Chris Cane [vs.] Parker Wayde [vs.] Matt Rydell [vs.] Jinx

Learning to Listen: Next to Last
I have always been one of those guys that has said that being at the wrong place at the wrong time is some kind of cop out. If somebody is looking to beat your ass, it isn't just going to be because you were in the wrong place... it is going to be because you messed up. We have all been there and done that.

My name is Joe. Been in the entertainment business for 15 years. In that time I have made a lot of people a whole lot of money. Those people normally turn their head, take their paycheck, and move on to bigger and better things after doing my little independent shows. Some of them have even made it up to the big stage. I am small time. I know it. That is why these up and comers don't really give a shit what I charge for admission into the show. They use me as a stepping stone, and I pad my pockets a little more than they might think.

I guess that is where everything went wrong for me. Just because I am telling the story doesn't mean I am going to live to see the whole thing through. Get that idea out of your head right now. You assholes should just sit back and enjoy the tale instead of trying to figure out the story before it gets there. There is no hidden meaning here. No twist ending. Just enjoy it.

Let me tell you, it has been a wild day already.

Joe is sitting outside on a bench. Rain falls from a near black sky above and pelts the concrete at his feet. Some of the bigger drops splash up off of the sidewalk and up his pant leg. He rolls his eyes at the shit weather. Of all the days that Marie's Pizza & Liquors could be back ordered it had to be the one that Joe was out of any better option than to sit and wait in the rain. He reached into the inside of his jacket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, smacking his hand on the top of the pack and sending the lucky winning at the far edge popping out, filter up. He pulled it from the pack with his lips and quickly found the lighter in his pocket. He had just cupped his hands to light the end of his biggest vice when the door to Marie's opened up abruptly. The man that came out of the pizzeria had the kind of look on his face that made you want to look away if he turned his head towards you. He was much bigger than Joe. The man easily had a few inches on him vertically, and Joe couldn't have been but half his size. This kid was an athlete, any promoter would have seen that within a second of sizing the kid up. There was something about him though, some kind of familiarity that the older man just couldn't quite place. The only feeling that Joe held on to was that the kid was bad news. He didn't give his plug about how he could offer the kid a job. He didn't try to make small talk about the shit weather. Joe kept his head forward and found himself praying that he wasn't going to be spotted

Parker: You gonna light that or just sit there with it in your mouth like some kind of ass clown?

Joe had forgotten about the cigarette that he had meant to light. His hands now rested on his lap, and the stick of tobacco just hung limply from his mouth without the orange glow of the cherry burning the end

Joe: Well I had meant to light it and then you came through the door. Must have lost my train of thought. Happens with getting older I guess.

He raises the lighter, but before he can strike it the kid actually turns towards him and Joe feels himself being sized up. He doesn't like the look on the kid's face. Some kind of mix of irritated and impatience that would make just about any man feel uneasy. At once Joe curses himself for smoking, and drawing attention to himself but his new friend starts talking and Joe takes listen.

Parker: Old age? You can't even be forty yet by the looks of you, and believe me, that isn't any kind of compliment. You aren't anything special, but you aren't old enough to start blaming thing on your age. Something had you spooked. Something happened that grabbed your attention right away from the cancer you were about to inhale. I wonder what that was. Could it have been me?

You remember that thing about the wrong place at the wrong time? Is that what this was? No... because that is bullshit

Joe pulls the cigarette from his mouth and places it back over his left ear. He struggles to find the words to respond to the man that stands before him but for a moment all he can do is fight with his tongue to even construct syllables. It takes the kid actually turning towards him, awaiting a response, to actually cause him to generate one.

Joe: Come on kid, I don't want any trouble. I'm just waiting on my pizza. You want to know the truth? Yea... a brick shithouse like yourself barreling out onto the curb would get anyone's attention. Now I didn't want to say anything because I didn't want to offend you. Now just go about your day and leave me alone please.

A smile cracked Parker's face and melted away all of the impatience. The kid was starting to have fun with the situation. Parker takes a small and calculated step towards the man on the bench. He notes the changes in the man's face as he gets closer. The tension building as he draws nearer. Parker watches as the man tries to divert his gaze as he draws nearly, now with fear just gripping his body. Joe closes his eyes, wanting this whole situation to be over. A few moments go by and he brings himself to turn back to his assailant. The kid hunches over in front of him looking up with that sick smirk still on his face.

Parker: You know what Joe, I was told that this was going to be fun, but I really had no idea what I was in for with you.

Quickly running through the short amount of conversation that they had, had, and he couldn't remember saying his name.

Joe: How do you know about me? How do you know my name? What the hell is this?

Joe's sudden flurry of questions does little other than widen the smile on Parker's face. This kid was literally living off of being able to manipulate this conversation in whichever direction he wanted.

Parker: That really isn't important. What is important is what you do Joe. You hire young talents for asswipe money and then pad your pockets off of their sweat and tears. Its a fine racket if I do say so myself. Hell, if I were you, I would be doing the same thing... but let's face facts... nobody is bad enough to send someone after me.

Joe: So that is what this is? Someone sent you to come get even with me?

Parker: Not at all actually. Honestly, I don't think I would get any enjoyment out of that kind of thing anyways. You are a weakling. Beneath me. I am... how should I put it.... insurance. I am here to make sure that you attend a business meeting of sorts.

Joe Why do I get the feeling that I am not going to like this?

Parker: Am I really that bad of company.

Parker delivers his last response while pushing himself back up to his feet. He steps away from Joe and starts to walk down the sidewalk past the door that he came out of. He looks back to find the promoter still sitting on the bench. With only the glance in his direction Joe sinks into the bench, defeated, and then uses all his strength to push himself up and fight the thought to run. He wouldn't be able to get away for very long. Whatever this was, he needed to face it now if he wanted to have any chance of walking away from it.

I can only really remember one thought as I walked around the corner and into the alley. I had this dark skinned brick wall of a man behind me and a limo in front of me and all I could think about was one of the guys that worked for me had hit it big enough to hire this kid to find me. It was a proud moment. I mean if this guy was so uppercrust now that I was looking at being done in by a professional hit, what does that say about my scouting.

So there I am. Thinking that I am looking death in the face... and just thinking about how good I am at my job.

Don't I deserve a little appreciation for that?

Joe stops in the alley a few feet short of the limo, and the kid that has yet to even tell him what this is all about brushes past him, making sure to make contact with his shoulder and brush him back a little bit to establish dominance. Joe liked that kind of attitude in the people that he hired to step into the ring. Being on this side of it was not so pleasant though. The kid popped the handle on the door, and pulled it open. A perfectly sweet aroma filled the air in the alley, at once whisking them away from some back alley Chicago pizzeria. Another man stepped out of the vehicle and popped open an umbrella. It was only then that the source of such a beautiful smell showed her face. A bright red heel struck the ground with perfect grace, and the woman pivoted her body on her heel and into the doorway of the limo. She placed her other foot on the ground and Joe started to trail his eyes up her legs. Her right hand came down on her lap, blocking off the view of what Joe had been trailing upwards to see as she pressed her short dress against her legs. She lowers her head so her hair doesn't touch the top of the limo as he gets to her feet, and as he finally meets her eyes Joe thinks back to how dumb his decision was not to run away when he had the chance.

Marie Daniels: So, I suspect you know why you are here.

Without even a moment of hesitation Joe comes to life ranting at the woman

Joe: I am not giving you another dime. I don't care how big Jay got after he worked for me, I gave him the same rates that I gave everyone else.

Marie closed her eyes and looked away from him and Parker got the signal that he had been secretly hoping to get. Joe didn't even know that he had done anything wrong when a burst of fire sent him down to his knees in the middle of the alley. Parker and lurched forward and dropped an elbow directly into the man's spine that temporarily sent his legs into paralysis.

Marie Daniels: Now that you and Parker seem to have an understanding of the situation...

Joe's eyes open wide. The look on his face shifts for just a single tick of a clock to one of simply a fan in the crowd of their first event. He turns his head to catch a glimpse of the kid out of the corner of his eye, finally having the familiarity that he felt at the beginning of their conversation justified. This kid was none other than Parker Wayde. The guy that joined Natural Law on his first night. The rookie that just took out the clown. Jay's own protege. When that moment was gone though, he realized just how big of a problem he was about to have if this was about more than just the money he was stealing from some of the talents that now find her name on their paychecks.

Marie Daniels: I am not going to stand here beating around the bush. It's dirty. The place that they named this place after me makes me sick. Here is what I need, Jay has been skipping out on shows. He costs me a lot of money. Hell, Parker had to release him from his IWF contract. I only need one thing from you.... I need to know where he is.

Joe: I am not sure....

Marie Daniels: [cutting him off] DO NOT FUCK WITH ME!

Parker steps up behind him and hooks him under both arms, lifting him back to his feet and out of the puddle of rain that was forming at his knees. Joe is still in too much shock at the tiny woman screaming at him to even fight his ascension.

Marie Daniels: Get in the car. We will go pick him up. You can go back to your small time high school gym shows. Honestly, I don't care. I want one thing and I know you know where I can find it. Now stop wasting my time.

Joe: Now I might be talking way above my paygrade here but you have to understand there is no way in hell that I am getting in that limo. I don't know where Jay is. I haven't seen him since he was first starting out. I don't know what would have given you the idea that he would even still be talking to me.

Marie Daniels: Not getting in the car with me? As if you had another option.

He felt Parker's grip drop from his right shoulder, but simultaneously the waist of his pants got tighter. Parker turned on his heel and propelled the smaller man directly into the brick wall of the pizzeria. Joe hits the wall back first, but manages to keep his balance. The impact didn't hurt nearly as much as he thought it would when he was flying towards it.

Nah, it wasn't the wall that hurt, it was what happened afterwards. You know how when your adrenaline races, the lights are on but there is nobody behind the wheel? This one one of those moments. An ill fated punch from a feeble promoter gets easily sidestepping by a professional fighter. Parker didn't even think about not taking that advantage either. He cracked two ribs with one shot while my brain was still trying to focus on what the hell I was even thinking.

I was already headed down like a sack of potatoes when he finally closed his fist and ruptured my kidney with two of the quickest right hands I have ever seen thrown. The kid has the moves to be a star, that is for certain.

Just when I thought it was going to be all leaning back on the couch for the next couple weeks, struggling to breathe and pissing blood, the kid backed, up watched me try and pick myself up, and then put his boot to my temple with so much force that I can't even remember if I was unconscious before my face dragged on the pavement after the impact. What I do know is that they didn't waste any time figuring out what to do with me after that. I tend to recover pretty quick, and I am already dried and in the trunk of a vehicle. Can't help but think I have no idea where the hell I am at... I wonder what happened after I went down.

I guess it doesn't much matter, the kid beat my ass and now I haven't heard so much as a sound for the last fifteen minutes that I have been laying here. Maybe they forgot about me.

Wait... I think that is footsteps. It is about fucking time they get me out of here.

The lid to the trunk opens and the light blinds Joe, who was expecting it to be night by now. He sits up and has time for one last thought before the lights are turned out again...

Shit....

BANG




-----------------[Flashing back to the alley after Joe went down]-----------------

Marie Daniels: Well that is one way to get him to come with us I guess.

Parker is too busy scooping the man up off of the ground and onto his shoulder. The driver of the limo cracks the window just enough to meet Parker's gaze, and get the nod he was waiting for. The IWF superstar starts to walk towards the limo with the man draped over him before he even gives Marie an explanation.

Parker: I thought it went well. You think there is actually a chance he knows where to find Jay?

As Parker reaches the limo the trunk pops open right on cue. He pushes it open most of the way before dropping the man into the back. He starts adjusting the unconscious promoter in the back of the limo.

Marie Daniels: Yea you better make sure he is comfortable back there. It isn't like you just kicked in the side of his head or anything.

Parker: [closing the trunk] Did you bring me to listen to you talk? Or did you bring me to take care of the situation. Let him come to, find out if he knows where Jay is.... problem solved.

Marie Daniels: You are supposed to be solving problems my way. Not just doing as you please.

Parker: Don't give me that shit. I always do things my way. The ends justify the means. Now you told me if I helped you do this you would tell me who I have tonight at FTA.

Marie turns away from him and steps back into the limo with her back to him. Parker walks around towards her door, but she is already safely inside. The man holding her umbrella closes the door before Parker can get to it and then snaps the umbrella closed. He walks around towards the other door and takes his seat. The window cracks just enough for Parker to be able to hear her voice from inside the cab.

Marie Daniels: Its a Full Throttle Championship match. Try not to fuck it up. Thanks to you I wont be there to supervise now.

Parker: What a pity.

A short and irritated laugh is heard as the window goes back up and ends the conversation. The limo starts to pull out of the alley leaving Parker behind, alone, with another one of Marie's jobs done. He pulls his hood up over his head and turns back towards the end of the alley that he entered from. As he gets to the front of the building the loudspeakers above the front door buzz and come alive.

We have a pizza ready for Joe... Come and get it Joe

Parker smirks and walks the other direction away from the pizza place and towards his match tonight.

I like to hurt people. Always have. Well maybe not always, but there is always that age where self preservation is learned. And joy is born from the thrill.

I really like that line. Almost like it sums up my whole lifestyle in one go.

Whether it is in that ring, or outside of the ring anyone that gets labeled a target becomes a victim.

People underestimated me when it came to fighting Jinx. People thought that I was too new to get the job done. I proved to every single one of them that they were wrong.

I beat him.

Pinned his shoulders to the mat and watched the referee count to three right in the middle of the ring.

What more could I possibly ask for?

What more do I need to accomplish in this business? I came here and saw someone that was like me. I saw The Clown running wild around the locker room and knew that he was going to be the one that I needed to step up to and challenge.

I won though.

He threw his best at me and I walked away as he was nothing more than a human speed bump. I showed that son of a bitch that he might be the crazier of the two of us, but when it comes to being in that ring it helps that have a little more self control.

Madness can't get you to walk away with a victory every time. If it could maybe I would be the one losing matches instead of Jinx.

As for tonight... I don't care if it is one on one. I don't care if they throw 20 other guys into the mix.

Marie didn't say beat Jinx.

She said win the Full Throttle Title.

And if there is one thing that I know how to do better than hurting people... its listen.