Getting Myself Right

SCW Climax Control #260
Teddy Warren versus Travis Levitt

The scene opens up on a simple shot. Travis Levitt sitting back comfortably on a sofa and watching the TV, which is showing some Griffin Hawkins matches. He's not alone though, as sitting beside him and snuggled in under his arm is the number one woman in his life. Her eyes are glued on the screen too, but its a lot more adorable when she offers up some critique.

"You see how early he goes on that clothesline, Dad? He shows it way too early. Gives you lotsa time to counter it.”

Travis looks down at his daughter Desiree with a wide smile stretching his lips.

”You know he's just as quick, right? I've made the mistake of underestimating him once before. I won't do it again.”

”You're not underestimating him. You're listening to expert analysis to help find his flaws.”

”Expert analysis, huh? What makes you such an expert?”

”My Daddy is the best wrestler in the world. That's what!”

Travis stares at her for a moment but he can't help but grin and shake his head, utterly outplayed by that last comment. The father and daughter duo are interrupted by a knock at the door, and Travis turns towards the door with a smile.

”It's open!”

The door swings open to reveal the smiling face of Hannah Perry who takes a half step in and looks over a the two with a gentle smile.

"I hate to interrupt the analysis session, but its a school night. Bed time Miss Desiree.”

”Awwww! But I'm helping Daddy with his match! Can't I stay up a little longer?”

Travis shakes his head gently and pulls Desiree in for a big tight cuddle.

”Not tonight Sweetie. I'll pause our Griffin watch and we can continue that tomorrow. But for now I need to talk about Teddy Warren, and I don't want you to hear that language.”

”What are you going to say about that buttface that I can't hear?”

”Desiree.....”

Desiree rolls her eyes but gives her Dad a cuddle and a kiss on the cheek before hopping down with a smile.

”Fine. I'll just watch it tomorrow on SCWrestling.net anyway. Night Dad!”

”Sweet Dreams, Dessie. Have a good day at school. Go learn lots so you can be better then me.”

”Pfft. Give me a tough goal Dad, sheesh.”

Travis grins as Desiree walks out, and his eyes flick to Hannah who is watching him. The two share a look before Hannah merely raises an eyebrow and Travis lets out a dramatic sigh.

”Yes Yes. You and Reece were right. You happy?”

"Then you could ever know. I do so love being right.”

”So I'm learning.”

Travis shakes his head and turns back to look at the screen where Griffin Hawkins is posing with his roulette title after a defense. His smile falters slightly, glaring at the screen and Hannah looks over at the screen and then back at Travis. Her arms cross over her chest as she watches him for a moment.

"You can't forgive him, can you? Even after everything good that came from what happened.”

”Just because good came from it, doesn't make what he did right, Hannah.”

Travis looks over at her and sighs softly. Glancing down at the floor and then shaking his head firmly.

”He took away months of my career. Put me right back at the bottom of the pile, and he got my title as well. He's dangerous, not just to me, but to everyone that gets in the ring with him.”

"Travis, it was an acc--”

”No!”

Travis's tone is firm, without raising his voice, and it stops Hannah in her tracks. The Phoenix looks down at the floor and then over at Hannah, and by the way his teeth are clenched and his jaw is shuffling its clear he is trying to keep himself calm as he looks over at Hannah. Waiting a moment and letting out a long breath before shaking his head.

”I do not accept it was an accident. IF it was an accident, then the first person that comes and sees me backstage is Griff. He tracks me down, he apologises, and this ends there. But he didn't do that. So either, he didn't know what he had done, which makes him negligent, or he did, and that makes him dangerous. And I find it hard to believe he didn't realise what he had done, considering how much I was screaming when he tore my shoulder right out of its fucking socket!”

Travis pauses again and then looks down and shakes his head once more. Its clear he is still angry and Hannah watches him for a moment and then nods.

"Okay. Then do whatever you think you must, and we'll see you on the other side.”

”Thanks Hannah. Good night.”

The two share another look and Hannah nods as she walks towards the exit. Travis watches her leave and then sits forward, clenching his hands together and rubbing at them before looking at the TV. He scowls as he sees it's still paused on Griffin with the title, picking up his remote and arching his arm to throw the remote but stops himself. Glaring at the image for a moment longer and then instead just pressing the off button instead. Setting the remote down, Travis picks up his phone and plays with it for a moment, but then gets up and stands up, heading over to a coffee table, picking up his keys and a leather jacket, and then heading out the door as the scene fades out.

---

The scene fades back in on a starry sky, and then down to reveal the shot of Travis sitting on the hood of his Pontiac Firebird. In his hand he has a simple styrofoam mug, and he raises it to his lips taking a small swig before glancing at the screen, which is clearly just his phone being held in his other hand.

”Hey SCW. Nice quiet night out here, and I find myself staring up at the stars and trying to come up with some deep thoughts for you all. Shouldn't be hard, the amount I've gone through in these past few years, I should easily find something to rage on about. Right? But the truth is, my life is good lately. I have my daughter back. I haven't even thought of drugs in weeks. I've got a title shot and a chance for revenge in my future. Everything is going good for me. And yet....”

He pauses and lets out a sigh, taking another small sip of his cup, and then glancing back at the phone.

”Tea, btw. White. Two sugars. Still good.”

He smiles and looks away again and after a moment glances back at the camera with a smile.

”As I was saying, restless. And I think part of it, is knowing how close I am to getting what I want. But also waiting on that other shoe to drop, expecting to have it all taken away in a heartbeat. I keep glancing around, looking for the bad news to come, and yet it hasn't. Not yet. So while the bad news takes its time to get here, I guess the best way I've got to unleash that tension is in between those ropes. And this week I've got a very easy target.”

“Teddy Warren-Steele. Boy, you are all sorts of fucked up, aintcha?”

“I mean, I've met arrogant people before. I once dared to share a ring with Randy Fields after all. I've even met some delusional people along my journey. Chris Cane......the stories I could tell you of that man. And then I've met people that just assume they are entitled to have shit handed at their feet too. Which reminds me, I've been meaning to message Jacob Cass and see how that prick is doing. You see, the point I'm trying to make here, is I've been wrestling a long time. I've met all sorts of people, but YOU, Teddy. You my man.....you take the fucking cake as biggest jackass, and you don't even leave any leftovers for somebody else to have a slice.”

Travis chuckles and shakes his head as he takes another sip of his cup and then looks back up at the sky with a soft smile. Eyes creasing a little and sitting forward.

”Hang on,wait......that bright light.......is that......Teddy's ego?”

Travis keeps staring for a moment but then leans back relaxed and shakes his head.

”Nah. Just another satellite. It wasn't big enough to be Teddy's ego. False alarm people.”

“So, Teddy, I gotta ask. I know you bluster and blabber a lot. I know you've got the inflated self-opinion. But you don't actually think you have a chance against a guy like Fenris, right? That boy will pick apart your bones and suck them dryer then Dracula after he wakes up after a centuries sleep. See, this is where part of me actually stares in astonishment and just a little bit of approval at you. The way you bluster and scream for attention, begging for every fight you can get.....I like it. It deserves some applause. You don't look at the biggest dog in the yard, and wonder 'What if?'. No that's not the Teddy Steele way. No, you instead strap some raw meat on your ass, and go dancing in front of that motherfucker looking for the attention. Now, naturally, when you get the attention, it comes courtesy of a twelve-gauge ass whooping and you drag your carcass back to Kate for her to kiss you better, BUT STILL, you gave it a shot anyway.”

“Now this week, you've been put in front of me. Maybe there's a part of you thinking you have a chance. Maybe there's a part of you thinking you could get my title shot with a win. The sad reality for you is, there's no title shot in this for you. Just three seconds staring up at the ceiling and counting the pretty lights. I don't want to seem like I'm taking it for granted, Teddy but I just......I don't picture a scenario where you beat me. I just can't. I'm Travis Levitt. The Phoenix. One of the best damn wrestlers in the world. I'm a member of Wolfslair, the rightful Roulette Champion and, most importantly, the father of a daughter. And seeing how you've treated the women of SCW lately......”

Travis takes in a deep breath and then lets it out and chuckles as he stares at the camera.

”I am looking forward to this. Looking forward to just how much devastation I can bring upon your dumb ass before the referee calls for the mercy bell! See Teddy, I can admire you for picking fights, but when it comes to your attitude towards women, and attitude so shocking even your own WIFE turned on your ass, then I consider it my God-given pleasure to be the one that boots some sense back inside that thick skull of yours.”

“At Climax Control, Teddy, do come and bring your best. Hit me with your best shots. Show me everything you have. Because it's going to make it that much more satisfying when I drop you on your head and get the win. And Griffin, you show your face this week, and I'll have a Redemption Kick with your name on it too.”

And with that, Travis hits the button and ends the scene as we fade to black.

 London Is Lovely

SCW London Brawling 2
SCW Roulette Championship
Travis Levitt © versus Griffin Hawkins

The scene opens up on a shot of the Union Jack flag, flying high above Buckingham Palace. Slowly the scene pulls back, until we see a shot of a pair of Queen's Guards standing tall at the Palace entry. These two men are standing as still as possible, and as the camera pulls back some more we see Travis Levitt standing there and staring sat them. The SCW Roulette Champion has his title over his shoulder, but he can't seem to take his eyes off the guards for a long few moments, before turning to look into the camera.

"Can you imagine being paid to just stand still all day? Thats your entire job. Get dressed up in some old relic of a uniform, come stand near a wall, and don't move at all for hours. No matter what distractions or sights appear, you aren't allowed to move. It has to be one of the toughest jobs in the world to be /that/ dedicated to standing still. I'd give them a tip of my cap, but they can't acknowledge it."

Travis turns to look back at the guards and then turns around fully, adjusting the title on his shoulder with a big smile stretching his lips.

"Now, speaking of old relics, lets talk about Griffin Hawkins. How's that for a segue? Griff, you know I like you. I've spent so many years watching as a man I call a friend, a good friend in fact, raves over you. Talks about how amazing you are, and how you're a legend of this business. And I admit, I feel that too. I know how good you've been. But the saddest part of this business, is not realising when your time is done at the plate. So many people miss their chance to truly take that step. To claim their spot at the top of the business. And yet, they still keep coming back again and again looking for their shot, without realising it already passed them by."

"Griff, you were the last and undefeated Internet Champion. Thats an accomplishment that no-one can take away from you. But instead of doing something with that, instead of seizing your chance and climbing to the next level....you just slipped away. Let that brass ring go and fell short. And now here it is in 2019, and you've come back looking for another crack at the brass ring. And there's a part of me, that wants to will you on. Wants to cheer for you. Wants to be out in those stands and watching you, and believing in you. Believing this is your time. This is your chance. You've still got that hunger in your eyes, I saw that last week. I know you can still go. And so, there's part of me that is pushing for you Hawkins. Part of me that wants to believe the old Rockstar has enough energy in his legs, and in his heart, to make that jump. But..."

Travis pauses and adjusts the title on his shoulder, holding onto it more tightly as he glances at it, and then back at the camera.

"The reality of the moment, is that your path to the top can't go around me. Can't go over me. And can't go under me. If you're going to make it to the top, its going to be because you put me down. And I just can't let that happen. See Griff, you and I have both fought to reach this point. We're both old school wrestling boys, with the business so deep in our blood that we just can't quit. We've both seen rock bottom, we've both seen the dazzling lights. And we've both spent most of our careers fighting to try and get higher. But thats not all we have in common. Is it Griff? See, we've both had our own addiction problems. Haven't we, Hawkins?"

"Now for you, it was younger. When you were stupider and more prone to mistakes. And you recovered, and you became the ROCKSTAR Griffin Hawkins. You won title after title and climbed as high as you could. Fought away from your silver spoon upbringing to try and be a man on your own feet. And you did it. You can stand in that ring today, and take pride in the reality that no-one got you there. YOU did that. YOU beat your demons, and YOU earned every last thing you've gotten. But some of us are still shaking off our demons, Griffin. Some of us still have that chip on our shoulder. Still have that albatross around our neck."

Levitt pauses now, reaching into his pocket and bringing out his sobriety chip. Holding it in his palm for a moment, and then clenching his hand around it and slipping it back into his pocket.

"Thats why I can't let you win, Hawkins. Its why I can't let this be the end of my story. Why I can't let you climb over me on your way up. Your path has to go through me, and I can't let it happen. This title.....it defines me now. It defines my career, my life, my everything. I'm not just some guy trying to make amends. Not just some former addict battling his demons. No, now I am defined as a CHAMPION! This title MAKES me. This title is MINE. And with every last bit of my strength in my body, I will fight to keep it. I will fight to stay champion. This is my time. My chance. My moment. I've fought for so long to get here. Fought through opponent after opponent, battle after battle, and never let myself yield. And that won't change now."

Travis lets out a breath and turns to point at the guards again even as he speaks.

"I'm like them, Griff. Just like them. I stand tall, NO! MATTER! WHAT! Whatever you throw at me, I won't yield. Whatever tricks you have, whatever plans you're hatching, they will.....they can NOT work. Because I AM the SCW Roulette Champion! I AM the Phoenix! And THIS is the Age of the Phoenix! So bring you best, Rockstar. Because at London Brawling, I want there to be no doubt about who is the SCW Roulette Champion."

Travis starts to walk off now, but he only gets a few steps away when his phone rings. Stopping and sighing, he pulls it out of his pocket and raises it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Twavie!"

A smile crosses his face as he recognizes the voice of Pandora Barrett and chuckles gently.

"Hey Panda Bear. Whats going on, Sweetie?"

"Well, I just opened up this letter from a certain SCW champion and it contained a round-trip plane ticket to London. Do you know anything about this?"

"You know, it does sound awfully familiar. Of course, a certain SCW Champion also upgraded his room to a suite, in the hopes a certain Malicious Mademoiselle might be flying over to join him for a few days."

There's a loud laugh on the other end and Travis can't help but smile at that sweet sound before Pandora is speaking again.

"Well, I think I might be able to push back the all sorts of nothing I had planned this week and come show you around London. I'll be there tomorrow."

"Great. Send me your arrival time and I'll be there. Love you, Panda."

"Love you too. I'll see you soon."

Travis hangs up the phone, slipping it into his pocket, and then reaching over to pat his other pocket. Holding it on that pocket for a moment and then nodding softly.

"This is going to be a big week."

And with that, Levitt walks away and the scene fades to black.

 [~]-CONTACT INFORMATION-[~]

Handlers Name: Travis
Any Messengers: A few
Years Active: Way too many


[~]-CONTRACT INFORMATION-[~]


You will be booked at least 2-3 times a month. In order for this to happen, you will be booked in singles as well as tag team matches. Since tag team matches take place in an intergender division, please let Tad Ezra know if you wish to only wrestle your gender. We will still book you in tag team matches under Mixed tag team rules but keep in mind, tag team titles will be intergender so if you wish not to wrestle the opposite gender, you limit yourself to only singles gold when you do get a title shot. ***Be sure to fill out a Tag Team application***


[~]-WRESTLER INFORMATION-[~]



Picture Base (Name Only, real picture bases no cartoons. Check Taken Pic Bases List): Johnny Gargano
Wrestlers Twitter: @DodgeCityDynamo
Wrestlers Name: Danny Colt
Nickname(s): The Dode City Dynamo, The Kansas Kid
Age: 24
Height: 5'10
Weight: 200lbs
Hometown: Dodge City, Kansas
Personality: Good Ol' Southern Boy. Always smiling. Always polite. Unless you offend his wife. Then he'll fuck you up.
Strengths: 1. Foot-Speed
2. Heart
3. Confidence
Weaknesses:
1. Inexperience
2. Gullible
3. Size
Gimmick If Any: Danny is your stereotypical country boy. Good manners, big smile, and a happy outlook at life. Danny is an amazing friend, someone always willing to have your back in a fight, but his fists aren't his first choice for solving problems, but if he gets angry, his temper is legendary. Danny always tries to do the right thing, and while sometimes he might mess up or make mistakes, he is usually the first to admit it and try to fix it.
Alignment: Face.

[~]-ENTRANCE DESCRIPTION-[~]

Entrance Theme Music (Check Taken Theme Song List): 'Carry On My Wayward Son' by Kansas
Entrance Description (Mandatory for bookings): ?

CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON
THERE'LL BE PEACE WHEN YOU ARE DONE

Liam:  On his way to the ring, from Dodge City, KS standing at 5’10” and weighing in at 200lb, he is… Danny Colllllllllllllt!!! @@

As the rock ballad kicks in, the crowd rise up to watch the stage, and from the back out steps Danny Colt! Colt is stretching his arms as he steps out of the back, but he stops after a few paces to throw both hands in the air, acknowledging the fans that are responding to him. Danny walks forward a few more steps and then jogs forward, hopping up onto the apron, before he hurries across to the turnbuckle. Climbing up on the outside, he throws both fists high in the air to applause from the crowd, before jumping off and into the ring. Stripping off his singlet, Colt dashes over and tosses it to the crowd, before he moves to his corner and continues his stretches, getting ready for the battle to follow.


[~]-WRESTLING MOVES-[~]

Everyone gets one finisher and 3 signature moves as well as a move set package. Please pick one package for your wrestler. Any moves you really want your wrestler to have please add it to the the signature moves section.

Wrestling Move Packages *Remember you can only pick one*

-All Rounder

Signature Moves
1.) Dynamo Driver (Double Underhook Piledriver)
2.) Colt Classic (Jumping Reverse STO)
3.) Moonwalk Moonsault (slams opponent on mat. Goes back to center of ring. Moonwalks back and then hits a standing moonsault)


Finishing Move
1.) Kansas Klutch (GargaNo-Escape



[~]-MISC INFORMATION-[~]

Weapon Of Choice: None.
Match Of Choice: Iron Man

[~]-BIOGRAPHY-[~]
Superstar Bio: Danny Colt was jst another athlete in high-school. Never exceptionally talented, but decent enough that he was considered a jock. Danny may not have been blessed by an over abundance of skills, but what he had a lot of was heart and responsibility. So when his father passed away, instead of staying in college, Danny left to help out on the family farm, as well as support his wife. But Sarah could tell Danny wasn't happy with the way his life was going, so she stepped in. Getting him signed up for a wrestling school and pushing him towards it.

Danny excelled at it, and while fighting with his morals, which told him he needed to stay in Kansas, he came up against finding something he loved to do, and a wife that refused to let him settle, Danny entered the business. He first fought at Union Battleground, quickly making a name for himself and his way up the rankings, but never managing to get a hold of a title. He also ventured into WWH, giving himself some more name recognition, but his high point was a win at WWH WrestleMania over Jason Sensation. Danny then took a year off, as Sarah announced she was pregnant, and to recuperate from a broken collarbone. Now looking to get back into the ring, he's also hoping for a stable workplace, which is what has led him to SCU.

Past Accomplishments: None yet.

[~]-MANAGER INFORMATION-[~]
***Be sure to fill out an NPC/Manager application as well***
Manager's Name: Sarah Colt
Manager's Pic Base (Check Taken Pic Bases List): Candice LeRae

 Follow the Rainbow

SCW Climax Control #232
SCW Roulette Championship
St. John Cross © versus Travis Levitt

The scene opens up on the shot of a bar. I's in Ireland, of course, so it's just another street corner really. But standing across the street and looking at the bar intently is Travis Levitt. He isn't moving really, just standing there and watching it, before he bows his head to look down at his phone. Eyes flickering back upto the sight across the street and his mind flashing back to the phone call he'd had a week ago. And with the magic of video editting, we can get to see it too!

---

"Uhhh.....hello?"

"Travis! It's Desiree! She's gone missing!"

The frantic voice of Hannah Perry is enough of a shock, but her words stop Travis in his tracks and he can only stare forward. Color draining from his face before he finally manages to find his voice.

"M--Missing. What do you mean missing? She's.....you two.....missing?"

"She told us she was visiting a friend after school. But it's just gone past her curfew, and we called her friend and she's not there. She never went there, Travis!"

Travis reaches up to run a hand through his hair. Tugging at it gently and shaking his head.

"I don't understand. Did you let her walk to her friends? An eleven year old girl?"

"It's a safe neighborhood, and her friend is only a few blocks away. We trust her."

"I trust her too. It's the rest of the world that has me worried."

Travis takes a deep breath and runs a hand over his face again before shaking his head.

"Hannah, why call me? I'm not.....how can I help? What do you need?"

"Has she tried to contact you?"

"No. Why would you even ask that? I'm the last person she'd want to talk too."

"Travis.....you know thats not true. She...."

There's a pause as Hannah takes a deep breath, Travis's eyes creasing in confusion before she continues in a softer tone.

"She cries in her room at night when she thinks we've gone to sleep. She's lonely. We love her, treat her as our own, but for her, I don't think its the same Travis. She needs you around. Even if you just visit on weekends, invite her to shows, whatever. But she needs her dad."

There's a moments more pause, and Travis looks down at the ground, taking in a deep breath before speaking, his eyes slightly reddening as his voice cracks while speaking.

"I.....I fucked up, Han. Bad. She....she needs stability. She needs you and Reece more then she needs me. But, if you think it'll.....if she'll see me, I'll visit. Not this week, I'm a little trapped in Ireland. But....uhhh....when I get back."

"It's what she nee--"

Hannah's voice is cut off by the sound of a door opening, and a squeal can be heard before there's some muffled noises. Travis's eyes widening as he listens. After a few moments, he speaks up again.

"Hannah? you there? Hello?"

There's some more muffled tones, before another voice comes through the phone. This one is younger and more girly, and just the sound of it has Travis slumping back in his seat.

"Dad? Is...is that you?"

"Desiree? They found you?"

"Unca Reece found me. I was coming to see you. I saw a flyer last week. It said xWo was in town this week."

Travis lets out a deep sigh and shakes his head sadly.

"xWo closed, Dessie. I'm in Ireland at the moment."

There's a moments more pause of tension filled silence before Travis looks down and speaks softly again, his voice clearly filled with emotion and sadness in each word.

"You can't just.....Dessie, you scared Hannah and Reece. You can't just sneak off like that. You know that, don't you?"

"I just.....I wanted to see you, Dad. And I didn't think they'd let me."

"Maybe not. But that.....it might be for the best. For now."

"NO! I want to see you Daddy! Please! I miss you! Please Daddy!"

Travis lets out a deep breath. Looking around for a few moments, glad that he's alone in his hotel room and then speaking again with a soft tone.

"I'll be back in a few weeks. Just.....don't run away again. Please?"

"Promise me you'll visit."

"I promise. When I get back, I'll visit. But no more running away, you hear me?"

"Okay Dad. I'll see you soon."

"Alright. I gotta go. And you, no doubt, have some groundings coming. Remember to be a good girl for your Unca and Aunt. I love you, Dessie."

"I....I love you too, Dad."

Travis hangs up the phone for a moment, and then slowly looks away and into the camera as we fade back out of his memories....

----

Travis looks back up and across at the bar across the street. Hand shaking a little, and his mind maybe a little rattled. Even after all his time fighting his demons, just thinking about seeing his daughter again has his nerves on edge. He looks over at the bar, longing for a drink to soothe himself, but then his hand slips back into the pocket of his jacket, and comes out clenching to a simple golden coin. His sobriety coin. One Year sober. Looking at it for a moment, he stares hard at it, and then across the street at the bar, and a soft smile crosses his lips. Closing his hand around the coin, he turns and starts to walk away with a grin.

Day by Day, the battles may continue. But on this day, Travis isn't letting them win. He's got a little girl waiting to see him when he gets home.

Travis heads around the corner, and spots a poster advertising the next Climax Control in the window of a store. Staring at it for a moment and then turning to look at the camera, as he points at the sign, which is advertising St. John Cross versus Travis Levitt as it's main event.

"Main Event, baby. I made it. I mean, not my first main event in SCW, but still a damn good effort. Here we are in the lovely Republic of Ireland, home of the leprechauns, four leaf clovers, and as much alcohol as you could ever want. And I'm Main Eventing a show, going after some gold. Be a lucky man to walk away with the title, but somehow, it only seems appropriate to be thinking myself lucky considering we are in Ireland."

Levitt turns and starts to walk away, hands slipping into his jacket pockets and casually strolling down the street as he looks around.

"St. John Cross. A man that I just seem to keep crossing paths with. Again and again and again. First, you gave me my first loss in SCW in that epic Triple Threat with Lachlan Kane. Then you cost me the Golden Ticket by dragging me down off a ladder and letting Vinnie get it. And now here we stand, with your title between us, and I have to admit, I'm nervous. Because you've shown a new edge lately. It's the kind of edge a man like you really needs, and it makes you a dangerous opponent. I don't know what's gotten into you, Monk Boy. And to be perfectly frank, I don't really care either. Because who you are, and what your going through aren't my business. What is my business is that title over your shoulder."

"The SCW Roulette Championship. It's a distinctive title. The kind of title a man can make his name by holding. Now a few weeks back, I had my chance to go for the big one, and I choked. I had....well, as Mr. Mercer has pointed out, I had a few quiet weeks and was unable to really focus like I should have. And it cost me. But this week.....this week I don't have that problem. This week I am focused. This week I am ready. And just for you, Cross, I'm ready to spin those numbers and chase the Double 0. I'm feeling LUCKY."

Travis pauses at the edge of a street, glancing left and right, and then crossing the road. Walking down the opposite side, he looks up as he spots another bar. Looking at it for a moment, he slips his hand out of his pocket to stare at his coin, and then casually slips it back into his pocket and keeps walking. Glancing back at the bar and turning to look at the camera.

"Sheesh. The amount of bars in Ireland. Do these people like to drink or something?"

A grin crosses his lips before he rolls his head and smiles once more.

"Truth is....there was a day I would have walked these streets and hit every single one of these bars. I'd have been laughing, drunk, and not having a care in the world. But the thing about the world is, eventually it makes you care. It finds your weak spot, and it twists you into a knot until you give it up and admit the world has you beat. So as much as I'd love to let loose around here, I just can't. Not any more. I have too much to lose."

"And thats where you tie in, Monk Boy. See, you have a lot to lose this week too. Namely, your title. And you will lose it. You'll lose it to me. You'll fight. You'll scratch. You'll claw. You'll give it your all. But in the end, it's going to be my hand raised and my name called out. I respect you as a competitor, Cross. I respect what you do, and what you can bring. But in the end...I just, I have this funny feeling in my gut. Luck's on my side tonight. I'm ready for anything. But there's one thing you need to recognise."

Travis stops again, looking out and across the road at a church. He stares at it for a moment and then turns back to the camera and smiles.

"St. John Cross....welcome to the Age of the Phoenix."

And with a smirk Travis crosses the road and the scene cuts to black.

 Rising From The Depths

SCW Climax Control #230
Travis Levitt versus Lachlan Kane versus Austin James Mercer

The scene opens up on a night time view of a regular looking bedroom. There's some dressers to one side, and the curtains are fluttering as the wind flows through, but the main sight is on the two sleeping forms under the covers of the queen sized bed. There isn't much light to see them yet but one of them is tossing and turning as they sleep. Their long legs squirming under the covers, and a moment later they sit up straight in bed gasping and breathing heavily, and thanks to the moonlight hitting his sweaty form we can see that it's Travis Levitt. The SCW superstar is staring straight ahead, eyes wide and his look is a long one. Only one word passes his lips, in an almost pitiful whine.

"Desiree....."

The nxt moment a click can be heard, and the room is flooded by light, and sitting up beside Travis is Pandora Barrett. Her wrist still in its brace, she runs her good hand over his back softly, looking at him with a lot of concern stretching her face.

"Another nightmare?"

"Worse. Memories."

Travis lets out a deep sigh, running a hand through his long hair, and trying to stop his shivering. Pandora watches him for a moment, her lips pursed as she watches him for a moment, her hand still rubbing at his back.

"Third time this week. Something's on your mind. More so then usual."

"Not something. Someone."

Pandora's eyebrow arches, a little caught off guard by the answer. Travis turns and sees the look, letting out a soft sigh as he reaches back to hold his hand over hers and giving it a squeeze.

"Go put the kettle on. I'll tell you everything."

Travis hops up, heading towards the bathroom to freshen up, and Pandora watches him with a concerned look. The scene slowly shifts out though, and comes back in on Pandora sitting at the dining room table, while Travis is across the room at the hallway cupboard. reaching up above his head for a few moments, and then coming out with a medium sized cardboard box. Walking over towards the table, he sets it down and sighs. Pandora's eyes are on the box, though they flicker towards him occasionally, until Travis opens the box and pulls out a framed photo from on the top. It's got a little dust on it, but it's clear this isn't the first time Travis has pulled this photo out. He hands it to Pandora, and the camera catches the photo, which is a picture of Travis pushing a little girl on a swing. She has deep brown hair, and is wearing it back in a pair of pigtails. Her face is lit up with a smile, and even Travis is smiling wide in the photo. Pandora looks at the photo and then looks up at Travis, who is watching her with a soft smile.

"Her name is Desiree Hope Renee."

"Renee? As in Ashley Renee?"

"One and the same."

"Didn't you and her have a thing?"

"Yeah. We did. As it turns out, we had something more then a thing. We had Desiree."

Pandora's eyes widen, before she quickly switches her gaze back to the photo, her mouth slightly widened in shock.

"You mean, Desiree is...."

"My daughter. Yeah."

Pandora can't help but stare at the photo in shock, her hands gripping the frame tightly. Travis seems to understand she needs a moment, so he continues slowly giving her time to process and listen.

"When Desiree was born, it was a little while after Ashley and I had lost touch. She had that weird thing going on with Marius, and I honestly just wanted to wrestle. She tried to call me a couple of times, but she was a distraction I didn't need. I was focused on my career. Of course, that didn't turn out too good either. Injury after injury. Stops and starts galore. But I kept pushing anyway. And so Ashley can I didn't talk for almost nine years, until one day I came back to WWH to try and make my mark there again. And one of the first people I ran into was Ash."

Pandora lifts her gaze from the photo now, as Travis's tone is becoming melancholy and withdrawn. He raises his gaze to meet her eyes and forces a smile on his face, trying to reassure her that he's okay. She stares at him pointedly and he lets out a sigh before continuing.

"She didn't tell me right away. Guess she wanted to keep me at distance as best she could. But then came the day she was dreading. Marius came looking for her. And she knew she had to run again, and that a life on the run was not going to be possible with attachments. So she showed up on my door at three o'clock in the morning one day. She had a giant suitcase with her, wet hair from the rain, and Desiree at her side."

"Wait....wasn't Ashley a vampire?"

"Stage gimmick. Though she did steal a lot of inspiration from her life. Marius wasn't her sire, so much as the man that kidnapped her as a kid. She's been fleeing from him for her whole life. He's a man with nothing to lose, and she knows it."

Pandora nods along and glances back at the photo. Travis pulls up a seat next to her, sitting close by Pandora's side and looking at the photo for a moment, and then glancing down at the ground. Pandora turns to see him, reaching out to rub his knee softly.

"We can stop if you want."

"No we can't. You deserve to know the truth. And it kind of feels good to get it off my chest."

Levitt lets out another deep sigh and then looks up at the photo.

"It wasn't easy at first. I went from living a bachelor lifestyle, where all I did was wrestle and train, to having another life dependant on me. Ash barely hung around long enough to tell me who Desiree was before taking off, and I might have been entirely lost, except Reece stepped up. Bestie Power to the rescue."

"I vaguely remember Reece. Wasn't he your tag partner for a while?"

"Yeah. When I first started wrestling, me and Reece were going everywhere as the WA Raiders. But after a few years, Reece tired of life on the road. He wanted to settle down, get a decent job, find a good woman. And to his credit, he managed it. He found Hannah, they got married, found a nice house in the suburbs. He's got himself a regular 9-to-5 job, and Hannah works as a school teacher. The only thing they don't have is the kids. And thats not from a lack of trying."

Travis pauses now, looking down again and softly shaking his head. Pandora sees him again and sets the photo aside, turning to face him. Her hand reaching out to cup Travis' own in her hands and watching him.

"Travis....."

"I'm okay. I'm.....I'm okay."

Travis sniffles a little before lifting his head, eyes slightly red and wet. Looking at Pandora he chuckles weakly and shakes his head.

"All the big hard moves I take, not a single tear. Talking about Desiree....bring the fucking tissues."

Pandora smiles softly at the weak attempt of humor from The Phoenix, but she just waits and after a moment he continues again.

"I wasn't good to Desiree at first. Got grouchy when she wouldn't eat and shit. Was just such hard work trying to get through to her, but she was still so hurt and withdrawn. Her entire life flipped, abandoned with a dude she didn't know and told he was her father. Kept asking for Ash, wanting to know when she was coming back, and I had no answers. It was Reece that managed to make me understand the obvious. I couldn't just assume Desiree would listen to me, or love me, because I was her Father. I was her world now. I had to prove I was there for her. And so, slowly, i did just that. I started making my life circle around her, instead of trying to fit her into my life. And slowly, Desiree responded. She started to smile more, started to let loose some of that happy bubbly personality. We became close."

"So, why haven't you mentioned her before now? Where is she now, if you were so close?"

Travis bows his head again and lets out a long sigh. Flicking his tongue out to tease his lips and then looking up at Pandora.

"She's with Reece. I sold her to him."

Pandora's hand instantly comes back, her eyes widening in shock as she stares at Travis. Breath catching in her throat and she can't help the stifled gasp that escapes her lips as she stares at him.

"Y--You what? So---Sold her? Sold your daughter? How could you do that? What kind of monster does that?"

"Not a monster. A junkie."

Travis hops upto his feet, leaving the shocked Pandora seated at the table, while Travis moves across the room, stepping out onto the balcony overlooking the slowly rising sun and the city underneath it. Resting his forearms on the balcony wall and just staring out at the sights. It takes a few minutes, but he finally hears some padded footsteps behind him, and sees Pandora standing there in her robe and some slipped. Eyes on the back of his head, and he lets out a long sigh before looking forward again.

"You want the full story, or the abridged one?"

"I.....maybe I sh---"

Travis turns to face her and sits back against the balcony, arms crossed over his chest as he watches her.

"Which story do you want, Panda? You want all the details? Because it isn't a happy story. It's not going to make you laugh or smile. Might make you flee a little faster, but hey.....I probably deserve that, right? I mean, I'm the monster that sold his daughter to his best friend. Who'd want to stick around here after hearing something like that?"

"Y---You had to have your reasons. I---You're too good a per---"

"NO I AM NOT!"

His explosion is so sudden that it makes Pandora jump back a little, and Travis mid step forward seems to realise he's done the wrong thing. Stopping himself and glancing around with a sigh. turning to look back out at the lights and shaking his head.

"The man you know now. The man you love. I'm a whole different man. But that doesn't mean I'm perfect, and it damn sure doesn't even make me good. Do you have any idea how many nights, I've come out to this balcony, and just thought life would be so much simpler for everyone if I tried to fly? How many times I've sat in that bathroom, just a few feet away from some sharp razor blades, and thought maybe life gets simpler for everyone else if I make some cuts?"

"Travis...."

He turns to face her and shakes his head with a sigh.

"I won't. Because thats the easy way out. I made my mistakes. I'm paying for my mistakes. And even when everything seems like its picking up for me.....I know it only takes a quick turn to lose it all again. But we're here now. So do you want the story, or would you rather just go back to sleep and pretend you didn't hear a single thing? I'm good at acting normal. You just let me know."

There's a few moments pause between the two, and then slowly and softly, Pandora tightens her arms around herself, her gaze growing steel in it as she stares at him.

"Tell me."

Travis looks at her for a moment and then turns a little to look out at the lights and starts to talk again.

"When I first hurt myself, Desiree was there backstage. Her smile eased the pain a little, but it was the pills that made it go away entirely. At first, that was fine. I was fine. I could wrestle, I could play with Desiree, and all just with the help of a pill or two. But then, slowly, it took more and more pills. And the more pills I took, the more my mood flipped on a switch. One moment I could be laughing while watching a movie with Desiree. Minutes later I'd be a shivering wreck on the bathroom floor. I started to see some darker people. Started to chase my drugs further and harder. And on some of those dark days, I would leave Desiree with Reece and Hannah."

"They were fine with it at first. Some times they even loaned me some money. All of it went to my habit, but it just....it was never enough. And every time I was around Reece, i could see it in his eyes. He was starting to be worried about me. I had been handed the one thing he and Hannah wanted more then anything else, and I wasn't taking care of her. Desiree was withdrawing back to within herself, and I just didn't care. Because she was just a distraction. Just a little brat that had been abandoned with me, and I guess.....I may have even said that to her a time or two. During my darker days."

Travis lets out a long deep breath, shaking his head and sighing. Stepping over to the balcony wall again and leaning out over it.

"So, one day, I was twitching and shaking like a leaf. I hadn't wrestled in a month or two. Our fridge was empty. Desiree was hungry and tired, but I didn't care. I needed my pills. Needed them bad. And suddenly....an idea came to me. I had what Reece wanted, and what I didn't want. So I packed Desiree in my car. Packed her things in that big suitcase she'd arrived with, and I took her to Reece's house. And the moment he opened the door, I told him my idea. told him I'd sell him Desiree, he could have a daughter, and I could have my pills, and everyone would be happy. Desiree was right there, listening as her own father tried to sell her, and I just.....I didn't care. I needed my pills."

Travis' head bows now as he glances down over the edge of the balcony. Behind him, Pandora watches for a few moments before she speaks, her voice soft but her body language still one of steel.

"How much? How much did you get for selling your daughter?"

"Nothing."

Pandora's eyes widen now, another shock for her as she stares at him, and then speaks again.

"But you said...."

"That I sold my daughter to Reece. And I did. for all intents and purposes, the moment I made that offer, she was no longer my daughter and she was Reece's."

Travis turns now to stare back at Pandora, a long sigh escaping his lips.

"Reece told me I was being stupid. That he'd never buy my daughter off me. He'd look after her until I was feeling better. Told me to go home and sleep it off. I told him, that if he didn't want to buy her, I'd find someone who would. Maybe even call Marius. He had money after all."

"YOU WHAT? Travis! How could you!"

"BECAUSE I WAS A FUCKING JUNKIE! How many more times do I need to repeat that? I didn't care what happened to Desiree in that moment. Couldn't have given any less of a fuck. She was a way for me to get high. Thats all that mattered."

"But still....she's your daughter."

"Not in that moment. I'd known her for a little over a year, and she was just a little brat that needed to be fed and bathed. That I could do much better without."

Travis and Pandora share a look, and Pandora shakes her head and looks down. It takes her a moment to speak again and her voice is hurt and soft.

"What happened next?"

"Well, I believe as a certain Southern based announcer might say, I got my ass whipped like a government mule. See, it turns out, Reece didn't take kindly to my threat either, and he proceeded to elaborate upon his displeasure with boot prints across my ass cheeks."

Pandora's eyes widened and she can't help but gasp a little.

"Reece hit you?"

"No. Hit implies he smacked me once and I took my leave. What he did, was kick my ass out his front door, beat me all over his front lawn, and finished it by grabbing me by my shirt and jeans, and tossing my ass back into my car. He then informed me that I could come and get Desiree when I sobered up. I took my leave, drove to a hospital, got myself looked into, faked being more hurt then I actually was to get more drugs, and then went home, took my pills and passed out. And when I woke up, and it hit me what I had done.....that was the day I checked myself into rehab."

"One year ago."

"Yeah. One year sober. Go me."

The two share a look, before Pandora lets out a sigh before speaking gently.

"You haven't seen her since?"

"Hasn't felt right. 'Hey Sweetie, I know I tried to sell you for drugs, but I'm better now. Please come home with me'."

"You know, I hear Hallmark is working on some cards with just that message inside them."

Travis can't help but laugh at that, Pandora joining him with a soft laugh as the tension of the past few minutes seems to fade away. As the laughter dies, Pandora glances back at the box and then back at Travis.

"Her things?"

"Yeah. Was too hard just having them around. Too many memories."

Pandora stares at him for a moment and then steps forward and reaches out to squeeze his hand. Her eyes staring into his own, and he looks at her with a thankful smile. Pandora just smiles and then softly speaks.

"I know you don't want to hear it, but you really do need to call Reece. You don't have to see him or her, not until your ready. But you should let him know you're thinking of him."

"I....I've got close. Hovered over his name a couple of times. But maybe your right. Maybe I should."

"You should. But that can wait for tomorrow. For now.....come on, back to bed. You need all the sleep you can get."

Travis walks with her as Pandora pulls him along and the scene cuts out on a final shot of the photo on the table. Father and Daughter in much happier times...

---

The scene now switches to a shot of Travis sitting cross-legged on the floor of an empty room. The walls are painted black, and there is a single swinging light bulb from the ceiling. Travis's eyes are closed at first, but after a long few moments he slowly flickers them open and smiles gently.

"So, this is it. The biggest chance of my SCW career. Just one match, and if I win, I get a shot at the SCW World Heavyweight Title. Fenris is a great champion for SCW. He's a little insane, but he also steps up and defends the title with honor. And that is a man worthy of respect. But even as I respect you Fenris, I still make plans to end your reign. Because I will become the SCW World Heavyweight Champion. I will cement my legacy."

"It wasn't that long ago that I was at Rock Bottom. Staring at four white walls, throwing my guts up, and never knowing if I would even wrestle again, let alone make an impression or take steps towards making myself a legacy. And yet....here I am. Here I am, looking history in the face, and not flinching. Because now I know. No matter what this business does to me, the only thing that can truly end me, is myself. The only obstacle I have to being the greatest wrestler in the world, is myself. Nothing that you do Fenris, will be enough to stop me, unless I let it."

"But even as I look at Fenris, my eyes are still on the prize. Still on this weeks battle. Because while I may believe I will be World Heavyweight Champion, I also recognise that my path to the title is not as easy as I would like. Lachlan Kane and Austin James Mercer are both amazing talents. Are both men that have shown time and time again that they can win, and win well. That they can face big battles and never even flinch. Both men are champions. Lachlan as a Mixed Tag Champion, is a man I have respected for fighting so hard and so well to be champion again and again. And Mercer....we all saw what you did against Fenris a few weeks ago. There is no doubt in mind that one day, you too will be a World Champion."

"The bad news for both of you, is that your future may see gold. But this week, that gold becomes my present. That World Heavyweight Title is too rich a prize to let it slip from my grasp. Too great a goal to let this opportunity pass. I have fought so hard this past year to get myself to this level, to let myself be stalled or stopped by either of you."

"The things I have done in the past, the mistakes I have made, and the things I have lost, they are my fire. They are what push me to be a better man. To be a champion. And as much as I try to forget...as much as I try and move on and make myself a clear path to the future, it becomes more prevalant with every match, that only way I am ever going to reach the top, is by making peace with my old mistakes, and recognising in them, that same belief I need to have now. That belief that I am doing the right thing for myself. And also, that no matter what either of you throw at me, I have taken worse, and still raised myself up and got back here. You can't stop me from rising. Can't stop my fire. Can't stop my heart."

"This week at Climate Control, three of us enter that ring. We're all hungry. We're all ready. And we're all ready to give it everything we have. But only one man can escape with the title shot. And as much as I respect you men, as much as I believe this will be your time some day. On this week, at this time.....the stage is mine. Make no mistake about it gentlemen, after Climate Control, The Phnoeix rises again."

And with that Travis slowly closes his eyes once more and the scene cuts...to....black.

 A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY

SCW Inception III
Golden Briefcase Ladder Match

SCENE ONE: LATE NIGHT THOUGHTS (feat. Pandora Barrett)


Thwock!



Thwock!



Thwock!



Thwock!



*click*

Light filled the screen, the darkness broken with the flick of a switch, and it takes a few moments for the fuzziness to clear away. When it does, a shirtless Travis Levitt is revealed to be sitting with his back against the tiled wall of a bathroom. His hair is disheveled and draped around his face, and in his hand is a simple black bouncy ball. He blinks a few times to try and get his sight back, as in the doorway stands Pandora Barrett in an oversized t-shirt and some panties. The Malicious Mademoiselle has one hand on the doorway, the other reaching up to run through her hair as she looks down at Levitt.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"So late that its early."

Levitt sighs and throws the ball again, watching it bounce off the floor and hit the wall with a Thwock! before coming back to his hand and being caught easily. The Phoenix squeezes the ball for a moment, knowing full well Pandora is just staring at him and waiting, and he finally looks up at her and sighs.

"Did I wake you?"

"No. Well....I woke up when I turned over and didn't feel you there. But the ball didn't wake me. Lack of balls in my bed did."

Travis looks up at her, grateful to see the smile on Pandora's face as he lets out a soft chuckle. There are few people that can get behind his guard, but Pandora is easily one of them. She's always seemed to know when he needs to be left alone, or when he needs company and to be kept away from his own thoughts. He throws the ball again - Thwock! - catching it as Pandora moves over slowly, slipping down to sit beside him, and just watching as Levitt squeezes the ball a little. The two of them sitting there for a few silent moments before Pandora reaches up to rub at his shoulder.

"How bad is it?"

Of course she would know just what to ask. They'd talked about his problems before. Travis didn't lie to her when they got together. He'd wanted her to know everything. To know just what she was getting into. She'd never judged him, and he wasn't sure he could ever thank her enough for that. He squeezed the ball again and then shrugged slightly.

"Bad enough. Couldn't sleep. Just....got this loop in my head, ya know. Get some soma. Sleep enough to find my cycle again. It'll just be this one time. I'm strong enough now. I can do it. Just once, thats all I need, just this once...."

Levitt lets out a long sigh as he looks down at the tiled floor of the room, teeth sinking into his lip, and clearly fighting against an inner desire right now to give in to his addiction. Pandora watches him, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck, just being beside him and letting him know she is there. It takes him a few moments but he finally chuckles and looks back towards her.

"Its not easy. I knew it wouldn't be easy. But I can't help but think......what am I fighting for? Why do I have to fight? Why can't I just....who cares if I have just one pill?"

"You would care. And you know you would."

Levitt looks at her and nods softly, her words easy but enough to make him see the truth behind them. He lifts his hand to throw the ball again, but then stops himself, just looking at the ball, and then lowering his hand with a sigh. Pandora leans over to press a soft kiss on his shoulder, and he looks at her with a small smile. Slowly feeling the urge fading away as with each passing moment his control slowly takes back over, and he looks at her with a grateful smile.

"This is what I was afraid of, you know. Getting back into the business.....I knew there'd be nights like this. It's not about the wrestling. That's the easy part. The moment I step out from behind that curtain, it's game on Girlfriend and all my instincts are driving me. And I can do that part in my sleep. It's this. These moments. This life on the road....this is where the dangers are."

"Is it one of your triggers?"

"Kind of. Stability is suppose to help with recovery. You find a routine, and you stick to it. Wake up. Eat. Hit the Gym. Work. Go Home. Sleep. Thats the ideal life for a recovering addict. And for 6 months thats all I did. Just got into that routine, and stuck to it. And it worked for me, and it kept me sober."

Pandora watches him with a worried look in her eyes, her fingers idly running over his bicep as she just listens for a few moments. This is one of the reasons Travis loves this woman. Pandora has always known just when he needs to vent, and when he needs to just sit in silence. Their not conventional, they never have been, but they work well together and they both know it. Pandora watches his face for a few extra moments before speaking up quietly.

"If it worked....why change it?"

"Because it took six months for the wrestling bug to overtake my sobriety."

Levitt looks at Pandora and she can't help but smile, because they both know what the wrestling bug is like. This business isn't the kind of business you can just dip a toe in and then leave. Once you're in, there's no way out. Not if you truly love this business. Its worse then any drug that way, and they both know it. Pandora nods as she realises what he means and Levitt turns to face the wall, tossing the ball again with another thwock and catching it. He looks at the ball for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.

"When that happened, when that need to wrestle overtook my sobriety, I knew I was in trouble. Knew I'd be diving headfirst right into the deep end of my recovery. Sink or Swim. And I thought I'd be able to handle it, and so far, I have. But every now and then, there's a night like tonight. A night where my brain is so busy trying to go over every little thing I know about my upcoming matches, that it just won't shut up and let me sleep. And so.....so those thoughts creep in. And once they find a foothold, their hard to shake off. It starts as a little tossing and turning in bed...."

"And before you know it, your tossing a bouncy ball at a bathroom wall and trying to shut your brain off entirely."

Levitt looks at him, a soft smile stretching her lips and Travis sighs.Leaning back and resting the back of his head against the wall, while staring up at the ceiling. He just stares for a few moments and then speaks softly.

"Maybe it was a mistake to come back. Maybe I should just go home, try and find a normal life."

Pandora doesn't say a word in response, just watching his face as Levitt keeps staring up at the ceiling. The Scream Queen just letting him be for a moment, until she reaches up to grab him by his goatee. Travis gasps, but Pandora is insistent as she pulls Levitt's face down until he is staring into her eyes and she smiles softly.

"Stop being stupid. You hear me? If you hadn't come back, we wouldn't be here. You're well liked and respected, and you're getting exactly what you want, remember? This week you have a chance in SCW to get yourself a guaranteed World Title Shot. So, stop being stupid. Put your ball down, get your ass up, and come back to bed. I need my snuggles."

Levitt stares at her, and Pandora deliberately keeps a firm hold of his goatee until Travis does his best attempt at a nod with his goatee still being held onto. Pandora lets go with a smile, and then leans in to kiss his cheek gently before standing up with a big grin stretching her lips. She holds a hand out towards Travis, and he takes her hand before shaking his head as he climbs up.

"Is it bad that seeing you get so bossy is such a turn-on?"

"Of course not. You're my Bitch."

Pandora keeps her hand in his as she walks him back towards the bedroom, and Travis can't help but tilt his head slightly and nod.

"Yeah that sounds about right."

And with a final CLICK the lights cut out and the scene cuts to darkness.

END OF SCENE ONE!

----

SCENE TWO: REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

The scene opens up on a shot of the ring inside the Gold Coast Casino. It's hours before the show, so there is still some roadies around getting stuff set up, but there are no fans here yet. A couple of the roadies turn towards the doors as they open, and into the room walks Travis Levitt in a hoodie and a beanie. Levitt nods at them, and they give him a polite nod back before turning away and getting back on with their job. Levitt himself just stands a few steps inside the room and staring at the ring, and then around at the seats. It's empty right now, but he can already picture what it's going to look like tonight, and the rush is slowly buzzing inside him. Stepping down the aisle, he walks closer to the ring and reaches out to run a hand over the apron. Spotting a nearby production member, Levitt reaches over to pat the man on the shoulder and point at the camera nearby.

"Can you....."

The man nods and Levitt smiles appreciatively. Watching for a moment as the man hefts up the camera, and then gets it rolling. The shot now switching to a facial shot of The Phoenix, as he stands poised, hands in his pockets and his eyes on the ring. Turning to look at the camera with a soft smile.

"Hello SCW. This is 'The Phoenix' Travis Levitt, coming at you live from the Gold Coast Casino, all thanks to my friend.....uhhh......what was your name?" "My name's Jeff." "Of course it is. But that's the only word you'll be hearing from Jeff today. Isn't it, Jeff?" "I....I guess s---" "Jeff! What did I just say? Ixnay on the alktay!"

Silence is the only answer and Travis shakes his head as he turns his gaze away from the man behind the camera to look back into the lens. His posture is showing his calm demeanour as he takes a slightly backwards step, turning to look at the ring and staring for a few seconds before speaking up again.

"So, here we are. SCW's first supercard. My first supercard as an SCW Superstar. Inception 3! CLASH! OF! THE! CHAMPIONS!"

Levitt bellows out the last four words, hands raised as if putting them across the marquee himself. A couple of the roadies glance over to see what is going on, but most of the staff around the ring area is too busy still setting things up to giver Levitt any notice, as he stands there posing for a moment and then looking back at the camera. Arm raised to the camera, and he pulls back the arm of his hoodie to show off his skin.

"You can see the goosebumps, right? Tonight is going to be amazing. I've had goosebumps for days just thinking about it. tonight, in this ring, it's me and five other superstars, all looking to bring our best, do our best, and try our best, and all of it for one thing. Just. One. Thing."

Levitt smiles softly, letting out a soft breath as he looks back at the ring and then up towards the rafters. Eyes visualizing his target for tonight before he looks back at the camera.

"The Golden Briefcase. A guaranteed shot at any SCW Title. the stakes don't get much higher then that. Since the very first day I entered this business, I have always dreamed of being a World Champion. But whenever the opportunity has come up, I've choked on my chance. Every. Single. Time."

Levitt looks down at his feet again for a moment, scuffing at the floor before he shakes his head and turns towards the ring. Stepping over to reach out and run a hand over the apron, as if somehow touching the ring will give him some sign of how his night will go. He waits a moment but then turns back to face the camera.

"And yet.....if I had the briefcase, that curse would be all but over. Because I could cash in whenever or wherever I like. No more fighting on neutral terms, or at the champions advantage. The advantage would be /all/ mine. And you should know, I have no hesitation in cashing in when a champion is at his weakest or most vulnerable. Won't stop me even a little. I want to be World Champion. I /will/ be the SCW World Champion. And while tonight gives me a great chance at getting my shot, my goal doesn't change tonight. Win or Lose. I am still coming for that title."

Levitt's intently staring into the camera again, seemingly considering stepping closer, but he instead reaches back, resting his palms on the apron of the ring and hopping up to sit on the edge. A slight smirk on his lips, tilting his head as he stares into the camera.

"But, before I can go for that briefcase, I have to face a few facts. Like the fact that all five of the other men in this match want it just as badly as I do. That all five men know the stakes, know their chances, and are coming for it just as hard as I am. Caleb Storms. Joshua Acquin. St. John Cross. Slappy McGoo. Senor Vinnie. Five men that are coming into this match ready to give it their all, and will happily step all over my bloodied broken body if it means they can take that briefcase."

"Now, since I came to SCW, I've had two matches. One where I stomped the holy hell out of Joshua Acquin. And one where I went to war with St. John Cross and Lachlan Kane. I'm one and one. And I'm okay with that. Because I knew coming back into this business that it wouldn't be as simple as coming back and winning every match. Nothing is ever that simple. But I can guarantee you, Cross felt our match every bit as much as I did the next day. And thats the thing that is important. If you're going to beat me, I'm going to make damn sure you feel the effects the next day. I will fight, and I will claw, and I will scratch for every last inch inside that ring. Every. Last. Inch. So a victory over me....thats no small thing, Cross. And I tip my....well, beanie to you. You got the win. You didn't pin me, but you got the win. Good work."

"And now, here we stand again. Yet another match where you don't need to pin me, but can still beat me. Intriguing prospect, isn't it? The chance to win that briefcase, get some sort of bragging rights, while still not actually beating me. Impressive. But thats if you make it up that ladder first, Cross. You're fast, I know that from experienced. You're determined and you have every bit of a chance to get that briefcase. But thats just it. You have a chance. And I just.....I can't see you doing it again, Cross. Not beating me twice in a row. Something tells me you're in for a fall from grace."

"And as for the other man I've already faced.....Acquin, I don't know what logics or decision making went into deciding which people were in this match, but there is a giant part of me that believes you were picked as the sacrificial lamb. the man thrown into the match just to be a body for all of us to stomp on. Seriously, when was the last time you actually entered a match with ANY actual chance to win? It hasn't been lately. Before our last match, I told you that you were the welcome mat. The example I'd use to make sure everyone understood just how dangerous I can be. And now, we're going to be in the same ring again, and this time there's no disqualifications. I am going to /love/ messing you up all over again. And tis time, I'll be able to use a lot more then just my body. Survey Says Mr. Nightmare is in for a hell of a time."

"And then.....Jeff, who was I upto?" "Uhhh....Cale---" "Jeff! I told you not to talk! I didn't want you to actually answer the question! Anyway, Caleb Storms. I can't say I know much about you Caleb. I'm sure if I wanted to find footage, I could. If I wanted to discover more of your dreams and aspirations and hopes, I could. And that would make it all the more fun when I crush them at Inception. But, unfortunately, I'm almost....it almost feels bad to say, that to me you're just like Acquin. A body to fill up this match, but not an actual threat. Tonight's forecast says that you're going down in flames. No storm warning. Oops."

Levitt shrugs slightly, and then lets out a breath. Looking left and right he finally spots something he is after, hopping off the apron, and walking away. the camera moves to follow him, and we see Levitt walk over to a catering table. Picking up a bottle of water, he cracks it open and takes a deep swig, letting out another breath before looking back towards the camera.

"Man.....five opponents sure makes a guy have to talk a lot, huh?" "I mean, yeah I g--" "DAMMIT JEFF! YOU HAVE ONE JOB!"

Levitt shakes his head, taking another swig of his water and then heading back towards the ring. Reaching the apron again, he hops back up so he's seated once more, and looks at the camera for a long moment and then speaks again.

"And now, we move onto the two men I know only by reputation. Senor Vinnie and Slappy McGoo. Now, while they are both stupid names, neither man is actually stupid. And I certainly would never want to imply that Slappy is anything other then a fine upstanding and amazing citizen. Mostly because I'm afraid he'll eat me if I do. Slappy is the kindest sweetest young man I have ever met, and if there really is an everafter and an Almighty Father then....well, you got one sick sense of humor. Putting a soul that sweet and innocent in a package that looks like it's going to jump on your head just for looking at him....I get the joke. I just don't like it. Especially since I have to share the ring with him. But there is one small mercy to be granted here. This is a ladder match. Which means in order to win, you need to climb a ladder. And I don't think mankind has yet evolved to the stage where we can develop a ladder that can hold that boy. It's a small mercy, but considering the situation, I'll take it."

"And now, finally, we reach Senor Vinnie himself. the one man in this match that has more motivation then any other. How many times have you choked against Fenris now, Vinnie? Two? Four? Twenty? Does it even matter? Time and again you've had your shot at the gold, and you just.....you keep falling short. So, I think I speak on behalf of all the people that have been forced to listen to your mariachi 'skills', when I say we hope you fall on your cactus and meet a prickly end. The same way there eardrums did. You are the man in this match that has already fought for the World Title, and been taken seriously doing it. And then....you just choked."

"I get what that's like, Vinnie. I do. I've choked every single time I've had my shot at the big one too. And as much as there is a part of me that wants to step aside and let you get another chance.....I can't do that. No matter how much Petey tries to bribe me for it. Because I need this as much as you do. I want this as much as you do. This is my chance, my moment, my night! And I don't care if its a cactus, a guitar, or a UFO itself spinning out and around inside this arena to try and confuse me.....I will not be denied. Not this time."

"Tonight, I'm entering that ring, with five men each as hungry as I am. Well, Slappy might be hungrier. But thats in a literal sense. In a figurative sense, I think I might have him beat. But even though every man is coming in to give it their all, their can be just one winner.....and your looking at him. Tonight, I take the next step on my road to redemption, when I climb that ladder and I seize MY Golden Opportunity! And there is nothing any of you can do to stop me." "They could climb the ladder first..." "DAMMIT JEFF! ONE JOB!"

And with that the scene fades out as Levitt hops down and storms off in an angry mood.

 The Phoenix Rises

SCW Climax Control #223
Travis Levitt versus Joshua Acquin

The scene opens up on a shot of a dessert. The sun is just starting to rise in the horizon, the morning sky showing the first signs of light, and the rays of the sun slowly illuminating the sandy hill that is todays focus. Standing at the foot of the hill, his long hair hanging loose around his shoulders, is Travis Levitt. Levitt has on a simple sleeveless tee and some jeans, and his eyes are glued on the top of the hill in front of him. Watching the crest of the hell for a few moments and then turning back to look directly at the camera. His hands resting in the pockets of his jeans as he takes in a deep breath and then smiles.

"So, this is it. The moment has almost arrived. Right now, all those months in the gym, all that time away, it's all been leading me to this moment right here. My time to return to where I belong. Back inside that squared circle. Back doing what I love. But before we get there, I guess there are some questions that need answering."

Travis looks back up at the peak of the hill, and then back towards the camera. A slight smile on his lips as he turns to face the camera full-on, clearly starting to find his groove again as he gazes into the lens.

"Who is this mysterious stranger? What am I doing on an officially sanctioned SCW screen? How does he stay so ruggedly handsome? All good questions. So lets start at the start. My name is Travis Levitt. In another life, at another time, I was known as 'The Dragon'. It wasn't just a nickname either. Not just a reference to my tremendous heart and ability to withstand damage. No, I was called The Dragon for a much more practical reason. I use to spit fireballs."

"And I don't mean that stupid flame paper crap some global companies try and pass off as fireballs. I'm talking actual proper fireballs. Now, I could tell you how I did it, but the secret to a good trick is never revealing it. Let's just say food didn't taste the same for me for a long time after I'd stopped. Now, a dude that can spit fireballs is great for the bottom line of a wrestling company. Because he adds to the show. Another trick in their deck."

Levitt makes a few hand gestures as he speaks, acting like the ringmaster of a circus.

"Over there you have the human cannonball, in the middle is the strong man, and just in that dark corner is our fire spitter. Come one, come all, and see our show! Don't mind the clown in a cowboy hat, he'll be gone soon enough."

Levitt stops and pointedly looks directly at the camera, mouthing out the word 'Please?'. Waiting another moment before he winks at the camera and then puts his hands back in his jeans.

"Now, for years, I didn't mind that. Didn't mind being an attraction. I learned my craft. Learned how to wrestle and got better and better. Every week was a new challenge and I was up for it. And the better I got, the more I started wondering if maybe center circle was where I belonged. I picked up a few titles, but that World Title shot alluded me. Didn't matter where I went. America, Canada, Japan, Europe....no-one was willing to give the fire-spitter a shot against their champion. Finally though, I found my chance."

Levitt turns to look back at the hill, eyes judging it some more, but he eventually turns back to the camera.

"World Wrestling Headquarters. Oh I know the reputation. I know just admitting I have a history there is enough to make some of you dismiss me as another nothing. I get it. But I still need to tell you this story. I still need you to understand where I'm coming from. See, back in January 2016, WWH had a World Champion named Randy Fields. And Randy believed he was better then everyone. So Randy did what all cocky champions are prone to do....he issued an open challenge. Threw it out to the world. And the man that answered....was The Dragon."

"I could see it in his eyes the moment I walked out. He knew I had him. I was the last person he expected to answer his challenge, and he wasn't sure he could beat me. And one week later, I came ready to fight. Came ready to take that final step and claim my rightful place as a World Champion. But what I couldn't plan for was fickle fate. It was just a tiny moment....."

He chuckled and shakes his head before sighing softly.

"See, to be a wrestler you have to go through a lot of training. Have to train your body to be at its very peak and ready for anything. To absorb as much damage as we can, night in and night out, and not walk out injured is a miracle. We get trained to take our bumps almost to the fraction of an inch. A slightly wrong landing here or there, just slightly off, and its the difference between a safe landing and a broken bone."

"I'm not going to say what happened was Randy's fault. All I will say is, Randy went for a German Suplex on me, and somehow in the air my body weight shifted. My fault or Randy's.....I don't know. All I do know is I came down hard on my shoulder, I heard a crack, and I knew in that moment I was in trouble. What I didn't realise was it would be the end of my WWH career. You ever hear the story of the one armed man in an ass-kicking contest? Spoiler Alert, he doesn't win the world title."

Travis rolled his arm a little and then smiled as he smacked at his shoulder with a grin.

"The shoulder is fine now. But at the time, it seemed like I was on the top of my game, and I didn't want to stop to properly get the shoulder diagnosed. I just wanted to keep going, despite the pain. So I did what a lot of my peers have done in the past, and I turned to a chemical enhancement. Just a little pick me up to shake off the pain of constantly being dropped on my shoulder. Vicodin."

Levitt lets out a long sigh, as just mentioning the drug is enough to send a shiver through his bones. Just saying the word bringing him back to a time when the drug controlled his life and everything seemed perfect. He looks down at the sand for a few seconds and then slowly raises his head, shaking it gently.

"I use to think I was too clever to ever become an addict. Only addicts let a drug take control of their life. I was better then that. But then.....addiction doesn't play favourites. It doesn't care what your status in life is. Drugs don't discriminate by skin color or social status. They'll fuck you up no matter who or what you are. So after I took that first step, it wasn't long before my body was craving more. Percs. Oxy. Demmies. I tried a lot during those few months. Of course, the downside is....I can't remember those few months much."

Levitt shakes his head and lets out a long sigh. Reaching up to run a hand through his long hair before he raises his head to look into the camera.

"It only took WWH a month to fire me. I thought I was still wrestling well, but the truth is, my game was off, and it was easy to see. But even as WWH turned their back on me, their were still other companies willing to give me a chance. Some independents looking for that big name value of a former WWH star. I was still able to make a living, or at least, enough to feed my habit. I lost my house. Lost my Firebird. And finally, the inevitable, I fucked up in a big way. It was just an accident, but....it was rock bottom."

Levitt looks at the camera again, a far-off look in his eyes as he goes back into his memory banks, but then shakes his head and brings himself back to the here and now. Kicking at the ground for a moment, scruffing his foot among the white sand and then letting out a deep breath before he looks up and into the camera.

"I realised what I had become then. Went to rehab. Got myself clean. Even went to a doctor about my shoulder, and got told that it was a rotator cuff tear. The irony was, all it really needed was some rest and stretching. Just a month of me actually resting, instead of trying to keep myself going top speed, and I would have been fine. But instead, I made the stupidest mistake I could have ever made, and it sent me crashing right into the ground. It cost me everything I love, and it almost cost me my career."

Levitt reaches up to rub at his jaw but then turns and looks back at the hill. His eyes are glinting at the hill, as he turns back towards the camera and smiles.

"But you know what? The bigger the fall.....the higher you can climb."

And with that Levitt turns and dashes towards the hill. Jogging up the hill and kicking up the stand as he goes, it takes him a few moments but he manages to climb to the top, and he looks out with a big smirk. Staring out into the distance, and as the camera looks over his shoulder, we get a shot of Las Vegas in the distance. The early morning light still not quite bright enough to hide the bright lights of the city, and Levitt stares out at it for a moment, and then turns back to stare into the camera, a fire burning in his eyes as he breathes a little harder.

"Sin City. This city right here is a city full of the very worst of humanity. Gambling. Drugs. Prostitution. Alcohol. All of it addictive. All of it found right here. This city is the very worst place for a former addict. See, one of the first things you are taught, is to avoid temptation. To walk away from sights or places that could  be a trigger. And yet....I came here. SCW. The very first place I signed with, when I was back on my feet and ready to return. Because I need to prove to myself that I can do this. It isn't enough for me to beat my addiction, or to fight off my habit. I need to conquer it. To look temptation right in the face, and prove I'm stronger then I ever was before."

"I didn't come back to this business to fall on my face again. I'm not here to be a sideshow act. I'm here to stand in the main attraction. To finally win what I never could before. A World Title. And my journey starts in Sin City Wrestling. There were other companies I could have signed for. But this is me proving a point. Me showing that I'm ready for whatever this business throws at me. I'm not hiding from my problems, I'm staring them in the face, owning up to them, and showing that I'm beyond them."

Levitt glances back at the landscape, his eyes glued on Vegas as he just watches for a few seconds and then looks at the camera.

"When I hit rock bottom, I left The Dragon there as a point. No more fireballs. No more hidden tricks. I want everyone to see me for what I am now, not what I was then. The Dragon died in 2016. Now SCW....Now it's time for The Phoenix to rise."

Levitt pulls his hand from his pocket, bringing out a zippo lighter. It has a few flames around the outside as a fancy design, and is clearly the lighter he used to use as The Dragon. Levitt twirls it in his fingers for a few moments, and then kneels down, putting the zippo in the sand, and covering it up.Resting a palm on where the lighter is buried for a few moments, before he looks up into the camera, slowly climbing back to his feet.

"This weeks Climax Control is my first, and some might expect me to be nervous. But after everything I've been through, nerves don't bother me any more. Nothing bothers me. All that matters is proving I can do this. That I can climb to the top of this business, and finally do what I've never done before. Win a World Title. Thats what I go to sleep thinking about. Thats what I wake up thinking about. It's on my mind at the gym, or when I'm out for a jog. It's on my mind when I'm visiting Pandora, and when I'm at home in my apartment. Every waking second of my day, fueled by a single burning thought. Becoming a World Champion."

"Joshua Acquin, you don't me yet. All you know is what you've heard or been told. Some bit of paper somewhere with my history on it. But what you fail to understand is that's old history. The past. The Dragon. You don't know The Phoenix. You don't know what I'm capable of, or how ready I am for this moment. You call yourself Mr. SCW, so I assume your comfortable here. That you have a nice spot, and you're going to fight to protect it. I welcome that belief. Because this week at Climax Control, I'm not coming to destroy you. I'm just coming to use you as an example. It starts with you. Everything that I do in SCW, is going to start with you."

Levitt looks out at Vegas as the city is slowly covered by the sunlight, and a small smirk tweaks at the corner of his lips. Pushing up onto his feet and then looking back at the camera. Levitt stares into the lens for a long moment and then speaks softly but with a determined tone.

"Joshua, you might call yourself Mr. SCW, but all I'm going to call you is the welcome mat. Something to rub my feet on, before I step into SCW and get ready for some actual competition. This is my moment, my time, and I will not fail again. I will not fall again. At Climax Control, its time for Mr. SCW to step aside, as The Phoenix rises."

And with that, Levitt steps away, walking back down the hill, as the scene cuts to black.