time: wednesday morning

day: june fourth

place: bailey's bay, bermuda; engel residence.

(Patio. I just came in from a run, and decided to take a few minutes to relax and contemplate. Of course, I have my trusty handcamera with me. I hit record.)

Matthew Engel: "I really want you to talk about the real Masters, Jon. I want you to sit there and try to lecture me about them. I really do. Please pretend like I know nothing about them and never experienced their brutality first-hand. Pretend that I am naive and innocent compared to the old ways. Please.

Tell me the old Masters didn't kill my brother's wife. Tell me they didn't kidnap mine. Tell me, Jon."

(My face turns to ice.)

Matthew Engel: "You don't have a fucking clue, and you lost your option to buy one. I'm sick of people like you trying to tell me how it is, when you have no idea. You might have been in the AOWF, but you were a fucking spectator.

You want to sit there and blame the MoA for Duff's failure to win and Trevor's failure to lead, when in fact the blame lies within those two very same men. I gave my condolences to Duff's family for their loss. It is a tragedy, but he joined the PWA as a Master and won matches as a Master. I'll say this: he pinned me, while he was a Master. So for you to sit there and question his abilities as a Master is not only disrespectful, but down right ridiculous. 

We are the elite, Jon, and we always will be. We spit out those that don't come up to our standards, and we keep those that do. That has always been the way of the Masters, but I thought you'd know that since you're a fucking expert or something. 

Right.

We are professionals, and those that don't act or don't perform up to our standards are removed from the organization. Trevor could not prove himself as an adaquete leader, and his chance to do so was at Revolutions. He failed, and Darren replaced him with me because I can get the job done, and I can lead. I can win, and I have no problem going after and capturing titles. Darren has faith in me to restore the Masters to its former glory, and with you in my way, I'll have no problem starting with the Intercontinental title.

No problem.

You are going to lose, Jon. Once you accept that simple fact, your life might be a little bit easier. You might concentrate a little less on a MoA history lesson, and more on the present. And today's lesson: why Nightmare is incapable of defeating me.

I'm better than you. See how easy that is? You don't even have to take notes, and you should ace the quiz."

(A soft chuckle.)

Matthew Engel: "Thrown away my legacy? As if you have any idea what my legacy is, Jon. My legacy has the Masters of Armageddon written all over it, no matter if I joined forces with them or not. I haven't thrown it away for anything, I've simply gotten the MoA more involved for reasons I've explained many times: security and glory. Do I need the MoA for both? No, I don't. 

I just like to keep people guessing, and certainly enjoy pissing off a select few.

So don't be mad when I take your title from you, Jon, and begin the path to glory. It begins with you, and end with your partner."

(I crack my knuckles.)

Matthew Engel: "But you're wrong, Jon. The MoA has always been the future, whether you believe it or not. I can't blame you for being skeptical, so many revivals since the early days and so many failures. Where they failed, I will succeed. It's just disappointing you're too blind to see that. Who's going to stop me? Corey Lazarus? That's laughable.

You? No, not even close.

Project X? You've got to be kidding me. That guy is one step away from retirement, and even closer to getting laid up in a hospital.

Riona Langly? Not bloody likely. She's learned to stay out of our way, a lesson that unfortunately had to be taught the hard way.

Face it, we are the future and there is no stopping us. We're going to take domination to a level you've never witnessed, and we're going to do it better than even the old Masters did. I just can't wait to see the look on your face when it happens, Jon. I'll make sure I have my camera for that."

(A smirk.)

Matthew Engel: "Speaking of Corey, I'd like to thank you for that wonderful introduction you gave me in your last appearance on screen. It was quite interesting and, you know, well done. At least up to the part where you decided to whine about me interrupting your match. Really, Corey? I would hope someone with your intelligence could have seen that coming.

The more you resist and the more you speak against us, the more damage you're going to take. It's really that simple, and if you can't understand that, then you're fucked. 

But hey, thanks for the recap of the match. I really needed it, because I wasn't there or anything. You need to spend a lot less time recapping and telling me things I know and more time trying to contend verbally with me, because we all know physically I'll come out victorious every time. That's why I already have an upper-hand on you, Corey. Despite what you think, the advantage lies with me.

And when it comes time to cash in, I certainly will. For your sake, you should hope you lose to Mark McNasty." 

(A look of disgust.)

Matthew Engel: "You don't attack people from behind? Boy, how wrong you are. I don't know if you recall our first match against each other in the PWA. Yeah, the match ended on a great note; a pair of brass-knuckles destroying your jaw. However, you attacked me from behind after the match had ended and proceeded to start a war. You beat me brutally, after using nothing but cowardice and boyish rage to put me in a hospital for a week.

Take a look at your testosterone-producing balls now, because I bet they're beginning to shrivel.

So please, don't fucking talk to me about how honorable you are. You're a fucking animal, Corey. You're out of control, and if you keep pushing the Masters, you're going to find yourself put down -- for good. That isn't a threat, it's a fucking fact.

I faced you like a man, and I won. I bested you in a quality match and I showed the world that I am just that much better than you. Try and accept that, because maybe you can use that motivation to actually get one over on me worth talking about. I don't see that happening, though. Keep talking like we've never gone face to face; keep trying to frame me as a coward, and I'll keep waving the fact that both times we have gone face to face, I had the advantage. I could have put you away the first time, but I sent a message to you. The second time, I put you away, and I did it better than you dream about.

Why don't you try to be a man and accept that, Corey?"

(An ego boost, for good measure.)

Matthew Engel: "I pointed out how unstoppable you are, Jon? I remember pointing out that you referred to you and Ledge as unstoppable, when clearly you are not. I used the example of my sister having quite the advantage on you. You lucked out, though. Congratulations, because it won't happen again.

It's going to take a lot more than a mask-wearing asshole -- the big one, not the small one -- to stop me from beating you, Jon. It won't be out of rage or sheer thirst for destruction, but out of my desire for glory. People say that greed and glory cause the downfall of so many careers.

Not when you're due, though.

I am due more than you realize. For so long I didn't even have an after-thought of going after a title. It wasn't because I wasn't good enough, it was because I had more important things going on. But, I've taken care of them, Jon. My mind is focused on glory now, and getting what I deserve. I'll take the Intercontinental title for now, though.

This week, I'm not really that concerned. I know this is just a build-up for what's to come at Retribution, and even though McNasty and I don't see eye to eye, he'll show up ready to win. I can at least trust his desire to win, if nothing else. So, we'll try to work together in some capacity and hey -- maybe he'll think I'm a much better partner than Wilkie and want to team with me down the road. Who knows, who cares, right?

Right.

I'm not too worried about the teamwork aspect of this match. Is there really going to be any? It's going to be Corey trying to get his shots in on me, and Nightmare trying to size me up for Retribution. Corey has already wrestled McNasty a few times, and he knows what to expect. I can't say the same about Nightmare, even though I did catch a little bit in that six-turned-five man tag team match we had a month ago. 

And you weren't on the winning side of that, Jon. Much like you won't be Friday, or June thirteenth. Hell, maybe you'll find yourself 'ready to go for the World Title'. I dare you to use that excuse when I beat you, because if all goes to plan like I have been talking about, you might be facing me when I'm World Champion.

Yeah, that's right; I said it.

I do not forgive.

I do not forget."

(fade.)