Post by Jackson Grace on Feb 7, 2018 7:56:27 GMT -5
We open backstage at the XHF Arena in Minnesota. Despite the near freezing temperatures, we see a sweaty Lethe walking through the arena corridor to her dressing room after the match. Reporters who managed to get into the building following the extravagant entrance of Bobby Barratt earlier in the evening are desperate for their scoop and Lethe seems to be quite the controversial figure right now. Her win against Dylan Black just now wasn't without incident and saw soon to be former FWA owner Duke Kosloff ring the bell prematurely, gifting Lethe a victory she may or may not have got on her own. Lethe pushes past them as quickly and efficiently as a lady of her build can. She finally manages to break through the crowd and get to her dressing room door. Her hand touches the handle to open it when....
Hey, what the hell was that?!
Lethe turns around, her face still a mixture of confusion, triumph and anger. Sweat still glistens across her brow. She brushes her long, matted hair out of her face and sighs as Jackson Grace approaches her.
How long has this been going on?!
How long has what been going on?
This partnership you seem to have with Kosloff!
Come on, you think I was in on all of that?
That's what they all say! I'm innocent, I swear!
Jackson, I am! I didn't know any of that was going to go down!
You know when I first saw you in that locker room back at the first episode of Coldwars, I felt bad for you. A little lost girl, looking scared in a land of giants. I wanted to be the guy to look out for you. Yet now it seems that you're only interested in looking out for yourself!
You're right there! I do look out for myself! I woke up not knowing who my friends are, my enemies and I didn't even know who I am! So to stand here and be insulted by the likes of you is ridiculous!
Lethe turns and goes to pull the door of her dressing room open, it closes suddenly as Jackson slams it shut and leans against the door. Reporters are starting to notice the commotion and gather around.
Now I'm going to say this calmly and quietly so these guys don't think something is going on....Get out of my way!
Or what....you're going to get big, bad Mr Kosloff to move me? That's what you do now, right? Get him to do your dirty work?
I'm not having this conversation with you. Maybe I'd take you more seriously if you weren't a joke of an old man who thought he could actually beat me! You're just angry because all of the fuss and the "FEATURING JACKSON GRACE" has died down. Now all the hype has died and you lost your title....to me may I add...You're just an old man trying to hang in a young mans game!
Lethe turns around and pushes Jackson's hand off the door. She opens the door and enters, but as she does, she feels a pulling sensation on her hair. Jackson has a fistful of hair, pulls her around and throws her into a nearby performers' refreshments table.
CRASH!!
The reporters who were hovering around close in. They have their scoop! Flashes start popping, commotion is heard as they all try to position themselves for the best shot. Jackson picks Lethe up who takes a wild swing, missing due to her off balance stance. Jackson seizes the opportunity and hits her with three swift jabs before picking her up again and throwing her through the top of the table! Lethe is out of it, right now! A few more stomps to her midsection and Jackson is away, walking towards Gorilla position for his upcoming X*Crown Championship match. The reporters try to get comments from him about what just happened. All he says before he hits the performers area guarded by security is:
Actions come with consequences and if you hang around Duke Kosloff for too long, you'll feel the burn!
We come back and Jackson sits alone in a hospital ward. Only the sounds of a ticking clock can be heard in the background as he groggily looks around the room. Taking in the scenery, he moves his fingers one at a time, then his toes before sighing in relief. That Dark Destroyer he took from James Raymond could have broken his neck! The blood loss seems to be what got him put in here, but it could have been so much worse. A few seconds later, the curtain flies open and Vanessa comes in quickly, hugging Jackson while sobbing. She looks him up and down and is surprised not to see a neck brace.
Are you ok?!
About as ok as I can be, I guess...I was so close. I had the Crown in my hand!
I know you did and the kids will be proud you tried so hard.
Just the kids?
Vanessa looks sheepish.
Come on...what is it?
Well I read this mornings paper. What the hell were you thinking?!
Vanessa throws a copy of the local newspaper onto Jackson's lap. Right there in the centre of the page it was opened to is a picture of Jackson throwing Lethe through the table with the headline "Did Justice Reign?" Jackson's face drops as he pours over the article. This is certainly something his kids wouldn't be proud of. Their Dad beating up on a girl after her match. They understood when it was in a competitive environment, but he wouldn't be able to explain this one away.
Do they know?
Vanessa shakes her head.
Good. Thanks for keeping this hidden....But I can't let this lie. Lethe and Duke need bringing to account for what they did, whether he is still the owner or not!
Come on! It's a match! You're going to throw out all of your morals after the big speech about unnecessary violence against women over a Wrestling match?!
No! What I'm going to do is set about getting what I want...what I deserve! That's a shot at the new RWA Championship! I'm going to do that by any means necessary! If that involves destroying some "poor helpless little girl" then so be it! I didn't come here to be some over the hill old guy! I know I said I came here for the money, but deep down I want to win! I want to be the best and someone my kids can brag about! I didn't come here to be someone's whipping boy and nearly taking the X*Crown last night shows that I'm more than capable of doing it!
Well Jackson....after how we met I'm not sure I like this side of you. How do you expect the kids to be proud of what you did last night? I'm going to take them to my Mom's for a while. You'll have the house to yourself to think about things when you get home.
Baby, come on!
Vanessa picks up her bag as Jackson protests. He tries to kiss her hand, but he rips it from his grip and storms out of the room, leaving Jackson alone in bed. He tries to get up to chase her, but it's too painful right now. Defeated, he slumps into the bed and looks back down at the newspaper left in his lap. His face contorts into a frown as he stares at the picture of Lethe mid-air.
Well Lethe...This better be worth it! No moral conscience to bring me back to ground now, the gloves are off and I'm not letting up until that title is mine!
Jackson scrunches up the paper and throws it off the side of the bed as we fade to black.
We come back and see the exterior of the Grace household. Jackson pulls onto the drive, which we notice is still missing Vanessa's car. She wasn't kidding when she said she was taking the kids away for a while. Jackson silently gets out of the car as we notice his laboured movement. He stumbles towards the front door, turning his key and opening it. Where he was normally greeted by the sounds of the kids running riot in the house, today he is greeted with silence. Nothing. The lights are all off, everything is where it should be and the house feels so big as he steps in. No kids jumping on him for cuddles, no Coffee being handed to him as he sits down. Nothing. He flips the light on in the hallway and kicks his shoes into their familiar spot.
BUZZ BUZZ
His phone goes off in his pocket. Fishing it out, he sees a message from new RWA Owner Leon Savage.
"Hey buddy, great performance in the Throne of Blood match!
Thought I'd introduce myself and pass on my thanks for the effort you put in for the company!
Hope you and yours are well, see you at the next tapings!
You'll be taking on Dylan Black for a shot at Lethe!
Leon"
Jackson smiles briefly, before looking up and seeing pictures of his family. Family that this journey has now taken away from him. The smile turns to a sad expression, then to a look of sheer determination as he remembers the vow he made. The vow that one day, he would take that title from her and have something for the kids to really be proud of! But would it be worth it? Would Vanessa taking the kids away be the making or the breaking of him? Now the leash is off, what lengths would he go to in order to capture the Championship he holds so dear? Jackson sits down and flips the TV on for background noise. This place feels so lonely right now. He slumps right back into the chair, groaning as the pain of moving relents.
So....Dylan Black. The man that nearly pulled it off! The man what was cheated out of a clean shot at what was his! You know kid, I respect that despite being handed stuff in the past, you came at this one clean! No Darkness, no bullshit! You were straight up and on another night, you might be the one waiting to see who won this match! That doesn't take away from the fact you were handed opportunities though! That doesn't take away from the fact that you were part of the bullshit going on behind the scenes in FWA. Duke Kosloff had you in his pocket from the minute you agreed to walk out on that match. Like his little lapdog! Is that what you are, Dylan? At Supremacy, you just happened to display your little bite! That vicious streak that you have to display when you're in a position in which you have no help....No allies. See since FWA opened it's doors...You've always been a protected man. Whether it be that lousy excuse of a giant Rob Wyatt laying out Lethe, or Dackle walking 2 paces behind you all of the time picking up your shit! On top of the fact that one day, you walked into an office and a Tag Title dropped into your lap!
You know Dylan, I've been watching you since day one. You have a lot of talent! You could actually be something if you put in the effort you put in for Supremacy. Who knows? Maybe one day you could be the Coldwa- erm....Jungle Assault Champion! The guy up there knows you don't have what it takes to compete for the World Championship, so why not step aside and let the adults do the talking, huh?
Well I know you're not going to do that, so I guess I'll be seeing you at the first episode of Jungle Assault! You know that just doesn't have the same ring to it as Coldwars did, but what can you do, eh? But I'll do you a favour. I'll find you a nice spot in the mid card with this influx of new guys when I'm done with you. Let you really compete for it!
So I'm gonna sign off now. I need a catchphrase. Errm.
Dylan Black, come the first episode of RWA Jungle Assault, Justi-......Violence will reign!
Jackson digs into his pocket and pulls out a bottle of tablets. The shot switches and we see the words "Tramadol. Take 2 twice per day." on there. Jackson reads it, shrugs and takes a handful before settling down on the couch to watch TV as the scene fades to black.
We come back and see the exterior of the Grace household. Jackson pulls onto the drive, which we notice is still missing Vanessa's car. She wasn't kidding when she said she was taking the kids away for a while. Jackson silently gets out of the car as we notice his laboured movement. He stumbles towards the front door, turning his key and opening it. Where he was normally greeted by the sounds of the kids running riot in the house, today he is greeted with silence. Nothing. The lights are all off, everything is where it should be and the house feels so big as he steps in. No kids jumping on him for cuddles, no Coffee being handed to him as he sits down. Nothing. He flips the light on in the hallway and kicks his shoes into their familiar spot.
BUZZ BUZZ
His phone goes off in his pocket. Fishing it out, he sees a message from new RWA Owner Leon Savage.
"Hey buddy, great performance in the Throne of Blood match!
Thought I'd introduce myself and pass on my thanks for the effort you put in for the company!
Hope you and yours are well, see you at the next tapings!
You'll be taking on Dylan Black for a shot at Lethe!
Leon"
Jackson smiles briefly, before looking up and seeing pictures of his family. Family that this journey has now taken away from him. The smile turns to a sad expression, then to a look of sheer determination as he remembers the vow he made. The vow that one day, he would take that title from her and have something for the kids to really be proud of! But would it be worth it? Would Vanessa taking the kids away be the making or the breaking of him? Now the leash is off, what lengths would he go to in order to capture the Championship he holds so dear? Jackson sits down and flips the TV on for background noise. This place feels so lonely right now. He slumps right back into the chair, groaning as the pain of moving relents.
So....Dylan Black. The man that nearly pulled it off! The man what was cheated out of a clean shot at what was his! You know kid, I respect that despite being handed stuff in the past, you came at this one clean! No Darkness, no bullshit! You were straight up and on another night, you might be the one waiting to see who won this match! That doesn't take away from the fact you were handed opportunities though! That doesn't take away from the fact that you were part of the bullshit going on behind the scenes in FWA. Duke Kosloff had you in his pocket from the minute you agreed to walk out on that match. Like his little lapdog! Is that what you are, Dylan? At Supremacy, you just happened to display your little bite! That vicious streak that you have to display when you're in a position in which you have no help....No allies. See since FWA opened it's doors...You've always been a protected man. Whether it be that lousy excuse of a giant Rob Wyatt laying out Lethe, or Dackle walking 2 paces behind you all of the time picking up your shit! On top of the fact that one day, you walked into an office and a Tag Title dropped into your lap!
You know Dylan, I've been watching you since day one. You have a lot of talent! You could actually be something if you put in the effort you put in for Supremacy. Who knows? Maybe one day you could be the Coldwa- erm....Jungle Assault Champion! The guy up there knows you don't have what it takes to compete for the World Championship, so why not step aside and let the adults do the talking, huh?
Well I know you're not going to do that, so I guess I'll be seeing you at the first episode of Jungle Assault! You know that just doesn't have the same ring to it as Coldwars did, but what can you do, eh? But I'll do you a favour. I'll find you a nice spot in the mid card with this influx of new guys when I'm done with you. Let you really compete for it!
So I'm gonna sign off now. I need a catchphrase. Errm.
Dylan Black, come the first episode of RWA Jungle Assault, Justi-......Violence will reign!
Jackson digs into his pocket and pulls out a bottle of tablets. The shot switches and we see the words "Tramadol. Take 2 twice per day." on there. Jackson reads it, shrugs and takes a handful before settling down on the couch to watch TV as the scene fades to black.