Post by Jack Diamond on Apr 24, 2018 19:45:09 GMT -5
Sunday, June 11th- 12:03AM
The small sellout crowd is filing out of the St. Croix Valley Recreation Center in Stillwater, Minnesota. What a night it was in the small venue as Icon Championship Wrestling rolled through its hometown for their special show, Bankrupt. While they didn’t get the ending to the night they wanted, there was plenty of reason to leave the show happy after witnessing such an amazing show. In the back, it’s a different story. ICW World Champion, Jack Diamond, bursts into a small office holding the back of his head with his right arm and dangling his title from his left hand.
Diamond: What the hell was that man?
Shawn Rossdale, the owner of ICW, along with his best friend and general manager, Lucas Rieter, are interrupted in mid conversation, startled by the champ crashing in.
Rieter: Take it easy mate…
Diamond: I didn’t ask you. Rossdale, what were you doing out there?
Rossdale: Look, I’m sorry champ, I really just wanted to come out and do commentary and the longer I sat there the more I thought about the disrespect Steele has shown towards me and the ICW as a whole and well, I just couldn’t let it fly.
Diamond: So you inserted yourself in my match? The chair… that was bullshit man. I had Steele dead to rights with the Stacked Deck and you messed it all up. Took me out of my game and look what it cost me, I could be World Champ AND Ironman Champ!
Rossdale: I know, I know. I’m sorry man, truly. That is more the reason that we need to stick together and be on the same page. With you, Lucas, and myself fighting the good fight, I think we can bring ICW to greater heights. Put an end to the reign of terror that is Barratt and Kade.
Rieter: Yeah, you seen those fools tonight. We have to do something Jack. They are making a mockery of everything Shawn and I worked and fought so hard to build.
Diamond: Let me set the record straight right now…
Monday, August 7th- 8:23PM
Diamond: And do you remember what I told you both that night after Bankrupt?
The scene opens inside a small cabin on Lake Bemidji. Outside it is a rather cool summer night in Minnesota as ICW prepares for their third and possibly largest pay-per-view in its history. A small lamp illuminates the cabin that is dedicated to Lucas Rieter and his Fireborn Connection. Duke and Chaos Kid are not in the cabin at the moment. Rieter looks up from the sofa he sits on, rubbing his jaw after being superkicked earlier in the afternoon by his former best friend, Shawn Rossdale.
Rieter: I remember vividly. You said, and I quote “Jack Diamond doesn’t bend the knee to anyone and he damn sure doesn’t need a has-been coming down and getting in his way.”
Diamond looks on, satisfied that Rieter remembers the conversation in a small backstage office two months ago after Shawn Rossdale “accidently” cost him the ironman title against Sebastian Steele. A lot can happen in two months.
Rieter: But Jack, believe me, that is not what the Fireborn Connection is about. Duke and Chaos expressed their concern to me about what Shawn is doing to his own company, the company I helped him build. We are going to right this ship but you are the final piece of what we are building here.
Diamond: Look at yourself man. You sound just like Shawn when he pitched that load of crap about “fighting the good fight.” Of course that was only a few short weeks before stabbing me in the back and playing house with Bobby.
Rieter: I’m not Shawn. I’ve tried to reel him in even before the whole Bobby saga played out but he’s a wrestler at heart, one of the boys. He lives for that shit and it’s time to put him in his place. I need you though champ.
Diamond looks down at his world title, the ultimate prize in any organization and one he takes very much pride in. The locker room looks at him as a leader and part of that is making sure the company is not ran into the ground by a couple of degenerates; One of which, he meets later tonight in a Hell in a Cell.
Diamond: What do your tag champs think of you reaching out to me?
Rieter: Chaos should be cool with it, you apparently made an impression on him during the filming of Wrestling With Love. Duke may struggle a bit with brining you in because he thinks it should be you and him in that main event fighting for the world title. He will get on board though.
Diamond: Things do need to change here in ICW. If Rossdale and Barratt want a war, that is exactly what they’ll get. It all starts with me putting an end to Barratt’s dreams of being world champion tonight. You know what, to hell with it, I’m in man.
Rieter almost jumps out of his shoes at Diamond’s acceptance. He goes over to Jack and shakes his hand, patting him on the shoulder.
Rieter: That is great mate! Listen, let me break the news to Chaos and Duke myself. Stay near by though because I may need you later in the evening.
Tuesday, August 8th- 5:37AM
Fame. It’s a funny thing sometimes. One moment, or in this case just a few hours ago, you can be on top of the world. Surrounded by much of the ICW roster, that is exactly where Jack Diamond was as Midsummer Night’s Massacre went off air. The congratulations and excitement he received had him on cloud nine. The next moment, though, when the adrenaline subsides, the fans leave, and you are riding the lonesome road back to another hotel the realization of what is ahead can consume you. Once in his room, it didn’t take long for the reigning, undisputed champ to crash out in a blood stained and bruised heap on the bed.
Flashes of orange dance around in Jack’s head. As he tosses and turns on the bed in his hotel room, he sees many images speed through his mind. There is a madmen lurking. Masked. Stalking Jack like he is nothing but a small prey. Three explosions go off. Canons? The cadence is familiar. There is a piercing ringing sound. More orange flashes. Diamond looks up and sees The Hunter starting down at his kill, victorious. There is a clanging sound, then a melodious whistle, and finally a voice that pierces the very depth of one’s soul saying simply “DIAMOND, COME OUT TO PLAY!!!” This eerie voice gets louder, the mask moves in closer, closer, closer…
Dakota: DIAMOND!
Jack jumps, gasping and grasping for something, anything. The jolt makes him realize he was having an awful nightmare. A nightmare that seemed all too real. He can barely open his eyes after the hellacious match with Barratt last night, but through his groggy, squinting eyes, he sees Dakota Paige, looking as beautiful as ever.
Diamond: Huh? What’s up?
Dakota: I’ve been trying to get in touch with you since last night! Are you okay?
Diamond: Yeah, just a little sore…
Diamond tries his best to smile but it hurts and Dakota sees right through it. Jack really took a spectacular beating last night, from Barratt, from Steele, from a damn stapler… as evident by the dried trickles of blood on his shoulder and arm. He is black and blue, and grunts as he gets up from the bed, holding his ribs.
Diamond: I just never want to see another baseball bat…
Dakota: I’m sorry I couldn’t be there, I had some things to take care of in Oregon. Dad is sick. I watched the show though, Fireborn Connection?
Diamond: It has become a necessity. Rieter wants to put an end to this Shawn/Bobby love affair and I’d love nothing more than to see that happen.
Dakota: Well, it will be nice knowing you aren’t just a lone wolf out there anymore, but are you sure this is the right move?
Diamond: Are we ever sure of anything?
Dakota hugs him, but pulls back when he winces in pain.
Dakota: Well one thing I AM sure of, is you need to get some rest. You have to defend that belt again in less than a week.
Dakota points to Jack’s world title that he had tossed on the hotel room desk before tossing himself on the bed. There is no rest for the wicked, and that is the definition of his opponent this week. Sebastian Steele. “El Cazador” is the only opponent to beat Jack in a one on one match since he joined ICW.
Diamond: That belt is nothing but a big target on my back. I knew this was going to be a quick turnaround. Whether I won or lost last night I was going to have to get right back on my game for this Monday’s Spectacle. Watching that Stetson and Steele match last night, a part of me felt I should be pulling for Brett. After all I have had his number a couple of times. There is another part of me, call it being a masochist, call it ignorance, that wanted Sebastian Steele to win.
Dakota: Please don’t take him lightly. He really scares me. Attacking people, talking about gods of death, magical powers, and he tried to run you down with a taco truck!
Diamond chuckles to himself. There is definitely an aura that surrounds Sebastian, the demigod, the man who was the longest reigning Ironman Champion before some mobsters got ahold of him. Diamond himself failed to beat Steele two months ago, that blemish on his almost impeccable record keeps him up at night.
Diamond: Take him lightly? No, the one thing I will never do is take Sebastian Steel lightly, ever again. I know what is at stake. I know it can all be gone in the blink of an eye.
Dakota: Good, do you think you will be healed up by then?
Diamond: It doesn’t matter. Whether I am one hundred percent or fifty percent, when it’s game time I will be there to shine. You see, the thing is, I want this match. When I won that title at Gold Rush, it was by slamming Steele’s face into the concrete floor in a rumble match. He was the last man eliminated while I stood victorious. When I got him at Bankrupt? Sure it didn’t go my way, but somewhere behind that mask lies a man who knows that I took his best shot, and still had him right where I wanted him before Shawn got involved, creating just enough distraction to cost me the win and the Ironman title. Unlucky Accident? I thought so at the time until that no good Rossdale stabbed me in the back!
Diamond is pacing now, blood boiling. It all comes back to Rossdale. Was this the plan all along? Costing Diamond against Steele, trying to cost him against Bobby? The questionable kidnapping that went down last week all to have it sorted out by Midsummer Night when Steele was able to lie waiting in the dark underneath the ring to attack him in the main event? Sure he hit Bobby a few times but he made a mockery of Jack by placing his unconscious body over Barrett and then kicking him off before the three count. Was Jack supposed to lose that match?
Dakota: Calm down, let’s go get some breakfast…
Diamond looks at her and smiles. Dakota, always there to pull him down off the ledge. He’ll need that this week. The fire burns deep with Diamond and his feelings towards Steele. Can he avenge that singles loss? He throws his arm around her shoulder and grabs his wallet as they head out of the room and the scene fades.