The Best

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January 18th, 2020

Japan

Off Camera

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Japan. The Land of the Rising Sun. To most it is a gorgeous place and very exotic, but for Seth this is the last place he wants to be right now. He is a native of the southeastern portions of the United States and while traveling can often be part of his job, he prefers to stick around to those areas where he is most comfortable. And here, in Japan, he is most definitely not comfortable. His client, however, is paying him quite well to make the trip here to Japan. His client even put him up in a very nice luxurious hotel during his stay. Seth is used to staying in whatever run down dump he could find; his line of work doesn’t typically involve luxury. No, he doesn’t like being in Japan, but his new client, whoever this may be, is paying well. Hopefully the job will be worth it as well.



Seth would have been white if it weren't for all the freckles. There were so many his face was brown with small pale spaces here and there, like the tips of grass struggling to show through the golden-brown leaves of fall. His hair was a perfect mop of red, it would have been lion-like had he not been so skinny. His old maroon t-shirt was a small, but on him it was big, way too big; clinging where it shouldn't and hanging loose where it shouldn't. Seth gazes up into the sky.



After the never ending lights of the city, he underestimated the utter blackness of nighttime in the woods. In his mind the trees would be black trunks against a bluish charcoal sky, the path would become deepest brown and the moonlight would bleach the stones within it. Hadn't every painting of woods at night been like that? Even if there was a moon tonight its silvery rays would not penetrate the dense canopy above. He was in too far in to turn back, the twilight he had mistaken for night had passed rapidly. It could be no blacker in a coffin, six feet under and piled with dirt. He began to breathe the cool air more rapidly. The darkness pressed in on him from all sides.



It was disorientating to most but not Seth, he was used to this in his line of work. Even the soft susurration of the branches felt heavy in the ears. The sense of smell was sensitized, the loam in the earth and the decomposing leaves made the atmosphere close and thick. The blackness nurtured a sense of claustrophobia inside him, but one that he was quite used to by now. He may not be used to the luxury that his client has been lavishing upon him but this, these dark woods and almost devilish darkness, this is comfort to Seth.



The snapping of twigs alerts Seth to the fact that he is no longer alone. Whoever this is clearly is not used to moving around discretely, otherwise in the darkness of these woods Seth would not have seen or heard from them. Then again, he was expecting someone. This has to be his client, an individual who is still unknown to him.



“About time you arrived...whoever you are…” Seth says in a low growl. He turns towards the sound of the snapping twigs and finds a dark shadow arriving. As the shadow slowly approaches closer and closer and finally into the light...he can now see who this individual, this visitor is, and he is somewhat taken by surprise. He was not expecting a gorgeous beautiful blonde haired beauty out in this desolate dark forest this late at night. She is wearing a purple blouse, denim jeans, black boots, and a black leather jacket.



“I apologize for being late Mr. Rogers. I was busy finishing some business dealings.”



“Am I your last ‘business’ to deal with this evening?” Seth asks in a somewhat demanding tone, mainly because he wants to confirm that this is, in fact, his client. Is this the woman who wants him to do a job for her and has been lavishing him with these luxuries in Japan? A nod of her head confirms his suspicions. She extends her hand and Seth accepts the handshake.



“Braddock. Gloria Marie Braddock. Most just call me Glory.” Glory looks over the man standing before her. He definitely looks the part of a scum, a rough street criminal, and definitely not someone she typically deals with. But he comes highly regarded in his line of work. Therein lies the issue, and the reason why Glory Braddock arranged for this meeting with Seth here at night as opposed to public in the light of day. All of her business dealings with her company are perfectly legal. What she wants Seth Rogers to do for her may be legal…but whether it is legal is not a guarantee. Not a guarantee at all. Thus the less exposed she is to this the better.



As for Seth, he doesn’t care who she is or where she came from; although the name does sound familiar. He just cares about getting the job done and getting paid. “Ok, Glory, so I take it you’re the one who set me up with the nice digs in Tokyo?”



“If by ‘nice digs’ you mean that hotel suite then yes, that would be correct.” Braddock remarks, nodding her head in confirmation of what Seth already assumed to be true. “I hope you like it.”



“It’s not what I’m used to but it’s alright.” Seth answers with a shrug of his shoulders. “But now that you mention it, why the hell do we have to do business here in this God-forsaken country?”



“Not a fan of Japan?”



“They fucking bombed us!”



“Pearl Harbor, right. And what of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?”



“You one of those peace-niks? Well let me tell ya this, toots, they wouldn’t have been nuked if they didn’t attack us first.” Seth states defiantly with a smug smirk on his face. Glory sighs out of frustration. This man clearly is ignorant and is not the kind of person she typically deals with. Although sometimes you have to do bad things and deal with bad people out of necessity all for the greater good. Unfortunately there is no clean cut way to achieve her end game. This man, as bad as he may be, is the best resource she has to accomplish her goals.



“Seth, you may hate it here, but unfortunately I am the one who hired you and I have other important business here in Japan. In fact, I will be here in Japan for quite another week until I travel back to the United States, specifically Chicago for more...business.”



“You do business in Japan, you’re got business in Chicago but you damn sure don’t sound like you’re from Chicago. You sound like one of those crazy Brits. Just what kind of business do you deal in, Glory?”



Braddock hesitates. She isn’t certain just how much of her life she should let Seth know about. Honestly she is surprised he hasn’t figured it out for himself already. He must not get out much. She is known the world over thus it isn’t like she can hide her public identity so she decides to go ahead and spill all the beans. “My business is the wrestling business, Seth. I wrestle for Supreme Championship Wrestling and Millennium Wrestling Enterprise. I also own Global Championship Wrestling and the Braddock Wrestling School.”



“Oh yeah, NOW I know who you are!” It’s as if a lightbulb went off in Seth’s head as he finally recognizes the lovely woman standing in front of him. “Glory Braddock? The British Bombshell? The Best in the World?”



“That’s me.” Braddock feels a sense of arrogance fill her beautiful head as she nods her head.



“Well that just brings up a whole new set of questions for me, Glory.” Seth points an ugly, crooked finger at The British Bombshell. “Just what exactly brings a woman like you to a guy like me for help? Can’t you hire someone more on the up and up than me? I mean, you DO know the line of work I’m in right?”



Braddock nods her head. She knows all too well what ‘line of work’ Seth is involved with, for her attorney, Robert Odom, recommended him to her. Odom did not know Seth personally but he had heard of him from his other clients, clients that had been in legal trouble. Odom is not just a corporate attorney, he is a criminal attorney as well and his clients, criminals on the streets, were well aware of Seth Rogers and his particular ‘line of work’ which was, in a manner of speaking, secrets. Seth Rogers is well known on the streets and the underbelly of the southeast United States for finding out any secrets. He was unofficially a private investigator. His business was ‘unofficial’ because he was willing to go to any lengths to find out whatever secrets he needed to learn. He would cross the threshold of legal and illegal if he had to. Legality did not matter to Seth Rogers. The British Bombshell wants to find out some information and she has tried to find this information through legal channels. Now she is willing to potentially cross the threshold into darker channels.



“I know full well what kind of work you do. In fact, your name came highly recommended, Mr. Rogers.”



“My reputation proceeds me, eh?” Seth chuckles. “Well that’s good, so long as you know what you’re getting yourself into, babe.”



The ‘toots’ and ‘babe’ stuff are beginning to get on Braddock’s nerves but she is willing to overlook his rudeness and impolite attitude in order to achieve her goals. She still needs this man. “Oh I know. Everything I do comes with a well thought out game plan. Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”



“Great, now enough of the bullshit. Let’s get down to business. So what is it that you need from me?”



The British Bombshell reaches into her coat pocket and produces a picture. She hands it to Seth who looks at it, studies it for awhile, and then looks back up at Glory curiously. “Who is this guy?”



“That is Matthew Alan. He is a businessman also involved in the wrestling industry, only unlike me he made some bad business decisions and ended up losing everything. The Federal Government now has him in custody for embezzlement, tax fraud, and other white collar crimes. It is highly likely that he will be indicted, tried, convicted and sent to prison for a long time. I want you to find out anything you can about him and his family.”



Seth typically doesn’t ask questions about his job. He just does what he is told. This one has him confused enough that he wants some answers. “What does it matter to you about him? You said it yourself, he’s going to prison.”



“Remember I told you that he is a businessman who is involved in the wrestling industry? He founded the wrestling company that I now own. His poor business decisions caused him to lose all stock in the company shortly after he created it and it nearly went belly up. It wouldn’t be around today were it not for me. And you’re right, he is going to prison, he is no longer a threat, but his family still is. I want to ensure that his family cannot touch me. That’s all.”



“So you want me to dig up dirt on his family so you can blackmail them if necessary?”



“I never said that.” Braddock responded with a shake of her head. Seth has heard that before and he knows exactly what that statement means. A smirk forms on his face.



“I getcha, babe. You need anything else done or is that it?”



Glory reaches back into her coat pocket and produces another picture. She hands it to Seth who looks at this picture, a picture of a woman. “Who is this chick?”



“Meagan Collins.” Glory answers stoically. “She is a retired pro-wrestler and wife of wealthy industrialist Michael Dean Collins. Find out everything you can about her and bring it to me.”



“You wanna blackmail her too, eh?” Seth chuckles lightly as he looks at the picture. “She looks good. Attractive. What’s your beef with her?”



“That’s none of your concern. It is related to Matthew Alan, but that’s all I will say.”



“Fair enough.” Seth nods his head. He is curious as to what her problem is with Meagan Collins or the Collins family in general but he will keep his questions to himself for now. This will be a challenging task for sure. Both the Alan and Collins families are wealthy and powerful. That leads to the next important question for Seth. “So how much will I be paid for this?”



“You’ll find out when the job is complete.”



“That aint gonna cut it, toots.” Seth shakes his head vigorously. “I wanna know now what I got to look forward to. Up front or nothing.”



“I’m the one taking the risk here, Mr. Rogers, and while your reputation does proceed you, I still have not seen anything to prove to me that you will get the job done. Nothing up front. Once you get the job done you will be paid and you will be paid based on how much you find.”



“Sounds like you’re gonna try and con me. If you are…”



“There is no con, I assure you of that. I will not give you an exact dollar amount but what I will tell you is that you will get paid handsomely. Just look at what I’ve given you thus far and you haven’t even done a damn thing for me.”



Seth doesn’t like working without being paid up front but his new blonde haired client makes a good point. She has paid well thus far. Finally he relents and nods his head. He holds out his hand “Ok, we have a deal.”



“Very good.” The British Bombshell shakes hands with him.



“Nice doing business with you, Glory.” Seth smirks, a low chuckle escapes his lips as he nods his head off towards another direction, as if motioning to someone else that may be hidden in the woodland area. “Oh and tell your pals that you brought with you that they aren’t very good at hiding either.”



He turns and begins to walk away. The British Bombshell is unamused by his remark and remains stone-faced and stoic as she watches him leave. As soon as he is gone and out of sight two more figures emerge from the darkness; just as Seth had predicted that they would. One is a black haired female dressed in black denim jeans, black boots, and a plain white top. The other is a massive well built muscular figure with stringy long hair wearing torn denim blue jeans, brown boots, and a gray top. These are the two closest friends Glory Braddock has, her two closest advisors; Sophie O’Brian and her brother Mark O’Brian, the tag team known more popularly as Total War.



“Bloody wanker! I have half a mind to go after that shit and beat some sense into him!” Mark growls angrily. His sister, Sophie, is used to these crazed outbursts. Despite this she still makes her disdain for them known by smacking her brother in the back of his head.



“Shut up, you Neanderthal!”



The British Bombshell has a half-smile that forms upon her face. She cannot help but laugh at the antics of her two best friends. Still, the gravity of the situation and of what kind of business deal she just entered into with Seth Rogers washes back over her and Glory frowns once more as she turns around to face Sophie and Mark.



“So do you think I made the right decision?”



“I think ya shoulda let me punch him!” Mark exclaims loudly. This brings another smack to the back of his head from Sophie.



“No one asked you, you overgrown gorilla!”



Mark lets out a low growl as he steps away from Sophie and Glory for a few moments, allowing the two women to have time to themselves. Sophie places a hand upon Glory’s shoulder.



“The question, Gloria, is do you want to do what is popular or do you want to do what is right and what is best for professional wrestling? Because as much as you may not want to admit it, and as much as the ‘fan favorites’ and ‘beloved heroes’ in our industry may deny it, what is popular with the fanbase and what is right or best or better yet what is good for wrestling may not always be one and the same.”



“What do you mean?” Braddock has an idea of where her friend is going with this, still she is curious and wants further explanation so she presses for more answers. Her Irish friend does not disappoint.



“Answer this question, my dear Glory; where are we right now? What country?”



“Japan.” Braddock answers plainly.



“Right and during World War Two the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The United States wiped out two entire cities in an instant.”



“You’re stealing my metaphor, Sophie.” Glory remarks with a smirk, referring to her earlier conversation with Seth Rogers.



“That’s irrelevant, now let me finish. Atomic bombs were dropped on two cities full of civilians. Do you think that was very popular here in Japan?”



“No.” Braddock shakes her head. “What kind of bloody question is that?”



“Patience. You’re right, it was not popular, but was it the right thing to do? I mean, consider the war crimes Japan was guilty of during the war. Consider how they embraced Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. Consider their leadership had no intention of surrendering and more bloodletting was to occur unless drastic action was taken. Was it the right thing to do?”



“I see your point, but still today the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are debated. Although at the time I am sure the Americans thought it was the right thing to do.”



“Precisely. And to be perfectly frank, I am in agreement with them.” Sophie answers emotionlessly. “It was not the popular thing to do but it was the right thing to do because it ended the war. It stopped the Japanese war machine. Now you have sent this Seth Rogers out to investigate into the private lives of Matthew Alan and his family as well as Meagan Collins and her family. Both are well off financially and very well connected in the wrestling business. And we both are in agreement that neither are very good for the wrestling business, am I correct?”



Braddock nods her head in agreement with Sophie. Matthew Alan and Meagan Collins both have destroyed many lives during their ventures in the wrestling industry. To say that both are villains of the wrestling world would be an understatement. Sophie O’Brian continues…



“No tear would be shed if anything were to happen to either Alan or Collins because they are a threat to the good of wrestling.”



“But am I doing this for the good of wrestling or for the good of my business?” Glory asks curiously. Sophie just shrugs her shoulders.



“It is irrelevant. So what if you are doing this for the selfish motive of helping you maintain control of your company? In doing so you are also eliminating two vile wretched scum of the wrestling world. You are concerned because you are taking actions that you have never taken before. I understand your apprehension. But the ends truly do justify the means, Glory, and the endgame of your plot is what is best for professional wrestling.”



“You’re right,” The British Bombshell smiles and nods her head “of course. The Braddock Family knows what is best for wrestling and what is best may not always be popular with the world at large. The world may not always understand what is best for them but the Braddock family does understand and the Braddock family includes people like you and your brother, as well as anyone else who has come through and graduated from my father’s wrestling school. We know what is best for wrestling.”



“And what is best is that Matthew Alan and Meagan Collins no longer have an influence.” Sophie remarks coldly. Braddock nods her head in agreement.



“Absolutely.”


==========

January 24th, 2020

Miami, Florida

Off Camera

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Glory Braddock’s living room in Miami, Florida is a gorgeous, sleek modern design. It is also clean; almost to perfection with barely a spot and even if one exists, it isn’t noticeable. The cream colored sofa is soft, comfortable, and plush. It is situated in front of a large flat screen television mounted on the wall above a fireplace. The fireplace does seem slightly out of place as it is the only piece in this living room that looks relatively traditional. It isn’t used often; this is Miami, after all. Glory wanted it for its looks. The British Bombshell sits on the sofa. The lovely Braddock is dressed rather nice in a pink skirt that falls to just below her knees, pink high heeled patent leather pumps, and a white silk blouse. She is deep in thought, thinking about the business decisions she has made as of late.



The Braddock Family is well known around the wrestling industry and now Glory herself is deeply immersed in all aspects of that industry, from the training aspect with her wrestling school, the business aspect with her own promotion, and the competitive aspect when she competes in Supreme Championship Wrestling and Millennium Wrestling Enterprise. For most it would take a Herculean effort to perform all these tasks at once without being distracted, and that was the case for Glory, which is why she consolidated her promotion and the school all into one entity. To help her with her efforts she has even hired her ex-husband Randall Williams to manage the school and promoted businesswoman and General Manager Francis Taylor to the position of President of her company. The thought...and hope...is that this should free up Glory’s time and allow her to focus on her true passion; competition.



Many have claimed that The British Bombshell is far too distracted right now and should choose, either be a businesswoman or be a competitor. Braddock is not a quitter and she is not going to give up on the idea that she can handle both. In fact, she believes that she must manage both worlds, because she wants to be a positive influence upon wrestling. She knows what is best for wrestling. Besides, she cannot choose between competition and business. She is passionate about both and it is that passion that has driven her to take the great measures she has taken thus far in order to maintain her hold over her company.



Now, she considers the even greater measure that she has taken. It was nearly one week ago since she spoke to Seth Rogers, a seedy and very sleazy underground private investigator whom she has hired to dig up dirt on Matthew Alan and Meagan Collins, two potential rivals to her power and two individuals who are a threat to wrestling.



The blonde beauty hears the approach of footsteps. The footsteps are faint across the carpeting but she hears them anyway. It cannot be her daughter, who is staying in London at this time as part of her training. It can only be one person…



“About time, Kurt.” Glory smiles warmly as she turns around to greet her approaching husband. Kurt Logan is wearing a plain white t-shirt and denim jeans and is carrying two glasses of red wine, one in each hand. He hands one to his lovely wife and keeps the other for himself. Kurt sits down next to her on the sofa. They clink the glasses together in a silent toast before taking sips of their wine.



“So what did you want the wine for, babe?” Kurt asks in a jovial, half-curious tone. “Is this to celebrate you firing me?”



Braddock and Kurt share a chuckle. The ‘firing’ remark is a reference to Glory recently promoting Francis Taylor to the position of President of GCW. Kurt had been unofficially serving in that capacity as President, but technically the company had been without a President for years. Its former President, Henry Van Stanton, took ownership from Glory Braddock in a hostile takeover and the office of president remained vacant for years until Glory regained ownership from Van Stanton. Braddock had allowed her husband, Kurt Logan, to fulfill the duties of president in an unofficial capacity but now Glory felt it was time to put someone official in that role.



“No, no celebrating that one. It was a tough decision, Kurt, believe me, because you did a hell of a job.”



“And I would have continued to do a good job if you wanted me to stay on. You know that, right?”



“I know.” Glory nods her head as she takes another sip of wine. “Believe me, this isn’t about you. Well, it kind of is in an indirect way.”



“How do you mean?”



“You did a good job, Kurt. You would have done a good job had I let you stay on. But you are my husband. You are family. It is just plain bad business to put your family members in such high power positions like that. It is a bad public image and image is everything, especially in the corporate world.”



“And who told you that?” Kurt asks as he takes another sip of his wine.



“Aphrodite.”



“Of course.” Kurt is seen rolling his eyes. Braddock shoots him an angry glare and Kurt sighs, looking on apologetically. “I’m sorry…”



“I know you don’t always approve of my...relationship with Aphrodite, but she taught me a great deal about how to be a proper businesswoman. I leapt blindly into the corporate world when I purchased GCW...not knowing a damn thing about the corporate world, not knowing how to survive in it...and that is why I lost ownership of my company years ago. Aphrodite not only showed me where I went wrong but she also gave me the corporate knowledge to become the best businesswoman in the world today. I intend to use those lessons to make damn sure that I do not lose my company again.”



Husband and wife exchange a tense stare. Kurt takes another sip of his wine before he speaks. “So is that what you want? Being The Best in the World isn’t enough, so you need to be The Best Businesswoman in the World too?”



“Yes. But it’s not that simple, love, because you speak of them as if they are different and really they are not. You listen to power hungry brassers like Syren and she calls herself the best wrestler in the world. Fine, whatever, but there’s more to this industry than just what happens in the ring. The impact I can have upon this industry is limited if I only limit myself to just wrestling. Imagine the wonderful, positive impact I can have upon this industry by taking on and conquering all aspects of it; the competitive side they’ll see what a real wrestler should be...the future generations will be molded at my school...and through my company I can make sure the corporate side, the political side of wrestling is run as it should be. Because you know that there are some people who should not have an influence upon this industry, their influence should be voided. People like Syren…”



“...and Matthew Alan? Meagan Collins?” Kurt asks curiously. Braddock pauses, looking on stoically.



“You heard about my issues with those two?”



“Yes.”



“How much do you know?”



“I know you called in a less than savory private investigator to dig up dirt on them.” Kurt remarks. It wasn’t that she was trying to keep this a secret from Kurt. But she had hoped to avoid this. She sighs deeply.



“Do you disapprove?”



“No, I don’t.” He shakes his head. “I support you one hundred percent in whatever you choose to do, babe.” Kurt leans over and kisses her on her forehead. “This is your world now. I’m retired, so I have no say anymore in what happens. But I’m always here to offer my advice if you want it.”



“Thanks, Kurt.” Glory smiles warmly. “Your support means the world to me.”



“No problem. But...uh...do you want my advice?”



Braddock shrugs her shoulders, then nods her head. “Sure.”



“Be careful. You said it yourself, this is a world you are unfamiliar with, and despite what Aphrodite may have taught you, this is still an all new world to you. Just be sure that you know what you are doing.”



“Thanks, Kurt.” Braddock takes a final sip of her wine and sets it down on a nearby table. “I know exactly what I am doing. I am shaping the wrestling world in a positive image.”