The camera fades in from black to find Samantha Bloom standing with Jack Legacy, backstage at the HOW arena. Jack is in street clothes, wearing a leather jacket.
Samantha Bloom: "Mark, I'm here with Jack Legacy. Jack, you have had two terrific matches with SD Coleman. You are now tied at one match a piece in your best of 7 series. As you stand here getting ready to do battle with SD Coleman again, what are your thoughts?"
Jack gently takes the microphone away from Samantha and the camera slowly zooms in, so Jack's face fills the screen. Scars from last weeks battle are clearly visible across his chin, cheek and forehead.
Jack lowers his eyes deferentially, thinking carefully about that night one week prior.
When Jack speaks, it's in a quiet whisper.
Legacy: "You know, way back when I was first starting out in this business, my father came to me. You may have heard of him. He wrestled under the name Valiant Legacy.
"Anyway, he says to me: 'Jack-O, you don't need to be me, and you don't need to be your older successful brothers.
"He said just be yourself, and the greatness inherent in your name will come forward.
"And I wrestled, and I fought. I shed blood. I sweated and I toiled in bingo halls, in high school gyms.
"I didn't make a lot of money.
"And people would come up to me and would ask for my autograph, which was very flattering but I was sure I didn't deserve it.
"And as those people walked away, I would hear them whisper to each other 'He sure isn't his father.' "
Jack looks up at Samantha bloom, but the camera only has Jack in picture. The pain is transparent in his eyes.
Legacy: "I ignored those whispers. And then when I was on the road, resting in some dive of a hotel that I was barely able to afford, I got a phone call.
"It was my brothers, Jeff and John, who form the tag team The Fantastic Legacies. And while they commiserated with me about the trials and tribulations of putting in your time and paying your dues, they advised me: 'Just be yourself, don't try to be us.' "
"And I would pour my heart and my soul into match after match. And during those matches you know what I would hear?
" ' Your...Not...Your....Brothers.' "
Jack lowers his eyes again, feeling the pain of the moment.
Legacy: "And even though I ignored it, those chants, those words, they hurt me.
"Samantha, while I respect your thoughts, only TIME will tell how last nights match is viewed.
"Because in reality, LAST NIGHTS MATCH....
"...is not yet complete."
Samantha looks puzzled, and being the expert reporter that she is, asks the obvious question.
Bloom: "But Jack, you lost last night!"
Jack shakes his head.
Legacy: "Last night was but another thread in a tapestry that is being woven together by SD and me.
"We FOUGHT,
"We BLED,
"We GAVE,
"and WE TOOK...
"...PUNISHMENT."
Jack's eyes seem to glaze over in thought, as if putting himself back into the moment gone by. Samantha expertly inserts a question into the silence.
Bloom: "Jack, then why mention your famous father and brothers? What does this have to do with them?"
Jack shakes himself out of his reverie.
Legacy: "Because, Samantha, it still exists. I still hear the whispers. I still hear the chants.
"If not out there, (Jack points to the arena)
"then in here. (Jack points to his temple)
"And it won't stop. Not until I CLIMB that MOUNTAIN. Not until I BUILD my LEGACY,
"BRICK by BRICK,
"Not until I till the GARDEN OF VICTORY,
"and REAP the HARVEST OF SUCCESS!
"SD Coleman and I are friends.
"We are colleagues,
"And we respect one another as individuals.
"I stand in the way of his DESTINY.
"He stands in the way of my LEGACY."
Jack looks Samantha in the eyes. His gaze his firm and serious.
Legacy: "One of us will continue our journey of SELF-REALIZATION,
"and the other will fall on the wayside of despair.
"The course is set,
"The die is cast,
"And there is NO GOING BACK, for either of us.
"SD COLEMAN, it is time...for ROUND 2.
"You bring your A-GAME, I'll bring MINE, and the better man WILL WIN."
Jack hands the microphone back to Samantha and walks off. Samantha shifts here eyes from a departing Jack to the camera and back as the image fades to black.
**OOC: Sorry that this went on a bit. I got on a roll and couldn't stop. Hopefully its a good, instead of rambling.