We are still on the road to Rise to Greatness. As the day comes closer, more whispers can be heard amongst roster members as to who has a chance at the SCW Championship or who was going to be the most likely winner of the Taking Hold of the Flame tournament. I try to take life at one day at a time in SCW because if you attempt to look too far ahead, you end up tripping on what’s right in front of you and landing on your face. I don’t know what is in store for me in the upcoming weeks much more at Rise to Greatness. Last year I won the interim United States championship. Well, in reference to that, I’m happy to see Nathan Kaye regaining his championship. It came at my current opponent’s expense, Donovan Kayl. Donovan was responsible for stripping the title from Steward, same person who took it from me. That I’m happy for but as far as I’m concerned…I plan to climb my way back to the top and well that means plugging the cord on Kayl TV.
Location: Hospital, Oregon
Scenes open as two men stand in front of a door way of a room talking. One was Shorty. He was the older of the two with a goatee. He had on a black shirt with a black leather jacket over it and blue jeans. The younger one was the doctor who was of darker complexion than Shorty, short and a bit overweight. He stood in his white lab coat with his chart firmly held in his hands. After the two men finish, they shook hands and the doctor walked away. Shorty walks inside to see his son seated up with only his boxer briefs on. There are a few bandages around his ribs. MJ stared out the window, deep in thought. Shorty walked over to him and took a seat next to him on the bed. It was rare Shorty would take a flight out to watch MJ wrestle or much more see him when he was in the hospital afterward. Shorty looked over at his son who almost seemed to be in a trance at that point. Shorty jokingly waves his hand in front of MJ’s face. He snaps out of his trance and looks over at his father.
Shorty: “I know things have been difficult for you as of late, are you sure you still want to continue this? You have enough money to retire at the age of 32 and still live more than comfortable.”
MJ: “What do you mean?”
Shorty: “You seem to be getting in over your head. You’re the co-owner of Majestic Wrestling and a full time wrestler in SCW. You are even a part of staff in E-Niverse. It’s a wonder how you are still alive.”
MJ: “I know, I have a lot of obligations but I can take care of myself. I choose to be in this line of work and I knew what I was getting myself into when I signed my name on that dotted line for Majestic Wrestling. These are choices I made and this is the responsibility that comes with it. To enjoy being the best that SCW has to offer, I have to be willing to not only give but take the hits. To be the proud owner of an amazing Majestic legacy, I have to get my hands dirty with backstage work. To reap certain benefits, I have to sow in certain tasks. I know these bruised ribs are going to hold me back for a week or two but that’s the chance I took when I decided to take out Silkk. I can’t afford Silkk; he is a liability to me. I had to get rid of him when I had a chance. I know, I’m talking about a human being like they are on an accounting balance sheet but I have to look at things like that now that I am not just wrestling. A federation and a co-owner is depending on me, I’m no longer free…I have others to think about first.”
Shorty: “I just want to know that you’re not over-extending yourself.”
MJ: “Thanks dad but I’m not.”
Shorty: “The doctor says you can compete for your match against Kayl but the chances of you going into the match at one hundred percent depends on how little you aggravate your mid-section.”
MJ: “That shouldn’t be too hard, I have nothing planned strenuous this week. I did two weeks’ worth of a workout before Out of Control, anyhow. Looks like I’ll be good to go to Breakdown.”
Shorty: “I hope so, MJ…I hope so…”
MJ: “What’s with the glum attitude all of a sudden?”
Shorty: “When you mentioned Out of Control, I just started thinking about Glace.”
MJ: “What happened to him now?”
Shorty: “Someone called home trying to contact you; they left a message on the answering machine saying Glacier was escorted out of the Majestic casino.”
MJ: “What?!”
Shorty: “Apparently he was searching for Holly to talk to her. When security asked him to leave, he lost it and started fighting with security. After a few minutes, they finally got a hold of him. He wasn’t just escorted out of Majestic but put in a holding cell awaiting bail.”
MJ: “This…this is a sick joke right? I don’t BELIEVE this! I have to go from hospital to JAIL now? This…this right here is great. This is so great, this deserves an award. No, seriously. I mean, let’s get off the wall at our friend’s son’s establishment while looking for our ex-girlfriend. Want to make it better? Let’s beat the shit out of security until we end up in jail. Anthony is a real smart thinker!”
Shorty: “Believe it or not, I’m happy he did it.”
MJ: “…So you’re another loose screw as well?”
Shorty: “It was about time. It was time he started showing emotion. Years he spent with his pent up anger and emotionless way about him. Any topic he didn’t want to discuss was met with stinging sarcasm, I’m happy he is finally showing his true self.”
MJ: “Yeah, you’re happy. You’re not paying for THOUSANDS worth in damage, which I’m sure is just an estimate. I can’t wait until the actual lawsuits from the security team come in. I feel like just laying in the hospital until Breakdown comes and then fly a few hours before into Nebraska. Unreal. Wasn’t Anthony supposed to be in Miami? Hell didn’t a cage fall down on him and Brandon Davis at the end of their triple threat? Man, he gets around fast.”
Shorty: “Relax MJ, the more you get worked up about things the worse they become. If you go down to Las Vegas angry and try to talk to Anthony in that tone he is just going to get worse. He needs to be talked to by someone in a good frame of mind.”
MJ: “Well I guess you’re going on the next plane flight with me to talk to him because after being in a hellacious match I’m in no mood to even smile much more ‘calmly’ talk to Anthony.”
Shorty shakes his head in disbelief as MJ grabs his phone from his gym bag and begins to call up the local airport to get an extra ticket. MJ was ready to explode; he couldn’t believe Anthony had practically lied to him. He didn’t see Anthony backstage at the arena so he just assumed he had gotten a seat. Now to know that he had deliberately changed his ticket so he could head down to Las Vegas, it burned MJ up. He knew he had to be that last stand between Anthony’s unquestionable rage and Holly. Either that or he would end up losing a Valkyrie by either Anthony kidnapping her or her being freaked out and leaving Majestic on her own accord. He understood love; it was a hard thing to deal with. It was hard to deal with being in love with someone but having to step away from them so they can save themselves. Anthony had to back off of Holly at the time and now wanted to re-connect since she was clean. MJ respected that but it was going to be an issue if it started interrupting Majestic’s income.
I slipped up twice even though I had two title shots back to back. I was young, immature, brass, and not ready for such a moment. Like Hayes had so “delicately” put it, I didn’t have that “killer instinct” needed in every SCW Champion. It is that instinct to strike without fear of consequence or repercussion. It is to know there was no such thing as an “immovable object” to the “unstoppable force” called your momentum. It is to look at the biggest dog in the yard and take him down without reservation. Such a fueling rage could only be reached within yourself…and only when you were ready for it. Kayl, I am ready for that. You might not give a damn, you probably don’t care if I end up in a car accident tomorrow because…who am I to you? You know me, you heard my name, but it never connected for you. The unfortunate part is, when you finally put two and two together and realize who you stepped in the ring with, it’ll be a bit too late…like…”a few punches and an All-Star slam” too late.
Don’t worry; I won’t put you through what Silkk had to deal with at Out of Control. I can’t afford any more injuries at the moment, anyhow. I know I’ve made you feel as though I’m underestimating you. I wouldn’t, hell I couldn’t. You’ve come a long way, man. I remember when you were…well, I don’t remember much of you but from what I understand you were the Justin Davis of SCW back then. You know…the guy people knew had the potential to be solid but was, for the time being, a useless liability not worthy of being on live television. Well…that didn’t come out the way I wanted it to. What I’m trying to say, Donovan, is that you’re a good guy in a bad position. I have no plans on stopping or slowing down just because you happen to be slightly entertaining to a few in the masses. The fact that you are a former interim United States Champion just gives me more reason as to why I would like to make you a part of my list of scapegoats to show the boys backstage that I mean business.
MJ: “Hey Hazel.”
Hazel: “Hey MJ.”
MJ: “So what’s up?”
Hazel: “Nothing…just calling you to check up on you.”
That was a lie. There was no such thing as checking up on MJ. Everyone who said they were checking up on MJ were either lonely or being nosy. He had a feeling she was being both. Neither was a problem for MJ. He still cared for her but he was surprised she would just call out of the blue. She knew something was up; he wasn’t sure exactly which situation she had heard about. For all he knew, it could have been another situation all together that would somehow find him lying in the middle of the living room from a heart attack. He missed her all the same. The soft touch of her skin and her beautiful smile would be difficult for any ex-boyfriend to bare…same for Holly in Glace’s eyes. Holly and MJ had become better acquainted since her stint in rehab. He wanted to keep close to her for the sake of Anthony. He wanted to be the first to help them get back together if it was what was healthy for them. Some relationships were cancerous and had no business forming…he hoped that wouldn’t be the case with those two.
Hazel: “So how is it going? I saw you get carried out of your match. Are you going to be okay?”
MJ: “Yeah, my ribs are bruised but I’ll be fine. What about you?”
Hazel: “I’m great…good…good.”
He hated these stalling conversations. He just wanted to hear what she should be saying. What she should be saying is “I love you” so he could take the next flight to New York and have her in his arms. He was tired of this “platonic” relationship of theirs. He wanted to make it work but it seems he suffers the same fate as many others. Being on the road and being in a stable relationship was a thing that few could handle. He wasn’t a part of that few, apparently. MJ held the phone up against his head just wishing he had the nerve to tell her how he truly felt. Even if he did, what difference would it make? She would still find reasons to not be back in the same bed with him. It was painful but it was something he had to deal with. Thankfully, he knew learned how to hold onto his emotions unlike a certain loose cannon in a Las Vegas holding cell, currently. He was still somewhat in disbelief at what had happened down in Majestic while he was wrestling.
Hazel: “MJ?”
MJ: “Yeah?”
Hazel: “You seem so quiet tonight. Something going on with you?”
MJ: “It’s just…nothing. Nothing at all.”
Hazel: “Stop holding it in or you’ll end up as bad as your friend, Anthony.”
MJ: “Ha. End up as bad as Anthony…right now, that’s pretty much near to impossible.”
Hazel: “Why? What happened?”
MJ: “Well…everyone’s most hated ice-pop decided it was time to claim back what’s his. He flew down to Majestic with no one’s prior knowledge and almost tore down the place looking for his ex-girlfriend. Soon, I will have to hop on a plane and pay for his bail as well as any impending lawsuits. I bought my dad a ticket because I’m not going to be able to talk to Anthony normal about it. When I see him, I’m going to start plotting how I am going to strangle him without anyone knowing.”
Hazel: “MJ, relax. It’s just Anthony being passionate. It’s funny, over a year or two ago it would be vice versa. It’s amazing how the tables have turned so quickly. Just be supportive, Mikey. Anthony needs a friend, not another battle. He’s going to need you to be by his side not tearing him down from left to right. Just try your best to control your temper.”
MJ: “I’ll try.”
Hazel: “I have to go, cousin calling me. Anyway, I hope your day goes better and remember to say hi to Anthony for me.”
MJ: “I will, have a good day too.”
Hazel: “Bye.”
MJ: “Bye.”
He ended the call and laid on the bed thinking about how simple yet right her suggestion was. People always look for that person who challenges them and pushes them to the edge. Personally, MJ liked a drama-free life even though he usually is never granted that. She did challenge him but at the same time she was there for him. She had a soothing sort of way about her. You could have just finished a rampage, killing two small kittens in the process, and somehow she was capable of staring into your eyes…almost into your soul, and telling you that everything was all right. It was blissful. Moments spent with her were irreplaceable and unforgettable. The more he thought about his time spent with her, the more he could relate to Anthony going to all lengths to be with Holly. MJ got up and moved toward the kitchen to drink water. He took two Tylenol tablets and drank from his water bottle. If only a tablet could take away all his problems…
You’ll know it was necessary. Like previously stated, it’s just business. I’m sure if it were up to Katie she would lay both of us and Nathan Kaye out then dig a ditch to shove our three bodies in with Stacy Kissinger’s. Thankfully, you’re dealing with someone a little more on the stable side. Don’t get too comfortable, I’m not THAT stable all the same. What? I mean you can’t expect anyone in SCW to be in their right mind. To even sign your soul to the devil himself, Drachewych, must show some signs of a possible chemical imbalance in the brain. Even though Damian has claimed ownership to “The Devil Himself”, let’s just be truthful here…nowadays Drachewych is a little more twisted than Damian. Back to what I was saying though, you and I may be at a point in our lives where our careers will be defined by the path we decide cross but the difference is I really have no “choice”. It is a “do or die” predicament I see myself in. For me to “do”…for me to succeed, you will have to “die”.
Figuratively speaking but all the same, I’m sure your mediocre show has gained you some minor celebrity status but fans are slowly beginning to turn away. Who wants to watch someone was proven to be a “fraud United States Champion” by Nathan Kaye. Who is going to want to watch you attempt to defeat Nathan in a rematch only to come up empty handed once again? Not me, for sure. I don’t think anyone does and yet that’s where it’s going to head for you. You will once again hold an obscure title or be in an unappreciated feud. One thing people don’t give you credit for Kayl, no matter how shamefully pathetic you’re future looks you seem to always keep your head up. Great trait! Maybe one day, with that, you can become employee of the month! Olek might even give you a little award certificate with a ten dollar iTunes card! Its 2009, Kayl, I’m pretty sure even you have to grow up at one point and realize that if you don’t take the bulls by the horn you’re going to get bucked eventually.
MJ: “I need to talk to Aires.”
Shorty: “About?”
MJ: “Security. If Anthony so easily got into the premises, what had those men not been there? What would have happened had he found Holly? I know he wouldn’t hurt her but the idea that any SCW guy can roam in and grab a hold of one of our Valkyries is worrying. In fact, I need to get a hold of Patrick Reynolds. We need to meet on this.”
Shorty: “Who?”
MJ: “Patrick Reynolds, the Head of Security. Some ex-MMA fighter whose career ended in a serious car accident, I’m surprised he’s still alive much more able to still be able to takedown guys. You saw the car? Completely totaled, honestly it must have been the training that kept him alive. A normal man wouldn’t have survived that. Crazy…”
Shorty: “You need to be more concerned about your match than how your head of security survived a car accident. You told me over the phone, before you entered in the Rose Garden, that you wanted this year to be successful. How are you going to be successful sitting here thinking about someone else’s problems than your own?”
MJ: “Fine. Sorry.”
He was slightly annoyed but he knew his father was right. Yet at the same time his father was wrong. While, yes, he should concentrate on paying attention to his career yet apart his career was Majestic Wrestling. It was up to him and Aries to take MW to another level it had never known all while restoring its golden history. MJ had remembered the time he had just joined Majestic Wrestling. It was him and Anthony heading to Las Vegas. He remembered the nights before the God of Wrestling tournament; it was him and Anthony spending days in a hotel. Hell he remembered when he was going for the SCW Championship…once again him and Anthony the day before his match. Anthony had been there all the time and to turn his back on him just because he caused a little damage over a broken heart…it wasn’t right. After everything they’ve been through, he couldn’t turn back now. Hazel was right. He needed a friend, not a disciplinarian. MJ had to bite his tongue on the costs and deal.
For MJ, money came and went. He earned and spent like he was down on Wall Street. Yet a friendship was invaluable. After losing so many post-Syndicate Inc., he couldn’t afford to lose anymore…at least any more that actually meant something. Through everything, Anthony was there for him. So was his father but Anthony was on the road with MJ. He saw all of MJ’s up and downs, yet managed to keep himself together. He managed to stay strong for himself and MJ. MJ was sure all Anthony expected was the same treatment when he was down and out. He knew, as a friend, he owed Anthony that…at the least. The golden rule was not just for Bible Studies, it was a way of life. You treat others how you want to be treated or rather in MJ’s latest battle with Silkk, you treat others how they’ve treated you. MJ leaned back resting; he had thirty minutes to go before his flight would be ready to be boarded on. He quietly looks over to his father who is seated, reading a magazine. His father noticed him looking.
Shorty: “So…you talked to Bryce recently?”
MJ: “Uh…no. I’ll probably give him a call later on in the week. You know, let him get himself together. I hope he’s not going back to what he used to do. I think he could find work in construction or something…”
Shorty: “There aren’t that many paths for a guy like him. Guys like me, Shyne, Bryce…we all have done wrong in our past and it is rare to find jobs or anything that’ll pay you above minimum wage. We are looked on at as hardened criminals even if we are only trying to survive. Hustling…I did it to stay alive, to keep your mother alive, and at the later part of that stage…to take care of you. I knew things had to change but being a thug wasn’t looked kindly upon. I don’t know how and I don’t know why…but wrestling became a gateway for me. Your grandfather was a boxer so athletics were in my blood. One of his old friends introduced me into the circuit and well the rest was history. Here you are now, stunning the world with your athletic ability and I couldn’t be any more proud. Thankfully, you got a little bit of your old man’s brains too. You don’t have a lot of it, if you did your head would explode from pure knowledge but you have some.”
MJ: “Dad, I think you’ve been hanging around Silkk a bit too much. Taking credit for someone else’s work, ha-ha.”
Soon their flight number was called. They grabbed their things and headed toward the airport terminal. They half knew what they would have to deal with soon. Anyone who’s ever been around Anthony when he is angry knows that hell hath had no fury like the Iceman. Yet the other half of them had no clue how Anthony would react when his anger was not out of just pure hatred but rather out of love and frustration with the one he loved. Yet MJ had to keep his eyes on Donovan. There was a reason he won so many titles and held such solid reigns. There was a reason it took Nathan Kaye, himself, to have to put Donovan down with Sleeping Pills. Not even actual pills but rather Nathan’s own dose of medication to his opponents. In the week of post-Out of Control, MJ could start to part a path to Rise to Greatness or he could once again be complacent and let the chips fall where they may. Complacency only got you half of what you really wanted but the other half you had to fight for. Scenes fade away to black.
