Ryan Watson :: The Prodigal One ::

STARRING:

[Crossing The Atlantic: Season 3 - Chapter 003]
.:| “The Destruction of a Hot Italian” |:.

“Sir? Sir, can you hear me?” the voice yelled from outside of the car as sirens wailed all around them, a shrill cacophony that only served to add to the confusion as Ryan Watson’s vision swam in and out of focus. The noise all around them was deafening, yet to Ryan’s confused thought processes, it seemed to be happening somewhere much further away; it was as if he found himself on the other side of a wall from whatever was clearly happening. “Sir? Sir, I need you to speak up if you can hear me!” the same voice said, though Ryan couldn’t place it. He didn’t recognise who the voice belonged to, he was barely able to even process the words he was hearing. Maybe hearing was the wrong word for it. He was aware someone was speaking, but as for what they were saying, he had no clue.

The Sheffield-born wrestling star had absolutely no comprehension what was going on around him, his head felt fuzzy and while he knew that there was a lot of commotion going on and lots of movement around him, he didn’t know what was happening and the more he tried to focus, the harder it became to do so. “Wh-… what’s… where?” he managed to mutter feebly, failing to put together a coherent sentence before he became aware of the aches in various parts of his body. His neck and shoulders were sore and he didn’t try to move again in case the pain came back. “A-Autumn? Where’s… Autumn?” he mumbled again as the sound of some sort of engine roared into life nearby.

“Sir, hold tight, we’ll have you both out of there in no time,” the same voice from earlier said, shouting now to be heard over the noise of the engine that had just fired up and Ryan turned to the side and realised he was sat in his car… but this wasn’t right. It didn’t look right, everything was off.

The glass, it was broken. The frame of the window was buckled, and the smell. The smells… his senses seemed to be firing now, slowly warming up one by one. Gasoline, that was the smell. Everything stunk of gasoline, all around him. And the noise, some sort of engine or… a generator, that was the noise! And then the scraping of metal on metal filled the car around him and he recoiled in a shot of pain as pneumatic jaws began to slice through the pillar next to where the windshield should have been… should have been… that was what hit Ryan next, his windshield was shattered, broken glass was everywhere around him. His car was a wreck! “R-Ryan?!” a scared voice said from the side of him and he opened his eyes to see his wife Autumn sat in the passenger seat, looking terrified. “W-what’s… what ha-….”

“OFF SIDE PILLAR NEXT!” a voice from outside of the car yelled and Ryan watched as the group of people outside shifted to the other side of the car and the jaws ate straight through the passenger’s side pillar like a hot knife through butter. It was like an out of body experience for Watson, as if he was watching all of this take place to someone else rather than to him, and the aches and pains registered but didn’t really hurt him. His hand had reached out and found Autumn’s and the pressure it applied back to his sent waves of relief flooding through him. She was talking, she was moving… whatever the fuck had happened to them, she was okay, and once he realised that, he got a sense of calm, he knew everything was going to be okay. But what the fuck had happened? How the hell had they ended up in this situation in the first place?!

20 Minutes Earlier
Costa Mesa, California

“A swear love, a should know better’n to let thee pick the movies anymore, yer always did ‘ave crap taste,” Ryan said with a smile as they walked out of the Starlight cinema in Costa Mesa hand in hand with his wife Autumn, having just sat through some insufferable romantic comedy that he wasn’t even sure of the name of. This had been a regular feature of their on off relationship and friendship for years, Autumn had always had poor taste in movies and yet somehow, Ryan continued to let her pick what they went to see despite knowing all too well how bad her taste truly was.

“I’ve known that for years dude, I mean I picked you didn’t I?” Autumn teased playfully, pulling her tongue out at Ryan as they headed for the parking lot round the back of the movie theatre where Ryan had parked up earlier that evening. Dinner and a movie, just like the old days… when Ryan and Autumn had first started dating, neither of them were particularly flush with money and they had to make the most of what they did have, making date nights as fun as possible while living on a budget. All these years later, while Ryan was in a much better place financially and Autumn was… well, let’s just say she was more than comfortable… the pair had continued the tradition. It didn’t matter how much money the pair had between them now, when they got back together, they had started the tradition back up once more, dinner and a movie every single week, whether it was at home in California or while on the road wherever SCW’s schedule took them that week. “Besides, the idea of you picking the movie doesn’t bear thinking about… I’m not sitting through another Arnold Braunschweiger movie baby, I just can’t do it anymore. Not after working with him…”

“Aye, but you’ll sit through the same generic Anne Hathaway bollocks time after time, an’ that boggles me mind, it rate does!” Ryan said, shaking his head in disappointment as he fished his car keys out from his pocket to unlock the car.

“She’s a great actress!” Autumn said, defensively. “Besides, you don’t even know the difference between Anne Hathaway, Sandra Bullock and Julia Roberts, so we could be watching any of them and you wouldn’t know which was which anyway!”

“They all look the fuckin’ same!” Ryan groaned as the lights of his Ferrari flashed twice to indicate the car was unlocked. The red 458 Italia was the only surviving thing he owned from his time married to Kennedy Street, a disasterous relationship that was probably doomed before it even got underway, and while he hadn’t been even remotely interested in financial gain when they began the divorce proceedings, Kennedy had insisted that he kept the car. In fairness, it wasn’t a messy divorce and the pair had managed to remain amicable throughout, but the red Ferrari had become his pride and joy in a way, and was responsible for his vintage Chevrolet Nova being mothballed in a vehicle storage warehouse for the last six years. “An’ even if they dint, all the movies they do’a the bloody same anyroad, so can ya fuckin’ blame me for not knowin’ the difference?!”

“They don’t look anything like one another, dude!” Autumn told him flatly as she opened the door to get in the car. “And they don’t just make the same movies either!”

“Name me one movie that any of ‘em ‘ave done that weren’t just generic crap…” Ryan said, dubiously as he climbed into the drivers’ seat and closed the door behind him. Dropping the key fob into the change tray on the centre console, he pressed the ignition button to start the car before buckling up, Autumn doing the same.

“Batman!” Autumn said, and Ryan looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “No, I’m serious dude, you wanted one movie and I’m giving you one. Anne Hathaway was in Dark Knight Rises! That’s definitely not ‘generic crap’ as you so eloquently put it!”

“Aye, maybe not… but it is the exception that proves the rule,” Ryan said, keeping the smirk from his face that he was inwardly showing. In truth, he was only making these objections to wind his wife up, something which he’d turned into quite the sport over the years.

“Just drive, asshole…” Autumn said, pouting and Ryan laughed out loud before slipping the car into drive and pulling out of the parking lot to make the twenty minute drive north, back to their home in Anaheim. The pair had found it strange at first, adjusting to life going from fake marriage to real marriage, but in a lot of ways they had quickly fallen into a natural rhythm. As Ryan had admitted back in March, this was exactly how things should always have been as far as he was concerned, and all they’d done was waste years of their lives avoiding what they both knew, deep down: that they were meant for one another.

“Least we ain’t got far to drive before we get ‘ome anyroad, am knackered!” Ryan said as he stifled a yawn with the back of his hand. It wasn’t exactly late, but with the amount of training they were doing now that he was back in active competition too was insane and Watson was still trying to catch up on the fitness levels of his wife and for someone as competitive as he could be at times, it left him with no energy by the end of the day and then he’d be ready to do it all again the following morning. “A wanna ‘ammer the gym in’t mornin’, need to get workin’ on me upper body strength; last thing a want is to go for a suplex an’ struggle to lift whatever tosser am facin’ up, ain’t it?”

“Dude, you’re fine,” Autumn told him. “More than half the roster is female and as for the men, well if you can’t lift them then I’d be amazed because I can lift half of them myself!”

“I know love, but what if I end up against Lohan in this retirement tour of hers?” He said, his face deadpan as he said it. “That’s some heavy bloody liftin’ rate theer!” Autumn smirked at the joke and Ryan soon followed suit before sighing and shaking his head. “Jokin’ aside though, am serious. Much as a know ya rate love, there’s a few cunts in SCW that’ve got some considerable bulk behind ‘em, an’ a wanna mek sure a can lift any fucker a come up against, not just ‘most’ of ‘em…”

“Aww, is my big handsome baby worried he can’t lift? Like, do you even lift bro?!” Autumn said, grinning as Watson flipped her the middle finger, though he had a grin on his own face two as he pulled up at traffic lights. “Alright,” she started again, going serious. “Tomorrow, we’ll put cardio on the back burner and hit the weights…”

“Am not sayin’ you’ve gotta do it an’ all, love…” Watson told his wife as they set off again at the lights. “Am just sayin’ that when we head to the gym tomorrow, am not gonna waste time on cardio… I ain’t got a fitness probably, a just wanna bulk up a bit…”

“Nah dude, if that’s what you wanna work on then I’m all in,” Autumn told him, shaking her head. “Sasha seems hell bent on throwing us into tag team competition anyway, so I guess it makes sense to work on the same things… unity, you know?”

“We literally rub against one another naked several times a week love, can’t really get much more united’n that!” Watson said with a grin and Autumn slapped him on the leg before laughing. “Point taken though; besides, you in them yoga pants an’ sports bra standin’ over me while am liftin’ is gonna be quite the motivation!” he added, grinning again and this time Autumn smiled happily before sitting back comfortably again. “We can always go fer a run in’t mornin’ anyway, before breakfast. Then hit the gym after we’ve eaten?”

“Jesus dude, you really are taking things seriously, huh?” Autumn said, sounding surprised.

Watson nodded his head. “I am love, aye,” he told his wife, eyes still on the road ahead of them. “Bein’ realistic a’bart stuff, am probably on me last crack at makin’ it, ant a? Third crack in SCW, a’ve been in three different companies… am thirty three nar love, realistically this is gonna be me last run in a big company an’ if that’s the case, a wanna go all art before ridin’ off in’ta the sunset, yer know?”

“You realise thirty three is basically the prime of your career, right?” Autumn ask him, though it was more a statement than a question. “This isn’t football or that stupid soccer stuff you watch, where people reach thirty then head to the movies to become an actor, there’s plenty of people older than you are still kicking ass week in week out. I mean, Alex is still wrestling and he’s ancient!”

“Aye, but he also gets his arse kicked more than he wins,” Watson replied, as they pulled up to another set of traffic lights. “An’ he may not care an’ fair play to ‘im if that’s the case, but am in no rush to become a punchin’ bag love. A wanna make what a can outa whatever time a’ve got left but what am not gonna do is be one’a them pricks who clings on t’ stuff way after ‘e should’a called it a day, either…” he told his wife, scoffing at the idea. “So if a can keep me self fit an’ achieve summet then that’s what am gonna do… but when it’s time it’s time.”

“Guess we’d better work you pretty hard tomorrow then, dude!” Autumn told him playfully with a mischievous smile on her face and that same mischief wasn’t lost on Ryan.

“Maybe we’d better start t’neet, love? Never know what’s ‘round the corner, d’ya?” Ryan said, returning his own grin as he looked at Autumn before turning his attention back to the road just as the light turned green, leaving it safe for them to take the left turn. Taking the car out of neutral, Ryan put his foot down and accelerated into the left turn…

…The silver Charger seemed to come out of nowhere, at least Ryan hadn’t seen it coming anyway. If was their right of way, they were on green when setting off… but they hadn’t reckoned on the asshole running the red light! The charge hit Ryan’s car head on, slamming into the drivers’ side door and front wing; the 458 was lifted from the road under the impact, skidding away in a cloud of smoke and sparks as it ground across the asphalt with two wheels off the ground before slamming back onto the surface where it skidded into the central reservation and collided hard with the barriers between lanes. The headlights were the last clear thing Ryan remembered, flying at him at speed before the impact, the airbags exploding as designed but the rest was a blurr; Autumn’s screaming filled his ears but there was nothing he could do, he’d lost control in the impact and all they could do was ride it out until they came to a stop. He was out cold before the car had come to a complete stop.

“IT’S OFF!” the fire fighter said as the hydraulic cutter went through the final pillar and they were able to lift the roof of the car from the rest of the body. “It’s alright sir, we’re going to get you out of here,” the firefighter told Ryan, who was slowly regaining his ability to focus clearly, and he attempted to shake his head before wincing at the pain in his shoulder. “No, don’t move. Stay as still as you can while we get you fitted with a brace!” he instructed Ryan but the Yorkshireman cleared his throat.

“Autumn… Autumn first, am fine!” he told the firefighter, who looked across at Autumn then back to him. “Autumn first,” Watson repeated, and the firefighter looked at Watson for a short moment before just nodding and moving around the car. He looked over to see them fitting a neck brace to Autumn, keeping her as still as they could while it was clicked together. Reaching over, wincing under the soreness in his muscles, Ryan unbuckled his seatbelt and slumped sideways to climb out of the wreckage that was formally his beautiful car. A EMT from the fire department rushed over to him but he brushed them off. “Am fine,” he said, pulling away from the EMT as he tried to make his way around to the passenger side of the car, where Autumn was being lifted out by four people, to a gurney by the side of the car.

“WE NEED HELP OVER HERE!” another firefighter yelled in the distance, back where the other car smoked but Ryan ignored it completely, following as the gurney was wheeled towards a waiting ambulance.

“Babe, am rate ‘ere, am right ‘ere wi’ yer!” he said as Autumn looked around and her eyes found his as they reached the ambulance. “It’s all gonna be alrate love, nothin’ to worry a’bart,” he told his wife, jumping straight into the back of the ambulance after Autumn and the EMT’s and they slammed the doors shut behind them before the firefighter outside banded on the door and with sirens blaring, the ambulance began to speed away from scene of the crash…

“So what ya reckon they’re gonna introduce us as on Saturday then?” Ryan asked as Autumn double checked the camera was still in focus from the last time it was used. That was the beauty of them having their own movie studio in the basement of their house, after all; they could leave things set up and as long as they stood on the mark on the floor, it should in theory, still be set up properly for the next video. “I mean, we’ve bin Zero Frogs and it was Zero Ducks on Wednesday… my money’s on Zero Monkey’s. A mean, heaven forbit Phillips should grow a set an’ use somethin’ as rude as ‘effs’ or similar!” he went on, smirking at how much of a child the SCW ring announcer truly was.

“I’d say Zero Pucks, but we’re not in Canada this year,” Autumn said as she straightened up and looked at her husband, smirking. “Zero gators? Do they even have gators in Texas?”

“Fucked if I know love,” Ryan said, shrugging his shoulders before slipping out of his t-shirt which he tossed aside before grabbing the Zero Fucks to Give t-shirt he planned to wear for the promo. “Overly zealous religious nuts, they have those in Texas… how about Zero Taxes to give? Hey, we should turn this into a church, we’d get tax breaks that way! Imagine having to pay no tax on our paycheques… that’d be fuckin’ awesome!” he said with another laugh as he slid into his uncensored t-shirt. SCW bosses would love that.

“Hey, that could work!” Autumn exclaimed, playing along. “We’ll get you one of those black cloaks and a dog collar and we can start reffering to you as Pastor Ryan Watson, it’ll be great!” she said, placing her hands together in a prayer motion in front of her, which set Ryan off laughing.

“An’ what we gonna do, dress you up as a choir boy to complete the look?” he asked, smirking.

“You mean choir girl, right?” Autumn asked before catching on to what joke he was making and her face screwed up in distaste before she turned to walk back behind the camera. “You can be seriously fucking gross at times, dude…”

“Aye, a love thee an’ all, babe…” he said, still chuckling to himself as Autumn got ready to his record. “Alrate, ready when you are,” he told her and she hit the button before pointing at him to tell him to go.

[[START RECORDING]]

With the red light on the camera clearly glowing, Watson takes a deep breath through his nose, before exhaling loudly. “Can ya smell it?” he asks the camera once he turns his attention back to it. “That excitement, the stench’a optimism in’t air, people thinkin’ it’s gonna be their time t’ shine, their time in’t spotlight… funny ‘ow every cunt an’ their mother seems to think that at this time’a year, ain’t it? A mean, a know them spotlights’a big an’ all that, but fuckin’ ‘ell, do people think they can illuminate an entire roster?! But ‘ey, it’s Rise to bleedin’ Greatness, ain’t it? So who can blame people f’ desperately chasin’ that shiniest’a brass rings, that big moment in the sun, the… well, the spotlight! A were tryin’ not to repeat me sen… shows don’t get much bigger’n this, d’ they? Show of shows, the biggest night’a the wrestlin’ calendar… one a’ve grabbed that brass ring at me self in’t past, though wrestlin’ fans’ve got short memories, so maybe that’s irrelevant to most,” he says, shrugging his shoulders. “Am not lookin’ to take a stroll darn memory lane though, not anymore…” he says with a shake of the head. “It’s too easy to do that, ain’t it? It’s too easy to start flappin’ gums a’bart past exploits or glories, bring up experiences you’ve had that justify yer own importance… an’ a could do that, ‘cause there ain’t owt better t’ point out how green someone is than rub yer own experience in their face, but f’ once am not gonna go after the low hangin’ fruit. Yer not gonna teach people anythin’ if all yer do is go f’ the obvious… but al get t’ that in a bit.”

Ryan pretends to check his watch before turning his attention back to the camera. “First things first… let’s talk a’bart Bre’kdown, shall we? First singles match since a returned at Takin’ hold’a the Flame – all be it a fatal fourway – an’ would yer believe it, the gobshite picked up the dub! A mean, it ain’t the first since a came back, ‘cause that came the other week against that Brat’s, but it’s nice to get some momentum goin’, ain’t it? Three matches, two victories, hopefully a couple more this comin’ weekend, startin’ Saturday on the pre-show – which am not gonna moan a’bart ‘cause am not a whiny little cockwomble – followed by another on Sunday at the main show, an’ all bein’ well, match number five since returnin’ will end wi’ me havin’ to pay for extra baggage allowance on’t plane ‘ome!” he says, motioning to his waistline to show where the belt would go. “That’s summet a’ve not achieved ‘ere before, summet a’ve not achieved in’t business in general actually… a mean, it weren’t for lack’a tryin’. Me an’ are Tom went art’a us way to try an’ snag them tag straps when we were still an active team, but we came up short whenever we got a crack at winnin’… which admittedly, weren’t as often as it probably should’a been but then again, we weren’t one’a the golden teams either. But either way, we never got to hold the gold… which only goes to show how impressive Kandis an’ Tommy are as a team, a guess, ‘cause they got their shot an’ they took it, but more on them in a bit an’ all. ‘Cause a’ve got a bit more to get off me chest first, an’ while a’ve got yer attention for all’a a few seconds before ya get distracted by summet shiny, am gonna make the most’a it! Nah a know that ol’ Jason Phillips ain’t got the bottle t’ actually use our full team name on’t shows, f’ fear’a gettin’ a bollockin’ from Sasha or just flat art gettin’ sacked, but for those of ya who ain’t figured it art yet, we ain’t called Zero Frogs T’ Gi’ or Zero Ducks T’ Gi’… it’s Zero FUCKS T’ Gi’, a notion that a fair few’a ya should be familiar wi’ a a concept, ‘cause am pretty sure that most people’ve been in a position at some point where ya just don’t gi’ a fuck anymore…”

“An’ while you fat pricks at hom’ might not understand what it’s like bein’ in’t wrestlin’ business,” he says, continuing with the same friendly tone despite the fact he just insulted everybody watching. “Ya do know what it feels like to, at some point, just run out’a the ability t’ care. Maybe it’s wi’ ya job, maybe it’s wi’ school work, a relationship, ya will t’ live, a dunno an’ a dunt care. But a know that people as useless as you lot watchin’ are gonna a’ve bin in that kinda position before, so am feelin’ fairly confident a’bart the fact that a reckon ya can probably understand the reason for us pickin’ that particular name when all’s said an’ done. A’ve never been particularly mindful’a rules an’ what not, a think that’s a pretty obvious statement to mek… in fact, a’ve usually been the kinda bloke to not just tip toe past the line but take a whoppin’ great big hop skip an’ jump past it if we’re bein’ honest…” he says with a smirk, trying not to let his laugher derail him. “But a’ve seen a lot of bullshit in me time in this business an’ a’ve been on the receivin’ end’a a lot’a it an’ all, an’ after more years than a really wanna admit, a’ve come to the realisation that eventually, ya just have to say fuck it. Ya know, ya really just ‘ave to say fuck all’a it, am gonna do what a want an’ fuck the consequences. Kandis does that, an’ aside from gettin’ some pretty crackin’ sex from what a’ve been told, she also got herself a tag title wi’ Painty McPaintface, so it ain’t done ‘er any ‘arm, as it? But me an’ Autumn… well, it’s pretty ironic really, that am standin’ ‘ere before a tag title tournament’a sorts, a’bart to talk a’bart ‘ow we were thrust into this position against ‘s wills, but that’s the truth’a it, ain’t it? When a came back, a weren’t plannin’ on bein’ in a tag team, a were gonna try an’ go as far as a could before finally hangin’ me boots up, an’ when a dint win Takin’ Hold’a the flame a figured ad coast along until another opportunity came up an’ maybe ‘elp are lass achieve her goals along the way an’ all if a got the chance… then suddenly we’re facin’ the former number one contenders to the tag straps in what were me first match back after returnin’ an’ were we asked about whether we wanted to be a tag team? Where we fuck!”

Watson shakes his head, attempting to look disappointed as he continues his diatribe. “An’ fair enough, Sasha’s the gaffer an’ she makes sure we get paid, so if they want us t’ team up then that’s what we’ve gotta do, but is it wrong t’ at least want our thoughts t’ just be fuckin’ considered? A mean, what were the conversation even like, eh? “Oh, they’re a married couple, they obviously want to be put in a team to show they can work well in the ring as well as in bed” or summet like that? Not just beds thiugh, by the way. We work great in all sorts’a places… especially small confined spaces,” he adds, with a little smirk on his face, though it’s clearly some sort of in-joke that only he is meant to understand. “Aye, me an’ the mrs, we were ‘appy to step into the ring together, but a can’t say a were plannin’ this all along an’ neither were Autumn. In fact, this were the second time that the bookers got fuckin’ lazy where ‘er career’s concerned an’ just stuck her in’t tag division ‘cause she happened to be in a relationship wi’ someone else employed by’t company, which goes to show how much thought goes into half these fuckin’ decisions that’re med. An’ now ‘ere we are, on’t eve’a the biggest show’a the year almost, an’ were gonna see four teams – includin’ yours truly – dukin’ it art over the right to find out who gets t’ face Tommy Valentine an’ Kandis for them shiny bits’a leather an’ metal… an’ while a waint say a weren’t surprised to see our name in it, a won’t say a don’t understand it either, ‘cause wi’ the amount of controversy our name alone has dragged up, we’re gonna be doin’ decent fuckin’ business at the merch stand this weekend, an’ if we were to end up as champs, well, ya can just picture the bump in merch revenue nah, can’t ya?!” he asks, quirking his brow for extra emphasis to his question. “An’ a know it’s gonna be a fair ask, for us to beat two teams on Saturday neet just to get to face Kandis an’ Tommy, but hey, if this ain’t the fuckin’ time’a the year to do the undoable then a dunno when is, ‘cause in terms’a go big or go hom’, Rise To Greatness is the biggest neet’a ‘em all, ain’t it?!”

Ryan runs a hand through his hair as he brushes it out of his face before turning his attention back to the camera in front of him. “An’ that’s where it gets interestin’ anyway, ain’t it? ‘Cause me an’ Autumn, we’re not exactly inexperienced in the business, even if we’re inexperienced as a team… an’ when ya factor that into the equation, maybe we shouldn’t be worryin’ too much a’bart what we’re gonna come up against, not ‘cause a think we’re gonna walk all over anyone, but ‘cause the expectation’s on us shunt be rate high to begin wi’!” he says, with a shrug of the shoulders. “At the end’a the day, any cunt can beat any other cunt on any given neet in this business, an’ ain’t that what it comes darn to at end’a the day? An’ while Ember an’ Ashes, whatever their fuckin’ names are, are gonna be comin’ art all full’a piss an’ vinegar, an’ while the Truelove twins are gonna be flappin’ their gums a’bart how they deserve this more’n anyone ‘cause they were kicked t’ the curb, while Red Empire are gonna… well, I dunno what the fuck they’re gonna do but al assume summet dumb, am gonna flat art say it nah, it don’t matter who fuckin’ says what when all’s said an’ done. It’s not gonna come darn to words, its not gonna come darn to teamwork even, it’s just gonna come darn to who’s gonna be willin’ to go that extra yard in order to get the job done at the end’a the neet. An’ well… a’ve already said that we’ve said ‘fuck it’ at this point, an’ if ya thought a were a bit of a dick before, am gonna enjoy teachin’ yer a thing’a two a’bart what bein’ a dickhead really looks like goin’ forward, ‘cause am not ‘ere to just grab a participation ribbon like some, a wan’t the whole fuckin’ award ceremony in me name, ya know what a mean?!”

“Ember an’ Ashes, Red Empire, True Love Twins, ya can all go fuck ya selves if ya think that we’re gonna sit back an’ let ya push ya selves to the forefront’a the tag division at the biggest show’a the year, let me tell ya,” Ryan says, shaking his head adamantly. “A were a member’a Infamous for a reason, so were the Mrs. We know what it takes t’ ensure victory, an’ that were before we said ‘fuck it’ an’ set ourselves free, f’ want’a a better word t’ explain shit. An’ ya can pay attention, or ya can ignore what am sayin’, a couldn’t gi’ a flyin’ fuck either way if am honest, am just puttin’ it art theer really… but what a don’t want is some’a you wankers comin’ t’ me after an’ sayin’ that a dint make it perfectly clear that there ain’t a single thing a waint do in order to try an’ bring them belts ‘ome wi’ me an’ the mrs, ‘cause honestly, this weekend, all’s fuckin’ fair in love an’ war, an’ whether or not me an’ Kandi are mates ain’t gonna factor into the equation. Sentiments am sure she’ll be sharin’ ‘erself if a know ‘er as well as a think a do,” he continues, conveniently ignoring the fact that he definitely knows her better than most would, given the circumstances. “Am not gonna stand ‘ere an’ make any guarantees a’bart how we’ll do, an’ am not gonna toss around any clichés a’bart just bein’ happy to be involved either… it’s sport, if ya not winnin’, yer a loser, we all know that even if we don’t all admit it… that’s what makes this whole thing sweeter, ‘cause a feel like a can say that stuff wi’out worryin’ a’bart it. We’re headin’ into Rise to Greatness, on the cusp’a maybe gettin’ a title shot an’ love us or hate us, favourites or underdogs, it don’t matter… by hook or by crook, al do whatever it takes to try an’ leave as a champion. For the second Rise to Greatness in me career, al hopefully leave the show of shows wi’ gold around me waist… an’ to do it wi’ the woman a love by me side? Well, it don’t get much better, does it? So there we have it. July twen’y first, two thousand an’ nineteen… it could very well be the date that Ryan Watson picks things up where they left off several years ago… an’ if that upsets some of ya then so be it, ‘cause while the name may not make it abundantly clear how we feel, lemme just this final opportunity to truly stress the point for all’a you tossers art theer that’re gonna be complainin’ if we win it all… your complaints, moanin’, whinin’ or bitchin’? We don’t gi’ a fuck a’bart a word’a it an’ the sooner ya fuckin’ realise that the better!” he finished and with that, Autumn reaches forward and thumbs the stop button, bringing the video to a close.

[[STOP RECORDING]]

“Pretty sure a said the word ‘fuck’ way too many times in that video, but fuck it,” Ryan said with a laugh as he stepped over to where Autumn stood. “A mean, it’s good advertisin’ at the end’a the day, ain’t it? Plus it kind of fits with the while massive revels hing we’ve got goin’ on!” he said, clearly looking for justification for being a foul mouthed bastard.

“Dude, you’ve always sworn like a roopr, you don’t need excuses for any of it,” Autumn told him, grinning. “I mean, it may not make it onto television and I’m sure it’ll cause few parents to send in complaints, but if they’re gonna let their kids watch a sport like wrestling then they have no right to complain in the first place, do they?”

“Damn fuckin’ straight love,” Ryan said with a grin on his face that stretched from each to ear. “An’ to be honest, wi’ some’a the shit that goes on around these parts, a think a few naughty words are the least’a their worries anyroad! When a company has had attempted vehicular murder, cuss words shouldn’t even come into consideration… though that also means I need to up my game where this zero fucks thing is concerned, so maybe I should run Ember an’ Ashes over before the show an’ gi’ us an easy ride into the finals, what ya say?”

Autumn looked at him for a minute before turning to her attention to the camera to shut it it. After a long moment she finally looked back at up Ryan and she seemed to be guilty before even opening her mouth, though it didn’t stop her cracking the joke that she’d come up with regardless. “After recent events, I think getting behind the wheel of a car is the last thing you should be thinking about if I’m honest babe,” she said with a grin, taking great pleasure in the joke, which Ryan had to admit was pretty funny, even if he didn’t want to show it.

“Funny fucker,” Ryan said as they turned to walk towards the stairs once the camera was off. “Maybe I’ll run you over instead… you’ve got a decent life insurance policy, ain’t ya?” he asked as they walked, and Autumn just shook her head as they vanished up the stairs to make dinner.

…two hours later
South Coast Medical Centre

Despite being rushed into hospital, there had been good news for both Autumn and Ryan after a battery of tests; while the car was a complete write off before the top was cut off to get them out of it, the injuries sustained by both were minimal, little more than soreness and a few scrapes. Those Italians clearly did a great job with their safety precautions because in effect, both Mr and Mrs Watson could have walked away from the crash unaided if it wasn’t for the quick word done by Costa Mesa’s emergency services. The police arrived about forty minutes after Watson and Autumn had, wanting to speak to both of them but the sergeant was forced to wait while the doctors poked and proded their way through various tests on both of them; the sergeant had informed Ryan and Autumn that the other driver was in a much worse condition than they were, taken to a different hospital for emergency surgery. His blood alcohol level was through the roof and witnesses at the scene had already confirmed the story of what happened independently, but they still took statements anyway, as a matter of procedure.

The officer made it fairly clear that the other driver would ultimately be found at fault and that Ryan should make contact with his insurance as soon as possible, but the car couldn’t have been further from Ryan’s mind, not at that point anyway. Sure, some people may have been more concerned about the fact that a car worth a quarter of a million dollars was just destroyed in the space of a couple of seconds, but after everything they’d been through to re-find one another, the car was the least of Ryan’s concerns, because his concern was Autumn and only Autumn!

Fortunately for the pair, all of the tests done by the doctors at the emergency department of South Coast Medical Centre had come up clean. There was some concern that Autumn may have been suffering from a concussion when the pair first arrived in the back of that ambulance, but tests had shown that wasn’t the case. That had been a big worry for the pair of them, with Rise to Greatness on the horizon; if either of them suffered from anything to risk their spot on the show, then the car really would have been the least of their worries but all in all they were just thankful to get out relatively unscathed. “Well, al be honest love,” Ryan said once they were finally patched up, sat behind the curtains of a hospital bay waiting for a doctor to sign their release papers. “As far as dates go… it’s still probably not the worst we’ve ever ‘ad…”

Despite feeling slightly groggy, Autumn looked at Ryan and managed a chuckle and he lent forward to kiss her on the side of the head before sitting back on the bed. “Not the first time you’ve nearly died while out on a date either,” she told him as she settled back to lean against him. They didn’t know how long they were going to be waiting for the doctor to turn up to sign their release papers, but Ryan suspected it would be as long as possible just to charge their health insurance company as much as they could get away with. “But hey, it was someone else’s fault instead of your own this time, so I guess that’s still an improvement…ouch,” she said, holding her head with her hand before laughing.

“Unintentionally hospitalised is definitely an improvement, love…” Watson told Autumn with a chuckle before sighing. “Bit of a lucky escape in’t end though, ain’t it? Fuck, a don’t even wanna think a’bart the possible outcomes that could’a taken place…”

“You’re not kidding babe,” Autumn agreed, sighing. “And if I get my hands on the douche who hit us then god help him… but yeah, it kind of puts things in perspective when you think of what could have happened…”

“Yer not kiddin’ love,” Ryan agreed, trying not to think too much about the what if’s. It wasn’t lost on either of them just how lucky they had been, if they were travelling any quicker, if the other car was. If they weren’t buckled in, the car was older, it’s safety features not as efficiant… it could all have gone horribly, horribly wrong. “Kinda puts a lot’a shit in t’ perspective really, when ya think a’bart it… a mean, all that stuff we wouldn’t have managed to do, the possibility’a it just snuffed art in’t blink’a an eye. Poof,” he said, snapping his fingers for emphasis. “Just gone…”

“What sort of stuff?” Autumn asked, turning to look at him and wincing slightly.

“I dunno, loads’a stuff… a mean, neither’a us ‘ave been world champ, a’ve we?” he asked. “That’s just an example though, there’s other stuff we ain’t done. An’ the idea’a it all bein’ stolen from us, well… sucks, don’t it?” he told her, thinking about just how much they could have lost. He would never have said it of course, because he didn’t want to have to chase after Autumn to stop her fleeing the scene on sight, but not being a parent was another thing they’d have missed out on. “Kinda does put everythin’ in perspective though, when ya think a’bart it…”

Autumn looked at him, wondering what he was talking about. “You’ve got that look on your face where you’re thinking about something stupid, you know I don’t like that look, babe!”

“Not stupid love, just…” Ryan replied, clearly trying to figure out how to put his thoughts into words. “Just… a mean, when ya think a’bart it… we could’ve ‘ad everythin’ tuck from us today, cunt we? We could’a lost everythin’, an’ it kinda opens yer eyes. A mean, all these rules an’ shit that we live by, always thinkin’ a’bart doin’ what’s rate, doin’ the rate thing or worryin’ a’bart what other people think… makes ya wonder why, don’t it?” he said, shrugging out from under Autumn to slide off the bed so he could stand up. “Think a’bart it love, how restricted people are when they worry a’bart societies constraints! We literally could’a died earlier, an’ there I were just before, worryin’ a’bart makin’ sure a do weights instead’a cardio t’morra!”

“Yeah well, I mean, you were worried that--” Autumn started to say but Ryan cut her off.

“We’ve been thinkin’ a’bart everythin’ all wrong, love!” he said, pointing at Autumn before bringing a finger up to his temple to tap it. “But this’ bin eye openin’!”

“Yeah, you said that,” Autumn said, looking concerned. “How hard did you hit your head earlier? Did they test you for a concussion? Because I think they may have messed up the test if it came back negative…”

“Nah love, think a’bart it!” Ryan said, waving her concern away. “We’ve been talkin’ all a’bart Sasha shovin’ us together as a team an’ stuff, how we’re gonna work together an’ if it’s gonna stick too much pressure on us an’ what not… but who says we’ve gotta play by the rules, eh?! Answer me that! Who says we’ve gotta do everythin’ as we’re expected to?!”

Autumn frowned. “Alright, seriously, did they actually check you out for concussion?!”

“Will ya shut up a’bart concussions, am fine!” Ryan said, looking frustrated. “Am bein’ serious… why do people let expectations hold ‘em back, eh? Ain’t you ever just wanted to say ‘fuck it’? I know I sure as fuck ‘ave. Most days actually, for one reason or another… why d’we care a’bart ‘alf the shit we care a’bart, eh?! ‘Cause we’re told we should do! Well, I dunno a’bart you love, but am fed up of livin’ life to some other cunts expectation! After today… a wanna go art theer an’ ‘ave fun!” he told her emphatically, as if he’d just had some great big revelation.

“So you want to say fuck it, okay. I thought you’d always done that anyway, I mean isn’t that how we ended up back together?” Autumn asked but Ryan shook his head.

“Nah love, I’ve always ‘ad an attitude problem al gi’ yer that,” Ryan replied, shaking his head. “But am talkin’ bigger’n that, am talkin’ a’bart just sayin’ fuck it an’ doin’ whatever the fuck we want, love! Like right now… why the fuck are we waitin’ around for some dick to come an’ sign a piece’a paper to say we can leave when we can just fuck off?! Call me a rebel love, but am done wastin’ me time,” he said, holding out his hand towards his wife.

Autumn sat there just staring at him for several seconds, frowning right at him. “You’ve definitely had a bang to the head dude, because you’re talking complete bullshit right now,” she told him, shaking her head. “You know full well that SCW will need us to get that release form, do you want to have them asking questions?”

“You know what love? I don’t give a fuck…” he said, grinning, before turning and walking through the curtain, leaving Autumn sat there. She glared at the gently swaying curtain, unable to believe that he’d just walked off… until it hit her he had just walked off and she quickly jumped from the bed to rush after him.

“Dude, where the fuck are we going?!” she asked as she caught him up a few seconds later as he made his way out of the emergency room, not even bothering to try and sneak off. “Ry, seriously, we need to--”

“We don’t need to do out, love…” he told her, cutting her off mid-sentence, continuing to stride confidently out of the hospital, even nodding his head to the security on the door as they passed. “An’ I dunno a’bart you love, but am done worryin’ a’bart any’a it… am not gonna worry a’bart breakin’ rules, am not gonna worry a’bart pissin’ people off, a’bart bein’ inconsiderate, a’bart bein’ insensitive, bein’ offensive… am bein’ a selfish cunt from this point art an’ if people don’t like it they then they can fuck off ‘cause a’ve run outa fucks to give. A’ve got no fucks to gi’ anymore love, none whatsoever. Zero!” he said confidently, striding out into the parking lot of the hospital, reaching into his pocket for his car keys before realising remembering what brought them there in the first place. “Although a might ‘ave to gi’ a fuck a’bart how the ‘ell we’re gonna get ‘ome, a’ve got to admit that’n…”

And with that, Autumn burst out laughing; it was the first time since the crash that she’d done so, because despite the fact he’d just done something, they’d just done something stupid… it was funny. He was also right though, they had just gone through something life changing, or what could have been life changing, and it was an eye opening experience. And it really did put stuff into perspective for the pair of them; they really did have no reason to care about what others thought of them, no reason to filter their actions or words. This was a blank slate new start moment for both of them… and once they got home, via the uber that Autumn took out her phone to book, this would be a new beginning for them as a couple, as people and as members of the SCW roster. Whether SCW as a company liked that or not.