''One's'' Look in ''Two'' the future

[Level-Two]

''One's'' Look in ''Two'' the future





You all fucking deserved this.

I still remember my first soft ball game, stepping out onto the mound for my first time up at bat. Nervous? I hardly was. After all, I and my family grew up in a pressure cooker always finding ourselves the subject of the public’s evil eye. Hell, even when they weren't watching us we were sure to be on the sharpest point of their tongues.

I was calm as I ever had been as I tightened my hold on the baseball bat -- the pitcher that stood opposite of me had no understand of what he was up against. In his mind, it was just a game. A game. Little did he or anyone else know that there was much more at stake.

Swing.

The hate, the anger, the frustration was channeled through that foreign object in that moment in time and amounted to more than just an extra point on the scoreboard. That day, I had hit my first home run.

Pun fully intended with a side dish of irony because at that very moment, I had never felt so far from it.

‘’Dad promised he was coming!’’

These were the first words out of my mouth, as I slipped into my mom’s black Bugatti Veyron (brand new 2025 addition) much to my peer’s dismay.

‘’This isn't the first time your father has broken a promise and I can damn well guarantee it won’t be the last.’’ My mother admitted, exhausted by such a reflection. ’’Things weren't supposed to be this way…’’

‘’It’s because of Sally Talfourd, isn’t it?’’ I retorted, much to my mother’s aghast as she hit the brakes short of running a red light.

‘’What do you know about Sally Talfourd?’’ She asked me. It was a really good question and at that time, I couldn't answer it.

Today, I can.

It was almost twenty years ago she and my father would meet in the ring for the third time at RassleMania on its tenth and final anniversary.

SPOILER ALERT: Nobody gives a fuck who won.

You know why? Because I lost. My family lost. We fucking lost. On that night, we lost our beloved father and that bitch took him from us while everyone else watched. However, don’t you for one second give her any real credit for it, for she was merely the needle to his addiction – not his demise.

That bitch could never kill my father.

My father was trying to turn a new leaf, he was trying to avoid his old life filled of violent, hatred and despair in favor of one with love, respect and compassion – but she wouldn’t let him. You people wouldn’t let him.

Why?

For your own twisted amusement, that’s why. So, Sally you got the people the big match they were looking for --- are you fulfilled? I sure hope those forty something minutes were worth it, Sally.

Worth ruining the rest of my fucking life.

Now all of these people look at ME like I am some monster? We all reap what we sow. I may barely know my father in the flesh but something needed to raise me. In this case, it was his years’ worth of promos filled with his wise words – even despite often being bitterly delivered. It was his multitude of wrestling matches I’ve watched on YouTube that taught me how to fend for myself and even take what I want in a world that is far from giving.

I know my father is a man far from perfect but can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me WE deserved this? Sally, your beef was with my father and yet the only person you've hurt in all this is me and my family. Yet, it is YOU who was paraded as the hero many years ago. Well, I hope you've slept well upon your lies while my mother wept in truth.

Every. Single. Night.

While the decision to return to his vices was ultimately my fathers, it was one he would have never made if it wasn’t for your posturing. After all, it is you who knew my father better than anyone else.

You knew why he left.

Belle Vista Isle de Grande

Today was the biggest day of his life and it wasn’t Rasslemania. Lester Only, a father of two tucked himself into a tailor made suit flawlessly. He was moments away from walking down the aisle, his stomach was in knots – a feeling he hadn't felt since walking down a wrestling ramp for the very first time. It was amazing.

‘’I am really glad you ladies made it out here tonight, it really means a lot to me.’’

Across from him stood the LeWinter sisters, who couldn’t help but dress up well enough to potentially show up the bride. Violet playfully fixed the collar on Lester’s suite while Kia crossed her arms.

‘’No need to thank us, Lev. We’re family.’’ Kia said, reassuringly.

‘’We wouldn’t miss this for the world Lester, you know that.’’ Violet followed. ‘’I know this wasn’t an easy decision for you to make but for what it’s worth, I think it was the right one.’’

‘’But the Sindicate…’’ Lester started.

‘’… will move on.’’ Kia continued. ‘’Look Lev, if you’re having second thoughts about all this now – I am going to kick you in the nuts, alright?’’

He grinned. ‘’No, not at all. In my heart of hearts, I know walking away from it all is the right decision but it doesn’t make the road traveled any easier. I can’t help but feel like I am letting someone else down.’’

‘’Who?’' Violet inquired, which seemed to throw the groom off kilter a bit.

‘’Nobody in particular…’’ he said dismissively while he snuck a small photo of Kaylyn James Evans he was looking at away in his jacket pocket. ‘’Forget I said anything.’’

Panicked, a clammy Andrew Meltzer ran up to the man of the hour whisking him away from the two twin beauties.

‘’What the hell are you doing here, Meltzer?’’ Lester asked, annoyed. ‘’I am pretty sure the invites to this reception told you that you and your ilk would not be well received. No media allowed.’’

‘’Am I really media though?’’ Meltzer retorted. ‘’I mean, seeing as you said I was nothing more than a lousy blogger without a journalist hat…’’

‘’You are a lousy blogger without a journalist hat…’’ Lester fired back. ‘’Though, to be fair… I also considered you to be a good friend.’’

‘’So what changed?’’

‘’I did.’’

‘’So you admit it?’’

Lester nodded his head as Meltzer pounced on.

‘’Look man, I thought I’d give it one last hoorah in trying to talk you out of this…’’

‘’I’m all ears.’’

Andrew breathed a sigh of relief before he pulled out a stack of papers.

‘’The APW needs you, Lester. You can’t leave it like this. A recent audit of the APW revealed that viewership throughout the first three quarters of the show is down by nearly 50%. That’s like half of the audience tuning out whenever you’re not on TV.’’

‘’Oh come on – I am not that much of a draw.’’ Lester said, waving his hand as if Meltzer was a fly he was trying to swat away. ‘’The APW will live without me – I will give them Johnny Rebel.’’

‘’No, no they won’t.’’ Andrew Meltzer retorted. ‘’Screw Johnny Rebel! The APW is on life support right now, back stage morale is at an all-time low and rumor has it – President Jeff is suffering from severe mental burnout running this ship. You walk away at this point in history and the APW may not live to see another day…’’

Unmoved, a cold uncaring Lester Only had boldly stated his declaration.

‘’Then let it die.’’

---

I am bigger than the APW.

I know you don’t like hearing it and I bet our deadbeat egomaniac of a president would be the first one to disagree but this isn’t even up for debate. While fans are waving the rags of their failed heroes and are left to stare at what the little of the APW they still have left with teary eyes, I sit here with pride knowing that I am at the helm of all their shared heartache.

As the old adage goes, you don’t know what you got til’ it’s gone. Well, each and every one of you had me until you didn’t and when you didn’t – you got nothing! It was I who was behind the heart and soul of this company and the second I walked away it died and rightfully so! Every month, you people would back your new great white hope under the delusion that they’d be the ones to oust me and APW management would always willfully play along and so eventually, after on and off over the span of four fucking years, I got sick of it.

And then I gave you what you all wanted...

Johnny Rebel!

Oh wait, I forgot – that wasn’t ACTUALLY supposed to happen, huh Jeffery? Well, maybe you should’ve thought twice before gifting that undeserving fuck a title shot just because he booked a few good episodes of Thursday Night Overdrives and saved you a few months of having to actually do your job. Face it, you got lazy with your business practices and left yourself wide open to be destroyed and I took the opportunity to torpedo your little battleship. The amusing part of it all was all I needed to do was lay down and put my pride aside for three seconds to do it!

‘’What does the APW mean to you?’’’

This was the question that Sally Talfourd had asked us all two years ago. In a star studded production, APW Mega Stars let us all know how much the APW meant to them – presumably hoping to earn themselves a pay raise VIA ass licking. For a bunch of people who supposedly cared about this company, you’ve all been rather radio silent upon its closure. Where is the MEDIA? Where are the PROTESTS? Where are the petitions – where are these GREAT authority figures like Johnny Rebel and Biggs when you REALLY need them to save the APW?

…

Yeah, thought so. Though, perhaps the biggest surprise comes from the mouth brave enough to ask the question in the first place as she’s pretty much been absent from this promotion long before its scheduled death. Ironic! The second Sunday Night Asylum was no longer an extended version of the Sally Talfourd show; you packed up your shit and hit the road. Though, maybe I shouldn’t knock you for it – perhaps, I am not blessed with the in depth foresight you possess, Sally. See, you might be a rat but at least you weren’t a rat on a sinking ship, right!?

The only problem is, you sold yourself as the hero in all this. Wasn’t it YOU who said you weren’t going to let myself nor The Sindicate destroy the APW? Well, Liar, Liar pants on fire – because as I surround myself by its flames it looks like it’s exactly what we did! The last time I checked the APW was still OPERATING while me and Terry Marvin were your respective champions and CEASED TO EXIST the second were BOTH were NOT. 

So, if you think calling me out for a match at Rasslemania is going to make up for you failing the APW and its fans than you are sorely mistaken for I have already won. You winning this match would be the equivalent to locking me up in prison to serve out my death sentence – only; I have already been out on the run for over thirty years after murdering your entire family. So, the judge taps his little gavel twice and I am found guilty as charged… would you honestly call this justice?

Just us…

This is what it all comes down to, isn’t it? No hype. No titles. No gimmicks. Just me and you in the squared circle for the last time for bragging rights. I guess that’s what separates us from the rest of them, Sally. Despite how I feel about you personally, you have always been a competitor like me and we both make poor losers. It was never about the titles for either of us – indeed, the titles were nothing more than an ends to our means which was always a win in the right column.

Granted, I am not nearly as superficial about my statistics as you are but I guess that’s expected from a drama queen with a vagina. At this point in my career, I have been through many wars and can’t remember half of them. I couldn’t tell you why they were waged in the first place. The true mark of a warrior, eh? You on the other hand… well, ON your other hand – still find yourself counting the pebbles we have tossed at each other in the past as if it changes anything.

Truth be told, their minds have already been made up, Sally. The overall consensus is that I am the greatest APW Mega Star of all time. I know you think you can change this perception by winning this match but if you didn’t convince them the first time you beat me, what makes you think you’ll convince them on the APW’s darkest night?

This Rasslemania isn’t one to be celebrated or revered, Sally. In fact, this Rasslemania is the one that is meant to be mourned. For starters, it’s being headlined by the same guy who presents US with our respective hall of fame plaques for our WRESTLING careers! Second, these poor souls have to live with the fact that this will be the last time they’ll ever get to watch us go at it in their lifetimes – faced with that reality; I really don’t see what the point would be for these said souls to continue on living their sad lives. 

Still, at least they’ve come to terms with this – whereas, it seems you still haven’t Sally. You may be a competitor but this thing you have for me is borderline obsessive. Clearly, you need this win a hell lot more than I do but it doesn’t mean I am going to give it to you. As humble as you pretend to be, I truly don’t think you see this match going any other way but yours. Well, newsflash Sally. This isn’t Andrew Meltzer’s wet dream fantasy booking and this isn’t some fan made fan fiction bullshit, you don’t get to choose YOUR reality.

I do.

I pay the fucking lights bills in my godamned godplex, Sally! I am the greatest entity this promotion has ever seen and the only person that beats me is ME! There are no questions about it – no doubt in any reasonable mind that if I show up and bring the best effort I have ever given, victory is imminent. You Sally, YOU need to depend on ME to fail! You Sally, you must rely on the advantages you’re given – not the ones you forge by your own will! That is the difference between YOU and me!

I don’t need to beat you Sally, but fuck it… I am feeling VERY sentimental. Since day one, my name has been synonymous with winning and I am not going to allow the last image of me in this squared circle to be tainted by the likes of you. That’s all, it’s that simple. 

So, I guess the only question still on everyone’s mind is – where do you go from here? 

While I won’t pretend to care, it’s clear me that you don’t have much else going on between wrestling and obsessing over me. I don’t know about you Sally but I am at peace at myself. I know you hate it – hate knowing that I have done enough to ride off into the sunset and retire in the company of people who love me while you’re stuck ranting and raving to your ten cats you’ll later call your grandchildren about that ‘’one’’ time you beat Level-One at Rasslemania…

Psh.

The APW is dead and gone Sally and it’s about time you close our eyes and join it. Please, don’t be scared. Embrace it; like I did.

And let death take you.

I shut off the television and chuck the remote aside as I stood in my locker room alone. With my free hand, I wipe away a tear shed for my father. I spent the majority of my life wishing things between us were different but knowing that this was the way it was meant to be.

I tied the old mask he had given me when I was a kid around my face and immediately felt a sense of strength I had never felt before. I took a single step back and laughed like an abstract joke I had finally grasped. It all made sense now, just minutes away from wrestling the biggest match of my life against my own flesh and blood.

He could have passed on the torch a long time ago – he could have called it quits after his blockbuster affair with Sally Talfourd but he didn’t. Instead, he poured his blood, sweat, and tears many years after to set the foundation for something even bigger than himself…

His son.

My name is Level Two.