[Mark Ward]

 Post all roleplays for this match here.
Limit: One roleplay per week, per team. 5000 word limit.
Going over the 5000 word limit results in an instant DQ
Good luck!

[Kristopher Ryans]

 Off-Camera
9 January 2017 2:06 PM
And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time...
‘Til touchdown brings back ‘round again to find...
I’m not the man they think I am at home...
Oh no, no, no…

”He may as well have tweeted out the lyrics to A Song To Say Goodbye like he did last time. It was every bit the same warning sign. Almost immediately, the whole picture snapped together. He wasn’t himself when he said that we were not needed at Climax Control. He went all the way to Canada to see a show from a company he could not possibly sign a contract with. He took someone dying to get back into the ring as a chaperone, so he could slip away instead of sitting in on the negotiations. It was not random in any way, shape or form, and I should have seen it coming. Come to think of it, I did see it coming. As guilty as he was, I have been lying to his face, to everyone on Twitter, for months. I cannot help but think if maybe I had gone a different route, I would not be sitting here.”

Light shines through the crack between the curtains. On the bed, sprawled out under the strewn around covers is the younger brother of Jet City. The scene inside the room is not like anything seen the day after some rockstar plays a big show in any movie, albeit without the naked girls passed out in uncomfortable, yet revealing positions. That much was actually a relief for Jason. Across the trashed room, sitting on top of a dresser filled with debris, is the older half of the SCW Tag Team Champions. He had been there for hours. He could have woken Kris up for a conversation that he would not have remembered. He could have dragged him off of the bed and into the shower like he had done so many times before. Kris could have been on a plane back to Los Angeles, back to Promises, again. The real reason that he not done so already, was because the older brother was contemplating being completely done with this process, and maybe a little guilty over it. Any moment though, Kris was going to wake up. It would be slow at first. Probably tossing back and forth for a few minutes as the sickness started to kick in and the effects started to wear off. The need will snap his eyes open. At that point, what he did last night will run through his head, and the guilt will set in. The panic of what would happen if everyone found out will take hold. Almost as quickly as that hits though, it will be gone, because the need will overcome him. It will motivate him to sit up, survey the damage of the room, and then decide he was too deep into it now. He would throw on the nearest clothes and be out the door looking for more. Under any other circumstance, this process would last a few days in complete silence. In the past there was nobody at home that would worry. There was no wife. There were no kids. Things were different, and that is the thought that would strike him as soon as he sat up in that bed.

Almost as if on cue, Kris rolls over in the bed, and both of his hands raise to his head. He brushes the matted hair away from his eyes, and scrubs at them like they are on fire and his fingers are water. His left hand falls from his face though, reaching down and tracing along the inside of his arm.

DENIAL.

Kris’ left hand falls from his face though, reaching down and tracing along the inside of his arm. His fingers find what he already knows to be there, and the reaction is not pleasant. He raises his foot up into the air, and then drops it down hard on the bed.

ANGER.

It was a childlike temper tantrum that he would be extremely embarrassed that anyone saw, under any other circumstance. Jason pulls his eyes from the crack in the curtain, and focuses on his brother, even though it was painful to do so. He wishes for a moment that they could trade eyes. From the way that Kris was raking at his own, they were exceptionally dry. Jason’s were glassy. Not to the point of producing tears, but slowly closing in on that threshold. Kris lowers his hands from his face, and smacks both hands down at his side, grabbing a handful of the bed sheets and squeezing with all of his strength. The disappointment in himself oozed out of him and all the way across the room to his older brother. However, moments passed, and the white-knuckled grip he has on the bed sheets fades away. He snaps up, and his eyes dart back and forth across the room. At first they skip over the man sitting in front of him in the shadows. They are looking for anything leftover from last night. It is only after they do not find what they are looking for that they freeze, wide, and panicked. For more than a few seconds, he forgets to breathe. Kris opens and closes his mouth several times, before his eyes start to fill, the dryness suddenly washed away. He raises his hands to cover his face, and shakes his head back and forth. If history taught him anything, he knew what was coming.

BARGAINING.

Kris: No, no, no, no, no, no, no…. No. Please don’t make me go back. I don’t want to go back again. I can’t go back again…. Please don’t make me.

He brushes at his eyes and and lowers his fingers to be beneath them, still covering his cheeks. Jason says nothing. The cold stare frozen on him. He does not blink. He does not let his face show the pain, or pity. He was going to allow his younger brother to go through the whole process on his own. When Jason did not threaten rehab, his mind would move on to the next thing, and the next. The punishment for his slip was not going to be anything that Jason said in this moment. It was going to be his own internal torment, that he undoubtedly had earned. When it snaps together that Jason was not going to fight him, his mind wanders, and the fear in his eyes turns to terror across the entirety of his face.

Kris: Heather….

It came out as a whispered statement, but Jason knew that it was more of a question. Had he told his wife? Even if he had not told her, did she know? Was she the reason that Jason was sitting in the room in front of him? Her name brings up other feelings though. The fact that she was pregnant with their daughter. The fact that Liz would almost assuredly pull his custody of their son. The entire life he had built, and all of the relationships he repaired would be in shambles. If the person in front of him pulled the plug, he would also be done professionally. Though that was the very least significant of all of the problems he runs through. He searches Jason for an answer, that is simply not there, no matter how badly he wants it to be. Kris gives up, and hunches forward, lowering his head.

DEPRESSION.

Kris: We’re done aren’t we. That’s why you’re here. It’s all over. Jet City. Heather. KJ. My life. Everything.

Jason does not look away, and waits for the bout of self-pity to be over. It was a guilt trip that Kris was reaching for. A subconscious plea for Jason to forget what he saw, even as he was seeing it, without daring to say those words. Jason licks his lips, and then presses them hard together. He moderates his breath, so not to catch Kris’ attention with the sound of it, and then exhales through his nose. He waits, silently until his brother’s head raises. This time his eyes do not dart around the room. There is no desperate plea. This time he is actually waiting for a response, because nothing that Jason can say can hurt more than what is kicking around in his head. At this point, a lecture is a relief. Anyone that has been an addict knows that relief is the only thing that they search for in the morning. He does not get the lecture he longs for, the one that makes him know his brother still cares enough to raise his voice. Instead what he gets is a single, emotionless word.

Jason: Why?

He had heard and studied every excuse Kris had made in the long eleven years that they had done this dance. He knew the inflection in his voice when he was lying. He knew how to see through the circle talk. He knew when the questions he asked were not answered with the full truth. There was no escape. It was meant to be prolonged agony via self-exploration.

Kris: It just kind of ha--

Jason holds up his hand, and shakes his head. The words immediately stop without another syllable.

Jason: Try again.

Kris looks down, his right hand curling into a fist. He brings his left hand up to his forehead, scratching at it before looking back up.

Kris: It’s not as easy as I thought it would be. I --

Again, Jason holds up a hand and shakes his head. He was not going to buy anything short of the exact thought that was running through his mind the moment that he broke down and threw away fifteen months of hard work.

Jason: I don’t have all day.

He pulls his cell phone out of his pocket, and turns on the screen without looking down at it. His thumb hovers above the screen. Kris’ eyes dart down to it, the panic even more real. Any number that he dialed was going to be bad. However, there was a definite hierarchy of bad to unbearable. He opens his mouth a few times, shaking his head and trying to force the right answer.

Kris: I’m useless without it.

Kris’ eyes do not stray from the phone, and relief washes over his face when Jason clicks it off. He drops it on the dresser, and holds out his hand, rolling his index finger horizontally. It was a good start, but there was more that Kris was not saying, and now was the time to get it all out in the open.

Kris: Heather…. KJ…. The baby that’s not here yet…. Violet…. You… Jet City… SCW… KCW…. I can’t do it. I can’t be that person. One day, people are going to realize that I’m not the lie that I am selling. I am going to lose them all one at a time. I can see it on your face that you think the same thing. SCW shouldn’t even be on that list… they’ve already given up on me.

Jason laces his fingers together and rests them on his lap, leaning back against the wall behind the dresser. His eyebrows raise, but his eyes narrow. Most everything in the confession was to be expected. Jason was on board with all of it except the last bit. It was the part of the story that Kris did not know, so he was curious to see what his drug induced mind had filled in that blank with.

Jason: Why do you think they have given up on you?

There was a softness in his tone, and curiosity on his face that Kris picked up on immediately. At the moment, he would welcome any change to the stoney, colorless monotone he had gotten since regaining consciousness. This would typically be the time that Kris would devolve into bullshit. However, his current company was much smarter than he was, which made doing so pointless. Instead, he deflates a little further, and pushes himself away to lean against the headboard of the bed.

Kris: They only took me back because you were part of the package. They clearly don’t trust me if the refuse to even sanction us being on the show for a reason. All they let us do is fuck around backstage. When they do put us out there, we’re the punchline of the announce team. They don’t want us around, and they only let it happened because people know your name.

Jason nods and swallows hard. He turns his head, looking back at the crack in the curtains. On so many occasions, he had simply ripped opened the curtains and immediately started in on his brother while he was still out. On at least a couple of those, his brother had not woken up before he was out of breath, and without the willpower to be angry anymore. Kris picked up the deflection without missing a beat though. It was guilt that forced him to look away. Not the kind of guilt that comes from having your brother living in your shadow, but the kind of guilt that comes from actually doing something. The kind of guilt that Kris felt himself. The only question was, why? His eyes narrow, and he decides to go on offense.

Kris: What do you know that I don’t?

Jason takes another deep breath and brings both his hands up to run through his hair before choosing to finally let slip what needed to be said.

Jason: You’re right, but you’re also wrong. I told them that we needed to take it slow, all things considered. When they booked the Elders match, I went to them. I told them that we could do it, but it meant putting you on a short leash. Heather and I...

It was all starting to piece together for Kris. As soon as he said his wife’s name the whole picture was clear. He felt ridiculous that did not see it beforehand, but was so confident at how the story went that he could finish the confession for his brother. He had walked in on the tail end of Jason’s conversation with Heather, and knew his brother well enough to know what he would do.

Kris: ….in the kitchen, before High Stakes. You two were talking, and you said it was about an affair because there was no way I got more offended by that than I would have you talking about this. She was worried, so you taunted her until she spilled it. You promised to keep an eye on me, but it wasn’t enough….”

He pauses, and then makes a slight edit to his words.

Kris: Well, it was enough for her, but not for you. She’s trusting, and she’s only seen this twice. You knew that you couldn’t handle it by yourself.

He pauses to chuckle lightly. It made so much sense. Christian and Mark had never acted like this towards him before. They knew he had problems, but there was never an issue as long as he was on the straight and narrow.

Kris: You’ve always kept an eye on me, but we have had this conversation a few dozen times anyways. So you went to management and told them that we would do the title match, but they needed to lay off of me. They needed to let me come to terms with the stress of being back on tour, traveling, being away from my safety net and my routine. We couldn’t be in the middle of the ring every week because it would all be too much and I would backslide. You did this....

The last comment forces Jason’s eyes back across the room to his brother. There is a fire in them that has been anything-but-inconspicuously absent. Kris holds up both hands and backtracks quickly.

Kris: Okay, that was a little far. You played a part though. It’s because of what you did that caused us to be the punchline. It was your trying to protect me that threw me out to the wolves. Everything that anyone has said about us being a joke, or protected, was because of what you did.

After rephrasing, there was no more backpedaling. His voice raises with each word until he is practically yelling by the time he finishes. He is breathing heavily, and pushes the blankets to the side, raising out of the bed. He crosses the room, coming to the end of the bed, two feet from his brother, and levels his index finger at him.

Kris: You may not have done the whole thing, but you tipped the balance. You stacked the deck against me. It was only a matter of time before this happened.

Jason pushes himself off of the dresser, looking at the floor of the hotel room. He crosses the small distance between them, and puts his hand on his brother’s shoulder. For a moment, Kris thinks he has won, but that split second is gone almost as soon as the thought pops back into his mind. Jason raises his lowered arm so quickly Kris’ current reflexes are no match to stop it. He catches a forearm in the throat as Jason’s other hand wrenches on his shoulder, turning Kris so his back is against the wall alongside the bed. Using his forearm at his brother’s throat, and no other driving force, Jason pushes forward, slamming his brother against the wall and applying pressure to cut off his air supply. He leans in, his voice barely above a whisper, but nowhere in the vicinity of calm.

Jason: You are going to go take a shower while I clean this place up. We are then going to the airport, directly back to LA where you are going to tell your wife everything, and hope to God that she doesn’t boot you out of your own apartment. Then, and only then, are the three of us going to sit down and talk about whether or not you’re going to be allowed to continue being on the road or if you’re headed back to rehab for as long as I can legally keep you there.

He backs his forearm off of Kris’ throat long enough for him to draw a couple of breaths. He pulls his head back to study his eyes, and Kris gives a silent nod of agreement. He knew better than to attempt to talk.

Jason: Either way, you had better come up with exactly what it is you plan to tell your wife, who is probably already pissed off at you for having the audacity to shamelessly flirt with a girl previously involved with Kaden. A girl that you played a role in fucking up a friendship with Kaden. That’s too close to home, and you know it.

Jason offers his brother a cheap smile, and Kris’ eyes fall away. He adds a second nod, knowing that he was definitely over the line there. However, just when Kris was getting used to breathing again, and thought that the worst was over, Jason leans in tighter than before, to the threshold of breaking his brother’s larynx. His voice is more hostile than anything Kris had ever heard directed at him, and it draws memories of their childhood to the forefront of his mind.

Jason: And the next time you ever blame me for one of your fuck ups, there will not be a time after next, because you’ll be in a wheelchair eating through a straw for the rest of your life, with nobody around you willing to shoot you up. Do you understand?

ACCEPTANCE.

Unable to move his head, Kris tracks his eyes from Jason’s forehead, down to his chin, and then back again, nodding with them instead of his head. He blinks twice, and Jason lowers his arm, and backs away, straightening his jacket. He rolls his shoulders, easing the tension,  and then pats his younger brother on the shoulder.

Jason: Get moving…. And get to praying that Heather can handle this better than me.

Kris does not open his mouth, but nods. He offers his brother a smile that he has to summon every ounce of strength to force onto his face. Without a retort, he slides down the wall, past his brother, and then disappears into the bathroom. Jason turns to the room, accessing the damage in his head before starting to do his best to clean it up.



============================
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On-Camera

The scene opens on Jason Halich standing outside. The camera pans around him to show a vineyard, and a house that long term SCW fans recognize as familiar but cannot quite place at first. The thing that snaps it all together, is the red hoodie that Jason has zipped all the way up to his chin. The hood of it is pulled up over his head, and his hands are buried in the front pockets.

"As you can see, I am all alone today. It seemed kind of fitting that I come here, being that this was the place where it all started for Kris. I figure if he could not be here in person, he could be here in spirit."

He smiles genuinely, and lets out a slight chuckle. In the pause though, he raises a hand to calm the fans with objections to his assertion.

"Before you all get up in arms, I know very well that Kris' first promos for this company were not from this spot. I also know when he popped up, he was never dressed like this. To the people that choose to point that out, I choose to point out this fact: before Kris donned this outfit, became a Nobody, and started cutting promos from this very spot, he was nothing in this company. He was a guy that went on losing streaks for months before disappearing. Only to reappear later, lose some more matches, and disappear again. It was from this spot that he drew a line in the stand and declared that he was tired of being in my shadow. He embraced being a Nobody. He was done playing by the rules that others made up. It was right here, that his run to the SCW Internet Championship began. This was the beginning."

He starts to walk, and the camera pauses for a few steps before following at his side. The vineyard behind him is kind of bare. It was a down season, and everything had already been harvested.

"People have been led to believe that I am something more than I am. I have heard my brother talk about me from the first time that he stepped into a ring. I have seen the comments that people made to him about me time and time again. For four long years, I have been absolutely silent about it. The fact of the matter is, he didn't need me fighting his battles, and by jumping in, I would have only made the situation worse. He needed to push through it on his own, and cut his own path. Today, the differences between the way we handle things are pretty noticeable. We get up to some pretty outlandish things, and set up punchlines for each other when we are together, but the ones of you that follow us on Twitter or talk to us separately know that we are very different people. I sat back, because I wanted my brother to come into his own without my guiding hand. In doing so, I got to watch him become his own man, and most days I find myself being insanely proud of that person, despite how many of you hate him."

Jason continues to walk, turning a slight curve with the road. The scene behind them changes a little with the turn, as the space between the fields are filled with small bushes, trees, and flowers that are all neatly landscaped.

"I sat back for so long, and I let the kid grow into someone that could hold his own on a microphone and in petty arguments all on his own. He could always handle himself in a ring. We made sure of that from the very beginning. What people don't know is that this whole lifestyle was his idea, and his dream. However, his path had to go somewhere different first, and so I carried on as a way to make sure his dream didn't die. All of that changed when Jet City was born though. Since we were together, the protectiveness that I had for him as a person bled over into professional matters. What I am realizing now is that he didn't need me to do so, and never did."

He shrugs, and reluctantly accepts responsibility for something that he had been denying for months.

"The reason that you have not seen Jet City as much as all of you thought that you would, is because of me. I didn't think that the kid could handle being sober, part of a family, and traveling at the same time. To be fair, he has proven that he couldn't handle that over and over again in the past. I didn't trust that he could balance it all, so I told everyone in a position of power in SCW that he needed to take it easy. We got the title match, and we won. I was just as surprised as everyone of you were, but I was also terrified of what it meant. That's where I fucked that up and shorted all of you as a champion. I betrayed the trust of my tag team partner by treating him like he was my kid brother."

He stops, and the camera moves around him before stopping in front of him.

"Starting now, all of that changes. If we're going to move forward in SCW, it is going to be as equals, not as me babysitting someone I look at as a child. If we are going to beat Dmitri and James, I can't be looking over my shoulder the whole time to make sure that he is okay. I can't be running to management and telling them to take it easy. I can't be fighting his battles. For the first time since the start of Jet City, I need to take a step back and let the kid do his thing the way that he always has in SCW. The fact is, he was a champion here long before I came into the picture. He learned how to do this shit without me, and I have to keep letting him do that. I need to take the kid off of his leash, and let him go after that redemption that he came back to find. For Kris, this was about coming back to a company that never did him wrong, and making up for everything he pissed away. For me, this was about crossing off the last thing on my list that I needed to do before I could retire happy. Kris is on the rise, and for as long as he carries me through holding these titles, I am going to do everything I can to enjoy the ride. When the curtains close on Jet City, they close on me, and I take my final bow. I get to do that because of the talent, hard work, and skill that he has. The truth of the matter is, I never could have done this without him."

He looks down, and then pulls the zipper on the hoodie down, before shrugging it off of his shoulders and throwing it off camera.

"I'm not a Nobody. That was his path. Honestly, I am a little jealous that I wasn't involved with it, because he went from a kid that was overlooked, to one that was main eventing Climax Control with a Hall of Famer like Goth. Like I said, this dream was his, and that was probably the closest he has gotten to being on top of the world. On the other hand, that night, nor the night of Inception II is a peak, or ending, for Kris, it is just a chapter in the middle of the book. The Unholy Alliance is going to tell you that it all ends in two weeks. They are going to tell you that we didn't earn these titles, and that we have done nothing worth allowing us to keep them a second longer. They will promise victory, and discount everything that has happened since October. My only hope is that they watch this video before they do, so that they know that the blame rests solely on my shoulders. I also hope, that after they realize that, they come to the one conclusion that matters."

He smirks.

As Jet City, we haven't lost. Whether here, or either of the other places we signed. As of today, I am letting Kris off of the leash to do things the way that he has done for his whole career. That should scare both of the people in this match that don't call themselves Jet City, because it means Kris gets to be the guy that beat Goth. That beat Kain. That skyrocketed so fast that he went from a punchline to a champion in a matter of a couple of months. The guy that turned a losing streak that lasted months into a winning streak that took him to the Internet Championship. I am proud of my little brother, and all of you should be too. Unless you are on the opposite side of the ring from us. Then you should just be scared."

Jason smiles, taking a few steps towards the camera and raising his arm in stereotypical Kris fashion and putting it over the lens of the camera, killing the feed.

[Dmitri]

 <color=white>Conflict of minds</color>

The darkness has fallen as we can see Dmitri locked to the wall with chains wrapped around his wrists as well as both of his ankles. His head is hanging down as his hair is fallen in front of his face as it is covering it, he is not wearing anything to cover up his upper body as he is only wearing long tights and socks. We hear heels clicking across the floor as suddenly Ekaterina walks into the shot, scratching her long and sharp nails across the chest of her creation. Causing him to stiffen in his reaction, trying to pull on the chains. But is unable to break free as she has drank too much of his blood to weaken him.

You could have embarrassed me more than on Climax Control Dmitri. Have that skank come out and dare to threaten me?? And you did nothing?? NOTHING!!!

She slaps him across the face, causing him to turn his head sideways. Feeling the strength that caused him to move his lower jaw to see whether it was broken or not. She grabs him by the jaw and pulls him face first towards her as she bears her fangs, still showing some blood from him that she drank earlier. Her eyes are white as her pupils are dark red of anger as she stares into his glazed eyes.

Who is she!!

He does not answer, too weak to respond to her as she pulls his hair backwards, causing his neck to snap back.

WHO IS SHE!!!

We can see Dmitri trying to whisper something, his mouth is dry and his skin has changed from pale white to a gross yellow color. Clearly the loss of blood has caused his skin to alter and show that he is close to dying if she would take away the final drops in his body. Her ears pick up the softness of words that no mortal human being could hear as she bursts out in laughter.

Really Dmitri?? The vampire that you wished to be with for eternity?? And what happened after you saw her??

Did she…. Vanish Dmitri??

She watches the reaction from Dmitri as she sees him try to turn his face away, closing his eyes as he feels the pain in the answer of that question.

What’s wrong Dmitri?? Did she never leave a message? Not a clue where she would go to?? Not even her phone number??

She drops his head and then digs her sharp nails into his chest, causing him to let out an animalistic scream of pain as she scratches in his flesh and shows no remorse.

Where is she now Dmitri?? Warning me that I cannot do this to you anymore?? Where is she!!!

Dmitri is whispering words towards her, begging her to stop as her mood is not to show forgiveness. She is completely filled with anger and horror as she was made a complete fool off.

You are begging?? BEGGING??? Is that how I have raised you Dmitri?? Is that what you have become?? Do you love this… this…. Disgrace of a nosferatu???

Dmitri feels rage burn inside of him as he wants to defend the honour of Gothika. Trying to break free as he bears his fangs towards Ekaterina for the very first time. Only to make her laugh at his futile attempts.

I never knew that you would care for that what your heart should not have been feeling for all these centuries. Oh no Dmitri, you are mine. You are all mine, you were the one that I have created.. you are the one that WILL forever show respect to it’s maker… not like that weakling that thinks she can do whatever she wants because of the council.

She nears the face of Dmitri as she holds his face close to hers.

Want to know a secret Dmitri?? The elders are beyond that of the council, as we are the origin of that what she professes to be. I will not allow my pet to be filled with foolish ideals like that. Oh no Dmitri, I will be with you for eternity. I will be watching you, I will be haunting you. I will be extracting revenge upon the little girl that thinks she is free because she ended her maker. But the truth is my pet, she is going to be running out of time real soon… mark my words my pet… mark my words…

A sinister laughter can be heard as she turns around, laughing out loud as Dmitri starts to pull on the chains with authority. Screaming at Ekaterina with all of his might, but only soft sounds to be heard as his weakness prevents him from doing anything. After she closes the door the resistance quickly fades as we see Dmitri give in and cry.

<color=white>That night</color>

The shot returns as we see Dmitri slowly healing, but still too weak from what has happened to him earlier. He has his eyes closed, but is not sleeping as his breathing is too heavy for someone to be asleep. Until he suddenly snaps his head up, looking around in the darkness as if he knows something or someone is here.

WHO IS THERE?!!!

Soft footsteps can be heard, footsteps of a woman but so much differently than that of Ekaterina. Much softer, much more loving than he has ever experienced before..

Dmitri???

His heart stops, he recognizes that voice to be of[/color]

Gothika?? What are you doing here?? How?? Why??

Puzzled his mind is razing before he feels her touch on his cheek as he closes his eyes. There is a moment of silence between the two before Dmitri stares with his eyes into hers.

Why are you here?

Her caress continues as she feels the flesh as if she can sense where Ekaterina has cut him before his skin healed.

Because I knew you needed me Dmitri and by the looks of it, I guess I am right am I not??

Her eyes are staring right into his, we can sense the tension between the two of them as Dmitri is trying to find the right answers. His need is growing as he tries to break free, but is unable as he drops his face once more out of shame this time.

You want me to help you??

He turns his head, ashamed. Not wanting to admit that he is helpless in her eyes as her hands touch his chest, causing him to gasp in pain.

What did she do to you??

I ….,

Again silence comes over him, his hatred for Ekaterina and his feelings for Gothika that he has not felt until this past Sunday when she returned comes over him.

She will kill you if she knew

A chuckle can be heard from Gothika as she steps closer to him. he feels her breathing on his chest. He yearns for her, he wants to break free of the chains and be together with her.

She will have to do so much more d than to hurt you to be able to kill me Dmitri

Her hands caresses as he sighs when feeling her lips on his cheek. He turns his mouth towards her as she backs away, while staring at him. Causing Dmitri to desperately try to escape and hold her before she vanishes. When suddenly she bursts out in laughter and before his very own eyes turns into the woman that he despises the most. His maker Ekaterina, causing Dmitri to screams in agony as the woman that he yearned for was never there to begin with.

How foolish your eyes have betrayed you Dmitri. How foolish your mind has made you so weak and pitiful. How easily I could have manipulated you to believe that she was actually THERE!!!

She grabs him by the face and pulls him close to her, causing the chains to cut deep into his flesh of his wrists as he screams uncomfortable in her grip.

Love gives you strength they say?? If it was her, you would have ESCAPED!! If it was her, you would have done everything in your ability to make her YOURS!! But loves makes you WEAK!!! Love makes you BLIND with desire and hunger for the emotions that makes me SICK!!

So why don’t you do me a favour Dmitri…, if you think I will let you go for her then you got another thing coming. But at least do something to prove your worth to be a vampire that could stand on your own and do something that you could not do against J2H… beat these two humans and make them believe that NOSFERATU is the top of the foodchain.

Dmitri looks up at her, wondering what she meant with her words as she walks off. She turns at the doorway as she grins evil

Oh and don’t think I will allow girlfriends to come over and stay the night Dmitri… you will belong to me for eternity!!!

With that she slams the door shut with a loud laughter as Dmitri drops his face in anger as he finally lets out a primal scream of anger and hunger.

SCW 43 HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS

NARRATOR: I guess losing 3 out of 5 matches to end 2016 wasn’t bad enough for James Tuscini eh? But starting out 2017 with one draw and one loss still equates into a dismal 2 wins in Tuscini’s last 7 matches. We all know James Tuscini never backs down and never gives up so I’m sure he’s more than ready for Inception II as he and Dmitri, as Unholy Alliance Tag Team, take on the team of Jet City, consisting of Kris and Jason Halc again, but this time with the Sin City Wrestling Tag Team Championship on the line.

James Tuscini and Pinky del Ferrando, who is Tuscini’s Uncle who doubles as his Manager, are holding a press conference in the Conference Room at the Gold Coast Casino in Las Vegas which is the location of Inception II on January 22, 2017. James and Pinky are standing at the podium on the stage and James is casually dressed in blue jeans, a black pullover shirt, with black and white athletic shoes. Pinky is dressed in a light gray suit, with light black pinstripes, with a white shirt and a red power tie. They raise their hands to ask the audience to be quiet so the Press Conference can begin.

JAMES: Today we will be talking about the highlights and lowlights of 2017 thus far. You may not have heard the term lowlights but it means the opposite of highlights.

PINKY: We want everyone to understand the errors and misconceptions some people have while focusing on the positive things that have come from 2017 as of today’s date.

JAMES: To start off with lowlights the main one is Jet City, Kris and Jason Halc, making the false claim that Unholy Alliance attacked them before the match, then we deliberately took the match action outside the ring to deliberately obtain a count-out draw, and that we continued to attack them backstage after the match, thus causing Mark Ward to get pissed off so now we have this Tag Team Championship match at Inception II against Jet City.

PINKY: Let’s blow the hell out of these false claims. James and Dmitri did not attack Jet City before the hearing the bell to officially start the match. Everyone in the arena, including myself, James, and Dmitri, clearly heard a loud bell ring. Assuming it was the Timekeeper’s bell Dmitri and James reacted as they honestly believed the match had officially started. Not sure who rang the bell but James and Dmitri did nothing deliberately wrong.

JAMES: Their claim that Unholy Alliance deliberately took the match action outside the ring to deliberately obtain a double count-out draw is preposterous. The two of us did all we could to keep the action inside the ring. It was Jason and Kris who threw us out of the ring to the arena floor. It was Kris and Jason who then jumped out of the ring to attack us which was illegal for them to do. Then they were the two who kept us on the arena floor so that both teams would be counted out for a double count-out draw instead of Jet City taking the loss.

PINKY: Their final lie in the lowlight category is when they claim that we attacked them backstage after the match which caused Hot Stuff Mark Ward to assign Unholy Alliance to face Jet City as at Inception II for the Tag Team Championship. How two men can blatantly lie like that is beyond our level of comprehension. James and Dmitri, with me joining them, were walking around backstage discussing the match we just finished with Jet City. As we were talking we were blindsided by Jason and Kris Halc and a major fight erupted as we had every right to defend ourselves from such a vicious cheap blindsided attack. Next thing we know Mark Ward shows up, chastises both of us, and then assigns us to face off for the Tag Team Championship at Inception II.

JAMES: I have another lowlight to discuss and this one comes from Xander Bishop. In his comments leading up to the Battle Royal at Climax Control 169, Xander made the comment that I am the one who is the wannabe Italian Mafia punk, and that I was the one suffering from hallucinations about Mafia Teddy Bears. Not sure what drugs Bishop was taking but he was the one hallucinating. Xander let me enlighten you. It is my Uncle Pinky del Ferrando who thinks he is a member of the Italian Mafia in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is my Uncle Pinky who had hallucinations about Mafia Teddy Bears not me. If you honestly didn’t understand what happened I’m damn surprised you can last more than five minutes in a wrestling match.

PINKY: The final lowlight we will discuss is the dropping winning percentage James has taken since the end of 2016. At the end of 2016 James had a winning percentage of 61.1 percent in Singles competition, 66.6 percent in Tag Team, and 62.5 percent overall. After two matches in 2017 James has dropped to 57.9 percent in Singles, 57.1 percent in Tag Team, and 57.7 percent overall.

JAMES: Oh well everyone takes a loss but I need to get back on track as I had a fantastic winning percentage until the end of 2016 and into the first two matches of 2017. I mean, come on, my winning percentage is dropping faster than Kaylee drops to her knees during a porn shoot.

PINKY: Oh, James, even I feel that comment hit below the belt.

JAMES: Below the belt is where I was aiming. I couldn’t think of a better reference than the one I gave.

James and Pinky HIGH FIVE each other, enjoy a laugh, and then they continue with their comments.

PINKY: Before we move on here are the rules for this Press Conference. We talk and you listen. There will be no question-and-answer session. Now that you know where you stand let us explain where we stand.

JAMES: After seeing the disgusting interaction between Ekaterina and Dmitri, and I listened to some of the disgusting things she said about me, a human, being teamed with Dmitri, a vampire, and that I was the cause of our failures as a Tag Team I felt bad. Then I realized, after Gothika got between Dmitri and Ekaterina, and threatened to destroy her for eternity should she ever try to hurt Dmitri again, I realize Ekaterina didn’t have an issue with me as Dmitri’s Tag Team partner, she has issues with sharing Dmitri’s attention with me since she is in love with him. You may remember that day where I was having a discussion with Dmitri in my home in San Francisco and whenever I brought up the fact that maybe Ekaterina is in love with him and he might have feelings for her he knocked me out, twice, to keep me from uttering those words. I forgive Dmitri for that as he was trying to deny what Ekaterina wanted to make him out to be. I understand. But I do have to question if the others in the group, association, stable, or whatever you want to call it, meaning Diamond, Gothika, Raynin, and Darknyss, are okay with having a Human in the group? After all I believe I’m the only human in the group. I will have to discuss that later with Dmitri.

PINKY: Just keep your eyes on this arrangement as you are going to see this group dominate Sin City Wrestling for a very long time.

JAMES: So now we face off again against Jason and Kris Halc also known as Jet City. I have to comment that I get the feeling you two don’t get along that well outside of the ring. Maybe I’m seeing things others don’t see. Maybe I’m seeing the truth. Obviously you two didn’t seem to work well together at Climax Control 168 or you would have won. Stop offering bullshit excuses why you failed to win. Stop offering crap reasons for us getting a double count-out for a draw. Just reach down in your underwear, grab your nut sack, man up, and admit that we were just too damn much for you to handle and the only way you were able to avoid a loss to Unholy Alliance was to force a double count-out draw.

PINKY: Now with our upcoming match being a No Disqualification and No Count-Out match you two cannot escape losing the Tag Team Title Belts to Dmitri and James by getting yourselves disqualified or counted out. You just have to accept that James and Dmitri will either pin you, make you submit, or knock you into 2018, and get the win. You have no way to escape losing to them.

JAMES: You want to know something? There are some things in the world that are given and cannot be changed. Throughout history people have tried to cheat death. Even the greatest escape artist of all time, Harry Houdini, claimed that he was so awesome that when he died he would escape death and return to the living. Houdini died on October 31, 1926, and for the 90 years since his death everyone has tried to contact him on the other side to see if he is able to escape death. Well, damn, if you haven’t been able to escape death after 90 years and 3 months that shit just isn’t gonna happen.

PINKY: That same concept applies to you defending the Tag Team Championship against Dmitri and James. Just like Harry Houdini was unable to escape death so you two will be unable to escape losing the Tag Title Belts to James and Dmitri. Some things in the world are given and that happens to be the current one.

JAMES: Let’s go out and do some gambling on the tables and slots. I’m tired talking about two losers like Kris and Jason Halc. Just watch yourself around those ring rats. Remember what happened to you previously.

PINKY: Don’t worry about me James. I’m not gonna be taken in by tricks by Chris Shipman again.

James and Pinky end the Press Conference. Everyone in attendance, especially the media, are extremely disappointed they were not able to ask James and Pinky questions and get responses. The two turn away from the podium, walk off the stage, down the steps, and to the exit door. The cameraman keeps focused on the pair until they exit into the hallway and the door closes behind them.




<color=white>Using my anger upon you</color>

The Las Vegas desert, a dead carcass of a dog can be seen on the side of the road. Perhaps hit by a car, flies are flying around it everywhere as we can see two black shoes approach as the camera is up close to the dead dog. The figure wears black tights as he slowly bends down and we can see black fingernails come into view as his arms are resting on his knees.

I wonder if it was alive longer than it is dead.



One of the two hands slowly drops to the bone structure of the dog as he slowly rolls it over on it’s back. We can see some little black scorpions quickly move away from the carcass as it is trying to find a place to hide from the sun as well as from the figure.

Then again, I’ve wondered enough in this world to understand that thoughts are merely time consuming. Consuming for those who have nothing else to do but to massage their minds with tantalising thoughts of greatness. Having it only resolve by filling their pockets with stupidity of others…, the weak must perish for the strong to survive isn’t it??

Female footsteps are heard, a black dress emerge next to the figure that is bend through his knees.

I would almost believe that you are understanding my views Dmitri. Too bad I can read your mind that you are not clearly convinced that I am right…, thoughts of her still linger don’t they??

The figure lets go off the carcass as it rolls back to its original state where it was being found by the figures.

How much more do you need to use these words to me to anger me Ekaterina?? I have pledged my…

Oh yeah, you have pledged alright. You have used these words left and right every time you needed to convince me that I was right upon you. But now?? I need to feed your brain over and over again until it shall happen no more.

The camera moves upwards as we witness Dmitri, wearing an all black suit with black tie and a white blouse underneath. His hair is tied up in a tail as his beard is neatly trimmed. His eyes are blackened without any remorse as he awaits the words to come from his maker.

How much longer will you try to keep up this charade Dmitri??

I….,

Ekaterina slaps him across the face, to silence him as he reluctantly does.
>See?? You do it, because you have to. But you don’t want it to!! That’s what is wrong with you!!! You want to be a free bird, you want to spread your wings and extent your horizon. While you should be the vulture that stays on one place, waits for the prey to fall and then finish it!!f something you must learn once more. And this time, against Jet City. I expect result…, or else I may just finish you off and find a new prey….. perhaps….

Suddenly Dmitri snaps his head towards her, as if he has read her mind and shows an anger in his eyes we have not seen for a very long time.

NOT HER!!!

She bursts out in laughter as she runs her fingers across his shoulders.

If she’s as easy to break as for me to torment you, I may even be persuaded Dmitri… But why don’t you just focus on where we came for and get it over with??

Dmitri sighs as he knows he has to, closing his fists as his eyes turn back from Ekaterina and towards the carcass one more time.

Your fate has already been sealed little dog, it won’t change on the fact that every living creature will eventually perish when his or her time has come. The only thing that they need to concern them with is how.

Questions that most of you wish to leave unanswered, yet you often wish to dance with fortune and fame. Consumed by that what made you once great, but how long will it last?? How long can you sulk up to the moments of yesterday’s past. When tomorrows destiny awaits you in the form of the future that is uncertain. Even you do not know, wish to uphold the memories that makes you believe that the future will never change… if the past has ever taught me… the future remains a mystery and uncertainty. I guess for you it is time to find out when you roll the dice.

Dmitri stares into the void, the endless desert that awakes every prey like it’s your final resting place. The heat and the burning sun of the day and the coldness and darkness of the night makes it the most unbearable combination known to man.

It’s often a joy to see the path of destruction that you wish to put in front of you, paved with gold and wealth. Paved with every other significant riches that is known to your sinful obsessions. Only to fall to the weaknesses that is your flesh and mind, the lust of money, women, substances…. All coming to the point where there is no return and you eventually succumb to what is your destiny… me….

Dmitri walks away from the carcass, away from Ekaterina who has gotten to a tree and watches him with a glee upon her face. Observing every single move he makes as her goal is to have him return to be the vicious monster that he was supposed to be.

To speak of trust, to speak of hope and wishful thinking. Based upon merely an ounce of certainty in life that nothing is certain except death and taxes. The fact that you humans would risk your lives upon a lifeline that is hanging by a threat, only pleases me. Pleases me to the point where I just have to sit back and enjoy, enjoy the ride that always ends up in carnage and sadness. You speak of names of HIM who only wishes to please his own ego to show the world he can walk the walk without his very own lifeline of his own comfortzone. You speak of the man that your brother has kept away from a championship belt. In the hope that he can rekindle his glory moment before soon after vanish into thin air. The arrogance of a little child that needs to be protected by his bigger brother. How quaint to see how your brother struggles with reality and you oh all caring brother has to keep a hand above his head once more.

Does it bother you to always make up excuses?? Does it come with the job of being his babysitter? Or is it perhaps the fact that it is your job as older brother that he can fuck up every single time and you can clean up after his sorry ass?? A wise man once said to this nation. Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.

Dmitri turns his head sideways, before turning it back for a moment or two towards his maker.

you see, as time passes us by eventually the questions will emerge from your minds and alternate upon your rambling lips. There will be a moment where you will ask me what it is that I think that will make me and James Tuscini have the benefit over the likes of you. While you should be asking yourselves what it will be what it will take to have the benefit over the likes of the Unholy Allliance and maintain that what you until next week will have in your possession. Glory, fame, fortune and wealth that will only feed your senses that are not important anymore. Time will eventually come to an end. Where you will wonder why in time you could not do what you were supposed to do…and why me and Tuscini will finish that what you should have done the first place…. Until next time my soon to be rotting carcasses… until next time….

With that the shot slowly fades as Dmitri turns and walks back to Ekaterina.

[Dmitri]

 The scene opens backstage at the Gold Coast Casino where Sin City Wrestling will host Inception II Pay-per-View. The cameraman is wandering the hallways and he comes across James Tuscini talking on his cell phone. As always James has his cell phone on speaker as he hates to hold the phone to his ear so we hear that he is talking to his friend and Tag Team partner Dmitri.

DMITRI:  Don’t concern yourself with that James. I’ll take care of it. Focus on our friendship and our Tag Team and let’s earn the Tag Team Championship this Sunday.

JAMES:  Sorry but I can’t let this go without understanding what’s going on. If Ekaterina is abusing you, and Gothika stepped in to protect you the first time, then why didn’t Gothika step in again to save you from being abused by Ekaterina the second time?

DMITRI:  Although humans think vampires are unruly and operate outside all reason that’s not the case. We’re bound by certain, what I will call for your benefit, rules and regulations, that if we operate outside of them we can have our lives taken from us.

JAMES:  What do you mean if you operate outside the system they can take your life away from you? I thought vampires were already dead so you can’t take the life away from someone who isn’t classified as living.

DMITRI:  You, like most humans, watch too many vampire movies and they always portray things incorrectly. We’re not classified as dead James. We’re alive but in a different plane of existence than humans are. We have to drink human blood to stay in a living condition but if we operate outside the code for vampires they can deny us what we need to continue living and we can die for eternity.

JAMES:  Answer some questions for me please. I guess I could consider you fortunate that Ekaterina is in love with you which is why she hasn’t destroyed you yet. But your continuance to snub her and give your attention and affection to Gothika is pushing her to the limit. By the way how come in your recent altercation with Ekaterina, when she was abusing you, Gothika didn’t show up to take her out? I thought Gothika promised to protect you and she told Ekaterina if she ever attacked you again she would end Ekaterina’s existence.

DMITRI:  It is the code we live by James. Trust me that Gothika would gladly end the existence of Ekaterina if she could do it within the confines of the rules we exist by. But should Gothika go outside the boundaries and destroy Ekaterina then both of them would lose their existence. I would rather suffer the indignities and abuse at the hands of Ekaterina to ensure the life of Gothika remains. I must wait until the time is right and Gothika can work within the structure of the code and then our existence will be secure and Ekaterina will be gone from my life.

JAMES:  Damn! And I thought humans had to live by strict rules and regulations. Let me ask you something. It is sort of like murder versus self-defense for us humans? I mean if Gothika were to just go off on Ekaterina and destroy her would it be the same as murder in the human world but if she was attacked by Ekaterina first she could claim self-defense as humans do?

DMITRI:  To make it easy for you to understand I will say yes.

JAMES:  Thanks. Sorry I didn’t fully understand the situation but I understand now. Just be sure you take the rage you have against Ekaterina and focus it on Jet City for our match.

DMITRI:  Thanks for understanding my situation James. I know it doesn’t make sense to you at times but it is a system that does make sense to us. Rest assured every ounce of rage I have against Ekaterina will be set loose upon Kris and Jason Halc and we will become the next Sin City Wrestling Tag Team Champions.

* Short commercial break *

<color=white>A night of passion</color>

The night has fallen, we can see the bed of Dmitri as he is sitting on the corner of his bed. He is looking at his hands, where he sees the marks of the chains still shown in his skin from the nights that he was captured by Ekaterina. He slowly closes his hands as his fingers touch the palm of his hand as he sighs

For many nights the only thing that kept me wanting to return was you

His hands close to fists, he puts pressure on his hands as the strain on his hands are clearly visible.

Waiting for that moment that would always come. A moment where I had to wait for oh so long. Waiting for something I thought would never come… and then….

I thought I heard you talk

Dmitri’s head snaps back after hearing the voice of his maker. Anger comes over him before he calms down. Knowing there is nothing he can do or say to change the inevitable

O h please go on Dmitri, it was rather pleasing to see how you were talking about me…. You were talking about me weren’t you my pet??

He is silent, he knows that she is merely trying to anger him. knowing full well that he was talking about Gothika instead of her.[/color]

Is your silence a acceptance of your futile failure to lie to me Dmitri? Because I could merely smell the sickening aura of your love for that pitiful creature!! She is not even a pure bred!!!!

His hands are scratching across his legs, before once again turning into closed fists. Trying to contain his anger towards his maker.

Aww, did I pull a nerve upon you Dmitri? Did I cause you to feel a useless emotion called…..

DON’T SAY IT!!!!

She chuckles, knowing full well that she pulled a nerve upon her creation[/color]

Love???

Dmitri gets to his feet and charges towards Ekaterina with rage and anger burning upon his face. But when he is near her, he is being caught by her hand across his throat and keeps him there. Helpless as he feels the strength in her body as she slowly starts to squeeze the throat area of Dmitri. Causing him to cough and quickly feeling his body getting limp. His arms move towards her arm as his hands try desperately free him from her grip. Unfortunately fails as he sees her turn her head sideways. Her dark red eyes move from side to side before she has an evil look upon her face.

What’s that Dmitri?? You feel all alone? Or are you thinking about the explanations that you have given James Tuscini about me?? What are you trying to hide Dmitri? The hope that I will not kill your “friend”when he comes to close to me?? Are you fancying him Dmitri??

Let…… m…..me…. g…. go….

Her free hand slowly moveso towards the chest of Dmitri, caressing every muscle that she can find as her sharp nails digs soflty in his flesh as he stiffens for a few moments. As if he is accepting the fate that is seemingly approaching him.

Go?? Oh no…, I’m not letting my favourite pet go just to watch you run off to some little scrawny girl?? A girl that I found out that was merely created out of pure rage of her maker?? And she thinks that she can tell me? ME? About the council??

Dmitri tries to speak, but his mouth opens but no sound comes out due to the pressure that Ekaterina has on him

What?? You try to speak? You speak when I tell you to SPEAK!! I do not raise a charity show for weak minded fools to speak out their minds to me. You see Dmitri, what Gothika seems to forget is that I am older than life itself!! I am the one that does not need to tell the council what they do… they do it for me!!!

She squeezes harder as the gasping of him can be heard as he moves his hand towards the face of Ekaterina but she throws him away with ease. We can see him grab his throat as he can feel the oxygen come back into his lungs.

You should be lucky I have not decided to haunt her down and make her feel what her felt Dmitri.. And you, you will be the one to be blamed all over again. Just like each and every other fling you had, because that’s what it is Dmitri..  A FLING!! And you and I?? we shall swerve the planet together… as that is what you deserve…. And nothing else!!!

With that she walks away, moves past Dmitri who stiffens up as he watches her every movement. Growling soflty as she ignores his futile attempts to show her his hatred towards her. She closes the door as the camera moves back to Dmitri, where he can be seen putting his hands to his face and whispers softly.

What to do…., what to do….

He softly walks over towards his bed, stares at the window with a sad look on his face before dropping on his bed and lets out a primal scream that is silenced by the bed as the camera moves upwards to his window where we see the face of Gothika looking at him sad before vanishing.

INCEPTION OF NEW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS

NARRATOR:  Inception. What a great name for a Pay-per-View. In this case this is the second edition of this named Pay-per-View which is Inception II. James Tuscini and Dmitri, also known as Unholy Alliance, face Jason and Kris Halc, also known as Jet City. The Halc’s have been forced, by Hot Stuff Mark Ward, to put the Tag Team Title Belts on the line with the rules being No Disqualification and No Count Outs.

This time we are taken to the dressing room of James Tuscini and Pinky del Ferrando. Sin City Wrestling interviewer “Stoner” Scott Oliver is with them to conduct an interview. The cameraman informs everyone they are going live and the interview begins.

SCOTT:  Would you care to make opening comments before I launch into questions?

JAMES:  What you’ll see at Inception II is the inception of Unholy Alliance as the newly crowned Tag Team Champions of Sin City Wrestling. Uncle would you please read for everyone what the definition of “inception” is?

PINKY:  Sure thing James. Inception can be defined as:  An act, process, or instance of beginning. The point at which something begins its course or existence. The point where something springs into being. A first, ultimate, or fundamental source.

JAMES:   It doesn’t get any easier to understand than that. We, Unholy Alliance, are the act, the process, and the instance of the beginning of our reign as Tag Team Champions, coming into existence at Inception II this Sunday, and to become the longest-reigning Tag Team Champions in Sin City Wrestling history. When the bell rings to start our Tag Team Championship match that is the point in time where Unholy Alliance springs into being as the new Tag Champions. At Inception II Unholy Alliance, James and Dmitri, are first, the fundamental, and the ultimate source of Tag Team superiority.

James and Pinky take a break and the three men partake in a few drinks.

SCOTT:  Great opening comments gentlemen. I get questions from fans and one that stands out more than others is for you James. Are you going to pursue the Roulette Championship again?

JAMES:  Maybe I will some day. Right now I have my sights set on the Tag Team Championship with Dmitri. When we win we will most likely hold the Tag Titles longer than any other team in the history of Sin City Wrestling. With that being the case I wouldn’t be going after other Championships because they don’t allow double champions in SCW. I will continue to wrestle in Singles competition against anyone they care to sign me up against.

SCOTT:  What if you and Dmitri don’t win the Tag Titles at Inception II? Would you then want to go after the Roulette, Internet, and World Championships?

JAMES:  Blasphemy! Scott how could you possibly utter those words. “IF” Unholy Alliance do not win the Tag Titles? “IF” you said? Hah! There is no “IF” in this calculation. This is a guaranteed win for us. There’s no way we could lose unless our Referee is bribed to call the match incorrectly. And, yes, that is a viable possibility considering that Kris and Jason Halc are so damn scare of losing the Tag Team Championship to us that they might just blow their life savings to bribe our Referee to throw the match in their favor. If you keep spewing doubt, especially by using the word “IF” I will toss you out of our dressing room!

SCOTT:  Do you really mean that when you say you believe Jet City could bribe the Referee to throw the match in their favor?

PINKY:  Scott have we ever said anything we didn’t mean?

SCOTT:  You did claim you are a member of the Italian Mafia in the San Francisco Bay Area and James said that isn’t true. So, yes, I have to ask if you two really mean that you think Jet City would bribe the Referee to throw the match to them.

PINKY:  I am a member of the Italian Mafia in the San Francisco Bay Area. I’m sick of nobody believing me. I’ll step out for a moment and make a call and prove I speak the truth.

Pinky walks into his bedroom where he closes the door behind him. We return to the living room area where James and Scott are continuing the interview.

SCOTT:  When you and Dmitri win the Tag Championship are you willing to face any Tag Team that Management wants to send after you?

JAMES:  I’ve never backed down from any opponent and neither has Dmitri. When we become Sin City Wrestling’s Tag Team Champions at Inception II I guarantee we will never turn down any challenge.

Scott informs James the Network wants to run a commercial break. After two minutes of commercials they return live. We see Pinky del Ferrando return to the living room area.

JAMES:  What’s up Uncle?

PINKY:  I’m tired of nobody believing me that I’m a member of the Italian Mafia in the San Francisco Bay Area. I made a call to a Mafia Don in San Francisco. I asked him if he could pay us a visit here in Las Vegas and to my surprise he said he was in Las Vegas and was at the Casino next to the Gold Coast Casino and he’ll be here in a few minutes to talk with you and prove me right.

JAMES:  After all your fantasy stories, and hallucinating about Mafia Teddy Bears, this I gotta see.

The three continue the interview and about ten minutes later there is a knock on the door. Pinky opens the door we see a man around the same age as Pinky and he really looks like what we would expect a Mafia Don to look like.



Pinky kisses the outstretched hand of this visitor and then he invites him in.

PINKY:  James, Scott, I would like to introduce you to one of the co-leaders of the Italian Mafia in San Francisco, Don Rina.

JAMES:  What? A Mafia Don named Don? Are you for real?

DON:  We don’t carry ID cards identifying us as Italian Mafia members. I can only offer you my word and my word is as good as gold.

JAMES:  If you are one of the leaders of the Italian Mafia in the San Francisco Bay Area why haven’t we heard of you?

DON:  If you were a member of the Secret Service, or the FBI, or the CIA, would you go around telling everyone that you’re an Agent for the Secret Service, FBI, or CIA? Of course not. You have to maintain a level of cover so you are not easily found out. The last thing you want is to let everyone know who you are. Then the next thing you know you’re having a nice lunch as a restaurant and you’re killed in a hit.

JAMES:  So my Uncle Pinky really is a member of the Italian Mafia in the San Francisco Bay Area?

DON:  Not for the San Francisco Bay Area but he is one of our agents in San Francisco. We don’t like to step into the territory of other members even though me and my fellow bosses control the entire Bay Area. It’s a respect thing.

JAMES:  Gee, Uncle, I’m sorry I haven’t believed you all this time. Forgive me.

PINKY:  Nothing to ask forgiveness for. Just believe me when I tell you something.

JAMES:  You mean like seeing Mafia Teddy Bears in your refrigerator, closet, and bed?

PINKY:  That’s different. I will see Mafia Don out.

Pinky escorts Don Rina out of the dressing room. Once they are down the hallway where nobody can see them they talk.

PINKY:  Don I can’t thank you enough for coming to visit my Nephew to help prove to him I’m in the Italian Mafia in San Francisco.

DON:  Do you think he’ll find out I’m also not a member of the Italian Mafia and that we were co-workers when we both worked for the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco?

PINKY:  Nah. It will always be our secret. Here’s a little something for your time.

Pinky del Ferrando reaches into his pocket and pulls out a $100 bill and hands it to Don Rina, his former co-worker, to compensate him for his time to fool James into believing he is in the Italian Mafia.

DON:  Aw, Pinky, you don’t have to do this. We’re long-time friends and…

PINKY:  I insist. I want to keep this going with my Nephew and since we’re at a Casino use the money to have fun gambling. I’ll keep in touch and when we’re back in San Francisco I’ll call you to go out for some drinks.

Pinky and Don shake hands and go their separate ways. Pinky returns to the dressing room.

JAMES:  Everything go okay with Don?

PINKY:  Yes. Let’s continue with this interview session.

SCOTT:  Well that sure took up a lot of our interview time. I have time for one last question. If you two win the Tag Team…

Tuscini quickly interrupts Scott Oliver before he can finish his sentence.

JAMES:  Out! Get out of our dressing room now! I’ve told you many times don’t use the word “IF” when it comes to the wrestling of me and Dmitri and if you did I would have Pinky throw you out of our dressing room! There is no “IF” we defeat Jet City and become the next Tag Champions. We “WILL” win the match and walk away with the Tag Title Belts.

Scott tries to apologize but Pinky ushers him to the door and shoves him into the hallway and then he slams the door shut.

JAMES:  I know we’re not supposed to rough up Sin City Wrestling personnel so I hope Management doesn’t mind that you shoved Scott Oliver into the hallway.

PINKY:  He deserved it.

JAMES:  Yes he did. And Jet City deserves the loss they will take to us Sunday evening. Get ready guys because we’re coming to take the Tag Title Belts home with us. We’ll show the wrestling world what Unholy Alliance is about. Don’t cry in your cornflakes when we defeat you. Just man up and deal with the loss.

Pinky informs the cameraman the interview session is over. The cameraman cuts his feed while the Network cuts to a commercial break.
<color=white>I’m about to break</color>

Later that night, Dmitri’s on the prowl… searching for a victim as his quest for blood has taken him over. His eyes are searching the streets from the rooftop of a building that he sits on. The humans are moving around like ants, unaware of the watchful eyes of Dmitri.

Prowl around like the fools that you are, speak out loudly and show your bravery as if the world belongs to you. Yet the reality often escapes you all doesn’t it?? How foolish to believe your fortune will surpass the missteps of life that you humans always make eventually.

He bares his fangs, he licks his lips as he has caught a scent of a young couple. He grins as he turns away before softly walking towards the door of the stairway to the rooftop before he stops.

I understand that everything needs to happen for a reason, in due time the world will understand. The understanding that their existence will eventually perish before the next that comes along. And I wonder how long will it takes before your existence will perish before me. Does the world truly know your soft kind and weak understanding that causes you to believe your incapable abilities are a god given talent??

Oh forgive me as I have not allowed your names to roll down my lips as some momentous honour to please the foolishness of two brothers who hold something that me and James Tuscini will gladly take away from them. The dignifying pleasure of step in the ring with the two that share a common thought, the two that know each other’s move before it has been executed already? Oh how grand the night will become when the common thought will become a common doubt.

His hand stops at the door to the stairway, he scratches it. We see his black fingernails dig deep into the door before he pulls his hand back and looks at it.

Do we need to make things bigger than it really is?? Do we need to speak out of greatness? When greatness is merely etched in stone of past experiences. They will never come back for the world to witness and stand in awe or boo like they have done many years ago. Just like your championship reign is only temporary so is your career. To have the one speak wildly about the other in a hope and a soft prayer to rekindle one of his long forgotten fires as he beat a Hall of fame legend to retain the Internet championship belt. Such a joyful moment for the old and forgotten scrapbook that some of your relatives keep in the attic. For the sentimental occasions when family comes together and talk about the moments where you actually mattered.

Does it sting to hear the reality that is viewed by a different perspective than yours?? Or will the world just vanish beyond your view and have you believe the stupidity that your brother attempted to portray for you. You heard the word Kris, attempted. A mere final cry of attention to be noticed by baby brother…. Something that should be coming from you instead Kris…, or willt he world still evolve around the man that could do it only a few times?? Once more than I have done?? Congratulations my dear champion, you have stepped out of the shadows of a past nobody that was forgotten until they heard your name being mentioned once more.

The responses of oh yeah, I remember him will echo a long time after our match when you fail Kris. The uncanny talent, the unlimited potential does not buy you another shot at whatever it is that you crave…, it buys you another week of surviving the bullseye that is marked upon your back. X marks the spot Kris… be thankful that the ink hasn’t dried yet…

Dmitri sighs as he stares at the door, the doorknob has almost fallen off due to the fact that it must has survived the end of time several times.

Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?? To watch your brother come out to a new episode of this is your life?? It almost seemed that he was saying goodbye to you than merely trying to get your blood pumping again Kris. Is it that desperate in the believes of you two brothers that you seek desperate measures?? And where was yours Kris?? Too busy with soul searching? Too busy with trying to get your act together?? And all it took was one double count out that even the champions wouldn’t recognize the fact that they did too took their mind of the match and forge the rulebook for a change. Oh no Kris…, I understand how humans react when they are being pushed out of their comfort zone and into the dreaded danger that is the Unholy Alliance. So please I hope you can come up with something that will alternate the tale of the table that is how you will beat us…, because the way I see it champs… escape artists eventually run out of time to run away from and drop to the eyes that see through your lies….

And then there is you Jason, the man with the intelligence. The man that is actually that is being held back. Oh no, not by your own brother. No Jason, by your own need to play charity for your stinking fool of a brother. How long will you be holding his hand while scratching your imaginary head and wonder why? Why you are such a coward to voice up and man up for the final step to shove him down the hill and watch him fall?? You see Jason, people like Kris sometimes have their moments where they exceed that what they are capable off. Oh I know what you will be thinking and that’s fine with me, because I am now entering a realm of where it comes personal and I know how humans can react when their pride is at stake isn’t it?? Even though the pride of Kris has become a limited time offer package deal I have noticed. It must have been hard for you to step away from it all isn’t it?? Step out now when the wounds are still fresh and it will remember you why you had to do it while you still can. Because in the end, you will hate yourself for not having done it sooner. You see Jason, both of you are good. But good these days don’t cut it, good is good enough to succeed every now and then and have a lucky break.

It’s all about rebounding from the moments when life seems to be bad upon you Jason. Look at me and James, we lost, we lost and yet we come back and do what we have always done… just ask about the careers of Jamie Dean and Ben Jordan as being tag champs. Ask about how they suffered the loss of their lives, beyond the fact that their trust is long gone. The doubt that they had after they faced us…, the same doubt I saw in yours. The same reaction that you had already expected from baby brother when the expectations isn’t going his way. You saw it, you smelled it.., you have tasted it all too  often and now it is THIS CLOSE!! To happen again. And all because Kris bit off more than that he could chew…. How ironic huh Jason? That you have to once again grab your brother by the hand and make him feel like he means something again.

How did it feel, to stand alone in front of the camera and spit out all the hopes and prayers to reach out to your brother once more. It must have been such a disgrace to you, such a horrendous moment in your what could have been a bigger career. But being held back by being incapable of making the hard choices in life…, and the fact that you are stuck with HIM. That’s what relatives do for you Jason, it’s why me and James are not like that. We share a common bond and then out goes the emotional connection towards each other. Oh we have our own problems, we have our own moments of weaknesses. But at least when it comes down to our match…, they no longer exist!! I only see rage and the will of destroying everything that moves. And you will move, you will be in my sight all the time. You will be the ones that will realize how fortunate you were the first time that it was merely a count out draw. Because after this coming Sunday, the rules will change. The rules of life has been extended to the realm that is Unholy…, that is a bond that does not seek a hand out from those who will sigh and give you another chance to redeem your mistakes. Oh no…., this is the moment where decisions will be made and careers will be altered… your careers.

Dmitri laughs sadistic, he stares around the dark night and still smells the scent of the couple that he noticed earlier. He slowly runs his hand up towards his head and brushes away some of his hair before turning back to the camera.

Until death do us part is a word often used in holy matrimony. Something that Kris knows everything about isn’t it Kris? Until death do us part, ever wondered how you people tend to tease the realms of that what you do not understand?? It’s about time that Jett City will learn to understand… it’s time that the world will understand… and it is time that you will understand that after this coming Sunday… you are no longer SCW tag team champions of the world…. until then boys…, until then….

With that Dmitri walks through the door as the shot fades.

[Kristopher Ryans]

 OFF-CAMERA
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
PROMISES
3:17 PM PST 1.20.17

Jason is sitting at a small circular table. It was not unlike those found inside fast food restaurants. If he were eating, it would have been much too small of a space to share with the person he came to see. However, he was not eating, and this was not a restaurant. Most of the grounds at Promises were pretty lavish. That is why Jason chose to come to this particular area. Just out of the back door of the main facility is a small smoking balcony, but the thin strip of walkway could not accommodate the couches and comfy looking chairs seen almost everywhere else. He chose this spot so that his brother could not sit back and relax for this conversation. He was going to have to sit close to him, and engage in the conversation whether he wanted to or not. If Jason knew anything about his brother, it was that it was almost undoubtedly going to be the latter instead of the former. He starts to tap his fingers on the table, finding a beat that he was satisfied with only moments before the doors to the facility open behind him and his brother comes out onto the balcony. Kris pulls a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and thumbs open the flip-top of the box before taking one out. He rolls it between his fingers as he makes his way around the table. He does not immediately stop, walking to the next table to grab an ashtray. Kris tosses it to the table, and carefully sits down in front of his brother. For a few moments he continues to roll the cigarette in his fingers, waiting for Jason to look up. When he does, Kris offers him a smile, and then reaches into his front pocket for a small torch style lighter, bringing the cigarette to his mouth and inhaling while lighting the end.

JASON: Old habits, right?

Kris shrugs. He knew that this part of the conversation was coming. They had it every single time. It was even part of the reason that he had waited for his brother to acknowledge him before lighting it.

KRIS: I have never successfully made it through the program without them, and it’s not the kind of habit I take with me when I leave. The only person that doesn’t seem to grasp that is you, even though we have had this conversation too many times to count.

Jason does not stray from meeting his gaze, but shakes his head lightly.

JASON: Yeah, it’s hard to quit cold turkey, right? Going from a substance that will undoubtedly kill you, to nothing at all is a little easier if you sandwich in something that will just maybe kill you.

Kris nods, taking another drag and then flicking the ashes into the tray.

KRIS: Yet we still have to talk about it every single time.

Almost mimicking his brother perfectly, Jason nods, but rolls his eyes afterwards.

JASON: It is because you insist on pretending like you’re some kind of victim every time you are in here. You’re not. You put yourself in these positions. It’s nobody else’s doing. And then we are supposed to unabashedly praise you for being able to leave that crutch in rehab when you leave. You shouldn’t need a crutch, because you shouldn’t be here. I’m not going to pity or applaud anything you do here. You are a grown ass man that should have left this shit behind by now.

There is no response of defense that Kris can muster. They have had this talk yes, but it was never this spiteful. Jason had never been this angry, not even the second time. The volumes that speaks is enough to terrify Kris. After more than a dozen times, Jason should have softened. The second time should have always been the worst. The first time is a mistake, or error in judgement. The second time is a true betrayal of the people that helped him in the first place. He raises his cigarette to his lips, takes a deep breath, and slowly lowers it, exhaling through both his nose and his mouth. This time when he reaches for the ashtray, it is not to flick ashes, but to put it out, not even a third of the way through its burning.

KRIS: So why are you here, huh? Violet told me she talked to you, but you weren’t on board yet. I signed your papers. I haven’t left this god awful place in two weeks. Although, I am impressed that I got them to surrender my phone for a few hours a night.

Jason chuckles, and shrugs.

JASON: It helps keep up the appearance that you’re not in a rehab center. If you were, people would expect total radio silence. This way you get a little taste of the outside world, and I don’t have to answer questions I am way too tired to keep answering. Everyone wins.

Keeping up appearances was one thing, but actually allowing Kris to go back on the road was another. Kris knew that everything his brother and his family had done in the last two weeks was nothing more than a stall. Just because Jason ended up covering with SCW did not mean that Jet City was going to keep going. Even if he made promises to the crowd, it did not mean he had any intention of keeping them. At his core, he never cared about them.

KRIS: So what did you decide then? I can probably guess. I mean, based on the shitty look on your face, the fact that you’re not restraining your love of being a total dick, and the fact that this is the very last possible second to make a decision, it is not looking very good from where I sit. Why don’t you just spit it out and stop wasting your time dragging it out.

There was nothing in there that Jason could argue. He had actually waited to make a decision about the future of Jet City until after Kris sat down. Even better, Kris was completely right: his current demeanor was a complete result of the decision he made. That did not mean that Kris was not wrong at the same time. Jason reaches into the front pocket of his jacket and pulls out an envelope. He slides it across the table and nods to his brother that it is okay to open it. Kris makes short work of the paper, pulling free a single plane ticket.

JASON: I can’t stop you from leaving here and coming to Las Vegas. If I was going to walk away from you, I would have done it by now. I know that every time you do this, you expect that I am going to just stop showing up. That’s not going to happen. There is no changing the fact that you are my brother. There is however, changing the fact that you are my tag team partner.

Kris puts the ticket on the table, but shakes his head. The small glimmer of hope that Kris had in his eye when he opened the envelope is gone, and replaced with complete confusion.

KRIS: I don’t get it. Why would I want to fly out there if you were done? You going to replace me? You going to get Parker to show up with you or something?

The last bit comes out with a little more disgust than Kris wanted. It was only in moments like these that Jason ever got to see that touch of jealousy rise to the surface.

JASON: That is your ticket, but whether you go there to compete, or ask for your release is up to you, because I have a handful of conditions on being your tag team partner for longer than this conversation lasts.

The confusion shifts quickly to annoyance. Jason watches his brother’s lips tighten, and he grinds his teeth together. The rise in his blood pressure flushes his cheeks, but he tries hard to swallow the anger and keep it under control. His tone does not come out as smooth as he hoped it would, and more of a sarcastic whisper than anything else.

KRIS: More conditions… there’s always something.

Jason smacks the table hard, and it jolts Kris in his seat. He straightens up, and the look on his face is wiped away in an instant. At this point in his life, Kris was only truly afraid of one person, and it was his brother in this state of mind.

JASON: Yes. There is always something. There is always something because no matter what anyone does, you always end up back in this fucking place. So every time we pile on more and more conditions. We take away more and more of your leash, and hope that we can keep an eye on you. Yet, every time you fuck it all up.

Kris averts his eyes, looking at the view off of the balcony. He never knew exactly what being in this place cost his brother, but over the years it had to be more than anyone would say Kris’ life was worth. He had the opportunities to find out, or to look it up thousands of times, but never did. He was afraid to put a numerical value on his burden to his family. The cost of the rehab would have just been a good starting point anyways, and was probably still a big enough number to make him nauseous.

KRIS: I’ll do it. I don’t even care what it is.

It was that same tone of defeat that Jason heard in Canada when he found him the morning after his binge. Kris was not going to give his brother the pleasure of admitting he was wrong, at least not in this moment. He was not going to make himself more vulnerable to attack than he already was. His statement was a declaration that he was still dedicated to Jet City, and really nothing more than that.

JASON: Two groups. Outpatient. Everyday that we don’t have a show until I say you can stop.

Kris thinks it over for a moment, doing the math in his head for how long he thought his brother would hold to it. It doesn’t look good for his immediate future, but he nods silently.

JASON: We leave, compete, and come back all on the same day, on the same flight.

This one is a little more difficult to stomach. At least during the week, and between groups, he would be able to be on his own time. Even though Jason was stopping short of saying it, what he was demanding now was that Kris never leave his line of sight while they were traveling. It meant sharing a hotel room, eating every meal together, and probably an allotted amount of time he could spend hiding in a bathroom. It was the loss of his freedom. It takes longer than the first time, but slowly he nods again.

JASON: You sell the apartment, sign over all your duties at the clinic to Dr. Watkins, and you and Heather move to Seattle permanently. All of your groups have already been scouted and picked by me. You follow the schedule, we get to keep doing this.

Kris’ jaw falls open, and he tries to push out any thought or phrase that would show not only his disagreement, but the degree to which his brain was telling him to do so. He begged himself to spit out objections laced with curses, but no words came. After a few moments he fights his mouth to close, and grinds his teeth all the way through a third nod.

KRIS: Is that it?

Jason’s face softens a little, which makes the younger half of Jet City nervous. Every second of the conversation had been a challenge so far, but now Kris’ older brother appeared to feel bad about whatever it is that he was going to say.

JASON: There’s one more thing and you’re not gonna like it.

His brother had softened, so the sarcastic nature of Kris’ personality is given a little breathing room.

KRIS: Well that’s a healthy change from everything else...

Jason does not give his brother the satisfaction of a laugh, chuckle, or smile. Not even the smirk that made him famous creeps onto his face.

JASON: Win or lose, at the next Climax Control, your opponent is going to be me. If we keep the titles, then you can chalk it up to catching the beating that you deserve for putting everyone through this. If we lose, then consider it me picking my opponent for my final match.

For the first time in the conversation, despite the numerous jabs, Kris is offended. His chest tightens, and he winces like he is in physical pain at the thought.

KRIS: You would really leave if we lose this? That would be it?

The tone of his voice made both questions come out in an undeniably genuine nature. It was a clearly giveaway that Jason’s leaving would impact Kris in a real way. That was the whole point of the gambit. It was the same as the paper that Violet made him sign. Jason was forcing Kris to either step up, or lose everything.

JASON: From where I am sitting, if we lose, there’s nothing worth sticking around for. I showed up to be your partner. Look around… clearly you don’t know what all that entails. This doesn’t work for me. You want out, and you’re going to get out regardless of what I want. In all honesty, you are going to keep touring and falling into the same loop regardless of what I do. What I am telling you, is that if you cannot pull yourself together long enough for Jet City to prove that they are not one hit wonders, then I’m walking away before you drag my name, and my legacy, down to your level. Being a sloppy addict’s tag partner is not how I want to be remembered. If you can’t win this match, then that’s all I am. If that’s all I am, then I want my last match to be breaking that image.

Kris drops his eyes to the table, and is again at a loss for words. However, this time there is no nod to go with his lack of communication. At the same time, he does not shake his head to disagree either. Jason can see him struggling with it, but does not want to push him towards a decision. Instead of waiting, he stands up from the table, and straightens his jacket.

JASON: You don’t have to decide right now, but we do have a timetable here. People are asking where you are, and they need to see Jet City back on the same page by the end of the day. I didn’t come alone today. Heather followed me over in your car. I told her she wasn’t allowed to listen in on this conversation, but that I was going to be in here for a few minutes, and then I would be leaving. From the moment I leave, she is waiting twenty minutes for your answer. You can pack up your things and move forward, or you can stay here and sulk. I’m not going to hold your hand while you figure it out though.

Jason waits for a moment, and Kris finally looks up at him. The younger of the two brother’s nods, not agreeing to the terms Jason laid out, but to the timetable that he was given to make a decision. Without lingering longer than needed, Jason turns and pulls open the door to the facility, leaving Kris alone to process it all on his own.




======================================================

ON-CAMERA
LAS VEGAS, CALIFORNIA
SCW AREANA
9:17 PM PST 1.20.17

The scene opens on the SCW ring. It is a view from the hard camera that viewers at home will become familiar with on Sunday night. Standing in the center of the ring, already dressed for battle and strapped around the waist with the SCW Tag Team Championships. Of course, as seen last time Jet City blessed SCW with their presence, the title belts are inverted, making them impossible to be read by the crowd. However, if either brother were to tilt the championship up, while looking down at it, it appears right-side up. They both have smiles on their faces, and fans have seen this type of setup before. Where they stand, they are almost shoulder to shoulder, with no space in between. However, those that remember their match against The Elders, there is a very large, flat screen monitor just behind them, cut off from view.

JASON: The Unholy Alliance should renamed themselves the Wholly Disappointments. We have laid off, played nice, kicked back, and let them say whatever it is that they have wanted to say.

Jason’s very subtle pause is all that it takes for Kris to pick right up where he leaves off to drive home the point that his brother was trying to make.[/color]

KRIS: We learned a lesson the first time around. We just talked and talked all week long and it was was all a waste of time and energy. Neither of them really engaged. Neither would take place in shenanigans. For a little while, it didn’t make any sense at all. You have these two guys, that have lost to another tag team that have not gotten the opportunity to challenge us, gotten a match against us that the didn’t win, and don’t have the best track records when gold is on the line as of late.

They both shake their heads as Kris finishes, and make shaming ‘tsk’ sounds. It is all obvious sarcasm, but punchlines do not land without solid build up. Right now these two were just putting in the leg work.

JASON: We wasted a lot of really good material to the tune of crickets. Nothing riled these guys, but we didn’t have to wait long to find out why….

The two separate, and reveal the screen behind them. At first, all it displays is the Jet City logo. However, as they both turn to it, it comes to life with a clip from three weeks ago. On the screen, the Jet City theme plays loudly as both Jason and Kris come out to the ring for their match. Kris slides into the ring while Jason climbs the stairs, and steps through the ropes only for both of them to be attacked by The Unholy Alliance. The video continues to play through the first few shots that the challengers to the tag team champions throw, all the way to both challengers throwing the champions outside of the ring. Without pausing the film, Kris chimes in.

KRIS: And if you would be so kind as to listen…..

Just as Kris finishes, through the video the viewers can hear the bell chime three times to signal the start of the match perfectly on cue. It is only at that point that the video is paused. In doing so, the champions leave a less-than-flattering frame of James Tuscini frozen on the screen.

KRIS: I can’t believe my eyes, Jason. I am appalled. I feel cheated. I feel used. I feel downright taken advantage of.

Jason looks at Kris, not buying what he is selling, and shakes his head.

JASON: And by all that you mean you wish we would have come out to the ring first so that we could have done it to them because it was a genius plan?

Kris hangs his head and mock defeat, raising his hands up to shield his face while feigning the sound of sobbing. In jest, he refuses to verbally agree or disagree, merely nodding his head. Jason steps over and places a hand on his brother’s shoulder before offering him some reassuring words.

JASON: It’s okay Kris. We can’t be on top of everything all the time. Would it make you feel better if it only took them two weeks to prove that they are actually fucking idiots?

Kris drops his hands from his face, and snaps his head up fast enough to give himself whiplash. Miraculously, his mood improves, and expression changes. Kris looks hopeful, for some kind of saving grace.

KRIS: Did we at least get that part on tape too?

Jason’s positive and comforting demeanor does not change, but he takes his hand off of Kris’ shoulder and motions back towards the screen. As he does, the still shot of James disappears and after a few moments it comes to life with something the fans saw just a week ago.

JASON: Better yet, we didn’t have to. They did it all for us.

KRIS: How nice of them…

The video starts from the middle of James Tuscini’s promo from the previous week. However, before he actually speaks, Jason pauses the video again. James is in the middle of starting to talk where the video gets pauses, leading to another mouth-open, borderline mentally deficient freeze frame of the man. The older brother of Jet City turns to the camera to give a slight disclaimer.

JASON: Kids, when you make false claims, don’t leave a paper trail. Don’t document it or record it for posterity, because if you do, Jet City will find it, and Jet City will use you, to make you look stupid.

Kris dips over in front of Jason in the frame to move his finger the the same motion as the NBC stars that appear at the end of their public service announcements.

KRIS: The more you know!

Jason presses play again, but only for a moment. It is a single line from James that he wants to pick out for the fans to hear, given all that has been said so far.

JAMES: To start off with lowlights the main one is Jet City, Kris and Jason Halc, making the false claim that Unholy Alliance attacked them before the match, then we deliberately took the match action outside the ring to deliberately obtain a count-out draw…

They stop the video again, and this time it cuts back to the Jet City logo entirely. The camera pulls back from the monitor to show both members of Jet City in the frame again. In true Home Alone fashion, they both have their hands clasped to their cheeks, with their mouths hung wide open in silent screams. Their eyes are wide with fake shock and surprise. Jason is the first to break from it though, turning to Kris with an explanation.

JASON: Maybe he just forgot what happened Kris. I mean maybe it was a mistake. Things happen like that all the time. It had been two weeks at the time….

The only response that Jason gets is just a disappointed and judgemental shake of Kris’ head. He is actually able to summon a genuine looking frown to his face.

JASON: Not buying it?

The question snaps Kris out of it, and the smile returns to his face, launching into a full on attack on their opponents.

KRIS: I don’t think so Jay, and here is why: That promo was littered with shit that didn’t make sense, and false claims with no basis in reality. I mean, we just showed the fine people of the SCW fanbase exactly how our match with the Unholy Alliance started. They attacked us, clearly before the bell, and then threw us outside the ring. If we would have played more, we would have seen them tossing us into the crowd and doing anything that they could to keep us away from that ring. It may have made me a little jealous that I didn’t think to jump them before they jumped us, but there is a singular reason why they would do something like that. We have laid it out before, but now since the proof is in the proverbial pudding, you would care to refresh the fans on exactly why this match is happening.

Turning back to face the camera, displaying a true ability to work together and not talk step on each other’s toes, the second that Kris finishes, Jason picks up the slack. It works to Jet City’s advantage though, because flying solo, most people will pause to gather their thoughts. Jet City switching off so fluidly creates one unbroken narrative.

JASON: The Unholy Alliance came down to that ring with one thing in mind, and that was getting the match that they got handed to them at Inception II. As much as they might want to talk about the fact that we didn’t deserve the title shot that we got, they did almost as little to get theirs. In the very simplest of terms, The Unholy Alliance knew they couldn’t beat us. They knew that after a loss to The Monstimals, a loss to us would have put them at the back of the line, and they were taking that chance without the titles even being up for grabs. Their only chance to challenge us was to invalidate that match, and then make a stink backstage until management noticed and came up with the plan to make money off of the heat. Now, we at Jet City may not be opposed to breaking the rules, but at least we have the balls to be able to admit that.

Jason stops abruptly to put emphasis on his last statement, but Kris does not let it sit without piling on.

KRIS: Every word that the two of you spewed out to the public a week ago had one thing in common: it was all part of some kind of fucking fantasy that you two live in. You very clearly misrepresented the happenings of our match, so it kind of makes everything that you say after that invalid. You can’t blatantly lie against video evidence, and then expect us to put any stock into your claims, can you? Is that how you think that this works? How can we take seriously that you are going to take our titles, embarrass us, or prove that we were fluke champions that arose out of a situation where there were no other viable challengers? That is the problem with building your argument on a lie, the foundation of it crumbles under the slightest scrutiny.

Jason again places his hand on Kris’ shoulder, which stops him from talking even though everyone watching can clearly tell that he has more to say. He bites his tongue though, and Jason steps up from the center of the ring, moving closer to the ropes and therefore the camera.

JASON: We at Jet City, would have applauded you for what you did. In fact, we did so, publicly, the same night that you two were gifted this matchup. You saw a situation that was a total loss, and setback for your team if you went at it straight-up, so you improvised to get what you wanted. Then you have to go and ruin it all by refusing to take responsibility for it. Overnight you made yourselves formidable people, worth playing our games with, and then the very next day you were right back to being the disappointment we thought you were at the beginning of Climax Control 168. We thought, momentarily, that despite the loss to The Monstimals, that maybe we would at least get an intellectual battle heading into Inception II.

Kris comes up to stand next to his brother and rests his forearms on the top rope, leaning over it.

KRIS: Instead we got our hopes up only to realize that neither of you are anything special. You had a plan, but your follow-through was garbage. You had us on the ropes at first, only to go silent and lose the advantage. You wouldn’t have gone the route that you did in that match if you thought that you could legitimately beat us, and you were even too afraid to own up to that very clear fact. What hope do you have of beating us with no count outs and no disqualifications? You gained an advantage last time by bending the rules before we could. You got this match by forcing a count-out situation. Newflash, this time there are no rules. This time you can’t push a count-out to get another chance down the road. This time, before you come down to the ring, one of you better make a phone call to one of the many fine hospitals in the Las Vegas area.

Jason looks over to Kris, faking total confusion, even though everyone already knew what was coming.

JASON: Why would they need to call a hospital?

Kris shrugs, completely taken off guard by Jason’s inquiry.

KRIS: …. Because that is where they keep the ambulances…

Jason, still playing dumb, shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head, still not putting two and two together.

JASON: Why do they need an ambulance?

A smile crosses Kris’ face that goes from almost ear to ear. He mimics his brother and claps a hand onto his shoulder. The tone of his voice is joyous, and almost singsong.

KRIS: ….because without a shadow of a doubt, there’s gonna be an ACCIDENT!

The two turn back to the camera, and share an eerily identical shrug.

KRIS: Jet.

JASON: City.

BOTH: OUT!

With that the video cuts off to the Jet City logo, and then to black.