Ninja Brutus. And I stab Thor in the back, correct?"

"...well I was thinking less ninjas but yeah, we can totally remake the plight of Insidious and show how dumb and cliche they really are."

I was thinking at the time that it was a huge mistake. Why would we want to piss off the people that were willing to literally stab their own leader? (Or at the very least get ninjas to do it.) I didn't want to get stabbed. Not by Homeless Bob and surely not by Ninjasidious, either. But as I looked around, both Axton and Isla seemed really into it.

"If you're going to do it, you boys had better go all out." Isla replied. "You should get costumes and everything."

"I know, right?!" Sebastian responded full of enthusiasm.

"There really is no excuse. With Halloween coming up close and all."

"How's about when we're done with work for the day we all drive to that mall Dom was talkin' about and hit up the Spirit Halloween?" Axton asked. “I gotta stock up on glow in the dark glitter anyway. No reason.”

I was trying not to get upset, or at the very least, not show it. I wanted to facepalm but instead I plastered on my best smile and nodded my head in agreeance. We were a team, performing a team-building exercise, but I really didn't feel like these guys understood me at all. Or perhaps, I didn't understand them.

The Entourage was supposed to be fun. I'm not insidious, but having a shot at the Carnage Wrestling Tag-Team championships means a lot to me. I've already had to go through the feelings of uncertainty and 'not being good enough' after I squandered my last opportunity at Carnage gold. To me, those championships were a golden key that would unlock the door of stability in my life. I wasn't sure where my career would take me but I would feel damn sure that CW brass would treat me better as one of their champions.

After all, that's kinda what I went into CSJ's office for...

"Yeah, I suppose we can do that." I said with a bit of a sigh. "But we've got to get done here first."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Isla replied. "The truck's almost full. You boys work fast."

“That’s what she said,” Axton muttered.

But then again, this whole wrestling thing was supposed to be something where I could find my place in the world. If I can't have fun along the way, then what's the point? And I guess that's really why I'm not insidious, and neither are the rest of the Entourage.

It's not about what we don't have. It's about appreciating what we've got. Insidious, and the self-proclaimed evil people that have branded themselves as such... they're never satisfied. Beating us and going on to win the tournament and hell, even the Tag-Team Championships... that would only serve so that they could rub it in people's faces.

The moment someone... anyone... mentions that they still suck?

Well then we all know they'd go right back to the grumble-grumble, angry-mad, stabby-stabby ninja bullshit.

Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to help clean up Baltimore city. Maybe I was as guilty as they are, trying to prove to the world that I'm a hero when I'm really not. But at least I'm willing to admit that I'm still learning. There's a part of me that wishes I could go back and not try to poke a thumb in Harry Hampton's eye-socket and yet there's a part of me that would do it all again because I thought that was my best shot at being a champion.

The point is... if there is a point that is... is that... I don't really know what I need to do to advance my career, my ambition, my goals, and my life. But I know that I've somehow surrounded myself with some damn good people along the way.

"You know what? As long as we don't use real knives. I think stabbing Sah'ta Thorious Caesar might actually be a bit of fun."

---

A place for drama, comedy, and various other forms of expressing emotion. The actors on the stage come out to make the audience feel a specific way and like a veteran puppet master, leads them all on a story where they have complete control. At least, that’s how Sebastian Hawke has always viewed acting as he steps out onto a brightly lit stage clad in a toga over his Entourage t-shirt and jeans, his bright purple converse squeaking against the floor.

Sebastian Thor: Good evening to all!

The only member of the audience, Axton Gunn claps and whoops loudly as Sebastian smiles, the camera in the far back of the theatre beaming it’s red power light in his direction.

Sebastian Thor: Thank you. I am here tonight to tell you of an epic tale. Now, I could go back to the legends of old, Julius Caesar, at the height of power killed by the very people that he was ruling over. There are various legends out there that could be discussed, but why delve into ancient history when we could, and should focus on the present? So with that, I will NOT be doing my best Julius Caesar, but instead move to…

A back drop falls down from on high with a little confetti coming down. On the backdrop is displayed, “Carnage Wrestling’s own Entourage proudly presents: Insidiously Thor!”

Sebastian glances back at the backdrop and looks back forward, smiling as he begins to pace the stage.

Sebastian Thor: Carnage Wrestling! My name is Nathaniel Thor and due to my old age, I am incredibly thor…

He pauses as Axton laughs along with the prompt. Forever a professional, Sebastian continues,

Sebastian Thor: I am leader of an evil group of people and together we form a group that moves about subtly under the currents of the popular mainstream, slowly, but with forever harmful effects. We are, Insidious!

Lightning crackles as Sebastian Thor raises his arms up into the air, Axton playing along as an audience member. Sebastian Thor lowers his arms as the lighting returns to normal.

Sebastian Thor: I am on my way to being KILLED by a terminal disease and I refuse to allow nature to run its course! I was born unto this ring and I shall die in it, under my own terms! Now watch as I win a title, forget that someone beat me for it, and I, being as thor and old as I am, conveniently forgot! But I am now going to reveal my ultimate weapon, my matches determined by a Wheel of Dismay!

A malignant looking wheel of fortune is shoved out behind Thor as he turns it, clicking until it stops on “Ultimate Discomfort.” While Sebastian Thor is doing all of this, Dominick sneaks into the shadows on stage, a dummy tied to half his body. They sneak around Sebastian Thor as he looks wide eyed and scared toward the camera. His voice suddenly less confident, Sebastian Thor begins speaking again, unaware that Dominic Fredrick Strife and Dum-ubi continue to get closer and closer to him.

Sebastian Thor: Well, that is rather unfortunate but I must abide by my own rules! I shall look foolish against Adrienne Levi and fall at the hands of Mac Bane! It doesn’t matter though because at least I have my family, Insidious, who have no ill will against me, at my side!

Suddenly, Dominick Fredrick Strife and Dum-ubi attack, stabbing Sebastian Thor in the back with an obvious prop knife!

Sebastian Thor falls to his knees, his voice weak as he slowly dies, but is able to get in his final monologue.

Sebastian Thor: E tu? That… That was insidiously cruel of you! How, why? My heart, it fails! I just wish… I… Had time for one… Last… Monologue.

The lights dim on the stage as Axton stands to give ovation. Sebastian hops back up to his feet and bows with Dominic as they both throw off their costumes and take center stage.

Axton Gunn: Whoop whoop! Bravo, bravo! Encore, encore!

Sebastian Hawke: That might have been slightly over the top, but these days? Who can really tell? Who needs production value when you have natural born talent though, and Dom, that was amazing for your first time on stage!

Dom takes a bow and Sebastian applauds him, before continuing.

Sebastian Hawke: It all seems over done doesn’t it? We could have gone any ol’ place and told the world about how Dominick Strife and Sebastian Hawke of The Entourage are going to beat Insidious ten worlds to Sunday.

Dominick nods in agreeance, taking the mic from Sebastian.

Dominick Strife: But where is the fun in the mundane? There's already enough mundane going around. Insidious is making a career off of it.

He tosses the mic back to Sebastian who catches it deftly and paces the stage, treating the opportunity to give a theatrical monologue with Dominick as backup.

Sebastian Hawke: We could have told you, shouted it from the rooftops, but the catch with that is that it has all been done before. We’re here to show you the road less travelled, to open eyes up to the wonders that have either been long forgotten or have yet to be seen. From the broodiest of Thors, to the giddiest of--well--let’s use me as an example. Let’s use Dom, or Ax. It doesn’t matter because AFH and Poppy have committed acts that are in direct violation of any kind of definition of “fun.”

Dom comes up behind a frustrated Sebastian and puts a hand on his shoulder. Seb’s shoulders slump and he once again begins pacing, slightly calmer.

Sebastian Hawke: Sorry, but when you make a mistake, the people at the top have a tendency to look down upon you from on high and cast their judgment. People a little higher up look down and cast judgement based on the people they look up to, so on and so forth. This downward trend fell upon Ax, when he made a mistake and let his emotions control his entrance into this esteemed business. He dropped one of the most popular up-and-coming people on their head and to the DAY people have yet to stop talking about it, despite the fact that the two have made amends. Dom came in with high hopes and got them squished after making it to the top of a prestigious title tournament and getting stopped shy by a man who we defeated as part of a unit at Chaos 100. Me? I came in ready to make a positive impression, let my own passions dictate my interactions and got myself into hot water with one of the heaviest hitters this industry has to offer. Do I respect Mitch Heart now more than then? Sure. But that doesn’t change the fact that respect should be a two way street. I feel that I’ve earned something for even showing up to that match but…

Axton has joined the two on stage and this time Dom and Ax both put a hand on Sebastian’s shoulders to stop him.

Dominick Strife: What my esteemed partner at Havoc is saying, is that Insidious has done more than enough to deserve the patronizing backlash we get, if not more so. Where is their judgment, living in their past failures and taking out their frustrations a month after the fact on a leader who is just as irrelevant?

Sebastian springs from the other two’s grasp, taking center stage.

Sebastian Hawke: DOES ANYONE EVEN KNOW WHO THOSE PEOPLE ARE ANYMORE?!

He raises his arms into the sky and if this had been an actual theatrical production, thunder and lightning would crackle behind the young star. Instead Axton steps forward and gently pulls Sebastian back again as Dom takes position.

Axton Gunn: Bruh.

Dominick Strife: Our point is--these people put on a bunch of pomp and circumstance during a time in Carnage that we weren’t even present for. They promised woe and despair and other than what they did to Sah'ta I'm not really buying it. They drew the ire of most of the roster just because they talked a lot but never even brought out a stick to defend themselves with.

Finally recovering and calming down, Sebastian rejoins Dom.

Dominick Strife: You good?

Sebastian nods.

Sebastian Hawke: Yeah, just… Want to move on and wish people would stop judging us and let us do it.

He shakes his head and takes a deep breath.

Sebastian Hawke: But that’s not the point here. AFH and Poppy. Two members of Insidious, stabbing their Thor in the back, and now looking to make a splash by coming from obscurity and taking on a team of young and up and comers looking to make a splash of our own. We could have done something boring, a prerecorded promo in some library…

Axton Gunn: A podcast?

Dominick Strife: A public signing as we talk smack.

Sebastian agrees.

Sebastian Hawke: But if anyone doesn’t treat every time they are in that ring as a chance to shine, a chance to demonstrate that the extraordinary can happen in a match tossed together because people had no idea what to do with us. THIS is OUR moment, NOT any other team. We don’t care who you are.

Dominick Strife: What you’ve done.

Sebastian Hawke: Or what your goals in this match are. The Entourage is the group to watch. We’re taking the world by storm and we’re going to make sure that we leave a smile on your face. As far as Insidious goes?

Sebastian shrugs nonchalantly.

Sebastian Hawke: They came into power for all of five seconds before being squished the last time their names were mentioned in Carnage. Since then they haven’t been seen or heard of, and their first act of coming back in a big way was to take out a man who isn’t just elderly, but just went through a hellacious match of his own. Not saying that you guys are something that we’re overlooking.

Dom comes up from behind Sebastian and puts a hand on his shoulder, giving his most award winning smile at the camera.

Dominick Strife: I kinda am, but that’s only because I had to Google their name before I knew who we were up against.

The trio share a laugh before Hawke continues.

Sebastian Hawke: You were smited before and not to be the bearer of bad news you guys, but… You’re about to get smited again, and the people that are doing it aren’t just going to be a random hodgepodge of people thrown together to become something more. Oh no… Your descent back into oblivion is coming at the hands of The Entourage. But hey, at least you’ll go down with a smile on your face.

Sebastian winks at the camera before taking one last bow with Dom with Axton giving a rousing round of applause behind them.

Axton Gunn: And scene!

---

As Sebastian bids farewell to his stablemates and fast becoming friends, he stops on his way out the door, his gaze caught by his reflection in a nearby mirror. It had been years since he had been in front of one of these makeup mirrors. Smiling in nostalgia, Sebastian enters the abandoned dressing room and plops down in front.

His lips curl into a smile as he runs his fingers along the edges of the vanity and opens the various drawers for makeup storage. It had been only a few short years since high school, but the theater had always been a welcome escape from a life outside of reality. His father was abusive should Sebastian, “get a toe out of line,” which wasn’t hard to do while his father was home. Alcohol was a big part of the elder Hawke’s life and Sebastian couldn’t count the numerous times his dad went on a bender and started breathing down his neck, daring him to do something wrong. Acting took some of that sting away by allowing Sebastian a chance to step out of his own skin and see the world from the eyes of whomever he was cast as. His favorite by far had been Rocky from The Rocky Horror Picture Show…

Looking fondly back on the memory, Sebastian finally looks at his reflection, only to see his younger version, wearing nothing but those golden shorts that showed off his impressive physique for a high school aged kid. His hair was bleached a platinum blonde, somehow still curly and coming down just over his ears. At that point in his life, Sebastian knew that he wanted to go out on stage and entertain. He wanted to put a smile on the faces of anyone that happened to be looking and just for one split second, let them forget about whatever worry that was ailing them at the time. That was his contribution to society. High school…

Not even twenty and Sebastian could look back and pinpoint when he wanted to reach out and help people remember that no matter how bad things were, there was one thing that could never be robbed from a person, never be taken by force or given at will. The ability to smile was a powerful one that Sebastian grew up believing would be a game changer, a way to remind people of the magic of Christmas. The way it felt to be “loved” for the first time by a significant other. Butterflies in the stomach. People wanted to get lost in the chaos that reality pressed upon them, but in Sebastian’s eyes?

There was always an escape rope, if even temporarily. A way to forget. A path to a smile. Sebastian found it ironic as he reflected, that this was all taking place in front of a mirror, his reflection now showing the couple of years since that time as Rocky. His hair curly and thick as ever but his natural shade of black now, is down from its ponytail and hanging loosely around his shoulders. He was always made fun of for trying to grow facial hair since unlike the hair on top of his head, was always slow and made him look like he had peach fuzz; so he adapted and shaved every now and again, his face smooth and flawless. A proper skin care regimen was important after all. Sebastian smiles at himself, his eyes displaying a mixture of remorse and excitement. At the time, Sebastian knew that he had messed up when he first came in and started firing his mouth off at people. Granted, it gave him a match just days before the show, a way to get his feet wet as it were, and he took that moment as an opportunity to introduce the world to Sebastian Hawke. However, he was quickly grounded by Mitch Heart and even then it took several days and ice packs later before Sebastian even realized he was learning how to be humble.

He tried to apologize, but Dragon Lady decided it wasn’t good enough. He and Ax beat her and Adrienne in a match that meant more personally than anything else, but Sebastian couldn’t help but feel that the business there was unfinished. It didn’t matter though. Axton had reached out a helping hand to Sebastian, a way to remember how to smile. A way to recall that Sebastian’s mission wasn’t to prove he was someone to watch. It wasn’t about the possibility of gold. It was how to smile.

He couldn’t help but watch as his smile grew wider in the mirror.

“You got this. Never forget to show those pearly whites…”

His voice sounds confident but drifts off as his phone alerts him that his dad was trying to call. Sebastian’s posture drops as he grabs his bag, his phone, and leaves the dressing room, heading out to the streets of Baltimore.

“Hey dad.”

Deciding there was no other alternative, Sebastian figures the verbal beatdown would be better taken now. At the very least he wouldn’t have to defend himself physically. Listening, Sebastian’s posture changes as he gets ready to retort. He’s cut off however and his eyes go wide before the phone disconnects and the line goes dead. His arm drops to his side and leaning up against the closest wall, Sebastian takes several deep breaths to regain his composure. Doing his best to hold back any kind of emotional outburst, Sebastian gulps down a few swigs of air before putting his earbuds in and playing his music as loud as he could tolerate it.

He felt like he was shot down while soaring higher than before but what else could he do but smile, right?