The Ladder To Success [Jack Diamond Global Domination RP #1]
Aug 27, 2018 21:42:59 GMT -5
Mav. likes this
Post by Jack Diamond on Aug 27, 2018 21:42:59 GMT -5
August 28th 2018
Location Undisclosed
The scene opens up inside a dark room. There is a large silhouette in the center of the room. The camera zooms in, closer and closer until it is near the base of the structure. A bright spotlight turns on, and it takes a moment for the camera to refocused in the white hot blare of the sudden light. The metal from the aluminum shines. At the base, which is clearly a ladder, three championship belts drape across, shimmering in the light. A voice breaks through the silence.
There is a lot to be said about success. Some would define success by the accomplishments one has for a particular goal. Others will view the belongings or profits an individual accumulates over a set amount of time as success or failure.
The camera starts to pan up the metal ladder. The second rung, much like the first, has three more titles laid over it so that the straps gently sway on either side. As the beauty of the gold and gems sparkle into the lens, the talking continues.
It's interesting to me that success is often described using metaphors. One popular comparison is to climbing a ladder.
The camera continues moving up, rung by rung. Each rung, as the camera pans up, is much the same. Championship belts rest in all their glory. Three more on lay on the third rung, cozy with each other. Two belts on the fourth and fifth rung as the bottom of some fancy Italian shoes come into view.
The expression of climbing the ladder to success has always intrigued me. The simple act of climbing a ladder, an act that realistically us reserved for those blue collar workers who work very hard for very little recognition in return. Painters, construction workers, minimum wage masters that are dedicated to their craft... yet we use their action as a metaphor to our success.
In between the pair of brown A. Testoni shoes, another belt drapes towards the camera. The camera continues up another run, the tailored pants of a well dressed man coming into view along with yet another title.
Billion dollar corporations use this to describe the goals of its employees "climb" up the corporate structure. We all yearn to make it to the top of our "ladder" no matter what it relates to. Job promotion, riches, making it to the top of the sports world... they are all ladders. While everyone keeps climbing, keeps reaching... very few ever reach the top. The unobtainable brass ring so to speak.
The camera finally makes it up the ladder and zooms out a bit to see current XHF X*Crown Champion, and AWF megastar, Jack Diamond perched at the top. His million dollar smile almost as bright as the three title belts he sports; one around his waist and one championship draped over each shoulder. As the full scene comes into view, we notice that we are in a curtained square room, only large enough for the cameraman and the ladder where Jack sits. The makeshift "walls" are nothing more than a black felt material blocking off the viewers from the locale. Jack looks down the rungs, then his waist, and finally at his shoulders at all eighteen belts that make up his X*Crown before raising his gaze to the camera
Jack Diamond: Where do you go when you finally grab that brass ring? What happens when you've finally reached that last rung? You see, that is the million dollar question, now isn't it? It was a question that, unfortunately, I didn't have an answer to the first time I won the X*Crown championships. I had reached the top. The end game. There was nothing else for me to do... but to lose the belts.
Jack closes his eyes a moment, clearly in thought and from the slant in his brow we are only left to assume that Jack is remembering back to his match with Michael Storm. He shakes his head as if to shake out the memory.
Jack Diamond: And lose the championship is exactly what I did. It felt like I was free falling from the ladder, surely to feel the impact of the hard cold floor at any moment. A funny thing happened though. The thud never happened. Somewhere, somehow I lost everything and nothing at all at the exact same time. I had built my legacy so strong, grabbed the brass ring so hard, that even in defeat there was no derailing the train that is Jack Fucking Diamond.
Jack flashes a smile at the camera, what sounded like a moment in humility fades and the cockiness that is The Ace of Spades shines brighter than any of the eighteen titles around him.
Jack Diamond: No, what happened was I went right back to the top. I became a two time X*Crown champion. I became the proud owner of The Diamond Lounge. The money flowed, the adoration for me went to new heights and here I sit, once again, at the top of the proverbial ladder of success. I sit atop, looking down at those who only wish they could so much as sniff the glory that I have achieved. They look at the Icons and simply want what we have. This leads to some hard feelings, naturally. It leads to those who THINK they are in charge to actually believing they control we who look down on them. It leads to the Zikos, Hortons, and Bradshaw's of the world who have no problem using us to line their filthy pockets as long as we don't overstep our boundaries or overstay our welcome. Well to that, I say fuck your boundaries. To hell with your rules and corporate policies. You see, what the AWF management fails to realize, time and time again, is that when you have reached Icon status... you answer to NO ONE!
Diamond pauses to gather himself, the fire burning up a bit in his words for AWF. He grabs the title that is on his right shoulder looks at it with pride before holding it up for the camera to see.
Jack Diamond: This belt... these belts... they afford me the ability to come and go as I please. The ink on my contract may bind me to AWF but I am a global phenomenon, one that can not and will not be pigeonholed to a podunk ass Federation in Bethesda, Ohio. This championship allows me to defend all over the world. Case in point, Global Domination. My buddy Mav wanted to have a friendly battle. He wanted a chance to prove to himself and to the world that he, when you strip away the politics and bullshit of the AWF, belongs at the top of this business. He wants to step foot in the ring, go face to face with Jack Diamond, to prove he is every bit the Icon that Bobby and I am. He laid down the challenge and I accepted. Easy enough, right? Wrong. What happens? I get put in a match where I have to defend my belts against Copycat...
Jack cocks his head to the side, a hint of confusion on his face. Actually the look is more of the face you have when you walk into a room that Felix Ziko is in and you wonder when the last time the oversized buffoon was able to reach his own ass to wipe it was and from the smell of it, it's been years.
Jack Diamond: Copycat? Get the hell out of here. I mean, don't get me wrong, I was never worried about that walking, talking, Bradshaw happy-time rag, but it's the principalities of the matter. AWF in all their wisdom would rather try to screw me out of my title than to step back and promote the hell out of my match with Maverick as a way to make them rich. Are you fucking kidding me? Well, that match is done. Copycat can go back to being Terry's touchy-time tissue and fuck right off back to Bethesda.
Jack Diamond: You see, now it's time for the Icons to shine. It is time or us to continue making our mark on the Network. We will continue to add to our collection of gold, or collection of awards and achievement. See, we've climbed the ladder to success in this place. There is little anyone can do to stop us. If I want to open casino and hotels across this country, who can stop me? Mongo? I don't think so. If Bobby and I want to take the global tag belts from the Guns, who could stop us? Not the Guns, thank you beary much. If Maverick wants to toy with Seth Dellinger until the moment is right or him to take everything that Seth thinks belongs to him including his dignity... then you damn well better believe that is what will happen.
Jack stands up and lays the two titles that were on his shoulders across the top rung of the ladder as he climbs down the backside of the ladder. As he makes it to the floor he stands to the side of the ladder and looks at the titls. He opens his jacket a bit and peers down at the belt around his waist.
Jack Diamond: Honestly, the whole ladder to success stuff... it's BS. There is no set path to get you where you want to go. When you think you are there, there is no set path to stay there or go in a whole other direction. You just take each moment in stride and adapt with the changes, roll with the punches, and make sure when the dust settles you are standing tall above everyone else. That is what the Icons have done. Realistically, ladders in this business serve a greater purpose. I am no stranger to them. I've climbed more of them than I care to remember. My head has met the cold steel of them enough to know they are unforgivable. However, damn near every time I've had these beauties in my matches, the results are the same. I find myself at the top, grabbing my belt and standing over the helpless body of my opponent below, the victor.
Jack grabs the sides of the ladder to check it for sturdiness. He leaves his hand on the sides for a moment as he gazes up to where the spotlight is, the same spot where a championship hangs during the course of a ladder match.
Jack Diamond: This Saturday it seems like I will be in yet another ladder match. I'm not sure who was behind taking a simple friendly match up and twisting it into such a bloodbath of a match. Maverick, let me talk to for a minute. Icon to Icon. You just had a grueling ladder match. You know how much they take out of you. I've had my fair share as well, hell I fought in and won several of them back in our ICW days. Just ask Bobby... my point though, an everyday run of the mill ladder match takes a tremendous toll on the body. Unfortunately for us, this is no ordinary ladder match. No, we have the start in a cage, where we will climb it to get to another surface suspended high above the ring. That is where the ladder will be. Once we climb that, then and only then will we have a winner.
Jack grins just thinking of the destruction that he could cause in such a match. Only this time he is not fighting a foe, but one of his brothers. He shudders a bit.
Jack Diamond: Mav, I know you just wanted to fight for pride. Man versus man, Icon verses Icon, let the best man win. We throw some punches, maybe bloody and bruise each other up but then we shake hands and go have a beer. Unfortunately, someone else had other plans. I know I upped the ante by putting my titles on the line, and quite frankly I've done that to motivate you. To prove to you that you deserve to be in the main event picture... but I never expected this kind of match. Honestly, if you were to back out I would not hold it against you. I know you won't though and that is okay as well. But hear me loud and clear Mav, I'm not taking this match lightly.
Jack focuses on the camera, looking through the lens to Maverick wherever he may be watching this from. Jack takes a step closer, his eyes pure ice.
Jack Diamond: I'm not showing up at Global Dominance for some sparring match, some exhibition with a buddy. No, I am walking into the XHF Arena an Icon. I am walking in the XHF Arena the Ace of Spades. I am walking into the XHF Arena as the XHF X*Crown Champion! Maverick, I know you want this match. I know you will show up, but you better show up expecting the fight of your life. You better set all the buddy-buddy shit by the front door when you come into my ring. There was a time when I thought of you as nothing but a snot-nosed little kid trying to tug on Superman's cape. There was a time that I helped you achieve your first taste of premier gold by carrying you to a tag team championship in ICW. Now, I've grown to respect you for what you do in that ring, but Saturday night try not to step on my cape in this match. This Saturday night, when the bell rings and the lights are on us, you will be nothing to me but the next notch in my win column. I'm sorry pal, that's just the way it has to be. I wouldn't expect you to feel anything but the same. Maverick, Global Dominance isn't just a show, it is a definition of what Jack Fucking Diamond is all about. You are the future in this business, I'll give you that...but I have been and will be the "right here, right now" of this business for as long as I want to be and there isn't anything anyone can do about that.
Jack steps even closer to the camera, almost close enough for his breath to fog the lens a bit.
Jack Diamond: We may grab a beer together once we are back in Ohio but in Minnesota on Saturday, the deck is stacked against you. All the chips are down on the table and it's ONE pot you will not win, one pot that's not at the end of a rainbow. You can bet on that!
Jack stares into the screen and he is clearly done. The camera cuts feed and Jack looks back over to the ladder. This match could be career changing. Jack knows it. As he looks on, the makeshift curtain ripples as Dakota Paige sticks her head in.
Dakota Paige: Jack, I just got a call from security. The power at the casino went out and they had to evacuate the patrons. They are going to need you there for crowd control. Also, something about an irate customer needed a free meal voucher because of something Bobby did.
Jack laughs to himself a bit. Good ole Bobby. His eyes get narrow though
Jack Diamond: I'm done here, power outage you say? I better not find out AWF management had something to do with this after my announcement on AXW's show.
Before Jack could start gathering his things, the "walls" ripple again as a young kid with Home Depot attire pulls back the opening of the curtain.
Home Depot Worker: Um, yo-you can't be in here si-sir. This is a Home Depot, not a movie studio...
Jack looks at the young kid, and rolls his eyes a bit. He walks over and pulls down the curtains revealing that he is indeed in the middle of an aisle at Home Depot. He walks to an endcap display of wheelbarrows and grabs one before rolling it back over to the ladder. Dakota and the kid look on as Jack collects his titles, tossing them one at a time into the wheelbarrow.
Jack Diamond: I was going to clean all this up and give you a nice tip for keeping your mouth shut but now that you have to be an ignorant twat, clean it your damn self.
Jack wheels by the boy who stands looking perplexed at the ladder and the black curtains all over the floor. He just puts his head down and starts cleaning it as Dakota whispers sorry and follows Jack up to the front. Jack stops briefly at the register to pay for the wheelbarrow and hands the cashier a hundred dollar bill.
Jack Diamond: Keep the change.
Jack starts to walk off but the cashier is trying to get his attention.
Home Depot Cashier: I can't keep this, the wheelbarrow is only 27.58, we aren't allowed to be that much over on our drawers and if I'm seen taking a gift I get in trouble.
Jack Diamond: Then throw it away for all I care, it's yours to do as you please. Fuck money...
Jack Diamond continues out of the store leaving the cashier standing with a confused look on her face as the scene comes to an end.
