JUMP
Jet City South - San Diego
23 October 2020
OFF-Camera
Kris was busy plowing through the paperwork from the day-to-day goings-on of Jet City South when he heard his friend’s trudging from down the hall. The door to the office was not only closed, but locked which was apparently the source of the fastest member of Jet City’s frustration. A loud bang on the door after the handle failed to give was obviously from Coby throwing a fist at it, not that it was going to help his situation. There was a long pause, while Kris assumed the man was searching for his keys, before the lock turned and the door flew open almost as if it had been kicked. Coby enters through the door carrying a box big enough to block most of his field of vision. He drops it on the floor, which makes a lot less noise than Kris expected, showing that it was more large and awkward to carry than it was heavy. Coby easily kicks it across the floor and it slides to a stop in front of Kris’ desk. Wordlessly, Coby motions in annoyance at his friend, but Kris merely shrugs his shoulders and returns his attention to his desk.
Kris: Who has your feathers all ruffled?
Kris tried to keep the amusement out of his voice, knowing it would likely only make matters worse. Coby rarely got this upset about anything. In fact, he was more proud of his level-headedness than he was his ability in the ring. If Kris could poke Coby into exploding over what Kris assumed was a box of halloween decorations they had ordered, it would be the high point of his day.
Coby: I’m not a bird. I don’t have feathers, and if I did they wouldn’t be ruffled at all. I’m good.
Coby dropped his gym bag onto his own desk, and moved across the room before tossing himself down on couch along the wall.
Kris: That both sounded and looked convincing....
The words came out of Kris’ mouth without any hint of the fun that he was having. He tried to make it seem like he was more focused on his computer screen than the conversation.
Coby: Why don’t you ever bother me about stepping up from Underground to SCW?
Kris’ attention was immediately pulled away from what he was pretending to do. He drops the uninterested act, almost dumbfounded by how pointed Coby’s question was. It made him uncomfortable when people were that direct, and it showed in the tone of his response.
Kris: I...didn’t know I was supposed to be?
It was not a turn in the conversation that Kris was prepared for. He and Coby had been partners for a little more than a year, and friends for five more, but he had never gotten the impression that Coby really valued his opinion. It was the same story as everyone else. He came to Jet City through extended family, and just happened to be better than most of the rest of them at being able to tolerate Kris. Kris had never given any thought to the idea that Coby might actually take him seriously though. He was blindsided.
Coby: Just seems to me like if you thought that I could step up I would be hearing about it constantly. You’re annoying about pushing others to do things that benefit you. Yet, you haven’t said anything about it.
Instead of trying to dig through what Coby was saying, Kris takes offense to the attack.
Kris: So let me see if I’m following you. Because I haven’t been bothering you, I don’t think that you can do it? Is that what you think?
Maybe it wasn’t that big of a stretch, but there was no way that Coby came to that conclusion on his own. Kris knew almost immediately that there had to be more to it than he was getting, but Coby shrugs off the question and gets more defensive.
Coby: I mean it’s hard not to see it that way.
This time Kris actually laughs out loud, but not at the words themselves. He had heard this type of thing before, just not coming out of Coby’s mouth. He was much more rational than this. Something wasn’t adding up.
Kris: Maybe for a crazy person!
Kris’ mind was already off to the races trying to put together the puzzle pieces that Coby had given him. He didn’t even notice that Coby didn’t take the insult in stride.
Coby: That’s insulting.
Kris shakes his head, still trying to wrap his head around what was happening. Instead of arguing with Coby, he tries to walk his friend through a different perspective.
Kris: When you came down to San Diego, which I didn’t make you do, you said you wanted to go to Underground so that I didn’t overshadow you. That was your plan, not mine. I was just letting you have your space. I don’t see how this is my fault.
Coby shrugs, not following Kris’ logic at all.
Coby: You rarely do.
It was a line of attack that Kris had been subjected to numerous times by more people than he could count. Most of the time whoever it had been had come to Kris with a legitimate gripe. It was a character flaw that he knew about. He wasn’t about to take credit for something that wasn’t actually his fault though.
Kris: Okay, usually you may have a point there, but I really feel like this is one that you are just piling on me to feel better about the fact that they aren’t doing a whole lot with you over there.
It wasn’t hard to push Coby away from verbal attacks and onto what was actually on his mind. He wasn’t nearly as petty and stubborn as Kris was.
Coby: It’s a lot of getting chased around by the masked people, and not a whole lot else these days.
Things had been pretty bleak as of late, but there was at least one silver lining that Kris felt inclined to point out.
Kris: You have that contender match coming up. If you take that, you’re back on track to where you want to be. Since when did you become so impatient?
Now they were circling back around to the fact that Kris knew that someone had put these delusions into Coby’s head. It had become his goal to figure out that person’s identity since the moment Coby had pointed the finger of blame at him. Kris had a knack for making sure that blame got placed appropriately, even if he had to do it himself.
Coby: You know what, just forget about it. I didn’t say anything.
Coby’s eyes widened, almost like he had put together what Kris’ endgame was. It was too late though.
Kris: Ah, so this wasn’t you, this was someone putting an idea in your head that you’re underappreciated.
Kris had already been mentally working his way through a short list of suspects. He only needed a few more clues to narrow it down.
Coby: Just let it go.
If Coby wasn’t going to volunteer any more information, Kris would just have to goad him into it by working through the problem aloud.
Kris: ...and you only really see a handful of people these days. I doubt it was a random person here. Chelsea wouldn’t have been that shitty to you….
Of course, Kris couldn’t know for sure. Saying her name and reading Coby’s reaction was the only way to eliminate Chelsea. Even though they were friends, she had a short temper and could really tear into people when she was upset.
Coby: It’s really not important.
Kris could safely rule out both Chelsea and anyone random, which was a lot more helpful than Coby could have imagined.
Kris: ...and since it wasn’t me, that really just leaves two people that you would come across on a daily basis that would have any chance of getting under your skin.
Knowing that arguing was pointless, Coby rolls his eyes.
Coby: You’re the single most insufferable person in the world...
There were only two options and one was a lot more likely than the other.
Kris: ...and since Mikah would have told me as much so that we could enjoy the fallout of it together, that really just leaves our dear friend Courtney.
Coby sarcastically claps his hands together too softly to produce any sound to celebrate Kris figuring it out. He knew that Court would probably have to pay a price for that, but that was between her and Kris.
Coby: I assume you have a point...
Kris had already shifted away from their actual conversation and onto Court though. She had put him through the ringer lately, and was now doing the same with Coby. It all gave him more questions than answers.
Kris: And I assume that she has one. She’s been poking around at everyone around here, and keeps tweeting things about starting to play some of the cards that she has been holding. She has some plan.
Coby took his opportunity to turn it back around on Kris now that he was given the opportunity.
Coby: You almost sound jealous.
Instead of trying to deflect, Kris tries to give a direct answer. It was the least he could do since Coby hadn’t made this conversation impossibly difficult to navigate.
Kris: I don’t like feeling like I’m being manipulated for something.
Coby laughs at how hypocritical those words were coming out of Kris’ mouth.
Coby: Now you know how everyone that has to deal with you feels.
Instead of returning fire with his own insult, Kris seemed to have pieced it together based on Coby’s words.
Kris: Maybe that’s the point….
Even Coby had to admit, Kris had a way of reading people that he really envied. Before Kris went about hunting down Court, Coby realized he needed to have a conversation with the Bombshell. He picks himself up from the couch, and shoots a smile Kris’ direction.
Coby: You know for someone that is really good at pretending to be stupid, you can actually be really helpful on accident sometimes.
Coby turns and walks out of the office as hastily as he had come in. Usually Kris was the one to storm out suddenly. It was weird to be on the opposite end of it for once.
Kris: Accident... nobody… story of my life.
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>I have always loved the Sin City Halloween show. It’s usually my second favorite show of the year. It’s kind of fitting that I am holding a tag team championship this time of the year. One year Jet City debuted as a team before going on to win the SCW World Tag Team Championships. The next year we did the Jet City Water Balloon Fight backstage in between all of our matches. Something big happens every time I take part in this show, so I was excited to see the release of the card this past Sunday.
I think we are all in agreement that this is the kind of match that would usually be for the mixed tag team championships under any other circumstance. Mac Bane, though still new to the SCW scene, is more than formidable in the ring. Amber Ryan has been impressive in Sin City over the last six months or so. She’s been in this company roughly as long as I have been back, and is already one of the handful of bombshells on the roster worth paying attention to. A couple of weeks ago I stood here preparing for a match with two nobodies while begging for a pair of worthwhile contenders to step up. I’m not going to lie, I was referring to Ben and Evie, but these two will suffice.
Mac Bane is a guy that understands this business. He’s the type of guy that gets the fact that most champions don’t want to be fed easy matches to rack up defenses. That might be what some people in this company are after, but that is not the kind of thing that will get you far in this business. It is not how you earn respect. It’s not how you prove that you are the best. The only way to prove that you are worth being called a champion is to take out every single person or group that could even attempt to lay claim to what you have. It’s just how this business works. Mac and Amber know this, and that’s why they stepped up. Mikah and I get it, and that’s why we’re actually excited to walk into a match for once. Sure, we may have beaten the lesser half of Wolfslair. We may have taken the championships away from Sass n Bash while they were at the top of their game. We dominated both the Trenton Tigers, and The Barnharts, but everyone expected all of that to happen. The Black Sheep have been the heavy favorites to take over this division from the moment that we came together as a team. It happened when the Sweet Twins put together this group a few years ago, and it happened when Mikah and I brought it back. The Black Sheep and championship belts are made for each other, and always have been. There wasn’t anything to really celebrate about those victories though. Nobody is ever ecstatic about watching the favorite dominate their way to victory. They want to watch the underdog overcome, but that isn’t a group Mikah and I will ever be a part of. The best we can hope for is to walk into a fight on a level playing field. Most people won’t give their opponents the type of credit I’m about to, but since when do I ever follow those kinds of rules? Amber Ryan and Mac Bane are perfectly capable of beating me and Mikah.
While that thought might scare others, it’s motivating for people like us. Mikah and I have been at it in Sin City for so long that it’s hard to get that rush back sometimes. Sometimes you get on such a roll that you forget what a setback is like. Mikah and I are undefeated as a team, and we haven’t even been close to being in danger of that streak coming to an end until now. Everything has been so easy that the two of us have been coasting without even realizing it. Seeing a true contender pop onto the scene has a way of being so motivating that you push yourself that much further to make sure that you are on top of your game. The problem for most of this roster, is that Mikah and I were already so much better than they are. What are they going to do now that there is a new team on the block forcing us to be better, sharper, and more cohesive than we have ever needed to be before now. It’s exhilarating.
...and I understand that this is a lot of praise to heap onto two people that don’t look like they have done a lot in this company. Mac has only had a couple of matches, despite how impressive he may have looked in them. I mean, the guy is the current number one contender to the Roulette Championship. Clearly Mark and Christian see the same thing in him that I do. He’s not the guy making empty threats. He’s not the guy coming into this business just to make a name for himself elsewhere. He lives and breathes this business. He is a guy that has always wanted to be competing inside of a ring. That’s the kind of thing that I can respect. It’s the reason that I climb into the ring on a weekly basis. It is the reason that no matter how many times I leave, I always end up coming back. Being in the center of that ring is everything that I have ever wanted in life. It’s the best part of being me, and I get the feeling that Mac might feel the same way about it. It isn’t about past accolades. It isn’t about all the extras. It’s about what happens in between the bells. It’s getting more and more rare to find someone competing in this business for the right reasons, which is why I am so impressed with the guy.
It doesn’t hurt that he’s practically a giant either. He’s got the right attitude, and is freakishly big. That is how he was able to out-muscle Bill Barnhart. We all saw what happened when I tried to go at Bill head-on. Luckily, I have pulled my head out of my ass since then. I’m not going to win this match by throwing myself against the wall and seeing what sticks. Unlike most people his size, Mac’s perfectly able of keeping up with me for longer than most people. He’s got the reach and power on me to really hurt my feelings if I try to stand toe-to-toe with him and throw hands. His one glaring weakness is that his legs might not hold up under extended pressure, but in a match where he can tag out to a partner, it’s going to be hard to keep him in the ring long enough to wear him down. Unlike most people I come across, there is no simple answer as to how and why I am going to beat him. He’s not sloppy. He’s not going to lose his temper and make mistakes. He’s going to force me to be flawless, because he is more than good enough to capitalize on any mistakes I make. It’s going to take everything I have and a little bit of luck to come out on top this time around, and it’s not like Mikah has it any easier.
Sure, Amber has the typical victories over people like Jessie Salco and Maki. Neither one of those names is impressive by itself. And yeah, she has dropped a few matches since her debut, but when she’s taking Hall of Famers like Roxi Johnson to their limits and causing them to change the way they approach the ring, you have to give her credit no matter what the outcome. She’s been unstoppable on Climax Control, and had the confidence in herself to call out The Black Sheep before ever even competing in the mixed tag team division. Don’t get me wrong, Mikah is still the greatest bombshell in SCW history, and has beaten every single female worth competing against in her time with this company. I doubt that she is going to give Amber as much credit as I am, but I feel like it needed to be said.
If these two want a future in this division, I could see it happening. This match might not be for the Mixed Tag Team Championships, but win or lose, I wouldn’t mind putting them on the line when and if Amber and Mac are eligible to challenge for them. Obviously the Roulette Championship Mac is headed towards complicates that, but you never know what the future holds. If given the opportunity to defend against these two over the crop of challengers we already have, I would pick these two every time. I would rather be challenged than allowed to coast.
Unfortunately it looks as if these two are the only challenge we are going to get for the foreseeable future. The powers that be look to be feeding into The Barnhart’s delusions of grandeur. I can see the writing on the wall already. Ever since my return I have been trying to shrug off Bill Barnhart looking over my shoulder. It seems like no matter what I do, he is always going to be there hanging around. There isn’t going to be anything exciting about having to stand across from him at High Stakes, so I’m going to make the most out of this match on Climax Control. In my mind, this match has so much more on the line. Mikah and I will be leaving with the championships regardless, but we have the potential to launch the career of an impressive new team.
I am sure the two of them would have to admit that they are getting the royal treatment here. Amber called out The Black Sheep, and was given her opportunity immediately. I keep seeing all of these champions and former champions complaining about a lack of opportunity, but Amber went out and seized hers. Unlike other champions, I wasn’t too busy to pay attention. I wasn’t too afraid to push it along. I embraced the challenge, and the Halloween show was given a mixed tag team match that nobody is going to forget. Amber and Mac get the opportunity to step up and beat the champions their first night as a team. They get to jump to the front of the line. All they have to do is hold their own against two of the best competitors that Sin City has ever had on their roster. All they have to do is beat two Grand Slam Champions of this company. They have to rise up and succeed where every notable Sin City competitor has failed. If they live up to the hype, they make the jump from newcomers to true contenders in this company. If Mikah and I come out on top, we were able to fend off two people that are definitely on the rise in this company. Either way, both teams will be challenged more than we have been previously or will be in the near future. I see that as a win-win.
It’s nice to take a break from all the bullshit and just let what happens inside the ring speak for itself, but you have to have the right opponents to capture that kind of magic.
I think these two have potential.
I look forward to testing it.
Good luck you two, you’ll need at least a little of it to win this one.
