Looking Back and to the Future! RP3 for EOD

[Bobby Barratt]

Bobby: See? Just as I predicted. Maverick finds out I'm on the opposite side of the ring to him and he can't pull out the Jenny card quick enough. Threatening to defile that poor woman's corpse? What a fucking freak!

We come to scene and Bobby is sitting in a gym locker room. Not his normal Gym, but a gym local to the Emirates Stadium in London. He's headed into the capital city early, ahead of time to prepare for the final night of End of Days. That way there's no headaches about travel, no congestion charge bullshit to worry about.... Just preparation.

Bobby: You know what Mav? Try it! Since Caffrey pulled the bullshit with the spray paint, I paid for them to double down on their security. I paid to make sure that shit never happens again! Not just to me, but to anyone who's ever lost a loved one in Walsall. Known the grief, the heartache, the loss of having someone in their life taken away in such a fucking cruel manner. NO ONE should have to experience pain on top of that because someone with the mental age of a fucking pencil decides they want to overstep!

Bobby wipes the post-workout sweat from his brow, tossing the towel onto the bench beside him.

Bobby: Did you see what I just did there though? The comparison I just made Mav? That's right. I've noticed it.... The whole XHF Network has. Without me and Jack... Our counselling, our guidance both in and outside of the ring, you've gone off track. Your career skyrocketed I'll give you that, but outside of the ring, you've become nothing more than a bitch. You surround yourself with substandard workers in an attempt to boost your own ego, you allow them to be your yes men... Then you go to any lengths to make things personal when they don't need to be. In the eyes of most of the people here, you're nothing more than a poor man's Anthony Caffrey. See I KNOW for a fact that in the past, I made things as personal as I could. I was constantly trying to mentally offset Jack before our battles but it was when things were already heated. When the pressure was pumped up so high that both of us were looking to get an edge somehow before the match. Whereas you see our names on a booking sheet and then run off like "LOLJENNYLOL" I mean come on! Rushing to fever pitch like that you must be done and dusted in bed within four minutes!

Bobby laughs to himself.

Bobby: Now I know you're going to come back with lines about how I've aligned myself with LGBTKO. I'm sure you made a smart comment about it being a hate crime or something, right? Mav let me ask you... The last time I took my biggest rival, my greatest threat and aligned myself with them.... What happened? THE ICONS HAPPENED!! There's the difference. I appreciated the gesture from Seth Dillinger, Bloodied Fox and Ryan Young. Two of the most fucking promising athletes in the XHF Network as well as someone I've traded wins with for the most part of my XHF career. Tell me that doesn't scare you, Mav. Tell me that isn't a force to be reckoned with. Then tell me again, but this time try harder to mask the fucking fear that's in your eyes. Cover up the little quiver you get when you try to falsify a little bass in your voice.

Bobby mimmicks Maverick.  "Oh but who was there for you, Bobby? Who was the one you pushed away mermermer?"

Bobby: Well Maverick there's something you may or may not know about why I was broke in the first place. Sure I'd lived my best life, I'd done everything a teenage boy fantasizes about. I'd flown high, I'd partied hard... But do you know what was the nail in the coffin? You know what pushed my account into the red?

DON'T SCORE THIS PART...IT'S FROM AN OLD RP

The scene comes back to the Hospital room that Maverick is situated in. He's still out cold as Bobby wrings his hands, anxiously awaiting some news on the condition of Maverick.

Nurse: Hi there. Just in to do a few checks and get some details on our patient, here.

A young. bubbly blonde girl walks into the room.

Bobby: Thanks again for sorting out the private room. I know I was a little...

Nurse: Testing? Yeah, we get that all the time. Don't worry we can handle ourselves!

Bobby laughs to himself, but the laughter fades as he realises how sad a statement that really is. The Nurse gets to checking on Maverick's vitals.

Nurse: So have you got all your details updated at the desk?

Bobby: Nah, I haven't left his side yet. I need to be here for when he wakes up.

Nurse: You know we see our fair share of you XHF guys. The injuries aren't as bad as they used to be, but we still get taken by surprise occasionally when something like this happens. I don't know how you guys do it every day.

Bobby: Hey, we work for an hour or so at a time...Now YOU guys...You're the heroes here, don't forget that, right?

The Nurse smiles to herself as she checks on Maverick's notes.

Nurse: I see that his insurance details aren't on here. Care to get those added?

Bobby: Yeah...Ummm.

Bobby takes the clipboard to add Maverick's details. Then he realises Maverick wasn't brought here with any identification or details. He remembers Jack passing him a hundred dollars to cover this and sighs to himself.

Bobby: Here. Put all payments on this, but tell him Jack Diamond paid it, OK?

Bobby passes his bank card to the Nurse. She takes the card away to get it all processed. Bobby barely has time to catch his breath before Amber walks in with a cup of water....

The scene comes back to Bobby, who now has his top off, half changed to leave the Gym. His body, now back at the stage it was once at with bulging muscles and a low body fat, glistens with the mist like covering of sweat that he still hasn't wiped off.

Bobby: See? You didn't know that, did you? I bet you thought Jack paid it all off because "Fuck money" right? Mav just because someone isn't constantly telling you they've got your back, it doesn't mean they don't have your back. People like to squawk about their achievements and hashtag these acts of kindness or whatever, but the real heroes are the ones that do it and move on. They don't need the publicity, they don't need the fanfare. They just help people. Just like this weekend I'll be helping you. I'll be helping you to move on from this fantasy you have of being top dog. See for such a long time you've had this fantasy of finally grabbing the big one, finally being the one that gets the back pats, the big payday, the one with his name on the banner above the ring. The fact is though Mav... That each and every time you've had a chance, you've pissed it away. Time and time again you've gone for the titles and come up short. You took three shots at Seth when he held the State of Ohio Championship and STILL came up empty handed. I was there for you, I tried to support the fact that me and Jack were fucking hauling dead weight but the best you could come up with was a TIE? Fuck's sake Mav. Then you come up empty handed again when you took on Jack Diamond at Global Dominance! See what I mean? You've the guy that's not destined to headline, Mav. You're the guy that's destined to support the headliner. There's no way you could grab that brass ring and you know it! MCCW could have sent anyone.... ANYONE else and they'd have had less of a fucking stigma about them. They'd have had more crowd support, more belief behind them from the fans that they'd bring the title home! You forget.... I taught you everything you know... But I didn't teach you everything I know, Mav. As for the Icons? I've accepted it. I've moved on. The Icons as we knew them, the guys that kicked down doors, took what we wanted and covered up for your weaknesses.... They're dead. Sure, we pass each other in the hall and I still get together with Jack. I still pass my JFK's gym now and again, but we aren't the brotherhood we used to be. We never will be again.... so as for me wanting you to stay away from the Icons? Shit you can do what you like with it. Lord knows you fucked it up enough already.

Bobby reaches forward and switches off the camera as we go to black.

---

We come back and Bobby sits opposite a talk show host. It's one of those morning programs that go out with a bit of filler. Something nice and easy to start the day while you get ready for work.

Host: So with that out of the way, we move on. Sunday night the Emirates Stadium is host to the XHF Network. When the superstars of the XHF descend onto the home of the Gunners to tear it up and put on a show for the fans both in attendance and at home. Today we have one of the participants of the main event of the show with us. Bobby Barratt.

The shot switches to Bobby sitting opposite the host, a large glass of water in front of him.

Host: So Bobby. For the viewers at home, tell us about your match. What makes it so important?

Bobby: Well first of all, thanks for having me on here today. The significance of the match is a few fold. First of all, it's for the X-Crown. It's for the biggest prize in the XHF Network. The title we all long to hold. There's World Championships, but this title is made up of....

Bobby counts on his fingers as he mentally traces the lineage of the title.

Bobby: Twenty one World titles.

The host's eyes widen.

Host: Wow that's a lot of titles! So does the Champion have to carry them all around?

Bobby: They can! It's one choice but can you imagine the headache they have when they check their baggage at the airport?

The both laugh a little.

Bobby: The fact is that each Champion can decide how to represent their reign and how they want to define the Championship. Take my previous reign for instance. I used bits and pieces of the old Championship belts to create a title which represented as many as I could.

Host: So you've held it before?

Bobby: I have. I had it from December to April. I'm hoping I get the chance to start and finish 2019 with that title draped firmly over my shoulder.

Host: So we see that you're taking on three other people in this match. How about we throw a few names out there and you can give us your thoughts?

Bobby: Sure thing. I'll behave, I swear!

The host looks a little confused. They haven't done their homework on Bobby and his previous interviews.

Host: So. Let's start with the Psychotic Goth from.... SWAT Wrestling.

Bobby: Ok I don't know a whole lot about this guy. He won his qualifying match which means he earned his spot in the main event at End of Days. Great. But since then I don't think we've seen anything from him, have we? I mean I hope he's off preparing for the match because otherwise, it's a little embarrassing, right? You're in the main event of one of the biggest events of the year, you need to have yourself set up for the fight of your life. The other three participants in this match will have your guts if you aren't in shape!

Host: Ok, so let's talk about Maverick. I understand you two have a history?

Bobby: Maverick has been my best friend and the thorn in my side for years. He's been the guy that I saw such a likeness of myself in, but I don't know. It's felt like his frustration of never ACTUALLY being a top line competitor and a world Champion has lead to him lashing out at anyone and everyone who was close to him. He's pushed me away and tried to gaslight me in the process. That's not OK. You don't get to make other people look the bad guy. That goes out to everyone. Anyway I'm getting off track. We've rode together, we've drank together and he's the guy that's going to know my offense better than anyone come Sunday.

Host: So Subject 42. The current holder of the X-Crown...

Bobby: Oh man, this is the one that's going to rock your boat and spike the ratings.

Host: How so?

Bobby: Subject 42 is an alien.

Host: Wait, a what now?

Bobby: Come on, surely you've seen the videos of it hanging around airports and snapping pictures? Not a word other than RRRAAAGGHHH. Banging it's head against bars, fighting tigers. It currently holds the X-Crown and is on a pretty hot streak keeping it. I'm giving up a clear size and weight advantage against Subject 42 and I'm going to have to use all my cunning in order to overturn the meat head. I mean how do you out think something which has a brain beyond human comprehension? I mean have you ever seen an alien before? We have no idea how it thinks, other than the fact it's a real B-A-M-F!

Host: B-A-M-F?

Bobby: Yeah you don't want to know what that stands for. Day time TV and all. My point is this is a challenge that is unlike anthing I've faced before. Any other time I could anticipate the next move my opponent was due to make, but fighting against Subject 42 is like fighting against a bear with more dexterity. It's going to be one to watch for sure!

Host: So moving along. We see that you've become allies with Seth Dillinger, Ryan Young and Bloodied Fox. For those who don't know, Seth Dillinger and Bobby Barratt are one of the AWF's greatest rivalries. How did you come around to trusting someone you've had such bad blood with?

Bobby: Trust? This is different. It's not about trust so much. I've been trying to right a lot of my past mistakes and making amends with Seth for a vicious attack I orchestrated was the biggest step. I put the guy in hospital for a month last year because he beat me for my title. Was that OK? No. But I wanted to take accountability for what I've done and luckily for me, Seth was pretty receptive to it. He in turn offered an olive branch where I'd fight alongside LGBTKO to take out common enemies.

Host: It's good to see that you managed to make those amends. So was joining LGBTKO a way of you addressing your own sexuality?

Bobby: Not at all. I am who I am and I'm totally comfortable with that. The sexuality of the other guys is their business and not mine, but I think it's more about a widespread issue. Though I may not appear as one of the "letters" so to speak, it's about being able to be who you want to be. The fact these acronyms keep being created is because society has pigeon holed everyone and driven wedges between us and it's time that stops. Let's do away with the "straight crowd" and the "gay guys". It's time that people are labelled as just that. People. What they get up to behind their own closed doors is none of my business more than it is yours. I want to help these guys fight for their place in society, stop them feeling cast aside and looked at differently and we stop seeing them as Gay or Bisexual and just see them as damn good athletes! Walking out of End of Days as the X-Crown Champion will be a major peg to hang the agenda on.

Host: So you're starting to distance yourself from your past and starting to become a gay rights activist?

Bobby: See now I'm beginning to feel like you aren't listening. It's not about gay rights or straight rights or black rights or anything else. To me, this is about EQUAL rights. These are three guys who are amazing athletes in their own right and to see them as anything but is disrespectful. Not only to them, but to anyone they've ever stepped in the ring with. My only hang up is that it's taken me until I was fourty years old to realise that. So for that I want to apologise. To anyone I've offended with my actions towards Seth in the past, to anyone who felt the need to give me a snazzy new paint job last year as a result of it. I want to move past it. I want to make amends for what I've done and I think come Sunday, when we bring home the X-Crown, it's going to go a major way towards bringing the attention to the issues that we need. So Subject 42, Psychotic Goth and Maverick, you need to be ready. Be aware that not only does Bobby Barratt want that Championship back, but he has a point to prove and a damn agenda. Realize that I'm going to be coming at you with a fire I've never felt burning before, that it's time for someone to hold that title and respect the heritage it has. By the way Caffrey, I noticed that little challenge you threw out for May next year. Consider it accepted once I get through here and then through the Rumble. We'll do this and we'll do it properly!

With that, Bobby takes the mic off his shirt and walks off stage. The host looks a little shocked but also happy that Bobby has definitely helped spike the ratings this morning as the phone lines start to illuminate.

Host: So with that, we're off to watch someone cook the world's biggest pie in Somerset. Stay tuned for a slice of the action!.

Scene fade.