The airport was bustling even late into the evening.
People weaved through the crowd, dragging bags and luggage behind them, while announcements blared overhead every few minutes.
Dodge International was one of the busiest airports in the Federation, thanks to the city's thriving port economy, and even at this hour, there was a steady flow of travelers.
Tony stood next to Maya by the arrival gate, his hands tucked into his jacket pockets.
"Nervous?" he asked.
Maya shot him a glance. "Why would I be nervous?"
Tony raised an eyebrow at her.
"You haven't seen Uncle Stu in years."
Maya let out a sigh. "That's different."
Tony smirked. "And Bret and Owen are wrestlers themselves. They're definitely going to grill you about IRW."
Maya groaned at the thought.
"Especially Owen."
Just as Tony was about to tease her some more, passengers finally started streaming through the gate.
Maya was the first to spot them.
Stu Hart looked older than she remembered. His hair was heavily streaked with gray, and wrinkles etched his face, but he still exuded a certain intimidating calm. Beside him was Helen Hart, who carried herself with warmth despite the weariness of travel.
Then came Bret and Owen.
The older brother, Bret walked quietly, luggage in hand, calm and observant. Owen, on the other hand, was already scanning the area with childlike excitement, taking in everything like he was visiting a new city for the first time, which he technically was.
As soon as Owen caught sight of Maya and Tony, he threw his arms up dramatically.
"Maya!"
Heads turned in their direction.
Maya instantly regretted coming.
Owen dashed over and enveloped her in a tight hug while Tony awkwardly shook Bret's hand.
"You've gotten taller," Bret remarked.
Tony frowned. "That's the first thing you say after all these years?"
Bret shrugged. "You still look like a kid. Not working out?"
Tony looked a bit offended while Owen laughed heartily beside them.
Stu approached more slowly, giving Maya a brief hug before resting a hand on Tony's shoulder.
"You two look healthy, though Tony you should eat more."
"I already eat a lot," Tony muttered.
The family soon made their way to Maya's car after grabbing their luggage.
The drive through Dodge was pretty quiet at first.
The city lights danced off the windows as traffic crawled through the downtown streets. Owen couldn't help but gaze outside, his excitement bubbling over.
"This place is massive, just like New York."
Tony let out a laugh. "You say that every five minutes."
"It really is huge."
"It's the economic heart of the country. Plus, it has the biggest port in the Federation."
Meanwhile, Stu was taking in his surroundings more closely.
After a moment, he asked softly, "Your parents still don't live with you anymore?"
The mood shifted a bit.
Maya's grip on the steering wheel tightened for a second before she glanced at Tony.
Tony jumped in to answer.
"Dad's at the ranch."
Stu fell silent right away.
Tony kept his gaze out the window as he continued.
"After Mom passed… and then everything with Uncle Bruce… he decided to stay back in Texas to run the ranch."
A heavy silence settled in the car for a few seconds.
Finally, Helen broke the quiet with a gentle tone.
"So," she said warmly, "how's life treating you in Dodge?"
Owen perked up instantly.
"I saw Maya win the championship at All In!"
That brought the energy back up in the car.
Owen looked genuinely thrilled now.
"But I'm a bit puzzled," he added. "Why haven't you been wrestling much since that win? You've only shown up for one or two matches after All In."
He frowned.
"And that Evelyn Sharma girl keeps stealing the spotlight."
Then Owen muttered under his breath, "I don't even get why people like her so much."
Tony shot him a look.
"That sounded a bit racist."
Owen blinked, feigning innocence. "What? I didn't even mention her being Indian."
"That's also racist," Tony pointed out.
Maya sighed, shaking her head.
"I'm just managing my workload."
That left almost everyone in the car puzzled.
Bret was the first to speak up.
"Managing workload?"
Even Stu looked a bit lost by that term in the wrestling context.
Maya nodded.
"If I wrestle every single week without a break, my body will eventually give out. Vince introduced the concept of workload management to ensure the wrestlers aren't constantly overworked."
Owen frowned even more deeply.
"That sounds a bit soft," he remarked.
Maya chose to ignore him.
"Do you remember Mason Brooks?"
Stu nodded, a hint of recognition in his eyes.
"The former champion who recently returned," he confirmed.
Maya pressed on.
"He had to give up his title because of an injury."
Owen shrugged. "Right, because Eddie messed it up."
"Not entirely," Maya replied, her tone steady.
That piqued Bret's interest.
Maya explained, her focus still on the road ahead.
"Mason had been wrestling non-stop leading up to that match. Defending his title every week, facing tough opponents week after week. His body was taking a beating."
She shot a quick glance at them.
"Normally, that fall shouldn't have broken his hand. At worst, it should've just been a sprain."
Stu leaned back slowly, intrigued now.
Maya continued, "But since his body was already worn out, the injury turned out to be worse than it should have been."
Bret nodded slowly, the logic clicking into place for him.
Stu seemed to be pondering this new perspective as well.
Over the years, he had witnessed wrestlers push their limits until they broke down. He had always accepted it as part of the wrestling world.
But this…
This was a fresh way of looking at things.
Owen still seemed skeptical.
"I still think wrestlers should just wrestle."
Tony rolled his eyes in response.
"That's because you see wrestling as just two guys trying to take each other out."
"That's exactly what wrestling is," Owen insisted.
"No," Tony shot back, "that's the old-school view of wrestling."
Bret raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the shift in conversation.
Tony leaned in, excitement bubbling over.
"What IRW is doing is something else entirely. People actually invest emotionally now."
Owen looked horrified.
"You mean all that mic stuff?"
"Yeah."
"That's theatre for you."
Tony flashed a grin.
"And yet you watched Maya act like a total jerk and still got mad, didn't you?"
Owen pointed an accusing finger at Maya.
"She was such an asshole!"
"Language, Owen." Helen said.
Maya shot him an irritated look.
"If I had been there," Owen went on dramatically, "I would've jumped into the ring myself."
Helen let out a sigh. "Owen."
Bret, much more composed, admitted, "I wasn't cheering for Maya either."
Tony immediately pointed at him.
"Exactly!"
The brothers exchanged puzzled glances.
Tony continued, his excitement building.
"That's the whole point. You were invested."
Maya let out a soft groan from the driver's seat.
Tony brushed her off.
"You were rooting against her. Then when Tracey and Evelyn started taking her down, suddenly the crowd was all about Maya."
Owen burst into laughter.
"I cheered when they took her down."
Maya looked like she might toss him out of the car.
Tony pressed on.
"That's what Vince is changing. Wrestling isn't just about betting anymore. People actually pick sides now."
That statement made Stu pause for a moment.
He had been hearing Vince Maston's name pop up even in New York lately.
The new owner from Dodge. The one shaking up wrestling traditions. The one making wrestlers talk on microphones like they're in a play. The one introducing heroes and villains in a ring fight with two half-naked people.
The one pulling in record crowds.
Stu finally asked quietly, "What's Vince Maston like?"
Maya's expression turned red for a split second.
She stayed silent long enough for everyone to notice.
Tony couldn't help but smirk.
Owen picked up on it right away.
"Ohhhhh."
Maya shot daggers at both of them, "Shut up. He's my boss."
"I've seen a few sitcoms that dive into workplace romances. You know, the classic trope where the female secretary ends up falling for her boss and then—"
"Shut up, Owen!"
Helen was clearly amused, while Bret watched Maya with a smirk playing on his lips.
Stu, on the other hand, kept a serious demeanor.
"Well?"
Maya took a moment before she spoke.
"He's..."
She was searching for just the right word.
"...a revolutionary."
Owen let out a snort.
Maya brushed him off again.
"He sees wrestling in a way that no one else does."
Bret crossed his arms.
"I still don't get the whole microphone thing."
Tony chuckled. "You sound just like everyone else before they actually watch it."
Owen nodded with confidence.
"Wrestling should just be two half-naked guys grappling in a ring while the crowd goes wild. Not grown-ups bickering like kids."
Tony shot him a smirk.
"And yet, you watch the whole thing."
Owen quickly turned his gaze away.
"That's not the point."
Bret chimed in quietly, "I'll admit one thing, though."
Everyone turned to him.
"The shows are definitely more exciting."
Tony pointed dramatically.
"Exactly!"
Stu was lost in thought.
He had spent most of his life around traditional wrestling—discipline, grappling, submission holds, toughness.
But from what he had gathered...
IRW was a whole different ball game.
Maybe that's why everyone in the wrestling world was buzzing about it.
Stu glanced back at Maya.
"And this Vince wants to meet us?"
Maya nodded.
"He asked me earlier."
"Why?"
Maya's grip on the steering wheel tightened a bit.
"He's interested in the Hart family."
Immediately, Owen was proud of himself. "Who wouldn't be?"
Bret didn't respond to Owen.
His eyebrows were downturned.
"What does that mean?"
Maya turned her head toward him in the mirror.
"You can ask him yourself when you meet him."
----
AN: Extra long chapter to apologize for the wait. I have got an internship so my weekdays are filled with nine hours of corporate work.