Communication
Jet City
2 July 2020
OFF-Camera
Kris had not expected to come back to Seattle for any reason, let alone the reason that had brought him back to Jet City. Since his brother’s appearance in San Diego a week ago, Kris had been unable to shake an uneasy feeling. Jason was not exactly the easiest person to read, and their relationship had never been wonderful, but usually Kris knew where the two of them stood. There was always some kind of game at play. The fact that Jason would show up and cut ties didn’t feel right. There had to be more to it, or maybe Kris was just hoping that there was more to it. That’s what happens when you push everyone away though. Eventually they stop fighting it.
Jules and the baby were not home when Kris used the spare key to let himself into the house. There was no way that he was going to sit outside where anyone giving the house a passing glance could have seen him. Anywhere else in the world he could slip into the background and go unnoticed. However, the Seattle neighborhood where Jason’s house was located was occupied almost entirely by current and former members of the Jet City Sports Lab. Kris wasn’t about to open up the bag of worms that came with someone spotting him here.
The house was quiet, but Kris knew his way around. He had helped his brother remodel the whole thing while Jet City was at their height in Sin City. Kris had made himself comfortable in a chair in the corner of the living room and sat silently for his brother. By the time he was ready to abandon hope and call him, he heard the garage door open. He heard the car roar into the garage before the engine was cut off. Within moments Jason was crossing the room, headed for the mini-bar across from where Kris sits.
Kris: I like what you’ve done with the place...
Jason is not even startled by his brother’s voice coming out of the darkness in the room. He flips a switch on the side of the bar with a chuckle, but doesn’t bother turning to face Kris. Instead, he goes about making the drink he had been thinking about the entire way home.
Jason: How do you get Kristopher Ryans to show up?
The question is rhetorical, and Kris doesn’t bother trying to answer it. He had learned that lesson in his recent arguments with Coby. It was nothing but bait, and he was not going to take it. Luckily, Jason does not leave him hanging. As soon as he pours his drink he turns towards his brother, and leans back on the bar with his drink in hand.
Jason: ...tell him you don’t want him to, apparently.
He swirls the ice cubes around in the glass before taking a sip of the contents. Kris was not going to let the joke get under his skin. Jason was clearly in the mood to waste his time, or else he already would have been told to leave. The only way to get him to drop the act was to cut through the pleasantries.
Kris: I couldn’t stop thinking about your little visit to San Diego. Why would you just come down there and give me what I wanted? That’s not really like you at all...
Jason had expected Kris’ visit. The kid never knew when to leave well enough alone. You couldn’t get him to listen to advice, but if you told him to do something specific, you could rest assured that he would do the exact opposite. He had run away to San Diego because nobody supported his decision to return to the ring the way that he did. Yet, as soon as Jason showed up and set him free, Kris came running home. Had Jason actually wanted this outcome, he would have thought it was too easy to engineer. It hadn’t actually been his plan though. There was no way he was going to let the opportunity to take credit for it slide through his fingers though.
Jason: Maybe it was all an elaborate plan to get you to come back home. You know, you live right across the street. You have a wife. A girl. Two kids. You remember them right? The people that you left behind to take off to San Diego and spend all of your time with Mikah.
It was the reason that Kris had not wanted to linger outside. All it would have taken was someone looking out the window to spot him. The last argument that they had revolved around him not coming back until they admitted that they should have supported them. Months later it seemed stupid. It also seemed too late to take any of it back without looking like a child, so there was no turning back for someone with Kris’ ego. He was not going to let Jason use it against him though. It was not what he came to talk about.
Kris: Okay, not fair. Mikah moved in there because she kicked Drake to the curb.
It was the only path that Kris had forward that avoided talking about his family. Unfortunately, Jason was always a step ahead of him. He had hoped to be able to shine a light on Kris’ new tag team partner. It was no secret that he wasn’t the biggest fan of her, or her influence on his brother.
Jason: If she kicked him to the curb, why was she the one that ended up homeless?
It was one of those questions that was rigged against Kris. The truth was that everything they had was Drake’s and Mikah had just moved into his world. Therefore, when the time came, she moved out of his world. Kris knew that if he brought it up, his brother would call him naive. The point of Kris’ visit would get lost in the argument. The best choice was to not argue, or spin it back around on Jason.
Kris: Why are you trying to shift the subject to Mikah anyways? That’s not even what we were talking about.
Jason was still working a few moves ahead of Kris. It helps that he has had Kris’ entire life to learn all of his buttons. Jason had an easier time pushing them than most of the people in Kris’ life; private or professional.
Jason: I brought up Heather and the kids too. You are the one that latched onto Mikah. That’s on you.
Kris tosses a pillow at his brother, who slaps it out of the air before it can impact him or cause him to spill his drink. It was the type of tantrum that he was used to seeing when Kris didn’t get his way.
Kris: You’re impossible to talk to!
Jason offered Kris only a roll of his eyes before taking another drink from his glass.
Jason: Well, I must be where you got it from.
He sighs, knowing that Kris was not going to take any satisfaction from the answer. Ever since the two of them found out that they had different fathers, Kris blamed his older brother for all of his bad habits. Jason had practically had to raise him. It was only natural that Kris picked up just as many of the negatives as the positives. These days, any similarities between them seemed to drive Kris insane. Despite the outburst, he tries his best to keep it together.
Kris: I think that you came down to San Diego and signed over Jet City South because you didn’t want me to come back up here at all. You wanted me distracted. You wanted to keep me away, for some reason. I couldn’t figure out what it was for a week or so.
Jason cuts in before Kris can get to the point, hoping to knock him further off of his game.
Jason: Then you had a shower epiphany or something?
Kris continued without even acknowledging his brother’s attempt to annoy him.
Kris: I realized that the only reason that you would have noticed anything about the gym is if you were in it, and the only reason that you would have been in it would be so you could be training for a comeback.
Jason had to give Kris some credit. He had not thought that Kris would put it together until he actually saw him on screen. It would have been easier to get away with if Kris had not gotten past his problem with substances.
Jason: If this is your pitch for me to come back to Sin City, I am going to have to pass. Jet City was fun, but I have no interest in having to compete against you.
Kris was not going to let his brother forget about their match against one another while they were still holding the SCW Tag Team Championships.
Kris: ...because last time you stepped in their ring with me you lost...
It was true, but that was not the reason that Jason was not coming back to Sin City. Sure, he did not want to overshadow his brother, but he also didn’t want the inverse to happen. If he was going to come back it was going to be on his own terms. He had been lucky to have the phone ring when it did. Jason had no regrets about the decision he made.
Jason: ...because I got a better offer.
Kris had not expected him to just admit it outright. The direct approach was working better than he hoped.
Kris: So it’s true then? You’re actually going to get back into the ring?
Jason nods, finishing his drink and starting to pour a second.
Jason: Yeah. First show is coming up next week.
With his refreshed drink in hand, Jason moves across the room and sits opposite Kris.
Kris: So all of the shit that you gave me about how I was going to go out and get myself hurt was bullshit. You are doing the exact same thing!
Jason shakes his head. It was not exactly that simple. Kris had run away with delusions of grandeur. He had not gotten signed yet. He was not in shape. It was a half-baked impulsive idea, and Kris had gotten upset when the rest of the family called him out on it. It was not that they weren’t supportive. They were just worried. Kris tended to slide backwards when he was in front of the camera.
Jason: We all started watching your shows together, remember? There’s a reason that everyone else stopped but I kept watching. You stumbled a little, but you proved that you can still hold your own. Made me wonder if I still can. I may only get one more shot to really do that. I guess I came around to what you were trying to tell all of us.
After all, if Kris could come back from injuries and still be on top of his game, why couldn’t Jason do the same thing? Kris was not so accepting of the abrupt 180 his brother had taken though.
Kris: Then why have you been being such a dick?
The answer was so simple that Jason was disappointed that Kris had missed it.
Jason: ...because I didn’t turn my back on my whole family when I decided that I wanted to make a comeback. I asked for their help.
Now everything else was starting to make sense. If Coby had known that Jason was going to start prepping to come back, it made sense that he would come back to help. Everyone would pull together to make sure that their fearless leader was able to put his best foot forward. It wasn’t a benefit that everyone got to take part in.
Kris: ...so that’s why Coby came back.
Jason nodded, not feeling the need to be harsh about it. He didn’t need to spell out the words to tell Kris that he had told him so.
Jason: You’d be surprised what you can get done with you have the right supporting cast.
Jason lets out a sigh, and then kills off the rest of his drink while his younger brother thinks over his words. It takes a few moments, but Kris finally mutters under his breath.
Kris: I just wanted to do things on my own.
Jason puts the glass down on the table between them and taps his knuckle twice on the wood frame before getting up from his seat.
Jason: ...and now you can.
Jason does not ask his brother to leave. He knew that it would be a waste of time. However, he was not going to sit around and let Kris’ pite party waste any more of his. He makes his way out of the room, leaving Kris alone with his thoughts.
==========================================================
Team Effort
San Diego
3 July 2020
OFF-Camera
When Mikah got back to the apartment she was surprised to see that Kris had already gotten back from his trip. She thought it was a little suspicious that he took off to Seattle on a whim, but knew better than to try to ask too many questions. He would have just deflected them, or made it an argument about how she was always trying to finesse him into doing what she wanted. As she made her way inside, the first thing she noticed was the quiet. If he was here, maybe he was asleep. Jet lag had always been his primary complaint about the world tours the SCW did. It was not until she found him that she realized that his trip hadn’t gone according to plan.
Mikah: Why the long face?
Kris was laying backwards across a bean bag in the middle of the room he had converted into his studio for painting. The back of his head rests against the hardwood floor, while his feet are dangling in the air. Instead of doing anything productive, he has a foam ball in his hand and is tossing it to himself without enthusiasm. His blank expression does not change, even as Mikah stands over him.
Kris: My brother is getting back in the ring, and apparently wants nothing to do with me.
He tosses the ball again, but Mikah swats it out of the air at its peak. It lands on Kris’ desk, knocking over a jar of paintbrushes. Kris sighs, but makes no move to retrieve it.
Mikah: Well, that sounds like a net positive. You are always pushing people away. Maybe they are finally giving you the space that you have been asking for.
She did not see what the big problem was. He was always complaining about how nobody was willing to let him make his own life decisions. This sounded like exactly what he wanted. Sure, he wouldn’t actually talk about the reasons that he bailed out of Seattle, but she wasn’t exactly pressing for that information. Whatever it is that they were doing was not worth blowing up just to get some information. It was easier just to let Kris vent when he needed to, and then help pick up the pieces.
Kris: I don’t understand why my getting back in the ring cause all of them to turn on me, but when Jason does it they all rally around him like he is some kind of saint.
She tries not to focus on the family aspect of it all, and injects a little bit of cheer into her voice.
Mikah: Is he coming back to Sin City?
Kris shakes his head, and the weight comes off of Mikah’s chest. She and Kris had always gotten along, but she always got a strange vibe from his brother. He was always sitting back and judging people, but never taking any responsibility for his actions. People with those personalities always annoyed her. She preferred someone that says what was on their mind unapologetically. It was a benefit of hanging around with Kris.
Kris: No, but that’s not the point. He doesn’t have to be in the same country and try and overshadow me. The whole family can’t be bothered to pay attention to anything I am doing but they are helping him get back on his feet. It just rubs me the wrong way.
It was not like she was a stranger to feeling that everybody gave a shit about everyone but her. It was another thing that they were able to bond over. She was willing to look at the bright side of it though. If there was no Jason, and no Jet City, there was nothing that could stop the Black Sheep.
Mikah: Well, you traded up. Half of the people that he has helping him never amounted to anything. That’s why they work in a gym instead of in front of a crowd. You have me watching your back now. I’d say you got the better end of the deal.
Mikah had only ever gotten close with Coby and Chelsea anyways. She could take or leave the rest of them. Kris was better off without them. He was better off as part of this team. Kris still was not sold on the idea though.
Kris: You don’t even know when you will actually be back. Just because we mentioned being a team doesn’t mean Mark and Christian are going to let it happen.
She was not going to let his moodiness bring her down. Instead, she was determined to bring him up to her level instead of being dragged down to his. She bends at the waist and reaches down to put the nail of her index finger in the center of his forehead.
Mikah: You really think that they are going to push back against us? What other teams do they have that can put up a fight against Wolfslair? The Trenton Tigers have proven themselves incapable. The Barnharts are a joke, and a bad one. Sass n Bash are passable I guess, but they aren’t us.
Kris rolls his eyes.
Kris: We haven’t teamed together in years.
She drags her finger back and forth across his forehead and then taps the middle of it between each of her words.
Mikah: ...but nobody has ever beaten us.
He lightly slaps her hand away and then throws his body forward. His feet hit the wooden floorboards and he rights himself in the chair before spinning it to face her.
Kris: It’s not like we are London Underground though. The Black Sheep weren’t dominant in either of the tag divisions, and we never won the Mixed Tag titles even though we were the ones that pushed for them to be a thing. All we have is our past accomplishments, and a legion of people that can’t stand being around us.
The fact that he brought up the audience makes her laugh.
Mikah: Who needs fans anyways? I’ve never had them, and it never stopped me.
At this point Kris is hanging onto the negativity just out of spite. Mikah could see that she was starting to get through to him.
Kris: You make it sound like we are just going to show up as a group and take things over.
She was hoping that he would start to pick up some of her confidence and just run with it. The fact that he was right side up was a start, but she needed to get him up onto his feet.
Mikah: Don’t we always? I am in the Hall of Fame already. I’m the greatest bombshell in the history of the company. Between the two of us, we have more championships than any other team that they could put together. They should be thanking us for saving their mixed tag division, not debating if we are worthy challengers.
Kris laughs. He kept trying to shake off her explanations, but it was getting harder and harder to ignore her. He was starting to feel as helpless in these conversations as he was while his brother was tearing into him. It was like he was always a step behind.
Kris: You just have an answer for everything, don’t you?
It was not the time to rub it in his face, so she let herself be humble, if even just for a moment.
Mikah: No, I just refuse to let you wallow in self-pity for no reason. You’re Kristopher Ryans. You’re The Miracle. Sin City Wrestling is Kris. Think about how everyone hung on every word we said during the Mikah and Kris Show. We are undeniable.
She was hoping that she could get him to fight about something silly instead of being the captain of his own pity party. She was not disappointed in his response.
Kris: Kris and Mikah Show….
She knew that she had him on the hook, the only thing that she needed to do was actually reel him in. His words rang in her ears, and a smirk crosses her face as she threw them back at him.
Mikah: Lie to yourself, not to me.
Kris gasps in response, and pushes himself up to his feet.
Kris: Now you are using my own saying against me?
She shrugs her shoulders without letting the smirk widen into a smile on her face. Instead of taking credit for getting him moving, she padded his clearly bruised ego.
Mikah: I guess you are rubbing off on me.
It was a step too far, and now that Kris wasn’t stuck inside his own head, he had reverted back to his casual standoffishness.
Kris: You don’t have to stay here, you know?
She smiles, and grabs a hold of his hand before leading him out of the room.
Mikah: You’re not getting rid of me! Nice try though! Now come on, I have a surprise for you.
He reluctantly allows himself to be dragged along for the ride. He had hoped to find some kind of support in Jet City, but that had not gone according to plan. Maybe he did not need them though. Maybe Mikah and the Black Sheep would be enough.
==========================================================
”What a Waste”
ON-Camera
The first meeting between former World Heavyweight Champions should feel bigger than this...
Kris was standing in the study where all of his past championships were displayed. He is not focused on the lens of the camera this time. He is standing face-to-face with the SCW World Heavyweight Championship with his name emblazoned on the plate at the bottom. Memories of winning it race through his mind. It was not something that he would ever forget. He knew that his opponent this week also knew what that felt like. That made him different than all of the people that have been recently left in Kris’ wake.
I mean this isn’t like going into my match against Griffin, or Finn, or Jack, or O’Malley. Vinnie has actually been winning most of the matches that he finds himself in. Sure, he may not have come away as King for a Day, but he just came away with a victory over Jack Washington, the so-called King. Not that beating Jack is the hardest thing in the world to do. I’ve done it. Others have made it look easy. True, Vinnie needed an assist from the referees to have his hand raised, but it’s still one for the win column. Not as impressive as when I went out there and beat his ass for talking out of line though.
He allows himself to get off track for a moment, since Jack Washington was already on his mind.
...but Jack finds himself in the main event with Ben Jordan because of his luck at Into the Void, and two former World Heavyweight Champions are squaring off at the bottom of the card. It doesn’t matter that Jack wasn’t even good enough to be on Ben’s radar, let alone in a match with him. It didn’t matter that both myself and Vinnie have the better record, or the longer list of accomplishments. Jack walked away with the opportunity to do himself a favor, and he did exactly that. He gave everyone else the finger and did what was best for himself. Is that what was best for Sin City Wrestling? Of course not. Does that matter to someone like Jack? Absolutely not. The rest of the company gets stuck with a card that looks like a filler episode all so that Jack Washington can reach out for that brass ring he doesn’t deserve.
Kris shakes the thought away and turns towards the camera.
...and how does this come back around to our old friend Senor Vinnie? Well, because this match didn’t have to happen. This card that all of you people are being subjected to didn’t have to happen. Jack Washington has proved himself unworthy of rising through the ranks in this company, and is using his opportunity to jump the line. It didn’t have to be that way though. Had Vinnie walked away from Into the Void victorious, he could be the one facing Ben in the main event of Climax Control. He could have been the one controlling his position on this show. He could have saved us all from the gigantic waste of time that will be this weekend’s Climax Control. He had the opportunity to cease his own destiny, but he came up short.
Kris appears to weigh out the benefits of his alternate timeline on his right hand, but turns quickly to his left.
Compare that to the run that I have had in the last few weeks. I was given the same opportunity thanks to the booking of a blue-haired mental patient a few weeks ago. Unlike Vinnie, I came through in the clutch. I reached out and seized my destiny. I won the right to book any championship match that I want, with the only drawback being that Mark and Christian have to sign off on the time and place. And who did I beat to make that happen? A handful of people who, like Vinnie, couldn’t get the job done at Into the Void.
He juggles paths in his hands, letting the fans decide which path they would have rather taken and the implications involved.
Vinnie and I may not have crossed paths, but we have been cutting a path through the same group of guys. I don’t think that anyone would argue that Vinnie has been doing it better. I don’t think people were sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for the next twist or turn in his battle against Bill Barnhart. The only reason that he was tossed into King For A Day was because he didn’t have anything better going on. For better or worse, I have had the attention of everyone in the company since my return. Vinnie hasn’t been able to grab anyone’s attention. Not as a champion. Not as a challenger. Not as a talent.
It was as matter-of-fact as fans at home have ever seen Kris be. Instead of doubling down, he walks back some of the hostility.
... but then again, maybe it is not Vinnie’s fault. I mean, he was busy taking apart unproven newcomers like El Dark while I was busy beating Griffin Hawkins on back-to-back shows. He can only capitalize on the opportunities that he is given, and I am not so sure the guy has always been given a fair shake. Then again, when Vinnie did get his shot at Grif, he ended up vigorously tapping out in the center of the ring. Maybe the bookers know what they are doing when they throw him to the newcomers. Maybe despite his history, Vinnie just doesn’t have what it takes to hang around the top of the card. If that’s true though, what does that tell you about how he stacks up against someone like me in the ring?
Kris shrugs before spoon feeding the viewers the right answer.
We know what his response is going to be. His one time rival, Bill Barnhart was able to beat me in my first match in more than two years. That is the same guy that Vinnie went out and dominated at Blaze of Glory. We all watched it happen. We were all confused by what we were seeing. I’m still not sure exactly how any of it made sense to them, but when it came to the match itself, Vinnie was the one adding a win to his record. Then Bill picked himself up, came out, and shocked the world by beating me. I know he didn’t do much with the opportunities that the win afforded him, and I was able to avenge that loss two weeks ago, but I can’t take his victory away from him. Can Vinnie really put any faith in the idea that he is going to catch me off-guard like Bill did? Can he argue that I haven’t sharpened my skills and gotten my act together since then? Honestly, I feel as good today as I did when I was carrying the World Heavyweight Championship around my waist, and that makes me one of the most dangerous people on this roster right now. Vinnie might have to face me now, and just take the L, but at least he can rest assured that my sights are actually set on the Mixed Tag Team Championships. If he wants to chase the Roulette, Internet, or World Heavyweight Championships, he doesn’t have to be afraid that I will be there at every turn to throw up a roadblock. All it is going to cost him is this match. Then I am someone else’s headache.
It did not seem like Vinnie was actually getting such a bad deal in Kris’ mind.
So where does that leave us, Vinnie? We are just a wannabe crazy dude, and a guy living in the past according to our King for a Day. Despite our successes we are nearly at the very bottom of the card. Even though our records are looking a lot more spotless than others in this company, we are looked down on. It doesn’t matter what we say, or how much we can back it up, we are still on the outside of the championship scene while mediocre talents take our place.
Another sigh, and this time Kris seems almost at a loss for words.
So what do we do?
A smile spreads across his lips as an idea comes to mind.
I guess we could hop onto social media and whine and cry about every little thing that doesn’t go our way until we get gifted opportunity after opportunity. Then again, I think O’Malley has already cornered that market. We could lose match after match just to make big announcements about wanting another opportunity every time, but then what would Griffin Hawkins have to say after every supercard? How about we go out and talk about winning and rising through the ranks, just to walk away after a loss like all of those “hungry” new talents that were supposed to put me in my place. Where is Finn now? Where did Jack Russow go? Are Tiberius the Great and El Dark even still under contract?
Kris had laughed it off when he came back and Griffin told him that SCW was “fine” without him. He took at least a small amount of joy in watching the names that were thrown at him fall into SCW’s wastecan to be lost forever. It did not matter what anyone said, Kris was a staple in Sin City. Nobody could take that away from him.
People like Vinnie and I are proven commodities, but get tossed aside to try and hype up these fresh faces that burn out before they gain any momentum. We get told that we are old news and need to make room for new stars that always fall flat on their face when given every opportunity to succeed.
He backtracks again, not wanting to sound too arrogant.
...and before anybody thinks that is just cockiness talking, let me remind you that I was one of the ones leading the #BenDeservesBetter charge as the World Heavyweight Champion while everyone else doubted his ability. I’m not brushing off these newcomers arbitrarily. I’m saying that they aren’t up to the task because they have proven themselves inept. It’s not my fault everyone else is too polite to say it.
The smirk Kris flashes at the camera basically screams sorry, not sorry.
SCW will continue to see subpar challengers fall at the feet of their champions, because the real challengers are forced to fight each other over peanuts in the opening bouts every card. Although, maybe once we get back to semi-competent people booking the shows things will get better, not that I have a lot of faith. Apparently they are still thinking about sending us on a pandemic cruise, but that’s another issue for another time.
He was not even letting himself think ahead to Summer XXXtreme yet.
At this point nothing can change the fact that Vinnie and I are going to do battle come time for Climax Control. The only advice that I can give him is the same thing that I told Ben going into our first match with one another.
It doesn’t matter where the match is on the card if you tear the roof off the place.
I don’t have any problems with you, and I can respect the things that you have accomplished in Sin City. Let’s go out there and set the bar so high that people don’t remember this Climax Control for Jack losing to Ben in the main event. Let’s show them the main event that they could have had. Let’s give them the show that they deserve, even if it’s just a filler episode.
Kris shrugs his shoulders again, this time with a smile.
At least then, when you lose, you will still have something positive to hang your hat on.
==========================================================
