Derek Jacobs sits on a bench in the locker room following his defeat at the hands of Ace Stevens at Ascension 51. Beads of sweat drop off of his face.
*Drip, Drip Drip*
Disappointment is etched on his face as he stands up to take his leave from the arena. Various backstage workers run the other way as they see him coming, in fear of Derek lashing out at them in anger over his loss. As he steps through the door and goes to his car, he sees a text from James Parker.
I never thought of losing, but now that it's happened, the only thing is to do it right. That's my obligation to all the people who believe in me. We all have to take defeats in life. Muhammad Ali. You might have lost Derek, but you showed that you’re a force to be reckoned with. There’s going to be more title matches for you. Get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.
On the drive to the hotel, Derek can’t help but to think back on the events of that night. The confidence he had going in to the match with Stevens slipping away as he was dazed after going through that table, the anger he felt burning in his heart as he saw Stevens holding the mayhem championship high in the air, and the disappointment in himself. After getting back to the hotel, Derek takes his bag upstairs before going to the hotel bar to drink the night away.
*The following day*
Derek wakes up and slowly makes his way out of bed, still sore from the Mayhem title match the night before. After eating a quick breakfast, he makes his way to the gym. After a long, blistering workout he leaves, and returns to his room, where his cell phone is ringing.
Derek- Hello?
James Parker- DJ! It’s me. I have some big news for you. Have you showered?
Derek- Actually-
James- Great! Meet me downstairs in 5 minutes!
Derek shakes his head and begins to change out of his sweaty gym clothes. A short time later, he’s seen outside of his hotel waiting on James. A very expensive luxury car pulls up and the passenger window rolls down.
James- Derek! Let’s go!
Derek gets into the car and almost immediately yells at James.
Derek- James, What in the HELL is going on? I’m having a pretty rough damn day over here, and you’re celebrating like I won the world title last night? How in the hell do you explain this?
James- Whoa, big guy! Calm down! I have news that I think would make your day go a lot better. You have earned a spot in the Mayhem Scramble match at Redemption. Congratulations kid, you’ve made the big time!
Derek- I have another opportunity at the mayhem championship…at a major pay per view? Who are my opponents?
James- We don’t know that yet, but the qualifying matches are on Aftershock. We can be front row to find out if you like.
Derek- Hell yeah, I want to know! I want to be as ready for this match as I was for the relay match. Let’s go to Aftershock.
Later that night, Jacobs and Parker are seen sitting in a luxury box at Aftershock watching the qualifying matches for the scramble match. They watch as Connor Reese, Darren Bull, Stevenson Marquel and Justin Cooper all qualify to join Ace Stevens and himself in the match at Aftershock. After the show, on the way back to another hotel, James tries to rack Derek’s mind on his opinion of the match.
James- Well Derek, at least we know who you’re going to be facing at Redemption. What is your strategy going to be?
Derek- Well, this is a match under mayhem rules, so anything goes. I know that I’ll probably have to pick my spots like I did in the relay match, but at the same time, the rules are in my favor because I can pretty much just pick up any weapon and bash all their heads in for 25 minutes. I’ve been in the ring with all but 2 of my opponents, so I believe I know them very well. Half of these guys are former Mayhem champions, the only exceptions being myself, Bull and Reese. Derek pauses, contemplating the match and his opponents.
Derek- I can’t be too cocky going into this match. It’s anything goes for 25 minutes and anything can happen, and there are a couple wildcards in it for me, but if I can find a good strategy and stick to it, I can walk out of the match the Mayhem champion. It’s just a matter of time before I become a champion here in WZCW, and the sooner the better. I need to find a way to make more money than I am at the moment. These little paychecks aren’t cutting it. By adding the Mayhem championship to my resume, more people might come to me for “protection”. Then I’ll start making the big bucks.
*Later that night*
Another dream befalls Derek Jacobs. In this particular dream, he’s standing in the middle of the ring, Mayhem champion of the world. Fans are cheering him, and then all of the sudden the arena goes dark. When the lights cut back on, he’s standing not in a wrestling ring, but in a courtroom. His hands are cuffed behind him, and the judge addresses Derek.
Judge- Mr Jacobs, you are hereby being sentenced to death for the reckless murder of your parents. Everything that happened to your parents was your fault. If you hadn’t gotten into trouble they wouldn’t have been on the way to the police station to pick you up, and would’ve never gotten into that tragic wreck. Even though you survived, you had absolutely no right to, so it is up to the Justice System to right that wrong.
*All of a sudden, the courtroom bursts into flames, and everyone with it. Derek’s screams are the last thing heard before the camera feed cuts out. *