Renewed Purpose

The silence.

At the start of the year, silence was something seldom heard inside the Limitless dojo. The sounds of students running through various drills, trainers shouting instructions and encouragement, camaraderie and laughter, these were sounds that filled the building for hours on end. There was silence only when they locked up for the night, only to disappear in the morning when it opened once more. The building was never silent for long, not when there were students, family to fill it with the sounds of hard work.

But those were a distant memory now. The school had closed like most businesses in California, unable to stay open in the wake of shutdowns. He was only allowed entry to do work, to maintain upkeep while his students returned to what some called the real world. He was confident that one day they’d return, the school open once more and students training. Limitless had given him a renewed purpose years ago, even reigniting his passion and pushing him to return to active competition. A decision that led him to Union Battleground, entering his second triple threat match.

And so here he was, looking to drown out the silence in the dojo and in his mind. The sounds could be heard blasting from his headphones, a thumping bass keeping the beat as he finished his set, placing the weight back on the bar and exhaling softly. There was some stiffness, one hand coming up to his shoulder as he rotated the affected arm, exhaling sharply as he grit his teeth. Something else to figure out.

Sighing to himself, he took the headphones out, only a faint pulse being heard as he looked into the camera. Some viewers could see the bags under his eyes, even the weariness in them. Sweat had already formed on his brow, dripping softly as he collected himself for the camera.

“No matter how I look at it, no matter how much I try and convince myself otherwise, it’s no use. I’m not the same man I was ten years ago, or five years ago, or even two years ago when I felt I was on top of the world. The past year, wrestling sporadically and focusing more on the backstage side of things, it’s affected me more than I had realized. I need to work harder than I normally would, just to get to where I was two years ago. Back when I was making my way through CWC territories, when I was traveling to Japan and representing them as champion. I should be a lot farther than I am now, because I see contemporaries who have gone on to do amazing things, who have firmly established themselves in this business. And instead of progressing, I’m fighting to be the man I once was. For someone so dedicated to growth and consistently moving forward, I’ve regressed.”

The soreness in his shoulder underlies the fact, almost subconsciously reaching an arm back to cradle the affected area.

“I’m not gonna sit here and act like some hard luck case, or say that this is why I lost to Miles. I lost because he was the better man that night. And given how loathe I am to pay him any sort of compliment, even now, you better believe that’s the truth. That wasn’t my night, and there ain’t no shame in admitting that.
But one night? That doesn’t define my time in Union. I’m still here when others would’ve taken their ball and gone home in embarrassment. Still stubborn as ever, trying to push back and fight no matter how the situation looks. Because it is my responsibility to show people exactly what Limitless means to me.

Limitless isn’t just a catchy name, it’s supposed to fucking mean something. It’s supposed to inspire people to never settle, never be happy with the average. Strive for more, strive to be better and rise above your station, never be satisfied with minor crumbs when you could have the world at your fingertips. Limitless is a mindset, an ideal, and it’s one that continues to push me even when it might seem foolish for a man to come back after several months, damn near a year of almost complete inactivity.”

Shooting a glance towards the facility he called home, the determination in his look grows as he absentmindedly wipes the sweat off his brow.

“But I’m still here, right? And there are still companies willing to give me that shot. For as bad as 2019 was, this year has shown me that I’m not done. APEX has given me a new lease on life, Union has given me a renewed purpose, and for the first time in a long time, I have my love of wrestling again. And if the trade off for that is losing a triple threat match to Miles Lucky? Then that’s a small price to pay.

But now comes another test. Because just like last time, I step into another triple threat match. Against Morgan Payne, and a familiar face in Anna Daniels. And anyone who has followed either of our careers knows what Anna and I are capable of inside a ring.”

The camera follows as Hayden makes his way into the heart of the facility, leaning onto the ring apron as he looks off with a ghost of a smile on his face.

“Budokan Gaijin Dream Fight. The promotion that Anna called her child, the place where we first crossed paths and saw what we could do. Back then there was no Muse, no Jacky by your side. No, you were the Time Lord who has an albatross around your neck, a petulant little man who never deserved your time if I’m being honest. But whether out of charity or blindness you kept him, bringing him along to Budokan where you outshined him. You held the Kaiju Title, you took my United States Title and became President Kaiju, and it was through those battles that we saw what the other was capable of. Dark Arts, brutal battles, the theft of your TARDIS so that I could continue my reign for seven years, all of this and more! We became the pillars of Budokan, holding it aloft as we battled to see who would reign supreme.

And then.

Limitless, GoL, Yamashi. You traveled, fighting and clawing and proving what Budokan fans knew. The Hellcat Spangled Death Squad has seen your stock rise to new heights, but things are crazy now aren’t they? In fighting, declaring Ana to be excommunicated. You want people to see you, Anna Daniels, to recognize you and see you on the level of your stablemates, current and “former”. Even your own husband sees you going manic, he sees the desperation. And I have to wonder, does he know just how far you might sink? Do you?”

The question lingers as Hayden turns around, looking into the camera. In the background, just out of focus, a flash of blue is seen before appearing to fade out, going unmentioned or unrecognized as he continues on.

“But you have purpose, Anna. You’re not a single focus type of person, you see the infinite possibilities. When one door closes, you force open two more, because people like us are never down for long. We rise up, we carry the scars on our body proudly and we soldier on. You can call it arrogance or pride, or something else entirely, but we don’t stop. Not unless it’s on our terms.

Which, we can’t say the same for our opponent Morgan, now can we?”

A smirk appears as Hayden sits on the ring apron, leaning against the ropes as he shakes his head.

“Morgan Payne, we know why you’re here. Anyone who’s seen your social media has seen you clamor for a shot against Daniel MacNamara. You’re so eager for the opportunity that you joined Union just so you could be closer to your goal. And while I can appreciate that initiative, it seems to me that this is all you want. Oh you’ll wrestle others, you’ll try and climb the ranks, but I wonder if you’ll continue to do so after you get your chance at Daniel. I’ve seen people obsessed with others, finally get that match, only to wander aimlessly because they no longer have direction.

And before you think I’m being terrible for no reason, understand this. I know what it’s like to be betrayed by someone you thought of as family. I know the pain involved and the hurt that you carry. But if you let this consume you, then he’s taken out two Na Fianna members. So leave your obsession at the door, leave that title you were gifted while you’re at it, and come into this ready for a fight. I’m not here to coddle you or massage your ego, I’m here because I want to test myself against the best, and if you let your obsession take hold, then you don’t belong among that number.”

If there’s a shred of guilt, he certainly doesn’t show it, that smile softening as he looks out into the facility.

“I’m getting slower. I’m getting older. But don’t you forget, I’m still capable of greatness. I still have plenty of fights left in me. Anna certainly knows what I can do inside that ring, and Morgan will learn soon enough. Fighting for a cause is what motivates me to do better, to be better, because I can’t stop. Not when there’s still so much to do.

I can’t stop. Simple as that.”

Staring out with a pensive look is how we leave Hayden, the scene drawing to a close.