[Christian Underwood]

Please post all roleplays here! Have fun and good luck!

[Alexander Raven]

A Proposal of Convenience
Scene One | Off-Camera | 7th December 2023

Sometimes it was nice to just forget about life for a day. For a moment things felt peaceful. For a moment there wasn’t the impending doom of choice and action. World Championships meant nothing when you took a moment to yourself. For a moment, the hole he had dug himself was nothing more than a scary thought. Counting clouds was peaceful, even in the night. Even when the clouds were little more than a smear on the skyline. Even when the clouds were just apart of his own collapsing mind. There was a peace in the moment that was free of the agony of the day to day.

Alexander Raven was sitting in a chair on his apartment’s balcony. The night was dark, and the sky was full of grey clouds. A cold breeze ripped through the air, but it didn’t bother him. It was refreshing to feel so chilled. To feel so alive in this very moment. In one hand a half-finished beer, the other was just resting on a small table next to him. An overflowing ashtray, and a concerning number of empty bottles. A simple black tee, and maroon skinny jeans. A pair of bear-foot shaped slippers. A symbol of fashion and excellence clearly. His eyes fixed on the sky, drawing images into the dark blobs up there. Connecting the stars to create new images, new faces, new creations. For a moment, peace.

Days.

Days is all James truly had left. His body was on the brink of complete collapse, and they’d been told it was time to consider putting him out of his misery. It was an impossible decision. An impossible decision for his sister and his friend. Alex knew that James would not hold it against them, regardless of the decision. But it didn’t make the impossible any easier. It didn’t make the choice any easier. In fact, the fact that they had no choice was ruining them. There were fewer and fewer distractions, and they’d come to understand now. That there was a very real possibility that they would walk into the next year, without James. There was nothing to be done. He raised the bottle to his mouth and drank deeply. Drinking what remained of it. Placing the now empty bottle on the table alongside all the others like it. A deep breath, a heavy sigh. The peaceful moment was slipping.

The door slid open, as Luna came out. Cigarette hanging from her mouth, her eyes raw from a fresh session of tears. Alex stretched his hand out but didn’t move his eyes. Staring into the sky. She lit the cigarette and then took his hand. Instead of taking her own seat, she sat in his lap. Straddling him, as she buried herself  into his neck, hanging over his shoulder3. Despite all the negative, the situation had brought them ever closer. She’d not taken off the necklace he’d gifted her since coming back. She’d even been looking at ways of breaking her lease, to move in with him full-time. She wanted to be closer to Duchess, the poor dog had been working overtime to keep them from imploding. Keeping them grounded and reminding them that there was still something to enjoy at the end of the day.

“James couldn’t wait to see me wearing a white dress one day. To be the one to hand me off on my wedding day. It had never really been my dream, but now. Now I can see the happiness in such a thought. Something happy.” Luna mumbled softly, her voice a little raspy. The stress had started to make her sick. Both of them really.

“We could always rush things. Just us three. A Vegas wedding, without Vegas. Not the same, I know. But it’d be something.” Alex spoke softly, his free hand going up to her hair, gently running his hand up into her hair.

“Okay.” She whispered, and nodded, pulling herself tighter to him. Pulling her hand free to wrap her arms around him. His eyes widened a little, a brush of surprise. Just a month earlier, the idea of marriage seemed so far away. Was it even really a wedding? Was it just some way to make themselves feel better about the inevitability of what was to come? It didn’t really matter in this moment. There was a moment of peace.

“I’ll organise things tomorrow. Try and organise for it to happen on Saturday. I’m sure his doctor will let us. Let us have our final moment.” Alex said, a slight bit of happiness to his tone. It may have been momentary, brash and rushed. They may come to resent and hate each other in a few months and be divorced. But really, it didn’t matter right now. They needed something happy. They needed something hopeful. They needed to be okay.

“I love you, Lexi. Thank you for being everything to us.” Luna spoke gently, a plume of smoke billowing over the top of his head. He wrapped one arm around her, reaching up with his other hand for the cigarette. Wrapping it around her in turn he placed it to his lips and inhaled deeply. Partners in bad decisions, alcohol and escaping reality. They truly were made for each other it seemed. He looked up into the sky once more. A cloud that vaguely reminded him of his mother. He’d once thought Lauren to be his mother reborn. The more time had passed, he’d come to resent that view. Resent how simple that thought had been. There was so much of his mother in all three of them. In himself, in James and especially in Luna. A surrogate mother for her, yet there was her peace in Luna. A gentleness that even after hardening himself for so long, thawed him out.

“I told James, that once everything is over. That when I’m finished spilling my blood, I want to go back. Back to Australia. Back to the bar, and freedom and peace. To be in a place that wasn’t filled with memories of failure, of violence. Back to our place. Our freedom. I want to go home, Lu.” Alex said gently. Luna sat up and looked at him dead in the eyes. Face to face with him, mere inches away.

“I’d like that.” Luna said, a smile on her face that didn’t reach her sorrowful eyes. She’d tried to be so strong for him at first, but now. Now they were both just unrelenting sorrowful messes. “Want another?” She nodded her head toward the empty bottles. Alex smiled and nodded as Luna slid herself off him and stood up. Stretching her neck a little she slid the door open and went back inside. His phone buzzed in his pocket. Who would be messaging him at this time? He pulled it out of his pocket and looked down at the screen.

’Harrison Rines’.

It was strange for Harry to be messaging him. Normally he’d only talk through Luna or James. They’d never seen fully eye to eye, but they’d been somewhat friendly at least. Tough love and all that. He pressed his thumb to the reader and unlocked it. ‘I’m sorry for what has happened, but I know who shot James. I’m back in America for a week. We should talk.’

There was a shot of pain in his chest. His heart ached.

Two Outcomes
Scene Two | On-Camera | 8th December 2023

An empty street, a lonely bench on the footpath. A disappearing line of streetlights, illuminating the road all the way into the horizon. Sitting on the bench, Alexander Raven. Head in his hands, he seems to be battling with himself. Battling with his own mind.

“I’ve backed myself into a corner. I’m good at that. See, arrogance tells me that I can be the best. That when it comes down to it, when my back is against the wall. I know that I’m good enough. Strong enough, fast enough. That when it comes down to a matter of life or death, I’m the one who is going to walk out with my head held high and an array of new scars to wear as badges of honour. I’m confident in this, because I know what it’s like to scrap. To fight, to brawl. I know what it is like to bleed, and to beg. I know what it is like to be on the other end of an unrelenting beating. I know what it’s like to be the beaten and downtrodden child who spends every day hoping tomorrow will be the day my arms are strong enough to fight back. That my fists are hard enough to win. I know what it’s like to be the scrapper, because I’ve always been the scrapper. So my place of comfort is in that violence. My comfort is in the blood, in the gore, in the scrapping and brawling. I’m not a technical god, and I’m not the most skilled wrestler. I’m aware of who I am. I’m the guy who you get in the ring with, and I’m going to beat you every which way. I’ll step to your game, and hope that my fists are just a little bit tougher than yours. So when J2H offered me the opportunity to pick our stipulation. My first instinct was violence.”

“I wanted a display. Something to stack the odds in my favour, because I’m certain of my ability to withstand the punishment. I wanted glass, barbwire, weapons. I wanted to see him bleed, leak and flop about like a gutted fish. But the more I thought about it, the more I doubted myself. What if you weren’t as fragile as I was thinking? I mean, I’d already been proven wrong once before. The two best men at the end of day, and I was second best. He’d already proven that he was willing to go the whole ten yards with Michael Harris. Credit where credit is due, J2H can go. He may not be wrestling every week, but when does. He makes it count. So that doubt started to creep in. Wondering if I was good enough. If it was worth giving me another chance. Then something inside me clicked. I heard another person make the same remark that Jack Washington has been making all year. Peter Vaughn made comment about the opportunities handed to me. In fact, it seems like everyone has it in their heads that I am handed golden opportunity after golden opportunity. That I’m constantly put in this position of being opposite the world champion. Bald faced lies, but it didn’t stop them from pretending it was the truth. Third time’s the charm, and that is what this is. I was one step short against Ken Davison. Austin James Mercer was there to see that I was continually one step short. The next opportunity? The six-pack challenge. The challenge where I proved I could step to the best of the best in this company. And that the only person I was second to that night, was you James. The only one I wasn’t better than, stronger than. The only person that had better cardio, and more desire to win, was you.”

He lifted his head up and stepped into the empty road. Standing in the middle of it. Heavy shadows cast over him from both sides. Obscuring his face in the cloak of their shadows. He lifts his arms, extending them out to each side. His left hand with the palm facing upwards, the right hand with the palm facing down.

“They lit this fire in me, with their accusations. And the only person who wasn’t accusing me of being in a position I didn’t deserve, was you. Of everyone the only person that offered me even the modicum of respect that I have earned, was you, James. And that confidence came back, just not in the way I was expecting. No, as much as my mind screams at me to take this to my place of comfort. There is something that I can’t see either of us doing. Giving up. Some might question why I would go for something like an I Quit match, or similar. But I think this is far more in the wheelhouse of us both. It gives me that slight edge, without devaluing what happens. It wasn’t enough though. It wasn’t enough to choose Submission only. It wasn’t enough to pick a match type where one of us must give up or pass out. It wasn’t enough to simply put the belt on the line. All risk and no reward. Failure from me just meant that I’d have to spend another year listening to the same people bitch about my opportunities. The same people that got back-to-back-to-back opportunities and squandered them every time. The same people who have done nothing with their opportunities. No, I don’t want to go back to listening to those same people bitch and moan. I don’t want to hear them complain about opportunity afforded to me, that is a straight out lie. I worked my fucking ass off to get here. I’ve been here every single time they’ve asked me. I was here when I wanted out. I’ve been here whilst my best friend, who unironically is also called James, lies in a hospital bed on the brink of death. I’ve been here doing what is asked of me, for a chance to prove. To prove that I am the guy in Sin City. That I am the guy who everyone can put their support behind.”

“So I made a choice to offer something to ensure that whoever wins, walks away as the guy here in Sin City. I win, I prove all the fucking naysayers wrong. I walk out of this year as the World fucking champion. I walk out as the man who stands at the apex of the fucking mountain and looks down upon the filth who squabble and squirm. I stand here not just as the Napalm Kingslayer, but as The Forgotten who will never be erased. I want the best J2H that there is. I want the man who doesn’t just want to put me down, but to put me out. So I put my offer on the table. Submission Only, and if I lose. I walk away. Not just for a day, not just for a week. I take my boots off; I pack my bags and I go home. I go home and sulk. I go home and let the naysayers have their day. I go home, and never come back. I win, I become the guy. I win your respect. I prove that I’m not second best to fucking anyone. I lose, I go home.”

The lights flicker for a moment, casting the world into darkness. A few long and dragging moments past, the croaking of raven birds filling the air. Then a snapping sound and the streetlights on the left side of the road come back on. In his left hand, a card. The King of Hearts.

“I called you both my Ace and Joker last time we crossed paths, James. Arrogance maybe, underestimating you proved to be my mistake. I took every other person in that match seriously. I saw myself as the man who didn’t belong, but I mocked you. I thought of you as the ace, but also the joker. The man who thinks himself on top of the world, but still a step short of true success. I looked at you with clouded eyes and I was made to see. Yet, despite that. I got under your skin. From your own admittance, Alexander Raven got under the skin of J2H. The opposite is true as well. I live with my emotions on my sleeve, visible and seen to the world. I don’t pretend to be well-adjusted; I don’t pretend to be emotionally stable. You got under my skin just as much James. Fixated and focused, I was obsessed. No longer just the Ace and Joker in one. No, you had proven yourself. The King. The King of Hearts. A man with all the heart to fight, and all the bravado of a stalwart king. The joker? That belonged to me. Alexander Raven, The Forgotten one, the Joker. I like to think of myself as the ace. As the workhouse. As the man to beat, and I’ve gone a long way in proving that to be true. I am the man to beat. I proved my worth when I run through a cavalcade of talent. Austin James Mercer, Fenris, Ken Davison, O’Malley, Miles Kasey. All current and former champions, most with world title accolades. But at the end of the day, it’s just bravado. I’m good, but Fenris once put that grain of doubt in my mind. Called the Internet Championship a secondary title. That he didn’t want to be second best. I asked him, second best to fucking who? Here we are, at the end of the year. And I now must prove, that I’m not the joker. That I am the fucking Ace. That I am not second best. I am the best. All that stands in my way is you, James. I keep going over things in my head. I wonder if things will go the way I want. I wonder if I’ll win your respect. I wonder if I can do what I plan to do. The only thing I know for certain is that there is no chance in hell I give in. There is no chance in hell I let you simply walk all over me. There is no chance in hell I go down quietly. So I ask this of you, James. Are you ready?”

The lights flicker and then go out once more. A strained few seconds. The croak and cry of more birds, of the ravens. Then the lights come on, on the right side of the road. A stopwatch hanging from his hand. His eyes distant and hollow. His lips pulled in a tight line.

“Time. It’s all a matter of time. We walk towards an inevitable end, and someone is going to lose it all. Time will tell, and in that. Our peace. I’ll either be free, or forever tormented by failure. You’ll either come to respect me, or you’ll laugh in the face of my arrogance. Laugh at the time I wasted to be nothing more than second best. Time, James. Times is all we’ve got left. At December 2 Dismember. We’ll see the end of this all. I’m willing to go the distance, James. I’m willing to choke your ass out. I’m willing to do what I need to walk out as the World Champion. To be the man who holds the world in his hands. I’m ready to be respected. I’m ready to prove that I am the fucking workhouse of Sin City Wrestling. To be the man walking into next year as the top of the mountain. To prove every fucking naysayer wrong. Time will tell all, and as the clock ticks, know this. I am more than just another body. I am more than just another arrogant nobody. I am Alexander fucking Raven, and I will not be forgotten. I will not be silenced. I will not be made to walk home with my tail between my fucking legs. At the end of the day, when it comes down to it. If it’s you or me, it’s going to be me every single time. If you’re not ready, if you’re unsure, if you think that this is another easy win. I need you to reconsider. I have everything to lose. And I won’t let it go to a man like you.”

And then the world is plunged into darkness once more.

“The Conspiracy is here.”

And then…

The Truth
Scene Three | Off-Camera | 8th December 2023

“Thanks for coming, Alex. Harrison said gruffly. He’d grown out his beard and was looking a bit heavier than he once did. Less focus on staying in shape. That wasn’t to say Harrison was out of shape, just not as defined as he once was. Happily living a relaxed life, rather than one of being on the edge of violence and crime. They’d met at a café, somewhere public but not too public. Somewhere where Alex couldn’t get too over the top with his reaction. Somewhere where the truth when revealed would mean he would have to stay calm. Cool and collected.

“We’re getting married. Luna and I. With you back for a bit, if you wanted to be there. We’d appreciate the support.” Alex said softly, lifting a cup of coffee to his lips. He inhaled the steam deeply, trying to push the ebbing throb of a headache away. Luna and he had drunk a few too many the night before. The sun was punishing his eyes and head this morning. Harrison laughed a little and banged a hand down on his leg. He seemed more relaxed these days. Even if the conversation to come was unlikely to be a pleasant one. “Just tell me where and when. Gotta see my Lulu off into a terrible union firsthand.” 

Alex sighed and shook his head. He could have done without the berating today. It wasn’t particularly high on his list of positives. He straightened in his chair and locked eyes with Harrison across the table. They both nodded a little, acknowledging the matter before them. “I wish I didn’t know about this all. I wish I wasn’t on the other side of the world. I think you would have a pretty good idea of who the culprit is.” Harrison spoke softly, his voice hushed. Alex kept his eyes locked with him, his mind running in every direction. There was only one person he could think of. Someone he had actively been seeing at every turn. A guilty conscience perhaps? That night, when he was sitting there. Wiping up the blood. Cleaning it up. There had been so much blood. And a visitor. Alex shook his head a little and narrowed his eyes.

“Sullivan.” Harrison said, harshly.

Frustration, anger, rage. Everything built up in him. He could feel the heat rising in his face. The blood pumping in his ears. His head hurt. His vision narrowed, clouded. The smiling fucking cheshire cat of a man. That skeleton wearing skin. The bedraggled bastard who had mockingly sat there and talked the night away whilst he cleaned it up. Cleaned the blood that had pooled onto the floor. Had sat there and watched as he relived that moment over and over. Relived watching his friend bleed out onto the bar floor. That bastard had sat there, and fucking watched. Watched as he cleaned up his actions. “I’m going to kill that fucking rat bastard. I’m going to wring his fucking neck and mount his fucking body over the bar.” Alex grunted out, hissing his words.

Harrison nodded and lifted his mug to his mouth. He breathed out heavily and took a deep sip. Swirling it a little after a mouthful, he replaced it on the tabletop and leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “Sul blamed James for our split. I found out a few things. He had cheated on me, Alex. After twenty fucking years together, the bastard cheated on me. James found out, turns out it was with one of his ex-flings. Threatened to tell me, if Sullivan didn’t end things. I’d rather have known the choice. I would have broken his fucking neck myself.” Harrison spoke matter-of-factly, but there was obvious anger there. He was frustrated too. Seems like their world was falling apart simultaneously, and it was the result of a man they had trusted. Someone they’d worked with, shared drinks with. Sullivan had been their friend.

“The rat bastard confronted James. The first shot was in the leg. Shot him outside the bar. James being the bloke that he is, decked him clean across the jaw and told him to leave. He didn’t. Followed him inside and shot him again. Clean in the gut. Sloppy work, I think. He didn’t realise you were there. He would’ve wanted James to suffer but die there. That’s his style. Make him physically hurt, like he was emotionally. Didn’t account for you. But he just had to fucking gloat. Got drunk, told me the truth over a call. Thought I would stay quiet. Stay away. I liked James. I fucking love Luna. I might not have seen eye to eye with you, but you didn’t deserve that. None of you deserved what that fucking cunt did.” Harrison grumbled more, his hands curling into tight little balls.

Alex looked at him, suddenly all the heat was fading from his face. Harrison had a firm look on his face. There was something uncanny about it. Something intimidating. Something… dark. “I’m going to make things right, Alex. We were always bad people. Regardless of everything. But if you and Lu can make a go of it. I think the best outcome has been reached.” Harrison said, eyes locked with Alex’s. He was going to do something stupid. Regrettable. Dumb. As much as Alex wanted to kill Sullivan, there was this part of him. But he wouldn’t do it. Beat him bloody? Sure. Force him away forever? If he could. Yet, he knew Harrison. He knew what he would do. What he was capable of. Harrison would kill Sullivan.

“Harry. Don’t do anything stupid.” Alex said softly. Harrison smiled and stood up. He threw a twenty down on the table and turned. Waving over his shoulder. “Time and place, Alex. Let me know.” The tap of his shoes as he walked away, bounced around in Alex’s head. Bounced around behind his eyes. Everything was falling apart.

He just wanted it to stop.

[J2H]

Monday, 04 December 2023.
Beverly Hills, California
J2H's home.

He'd left the show as soon as he could after defeating Peter Vaughn and headed straight back home to Beverly Hills, finding himself arriving in the early hours of the morning. Time had passed till the afternoon as he sat on the sofa in his home, reflecting back as the events were now closer. J2H had known for a while that Alexander Raven wanted a submissions match but the thought of it hadn't really sunk in until the match had now become just two weeks away. He sat in quiet reflection but Melody had picked up on her husbands feelings as he sat staring in to a cup of coffee.

Melody: What's on your mind?

She asked him as she took a seat next to him, her hand moving to his leg and snapping him away from his train of thought.

J2H: Nothing much.

After years of marriage, she knew that he was not being completely truthful about his thoughts and decided to push him.

Melody: I know you're not being honest James, so what's going on?

He sighed as his eyes broke away from his coffee cup, looking towards Melody.

J2H: I've always been a guy that looked at the next match, trained for the next match, put everything in to the next match and now here I am, looking at a match that has caught me off guard, not by a little but a lot. I was expecting something I could wrestle in and do some insane shit, but this is boring and I don't do boring.

She could hear the humanity in his voice and could tell he was troubled.

Melody: It's just like any other match, you just need to make him tap out. You have a submission signature.

J2H: That I haven't used in years. I have a few submission moves there, but when was the last time you saw me put on a submission move?

Melody stared thoughtfully at her husband. She knew he had a few moves, but can't remember when he's seriously tried to use one to make someone submit.

Melody: It has been a while.

J2H: I've used a couple to break people down but I haven't gone for a win with a submission in years. Besides, it's not about having just one submission, it's about having a fuck ton of them for every situation, and I don't have a fuck ton of them.

Melody: You have nearly two weeks, you could learn a ton of them.

J2H looked towards Melody with a frown on his face.

J2H: You want me to humble myself to ask people to knock the rust off my submission game? I don't know anyone I could go to. 

Melody: Austin could help you?

J2H: Austin is a busy man with that ranch of his. He don't do the training thing.

Melody stared in to space for a while, looking at nothing in particular but a smile starts to build over her face.

Melody: I have an idea.

With J2H's interest piqued, he looked toward his wife.

J2H: Who?

Melody tried to hide an uneasy look and waves him off.

Melody: Let me make a phone call and I'll let you know. In the mean time, could you make some fresh coffee?

He looked at Melody knowing she was up to something, but stood up.

J2H: Alright...

As he walked towards the kitchen, Melody pulled out her phone out of her pocket and hits a number. She slowly shook her head.

Melody: He is not going to like this but this will help.... Hello, Aron...

*******

Tuesday, 05 December 2023.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Unknown Gym.

Melody had made a phone call and told J2H to head to Las Vegas, Nevada to meet the person who is going to help him knock the rust off his submission moves. He felt uneasy as he walked in to the dim gym at the address Melody had sent him to, but he had faith in her regardless of the fact she refused to tell him who his trainer would be.

J2H: Hello...

His voice echoed back at him in the clearly empty gym, just a light shining down on a raggedy wrestling ring, it's best days long behind it.

J2H: Fucking great. Whoever is meant to be here is not. Wasted my time coming all the way over to this rat hole gym.

He turned on his heels, with every intention to leave but two men move out the shadows towards him. J2H's eyes widen as he looked at the two men.

J2H: What the fuck are you two doing here?

His eyes looked up at Aron Baltassarson and none other then his brother, Fenris. Fenris looked at J2H through narrowed eyes and snapped back quickly

Fenris: What the fuck are you doing here?

J2H: I asked first!

Fenris: Fucking child!

J2H dropped his bag as he looked at the larger man, his teeth gritted in anger.

J2H: Watch your mouth!

Before things could escalate any further, Aron starts to speak.

Aron: Guys, before you two do something stupid. I played a part in you both being here right now.

Both men looked towards Aron, their eyes demanding answers from him. He took a moment to compose his thoughts.

Aron: So I spoke to Melody yesterday, who said that you needed a trainer to help with your upcoming match, a submissions match and asked if I could sort this out.

Fenris: Are you fucking kidding me? You said to me you wanted me to train someone who is on the rise and wanted to add shit to his game.

J2H: I am on the rise idiot, I haven't stopped rising. 

Aron: Guys please. This is not the time for this. I thought it was a great idea, because this is what you both need. K, you're rehabbing well to the point you need to get back in the ring with someone with good quality, and James needs help on his submission work. This would be great for you both.

J2H: I don't need help from him.

J2H once again picked up his bag, again with every intention to leave.

Fenris: I don't want to help this fucking baby. All he's done for a year is cry over me beating him.

J2H: Pretty sure I had every right to Mr. Ego.

Fenris: That's rich coming from you.

Aron: Would you two just knock it off! Don't you see you're more alike then you both know?

J2H and Fenris locked each other in an intense stare, neither man wanting to break away from it, both wanting to burn a hole in to each other with looks alone.

J2H: I am nothing like him, nothing at all like him. I'm better then he ever was or he'll be in SCW with the World title and I'll be sitting at home doing nothing.

J2H was still very bitter a year plus after these two men went one on one, and has made that more then clear at every chance. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife as the two men continued to stare are each other, neither turning away for a split second.

Aron: You're exactly alike, you both have egos bigger then this building.

Finally, the two men broke their stare to look directly at Aron, instantly changing his face to defensive as he takes half a step back.

Fenris: Why would I even help him? He's a dick.

J2H turned his attention back to Fenris.

J2H: You're a dick.

Aron completely avoids the verbal exchange, feeling relived that the attention has turned away from him and back to each other.

Aron: Because he needs help, you need to get back in the ring.

Fenris: I don't wanna help him.

J2H: Besides, this past it dick can't help me, he can't help anyone.

Fenris once again turned his eyes towards J2H, once again burning a hole through him.

Fenris: Why can't I help you?

An arrogant smirk crossed the face of the SCW World Heavyweight champion.

J2H: Because I'm facing Alexander Raven. You remember that guy? That guy beat you, beat you pretty easily. How can you help me beat a guy who you couldn't even beat. It's a waste of time even trying to be taught by a loser.

Fenris took half a step forward, but stopped as a smirk now appeared on his face.

Fenris: I might have lost to Alexander Raven, but I beat you, so when you think about it, Raven should beat you.

J2H didn't say a word, he just looked at Fenris with his teeth gritted.

J2H: I don't need this shit. I'm gonna go and find a real trainer. Someone who hasn't been sitting at home eating bon bons like an old housewife.

He walked past Fenris, shoulder bumping him as he walked past, but Fenris put his hand on his shoulder, stopping him from moving on.

J2H: Move it or lose it.

J2H looked deep in the Fenris' eyes, his patience running very thin as he growls softly under his breath.

J2H: I don't need this, I don't need your help. I can find some other former MMA hack to teach me a few submission moves to beat this Raven guy. He's not that good and you're finished.

For some reason, Fenris just smiled at J2H, causing J2H to frown at Fenris, unsure what he's thinking. J2H's body tenses up as he looks at him.

Fenris: I'm far from finished.

J2H: No, you're completely finished. That shoulder of yours healed up a while ago so I heard through the grapevine, you're just too scared to get back in the ring again because you don't want to get hurt. It's fine, go cry like a bitch somewhere, I don't care.

Fenris: I could still kick your around the ring and put you in holds that you've never even heard of.

Aron: Why don't you show him?

Aron was doing his best to encourage this to happen to help out Melody more then J2H, but both men were notoriously stubborn.

J2H: He doesn't have it in him. He probably knows more about what's going on in The Young And The Restless, then he does about submission moves.

Aron sighed, he knew he had one more card to play.

Aron: Ok, you two get to kick the hell out of each other and you've both been wanting to do that from the second you saw each other, so why not try for one session? You do that, you might like it and you both get something out of this.

Both men felt unsure but both shared the same feeling of wanting to release a years worth of pent up anger and animosity towards each other. They never liked each other long before the two had even stepped in the ring against each other. They are both considered the best champions SCW has ever had.

Fenris: Fine, but if he gets hurt...

J2H: Worry about yourself, don't be worried about me getting hurt. Worry about me sending you back to the sofa with your candy and day time dramas.

Aron: Great, the dressing rooms are that way.

J2H huffed but turned to walk towards the direction Aron had pointed to. Reluctantly, J2H moved towards them and Aron attempted to join him but Fenris put his hand across his younger brothers chest, stopping him from moving on.

Fenris: I'm gonna get you back for this. In fact, for a while, I'm gonna teach him from the outside, and you're going to be in the ring and believe me brother, I got some fucked up new moves.

Fenris patted his brother slightly harder on the back then what most would consider friendly and flashed him an almost evil looking smile. Fenris turned to walk away, strangely whistling as the camera focused on Aron's face, a look of nerves and anxiety.

The session went slightly better then any of the men could have expected but J2H had told every cameraman to switch off and go. He refused to allow the training session be recorded in any way, he refused to allow Alexander Raven see anything that might give him any kind of advantage. Needless to say, this became session one of many through out the week...

*******

Friday, 08 December 2023.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Location unknown.

The SCW World Heavyweight championship takes up the camera before it pulled backwards to widen the camera shot, to see J2H sitting behind it, his eyes looked directly down the camera as he sat in an unknown location. The scene is slightly dimmer the usual but the scene wasn't the focus in his mind, the words were. He could have spoke from any location in the world but it was never about where he was sitting, it was all about everything he had to say. He started to slow clap for a few seconds.

J2H: Bravo Alexander, bravo. Seriously, it took me a while to figure it out but bravo. 

He stopped clapping and looked down the camera with a stone look on his face, baring no emotion to anything.

J2H: When I asked you to pick a match, it was for my own ego, another chance to show the world that I can and will adapt to anything and I thought about all the tough guy matches you went through and I thought great, he's going to go for something over the top, violent, that stuff I can do with my eyes closed, but no, you looked for my weakness to give you strength, to stack the deck in your favor. You saw that my submission game was not my strongest so you took that, well bra-fucking-vo, you think you've added an extra chip or two to your stack, feel that you've made things a little easier.

He shook his head.

J2H: In pursuit of your desperate urge to win and it really is desperate, you've picked one hell of a boring fucking match to headline. This is ending the SCW year with a fucking brawler and a guy who doesn't give a shit about submission wrestling, actually wrestle a submissions match. Do you know how fucking stupid that sounds? Do you know how fucking stupid that is? It's like giving a basketball player a football and telling him to kick a field goal! It's like putting a fish up a fucking tree and telling him it's his new home. You've basically taken two guys who are not submission guys and thrown them in to this, just because you think I'm shit at submissions and this is gonna land you this thing.

He ran his hand over the SCW World Heavyweight championship in front of him.

J2H: All you did there Alexander was motivate me to try something else and that's something I haven't felt the urge to do in a while cause I'm J2H and I'm too fucking awesome as it is.

He rolled his shoulder back with a serious look on his face.

J2H: Forcing me to add submissions to my arsenal just means I'm now even better then I was before, even if my trainer was, is and will always be a dick and that's saying something coming from me.

He rolled his eyes.

J2H: I didn't see it coming that you was gonna pick such a lame ass match to face me in but it pushed me to learn something new and now I'm more dangerous then I've ever been before. I'm now more dangerous then I've had to be all because you had to push me to learn something new. My weakness has become a strength because you pushed it to happen, you made it happen and you still think you're going to have an advantage over me? No Alexander, what you've done is you've opened my eyes to stop being that guy who knows no matter what is thrown at him and pick up something else that has long term effects. You might be too drunk or too stupid to see it, but it means that from now on till the rest of my career, I am gonna be even better. There will be no more stupid loses because I'm not used to a certain style because now you've made me add to myself so it now fucking sucks to even be those bullshit MMA guys who come over cause wrestling is easier for them.

He knew the irony of that statement considering his past week and smiled.

J2H: So now you've got to ask yourself if this was the smartest match you could have picked, not only for now, but for the future of SCW because this could something that's changed the course of SCW for the future because you've made a highly skilled man, even more highly skilled and what's more, you've become the first person he can prove it to and on. You made me do this and now I'm going to show you what a fucking mistake you've made by making me do this because you get to see it up close and personal.

He looked seriously down the camera again, feeling the confidence.

J2H: Now I know what you're thinking and for a change it's not something like I'm out of whiskey, I need more. I know you've seen who's been training me because cameras follow me everywhere and you're probably sitting there smirking because you've beaten Fenris. Well good for you, but don't you think that somewhere in his head, this is why he helped me? Don't you think he's watched that match back hundreds of times and knew what he could do differently and maybe, just maybe put in to my head just how to beat you? The truth is, I don't have people to lean on, I don't want people to lean on but when I do lean on people, they tend to be people who know what they're fucking doing and I don't like the man, and he really don't like me, but he likes you a lot less then he likes me so the fact you beat him has made him work harder to get me ready to face you. Basically, what I'm saying is you fucked up and it really sucks to be you right now.

He couldn't help but smirk as he looked down the camera.

J2H: I know you want more then this championship belt, I know you want more then this championship belt, you want my respect. This is what I offered you at the start, the chance to earn my respect. I told you to earn that, you need to come and take this from me.

He ran his hand over the top of the World Heavyweight Championship belt.

J2H: This belt is a nice prize for anyone, but I know you want my respect more. Even though you're gonna step in that ring and get your ass whooped, you still want to walk out of there with the respect of this champion. I understand that because everyone wants me to respect them, everyone wants to me to give them credit cause that's like getting a rub from God himself but the only way you earn my respect, is to take my championship. The only way you earn my respect is if you make me pass out, or you get this hand slamming that canvas.

He held his hand up as if to prove a point.

J2H: I haven't tapped out that much in my career and now I refuse to so for you to take my belt, for you to take my respect, it's going to mean you're going to have to choke me out Alexander, you're going to have to wrap your arms around my throat until I just can't breathe anymore because there is actually no other way for you to take everything from me. I am not letting you take anything from me, so you're gonna have to damn near kill me to get what you want.

He looked away and breathed deeply for a few seconds.

J2H: Do I think you could actually do that?

He looked back down the camera.

J2H: Not a fucking chance Alexander, not a fucking chance. You don't have it in you. You don't have that killer instinct in you that you need to get this belt away from me. You don't have what it takes to be SCW's World Heavyweight Champion. You're just another name on the roster with nothing special about them, that thinks you're special. I've seen special talents and you are not one of them, you're dull, you're boring, you pick shit matches that you want to be remembered by and more then anything else in this world, you're no J2H and that is exactly who you need to be to lead this place. You will never be that Alexander, you will never come close. The best you will ever do is scratch a living in SCW because you will never be God tier like I am. You might well be a former Roulette and Internet champion but I've been there, I've done that but there's a big step up from that to the level I'm on. There's an ocean sized gap between that and where I am and you're just not ready to make that leap, you're just not there yet to get to where I am and while I'm here, you never will be. Your best option is wait till I get bored of holding this thing, give it up so it can drop down a level or five where you might just be close to getting it amongst the others who are lot good enough, the likes of Goth, Jack Washington, people like that who think they have what it takes but just don't.

He smirked at his name dropping, his history with Goth being as well documented as it is.

J2H: That's the only way you become a World champion here because I am so fucking far better then everyone else here, you should just really hope I get bored of it and just throw the belt away and let you waste of spaces play with it for a while.

He rolled back his shoulders and smirked.

J2H: It's not arrogance when it's the truth man.

Contrary to his statement, a pure look of arrogance crosses his face.

J2H: We both know it's the truth, you can deny it all you want but we both know why you're actually in this match. It's because I chose you to be in this match, not because it is an easy ride for me, not at all, it's because you were the only one who caught my eye in that six way match, but don't get too excited, it just shows how bad everyone else was.

A smile appeared on his face.

J2H: You just made more noise then the rest of them, you seemed like you really wanted this championship more then the rest of them. If I would have not called your name, you'd be in that stupid briefcase match instead of the main event. Let's be frank about it, I saved you from obscurity and gave you a seat at the big boys table. You're welcome for that by the way. Doesn't mean you've earned shit, I mean you lost to Peter Vaughn, I didn't, I smacked that guy all around Arizona, so don't come in to this thinking you belong here Alexander because you do not. You're here by the grace of J2H, nothing more then that. The problem is I'm going to have to make you regret being the loudest one in the class, I'm gonna have to put you in the corner facing the wall because when you come in to my ring, that is my classroom and lessons will get learned in there Alexander. At December 2 Dismember, still a stupid fucking name but still, lessons will be learned.

He pulls the SCW World Heavyweight championship from in front of him and throws it over his shoulder.

J2H: You're not gonna like what I'm teaching. You want to be called The Forgotten?

He huffed through his nose.

J2H: When I'm done with you Alexander, that is exactly what you will be. I'm J2H, SCW World Heavyweight champion and you Alexander Raven, well you will be forgotten.

He stood up.

J2H: And that's real talk bitch!

J2H walked off screen as the camera faded to black.

[Alexander Raven]

Till Death
Scene One | Off-Camera | 10th December 2023

He sat there on his balcony once more. Staring off into the night sky. The hospital wasn’t particularly pleased at the idea of having the room having multiple people. It was hard enough to convince them let him sit in there, let alone have himself, Luna and Harrison present. Harrison had gone and got himself ordained, so that he could at least be there as the person authorising the whole thing. There was a part of him that felt a bit… lost in the whole situation. They’d get remarried again one day. With people, friends and the whole shebang. A proper honeymoon, and the rest of their lives.

This was for James. Really, it was for them to feel better about it all. It was a chance to give him a happy memory before he slipped from this world. It was about giving them a moment with him that they could hold on to. Rushed as it felt, it felt good too. It felt right. He sat there, looking into the night sky. A glass of white in hand, his attempt at keeping his mind clear. His attempt at keeping everything above board. At staying lucid. At keeping focused for what was to come. His phone buzzed, he pulled it out and turned it on. A message from Harrison. ‘I’ve got your wedding present. I’ll take you after.’ And then a photo followed. Sullivan Pleasant, sitting in a chair. Not restrained, but clearly feeling trapped. Bruised face, a blackened eye. Harrison had worked him over already.

He sighed deeply and put the phone away, placing the glass on the small table beside him. Leaning forward and resting his elbows on his thighs, placing his head in his hands. Every part of him told him to tell Harry to let him go. Every part of him screamed that something bad was going to happen, and they had a chance to stop it here. Every part of him. And then he heard it. The shatter of a glass, and the gut-wrenching cry. He leapt to his feet and threw open the door. Tore through the house and into the bedroom. Luna was slumped on the floor, a shrieking mess. He knelt and slipped his arms around her, lifting her to her feet. Getting her away from the spilt water and shattered glass. Away from the immediate danger. Placing her on the end of the bed, he knelt in front of it. Looking into her eyes.

“Harry told me.” Luna whimpered, racking in shallow short breaths. His mind started to turn, started to spin. What had Harry told her? That Sullivan was waiting to be told the ways of the world somewhere? That James had been shot by Sullivan? What had Harry told her? “Harry told you what, Lu?” He asked softly, taking her hands into his own.

“The hospital isn’t going to let us do it. They aren’t going to let James out, and they aren’t going to let us do it there. They won’t let my fucking brother see us get married. They won’t let him have one more fucking happy memory before…” Luna whimpered somewhat before another gut-wrenching cry. She really could give banshees a run for their money. A wash of momentary relief came over him and he smiled. She just stared at him incredulously and shook her head.  “I know. We got things pushed back a little, but. We’re going to do it. One doctor thinks some fresh air might just be a good idea for our battler. We’re going to take advantage of the time. Take advantage of the moment.” Alex said, smiling. She sniffled, the waterworks finally coming to a stop. Of all things for her to have wailed about. This wasn’t the one he expected.

Hours passed, the night grew deeper, and soon the sun threatened to creep above the horizon. She’d gone to sleep soon after, happy with the soothing. Happy with the ideas. Today was the day, today was the day they’d make it official. He was happy, but he was also sad. Sad that another day meant that there was one less with James. Chances of recovery at this point were less than a single digit. A week, maybe two. Every day counted. Every day.

“A second marriage? Aren’t you just the shining example of the modern man.” That familiar voice came. He’d been doing better. Seeing fewer, hearing fewer. The ghosts of the past were doing their best at keeping quiet. Couldn’t expect the good times to last forever, he guessed. He rolled over and saw the far too solid form of his father. Staring down at him, smiling. He always had a great way of being uncomfortably close. Alex turned and placed his feet on the floor, sitting on the edge of the bed. Luna seemed fast asleep, but probably wouldn’t take too kindly to him conversing with his dearly deceased. Especially on a day that was going to be so important. “I wonder if Lauren is smiling or turning in her grave. Do you think she’d ever be okay with you doing this? I think she’d be quite resentful.” His father said, the mocking smile to accompany the bitter words. Alex sighed and stood up. Moving to the ensuite, closing the door behind him. The reflection showed himself, and his father now leaning against the closed door.

“I wonder what I ever did to be tormented by such a foul man, in both life and death?” Alex grumbled under his breath, turning on the tap. Moving to wash his face. “You killed me, remember? I only exist because you can’t forgive yourself. I wonder if I’m here because you are thinking about doing something incredibly stupid again?” Alex’s Father mocked, sneering as he did so. Alex thought about it for a moment. His mind drifting back to the night before. Drifting back to the thoughts of what Harrison was offering him. Despite every part of him screaming to tell him to let it go. To let bygones be bygones and suffer in the knowledge of what he had. There was a part of him. A part of him that wanted to hurt Sullivan. A part of him that wanted to kill him. To ensure that there was not a world where he got to live, if James didn’t. So maybe his father was right. Maybe that was why he was staring him down, here and now.

“Your mother loved Luna. I didn’t particularly like them, but your mother loved her. I guess at least somebody is happy with your decisions.” His father mumbled, moving to place his hands on Alex’s shoulders. Squeezing them. Even if it was all in his mind, there was something peaceful about it. As if his actual father was attempting to be supportive. Delusion, most likely. But that was just the way it was. He had to live happily in delusion, because reality was too fucking scary. “I hope when it all comes to an end. That you get replaced by James and Lauren. No more torment, just people who loved me.” Alex whispered, dropping his head a little. Staring down into the sink. Laughter filled his ears, and then silence. Just the sound of running water filled the air. Silence.

A deep breath, a heavy sigh.

He really wasn’t ready for this.

End of Days
Scene Two | On-Camera | 14th December 2023

“There was this idea for a long time. This idea that I liked the sound of my own voice. That I ran on and on because I had nothing important to say, but wanted to twist the words to make it seem like I did. I almost believed it at one point. I had all these things to say, my whole game was around getting under people’s skin. Yet the more people said it, the more I had to wonder. So I would go back, and I would listen to what they were saying. I would listen to the drivel that people had to say and ask myself. Why do they get to talk about nothing, and I am admonished for it? That is when it clicked for me, James. People weren’t admonishing me for talking about nothing. No, they were frustrated that I was able to get into their heads. That I was able to dig under their skin and get on their nerves. They were frustrated because there was always a piece of the truth hidden in sermons. I do like to talk James, that is no secret. I like to be able to convey how I am feeling with the world. I like to be able to tell people what is going on before their eyes. Truth and reality. Though I may have lived in delusion, I was all about showing them the truth. That was my justification for getting under their skin. Then I stood back and took in everything. See talking was half the battle. Talking and getting under their skin that worked two ways. For guys like Austin James Mercer it was like waving a red flag in their face. Riling up the bull and getting them angry. Getting them frustrated. The same could be said for you would-be teacher, Fenris. I forced his hand, and he overplayed it. I out-thought Fenris, I out-thought Austin James Mercer. The truth, however, was I was just getting lucky. That’s what people want to think. Guys like Jack Washington would tell you until the cows came home, I was just getting lucky. That despite it all, it wasn’t some grand plan. It wasn’t me being better. That it had to be a fluke of fucking fate that got Alexander Raven over the line. For a while, I thought they were right.”

“But then I took a moment to think. I looked over the scene and came to understand something. Hypocrites all of them. They did just what I was doing. Saying things to get under the skin of other people and they pretended like it meant more when they did. I grew tired of the prattling, the back and forth, the arguments and the arrogance. Hypocrites who could not admit that they liked the sound of their own voices just as much as they were accusing me of liking mine. Things keep on rolling, and here we stand at the end of it. You did that for me, James. You said something and it reminded me of who the fuck I am. It reminded me that even if the world had forgotten, nobody else would ever truly understand when they were just as delusional as me. You said I got under your skin, James. The first to openly admit it in months. In almost a fucking year, you admitted that I got under your skin. No matter what you say, no matter how you try and put me down. The truth of the matter remains this. I am under your skin, and it is driving you mad. So you went and got training from the one man who is probably as maddened as yourself. You went and got the help of Fenris to show you. To show you how to break me. To show you where he went wrong and how to stop that from happening again. But that is where things fall apart for you, James. That is where it all comes crashing down.”

Alexander Raven is standing in a field, wrapped up in a thick coat and a scarf around his neck. His beard has grown out, and his hair was somewhat messy. Deep heavy bags under his eyes, speaking of a lack of sleep. In front of him sat three small tombstones. Two looking aged, but the third in front of what appears to be a freshly dug grave. Standing in front of the fresh one, he turns his head up to the sky.

“Time of death, four fifteen AM. It’s funny how the world punishes us, James. You’ve been training with Fenris. Attempting to get as much knowledge in about submissions as you possibly can. Maybe even watching old tape to see if I’ve got any tricks up my sleeve that you don’t know about. What have I been doing? I got married, I nearly broke my knuckles over the face of an old friend. I watched my best friend die. Time of death, four fifteen AM. Everything has come crashing down, and I wonder. I wonder if there really is any reason to keep this charade going. I wonder if there is any reason to pretend that the outcome here is not already pre-ordained. I wonder if there is any fucking reason to step into that ring when everyone, their ma and their fucking dog think I am going to lose. Not a single person has even vaguely offered the olive branch to me. Not a single person has even thought about offering a word of fucking support for Alexander Raven. Why? No one thinks I can fucking do it James. You’re just an insufferable cunt that everyone thinks is just going to walk all over me. That is going to take what knowledge they’ve gained and step on the last of my time here. Time of Death, the final second of December 2 Dismember. That is the expectation for me. That in the final moments, I’ll either tap out or pass out. I’ll fade off and that’ll be it. The Forgotten will be forgotten. The end of my time here in Sin City. The end of my career some might say. They might be right. See, there’s a cruel fucking irony to this world. The irony being you share the name of my friend. You share his fucking name, and so every time I must think about you it taints his memory in my mind just a little bit more. I cannot fucking stand it, J2H.”

“You know what the worst part is? Behind all the bravado, you are just like him. Cool, calm and collected. Confident in yourself and brimming with arrogance. The difference? My James never had an issue telling you when he was afraid. When he was scared. He never had an issue telling people when he wasn’t sure he was good enough. He didn’t hide it behind frivolous words and manipulation. He told it straight. Stared down the barrel of hate and told you exactly how he was feeling. Someone we could all stand to take a lesson from. Especially you, J2H. See a blind man would think you have the confidence, arrogance and belief that you are a sure-fire win for this. The greater masses may think you are the guaranteed winner here. You might have even deluded yourself into thinking that what you are saying doesn’t reveal a greater image. Submissions weren’t you game, so you went and got trained. Not to better your skillset, though you may think that the case. You even had to swallow your fucking pride and saddle up with one of the boys who holds a win over you. Hell, a man who holds a win over us both let us not forget. No you saddled up with someone who made you feel violently ill at the thought of working with. You had to swallow your pride because the truth of it? You know I’m just good enough to take you off your mantle and drop you to the fucking floor. You know I’m just good enough, to wrap my arm around your throat and squeeze so hard your fucking eyes pop. You know I’m just good enough that even in such a ‘boring’ stipulation, you haven’t got a fucking chance. Behind all the bravado, all the arrogance all the bullshit. You’re just as fucking scared of walking out a loser as I am. The only difference now? I’ve got nothing else to fucking lose.”

Alex drops down to his knees, and stretches a handout, touching his hand to the makeshift wooden tombstone that marked the fresh grave. He lowered his gaze from the sky and fixed it on the grave in front of him, breathing out heavily. A glistening in his eyes, a shake in his hands. His other hand slipping into his coat pocket.

“You want to talk about killer instinct? Let’s talk about killer fucking instinct. See the only fuckwit walking into this match with a sheen of stupidity, is you. I’ve made a fucking career out of choking people the fuck out. I’ve made a career out of dropping people right on their neck. I’ve made a career out of ensuring that everyone knows that stepping into the ring with Alexander Raven is a case for danger. A case for agony. A case for pain. And a case to get your fucking lights put out. I picked submission only, because it affords me the opportunity to make you scream like the little bitch you are. I picked submission only because I know a hell of a lot about putting people in holds to make them tap the fuck out. I know a hell of a lot about breaking people. I won the Internet Championship when I put Lachlan Kane to fucking sleep. Put so much pressure on that poor boy’s back, it nearly snapped him in fucking half. You want to talk about killer instinct? I’m here week in week out, despite your claims otherwise. I’m here proving myself to be better every single time. And a fact of fate is that every person who wrongs me, eventually gets their comeuppance. I got my win back over Davison, over Fenris, over Kasey. You’ve fucking wrong me, J2H. And you have the balls to question whether I have the killer instinct? I don’t think you’ve got the killer fucking instinct James. You talk about me needing to choke your scrawny fucking ass out. What about you, brother? Do you have the killer instinct to choke me out? You think your little run around with Fenris is going to really prepare you to put me out? I don’t need to nearly kill you, James. I just need to hurt you. I just need to remind you of how fucking human we all are. You and I, we’re just people doing their best. A bit of success, a bit of competition and you lose sight of yourself. Harris was your better, and no matter what you think. Come December 2 Dismember, I’m going to show you who the fuck is your better.”

“Because this is the truth of it James. This is the fucking truth of it. You are not as good as you think you are, no matter how hard you try and convince yourself otherwise. You’re not as tough as you think you are, because I know how far a bone can be pushed before it snaps. I know how quickly a man can be put the fuck out with the proper chokehold. It takes only a second to put a man to sleep, James. A twitching, convulsing unconscious mess. Killer instinct? There’s only one guy here with killer fucking instinct. But you know what? You know what the most egregious think you throw out, week after week is? This assumption that I something of an alcoholic. Weird thing for a guy who likes a drink to be mad over, right? I can see the irony in it. Alexander Raven, runs bars, drinks on camera, hell he even ran a masterclass on the cruise once. Do you know why it bothers me, J2H? It bothers me, because it just shows how simple minded you really are. How baffling ignorant and blind you are to the reality that stands before. A man who talks shit, hides behind his own bravado, granted. Granted you’ve fucking earned some of it. Some of it. But not enough to be throwing out these accusations. Accusing me of something that I have spent my life ensuring that I never become. Ensuring that I stay in control of my vices. Stay in control of the aspects of my life that are influenced by the abuse of my youth. I’ve never been clearer in mind than I am right now. No alcohol, no fear. No worries and no qualms. I’m glad you went and got trained up. I’m glad you feel so goddamn confident about it all, because when it all comes to an end. And you’re blinking light back into your dim little head. Wondering where all the people went. Wondering where all the sounds went. Wondering why you’re being tended to by the doctors. When it comes down to it, and you must swallow your fucking pride. Let me tell you, James. I’m going to pour one out for you. I’m going to pour one out for both James’s in my life. The one who just got whooped, and the one who is going to be whooping ass in the great beyond.”

Alex pulls down and the makeshift grave marker comes down. Carved into the wood, and then painted in red is a name. James Huntington-Hawkes III. Alex spits on the grave, and stands up slowly, the wash of anger now settled on his face. Pulling the scarf from his neck, he places it over the torn down marker.

“What are you going to tell the world, when the drunk, stupid and less talented Alexander Raven chokes you the fuck out? What are you going to tell everyone when you lose at the final show of the year, in the main event, in a match that you did everything to prepare for, and it just wasn’t fucking good enough? Has the thought even crossed your mind, James? I’ve offered you my career, and I wonder. I wonder if you can take it from me. I have nothing left to lose, and everything to gain. Freedom to hunt, and the right to burn this fucking kingdom down. I am the fucking Napalm Kingslayer Alexander Raven. And I’m going to walk out of December 2 Dismember THE Sin City Wrestling World Champion. You can bet your fucking house on it.”

Taking a lighter out from his coat, he ignites it next to the scarf. After a few seconds it takes up in flames. The whole scarf quickly being enveloped. Then the grave marker, and then spreading to the nearby earth. The other two unmarked graves also catching flame. The fire spreading and spreading. Creating a circle around Alexander Raven.

“The Conspiracy is here.”

Raven is slowly enveloped by the flames too and obscured by them. The screech and croak of birds filling the air. The flutter of hundreds of wings. A swirl of birds filling the sky, and the area. The flames disappearing behind a cloud of black wings and beaks. Then as quickly as they appeared, they were gone. The flames too, and no Alexander Raven. Just the smouldering remains of the grave of J2H.

And then…

Darkness.

Silence.

Nothing.

[J2H]

Monday, 11 December 2023,
Beverly Hills, California,
The home of J2H.

He'd flown back in within the early hours from Las Vegas and a week of training with Fenris. He had his reasons for the early, or late hour, depending on which way you looked at it. He had been working up until the last minute of his training camp, and wanted to get back in the early hours to possibly rest and spend some time with his family before moving away for a week in Arizona. Although his family would be with him through the December 2 Dismember week, he always felt like the spotlight was on him during that time and flying in early on Monday, to spend a day with the family before the trio moved on to Arizona was his way of maximizing time.

J2H: Ugh!

His body ached as he flopped himself face first on to the sofa in his living room, not wanting to go to his bedroom and risk waking Melody. After almost a week of non stop training in submissions, his body was beat up more then it ever was before. Fenris refused to take it easy on him and he knew even in his own bed, he would struggle to get comfortable so made the choice to just lay where he felt. He was at the point of tiredness, he didn't even jump up when he felt a pair of hands move on to his shoulders.

J2H: If that's not you Mel, there's gonna be some serious issues when I can muster the strength to actually move.

Of course it was Melody, who had been waiting in another room for her husbands return. She had heard the car pull up and knew the chances are that he would head to the nearest place to rest.

Melody: Who else would it be?

He didn't have the energy to even sit up at that point, but turn his head away from the back of the sofa to the front.

J2H: Well, I ruled out Simpson right away, unless there was some freak accident while I was away and his hands got smaller or something, but I don't know, I don't care, whatever.

He buried his face in to the sofa, the tiredness from his voice filled the room.

Melody: Rough week, huh?

He didn't know where to start as he once again turned his head to the side Melody was. She wanted to keep his attention so quickly sat on the floor next to him, moving in to his sight of vision.

J2H: Oh, you could say something like.

She knew when she made this arrangement with Aron, that her own husband was going to be put through his paces but knew he could handle it.

Melody: What happened?

His mind flashed back to his past week.

J2H: Well, he was pissed when Aron brought him to the gym to train what he thought was a new guy. When he saw me, he looked like he wanted to take my head off my damn shoulders. I didn't want to be there, he didn't want to be there, but there I was and I thought fuck it, gives me a chance to punch him in the face a few times, but he was probably thinking the same shit.

Melody tried to keep her best serious look on her face as she looked at her husband.

Melody: I think he probably was thinking that.

J2H: Oh I have no doubt. Then we get to it, agree to train and he sends me in the ring to warm up. I told him fuck off I was born ready and yeah, that didn't go well. Then he disappeared and came back with some bullshit schedule about training and other things and a contract not to sue if I get hurt.

Melody: He's just covering himself I guess.

She had to turn her head away this time to keep from smiling at her clearly in pain husband.

J2H: It was written on a fucking napkin!

Melody leaned backwards, just enough out of J2H's view to stop her from smiling, before popping right back up with her best serious look.

Melody: It was probably all he had on hand.

J2H: He had me up at four every morning to run, have you ever tried running through Las Vegas at four in the morning? It's cold, it's miserable and it's full of drunks leaving casino's in fucking Santa hats! It's an abomination.

Melody struggled to keep a smile from breaking out on her face.

J2H: Then it was training pretty much all day and I do mean all day with short breaks in between. I told him it was bullshit and over training but he said it's submission holds so man up, to which I almost smacked him in the mouth. So from running at four in the morning, all the way in to the evening I had to spend around that man. He is fucking annoying, I can see why he has to hang out with his brother, because he's the only one who doesn't see him as a dick. That's not even the worst thing he fucking did.

Melody: Oh?

J2H: He tells me during training that there's no personal calls, took my phone away and got me some shitty little burner that looked like it was something from thirty years ago, said Aron would let you know, so after all that training bullshit, I'm stuck there cut off from everything on my phone and the prick would randomly call me to do extra training or to make sure that I wasn't drunk in a casino!

Melody bit her lip, trying to force herself not to laugh.

Melody: I did speak to Aron about that.

He was in full flow of his rant at this point, almost unable to stop himself from continuing.

J2H: I mean I don't like people, they're fucking idiots, so I'm not going to go to a casino, waste my time in there, but in his eyes, I don't need the distraction cause and I can quote this, I'm trying to teach you shit I learned over years, in a week so take it fucking seriously. You'd think all that would be the worst thing possible, but it wasn't.
 
Melody raised her eyebrow as she rested her hand on his shoulder, placing it gently in case that was one of his many, many sore spots.

Melody: Oh?

J2H: The son of a bitch turned me in to a fucking vegan for a week!

Melody was struggling to keep a straight face and quickly darted out of J2H's vision so she didn't give the game away.

Melody: How could he make you do that?

J2H: Ready prepped meals and all that shit, all for energy, you'll need that for the intense work out. That's bullshit, that was just fucking torturing me for the sake of torturing me! One damn burger wouldn't have made a difference but I saw his face. He was loving every second of watching me eat a salad! He was getting some kind of sick kick out of seeing me suffer.

Melody: But did you learn anything from it?

J2H: Yeah a couple of things. One, vegan's are the fucking devil's very own spawn. I mean how can you sit there and tell me eggplant is any kind of alternative to meat? Like fucking seriously, I'm eating the cows so they don't eat vegan shit, that's a win to me. They are seriously annoying people when it comes to pushing things on people.

Melody put on her best thoughtful look on her face, trying to mask the laughs that were building up inside here.

Melody: I meant on the wrestling side.

J2H: Oh I learned a lot about that. I now have five moves in every situation that I can take Alexander Raven down with, from anywhere. I also learned that now I've felt this pain, there's nothing Alexander Raven can do to hurt me.

Melody softly squeezed his shoulder.

Melody: Because of all the moves?

J2H: No, the pain of listen to that dick spout shit about being a vegan all week. There's nothing that can hurt me more then listening to that pile of shit.

Melody couldn't take anymore as she sprang to her feet and point and outstretched arm towards the kitchen.

Melody: I'll go and get you something for the pain.

She didn't wait for him to answer as she was already half way across the room.

J2H: Steak, get me a steak to take away the fucking pain, and some earplugs if I ever end up in the same room as him again.

Melody made it to the kitchen but was only a few feet inside before she burst in to fits of laughter, her voice travelling all the way back towards J2H. He shook his head slowly before burying it back in to the sofa cushion. The scene faded out to the laughs of Melody echoing through from the other room.

*******

Friday, 15 December 2023,
Tucson, Arizona,
Tucson Convention Center.

It was two days before the big show itself, the last of the SCW year but the crew were still busy working at putting together the set for SCW's December 2 Dismember V. The ring was assembled but staff were working hard building other aspects of the ringside area. It wasn't uncommon for J2H to visit the arena a day or two before the shows, often showing up a few days in advance of supercards rather then the day before when it came to Climax Control, and this was no different for him. He had avoided being in the backstage area, he had no reason to be trying to interact with people in that environment and somehow made his way in to the main arena, slowly, he walked down the steps in arena, seats either side of him. He stopped to look around, breathing deeply as he focused solely on the ring before a glance of the SCW World Heavyweight championship over his shoulder, took his attention for just a brief second.

J2H: Last show of the year, thank fuck.

He's been working hard through the year and tiredness had caught up with him, but he plowed on, giving it everything at every show. He continued to walk between the rows of seats and didn't have to wait too long before he was at the barrier separating the fans from the ringside area, and looked around again. He could already hear the roar of the crowd in his mind as he jumped over the guardrail to the ringside area, quickly garnering the attention of the people around him getting on with their jobs. He exhaled sharply as he rolled in to the ring, the crew inside stopping to look at him, but J2H just pointed at them.

J2H: You, you and you, get out of my ring now.

Confused looks came back at him.

J2H: Are you deaf? Get the fuck out of my ring.

With reluctance, the three ring technicians decided to listen and vacate the ring, but J2H wasn't finished as he pointed outside of the ring.

J2H: You, cameraman. Get your camera and get your ass in the ring now and hit that little red button that you get paid well for.

The man looked surprised but picked up a nearby camera and made his way up the steps and in to the ring. 

J2H: I haven't got all day.

The man holds the camera up and points to J2H.

J2H: It's on?

The man nodded his head and J2H was solely focused on the camera. 

J2H: I wasn't gonna do this the way I am now, but fuck it, I'm here, there's a camera here and there's someone barely competent enough to turn it on and use it. Don't fuck this up, it's one job, keep that thing pointed at me.

He narrowed his eyes at the nervous cameraman before he continued.

J2H: Alexander Raven, you know where I'm standing right now? No stupid, it's not for you to roll your eyes and say duh a lot or something like that because I know it's a wrestling ring idiot. I know it also has more of a meaning then just a place I go to work and show the world how amazing I am. This has a spiritual meaning to because this is not just a place I come to a work, this is a place I rule over and watch people's hopes fade away. This is a place that is like looking in someone's eyes and watching them take their last breath, this is where I am there to watch people's dreams die. On Sundays, people's dreams die right here in the middle of this ring.

He pointed down as he stood in roughly the middle of the ring.

J2H: This is the spot where all that hope that builds up for a week, two weeks, a month, two months, a lifetime ends up. This spot right here is where you've dreamed of being for so long, running scenario after scenario over and over in your head where each one has you walking out with something that you want, something you crave, something you need to give your existence meaning. Something that will stop you acting like a little bitch and running away from a place that treated you well. Every scenario in your head when you've been awake, every dream you've had about becoming the SCW World Champion all leads you to this place. The problem is with this place Alexander, is there's a dark force in this place, especially when there's someone who is an alpha, someone who stalks the plains, looking to take what he wants. It's a dangerous place and there's a killer on the loose. He doesn't want your life, he just wants to turn those dream scenarios in to a walking, talking living nightmare. See that's what I do Alexander, I take people like you, who have thought about being in this dark place a million times over the last month, and I take away their potential happiness.

His face changed to a stone, emotionless look.
 
J2H: I steal happiness. I am like the Grinch at who stole Christmas when it comes to happiness, because that's what I take and that's what I'm good at. What this place is to most is a wrestling ring, where men and women go to put on a show, but not me Alexander, this is where I show that I don't give a fuck about you, I don't give a fuck about your future, I don't care if this is the match that makes you follow every other loser on this show out of the door when they lose. This is where I steal your joy, this is where I change the course of your career one way or the other, because when I take that from you, you will question everything.

He placed his forefinger on the side of his head.

J2H: I will take that happiness and the first thing you will ask yourself is can you still do this? Then you will consider doing what every other supercard loser does and go on that, and I will air quote this.

True to his word, he air quotes the next word.

J2H: "Break", promising to return at some point and only trying to worm their way back in when other offers dry up... Don't worry, you won't be alone in that thinking, no coincidence a lot of people disappear from the roster after a supercard loss, bunch of whiny little bitches.

He rolled his eyes with disappointment.

J2H: But regardless if you're one of those whiny little bitches or not, you will question that and if you don't decide to walk off in to the sunset, then you're gonna think about what you can do next. What gets you back in the game. I hope it's the latter because I'm sick of beating whiny little bitches, but I'm gonna tell you regardless, there's no shame losing to me, because I'm J2H and I'm fucking awesome.

The disappointed eyes turn to a full face smirk.

J2H: You will be on that losing side of things, but at least I can hear that determination in your voice Alexander, I can hear that you have misplaced belief in yourself to be that guy. I can tell from your tone that you feel that not only are you are the hero everyone needs, That you're truly the hero everyone wants.

He slowly shook his head.

J2H: Idiot!

J2H once again rolled his eyes in disappointment.

J2H: You're not the hero anyone wants, you're not the hero anyone needs. Their hero is already here because I don't give a fuck if they boo me, I don't give a fuck if they cheer me, they all respect me. They know what I've done without listing off a bunch of B listers names that I beat, and they know I can talk about beating the A listers of wrestling, while you throw names like Miles Kasey and O'Malley at me, but I don't need to do that, they already respect me.

He waved a finger at the camera.

J2H: I don't have to rattle off names, but I watch you do it every single time you open your mouth, I beat him and I beat him, this is why I deserve credit. Let me stop you right there. It doesn't make me sit here and say I respect you for that at all, I mean fuck, most people have beat the names you played off, it actually stinks of stupidity and desperation so bad, you could stink out this arena for the next year. Listing off a bunch of people that are just not that good is fucking embarrassing Alexander, I thought you was better then that but you're just clutching at straws. I mean I'm not scared at the thought that you beat O'Malley, I mean who the fuck hasn't? It's cheap promo tricks 101, it's Bill Barnhart style of listing everything he's done back to World War fucking one to try and put the fear of God in to people and it just doesn't work. It's cheap, it's like me saying you lost to Peter Vaughn and I didn't, it's uncreative and it's cheap and you do shit like that and you still think you're the hero these people want and need?

He stifled a laugh as he looked down the camera.

J2H: Brother, you're not even an employee that McDonalds wants or needs. You wanna be a hero, in your mind, you're probably Batman, taking down the evil Joker over here, or Superman going after Lex Luthor, but in reality, you're like Blue Beetle or something.

J2H turned his head for just a second to admire the belt.

J2H: You're not a hero, you never will be, you're not even a sidekick, you're the guy at the start of the movie randomly walking down the street like an idiot, that pays no attention until it's too late and the bad guy gets him. That's as close as you will come to being relevant and that just makes you relevant as cannon fodder. I mean someone's gotta die first to show off who the bad guy is, right?

He threw his hands out palms up towards the camera.

J2H: But you want me to play my part in this blockbuster where you can play hero to people you don't know, then I will do just that. I will be the bad guy, I'll play the villain just so you can live up to the fantasy in your head that you really are the hero of this story. Well I'm not just any old villain, I'm telling you that this ring right here is my secret lair. I don't need a bullshit place hidden in a mountain or an underground bunker, this here is where you can come and find me hero. This is the scene of the final battle, the one thing this whole little movie in your head has been building up to. This is where the hero proves his worth to not only the good people of the SCW world, but to himself. This is the place where the hero finds out if he really is a hero or if he's just another deluded prick with God complex.

He looked at the championship belt once more over his shoulder.

J2H: I think we all know which one you are Alexander. We all know how this story ends and it doesn't end with the hero of the tale walking away as a hero, holding the gold, showing it to the citizens of Arizona with sweat on your brow and a sense of fucking pride coursing through your veins, it ends the other way. It ends where the villain stands tall, looking over the fallen hero, the crowd hushed to silence as they wonder if the hero is going to have a hissy fit and really go and hide in his secret hiding place, grow a long beard and cry through depression. They're gonna be wondering if there's going to be a sequel to this where the hero gets a shot at redemption and finally rids the world of this bad guy here.

He pointing a single thumb to himself.

J2H: That's not gonna happen Alexander because this hideout is where the hero in his own mind, gets put to rest. This is where the hero fights his last fight, where the sequel isn't needed cause the hero won't be able to rise again. This is the end game right here and look around.

He spins around, his hands pointed towards the seats before completing the three hundred and sixty degree turn.

J2H: Imagine these seats being full of citizens of the SCW world, watching the hero come and try and take what he feels is his. Look at them, cause I can see them Alexander, I can hear them, I can see the look on every one of their faces as we do battle, but in your mind, you see different from reality, you see different from the fucking truth, you see different from what you think could happen because they're not rooting for you. They're not calling your name and hoping that you're going to beat me and end this reign of so called terror that I've been on. They're actually cheering for me, they want me to put you away, they want me to stop the person that wants to be the guy, even though I'm not a hero, but you know what people love more then a hero?

He moved closer to the camera.

J2H: An anti hero.

He took half asleep back.

J2H: I'm not claiming to be their hero, but I am someone that shouldn't be supported but I am. All this I'm the bad guy and you're the good guy thing, it's all bullshit, it's delusion, just like your very own delusion of becoming SCW World Heavyweight champion because I see what these people see. You're just a guy with dreams that will never be realised. You're a guy who sees things just the way he wants with no connection to reality. I see the big picture Alexander, I see who I am and I see what is going to happen and that is the hero loses, the anti hero wins.

He pointed to himself and the championship.

J2H: The roar of the crowd, the bright lights, the burning desire, the hopes you have inside will never be enough to push you on to win this Alexander because this belt is coming home with me for Christmas, I will be the last champion of 2023, the first of 2024. While you sit at home looking in the mirror wondering what the future might hold for you, while you decide if you should man up or be a pissy little bitch, I'll be staring at the one thing you really want for Christmas.

He turned his head to look at the championship over his left shoulder.

J2H: And that's real talk bitch!

He ran his hand across his throat, a universal sign to cut the camera and the cameraman lowered his lens. J2H looked at the people outside the ring. He was unsure how long they had stopped to watch what he was doing, but all eyes were on him.

J2H: Get back to work you lazy fucks! You're not getting paid to do nothing!

People snapped back in to life as J2H stepped from the ring. It was only a few seconds later, he was back over the barricade and exiting the way he arrived. Eventually, the screen faded to black.