Chapter 112: Chapter 111: Message
Two months ago in MM-20, AJ who at the time was wearing a blue T-shirt, black knickers and palms, stared at the screen of his phone with unease as it showed:
[Name: AeJei Xero]
[Registered name: AJ Zero]
[Race: Human]
[Gender: Male]
[Age: 19]
[Height: 5’11]
[Batch number: 4]
[Score:14000]
[Month to debut: First week of March ]
AJ’s hand slowly shook and he closed his eyes.
"Barely made it with one point... Last batch and yet I’m debuting immediately next month..." AJ said to himself, "I..."
"I can’t do this." AJ continued as he bowed his head low, "I can’t..."
"No. I’m not ready." AJ said at the moment he lowered the hand he used in holding his phone down while it was still shaking.
Currently in the hospital, within the room AJ and dwelt, Caesar’s arms were crossed and her head was facing upward.
"So this Billy guy and his companions were consistently messing with you. They found your insecurities, fed your low self esteem for a year before they left and yet they are still in undercard?" Caesar asked.
"Uhm... Well, they were among the first batch so they got into the main roster in the middle of last year." AJ answered while staring down at his sheets.
"And you are in midcard?" Caesar asked as she arched her brow and turned her gaze towards AJ.
"Yeah. I-uhm-I mean with the momentum I currently have and my two wins, it makes sense why I’d be pushed so fast." AJ answered, "The five ranks in ero-wrestling... The undercard, the upper undercard, the midcard, the upper midcard and the main-event.
To think that... In over a month, I’d be a mid-carder is ... Crazy."
"So I guess we do have something similar." Caesar said as she turned her face away.
"Huh?" AJ said in confusion as he turned his face towards her.
"I’m a mid-carder, too. In less than a month, I entered the midcard rank." Caesar said.
"No way..." AJ whispered in astonishment.
"AJ... You can’t keep living like this." Caesar said, "Especially when it comes to those three.
They don’t have absolute power. They are not some rich, powerful or influential family that controls Neo-earth’s systems, they are just three randos who chose to enter ero-wrestling profession for the same reasons many entered.
The way I see them, they are just three losers... Three losers equivalent to idiots that peaked in highschool."
"Peaked... In high...school?" AJ asked.
"What? Isn’t that the most accurate description of them?" Caesar asked as she rolled her eyes towards AJ, "You said it yourself they were seen as guys with promise in the ero-ring by the instructors. They were among the first batch to graduate to main roster which was supposed to be some sort of green light for future main eventers... Yet, they are stuck in the undercard.
With all their potential and all the talks, they are at the lowest barrel."
"So yes... They are equivalent to idiots that peaked in highschool." Caesar continued as she shrugged her shoulders.
Having no words to say at the moment, AJ turned his face away and brought his head down.
"Seriously, you’re giving them power they don’t have." Caesar said, "Them helping you a couple of times doesn’t give them ownership over you, and it ’clearly’ doesn’t give them the right to abuse you."
"They helped me... Get to where I am..." AJ softly said.
"Bullshit. Sure, your ass was needed to be dragged but a lot of people also started that way." Caesar replied, "Plus, your story doesn’t add up. You said they graduated at the middle of last year, so what happened to the remaining months? Who pushed you? They may have brought you to the starting line but everything you did after crossing it was on you."
"I was at the lowest, though. Just a point lower and I wouldn’t have made it at all." AJ said as his hands slightly shook against the sheets.
"And?" Caesar asked with an arched brow, "You still made it regardless.
What happened to the three that were above you? Where are they now? A guy who is truly ass would never make it but you did, which means there was something in you all along. Look at the evidence.
Stop bringing yourself down, and seriously why the hell are you giving credits to those clowns?"
"If they were the reasons for your success then why aren’t they successful?" Caesar continued as she narrowed her eyes, "Did any of them beat Magoi let alone in an unsanctioned match? Did they beat Sol? Are they one of the hottest names on the Wednesday roster right now? Are people trying to take their momentum?"
"I-I barely beat both and plus I almost died against Magoi. Not to mention, she was far from serious." AJ said as he subtly clenched his fists.
"So what?" Caesar asked, "If you put any of them in that unsanctioned match against Magoi, do you think they would have lasted regardless of if she was serious or not?"
AJ turned to Caesar and opened his mouth to speak but Caesar understanding what AJ was about to say, sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Yes, I know EBW doesn’t allow same sex one-v-one, smart ass. I’m an ero-wrestler like you, after all, but my point still stands.
If you had placed any of them against Magoi, they wouldn’t have performed as well as you did." Caesar said.
"She wasn’t serious, yes. You were beaten up horribly, yes. And you almost died, yes. But do you know what I saw? The same thing many saw when watching the match... A kid with a fiery heart who kept getting up regardless and it was amazing." Caesar continued speaking as she was picking her fingers, " I don’t think any of them have that fire. They would have folded if they fought her but you didn’t.
For a guy as whimpy as you, you showed an incredible amount of resilience and ferocity in the ring... The same with Sol."
"She was stronger, faster and way more experienced than you. She was clearly running your pockets in that match but you still won." Caesar said at the time AJ turned his face away again and tilted his head down, "She may not have been a freak like Magoi but she was clearly no joke and you beat her clean. The best part of your victory is that unlike Magoi, she was a hundred percent serious."
"So tell me, ’Zero’... Where does the credit for what you’ve done go to those three?" Caesar asked as she turned her sight back to AJ while her irises glowed, "You think them helping you in the beginning makes them entitled to a match with you? No, it doesn’t.
You even gave them a reasonable response only for them to act unreasonable. If I told them I’ll think about it and they start acting up, my next words would either be to fuck off or go to hell."
"I-I-I’m not like you, Caesar." AJ whispered.
"And you don’t have to be. I’m a different kind of fucked up, and right now, I’m trying my hardest to keep myself together." Caesar replied, "Not that that is important right now, but the thing is that you don’t owe those fuckers anything.
If anything, you even considering to give them a fatal four-way match after everything they did to you should be considered a privilege."
"P-privilege?" AJ asked in confusion as he sight back at Caesar.
"Yes. They are ’priviledged’ to be given the answer of ’I’llthinkaboutit’." Caesar said, "They are ’priviledged’ to even be considered after everything they’ve said and done to you. And they are ’privileged’ not to be punched in the face for still having the balls to show up."
"W-well, I... Did punch Billy earlier when the three attacked me." AJ said with a nervous smile.
"Oh? Then do it again." Caesar replied, "If you meet them again, let them know how priviledged they are and if they start acting up, swing on one of them to show you’re not their bitch anymore."
AJ’s left brow twitched repeatedly and he let out an uneasy open smile.
"Though, make sure you do have an escape route or something planned because you’re gonna get jumped the moment you do that." Caesar said as she turned her face away, "A three-on-one is still a three-on-one."
After hearing her words, AJ could not help but lightly chuckle.
Caesar had a recollection of her brothers laying in the coma which made her sigh.
"AJ, stand up for yourself." Caesar said while still facing forward, "You can’t let those three or others keep pushing you around.
This business is degrading and brutal but you entered it to help your parents and look after step sisters. You won’t be able to do much of that if you keep letting people have a sense of control they don’t have. Not to mention, you have a huge target on your back for your momentum.
They’re relying on you so you need to be stronger. In this case-"
"It’s either you step up or be stepped on." Caesar continued as she turned her gaze to AJ once again.
AJ stared at her with both bewilderment and loss of words.
The two kept silence for a while until Caesar sighed and stood from her seat.
"I’ll try and find a spot for us. Somewhere we can both spar and help each other after shifts." Caesar said, "Let me know when and when you’re free so we can work things out."
AJ watched Caesar head towards the door but right before she left, she halted and looked over shoulder.
"Take care, slayer."
Caesar then opened the door and left, gently closing it in the act.
Elsewhere in the streets a crow descended on one of the bloodstained objects that was littered on the ground; Loah laid unconscious and was covered in debris while a pool of blood flowed out of her head.
Rachel laid on the ground heavily bloodied and unconscious as well while Billy other hand who was on one knee was also battered and panting heavily while clutching his side.
Billy groaned in pain as he raised his gaze at the feminine shadow figure standing afar with her back turned against him.
"Excellent performance. Did far better than I expected of you." The woman said, "But I believe you understand the message, correct? AJ Zero is mine.
I even made a bold claim hours after his match with Sol Quinn."
The woman quickly recalled the blood writing on the wall last week showing "Nextinline"
"I expected the message to be understood but it seemed it wasn’t." The woman said after the recollection, "Well perhaps it was by others but not you.
After all, those that have been in the ring with me before I left do understand the danger of my message."
"What’s this? Still trying to lecture me, eh?" Billy asked while smiling with an arched brow, "Got drones live streaming this incident just to send a message?"
Billy groaned in pain as he managed to stand on his feet.
"Think I’m gonna step aside for someone who hasn’t been in the company for years when I got this nice opportunity in front of me?" Billy asked, "Well let me tell you something: That ain’t happening!
I don’t care how tough or scary you are! I don’t care who you were seen as in those days before leaving, that kid is ours!"
"Me and the girls here are going to have that match. I’m going to take my time with that kid and bring him back to his default state while taking his momentum." Billy said with a grin, "And I’ll be doing all that with a smile on my face."
Suddenly, Billy’s irises glowed as he felt a disturbing intent radiating from the woman.
The crows cawed at the uneasy feeling from the atmosphere.
Several crows that were standing on other littered objects followed the first to caw as well.
As the uneasy feeling grew, the caws of the crows become more frantic, bringing Billy to repeatedly shift his sights at them.
"My, my, my, my." The woman said, "You really..."
"Talk too much." The woman continued as she looked over her shoulder while her purple eyes gleamed through.
The screams of Billy echoed from a distance, leading several crows to fly away.
"MY MOUTH!! MY MOUTH!!!" Billy said in agony as covered his mouth with both hands.
Blood dripped out of his hands as his cries were muffled while his body shook.
"Now, now, dear, let me see how bad it is." The woman said, "Why don’t you bring your hands down and smile for me?"
Billy however still caught in the pain, maintained covering his mouth while shaking.
"Isaidsmile." The woman said with a firm tone.
The dreadful pressure from the woman made Billy comply and slowly bring down his hands, revealing the flesh of his mouth had been torn, leaving only the muscles exposed.
Regardless, Billy forced himself to smile through the pain.
"That’s better." The woman said with a cold grin, "And now for the message, I want you to listen and listen carefully.
The same goes for every talent watching."