Disclaimer: Do I really need to say it? Do I? I do not own the WWE or its talent. I have no claims to the venues or cities that appear in the story. Drake Williams however belongs to me.

The Road to WrestleMania: One Man's Journey to the Top
Chapter XIII
Self-Destruction And Redemption

Drake Williams has fallen on rough times. His young WWE career seemingly began to slip into the proverbial gutter and now he found himself on the "bottom rung of the ladder" as they say. After his feud with Triple H followed by the departure of Christy Hemme, coupled by the stress of being away from his home and family gradually became a great burden for Drake. By the time the New Year started, the burden was evident both and out of the ring; inside the ropes, Drake was often off his game and frequently lost one match after another. It was as if he did not care at all about the bout or the fans, who have lately soundly booed him.

It was not any better in the locker room as many of Drake's friends found it difficult to even speak to him. Drake would often demand to be left alone and in a couple of cases, had physical altercations with his coworkers. Shawn Michaels was the only one who still tried to help Drake but it was almost to no avail.

When it became obvious that Drake was suffering from depression, Mr. McMahon decided it was in Drake's best interest to seek professional help. This only add fuel to the fire; on a live show in Drake's hometown of Baltimore, Drake blatantly disrespected everyone, blaming each and every person in the crowd and even the overall roster for his problems; both Raw and Smackdown. The ensuing Draft Lottery did little to stem the rage and anger that was growing inside of Drake. Even being drafted to Raw could stop Drake Williams from taking out his hatred on the world.

The WWE creative team attempted to play on Drake attitude by portraying him as "emotionally unstable"; that only made Drake angrier. More often than not, Drake broke character and violently attacked his opponent; these actions carried over to officials, announcers, even the divas. No one was safe! Drake eventually went over the edge when he attacked a fan during a live event. The assault led to Drake getting arrested and the fan suing the WWE. Mr. McMahon was left with no choice but release Drake Williams from his contract following WWE Vengeance. It may have been for Drake's own good. In a preceding interview, Drake finally spoke on his release and his recent issues.

"I don't what got into me lately. When I first started in the business, I swear I was on Cloud 9 and little by little, it all just slipped away. I gradually started to forget who I was; I went from the fun-loving, happy-go-lucky youth to I guess, an unstable sociopath. I didn't wanna hurt that kid and if he wants to send hate mail or have his parents sue me than so be it."

"I just wish I could turn back Time and stop myself from going down that path but I can't. All I can do now live and learn. Maybe I'll come back one day but in the mean time, I need to find myself; find the person I'm supposed to be. For what it's worth, I want to thank the WWE for giving me a chance."

That was the last anyone heard from Drake Williams. During the next several months, Drake slowly brought his life back together. The first order of business was managing his emotions, which was done rehab and anger management. After that, Drake found himself by finding faith; just as Shawn Michaels did before him. Thanks to Shawn, Drake went on to convert to Christianity in October of 2007. During that time, Drake met with Vince McMahon, who offered him a new contract with the WWE. Drake looked at the contract with legitimate reluctance.

"You sure you want me back in the fold, Vince?" Drake asked. "I mean, after all the things I've done? Is it worth it?" Vince placed a hand on Drake's shoulder and said, "I know you got your doubts Drake, and truth be told it wasn't my idea."

Drake looked perplexed but asked, "Whose idea was it?"

"The fans want you back." Vince said. "They need you, and you know how I hate to disappoint the fans." Drake shook his head and said, "No, they don't need me, I need them."

Drake Williams looked over the contract which stated that he would come back in January of 2008 following New Year's Revolution. He would sign but on one condition; Drake Williams wanted be entered into the Royal Rumble. The Crusader made it clear that it was time for him to reach the top of World Wrestling Entertainment. Over the next two to three months, numerous videos played to hype up Drake's return to the WWE. At last the night of Drake Williams return came; near the end of the show Drake's music played and the audience went crazy for Drake. The Crusader finally came to the arena to a chorus of cheers for the crowd; he wondered if he even deserved the reaction. Drake stepped into the ring and asked for a microphone as the crowd chanted his name.

"Just for record I got one thing to say," Drake said. "DAMN, I LOVE YOU GUYS!" The audience went nuts for Drake chanting, "Crusader, Crusader."

"I could stand hear and tell you about the hell I went through but I'm not gonna waste your time," Drake said. "I'm just gonna to the point. As of right now, Drake Williams is back; and as of right now, I have officially entered the Royal Rumble. I swear to you all, I will win the Rumble and I will go to WrestleMania."

The audience popped big on the announcement as Drake Williams stood tall on the middle ropes and saluted them as Raw went off the air. After the show, Drake returned backstage to be greeted by his fellow wrestlers, including John Cena. They high-fived each other and Drake went on his way only to be confronted by Edge, who was the current WWE Champion for Raw. By his side as always was Lita. Edge got right in Drake's face and Drake did the same.

"You better not get your hopes up, Cru!" Edge said. "Even if there's a slight chance of you winning the Rumble, you'll never beat me, and you'll take this from me." He said holding the belt in front of Drake. "Guess we'll have to wait and see, won't we?" Drake said with a very confident smile.

Drake knew he had something to prove now. The road to recovery was behind him and now he was poised to make it all the way to the biggest stage in the WWE; no matter what it takes. Even if he could win the Royal Rumble which came in two weeks, getting to WrestleMania was not going to be easy. But if there is thing that will keep Drake going, it was his faith in the fans, faith in God and faith in himself.

Author's note: While this chapter is relatively short, I'd say it's a very personal look into my characters personality. We're only human, right? Anyway make sure to review. Peace out!