[Jayden]

Jayden stood in the background leaning against the wall. Looking over his mother’s shoulder as she found herself looking at a book that had been laid out in front of her moments ago. Carmen was flipping through the pages visibly shaken up. Finally finding herself stopping with the last flip of a page and in doing so she broke down. Tears flowing from her eyes with a shaky voice.

CARMEN: I cannot do this!

It didn’t take long at all for the makeup under her eyes to become ruined. Causing it to drip down her cheeks with tears. She was a complete mess within a matter of seconds. Jayden pushed himself off the wall and took a couple of steps forward. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and squeezed. Right away Carmen reached up with her own hand and put it on top of his. Slowly turning to look at her son.

CARMEN: How do I do this? How do I plan a funeral for the man of my dreams? How do I plan a funeral for your father? None of this seems real. None of it!

JAYDEN: I know Mom. I know.

CARMEN: We don’t get to even have a proper goodbye. We don’t get to see his face. I don’t get to kiss his lips one last time. I don’t get to see it for myself to know it’s real. Instead we’re all just forced to sit here and assume how that went.

JAYDEN: Mom, we can’t allow ourselves to think about any of that. We know what the awful reality is. It’s not easy for us to deal with, but we cannot drive ourselves mad with thinking about all the details of what happened.

CARMEN: But how do you not think about it son?! My brain can’t shut off. It hasn’t been able to shut off since we got the information. I can’t stop thinking about how alone he must have felt. How awful it must have been for him to know what his last moments were. How awful the drowning must have been. I just can’t stop thinking about it. This isn’t fair to us, Jayden. He didn’t deserve to go out like that. They had no right to take him from us!

JAYDEN: ... I know, I fucking know!

In the near twenty two years of life. Jayden hadn’t ever thought about raising his voice with his mother. There was always a very respectful boundary set there. There had been plenty of times he and his old man hashed it out with a screaming match, but not his mother. He wouldn’t dare, but this was all too much for him to deal with. For the first time in life he was being forced to deal with his emotions. Looking her in the eyes for a moment.

JAYDEN: I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled... I just need a second to collect myself.

Not giving her a chance to respond. Jayden took his hand off his mother’s shoulder and found himself quickly exiting the room. Closing the door behind him and leaving her to herself for the time being. He walked down the hall at a fast pace. In a matter of seconds, he exploded out the front doors of the funeral home and nearly collapsed against a railing in front of the building. Gripping it with both hands as he gasped for air. All of those emotions overcame him at once.

“Jayden? Are you okay?”

That voice was all too familiar. It forced him to look to the left of him where the voice had come from. Standing just a couple inches away from him was his sister. Right away he forced himself to stand up straight and even though he didn’t have his breath back completely. He still managed to speak, trying to put on a brave face.

JAYDEN: I’m fine. What are you doing here?

MIKHALIA: I told Mom as soon as I got back in town. I’d come help you guys iron out the remainder of the details.

JAYDEN: Oh, it’s almost handled. You can go home. I’ll help finish everything with her. I just needed to step out for a second.

MIKHALIA: I’m going to help. I know exactly what you’re doing. It’s the same thing Dad would do. You’re trying to take care of it all yourself. Put it all on your shoulders.

JAYDEN: Mik please, don’t.

MIKHALIA: Jayden! You don’t look well at all. You’re not fine and it’s okay to not be fine. Especially in this type of situation.

She had closed the gap between them. Standing right next to her older brother and reaching out to pat him on the back.

MIKHALIA: To the outside world, Dad was a prick. He was a monster. He was hated, but to all of us. We know he was the glue that held everything together. It hurts to know he’s not here with us anymore. But we’ll pick up the pieces and we’ll move on in honor of him. However, you don’t have to be strong for us. You’re allowed to grieve. You're allowed to feel emotions and be human. It’s fine to let it all out, bub.

There was a smile that consumed her as she kept a hand on his back. For a couple of seconds the silence between them stayed. Jayden just looked his sister in the eyes and found himself nodding his head a little bit. Before finally pushing himself away from the railing and creating a small bit of distance between them.

JAYDEN: Emotions make you weak, but being logical with your emotions is a difference maker. That’s something dad would say all the time to us. Emotionally, I want to let it all out. I want to cry. I want to scream. I want to shout. I want to be mad at the world. I want to grieve, but I can’t allow myself to do that when I know logically I have to handle business first.

MIKHALIA: Jayden. I’m sure this is the one time that can be forgotten and forgiven.

JAYDEN: Not with me. Not in my world. The moment I get revenge. The moment those three don’t exist anymore. Then and only then will I let my emotions take over me.

A small shade of red was filling his face showing that he was angry, but there was a plan in motion. There was a plan to get that revenge he spoke about.

JAYDEN: Let’s get in there. She needs us more than you know.

Mikhalia looked at her brother with a worried look on her face. Knowing this couldn’t be good with the way he was suppressing everything. By that time he had turned and started to walk back up to the doors of the funeral home. Right away she began to follow right behind them. In a matter of weeks the entire Harris family had their world turned upside down. How they would overcome this was up in the air, but there was hell to pay soon enough.


His suitcase set out on the edge of the bed. Jayden grabbed his white wrestling boots out of the closet and tossed them right inside the suitcase on top of his gear. Turning back and walking towards the closet to grab something else. About that time Saraia came walking into the bedroom, holding their one year old in her arms, and taking notice of the suitcase on the bed. More importantly taking notice to it filling up.

SARAIA: Uh, excuse me sir?

About that time he turned around with his wrist tape in hand and tossed it into the bag. His eyes looking over in her direction for a brief moment.

JAYDEN: What?

SARAIA: What? Are you going to play stupid today? Cause that’s not a fun game.

JAYDEN: I’m packing. It’s very clear what I’m doing. Failing to see your issue.

SARAIA: Imagine that. “Failing” to see the issue. How about using the word “choosing” in replace of failing. That’ll be more accurate.

Her spicy latina attitude shining through as it always did. Jayden sighing heavily and just looked at her.

JAYDEN: I’m too tired to deal with your bullshit right now.

SARAIA: Well baby boy. You better wake the fuck up and be ready to get a nice full spoon of my bullshit being fed right to you.

JAYDEN: Let’s not do this.

SARAIA: We wouldn’t be, if you had listened to the words I said the other night. I told you that you were not going to Belgium. I told you that you would not wrestle for the foreseeable future. And more importantly, I told you. You needed to be staying home with us. Getting yourself and your emotions in check. You’re not doing well.

JAYDEN: I guess the good thing in all of this is that I’m a grown fucking man and in being a grown fucking man. I make my own decisions. I decide what I will and will not do. And while I heard what you said the other night. It doesn’t work for me. I have a match, I’m going to wrestle, and I’m going to handle things the way they need to be handled. Deal with it.

His attitude was very apparent with his response, but that came as no surprise. Their entire relationship was based on turmoil and they went back and forth all the time. Especially when she tried to control what he did. With that frustration, he grabbed his suitcase and began to close it. Saraia found herself reaching out and grabbing him by the wrist. It wasn’t aggressive by any means. It was actually very tender. Forcing him to look up at her.

SARAIA: I understand that our relationship isn’t as conventional as others. I know we have our issues. We’re often at each other’s throats. We’re far too young to have children together, but we do. Everything about this relationship says it should fail. But...

She found herself pausing for a moment. There was a small amount of emotion in her voice that was new to his ears. His eyes remained on her looking confused.

JAYDEN: But, but what?

SARAIA: Just because things aren’t what most people think they should be and just because we have our issues. That doesn’t mean I don’t care or that I don’t actually love your stubborn ass. I do, I very much do. I need you in my life. Your daughter needs you in her life.

JAYDEN: You’re acting like I’m going somewhere for good? I’ll be back after this tour.

SARAIA: Will you though? Will you?!

Her voice almost broke with that statement.

SARAIA: I know I haven’t wanted you to go before. Because I’m just selfish and want you around all the time, but this time that’s not what it is. I don’t want you to leave because I’m concerned about your well being. I’m concerned about what is going to happen to you. I’m concerned you won’t come back to me. I see everything your mom is going through and that’s all that I keep thinking about.

JAYDEN: You’re allowing yourself to get worked up for no reason. That’s not something you need to be thinking about or concerned with. I’m going to be just fine.

SARAIA: But, it’s not that simple and you know it. You never want to listen to me when it comes to anything related to wrestling. I get that you got a far better background than I do in the sport, but I can see in those men’s eyes. This isn’t about wrestling for them. It’s about hurting people. Hurting them in the worst possible way.

JAYDEN: I’ve been hurt before. I’ll be hurt again. It’s part of things. But they’re not going to accomplish what they...

SARAIA: ... Would you shut up and listen for once?!

Her frustration was starting to boil over. She was clearly trying to get through to him on a level like never before, but he just wasn't getting it.

SARAIA: They’re going to do whatever they can to take you from me. Take us from your daughter. Tale you from your entire family, Jayden! How can you still have an ego about this?! How can you be this clueless and keep turning a blind eye to the situation?! You’re falling right into their trap!

Finally, the tears that she had been trying to fight back came dripping down her cheeks. Her hand lifted off his wrist. With both hands now wrapped around their daughter and holding her to her very tightly. Her eyes shifted back to him.

SARAIA: Like I can’t go through what your mother is going through. I know what’s going to happen when you get to Belgium. They don’t care what they gotta do. They don’t want you around anymore. For once Jayden. Please put your ego aside. Back down, stay home, stay home with us, and be safe. Please, I’m begging you.

Jayden stood there for a moment in silence. Looking at her with tears in her eyes. Looking at her begging. Looking at her showing a side of herself to him he had never seen before. That was a lot for him to take in. A lot for him to process, but at the same time so was what she was asking of him. After all this was something he had to do.

JAYDEN: You’re not making this easy and you’re not going to like my decision...

His hand wrapped around the handle of his suitcase as he pulled it up off the bed. Saria found herself sighing in disappointment as she shook her head.

JAYDEN: This isn’t something I want to do. This isn’t something that is ego fueled. This isn’t even about the match or winning or losing for me. This is something I have to do. I have to get this measure of revenge.

SARAIA: And what happens when you don’t?!

JAYDEN: That’s not an option!

A slight shake in his head could be seen.

JAYDEN: I’ll come back home. That much I can promise you. You have my word, but as far as Kevin making it home. That’s up in the air for him!

For a moment he leaned in and placed a kiss on her lips. Turning moments later and kissing the top of his daughter’s head. Before walking right on past them and exiting the bedroom. Saraia still had that worried look on her face. His words didn’t put her at ease, but it was very clear that nothing she said. Nothing anyone else said was going to get him to be logical and reasonable. There simply wasn’t any stopping him until he felt he got revenge.


As the cameras were starting to open up the shot. The street lights had just come on in Brussels as the night sky looked ever so peaceful. For a moment the sound of footsteps against concrete pavement could be heard causing the cameras to switch their focus to where the sound was coming from. That’s when Jayden Harris could be seen walking right up to the camera crew. A scowl only the Brat could deliver all over his expression. His first word was spoken.

“Insecurity.”

Finding himself putting his hands in the pockets of his shorts. Keeping his focus right there on the cameras,

“It’s something that plagues the entire wrestling business. From the top of the card to the bottom. Even if there’s quite a few of them that won’t flat out admit it. But it still very much is something that exists in them. However with that being said sometimes there’s someone that’s riddled with insecurity that cripples their entire mindset. It makes them look weak and makes them look pathetic. Their insecurity is so bad it makes people actually feel sorry for them. You are that type of insecure, Kevin.”

A slight nod could be seen in his head.

“It started off when you were so insecure that you decided to hide behind a mask. You were terrified that people wouldn’t remember who you were. You were scared that you were going to get met with the “who” reactions from the crowd. You were so deeply insecure that you thought the sheer mention of who you were would cause a vendetta to be carried out against you. After all, that’s the story you have tried to spin and tell. How you were so mistreated. How you were so held back.

How you were never taken seriously and intentionally set to fail. Over and over again. But again, that falls right in line with the insecurity that you’ve clearly had all along. The moment you are so quick to start blaming people - especially management for how things have gone for you. That’s a telling sign right there that you don’t believe in yourself. You don’t trust yourself to get the job done. You’re already looking for a way out in order to take the heat off yourself. It’s truly sad.”

Jayden’s tone of voice was very telling. Every word that seemed to come out of his mouth was soaking in sarcasm. Clearly, aiming to take as many shots as he could at the man he was set to face off with in about twenty four hours from now.

“No one held you back, Kevin. You achieved some things. Two time World Champion. Former Tag Team Champion. Won a briefcase to earn a World Title match to begin with. You clearly had some success, but it’s no one’s fault but your own that your own with the briefcase wasn’t talked about or remembered. You were so quick to cash that thing in. Impatience tends to go hand in hand with insecurity. No one is to blame for the failure tag team of you and Ace Baldwin, but yourselves.

Maybe, the two of you should have actually worked together as a team. Instead of having such big egos that caused the two of you to clash the way you did and have that run as champions blow up in your faces before you could make it mean something. It’s not Mark or Christian’s fault that you lost the World Championship to Goth and seriously devalued yourself. Anyone that loses to Goth shouldn’t ever be considered something special here.

You played yourself, Kevin. Maybe you should have learned to be better. It also wasn’t their fault when you lost the title a second time to Drake Green they saw that you weren’t what you said you were and that in the end Drake was clearly the bigger star. Again, you’re at fault for that. You should have delivered on the bullshit that you spewed. You should have stuck to your word. You should have smashed Drake for standing in your way, but you didn’t!”

He found himself shaking his head a little bit. A sarcastic chuckle falling from his lips at the same time.

“Then you disappear for eleven years. Sure blame it on the fact you were supposedly not resigned, but the truth of the matter is Kevin. Your ego was bruised. Your insecurity was seeping out. So you tucked your tail between your legs and walked away like a bitch. Until you came back as this masked boogeyman and even that you were insecure the entire time. You never stepped outside of your comfort zone. You kept wanting to hide in the shadows and take the easy road when it came.

For a man that claimed he was robbed of being a star. You were quick to hide your face. For a man that said he had his entire history erased. You sure were quick to not do anything about it, but complain. For a man that was dead set on telling everyone that this company took his legacy away from him. You did nothing to try and restore it. Not once did you ever stand up and shine in the main event. Not once did you challenge for a championship. Not once did you try to right all these wrongs.

As a matter of fact Kevin. Think about the one chance you had to make something of yourself again. The one chance you had to thrust yourself back into the spotlight and back into the main event. The chance you had to be the star you have claimed to be all along. You dropped the ball. You couldn’t survive in a Ladder Match where some of the best this place has to offer. You failed miserably and let a fucking janitor win the Golden Opportunity briefcase.

And that’s not even talking about letting a fool like HB Carter beat you. Carter literally only manages to pick up ‘big’ wins here and there. Other than that he’s doing what he’s doing next week defeating people like Justin Smith. But you lost to that. Someone that until very recently didn’t matter. That’s like losing to Goth, but just in modern times. Or how about the time you lost to Eddie Lyons? A man that can’t seem to break through the glass ceiling.

Yet, you failed at beating him in your first meeting. You allowed him to have that kind of stroke over you going forward. Honestly, if you ask me Kevin. The writing is on the wall right before us. Nothing about you has changed. Nothing about you has improved. Nothing about you is shining bright like you claim you should be. You look, sound, and have the same skill set you had eleven years ago. To me, there was no point in taking the mask off or even coming back for that matter.”

Another small chuckle fell from his lips. Each word was more sarcastic and hateful than the previous. There was no love lost between the men. Their verbal jabs were going to be second to none, but Jayden being who he was. He was going to aim for the throat with his.

“Of course you’re still in denial. As much as you are going through an insecurity criss. That’s why you’re still here and that’s why you have decided to take form this alliance with J2H and Alexander Raven. You feel safe enough to take the mask off and let the world know who you are. Because you have back up, because you have two other men that share the same mindset as you, and all because you can lean on them when the going gets tough. So you’re not exposed for not getting the job done.

Only problem with that is. You couldn’t have chosen the worst pair of men to form an alliance with. Alexander is also a man that’s very insecure about himself. It’s why every single week he’s spewing similar bullshit as you. It’s why he’s always got some kind of conspiracy theory for why he didn’t win this or why he hasn’t achieved that. He is much like you, Kevin. Can’t look at himself in the mirror. Be a man and just admit he’s not that good. Nor will he ever be.

And James? You don’t think he doesn’t have his own insecurity issues? I mean, I’ll give it to him. He’s far better than you or Alexander ever dreamed of being here. The man has been at the top of the mountain. Done everything there is to do. He’s earned his right to be called a Hall of Famer. I won’t take any of that away from him, but now that he’s on the downward slope. It’s making him insecure. It’s making him lose grip with reality. It’s making him become a laughing stock that no one thought he would ever be.

The man will tell you he’s content with walking away and never coming back, but yet he keeps returning again and again. He will tell you that he has no competition and that he’s better than anyone and everyone, but he is like you, Kevin. Now more than ever stays in this little lane. Knows who he can and can’t defeat now that he’s past his prime. Anytime he finds himself out matched, he finds some way to break the rules to win or get out of the match completely.

Let me be the first to tell you. It’s clear that all three of you have the same issues. But the three of you combined forces aren't somehow going to make those issues go away. It’s not going to somehow make you three of you functioning. It’s not going to put the three of you in a position where you’re suddenly the stars you think that you are. All it’s going to do is cause an issue where eventually those egos and that insecure mindset is going to clash. It’ll cause you to turn on each other and you’ll crash and burn!”

His eyes were starting to glow with a certain level of excitement to them. Almost as if he couldn’t wait for that crash and burn to finally happen.

“You’re on this rinse and repeat cycle, Kevin. You continue to tell us how great you were back then. How great you’re going to be now. But nothing ever ends up being true. You don’t ever end up proving yourself. And now you’re out there making unrealistic promises to your goons. That you’re going to put a permanent end to me. That you’re going to remove me - the thorn in all three of your sides once and for all. That by your hand and your hand alone. You’re seeing to it that I join my father.

It’s really cute that you think so highly of yourself after all of this. But trust me when I tell you. If Alexander, who was clearly a far more sadistic man than you were in that ring, couldn't take me out. You’re not going to do so. If J2H, who is very much superior to you in every single way, wasn't good enough to take me out. I can guaran-fucking-tee you’re not going to be good enough. You’re about to fall flat on your face and be embarrassed by this so-called kid as you like to call me!”

Jayden shook his head once again from side to side in disappointment.

“People think I’m a psychopath for challenging you to this match. Considering nothing has truly worked out in my favor since this entire thing began. But you know what? They just might be right. Maybe, I am a psychopath. Maybe I am a little unstable. Maybe just maybe not everything upstairs in the ol’ brain works the way it is meant to. After all, I am my father’s son and he was far from sane. But what you have done, Kevin. It can’t go unpunished. I can’t look past it. I won’t stop until you no longer exist.

And I’m not entering this blindly. I’m more than aware that this match isn’t going to be one on one. Alexander and J2H will be lurking in the background. Waiting for the perfect time to strike aka the moment that I have you on the edge of defeat. They will strike and they’ll make sure everything is ruined. To which all of you probably think that I’m falling right into your plan with that. But in reality, you’re all falling right into my plan. Because that’s what I want!”

Those lips of his curled into a pretty sinister smirk.

“All three of you, being in the same place at the same time with me. That’s what I need. That’s what I crave. That’s where I know that I can get the correct measure of revenge on all three of you for the pain, the suffering, and the torment you have caused my entire family over your actions. So, even if this match doesn’t end cleanly. Even if the record books don’t say Jayden Harris defeated Kevin Carter. None of that is going to matter or be remembered. Because the one that that will stick out is how I was a one man wrecking crew that single handily took you all out of your fucking misery!”

With those words escaping his mouth. There was this sense of feeling overcoming the scenery that the man truly believed in everything he said. This might have made Jayden the most dangerous he has ever been at such an early stage in his career. Taking his hands out of his pockets, he took two steps towards the cameras and got real close to the camera lens.

“Remember one thing Kevin. The moment you start to go into the light tomorrow night by my hand. As that last couple breaths of oxygen are literally choked out of you. Remember that you’re to blame for what’s happening to you. You’re to blame for never being a star. You’re to blame for your name not being remembered. You’re to blame for your legacy vanishing. And you’re to blame for your entire existence ending by my hand. It’s all your fault!”

All of the sudden his right hand reached out and palmed the camera lens before pushing it backwards. It was enough to knock the camera person off balance as they fell backwards. Leading to them dropping the camera in just the right spot to catch Jayden stepping right over the camera man and walking down the concrete sidewalk, In a matter of seconds he had disappeared into the darkness of the night. The message had been sent loud and clear with the cameras finally fading out.