25.January.2023
Blath Gardens Apartments
New York, NY

It was always in the background, the singing, that is. The soft, comforting melody that Lucy heard constantly when she was in the building. For some, or most, one would think it would slowly drive you insane. But that just wasn’t the case here.

Lucy was truly enamored with the apartment that Rogan had bought for himself, for her… for them. She was entranced by the building, and the way it seemed to wash away their woes everytime they stepped inside. The more time she spent here, the more she believed that the rose that stood in the center of the lobby really did have the ability to heal.

After the battle with Tempest, Lucy’d come back home expecting to spend the holidays unable to do much of anything for the injuries she’d suffered. She was astonished when she’d woken up days later to feel like she did before she stepped into that two out of three falls match with Tempest. And all Rogan could do was smirk that knowing smirk of his.

It was a truly amazing thing, one which Lucy didn’t take for granted.

She often found herself sitting down in the lobby, her eyes closed, just listening to the singing. Every now and again she’d open her eyes and stare at the rose as it sat, planted firmly in that untouched piece of earth in the center of the room.

She’d never felt more at home anywhere.

“Good morning, Miss…”

Her eyes flew open once again, to find an older gentleman standing just inside the doorway of the building, holding a few bags in his hands.

“Oh, good morning.” Lucy replied, sitting up and smiling at the man.

He slowly made his way around the center of the room, the tapping of his cane on the floor the only sound, other than the peaceful melody she’d been listening to. As he came closer, she noticed a pair of bright green eyes as they focused on her. Striking, to say the least.

She slid over on the bench and offered him a seat next to her, which he took, allowing the bags he’d been carrying to rest on the floor in front of him. He sat back and ran his hand down his long, gray beard before he let out a contented sigh.

“You hear it too, no?”

Lucy nodded her head. There really wasn’t much for her to say, although he did unknowingly answer the question of whether or not everyone else that lived here heard the same thing that she and Rogan did. That is, if this man lives here. She’d never seen him around before, but she could easily say that about just about everyone that lives within the building – Aside from a certain waitress that somehow popped up here instead of being in the Gulf where she belonged.

A flash of jealousy washed over her, and the singing grew louder – almost in response to the negative emotions she was feeling.

“It’s got to the point now, where I almost don’t want to leave…” He says, before pointing down at the bags in front of him. “But, a man’s got to eat, huh?”

He finishes with a chuckle. Lucy simply glances over at him and nods.

“So.. you’ve been here a while?” She asks, after a few moments of silence. The man nods his head in response.

“Longer than you would expect, Miss…”

“I’m Lucy. My boyfriend and I just–”

He lets out a satisfied grunt. “Ah, yes. You and Mr. MacLean, our newest tenants. I was wondering when I would get the pleasure of meeting you. I’m Arthur, by the way. Very nice to meet your acquaintance.”

Lucy grabs his extended hand.

“Nice to meet you too.”

“To be honest with you, we were wondering if you would ever find us here.”

He sits back once he finishes that statement, leaving Lucy to stare at him – the questions piling up in her mind as if they were bricks, forming the foundation of a new building. And almost as if he could read her thoughts, Arthur glanced over and winked.

“That’s just a saying, right? I mean… You can’t actually mean that.”

“If that’s what you want to believe, Ms. Wylde. I’ve been here a very long time, and we’ve been waiting for the two of you for nearly that long.” He lets out another sigh before he brings himself slowly back up to his feet. “…But that’s a conversation for another day. I’ve got to get these old bones upstairs and put these groceries away.”

By the time he’s finished, Lucy’s on her feet as well, grabbing the bags from the floor.

“Here, let me help you.”

“You don’t have to do that… But I sure do appreciate it.”

She carried the bags to the elevator and held the doors for him to enter before she did. They rode the elevator in relative silence until they reached his floor. As the doors opened, he took another look at her and grinned.

“He’s a very lucky guy… they all were.”

Arthur stepped out of the elevator, again leaving Lucy without a clue as to what he meant. As she followed this strange man down the hall, she tried to figure out how to ask him… Unsure if she even should. Maybe it’s just the musings of an old man who doesn’t really understand what he’s–

“I understand what I’m saying full well, Miss.” He replies, stopping in front of the final door in the hall and pulling out a giant ring of keys from his pocket, fumbling with them before he shoves one of the keys into the lock on the door. “I meant everyone before Mr. MacLean.”

“H-How do you–”

“How do I know that?” He looks over at her as he unlocks the door. “I told you, I’ve been around for a long time.”

Lucy just nods her head, staring at him and through him all at the same time. She was having a hard time comprehending the things he was saying and an even harder time not completely denying that the people who’ve loved Lucy in the past were as lucky as he claimed they were.

“I.. Thanks.. I think.” She finally responds as he pushes his door open and motions for her to hand him his bags. “Oh, here you go…”

She gives the bags over and turns to walk back towards the elevator. But something tells her to stop and turn around, and when she did – she found him standing in the doorway, staring after her.

“Lucille, you are special. You don’t believe that, but there is a reason you are here now, there is a reason the Dark Man has fallen in love with you. You still have quite a journey ahead of you, and I urge you to think about the things you need to do in order to reconcile your past so that you can fully move on.”

Lucy opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say a thing, he put a silent hand up.

“Good day. I’ll be seeing you again soon.”

And with that, Arthur stepped into his apartment and closed the door quietly. Lucy stood there for what felt like hours, contemplating his words, coming to a conclusion and then second guessing her own conclusion.

There are a lot of things in her past that she’s done wrong. There are a lot of things that she can no longer reconcile… But maybe those things aren’t what he was referring to. She finally turned away and made her way back up to the apartment that she and Rogan share, her mind lost in thought the entire way.

And when she entered, Rogan was standing there putting his jacket on.

“There you are, Lass. I was getting worried.”

His voice pulled her out of her thoughts and when she saw what he was doing, a look of confusion crossed her face. “What do you mean? I wasn’t gone that long.. Was I?”

Rogan nodded his head and pointed at the clock. “Nearly three hours. I thought you were just headed down to the lobby.”

“I was. That’s where I was but then I met someone else that lives here…”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah…”

Rogan tilted his head, looking concerned as Lucy’s eyes looked as if she were staring off into space. “Are you okay, Lass? Did something happen?”

“He just… knew things…” She said, in a kind of trance before she pulled herself together and shook her head. “It was just weird.”

“Would you like to tell me about it, perhaps I can help you untangle the knots, Lass.”

Lucy nodded her head. “Let’s hold Palaver, Dark Man. Help me.”

 

 

Sitting on the patio of their New York apartment, Lucy watches the traffic and the people as they traverse the city in the waning hours of the day – No doubt hurrying to get home to their families, or whatever else they may have going for them in their lives.  It wasn’t up to her to say, she was just grateful to be above all the hustle and bustle – with everything she needs in the apartment behind her.  

She sits up and leans ever so slightly over the edge, chuckling. 

“Another week.  Another chance to highlight myself as the main attraction here in the UGWC, huh?”

Lucy scoffs at the statement as she sits back down in her seat and crosses her legs. 

“More like, another bullshit triple threat match that doesn’t mean a damn thing to the bigger picture around here.  Don’t any of you dare think that just because I haven’t said anything about the things that have happened over the last four weeks – That I haven’t been watching, and waiting for the perfect opportunity to speak my piece.”

She shakes her head. 

“Unfortunately, for the rest of you – That time hasn’t come yet.   Soon, though.”

Lucy winks. 

“For now, it seems the Creative Director wants to fuck with me some more.  Is it because I beat your golden boy at Horizons?  Is it because no matter how much you built him up, and made him believe he could overcome the Omen… I ended up proving all of you wrong anyway?  Well, Daedalus.. That doesn’t seem like my problem, does it?  But it’s not about you, is it?  It’s not even about your little toys right now… Although if any of you believe that I’m not going to be looking over my shoulder while I make short work of my opponents this week… You all are less clever than I orginally thought.”

Rolling her eyes, she leans back in the chair and props her legs up on the railing. 

“Speaking of… Wow Phrixus.  Here we are for what’s gotta be the four hundreth time.  Only, there’s something different this go around, isn’t there?  I know you already know what it is without me saying a God damned word, but I’m gonna say it anyway.  You know, rubbing salt in an open wound.  I seem to remember you prophesizing for months and months that the UGWC was treading in dangerous waters IF Tempest were to become World Champion.  I remember you telling everyone that we had to stop him after he became champion, and I’m pretty sure I remember you saying that you were the ONLY one that could stop him from tearing everything apart…”

She pauses for a few moments, simply turning her eyes up into the lens… before she smirks. 

“You were the only one, huh?”

Lucy reaches down and grabs the UGWC World title from the floor beside her and lays it in her lap. 

“News flash, I went and did your job for you.  You’re welcome.   You see what happens when you actually get up off your ass and DO what you keep saying needs to be done?  You see what happens when you put your money where your mouth is instead of putting it off with Cooperative title matches with every random partner you could get your mitts on?  It’s not hard, Phrixus.  It’s not hard to just do what you say you’re gonna do.  It doesn’t always work out, but well, you never know unless you try.  But you’ve turned into the king of that shit, haven’t you?  Say one thing, do another.  It’s horseshit.  And I get the respect you get from all of us, but I don’t at the same time.  There are a lot of people around here that do a lot of talking, but most of us can back that shit up.  Are you really capable of backing it up anymore, Phrixus?  You think you’re gonna be able to back up anything you’re gonna say to me leading into Monday?”

She tilts her head to the side, as if she were actually awaiting a response.  After a few moments, though, she simply sighs and continues. 

“I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.  But I’m not holding my breath.  Just like Mr. John Blade.  My, my… your reputation precedes you, John.  Or should I just call you Phrixus lite?  You come out, you run your fucking mouth and then you… Well, you haven’t lost… yet.  But then again, this is only your second match here in the UGWC.  Mr. Daedalus tossed you a freebie in your first match, didn’t he?  Maybe he sees the newest Astrocreep in his midst.  Well now, I’m just being silly.  Even the creeps have standards and you.. Well, you just don’t fit in.”

“And that’s saying something.  You may believe that since you beat… Blood Brother… was it?  You might think that just because you beat Blood Brother in your last outing that you’re just gonna waltz in and wipe the mat with my face and show yourself to be anywhere close to a contender for this belt.. Let me just burst that bubble right now, yeah?  I don’t typically say this but the way people have been acting lately has got me a little pissed off – so I’m just gonna say it.  John?  You listen real closely now, okay?”

Her eyes narrow.

“You’re not anywhere close to my level.   You may have been to every promotion on Gods green earth, and you may… MAY have done a decent job at not being completely useless there… But here?  In UGWC?  You aren’t even a fucking speck of dirt on my boot.  Hell, a piece of fly shit is bigger than whatever it is that you claim to be.  I’ve got a world title to defend in two weeks and a Showman who’d love to blindside me and make sure I go into Infinity as less than one hundred percent.  I ain’t got time for fuckheads like you who look at me like I’m just some bitch who should be sleeping around and getting my opportunities from my knees.   You, John Blade.. You’re the bitch in this equation.   To be a Champion in the UGWC isn’t an easy fucking feat and to KEEP a championship here is even harder.   And you’re about to step into the ring with the QUEEN of UGWC, so get ready because you aren’t gonna know what hit you.”

She shakes her head. 

“Neither of you will.  And Montague?  You want to start our fight early?  Face me like the man you claim to be instead of using my partner to send me a message, yeah?   Fucking coward.”