Putting the Aquarium Back Together

Putting the Aquarium Back Together: Prologue

“Missions change all the time, mayhem.”

“Come on dad, I am not mayhem anymore.”

“Hah, sorry…it is hard to see you as a grown up…”

“I…”

“…I am also sorry that your mother decided to try break the promise between the families and was met with one condition.”

“What are you talking about?”

“She would never agree to that condition though and HE knew that. I was left with no other options then to go along with the new boss’s order.”

“Where is mom?”

“Maude, you have to MARRY him.”

With a yelp, The Marine Biologist rose from her bed so fast you would think someone just shocked her chest with a defibrillator. She stared at nothing inside the dark bedroom, but her breathing was heavy and uneven.

She jumped as a light turned on and a hand pat her on her left shoulder. She turned to see the tired eyes of Doc looking at her with a face weathered with worry. “Did you have the dream again?”

She grabbed his hand from her shoulder and laid back on the bed. She was never one to show fear or weakness. “Yes.”

He nodded, “you are allowed to feel, hon. You don’t have to get over what happened, but you need to see how your obsession has led you to a breaking point.”

She let out a soft laugh, but it wasn’t because something was funny. “I will not break until HE is dead and buried. I made that promise to myself when my mother disappeared. What did that coward of a dad do about it? Nothing, he just listened to orders like the new boss was like the old boss. He wasn’t and he isn’t, he is a stain on humanity and if I must lose everything to take him down…I will do it.”

Doc sighs, “what is left to lose anyway? You don’t have to pretend you even have the same feelings you once did for me. I am not blind, Maude. I know you married me because of convenience,” he signed, “I don’t know if I can remember that last time you showed true love for something.”

Seemingly over the dream now, she frowned back at Doc, “I don’t need a snowflake in my life and what do you think me bringing Rebecca to live with us while in a coma is? I did that out of love…love for my son.”

Pause.

Silence.

Those four words have never been in a sentence from her mouth before.

“I…hmmm…don’t think he saw it that way.”

She frowned and as if giving up every penny of her worth she looked back at Doc, “ugh…what do you suggest I do?”

Doc pinched himself where Maude could not see to make sure, he was not the one dreaming. Back-to-back comments from her that were so out of place his mouth opened but nothing came out. He cleared his throat as he saw the annoyance in her face becoming a silent storm. “Oh…um, how about a New Years party to celebrate a year back together?”

She sighed and laid back down and rolled over, “fine, I will have Clarice work on the details in the morning.”

Doc smiled.

He was happy…but not happy enough to try to cuddle.

That is a no-no.

--

Putting the Aquarium Back Together: The Appetizer

I guess I didn’t have to accept the invitation.

I had gripped it in my hand until the blood left every finger in my left hand the day Clarice found me in some old broken-down motel to hand the invitation to me.

It was not reassuring that they seemed to always know where I was. I am not dumb enough to realize they were probably always around. A tentacle from another tentacle always reporting back to someone who would relay it to my mother.

The smugness of Clarice’s grin when she walked away from me made me truly and sincerely hate it here.

But why stop there, right?!?!

When I entered The Octopus Headquarters, I was told to follow that condescending woman to where she said, ‘the idiot men are hanging out,’ what a joy she is.

She pointed at the door, and I let out a big sigh directed right at her. I know she heard it, but she ignored me and walked away. I opened the door and was met with a wave of smoke that hit me as hard as the armpit smell of a Lasagna Boy could.

“HEY MON, WE SMOKING STOGIES, AND I SWEAR MINE ISNT FULL OF THAT SWEET SWEET GANJA!”

I internally groaned so loudly that I gave myself a headache. The first sight I had to witness was Jack Marley flexing in mirror with a ‘cigar’ hanging out of his mouth as he gave me a side eyed glance.

“You ok?”

Hmm…maybe it wasn’t in my head.

I turned to see JD Lawson ash his cigar into an ornate ashtray with more gold dipped leaf’s then a dictators bathroom tile. “Did you hear that?”

He shrugged, “Huh? Nah, you just look like you have been here as long as I have, and I feel like drowning myself in a bathtub full of gin.” He laughed, not because he was being funny but because he genuinely felt it.

And you wonder where I get it from?

I looked around the room to see William Morris showing Doc something on this phone and nodding seriously along with what Doc was saying.

Rico was pouring himself a drink.

Jimmy, wait…why the hell was Jimmy here?

Before I could even state my disapproval of seeing him, he decided he was comfortable enough to comment, “looking a little soft, cuzzzzzo!” The emphasis on the ‘z’ made me want to karate chop his throat.

I looked him up and down but again---before I could respond his father did, “just ask the whelp how his Belmont match went.”

“I…I…I had him right where I wanted him dad,” he stuttered out of his mouth looking down at the floor in shame.

Out nowhere I started to laugh. I wasn’t sure what had come over me but looking at this motley bunch of fools, I called family didn’t fill me full of horror. It was almost like I felt at home if you took away Rebecca being in a coma, in a room down the hall or a mother who could suffocate the whole ocean if she pleased.

The room went quiet and I could feel all eyes on me but what followed was booming laughter from everyone else. Except for Jimmy who pouted even after he got several smacks to his back in encouragement.

I stopped laughing and took a seat next to my mentor, “how bad was it?”

“He tried the sloppiest looking submission move and got submitted himself. It was what we expected but he has just made excuses instead of maturing,” JD responded.

I shrugged, “runs in the family…I guess.”

“If I had trained him there is no way he would have messed that move up, mon,” Jack said as he stopped flexing and walked over to JD and me.

“Shut up,” we all turned to see Rico taking a sip of his drink and squinting at Jack.

Since I had known Rico, he had been a very quiet person and I always thought he was a very serious guy. Completely different than how Jack would always explain their escapades together while starting out with Lawson back in 1999.

By the surprised look Jack gave Rico he seemed to still see their relationship like that. “What, you have something smart to say about me too, mon?”

“Si.”

“I know you can speak English, you traitor,” Jack said and walked over and poked Rico in the chest.

Rico looked down and pushed Jacks finger away and then stared right into his eyes, “si.” With that, Rico walked out of the room, leaving everyone but Jack chuckling at what had just transpired.

“We all know you are a good trainer, Jack, relax and enjoy your time with your Ocptupos brothers,” The elder Lawson said as he stood up and gave Jack a soft pat on his shoulder.

The smile was back on the weed connoisseur and he nodded, “yea, Yea, YEA…what has gotten into him anyway?”

“He grew up,” JD said as he turned back and sat back down in his chair. His cigar leaving a smoke trail making it look like Jack was so mad his head was steaming.

Marley frowned at JDs back while he was walking back to his chair. He turned and walked back over to the mirror. He turned, “fine, I will grow up…my muscles that is!”

“We are all family here,” Doc stated as he strolled slowly towards me. I stood up to shakes his head and he continued, “tonight is a celebration of reunions and future success for all of us.” He put his arms out and then embraced me in a hug.

I was not ready for this, and he had trapped my arms so I could not escape from his clutches. I sighed and let him finish. When Doc let me go, he looked up at me with a way too sincere of a smile, “glad to see you, Steve, I know you have been busy looking for Ellis and well…distancing yourself from your mother, but she is thrilled you came.”

The room went silent again, but it wasn’t followed by a laugh this time. Instead, everyone was looking at Doc and I, waiting to see how I would respond. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and let it leave my body in hopes that my soul would also leave so I wouldn’t have to talk about this. (I hate it here?)

I groaned when I opened my eyes and saw that I was still there and everyone was still looking at me. “Yea…I’m sure,” is all I could think to say.

Doc continued to smile, “I just hope you and everyone here is open to new things because 2026 is going to be great for all of us, just you wait and see!”

His positivity was so sweet I could feel diabetes stalking me from the shadows. I heard everyone else groan in unison to that and I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself. “Doc, it looks like you might be too positive for everyone in this room. You have to know by now we are kind of pessimistic people whose jobs are not exactly safe…”

“…Or legal,” William Morris interruptedly yelled. He shrugged with a little grin and went back to being his normally stoic self.

“If being with my sister hasn’t scared him away, I don’t think anything will at this point,” JD responded as he put his cigar out.

“Now, now,” Doc replied quietly.

Nobody in that room was aware that I knew about their marriage even if they still had not told me about it. Ellis Jackson had spilled the beans about a lot of things when we came to an agreement on a soft alliance. It still made me angry thinking I had to work with the person responsible for Rebecca being in a coma. Maybe, he didn’t mean to do it, but I know he definitely enjoyed tormenting me after I joined The Octopus.

This new relationship has given me the chance to learn and to also torment him back with bodily harm because all it would take is another injury to his neck and his ridiculous dream about wrestling again would disappear.

I sighed, “if this is just the beginning of our New Years Eve, I am going to begin to dread what comes next.”

Doc laughed, “hugs can’t kill you, Steve.”

Oh god.

I slumped back into my chair as I shook my head confused as to what just occurred. I looked over at JD who gave me a small shrug, “I am as baffled as you, nephew.”

I nodded and continued to nod slowly as I thought to myself.

Maybe, I am in a different dimension?

I’m not dead, but maybe it’s a dream?

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Yep, that’s the one. Just scream into the fucking abyss.

The door opened a crack and all we heard was Clarice, “dinner is ready, hurry up.”

Shit.

--

Putting the Aquarium Back Together: The Entre

I entered the Dining Room last as I still had reservation for having to socialize with The Marine Biologist. By the time I walked inside the room it was dead silent, but everyone was sitting in their reserved seats. Dmytro’s seat was empty which did not surprise me as I hadn’t seen him in the cigar room. I figured he was still stuck in Ukraine and coming to states was not something he wanted to do.

I paused as I remembered with Ellis gone that my seat would be directly to the right of her. I could feel her eyes on me as I slowly sat down. I wasn’t ready to look at her, so I played with my napkin and laid it on my waste.

“What the fuck is your problem, Rico?”

Jacks saved the awkwardness I was feeling as he decided to break the ice and begin his argument with Rico again. Sandy Reed-Lawson, the wife of JD, instantly smacked Jack upside the back of his head which shut him up quickly.

“Ahem.”

Everyone looked at the front of the table to see Maude looking annoyed at each and everyone of us. “Are you done? Good, I hope you all enjoyed catching up with each other as Sandy and I did while we looked after Rebecca Hines.”

Oh.

Shit.

She didn’t even look at me but that had to be directed at me.

Right?

“We have an amazing meal planned tonight and then some rare expensive champagne for when the new year begins. Just remember this isn’t to celebrate anything good being accomplished because we still have much to do before we can really relax…”

Doc cleared his throat quietly and she paused and nodded, “but…as I have been told I need to let you know when I am proud or happy when one or all of you have done something excellent for The Octopus.”

What?

I looked around the table and each and everyone else had the same surprised look on their faces.

“I would also look to publicly announce that Doc and I were officially married a few months ago.”

She looked at me to see my reaction, but this was something Ellis had told me about, so I tried to pretend it was a surprise. I looked at Doc and then her with my mouth slightly opened and I shook my head, “thanks for the invite, Doc.”

He stammered, “I uh…didn’t want to keep it a surprise for uh so long…son.”

Son?

Oh, for Christ’s sake.

She put her hand up for everyone to be quiet, “it wasn’t meant to anger anyone, but none of us need our minds on something else when we have enemies to deal with and family who have betrayed us.”

I saw JD give me a side eyed look which confused me unless I thought to myself…he knew something he wasn’t supposed to know. I ignored it for now and responded to ugh…my mom, “congratulations—I guess.”

The Marine Biologist gave me what seemed to be a smile, it was very difficult to ascertain if that is what a smile looks like these days. It seemed more like a monster showing its teeth before it bites down on your throat. “After we are done here, I hope you will let me show you to Rebecca.”

This was becoming extremely difficult to understand.

Was she threatening me?

Was she showing me who is in charge?

Oh…no way, was she trying to show affection?

“It is like everyone here has had some Miracle Milk, mon!” Jack said loudly as he dug into some rice pilaf that had just been put in front of him while I was lost in my thoughts.

I froze at that comment and reached for my phone, but I stopped myself. I didn’t need anyone in that room to wonder what I was doing so instead I looked down at the food in front of me and began to eat.

“The Octopus will also be making a trip to Puerto Rico in hopes to see you compete, Steve,” Doc said out of the blue. I stopped chewing and looked up at him, “isn’t that right, hon?”

She nodded but didn’t say anything.

I was becoming dizzy.

This couldn’t be real, right?

I stood up, “I will be right back, I have to use the bathroom.”

In the bathroom I repeatedly threw cold water onto my face as thoughts bounced around in my head. I stared at myself in the mirror and let out a deep breath.

This was unexpected.

I didn’t really know how to react, but I certainly knew that all of us in Puerto Rico was not something I ever thought would happen.

“You need a towel, cuzzo?”

I jumped in surprise.

I turned to see that idiotic cousin of me reaching a towel out to me.

Was he fucking working in here?

Is this where the kids table was?

I laughed.

The rest of this night couldn’t get any crazier, right?

I took a step outside the bathroom and made sure nobody was around and I pulled my phone out.

I typed:

“I have one more place to check.”

--

Co-Manager of the year: Miguel.

Ugh, I don’t want to mention how annoying Jack has been since he found out about this.

But really?

I have to wrestle a Lasagna Boy?

It goes to show how far I have fallen the past few months when I am given this rotting, stinking corpse of a human being that is less intelligent than Fred Dick to wrestle.

Oh sorry, I am not wrestling in this match. I am going to pound that moronic face into a marinara pulp that Toddrick can sip up with a steel reserve for dinner.

If I am being honest, I could probably just let Jack get his anger out on you but who would want to watch two pathetically inept people tickle fight each other?

Relax, don’t get excited about the prospect of not having to get your neck readjusted.

Being the beautiful bald man I am, don’t think that I have an issue getting my hands dirty and helping you get rid of those decaying TEEF of yours. You can finally get the dentures you rightfully deserve.

This shouldn’t be about you though because who can rightfully take anything about you seriously?

This is about my slow descent from success to consistently losing against the top wrestlers in PRIME. Sorry TAL, a win against you did not and cannot soothe the wounds I have been given by the likes of Kerry, Flambo, and Ivan.

What you are, Miguel is a man ripe for all my anger on my failures to bury you in your own blood and bile.

You wrapped up like a mummy and being pushed in a wheelchair by Toddrick would be a better look for you anyway.

As I trudge into the Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, the war cry will be loud:

“Bald head polished, knuckles tight,

Thunderstorm in his veins, up for the fight.

When the sky cracks, you understand.

Pure untainted chaos, a furious man.”

It will end with me washing off your blood and then I guess, I can’t believe I am saying this…hanging out with my family.

I hate it a little less here.

Just for today.

OK?!?!