It was fair to say that David Helms, despite his years as a professional fighter in some of the toughest companies in the professional wrestling business, had been more a little shaken up by the incident that had taken place a few days earlier as he inspected the former LA Fitness building for the first time as the actual owner of the property, but in a strange way it was his reaction to what unfolded that left him feeling worse than the actual physical act that happened to him. And the reason for that was self-evident in David’s mind at least… for twenty one years, minus a few gaps here and there, David had dedicated his life to stepping into a ring to face anyone that he may be booked against. He had fought men who were considered giants and monsters, he had fought vicious bantemweights and heavyweights alike, women with a violent streak wider than the Mason-Dixon line, in short… he had fought people of all shapes, sizes, cultures and attitudes and he had never ducked a fight or run away, even at his darkest days when he had apparently taken leave of his senses and ran in a group known as Pinnacle. Never in his twenty one years had David Helms shied away from a fight, regardless of how stacked against him the odds were and whether he knew he could win or whether he knew he was going to get his ass handed to him, it was a point of pride for the New Jersey native that he would always stand his ground… yet in that moment, in that fleeting moment where he wasn’t just taken by surprise but overpowered too, he felt helpless. This wasn’t sport, this wasn’t two individuals giving their all while chasing a victory, it was a vicious thug attempting to choke the life out of him and his ego was far more heavily bruised than he was physically, and that was only the beginning of the issues.
Yes, maybe there was something to the idea that he was overreacting, that the ape of a man that had grabbed him would have stopped just short of actually killing him that day even if David’s friend Matty Stone hadn’t be around to break things up… but even if that was the case, David had felt the terrifying feeling of his lungs being unable to take in oxygen, he felt the pounding in his head of a rapidly slowly heartbeat that was failing because he was unable to breath and in that moment. That one terrifying moment… he was powerless to do anything about it.
He, David Helms, a veteran of professional wrestling with a history steeped in violence and aggression… was unable to stop another man as he literally attempted to choke the life out of him. And why? All because David had dared to shove another man away from him during a heated discussion. That made the whole thing worse in David’s mind as he went over and over the events in his head in the days that followed, dwelling on every detail to an almost obsessive level in the privacy of his own mind because he daren’t admit to his wife Regan that he was attacked in the first place, let alone traumatised by the attack itself. And that was perhaps the darkest part about the whole thing for David, that his own ego wouldn’t allow him to talk to Regan about what happened. But how could he? How could he, the new SCW World Heavyweight Champion, look his wife in the eye and tell her that he was scared because another man choked him out and he was powerless to do anything? How could he tell Regan how weak and fragile he felt when as a husband and father, he was supposed to be the one person that would do anything to protect his wife and children? And even if it was an irrational way of thinking in the twenty first century, even if it was an outdated and archaic way of thinking that men had to bottle everything up and be strong instead of admitting they were vulnerable… he did so anyway.
Stupid. It was stupid. Yet after everything the last few months had brought, this was what finally caused him to stop and think about things. After risking pissing off his wife, his family, his fans, by returning to the ring. After taking a risk that he could still compete and entering matches that he may not be able to keep up in. After fighting with and even losing friends, after all that twenty twenty had brought… this was what left him insecure and questioning himself? David felt like an idiot and he would have slapped them for being so bone headed if it was anyone telling him they felt that way but it wasn’t. It was him. Big Match Dave, the Last Shadow of Hope… hopeless. What a pitiful fucking state of afairs and one that he hoped was a blip and no more, because he couldn’t allow himself to continue like this unless he was ready to kiss goodbye to everything he had been working towards for the better part of the year! And not to mention that new school and his desire to get that up and running! There was so much to do, so many people to speak with and plans to put in place, yet he was finding excuses to stay home. He wasn’t ever going to get Living Dangerously off the ground if he didn’t pull himself together, and he hated himself even more for knowing that, yet it didn’t help convince him to be proactive either.
“So when do I get to see the new place, huh?” Regan had asked him earlier that morning over a breakfast of pancakes, bacon and fresh orange juice that she’d whipped up herself with Jay. David had been waiting for that shoe to drop ever since he’d picked the keys up, and he was thankful at least that Regan had been busy when he decided to go take a look around the day he was attacked. If it had been Regan instead of Matty, David didn’t want to think about what may have happened. “Jay was asking about it while you were in the shower, he’s more of an interest now he’s old enough… I promised him that he can take the first swing with the hammer when work starts on the place, hope you’re okay with that?” she asked, and David simply nodded; he was parallel processing, he was keeping up with what Regan was saying but it wasn’t what he was focusing on at that moment in time.
“Yeah, it’s fine,” he replied with a half-hearted nod as he poked around at the pancakes on his plate without actually scooping any up.
“You sure?” Regan asked, putting her own fork down as she looked at her husband, a frown etched across her face. “You don’t look happy that I said he could… I’m sure he won’t mind if you wanted to do it, I think he was just excited about getting to put holes in things with a hammer to be honest…”
David mentally shook himself; he needed to pull his head out of his ass, at least on the surface anyway. Did he want to give away the fact that he was worried about things?! “Sorry babe, just got a lot on my mind at the minute that’s all,” he said, pulling a smile out of nowhere to try and reassure Regan that it really was fine. “And we’ll see, huh? I mean, as much as I want to be a good dad… I kind of was looking forward to throwing the first blow with the sledgehammer when the work starts…”
Regan looked skeptically at her husband before smirking. “Sometimes I don’t know who the biggest kid is in this house, your ten year old son or you,” she joked as David cut a piece of pancake off with the edge of his fork and took a bite. Breakfast had played an important role in their relationship, right from the early days of knowing one another; they were both seeing other people back then, David with Zoe and Regan somewhat awkwardly seeing Lucas, which seemed like a life1time ago in all honesty, but it quickly became evident that there was a strong connection between the two and it didn’t take long for either of them to catch a case of the feels… and whether it was on the road or when they were home in Cali, Breakfast together became a regular part of their friendship. They may have both been hiding from their feelings at the time, or ignoring them at least, but it was an excuse to be in one another’s company and to this day, David would drop anything to eat breakfast with his wife, no matter how important. “Seriously though, I want to go check it out,” Regan said, going back to her original point as David chewed on a mouthful of pancake and maple syrup. “If I’m going to be helping run this place, I should probably see what I’m getting into, right?”
David swallowed heavily, the food in his mouth helping mask that it was mostly through nervousness that he did so, before nodding weakly. “Yeah, yeah, I guess so...” he admitted, unable to really think of anything else to say to that. She was right, of course, if she was going to help run the place with him as he’d asked her back in Minneapolis when he made up his mind what he planned to do following the sale of AnteUp then she was going to need to know what she was getting into and that meant going to check the place out, didn’t it? “Maybe we can head by later, or tomorrow,” he suggested vaguely, hoping it was enough. “Though you have that thing with your mom later, right? So I guess tomorrow?” he corrected himself and that seemed to meet Regan’s approval, though she shot him a playful grin anyway as she spoke.
“We could always go after breakfast?” she suggested, her own food almost finished. “I’ve got some free time until mom’s appointment, so we’d have the time if you actually ate your food instead of just playing with it?”
He had to fight with every fibre of his being to keep calm and keep his emotions from his face. “I can’t babe, I’ve got some calls to make once I’ve finished up here,” he explained, and it wasn’t a lie, as he actually did have calls to make to a few different people. Lyndon Allen was one of them, to discuss the work and he also needed to give Heath a list of things that he needed him to look at on his behalf too. It just worked out that his excuses were genuine though, rather than lies. “Things are gonna be pretty hectic around here for a while now babe, I hope you get that,” he said, shifting the conversation a little. “We’re gonna have so much stuff going on around us, meetings and calls and shit to sort through, decisioons to make, it’s gonna be pretty rough for a while…”
“Yeah, I’m not an idiot babe,” Regan said with a laugh. “I remember what it was like with AnteUp anyway, so it’s not like I’m going into this blind… it’ll just be a bit busier because it’s all on us this time, but I’m okay with that. I knew what I was getting into when I said yes to helping you do this, I’m ready for it.” she told him, reaching out to put her hand on his and she gave his hand a squeeze before grabbing her plate and getting up from the table. “Tomorrow it is then,” she said before walking to the sink to drop off her dishes. “We can make a day of it, maybe take Jay and grab some lunch after. This is the start of something great for you babe, for all of us,” she added as she turned to look at him while leaning against the kitchen counter. “I’m excited for all of it, I really am.”
“Me too babe. Me too,” he told her, forcing a smile before going back to his pancakes, making himself eat. That was several hours ago. The couple had continued to talk, David trying to allow himself to relax as they discussed what he had in mind for the new school, all the time beating himself up mentally about the fact he couldn’t look his wife in the eye and tell her about what had happened a few days earlier. Matty had checked in on him via text once or twice and had tried calling him that morning but David had ignored the call; it wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate his friend checking in on him but he knew that Matty would give him a hard time if he found out that David hadn’t spoken to Regan about what happened and the last thing he was going to do was pretend he had done only for it to backfire on him and bite him in the ass. Matty Stone was a great guy, but he had a very big mouth and the idea that he wouldn’t drop a foot in it was virtually unheard of. No, he just needed a little more time, that was all he needed. Some more time to process what had happened and think everything through.
It was normal, wasn’t it? To dwell on things like what had happened to him, in the days that followed such an event? He was in shock, that was all it was. He was in shock that he could end up in that situation when he thought of himself as a tough guy, generally speaking at least.
It was difficult for David to really concentrate on anything that afternoon. Regan had taken her mom for an appointment with her doctor and David had offered to come along but he knew before he’d even asked that he wouldn’t be needed or even wanted in all honesty; it seemed to be enough or Regan that David had immediately said yes all those months ago when she told him she wanted to move Giselle in with them while she received treatment, and she had even seemed surprised when he agreed without even having to discuss it. That had come as a shock to him, because while he knew that Regan and her mom hadn’t always had the best of relationships, it was her mother at the end of the day, and of course he was happy to do whatever he could to help as she looked to beat the cancer that her body was battling fiercly with.
Coupled with Jay being picked up to spend a few days with Kath though, David found he was left alone with his thoughts and while he had tried to make the calls he knew needed to be made, he was distracted and wasn’t anywhere near as productive as he intended to be. Yes, the plan with Lyndon Allen was firmed up and his in-house architect would be starting to draw up some preliminary plans for what David could do with the space. Yes, Heath was aware of what tasks he needed to tackle in what order… but there was so much that David knew he could be doing and yet instead of doing any of it, he was nursing a rapidly warming beer while sat out on the deck in the shade of a parasol, wondering why this was so scary for him. You need to pull it together bro he thought to himself, beer bottle dangling from the end of a claw-like grip with his fingertips. This isn’t like you, you need to get your ducks in a fucking row and pull yourself together he thought, wondering just why this was affecting him as much as it was. He was no stranger to someone wanting to hurt him, he was no stranger to being attacked even, so why was this one such a big deal? The only thing it could be, the more David thought about it, was that it had happened in a place that he owned, that someone had walked into his ‘house’ for want of a better word, and left him so completely helpless and at their mercy… and while David knew that in a fair fight things would possibly be different, the way he had been rendered unable to do anything by that thug Thaddeus was terrifying. But that wasn’t even his biggest problem was it?
Thugs being thugs was nothing new, and yes it had been a scary situation to be involved in, but the bigger problem wasn’t the worry that it would happen again, but the threat hanging in the air that worse would happen because David had dared to say no to a man he hadn’t even met before that day!
He’d done a little research since that ‘meeting’, and while it was obvious that Nathan Eacott was indeed rich and powerful in his ‘circles’ as the guy had put it, David couldn’t find anything that painted a picture that this guy was anything but a successful businessman. He was younger than David by a couple years, but had amassed a fortune at an early age, striking it rich as a twenty one year old after gambling on the equities market and had build his empire from there. He wasn’t surprised to find out that a lot of the major building projects in the Los Angeles area had seen Eacott’s hand in them and that was just one part of his empire. He owned shares in not one but four major sports teams in three different categories and had even invested in an upcoming blockbuster movie starring Denzel Washington and Naomi Harris. But the businessman couldn’t have been any clearer if he tried… if David didn’t agree to sell the building to him, then Eacott would ensure that he came to regret it. And given that he had made those threats while his gorilla literally had David by the throat and was choking the life right out of him, it was difficult for David to ignore such a threat…
Sighing, David drained the rest of his warm beer in one and stood up from his chair to head inside; he was out of beer and after drinking three already, he needed to hit the head before opening a fresh one. Using the downstairs bathroom, David washed up and checked his emails on his phone as he made his way back into the kitchen to hit up the fridge for another beer when a voice he hadn’t heard in a long time stopped him in his tracks and nearly caused him to fall to the floor as he jumped at the sound of it. “David Helms, as I live an’ breathe,” the man said and David gripped the wooden door frame so tightly that his knuckles whitened and his fingernails even bit into the wood a little as he used it to remain upright, jumping at the sudden shock of a voice. “It’s been a while me old china, how the devil d’ya do, eh?” Elias Crane asked as he leant against the kitchen counter right where Regan had stood earlier that day, drinking one of David’s beers and smiling as if this had all been arranged and was a happy reunion with old friends. “Christ, it must’ve been what, seven, eight years at least? Lot’a water under the bridge since then I imagine, mate. Lot of stuff happened an’ all that…” the Brit said, flicking his eyebrows up with a smirk before taking a drink of the beer that was in his hand.
“H-how the fuck did--” David started to ask before Elias cut him off.
“How’d I get in?” Elias asked, before laughing. “Bloody door was open mate; shouldn’t take the brains of a rocket scientist to work the rest out now, should it?”
“That’s not what I meant and you know it, bro!” David managed now that he was getting his legs back beneath him again. It had come as one hell of a shock to see Elias Crane of all people standing in his kitchen, given the history the two of them shared. It wasn’t a pleasant history and one that David was keen to forget in all honest, and the timing of his appearance couldn’t be anything good, given what had happened only a few days earlier and the promises made by Eacott. “Jesus, you’re what that bastard was talking about, aren’t you?!” David asked as it all started to make sense. Of course Eacott didn’t have any dirt out there on the net, he wouldn’t risk his reputation in the public eye would he?! No, he’d hire people like Crane to do his dirty work and then bask in the profit of other people’s labour. “So Eacott’s hired you to fuck with me, that’s it huh?!”
Crane seemed to be impressed, he gave a purse-lipped nod of recognition at David’s ability to put two and two together before nodding to the doorway. “Come on sunshine, let’s go ‘ave a little chat, eh?” the Londoner said. “I’ve got you a beer… a drink with an old mucka for old times sake an’ all that.” he added before making his way to the door, leaving David with a choice to make over whether he followed him outside, or whether he locked the door behind the asshole and called the cops. But what could he actually say if he did call the cops anyway? He had no proof of threats by Eacott, and what had Elias actually done, really? They did know each other, and Crane could probably spin a story that made them look like old friends, and he assumed that it was alright to come in. He’d have to explain how the fuck he got past the gate, but knowing Crane, he’d have an excuse for that as well. “You comin’ or what?” Crane asked, sticking his head back in through the doorway to glare at David before disappearing from view again and the New Jerseyite didn’t have much choice but to follow him. He looked around nervously as he stepped through the door but Crane was already sat down and he looked offended as he noticed the way David’s eyes darted around the general area looking for anything suspicious. “Bloody hell sunshine, you think this is some sort of trap or that there’s wankers out here waitin’ for ya? I’m almost bloody offended, mate!” the Brit said, disgusted with David’s actions in what was pretty fucking ironic in David’s view given the fact that the Londoner had technically broken into his home for them to have this conversation.
“You randomly appear after years, standing in my home uninvited, drinking my beer and I’m the one in the wrong for being suspicious?” David asked, on edge but angry as he made his way over to the seat he had vacated when he went to take a leak. “You haven’t even answered any of my questions either, which doesn’t exactly help me feel comfortable, Elias!”
“Relax mate, we’re all friends ‘ere, ain’t we?” Crane asked, smiling again.
“I don’t know we were ever friends, Elias.” Helms told him flatly, and the Brit pretended to be cut deep by those scathing words.
“You wound me sunshine, I thought we were real bosom buddies, myself!” Crane said, before snorting. “It was a figure of speech you plank, try an’ keep up, eh?”
“I’m gonna ask you again Elias, how did you get in here?” David asked, ignoring the insult. “And don’t tell me through the door, because you know that’s not what I mean!”
“Jesus Christ, ya such a fuckin’ killjoy ain’t ya?” Crane complained as he rolled his eyes enthusiastically and sighed. “I jumped the bloody wall! There, ya happy now?! Fuck me sideways, it always were a chore tryin’ to talk to you, Davey boy! Figured you’d ‘ave loosened up a bit after so long but apparently ya still more uptight than a puckered arsehole holdin’ in last night’s lamb bhunna!”
“You broke into my fucking house!” David protested, but Elias waved the statement away with the flick of a wrist.
“You yanks ain’t got no right to talk about taking other people’s shit when we were the ones that were ‘ere first anyroad,” Crane said, cool as you like as he took a swig of the beer bottle in his hand. “We found a country ‘ere an’ then you ungrateful bastards ‘ave to go an’ kick us out an’ start a war about it, how’s that for grattitude, eh?”
“Really dude? Really?!” David asked. “You turn up here after years of not seeing you, just days after a douchebag threatens to basically fucking ruin me and then you expect a nice little catch up?! You’re off your fucking head, man!”
“No mate, you are!” Crane snapped, putting his beer bottle down and sitting forward to look David dead in the eye. “Do you have any bloody clue what you’ve gone an’ got yourself caught up in, eh? Pissing off Nathan Eacott? Putting your hands on him! Fuckin’ hell mate, you’d be better off pissin’ Trump off, at least the secret services ‘ave rules they ‘ave to follow!”
And there it was. The first official acknowledgement that this was to do with what had happened earlier in the week. Not that David needed to hear it to know that that was the exact reason that Crane had made a reappearance but hearing the name slip from Elias’ mouth made it official at least, which brought some clarity even if it brought little comfort with it. “I fucking knew it…” David said, but Elias stopped him going any further.
“Again, it don’t take the brains of a rocket scientist to put two an’ two together, mate!” Elias said, sighing as he shook his head. “Look, I’m gonna level with you alright, sunshine? Yeah, alright, I’m ‘ere ‘cause of Eacott… but fuckin’ hell mate, you wanna be careful messing with this geezer! He’s a nasty piece of work Davey boy, an’ you’re firmly in his crosshairs now, pal!” the Londoner said, but despite the dire warning, despite the fact he had arrived unannounced and unwanted at David’s place and had effectively broken in despite the fact that the door was open… there was something in his voice that had David feeling confused, because it wasn’t actually threatening. It was more… a warning? A show of concern? It was as if Elias was looking out for David, instead of attempting to intimidate him. And that didn’t seem right. “A little birdy told me you already ‘ad a run in wi’ that big lug Thaddeus,” Crane said and David swallowed heavily, but tried to hide it. The mention of his name alone brought back the memory of the big ugly asshole’s hand around his larynx. “No need to say anything, I’ve heard all about it from Eacott already…”
“So you work for him… why am I not surprised?” David asked, with a derisive scoff that actually seemed to offend Crane.
Not for the reason David expected though. “I’m not in anyone’s employment sunshine, don’t be rude.” he was quick to point out, irritated with the accusation. “I’m a freelancer, as you know all too well, given the work i’ve done for you an’ your mucker Lucas. How’s your little lad by the way, he alright?”
“Leave Jay out of this, bro…” David requested; it was bad enough that Crane was here and they were discussing the Eacott situation, he didn’t need Jay mentioned in the same sentence.
Crane threw his hands up in dismay before sighing. “Bloody charmin’ eh? I helped ya get custody of the little fella all them years ago, but I can’t even enquire about his well being… still, that’s gratitude for ya, I guess.”
“Can you blame me?” David asked, growing irritated by it. “I don’t want my kids name mentioned in the same conversation as a douchebag like Eacott!”
“Fair enough, fair enough,” Crane replied, nodding as he settled back in his chair. “Can’t say I fault ya there mate, all things considered… but come on Davey, ‘ave you any idea what you’ve actually got ya self into with this bollocks?” He asked, turning serious again. “On face value, Nathan Eacott is a good bloke who done good. Made his money fair and square, rose to become the creme de la creme and all that… but scratch beneath the surface and he’s as bent as a nine bob note, to tell ya the truth…”
“He’s as bent as what?” David asked, confused, but Elias simply shook his head.
“Again, bloody yanks, a tell ya!” he bemoaned, before smirking. “Crooked as a nine dollar bill, that easier to follow? He’s a wrong’n Dave, he’s a nasty bloke who’ll stop at nothin’ to get his own way, an’ you’ve only gone an’ put yourself firmly in his line of sight ain’t ya!”
“It’s not like I meant to do it!” David protested, feeling like he had to prove his innocence despite owning nobody anything. “All I did was happen to buy a building I’ve had my eye on and somehow piss this guy off in the process!”
“Aye, that’s all it takes at times mate, can’t be helped I guess,” Crane said, and his blase response both surprised and annoyed David in equal measure. How could Elias be so nonchalant about the whole thing, that was what he wanted to know?! If he had been brought into this mess, then it was obviously a serious situation and yet he was acting as if it was nothing. “Though I dare say that it didn’t help when you told him to fuck off instead of just agreeing to sell to him, mind. That probably pushed things over the edge as it were… but ya weren’t to know what a cunt ya were dealin’ with, were ya?” he said, giving Dave a big smile that served to remind him just what an asshole Elias Crane truly was.
“I think I got the message loud and clear when his pet neanderthal tried to kill me,” David told him, heatedly. “But if it wasn’t obvious then, you turning up hammers it home loud and clear!”
Elias placed a hand across his chest, above where his heart was, as he pretended to look upset. “You wound me mate,” he said, pretending to sniffle a little before smirking. “Thing is though Davey, you ain’t far off the mark, are ya? Ya know better’n most that a guy like me don’t get involved until a situation requires certain measures or a certain approach… and unfortunately, Nathan Eacott believes that my services are needed ‘cause no amount of moolah is gonna convince ya to do the right thing… or what he sees as bein’ the right thing anyroad.”
“So he’s hired you to employ your special skills and ruin me!” David snapped back, his patience long since worn out and his anger bubbling to the surface despite how shaken he was feeling in general after the events a couple of days earlier.
“Ya know what am capable of, me old china,” Crane told him smugly as he sat back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap. “I mean, it weren’t that long ago that you were hirin’ my services either, were it? Gettin’ your ex wife’s old man’s bank accounts frozen, makin’ it look like ya ex wife were a drug user an’ a loose woman… times might’ve changed wi’ certain attitudes to that kinda thing mate, but the court certainly weren’t modern thinkin’ when them photos made their way into the trash media, were they?” he went on, as if he was remembering the whole thing fondly, but David didn’t need reminding what he had once done. It was still all too clear in his memory and he had a deep sense of regret over everything he had done back then; it was a world away from who he was now and a world away from the man he had been before that time too… but during that custody battle, he had stooped to levels that now made his skin crawl and while Kath had suspected he was behind it at the time, she had never found proof that he was. So if it was to get out now… well, David didn’t want to think about what may happen. “Still, we got what ya wanted in the end, eh? Little Jay in your custody an’ Kath suffered for what she’d put ya through, so all’s well that ends well an’ all that…”
“And now you’re just dangling that in front of me like a carrot on a stick, huh?” David said, disgusted in what was happening in that moment. “You come here, making what, threats to expose the truth of what happened, in the hopes I buckle? You really are--”
“I suggest ya don’t finish that sentence, sunshine…” Crane interrupted, smiling pleasantly as if this was still just a friendly little chat between old friends who hadn’t seen each other in a long time. “Ya right, as it happens, a could go an’ expose ya to the world an’ pretty much ruin ya if I were so inclined to do so… or maybe I try somethin’ else, an’ have a little fun first, who knows…”
“So I was right! You’re here to try and force my hand and make me bend to Eacott’s every want!” David said flatly, not a doubt in his mind that this was the direction things were heading in.
“I mean, we both know I could do it mate,” Elias said, so blatantly blase about the whole thing. They may as well be discussing the weather or sports for all the care he was showing. “That’s what Eacott wants anyway, for me to break ya spirit, more or less… an’ I’m sure once I do a bit of diggin’ I’ll find somethin’ to use against ya. If nothin’ else, like ya point out mate, we’ve got the pocket ace’s of what ya did to Kathryn if I can’t find anythin’ else, which is a decent little insurance policy if nothing else…”
“Well go ahead bro!” David said, jumping up so suddenly that he knocked his beer bottle over and his chair fell to the ground with a loud clatter too, causing birds to scatter from the nearby trees as Crane simply sat there watching on with blatant indifference. “You want to ruin me, you take your best shot,” he continued defiantly, and found to his own surprise that this conversation had actually given him some of his fight back. Yes, he was still concerned by the whole situation, and he was still a little ashamed of himself for being such an easy victim at the hands of Thaddeus, but Crane attempting to stick the knife in like this had given him the guile he needed to pull himself out of his troubles and decide to fight back! “You can go to Eacott and you can tell him that it doesn’t matter what tricks he does, and the same goes for you too Elias! You can do whatever bullshit you want, try and play any games you like, I’m not going to fold like some cheap suit that--”
“Alright, stop given’ it all that, ya plum!” Crane said, cutting Dave off as he started flapping his hand like a runaway mouth. “Fuckin’ hell, if ya think am actually ‘ere to mess everythin’ up for ya then your a bigger dickhead than I gave ya credit for,” he added, rolling his eyes before standing up to pick David’s chair up from the ground and set it back upright again. He bent over and collected the now half empty beer bottle and pressed it back into David’s hand and nodded at the chair. “Sit,” he said, and for some reason David found himself doing exactly as he was told, sitting down in the chair as Elias re-took his own seat, and sat forward in it to lean on his knees. “Listen sunshine, when I want to ply my trade, the last thing I think about doin’ is visittin’ the mark to tell him or her what’s to come, ya get me?” the Londoner asked, and Dave’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Am not ‘ere to tell ya am comin’ for ya, ya plank, am ‘ere to warn ya about what Eacott’s upto an’ hopefully save your arse!”
David didn’t understand what was going on, he didn’t get what had just happened; Crane had admitted it, he had admitted that Eacott had gone to him for his help and that he had taken the job. He had said that, hadn’t he? David was sure he had. So if that was the case, then why was Elias telling him that he was there to help?! “But you said…” David started to ask, before coming up short for a second. “You said he’d hired you… if he’s… what do you mean save me ass?” he finally managed, and was impressed he could pull even that much together.
“He has hired me, yeah…” Crane confirmed with a conspiratorial nod, looking around as if he suspected there may be people watching before he rubbed his hands together and leant in even further to close the distance between them. “But between me an’ you mate, the blokes a massive wanker of epic proportions an’ if it comes down to a choice between makin’ some quick money or helpin’ out an old mate, am gonna make a personal choice instead of a professional one for once.”
David didn’t even know how to respond to that; this was a man that wasn’t known for his level of morality, it was a man that was a problem solver, a man that could get jobs done for the right money, and to find out he was going out of his way to choose loyalty over profit, was shocking to say the least. Especially when David considered the fact that the two hadn’t spoken in years! “You’re choosing to help me over a guy with that much power? Okay, are you mental?!” David asked, and while he didn’t want to insult Elias, he couldn’t have stopped himself from asking it if he tried.
Luckily, the Brit gave him a grin. “Must be,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders. “And I’m not sayin’ I don’t expect to compensated for my help mate, while we’re talkin’ about it… but between you an’ me Davey, a’ve been thinkin’ of goin’ legit for a while, an’ a think helpin’ an old friend out is the right way to walk off into the sunset, wouldn’t ya say so?”
“Bro, if you’re being legit right now, then I think we can agree it’s an exceptional way of calling it a day!” Helms said, sitting upright himself now that he realised that things were going in a completely different direction to what he expected.
Crane nodded his head, grinning again. “Aye, a thought you might do,” he said with a chuckle. “But am warnin’ ya mate, this ain’t gonna be easy,” he added, dropping all hints at amusement as he started to take the conversation seriously. “Eacott, he’s a bloke wi’ his fingers in a lot of piece, know what I mean? He’s got expectations of me, an’ to a degree I’m gonna ‘ave to live up to ‘em… but that don’t mean I can’t keep you in the loop an’ warn ya about what’s goin’ on.”
“That’s fair,” David said, nodding in agreement.
“An’ ultimately mate, the aim is to take him down instead, ain’t it?” Crane asked, which got another nod from David. “But as the old sayin’ goes, ya can’t make an ommlette wi’out breakin’ a few eggs…”
“Yeah well, I was convinced it would end up being my skull that got broken to be honest, so if it’s just eggs, I’ll take it…” David told him, genuinely not caring that he may have to go through some stuff if it meant that this would be dealt with eventually.
“Just so long as ya know that it may not be easy at times,” Crane explained. “It’s gonna be difficult, it’s gonna be rough probably, though I’ll do what I can to ensure nothin’ too bad takes place… but I’ve got to do enough that he doesn’t decide to go with one of my competitors, because if that happens, there’s nothin’ I can do to protect you sunshine…”
It was a fair point, and even if this entire situation was ridiculous in David’s eyes, he understood where Elias was coming from. He just found it hard to believe that this was even happening; all he had done was buy a vacant building downtown, it wasn’t as if Eacott was even a rival or in the same business! He wanted to turn the place into condos and Dave wanted to make it into a wrestling school… yet here he was, in this situation regardless and way out of his depth with it. “That would have happened anyway if Eacott was fucking with my life, so it’s not like it’s something I could have avoided, is it?”
“Fair enough, point well made that man,” Elias conceded, before rubbing his hands together as he got to his feet. “Well, guess I’ll be off then… but despite the circumstances sunshine, it’s good to see ya. Hopefully next time, it’s for social reasons rather’n business one’s…”
David stood up and Elias held out a hand towards him, which David took in his own so that they could shake. “I appreciate this, bro…” David said, as they broke apart again. “And don’t worry, I’ll make sure to look after you when this is over with…”
“Oh I know you will, sunshine!” Crane said, pulling a pair of sunglasses out of his shirt top pocket to put them on. “But we’ll discuss that down the road… gotta get to the bridge before we can cross it, you know how it is.”
“Yeah, something like that,” David said, with a nod.
“I’ll be off then, mate.” Elias said, turning to face the steps that let up and around the house. “I’ll just take the gate on me way out if it’s all the same with you. Sneaking in was one thing, sneaking back out again might leave people talking… have a good’n,” he said, patting Dave on the shoulder before turning to make his exit, leaving David standing there, a little out of sorts from the whirlwind that the last few days had been. Two days ago, he had come home fearing for his life and feeling like a coward, feeling fragile and weak. Now he felt optimistic, even if he knew he needed to be on his guard.
He wasn’t sure what Elias would do, what his plan was or how he would mess with him or how he would try and take down Eacott behind the scenes… but the one thing he did have was confidence that if anyone could manage it, Elias Crane was that man. He may not use moral tactics or do nice things, but he did get results. Not only have he helped Dave win custody of Jay all those years ago, but he had also tracked down Lucas’ kid and got him back to Lucas too. If you could say anything about Crane, it was that he got results. And while it was still a ludicrous position for David to be in, the target of a rich, malicious douchebag who believed he could do as he pleased and get away with it… compared to how he was feeling that morning, things had taken a complete one eighty.
And in truth, if the last few months to lead him to this point had been a rough ride, from the argument with Tommy, to their fight and him putting everything he had worked for up for sale… was this any different when you took it all into consideration? Not really. It had the potential to be worse, that was true. But when David woke up that morning, everything looked bad anyway. Now there was a ray of hope. And if there was any hope whatsoever then it was worth the fight. Maybe the Last Shadow of Hope wasn’t so hopeless after all.
YouTube Livestream
Location: Vancouver, BC
Date: 09/12/2020
As the Youtube live stream begins, the image briefly flickers up on screen before bursting into an eye watering vision of pixels and half-pictures before the connection stabilizes and we finally get to see the picture as intended. On screen is none other than David Helms, wearing a grey t-shirt of some description with an unzipped black hooded jacket over the top. Visible in the background behind him appears to be a rooftop terrace and pool, and he wastes no time in getting rolling now that he can see the viewers begin to tune in. “Hey, sup guys, and welcome to the great white north!” he says with a grin, motioning with his free hand to the scene behind him, which is evidently his hotel in Vancouver ready for Apocalypse the following night.
“How great is this place, huh?” he asks, turning to look away from the camera for a moment as he looks behind him before turning his attention back to his phone. “We’re staying here at the Fairmont Pacific Rim tonight ready for Apocalypse tomorrow and man, I can’t even begin to tell you have phenomenal the views are from up there,” he says, pointing over his shoulder at the building behind him and the rows of balconies that go up the side of the building. “We’re not that far away from tomorrow night’s venue, it’s just a shame our balcony doesn’t look out over it like it did back at Rise To Greatness, but hey, you can’t always get what you want, right?”
“I’ll hold off singing The Stones at you guys though, because let’s face it, you didn’t come here to listen to my singing, right?” he asks with a grin. “And I can’t say I blame you either, because I’ve heard cats that carry a better tune, but hey, I’m a professional wrestler, not a professional singer, so fuck it!” he says with a laugh this time.
“But hey, here we are, huh?” David says, puffing out his cheeks and exhaling heavily. “It doesn’t seem like two minutes ago that I was in Minneapolis, standing on my hotel balcony the night before the biggest show of the year, knowing that the next night I’d either be leaving as a two time SCW World Heavyweight Champion or a failure. And I don’t use that term in a derogatory way or anything, because as much as I hate her, I can’t deny how great a competitor Bree Lancaster is, and there’s nothing wrong with losing to her… but we all know that I’d have been a huge disappointment if I dropped the ball in Minneapolis, don’t we?” he asks, casting a quick glance at the live chat on the screen before turning his attention back to the lens of his front facing camera.
He grins sheepishly for a moment before continuing to speak. “You guys are being way too nice right now in chat, but come on bro, let’s be real here,” he says, chuckling. “I came back officially in January, help my team win Trio’s in February, went on to win Taking Hold of the Flame at the end of May and booked myself a spot in the main event of Rise To Greatness in July… if I’d not beaten Bree that night, you know for a fact that the wrestling community would have ripped me a new one, because it was the fairytale ending and if I’d dropped the ball, people would have been merciless!”
David shakes his head, chuckling to himself a little as he reaches out and grabs his drink from off camera, taking a sip of the amber liquor, ice cubes tinkling off the side of the glass as he puts the tumbler back down on whatever surface he picked it up from so he can continue. “And I know the notion of fairytale endings is probably dumb at my age, given how long I’ve been doing this, but hey… when you get one, it’s hard not to think about it, you know?” he says, before grinning as he reaches down again, but this time instead of picking up his drink, it’s the SCW World Heavyweight Championship. David looks at the title for several seconds before turning to beam at the camera. “I never thought this day would happen again, if we’re being honest though guys,” he continues as he throws the title over his shoulder. “When I stepped away from the ring back in two thousand fifteen I truly believed I was done, that I was walking away for good and when I said I wouldn’t be coming back I really did mean that…”
“...right up until the point where me and Lucas got drunk and started putting the world to rights,” he says, laughing as he grins sheepishly once again. “And I’ll be honest, I’m surprised more people haven’t thrown that back in my face since I returned, because I know that there’s plenty of people in this business that love that low hanging fruit for cheap point scoring and yet I’ve hardly seen anyway lazilly reach up to grab it. I’m actually gutted that I haven’t been able to use my Rocky two metaphor, with the whole ‘ain’t gonna be no rematch’ at the end of the first before doing just that in the second, which ended up being a much better movie… and now I’ve blown my load with that reference so I guess it’s a lost opportunity, huh?” he asks, chuckling.
“And okay, so I know that there’s a long way to go before we can say my return has been better than my initial run,” David continues, throwing his arms out in a theatrical shrug. “Got years of amazing experiences to compete with before I can make that claim, and while I appreciate the irony that I stand here holding the world title only six months after officially returning, after doing what I mentioned earlier in the course of that six months… the fact is, I’m still stacking that up against six years of experiences in my first run in this company, and as far as I’m concerned if I even think about taking my foot off the gas now, I’d be the biggest idiot on the face of the planet, because Greatness was the beginning of the journey, not the destination!”
Slowly nodding his head, David shifts his attention from the belt on his shoulder and removes it with his free hand to look at it as he continues to speak. “And thanks to that wonderful thing called the Trio’s tournament, I know that it could all come crashing down again tomorrow…” he says before looking back to the camera, World title still in his hand. “And you know what Glory… I’m not even shocked that you cashed in, not in the slightest. If anything, it defines you doesn’t it?” he asks, holding the belt up for the camera to see before he looks at it again and shakes his head. Leaning over, he puts the belt down on a sun lounger before straightening up to continue his promo. “Nah sweetheart, I’m not talking about the World title being what defines you, I’m talking about what you did to challenge for it! See, normally, I’d be standing here thinking ‘fair enough’ if someone cashed in a Trio’s contract that they earned, I mean that’s literally the point of Trio’s, isn’t it? You earn any match you want and get to pick when it happens… but here’s my problem, Glory. You’ve had that contract since February!”
David shakes his head, looking annoyed. “We won Trio’s seven months ago, well I say ‘we’, but I’ll get to that later…” he says, scoffing before continuing to speak. “We won that tournament in February, and you could have cashed in at any time Glory, you could have cashed in at any moment you wanted to… and when did you decide it was time? Right after you won the Adrenaline title, you gold hungry selfish douchebag!” he shouts, getting heated as he glares into the lens of his iPhone’s front facing camera. “And right now, I look at you and do you know what I see, sweetheart? An old, more desperate version of Bree fucking Lancaster, only worse because Bree didn’t actually bury the belt she held from day one of being champion, though I’m sure you’ll find some way of explaining why you’ve done nothing of the sort, because let’s face it, you don’t just think you’re better than everyone else, you think you know better too… jesus it must be difficult for you to stand up on that podium you’ve put yourself on Braddock, given it’s made of nothing but paper, bullshit and big promises!”
“Fine, you did something that many have tried to do when you beat Peyton at Rise To Greatness to become Adrenaline champion, I can applaud that one because I know how tough that kid is,” David states, nodding his head. He helped train Peyton, he knew exactly what she was capable of between the ropes and the fact that Glory beat her at the biggest show of the year was nothing if not impressive… but that didn’t mean he had to pretend that she was faultless either. “But you took one step forward and two giants one’s back Braddock, because you didn’t walk into that first Breakdown two weeks ago, proud of your achievement and wanting to brag about ending the reign of someone who had been virtually unbeatable for large periods of her time in the company… nah, you wanted to one up a couple of other arrogant assholes who were bickering over who should get the first shot at me by using that Trio’s contract of yours to slam yourself into the main event of the Apocalypse, not just shitting on everything that Adrenaline title means to so many people - myself included - but also ensuring that the belt doesn’t get defended on SCW pay per view, and also forcing another member of the roster to sit back and wait for his chance to challenge you for it, the right to do so being something he won at the same show you became a champion at!”
“And I already had a problem when Bree threw the US title under the bus to concentrate on being World champ, because she was making a clear statement that the United States championship really was second rate in comparison to our top tier title, but you?” he asks, almost snarling and he grinds his teeth for a moment before pushing on. “Jesus, you might as well have walked onto the stage and started your little speech by tossing the Addy title into the trash, because that’s basically the message that you gave the world when you immediately booked yourself a world title match right after winning it!”
David sighs heavily and takes a moment to reign it in before turning his attention back to his phone again. “And I’m sure you’ll find excuses for what you did, Glory. Your type always do,” he says, rolling his eyes. “You’ll find some way of spinning it that you think paints you as the hero and everyone else as the villains of the piece, but here’s the kicker, Braddock… your attitude, your sense of superiority and the way you decided to treat the Adrenaline championship with pure contempt? Fuck it sweetheart, as far as I’m concerned, you’re basically nothing but an older, foreign version of Bree Lancaster, which believe me, definitely isn’t a compliment considering Bree is basically a Sienna Swann clone to begin with, so what the fuck does that make you?!”
“Which is why I find it fucking hilarious that you think you’re the Best in the World, when you’re not even the best at being an arrogant bitch!” he continues, actually laughing for a second before he pulls himself together. “You want to shape the company in your image, Glory? Hell, why stop there… let’s go back one further, and shape it in Bree’s image! Or Sienna’s before her. Hell, let’s go O.G and shape it in Katie Steward’s fucking image, because you want us all to believe that you’re what’s right in this company but when you boil it down to the most fundamental basic ingredients, Glory Braddock is nothing original and nothing that this company hasn’t just seen before, but seen come and go!” he says with gusto. “And great as you may be in the ring Glory, as well trained as you may be, all your piss poor attitude and your even worse actions do is detract from what got you your reputation in the first place, which was hard work, dedication and a thorough knowledge of her craft!”
“But stunts like what you pulled on Wednesday night do nothing but detract from that,” he says, talking of course about her disqualification when she went up against Asher Hayes in Portland. “And you’re no doubt going to tell everyone how you ensured you survived to live another day or that Asher wasn’t worth your time… I’m sure you have a million excuses doll, but the fact remains that what you did on Wednesday was take the cowards way out and no matter what you’ll say, I’d rather things ended the way they did in my tag match than end how they did when you faced Asher!”
Helms shakes his head, clearly disappointed. “But hey, if that’s what I have in store on Sunday then more fool you sweetheart, because you try that stunt against me and you go home empty handed anyway, and you did tell me to watch closely to see what the crystal ball has in store for our match, didn’t you?” he asks, laughing again, though it doesn’t make it to the creases of his eyes when he does.
“Maybe you want to take that one back, huh?” he asks, eyebrows raised in question. “But it’s catch twenty two isn’t it Glory, because if you roll back on that one and admit you were talking shit, it brings everything else into question and then what are we supposed to think? Is everything you do actually with purpose and conviction as you said on twitter, or are you just making shit up as you go along and hoping some of it sticks? Which is it Glory, we need to know this stuff!” he says to the iPhone, sounding genuinely concerned for a moment before he finally cracks a smile.
“Joking aside though, I already know you’re full of shit and so do all the fans not just watching this livestream right now Glory, but who watch the shows and who plan to watch tomorrow night,” he says, shrugging his shoulders emphatically. “Because you says things that aren’t just a little curious, or slightly suspect, you just flat out say things that are obviously not true… like this idea that only you are able to beat me tomorrow night despite the fact that I’ve already lost matches since my return. So what where they, Glory? Were they all false memories? Mirages? Do you want to tell Jordan Majors she didn’t beat me or try and argue with Tommy that his victory didn’t actually happen? Or are you suggesting that I only try when there’s something on the line and that at my best you’re the only one who can beat me?”
David brings the camera a little closer to himself after asking this, in order to ensure that it has his face in perfect view when he responds. “Because if you’re trying to suggest that I would ever phone a match in then you’ve let the smell of your own B.S go to your head more than I ever believed possible and I truly believe that all hope is fucking lost!” he states without hesitation and without any doubt whatsoever that it’s a true and accurate statement. “I have sacrificed my health, my blood, sweat and tears and memories with loved ones for this business over the years, Braddock, and while you may enjoy yetting around working for whatever companies you work for on top of this one, I am here and here alone, representing this brand as best I can as it’s World Heavyweight Champion and win or lose tomorrow, I will do so again the very next show because that’s just what I fucking do!”
Moving the phone back to its original position, David quickly checks his watch before whistling in surprise as he turns his attention back to the job at hand. “Wow, I guess I got a little carried away, huh?” he says to the people watching before turning his attention back to Glory. “But I’m not quite done with you let Glory, because I need to set something straight that needs saying whether you want to hear it or not. Here’s a newsflash for you sweetheart… people like you and me? Flap your gums to the contrary as much as you like, but we are not the future of this business!” he says, shaking his head. “Cosmetics and beauty products may keep you looking beautiful Glory, but it doesn’t change the fact that while I’m turning forty later this year, you’re going to be turning thirty seven before I do, and last I checked, thirty seven was still the wrong side of thirty, even if you are younger than me!”
“Neither of us are the future of this business, Braddock… but I’m not going to concern myself with trying to be so either. Because I’m not going to chase after a future that could go anywhere, I’m going to live in the now!” he says, finally reaching over to grab the World title again, which he lifts up. “And right now sweetheart, I’m the Supreme Championship Wrestling world heavyweight champion, and if you want to change that then you’re going to have to work much harder than you did on Wednesday night when you took the easy way out to avoid embarrassment against Asher, despite all your bluster and bravado!”
He continues to hold the World Title up now, ensuring the face plate is perfectly visible in the shot as he finally prepares to bring things to a close. “And before I do finish up and end the livestream, because I promised to get back to it when I touched on it earlier… let me leave you with this, Glory,” he says as he throws the title across his shoulder. “I plan to ensure two things happen tomorrow night doll, just like they did back in Dallas at the Trio’s tournament. I plan to ensure that Glory Braddock doesn’t get a single pinfall… and I plan to ensure that the night ends with David Helms making the cover and watching as the referee’s hand comes down once… twice… three times. Only this time, you don’t get to leave with a reward for that. You leave knowing that everything you said, every brag and every promise… they were all for nothing, because you failed! Maybe then, you’ll come back and concentrate on doing what you should have done from the start by showing the belt you already have the respect it fucking deserves and defend it against the guy who earned his shot instead of ducking your responsibilities!” he finishes up before bringing the phone in close as he winks into the camera and utters the only word that should end a David Helms promo. “BANG!” he finishes, smirking before he brings a finger up from his other hand to end the stream, and with the touch of that finger tip, the stream cuts to black.
