Free-1 Promo Thread

[ticktock]

Aaron Williams runs on a treadmill, strapping on his knee and on his shoulder, as upbeat music plays in the background. He talks directly to the camera.

“Win... lose... win... lose... we know what comes next, right? A lot of people are saying this is my breakout tournament. But my breakout moments came over ten years ago. This may be the tournament that I’ve started consistently showing what I’m capable of here in FPW, but I’m not satisfied with it yet. Have I put on the best matches? It’s not for me to decide, but I think they’ve been pretty good. Have I sent the fans home happy? Based on what I’ve heard from them, I’d say so. Have I stayed in contention with som of the best damn wrestlers on this planet? Hell to the yes I have. But I’m not there yet. I have one more match with one very talented wrestler to go. Elizabeth Karlson, I promise you just one thing. No matter how good you are technically, no matter how you work over my knee and no matter what hold you apply, I will not tap out to you. I promise you that and I guarantee it. You’ll have to pin my shoulders to the mat or make me pass out with the pain. I look forward to seeing you in the ring.

“I’d also like to respond to those fans who come to me and say... ‘Aaron, you were in the WWE... you should be destroying these guys.’ Incorrect. This group of wrestlers is one of the best anywhere in the world. For an independent wrestling promotion, the level of talent is incredible. Take a look at this Block. Berry Bishop is one of the hardest kickers I’ve ever faced. Jace Mason I’ve already said is the future of the this business and so is Marcus Allen Jones. Those two will face each other in two days but I can see them main eventing a huge stadium show one day. Karlson... I’ve not faced her but I’ve seen her skills and she’s as good a technician as anybody in the world. Saturn... he’s an asshole, but he’s a damn good one. B Block is just as good. I’m pleased to have put on the matches I’ve put on but this isn’t me breaking out. This is me starting to show what I can do. If I beat Karlson and if I make it to the Free-1 final, then I’ll continue to show it and maybe then I’ll get the chance to have a rematch with our oh so impressive champion. Until then, I have a lot of training to do and you certainly have better ways of spending your time than listening to me. I’ll see you all on Saturday.”

[noname1525]

A video was uploaded to the FPW website, featuring Jace Mason backstage.

"I'm still alive," he says to open the video. "Despite the best efforts of Elizabeth Karlson, I still have a chance to win this tournament. And make no mistake, Elizabeth gave me everything she had, in fact, I'll be headed to the trainer's room when I'm done here to make sure there's no nagging injury to worry about tomorrow. But nagging injury or not, I still came out on top, and you know what? It feels really good to finally avenge my first loss here in FPW. And even though this little rivalry may have ended with my victory, I'd be glad to revisit it in the future if the opportunity arises."

"But enough looking backwards, it's time to look forwards to my match tomorrow against Marcus Allen Jones. As you all now, after our previous match, I gained a lot of respect for Marcus as a competitor. And throughout this tournament, I've gained a lot of respect for Marcus as a person. He's been trying so hard to overcome his past, but his past keeps holding onto him. The last time Marcus and I met, we put on a near classic match, one that was only spoiled by his refusal to take a clean loss. And now we're set to do battle once again, and once again, the specter of TakeOver is looming over the match. But this time, I'm not worried about them. I've beaten them once before, I can do it again, especially if I've got Marcus working with me rather than against me. No, my focus for this match is 100% on Marcus Allen Jones. My chance of winning this tournament rests on that victory. If I lose this match, I'll be eliminated from the tournament. So I need this win, but even that wouldn't be enough to assure a block triumph. With everyone all tied up like this, I need both to win my match, and to have everyone who beat me to lose there's. That's  a lot that rests on chance, but tomorrow. I'll do everything that I can to get that victory."

[The_Aviator_GB]

A tape plays of Graham Baker's previous encounter with Jerry Bishop, showing the two men giving all they had at the previous Free-1 final before Baker finally managed to put Jerry away. Baker takes a series of notes and tears a page out, crumpling it up and starting another. He restarts the video, and one can see another monitor in the background playing back clips from both of his Free-1 runs. Baker watches the match with Botiatus with a scowl on his face, but he focuses intently on it, eyeing how Botiatus managed to beat him. He turns away as the final impact of the match plays, and he scrawls down a series of notes, notably toying with a few different variations on the standard Emergency Landing. He's about to restart the Free-1 final clip when he hears the door behind him open, and he sighs.

"Look, I know they let y'all back in here for interviews, but-" Baker turns to see Kate Mustang and Go Shihei standing in the doorway. He narrows his eyes. "What do you want, Kate?" 

Mustang approaches Baker without any words, looking over his notes while Shihei stands sentinel, his arm wrapped from his last encounter with Baker. The two share a glance as Mustang settles on Baker's table, sitting next to him. She starts the clip of the Free-1 final and watches intently-as does Baker-as Baker tries repeatedly to do more and more damage to Bishop, weakening him. The two watch the highlights as they head to the final one last time, and as Baker hits Ground Zero, pinning Bishop and falling over, a sly smile appears on both his face and Mustang's. Mustang pauses the video and looks to Baker. 

"You've beaten him once, you certainly can do it again, Graham-or can you? You've been very down on yourself since then, which doesn't make too much sense-you're a double world champion after all, aren't you? Not many men can claim that." Mustang raises a brow as Baker goes back to his notes, seemingly trying to ignore her. "I mean, you could have had three belts, but, unfortunately, your pride got the better of you with facing off against Davey Jones. Who can blame you, though-a monster of flesh and muscle like that isn't easily put down, especially one who happens to have an accompaniment like Jack Sevren or a propensity for, y'know, mind games." She flips a page back of Baker's notes, looking through all of Jerry's injuries and damage taken during the tournament and noting weak points. Mustang glances at a list of submission manuevers that Baker's been practicing targeting each of Jerry's limbs, with a direct focus on countering the Last Laugh into an Emergency Landing, either a cross armbar or the Fujiwara variant with elbows to the head. She narrows her eyes.

"He'll be expecting you to come for the arms, you know." Baker pauses and looks to Mustang. "Not Jerry, no-MDE, and Bobby too, probably. I wouldn't be surprised if MDE tried to step in as he had with Shihei, despite the agreement that you and Houston and Jerry came to-you know the authorities here haven't always been pleasant to you, especially when MDE's been involved." Baker seems to flash back to the Bourbon Street Fight as Mustang continues to speak. "You may want someone having your back at the ring-and not Karlson, that little girl's good, but she's not as good as MDE or Bobby and she wouldn't be able to get there in time. You need something a little more tactile, a little...heavier." She looks to herself and Shihei, and a smile spreads across her face. 

"Maybe, Graham, you need to look to the past successes to find a path to your future ones. Maybe with the right team...you'd end up with that third belt all over again." 

Baker seems to pause in thought, stopping mid-note and looking at the table ahead of him, where both the ALPHA and ICW World Heavyweight Championships sit. He puts his pen down and taps his fingers on the notepad, thinking as Mustang starts to get back to her feet. She and Shihei are about to leave, but Baker stops them with a "Wait." 

Mustang turns back toward Baker as he gets back to his feet.

"I'll have you two at ringside, but if you interfere, if you get in the way of my win, I'm going to be coming after you as soon as that fucking match ends. Am I clear?"

Mustang smiles at Baker. 

"Crystal, Graham. It'll be just like old times."

She and Shihei leave the room, and Baker pauses, putting his head in his hands for a moment before he grabs his camera, setting it up and pointing it at himself as he begins to record...

[noname1525]

Following today's main event, Dasha Banks met Jace Mason as he walked backstage.

"Jace, congratulations on winning your match tonight and putting yourself on top of this year's A Block. Can you tell us how you're feeling right now?"

"Honestly Dasha, I don't know if I can do that. I'm feeling so many things right now, I don't think there's any words that can do them all justice....Actually, now that I think about, I do have at least one word: exhaustion." He leans up against the wall for support. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Marcus is a hell of a wrestling, defeating him out there was not easy."

"I doubt there's a single person in the audience out there who thought it was." Dasha replied.

"Good, then they know how to recognize good talent." With a sigh, Jace pushes himself off the wall. "Let's get back on track here Dasha. You asked me how I feel, and I feel fucking fantastic. I just punched my ticket to the Free-1 finals in my debut year, and I outlasted some of the toughest competition in FPW to do it. When I lost my first match against Aaron Williams, I know that I lot of people dismissed my chances of winning, they thought I couldn't handle this level of competition. But something I've been great at doing throughout my entire career is holding on just that little bit longer. When people think I've been knocked down for the last time, I get back up. The other people in the block made it difficult, but this time, I would not be stopped. And now I get roughly a week before me next match, one that could easily be considered the biggest of my career."

"And speaking of that match, tomorrow we'll find out your opponent, Jerry Bishop or Graham Baker. Out of the two of them, who would you rather face?"

"That's a difficult question. Since I've arrived in FPW, I've wanted a match with Jerry Bishop, and yet the closest we've come is the finals of the All-Star Tag Team classic. Seeing him definitively snap this year's losing streak by winning the B block would be fantastic. But Graham on the other hand, him I've faced before. Graham Baker and I have had two matches against each other, and he's won both of them. Being able to face him again, to get another chance to gain a victory over him, would be just as great as finally facing Jerry. If it came down to it, I think I'd rather face Jerry just a little more, but I won't be disappointed no matter who wins tomorrow. Now If you'll excuse me Dasha, I need to get an ice pack, and maybe a nap."

"No problem Jace, thank you for your time."

And with that, Jace continued to walked down the hall, headed for the locker room.

[marileeg17]

Cameras follow Aaron Williams, who is guiding Marcus Allen Jones back to the trainers area. Marcus is holding his head with one hand and his ribs with the other.

Aaron knocks on the door and the doctor opens, taking in Marcus' state.

Dr: Oh my god, what the hell happened to him?

Groggily, Marcus speaks, his head dropped down.

MAJ: I fucked up.

AW: Hey, this, this was not your fault.

Marcus looks at Aaron wearily.

MAJ: All of this is my fault. I got what I deserved...

Aaron sighs as the doctor guides Marcus over to where he can check on him. Aaron stays back.

AW: I'll give you two some privacy.

He goes to leave but Marcus stops him.

MAJ: Hey...I didn't need you to fight my battles for me. I could have handled it myself. I just want to do things myself...

Aaron nods.

AW: I know you could have, but see, I very much believe in "see something, say something." And I like to add to that, "see something, say something, stop something." I'm not a bystander. I would have stepped in for anybody. But I did mean what I said before, about if you ever needed a partner...

Marcus doesn't say anything as the doctor begins examining his head. The doctor hits on a certain pressure point and Marcus flinches. His vision also seems a little blurred when doing a test.

Dr: It looks like you may have another concussion Marcus...That's two in just a few months...I really don't like to see that. I think you should take some time off to--

Marcus shakes his head.

MAJ: Not gonna take time off...Don't have a concussion...But the Invaders have a death wish and I'm gonna make sure the grim reaper comes for those two sooner rather than later.

Marcus tries to get off the table but, still woozy, he stumbles on the way down, Aaron Williams fortunately near enough to help catch him. Marcus looks at Aaron and shoves himself out of his grip as he regains his balance.

MAJ: I'm fine...Both of you...I don't need any...Two fuckin' wins and I didn't even get one on my own...Maybe they were right...I can't...

Marcus looks back at Aaron and the doctor, still clutching his ribs which the doctor didn't have a chance to examine.

MAJ: Fuck off, both of you.

Marcus slowly makes his way out of the medical area but he's stopped by the doctor.

Dr: I'm not gonna clear you to fight until you take some time off to get your head right and until your ribs heal.

Marcus, a look of frustration on his face, turns around. He notices a pad of paper and a pen. He tears off a page and writes on it, shoving the paper into the doctor's chest. Marcus leaves as the camera focuses in on the doctor, alongside Aaron Williams, as the two read the word written on the page: UNSANCTIONED. The two men look at each other concerned as the footage comes to an end.

[botiatus]

Bo is dripping with sweat as he runs the ropes at a local gym he's using for training. His trainer looks on as Bo makes a few more rounds before stepping out to the apron. Bo attempts a H.O.B. Leg Drop but is unable to support his weight as his injured right arm buckles and he lands still on the apron. Bo let's out a frustrated growl and flexes the arm a few times but his trainer calls out from behind and stops him before he can try again

Trainer- "Do I really need to say it?"

Bo speaks without turning around

Bo- "Do you really think it'll make a fucking difference?"

T- "I've already told you, a couple weeks of rest and cryotherapy will nip that right in the bud. There's no serious structural damage, just a hell of a lot weakened soft tissue and inflammation. I don't understand why you won't simply skip this meaningless match and give yourself time to fully heal. If it's pride, we'll I can't even remember the last time you missed a match due to injury so I..."

Bo turns around staring daggers which stops his trainer mid-sentence

Bo- "9 years, 8 months and 1 day. I remember the last match I missed due to injury with crystal clarity. I remember someone else stepping into my spot and winning the title I'd literally broken my body for"

Bo hops off the apron and walks up, his body language softening as he does

Bo- "Look J, I appreciate you looking out for me. But I'm not gonna miss this match. I don't miss matches, period. And besides that I'm not going to let that asshole Baker and his little girlfriend win. They tried to have Go put me out of commission because Baker couldn't get the job done himself. So after this match, I'm going to settle the score with that Japanese man beast they sent after me. And then i'll finish up with Baker. But first things first, I need your help so I can figure out how to beat Artemis tomorrow with one good arm. The elbow and leg drop are probably both out of the question so I'm going to need some other way to finish her. Now you gonna help or you gonna keep arguing to deaf ears?"

J sighs and shakes his head

J- "Alright, back in the ring. You'll probably have to land a House Rules with your left arm so we better start practicing"

[marileeg17]

Aug 25, 2019 1:02:13 GMT marileeg17 said:

Cameras follow Aaron Williams, who is guiding Marcus Allen Jones back to the trainers area. Marcus is holding his head with one hand and his ribs with the other.

Aaron knocks on the door and the doctor opens, taking in Marcus' state.

Dr: Oh my god, what the hell happened to him?

Groggily, Marcus speaks, his head dropped down.

MAJ: I fucked up.

AW: Hey, this, this was not your fault.

Marcus looks at Aaron wearily.

MAJ: All of this is my fault. I got what I deserved...

Aaron sighs as the doctor guides Marcus over to where he can check on him. Aaron stays back.

AW: I'll give you two some privacy.

He goes to leave but Marcus stops him.

MAJ: Hey...I didn't need you to fight my battles for me. I could have handled it myself. I just want to do things myself...

Aaron nods.

AW: I know you could have, but see, I very much believe in "see something, say something." And I like to add to that, "see something, say something, stop something." I'm not a bystander. I would have stepped in for anybody. But I did mean what I said before, about if you ever needed a partner...

Marcus doesn't say anything as the doctor begins examining his head. The doctor hits on a certain pressure point and Marcus flinches. His vision also seems a little blurred when doing a test.

Dr: It looks like you may have another concussion Marcus...That's two in just a few months...I really don't like to see that. I think you should take some time off to--

Marcus shakes his head.

MAJ: Not gonna take time off...Don't have a concussion...But the Invaders have a death wish and I'm gonna make sure the grim reaper comes for those two sooner rather than later.

Marcus tries to get off the table but, still woozy, he stumbles on the way down, Aaron Williams fortunately near enough to help catch him. Marcus looks at Aaron and shoves himself out of his grip as he regains his balance.

MAJ: I'm fine...Both of you...I don't need any...Two fuckin' wins and I didn't even get one on my own...Maybe they were right...I can't...

Marcus looks back at Aaron and the doctor, still clutching his ribs which the doctor didn't have a chance to examine.

MAJ: Fuck off, both of you.

Marcus slowly makes his way out of the medical area but he's stopped by the doctor.

Dr: I'm not gonna clear you to fight until you take some time off to get your head right and until your ribs heal.

Marcus, a look of frustration on his face, turns around. He notices a pad of paper and a pen. He tears off a page and writes on it, shoving the paper into the doctor's chest. Marcus leaves as the camera focuses in on the doctor, alongside Aaron Williams, as the two read the word written on the page: UNSANCTIONED. The two men look at each other concerned as the footage comes to an end.

Your Facebook video is about to go live in 3...2...1...

Dario and Haych are seen hanging out in a dark room, the two of them with buckets of popcorn in their hand as they are watching something on TV. It's revealed that it's a clip from video footage that was captured of Marcus in the medical area earlier. The two are laughing as Haych shoves large handfuls of popcorn in his mouth and Dario pops a couple pieces in the air and catches them in his mouth. The two high-five as Marcus stumbles off the table. After a few more moments, Dario turns toward the phone recording the video, grins widely and picks it up so his face covers most of the screen. Angry face emojis come pouring in but that just makes Dario smile even wider as he gives a middle finger to the camera before laughing again.

D: Shut up you fuckin' marks...I'm gonna take this time and this platform to address, not you idiots, but my old boss Marcus. Allen. JONESSSSS!

Dario starts laughing again as he mocks Marcus' mannerisms.

D: Boss, can I call ya boss? Boss, I don't hate you. In fact, I like you a lot more than I like a lot of people in the--

Dario pauses as he walks over to Haych and the two of them start to laugh.

D: Let's start there. You're a fuckin' joke Marcus. Cena was a joke. Punk was a joke. And you're just like them. We should have seen it sooner but better late than never right? Better to discover the fraud in our midst late than never. And that's what you are Marcus, you're a damn fraud. See, you came in here like God's gift to professional wrestling, all because as you claimed, you got signed to a contract after just one match. But there's a caveat about that one match that no one else knows isn't there? But we'll get to that later. Truth is, you came in here like you owned the place and Haych and I, we respected that, because we thought you were like us. We thought you had killer instincts, that you wanted nothing more than to win no matter the cost. We came to you as FPW tag team champions. You came to us as world champion. And there was a time where it worked. Where your intelligence superseded everything. I admired you. I worshiped you even. Because here I thought you were this enlightened young upstart who was going to take over this company. But instead, you turned out to be just another shitfaced, snot-nosed brat who thought you knew better. And maybe you did, but did it ever occur to you, we were your legacy. Sure you won the title, had successful defenses, won the Young Lions Cup, but you did it all with us behind your back. And when it wasn't us physically, it was the threat of us that got you wins. You knew how to play that so well and you intimidated opponents as a result. You got into their heads, played the games better than anyone. Well, almost anyone.

You met your match though in Baker, didn't ya? Because for once in your career, you were facing a legitimate threat, on your own. And you couldn't get it done. Hell, you couldn't get it done even with our help. And that broke you didn't it? Something inside snapped. You met your match and you came to a realization that you weren't as good as you proclaimed to be. And here's the thing Smarky Smark, Haych and I still were gonna have your back. We were gonna get you back. Bring back the Marcus, who sure lost to Baker, but the one who was gonna write plans B-Z to do whatever it took to beat him senseless the next time. But then you changed and we thought it was a concussion but nah, it was just you being a bitch. The Marcus we knew was gone, replaced with a guy who made nice, made amends, made peace...By now, you know, but Haych and I made the decision to move forward without your dead weight when we got wind you were headed to ROH to shake Jon Gresham's hand. And we remembered your little threat. About insurgents everywhere. Truth was, it was all hollow but people believed it. So I had Haych show up to try to knock some sense into you. When it didn't work, I got involved in your match to try to convince you. But it didn't work. You were officially a lost cause, and we...we moved on.

So let's go back to that debut match of yours. Your career started in a wrestling school run by a good friend of your dad's. The match you won, refereed by your uncle. And the guy who booked you to get the win, and yeah, this is what they in the business call "fourth wall breaking." Hiya Colt Cabana! That match, booked by your dear old pops. Bet Houston didn't know that. Bet nobody else knew that. Did they know you had a half-brother, who wrestles under the masked persona "El Bravado?" Bet they didn't. That was, that was your opponent in that first match, wasn't it? Your big win, the one you laud because you got a contract after just one match, was a match your dad booked you to beat your brother and your uncle making the three-count. So what did you do Marcus, stage a match because you knew your dad had friends who had friends who contacted a bunch of new promoters looking for roster members? Ya know what, doesn't matter. What matters is, you didn't do it on your own. You didn't do any of it on your own. Because you can't. You should know this by now, after you got just one win in the Free-1 "on your own," but you're not good enough. You weren't good enough before either. You just had a mask before to hide it. You had us. You don't have us anymore. But that doesn't mean we're done with you, not by a long shot. See Marcus, you're going to learn a lesson one way or the other. And when this is all over, when you're left crumbled in a pile on the floor with no one on your side, because you had to do it all by yourself, you'll find your career will be over before it truly begins. But it will be over all by itself so at least you'll take comfort in that.

Dario walks over to a light switch and flips it on where it's revealed the two are in Marcus' locker room. Haych is now holding a slegehammer as Dario turns the camera to focus on Marcus' old throne.

D: You used to say this thing was fit for the king that you were. The FPW Champion needed a proper throne. 

Haych gets ready to swing his sledgehammer but then stops as he and Dario both look at each other and laugh before Haych puts the hammer down.

D: A new king, one fit for this majestic throne, will soon sit on it. All will be revealed soon. As I said earlier Marcus, you can't live without TakeOver but TakeOver will thrive without you. See ya real soon, "boss."

Haych and Dario share one last laugh before Haych picks up the hammer and swings it at the phone, cracking the glass and causing the video to stop recording.

[Jim Houston]

Free-1 Final Full Card:

The Invaders v Marcus Allen Jones and Aaron Williams (Baker to Write)
Clutch McCloud v Artemis Evans (Davey to Write)
FPW Freedom and Women's (if Karlson is involved in the fall) Championships: Berry Bishop v Elizabeth Karlson v James Saturn (Mason to Write)
FPW Tag Team Championships: Death Match: Death Squad v Guardians of Strong Style (Baker to Write)
FPW Championship: Davey Jones v Jack Sevren v Bobby O (Houston to Write)
Free-1 II Final: Jace Mason v Graham Baker (Houston to Write)

If you want to write a match for the show, please let me know which one. First come, first served.

[Davey Jones]

A video package shows, playing segments of matches of Bobby's, Jack's, and Davey's, from time in 50-50, through the time here in FPW. While this plays, Davey's voice is heard

DJ: Robert Orton... Jack Sevren... We have been intertwined together since our time in 50-50. In the past, you two have been champions. You two had the power. But now? Now it is ME with the belt. ME with the power - figuratively and literally. Triple threat rules. The rules that screwed me out of MY SPOT at the Free-1. The rules that should've allowed me to retain my spot in the Free-1. Bobby - I know YOU know who attacked you. But you are a COWARD. You know it wasn't me that attacked you. Yet, you let Houston believe it was me. To the point where I enlisted Mr. Crowley's assistance, where progress is seemingly being made.

DJ: You think you know what I'm capable of, Jack & Bobby? Nobody's seen my full repertoire of moves yet. Not only do I get to play with toys in this match, but I just may show you a move or two that nobody's seen before.

Video package now shows his match with Baker, winning the FPW belt and defending it successfully

DJ: When all is said and done, you'll both be broken. You both will FAIL. You both will be BEATEN. You BOTH WILL REGRET thinking that you can beat me for MY CHAMPIONSHIP.

Video package is ending, with the announcement 'The winner of the match, and still FPW Champion, Davey Jones!

Hope you have a good doctor - you both will be in need of it

[noname1525]

Artemis Evans shares a video of her ambush on Clutch, with the caption: "You're not the only one with friends. I'll see you in a week, and the King will fall to the Queendom."

[Jim Houston]

MDE marches back and forth backstage, visibly angry, much more so than we ever see. He notices the cameraman nearby and walks up to the camera, grabbing it and pulling the camera and operator towards him.

“We had the block won! It was won! And then that... All we needed was a draw. Get out of the ring, keep Baker on the mat, avoid taking too much damage on the arm and sit him in holds for as long we can, especially at the end. Frustrate him. Make him make the mistake. If we can win, do it, but if it’s a risk, and we knew the Last Laugh was a risk- we knew- then don’t do it. Twenty more seconds... twenty more seconds was all we needed to keep that hold locked in for. He’d already resigned himself to it. The block was gone from Baker by then... but that interfering little... we had it. And he ruined it. Ruined. Now Baker is the one facing Mason in the final and what are we doing? Nothing. If he thinks we’re seconding him for that title match of his... the match he was always going to go to once we’d finished, once he could leave us to it and get on with what he wanted after we’d entertained him for a month... no chance. I won’t be there and Jerry certainly won’t be there. But we’ll be ready when the time comes to prove which of us is right. And it won’t be you. It’ll be us. With me behind him. Jerry will rise far higher than he ever will. This was a set back, but mark my words, Jerry Bishop will reach the top of this promotion. But before he does, we’ve got a problem to take care of.”

MDE shoves the camera away from him and marches off towards the locker room. The camera follows at a distance and sees MDE push open the door, only for a battered Jerry Bishop to walk out of it and push past him.

MDE: Where do you think you’re going?
JB: Home.

Jerry keeps walking but MDE grabs his arm. Jerry shakes him off aggressively and turns, the two of them staring each other down for a moment.

MDE: We have things to do.
JB: Then do them. Free-1’s over and I failed. Again. I messed it up. We messed it up.
MDE: No. He messed it up. And-
JB: He? We? What’s the difference? I’m the one who’s name is on the card- or not, in this case. I’m the one who’s out of the final I was sure I’d made. I’m going home. I’ve got some thinking to do.
MDE: No. We have plans-
JB: Did you not hear me? I need to think about what ‘we’ actually means. I’ll call you... or not...

Jerry walks off, leaving MDE to call after him.

MDE: You’d better decide who you want to be. Do you want to be a failure all your life? If you do, then walk away and come back the good old Jester they all know and love. Be the guy in the second match of the night who they all forget about by the end. Do it his way... it’s worked out so well for you in the past.

MDE turns, seeing the camera behind him. He shoves it aside,

MDE: Get that thing out of my face.

[Davey Jones]

We see Davey, walking, when he comes up to Bobby and Jack, who quickly hush up

DJ: Well good evening there, boys! How are you doing?

Jack and Bobby look indifferent to Davey

DJ: I get it, silent treatment, because we're all going to fight for my belt. Let me give you guys a spoiler. I win!

Davey sees a figure walking off camera, that Jack and Bobby doesn't, and starts walking towards it. As he gets closer, he sees it's Botiatus

DJ: Hey, Bo, good to see you! Davey slaps his hands across both of Bo's arms, who winces in pain.

DJ (mockingly): Oh, yeah, I'm sorry. I forgot about that. It's a shame about that. It would be a shame if you would have face me with that arm as an excuse, wouldn't it? What say you, Bo? You and me fight, one on one, after I successfully defend my belt, again? I may be a lunatic, but I do have a bit of a heart - go get healed up, son, so there's no excuse when you get sent packing with Psychosis!

[botiatus]

Aug 26, 2019 0:00:40 GMT Davey Jones said:

We see Davey, walking, when he comes up to Bobby and Jack, who quickly hush up

DJ: Well good evening there, boys! How are you doing?

Jack and Bobby look indifferent to Davey

DJ: I get it, silent treatment, because we're all going to fight for my belt. Let me give you guys a spoiler. I win!

Davey sees a figure walking off camera, that Jack and Bobby doesn't, and starts walking towards it. As he gets closer, he sees it's Botiatus

DJ: Hey, Bo, good to see you! Davey slaps his hands across both of Bo's arms, who winces in pain.

DJ (mockingly): Oh, yeah, I'm sorry. I forgot about that. It's a shame about that. It would be a shame if you would have face me with that arm as an excuse, wouldn't it? What say you, Bo? You and me fight, one on one, after I successfully defend my belt, again? I may be a lunatic, but I do have a bit of a heart - go get healed up, son, so there's no excuse when you get sent packing with Psychosis!

Bo looks at Davey with fire in his eyes but he remains completely motionless. Davey patiently waits for Bo's answer while continuing to wear a condescending smile but Bo simply turns his back and begins to walk away, stopping after a few steps

"Who the hell said I want to face you anyways? Since I've been here the only person I've seen you beat is the same asshole I already beat. So you can wipe that shit eating grin off your face cause like I told you before I don't fear you like everyone else here does. You already have a match at the Free-1 finale so why don't you worry about that and let me worry about my arm. I'll take your offer under advisement till then"

Davey smiles and lets out an evil chuckle but he stops short as Bo finally turns around to face him and walks right up to his face

"Let me be clear though, Champ. You ever touch me again, for any reason at all, you better be ready to fight on the spot"

Bo and Davey share an intense stare down before Davey smiles and walks away laughing the whole way

[veggieleezy]

*Camera comes up on Jerry Bishop walking through the halls of the FPW arena in his street clothes, gear bag over his shoulder. Ted Crewmember tries to talk to him from behind the camera.*

TC: Hey, Jer, I'm sorry you lost, you know I was rooting for you, but Baker's a great wrestler, he found an opening and he took it.

JB: *without looking at the camera/Ted* An opening I shouldn't have given him.

TC: But you were going for the Last Laugh, you were giving the fans the finish they love.

JB: *still no eye contact* And look what it cost me.

TC: Well, maybe next time you face Baker you'll get the drop on him!

JB: *thousand-yard stare* To paraphrase the expression, 2 outta 3 ain't good.

*At this point, Berry Bishop approaches and tries to support her brother. She walks alongside him and strokes his arm.*

BB: Jer-Bear, I'm so sorry for you right now. But you gave it everything you had, you and Grahamy- Grammy? Gray? Do they use that nickname in this country? You and Baker burned the house down just like you did last year.

JB: *glass-eyed* And I got the same result.

BB: But you had the match of the night! The match of the Block! That's what you do, Jerry, you *are* the show! Whenever you're in that ring, the Freedom Fighters know they're getting something special that night. They love you, whether you win or lose.

*Jerry stops for a moment and takes a deep breath.*

JB: Being a clown can only do so much, Berry. Eventually, everyone gets tired of clowns. Eventually, everyone grows up.

BB: But they still love you! I still love you!

JB: We're family, Berry, and I love you too. But... being myself is the thing that put another L in my ledger.

BB: But you did so well in your Block! You had Bobby and the Slimey Limey in your corner, and while I don't really approve of some of his actions, the British Bastard-

JB: *cutting her off* His NAME is MDE, okay. I don't like him any more than you do, and you have more than enough reason to hate him. I still don't like him. But he's taught me a lot about how to be a better wrestler, about how to strategize, about how to focus on what's going on inside the ropes and gain an advantage, rather than just winging it and pulling a win out of sheer luck.

BB: Jer, you won because you were being true to who you are, you're the Jester! You're the cornerstone of this promotion! Mr. H signed you before everyone else in this company because he knew you, he saw how good you are in that ring, and he saw how much you love the fans, and he saw how much they love you.

JB: Yeah, well, being the Jester wasn't good enough to put MDE away. I couldn't beat the man who defiled our family, who disgraced you, who brought out some of the worst parts of myself. I couldn't beat him. And ever since, I've been cold. I couldn't beat the darkness, Berry. *gesturing to his mask* I know I'm a superhero, but evil prevailed. And I couldn't get past that. So when he offered to help me train, I accepted MDE's offer so I could maybe defeat some of the darkness.

BB: But the darkness is getting into your head, Jer! This "Joker" version of you? You're almost as cold as Mr. Freeze out there in the ring!

JB: Nice one.

*Berry and Jerry fist bump*

JB: Berry, please, this is the best explanation I can give you. I couldn't defend the person I care about most. I lost to the man who I hated the most. I've been losing my step left, right, and center since then. And that was until MDE offered to corner me. I am not proud of accepting his offer. But I accepted because I wanted to get back to being the show-stealer, the guy who would give the Freedom Fighters something to talk about on the way home and the next day. I didn't want to be the failure who couldn't defend his family. I don't want to be the man who can't even stand up for his own sister. I don't want to be the guy who puts on a great match but still ends up counting the lights night in and night out. Hell, I wouldn't have minded losing tonight so much if I hadn't worked so hard to get back to finally winning matches and gaining momentum and losing to the same man AGAIN AND-

BB: AND THIS IS WHAT MDE IS DOING TO YOU, JER. You have to think about the positives! The fans popped like fresh bubble wrap when you called for that Last Laugh! THAT'S the Jerry Bishop they're coming to see! Win or lose, they still love you. But they may not still love you if you keep listening to MC Escher.

*Jerry looks at his sister for a long while. He hugs her tightly, she returns the hug, and they break apart.*

JB: Berry... No matter what happens going forward, you are my family, and I love you no matter what.

*Jerry adjusts his gear bag and walks off towards the exit. Berry starts to follow after. Suddenly, from around a corner, Dasha Banks sees Jerry leaving.*

DB: Jerry, wait, please, I just wanted to say-

*Jerry doesn't notice and pushes through the exit door.*

DB: Oh dear...

BB: Dashy...

DB: He heard me say I backed Baker in that match, didn't he?

BB: He didn't say that specifically, but considering it was broadcast quite widely, I think it's a safe bet.

DB: Berry, he has to know, surely he's figured it out by now-

BB: I'm gonna stop you right there, Dashy. I love Jerry, and he's only been in my life for a little while. But one thing I do know for sure is that he knows, but he doesn't *believe*. That's gotta be part of this whole "Joker" thing. He doesn't believe in himself anymore. He doesn't believe in his connection with the fans, he doesn't believe in his abilities, and he definitely doesn't believe... well... let's just say he's told me that he wants to believe that sort of thing is possible, but he "knows" he would only disappoint "anyone" in that "regard". ...those last air quotes weren't necessary, I just got stuck in a loop.

DB: I see... *regaining her professional composure* Right, well, since you're here, Berry, would you mind giving your thoughts on how the Free-1 played out?

BB: Really?

DB: Please...

BB: Okay, gimme a sec.

*Berry takes an exaggeratedly deep breath before stepping out of the frame and somehow moments later reappearing with the Freedom Championship over her shoulder and also somehow in her ring gear.*

DB: ...right, I've given up on understanding the cartoon physics of your family ages ago- Berry, your journey through the Free-1 Climax had its own ups and downs, and you had a strong showing at the end of it all.

BB: Yup, it was a hard road, but I can hold my head high saying I fought my hardest and my bestest. Lizzie beat me fair and square in our match, and she made no qualms- had no qualms? She expressed any qualms she may or may not have had with regard to this *hefting the Freedom Championship*, as well as flaunting her FPW Women's title. If she wants to come after this or put that on the line, I wouldn't mind another showdown. Aaron, he's a promising talent and he's gonna go far in this promotion. He's a big part of why the A Block was so hotly contested, and that's nothing to sneeze at, and he showed dignity in defeat, more than can be said for some Free-1 competitors. Jace, he's been overlooked for too long here in FPW, if I'm gonna be honest. People have passed over him for more "colorful" or more abrasive wrestlers like Jonesy or Azazel or even myself and Jerry. But Jace showed this is his time to shine and he's proven he's ready to be taken seriously. Heck, I beat him in our match, and he wound up winning the whole Block. (And if I'm going to be somewhat partial here, kick Baker's ass for me and Jerry).

DB: I still don't get how you two can verbally express parenthetical thoughts, but never mind.

BB: Marcus... That match was... Well, to say the least Marcus and I haven't really ever been on great terms, so that didn't really help things. But in hindtrospect, I do appreciate him offering me a hand. Now that I've seen the tape, I can kind of feel a little better about that one. Saturn's a strong competitor as well, Jerry faced him last year in his Block, if I remember rightly. But ignoring that, he did start to make a claim for the Freedom Championship before he was interrupted by Lizzie. And I think I've made my position on that entirely clear.

DB: Indeed you have, Berry, and thank you for your thoughts on your Free-1 experience.

BB: Jeez, Dashy, you sound like the survey at the end of a chat with the online support hotline for your cable company. Are you gonna be okay?

DB: I have to. Impartiality is part of my job, or at least it's a big part of my job. And this may sound like a line from "r/menwritingwomen"-

BB: YOU'RE ON REDDIT?!

DB: But I care about Jerry, Berry. He's a good man. I just wish he could see how much everyone cares about him. Even us. ...especially us.

BB: I know, Dashy. He knows, though. And hopefully, he'll believe it someday.

*Dasha and Berry hug for a moment before separating, Dasha heading back down the hall and Berry looking on after her before looking down the camera.*

BB: Look out for her, won't you, Teddie?

TC: I've been looking out for those two kids since before I even knew you, Berry, and I don't plan on stopping now.

*Berry nods and exits the frame as the screen fades out*

[kingclutch]

Clutch is walking backstage being closely monitored by Sir Richard Crowley while Danica has her hand on Clutch's back. The concern is clearly visible upon her face. Clutch sees the cameraman.

CM: Hey! Get over here! NOW!

*The cameraman rushes over, clearly afraid*

CM: I want you to hear me and hear me good Artemis. Your message has been received loud and fucking clear. Now for some reason unknown to me...you must be a special kind of stupid or a special kind of psycho. To watch what I did to Go Shihei...what I did to those two nobodies backstage...to watch what I've done to people with no mercy and no remorse and think "Damn, I want some of that!" But we're going to do this Artemis, but you know what? Let's up the ante. We'll do this to a stipulation of your choosing!

At this point, Clutch can no longer talk or barely stand under his own power.

RC: Dani, take him please.

*Danica takes Clutch to his locker room along with someone else backstage*

RC: Artemis....named after the Goddess of the Hunt. Indeed you hunted for a match with my client, but one thing you need to keep in mind: every predator is someone else's prey.