Warfare neared its end, with only the contract signing between Jimmy Havoc and Chris Jericho left to go. In the arena, the stagehands quickly worked to get the ring set up for the segment. However, backstage, Renee Young stood by with a microphone in hand ready to go on with the show. She fixed her hair and looked forward. The make-up girl dabbed some more compact under Renee quickly before she ran off the set.
The show cut backstage where Renee stood, front and center. She raised the microphone up and without a second in between, she spoke out.
"What a night it's been so far. From hearing about the EBWF Tag-Team Classic to the news that PJ Black will indeed cash in his rematch to face this coming Sunday at Fanniversary. To get more on that, PJ, would you like to say a few words?"
|
.unfiltered//RENEE_YOUNG
|
The camera panned out and PJ Black, the former EBWF World Champion, walked into the scene. He looked at Renee with distain.
"Earlier tonight, you announced that at Fanniversary, you will challenge Edge as you look to get back the EBWF World Championship."
|
.unfiltered//RENEE_YOUNG
|
"As I look to get back the championship? No,
you're wrong there Renee, just like you normal are. I'm not going to look to get back the championship.
I am going to get back, my, championship. Do you want me to spell it out for you?"
|
.darewolf//PJ_BLACK
|
"There's no need for that."
|
.unfiltered//RENEE_YOUNG
|
"Look, what I told Mauro earlier, it's what I meant. Edge beat me at Destiny, congratulation. We all knew that soon or later, someone would have to beat me right? I mean do you really think that this company would let me continue to dominate the way that I've been? I mean, I was just months away from breaking the company's stooge's record, and they got worried."
|
.darewolf//PJ_BLACK
|
"You're talking about Randy's record?"
|
.unfiltered//RENEE_YOUNG
|
"No, I'm talking about Trish Stratus'. Of course I'm talking about Randy's World Championship record. The record that many around here believe will never be broken. A feat that will never be matches. Which, if this company is as rigged as we all know it it, that could be true. But leave it to me to test the waters. Leave it to me to prove that whenever anyone gets close and this company fears that change is inevitable.. Boom out of of the woodwork comes some former golden boy that this company just likes to put into situations that they can't bail themselves out of.
Case in point, Edge."
|
.darewolf//PJ_BLACK
|
Black took a moment before he continued.
"Call me crazy. Call me a conspiracy theorist. Call me whatever you want, but the way I see it. I'm a truth seeker. I'm a herald for righteous. That is why I seem to be the only one that comes out here and calls out all the bullshit in this company. Like what I just told you. I got close to Randy's record and they got scared. This company don't want to admit that I'm the best. They don't want to admit that I've better than anyone and everyone that has come before me,
and that includes their boy Randy. See Renee, everyone knows that I could have broken Randy's record.
Give me anyone in this company that is a continuous face week to week and I'll bury them. So they had to dig deep. They had to question themselves. The had to ask, who... Who could they bring in that might be able to do me in. Enter in Edge."
|
.darewolf//PJ_BLACK
|
"But Edge earned his opportunity to face you for the championship."
|
.unfiltered//RENEE_YOUNG
|
Black laughed so hard he doubled over. He put his hand on Renee's shoulder to hold himself up. He laughed a few seconds before straightening back up. He wiped some fake tears from his eyes as he continue.
"Edge earned it alright, but then he gave that shot away. After that, poof, into obscurity he goes again until I beat another challenger. And another.
Getting closer and closer to that record that seems to be everything. Then out of no where, Edge comes back and announces that he was just waiting for the right time to challenge me. Like he gets to pick and choose when he gets a shot. But then again, it is Edge, isn't it. So, enter in the ever elusive Edge, he stakes his claim and bing, bang, boom we have a title match. He never earned the second shot, you know after he gave up the first. He never earned the right to challenge me. He was given it. By who, I have no clue, but I will tell you this. Every time I've mentioned the powers that be around here. Everyone thinks that I'm just wining and crying because I never get what I want. But that's not it. See Renee, I'm trying to open everyone's eyes to the corruption that plaques this company. Corruption that everyone knows is there,
but no one wants to sit down and admit it. They'd rather walk around here acting like this place is the fairy tale and nothing could ever go wrong."
|
.darewolf//PJ_BLACK
|
Black peered at Renee for a second as he took a moment.
"Now, if this place is a fairy tale, I guess I'm the big bad wolf, and they made Edge my huntsman. Little do they know, there is no savior. There is no happy ending. They added all that to make the kiddies less scared. The real ending, the big bad wolf, he eats them all. Every last one of them. And then he lays down with a smile on his face. So this about that when you all sit back here in the locker room and think that everything in this place is all nice and cozy. There's no real threats in the World. Life is perfect. It is the fools like you, that this big bad wolf is going to eat up."
|
.darewolf//PJ_BLACK
|
He paused and looked at Renee. She stood there in shock for a second before shaking it loose and continuing.
"Wow, that was dark. Um.. So you're saying that Edge's victory was a fluke?"
|
.unfiltered//RENEE_YOUNG
|
"What I'm saying is Edge being in the match was the fluke. Edge winning, it happened. I can't throw all the blame elsewhere, because quiet frankly, I took some things for granted. I kinda let myself let him win. I mean you saw the match, I could have won it,
but no. I wanted to make a statement and well, I lost the match myself."
|
.darewolf//PJ_BLACK
|
"So you underestimated him?"
|
.unfiltered//RENEE_YOUNG
|
"I wouldn't say that I underestimated him.
I knew what Edge brought to the table. I knew what I was up against. And I knew that this was all a work to get the title off me. I knew it all. So there was no underestimated him. Simply put, I screwed up. I made a judgement error and I bit the bullet. Something that I assure you won't happen at Fanniversary, because once again, I know what I'm up against. I know the plots behind this match and I know that everyone is scared of me getting back my championship because once I do. They know that I will stop at nothing, and I mean nothing, to bring this company to it's knees and prove once and for all. All the plots. All the ploys.
All the tricks that they want to play. They won't work. Not again. They can come at me will all guns blazing. But the fact of the matter is this Renee. Once I get my championship back at Fanniversary, there is no one, past, present, or future, that will take the championship away from me again. Not Edge. Not Randy Orton. Not AJ Styles. No one."
|
.darewolf//PJ_BLACK
|
With that last word said, PJ looked at Renee one last time and then turned to walk off the set. Renee was left standing there as the show cut back to ringside where everything was set and ready for the contract signing.
The two stood at bedside, Paul packed his bag as Jamie packed hers on the other side. The was barely risen as they readied themselves. The two of them never liked to wait til checkout to make sure they were out. That was how you forgot things, and neither of them liked to call back to the hotel to see if they kept anything that was forgotten.
Jamie continued to stuff things into the bag as Paul looked up and laughed. She stopped and looked him, placing her hand on her hip.
"Care to let me in on the joke?"
|
.theknockout//JAMIE_SZANTYR
|
"What joke?"
|
.darewolf//PAUL_LLOYD_JR
|
"The one that's obviously so funny."
|
.theknockout//JAMIE_SZANTYR
|
"Oh it's nothing. I was just wondering when you were going to ask me to sit on that suitcase for you to close it."
|
.darewolf//PAUL_LLOYD_JR
|
Jamie picked up a shirt off the bed and threw it at Paul.
"Careful, you don't want to injure me before Fanniversary."
|
.darewolf//PAUL_LLOYD_JR
|
"With a shirt? Come on, be a man."
|
.theknockout//JAMIE_SZANTYR
|
"Hey, you never know. The tag could hit just the right way and pop! There goes an eyeball."
|
.darewolf//PAUL_LLOYD_JR
|
"You're so full of it."
|
.theknockout//JAMIE_SZANTYR
|
"Hey, you're always telling me not to be so reckless."
|
.darewolf//PAUL_LLOYD_JR
|
"Which you never listen. Do I have to remind you of Destiny?"
|
.theknockout//JAMIE_SZANTYR
|
"That wasn't reckless, that was me trying to go above and beyond. There's a difference."
|
.darewolf//PAUL_LLOYD_JR
|
"Not even. You took a risk. A risk that you didn't have to do. You just tried it to show off. And you crashed and burned. That's being reckless."
|
.theknockout//JAMIE_SZANTYR
|
"No, that's be trying to put on the best show possible. You know, it's all about the rating. Big moves get the bigger pops. You know how it all works."
|
.darewolf//PAUL_LLOYD_JR
|
"Yeah, but do you have to put your body on the line every time? I mean you jumped off the cage against James and you ate it. Then last month you tried to be fancy, wanting to put Edge through a table. But, you went through it. When is it going to stop Paul?
When are you going to stop being so reckless?"
|
.theknockout//JAMIE_SZANTYR
|
"Jamie, you know this isn't just me trying to show off. This is me. Twenty-four seven. What I do in that ring. You know I can't stop."
|
.darewolf//PAUL_LLOYD_JR
|
"I know, but.. It's shortening your career Paul.
I mean, how long do you think you can keep up at this pace? How many years do you think you have left?"
|
.theknockout//JAMIE_SZANTYR
|
She asked him the question that no wrestler ever wants to be asked. She stopped packing the bag as she looked up at him. His head hung down. He couldn't look her in the eyes. He knew she wanted an answer, but he didn't have one. He never thought about it. He never wanted to think about it. He took a second before he walked around the bed and walked over to Jamie. She looked up at him.
"Jamie, you know nothing in this business is a certain. I could go out there at Fanniversary and break my collarbone. Break my leg for all we know."
|
.darewolf//PAUL_LLOYD_JR
|
"Paul... Stop."
|
.theknockout//JAMIE_SZANTYR
|
"It's the same with you. Or Edge. James, Chris,
Natty. Any of us could go out there on any given night. One wrong movement, wrong placement, and we're done. That's it. Our careers could be over just like that. There's always a risk when we step out into that ring. It goes with the business."
|
.darewolf//PAUL_LLOYD_JR
|
"I know, but you take it to the next level."
|
.theknockout//JAMIE_SZANTYR
|
"But that's what you love about me."
|
.darewolf//PAUL_LLOYD_JR
|
"Paul.."
|
.theknockout//JAMIE_SZANTYR
|
"Look, I'm not normal. I'm wild. I'm crazy.
I like to do things that normal people cringe when they see it. I'm a daredevil. Both in that ring and out of it. You know this better than anyone. You know me better than anyone. I'm going to do the same things in that ring that I do every other night. I'm going to do them until I'm buried in the ground."
|
.darewolf//PAUL_LLOYD_JR
|
Jamie playfully hit him in the chest as she turned back to her suitcase.
"That's what scares me."
|
.theknockout//JAMIE_SZANTYR
|
Paul stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She smiled and placed her arms on top of his, a shirt trapped between them.
"Look, I know that there's nothing I can say that is going to make you worry less. It's in your blood to worry, I know that. All I can do it just go out there, do what I do, but be as prepared and as smart as I can about it. You know that I'm going go out there and make all the calculations. I'm going to run the moves inside my head before I do it. If the calculation are too risky, I'll think twice about it. I'm not saying that I might not go for it, but I can ensure you that I won't do anything without thinking about it first."
|
.darewolf//PAUL_LLOYD_JR
|
"That sounds so assuring."
|
.theknockout//JAMIE_SZANTYR
|
"It's the best that I can do, you know that."
|
.darewolf//PAUL_LLOYD_JR
|
"I know, but I'm not going to stop worrying about you. Not gonna happen."
|
.theknockout//JAMIE_SZANTYR
|
"And I wouldn't ask you to."
|
.darewolf//PAUL_LLOYD_JR
|
Paul kissed her on the back of the bed. She smiled and leaned her head back. The two stood there a moment before two two returned to their packing.
BITTER NIGHTMARE
OCTOBER 29, 2017
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
EBWF CAMERAS
The brief sponsor ads ended as "So Beneath You" by AFI played Fanniversary back onto the air. The cameras instead of going to ring, they appeared backstage. Cars filled the parking garage behind the center point of the scene. In the middle of the screen, PJ Black stood tall. Jeans and a black leather jacket is what kept the chilly St. Louis air from affecting him. His hair held back by a bandana, Black looked straight ahead with he eyes focused forward.
"Tonight's the night that a great wrong is set right. I'm talking about you Edge. I'm talking about you being the EBWF World Champion.
Now don't get me wrong Edge, I'm not discrediting you. I've said it a few times now so why not once more.
I know you beat me. I'm not crying about it. I'm not making excuses. But that fact that you beat me,
fair and square, does not make the fact you won right.
Your victory is wrong because of the fact that you were in the match in the first place. Your victory is wrong because you didn't belong there. Sure, you were great. A former champion. A man that a lot of young,
upcoming wrestler could look up. Hell, a lot still do. Everything you've done in this company, no in this business, it all proves to the greatness you once had. It all speaks volumes. But all that noise, it was printed on a vinyl LP. It was in the past. Everything that you've done up til now, it's been in the past.
The only relevant thing that you've done in the last few years was last month at Destiny."
|
.darewolf//PJ_BLACK
|
Black shook his head.
"You come, you go. You come, you go. This is the little game that you like to play with the EBWF Universe. And they're two stupid enough to realize that you're around right now, but what is it going to be like when you lose the championship? What? Are you going to stick around for another month, get your rematch, possibly lose again, and then leave again. Only to pop again next year at King of the Ring again. I mean, that is whenever the EBWF executives decide to dig up your body, reanimate you, and throw you into the mix."
|
.darewolf//PJ_BLACK
|
Black begun to pace back and forth in front of the parked cars.
"But let's move on. You probably already assumed that I was going to talk about your age. But let's face it, what else is there to really talk about Edge.
Like I said, you come and you go. You don't stick around to make an impact what so ever. I joked about how you only come around at the King of the Ring. This time however, you did stick it out longer. Longer than I thought you would have. But in that time, you earned the right to challenge me for the championship. You earned the shot, but what did you do?
You gave it away!!
You had a chance to be EBWF World Championship months ago but you gave it away. Edge, you had a chance to give it away, to Enzo. Enzo.. Fucking Enzo, Edge.
This is the joke that you thought that I was. You thought that I was beneath you. Someone that you could just throw the scraps of this company to. You thought that, so you gave your shot away. Then, out of the blue you come back saying that you never gave it away. You just stepped aside. That's bullshit and you know it Edge.
You knew that it didn't matter. You knew from the moment that you gave that shot away that no matter when,
no matter where. Whether you earned it or not, you would have always been given a title shot. You don't need a reason. Anytime you go and ask for a shot. Anytime you go and ask for anything, it's given to you on a golden platter. Why? Because you're Edge. You're one of the golden age, super hero, life-like Gods of EBWF's past. One of only a handful that can leave this business for month, then when the well starts to dry up, you can walk back in, grab any championship you wish, and rack in the big bucks and continue to live the pretty life.
I know how it is, I'm not stupid. I've been up and down this road my whole career. Despite what Eli Drake said a few weeks ago, I've never been given anything in this business. Everything that I have done, I've worked hard for."
|
.darewolf//PJ_BLACK
|
Black stopped and turned to the camera.
"Don't believe me, take a look back. For me to be considered in the EBWF World Championship picture, I had to bust my ass. I had to dominate for over a year,
dominate in the Royal Rumble, and then finally. After all that, I earned my way into the title match where I wasn't going to let the opportunity go to waste. I took it, I dominated it, and I became the EBWF World Champion. Only to lose it to you, but that all changes tonight.
Tonight, I get my championship back. I get back what belongs to me and I make this company great again.
Everybody knew that this company was growing when I held the championship. I took steps to move this company into the future, only to have it take two steps back with you beating me last month. After tonight, that changes. Tonight, I go back to taking this company on my shoulders. Tonight I go back to moving this company forward. Tonight Edge, I put the final nail in coffin. I give your career the final farewell. Tonight Edge.
I get back my EBWF World Championship."
|
.darewolf//PJ_BLACK
|
PJ Black stood there, the camera panned outward as "So Beneath You" sounded out again as the show transitioned back to ringside.