[Christian Underwood]

Post all roleplays for this match here.
Limits: 1 roleplay per week, per character, 7k limit.

Good luck!

[Alex Jones]

Then and Now.

Friendship.

Something that seems so natural in everyday life. In this business, in professional wrestling,it is very rare to find true friendship. You have so many acquaintances, temporary people who come in and out of your life on a whim, but real friends, people who stay with you who watch your back, and who will always be there whenever you need them are rare. The acquaintances are a dime a dozen, those temporary people who you meet at a show, or a gym, or a company that you are doing a few spots for. They are there, they are trying to get to know you and perhaps use you. That is the other side of this business, the side that so many people refuse to acknowledge and want to ignore exists.

The best part? When you are young it seems like you want to trust everyone. You want to believe that they have your best interests at heart and that no one will take advantage of you. If you come into the professional wrestling business and try and stay innocent? You are not going to be for much longer. It will be taken away from you, you will be used and thrown away. But sometimes you make a mistake. Sometimes you throw real friends away and before you know it you look around and you are alone.

Spike Kane..A man who Alex had known for almost a decade.Since Alex was a fresh-faced 18-year-old rookie straight out of high school who wanted to learn the art of professional wrestling. Spike was a few years older and wiser,  who had been up and down both coasts of the United States, straight through the middle and through the southern states, all around Europe and even to Japan. Spike had seen so much in his time in the business, he befriended Alex at a young age, and after a time they decided to watch each other’s backs. Forming a team, going through other partners, trios stables groups, other members came and went but the one constant was spike and Alex. They became inseparable. Best friends always willing to take a bullet for one another, where one went the other followed, where one succeeded so did the other. If Alex got ahead he would reach down and pull Spike up with him and Spike would do the same thing.

It worked. Both men became world champions. Both men were well on their way to becoming Hall of Fame-level talents.

And they were going to do it as a team. As friends. As brothers.

Or at least that is what Alex believed. He trusted spike. He believed in him. He never thought in a million years that the guy with who he had trained since he was a teenager would look for a nice soft spot to stick the knife and betray him. But it happened.

”It’s just business...brother…” Spike’s words accentuated by his heavy Irish accent rang out through Alex's ears as he took the hard right hand. Alex hit the mat hard, hearing the crowd shocked. The punch itself isn't what hurt. In fact, it was nowhere near the hardest one that Alex had ever taken. What hurt was who did it and why. Alex had been surrounded by members of a group called the young guns. For men who he had been at war with for the better part of three years. For men who had come at Alex and Spike time and time again, they traded wins they traded championships, and they had surrounded the ring and come for him.

There was a roll from the crowd. Applause and happiness as Spike came from the back and ran down the ramp sliding under the bottom rope. A feeling of relief had washed over Alex. It was two against four but at least Alex had his friend who he knew had his back. It gave him a chance, or so he thought. But then, Alex had felted spikes hand wrapped around his elbow spinning him around right into a stiff right hand. It may as well have been a knife being stabbed deep into his back. And to be told it was just business? Alex got it. Business. He would always come first and everyone in professional wrestling was all about themselves, it was all about business. And it was then that Alex vowed he would never let personal issues interfere with business.

It really should not have come as a surprise to Alex. After all, Spike had taught him so many things now he had taught Alex his final lesson. There were no friends in this business, and you should never trust anybody.

For years that had been a mantra to Alex. A lesson that spike had taught him that seemed to influence almost everything he did. Alex went from companies company, using people as a means to an end to get where he wanted to be and to take the championships and accolades that he thought were his. He left a pile of broken and bruised egos and people in his wake. And he never cared. He never let himself feel pity, remorse, or empathy for anyone else in this business. Because after all, it was just business.

And business is exactly what the gym was.

Wolfslair.

In his quieter moments at the gym he would often drift off and stop thinking about his past. He would start thinking about the people who had come across his life and a different moment. People who he had a wrong and hurt. He was older now, his outlook was different. For the last three or four years Alex had been about preserving his legacy and passing on knowledge as Wellers building relationships with people in the business who he could trust and he felt a kinship with.

He had Austin, someone who he had always tried to help and improve from a rookie who had the raw talent and drive, to the seasoned veteran that he had become. The man who had been a world heavyweight champion and who had also ruled the wrestling world with Alex.

But, aside from Austin and the motley crew of personalities that had come and go from not just the New York gym but also the Florida one, there was Alicia Lukas.

She was a young woman who Alex had seen in Japan. A young woman who had the raw talent and ability that he had always looked for. He had helped her, trained her, and given her advice on how to properly use her talents and where to go in her career. It was not until many years later that they paths will cross again and Alex will see the kind of woman she has become. He had heard whispers, seen a few matches now and again while she was still in Japan as well as hearing that she was back in the United States. But it wasn’t until he saw her in action that you realise just how far she had come. And just how high her ceiling was.

He smiled and shook his head as she walked over. Still in her workout gear as she folded her arms over her chest and stood next to him watching the others work out. Austin working with some of the younger members. Alicia laughed under her breath and looked up at Alex. ”Big show coming up.”

It was of course an understatement. It was not just a big show, it was the biggest show. High stakes. The biggest show of the year for sin city wrestling. And Alex was going in as the world heavyweight champion. He was used to high-pressure situations. He was used to carrying companies on his shoulders. But now he was older, while he knew he was still a great talent with a great mind for the business he was not the young man he was before. He was not the young man who was ready to destroy his body just to prove a point. He had a family, a wife who loved him and children. He had a reason to take care of himself. He also had the gym, young talent to look to him for guidance and training. He was not used to it. Even after opening the gym he never really understood what it meant until recently as he embraced the role of mentor.

”Yep”

It was a simple one-word answer. Alex stood quietly, just staring ahead as Alicia gave him a small smile from the side of her face with another shake of her head. She had known Alex long enough to know when he was hiding things. He was hiding the turmoil inside himself. The self-doubt that always came with struggling to reconcile someone’s own past. A past that was filled with just as many failures as there were successes. Just as many losses as there were wins. Alex would always go into matches with the outward facade of confidence. But this was a world championship match, on the biggest stage the mall, against an opponent who had already beaten him and taken the championship off him once. No, Alicia was not falling for that shit.”You know, you don’t have to put the whole “strong silent” think on with me. Or Austin. We know what is going on….”

He closed his eyes and chuckled to himself. He tilted his head to the side and looked down at Alicia. ”Oh? Do you now?”

She moved around in front of him so her back was to the rest of the members of the gym who were training on the mats in front of them. She folded her arms over her chest puffing it out and pulling back her shoulders to show her confidence. Confidence that Alex had always respected, one that he always wanted to bring out of her, a confidence that was hidden behind those bright blue eyes that he remembered seeing in Japan all those years ago. ”It’s ok to fail….rewal champions, we take those failures….we keep them with us, admit to them...and then...we slaughter them...that’s what you’ve done...now you just have to finish it…”

She smiled arrogantly. Alex laughed to himself as he watched her walk away. She was right. He knew she was right. In fact, it was something that Alex had told her many years ago. This was the cycle of life. Lessons that you taught other people would now come back and be taught to you. But now, as Alex stood in the gym that he had created, as a world champion again, the doubt still remained.But all it did was fuel him.

Are we tired of redemption?

”I know what the majority of you are thinking.I, here is another speech from Alex Jones about redemption and everything that he has gone through. And I get it, sometimes you people aren't really into that. But here's the thing. Everything that I've gone through over the last couple of months, everything that I have done and every match I have had and accolade I have collected, every title and title defense that I have gone through, it is all led to this. Every single part of it. It's one of those full-circle things.

He laughed to himself. His arms folding over his chest as he moved to the side and reached down picking up the Sin City wrestling world heavyweight championship. He threw it over his shoulder, his left hand moving across and grasping one of the side plates as his thumb rubbed across the center plate and moved across his name tag.

”The first time that I became a world champion I could hardly believe it was happening to me. Being a world champion is something that everyone should aspire to be in this business. In fact, if you do not get into professional wrestling to try and be a world champion and show that you are the best then you are honestly doing it wrong. Yes I understand that some people just want to be entertaining, some people just want money, some people want fame, and some people just like to cause pain to others and this is one of the few professions that allows you to get away with that without going to jail. However, the world championship is the end result of all of the different roads you can walk down as you come into this profession. But as I said, the first time it happened I could barely believe it.I was just a kid, a few years into the business and I had reached the top of a mountain.There was a small part of me that was scared, fearful that the passion that I had for this business and what we do would now start to fade away because I had already accomplished the goal that I had set out to attain”

“Do you know what I found when I got to the top of that mountain? Higher mountains. More things that I needed to do and that I needed to accomplish. I wanted to defend the championship and make sure that my name became synonymous with it. I wanted to break records. I wanted to go down in history as the greatest person to ever hold that particular championship.Then it hit me that the reason why you see so many people who are clinging and clutching onto their spots, the entire reason why you see all these old are broken down beaten upwrestlers who refuse to quit and refuse to just retire is that they all have that passion and that need to try and get to the top of the next mountain. It’s a sad state of affairs in this business, but it's exactly where we have all been and it is where we are all going. Part of me admires the ones who are strong enough to walk away and say that enough is enough. But that simply isn't me. “

“Trust me, I tried.”

“Something just kept pulling me back in. And this time? It was one word and that one feeling.Redemption.That feeling that you have deep down inside yourself when you have let yourself down. Letting yourself down as well as members of your family and your friends is always painful. Even if your friends and family love you so much that they refuse to tell you that you've let them down. They'll tell you that they are proud of you and they will tell you that they have your back and they understand. But that feeling down in the pit of your stomach that is empty and feels like a black hole just won't go away. It will stay there and it will fester and it will consume you until there is very little of who you are left. That is where I was at in my life, that is the point I was at a year ago.I was arrogant and I was cocky and I almost ruined someone’s career just because I wanted to get my hands on something that at the time if I'm being brutally honest with myself, I didn't deserve.”

Alex turned his head and glanced at the championship dangling over his shoulder, a small smile twisting on his lips before staring ahead yet again to continue.

”I can admit that now and I can be honest with myself. I can look in the mirror and say that I was a horrible person and that I deserved to lose the championship the way I did. And I stood at the base of the mountain staring up and realizing that I had to start from square one at my age. It wasn't exactly something that I wanted to do but it was something that I needed to do. So I started climbing. I threw myself at the best this company had to offer like Ben Jordan, Vinnie, and Fenris. I had some of my greatest losses but also my greatest matches against the best of the best in this company. Legends and world champions. That led me to get my hands on the roulette championship and I was happy enough to defend that title and see where that road was going to take me before refocusing on anything else. I was happy in that division, I was happy there trying to gain that redemption and show the world that it doesn't matter which championship it is that you can make it worth something, and make sure your legacy is cemented. But it seems that fate was always going to intervene on my behalf.”

“MacBane took it upon himself to challenge me and defend his championships to me. A man who had come back to Sin City wrestling and had been one of the most dominant human beings ever to step in between those ropes.In a very short amount of time he won every championship he could win except for the mixed tag team championships. He won the Internet title, he won the roulette title, and then he went on to win this the Sin City Wrestling world heavyweight championship and he did it with ease .He didn't just beat Mark Cross, he embarrassed Mark Cross. He embarrassed Mark Cross so bad it doesn't even look like mark will ever fully recover and bring himself back to being the competitor that he was before Mack beat him.And that is the difference between people like Mark and myself. I got beaten, I started from square one and vowed I would crawland call my way backone match at a time. Mark seems like he just gave up.I made everyone who doubted me eat their words when I beat Mac, and then in the rematch when everyone thought he was going to walk in destroy me and take his championship back I proved them wrong.My road to redemption was almost complete. But there was one last name on that list….”

“Jack Washington.”

“And I cannot express to any of you how incredibly happy I was when Jack was able to win that triple threat match and earn his shot at me going into high stakes.I cannot fully explain how when I watched him get that win how hard it was to jump up out of my chair and then calm myself down. But, before Jack and I were going to get in the ring at high stakes one on one for the world championship, we got put in A tag team match where he had to team up with one of the challenges for Amber Ryan's bombshells championship while she teamed up with me. Now, while Amber and I got the win I can't really sit here and say that it was building any type of real momentum going into this one-on-one match.I will say, however, that it was a pleasure teaming with Amber and I am very glad that she didn't hold it against me that I beat her husband for the world championship.”

Alex smiles warm obviously sincere with his words towards Amber Ryan and the match that they had. He swallows hard and clears his throat getting ready to focus on his opponent and the upcoming championship match. 

”Now, heading into this I’ve always been very big on telling my story and reminding everyone of my own failures. Because I feel like it is important to get over those failures by confronting them and overcoming them. And this is fitting going into the biggest show of the year facing the man who handed me my biggest defeat in this company.I was on top of the world when you and I faced each other Jack,I thought I was going through a renaissance, I had talked my way into a championship match and beat Griffin Hawkins, a guy who I honestly believed at one point I was friends with. But I was willing to betray that friendship just so I could get my hands on the world heavyweight championship. And at the time I didn't care. That loss to you and watching you walk away as the champion was a fitting end to the incredible failure I was as a champion.”

“See, a real champion can look at his failures and pick himself up. And that is what I've tried to do Jack. I didn't go searching for the world championship,I waited, I've learned my lessons and I've come back stronger. I honestly hope that you've learned your lessons and you are coming back stronger as well. You are getting a different Alex Jones this time. You are not getting the same ultra arrogant asshole that stopped caring about the sport of professional wrestling and the honor that we all have to live up to when we get into that ring. Last time you and I faced each other for this championship you walked in With your chest out and your nose up, not giving a shit about my past and who I was and where I've come from. You didn't care about my accolades or who I was. You shit all over me and you shit all over my career and it worked.”

“You got in my head, you put me off my game, and I paid the price for it.It was genius and I didn't give you enough credit at the time. But now I see it.You are wise beyond your years and you are also one of the best in this business and I said when you lost this championship that you would be back to try and claim it and here you are. Here you are getting ready to head into the biggest show that this company puts on into the biggest match that the company will put on.”

“And it isn't lost on me what this match will mean for you too.”


He gives a small shrug and removes the title from his shoulder setting it down with a heavy sigh.

”You have your own demons and your own redemption to think about. If you win this championship you will not just be a three-time world champion but you will also have a chance to defend this championship and break records, you'll have a chance to go on and live on and finally have that championship run that you believed you should have had when you beat me. As good as you are Jack you have never lived up to the hype or the potential that you've shown. You got in my head and beat me and then tried to be the champion that you thought you had to be only to fall in a heap not once but twice you stayed sniffing around this championship because you wanted another shot at it when you lost it the first time and you got it. While I went back and started from square one you made the mistake that so many others do and tried to push your way with blunt force back to the championship only to lose it again almost as fast.”

“But for me Jackthisis the logical endpoint. My changing attitude, the run that I went on in defending the roulette championship only to get hand-selected by a dominant champion to defend the world title against, to prove everyone wrong and win the championship and also defended against that same dominant champion when everyone said I was going to fail,it's almost poetic that it is now leading me into high stakes to face you.The arrogant upstart who took the championship off me the first time after I had taken so long to win it.I know how bad you want this Jack, I know how bad you wanna get your hands on it, and I know how bad you want to beat me again. To say that you beat me for a world championship once is a hell of a thing to have on your resume despite the fact that you will never admit it. But to beat me twice? For a world championship? That's almost unheard of. Good luck kid, you’re gonna need it.

[Jack Washington]

Prologue:

As it worked out, Jack and Crystal came up short in their mixed tag match against Amber Ryan and Alex Jones. The champions walked away the winners, but it really didn’t matter to Jack in the long run. And despite the altercation with the referee, Jack managed to exit the match unscathed. Now, he was fixated on getting what he was after, ever since returning to SCW, the SCW World heavyweight championship. It was now within his grasp as he would headline High Stakes XI and look to defeat Alex Jones and win back the championship at Madison Square Garden. Jack was of course fully capable of doing this, but there was almost an expectation of this to happen, and Jack seemingly had to live up to them. For him, anything short of victory and winning back the championship would be seen as a failure. Anything short of walking away with the gold would not be acceptable. Jack would consider himself almost a laughing stock if he fell short. Jack would have to keep his focus up and not fall into a lull, otherwise all of those things would indeed happen. He knew that Alex Jones was good, having wrestled him before, but Jack remained confident he would win. Now all he had to do, was prepare.

 

Outside the ring, we are drawing closer to what happened before and while Jack was away. After the second hit on the Mexican’s shipment, tensions were once again high. Jack had to have yet another meeting with Ana Sofia, first to discuss the shipment loss, which then turned into Ana Sofia revealing that she has a tail on Jack, since her first ever job working with Jack didn’t go as she has instructed. Jack had already known this, but he could now confirm Ana Sofia knew it, and now, there was a crack in their trust. 

 

Jack was also again approached by Detective De La Fuente about the shipments and about turning over this to the police to make this all go away, but it was obviously against Jack’s moral code of not going to the police for assistance. That was what got his father in jail and Jack ex-communicated from Philadelphia, his own hometown. Now Jack seems to have a powder keg of issues with him, and trying to his best to make all of this work, without it exploding in his face, even though it could go off seemingly at any moment.

 

And as with any pending explosion, one must always be mindful of collateral damage.

 

 

--

Washington Estate

Las Vegas, NV

3 months ago.

 

Jack was at home, leaned forward in his recliner, hands clasped together, save for his two fingers which rested over his lips. He was deep in thought. He let out a sigh as Brian came into the kitchen, and poured himself a drink, as he usually did. He came and sat down in front of Jack on the couch.

 

Brian: You like playing with fire, Stick.

 

Jack ignored him for a few seconds, but eventually looked up at Brian and shook his head, and another deep sigh followed.

 

Jack: I’m going to make this work.

 

Brian: You sure about that? You have created a pretty good mess for yourself.

 

Jack: I’ll clean it up, I’m almost there.

 

Brian: Are you? You have them Mexicans pretty pissed off.

 

Jack: They are supposed to be.

 

Brian: And now they’re still tailing you. And watching you. Is this how you want to fix this? Doesn’t seem like it’s a really good plan right now.

 

Jack looked at Brian, and if looks could kill, Brian would be a pile of blood and guts. Brian half snickers and takes a sip of his drink, further annoying Jack.

 

Jack: I told you, I was going to handle this. Okay, I just need to get it through to Ana Sofia that it’s too dangerous and we need to break off the deal.

 

Brian: You’re doing a fine job.

 

Brian was trolling, and Jack was not in the mood for it.

 

Jack: Don’t keep fucking with me Brian. It’s not funny. I told you that I was going to handle this, I’m almost there. And then I don’t have to worry about Sonny, I don’t have to worry about Ana Sofia, none of them. I can step back and let them kill each other for all I care!

 

Brian: You think that’s going to happen and you’re not going to be part of this?

 

Jack: I don’t have people to fight that battle, Brian. My crew is small and they aren’t fighters. Unless you’re feeling froggy.

 

Brian: I just handle the money, Stick. That’s about it for me.

 

Jack: Then I don’t want to hear about how you think I’m doing, and trying to make this worse than it is. I am close. Okay. I am close.

 

Brian: You’re close to a lot of things, Stick. Close to having all this shit backfire is you ask me.

 

Jack: I didn’t, but that’s never stopped you before.

 

Brian: I know. It’s what’s kept you in business for this long. 

 

Jack: Oh, so now you want to run everything? Is that it? You don’t think I’m doing a good job, so you want to take over? Be my guest Brian.

 

Brian simply shook his head and took another sip of his drink.

 

Brian: No, Stick, I’m not taking over, I’m just throwing out suggestions, that’s all. If you want to run this, run it. I’m only offering advice.

 

Jack: And what advice are you offering, Brian? All you’ve done so far is just make some snide ass comments!

 

Brian: It’s part of my charm.

 

Jack: Then what do you suggest I do? What words of wisdom do you have for me?

 

Brian: I just think you should consider Jessica’s offer.

 

Jack groaned and buried his face in his hand. He shook his head, obviously this was not what he wanted to hear.

 

Jack: No.

 

Brian: Stick, let me tell you what’s about to happen around here if you keep going the way you’re going. Those people you got working in your casino, are going to start second guessing you, and they’re going to follow their boss. And soon enough, you’re going to be the one with more heat on your ass than you think. Because if those shipments, start getting delayed, and then Sonny starts wondering if you’re double crossing him. And then you have both guns pointed at you, and you just said, you ain’t got the man power to deal with Sonny if he’s mad at you. And then Mexicans are already onto you. They are going to come looking for more than just you if you’re not careful.

 

Jack: And you want me to snitch of them? They’ll come back and be after me like the folks in Philly are!

 

Brian: That’s what happens when you make bad deals, Stick. I told you that. And this deal is going to get you killed. You have the option of letting Jessica handle it. Sure, it’s bad press, but you know what it does? It keeps you alive. Them Mexicans are eventually going to turn on you anyway, and you’ve already given them plenty of reason to. You need to get this shit taken care of before that happens.

 

Jack: I said I was going to! And I’m going to! I’m not going to snitch on anybody, that’s what got my dad taken to prison man, I ain’t going out like that. If they want to come kill me, then they’re just going to have to. I’m not going to the fucking cops for anything. That’s the rules. That’s always been the rules!

 

Brian: And look at where the fucking rules got you now! You ain’t at home, you’re living here, because you CAN’T go home. You got this shit here, and you think it’s worth it? You’re going to have people get hurt that aren’t even in this life, Stick. You’re more worried about some code than you are anything else. This ain’t the old days, Stick. This is a different time, and shit has changed. And if you don’t change, you ain’t gonna make it.

 

Jack is seething angry, but he does understand Brian’s point. None the less, he’s still angry.

 

Jack: I came out here, to get away from all that shit. I came out here to make my own way, and I’m doing that. I DID that Brian! I’m on top right now. I got everything I need! And I’m going to do this.... my way!

 

Jack is pacing back and forth he’s so upset. He then looks at his watch, and then at one of the wall clocks.

 

Brian: What?

 

Jack: What time is it?

 

Brian looks over at the clock too, confirming the time.

 

Brian: 10:24, it’s right.

 

Jack: Something’s not right, Jason should have been home 20 minutes ago.

 

Brian: It’s Vegas, traffic is crazy, you know that.

 

Jack: I send people for him, Brian. So shit like that doesn’t happen!

 

Jack frantically reaches for his phone, picks it up, presses a couple of buttons and the other end rings.

 

Jack: Marcos, have you picked up Jason yet?

 

Marcos: He’s not out here. I’ve been waiting for like 30 minutes. It he working late or something?

 

Jack: FUCK. Marcos, you call me back in 5 minutes.

 

Marcos: Is something wrong?

 

Jack: They better fucking HOPE not.

 

Jack ends that call and quickly dials some more numbers. Again it rings.

 

Jack: Benny, have you seen my brother?

 

Benny: Uh, not recently, why?

 

Jack: Check the cameras.

 

Benny: For what? What hell is going -

 

Jack: JUST FUCKING DO IT BENNY!

 

There is a period of silence and Benny checks around the security camera feeds. Jack paces while he waits, impatient for an answer.

 

Jack: WELL?!

 

Benny: Slow the hell down! I’m going as fast as I can! Jesus, kid, relax a little.

 

Jack: Don’t fucking start with me Benny, just fucking look!

 

Benny continues to search, but at the end, he doesn’t find Jason anywhere.

 

Benny: He’s not on any of the cameras.

 

Jack: Check the whole loop from when he clocked into work. I need to know where he was supposed to be. Check with the head of security. Find him, Benny!

 

Benny: Kid, you need to calm down.

 

Jack: Don’t. Benny. DO. NOT.

 

Benny doesn’t answer as he continues to study the cameras.

 

Benny: Alright, he clocked in at 1pm, like usual, he got stationed down in the underground parking garage. He’s just going through his day like normal. Nothing out of the ordinary.

 

Jack: Did he clock out?

 

Benny pulls that up.

 

Benny: Clocked out for lunch at 6, came back at 7. Clocked out at 9:55

 

Jack continues to impatiently pace as Benny just reads off numbers. 

 

Jack: AND?

 

Benny: Hang on, there’s a camera on the punch box. There he is... Oh shit!

 

Jack: WHAT?! WHAT HAPPENED?!

 

Benny: Two guys grabbed him! They took him to a car.I’m trying to follow!

 

Benny frantically finds the camera with Jason being forced into a car and the car drives off.

 

Benny: Green Chevy, 118BRX licence plate. It... looks like Mexican people? Some kind of hispanic from the looks of it.

 

Jack cringes and clenches his fists, putting a death grip on his phone. He puts the phone up to his mouth. 

 

Jack: I’m going to get him back.

 

Benny: What the fuck is going on, Kid?

 

Jack: Don’t worry about it.

 

Jack hangs up the phone and dials another number. The phone shows Jason’s number, but it goes straight to voicemail. Jack hangs up the phone and yells. His primal scream is heard as he walks over to his drawer and pulls out his pistol. Brian finally steps in front of him.

 

Brian: Stick...

 

Jack: Get. Out. Of the way!

 

Brian: You don’t even know where he is! Stop! 

 

Jack: I will shoot you if you don’t move.

 

Brian: Stick, you’re going to do something stupid, at least before you do, figure it out. They got Jason for a reason.

 

Jack: It doesn’t matter. I’m getting him back.

 

Jack points his pistol square at Brian.

 

Jack: Now move.

 

Before Brian could say another word, Jack’s phone starts buzzing. He looks down and it’s Jason’s number. Jack frantically answers.

 

Jack: Jason?! Jason where are you?!

 

The voice comes across on the other end, but it is not Jason’s. It’s a heavily accented man.

 

Voice: Your brother is fine. We have him now. We will make sure you are not the problem, Mr. Jack.

 

Jack: My brother isn’t a part of this! Let him go!

 

Voice: We need to be sure. You will hear from soon, but if you do not do as we say, we will kill him.

 

Jack: Don’t. You. Fucking. Touch Him!

 

The call ends abruptly as Jack slams his phone down. He yells again, tears coming from his eyes as he marches to his closet and pulls out a bullet proof vest. He puts it on over his shirt and jacket, and again proceeds to try and leave, but again Brian stops him.

 

Brian: Stick, stop. You’re not thinking about this.

 

Jack: I’m going to kill them all.

 

Brian: You’re going to get yourself killed.

 

Jack: THEY GOT MY BROTHER!

 

Brian: And you have no idea where he is. Now stop it. This isn’t going to get you anywhere if you just go and start shooting first and not thinking this through! 

 

Jack: You get out my way, Brian. If I have to tear this whole god damn city apart, I will! I don’t care what happens to me, I’m going to get my brother back!

 

Brian: You don’t have options, Stick. You have to think about this. They have people following you. They will know what you’re doing. If you just calm down and you think about this, maybe there’s other options.

 

Jack really wasn’t even bothering to listen to what Brian was saying, he started loading himself down with ammo he had around the house. 

 

Brian: Stick! God damn it! Listen to me!

 

Brian had to physically grab Jack to make his stop. 

 

Brian: If they know you’re coming, they will kill him anyway. This isn’t what you need to handle. This is bigger than you.

 

Jack finally stopped, staring at Brian and wiping away tears. He quickly pulled up his phone, and dialed another number.

 

Jack: Jess... I need... I need your help.

 
--

 

ON CAMERA:

Click.

 

Jack is in his home as usual, not really taking the loss at Climax Control too hard, obviously. He begins with a simple shrug.

 

Jack: What did you expect? Look, I told you that I didn't give a damn about that mixed tag match and it showed. I mean I tried I tried and despite all my hard work and despite my best efforts, Crystal still managed to screw that up. Whatever. All that matters is that that is officially over I do not have to worry about some garbage teammate ruining my chances at High Stakes. The match was stupid, I didn't want to participate in it, but I did it because I am a leader. And I wanted to give Alex Jones just a glimmer of hope for I snuff all of it out. 

 

Anyway the best part about all that, is that Alex Jones still doesn't even think he has a chance and he's right. I do one of my very rare checks of social media and what do I see? I see Alex Jones pleading his case already! “Nobody is giving me a chance and I'm going to go down swinging and I'm going to do this and I'm going to do that and blah blah blah” and nobody cares. I mean I did what I could to give you a glimmer of hope and this is how you repay me? You go on social media and you basically dig your own grave? What happened to Alex Jones that I fought in 2019? Where did he go? I mean this is absolutely pathetic! Why are we even having this match at High Stakes if that's how you're going to act? You are being utterly ridiculous. A poor excuse for a champion. It makes me wonder how the hell you won that championship in the first place! The Cowboy must suck more than I ever imagined. 

 

You know the best part is that you are literally banking on me making a mistake in order for you to win. You're literally walking around saying “You know if Jack Washington makes a mistake I'm going to win. it's the only chance that I have is for Jack Washington to screw up. outside of that I really don't have a shot in hell.” And you're right you are absolutely correct my man. That is the way that every single person who has beaten me, has beaten me. It’s because I made a mistake. Absolutely nobody on this roster has ever shown themselves to be better than me. But I cannot believe this complete bitch attitude you have. What happened to the champion from 2019 who threw a party for himself and told us all he was a God? where did he go man? I've been looking for him since 2019. Please don’t tell me that that guy is now you? I guess that's what happens when you get humbled isn't it? That's what happens when you run your mouth and then you run into somebody like me and I not only take your championship but I beat your ass in the middle of the ring and leave you laying just like I said I was going to. 

 
That's what happens, and now you want to come different right? Now you wanna act like you're this experienced veteran who's going to teach this young kid a lesson? That might work on somebody who hasn't already seen all of your tricks Alex. I've seen all of your tricks already I saw and heard and listened, painstakingly at times, to what you have to say and all you have to say is a whole lot of nothing.  All you have done thus far is embarrass yourself by proving what I said about Wolfslair the entire time in 2019 is the truth. You're all a bunch of hypocrites. You're all a bunch of clowns who talk all of this shit while they are on top and then when they have to face somebody or they have to face a real test, suddenly they get real quiet all of a sudden. They would have a bunch of stuff to say. What happened? You’re telling me that you're not gonna lay down you're literally doing everything but laying down right now. You're out here telling people you're TRYING to defend your championship. “I’m TRYING to have a successful title defense but I have an opponent who's gonna beat my ass I just have to hope to survive.” You are pathetic Alex. You are a joke of a champion and I'm going to do what I said I was going to do when I came back. about to beat your ass, I'm going to take your championship and I'm going to make it MY championship. And then you and the rest of Wolfslair can scurry around back to your hidey holes. 

 

I thought and I hoped and I prayed on it, and unfortunately God seems to have a sense of humor because he continues to let Wolfslair hang around as if they are relevant. It's like some cruel joke it's like you all are a bunch of cockroaches and you continue to just come out of the woodwork every single time something is going good. Quite frankly I'm just tired of it. I'm tired of all of you continuing to pop up like a pimple on prom night, so you can continue to think that your little organization your little group means anything to anybody but it doesn’t. You keep trying to relive the good old days. “Hey you know we were once world champion and bombshells champion simultaneously that was in wolfslair’s camp that was two years ago.” You guys are getting almost as annoying as a ‘72 Dolphins. Every time some team in the NFL as an undefeated record and they get to play a game in primetime and every single time that that happens everybody in the NFL media busts out the ‘72 Dolphins. we all get it. At one point they were perfect that was a long time ago. This is about what you have done in the most recent time frame. All you're the group is doing is holding on to championships until much better people come along and take it from them. That's what you're doing right now Alex. You are holding on to MY championship until High Stakes. You know it I know it and everybody else knows it. That's why you're on social media trying to rally support for your championship defense because you know that you need all the help that you can get. I have never seen such a pussy ass display in my entire life. but you will be thanking me in a couple of weeks because you both have to rally support for championship defenses because you won't have a championship anymore.

 

Jack chuckles to himself and eases down into his chair.

 

Jack: the best that you can do is calling me Jackie like that shit is clever, you are in for a world of pain. I bet you really thought that shit was cute didn’t you? Did you stay up all night thinking of that one? I bet you did. None of that, nothing you have said nothing that you can or will say to me is going to make me drastically change how I approach this match. My goal is simple I'm taking back what's mine. You just happen to be the guy holding it, I told you that last week. My attitude about that isn't going to change especially if you're going to act like you're acting right now. If you're going to continue to act this way at High Stakes you can save yourself a lot more embarrassment if you just hand me the championship. Walk away and take the forfeit. But you're not going to do that are you Alex? No, you think you have some shot at revenge? You think that you winning is all of a sudden going to change things? You’re even dumber than you look if you think that. Don’t sit here and try and play this “I can teach you a thing or two” type bullshit Alex. Seriously. I always thought at least you were better than that.

 

I mean if you're really going to sit there and you're going to try and give me some kind of knowledge at this point Alex you are barking up the wrong tree. I never have and I never will need anything from you other than the SCW world championship. That's it. I don't need any encouragement or words of advice I don't need any of your knowledge. All I need is for you to show up at high stakes in New York City and get this work. If you think that you getting a win back against me “redeems” you from all the stupid shit that you've done, well, you're an idiot. So let me save you the disappointment of people still not believing you when your lips move. At the end of the day, you aren’t going to beat me. You’re just not. I don’t care if you have somehow turned into Alex Jones the white, you’re not going to beat me.

 

But, If you by some miracle, some act of God retain the championship, it only means that you got lucky and you're walking away with my championship and I did something wrong. That's it, that's how this works Alex. It's not going to take back you throwing a party for yourself and thinking you're God. It's not going to take away all the dumb shit that you said, or take away all of the lying and the conniving that you've done. It must be so embarrassing for you to look back on your career, look at all the championships you’ve won, and you can’t even be proud of any of them. I can look back and be proud of the hit job I did on you, and how I cut you down to size. It was fantastic, a work of art even. You were not ready for me? Of course you weren’t. I’m an anomaly. I am the face of this franchise Alex.  I am the star quarterback, and you aren’t even a backup. You’re the guy they call while he’s sitting at home, or out golfing, because I went down. And now that I’m back, and now that I’m at the top of my game again, your services are no longer required. It’s a pretty cut and dry situation. I will send you back home, and you can continue to try and search for whatever the hell you think you’re going to find, elsewhere, because you won’t get it from me. This isn’t about some rookie and veteran thing. I will just as soon step on your stupid face as look at you.

 

Jack against shrugs and laughs to himself.

 

Jack: Yeah, I don't have that problem that you have. I know I’m not a nice person. I will own up and fess up to all the bad things that I have done and I will do it with a smile on my face. I have done bad things but I have never sat back and said one thing that wasn't true. I didn't need to build a world of lies to help me feel better about myself. I know who I am I know that my word is my bond and when I say I'm going to do something, I do it. I And the way I’ve done a lot of things in my life? I know I'm going to hell, and that's alright with me. 

 

Yeah, I'm greedy I'm selfish I'm self-centered and I don't give a damn about anybody else but me. To me, getting where I want by any means necessary is exactly how I roll. I don't care what I have to say or who I have to step on in order to get where I need to go, and you should already know this Alex. I brought up your family last time, I made fun of all your stupid ass nicknames. All to get under your skin. Just like I’m doing now. There is no depths that I will not stoop to in order to get what I want. I'm seeking the glory. I want the killshot. I am going for the moment. I don't care what anybody is going to think about me in two year, three years or five years or ten years. if I get what I want? SCREW the rest of these people, I will be happy I will go to sleep every night and I will sleep like a baby being the asshole that I am. 

 

I will embrace that every single day of the week and twice on Sunday. I am me. I will tell you how I feel, I will tell you what I think and if you don't like it that's just too damn bad. It doesn't make me a bad guy, it means I tell the truth and sometimes the truth hurts and it's just ugly, but that's life. 

 

I'm loyal to those that are loyal to me. You don't have that loyalty. you'll just as soon stab somebody in the back that's known you for years because you don't like the way they did something, that's been proven. NONE of that goes away all the sudden from that because you win this match. 

 

No Alex all that's going to happen is we're going to go into New York City you're going to get your ass whooped I'm going to win back MY championship and then I'm going to move on add hopefully you and the rest of Wolfsliar disappear. Get out of here and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. 

 

Jack leans forward, a more serious tone in his voice.

 

Jack: Don’t come at me like all of a sudden you are a good person and that I am a horrible person. No, Alex you're a horrible person and I'm a horrible person. We're both horrible people it's just that I'm OK with admitting it. You want to try and hide behind this random moral high ground you’ve put yourself on, like you have any room to talk. You do not have moral high ground here Alex. It’s false, so I’m going to do is laugh my ass off when you fall off the pedestal. So, don't bother showing up in New York City like you're on some sort of epic journey of rediscovery, or some heroes monomyth. You're not a hero Alex, there is no happy ending to your story, you do not get to walk away with the princess at the end, she will be in another castle. 

 

There's going to be nothing left for you after High Stakes except all of the pain and the agony and that feeling of disappointment, while I take back what is mine. I sincerely hope that 2019 Alex Jones shows up at some point during all of this because if he does not... I may end your career Alex. I may do that anyway, but at least 2019 Alex Jones would at least be amusing to me. this Alex Jones is a joke and when do you lose the championship to me, that will be the ultimate punchline.

 

Like I said, keep my championship warm and shined up, chump. It’s coming back home in two weeks.

 

Jack again shoos the camera away as we fade to black.

Click.

TAKING. BACK. WHAT'S. MINE.

[Alex Jones]

Bridges and mistakes.

He still wasn’t sure this was the right idea.

A week out from a championship defense, a week out from facing Jack Washington at one of the biggest shows of the year. And here Alex was traveling across the country, from New York City, his home base, the home of Wolfslair, across to California. All based on a rumor. One that he had heard the day before. Spike Kane was alive. Not only was Spike alive but he was back in the business. Wrestling. Something Alex had mixed feelings about.

It had been years since he last saw Spike, years since Michael Patrick Kane and Alexander Jones were in the same room at the same time. And in a business like this where people often travel and see one another, even in passing, or through mutual friends, that was a miracle.

However, Spike had been long rumored to have died, a fact that Alex had lamented on but at the same time couldn’t find information on. So his reemergence, alive and breathing, it didn’t surprise Alex as much as it did others who take things at face value, or those who believe these things. Whispers in the dark. As he arrived at the building he shook his head looking over at the event poster, Spike Kane, front and center. Appearing in his first event in years. A legend returns.

It made Alex smile. Spike was always one for the promotion of his own legacy.

He pushed through the doors, moving into the large open area, the ring was being put up, Alex had called ahead, the promoter knew he was coming, yet he didn’t know why and knew better than to tell any of the boys and girls in the back he was going to be there, he flipped the hood on his sweatshirt up, moving passed the ring and towards the locker room. The makeshift dressing area was bustling with action. Laughter and jokes filled the air as well as that familiar smell. It felt like, well, home.

Alex has always felt comfortable in wrestling locker rooms. It was always filled with people like himself, grinding and working hard towards a similar goal. It was the reason he created Wolfslair.

He scanned the room, looking over at a door that was slightly cracked open, he took a deep breath and moved toward it, he knew spike was in there. Away from everyone else to prepare for the night. He moved over and could hear his voice, the hint of an irish accent, the same inflection he used to hear back in the day, he shook his head and reached out to opus the door, but, was this a mistake? So much time had passed.

While Spike had turned his back on Alex, it’s not like Alex didn’t return the favor tenfold. In fact, Alex hit Spike right where it hurt, pretending to be his friend again, gaining his trust, and saying he had Spike’s back, only to send his then-girlfriend, former wife, former business partner, Ana Valentine to seduce Spike, to make him fall in love with her, only to take his heart in her hands and crush it in front of him. To break him into a million pieces and destroy his humanity. He had no idea how this was going to go down. Truth was, Alex was ready for Spike to take a swing at him. In fact he was expecting it.

He pushed the door open, Spike looked up from having his knee wrapped, his smile faded, he looked up at the backstage trainer, lightly pushing him back as he placed the last piece of tape. ”Can you give me a minute?” The trainer gave a small nod, looking up with a surprised expression recognizing Alex. He moves through the door closing it behind him as Spike moved his leg off the table to the floor looking Alex up and down. ”Of all the people who could have walked in here I wasn’t expecting you…”

Alex couldn’t help but laugh, flipping his hood back and shaking his head. Spike hadn’t changed that much, his hair was a little shorter, slicked-back but tied up the top with an undercut, a bushy beard with a few streaks of grey, his tattoos had faded somewhat, but he had also added to them, and considering he had been “dead” he was in roughly impressive shape. ”Well, you know me, I always turn up in the most random places.” He chuckled with a shrug, Spike just stared ahead before getting to his feet. The two men coming eye to eye, Spike was a few inches taller but was not as big physically as he used to be.

Alex smirked, remembering their wars, their laughter. Fighting both against each other and beside each other in company after company. The original XHF, NCW, IWF. They held tag team titles together, fought over world titles, they did it all. Only for a woman to come between them. And the pursuit of power. ”So, why did you come all the way here to see me...last I heard you were in New York…”

Spike folded his arms over his chest, not really a hint of anger in his voice, Spike was calm, cool, and collected. ”Well, I’d heard rumors, I’m glad to see they weren’t true. But I had to see for myself.” He laughed, Spike gave a small nod moving his hand to his beard stroking it slowly.

”Yeah, I got sick, but you can’t kill whats already dead…”

An awkward silence, Alex knew what he was talking about, how he felt, and what he meant. He let out a groan and pulled his hand up to his face. ”I heard about your brother...I’m sorry man...Brad was...talented.”

Spike laughed, he shook his head. Stepping back. ”You didn’t come here to talk about my brother. Why are you here after all this time?”

He sighed and threw his arms in the air, Spike was waiting and Alex had no idea what to say or how to say it, he swallowed hard and gave a nod. ”Yeah, I get it. It’s unexpected. I just….I don’t know man. When you think about your past, the future seems different…” He paused, turning and sitting down on the couch, Spike tilted his head, trying to understand and he lets out a groan and pushes up to his feet.”Forget it man...it’s just great to see you’re alive, back in the ring. Goodluck Spike.” He held out his hand. Spike swallowed and raised an eyebrow looking down before reaching out and taking it.

”You two Alex…”

The first to the last

”You never forget your first.”

Alex smiles, his eyes staring off into the distance as if he is remembering a far-off place and time. The moment lingers a little bit too long and Alex finds himself needing to snap out of it. He lets out a heavy breath and shrugs his shoulders before turning his attention back towards us.

”At least, that's what they say.In many cases it's true.Most of us don't forget our first kiss, most of us don't forget our first true love,but there are some things that you do forget.Not many people remember their first step.The first time they were wrong.But one of the things that I remember and I will always remember is my first world championship.The first time that I was able to climb my way up the mountain, stand on top of it and say that I was the best in the world.And I had the proof to back it up.I've done it 11 Times now,and while I can remember each one, the one that means most to me and that is far enough away that it's amazing I can still remember it this way, is the first one.I remember it in such vivid detail sometimes it's like I'm there.”

“They say with age comes wisdom but the truth is thatI think with age comes an understanding.It's not really wisdom if it's just something that naturally occurs. Wisdom is something that you have to search for, something that you have to seek,but understanding is something that washes over you.I understand that I have less use in this business in front of me that I have behind me. I understand that eventually, like everyone else in this business, my body is going to breakdown and I'm gonna be unable to get in the ring. Or at least perform at the same level that I always have.I don't have that right now. Right now I'm still at the top of my game,I'm still in great shape, I can still go with anyone in this business not just this company.I don't care who their name is or what they've accomplished or what they will go on to accomplish there is not one man in this business that I can't get in the ring with and have a chance to beat.”

“And that definitely includes you Jack.”

“I have been at this so long that there's some companies that I've get I've even wrestled for. Moments in time that people talk about that I honestly don't remember.And this isn't because of some weird concussion symptom, this is just because I have had so many moments in professional wrestling that some of them dim,some of them just don't shine as bright as others.Every single time I've become a world champion has been burned and  etched into my mind.But the ones that are relevant to this company,well, they haven't been as bright as I would have hoped.While I can look at my 2runs as theon a wrestling world champion and smile, be proud of what I accomplished,the ones in this company? Not so much.”

Alex pauses, following a certain trend lately of him being brutally honest with not just himself but with everyone else. He takes in another deep breath looking away for a moment and staring forward before exhaling and continuing.

”There are some people who will sit there and talk about how they don't care that I did things before stepping foot in a Sin city wrestling ring.Some who didn't know my name when they first met me.Most of them do now, most of them have admitted their mistake.But if you don't look at the past and see it as a key indicator of what can happen in the future then you are just a fool.In my case, that means being brutally honest with myself about my performances against some of the best in this company.I tried with everything I could to beat people like Ben Jordan and Fenris. I really did.But they were better than me.I tried with everything I could to successfully defend the Sin city wrestling world championship against you Jack.And I failed.We all know it.”

“The Alex back then who you faced, he would have called it a fluke. He would have said that you didn't deserve to be in the ring with him and that you were lucky.The voice of an insecure man whowas not comfortable with his place in this business anymore.Someone who thought that if he wasn't loud and brash that he would be forgotten.Maybe some people will forget me,maybe they'll act as if I never existed.But some people will always remember.The mark I have left on this business this company and the people that I have not just trained but also pushed forward to become champions themselves is going to be felt for a very long time.And that is a way to be remembered Jack.But now?Now I can see everything so much clearly.”

“It wasn't luck that allowed you to beat me Jack. It wasn't even me beating myself with my own hubris and arrogance.”

“The answers to why is a very simple one.On that night when I defended the championship against you, and you were able to beat me, was because you were better.That's it, no caveat, no excuse.On that night Jack Washington was the better man and was able to beat Alex Jones for the world championship.You got in my head with things that you did and things that you said, you brought my defences down, and you got in the ring and you executed your plan and walked away with that championship.That isn't an excuse, that isn't me deflecting blame, that isn't me ignoring the mistakes that I made all the things that you did well.That is me being honest. Honest with you honest with myself honest with the company and honest with the fans. I look at the past, and I realised that I had to learn from it.That was why I went on the story of redemption.”

Alex chuckles taking a few steps as he turns back.

”A story that began and would now end with you.Either I will walk into that ring, and successfully defend my championship against you. Or I will fail again.If I'm able To successfully defend this championship against you,then I'll be able to say that my redemption is complete. If I fail, and you beat me,then I stumbled at the last hurdle, I will pick myself back up, and I will start a new story.Because that's what we do Jack.You fail and you pick yourself back up,you don't run and hide.You don't disappear and then come back stomping your feet wanting everything handed to you like a child. You don't demand things based off of your past performance,something that I did.But I don't want you to get it twisted.”

“You seem to think that me admitting my failures is some kind of weak you said it yourself,you started going on about how no one cares about me and you questioned where the Alex Jones was the faced you a few years ago. I already told you where that Alex Jones went. And I thought maybe, just maybe that you would be better than this.I really did.I was waiting forthe Jack Washington that we'd all hoped you would be to come to the surface. To have all of this passion bubble up and want to face me and want to prove that you were better than me and want to prove that your last championship reign was a mistake and that you were ready to be the champion that we all thought you could be. But instead I get the disrespectful, arrogant, self righteous little prick.”

“So much talent, but so little brains. Instead of learning from your past mistakes and trying to be better like I have you have decided instead to double down on everything that screwed you up in the first place. Instead of showing that you weren't going to walk down that same path and screw up again you have done the same thing.  disregarding who i am and who i was ...Ignoring the path that I've walked. Ignoring my accomplishments and what I have done in your absence. Disregarding them like they were nothing.Trying to get in my head again.But this timeI don't get angry Jack.I'm not looking at you thinking that you are some ignorant little child who I need to punish.I see someone who is going to forever be stuck in the same box, with the same personality, saying the same things over and over and over again because he is too stubborn and arrogant to change. And I understand that is the pot calling the kettle black with everything I have done in mycareer. But in the same breath that you questioned why I've changed you then attacked Mac”

“You devalue the company and yourself with every single thing that you say.You say that Max sucked, you say that I suck,let me ask you a question Jack.If all of us were so terrible,and none of us deserve anything and you are the bright shining light and be all end all of this company and this business then why are any of us even here? If everyone you beat at everyone you face are no bodies then what exactly have you accomplished? You beat me for the championship and you have just beaten someone whose accomplishments in your eyes mean nothing.And what's worse in this entire situation is that you seem to have got it all wrong. You think I believe I don't have a chance against you.Because so many other people think that I'm automatically going to lose to you you are starting to believe that I believe it.Those same people didn't think I could beat Mac, those same people didn't think I could beat him the second time. Those same people didn't think I could become the roulette champion, and those same people didn't think I would defend the roulette championship.”

 Alex chuckles again showing the kind of mindset he's in as he relaxes.

”I have made a career out of proving people wrong, however, this last year has been the first time it has ever felt right. This last year has honestly been the greatest time in my career because I've just learned to let go. You have this anger inside you Jack, and it's one that you seem to want to take out on everyone, this giant chip on your shoulder that is weighing you down and stopping you from becoming the champion and of the competitor that we all know you can be. You would rather look at a man like me talk down about all of my accomplishments not just in this company but my entire life's work then admit to yourself that you are facing someone who is better than you and I am Jack,you look at my career and what I accomplished by the time I was your age as well as what I have done now comma and I am better than you full stop I have the track record and I have the proof to be able to say that. You have one win, one win for this championship,”

“And I was able to admit that on that night you were better than me, but one night and one moment does not make a career anymore than it breaks one. You need to be able to back it up, you need to be able to stand up and take accountability for your failures and you have not been able to do that. So I'm going to help you,you are going to lose to me at high stakes and you are going to be forced to look at your failures and grow up.It's the best thing I can do for you Jack, the best thing for the business, the best thing for the championship. And in that, maybe I will find my redemption.”

[Jack Washington]

Prologue:

Jack was now only days away from his championship match and a chance to share a little bit of history after such a short time in SCW. A chance to be only the third man in SCW history to become the SCW world champion three times. It was no doubt a tough task ahead of him, and he and Alex Jones have traded barbs for the past 3 weeks. Now, with only a short time remaining, the clock ticks down to the epic confrontation where Jack has a chance to regain the championship after his loss to Mark Cross.

 

Outside the ring, we are concluding Jack’s time away from SCW for a few months, as now we learned that the Mexicans, in retaliation for not trusting Jack after the second shipment was attacked, and his failure to dispose of a person the Mexicans wanted him to, kidnapped Jack’s brother Jason. Now at his wits end, Jack is unsure of what to do, but has contacted Detective Jessica De Le Fuente, a Philadelphia cop with ties to Jack, about exactly what can be done to get Jason back without ruining everything and exposing Jack as having a hand in all that has transpired in the past few months to a year. 

 

Jack must now make the ultimate decision and face the consequences, the question remains what his choice will be, and how will be go out getting his brother back, and whether or not that’s even possible. Jack was prepared to go it alone and search for his brother, but Brian was able to talk him out of that. The time has come for Jack to face down his fears and make the choice between family, and business, and try to avoid any more collateral damage from this explosion of emotion.

 

--

Washington Estate,

Las Vegas, NV.

3 months ago.

 

Jack held the gun in his hand, even as he spoke to Jessica on the phone.

 

Jack: Jess... they got my brother. I need you to help me... I need you to help me get him back. That’s my brother man, that’s my FUCKING BROTHER man!

 

Jess does speak on the other end, but only Jack hears it. 

 

Jack: DON’T FUCKING TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! I’m sorry. I’m sorry... I... I’M JUST, A LITTLE FUCKED UP RIGHT NOW! 

 

He even aims the gun at the phone and yells again. 

 

Jack: You need to help me. Help me.

 

Jess seems to finally be able to get through to him. 

 

Jack: I’ll be right there. I know the place.

 

Jack ends the call and tears well up in his eyes. He wants nothing more than to destroy something. Brian is right there, hands on Jack’s shoulders, looking him square in the face

 

Brian: Kid, you need to calm down. 

 

Jack: How can I be calm, Brian? How? YOU FUCKING TELL ME... 

 

Jack has to take a breath, crying.

 

Jack: How am I supposed to fucking calm man? They got my big brother, in some fucking basement or some shit! He’s not part of this shit, Brian! He was never supposed to be part of this!

 

Brian: Well, he is now, Stick, and you going on a revenge trip and getting yourself killed isn’t going to get him back. All it’s going to do is get him killed too.

 

Jack: They aren’t about to do shit, Brian. I will kill them all if I have to.

 

Brian: Stick, listen to me. JOHN, listen to me.

 

Jack looked up, surprised that Brian would call him by his given name.

 

Jack: What?

 

Brian: You need to get a hold of yourself right now. Stop and think. Your brother is also my nephew, as are you. And I made a promise to your father, my brother, that I was going to take care of this family because he can’t anymore. And you, are NOT about to throw your life away to get your brother back. He means as much to me as he does you! Now, if you are going to meet up with Jessica, then do it. But you need to listen to her. You hear me... Listen to her.

 

Jack nodded. It wasn’t really ever made clear that he actually did hear or understand Brian, but he nodded. He felt so numb inside that he really didn’t even care, but he made it a point to turn back to Brian.

 

Jack: Yeah, I’ve... I’ve gotta go.

 

Brian: Stick, be careful, and listen to Jessica, and let her handle it.

 

Jack didn’t bother responding as he walked in almost a haze as he left, he got in his car and he drove away, still with his bulletproof vest on under his shirt, and his gun tucked into his pants, his destination unknown.

 

--

Undisclosed Location

Las Vegas, NV

3 months ago.

 

Jack sat in his car, a scowl etched across his face and still some watery eyes. He sat in a total silence as he waited. It seemed to take an eternity. Minutes felt like hours to Jack as he waited, and finally, some headlights pulled into where he was sitting. After a moment or two, which also felt like forever, Detective De La Fuente got out of her car, checking her surroundings before entering Jack’s car. Jack didn’t even acknowledge her presence at first, continuing to stare straight ahead, almost at nothing.

 

Jessica: John?

 

Jack didn’t respond at first. He finally sighed and turned to her, his face pale and his eyes still watering.

 

Jack: They got my brother, Jess.

 

Jessica: Who?

 

Jack: The Mexicans. 

 

Jessica: I’m sorry. I –

 

Jack simply put his hand up to stop her from saying anything else.

 

Jack: I don’t need you to feel sorry for me, or to tell me it’s going to be okay. I just need you to help me.

 

Jessica: Of course, I’ll do what I can. But you need to help me, before I can help you.

 

Jack: You need to tell me first.

 

Jessica: Tell you what?

 

Jack: How bad is this going to be?

 

Jessica: That depends.

 

Jack: On?

 

Jessica: It depends on what you mean. John, I will do everything I can to get your brother back, you know that.

 

Jack: I just need to know if this is going to ruin things after it’s over.

 

Jessica: If... all goes well, and we catch them, you’re going to be possibly under investigation for how much of a role you played in this. I know how deep you are in John. It’s not going to be easy to get you off the hook for this. You can’t walk away from this without an issue.

 

Jack simply ran his hand through his hair, sighing.

 

Jack: I’m not a snitch, Jess.

 

Jessica: This really isn’t the time to worry about that, John. Look, if you have information, you just have to give it to me, and I will make sure that I do everything to get him back. I’ll pull in a few favors to make this go as fast as I can.

 

Jack closed his eyes and leaned forward against the steering wheel. He clenched his fists and his knuckles turned white.

 

Jack: Green Chevy, 118BRX licence plate. That’s the car they put him in.

 

Jessica: That’s good, I can run that license plate and we can easily get a match. 

 

Jack: Just do it. Please. 

 

Jessica: Of course, I will. 

 

Jessica looked over at Jack, who never once looked her in the face during this conversation. She put a hand on to touch his shoulder.

 

Jack: Don’t. I don’t need the sympathy. I just need you to find my brother. Just find him.

 

Jessica slowly pulled her hand away.

 

Jessica: I will.

 

Jessica sighed as she left the car, and soon drove away. Jack stayed in his car, staring straight ahead, and gripping the wheel so hard it creeked and cracked. He let go of the wheel and pulled out his phone, dialing.

 

Jack: Ms. Ana-Sofia. I’m coming for you. 

 

Jack let those words be the only ones he spoke, and he hung up.

 

--

Washington Estate

Las Vegas, NV

The Next Day

 

Jack just sat there, not bothering to really do anything. His cigar just burned sitting on the ashtray, his drink looking like he never took a sip. He just sat there, waiting on the couch for something, ANYTHING to happen. Brian noticed this and sat on the couch beside him.

 

Brian: You did the right thing.

 

Jack: I want my brother back. I don’t give a shit about right or wrong anymore, Brian. I just want him back. I need to know he’s okay. And these pieces of shit pay for trying to fuck with me. 

 

Brian: You fucked with them first.

 

Jack: You said the deal was bad, Brian. I’m getting out of the deal. I don’t have a choice now. They took it this far, not me.

 

Brian: Yeah, but you aren’t helping yourself.

 

Jack: What am I supposed to do? What do you want me to do?!

 

Brian: Get up and go... out. Go get drunk and fuck a hooker or something. You’re going to spend all your time cooped up in here and then what? You’re going to go insane just waiting around here. Seriously.

 

Jack: I can’t. If I go out, I’m gonna start looking for him, and you told me to be patient. And then I’m gonna start taking people out, and then I’m going to go to jail, and they’re going to FUCKING KILL MY BROTHER!

 

Brian: You can’t just sit here.

 

Jack: You told me to trust Jessica, and I’m trusting her.

 

Brian: Stick, this is not what I meant. I meant for you to not worry about it.

 

Jack in response burns a hole through Brian, looking at him like he had 3 heads.

 

Jack: Not. Worry. About it? Are you fucking serious? Are you fucking joking with me right now? How can I not worry? He wasn’t supposed to be in this, and I was doing right by him, Brian! I gave him a job, I got him clean, and now, he’s on some warehouse or some shit because these Mexicans want to FUCK with me! 

 

Brian: And you yelling about it, isn’t going to help anything. There is no use to you wasting your energy sitting on your hands, waiting for any news. You know the old saying? No news is good news. 

 

Jack: No, it means they haven’t found anything!

 

Jack then pulls out his phone and dials. It’s a long wait, but Jessica finally does pick up on the other end.

 

Jack: Anything?. 

 

Jessica: John, stop this.

 

Jack: Please tell me you have something. 

 

Jessica: Not yet. 

 

Jack: Come on Jessica, I’m counting on you!... 

 

Jessica: Calm down. I will handle it. You just don’t need to worry anymore.

 

Jack: Don’t tell me not to worry! It’s not your family!

 

Jack ended the call and tossed his phone aside.  He simply stood up after that and left the room.

 

--

Washington Estate 

Las Vegas, NV

3 Months Ago

 

Jack finally found an answer to his issues. He began to drink. And he began to drink heavily. As the days past with no news, and no call from the Mexicans regarding the situation, Jack simply became a drunk. He laid in bed for the time as it passed, drinking and barely doing anything. Jack was a mess, but he no longer cared about that. All this was, was a coping mechanism for everything that was going wrong.

 

Brian came into the room that was ripe with the smell of alcohol. Jack was laying in bed, passed out and half naked. Brian nudged him and there was no response, then after a harder nudge, Jack came out of his drunken stupor.

 

Jack: What? What? Who? Oh... Brian..

 

Brian: Jessica called while you were out.

 

Jack perked up, hearing Jessica’s name, still coming out of it.

 

Jack: What? Where? What happened?

 

Jack tried to stand up, but quickly fell back down, grabbing his head and shielding his eyes from the sunlight.

 

Brian: They found the car, and they’re going to follow it and find out if it goes back to wherever Jason is being held up.

 

Jack: Okay... okay..

 

Jack stood up again, stumbling over and trying to put his clothes on.

 

Brian: What are you doing.

 

Jack: I... I gotta go there. To help.

 

Brian: You’re in no condition to go anywhere. You’re drunk.

 

Jack: Fuck it.

 

Jack stumbled over to his kitchen and pulled ice cubes out of the ice cube maker and poured it, with water which he filled up a bucket with. He dumped the ice into the water bucket and simply dumped it over his head.

 

Jack: Ohhhh shit!

 

The cold water seemed to spring Jack to life, sobering him up as he had to take a second to let the water run down his body and back. He went back into the room, now a lot more focused. He put his clothes on, along with his bullet proof vest.

 

Jack: I’m sober now. Where are they?

 

Brian: I don’t know. And you’re not going to go anywhere.

 

Jack: The fuck you mean? I’m going.

 

Brian: Jessica’s not going to let you go anywhere near anything with this. You’re not a cop.

 

Jack: You let me handle it.

 

Jack again slipped his pistol into his pants and then pulled out his phone and dialed.

 

Jack: Jessica... Jessica... 

 

Jessica: John? 

 

Jack: where are they?... Tell me! I need to know my brother is okay. Please!... 

 

Jessica: I told you, let me handle this. I’ll call you when we’re done.

 

Jack: Jessica... Jessica don’t hang up! Fuck.

 

Jack put his phone down and stopped. He looked around and then went back to the refrigerator and opened it, looking for more booze. When there was none, he turned to Brian.

 

Brian: You drank 90% of it, Stick. 

 

Jack’s phone then started buzzing. He almost sprinted back over to the phone and picked it up without looking.

 

Jack: Jessica! 

 

Sonny: Sorry, sweetheart.

 

Jack: Sonny?

 

Sonny: Yeah, you know I was beginning to worry about you kid, you ain’t called in a while. Thought you might be dead.

 

Jack: No. Not yet.

 

Sonny: You alright, Kid?

 

Jack: No. 

 

Sonny: What happened? Where you been?

 

Jack: They took my brother, Sonny. I gotta go get him back.

 

Sonny: Well... shit kid... I didn’t know. 

 

Jack: Tell you what, once I get him back, once I take care of this... I got something for you, I’m close to figuring out where they hideout. Once I find out. I will tell you this... it’s open season.

 

Sonny: That’s the spirit kid. Now you’re really getting into this business!

 

Jack: Not like I want to. But for taking my brother, they have to pay.

 

Sonny: You see, now you know what it’s like. But if you get me the location of where they are, if you get that, I don’t think we’ll have problems after that.

 

Jack: Good. Good. 

 

Sonny: Alright kid, I’ll let you get back to your revenge. Just don’t go getting yourself killed doing it. I kinda like you kid.

 

Jack: I get it now. But, I’ll be in touch, and then, you can reach out and touch them.

 

Sonny: You got it kid.

 

Jack ended the call and began to think and pace. He then grabbed his phone and began messing around with it.

 

Brian: What are you doing?

 

Jack Finding out where Jessica is.

 

Brian: What?

 

Jack: Find my iphone.

 

Jack punches in Jessica’s number, and it pulls up her GPS.

 

Jack: Gotcha.

 

Jack quickly goes to grab his keys. Brian stops him.

 

Jack: Get out of the way, Brian.

 

Brian: You cannot go down there. You have no business there!

 

Jack: Family is my business.

 

Jack pushed aside Brian and left. He kept his phone open and began to look at the GPS location on the Iphone, which after a few mintues, turned off. And to Jack that only meant one thing, they found where they were, and that was where Jack needed to go. Jack began to drive, using the last location on the app, but he received another phone call, this one from Benny.

 

Jack: What do you want, Benny?

 

Benny: Jesus Christ, Kid, I wanted to make you were still alive.

 

Jack: For now.

 

Benny: Kid, what the fuck is going on, who were the people that took Jason?

 

Jack: Mexicans, Benny. I’ll explain all of it, at some point, after I get him back.

 

Benny: You know where he is?

 

Jack: Yeah, I’m going to get him back, right now.

 

Benny: They’re giving him back? What’s going on?

 

Jack: Oh, they are giving him back alright, one way or another.

--

Undisclosed location

3 months ago

 

The drive seemingly took hours, but really it was minutes. And by the time that Jack got there, there was smoke coming from the mid-sized house, broken glass was all over the place. All the police vehicles there told Jack he had the right place. He parked his car a few hundred yards away, and began to slowly creep up to the house. There were a few scattered gunshots, none of which were close to Jack, but he still reacted. As he moved up, there was silence. A few people began to yell instructions to each other, as Jack backed up, and made it a spot he could see, but not be seen. He watched as several Mexicans were led out in handcuffs, but Ana Sofia was not one of them. He simply watched and then approached after a while. An officer was there to stop him.

 

Officer: Whoa, woah, back off please, the situation is under control. 

 

Jack: Where’s... where’s my brother? Where’s Jessica?

 

Officer: Sir, I need you step back.

 

Jack watched as Jessica was helped out of the house, groaning in anger and a large blood spatter on her shirt. Soon enough an ambulance made it’s way to the scene, and Jessica was given medical attention. Jack tried desperately to get to her.

 

Jack: Jessica!

 

Jessica heard Jack’s voice and was actually a little startled that he had found her. He got her attention and waved for the officer to let him by to her. Jack came up to her and was eagerly awaiting the news.

 

Jack: Shit... you alright?

 

Jessica: Thank god I had my best on. Hurts like hell. 

 

Jack: Is... Jason...

 

Jessica: He’s alive. They found him. He was roughed up be he’ll be okay. They’re going to take him to the hospital. 

 

Jack: Fuck.. Fuck.. Okay.. Which one?

 

Jessica: I don’t know.

 

Jack: I’ll find out.  You gonna be okay?

 

Jessica: Yes. How did you even find me?

 

Jack: I tracked your phone. 

 

Jessica: You could have been killed. 

 

Jack: I know... I.. I needed to find him.

 

Jessica: Go. Just go... he’s fine.

 

Jack lowered his head and nodded, he looked back up as Jessica, continuing to nod.

 

Jack: Thank you.

 

With that, Jack departed, asking where his brother was taken, before fully leaving the area. He gets into his car and he dials a number.

 

Jack: Sonny.

 

Sonny: Kid.

 

Jack: The place isn’t far away, but I don’t think it’s the only one. Maybe you can make something of it. I’ll text it to you.

 

Sonny: How’s your brother?

 

Jack: He’s fine, but this isn’t over.  Ana Sofia is still out there. They must have moved when they knew I was coming. 

 

Sonny: Where’s your brother now.

 

Jack: Centennial Hills Hospital. 

 

Sonny: Good place. I’ll have people watch out for him.

 

Jack: You don’t need to do that.

 

Sonny: Kid, you’ve helped me more than you know. It’s the least I could do.

 

Jack: Thanks Sonny.

 

Jack ends the call, headed to the hospital

 

--

Centennial Hills Hospital

Las Vegas, NV

3 months ago

 

Jack arrived and checked in, finding Jason’s room and visiting him. Jason is bandaged up and has a few wounds, but he is for the most part okay. Jack walks in and sees Jason and rushes to his side.

 

Jason: Hey bro.

 

Jack: Jason.

 

Jason: I don’t know what happened man. These dudes just grabbed me. 

 

Jack: I know. We figured it out, and it’s been taken care of. The important thing is that you are safe.

 

Jason: What was the deal.

 

Jack: I fucked up. It wasn’t meant for you to be a part of it. I’m sorry that that happened. I so damn sorry. 

 

Jason: What? What did you do?

 

Jack: I needed to make some money, I got into bed with bad people. And when things got rough, they blamed me. And as a result, you were dragged into this. It was never my intention for that to happen. You’re my brother and I love you. I won’t ever do that to you again. I promise.

 

Jason: Yeah... 

 

Jack and Jason share a soft hug as brothers as the scene finally fades out.

 

 

--

ON CAMERA:

Click.

Jack is once again shown in his home, shaking his head seemingly in disappointment

 
Jack: You never cease to disappoint me, Alex. Seriously. 

 

I expected something. something good, something great, but this? What you just did, and things you have said, make me sick to my stomach. I mean, for fuck’s sake man, you can’t even really own up to your own past. Everything you have said, makes me correct. You’re going to sit here and look into a camera like this, and talk about how you regret the things you’ve done and how you really look back at yourself and you feel shame. You don’t like the person you were back then. I’m sorry, back then was a fucking year ago. You’re not sorry about the things you’ve done, you only have the regrets you have now because it didn’t get you what you wanted. Period, point blank. You’re a god damn clown for this shit, Alex. You know what it is? You really wanna know what this is? This is a desperate act, by a desperate man. A man who continues to speak about “retribution” in the same manner that a person who is looking for salvation, and they put their hands together, and they fall on their knees and they pray. Because that, makes it all better, doesn’t it Alex? It is some of the funniest shit to see a man have to turn to some higher power because they fucked up their lives, and then, everything is just dandy. 

 

You know how that happens Alex? Asshats like you, fuck up everything to the point where nobody speaks to them anymore. Nobody trusts them and nobody believes them. So, they turn to some form of spiritual awakening so they can say “I was saved. I repent my sins!” I don’t know about what they do in Dallas, or wherever the hell you call your home state now, but when you fuck up, sorry doesn’t cut it. Finding the holy spirit doesn’t cut it. All of this shit is as phony as the tv televangelist on at 3 o’clock in the morning trying to get you to buy prayer beads to get saved. But you know, first you gotta give me $500 dollars. “Retribution” is just your fancy buzzword for “I am in serious trouble of getting my ass kicked again, please believe I have changed!” All this shit is, is a ruse, until you win another championship, and then just like that, magically you will be right back to stabbing people in the back, stepping on those lower than you, and calling yourself a god again. I swear, I had to pull up the Michael Jordan “Stop it, get some help” meme for this shit. 

 

I called this from the very start, that every single on the people in Wolfslair are hypocrites. They love this “I’ll call you out for being a bad person, but you can’t call me out.” I said this shit a year ago, when you were riding high. My opinion has not changed, I haven’t said anything that is a false statement. You are all trash people who continue to exist despite everyone being better off when you aren’t. You’re going to go with this “I own my mistakes” bullshit now? Where was this when you were champion last year Alex? Where was the repent? Where was the seeking of retribution? Did that not apply then? You’re only doing it now, because you have nothing else left to throw at me. You have absolutely nothing besides a hope and a prayer that I screw this up somehow. You’re sitting there, praying that I can make my flight to New York City, or then I get into a car accident on the way to the building. You have ZERO to offer against me Alex. Nothing. So, you’re looking internally like “I’ve changed my ways now, I’m a new person!” Get the fuck out of here with that bullshit, Alex. I’m not buying it. All this retribution bullshit is just that, and it’s all to get you through this match. You were hoping that I couldn’t sit here and run you into the ground any further than I already did. A year ago, I obliterated you, I made fun of your stupid nicknames, I made fun your family, I did exactly what I said was going to do. And you were hoping then, that you never crossed my path again. But you were also thinking deep down in your soul, that if we met up again, things would be different. And so, you chose the bullshit you’re spewing now, because I’ve already gone over your past. You were shit then, and you’re shit now, Alex. 

 

I was going to have to talk about some other things, find out some different info on you, but you know what the funny thing is? For as long as you have been in wrestling, you’re still a piece of dried bread. You’re stale, you’re nothing. I had to ask last year who the fuck Alex Jones is, and a year later, all that has been revealed is that you’re a liar and a fraud. And to be fair, I already knew that shit from the jump, my guy. Nothing about you has changed, because there’s nothing there to begin with. You are a paper tiger and a pretender. You are seeking “Retribution” to salvage your career and try and turn it around and make people like you again. I don’t know about the rest of you, but when somebody stabs me in the back, they can’t take it back with a “sorry.” I can’t deal with that kind of a person, why anybody still deals with you is something of a mystery Alex.

 

Jack sighs heavily, and then points a finger at the camera as he continues.

 

Jack: You see, I would rather you just be consistent, and tell me you’re a god again. Just tell me that you are the best thing since sliced bread and I would, actually respect that. I would. I would rather you be a dick bag the entire time, then smile in my face just to stab me in the back. You are demonstrating how shitty of a person you really are. Nobody likes fake people, Alex. Me? I’m an asshole. I’ve said it plenty of times. I embrace being an asshole. But you know what people can say about me? At least, they know where they stand. All of the other wrestlers in SCW? I don’t like any of them. I will trash them, just as easily as I will trash you. But at least, you know where you all stand. With you Alex? People can be all over the place, depending on how you feel that day. It’s really, really fucking sad that you are that type of a human being. It is why you are seeking “Retribution” right? To take back the shitty things you’ve done.  Now, you’re really sorry about lying to Austin Mercer’s face. And backstabbing Griffin Hawkins to get what you wanted. 

 

BULL. SHIT.

 

You’re are sorry about it now, because you think it will help you keep your championship. I mean, I almost wish I had the ability to turn it off and on again like you do. Because I feel like I’ve heard this type speech before from you. I feel like this is exactly the type of shit you’d try and pull, like it’s a fucking magic trick. You’re not going to pull the wool over my eyes Alex. I see through bullshit. I can smell it a mile away, and you are full of shit, and you have been for an entire year. Twice now, you have been plucked from obscurity and your fucking hidey hole and won the SCW World Championship. And the first time, that was really how you wanted it to go. “I’m the man, I’m the shit” that was you. That’s what you thought was cool. Just like when you put that stupid ass blonde streak in your hair, like you were trying to recapture your youth or some shit. 

 

This, the shit you’re doing now, is you trying to facilitate like you’ve changed. You know deep down you have not, so why are you even doing this pretense? Why are you bothering to act like you’ve grown and matured. I mean, seriously, grown and matured? Aren’t you kicking 40’s door down at this point in your life? Most normal people grow and mature when they get to the age of 25, what the fuck is this extra 15 years that you’re trying to pull of now, Alex? What the fuck is this? You really think anybody is buying this? I’m certainly not. And nobody else should either. You’re sitting here, trying to save face, because your whole career, you’ve been a piece of shit human being. Now you’re sitting here trying to act like you’ve made this change, and really, I’m just the worst person in the world because I go after everyone equally. You trying to act like I’m after some kind of retribution is a bunch of horseshit that you’re really trying to pass off as this faux wisdom, and to be real honest with you, chief, it’s not gonna work.

 

Jack chuckles to himself as he continues.

 

Jack: I don’t have to seek retribution in any way shape or form. I can tell you with a smile on my face, I’ve done and said some shitty things, I’ve never said I was a saint, so I don’t try and act like one. I told everybody from day 1 that I was out for me. I was out to get what I want, and I don’t care who I have to step on, or offend, to get there. You know damn well you didn’t do that, and you know damn well this is just an act. Until you lose that championship, this will be what you’re selling. A “make good.” No motherfucker, if you really were about this, you would have been about it last year. You would have been doing this your whole career, instead you’ve done the opposite, and then tried to “clean yourself up” multiple times. Only to go right back to how you were last year. You change your attitude like your fucking tighty-whiteys when the situation suits you. All you are, is a salesman, and piss poor one at that.

 

I am happy with the person I am, Alex, you are not. You and are not the same. Let’s just cut that shit out right now. I’ve done this, on my own, I’ve built myself up, by myself, I didn’t need anybody, and I don’t need anybody around me to do it. You have to surround yourself with these other fucking terrible people to justify yourself. I don’t have to justify myself to anybody. If you want the truth, you know where you can get it. You may not like it, but it’s going to be how I do it. I’ve said plenty of times before I’m not out here, wearing a white hat. I cheat, I am not a nice person, I will gladly take any victory I can, any way I can, and I will not lose sleep over how it gets done. In my eyes, I should have been the world champion sooner in this company, because I rose to the top of it, faster than anybody, ever. I have backed up every single thing I’ve ever said, Alex. You can call it cocky, or arrogant, but if you utter from your lips that I’m not as good as I think I am, what the hell does that make you when I beat YOU to win my first world title? Who in the hell are you, my guy? You are not anywhere close to my league, and you never were, even in your prime in 1938, you would not have beaten me last year. You’re so wrapped up in your fantasy world, you have lost sight of the reality of who I am. I came here, and said what I was going to do, and I did it. Did you Alex? No, you didn’t. You had to keep banging your drum like “I’ve done this and I’ve done this, you should respect me!”

 

Nobody has any respect for you, because you don’t even have respect for yourself. And that’s a fact.

 

Jack rubs at his eyes with his fingers, feigning pain.

 

Jack: You’re pitiful Alex, So I’m going to do the world a favor in Madison Square Garden, and beat your ass again, in the ring. And I will take the SCW world championship from you, and then, you can fuck off with your retribution bullshit.  I just wonder how you live with yourself, and how you sleep at night, knowing how fake you are. This isn’t even a good story to try and tell Alex, and you know that, deep down, you know that and you’re only kidding yourself. If this is the best you can come up with in order to actually beat me, you are in for a worse beating than you got last time. I made no bones about being the face of this franchise, and that’s the truth. You are being FED to me, as I beat you, and I take what I deserve. This is just history repeating itself, you will be smashed in the middle of that ring, and I will hold up MY championship over your broken body. And then, then I would very much like to hear how you still regret things. I still want you to keep searching for that retribution. Please, I’m begging you, keep this same energy my guy, because you will find NOTHING at High Stakes that even looks like retribution. All you will find, is me, ready to beat your ass, and then I will take you apart, piece by piece and then afterward, you can go on a spiritual quest to find this retribution you seek. As long as you are out of my way, I don’t give a shit what you do.

 

Just, for real, stop this bullshit and be who you really are. Then again, do you even know who you are? Do you even know anything about yourself? No, because anything you think you know about yourself, is up for debate. You’re still searching for answers. So when you sit there and you call me insecure, you’re really just trying to relate yourself to me. You want to see yourself in me. I am not you Alex. I have no reason to be insecure, I cut through this company like a hot knife through butter, and you think I am insecure? What reason do I have to be insecure, Alex? Please, tell me, because I’m struggling for an answer. You have every reason to be insecure because people like me, come along and they show you how much of a failure you are. So no, I’m not you.  I never want to be you. I’m better than that. I’m better than you. And at High Stakes, I will prove it again. 

 

High Stakes is where I take back what’s mine. It’s a simple transaction, Alex. Your compliance is not required. You can put up all the fronts you want, you can spew all the bullshit you want about retribution, all of it, is not going to prevent me from getting back in my rightful spot. I earned it already, and I’ve already jumped through every hoop there is to jump through. You’re just the last one. I hope you have been keeping my championship shiny and warm, because that’s all you are good for right now. For you, there is no saving you from what’s going to happen. 

 

I’m going to beat you, Alex. I’m going to destroy you, Alex. And there’s two things you can do it about it.  Nothing, and like it.

The championship is coming back where it belongs.

See you in New York, you bitch.

 

Jack stares intently into the camera as we cut to black.

Click.

TAKING. BACK. WHAT'S. MINE.