Co-exist

The Best Arena
Chicago, Illinois
Sunday, November 13th, 2022
Sometime after Chaos 015 went off-air

The Best Arena here in Chicago was calming from the noise and madness that was Chaos 015. The fans had all gone home and the crew was busy cleaning things up and breaking down the ring until next Sunday night. Back in the dressing room Abdullah Choi can be seen laying on the floor acting like he’s dying. STRONKETTE is slumped down against the couch and the LSD Champion can be seen pacing around holding an ice pack on the back of his neck.

“I can’t believe that son of a bitch Stevens really went after my neck again.” Jace grumbled as he moved back and forth in front of the couch.

“I need medical attention.” Choi groaned from the dressing room floor.

“And the nerve of that bastard Solex! He stormed down to the ring like that after I had just wrestled a match and retained my title. Trying to get one over on me before ICONIC because he knows… he fucking knows that he doesn’t stand a chance of beating me face to face.” Jace points down towards the floor with his free hand for emphasis.

“I think I see a white light.” Choi utters faintly even though no one in the room is paying him any attention.

“Lee just keeps lobbing up these big ripe underhanded throws of opponents and I just keep knocking them out of the park.” Jace spins on his heels and heads over towards the couch.

“STRONK Daddy is that you? I knew an innocent soul just like you would go to heaven. Please tell me there are drugs and hookers in heaven.” Choi reaches out an arm towards the ceiling.

STRONKETTE simply grunts at Choi when suddenly there is a knock on the door. Jace sighs then heads over towards the dressing room and yanks it open.

“What the fuck do you want, Bare?” Jace grills the person in the hallway.

However, the person is not Brian Bare since he’s probably in a bathroom stall right now getting high on whatever drug that Choi hooked him up with. The person that knocked on the door is an HOW crew member who has a headset still on his head.

“This is from Lee Best himself.” The crew member says before handing a piece of paper to Jace then heading back from where he came.

Jace closes the dressing room door then opens the piece of paper from Lee Best. He begins to read over what is on the piece of paper before his eyes widen in shock.

“What in the ever-loving fuck?!” Jace exclaims.

“Keep it down, I am trying to get through the pearly gates.” Choi lectures.

“Shut the fuck up, you didn’t get it half as bad as STRONKETTE did.” Jace barks as STRONKETTE nods her head. “I just got a copy of next week’s Chaos card.”

“And?” Choi questioned as he managed to sit upright on the floor.

“I’m in the main event of the show and it’s for the HOTv Tag Team Championship belts.” Jace confirmed but he doesn’t sound happy about it.

“You’ve wanted those belts since they debuted. Seems like the boss man is really rewarding you for a job well done.” Choi beamed.

“Rewarding me?!?!?!” Jace erupted. “He’s teamed me with Scott Stevens!”

“Wait, huh?!” Choi narrowed his eyes trying to form the logic in his head.

“I’m teaming with Scott Stevens to take on the team of Steve Harrison and Steve Solex.” Jace read from the paper then lifted his head towards the ceiling. “Why am I being punished?!”

“Well, you did–” Choi is interrupted mid-comment.

“Shut up! I don’t want to hear it!” Jace orders. “And to make matters worse The Board has been disbanded. Christopher America and I have led this charge since day one. Even though Farthington, Tyler, Sektor, and now STRONK have all fallen off the HOW landscape and now it’s just done?!”

Jace walks over and falls down onto the couch next to STRONKETTE. He looks over the piece of paper once again hoping that the damage done in his match tonight is just making him hallucinate the words he read. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

“Putting aside the fact that Solex hit me hard enough to give me a concussion, I will be suing him for every red cent he’s worth. It seems that regardless of who your partner is, that you have a shot to win those HOTv Tag Team Championship belts. I can imagine the thought of adding a third belt to your collection is too appealing to pass up even if Stevens is your partner.” Choi tried using common sense to soothe Jace’s sheer disgust.

“A World Tag Team Championship run with Scott Stevens? That’s a fate worse than death.” Jace complained.

The room fell silent until a loud commotion could be heard in the hallway. It goes mostly ignored by the three inside of the room but that changes the moment the dressing room door is kicked open. Jace’s opponent from earlier tonight and his partner in next week’s main event storms into the room.

“Where is that son of a bitch?!” Stevens shouts as he looks around the room.

Jace shoots up to his feet off of the couch as Choi and STRONKETTE also stand at attention. Stevens storms over towards Jace and points a finger in his face.

“What the hell was that all about out there? For someone that goes around calling himself the King of Everything it sure looked like you couldn’t retain that LSD Championship belt on your own earlier.” Stevens accuses the Champion.

“Really? You come all the way in here just to bitch about the fact you lost? You should be used to losing by now, Stevens. It’s literally the only thing you’re good at.” Jace responds.

“I want a rematch! Inside of a steel cage so that your goons can’t interfere!” Stevens points over towards the LSD Championship belt laying on the couch.

“Fuck off! No way you’re getting yet another title match when you’ve done jack shit to actually earn it.” Jace swats at Stevens’ hand, taking offense to him even pointing at his Championship belt.

Stevens retaliates by shoving Jace using both of his hands. Jace steps forward and both men get nose to nose while trash talking each other. Choi and STRONKETTE force themselves between the two men as Choi began yelling.

“Enough! You both should have gotten all of the aggression out of your system earlier in the ring. Instead of talking about rematches or trying to tear each other apart, why not focus on a common goal?!” Choi looks at both men who remain silent for a moment. “The HOTv Tag Team Championship belts are up for grabs and if you’re going to win them, then you both have to at least tolerate the other. That is base level logic in this situation.”

“You think I got the time and energy to carry Stevens on my back during an HOTv Tag Team Championship run?” Jace growled at Choi.

“It’s not like you have a choice in the matter. STRONK Daddy isn’t here at the moment and The Board has been disbanded. You look up and down the roster and tell me someone you’d have an easier time getting along with.” Choi fired back.

“America or GREAT SCOTT would be perfect choices.” Jace answered back quickly.

“America is the HOW World Champion and would put all of his focus into defending that title and main eventing ICONIC. Not to mention he’s the referee for this HOTv Tag Team Championship match. GREAT SCOTT is the HOTv Champion and also a member of the PRIME roster. His plate is more than full of opponents from both companies and having to defend the HOTv Championship belt practically every single week.” Choi informs his client.

“See, maybe if he wasn’t so full of himself then he’d realize he already has the best partner that he could ever ask for.” Stevens proclaims proudly.

“You tried to end this man’s career and just demanded a rematch for the LSD Championship belt.” Choi retorts.

“He cheated me out of a Championship, so I wanted to cheat him out of his livelihood again. It’s called a receipt… Besides, all he needs to do is stand there on the ring apron and let the Demi-God of HOW do all the heavy lifting.” Stevens brags.

“Honestly, you believe the shit that comes out of your mouth. Tell me, what title do you have around your waist to prove that you’re capable of winning those belts without his help?” Choi looks Stevens in the eyes.

Both men go to comment but Choi cuts them off by raising his hands into the air. He takes a step forward and goes into demanding managerial mode.

“I don’t care what you two want to bicker about or pat yourself on the back concerning. That was then and this is now. And now it seems that Lee Best has thrown us a bit of a curveball. I suggest you both shut up, get out of this arena, rest up, sleep, or whatever the fuck it is that you both do then come back with cooler, clearer heads.” Choi looks back and forth at both men.

Jace and Stevens both remain silent even though neither are happy about it.

“When you’re done having this childish pissing contest then we can put our heads together and find a way to help you both achieve something that will only raise the both of you further up Papa Best’s totem pole.” Choi lowers his head then turns towards the door of the dressing room.

“You didn’t have to put it like that.” Jace mumbles.

“I’m too sober to deal with this shit.” Choi utters before walking out of the dressing room.

Both Jace and Stevens glare at each other as tension begins to build once again. STRONKETTE remains rooted between both men, but Stevens slowly turns around and walks out of the dressing room leaving the LSD Champion to figure out just what the fuck he’s going to do in this unexpected situation.

—–

The HOTv World Tag Team Championship belts.

I wanted to win those belts from the moment Lee Best announced that they would be introduced at Dead or Alive. I wanted the credit of being one half of the first ever HOTv World Tag Team Champions. I also wanted to go down as one half of the last ever HOW World Tag Team Champions. Neither of those things happened.

Thanks to a gimmick match in a Saloon and the fact that STRONK Godson was not equipped for climbing to the top of a building. I failed in my quest to make those dreams a reality. But now? I get a shot at the belts that should have been mine to begin with.

Only, I have to team with Scott Stevens to make that happen.

Yes, go ahead, laugh it up. Especially you, Harrison. I just know you’re going to harp on this one and beat it like it was your dick after striking out for the nine hundredth time with Robin? Rachel? Wait, Rebecca, yeah, that’s the bitch.

And Solex? Well, that man doesn’t have a leg to stand on really to talk down to anyone about what they have and have not won. But he’ll do it anyway because self-awareness is not something they apparently taught in the armed forces.

Neither do you, Harrison but you’re an asshole that loves the sound of his own voice.

Yes, Scott Stevens is my partner, and I am not happy about it in the slightest bit. So, get all of the “they can’t even get along” or “they aren’t even a real team.” The classic “they won’t be able to work together as well as us” and “their egos are too big, and they’ll just beat themselves.”

You generic ass fake cowboys.

Speaking of egos… hey Harrison, how is it being the HOW World Champion? Ouch, sorry, too soon?

Boy did I ever enjoy watching you bark like you were a big dog and make all the claims in the world that you were going to bring 97red back to The Highwaymen.

I nearly wet myself laughing every single time I put the words 97red and The Highwaymen together in the same sentence.

I also quite enjoyed the myriad of excuses you detailed last week explaining why you didn’t beat Christopher America in a match that had a stipulation that you handpicked. And yes, I know you said that you make no excuses for losing to America, but you also said you would be HOW World Champion and yeah… still fucking funny.

I really look forward to the continuation of your Ross and Rachel like “will they, won’t they” with this nameless broad that you want to sit on your face. I also look forward to the 97th thousandth time you call me creepy or a pervert. I mean that’s original as fuck, let me tell ya.

Wait…

Didn’t Harrison drown his sorrows in Whiskey and sleep with some random woman who wasn’t Rebecca? Not Steve Harrison going around sticking in his dick in the first available hole he could find then trying to pay the girl off like she was some hooker off of the street. Steve Harrison wouldn’t do that to the woman that he has this High School level serious puppy dog crush on. Steve Harrison wouldn’t be a giant, bald, dick shaped looking, hypocrite.

Nooooo, not our Harrison.

Only, totally our Harrison.

Tell me Steve, do you enjoy being a Tag Team Champion? I would guess that you do since you walk around and brag like you’re the greatest man to ever accomplish that feat. Which would also be false but poking holes in your logic is something that even a toddler could do. You “never lost the titles?”

So… you’re saying you hate the freebird rule?

The same rule that got you in the spot to be one half of the HOW World Tag Team Champions walking into Dead or Alive? Because one precautionary look at the record books shows that Clay Byrd and Steve Solex won those titles for The Highwaymen to begin with. Then you got to replace those two along with Bergman because Clay had other plans and Steve Solex was trying to win himself his first HOW World Championship belt.

He failed, of course, twice.

And now once again, since Clay Byrd has better things to do than to hang out with his “friends” the freebird rule has afforded you the services of Steve Solex. You know Solex really well, don’t you? I sure do. In my first match out of retirement, Steve Solex cost me the chance to capture the HOW World Tag Team Championship belts for a third time. Steve Solex is also solely responsible for turning your win at Dead or Alive into a laughingstock by losing 3 out of 4 matches to the Egg Bandits. It would have been three straight wins if not for Clay Byrd interfering in match #3. But do go on about how you’re a better team than me and Scott Stevens. Someone out there might believe you if you say it enough times.

Let’s cut the crap, Harrison.

You are literal death to HOW Championship belts.

This is why winning the HOW World Championship belt was not an option for you. Your reign as HOW LSD Champion was so terribly unremarkable that I’ve had to work double time to make this belt relevant again. Every single reign you’ve had as a Tag Team Champion in HOW has ended with the belts ever being handed to someone else or just killing the division altogether. You fucking charisma black hole.

You’ve had what now? Four different reigns?

And a grand total of one successful title defense among four different reigns. Your longest reign was 36 days. You won the titles a second time and had them immediately retired just three days later. You’re on the verge of losing the belts yet again in just a week’s time.

THIS IS NOT SOMETHING YOU SHOULD BRAG ABOUT!

You want to talk about how you were so good that the titles had to be retired or taken away from you? Do it after you’ve held the belts for 203 days and had to be stripped of them because you beat the living dog shit out of every single team that even thought about challenging you for the titles. Try going around and defending those belts against talent both inside and outside of HOW. Try going around to what was considered the three best wrestling companies at the time and winning the tag titles in every single one of those companies.

Until you accomplish half of that, shut the fuck up.

Steve Harrison and The Highwaymen killed the HOW Tag Team division. And that’s why Stevens and I need to take those belts away from you as soon as possible. Don’t blame it on Lindsey Troy or some random bullshit like Lee Best cheats and isn’t fair to The Highwaymen. You had every chance in the world to make those HOTv World Tag Team Championship belts great and you failed. You stepped away to challenge for a belt you knew you couldn’t win. A real Champion would have done double duty and wrestled twice on that PPV card.

But you’re soft, Harrison. The era of HOW in which I ruled in would have chewed you up and spit you out like you were a piece of Fruit Stripe gum.

So, polish those belts up real nice for me. Go on babbling about how great you are for defeating a half assed Bandits team that literally owned your partner Solex over a series of matches. I will kick Stevens’ ass into gear and pull greatness out of him if only for one night. I get the chance to soften up Solex before ICONIC. And you?

Well, you won’t have to worry about handing off the Tag Team titles to someone else because you’re too much of a chicken shit to defend the belts and lose to Conor Fuse all in one night.

Miracle Man?

Miracle this dick into your mouth, bitch.

—–

TEN-X Wrestling Facility
Chicago, Illinois
Friday November 18th, 2022

The TEN-X Wrestling building was full, and students were hard at work. Trainers were doing their best to make sure each student was giving their best effort. However, Jace Parker Davidson was tucked away in his office seated behind his desk. The LSD Champion looked tired and after spending all day & night Wednesday celebrating Samantha Tolson’s birthday and then doing paperwork, film study, and training on Thursday you could understand why. Sleep was not a luxury that Jace had made time for recently and it didn’t look like it was going to get any better this weekend.

Jace kept busy with the paperwork in front of him as his mind raced over questions he’s had since Sunday night. Could he trust Scott Stevens? Would he be a liability as a partner and/or one half of the HOTv World Tag Team Champions? Why would Lee Best punish him with having Stevens as his partner? How would Christopher America lean as referee of this match? When and where would Clay Byrd strike since America is involved? And why would Lee Best just end The Board without so much as a text message to explain his decision? So much was up into the air heading into Sunday night in The Best Arena and Jace had zero answers.

He did the best he could by focusing as much as he can on his opponents since he figured he would have to do a lot of the work if he wanted those HOTv Tag Team Championship belts. Suddenly, the door to his office is kicked open and in walks his partner, Scott Stevens.

“Jesus fucking Christ, do you not know how to knock?!” Jace shoots up out of his seat.

Before Stevens can comment, someone else walks into the office behind him. That person is none other than Jace’s biological father Terrence Miles Davidson.

“Quaint little training facility you have here, son. Too bad you’re only an employee and not the owner.” Terrence said in a condescending manner as he looked around.

Stevens had a shit eating grin on his face as Jace walked around to the front of his desk.

“Just what in the fuck are you doing here with him of all people?” Jace hissed towards his father.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Terrence tapped his cane down onto the floor. “Someone needed to take charge here and bring you two together. I’m here to mold the two of you into a well-oiled machine that will be worthy of calling yourselves the HOTv World Tag Team Champions.”

Jace shook his head feverishly and pointed towards the office door.

“Nope, fuck off, the both of you.” Jace commanded. “Dealing with Stevens is one thing, but I am not letting you weasel your way into this and act like you’re the boss over me. I’ve done damn fine on my own and I don’t need Scott or anyone else to tell me how to be a damn fine Tag Team Champion.”

“When was the last time you got to call yourself a World Tag Team Champion?” Terrence walked around the office and ran his gloved hand along various items checking for dust.

“The fuck you care?” Jace said defensively.

“The answer is 2016 in that horrid federation called 4 Corners Wrestling. It was when you fell off that large steel structure due to Mr. Stevens here and was forced to hand over half of the Tag Team Championship belts. Titles that were promptly lost in the very first defense while you sat at home and made the decision to retire.” Terrence said in a confident manner.

“Your point?” Jace narrowed his eyes.

“My point is that neither of you have been in a successful tag team in a long time.” Terrence moved back over to where Stevens was standing. “However, if the both of you can learn to work together instead of against each other then you stand a chance of taking those title belts. And trust me when I say that they are ripe for the taking.”

“All he needs to do is follow my lead and I can show him what being a team player is all about.” Stevens chimes in.

Terrence takes his cane and jabs Stevens in the side with it. The Texan whines in pain as Jace rolled his eyes.

“Again, why is he even here?!” Jace points over to his opponent from last week.

“Don’t you worry about that. I have paid Mr. Stevens handsomely for his precious time.” Terrence turns around and looks out the office door at all of the students training. “Those belts need an injection of life into them, and I can think of no better men than you two to do just that. The bickering between each other is more entertaining than anything the current Champions have ever done and the both of you are always itching for a fight.”

“I have wrestling literally flowing through my veins. My entire family has been successful in this business for generations. Like I said, all he has to do is fall in line with me and The House of Best and I can lead him to the promise land.” Stevens brags.

Terrence raises his cane into the air again which causes Stevens to shut up and take a step backwards. Terrence turns on his heels to face the two men and looks them up and down.

“You both need to stop acting like victory is a foregone conclusion. Just because the current Champions are incompetent does not mean that they will go down without a fight.” Terrence holds his nose in the air like he’s too good to be in the room. “You have a psychotic former soldier obviously suffering from some form of PTSD. He’s liable to do anything regardless of whether it is detrimental to his team or not. He also thinks that beating the two of you will be easy.”

“Have fun with him at ICONIC.” Stevens smirks.

“And then there is the bald loudmouth who is lovesick and thinks that he is better than he actually is. He’s a fan of dropping people on their heads which isn’t something you need to happen to you this close to ICONIC.” Terrence glares at his son.

“It’s his fault. Six years later and he’s still trying to attack my neck.” Jace protests.

Stevens and Jace start to bicker back and forth until Terrence slams his cane down onto the floor one more time with emphasis.

“It doesn’t matter who is at fault and who did what.” Terrence says with authority. “This past Sunday night and everything else is in the past. If you want to walk away as Champions, then you need to focus on the now. You need to put your differences aside and learn to work together as one inside of the ring.”

“I’ve already gone around cleaning up the mess he made with his comments Sunday night.” Stevens confesses.

Jace goes to respond but Terrence holds up his hand which makes both men fall silent.

“Words are meaningless in a battle of physicality. You two are going to get into one of those rings and settle your differences.” Terrence points towards the office door.

“Excuse me?” Jace leaned forward.

“You’re both going to get in the middle of the ring and beat the hell out of each other until you’re too tired to throw another punch. Once that is done and all the hostility is depleted from your bodies, we’ll start the training to get you both to function as a halfway decent tag team.” Terrence informed both men.

“You didn’t pay me for all this.” Stevens reveals.

“Proper training is worth its weight in gold, Mr. Stevens.” Terrence begins to walk out of the office. “You do the work and you’ll be the one reaping the rewards. The choice is yours.”

Stevens turns and looks over at Jace who looks over at his rival and partner. Both men hang their heads and follow Terrence out of the office.