[Jayden]

The entire flight home. Jayden stewed and allowed himself to become angrier and angrier over everything that has played out. Five months of his career were taken, and when he was able to come back. He couldn’t find a way to beat a man that essentially should be held responsible. Everyone and their mother had to talk about how he failed.

Then this past week he got forced into Strange Bedfellows Match where ‘on paper’ he and Miles had the upper hand. But thanks to Miles doing what Miles does and chokes in high pressure situations they lost the match. He couldn’t decide what was worst. Being teamed with Miles or being teamed with Diamond Steele a year ago at Blast From The Past.

Point was it was another loss added to Jayden’s record. The ever growing amount of L’s really taking a shape on his mindset. And it didn’t help matters either this most recent lost came because of a referee not knowing how to do their job. Guy was stupid. He was ignorant. He was completely and utterly incompetent when it came to performing as an official of the match.

But for some reason the powers that be thought it was a good ‘comedy’ act to have him around to be a referee. All it did was fuck up matches, screw people over, and take away from the actual talent. Now that Jayden was on the receiving end of that. It had his blood boiling. Dragging his suitcase behind him. Letting out a deep sigh as he approached the door.

Jayden pulled the keys out of his pocket to unlock the front door of his apartment. Pushing the door open and he could instantly hear two things. First the excited and playful screams of his child. Second to loud chatting between his fiancée and his mother. Jayden took a few steps into the place. Pushing the door shut behind him and tossing his keys down on the table next to the door. All eyes shifted to him right away.

SARAIA: Finally.

JAYDEN: Don’t. I’m not in the mood.

CARMEN: Jayden David! I raised you better than that.

JAYDEN: Yeah, whatever.

It was rare for him to get smart with the woman that came into his life when he was just two. But the response she got was a telling sign just how irritated he was and while a work situation should have been checked at the door. Not exactly a concept he had learned to master yet. Walking past them all. Flopping down on the couch and leaning back against it.

SARAIA: This is what I have to deal with after every loss? It’s going to be this dramatic?

CARMEN: Oh baby. This is very minor to the things I had to deal with his father and losing.

SARAIA: Ugh. Maybe I should reconsider marrying into this family.

JAYDEN: I’m sitting right fucking here!

He found himself throwing his hands up in the air looking over at the two women. His annoyed expression still featured, but the ladies just found it funny. About that time out of the corner of his eye Jayden saw his daughter sitting on the floor hugging a plushie with one hand and holding a sippy cup with the other.

Putting more focus on it he noticed the plushie was made up to look just like Guy. The instant boiling of his blood returned. To the point he couldn’t stop himself from what he was about to right then and there. Right away he got up from the couch and instantly snatched the plushie out of her hand. She was so startled she started to cry hysterically.

CARMEN: Jayden! What has gotten into you?

JAYDEN: Where the hell did she get this?!

SARAIA: I don’t know you, psychopath!

JAYDEN: Yes. You do?! Was he here?!

By then Saraia had scooped the young child off the ground and picked her up into her arms. Balancing her on her hip and trying to reassure their child.

SARAIA: Is who here?!

JAYDEN: This shit isn’t funny. This shit isn’t funny at all!

CARMEN: It was in the mailbox when I stopped by! I brought it in and gave it to her. I assumed it was for the baby. Seems like a harmful gesture!

JAYDEN: No. We’re not letting that freak weasel his way into our lives!

In one fluid motion he ripped the head right off the Guy plushie and sent the stuffing everywhere. Amarissa got a look at this and the tears just began to flow heavier. The full on screeching and whaling cry filled the living room area. Saraia glaring at him with every fiber in her being.

SARAIA: You’re a real piece of shit sometimes. You know that right?!

Not even giving the chance to respond. She turned her back to him holding the toddler and went storming out of the room. Jayden couldn’t help himself. He was spiteful by nature. Mocking her words in his own tone.

JAYDEN: You’re a real piece of shit sometimes.

Rolling his eyes. Tossing the reminder of that stuffed toy in his hand to the ground. As he turned around though he came nearly face to face with his mother. He towered over her just a little bit.

CARMEN: Have you lost your mind?

JAYDEN: Mom. I am not---

CARMEN: I asked you a question boy and I expect a damn answer!

Her arms folded across her chest. That fiery latina side coming out in her more and more by the second. Without a doubt making him feel less and less like a grown man. And more and more like he was a thirteen year old kid again. His eyes narrowed at her.

JAYDEN: No. I haven’t lost my mind.

CARMEN: Could have fooled me.

JAYDEN: I have a lot---

CARMEN: I wasn’t done speaking.

Again her tone just shut him down. Making him glare at her, but keeping the respect he had for a woman that raised him when his own mother abandoned him all those years ago.

CARMEN: I get that you got a lot going on. I get that you are angry. You are frustrated. You have hatred in your heart for some people. I get that you want revenge for what they did to you. But acting the way you just did. To people that were there for you during that tough time and especially with a child that doesn't know any better. You are out of line and need to get your act together!

There was something about having your parents being disappointed in you that hurt a whole lot more than when your parents were actually mad at you. Every bit of that guilt and shame is what he was feeling in this particular moment.

CARMEN: And another thing. Since we’re on the subject. You know it might not be so bad to have a friend or two in your corner. Your father isn’t around to protect you anymore.

JAYDEN: I didn’t ask for his protection to begin with!

CARMEN: But that’s what a father does Jayden. He felt responsible for what happened. He came running to your defense.

JAYDEN: That’s irrelevant to the situation. That was family. This is ... I don’t even want to call it a friendship. Because it’s not. It never has been. Just some loser with a severe case of being delusional. I don’t want friends. I don’t need friends. I especially don’t need a freak like that in my corner. Not when he is known for screwing everything up.

CARMEN: Or maybe for once. You need to pull your head out of your ass and realize that while there is a lot of bad in the world. Not everyone is horrible. Not everyone is out to get you. And yeah, people make mistakes. No one is perfect regardless of what some might claim. But even with those mistakes. They did mean well. They meant very well.

JAYDEN: If you think I’m going to apologize. You’re sadly mistaken. I did nothing wrong. That moron fucked everything up. He deserved everything I said. And he should consider himself lucky that I didn’t ring his neck right then and there.

CARMEN: Of course not. You’re a spitting image of your father.

JAYDEN: Do you know how many times a day? I hear that!

CARMEN: And you’ll keep hearing it as long as you carry yourself like him. He still to this day refuses to admit to being wrong. Refuses to acknowledge that his way isn’t always the right way. And will never give an apology. Stubborn to his core. The very qualities that you are carrying yourself with right this moment.

Those words got under his skin more than he would actually admit to most. It was a blessing and a nightmare all the same to be in his father’s shadow. He drew a lot of comparisons and most of them were warranted but at the same time he was trying to stand out on his own.

CARMEN: There’s no point in wasting my breath and trying to point out what you did wrong. Not when you’re like this. So the only thing I am going to tell you is this. You want to get to the top. You want to be successful. You want to be the King of the Mountain. We saw that in you when you were three and it hasn’t changed. But you need to realize that it is very-very lonely at the top. Once you get there and you realize you have no one to share that success with. Its heartbreaking. It’s sad. It’s disappointing. So maybe just maybe you might want to really think about that. The next time you want to lash out with emotion instead of reacting with logic.

With that said his mother turned her back to him and picked up her purse off the floor by the chair she had been sitting in. Heading right out the door, closing it behind her on the way out. Jayden, still as frustrated as ever, took a few steps back and flopped back down on the couch.  His eyes locked on the toy that he had ripped in half. The sinking feeling of maybe his mother was right was creeping in. Maybe, just maybe he needed people in his corner more than he was willing to admit. This was going to be a long-long week from a mental and emotional aspect. Lots for the Brat to reconsider.


Cameras found themselves rolling in. The first thing that came into view was a close up on the sign that said 27th Avenue. Also known as “The Blade” and for no other reason that it was an extremely dangerous and crime riddled area. With the cameras panning away from the sign and zooming out a little. The next focus was someone walking towards the cameras in an all white Nike Tech. As they got close it didn’t take long for the narrowed and annoyed expression of Jayden Harris revealed. Locking his eyes right on the red light of the camera. Speaking his first words.

“ Congratulations Vinnie. ”

Pulling his hands out of the jacket he had on. Jayden simply folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against that very sign that was shown off when the recording began.

“ Congratulations for making me regret giving you the benefit of the doubt. I knew going into the match last week. You were a little bit of an odd-ball. A little bit of a goof. I knew that there was a chance that you weren’t exactly make the most sense. Kind of just like a rambling idiot. But the fact still remained you are a former World Champion. I felt compelled to give you respect based on that. Even when I’ve always lived by the quote that respect is earned. Not given. I went against my own judgment and you quickly made sure I never do that again. ”

Briefly he found himself shaking his head back and forth.

“ It all boils down to the shit you had to say going into last week’s tag team match. Now sure there’s going to be people that mock me for getting hot under the collar over it. You yourself might even think it's so silly for me to get bent out of shape. Good thing opinions are like assholes and everyone has one. So regardless of what people say in regards to how I feel. It doesn’t mean shit to me at the end of day. Not when I feel slighted, not when I feel like I was mocked, and not when I feel flat out disrespected. That’s what I feel. That’s what you did. You flat out disrespected me. Spit in my face type shit and that’s not something I can let you get away with Vinnie.

To you it might have been all fun and games to compare me to a broom. To you it might have been a funny analogy. To you it might have been one of those things where you thought you were getting over on me with that little joke of yours. You might have thought you were so clever in referring to me as someone that’s just good enough to clean up dirt off the floor and off your shoes. But in reality all you were doing was showing the lack of respect you had for me. You were showing you didn’t view me as a threat. You were pretty much saying that you were looking past me. To which how fucking dare you?! ”

The one thing about Jayden that was surely always going to land him in hot water was that temper of his. He had no real control over it. It flared up and always put him with his back against the wall. This was no different. Something little had got him so angry that he was ready to lash out in the worst of ways.

“ How dare you think you are good enough to look past me? How dare you just assume that you are better than me? How dare you disrespect me?! Especially when you clearly do not know the first thing about me. You’ve clearly done no proper research. You’ve clearly not done a deep drive. Instead you’re taking the Logan Hunter approach. Throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks. Even if in the end it doesn’t make a damn bit of sense. The amount of intelligently challenged individuals that this place keeps hiring is mind-boggling to me.

But that’s not the subject for discussion right now. You see Vinnie. If you would have pulled your head out of your own ass for a couple of seconds and did a little bit reading the room. You would have very quickly understood who I am, what I’m about, and that taking the route of disrespecting me is a very dangerous thing to do when it comes to your physical health. Almost a year ago on April Fourteenth was when I signed my contract with Sin City Wrestling. And in that year's time Vinnie. I’ve managed to make my name mean a hell of a lot more than yours ever did. That’s with sitting on the shelf for five months! ”

Finally, he showed something aside from anger and frustration. There was a little smirk that flashed across his lips. That was a telling sign in the direction this might end up heading in.

“ And of course. You’ll question it. Because your only claim to frame is being the World Heavyweight Champion. It’s fair to question it, Vinnie. But I can tell you this much. Ninety five percent of the wrestling community and fans. They don’t even remember that reign. Sure it went on for a couple of months, but it was very-very easily forgettable. Much like everything else that you did your first time out. Now the five percent that do remember. Well those are just your friends and considering nothing they ever say makes any sense either. You know Bill Barnhart, Felix Hendandez, and even Bea. I wouldn’t exactly rely on them to hype you up about that one little accomplishment.

But I can say. No. I haven’t won the World Championship. I haven’t won a single championship at all. Far too many people live and die by being a champion. Sometimes a championship is the only thing that makes someone interesting. Having a championship is the only thing that makes people feel relevant. I’m not one of those people. I know there is going to come a time and a place when I do become champion. When it happens, it’s just going to be icing on the cake to everyone. But like I said, my body of work in one year means more than yours ever did. People still talk about me running J2H over in the parking lot. Over two years ago when I wasn’t even signed.

People are still talking about my first singles match at a Supercard. James and I beat the hell out of each other in a Parking Lot Brawl. I may have lost that match, but everything I gave it. And as much as I don’t like the man. Everything he gave out in the ring. The two us stole the show and made it one of the most talked about matches of all time. Even had it in the running for Match of the Year that year. People are still talking about the Three on One Gauntlet Three Stages of Hell match. I willingly put myself in just to get my hands on J2H, Kevin Carter, and ‘No Balls’ Alexander Raven. Maybe because it was stupid in a lot of eyes. Maybe because it was insane in others.

Maybe it’s because of how good the match was or how close I had come to becoming the new Roulette Champion by going through three men. And maybe it’s even because it was that decision that I made that cost me five months of my career. All by getting myself in a fight I couldn’t really get out of and really didn’t have the means to survive. Who knows? But the point I am trying to make to you, Vinnie. For better or for worse people are talking about me. People got eyes on me. People know who I am. People know what I’m about. They see bright things in my future. Simply put... I am what you call a moment maker. ”

The smirk Jayden let cross his lips was getting a little bigger. Truly taking that moment to gloat with a self-pat on the back. Arrogance and confidence is the best way to describe the young man. It had it’s goods and it had its bad, but either way the Brat was who he was and people simply just had to deal with it.

“ Being a moment maker. I got a responsibility in a way to keep producing the most talked about moments in this company. No matter the win. No matter the loss. No matter the draw. As long as I create a moment. I’m going to be just fine in this business. I’m just as confident in my abilities to fill that role as I am confident one day I’ll be the champion. But can you say the same for yourself Vinnie? Because I don’t think you can.

As a matter of fact I know you can’t. The fact you were so quick to head into last week’s very unprepared and took the cheap route. It told me there’s nothing to be concerned about with you. You know Vinnie, I’m willing to bet my entire salary on the fact this time next year. You won’t even be with the company anymore. You will be gone. No one will know where you are at. No one will care to know where you’re at. Just like they didn’t when you were gone this time out.

Now I have no doubt that I am poking the bear here a little bit. I’m sure my words are getting under your skin. It’s on the verge of making you lash out. But what can you honestly say or do that’s going to make me change my mind about you? The fact your first match back was against Justin Smith says everything it needs to say. You’re down to take the easy road. You’re not the type of person to put your head down and grind. You’re scared of hard work. Don’t have the dedication or the passion inside of you.

In fact Vinnie. If I had to take a wild guess on things. You’re probably the type of low life scumbag that would buddy up with the right people just to get a free ride. Whether it’s attaching yourself to a group that’s actually got some stock behind them. Or if that means you have to go be buddy-buddy with the management of the company in hopes of letting that work out in your favor. Is that how you got that Chamber Qualifying match? Did you just go begging and pleading for a World Championship shot? Is that how you got such an easy opponent like Felix? Hmmm?! ”

Jayden looked right at the camera with his eyebrow raised in a questioning manner.

“ People can say what they want and they can have their opinions about how my match played out against J2H a few weeks back. At least I went after one of the toughest dogs in the yard. At least I stood my ground against a certified legend. At least I fought and stayed dead even with a man that without a doubt helped make SCW a phenom that it is. It sucks to say that when I hate the man’s fucking guts, but real recognize real. And while I question whether or not I actually belong in this chamber. Because I know the reality is I didn’t win. I still fought and gave more than you did.

Speaking of. Let’s bring it back, Vinnie. You faced someone that couldn’t even compete in the Roulette Division regularly without getting smacked up. You faced someone that on most of this roster's worst day. He couldn’t beat with all the momentum in his favor and him having his best day ever. You really think Felix should have been considered for an Elimination Chamber qualifier? Can you really sit there and tell me you feel proud of that win?! Because if you do. Well then I’m sorry to say, but you deserved to be punched in the mouth a whole lot harder than I punched you this last week at Climax Control.

But it seems like I’ll get to punch you in the face sooner than expected. Because the fairy Godmother that is Christian Underwood actually did listen to a request I had. He made this match between the two of us official for this coming Sunday. Now it may come as a surprise to you. At this point after everything I’ve said. I’d hope that wouldn’t be the case, but you’re clearly not the brightest crayon in the box. The reason I requested this match is very-very simple. I can’t let you get by with disrespecting me. I will not allow you to think that making jokes or wise cracks at my expense is okay. ”

That twisted up always annoyed expression of his returning to overcome his face. Thumbing over his nose as he uncrossed his arms. Keeping those narrowed eyes of his forward.

“ More than anything, Vinnie. The goal is for you to understand that you aren’t allowed to spit in my face and think there are no repercussions for your actions.  Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not foolish to think that I am just going to steam-roll right on by you. Not even in the least bit. I understand the size difference between the two of us. To put it bluntly you’re a big son of a bitch. You got some height to you. You got some weight to ya. You outmatch me in every sense of the word size. Good for you pal. Good for you, because that’s the only time you’ll ever out match me in anything.

But like I said I’m not foolish to think this is going to be easy. You get your hands on me. You’re going to put me through the ringer. I’ve got no doubt about it, but the goal is to never let you get your grubby ass hands on me. Just like the goal is to do what I did last week. You watch the tape back and you’ll see me punch you square in the mouth. You got hit with such a force it damn near put you on your ass. And what did you do, Vinnie? You tagged the hell out real quick because you knew what was coming. Well this time there ain’t no one to run and tag. You're gonna get these hands. ”

For a small moment Jayden just looked at that right hand of his. The very right hand he clobbered Vinnie with one week ago. A small nod of his head before bringing his gaze back to the cameras.

“ I already know what I am dealing with this week. You are on cloud nine. You think just because the record books show a W next to your name and a L next to mine. That it somehow makes you better than me. It somehow makes you stand out more than me. It somehow makes the Senor Vinnie name mean something again. But that just shows how dumb you really are. If you were half as good as you’re gloating to be. You’d pinned my shoulders to the mat last week. You’d made me tap out. You’d make sure that you had that decisive victory over me. Yet you didn't. Again you took the cheap route.

You relied on Eddie to drag you through that match. You intentionally had Bea cause a distraction and the two of you took advantage of the situation. You knew I made that tag. You knew I was the legal man. You knew I was about to fuck both of your worlds up, but you made sure that didn’t happen by bending the rules to your favor and going after the weak link of my team last week. What’s done is done Vinniem but it just helped paint a picture to me of who you really are and what you are truly capable of. Don’t worry. I’ll be more than prepared for this week.

I’ll have eyes in the back of my head. I’ll be ready for any bullshit ass cheap tactic you bring to the table. And it’s all going to blow up in your face. All the bullshit that you let spew from your mouth. All this gloating is going to make you look real stupid. This over inflated ego that you have. I’m going to pop it like a balloon and I’m going to bring you back down to reality in the harshest of ways. I am going to have fun exploding you for the fraud that you have always been... Oh and just in case you think the freak in face paint and questionable referee attire is going to play a factor. He won’t. I got something for his ass too! ”

His expression remained narrow.

“ No matter how you want to spin this. No matter how you want to slice it. No matter what your thoughts and views are. You cannot escape the loss that’s coming your way. The writing’s on the wall for you. You’ll be a lot better off just taking the loss and moving on. By moving on I mean spend the next couple of weeks reliving your finest moments. Spend the next few weeks enjoying the fact you were actually able to make it back. Soak in the moment you actually got to get into and compete in the Elimination Chamber. Enjoy the fact you managed to get one last shot at competing for the number one contendership of the World Heavyweight Championship. Simply enjoy these last moments. Because it’s the only positive moments you’ve got left in your career. Learn to control what you can control and learn to stay down when it’s time to stay down! ”

Those words turned out to be his last words spoken. Flipping that hood up of his Nike Tech and turning his back to the camera's walking away from them. Back down that dangerous block known as 27th Avenue. There was no denying that as far as he was concerned there was a serious beef to settle between the two of them. Whether or not it would come to an end Sunday or not that remained to be seen. However this was going to be a nice little teaser on what to expect in the Elimination Chamber.