Pain and Punishment
(Fade in from black to a modest gallery of portraits of barbed wire artistic renderings. The camera lasts on this image for a moment in a slow outward zoom, revealing the pictures to be the inner decorum of a tattoo parlor. The customary sound of a needle buzzing and a heavy metal soundtrack in the background blaring Neurosis' "To Get Under One's Skin" add to the atmosphere. The camera pans over to reveal "THE UNDYING" ROCKO DAYMON seated on a stool, shirtless and leaning forward as an artist drills away into his upper back. The camera can't immediately get a glimpse of what is being tattooed, but our focus right now is on the former World Heavyweight Champion's face, as it stares off dream-like past the camera, the walls, and maybe even the sky.)
"The Undying" Rocko Daymon
Punishment... and pain?
(His mind lingers on those words for a moment, and abruptly, he bursts into laughter. This is cut off as a whiskey bottle clenched in his left hand rises and upends itself over his mouth. With a good swig washed past his gums, no doubt adding to the buzz he's already riding on.)
"The Undying" Rocko Daymon
Omega... I'm currently suffering from one of the biggest losing streaks I've had to endure in my lengthy career. Given the sheer amount of humiliation and shame I've had to overcome over these past few months, I'm not about to shy away at the mere threat of bodily injury.
At last year's Russian Roulette, I was vying for the right to be the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Title. And now? I'm warming up the crowd with bloodsport. I've won titles... I've conquered the best... and there's absolutely nothing to show for it, besides being a name of "Triple X" Sean Stevens' list of accomplishments.
If I was the man I was a few years ago, I probably would have just said to hell with it, and walked away from it all...
(His intense and determined stare finds the camera. A drunken smirk crosses over his face.)
"The Undying" Rocko Daymon
But the man I am now... he backs down to nothing.
If he did, then there wouldn't be much point to him calling himself "The Undying", would there?
(He takes another swig of whiskey and spares a glance at the artist working on his back.)
"The Undying" Rocko Daymon
Yeah, I might limp out of that ring a scarred, bloody mess... but a part of me doesn't really care. I figure it's about time my appearance more accurately matches my age and experience in this sport. The scars that I will carry with me for the rest of my life when I walk away from this match will carry more weight and importance to me than any title I could possibly win at this point... because they will serve as an eternal reminder of the horrors I've survived in that ring.
Fearlessly, I am walking into a world of barbed wire and sheer insanity... not because I have any outside hope of somehow turning my career around... but because nothing will stop these hands from squeezing the life out of Jason "Stalker" Reeves. That act of sweet vengeance alone will atone for this past year of insufferably endless disappointment.
(His hands reach out in front of him and his fingers tense in the air as he imagines himself strangling Stalker, his insidious face burned in the very back of his psyche.)
"The Undying" Rocko Daymon
But it seems like every time I get close... he's always putting up something in my way.
Hard to believe that it's the same man that a year ago couldn't go a single night without somehow interfering in my business, no matter how much I tried to ignore him. Now that I'm coming after him, of course, he's doing everything in his power to distance himself from the destructive retribution I have in store for him.
First he tried slapping that worthless restraining order on me... and when he realized that that wasn't going to work, he tried using Fusenshoff to carry out his dirty work. Naturally, he didn't account for the fact that Fuse has a conscience, and I can be thankful for that...
So now he's gone to YOU, Omega... and maybe I shouldn't be too terribly surprised. After all, you're just as crazy as he is.
(He looks into the camera with sincerity.)
"The Undying" Rocko Daymon
Let me just say right now, Omega... I have nothing against you or what you do. I don't even care if you walk around calling a chair wrapped in barbed wire your "wife". Having just gotten rid of my own ball and chain... I can probably say that being married to a chair is a lot easier than being married to a woman.
(He starts laughing... then crying... takes yet another swig... and finishes it with a drunken guffaw.)
"The Undying" Rocko Daymon
But you and I seem to be at a disagreement. I want to rip Stalker's eyes out of his head. You want to prevent that from happening... I can only assume out of debt to that bastard for lending you an ear at a time when you were being overlooked. Because of that, we're invariably going to be on opposite sides.
I know there probably isn't anything I can say to help you realize just how delusional you are in believing Jason Reeves' nonsense... so if it means going to war with you in a ring lined with barbed wire, then so be it. I'm not afraid to fight at your level, Omega... if it proves to that piece of **** that I'm not afraid of anything.
You got involved in my business at Aggression... so now, I'm getting involved in your business. I'm going to give back a little pain and punishment of my own, Omega... to show that sick bastard that no matter who or what he puts in front of me, NOTHING will stop me from having my revenge.
If you make it out of that ring alive, perhaps you'll think again before interfering in a fight that isn't your own. If you don't, well... I'll be happy knowing there's one less crazy bastard in this sport.
(The artist working on his back finishes up, dabs a few flecks of blood away with a towel, and backs away. "THE UNDYING" ROCKO DAYMON rises to his feet with a final swig of the bottle of whiskey, and turns around to hand it over to the tattooist. On his back, we can finally see what new detailing he's done to himself: across his shoulders, a banner of words in gothic print reads: "UNRESTING - UNSTOPPING - UNDYING".)
"The Undying" Rocko Daymon
Thanks again, bub. Have one on me...
(Handing over the bottle, Rocko slips his shirt back on and walks out of the tattoo parlor. Fade to black.)