Post by Jonny Fly on Sept 30, 2012 15:57:06 GMT -5
[Begin Narrator]
The wrestling world is gearing up for perhaps the biggest event of its year. As the lights of the world shine down on the Wrestling Championship Federation, darkness has emerged over its biggest star. The saga of Jonny Fly has always been an intricate and evolving tale with all the elements of a juicy novel; sex, violence, deceit, death, all packaged within that legendary polarizing personality that has ruffled the feathers of countless opponents for over a decade.
We’ve seen Fly overcome an upbringing that would ruin a lesser man, but the scars from that fight he carries to this day. That baggage has always brought him down. Fly has served his fair share of jail time; he’s been in nearly as many interrogation rooms as he has arenas. Through it all his penchant to win wrestling matches over the greatest athletes and technicians the world has to offer has been unparalleled. He’s accumulated eight World Title victories, and a countless bag of other titles and awards. We’ve seen interruptions in his career plenty of times, jail time, time in hiding, and time in witness protection. It’s been par for the course when Jonny Fly has been lucky enough to be employed with a wrestling organization.
Let there be no doubt; Fly brings fans, money, and prestige to any company who employs him. People flock to arenas and swarm around televisions to witness Jonny Fly put on the wrestling clinic that he does, each and every week. Even when hated by the fans, they watch. They want to bear witness to the next Jonny Fly loss, an occurrence almost as rare as a shooting star. With the good, always comes the bad. Fly has clashed with every owner he’s ever been employed under. He’s notoriously greedy, and demands to be paid more than his counterparts. For all his traits as a revenue generator, he certainly doesn’t come cheap.
All of that was said to have changed months ago. A reformed Jonny Fly took the reins of a Pantheon group that aimed to ‘save professional wrestling.’ Fly went out of his way to attempt right some of his past wrongs. He’s given considerable amounts of time and money to charities, all while continuing to display the swagger in and out of the ring that he’s famous for. However, things appear to be changing drastically for Fly. It’s the sub-story of the larger story of the week; War. Fly’s mind has slipped considerably. On top of that, he’s in legal trouble once again. How has this happened, and what does it mean to Fly moving forward?
You’ll find out….today.
[/i]
[End Narrator]
[Begin Scene]
Dr. Jefferson, seen last in Jonny Fly mansion, sits at his office at WCF headquarters in Reading, Pennsylvania. The doctor is sorting through a pile or papers on his desk when his office phone rings. Jefferson takes a look at the caller ID and quickly answers the phone.
Dr. Jefferson: Hello, sir.
…
Dr: Jefferson: Yes sir, I did.
…
Dr. Jefferson: I did give it to him.
…
Dr. Jefferson: He’s slipping away drastically.
…
Dr. Jefferson: My medical opinion is he won’t even remember who he is in a few more days.
…
Dr. Jefferson: I know that’s a little later than you asked, but…
…
Dr. Jefferson: Move the timeframe up?
…
Dr. Jefferson: I’m afraid that’s impossible.
…
Dr. Jefferson: I know what we talked about, but he’s been stronger than we thought. He’s still fighting it.
…
Dr. Jefferson: You have a backup plan?
…
Dr. Jefferson: What does the State Department have to do with this?
…
Dr. Jefferson: Well, that’s certainly interesting. The drugs I’ve been administering caused him to do that?
…
Dr. Jefferson: It looks like he’s done the work for me then.
…
Dr. Jefferson: …okay. Yes, sir.
With that, Dr. Jefferson hangs up the phone and the scene goes to black.
[Scene Ends]
[Begin Flashback]
We’re taken to March 17th, 2002. It’s the opening segment of the United Wrestling Alliance’s weekly show, Stranglehold. We see a decade younger Jonny Fly walks into the arena from an entry door from the parking garage. As soon as the door closes, UWA CEO Mark Drivelane approaches the rookie wrestlers. Fly immediately drops his duffel bag and extends his hand for his new boss. Drivelane looks down at his extended hand and scoffs.
Drivelane: That parking garage is for my wrestlers, son. I think you’re lost.
Fly: No, sir. I’m Jonny Fly. I’m here for my first match.
Drivelane: Fly? You’re late. Dark matches took place about an hour ago. Great first impression though, late for your first match, you’re sure to go far in this business.
Drivelane shakes his head and begins to walk away from the novice wrestler.
Fly: I wasn’t scheduled for a dark match.
Drivelane: Debut matches are always dark matches. Christ, kid, I run this place. I think I know who is scheduled for what matches. Feel free to head on home. We’ll evaluate if need you next week and someone will be in touch.
Fly: I have a different idea. How about you throw me into one of these matches and let me prove to you that I’m the best wrestler on this entire roster.
Drivelane: On the entire roster!? Let me give you a piece of advice, cocky pricks go nowhere in the UWA. These guys are the best of the best, and they’re not going to take too kindly to some eighteen year old they’ve never heard of running around telling everyone that he’s better than them.
Fly: So let me prove it, and then they’ll have no choice.
Drivelane: I admire your spirit. This business is going to crush you, though. Even if you do turn out to be so great, you can’t carry that burden forever. The top of this industry is always a revolving door. It eats people up and spits them out. It’s hard to stay on top with so many people after you. Add in that attitude of yours, and you’re sure to attract a fair of share of people who will invest greatly in your demise. You should remember that, and tread carefully.
Fly: They can try, but they’ll never succeed.
Drivelane: I guess we’ll see about that. I like you, Fly. You’re going to be good for business. I don’t know whether that’s as a punching bag for my stars or as a legitimate contender, but that part of it doesn’t really matter to me. Consider yourself booked tonight. Your match is in twenty minutes. Good luck.
Fly: That’s what I’m talking about! Make sure they spell my name right.
Mark Drivelane smiles and this time extends his hand, welcoming aboard his newest wrestler. Fly grasps the hand and grabs his bag and walks away toward his locker room. His wrestling debut looms right around the corner.
[End Flashback]
[Scene Begins]
The scene begins in a café in New York City. Inside the café WCF World Champion Jonny Fly sits alone at a table. Fly is holding a bottle of beer in his hand and staring aimlessly out the window toward a sunny street. A person emerges behind him and the noise of his presence alerts Fly to turn around. He stares up at his father, Jack Fly, previously seen in the New York City FBI building before Fly was summoned to Bangkok. Jack Fly takes the extra seat at the table. Jonny Fly positions himself in his chair in order face him as the two begin to talk.
Fly: Thanks for coming.
Jack: Anything for you, Jonny, you should know that.
Fly: We need to talk about Bangkok.
Jack: You’re right, we most certainly do. You need to tell me what happened over there. There are a lot of people asking a lot of questions.
Fly: These two guys tried to…..I don’t know what happened. I don’t remember. Well, I remember but…forget it, nevermind.
Jack: You’ve made a lot of people upset. The political situation in Bangkok has gotten worse. The U.S. ambassador’s daughter was never found. He’s in a very precarious position over there, as they know now he organized this op against them. More so than that, the powers that be over here in the states aren’t very happy he didn’t go through them before having you go in there. He has friends high up in the bureau and State Department, and they blame you. They’re after you.
Fly: Can you fix this?
Jack: Can I fix this!? I’m out, Jonny. I’m sorry. I can’t fix this.
Fly: Who is it exactly who is coming after me?
Jack: I don’t know for sure. The play is to get you extradited back to Bangkok to face charges. They think that’ll get the ambassador back in the good graces with the Bangkok government officials. It’s either that or he has to be sent home.
Fly: So I’m just being left out to dry? I did what I could to get the information out of them, but they knew why I was over there the whole time. Someone had to have sold me out. Hell, they tried to kidnap Shannan! What else was I supposed to do?
Jack: Some things aren’t fair. I’ll give you that. I can’t answer that question for you, but they will find you soon enough. They know where you work, just like the rest of the world.
A waitress has approached the table and asks Fly is he’s ready to order. Fly tells her that he’s not ready, and instead asks for two more beers. As she leaves Jack and Jonny Fly both open up their menus for the first time.
Fly: Isn’t it against the law or something to extradite and American citizen to a foreign country?
Jack: Depends on the country and the treaty they have with them. I can’t tell you about Thailand, I don’t know. It’s a political situation at this point, Jonny. They’ll do whatever they have to. I imagine they’ll try to find a legal way to take you in, but if that fails, they’re still going to come after you.
It’s at this point in the conversation when Fly begins to become paranoid. He takes a quick scan of the surrounding café and it’s easy to notice several people staring at him. He’s not sure why, but for the remainder of this conversation he’ll remain in tune with his surroundings. The waitress has just returned and sets two beer bottles down in front of him. Fly scowls, and takes it upon himself to slide one of the beer bottles over to his dad. Shouldn’t she have done that herself, he wonders.
Waitress: Are you ready to order, sir?
Fly finishes looking over the menu and sets it down on the table.
Fly: I’ll take a Caesar salad, please.
Waitress: Alrighty, coming right up.
The waitress begins to walk away.
Fly: Whoa, hold up. Aren’t you going to take my dad’s order?
Waitress: Uh, what?
Jack: I’ll just take a Caesar salad as well.
Fly: Two caesar salads, please.
Waitress: ….okay.
Still confused, the waitress walks away with the order. Fly watches her leave and then turns back to his dad.
Fly: Was that weird to you?
Jack: That she didn’t take my order?
Fly: That whole thing, that wasn’t weird to you?
Jack: Bad service is a staple of the United States, Jonny. What did you expect?
Fly: …and why is everyone in this restaurant looking at me?
Jack: You’re the WCF World Champion. You’re perhaps the greatest wrestlers of the past decade in this entire country. You’re on television every single week, your face is on merchandise across the country, and national corporations use you in advertisements. Are you telling me you’re not used to people staring at you when you’re out in public?
Fly: This feels different than that. I think that lady in the corner is laughing at me. Look at our waitress; she almost looks scared to come back over here.
Fly continues to scan the restaurant. Almost in unison as he makes eye contact with someone, they look away. He returns his gaze to the outside window. He watches the cars go past, the kids riding around on their bikes, and the couples walking hand in hand down the street. He wipes his hand across his eyes and looks out the window again…and nothing. No cars, no kids, no couples. A bright and sunny day has turned cloudy and dim. Fly draws in a deep sigh.
Fly: You ever felt like the world was about to crash down on you, and there was absolutely nothing you could do to stop it?
Fly’s comments fall only on one set of ears, the waitress who has approached the table with two ceasar salads.
Waitress: Excuse me?
Fly turns and makes eye contact with the waitress. She sets down both salads in front of him. Fly again finds this curious.
Fly: The other salad is for….
Fly’s gaze across the table leads him to an empty chair. He quickly looks around, not seeing his dad anywhere. He looks back at the chair and notices the beer bottle from earlier. It’s completely full and hasn’t even been touched. He begins to understand what is going on.
Fly: ….for me. The other salad is for me. Obviously.
Waitress: Are you okay, sir?
There is no way to answer that question honestly right now. Fly only searches for answers.
Fly: By any chance, was there a man sitting across from me earlier?
Waitress: No.
Her quick response brings along a cold and harsh realization for Fly. His dad is still dead. He never talked to him in the New York City FBI headquarters, and he was never summoned to Bangkok as an FBI asset to fix a problem his father had caused. He was talking to himself at this café the entire time. The delusions are getting worse. What is real? Who is real?
Fly: You know what, I’m no longer hungry. I’m sorry.
Fly reaches into the back pocket of his pants and pulls out his wallet and set a one-hundred dollar bill on the table. He gets up from his seat and puts his wallet back into his pants. He looks toward the waitress.
Fly: I’m sorry for any trouble that I caused. I hope you have a good day.
With that, Jonny Fly heads to the door of the café and makes his way outside. He takes a right and begins walking down the street. From down the sidewalk a cameraman can be seen walking toward us. Fly slows down upon seeing the cameraman. He’s not particularly excited about going on television with his current frame of mind, but decides it’s time to tell the world what is going on.
Fly: I suppose you want some thoughts on this match?
The cameraman nods his head and turns the camera on.
Fly: Walk with me. You’re going to get more than that.
Fly begins down the street once again as the cameraman flanks him to the left walking in stride with the WCF World Champion.
Fly: Usually I think people who run around reciting quotes are idiots. I’d much rather make my own quote than regurgitate some two-hundred year old saying by some whoeverthefuck. Still, it was Thomas Paine who told us that the “harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” I find that quote to be somewhat useful to me right now. When I say that, I’m not talking about War. There are only four people in the War match that have a chance in hell of winning; Polar Phantasm, Jeff Purse, Johnny Reb, and Corey Black. Did I just end the suspense right there? Sorry guys. It wouldn’t be conflict for me anyway, there’s no chance I find my way into that match.
Fly: I’m not even talking about my own match. It would take a stretch of truth to call my World Title defense at War a ‘conflict.’ I can’t pretend that FPV and Waylon Cash are worth my time and attention. No, there is something else going on. I can’t explain it, but I can feel it. I can sense it. Something or someone has poisoned my mind. This is real. They want me out, and they know there is no other way. I am a force like no other, and for me to relinquish my belt and my grasp on the throat of this company, drastic measures have been taken. Do I sound delusional? Do I sound paranoid?
Fly: Maybe I am.
Fly: What I can tell you is that I’ve been in this position before. Once upon a time I had a boss tell me that because of the way I act, people will ‘invest greatly in my demise.’ He was right. This has happened to me before. Nevertheless, I embrace the term ‘parasite,’ mostly because it infers a certain type of dominance that you can certainly associate with myself. When I’m in a company I do nothing but eat. I consume everything. This is the fallout. This is, finally, the backlash. Someone has decided to put a stop to me, and they’ve gone beyond the wrestling ring to do it. I stand before you a broken man, but still, a man without a fuckin’ ounce of quit in him. I’ve spoken many times on camera that I believe it’s my attitude that differentiates me from the endless hordes of wrestlers who wish they could beat me. This isn’t the end of Jonny Fly. It can’t be. I won’t allow it.
Fly: The casual observer at home may be confused right now. I am too. I’m remembering things that didn’t happen, seeing people that aren’t real, and doing things for reasons in which don’t exist. I feel poisoned, but my body is perfectly healthy. I’m just…seeing things in a different light. The world seems dark to me, it’s as if the curtain is closing on me. I can’t even tell you if it’s a sunny day today, because all I see is gray. With every person I see on the street I have this urge come over me to kill, maim, or slaughter. I can’t put my finger on what is happening, but I can tell you all that I will understand soon enough. One way or the other, this is coming to a head.
Fly: It would take an event completely out of my control to not be at War on Sunday; ready to defend my WCF World Title. I feel like, in a way, my opponents have been gearing up for this match. They have so much to gain, and everything to lose. You can’t continue to lose World Title chances and at the same time expect to keep getting more. For Waylon and FPV, it’s going to be a long-fall back to midcard purgatory for the considerable future. I wish them the best of luck. Regardless of my mental state, they’re going to fucking need every ounce of it that they can get.
Fly has stopped on the street. He takes one last look into the camera.
Fly: I’ve never been good with goodbyes…so let’s just say I’ll be seeing you all soon, one way or another.
As Fly says the cryptic sentence, he begins walking away into the distance. Our scene comes to a close.
[Scene Fades]
[Scene Begins]
We enter our last scene.
“What do we do about Fly?”
Alison Chambers stands amongst a number of her colleagues in a boardroom at the United States State Department.
Chambers: We know where he’s going to be tonight. I received a phone call this morning informing me that authorities have been given access into the Wells Fargo Arena. Officials can take Fly into custody at our discretion. Our friends in Bangkok would surely like a chance to talk to him.
A murmur is heard around the boardroom as people talk amongst themselves. One man speaks out.
Man: What’s his condition currently?
Chambers: His condition is unknown. I would certainly classify him as a threat, and the FBI agrees with me. We can assume he’s gotten worse. I’m not sure if he even knows why he was in Bangkok to begin with, but his actions there show his instability. We can decide on extradition at a later time, but we should get him off the street right now.
Man: Let’s do it.
Chambers: Are we all in agreement?
The faces around the table nod their heads in unison.
Chambers: Alert the FBI field office in Philadelphia. Tell them to take him in.
Chambers walks out of the boardroom and the scene closes.
[Scene Ends]
The wrestling world is gearing up for perhaps the biggest event of its year. As the lights of the world shine down on the Wrestling Championship Federation, darkness has emerged over its biggest star. The saga of Jonny Fly has always been an intricate and evolving tale with all the elements of a juicy novel; sex, violence, deceit, death, all packaged within that legendary polarizing personality that has ruffled the feathers of countless opponents for over a decade.
We’ve seen Fly overcome an upbringing that would ruin a lesser man, but the scars from that fight he carries to this day. That baggage has always brought him down. Fly has served his fair share of jail time; he’s been in nearly as many interrogation rooms as he has arenas. Through it all his penchant to win wrestling matches over the greatest athletes and technicians the world has to offer has been unparalleled. He’s accumulated eight World Title victories, and a countless bag of other titles and awards. We’ve seen interruptions in his career plenty of times, jail time, time in hiding, and time in witness protection. It’s been par for the course when Jonny Fly has been lucky enough to be employed with a wrestling organization.
Let there be no doubt; Fly brings fans, money, and prestige to any company who employs him. People flock to arenas and swarm around televisions to witness Jonny Fly put on the wrestling clinic that he does, each and every week. Even when hated by the fans, they watch. They want to bear witness to the next Jonny Fly loss, an occurrence almost as rare as a shooting star. With the good, always comes the bad. Fly has clashed with every owner he’s ever been employed under. He’s notoriously greedy, and demands to be paid more than his counterparts. For all his traits as a revenue generator, he certainly doesn’t come cheap.
All of that was said to have changed months ago. A reformed Jonny Fly took the reins of a Pantheon group that aimed to ‘save professional wrestling.’ Fly went out of his way to attempt right some of his past wrongs. He’s given considerable amounts of time and money to charities, all while continuing to display the swagger in and out of the ring that he’s famous for. However, things appear to be changing drastically for Fly. It’s the sub-story of the larger story of the week; War. Fly’s mind has slipped considerably. On top of that, he’s in legal trouble once again. How has this happened, and what does it mean to Fly moving forward?
You’ll find out….today.
[/i]
[End Narrator]
[Begin Scene]
Dr. Jefferson, seen last in Jonny Fly mansion, sits at his office at WCF headquarters in Reading, Pennsylvania. The doctor is sorting through a pile or papers on his desk when his office phone rings. Jefferson takes a look at the caller ID and quickly answers the phone.
Dr. Jefferson: Hello, sir.
…
Dr: Jefferson: Yes sir, I did.
…
Dr. Jefferson: I did give it to him.
…
Dr. Jefferson: He’s slipping away drastically.
…
Dr. Jefferson: My medical opinion is he won’t even remember who he is in a few more days.
…
Dr. Jefferson: I know that’s a little later than you asked, but…
…
Dr. Jefferson: Move the timeframe up?
…
Dr. Jefferson: I’m afraid that’s impossible.
…
Dr. Jefferson: I know what we talked about, but he’s been stronger than we thought. He’s still fighting it.
…
Dr. Jefferson: You have a backup plan?
…
Dr. Jefferson: What does the State Department have to do with this?
…
Dr. Jefferson: Well, that’s certainly interesting. The drugs I’ve been administering caused him to do that?
…
Dr. Jefferson: It looks like he’s done the work for me then.
…
Dr. Jefferson: …okay. Yes, sir.
With that, Dr. Jefferson hangs up the phone and the scene goes to black.
[Scene Ends]
[Begin Flashback]
We’re taken to March 17th, 2002. It’s the opening segment of the United Wrestling Alliance’s weekly show, Stranglehold. We see a decade younger Jonny Fly walks into the arena from an entry door from the parking garage. As soon as the door closes, UWA CEO Mark Drivelane approaches the rookie wrestlers. Fly immediately drops his duffel bag and extends his hand for his new boss. Drivelane looks down at his extended hand and scoffs.
Drivelane: That parking garage is for my wrestlers, son. I think you’re lost.
Fly: No, sir. I’m Jonny Fly. I’m here for my first match.
Drivelane: Fly? You’re late. Dark matches took place about an hour ago. Great first impression though, late for your first match, you’re sure to go far in this business.
Drivelane shakes his head and begins to walk away from the novice wrestler.
Fly: I wasn’t scheduled for a dark match.
Drivelane: Debut matches are always dark matches. Christ, kid, I run this place. I think I know who is scheduled for what matches. Feel free to head on home. We’ll evaluate if need you next week and someone will be in touch.
Fly: I have a different idea. How about you throw me into one of these matches and let me prove to you that I’m the best wrestler on this entire roster.
Drivelane: On the entire roster!? Let me give you a piece of advice, cocky pricks go nowhere in the UWA. These guys are the best of the best, and they’re not going to take too kindly to some eighteen year old they’ve never heard of running around telling everyone that he’s better than them.
Fly: So let me prove it, and then they’ll have no choice.
Drivelane: I admire your spirit. This business is going to crush you, though. Even if you do turn out to be so great, you can’t carry that burden forever. The top of this industry is always a revolving door. It eats people up and spits them out. It’s hard to stay on top with so many people after you. Add in that attitude of yours, and you’re sure to attract a fair of share of people who will invest greatly in your demise. You should remember that, and tread carefully.
Fly: They can try, but they’ll never succeed.
Drivelane: I guess we’ll see about that. I like you, Fly. You’re going to be good for business. I don’t know whether that’s as a punching bag for my stars or as a legitimate contender, but that part of it doesn’t really matter to me. Consider yourself booked tonight. Your match is in twenty minutes. Good luck.
Fly: That’s what I’m talking about! Make sure they spell my name right.
Mark Drivelane smiles and this time extends his hand, welcoming aboard his newest wrestler. Fly grasps the hand and grabs his bag and walks away toward his locker room. His wrestling debut looms right around the corner.
[End Flashback]
[Scene Begins]
The scene begins in a café in New York City. Inside the café WCF World Champion Jonny Fly sits alone at a table. Fly is holding a bottle of beer in his hand and staring aimlessly out the window toward a sunny street. A person emerges behind him and the noise of his presence alerts Fly to turn around. He stares up at his father, Jack Fly, previously seen in the New York City FBI building before Fly was summoned to Bangkok. Jack Fly takes the extra seat at the table. Jonny Fly positions himself in his chair in order face him as the two begin to talk.
Fly: Thanks for coming.
Jack: Anything for you, Jonny, you should know that.
Fly: We need to talk about Bangkok.
Jack: You’re right, we most certainly do. You need to tell me what happened over there. There are a lot of people asking a lot of questions.
Fly: These two guys tried to…..I don’t know what happened. I don’t remember. Well, I remember but…forget it, nevermind.
Jack: You’ve made a lot of people upset. The political situation in Bangkok has gotten worse. The U.S. ambassador’s daughter was never found. He’s in a very precarious position over there, as they know now he organized this op against them. More so than that, the powers that be over here in the states aren’t very happy he didn’t go through them before having you go in there. He has friends high up in the bureau and State Department, and they blame you. They’re after you.
Fly: Can you fix this?
Jack: Can I fix this!? I’m out, Jonny. I’m sorry. I can’t fix this.
Fly: Who is it exactly who is coming after me?
Jack: I don’t know for sure. The play is to get you extradited back to Bangkok to face charges. They think that’ll get the ambassador back in the good graces with the Bangkok government officials. It’s either that or he has to be sent home.
Fly: So I’m just being left out to dry? I did what I could to get the information out of them, but they knew why I was over there the whole time. Someone had to have sold me out. Hell, they tried to kidnap Shannan! What else was I supposed to do?
Jack: Some things aren’t fair. I’ll give you that. I can’t answer that question for you, but they will find you soon enough. They know where you work, just like the rest of the world.
A waitress has approached the table and asks Fly is he’s ready to order. Fly tells her that he’s not ready, and instead asks for two more beers. As she leaves Jack and Jonny Fly both open up their menus for the first time.
Fly: Isn’t it against the law or something to extradite and American citizen to a foreign country?
Jack: Depends on the country and the treaty they have with them. I can’t tell you about Thailand, I don’t know. It’s a political situation at this point, Jonny. They’ll do whatever they have to. I imagine they’ll try to find a legal way to take you in, but if that fails, they’re still going to come after you.
It’s at this point in the conversation when Fly begins to become paranoid. He takes a quick scan of the surrounding café and it’s easy to notice several people staring at him. He’s not sure why, but for the remainder of this conversation he’ll remain in tune with his surroundings. The waitress has just returned and sets two beer bottles down in front of him. Fly scowls, and takes it upon himself to slide one of the beer bottles over to his dad. Shouldn’t she have done that herself, he wonders.
Waitress: Are you ready to order, sir?
Fly finishes looking over the menu and sets it down on the table.
Fly: I’ll take a Caesar salad, please.
Waitress: Alrighty, coming right up.
The waitress begins to walk away.
Fly: Whoa, hold up. Aren’t you going to take my dad’s order?
Waitress: Uh, what?
Jack: I’ll just take a Caesar salad as well.
Fly: Two caesar salads, please.
Waitress: ….okay.
Still confused, the waitress walks away with the order. Fly watches her leave and then turns back to his dad.
Fly: Was that weird to you?
Jack: That she didn’t take my order?
Fly: That whole thing, that wasn’t weird to you?
Jack: Bad service is a staple of the United States, Jonny. What did you expect?
Fly: …and why is everyone in this restaurant looking at me?
Jack: You’re the WCF World Champion. You’re perhaps the greatest wrestlers of the past decade in this entire country. You’re on television every single week, your face is on merchandise across the country, and national corporations use you in advertisements. Are you telling me you’re not used to people staring at you when you’re out in public?
Fly: This feels different than that. I think that lady in the corner is laughing at me. Look at our waitress; she almost looks scared to come back over here.
Fly continues to scan the restaurant. Almost in unison as he makes eye contact with someone, they look away. He returns his gaze to the outside window. He watches the cars go past, the kids riding around on their bikes, and the couples walking hand in hand down the street. He wipes his hand across his eyes and looks out the window again…and nothing. No cars, no kids, no couples. A bright and sunny day has turned cloudy and dim. Fly draws in a deep sigh.
Fly: You ever felt like the world was about to crash down on you, and there was absolutely nothing you could do to stop it?
Fly’s comments fall only on one set of ears, the waitress who has approached the table with two ceasar salads.
Waitress: Excuse me?
Fly turns and makes eye contact with the waitress. She sets down both salads in front of him. Fly again finds this curious.
Fly: The other salad is for….
Fly’s gaze across the table leads him to an empty chair. He quickly looks around, not seeing his dad anywhere. He looks back at the chair and notices the beer bottle from earlier. It’s completely full and hasn’t even been touched. He begins to understand what is going on.
Fly: ….for me. The other salad is for me. Obviously.
Waitress: Are you okay, sir?
There is no way to answer that question honestly right now. Fly only searches for answers.
Fly: By any chance, was there a man sitting across from me earlier?
Waitress: No.
Her quick response brings along a cold and harsh realization for Fly. His dad is still dead. He never talked to him in the New York City FBI headquarters, and he was never summoned to Bangkok as an FBI asset to fix a problem his father had caused. He was talking to himself at this café the entire time. The delusions are getting worse. What is real? Who is real?
Fly: You know what, I’m no longer hungry. I’m sorry.
Fly reaches into the back pocket of his pants and pulls out his wallet and set a one-hundred dollar bill on the table. He gets up from his seat and puts his wallet back into his pants. He looks toward the waitress.
Fly: I’m sorry for any trouble that I caused. I hope you have a good day.
With that, Jonny Fly heads to the door of the café and makes his way outside. He takes a right and begins walking down the street. From down the sidewalk a cameraman can be seen walking toward us. Fly slows down upon seeing the cameraman. He’s not particularly excited about going on television with his current frame of mind, but decides it’s time to tell the world what is going on.
Fly: I suppose you want some thoughts on this match?
The cameraman nods his head and turns the camera on.
Fly: Walk with me. You’re going to get more than that.
Fly begins down the street once again as the cameraman flanks him to the left walking in stride with the WCF World Champion.
Fly: Usually I think people who run around reciting quotes are idiots. I’d much rather make my own quote than regurgitate some two-hundred year old saying by some whoeverthefuck. Still, it was Thomas Paine who told us that the “harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” I find that quote to be somewhat useful to me right now. When I say that, I’m not talking about War. There are only four people in the War match that have a chance in hell of winning; Polar Phantasm, Jeff Purse, Johnny Reb, and Corey Black. Did I just end the suspense right there? Sorry guys. It wouldn’t be conflict for me anyway, there’s no chance I find my way into that match.
Fly: I’m not even talking about my own match. It would take a stretch of truth to call my World Title defense at War a ‘conflict.’ I can’t pretend that FPV and Waylon Cash are worth my time and attention. No, there is something else going on. I can’t explain it, but I can feel it. I can sense it. Something or someone has poisoned my mind. This is real. They want me out, and they know there is no other way. I am a force like no other, and for me to relinquish my belt and my grasp on the throat of this company, drastic measures have been taken. Do I sound delusional? Do I sound paranoid?
Fly: Maybe I am.
Fly: What I can tell you is that I’ve been in this position before. Once upon a time I had a boss tell me that because of the way I act, people will ‘invest greatly in my demise.’ He was right. This has happened to me before. Nevertheless, I embrace the term ‘parasite,’ mostly because it infers a certain type of dominance that you can certainly associate with myself. When I’m in a company I do nothing but eat. I consume everything. This is the fallout. This is, finally, the backlash. Someone has decided to put a stop to me, and they’ve gone beyond the wrestling ring to do it. I stand before you a broken man, but still, a man without a fuckin’ ounce of quit in him. I’ve spoken many times on camera that I believe it’s my attitude that differentiates me from the endless hordes of wrestlers who wish they could beat me. This isn’t the end of Jonny Fly. It can’t be. I won’t allow it.
Fly: The casual observer at home may be confused right now. I am too. I’m remembering things that didn’t happen, seeing people that aren’t real, and doing things for reasons in which don’t exist. I feel poisoned, but my body is perfectly healthy. I’m just…seeing things in a different light. The world seems dark to me, it’s as if the curtain is closing on me. I can’t even tell you if it’s a sunny day today, because all I see is gray. With every person I see on the street I have this urge come over me to kill, maim, or slaughter. I can’t put my finger on what is happening, but I can tell you all that I will understand soon enough. One way or the other, this is coming to a head.
Fly: It would take an event completely out of my control to not be at War on Sunday; ready to defend my WCF World Title. I feel like, in a way, my opponents have been gearing up for this match. They have so much to gain, and everything to lose. You can’t continue to lose World Title chances and at the same time expect to keep getting more. For Waylon and FPV, it’s going to be a long-fall back to midcard purgatory for the considerable future. I wish them the best of luck. Regardless of my mental state, they’re going to fucking need every ounce of it that they can get.
Fly has stopped on the street. He takes one last look into the camera.
Fly: I’ve never been good with goodbyes…so let’s just say I’ll be seeing you all soon, one way or another.
As Fly says the cryptic sentence, he begins walking away into the distance. Our scene comes to a close.
[Scene Fades]
[Scene Begins]
We enter our last scene.
“What do we do about Fly?”
Alison Chambers stands amongst a number of her colleagues in a boardroom at the United States State Department.
Chambers: We know where he’s going to be tonight. I received a phone call this morning informing me that authorities have been given access into the Wells Fargo Arena. Officials can take Fly into custody at our discretion. Our friends in Bangkok would surely like a chance to talk to him.
A murmur is heard around the boardroom as people talk amongst themselves. One man speaks out.
Man: What’s his condition currently?
Chambers: His condition is unknown. I would certainly classify him as a threat, and the FBI agrees with me. We can assume he’s gotten worse. I’m not sure if he even knows why he was in Bangkok to begin with, but his actions there show his instability. We can decide on extradition at a later time, but we should get him off the street right now.
Man: Let’s do it.
Chambers: Are we all in agreement?
The faces around the table nod their heads in unison.
Chambers: Alert the FBI field office in Philadelphia. Tell them to take him in.
Chambers walks out of the boardroom and the scene closes.
[Scene Ends]
