July 6th, 2025
Grand Junction, Colorado
Community Hospital
The shot was slowly starting to open itself up. At first the bright lights of this room were blinding, allowing the cameras to adjust. Upon doing so there was a very familiar entity right before them all. His entire face was covered in blood. Thankfully the open wound had cotted itself for the most part. Not as much heavy flow, but it was clear stitches would be required. That nasty glare coming through the blood stained face of Kevin. Looking right at the camera before him.
“Bravo... Brav-Fucking-O!”His hands were clapping together in the most sarcastic way possible.
“Must feel like you’re on top of the world right about now huh? Like you’ve managed to finally prove yourself to be everything you’ve been saying you are for years. And, for no other reason than you were able to get one over on me. All because you were able to get ahead of the curb and make me bleed in front of the world tonight. Yet, you are always so wrapped up in your own bullshit.”
“Your own narrative. Your own story telling. Focusing on all of that. It always has you missing something. In this case you are missing something huge. I’ve never once had a problem bleeding, Alexander. This doesn’t fucking bother me the way you think it does. This isn’t getting under my skin. This isn’t giving you any mental edge. This doesn’t make me fear you!”That frustration inside of the man boiling over so much. Carted had balled up his fist. Cracking his knuckles against his forehead. Right there that wound was. Causing it to flow freely once again with the blood. Oozing down his face. Staining the shirt he had on more than it already was.
“Trust me when I tell you, Alexander. You are not the first man to make me bleed. You damn sure aren’t the first man to ever put me through the ringer and bring the pain. You damn sure aren’t going to be the last either. Every single day I live with a giant target on my back. Live in a world where I constantly have to have eyes in the back of my head. I’m more than aware that people are praying and even plotting my downfall in the professional wrestling business. I am not wanted in Sin City Wrestling. I am not respected by anyone in the locker room. Fans would be so much happier if they never saw my face again.”
“Yet, the thing that no one is willing to accept is they’re never going to get what they want. Fans and their wants or desires have never mattered to me. I live to piss them off. Not having the respect of my peers in the locker room has never been something that has bothered me. I don’t care about having their respect. They’re respect means jack shit as far as I am concerned. And as far as not wanting me here goes? The people that are praying and plotting for my downfall? None of them are good enough to carry out any of their plans. None of them are good enough to get me to be gone for good.”
“Not even you, Alexander. Not even you!”Once again that frustrated tone came out of the man as he spoke. The look in his eyes further backed up the rage the man was feeling deep within himself.
“Of course per usual what I am saying is falling on deaf ears. It always falls on deaf ears when it comes to you. After all everyone knows the only thing that matters to you is that narrative that you are trying to spin. The story that you are trying to tell. That much I already said. It’s no surprise when it comes to you. Which with that being said, right this second. You are on cloud nine. You believe that for once in your career here. You’ve finally been able to prove yourself. You’ve proven everything that you have always said about yourself. This very moment in time Alexander...”
“You feel invincible because of what you were able to do to me out there tonight. Blinding by your own bullshit per usual. You’re not even thinking about what matters going forward. You have not once let the reality of what the future is looking like for you creep into your head. You have not bothered to think about where things are headed. Sure, you made quite the statement tonight at my expense. But the question is, how do you make that statement mean something going forward? Yes, you got exactly what you wanted at Summer XXXtreme. It will be you and I. With my Internet Championship on the line.”
“But are you going to actually thrive in the situation that you wanted? Are you really going to be able to do what no one else has done so far and pry the Internet Championship out of my hands? You might have been able to make me bleed tonight, but can you make it happen when it matters?! Are you going to be able to make me bleed when all eyes are on you?! And yes. Tonight, for the first time in your career here in Sin City Wrestling. You have finally managed to make yourself look like the star that you’ve been trying to tell people that you are for a really long time now.”
“You were that entity that you have believed yourself to be for a few minutes. Now when the lights are the brightest. When the pressure is at its highest and its bearing down on those shoulders of yours. When every single SCW fan has decided to buy into what you’re selling after years and years of refusing to take the bait. When those fans decided to put all their chips on you, go all in, and give you every ounce of their support against the big bad Scumbag. Are you actually going to be able to deliver for them? Or are you going to be the Alexander Raven I know you to be? The one that fails again and again!”Despite the blood streaming down his face. Despite the pain that ran throughout every muscle in his body. For a brief moment he was able to flash a smirk. Almost like he had something up his sleeve.
“I know the answer to every single question I just asked you. I know exactly how all of this is going to play out in the end. I know just exactly who is going to win the war amongst us. And something tells me that in the back of your head Alexander. You know who is going to win the war too. You’re just going to live in this state of denial as long as you can. That is your right to do so. But like I have said before. Reality sets in. Facts can’t be distributed. The truth will always expose you!”There was one final close up of the man’s bloody face. The fire and hatred in his eyes helped tell a story. Everything that he said had some truth to it. It might not be liked. It might rub the Last Raven the wrong way. However there was no denying that for years Raven has caved under the pressure. This time might end up being no different. With that being said the shot slowly started to fade out with Carter’s expression being the last thing seen for the time being.
July 11th, 2025
Los Angeles, California
Home
“Fuck.”The bandage had stuck to the stitches on his forehead. Causing it to stick a bit to his skin and tug on said stitches. Tossing the bloody bandage down into the trash. Carter ran his fingertips over the stitches. It all felt very tender and sore still. Granted it was only four days later, but this didn’t look good heading into this massive main event. His one word out word outburst caught Lilith’s attention. Finding herself peeking her head into the bathroom.
LILITH LOCKE: Everything okay?By the time she had finished asking that question. She had taken notice of him checking the wound out in the mirror. She made a little bit of a face just seeing those stitches.
LILITH LOCKE: That doesn’t look good. Even with the stitches.KEVIN CARTER: No shit.He sounded almost annoyed. Of course it wasn’t anything meant to be aimed at her. It was the entire situation at hand. The shot he had taken from that hammer days ago. Left him in a state where he shouldn’t have been competing in the first place. Physically he was in no condition. This was nothing more than a giant target. And even though he knew he shouldn’t be competing. His own ego wouldn’t allow him to step back. He pushed himself away from the sink. Walking past her out of the bathroom. Lilith finds herself following behind him.
LILITH LOCKE: Do you think that’s going to be healed before we get on that cruise?KEVIN CARTER: No, not fully.LILITH LOCKE: That’s not good. That’s not good at all.KEVIN CARTER: It is what it is. I have been in far worse situations than this before.LILITH LOCKE: Maybe that’s the case. However, that is a big giant bullseye in the middle of your forehead. It’s going to be a target all night long.KEVIN CARTER: And do you think telling me shit that I already know is a productive conversation, Lilith? For fucks sake.He had rolled his eyes just a little bit. There was no desire for him to want to take out how he felt about this entire ordeal on her. After all it wasn’t her fault, but right this second. This had been all he thought about. Every scenario. Every outcome. It had played in his mind over and over again.
KEVIN CARTER: That damn wound was pretty damn deep to start with. You see the stitches. You see how many it took to close it. It would take next to nothing to bust them stitches and have me gushing blood.LILITH LOCKE: Not an image that I wanted in my head. But thank you for that.KEVIN CARTER: You’ll learn to get over it. I’m the one that had to experience it. I’m the one that had to lay there bleeding in the ring days ago. I’m the one that had to go through the stitches. And I’m the one that has to go into this match knowing this isn’t even going to be fifty percent better. Alexander got what he wanted. He did some damage. Hell, he did a lot of damage. He’s made an easy target for himself. Because that is the name of the game for Alexander. It has always been the name of the game. Have an easy route.LILITH LOCKE: The right thing would’ve been for them to call this match off. Make sure that you were a hundred percent.KEVIN CARTER: The right thing? I know you haven’t been around all that long. You don’t know Mark and Christian the way most of us do. They weren’t going to do anything like that. They live to see me suffer. It tickles them to see me at a disadvantage.The glare in his eyes by the sheer mention of those two. There had never been any good vibes when it came to his feelings with those two. Especially not when he had returned. Therefore it shouldn’t have been a surprise with how he felt about them.
KEVIN CARTER: Mark is an old bastard that will forever hold a grudge. He will never get over the fact that I was every bit of the star I said I was when they cut me years ago. He will never get over the fact that he has been proven wrong time and time again about me. No matter how many times he has tried to bury me or tried to see to it that I do not succeed. And more than anything. He will forever hold that grudge against me for beating him in the middle of the ring. He pretends like it doesn’t bother him, but deep-deep down inside of him it does. I embarrassed him in front of the world. Folded him right in front of the very company he helped build from the ground up.A sneer came across the man’s lips for a brief second. Allowing him to go down memory lane to almost a year ago. What a moment that was for him. That’s when the tide began to change. Something that he was convinced ate Mark Ward alive on the inside.
KEVIN CARTER: And as far as Christian goes? That man doesn’t like me. Because I am one of the few that will call him out to his face. I am one of the few that have no problem telling him he’s an idiot and doesn’t know what he’s doing. Also, I happen to be one of the few. That has no problem calling out his favoritism to others. He doesn’t hide it well. Everyone else just seems to turn a blind eye to it. Not me. That will never be me. And I don’t care how many years he has been side by side with Mark running this thing. He hasn’t gotten any better from day one. Still as clueless as ever. One of the many reasons that the company continues to struggle is because of his leadership. But when you disagree with Christian. He becomes a snake in the grass. He slithers around. Waiting until you’re not paying attention. Then he strikes. Hoping his bite is enough to poison you from the inside out. Never going to be a man to do the snake shit to your face. Always behind your back.Oddly enough there seemed to be more animosity there than there was with a man Carter had shared the ring with. The intense look remained in his eyes. His arms folding across his chest.
LILITH LOCKE: Sounds like there is some true hatred on your end for them.KEVIN CARTER: Hatred isn’t even the word to describe it, Lilith. Like I said I know who they are. I know who I am dealing with. This is the type of shit they want to happen. So of course it was never going to be a match that was canceled and waited until I was a hundred percent. Not when they’re always plotting against me. But even if that was something that was on the table. I wouldn’t have allowed it.LILITH LOCKE: You wouldn’t? That seems just foolish considering the state that you are in.KEVIN CARTER: Foolish to you maybe. There’s still a lot that you don’t know about me. Layers upon layers when it comes to who I am, but my pride is my everything. I take pride in being the man I am. I take pride in being able to overcome every obstacle that is constantly stacked against me and put in my way. I take pride in being the Internet Champion that everyone fears. The Internet Champion that everyone is praying that loses every single title defense he has. And I take pride in being a man that is able to constantly shove his fist down the throat of people like Alexander Raven.LILITH LOCKE: Kevin. I understand more than you think I do. Pride is something that all of us have and all of us take seriously. But like we established. You know you’re fighting an uphill battle. Raven has the easy road. Maybe the easiest road anyone has ever had to your championship.KEVIN CARTER: And that’s where Raven made the gravest mistake of them all.For a brief moment there was a shake of his head. There was more to the story than what met the eye. He didn’t expect Lilith to see that. Hell, he didn’t expect anyone to see it. He had always been one to see things a tad bit differently than everyone else. This time was no different.
KEVIN CARTER: Nothing worth having in life ever comes easy. The same rule applies to the professional wrestling business. No main event spot worth having comes easy. Being a headliner doesn’t come easy. Being a champion does not come easy. These all things that Raven has desired for a long-long time. Never truly getting there and if he was, he wasn’t there for long because the pressure was too much. He folded and went right back to the bottom. So of course he wants an easy road. That’s why he took the route he did. All for it to blow up in his face next Sunday. Then everyone that doubted me is going to end up looking foolish.LILITH LOCKE: Wait a minute. I never intended for it to sound like I doubted you. I just know how hard you have worked to be in the position that you are in. I didn’t want you to make a bad decision based on emotion.KEVIN CARTER: Emotions aren’t something that ever play a factor in decisions I make. Every decision I make is thought out, mapped out, and calculated to a tee. Don’t you ever worry about that.LILITH LOCKE: Well, based on that. You clearly have a game plan. Do you mind telling me what it is? Because after what Luna did. Something tells me. You’re going to need me in your corner.KEVIN CARTER: Luna is a non factor. Always has been. Directly the female version of Alexander. All smoke. No fire. Let her do what she needs to do. Let Alexander form whatever gameplan he wants. Let him continue to think he’s got the upperhand with this easy road he’s on. But you along with everyone else will see my game plan when it unfolds on that ship. Let’s just say Alexander is going to have a lot more to worry about than bleeding!Letting that smirk overcome his expression. It was filled with bad intentions. Once again Carter let his fingertips brush over those stitches in the middle of his forehead. Allowing it to be that reminded that he needed for when the two men finally met. The thing about it all was. No one in Sin City Wrestling knew what kind of war they were about to witness. Mark and Christian had no idea chaos was going to take place with their decision making. Not a single fan had an idea on what type of history they’d be witnessing. Only the Scumbag and the Last Raven knew. That’s what made them dangerous!
July 13th, 2025
Undisclosed Location
The shot found itself slowly opening up. In doing so it was clear that night was starting to fall. Just enough sunlight still lingering to highlight this dirt path surrounded by tall trees. A dirt path that revealed the Internet Champion, Kevin Carter walking down it. With his right arm stretched out and the cameras getting a little closer to discover a Raven sat right perfectly still on his arm. His other hand reaching up and stroking the bird’s chest. Causing it to make a soothing sound. Not even acknowledging the cameras. Carter began to speak out loud.
“Ravens are some interesting and majestic creatures believe it or not. Some of the qualities that they have happen to be impressive. First and foremost. Ravens are highly intelligent. Very much capable of solving problems. Have been known to use a variation of tools to their advantage. It certainly puts the entire mindset that having a bird brain makes you stupid. Not the case at all with these creatures. Along with that intelligence comes their memory. Studies have proven that they have impeccable memories. They remember situations. They remember places. They have even been said to remember faces. To the point that they can hold grudges against a person or thing.”
“Kind of terrifying when you think about it. Makes you want to make sure that you ever came across a Raven in the wild. That you did nothing to offend it. Nothing to make it remember everything about you. Damn sure not your face. Who knows how deep their grudge could run. It could lead to them pecking your eyeballs out. Truly terrifying thoughts, but there is one more quality about a Raven I have to bring up. They’re ability to adapt is also pretty damn impressive. Over the years they have proven to adapt to their habitats. From the forest to areas of the desert. Very versatile all around. Honestly, this proves that they are the best bird species to ever exist. Which is why I question how you fit in with them, Alexander.”The very second Carter pulled his hand back from stroking that bird’s feathers on its chest. The Raven unlatched itself from the arm of the Internet Champion and went flying up into the trees. Carter watched with his eyes until it disappeared. Before finally bringing his eyes to the cameras before him.
“It’s more than just a name for you. We have seen all the social media posts. We saw what you did leading up to this match with us. You’re kind of like the bird lady from Home Alone. You’ve consumed yourself with these majestic birds. To the point it has become a big part of your personality. Hell, you’ve compared yourself to a raven more than once. And that’s the part that confuses me. Let’s start with your ability to adapt to your surroundings. Your ability to adapt with your habitat. You do not share the same qualities they do. If you did, wouldn't SCW have truly been home to you?”
“I know it’s a triggering topic for you. You don’t really like to hear about this, but I don’t really give a fuck about how triggering it is or what you do or do not want to hear. Yes, you spent many years here. Yes, it felt like SCW was your home for a bit. Yes, it seemed like you were trying to adapt to what SCW was. Ultimately trying to adapt to your habitat. Yet no matter how much effort you put forth. No matter how much you tried. It proved to be difficult for you. It proved to be something that you didn’t like. The whole having to put effort forward. Not taking very long at all for you to start telling us you were leaving.”
“Something that took you quite some time before you were able to find the strength and the courage within yourself to spread those wings. To fly away. To head for greener pastures. Or in this case for a better habitat. At least you would call it better. That is until history repeated itself. You struggled to make your new habitat home. You struggled to adapt to where you were. You struggled to adapt to make yourself a success and to be happy. Only for you to come flying right back. Not that I am surprised. Nor am I surprised it’s not working yet again... You and failure to adapt go hand in hand after all.”Carter’s expression on his face at that moment. It was very much aimed to mock Raven and his constant failures. Such a grin spread from ear to ear. Feeling like he had some kind of advantage over the situation at hand.
“For years Raven. For years we heard you claim you were the face of SCW. We heard you tell us until you were blue in the face. That you were a future World Champion. Time and time again we heard you tell us that you were someone that was going to revolutionize the wrestling business as a whole. I have no doubt that you believed that. You have always believed your own hype. But as we have established that ability to adapt. That ability to survive when things are difficult. That ability to grow and to be able to succeed. It isn’t in you like it is a real raven. That is why you always end up face down, buried in your own insecurities, and unable to pull yourself out of that deep hole. You and you alone are the one to blame. Not me. Not anyone else. Just you!”From there Carter began to walk down that dirt path. Getting himself deeper and deeper into this wooded area. The cameras just happen to catch that very Raven that flew away from him moments ago. Coming out of the trees. Flapping its wings and following Carter along this path. His words started to be heard once again. Further attacking everything that The Last Raven was.
“Intelligence is another quality that you do not share with these birds, Alexander. Now if we were to ask you. You’d think you’re one of the smartest people. You’d think that your ability to talk in all these riddles and in such a threatening manner highlights just how smart you are. Of course, that’s a biased opinion and we both know that I am someone that only deals with realities and facts. Not opinions. Let me clue you in on the moment that I knew you weren’t a very smart man, Alexander. It was the moment that J2H and I talked to you. We laid out the plan. We gave you insight into what we had planned for SCW. The night we decided to bring you into the fold. You agreed without hesitation. Not something that you even thought about. Not something you took into consideration. It was an immediate yes.”
“Here was a man that was one of your foes coming to you. A man that was a thorn in your side and a big reason why you didn’t succeed. You let bygones be bygones. All for the sake of having a free ride to the top. Then there was me. A man that you didn’t know from anyone. You didn’t know what I was capable of. Nothing like that. Again you agreed quickly for a free ride. And then proceeded to act like we needed you. Like us coming to you was a sign of weakness on our part. Not even considering for a second that when we came to you. It was a last resort situation. You weren’t our first choice. You weren’t our second choice. Hell, you weren’t even the third or fourth choice. You truly were a last resort for us. And it was never a situation where we needed you. Or anyone else for that matter.”
“Instead, it was a situation where James and I understood there was strength in numbers. The more of us there was. The more people would step aside because they didn’t want to be put down. Yet, you didn’t consider any of that. Showing that you weren’t smart. Then months and months later, you showed your lack of intelligence again. The moment you walked right back into SCW. Like nothing happened. Like you didn’t bail on us after we made you a start. Going right after the richest prize in the game. The very thing we were after collectively. That was not only dumb, but also a sign of disrespect. Disrespect that you were fine with showing. All because it was benefiting you. Not even thinking of the consequences of your actions. Again goes right back to not being smart or intelligent.”Carter simply chuckled at the words coming out of his mouth. Exposing this man in the highest degree as far as he was concerned.
“You lack intelligence so much. That you thought that you and I were friends? You lack so much intelligence that you didn’t even see the screw job coming? You lack so much intelligence that you actually convinced yourself that it was somehow smart to actually engage in this battle of war with me. God, Alexander. You are so dumb. You actually make me feel a little bad for what I have planned for you. You make me feel bad for what I am going to end up doing to you. But as much as your lack of intelligence makes me feel bad. It’s not going to change the outcome of anything. I am going to put you down. Because that’s the only way this ends.”His feet had continued to carry him down that path. Finally stopping and realizing that the sunlight was so distant. That he was almost completely surrounded by the darkness of the wooded area. Suddenly that Raven swooped down and sat on the shoulder of the Internet Champion. Carter continued to smirk.
“The memory. That is the only quality you share with them, Alexander. Your ability to remember my face. Your ability to hold a grudge. Your ability to not forget who I am. And out of all their abilities. That’s the one I actually want you to have. I want my face to haunt your dreams. I want my name to live rent free in your head. I want you to constantly remember what I have taken from you. I want all of that to make you a miserable sack of shit. That is going to bring me more joy than just retaining my championship could ever bring me this time around.”His smirk seemed almost demonic at that point. Never letting it fade.
“An eye for an eye. Blood for Blood!”Carter stared at the cameras for a second. Wanting those words to really stand out. Before he walked forward right out of the camera's view. By the time the shot was able to turn around. They got the last haunting image of that Raven turning its head around. Glaring back at them. All before everything faded to black.
