David Helms :: "As Dangerous As They Come"

XL Center
Hartford, Connecticut
13th May, 2021

If anything could be said about Breakdown from Hartford, Connecticut, one word that definitely couldn’t be used would be uneventful. Sure, some would be unhappy, be it fans or employees alike. A loss, an attack, someone being rewarded when they didn’t deserve it, or not being, whatever the case may be. But David Helms was more than aware that professional wrestling was a polarising business anyway and the idea of making everyone happy all at once was basically laughable and it wasn’t something even worth attempting.

With that said, the show had left the majority of fans with a smile on their faces as the show went off the air, and despite some minor issues of his own, David didn’t have a great deal to grumble about, when all was said and done. Okay, so he was once again having to deal with the headache-enduring annoyance of Gavin Taylor and the crap-tonne of baggage that his ego dragged around with him, which was a pain. And once again the Big Match Dave moniker had been tossed around which David found irritating to a level that was probably going overboard if he was being honest. But at the same time, if that was all he had to deal with, considering the speed in which he seemed to make enemies these days, then it was probably a pretty successful show all in all.

And the pop. David wasn’t above admitting that he was slightly jealous of the pop that Bree and Datura had got as they stood tall in the ring at the end of the show, while AC Unit made their hasty retreat, trying to save some face. Not because he didn’t get that type of reaction, as obviously he did; David knew how lucky he was to have the following that he did, that he had fans that would move mountains to support him if that was what was required of them… but part of David always felt disappointed when he wasn’t out there trying to make a difference. Maybe there was an element of hero complex about it, given everything that had been said about him over the years, and perhaps he would come across as trying to be a white knight if he ever said any of this out loud… but that was just who he was as a wrestler and as a person. David Helms had built a career on trying to safeguard the sanctity of the business, sacrificing his own physical well-being in order to try and ensure that nobody could hurt the industry he loved with all of his heart. So he often found himself itching to make the run to the ring to help when situations started to unfold and he had to remind himself that he couldn’t be everywhere at once and that his presence wasnt just unwanted but unwelcome as at times too.

But to see Datura and Bree standing tall as Asher, Cid and Holly tucked tail and ran… as much as he wished he’d been out there helping, it still brought a smile to his aging face.

And that was perhaps another reason for David to pick his fights more wisely than he may have done in the past. He had to accept that he wasn’t getting any younger, and at forty years of age, he knew he had to slow down or risk ensuring that the time he had left in the business would be shorter than it could be. Sure, he was in great shape, and yes, he was still more than able to go, or he wouldn’t even be there. He had promised himself years earlier, even before his retirement and subsequent return, that if he even noticed a physical decline or decided that his body couldn’t take the wear and tear anymore, that he would call it quits for good. But he was far from that point right now, in large part due to the fact that he was more selective now over what battles he chose to fight and which ones he left for others.

Did that leave him with a warm and fuzzy feeling inside? Not particularly. But it did leave him with the confidence to at least know that he’d be around to pick and choose those battles for a few years longer should he choose to do so. And that was the important part.

He stood by the exit of the XL Center, vape in hand, after the show had gone off the air, musing over his regret that he wasn’t involved, as he waited. Years past, he’d have been making headway through a twenty pack as he stood outside, but those days were behind him. The pursuit of good health, bludgeoned into it by his loving with Regan. It would be so easy to fall back into bad habits with her not on the road at present, but he resisted, and instead settled for exhaling another plume of vapour above his head as the door to the arena opened once again and this time it was the person he’d been waiting for.

He’d already received a hug goodbye from Selena and a look of contempt from Gio as they left, along with various other reactions as the roster slowly took their leave ready for a nights well earned rest. But finally, the door had opened to reveal the person he’d been waiting for…

“Elizabeth Mauduit…” he said, grinning as Datura stepped out into the parking garage and immediately let go of her luggage as she span around to go on the defensive before realising it was him. “Little jumpy aren’t we, doll?” he smirked, slipping his vape back into the pocket of his jacket.

“Creepy guys hanging out in the shadows of parking garages tend to have that effect on me, David…” Datura told him, a complex mixture of annoyance and amusement playing across her porcelain features as she relaxed. “Do you make a habit of loitering waiting for women or do I get the honour of popping your cherry?” she asked, as the annoyance fizzled out to leave only a smirk playing across her face which mirrored the one on David’s.

“Wouldn’t exactly be an original act if it was my new pastime, would it?” David asked. “I mean fuck, half the roster these days give off a creepy stalker vibe. If anything, being vanilla cheesecake makes you original right now…”

“I’ve never been vanilla cheesecake and you know it, darling…” Datura retorted, with a scoff.

David nodded his head, chuckling. “Way too sharp to be vanilla cheesecake… lemon tart maybe?”

Datura scowled at him. “You calling me a tart, David?” She asked him, one corner of her mouth betraying her otherwise impeccable glare that told David everything he needed to know.

“Wouldn’t dream of it doll,” the New Jerseyite told her, throwing his hands up defensively despite knowing she was just fucking with him. “I know better than to throw shade on you, believe me…”

“Smart. I love it when guys are smart. It gives me hope for the future,” Datura replied, firing him a smug grin. “Well… as fun as this little chat has been,” she added, before grabbing her luggage and turning to leave, not even bothering to finish her sentence as she started to make her way towards wherever she’d parked.

“Not so fast sweetheart,” David said as he jogged to catch up to her and took the bag from her hand to carry it for her. Datura looked sideways at him, skeptical for whatever reason, but chose not to say anything as David continued. “So that was something else, huh?”

“What’s that?” Datura asked, guiding them towards her rental at the far side of the parking garage.

“The ending of the show,” David explained as he followed her lead, no clue which car was hers. “For someone who had no interest in being part of the world title picture when I first put you in that scaffold match, you sure looked like someone who gives a fuck while out there…”

Datura sighed, before nodding. “And I hate you for it,” she told him, attempting to hide the hint of a smile on her face as she did so. “Until you got in my head and gave mea taste, I was perfectly happy coasting and fucking with people for my own amusement, you bastard…”

“And now you care!” David said with a grin that caused Datura to roll her eyes, but she didn’t disagree with him, because she knew he was right. She did care now, not just because it was the world title, but because her mentality had changed, thanks to the opportunity afforded to her with the scaffold scramble match. “Come on Liz, we’ve been around the block way too many times for you to try and bluff me,” David told her, unaware that she wasn’t even going to try. “I can see the change in you doll, and I’m not gonna lie, it’s clearly been good for you…”

“Maybe it has,” she conceded, shrugging. “I still say you’re a bastard for it though…”

“Yeah well, some things never change,” David replied with a chuckle as they reached a silver sedan that Datura stopped beside. Incredible. She’d parked next to his own rental, a black Jeep, and he had no idea. “But I’m being serious, it suits you… I mean, I always knew you should be at this level anyway, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you convinced you should be here yourself until now… it genuinely does look good on you.”

Datura looked at him for several seconds before finally nodding slowly. “I guess when you’re right you’re right,” she admitted. “Much as I hate admitting that, lest it go to your already abnormally large head, that is…”

“That the best you got?” David asked. “I’m almost insulted…”

“And I’m actually insulted my insult didn’t sting as I intended but here we are,” the Brit replied, clearly teasing at this point but David didn’t bite. “I don’t know what you want me to say though, David; you’re not wrong. I realised what I can do here and yeah, I actually want to try and push myself… maybe part of that is because of you, as much as it pains me to admit that. Evidently it was the kick up the backside that I needed. Now I need more…”

“People always do,” David told her, conscious that he wasn’t any different himself. But whether he’d ever get a rematch for the World title wasn’t down to him, and he’d just bide his time with that to see what happened. “But I’m happy to see that you’re motivated, doll… you’re proving me right when I said years ago I saw something in you. It’s good to see…”

“Is that what this conversation is?” Datura asked. “A verbal pat on the head for a job well done? Because if it is, spare me the lecture please David, I don’t need it…”

Datura popped the trunk and David lifted her bag up to place it inside before Dature put her shoulder bag inside too. “No lectures,” he said defensively as she slammed the trunk shut again. “This is just me being happy that things are going well for a friend, that’s all. Promise.”

“A friend…” Datura echoed, as if the notion was alien to her. Not having friends, obviously. She had plenty of those. But until that point, had David ever used that word in the context of his connection to her. She didn’t believe he had, and had David been aware enough to consider it, he would have reached the same conclusion. “Uh... thanks, I guess?” She followed up as she brought a hand up to rub at her neck, awkwardly.

David could sense the mood had changed somewhat between then, but he wasn’t entirely sure how that had been the case. It actually seemed to lighten, rather than darken, which almost seemed like it shouldn’t but he couldn’t put his finger on why. “I know that—”

“Okay, look…” Datura said, cutting David off before he could say whatever he was about to say. “I get it… believe me, I get it. Things between us over the years, they’ve been… weird…” the blonde said, her face a picture of confusion as she tried to pull the right words together to minimise whatever awkwardness she was dealing with. “It’s been what, ten years since we met?”

“Nine I think,” David corrected her before allowing her to continue.

“Nine then,” Datura conceded, deciding the actual number didn’t matter. “Point is, it’s been an odd ride, or a dance I think is the best way to sum it up… it feels like we’ve been doing this dance a long time, and it’s seen us be a whole host of things. Enemies, rivals, and now I guess friends,” she said, the word still tasting strange on her tongue as she said it. “I‘ve done some shitty things, you’ve done some too, let’s be honest… yet I guess it was always destined to come down to this, really…”

“Come down to what, exactly?” David asked, worried where Datura was going with this.

The blonde rolled her eyes. “Easy stud, don’t get any wrong ideas,” she told him, raising her hands defensively. “Sexual tension over the years aside, no, I’m not suggesting anything. You’re married, and divorce creates such an unbecoming spectacle,” she explained and relief washing over David as she did, but he said nothing. “But I’m not really shocked, as alien as it feels to actually say it, that we’ve come to this point where… I suppose we are friends…”

“Fuck me doll, do you always have to be so dramatic about stuff?” David asked with a laugh, pulling out his vape as he leant back against the rear of his own rental car. “Fine, maybe it’s been an odd journey along the way, but what friendships don’t have elements of that?”

“I literally dressed up in a wedding dress and pretended to be your then-wife-to-be,” Datura said, quirking a brow. “I’m pretty sure you were ready to kill me at the time, and while I admit it was pretty amusing… it's also pretty easy to see why it would make you angry, too.”

David nodded his head. “Alright, point taken,” he said with a laugh. “But things change. It wasn’t that long ago that you were trying to end my wife’s career either… but at the same time, her best friend is someone that she went to war with numerous times before they eventually became friends. Things can change,” he concluded, before taking a drag on his vape.

Datura started to chew on her lower lip, thoughtfully, before hopping up onto the trunk of her rental. “And you think things changed between us?” Datura asked, kicking her legs and clasping her hands in front of her chest .

David shrugged. “Seems that way,” he admitted. “I don’t look at you and instantly want to kick you in the face these days, that has to mean something?” he asked, with a small chuckle.

Datura considered it. “I don’t know, David. I still want to slap the smirk off of your face most days,” she told him, shooting him her own smirk as she said it. “But I guess you’re right… and I do have you to thank for my opportunity to rise to the main event here too, in a couple of ways. I wouldn’t have ever even come here if it wasn’t for you suggesting it years ago, and then obviously the scaffold… though I’m still not sure I should thank you for putting me through that, if we are being candid about things…”

“I gave you an opportunity to throw Ace Marshall from the top of a fifteen feet structure, you love me for that!” David said with a smug grin, chuckling to himself and as much as she resented him for it, Datura found herself laughing too. “I’m just sorry that you didn’t walk out of the pay per view as champ, because that would have capped the moment beautifully…”

“Sure, and left me even further indebted to you in the process. No thank you!” Datura said to him, pretending to retch as David casually flipped her the bird. “But… while I’m definitely going to pretend that I didn’t say this if you ever bring it up again… Thank you. For believing in me or giving me an opportunity or whatever. Thanks. It’s not every day that somebody gives you proof that they believe in you…”

The corner of David’s mouth twitched as he fought to stop a grin from sliding onto his face, but he somehow managed it and simply nodded. “Didn’t hear a single thing you just said, sorry…”

Datura smirked. “You’re a brilliant man, Mister Helms. Have I mentioned how much I adore smart men?” she told him, winking at him as he played innocent and pretended to not know what she was getting at.

Taking another drag on his vape, he exhaled into the air above him before turning back to look Datura in the eye. “Looks like Bree gets her rematch next week…” he said, shifting the subject a little.

“Looks that way,” Datura acknowledged before shrugging. “She deserves it, no doubt. That gauntlett wasn’t exactly fair on anyone really…”

“Maybe,” David shrugged, not wanting to get drawn into the conversation if he could help it. His own issues with Bree clouded his judgement, he was honest enough to admit that… and there was also the fact that he may be slightly bitter about being pushed out of the picture himself, but again, that wasn’t something he wanted to say out loud, because it wasn’t exactly something to be proud of, was it? “You two seem to get along though; you gonna be okay gunning for her if she wins and you get another shot?”

“That’s how the business works, David,” Datura told him, shrugging. “We compete to serve our own ends, and achieve our goals… who holds the gold is not a factor, beyond maybe a handshake or a ‘good luck’ before the match if you get along with the other person… doesn’t matter who the champ is, if I get a shot, I’m going to try and take it. Besides, the two of us have agreed a dance is in order.”

And David found himself nodding, because he shared the opinion with Datura. Friend or foe, it shouldn’t change the effort you give during a match. The approach maybe, but the focus should always be on the title when competing for it. “Fair,” he said, nodding again. “That’s if she wins anyway… Whether you like Cid’s ‘friends’ or not, I have to admit that he’s been kicking ass since his return,” he added, before quickly backtracking slightly. “No offence meant, obviously…”

“None taken,” Datura said, brushing off the comment. “He has been kicking ass, can’t argue with that… it’s a shame that he allows a Barbie doll and a braindead moron to influence him and take advantage of his success…”

“Yeah, there is that…” David admitted, slipping his hands into his pockets. “It’s a damn shame… it wasn’t that long ago that both those guys were fan-favourites, now…”

“Now Asher Hayes is a cunt and Cid is letting him take the piss out of his reign,” Datura said, ending the sentence for David.

David couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, something like that,” he agreed, chuckling to himself. “But you didn’t hesitate standing up for what’s right out there tonight. You and Bree. Which is something I never thought I’d say, I’ll be honest…”

“Because of me or because of Bree?” Datura asked him, smirking.

“A little from column A, a little from column B,” he replied, taking a hand out of his pocket and raising it up so that he could rock it from side to side for emphasis. “Though Bree benefited from her actions way more than you did, so I guess you just about edge her out?” he added, as he slipped his hand back into the pocket of his jeans. “The big bad Datura, fighting for what’s right… I never thought I’d see the day…”

It was Datura’s turn to flip David off as she scowled at him, but David could see that despite the expression, she found his remarks amusing. At least she saw the light hearted nature of his ribbing instead of taking it as shots fired. “We can’t all be a Last Shadow of Hope, can we Big Match Dave?”

“Oh fuck off with that shit,” Helms fired back immediately, already way beyond being over the use of that nickname. “I dunno where the fuck it came from, or where Owen plucked that shit from but I swear to god, if I hear…” he started to rage before hearing a giggle escape Her mouth and he cut himself off. “Well played,” he conceded, frowning before letting out a sigh.

“Too easy David, it was always too easy,” Datura told him with a laugh. “But in a way, you’re right,” she went on, nodding. “Six months ago, I was walking around claiming to be the champion of an unsanctioned title, just so I could try and piledrive people, which absolutely should be allowed mind you, so it is a bit of a shift in attitudes I suppose…”

“A little, for sure…” David said, grinning.

“I just realised that honor means that sometimes you have to fight for what’s right,” Datura said to him before pointing at David. “You more than most should know where I’m coming from with that, surely?” she asked, and David nodded.

She was right, there was no doubt about that. Not just because of how his career had shaped up though, even if that part went without saying. No, much more than just his career, but in life in general, sometimes you have to make sacrifices in order to do the right thing. You have to fight for what’s right and think about the greater good instead of what was right for yourself. Hadn’t his life over the last few months and further back taught him that much?

11th October, 2020
Runyon Canyon Park
Hollywood Hills, California

It had been a hell of a week for David, what with one thing or another; four days earlier, he had tried to vacate the SCW World Heavyweight Championship when it was obvious that he would be unable to defend it as required due to injury, and just when he thought that problem had been handled with Dean Black handing him the belt back, the bad news continued when he learned of Lyndon Allen’s arrest on what were, without a shadow of doubt, false charges. That had been a particularly stressful twenty four hours, that went without saying; luckily, a meeting with his attorney Heath Mitchell to discuss what part he would have to play in the join investigation by the FBI and the IRS had turned into so much more than simply damage control.

The surprise inclusion of the man that was the cause of the whole issue had turned up unannounced and had changed everything in terms of how the conversation was going; to find out that he’d actually managed to track down the evidence needed to only stop Nathan Eacott’s schemes but also ruin the man himself was monumental. And while it meant that they would have to wait in order to do anything with the new information they’d been armed with thanks to Elias Crane and his plans, it meant that there was light at the end of the tunnel for David, and that they now had something to work towards where this whole mess was concerned!

Regan though, hadn’t been quite so enthusiastic when she returned from the weeks run of shows and David filled her in on the details he didn’t want to mention over the phone. He wanted to think that he was being paranoid, but with an FBI investigation taking place, he wasn’t sure just how much he should or shouldn’t say during phone conversations and instead waited until Regan returned from the house shows to fill her in on everything that had taken place… much to his wife’s annoyance, as she thought he was being paranoid about the whole thing.

“I just can’t help feeling that it may be better to just give up on the place and agree to sell to Eacott,” Regan said as they walked hand-in-hand along the Runyon Canyon trail as the sun hung low in the sky. “I know you trust him, but how much faith should you be putting in a guy like Elias, babe? He’s so fucking shady, and you’re gambling a lot by trusting him the way you are… and I know you’re stubborn, but is this really how you want to get Living Dangerously up and running? It’s like the place was cursed before you even got going or something!” the brunette told her husband, trying to be pragmatic without coming across as outright dismissive of his dreams. “You know I want to see you succeed more than anyone Dave, but sometimes you have to admit that the universe is trying to send you a sign and right now, it feels like you’re not just ignoring a flashing neon one but purposefully going out of your way to piss into the wind with this…”

“I know it doesn’t exactly look good right now,” David started but Regan stopped walking and removed her hand from his husband to fold her arms across her chest.

“Doesn’t look good?” She asked, eyebrows raised. “Babe, it’s a mess, that’s how it looks… an innocent man is in jail because of this shitshow, and this Elias guy did it without batting an eyelid. What if Eacott offers him more money, huh? Offers to double his pay if he can really make you suffer or something similar? Then what?”

“Elias knows that there’s a limit,” David told her, wondering just how sure he was about that. He couldn’t vocalise that though, he couldn’t risk it. He didn’t want Regan worrying more than she already did. “I know he has to make it look like he’s legitimately trying to destroy my life and I’m prepared for whatever comes next… but Elias also knows that there’s only so much room for him to push before I do snap and then he blows his own opportunity to get out and go legitimate, whatever that means for him…”

“And you think a couple extra zeros on his fee won’t change that?” Regan asked, clearly dubious. “Dave, this guy is someone who ruins people’s lives for a payday, do you really think he’d bat an eyelid if Eacott offered him enough cash to up the ante on his schemes?”

David knew what the reaction was going to be before he even said a word, he was ready for her to roll her eyes or scoff or even flip out at him, yet he gave an honest answer regardless. “I don’t think it would change anything, no…” he told Regan and got exactly what he’d expected as a reaction; she rolled her eyes and sighed at him, but it didn’t change his opinion one iota. “I know how ridiculous it sounds Regs, believe me I do… but he told me he wants to get out and he knows I can help him do that. He’s also not doing any of this shit for free, as I’m pretty sure he’ll present a bill for services rendered in the end, but if it brings the law down on Eacott then it’ll be worth it, whatever the cost…”

“I hope you’re right about that babe, I really do,” Regan told him, clearly still skeptical about the whole endeavour. But what choice did David actually have?

He either caved in and lost a lot of money due to the lowball offer that Eacott would make, or he could see it through and hopefully see his dream come to fruition while also doing the right thing for the world! Or the world that Nathan Eacott inhabited at the very least. “Regan, I have to do this,” David told his wife, walking over to her to take her hands in his, which wasn’t an easy task as she had her arms folded tightly across her chest and was eager to resist him at first. Eventually though, he got them in his grasp and he looked her in the eye as he spoke. “Nathan Eacott isn’t just a crook, he’s an unscrupulous, uncaring, bastard that needs to be stopped… and while I can’t do that personally, while the cops probably can’t do that right now either… Elias can. But he needs me to help him do that, and I can’t ignore that, I just can’t do it. This guy has screwed so many people over, he’s ruined lives, destroyed people’s dreams, he’s left people without homes, without jobs… and I have the power to stop him by simply going along with Elias’ plan. How can I say no to that?!”

“Because he’s trying to do the same to us, babe!” Regan pointed out, gripping her husband’s hands tightly with her own. “He wants to destroy our lives, ruin our dreams… and if that leaves us homeless or worse, so be it. And you want to invite that onto us, because you think you can help…”

“I know, I know…” David replied, letting go of Regan’s hands and turning to walk away a few paces, his hands on the back of his head as he tried to pull himself together. “But I also know that whatever he does will only fuck him over even more when the time comes,” he added as he turned around to look at Regan again. “I know what I’m risking… but I also know that the reward is going to be worth it, because it doesn’t just do us a favour, but it does one for society too!”

“You’re risking everything on hope, Dave!” Regan told her husband, clearly trying her best to convince him that he was wrong. “You’re putting your faith in someone that’s almost as scummy as Eacott himself, if not more so, in the hope that it solves our problems and does some good in the process…”

“Nobody said doing the right thing would be easy, babe…” David answered, and in that moment, Regan could see the weight of the world on his shoulders, yet he held that burden with dignity. She could see in him more determination to do what was needed than she had in a long time and she knew that no matter what she said, she wouldn’t be able to convince him otherwise. “Sometimes you have to fight for what’s right Regs… and that’s what I want us to do. What I need us to do, otherwise everything up to now has been fucking pointless. I got arrested, I nearly died, all because I don’t want that bastard to win… so yeah, I want to fight. I want to do the right thing, and I want us to win!”

Regan knew she was beaten; she still hated it, she was still more than dubious about how much faith David was putting in a man that was just as crooked as the guy they were trying to defeat. But she could also see how important this was to her husband, how much it mattered to him… and how could she refuse to do it, when it was that important? She stepped forward, closing the distance between them and leaning up, Regan kissed David on the cheek, quietly resigned to seeing this through regardless of what was to come… even if her instincts told her she was a fool for doing it. “If it’s what you feel we need to do then I’ll be with you every step of the way,” she told her husband as she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest. She felt his hands wrap around her back right away as he hugged her tight.

“Thank you,” David said, kissing Regan on the top of her head as he continued to hug her tightly, the sun slowly setting behind them. In that moment, David wasn’t exactly sure what was to come, and he would be happy to admit that he was nervous about what may happen next as they continued to allow Elias to do his thing… but with Regan with him on this, David felt like nothing would beat him. With Regan by his side, he could fight for what was right, and he could wintoo!

XL Center
Hartford, Connecticut
13th May, 2021

He really did. And the more he thought back on that conversation with Regan, the more he believed it to this day. “You have no idea how right that statement is, doll…” he told Datura, continuing to nod. “Doing the right thing isn’t always easy, but it should always be the easiest decision to make regardless… and I’d rather suffer for doing the right thing than ignore the wrongs of others in order to live an easy life…”

“What the fuck’s an easy life?” Datura asked, smirking, and David could help laughing, despite the serious turn their conversation had taken. “The seal of approval from the Last Shadow of Hope is huge though, so you can only imagine the joy I feel in the moment as I stand here in a parking garage instead of going back to my hotel where I can relax in comfort, get drunk and sleep… maybe sleep anyway… but comfort is the important part. Or not being in a parking garage. Both of them, in fact!”

David rolled his eyes before laughing. “Alright, point taken,” he said, pulling the keys for his rental out of his pocket. “Seriously though, I’m pro--”

“If you say you’re proud of me, I will kick your testicals up into your throat, David!” Datura told him, in no uncertain terms. And she made sure to make it painfully obvious that she wasn’t joking around with this one, too.

David held his hands up, and subconsciously moved to make for a harder target with it, which nearly caused Datura to crack a smile. “Shutting up, wasn’t even thinking it, let alone about to say it,” David told her, grinning sheepishly. “Let me say this instead though…”

“If it’s a synonym for proud, it’ll end with the same result, Helms!” Datura warned, giving David a very pointed look, perhaps more so than the previous one.

David shook his head though. “Nope,” he added for emphasis. “Completely different train of thought, I promise…”

“I’m listening…” Datura said, though she was clearly skeptical and somewhat hopeful that he was lying too. She really wanted to kick him, it seemed.

But that wasn’t where David was going this time, even if he was going to tell her he was proud originally. “I know how independent you are Liz… but if you ever need someone to have your back, you know where I am. If you ever need help, call me, come find me, whatever you need, I’m right there with you…”

Datura eyed him suspiciously for a moment, clearly running over what he’d said in her mind, trying to process. This really was a long way removed from how things had been between the two of them for the majority of the time they’d known one another, and it was quite an adjustment for the younger blonde to process. She still wasn’t sure how she felt from a pragmatic approach, but before Datura knew what she was doing, she’d wrapped her arms around David and hugged him right there in the parking garage. It caught David off guard and he stood there for a moment, frozen still just allowing Datura to hug him, but eventually his brain kicked back into gear and he wrapped his arms around the Brit to return the hug. After a few seconds, they parted again, and because the situation wasn’t awkward enough and because he wanted to make damn sure that the talk of sexual tension from earlier wasn’t in need of further exploration, he held a fist out towards Datura, waiting for her to tap hers against it. “Dork,” she said with a smirk before actually tapping her own fist against his, causing David to sigh with relief internally.

“Good talk doll,” Dave said somewhat sarcastically as Datura turned to walk around her rental car and open the drivers side door. “Go get some sleep… or drunk… whichever…”

“I don’t take orders from you, Mister Helms, but just this once.” Datura fired back at him, giving him a mocking salute before climbing into the car and David watched as she backed out of the spot before heading for the garage exit before he climbed into his own car. It had been a strange day all round, but one that was kind of rewarding in it’s own way. And definitely enlightening… and no matter what Datura had threatened him with, he was proud of her and the changes and choices she’d made as of late. He just had to make sure he didn’t ever say that out loud in the future. He didn’t want kicking in the balls. Not everyone likes to be humiliated as much as Konrad does, he had no need to be punished. No thank you, very fucking much.

YouTube Video
Location: Helms' Home, Hollywood Hills CA
Date: 05/17/2021

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. “I don’t think anyone can ever say that I don’t love this business,” he begins, rubbing at the stubble on his chin with one hand before he brings it down to his lap with the other one. “Twenty two years I’ve been part of this industry, whether I was inside of a ring or out of it. I’ve been a wrestler, a general manager, a commissioner, and even when I was away from shows and companies, I spent my days training the next generation so they have a shot of doing the same! Even now, when I’m not doing my thing here for SCW, you can find me at Living Dangerously, continuing to work with young talent who want to follow their own dreams and maybe become the next superstar. So yeah, I really do think it’s fair to say that I fucking love this business… but I don’t always like it.”

David sighs. “It’s not a love-hate thing,” he continues on. “I don’t think there will ever be a point where I don’t love the business that has given me everything that I have in life, and as far as I’m concerned, I owe this industry an undying gratitude that I will never be able to pay off no matter how long I continue to do what I do inside of the ring and out of it… but sometimes I find it really fucking difficult to actually like it, and I won’t say that my love doesn’t waver from time to time, even if it never actually goes anywhere.”

“The best way I can describe it I guess, is comparing it to that crushing feeling when you hear the words ‘I’m not angry with you, I’m just disappointed’, you know what I mean?” David asks, figuring most people will have heard those words at some point in their lives and that they’ll understand just how crushing it can be to hear them said to you. “And i’m sure that there are a few here who will try and tell me that those words don’t mean shit, but I’ll also get dollars to donuts that those same people are probably part of the reason why I can’t help but dislike this industry at times, too, so maybe I shouldn’t use that as a litmus test anyway…”

“I dunno, man...” he continues, leaning his head back to look at the ceiling above him for a moment before turning his attention back to the camera. “I can’t claim to be a saint, given some of the things I’ve done over the years, that would make me a massive fucking hypocrite and I get that. No matter the redemption, no matter how you go about trying to make up for the wrongs you’ve done, that stuff never really goes away. Everyone has their own cross to bear, whether they want to hide from it or not, and those actions stick with you and become part of the millstone that hangs around you neck whether you ignore it or acknowledge it, I don’t care what anyone says about that one…”

“But on a simple, fundamental level, every single wrestler in this business is faced with just one question,” David continues, bringing his hands up so that has palms are facing upwards. “Do you want to be part of the problem,” he says, raising his right hand a little higher, “or do you want to be part of the solution,” he adds, switching his hands so that the left is a little higher instead, before finally bringing both back down to his lap.

“And it should be a simple question,” David continues, barely containing a sigh as he shakes his head. “It shouldn’t be a difficult choice when you think about it; do I want to be a decent person, or do I want to be a douchebag? How hard is that choice to make bro, seriously? Yet… so many fucking people go with douchebag, and it boggles my mind it really fucking does! So we end up in situations like this, where people like me who traditionally speaking, have almost always chosen ‘decent person’ end up spending their time trying to stop the assholes of the world from pulling their crap instead of concentrating on themselves and trying to further their own careers!”

David shakes his head sadly. “And obviously sometimes that can work in our favour, I won’t deny that one,” he admits, giving the slightest shrug of his shoulders. “My own war with Infamous ten or so years ago brought a fair amount of attention onto me here in SCW and it would be fair to say that it played a big part in me transitioning from midcarder to the main event picture in around twelve months and change… but the major difference is that assholes will always asshole to get ahead, and decent people stand up to them to stand up to them, because no one should get ahead in life by cheating!” he states with absolute belief, looking right into the camera so as to make it abundantly clear that he means every word.

“And the sad thing is that generally speaking, when good people give in to temptation they usually end up getting ahead,” David continues, sighing. “Yet when you change for the better, the slog to redemption is so fucking hard and it tests your patience way more than people want to admit! But that’s what temptation is, that’s how it works. And it shows strength of character that you don’t give in to that fucking temptation… and I’d rather stay true to myself and never get another opportunity than sell my soul for quick success no matter how many others around me do just that!”

“Fuck selling out or buying in or whatever you want to call it, if you want to find the path to success then fucking earn it!” David says, a glare playing across his features as he takes a pause for effect. “If you truly believe in yourself, if you know for a fact that you’re more than a big mouth attached to a bag of air, then you don’t need to cheat to find success in this business and those who do should take a long hard luck at themselves in the mirror because they should have questions about how much they believe in their claims if they take the easy way regardless!”

David shakes his head in disappointment before continuing to address the camera. “And that’s where some douchebags come unstuck, because they talk and talk and talk a big game and by hook or by crook, they may see success for prolonged periods… but eventually, they cheat their way into a position where they have to finally walk the walk instead of just talking the talk,” he states, scoffing. “And when that point comes, it doesn’t matter how many boastful claims they’ve made, or how many witty nicknames they’ve given themselves… if they write cheques they’re unable to cash, the truth soon comes out!”

“I prefer to simply do what I know I can do inside of the ring and leave the bragging to other people…” David continues, though his comments are quite clearly barbed now, as he transitions around to addressing his upcoming opponent. “Gavin Taylor may want to consider that approach given his career as of late here in SCW, because while some may find his antics amusing at times, the last I checked, his claims and his record are showing a pretty big fucking discrepancy when you hold them up and compare them!” he states, as he brings one hand up to hold a thumb and finger an inch apart. “Just like no guy can convince someone that this is twelve inches, Gavin, you can’t convince anyone that you’re the man who would be king when you sit on a throne of lies and fucking denial!”

“Because that’s what you’re basically in at this point bro, let’s be quite clear about that,” Helms states, clearly frustrated and emotionally charged at this point. “You swan around backstage like a World Champion-elect and yet your record is rookie year form at best, which I’m sure is nothing but a blip in your opinion or that there’ll be a billion and six excuses as to why none of the losses count, but that just proves to me that you are in denial anyway! At Be Careful What You Wish For dude, we both came up short in our matches… difference is, I’ll hold my hands up and admit I was second best on the night, where as I’m pretty damn confident that you’ll still believe you were better than Bree that night and you simply suffered some sort of raw deal that resulted in you once again staring up at the lights!” he states, shaking his head.

“Losing isn’t something to be ashamed of Gavin, so long as you learn from it,” the New Jersey native explains, nodding for emphasis. “Unfortunately, you don’t learn, you simply go into damage control and as a result, you become the wrestling equivalent of the kid that fails his finals and ends up being held back at the end of the year while his friends leave him behind, because you make the same mistake every damn time!” David explains, looking angry. “You take this business and you make a mockery of it when you have every tool required to become a phenomenal athlete if you actually put the effort in instead of making fucking excuses!”

Helms sighs before shrugging his shoulders. “But why bother, huh bro?” he asks, shaking his head. “Why bother doing hard work when you can hope next time is different and organise some bullshit spin on why the result doesn’t matter or why you’re the real winner in whatever situation. Doesn’t matter Xander beat you, because he was limping and you weren’t, so who’s the real winner, right? Jesus fucking wept. But no, let’s not take things seriously. Instead, let’s make jokes about becoming Big Match Gavin if you beat me this week, playing off of a nickname for me that I already think is dumb to begin with without you outright trying to take it to add to your collection, because you’d rather fuck about than fucking succeed!” David criticises, glaring at the camera, before his face softens a little.

“You come close at times, I’ll admit… there’s brief moments Gavin, brief glimpses into your world where the facade cracks and you almost appear humble enough to admit your failures, like when you admitted that a match was must-win for you recently… and then two weeks later you’re giving Shilo a run for his money in the clown of the year competition again by goofing around backstage and doing whatever you can to drag attention to yourself!” he continues, shaking his head in disbelief.

And then he throws his arms up in an ‘i give up’ gesture, a theatrical shrug that says more than enough about his feelings. “But what the fuck do I know, huh?” Helms asks, clearly being sarcastic. “What the fuck do I know about this business, this company, what do I know about how you succeed where so many fail, I’ve done virtually nothing compared to the great All Star, the Best Wrestler in the Universe, the History-Maker! So many names, so many achievements… and so many reasons why I find it hilarious that you openly admit that beating me will get you out of a rut and propel you to the god damn moon while I end up taking your spot at the bottom of the barrel! This isn’t Freaky fucking Friday, Gavin! We’re not going to swap existences because of a result!”

“Here’s the truth, Gavin…” David says, standing up and walking closer to the camera, ready for the big finish to his video. “This week, you get another chance to beat me. And who fucking knows, maybe you do it. Maybe you beat me, and you get to brag about being Big Match Gav or the Dave-slayer or whatever new nickname you create in order to gloat about it… but while you’re gloating, while you’re showboating, your next opponent is working! They’re busting their ass in the gym, in the ring, working to improve, to better themselves… and while you’re verbally fellating yourself, they’re going to take the other head right off your shoulders and then you’re right back at square one!”

“Meanwhile, win or lose this week, I go back to the gym, I go back to my routine and bust my ass to improve!” David informs the camera, making sure it hears him perfectly. “Like a true pro, I don’t stop for a publicity stunt or an opportunity to try and ‘win’ twitter, I go back to work and continue to do what I have always done in this business; bust my ass and prove why I’m one of the best to lace up his damn boots! And that is something I don’t say lightly via self-gratifying nicknames and delusional egotism, but from cold hard facts, Gavin, because unlike some, I’ve fucking earned that right! You want fame kid, then prove me wrong and show me that you actually give a damn about changing your fortunes and taking the spot in the upper echelons that you so badly crave... because if you don’t, Gavin?” David asks, quirking a brow momentarily before he laughs humorlessly. “Then this ‘fifty’ year old is going to put you on your ass for a second time in a row before I start on the journey towards earning myself my third SCW World Championship reign and you get to go back to the drawing board to figure out how you control the narrative this time! BANG!” he finished, before simply walking out of shot, and as he disappears from view, the video comes to an end, frozen on the final frame as the replay button appears in the middle of the screen.