Post by Andrew Jacobsen on Aug 18, 2012 21:19:22 GMT -6
Open on Andrew standing in front of the door to his parents’ home in south Minneapolis. He sighs, running his hand through his hair, and knocks on the door. After a few seconds, the door opens to reveal a slightly confused Jason Jacobsen standing behind it. His father steps to the side a bit, smiling at the unexpected appearance of his son.
”Andrew. We weren’t expecting you. Come on in.”
AJ nods, walking inside. Jason closes the door behind him, turning and walking with his son.
”Shouldn’t you be in DC for the pay-per-view?”
Andrew nods, chuckling and rubbing the back of his neck. He walks in, looking around for a moment before he heads towards the stairs.
”Yeah, my flight’s in a few hours. Wanted to stop home and…and take care of a few things before I left. Mom’s out?”
Jason nods to him, standing at the foot of the stairs as Andrew rests a few steps above the bottom.
”Yeah, she’s at the grocery store…if you take off before she gets back, I’ll tell her you said hello.”
Andrew nods, smiling at the older man, and turns around, walking up the stairs. He walks down the hall and turns into the second door on his right side. Andrew opens the door and steps into the room, looking around. The room is furnished as he last remembered it: a bed, up against the wall, with dark green sheets. He walks past the oak dresser, looking at the shelf that hangs next to it. A number of trophies and other awards sit on the shelf, and Andrew looks them over: two state wrestling trophies, a photo of himself in his University of Minnesota wrestling gear, his high school and college diplomas, and a group photo. Andrew reaches over, taking the last picture, and sits on the bed, looking at it. The photo shows a slightly younger Andrew Jacobsen, along with his brother, sister, and parents, gathered around the dining table. In Andrew’s hands is a copy of his nCw contract. The entire family is happy, even the normally dour Callie. He sighs, smiling, when suddenly he hears a knock. Andrew looks up to see his father standing in the doorway, a knowing grin on his face. He walks over, sitting next to his son.
”Pre-match jitters, huh?”
Andrew shrugs, pausing for a moment before sighing.
”Okay, yeah. Pre-match jitters. This is the World Title, Dad. How…how in the hell can you be completely confident going into any match like this? What’d you do?”
The big man stretches out a little bit, placing his hand on Andrew’s shoulder and looking off into the distance. He gestures with his free hand, which Andrew follows intently.
”Let me tell you a story, Andrew. When I was about your age, a little older, I had my first Heavyweight Title shot. ‘course, it wasn’t THE World Title. Back then it was some bleach-blonde punk with terrible taste in ring gear…but it was still the biggest title where I was from. I had the jitters too. I was real nervous. So you know what I did the night before? I caught a movie, I had a good dinner, and I tried to relax. I tried to let all those nerves go, and just focus on being in the best shape I could be, physically and mentally, for when I stepped into that ring. And lo and behold, the very next night I became the Midwest Heavyweight Champion. It’s all about taking it one step at a time, Andrew. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Tomorrow is still tomorrow…today’s what’s important.”
Andrew nods, sighing again. He looks at the picture for a second before setting it aside.
”Dad…do you think I’m ready?”
Jason pauses, surprised by the question. After a second, he nods.
”The fact that you’re still asking yourself that question means that you are. If you were completely confident that you deserved the title, you’d be arrogant. Son, I know what you’ve been through. I know what kind of a wrestler you are. There isn’t a man on that roster, in my mind, that’s more ready to be World Champion than you.”
Andrew nods, smiling faintly over at the big man. After a few seconds, he pulls out an envelope and hands it to Jason. The older man looks him in the eyes, and Andrew shrugs.
”Two tickets on the MSP-DC flight, and two tickets to the pay-per-view. If you and Mom want to be there…it’d mean a lot to me.”
Jason nods, and for a second the big man’s emotions threaten to overwhelm him. He nods, blinking back a tear, and smiles at his son.
”Nothing would make us prouder. We’ll meet you at the airport. I better start packing…see you in Washington, champ.”
Andrew nods back, grinning from ear to ear, and reaches over, pulling his father into a hug. Jason turns and holds Andrew close, holding on for a few seconds before patting his back. AJ pulls away, nodding, and smiles at him before standing and leaving the room. Jason sighs, reaching over and picking up the photo. He stares at it as Andrew walks down the stairs and out of the house, sighing and standing to replace it as we fade to black.
”I hear what you say, Xander. I know what you mean when you say that this isn’t how you would have wanted to be World Champion. But when I look at what you say and what you do, the complete and utter disconnect…try lying to someone else. You keep trying to separate yourself from Harold: “Harold is going to do this.” “Harold will be the one out there, not me.” “I’m not the bad guy, Harold is.” Man up, Xander. Accept the fact that no matter how much you try to distance yourself from what goes on in that ring, you’re still the one that chokeslammed me through that announce table. You’re the one that has done everything Harold has done. You’re not two different men. You are Harold. So stop acting like you’re not guilty of his crimes.”
“You never wanted this company to be about the new guard. The Hierarchy have been in it for themselves since Day One. You spent all that time trying to coerce and convince Kelly, and when it finally worked you realized that you didn’t like not being in control anymore. So now you’re trying to play the penitent, claiming that the only thing you care about anymore is that your sister gets freed. Xander, I was her friend. And she hurt me, I won’t deny that. Even I don’t want to see her subservient to Kelly forever. But if you think that your blood means you can throw the title that every single man in that locker room dreams of holding under the bus, then you need a severe reality check.”
“No matter how you won it, that belt is worth more than you will ever give it credit for. Even if your reign now is a fraud, I still want to be World Champion. I want to put my name up among the best in the business: Lance Ryan. Spike Kane. Trent Helms. Steve Awesome. Adam Knite. Falcon. Angel. Gib. Dave Holland. Rob Diamond. Those are some of the greatest wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots, and I know for a fact that I can join their number. You’re my challenge to overcome. The Goliath to my David, as you so aptly pointed out…”
“I won’t let you dishonor that title you lay claim to. I refuse to allow you to stand there and, in the throes of your self-pitying ramblings, smear the name of the biggest prize in the best company on Earth. Xander, I’ve been preparing for this moment my entire life. This match is the culmination of everything I am and everything I’ve worked so hard for. Am I nervous? Oh, absolutely. This match is bar none the most important one I’ve ever been in. But I’m not scared. I’m not scared of the moment, I’m not scared of the pressure, and I’m certainly not scared by you.”
“I’ve been told all my career that I don’t have ‘it’. I’ve had everyone and their mother tell me ‘You don’t have what it takes to succeed. You’re not star material.’ And there have been times when I’ve thought that they might be right. But all it takes to blast those doubts away is to walk out from behind that curtain and look out at a stadium full of the nCw faithful. That noise is my drug and that feeling is my euphoria. I’ve fought for what I believe in since Day One. I believe in giving the fans what they deserve. I believe in honesty, in competition, and in earning what you get in life instead of having it given to you…and they just laughed.”
“I’ve been called a Boy Scout. Somehow, that’s become an insult to those people. They think that somehow I’ll be ashamed of my morals. Yes, I’m a Boy Scout. I’m an Eagle Scout. I wear that title like…well…a badge of honor. If I was as spineless as you say, wouldn’t I have started keeping my head down? I know what it’s like to have pressure on your shoulders. I know what you’re going to do to me. You think a few snarky insults are going to make me shrink away? You honestly believe that threatening me and destroying my body will stop me? If you do…you’re wrong.”
“I…Xander, I can’t muster any more hate. You want my advice? I know exactly what sort of power Kelly holds over you right now. Trust me, you’re not the only one that wants to fight for her...every time I see her walk out there with that mask on, every time I see Kelly barking orders at you, I feel my blood boil. I know you’re a better man than she’s making you, Xander. I know that SHE deserves better than what Kelly’s putting her through. And rest assured, I don’t want to be World Champion for the glitz or the glory. I want to be World Champion because I have dreamed my entire life of being able to call myself the best in the world and MEAN it. I’m not just fighting for me, big man. I’m not just fighting for that title. I’m fighting for her, and you, and everyone who suffers because of what Kelly’s become. I know what sort of hell she can bring down. But even if I didn’t want to fight you…I couldn’t stop myself. Because if I just step aside when I’m asked to…what am I then?”
“You’re beholden to her will. I’m not. So let me fight the battles you can’t. Let me do what I can. I want you to go out there swinging. Bring everything you’ve got and make me work for every inch I get. And if it’ll make it easier for either of us…no, I won’t be in the ring with you. I won’t be in the ring with the man that I respect, the guy that I know would go through hell and back for his family. I’m in there with the monster himself. And that monster is going to have zero compunctions about breaking me in half. So I’m going to show him what happens when you try to destroy something that’s indestructible. This is my chance. I've been waiting for this all my life. I’m going to seize it…and if you don’t like that, feel free to prove me wrong.”[/color]
”Andrew. We weren’t expecting you. Come on in.”
AJ nods, walking inside. Jason closes the door behind him, turning and walking with his son.
”Shouldn’t you be in DC for the pay-per-view?”
Andrew nods, chuckling and rubbing the back of his neck. He walks in, looking around for a moment before he heads towards the stairs.
”Yeah, my flight’s in a few hours. Wanted to stop home and…and take care of a few things before I left. Mom’s out?”
Jason nods to him, standing at the foot of the stairs as Andrew rests a few steps above the bottom.
”Yeah, she’s at the grocery store…if you take off before she gets back, I’ll tell her you said hello.”
Andrew nods, smiling at the older man, and turns around, walking up the stairs. He walks down the hall and turns into the second door on his right side. Andrew opens the door and steps into the room, looking around. The room is furnished as he last remembered it: a bed, up against the wall, with dark green sheets. He walks past the oak dresser, looking at the shelf that hangs next to it. A number of trophies and other awards sit on the shelf, and Andrew looks them over: two state wrestling trophies, a photo of himself in his University of Minnesota wrestling gear, his high school and college diplomas, and a group photo. Andrew reaches over, taking the last picture, and sits on the bed, looking at it. The photo shows a slightly younger Andrew Jacobsen, along with his brother, sister, and parents, gathered around the dining table. In Andrew’s hands is a copy of his nCw contract. The entire family is happy, even the normally dour Callie. He sighs, smiling, when suddenly he hears a knock. Andrew looks up to see his father standing in the doorway, a knowing grin on his face. He walks over, sitting next to his son.
”Pre-match jitters, huh?”
Andrew shrugs, pausing for a moment before sighing.
”Okay, yeah. Pre-match jitters. This is the World Title, Dad. How…how in the hell can you be completely confident going into any match like this? What’d you do?”
The big man stretches out a little bit, placing his hand on Andrew’s shoulder and looking off into the distance. He gestures with his free hand, which Andrew follows intently.
”Let me tell you a story, Andrew. When I was about your age, a little older, I had my first Heavyweight Title shot. ‘course, it wasn’t THE World Title. Back then it was some bleach-blonde punk with terrible taste in ring gear…but it was still the biggest title where I was from. I had the jitters too. I was real nervous. So you know what I did the night before? I caught a movie, I had a good dinner, and I tried to relax. I tried to let all those nerves go, and just focus on being in the best shape I could be, physically and mentally, for when I stepped into that ring. And lo and behold, the very next night I became the Midwest Heavyweight Champion. It’s all about taking it one step at a time, Andrew. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Tomorrow is still tomorrow…today’s what’s important.”
Andrew nods, sighing again. He looks at the picture for a second before setting it aside.
”Dad…do you think I’m ready?”
Jason pauses, surprised by the question. After a second, he nods.
”The fact that you’re still asking yourself that question means that you are. If you were completely confident that you deserved the title, you’d be arrogant. Son, I know what you’ve been through. I know what kind of a wrestler you are. There isn’t a man on that roster, in my mind, that’s more ready to be World Champion than you.”
Andrew nods, smiling faintly over at the big man. After a few seconds, he pulls out an envelope and hands it to Jason. The older man looks him in the eyes, and Andrew shrugs.
”Two tickets on the MSP-DC flight, and two tickets to the pay-per-view. If you and Mom want to be there…it’d mean a lot to me.”
Jason nods, and for a second the big man’s emotions threaten to overwhelm him. He nods, blinking back a tear, and smiles at his son.
”Nothing would make us prouder. We’ll meet you at the airport. I better start packing…see you in Washington, champ.”
Andrew nods back, grinning from ear to ear, and reaches over, pulling his father into a hug. Jason turns and holds Andrew close, holding on for a few seconds before patting his back. AJ pulls away, nodding, and smiles at him before standing and leaving the room. Jason sighs, reaching over and picking up the photo. He stares at it as Andrew walks down the stairs and out of the house, sighing and standing to replace it as we fade to black.
”I hear what you say, Xander. I know what you mean when you say that this isn’t how you would have wanted to be World Champion. But when I look at what you say and what you do, the complete and utter disconnect…try lying to someone else. You keep trying to separate yourself from Harold: “Harold is going to do this.” “Harold will be the one out there, not me.” “I’m not the bad guy, Harold is.” Man up, Xander. Accept the fact that no matter how much you try to distance yourself from what goes on in that ring, you’re still the one that chokeslammed me through that announce table. You’re the one that has done everything Harold has done. You’re not two different men. You are Harold. So stop acting like you’re not guilty of his crimes.”
“You never wanted this company to be about the new guard. The Hierarchy have been in it for themselves since Day One. You spent all that time trying to coerce and convince Kelly, and when it finally worked you realized that you didn’t like not being in control anymore. So now you’re trying to play the penitent, claiming that the only thing you care about anymore is that your sister gets freed. Xander, I was her friend. And she hurt me, I won’t deny that. Even I don’t want to see her subservient to Kelly forever. But if you think that your blood means you can throw the title that every single man in that locker room dreams of holding under the bus, then you need a severe reality check.”
“No matter how you won it, that belt is worth more than you will ever give it credit for. Even if your reign now is a fraud, I still want to be World Champion. I want to put my name up among the best in the business: Lance Ryan. Spike Kane. Trent Helms. Steve Awesome. Adam Knite. Falcon. Angel. Gib. Dave Holland. Rob Diamond. Those are some of the greatest wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots, and I know for a fact that I can join their number. You’re my challenge to overcome. The Goliath to my David, as you so aptly pointed out…”
“I won’t let you dishonor that title you lay claim to. I refuse to allow you to stand there and, in the throes of your self-pitying ramblings, smear the name of the biggest prize in the best company on Earth. Xander, I’ve been preparing for this moment my entire life. This match is the culmination of everything I am and everything I’ve worked so hard for. Am I nervous? Oh, absolutely. This match is bar none the most important one I’ve ever been in. But I’m not scared. I’m not scared of the moment, I’m not scared of the pressure, and I’m certainly not scared by you.”
“I’ve been told all my career that I don’t have ‘it’. I’ve had everyone and their mother tell me ‘You don’t have what it takes to succeed. You’re not star material.’ And there have been times when I’ve thought that they might be right. But all it takes to blast those doubts away is to walk out from behind that curtain and look out at a stadium full of the nCw faithful. That noise is my drug and that feeling is my euphoria. I’ve fought for what I believe in since Day One. I believe in giving the fans what they deserve. I believe in honesty, in competition, and in earning what you get in life instead of having it given to you…and they just laughed.”
“I’ve been called a Boy Scout. Somehow, that’s become an insult to those people. They think that somehow I’ll be ashamed of my morals. Yes, I’m a Boy Scout. I’m an Eagle Scout. I wear that title like…well…a badge of honor. If I was as spineless as you say, wouldn’t I have started keeping my head down? I know what it’s like to have pressure on your shoulders. I know what you’re going to do to me. You think a few snarky insults are going to make me shrink away? You honestly believe that threatening me and destroying my body will stop me? If you do…you’re wrong.”
“I…Xander, I can’t muster any more hate. You want my advice? I know exactly what sort of power Kelly holds over you right now. Trust me, you’re not the only one that wants to fight for her...every time I see her walk out there with that mask on, every time I see Kelly barking orders at you, I feel my blood boil. I know you’re a better man than she’s making you, Xander. I know that SHE deserves better than what Kelly’s putting her through. And rest assured, I don’t want to be World Champion for the glitz or the glory. I want to be World Champion because I have dreamed my entire life of being able to call myself the best in the world and MEAN it. I’m not just fighting for me, big man. I’m not just fighting for that title. I’m fighting for her, and you, and everyone who suffers because of what Kelly’s become. I know what sort of hell she can bring down. But even if I didn’t want to fight you…I couldn’t stop myself. Because if I just step aside when I’m asked to…what am I then?”
“You’re beholden to her will. I’m not. So let me fight the battles you can’t. Let me do what I can. I want you to go out there swinging. Bring everything you’ve got and make me work for every inch I get. And if it’ll make it easier for either of us…no, I won’t be in the ring with you. I won’t be in the ring with the man that I respect, the guy that I know would go through hell and back for his family. I’m in there with the monster himself. And that monster is going to have zero compunctions about breaking me in half. So I’m going to show him what happens when you try to destroy something that’s indestructible. This is my chance. I've been waiting for this all my life. I’m going to seize it…and if you don’t like that, feel free to prove me wrong.”[/color]
