Can we walk a mile in another's shoes
To determine what we have to lose? (To lose)
Disconnection of a common reality
Becomes so lost in this world of hypocrisy
Nowhere to hide, strength realigned
The signal fire's alight
Given to fight, there's hope just in sight
The signal fire's alight
Prologue- “The Howl of Wolves”
I sold my soul.
No, not to rock n roll. To the horde. To the darkness that has slowly swept over the wrestling landscape in recent months like a biblical plague. It’s member base far-reaching as we have come to dominate all. And the thing is, I was never meant to be a part of it. In fact, I was against the idea.
Against the philosophy.
But the old adage rings true.
If you can’t beat em. Join em. And I saw what the Dogs were capable of. I saw them sweep over companies and take the championships and leave a scorched earth policy in their wake. And I realized in my heart and soul. That’s where I belong. Their attitude is what will help me. Because I have ignored my nature for too long. Softened by the love of family and respect of friends. But, a dog is only loyal to a master.
A wolf is loyal to the pack.So I remade the failed Dogs of war into my own image of a gym and a faction, and a family.
So now, the real Alex Jones is about to stand up.
The real Alex Jones is a dangerous beast.
The real Alex Jones is about to take Vinnie’'s head and Cry, fucking, havok
Scene One-Scared to death.
Off Camera
Chicago, Illinois.
2 Years Ago
Alex sat in the lockeroom of the united center in Chicago. His long hair and body covered in sweat as he finishes packing his bag looking at the clock tick past on his phone. He took a deep breath reading the last message from his wife with a smile. Sonja was back in New York City. A two and a half hour flight away. She had gone into labour over 24 hours ago but their son had refused to be born. Instead deciding to wait all the way through Alex's time off and go into the hardest part as he had to leave for work. Now it was a race against time. Alex's flight left in 2 hours. He had finished packing and was waiting for his ride to the airport. His eyes darted across the text and he laughed to himself.
Sonja Jones-Your son is taking his sweet time. If he's not out in the next few hours they'll make him. Hurry....
Alex picked up his bag and moved through the hallways, past catering as he gave a small wave to some of his co-workers still hanging around as the show raged out in the arena. The crowd booed and cheered, music played and Alex was out into the cool night air. He dropped his bag and paced back and forth as his phone rang. His sister charlie. Alex raised an eyebrow answering with a low tone. "Hey, what's up?" Charlie sounded excited and happy, her voice crackled down the line as she squealed. Alex pulled the phone away from his ear and winced. "Jesus Charlie..calm down..."
"Sorry sorry!. I'm just so excited!." Charlie had always loved kids. She wanted to be an Aunt and when Alex's first wife gave birth to their baby girl Charlie wanted to be there. But due to stupidity, and pettiness she couldn't be a part of her life. But this was different. Sonja was sweet and kind, she and Charlie got along well and loved spending time together.
They both loved to work out and Charlie had decided she was going to take it upon herself to help Sonja train. Alex sighed as he looked around for his ride, his hand sliding into the pocket of his jeans. "I'm on my way back now. I had a match in Chicago for {REDACTED}. It's a short flight and right now it looks like the little guy isn't coming for a bit."
Charlie giggled on the other end of the phone. Alex heard the ding and talk over a loudspeaker. "Charlie...where are you?" She stuttered her words trying not to laugh. "Uhm...nowhere..." Alex raised an eyebrow. "Charlie..." She sighed and laughed. "I'm at the hospital. I'm outside the birthing suite. Sonja is just fine by the way, she wanted me to give you a call and let you know you have time...."
He sighed again and rubbed his chin as the car turned up, a relief washing over him as he threw his bag in the boot slamming it shut. "Thanks Charlie, I'm happy you're there, look i'll be a few more hours but if I don't make it in time...you cut the cord and be there for her ok?...." "I will but..you'll be here...I know you will...I love you bro..."
"I love you too C....."
25 Hours Later
New York Presbetaryan
“Fuck!” Sonja’s voice rang out as she squeezed Alex’s hand. Her grip becoming superhuman as the bones in his fingers cracked in her palm. Alex ground his teeth together breathing deep as his other hand drifted up slowly moving her long blond hair from her face. She took a deep breath and laid back on the bed, her head hitting the pillow as her body was angled up, her legs held up as the medical stuff moved around. All of them calm. Alex smiled and looked down at Sonja, into her bright blue eyes as her face twisted.
Her mouth moved into a small grin before the pain hit again, her body jerking up as she squeezed Alex harder. “I love you and hate you so much right now.” Alex couldn’t help but laugh. Sonja growled and frowned before yelling out again, her hands shaking as Alex looked down at the doctor positioned with his hands out. He looked up and gave a small nod to one of the nurses who moved around to the opposite side of Sonja.
“Alright Sonja it’s almost time to push.” She went white as a ghost looking up at Alex shaking her head. Alex gave a small nod and ran his hand over her head again giving her forehead a small kiss, Sonja bit her lip and shook her head again. “I’m not ready...not ready at all…” The nurse gave her another small grin and leaned in close. “Unfortunately he is Sonja.” Alex gave her a smirk and looked down at the doctor. Sonja groaned and squeezed his hand again. “I can’t do this Alex...fuck!”
“Yeah you can. You can do anything.” Before Sonja can say anything else she moves up groaning louder, her hands crunching Alex’s. He breathed deep holding his wife close as the tears rolled down her cheeks. After a few moments the doctor moved away as the sound of crying filled the birthing suite. The nurse took Dylan to the side with a smile to wipe him up and clean him off. Sonja laid back with deep breaths looking up at Alex. “Is he ok?....did I do alright?”
“You did perfect.” As the doctor went to work on Sonja the nurse walked over laying Dylan on Sonja’s chest. She looked down and swallowed hard looking at the tiny pink baby laying on her. Alex smiled slowly as Sonja’s cheeks went red, her eyes welling up with more tears. Her hand drifted up to lightly run her fingertips down his back.“He’s so soft and little.” Alex laughed again and kissed her forehead as she moved against Alex’s chest. Sonja sniffed back some tears and laughed as she heard Alex’s heartbeat realising Dylan was listening to hers, his little head glued to her.
“We did this.” Alex gave her a small nod and slid his hand over hers holding them both “You did a lot of the work, I was here for moral support” Sonja laughed and sighed as she noticed Dylan move and startle at the jolt. His little head moving to the side as he looked up, his brand new eyes adjusting to the light as his little hands fumbled. Alex smiled again and reached down lightly touching his newborn son's head. Dylan seemed to react to his touch calming down as Sonja looked up at Alex with a grin, her body too relaxing as she closed her eyes.
Promo:Am I deceitful?
On Camera
Wolfslair Training Facility, New York City.
Present Day
”Why do people hate me?
Alex sits back on a large black leather chair, a red neon wolf sits behind it turned on as we hear the faint buzzing of the power flowing through it. His leh sits across his knee, a hand drifting onto his shin while the other grips the arm of the chair. A small arrogant smirk crossing his lips curling upward.
”It’s not a question I want answered by any of you watching this promo, any o0f you that shall be in attendance at Climax Control 251 this coming weekend. No, I already know the answer. But I wonder. Do all of you?. Do any of you know what it is to be hated for the reasons I am?. Tell me, is it because of my arrogance?. Hmm?. My hubris?. Is it because I have had success everywhere else I’ve gone?. Now, I want you to cast your minds back, back to when I first signed with SCW. I walked in and I told the world that SCW was about to change. That the name’s on top of this great company were going to rotate.”
“See, SCW has a very long and storied career. But in the current landscape of professional wrestling it, along with Honor had started to slightly fail. There are too many places for talent to work now and because of that both companies had the same issue. So, they merged. And some names stayed, some left but in the end the roster settled into one big happy family.”
“And back then I told you all that SCW was going to change. I told the truth. And at the time, the truth was hard to swallow. SCW loyalists like Jake Raab and Fenris and even Ty West, well they all resisted. They all said myself and Austin and even Alicia were full of shit.”
“See, the rest of Honor, when we came here, either failed and went to join SCU or they just disappeared completely. Caleb Storms, Jesse Salco and Mercedes Vargas all had pasts here. But I didn’t. Austin didn’t, Alicia didn’t. And when I opened my mouth and spoke the wrestling world took notice but those of you who had more guts than brains and some form of arrogance simply laughed me off as some kind of weathered veteran who was talking about a past that no longer had meaning…”
“But I...was right…”
Alex pauses for a moment a small chuckle escaping as he drew in a deep breath and then back out again looking around his office in the training facility. Papers stacked high, laptops sitting on a waiting mode. And Alex shaking his head as thoughts run through his mind.
”Fenris was the champion when I put pen to paper and signed here officially. Something I was bound to do sooner or later. I just needed time. I saw a man who wasn’t even one of us at the time. He was a fighter for sure. A talent that many people had been destroyed by. Including our current champion and of course myself. Fenris is a rare talent. Someone whose past in the cage had given him a foundation and a base for professional wrestling. I’m man enough to admit when I was wrong about someone and I was wrong about Fenris. Just as he was wrong about me. See, Fenris believed I was just all bluster, someone who had no worth aside from that.”
“But slowly he opened his eyes and he learned, because he is not a fool. Something I wish I could say about Vinnie.”
“I faced Fenris one on one in that ring and even when I lost, I could still see it in his eyes he knew I was on equal footing, he knew that I was someone who could beat him if given the chance. Just like Austin did. I watched that match and when it was over and Austin raised the SCW title over his head, well. I’d hate to say I told you so. But, well, I told you so.”
“Again, I told the truth. Again I wasn’t wrong.”
“But where do I find myself now?. I came in and along with Austin I beat down many names on the roster and climbed up the ladder to a glass ceiling of my own construction. I watched as a friend of mine ruled the SCW title picture with an iron fist and laughed as men like Jake Raab spat on it. See, this world is full of arrogant liars. Much like you Vinnie. You are a liar, you are a fraud. You are someone who lies about who they are and what they’re about. So again, I ask…”
“Why do people hate me?”
He pauses up and off the chair turning and walking towards the door and out of his office onto the floor of the gym, a small smile on his face as he looks around.
”Because, I tell the truth. That’s why Vinnie. I told you all what was coming, the storm that was swirling over all your heads yet none of you listened. I told the truth to Fenris and if you remember Austin told the truth to Ty West, that he wasn’t worthy or good enough to be the champion and look what happened. So now, I wonder, will you listen?. When I speak will my words actually worm their way into your head?. I mean, you seem to take such offense to my words Vinnie. I said I was going to enjoy Ty beating you and taking the title but come on now. We both knew Ty was going to fail...again…”
“So you stand as the champion still and come Climax Control you will have to defend that championship against me.”
“But, how many times did you try and win it Vinnie?. How many times did you fail against the man holding the title you now covet?. You said it yourself Vinnie. You told us all how you went through it all, how you came back time and time again trying harder and putting your heart on the line. Only to now stand as a triumphant champion. Yet, you’re not really…”
“You beat Austin, once, like Fenris had beaten him before but he declined a rematch to stand aside and let others challenge you. And in that first challenge. You failed. You failed to pin me or make me submit and then when confronted with such a thing you use the lame excuse of “I should have known the rules”. Really?. You had a chance right then and there Vinnie, a moment to plant your foot before everyone and show them how you had changed from the snivelling overgrown weasel who liked to use a potted cactus as a weapon into a real champion…”
Alex growls the last few words and folds his arms over his chest with a sneer. His arms folding over his chest.
”A real champion Vinnie, would have wanted a match against me. A real champion would have demanded it so all doubt would disappear but instead all we got was excuses and you trying to get out of it. Only for Christian and Mark to bring your glass house crashing around you. And honestly, if I was being honest I would say it was your actions and words that made them book this match. A defense for you against me since they knew Ty was going to be...a little limp….”
“But me?. Well. You know damn well what I can do Vinnie. You stand there with the title proclaiming yourself as a champion. But what have you done?. A failed defense against me after I had a decisive victory over you then,, a successful one against everyone’s favourite whipping boy and no promotion on social media. No eyes on the product, no fanfare and people interested in SCW. No one wanting to sign a contract to be here.”
“You don’t do anything to improve this place, you don’t have the attention of anyone but me. You are a fake champion and a fraud. And me as champion?. I will be visible, I will be loud, I will be brash and I will continue the work started by Austin and Fenris and I will win my tenth world title. And you Vinnie?. You will make bold claims, you will lie to the people and you will run your mouth even more than me. But the difference is, when I speak my words carry weight...when you speak?...no one cares..”
“And that is the shame of it all. Vinnie, you are a large, powerful man. You can go in that ring and you have this streak of insanity about you. But you lie to yourself as much as you do everyone else. And it didn’t need to be this way. All you needed to do was embrace who you were, be the vicious asshole you should have been. But now? You’ve moved to far from it. I am the champion this place needs. I am the champion that title deserves. You did something you can never lose...and held it...but now….well now it’s time for a real champion to take it and make it what it once was instead of watching the light from it fade into nothing…”
