Post by Mark Hunter on Sept 24, 2021 19:14:07 GMT -5
CROSSROADS
“Fatherhood has taught me about unconditional love, reinforced the importance of giving back, and taught me how to be a better person.” - Naveen Jain
Unaired Footage
San Jose, California
September 20th, 2021 - 23:52
It happened. He did it. After many months of preaching, numerous months of telling his destiny, it all ended with that one pin fall on Mason Destruction. He was the sole survivor for Proving Ground. Despite being alone and outnumbered he had delivered on all the promises and statements he had made, Mark Hunter was a man willing to win wars for Proving Ground and his fellow roster members. As soon as he completed his task, his hand got raised by the man he respected more than most, Indy Darling, he finally basked in that glorious moment. Mark Hunter became undeniable in the history of Proving Ground. A monumental moment in his career, a testament to making a goal and completing it. Justice was served, bragging rights were right where they all belonged. Fallout could not claim superiority over Proving Ground. Although the massive win was sweet, the end was bitter. Mark had suffered physically, obvious facial cuts that didn’t bother him too much to be fair, however more importantly, rib and neck injuries that like a true pro he would ignore and fight through going forward.
It's been over a week since the match and he was aware of niggling problems that weren’t there before. Already back home with Jelena, it’s late on a Monday evening, the house is silent. Mark was bandaged around the rib cage and damn sure had medical attention already helping with the facial injuries. Pain struck from time to time but it could never outweigh the glorious success from Night Of Honor.
However, the real success was standing next to new born twin sons in the baby carriage as they slept peacefully in little blue clothes under the sweet and serene musical lamp playing above them. To come home as a hero to his twins was better than he thought, Mark nodded his head and rubbed the tears nearly dripping down from his eyes. Daddy came home to see his newborns not only as a proud father but also as a person that had fully completed his almost year long cycle from selfish asshole to respectable leader, he was genuinely one of the good guys. Congratulations Markus Lee Huntington, you truly deserve this moment.
“Good night.”
Final words before he gently closed the door. Mark walked down the hall to the master bedroom and shut the door behind him. Jelena was already in bed and she was sleeping peacefully as he sat down on the edge taking off his shoes. Shirt off and pants off, he lay down on the bed only in his black underwear. Jelena rolled over and rested her cheek against his right breast, her right arm caressing his abdomen. Mark wrapped his right arm under her head, comforting her under the blue sheets of that large king sized bed. Home sweet home and that meaning wasn't just for say. It was nice to be home after a long journey and fight, nothing could take away this moment. His contract with Project Honor only had three months to run and he no longer felt wrestling was everything even if he would promote and portray himself as needed, he could go to work and smile, he was a different man, he was proud. Jelena groaned a little and she was barely awake.
“You alright baby?”
“I'm happy, I have everything I wanted and I am so proud of myself. I love you to death and because of you, I have two new children. Beautiful children.”
“Chad and Robert. Two beautiful boys that belong to us now. How can a girl ask for more?”
“Hmm. I know you're going to be at home all day and you also say your friend Rachel is gonna spend time helping while I'm away at shows, so thank you. God, I hope she isn't any problem.”
“Oh no, she recently got a job in the Project Honor admin department at the Stockton headquarters and needs a place to stay so she's thankful.”
“Okay, cool, cool, cool. Man, I have a match to deal with on Proving Ground. I hate this match more than anything now.”
“Who are you facing?”
He looked away and Jelena raised her head off his chest to look him directly in the eyes. She removed strands of her short hair from her face as Mark was beating around the bush. Her voice got more stern as she asked again.
“I'm facing Tara Fenix one on one.”
“Excuse me? Why would they book that after you went through hell and she had two fights at Night Of Honor?”
“It’s a strange one.”
“You’ve always been complimentary of her and her character though, so I guess you know you’re not dealing with any bullshit.”
Mark sat up against the bed and Jelena shifted her body to sit on his lap leaning against him. She leaned her forehead against his as his hands grappled against her waist. Heavy breathing between the two and they both really loved each other. Mark’s mentality had changed, he wasn’t questioning his place in the business at that moment, he was seriously questioning if he needed any place in the business period. Home was really taking over his thoughts. As for Mark and Jelena, they've become stronger in their relationship and their love for each other has been completely unbreakable. Jelena and Mark will always be together no matter what happens, that's how much trust they have in each other now.
“Are you worried?”
“No, I just feel completely different. I've beaten everyone ever put before me and I’ve made people's lives hell on the way to winning title after title. Basically everyone in Project Honor now needs this more than me, I'm going in there for the next three months with the intention of enjoying the moments I can. I don't care about winning titles anymore, I want to put on good matches with good people and see where that takes me.”
“Can you do that with Tara?”
“Yeah I think so! In the past I allowed myself to drift mentally, I put myself and wrestling first, look where that got us. I don't want that happening to us ever again. To go through that and to rightfully blame myself, it nearly tore me apart.”
Her hands were slapped on his cheeks as she pulled his chin up to look her directly in his eyes. Mark was saying all the right things and Jelena knew he meant them, yet she also knew only too well that Mark Hunter has always shown to have a trigger temper in the wrestling business, if the camera is on and someone pushes him...
“Hey! Listen to me, promise me you won't go there again. Promise me that you won't do anything to jeopardize our new lives. I know how much you hate some wrestlers but you're a warrior, not a killer. Don't descend to the level of some others, be better than they are. Okay? You were always better than them so prove it by example not brutality.”
“Since when did you get so righteous?”
“After my labor.”
Mark chuckled and pressed his lips against hers. The two fell back on their sides wrapping around one another under the sheets. She was right. Mark cannot go back into that state, a harmful man burning with the fire of hatred can be one of the most destructive forces in the world.
“You are the worst pep talker ever.”
“Shut up.”
Behind every strong man was a stronger woman. No one else in Project Honor could say they were in a better position regarding that than Mark Hunter. Many are good competitors but never great. Most don't understand the value of family nor do they understand the value of fighting to protect those you love. Tara understands that value though, Tara understands all of that. Mark respects Tara the person and Tara the wrestler, this is a whole new world.
“No legacy is so rich as honesty.” - William Shakespeare
Aired Footage
Unknown Location
Unknown Date & Time
The camera comes to life and through the fuzzy feedback, we are shown a throne that looks to be closely crafted with the idea of the Game of Thrones in mind. A single light hangs above it and off from the left in walks Mark Hunter dressed in a black long sleeve button up shirt, black slacks, and black shoes. Hunter takes a seat on the throne and a smile crosses his lips as he looks into the camera.
“Project Honor faithful… I’m so glad to be sitting here in front of you today, after going through a mountain of personal changes outside of the wrestling world over the last year… Some may know and some may not care to know… But I’m here to tell you right now, it’s not going to affect the matches you’re going to get out of your former Grand Champion and current conscience of Proving Ground.”
Mark smiles before taking a deep breath.
“Let me explain what a journeyman in the wrestling world truly is… It is a man and/or woman who knows what it takes to pay their dues… They stay hungry and they are known for blazing their own trail… They see the world as their very own sandbox… They aim to put on 6 STAR matches in every piece of land this world has to offer… There is no quit in these men and women… There is a trait that is shared amongst them all and it is NEVER SAY DIE…”
Mark points his left index finger up to his left temple.
“It takes a bit of brains to survive on this treacherous road… So many talents young and old find themselves at a crossroads more times than not… The young look to themselves in the mirror and ask if the time and effort is worth it… I’ve seen that look in the older eyes too, the eyes of people like Tara Fenix… It takes a passion to keep going and Tara, so far, you can’t question your intentions in this business… If you want something you have to GO for it and I know that is what this venture to Project Honor was for you… You debuted and talked of magic, you talked about this company being a showcase, you talked about being a threat to established stars and their pedestals.”
“I don’t want to be the cause of you losing that steam… This match between the two of us isn’t anything personal, it truly is an opportunity that I know you’ll be extremely appreciative of because few in this company have a pedestal higher than mine.”
“On paper it reads like an epic between two veterans of the business, so how about we go out there and steal the whole damn show?”
Mark sits up in the throne.
“The fans may not have been screaming out for this match yet everyone should have been… This is our chance to prove that two great wrestlers can go out there with no massive fan fare and no massive build up, then still put on a match that can get that six star mark… Two journeymen slash journeywomen looking to leave a trail blazing legacy behind… Looking to set an example for younger talent to follow…”
Mark pauses for a second and stares intently into the camera.
“We know why you are here in Project Honor, you’ve been open about returning from retirement and your direction away from that massive career crossroads. What about me is the current question… The thing is… I’ve come to a similar crossroads too… I had my spot at the top… I had my Grand Championship Title… And it still wasn’t enough… I have been doing this for almost as long as you, Tara.”
“I’ve come to a crossroads plenty of times but this time around, it’s a real eye opener. I have to think about so much more than just wrestling now. When it comes to decisions I am not the only factor.”
“Just know when I get to work, I see myself still being hungry, when the opportunities arrive... like always… I’ll take that shit and run with it… I’ve made a name for myself the world over and I didn’t do it by losing when it truly counted… I came to Project Honor and I earned my spot, I earned my reputation”
“This is my damn throne and my fucking legacy… The only way this spot is being taken from me is if you leave me bleeding out in the middle of the ring… Because when it is time to fight, I bring everything I have, especially with my reputation on the line…”
Mark leans toward the camera with his eyes staring through the lens.
“Here’s a question for you, Tara… What have you done to prepare for this ridiculously massive match? You’ve been given a golden opportunity and I pray you’re not going to piss it all away. I really hope my words before this sink in for you, because I truly do want a show stealer of a match… But you also need to bring your best to make that happen… I am one hundred percent focused on continuing my reign as the best Proving Ground has to offer and there’s plenty of other wrestlers on Proving Ground who want a chance at my spot… Ozymandias and Cadillac Jackson tried to destroy one another for the Grand Championship and yet still neither has my spot or legacy… Lance Williams and Brandon Henrix tried stalking my family and yet neither has my spot or legacy.”
Mark leans back in the throne.
“With all of those names… Judgment is upon you Tara… All of those names see you as someone given this shot on a silver platter… They don’t see you as the worthy warrior you proclaim yourself to be… They see a woman who came to Project Honor on the back of two years of inactivity… They see someone with a loss in their last match against Lil Petey… No matter how I spin it and no matter how much I explain that I believe you are here on your own accord… That means nothing to the likes of them. I though dig deeper, I see the title reigns, I see the trainer in you giving back to the business already. Truthfully I see this defense of my throne as a way for you to prove all those fuckers wrong who claim you’re just a woman holding on, instead of a woman who creates her own path, leaving a blazed trail in her wake…”
Mark smirks into the camera.
“So are you going to prove them all wrong, Tara? Are you going to step up when it is all ON THE LINE and you could exit the ring as the new heartbeat of Proving Ground?”
“Or are you going to fail to show up? You see… I’m always ready to go to war and at Wrigley Field, it’s going to be no different, whether it was you standing in front of me or any of the others I named off… 2021 is going to continue being my year and only the cold harsh hands of death are going to rip this spot from my clutches…”
Mark pauses for a second before continuing.
“So Tara Fenix… I respect you… BUT... This is your one shot… Try not to fuck it up…”
Mark smiles at the camera.
“Do what you're told, and everything will be alright.” - Norman Jewison
Unaired Footage
San Jose, California
September 21st, 2021 - 08:16
Mark is laying across his living room sofa half reading a country music magazine whilst struggling to keep his eyes open. He’s reintroduced to the world by a shout from Jelena upstairs.
“MARCUS, GET YOUR ASS UP HERE WITH THOSE NAPPIES, CHAD AND ROBERT ARE FULL OF SHIT AGAIN!!!!”
Mark smiles and obviously does exactly what he’s told.