By the time that Ken Davison and Kyra Johnson had left the arena, it was nearly midnight. It was an interesting night to say the least. Having a hyper four year old running around after them made it hard, but with the two of them being booked in separate matches, the two of them made it work. In light of everything going on, that was one of the minor worries.

Kyra maneuvers the Grand Am as though it has been her baby, not Ken’s. Ken sits uncomfortably in the passenger’s seat. It’s not that the seat is uncomfortable, it’s that HE is uncomfortable. Adina, on the other hand, was comfortably snoozing in the back seat.

“I can’t help but think I’ve let my old man down.”

Kyra sighs. “But you didn’t. At least I don’t think you did. This hasn’t been an easy week for you, give yourself a break.”

“I guess. I went through this whole thing saying I was going to win it for him and then… yeah…”

“Yeah..” She says softly, placing a hand on his as she drives. “I wish I fully understood what you’re going through.. But, you went out there and you might not have won for him but you fought for him, Ken. That says a lot.”

“I know. But, I still feel like… I don’t know. He’s the one who got me started in this business. He got me a job cleaning up at the local gym which the guy who trained me ran. I feel like everything I do and everything I’ve done is for him, more than ever. Besides, you know I am my own worst critic.”

To say that Ken was his own worst critic was an understatement. A childhood of being told he wasn’t good enough, despite running away from it when he was 12 still left a foundation of doubt.

“That’s admirable. And yes, you are. You expect so much of yourself when you’re already an amazing wrestler and man. Your dad, he’s proud of you. Whether you win everything in the world or whether you never win anything again.”

“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Sean’s already given me the pep talk a million times and I’m sure I’ll get another one when we get there. I just feel like I’ve been treading water since we’ve gotten here.”

Kyra wasn’t sure what to say. She pulled her hand away gently and turned her complete focus to the road in front of her, biting her lip in frustration. Not at him, no. Just at not being able to say or do anything to help Ken trudge through what’s got to be one of the hardest things he’s had to deal with. She felt helpless and she didn’t like it. But finally she nodded her head and sighed. “I know you do.”

“I’m sorry. I just… I don’t like this whole feeling my feelings thing. Life was so much easier when I tucked it all away. Maybe not, but right now, dealing with this… it just needs to be over with.”

“It’s not the same thing, but I’ve been there too. I’ve done the whole ‘run away from anything that makes me feel anything more than nothing’ shtick. But that’s not you, and I won’t lecture you anymore but just know you’ll get through it. We’ll get through it. Together.”

‘Together.’ Ken had lost sight of that. He was so used to dealing with his grief alone that he had to learn that he was in a partnership. For him, it was easy to try and carry Kyra’s burdens. Accepting help with his own was the issue.

“Am I just being stupid? I don’t want to keep comparing everything to Carnage, but I feel like I just can’t compete on the level I used to. In Carnage I was a top guy. Now… shit. My confidence is shaken.” Ken lets out a long, deep sigh. “What’s my damage? Have I lost a step? How are we ever going to hold those Co-op straps if I can’t pull my weight?”

A long pause followed as Kyra continued driving. Finally she shook her head and glanced in Ken’s direction. “Ken. I’m going to say this in the nicest way I can, but yes. You’re being an idiot. You’re overthinking this, babe. Carnage was Carnage. UGWC’s not Carnage and anywhere we would’ve ended up wouldn’t compare to it. That being said, just because it’s different, with different people and different everything… doesn’t mean that you’re not still Ken fucking Davison. A lot of shit has gone wrong lately but you aren’t gonna let that stop you because I won’t fucking let you. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Kyra’s eyes widened, but she nodded her head and kept driving.

“Have I told you today that I love you?”

Kyra’s face softened into a smile. “You have now. I love you too. Far more than you’ll ever know.”

“I’m not just saying it. All this going on has me thinking. I appreciate everything you’ve done for and given me. I can’t imagine going through this with anybody else.”

A bit of pink rises to Kyras cheeks. “I appreciate that.. I’ve been literally throwing it together as I go.”

“But that’s how this has always been. I kind of enjoy the spontaneity.” Ken pauses for a moment. “You know I’m going to be a worthless, blubbering mess during the service tomorrow. Right?”

Kyra shrugged her shoulders. “And?” She stopped and shook her head. “What I mean is.. you love your father Ken. It’s only normal to be a mess. Mine died and I could have thrown a party. So don’t worry about it. Little Miss and I will be there, holding your hands the entire time.”

Ken looks back at Adina in the backseat. Despite being caught up in sadness, he can’t help but smile as he thinks about the life that they are building together.

“You know, this whole thing we’ve got going on here?”

Kyra glances over at him, her eyebrows raised. “Yeah? What about it?”

Ken pulls Kyra’s hand over and kisses it.

“I’ve never been so certain of anything in my life.”

Ken kisses Kyra’s hand again before putting it back down on the gear shift. Kyra smiles as Ken lets his hand linger while she continues driving towards Boston. He sits, just happy to hold her hand.  Kyra had dropped everything and followed him to Boston, even when he didn’t have the mental follow through to ask her to come. That gesture meant  more to Ken than any other act he had experienced in his life. It’s a good thing Kyra’s heart belonged to him, because now she was stuck with him for the rest of their lives. 

Ken Davison stands alone, a cemetery in the background. The sun shines and a few scattered clouds dot the sky. Ken is wearing a pair of beat up and faded camouflaged pants and a black polo shirt. His eyes are puffy and bloodshot and it becomes apparent that he has just finished attending his father’s funeral. 

“You know, I literally had my world falling apart around me last week. I just buried the man who shaped me into who I am today. These fatigues I am wearing, they were my father’s. He gave them to me when he was discharged after 23 years in the US Navy. They are one of my most prized possessions. At his service I sat there and I listened to person after person after person sit there and practically preach about how selfless my father was. It made me realize that in my life I have been far too selfish. Yeah, it brought me a great deal of personal success. But I question what the cost was.”

“My Conquest Championship opportunity took place less than 24 hours before I had to go to my father’s service. Knowing that I was wrestling that match for him, knowing that I fell short, is something that would shatter most other people. Fortunately for me, I am not most other people. I do not feel as though I let my father down. I do not feel that I failed to honor his memory. Would this be a much better story if I had gone out there and won the Conquest Championship? Absolutely. But the truth of the matter is that Travis Pierce was indeed the better man that night. I want to stress those two words, “that night.” The best way I can move forward, the best way I know how to honor my father, is the continue to be exactly who and what I claim to be.

Ken turns and looks behind him. There are military personnel, members of the American Legion, as well as various friends and family dispersing. Ken turns back to the camera, takes a deep breath as he takes a deep breath.

“So… here I am again in another multi-person match. Once again I have to look across the ring at Dark Destroyer and Tony Savage. Then we add the, shall we say, unique flavor that is the Avenger. That’s all well and good. At this point, I’m used to it. Week after week, being in all these different matches with all these different people is a great opportunity to prepare for the Melee.”

“What separates me from my opponents is that the Avenger, Dark Destroyer, and Tony Savage are all great characters. They are very creative, both in and outside of the ring. Ken Davison is not a character. Ken Davison is the exact same person in front of the camera as he is behind it. While you may see different aspects of my personality depending on the situation, I am not a great character. I am a great wrestler. The Avenger and Dark Destroyer are going to amuse you with their zany antics and over the top personalities. Tony Savage is going to walk out here, talking about his toughness and MMA background. I am simply going to do what I always do. I’m going to stand up, dust myself off and do what I need to do. I am one of the best damned wrestlers in the world and I don’t need some horse and pony show to convince anyone of that fact. There will be no posturing, no grandstanding, no claiming to be some kind of God. Even without all the smoke and mirrors and without the mind games, Ken Davison is one of the most dangerous men in this industry’s history. I am going to prove once again that facing me in the ring is equivocal to throwing a rock at a man carrying a machine gun.”

Davison slows his gait, stopping to lean against a nearby tree. The physical toll of the situation comes through, despite his best efforts to hide it.

“Despite the fact that I am giving Pierce the credit that he is due, I am pissed off that I did not win the Conquest Championship. Pierce did exactly what I said he would do and just ran with his usual bullshit. He did it before the match. He did it during the match. I called it and I still fell short. Now, I cannot fall short again. I WILL NOT FALL SHORT AGAIN. I’m going to take all that pent up anger and I am going to lash out at anything in that ring that moves. The exact same thing is going to happen at the Massive Melee and that’s the Kendamned truth.”

Ken pushes himself off the tree and walks off and the camera remains fixated on a large American flag flying in the background.