This roleplay is dedicated to the the memory of Chad Balanecki. RIP brother.

---

Well you can't say SCW doesn't do firsts because by hook or by crook, they do.... Saudi Arabia. Saudi fucking Arabia in the summer. No air conditioned arena for us, nope, huge heat in a stadium, utter genius. Heat and a match against a machine. I've been here a few hours and already sweltering in this heat. On the bright side, the fat boys of SCW should lose a little weight....

---

"Man, this is hot." I tell myself

Prince Abdul Aziz bin Musa'ed Stadium in Saudi Arabia. My eyes wonder around the stadium, looking at the empty seats around me in the stands. Standing on uncovered grass, I observe people setting up the ring and surrounding area. My train of thought is cut off as Despayre trots up next to me.

"Hey Gabriel!" He says with an excited tone to his voice "I need to ask you something."

I look at Despayre, looking at the twinkle in his eye.

Whenever you see that look, you know what he's about to ask you isn't gonna be good

"What's up Despy?" I say casually.

"Have you see a little notebook around?" He asks "One with say, Angel's picture on the front of it."

I raise an eyebrow towards Despayre, looking him up and down.

"You mean your revenge ideas for people book?" I ask.

"Yeaaaaaa.... no." Despayre replies with his best innocent look on his face. "The other one with all my very creative ideas in them."

"Creative ideas that might be revenge based?" I ask

"Yeaaaaa... no" He starts "Ideas that might.... have you seen it?"

"No." I start "Sorry little brother, I haven't seen your revenge book."

A disappointed look crosses Despayre face.

"Ok, have you see a guy that sells cherry coke around here?" He asks "I've gone to every store I've seen and every time I ask for it, the person sounds like they have something stuck in the back of their throats."

"I think that's the way they talk around here." I reply.

Despayre scratches his head, tilting it to look towards me.

"Wow." He starts "If you ever wanna be rich in this country, all you need to be is a throat doctor. Those guys must be the busiest guys in the entire country."

Despayre looks away from me, shouting across the open grassy area.

"Hey Angel!" He yells "Leave that ring guy alone, he's not in the revenge book!"

Despayre looks towards my smiling face.

"Uh, I mean book of creative ideas for people who deserve some..." Despayre looks at me with innocence crossing his face "Fun. I'll be back."

Despayre starts to wander off towards the ring.

"Put that screw driver down Angel!" Despayre yells out off camera.

I reach in to my back pocket, pulling out a notebook with Angel's face on the front of it and flicking through the first few pages, my eyebrows lowering as I read through the first couple of pages in my head. I slowly shake my head looking at the book.

"Either that bear is gonna someday rule the world..." I say to myself "Or we really don't give Despayre enough credit. Some of this stuff is brutal."

Synn's hand reaches down and rests on my shoulder, causing me to slightly jump an instinctively hide the book. I turn to see Synn and casually slide the book back in to my pocket.

"Joshua's revenge book?" He asks with a questioning tone

"It is." I reply "There's some really messed up ideas in this thing."

"Do you expect anything less from those two?" Synn says pointing in Despayre's direction.

I look towards Despayre, who is in the ring, holding Angel in the air in faux celebration, showing him to all sides of the empty stadium.

"Not in the slightest." I reply with a dry tone. "I expected worse."

"Oh the worse stuff is closer to the back of that thing." Synn informs me. "So how's the family?"

"All good." I reply "Everyone's doing well. Spoke to O just after I got here and she's ok, baby's fine. She really wanted to be here, but you know."

Synn nods in agreement.

"Wouldn't be wise for someone so young being in this intense heat." Synn mentions

I reach in to my pocket, pulling out my phone and quickly unlocking it. I hit the weather app button and my eyes widen.

"Surely a mistake." I say to Synn.

"111 degrees Fahrenheit?" He says slowly "Damn."

"Who's bright idea was it to book a show in an open stadium with this heat?" I ask "People are gonna be struggling all over the place. I'm gonna be struggling all over the place against one of the toughest opponents I've had in a while."

"You rate Kain that highly?" Synn asks

"I do" I start "People have slated Kain, asking how he deserves this match, but it's all people who will never deserve a shot at my title. Kain is much better than they give him credit for and he is not someone I'll be taking lightly at all. Others will write him off, I will not be making that mistake. The guy works hard as anyone in the ring, but this heat might slow him down a little bit. God knows it's gonna make me slow down big time."

"Well you have a couple of days to get used to the heat." Synn tells me "This is where you are at a disadvantage to others."

"How so?" I ask Synn with a raised eyebrow.

"Because you fly in for the shows, you fly back home." He starts "Others have been here all week and are used to the heat."

"Yeah, but I come in, win matches while being disadvantaged and look good doing it." I arrogantly reply to Synn "So the rest of the roster need to keep up. I see it as an advantage. I get to see my family, relax away from the spotlight, while they're probably missing their families, always in the spot light doing promo stuff up and down the country. This effects them. I come in here, all relaxed and do what I do best."

Synn shrugs his shoulders at me.

"That's one way to look at it I guess." He tells me.

"What I do know though is this damn heat is kicking the daylights out of me." I quickly say "So I'm gonna head in to the shade for a bit. You might wanna sort that out."

I point a thumb to Despayre, who has a hammer in hand, hitting the ring post as the ring crew look at him with a baffled look on his face. Synn nods at me and makes off in the direction of Despayre.

---

A little while later...

Walking through the hallways of the Prince Abdul Aziz bin Musa'ed Stadium, I find myself staring at a vending machine, with bottles of water covering the front.

"You're gonna do some serious business this week." I mumble to myself.

I reach in to my pocket, pulling out a note and putting it in to the machine before hitting a button on the front. A bottle of cold water drops in to the tray below and I pick it up, opening the cap and taking a huge gulp. Behind me, two men approach me.

"You ez Gabriel." One man says.

I turn my head around and look at the man, seeing a second man.

"Sorry lads." I start "Not doing autographs today, come back tomorrow."

"Ve are not after z'autographs, ve are after a bounty." The second man tells me.

"Oh." I start "You two want to collect on Sean Jackson's bounty by kicking the ever living shit out of me? Oh yeah, that makes sense."

I look the two men up and down, both bigger than I am.

"Well, come on then, I haven't got all day." I say.

The two men approach but I instantly catch one with a huge shot to the jaw, knocking him over. The second grapples me against the machine, nailing me with shots to the gut. I spin the man around and catch him with a heavy shot to the face, but the other man hits me with something solid from behind, dropping me to my knees. He reaches in to his pocket and pulls out silver handcuffs, wrapping them around my wrists and locking them tight. They pull me to my feet and hold me against the wall.

"Ve are going to take you somevare and earn ze bounty" One man informs me.

"Oh handcuffs..." I say sarcastically "How will I ever escape."

The two men grab and arm each, rushing me to a nearby car and opening the boot, throwing me inside. The duo walk around to either side of car and get in.

"Ezy money." The driver brags.

The driver starts the engine, driving away.

"So..." I ask "Where are we going?"

To the surprise of the two men, both turn around and see me sitting in the back seat with a smile on my face, handcuff free. The scene cuts to the outside of the car as it crashes in to a concrete pillar. The camera spins around to see me sitting on the roof of the car.

"FYI Sean Jackson." I start "Maybe you should have gave people some history on me before sending them after me... I'm a fucking magician after all."

I slide off the car with a smile on my face.

"Handcuffs.... magician.... really...." I say dusting my hands off.

The scene fades out.

---

This has been a tough week.

Draining, stressful, eye opening and now we find ourselves in sweltering heat just to put on a show.

At least SCW heard my call. I said I would only wrestle for them should they find me an opponent worthy of my talents and they did just that.

I know so many of you have questioned what my opponent has done to earn this shot, what has he done to earn his place in the main event with me.

What the fuck is wrong with you fools? Are you blind? A man who was outcast elsewhere has come here, worked hard enough not to win one, not, two but three out of the four championships on offer and you fools have the audacity to question his championship and main even pedigree?

Jealousy is an ugly colour on most of you.

I went there with the jealousy thing, because the people who doubt him, are people who have done fuck all here. This man has achieved what so many of you can only hope to achieve in your lifetime.

So kudos SCW, you've give a worthy man a crap shoot on if he shall succeed or fail.

I think what I've learned this week is chances need to be taken when presented to you, chances need to be grabbed because you have no clue if another will come along, if it will be our only shot to take what we feel we deserve. It's one of those things where it's in front of our faces and this might be the one chance we have of taking it. I have known Kain long enough to know that he sees it this way, and that he knows the importance of taking that chance.

Yes, I have known Kain longer than you think. Way beyond the world of SCW. In fact, it goes back to the very beginning of my wrestling career.

The first time I ever wrestled on television was for a company ran by the man you see as an SCW cult hero, Goth. The Asylum was the first place that gave me the chance to lead me to where I am today. The roster was full of familiar faces that you see on television now right here in SCW, Goth, Casey, Chris Shipman and of course.... Kain.

Kain wasn't just a face in the crowd in AWA, Kain what the man. The guy everyone looked up to, the man with the championship gold, the man that put fear in to the heart of every opponent. I shit you not, people would see their name on the sheet against Kain and forget that gold could be won, but their reaction was that of disappointment. This man in his early twenties would strike fear in to the hearts of people who have spent years honing their crafts, this man was the man I wanted to be like. I wanted to be feared by people when they saw my name against them, I wanted to scare the living daylights out of people, just because my name was next to theirs. When I first started in wrestling, Kain was that man.

Everyone looked up to him and feared what he can do. As hard as it is to believe, I was one of those people. I was looking over the shoulders of others to get a glimpse of the man who brought people to their knees with a look. I wanted to be like that someday and of course, I am, but I had to work to be here, I had to stare people like Kain in the eye and have him accept me as an equal.

It took months of busting my arse, week in, week out, beating opponent after opponent, winning single and tag team championships, defending on every show, growing popular, becoming the anti Kain... I say anti cause he was a bastard and I was the smiley good guy. I became the anti Kain and then...

It happened...

I got the booking sheet through and there it was in black and white, the next show. Kain Vs Gabriel - Non title match.

That's when I knew I reached the top, that's when I knew I was finally in Kain's shadow instead of being below him, that's when I knew that I was being taken seriously.

You could say Goth's booking made me a star there, but the work I put in just to be able to get in the ring with the hottest talent in wrestling at the time, showed me I could do it.

I remember walking to the ring, trying my best to keep it all together, not to be overruled by the whole situation, I held it together and I got in that ring. I looked in to the eyes of the monster and the monster looked back at me, anger in his soul, hate in his heart and ice running through his veins as he put his title belt in my face and telling me I will never have it, I will never be good enough.

Did I feel intimidated?

Fucking right I did. Wouldn't you be when you stared down the devil himself? I did, and I was intimidated and I knew I would have to fight on instinct. I knew that this could be the longest night of my career and I wasn't wrong, cause Kain tore in to me like a bull in a china shop. He through me around the ring like a rag doll, he bounced my head off that mat so many times, I knew what a basketball felt like.

But I didn't give up. I fought back and I toppled the giant, I defeated the man in what turned out to be his last AWA match. You can look on it as a touch passing thing, but I defeated the beast!

Now that's a feeling I will never forget, I beat the beast that haunted AWA for so long. I didn't get his title belt that night, but I got a lot more from that match. I got the believe I could take out anyone at any time. I knew that I could shock the world. It gave me belief, it gave me what I needed to push on with my career.

It lead me to where I am right now.

Kain was the first giant I slayed, and there was so many more to come.

You're probably wondering why I'm telling you this...

It's simple, this is roles reversed because I am that giant now, I am that guy on the top of the mountain looking down at everyone and Kain is now coming to topple me. Kain is now gonna try and do what I did to him all those years ago and get in my shadow and attack from within. Kain is motivated by that bigger prize.

Being the first ever grandslam champion.

It will drive him on like never before. It's why he was already at the top of the mountain in AWA while I was still on the hiking trail, because he was driven to be there and he is driven to take my throne. He is a man who can do anything when he's determined to do so, he is a man who will do anything to take what he wants. This is his next natural step and he will do what it takes too step up.

Exactly how I was leading in to my first match with Kain in AWA.

I was determined to step up, I was hell bent on making that next rung on the ladder. I was hell bent on getting there and by god I did, so I know what's going through Kain's mind right now. I know what's in his head and how much he wants to be know as SCW's World Heavyweight champion.

This is where things change from our first match.

You are the reverse Flash to my Flash, everything is happening like the past, but in reverse, where you have the chance to topple this king.

I respect you Kain, but this is where I rewrite the script because this ruler will not be overthrown. Don't get me wrong, if anyone has the chance to do it, you do, more than anyone I've faced before. You know me well enough to know what I can do, you know me well enough to know how I work and what I am capable of. If anything, you concern me more than any opponent has in SCW in a long time. You can claim responsibility for putting a little fire back in me, because I feel like I need to be at my very, very best.

I thank you for that.

But that is gonna go against you. Let's be honest Kain, even you know me off my game is better than half the roster on their game and seeing your name against me, has made me up my game, it's made me want to do better than I have done in recent weeks.

I admit to being a bit slack lately, but can you blame me when I've been booked against people not on my level? Can you blame me for taking my foot off the gas a bit here? Not this week Kain, this is me going full throttle at you, this is me about to push myself beyond what I have been doing for the past few weeks. This is me about to be reborn...

Because I have a quality opponent at last.

I have the hunger back, I have the determination back, I have the drive back. I have just as much drive as you do to win my title, I have just that to keep my title.

We all wanna be known for something and I wanna be known for this great championship run. I've had it since the turn of the year and want it beyond the turn of next year. That's my legacy I'll be leaving SCW with, being a long time champion and friendship, respect, and everything else aside Kain, it doesn't matter who gets in my way, including you, I will get my goal. I will be the man who holds the gold longer than anyone else, I will be the man that cements my name deeper in to SCW legacy and folklore, by holding this belt more than anyone else.

It's my destiny to do so.

As much as you have a better chance than most winning this gold, it doesn't mean you will. I will not just roll over, and I'll be disappointed if you expected me to. I will be bringing the fight to your doorstep and bursting right through.

I will give you the fight of your life, I will remind you why we're even in this business. I will do all I can to walk out of here with my title firmly in my very own possession. I will work like you've never seen me work before Kain, because I don't plan to walk out without this gold.

I don't give a flying fuck if Sean Jackson's little bounty gets claimed earlier by people attacking me, I don't care if they have to roll me down to the ring in a wheelchair, strap me to a board to keep me standing up straight, I will still do everything I possibly can to leave with my title. I will walk on broken glass, I will walk through fire, I will do whatever needs to be done Kain.

I thank you for the challenge

But the end result will still be the same, it will still be with me walking out holding my SCW world heavyweight championship, it will still be with me sitting on top of the mountain looking down. I will be the man with it all come the end of this one. I will be the man who will stand and continue being the champion.

It's nothing personal Kain

And I know we will rip the house down bit by bit, pulling it to pieces and sending the fans home happy with what we will do to each other and how we've put it all on the line, but have no doubt about it. I will be the one with my head held high at the end of this one. I will be the one moving on and looking for my next challenge.

May God have mercy on your soul Kain....

Cause I will not  

 The howling wind blows across a desert, sand being blown in all directions over the sand dunes that rise from the ground below. Three black dots are seen in the distance as the camera slowly passes over the swirling sand, caught in the winds harsh whirls, causing a long whistle through the air. The camera moves closer to the three dots, slowly forming in to three bodies, the camera high above the trio, before moving in closer to see the form of three men. The three men wear white pants, worn with use and discolored due to the suns exposure. The camera moves closer, showing the man in the middle, dressed in a loose white shirt, with a bandana around his face, blocking the sand from hitting his face. His six foot, three inch frame burns in the sun, his brown hair flopping with sweat as he stops walking, turning to the man on the left.

"It's here somewhere." He tells him.

The man, wearing sunglasses, standing at about six foot four, with short receding hair, and neat goatee beard, looks towards him.

"You've been saying that for hours." He says with a German accent. "Yet we haven't found a damn thing."

The man in the middle turns to his right, looking at the other man.

"I just know it." He tells him.

The third man, also standing at around six foot four, isn't wearing a shirt, but his face covered with a blood red bandana, his arms covered in tattoos, and a heavy looking backpack on his back. He looks towards the man in the middle.

"What he said." He gruffly says.

The man in the middle pulls a map from his back pocket, looking down at the aged paper, wrinkled from years of use. His eyes narrow as the sand blows around him.

"It has to be." The obvious leader says to himself.

"Well I'm not staying here on a wild goose chase" The German accented man says firms.

"It's that way" the leader informs him.

He points with his hand at a sand dune, not too far away from the men. The tattooed man shakes his head slow as he looks in the distance.

"It better be." He firmly says "Because I'm getting sick and tired of..."

The leader holds his hand up, cutting off his cohort in mid sentence.

"It will be over there." He says "Right over that dune. It's what the map says."

The two men sigh deeply as the leader takes the initiative and starts to walk in the direction pointed to. They exchange glances as the two slowly follow the man walking five feet in front of them, the wind blowing heavily in their faces as the sand flies in countless directions, almost covering their foot prints instantly. Another speck is seen in the distance, watching every move the three travelers make. The camera move closer to the speck to see the figure of a man. The camera shows the man to have wild black untamed hair, moving in time with the blowing wind crossing his face, unfazed by the sand moving around him. He looks down at the three men in the distance.

"Every step." He says to himself "I will be watching."

He tightens his jaw as he watches the men climb higher up the sand dune.

"You will NEVER replace me." He says through gritted teeth.

His eyes continue to focus on the three men, getting closer to the top of the piled up wind swept sand, every step pulling them closer to the thing they want to see so badly. The watcher continues to speak to himself.

"Do you really think it will all be that easy?" He says with arrogance "That three unworthy people can climb to the top with ease and replace something that has worked for a long time? Do you think that it would be so simple."

The watcher shakes his head and raises his hands pointing them at the three men as they finally reach the top of the sand dune, the sand around them starts to spin violently, throwing itself in to the faces of the three men, engulfing them in a sand storm, forcing them to fall over the dune, much to the watchers delight. He clasps his hands together in joy, causing the sand to stop and give him the opportunity to watch the men fall down the dune, rolling in the sand.

"And they all fall down." He says with a smile.

The camera moves back to the three men, trying to dig in to the sand and stop their downward spiral. The three men come to a thudding holt at the bottom of the sand dune as the ground starts to even out slightly. The leader sits up first, wiping the sand from his face and eyes as he breathes hard, spitting the sand from his dry lips. His blurry eyes look around for his companions.

"Is everyone ok?" He calls out.

"Yeah." The man with the tattoos says with a cough, blowing the sand from his mouth.

"What the hell happened there?" The German sounding man yells out. "That wasn't normal."

"This place is cursed." The tattooed man adds. "Why do you even want this so bad?"

The leader pulls himself to his feet, dusting the sand from his body and moving towards the man with the German accent, reaching a strong hand down and pulling him to his feet. He turns towards the other man, the heavy backpack lying a few feet away from him, reaching his hand down and pulling him up by the tattooed arm.

"Because it's my destiny." He tells the tattooed man passionately "It's always been my destiny to step up and take my rightful place on that throne and wear that crown. It's my fate to do this."

The tattooed man dusts himself off, knocking the sand from his body and looks towards the third man, before his eyes return to the leader.

"And why the hell are we here?" He asks the leader.

"Because..." He says.

Before he can continue, his attention is distracted by the third man.

"Holy shit..." He says trailing off

The other men look towards him, and follow his pointing arm, their eye line eventually showing what he is pointing at. A tall building, wider at the bottom and moving up in pyramid fashion sits before them, made from solid looking gold. Symbols of various things adorn the outside of the building.

"That's it!" The leader says with pride booming through his voice "We've found it!"

He clenches his fists with excitement, lifting his heavy legs from the sand and patting his two friends on the back, pride streaming through his body as he moves towards the front of the gold building. A smile passes the watchers face as he looks down on the three men.

"Pride comes before a fall." He says to himself.

He watches the tattooed man pick up the heavy bag and the three men regroup, moving towards the front and to a narrow opening. The three men closely inspect the building, looking at it up and down, a sign etched in gold with 7DS just above the narrow opening. The leaders eyes smile brightly as he pulls the bandana from his face, his lips matching the wide smile of his eyes. He looks back at the two men either side of him and points to the narrow opening, getting weary looks in return.

"We've come this far." He tells them "For a long time, this is to the point where we wanted to be and now we're here, we can't turn back now."

The leaders two friends glance at each other, exchanging uneasy looks, before looking back at the leader, his head already poking through the narrow entrance. He lifts a leg through and squeezes his body through the narrow gap. The tattooed man slowly shakes his head as he pushes the heavy backpack through the gap and in to the leaders hands, before making his own journey through the gap. The German accented man follows suit, forcing a leg through the narrow gap and pressing his body through, barely making it through. The light breaks through the gap, just showing enough light to see the leader rustling through the back, pulling out and switching on bright beamed flashlights and handing the first to the tattooed man, and the second to the balding man. He reaches for a third and switches the light on, the combined light of the three powerful flashlights light up the room, showing strange symbols around them. Pictures of warriors with spears carved in to the gold walls face the men, standing at over six feet high. The trio shine their lights around, examining more.

"This is insane." The tattooed man exclaims.

"It's beautiful." The leader starts "This is where I'm destined to be. I can feel it."

The German sounding man flashes his light away from the others, pointing it down a narrow hallway. He starts to wander off towards the end of it.

"There's a door." He calls back to the others.

The two men quickly move down to the German sounding man and admire the outline of a solid gold door, two hand prints on the front of it. Letters etched in gold spell out the words "The point of no return". The three men look around each other as the tattooed man tries to push at the door, unable to move it an inch. The leader lifts his hands and places them on the hand prints on the door and pushes against them, the sounds of grinding gears are heard behind them. The door clicks open and swings around, opening up in to another room, but the floor starts to shake, before opening up trap doors beneath the feet of the tattooed man, and German sounding man, the ground swallowing them up before either has a chance to react. The leader quickly springs through the door, throwing himself to the ground as the door slams viciously behind him. The room immediate lights up, showing marbled floor and red carpet, leading to a jewel encrusted gold throne. Golden swords cross behind the throne, holding up what looks to be a gold title belt across it.

"It's..."

The lights flash out and instantly, the man who was watching the trio of men, appears on the throne in front of him. The leader jumps back in surprise at the sudden appearance. The watcher slowly shakes his head.

"Hello Andrew." He starts "I've been expecting you for a while now."

The man springs to his feet.

"How did you know my..." He starts.

The watcher puts his hand up, stopping the now identified man.

Come on.... even the stupidest of you must have known who was who!

"My name is Gabriel." He says "But you already knew that. You've been hunting my throne for a while, but this is a lesson for you."

The speechless man stands looking at Gabriel

"All this, is to teach you something very important." He starts "This whole trek you did, fighting the elements, pushing yourself further than ever before, leading men across rough terrain, just to get what you want, is credible. You've worked to be here and over come a lot to do so, but the journey is meaningless, the point of pushing yourself above and beyond is futile. Getting here is only half the battle, being in the same room as what you want, doesn't mean that you will take it."

He stands from the throne.

"Just because this is what you want." He says pointing at the golden seat "Doesn't mean I will ever allow you to put yourself upon it. It doesn't mean I will allow you to walk in to my domain and take what doesn't belong to you like a common thief."

Gabriel's eyes glow red as he stares at the man.

"I will not let you take my place as ruler of this kingdom." He says loudly "No matter what the journey you've been on, no matter what you've over come to just be standing in my presence!"

The room begins to shake as Gabriel's eyes start to burn up, flames dancing around his pupils as he looks at the man with an intensive look on his face. Gabriel reaches behind him, pulling the sword from the throne, ripping it off with one quick movement. The floor starts to sink, quickly turning to quicksand under the man's feet and pulling him down in to the ground, freezing him in to place.

"Many serpents have tried and each have failed." Gabriel says walking around the man "And just like lore says, to defeat the serpents who try to attack, you must remove their heads. Take one last good look at my throne young man, because where you are is the closest you will ever come to replacing me, you are the closest you will ever come to sitting where I belong."

Gabriel positions himself behind the man, glaring thoughtfully at the golden masterpiece.

"For this belongs to me, the throne, the status that comes with it, being on top of the mountain, it's mine." He says "And will always be mine, you will just become another who has tried and failed in their quest to dethrone me. Fear not young man, you will not be the last."

Gabriel swings the sword and the scene switches to Gabriel laying in bed, smiling.

Dreams do come true and this one will. Sorry Andrew, this uprising of yours will fail in spectacular fashion

The scene fades out.

---

Walking through the lobby of the Sheraton Casablanca Hotel and Towers in Casablanca, Morocco. The eyes of admiring glares are cast my way as I stroll through, bottle of water in my hand. I look around at the people around me, before exiting through a side door nearby. The beautiful Moroccan sun burns down on my topless skin within seconds of leaving the shade of the hotel. Beautiful palm trees fill my view as they line the poolside area, softly moving in the cool breeze. A toddler runs past me, knocking in to my leg as he stumbles on his way. The toddlers young mother quickly moves towards me, taking the toddler by the hand.

"I'm so sorry about that." She says apologetically.

"No problem." I quickly reply

"You know how kids are." She tells me "Always running around, bumping in to people, falling over."

"Actually I don't." I tell the woman "Well, not yet anyway."

"Oh..." The woman says quietly.

"My wife is due next week." I tell the woman. "So I have no clue how kids can be."

That is the moment where it actually hit me. I really don't have a damn clue how kids can be. It's not like I have a whole wealth of experience with kids. It's not like I have been around kids all my life or had young relatives.... shit, I actually know nothing about kids and I could be a dad any time now

My eyes blink rapidly as that realization covers my body.

"Oh that's great." The woman says with a bright smile "Parenthood is great if you don't mind the waking up at all hours. Is your wife here?"

I quickly shake my head.

"No." I start "She's in England. I travel a lot for work. I'm a wrestler, and we're here doing a show, she couldn't fly so she's in England with a friend and I'll be on the first plane back on Sunday."

"Oh right..." She says, her interest fading in the conversation as much as mine was "Well, I better get going. Best wishes to you and your wife."

I nod politely and walk away, moving down the edge of the pool, turning to see a woman changing a baby on a sun lounger. I shake my head slowly and continue to walk, watching another mother yelling at her fighting children.

"I need a drink." I tell myself.

I look at the bottle of water in my hand and shake my head.

"Something stronger than that." I mutter.

My head looks up, looking towards the bar at the end of the pool as two teenage boys charge past me, right across my path, stopping me in my tracks. I slowly shake my head as I start on my journey to the bar.

"Gabriel!" Despayre calls out.

My head turns around, looking at Despayre at poolside, standing next to the water. I move towards Despayre, a few feet away from him.

"Hey Despy." I start "Not hunting some mystical Moroccan creature today?"

Despayre casually shakes his head at me.

"Not today." he tells me "Having a day off from doing that. Thought I'd go for a swim instead."

"Not a bad idea." I tell Despayre "I mean all that monster hunting can get really tiring sometimes."

I nod at Despayre in agreement, a slight smile breaking over my face.

"Have you seen Synn?" I ask "I need some advice."

Despayre points his thumb towards the bar area.

"He's over there with Angel." Despayre informs me "If you want some good advice, you should ask Angel. He's so much better than Dad with advice."

"Thanks Despy." I say patting him on the back.

"Not a problem." He tells me "But can you do me a favor and not do a water trick while I'm swimming. I don't wanna be swimming along and end up on the top of a water tornado."

"I promise no water tornados today. You can swim in peace." I respond

"Thank you." Despayre says brightly. "CANNONBALL!"

Despayre jumps in the air, grabbing his legs and crashing in to the water, causing waves to smash the side of the pool and causing a big spray to bounce out of the pool and in to the air. I turn to walk away from the poolside and continue to walk towards the bar. I spy Synn sitting at the end of the bar, with Angel, dressed in bright shorts and sunglasses, resting on the bar. I move through the crowd, moving in to the bar area and make a beeline towards him, before sliding in to the seat next to him. Synn glances towards me with a casual look, before complete recognizing who I am and spinning in his bolted down, yet spinning seat, his fingers gripped around a glass of scotch.

"Gabriel..." Synn says

"Synn..." I reply "Scotch in this heat?"

"Scotch in any heat" Synn replies.

I raise a hand to the barman who quickly pulls a glass under a nearby beer tap, pulling it down and filling a glass with cold beer. After a few seconds, he places the glass in front of me. I reach down and pick up the glass, drinking half of the contents in one breath.

"Looks like you needed that." Synn comments.

"You don't know the half of it." I start "Seriously, what's the deal with all these damn kids around here?"

Synn spins in his chair, surveying the scene before turning back towards me.

"What kids?" He asks curiously.

I spin in my chair, looking around at the scene, seeing no children, babies or young adults in my line of sight.

"Hmmmm" I mutter as I spin back around.

Synn looks at me with a raised eyebrow and tilted head, a slight look of concern on his face.

"Are you feeling ok?" He asks me.

"No." I start "I'm tired as hell, and walking over here, I saw so many annoying little brats that no parent could be proud of and then it hit me. I know fuck all about kids and I'm less than a week away from becoming a dad! Odette is ready to drop at any time and I'm sitting in the sunshine nowhere near her, finally seeing that I am gonna be an awful father."

Synn slowly shakes his head as I drop my eyes to face the bar, staring in to the beer in front of me.

"Don't be stupid!" Synn barks "What would ever give you that idea?"

I take a deep breath, letting out a long sigh.

"Because I never had anyone showing me how to be a dad." I sadly admit "All I've done is read books about it, but that ain't shit compared to actually doing it. Hell, I can read books on brain surgery, doesn't mean I can pick up a scalpel and start digging away in someone's head. The parents I saw today couldn't control a pen around paper to write their own names and they've probably been with their kids constantly, around their other halves all the time to learn together. I've been away from my wife more than I've been with her lately."

"Do you think I knew how to be a dad?" Synn says firmly "I never got a chance to be a dad until recently and I've been one for years."

"Yeah, but your kid won't be wetting the bed for you to deal with." I say pointing behind me in the general area of Despayre.

"But I would have loved to have had the chance." Synn tells me "I would have loved to have been able to do all that stuff but I never got the chance to do it. You have the chance and you will do it."

Synn raises his glass and continues

"Look at this as a challenge, a challenge to mold someone in your image." He tells me "You've never backed away from a challenge before and you won't now. Besides, being a parent is about being a role model for them to look up to. You're a success, you're a champion, you've succeeded at everything you've done, that's a lot to look up to, to be proud of. The rest of the stuff is just going to be easy stuff. It's not like you're the first pro wrestler to be a father. There's so many parents in SCW, they could make money off of opening a daycare center."

I run my hands over my chin, listening to every word Synn says to me.

"Besides, it's not like you're gonna be alone in this." Synn tells me "Your wife has a big enough family, and you have us, The Sins, we're your family."

"I know" I say "but I just don't know how I'm gonna be able to do that and be traveling the world, kicking peoples arses and leading the company."

"Are you trying to say that you're done after this match?" Synn asks "Just give up the title to someone who doesn't deserve it?"

My head snaps around to look at Synn.

"Fuck no!" I firmly say "I have no intention of losing this title to Andrew Watts, I have no intention of that at all. I plan on beating him to put an end to this Reject uprising bullshit. It goes beyond just me against him. Him and his little group are trying to take our spot as best group in SCW and I am not gonna sit back and let that happen."

I pause for a few seconds, curling the left side of my lip downwards with a frown.

"I just don't know how to be on this tour and be a dad." I comment "I can't ask O to bring the baby on the road all the time. Gonna be enough sleepless nights without having to drive or fly across from country to country with a new born"

"It's simple." The voice of Despayre says from behind us, causing Synn and I to spin around on our seats "You leave here right after you kick Andrew Watts butt, you go to Odette, then you fly in for shows on the day of the show and you leave right after the shows and we can all come with you and baby Joshua doesn't have to travel."

"Baby Joshua?" I say with a raised eyebrow.

"It's a good name that you should give your baby." Despayre says "I've never met a bad guy called Joshua."

A smile creeps on to my face as I look at Despayre.

"You know, that idea might work." I state "Well, most of it anyway. Fly in, cause hell, and leave and if I don't feel like it, pull off the classic Watts video link thing. That was a good idea Despy."

"Oh that was Angel's idea." Despayre says casually "I told you he gives better advice than Dad."

Synn fires his son a look as Despayre takes the seat to my left hand side. Synn shrugs his wide shoulders.

"That bear does seem to have good ideas." He says slowly "And thanks to that good idea, you can just focus on Watts and retaining that title belt of yours."

A confident look crosses my face as I smirk at Synn.

"Oh I don't need to focus on that." I start "Watts is already a beaten man and even the title knows it's coming home with me. The only person who doesn't know that is Watts. Era of Watts my arse."

"Swear jar!" Despayre yells out.

The camera fades as I reach in to my pocket and hand Despayre a bank note.

---

As you can see my point, it never rains, but it pours when it comes to family life and work, but now let's talk all business and there's only one thing left to talk about when it comes down to business and that is the man who think's he is the next chosen one, the man who feels it's his time.

The man called Andrew Watts...

How's it feeling right now to be swimming in all that confidence right now, Andrew? I bet it feels pretty damn good doesn't it?

Bet you feel like you're on top of the world right now and that nothing can go wrong, right? Probably the same feeling two warriors set to battle on Saturday in the forms of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are thinking too, but one of them will lose.

This is a feeling you can relate with them come Sunday, because all the confidence in the world doesn't promise you a thing. Like one of those two men, the confidence will be shattered and the fact that you will never be able to call yourself the greatest of all time will be just like one of those two.

Last time we met, you had an excuse, you had Amy Marshall to blame and god knows I tried to help her out, I tried to give her advice so that you actually stood a chance because I am so sick of excuses. I had to put up with Sean Jackson's excuses for months and I didn't want the same from you, so I tried to get Amy to perform better than she does bending over at her other job but even as a magician, I can not perform miracles but I tried to help you to stop you expected excuses, but no doubt, you've made those excuses over and over to everyone that Amy was to blame for your loss.

She didn't help you much, I admit that but you can't use it as an excuse Andrew.

Why?

Because you had every opportunity to prove to the world that you were actually better than I was, by beating me before Amy could get her slutty arse back in the ring, but you failed to take that chance. Let's put aside how shit the match was, and looking back, it was not one of the greatest spectacles on earth, but you had every chance to beat me, to step right up and take advantage, but you failed miserably and had to live with people looking at you differently.

I haven't...

I truly haven't because let's be fair, you was handicapped in that match against me by having Amy Marshall, and teaming with Misty to rack up that impressive run, well she could carry an elephant to victory if need be, so I don't look at you as any different as I did before I got in the ring with you. You're still a man capable of beating people, you're still a man that has the shock value out of nowhere endings, but there's also that side of you that I see that hasn't been mentioned by me, or anyone else.

Are you championship material?

I mean as a leader of a group, you're meant to show that YOU can lead from the front, not that your followers have more success than you. I have never once claimed to be the leader of the Seven Deadly Sins, and gold has been spread evenly around that group over the years, but it's pretty obvious that you are the leader of the Rejects, you made the call to put them together, with Kaelin as your lieutenant, you made the call to change the line up and ditch Stephens for Raab, which seems successful, you made the choice to ditch Mikah for Desiree Parker, which seems much less successful, but you as a leader have made these calls and got half of them right, but here's the thing. Kaelin walked in and won the Roulette title pretty easy, Kaelin walked in and fucked shit up when it came to opponents, no one could stop him except... Lord Raab.

Lord Raab... he's one of your own...

Now Raab came in to the Rejects and became the only man to beat Kaelin, two Reject champions, two, not one but two...

And neither of them are you Andrew...

The leader, the general, the man who directs the group has never had a championship, while his foot solider's have... I also think that shoulder Desiree put herself forward more, only a matter of time before she becomes a champion and that will be before you too. Your group is loaded with Championship material people, but the question will remain...

Are you one of them?

You could be if you set your sights a little lower, like maybe Halc's Internet Title, or the tag team championships maybe, but are you good enough to take my title from me?

No.... Just no...

You have impressed on more than a few occasions but are you ready to wear the big boy crown? Are you ready to take responsibility to lead a company I helped to build, in to the future and beyond? No Andrew, your time may come in the future but this is not your time now, this is all about me.

Wanna hear something that you don't know? Well, maybe you do know but you haven't been able to process it past your ego.

People don't actually want you to win...

You know you always get the kiss arse fans who tell you to kick your opponents arse, just to keep on your good side? We all get those, right? But these Andrew, these are people coming up to me and telling me to not let you near my title, because they don't want to see this so called Andrew Watts Era. Now these people wouldn't usually piss on me if I was on fire, but people don't wanna see you win. Maybe they see that you're not ready, maybe they see that you will be the death of SCW. People know that what you will bring to the table is the Andrew Watts hype show week in, week out and people like me keep it interesting. They never know what to expect from me, but maybe these people who have to pay to keep you in a job see you as a one trick pony.

Just another egotistical bastard that they've seen before...

That's what they may see when it comes to you Andrew and that's why they don't wanna see it again, maybe they don't wanna see more generic bullshit that every cocky wrestler in the world pulls off when they win the title.

"I'm the greatest, I have the title, no one can stop me..."

Blah, blah, blah, shut the fuck up!

Generic bullshit with no creative spark and the people see this. The people want to see me save them from the things they are already expecting from you, people want to be saved before you even get the chance to mind melt them with over player, worn out lines. These people are already expecting that from you, so they will drop to their knees and pray to the Gods above, or sell their souls to the devil himself for even a little hope that you will end up nowhere near my title.

Without kissing arse like Drake Green, I like to give the people what they want...

This is gonna be no different for they will get what they want Andrew, they will get a champion that doesn't bore the hell out of them, they will get to see me stay on the throne that I have made my very own for a long time. I will not be bowing down to you and the Era of Andrew Watts will be a long way from starting. It's long in to the distance where no one can see.

This is not your time Andrew, this will never be your time, Mayhem in Morocco will not be a night you will want to remember, it will be a night where you are shown for what you truly are. You will never get near my title for as long as I can breathe, you will not get near my title for as long as there's a beat in my darkened heart.

Hell would have to freeze over before you take what's mine from me, every pig in the damn world would have to sprout wings and fly around before you get the chance to raise my SCW World Heavyweight championship belt above your head and claim it as your own. Zombie's would have to walk the face of the earth and eat innocent flesh before I will ever lay down for you.

Think I'm determined much?

Fuck yeah I am. Wanna know why Andrew? Because you coast. You come here and just do enough, you do nothing more than that and you think you would be a worthy champion, you think you coasting through SCW makes you the man to lead a company I have spent years building?

Not a chance...

I refuse to let you rip at the seams of something I have spent time building, I refuse to let you pull it down with your bare hands by being a half arsed leader of SCW, I refuse to let you take something I molded and stomp all over it because that is exactly what you will do as SCW World Heavyweight champion. You will take a sledgehammer to all I've done to put SCW on the map, and everyone who buys a ticket, orders the show, or illegally streams or downloads the show, will be my witnesses as I defend my castle, from ego's and rejects.

I will defend to my dying breath to keep my title Andrew, and keep it I shall, because I will be leaving my heart, soul, blood, sweat and tears in that ring on Sunday night, but I will be walking away with my title.

How do you feel now Andrew? Knowing you've lit this fire in me to stop you from realizing your dream and going through with what you feel is your destiny, that you feel is your fate.

I will stop you, cause even fate can be a crock of shit sometimes.

I've got nothing really left to say to you Andrew, nothing at all, the rest of my talking will be done in the ring at Mayhem in Morocco.

May God have mercy on your soul Andrew Watts...

Cause I will not....

 Lake Baneasa, Bucharest, Romania.

The midday sun shines down on to Lake Baneasa, as I sit on it's banks. My eyes dart around at the life around me, everyone from families of four to couples walk past behind me as I glare on to the water. My jeans rest easy on the grass below me, but a cooling breeze forces me to pull my leather jacket tighter around me.

"I thought I might find you here." Synn's voice says behind me.

My head spins around, looking towards Synn as he approaches me with Despayre holding Angel in his hand. Despayre is oddly wearing a string of garlic around his neck.

"Why?" I ask.

"You're oddly drawn to water." Synn informs me. "You're an element man, and I don't see any tire fires here, so thought I'd find you here."

I turn away from Synn, my eyes glancing back on to the water as Synn takes a seat next to me as Despayre moves towards the waters edge.

"Why is he wearing garlic around his neck?" I ask Synn "I mean I know he's got his own sense of fashion but that takes the piss"

Synn shrugs his shoulders, rolling them backwards.

"I'm not completely sure." Synn starts "But I'd hazard a guess that it has something to do with our location."

"A park?" I dryly say to Synn.

"Romania" Synn replies "Since it was announced that we was coming here, Joshua has been talking about it's history and mostly, it's history with vampires."

"Vampires?" I ask curiously

"Yes, Romania is the home of Transylvania." Synn tells me

"Does he know that vampires aren't exactly..." I trail off "Real."

A wry smile crosses Synn's face as he looks at me with eyes dancing with life and menace.

"Didn't you say that about the Loch Ness Monster and Godzilla?" He asks me with a grin.

"Yeah..." I start "But vampires? Is he looking for the fangs and demonic eyes ones or is he looking for the ones that are covered in glitter?"

"Pft!" Despayre says from the waters edge "Everyone knows those glittery ones aren't real."

Despayre looks back to the water, causing a smile from me.

"Well you're right on that one Despy." I comment.

"So what brought you out here, Gabriel?" Synn asks.

"A way to clear my head, a way to think." I tell Synn "I have so much coming up in the next few months, what with O, taking on Sean Jackson, a match with that fool Andrew Watts, should I get past Jackson."

"Stop right there." Synn tells me with a raised hand "Should you get past Jackson?"

"You know what I mean." I state "I will get past Jackson, there's no doubt in my mind about that, was a figure of speech about him. I just have a lot going on, and needed a way to clear my mind, make plans for how to deal with this. You know me, I never leave a stone unturned."

Synn slowly nods his head, shading his eyes from the sun.

"And what have you come up with?" He asks

"It's fairly simple. It's obvious that Watts is gonna be there this week to try and look like he's worthy of my title, to try and sell himself on people so he doesn't look like the joke that he is. He'll be watching every move that I make" I say casually "So to me, it's about putting on a show, getting in to his tiny little mind to show him that if he thinks I'm gonna be just another number on his record, then he has already lost this match before he even gets in to a ring with me."

"So your plan is to put on a show?" Synn says with a raised eyebrow.

"I know, I know" I comment "But more of a show than usual. More of what I can and will do. Watts takes everyone lightly, it's in his nature to do that but it's time to open his eyes and let him see who and what he is dealing with. He feels he's dealing with just another opponent, but the things I can do is like no other and he needs to see this as soon as possible. this puts Sean Jackson in a very bad place."

"He's been in a bad place since you took his title." Synn says matter of factly.

"Yes, but on Sunday, it means that he's in an even more bad place." I start "Sean Jackson is a thing of the past, a man who knows stepping in to this, is his last chance, he knows if he blows it, and he will, he will be in limbo. He will have to find someone else to annoy to try and regain his former glory and that will weigh on his mind, that will play games with his head, he's gonna slip up and he knows it, but I'm gonna show him how much better I am than he is and plant that seed in Watts' head that there's also a difference in class between us."

A thoughtful look crosses Synn's face.

"I don't think you need to worry too much." Synn thoughtfully says "Jackson knows he's coming in to this with no chance."

I nod firmly in agreement, my eyes focused on the water in front of me.

"I know that I got this." I say to Synn "After all, I am the master of the impossible..."

I stand up, moving closer to the water and crouching down over the water. I turn my head back towards Synn.

"You've seen it a million times." I start "Proving the impossible by walking on water. Jesus did it and many people have replicated it over and over and over. I've done it but it no longer falls under the impossible, it no longer pushes boundaries, but this..."

I turn back to face the water, my eyes focused on the liquid as I slowly move both my hands flat over the waters surface. I look down with narrowed eyes as the water starts to bubble. A crowd begins to gather round as Synn rises to his feet and Despayre joins him by standing next to Synn, watching my every action. The water starts to boil all over the lake, causing people to turn and stare at the water from all angles of the lake. A smile crosses my face as the crowd watch on in awe and the water begins to boil faster, more bubbles breaking the surface.

"Ummm, tea anyone?" Despayre says innocently

I turn to Despayre with a smile and look back to the middle of the lake as the water starts to bubble more intensely, jumping up in the air in small bursts. From out of nowhere, a huge burst of water in the middle of the lake, followed by a second one, much higher, the water turning in a tornado fashion. Gasps of shock and surprise from the crowd force a smile across my lips.

"The best is yet to come." I mutter to myself

I focus my eyes on the water, before closing them, my hands shaking above the water surface. Droplets of ice starts to fall from my finger tips and in to the water below. The water below my hands starts to harden, before spreading across the lake, a layer of ice creeping towards the tornado in the middle of the lake. Ice start to surround the tornado water from every side of the lake, reaching the base. More sounds of shock and awe is heard around the lake and video phones film the spectacular and unbelievable event. The water starts to freeze the base of the tornado, moving its way to the top, the whole thing now covered and the tornado in to a solid block of ice. I turn to look at Synn.

"Yeah, magic man here still got it." I say to Synn.

I step on to the solid ice, turning towards Synn once more.

"Now that was impossible." I start "Beating Sean Jackson and then on to Andrew Watts is not."

I step off the ice and past Synn, but Despayre calls after me.

"Shouldn't you turn this back to normal?" He says pointing to the lake.

"You do it." I tell Despayre. "Just tap the ice."

I smile and start to walk away as Despayre hovers his hand over the ice. He taps down on the ice, causing it to turn from solid ice to water once more, the ice tornado dropping down in to the middle of the lake once more. Despayre nods with a smile on his face and turns to Angel in his other hand.

"I don't know my own strength sometimes!" He tells Angel.

The scene fades out to black

---

All good things come to an end...

Sadly for some they do. Now I know you can sit there and the brighter quick witted of you people listening can sit there and snigger "Yeah, your title run is coming to an end", but that is not what I'm talking about so back to your mother's basements for you. I'm talking about a certain Mr Jackson's aspirations of holding my title.

You know this is your last chance saloon, right Sean? You know this is your last shot at taking this title from me, deep down, you know it is. Well cowboy, it's not gonna go too well for you in this ol' saloon.

It's finally happening though, it's finally here and set to happen, it's finally come round to where I get to face you one on one. It's time to bury the myths that sit in your head and stop you from having to listen to that voice in your head trying to justify why you don't have my title anymore. It's time to face up to who you really are in your soul and see the simple truth that everyone else has been looking at for a long, long time and that is that you're simply not worthy of holding the World Heavyweight championship anymore. Everyone has seen it for a long time and there's been so many laughing at you behind your back, giggling away and wondering just how strong that moonshine is that you've been drinking because they all know that everything coming out of your mouth is simply words of a desperate man.

Desperate being the right word.

Desperate to convince yourself that you're not a bad wrestler, desperate to convince yourself that you deserve to be where you are, desperate to show that you are worthy of holding the top title but the sad fact is, is that no one else believes in you because everyone else already knows that the gold is with the right man, everyone knows that you  have nothing but hot air anymore.

This is why I had absolutely no issues in telling Christian Underwood to sign this match up and I know Christian has put the odds back in your favor to give you a fighting chance by making me have to beat you not once, but twice in the same match. I know somewhere in his little mind that you might sneak two lucky wins against me, but the thing is I don't intend on letting you pull off one little win on me.

Everyone knows how these things go, usually, and by law of averages, we should both win one and set up the grand finale where it can go either way but that is where I like to buckle trends. I've never been a traditionalist, so I'm going for two straight pins here Sean, not one but two straights wins. There's not a chance in hell I'm gonna let you put my shoulder to the mat and even give yourself the dignity of pinning me. I will not be selling myself short here and making someone not worthy of pinning me, having the opportunity to do so.

I've listened to you for months talk about how you're the better man, yet you've done nothing to actually prove it, you've done nothing to show it. It's been excuse after excuse, after excuse, after excuse. Nothing of anything else. You accuse Drake Green and Drexel Matheson of laying down and letting me take the wins, but you have no proof any of that ever happened, this is why people look at you and can no longer take you seriously. When you said you was gonna end Drake Green with a knee to the head, you did just that and people looked at you and started to believe you was a man of your word, people had no choice but to take you seriously. When you started to come up with this whole theory, telling people that I somehow influenced people to give up a shot at the title that everyone wants, people looked at you in a completely different light, people looked at you and asked why?

Why Sean, Why?

Why are you hell bent on embarrassing yourself? Why are you hell bent on making yourself look stupid? Why are you hell bent on ruining every piece of credibility you've ever built up in your career? People were sad, people were shaking their heads, people were wondering if the mental rapist himself, was losing the ability to play with other peoples minds. Maybe the years of trying has reversed and now the only person who's head you can get in is your own and that simply isn't good enough.

You've become a train wreck, people don't wanna look at the train about to fall off the track, but they just can't turn away and these bullshit accusations have turned you in to that. You're a walking, talking, living, breathing disaster that people feel guilty about watching, but they just can't turn their heads away from you. It's not a good thing, they're not watching for entertainment, they're watching to see what mistakes you're about to make next. This is the issue Sean, This is the problem, where you are making mistake after mistake, but somewhere in your head, you're trying to justify it, you're trying to make it look good, but the problem is the rest of the world see that you're just a fool to yourself.

You've taken away the fear factor and your very own aura around yourself.

People used to see their name against yours on the card and instantly look past your flaws as a wrestler and think "God damn, this man could end me with that knee!" but they don't anymore. They sit there and just simply think "meh". They simply think that it's another night at work where they can walk away with a win over someone who used to be a talent, someone who used to be worth something in this business. People no longer fear stepping in to the ring with someone who has headlined shows all over the world and looked good doing it, people sit there and know they could ad the high profile name of Sean Jackson to their win list. There's only one person to blame for this...

You!

You took away the fear with your bullshit excuses, you took away your own seriousness by claiming things with no proof to back it up. Ever since I took the title back to where it belonged, you have sat there sabotaging your own career, your own character. Awwww Sean, did me beating you mentally and physically send you in to a twisted tailspin where you couldn't stand the fact that I made you look bad, so you had to make yourself look bad.

That's it, isn't it Sean?

You couldn't live with the fact that I out classed you in every sense of the word and made you look bad, that you had to try and one up me by making yourself look bad. Your little ego wouldn't let someone make you look bad, so ya had to try and do it to yourself to make yourself look bad.

Nice try, but a swing and a miss

Look at the root of it all Sean. Look down at where it all started. You had Sean Jackson in the ring, big time champion, you had Drake Green, Mr Popularity in there and you had me, the underdog, the man who no one expected to win, to walk away with the championship and against all odds... Yes Sean, that is another song by your favorite singer Phil Collins... the plucky little underdog, con artist, magic man, walked away with the title. That had to burn, right? Watching the man who no one gave a chance to, walk away with the gold. The truth is, I've been making you look bad since that day and I will continue to make you look bad at every chance I get. Honestly, take a day off from making yourself look bad, I'll do it for you Sean. I've done it before and no matter how much you convince yourself that you're doing it yourself, it's all about me doing it to you.

Don't worry about punishing yourself anymore Sean, cause I'm about to do that for you because I'm about to take away your last chance of holding the top title, I'm taking away your chance of defeating me, I'm gonna take away your pride, I'm gonna take away your passion, I'm gonna take away everything you thought you had.

So welcome to the last chance saloon, your first shot is on me, but ironically, that will be your first, and last shot you ever have.

Time for talk is over Sean, it's time to face reality and that reality is that on Sunday, your hopes and dreams come to a grinding halt. Start thinking of your next excuse Sean, cause you're gonna need it after I show you that all you believe, is all in your head only.

May God have mercy on your soul Sean Jackson....

Cause I will not!

 It's the not knowing that kills you...

Not knowing what's going on, not knowing what is happening behind closed doors, not knowing what you really should know. Not being told what's really going on in the minds of others.

It happens more than you know. Every damn day, millions of people withhold information, it doesn't matter how close they are. It makes you wanna scream, it makes you wanna grab them and shake them, but in hindsight, it doesn't really matter most of the time, it shows people's true colours, it shows they're not as snow white as they want you to believe, but when it's up most important, a real matter of life and death, that's when the game changes.

---

Desert Springs Medical center, Nevada.

"I know O." My voice is heard saying "I will get back to you as soon as I can, but you know."

I sigh as I lean against a wall in the hospital, my phone pressed against my ear, my face drawn, my eyes tired as I breathe deep.

"I know Mel is doing a good job fussing over you while I'm here, but still..." I trail off "I know you'd be here if you could but you know you can't fly at this point, it's just not safe right now."

I pause as I listen to my wife at the other end of the line.

"I don't know." I answer "The doctors are telling us shit right now. For all this healthcare shit that Synn pays for, it doesn't make their lips any looser. We're all just sitting around scratching our arses until someone can be bothered to get off their's and come and tell us something."

I pause once more, yawning deeply.

"We're all here." I say down the phone "But no one is saying a hell of a lot. It's one of the worst feelings in the world not knowing if someone is safe or not."

I run my fingers through my hair with my free hand.

"Nah, I'm just tired O." I comment "But I'll be alright. Yeah, I gotta go. I'll be back with you as soon as I can."

I pause for a second.

"I love you too." I say "Thank Mel again for looking after ya while I'm here.... yeah, ok, bye."

I press a button on my phone, ending the call to my wife as I look around at the life around me. Doctors, nurses, other medical professionals move past me at pace, yet feeling like slow motion to my tired eyes, and my mind racing at a million miles an hour. A burly hand rests upon my shoulder, snapping my attention to my right, where I see Synn standing next to me, in his free hand, a cup of coffee. He holds the coffee in front of me.

"You look tired Gabriel" Synn informs me.

My eyes meet his as I hold back a yawn.

"Stating the obvious there." I say "Tired is an understatement."

Synn hands me the cup of coffee, the heat burning through the plastic container.

"Why don't you go home and rest?" He says "You've had it worst than most here, what with looking after your pregnant wife, being heavily involved in work, pressures of a champion and everyone wanting to be near you."

"I'm ok." I lied "Besides, we're standing in a cardiac unit here, where people could be minutes from bad shit happening and changing the lives of so many around them. I think when you look at that bigger picture, lack of sleep is the last of my worries here."

Synn nods with an understanding look on his face.

"You look worse than I do anyway." I tell him.

Synn roll his shoulders back, the strain of the last few days telling on his face.

"Yes, more than likely" Synn replies emotionless "Did you talk to Odette?"

"Yep" I say with a firm nod "She really wants to be here but she's at that part of pregnancy stops her from flying, but she's gonna call all the time, if only to escape Melody for a while."

A smile crosses Synn's face.

"Melody does seem like the fussing type." Synn says, his wide smile slowly fading.

"She is." I reply "But she's doing me a big favor to the point I might have to let her drive the Veyron as a thank you."

A yawn passes my lips, air escaping firmly from my lungs.

"Anyway, any news?" I ask, pointing to the door with my head.

Synn shakes his head firmly.

"Still nothing." He says with a monotone to his voice.

I raise the hot coffee to my lips, taking a sip of the dark liquid.

"Maybe we should get back to the waiting room" I say to Synn.

"Probably a good idea" Synn agrees "We don't really want to be leaving Joshua there without us around too much longer. Who knows what he might get up to."

"Probably dress up as a surgeon and do some very odd things, like try and turn someone from human to teddy bear." I reply "Although part of me would like to see that."

Synn tilts his head, processing the thought.

"We should really get back." He says as he turns on his heels.

I follow Synn down the hallway, reaching a door on my right hand side. Synn reaches down at the silver handle and forces it down, opening the door, and causing five sets of eyes to look in our direction. I follow Synn in to the room as Despayre, Shane Boswell, Fantasia, Kittie and Rage look in our direction, distracting them from what they were doing. Despayre looks up from the floor, Angel in front of him in full doctors attire, Fantasia lowers a fashion magazine, Shane looks up from his phone and Rage turns from looking out of a window, to a half full car park below and Kittie turns from looking at Despayre. I move amongst them, sitting down in the small, yet secluded room. Rage walks away from the window, sitting opposite me.

"Nice to see you again Rage." I mumble.

Rage looks at me through narrowed eyes.

"What?" He starts "No peanut head jokes after all this time?"

I roll my shoulders backwards before shrugging them at the man I haven't seen for a long, long time.

"Man, I spent most of the week awake, maybe two hours sleep a night if that. I have to jump through hoops to lead SCW, spending my time around people I really don't want to. I do all that's asked of me constantly, and now with all this." I rant "I'm thinking talking about your odd, misshaped, peanut impersonating head isn't really high on my list.... oh wait..."

I fake a smile towards Rage and turn my head away from Rage.

"You went through that entire rant just to mention my head..." he growls.

"It's not always just about the finish Rage." I start "It's mostly about the build up."

"You haven't changed magic man." Rage tells me.

"Neither have you." I reply "You've been wearing those same clothes for the last three years. Seriously, have a chat with the Mean Girls, and maybe they can make you more stylish."

Rage clenches his jaw as the others in the room smile at the never ending pissing contest I've had with Rage for years..

"It's like you two were never apart." Synn comments.

"I'd like to spend more time apart." Rage mutters under his breath.

"That wouldn't work anyway." Despayre adds.

The room turns to look at Despayre, sitting on the floor and looking at Angel, his attention never leaving the stuffed bear on the floor.

"What wouldn't work Despy?" I ask him.

Despayre breaks the stare from his furry friend and looks at me.

"Well, not even the Mean Girls could make uncle Rage fashionable." He says with a serious look on his face "I mean they're good, but they're not THAT good."

A wide smile crosses my face as Despayre turns his attention back towards Angel. Rage shakes his head slowly and firmly, his face turning a more of a red shade.

"I really haven't missed you guys" He forces out between gritted teeth.

"Lies!" Despayre says as he keeps his attention on Angel "Angel says you call him every single night before bed so he can read you a bedtime story!"

A chuckle of laughter rolls around the room as Rage angrily stands up.

"Bullshit!" He yells out.

"Swear jar" Despayre say, firing a hand out towards Rage without looking at him.

Rage reaches in to his pocket, pulling out a crumpled note and throwing it towards Despayre. Despayre pats his hand around the floor, finding the note and pulling it towards him. The laughter dies down in the room and my eyes look around at the worn looking faces around, each looking more tired than they should be. A somber mood fills the room as the realization of the setting kicks in. I stand up, slowly pacing up and down in the room.

"Why the hell haven't they told us anything?" I ask the room, speaking to no one in particular.

The other five look around the room at each other, no one really knowing the answer, each a little lost in their own thoughts.

"Anyone?" I ask.

Synn looks in my direction, lifting his head from his hands.

"I don't know." He says

"Can't we send peanut head to start chokeslamming doctors until someone tells us something." I comment "That's if he remembers how to do a chokeslam."

Rage snaps his head towards me.

"Of course I remember how to chokeslam!" He says firmly "And I don't say this at all, but that's the best idea magic man has come up with ever."

Synn presses his hands together, as if he's thinking about the proposal.

"No..." he slowly says "We run the risk of getting banned from here, and Rage getting arrested."

"And having a prison reunion with his butt buddy called Bubba." I quickly comment.

"Who's Bubba?" Despayre asks innocently.

"Rage's friend." I say with a grin.

"I don't know anyone called Bubba!" Rage protests "No one at all called Bubba! Magic man, one day I'm gonna kill you."

"To be reunited with Bubba." I quickly fire back.

"Shut the fu..." Rage looks towards Despayre, his hand already out to take another swear jar donation. "Just shut up!"

Part of me has missed Rage and the relationship that we have, where we annoy the hell out of each other.... the other part of me is sober

"We just can't sit around doing nothing." I say, getting back on the subject. "We're all sitting around here doing nothing at all, no one is telling us a damn thing, no one has had the decency to even let us know anything, that she's ok, or what happened."

"There's still nothing we can do." Synn says standing up "All we can do is be patient and wait to see what happens."

"Yeah" I start "We'll see about that."

My eyes narrow as Synn sits down, covering his face with his huge hands and rubbing his tired eyes. I look down at Despayre on the floor, just sitting with Angel. I look around the room, looking at everyone lost in their own little world. A slight smile crosses my face as I take a seat next to Despayre, his attention shifting towards me with a turn of his head.

"This sucks Despy." I start

Despayre nods in agreement.

"It sucks more than Dad trying to play Just Dance." Despayre replies "His feet are just too big to have rhythm to dance but he won't listen"

I can't help but smile at the innocent man I look on as a little brother.

"I'm getting tired of waiting Despy." I start "I think we need to somehow get in and see Theresa to make sure she's ok."

"But they won't let us in." Despayre says with a hint of sadness in his voice "Angel tried, that's why he's dressed like a doctor, but he just couldn't do it. Now if Angel can't do it, neither can we."

I rub my chin as I look down at Angel and back at Despayre.

"What if..." I start.

I move my head closer to Despayre's ear and start to whisper in his ear. Despayre nods slowly. before turning back to me.

"Can we use fireworks?" He asks "Or get big ropes, tie them to the roof, climb down the wall and crash through the window?"

"Not a bad idea." I start "But the noise would get us busted right away."

"You have a point." Despayre says "Ok, let's try it your way, but if that doesn't work, ropes and firework, ok?"

"Deal!" I say putting my hand out.

Despayre reaches out, shaking my hand firmly. Despayre and I start to start, Despayre grabbing Angel and lifting him up.

"Where are you two off to?" Synn asks without moving his hands away from his eyes.

"Coffee." I reply.

"I thought we was going to..." Despayre starts.

Before he can finish, I quickly elbow him in the arm, raising a finger to my lips as I look at him. Despayre opens his mouth widely and nods at me, also winking his eye.

"Yeah! Yeah! Coffee!" He says excitedly.

Synn lifts his head up, looking towards us both standing with innocent looks on our faces. Synn stares hard at us both, his eyebrows lowered.

"I know when you two are up to something." Synn slowly says.

"No you don't." Despayre starts "We've done lots of stuff that you've never even heard about!"

"Smooth Despy." I start "Real smooth."

A look of pride and smugness crosses my little brothers face as I run my hand over my forehead, slowly shaking it. Synn stands up, putting a finger up towards us, but the door opens, taking his attention. A man in a white lab coat walks in the room, instantly grabbing the attention of everyone in the room.

"I'm looking for a Mr..." The doctor pauses as he looks for the last name "Synn."

I point towards Synn and the doctor nods in my direction. I take hold on Despayre by the arm, moving him towards the door.  

"As soon as we hear what he has to say, we make a break for it." I tell Despayre.

Despayre nods in agreement, and we focus on the doctor...

Sooooo, what did the doctor have to say about Theresa? What are Despy and I about to do? Does anyone really miss Rage? Well the first two questions will be answered at least, but now you have to wait...

Yes, I know, I'm a right bastard for making you wait but all you have to do is wait for Despayre's promo to hit the airways and those first two questions will be answered. The third question, we all secretly know the answer to anyway. Sorry peanut head...

---

Hell exists...

Trust me, I've been living there for the last couple of weeks. It has really not been the best time in my life lately, regardless of my pregnant wife gonna make me a dad in a couple of months, and regardless of the fact that I am the SCW World Heavyweight champion, other things have well and truly took a turn for the worst.

But it's time to break those shackles and get out of this slump.

I can't stop the fact that a very close friend has had a heart attack, but I sure as hell can put right what has already gone wrong lately. That being you Matheson...

I guess this one was a bit of a shock to me, Sinful Obsession losing a long standing record because of this Matheson character, who seemed to appear out of nowhere and invited himself to the party. I was respectful to this man at first, I mean anyone who can snap that record deserves credit, but then last week happened. Last week just... well... It happened, it just happened. Respect is one thing but being an unwanted guest at a party does get to me.

So well done Matheson, you've turned up with a bottle of cheap booze, and tried to act like you was invited to this dance.

You wasn't.

You beat me, I give you that but did you really beat Sean Jackson, or did I do that for you? As much as this pains me, Jackson had you beat, but I gave you the win. Not because I liked you Matheson, but because I hated you a lot less than I hated Jackson. This is how you repay me for giving you the second biggest win of your career? You gate crashed my party.

Big mistake.

You're a bit out of your league here. It's all fun and games when you get in the ring with people who are better than you, with nothing on the line. It's all a laugh and joke when you have nothing to lose, but when there's something there on the line, that person better than you becomes a little more dangerous, he becomes a little more focused. You inviting yourself to this party, you now have two men looking for a touch of revenge on a man who lucked out, and one of those men is looking to do anything possible to defend what he worked hard to earn. Surely you can see the challenge that you're facing is more than too much for you. You putting your name on that contract has put you in this position. That little rush of blood to your head has put you in a bad place. You're facing a losing battle Matheson so now you need to sit there and look in that mirror, tap the side of your head with one finger and ask yourself that question, that one big question that you should have asked yourself before taking that pen and scribbling your chicken scratch all over that contract...

... Is it worth it?

Well is it? Is it worth putting yourself in this position to only end up as the loser of this one? Was it worth it to be in the position you've now put yourself in? This is what you really need to think about Matheson, because when people gatecrash, when people turn up where they're not wanted, it's not an epic night out with lots of pics all over social media, it's a night out you wanna forget. This is gonna be you Matheson.

You will be the drunk slut at the party...

The waking up with a head full of regrets, wondering what happened, wondering why you went to that place. Your walk away from that ring, will be your very own personal walk of shame. It's where every single regret will come back and hit you hard, it's where you will realize that this party wasn't in your honor, very far from it.

So, is it worth it?

The fact you've put yourself here Matheson should show you didn't do it on merit alone, you had to steal a contract, you had to take it from the man I wanted to destroy one on one to end his little conspiracy claims that I was involved in a plot with Drake Green to take his belt, but you had to try and piss on my cornflakes.

But here's the thing Matheson

You can put yourself on that plate, but you're not the main course to me, your not even a side dish. You're the garnish that people throw away. You make things look a little more interesting but that's all it is. You add absolutely nothing to the dish. This is exactly what you are, that little sprig of green shit that adds a bit of colour to things but overall, you're tasteless, pointless and will get pushed aside and eventually tossed in the trash, just where you belong.

This is not the start of the Matheson story.

Far from it. You don't have a lead role in this drama Matheson, you're like that side character that appears mid way through season three, that no one likes at first, then people get on the bandwagon, just to try and be different, then they're killed off in the finale, and by season four starts, no one even remembers their name. That's pretty much what you are, a forgettable character to most. After this show, you'll be back where you belong, trying to get over to the fans by using trash cans and bleeding all over the place. That's about your level, not mixing it with the big boys like me. Anyone can pick up a weapon to smash someone with, that's not an art form, people do that in bars up and down the country every damn day and night, it's nothing out of the ordinary.

What makes you better than anyone else who can swing a bottle?

Nothing, because you're not better. You're a weapon wielding one trick pony. There's no style to swinging something solid, it just shows that you have doubt in your own ability so you have to go for something tougher than you.

Feel free to mention that I swung a weapon at Sean Jackson last Sunday...

But me swinging a weapon once, compared to you being paid to swing them. No creativity, no talent, just a guy who can hit someone really hard with something other than a body part. What you do Matheson, anyone can do. That little dwarf thing of Hot Stuff's can hit someone with a weapon, a small weapon, but she can do that, does that mean she should be in this match too?

Hardcore is dead, wrestling is for the talented Matheson, this is why you will be exposed when you face more determined wrestlers.

I am more determined than when we last met. Maybe I underestimated you slightly, but that's a mistake that will not be repeated now or in the future. It's a mistake I will make up for being guilty of letting you slip past me that one time. I will be more focused than I ever have been. You will regret ever putting your name on that contract. You should have been sitting in the back watching this one. I will make you wish that you was, Matheson.

I'm now bored of talking about the garnish, I might as well talk about the main course.

Hello Sean, I hope life finds you well and that your arse is less sore now your wife's hand is out of it and you've been liberated from being a puppet.

Part of me thinks I owe you an apology for my actions last week concerning the lovely Pamela, but there's that part of me that sits there and thinks fuck you Sean, you and her got what you both deserved. The question is, what part of me do I listen to. I think I got it... no wait, now I got it.

Fuck you Sean!

Yeah, I made the right choice there. This is what happens when you spend weeks dicking around without giving me an answer. This is what happens when you think you can play mind games to get at me. You force me to lift things up to a higher level and that is not good news for you as you worked out when I had your wife screaming for me last Sunday. That worked on so many levels all because you put her in that place. You put her in danger and I made her scream more than you ever could Sean.

It's amazing how karma works, isn't it?

I mean she started off controlling you enough for you to agree to dick around with me, playing mind games, trying to live up to your name, unknowing the position she would end up in. You should have stopped that Sean. I mean look at me for fucks sake, look at what I've done in the past. A year ago, I was fucking with Steve Ramone, kidnapped and reprogrammed his family, psychologically ripped his family to shreds.

What did you really expect from a man who had done that in the past?

You dropped the ball with me Sean, you should have remembered those days and remembered what I could do and tell Pamela no, you'll just accept or decline my challenge cause I don't play nice when people piss me off, but not you. You decided to agree with her and play these little games instead of sensing the danger and seeing this coming. You're a truly awful husband not to be able to see this and protect your wife from all of this. You put her in my firing line and that is something you shouldn't be able to forget because it's your fault that she's not in the best of shape anymore. It's your damn fault she even made her way backstage at an SCW show let alone put her on television, in the ring, it's your fault Sean.

How can you even call yourself a man anymore?

You forced my hand Sean and I did what I had to do, I had to put these silly little Sean Jackson words to rest. You thought I was an easy touch but Sean, you now know I'm no easy touch, I'm not a paper champion, I'm not a transitional champion, I'm here to hold this belt and show you exactly what I can do, I'm here to show you that I'm gonna be the best champion there has ever been. This isn't about a pissing contest Sean, this is about me shutting you up once and for all, this is me showing you that your words are pointless. Anything you've ever accused me off in the last two months, will be buried at Blaze of Glory IV.

Buried and forever laid to rest.

Maybe in the future Sean, you should pick your words and actions a whole lot more carefully because I've shown you just what I can do. I've shown you I'm limitless, especially when you yourself started it.

Remember that?

The same show I kicked your arse on and took your title on. You mocked my wife, you mocked my family. Anything you can do Sean, I can do a level above. I've been waiting patiently since that moment Sean, when I watched your stomach turning, head shaking attempt at mocking my family. I knew at that point that someday, I will show you how it should have been done. Why mock with sigh inducing comedy when you can go get yours hands dirty. I did just that by putting my hands on your wife, and trust me, touching that thing, took me a long time to scrub the filth off my hands.

Whatever you think you can do, I can do better.

You think you can spend weeks playing games, good for you, hope that was fun for you, but I bettered it in one night. I bettered it with one move and poor little Sean Jackson had to sit there and think about all the time he's wasted trying to get in my head.

Don't try that in the future, you now know you won't like what you see.

You've tried to be in my head, you must have seen the way this one is gonna go Sean. You know that this is gonna be an easy win for me. I'm not the same guy I was when Matheson carried you to victory. I'm now sharper, I'm now stronger and I'm gonna make you feel something you've never felt before from your pedestal you placed yourself on many years ago.

I'm gonna make you feel proud.

Not proud of yourself, but proud to be in a match with me, the man who will die for the cause of being the SCW World Heavyweight champion. I am gonna make this a match that will be remembered for the decades, and you will feel proud to have been involved, even if you will end up on the losing streak.

You will be falling faster than Madonna at the Brit Awards....

....English people will get that one, but it's true. Your reputation will fall, your image will fall, you will melt away in my shadow. There's nothing at all you can do about that Sean. It's simply the way it's gonna go.

Don't fight it, it will only make it much more painful for you.

Just accept it Sean, just do what your wife does and take it like a man.

Am I getting through to the pair of you yet? Is it sinking in that you're both in a match you simply can not win, you're both in a match where you have no chance at all? The sooner you accept it, the less painful it will be. Start to nod and accept, get yourself prepared for disappointment, make yourself learn now that this is a game you just can't win. This is a game you never could from the start.

You've been played and it's time for this winner to collect his just rewards.

Matheson, Jackson, you two truly have a less than zero chance of winning this game, to the victor goes the spoils, and I will enjoy each and every one of those spoils.

May God have mercy on your soul....

....Cause I will not!

 Home... ok, it's not exactly London, but it is England. A place where you can be cheered for being a bastard elsewhere, I love it

Birmingham, England, in 2015. Been a damn long time since my feet hit British soil. Been a long long time since I could say I was in a country with respect and decency. Million times better than America. I don't have to like you America but I will continue to take your money.

Thank fuck I don't have to wrestle for those overweight slobs for a while. Time to be a hero in front of my own fans.

---

"So cold." Odette whispers as she stands next to me.

My eyes look down on my pregnant wife as she stands in the streets of Birmingham. A cold drizzle of rains mists the air, resting gently on her fur coat, and matching grey fur hat. Her soft eyes look up at me as I put my leather jacket clad arm around her shoulder, looking around the street, lit up by dim street lights. I move closer to Odette as we walk slowly down the street.

"Say the woman who insisted we buy a house in Sweden" I casually say, a slight laugh in my tone.

Odette tilts her head as she looks up at me.

"Because Sweden is pretty." She replies "This is just miserable."

I nod in slight agreement.

"Yeah" I state "Miserable as all hell, but you know, for some reason, some genius in the SCW offices thought it would be a wise idea to have me do this stupid arse "audience with..." crap, for people just to draw some attention to their show. Like they need to draw attention to it. I'm in the main event, in a country that loves me, that's attention enough."

As Odette and I continue to walk the grey paving slabs below my feet, a young woman and child approaches us, a young boy.

"Mummy!" The boy shouts in excitement "It's Gabriel and Odette!"

I raise my hand with a wave to the child as he looks up towards Odette and myself.

"Don't point David." The mother tells the child. "It's rude."

"It's all good." I reply "Hello David."

The child's eyes light up at the mere mention of his name.

"He knows my name!" David says as he tugs on his mothers long, woolen jacket.

Odette can't help but smile, her mothering instincts forcing her to run her hand over her stomach, feeling her ever growing baby bump. Shyly, David looks back towards us.

"You are so gonna be the champion on Sunday." He tells me, his eyes smiling from his cheekbones.

"I am." I tell him as I bend down, dropping to one knee "Cause I'm gonna do it for every single person that supports me in this country. I'm gonna do it for every single person that doesn't like Sean Jackson as champion, I'm gonna do it cause I don't like Drake Green."

I ruffle the young boys hair as I stand up, putting myself on a vertical base

"Would you mind if I took a picture" The mother asks us.

"Be my guest." I reply as she pulls out her phone.

I bend down again next to the boy as Odette crouches to the other side of him. The mother holds the phone up and quickly takes the picture of us as we smile. I straighten up and look in the mothers eyes.

"Mind if I see that?" I ask the mother.

The woman steps closer, showing me the picture she has just taken of us.

"That's a good picture" I say with a nod "Would look great autographed."

The woman looks at me curiously.

"May I?" I ask with my hand out, beckoning for the phone.

The woman slowly puts her hand out handing me the phone.

"Now this is something you won't see every day." I tell her "Keep your eyes closely on the phone."

I hold the phone flat on my left palm, face down, covering the picture just taken. The mother looks at me and back to the phone as I trace my fingers across the top of it. I press my palm down on the phone, and squeezes it, slowly running my hand in a circle motion. I lift my left hand to show the phone has disappeared and replaces with just a small square of white paper. I take the paper and start to unfold it in to an A4 sized blank page. I turn it over to show a fully laminated photograph, the exact same photograph just taken on the phone. I reach in to my pocket and quickly pull out a pen, signing my name across it before handing it to Odette. She takes the pen from my fingers and signs her name across it before handing it to David.

"Wow!" He says surprised "Thank you."

"You're welcome" Odette says with a smile.

"Where's my..." the mother asks.

"I'd check your pocket if I was you." Odette tells her "It's where things usually end up."

As the woman puts her hand in her pocket, I nod towards Odette with a smile. The woman reaches in and pulls out her phone, looking down at it with surprise.

"We have to go." I tell them "But make sure you tune in to Inception on Sunday. You will see me become SCW Heavyweight champion."

I wrap my hand in Odette's gloved hand and we continue to walk past the mother and young David. Odette looks at me with curious eyes.

"You're much nicer here than you are in America." Odette inform me.

I can't help but smile at my wife's observation, as I look towards her.

"What's that meant to mean?" I ask.

"In America, you'd have just kept walking." Odette thoughtfully says.

"Ah, O." I start with a smile "This is different. In America, they cheer their kiss ass losers like Drake Green, just cause he has his tongue up their arses. They're uncultured where they get a kick out of watching reality shows, or gathering the family to make an obese child like Honey Boo Boo famous, but here, England, they appreciate hard work and honesty. They appreciate straight talk. These are my people O, these are the people who will cheer me when I win the SCW Heavyweight championship."

Odette looks at me, a smile crossing her Aussie lips.

"Someone sounds confident." She informs me.

"Someone is determined." I reply "Right, arse in gear to do this stupid 'Audience with SCW' bullshit."

The camera fades out from that cold Birmingham street to the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

---

The Rep... aka Birmingham Repertory Theatre, in Centenary Square, Birmingham. "An Audience with SCW" is well underway in the eight hundred and twenty five seat auditorium known as "The House".

Let me explain to you the concept of An Audience With... because so many of you have been brainwashed with shit reality shows, this one has probably passed you by. Basically, for the idiots who don't know, it's a one person show, where a person, usually a singer, would have a celebrity audience, who ask pre-arranged questions, then they'll get answered, the host will sing a little, eight million people will watch it on television and talk about it the next day.... simple enough for even the stupid people out there to understand.

Well welcome to an SCW one, non televised, lots of SCW stars being asked stuff by strangers, and the eight hundred or so people here piss off home later and tell their families how great I am... easy.

I stand behind the red curtain, holding my wife's hand as we stand and wait for my name to be called. I look at Odette, my hand on her stomach.

"You know this is a crock of shit, right?" I tell her.

"How so?" She replies to me.

"Well." I start "Any other company would do the smart thing. Take the English guy that's in the main event, send him to Sky Sports for an interview, send him to any decent television station, or radio station to promote the hell out of this shit. SCW stick me in a room with a bunch of brummies, no televised thing, just stick me in a room with these guys to answer a few questions or so and get the hell out of here. I don't need to see shit on these lot, they all bought the premium package tickets to get to see the show and this, they'll be at the event anyway on Sunday."

A kick hits my hand as I look at Odette with a wink.

"Even the baby agrees that this is a crock." I tell Odette.

Odette puts her hand on mine as the baby kicks once more, running her fingers along mine.

"Yeah." Odette says with a warm smile "The baby agrees, but from Sunday, you'll be leading this company, you will be the top guy. They're gonna ask you to do a lot more."

I big smile breaks out on my lips as I put my other hand on Odette's shoulder.

"Oh no baby." I reply with a low tone to my voice "You see that contract Despy conned me in to signing on behalf of Christian Underwood... well Despy got a few of his own things in there for me. If I'm not booked, I don't have to be there. In fact, the amount of holiday time he got me, I could basically turn up one show a month, defend the title, and disappear again. Like that overpaid jackass in another company."

"Who?" Odette asks

"That guy who couldn't decide if he wanted to wrestle, play American football or get involved in MMA" I say as I wink at the camera. "Simple thing is, is once I take that title on Sunday, I control SCW and my SCW future. I will have the power."

"Ladies and gentlemen." A muffled voice is heard saying from behind the red curtain "Please welcome to the stage.... GABRIEL!"

I kiss Odette on the forehead.

"That's my cue." I quickly say "I'll be back soon."

I take a deep breath as I turn to face the red curtain as Breed 77's "Zombie" starts to play. I step through the curtain to a surprising applause. I look around the wooden stage, seeing a tall leather chair, a table and a microphone, set on a stand. On the table sits a bottle of unopened water. I walk towards the chair, picking up the microphone from the stand in front of it as the music fades.

"I'm not used to a happy response like that." I say with a laugh.

I quickly clear my throat, looking around the rows of seats, not an empty seat in the entire place. I raise the microphone to my lips.

"Hello Birmingham." I start "There's no point telling you who I am, because I'm the guy you all obviously came to see."

I move towards the chair, sitting on the leather top and looking around the people in front of me, their eyes bright in anticipation.

"When I heard SCW was coming to England, I was excited as all hell." I start "It's been a hell of a long time since I got to wrestle over here and with SCW always trying to hit new places, go all over the world, I never thought I'd get a chance to be back here, but I am and I'm back to main event a show that sets the standard for every show we do this year. Englishman in the main event at a supercard, in England. Smart booking, no?"

A few of the crowd laugh.

"It's been a long time since I got a shot at the heavyweight championship, a long time." I comment as I run my free hand on my chin. "It's been a long time coming that I should take a shot at this thing. I've been in the ring with a lot of people since I returned just under a year ago and give or take some bad refereeing from Sean Jackson, I've beat everyone, so I can say I deserve to be where I am on Sunday and I've worked tirelessly to be there."

An unexpected round of applause cuts through the silent air as I look around.

"So there's been others out here before me." I start "So I'm guessing you're aware of the whole concept of this thing. You ask me questions till that little guy over there gives me a wave and I go backstage to my pregnant wife and get out of here."

I point to the side of the stage, where a man in a black suit jacket and wearing a big set of headphones, with built in mic is seen standing. I look back to the crowd.

"So question time. If you've been given pre-arranged questions, do me a favour and rip them up right now. I don't want any robotic stuff, you ask what you want." I say "Don't be shouting them out, just raise ya hand, I'll point, some guy will lift a big mic above your head, you talk, I'll answer and we all go home happy."

An arrogant smirk crosses my face as a sea of hands fire up in the air. I reach for the nearby water bottle, putting the mic on the table as I lift the bottle, screwing the cap off. I point to a woman in the front row as I take a gulp of water before replacing the bottle on the table and picking up the microphone again.

"Hi Gabriel." The mousy haired woman says. "Big fan"

"Isn't everyone?" I reply with a look of cockiness on my face.

The crowd laugh for a few seconds.

"My question is." The woman starts "although wrestling is more entertainment than realness, is there any legit hate backstage?"

"Well, do you get on with all your co-workers?" I ask.

The woman quickly shakes her head.

"It doesn't matter what line of work you're in, you'll never get on with all your co-workers." I start "And wrestling is a testosterone driven thing. It fuels the ego and makes some people think they're better than what they are, makes them think people are below them and yeah, it pisses people off. Some people use it in their work, some people go and moan, bitch and complain behind peoples back. I'm very up front with it all."

Hands quickly fire in the air and I point to a man half way back.

"Is there anyone you don't like?" He asks.

"Yeah, I can't stand Drake Green." I say without hesitation "In fact a lot of the stuff I've said about Drake Green recently, is one hundred percent true to how I feel. Drake Green is a scam artist, not a people person, he'll happily sit there and make you think that he cares about the fans but he does what he can to push himself up the card. If the fans didn't buy in to his hype, he would be opening matches against new people rather than main eventing at supercards. People backstage know I can not stand the man, so they keep us apart from each other."

More hands fly in to the air, and I point to a much older gentleman.

"What made you agree to this whole angle?" The man asks me.

"Because I think the reason Drake Green is sitting up there at the top is because no one is willing to step up and take his place, so the fans continue to focus on him" I reply "You look at SCW, we're an independent federation, those less loyal will follow the money. The people with real potential pack up and go as soon as they get popular. Drake might be a complete manipulative dick, and Sean Jackson might come across as one, but they're loyal. People who can take Drake's place disappear too easy, but I won't. I want everyone to see that once I take his spotlight, Drake will go back to where he deserves and that's why I did it. If this was a mid card thing, I wouldn't have wasted my time, but it's not so I can shun him from his undeserving spot."

More hands wave in the air and I point to a redheaded woman.

"You speak about loyalty." She starts "Is there anyone you can see in the dressing room that will stay loyal to SCW for life?"

I reach over to the water bottle, picking it up and taking a gulp, holding the microphone in my other hand while I consider my co-workers.

"I think Blaque Hart Bruce Evans bleeds SCW" I start "Very committed, very loyal, a proper SCW guy. In fact, if Blaque Hart beats Sean Jackson on ASW Showdown on Thursday, once I beat Sean Jackson on Sunday, I want Blaque Hart to be my first title defense. He would have earned his spot"

Hands in the air once more as I look around the audience. I point to a blonde woman.

"When you're done with wrestling, can you ever see yourself in a reality show like Celebrity Big Brother of I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here?" She asks.

I shake my head

"God no!" I say firmly "Not a chance in hell. Two of the worst shows I've ever seen. If I wanted to watch people sit around in a house, scratching their arses and trying to make themselves look good, I'd hang out at relatives houses more. As for I'm a Celeb.... I'm married to an Aussie and she's told me all about the outback and stuff like that, I'd rather not spend my time around Z list people and look out for spiders and such. Next question please."

I point to a man sitting in the front row.

"Who is your dream opponent?" He asks

"So many to choose from but my dream opponent is probably Synn." I reply "He can wrestle any style, his strong, and I think the build up work we could do would be amazing"

I look to the side and the man holds up one finger.

"Looks like we've got time for one more question." I inform the audience.

Hands fly in the air in all kinds of directions. I point to a young guy, early teens.

"If you beat Sean Jackson and Drake Green on Sunday, how will you celebrate?" He asks me.

I stand up, holding the mic in front of me.

"I have no idea." I start "but I'm thinking maybe a parade, be given the key to every city in England and celebrate like it's new year all over again. I'm not focused on what I'm gonna do when I win the title, but I am very focused on winning the thing and that is something I can promise you all that I will do. I will walk away from Inception as SCW heavyweight champion and I will kick off the new wrestling year in style."

I glance to the man at the side of the stage who simply gives me a nod.

"Right guys. That's my lot, so I'll see you all on Sunday." I say as I place the microphone back on the stand. "Remember, I will win that title for you."

Breed 77's Zombie starts to play again as I turn and start to walk towards the red curtain and the scene fades out.

---

The love me... they really love me here...

That's something you really don't have to feel in the air tonight, because I'm home, my feet are in my own country and they love me here. Now I know this doesn't effect you Sean, because you don't give a damn if they cheer or boo you, but you Drake, this is gonna be an experience.

They're going to boo you Drake, and that's something new for you...

You're going to crumble.

Your silence speaks volumes Drake, your silence tells the world what they need to know about you. You're scared, aren't ya Drake? So your burying yourself in bombshells as usual because you can not face reality, because you can not face the simple fact that your career at the top finishes on Sunday, that the fans will see you for what you truly are. They are already working you out, they're already coming to the conclusion that you've not cracked up to what you want them to believe.

Their rose tinted glasses are off.

They've thrown them to the ground and stomped all over them because you never had the common decency to speak to them this week. The novelty of Drake Green has worn off now and they're turning, they're moving away from you and looking towards other people.

You're finished Drake.

Time for a new career, because these people are embarrassed that they actually cheered you. With all the shit I've been slinging in your direction lately, the shit Sean Jackson has been throwing at you lately and you respond with nothing. You utter embarrassment to mankind. These people can now see what I've been telling them for weeks about you, they can see it Drake, they can see how full of shit you truly are now. You sir have proved my point without me trying any harder than what I've had to, you have shown your true colours at last Drake.

I'm begrudgingly proud of you....

I was once like you Drake, denying who I was for the sake of being part of a successful team. I was suppressing who I could be, to fit in, to be who people wanted to see, and then the most glorious thing happened to me. The shackles fell off me Drake and I became who I wanted to be. No more arse kissing to fans and bosses alike, no more sitting and being anyone other than who I wanted to be and it set me free. You've already started to do that Drake by not defending yourself, you've already got to the point where you simply don't care anymore, where you're a beaten man.

Now is the time to admit to them all that you've lied for so long.

You have nothing more to lose. Your pride has gone, your will to fight has gone, your drive has gone, your passion has gone. Come Sunday, your career will be gone too so grab that microphone before our match Drake. Take it in both hands and admit to being the scum bag that you truly are. Tell them the truth because your time of being relevant is well and truly over.

I will make sure of that Drake, I will make sure that you will be going out with a whimper.

Enjoy this main event Drake, for it will be your last.

And now we breathe for just a second because now it stops being about mercy killing and starts becoming about a bigger prize.

Hello Mr Jackson.

I'm quite old school in many ways Sean, for example, I will not look at a promo of an opponent, until mine is on the air, just so I don't spend the whole time responding to said promo, instead of playing my own game, but Supercards Sean, I believe a second promo has every right to respond to an opponents first promo.

Agree?

Couldn't give a fuck if you agree or not because there's a few of your words about me stuck in my mind and well, if I didn't respond, do you know who I'd be?

I'd be Drake Green.

Cheap shot but fitting. I get the feeling you're taking me a little too lightly here Sean. I mean who arranges a match in another company, against an SCW start, just days before a big title defense at a supercard for the company that has made you a star?

Selfish bastard...

Yep, you are. Just to get that face of yours out there, you're risking injury, or giving yourself an excuse in advance on why I'm gonna be taking your title. I bet you're secretly hoping for an injury, just so you don't have to get in the ring with me. If ya that damn scared of me, just give the title belt back to your little buddy Hot Stuff, and I'll just go end Drake's career and take the title and you won't have to get involved. You can hide in Arizona with all the little fishes and I won't have to show you first hand about taking me seriously.

That's what it's all about...

...You need to take me seriously Sean and you're really not. You spent half the time waffling on about Drake Green, telling people what they already know about it, and all the while you're letting me slip on past. That's fine Sean, you keep on sitting there and underestimating me and what I'm all about.

This is not a gift Sean.

This is what I've earned. Life is a gift Sean, what you do with it, is the difference from it being a Ferrari or a pair of sweat socks. I've earned the Ferrari by losing one match all year, but did I really and truly lose that one Sean? Did I?

How stupid are you Sean?

Serious question. Not because you short changed me, but because you could have let Drake keep that hold on, put me out of the Inception main event and you could have done what you've done so well over the last few months and beat Drake Green! What you did by ending that match early, is end your very own title reign, just like that. You should have let Drake hurt me Sean, you should have let him put me out so damn much, I'd be watching you face him from my house in Vegas, but nope, you thought you was being smart about everything but nope, it's gone and cost you your title.

Idiot.

Full blown idiot.... Ladies and gentlemen this is your champion. This is the guy that leads the company, this is the guy who never saw that by handing Drake an early win, he just put the pressure on himself. For a guy that's living the high life, you're none too clever, are ya? You've committed suicide with your title reign.

The mind boggles...

How can a champion in every place he's been, be such a stupid fucker... truly stupid as shit. First you let me leave Climax Control injury free, then you underestimate me, then you allow yourself to get involved in a match on the other side of the world just days before working at a huge event, then, with a huge prize on the line, you give me the chance to walk away.

No way Pedro!

Why walk away when you retard levels of stupidity has already handed me the title? What's wrong with you?

You can't see it but I'm smirking at your stupidity.

You mention my wife, but let me let you in on something here Sean. She wants to see me with that title, she wants to see me beat you and well, what my wife wants, my wife usually gets. You are right though Sean, I should make her feel special, shouldn't I? I should make her feel very special, so you know what I'm gonna do?

I'm gonna take your Heavyweight title so she feels special that the SCW heavyweight champion is her husband.

I know I've had some harsh words Sean, and I don't want to end you as much as I want to end Drake Green, but that title belt deserves to be with someone a little better in every department.

That someone is me.

Enjoy your last days with that title belt Sean, enjoy every damn minute with it, and Drake, enjoy every last minute of that fading career of yours, because come Sunday at Inception, one title belt, and one career will belong to me. Mine, all mine!

May God have mercy on your souls....

... because I will not!

 During Climax Control.

I walk back through the curtain, a proud look on my face after a revenge attack on The Players Club. Despayre joyfully jumps through the curtain, his teddy bear Angel clutched between his fingers, shortly followed by Synn.

"They had that coming." I say I turn towards Synn.

"Yes" Synn replies "Now, but that is just the start."

Despayre skips off down the hall, taking Angel with him as he moves away from the scene.

"You might wanna..." I say pointing towards Despayre.

Synn nods in agreement and takes off towards Despayre, knowing what trouble that boy could get himself in to in an empty room. The booming voice of Hot Stuff Mark Ward makes me turn my head and look towards him.

"What the hell was that?" He calls out in my direction, walking with purpose towards me.

I shrug my shoulders, pointing a thumb at myself in innocence

"A wrestling move" I reply sarcastically.

"You dropped him on his head" Hot Stuff informs me "It was like you actually wanted to injure him."

I stay silent, just smiling at the boss, feigning innocence.

"Nah, just looked that way on the monitor" I say after a few seconds. "Why would I wanna hurt someone who attacks a friend of mine, after he put his body on the line to put money in your pocket. Who in their right mind would give them the ok to do that after Shipman left pints of blood in your ring?"

"Doesn't mean you can try and break someone's neck" Hot Stuff argues.

"Look" I start, putting my hand up to stop Hot Stuff from talking "If I wanted to break his neck, guess what genius, I would have broke his neck. I would have dropped him on his head with a lot more force. I wouldn't have let him go on to fight another day. Just wanted to give him a giant headache."

"Yeah will Christian is about to give you another giant headache." Hot Stuff says.

"What else is new?" I start "He gives me a contract I get tricked in to signing, then doesn't book me at all."

"Oh he has now." Hot Stuff replies with a smirk "You're facing JT Midas next week."

A smile crosses my face as I look at Hot Stuff

"Aren't ya glad I didn't break his neck now?" I reply with arrogance "Because now what I've just done, is made the fans interested in seeing this guy actually get in the ring against someone decent. I've made them actually care about seeing a match again. You're welcome."

I turn to walk away from Hot Stuff.

"Don't go anywhere just yet" He says, forcing me to look back at him "I want you to sit down with an interviewer."

"Not gonna happen." I reply "I have a pregnant wife to get home, so no and you can't fire me for not doing it because of that contract ya buddy forced me in to signing."

"I'm sending one to your house next week." Hot Stuff replies "It's about one hundred episodes of Climax Control. You was on the first episode of the show."

"Get someone else to do it." I reply before turning away

"If you don't do it." Hot Stuff starts "I will ban your wife from being at any SCW event while she's pregnant. I can't fire you but I can stop her from being around you."

I look back at Hot Stuff with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah, I thought you'd see it my way." Hot Stuff replies with a cocky smirk "Don't make plans for Friday."

Hot Stuff turns to walk away from me as the scene fades

---

"Why did you agree to do this?" Odette asks.

I look at my pregnant wife as she leans against the white marble kitchen counter in our home in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Australian bombshell, wearing blue jeans and  loose white shirt, showing a slight bump under the white silk fabric, holds a bottle of water in her hand.

"Why did you have to do this interview here when it should be our time together?" She asks.

I step forward, my torn blue jeans pressing tight against me with every step, and put my hands on her hip.

"Probably because I am one of the few left in this place that was there from day one." I casually reply "Maybe because they know I will speak the truth about the company, rather than talk shit to build it up and these days, the truth sells. I don't know."

Odette places her free left hand on my arm, running her fingers up and down.

"Despayre and Synn were on the first show too." She informs me "Why couldn't they do it?"

"Probably because they want some sense, and not cryptic Synn talk." I reply moving my arm around Odette's back "And well, you know how Despy gets distracted all the time, they probably wouldn't get more than ten words out of him before he went off for a snack, or to build a fort or something."

Odette smiles weakly at me.

"Look my love" I start, my voice hushed a bit. "Why don't you go lay down for a little while, put your feet up, relax a bit and I'll get this out of the way and I'll come join you up there"

Odette looks at me with pleading eyes.

"Can't I come and sit with you." She asks, pulling herself closer to me and looking up, her eyes meeting my own.

"No sweetheart." I reply "You know you can't do that."

"Can I sit across the room and watch?" She says, moving her bottom lip out and looking towards me again with pleading eyes.

"I guess so, but you're gotta be quiet." I tell Odette "I wanna get this thing out of the way, because the sooner we do, the sooner we can spend some time together before you head off to your spa day thing."

Odette nods her head slow.

"Ok" she concedes "I just hate being away from you for too long."

I lean in to kiss Odette, my hands moving up her back, but the door bell sounds through the house. I quickly peck Odette on the lips as she squeezes me tightly.

"This is why we need a butler or something" I say with a smile.

Odette runs her hand down my chest, her fingers gliding over my black T-shirt, and over the long silver chains rattling around my neck. I run my hand down Odette's shoulder before moving towards a door in the kitchen and in to a hallway. I turn to my right, moving towards a front door, made of solid oak, and pull the handle, pulling the tall heavy door backward. Looking round the door, I see the figure of Pussy Willow, standing with two cameraman.

"Hey Gabriel." Pussy starts with a cheery tone "You was expecting us, right?"

"Yeah." I reply "Come in."

The three walk in to the hall. I jet a thumb out behind me, pointing it down the hallway.

"You guys can set up in the living room." I tell the cameramen "It's the door at the end there. I'll be down there in a second."

The two nod and move away, moving down the hall, their feet making a sound with every step on the wooden floor.

"Is Odette here?" Pussy asks "I'd love to see her. I know she comes to the shows but I'm always so busy lately. It seems that everyone forgets that there's other people to do their interviews"

"She's in the kitchen" I reply, pointing to the door just off the hall.

Pussy moves towards the door, moving in as I follow down the hall and in to the kitchen.

"Odette!" Pussy squeals "You look fantastic!"

Pussy throws her arms around Odette's neck, moving close to my wife. I look across at Odette, a look on her face of a standoffish nature as she pats Pussy robotically on her back.

"Nice to see ya." Odette says, her Aussie accent filling the room

Pussy steps back, looking at Odette up and down.

"Have you thought of any names?" Pussy asks Odette.

"We have a few" Odette replies.

"Ladies, I know you could probably talk babies for hours but can we get this thing done please?" I ask

Pussy turns around looking at me.

"Ok, ummm, sure." She says before turning back to Odette "We'll catch up another time."

"Can't wait" Odette says with a slight tone of sarcasm.

I point with an open palm towards a door in at the end of the kitchen and Pussy moves in that direction, while Odette moves close to me, linking her arm with mine as we walk behind Pussy. Pussy walks through the door first and in to the living area where a camera is set up facing a chair and the second, facing a second chair, opposite the first chair. I walk through the door, following Odette in to the room and Odette kisses me on the cheek before walking past, moving towards a sofa not too far away but slightly off from where the cameras are pointing. I take a seat and Pussy sits opposite me.  

"Ok" Pussy says, straightening herself up in the seat "Are you ready?"

I slowly nod my head

"Yes I am." I reply as I lean back in to the chair I'm sitting in.

"Hi, I'm Pussy Willow" she starts "And today, I'm fortunate enough to be in the home of a man who was around for Climax Control number one, Gabriel. Thanks for taking the time out to talk to us today about the history of Sin City Wrestling."

"Didn't have much choice." I mumble, but quickly raise my voice slightly "Yeah, no problem."

"We're coming towards Climax Control one hundred in just a few short days." Pussy mentions "You've seen it all and done it all in SCW. Can you remember what it was like being backstage for the first ever show?"

I run my fingers along my chin, looking at Pussy rather than the camera

"Yeah, for me personally, it was a little nerve wracking." I start "I'd been out of feds since the AWA, run by Goth. Things didn't exactly end well for me there, with bullshit rumors flying around that I was starting a rebellion against the owners and staff. These rumors were started by someone who I'd never met, yet claimed to have been approached by me about over throwing people and all that shit, but none of them was true, so I was soured on wrestling. Looking back, I see why, it was because Despayre and I was so successful with singles and tag titles, people were jealous of us. I remember being backstage at Climax Control One wondering if it was gonna be the same here or if things would be different."

"Had you worked with anyone backstage before?" Pussy asks.

"Only Casey Williams." I reply "He was Big Bad Casey in AWA, and he was my first opponent, but everyone else was completely new to me. I'd heard of a lot of them, can't say I knew them personally."

"What was the atmosphere like?" She asks, nodding from my last answer.

"Weird." I say with a smile "There was just a bunch of new guys, people who had never met each other in their life, standing around wondering what the hell to do. SCW wasn't defined then, there was no set style, there was just a bunch of people who had their own style. It was a bit chaotic with the bosses running around trying to get things figured out. They had a bunch of their old friends like Misty, Spike Staggs, Tom Dudely all pulling double duty, helping behind the scenes and on camera"

"Do you remember anything from your match that night?" Pussy asks

"Yeah, Despayre and I won against a team called Team Viagra." I start "If I remember right, I got the pin."

"Climax Control went from being a bi-weekly show to a weekly show, starting from show five." Pussy points out "Did that have any effect on the way things were done."

"For the first few weeks, yeah." I say with a shrug "Things were a lot more mad. There was not as much time to be home or do your own thing. With the bi-weekly stuff, you could do your match, go home for ten days, shoot promos, but when it changed, a few days at home became normal."

"Even then, SCW was gaining popularity and the roster was growing." Pussy states.

"It grew really quickly to the point people didn't have to be booked every week" I remark "People could just drive in the day of the show, do a promo on the show and go home. Even now I like it that way because it's less to worry about. People who complain about not being booked every week need to see how lucky they are."

I nod firmly with my last comment, looking at the camera this time, rather than at Pussy.

"There's been a lot of great things happen in your time in SCW, what would be your big memories from SCW?" Pussy asks me.

"Three big ones stand out in my mind." I say while tapping my chin, thinking about my answer "Obviously, becoming the first SCW Heavyweight champion was a big highlight. It's something that I haven't repeated since, but something I will do in the future. Then there's the legendary Tag Team Championship run I had with Despayre that hit nearly nine months and off course, meeting my now wife Odette."

Pussy and I both glance towards a smiling Odette, listening closely to every word that comes out of our mouths.

"There's been a lot of big things happen in SCW over the years, including moving under the umbrella of the NeWA." Pussy starts "What did you think of that place? Was it right for SCW at the time?"

A smile crosses my face as I tilt my head

"First off, never mention that name again or half the roster will go on a rampage." I tell Pussy firmly "At the time, it was the right thing to do. Instead of being a run of the mill place where places to wrestle was all generic, this gave SCW a chance to branch out, to do something different. It got a lot of people involved, but they say everyone shows their true colors eventually, they say that about me a lot too, and the idiots involved in that place showed their true colors eventually."

"You held their tag titles for a while and never technically lost them." Pussy states to me.

"Yeah I know, but I didn't want anything to do with them or their place" I say thoughtfully "So when SCW wised up and saw that place was all about themselves and couldn't give a fuck about anyone else there, I couldn't wait to spit on those belts and send them back to the coward in charge."

"One good thing to come out of that was an alliance with ACW." Pussy says.

"Was it a good thing?" I ask "Eventually, SCW was gonna keep going, that was not. When SCW took over ACW and merged it in to one, I didn't think it would work."

"ACW added stars to the roster, it brought in Ben Jordan, Mickey Carroll, Simon Jones and Drake Green." Pussy says.

"Two good, two over hyped." I reply seriously "When Drake Green came in, it was meant to be a big roster boost, but he was never the top champion when he came in. It took away the attention from all the guys that had been working hard to even keep SCW on the map and keep them noticed. ACW wasn't what SCW needed at the time. Not the whole of ACW anyway."

"That's very honest, but let's move on." Pussy says before clearing her throat "Erik Staggs power struggle with SCW, trying to take over. Why did you pick to stay with the side you did?"

"There's a lot to this story that people didn't know." I start "For example, the whole locker room was gathered together and everyone was told they could choose sides and things would be worked out from there. There was no 'You're on my side' shit. Everyone had full creative freedom on where they wanted to be."

"Why did you decide to stay with Team SCW?" Pussy asks

"It was a group choice." I reply "The Seven Deadly Sins had no rebels in there, made more sense to stay on the side of good rather than evil."

"Was anyone aware on how things would go in the match where the company was decided?" Pussy asks me "Honestly."

"No." I quickly say "Everyone at Hostile Takeover was gathered around in the back watching everything that happened in the ring that night. No one knew a thing."

"There's been thirteen men to hold the SCW heavyweight title, including yourself." Pussy starts "Which one has made the most impact in SCW?"

I press my fingers together, thinking about the question carefully.

"I know this one won't be popular with people, because a lot of people have their head up Drake Green's arse when it comes to titles, because he tries to lift himself to their low levels" I say with venom in my voice "But you'd be blind not to see Nick Jones as the man who made that title what it is today. I know Rage will be pissed I never said him, but a smiling child pisses him off. Fact is without Nick Jones and he's long runs with the title, the title wouldn't mean a whole lot. You think of SCW champions, Nick Jones is who people should think of. I'm gonna change that son and make them think of me, but for the time being, it has to be Nick Jones."

"Moving more in to the present" Pussy says while looking at me firmly "SCW have announced some big things, the tour, and a minor league federation to train the next generation of SCW stars. Does this show that SCW is growing more now than before?"

"Obviously" I say sarcastically "The roster has exploded with so many new names, from what I know, the shows are being streamed to more and more countries, it would only make sense to do these bigger things. No risk, no reward, so yeah, it's growing, and it's getting better and better."

"Do you feel the new talent will help drive SCW on for the next one hundred shows?" She asks

"I don't think a lot of them will be around for the next one hundred shows" I say dryly "I reckon a few of them are fly by nights and won't be here for the next ten shows, let alone a hundred. A lot are here for their own personal reasons, but I think maybe one or two will stick around for a while, but most of these will be off before too long."

"Do you think Arizona State Wrestling is a good idea?" Pussy asks

"Strangely I do." I state "I'm sick and tired of whiny little pussies coming here from everywhere where they thought they was something special and turns out to be nothing compared to what SCW has. They waste everybodies time by appear for a show then seeing they can't handle it. A place like Arizona State Wrestling will get them ready to be able to compete rather than cry off and find somewhere easier to be. That way, we might actually get some real wrestlers step up instead of those crying bitches that demand wins or they'll complain on social media, or in bars or to their mothers."

"I think we have time for one more question" Pussy informs me "How do you see the future of SCW?"

"Bigger and better" I start "I can see SCW doing things others wouldn't dream off. I think the tour will make enough money for SCW to do what the hell they want for as long as they want."

"Thank you for your time today Gabriel." Pussy says sweetly "I think we have enough here today."

"No doubt I'll be made to do this again when Climax Control two hundred rolls around" I say as I stand up.

Odette stands up, moving towards me and putting her arms around my waist. I instantly put my arm around her shoulder as the camera fades out.

---

War...

It's what it feels like when without warning, an attack takes place. Pearl Harbor on a Sunday morning, back in December in 1941, an unprovoked surprise attack on navy ships by the Japanese, pulled the Americans in to war, while they had their own agenda. A declaration of war against America that caused shockwaves through out the world.

High Stake IV was exactly like that. An unprovoked attack send shockwaves through the wrestling world, as a premier force was attacked by a bunch of chancers, looking for people to pay attention to them, just like Pearl Harbor. They tried to attack to prove that they could be a force, just like Pearl Harbor. The thing is, when an attack like that happens, you can not be naive enough to think that plans wasn't being made for a counter attack, while the original attack was going on. You'd have to have your own head buried deep up your own ass to think otherwise.

Plans were indeed made when this, Player Club, kudos by the way gentlemen for taking a gimmick that is as old as wrestling itself and poking it down peoples throats once more, you're only the forth group that's tried it in SCW this year, good job trying to rehash the party gimmick. Anyway, yes, plans were made an started to come true when Climax Control one hundred hit the air. Come Sunday, plans will be further pushed on.

See this attack came with very little knowledge of just who was being attacked here. You played a three on one numbers game, boy I bet your mothers are proud of having a gang as sons, bet they're over the moon at seeing you attack a man who, for the record, had already gone through hell in a first of it's kind match. It didn't exactly show you in the light that you really thought it did. In your mind, you've jumped in and took out a heel member of a group, ahem, idiots, you're meant to be heels, you obviously didn't think that one fully through, eh? You attacked a man, no, let me change that, you picked the bones of a man who was already dead, like vultures, you tried to rip at his carcass and claim you did the damage. No, you didn't, Steve Ramone did the damage because you are not strong enough to do that yourself, you waited until Steve Ramone did it. You celebrated like you'd actually achieved something, you've run your mouth all over Twitter like you actually have something to be proud of.

No... Just no...

You achieved absolutely fuck all, you proved nothing. In fact you look like a bunch of cowards really, but that's alright, in your eyes, you think you did the world a favor. Any excuse to party and get high, eh fellas?

You can learn a lot from that one attack. Attacking a beaten man, showing off a little arrogance, trying to be noticed, hell I bet you even considered attacking people in title matches, to try and get noticed. one attack, and a couple of promos and I already know like I've known you all forever. You know nothing about me so let me give you a lesson gentlemen. I read people, because I'm a con man, I get what I want by any measures, by absolutely any way I can. To do that, you have to look beyond the face in front of you, and I've done that with you three already. To be honest, I think everyone can already see this but looking beyond the mask, my guess is there is always gonna be an underlining lack of respect from you towards anyway. The second things don't go your way, you'll be whining and crying to anyone who listens, bites the hand that feeds you.

The attack showed there's an over inflated ego there, and that's the only difference between us. I look to create something out of shit situations, but your egos, it makes you think you should be handed everything, am I that far off the mark? You wouldn't be the first to come to SCW thinking you were better than what you actually are. This is why some don't last in SCW, because they think they're great, see how good the competition is, sulk when they don't get their own ways and go and slate the place to anyone who will listen. I only needed one attack and a couple of promos to see this. It's just the way the egotistical are.

Sadly for you JT Midas, this is where the beginning of your future hissy fit starts. I bet you haven't sat there and seen for a second what you're up against on Sunday. Did you even do your homework when you actually attacked a Seven Deadly Sins member? Nah, you probably didn't. I guess imagining what your debut would actually be like in your head - you know, all those cameras going off around you, your arms raised, people chanting your name, all that shit - took away from you actually knowing your enemy. Come on genius, if you're gonna start a war, at least work out who you're starting a war with! This stable has had multiple champions, this stable has been a stable for years upon years, in a world where stables last five minutes. It's a unique stable JT, it has the light and dark in it, it's a group of people who see each other as family. Very unlike your Players Club, which seems to be based around drinking buddies and the fact that you share the same dealer. A half assed attack by three drunken frat boys against a stable which is like family, how fucking stupid do you have to be to think you're actually gonna come out of this one on top?

Either the party life has killed your brain cells or momma Midas had very slippery hands.

You see JT, getting in the ring with me is like getting in  ring with no other. Everything you thought you knew about wrestling, you are about to see that you didn't. We didn't make a reputation by attacking random people, we made a reputation by making examples of people like you, we made a reputation by winning matches and not attack someone who's bones had been picked dry by another man. We were here in the beginning and we're still here. We were here show number one and no one is gonna stop us. Upstart groups like you are not gonna make us leave, little groups like you are not gonna destroy what we've built. We will be here long after you have gone and complained about us social media. Will still be here.

One look back on history would have shown that your first appearance, attacking a Seven Deadly Sins member, would be disastrous for you in time. What in your right mind possessed you to think this was a smart idea?

You might do things half assed, but me, I look closer, I look at your history, I look for your flaws, I look for your weaknesses. I look at your strengths too JT, I'll be a fool to think that you can't wrestle, that you can't get the crowd going in your own little way. I know there's talent there JT, there's no smarts about you, but there is talent. I watched back your promo from last week, and you know how to hold a crowd. You know how to put them in the palm of your hand, and how to make them peck like chickens at everything you're giving them. You reminded me of me, a man who doesn't care about the boos, doesn't care about the cheers, you just want what you think you deserve. Difference is, in SCW, I deserve everything, so much more than I've got. I was here on show number one, Climax Control one, I deserve the world for everything I've given SCW.

You deserve nothing.

Not a thing. You turn up here and lay claim to the tag titles, why? What have you ever done in SCW to really earn those? You must have some seriously good management on your side to instantly make you center of attention, but to me, to everyone else that's ever worked hard for SCW, you're very, very meaningless. I hate to tell you this but every month someone turns up, says they want this title, says they want that title, with absolutely no intention of actually earning it. don't get me wrong, you have some kind of championship material in ya, admittingly, I think Hydro is more likely a champion, but here's a novel idea, earn it, beat some tag teams, quit acting like a drunken bitch and focus on earning the titles. Despayre and Big B love a challenge, that's why they've held the titles for a long time. How about you earn a shot instead of demand?

I know, it must me a new thought for you to actually earn anything, because I saw from your history, lottery winner, a few lucky numbers and you stop having to actually work for stuff, but this is something you will have to work for Mr Midas. You're probably used to getting your own way since you had that win. Trust me, people don't smile at you because they actually like you, they just see you as a walking dollar sign.

Ever think how different your life would be without that win? Without being able to invest and watching your money work for you?

That's one shot you can't buy, so time for you to earn it. Sadly, you won't be getting past me so easily to be noticed. Look on the bright side, when I do get past you and win, it won't harm your tag team ambitions at all. It will however send a message to you and your Players Club members that you can't just start a fight and simply run away from it when it suits you. Retaliation is part of war, and if you think last week was bad. You can't see it, but I'm shaking my head right now.

This week is gonna be so much worse for you. How is your head JT? I did that to simply knock a little sense in to you. You probably didn't feel it, but someone needed to knock some sense in to that head of yours. Someone needed to make you think about the mistakes you've already made in your short time in SCW. I hope to God it worked, I hope you woke up on Monday morning with a fucking headache and a vow to pick your moves a little more wisely in the future. I hope for the sake of your very own self worth and well being, your eyes were opened by what happened.

It's time for you to be realistic Mr Midas.

I've mentioned ego a bit ago, as a group, but now time to talk to you about yours JT. Don't be the guy who bitches after I beat you, don't be that guy who moans cause he couldn't beat someone, just cause your ego tells you to. There is no shame losing to me, pretty much everyone does lose to me in the end. In fact the amount of matches I've lost in SCW, you can count on one hand. I know you see ten fingers when you look down on one hand most of the time, but normal people only see five. It's true, I've lost less than five matches in my entire SCW career. Hell, I've lost less than five matches in my entire career, so don't feel disheartened when I beat you to. No matter how much you drink to make yourself think otherwise, you will be defeated by me, you will end up with your first SCW loss.

Don't worry JT, it happens to everyone.

It really does. You won't be the first nor last to lose to me, but it's all about if that ego of yours is gonna force you to have a hissy fit, or if you are man enough to stand up and shake my hand afterwards, then dust yourself off and see that maybe you shoulda picked a bunch of people who are not as good as us. I know they say go for the biggest you can find to show your dominance, problem is when ya went for us, you bit off more than you can chew.

I wish you luck JT

Not defeating me, because we both know that isn't gonna happen, but in what you do after you are defeated by me. It won't be the end of the world, that's for sure but you need to look at your direction that you're going in because if you think moving on to Despayre is gonna be easier than the match with me, I think you're gonna be very disappointed. Despayre and I are very much equal in the ring, we trained together day after day, held the tag team titles for eight and a half months, the longest reign in SCW history, so don't look on this as a warm up match against a sin. Look at this as a sign of things to come should you obtain your goal of getting towards the SCW tag team championship, look at this as a way to improve yourself because you're gonna have to work a hell of a lot harder to beat Despayre when you won't be able to get through me on Sunday. It's the way we've trained, to best the best JT, it's because we've worked hard to be this way, it's because we've forgone the party lives to be the best at what we do, to be at the top of our games.

It's what gives us the edge.

It's what keeps us successful, it's what turns us and drives us to beat everyone put in front of us. You put yourself in front of us, you made that bed that you must lie in. You have made it for us to get past, and it will start on Sunday with me sending a clear message to you JT Midas. All the money and alcohol in the world will not save you from what I'm to give you. If you only had a clue on what I am about to do to you, just to get the message across to you, you'd stay in your little club, around the people paying you lip service for a free drink and not bother showing up at Climax Control. Stay there around the people who you think like you JT, because stepping in to that arena, standing up a sin, without a numbers game, or a sneak attack and things will get very, very messy for you. Things will go dark for you very, very quickly.

Next time think before you act.

It will avoid this unpleasantness in the future, it will save us from having to do this again JT. Remember, every action, has consequences, these are your consequences for ever thinking you was man enough to step up to The Seven Deadly Sins.

May God have mercy on your soul JT Midas....

Cause I will not!