Alexander Remington [vs.] Griffin Hawkins

Subject: Alexander Remington [vs.] Griffin Hawkins Thu Feb 21, 2013 12:02 am

Hell in a Cell for the IWF World Heavyweight Title.

00-00-00

(What I had written pre-mouth destruction)

One month ago, I was the most revered man on the roster. Perhaps hated, but revered. They looked at me as their Everest, and many even attached the word 'unstoppable' to my name. I had successfully defended my championship against Parker Wayde. Perhaps there were those who may have nudged Parker into the ring as a beaten and bloodied man, but I defended my championship nevertheless. Spare me the excuses - Parker Wayde only had become the champion through those unsavory methods, so I'm not exactly going to throw a pity party for him now.

Many questioned whether my prediction of remaining champion throughout the entirety of 2013 could actually prove true, and there were many who were even beginning to believe just that. Who exactly was going to bring the greatest battle against me in the Insurgency to make me look like a fool when making such bold claims? Gordon Fury? He couldn't even get past Philip Joseph - a man who, in my mind, is only in the Empire due to Corey Casey's wishes, for he certainly wasn't one that I wished to be associated with. A man who hadn't a chance in hell of beating Stygian at Nowhere to Run. Speaking of Stygian, many were clamoring for him to return to take me down, but Stygian was no longer Stygian by talent alone - he was nothing more than Jason to me. Sure, he could return to the Insurgency with the anger and the malice of a hundred men, but I would come against him with that of a thousand. Even he seemed like a lost cause.

But alas, a recent string of ill events began to cause questions to be asked concerning yours truly. After suffering defeats to both Ryan Apollos and Ethan Cage, many were wondering if Alexander Remington had lost his touch. Perhaps he was losing focus; my recent success was assumed to be getting to my head, and perhaps I wasn't trying as hard as I did prior to winning the Insurgency World Championship. Some even began to wonder if I were merely the beneficiary of a weak champion in Parker Wayde, and it was purely because of that reason why I remained Insurgency champion even to this very day.

Some even wondered if my recent love interest was softening the man whose heart had beforehand been notoriously cold.

My how images of reality change in the matter of weeks. Three weeks ago, nobody would have even given Griffin Hawkins a chance to beat me on Sunday night at Nowhere to Run. Everyone looked at him as a man who was certainly an up and comer, but one who would never be able to compete with the likes of championship caliber talent like Axle Vengeance or I. But now...now, at least in their eye, he had more than just a slim chance. Now, belief began to arise in the hearts of my peers in the back. No matter the means by which I lost these two matches, hope began to spring within. Hope that I once took pride in vanquishing. Hope that I once robbed from the hearts of the men and women who would come against me.

But as for me? Doubt has never crept into my mind. Yes, perhaps my focus has been dimmed. Do you blame me? I'm being wooed by companies all across the world just to show my face on their broadcasts. I'm fighting high-caliber opponents on the regular. I have a championship to worry about keeping around my waist, so excuse me while I blow off a couple of matches against a bunch of nobodies who will never even be worthy of shining my boots. Ryan Apollos? Yeah, shout from the rooftops that he is the one man on the fucking planet with two victories against me. Then look at the circumstances. I'm not one to make excuses, but if Ryan Apollos were ever to face me for MY championship, he'd look like the fucking curtain-jerker that he is. Go ahead Ryan Apollos. Go back home and play with yourself while watching DragonballZ. Because that's your worth. You had your fifteen minutes of fame against me, but it'll never happen again. Ethan Cage? Nothing but hype and overreactions to a couple of great moments. Wins the briefcase, promptly throws it away. Do I take him seriously just because a couple of media outlets promote him as the next big thing in our sport? I've heard of many 'next big things' and they've fallen flat on their back never to be heard from again. Ethan Cage is nothing. Ethan Cage is a guy who continues to throw away every opportunity that he gets because he simply isn't good enough to handle the pressure of being 'the guy.' So when that day comes that the board reveals their massive erection for Ethan Cage and lets him fight me for something that actually means something, I'll show the world and the board of ridiculously old and naive men and women just how worthless he really is.

Come at me with your best. I'll show you why Alexander Remington is better than each and every one of them. Try to break me by supposedly balancing the power in the Insurgency between Corey Casey and his idiotic wife. I'll remind everyone that the man with the championship holds all the power in this fucking company. Pretend that the Empire is losing its influence, and I'll remind you that we hold not only my World Championship, but the Tag titles and the Queen of Wrestling championship as well. Those with the gold control all the power and influence in the Insurgency, so it looks like the rest of you out there who act like a real change in power has taken place are just going to have to yet again take a back seat to those of us who actually matter in this company.

But you're welcome to try to come against the Empire. Many have come before you, and all have fallen by the wayside. The Empire, we're eternal. The Empire, we're endless. The Empire...

We're unstoppable.

_______________________________

Chapter One
Dinner with the Devil
Off Camera

Another loss; another mind-numbing loss. Another time for my critics to doubt me. Another thing for them to use as 'facts' for why Alexander Remington's demise was soon to arrive, and in the process, the downfall of the Empire. Unlike most, I was privy to what those geeks on the internet forums were saying about me. I knew quite well what the wrestling radio broadcasts were proclaiming - how my championship reign was nothing more than me being in the right place at the right time. I heard the doubt; I sensed the hatred, and though I would never admit this aloud, even I was beginning to question myself.

I knew I was the best this company had to offer, but I also realized how quickly such a promise can go unfulfilled. I watched as peers of mine ascended to like greatness, only to fall apart just as fast. Was I becoming the next victim to father time, or was this latest string of losses merely something a great champion had to go through in order to appreciate where he soon would be arriving - immortality? I couldn't give an answer to that endless question.

If you had seen the looks in the eyes of my fellow Empire compatriots, you would understand my concern. For it was not only in my own mind where doubt was beginning to rear its ugly head, but I could see the wheels turning in their own minds as they questioned whether their champion was really up to the task of carrying the burden and the banner of the Empire upon his back. I never considered myself a great leader, and frankly, when I rejoined the Empire, it was to be its champion and most certainly not its captain, but because of where I stood on the hierarchy of the Insurgency, it had fallen straight into my lap nevertheless. I was its chief representative, and though my losses were often by unsavory means, I was quite aware that it reflected poorly upon the Empire as a whole.

I was distraught; I was embarrassed. I didn't want to show my face to any man or woman, save that of my lovely girlfriend and queen of the Insurgency - Tiffani Michaels. In these harsh moments of my career, I was so relieved to have her by my side every step of the way. Many questioned our love for each other - men like Griffin Hawkins even went as far as to call it just another individual that I had manipulated - but in my heart of hearts, I knew that this love was something more than any of that. I had known her for many a year, and finally fate smiled favorably upon me and granted her to me. And now, while I was suffering the most, she was my greatest friend. She was my greatest support.

She was my everything.

It wasn't long after Battlegrounds had concluded - a rather bad night for me yet again - that I received a telephone call from Corey Casey himself. I could hear the worry in his voice as well as he interrogated me for what seemed like hours, but in actuality was nothing more than a few mere minutes. He never was satisfied with any answer that I would give him, but to be fair, I was never satisfied myself. It wasn't too much longer that I received an invitation to his home prior to Nowhere to Run for a dinner, but I knew quite well that this was all about conducting business and making sure that my mind was right before heading into my next championship defense.

"Well this should be fun," I said to Tiffani as she hung on my arm, standing before the door of Corey Casey's home, almost wanting to turn around and walk away; not wanting to even face the man who had given me the greatest opportunity of a lifetime to return to the Empire after becoming Insurgency's champion. "I've failed the Empire, Tiffani...I've failed them; I've failed myself...I've failed you..."

I bowed my head in shame, not even wanting to look into her eyes, for I didn't feel worthy of doing such a thing. I felt her hand as her fingertips caressed my chin, tilting my head back up to look at her as she leaned in, giving me a soft peck on the lips.

"Losing those matches makes you no less a man," she stated calmly, giving me a smile as I stared into her beautiful baby-blues. "It just means that you're human. It just means that for the last few weeks, your mind has been elsewhere. Let's be honest, wrestling hasn't exactly been at the top of our priorities lately," she said with a cute addicting laugh, causing me to at least show a half-grin on my face. "Anyone who comes against you is jealous of the success that you've had in the past, and are fearful of what you are going to accomplish in the future. Baby, you're no less a man to me, and besides...this gives you a chance to once again prove all the doubters wrong."

I still felt like shit, but at least her words calmed me a touch.

"Thanks baby," I said calmly, leaning in and returning the kiss. "I guess I have yet to deal with such adversity in my career to this point. I've lost before, but never under these circumstances. Never with so much riding on my every moment. Not with the weight of the Empire and the weight of an entire wrestling promotion riding on my back. But you're right, I suppose. This isn't the beginning of the end; merely the end of the beginning. And you're right about one more thing," I said with a sly smile, wrapping my arm around her waist and pressing my lips against hers for even longer before pulling away, still holding her against my body. "I have been quite distracted lately for all the right reasons."

"You think that you're ready," she asked after a moment as I glanced at the door as though it were some hurdle that I feared going through. Finally though, I nodded my head, knocking on the door several times until finally the door swung open to the suit-clad Corey Casey; a slick smile welcoming us as he stepped aside to allow us inside.

"Corey," I said timidly, watching as he closed the door behind us, leading into the all too familiar dining room where dinner had already been served, ushering us to our seats. "What happened the last couple of weeks...?"

"What happened the last couple of weeks is nothing more than a fluke," he interrupted me, surprising both Tiffani and I greatly, obviously expecting quite the different response from Corey. "Your loss to Apollos for example. Had it not been for the interference of both Baron Tomson and Griffin Hawkins, Apollos would have fallen to you just like he does to nearly every other wrestler on the Insurgency roster. He's nothing to you, and you know that. For you to even begin to question yourself over that is ridiculous, frankly. I'm not concerned in the least."

Weird, considering how I expected this dinner to go. I plowed my fork into the nearest piece of chicken, slowly devouring it as I tried to listen what Corey was saying without revealing my absolute sense of relief. Because let's be honest - Corey Casey usually is not so calm or composed. I was expecting forks to be flying; knives to be projected. Mashed potatoes against the wall and macaroni and cheese...well, you get the point.

"And Ethan Cage? Just another happenstance," he said with a smile, clasping his hands together on top of the table, shaking his head slowly. "What man in his right mind could possibly wrestle under those circumstances? You had just had the IWF championship mashed against your forehead. Who could have ever expected you to rebound from that?"

A grin covered my face as I shook my head in the positive, agreeing with everything Corey had to say.

"You're absolutely right Corey, it was an absolute fluke. Who could have ever expected me to...?"

"ME! THAT'S WHO!!!!" he screamed to the top of his lungs, smashing his fist against the table as it shook in front of us, causing Tiffani and I both to jump from our seats before sitting back down again. Ah, this is the Corey I was expecting.

"Do you realize how much I have invested in you Alex," he said as he began the aggravated interrogation. "I've put everything on the line for you...everything! My reputation; my legacy. They say not to put all their eggs in one basket, but dammit, I've done it for you! So fucking what if Baron Tomson or Griffin Hawkins get involved before or during your matches? You know what you fucking do when that happens? You fucking Cashflow them straight to the depths of hell. This isn't ring around the fucking rosie, Alexander. This is professional wrestling, where anything and everything can and will inevitably happen. If you are the champion you say you are, you'll be ready for all of that. You won't let these peons get in the way of being the greatest fucking champion the Insurgency has ever had."

"Corey, you don't understand...I..."

Again, I was swiftly interrupted.

"I'm working hard week in and week out to position you in a place of immortality, Alex. Truth be told, I want you to be revered more than I ever was. You think I put you in my very own Double Cage Horror match because I didn't like you while you were out doing your thing on the outside of the Empire? Fuck that, I've always had your best interests at heart, even when you were trying to overthrow me," he said with an obvious tone of cynicism. "I want your name to be the first name out of the mouths of any who speak of the Insurgency. More revered than Chuck Matthews. More revered than Brandon MacDonald. More revered than Stygian," he said, knowing how to get to me more than any man or woman alive on this planet. I scowled at the mention of his name, shaking my head with disgust. "The Empire - it never was about me. The Empire, it never was about them. It's always been about Alexander Remington every step of the way. So falling on hard times? It's not excusable. Losing a few matches here and there because you're too occupied fucking your girl..."

"Hey!"

"I apologize, but you get my point. This means more than anything you've ever done in your entire career, Alex. This championship run you're starting - it's how you are going to be remembered. Everything you did in pHw? Meaningless. Everything you accomplished in AWE or UECW? Nobody's even going to remember that. Alexander Remington is going to be forever remembered for his final run in the Insurgency, and with everything I've got; to the very bitter fucking end, I'm going to treat you as one of my own. As though you were my son. As though you were my brother. As though you were kin."

"Corey," I said after he had begun what seemed to be an endless rant, holding my hand in the air to interrupt him, requesting that he held his peace for a moment at least so I could get in at least a few words before he inevitably spewed more venom in my direction. "I know quite well that the last few weeks, I've let the Empire down. I know that I've let you down; hell, most importantly, I've let myself down. I understand that simply defending the IWF championship isn't enough. But while you're feuding with your idiotic wife, you need to know that regardless of what has taken place of late, the Empire still holds all the power. We still have all the cards stacked in our deck. She can make whatever matches she wants. She can rally whatever troops she wants against us. But until she gets her grubby little fingers on the IWF championship, her cause is worthless and without strength."

"The board of directors," Tiffani spoke up, sitting straight in her chair as she had finished a portion of her plate in between Corey's ranting and the two or three breaths that he actually took in the meantime, "thinks that you've abused your power and thus has put her in place, but let's be honest. At the root of all of this is one, Chuck Matthews. He's the lone voice in her ear. He's the one that pretends to be the smartest man in wrestling in an obvious attempt to cover up his insecurities in other 'small' areas of his life. But the board is limited in their power as well. Alex is right. Jessica can't do a damn thing while we remain the king and queen of Insurgency Wrestling. Chuck Matthews, he can scream to the top of his lungs that he is the man who limited the power of Corey Casey, but that couldn't be any further from the truth. Corey, relax for one moment and realize that nothing has changed in IWF. The power has not shifted in the least. My baby and I, we still run this place just like we did before Jessica decided to show her horse-like face."

"Her Griffin Hawkins-like face actually. Have you ever seen the resemblance," Remington questioned with a slight smirk.

"It's uncanny,"Tiffani said with a similar grin.

Though worry still quite clearly covered Corey Casey's face, I could tell that the anxiety was beginning to fade, at least by a touch. Here was a man who had every right to believe that his world was crashing all around him, but I was here to remind him that all was not lost.

"Does this make things more difficult? Sure. Is it an obstacle we have to overcome in order to continue the purpose and the pledge of the Empire? Absolutely. But a couple of hardships and a few bad weeks for the Empire is not going to sway me from our purpose."

I took another bite of food that Corey Casey had obviously had delivered, for I couldn't imagine in my wildest dreams that he actually prepared any of this. But the food wasn't what this night was about; I was only eating to be polite, but this meeting was truly about the state of the Empire.

"You have given your all for Alexander Remington, and I won't forget that. While I've been put down and pushed back by owners of yesteryear, you have always been in my corner. You are one of the rare individuals that I actually consider a friend Corey, and I won't let you down. At Nowhere to Run, I will remain the Insurgency Champion, because there's no way in hell that I would ever let a pissant like Griffin Hawkins ever stake his claim as the Insurgency Champion. Sure, I know everyone in this fucking business wants him to beat me. Hell, I bet even some of our own fold would just love to see Alexander Remington fail. Every single person that follows our cause would love to step into my shoes and be the man that Corey Casey personally endorses. I bet each and every one of those motherfuckers would take the first opportunity to stab me in the back if given the opportunity. Jack Savage, Eric Steel, Philip Joseph, they'd love to see me fall. But you, you've always had my back. And I've got yours. And Corey, I'm a very powerful ally."

I cracked a smile as I turned in my chair, facing Corey directly as he stared back at me, continuing to give me a chance to have my say on these matters.

"Tiffani and I, we're the only two people in this company you can even trust. Sure, it's nice to have some of those other guys in our corner, but honestly Corey, I can't lead a bunch of men who wouldn't have my back in my darkest hour. Where was the rest of the Empire when Baron Tomson tried to light my face on fire; when Griffin Hawkins smashed me in the face not once, but twice in the last couple of weeks? Where were they Corey? You ask me to trust in them and trust that they have my back, but they haven't earned my respect, much less my trust. The Empire, perhaps it is crumbling...at least, the Empire as we once knew it. But the ideals of the Empire, they will not fade as long as you and I run this place."

Corey Casey would trust those in the Empire almost to a fault, however, and I knew my words would never get through to him in this regard. But these feelings had been on my mind for quite some time, and I needed to get them off my chest whenever the watchful eyes of a camera were not watching.

"I know you don't believe me Corey. I know what I'm saying to you comes as a surprise, but I also saw what you said when you found out Axle Vengeance was parading around in the ring proclaiming his match against James Shark for that other promotion. He did that without your approval and without your backing. Do you really think this is just a coincidence? They've lost respect for you Corey. They no longer have your back. They are weak. They've seen Jessica make her way onto the scene, and to them, they see nothing but a sinking ship. I was there at Battlegrounds; I saw the look in their eyes - doubt flooded their souls."

"And what would you honestly have me to do Alex," Corey said with a sigh. "Disband the Empire and continue with just you and Tiffani by my side? Quite the force I admit, but we do have strength in numbers. Jack Savage - he's loyal. Maybe he happened to not have your back the last couple of weeks, but just like with the rest of our group, I'm sure it was just coincidence."

"Are you listening to yourself? I won't ask you to do anything regarding the Empire, for she is your baby to nurture, but frankly, you need to question those who pretend to be loyal to you. I've learned quite well that trust is a commodity that we cannot so easily give out. Eric Steel, he joined the Empire because he had fallen on hard times after losing to Ashe Corvin at the most pivotal moment of his young career. He wanted a handout. Jack Savage may be loyal, but he is also a man that would jump at a better offer. Philip Joseph," I said with a disgusted look on my face. "If he manages to shock the world and upset Stygian, do you really think he's going to remain in our fold? No, he'll take the first opportunity to attack me from behind and give him the greatest opportunity for championship gold. And Axle Vengeance? Let's just say that despite our temporary alliance, he and I are never realistically going to be friends. Ever since I kicked his ass in UECW and ended his career, he's made it his life's goal to return the favor. If he ever got a sniff of the opportunity to end my career, he would take it in a heartbeat because that's just the man that he is. No Corey, in the Empire, Tiffani and I are the only ones who believe in our cause. Tiffani and I are the only ones in this fucking company that understand that the Empire is looking out for what is best for the Insurgency. We're the good guys, but everyone will come against us with the force of ten million men because they think that we're out to screw everyone over and just step on their rotten corpses to elevate ourselves to new heights. And when the pressure becomes greatest, each and every one of those that you go to bat for, they are going to stab you in the back and act as though they never knew you."

I stared coldly into Corey's eyes, realizing he was having none of it, despite all my evidence to the contrary. I shook my head, realizing that perhaps it was a lost cause, but I hoped that he would come to his senses before it was too late.

"Nevertheless, I will do everything in my power to make sure that the Empire never fails. Our purpose is too important now. We've sacrificed too much to turn back. At Nowhere to Run, you have my word Corey," I said, staring straight at him coldly as I thought of Sunday night and of Griffin Hawkins as though everything that had transpired quickly flashed before my eyes. "I will not only beat Griffin Hawkins. I will send a message to everyone that comes against us that their fate will be selfsame."

Corey's scowl slowly but surely turned into a grin, reaching forward as he shook my hand slowly, finally releasing it from his grasp as he sat back in his seat; a great amount of stress seemingly evaporating from his frame as he collected himself, looking back over at the both of us as we finished our meal, pushing the plates aside.

"Alex, Tiffani," he chuckled, grinning from ear to ear. "I am honored to have the king and queen of Insurgency Wrestling in my home. Even more so now that you have restored my confidence in this cause. Tiffani, I have no doubt in my mind that you will take Molly Reid and bend her into a fucking pretzel and prove just why you are the Queen that you advertise yourself to be. Chuck's little pet it seems? Nearly nothing in this world would make me happier than to see his face when you beat the hell out of her and ruin that pretty face. And Alex," he said, shaking his head with disgust at himself, holding his hand above his heart as he looked at me, "I'm sorry I've ever doubted you, my friend. It's just been tough the last few weeks, seeing Jessica randomly show her face and realize that the board who once pretended to back me give me the cold shoulder and put her in charge. I don't want to see you beat Griffin Hawkins for his treachery. I want you to fucking mutilate him. Make him look even more disgusting than my bitch of a wife. I want you to make him never even think about stepping into the ring with you again. I don't want you to pin him; I want you to make him tap the fuck out. Lock him in your Roots of Evil and make him squeal. Break his fucking neck if you have to. Just give the world a reminder of just how powerful the Empire still is to this day."

"Everyone wants change in the Insurgency, but Tiffani and I, we're the constants that will never be moved," I spoke with a surety and a calm to my voice which gave Corey even more reason to believe what I was telling him. And even I was beginning to feel more confidence in myself as opposed to the foul mood I was in beforehand. Those couple of losses meant nothing to me or my career. I would simply redeem myself when it mattered the most. "I will not apologize for being the bearer of bad news. Change isn't coming to the Insurgency no matter who Jessica sends in our direction. One by one, I'll dispose of them all."

Immediately the three of us stood to our feet, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries before Tiffani and I headed out of his home and to the airport, having a flight to catch to Atlanta, Georgia. I no longer doubted the results from the past couple of weeks or the meaning of them, for I knew that at the end of the day, I was still the greatest fucking wrestler that the Insurgency had ever seen.

_______________________________

Subject: Re: Alexander Remington [vs.] Griffin Hawkins Sun Feb 24, 2013 11:50 pm

~*Stairway to Hell*~

I had finally got here. After weeks and weeks of torment. After weeks of being rubbed in my face, I made it to the final battle. I'm at a place which might be the final place I'll be for as long as I live, The Phillips Arena in Atlanta Georgia. The sun is beginning to go down as I walk to the main entrance of the arena. I have a twinge of nervousness...and determination flowing through me. I know that I may not live to see the next day, but I'll make sure that I take down those responsible for bringing me here as well.

There is no turning back.

I open the door, making my way inside. I should make my way to the ring, but I'd like to go somewhere and take in the atmosphere. I see a long row of stairs going up. I know for sure that it's a long climb up, but I don't care. The walk will do me good. I take a deep breath and slowly climb the stairs. Each floor at the top of a stair has a door open with a dark room. I slowly go up each stairway, not showing one sign of stopping. I then hear a voice calling to me as I reach the top step.

"You..are nothing."

I recognize that voice. I slowly turn and its none other than my father, Duke Hawkins. He's dressed in a suit as usual. In his hand looks to be a glass of scotch, it wouldn't surprise me if he's drunk. He glares at me as he stands in the doorway.

Duke Hawkins - You..you are a big disappointment. Everything you've done, you've failed at. I tried to make you something, I wanted you to take over the family business..but you would rather follow the career as some insipid musician. You're an embarrassment to the family!

I never became what my Father wanted me to be. I always followed my own path. It hurt to hear those stinging words from him as I go up the stairs. After he kicked me out of the house he told me he never wanted to see me again. I was alone as lonely could be until Marquis had picked me up and helped me get my start as a wrestler. I thought of everyone including someone else who called out to be as I reached another floor.

"Well Well Well..."

I stop and turn around and see a young man with shoulder length black long hair and tattoos on his arms. Jace Parker Davidson..the man who was the leader of Ascended Supremacy..the most dominant group in Wrestling today.

Jace Parker Davidson - You really think you can be something without me? You really think you can be something without Ascended Supremacy? Without me you are NOTHING Griffin. Ascended Supremacy made you big time..I..made you big time! And you have the balls to come up against me?! I made your ass you ungrateful little shit...without me and Ascended Supremacy..you'll never amount to a goddamn thing in this business.

A long time ago, what he said would have gotten to me. But now that I have more life experience than I have back then, all I see him as is one big incredible douchebag who has the need to surround himself with The Michaels Sisters just to feed his ego and make himself look like a pimp. He told me I would never make it, but I ended up proving him wrong as I continued forward. I'm doing well for myself now as I am in the Main Event every week while he's stuck in some second rate promotion full of men scared that women will take over the place. I make my way past him, wishing that he could see me now and what I accomplished.

I've proven a lot of people wrong.

I feel some sort of satisfaction proving to everyone who never thought I would make it to the main event that I can make it. That's what makes it worth it when I win the title just so I can shove it down their throat. As I reached the next floor, a female voice cuts through the silence, interrupting my trek to the top.

Oh sweet little Griffin...

I turn and see none other than my ex girlfriend from GOW...Constance Monroe. It had indeed been a long time since I've seen her. The look she gives me is a look of disgust mixed with a sick satisfaction in seeing me.

Constance Monroe - Everything you have now is because of me. Ascended Supremacy isn't the only people who carried you, it was me. I used you up and threw you away when I got bored of playing with you. It won't be long until you come crawling back to me, begging for forgiveness. Sure..I would take you back in, but I don't fuck losers."

She indeed was someone who I thought cared for me, but in time I saw her for what she really was, a lying no good bitch. Jace had paid her for her services in stringing me along. She took credit for my success, claiming it was all her doing. But she didn't realize what happened only made me stronger. It was all about money for her because she was nothing but a two dollar whore. I moved past her and finally reached the top of the stairs. But then I saw someone in my path.

Tiffani Michaels.

She just stood in my path with her hands on her hips just looking up at me. This was someone I trusted with my life and she turned her back on me. I knew that she wasn't right in the head, she was just under the influence of some douchetruck who's been threatened by me since day one. I tried to head to the door leading to the roof, but she blocked my way. Every time I tried to get by, she wouldn't allow it. I just sighed and picked her up by her arms and put her aside, which she didn't enjoy. I opened the door to a set of stairs...I felt a breeze come by, I was definitely going towards the roof. I could hear Tiffani shout at me.

Tiffani Michaels - You'll never win! You can't beat him!

I blocked my mind of negative thoughts as I listened to Tiffani as I made my way up the roof. Standing up there was none other than Alexander Remington. Possibly my greatest rival. He holds the IWF World Heavyweight Title around his shoulder. I step to him with the World Championship Briefcase in my hand. He raises his belt in the air, looking down at me with disdain. I look back at him in the same anger and raise my briefcase in the air. It looks to be a standoff between Champion and Challenger. I knew going into Nowhere to Run...it was all or nothing.

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~*The Darkest Lesson*~

Okay..I'm just going to say it. Graveyards are creepy. That's all there is to it. I've been to many funerals and they still give me the heebie jeebies. I really get uneasy walking around all those graves. So you can picture how "thrilled" I was when Marquis Laveaux asked me to meet him in a Graveyard. I have the match of my career coming up..and I have to play flashlight tag with some Vampire dude in a Cemetery..

This is going to be a long night.

I honestly don't know what to expect as I walk through those gates. The moon shines on this home of dead as I slowly make my way through, clad in a long black coat, a Punisher T-Shirt and Black Jeans. I'm man enough to admit that I'm a little bit scared. Marquis said that he would teach me my final lesson going into Nowhere to Run..but what was it? I walk through all the headstones, searching for Marquis, but I can't seem to find him. The wind blew past me, blowing my long hair around a little. I even looked around at a headstone to see where he was hiding..nothing there.

This isn't funny anymore.

I reach the end of the row of graves and decide to just give up and go back to the hotel. But as I turn around, I see Marquis standing against a Celtic tombstone. I'm immediately caught off guard as I jump back. How did he do that?

Griffin Hawkins - Gaaah! Jesus Christ Marquis, you scared the shit out of me!

He just smiled at me devilishly..he got a good kick out of seeing me jump out of my skin, I just know it. He stepped away from the Grave.

Marquis Laveaux - As long as I got your attention..that's all that matters.

Griffin Hawkins - Seriously man..why can't we meet in public place like a park or a Restaurant like normal people?

Marquis Laveaux - Because meeting in places like those won't prepare you for the upcoming battle at hand. I figured this was more fitting.

Griffin Hawkins - Okay man, seriously..you're out of your mind..you know that? I don't know how you can feel so at home in a place like this.

Marquis Laveaux - I've been around the dead for centuries..you get used to that kind of thing.

Griffin Hawkins - Right, whatever..lets just get this over with so I can go back to the hotel and get some sleep.

Marquis Laveaux - Just follow me Griffin..

I felt kind of...safer as I walked with Marquis. At least I wasn't alone..even if the dude was creepy as hell.

Griffin Hawkins - So..have you been watching my performance lately?

Marquis Laveaux - As a matter of fact yes. In the last few weeks you've been showing quite a brutal side. Your inner fury showed itself when you brutalized Jaxx Ryder and Ryan Apollos. You even had the audacity to steal Remington's property. I'd say you're coming along nicely.

Griffin Hawkins - I did it all to prove a point. And that's to show everyone that I'm not a pushover and that I'm nobody's doormat. Remington started something he's not going to finish.

Marquis Laveaux - I am glad you have that attitude. Because now you're about to take part in your final test...

He stops at what looks to be three empty holes in the ground. It looks to be graves. Someone was obviously busy...

Griffin Hawkins - Uh..whats this?

Marquis Laveaux - Look at the headstones...

I look down at the Tombstones, and one read "Here lies Alexander Remington".

Griffin Hawkins - Real cute..you dragged me all the way here just to fill a plot hole?

Marquis Laveaux - Not necessarily. Look further...

I peer down into the empty hole, in it is an open marble coffin, there lies..what appears to be Alexander Remington. His eyes are closed as he's in a nicely dressed suit, resting in the coffin.

Griffin Hawkins - Oh my God..thats Remington!

[color:b633= lime]Marquis Laveaux - And that's not all..

He motioned to the other grave next to it. In it was a glass coffin..in that coffin lied none other than Tiffani Michaels. On her headstone it read "Tiffani Michaels, August 13 1992 - February 24 2013" What the hell was going on?

Griffin Hawkins - No...oh please God no! What did you do!?

Marquis Laveaux - Nothing..you haven't even looked at the last hole..

What was he trying to do? I look down at the hole and see the final coffin. A wooden coffin...the main lid is open and the person lying in it is...me. What the hell is going on? I have a mix of anger, confusion and fear flowing through me. I glare at Marquis and grab him by his shirt.

Griffin Hawkins - What the fuck are you doing?! What kind of game are you playing Marquis?!

Marquis Laveaux - Relax Griffin..those corpses aren't really? Just cleverly put together mannequins..

Griffin Hawkins - I'm a little bit too old to be playing with dolls, don't you think?

Marquis Laveaux - These aren't simple dolls Griffin. They are to make a point. You are stepping into the most horrifying match of your life..Hell in a Cell. Are you prepared to make sacrifices to win this?

Griffin Hawkins - Of course I am...

Marquis Laveaux - Really now?...Are you prepared to sacrifice yourself just to see Remington fall? If you do end up destroying him..Tiffani will hate you more than ever for taking away the love of her life. This match changes everything..

I didn't realize it till then..but he was right. The battle of Insurgency's soul wasn't the only thing on the line..its lives of myself..Remington and Tiffani. Win or Lose...none of us will be the same again. Can I really go through this?

Griffin Hawkins - What do I have to do?..

He looked to me and handed me a shovel.

Marquis Laveaux - Bury the lives of the ones changed in this tragedy...

Griffin Hawkins - Even mine?..

Marquis Laveaux - Yes...

I nod and start digging the mount of dirt back into Remington's grave. I had a long night ahead of me and I know for sure...I was indeed going to hell. The only question was...will I be able to come back?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~*Unlikely Help*~

Two days earlier, I had a gig with my band at an arena downtown. But I still had trouble shaking the dreams that I had the other night. Why was I in that place? What does it all mean? After my performance I head back to my hotel room. I felt like just kicking back and watching TV. I hung up my leather jacket and came into the room..only to see Tiffani's old High School friend Monica Lopez sitting on the couch, helping herself to the free cashews. I had no idea why she was here, I figured that she'd be off somewhere else.

Griffin Hawkins - What the hell....Monica?

Monica Lopez - You were expecting someone else?

Griffin Hawkins - I wasn't really expecting anyone to be honest..

She gives me a sly smile...she's always up to something. Her and Tiffani were notorious schemers.

Monica Lopez - Oh, well then, surprise!

This is getting weird...

Griffin Hawkins - What are you doing here?..How did you find my hotel room?

Monica Lopez - Please, you think you're that hard to track down?

Griffin Hawkins - I was hoping I was...anyways you're obviously here for a reason..and probably the free cashews, so what is that reason?

Monica Lopez - Look, I saw what happened between you and Tiffani.

Griffin Hawkins - I'd rather put that whole ugly scene behind me..not one of my finer moments.

Monica Lopez - You're not kidding, but I also talked to her, you know.

Griffin Hawkins - Then you must be as frustrated as I am then, I tried talking to her..but I might as well be talking to the air, she refuses to listen to anyone.

Monica Lopez - She's too wrapped up in her new boyfriend right now.

Griffin Hawkins - Well, let her find out the hard way, once her new Sugar Daddy gets tired of her and dumps her ass, she'll find out the hard way that everyone was right about him.

I had given up on her for the first time in my life. I didn't want to..but it was impossible. She had a look of confusion on her face.

Monica Lopez - So..what? You just don't care about her anymore? Just like that?

Griffin Hawkins - What the fuck am I supposed to do Monica? Yes I care about her, but she refuses to listen to me. The only solution here is I join her little girls club The Empire..but I don't think I have the tits for it.

Monica Lopez - You're not going to just let her get hurt like this, I know it's not what you want.

Griffin Hawkins - You..have no idea how much I want her back, but she's too stubborn to listen to me or anyone.

Monica Lopez - Well maybe you just need to be even more stubborn than she is right now.

Griffin Hawkins - Monica..everything I tried has failed, what is the use?

As I ran my hand through my long hair...she notices the friendship bracelet around my wrist, the same one Tiffani made for me years ago.

Monica Lopez - You still have the friendship bracelet.

Griffin Hawkins - Oh..yeah of course I do. She gave it to me the same day I gave her my lucky guitar pick.

Monica Lopez - That obviously means something if you still have it.

I didn't want to admit it..but she was right. I wondered if she still has my guitar pick.

Griffin Hawkins - I love her to death..thats what gets me about this whole thing. After all the bitter lies she said about me, after joining sides with the man that I despise...I still care about her.

Monica Lopez - That obviously means something then.

I look down at the bracelet after I take it off, I knew now what I must do..

Griffin Hawkins - ..I'm going to bring her back to reality, I don't care what it takes, I'm going to do it.

Monica Lopez - You're the only one who can do this Griffin.

Griffin Hawkins - I do appreciate you coming all this way to give me the kick in the ass I needed, I really needed someone to knock some sense into me.

Monica Lopez - Well trying to talk sense into her didn't work.

Griffin Hawkins - I'll find a way, in the meantime do you want to go out for a drink? I'm buying.

Monica Lopez - If you're buying? Sure.

Griffin Hawkins - Although..I'm not quite sure if you should have too much, I don't know what it is..but for some reason you get all weepy and hysterical when you're drunk..

She really turned into the weepy hysterical drunk when she got plastered..but she thought otherwise. I should bring a camera with me.

Monica Lopez - Okay, I have no idea what you're talking about.

Griffin Hawkins - Tiffani told me once when you were wasted you were crying about One Tree Hill getting canceled..

Monica Lopez - I don't know anybody who didn't cry about that.

Griffin Hawkins - Lets just get going.

We leave the hotel room conversing about Tiffani. It was obvious we both wanted her back..but didn't know how to get her back. Someway..Somehow...I will get the old Tiffani back.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

~*Welcome to Hell*~

After some time, I had successfully managed to put all the dirt back into the graves with the Shovel. The night sky was lit up with lightning strikes that flashed across the sky. I was in a somber mood as I knew what lie ahead of me. Both plots are dug up...except for one. The camera man looks at me as I stick the shovel into the dirt.

I can hear what you're thinking,
All your doubts and fears,
And if you look in my eyes, in time you'll find,
The reason I'm here.

"Part of me hoped that it would never come to this...but I knew it would happen sooner or later. Those I trusted with my life brought me to this place...and now those people will suffer. At Nowhere to Run I stand on the brink of the abyss..and I'm not sure if I will ever come back. For the first time in my career...I am looking at what could very well be the very last match in the career of Griffin Hawkins. But if that is the case...I will make sure that it will be the last time that any of you see Alexander Remington as well. Because both of us are going into a place where many men fear to tread..and only one of us will come back. Time will tell which one it will be.

I knew there was no turning back..not for myself...not for Remington. We both chose to go this direction...and now what has to be done...will be done.

"Alexander Remington. Possibly my greatest enemy to date. The man who had gotten into the head of Tiffani Michaels. You had to take something innocent between us and turn it into something that is not true at all. You thought that now that you had Tiffani by your side..that it was really over for me. But as it turns out..this is only the beginning. In the last few weeks I got into your head. I played things your way and it paid off. You can make asinine comments about me on twitter, trying to rub it in my face that you "got the girl" but it only shows how petty..small..and pathetic you really are. You can do whatever you want to me..but it's never going to break me...you are not going to break me. I've been here from the start and there is nobody that will drive me from the sport that I was born to do. In that Cell..you're going to suffer the way that I suffered. Suffering will be your friend..and pain will be your mistress. And you will only have yourself to blame when your world comes to an end."

I was determined to destroy Remington at all costs. I could hear the thunder crackling above me. It looked like it was going to be one hell of a storm.

And in time all things shall pass away,
In time, you may come back someday.
To live once more, or die once more,
But in time, your time will be no more.

"You see...I make you nervous don't I Alex? I scare you...you can deny it up and down all day, all night...but deep down inside...you're scared of me. Otherwise you wouldn't have gone through all this trouble to play these head games with me. You see me as a threat to you and your reign as IWF Kingpin, so you want to take me out of it mentally. You think taking away Tiffani is going to stop me? No. Like I said..this isn't the first time me and her had a falling out. Once she sees you for who you are...she'll leave you in the dust. But before this relationship implodes...I want my piece of this. Because in that Cell I will brutally torture and maim you and beat you down until you just can't stand up anymore. So you can go on twitter and tell the world about all these special trysts that you're having with Tiffani to play it up that you're the "It couple" all you like..but I am actually doing her a great favor. Because after the beating that I give you..you're going to be spending a lot of time recovering from all your wounds, all your injuries..and the mental trauma that you will go through once you see the horrors that await you once that door closes. So before this goes any further, I just want to say..you're welcome."

A sick smile comes across my face..I'm actually looking forward to this confrontation...and I don't even know if I will get out alive.

"Funny thing is Remington..a lot of people think that you're not going to walk out of Nowhere to Run as Champion. I'm not talking about the fans...I'm not talking about me..I'm talking about your comrades in The Empire. Phillip Joseph even said that his money is on me...what does that say for you? And it's not just Joseph..its your very own...little...toy. She can look you in those eyes and tell you you're going to beat me..but she's having doubts herself. Why else would she come to my locker room to get your belt from me? Because she doesn't want you to get hurt...she knows how dirty I can play when I'm pushed too far. She even told me that she's not going to let me hurt you once I threatened to take you to hell. Shit..I think even you're beginning to think you can't do it. In the last few weeks you've lost to both Ryan Apollos and Ethan Cage..back to back...what does that say for you Champ? What does it say for the reigning Champion who supposedly has everything a man could want? It says that his Title reign...his days of being happy....are coming to an end."

You know your days are numbered,
Count them one by one,
Like notches in the handle of an outlaw's gun.
You can outrun the devil, if you try,
But you'll never outrun the hands of time.

I pick up the shovel and walk across the graves. I felt like I was going to a funeral...my own. I stop at my own grave..the one plot that I haven't dug up yet.

"Is this my fate? Is this what happens to me? Is this the end of my story? I go into the Devil's Playground with my life on the line...and I never come back. What happens? Does Remington's reign rule on? Does Insurgency continue on without me as the Empire continues to rule on? Do my dreams of becoming the World Heavyweight Champion go down in this grave? I don't know...In this match..I must fight. Everything I have done in my career leads me up to this moment. Every person who told me that I would never be a star..that I would never be a main eventer, everyone who told me that I would amount to nothing...must be silenced once and for all. I always lived by the old motto..It's not who we are on the inside..but what we do that defines us. What happens if I lose?...What happens if I don't walk out the Champion? Do I keep standing up? Do I keep swinging? Do I keep fighting? Do I keep battling on because Alexander Remington and Tiffani Michaels don't decide my life?! I DO!!!"

Every pent up bit of emotion came pouring out just then...this isn't just about any title, it's about my life..the way I chose to see fit, the sacrifices I made to get here...everything culminates. A single tear rolls down my face as I look down that grave in anger.

In time there surely, come a day
In time all things shall pass away,
In time you may come back some say.
To live once more, or die once more,
But in time, your time will be no more.

"I decide where I go to next. Remington can continue to bury me and tell me that I am not worthy enough to hold that Championship...Tiffani can continue to spread her bitter lies about me to try and build herself up as the better person...but none of them can break me. None of them dictate my life..my destiny..my legacy...none of them will ever break Griffin Hawkins. At Nowhere to Run..this is my shot at Redemption..this is my chance to wipe the slate clean. The soul of Insurgency Wrestling Federation is in my hands..and I must see to it that Remington doesn't get out alive. All of Remington's sins and atrocities will be judged in a matter of hours. For every word..every thing he had done to me..all the pain and suffering that I endured...he will pay back in full. When you get to hell Remington..tell them I sent you, you'll get a discount. Because there is nothing that will stop me from leaving with the one thing you treasure more than anything...not Tiffani....your belt."

I could see Remington in my head, laughing, mocking me, rubbing it in my face that he stole Tiffani from me. Every word he said made my blood boil. I wanted to make him suffer.

"You actually..have the audacity...to call yourself the Devil? Don't make me laugh Alex. Would the Devil put a bounty on the head of one of his rivals because he doesn't have the balls to take him out like a man? Would the Devil get into the mind of his enemy's BFF and convince her to join his side just to gain the mental edge? Would the Devil need to surround himself with a bunch of bottom feeding Vultures to pull his sorry ass out of the fire when he's on the verge of losing his title? And would the Devil himself suck up to some self righteous suit wearing chump who's living his glory days through you? No. I find it impossible that you and Tiffani actually had sex..which for some reason you like to brag to anyone you see...no matter how gross it sounds. Because as you've proven as of late..neither of you have a set of balls. But if you want to call yourself the Devil..then that's fine. Because if I am going to hell..I'm going to do what everyone in history has wanted to do..and kick the Devil's ass."

Remington knows whats at stake here...yet so do I. I know for sure that if I defeat him for the title, the landscape of Insurgency itself changes.

"See, I'm not like you Remington. I'm not going to sit around on my computer all day and hurl lame insults worthy of a 9th grader like you seem to get your jollies in. Hell if I wanted to..I could have told you the things people say about you and Tiffani when you walk down the street...how people would say "whoa..that guy has a hot little sister" or.."he must be very rich." But I'm taking the high road here..and I'm just going to tell you this. You may be on top of the world now..but your kingdom will fall. Insurgency is a place where new Gods are born and worshiped. It's time that a new one is born and worshiped at Nowhere to Run. When you are bloodied and too broken up to get off the mat after the bell rings and I hold your belt, I'm going to ask you one thing before I leave the ring.....was the bitch worth it?"

I put the Shovel down near my Grave. If this was the end of me...I'm going to go out in style.

"This...may be my final resting place. If I have to destroy myself to defeat you Remington..then so be it. You pushed me to a place where I didn't even think existed . But I'm not mad at you...I want to thank you. Because you woke me up and reminded me of what I needed to do..and that's become the new IWF World Heavyweight Champion..and I will become Champion over your bloody carcass. You've unleashed something that has been asleep for so long. And it's something that you're going to get better acquainted with once the both of us are locked in that cell. There will be no sanctuary and there will be no haven for you. But if I lose..this may be very end of Griffin Hawkins as we know it. And my future...will be an Empire of Dirt. So in closing Alexander Remington....See you in hell."

I take the shovel and begin to shovel the dirt into my empty grave. Is this truly the end? Will it all come tumbling down? Is my future written on my Tombstone? I knew one thing for sure, I am going to hell.

» Alexander Remington w/Corey Casey [vs.] Griffin Hawkins w/Stygian
» The Empire [Baron Tompson and Parker Wayde] [vs.] Griffin Hawkins and Alexander Remington
» Alexander Remington [vs.] Alexander Raven
» Alexander Remington [vs.] Alexander Raven
» Griffin Hawkins