Paradise Lost

[Joe Everyman]

The river to the ocean goes,
A fortune for the undertow
None of this is going my way
There is nothing left to throw
Of ginger, lemon, indigo,
Coriander stem and rows of hay

Xander. It's been a long time coming. I knew as soon as I won the Imperial Championship, someone would get jealous. Someone would get filled with rage that they couldn't do it before me. Someone would realize that they were suddenly lower than me on the ladder, and they would do something despite. They would do something outlandish. They would do something childish, like attacking me from behind. Or making a friend... a former friend... turn on me.

It's amazing the power you have, Xander. You wield this power like a child with a toy lightsaber. You may feel strong, you may feel the Force flowing through you, but in truth, all you are is a child with a plastic stick. Your power is fleeting, Xander. You think you are above everyone else, when in truth, you are BELOW us all. You may be allied with Lex now, but of you two, who is the one who is truly in command? Lex was the one who told the truth, for the time it was. He manned up to what he did! He was the one who fought through the tournament and gained his spot in the finals against me. He was the true super power in all of this. He did all of this while you were sitting on your hands, doing absolutely nothing for this company.

You say ideally by while we all passed you by, and it made you size. It made you need the power again. You used your silver tongue to get in with Lex, and what has it gotten you so far? A loss to the IWF Tag champs. That doesn't look great on your resume. What happens when Lex realizes he doesn't need you anymore? It could happen anytime. He's not big on weaker links in any sort of agreement, and that's exactly what you are, Xander. Lex can't be fully trusted, and you of ALL people should know this. You've stabbed more people in the back than anybody else in this company. It will eventually happen, and you know it. What will happen with Lex kicks you to the curb?

I can tell you that, free of charge. You will fall. You will tumble down to where you were before you attacked me. You will become the man who is easily overlooked. You will become the man who you've been since the first day you walked into IWF, a shell of your former self, a man trying, clawing desperately to get the limelight back onto him. And Xander, I'm going to do EVERY god damn thing I can to make sure that happens! I don't care if I have to face you, face Lex or the both of you are ONCE! I will bury you. I will burn you down. And I will show the both of you why I and I alone are the first ever Imperial Champion.

You have no fucking chance against me now!

The scene slowly opens up inside of the Joe Everyman household. Melanie is laying down on the couch as the television plays behind her. She looks exhausted as she breaths heavily. She slowly releases a long sigh and is able to crack a small smile.

Melanie Brooks: Finally... some downtime.

Melanie stretches out some on the couch for a moment before something catches her attention. Her cellphone sitting on the coffee table starts ringing. She slowly picks it up and looks at the screen to see a number that is not in her phone. She just shrugs it off and places it back onto the table. After a few more moments, her phone starts ringing again. She picks it up and sees the same number. She shakes her head and turns the ringer down to silent, places the phone back down onto the table, rolls over and closes her eyes.

Melanie Brooks: If it's important, they'll leave a message.

After a few more seconds, the phone lights up again, with the same number as before. Melanie doesn't not see the light of her phone against the couch as her eyes are tightly shut. The call ends as the phone zooms in on the phone. After a few seconds, a popup comes up saying the phone has a new voicemail. The scene then slowly fades to black.

In my time as champion, I've done some good things. I've shown so many people that they can accomplish their dreams. I showed thousands, millions of people, that their dreams are real. That they can do whatever they put their mind and heart into. But sadly, I also showed them what a dangerous world this is. I showed them that jealousy will show it's head at the most inopportune times. I showed them that despite the great things in this life, there will also be evil. But... I will continue to work for these people. I will continue to strive forward and prove to them that evil will also lose to those with a good heart!

Xander, I know the illusions of grandeur can be confusing to you, but sometimes, I think you're just ignorant. I know you're just the bad guy, the guy who's trying to live up to his father's shadow, but you're missing a huge chunk of what makes me, well... me! In life, we don't always have winning records. Sometimes, we can go into battle and lose a hundred times before we finally get that one, big win. And Xander, that win feels as sweet as can be. We strive for days, months, even YEARS for that one win... and when we get it, we cherish it. We wouldn't do anything to ever tarnish it. And I don't care if I have a losing record here, or anywhere else. I won, and I became the first Imperial Champion. That makes up for every loss in my entire career.

The disillusions are beginning to swallow you up, Xander. I know you're trying to get into my head, but do you have to be this ignorant when you do so? The masses of this world are much like me. We all have our demons, but we are also good people. We're stand up citizens, willing to help out our fellow man. We work hard to accomplish what we want and need. We strive forward, willing to do whatever it takes to get a house around us, and food on the table. We don't beg, we don't plead for a handout. We work for it all, just like I always have. I've never asked for a handout here in IWF. I worked from day one to get where I am! I worked my ass off, more than you EVER have in your entire career! And look what it got me. I'm the Imperial Champion, and you're not. Those people who beg for a handout... those people who whine constantly... those people who you call scumbags... they are you, Xander.

You described yourself absolutely perfectly. I know your ego and your arrogance get a hold of you often, but this is just... silly! And by the way, I didn't get lucky. I got good. I fought my ASS off for years to get the shot that I did! I wasn't some flash in the pan nobody who didn't deserve this! Ask anybody, I deserved this more than ANYBODY! Nobody has worked harder than me since IWF opened! And thar ESPECIALLY means you, Xander! You haven't done a god damn thing compared to me! And now, you got jealous. You thought you could pick on me, because you thought I was weak! Well guess what, Xander, I'm not weak! I'm the strongest member of this entire roster, and I have the heart to back it up! Nothing and no one can stop me now! Now you, Lex or an entire army. I have my allies, and you have yours. And maybe we will clash one day, but for now, it's just you and me.

And now, you listen to me you son of a BITCH! I'm going to beat you this Monday. I'm going to bring you down, back down to Earth, and show you what it's like to be among us mortals again. I'm going to beat you and make your castle fall. People like you have NO place in IWF, and I'm going to prove it! Lex doesn't scare me, and neither do you! I'm going to bring you both down, or DIE trying! Do you think I'm bluffing? I'll prove to you once and for all that I am the superior wrestler. Xander... you stand no chance against me, because you are heartless. I have the strongest heart in this business, and I prove that once against on Sacrifice. Xander... you're going down... once and for all.

The scene slowly opens back up onto a darkened road outside of Washington D.C in Virginia. The camera slowly pans around to see Joe's Escalade has been ran into a tree, with the front of the car completely smashed, the windshield severely cracked. Two sets of tire marks can be seen on the road where the vehicle went off the road. Police lights can be seen reflecting off of the side of the vehicle. There is some commotion in the distance, but there is no movement from Joe's car. The scene then slowly fades to black...

Strength and courage overrides
The privileged and weary eyes
Of river poet search naivete
Pick up here and chase the ride
The river empties to the tide
All of this is coming your way