What started with Vincent being upset over some passing comments made about his sister had become a full on war between Jayden Harris and Vincent Lyons Jr. And I boiled over to the point and wasn't even about those comments anymore. Vincent just hated Jayden. He hated his face, he hated the sound of his voice, and every stupid comment that came out of his stupid mouth, really he hated the entire fucking Harris family. Maybe that Aiden Reynolds guy was on to something when it came to that stupid fucking family.
But he hated Jayden the most. He hated that he couldn't figure out how to defeat Jayden Harris. He had left Jayden laid out on more than one occasion but between bells Jayden Harris always got the better of him.
Not this time. This time he was in control. This time he would win. This time he had to win. This time would be the victory that would be the sweetest because it would be the final victory, the victory everyone remembered when it came to the war between Jayden and Vincent.[/i]
__________
It was lunch time at Alexander Graham Middle School when the young Vincent Lyons Jr heard the commotion in the hall, all the students were gathering into a crowd and like any preteen he too became curious what the commotion was all about.
Of course it became all too personal when he saw it was the Eighth grader. Blake Webber arguing with Victoria, really getting in her face,
“You got me in trouble earlier!” Blake barked at her.
“Yeah. Well you didn't have your hall pass.” Victoria replied to her credit she didn't back down.
“Control freak Vicky.” Blake said “At it again, thinking she runs AG.”
“Hey asshole, why don't you shut the fuck up.” Vincent said approaching Blake.
“What your sister can't fight her own battles?” Blake said turning into Vincent.
“Just get out of here Blake.” Vincent said.
“No!” said Blake “I'm tired of her patrolling these halls like she owns the place. She just likes being a bossy little bit…”
The word didn't even finish exiting Blake's lips before Vincent's fist hit him straight in the nose, and the scuffle was on fists being thrown at both sides before they ended up mostly rolling around on the ground, the chants of fight fight fight from the surrounding kids, it took several seconds for staff to finally separate the two.
“What the fuck? You're crazy man!” Blake said blood dripping from his nose.
“You watch your mouth about my sister!” Vincent yelled back at him.
They yelled more obscenities at each other before being taken back to the school office so their parents could be called and suspensions could be handed out.
__________
The young Vincent sat on their couch arms folded not looking his father in the eyes.
“So what happened Vincent?” his father asked
“He was being mean to Victoria and I didn't like it.” Vincent replied “So I punched him in the face.”
“What did he say to her?” his father asked.
“He was calling her a control freak.” said Vincent “He was mad because she caught him without a hall pass and then he was going to call her the B word.”
“Well that wasn't very nice of him.” Vincent senior replied.
“He's a jerk.” Vincent said.
“Well, your mother and I aren't mad.” Vincent Sr said “You did right protecting your sister.”
“I'm not in trouble?” Vincent said finally actually looking at his father.
“You were looking after your sister.” his father said “That's what a brother is supposed to do.”
“I'm not going to let anyone disrespect her dad.” Vincent said “Not ever.”
“Good.” his father nodded “That just means you're a good brother because you will always defend her honor.”
“I will Dad. I will.” Vincent replied.
“Now let's go see if Mom is finished with the cookies.” yet his father smiled.
“Oh yeah! Cookies!” the young Vincent smiled back happy about his reward.
That was the moment of Vincent's first fight the first time he found himself forced to stand in and defend the honor of his sister a lesson that had been taught to him since he was very young and instilled throughout his life a lesson that he carried into his adult life. He had to always stand by and protect his sisters honor.
__________
The cameras open on a darkened Lyon's Den, the training school that is owned by the Lyons Family. He sits on the edge of a ring with the ropes removed everything dimly lit around him by a single light bulb.
He looks into the camera with pure malice and hatred in his eyes his wrists wrapped up with bloodied tape. A quiver of the lip and then he begins to talk with pure venom in his voice.
“You think you're better than me Jayden Harris.” Vincent began with slow breath “You have built yourself up into a false sense of confidence because you have a couple victories over me. But what you fail to realize is you left me standing. You've never broken me.”
He exhales.
“You know this all started because you made some sideways comments about my sister.” said Vincent “But it's not about that anymore, because you've already bled for that. Now it's just about you and me, and the fact that I hate your fucking guts and I hate everything that you stand for.”
An affirming scowl appears on his face.
“I hate the fact that tomorrow how many times I drop you on your skull you're the one that gets the W every time the bell rings.” Vincent hissed “It's like the world's playing a trick on me, some sort of sick joke making you the thing that I can't beat.”
He exhales more heavily this time, his frustration clear.
“That changes at Summer Xxxtreme” Vincent said “Because you're going to enter the Lyons Den and it's not just a match. This is going to be a war, no rules and no excuses. No matter how much confidence you have with your past victories over me this is not going to be a fight you simply walk out of. See now you have a lion backed into a corner with nothing to lose and that makes him more dangerous than he's ever been.”
A confident smirk grows on his face.
“You've always managed to get one over on me Jayden.” Vincent said “I can't deny that, but now you've got it into your head that you will continue to walk over me each and every time and that's just not the way it is. Because this is the Lyon's Den. It's not your world, it's mine and if you enter my world I decide when you walk out, and when it comes to you Jayden I've made the decision that you don't walk out.”
A sick laugh exits his lips.
“You can whine and complain all you want about me taking away your championship opportunity.” said Vincent “But the reality is even had you won that match you wouldn't be the world champion right now. If you won that match our world champion would still be Alex Jones.”
He rises from the edge of the ring standing on his feet now.
“You're at the point now.” Vincent said "Where all you're going to be able to talk about are your victories over me. You’re going to tell me how stupid I am for wanting another fight against the man who's defeated me twice but I don't measure myself in wins and losses. I measure myself by action, and my actions have left you laid out like a little bitch every time.”
He laughs again.
“And what did you choose to retaliate with?” Vincent said “Dumping sewage on my sister and myself like some Great Value Jackass bit? At the time it pissed me off but then I came to realize all it meant is that you have nothing left. You're forced to resort to childish antics and games. In your mind you have it all wrapped up and that is exactly where I need you to be.”
He pauses shortly.
“Because you're going to be going into this match over confident” said Vincent “You're going to assume that your two victories over me means that this is going to be a walk in the park for you. It's allowed you to create this illusion of yourself that isn't real. The illusion that you're somehow better than me.”
He shakes his head, scoffing.
“Even if I fall again Jayden and your hand gets raised.” Vincent said "You won't be able to forget me, you won't forget the fight and I will live in your head forever. But I'm not going to fall this time Jayden that I fucking swear to you this time you're the one who stays down.”
He slams a fist down on the mat next to him.
“This is this going to be a message to every little punk out there who thinks they can run their mouth and not face consequences.” said Vincent “Because make no mistake about it Jayden, that's all you are. Just a little punk and people like you need to be put down.”
Another heavy exhale.
“I'm not walking into Summer Xxxtreme just looking for a victory.” said Vincent "I'm walking in to end the rivalry. I'm walking in to dismantle the wall I can't seem to break because I'm done living in the shadow of my own potential.”
He pauses but keeps his gaze steady on the camera.
“Your overconfidence has allowed you to step into something you're not ready for.” said Vincent “Each and every time I left you laid out was a warning. A warning of what's really coming for you. Now you're stepping into something where the end result for you is going to be your body hitting the mat like a sack of potatoes and not getting back up.”
He laughs, relishing the idea.
“You're a piece of shit Jayden.” Vincent said. “An arrogant little prick who doesn't know when to shut his mouth. That's why I'm going to have to shut it for you because I'm sick and tired of hearing you whining about me taking your world championship opportunity as if you ever had a chance to win the damn thing anyway.”
He shakes his head in disgust, truly showing his disdain for Jayden.
“This is going to be your reckoning Jayden Harris” said Vincent “Your ultimate humiliation because when your body goes crashing into that mat and your vision begins to fade you'll realize that none of your victories over me meant anything. You will realize that all along I was always the better man and then you'll be forced to watch me get all the opportunities that you wish were yours. The only thing you'll be able to do about it is the same thing you always do, whine and complain.”
Vincent pauses to take a breath.
“You're not going to be fighting the same man that you hold those two victories over that you love boasting about so much." said Vincent “You're fighting the man you created because of those victories. Every time your name was called as the winner every time I lost I learned and I evolved. But you're still the same loudmouth little prick you always were.”
He pauses again.
“This ring doesn't belong to the loudest man.” Vincent said “It belongs to the last man standing. The one who stands tallest at the end of the war and when our war comes to an end at Summer Xxxtreme, this time it's going to be me. Be prepared Jayden be very prepared. It's the only shot you're going to have because no matter how much you prepare you're not going to be ready for the monster that I've become the monster that you helped create.”
He laughs.
“The worst part is you'll ignore all of these warnings.” said Vincent "You'll tell me my words don't matter because you've already proved yourself against me. You'll call me things like a punk bitch and say that I'm not a real man. You'll probably make some gross implications about my sister and myself to help feed your own weird fetish.”
He pauses again with a quiver of the lip.
“When they remember our war.” Vincent said “They'll remember this night, and they'll remember that at the end of the day Vincent Lyons Jr may have lost some battles along the way but in the ultimate battle he finally put Jayden Harris down. They will remember that Vincent Lyons Jr was the one who ended up winning the war, because Jayden Harris didn't have the stamina to play the long game.”
He takes another short pause.
“You've had your wins and you had your laughs," said Vincent "You got to pad that precious record of yours. But there will be no more games or jokes when we clash on the Princess Cruise. Only fists and me making you realize that you are never in my league to begin with.”
Vincent lunges forward and punches the camera, the lens cracks and the camera falls to the ground still working as it gets a shot of Vincent's feet walking out of frame before it fades to black.
__________
Vincent sat crossed legged on the floor of his room surrounded by his wrestling gear and a half zipped duffle bag in front of him, when he heard Victoria walk in.
“You packing your entire wardrobe?” she said jokingly.
“Just the stuff that matters.” Vincent replied, "I need to make sure I have everything I need to beat Jayden Harris.”
“And that includes your old wrestling gloves? You hardly ever use those why are you bringing them out this time?” Victoria asked, motioning to the pair of gloves on the bed still stained by the blood of a war past.
“They're a reminder of the wars I had in the past.” Vincent said “The victims I bloodied before Jayden, I intend to add his blood to the collection.”
“You mean you never even washed them?” Victoria said.
“I like the reminder." Vincent said "I like to remember my fallen victims, the special occasions when I really had to punish somebody and now it's Jayden Harris's turn to earn a spot next to all of them.”
“So those stains are like trophies?” Victoria asked
“Something like that.” nodded Vincent “This one here near the wrist that one's from your ex-husband.”
“Yeah I don't need to be reminded about Ace.” Victoria replied “I was so young and stupid.”
“I warned you I was a bad idea.” said Vincent “But you went and married him anyway.”
“I was young and stupid.” Victoria said, a slight shift in her tone “But we're divorced now and I haven't thought about him in years.”
“Well I'm sure he didn't forget me.” Vincent said “You break my sister's heart, I break your face.”
“I remember the first time you punched someone on my behalf.” Victoria said “You punched that kid in middle school.”
“Blake Webber.” Vincent replied “I remember.”
“You broke his nose Vincent.” Victoria said with a laugh.
“Well he shouldn't have been in your face like that.” Vincent said “And maybe he should have had his hall pass.”
“Yeah maybe he should have.” Victoria said and the two of them laughed together.
“I really need to win this one Vicks.” said Vincent “This time I need to really make an example out of Jayden Harris.”
“Just don't overthink it then.” Victoria replied “You've already gotten into his mind. Just the thought of you is driving him crazy. He's completely obsessed with the idea that you screwed him out of winning that elimination chamber and the very thought of you just throws him off his game. If you ask me you've already won.”
“I just need to make sure he never forgets.” Vincent said “And the Lion's Den is the only way to do that.”
“You know this will only be the third one in history.” Victoria said “Dad won the first one against his old rival Adam Simon, and the second one…..”
“The second one dad lost.” Vincent said “Against Coach Kaiser I remember. The teacher and the mentor. Dad was beginning to wind down because he was raising us, but coach was still at the height of his career being the little shithead that he was.”
“Dad wanted to bring him down a few pegs.” said Victoria “Back then coach was as callous as they come and he ended up smashing a brick into dad's skull.”
“Amazing they were able to become friends again after that.” Vincent said.
“Yeah Dad could be very forgiving like that.” said Victoria.
“Either way I won't be losing this one.” said Vincent “I am going to beat the fuck out of Jayden Harris.”
“Well I believe in you.” said Victoria.
“Sometimes I feel like you're the only one that does.” Vincent said
“Well I'm your sister.” she said nudging him with her elbow. “It's kind of my job.”
“I have to win this one.” Vicks he said.
“Then go win it.” she said looking at him in the eye “Because Jayden Harris is expecting the same Vincent he faced off the last two times. This time he has no idea what's coming.”
They sit in silence for a moment before he looks up at her with a confident smile and a nod.
“Now come on. Mom said dinner is going to be at 6:00 , so if you don't get to the main house soon I'm going to eat your steak “ Victoria said.
“You wouldn't dare.” Vincent said, grinning at her.
“Watch me.” she said, grabbing the gloves and throwing them in his face before escaping out the door with him chasing after her.
“Hey wait up!, don't eat my steak!” he called out.
__________
The camera springs to life in a darkened locker room. Vincent Lyons Jr sits among the shadows on a wooden bench, shirtless and sweaty with a towel around his neck, the camera catching his expressionless gaze.
“Congratulations Jayden. You've beaten me twice.” Vincent said “I'm sure you'll hammer that point right into the ground, and talk about how that makes you the favorite, the safe bet because you've got the winning record.”
Vincent laughs a hideous laugh.
“But people like you don't understand some of us don't care about records.” Vincent continued “Some of us don't care about the headlines, or who the fans want to be next up. Some of us only care about the pain.”
He holds up a pair of old blood stained gloves to the camera.
“You see these Jayden?” Vincent said "I only bring these out for special occasions. Because each stain on this is a reminder of blood I had to spill, bones I had to crack, and hard lessons I had to teach. Now I'm going to add one more name to the collection.”
He pauses for a moment.
“Yours.” he says with a sinister grin.
Keeping his eyes on the camera he rests the gloves down next to him.
“You ever wonder why you can't stop thinking about me.” said Vincent “Because even with your wins I still live in your head. My name still rots at your brain. You can't get over the fact that I took a potential World Championship opportunity from you. It's eating you alive. It drives you crazy that you can't get rid of me so now this is going to be your opportunity to try.”
Vincent laughs.
“But don't make the mistake of thinking you've seen everything I've got.” said Vincent “Because you've seen nothing yet. But you know what I think? I think I've taken everything you've got to give. I don't think you have anything left in you either other than your insults and your constant reminders of your two victories over me.”
Vincent smirks confidently.
“So Jayden “I have two victories over you.” Harris” Vincent said. “Are you going to continue that broken record bit when I beat you at Summer Xxxtreme? Will that be how you convince yourself that you're loss didn't matter because you still have a two to one lead over me?”
Vincent pauses for a moment.
“I mean you're going to have to think of something.” Vincent said “You're going to have to think of some sort of excuse to make yourself feel better after the beating that I'm going to give you. After the humiliation that you're going to endure at the hands of Vincent Lyons Jr, after the trauma I'm going to inflict upon you inside of the Lyons Den.”
He pauses again for a moment.
“It's been fun, Jayden Harris.” Vincent said “But it ends here. The best part is when I win this, maybe I'll move on to capture a championship and you'll be forced to continue waiting. Wouldn't it be great if I became a champion here before you?”
Vincent laughs to himself.
“You have no chance at survival this time.” Vincent said "Because I will sink the entire Princess Cruise if that's what it takes to put you down. This will be the end of Jayden Harris, and I'm going to be the one standing tall at the end of the war.”
He picks the gloves up and looks at them with a twisted smile, looking back up to the camera one more time with the dark smile still on his face as the scene feeds to black.
