There was utter silence in the crowd as they saw Dacey Surestone go off on her ntor Andrew Gibson.
No wrestling storyline has gone in this direction. Like never. The ntors and trainers who helped train the wrestlers have always been idolized in this world and there was usually a lot of respect afforded to them both backstage and inside the ring.
Now, Dacey Surestone was going off on Andrew Gibson like he had abandoned her. And it was riveting for the crowd to watch. The thing Rob did here was to drag back the ntors from being idols to being normal humans. And from the response, it seed to work.
"Dacey, I really don’t know what you are talking about," Andrew Gibson stated in confusion.
And that seed to be the last straw that broke Dacey’s composure. She backed away from him and started pacing angrily inside the ring. There was agitation visible all over her features.
"You don’t know," Dacey mumbled, "Of course, you don’t know. If you knew you would have been there for , won’t you?" Dacey asked sweetly.
"Absolutely," Andrew Gibson said empathetically.
"So, all these things are just imagining it inside my head, is it? All these disappointnts and heartbreaks I had to go through to get here are all my imagination, is it?"
There was a dangerous edge to Dacey’s voice now. And everyone in the crowd was able to recognize it, including Andrew Gibson. So, he wisely shut up and looked on.
"You know, I have always considered you to be my idol. The man who guided and helped channel my energies in the right direction. That is why, that is why I have always stood by you," Dacey started speaking to herself still pacing.
"And that is why when you ca up with this idea to establish LWC, I was the first one to support you. I rember you being depressed and angry when others laughed at you saying Longham City didn’t need another wrestling promotion. I rember you looking crestfallen when they said no one is going to look at what you put out when AWF is near."
"And I rember you being black-out drunk and complaining to about it. And what did I do? I was the good trainee, so I supported you unconditionally. I supported you when others mocked you. I supported you when others ridiculed your idea."
Dacey turned to face Andrew Gibson square in the face and started speaking passionately.
"I was there when this company ca into existence. I was there when you started training talents. I was there when you put out the first card. Hell, I was there wrestling for 20 mins when there were only a hundred or so people who turned up to watch your first show."
"I put my blood, sweat, and every ounce of energy I had in at that ti, to make your dream co true. I not only wreslted; I was there backstage casting weights and dragging things around, doing nial jobs when you didn’t have enough helpers to do the work."
"I was there every step of the way. Supporting you. Shouldering half your burdens. Propping you up. And proving to people that LWC is a viable option. I did it not for the money. Hell, you didn’t even have the money to pay wrestlers at that ti. I did it not for anything but the love and respect I had towards my ntor."
Andrew Gibson nodded at that proudly.
"And then, what happened?" Dacey asked getting in Andrew Gibson’s face. "What happened, Andy? Why don’t you tell these people what happened? Don’t worry, we will get it all out in the open here. No more misunderstandings, no more miscommunications. And especially, no more hiding."
"Dacey, I really don’t get what you are talking about. It is true you have worked hard for this company. It is true that you were instruntal in LWC reaching this place. I am not denying any of that. I just don’t get what you are on about," Andrew Gibson said earnestly.
"Oh, you still don’t get it, do you? Fine, I will tell you and everyone out here what happened. I will tell you the raw truth you are still unable to wrap your head around."
"What happened was, I got injured. Oh, injury is common in this business. Everyone goes through it. And I am not an exception. Especially when you wrestle week in, and week out for 20 minutes on the show. And I was doing all the heavy lifting for the won’s division at that mont."
"So, naturally, I got injured. It wasn’t supposed to be a big deal. It really happens all the ti in this business. But, what bothers is what happened after that. So, there I was, injured wrestling for your dream, in the bed, under the doctor’s tender rcies. And for the first two weeks, you called regularly and enquired about ."
"I will give you that. You were a very supportive ntor back then who urged to focus on recovering and supported to co back when I am 100%. I was happy to have such a ntor. I was glad to have helped you achieve your dream. It was my way of giving back to you and I was proud of being that pillar you needed when you wanted one."
Dacey shook her head and paced back and forth a bit. She created so distance between her and Andrew Gibson and turned to look at the crowd.
"Then weeks passed. And his calls started dwindling in duration. I was a little upset initially, but I understood. Running a business is a busy job. And LWC was booming right around that ti. So, I understood."
"But, as weeks went on, I was isolated, doubting my career and even my ability to continue to wrestle. The recovery wasn’t going well. I was all alone, battling my insecurities. And... and the ntor who needed to be there for was busy with his dream. He was so busy that he didn’t even call to check in on ."
Dacey stated and turned to look at Andrew Gibson. Andrew Gibson wanted to say sothing, but Dacey beat him to it.
"Save it, Andy. I know what you are going to tell . You are going to tell that you were busy. You are going to tell that you had a lot on your plate. You are going to tell that you had confidence in recovering back to full health. But, the thing is Andy, you never called and I was at a place where I needed soone to be there for ."
"And you weren’t there..."
"I was there when you needed . I was there when you needed soone to support you and your dreams. But, when I needed you back, you were too busy to even call . You were too busy making this company bigger and better to care about a single lone wrestler who got injured. Never mind that I was your protégé and I poured my blood and sweat on this company too."
Andrew Gibson couldn’t refute her words. He stood there unable to speak anything causing the crowd to murmur.
"But, I was never a quitter, Andy. You of all people know that well. I ca out of that dark place and beca even better. I didn’t need you or anyone else. I fought through my demons myself and beca soone better for it."
"Then, I co back after months in recovery to a completely changed LWC. LWC is now almost a legitimate wrestling promotion. It wasn’t that junkyard product that I used to work on anymore. It had new faces teeming around and it had new rules, the sa rules you hated and wanted to change when you began this company."
"I felt lost. It was as if I didn’t even realize this company I paid my blood and sweat for. All the things that made agree with you and wanted to give my best to support you were gone or completely twisted into sothing else."
"But, I still had a teeny, tiny hope in . Hope in you. That no matter the change, LWC will remain the sa company that had a beating heart in its core. And when I walked into your office that morning, oh boy, do I rember, do I rember what you said."
"I rember Andy, I wonder if you rember it as well. There I was expecting a warm welco back from my ntor and hoping to revel in the success this company had beco, and you dashed it all with one single sentence."
"I rember the exact mont when you looked up from your paperwork and said to , ’Ah, Dacey! It is good to have you back. Unfortunately, we don’t have anything for you tonight. So, why don’t you take the night off?’" Dacey said closing in on Andrew Gibson.
Andrew Gibson didn’t look like he rembered that.
"I stood there frozen. Unable to believe what I was hearing. I have been out for weeks, months, due to an injury I suffered wrestling for you, continuously in 20 mins matches week in and week out. And what do I get when I return, why don’t I take the night off."
Dacey scoffed shaking her head in disbelief.
"I don’t want the night off damn it, I wanted to be out there helping you prop up this company as I did before. Even after you left high and dry for months," Dacey shouted at Andrew Gibson.
"But..." Dacey took a deep breath and backed off and acted as if she was trying to calm down. There were whispers already in the crowd and the crowd seed to sway a bit toward Dacey.
"But... but... I took it in the chin like a good soldier and did as you asked to do. Week after week, I ca in, expecting to be on the show, and week after week I heard the sa bullshit."
"The sa bullshit!" Dacey scread once more in Andrew Gibson’s face.
"And then, you decided to throw a bone. Didn’t you? The first match after I ca back, right in this arena, right before these people. Do you know how long it was? Three minutes. I demolished my competition in three minutes. I went back backstage and expected to be presented with more opportunity to prove myself and once more beco a pillar of this company."
"And what did I get, you sidelined again for weeks. I hardly got any TV ti. I hardly had any work. I was just sitting there backstage when people who got hired when I was injured were given opportunity after opportunity."
"Andy, it ate up, Andy. I was back at that dark place once more. Not knowing what to do and who to talk to. My ntor, who was supposed to be there, was busy with his company and his newest shining toys. I was all alone once more, in that dark place."
"But, still I prevailed, I still held on. I combatted my demons and ca out stronger for it. It was then that I had the epiphany. No one is going to give anything. Not you, not her, not this crowd, no one! No one is going to give anything. If that is so, then I will fucking take it."
"I have shed blood and sweat for this company and god damn it, this company owes a lot more than it gave . I am gonna take what I am owed. And there are no two ways about it. And at I took it."
"Now, you and everyone out here want to talk to ?" Dacey scoffed. "Now, you all want to know what is running through my mind? Now, you all want to give you answers? Where the fuck were you when I needed you, Andy? Yes, that’s right. You were busy polishing your shiny new toys and counting that money they made."
"You didn’t care for one whit when I needed you and now, when she needs you, you co out wagging your tail, in front of everyone and have the audacity to say that I have changed? Rember this, Andy. You abandoned . All this change in , you were responsible for it. So, get your facts straight before you run your mouth and embarrass yourself," Dacey slamd the microphone on Andrew Gibson’s chest and started walking out of the ring.
The entire crowd was silent for a long ti as Diana stood there watching the byplay. She didn’t even utter a word as Andrew Gibson and Dacey Surestone argued with each other.
Diana watched Dacey leave the ring. Andrew Gibson looked shellshocked in the middle of the ring. The crowd was murmuring fervently hearing Dacey’s side of things. No one knew what to think of it anymore.
While it was true that what Andrew Gibson did to Dacey wasn’t right, what Dacey did to Diana wasn’t right either. No matter her justifications, it didn’t allow her to go around hurting people.
As the crowd discussed, the show ca to an end with Diana looking a little confused and Andrew Gibson looking shellshocked in the middle of the ring. In the comntary, there was a heavy silence.
While everyone in LWC knew that this was going to be Dacey’s big mont, they never expected the story to take such a drastic change in just a single segnt. Now, Dacey almost looked like a victim. The crowd was confused over who to support now.
Rob smiled satisfactorily. Even in his wildest dreams, he didn’t expect such a performance from Dacey. While he had only given the bare frawork for the promo and asked Dacey to build on that, what she put out there even surprised him. Even he, who was the whole architect of the angle, was so engrossed in the story Dacey put out there.
This was a grade-A shit that Dacey did. And Rob knew that Dacey had truly beco a bankable star at this mont. There would be a single instance in every wrestler’s career that defined them. And this mont that occurred just before his very eyes was the one that will define Dacey Surestone.
He was sure of it.
When he turned to look at the other mbers of the comntary team, it was clear they too had the sa idea. It was written all over Dallas’s face. Irvin, for his part, looked pretty impressed with the story that was told as well.
They both patted Rob on the back. No one was in the mood to give closing comntary, but Irvin had a job and he went about it.
"Well, that was sothing folks. We have finally heard from Dacey why she acts the way she has been acting recently. And boy, was it an emotional rollercoaster. Mr. Gibson is still flabbergasted in the ring and even Diana is not sure about things now. Tune in next week to know more about this. With this, this is Irvin Campbell signing off along with my broadcast colleagues Rob Williams and Dallas Moonbyte."
With the final words out there, the entire show ca to an end, leaving both those in live attendance and the audience at ho condused and dazzled.
*****
A/N: Hey folks!
Make sure to add this book to your collection and vote with your power stones to show your appreciation for this work.
You can also check out my other book [Demon Immortal] and see if it is to your liking.
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