Journey to Wolfslair. Chapter 1: Japanese Odyssey, Part 2

Mistakes, Regrets and bad decisions.

Sometimes an idea will pop into your head and you’ll believe that it’s a good thing to do. You’ll pursue something that you want with such vigour and need that it will become almost a thing of legend. And in that pursuit sometimes you watch yourself heading towards a wall at full speed, you’ll feel your foot on the break, you’ll think that you can stop in time but the wall just comes straight up in front of you. And then before you know it you’ve hit it as hard as you can.

This was one of those ideas. One of those feelings and needs.

Dating your boss's daughter is never a good idea. Even less so when your boss is the owner of a Japanese professional wrestling promotion that is in bed with the yakuza. But that is what Aiden did. Throwing caution and judgment to the wind as he pursued a woman and a relationship that would be his downfall. But at the time there was no telling him that. Youth and exuberance are the leading cause of stupid decisions.

Nobody could tell him any different. Not his tagteam partner and best friend, no members of his family, not even any of the respected veterans of the locker room who tried to pull him aside and let him know that this was not a course of action that any of them in their right mind would advise. But Aiden went ahead with his plan.

For weeks they will see each other, go to lunch, dinner, a movie and even to some of the local arcades. But this time, this time was different. Aidan could feel it, he felt eyes on him. On Etsuko. He tried to ignore it. But it was just the start of his problems….

Last Year.

“Are you sure you like Japanese food?. We can go get a burger.” Etsuko smiled politely as she reached forward grabbing her glass of water. Aiden tilted his head and laughed to himself as he looked over the food in front of him. Different assorted types of sushi, rice, noodles and other foods sat in front of him. Teriyaki squid was still sizzling on a hot plate.

He grabbed a pair of chopsticks using them to effortlessly dip some salmon nigiri into some soy sauce popping it between his lips with a wink. “I ate a lot of Japanese food back home too, I always loved it…”

Etsuko gave a surprised and impressed nod eating her own piece of sushi using her fingers as she seemed to stumble with the chopsticks. He looked slightly confused as she did. Etsuko cleared her throat, blushing wildly. “Not all Japanese people like or can use chopsticks…” Aiden let out a small chuckle. His eyes moved from her slender fingers up to her face. Her green eyes sparkling under the light above, her long black hair tied back with a few blonde streaks in them going from the front to the back. Her lips curled around into a small smirk as she noticed Aiden staring at her.

After a few moments that seemed to linger Aiden cleared his throat. “Sorry…” He flashed a boyish grin and took a sip of his beer looking away. Etsuko shook her head and reached across the table sliding her fingers across the top of his hand.

“You’re sweet, there’s no reason to apologize” The plates slowly became more and more empty as Aiden ate, small spouts of conversation and laughter peppered the night as he relaxed. Etsuko too started to come out of her shell. Her laugh was infectious and made Aiden smile even more. His boyish good looks and grin more than winning her over ever time they had been on a date.  

Adrien pulled out his credit card, putting it on top of the bill before Etsuko could move, as it got taken away she flashed him another grin. “It was my turn to pay, you have the last two times.” Aiden smirked and leaned in slowly with a wink. “You just gotta be faster.”

He slid up from his seat offering his hand as they turned to leave walking out into the hot summer air of Tokyo. Aiden took it all in before turning to Etsuko, her hair lightly waving in the breeze. He reached out lightly touching his fingertips to her cheek brushing the hair away as her breathing became staggered and struggled. He leaned in slowly as their lips met, for a few minutes time stopped, he pulled back and Etsuko looked down with a small smile, her cheeks turning a light pink. A cab pulled up and Etsuko slimed before grabbing Aidens hand squeezing it. “I’ll call you tomorrow…” He gave her a nod as her hand slipped from his as she sat in the cab driving away.

Aiden walked down the sidewalk with a giant goofy grin on his face, past the various shopfronts, restaurants and street food vendors. Tokyo bustled with life. Aiden moved down an alleyway on the way to his apartment. Suddenly there were men around him, holding him, all dressed in black. His back slammed against the brick wall, before he could yell one of them covered his mouth. “Shhh” He smiled, showing his pearly white teeth, his long black hair tied back.  

He leaned in close with an almost low growl. “You need to learn your place boy…” Thwack, a hard right hand that made everything go blurry. Aiden tried to gain his bearings as he struggled against them. “Stay away from Etsuko, her father is giving you this courtesy warning….” His hand came to rest on Aidens shoulder, his thumb rubbing down the side of Aidens cheek as he smiled again, his other hand crossing over hitting Aiden harder, Aiden hit the concrete hard and felt the next shot to his ribs. Then there was laughter, fading as they moved away. And the silence of the night.

Throwing down a challenge.

“Ya know, times like this, I don’t know if I should be flattered, or insulted.”

Aiden ground his teeth together. The usually jovial and happy hour lucky Australian seemed to have a lot on his mind. And it would seem all his anger and vitriol was about to be pushed out for the world to see and hear. His short brown hair stayed spiked up as his hands cupped just under his unshaven chin.

“I finally got to make my big Project Honor debut. After months of the higher-ups sending me contracts and trying to get me here because Dickie signed, I walked down to the ring for my first match after many of you saw me on the show before do a little talkin’. Now, I’m not gonna lie, I’m actually really good at talking. I can run my mouth about anyone and everything and I can say things that make most people chocolate, a big part of that is my accent. A big part of that is also my normal nature and attitude, I kind of personify the laid-back happy Aussie. But, that tag match with Dickie, that was a chance for me to get in the ring on sure what I can do physically. It was a chance for you all to sit back and realise that I’m not just a pretty face and a nice six pack abs. There is talent, athleticism, an X factor.”

“But that ain’t exactly what you got was it?“

He pauses as his hands move away from his face, Aiden  needs to word  this next part carefully. It’s not just about trying not to piss off his new bosses, it’s also about keeping in mind that he doesn’t want to offend someone who has always had his back in his tag team partner and friend Dickie Watson.

“When I was weighing up different contracts, but I had other companies that wanted me to come and work for them, I sat back and got sold on this one by Dickie and promises that Project Honor is a place where hard work gets rewarded. And truth be told I’m all for that, they liked what they saw, they realised I could be a star here and they rewarded me with a position in a main event to debut in. And I want to make this perfectly fucking clear, I am not going to be second fiddle to anyone, I’m not anyone’s Lacky, I’m not anyone’s backup or bodyguard. And, what’s more, I’m not gonna sit here and just smile while a whole bunch of bullshit happens on my watch.”

“I mean yeah, Dickie and I won, but we didn’t win the way we wanted to. We had to watch as all those other members of the roster decided to come on down and get involved in our match. So my debut, the only chance I will ever have to make a first impression was ruined all by a bunch of people looking for cheap revenge and payback. And hey, I get that it might seem a little bit petty to be angry about this since people are trying to get payback due to something that happened, something horrible that happened, to a beloved member of the roster.”

“But I can’t help it feel that this is some kind of new toy syndrome, I put my name on the bottom of the contract, I signed my name on the dotted line and now that I’m actually locked in here and I got thrown a bone in my first match, now it doesn’t matter and I just another name on a page. I didn’t come here just to participate, I didn’t join this company to just take up a spot to be trotted out as the southern hemisphere member of the party.”

“Not that I don’t understand why, I’m 6 foot tall, I look like a bronzed god, I mean I lift up the shirt and show off the abs and women just go crazy. In fact, this one time…wait...where was I?”

He stops mid sentence and shakes his head, no matter how hard he tries he can’t find his nature. Aiden loves to tell stories, he loves to laugh. But this is serious, he has a lot to get off his chest and a lot to say. He can’t get sidetracked.

“Right right, the point I’m trying to make. I got pursued to come here. Not just by Dickie, not just because I needed a new place to work, but by people who have influence. In an industry and a business where everyone is looking for the new breakout star and fresh face to lead a company into a new era I seemed to be in the perfect place at the perfect time. See, even though, as pointed out before proving ground eight by Contessa, I have indeed paid my dues, I still haven’t broken out in the same way that others have. Not like my own tag partner, the guys from me gym “Wolfslair”...not even Kallie who is going to make her debut.”

“For whatever reason I have just been looked at as a, good talent. A good talent, that makes me laugh a little bit, aye”

“But, here I am. I’m getting ready to try my hand at getting to the level that everyone seems to think I need to be at, that I deserve to be yet, and that I’m capable of being at. And the first chance I get to make an impact is ruined by a bunch of people who couldn’t hold their load till the end. Dickie and I get to say that we won the match but it has an asterisk next to it. And didn’t show?.”

“Because of Myojin,  Zane and the rest my debut and the impact of it was made to be looked at as a fucking laughingstock.”

“A FUCKING LAUGHINGSTOCK”

Aiden raised his voice and through his arm back, the wooden chair that he was sitting on flipped back behind him and crashed against the hard marble floor breaking into a few pieces. He didn’t even seem to notice as he paced back-and-forth. The anger in his eyes clear, the frustration in his body language even clearer.

“And what proof do I have of this, huh?”

Aiden snarls and shakes his head.

“I don’t even get an honourable mention for my debut. Now don’t get me wrong because Elena DeDraca deserves recognition, but, in my first match, the main event, I get a win. And I’m not even mentioned. Then when they do mention me and they talk about my upcoming match?. It’s a joke. And not even a good ha ha one that can make everyone smile. They wrote me off like I was nothing. And the funniest part about all of this? I was challenged. For all of Contessas talk of me just being Dickie’s bag boy, it appears as if I’m important enough to challenge isn’t it Darl?”

“Kind of mutes your point a little bit. But then again a lot of what you said seem to come off as a little bit hokey, and stupid. You mentioned Dickey and talked about how he is no longer the underdog because he’s a champion, have you seen the size of him? He’s had an incredible run here already and he’s proved that he has talent, but at the same time he’s always gonna be the underdog because unlike me he doesn’t have the killer instinct. See, the difference between me and Dickie is that if I have my hand on the trigger I mean to pull the trigger. Dickie is….he will win despite how he views the world…”

“I ain’t an underdog.”

“Now, I don’t want to start sounding like you did Contessa, because even though I have an ego, I don’t quite think I have one as large as yours. I’m not gonna say you’re not talented and that you can’t get it done in the ring but what I am going to say is that the high opinion you have on yourself is pretty damn funny considering, you’re actually not that special.”

“You’re like what? 5’5-5’8? About 120-130? Blonde and thinks she’s god's gift to wrestling? Honey, that isn’t remarkable. I could throw a rock down the hallway at most shows and hit about five women that look like you, sound like you, and have the same attitude as you. In fact if you actually looked on Twitter you would be able to see about 20 of you. And that doesn’t mean that you’re not talented, it doesn’t mean that you can’t go far in the business. But what it does mean is it for all your talk of being individual, remarkable and talking yourself up, you are get to prove it. And challenging me as a mistake. You spent a good portion of your pre-match yapping talking about how I am apparently nothing but Dickie’s bitch”

He shakes his head again unable to get the vision out of his head of actually being dickies bitch, he takes a long deep breath and rolls his eyes before re-focusing back in front of him sliding his hands into the front pocket of his jeans.

“You spent another portion of that going on about something as inconsequential as our tag team name. We are former tag team champions together, he is a world champion, I’ve won titles in other companies too, we could literally call ourselves the south Boston bukkake boys and it wouldn’t fucking matter. But what does matter is that you’ve already planted the seed in people’s head but I ain’t shit. I’m just a journeyman wrestler who is going to lose to someone like you.”

“But you’ve already validated my existence, you’ve validated my impact. It wasn’t me who asked for this match, you weren’t even on my radar, the second they announce that we could challenge each other in this stupid little gladiatorial concept you were all over me like a fat kid on a cupcake. I’m sure that you can come up with some overblown bullshit reason, I’m sure that you’ll be able to sit there and talk yourself up and make yourself look even more “remarkable” or some other buzzword.”

“Shit I’m even willing to bet that you’re going to end with that lame catch phrase that you’re trying to get over. It’s just too bad that I can’t dance, but I can kick the shit out of you. And you have to remember, you asked for this Tessa….”