( First of all! Good luck man! This has been two years in the making. The last 8 months to get to this point has been one hell of a ride. We know this could be the last hurrah for me as a competitive rper. Still on the fence, but regardless. This has been a blast! Also, here’s a trigger warning for people. This roleplay does have some religious tones to it. It very much might not align with your views or whatever. If that’s something that may upset you. Please don’t read this. It’s nothing truly out of pocket, but the mere mention of God is enough to upset some folks. And without this entire OOC message. The RP is 4940 according to google docs! So don’t DQ me damnnitt lol. )
(https://i.imgur.com/qgBtHSN.png)
In this exact moment he felt himself experiencing a mental frog. Not sure what was going on or even where he was. That had a lot to do with the knee that had just been smashed against his face. About that time he felt himself starting to come back to reality. Feeling himself be lifted up as his spine rested on a hard surface. Then a violent shove went against his body and he felt the free fall overcoming him. Reaching out for anything that he could, but it was useless.
Seconds later, he felt his body hitting the cold body of water. Completely submerged into the ocean for a split second. Using the little bit of strength he did have. He found himself using his arms and legs to pull himself up to the surface. Continuing to move them about in order to keep himself a float. Just ahead of him was the Princess Cruise Ship trucking along in those deep waters. Reality setting in at that moment on the man. Right away he began to scream at the top of his lungs.
“HELP!”
Every bit of strength he had in his voice he let come out. Yet with crashing waves and the distance the ship had already created. There was a slim to none chance he would be heard. His body was already getting tired with the constant fighting against the waves to keep himself a float. Not to mention the assault he had just experienced. Screaming out somehow a little louder.
“PLEASE! SOMEONE HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!”
Again the waves crashing against one another in the deep sea was just capturing his voice and drowning it out as soon as the words escaped his lips. The ship was even further now. There was zero chance anyone heard his pleas. As the panic began to set in a little more he found himself looking around. Trying to find his best to see what his surroundings were. Not an easy task in the middle of the ocean at night. Off in the far distance he could see the sore.
Logically, there was no way he would get there. Not with the way his body felt. Not with how tired he felt. Not with experiencing everything that he had experienced on this night and in such a short amount of time, but he had to have hope. It was the only thing that was going to keep him alive. Using those arms and feet of his he began to peddle himself in the direction of the sore. It felt like the waves were intentionally fighting against him and trying to hold him back from swimming anywhere. Let alone to hid destination.
“Come on, Michael. Come on. You can do this!”
He attempted to keep moving himself forward in that water. However his limbs were just about spent. Everything felt heavier than usual. As he was starting to find it harder to keep his head above water. The hope that he was hanging onto was still there despite feeling himself starting to sink. Talking to himself out loud again.
“This isn’t how you go out.”
He felt himself sinking a little more. Swinging his arms up and out of the water to try to pull himself forward once again.
“This isn’t how things end for you.”
Even with those words coming out of his mouth. He was finding it very difficult to keep his head above water. His mouth even got some of that salty water in it. Quickly spitting it out as he attempted to swing those arms forward, but they were just so heavy he couldn’t.
“You’re stronger than this. Keep going!”
He practically screamed those words out into the night sky. But as soon as they left his lips. That’s when he finally slipped under the water completely. Panic set in a lot more in that moment and began to cripple him. He swung his arms upwards above his head. Trying to swim back to the surface, but it wasn’t working. Somehow as he tried to pull himself up, he just kept sinking lower and lower. He could feel his lungs starting to fill with water.
Right away the feeling of choking started to consume him. The panic reached its pinnacle as he violently began to shake underwater. All of that lasted for all of a couple seconds before his body went limp and his eyes became heavy. To the point they were starting to close. That slipping in and out of consciousness that came with drawing was there. His eyes almost shut and glossed over. The last thing he saw was a bright light.
(https://i.imgur.com/WP02uA3.png)
A blood soaked Harris found himself sitting there with his back against the concrete wall. Taking a towel that he had in his hand that was also soaked with blood. He brought it up to his head and wiped away where the blood was oozing from that wound. Only to take it away from his head, throwing the towel down on the ground in front of him. Letting his eyes shoot up to realize the cameras were right there before him. Exhausted as he was he found himself starting to nod his head while speaking.
“Fantastic job, James. Fantastic-fucking-job!”
Bringing his hands up in front of the cameras. He clapped them together, in an almost sarcastic manner.
“You managed to show me that you were more in control than I thought you were. Along with that you showed me just how cold, calculated, and viscous you can be. Sure, you literally stole a play out of my book. But you know what they say. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. So thank you for that, but I give you credit where it is due my man.”
“You showed a side of yourself that I didn’t exactly believe was there. Like I said you showed me that you were far more in control than I thought. Keeping the distance. Making me believe that you were running from me. Making me believe that you were afraid of me. Suckering me big time and then the moment I let my guard down. The moment I wasn’t expecting anything out of you. You pounced!”
“I stand here still feeling the blood dripping down my forehead. I can feel the open wound that’s going to require stitches to close it. I still have the taste of blood in my mouth. I understand now more than ever just how deep a pen can go into someone’s flesh. My spine and neck are throbbing from you putting me through that table. Every single bit of me is feeling what happened tonight, but you want to know something James? Even though I learned a lesson and now I know what you truly are capable of...”
“... I’m still smiling!”
Taking a moment to pause with that genuine smile forming across the Hall of Famer’s lips. All while nodding his head a little more. There seemed to be something about his tone and the way he presented himself. That really made him seem in greater spirits than he physically looked in that moment.
“And the reason I’m still smiling is because now I know without a shadow of a doubt. I’m going to get the most sadistic vile piece of shit that you can be, James. That’s what I need. Because you see the last time we faced off at Violent Conduct inside that Barbed Wire Steel Cage. I felt a little bad. I felt bad for how out matched you were. I felt bad because you weren’t on the same level as me when it came to being a sadistic fuck. You didn’t know how to tap into that side of you. It clearly showed.”
“Now while... I don’t feel about choosing a deathmatch and making sure that you meet your demise. I was still going to feel a little bad if you didn’t learn the skill of channeling into that demented side of yourself. But clearly it’s not something I have to worry about now. You have found that side of yourself. It’ll be in full effect at High Stakes. We’re going to tear the house down while trying to kill each other and that excites me in ways that I can’t even begin to put into words.”
Placing his hand against the wall behind him. Harris began to slowly but surely start to push himself up from that seated position. The cameras found themselves staying with him as they zoomed in some.
“I am excited in a way that I wasn’t excited the first two times we faced off. You see, a year ago at Summer XXXTreme. I wasn’t exactly thrilled to be sharing the ring with you, but I was an old bitter man with an ego. Still am, but at that time. I wasn't buying the hype. I didn’t buy the bullshit that came with what people said you were and how they portrayed you to be. I didn’t believe in the aura that surrounded you, James. Which I can say now might have been a mistake on my end but either way you proved me wrong in the end.”
“You showed me it wasn’t just hype. You were every bit as good as everyone said you were. Hell, you were every bit as great as you said you were. You proved to be a fantastic wrestler. You proved to be a worthy challenger of my championship then. You proved to meet me on a level where at the time the rest of the roster failed to do the same. And in return I proved why I was the champion. I proved why I was the standard barrier at the time. I proved why everyone hated me, because I was so damn good.”
“Hell of a match we put on, but when it was all said and done. You beat me. You were the first person to pin me. You took my championship. You were better than me on that night. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but in a professional manner. You earned my respect that night. Respect that quickly went out the window when you didn’t know how to just take your win and move on, but you did have it for a small moment. However, like I said I wasn’t that excited then. Not like I am now.”
“And then the rematch that I mentioned a moment ago at Violent Conduct. I wasn’t excited even in the least bit to be in the ring with you a second time. No see that time I was angrier than ever. More bitter than ever. All I saw was rage anytime your name was mentioned to me. And that was all because you didn’t know how to leave well enough alone. You beat me. You took down the tyrant I was. You did everything you said you were going to do. You had the gold, but you just didn’t leave it at that.”
“You forced my hand to come back and be more sadistic than I ever had to be. Leading to beating the ever living shit out of you in that cage. From one side to the other I dog walked you and made you look weaker than you ever have. You won’t admit it, but the truth is on that night. I broke something inside you. I made you question yourself. Your abilities and your entire career. Like I said, you won’t admit it but you know I did and you know how I know that?”
“Because, I took the championship from you that I didn’t even want. It wasn’t about the gold anymore. It was just about hurting and maiming you in the worst way possible. The championship that defined your entire career went right back to me and I wasn’t motivated by winning it. That hurt you to your very soul. You still a year later are licking that wound. It’s still a sore subject, but it was a necessary evil at the time. It had to be done. There was no excitement in that for me.”
“But this time there is excitement. Excitement because I know where you stand now. I know what you’re going to meet me with. Points I already covered, but also excitement because of how REAL this is going to be between us. Excitement for how AUTHENTIC this is going to be between us. Excitement over the fact we’re going to PEEL BACK THE CURTAIN just a little bit and EXPOSE ourselves for who we really are. Something these people have never seen before.”
There was no denying the amount of pain that he was in. finding himself leaning down just a little bit to get real close and personal with the camera lens. That blood still dripped from that open wound with his smile growing a little more.
“There’s more to come about how real things are going to get between us. But I’ll save that for a later date. Tonight, I want you to bask in the glory of what you managed to achieve. I want you to go home and tell your young son about how glorious of a night you had. Tell him just how much of a bad ass his dad is. I want you to remind your wife of how lucky she is to have married you and get to spend the rest of your life with. Hell, crack a couple cold ones open in celebration with bitch one and two. Celebrate tonight. Celebrate the next two weeks. Live in this moment, James.”
“Because I fucking promise. It’s the last moment you’ll ever have!”
Within the blink of an eye. That smirk was gone. The overall joyish attitude of being in good spirits despite what he had been through. It vanished. All for a stone cold menacing glare to consume his expressions for all of a few seconds. Almost like he was glaring right into the viewer's soul. From there the cameras found themselves slowly fading out and leaving everyone to wonder what the outcome truly would be when the two men clashed for the final time.
(https://i.imgur.com/WP02uA3.png)
That last little bit of the bright light he could see was glowing. Just as those heavy eyelids of his finally closed shut. His final moments took place right then and it wasn’t something he could stop. However at that very second he heard a very comforting yet assertive voice.
“Michael...”
Hearing his name clear as day. Yet he couldn’t find himself to speak. He couldn’t find himself to open those eyes. He feels himself almost getting closer to that bright light. It was shining bright even with those eyes closed. He felt his body becoming warmer despite being submerged in the cold water of the sea. This was such an odd experience for him. Maybe this was just how the end of life was. No one knew how it was until they finally went through it.
“Michael. My son... Open your eyes.”
That voice could still be heard. Loud yet comforting. Then without having any control over his body. He felt his eyes spring open. Still completely submerged in that water. The blurred vision of a shadow figure was right in the middle of that bright light that his body was every so gently getting closer and closer too. Not even feeling so much as the urge to blink. Those eyes were stuck wide open and focused on that figure before him.
“Fifty three years old. That’s still far too young. Far too young for you to become home to me and the kingdom that awaits you. You’ve got so much more life to live. So many more experiences to go through. Lots and lots of knowledge to still bestow on the generations after you. You’ve got far too much left to give to the world.”
There was something about being told that he had so much left to give that stuck out with him. It was the most comforting sensation he had ever felt. Every bit of him wanted to respond in that moment, but still it's like he had no control over himself.
“More importantly my son, I did not create the human life for it to be taken by another human being. That is the ultimate and most unforgivable sins one can commit against fellow mankind. Those men knew what they were doing when they committed that crime. Every last one of them were in control of their actions. They were in control of their mental state. They were in control of their feelings. And I know that they know what they did was wrong.”
At that point, he felt his body come to a stop with the floating. Only mere inches away from that shadow figure and that bright light. That free floating sensation sending a chill up his spine. His wide eyes still being forced to look forward through that blurred vision thanks to the water.
“Like I said. They’re sin is unforgivable. It is not something that can be looked past. It is not something that can be ignored. I have all the control one can have in this world. A snap of my fingers and everything could turn out badly for them. I however am not one to get even. As unforgivable of a sin it is. I will not turn my back on those men. I am a firm believer that anyone and everyone can repent. If they’re guided in the right direction.”
“I will not use punishment as a way to get even or as a means to harm them. I have not and never will be the type to make people suffer or to make their lives difficult. Not even when they have done something as devious as this. I have always been and I will always be a loving, understanding, and forgiving God. And as far as I am concerned. The only way to make this right. The only way to make them repent for their sins is by making you be the man to do so.”
“And it’s not just about them Michael. No, my son. You’ve done a lot of rotten things in your lifetime as well. I always loved you. I always forgave you. I was always understanding. This is going to be the perfect chance for you to undo all your wrongs. A chance for you to do the right thing for a chance. A way for you to find it in your heart to forgive them and come together as one. Like the human life was always meant to be in my eyes.”
That comforting voice spoke with a level of confidence in their words. Very much enough to make him believe what he was being told was correct. At that moment the shadow figure reached out and gently touched his forehead. Such a loving and warm sensation overcame him. All for a few seconds.
“God bless you my child. We’ll see each other again!”
The figure’s hand pushed off his head in a soft manner sending him backwards in that submerged water. Then all of the sudden like a vortex he felt himself being sucked backwards. Getting further and further away from the bright light and figure at a rapid speed pace. All he could hear was the rushing water on either side of him. His eyes finally were able to shut again.
.... GASP!
He found himself raising up to a sitting position while gasping for air. That gasping turned into coughing seconds later as he held his chest and just flopped right back over. It took him a few moments to collect his bearings but when he did. He looked around, seeing that he was just on the edge of the beach’s shore. The tide of the water was still rushing over his legs as he started to crawl himself up that sandy beach in the early morning sky. Once he was no longer being hit by the tide.
He forced himself to sit up again. Looking around a little more. The realization was starting to rush over him of what had happened to him. Not just from the physical aspect, but from the mental and emotion aspect. He came face to face with death. Everything he had ever done and everything he still wanted to do was just mere seconds away from not mattering at all. He continued to cough a little bit speaking out loud to himself.
“They... tried... to... kill... me!”
He gripped at his chest. Everything in his chest felt so heavy. A little bit of water came up from his lungs with each cough that he made. He felt himself just flop back down and roll to his back looking up at the sky that was just starting to brighten up.
“You should have just let it happen and sent me to hell.”
His chest heaving harshly with those words that came out of his mouth. His eyes narrowed as he continued to look up at the sky. Almost as if he was speaking to someone directly.
“Revenge will be mine!”
All he could do was nod a little bit at that moment. That might have been the wrong call to make, especially with what he had just gone through. But the one thing people had always known about him is he was a man that didn’t let know how to be forgiving and he didn’t know how to let things go. He was an old bitter man that had always been driven and motivated by revenge, but this time it was going to be on such an unforgiving personal level.
“In our business James. It’s very taboo and very frowned upon for us to peel the curtain back.”
“All the old folks and veterans of the business hate it. They hate it because they feel like it exposes the business in the worst ways. They feel as if it’s clueing the audience in a little too much. They feel like the moment we peel back the curtain it kills the suspense of belief to what we do. Lots and lots of negativity comes with smartening the fans up to the business.”
“As an old head as the kids would say these days and as a veteran of the business. I once shared the mindset and would’ve had a melt down just like them if I saw someone do what I’m about to do...”
“But seeing as I consider myself retired to begin with and considering the line that you crossed with me. In my mind this needs to happen. You see if you remember from a few days ago James. I said I was excited about this fight between the two of us because of how real it was going to get. I let you linger in the dark on that one got a little bit. Hell, I let the entire world linger on that because I wanted you all to really think about what I meant by that and where this was going. Something tells me that you, James. Nor anyone else was able to really come up with a logical thought that would make sense.”
“So allow me to go ahead and start peeling that curtain back. Allow me to tell you what I mean by how real this is going to be between the two of us. Starting with the fact that the man you are going to be standing across the ring with at High Stakes isn’t the same man you or anyone else has known in my two years of existence for this company. No, it isn’t the same man at all. That’s going to be something that you struggle with, but we’ll come back to that in a few minutes.”
“You’re not getting Michael Harris, the bad guy. You aren’t getting what the business calls 'heel' Michael Harris. Not getting the villain as I was once known for.”
“The Michael Harris that you knew would cheat at any cost to win. He’s long gone. The Michael Harris that would cut the most scattering burial ass promos and make people look like they never stood a chance. He’s long gone. The Michael Harris people loved to boo out of the building, throw things at, and hate on him for every single bit of television time he soaked up. He’s not standing here before you this very moment. The Michael Harris that had people here going outside these four walls and begging people to come in just to beat me. Because I was too damn good and running wild on this entire roster. He’s not the man standing here before you right now. And he’s never going to return again.”
“But at the same time, the Michael Harris. You’ve been dealing with the last couple of weeks. The one that’s falling into the Good Guy role or the babyface, if you want to call in that for the sake of keeping that curtain pulled back. You know the guy that’s been buddy-buddy with the fans, hugging on fat chicks, kissing on babies, and saying the stupid shit just to get a pop. The guy that’s been standing side by side with Mark Ward and Christian Underwood -- two men I could say at one point I hated more than you, but standing beside them as a union to fight the good fight. The guy that’s been hurling insults at you, tracking you down, making your life and two idiots lives hell for the sake of doing so... Yeah he’s gone.”
“Instead at High Stakes, James. You’re coming face to face with Michael Harris, the human being!”
“You’re getting me as a man. No bells and whistles. Nothing like that. You’re just getting the real authentic version of myself. And the reason being... You tried to fucking kill me months ago. You tried to see to it that I stopped breathing. You tried to see to it that I no longer existed. Fuck just putting me on the shelf. Breaking a bone. Tearing a muscle. No, you tried to take my life from me. You tried to put my family through the single most devastating heartbreak they could ever experience.”
“And if doing what you did wasn’t already evil enough. You then turned around to brag about it. You boasted about it. You rubbed it in people’s faces over and over again. You were proud of what you did. So, the way that I see it. You were the one that crossed a line that cannot be uncrossed. You were the one that made this go from just two wrestlers with a bitter rivalry to two men that cannot co-exist on this planet. You and you alone James are the reason this thing has become real.”
“Don’t get me wrong though. I know that everything I am saying right now is going in one ear and out the other. Everything that I am saying right now will be laughed at. It will be mocked. It will be made fun of. You’ll do what you always do James. You’ll be this big bad ass that cannot be beaten and is just going to stand tall as he has for all these years -- because that’s the character you have created for yourself. You have always hidden behind that character. No one has ever seen the real James Huntington-Hawkes the third.”
“... Well, almost no one.”
“I saw him a few weeks ago. For a brief moment the real James came out when you saw me walk out on that stage. The real James came out when you realized I wasn’t dead and that I survived the worst thing you could have ever done to another man. I saw the real James when he stood there frozen as I folded Alexander Raven in half. I saw the real James when he watched me throw Kevin Carter head first into the steel ring post and saw him when he watched Kevin take a bullet for him. And I saw him when our eyes met as you stood out in the crowd as far away from me as possible.”
“You strip away the J2H character and the reality is that you are a thirty five year old man that’s terrified of the outcome that’s coming his way. You’re a man that’s scared of the repercussions of what you did to me. You’re a man that wants nothing to do with the real me and you want nothing to do with a real fight. Simply put deep down under all the smoke and mirrors of that character. You’re nothing more than a scared little bitch!”
“And honestly you should be scared of me. You should be afraid to get in the ring with me. You should be terrified of fighting me. Because I am going to hurt you. I’m going to maim you. I’m going to put you in the worst physical pain you have ever been in before. I’m going to break you down mentally and emotionally. I’m going to ruin your spirit James. But out of all of that the one thing I look forward to the most. The one thing that has me the most excited is I get to return to favor. At High Stakes when this is all said and done between us. Once the fight is over...”
“You’ll be dead!”
( Again take this OOC away. It’s 5k on the dot according to the Google Docs! I think I put up a good fight and tried to tie up some loose ends to the story. As well as some personal stuff within my own story. Hoping for the best! As I said before, man. All the best, thanks for the last near two years. We killed this shit! )
(https://i.imgur.com/qgBtHSN.png)
Sitting right there on the porch of his home that was out in the middle of nowhere sat the man of the hour. The Immortal himself, Michael Harris. He had a book in his hands as he was flipped to a specific page. Not even bothering to look to see if the cameras were there. He just started speaking as he could feel them.
“By definition. A narrative is a spoken or written account of connected events. A story if you will.”
Harris found himself snapping that book shut in his hands. Letting it fall into his lap with his eyes finally shiting over to the cameras. There was a little bit of a narrowed expression overcoming him.
“For as long as I have known you, James. You have been a man that’s very much about telling his narrative. Been a man that’s all about spinning a narrative to favor yourself. Having a narrative that makes you look good and paints you to be the hero. As you’ve told all of us many-many times before. This is your world. We’re just living in it, but here’s the thing James. There’s this thing called reality and reality trumps any narrative and any story you want to tell. It completely shuts down this idea that you’re in control. It destroys this logic that you are the hero. Reality is everything!”
“Now I will say that there are parts of your narrative and parts of your story that aligns with reality. Not a lot of it, but some of it does. Like for example, you said you knew how to draw me back in. You knew how to get me to come back to Sin City Wrestling. You knew how to get me right where you wanted me and that was by using my son to do so. By doing what you three did to my son. By making his life hell. By beating the hell out of him the night I was in the building. You are one hundred and ten percent correct. That was going to draw me back in. What kind of father would I be if I didn’t come to the rescue when my son needed me the most?”
Taking that book out of his lap. He found himself chuckling it across the porch and then standing himself up from the old wooden rocking chair he had been sitting in. Keeping the camera's focus right on him the entire time.
“See, I take full responsibility for things. All of this. Everything that’s happened to Jayden. That’s my fault. I should have never had my son get involved. Had I never asked him to run you down with a vehicle. Had I never introduced him to this company. Had I never put him in your crosshairs. None of this would even be a thing. But I can admit that’s where I made the mistake. However, I made that mistake. I have to admit I am proud of my boy. He held his own against the three of you on more than one occasion. Several times over he made you look fucking stupid, James. Just like I did.”
“And I know that irked you to the bone. That made you grow a hatred for Jayden. It also made you grow a deeper hatred for me. Because at the end of the day. You know the last name Harris outshines your last name. My youngest child right now already means more than your son does and neither of them are even in this business yet. Fifteen to twenty years from now. My grandchildren. Hell, even my great grandchildren will mean more than yours. My family tree is superior to yours in every single way and pisses you off knowing there’s nothing you can do about it. But in the end James. You were right.”
“You knew what worked. You knew what would get under my skin. You got me to fall right into your trap and that got me fucked up. There’s no point in me denying that. Bravo. You got it to work, but you remember what happened the last time this went down right? You remember what happened the last time you didn’t know how to leave me alone? You know what happened the last time you didn’t know how to just have one over on me and walk away? I came back and fucking destroyed you. To which, I didn’t even break a sweat in doing so. Are you sure this is the path you want to go down?!”
For a moment the man had paused. Lifting his eyebrow up into the air a little bit.
“I don’t know why I am even asking. Of course this is the route you want to take. After all this falls right into your narrative and your story. Specifically the narrative that you are really trying to tell to make me look bad is what happened a year ago around this time. It’s not exactly a secret. Everyone knows we were set to headline High Stakes. You were set to get a rematch for the Heavyweight Championship. It was meant to be Harris versus J2H III with all the chips on the table, but it didn’t happen...”
“And the way you tell it. It didn’t happen because I was scared of you. It didn’t happen because I knew I couldn’t beat you. It didn’t happen because my ego couldn’t take playing second fiddle to you. But that’s where your narrative and reality start to crash. Our match not happening has nothing to do with my ego. It had nothing to do with me not thinking I could beat you. Been there and done that. I know I can. And it damn sure didn’t have anything to do with being scared of you.”
“Brother. You are what? One hundred and ten pounds soak and wet? What the fuck exactly is there to be afraid of? Come on now. The match didn’t happen because I got myself fucking fired. I had such an addiction issue. That I couldn’t control myself at work. My personal life and my professional life blurred into one. I made a horrible decision, attacked a female official, and those two men that run this place. They had to make the call. A call that was best for business as overplayed as that statement is.”
“As time has passed. I got myself cleaned up and I see things for how they really are. I’m not mad at them. I’m not mad at anyone. That was all my fault. But let me guess James. This is where the narrative is going to be spun that I intentionally did that? I intentionally got myself stripped of the title and intentionally got myself fired? All because I was just that afraid to face you. Get the fuck over yourself, pal. You aren’t that scary. Nor are you worth me putting that kind of effort into something like that.”
Harris found himself scoffing at the idea of being afraid of the man he was set to face off with.
“This narrative and this story you keep telling. It’s making you believe in it more and more. It’s making you more and more delusional as time goes on. All while at the same time setting yourself up for failure. You see what you don’t understand about all of this James. Out of the two of us. I don’t have anything to lose in this fight. I’m already retired. I’ve got no desire to keep wrestling. I’ve got no desire to be Heavyweight Champion again. I’ve got no desire to be the main event or the main attraction for this place anymore. But you do...”
“You don’t want your career to end. You don’t want to have to admit that I’m better than you. You don’t want people to see you as vulnerable and weak. It’s something your ego just cannot take. It’s never been able to take it. It’s why anytime a challenge has been presented to you. You vacate a title or you disappear for months upon months. That’s the reality of things. You despite being a man. Deep down inside. You’re nothing more than an insecure child. I get to expose that on the grandest stage of them all. At the very event that you claim you’ve made famous. And it’s going to bring me so much joy.”
Taking a second to himself. He just paused looking right at the cameras. Getting those last few words of his together.
“This is the first time I’m going to admit this.”
“But when you defeated me a year ago. The first time, I walked away. It’s because I lost myself. I lost the ability to believe in myself. I couldn’t believe I let myself be beaten by someone like you. That crushed my ego. I finally had to see myself as a man. Not the character I created for myself. I had to look at reality and not the narrative I was telling for myself. It was quite the eye opener. And now as I stand before you. As I prepare for the single biggest fight of my life.”
“If I can’t beat you as a man. If I can’t beat you in this setting. If I can’t beat you in a fight. Then I never deserved to have the career I had to begin. I never deserved to be champion here. I don’t deserve this main event. I don’t deserve this Hall of Fame spot I am getting. If I can’t beat you. I’ve got not problem saying you’re better than me.”
“But the reality is... you aren’t!”
His eyes said it all. Glaring right at the camera as they faded.
“Now as you can see right here...”
Those words were coming out of the doctor’s mouth as he sat there on his little stool with a pen in hand. Pointing to what appeared to be two separate cat scans.
“This is the night you came into us Jayden. That spot right there is where the blood was pooling inside your skull from that brain bleed. But right here...”
He brought the pen over to the other cat scan to the same exact spot.
“And this your brain a few days removed from surgery. We were able to stop the bleeding and from what we were able to establish once we got in there. There weren't any other major issues. Which you should consider yourself very lucky after the type of blunt force trauma you took to the head.”
“That’s amazing, sweetheart!”
Carmen couldn’t help but chime herself in. That poor woman had been through more than a mother and wife should ever experience over the last few months. Somehow she was able to keep it together showing just how brave she was. Jayden laid there in the bed with that massive head bandage on. Semi-glaring over at the doctor.
“So, when do you think you’re going to give me clearance to get back in the ring?”
“Well as we talked about once before Jayden...”
“You’re not getting back in the ring.”
The entire time standing there against the wall with his arms folded across his chest and listening to everything the doctor was saying as well as presenting to them was Michael. His gaze went from the doctor over to his son in that hospital bed. His eyes said more than enough when he looked over at Jayden, but those two were too much alike for it to be peaceful.
“Excuse the fuck out of me?”
“You’re excused. But you heard me loud and clear.”
“Michael... Jayden... Please.”
“I’m a grown ass fucking man. You’re not going to tell me what I can and cannot do!”
“Out of that statement. You’re wrong. I can tell you what to do and I’ll keep doing so till I am blue in the face. But You’re right about the other thing. You’re a grown man. A grown man with a little girl just over the age of one who is going to need her father around for years to come. A grown man that has a lovely girlfriend who has put up with way more shit than she should have and still standing by your son. A grown man that should be making grown men decisions but by putting a ring on it.
A grown man that needs to understand that there is more to life than his own selfish desires and goals. A grown man that needs to not act on rage and the feeling of needing to get even. And a grown man that needs to see that it isn’t in his best interest physically, mentally, or emotionally to ever step in the ring again. To which if you’re really that grown man. You’ll do the right thing for your family and yourself. But if you aren’t then that says everything it needs to say about you.”
“Go fuck yourself!”
“Welllll! This is clearly a family matter. I’m going to see myself out of this one.”
Right away the doctor stood up from the stool he had been sitting on. Before he could make that mad dash out of the room. Carmen cut him off as she was trying to be the more reasonable one in the room.
“Please. Allow me to apologize for both of them. Not very becoming of the family we are. And go ahead. Continue the conversation with my son. I’m going to have a private conversation with my husband as you do so.”
“Carmen. There isn’t anything to...”
The dirty look she shot him. That was enough to make him be quiet for the time being.
“Ma’am. I can only give him the information that I have in front of him. I cannot convince someone not to do something. People are in control of their own actions after all.”
“I understand that, but being presented with all the facts here might be best for him to make that decision.”
All the doctor could do at that moment is shrug his shoulders and do his best. Carmen was quick to turn away and match right over to her husband. Snagging a hold of his ear rather violently as she dragged him out of the room, into the hall, and letting the door shut behind them. Once she let go of his ear, Carmen slapped him in the back of the head. Getting the response she should have expected.
“Ow. What the fuck woman?!”
“Eres estúpido o algo así?!”
“Want to try that in English?!”
Right away Carmen raised her hand like she was about to catch him in the back of the head again. Causing the man to flinch a little bit. Trying to stay far away from her wrath.
“Our son just went through something traumatic. I would greatly appreciate if you showed a little more compassion and not be such a prick.”
“All I am trying to do is get through to the boy. That there is no wrestling future for him.”
“Maybe go about it in a different way.”
“I’m blunt Carmen. I can’t help who I am. And he’s a stubborn little prick sometimes that doesn’t want to listen to anyone other than himself.”
“Wonder where he gets that from!”
Her eyes narrowed a little more when she looked at him. At that point he was trying to avoid making eye contact with her. Because she had a point. She had more than a point and his own ego wasn’t willing to let him admit that. Not at this moment.
“It’s easy for you to tell him what not to do. It’s easy for you to tell him to stay away. It’s easy for you to tell him to put his family first and be smart about things. But did you?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“I remember a time when I was six months pregnant and you had someone wrap a steel chair around your neck. Then crush it. Making you believe your neck was broken. Instead of doing the right thing. Instead of putting me first, instead of putting our unborn child first, and instead of putting your health first. You ignored all doctor’s orders, went right back at them, and reacted in nothing but rage and the feeling of needing to get even. To get some kind of revenge.”
“Alright. That’s a completely different situation and you know it.”
“But it’s not... just like it’s not with the situation at hand right now. Three men tried to kill you, Michael. They left you in the middle of the ocean to die. Taking it further than just wrestling. Put every single one of us through trauma. And what are you doing right now? Hmm?”
“Carmen...”
“Are you letting it go? Are you walking away? Are you putting us first? Or are you competing in a goddamn deathmatch where lord knows what could happen?!”
Carmen looked at the man right in his soul. The silence that came from Michael was a telling sign. His arms folded across his chest to further show that attitude. All while he leaned against the concrete wall of the hospital.
“A death match that you didn’t clear with me. A death match you didn’t clear with any of us. A deathmatch -- something you’ve never even done before. All for the sake of causing pain, causing suffering, and getting revenge for what they did to you. And as much as I don’t want to see this happen or see yourself go through that. I haven’t tried to stop you. I am just letting you do what you feel like you need to do against my better judgment.”
Harris rolled his eyes a little bit. Carmen saw it and decided to lay into him more. Going right for the heart of things.
“That young man has wanted to be just like you since he was in diapers. I will never forget moments of him dragging those big ass championships of yours around the house or him curling up to me at night and fighting sleep just to see your match. You are his biggest inspiration and the two of you are so much alike it’s not even funny. Of course he’s going to do the same shit you would do. He’s not going down without a fight. Just like you’re not going down without one either!”
He had finally managed to at least look her in the eyes when those last words were coming from her lips. No longer could he deny it. No longer could he ignore it. She was right. Signing with some frustration, he pushed himself off the wall.
“I get it, Carmen. I get it. I just want more for the boy and I don’t want him to make the same mistakes I did. I don’t think I’m wrong for that.”
“No you’re not wrong for wanting more and better for him. That’s our job as a parent, but it’s also our job to continue to believe in our children, support our children, and back our children. Even when sometimes it might not be the best thing.”
“It’s just that...”
“It’s difficult. I already know what you’re going to say, love. Nothing like this is ever easy. But keep this in mind. He’s always believed in you. You’re his superman and that will never change. Just like when he was three and cheering daddy over and over again. He’s going to cheer you on just the same at twenty two in the biggest most vile match you’ve ever had. Keep that in mind and maybe it’ll make you come around for when he ends up doing what he needs to do.”
Carmen gently placed a hand on her husband’s chest. Patting it ever so gently before turning herself around and heading right back inside that room. For a moment Michael stood there by himself. Replaying her words in his head over and over again. Facts were facts. He couldn’t judge or shame or even forbid his oldest from doing the exact same thing he was about to do. Being motivated by revenge and being a fighter... it was in their blood.
“You know the one thing I love about all of this, James?!”
“I love the fact that I have turned out to be right about you. Time and time and time again. There’s not been any lie. There’s not been any fabricated stories. There hasn’t been a single time at all where I have been wrong about you. Unlike so many people from your past, I have been able to figure you out rather quickly and considering who I am. I thoroughly enjoy being able to call you out.”
“Now that being said. Maybe, that doesn't matter to you. Maybe, you're alright with being proven wrong. Maybe, maybe you’re alright with being exposed. After all, look at how alright you’ve been with so many other things. Like the fact, you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. Not only were you okay with that, but you’ve pretty much flaunted it in people’s faces.”
“You have proven to be alright with being mommy and daddy’s golden child. You have proven that you didn’t mind not having to work for the things you wanted. You have proven that you didn’t mind them literally giving you anything and everything you’ve ever wanted. At no point in life have you ever had to learn the value of a dollar, never had to work hard to achieve something, or had to go through some type of struggling times to reach success. No it’s just been given and you’ve been okay with that.”
“And then it transitioned into your adult life. It transitioned into your professional wrestling career and transitioned into you being part of Sin City Wrestling. From the moment you walked through those doors. You had Christian Underwood in your back pocket. You had that man willing to die on the hill he stood on when it came to defending you and giving you what you wanted. Made no difference how biased it made him look or how much it was going to affect the locker room.”
“I mean look at the shit you’ve already said James. You’ve already alluded to the fact that you are looking past me. You’re not considered with me. Instead you are more focused on the Heavyweight Championship match with Finn. In the year 2025. You know something you said quite some time ago when you vacated the title and he went on to win it. For starters. You’re a fucking idiot for looking past me. You should already know how that’s going to go.”
“And secondly, you can make these claims. You can make these things happen. You can say it and it becomes a reality. All because you have had Christian in your pocket and the man has always given you what you wanted. Despite the fact that if that happened. Everyone sure as fuck knows you wouldn’t have earned the match. Not by a long shot. It would have just been given to you because you’re J2H. The great and powerful.”
“I do find it funny though. I am once again right when it comes to you being the top guy. You got the championship after I got fired. You beat a bunch of fucking nobodies to win it in that six pack challenge and then the moment a real challenge appeared in the form of Finn. The moment it was clear he would be breathing down your neck. You just conveniently gave up the championship because you were “bored” as you’ve said so many times before. And just so you could gloat and say you GAVE the man what he had, but let me clue you in on a little something brother.”
“Finn might not like me. I might not like him. Hell, if we’re being fucking honest. The two of us don’t even know each other but, game recognizes game. Talent sees talent. Ego knows ego. That being said the smartest thing you did James was conveniently vacate that title because had you faced Finn for it. He’d dog-walked your bitch ass about three times over and sent you fucking packing until your bruised ego of yours was healed. That’s probably the only thing Finn and I will ever have in common with each other.”
“When it comes to you. You’re no fucking match to us. No matter what your ego tells you. No matter what your inner circle tells you. No matter how many yes men you surround yourself with. You just don’t measure up to men like us. And unfortunately for the man. He’s never going to get the chance to even prove that point. Because you’re not going to make it to 2025. There’s not going to be a J2H versus Finn Whelan main event. There won’t be a Heavyweight Championship bout between the two of you. I’m making damn sure of that.”
“But back to the Christian ordeal. Because what he did with you. It was a big mistake. And boy did it ever have a negative effect on the locker room. You see I said this once before, but it’s worth covering again considering since that time I turned out to be even more right. A year ago I said the reason why Sin City Wrestling struggled to bring in talent and keep high quality talent was because of you. I said that true competitors and true talented men like Mac Bane, and Ken Davison no longer existed in this company because of you.”
“They saw the favoritism you got. They saw how much Christian backed you. They saw how much you got things handed to you over and over again. It became an uphill battle that no longer was worth fighting anymore so they moved on to greener pastures. I said that Peter Vaugh -- who had such a bright-bright future here. A man that was dominating the competition left and right. A man that knocked it out of the park every chance he got. A man who in my opinion should be main eventing every show we have.”
“I said the moment he didn’t get the treatment he deserves with the work that he was putting in. The moment he saw that this place for what it was when it came to you. When he realized he was going to always play second fiddle to you. Because of how Christian conducted business and let that biased nature show. I said he would be out of here... and here we are. A year removed from those comments and where is Peter? Long gone. Once again another great talent lost because of you and poor business decisions.”
“Again. Something you don’t feel bad about. But instead laugh at it.”
“Yet when it comes to Christian. When it comes to this company as a whole. They’re starting to realize the major mistakes they have made. They’re starting to see that they shot themselves in the foot. They are starting to see that they let good talent walk right on out of here. Talent that couldn’t have taken this place to a higher standard than ever thought possible. Christian is finally seeing you for what you have always been. A spoiled self entitled prick that really should have been a wet spot on the sheets. Sadly, it’s a little too late to fix what’s already been done.”
“And because he’s finally seen the light. Because he’s decided to distance himself from you. Because he’s decided to let you fight this battle on your own. Without having him in your back pocket and without him pulling those strings for you when you needed him to. It’s causing you to unravel. It’s causing you to become a little unhinged. It’s causing you to panic and not think straight. Because for the first time in your career and for the first time in your life James. You’re being forced to do this...”
“ALONE!”
“You have to stand up and be a man. All by yourself.. You have to find a way to battle me on your own. You have to find a way to win on your own. You have to find a way to fight on your own. That’s very difficult for you to do when it’s the first time it’s happened. Not to mention it’s difficult to do when you don’t know how to be James the man, instead of J2H the character. You have blended fantasy too much with your reality and now it’s coming back to bite you in the ass.”
“Considering this isn’t about a championship. This isn’t about who the better wrestler is. This isn’t about who deserves to main event over who. This isn’t about who the better Hall of Famer is. No this time it’s about fighting with everything you have in you. It’s digging down deep with that fight. It’s about standing up for what you believe in. It’s about taking all the wrongs done to you and making them right. It’s about showing what you are truly made of at the core. And more than anything it’s about being a man.”
“Something you know nothing about, but that’s also not my problem either. I have said all there is to be said James. There’s no point in wasting anymore words on you. No reason to continue to waste my breath on you. There’s a reason why this is the main event of High Stakes. This match doesn’t get any higher with the stakes. And now time it’s time for the both of us to shut the fuck up and show what the fuck we are made of when the pressure is on. That being said...”
“Can’t wait to put you out of your fucking misery for good!”