Blood, Sweat, and Borrowed Gimmicks
CHAPTER FIVE
The next morning, Malik hit the ground running — literally.
He wasn't going to half-step this comeback.
Not when the dream was alive again, buzzing in his veins stronger than a double shot of espresso.
But just as he tightened his sneakers and was about to hit the track, something new flashed across his STATUS screen:
🎥 **SYSTEM FEATURE UNLOCKED: MEMORY ARCHIVES.
Access to Historical Match Footage: View Your Past Matches. View Matches of Other Wrestlers (Historical and Legendary). Analyze Techniques, Styles, and Patterns. Learn and Adapt.**
Malik blinked.
He tapped into the Archive and was instantly flooded with match after match — not just his own sweaty indie battles, but classics.
Prime-time WWE championship bouts. Underground no-name wrestlers clawing for glory. Icons and legends throwing down in every style imaginable.
He watched himself, too — clips from his own first life:
Crashing into tables. Locking in submissions. Bleeding, gritting, roaring victories.
It was all there.
The good.
The bad.
The blueprint for greatness.
"I can study everybody," Malik realized.
"I can build a new style. Better. Smarter. Meaner."
His hands tightened into fists.
If he was serious about becoming the Tribal Chief of Eastwood — and beyond —
it started right here.
With blood.
With sweat.
And a whole lot of borrowed brilliance.
Training Montage – Real Mode:
5 AM: Malik sprinted laps around the rusted-out Eastwood track, fog swirling at his ankles, sweat already soaking through his hoodie. 6 AM: In the gym, he hammered push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups — ignoring the screaming protests from muscles that hadn't been worked this hard since his first time flunking gym class. Lunch Break: He found Caleb "The Technician" Thompson and let the scrawny kid put him through brutal submission drills. Malik tapped out more times than he cared to admit. Evening: Watching old tapes — not just any matches, but studying Roman Reigns, the Tribal Chief himself.
The aura. The dominance. The respect.
Malik paused the video, staring at Roman holding the Universal Championship high above his head like a king surveying his empire.
"That's it," Malik whispered. "That's who I need to be."
The Decision: Gimmick Time
That night, under the flickering lights of his bedroom, Malik opened his STATUS screen and selected:
🎭 **NEW CHARACTER THEME UNLOCKED:
In-Ring Persona: The Tribal Chief of the Island of Relevancy (Inspired by Roman Reigns). Entrance Look: No top, black pants, hair down, mean mug on full power. Non-Fight Persona: Corporate Champion (Inspired by Cody Rhodes) — sleek suits, Rolex energy, smiles hiding shark teeth.**
Bonus:
+5 Charisma. +3 Intimidation. +2 Leadership.
Malik grinned.
If he was gonna run this school — and the world beyond — he needed to LOOK like a champion first.
Training Trouble – The Drama Hits
One afternoon, while sparring with Randy "The Meat Grinder" Baxter (because Malik refused to duck any challenge), things got ugly.
During a clumsy body slam, Malik's ankle twisted awkwardly.
POP.
Pain flared up his leg like a Roman candle.
He hit the mat, gasping, the gym spinning around him.
"Old man can't hang!" Randy sneered, stepping over Malik like he was roadkill.
Caleb and a few others rushed over.
"You good, dude?!"
Malik clenched his jaw, forcing himself to sit up.
He yanked open his STATUS with a shaky hand.
🚑 Minor Ankle Sprain: -10% Agility for 3 Days.
Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation Recommended.
Malik wiped sweat from his forehead, laughing grimly.
"No time to cry," he muttered. "Champions limp until they walk again."
Building the Crew
Over the next few days, as Malik limped around campus with an ice pack rubber-banded to his ankle, something strange happened.
His rivals... started becoming his teammates.
Caleb "The Technician" Thompson offered to help him work on ground game moves that didn't require fancy footwork. Vanessa "Viper" Cruz showed him lightning-quick reversal drills — "You ain't gotta jump high if you roll fast." Even "Sweet" Danny Rollins (the interpretive dance guy) showed up, offering advice on how to "sell" pain in the ring for crowd drama. (Malik secretly made a mental note to never accept Danny's choreography suggestions, though.)
It wasn't exactly The Bloodline...
But it was a start.
And Malik?
He was slowly, steadily, becoming the Tribal Chief of Eastwood High Wrestling.
First Public Promo – Testing the Persona
At a lunchtime pep rally in the gym, Coach called all the tournament sign-ups onto the mat to introduce themselves.
One by one, kids grabbed the mic, mumbling boring introductions.
Then it was Malik's turn.
The crowd barely paid attention as he stepped up to the mic — dressed in a black shirt with the word Acknowledge me, black pants, hair down, and an intensity that made even the teachers pause.
Malik brought the mic close to his lips... and said, low and steady:
"Acknowledge me."
A ripple of confusion swept through the bleachers.
Malik kept going:
"In two weeks, you won't remember anybody else's name.
You won't remember anybody else's trophies.
You'll only remember this..."
He thumped his chest.
"M.K. Jr. The Tribal Chief of Relevancy."
Dead silence...
...then a weird buzz of laughter, confusion, and some awe.
Some kids booed.
Some kids cheered.
Most just stared, half-impressed and half-terrified.
Exactly the reaction he wanted.
STATUS Ping:
🎯 Micro-Mission Completed:
'Make an Impression' — +3 Charisma, +1 Fanbase!
As Malik stepped off the mat, Caleb, Vanessa, and even Sweet Danny high-fived him.
"You're nuts, man," Caleb laughed.
"But you're OUR nutcase," Vanessa added, smirking.
Malik limped a little as he walked toward the locker rooms, but his heart was soaring.
Two weeks.
One sprained ankle.
A whole lot of kids who didn't know it yet...
But were about to join his Island of Relevancy — by choice or by suplex.
The Tribal Chief had officially arrived.
[End of Chapter 5]