Categories > Books > Harry Potter > A Perfect Ten
The night of the Royal Rumble arrived, and the atmosphere in the arena was electric. The crowd buzzed with anticipation as the participants made their way to the ring. Percy, entering as Ryker Black, drew the dreaded number 1, knowing he would have to outlast twenty-nine other competitors to claim the vacant Winged Eagle Championship.
As the match began, Percy faced off against his first opponent, the British Bulldog. The two exchanged blows, each one trying to gain the upper hand, but Percy knew he had to pace himself. He couldn’t afford to burn out too early, not when so much was at stake.
More and more competitors entered the match, the ring filling up with some of the biggest names in the sport. The chaos was overwhelming, with bodies flying over the ropes and crashing to the mat below. But through it all, Percy managed to hang on, using his speed and agility to avoid elimination.
The minutes turned into what felt like an eternity as the match wore on. Percy’s muscles burned with exhaustion, but he refused to give up. He had trained too hard, sacrificed too much, to let this slip away now. He kept his focus, waiting for the right moment to strike.
As the match entered its final stretch, only four competitors remained: Percy, Mike Awesome, Ricky Fuji, and Hideki Hosaka. Percy, exhausted and battered, retreated to a corner, watching as the other three battled it out. Fuji and Hosaka were formidable, but Mike Awesome, with his towering frame and raw power, was a force to be reckoned with.
In a moment of brute strength, Mike Awesome eliminated both Ricky Fuji and Hideki Hosaka simultaneously, leaving him alone in the ring with Percy. The crowd roared as Sid raised his arms in triumph, believing the match was all but over.
But Percy had been waiting for this moment. As Mike Awesome turned his attention to the crowd, Percy summoned every ounce of strength he had left. He rushed forward, grabbing hold of Awesome’s long legs and, with a herculean effort, lifted them up and over the top rope. Awesome’s eyes widened in shock as he realized what was happening, but it was too late. He tumbled over the ropes and crashed to the floor below.
The bell rang, signaling Percy’s victory. The crowd erupted in cheers, stunned by the incredible upset they had just witnessed. Percy, barely able to stand, was handed the Winged Eagle Championship, adding it to the Intercontinental title already slung over his shoulder.
As he stood in the center of the ring, both championship belts draped over his exhausted frame, an interviewer rushed in to capture the moment. The microphone was thrust in front of Percy, who looked out at the cheering crowd, his emotions overwhelming him.
"I can tell you all," Percy began, his voice cracking with emotion, "with a tear in my eye...this is the greatest moment of my life."
The crowd roared its approval, the arena shaking with the force of their cheers. Percy had done it. He had defied the odds, outlasted twenty-nine other men, and emerged as the new Winged Eagle Champion. For Percy, now Ryker Black, this was the culmination of everything he had worked for, everything he had sacrificed.
Percy staggered into the dressing room, his body wracked with exhaustion. The grueling Royal Rumble match had taken everything out of him—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Every step felt like a monumental effort, his muscles screaming in protest. He was drenched in sweat, his vision swimming as dehydration began to take its toll. Penelope, visibly pregnant and filled with concern, rushed to his side, helping him to a chair.
“Percy, you need to rest,” she urged, her voice trembling as she wiped his brow with a cool cloth. “You’re pushing yourself too hard.”
Percy barely heard her, his mind fogged with fatigue. He was on the brink of collapse, his body barely able to sustain him after the punishment it had endured. He knew he needed to get back to the hotel, away from the noise and lights of the arena. He nodded weakly, letting Penelope guide him out of the dressing room and toward the exit.
By the time they reached their hotel room, Percy was on the verge of passing out. He collapsed onto the bed, his body unable to support him any longer. The pain that wracked his body was unbearable, and he fumbled for the bottle of somas he had been relying on to get through the last few matches.
Penelope watched in horror as he unscrewed the cap and shook out a handful of pills. “Percy, no!” she cried, trying to stop him. “You can’t take that many!”
But Percy, his hand trembling, swallowed four or five pills without hesitation. The relief was almost immediate, the searing pain in his muscles subsiding as the drugs took effect. His eyelids grew heavy, and he felt himself sinking into the mattress, the world around him fading into a dull blur.
Penelope, her heart pounding in fear, grabbed the bottle from the nightstand and read the label: Take only two pills every twelve hours.
Her blood ran cold as she realized the danger Percy had put himself in. She shook him gently, trying to rouse him, but he was already slipping into a deep, drug-induced sleep. Tears welled up in her eyes as she sat beside him, watching his chest rise and fall with each labored breath. She didn’t know what to do, didn’t know how to help him. All she could do was hope that he would wake up in the morning, that he hadn’t taken too much.
A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. Wiping her tears, she hesitantly went to answer it. To her surprise, Lucius Malfoy stood in the hallway, a look of calm assurance on his face. He looked over her shoulder, his eyes narrowing as he caught sight of Percy lying motionless on the bed.
“How is he?” Lucius asked, his voice smooth and untroubled.
Penelope, still holding the pill bottle in her hand, glanced back at Percy, worry etched into every line of her face. “He’s exhausted, Lucius. He’s taken too much… I’m scared for him. I don’t know how much more of this he can take.”
Lucius stepped into the room, his presence commanding. He walked over to the bed, observing Percy’s unconscious form for a moment before turning back to Penelope. “Percy is stronger than you think,” Lucius said, his tone unwavering. “What he’s achieved tonight is extraordinary, and he’s just getting started.”
Penelope shook her head, her eyes pleading. “But at what cost? This can’t go on, Lucius. We have enough money now—more than enough to start a new life, to raise our child in comfort. Percy doesn’t need to keep doing this. It’s going to kill him.”
Lucius’s eyes gleamed with a mix of pride and ambition as he handed Penelope a check. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she saw the amount written on it—enough to secure their future many times over.
“This is only the beginning,” Lucius continued, ignoring her protests. “Percy has the potential to be something truly special, something that could change the world. You’ve seen what he can do—imagine what he’ll achieve when he’s at his peak. He’s destined for greatness, Penelope, and I intend to help him reach it.”
Penelope looked at the check, her hands trembling as she held it. The promise of a better life was right there in her hands, but the cost was so much higher than she had ever imagined. She looked back at Percy, lying so still on the bed, and felt her heart break.
“What if he doesn’t wake up, Lucius?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lucius’s expression softened slightly, though his resolve remained firm.
“He will wake up,” he said confidently. “And when he does, he’ll be stronger than ever. This is what he wants, Penelope. He wants to be the best, and I’m going to make sure he gets there.”
Penelope swallowed hard, her emotions a whirlwind of fear, love, and desperation. She knew Lucius was right about Percy’s ambition, about his drive to succeed. But she also knew that this path was leading him further and further away from the man she had fallen in love with—the man who had once dreamed of a simple, happy life together.
As Lucius left the room, leaving her alone with Percy, Penelope sat down beside him once more, clutching his hand in hers. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they were standing on the edge of a precipice, that one wrong step could send them tumbling into a darkness they could never escape.
But as she looked at Percy, so vulnerable in his sleep, she knew she would stay by his side, no matter where this journey took them. She loved him too much to let go, even if it meant walking into the unknown.
As the match began, Percy faced off against his first opponent, the British Bulldog. The two exchanged blows, each one trying to gain the upper hand, but Percy knew he had to pace himself. He couldn’t afford to burn out too early, not when so much was at stake.
More and more competitors entered the match, the ring filling up with some of the biggest names in the sport. The chaos was overwhelming, with bodies flying over the ropes and crashing to the mat below. But through it all, Percy managed to hang on, using his speed and agility to avoid elimination.
The minutes turned into what felt like an eternity as the match wore on. Percy’s muscles burned with exhaustion, but he refused to give up. He had trained too hard, sacrificed too much, to let this slip away now. He kept his focus, waiting for the right moment to strike.
As the match entered its final stretch, only four competitors remained: Percy, Mike Awesome, Ricky Fuji, and Hideki Hosaka. Percy, exhausted and battered, retreated to a corner, watching as the other three battled it out. Fuji and Hosaka were formidable, but Mike Awesome, with his towering frame and raw power, was a force to be reckoned with.
In a moment of brute strength, Mike Awesome eliminated both Ricky Fuji and Hideki Hosaka simultaneously, leaving him alone in the ring with Percy. The crowd roared as Sid raised his arms in triumph, believing the match was all but over.
But Percy had been waiting for this moment. As Mike Awesome turned his attention to the crowd, Percy summoned every ounce of strength he had left. He rushed forward, grabbing hold of Awesome’s long legs and, with a herculean effort, lifted them up and over the top rope. Awesome’s eyes widened in shock as he realized what was happening, but it was too late. He tumbled over the ropes and crashed to the floor below.
The bell rang, signaling Percy’s victory. The crowd erupted in cheers, stunned by the incredible upset they had just witnessed. Percy, barely able to stand, was handed the Winged Eagle Championship, adding it to the Intercontinental title already slung over his shoulder.
As he stood in the center of the ring, both championship belts draped over his exhausted frame, an interviewer rushed in to capture the moment. The microphone was thrust in front of Percy, who looked out at the cheering crowd, his emotions overwhelming him.
"I can tell you all," Percy began, his voice cracking with emotion, "with a tear in my eye...this is the greatest moment of my life."
The crowd roared its approval, the arena shaking with the force of their cheers. Percy had done it. He had defied the odds, outlasted twenty-nine other men, and emerged as the new Winged Eagle Champion. For Percy, now Ryker Black, this was the culmination of everything he had worked for, everything he had sacrificed.
Percy staggered into the dressing room, his body wracked with exhaustion. The grueling Royal Rumble match had taken everything out of him—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Every step felt like a monumental effort, his muscles screaming in protest. He was drenched in sweat, his vision swimming as dehydration began to take its toll. Penelope, visibly pregnant and filled with concern, rushed to his side, helping him to a chair.
“Percy, you need to rest,” she urged, her voice trembling as she wiped his brow with a cool cloth. “You’re pushing yourself too hard.”
Percy barely heard her, his mind fogged with fatigue. He was on the brink of collapse, his body barely able to sustain him after the punishment it had endured. He knew he needed to get back to the hotel, away from the noise and lights of the arena. He nodded weakly, letting Penelope guide him out of the dressing room and toward the exit.
By the time they reached their hotel room, Percy was on the verge of passing out. He collapsed onto the bed, his body unable to support him any longer. The pain that wracked his body was unbearable, and he fumbled for the bottle of somas he had been relying on to get through the last few matches.
Penelope watched in horror as he unscrewed the cap and shook out a handful of pills. “Percy, no!” she cried, trying to stop him. “You can’t take that many!”
But Percy, his hand trembling, swallowed four or five pills without hesitation. The relief was almost immediate, the searing pain in his muscles subsiding as the drugs took effect. His eyelids grew heavy, and he felt himself sinking into the mattress, the world around him fading into a dull blur.
Penelope, her heart pounding in fear, grabbed the bottle from the nightstand and read the label: Take only two pills every twelve hours.
Her blood ran cold as she realized the danger Percy had put himself in. She shook him gently, trying to rouse him, but he was already slipping into a deep, drug-induced sleep. Tears welled up in her eyes as she sat beside him, watching his chest rise and fall with each labored breath. She didn’t know what to do, didn’t know how to help him. All she could do was hope that he would wake up in the morning, that he hadn’t taken too much.
A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. Wiping her tears, she hesitantly went to answer it. To her surprise, Lucius Malfoy stood in the hallway, a look of calm assurance on his face. He looked over her shoulder, his eyes narrowing as he caught sight of Percy lying motionless on the bed.
“How is he?” Lucius asked, his voice smooth and untroubled.
Penelope, still holding the pill bottle in her hand, glanced back at Percy, worry etched into every line of her face. “He’s exhausted, Lucius. He’s taken too much… I’m scared for him. I don’t know how much more of this he can take.”
Lucius stepped into the room, his presence commanding. He walked over to the bed, observing Percy’s unconscious form for a moment before turning back to Penelope. “Percy is stronger than you think,” Lucius said, his tone unwavering. “What he’s achieved tonight is extraordinary, and he’s just getting started.”
Penelope shook her head, her eyes pleading. “But at what cost? This can’t go on, Lucius. We have enough money now—more than enough to start a new life, to raise our child in comfort. Percy doesn’t need to keep doing this. It’s going to kill him.”
Lucius’s eyes gleamed with a mix of pride and ambition as he handed Penelope a check. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she saw the amount written on it—enough to secure their future many times over.
“This is only the beginning,” Lucius continued, ignoring her protests. “Percy has the potential to be something truly special, something that could change the world. You’ve seen what he can do—imagine what he’ll achieve when he’s at his peak. He’s destined for greatness, Penelope, and I intend to help him reach it.”
Penelope looked at the check, her hands trembling as she held it. The promise of a better life was right there in her hands, but the cost was so much higher than she had ever imagined. She looked back at Percy, lying so still on the bed, and felt her heart break.
“What if he doesn’t wake up, Lucius?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lucius’s expression softened slightly, though his resolve remained firm.
“He will wake up,” he said confidently. “And when he does, he’ll be stronger than ever. This is what he wants, Penelope. He wants to be the best, and I’m going to make sure he gets there.”
Penelope swallowed hard, her emotions a whirlwind of fear, love, and desperation. She knew Lucius was right about Percy’s ambition, about his drive to succeed. But she also knew that this path was leading him further and further away from the man she had fallen in love with—the man who had once dreamed of a simple, happy life together.
As Lucius left the room, leaving her alone with Percy, Penelope sat down beside him once more, clutching his hand in hers. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they were standing on the edge of a precipice, that one wrong step could send them tumbling into a darkness they could never escape.
But as she looked at Percy, so vulnerable in his sleep, she knew she would stay by his side, no matter where this journey took them. She loved him too much to let go, even if it meant walking into the unknown.
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