Ghosts of the Ring

[Kurt]

THE BOOK OF NOBLE

EPISODE I: THE WRESTLER

There’s one word that perfectly summarizes the relationship between Kurt Noble and Johnny Rebel:

Chaos.

The instability between the two has existed from the moment Noble stepped foot into APW. At Shockwave, Rebel made no attempt to hide his feelings about “The Noble One.” Since then, Noble and Rebel have put one another through Hell (literally) and made one another’s life miserable, in ways that include…

Post-match attacks.

Handcuffs and the ring ropes.

1000 reasons why Kurt Noble sucks.

A shaky Team APW alliance.

The APW Overdrive Championship.

While the final item has no doubt created friction between the two, there’s a larger connection that binds Kurt Nobler and Johnny Rebel. Their destinies have been intertwined for four months, but at Christmas Chaos, one man will free himself from this destructive relationship. Four chain link walls will contain them…and will free them at the same time. There can only be one better man at Christmas Chaos.

For Johnny Rebel, this match is about reclaiming the APW Overdrive, and proving once and for all that Kurt Noble is all talk, and only half a walk.

For Kurt Noble, this match is about proving that he can stand among APW’s best, and that his Overdrive Championship reign is not a fluke.

For both men…this match is freedom, destruction, and a chance to face the ghosts that haunt them.

For Kurt Noble and Johnny Rebel…this is chaos. Christmas Chaos.

Chapter X: Ghosts of the Ring

7:03 PM, December 18th
Pre-Christmas Chaos

“I am a former painkiller addict. I am half-crippled, having less mobility in my right leg than anyone in this room. I’ve spent just as much time having my head bashed in with a steel chair as I’ve spent doing the bashing. I’ve destroyed Champions, and been destroyed as a Champion. I’ve had great success and even greater failures. I’ve had friends become enemies, and enemies become friends. I, gentlemen, am a wrestler.”

Noble’s eyes lift from the blue training mats to face the young men in front of him. Their multi-colored wrestling gear might blind a normal man, but Noble’s eyes stare at each man. One man in the front stares at Noble’s black cane.

“You’re crippled? Uh, how exactly does that work?” he asks.

“Slowly,” responds Noble as he twiddles it between his fingers. “You’re not the first to wonder about that, and you won’t be the last. That’s something President Jeff wants me to teach you all about this business: Your friends and enemies will use any flaw, any weakness you have against you. Hell, you’d be better off being a politician; you might have only marginally less brain damage.”

“Seriously, what is this?” asks a large man sitting in the back. “We were told we’d be getting to hear from an actual APW wrestler, not come half-crippled grandfather telling us about all his Vietnam stories!” A chuckle brushes through the group, but Noble’s eyes pierce it to death.

“Contrary to popular belief…I am an APW wrestler. I have been for over three months now…and gentlemen, they’ve been the most life-changing months of my life…probably the most life-threatening too. On that note, I have a question Mr…you, in the back.”

Noble points his cane to his former heckler, who raises his cane. “Name’s Bruiser.”

“I can only guess how you got that. Now, Mr. ‘Bruiser’, answer me this: Do you believe in ghosts?”

Bottoms shift in chairs and smirks emerge from Noble’s question, but his face is dead solemn. The man scoffs to himself. “I ain’t no freakin’ nutjob! I don’t believe in ghosts!”

Noble chuckles to himself, and stands up. He runs his hand through his short brown hair and begins to limp towards a nearby training ring. He faces it, reaches his hand out. His fingers gently gloss against red ropes as he speaks.

“I’m not here to tell you about ways to win matches. I’m not here to tell you that this is a dream job, and that you’ll all be successful one day. I’m not here to encourage any of you to actually become wrestlers. I’m here to tell you the truth.” Noble faces the group, and holds up three fingers.

“I’m here to tell you about ghosts…the three ghosts you’ll face in this ring. Yours will all have different names and faces, but they carry the same message. Mine have all taken a common name.”

He grips the bottom rope, and closes his eyes as he takes a deep breath.

“I’m going to tell you about Johnny Rebel, and what he’s done to my life.”

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The Ghost of Kurt Noble’s Past

3:35 PM, December 18th
Pre-Christmas Chaos

“I don’t want you to go.”

The words of Kurt Noble’s wife, Amy, are drowned out as Noble stuffs his clothes into a suitcase. Her sun-bathed blond hair, white dress, and pale skin all seemed darkened by the longing in her eyes as she stares at Noble while he packs. However, Noble does not meet her gaze.

“I’ve told you this Sweetheart: Tonight is the absolute most important of my APW career. Jeff would have my ass if I no-showed the event. Wouldn’t want that coal in my stocking, now would I?”

“And what about me then?” asks Amy. Noble freezes for a moment as a silence passes. He shakes his head and gets back to packing.

“I’m only going to be gone a few hours Amy. I told you that you’re free to come watch my title defense. I’d love to have you there as I’m facing Rebel-“

“You told me last time that I’d be a distraction,” responds Amy with a bitter undertone. “That’s all I seem like nowadays…just a distraction to take you away from Johnny Rebel.”

Amy storms out of the room as Noble’s eyes finally turn towards her. He closes his suitcase and limps into the hotel’s living room in pursuit.

“Excuse me? The Hell does that mean?”

“Why am I invisible to you Kurt?” asks Amy as she finally faces her husband eye to eye. “For months now, all you’ve done is talk about Johnny Rebel. You’re gone for weeks at a time, and all I hear is that you’re training to face Johnny Rebel. If you’re not training, you’re in the hospital because Johnny Rebel put you there. Ever since you took this job with APW, you’ve spent more time with Johnny Rebel than you have with your own wife!”

She sits down on a nearby couch, and covers her mouth with her fist. Noble just stares at her, his mouth open as if he was searching for gem-filled words amongst a sea of rock.

“This…this isn’t what I wanted Amy, but it’s what happened. Rebel’s run amuck in APW for months now, and not one man has had the courage to stand up to him…until I joined APW. I didn’t ask to be thrown against Rebel, but I can’t change the past. I can only shape the future, and that’s what I’m doing tonight. Win or lose, I’m ending this chaos between Rebel and I. That’s a promise.”

Noble sits down next to Amy, but she shifts away from him. She finally faces him as he strokes her hair, but her eyes are red. “I thought I recognized the scars on your face. I thought I knew where they were all from…but he’s scarred you in ways I don’t even understand. You want everyone to believe in you…but that means they have to believe you first. I don’t.”

Amy stands up, moving away from Noble’s touch. He sighs to himself, but she turns back to him.

“What has he done to you Kurt?”

“Nothing!” Noble stands up as his voice raises. “Amy, I know I haven’t been as available, but nothing’s changed between us because of that jackass! I’m still the same guy I was before, and in exactly 8 hours, you don’t ever have to worry about Johnny Rebel again!”

A single tear rolls down Amy’s cheek, but she bats it away. “I know you Kurt…everything I’ve ever known about you tells me the second Rebel is done, you’ll find a new enemy to chase. That’s just who you are. I can’t change that. Maybe only Johnny Rebel can.”

Noble moves closer to her, and lightly grips both of her arms. “Let me finish this fight with Johnny Rebel…and I’ll be back. No more CWC, no more skirmishes, no more Johnny Rebel. I’ll be yours.”

He leans in towards Amy’s face, but she turns her head.

“I want you to go. Go to Johnny Rebel.”

Noble is silent as his wife moves past him. He limps back into the bedroom, and grabs his luggage. He hauls it with him, and stands before the front door, wordless. He speaks one last time.

“Johnny Rebel is all in the past to me.”

He opens the door, and slams it shut. Amy manages to hold it together as she grabs a nearby telephone, and dials up a number. She holds it close to her ear.

“Hi…it’s me. Kurt’s not well. I need your help…”

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“Everything good in your life…your enemies are going to change it. They’ll pull you away from your families, they’ll put wedges between you and your friends, and they’ll even cause you to doubt yourself. You’re going to be away from your old life, and be thrust into your new one, for better or for worse. Because of guys like Johnny Rebel, the past as you know it will change.”

Noble leans against the apron. His speech has caused a few heads to dip into laughs, while others seemed focused. Bruiser is not one of them.

“Jeez, you let this guy do all that shit? Why not just rip him a new asshole and get on with it?”

“I’ll answer your question with another question: How do you sharpen a diamond?”

Bruiser just rolls his eyes as Noble smirks. “Jeez, how do I know? Do I look rich over here?”

“In this profession? Not even close. You can only sharpen a diamond with an object as dense and hard as a diamond…like another diamond.” Noble lightly touched his wedding ring as he pauses, but continues onward.

“Johnny Rebel is the kind of guy that you can’t just pound down to make him go away. Trust me, I tried. My first week on Overdrive, I attacked him after his Overdrive title defense. I thought I was sending a message. Yeah, I sent one alright. I opened the flood gates right on my Goddamn leg, and the next week, he pinned me to become captain of our CWC Team. What a pleasure that was, I tell you!” Noble smirks to himself, but the rolling eyes of the room bring his focus back.

“But for all the friction two diamonds rubbing together creates, both become sharper in the process. That what enemies like Johnny Rebel do to you. In this industry, you make others stronger by trying to destroy them. For all the assaults, the beatdowns, the lashings, the stiches, and the blood that I’ve lost under Johnny Rebel’s gaze…he’s made me stronger. Even when I had a contract against him that stated he couldn’t touch me, he found ways to keep me on my guard. In fact, he made me strong enough to win the Overdrive Championship from him.”

A few heads nod in the crowd, but Noble’s cheerful expression dries up.

“And that fact will haunt me until the day I die.”

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The Ghost of Kurt Noble’s Present

5:02 PM, December 18th

“Looks like someone’s been a winner this year!”

Monkwood’s boast causes Medea to scowl, but Noble doesn’t seem to notice as he rubs his thumb over his wedding ring. Monkwood searches under the impromptu Christmas Tree in the APW locker-room, and pulls out a gift in a red box.

“Is this idiotic tradition really necessary so close to Kurt’s title defense?” asks Medea. “We should be working on any last minute adjustments to prepare Kurt for the cage match-“

“But it’s Christmas!” remarks Monkwood as he looks at the tag. “Chaos, that is! We should be chugging eggnog, singing carols, and hitting up Jeff for a Christmas bonus! You’d like that, wouldn’t you Kurt?”

“What?” asks Noble as his attention is brought back to the present. “Sorry, just thinking about the match.”

“Sure you were kiddo! Speaking of the match, I got a gift for you that may or may not help you out…”

Medea’s eyebrows raise as Noble reluctantly takes the gift. He opens it, and unveils the object….a set of silver handcuffs! Noble blinks rapidly as he stares at them.

“Just saying kiddo…if those Herculean arms of yours can’t keep Rebel down, these will for sure! Or, hey, they could produce a fun time with the wife if you don’t use them…”

“Uh…thanks…I think.” Noble puts them aside, and slumps down in his chair. Medea examines he handcuffs.

“These aren’t befitting of the Overdrive Champion. They certainly didn’t help him keep Kurt down, and they didn’t help Biggs at One Night in Hell. There’s no need for such foolish tactics.”

“Hey, I want him to keep the title so he can continue to show off those brass balls of his well into the end of the world!” remarks Monkwood. “That is next year, right?”

“Imbecile. You shouldn’t even be putting that idea into-“

“I’m really the Overdrive Champion, aren’t I?”

The question silence both Medea and Monkwood as they turn their attention to their client, who has his eyes locked on the Overdrive title.

“It seems like ever since I won that Championship…I’ve been wondering whether or not I’m really fit to be the Overdrive Champion or whether I’m just a placeholder for Rebel’s second reign. I don’t really know if I earned my title match…so sitting here, hours before the match, I don’t even know if I have what it takes to retain. I was the underdog last time…now it’s Rebel’s turn, and he’s not taking me seriously tonight.”

“Then he’s a fool…and a liar,” replies Medea as she glances at the title. “If your time together in APW and CWC has taught him anything, it should be that you are not a man to be underestimated. Johnny Rebel expected you to be a footnote under his Overdrive Championship reign history…instead, you took it from him. He knew you had the ability to do so too. That’s why he attacked you. That’s why he hunted you.”

“I ain’t no astrophysicist, but it sounds a little bit like Johnny Rebel *fears* Kurt Noble.”

Noble smirks. “Thanks guys. Guess just feeling the pressure now. I really am representing Overdrive tonight, so the heat’s on…and it gets surprisingly hot during Christmas.”

“Speaking of representing Overdrive… you got a gift from a friend of yours!” Monkwood pulls out a small blue gift that has the tag “From: CJ Gates.” Noble’s eyes widen as he takes the gift, and opens it. He pulls out a note and begins to read it aloud.

“Dear Kurt,

Just wanted to let you know that I appreciate all you’ve done for APW. A lot of guys were worried that you wouldn’t live up to your hype, but you live up to it every day in APW. You really are a Champion APW can be proud of, and I wish you the best against Johnny Rebel. You can do it. I believe in Kurt Noble.

Remember: You’ve gone big before, and now’s the time to send Rebel home for the holidays.

Happy holidays Kurt.

Sincerely,
CJ Gates”

Noble stares at the note for ages after finishing reading it. He places it aside, and notices what it was attached to: A framed picture of Kurt Noble and CJ Gates standing together after Shockwave. Noble smirks to himself.

“You know, CJ has believed in me ever since I got here. Maybe it’s time to stop leaning on him, you guys, and all of APW for support. This is my match tonight…and I can’t go into it half-sure of myself. You’re right Medea…Rebel was only half-certain he could beat me, and it cost him the match. I know I’ve improved greatly since I got here, and tonight’s another chance to prove it. I won’t let Johnny Rebel haunt my thoughts anymore tonight.”

Noble puts the picture aside, and looks at both his clients. “You know guys…I haven’t ever thanked you for helping me get to where I am. I mean, I was stumbling through my matches three months ago…but now I really am one of APW’s guys. I haven’t thanked you-“

“And you’ll never have to,” interrupts Medea with a light, wrinkled smile. “Just beat Johnny Rebel. There’s the thanks enough.”

“Yeah, don’t ruin the moment by going all mushy-gushy on us kid! Just fulfill my Christmas list by beating Rebel! Besides…I got a lot riding on this game. Speaking of which, I have a bookie to call…”

Monkwood whips out his cell phone, and walks out of the room. Medea stands up as well, and begins to walk out as well, but Noble grasps her wrist.

“You told me three months ago that I wasn’t nearly as good of a wrestler as Johnny Rebel. You told me I couldn’t beat him.”

“Are you going to ask me if I still believe that?” asks Medea.

“No. I’m telling you that tonight, at Christmas Chaos, I can beat Johnny Rebel. I’m now a better wrestler than Johnny Rebel.”

Medea nods her head, and reaches under the tree. She pulls out a long gold box, and places it on Noble’s lap. She walks out as Noble stares at the box. He opens it hesitantly, and pulls out a small note.

“Prove it.”

Underneath is a long white cane. There are two words written on it in black.

“The Wrestler.”

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“Your enemies are going to change the way you think. Every day, you’re going to ask yourself ‘am I good enough? Can I win tonight?’ Your enemies are going to force you to be a better wrestler than you’ve ever been. Every single match should make you better. You think you’re good enough to compete in APW? I only have one piece of advice on that front: prove it.”

The crowd hushes as Noble points his white cane towards them. He then begins to pace about as he talks.

“For better or for worse, Johnny Rebel has changed me. We’ve spent the last three months basically chained to one another. Tonight is my chance to show him everything I’ve learned. I get to show him that you don’t need to be a nonsensical, blind attack dog to be a successful Champion. I get to show him that maybe a guy like me has a little substance under his style. He thinks I’m a hyped up joke, an add on used to gain viewership, and a one-trick pony on a gimped leg. That’s his goal tonight: to prove it.”

“So I ask all of you…what if he can?”

Noble is silent for a moment as he stares at his onlookers. You can guess who speaks next.

“You don’t let him! You mess his ass up, and leave no-“

“That’s not what I asked Bruiser,” sharply retorts Noble. “I told you across my career that I’ve failed. What if tonight is another failure? If you’re in my shoes, going up against one of your most prolific enemies in a match that’s been four months in the making… and you *lose*…. What do you do next? Johnny Rebel has already proved he can beat me. He has the motivation tonight to succeed. Even if I’m a better wrestler, he needs only one thing to beat me: three seconds. So, I ask you one last time…how do you handle failure?”

Silence. Bruiser is noticeably quiet, causing Noble to smirk to himself.

“It’s easy for us to justify the things we’ve done, or the things we do now…but how do we justify the future? *That* is what you need to know as a wrestler. It’s not about how many times you’ve fallen down…it’s about what you’re willing to do to get back up…”

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The Ghost Yet To Come

6:40 PM

“Nice cane Kurt.”

President Jeff’s voice stops Noble’s push-ups, and he stands up to face his boss. Noble is fully decked out in his wrestling gear, like a man on a mission. He takes a gulp of water as he grabs his cane.

“Thought I’d go out tonight with some bling. I’m showing off just how well APW is doing.”

“No arguments here,” remarks Jeff. “I didn’t mean to interrupt, I just wanted to see how you’re doing before your match. Tonight’s your first Overdrive title defense. You’re actually just below the World Title matches. How’re you feeling about that?”

“Like I’m about to toss up Thanksgiving dinner,” responds Noble with a hint of sarcasm. “I feel like I repeat myself all the time when I say my next match is the biggest of my career…but it might be true this time. Tonight, I put another nail in the coffin between Rebel and I.”

“But what if he beats you?”

The question doesn’t seem to faze Noble as he takes another swig. “Then tonight, he’ll have proved that he’s the better wrestler.”

“You won’t want a rematch against him?” asks Jeff in a confused tone. “The two of you have put on a tremendous show over the past few months, and it’s really attracted some great new talent. I daresay you two are one of the largest attractions on Overdrive.”

“Nice to know we’re the equivalent of a petting zoo at a carnival then,” retorts Noble. “Jeff….if I can be frank with you…I know fully well that Johnny Rebel and I aren’t done. You don’t just fight someone for four months, team with them, and then wake up the next morning and stop to think if it’s really over. That’ll happen when one of us is dead, and I’m not expecting the match to get that violent tonight. My point is that Rebel and I have a Batman and Joker complex…we’re never going to stop hunting one another because of what we believe in. Johnny Rebel has changed everything about my life, and he’ll continue to change it well into the future…but I can’t see the future Jeff. I can’t change the past. I can only focus on tonight, and play out every angle I can.”

“Interesting philosophy,” responds Jeff. “So, if I were to tell you that the two of you were in contention for the APW Rival Factions Team, what would you say?”

“I would feign surprise just to make you smile,” dryly responds Noble as he begins to stretch against the wall.

“Nothing’s for certain, obviously. Just wanted to let you know.”

“Thanks for ruining Christmas, Grinch,” jokes Noble as he stretches his leg. “Jeff…I know Johnny Rebel will return at some point in history. I told my wife today that we were done after tonight…but I know that’s a lie. Tonight is not the end…but when he returns, I’ll be stronger. Even if it’s not Rebel, it’ll be another smart-mouth with a new set of insults and the attitude to use them. And you know what?”

Noble stops stretching and faces Jeff. “I’ll be here, in APW, to face off against them. This is my home, and I’m going to defend it until I’m told that I can no longer walk…well, again anyway. I *am* Overdrive, win or lose tonight. I *am* a wrestler for this company, despite how much he, Biggs, Havok, and everyone else may hate me. Someone has to stand up to Johnny Rebel and say ‘no.’ Tonight, at Christmas Chaos, that’s me.”

Noble taps his chest lightly. “And even if I fail…I’ll return. Next time…I’ll be stronger. Believe that.”

Noble goes back to stretching, and Jeff cocks a grin. “You know Kurt, you’ve got the kind of attitude more guys around here need. I actually have a favor to ask. I’ve got a group of trainees who could really use some words of motivation from a guy like you…”

Noble grins to himself. ‘Yeah…I’ve got some things I can teach them.”

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“This business is going to change you…forever. The people you meet are going to change your past, your present, and your future. Every one of you is going to find your ‘Johnny Rebel’, and when you do… you’re either going to get better, or find a new lifestyle. Period.”

Noble’s voice leaves the crowd stunned…except Bruiser.

“So, this guy…damn, he really got into your head…

“That’s what ghosts do, ‘Bruiser.’ Oh, by the way…find a new nickname. That one sucks.”

Bruiser dips his head. Noble’s eyes flash over the nearby clock.

“Well, Christmas Chaos starts very soon, so I’m going to leave you with some final words of wisdom. You are all going to be wrestlers one day…and when you do, I challenge you to go out….*fail*….and then prove the naysayers wrong. Prove that you have the capability for change. I came into APW thinking this was going to be just another promotion, and that I would be just as successful as I have been in previous years.

I was wrong...and now’s the time to change that. For me, the past, present, and future tonight collide when I step into the ring with Johnny Rebel. The Overdrive title may be on the line, but it goes much, much deeper than that. It’s about pushing yourself. It’s about taking what you’ve learned and acting on it. It’s about doing the right thing.

It’s about being a wrestler.”

Noble heads towards the door, the clack of his cane being the only sound in the room. He reaches the door, and grins to himself as he turns and faces Bruiser.

“I believe in myself…and now it’s your turn. Happy Holidays.”

“When you live hard and you play hard and burn the candle at both ends... in this life, you can lose everything you love, everything that loves you. A lot of people told me that I'd never wrestle again, they said "he's washed up", "he's finished" , "he's a loser", "he's all through". You know what? The only ones gonna tell me when I'm through doing my thing, is you people here. You people here... you people here. You're my family.”
~Randy “The Ram” Robinson (The Wrestler – 2008)~