[Christian Underwood]

 Please post all roleplays here

[Kristopher Ryans]

 Who Are You?
San Diego, CA
25 August 2017
9:17pm PDT
OFF-Camera

Sitting on an easel in the middle of the room is Holden Ryan’s latest work in progress. Against the purplish-black background is a city being hit by a storm. However, the foreground remains frustratingly empty. He had finished the setting, and filled the bottom half of the canvas with the image in his head, but that was as far as he got. The city street was empty, and he could not help but feel like it was incomplete. His eyes track from the bottom, to the top of the painting, taking in every detail of the storm, and trying to figure out exactly what he was missing. The most exciting thing in the image is a lightning bolt tracking down the center, but as his eyes follow it, he notices it leads to nothing. Coming from the sky, it arcs through the entire scene, only to appear to be striking the empty ground. There…he found what he was missing. He stands from the chair, and takes a single step across the room before the sound of thunder shakes the small house. His attention pulls towards the window, the rain beating against the window had not even registered to him until now. When he turns back to the canvas, another shockwave rocks the house. He looks up to a spot on the ceiling where water damage was becoming more and more clear with each storm that passed through.

Holden: Just hold together for a few more days…

He was not talking to anyone but himself. Kris had not been gone nearly long enough to have made it to pick up their pizza, let alone gotten back already. The house was otherwise empty, something that he was used to. Perhaps that was where the talking to himself actually came from, a way to cut through the constant silence of being alone. Holden crosses to the canvas, grabbing the one of the several clean paintbrushes from a stand next to the easel and tapping it against his cheek. Before he can even think of his next stroke on the canvas, the door to the house blows open. Wind from outside sweeps into the foyer, and gets him to spin on his heel. It is only then that he sees it. Lightning, but not like in the painting behind him. This was not white, but yellow, and blinding. It does not stop outside either. Instead, like it has a mind of its own, the bolt of lightning fills the room, circling around where Holden stands. He spins, understandably panicked, and looking for anyway out of the room, but finding himself surrounded on all sides. At this point, rational thought is gone. He does the only thing that he can think of to defend himself, tossing the paintbrush with all of his strength into the wall of lightning around him. Before his eyes, the lightning dissipates, and the paintbrush is caught out of the air. In front of him is a man in a red suit, a white emblem on his chest with a lightning bolt on it that is strangely similar to the path the of the bolt on the canvas. He screams at himself to run, but his feet are planted firmly to the wood floor beneath him. Holden raises his hands up, finally finding the words necessary to grovel.

Holden: I don’t know what you want, who you are, or why you’re here, but I just met my son so if you could just not kill me, take whatever you want, and leave we can call it even…

The man’s expression shifts a little, most of his confusion covered by the mask, but his frown totally visible. He seemed disappointed that Holden had no idea who he was.

Speedster: Harry something is seriously messed up. I don’t know how I got here, and nothing is the same. I have been running for hours and everything looks different. The city has changed. Star Labs is gone. I can’t find Iris, or Wally anywhere. What is happening?

Holden: Harry? My name’s Holden Ryans. We’re in San Diego, my house more specifically. I don’t know what you’re on but you can you please leave?

The man in red raises both of his hands, similarly to Holden, with the exception that he is holding the paintbrush. He turns it between his fingers, taking a step forward at a speed Holden can actually comprehend. Trying his best not to be threatening, he drops the brush back into the stand before reaching up and pulling the mask back. Once the hood is dropping, Holden lets out the breath that he did not even realize he was holding. He drops his hand to his chest, chuckling lightly.

Holden: Oh, fuck Kris! I was pretty sure I was about to die.

Holden squats down, taking deep breaths in and out to try and make up for all of the ones he had forgotten to take. He manages to raise one hand to point around the room.

Holden: I don’t know how you did it. The lightning, the door… I’m not even mad though. That was good.

He is not exactly looking up, so he misses the growing confusion on the man’s face in front of him. He looks around the room, seeing the painting at the easel and lingering on it for a second.

Speedster: You’re a painter? Not a scientist?

He raises his hands to his head, running his fingers through his hair. The terror that had previously been on Holden’s face is now evident on his own. The change of the tone of his voice draws Holden out of whatever relief he was feeling and back down to reality.

Holden: A scientist? What would have ever given you that impression?

Turning from the painting, the man that was identical to his son shakes his head.

Speedster: This is so much worse than I thought….

The door still stands completely open, and the the attention of both men gets drawn towards the approaching footsteps. Through the door, carrying a pizza, and dressed the exact same way he was when Holden last saw him was his son, SCW Roulette Champion Kris Halich. He bumps the door closed behind him, pushing it hard to make sure that it stayed closed. Holden stands back up, looking between the two identical copies in the room before Kris even notices.

Kris: For once they had it ready and it wasn’t fucked up. I guess the world’s not going to hell after a…

Kris eyes find the man in red standing in his father’s living room and the box drops from his hand, landing upside down on the floor. His mouth drops open, unable to finish his thought, let alone process any of what he was seeing into words. The best that he can manage is to point at his reflection. The man in red looks back and forth between them and sighs, realizing that he had a lot to explain.

Speedster: My name is Barr..

The suit was enough of a giveaway. He had been reading comic books all his life. From the wide open door, the wrecked state of affairs in the living room, and the dumbfounded look on Holden’s face, Kris manages to put the pieces together and spit something out, even though it sounded insane coming out of his mouth.

Kris: Barry Allen, and you’re the fastest man alive…

Barry lets out a sigh of relief, nodding in agreement with this version of himself.

Barry: I think I’m in a lot of trouble this time.




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Sneaking In
ON-Camera


The camera comes to life with Kris sitting in a chair in an otherwise empty room. It is spun around so that he can rest his forearms on the backrest, and we open to the sounds of his sarcastically clapping.

”The return of Joshua Acquin to SCW, and he manages to get a shot at me. Color me impressed.”

He continues clapping, but the look of disappointment on his face is much louder than his hands coming together.

”I feel like every match we have had has gone the same way. Why would you want to take another shot at it? Have I not run you down enough at this point? Was the beating that you caught last time not bad enough?”

He holds his arms out to his sides, shrugging his shoulders, genuinely confused why he would want another chance.

”Before you bailed out for the hundredth time, we had a Roulette Rules match, Josh. You remember that? I’d hope so because it wasn’t all that long ago. We tore up the backstage area. We tried to murder each other on several occasions. I almost spent a night in the hospital after it. Yet, I beat you, and not for the first time.”

He looks away from the camera, and then pushes up out of the seat. The idea of seeing Acquin after that match seemed to have him on edge. He runs his fingers through his hair, taking a deep breath.

”Have you not been listening to what I have been saying? I have moved on from you guys. You, Ramone, Keys, and Tuscini, are my past. I beat the lot of you senseless and have elevated this championship higher than you will ever reach. I have beaten you so badly that you stepped away for more than a month.”

He steps around the chair, closing the distance between him and the camera.

”I am not going to tell you not to show up. That seems entirely too stereotypical for a person in my position. Instead I am going to tell you that when you do, that beating that put you on the shelf is going to feel like like a limp wristed massage. I warned you guys against trying to come after me again. I guess the message I was trying to send wasn’t strong enough. I’ll have to update it at Violent Conduct.”

He winks, offering a less-than-enthusiastic smirk.

”See you soon.”


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World’s Collide
San Diego, CA
25 August 2017
11:48pm PDT
OFF-Camera

Hours had passed for both Kris and Holden, but with as long as it felt, they could not imagine how long it felt like for their guest. The room around them has been restored to its proper form, Barry had not even broken a sweat in doing so. The pizza box on the table in the middle of the room was filled with little more than crumbs, and while it seems to have had a filling effect on both Holden and Kris, who were sitting comfortably on the couch, it had not slowed Barry much. He could not sit still, pacing back and forth in front of them as he filled them in on the last few years of his life, up until his arrival in their home. The problem was, as he got closer to the end of his story, the details started to become hazy. It took awhile for Kris or Holden to get a word in, but once Barry starts to slow between thoughts, they start unloading questions.

Holden: So obviously you two look the same, but when you got here you called me Harry. Are you saying that I look like, this guy that you’ve run into a few versions of?

Barry nods, sighing as he runs his fingers through his hair.

Barry: Every new world I have gone to has had different versions of the same people. Most of the time there’s only small differences. This world isn’t like any that I’ve run to before now. Your lives are so different from the rest.

Kris: What gave you that idea? The fact that none of that comic book bullshit is real here?

The coldness of the words stop Barry from pacing. He had heard the same tone in another voice not long ago, and easily identified what Kris’ problem was.

Barry: Look I know none of this is easy. I’m still wrapping my head around it myself and I’ve had years of practice trying. You’ve been reading these stories...

He points between the two on the couch where a few comics were stacked. The first order of business after cleaning up the room had been filling in Holden on how and why Kris knew who the speedster was. It helped that the quick run to Kris’ house to get them afforded them the opportunity for Barry to change into less conspicuous clothing.

Barry: ...you’ve probably wondered why something like that couldn’t have happened to you. Seeing me standing here probably doesn’t feel very good. I’m not the bad guy here though. I don’t want to be here any more than you want me here. I have my own home to get back to.

The response drags an irritated laugh out of Kris. He would deny it, but the only reason it bothered him was because it was true. Luckily for them both, before Kris could fire more condescending comments at him, Holden changed the subject.

Holden: You said things are different. I get that part. What else is the same though, other than two doppelgangers? Is there anything else?

Barry is happy to take his eyes off of Kris, and answer a more productive question. The two of them had gotten off to a good enough start, but it had gone quickly downhill with the more Barry talked.

Barry: This house....

He raises both of his arms up and points at it around him. The neighborhood had not changed, even if its name had.

Barry: It’s the same as the one I lived in as a kid, before any of this stuff ever started for me. Some parts of the city are close enough to Central City I guess. None of the places that I remember are the same though. Jitters was gone. Star Labs is a football field. All of my friends, and anyone that could help me figure this out never seems to have existed.

Kris reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. He does not even have to look at it while he draws the design to unlock it, staying focused on Barry. He holds it up to catch the speedster’s eye before tossing it to him. It is already midair before Barry even registers that it is thrown, but he should not have expected less. When his eyes do catch its movement, lightning crackles around him and he moves to catch it easily. He open his mouth, not even sure what his words were going to be, but finds himself just barely too slow.

Kris: Not a lot you can learn just running around the city. See if anything looks familiar.

His words immediately take Barry’s focus off of the tension between them. The background on the phone catches his attention though. It was taken from a bed, and one of the two faces in it belonged to a stranger, while the other he knew better than anyone else. He brushes at her face, with his thumb and turns the phone towards Kris.

Barry: Who are they to you?

There was a hopeful tone to his voice. Things so far had been so far broken that he had not expected to even see the love of his life’s face, let alone have her be someone that Kris knew. Of course, Kris picked up the look of recognition on his face instantly.

Kris: Which one is Iris, Barry?

It takes the breath out of him to hear Kris say her name. It did not help that he was so smug about it. He shrugs his shoulders, not wanting to play this game at all.

Barry: Kris I don’t know everything about you because you look like me; just like you don’t know everything about me from reading a few comics, okay? We can keep doing this back and forth thing until you finally convince yourself that, even though I have speed, you are better than me, or we can try and work together to get me out of here. The ball is in your court here. I’m asking you for your help.

Every second of it was like nails on a chalkboard for Kris. He had always had an internal monologue chiding him for being an asshole for no reason, but to actually be lectured to by himself was even worse. He almost had to concede just to avoid having to hear it.

Kris: Kali, on the left. She is my manager.

Holden rejoins the conversation with a chuckle that breaks their eyes off of each other to focus on him. Kris shoots him an angry glare, while Barry appears genuinely confused by both of them. From Holden’s perspective, it was enough to make him dizzy. Before Kris can berate him, he attempts to defend himself.

Holden: She’s a lot more than just a manager, but you keep playing it cool. You two came from the same place. If you think about it, she’s always been there, even if you didn’t realize it until recently.

The words seem to reassure Barry that the version of Iris from this world had still somehow found this version of himself. From the look on Kris’ face they were together. She was important. It shouldn’t give him as much relief as it does, but it at least gives him the one constant for every Earth he visited. Unfortunately Kris is able to put it together at roughly the same time.

Kris: It’s Kali then, isn’t it? She’s your Iris. What about Heather then?

Barry shakes his head, and it has a surprising effect on Kris. Barry would have thought he would find it concerning that he did not recognize the other woman. Instead it only makes Kris smile. Before he can ask though, Holden pushes them in a different direction.

Holden: If you recognize her, maybe there are more...

Barry looks to Kris for permission, and gets a nod in response. He turns the phone over and opens the pictures on it, scrolling through all of them faster than either of the other two men can keep up with. When he gets through them there is a smile on his face. One in particular stood out from the rest because the man standing next to Kris was absent in all of the others.

Barry: There’s a lot of familiar faces. Faces I never thought I would see again...

There it was. A flicker of something. It was right at the edge of his tongue, but he could not pull the words out. He knew that it was right. He did not expect to see his friends, again, but the feeling was foreign to him. He could not remember why. The pause is long enough to earn him strange glances from the father and son. Trying to break the awkward silence he turns the phone back to Kris.

Barry: Who is this? He’s only in one picture. He might be the only one that can help me though.

Kris’ heart sinks in his chest. He looks away from the phone, and pushes up off of the couch without a word. Barry looks to Holden, who seems disappointed in his son, but he does not stop him. Kris grabs his empty cup from the table, and walks out of the room. Barry clicks the phone screen off and tosses it to the couch where Kris had been sitting. He was starting to think it was a bad idea to even ask these people for help.

Barry: I didn’t mean to..

Holden cuts him off, not wanting to let him apologize for behavior Kris’ behavior. He was still learning about how difficult Kris could be, and had not found the words to crack his defenses. Holden might not be the brilliant mind he was looking for, so the best he could do for Barry was let him off the hook.

Holden: It’s his brother. Jason. And the reason he didn’t say that for himself was because despite all of his talk, he is a big baby.

Barry comes around the coffee table and sits on down next to a man he felt he knew better than the copy of himself. Each version of the man had been different, and not all of them were geniuses. However, he had learned from each of them, for better or worse. His guess was that this one was no different. He nods towards the door Kris had walked through.

Barry: I can tell that he hates me already. I don’t know why. I can’t really blame him for it. But I feel like whatever it is I am supposed to do here, it has to do with him. How do I get him to talk to me?

Holden laughs a little, and clasps his hand down on Barry’s shoulder. The whole situation was going to be something he later convinced himself was a vivid dream, but everything about Barry made him feel comfortable.

Holden: If you figure it out, you let me know.

The tone of his voice was playful enough, but Barry could tell that he was still completely serious about the words either way. The reaction did not make any sense to him at all.

Barry: He just seems to angry, and that picture didn’t help. I feel like there’s too much that I’m missing.

It was not really his story to tell, but due to his inability to talk his son through it, he figured maybe Barry could help. Holden scratches at his forehead, trying to find the best way to phrase it.

Holden: When you came in and trashed the place, you might not have heard me. I just met Kris not long ago. He didn’t grow up here. He only ever really had one person. When he found out I was his dad, he also found out that Jason was only a half brother. To him that means not really a brother at all. It’s kind of a fresh wound. Jason is another one of these doppelgangers though?

Barry nods.

Barry: Not a brother, but a partner. Of all of the people that I saw in those pictures, he is the only one that might be able to help me, so how do I get Kris to work with me?

Holden pushes up from the couch, looking down at Barry.

Holden: You’re probably better equipped than I am to answer that question Barry. You guys look identical. That can’t be the only common ground that you share. He’s a good kid, but he doesn’t know it. The reason you see hate when he looks at you, is because he hates himself more than anyone else in this world.

Holden walks around the back of the couch, heading for the stairs. Barry turns though, confused as to how any of that helps him.

Barry: If he hates me, he’s never going to talk to me.

Holden does not stop until he gets to the foot of the stairs. When he gets there, he looks back at Barry, and there is a hopeful smile on his face.

Holden: Sounds like you have dealt for worse versions of yourself than this one. This should be easy. If he gets mouthy just give him a little slap. There’s not much he could do to stop you, right?

The two of them share a laugh before Holden nods towards the door to the kitchen. Barry looks towards it, and then back at him, nodding. Surprisingly, the man had come through for him after all. Holden climbs the stairs, headed for his room as Barry gets up, following in the direction Kris went.




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This Will Be Fun
ON-Camera

We come to life again in the same room as before. Kris is not sitting though. In fact, the chair he was previously in was opened, but flipped on the floor.

”Sam Devereux. Nice to meet you. We haven’t done this thing before.”

He points back and forth between himself and the camera.

”That puts you head and shoulders above Joshua Acquin. See, I already know what his best shot feels like, and I already know that it is not enough. I have beaten him straight up, no bullshit, more than once. Ryan Keys could step up and make a better claim to my title than Josh can. You, on the other hand, you I am okay with.”

He paces back and forth, looking much more excited than he was about Acquin.

”You have been around Sin City for a long time. You have had spots of being impressive. Most importantly, this is a new challenge. My road to the record was looking pretty dull before now. I beat people that did not deserve to be in contention. I defended against the likes of Steve Ramone and Travis Andrews. As dominant as I have been, the list of names isn’t inspiring at all. You can help me change that.”

Kris points at the camera, reversing directions as he gets to the wall to keep pacing.

”When we get to Violent Conduct, the wheel is going to spin, and I am going to get a new match variation, and a new opponent to add to the list of wreckage behind me. Don’t be discouraged though. You’re helping me make history. By the time this is all over, you will have been a speed bump on the most impressive Roulette Championship reign in company history. That’s nothing to get yourself down about. So chin up, Sam...”

This time the smirk seems much more enthusiastic.

”Make me look good.”


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Same Team
San Diego, CA
26 August 2017
12:21am PDT
OFF-Camera


Barry pushes the door open, surveying the kitchen area, and trying to find Kris. Standing at the open back door, a cigarette between his lips, is the man he is looking for. He clearly hears the door open and close behind him, but does not turn. He knew better than to think Holden would have been the one to follow him. Barry does not get close to him, instead leaning back against an island style counter a few feet away. The fact that this universe’s version of him smoked was another on a long list of surprises.

Barry: I would say that’s terrible for you, but I’m pretty certain that you’d have some snarky comment about it that would make me regret trying to help.

Kris laughs, pulling it away from his lips, and exhaling the smoke out into the back yard. He still refuses to turn around and face the man that had accidentally ruined his night.

Kris: Yeah, well my wife says the same thing. So, if we could just not mention it, that would be awesome.

Kris raises the cigarette back to his lips, inhaling and hoping that his words were just standoffish enough to push Barry to leave him alone. However, he knew that probably was not in the cards. If the person in his father’s kitchen was anything like the one he had read about all his life, he would not give up. There was something in Kris’ words though. Something that he may not have intended to let out. Barry grabbed onto it immediately.

Barry: Does that mean that I am going to get to meet her?

It was the first real thing that Kris had said that gave Barry any indication that he was going to help him figure out why he was here. In response, Kris flicks the cigarette away and finally turns around.

Kris: It doesn’t look like I have much of a choice. It’s not like you are some hallucination that I can just wish away. If you think that Jason can help you, we can go to Seattle. I imagine you’ll meet a lot more than him when we go though. It’s not everyday people get to meet a superhero in the flesh…. Well not ‘any’ day really.

It gets a laugh from the visitor. Three years ago Barry thought it was wild to be standing in front of someone that could move the way he did. In fact, people had called him insane for his entire life for describing seeing as much when he was a child. He almost points out that fact, before realizing it was probably already something Kris knew, or at least thought he did.

Barry: You know I read through those comics, and as close as they might be, none of it happened exactly like that. Some of them haven’t happened yet at all, if they are ever going to. I’m not that guy. I make mistakes. I’m not perfect. Just like you aren’t.

Kris comes out of the doorway, and leans against the counter across from the speedster. His eyes never leave his guest’s, and he was obviously still trying to figure out what he thought about the whole thing.

Kris: Some of us that have gone through really rough patches never got super powers to make up for it...

He had more to say, but Barry cuts the thought off.

Barry: Is that what you think? Somehow enough bad stuff happened to me and this was my reward for it? If that’s what you got out of all of those stories, then someone did a horrible job writing them. Bad things don’t stop happening to me just because I have speed. In fact, things only get harder. Being The Flash is awesome, but I actually envy you a little.
Kris’ eyebrows raise, clearly the words had grabbed his attention in a way that he had not expected.

Kris: Me? You don’t know how wrong you are to want to be like me.

Barry shakes his head, disagreeing with Kris and not backing down from his words.

Barry: You get to have a normal life. A job that puts you out there for the world to see, and appreciate, and a family to go home to at night. There’s nobody coming after you. There is not some calamity that needs to be stopped every few weeks. My childhood wasn’t normal, and from what I have picked up, yours wasn’t any better and may even have been worse. You know that I know what it is like to dream about what it would feel like to be normal. I had that same family picture in my head that you did. Life just had something a little different planned for me. Not better or worse. Just different.

Kris chuckles.

Kris: Once you meet everyone you might not feel that way.

Barry is not to be denied though, double down instead of backing off of his comment.

Barry: Well I have met you. I met your father… which that is a little hard to wrap my head around believe me.

Kris points back towards the door leading into the living room, thinking Holden was still there. Before he speaking, Barry shakes his head, and points up towards the ceiling, indicating that the man had gone upstairs.

Kris: You mean he’s not...

Barry laughs, and shakes his head.

Barry: No. Just a friend. A colleague…. One time he was even a man that I trusted, only to get stabbed in the back.

That part was a feeling that Kris knew well. He had struggled with the fact that Holden had not been around until now.

Kris: What about the rest of everyone? You said Jason was like a partner to you?

Barry again raises his hand up to the back of his head, stalling while running his fingers through his hair. He was not sure how much to tell Kris about worlds other than his own.

Barry: I don’t know if you would even know if I told you. Those comics have people and names I have never heard. It might mean nothing to you. Where I come from his name is Oliver.

It gets a laugh out of Kris that Barry feels is recognition.

Kris: That makes more sense than you know.

Kris shakes his head, but it is comforting. Maybe this was the answer to figuring out why he was here. There did seem to be one hang up.

Barry: I got the feeling that you weren’t happy about going to see him.

The smile fades away from Kris’ face, and he shrugs his shoulders.

Kris: All I am going to do is take you there. That seems easy enough.

[Joshua Acquin]

 Joshua is seen in his office in Las Vegas wearing a collared shirt with his tie loosened and the suit jacket hung up on a hanger.  His phone buzzes with an incoming text message.  Joshua looks down at his phone and smiles at the text.  On the screen, the text reads Hi Uncle Joshie.  There were only a very slim few people that could get away with calling Joshua that and this is one person, his so-called niece even though they were not related it was the daughter of a close family friend.  Joshua responds to the text.  Hi sweetie how’s it going?  Joshua goes about the rest of his work then his phone buzzes again.  Don’t tell me you forgot about my birthday.  You’re still coming up, here right?  Joshua looks at the text.  Crap he was to go to the 16th birthday party of hers, and by up here she means up in Montana.  I am getting on the plane to fly up there soon, you need to pack your bags as well.  Joshua tightens up his tie and pushes the call button for his secretary.  

“Tina, I need to get my limo brought around to take me to the airport, and have my jet ready.”

Joshua starts to put is suit top on.

“Mr. Acquin everything will be ready for you in 5 minutes.”

“Thank you, Tina, you’re the best.”

Joshua gets into his waiting limo and it drives him to the Henderson Executive Airport where his plane was waiting for him.  Joshua’s phone buzzes with another text.  Are you taking me to Vegas for my birthday?  Joshua laughs at the text.  No, that’s when you turn 21 not 16.  I have tickets for Disney World and a few other parks in Orlando.  I will be up there in a couple of hours.  Joshua hops into his plane and it takes off.

====

Joshua’s plane lands at Billings Logan International Airport.  He walks off the plane and heads to the car rental counter, gets his rental and leaves the airport driving north of the city to a small town called Lewistown two hours away.  Joshua is still in his suit as he pulls up makes him stand out a bit from everyone else in the town.  As Joshua pulls into the drive way he gets out and puts his suit jacket in the back and takes off his tie, he also rolls up his sleeves on his shirt showing his tattoos on his forearm.  He walks up the stairs to the house and knocks on the door.  When the door opens Joshua is ambushed by a hug from the female that opens the door.

“Happy birthday sweetie.  I told you I would be here for you.  So, how’s your mom doing?”

“She is doing fine.  She wants to know if it was a trip for you and me or if you are paying for her as well.”

Joshua laughs a little bit.

“Of course, it is a trip for all of you, you guys are like family to me.  Hell, I have known your mom for years.  I am just sad a woman as beutiul as your mom is still single.”

“She wonders the same thing about you.  Come in.”

Joshua say hi to her mom and they talk.

“You know Uncle Joshie my birthday isn’t until February.”

“I know, but your gift is one I think you need to have now right before school to be done with summer with a bang.  So, I hope I gave you enough time to pack because whenever you are ready to head out we are good to go.”

“Joshua, you know you don’t need to do this.”

“I know but I want to Sonia.”

Joshua helps them put their luggage into the back of the SUV.  Joshua opens the door for the two ladies and then gets in himself.  He looks at his watch and sees it is 2pm.

“Have you guys had lunch?”

“No”

“No”

“Alright lunch is on me”

=====

Joshua and his two friends are on the plane on their way to Orlando.

“Sonia seems like there is something you want to talk about?”

“Yes, there is and it involves us when we were younger.”

“You think your daughter is our daughter, right?”

“I am shocked that you are thinking what I am Joshua.”

“I know and by the time we land we should know if it is Uncle or dad.  I am fine either way, hence why I have been helping you with her all along.  It just seemed kind of weird that you and I were a couple all the way through high school and then after gradation we went our own ways and you never returned my calls for four years.  So, I have put one and one together and while we were putting luggage in the SUV I took a sample for my friends to run a DNA test.  Trust me I have wanted to know for some time and I know you
do to.

“You were always the one that was a step ahead.  Well played.  So, what does it mean for us going forward?”

Joshua sits back in his seat deep in thought.

“Well you and I go back some time and we are both single.  I think it would be ok for us to go down the path towards a relationship.  I don’t know how you feel about uprooting your daughter right before school starts for her Junior year.  In Vegas, there are some schools that I have considered just in case.  But right now, let’s rest and get ready for some fun over the next few days.”

Joshua shuts his eyes as the plane continues.

======

The plane lands in Orlando and everyone gets off the plane and walk to the car rental place to get a car.  Joshua adjust the time on his watch to the current time in Orlando.  Joshua gets the luggage into the car and gets into the car and drives to the Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows.  When they get there Joshua goes into the lobby and checks into the resort.  A bellhop comes out and helps Joshua with the luggage.  Once they get their bungalow Joshua tips the bellhop $500.  The bellhop is in shock and thanks Joshua.

Joshua orders room service everyone eats and then after Sonia’s daughter falls asleep,

Joshua and Sonia go to the plunge pool on the deck overlooking a lake.  Joshua takes out his phone and goes over messages and emails that he has.

“Well here is the email that we were waiting for.  Let’s see what it says.”

Mr. Acquin here is what I have for the test you asked me to run.  Mr. Acquin in the case you are the father without any doubt.

“Well Sonia that means she is our daughter now.”

Joshua holds Sonia closely to him.

“Are you ready to go down the relationship path again, after 16 years apart.”

“Only if you are Joshua.”
“Well then we are a couple then.”

Joshua and Sonia kiss and then go to bed.


==============

Nightmare hits the PA as Joshua comes out to boos from the crowd.  Joshua stands at the top of the ramp in jeans and a t-shirt and just smiles as he walks down the ramp to the ring. As he gets into the ring he grabs a microphone and waits for the music to die off as well as a lull in the fans boos.

“Man, you guys still know how to give it to me when I come out here.  I have a match as you know this time it is for the Roulette Championship.  It is going to be a triple threat match and given this match is taken place at Violent Conduct, I think some of the spots on the wheel will be hardcore based matches.  I will tell you this much I look forward to the match as it is a chance for me to gain gold as well as inflict pain on people.  I love seeing them in pain as I deal it out to them.  The champion Kris can’t seem to keep my name out of his mouth on his failed talk show.  Unlike the others I can kick his ass and not get into trouble from management.  I know that I have a lovely name Kris but I would rather hear it come from someone other than you.  After this show you will have to call me a champion again.  It has been a while since I have held the gold here in SCW but don’t forget I gave everyone here a shock when I won my first championship here in SCW.  That night only myself and one other person knew who I was going to pick for my tag team partner and hell I thought I might as well tear that team apart and I had Mr. Frost turn on the one Mr. Jon Dough.  I then won that same tag team title with the one and fearful one Steve Ramone.  By the way somehow you still use my phone number when you go to the clinic and they left a voice mail for you Steve that you basically need to go in and get some sort of shot.  Anyway, that was the past and all I see is what is in front of me.  That is a championship match where I hope I get a match where I can beat the living shit out of the people in the ring with me.  I am no stranger to hardcore matches, of those I have won some and lost some.  Blood has been spilled and bones broken but I am still here ready to go again.  Over the past few months I have personally asked myself if I am still able to hang with the folks in the back or if it is time.  I have answered it as I am still good to go and I have taken people to their limits even if they don’t want to admit it.  The old SCW Heavyweight champion I took to his limit but fell short.  The 23rd of April I had a match with Kris, to say you are easy would be lying to myself.  There were times in that match were instinct took over and I could get out of those pin or able to put your bitch ass into a figure four making you scream out in pain and use your desperation move and reverse the move on me and it hurt and tore my knee up so I had to take about a month to recover.  Sam how could I forget about you we had a match back at BOG this year where you took me and forced me to tap out to you.  You put me in a figure four right after I crashed into the mat.  It was tons of pain and pressure and I was being stubborn and should have tapped out and saved my knees from damage and been a better partner in the blast from the past.  Katie, I am sorry that we lost out but I was hiding an injury to my knee.  Both my opponents know me well and I know them as I go into this match I must be aware of everything and know that I don’t have to focus on both, but I need to know where they both are to avoid an attack from them.  I am giving up some age to them as I am pushing 35 this year. I hope my experience will overcome the age gap.  But with this has come the realization of needing someone to have my back, not a tag team just a couple of people that have my back and I have theirs’s.  I have been here in SCW for over four years and have had some great matches as well as gained the respect from some people in the back as they have gained mine.  I am seeing these younger guys coming in and think they run the place and they fizzle out quicker than some people’s title reins.  I will give you your dues as a triple crown champion here in SCW.  But I have been so close to singles gold that I want it now more than ever.”

Joshua paces the ring deep in thought and then raises the mic back up.

“A couple of weeks ago we all at SCW were shocked to hear about a death in our close-knit family.  Last Climax Control there was a fitting tribute to the man known as Blaque Hart Bruce Evans.  I wanted to break down inside when I heard about this horrid news.  At Inception, I had the honor of wrestling him in a match to determine the first ever SCW Internet Champion.  I remember the match well he was the third man to come into the match.  I was the one to follow him into the match and was ready to go.  We were feeding off of the crowd and putting on the best show that we knew how to do.  I want it to be known that Blaque deserves a spot into the SCW Hall of Fame.  He was one that brought the best out in everyone.  He was a mentor and a leader.  I am not one that will throw out praises to a fellow star at the drop of a hat.  But he was that damn good.  So, on top of that I want to make a proposition to Mark and Christian and I want to make a match for High Stakes, I think that’s our next PPV.  I want to make two matches in his memory a match one for the men and one for the bombshells.  I will put my own money up for this.  Each match will have a briefcase above this lovely six-sided ring and in that would be $250,000 from me.  Also, I will not take part in the match because of a conflict of interest.  This is to commemorate his Internet championship match where he had to pull the championship from above this ring.  Also, I am giving my money to an organization to help those that…”

Joshua starts to tear up in the ring and drops the mic.  He rolls out of the ring and heads to the back as fans are shocked to see this side of Joshua.

[Samuel Devereux]

 Book 1: Redesign
Chapter 2: Another match

Part 1: How I met your Mother (“Rydia” from Final Fantasy IV)
~Years earlier~
“Hey, hey! Open your eyes.”

Sam: Huh?

“You need to open your eyes.”

A younger Samuel Devereux had just woken up from getting knocked out. The man was being chased by angry men who ended up losing a card game to him. Sam’s game with cards was top notch and if he really wanted he could have been on “World Poker Tour”. Sam remembered his bo-staff coming out and him fighting back the best he could.

Sam: W-who are you?

A cold wash cloth touched his forehead and Sam sighed contently. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Melanie above him. Her face though was close to his a bit.

Melanie: Ah you’re alive and well; I’m glad for that honestly. I thought those vampires got to you for a few moments. Looked like they were going to drain you dry…what did you do that pissed them off so much?

Sam: Poker game, them boys are sore losers.

Mel giggled and started to check to see if Sam had any wounds. Sam got flushed at the sight of her and he could see her aura. A side of both pink and periwinkle, now he knew that was rare. Mel got up and walked over to a fridge and got Sam some water.

Melanie: What’s your name?

Sam: Samuel, Samuel Devereux, Ma’am.

Mel handed him the bottle and slowly sat him up.

Melanie: It’s a pleasure to meet you; my name is Melanie Gabrielle. If you’re wondering, you’re at my home in Denmark. I found you passed out in the street after taking care of your issues.

Sam: Melanie…quel beau nom.

Melanie: Merci beaucoup.

Sam: You speak French?

Melanie: Yes, I speak English, Danish, French, Russian and Greecian.

Sam couldn’t believe what he just heared.

Sam: How do I look?

Melanie: You seem to be fine, but I need you to stay here though for the night. Just make sure you don’t have a mutation.

Sam: Mutation?

Mel laughed and shook her head.

Melanie: I’m sorry Sam, I guess you are new to all of this. Sam, we are called Magi-Blood, we have powers from different Gods and Goddess yet we’re in mortal bodies, we age slower because of this…I can tell you’re on of us. Usually we can’t and we’d have to do a blood test but when I found you, I could feel the power coming from you.

Sam: Is that why I can see auras?

Mel nodded.

Mel: It’s a power out of a million of them. Huh, who would have known I would ran into someone like this.

Sam: So what you’re sayin is, that Sam here, is something special?

Mel: More or less, if you wish, my family and I can train you, we can help you control your abilities and learn how to use them for the better good.

Sam let out a yawn but nodded.

Sam: Pardon me, I hope that wasn’t rude.

Melanie: It’s fine, it’s late anyways, it’s about two am here…Sam I would like for you to think on what I have asked.

Sam: Of course.

Mel: Good night Sam.

Sam: Good night Melanie.

~~

Part 2: Blood lust (#NP: “Dreams” by: Tyr)
Sam lifted an axe up into the air, he swung it down and cut the fire wood in the back yard of his home. Melanie watched from the back porch of the place and she smiled. Mel could say that she was proud of him for all that he’s done over the years. Sam noticed Mel and waved to her and Mel smiled kindly at him. She turned and walked into the house. Sam lifted up his axe and swung it again.

CRUNCH!

Sam: I am thankful that I can stand here and state that my career appears to have returned to it's previous level of success. I appear to have regained control of the course of my career and I am thrilled to be able to say that.

It's not often that I can say I don't stand before you as a champion. I just grew accustomed to being a champion so to now not have one in my possession? It's a strange sensation but all can be rectified this week. I am not necessarily known as being a team player either but I am starting to learn. It has allowed me to grow as a person and as an athlete so it's a new challenge for me and I embrace it. Therefore, I am prepared for this, even if we are considered the underdogs in comparison to the well-known, notoriously successful and established teams. We are not the favorites, regardless of the fact that I, myself, am rarely not considered to be.

Instead, the world needs to understand that I'm not a broken man. Instead, I am a fighter and one who is willing to push himself beyond the confines of limits. I can break out of that and push myself further than ever. Success awaits me once more - I'm aware of this. I am not giving up, just due to the bumps in the road I have recently been faced with. After all, I refuse to give the world that sort of satisfaction. I feel I no longer have anything to prove but I certainly will continue to ensure I'm seen as a legitimate threat.

Kris Halc, I have nothing but respect for you. You have fought to get to where you are now and gone from nothing to something in a short space of time. That level of growth is admirable. Therefore, I can't hold anything against you but I hold significant respect and admiration for you. I am actually quite excited to step foot into the ring with a man of your caliber so this is exciting to me. You have been on the warpath, attempting to break away from the idea that you are a weak link or even a fluke. I admire that determination and it certainly seems as though it's starting to work. Well done.

Now, you have achieved those goals and aspirations you had set yourself back then. Congratulations. You now have the enjoyment and satisfaction of calling yourself a champion. However, you seem to take more pride in righting the wrongs as opposed to halting them from happening in the first place. While resiliency is key and awfully admirable, that can also be used as nothing more than an excuse for those who don't know what it means to be truly dominant nor consistent. It's a smart defense. Those who are less intelligent than you would simply deny it entirely. You can at least distort the truth to the point where you seem slightly more commendable. Again, congratulations. Others might not see though that.

However, this is where the reverence ends. I'll continue to respect you, Kris. You are hands-down one of the most talented in-ring professionals I have had the honor of sharing the ring with. You are not invincible, though. You portray yourself as a man who knows it all and a man who can do it all. You can't. It's a harsh reality to be faced with and it is tough for you to have to accept. This same sense of pretension took you down last week, for example. I am not claiming that you are now on some sort of downward spiral all because of one momentary lapse of judgement. I wouldn't be as foolish as to do so.

Either way, I still see a lack of focus within you. There is an urgency, almost. The pressure is upon me more now than ever since I'm expected to maintain my undefeated streak but I can handle this. Can you?

I'm not going to head into this in a nonchalant manner because I'm aware that I am the one with more to lose in this battle. Losses, while not common for you, are possible and I am a prime example of that. I'm one of the few in the elite group who can say with confidence that they once got the best of the mighty Kris. I will also be the first to say that I did that on more than one occasion. I should perhaps be more defensive, considering that it is my undefeated streak on the line. Obliterating that and catapulting yourself to greatness is in your grasp, Kris and you believe you can take it. There are very few in this world with the capabilities of doing just that. It is possible, of course. Nothing is sacred, nothing is out of reach. I won't remain undefeated forever and I have accepted that as an inevitability. You can defeat me, Kris but I will argue my case as to why this will not be your opportunity to take - not this week. A victory over me will once again elude you - it's merely out of your grasp.

Your skills are commendable and you're one of the most praiseworthy and exciting athletes of our time. However, I can counter your agility and speed with my strength and technical prowess. As a proud all-rounder in the ring, it's hard for anybody to pinpoint significant flaws in my technique. Therefore, that's another quality I hold over you. I take no pride in continuing to dent you confidence but let's not forget, Kris, when your head isn't in the game, you are in grave danger.


Joshua Acquin…nice to see you again. The name is hardly synonymous with terror, aggression, dominance. It does not fill you with a crippling sense of fear or dread. He is lackluster in speech and lackluster in action. He is not a force to be reckoned with and is instead, not somebody to be entirely concerned about. Due to that, myself and Josh can be considered polar opposites. I am not a fraud nor am I liar. Instead, I'm a man of my word. I am a threat. I am a dominant force. I am a Magi-Blood. I m also incredibly smart and therefore, will not take Zach lightly in the way he probably will with me.

Let me interrogate you somewhere here, Josh - are you considered to be of championship material? Do you genuinely believe that you are are? If so, what proof do you have of this? If not, then why not? Have you concluded what is needed to make an imperative change? Also, if you are not yet in that potential championship position, then why are you here? If you refuse to accept change and implement it, then that in itself shows a lack of care and that immediately places you further away from success than ever before. I'm sure that you are growing accustomed to this, however. I don't wish to make such assumptions but based on your lack of success here, that's a viable estimation - wouldn't you agree?

I appreciate that you have been pushing yourself as of late and currently have one victory to your name. That sounded condescending, I'm sure, but that was not my intention. I'm stating facts so it's beyond my control if they sound imperious. I'm asking you to ask yourself though Josh, can you really do this? Do you have a place in the ring with yours truly - the only undefeated champion in this business? Justify it, please. I invite you to do just that. I am always interested in hearing what the competition believes will be the defining quality that finally defeats me. There will be one and I am not doubtful of that - I anticipate someone having the balls to implement it. It is inevitable that I am torn apart and give my first loss within the company. The question is - who is capable of achieving such greatness? I would love to be able to say it is you but you are yet to provide me a reason to think otherwise. I await you proving me wrong but nor will I hold my breath.

I apologize for all of the questions, Josh, and certainly if I am boring you - but they're important and paramount in concluding how to progress in this week. I will indeed take you seriously and I will anticipate another tough battle. My attitude ahead of every week is not altered and I will never take a challenge lightly. The moment I do is the moment I start going downhill and lose everything I have worked so hard for.


I do not intend on letting them down and I will certainly do my utmost to ensure success. I have rarely faltered in the past and have a much higher success rate than the two of you. This is due to my strength, my power, my aggression, my insatiable blood-lust. Together, we will steal the show with a phenomenal battle between three of the very best - but it will, as usual, be Samuel Devereux standing tall.

Fade to black.

[Kristopher Ryans]

 Brothers
Jet City, WA
26 August 2017
9:00am PDT
OFF-Camera

The Jet City Sports Lab is in full swing. The regular gym goers have already filled up the whole far side of the building, with nearly every piece of equipment currently in use. It was on the back wall behind all of it that two strangely similar looking men stand, one with thick glasses covering his eyes, and a LA Clippers hat pulled down over of his head. The other man chose to go about getting people to leave him alone a totally different way. Kris leans back against the wall, his arms crossed in front of his chest, and the words ‘fuck off’ plastered all over his expression. Seeing a familiar face, the speedster in the hat and glasses points over towards the gym’s two trainers.

Barry: I know those two.

Kris sighs. It was a phrase that he was getting really tired of hearing, mainly because it was annoyingly untrue. Barry had spent the whole previous night trying to find similarities between their worlds. Each time he pointed out a face though, the person as they existed in Kris’ life was of no help to Barry. This would be no different. Kris nods over towards Parker and Coby, his tone less than enthusiastic that either of them were the answer.

Kris: The taller, older one is Parker. He is Jason’s..

Barry excitedly cuts him off, another thing that Kris found annoying.

Barry: Your brother’s best friend, right? Kind of the one responsible for keeping him in line too, right? Digg and Oliver kind of have that dynamic.

He turns his head towards Kris, but his eyes are hidden behind the sunglasses. Just from the tone of his voice though, Kris could tell that he was hopeful that he was right. For the first time all day, he actually was. Instead of giving him the enjoyment of it, Kris moves on without addressing the question.

Kris: The shorter, younger one is Coby Quik...

It gets an audible laugh from Barry, that Kris does not quite understand. It takes him a second, but he composes himself, raising a hand to brush it off and try to stay serious.

Barry: And if I had to guess, he’s pretty much your partner in crime, right? Kind of the rookie you have been taking under your wing?

Having had enough of Barry trying to explain things about his own world to him, Kris opens his mouth to explode at him, but Barry raises a hand and points at a woman leaving the back offices. The look on his face is enough to make Kris choke back his words and look in her direction. Of course he recognized her as Jules Fischer. The question was, how did Barry know her.

Barry: You didn’t say that you guys had a sister...

Kris takes a weird joy in the fact that one of Barry’s observations is totally off the mark. He shakes his head, clapping his hand down on Barry’s shoulder.

Kris: Look at her left hand there speedy, she’s not Jason’s sister, although I guess she is mine? Like a half-sister-in-law? Is that a thing?

Barry very visibly shivers, the mental image not setting well with him, and Kris could understand why if he followed correctly. Wherever Barry was from, Jason and Jules must have had a very different kind of relationship. It did not matter though, her coming out of the office meant one thing.

Kris: Come on. This is our best chance to get in and out of here without getting stopped by anyone asking questions.

Kris nods towards the hallway Jules came out of, and then looks at Barry.

Kris: Second to last door on the left.

The speedster nods, and reaches out like he is going to put his arm around Kris’ shoulders. Instead, he grabs him by the back collar and takes a quick look around to make sure nobody is directly looking at them. If anyone had been, they would have seen the two men dissolve into a blur, tracked by yellow lightning as they made a line through the gym and down the hallway. In under a second Kris finds himself standing in the office he promised he would never come back to, standing across from a very surprised Jason. Papers slowly make their way to the floor, thrown into the air in the wake of Barry’s speed.

Jason: WHAT THE---?

Jason pushes up from his seat, and looks back and forth across the faces of both men. He lingers on Kris, but points at the speedster with him.

Jason:How did he do that?

Barry pulls off his hat, and then slowly removes his sunglasses. When he looks up, he can see Jason having a hard time reconciling that Barry and his brother were identical. He holds his palms out, trying to reassure him and hoping that he was going to be easier to talk to than Kris was.

Barry: It’s okay. We didn’t come to hurt you or anything. I just wanted to talk. Obviously you probably have a lot of questions.

Jason moves his eyes from Kris, and over Barry, trying to figure out the puzzle for himself. When his eyes come back to Kris, he gets the most subtle nod from his younger brother.

Kris: He’s gonna say it anyways, so you might as well go ahead and ask.

Still not totally believing his eyes, Jason looks in Barry’s direction, but sits back down in his office chair.

Jason: You’re really him...

Barry nods, shrugging his shoulders a little.

Barry: Barry Allen.

Jason chuckles, mostly because he had already determined the answer even though he was pretty sure this all had to be some vivid hallucination. He looks back up at the two of them, a smile starting to appear on his face.

Jason: ...and what does that fastest man alive need me for?

Barry looks back and forth between the two brothers, but to the surprise of them both, does not have an answer.

Barry: That is what I am hoping you can tell me….




=================================================
=================================================



The Champ
ON-Camera


”I think we all have felt the impulse to just cut and run before in our lives.”

We open on Kris standing in a hotel room, with a bag laid out at the end of one of the beds. The curtains behind him are pulled open to let light in, but fans paying close attention to his surroundings can see signs outside the window that are not written in English, but some kind of Asian symbols that they could not correctly identify if asked.

”I mean look at the SCW roster. We have had so many teams rise up in the tag division and say they are going to make a difference. They say that they are going to change things for the better. They want to be the heroes. What happened to all of those teams afterwards? The Elders? Dead in the water. The artists formerly known as Jon Dough is walking around somewhere with a title match contract that I doubt we will see used. His partner? Jumped ship to The Bad Boys. What happened to them? They said goodbye too. Half of Team BJ stuck around to be a manager, but that team did nothing more than transition the championships from one departing team to the next. Not that I am not without blame. That division wouldn’t be in the mess it is now if Jet City stuck around. Problem with putting it all on me, is that I am still here, and I am still a champion.”

While he talks he empties a drawer from the dresser into the suitcase, clearly packing up to leave wherever he was. Fans covering him outside of SCW would have accurately assumed he was still in Japan following a win, but he doubted that most people were paying attention to that part of his career.

”It’s not even just the tag titles. Look at the Internet Championship. There have been three champions over the time I have held onto the Roulette Championship. First you had, Lord Raab, who has all but bailed on the idea of being a singles champion ever again in SCW. He essentially threw the championship away by being greedy. It was not enough for him to want to carry the title with any kind of pride. He had to fly closer to the sun. What happened? He lost it to J2H and then turned his back on it. What a wonderful, and noble champion J2H turned out to be. Correct me if I am wrong, but throwing a championship down and walking away from it doesn’t make it look very good, does it? All for it to end up in the hands of James Tuscini, but only after he lost to the Roulette Champion, failed to win the SCW Heavyweight Championship, failed to look better than Dmitri in failing to gain the SCW Heavyweight Championship, and then beat a handful of scrubs that we have seen him beat before. It’s real impressive. Someone give that guy a round of applause. Really. James and that garbage title clearly deserve it.”

He pulls a second drawer as he talks, and fits everything from it into his suitcase.

”Just when you think that things must be better at the top of the mountain, I show up to smack you in the face with the fact that there have been six title changes so far this year where the SCW Heavyweight Championship is concerned. Want to guess how many of those individuals are still here? Nobody knows or cares what Jeremiah Hardin is doing. He was a fluke anyways. Rage changed his name, and still fucked bailed anyways after things weren’t quite looking up the way that he wanted them to. As I already mentioned, J2H loved being champion so much that he threw down the titles and walked out of the company. Then you have the decision to have part-time talent, and full-time disappointment Drake Green come back and mix it up. Anybody want to guess how long that dude stuck around for? Roughly the amount of time it took to win a title and exhaust his claim to it once he lost it.”

He moves to the side table next to the bed, tossing items from it and into his suitcase.

”Pretty much casts a negative light on the men of SCW as a whole, doesn’t it? You are supposed to be able to look at history, learn from it, and come away all the better for it. All I see when I look back are people that proved that they shouldn’t have been given the opportunities that they were. I see people that cut and ran away. I see people that thought it would be nice to add a little something extra to their list of accomplishments, but stopped caring once the title was actually around their waist. Every time I watch a show from earlier this year I am confronted by the fact that every single male that has been in my shoes this year, has left.”

Finished, he flips the suitcase closed, and zips it up. Effortlessly, he raises it from the bed and extends the handle to pull it along behind him once he actually leaves the room.

”Then you have me. Maybe what my former tag partner said about me was true, and I am just a slow learner. Maybe I am just a glutton for punishment. Maybe I need to consider the possibility that I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop. You people can call it brand loyalty. You can build me up as the guy that is carrying the Roulette Championship to make it mean something again. I might occasionally even believe that lie enough to sell it back to you. The truth of the matter is, it’s only ever been about one thing. Equinox beat me, and embarrassed me before breaking ties with SCW. That guy is never going to be allowed back through the doors. If I am going to do anything to erase that, it is going to be through erasing his name from the history books. It is personal, selfish, and petty but also true. Ending the game of Roulette hot potato going on between the worthless pretenders that laid claim to the Roulette title had more to do with what I wanted to erase from history than what I wanted to write into it. You think I would have wanted this championship if I thought any of them were capable of breaking the record? The honest truth is that they aren’t. They never were. They never will be. People like Steve Ramone and Travis Andrews are always going to make bold claims and choke. Ryan Keys is always going to be cheered for losing. James Tuscini… I honestly cannot make a bigger joke of him than what he makes of himself. Now I have Joshua Acquin coming back for another ass beating. How many will this be? I have honestly lost count. In addition I have the second most interesting Sam on the roster, and that is saying something given that Sam Marlowe is about as sharp as a spoon.”

He shrugs, appearing defeated.

”I am berated by these people that are beneath me, all while seeing every other former champion jump ship without a second thought. If I stood here and told you that I have not been thinking about handing Mark and Christian back their title to follow everyone else’s lead, I would be lying. Like I said, we have all felt the need to cut and run.”

He comes around the side of the bed closest to the camera and sits down in front of it.

”In the last couple of weeks, my eyes have been opened. Not just by the status of this company, or it’s champions. Not just because of the fact that I have tried to hype my Roulette defense since the moment Sam walked into Christian’s office, only to be doing so alone. It’s not the last minute changes to add someone who couldn’t beat me on my worst day, and their best. It wasn’t even because I have started to come to the realization that this world is smaller than we could ever imagine, and our time in it is so short that wasting it is a tragedy. My eyes got opened because I have finally had the time to sit back and just listen. I mean, my opponents were quiet, so it’s not like I had their words kicking around in my head to keep me focused. You know what I have noticed? I have noticed that if you take me, and the Roulette Championship out of the equation, this company doesn’t have a single thing going for it. I am it. I am the hype machine. I am the selling point. I am the face of social media. I am the one busting my ass every week backstage, in the ring, and on a review show when my co-host can be bothered to show up. I have realized that without me, it all falls apart. If I throw down this belt and walk out, this company dies.”

He drops his eyes from the camera, bringing his hands together in his lap. Kris works his palms back and forth against one another, trying to find the words to be as honest as possible.

”I have always been able to see myself as the villain. I’m even pretty sure that I have made it easier for a lot of you to see me that way too. I hear the boos when I come out, or even when I can hear my name mentioned from backstage. To be fair, I earned them. I make a ton of mistakes, and that list gets longer every single day. I can’t seem to wipe them away faster than I am making them. Sometimes I sit around and think that if i could only go back and change a couple of things, everything could be different. If I was a better person, maybe the state of affairs around me would be better.”

He looks up, tilting his head slightly left and looking a little refreshed by getting it off his chest. There is something in his eyes that lets the viewers know that things are about to turn though.

”Like I said though, recently I have been a party to a few things that have opened my eyes. Sure, my instinct was to flake like everyone else has. To be honest, it was a front-running idea until a little over a week ago. After all, none of the other people that left seem to have caught consequences from it. They aren’t remembered any disappearing in a time of crisis. Then it occurred to me that I have been looking at things all wrong. I’m not the villain of this story. I never have been. I never will be.”

The smirk that everyone is so used to creeps onto his face, but not for the usual reasons. Normally it only followed cutting into someone, but this time was different. There appears to be a genuine happiness under it.

”I saved all of you, just by showing up. I gave you something to hope for when I took on the challenge of breaking this record. I gave you all something to look forward to be sticking around and clearing out the clusterfuck of rematches clauses that had all of you rolling your eyes at all of the people claiming to be the rightful Roulette Champion. Every week that you guys tuned into Climax Control, you knew that I was going to be there in some capacity. You knew that there was someone that was not going to let you down. Even more than that, the person came from the absolute bottom and was simply on your television screen hoping to find some sort of redemption in your eyes. I thought the mixed cheers that I was hearing grow louder and louder every week were a result of me making people laugh. I was wrong. They were from people who were happy to see me succeed. They were cheers from people who are spending money that they bust their ass to make, in jobs that they probably hate, all for a chance to see a guy like me make something of himself after so many years of doing things the wrong way, and getting in my own way.”

He separates his hands from one another without looking down from the camera, and extends the index finger of his left hand up in the air.

”One. One hard look in a mirror was all it took to see myself as the hero instead of the villain. I get to be the guy that breaks the mold. I get to be the guy that ignores the trends other champions in this company follow. I have been a champion for pretty much the entire time that I have been back in this company, and my time to cut and run away isn’t here yet. I can be what this company deserves for me to be. After all, SCW made me the well-known person that I am today. The very least I can do is show up when they need me, in order to save the ship from sinking.”

He drops his hand back to his lap, and offers a rare full smile to the viewers.

”Bring your Joshua Acquin’s. Your Sam Devereux’s. Your Travis Andrews’. Your Steve Ramone’s. Put any challenge in front of me that you feel is necessary. I am going to show up and prove that this is my company. Better yet, this is our company...”

He points back and forth between himself and the camera, signaling to the viewers.

”My eyes are finally open. Are yours?”

He winks, but as he does a weird static makes the feed start to blurry. A buzzing sound can be heard as the interference makes the screen fuzz out for just a split second. When the frame goes back to normal, Kris is gone, along with the suitcase. The feed continues to roll for a few minutes as the fans watching try and figure out exactly what happened. Those that continue watching the empty room eventually notice, a ‘LOW BATTERY” warning that flashes in the bottom corner. It blinks only a handful of times, and the feed cuts off.