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.
