As he has sat and listened, Hornet has almost completely forgotten about the CSWA, at least for the moment. His obligations, his responsibility, his pride, they’ve all been colored by the other speakers. It’s not that they aren’t important, but that they’re unimportant compared to the fight he’s in the middle of.

He’s finally realized that he’s in the Main Event of his life, and if he makes the wrong move, if he allows himself to be put in the wrong position, then he’ll have no choice but to tap.

And slowly, he begins to remember that Hornet isn’t a person who taps easily. He realizes that a wall isn’t the beginning and end of who he is. That pride and it’s counterpart, guilt, don’t define who he is. That his mistakes are a part of his makeup, but not the whole.

Does he have regrets? Absolutely. But would he go back and change things? Would he take away the life lessons that he’s learned, the ones that he’s starting to learn even now? Absolutely not.

The gate has started to collapse inward; the wall has started to crumble. And as it does, in slow motion, Hornet finds that this time the remnants of the gate, of the door, aren’t there to bury him alive, but to protect him until help comes. As the explosion rocks him, as the shower of fire and rocks batters the twisted metal of the door on top of him, he remembers that he’s alive.

He hurts. He hurts as much as he ever has before. His back has been broken by the burden of guilt and self-hate. But he realizes that just as his physical back healed, just as doctors and surgeons helped repair his hurts then, that there might be that help now.

So as the last speaker sits down, he stands. For long moments, he doesn’t say anything. In fact, someone else speaks first.

“Hey, aren’t you…”

But before he can finish, another voice cuts in.

“You know better than that, Joe. Let him talk. Give him time.”

He almost can’t. The surge of emotion, the swelling drumbeat of mistakes and rationalization and loathing rises and tells him to leave, to turn around and walk away. Surely he can still get to the MCI Center in time to wrestle… surely if he just wins that match, all the hurt will go away and everything will be justified.

And in that moment, Hornet remembers who he is, and that part of him is a wrestler. And wrestlers don’t fear pain. They do what they have to, to get through the pain. No matter how much it hurts.

He hurts. And he takes a moment to revel in it. As the shower of debris stops, and the sirens wail and people scream, he realizes that’s it’s hard to breathe. That the weight of twisted metal and concrete and glass lies on top of him. But while it might be hard, he can still breathe.
He takes a long, deep breath.

“My name is… My name is Paul, and I… I need your help.”

“Paul, welcome to our meeting here at St. Paul’s. My name is Jack Harbor. How can we help you?”

“I’m addicted to painkillers. It all started when…”

As his story spills out, so does his grief. He talks about the mistakes he’s made, and how he’s hidden from them. He tells them everything, no matter what the consequences or what they think of him.

He feels the cool air on his face as the twisted metal is lifted off of him. The sirens seem closer, the frantic shouting of people seems louder. But the air is cool. And the sunlight hits his face, for the first time in what seems an eternity.

His body tells him that he needs to sleep, that it needs to shut down to repair. But he ignores the physical cues, keeping his eyes open to take everything in. He basks in the sunlight, feeling it warm his face, feeling it strip the numbness away.

Pain. It hurts.

He thanks God for every ache, for every laceration, for every scratch. Every bit of the pain shows him that he’s alive. And that’s the most important thing.

BB: Main Event time, Sammy. BATTLE OF THE BELTS XVII, it’s been one heck of a night to this point.

SB: Geez Buckley could that have been anymore robotic? You’re an aging form letter. You realize this don’t you?

BB: I missed you.

SB: Unless you’re ‘in’ with one of the Miller Lite, girls stop coming on to me.

BB: Have you lost weight?

SB: (hesitantly) Yes. Thank you for asking.

BB: BOB XVII. If I’m allowed a moment of reflection, we’ve been here for all seventeen.

SB: What’s sad is you’re proud of that. Yeah they’ve been a hoot. We’re old enough to have seen the days when CSWA cards had subtitles. Really, it’s a shame badges aren’t given out for surviving some of Merritt’s dreck.

BB: Sammy, you’ve finally sold-out. You’ve o-fish-ally become a company shill.

SB: Ahem.

BB: Well, I for one am thrilled to have been a part of the CSWA’s great history. I won’t subject our audience to listening to you play the word association game sober, but when you think of CSWA, you have to conjure images of Mark Windham. I’d even be so bold as to take it a step further.

SB: I love it when you’re being bold.

BB: Quiet fool.

SB: Sorry.

BB: CSWA Main Event = Mark Windham. And here he is again.

SB: And tonight is no different, as those who don’t live in caves, or have spent twenty bucks to buy a program tonight know already. Windham is in the Main Event again, and this time it’s actually a record setting performance.

BB: How so?

SB: It’s the longest title run in CSWA history with only 3 or less title defenses.

BB: Oh stop!

SB: Buckley I’ve been off the air for four months but only two shows. Come on now...the material presents itself.

BB: What are you implying?

SB: That Merritt stumbled upon the new NFW format without knowing it.

BB: Nice. Twenty bucks for a program? Is that right?

SB: I jest not. No, we don’t live in the Matrix, but the CSWA is controlled by Microsoft Money. Merritt’s got Bill Gates planning his debt payments, and this month has all of the concessions going towards the Bank Of America Card.

BB: You’ve been at home just constantly writing haven’t you?

SB: (hesitantly) Yes. Thank you for asking.

BB: Seriously folks, in my time here I would have never thought Hornet to be one to no-show an event, let alone a World Title match. I’m speechless.

SB: Yeah, it sounded like it. I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation. He’s just probably recovering from Laser Eye surgery and forgot to call in sick. Corrective vision could make up for the half-step Hornet’s lost over the years. I applaud the effort, honestly.

(“Til’ I Collapse by Eminem starts to play as the crowd stands in anticipation. As “TRIPLE X” flashes on CSWAvision, Sean “Triple X” Stevens steps through in his typical black tights with blue outlines. He’s accompanied, as usual, by everyone’s favorite ‘psycho bitch’, Poison Ivy. Sean shakes his wet hair and points at several fans with pro-Triple X signs as he and Ivy start to walk down the ramp.)

BB: Right now I’m hating that I turned down Merritt’s offer to bring in Anna Nicole Smith as a co-host.

SB: (singing) Anna...Anna...Anna...Anna Nicole. You were just afraid she’d spend the first half of this match humping your leg....right now I’m hating that Merritt didn’t give me the option of signing off on it.

BB: Ivy and Triple X making their way down the aisle now. No turning back. Hornet will not be a part of this. You’ve got to wonder if he just simply didn’t want to face Mark Windham. There’s bad blood there. Maybe enough is enough.

SB: The man bedded Windham’s wife. And if you’ve seen Jewels Windham lately you know why Hornet went ahead with the corrective eye surgery.

BB: Oh stop.

SB: Don’t mind me I’m just bitter that Abe Polin backed out on his handshake deal with Merritt to publicly fire Jordan during intermission. We see that, Bug Brain’s no-show rolls off the back a lot smoother.

BB: Triple X has a shot of a lifetime tonight. Ivy’s managed a World Champion before. Can she do it again?

(As Ivy and Triple X get halfway down the aisle, PLR, Powers, Lance Leizure and Rob Sampson jump them from behind. The crowd stands, rubber-necked to catch the attack.)

BB: Lance Leizure just cracked a metal trashcan over Triple X’s head! Sampson and Leizure stomping away! This is uncalled for!

SB: When is a sneak attack ever called for? Thus the importance of the surprise. Idiot.

(Powers holds Ivy back making her watch. Ivy shoots her right leg behind her and nails Powers in the groin. She turns and whacks the cane over his head)

BB: Ivy canes Leizure! Yes!

SB: I feel so empowered right now! Annika shoots one over and Ivy holds her own! Wenches everywhere unite and rejoice!

(Rob Sampson spears Ivy, taking her down to the floor)

BB: Powers shaking it off, OMIGOSH! Sammy he’s got a trash bag in his hand...he’s tied it over Ivy’s head! NO!

SB: See, I prefer Hornet’s way. Sure, surgery is more expensive, but here there’s the possibility Ivy could be seriously hurt.

BB: That’s the point! This is sick!

(Powers canes Ivy a number of times)

BB: They were not scheduled to be out here! Ivy, honey...geez. Somebody.

(Sampson and Leizure powerbomb Triple X onto the trashcan.)

SB: Incidentally, BOBXVII = Seventeenth Main Event pre-match attack. Sorry, couldn’t help myself.

(Sampson sets the trashcan up against the security railing then he and Leizure whip Triple X headfirst into it.)

BB: Triple X in serious trouble. His career could be over after this. He’s busted wide-open Sammy.

(Powers has Ivy, trash bag over her head, set up for a piledriver. The crowd is furious, trash wildly being thrown at him.)

SB: Don’t worry Buckley this is a form of foreplay. Trust me, chicks like Ivy go for this stuff in a big way. She’s in for a Big O tonight.

BB: Sammy...shut up.

SB: You’re supposed to yell “Serenity Now.”

(The crowd gives it’s largest pop of the night as ELI FLAIR and DEACON rush down the aisle.)

BB: Eli...clotheslines Powers! YES!

(Eli rips the trash bag off Ivy’s head and starts to wipe the blood from her face.)

BB: Deacon clubs Sampson! Flair drills a boot to Leizure’s gut! We need help for Ivy and Triple X!

(Eli picks up Sampson and bodyslams him. Deacon scoops Leizure and slams him. Powers tries to counter from behind, but Eli shrugs him off and sends him face first into the trashcan.)

(Sampson clips Deacon. He and Leizure start to fight Deacon. Slowly the three of them battle their way back up the aisle.)

BB: Eli Flair is beside himself. Hovering over Ivy, he start to scoop her up, but medical personal have finally hit the scene and they’re waving Eli off.

(Powers jumps into the crowd and checks out.)

(As Triple X and Ivy are loaded onto stretchers, Mike Plett carefully trots out. Flair and Plett exchange glances, Plett indicates he wasn’t in on it.)

BB: This three-way World title match will be between Wicked Sight and Mark Windham! Triple X, Sammy, he’s not coming back that’s for sure.

SB: You’re speaking like the man is dead. Relax Buckley, he’s only “mostly dead.”

BB: Thanks Miracle Max. Flair walking with Ivy and Triple X back up the aisle. I don’t know how close the nearest hospital is, but for my tastes they can’t get there soon enough. Horrific display tonight by PLR.

(Plett is in the ring, and from behind his back he pulls out the bloodied trash bag that was on Ivy’s head. As the crowd fumes, Plett staggers around the ring with the bag on his head.)

BB: That’s a horror of a human being right there. No class and the fans are letting him know it!

(Plett, bag over his head, clutches onto the top rope and slowly drops down acting out cane blows to the head.)

SB: Horror of a human being? How can you say that? The man has range! An Ivy impression, and later this month my sources tell me he’s starring in a local production of The Nutcracker! For too long have we hounded Sight’s generation for not being well-rounded enough. Don’t bag, sorry no pun intended, on Plett for being active in community theater. Maybe your kids should put up the Xbox and hit the stage as well.

BB: I hate you.

(Plett drops to one knee, hands clutched over his throat as if he’s gasping for air. As he continues to make a fool of himself, the crowd pops insanely.)

BB: Sammy!

SB: Game over.

BB: Mark Windham has hit the ring! Plett’s doubled over laughing. He has no idea!

(Windham spins Sight around and nails him with the World Title.)

BB: The bag is still on! Windham whips Plett into the corner, Plett shoots off, POWERSLAM!

SB: If Mark damages that face, Plett’s stage career could be over.

BB: Sight rolling around, I think he’s gasping for air, for real! Windham’s got the IRON CLAW hooked in!! The bell rings, this one may not last a minute!

SB: That’d be ideal for my dinner reservations.

BB: The MCI Center is rocking! Windham has got to be disappointed over not getting Hornet, but he’s got Sight in his grasps...and he’s not letting go!

(The white trash bag starts to turn crimson very quickly.)

BB: Wicked Sight down to one knee. Ben Worthington checks the arm, it goes down once! Worthington checks again, but this time it RACKS WINDHAM! Plett blindly at Windham’s legs and clips Mark’s left knee!

(Sight rips off the bag, gasping for air and a bloody mess.)

SB: Crap. Will I ever eat tonight?

BB: Plett fires a couple right hands at Windham’s left knee. He drags Mark over to the ropes, sets Windham’s left leg on the bottom rope, hops up and crashes down on it with his rear!

(Fans pop as Eli Flair walks back out.)

SB: What’s the King Of Bad Hair Care doing out here?

BB: Plett tries to wipe the blood off his face. He pulls Mark up and into the nearby corner. Elbow hard to the World Champion’s gut! Another elbow in! Right hand across the chops!

(Plett takes Windham’s left hand and fires him across the ring, Windham bounces hard off the turnbuckle, Plett charges in, but Mark nails him with a Lariat)

BB: Quick cover, ONE....TWO....NO! Mike Plett is up! Sight has waited for so long to get this opportunity. His arrogance almost cost him minutes ago!

SB: Watch Eli Flair, Buckley. I don’t care for him one bit. Reminds me too much of Ponyboy from the Outsiders, only hopped up on HGH.

BB: Geez. Windham hooks in an abdominal stretch. He planned for Hornet. Gotta be a disadvantage to face a completely new opponent.

(Plett flips Windham over, then dropkicks him as he gets to his feet.)

SB: There ya go, kid. Can’t agree with you there, Buckley. Like Sight planned for Windham? He’s the World Champion. Adjustments on the fly in theory is a strength that got him the title. Deal with it.

(Plett whips Windham into the ropes and elbows him to the face as he comes off.)

BB: Wicked Sight goes to the outside of the apron, jumps up to the top rope. He’s waiting on Windham!

SB: We all are. The man is as notoriously stupid as he is slow.

(Plett flies off and dropkicks Windham. Mark rolls through the ropes to the outside)

BB: Plett isn’t wasting any time going after him. Back in the ring, he hops up to the top rope! He’s trying it again, but this time he’ll jump outside!

SB: Watch Flair!

(Plett leaps off, but Windham dodges him, grabbing Plett’s left hand and helping him crash into the security railing. Eli Flair walks over towards the action.)

BB: Windham’s a brawler, Sammy. High risk is Plett’s game, but taking the fight out there is asking a lot. Windham fires Plett’s head into the ring apron. He’s got the ring stairs moved out.

(Windham gets distracted by Eli, starts to stare him down.)

BB: Sight knees Mark in the gut and sends him flying into the ring steps! Windham lost concentration for a brief second and it cost him.

(Sight spits at Eli)

SB: I want Worthington to toss Flair out of the building right now. The man’s got a online degree in Spanish and a budding postal career on the side, he should be smart enough to know Flair isn’t helping matters any, for either of these men.

(Worthington gets in the middle of Flair and Sight as Eli tries to respond.)

BB: That’s what he’s trying to do now, Sammy.

(Sight rams Windham’s head into the security railing twice, then side-slams him to the floor.)

SB: Good boy Worthington. Now if we can just train him to leave the seat down in the girl’s bathroom we’d have a winner.

(Plett rolls Mark back into the ring, then sets off for the top turnbuckle.)

BB: Eli is only here to make sure the title match is decided fair and square!

SB: Oh yeah he’s a regular paragon of virtue. I’m sure parents everywhere wish he could be the Godfather to their children.

(Plett leaps off the top turnbuckle and connects with a double axe-handle.)

BB: Worthington counts, new champion maybe...ONE.......TWO....NO! Windham powers out! Sight’s trying power high risk moves. Anything to get the win!

(Sight bounces off the ropes, leaps in the air and misses an elbow smash.)

BB: Sight was close to connecting! Windham hooks in the SCORPION DEATHLOCK! That’s...

SB: HORNET’S MOVE!! We know Bill. Tone down the gayness just a bit, please.

(Plett screams in pain as Mark squats for better leverage)

BB: Sammy...

SB: It’s PPV I don’t have to be PC.

BB: Like you make an effort on cable.

(Windham drops the hold, then walks to the ropes where Eli is watching outside. Windham waves him off.)

BB: Mark is clearly bothered by Flair’s presence.

SB: Oh sure, sound concerned. I’ve been telling you for many years that Eli’s presence bothers ME and nothing! Not even the faintest tear.

(Plett to his feet. As Windham argues with Flair, Plett dropkicks Windham over the rope. As Windham flips over he lands against Eli. Both men crash to the floor.)

BB: Sight whips himself off the ropes, gets a full head of steam across the ring and leaps over!!!

(Plett lands on both Windham and Flair with a shooting star press as the crowd ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs.’)

BB: Man alive! Wicked Sight is going for broke. Call it desperation, or hunger. Whatever.

SB: I call it the influence of the Global X-Games!

(Plett grabs a chair and cracks it over Eli’s head, then tosses Flair into the crowd.)

BB: Sight just smacked a drink out of some poor kid’s hands. He’s been barking at the fans all night. Come on Mike!

(Windham knees Sight to the gut. Suplex by Windham)

BB: Mark has not been on his game at any point tonight. You can see it in his eyes, Sammy. He wanted Hornet. The no-show has him hurting, clearly.

SB: (singing) Cry me a river. Cry me a river.

(Windham tries a double-arm powerbomb, but in mid-air Sight turns it into a Frank’n’Parsons.)

BB: Windham’s foot popped Worthington in the head. Ben’s staggered.

SB: Apparently you can learn to woo game Mexican gals online, but you can’t become a man. Shake it off Benny boy.

BB: SIGHT BULLDOGS WORTHINGTON! What in the world?!

SB: Okay that would hurt anyone. But still...

(Plett reaches under the ring for something)

BB: Windham gets to this feet, turns... what’s that? OH!! Plett just cracked a stack of glass plates over Mark’s head!

(Plett reaches under the ring and pulls out a table. Before setting it up and cracks a chair over Eli’s head again.)

SB: The man taunts me about dinner. Where’s the justice in the world?

(The table is set up. Windham is laid over it. Sight heads back inside the ring.)

BB: Whatever this is, it could be the end of Windham’s title reign.

SB: All 45 minutes of actual mat time of it.

(Plett sets up a chair near the ropes. Fans stand in anticipation.)

BB: Wicked Sight runs leaps off the chair over the top rope and LEG DROPS WINDHAM THROUGH THE TABLE!

SB: It’s all about the proper amount of elevation. Of course that’s what the guy from INXS thought too.

(Plett rolls Worthington back in the ring.)

BB: I haven’t seen Windham look this bad in years. Plett’s go-for-broke game plan is about to pay off.

(Mike wades through the broken table mess and rolls Windham into the ring.)

SB: (singing) It’s just a moment, this time will pass.

(The fans pop as someone comes out from the 'low road' to the ring, exiting at the bottom of the rampway.)

BB: Plett shakes Worthington and covers. Not like this. Not like this.

BB: The cover....ONE........TWO....

(A heavily bandaged Triple X pulls the referee out of the ring, stopping the count, then rolls into the ring himself. Ivy is right behind him.)

BB: I don’t believe it!! Trip is back and he’s tearing into Mike Plett! Ivy just caned Worthington as he was ready to call for the bell!

(Trip fires Plett off the ropes and catches him with a sleeper hold.)

BB: Sleeper! Plett’s going out!

(Ivy canes his stomach a few times)

SB: Will the women’s movement never end? Blast.

(Crowd rubber-necks again. PLR comes back out, jumping on top of Trip and Ivy. Ivy tries to fight, but she’s overwhelmed and thrown outside. Trip is beat down, and held for Sight.)

BB: This is gotten out of hand!

SB: Serenity now! Serenity now!

BB: Plett plants a superkick to Trip’s lips! He and Ivy shouldn’t have come back.

(crowd pops)

BB: Eli’s in the ring! Eli Flair taking on all three guys! Windham to his feet, Mark and Plett going after each other!

SB: Bar the door Katie!! (laughs) That’s so BOB 1-ish.

(The brawl fumbles outside the ring. Only Plett and Windham remain inside.)

BB: It’s three against two outside. Eli and Trip can’t hold out much longer!

(Plett sends Windham outside and tends to Worthington)

BB: PLR is about to do Plett’s dirty work! All this because Hornet decided not to show! I’m holding him responsible.

SB: I blame Pearl Jam. Ever since they took on Ticketmaster the world hasn’t been the same.

BB: Look out! Here comes Dan Ryan with a two-by-four! Kevin Powers turns and stares him down... don't forget, Ryan was the one that put him out of the battle royal! Ryan stops in front of Powers and the two have words... Ryan keeps pointing at Triple X. Powers slowly backs away. Rob Sampson and Eli Flair are still going at it, but Lance Leizure holds Triple X!

SB: Uh oh, I think Dan Ryan's about to see if he can hit a homerun using Trip's head!

BB: He tees off, but it's on Leizure!!! (Crowd pops as Ryan starts to attack the contingent.) RYAN!! YES! EVENING UP THE SCORE.

SB: The perfect subtitle! Wait. Too catchy?

BB: Powers hammers him from behind, knocking the two-by-four away, but now Trip is set free. He catches Powers with a knee to the gut, allowing Ryan to get free. And there's Ivy with the cane!

(Sight with a running start is set to dive outside, but Dan Ryan reaches up as he’s about to fly over and pops Plett over the head with the recovered two-by-four.)

BB: And now Ryan has hit the man who brought over to the GXW side!! Windham slips back in the ring. It’s madness outside. Eli Flair is pummeling anyone in his way. Mark sets Plett on the top rope. Listen to these fans Sammy. The glory days are back!

SB: Fifty-cent beers after five?

BB: The World Champion is going to finish it off here!

(Windham hooks Plett and SUPERPLEXES him off the top-rope. In mid-air Windham turns the superplex into a powerslam.)

BB: Plett is buried into the mat! Worthington sees the pin!

SB: El hombre es un Dios.

BB: Windham covers, the count...ONE......TWO.....THREE!!! WINDHAM RETAINS THE TITLE!

(Crowd pops huge as Rhubarb Jones announces the result.)

RJ: Ladies and gentlemen, the winner and STILL CSWA WORLD Heavyweight Champion, "The Living Legend" MARK WINDDDDDDDDHAMMMMMMMM!

BB: Mark Windham holds onto the CSWA World Championship! And as the carnage continues at ringside, we now know the stage is set for the road to CSWA15! Triple X rolls inside, and now he's standing face-to-face with the World Champion! We're about to lose our satellite feed folks. For Sammy Benson and the rest of the CSWA, I'm Bill Buckley. Thanks for joining us for BATTLE of the BELTS!