In the Crosshairs

[Jacob The Mantis OGrady]

The creak of hardwood floor under socked feet fills the air in The Mantis' run-down Brooklyn apartment. He paces up and down the living room, murmuring to himself, with smartphone in hand. Displayed on said smartphone is the official OCWFED social media account, onto which the match card for the first Turmoil show after the holiday break was published. His name, and those of Colin Locke and Danny Watts are emblazoned upon it, scheduling them all for a Triple Threat match to be held just two days after his birthday.

 

After pacing the floor enough to peel off three coats of polish, he finally stops and takes a seat on his couch, placing his phone on the coffee table. He enters the phone's notes app and starts a voice memo. After a short silence, and with a shaky sigh, he begins to speak.

 

The Mantis: Well, we're back...new year, new opportunities, new…agh...

 

He pauses again. He clears his throat, and fidgets on the couch to try and get more comfortable, to no avail.

 

The Mantis: Right, I don't know if I'm gonna make this public, so if anyone's hearing this, just keep it to yourself for now. I swear, if this leaks, I'll…well, anyway, you'll recall I, uh...basically said a load of rubbish about El Parca and his fitness to be champion, right? Well, whoever wins this Triple Threat match will become the number one contender for the International Championship. So, needless to say...well...I'm ruddy terrified.

 

The Mantis: I blew a whole load of smoke about him, saying he's mad, he's unstable, all that sort...and I've regretted it ever since. You see, being a champion means you've got connections. You know people. You can...fix things that go wrong, you get me? Hell, before Christmas I went out and bought a shiteton of door locks and things in case Mark Reese or whoever comes barging into my apartment and throws me out the bloody window…I still haven't had them installed yet...

 

The Mantis: Even if I do win this qualifying match, what then? I'll just have a massive bullseye on my back all the way until the title match...and if I lose, it'll be the same for either Locke or Watts…and all that shite I said will have been for nothing...

 

The Mantis: Is this who I've become now? Am I so desperate to change things in OCW that I have to put others at risk for it? I mean, I did ask for this match, right...?

 

The Mantis sniffles as he shakily ends the voice memo. He holds his head in his hands, thinking only of what he's gotten himself and his future opponents into, and of the tense days ahead…

[B-17]

I blew a whole load of smoke about him, saying he's mad, he's unstable, all that sort...and I've regretted it ever since

 

AGAIN!!!??