Post by dylanblack on Aug 5, 2023 14:27:54 GMT -6
The dark prince sighed quietly as he placed another poster on the wall. There were multiple scattered across the backstage hallway, making sure no one would be able to miss them. Though what was on them could not be made out clearly.
The same place that was going to be closed down soon after one last show. Draven had not been there as long as most, that much was true. Yet… He also felt as if he was losing a dear, old friend. A sense of loss. After all, this was the place that had given him the feeling of.. being alive after so long. It was a true shame to know that AXW's demise was coming closer. Draven never really thought he'd feel this way about a wrestling promotion.
Seems that humanity's sentimentality had rubbed off of him after so long. Funny, considering how much he felt about people- The vampire seemed to become more like them the longer he was near them. The question was: Was that a good or bad thing?
The hallways of the backstage area were dead silent. No lights on, no one in sight. Completely empty as no one had a reason to be there at the moment. However, Draven felt as if he needed to walk through the Legion one more time before.. well, the big ending that was coming soon. The dark prince had his hands in the pockets of his black coat, quietly stepping with a rhythm that echoed throughout the corridors of the building. His presence ghostly, fitting in with how eerie the building could be on a very late night, unoccupied.
"AXW.. feels, or should I say felt like home." He spoke softly, his voice a soothing purr yet also with an aggressive sense of hatred lingering in his expression and tone. Then quickly added.
"No, no - Not like the Manor I was raised in. That's not what I mean by home. I mean the fighting - the brutality that I've grown oh, so fond of! The wonderful chaos, where I couldn't be stopped from doing whatever I wanted. Whenever I felt like it. AXW revitalized me, a breath of fresh air that I had desperately needed or else I would have.. suffocated." Draven faintly smiled, masking his contempt as he placed his gloved hand against the wall. Slowly dragging his fingertips against the surface as he walked.
"I had been struggling to understand why it felt like that. Well, at least until now.." He paused and then leaned against the wall- His eyebrows then began to form into a glare.
"My brief time in AWF was… eye-opening to say the least. Yes, that place was very chaotic but.. nowhere near the extremes that AXW pushed regularly. See if I would have attacked someone as I did to the Undisputed Champion, the guards in the back and possibly some of the locker room would have run out to stop it quickly. Rules. They have lots of rules and boundaries over there that are usually enforced strictly to keep everyone in line."
"So, then I started to question myself," Draven said, frowning for a few moments as he kept heading forward. "Why was this place considered... second-rate? Why was this place failing, after all, it had done well for so long- So why now? And would you guess the answer?"
"I said it once, I'll say it again. Anthony Caffrey." He shook his head. Almost seemingly tired of having to mention the same man over and over. Though there was also a glint of satisfaction in his predator-like eyes. The way he got Caffrey to respond was unexpected and amusing, however, there was also irritation in Draven's tone. Caffrey admittedly. had gotten that out of him...
"So, at AWF he had decided to take a shot at me... To you, I'm irrelevant, correct? I am nothing to worry about- Not a threat? You better reconsider that mentality." He snarled, gritting his teeth for a few moments. Attempting to hide his anger but there was no point in that.
"I'm the background of the Cure? Well, I'm sorry- It's a bit hard to outshine the Champion that has been going insane on live television. You say I don't deserve the position I'm in? Well, please define to me, Caffrey- What is a 'cotton candy title shot'? I need an answer because I'm confused. You say Rob Arnold, the man that hasn't been in a ring for… how long?- deserves this more than me." Draven spoke through gritted teeth, his face twitching with subdued anger. "Even though I won both matches I went through to get here.. and he just added himself in. It seems like the definition of 'cotton candy' varies to whatever is convenient for you for the time being. I didn't get to you by cashing in a briefcase. I didn't get to you like Maverick, who wasn't even a competitor here until he decided to go after your championship. Nor did I get it solely by my previous accomplishments only. No, I earned it - If anything, I have the right to complain- Not you." Draven then took a heavy breath, closing his eyes for a moment as he calmed himself down. With his eyes closed, a cool and collected smile began to grow on his face.
"...Then again, you wouldn't have given me that much attention or dedicated that time to insult me if you really felt I wasn't a threat. Really, Caffrey? I had known you weren't really a mature individual from your history, but.. swearing and yelling nonsense in front of a live crowd, having a public mental breakdown is just.. pathetic. Sad, even."
"Again, referring to the Tag Team Championships you decided to mention, saying Drago and the rest of the Cure doesn't trust me enough to defend them- when there's only been one match, the one in Japan, that the tag belts have been defended since we banded together. So I simply haven't had the opportunity yet- Oh wait! Upcoming at End of Days... Who knows, maybe I'll defend them too at AXW..."
"Oh, oops… I forgot. Caffrey killed the place."
"Listening to that was… well, it was actually somewhat comedic-" Draven stopped in his tracks, taking a deep inhale of air.
"You had said that Rob Arnold is at fault for all of this… And that he was blaming everyone but himself for it."
Draven then stepped in the arena from the entrance. Staring around at the empty seats that once held eager fans waiting to watch a match, booing or cheering. Lights flashing from the phones of individuals taking photos or videos to keep as a digitized memory. He stood on the ramp for a few moments, his red eyes taking in the place.
"Look in the mirror."
It was almost.. uncanny to see this place empty. Dead silent besides the sounds of his feet on the floor. No commentary team announcing his every action. No fans holding their hands out from the barricade, expecting a high five. No lights on whatsoever.
The Legion felt and looked like a shell of what Draven was used to seeing the arena as. As he took in his surroundings, Draven suddenly focused on the pathway before him- Leading him to the squared circle elevated over the floor with three ropes stretching across the ring. The vampire then began walking forward.
"I have never seen a more delusional man that heavily lacks self-awareness. I was hoping you weren't being serious when you said that, but of course, you were. Throwing a rock in a glasshouse where you truly don't have the right to accuse anyone of that, especially when you've done the exact thing you claim Arnold has."
"Where was Rob Arnold when you decided to desecrate a grave? Or... When you decided to vandalize The Diamond Lounge? Or treat the fans like they were nothing but dirt? Or when you attacked security, cameramen? Acting terrible during interviews? Making the title you carry look like filth? Disrespect this promotion in possibly anyway you can?"
"You said it yourself - Thousands and thousands of people hate you… Did you think that would come without consequences? Did you think that you could just get away with anything you want? No. Open your eyes. Do you want to know why AXW is shutting down? I can make it quite simple so even a man living in his little fantasy world like you could understand. It's you. The crowd, the people that paid for tickets to see these shows started getting tired and tired of seeing you win while also being the despicable man you are. So at one point, they had enough of it- and stopped coming. Less and less. The only reason this last show is getting so much attention is because of outside talent and a few returning legends. Why? It's simple, the spectators are so, so through with you. It's almost like seeing a man have a violent lash out as his sanity slowly deteriorates is not exactly something people find fun to watch. Almost like seeing that same man win a match while unconscious isn't an appealing reason to tune into the next show because he'll just show up and be the same egotistical, easy to hate, filth that never stops boasting about how long his championship reign is."
"Speaking of insanity, Nathaniel Santiago seems to be going down the same path. Unfortunate, though unlike you- There's still a chance to save him. He can be brought back to a proper state of mind as long as I watch him carefully, as long as I keep him under my thumb. You know, just like you had done for the AVA until you decided to ruin their careers."
The dark-haired vampire climbed up the ring, he ducked under the top rope and climbed over the middle. He then walked into the middle of the ring and kneeled down, pressing his gloved hand to his pale lips with a kiss- Draven then placed that kissed hand against the mat as he stared down. After a few moments, his malefic gaze raised back up.
"You carried AXW for a year? Yes, you did carry it. You carried it to the land of the dead. You poisoned and killed it. This idea that the AWF locker room was afraid of joining AXW because they were scared to challenge you is ridiculous, but that just shows how really astonishing your idiocy and self-deceiving arrogance is. As the champion, you are the representative of this place and you have left is a bad impression. All they see when they look here is a megalomaniac that antagonizing everyone because he's under the belief that he is untouchable and an 'Emperor'. Who would ever want to sign to a place that has you as their top champion? It's not because they're scared of you, it's because they saw how much of a parasite you are and wanted nothing to do with you."
"...It's not like you care though. You've never really cared. After all, Anthony Caffrey never thought about what was good for AXW, but for himself. If that ruins something, then so be it- As long as it benefits him."
"As for your question, Caffrey. How am I going to beat you?"
"I'm not."
"I respect the choices you have made as champion. I respect your wins, I respect you winning the Scorpion Classic. I respect your choice to attack cameramen and staff, even if that only ruins your image further in public. I respect your choice to attack security to the point where you were almost suspended, even if the guards just let the Cure harm you. I respect that you destroyed AVA, even if that means you have to watch your back with no one by your side, no backup to come aid you. You see, I respect your self-destructive decisions, Caffrey- Because your decisions will be the reason I win. Though I know all of that will go out in one ear and out the other, you'll hear what you want to hear. You'll probably take the time to come up with a witty comeback, some stereotypical jokes about my kind, some insults you think are clever. That's fine, it doesn't change the fact that I'm right."
Draven then stood up and placed a hand to his chin.
"Oh - I nearly forgot what I had to say to you, Rob Arnold."
"I know very well the importance and history of the Undisputed Championship. I know that the first champion, Anomaly won the unification match against someone named Lethe with the RWA Heavyweight Championship, although he used some.. dirty tactics like incapacitating the referee. His reign technically lasted for three months and twelve days if you don't count his reign as AXW Champion, still the second-longest reigning Champion. Five champions later, Caffrey- the longest-reigning Champion, won it after beating Anomaly and then Duke Kosloff to win. Believe me, I know how much it matters."
"It's clear you don't respect me because if you did, you wouldn't have gotten involved. That's alright, however-... Though what Caffrey said still confuses me... Because you are an AXW Hall of Famer, because you are a former X-Crown champion... You deserve this title shot more than me?" Draven scoffed.
"When was the last time you have even stepped into a ring as an active competitor? Your past wins mean nothing now. You are a legend, right- But.. being a legend is just being an over-glorified has-been that can't keep up with the rest anymore. People still worship the old historical figures and old heroes and I will never understand why. If it was anyone but a legend added to this match, I can assure you there wouldn't have been a positive reaction. Let me ask you something, and this is a genuine question- What are you going to do with the Undisputed Championship if you even somehow win it? Are you going to even cash it in for one last shot at the X-Crown? Or just... retire it and hang it up on your wall to be proud of?"
"See, Arnold- Taking the championship and hurting Caffrey is just a bonus. Using it for a shot at the X-Crown is just a bonus. My main goal is to win it so the last memory of AXW isn't the man with delusions of grandeur that destroyed it. To restore the prestige to the championship that Anthony Caffrey bastardized. I'm doing this to right his wrongs. Unfortunately for you, that'll be at your expense. So when I step out of the Legion one last time.. It'll be with the gold."
Draven left the ring as he walked up the ramp, away from it. However, the vampire pulls something out from under his coat. A poster. He pinned it right next to the entrance, and a devilish grin grew on his pale face, his sharp fangs showing. He stared at it for a few moments, before walking past it- Heading out.
The poster was of Caffrey's face. Though under his face was written in marker: AXW Undisputed Champion, Delusional Madman, Two Time Fed Killer. The same was on the multiple posters backstage.