David Helms :: "As Dangerous As They Come"

Wells Fargo Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7th October, 2020

To say that David Helms was feeling particularly emotional as he stepped into the Wells Fargo Center that night would have been more than just a slight understatement. He saw the fans flooding to the stadium through the tinted windows of his ride as he travelled to the arena with his wife Regan, he could feel the electricity buzzing in them as he passed the queue’s of them on the street outside as they navigated their way to the parking lot and security buzzed them through so they could find the talent entrance, and that only added to David’s misery over what he knew he was going to do as soon as the show opened.

He’d already spoken with Sasha earlier that day, with SCW’s medical team confirming the diagnosis David had received a few days earlier and she was understanding of course; she didn’t know the circumstances of why David crashed, not the true circumstances anyway; as far as his boss was aware, David had swerved to avoid another vehicle that had reversed out of a driveway without first checking for traffic and had lost control in the process before hitting a tree. And while it hurt David slightly to keep the real details from Sasha, given the support she had shown to him since his return, he knew it was for the best that she not know what had really happened. Of course, she must have also known about the other things that had transpired that day, about his arrest and subsequent release without charge; she had to know about it, given that it was all over the internet, still a featured article on practically every wrestling-centric website or youtube channel out there, but despite it being something that David felt she had to be aware of, she hadn’t mentioned a word about it when they’d spoke.

Outside of the general chatter for a couple minutes, Sasha D. had simply shared her sympathies for his situation and informed him he was glad that the outcome hadn’t been worse before wishing him a speedy recovery and telling him that the floor was all his when they rolled into Philly.

That only added to the melting pot of emotions that was his mind as he prepared for the Breakdown where the inevitable had to take place though; David knew that he would be unable to compete for a while, maybe only a few weeks if things went well, but it was a few weeks too long for his liking and as a fighting champion he refused to hide behind his injury and not fight… which left him with only one choice, as far as the New Jerseyite was concerned. But the call with Sasha and her positive attitude, seeing the fans flock into the arena for the show, and the impending sense of guilt that washed over him the closer he got to the building, it was all mounting up to the point where he was slowly starting to lose his ability to process just how he was feeling.

He was glad he at least had his wife with him.

Regan, aside from pointing out how much of a dumbass he clearly was for getting caught up in a damn car chase to begin with, had been nothing but supportive of his idiot ass, and she was right there with him in the car, her had locked firmly in his as he looked out of the window until they pulled into the parking lot beneath the arena and it was time to head inside.

David had kept himself to himself backstage, requesting the crew find him a small office he could make use of until close to curtain call, which they managed to do without much fuss, and refreshments were laid on so that neither he or Regan would need to wander around backstage trying to find them. David couldn’t help but wonder whether this was simply because it was David Helms asking, whether it was because he was the current world champion or whether Sasha had briefed the crew on what was going to take place… perhaps some version of the three? Though David suspected that no one in the crew knew much of anything about what he planned to tell the crowd once he got out there, because despite SCW’s crew being a relatively tight unit, that kind of news would leak somehow if it was outed in advance, and he was fairly sure SCW wouldn’t want that.

He could imagine the look on some of the faces of the douchebags in the back, even before he started to make the walk from his hideywhole to gorilla. He could just tell what Bree’s reaction would be, for example… whether that was more of a statement on how predictable she was, or whether she was right, he wasn’t sure. Recent events had left him asking himself a lot of questions in truth, and he decided it was better to invest his energy elsewhere than dwell on self-doubt and questions over his actions.

“You ready?” Regan asked, as they stood at the curtain in gorilla, waiting for the sign that it was time to head out. The World Title lay across David’s shoulder, sixteen pounds of metal and leather that felt much heavier with the weight of expectation and impending disappointment that sullied it’s meaning but David nodded his head regardless, claiming he was fine. Regan wasn’t an idiot and she didn’t buy it for a minute. “I know how you’re probably feeling right now, but what’s done is done, okay?” the brunette said, gripping his head with one hand while bringing the other to his face in order to turn David’s head towards her. He looked into her eyes and she gave him a reassuring smile. “The focus needs to be on recovery now, and then when you’re fit and healthy again, you come back and reclaim what’s yours…”

David thought about contradicting her, bringing up why he deserved the shame he was feeling as they stood listening to the Breakdown theme playing just beyond the curtain, but the look in her eyes and smile on her face melted away the fight in him and he nodded. “Yeah… yeah, I know…”

“You won it back once, after five years away from the ring,” Regan reminded him, gripping his hand tightly. “This will be a lot shorter… hopefully just a few weeks… and then you become a three time SCW World Champ. Which means I may have to kick your ass myself just so you don’t have that hanging over me,” she added with a smirk that melted much of the frostiness on his face, forcing a smile onto his mouth right as the member of the SCW crew standing nearby started to wave at him to get his attention.

His eyes flicked to the movement and the crewmember gave Dave a thumbs up, which David nodded at before turning back to Regan. “Looks like it’s showtime,” the New Jerseyite told his wife, who gave his hand one final squeeze before letting go.

“I’ll be right there with you,” Regan told him, and she reached up to kiss him on the cheek before the pair turned to face the curtain as they heard the voice of Jason Phillips out in the ring introducing David to a roar from the fans.

David wasn’t sure if he was actually visibly shaking as he stepped through the curtain to the dark stage beyond, it’s naked darkness inviting and scary in equal measure given the task again. He felt Regan’s arm brush lightly against his own as he stepped through the curtains, and it felt like he was losing an anchor that helped ground him as he stepped onto the stage and to his mark at the top of the ramp, a tiny dim illuminated light showing him the right spot to head for before the brilliant white lights of the stage burst forth into the darkness, almost blinding him. It didn’t matter how many times he’d done this before, how many times he’d been ready for the brilliant white light that left him framed as shadow on the stage - not a metaphor at all, obviously - this time, he wasn’t ready for it and it made his head spin, though it wasn’t lost on him that that was probably the concussion playing it’s hand in all honesty… but the roar of the fans was audible over his music, and that helped centre him at least enough to keep focus, and as Regan joined him on the stage, he could almost feel his feet starting to remember that there was ground beneath them, and he managed to set off for the ring…

It felt strange for David to even be heading to the ring without his signature Self High Five on the stage, a posture he’d been doing for so long that not doing so this time was alien to him, though with the aftermath of the car crash, even that amount of activity would have left him in pain. Whiplash on top of a concussion wasn’t a great combination, that much went without saying. But he managed to make it to the ring and that was what mattered. Yes, it was a little slower than normal, yes he’d had to take a moment before walking up the steps instead of sliding straight in and yes, he was even sure of the fact that he’d winced as he stepped through the ropes, but he’d made it there and that was what mattered. Because until he’d done that, he was scared that his feet wouldn’t carry him there or that he’d baulk at the task ahead of him and cut and run. It was nice knowing that he wasn’t quite as cowardly as his deepest fears led him to believe he could be.

Exchanging a few words with Phillips, Helms took a microphone from the announcer and watched as he made his exit from the ring, leaving just David and Regan as the centre of attention. As his music faded, David took a deep breath, but the fans broke out in a chant before he plucked up enough courage to bring the microphone up to his lips. He couldn’t help but smirk, gracious for the reaction despite knowing what he was about to tell them. This was one of the most difficult moments of his career in SCW, that much was true… but it was something that had to be done.

“Thank you for that…” he started, as the fans’ reaction dying down enough to give him the chance to actually speak. The flood of appreciation that the fans were giving for him made it harder and harder for David to say what needed to be said… but he pushed on because he knew he had to, and that the fans and the belt he heard deserved more than what he could currently give them. “Unfortunately, I wish I could keep that vibe going and that could get me through the next bit, but it’s just not going to be like that. Unfortunately…”

Wells Fargo Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
A few minutes later...

Folding the SCW World Championship belt and placing it on the ring canvas had been one of the most difficult moments of David’s career, almost coming close to rivaling his emotions as he had said his final goodbyes following his decision to retire even; standing there, hovering over the folded belt on the canvas below, David wondered how long it would be before he saw it again. When he first lost that title, it started a ten year break from being anywhere near it, and that included five years of continued competition where he hoped to get there again someday… but now?

He was injured. Concussed. And who knew how long that was going to take for David to heal completely from. Who knew if he would heal completely! Concussions could be notoriously difficult to recover from and this definitely wasn’t David’s first rodeo either, which didn’t help matters. “I’ll be back for it…”, that was what David had promised. And it was a promise that he had every intention of keeping if humanly possible, because as far as David was concerned, he was nowhere even remotely close to being done with the title, not after everything he’d been through to reach the top of that particular mountain. He wasn’t going to let his own mistake become his own undoing, that wasn’t something he was going to allow! It was just the he wasn’t entirely sure when that was going to be possible…

The fans had been great at least; he could tell they were disappointed to hear that he was having to vacate the belt, but they were supportive and gave him one hell of a reaction as he and Regan left the ring and made their way to the back. It wasn’t until he’d passed through the curtains that David truly let the emotion wash over him. He’d done what he could to remain strong during his addressing the fans, he didn’t want them to see how much it hurt him, beyond the stoic level of disappointment that he should be feeling, but in truth he was crushed. It hurt to hand that thing in, especially as it was a result of his own stupidity, and he was more than a little ashamed at the fact he was keeping that nugget of information to himself instead of being entirely frank and open about the whole ordeal. Would the fans have been as accepting and appreciative if they knew how he got hurt and why he needed to take the time off? He wasn’t so sure.

Regan left David not long after they reached the curtain, off to find Selena and leave David to make his way back to the hotel; he had already decided he didn’t want to take any more risks than necessary and given he way things could be in SCW, knew that he was better out of the environment as a precaution; who knew what was going to go down, and given that David would be the first to admit that he had something of an unintentional hero-complex, he knew that it was best for him to get out of Dodge to leave others to deal with whatever may take place over the course of the next three hours.

It didn’t take him long to run into some familiar faces though; the Ass-Hat Club welcoming committee, David reflected internally with a smirk on his face as he spotted Jake Starr and his own brother Jason standing there waiting. “Tough break,” Starr said, and for once there didn’t seem to be even a hint of amusement on Jake’s face. Was this a genuine moment of sympathy from the ‘Chairman’ of SCW?

“I knew it was coming,” Jason chimed in, before David could reply. That was true; Jason obviously knew the real story, given it was his car that David had totaled in the crash, and David had told him everything at the time, knowing that his brother may mock but wouldn’t care about material possessions at least. Thankfully that was the case, once David had pointed out that his own insurance premium would cover the fact he’d totalled the Tesla anyway, and Jason had proven to be more concerned about his brothers welbeing than his car, ultimately. “Still tough though, after everything…”

Jake nodded his head in agreement; of the three of them, Jake Starr was probably the man that had pushed hardest during his career to try and get his hands on the world title, and was also the man that David had won his first SCW World Title from all those years earlier; while Jason could appreciate the work David had put in from the outside, Jake knew what it took to do just that from his own experience and the look on his face said more than a great number of words could do. Jason went to say more but his attention was caught by movement and David turned to look in the direction of Jason’s glance to see Lucas Knight walking over.

Oh how things had changed. If this was a few years earlier, Lucas appearing would have been a sign of trouble on the immediate horizon, but this time he approached the two Helms brothers and Jake with a sympathetic look on his face and an outstretched hand, which David took in his own. “Sup mate…” Lucas said as David shook hands with Lucas before switching up to the ‘bro’ inverted type of hand shake and Lucas let go before bumping his fist on the outstretched fist of Jason, former members of the Handsome Devils Club reunited. “Sorry. I know it too well… it sucks…” Lucas said as he turned back to David, sharing the sympathy of both Jake and Jason.

Lucas slipped his hands into the pockets of his slacks, taking a step back to stand by the side of Jake and as he moved out of David’s eyeline, he realised that Lucas hadn’t shown up alone to this little meeting of misfits backstage; Chris Cannon stood a few feet away, watching on as the guys talked and David got the impression that it was a conscious choice to hold back from the group. Given everything that had happened as of late, he could understand that at least. It wasn’t that long ago that he and Chris were attempting to beat the piss out of one another in the battle royal at Taking Hold of the Flame, was it?

“Yeah…” David said to Lucas, realising he hadn’t responded before turning his attention back onto Chris; he felt bad that Cannon felt out of place, that he felt he had to keep back like he wasn’t invited to something that hadn’t been planned to begin with. He decided to speak up. “You know you don’t need to keep back, right?” he called out to Cannon, who had apparently decided to pretend he wasn’t watching what was happening.

The Brit turned and looked at Dave, a hint of surprise on his face that he quickly covered up; was he truly surprised at the statement or was it more a hint of annoyance that David felt the need to bring it up? “I know…” Cannon said, leaning back against the wall instead of moving to perhaps walk over to them after the invite was extended. He slid his hands into his pockets and bent one leg at the knee to rest his foot on the wall. “Just this is a moment for you all, as friends,” Chris added, a shrug of his shoulders that said the rest of the statement that his voice hadn’t vocalised; it was only recently that Chris Cannon had shifted his outlook around and had put distance between himself and his ex-girlfriend Sienna Swann. Obviously the threads between everyone concerned went deeper than such a trivial explanation, the friendship between Sienna and Regan, the newly developed tag team of Lucas and Chris, Lucas’ business relationship and friendship with David. But in a nutshell, Cannon obviously felt like he didn’t deserve to be part of what was clearly a moment between friends, when until recently he hadn’t been part of that list or wouldn’t have been anywhere near consideration.

“Your choice,” Jake said with a theatrical shrug as David just gave Cannon a single nod; he understood better than perhaps Cannon appreciated as he returned the nod in kind, numerous unsaid words exchanged between the two as Jake turned away from Cannon and eventually David did too.

David knew all too well how Cannon was feeling, thanks to his own episode of finally pulling his head out of his own ass a few years earlier; his run as one of SCW’s ‘bad guys’ back in his previous run had been horrendous, and David had said and done many things that he later came to regret… but what he remembered most was the feeling of wanting to redeem himself, the sensation of wanting to make amends for all of the wrongs that were done while he was acting out of character. But he had plenty of hope for Chris, if his own experiences were anything to go by, because David remembered just how much more motivated he had felt at the time, wanting to prove to people that not only was he sorry for everything he’d done wrong but determined to prove that he could be a better man than what people had seen previously. And that gave David hope for Chris Cannon. Because if anyone could rival the superman reputation that David once had inside of SCW, it was Superman himself, Chris Cannon!

“David,” a voice said from behind the group and all heads turned to see Dean black walking towards them, with the SCW Championship clutched firmly in his grasp. Why? David had left that in the ring, resigned to having to step away for a while and wanting the best for the title rather than what was for himself. Why was Dean now parading it in front of him, surely knowing exactly how David would be feeling at that moment in time.

“Ah…finally need me to come back as World Champion!” Jake said before David could open his own mouth to ask what it was that Dean wanted. Jake’s chest swelled with pride as he grabbed hold of his jacket’s lapel’s, chin raised like he was striking a superhero pose or had just been elected leader of the free world. “Don’t worry. I’ll carry the ring to Mordor!”

Dean, smirking, shook his head. “Jake… uh… no,” the head agent said with a laugh that the others shared as Jake’s head dropped, dejected, as Dean’s words knocked the wind right out of him.

“Damn,” Jake said, really hamming it up with his sadness, looking like a puppy that had just been kicked for attempting to show it’s owner some affection.

Lucas, chuckling to himself, shook his head. “You always were a tryer, mate...”

Jake, grinning, nodded his head emphatically. “Damn right,” the Iowa native said with passion, as he rubbed his hands together gleefully. “It’s definitely a no if you don’t ask,” he added, and David found himself nodding too. It was the same as the old adage wasn’t it, that you miss one hundred percent of the chances that you don’t take. Jake may be arrogant to a fault and he may be presumptuous at the best of times, but he backed himself and in the wrestling business that matters.

Jason chuckled at Jake’s motivational words of wisdom but Dean simple turned to Dave. “More that this is still yours, David,” the agent said as he held the folded World Title out towards him. David’s eyes drifted down to the belt and he felt the slightest twitch in his left hand, as if he subconsciously went to grab the belt before his conscious mind took over.

He took half a step back and shook his head. “I’m sure you heard out there--”

“I know,” Dean said, cutting him before David could build up a head of steam. “But I think you forgot something in the emotion of it all. You’re still the World Champion, at least for now,” he explained, smiling a little at David’s surprised expression before he forced it from his face in order to go back to his previous stoic seriousness. “There are terms on it. But SCW protocols state that an interim champion is crowned first. So officially… you’re still the champion.” Dean added, once again thrusting the title towards David and this time he grudgingly took it from the agent’s grip to hold it in both hands, looking down at it. Everything that people ever enter the business to achieve was in his hands, the one belt in the company that proved without a doubt that a wrestler had reached the pinnacle of the business. And injured or not… that was still him at that moment in time. “But I’ll add… if there looks like there’s no chance at return--”

David didn’t let him finish the word returning, let alone his whole sentence. “I plan to return, Dean!” the New Jerseyite was quick to point out, shooting down the idea that he wouldn’t. Concussion be damned, he wasn’t going to let anything stop him from climbing back into a wrestling ring. If he was bowing out again, he was doing so on his own terms. “And I’m sure someone from SCW will let me know. Maybe this isn’t the worst thing; I don’t know what Katya’s going to plan, I don’t know who’ll get the chance… but this can make sure whoever does get the title with have to do it the right way at some point or other…” he explained, getting a silent nod of understand from Dean in return before the agent patted him on the shoulder and turned to take his leave as David’s eyes once again drifted down to the title he held in both hands.

Stepping over to him, Lucas placed a hand on David’s shoulder. “Some good differences from how shit was run in the past, huh?” the Brit asked and David chuckled.

“Yeah…” he added, smirking. “Yeah, you’re not kidding bro…”

“Well, this little mother hen’s meeting has been fun and all, but some of us have work to do tonight,” Star said, clapping his hands together and rubbing them against one another. “We can’t all get a few weeks off on full pay like Mr. Popularity here,” he added, throwing a thumb towards Dave, getting a smirk from Lucas and a laugh from Jason.

“Don’t remind me,” Jason said, going out of his way to roll his eyes theatrically. “It’s fine for this asshole, he gets to head back to the hotel and chill; I’m the one who has to team with Jake fucking Starr of all people!” he adds, smirking. David and Lucas laugh as Jake pretends to cry into his hands before snapping off a deadpan look at Jason and yawning. “Besides, you can relax hotshot, we’ve got a while before our match… go on, go get ready. You’ve probably got some preening in front of the mirror to do or something. I’m gonna walk big bro to the exit…”

“Good plan,” Lucas said, nodding. “He’s got a concussion; god knows where he’ll end up if he isn’t supervised…” he added, winking as David flipped him the bird. “Alright mate, I’m gonna go grab misery guts over there and see what trouble we can get into. I’ll give you a bell when we’re back home and we can have a cold one or something, alright?” he said and David nodded, holding out a hand which Lucas slapped his own into.

“Sounds good bro,” David said, throwing the title over his shoulder for safe keeping, and feeling a little satisfactory sense of rightness when he did so, like all was right with the world now it was back there. It wasn’t of course, in fact it was pretty far from it in many respects, but it was one problem less, at least. “And hey, Chris?” he said, shouting over to Cannon a little ways away.

“Yeah?” Cannon replied, looking up from where he’d been minding his own business.

“When this douchebag comes around for a drink, make sure he comes to grab you so you can join us, yeah?” David said, extending the invitation to Chris too.

Cannon looked at David with a curious expression for several seconds before shooting him a crooked smile. “Sure thing mate, look forward to it.”

David simply nodded before turning back to Lucas. “Catch you later bro,” he said before turning and patting Jake on the shoulder as he went to make his exit and Jason said something to Jake before catching up with his brother to fall in step beside him. “So that was something, huh?” David said as the two brothers headed down the hallway.

“You’re a lucky bastard, you know that?” Jason said, going to punch his brother in the arm before thinking better of it. “Seriously, most companies would have just let you walk and then figured something out when you came back…”

“Kind of surprised that didn’t happen here to be honest, what with Katya and all,” Helms admitted. “Unless Dean decided to take matters into his own hands, which is a possibility too, I guess?”

“Could be,” Jason agreed, as he reached out to open the upcoming door for his brother. “Or maybe it’s just preferential treatment because it’s you… Mr. Morality, the Last Shadow of Hope and all that?” he added, smirking.

“Go fuck yourself,” David said with a laugh as he stepped through the door and waited for Jason to follow suit. “Either way, the sooner I’m cleared the better… not like I don’t have enough problems going on already, is it?”

“Eacott really wants the fucking gym, huh?” Jason said, sighing. “You know Dave, there’s no shame in just admitting defeat and giving in to what he wants, you know that right? I mean, from what you said, he made a pretty good offer that--”

“I’m not backing down dude,” David said, cutting his brother off. “If I give in, I lose the perfect building, a construction company loses a pretty significant contract and I have to admit I was scared of that douchebag Eacott! Besides, Elias said--”

“Elias said he’s going to make your life worse before it gets better,” Jason said, cutting David off this time, which took the older Helms by surprise. “I’m not being funny Dave, but is your pride worth letting Elias Crane do his worst when it’s probably so much easier to just say fuck it and find another property? This shit has already cost me a car, it cost you god knows how many weeks of your career, nearly got you charged with assault and god knows what else… is refusing to give in really worth this shit?”

David opened his mouth to reply but cut himself off, sighing. “It’s not that I haven’t thought about it,” David admitted, finally looking at his brother again. “I just think, if the guy is fucking with me like this, knowing that I’m not exactly short of money or popularity, what is he doing to other people who aren’t as lucky?”

“So you’re risking your own health out of fucking nobility?” Jason said, with a scoff. “Fuck me dude, you don’t have to wear the shining armour all the time, you get that, right?!”

“Maybe you should try and wear some a little more, rather than me needed to wear it less,” David suggested, which got an eyeroll from Jason for his troubles. “Look, if things get too risky--”

“Too risky? You were just in a car crash bro, you could have died!” Jason reminded him, glaring at his brother. “Do I need to point out that you nearly left Jay in the same position is we were left in when our parents were killed?!”

That stung. That one hit him deep. Not just because it forced him to think of losing their parents but because how right Jason was, that he had nearly done that to his son. But regardless of how right Jason was, David was stubborn and he shook his head. “Jay wouldn’t have been orphaned and I didn’t die, did I?”

“Oh, so just losing one parent is acceptable as long as it’s not both?” Jason asked as they reached the talent entrance which led to the parking lot. “If you’d died it would be okay, because he’d have Kath and Regan to fall back on, is that how it is?”

“You’re overreacting dude!” David said, which drew the biggest dry laugh from Jason yet.

“Overreacting?” he asked, eyebrows raised so high that they almost disappeared into his hairline. “You just wrote off my hundred grand car in a crash while trying to avoid trash media journo’s, I think I’m underreacting!”

“Alright, alright, calm the fuck down,” David said, sighing as he leant against the wall by the door, holding his head. He wasn’t meant to get worked up, it wasn’t good for his recovery, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to get into a fight with his brother when deep down he knew Jason was right anyway. “Maybe you’re right,” he admitted. “Maybe I shouldn’t be making this my fight… but if there’s a chance we can stop this asshat, surely I’ve got to take the chance?”

“Why?!” Jason asked, throwing his hands up. “Why do you have to do it?! Just go to the cops! Or better yet, just fucking sell the building to Eacott and let Elias find some other way of ruining the guy!”

“If it’s not me, Elias won’t do it at all!” David protested, shaking his head. “It’s because it’s me that he’s taking the risks and wanting to put an end to the asshole’s bullshit! Just… I dunno, just trust me, okay? I promise, if it gets too deep, I’ll cut and run, I’ll take the offer and sell. But for now, just… just trust me…”

Jason eyed his brother sceptically, clearly unsure whether he should listen; his brother’s efforts had already seen him locked in a jail cell and in a hospital bed, what was next? It was the idea of a morgue freezer that worried him most, but as David looked at him with pleading in his eyes, Jason just sighed and nodded. “Fine. I don’t like it but fine. Just… be fucking careful, okay?”

“I know what I’m doing bro… and Regan’s in this with me now too. We’ve got this,” he assured his younger brother, and Jason simply nodded before David pulled him in for a huge. The pair embraced before Jason let go and David nodded his head back in the direction they’d just come from. “Go on. Jake’s probably pacing the floor waiting for you to come back…”

“Time to carry him to tag gold I guess?” Jason said with a smirk, before slapping his brother lightly on the upper arm and turning to leave. David watched until Jason disappeared from view before sighing and making his way out into the parking garage, switching his phone back on before he set off across the asphalt.

He made it halfway to his car before his phone started to ring. “Hey, Heath, how’s it going bud?” he said as he pulled his phone out and saw it was his lawyer calling before thumbing the green button.

“David, Jesus, I’ve been trying to call you for the last thirty minutes,” the attorney said, sounding severely worried, which put David on edge almost immediately. What the fuck could have Heath so bent out of shape?!

“I was at the arena, my phone was off--” David started to explain before Heath cut him off in his tracks.

“I left about a dozen voice mails, called your place, called Regan, nothing from anyone!” Heath said, sounding crazed. “We’ve got a problem and I don’t know what to do to fix this one…”

“Hold on a second, let me get in the car,” David said as he reached his rental and the door unlocked automatically. Climbing in, David put the World Championship on the front passenger seat before sitting back. “Okay, what the fuck’s going on bro?”

“It’s Lyndon Allen…” Heath said, and David’s face contorted into a screwed up picture of confusion. Lyndon Allen? What the fuck could have happened to Lyndon to make Heath this worried? Had the contract fallen through? Could Allen’s company not do the work on the gym? Had they pulled out? “Dave, he’s been arrested… the FBI raided his offices this evening and he’s been arrested on human trafficking charges!”

What. The. Fuck?! What the actual fuck had happened?! Human trafficking?! Bullshit, Lyndon was nowhere near the type to be involved in that kind of thing! “For what?!” David asked, hoping that he’d misheard what Heath had told him. “You’ve got to be fucking shitting me!” he added, because he simply couldn’t believe this.

“I just got a call from an associate who was involved in the case,” Heath explained. “He’s been hired by Allen and when he saw my name in some paperwork he called me out or courtesy… told me what he could without breaking any privileges and I dug up the rest through other contacts,” the attorney explained. “Immigration were tipped off about undocumented workers on his crew but their investigation discovered way more than they expected… they found evidence that he’s been bringing women into the country from South America and selling them into the sex trade…”

No. This wasn’t fucking happening. “I don’t fucking believe it. That’s not… surely he… fuck!” he finished lamely, struggling to process the information he’d received.

“His accounts were frozen by the FBI, while they conduct their investigation, but he’s in county right now, denied bail…” Heath explained, sounding increasingly troubled with every passing second. “Which means…”

“Which means not only is the money we paid him currently locked down tight,” David said, with a hollow voice.

“But the company won’t be able to do the work either, until there’s an outcome one way or the other,” Heath finished, ending David’s point for him.

David’s fist slammed against the steering wheel several times before he sat back heavily, his head hitting the headrest behind him despite how ill-advised it was for him to do so. “Fuck fuck fuck!” he yelled, before taking several deep breaths, his head a little light from the connection with the headrest. “This is Eacott, isn’t it?!” he said to Heath, who didn’t answer immediately. “It is, isn’t it?!”

“Probably…” Heath admitted, sighing on the other end of the line. “I did my due diligence on Allen before you hired his company and didn’t find anything about illegal workers or even the hint of any criminality at all… so for this to just turn up? I find it highly suspicious…” the attorney concluded before falling silent and David sat there wondering what the fuck he was going to do now.

“This has Elias’ name written all over it,” David said, grunting. “He did something similar to Kath’s dad, when he was bankrolling her during the custody case, money laundering or something along those lines…”

“Yes, I vaguely remember the details,” Heath said, sounding troubled. “Though I wasn’t aware that Elias was involved with that, I thought it was an IRS mistake that just happened to be convenient to our case… I should have known, really…”

“So we’re fucked,” Helms concluded, sitting up straight again and staring out of the window at the wall he’d parked in front of. “The money’s tied up, the company aren’t allowed to work, and they’re going to be looking at all his recent transactions to look for signs of other illegal activity too, right?”

“Exactly… which means they’ll no doubt be investigating the sale of the gym by Allen and no doubt looking into you as a result…” Heath confirmed.

“Fuck!” David said, hammering the palm of his hand against the steering wheel now. “How much is this fucking asshole going to throw at me?!”

David leant forward and pressed his head against the top of the steering wheel, breathing deeply as he tried his best to remain calm. Heath gave it a moment before finally speaking again. “I’ve got all of the financial paperwork ready in advance, as I anticipate them calling within the next few days,” he explained. “But I need permission to speak to them on your behalf and I advise that you direct them to me personally if they contact you first for some reason…”

“Do what you need to do Heath, I trust you,” David told his attorney. “And if anyone reaches out I’ll send them your way… just… I dunno, if you figure anything out or come up with any ideas, call me okay? I’ll be back in LA tomorrow, we should meet up to figure this shit out.”

“My advice for now is to do nothing,” Heath said, which didn’t bring Dave any real comfort. “This may blow over, and if it is a fake paper trail as I assume it is, then it may not even delay things too long anyway. Allen’s team wasn’t due to start work until next month anyway, so we have time. Just try and keep calm and let me handle anything that comes up…”

“You got it,” David said before hanging up without any goodbyes, as he sat back in his seat and tried to keep calm. How the fuck had Elias got this shit organised so quickly?! It didn’t seem like two minutes ago that he was chewing Elias out for the letter that turned out to be from Eacott directly, and now here he was, concussed, unable to work and unable to move things along with the gym too! Maybe Jason was right. Maybe none of this was worth it after all and he should just sell! It wasn’t just him that was being messed with now was it? An innocent man was currently sat in county on fake allegations, his life no doubt in tatters right now, all because Eacott didn’t like to lose and would stop at nothing to get his hands on an empty fucking building! Jesus, what a mess. What a fucking mess... now what? What the fuck was he going to do now? He had no clue. No career, no clean bill of health, no progress on the dojo... and no clue how the fuck he was going to fix any of it...

YouTube Video
Location: Helms' Home, Hollywood Hills CA
Date: 04/12/2021

We click play on the video and as we do, a small loading icon appears in the middle of the blank screen, turning slowly as the video buffers for a split second before it disappears and the video begins to play. And now that it's playing, we see Supreme Championship Wrestling star and Hall of Famer himself, David Helms, sitting in the games room of his home in the Hollywood Hills. And like last time out, there’s no smile, no wave to the camera or pleasant expression on his face as he wastes no time in getting started. “When did we step over the line of things making sense, into the downright nonsensical in SCW?” Helms asks, a frowning causing deep furrows in his brow as he contemplates the question. “In fact, it hasn’t just stepped over the line by this point, it ran past it screaming and flailing it’s arms while yelling something about not giving a fuck anymore, if you ask me… and that shit passed me by bro, it really did, because I honestly can’t pinpoint the exact moment it happened, but I’m standing by wondering what the fuck happened because I honestly don’t recognise this fucking place anymore…”

“And I know there’ll be people telling me I’m just being melodramatic or that I’m exaggerating, that this joint has always been the same or that history just repeats itself or some shit, but think about that. Is that really the fucking case?” He asks, quirking a brow as he tries to urge the audience to truly think about his question.

Helms then slowly shakes his head, as if answering for them. “I don’t think any of you can say that this is the norm for this company,” he explains. “Because I honestly don’t know what the fuck I’m meant to think anymore, not when it feels like everything is just being flipped on it’s god damn head!”

“I used to be able to see through the bullshit, ya know?” he continues, masking a heavy sigh as he pushes on. “It’s like, you could see through the nonsense to what was buried beneath, see where the good was and because of that you had an anchor in order to keep you grounded while dealing with the aforementioned B.S in question… but now?”

“I don’t know, bro. I really don’t…” Helms admits, sadness obvious for all to hear in his voice as he just shakes his head. “I don’t know when it happened. Whether it took place while I was out of the game or whether I just missed it happening around me… but right now, it feels like that same stuff that once underpinned this company is now free floating in a sea of that bullshit, like the wreckage of a sinking ship long after it disappeared beneath the waves! And that just leaves a few of us clinging on like Rose in that fucking Titanic movie while asshats hog all the life boats pretending to be women and children!”

Helms locks his fingers together behind his head, puffing out his cheeks before exhaling as his eyes drift to the ceiling above him. He sits there in contemplation for maybe two or three seconds before his eyes finally drift back to the camera. “What, the fuck, happened to the company some of us loved?” he asks, a mixture of sadness and anger flooding his voice now, as he’s clearly affected by the state of the company, but his temper is starting to flare because of it.

“I’m not naive, I know it was never perfect, okay?” he explains. “I know that this place has had it’s faults. That there’s always been issues or certain people who couldn’t tell the difference, between measured response and just being a fucking douchebag… but come on!” he bemoans, gesturing with his hands at how out of hand things are now.

“I’m not the only one who sees how far into the deep end this place has descended, surely?!” Helms asks, almost apoplectic with anger as his emotions boil over. “I mean, it literally dragged D. out of his well-earned retirement in an attempt to try and pull this place out of the mire, bringing Hudson and Pat Evans with him in an attempt to try and fix what the fuck has gone wrong with it. And it feels like there’s actually less and less of us that give a fuck with each passing week!”

Helms’ jaw is clenched tight as he says that, clearly biting back on some things as he takes a second to compose himself as best he can. “I remember when it was the norm to sort your issues out with people inside of a fucking ring for starters. But that doesn’t seem to be a thing anymore!” he bemoans, not exactly doing a great job of composing himself. “I just about lost my fucking shit when Ravyn did what she did years ago, but these days? Nah bro, just throw some threats out on twitter about hurting someone’s entire family, break into people’s homes to attack them, and who cares, because it’s pro-wrestling and the world loves drama…”

“You legit had one douche announce on twitter that she was coming for my whole, family, when she was done with her current playthings. But that’s apparently just the fucking norm now!” he continues, his anger growing with each passing second. “And I know I’m dipping into the realms of fantasy by this point, but when the fuck did it become a crime to not think solely about yourself?!”

Helms’ jaw tightens once again as he briefly looks away from the camera, evidently trying to retain some level of composure before he continues. “I get it, okay?” he says, grudgingly. “I get that in some way, our own problems are the most important problems in the world, because they’re our problems… our world does revolve around us, even if the world doesn’t… but some shit is just bigger than our own problems! And sure, I’m being an asshole right now, but after twenty two years in this fucking business, I think I’ve been through enough to know that form is temporary but class is forever!”

“Wins and losses? Record keeping, nothing more!” Helms says, throwing his arms up in a shrug. “Do you think the world is going to remember a win-loss ratio, or is it going to remember someone stepping up to the fucking plate when this place needed them? Because self-loathing be damned, I’m pretty fucking sure that what people will remember more than anything, is when someone gave up instead of standing up!” he adds, and while he mentions no names, it’s quite clear who he’s addressing without specifically saying so.

He shakes his head. “Maybe I just expect too much,” he says, sadly. “Maybe I’m living in the past, or I judge others by the standards I try to set myself… maybe I’m a relic of a bygone era in this business, who fucking knows at this point. I once said I wouldn’t ever become the cranky vet who overstayed his welcome in this business and spent his time talking about how much better things were in their day… but maybe I’m that already?”

“Maybe I’ve been around this business too long and seen better days so everything leaves me feeling bitter at this point?” He continues, a hint of doubt in his voice. “I’ve seen my wife get hurt and require surgery. I’ve seen my brother get hurt and need rehab. I’ve watched as friends become enemies, I’ve seen people give up hope or crack under pressure or just plain stop giving a fuck because of how this business had warn away at them…”

“...and as more and more people stop caring or give up, the harder it is for the rest of us that haven’t lost hope!” Helms says, shaking his head in disappointment. “And that number was pretty fucking slim to begin with, but after Breakdown last week, I’m pretty sure it got dwindled down even more!”

Clearly upset, Dave gets up from his seat and turns away from the camera, pacing a little in the background before he rounds on the camera again, this time standing to address it instead of re-taking his seat. “In truth, Breakdown last week? It sucked. It fucking sucked on so many levels and this video isn’t exactly easy for me to film right now, I’m not going to lie about that…” he tells the camera, once again bringing his hands up to the back of his head as he tries to keep his thoughts together. “There was so much bullshit going down last week that it’s hard to try and figure out what I should even be addressing right now and what I should be ignoring… what the fuck do you do when so many different events tie in to how you’ve been feeling as of late that it feels like you’re ignoring something major by missing out any of it?”

“From the fallout of Chris facing Kandis and the brawl that followed, to Jordan basically saying fuck it. To Minerva once again claiming she’s coming after me and reminding everyone what she did to Peyton, to D. having to tell everyone that shit’s about to get real… I feel like I need to be talking about all of that, and instead I can’t,” he says, shaking his head.

“I can’t talk about that, because instead I have to talk about the way the show ended and how it left me feeling sick to my stomach!” He admits, managing to look both angry and disappointed at the same time. “That main event… I watched a man I call a friend get stabbed in the back by his own blood, by someone I also call family! And while I’m sure I’m going to get shit from my daughter for this, there’s no way in fucking hell I’m ignoring what took place before Breakdown went off the air last week, that just isn’t going to fucking happen!”

“Owen,” Helms says, glaring into the camera. “What the fuck were you thinking, kid?!” he asks, clearly at a loss for words as he tries to pull his thoughts back together. “I’m not sure I even want to hear your logic with this one, because I’m not entirely sure there is logic behind the bullshit that you pulled last week, you know that right?!”

Helms turns and paces a little before rounding on the camera again. “When you started dating my daughter, I made you look me in the eye and tell me that you were a good guy and that you’d treat her well, do you remember that?” he asks, getting personal. “And I admit, you’ve done the latter, I can’t fault that… but the part about being a good guy? I may be growing forgetful in my own age kid, but where the fuck was the chapter on turning on those who have been there for you Good Guy one oh one?!”

“Is that the kind of guy I should want my daughter dating, Owen?” he asks, almost snarling as he asks. “Is that what I should be over the moon to know is part of my daughter’s future, a guy who stabs someone who has been there for him since the day he was born in the back because of his frustration?!” he asks, spittle flying from his teeth as he steps closer to the camera.

He takes a breath or two though and steps back again, clearly trying to keep a lid on his feelings. “People make mistakes,” Helms concedes, trying to remain level-headed. “People let their judgement get impaired or they don’t think things through, I get that… but I’m telling you kid, last week? You fucked up. Not because of what I think or what I want to say or do, not because of anyone else. Because I know who you are Owen, and what you did? The Owen Cruze I know, and the Owen Cruze I gave my blessing to, he would be fucking ashamed of what you did last week! And do you know why?”

“It’s not because of family loyalty, even if that’s probably what you assume I’m going to say...” he points out, knowing that Owen will no doubt be expecting that. “It’s no secret that your old man and Shaun weren’t always on the best of terms with each other, even if they still loved one another deep down. Family don’t always get along, I know that better than most… issues with Dom and who he’s engaged to, the news that we’re related to Gio, I get what it can be like where family is concerned and I’m not going to naively say you should never turn your back on people because your related…”

Helms shakes his head. “But family allegiance isn’t why you should be ashamed, kid,” he continues to explain. “You should be ashamed of yourself, not because of what you did, but why! And while your old man would one hundred percent agree that blood doesn’t mean undying loyalty, he would agree with me and you know what kiddo? He’d be fucking ashamed of you right now too!”

There’s a hint of guilt on David’s face as he speaks, but it pales in comparison to the bitter resentment that also sits there. “Your dad did a lot of things that made other people angry over the course of his career,” David admits, nodding. “But do you know what he did Owen? He did them because he believed they were the right things to do. He did so because he reached his own conclusions or he made his own mind up about things. What he didn’t do was allow manipulative douchebags convince him that black was white and down was up, in order to twist him to their way of thinking, which is exactly what Giovanni Aries has fucking done to you, clearly!” he says, his temper flaring again.

“You didn’t attack your uncle because of something he did, or said, or you believed he deserved it, you attacked him to make a statement based on someone else preying on your own doubts over the last few months!” Helms states, without a shred of uncertainty. “And I have no doubts over the fact that you’re going to tell me I’m wrong or full of it or other such platitudes, but I’m not an idiot Owen.”

“I’m not an idiot that can’t see the writing that’s on the wall,” he explains. “The little hints dropped on twitter about the questions you’ve been asking, the doubts that have been creeping in… but there’s a huge fucking jump between doubts or questions and doing what you did on Thursday last week!” he states, his temper once again flaring. “I know what happened to Peyton left you angry, kid. I know that losing your allies left you feeling alone, or lost in the shuffle or whatever… but you have to realise that by doing what you did, you’re only fucking adding to the problem in SCW, rather than doing something about it!”

Helms shakes his head, clearly disappointed. “That rat bastard that you stood tall in the ring with on Thursday, my cousin, he was the one who wanted to hunt you down only a couple months ago!” he reminds the camera, as if it’s Owen watching him directly. “The Perfect Pack… have you forgotten about that, kid? Because you think they forgot about you?! Kelcey attacked, Aaron injured, Blake injured, Peyton stepping away to deal with things and then attacked… and you think the answer to that is to abandon the rest of the people who have your back and side with the jackass that claimed you guys were part of the fucking problem to begin with?! Jesus Christ kid, did you get hit in the head while training?!”

“I don’t even need to ask how much Jenni knew about what you were planning, because I already know what her reaction would have been,” Helms states, once again with little to no uncertainty. “Hell, for all I know, there was no planning. Last week could have been spare of the moment, you made a call and did what you did… but the fact that you felt you had no choice but to make that bad call instead of talking to those around you that give a fuck says it all about how bent out of shape you’ve become, bro!”

Sighing, David walks back to his seat and sits down, holding his head in his hands for a moment before turning his attention back to the camera. “I want you to do me a favour, Owen…” he says, some of the hostility swallowed for now. “I want you to look deep into the nearest mirror, really look at yourself, and ask yourself what Jenni would have said if you’d told her what you were thinking. I then want you to ask what your dad would have told you if he knew. Hell, ask yourself what you twelve months ago would have said if you had the chance to talk to that guy. Because I’m pretty fucking sure that the answer would be the same from all three and deep down, you know that too.”

“It isn’t too late to fix this shitstorm you’ve created before it destroys everything about your life that you’ve worked towards building,” he continues, his anger subdued now, replaced with cautious warning. “You’ve bust your ass, kid. You’ve worked so fucking hard to get to where you are, to live up to a reputation like your fathers, like Shauns, and maybe even beyond the pair of them in the future. You won the SCW World title at nineteen fucking years old, all based on your enthusiasm, work ethic and determination to succeed… do you want to piss that up the fucking wall by becoming everything you wanted to stand against?!”

Helms sighs heavily before shaking his head. “I just hope you’ve fucking listened, kid…” he says was what appears to be doomed resignation. “Something tells me you haven’t, because it’s been almost a week and you haven’t said shit about it. But I’m going to leave you with this warning, Owen. Much as I respect you, as much as I know my daughter loves you and as proud as I was about being the person responsible for training you… if this comes back to bite you in the ass and destroys your whole world, it won’t be the state of SCW that’s to blame kid, because you had options.”

“You had people you could talk to, people to get help from or just unload your burdens on, and you chose not to,” he tells the camera. “You chose not to seek me out, to talk to Jenni about it, to tell your mom you needed help or tell Shaun how much you were struggling… instead you kicked him in the balls and chose to ignore the rest of us while feeling ignored yourself, making you no better than the cunts in this place who blame everyone around them for their own problems…” he continues, managing to swallow the scorn in his voice that tried to fight it’s way out. “But I’m leaving you with one thought, kid. You decide this is still the path you want to take, you decide that you don’t regret doing what you did… then boyfriend of my daughter or not Owen, you become part of the problem. Think on that one bro… hopefully you get your head screwed on right and make the right call, before others have to make decisions for themselves down the line. Read into that what you like...” he says, his words lingering with finality before the video ends without the usual signature sign off associated with one of David’s promos. And with that, the final frozen frame dims and the replay button appears in the middle of the screen.