Sail

Chapter One – Parallel Universe

Ervin exhaled deeply and stared at the ceiling of his house. He'd just finished a hard workout at Planet Fitness and had pushed his body harder than ever. His arms and back were sore as he lay on his couch and breathed.

Suddenly, in a flash of energy a squat man wearing a strange costume appeared in front of Ervin's television.

Ervin gasped, "What the hell?!" Leaping to his feet.

"Do not fear," the masked man declared, "I am Aerostar."

Ervin rolled his eyes. (Not this cornball.)

"I have come at the request of The Taskmaster, Ervin." Aerostar crossed his arms. "You and three of your friends have been chosen."

"The Taskmaster," Ervin turned the name over in his mind, "You mean Kevin Sullivan?"

"No," Aerostar shook his head, "Not Sullivan. The True Taskmaster needs you and three of your friends to save the future."

"Save the future?" Ervin chuckled. "First, I'm going to whoop your ass. Then, I'm going to call the police so Bubba can whip and then fuck you in the ass because…this is truly some bullshiiiit, this is truly some buuuuuuuuuulllllllllshiiiiit," Ervin sang.

Ervin swung aiming for the head of the masked man but in a flash he'd vanished in a flurry of colors and reappeared behind him.

"This is not a joke, Ervin." Aerostar called from behind him. "This is real life."

Ervin shook his head, "No, it's not. It's just a plot device for the college story Larrell thought of."

"Ahem," Aerostar glanced around, "I repeat…this is real life."

"Okay," Ervin sighed, "I'll play along but if this was a suggestion from Larrell…does that make Larrell The True Taskmaster?"

"It's not Larrell." Aerostar declined.

"Prince?"

Aerostar shook his head, "It's not him. Look, Ervin, you have to select three people to save the future."

"Well," Ervin scratched his chin, "I've already named two."

"And the third?" Aerostar asked.

Ervin didn't have to think too much. "Regina."

"Your journey begins, Ervin," Aerostar outstretched his hand, creating a vortex of energy, "Let's hope you and your friends succeed."

Suddenly, Ervin felt like he'd been sucked into a vacuum. Static boomed in her ears, the world around Ervin whipped and swirled into a kaleidoscope and then a second later everything went pitch black and quiet.

A second later, Ervin opened his eyes.

"You okay, man?" A familiar voice called to Ervin.

Ervin sat up and glanced around. He was laying on a hard mat, surrounded by three thick black ropes, his ears ringing.

"Young one got his bell rung," A deep voice growled before blowing a whistle.

"J.R.," An accented voice sweet as silk called from between the ropes, "Tuck your chin into chest next time you get slammed and use your elbows to absorb the impact, okay."

Ervin immediately recognized the face of the woman instructing him. (Peyton Royce?) Ervin glanced around.

(A-Train?) Watching the man with the whistle walk away to the ring adjacent to the one Ervin was in.

"You good?" The familiar voice asked again.

Ervin looked up and stared into eyes of his friend G-MO. (They're here.) Spotting Larrell and Regina in the second ring hitting the ropes.

"I'm okay." Ervin stood and looked around and stared at the giant insignia on the wall NXT Performance Center.

"Get ready to take another slam; best to hurry you guys have college in the morning right?" Peyton Royce smiled warmly at G-MO and J.R., her protégés.

"Is J.R. slamming me this time?" G-MO double-checked.

"Nah, Prince," Peyton looked at the two, "Try a gorilla press, J.R."

Then, Ervin remembered Aerostar.

Aerostar had never even told him what the actual mission was.

"Ain't this some BUUUUUUUUUULLLLLSHIT!" J.R. Simmons declared.

"Huh?" Peyton gawked.

"Not that." Ervin immediately croaked apologetically.

"That'd make a good catchphrase," Regina giggled, "You should make that into a T-Shirt."

(We're here.) Ervin thought as he Prince locked up. (But how? Just Aerostar? Why? Who's the Taskmaster? What have I done?)