Prologue:
Jack was successful at Into the Void, defeating Alexander Raven and successfully defending the Internet title. It’s obviously not a title Jack was in search of, but after the event was over, it appeared there was a new found respect for him as many thought that perhaps Raven would take the title back. Jack now takes his successful defense momentum, and looks to get yet another victory as he is in a non-title match against current Roulette champion Peter Vaughn. Jack obviously remembers the last time where Peter was able to get the better of him. Can Jack right this wrong in his mind?
Outside the ring, Jack was able, perhaps secretly, to return to Philadelphia, in time for a brief reunion with his dead mother. But that was all Jack did in Philadelphia before Into the Void. He had been trying to find out why Anthony, a known bad seed from Philadelphia, was sent to see him directly. Perhaps this was a bad move by Jack but... perhaps it’s the start of something new? --
Mount Peace Cemetary,
Philadelphia, PA. Jack had finished the conversation with his mother’s tombstone and was leaving the cemetery, when a car pulled up in front of him. Jack was wearing a jacket and immediately reached inside from his pistol as the window rolled down. A smiling face was in the backseat, and the driver got out, and walked around to open the door, carrying an umbrella as it started to rain. Jack instantly recognized this man.
Jack: DeCosta.
DeCosta exited the car, standing and holding out a hand for a handshake.
DeCosta: Paulo DeCosta, I’m glad you remember me, Jackie Boy.
Jack obviously did not shake this man’s hand. He knew enough not to.
Jack: I’m just here in between flights. But if this is where I’m going down, it’s a good a place as any.
Paulo raised his hands in mock surrender.
DeCosta: No Jackie Boy, I’m not here for a fight. I just wanted to see that you were in town. Been a long time since you came around here. All grown up now and all that. I know you’ve been wondering why Anthony came to see you.
Jack: I’m more interested in knowing how you knew I was here.
DeCosta: Because I know things, son. People talk. The street’s talk. You know that.
Jack: What is it you want then?
DeCosta: Just to talk.
Jack: So talk.
DeCosta: Not here, it’s lousy weather.
Jack: A little rain never hurt anybody.
DeCosta: But a lot can kill ya.
Jack: I’m not getting in that car. You think I was born yesterday? You wanna talk, you talk to me, here, like a man. Just you and me.
DeCosta nods and smiles. that cheap, used car salesman smile.
DeCosta: That’s fair enough, Jackie boy. I can understand your hesitation. So we’ll talk. I know you had your cop friend snooping around trying to get some information.
Jack: And? I can’t make anybody do anything.
DeCosta: That’s true. But she was doing it for you. And she got you what you needed, yeah?
Jack: Maybe. Maybe not.
DeCosta: Okay, Jack, I get it. Things haven’t been good for you here for a long time. Long time.
Jack: You, and everybody else kicked me and my family out of here. Put a price on our heads.
DeCosta: That was old business. Only grudges. Some people never get over it. You know how people can get.
Jack: It’s been that way for a long time.
DeCosta: This is why I say it’s old business. Anthony tells me that you got yourself a little business out in Vegas.
Jack: I do alright.
DeCosta: Big money in them casinos and all that.
Jack: If you’re asking for a cut, it’s not happening. I made that, on my own. It’s MINE. I left this alone, so you can leave me alone.
DeCosta: Whoa, whoa, no need to get hostile, Jack. It’s not like that. We heard you were doing good and I sent Anthony out to see you. Check to see if it’s true. Big wrestler and now a businessman.
Jack: I had good teachers.
DeCosta: Look, we don’t want any part of your business like that, Jack. It’s never been like that. We just want to make sure you’re okay, and to change some things from the past that don’t work anymore.
Jack: Is that right?
DeCosta: Yeah. No backhanded deals, no cutthorat shit. I’m telling you, from me. It doesn’t get any more official than that, am I right?
Jack: Get to the point.
DeCosta: We just want to waive that little bounty of you, and your family. Okay? It’s an old hat thing. We got a good thing going here, and everything that was bad, wasn’t because of you. It was because of your old man. We didn’t need to drag you into this, nor your brothers, or old Brian. How is he, by the way?
Jack: Fine.
DeCosta: Yeah? that’s good. I’m glad to hear that. But, listen, you’re welcome here again. Okay, no bounties, no rough treatment, none of that. Those days are over. And I’m in charge now and I’m telling you, from me, right to your face, that’s done.
Jack: What’s the catch?
DeCosta: No catch, Jack.
Jack: There’s ALWAYS a catch. Paulo. I’m not stupid. Don’t treat me like I’m stupid.
DeCosta: And you’re treating me like a jerk-off. I come to you now and I say, the slate is wiped clean and you don’t want to hear it. Are you disrespecting me? Are you not going to accept my offer here? I’m offering that the stuff between your family and the rest of us, is over. Why not take it?
Jack: Because I know bullshit when I hear it. I know it when I smell it. It’s pretty hard to miss.
DeCosta: All we want, is for our boy, from our town, to remember where he came from. You’ve got a lot going on, but this is where you got your start. We just want you to remember that.
Jack: See, that’s a catch.
DeCosta: Philly made you, Jackie Boy. Philly made your family. We just don’t ever want you, to forget that.
Jack: I don’t know Paulo. The city never did anything to me or my family. It’s the other families here, that did that shit.
DeCosta tires of the conversation and leans into Jack.
DeCosta: Just remember us, that’s all. We made you.
DeCosta makes a simple head motion and gets back in the car as the driver comes around. The window is rolled down.
DeCosta: Maybe we’ll see you around more, kid. It was good to see you again.
DeCosta’s car drives off and Jack reaches into his jacket, only it’s not a pistol, but his phone. He pulls it out and quickly dials.
Brian: Stick?
Jack: DeCosta did send Anthony. Said we’ve got a clean slate.
Brian: And you believe that?
Jack: Fuck no. I’ve got a flight to catch, we’ll talk more about it when I get back.
Brian: Alright. Be careful out there, Stick.
Jack: Yeah...
--
On Camera:
Click. Jack is now wearing that cocky grin just as wide as he can, and holding up the Internet title, displaying it proudly.
Jack: Are you impressed yet? Have I done enough now? Do you believe me now? I just need to know because I’m out here, calling my shots, and they are hitting, all net, no rim and it looks like finally, I’m getting a modicum of respect. Far less than I deserve, but I have to start small apparently. I’ve been beating people’s asses for a long time and yet, they continue to hold their finger on me, because I tell the truth. I’m the best thing going today in this entire division and everybody wants to turn a blind eye like I haven’t been saying it for a long time.
Did I not tell you all I would beat Alexander Raven, yet again? And then go out and do just that? He wants to sit there and tweet like a beaten man, because that’s what he is. Oh, I respect Jack for taking me to my limits. Please. You should have respected me from the start. Then this wouldn’t be as humiliating as it is for you now. How’s that humble pie, Raven? Is it good? You get yourself a spoonful? You know, it’s especially satisfying when someone runs their mouth and are proven to be a fraud at the end of the day. I did that to Alexander Raven, and here I am, still your Internet champion, about to be for a long ass time because everybody knows there’s nobody that’s just gonna walk in here and beat me.
And really, the thing is, I know why this is happening. To keep me away from the old man holding the world title so that so other relic can relive 10 years ago and justify why he comes back every year when he’s not necessary to the success of SCW. But let’s keep feeding these relics of the past their prunes and whatever so they can have their moment in the sun for they fade into obscurity. Meanwhile, the literal best thing on this roster is stuck making this Internet championship mean more than any other title in the world, despite not even getting the chance to be on TV.
Oh yeah, you didn’t notice that too? Into the Void was in the first part of May, it has basically been an entire month that I’ve been sitting here, waiting to flaunt this victory, and it’s like I don’t exist. It’s funny how that’s how we’re doing this now. It’s stupid and everybody should have caught on by now. SCW simply wants to be drug kicking and screaming to the eutopia that I would create as SCW champion.
So, they stick me here and now? Now I have this feeling and this urge to make this championship the top title and really make it mean more important than anything. Because it the fossil’s compete for the world title, who cares? Anybody can win there, I suppose it’s who sucks less. This championship however, this will be the prize to be won. But almost like clockwork, they do their best to stifle that idea as well. Jack scoffs and shakes his head, looking at his title as if apologizing to it.
Jack: You see what’s happening out there. This match is non-title. I’m not even defending the title, because I don’t have worthy opponents. Is it that sad around here that I cleaned out the division with one victory? Is there no one else? Is this the best they can come up with? It’s absurd and I should be demanding better. But let’s be real here, there is nothing better. You put me on the screen and guess what? You witness greatness. It’s just a fact as this point, even though most people don’t want to admit it.
But they want to make a joke out of this by putting me in the ring with this Peter Vaughn guy again. Like, hey, this guy beat Jack one time with a horseshoe up his ass, and now, he can do it again. This fucking Janitor dude or whatever he is. The sun shines on a dog’s ass every once in a while, right?
So, how have you been Peter? Do you even remember this last match we had? Do you remember how lucky you got? Do you remember how they sung your praises and touted you as the next big star of the company? You were the guy who was gonna rise to the top and be this big-time player? Remind me how that worked out for you. Because after that match, you sunk faster than a stone in the ocean. What happened to you man? Where did you go? What in the hell caused you to sink so low?
All it really does is illustrate my point, I’m the best at this. I can give this untalented janitor a brush with greatness and see how he does, and what happened? How is this dude not the world champion right now? What happened? You all wanted this so badly and then... fucking nothing. Are you going to blame me for it? I mean, he beat me, right? He got the big win, he’s the conquering hero! Throw a parade for that man.
Or, just have him settle into his natural position.
I mean, it must be something that caused him to be sitting here the Roulette champion, crashing through tables and falling off ladders and all that dumb shit to keep a title, and me, being the Internet champion, above him in the pecking order, the food chain, and any and all lists you can come up with.
But I get it Pete, I do, for some people this game is really hard and it’s hard to be consistently great. That’s reserved for people like me. I’m great, and you had a FLASH of greatness and like a shooting star, that shit burnt out really quick. It’s really the only explaination for this. You are a flash in the pan and that’s really it. What else is there to say? You rubbed elbows with my greatness, and then it wore off.
Let’s be honest with each other Pete, you weren’t as good as you thought, and you weren’t as good as they thought. Why do you think this match is not title for title? Because everybody knows that I would have taken your title and had both, and then I would have had to give it back and there would have been some dumb ass tournament or whatever and then BOOM, you would have won it again or something and people would still think you were something. But, you know you’re not. I know you’re not, and I’m going to go to right a wrong at Climax Control. Jack flashes the cocky grin once more before continuing.
Jack: Oh, that’s right. It was still in the back of my mind after that match, because it didn’t feel right. But you got your fluke victory and you ran with it, straight into the ground. But you won, right? Bragging rights and all that. You are one of the very few that can have them. Except that that whole privledge goes away on Sunday after I beat you. That’s it, much like the aspiration of so many that believed in you, it just goes up in smoke, no more bragging, no more being able to say you beat me and I haven’t beat you. It’s just gonna be over and then, honestly, with the way things have turned out at this time? Why would there ever be a rubber match? Why would I need to beat you again? As far as I’m concerned, this is just me putting you down and then, yeah, I move on. I will no longer need to think about you, or anything else because you are much like Raven, you’re in the spot you were destined to be in the entire time.
So I want you to count your lucky stars and thank everyone in SCW management that this isn’t a title match. Thank everyone in your life who has helped you get here, and hell, you should even thank me. Because at this point, you kinda owe me, don’t you? Yeah, you fucking owe me. If not for that match earlier in the year, you would be an afterthought. Nobody would think you deserve anything. I am the only reason that people are looking at you with that Roulette title and accepting it as acceptable.
Without that fluke win, without my help, everyone would be simply say “Who is Peter Vaughn?” And then following it with “Oh, he’s that wacky janitor guy” Instead of “This one time he beat Jack Washington, the best wrestler in the company” and then following that with “I was wondering what happened to that guy!”
So yes, Pete, I will accept my thank you, on Sunday. After I beat you, you can look up and me, and nod your head and say “thanks.” Because I will be once again putting you on the map. Only this time, we won’t have this odd result of you winning and that fizzling out, while the loss makes me stronger and I go on to to make history multiple times. It’ll be the right way around this time where I beat you, and then you fizzle out again, and then I got on to make history multiple times.
Bottom line, you were a hiccup a few months ago, and I will not be making the same mistake twice. Jack chuckles to himself.
Jack: At the end of the day Pete, I made you back then, and now I’m going to give you just a little more of a brush of my greatness, and then I will break you. You will understand, that I AM THE MAN around here. There is NOBODY that can do what I do. Nobody can TOUCH me. You, Peter Vaughn, will end up like every other person who doubted me, and those who continue to doubt me, humbled and whether you want to or not, you will accept the truth. I am the face of this franchise.
Continue to doubt me all you want, SCW. All it does is fuel me. It just makes me want to rub it in your faces more and more. So mark this little champions match on your calendars. Because I’m going to ask you to remember this day. Remember when you tried to make this guy again, and you failed. Because he will fail. And at the end of it all, you will have no choice, but acknowledge my greatness, and give me the respect I have earned.
You don’t have to like it, but you, along with Peter Vaughn, will learn to accept it. Jack stares into the camera as we fade to black.
Click. FACE. OF. THE. FRANCHISE.
