MONA LISA (AX ROCKWELL)

Ax Rockwell has been on one hell of a bender. Are you surprised? You shouldn’t be. He’s been kind of an embarrassment since coming to RAZOR Wrestling. For those of you who don’t know, his step mother runs the place. What’s better is that it’s named after his late father – 80s wrestling God Razor Rockwell.

Seems like he’s destined to be the top guy in this place. Right? Not quite. If you watched the first episode of RAZOR Wrestling then you know that not only did he lose, he was almost set on fire by PJ Lemon.

Rough go.

Since that moment he hasn’t been doing great. In his second match he lost to Craneo because her sidekick Calavera set a match book on fire while standing ringside. While that isn’t the most threatening gesture in the world to most people it is to a guy who was nearly immolated only a week before. Because of that distraction, he lost again.

Then there was this past Sunday where he straight up no-showed the event.

Not a great three weeks for the man known as “The Fortunate Son”. Let’s check in on him…

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Oh would you look at that, he’s fucked!

Ax Rockwell lays on the cheap shag rug dead center in the middle of his one bedroom apartment. It’s a crusty place to live in a cheap building just off the Las Vegas strip. His eyes are wide open and he is staring up at the ceiling. He’s not wasted but he’s also not sober. He hasn’t been sober in over a week.

A poster of his father, Razor Rockwell, stares at him. It’s plaque mounted and it hangs on the wall just above his couch. It’s kind of like the Mona Lisa in that Razor’s eyes follow you wherever you go. I guess it’s a good thing that Ax hasn’t really moved from this spot for days. Less work for the poster.

It’s judging him, the poster. His long dead father is calling him a piece of shit, a disappointment, a nothing person. Just like his Dad used to do in real life. Ax wonders if he is losing his mind but then remembers that if he is asking that question, then he’s probably still mostly sane. Mostly.

Ax has lost his nerve. He knows that. He came into RAZOR wrestling with designs on making his father’s name proud. Then came PJ Lemon and those designs weren’t just ruined – they were completely obliterated. How did a one hundred and thirty five pound indy wrestler get the better of him? She had more heart, Ax thinks. He was not prepared for what she was willing to do to win. He wasn’t willing to do the same.

“You’re a fucking embarrassment.” A voice says.

Ax sits up. That didn’t come from his head. Someone is here. “Hello?” Ax says, looking around his shitty apartment. Not many places to hide. If someone had snuck in here, he’d find them. He was a hide and seek champion as a kid. Hiding wasn’t his game but he was top dog at seeking.

“Hello yerself. Fuck are you doing on the floor?” The voice asks.

“Whaaat the fuck…?” Ax says, still scanning the room.

“Don’t what the fuck me, boy.” The voice says.

“...Dad?” Ax says.

The phone rings and Ax jumps. It buzzes on the coffee table and Ax crawls over to see who it is this time. RAZOR officials had been calling him non-stop, especially some kid named Sophie Whimm, whoever she is. The caller ID reads “Molly”. Fuck, Ax thinks. His Dad’s second wife, owner of RAZOR Wrestling, is calling. She hates talking to him so she must be really pissed. The right thing to do would be to answer and face the music.

Call declined.

He doesn’t want to talk to that bitch. Hell she’s probably going to fire him for no showing, he thinks. Whatever. It doesn’t matter now. The fans have absolutely zero faith in him, the rest of the roster thinks he’s a joke, and now he’s hearing voices. Feels like the beginning of the end. The start of a short journey to the nut house.

But then again.

There is one guy on the roster who still thinks Ax poses a threat. Alex Kincaid. Ax saw that he was booked against this guy for this week. Ax was honestly surprised that he wasn’t fired. Maybe Molly was calling to tell him that this was his last chance.

Maybe he should take it.

Ax stands and walks over to the poster of his father. Ax moves his head from side to side to see if Razor’s eyes are following him. They kind of are. Even in print his father was intimidating. Ax flattens his palms on either side of the poster and looks directly into Razor’s eyes.

“Alright you old fuck. I’ll try.”