“Whoever is detected in a shameful fraud is ever after not believed even if they speak the truth” - Phaedrus

You ever get the feeling that the karmic universe is somehow searching for a way to remind you of your overall insignificance in the world? I’d heard about moments like that, where the world pimp-slaps you back into line, but have yet to truly experience it. I’ve come close on more than one occasion, but through it all, I’ve always felt I was living a blessed life.

This past Sunday, at Violation 75, I felt another setup coming.

So I’m scheduled to face Cross Recoba and the Premiere Champion, Va’aiga with Kaito as my partner. But right after the opening bell, I get the distinct feeling that I’m the only one on my team who’s focused. Never a good feeling to have when you’re tagging against dangerous people. Match goes on, my thoughts are confirmed, Kaito’s checked out mentally, and I get Kaito into the match. After that, I decide it’s time to check out.

I suppose I should have stayed invested in the match. But that’s always been an issue for me: when I think someone’s not pulling their weight and not putting in as much as effort as me in a match, I pretty much leave them to the wolves, or f*ck them up myself. Kaito left me out there at the start, so by the end, I returned the favor. Sue me.

You’re in a tag match with me, your name’s not Trinity, and you half-ass it? You better have a contingency plan. He didn’t. He lost.

*I* didn’t lose.

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Location: Home of Slade/Trinity, Pittsburgh, PA
Date/Time: 03NOV09, 1407 Hours EST

After Violation, Trinity and I had done everything we could to drop off the radar for a little bit. Working for Premiere, we didn’t figure to get too much time away, so the day after the show, I turned off the phones and pampered her the best way I knew how.

A couple days later, feeling rejuvenated and having avoided talking shop, Trin was in the Dojo, running through some ground and pound exercises. Her fluidity in her movements, with every muscle working in synch, was mesmerizing. She moved from technique to technique with a controlled fury, her elbows and punches crashing down like thunder upon the tackling dummy she used to train.

I smirked and approached her cautiously, as Trin wasn’t one to be rudely interrupted during a vigorous workout. She got to her feet, chest heaving, and sweat matting her chestnut hair to the side of her face. She smiled, showing off the mouthpiece she wore during her MMA days, emblazoned with the words “No Quarter” across the front. She then spit it out into her palm and smiled once more, showing me the smile that I’d do anything to protect.

Slade: I see you’re right back to old times after your ‘community service’, Firecracker.

I’d used my nickname for her I’d used a lot when we first met. I wasn’t quite sure why I felt like it, but watching her train… She just had something about her.

Trinity: I see you finally got around to caring, big guy.

She was breaking my balls again, as she seemed to every time she wanted me to know just how important she was to me.

Slade: Hey, I was worried for you THEN, but you went out there, tangled with a pair of guys who were almost as dangerous as me, got the win with that knowing look in your eye, and I knew you’d be alright out there.

Trinity: I was hoping my guy was right, and they’d be a true stereotypical dysfunctional team, who’d be more concerned with damaging each other than me. They were, I won, end of story.

Slade: Yeah, but still… I wish we’d talked about your plan first. Maybe then I wouldn’t have come off as uncaring as I seemed to be, leaving you to deal with the psychopathic sycophant, and then the PWA equivalent of the Hatfields and McCoys.

Trin smiled again and wiped at her forehead with the back of her glove.

Trinity: Yes, but where’s the fun in planning anything? You’re a ‘fly by the seat of the pants’ type of guy, right? You should be used to spontaneity by now.

I smirked again at her and picked up the Muay Thai striking pad, offering to help her continue with her workout.

Slade: Sweetie, it’d be certifiably crazy of me to be ‘used to’ you by now. As soon as I do that—

*THWACK!*

She had slipped her mouthpiece back in and readied herself while I was talking and not really paying attention. The force of her kick was incredible, and it caught me off guard just enough to bring a surprised look to my face, and a smile with an eyebrow waggle to hers. She was being serious about her work, while letting me learn a very important lesson about the woman I loved, the very hard way.

Slade: Christ, kid. Nice shot. You used to hit people like that?

Trin bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, bracing for another devastating blow.

Trinity: (muffled through mouthpiece) You know it!

She reared back and delivered another thunderous shot. It almost sounded like a gunshot as kick after kick after kick landed flush against the pad, assaulting the same spot, and the smile on my face grew wider and wider with each one. This woman could knock my head clean off… thank the Maker she was on my side.

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Location: Home of Slade/Trinity, Pittsburgh, PA
Date/Time: 05NOV09, 1227 Hours EST

Our home had never seemed so full. In the five years since we had purchased the old building and turned it into our place of business and renovated the upper floors, there had never been this many people present. I just wasn’t one to be too big on parties, and it wasn’t as if Trin and I got out much, so we didn’t have a ton of time to devote to the party type lifestyle. But this occasion was something else. This was Trin’s ‘freedom party’ that she’d earned for finally completing her assigned community service.

The mood was very light, and I’d gone without freaking during the entire length of the party. I’d called up Sil and Jeannie, and even Officer Lonely-Hearts, the one that Trin liked as a friend, and asked them if they would like to celebrate with us. Sam was on board immediately, and my mission to make peace with the Aussie was going swimmingly. In fact, even in the face of everything that was going on professionally, things were going great at home.

I hadn’t told Trin I was planning any kind of celebration in her honor, so the look on her face when she walked in was the second-most priceless thing I’ve ever seen from her. We’d gathered everyone in the den, each with whatever drink they’d chosen, and everyone was taking turns telling stories. It was my turn next, and I wasn’t sure what to talk about first.

Trinity: Tell them about the McNugget!

I couldn’t help but laugh at the memory, and that seemed to pique everyone’s interest.

Samantha Van Ravyn: Can’t say I’ve heard this one…

Jeannie Duarte: Oh, I think I remember this… it was during TWC, right?

I nodded and smiled, pulling Trinity into my lap for ‘story time’.

Samantha Van Ravyn: That’s it then. I wasn’t there long enough but to have a cup of coffee and cause some trouble of my own…

Slade: You have an excellent memory, Miss Duarte. It was indeed during the time of Tradition, and me and Trin were up to no good as usual. She’d just been screwed out of her World Title, a title she won fair and square in a tournament. That little runt Seamus McGibbons was the commissioner of TWC, and had it in for Trin the whole time.

Trinity: I hated that little turd.

I grinned and held her closer before continuing. Jeannie sat forward on the couch, as if getting closer to the storyteller would get her further into the memory. Silvio chuckled and sipped his lemon-lime beverage, as Officer Lonely-Hearts leaned against the bar, nursing a club soda. Off-duty and all, he still decided to not indulge as the rest had.

Slade: Anyway, he really didn’t like us, so we decided to do something to him that’d chap his hide but good. So I hired this midget guy, right?

Trin swatted at me, while the rest of the room groaned at my poor choice of words.

Slade: What?

Silvio Duarte: Slade, as your agent, I shouldn’t have to remind you that being sensitive to those with disabilities is an important thing.

Trinity: Besides, he would tell you himself that he was a Little Person, and not a midget. He did, several dozen times, if I recall.

Slade: Alright, alright. So I hired a ‘little person’, and we dressed him up in Seamus’s outfit, gave him a tiny little desk with a nameplate and everything, and we hid him in McGibbons’ closet. By some crazy stroke of luck, we managed to get the REAL McG to sign a piece of paper, granting the mini-McG all the same rights and privileges that the big one had, so we could get him to issue decrees and make matches all the time.

Trinity had started to giggle on my lap, and was fighting hard to let me continue the story. Silvio had rolled his eyes and sat back on the couch, already sure he knew where this story was heading.

Slade: And this little person is such a good impersonator, people are doing what he says! And the real McG is none the wiser, right? Well the day we get found out, we’re in McG’s office, and he’s coming, so we have to stash the little guy.

Trinity was laughing so hard, I was having a very difficult time concentrating.

Slade: McG walks in right as we shuffle the McNugget off into his makeshift office. We ALMOST had McG fooled until he got word of a midget pretending to be him… and this little voice comes ROARING out of the closet shouting, “LITTLE PERSON!”

Trinity could no longer hold it in, letting loose with roaring laughter. I joined in, while everyone else groaned again. Apparently, the story was funniest to me and Trin.

Silvio Duarte: Slade, as your agent, I would advise you to concentrate more effort on taking out your opponent this week, and less effort on midget commissioners. So what are you going to do about D’Amato? He’s an established champion and all—

Slade: Established? Established?!? The jackass was handed the title! He didn’t do anything to deserve it! And he’s damn lucky he won’t be facing me for it, because he’d have the shortest run in PWA history! Kane’s WWE title run would look like an ETERNITY next to this guy!

Silvio hadn't realized how much of a nerve he'd hit.

Silvio Duarte: Slade, I--

I stood up, almost dumping Trinity to the floor in the process. She got to her feet just in time. But by that time, I was already gone.

Slade: No more games! Party's over! Everybody clear out. I got work to do... Sam, you can stay as usual. The rest of you, need to clear out as soon as you can. That goes DOUBLE for you, Lonely-Hearts.

Officer Chase looked like he wanted to hit me as he left. I practically begged him to, but as an officer of the law, he found it better not to get arrested himself.

I could tell this was going to be a long night...

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Again, Tony, I want you to pay attention to what I'm going to say, because frankly, I am not interested if you learn anything from me.

Hearing you say that you aren't afraid of me is the biggest mistake you could make. Believing for one minute that you're better than me is the second.

If you're smart, you'll watch what I did to Valentine Lionheart and take notes. But I don't think you're smart. I think you're an arrogant, cocky, ignorant, gangster wannabe piece of trash, and I'm going to drive you through the mat and into the ground like a railroad spike. I'm going to take you by your scrawny Italian neck, lift you up into the air and plant your ass as hard as I can. Then, just when you think it's over, and nothing could get any worse, you will be wrong. It will get worse.

This beating will be epic, and will not end until I say so. You'll wish you were dead long before it's over. So please, for your sake, stop discounting me. But for mine... continue.

As if I needed another reason to take you apart.

Not much longer, Tony. Not much longer.