Blood is Thicker Than Water

[Michael Salieri]

"You play with dirt, you get dirty."
- Michael -

Thursday 1:57 PM [September 6th, 2012]
Rochester, New York

It's that time of year again. The summer has finally come to an end as the season begins to change. The sun hovers over the quiet city illuminating the streets and alleys below. The weather is fair with a slight breeze that cools the atmosphere from the summers heat. It's a beautiful time of year. Too bad we find ourselves on the northern outskirts of town just passed the filth of this industrial waste driven sector.

The road is empty other than the dust that blows in the wind. Just down the street an old building that appears to be abandoned rests. The weathered, cracked pavement ends thirty yards in front of the main entrance covered in debris. To the left an older model white Cadillac Escalade sleeps beside a new black Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG sitting on matching black twenty-two inch wheels.

The door to the front entrance opens as a cloud of dirt drifts into the air. An unknown man dressed in black exits first as Michael slowly follows behind in tattered, faded jeans with a dark purple dress shirt and black sunglasses hiding his eyes from the world outside. Coming to a hault, Michael removes his shades and looks up at the sky above for a slight moment.

"So, you really think so?" Michael says as the man stops in his tracks and slowly turns around.

"I knew you were'nt goin' to let this go" the man replies as he looks back at Michael.

Michael cracks a smile as he shakes his head a few times. "There's no need to, things are still running smoothly."

"If you were'nt goin' to listen to me then why did you want to talk to me about this?"

"You're my cousin. Now that I'm not around as much, you see more of what goes down here while I'm running back and forth between matches on the road. You hear first hand what he and everyone else says about me being away from business and the crew. Even though I'm still putting my share in before everyone else you all seem to think things are slipping for me and my mind is elsewhere.

"This family comes first."

Michael laughs to himself for a moment before responding. "Seriously, you think I don't already know that? I don't need to be around twenty-four seven to handle my shit. I can manage from the road, going from town to town kicking the living shit out of whoever stands across that ring from me."

"People won't respect you or what you stand for if you're never around to represent it."

"I guess it was alright when my uncle wanted to play both games a while back?

"You're uncle is the boss."

Boss? Michael chuckles as he hears that word slip off the tip of Joey's tongue. All he's done is mooch off the success of others both in and outside of the ring.

Joey looks down at the ground and thinks for a second. He then raises his head and looks back at Michael who's waiting for a response.

"You know that's not true."

"It's the truth. He may have been a different person before what he is today but now, that's exactly how I see it. Take me alone. He's been mooching off of my inheritance, business I brought to the table and ever since I stepped in the ring. He watches over me like a hawk even though I put in work day in and day out. If anything, he should support my decision to get back in the ring and wish nothing but the best for me."

"That's where you're wrong, he does."

Michael looks surprised as those words roll out of Joey's mouth.

"Bullshit." Michael replies as he appears to be annoyed. "All he cares about is the money in his pocket and the fear he puts in those who surround him. I'm not buying into it. I know there's no getting out of this business and I'm not trying. I'm still doing my thing, running my shit. If I want to wrestle outside of New York it's nobodies business except for mine. When things slip, then come talk to me about leaving it all behind."

Joey rubs his head for a moment before replying. "All I'm sayin' is that you should keep him in the loop a little better and involve him."

Michael shakes his head as his eyes widen in disbelief. "Excuse me? Keep him in the loop, hold him closer to me in something that doesn't concern him?"

"I know, right. It sounds crazy." Joey smiles as the mood begins to shift. "Look it, he made a promise to your father. He's just looking out for your best interest."

Laughing, Michael slowly paces back and forth. "If only that were the case. I need to do this alone."

"That's why we're here talking about this."

"No, we're here because you're head is too far up my uncle's ass."

As his face lights up, Joey pulls out a pack of cigarettes and flips open the top. With his other hand he pulls one out and puts the pack back in his pocket and this time pulls out a lighter. Placing the cigarette between his lips he raises the lighter and with the flick of his thumb a flame ignites. Taking a slow drag, the end begins to slowly burn as the flame dies from the lighter.

"Seriously? You know I'm here for the best interests of all of us involved. He's beginning to lose his trust in you with this distance you've created. That comes back on me as well as the rest of us." he says as he exhales from his nostrils.

"So... I'm fucking you all over?"

"I'm not saying that, exactly. You're his golden goose right now. Even though you're still his top earner, he expects more from us with you gone on the road. Involve him and erase this tension."

Michael's facial expression changes instantly as anger consumes his eyes. "Are you telling me what to do?"

"No... well, yes. I'm not barking orders. I'm just telling you what is needed to smooth things over within the family."

"He doesn't even tell me what to do." Michael says as he slowly steps in towards Joey.

"You know what I mean. Hell, he doesn't even know that I'm here speaking to you on his behalf" Joey replies as he takes another slow drag from the cigarette.

Michael stands face to face with him as Joey looks up and exhales straight into the air. He then looks back down in wonder of what Michael is about to say next.

"I don't know what you want me to tell you. I'm going to continue doing what I'm doing. Business will still move forward like clock work. I'm just building a future for myself."

Confused, Joey cocks his head to the side and looks directly into Michael's eyes.

"A future?"

"You better fucking believe it. Do you know why my uncle was forced out of the wrestling business and now under constant watch by the FBI?"

"No."

"Because he used the business as a front to clean his money. He wanted to be the king of all promotions as well as the king of the street. The two don't go hand in hand. He became too greedy and too powerful for his own good. It was only a matter of time before everyone caught on to the fact that his dealings in wrestling didn't amount to what his dealings on the street brought in. I don't need to be the king in both worlds. I don't care about this business we partake in as a family. I'm prepared to leave it all behind when given the chance."

"He's out of the wrestling business mainly because of what it did to this family, especially your father."

Michael chuckles as he responds. "The wrestling side, as well as my father, was targeted because of his dirt in the streets with the Gambino's. The wrestling business spit him out after becoming nothing but tarnished from his name. He's in the position he is today because he couldn't use this business to become fully legit. You play with dirt, you get dirty."

"We all play in this dirt you now seem too good for."

"His day is coming. It's only a matter of time. I need to be as far from the world back home as possible when the shit hits the fan. I don't need to manipulate my way to the top. Leave those games for him. I'm not too good to get a little dirt on my hands. I'm just smart enough to know when to cash out."

"If I can't talk any sense into you then maybe the champion can knock some through that thick skull of yours Monday night."

Taking a step back, Michael rubs his chin as a smile cracks across his face.

"Lively?"

"I don't see you scheduled to get in the ring with any other champions."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see if that happens. Knowing you and my uncle, I wouldn't be surprised if you two had your money on that chump walking out with the win."

"We would never bet against the family."

"Obviously you don't know my uncle as well as you think. But then again, he doesn't bet unless he has a hand playing in the outcome. Better safe than sorry, right? He hasn't spoken to me and I doubt Lively is taking a dive. But then again, he wouldn't need to take a dive for my uncle to bank on my victory. At the end of the day, the crown means nothing when there's a better man coming to knock you off the top of the throne. I don't need a belt around my waist to know that I'm the baddest son of a bitch on the block. I'll let my actions define who I am, not my big fucking mouth."

"You seem to be taking this match lightly, Michael."

"I have to disagree. I'm built to be a warrior in the ring, a gladiator fighting to entertain the fans with blood shed. Michael Lively is nothing but mouth. Sure, he has a title that says different but he hasn't faced a monster like myself. I'm going to flip Meltdown's world upside down when I slay the king in cold blood with the title out of the picture."[/color]

"You sure are a little sure of yourself after only two matches into your return."

"It wouldn't matter if I was a seasoned vet. The outcome for this match and my presence in APW remains the same. Champions shall fear me and regulars will hide when they hear my name. No one is safe. Unlike New York, I decide how things play out for myself and those revolving around my world."

Taking one last drag from his cigarette, Joey slowly inhales and drops the butt to the ground. Exhaling through his nose once more, he looks back at the vehicles parked on the side and slowly turns his attention back to Michael.

"Mikey, I have to hit the road. I appreciate you wanting to catch up on current events back home but our business here is done."

"Did you bring it?"

"It's in the trunk, black bag. Next time you claim to have everything under control, handle something like this by yourself. I'm not your fuckin' personal ATM machine."

With that said, Joey walks by Michael ignoring the handshake presented before him. Michael thinks to himself as he watches Joey get in the Escalade and slam the door behind him.

Turning his attention towards the Mercedes, Michael approaches the back of the car and focuses on the trunk. He pops it open with the push of a button and looks down inside as he nods his head slowly.

"Let's go to Canada."

Closing the trunk he walks to the driver door and opens as he looks around the surrounding area. Without hesitation he gets inside and closes the door behind him as the dust flies from underneath the car and into the mix with the rest that blows in the wind.

//::EPILOGUE::\\

"Here we are, once again coming to our destination on Meltdown. These passed few weeks have been a walk in the park and it now finally seems that someone has turned the temperature up just a notch. Three weeks ago I climbed in that ring and hardly anyone knew who I was or where I came from. Now, I'm scheduled to knock the champion down a couple pegs in the main event. Title or no title on the line, my rise to the top is only getting started."

"Last week the world witnessed the destruction I bring to the ring when I destroyed Krunk and his little bitch buddy, Dante. This week will be no different for him, Krunk knows that more than anyone else in this match. Last week all I heard from him were empty promises of kicking my ass and walking out of that match with the win. With ease I proved to him and the rest of the world that I'm here to make an impact in APW. Although Dante didn't come prepared last week, Krunk on the other hand, was there somewhat. This week, he's just a filler in a match up that's going to leave APW breathless by its outcome. Next week, he'll be someone else's stepping stone to Meltdown."

"Lets get back to this outcome that's going to shock the world Monday night. It seems the North American champion, Michael Lively, gets his shot at getting silenced by yours truly. Luckily for him, the title is safe and secure as it won't be up for grabs. At least for now, that is. I came back to this sport to become a champion myself, to be the king in this business. I chose APW because the level of competition it has to offer. Lively, I just don't see that level of competition when I look at you with that title around your waist. All I see if just another man standing between me and what I want. Do yourself a favor and lay down before you get hurt."

"Lively, I've seen you in action inside the ring. By your standards, you seem to think you're god. If only that were anything near the truth. You're just another man at the top of your game waiting for someone better to come along and knock you from your pedastal. Surprise, surprise... your wait just got shortened right before your eyes. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into and more than likely you're probably taking this matchup a little too lightly. Big mistake, I'm the last person you want to take lightly. Especially when I'm coming for what's yours. Although your championship may not be on the line this Monday night, after I demolish both you and Krunk at the same time I'm pretty confident it will be the next time we meet in the ring."

"The smell of blood is in the air. It has been since I walked onto the scene. I've been on the rampage since walking through APW doors and don't plan on slowing down anytime soon. At first I didn't have many expectations for Meltdown, just to win my matches and move up the ladder to either Asylum or Overdrive. Now that I find myself in a match with you, Lively, my whole perspective has flipped completely. The title around your waist has appealed to me now that I have the chance to take it right before my eyes, within hands reach. I'm only going to be here, on Meltdown, for a short period of time before one of the other shows fight to add me to their roster. While I'm here, I might as well take what's mine and set the standard."

"What have you done since becoming champion? It's just short of a month since you first won the title on Meltdown. Since taking the title from the hands of a worhtless bitch, what have you done? I've noticed you defending once against Shane Borderland and walking out successful. Is that supposed to impress me? If so, it sure as fuck doesn't. You're going to need some bigger names under your belt to impress me, but then again none of those names mean shit to me when not a single one of them is mine. You nor APW has the slightest clue what's in store for them and the outcome of this warpath I'm on. I'm thirsty for blood and have you in my sights Lively. I just hope you're ready for what's down the road for you."

"Jesus can't even save your pathetic soul."