Anthony: Mommy took you shopping?

MJ: Shut up. What do you want anyway?

Anthony: Besides the number of the person who told you to go outside looking like that so I can sock them in the mouth? To help you. I notice you are back in possible contention for the title and maybe this time around you’ll do a lot better. Well that’s a thin chance but hey, the lotto does well too.

MJ: Oh you’re talking? So how’s that mission to beat Greg Cherry in a one-on-one match going?

Anthony: Ha-ha. Nice one, kid but don’t forget who’s been winning championships for years now. Me. You have yet to win the big one in this company. Hell, you can’t even get the Adrenaline title. That’s quite sad. It seems as though your Majestic magic is wearing off quicker than Lawler’s chances of having a decent win column at the end of the year. BUT…I’m not here to hurt. I’m here to help. From the looks of it, you’ll need all the help you can get.

MJ: To beat Dillusion?

Anthony: ……if you need help beating Dillusion, please leave my sight immediately. You don’t deserve to breathe the same air as me.

MJ: Dillusion is a former SCW Champion.

Anthony: When? Around the time when Justin Davis and Jamal Evans would be the undefeated tag team champions? Get real. You beat Chad Evans and you can’t muster up enough ego to know you’ll beat Dillusion soundly? You have a long way to go before you become SCW Champion. Only God knows how long it is.

MJ: Thanks for the encouragement.

Anthony: Don’t be a sarcastic prick, that’s my job. I already have two sons; I don’t need another mini-me. Now I heard you and Hazel had a little argument.

MJ: Yeah, apparently she’s under the impression that I put my job over her.

Anthony: Of course you do. Unless she is your wife, she is not your priority.

MJ: No. She is. I love her. Not like. Not strongly like. I love this woman and she means the world to me. I just need to show her that.

Anthony: Well I think I got a condom or two somewhere around here…

MJ: Whoa. No. I mean take her out to dinner and what the hell is a married man doing with condoms on hand?

Anthony: Divorced.

MJ: Holy sh…Ashley finally did it?

Anthony: Shut up.

MJ: One more question though. Why? Why after all the crap we both went through you want to help me again? Aren’t I just a waste of your time or are you looking for another title shot?

Anthony: Title shot? If I gave two shits by now I would have had one. Let me explain something to you. I spent all my life being helped by your father to become a better wrestler and a better man. Your father raised me to be one of the best in my generation. This is me paying him back for his kindness. When no one gave two shits about the pretty boy with the angry disposition he was there to get me my first gig. When me and my brother, Mark, didn’t have enough money to get to a show on the East Coast…he’d spare no amount to make sure we were well taken care of. Did he ask for a damn thing in return? No. Not a single cent, hell he never mentions it. He was the father I never had and if I can pay him back by helping his son return to glory of being a champion then that just may pay for at least one sixteen of the great things he’s done for me. And that to me is enough motivation to help you. That’s the same reason I helped you the first place.

MJ: Wow, I didn’t know that.

Anthony: Well now you know. I’m going to Dairy Queen, you coming?

MJ: Yeah, might as well.

Both men headed towards a nearby Dairy Queen. MJ was still a bit stunned. He had known his father to be a good friend and mentor to Glacier but to describe in detail how much his dad for him…it just seemed surreal. They had ordered ice cream and taken a seat nearby. MJ had observed Anthony’s change. He had taken down that “protective wall” and been more honest with MJ about his intentions. His haircut kind of made him look older, for whatever reason. It just seemed like Anthony had gotten older and less defensive as time flied by. It made MJ think about his own future and where he would be at Anthony’s age. The future has always interested MJ but right now the most important thing was the present. A quick glance at the men, you would see a buddy cop movie in the works but their relationship was more complicated than most. MJ could feel the stares. He began to talk to distract himself from the feeling.

MJ: So…you’re coming to Breakdown to watch?

Anthony: All right…what’s wrong?

MJ: What do you mean what’s wrong? Nothing is wrong. Just saying…

Anthony: Your asking stupid questions. I come to every Breakdown show, I’m still on the roster, remember? If you can’t stand the people staring, get the fuck up and say something to them.

MJ: What? Why would anyone do that?

Anthony: HEY SHITHEADS! LISTEN! MY FRIEND OVER HERE HAS A PROBLEM WITH YOU ALL STARI—

MJ: GLACE!

Anthony: What?

MJ: Stop it! Are you crazy?

Anthony: See, that’s your problem. It’s like you’ve grown but have failed to get a pair of nuts yet. You’re a man…most importantly; you are your own man. You need to act like that instead of a scared eight year old who thinks mommy and daddy are behind him watching his every move.

MJ: Can we just get out of here?

Anthony: Yeah…I hear sirens. Let’s go.

The men got up and began to walk off quickly to the South, as the sirens sounded like they were coming from the north. The people at DQ looked at them as if they were mass murders and baby eaters. MJ didn’t want to spend time in a holding cell for disturbance of the peace; Anthony couldn’t give a shit less. Countless times he either found himself in jail or bailing a friend out while under a federation’s contract. It was just the way it was to him. He didn’t think much of it but he also knew it would certainly be a step BACKWARDS if he got MJ in trouble with the law. Funny enough, they made it to the hotel without incident…whether it was an act of God or the people didn’t give a shit enough to make a big deal out of it or the police weren’t even after them…they’d never know or care to find out. MJ turned on some nineties rhythm and blues. It always soothed him when he was stressed. Anthony came into the room and turned it down.

MJ: Hey, what’s the big deal?

Anthony: Look at you. Listening to baritones sing love songs and all sorts of other bullshit from MC Hammer’s days. No wonder why you lost to Xander. Now, here is the deal. From what I can gather up backstage, you really screwed up on the last pay per view. This is another chance for you to get back into SCW management’s good graces. You are either going to lay there in your bed listening to some jerk off talk about his love for women or start doing something with yourself.

MJ: Do what? My hands are tied until the event.

Anthony: …

MJ: What?

Anthony: Don’t make me punch you in the face. What the…? What is your issue? What is wrong with everyone around here? You’re too lazy to get your ass up and head to the gym. I remember when you used to try to drag me out of my hotel room to hit the gym early. Now you’re too good for that? Too bad your skills haven’t improved as much as your ego. Maybe you need a wake-up call and realize you aren’t a hot item like you used to be. This isn’t Adam Allocco’s federation. This isn’t where you and KT can play hopscotch and piss on each other’s titles. This is SCW, no one would give a shit if you get hit by a car and died tomorrow. Even in the Syndicate, they didn’t give a damn about you. As long as you kept bringing in the achievements, they kept you. If your own people don’t care about you what makes you think the Speeds and Xanders of SCW give two shits? So you need to be the one to give a shit about YOURSELF and work out.

MJ: It’s too late to hit the gym.

Anthony: …Are you simple? Seriously, how damn idiotic are you? Don’t give me excuses, do push-ups. Sit-ups. What do you think people were doing before they created gyms?

MJ: Buying treadmills off of HSN?

SMACK! A quick but accurate hit upside the head of MJ was Anthony’s way of telling him to cut the bullshit. Anthony angrily pointed to MJ and then to the floor, to suggest he start working out, before leaving the room. MJ’s mouth had gotten him in hot water so many times before and you can chalk that one up as another experience. He rubbed the back of his head it sort of stung. Sympathize with MJ or not, he sort of had it coming. His laid back attitude is why he finds himself in bad situations as well as his problems with Hazel. He began to push-up. It felt weird as if he was just doing it for the first time. He had been so busy working out, on the treadmill or pumping weights that he had forgotten to do basic things that could keep him in shape. Maybe he had fancied himself above such techniques or maybe he just got lazy. It was back to the basics for him, he took a seat and rubbed his head a little more.

Shorty Jr.: Wow. Haven’t done those in a long time. I guess I need to do that more. Here is my chance to beat another former SCW Champion and I was just lying down as if it didn’t matter. As much as Dillusion is treated as a joke in SCW, weirder things have happened. Glacier is right. I have lost my motivation to go out and prove myself hence losing the level of expectation I was meant to live up to. This is not about beating Dillusion. I mean yes I want to beat him and I do plan to pin him for the win. Yet in reality, this is about me fighting myself. Fighting the laziness that has grown within me. I should be taking care of my girlfriend and my wrestling career. What am I doing? Listening to music. What do I usually do? Blame people who don’t even wrestle in this federation anymore for my faults. Syndicate was then. This is now and carrying on like a damn child anytime someone brings them up will get me nowhere. Being a man will, though.