Post by Michael on Jul 3, 2016 14:06:17 GMT -6
“Well are you going to say something?”
The scene opens up looking out at the skyline of New York City. Not the post-apocalyptic version, but the one where UCI exists. So there’s no war-torn city in the background. There are no fires atop the buildings and you can hear the usual sounds of a large city: horns honking, construction crews working, the general buzzing noise of a city alive and well.
Near the bottom of the camera’s view are a pair of men standing atop a nearby building and this is where the voice heard recently comes from. As the camera moves closer and due to the quizzical expression on his face, it’s apparent that the voice comes from David, friend and fellow UCI wrestler to Michael. Michael isn’t responding as he looks intently through the binoculars resting against his eyes, biting his lip as he concentrates, occasionally moving the binoculars searching for something. He finally lowers them and looks at David, a grin spreading across his face.
“This is it,” responds Michael.
David cheers and holds a hand up for a high five from Michael which he receives. Michael puts the binoculars down on the wall beside him as he leans over, looking around the area with a look of both awe and confusion.
“So this is what it is supposed to look like?” Michael asks.
The camera moves around behind Michael to reveal a harbor area in the distance. The words 3 Days Earlier and New York City appear on the bottom left of the screen. Judging from the landmarks about and the view, it appears to be the same harbor area from the post-apocalyptic world where Michael first appeared on screen. The building looks amazing, none of the same war-torn look it has in the post-apocalyptic world. Another difference is the lack of ropes and pulley systems running from the building’s balconies that would have run down to the harbor itself. Down in the harbor itself there are no crudely built walls and no armed guards patrolling the area. The harbor is more alive and teeming with even more people. Fishermen and boat captains. Men carrying nets.
Michael also looks on in awe to see ships and fishing boats docked in the harbor area, something else that he is apparently not familiar with in the post-apocalyptic version of New York City. As David reaches for the binoculars and puts them up to his own face, Michael puts an arm on him and points towards the building.
“It’s the 6th one from the left,” Michael states.
“That’s the one where you lived, man? I mean the one where you live?” David asks.
“Yeah, that’s it,” Michael answers.
David lowers the binoculars and puts them back on the wall. He turns to Michael.
“So now what, bro? What does this mean?” David asks.
Michael ponders this for a few seconds, still grinning, and then glances back over at the building.
“It means that I may be home. What if she’s waiting inside there? What if she’s waiting for me?” Michael wonders.
“Well, what if we knock on the door and someone else entirely answers?” David questions.
Michael’s small falters a little bit as he considers this. He looks at David.
“Well, I mean, there’s only one way to find out,” Michael states.
David shrugs, picks up the binoculars, and starts walking towards the door that leads to the stairwell. He stops right before the door and looks back at Michael. Michael continues staring out at the building for a few more seconds before turning around and following David, a mixed look of excitement and apprehension across his face. The scene fades out.
====================
The scene fades back in at the foot of the building where Michael lives in the post-apocalyptic world. David and Michael both look up at it, the harbor at their back. Michael turns and walks towards the back of the building. David has a confused look on his face as he calls out.
“Dude, where are you going? The entrance is around front,” states David.
Michael stops and turns towards David.
“Yeah, but that’s not the fastest way up there. Trust me, I’ve lived here for over five years,” Michael states matter-of-factly.
David shrugs and follows Michael as the two men walk around the building to the back. Michael has a confused look on his face as he walks up and down the back of the building. He finally takes a couple of steps back, looking up and shielding his eyes. David looks up and sees a pair of davit carriages near the top of the building.
“Shit,” says Michael.
“What is it? I don’t see how to get in the building from back here,” says David.
“It’s those davit carriages. They’re supposed to be down here. Whoever was last up there must not have sent them back down,” Michael states.
David gives Michael a “what the hell” look.
“What do you mean, bro? That’s not how we get up there,” David responds.
Michael turns to David and scoffs.
“Then how do we get up there?” Michael asks.
“Uhhh, the elevators, bro. Do you guys not use elevators?” David asks.
“No, there’s not enough power,” Michael responds.
“Well how do you work the davit carriages? They run on power, too,” says David.
“We have generators and they are only used for the davit carriages as the elevators require a lot of power and maintenance,” Michael explains.
“Oh ok, makes sense. Well, here in this New York City, we use elevators so let’s go around to the front and head up there,” David suggests.
Michael nods and the two men start heading back around towards the front of the building. The scene fades out and then back in as the two men stand in front of a door. Michael is just standing there staring at it. David glances over at him.
“Dude, we’ve been standing here for at least three or four minutes. Are you going to knock? Or do you have a key?” David asks.
Michael shakes his head no.
“No key. I’m just really nervous about this because what if she’s not in here? What if we drove all the way up here just to find out that you’re right and the post-apocalyptic world I live in isn’t reality and I’m just dreaming about it at night?” Michael asks with a worried look on his face.
David claps a hand on Michael’s shoulder, gripping it.
“Bro, I got your back, man. We didn’t come all this way just to stare at this door and wonder. You gotta reach out and knock on the door and find out who lives there,” David states.
Michael nods as David takes his hand off of Michael’s shoulder. Michael takes a deep breath and steps forward to knock when the door opens on its own. Michael jumps back as a woman appears in the doorway with a purse on her shoulder. Her back is turned, but she has the same brunette-colored hair as the woman from the balcony. She calls back into the apartment.
“Honey, let’s go! We need to hurry up and get to the shoe store!” she yells.
Michael’s eyes are wide and he is speechless. David is glancing back and forth between Michael and the woman who still hasn’t noticed the two men standing in the hallway in front of her. She finally turns towards them and nearly jumps out of her skin as Michael speaks at the same time.
“Jessie?!” he asks in excitement.
“Jesus Christ, you scared the shit out of me. Who are yo—“ Jessie starts to ask but is interrupted as Michael steps forward wrapping her in his arms and kissing her on the mouth. She moans out in confusion and starts slapping at him and he releases the kiss and the hug. She shoves him back and reaches into her purse. She gives him a horrified look.
“Who the hell do you think you are kissing me like that?!” she exclaims.
Jessie starts inching back into the room when she notices David standing there, equally confused. Michael looks at Jessie with a slightly confused look on his face.
“Jessie, it’s me. Michael,” he responds.
Jessie continues to give him a confused look.
“Do I know you? Why did you kiss me? Look, I don’t know what you two are up to but I will scream my bloody head off if you come any closer,” Jessie threatens, her hand still in her purse.
Michael’s confusion is even more apparent as he gives a pleading look to Jessie.
“It’s me, Michael. Your husband,” Michael states.
Jessie’s look of confusion disappears as it changes to a look of distrust.
“Ummm, now I know you’re definitely crazy. I do not have a husband named Michael. My husband disappeared years ago and I haven’t seen him since. His name is definitely not Michael and he’s definitely not you,” Jessie states.
Michael’s brow furrows as he stands there dumbfounded. Suddenly a noise can be heard in the background as someone comes running to the door.
“Mom, I’m ready!” a voice exclaims from the other side of the door.
Jessie tries to stop the child from appearing in the doorway, but she’s not quick enough as a small brown-haired boy steps in the doorway. It’s the little boy from the balcony. David’s head snaps towards Michael, watching the look of recognition. He tries to stop Michael from doing what happens next.
Michael’s face lights up, his look of confusion replaced with happiness. He steps forward towards the boy, his arms extended.
“Marcus!” Michael exclaims.
The look on Jessie’s face turns into horror and then determination as she pulls her hand out of her pocketbook to reveal a taser. David sees this and reaches out a hand to stop Michael, who doesn’t see the taser, but is too late. 50,000 volts are sent surging through Michael as the woman uses her other hand to push the boy back into the room. Screams and a slamming door can be heard as Michael slams into the wall behind him, his body jerking around from the voltage. The door next to Jessie’s place opens and a blonde-haired man with chiseled features steps into the hallway. It’s the next door neighbor from the post-apocalyptic world. He looks like he’s about to do something, but David holds up a hand.
“Look dude, we don’t want any trouble. We’re leaving now,” David says quickly.
The blonde-haired man gives Michael a look of confusion as if he’s never seen him before as Michael’s world turns to black. The scene fades out.
===================
“Are you ok, man?”
The scene fades back into a corner booth at a bar. Judging from the signs and memorabilia hanging on the walls, it’s obvious we’re still in New York City. Considering it’s early afternoon, the place isn’t that crowded except for a few tables full of businessmen and businesswomen eating lunch together. Michael and David are seated at a corner booth. Michael’s head is drooping and he occasionally twitches, his body still not over the volts of electricity sent through it earlier. Michael looks up with a look of hurt on his face.
“HOW could I be ok, David? She didn’t even recognize me and that was our little boy Marcus. I even remember seeing our neighbor right before I blacked out. No one recognized me, but I could have told you every feature and characteristic about any of those people before we saw them. I could tell you information about them right now and you could ask them and I would be spot on. This makes no sense at all, so no, I’m not ok,” Michael responds.
David sighs and drinks some more from the beer in front of him.
“So what do we do now?” asks David.
Michael shrugs without looking at David.
“I don’t know. Everything feels like it is unraveling around me. All this time I believed that the world where I claimed I came from was the real world and THIS was a dream. Now I find out that my wife is here as well but in this world we apparently don’t know each other. So this has to be the real world, right? Because why would I dream up a world where my wife doesn’t know me and a world where we’re not married? But if that’s true, then how is Mitch there as well? How is he her neighbor? Why would I dream that up as well?” Michael wonders aloud.
David chuckles and waves a hand over his head, making a whooshing sound.
“Bro, that’s way over my head. I have no idea,” David says with a “yikes” look on his face as he stares down at his beer. He finally looks back up.
“What I do know, man, is we gotta head to Minnesota soon for Overload. You have a match to prepare for against Jay Omega,” says David.
Michael looks at David with a look of disbelief, an eyebrow raised.
“You think I’m going to be able to concentrate on an opponent this week after what just happened?” Michael asks.
“Well dude, you can call in sick if you want, but you just won that big battle royal last week and you need to keep up the momentum you’re on and build it towards the title shot at BeachMania,” David explains.
Michael sighs.
“You’re right I guess. Let’s pay up and head out there. Maybe some training and a week in some new town will help me clear my head and we’ll decide what to do next,” Michael says.
David reaches out and the pair pound fists, then down the rest of their beers before climbing out of the corner booth. They walk over to the cash register by the bar. David pulls out a wallet from his shorts and pays for his drinks. Michael is fishing out some cash from his wallet when he hears a voice.
“Michael! Is that you?” the voice asks.
Michael freezes at the sound of his name and slowly looks up at the bartender standing nearby. A look of surprise comes over his face when he sees Brooke standing there in front of him. Michael blinks in disbelief. The cashier takes his cash and David leans in.
“Bro, who is the hottie?” David asks.
“She is one of our medical people in the post-apocalyptic world,” Michael responds without taking his eyes off of Brooke. “You know me?” Michael asks.
Brooke laughs.
“Yes, we’ve known each other for years! Have you forgotten or something?” Brooke asks.
Michael turns to David and they exchange a confused, yet surprised look. The scene fades out.
=========================
The scene fades in, this time to the post-apocalyptic world. The camera is looking out from Michael and Jessie’s balcony. The camera zooms out to include the couple in the shot, both overlooking the harbor area. The time of day appears to be evening time as the sun is slowly setting over the western part of the ruins of the city. Words crawl across the screen:
2931 PA
Ruins of New York City
Heathridge Apartments
The words fade out from the screen as the revving sounds of motorcycles fill the air. Michael and Jessie look across the harbor at a large warehouse where three motorcycles and a pickup truck emerge. The convoy of vehicles roll down the road and slow to a stop near the gates that exit the harbor area. A few people walk up towards the truck and speak with the driver. One of the men is the blonde-haired man from the next balcony over: Mitch. Mitch looks up towards Michael and Jessie and whistles. Michael sticks his fingers in his mouth and whistles back.
Mitch signals to the guards and the doors at the makeshift gate creak as they are slowly opened. Several men with guns march outside swiftly and scan the area. One of them turns back and signals to Mitch who nods at the men on bikes. They rev up their bikes. Two of them move out side by side through the gate, the third bike staying put. The third biker waits until the truck has passed and then follows it out the gate.
A few seconds after they pass the gate, the armed men and women march back inside and the gate is slowly closed and barred shut once more. Michael and Jessie watch as the bikes and truck go down one of the main roads, the bike engines echoing off the still buildings of the city. Eventually, they turn off on a different road and disappear from sight. Michael turns and walks across the balcony towards the room, taking Jessie’s hand in his, the pair walking into the room.
“Let’s go over to the resort and grab something to eat. I’m hungry,” Michael says to Jessie.
“Me, too. Mark, let’s go get some food!” says Jessie.
Their son Mark is seated on the floor playing with some toys in the middle of their room, a lantern lighting up most of the room. He reaches over and puts out the light of the lantern, making the room go pitch black, but only for a few seconds as Michael opens the door to their room. Mark pads along after them out into the hallway. They’re in a hallway that looks the same as the one we were in earlier when Michael found Jessie and Mark in the UCI world.
The trio pass several doors and finally arrive at a door at the end of the hall. Michael knocks on the door. A few seconds pass and then someone opens the door. It’s an Asian man with hardened features. He’s wearing camoflauge and carrying an AK-47. He smiles when he sees who is at the door.
“We’re heading over to the resort for supper,” Michael states.
The man nods and opens the door the rest of the way, standing off to the side. Michael and Jessie walk in, followed by Mark. The Asian man ruffles Mark’s hair. He reaches down into his pocket and pulls something out, bending down to Mark’s height.
“Hey buddy, check out what they found on the supply raid the other day,” the man says.
Mark turns and his eyes light up as the Asian man hands him a comic book. It’s the comic Invincible. Mark takes the comic and flips through a few pages, looking at it in awe. Jessie smiles at the excited look on her son’s face. Mark and the Asian man high five and the Asian man stands back up. Michael turns to the man and sticks out his hand for a handshake.
“How are you doing, Jeong?” Michael asks as the two shake hands. Jeong nods at Michael.
“I am doing great, thanks for asking!” Jeong responds.
“Say thank you, Mark,” instructs Jessie.
“Thanks, Jeong! This looks awesome!!” exclaims Mark.
“No problem little man! We always look out for cool toys and other things for you and the other kids. Hey, Sam! We got three going down!” Jeong yells across the suite.
The room they’re in is a huge corner suite of the building. There are cots on one side of the room, some communication equipment in another corner. The balcony in this room has a glass sliding door. A man standing outside turns at the sound of Jeong yelling at him and waving, indicating that he’s Sam. The trio walks over towards the door as Sam waves them over. He opens the sliding glass door and holds a hand out, keeping them from getting too close to the side of the balcony, part of it is missing, leaving a gap out of the side of the building.
A slowly mechanical noise can be heard and a set of wires are on each side of the balcony and they are moving. A minute later a davit carriage appears and comes to a stop. A woman is standing at the controls and she gestures for the trio to step aboard. Mark walks over quickly and stands beside the woman who starts talking to him and showing him how the davit carriage is operated. Michael and Jessie step aboard and secure themselves along with Mark.
Sam waves at the trio as the davit carriage slowly descends down the side of the tall building. Across the back of the building a couple of more davit carriages are going up and down as others in the large apartment building are also coming and going. Jessie turns to Michael.
“So, those scouts who headed out earlier, they’re heading for Chicago, right?” she asks Michael.
“Yeah, they’re heading to check it out and see if the place actually does still exist or if it was destroyed by the nukes like we’ve always heard,” explains Michael.
“We’ve never sent scouts out that way before have we?” Jessie asks.
Michael shakes his head no.
“No, we haven’t. We’ve typically gone up and down the East Coast. We have sent scouts out to the Great Lakes area to check for other colonies and bands of survivors there, but never further west than Cleveland or Detroit,” Michael answers.
“Why not?” Jessie asks.
“There was never any reason to go out that far,” Michael explains.
“What reason is there to go to Chicago now? Just to see if the stories are true? We’ve heard stories about many areas near and far from here. Are you going to check them, too?” Jessie asks.
“No, I just have this hunch about Chicago is all,” says Michael.
“What kind of hunch? I know you, Michael, and you’re being vague. You’re hiding something. Why are you having Chicago scouted?” Jessie asks.
“It’s a long story, hun,” Michael responds.
Jessie crosses her arms, staring impatiently at Michael. He sighs. The davit carriage reaches the ground level and the trio step out of the carriage. Michael stops in the middle of the street when Jessie’s arm grabs his. He turns to her.
“Ok, you gotta keep an open mind because this is going to sound crazy,” he says.
The scene fades out and then back into a small table in the resort’s dining area. The trio are seated at the small table. Mark is reading his new comic book while nibbling at some food on his plate. Jessie is looking at Michael like he’s crazy as she tries to process something he just told her.
“So there’s this whole other world called UCI world or something where you’re a professional wrestler?” Jessie says in disbelief.
Michael nods.
“Yes. I’ve been wrestling there for weeks now and I’m not that bad at it. I’ve beaten a few names and get some kind of title shot at the pay-per-view at the end of July,” Michael explains.
“Have you been hitting up Brandon for some of the weed he grows or something? This sounds like the crazy kind of trips he takes when he’s high, Michael,” Jessie responds.
“Look, for all I know, it’s a dream. A nightmare is more like it especially with the part involving you and Mark not recognizing me,” Michael states.
“So, what happens if the scouts come back from Chicago and the city hasn’t been wiped out like we were always told?” Jessie asks.
Michael thinks about how to answer that for a few seconds before responding.
“I’m going to check the place out,” Michael says with hesitation.
Jessie’s brow furrows as she gives him a frustrated look.
“So you’re going to just drive hundreds of miles away and leave us all here just to check out Chicago because in your dreams or nightmares or whatever, you exist there? You realize that you’re not only leaving this city without a leader by doing so, but you’re leaving behind your family as well, right?” Jessie asks.
“I wouldn’t be leaving you. I would be going to check it out and see it for myself. I would be gone a week or so myself and then come back. For all we know, maybe things are not that bad out west. Maybe Chicago could be better than New York City and we could have a better life than we have now,” Michael responds.
“But you don’t know that! You could get yourself captured or killed out there! We could be attacked here and without your leadership, something could happen to us. You could go all the way out there and everything in Chicago is great, but then come back here only to find this place overrun and destroyed. Mark and myself could be captured or worse!” Jessie exclaims.
Michael sighs in frustration. Mark peeks out over his comic book, his eyes a little wide at his parents arguing.
“Look, this is something I have to do! I need to understand what’s going on here and I need to figure out what is real and what isn’t!” Michael shoots back.
Jessie stands up and walks over to Michael and grabs his hand, putting it to her chest.
“Do you feel that?” she asks.
Michael looks at her with a confused look on his face. She presses his hand harder.
“Do you feel my heart beat? That is real. If this wasn’t real and if this was a dream, you wouldn’t be able to feel that,” she says, tears in her eyes.
Michael sighs, his eyes also close to tears as well. He starts to speak when a huge explosion is heard outside, the building trembles as a result. Jessie’s eyes grow wide as does Mark and Michael’s. All three turn their heads towards the direction of the blast. Mark hops up and runs over, clinging to his mother. Screams can be heard outside as Mitch bursts through the door to the outside of the resort. The familiar sound of semi-automatic gunfire is heard out in the streets.
Michael turns towards Mitch who walks in carrying a pair of AK47s. He tosses one through the air, which Michael catches. The two men meet in the middle of the dining area. People start running in from the street, terrified looks on their faces.
“There was an explosion north of the garage. I’m hearing screams and gunfire coming from that direction. I sent someone to find out what it was and another guard to inform the front gates. We have to go check it out,” says Mitch.
Michael turns to Jessie who meets him halfway, Mark tagging along, still clutching his mother.
“Look, you have to go back to our place. Stay there and wait for me or Jeong to come get you. If I can’t make it back to tell you in person I’ll have someone tell Jeong and he’ll let you know what’s going on. I love you,” Michael instructs Jessie.
She doesn’t respond as she’s still in shock. They share a kiss and a quick hug and she comes alive.
“Ok, ok. We will. I love you, too. Be careful!” Jessie responds.
Michael bends down and kisses Mark on top of the head, ruffles his hair and then turns back to Mitch. They exchange a nod and start jogging out of the building. Michael turns, still jogging backwards and yells.
“Geoff, get Jessie and Mark back to the apartments!” Michael yells.
A man in camo, carrying a shotgun marches into the room and nods at Michael who then disappears from the resort. Jessie and Mark scurry behind Geoff as he leads them out towards the apartments. The scene fades out.
====================
The scene opens up outside of the Williams Arena. The sound of a car door is heard shutting as the camera pans down to show the parking lot for UCI talent and staff. Michael is standing beside of a 2015 Duke Blue Ford Fusion. To be more specific, he’s standing beside it on the passenger side. The driver’s side door opens and out steps UCI wrestler and Michael’s close friend, David. He shuts the door and turns to Michael.
“You get all your stuff?” David asks.
Michael turns to David and then looks at the car.
“Yeah, man. Hey, so how did you afford this car? I’m the one on the actual shows each week and I’ve won some decently big matches so far and I can’t afford anything other than a fixer upper or clunker,” Michael says.
David grins.
“Because I’m the one who accepts bookings during the week all over the Northeast region. They pay good money knowing that I’m coming from out of town and that I may end up on TV with UCI soon. That helps them get their name out there, too. You’re the one that’s waiting just to hit the big time here in UCI and hoping that’s your payday,” David responds.
Michael grins and shrugs before turning and heading towards the building. David follows.
“Fair enough. That may be sooner rather than later at the rate I’m headed. Especially if they keep putting me up against some of the bigger talent here in UCI. I think they keep expecting me to fail to beat these guys,” says Michael.
“Speaking of that, have you decided yet which belt you’re going after at Beachmania? The TV title or the Rising Stars championship?” David asks.
“Not yet. I think I’m close on deciding. I have to meet with Spencer Adams before the show to discuss that. He called me the other day to congratulate me and to set up this meeting. I could hear it in his voice that he was surprised that I was the one he was calling,” Michael says.
“Facing David Sanchez is the bigger money, bro. You know he’s just itching to get in the ring with you again to show that the last match was a fluke,” David states.
A flash of annoyance goes across Michael’s face at that comment, but then he grins.
“Yeah, I think either belt could put me on the road to stardom here in UCI, but I think maybe I should concentrate on this week’s match against Jay Omega,” Michael explains.
Michael stops short of the door to the talent and staff entrance and gestures towards the camera. David nods and they bro hug.
“Do your thing, dude, and I’ll meet you in catering. We need to get that pre-show protein binge going ahead of time this week. Be ready for tonight and all that,” David says.
David turns and opens the door and walks inside. Michael watches as the door shuts behind David and turns to the camera. He sets down his bag, thinks for a few moments and then starts speaking.
“So here we are. July 3rd, 2016. The day before July 4th, Independence Day for America. In my world, this dream world, this alternate world, this reality, or whatever you want to call it where the apocalypse has happened and changed my world forever, we no longer celebrate July 4th. In my world we celebrate each day because each day is another day we have survived. It’s another day that we are alive and live to see yet one more day. Each day is a gift.
My career so far in UCI has been just like that. A celebration of making it past opponent after opponent. A celebration of surviving another match, of defying the odds and proving the doubters wrong. I’ll be honest here, I’ve doubted myself as well. I may have all these memories in my mind of being a great wrestler and having the talent and skill to hang with people like David Sanchez, Alex Richards, or even people like Erin Fausse, Crow McMorris, and Dustin Beaver. But like I’ve said before, these are foreign memories. Luckily for me, my muscles do not consider them foreign memories and when the time is right I hit the big moves, I hit the reversals, I properly take the big moves I’m hit with and I move on to win the match.
People have watched my matches and they say that I’ve gotten lucky each week and at some point my luck has to run out. Who better for that luck to run out on than Jay Omega himself. Yet another big name in the wrestling business and my point about who better for my luck to run out on is because of his name. Omega. The last of the letters in the Greek Alphabet. The end of the Greek Alphabet. In the Book of Revelations it states: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”
Jay, in the little bit of time I had to research you and watch your tapes from UCI and previous places you’ve wrestled in, I have to say your name is fitting. The End. It defines your career. Practically everything about your career, the highlight of each part is always the ending. You’re not one of those people who the beginning of something is the focus or the middle of it, but the ending. No matter if we’re talking about matches, partnerships, titles, factions, or feuds. All of it, the highlight of it for you is the ending. Just in case it’s not clear, that’s not meant as a compliment.
Let’s take a look back at a previous organization you were in and this relates to one of my opponents, the man I eliminated to win my future title shot, your friend Alex Richards. I made light of the fact that he’s always in the background, always watching when others succeed instead of him. Something that I was once again right about when he watched from the floor outside the ring as I celebrated inside after our match last week. I talked about his time in Pantheon. Pantheon, it was a faction in “The Dub” as most people here like to refer to it as. It was arguably one of the biggest wrestling factions in our sport.
Looking at the state of its members from the beginning until the end, it looks like the faction will likely never resurrect. Who did it end with? More specifically who was the leader of its latest and possibly last incarnation? You, Jay Omega. The man that was all but hand-picked to lead the group into possibly its greatest height. A man who was supposed to bring the group back to its former glory under men who are likely to be Hall of Fame bound in that organization.
You did lead the group to some greatness. You helped lead them to a Trios title and you helped by winning the World title there for yourself. But…for as glorious as the group’s rise seemed to be, it came crashing down almost all at once and with a ferocity that shook the Earth to its very core. Not only did you lose all that gold and watch as your group took a nosedive, but you also ran away. The End of Pantheon. The end of your sole world title reign there and likely your only. I’m not the only one who notices how bad the ending of things are for you in your career though. Crow McMorris, the week he beat you for the world title in the finals of the tournament, stated that your title reigns you’ve had the last few years have all ENDED with injury. I mean sure, all good things must come to an end, but do they all need to come to such an abrupt, abysmal, unexpected end? In the world of Jay OMEGA they do.
Let’s take a look at another abrupt, abysmal, unexpected end and that’s the chase for the hardcore title against Torture. For months, you were destined to wrench the hardcore title from that evil villain’s grasp, but you failed to succeed there and that came to an unexpected and abrupt end when you just gave up.
Hey Michael, why are you going on and on primarily about Jay Omega’s time in other companies? If you’re sitting there watching this right now and wondering that same thing to yourself, you’re right. Let’s not focus on other companies, let’s focus on Jay Omega here in UCI. Let’s see, let me think back to what I’ve looked at. So in the short amount of time UCI has existed, you fought your way to the finals of the world title tournament and lost to the current world champion, Crow McMorris.
Omega does nothing the next week and is granted a rematch for the world title along with a few other talented individuals of UCI. What does he do again? He loses again. So once more, Jay Omega proves why he is the Omega man. Losing in the finals was him losing in spectacular fashion at the END of the tournament. In last week’s world title match, he wasn’t even involved in the closing moments of the Ladder Warfare match, likely because he was laying at the bottom of a heap of ladders…again the END of something for the Omega Man is lackluster.
So that leads us to tonight. Michael vs. Jay Omega. For Jay Omega, this is probably just another week between title shots as we’ll see him face David Sanchez or the winner of tonight’s TV title match or maybe he’ll get a third shot at the World title. Myself, on the other hand, worked my way through matches with top talent in this business to earn myself a shot at the belt of my choosing, the choices being the TV title or the Rising Stars championship.
A loss tonight for me would not mean the END. It would merely mean a bump in the road on the way towards my title match at Beachmania. For the Omega Man? Tonight could certainly spell the end for Jay Omega at the hands of Michael. I may have basically phoned it in the first week of UCI, but ever since my return, I have proven week after week that I deserve to be here and that I can hang with the best. Will my win streak continue towards Beachmania or will I fall to the power of the Omega Man?
If I were a betting man, my money would be on me. I may not have the history and accolades of Jay Omega, but I’m the one with the will to win. I’m the one that’s focused when that bell rings. I’m not adding to my list of accomplishments. I’m in the middle of creating that list to begin with and it continues tonight with another win over a big name in this business. David Sanchez, Alex Richards, Kyle Kemp…and Jay Omega? Check me out tonight as the Omega meets the Alpha!”
Michael gives the camera a look of intensity with that last statement. He leans slightly into the camera as the scene fades to black.
The scene opens up looking out at the skyline of New York City. Not the post-apocalyptic version, but the one where UCI exists. So there’s no war-torn city in the background. There are no fires atop the buildings and you can hear the usual sounds of a large city: horns honking, construction crews working, the general buzzing noise of a city alive and well.
Near the bottom of the camera’s view are a pair of men standing atop a nearby building and this is where the voice heard recently comes from. As the camera moves closer and due to the quizzical expression on his face, it’s apparent that the voice comes from David, friend and fellow UCI wrestler to Michael. Michael isn’t responding as he looks intently through the binoculars resting against his eyes, biting his lip as he concentrates, occasionally moving the binoculars searching for something. He finally lowers them and looks at David, a grin spreading across his face.
“This is it,” responds Michael.
David cheers and holds a hand up for a high five from Michael which he receives. Michael puts the binoculars down on the wall beside him as he leans over, looking around the area with a look of both awe and confusion.
“So this is what it is supposed to look like?” Michael asks.
The camera moves around behind Michael to reveal a harbor area in the distance. The words 3 Days Earlier and New York City appear on the bottom left of the screen. Judging from the landmarks about and the view, it appears to be the same harbor area from the post-apocalyptic world where Michael first appeared on screen. The building looks amazing, none of the same war-torn look it has in the post-apocalyptic world. Another difference is the lack of ropes and pulley systems running from the building’s balconies that would have run down to the harbor itself. Down in the harbor itself there are no crudely built walls and no armed guards patrolling the area. The harbor is more alive and teeming with even more people. Fishermen and boat captains. Men carrying nets.
Michael also looks on in awe to see ships and fishing boats docked in the harbor area, something else that he is apparently not familiar with in the post-apocalyptic version of New York City. As David reaches for the binoculars and puts them up to his own face, Michael puts an arm on him and points towards the building.
“It’s the 6th one from the left,” Michael states.
“That’s the one where you lived, man? I mean the one where you live?” David asks.
“Yeah, that’s it,” Michael answers.
David lowers the binoculars and puts them back on the wall. He turns to Michael.
“So now what, bro? What does this mean?” David asks.
Michael ponders this for a few seconds, still grinning, and then glances back over at the building.
“It means that I may be home. What if she’s waiting inside there? What if she’s waiting for me?” Michael wonders.
“Well, what if we knock on the door and someone else entirely answers?” David questions.
Michael’s small falters a little bit as he considers this. He looks at David.
“Well, I mean, there’s only one way to find out,” Michael states.
David shrugs, picks up the binoculars, and starts walking towards the door that leads to the stairwell. He stops right before the door and looks back at Michael. Michael continues staring out at the building for a few more seconds before turning around and following David, a mixed look of excitement and apprehension across his face. The scene fades out.
====================
The scene fades back in at the foot of the building where Michael lives in the post-apocalyptic world. David and Michael both look up at it, the harbor at their back. Michael turns and walks towards the back of the building. David has a confused look on his face as he calls out.
“Dude, where are you going? The entrance is around front,” states David.
Michael stops and turns towards David.
“Yeah, but that’s not the fastest way up there. Trust me, I’ve lived here for over five years,” Michael states matter-of-factly.
David shrugs and follows Michael as the two men walk around the building to the back. Michael has a confused look on his face as he walks up and down the back of the building. He finally takes a couple of steps back, looking up and shielding his eyes. David looks up and sees a pair of davit carriages near the top of the building.
“Shit,” says Michael.
“What is it? I don’t see how to get in the building from back here,” says David.
“It’s those davit carriages. They’re supposed to be down here. Whoever was last up there must not have sent them back down,” Michael states.
David gives Michael a “what the hell” look.
“What do you mean, bro? That’s not how we get up there,” David responds.
Michael turns to David and scoffs.
“Then how do we get up there?” Michael asks.
“Uhhh, the elevators, bro. Do you guys not use elevators?” David asks.
“No, there’s not enough power,” Michael responds.
“Well how do you work the davit carriages? They run on power, too,” says David.
“We have generators and they are only used for the davit carriages as the elevators require a lot of power and maintenance,” Michael explains.
“Oh ok, makes sense. Well, here in this New York City, we use elevators so let’s go around to the front and head up there,” David suggests.
Michael nods and the two men start heading back around towards the front of the building. The scene fades out and then back in as the two men stand in front of a door. Michael is just standing there staring at it. David glances over at him.
“Dude, we’ve been standing here for at least three or four minutes. Are you going to knock? Or do you have a key?” David asks.
Michael shakes his head no.
“No key. I’m just really nervous about this because what if she’s not in here? What if we drove all the way up here just to find out that you’re right and the post-apocalyptic world I live in isn’t reality and I’m just dreaming about it at night?” Michael asks with a worried look on his face.
David claps a hand on Michael’s shoulder, gripping it.
“Bro, I got your back, man. We didn’t come all this way just to stare at this door and wonder. You gotta reach out and knock on the door and find out who lives there,” David states.
Michael nods as David takes his hand off of Michael’s shoulder. Michael takes a deep breath and steps forward to knock when the door opens on its own. Michael jumps back as a woman appears in the doorway with a purse on her shoulder. Her back is turned, but she has the same brunette-colored hair as the woman from the balcony. She calls back into the apartment.
“Honey, let’s go! We need to hurry up and get to the shoe store!” she yells.
Michael’s eyes are wide and he is speechless. David is glancing back and forth between Michael and the woman who still hasn’t noticed the two men standing in the hallway in front of her. She finally turns towards them and nearly jumps out of her skin as Michael speaks at the same time.
“Jessie?!” he asks in excitement.
“Jesus Christ, you scared the shit out of me. Who are yo—“ Jessie starts to ask but is interrupted as Michael steps forward wrapping her in his arms and kissing her on the mouth. She moans out in confusion and starts slapping at him and he releases the kiss and the hug. She shoves him back and reaches into her purse. She gives him a horrified look.
“Who the hell do you think you are kissing me like that?!” she exclaims.
Jessie starts inching back into the room when she notices David standing there, equally confused. Michael looks at Jessie with a slightly confused look on his face.
“Jessie, it’s me. Michael,” he responds.
Jessie continues to give him a confused look.
“Do I know you? Why did you kiss me? Look, I don’t know what you two are up to but I will scream my bloody head off if you come any closer,” Jessie threatens, her hand still in her purse.
Michael’s confusion is even more apparent as he gives a pleading look to Jessie.
“It’s me, Michael. Your husband,” Michael states.
Jessie’s look of confusion disappears as it changes to a look of distrust.
“Ummm, now I know you’re definitely crazy. I do not have a husband named Michael. My husband disappeared years ago and I haven’t seen him since. His name is definitely not Michael and he’s definitely not you,” Jessie states.
Michael’s brow furrows as he stands there dumbfounded. Suddenly a noise can be heard in the background as someone comes running to the door.
“Mom, I’m ready!” a voice exclaims from the other side of the door.
Jessie tries to stop the child from appearing in the doorway, but she’s not quick enough as a small brown-haired boy steps in the doorway. It’s the little boy from the balcony. David’s head snaps towards Michael, watching the look of recognition. He tries to stop Michael from doing what happens next.
Michael’s face lights up, his look of confusion replaced with happiness. He steps forward towards the boy, his arms extended.
“Marcus!” Michael exclaims.
The look on Jessie’s face turns into horror and then determination as she pulls her hand out of her pocketbook to reveal a taser. David sees this and reaches out a hand to stop Michael, who doesn’t see the taser, but is too late. 50,000 volts are sent surging through Michael as the woman uses her other hand to push the boy back into the room. Screams and a slamming door can be heard as Michael slams into the wall behind him, his body jerking around from the voltage. The door next to Jessie’s place opens and a blonde-haired man with chiseled features steps into the hallway. It’s the next door neighbor from the post-apocalyptic world. He looks like he’s about to do something, but David holds up a hand.
“Look dude, we don’t want any trouble. We’re leaving now,” David says quickly.
The blonde-haired man gives Michael a look of confusion as if he’s never seen him before as Michael’s world turns to black. The scene fades out.
===================
“Are you ok, man?”
The scene fades back into a corner booth at a bar. Judging from the signs and memorabilia hanging on the walls, it’s obvious we’re still in New York City. Considering it’s early afternoon, the place isn’t that crowded except for a few tables full of businessmen and businesswomen eating lunch together. Michael and David are seated at a corner booth. Michael’s head is drooping and he occasionally twitches, his body still not over the volts of electricity sent through it earlier. Michael looks up with a look of hurt on his face.
“HOW could I be ok, David? She didn’t even recognize me and that was our little boy Marcus. I even remember seeing our neighbor right before I blacked out. No one recognized me, but I could have told you every feature and characteristic about any of those people before we saw them. I could tell you information about them right now and you could ask them and I would be spot on. This makes no sense at all, so no, I’m not ok,” Michael responds.
David sighs and drinks some more from the beer in front of him.
“So what do we do now?” asks David.
Michael shrugs without looking at David.
“I don’t know. Everything feels like it is unraveling around me. All this time I believed that the world where I claimed I came from was the real world and THIS was a dream. Now I find out that my wife is here as well but in this world we apparently don’t know each other. So this has to be the real world, right? Because why would I dream up a world where my wife doesn’t know me and a world where we’re not married? But if that’s true, then how is Mitch there as well? How is he her neighbor? Why would I dream that up as well?” Michael wonders aloud.
David chuckles and waves a hand over his head, making a whooshing sound.
“Bro, that’s way over my head. I have no idea,” David says with a “yikes” look on his face as he stares down at his beer. He finally looks back up.
“What I do know, man, is we gotta head to Minnesota soon for Overload. You have a match to prepare for against Jay Omega,” says David.
Michael looks at David with a look of disbelief, an eyebrow raised.
“You think I’m going to be able to concentrate on an opponent this week after what just happened?” Michael asks.
“Well dude, you can call in sick if you want, but you just won that big battle royal last week and you need to keep up the momentum you’re on and build it towards the title shot at BeachMania,” David explains.
Michael sighs.
“You’re right I guess. Let’s pay up and head out there. Maybe some training and a week in some new town will help me clear my head and we’ll decide what to do next,” Michael says.
David reaches out and the pair pound fists, then down the rest of their beers before climbing out of the corner booth. They walk over to the cash register by the bar. David pulls out a wallet from his shorts and pays for his drinks. Michael is fishing out some cash from his wallet when he hears a voice.
“Michael! Is that you?” the voice asks.
Michael freezes at the sound of his name and slowly looks up at the bartender standing nearby. A look of surprise comes over his face when he sees Brooke standing there in front of him. Michael blinks in disbelief. The cashier takes his cash and David leans in.
“Bro, who is the hottie?” David asks.
“She is one of our medical people in the post-apocalyptic world,” Michael responds without taking his eyes off of Brooke. “You know me?” Michael asks.
Brooke laughs.
“Yes, we’ve known each other for years! Have you forgotten or something?” Brooke asks.
Michael turns to David and they exchange a confused, yet surprised look. The scene fades out.
=========================
The scene fades in, this time to the post-apocalyptic world. The camera is looking out from Michael and Jessie’s balcony. The camera zooms out to include the couple in the shot, both overlooking the harbor area. The time of day appears to be evening time as the sun is slowly setting over the western part of the ruins of the city. Words crawl across the screen:
2931 PA
Ruins of New York City
Heathridge Apartments
The words fade out from the screen as the revving sounds of motorcycles fill the air. Michael and Jessie look across the harbor at a large warehouse where three motorcycles and a pickup truck emerge. The convoy of vehicles roll down the road and slow to a stop near the gates that exit the harbor area. A few people walk up towards the truck and speak with the driver. One of the men is the blonde-haired man from the next balcony over: Mitch. Mitch looks up towards Michael and Jessie and whistles. Michael sticks his fingers in his mouth and whistles back.
Mitch signals to the guards and the doors at the makeshift gate creak as they are slowly opened. Several men with guns march outside swiftly and scan the area. One of them turns back and signals to Mitch who nods at the men on bikes. They rev up their bikes. Two of them move out side by side through the gate, the third bike staying put. The third biker waits until the truck has passed and then follows it out the gate.
A few seconds after they pass the gate, the armed men and women march back inside and the gate is slowly closed and barred shut once more. Michael and Jessie watch as the bikes and truck go down one of the main roads, the bike engines echoing off the still buildings of the city. Eventually, they turn off on a different road and disappear from sight. Michael turns and walks across the balcony towards the room, taking Jessie’s hand in his, the pair walking into the room.
“Let’s go over to the resort and grab something to eat. I’m hungry,” Michael says to Jessie.
“Me, too. Mark, let’s go get some food!” says Jessie.
Their son Mark is seated on the floor playing with some toys in the middle of their room, a lantern lighting up most of the room. He reaches over and puts out the light of the lantern, making the room go pitch black, but only for a few seconds as Michael opens the door to their room. Mark pads along after them out into the hallway. They’re in a hallway that looks the same as the one we were in earlier when Michael found Jessie and Mark in the UCI world.
The trio pass several doors and finally arrive at a door at the end of the hall. Michael knocks on the door. A few seconds pass and then someone opens the door. It’s an Asian man with hardened features. He’s wearing camoflauge and carrying an AK-47. He smiles when he sees who is at the door.
“We’re heading over to the resort for supper,” Michael states.
The man nods and opens the door the rest of the way, standing off to the side. Michael and Jessie walk in, followed by Mark. The Asian man ruffles Mark’s hair. He reaches down into his pocket and pulls something out, bending down to Mark’s height.
“Hey buddy, check out what they found on the supply raid the other day,” the man says.
Mark turns and his eyes light up as the Asian man hands him a comic book. It’s the comic Invincible. Mark takes the comic and flips through a few pages, looking at it in awe. Jessie smiles at the excited look on her son’s face. Mark and the Asian man high five and the Asian man stands back up. Michael turns to the man and sticks out his hand for a handshake.
“How are you doing, Jeong?” Michael asks as the two shake hands. Jeong nods at Michael.
“I am doing great, thanks for asking!” Jeong responds.
“Say thank you, Mark,” instructs Jessie.
“Thanks, Jeong! This looks awesome!!” exclaims Mark.
“No problem little man! We always look out for cool toys and other things for you and the other kids. Hey, Sam! We got three going down!” Jeong yells across the suite.
The room they’re in is a huge corner suite of the building. There are cots on one side of the room, some communication equipment in another corner. The balcony in this room has a glass sliding door. A man standing outside turns at the sound of Jeong yelling at him and waving, indicating that he’s Sam. The trio walks over towards the door as Sam waves them over. He opens the sliding glass door and holds a hand out, keeping them from getting too close to the side of the balcony, part of it is missing, leaving a gap out of the side of the building.
A slowly mechanical noise can be heard and a set of wires are on each side of the balcony and they are moving. A minute later a davit carriage appears and comes to a stop. A woman is standing at the controls and she gestures for the trio to step aboard. Mark walks over quickly and stands beside the woman who starts talking to him and showing him how the davit carriage is operated. Michael and Jessie step aboard and secure themselves along with Mark.
Sam waves at the trio as the davit carriage slowly descends down the side of the tall building. Across the back of the building a couple of more davit carriages are going up and down as others in the large apartment building are also coming and going. Jessie turns to Michael.
“So, those scouts who headed out earlier, they’re heading for Chicago, right?” she asks Michael.
“Yeah, they’re heading to check it out and see if the place actually does still exist or if it was destroyed by the nukes like we’ve always heard,” explains Michael.
“We’ve never sent scouts out that way before have we?” Jessie asks.
Michael shakes his head no.
“No, we haven’t. We’ve typically gone up and down the East Coast. We have sent scouts out to the Great Lakes area to check for other colonies and bands of survivors there, but never further west than Cleveland or Detroit,” Michael answers.
“Why not?” Jessie asks.
“There was never any reason to go out that far,” Michael explains.
“What reason is there to go to Chicago now? Just to see if the stories are true? We’ve heard stories about many areas near and far from here. Are you going to check them, too?” Jessie asks.
“No, I just have this hunch about Chicago is all,” says Michael.
“What kind of hunch? I know you, Michael, and you’re being vague. You’re hiding something. Why are you having Chicago scouted?” Jessie asks.
“It’s a long story, hun,” Michael responds.
Jessie crosses her arms, staring impatiently at Michael. He sighs. The davit carriage reaches the ground level and the trio step out of the carriage. Michael stops in the middle of the street when Jessie’s arm grabs his. He turns to her.
“Ok, you gotta keep an open mind because this is going to sound crazy,” he says.
The scene fades out and then back into a small table in the resort’s dining area. The trio are seated at the small table. Mark is reading his new comic book while nibbling at some food on his plate. Jessie is looking at Michael like he’s crazy as she tries to process something he just told her.
“So there’s this whole other world called UCI world or something where you’re a professional wrestler?” Jessie says in disbelief.
Michael nods.
“Yes. I’ve been wrestling there for weeks now and I’m not that bad at it. I’ve beaten a few names and get some kind of title shot at the pay-per-view at the end of July,” Michael explains.
“Have you been hitting up Brandon for some of the weed he grows or something? This sounds like the crazy kind of trips he takes when he’s high, Michael,” Jessie responds.
“Look, for all I know, it’s a dream. A nightmare is more like it especially with the part involving you and Mark not recognizing me,” Michael states.
“So, what happens if the scouts come back from Chicago and the city hasn’t been wiped out like we were always told?” Jessie asks.
Michael thinks about how to answer that for a few seconds before responding.
“I’m going to check the place out,” Michael says with hesitation.
Jessie’s brow furrows as she gives him a frustrated look.
“So you’re going to just drive hundreds of miles away and leave us all here just to check out Chicago because in your dreams or nightmares or whatever, you exist there? You realize that you’re not only leaving this city without a leader by doing so, but you’re leaving behind your family as well, right?” Jessie asks.
“I wouldn’t be leaving you. I would be going to check it out and see it for myself. I would be gone a week or so myself and then come back. For all we know, maybe things are not that bad out west. Maybe Chicago could be better than New York City and we could have a better life than we have now,” Michael responds.
“But you don’t know that! You could get yourself captured or killed out there! We could be attacked here and without your leadership, something could happen to us. You could go all the way out there and everything in Chicago is great, but then come back here only to find this place overrun and destroyed. Mark and myself could be captured or worse!” Jessie exclaims.
Michael sighs in frustration. Mark peeks out over his comic book, his eyes a little wide at his parents arguing.
“Look, this is something I have to do! I need to understand what’s going on here and I need to figure out what is real and what isn’t!” Michael shoots back.
Jessie stands up and walks over to Michael and grabs his hand, putting it to her chest.
“Do you feel that?” she asks.
Michael looks at her with a confused look on his face. She presses his hand harder.
“Do you feel my heart beat? That is real. If this wasn’t real and if this was a dream, you wouldn’t be able to feel that,” she says, tears in her eyes.
Michael sighs, his eyes also close to tears as well. He starts to speak when a huge explosion is heard outside, the building trembles as a result. Jessie’s eyes grow wide as does Mark and Michael’s. All three turn their heads towards the direction of the blast. Mark hops up and runs over, clinging to his mother. Screams can be heard outside as Mitch bursts through the door to the outside of the resort. The familiar sound of semi-automatic gunfire is heard out in the streets.
Michael turns towards Mitch who walks in carrying a pair of AK47s. He tosses one through the air, which Michael catches. The two men meet in the middle of the dining area. People start running in from the street, terrified looks on their faces.
“There was an explosion north of the garage. I’m hearing screams and gunfire coming from that direction. I sent someone to find out what it was and another guard to inform the front gates. We have to go check it out,” says Mitch.
Michael turns to Jessie who meets him halfway, Mark tagging along, still clutching his mother.
“Look, you have to go back to our place. Stay there and wait for me or Jeong to come get you. If I can’t make it back to tell you in person I’ll have someone tell Jeong and he’ll let you know what’s going on. I love you,” Michael instructs Jessie.
She doesn’t respond as she’s still in shock. They share a kiss and a quick hug and she comes alive.
“Ok, ok. We will. I love you, too. Be careful!” Jessie responds.
Michael bends down and kisses Mark on top of the head, ruffles his hair and then turns back to Mitch. They exchange a nod and start jogging out of the building. Michael turns, still jogging backwards and yells.
“Geoff, get Jessie and Mark back to the apartments!” Michael yells.
A man in camo, carrying a shotgun marches into the room and nods at Michael who then disappears from the resort. Jessie and Mark scurry behind Geoff as he leads them out towards the apartments. The scene fades out.
====================
The scene opens up outside of the Williams Arena. The sound of a car door is heard shutting as the camera pans down to show the parking lot for UCI talent and staff. Michael is standing beside of a 2015 Duke Blue Ford Fusion. To be more specific, he’s standing beside it on the passenger side. The driver’s side door opens and out steps UCI wrestler and Michael’s close friend, David. He shuts the door and turns to Michael.
“You get all your stuff?” David asks.
Michael turns to David and then looks at the car.
“Yeah, man. Hey, so how did you afford this car? I’m the one on the actual shows each week and I’ve won some decently big matches so far and I can’t afford anything other than a fixer upper or clunker,” Michael says.
David grins.
“Because I’m the one who accepts bookings during the week all over the Northeast region. They pay good money knowing that I’m coming from out of town and that I may end up on TV with UCI soon. That helps them get their name out there, too. You’re the one that’s waiting just to hit the big time here in UCI and hoping that’s your payday,” David responds.
Michael grins and shrugs before turning and heading towards the building. David follows.
“Fair enough. That may be sooner rather than later at the rate I’m headed. Especially if they keep putting me up against some of the bigger talent here in UCI. I think they keep expecting me to fail to beat these guys,” says Michael.
“Speaking of that, have you decided yet which belt you’re going after at Beachmania? The TV title or the Rising Stars championship?” David asks.
“Not yet. I think I’m close on deciding. I have to meet with Spencer Adams before the show to discuss that. He called me the other day to congratulate me and to set up this meeting. I could hear it in his voice that he was surprised that I was the one he was calling,” Michael says.
“Facing David Sanchez is the bigger money, bro. You know he’s just itching to get in the ring with you again to show that the last match was a fluke,” David states.
A flash of annoyance goes across Michael’s face at that comment, but then he grins.
“Yeah, I think either belt could put me on the road to stardom here in UCI, but I think maybe I should concentrate on this week’s match against Jay Omega,” Michael explains.
Michael stops short of the door to the talent and staff entrance and gestures towards the camera. David nods and they bro hug.
“Do your thing, dude, and I’ll meet you in catering. We need to get that pre-show protein binge going ahead of time this week. Be ready for tonight and all that,” David says.
David turns and opens the door and walks inside. Michael watches as the door shuts behind David and turns to the camera. He sets down his bag, thinks for a few moments and then starts speaking.
“So here we are. July 3rd, 2016. The day before July 4th, Independence Day for America. In my world, this dream world, this alternate world, this reality, or whatever you want to call it where the apocalypse has happened and changed my world forever, we no longer celebrate July 4th. In my world we celebrate each day because each day is another day we have survived. It’s another day that we are alive and live to see yet one more day. Each day is a gift.
My career so far in UCI has been just like that. A celebration of making it past opponent after opponent. A celebration of surviving another match, of defying the odds and proving the doubters wrong. I’ll be honest here, I’ve doubted myself as well. I may have all these memories in my mind of being a great wrestler and having the talent and skill to hang with people like David Sanchez, Alex Richards, or even people like Erin Fausse, Crow McMorris, and Dustin Beaver. But like I’ve said before, these are foreign memories. Luckily for me, my muscles do not consider them foreign memories and when the time is right I hit the big moves, I hit the reversals, I properly take the big moves I’m hit with and I move on to win the match.
People have watched my matches and they say that I’ve gotten lucky each week and at some point my luck has to run out. Who better for that luck to run out on than Jay Omega himself. Yet another big name in the wrestling business and my point about who better for my luck to run out on is because of his name. Omega. The last of the letters in the Greek Alphabet. The end of the Greek Alphabet. In the Book of Revelations it states: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”
Jay, in the little bit of time I had to research you and watch your tapes from UCI and previous places you’ve wrestled in, I have to say your name is fitting. The End. It defines your career. Practically everything about your career, the highlight of each part is always the ending. You’re not one of those people who the beginning of something is the focus or the middle of it, but the ending. No matter if we’re talking about matches, partnerships, titles, factions, or feuds. All of it, the highlight of it for you is the ending. Just in case it’s not clear, that’s not meant as a compliment.
Let’s take a look back at a previous organization you were in and this relates to one of my opponents, the man I eliminated to win my future title shot, your friend Alex Richards. I made light of the fact that he’s always in the background, always watching when others succeed instead of him. Something that I was once again right about when he watched from the floor outside the ring as I celebrated inside after our match last week. I talked about his time in Pantheon. Pantheon, it was a faction in “The Dub” as most people here like to refer to it as. It was arguably one of the biggest wrestling factions in our sport.
Looking at the state of its members from the beginning until the end, it looks like the faction will likely never resurrect. Who did it end with? More specifically who was the leader of its latest and possibly last incarnation? You, Jay Omega. The man that was all but hand-picked to lead the group into possibly its greatest height. A man who was supposed to bring the group back to its former glory under men who are likely to be Hall of Fame bound in that organization.
You did lead the group to some greatness. You helped lead them to a Trios title and you helped by winning the World title there for yourself. But…for as glorious as the group’s rise seemed to be, it came crashing down almost all at once and with a ferocity that shook the Earth to its very core. Not only did you lose all that gold and watch as your group took a nosedive, but you also ran away. The End of Pantheon. The end of your sole world title reign there and likely your only. I’m not the only one who notices how bad the ending of things are for you in your career though. Crow McMorris, the week he beat you for the world title in the finals of the tournament, stated that your title reigns you’ve had the last few years have all ENDED with injury. I mean sure, all good things must come to an end, but do they all need to come to such an abrupt, abysmal, unexpected end? In the world of Jay OMEGA they do.
Let’s take a look at another abrupt, abysmal, unexpected end and that’s the chase for the hardcore title against Torture. For months, you were destined to wrench the hardcore title from that evil villain’s grasp, but you failed to succeed there and that came to an unexpected and abrupt end when you just gave up.
Hey Michael, why are you going on and on primarily about Jay Omega’s time in other companies? If you’re sitting there watching this right now and wondering that same thing to yourself, you’re right. Let’s not focus on other companies, let’s focus on Jay Omega here in UCI. Let’s see, let me think back to what I’ve looked at. So in the short amount of time UCI has existed, you fought your way to the finals of the world title tournament and lost to the current world champion, Crow McMorris.
Omega does nothing the next week and is granted a rematch for the world title along with a few other talented individuals of UCI. What does he do again? He loses again. So once more, Jay Omega proves why he is the Omega man. Losing in the finals was him losing in spectacular fashion at the END of the tournament. In last week’s world title match, he wasn’t even involved in the closing moments of the Ladder Warfare match, likely because he was laying at the bottom of a heap of ladders…again the END of something for the Omega Man is lackluster.
So that leads us to tonight. Michael vs. Jay Omega. For Jay Omega, this is probably just another week between title shots as we’ll see him face David Sanchez or the winner of tonight’s TV title match or maybe he’ll get a third shot at the World title. Myself, on the other hand, worked my way through matches with top talent in this business to earn myself a shot at the belt of my choosing, the choices being the TV title or the Rising Stars championship.
A loss tonight for me would not mean the END. It would merely mean a bump in the road on the way towards my title match at Beachmania. For the Omega Man? Tonight could certainly spell the end for Jay Omega at the hands of Michael. I may have basically phoned it in the first week of UCI, but ever since my return, I have proven week after week that I deserve to be here and that I can hang with the best. Will my win streak continue towards Beachmania or will I fall to the power of the Omega Man?
If I were a betting man, my money would be on me. I may not have the history and accolades of Jay Omega, but I’m the one with the will to win. I’m the one that’s focused when that bell rings. I’m not adding to my list of accomplishments. I’m in the middle of creating that list to begin with and it continues tonight with another win over a big name in this business. David Sanchez, Alex Richards, Kyle Kemp…and Jay Omega? Check me out tonight as the Omega meets the Alpha!”
Michael gives the camera a look of intensity with that last statement. He leans slightly into the camera as the scene fades to black.
