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When Jake Starr went blitzing out of his house, all Roeper knew was what Jake's comment to her was, "Tommy's gone." The meaning of that statement could have many implications, which Roeper has tried calling and texting Jake about.
"Is he ok? "Is he alive?" "What happened?" Each one of these messages was met with silence. Jake's focus was simple, get "there" and get more details about what happened, and how dire the situation has gotten. As he drives, he cannot help but continue to mumble and murmur comments like, "not again," and, "why now?!" With each text he receives from Roeper, he looks down hoping that it would be more from Helms trying to give him more insight, but no more information comes.
Jake pulls into the same parking lot that Tommy was instructed to arrive in for the eventual "intervention." Jake immediately parks, and hops out of the car, heading toward the main entry way. As he walks through the parking lot, passing a number of vehicles, footsteps approach at a rapid pace, and his progress is immediately halted. He is grabbed and spun to the left, in the direction the footsteps came from. As he spins, his defense mechanisms kick in and he prepares for an altercation. These defenses are lowered when he sees that it is David Helms who had grabbed him. He immediately breathes a sigh of relief, and hopes answers will now be more forthcoming. Jake Starr: Hey... What happened!? What's going on?! David wastes no time putting his hands back on Jake, pushing him against a parked car.
David Helms: You know, asshole, I will fucking TELL you what's wrong... Your fucking BRIGH IDEA made him vanish! Tommy is fucking SICK, and YOU were the one who decided that it was "best" to try and antagonize him in a way that would make him feel threatened. So now, guess what, we have probably lost him for fucking good. Your BRIGHT IDEA has now, probably, given whoever that other persona is even more control over him! You are fucking RESPONSIBLE for us BOTH losing a friend, man... So do you feel accomplished? Do you feel like you went out there and got your way? You succeeded in this goal of breaking he and I apart, didn't you? Jake immediately pushes David back, forcing him to let go of his clothes. Jake wastes no time firing back verbally.
Jake Starr: FUCK YOU, DAVID! FUCK... YOU!! ME, Jake Starr, I have wanted NOTHING but the best for EVERYONE in this whole fucking situation. I wanted Tommy fucking better for me and YES ASSHOLE, for you, too! I, NEVER, wanted to split you two up as friends because ultimately, you two are fucking FAMILY! I'm sorry, man, but you're going to have to realize I'm not fucking bitter. You NEED to understand that whatever bitterness and hatred you have for ME doesn't translate the other way around. I mean, I get it... You're pissed... You're pissed at me... You feel I am the one at fault for whatever they're here for, but in order for me to even have a CLUE, you have to tell me what the fuck happened... David's frustration boils. Jake's comments resonate to make David question who he's mad at in the situation, Jake or Tommy. All he can do is just continue to vent his frustrations aloud.
David Helms: I DON'T FUCKING KNOW, MAN! Tommy and I were supposed to meet at his hotel, so I could bring him to this first appointment, and when I got there, all I saw was this FUCKING note taped to the door... David reaches in his back pocket and pulls out a folded up piece of paper. He hands it to Jake, and he opens it up. Inside is a handwriting very similar to that of Tommy's, but not spot on. It's as if Tommy and someone else were jockying for position on who was in charge of the motor functions of his body. The words, however, were very much in the voice of Tommy's alter ego.
David, You've been there for Tommy through good and bad, and even I can appreciate that. Now it's time, however, for Tommy to be freed of all of his distractions. It's time for the bird to leave the nest. You had a good run, and it will be noted in the annals of time. But it's time for Tommy to be free. Tommy does not wish to be sought or found. His desires are to return the favor to all who've wronged him. Respect his wishes. Or else... As Jake finishes the reading of this note, he is truly confused. His voice goes from confrontational, to concerned.
Jake Starr: ... Man... He's seriously in a bad place. We really need to find him, man... We have to get him here and MAKE him get help... David's emotions remain in flux.
David Helms: ... Do we? Should we really go out and find him? Or should we just let everything run its course? I mean, right now, Tommy is too far gone for logic. Right now, Tommy isn't fucking Tommy, man. Right now, Tommy is someone who we can't battle against, but only he can. Jake Starr: And THAT is why we need to keep tabs on him, and always know where he is. You and I NEED to have eyes on him, not for our sake, but for HIS safety. We need to make sure that NOBODY finds out about his condition, gets ahold of him, and tries to lead him even further astray. Face it, David... Tommy is weak, right now... Whomever this other person is that "has" him in his grasp has him completely not believing in his own strength. And because of that very fact, man, he could easily be manipulated. David shakes his head.
David Helms: ... No... Tommy is fucking strong, Jake... He can beat this without us. I can feel it. We already "poked the bear" enough, Jake. Let's let Tommy win the war himself... This time it's Jake shaking his head in disagreement.
Jake Starr: No... Simply, no... I'm going to get eyes on him, David. The fact is, he's vanished before and he was tracked down. For fuck's sake, I have the means to get him tracked down again. We have a living bloodhound at the ready... David immediately realizes that Jake is referencing the utilization of Star Wars Kid, and becomes instantly enraged.
David Helms: For fuck's sake, Jake, this isn't a fucking joke. You're not going to play this situation like it's a fucking game again. Are you completely incapable of taking ANY situation seriously? I mean, seriously Jake, this is the kind of bullshit that tells me that you're completely joking about how much you care, and this is really about YOU. I mean, you think it's funny to put this in the same context as our past, where it was a joke about finding people? Seriously, you want to make a mockery of this situation like you did then? You don't fucking realize how serious this is? You either need to treat it as something important or you can blow it off and go screw... Jake immediately fires back.
Jake Starr: You need to get the FUCK over yourself, man. Did you not fucking hear what I just said? You and I BOTH know we need to have someone watching Tommy, for at the least, to make sure he's ok. I simply knew someone who can find a needle in a Goddamn haystack, and offered it up as a fucking solution. I wasn't trying to be funny. I mean, I'm sorry, but the great David Helms is pretty fucking good about being a damn Dementor to me right now, and taking ANY and ALL joy out of the fucking air. David Helms: GOOD! This isn't a time to be having a fucking joyous time, Jake... Jake Starr: AND I GET THAT, ASSHOLE! But for fuck's sake try not to be a complete DICKBAG and blame me for everything under the sun isn't really appropriate either, now, is it? I don't fucking CONTROL him, like you seem to think I do. I'm not this MASTER FUCKING MANIPULATOR of people, like you once pegged me to be. I am simply a guy who is TRYING to find a FUCKING solution to a FUCKING problem... As Jake goes to yell some more, another voice chimes in from the background. This voice is quickly identified as that of Dr. Collier.
Dr. William Collier: GENTLEMEN, PLEASE... He quickly approaches the two and continues to talk, trying to understand the commotion.
Dr. William Collier: Gentlemen, what is going on? Why are we out here arguing, and where is Tommy? David snatches the paper out of Jake's hands and hands it to Dr. Collier for examination. The psychologist reads every word, analyzing it for clues, and begins to nod.
Dr. William Collier: ... Ah, yes... I kind of expected this to happen at some point... Both men are confused.
Jake Starr: What? Dr. William Collier: Tommy's alter ego has grabbed ahold of him to make one final "push," for lack of a better word, and is forcing Tommy's true self as far into the background as possible. We couldn't have known how this secondary personality would react to the intervention, but I did presume he would make one final push to try and get in control of Tommy once and for all. I just didn't know how, or how to prepare. But the reality is we need to find him. We need to find him very quickly, too. If this happened, Tommy himself is partially responsible for it occurring. That means he is extremely vulnerable to suggestion and potentially weak-minded. Now, having said that, what needs to happen is that Tommy needs to be shown the reality of hos strong HE is when he is himself, versus who this persona is having him act like. We need to find evidence... Photos, videos, mementos, something that will help him see the GOOD in who he truly is, versus the bad of what this altered existence is making him out to be. It also may be time to bring in more people. The more people who can communicate with him will make him realize more people care about him than not. But first thing... We need to find him... We need to prepare to make him see the difference... In my experience, sometimes the intervention itself works alone. Sometimes it has the ability to bring the person back, full circle. Tommy was able to shown signs that he could be one of these when he spoke to us, himself. We all saw and heard him. He was crying out for help. Now we need to make sure that Tommy isn't pushed so far to the back burner he's never allowed to surface again. We MUST find him. If the persona is making this push, Tommy was able to make headway. This is his personality beginning it's "war" with one another, not understanding that it is one with itself. He's vulnerable. He's able to be reached. This note shows struggle. It shows Tommy at war with himself. It shows Tommy not WANTING to put pen to paper, but the other half exerting its will. Jake sighs.
Jake Starr: So what do we need to do? Dr. Collier looks over at Helms.
Dr. William Collier: David, I presume that you probably have more "visuals," or access to those who may, in retrospect of Tommy's life, so you need to begin gathering ALL of them up. No stone unturned. This is an instance where it's a preponderance of the evidence to show Tommy how strong he CAN be on his own. Now Jake, you need to figure out how to find Tommy. You need to do whatever you can to track his movements, and at least know where he is. Tommy is a flight risk, right now, if he hasn't already left the area. But regardless, you need to find him. We have to know where he is to be able to confront him effectively. But know this... IF you find him, do not let him know he is found. He cannot know he's been spotted and we know where he is. We cannot confront him until we have everything together. Face it, gentlemen, this could, very well be, our last opportunity... If we don't succeed, this could very well allow Tommy his outlet to allow this other part of his brain to consume him completely... With those final words, the three men realize they each have a task to do. David worries that this could be the moment where he truly loses his best friend if he doesn't succeed with his portion of the agreement. He also worries that however Jake tracks him down, it will lead to premature reveals, and the plan will fall short. Ultimately, Jake knows he has to figure out a way to track Tommy without Tommy being aware. He also knows he can't be thought of as taking the situation lightly. He knows that if it were his piece of the puzzle that failed, he'd lose a friend and family in the process. He also knows any hopes of ever reconciling with Helms would be completely out the window as well. But ultimately, the focus is on Tommy, and ensuring that he is safe, and that the demons he is facing are banished from his psyche.
Jake Starr: In 2010, I walked into Body, Heart, and Soul as the undisputed SCW World Champion. I had just come off two unbelievable wins in the End of the Year Special. The odds weren't in my favor to win, either. It wasn't because I was outnumbered, but it was because of what had happened when my opponent and I had met previously. You see, when my opponent and I had met previously, I didn't just lose, but Greg Cherry had walked into MY RING and taken the Adrenaline Championship from around my waist. He walked in there and he took a title that I had become the face of, even more so than the World Championship. In doing so, he made me realize I wasn't invincible. Sure, I had lost before... Sure, I knew what it was like to not come out on top... The problem was I was walking into a match against a guy who had taken a championship from me that person after person had come to try and take. People like Christian Savior, Ace Marshall, James Exeter, Stacy Kissinger, these are the names I was able to get through, before Greg was able to finally take me down. So when I walked into Body, Heart and Soul, I doubted myself. I truly wondered if I would be able to overcome the fact that Greg had my number when it came to championship matches. He had put me in a position I had never been in, in SCW. More importantly, I had all eyes on me, and I had everyone assuming that Jake Starr was finally going to hit his wall. He had been hot, but losing a title was definitely the beginning of his downslide, right? Amirite?! Let's be clear when I say, NO! Greg put my back against the wall and everyone assumed that it would be the beginning of the end for me. There was NO WAY that Jake Starr would sustain the momentum, and remain at the top of the roster. But instead of succumbing to the pressure, instead of BELIEVING what everyone was telling me was GOING to happen, I simply went out there, and I took matters into my own hands and I BELIEVED in myself and my abilities. I believed that I had focused and learned from my loss, and could overcome what had happened in the past. I did just that. I was able to go out there and face Greg, one on one, and actually win. With my back against the wall, I came out swinging for the fences. I came out with the simple goal of not being complacent, and bringing the BEST FUCKING JAKE STARR I COULD, all with the goal of defending my championship. I wanted to PROVE that one loss, one title defeat, wouldn't take me off my game. I wanted to prove that the odds against me would bring out the BEST in me. Now, the story is quite similar. Jake Starr and Tommy Valentine lost the Tag Team Championships, and subsequently, lost our rematch. We were beaten by a superior team. And now I have to walk into Learning from History and know that I have my back against the wall once again. I have the odds stacked against me once again. I have everyone looking at Bree and Syren as the ONLY two who can win. I have everyone believing that, just like Greg was supposed to topple me, one of these two women will do that same thing. For fuck's sake, look at how Breakdown was playing down... Look at where the focus was... Look at WHO the main event was focused on... WHO was on TV more than anyone else? Bree Lancaster and Syren. Shit, it was as if THE WORLD CHAMPION didn't even exist. And THAT was when I went out there and decided to remind everyone from Syren, to Bree, to even Big Daddy D himself, that in order for there to be a World Championship match, the World Champion needs to be there. It was something that, I won't lie, felt a bit disrespectful to me. I felt like I was simply being overlooked... Simply being looked at as a "footnote..." Jake's top lip quivers.
... It's something I've felt SO MANY FUCKING TIMES, when Syren is involved. Anytime her name is thrown in, immediately I am completely rendered irrelevant. It's something that I'm fucking tired of hearing. And you know, I get why it is like it is. I know that she has been superior to me, and I get that people think that because of that fact, it's easy to just assume Jake Starr will always lose. But like I said... There was one night where everything changed! That was one night... That was one instance... Syren is someone who still is at the peak of her game and is still one of the best SCW has to offer. I shook her hand, and I made it clear that she and I would go in and fight like warriors but still realize the respect we have earned for one another over the years. The fact is, though, she looked into my eyes and saw the intensity I was bringing. She saw the fact that I wasn't just walking in ASSUMING that I was going to win. She could see that I felt the walls closing in around me. She could SEE that Jake Starr was not going to just rollover for just EITHER of them. Trust me... Syren knows that the past means nothing for either of us... No matter how much she feels that this is another opportunity for her, she knows that I am not the same Jake Starr as the one she's encountered in the past. While I may be confident, while I may be cocky, I'm not out there declaring that I deserve to win already. I am not saying they aren't deserving of being in the same conversation as me. I am not the guy who simply believes that there is nobody even in my league. I am a guy who realizes how much work is involved to actually succeed at my goals. And I won't lie, beating Syren again is a MAJOR goal for me! She's not my only competition, but fuck I want to beat her. She and I have been through the ringer together, and she's someone who I know the talents of. She knows how mcuh this title means to me, and she knows that I am not going to give it up willingly. She knows that I realize her drive and her desire, and she knows how BADLY I want to stifle it. This isn't 2010. This is 2018. She's not someone many are kind of looking at and barely getting to know. She's one of the most established people in this organization, and I'm the one trying to truly garner the respect of the masses. So I have to beat her... I have to flip the script of the bulk of our past... I have to leave with the belt I walk in with... If I can prove myself to be better than her for this one night, it'll be a moment I never forget. I won't rub it in her face. I won't demean her. I won't say that everything she had accomplished was meaningless, or she was worthless after losing to me. I will simply feel like it was finally a moment where I PROVED myself to her, to the masses, and to myself. Jake goes to walk out of frame, then turns around with a grin on his face.
... Oh no Bree I'm just kidding, I haven't forgotten about you... Again... But first, let's clear the air. You are right. I give you kudos... So here... Jake reaches down and picks up a box of Kudos snack bars, and holds them out toward the screen. After a couple seconds, he lets go, and watches them fall to floor. He simply stares at them, then back up at the camera, slightly bewildered.
... I guess you don't like that flavor? Anyway, I have to say I have been hit in the head a few times, so I don't always remember things. You're right, I was wrong. We faced off in that tag team tournament, and yeah, you kind of knocked Tommy and I out. So congrats on that. I'm truly proud of you. I'm sorry that I forgot about it, and moved my focus to that of WINNING THE FUCKING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP! That's right Bree, you can sit here and correct me on live TV all you want. You can sit there and try and make a fucking mockery of me because I didn't remember a match we had, and instead only remember how much you dicked MY MOMENT over. I'm sorry you're not someone I obsess over. That tourney didn't really resonate as a moment in my career I felt the need to focus on. It was a loss, we fucking moved on to bigger things... And then subsequently won the Tag Team Championships ANYWAY... So yeah, you proved yourself a little more knowledgeable. Congrats. But it also shows your weakness... You see, like I said, Tommy and moved on. We moved away from something we didn't succeed at, so we could become BETTER. We knew we weren't the front runner, and you were on the team that proved it, but the problem is, it's STILL what you're hinging your coronation to World Champion on. You use a match where we both had partners, we weren't alone, but yet it is the match you're hinging your title reign on? Really? Why not use a moment that DEFINES your career already? Why not focus on the fact you won the little World Title point-getter-thing? Why not talk about that? Why not talk about who you beat there? Why try and mock me about some match I didn't remember, nor probably did anyone else? It's because it is ALL you have. It is because you know you have nothing else to focus on with me, and you want me to feel SOME kind of inferiority. Don't get your hopes up... Don't think it works... The fact you and I have only crossed paths in that instance, outside of when you fucked me over with Sinclaire, means you don't have much to make me believe in. But I will say this... The fact that you got through your little standings thing is impressive to me. The fact you did beat those other opponents you had says you are worthy of the World Title picture. But you can't talk about that? You're desperate. You're hopeful. I get it. You want this title badly. You want that moment to hold the title high, and feel like you are on the top of the mountain. You want to be the one everyone chases. It's something I can see in your soul, and I remember that fire. I remember that desire. That feeling of FINALLY summiting the mountain. That NEED to finally get past James Exeter in our third and final match. It was that moment, that feeling, that NEED to win that drove me, and I see it in you. But I see you squandering it... I see you missing the point... I see you making the mistake I made with Exeter in our FIRST match... You already think you're "deserving" of being called champion. You already believe everyone should just ignore the match, and crown you the top cock of the wok. You haven't even stepped in the ring with me when EVERYTHING I HAVE is on the line, and yet, you simply want me to focus on something other than your BIGGEST achievements? Bitch please! You have done a lot in SCW to make the name "Bree Lancaster" mean something. You should be proud of that, but your proud of some match I didn't remember we had until you made me go "oh yeah!" Shit you do realize I faced people I don't even remember seeing on the roster, right? You realize I've faced EVERYONE UNDER THE FUCKING SUN, and I'm supposed to focus on something as innocuous as that match? Focus your fucking drive. Focus on what TRULY MATTERS. Ignore this bullshit about your one match with me and use whatever drive and momentum you have RIGHT NOW. Because that's the Bree Lancaster I will beat alongside Syren... You see, this match, to me, is a moment for me to quiet critics, once and for all. Syren is coming in with her BEST VERSION of herself at the ready. You're coming in as one of the HOTTEST superstars on the roster. And you're both gunning for what I have. So I have everything to gain. You and Syren, for fuck's sake, you both will have MULTIPLE opportunities at this championship again. I won't. I won't be that fortunate to earn as many as you two. So I have to live this one to its fullest and show the WORLD I'm ready to call myself a FULL FUCKING TIME MAJOR PLAYER. This is not your chance. It's down the road. This is JAKE STARR'S FUCKING MOMENT, BREE! Don't believe your own hype machine because it's already failed you. You're walking into chum infested waters, and I'M THE FUCKING SHARK! This is my title... This is my SCW... This is MY WORLD... You and Syren both are trying to take it from me, and just like Greg, you want to try and take it from a guy who WANTS it more? Fuck you... Jake goes to walk off screen again, but peeks his head back.
... And don't forget your fucking kudos... We both know they mean everything to you... Fin |
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