Revelation, Pt. 3: Embracing the Truth [Courage Title]

Larry Tact, dressed in a blue track suit, found himself in a Vision space he had no fond memories of: the Void, a purely white space that is neither blinding nor comforting. Larry felt as disoriented as he was the last time he visited, but at least feels slightly better with the company he is keeping. Standing in the Void with him is the Watcher, a figure shrouded under a deep blue cloak, with an orange ropes tied around the waist. Watcher also wore blue gloves with a couple fingers colored in orange, and their head was covered by a hood, the face shrouded by a shadow that made as little sense being cast as the Void itself made sense. According to the Watcher, Larry thought, this was a safe haven where no outside forces could interfere with what they sought to do. After the last couple of weeks, Larry took solace knowing there was a place he could let his guard down. It didn’t mean he had answers he wanted, yet, but hopefully this place would be the beginning.



“So what is it we’re looking to accomplish here?” he asked.



Watcher spread an arm around the Void. “It is here where we may discuss your recent episodes, uninterrupted … and, with luck, find a solution,” Watcher said, their voice as even-keeled and unchanging as ever. It had unnerved Larry at first, but he now took some comfort feeling like nothing phased this being.



“Okay, well how can I help with that? It seems like I didn’t have much defense for whatever happened to me last time,” Larry recalled, with the ‘episode’ being when he had dropped to the ground in some sort of psychic agony.



“You had mentioned … a brother … and that appears to be when the episode occurred. Tell me what you remember of him,” Watcher inquired.



Larry hesitated to think, given what had happened. No, he thought, fearing it won’t give me any answers. It may only make it worse if I don’t face this now, and I want to know why this is happening. He took a deep breath and, upon exhaling, began. “Lazarus Tact was my kid brother. Even with the years between us, we had a bond that was as unique as any I’ve ever had. We did everything together: play with action figures, open boxes of sports collectible cards, practice different sports, band together at family events, and wandering around places just for the hell of it. Thing is, he followed me without question, always curious and hungry to learn, and I was like his guide through life. He had his own friends, but I was his best friend. We were each other’s best friends,” Larry paused, some memories they shared coming back to the forefront. He could never tell people about Lazarus without wanting to shed a few tears, but he fought it back.



“You were obviously integral in his life’s journey,” Watcher added.



“He always looked up to me, and never judged me for my mistakes, or if I embarrassed myself at school. He never believed in failure, either. I tell you, the kid was well beyond his years in wisdom, and his enthusiasm for life was infectious. Somehow he found the best of life. When I found what I thought was the worst of it, he was able to bring up something that helped, even if not immediately. Eventually it would bring a smile to my face, and kind of restore my spirit. Plus, he was no slouch competition. He loved sports, and he played varsity baseball, basketball, and wrestling for our high school. He was a natural, although I like to say I had something to do with refining his ability,” Larry snickered, knowing he was probably kidding himself there. “To be honest, the only sport I was able to beat him consistently was wrestling. We were different weight classes, though. I was already pushing two hundred pounds whereas he was around one-sixty. He was incredibly agile, though, and had this ability to perceive the opposition’s moves that was almost sixth-sense like. He always wanted to spar because he saw it as something he could learn from, regardless if he won or lost. It was all exhibition with me, anyway, but I had trouble seeing it that way. I’ve always been ultra-competitive.”



“Did you and Lazarus attend school together?” Watcher asked.



“No,” Larry replied, “Our age difference was a little too far for that. By the time he was a Senior in high school, I had already graduated and broken into my wrestling career. I started college but then decided to drop out and go to wrestling school full-time. I was in a regional promotion that ran out of New York. I had found my wrestling crew, and we were running roughshod over the place. Then I finally got my chance with the World title.”



“It sounds as if you were making great strides indeed. With that understood, this ‘crew’ you mentioned … were these the ones with which you helped at the academy? RingRats, I believe it was?” Watcher asked.



“Yep, that’s the same dudes. We had a mission, start to build our brand and stroke by reclaiming a term that had negative connotations. We weren’t ignorant. We knew full well what ‘RingRats’ meant, but we were determined to override it with a great wrestling academy. Train students to Championships and commandeer that term for our purposes. Not to mention, we had plans on taking our group beyond New York. We were gearing up to go national, together, and then we could help attract more students. One goal would feed right to the other and grow both.”



Watcher’s hooded head motioned in affirmation. “The stars were aligning in your favor, then. Your brother must have been extremely proud, given he looked up to you.”



“Yeah, plus he attended shows and was a wrestling superfan like me. He even talked about getting in the ring. It would have been amazing, teaming with him. Then one night,” Larry paused, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair. “Lazarus had gone with some teammates to a show. Some altercation broke out, and he got caught up in it,” Larry rubbed his forehead with his palm. He felt like he was perspiring. “Probably ended up showing up whoever was foolish enough to step up to him.”



“Afterwards,” Larry pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment, feeling a pressure building, “He was headed back with his friends. Somehow, the car they were in ran off the road, and they couldn’t gain control. They ended up pitched off into a ditch and… that was it. In a matter of moments, just… gone.”



Larry felt his stomach lurch, but he had this pressure in the back of his head pushing forward, and the combination made him a little nauseated.



“Are you alright?” Watcher said, observing. “Do you feel something?”



“Different, but something’s in my head,” Larry felt a spot with his hand.



“Is there something you doubt? About what you just relayed to me … with your brother …” Watcher says, and Larry looks at him.



“About… actually, yeah. For a long period, I constantly questioned how it happened, how his friends walked away. No one ever found Lazarus. His friends said some people followed them but couldn’t say who. After the accident, no one found Lazarus’ body. The police couldn’t, nor did they have much information. It didn’t make sense, and I wanted to track—“



Larry’s head throbbed with pain. He went to a knee and immediately clutched his head. He felt like a repeat episode was happening, and then felt an object in his free hand. Larry gripped it and after a few moments, the pain began to subside, the pressure held at bay. Larry was able to open his eyes and saw a large crystal in his hand. He looked up at Watcher, who must have given it to him. “W-what did you do?” Larry asked.



“That is a Save Crystal,” Watcher said. “Typically, we use it to return to points of destination … to those who we Watch. In addition, it has been said the Save Crystal can absorb and overwrite a destination one reaches, which is better forgotten.”



Larry stands and rubs his head again. “I don’t really get what that means. How does that have anything to do with what I was saying?”



“Not saying … remembering. Do not forget, this is all based on your memories, Larry Tact. It is possible, and this is only a theory, that at some point you reached a point of crossroads. At this point, it may be that you were given an opportunity … to forget,” Watcher explains.



“Forget? Forget what?” Immediately after saying it, Larry knew he would probably regret the answer.



“The truth … the circumstances under which your brother truly passed,” Watcher confirmed.



Larry stood there, stunned, allowing the words to sink in. The truth? He had just relayed the truth. The idea that this Watcher thought they knew something different made Larry doubt he had chosen correctly to believe in this entire scenario. “You son of a bitch,” Larry spat, “You think you know my life better than I do?! I KNOW what happened! I remember it, just like I said. How dare you claim that this is some sort of lie,” he fumed.



“It is not my intention to doubt you, Larry Tact … rather, the memory you have may have been … tampered with …” Watcher says, but it only serves to exacerbate Larry.



“I can’t believe I ever believed this shit! You think, what, somebody, somewhere managed to implant a memory into my head? I’m not sure what you’re SMOKING, pal, but you better check that the grade isn’t too strong for you to handle. That’s some kind of bullshit. You make a guy I know in wrestling look TAME by comparison, with the shit he comes up with while tokeing up. Get the fuck outta here!”



“Please remember, I am not here to take a side. Hear this … when you were recounting your memory to myself, just moments ago … it triggered a force in your mind. Then the same episode began—“ Watcher began, but Larry cut him off.



“Tell me something I don’t know! I was here, I FELT IT you moron! I’m about ready to put an end to this. You aren’t helping at all,” Larry exclaimed, and prepared to use his will to wake up, as he had learned he could do.



Remaining calm and level-toned, Watcher responded, “You experienced those sensations in this place, the Void. In this space, no one shall be permitted to intervene.”



Larry stopped and tried to think it through. He looked for where the flaw of what Watcher just said was, so he could explain it away and leave this place. He couldn’t. When Watcher told Larry they would come here, to the Void, it was expressly so they could protect from whatever force it was that was causing a disturbance. Which meant…



“So it’s already in me, not something from outside of me. What the hell does that mean?” Larry looked back at Watcher, uncertain of what was happening in him.



“Simply put, the theory I have is that, at some time past, your mind was tampered with. Furthermore, if it was done to a point that the Void cannot block the disruption … it was done by one who has tapped into the power of the Land.” Watcher finished.



“The Land? Where is that? Is that where you’re from?” Larry felt like he continued to have more questions and no answers.



“Indeed … the Land is all around us, in this space, and beyond …” Watcher replied. “It is a place where one can quite literally do whatever it is their desire draws them to. Whether it be gain knowledge, indulge in activities of any kind, seek a life they never lived, find a new purpose for themselves … the possibilities are limitless, so far as I know. In exchange, those who are accepted in the Land become the Watchers … and must fulfill their duty to maintain their residence.”



“Wait, so … this isn’t a place I can just travel to?” Larry questions.



“Correct. There would be no way you could possibly gain access to the Land without permission.”



“Great. Even if I were to believe what you’re saying, that someone managed to change a fucking memory of mine, which still sounds insane… I couldn’t even find the bastard, is that what you’re saying?”



“Not entirely so,” Watcher said, causing Larry to throw his arms up in exasperation.



“Okay, so how do I get in?”



“You would need permission to access the Land … I may be able to have that approved … on a temporary basis … under my Watch, of course.” Watcher said. “To that end, I must first verify if there is another memory being overwritten.”



“Just tell me what I have to do,” Larry said flatly.



“Larry Tact, are you absolutely certain you desire to do this? If you were to find that your memory is a distortion, there would likely be a reason why it had been tampered with. It is rare that such an act is performed, and even within the Land … it would have been conducted by one who has high access. You may be ill-prepared to handle what is revealed,” Watcher cautions, but Tact shakes his head.



“Fuck that!” Larry exclaimed, “Look, you may have to give that ‘disclaimer’ or whatever, before you do this type of thing. Truth be told, I don’t really know what you are, or where this whole Land is. I don’t even know if understand human experience. But in the world I live in, it’s no picnic, Watcher. There’s tragedy, there’s people who want to shit all over you for no reason other than they disagree with your viewpoint. There are people who only want to cause you pain and suffering– and I’m talking physically, mentally, and emotionally. If you want to succeed in the world I inhabit, you’ve got to make some sacrifices, you’ve got to have thicker skin than to shrink at some bad news.”



“Not to mention in wrestling, you get a lot of bad news. You can win and still take a beating. You can have people play head games with you constantly. Fact of the matter is, I don’t play to lose, but if I come up short, I don’t back down or shrink into myself. Some people call it ego, others say it’s arrogance, but the reality is I’ve built up the courage to believe in what I do. No loss is too severe that you can’t bounce back from it. No stipulation is too great that you can’t turn it towards your advantage. I’ve been in wrestling long enough to understand, even the lowest of lows only makes you more resilient if you’re willing to put the work in to pick up the pieces, and climb back up. It’s what I know to be true in my heart, and I’ve proven it time and again,” he says, tapping at his head with a finger. “So whatever it is that might be holed up in here, let’s dig around and pull it out. Because if I’ve been living a lie about what really happened, it’s only going to end up fortifying my mind and my will to know the truth. In the end, it’s going to be my gain and whoever did something to me, that fucker’s gonna pay.”



Watcher nodded. “Truly, you are a man of courage and strength, Larry Tact. I can feel the aura of your resolve, and that it is true. I must admit, I do not know that I can entirely remove a Veil if it should be overwriting your memory. The Save Crystal will be your guide. Should you have a Veil in your mind, focusing on a true memory of your brother will help to unlock at least a glimpse of the truth.”



“I’m ready for it,” Larry said, and looked down at his hand holding the Save Crystal. Watcher then placed a hand over Larry’s, and Tact looked up at the darkness of his face. “What are you doing?”



“If I may, I would like to verify what you See … with that knowledge, I may seek approval to take you to the Land … and if we may, track down the origin of the Veil’s caster,” Watcher offers.



“You’ve got it, tag along and fasten your seatbelt. That’s something we say in the world.”



“I admit I am unfamiliar with the reference. Focus, Larry Tact.”



“Alright, here we go,” Larry takes a breath, and closes his eyes. If there was one thing he knew he could trust, above all, it was the appearance of his brother. Lazarus was someone who walked to the beat of his own drum, and his look was no different. He stood around 6’3” and was pretty slim at 160 lbs, but he had flair and charisma oozing out of every pore. His hair reflected his spirit, as he dyed it the color of fire, bright and luminous. He had part of his head shaved on the side, while the hair sat over one side of his head. This allowed him to have a symbol shaved in on the side of his head. Larry remembered, it was a Japanese kanji, the culture of which Lazarus was truly passionate to learn about. The kanji he had chosen was “心” or kokoro, which translated to “heart.” It seemed simple and silly to have at the time, In Larry’s mind, but for Lazarus it was a mantra. He lived to achieve what he truly felt in his heart was worth pursuing, and to put all his heart into it.



The most striking feature, Larry remembered, were his eyes. Lazarus and Larry both shared green eyes. While Larry’s were olive-green, Lazarus had what could only be described as majestic green eyes. If you put an LED light inside of an emerald, that was how richly colored his eyes were. They could see inside your soul, Larry felt like. He couldn’t believably lie to Lazarus, and he never really wanted to. He always found the courage to remain honest and upfront with his brother, even if it caused pain. They were able to navigate through it to a good place.



Larry could remember his brother’s smile, that infectious smile, full of life and energy…



Suddenly, he felt the pressure that preceded agony. Larry saw a picture of Lazarus running in front of him. They were backstage at an event. Lazarus was running excitedly towards Guerrilla position. He had on a shirt of Larry’s: black, with the word, “Tactilizing” and the number “1” on the back, like you’d see on a jersey.



The pressure continued, and as he braced for the pain Larry gripped the Save Crystal. The pressure continued, and he could feel some force pushing against him, but not moving him. The pain was not coming, and Larry could hear the Watcher speaking.



“… not concern yourself. The Save Crystal can absorb the previous pushback. Press on. Focus on the memory,” Watcher said, although it sounded like they were far away. Larry followed the instruction.



An image of Lazarus in the ring, with Larry, and a crowd roaring with cheers for them. The two of them were standing opposed to another team, two near seven-foot opponents that Larry realized were familiar foes, somehow. One had a long, blonde and braided ponytail, with an eye patch over one eye. The other, a silver mane of hair and a face that looked tailor-made for GQ in its perfection. Before Larry could remember them…



Blip.



The scene became more clear, with a cage surrounding them. ‘A cage match,’ Larry thought as he saw Lazarus kipping up after delivering a top rope maneuver and giving Larry a thumbs-up and flashing a radiant grin. The crowd was wild for him. He was all over the ring, releasing his energy that was so infectious.



Blip.



‘Tap you big bitch!” Larry demanded, holding one of their opponents in an Inverted STF. ‘Look at the sky and scream you quit!’ Suddenly he felt himself releasing the hold, and unable to breath.



Blip.



On the mat, Larry’s vision is suddenly stained red. He sees the silver-haired man looking down at him with a shit-eating grin, and reaches an open hand down towards his throat.



Blip.



The crowd cheering wildly as Larry is dazed in a corner. Through the blurry red curtain he sees Lazarus hammering on the silver-haired man in the opposite corner. Larry needs to get out here. He can’t let his reign be tainted this way. He didn’t expect it to go down like this, but he needs to get out and get back at these bastards.



Blip.



Larry holds a chair, an ace in the hole. He turns and sees a boot strike the chair into his face.



Blip.



“THIS ISN’T A GAME, BOY!! YOU DON’T BELONG HERE!!!”



Blip.



“YOU CAN THANK YOUR BROTHER THE CHAMP FOR YOUR FATE.”



Blip.



Larry wobbles to his feet. He has his title handed to him, and grabs it, holding it close to him. He looks around at the crowd, but nobody is cheering. There is no sound. Larry doesn’t understand. ‘These people are here to see me. I persevered. I put on a show. What’s the problem?’



Then he turns and sees what the crowd is looking at. Larry wipes his face, but the blood got into his eyes by now. He immediately goes numb, barely catching sight of Lazarus is in a corner, unmoving. Blood around him, on him, staining the ring. Then EMT’s are on him, and scattering around the ring with referees and officials. Larry barely catches sight of the two adversaries walking out of the cage as EMT’s approach. One of them shoves an EMT off the steps and trips another as they try to get in through the door. They both laugh maliciously at the scene.



Larry drops the title belt and falls to his knees, making a sound he didn’t know could come from him.



His eyes open, looking at the Watcher. He is back in the Void. He takes several steps backward, away from the Watcher, hands working through his hair as he tries to form the words.



“I-I couldn’t have… didn’t… how was he there? I-I don’t remember… d-didn’t kill him. There’s n-no way… I couldn’t have put him there??”



“You must settle yourself … there is much we do not know,” Watcher said.



Larry runs up to him and grabs the Watcher’s cloak. “WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT??”



For the first time, the Watcher did not vanish or disappear when Larry grabbed him. Instead, he said, “What did it feel like to you? Did it feel true? The Save Crystal has never been known to be deceptive … only you could know …”



Larry can feel his entire body trembling. He releases Watcher, looking at his hands, the Save Crystal causing his face to reflect within it countless times. Larry can feel tears falling down his face.



“I feel it, the weight of the truth. We were there, and it was my idea, my choice. I… I remember it.” He looks up at the Watcher. “I didn’t mean to, and I thought I could keep everything under control. I was World Champion, I had it all, and I wanted to show off. Then they took it too far, and… I lost him. I put him there. I was so concerned about making my title reign impressive, and I didn’t realize… that I wrote my brother’s death sentence. And it made me infamous, in high demand. It secured my future.”



“What do you mean?” Watcher asked.



Larry lowers his head. “After that incident, I remember how I handled it. Everyone expressed concern, they all blamed the opposition. They knew we had taken things to new levels, so much so that the promotion wanted to play up the rivalry. I brought in a new player, Lazarus. I wanted to raise the stakes. I knew I could handle it on my own, so it got made into a cage match. No outside interference from either side. People warned me not to, and I was fully aware of the risks. But that was my statement victory waiting in the wings,” Larry said, and then he felt the rush. A swell of pressure, but not painfully so. He embraced it, the power. The power of the truth. He had been in pain because he was denying it. Now that he had embraced it, he could feel the knowledge unlocking something within him. His body began trembling with laughter from the utter relief of letting go and shedding the lie he had been released from.



When he looked up, Larry had taken on a truly sinister countenance. “I thought I HAD to have it! Beating those two mooks on my own? It would elevate me to the national circuit. I always wanted to make it on my own! I had NEVER needed anyone else, none of the others. I was ready to break away, and this was the match to prove it. Things didn’t go exactly as planned, but Larry Tact had always been more than capable of adapting.”



He begins walking around the Watcher, taking stock of the being. “Watcher, you already knew this. You knew the moment you put your hand on the Save Crystal, didn’t you? You could See it, but there was nothing you could do to stop me from finding the truth again.”



“Only you could verify it,” Watcher said. “I am not here to judge … but to understand and record the truth. For better or worse, now was the time of your Awakening. I would surmise the circumstances of your return to the wrestling world … this was a catalyst for your mind. It may have been unable to hold the truth back any longer.”



“Tell me this, do you think I regret it? Lazarus was all for it! He wanted to get into the ring with his big bro. Who was I to deny him that experience? I never lied, I told him it would be a supreme challenge to overcome the Corp! They were top of the card, well, except for our Epic Alliance. Most importantly, I was at the top, and you can be sure I was headed to bigger and better things, come hell or high water. As it turns out— it was Hell that came along!” he laughed out loud, feeling all jittery.



“What did you do afterwards? You were distraught, to be sure,” Watcher said.



“I was, yes, but I thought Lazarus could be attended to. In the moment, I didn’t realize the extent what had happened to him. What I remember being so utterly devastated over, and caused me to unleash that emotion? It wasn’t Lazarus. I was afraid that my career had been derailed! I thought I was going to have to stay there, languishing because I had failed. I had made a misstep, and I couldn’t fathom how I could maintain my trajectory to go national. Let me tell you, that can be a deathblow to most. Who wants to stay a regional talent when they KNOW they have national—no, GLOBAL potential??”



Larry stops in front of the Watcher. “Like I said, everyone gave their sympathies. I planned for Lazarus to be in the match, even though he had never had a professional match in his life. Then I got a mulligan for the loss! I wasn’t blamed for anything. So I rolled with it, and I played that sympathy to the absolute fullest. In the weeks that followed, I had calls coming in to book me all over the place. I never looked back,” Larry grinned proudly. “I loved my brother and I wanted to share that moment in the ring with him. I wanted us to succeed, for sure. But in the end, it was truly a milestone event in my career, and may have worked out better than I could have imagined. I don’t need to fear it anymore.”



“It is certainly not a question of fear … you were already able to overcome this event, as is evident by your successes,” Watcher said.



“Damn straight! I’ve won World titles almost everywhere I’ve been. My goal in Level Up is no different, but it isn’t always a matter of shooting to the top. Clearly, I can adapt along the way and find my way,” Larry remarked, and he looked at the Save Crystal. “This was a handy little gem.”



“Keep it, Larry Tact. In the future, I may need you to accompany me to the Land. I will work on obtaining access for you,” Watcher said.



“Good. Because I still want to know who the fuck blocked me from seeing what really happened, and making me think something completely different,” Larry nodded and closed his hand over the Save Crystal.



“I will let you know when the time to pursue that venture is upon us,” Watcher said, “For the time being, let us part ways. I appreciate that we were able to find your breakthrough, Larry Tact. It is as I said, an event that was worth Watching for.”



With that, Larry opens his eyes and finds himself in his home office. He gets up from the bed and feels his face with his hand. His cheeks are wet from the tears. He looks down at his other hand, and realizes it is closed in a fist. When he opens it, something falls out. Larry can feel the hairs on his neck raising up as he crouches down and picks up the object.



It is a small, cylindrical crystal. Larry’s mouth falls slightly agape.



“What the…? It’s,” he looks around quickly, but he is alone in the room. “It’s just supposed to be a dream…”







We find ourselves on a rooftop restaurant/bar in New York City. Larry Tact is chatting up a few friends outside of a well-to-do looking restaurant, complete with a stage for performances, tables that have plush sofas instead of chairs, and the inground rooftop pool. Larry himself is dressed in a pinstriped blue suit and slacks, a neatly pressed white shirt with a blue pinstriped tie, tan belt and matching shoes. Completing the look is a crystal pinned to the tie. Larry excuses himself from the group, and takes his drink and himself to an isolated space on the rooftop, where the drone camera follows him.



LARRY TACT: “It’s been awhile since I’ve come up here. With my family and work obligations, I’ve found less and less time to experience some of the best that New York City has to offer. But as I’ve committed more time to Level Up Wrestling, I felt like a change needed to be made. Being as I’ve already achieved plenty of success with my own personal company, I felt it was time I let it operate itself for a time and cleared some space on the calendar for me to get back to enjoying some of life that I’d… forgotten.”



He grins and takes a sip of his wine glass filled with a crimson red, only from the finest of wineries.



“I think it’s a change for the better. After EXP 11, I realized I needed to dig deeper. What about that show brought about such a revelation? Well, I did my job being one of the last two in a battle royal, and my reward was being forced together with a man who deserves nothing from me or my abilities. If anything, I would have done better walking away. Overall, a waste of my time and effort, not to mention I then suffered a pinfall loss at the hands of a woman who makes generally poor life decisions. Atrocious, especially considering I hadn’t been pinned in months. That’s what being a team player gets you, kiddos.”



He scoffs and begins walking as the drone follows.



“It was a lesson I needed to be reminded of. I have a ceiling I need to breakthrough, and part of the fault lands on me. I’ve been dishonest with myself, and what I need to do. At Dead By Daylight, even playing down to the field, I came within inches of being Power Champion. EXP 12, yeah we won but who gives a fuck. I played for the Time Jumpers, not the other way around, and isn’t that a microcosm of my time here.”



Larry sips some more wine and approaches a wall of the rooftop with a view of One World Trade Center and part of the High Line pathway, high above the streets of the city.



“I think I’ve found the right direction. I look at Level Up Wrestling and what I’ve been doing, and it dawns on me that I’m catering. I’m humoring people simply nowhere near my level. It’s like New York sports teams of late: playing down to the competition. At Devil May Cry, I’ve got a spot in the Courage Championship match. A match that may be even more unorthodox than the Skeleton Key, both given the environment and the competition. This time, I’m done with playing down to competition. Instead, I’m playing at MY level and fuck them all if they get caught under my boots.”



Larry laughs, turning back and looking at the people he was mingling with earlier.



“All of this is a game. Half the people that attend these soirées are fucking full of it. They typically have one of the following ‘skills’: spend their parents trust funds, telling some fun stories to make themselves sound marketable, or make big promises they ultimately have no ability to follow through on. Not everyone likes when I come around, partly because I’ve made my own money; got real stories, backed by real people; and know how to invest in actual genuine ideas that are profitable. Drone cameras, smart robot vacuums. Hell, helping get Timberland on board with SmartWool, then boosting its portfolio to VF Corporation to keep it rolling? That was Tact Enterprises.”



With a nod, Larry sets the wine glass on the stone wall of the rooftop and boosts himself onto it.



“I have the know-how to identify opportunities, and capitalize on them. But doing your homework only goes so far. Even with the knowledge, the data, there’s still one more component to success that people lack: Courage. It’s true. Whether known or not in their minds, people lack the courage to pull the trigger on deals or commitments. In wrestling, people need to have the courage to invest in the biggest resource they possess: themselves. Again, so many just can’t or won’t. They fear losing their veil, how others perceive them. You need to be prepared to make sacrifices to truly succeed in this business. Money, good looks, fun stories, riding coattails, and trying to out-boast the rest of the field only gets you so far.”



“In all instances, these people are spewing pure, Grade A bullshit. This Courage Championship field is no different than the standard fare. The only exception is, coincidentally, the tactful option to win.”



Larry momentarily points back to the picturesque cityscape behind him.



“This city is full of the likes of you, too. Underprepared, underwhelming, bloated confidence types with no real reason for why you can succeed in the match ahead. Being a Champion means you need to know how to perform at Championship level. We have a Delivery Girl who seems more interested in her side hustle than participating in a match, much less winning it. She’ll certainly take what’s given to her and manages to slink in for a victory. Facing true resistance? She’s on course to fail. Here’s the real kicker: as far as I can tell, is wrestling anything more than another side hustle? There isn’t a damn scenario I can think of where someone who gives 50% effort is going to come out with anything but a humbling failure in the ring with me. You don’t have dedication, only a mindset of bullshitting your way through and hoping to snake your way through. Well, your luck has absolutely run out because I’m going to get rid of you and set you off your little schedule to boot. Stay in your lane, common errand bitch. You’re stuck in the middle lane of a highway, considering making an exit while I’m passing everyone by on the left.”



He chuckles and adjusts the cufflinks on his suit, his expression becoming more solemn.



“Then we have the ‘Queen Machine’ Jenny, who sought to ride the coattails of… really, whatever ‘it’ is, in Supreme Machine. A creature more than a man of any kind, but that fits perfectly with the garish joke of a wrestler Jenny is. I know what you’re thinking to yourself: Larry ‘lost’ to you at Combat Evolved. I’ve heard that from a couple of the pissants on the roster in my time here, whether it be a multiplayer match, triple threat, or otherwise. The reality is you didn’t do dick to me. You took an opportunity to score a victory over someone more vulnerable than I ever will be. Look, kudos, you made the correct choice. But consider this, Jenny: Combat Evolved, you decided the more vulnerable one was NOT who you had just delivered a Poisonrana to. How crazy is that! Maybe ‘crazy’ is the operative word, but then again a lot of people like to throw that word around, here, and it does some heavy lifting for them.”



He shakes his head, waving his finger in admonishment.



“I don’t prefer to look at things that way. You want to be driven by chaos? That’s your choice and you’re entitled to it. But I can guarantee you I’ve seen others do it far better, and more effectively. Even here, you’ve been played by the likes of Ragdoll, and it doesn’t seem like you’ve even grasped it. You don’t have the courage in you to see what’s right in front of you. Meanwhile, I’ve been treading water because I’ve allowed others to slip by, who lack the courage to confront me. I’m tired of being passed over for the path of lesser resistance, and having people shit on me for their actions. It’s time to show you’re all equally cowardly pieces of shit that refuse to try Larry Tact. At Devil May Cry, I’m going to make it my own mission to make myself undeniable, the one you MUST pass through to win, and not stop until you realize that you simply… can’t… continue. That will be your tactful surrender.”



He shrugs and tugs at the lapels of his suit.



“That goes for all the rest of you, too. Erika Crawford, Eli Goode, Amber Payne, Diamond Steele: try and stop me. I welcome you to resist the force standing between you and the finish line. I’m done with bullshitting the lot of you. There was never going to be a more dominant wrestler in this match than me, and when you combine my size advantage with the realization that I’ve simply played down to you all, there isn’t a question as to who will be Courage Champion. Why lie to myself when the truth is clear? I only needed to tear the veil off.”



He reaches to his tie and touches the crystal on it briefly.



“Lastly we have Ahmya. The aforementioned woman making poor life choices. It pisses me off that I had to clear the ring of that toked up, pretend confident wannabe… PLUS fight against a wannabe ‘old school’ dumbass, supposedly there to help me… and as a result, you had a window to roll me up. I can blame myself for that. I was making a fool of myself by trying to be a team player. I assure you, Ahmya, that will be anything but the case in this match.”



“With that said, when I see someone winning multiplayer titles beside a piece of shit? Well, tactful logic dictates that shit loves hanging on a pile. You may have a bubbly twittersphere to adore you, and that’s great fluff for the dirtsheets. When it comes to stepping into the ring? I see you as nothing more than someone who made a very poor choice in your associations. You demean yourself and those multiplayer titles with that asshole. Moreover, getting rolled up by you puts the stank on me, since regardless of the circumstances, that’s the first pinfall loss I’ve taken in some time. But silver lining… here we are together! What better way to wipe away that stain on my record, and the stank you put on me than to show what I do when I’m not encumbered by a ‘teammate.’ Yes, it’s going to make for a great example of how our innocent, bubbly Multiplayer Champion star… can be broken and humbled within a few seconds’ time. No more fucking rollups.”



Larry swoops up the wine glass, downs the rest of it, and unceremoniously tosses it off the rooftop behind him.



“Larry Tact has a little devil back in him, and I’m ready to make you all cry. Keep your false honor, your bravado, and your tall tales that make you feel special for getting people to believe in you. I only need one person to believe in me, and I’ll take home the Courage title as a reward for investing in myself.”



He walks off screen, leaving us looking at this slice of New York City skyline.



“Then, I’ll know the veil has truly been lifted.”