1 April 2015
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Los Angeles, CA
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OFF-CAMERA
Another night and another win. For Kris, since returning to the ring two months ago, it had gone this way more often than it hadn't. Tonight, much like the first night he stepped into the ring on for this return, he had walked out with $100,000 in his pocket, on top of his contract pay. Granted, he wasn't in it for the money. Truth be told, he couldn't even explain to himself, let alone anyone else, why he was wrestling. It wasn't money. It wasn't travel. It damn sure was not the fans. At the moment, we was content not to think about it. He just quietly put his ring gear back into his bag. The sooner that he was out of the arena and back home, the better. He was zipping up the bag when the door to his room popped open. He didn't even have to turn to know who it was. He knew immediately that he did not want to talk to him.
Jason Halich: Hey, you looked good out there man...
Kris laughed and shook his head. He shouldered his bag and started to move towards the door. He was not going to make eye contact with his brother. He wasn't even going to give him the courtesy of talking directly to him, instead he looked past him and to the hall.
Kristopher Halich: I always look good out there. Honestly, I look good everywhere.
Kris tried to step around his brother, but his elder shoulder checked him backwards, back into the room. Kris dropped his bag on the floor and squared his shoulders to his older brother. The last time they came to blows, Jason was left face down on concrete. If he wanted a repeat experience, Kris had no problem giving it to him.
Kristopher Halich: You not going to let me walk out? I don't get the luxury of ignoring you anymore?
Jason moved in through the doorway and even went as far as to give his brother a shove backwards.
Jason Halich: This bullshit is going to end now. I have given you space to throw your tantrum for two months, kid. Now it is time to stop being a bitch.
At first, Kris just bit down on his tongue. He had just gone through hell in a ring, expending any more energy would have been a pain in the ass.
Jason Halich: What's wrong? You can be shitty when you mention my name in promos, right? You have talked all kinds of shit about me on Twitter, haven't you? You are standing in MY company talking about making it all yours, aren't you?
Kris' hands balled into fists. He took a step back as his brother advanced towards him. This was not a conversation he wanted to have.
Kristopher Halich: You are going to ambush me after a match and corner me in a locker room?
That only caused Jason to laugh. He pushed closer into the room, and Kris retreated with his every step forward.
Jason Halich: You don't answer calls, texts, emails, or post cards. You don't ever stay in one place for more than a day at a time. So, yeah. I corner you in my arena, after a show in a company I own, in order to have a conversation that we can't otherwise seem to have.
Kris could not help himself. He had backed away more. He became more angry with every moment, but had sworn to keep his mouth closed. Jason just kept advancing though, and kept pushing, and pushing. Kris was never known for patience.
Jason Halich: So whatever your problem is, you need to lay that shit out. We are brothers that's what we do. Honesty, that's a thing. You're pissed I married Elena. You're pissed I adopted Gabby. I get it. That does not mean you just cut me out of your life, does it?
Kris had not wanted to cut him out of his life. At first he was pissed, sure. It felt like his brother was replacing the parts of his family with new people. He wasn't just a brother, we was the closest thing to a real father that he had ever had. Now he had a real daughter, one he adopted. He didn't need Kris to be his best friend, because Elena was there for him. He had a whole group of stepchildren now. Where did a fuck up, addict brother fit into that picture? Plus, there was something else. Jason had messed up biggest by not mentioning it, even in the locker room.
Kristopher Halich: It is my choice who stays in my life, and who doesn't. You don't get to decide that shit for me. You can't just control everything about my life. I come into your company, and take your weekly drug tests to get you off my back. I let you live your life that you don't want me in. So get out of my face, and get out of my way.
Kris tried to step around him and pick up his bag, but got another shove instead. Jason had gritted his teeth and looked away at that point. It was then that Kris realized how much this was getting to him. He had seen that face every time he asked him to go to rehab. Each time Kris had given in, because it was always his fault for falling into drugs. That was not the case this time though. This was on Jason, but Kris held onto that because of the promise he made Amari.
Jason Halich: You're right. I can't force you to talk to me. What I can do, is be brutally honest with you. You're acting like a child. You don't want to talk. You want to kick and bitch like a kid until I break down and give into you. It isn't going to happen this time though. I am done chasing you. You're 25 years old and if you don't want to be around, then don't be around. Don't you dare put that on me though. That is your choice.
That small voice in his head that kept telling him not to say anything was gone at that point. Kris was unable to hold back any longer. He shoved his brother and forced his way past him. He picked up his bag on the way to the door, only turning once he got to it.
Kristopher Halich: I thought of you like a father. You were always there to protect me, from our parents and from all the messed I dug myself into. I would tell you that you that I hope you do a better job handling all your stepchildren, but they are all grown. So how about this...
He had hesitated. That small voice had whispered one last time not to drop that bomb, but he ignored it without thought.
Kristopher Halich: Make sure that kid you put in Elena doesn't turn out like me.
Jason's jaw had dropped. That hostility faded into legit regret from not telling him, but before he gathered his thoughts, Kris had slammed the door and started down the hallway.
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3 April 2015
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Athens, Greece
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10pm ON-Camera
The scene had become stereotypical of Kris at this point. He was walking around the city, hood up. He had actually watched back his previous promos from SCW and had a laugh. He always ended up in these situations. The more he thought about it, the more he chalked it up to exploring all of the cities they toured. For the most part, he had never been to any of them. If was hard to take time out of the day to sit still to cut a promo. Why would he want to be trapped in a hotel to do it? Why would he head to the arena to do it from a ring? There was too much around for him to visit.
Kristopher Halich: So here is the thing about SCW, there has always been one thing that has caused me to stumble and fall, but that ended last week.
He laughed lightly and shook his head. As he passed buildings he turned from the camera and looked up, soaking in the environment.
Kristopher Halich: Roulette rules, and that damn Roulette Championship always derailed any success I had. It has killed my momentum in this company on more than one occasion. That was only true until two weeks ago though. I finally managed to go into a match with those insane rules and beat someone. Granted, it was a little weird having you people cheer for me when I did. I am not the kind of guy that gets cheered. I guess, at least lately, I seem to be the lesser of two evils when I have been in the ring. My guess is that trend is going to continue this week.
Again he laughs. This time it is a little more heavy than the first. He raises his hand to his stomach as he does. If anything, he was mocking the fans. I had a feeling it was going to go over their heads though.
Kristopher Halich: Mikey Impact, other than a stupid name, I don't know a thing about you. Normally, I would chalk that up to me not doing any scouting. That isn't the case this time. I actually tried to look into you. You know what I found? That you have trouble booking flights. You were supposed to be at the show two weeks ago. If you had been, you would have gotten a first hand look at what I am capable of. You weren't able to make it. Who knows if you even paid any attention to it. I strongly doubt you even looked into anything I said before the match either.
Kris stops his stroll down the side of the road and turns to the camera. His hands fall into the front pocket of his hoodie. The look on his face is of ambivalence.
Kristopher Halich: I told everyone before my last match that there is not a rule I won't bend or break in order to walk away a winner. However, that Roulette wheel spun around and put me in a match where there were no rules to break. If you know nothing about what happened that night, know this. I won. What does that tell you about me? I will go to any length to prevent a loss, because when I lose, my world spins out of control. It weighs on me until the next time I step in the ring. I know you are thinking, that happens to everyone. Losses have a way of clouding your mind. That is not what I am talking about. I am talking about not being able to function as a human being. I am talking about food being tasteless, art being meaningless, so much so that simply staring at a blank wall does not take away the sense of doubt and failure. I do not need to compete. I do not feel that pull to be inside a ring or traveling the world. However, failing at something is not something that I have ever been able to adapt to. I do not live and learn. I am incapable of accepting failure, and failing to win, hangs on me like a weight that is immeasurable. That is what you are going up against this week. You are fighting someone whose world shatters at the smallest sign of failure. I will do anything to avoid that feeling. That alone makes me a very difficult person to put down.
He shrugs his shoulders and steps up to the camera, his face still blank.
Kristopher Halich: Can you honestly say that you are as committed to winning as I am?
Like always, he raises his hand to cover the camera, giving it a push that causes the view to tilt upwards towards the sky as it cuts to black.
