A booming voice is heard as soon as the camera turns on. The camera then focuses on Seth Lawless. He has his feet up and is watching TV. Finally a guy with crazy black hair that is everywhere walks in. He takes a deep breath and looks at him.
What is up boss man?
Seth shakes his head.
How many times have I told you not to say that?
A few…
Seth shakes his head again and looks at Paul and takes a deep breath.
Can you please change the channel?
Really? You can’t do it yourself?
Paul reluctantly changes the channel. Seth tells him to stop and then waves him off. As soon he is out of the picture Seth turns the TV off and looks into the camera.
I’m done being pushed around. I’m done with people overlooking me and not giving me the opportunity that I deserve. I’m also done with trying to fit into society and I am done with a lot of the talking. I don’t talk much as a lot of you can see because I feel that I do my best work in that ring by kicking ass and taking names. I’m mad that we lost on the last show. I was held by the tights and the ref didn’t do anything about it. So guess what Seth was screwed.
Then the next few days I find out that Zay left the company and yes that pisses me off because she was so damn talented. I wish I could change what happened to her I wish I could have won that match for her and maybe she would have stayed around. Hell, Becky has been doing damn well for herself in this company and I guess she has started to gain momentum here and I’m suck right in the middle.
He shakes his head and closes his eyes.
I’m in my first singles match here in Union and I have to face someone that is doing this for the right reasons.
Isaiah Elliot...
Is someone that I look at and I know that he is doing the right thing because he is fighting for his family and he wants to make them proud and all of that but I feel bad for him because I am going to have to take him out for that. He is humble and he is proud but that doesn’t matter in that ring…
…What matters is having talent and I have that in spades and I will fight him to the last breath and I will have my hand raised because I am done with losing I am done with people talking me down. I am done with trying to be a cog in society because I want to do my own thing with Becky. Yes, I hit a bump in the road but it is one that I will keep driving past because I am not going to give up. I will not sit idly by and let people walk all over me.
He gets up and starts to walk around the room.
I want to get back to where I was before and that was on the top of my game. I have walked away before and that has messed me up but now I am not just fighting for myself I’m fighting for Becky and the society that she has built. If we take anymore losses people will look down on us and they will think that we cannot do this. I want to do something with this and I have to win to keep this alive and like I have said before I feel bad for Isaiah because he has to face me. He needs to look me in the face and he needs to try and take me down he needs to try and beat me. It will not be easy because I have seen defeat in this company and I will not let it happen again. I hated losing the last show and it is a feeling that I don’t want to feel anytime soon.
Now I know what people are going to say. Seth how can you be so sure you can win? It is simple because I am damn good in that ring. I know what I need to do and that is keep on fighting that is to just push people out of my way. I need to step on their throat and stomp. Then let them up and push them back down and STOMP them again and again until their larynx is broken and they cannot breathe anymore. I will take the people that don’t follow us one by one.
He smiles as he slumps back down on the couch.
I know I messed up last show but I will not let that happen again. I will fight Isaiah to my last breath and I will walk out the winner.
A little boy stepped out onto the playground. He glanced around, shielding his eyes from the sun. He was hesitant to step away from the door out into the mess of playing children but eventually pushed forward.
“I remember when I was in school,” the voice of Isaiah Elliott narrated. “The kids loved recess. They loved getting away from the schoolwork and going out to play with their friends. I remember it a little differently.”
The boy didn’t get too far before a larger boy threw his arm around Isaiah’s shoulder and guided him. A pack of similarly sized boys grouped around them and walked in the same direction.
“It wasn’t about friends for me. It was like being released into a prison yard. Everything looks so innocent to the adult eye as you look out into a landscape of laughing children but somewhere out there, a few of the children aren’t laughing. But children are deceitful and good at it. You have to watch carefully.”
The young boy looked around frantically, attempting to wriggle free. The grip of the large boy, however, was very tight.
“Please, I don’t wanna--”
“Shut up, kid,” the larger boy growled. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
“I remember what it felt like to be bullied. I remember the ridicule. Do you know why they bullied me? Because they could. That’s it. That simple. It wasn’t because I did anything to them, said anything about them, or because there was some girl involved. Some kids just want to pick out the easiest targets and have their fun. I’m no psychologist or anything but I hear that usually happens when they’re abused at home, bullied by someone bigger than they are. Maybe daddy hits mommy and the child learns that when people misbehave or are weaker, they should be punished for it. It’s disgusting and shameful but it happens, seemingly.”
Once in a dark corner of the schoolyard, the large kid throws the smaller boy down to the ground.
“What did I do? I’m sorry!”
“What did I do?” the large boy asked mockingly. “You’re a fucking loser!”
He kicked at the smaller boy, hitting him in the shoulder. The boy yelped and scrambled backward until he hit the school wall. He rubbed the back of his head in sudden pain as the larger boys advanced, looming over the fallen victim.
“I wasn’t always brave in the face of that adversity. It was terrifying to see a larger person wanting to hurt you and, even worse, in perfect position to do it.”
The little boy used the wall to scramble to his feet. He maneuvered to try and escape but only found where the wall intersected with another wall. He was cornered, literally. The boys closed in.
“We’re going to pound your face in. And if you even think about telling someone, we’ll just keep doing it again and again, like last time.”
“Why?”
“Why not?” the boy countered.
The smaller boy looked terrified. Suddenly, his brows furrowed in determination.
“Did I mention I hate bullies?”
The small child struck fast. He kicked the leader of the pack hard in the shin, causing him to stumble. The first kid reached for him but the boy punched the goon in the nose, causing a small popping noise and a burst of blood as the bigger kid drew back. The next kid rushed forward and grabbed the scrappy little boy but got a hard thrust kick to the chest for his troubles. He fell grasping his chest as the wind was knocked out of him.
“It only takes so much time before you fight back. You learn to fight back. Bullies prey on easy targets and to survive, you have to learn how to not be an easy target. I had to learn.”
The pack leader regained his composure in the heat of the scrum and got the small boys shirt in his hands. He pinned him to the wall in one swift motion.
“You’re going to pay for that!” he screamed into the boy’s face.
No response from the small boy. He simply grit his teeth and slammed his head into the face of the larger boy, causing the bully to relinquish his grip. A couple more large kids rushed forward but Isaiah timed his move. As they rushed, he ducked between them and they both slammed into the wall, unable to stop their momentum.
“Seth Lawless is a bully, and I’m no easy target. If not for the domination of Salvation, the Society would be picking off victims left and right, adding to their list. I’m not blind. I can see it. Inability does not create innocence. They’re scavengers right now but once they find an opportunity, they will strike. With Salvation occupied with the Champ, maybe it’s time the Society pulled their coup and began to establish their dominance.”
The young boy looked at the pack of bullies, now crying from their various injuried. His face does not express emotion. He just watches them curiously.
“I will not be the first. Seth is a large, powerful man. I am not. Don’t mistake my weight for weakness. I strike hard and I strike fast. I can turn the tide of battle in an instant. It doesn’t matter how big you are, how much of a bully you are, your body will hit the ground the same way as anyone else’s when you’re knocked out.”
The little boy turned to walk away but stopped, slowly turning back to the group of kids.
“If you think about telling someone, remember that we can always do this again sometime.”
“You can bring the Society down to watch if you want, Seth. You can try to use numbers to your advantage. But before you go that route, I want you to think about the implications. What happens when you catch an elbow to the face, collapse like a sack of potatoes, and that referee strikes the mat three times. What then? You brought your crew with you, like sharks salivating and waiting for the opportunity to make things easier, and you still couldn’t win. How will that feel? How will you come back from that?
The small boy didn’t wait for a response. He turned and walked away.
“You can think this is an easy fight if you want. That’s not going to make it so. I hate bullies, Seth. Maybe the time comes and I knock some sense into that skull of yours. Maybe you realize that fighting honorably is how you should play things. Either way, I’m showing up to knock your lights out!”
