Taking A Risk

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Sic Semper Tyrannis

On Camera

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Sic Semper Tyrannis…

This is a Latin phrase which means “thus always to tyrants.”  The phrase is often said to have originated with Marcus Junius Brutus during the assassination of Julius Caesar.  The state of Virginia used it, not just in their revolt against Great Britain but in their revolt against the United States.  It is said to have been uttered by John Wilkes Booth when he assassinated Abraham Lincoln.

Sic Semper Tyrannis…

Lincoln was no tyrant but Silas Mason IS a tyrant, a tyrant that must be taken care of, a tyrant that must be eliminated.  I took it upon myself to go after Silas Mason and his World.  Systematically I went after them all but, most importantly, I got into the ear of his most loyal “baby”…

…my mother, Angelica Jones.

Silas Mason thought that Angelica Jones was forever in his back pocket but he was wrong.  Angelica Jones is a strong, independent woman who does what she wants.  The same can be said of Harmony Fisher.  Both women were sick and tired of being bullied by the tyrant known as Silas Mason.  The entire wrestling world is sick and tired of the tyrant known as Silas Mason.

Now we three stand united to go to war with Silas Mason.  He will send his three best knights to challenge us but we will put them down.  We will execute them on our way towards our real target…the cowboy himself…and once we are down with Regan, Sienna, and Katie, we’ll take down Silas World itself.

Sic Semper Tyrannis…

…thus always to tyrants.

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Scene 1

Off Camera

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Is Jessica Lasiewicz is a very hot commodity right now?  Oh yes, definitely.   And why is that?  Perhaps it is because of her tag team partners at Rise To Greatness, Angelica Jones and Harmony Fisher?  After all, at Rise To Greatness it will be their careers on the line, as well as Jessica’s own career, in a six person tag against a Silas World contingent of Sienna Swann, Regan Street, and Katie Steward.  Or maybe, just maybe, it is all just a situation of her own making?  You have to consider, it was Jessica Lasiewicz who got involved in Silas World business in the first place.  She was the one who felt it was necessary to redeem her family name, one family member at a time, by dragging them out of Silas World, or by picking apart Silas World herself.

Yes, Jessica got herself involved in this war, but she will not regret the decision to get involved.  Even if her team comes up short at Rise To Greatness, even if she loses and she has to retire at such a young age at Rise To Greatness, she will retire knowing that she did the right thing, that she fought for her family, and that, at least, her family, specifically her mother, can leave the business with their head held high.  They could leave the business feeling proud of themselves, proud that they did the right thing.

Ultimately that’s what Jessica’s goal has been this entire time.  She knows that her family is capable of greatness, not just in terms of material accolades and achievements, but in terms of doing the right thing for the industry.  Jessica wants to make sure that her family leaves the industry, whether it be now or later, knowing that it did the right thing.  This is what makes into Jessica into a hot commodity, because she is getting herself involved into her mother’s business, all in the name of redeeming her family.

Being a professional wrestler isn’t the only reason young Lasiewicz is a hot commodity right now.  In fact, as we speak, a young twenty-something female in a Duke Blue Devils cheerleading attire is walking down the hallowed halls of Cameron Indoor, looking up and down and everywhere for Jessica.

This is Candra Stevens…or Candi for short…Jessica’s good friend, captain of the cheerleading squad.

Where is Jessica?  She is still in the locker room, dressed in a royal blue pair of windpants and a white t-shirt.  Her long black hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back.  She has a remote control in her hand as she sits in a blue steel folding chair, a few feet away from a television that is tuned in, not to Duke sports of any sort, but to a rerun of SCW Breakdown.  A sneer is etched across her face as she watches the man on her screen…

…Silas Mason.

“Y’all know what to do this Sunday…but tonight, how about ya just wave at the camera. Wish our opponents good luck in their endeavours. This will be the last Breakdown that they’re still wrasslers.”

“Think again, you son of a bitch.” Jessica growls angrily at the television. “We’re going to beat your girls’ asses at Rise To Greatness and then we’ll continue to beat the World’s ass again and again and again and…”

Suddenly, the door to the locker room swings open.  It startles Jessica as she turns and gazes at the door and watches as her friend Candra enters the room with a wide ear to ear grin on her face.  She giggles lightly as she points at the television monitor.

“I didn’t know you hated our television that much…”

“Real funny.”

Jessica scowls as she quickly takes the remote control and switches the monitor off.  Jessica tosses the remote aside and then turns back towards Candra.  The scowl immediately turns into a big grin as she hops up off of the chair, walks over, and greets her good friend with a tight hug.

“I love seeing you, Candi,” Jessica says happily “but why are you here?”

“Ummm,” she taps her wrist “it’s almost time to start cheerleading practice, girl.”

Jessica frowns. “Already?  Weren’t you here five minutes ago to remind me of that?”

Candra starts giggling lightly. “Actually that wasn’t five minutes ago…”

“How long ago was it?”

“Try twenty-five minutes ago!”

Jessica’s eyes grow wide with shock. “What?!  Twenty-five?!”

Candra snickers again, nodding her head. “Yeah, twenty-five, but it’ll be ok…I can understand…”

Stevens shoots a quick look at the television monitor “…especially considering how intense you get with our television.”

Lasiewicz gazes at the television, now turned off, and sighs.  She walks back over and sits back down on the blue steel folding chair she was sitting in earlier.  Candra looks on with concern.  The cheerleader takes a chair of her own, sets it up next to Jessica and grabs her hands, squeezing tightly.

“Wanna talk about it?”

“Nothing…” Jessica’s voice trails off momentarily before she laughs lightly “…nothing at all!  In fact, things couldn’t be better!”

“Then what was with the whole growling and shouting?” Candra notices the confusion that forms on her friend’s face. “Yeah…I heard you from outside the door…”

Jessica playfully shoves her away. “Eavesdropper!”

“Guilty!”

“In any event,” Jessica continues “that man on the television monitor was none other than Silas Mason.”

“That’s your mother’s agent, right?”

Jessica nods her head. “That’s right and she was unable to attend Breakdown last night because Silas refused to let her attend.”

“That’s not right.  Can he really do that?”

“Unfortunately he can.” Jessica retorts. “And until she is freed from his contract, she cannot do anything in SCW without his approval.  That’s why defeating his team of bitches at Rise To Greatness is so important, Candi.  Either she and Harmony are done or they must forever be bullied by Silas.”

“But your career is at stake too…”

Jessica sighs and nods. “Yes, yes it is, but I have to put my career at stake, because I have to rescue my mother.”

The young Polish woman stands up. “I know my career is at stake.  I understand that me, Harmony, and my mother could all have to retire if we lose.  But you know what?  Even if we lose, Angelica and Harmony are still done with Silas.  But losing isn’t an option…”

She shakes her head “…we’re going to win, Candra.  I’m not going to let Silas off that easily.  After we win, I’m going to destroy him, systematically destroy him, because he’s a bully and that’s what bullies deserve.”

Candra stands up as well and embraces Jessica in another hug.

“What was that about?” Jessica asks.

“Because you are the best person I know.” Candra says with a grin. “You are willing to fight for others, you are willing to put so much on the line for other people and that makes you a wonderful person.”

Jessica grins. “Thanks…”

“Now sweetie,” Candra motions to Jessica’s attire “get changed and get out to the court…I may be cheerleading captain but even I can’t save you if you’re late for practice!”

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Taking A Risk

On Camera

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“Darkness is a symbol of ignorance...darkness is a symbol of despair and helplessness...those who are in darkness have no hope of a better future, they have no hope of freedom and liberation...those who are in darkness are condemned to eternal damnation where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth...”

It is at this time that lights come on with a flash.  We see now that we are inside of an empty sports arena.  This arena is set up for a wrestling event, as the ring itself is set up in the center surrounding by thousands upon thousands of chairs that slide all the way up from the ringside area to the nose bleed sections where you can just barely make out anything that were to go on inside of the squared circle.  But nothing is here.  No fans, no wrestlers, no officials, not a soul is here in this arena for us to bear witness to, to listen to.  And yet, that begs the question...

...where did that voice come from?

“Rise To Greatness there shall be a great many souls crying out, a great many individuals who shall weep and gnash their teeth...”

There it is again.  That voice.  That all too familiar and very cryptic voice that echoes throughout this empty sporting arena.  We can tell that this voice belongs to a female but where is she?  Where is it coming from?

Perhaps our obedient cameraman was given a direction, for the camera begins to surprisingly change direction.  It shifts upwards, turning its focus away from the ringside area and up into the balcony.  The camera doesn't stop there.  It continues to go, further and further upward, until it comes to a stop at the rafters.  We catch a slight glimpse of a figure.  As the camera zooms in to get a closer we look we can finally make out that this figure is a female, leaning up against the edge of the catwalk.  She is wearing a long black skirt, a black long sleeved blouse, and black flats.  Her long raven black hair is left to hang unrestrained to shoulder length.  This is Jessica Lasiewicz, daughter of Angelica Jones and Andreas Lasiewicz, two legends in this sport, and this young superstar has a rather stoic, emotionless expression etched across her face as she stares off into the distance, speaking out to anyone who will listen.

“Silas World, being represented by three great athletes in the form of Regan Street, Sienna Swann, and Katie Steward...” she pauses for a moment and shakes her head “...ok, two great athletes and Steward, but in any even those three will represent their agent Silas Mason in a war at Rise To Greatness, a war against three women with a cause to fight for, three women who are dangerous and want to win.  You three ladies will be waging war with Harmony Fisher...'The Dragon' Angelica Jones...”

The stoic, emotionless gaze on Jessica's face changes.  The features upon her face grow more and more intense as she stares directly at the camera, perhaps staring directly at her three opponents.

“...and me, Lady Gambit...The Morning Star...Jessica Lasiewicz.”

“The stakes are high at Rise To Greatness, ladies.  That much is for certain.  The careers of Harmony Fisher, my mother Angelica Jones, and yours truly are all on the line in this match.  In other words, we HAVE to win and if we don't we are done with professional wrestling.  You can't get much bigger than that.  You can't raise the stakes any higher than that.  Either we win or this is our last match.”

Jessica pats herself on the chest. “I always wrestle every match as if it were my last.  My mom does too and, while I cannot personally speak for Harmony, I would be willing to bet that she'd agree with me as well.  So the intensity with which we go to war at Rise To Greatness...”

She shakes her head “...that won't change.  We're still going to give our 110% to the match at Rise To Greatness, we're still going to rain down hell upon you.  You are still going to have to survive a major league ass kicking if you expect to have a prayer of a chance at defeating us at Rise To Greatness.  This business is our lives.  We love it and we will do anything for it.  We will not leave it so easily and if we do have to leave it, if we do have to retire, then fine, we will.  If we go down at Rise To Greatness, then we go down, but we go down fighting and we go down taking one or more of you three bitches with us.”

“Now you may think Angelica Jones and Harmony Fisher were crazy for leaving Silas.  And that's fine.  Think what you want.  But try telling Kelcey Wallace, Taylor Chase, or Brittany Lohan that they're crazy because they left Silas Mason first.  Harmony and my mother are just finally getting with the program.  They're just finally figuring out that Silas Mason is a snake-oil-salesman piece of shit who cannot be trusted.  Now if you want to put all of your eggs into his basket, that's fine.  That's the risk you have to take, just as Angelica and Harmony, as well as myself, are taking a risk by putting our careers on the line to liberate them from Silas Mason's contract.”

Jessica wags her finger at the camera. “Not so fast...”

“...you see, ladies, I was taught by the best card player I know about gambling, so I would have to say that I know a thing or two about taking risks.  Let's analyze the risk/reward factor here for each team, starting with mine.”

“What are the three of us putting on the line?  That's simple: our careers.  What reward do we get if we win?  Angelica and Harmony are free from Silas.  What happens if we lose?  We retire...but therein lies the rub, because Angelica and Harmony would still be free from Silas, albeit retired from the wrestling ring, but still free from the son of a bitch nevertheless, and for everything my mother has done for me over the years, that is one sacrifice I am willing to make in order to help her obtain her freedom.  In other words, girls, win or lose, Angelica and Harmony will get what they want.  Win or lose, they are free of Silas.”

She points a long slender finger at the camera. “Now what about you?  What do you get out of this if you win?”

Jessica shrugs her shoulders. “Not much of anything, from where I sit.  I mean, sure, taking out Harmony, me, and a legend like Angelica Jones would be a nice feather in your cap but, consider this...who is going to be the one who scores the fall?  The person who scores the fall, be it Steward, Street, or Swann, that person will be the one with the honorable distinction of retiring the three of us.  That person will be rewarded by Silas with title opportunities galore while the other two are left out in the dust, because that's just how Silas is.”

“And what if you lose?  What if you get your asses handed to you by me, my mother, and Harmony, just like I predict will happen?  What if you go down in defeat?  Your careers are already slowly going down the tube, thanks mostly to Silas.  Now imagine if you disappoint him at Rise To Greatness...do you think he will ever give you another opportunity ever again?”

Jessica snickers. “From where I sit, there are indeed three careers in jeopardy at Rise To Greatness, but it isn't mine and Angelica's and Harmony's...it's the careers of Sienna and Regan and Katie, because if my mother The Dragon, if Harmony Fisher, if The Morning Star, if the three of us don't destroy you at Rise To Greatness...then Silas will.”

“Come and place ya bets, bitches.  Dobranoc...”

Entitlement

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Scene 1

Post-Uprising 2

Off Camera

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Epiphany comes from the ancient Greek “epiphaneia” which means “manifestation” or “striking appearance.”  In modern usage, epiphany is an experience of sudden and striking realization.  Generally, epiphany has been used to describe scientific breakthroughs or philosophical discoveries, but it can apply in any situation in which an enlightening realization allows a problem or situation to be understood from a new and deeper perspective.

The epiphany brings about enlightenment to the truth.  One can be very intelligent and wise but unless one has enlightenment to the truth then they truly have nothing.  Case in point: Marie Annabelle Jones.

The Phoenix has been with the Independent Wrestling Cartel for well over a year now.  To say that her IWC tenure has been a roller coaster ride would be an understatement.  At the very beginning she was jerked around, lied to, manipulated, and even assaulted by Frankie Paradise and goons he hired.  As if that weren’t enough, Marie was kidnapped by her twin sister who then proceeded to take her place.  No one seemed to even notice that she was gone and no one seemed to comfort or console her after she was rescued.

At that moment, the younger Jones had an epiphany: she needed to start looking out for herself.  So she began to look for adequate representation, someone who would lead her to the promised land and keep her away from the manipulative backstabbers who would try to hold her back.  Samantha Hodgson was the first, most obvious, choice, as she had managed her mother’s, Angelica Jones, career for a very long time.  It was Samantha’s idea that Marie partner up with Ethan Von Aaron.  It became clear that Marie was NOT Ethan’s primary objective.  Hell, Marie wasn’t even Samantha’s primary objective.

That’s when Silas Mason entered the scene.  Silas Mason promised to lead Marie to greatness and, sure enough, under his watchful eye she won the Global Title in GCW, World Tag Team Titles in Pro-Wrestling FRONTIER, and the World Tag Team Titles in IWC.  Also under Silas Mason’s managerial leadership Marie managed to come in second place in the IWC Last Stand Rumble and she was able to walk right into the Invictus main event for the world heavyweight championship.

Despite coming up short at Invictus, The Phoenix was still hopeful of bright things in her future.  After all, her agent Silas Mason had just acquired partial ownership of IWC and was going to run the RIOT Brand during the brand split era.  It was all to work out perfectly until Marie was screwed over yet again, this time by majority owner Drew Bryant who drafted Marie to the Uprising Brand, stealing her right out from under Silas Mason’s nose.

For weeks upon weeks Marie Annabelle Jones had been throwing a fit, using threats and even resorting to violence in order to convince Drew Bryant to trade her to RIOT where she could be on the brand run by Silas Mason.  Bryant wouldn’t budge.  He wouldn’t change his mind.  Even after Marie brutally attacked Crissy Gardner, Scott Steele, and even Bryant himself, leaving them all laid out an unconscious, still despite all of that she could not get Bryant to trade her to RIOT.  Instead he just suspended her.

Normally a suspension would be a bad thing.  Normally a wrestler would hate being suspended as it keeps them from doing what they love and, more importantly, it keeps them from being paid.  And while Marie is feeling part of that sting in the aftermath of her suspension from IWC at the hands of Drew Bryant, there is still something strange about Marie Jones on this fine, bright and sunny day in the beautiful Bahamas…

…yes, the Bahamas…

The gorgeous ginger is wearing a pink sundress with a hemline that stops just above her knee, matching flip flops, and sunglasses over her lovely eyes.  She is making her way to the front desk of the Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort, a huge, luxurious, exquisite hotel.   She is carrying a small bag with her and the rest of her stuff is being carried by a bell boy following along closely behind.  The beautiful young woman is grinning from ear to ear, which you might find surprising considering she was just suspended by Drew Bryant.

You see, Marie Annabelle Jones recently had another epiphany.  After Drew Bryant still refused to trade her, opting instead to suspend her, she came to a sudden, striking realization about who she really is and where her place is in this world of professional wrestling, and soon she will make sure everyone knows it as well…

The Phoenix approaches the front desk and waits patiently for service.  A young bearded man in a polo shirt and khakis approaches her, smiling warmly.

“May I help you?”

“You most certainly can.” Marie responds with a cheerful tone. “My name Is Marie Jones and I have a room reserved.”

Jones expects him to quickly jump to service.  She expects him to get her the room key so she can go ahead and get to relaxing.  That is the purpose of this trip, after all.  If she cannot be allowed to wrestle, if Drew Bryant is insistent on suspending her, then she is going to kick back, relax, and enjoy herself here at the Bahamas.  No need to torture herself back in Boston or New York when she can catch some sun and swim right here in the tropics.  That’s how she views this suspension…she views it as more of a vacation than anything else and she would like to get this vacation started as soon as possible.

Unfortunately the bearded man just stares at her blankly with a confused look on his face.  Instead of taking care of her needs, instead of getting her the room key, he just stands there motionless, as if something is wrong.

“Is something wrong?” Marie asks patiently. “Do I need to repeat myself?  My name is Marie Annabelle Jones and I have a room reserved.”

“Uh, no need to repeat yourself, Ms. Jones,” the young man remarks slowly “it’s just that…”

“What?” Marie asks, growing a little impatient.

“It’s…heh, it’s strange really, and I should have noticed the moment you walked in, but I didn’t notice until you told me your name…”

“Notice what?”

“You already arrived an hour or two ago.” The man says uneasily. “And last I checked you were still up there…”

The man shrugs his shoulders “…I apologize, this has me quite confused and…”

“Don’t be confused…” Marie shakes her head “…I know exactly what’s going on.”

“You do?” The bearded man asks, looking thoroughly confused and bewildered.

“I do.  I just need to know…what room did I check into?”

“Uh…315 I believe…”

“Excellent.”

Marie turns and heads straight towards the elevators.  The man calls out after her. “But Ms. Jones…”

The red-head steps into the elevators. “Just have your bell boy deliver my bags to my room in half-an-hour.”

After pressing a button, the elevator door closes shut.  Immediately the elevator begins lift up, taking Marie up higher and higher.  One ding signifies that she has reached the second floor.  A second dinging sound signifies that she has reached the third floor and the elevator slowly comes to a stop.  The doors open up and Marie exits the elevator onto the third floor.  The red-head takes a right and starts walking down the hall, looking at each room number as she goes…

310...

311…

312…

A grin begins to form on Marie’s face.  She’s been fooled like this once before, she won’t be fooled like this again.  She’s too smart for that.

313…

314…

…315!  Jones approaches the door to room 315 and knocks loudly.  Marie waits patiently for a response but none comes.  She knocks again, louder this time, and this time she shouts…

“Open up, Kimberly!” She exclaims. “I know you’re in there!”

She waits again but this time the wait is not a long one as she hears the lock on the door unlocking.  The door then swings open and Marie steps inside and stares across at Kimberly Williams.  They are half-sisters and Kimberly has naturally black hair but when she dyes it an orange color, she is almost identical to Marie.  It’s easy to see how anyone could be fooled if they did not look close enough at the two of them.  Kimberly did, in fact, all of the wrestling world for several weeks when she took Marie’s place in IWC.  So being able to arrive at this hotel and pretend to be Marie would be child’s play, especially when she has her hair dyed orange as it is today.  She is also wearing a  black bikini top and bottom, signifying that she must have just been poolside.

“Marie!” Kimberly extends her arms out expecting an embrace. “How the hell are you, girl?!”

“Fine…just fine…” she walks past Kimberly into the room, ignoring the request for a hug “…considering the guy at the front desk almost didn’t let me in.”

Kimberly shuts the door and turns to face Marie as the ginger sets her bag on the floor. “So I take it you didn’t like my little fun and games?”

“You really should stop it.” Marie states definitively, seriously. “It could become a problem.”

“Awww,” Kimberly feigns being upset “but I thought you said I could?”

“Only with my foreknowledge.” She retorts. “I knew nothing of this…”

“Yes, well, maybe I just thought I’d surprise you by showing up early?”

“I don’t like surprises.”

“It appears as if you don’t like much of anything.” Kimberly says with a scowl. “What’s wrong with you today, anyway?  Are you upset that Drew Bryant suspended you?”

A smile creeps across Marie’s face before she shakes her head.  Being suspended is definitely not a problem for The Phoenix.  If anything, being suspended is a good thing.  She doesn’t want to be a part of the Uprising roster.  She doesn’t want to work for Drew Bryant on Uprising, she wants to work for Silas Mason on RIOT.  She has been trying to get off of the show for the longest time and it looks like she may have succeeded, even if it is only temporary.

“Not at all.  In fact, I couldn’t be happier.  Drew Bryant has been making my life miserable and to be able to spread that misery to others was worth being suspended.  Crissy Gardner…Scott Steele…and the biggest douche of them all, Drew Bryant, they all felt my wrath on Uprising.  And yes, I would have done it all over again if I had the chance.”

“So the suspension doesn’t bother you?”

“Why should it?” Marie asks. “While the idiots on the Uprising roster are busting their asses in the gym, training and preparing for their matches, I’m going to be here in sunny Nassau…”

Jones twirls around, taking in the luxurious scenery of this hotel suite she reserved for herself.  Two bedrooms, a mini-kitchen, and a large screen television all stand out, but the one thing that really catches her eye is a sliding glass door that leads to her own personal, private pool.  This is quite possibly the most expensive room one could reserve.

The Phoenix approaches Kimberly and turns her back to her. “Unzip me…”

Kimberly nods and unzips the back of the dress.  Marie then proceeds to step out of the dress, revealing that she has on a red bikini top and bottom underneath.  She then heads straight for the sliding glass door.

“I’m going for a swim.  May as well enjoy my suspension.”

Marie slides open the glass doors and steps outside.  Kimberly follows her.  Marie walks past the towel that is already lying poolside and immediately dives into the pool.  Kimberly, meanwhile, takes her spot on the towel, lying face up, with sunglasses on over her eyes.

“I am proud of you, sis.” Kimberly states. “I really am proud.  Taking out idiots like Crissy Gardner and Scott Steele, that was spectacular, and then to blast Drew Bryant with a chair, that was brilliant!”

Marie chuckles as she does a backstroke around the pool. “Granted that chair shot to Bryant WAS an accident but that’s beside the point…”

“But Marie…” Kimberly begins slowly “…you are enjoying this suspension quite a bit, aren’t you?”

Marie swims over to the edge of the pool closest to Kimberly. “It’s not really a matter of whether I enjoy it or not enjoy it…”

“Oh?”

“No…you see, Kim, I had an epiphany last night.  When I found out that I was going to be suspended, it just hit me like a ton of bricks…my entire career in IWC has been marred by people trying to hold me back, trying to keep me down, and now I know why…”

“Why is that?”

“I am a Jones.  I am not just great, I am entitled to greatness.  I am entitled to everything I could ever ask for and then some.  I am the crown jewel of IWC, I am the best in the world, because I am entitled to it and everyone else is jealous.  Let the commoner agonize over their suspension.  That’s fine.  I’m not a commoner.  I am Marie Annabelle Jones and I am entitled to luxuries like this because I can afford it and not bat an eyelash.”

The sound of ringing can be heard.   Immediately Kim sits up. “That sounds like your cell phone…”

Marie goes back to swimming laps around the pool. “Would you mind answering it for me?”

“Not a problem.” Kimberly gets up and goes back inside the hotel room.

Marie Annabelle Jones has had an epiphany.  She believes her last name and everything her family has done for the sport of professional wrestling makes her entitled to greatness.  She believes she has already earned it.  This is definitely not something taught to her by her mother but something learned, something she picked up over the years of being in the cutthroat world of professional wrestling.  Perhaps it is a trait she picked up from Silas Mason?  Whatever it may be, the dangerous thing about it is the fact that Marie is good enough that she can back up most of her arrogant words.

Kimberly returns with the cell phone in hand. “Didn’t get to the phone in time to answer it, but Silas did leave a message for you on twitter…”

“Oh?” Marie asks, continuing to swim but listening nonetheless.

“He wants you back in New York City immediately.”

==========

Scene 2

Post Uprising 3

Off Camera

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New York City is definitely not a bad place to be.  It is a grand city, quite lovely, and full of sites to see.   There is absolutely nothing wrong with New York City and when Silas Mason asked Marie to return to New York City, she had no problems fulfilling this request.  Silas assured her that he needed her in New York so that he could fight on her behalf to get her suspension lifted.  After spending time in New York City, helping Silas in any way she could to get the suspension lifted, she returned to the Bahamas for further vacation, only to turn around and return to the states in time for Uprising 3.

No one expected Marie to show up for Uprising 3.  She was suspended, for starters, and furthermore she didn’t want anything to do with the Uprising brand to begin with.  It didn’t make much sense for her to show up to an Uprising show.  And yet there she was, making her presence felt yet again, this time at the expense of Christian Savior.

For Marie it was a matter of principle.  Drew Bryant needs to learn the error of his ways.  Marie swore at the very beginning that she would burn Uprising to the ground if she did not get what she wanted and she is systematically going to go through the entire roster until she accomplishes that goal.  Crissy Gardner, Scott Steel, and even Drew Bryant himself were the first three victims.  Christian Savior was next.  And now, thanks to the suspension being lifted, Marie can add two more names to the list…

…Amanda Blayze and Ethan Von Aaron.

The negotiations between Drew Bryant and Silas Mason went well and Silas managed to get Marie’s suspension lifted in time for her to get booked against Blayze and Von Aaron at Extreme Fury.  It will be a street fight for an X-Class Title Shot but for Marie this is about more than a mere title shot.

This is about making a statement.

Silas Mason declared Marie to be the crown jewel.  Drew Bryant made Marie the number one overall draft pick in the IWC draft.  Those facts alone are evidence of what Marie has been saying for quite some time now, that she is among the top stars in IWC and that she should be respected.  She doesn’t want to win the X-Class title shot.  Being X-Class champion means nothing to Marie.  She just wants to go out to the ring, steal the show, and in the process destroy Ethan and Amanda.

Perhaps by adding two more names to the injured reserve, Marie will finally force Drew Bryant to give in and send her back to RIOT?  In Marie’s mind she deserves to go to whichever brand she wants.  In Marie’s mind, she is entitled to be on whichever brand she wants simply because of who she is.

Currently Jones is still in New York City, but she is getting packed and ready to leave for the Bahamas again.  She sits on the edge of her bed in her New York City apartment, throwing the essentials into her luggage.  She’s wearing a black mini-skirt, sandals, and a red t-shirt.  Her long red hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

The loud knocking immediately gets her attention as she perks up and looks to her bedroom door.

“Come in…”

She watches as the door slowly opens.  In walks the familiar figure of her mother, Angelica Jones.  The elder Jones is wearing denim jeans, tennis shoes, a red t-shirt that matches her daughter’s, and her signature black leather jacket.

“Oh…it’s you…” Marie turns her attention away from her mother and back towards packing.

There is a noticeable tension in the air between mother and daughter.  Angelica and her daughter Marie have always had their tense moments, from the time of Marie’s birth when she gave her up for adoption, to the times Marie watched Angelica in her wrestling career and the heinous things she did just to get ahead, just to win a championship, despite the many times mother and daughter made peace with one another, there had always been that tension that would always exist between them, for neither could completely forget the past.

What Marie doesn’t always understand is that Angelica does mean well.  Everything she has done, even if it is a heinous act, has been done with the best of intentions.  Take, for example, when Marie had her issues with Samantha Hodgson and Ethan Von Aaron.  Angelica was right there to push her in the direction of Silas Mason because, at the time, Angelica thought Silas could work the same magic on Marie that he had done for so many others.

Now things have changed.  Angelica sees how cancerous Silas Mason can be.  She saw how ruthless he can be when he tried to injure her daughter Jessica and her sister Kayla.  Angelica, the matriarch of the Jones family, had a choice: support Silas Mason or support her family.  It was an easy choice for Angelica, because she will always choose her family.  Always.

The same can’t be said of Marie Annabelle Jones.

“It’s nice to see you too, Marie.”

Angelica walks over to her bed and sits down next to Marie.  Immediately the younger Jones shoots up off of the bed, sighs, and walks off towards a far corner of the room.  Angelica watches her longingly with a pain in her eyes.

“Marie, I…”

“What is it, mom?” Marie says impatiently, interrupting her mother in mid-sentence. “Tell me what it is you want to talk about and leave.”

Angelica doesn’t say anything right away.  She pauses, looking down at the luggage. “Where are you going?”

“I’m about to leave for the Bahamas…if you must know…”

Angelica smiles warmly. “They’re lovely this time of year.”

The tension seems to be easing up just slightly as Marie cracks a smile of her own. “Yeah, I know…”

“Do you remember the times you, me, your sister Jessie, and Andreas would go down there?”

Marie, her back still facing Angelica, nods her head. “Yeah, those were great times.  Good memories like those are the reasons why I still go to the Bahamas.”

“Really?”

Marie nods her head. “There are tons of beaches to choose from and I’m wealthy enough to go to any of them and stay.  But the only reason I choose the Bahamas is because of those memories.”

The Phoenix turns around to face her mother.  It is clear that both women are in emotional pain right now and are fighting back the tears.  Marie was not expecting this visit, otherwise she probably would have made sure to avoid it.  She isn’t ready yet to speak to her mother one on one, face to face.  It’s too soon since Angelica abandoned Silas Mason and Silas World.  They are still mother and daughter, nothing can change that, but it still feels as if Angelica betrayed her.  It still hurts.

“And I just need to get away…”

“Get away from what?”

“Everything.” Marie states definitively. “You name it, I want to get away from it.”

The mother motions back to the bed, next to her, where Marie was sitting earlier. “Sit down.”

After a brief pause, Marie nods and reluctantly walks over and sits back down on the edge of the bed next to her mother.

“Look, Marie, I know in the past I have not been there for you.” Angelica admits. “But I want to change that and that’s why I’m here.  I want to support you.”

“You want to support me?” Marie asks, almost shockingly. “Let me ask you something, mom.  Who encouraged me to sign with Silas Mason?  Who told me Silas World was the best way to go?”

Angelica doesn’t answer a t first. She just lowers her head in shame. “Answer me, mother!”

“I did…”

“That’s right, you did!” She exclaims loudly. “And now you left Silas World and are going to war with him?”

“I’m going to war with Silas Mason…” her voice trails off “…I’m not going to war with you.”

“I am a part of Silas World and I will defend Silas if necessary.” Marie retorts. “You may as well be at war with me!”

Angelica shakes her head. “Never…I will never physically harm you, Marie.  I will take them all apart piece by piece if I have to, but I will never harm you.  I swear.  And…and…”

“And what?” Marie asks impatiently. “What is it?!  TELL ME!”

“…that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” Angelica takes Marie’s hands into hers and squeezes tightly. “No matter what happens, I do not want Silas to come between you and me.  I want you to know that no matter what happens, I will always support you, whether you are a part of Silas World or not.”

The younger Jones stares into her mother’s eyes for what seems like an eternity.  She isn’t quite sure what to make of her mother’s words.  She isn’t sure she believes her.

“Really?  Is that so?”

Angelica nods her head. “Yes…”

“Uprising 2, I blasted Drew Bryant with a chair and I put Crissy Gardner and Scott Steel on the shelf.  Uprising  3, I took out Christian Savior.  You still support me?”

Angelica lets out a low chuckle. “Sweetie, what you’re doing is not much different from anything I did when I was your age in the wrestling industry.”

“Actually, you did worse.”

Angelica shuts her eyes. “This is true…I did do worse…”

She opens her eyes back up and embraces Marie. “I do not support your association with Silas Mason but I will ALWAYS support you in anything else you do!  If that means taking out people, if that means being violent, then fine, be violent, but go out there and handle your business.  Do what you do best and wrestle.  Wrestle and win.  Do whatever it takes to win.  That has to be good enough for now.”

The Phoenix is still quite stunned.  She did not expect this reaction from her mother.  She expected a lecture, not support.

“Yeah…that’s fine…but I’m going to tell you what I told Jessica.  I am not interested in you trying to save my soul.  I happen to like being with Silas World.  He’s done a lot for me.”

Angelica nods her head. “I know, and I won’t try to save your soul today, but that won’t stop me from trying later, because you are good enough without him, Marie.  That’s the last lesson you need to learn in order to truly be the best.”

Marie shakes her head. “That’s where you’re wrong…I’m already the best…and at Extreme Fury I’ll prove it .”

 

==========

Kimberly Williams

On Camera

==========

I’m not usually a generous person.  In fact, I tend to be somewhat of an anarchist.  I like to just sit back and watch as the shit hits the fan.  But for you, Drew Bryant, I’m going to give you some free advice, mainly because that free advice will also help my sister…

…give her what she wants.  Send her to RIOT.  Marie Annabelle Jones does not want to work for you, she does not want to work on the Uprising program.  She wants to work for Silas Mason and wrestle for the RIOT brand of IWC.  She warned you that she would go to great lengths to get what she wanted.  She warned you that there would be consequences if you did not trade her to the RIOT brand and now look at what happened…look at the carnage YOU caused…

…that’s right, Drew…the blood of Crissy Gardner, Scott Steele, and Christian Savior are on YOUR hands…

Now you’re going to throw Amanda Blayze and Ethan Von Aaron to the wolves as well?  Well I’m telling you right now that they will suffer the same fate as Gardner did…as Scott did…as Christian did…Blayze and Von Aaron will not leave Extreme Fury under their own power.

And it’s all your fault, Drew.  It’s your fault because you were too damn prideful to do what’s right and send Marie to the RIOT brand where she belongs.

Uprising will burn to the ground and it will be your fault.

==========

Marie Jones

On Camera

==========

“The following advertisement has been paid for by The Ginger Nation…”

We open in a large, luxurious hotel suite with plush, cream colored carpeting, two sofas, one visible king sized bed and an adjacent door that leads to another bedroom with, no doubt, another king sized bed.  We can see the mini-kitchen in this luxury suite as well as plants and paintings that decorate this room.  As we move over we come to a sliding glass door that is already opened.  We walk through the sliding glass door and step out onto what is a balcony area that overlooks the rolling waves of what appears to be the ocean.  A turn to the right reveals a female figure leaning back in a beach chair.

We cannot tell what this lovely lady is wearing, as her body is wrapped in a white towel.  But her eyes are covered in sunglasses and she has long, gorgeous red hair.  A glass of what appears to be champagne is in her left hand, a hand with fingers that have nails painted a bright brilliant red color.  This is, of course, none other than Marie Annabelle Jones.

“This is the life…”

A light chuckle escapes the beautiful ginger’s lips before she takes the glass of champagne that rests in her left hand, brings it up to her mouth, and takes a sip.  She brings it back down and sighs.

“If I had known that beating the hell out of some worthless, pathetic pieces of crap would get me rewarded with a  vacation in the beautiful Bahamas, then I would have done so a hell of a lot sooner.  It’s all about taking action.  I know that now.  And I owe a lot of that knowledge to Vanilla Skyy.”

She lowers her sunglasses briefly to wink at the camera, then brings the sunglasses back up to cover her eyes once more.

“All I heard from you since we were both drafted to Uprising was that I should stop talking about it and DO something about it.  I didn’t listen because I thought trying to be the diplomat, trying to resolve things peacefully without violence was the right path to take.  I asked, oh so nicely, for Drew Bryant to release me from my contract or trade me to RIOT and he did neither.  It took awhile for me to realize that I needed to stop talking and complaining and just do something about it.  I needed to show Drew Bryant the error of his ways.”

She laughs lightly. “I blasted Drew Bryant in the head with a chair…I took out Crissy Gardner…and I effectively eliminated Scott Steel from his IWC career…THAT is what Drew Bryant gets for keeping me on Uprising, and what do I get for taking out three people?”

Jones turns her head from side to side as she surveys the lovely, beautiful scenery that surrounds her, the birds, the sun, the ocean, all of it, and a wide grin forms across her face.

“I get suspended, all so that I can come here to the lovely Bahamas and enjoy myself!” She takes in a deep breath and lets it out. “You gotta love that ocean air!  It really is glorious!  Now I know, I know, I also got fined by Drew Bryant and I didn’t get paid for Uprising 3 since I didn’t appear on the show…”

Marie shrugs her shoulders “…oh well!  That fine and any other fine Drew Bryant can hit me with is just a drop in the bucket, because for starters IWC isn’t the only company I work for.  I also work for Global Championship Wrestling…they pay better than IWC anyways…and the other aspect to that is something else that has been said, but not just by Vanilla Skyy, but by so many others.”

The lovely red-head reaches up and removes her sunglasses, placing them on the arm rest of her chair.  She looks on intensely at the camera.

“I am a Jones!  I am part of a wrestling dynasty, hell, I am a living legend among professional wrestling, partially because of my name, and because of my name, I can live in the lap of luxury!  Drew Bryant can fine me, he can bring lawsuits against me if he wants, but I have a damn near unlimited financial war chest to keep me going for as long as I desire!  I have the financial means necessary to go to the Bahamas, to go to the Caribbean, to go visit Paris and Rome and anywhere else I want to go and everywhere I go, no matter where it is I choose, I will be treated like a mother fucking Queen, like the wrestling royalty that I am, because my last name makes me entitled to every bit of it.”

She holds up one finger. “I am a one percenter.”

“But I don’t get by solely on my last name alone.  I mean, if I only had my last name to get me by, I may still be in this sport, perhaps as an agent or promoter or some other behind the desk figure like that, but I would never have been able to set foot inside of a wrestling ring and I would not have held championship after championship, title after title in eight different major companies.  Granted, I know some of you like to keep your head buried in the sand, but there are wrestling companies out there NOT NAMED Independent Wrestling Cartel.”

“Drew Bryant knows this as well as anyone else.  He knows what I can do inside of that wrestling ring.  The man did his homework, he did his research, research that goes beyond my second place finish in the Last Stand Rumble and my victory for the IWC World Tag Team Championships against The Good Villains, it was the cumulative research of my entire career, a career that has had its ups and its downs, but saw in me what I’ve been saying all along…”

She smirks arrogantly “…the best in the world.”

“Drew Bryant is competing with the best mind in pro-wrestling, that being my agent Silas Mason.  Silas runs RIOT and not only does he run RIOT but he has some of IWC’s top names….Katelyn Buehler, Taylor Chase, even the world champion Serenity…Bryant knew that he needed some big names if he wanted to have any hopes of competing in the ratings game with Silas Mason.  So who did Drew Bryant draft first?  Did he draft one of the five Uprising title contenders?  Did he draft Vanilla or Alana first?  Did he draft William or Tina first?  Did he draft that irrelevant old piece of crap whose name I can’t remember first?”

Jones shakes her head. “No…he drafted me first.”

She pats herself on the chest. “I was the number one draft pick and you want to know why?  Because I am the face of Uprising.  I am the reason people tune in to watch Uprising.  Ratings were sky high for Uprising 1 and Uprising 2 but when I was left unbooked for Uprising 3, the ratings tanked worse than the stock market did during the Great Depression.  It was worse than Greece’s financial crisis!  Drew himself was too prideful to call me but I got calls from other Uprising staff wishing to remain anonymous who begged and pleaded with me to please return as soon as I could, that things on Uprising had taken a huge downward spiral since I was gone!”

“Unfortunately, I couldn’t return until their fearless leader said I could return.  But have no fear, Ginger Nation, your leader is returning triumphant to rescue the Uprising brand from going down the toilet once and for all.  I mean, let’s face facts, if it weren’t for me, Extreme Fury buyrates would take a huge nosedive.  People are only ordering this pay per view just with the singular hope that they can see me!”

She shuts her eyes and turns her head up, almost as if looking up into the sky, but her eyes remain shut.  She holds her arms out in a crucifix like pose.

“I represent hope on IWC’s Uprising brand and it is that hope and change that I am bringing not just to Uprising, not just to IWC, but to professional wrestling as a whole!”

Jones lowers her head.  A sly grin forms across her face. “I am the show stealer, the top star, the crown jewel of the Uprising brand.  People are going to order Extreme Fury for one reason and one reason only and damnit you’re looking at that reason!  Now Drew can try and humble me by shuffling me off in the undercard but he’s going to learn a lesson about how I operate.  The fact is that I don’t settle second best.  I raise my own game to a whole new level each and every time I set foot inside of the wrestling ring.  I steal the show each and every time I’m booked.  Things won’t be any different at Extreme Fury.”

“Triple threat match?  Me against Amanda Blayze and Ethan Von Aaron?  And I guess I’m supposed to be excited about the fact that a shot at the X-Class Title is going to be awarded to the winner?”

The ginger dances around in a circle, mockingly, jovially, making a “weeeee” noise as she does so.  After two or three rotations she stops and shakes her head in disgust.

“Please!  This is pathetic!  Do you think I care about the X-Class Championship?  I held the X-Class Title in a place you may know of, Future Wrestling Alliance.  Held it so long they renamed it the Inception Championship.  I made that title.  But more importantly, I am BEYOND that championship, I am ABOVE that championship.  Do you think I want to take a step back and compete for that?  Hell no!  I ought to be fighting for the world title, at the very least I should be fighting the winner of that main event at Extreme Fury for the world title.  That is what I deserve, that is what I am entitled to, but instead of giving me what I am entitled to, you put me in a match against a pervert and someone who is completely irrelevant!”

“I’ll fight Von Aaron and Blayze.  I’ll jump through your little hoops, Drew, and compete in this half-assed little street fight.   And I’ll tell you what, this match, our match, it will steal the show.  Yes, it will be even greater than hell in a cell.  All because I am in it!  So don’t worry, Drew, you will get your world class spectacle featuring your superstar, Marie Annabelle Jones, and I will win that street fight, but when I win, I’m going to sell that X-Class title shot to the highest bidder, because I deserve better than that.”

“Amanda Blayze, you are the most pointless, pathetic, piece of human waste I have ever had been unfortunate enough to know.  Your entire career is irrelevant!  Had you been smart enough to figure that out then maybe you wouldn’t have tried to play hero and go up against Silas World.  But you thought you could challenge us.  You thought you could topple Silas Mason…”

She snickers nastily “…but you found out, just as everyone else who challenges Silas eventually finds out, that you cannot defeat him and you cannot defeat his World.  Now you are a part of his World and you need to accept that fact and accept it fast, because Extreme Fury is on the horizon and there are two ways we can do things…the easy way or the hard way…”

“…now the easy way is for you to know your role, the easy way is for you to recognize your place in relation to me in Silas World.  I am the crown jewel and you are a lackey!   Your job is to make sure I look good.  Your job is to make sure I win.  It really is as simple as that, bitch.  It really is that easy…”

“…OR you could choose to do things the hard way and we can do things the hard way if you want, I’m game with that, but understand that a great deal of pain will be coming your way if we do things the hard way.  I’m sure you’ve been paying close attention to my path of destruction?  I took out Drew Bryant, Crissy Gardner, Scott Steele, and Christian Savior!  You want out of Silas World so damn badly?  I won’t hesitate to give you exactly what you want by putting you out of action, by putting you on a stretcher and sending you to the injured reserve list!  And it would be all legal in a street fight!”

“Now for my former manager Ethan Von Aaron, who used to call himself Porno Lad…” she shudders “…who the hell calls himself Porno Lad anyway?”

She sighs, shaking her head. “You may be a pervert but you are a relevant pervert.  Between you and Blayze, you are the only one who actually still has a career left and you may have a desire to win that matches mine, because you want to fight Alana Starr one on one and becoming the number one contender to the X-Class Championship is your ticket to that match, am I right?”

“Under normal circumstances I would be wishing you luck.  After all, I could care less about the X-Class Championship.  But these aren’t normal circumstances and you are not just fighting that irrelevant piece of crap Amanda Blayze.  You’re also fighting me, The Phoenix, The Best in the World, the Crown Jewel, and I have a reason to win as well, because while beating Blayze really means nothing in the grand scheme of things, defeating you, a former world champion, would mean a great deal in my argument to get another shot at the world title.”

“When I defeat you and Blayze at Extreme Fury, I will sell that X-Class Title shot to the highest bidder, so who knows?  You may be able to buy it from me anyway, Ethan, but you will not beat me for it.  You cannot beat me for it.  I am the greatest thing to have ever signed on the dotted line for IWC and everyone knows it, including Drew Bryant, and if you don’t know it, then I will quickly make a believer out of you at Extreme Fury when I eradicate you and your hopes and dreams of punching your ticket to a one on one match with Alana Starr.”

“You may think you can appease me with a title shot, Drew, but it just isn’t going to happen that way.  The X-Class Title is important, don’t get me wrong, but it isn’t what I’m after right now and I refuse to be distracted in a needless war over that championship.  I have my eyes set on a  prize much greater than that and I’m entitled to that prize…and if you don’t believe me, just watch my performance at Extreme Fury, watch what I do to Amanda Blayze and Ethan Von Aaron, and I will prove to you that I am entitled, that I am the crown jewel, and that you made a mistake in making an enemy out of me!”