==========
January 18th, 2020
Japan
Off Camera
==========
Japan. The Land of the Rising Sun. To
most it is a gorgeous place and very exotic, but for Seth this is the last
place he wants to be right now. He is a native of the southeastern
portions of the United States and while traveling can often be part of his job,
he prefers to stick around to those areas where he is most comfortable.
And here, in Japan, he is most definitely not comfortable. His client, however, is paying him quite well
to make the trip here to Japan. His
client even put him up in a very nice luxurious hotel during his stay.
Seth is used to staying in whatever run down dump he could find; his line of
work doesn’t typically involve luxury.
No, he doesn’t like being in Japan, but his new client, whoever this may
be, is paying well. Hopefully the job
will be worth it as well.
Seth would have been white if it weren't for all
the freckles. There were so many his face was brown with small pale spaces here
and there, like the tips of grass struggling to show through the golden-brown
leaves of fall. His hair was a perfect mop of red, it would have been lion-like
had he not been so skinny. His old maroon t-shirt was a small, but on him it
was big, way too big; clinging where it shouldn't and hanging loose where it
shouldn't. Seth gazes up into the sky.
After the never ending lights of the city, he
underestimated the utter blackness of nighttime in the woods. In his mind the
trees would be black trunks against a bluish charcoal sky, the path would
become deepest brown and the moonlight would bleach the stones within it.
Hadn't every painting of woods at night been like that? Even if there was a
moon tonight its silvery rays would not penetrate the dense canopy above. He
was in too far in to turn back, the twilight he had mistaken for night had
passed rapidly. It could be no blacker in a coffin, six feet under and piled
with dirt. He began to breathe the cool air more rapidly. The darkness pressed
in on him from all sides.
It was disorientating to most but not Seth, he was
used to this in his line of work. Even the soft susurration of the
branches felt heavy in the ears. The sense of smell was sensitized, the loam in
the earth and the decomposing leaves made the atmosphere close and thick. The
blackness nurtured a sense of claustrophobia inside him, but one that he was
quite used to by now. He may not be used to the luxury that his client
has been lavishing upon him but this, these dark woods and almost devilish
darkness, this is comfort to Seth.
The snapping of twigs alerts Seth to the fact that
he is no longer alone. Whoever this is clearly is not used to moving
around discretely, otherwise in the darkness of these woods Seth would not have
seen or heard from them. Then again, he was expecting someone. This has to be his client, an individual who
is still unknown to him.
“About time you arrived...whoever you are…”
Seth says in a low growl. He turns towards the sound of the snapping
twigs and finds a dark shadow arriving. As the shadow slowly approaches
closer and closer and finally into the light...he can now see who this
individual, this visitor is, and he is somewhat taken by surprise. He was
not expecting a gorgeous beautiful blonde haired beauty out in this desolate dark
forest this late at night. She is
wearing a purple blouse, denim jeans, black boots, and a black leather jacket.
“I apologize for being late Mr. Rogers. I was
busy finishing some business dealings.”
“Am I your last ‘business’ to deal with this evening?”
Seth asks in a somewhat demanding tone, mainly
because he wants to confirm that this is, in fact, his client. Is this
the woman who wants him to do a job for her and has been lavishing him with
these luxuries in Japan? A nod of her
head confirms his suspicions. She extends her hand and Seth accepts the
handshake.
“Braddock. Gloria Marie Braddock. Most
just call me Glory.” Glory looks over the man standing
before her. He definitely looks the part of a scum, a rough street
criminal, and definitely not someone she typically deals with. But he
comes highly regarded in his line of work.
Therein lies the issue, and the reason why Glory Braddock arranged for
this meeting with Seth here at night as opposed to public in the light of
day. All of her business dealings with her company are perfectly
legal. What she wants Seth Rogers to do
for her may be legal…but whether it is legal is not a guarantee. Not a guarantee at all. Thus the less exposed she is to this the
better.
As for Seth, he doesn’t care who she is or where
she came from; although the name does sound familiar. He just cares about
getting the job done and getting paid. “Ok, Glory, so I take it you’re the
one who set me up with the nice digs in Tokyo?”
“If by ‘nice digs’ you mean that hotel suite then
yes, that would be correct.” Braddock
remarks, nodding her head in confirmation of what Seth already assumed to be
true. “I hope you like it.”
“It’s not what I’m used to but it’s alright.”
Seth answers with a shrug of his shoulders. “But now that you mention it,
why the hell do we have to do business here in this God-forsaken country?”
“Not a fan of Japan?”
“They fucking bombed us!”
“Pearl Harbor, right. And what of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki?”
“You one of those peace-niks? Well let me
tell ya this, toots, they wouldn’t have been nuked if they didn’t attack us
first.” Seth states defiantly with a smug smirk on his
face. Glory sighs out of frustration.
This man clearly is ignorant and is not the kind of person she typically
deals with. Although sometimes you have to do bad things and deal with
bad people out of necessity all for the greater good. Unfortunately there is no clean cut way to
achieve her end game. This man, as bad as he may be, is the best resource
she has to accomplish her goals.
“Seth, you may hate it here, but unfortunately I am
the one who hired you and I have other important business here in Japan.
In fact, I will be here in Japan for quite another week until I travel back to
the United States, specifically Chicago for more...business.”
“You do business in Japan, you’re got business in
Chicago but you damn sure don’t sound like you’re from Chicago. You sound
like one of those crazy Brits. Just what
kind of business do you deal in, Glory?”
Braddock hesitates. She isn’t certain just
how much of her life she should let Seth know about. Honestly she is
surprised he hasn’t figured it out for himself already. He must not get out much. She is known
the world over thus it isn’t like she can hide her public identity so she
decides to go ahead and spill all the beans. “My business is the wrestling
business, Seth. I wrestle for Supreme Championship Wrestling and
Millennium Wrestling Enterprise. I also own Global Championship Wrestling
and the Braddock Wrestling School.”
“Oh yeah, NOW I know who you are!”
It’s as if a lightbulb went off in Seth’s head as he finally recognizes the
lovely woman standing in front of him. “Glory Braddock? The British
Bombshell? The Best in the World?”
“That’s me.”
Braddock feels a sense of arrogance fill her beautiful head as she nods her
head.
“Well that just brings up a whole new set of
questions for me, Glory.” Seth points an ugly, crooked finger at
The British Bombshell. “Just what exactly brings a woman like you to a guy
like me for help? Can’t you hire someone more on the up and up than
me? I mean, you DO know the line of work
I’m in right?”
Braddock nods her head. She knows all too
well what ‘line of work’ Seth is involved with, for her attorney, Robert Odom, recommended
him to her. Odom did not know Seth personally but he had heard of him
from his other clients, clients that had been in legal trouble. Odom is not just a corporate attorney, he is
a criminal attorney as well and his clients, criminals on the streets, were
well aware of Seth Rogers and his particular ‘line of work’ which was, in a
manner of speaking, secrets. Seth Rogers is well known on the streets and
the underbelly of the southeast United States for finding out any secrets. He was unofficially a private
investigator. His business was
‘unofficial’ because he was willing to go to any lengths to find out whatever
secrets he needed to learn. He would
cross the threshold of legal and illegal if he had to. Legality did not
matter to Seth Rogers. The British
Bombshell wants to find out some information and she has tried to find this
information through legal channels. Now
she is willing to potentially cross the threshold into darker channels.
“I know full well what kind of work you do.
In fact, your name came highly recommended, Mr. Rogers.”
“My reputation proceeds me, eh?”
Seth chuckles. “Well that’s good, so long as you know what you’re getting
yourself into, babe.”
The ‘toots’ and ‘babe’ stuff are beginning to get
on Braddock’s nerves but she is willing to overlook his rudeness and impolite
attitude in order to achieve her goals. She still needs this man. “Oh I
know. Everything I do comes with a well thought out game plan.
Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”
“Great, now enough of the bullshit. Let’s get
down to business. So what is it that you
need from me?”
The British Bombshell reaches into her coat pocket
and produces a picture. She hands it to Seth who looks at it, studies it
for awhile, and then looks back up at Glory curiously. “Who is this guy?”
“That is Matthew Alan. He is a businessman
also involved in the wrestling industry, only unlike me he made some bad
business decisions and ended up losing everything. The Federal Government
now has him in custody for embezzlement, tax fraud, and other white collar
crimes. It is highly likely that he will
be indicted, tried, convicted and sent to prison for a long time. I want
you to find out anything you can about him and his family.”
Seth typically doesn’t ask questions about his
job. He just does what he is told.
This one has him confused enough that he wants some answers. “What
does it matter to you about him? You said it yourself, he’s going to
prison.”
“Remember I told you that he is a businessman who
is involved in the wrestling industry? He founded the wrestling company
that I now own. His poor business
decisions caused him to lose all stock in the company shortly after he created
it and it nearly went belly up. It wouldn’t be around today were it not
for me. And you’re right, he is going to
prison, he is no longer a threat, but his family still is. I want to ensure that his family cannot touch
me. That’s all.”
“So you want me to dig up dirt on his family so you
can blackmail them if necessary?”
“I never said that.”
Braddock responded with a shake of her head. Seth has heard that before
and he knows exactly what that statement means. A smirk forms on his
face.
“I getcha, babe. You need anything else done
or is that it?”
Glory reaches back into her coat pocket and
produces another picture. She hands it to Seth who looks at this picture,
a picture of a woman. “Who is this chick?”
“Meagan Collins.” Glory
answers stoically. “She is a retired pro-wrestler and wife of wealthy
industrialist Michael Dean Collins. Find out everything you can about her
and bring it to me.”
“You wanna blackmail her too, eh?” Seth
chuckles lightly as he looks at the picture. “She looks good.
Attractive. What’s your beef with her?”
“That’s none of your concern. It is related
to Matthew Alan, but that’s all I will say.”
“Fair enough.” Seth
nods his head. He is curious as to what her problem is with Meagan Collins or
the Collins family in general but he will keep his questions to himself for
now. This will be a challenging task for sure. Both the Alan and Collins families are
wealthy and powerful. That leads to the
next important question for Seth. “So how much will I be paid for this?”
“You’ll find out when the job is complete.”
“That aint gonna cut it, toots.” Seth
shakes his head vigorously. “I wanna know now what I got to look forward
to. Up front or nothing.”
“I’m the one taking the risk here, Mr. Rogers, and
while your reputation does proceed you, I still have not seen anything to prove
to me that you will get the job done. Nothing up front. Once you get the job done you will be paid
and you will be paid based on how much you find.”
“Sounds like you’re gonna try and con me. If
you are…”
“There is no con, I assure you of that. I
will not give you an exact dollar amount but what I will tell you is that you
will get paid handsomely. Just look at what I’ve given you thus far and
you haven’t even done a damn thing for me.”
Seth doesn’t like working without being paid up
front but his new blonde haired client makes a good point. She has paid
well thus far. Finally he relents and
nods his head. He holds out his hand “Ok,
we have a deal.”
“Very good.” The
British Bombshell shakes hands with him.
“Nice doing business with you, Glory.” Seth
smirks, a low chuckle escapes his lips as he nods his head off towards another
direction, as if motioning to someone else that may be hidden in the woodland
area. “Oh and tell your pals that you brought with you that they aren’t very
good at hiding either.”
He turns and begins to walk away. The British
Bombshell is unamused by his remark and remains stone-faced and stoic as she
watches him leave. As soon as he is gone and out of sight two more
figures emerge from the darkness; just as Seth had predicted that they
would. One is a black haired female dressed in black denim jeans, black
boots, and a plain white top. The other
is a massive well built muscular figure with stringy long hair wearing torn denim
blue jeans, brown boots, and a gray top. These are the two closest
friends Glory Braddock has, her two closest advisors; Sophie O’Brian and her
brother Mark O’Brian, the tag team known more popularly as Total War.
“Bloody wanker! I have half a mind to go
after that shit and beat some sense into him!” Mark
growls angrily. His sister, Sophie, is used to these crazed
outbursts. Despite this she still makes her disdain for them known by
smacking her brother in the back of his head.
“Shut up, you Neanderthal!”
The British Bombshell has a half-smile that forms
upon her face. She cannot help but laugh at the antics of her two best
friends. Still, the gravity of the
situation and of what kind of business deal she just entered into with Seth
Rogers washes back over her and Glory frowns once more as she turns around to
face Sophie and Mark.
“So do you think I made the right decision?”
“I think ya shoulda let me punch him!” Mark
exclaims loudly. This brings another smack to the back of his head from
Sophie.
“No one asked you, you overgrown gorilla!”
Mark lets out a low growl as he steps away from
Sophie and Glory for a few moments, allowing the two women to have time to
themselves. Sophie places a hand upon Glory’s shoulder.
“The question, Gloria, is do you want to do what is
popular or do you want to do what is right and what is best for professional
wrestling? Because as much as you may not want to admit it, and as much
as the ‘fan favorites’ and ‘beloved heroes’ in our industry may deny it, what
is popular with the fanbase and what is right or best or better yet what is
good for wrestling may not always be one and the same.”
“What do you mean?”
Braddock has an idea of where her friend is going with this, still she is
curious and wants further explanation so she presses for more answers.
Her Irish friend does not disappoint.
“Answer this question, my dear Glory; where are we
right now? What country?”
“Japan.”
Braddock answers plainly.
“Right and during World War Two the United States
dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The United States wiped
out two entire cities in an instant.”
“You’re stealing my metaphor, Sophie.” Glory
remarks with a smirk, referring to her earlier conversation with Seth Rogers.
“That’s irrelevant, now let me finish. Atomic
bombs were dropped on two cities full of civilians. Do you think that was
very popular here in Japan?”
“No.” Braddock
shakes her head. “What kind of bloody question is that?”
“Patience. You’re right, it was not popular,
but was it the right thing to do? I mean, consider the war crimes Japan
was guilty of during the war. Consider
how they embraced Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. Consider their
leadership had no intention of surrendering and more bloodletting was to occur
unless drastic action was taken. Was it
the right thing to do?”
“I see your point, but still today the atomic
bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are debated. Although at the time I am
sure the Americans thought it was the right thing to do.”
“Precisely. And to be perfectly frank, I am
in agreement with them.” Sophie answers emotionlessly. “It
was not the popular thing to do but it was the right thing to do because it
ended the war. It stopped the Japanese war machine. Now you have sent this Seth Rogers out to
investigate into the private lives of Matthew Alan and his family as well as
Meagan Collins and her family. Both are well off financially and very well
connected in the wrestling business. And
we both are in agreement that neither are very good for the wrestling business,
am I correct?”
Braddock nods her head in agreement with
Sophie. Matthew Alan and Meagan Collins both have destroyed many lives
during their ventures in the wrestling industry. To say that both are
villains of the wrestling world would be an understatement. Sophie O’Brian continues…
“No tear would be shed if anything were to happen
to either Alan or Collins because they are a threat to the good of wrestling.”
“But am I doing this for the good of wrestling or
for the good of my business?” Glory
asks curiously. Sophie just shrugs her shoulders.
“It is irrelevant. So what if you are doing
this for the selfish motive of helping you maintain control of your
company? In doing so you are also eliminating two vile wretched scum of
the wrestling world. You are concerned
because you are taking actions that you have never taken before. I
understand your apprehension. But the
ends truly do justify the means, Glory, and the endgame of your plot is what is
best for professional wrestling.”
“You’re right,” The
British Bombshell smiles and nods her head “of course. The Braddock
Family knows what is best for wrestling and what is best may not always be
popular with the world at large. The world may not always understand what
is best for them but the Braddock family does understand and the Braddock
family includes people like you and your brother, as well as anyone else who
has come through and graduated from my father’s wrestling school. We know
what is best for wrestling.”
“And what is best is that Matthew Alan and Meagan
Collins no longer have an influence.” Sophie
remarks coldly. Braddock nods her head in agreement.
“Absolutely.”
==========
January 24th, 2020
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
==========
Glory Braddock’s living room in Miami, Florida is a
gorgeous, sleek modern design. It is also clean; almost to perfection
with barely a spot and even if one exists, it isn’t noticeable. The cream
colored sofa is soft, comfortable, and plush.
It is situated in front of a large flat screen television mounted on the
wall above a fireplace. The fireplace does seem slightly out of place as
it is the only piece in this living room that looks relatively
traditional. It isn’t used often; this
is Miami, after all. Glory wanted it for its looks. The British Bombshell sits on the sofa. The lovely Braddock is dressed rather nice in
a pink skirt that falls to just below her knees, pink high heeled patent
leather pumps, and a white silk blouse. She is deep in thought, thinking
about the business decisions she has made as of late.
The Braddock Family is well known around the
wrestling industry and now Glory herself is deeply immersed in all aspects of
that industry, from the training aspect with her wrestling school, the business
aspect with her own promotion, and the competitive aspect when she competes in
Supreme Championship Wrestling and Millennium Wrestling Enterprise. For
most it would take a Herculean effort to perform all these tasks at once
without being distracted, and that was the case for Glory, which is why she
consolidated her promotion and the school all into one entity. To help her with her efforts she has even
hired her ex-husband Randall Williams to manage the school and promoted
businesswoman and General Manager Francis Taylor to the position of President
of her company. The thought...and hope...is that this should free up
Glory’s time and allow her to focus on her true passion; competition.
Many have claimed that The British Bombshell is far
too distracted right now and should choose, either be a businesswoman or be a
competitor. Braddock is not a quitter and she is not going to give up on
the idea that she can handle both. In
fact, she believes that she must manage both worlds, because she wants to be a
positive influence upon wrestling. She knows what is best for
wrestling. Besides, she cannot choose
between competition and business. She is
passionate about both and it is that passion that has driven her to take the
great measures she has taken thus far in order to maintain her hold over her
company.
Now, she considers the even greater measure that
she has taken. It was nearly one week ago since she spoke to Seth Rogers,
a seedy and very sleazy underground private investigator whom she has hired to
dig up dirt on Matthew Alan and Meagan Collins, two potential rivals to her
power and two individuals who are a threat to wrestling.
The blonde beauty hears the approach of
footsteps. The footsteps are faint across the carpeting but she hears
them anyway. It cannot be her daughter, who is staying in London at this
time as part of her training. It can only be one person…
“About time, Kurt.” Glory
smiles warmly as she turns around to greet her approaching husband. Kurt
Logan is wearing a plain white t-shirt and denim jeans and is carrying two
glasses of red wine, one in each hand. He hands one to his lovely wife
and keeps the other for himself. Kurt sits
down next to her on the sofa. They clink
the glasses together in a silent toast before taking sips of their wine.
“So what did you want the wine for, babe?”
Kurt asks in a jovial, half-curious tone. “Is this to celebrate you firing
me?”
Braddock and Kurt share a chuckle. The
‘firing’ remark is a reference to Glory recently promoting Francis Taylor to
the position of President of GCW. Kurt had been unofficially serving in
that capacity as President, but technically the company had been without a
President for years. Its former President, Henry Van Stanton, took
ownership from Glory Braddock in a hostile takeover and the office of president
remained vacant for years until Glory regained ownership from Van
Stanton. Braddock had allowed her husband, Kurt Logan, to fulfill the
duties of president in an unofficial capacity but now Glory felt it was time to
put someone official in that role.
“No, no celebrating that one. It was a tough
decision, Kurt, believe me, because you did a hell of a job.”
“And I would have continued to do a good job if you
wanted me to stay on. You know that, right?”
“I know.” Glory
nods her head as she takes another sip of wine. “Believe me, this isn’t
about you. Well, it kind of is in an indirect way.”
“How do you mean?”
“You did a good job, Kurt. You would have
done a good job had I let you stay on. But you are my husband. You are family. It is just plain bad business to put your family
members in such high power positions like that. It is a bad public image
and image is everything, especially in the corporate world.”
“And who told you that?”
Kurt asks as he takes another sip of his wine.
“Aphrodite.”
“Of course.” Kurt
is seen rolling his eyes. Braddock shoots him an angry glare and Kurt
sighs, looking on apologetically. “I’m sorry…”
“I know you don’t always approve of
my...relationship with Aphrodite, but she taught me a great deal about how to
be a proper businesswoman. I leapt blindly into the corporate world when
I purchased GCW...not knowing a damn thing about the corporate world, not
knowing how to survive in it...and that is why I lost ownership of my company
years ago. Aphrodite not only showed me where I went wrong but she also
gave me the corporate knowledge to become the best businesswoman in the world
today. I intend to use those lessons to
make damn sure that I do not lose my company again.”
Husband and wife exchange a tense stare. Kurt
takes another sip of his wine before he speaks. “So is that what you
want? Being The Best in the World isn’t enough, so you need to be The
Best Businesswoman in the World too?”
“Yes. But it’s not that simple, love, because
you speak of them as if they are different and really they are not. You
listen to power hungry brassers like Syren and she calls herself the best
wrestler in the world. Fine, whatever,
but there’s more to this industry than just what happens in the ring. The
impact I can have upon this industry is limited if I only limit myself to just wrestling. Imagine the wonderful, positive impact I can
have upon this industry by taking on and conquering all aspects of it; the
competitive side they’ll see what a real wrestler should be...the future
generations will be molded at my school...and through my company I can make
sure the corporate side, the political side of wrestling is run as it should
be. Because you know that there are some people who should not have an
influence upon this industry, their influence should be voided. People like Syren…”
“...and Matthew Alan? Meagan Collins?” Kurt
asks curiously. Braddock pauses, looking on stoically.
“You heard about my issues with those two?”
“Yes.”
“How much do you know?”
“I know you called in a less than savory private
investigator to dig up dirt on them.”
Kurt remarks. It wasn’t that she was trying to keep this a secret from
Kurt. But she had hoped to avoid this.
She sighs deeply.
“Do you disapprove?”
“No, I don’t.” He
shakes his head. “I support you one hundred percent in whatever you choose
to do, babe.” Kurt leans over and kisses her on her forehead. “This is
your world now. I’m retired, so I have no say anymore in what
happens. But I’m always here to offer my advice if you want it.”
“Thanks, Kurt.” Glory
smiles warmly. “Your support means the world to me.”
“No problem. But...uh...do you want my
advice?”
Braddock shrugs her shoulders, then nods her head. “Sure.”
“Be careful. You said it yourself, this is a
world you are unfamiliar with, and despite what Aphrodite may have taught you,
this is still an all new world to you. Just be sure that you know what
you are doing.”
“Thanks, Kurt.” Braddock
takes a final sip of her wine and sets it down on a nearby table. “I know
exactly what I am doing. I am shaping the wrestling world in a positive
image.”
==========
On
Camera
==========
Old
film footage is shown; it is so old that it is in black and white and the sound
is terrible. We see footage of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor,
planes shooting at and striking down ships and aircraft carriers, sinking many
in the American fleet. A few moments of this and then we begin to see
images of the aftermath; the destruction that the Japanese air force left
behind in their assault on Pearl Harbor. Then the sound of President
Franklin D. Roosevelt can be heard.
“Yesterday,
December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy the United States of America
was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of
Japan.”
And just
then after President Roosevelt finishes his speech we shift to a new scene; the
images of chaos and destruction of Pearl Harbor changes and we see what appears
to be a small, quaint, office. It is uninviting and not so pleasant;
clearly whoever calls this office home intends for this place to be a place of
business and not one to be fancy or to show off. The floors are a plain gray concrete.
There are filing cabinets against the wall and in the back is a dark brown wood
desk with a laptop computer, closed, sitting on top. A few moments later and we hear the sound of
a door opening and then slamming shut. The clicking of heels across
concrete clues the viewer in to the fact that someone is arriving. It isn’t long until our visitor, Glory
Braddock, steps into full view. The
British Bombshell steps into view from stage right; she is wearing a little
purple dress that hugs her every curve and matching purple high heeled patent
leather pumps. A confident grin is etched across her lovely face as she
stares into the camera.
“You
know I love history. And with this upcoming SCW event being called Day of
Infamy, how can I not mention the historical event that this was named for?” The British Bombshell
chuckles lightly, smugly to herself. “Now obviously what you saw were images
and footage of the Pearl Harbor attack and then you heard the voice of
President Franklin D. Roosevelt making his famous Day of Infamy speech.
It is a famous line, probably Roosevelt’s most famous line of his entire presidency. Most know him for that one line alone. It was truly a powerful speech but what few
understand is the context behind that speech. So allow me to provide some
of that much needed context for those of you watching and listening right now,
especially you Mr. Alistaire Allocco.
Make sure you listen because a lesson is coming your way, dear boy.”
A
smirk forms upon her lovely face. Braddock winks at the camera, almost as
if winking at Alistaire himself. “Tensions between the Americans and the Japanese
had been boiling over for quite some time in the build up to this point.
Now typical to the American spirit at the time, we were drastically trying to
play the isolationist card. They did not
want to get involved in World War Two, they did not want to pick a side, they
did not want to send their boys overseas and die in ‘another European
conflict.’ The isolationists, who dominated American politics at the
time, believed that America could stick to itself, stay out of everyone else’s
business, not get involved in any foreign affairs, and they would be fine.” The
smirk fades into a frown. Braddock sighs and shakes her head.
“They
were naive to think that ignoring the chaos of World War Two would allow them
to stay out of World War Two. Eventually one of the axis powers was going
to attack, because all of them from Germany and Italy and yes, even Japan were
all bent on world domination. After they were done with Europe you had
better believe that their eyes would be set on another, greater prize. It just turned out that Japan was the one to
strike first and they struck Pearl Harbor. The attack on Pearl Harbor was
the wakeup call to each and every isolationist in America. Charles Lindbergh was a leader of the
isolationist movement in America and after Pearl Harbor he famously declared ‘Now war has come and we
must meet it as united Americans regardless of our attitude in the past toward
the policy our Government has followed. ... Our country has been attacked by
force of arms, and by force of arms we must retaliate. We must now turn every
effort to building the greatest and most efficient Army, Navy and Air Force in
the world.’”
The
British Bombshell nods her head. “Lindburgh, and every other isolationist in
America, finally woke up. Though it was too late for those who had
already perished in the Pearl Harbor attacks. And that is the untold
infamy of that Day of Infamy...the fact that American lives could have been
salvaged had they not opened their eyes to the truth that was plain and clear right
before their face. Foreign affairs is cutthroat. You are naive to believe that you can play
nice and by the rules and expect everyone else around you to do so as
well. Wrestling is much the same way,
Alistaire. It is a ruthless, cutthroat
world. Yes, there are rules, and yes, we hope that those rules would be
enforced, but very rarely are they enforced.
Typically promoters these days enjoy the chaos and carnage that ensues
from total anarchy because it means ratings and ratings equals money in their
pocket. I know, wrestling should not be about making money. It should be about the spirit of competition
and I hope and pray that our match at Day of Infamy can perhaps change some
minds. I hope that the wrestling clinic you and I put on for the fans will show
the world precisely what true wrestling is all about.”
Braddock
pauses before shaking her head. “I am also not naive. I do not expect
that to happen. Promoters and the suits in the corporate world and the
front office care too much about the almighty dollar. So those in charge
will not enforce the rules, they will continue to allow chaos to reign supreme
because in their mind chaos puts asses in the seats. In the few rare
occasions that those in charge actually do enforce the rules does it ever make
a difference? Does it ever change
anyone? Take Syren as exhibit A;
considering what she has deliberately and blatantly done to screw over just
about everyone in Supreme Championship Wrestling she should be fired, not still
recognized as a main event level star. Take Clyde Sutter as exhibit B; he
tried to end your career, Alistaire, and that’s just one of his many heinous
acts. He should be fired, yet he is still hanging around. Not only are both Syren and Sutter still here
but SCW has given both of them opportunities to win Trios Contracts. Now how is that for a message to the
wrestling world at large, eh? Act like a
domestic terrorist or a saturday morning cartoon villain and we’ll reward you
with the opportunity to compete in Trios!”
“Unfortunately
that is what this wrestling industry has become; it went from an honorable,
noble, competitive sport to a cutthroat industry where criminal acts are not
only encouraged but are rewarded.” She motions to herself and then points to
the camera, as if pointing at Alistaire. “You and I are at a crossroads,
Alistaire. We are a dying breed, you and I. We love this business, we are passionate
about this business, and we only want what is best for this business. But this business is mutating into something
that I do not recognize. Tell me I’m
wrong.”
Braddock folds her arms over chest.
“You
cannot tell me I am wrong because you know that I am right. What I began
last year just before Trios, my journey with the battle cry of Sic Semper
Tyrannis...it was originally about just one individual but I now see that the
problem is beyond just one person; the problem is an entire culture. The
entire culture of professional wrestling needs to be salvaged before it is
beyond repair. We can do that,
Alistaire. You and I, we can salvage
this industry that we both love but we cannot do that under the naive
philosophy of playing by the rules at all times no matter what, because just as
the Americans realized on their Day of Infamy, not everyone plays by the rules.
It is honorable to stick to the moral high ground, it is honorable that you
would not want to stoop to the lows of such scum as Clyde Sutter and
Syren. But history tells us that your
philosophy just does not work anymore.”
The
British Bombshell shakes her head. “After the Japanese attack on Pearl
Harbor, the Americans realized that they had to take drastic action in order to
defeat the enemy and restore normalcy to the world. The United Kingdom
knew this long before the Americans finally figured it out. The Allies carpet bombed axis controlled
cities in order to break morale and destroy the axis war machine. But the
most drastic action of them all was taken by the Americans, the ones who
learned their lesson at Pearl Harbor…Hiroshima and Nagasaki…two days of infamy
for Japan.”
“We
will do battle at Day of Infamy, Alistaire, we will finally have the one on one
match that has been eluding us since Rise To Greatness. Between Syren,
Clyde Sutter, and Abigail Lindsey I was beginning to think we would never get
this match done, but finally it is here.
Finally our time has come, our time to take center stage and show the
world what two WRESTLERS can do. And I hope that our battle in Chicago
will be the first shots fired in this war to rescue the culture of professional
wrestling from certain destruction, but I also understand that this one match
alone will not be enough. This is just
the first battle of a long term war for the heart and soul of professional
wrestling, Alistaire. You and I together will fire those first shots in
the war at Day of Infamy and I hope you heed my words, my warning, and I hope
that I can count on your support in this coming war,” she points at her eyes “because
look at my eyes and understand this, Alistaire; I will do whatever is necessary
for the good of wrestling. I will fight this war for the culture of
wrestling. And you can either be with me
or you will be against me. Sic Semper
Tyrannis…”
The
scene fades to black.
