Griffin Hawkins [vs] Eric Steel

It finally happened.

I went into Nowhere to Run against Alexander Remington...and to be honest, he had beaten me worse than I have ever been beaten in my life. My body has never taken so much abuse in one match before. Remington made his mission clear, he wanted to put me out of wrestling for good so I would no longer be a threat to him. He wanted to break me..humiliate me..and see to it that I never showed my face in IWF again.

But he wasn't successful.

I had did the unthinkable and defeated Remington and took his title. It was a culmination of everything I had done in my career. I had finally silenced all the critics who thought I would never make it to this point..I had silenced the ones who thought that without Tiffani...I had lost my edge and it wouldn't be long until I faded away into obscurity. I captured the World Title for the third time in my career.

...But why do I feel so empty?

I should feel like I'm at the top of the world now that I have the richest prize in our sport..but something was still missing from the equation. After thinking about it, I set out on my Bike and rode into the Arizona Desert, the same place where I promised I'd return once I have the Championship. I ride on the bike with the Belt on it as a hood ornament. I must've rode around for hours. I feel like I had accomplished the impossible....yet, I don't feel complete. After riding around for a while, I came to a gorge. I stepped off to get a good look at the land around me. The sun began going down in the desert, giving everything a haunting somber look.

..It looks beautiful.

Why don't I feel accomplished? After everything that I had been through in the last few weeks, I reached the pinnacle of my career. Everyone thought that I could never do it. But there were even more questions more than ever...what kind of Champion will I make? In UECW I became the man in Alexander Remington's absence. People can no longer say that Griffin Hawkins can't win the big one..that he's going to remain mid card at best. I silenced the critics by defeating Remington for the title. But yet..there is still something missing from this puzzle. What could it possibly be? I looked down at the cross around my neck. I then realized what was missing...

It was Tiffani.

She had always believed in me. She always had faith that I could achieve anything. My whole life I felt like I was different..but she took me in. My whole life I felt different from everyone else...yet she treated me as an equal. The only difference now is that she is on opposing sides. It's not like she really feels this way. Alexander Remington messed with her head and convinced her to join his side. He can try and justify it all he wants as "true love", the fact remains that he is using her to hurt me. I take the cross off my neck and look down at it. The man who had given it to me trusted me. I swore to him that I would watch over her..and her family.

What would he think of me now?

Remington doesn't care that he's breaking up a family. All he cares about is his ego and trying to get himself over as the guy who took a sweet innocent girl and corrupted her. Well..karma came back and bit him in the ass..both of them. But things aren't complete. I walk towards the cliff, looking at the orange sky, wondering if somewhere Tiffani is looking at the same sky. This story does not have a happy ending...it's just beginning. I hold the cross in my hand, making a fist. It then hit me..the reason I don't feel satisfied is because Tiffani is not herself. I know her a lot better than Remington does and this is not the right frame of mind that she's in right now.

I was a man on a mission.

I knew what I had to do...I had to bring Tiffani back to reality. I didn't care how long it took. In the meantime, what kind of Champion will I make for Insurgency? If you told me months ago during my feud with Baron Tomson that I would become the World Heavyweight Champion Months later, I would tell you you're crazy. Yet here I stand right now with the belt in my possession. I didn't steal it this time...I earned it. And that is something not Tiffani, or Remington..or anyone out there can take away from me. My mission was still clear...I had to save Tiffani..even if the cost of my own title.


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~*An Unlikely partnership*~

Its amazing how things turn out. On the night of my acceptance speech, I was ready to go out there and tell the world of my victory, but after being told by the backstage crew someone is waiting for me in my locker room, I go to the last room at the end of the hallway, I open it to find someone he never expected to be standing there, smiling at me sweetly.

Taylor Michaels - Surprise!

It was Tiffani's big sister Taylor, I can't believe what I'm seeing.

Griffin Hawkins - ...Taylor? Man...this sure is a surprise.

Taylor Michaels - That was the point.

Griffin Hawkins - I figured you were back in L.A with everyone else.

Taylor Michaels - No, I came to see you.

Griffin Hawkins - You did? Well..thats good to hear, whats the occasion?

Taylor Michaels - Well, I just signed my official contract to be your manager.

Griffin Hawkins - Wait....hold up, time out on the field...you signed to be my...what?

Taylor Michaels - Your manager.

What did she just say?....

Griffin Hawkins - Umm..Taylor, there's enough drama going on around here between me and Tiffani in the last few weeks..I don't want to drag you into this.

Taylor Michaels - You need a friend right now, so I'm not going to take no for an answer.

Griffin Hawkins - But what about Bryce? You can't leave him unsupervised.

Taylor Michaels - He's not going to be, Taryn's gonna watch over him.

[color=yellow]Griffin Hawkins - Oh..well sorry if I seem weird about this, I just had no idea the wrestling bug bit you, you always seemed to be more laid back than your other sisters.

Taylor Michaels - I'm not really bitten by anything, again I'm just looking to be a friend for you.

I sigh as I look down, she just didn't get it.

Griffin Hawkins - I'm not sure about this Taylor..this seems like a bad idea..


She frowns in confusion.

Taylor Michaels - Why not?

Griffin Hawkins - ...I'm not sure if I should say..its not you, it's me.

Taylor Michaels - What about you?

Griffin Hawkins - It's..a little bit complicated, you wouldn't understand.

Taylor Michaels - Well try me.

Griffin Hawkins - I'm sorry but I can't...

I go to leave but she grabs my arm.

Taylor Michaels - Just tell me what it is.

Griffin Hawkins - ..Alright fine, you really want to know? It's because someone like me is going to drag you down.

She looks confused as she tries to make sense of what I said.

Taylor Michaels - That doesn't even make any sense.

Griffin Hawkins - Don't you get it Taylor? Every time...every...damn..time I put my trust in somebody, they turn their backs on me, the one person I trusted with my life stabbed me in the back..and for the first time ever, I'm starting to wonder if the problem here is....me.

Taylor Michaels - That is a ridiculous way of looking at things.

Griffin Hawkins - Well it might look silly to you, but thats how I feel, I'm tired of getting hurt all the time, it makes me wonder if I'm that bad of a person to be around. This is a big decision for you to make and I don't want you to end up regretting it somewhere down the line.

Taylor Michaels - I'm not going to regret my decision, this is what I want to do.

Griffin Hawkins - This is really going to upset Tiffani..she probably hates me more than ever now that I beat the crap out of her boyfriend and took his title..with you in this now she's going to flip out.

Taylor Michaels - So let her flip out, she's going to have to deal with the consquences of her actions.

Griffin Hawkins - ...You're not going to let this go until I agree are you?

Taylor Michaels - Not a chance.

This girl wouldn't take no for an answer.

Griffin Hawkins - Sometimes I forget how stubborn you can be when you really want something.

Taylor Michaels - That's how it is with everyone in my family.

Griffin Hawkins - Thats why I can never win an arguement with any of you...but if you really want to do this, then I guess you're along for the ride.

Taylor Michaels - That's right, it's you and me from now on.

Griffin Hawkins - I just hope you can put up with me on the road traveling across the country..I do have a reputation of being high maitenence..and not in a good way like your sisters.

Taylor Michaels - I think I can handle myself, I have been around you before.

Griffin Hawkins - Well now that you're officially my manager, we should celebrate our new partnership somehow..maybe dinner?

Taylor Michaels - Dinner sounds like a great idea.

Griffin Hawkins - The one thing I..always noticed about you Michaels girls is that whenever I go out with one of you..you get the most expensive thing on the menu..

Taylor Michaels - Well duh, we're not the ones paying.

Griffin Hawkins - There goes half my paycheck..

Taylor laughs as she gets her coat.

Taylor Michaels - Oh quit your complaining.

I shake my head and grab my coat as I leave the locker room with her, maybe this wouldn't be so bad.


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~*Poetic Justice*~

Now usually I like to do promos in my locker room or in the ring. That has become a cliche to many who like to get their point across. I figured this time I do something different. I wasn't even in the arena. I was on a stage of a whole different kind. The camera opens up in an empty Opera house. There isn't one single soul in the seats. The camera goes to the only person on stage...me. I'm decked in my usual street clothes, a Leather Jacket with a Gangster Marilyn Monroe T-Shirt on underneath and ripped black jeans. I stand on stage with my right foot leaning on a chair, as if I am waiting for something. Then finally it comes, the Spotlight. I push the chair away into the darkness with my foot. Some Opera-like music begins to play on the sound system as I begin. I walk along, taking in the energy. I seemed to be in a poetic mood..

"Karma is indeed a cruel mistress. When you try and tempt fate...you only end up with disappointment. In the last few weeks we all have witnessed the folly of many in their quest for royalty. All in one fell swoop...the royal couple of Insurgency went from riches to rags. But that was not all...we also saw the leader of an Empire..get booted out by his comrades. Sometimes It's nice to see all the cards falling into place. Karma is indeed something that one should not face once you've committed your misdeeds. Some live and die by their own actions..and in the end they become their undoing. But on one night someone was rewarded for staying true to themselves and what they believe in. Someone was granted immortality for all the pain and sacrifices.."

I raise my hand as the music stops. And soon, a cable drop. Around it is the Insurgency World Heavyweight Title. I smile and unhook it, placing it around my shoulder. The music resumes as I walk, speaking more coherently this time.

"At Nowhere to Run..there was definitely nowhere to run for Alexander Remington. What you saw was two gladiators who hate eachother with a passion go straight to the depths of hell. But only one came back with the title...and that was me. Course...Remington not only lost his title, he lost everything. His so called friends in the Empire kicked him out when he lost the crown jewel. Wow..who could have predicted that would happen?..Me of course. You see, I knew it would be just a matter of time when Remington outlasts his usefulness and they kick him to the curb. And now..the so called King of Insurgency has been reduced to...Twitter. He seems to blame everyone for his downfall and continues to make hateful comments towards me. The man..well, I wouldn't say man. He seems more like the angry high school girl who got stood up at the prom. His constant angry tweets towards me creeps me out and makes me wonder if he has a man crush on me. I guess that's probably why Tiffani hates me, jealous girlfriend issues. Old Alex really knows how to pick em..But before this turns into a bad Carrie Underwood song, I just want to say, its not about Tiffani's white girl problems...It isn't about Remington jumping all over me on Twitter 24/7..which makes me wonder if this guy has a life outside the internet...it's about the fact that I said from the beginning The Empire would one day kick Remington to the curb..and they did. And now Remington sits on Twitter all damn day blaming everyone but himself for his downfall..while Eric Steel has booted out the leader.."

To me it seemed almost comical. A man who was a lowly grunt of the Empire..was now the leader. It's like something out of a Roman story...

"Amazing isn't it? I spent the last few weeks being tortured by the people I used to call my friends...and weeks later I become Champion. Eric Steel spends the last few weeks being a glorified jester for the Empire...and later he becomes their king. But I ask you all..what is..the price to pay....for power? Those who crave fame and glory..they end up meeting their end. Eric Steel..a being of grand illusion such as you..seems to think that now that the Empire is without Corey Casey..you move up in the card! But alas..in your quest for power and glory...you'll run into quite..a roadblock if you will. For you see..you are looking at the guiding light!...of Insurgency. The one true warrior that will smite the wicked and plunge thee into the depths of hell. The man who wears the false crown of the golden child..is going up against the man who sits upon his perch so mighty!"

I make sure to have a pose of some type go with every one of my actions. I feel like a good actor.

"I must commend you Eric, you have gone from a simple glorified gopher for The Empire to.....well..you're still a gopher. But the sad part is..a kid as talented as you should be going out on his own, yet you choose to folly in the ways of a sycophantic leech. That's what differs me and you. I am my own man..you choose to be nothing more than a follower. You don't even have leadership qualities. Obsequious and arrogant, clandestine and vain..you continue to fight...in The Empire's name. But is it worth it...to be slain in the end? How long will it be...until you are betrayed by your friends.."

I reach to the side of the curtain and pull out what looks to be a skull.

"Alas..poor Remington...I knew him well. He met his demise at the hands of the Empire..and now another shall join him on the sidelines. You hold the Empire banner drenched in blood..in the hopes of victory...*tosses away the skull* but I hate to be the one who disappoints you when you fall down. Your destiny...your fate...is in my hands. For I am your lord and master in this match. Your bones will build my palaces..your eyes will stud my crown, for I am Mars..the God of War..and I will cut...you down."

I stop and raise the belt in the air as the lights go out. The only light that comes on is me in the spotlight, still holding up the belt.


"Until we meet again....fare thee well..."

The cameras fade as soon as the lights go out.