Pridefighter

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All there is is darkness... darkness and this constant ringing sound. For a few seconds the ringing is overtaken by piercing screams. The screams sound so familiar, but he can't place them. Damon tries to open his eyes; maybe he fell asleep somewhere and cannot remember doing so... but to no avail. He isn't asleep and he cannot do anything to change the fact that all he can see is darkness. He tries to piece together what happened leading up to his current predicament, but it's as if his memories of the last day or so just vanished. As he focuses on that task a glowing light fades into the darkness, it rapidly changes from blue to red and back. It appears only for a moment before yet again the Nitemare is left in the pitch black.

He is stuck there for what feels like an eternity before finally new sounds begin to rush in... voices.. a beeping.. Damon tries to open his eyes once more and this time he finds success. Light rushes into his view and he sees himself in an all white room. He begins to panic and look around. To his left are a bunch of machines beeping away. A stand with an IV bag runs a tube down, which Damon follows to his hand. He then realizes he is in a hospital bed, but he has no recollection as to why. He looks across from his bed and sees his husband and son looking back at him, their faces a mix of concern and newfound relief. They rush to his side to comfort the confused man.


Nathan: Oh thank god! The doctors didn't know when you'd wake up, we've been so worried!

Damon: Wha- what's going on? Why am I here?

Christian: You were attacked dad... do you remember anything from yesterday?

Damon: I can't.. I'm trying, but I can't.

Nathan: ... do you want me to tell you? It's rough..

Damon: Tell me...

Nathan: Well... yesterday we went to go get a ring so you could propose to Jaime... to do an unofficial wedding. You told me you planned to take him to the park where you first met. That's all I knew until we read the witness statement from a jogger who saw the whole thing from down the path. So what they said was..


Nathan begins to recount what the jogger saw and the scene fades into a flashback.



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Damon and Jaime embrace each other. As they kiss to celebrate Jaime's accepting of the ring footsteps approach the two. The two men pay no attention to them until a voice speaks.


? ? ?: Awww boys isn't that sweet? Two little Cali fags falling in love.. would be a shame if someone ruined their moment..


The voice comes from the presumed leader of a group of young thugs. Five men who had been causing trouble up the path and judging by the beer bottles that created a makeshift pathway of their own back towards the direction the men came from, they were drunk. The leader of the group a tall man with short brown hair and a goatee swings a baseball bat, an ironic twist of fate, and connects directly with Damon's skull. The Nitemare slumps to the ground as Jaime screams in horror. The younger male rushes to his fallen partner, crouching down so he is between Damon's unconscious body and the group of men.


? ? ?: Now that there boys... that's just so cute. He's still going to try to protect his fellow cock-sucker. You do realize this ends badly for you, don't you?

Jaime: Please leave us alone.. we haven't done anything to you!

? ? ?: You disgusted us. Almost made us puke... I'd say that's doing something wouldn't you boys agree?


The rowdy men behind him yell in agreement. They begin to move in towards Jaime, surrounding the man.


? ? ?: But I guess if you insist on protecting your butt buddy here... then you'll take all the punishment for him.


The leader kicks Jaime hard in the chest knocking him away from Damon to the ground. The blow knocks the wind out of Jaime's lungs, preventing him from escaping as the gang steps over Damon's body to stalk towards Cortez. Two of the men grab Jaime by the arms and pull him to his feet. The other three take turns landing heavy shots against Jaime's face and ribs. Blood begins to pour down Jaime's face from the strikes. All the while he pleads for the men to stop. The men hold Jaime in place while their leader begins to wind up for a swing of the bat.


? ? ?: BAAAAATTER UP!


The man follows through and the bat slams into Jaime's ribs and several loud cracking noises fill the air, most assuredly ribs breaking from the impact. They drop Jaime to the ground and begin kicking him in the back and head. The leader stops them and motions for them to get the man to his knees.


? ? ?: I have a great idea boys. These dirty fags love dick so much? Well I've been looking for some release! Maybe we all give it to them!


The group laughs as the hold Jaime in position. The leader begins to unbuckle his jeans, but thankfully the sound of sirens approaching stops him from going any further. He and his men scatter off the other way as the police reach the scene.


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As Nathan finishes the retelling of events tears begin to flow from Damon's eyes. They hurt his love and he was powerless to stop them. Immediately he begins to panic... where is Jaime? Is he in the hospital? Please for the love of Satan.. is he still alive? Knowing his husband as well as he does Nathan sees the fear in Damon's eyes and deduces it's cause immediately.


Nathan: He's in another room. It was touch and go for a bit, but they say he will be okay. He's in a medically induced coma to prevent his brain from swelling from his injuries... he does have several broken ribs.. it's going to be a rough recovery, but he's going to be okay eventually.


Damon begins to sit up, only for Nathan to softly hold him down. Damon pushes past his husband's resistance and swings his legs over the side. He stands up and Nathan steadies him.


Damon: I need to see him.

Nathan: Sweetheart, you need to rest..

Damon: You know you aren't stopping me. So either you help me there or I go myself.


Nathan nods knowingly. His husband is one of the most stubborn and determined people he's ever met and trying to get in his way is a fruitless effort. He leads the Nitemare out of the room and down the hall, bringing the IV stand with them. Christian meanwhile goes to the nurses station to inform them of the updates to his father's condition. The two husbands walk down the hall and go through a few sets of double doors leading to the Intensive Care Unit. Seeing those words causes the reality of Jaime's state to truly hit Damon.

They reach a room near the end of the hall and slowly Nathan helps Damon in. Upon entering the room Damon sees something no one should ever have to see: his beaten and broken lover. Jaime's left eye is swollen over. His face still has some dried blood on it. Bruises are splattered across his visible skin. Damon nearly crumbles to the ground, but Nathan holds him up. The two approach the bed. The tears from Damon's eyes are endless as he rests his head gently against Jaime's shoulder.


Damon: Jaime.. I'm so sorry.. I should have protected you.. I should have stopped them.. this is all my fault.

Nathan: Damon.. you know that's not true.. there wasn't anything you could have done. Just be glad he's alive. Make every moment count.

Damon: ... I will. I will keep fighting for him. No matter what.

Nathan: Speaking of fighting.. I think we will need to call APW management and let them know you can't compete.

Damon: No we fucking won't!

Nathan: My love.. you're injured.. you shouldn't be stepping into the ring.

Damon: I NEED to. For Jaime. To show the world that we can't be beaten down. And we can't be made to fear them. I'm defending that title.. and I'm keeping it. All for Jaime.

Nathan: Well then... you need to go rest for today. I'll talk to the nurses and see if it's possible to have you released for tonight.. but you MUST REST. GOT IT?


Damon nods. As much as he knows Nathan is right he isn't sure how he rest knowing that Jaime was beaten to an inch of his life. Left laying for death to come take him from Damon. As Damon returns to his room he makes up his mind. Someone tried to take away one of the most important parts of his life that will never happen again. No one will take his husband. No one will take his son. No one will take his boyfriend. And no one will take his championship. Ever.



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As has become expected by now the camera flicks to life and Damon's promo begins to stream in the red room, throne and all. However there is something vastly different about this glimpse into the Nitemare's home. The usually immaculate walls are littered with holes presumably from blunt force strikes to the drywall. The throne which typically sits proudly in the center of the room has been thrown forcefully into the back wall. In it's usual place sits Damon Warrens in his old white ring gear which seems to have fresh blood spots on it. Upon further inspection the blood drips from Damon's knuckles damaged from his fight with the walls around him. His face is covered by his hands, only his eyes visible through the spaces between some of his fingers.



Damon: APW.... I am broken. I am.... I'll be honest I am not the same proud and greater than thou sort of Damon Warrens you are used to. I am a man who's body and mind has been shattered by the hands of hatred... by the faces of discrimination... by the words of intolerance. I am a man who for the first time in my time in Architects Pro Wrestling feels alone in the world. When I walk into Gods of Wrestling I will be a solitary king, no prince at my side.


Damon removes his hands from his face and when he does so he reveals eyes red and cheeks streaked from tears and anger. There is a sense of defeat about him, something never fathomed to be possible for the Nitemare.


Damon: The most amazing, supportive, and selfless young man I have ever met was victimized by people who felt it appropriate to take their homophobia out on both his and my bodies. I was lucky. I'm a battle hardened soldier.. I've been beaten, bruised, broken, battered.. all over the world. I've been hit with every weapon imaginable. That sort of pain.. it's not new to me... but him.. he's an angel... he hasn't had to fight the wars I have. He hasn't had to endure the wounds I have. I put him in the line of fire.. and I couldn't protect him. So while I walk to the ring for my match at Gods of Wrestling against Andre Aquarius ... Jaime will be lying in a hospital bed fighting his own battle .. to recover.


Damon takes a deep breath, using the moment to put a stop to any possible tears welling up inside of him.


Damon: People like the men who did this to us... to him... they make me sick. They make me furious. I may be a three time Villain of the Year... I may be the Devil Himself... but even I have morals. Even I wouldn't harm an innocent defenseless person. These men are a lot like a lot of America... hateful... intolerant.. prejudiced. It's people like that who tried to hold me down from becoming anything important in this business... because no one wanted to see a ******* represent a company. It's people like that who thought that because I am gay that I wasn't tough enough to handle professional wrestling. It's people like that who scoffed at the idea of a gay man winning a world championship. It's people like that who I fight to rise above and prove wrong every day of my life.


Damon slams his fist down on the ground and fury takes over his eyes. The anger is so intense that they look as if they could shoot fire.


Damon: Gods of Wrestling is more than just a championship defense for me! This is my opportunity to show those men that they cannot make me a fearful victim! I will show the world that no one can break me like that EVER AGAIN! I fight not just for my own ego and pride... no I fight for so much more than that. I fight for Jaime. I fight for my husband and son. I fight for ever queer person in this country and across the world who doesn't think they can ever amount to something because bigots convinced them so. I fight for every queer person who isn't with us anymore whether it be from falling too far into that dark spiral... or from attacks like that one myself and mi amor just faced!


Damon's passion shows through in a way it hasn't before. A typically cold and heartless man begins to let his guard down and his heart begins to show through.


Damon: That's the big difference between Andre and I. I am a man with a raison d'etre. .. a reason to be. Andre is a cocky son of a bitch who has thrown temper tantrums and caused issues everywhere he's gone. He's burned every bridge he's ever crossed... not for his own protection.. not for justice... but because no one wants to feed into his undeserved ego. Andre cares only about Netflix specials and social media likes. He fights for the vainest and most egotistical of reasons. He doesn't care about this business. He doesn't care about the people watching. He doesn't give a damn about anyone other than himself. You know... let me tell you about Andre Aquarius.


The Nitemare pauses to regain his composure.


Damon: Andre Aquarius is the kind of man who thinks that it's okay to make misogynistic comments about female opponents. Andre Aquarius thinks that he can get away with making borderline offensive remarks about Hispanic opponents. Hell I haven't had any time to listen to his promos on me given the circumstances, but I wouldn't be shocked if he made a homophobic jab at me at the rate this man goes. One thing I can almost guarantee is he probably made some shoddy attempt to make fun of BDSM since that seems to be the only thing anyone in this company can come up with when they try to take shots at me. Andre is the kind of man who thinks that by dropping a few n words and expletives that his promos are fire. As if saying controversial words somehow turns his run of the mill mic work into some sort of pipe bomb ready to explode on the internet.


There is a clear feeling of disgust in the way Damon describes his opponent.


Damon: Andre Aquarius is purely about the shock value because he realizes that he lacks everything else that could bring him success in this business. He lacks in ring ability. He lacks any respect for what we do. He lacks any talent to captivate the world with a mic in hand. He lacks passion. He lacks motivation. I've said time and time again that I am here to push back against the wave of mediocre talent. I have promised to raise this company up to higher echelons of epic wrestling. At the last Pay Per View Smitty and I did just that. I cannot promise this match will be the same. This isn't a masterpiece with two of the most gifted fighters in the ring. This is a battle between a man whose bad attitude is more notable than anything he's done in the ring... and the world champion who has out wrestled and outwitted every person to stand in his way. This is a man who only cares about putting in the work when there's a treasure on the line versus the man who gives his blood, sweat, and tears every time he steps between the ropes. This is a war between the Prizefighter and the Pridefighter. And Andre... .THIS. DOESN'T. END. WELL. FOR. YOU.


Damon leans closer to the camera, his face communicating a relentless determination.


Damon: At Gods of Wrestling you are stepping into the ring with a wounded animal... and nothing is quite as dangerous as that. Every time I rain my fists down against your skull I want you to know I will be imagining the men that attacked my love. Every time I slam my knee against your temples it will be for every person like me that has been discounted and degraded by douche bags like you. Those men may have assaulted me... but at Gods of Wrestling I'll be committing murder... and it will be a JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE.


The feed cuts, the last sight being the somehow fiery yet cold stare of the Alpha Pro Wrestling World Champion.