"The One" Kirsten Scott vs. Selena Frost

[TheOne]

{1-2 SAMUEL: Chapter Three}

Sometimes, in life, you are dealt a proverbial hand that isn't what you had expected.  No matter the odds, no matter the expectations, life gives you what it gives you and it is up to YOU to handle it accordingly.  Thus is the case in my life, as it stands now...

Never in my life did I consider human feelings to take control of the "family" in which we created together.  Never once, did I believe that "feelings" in general, would get involved, but they have, and it's been something that has caused two of us to begin to try and come to terms with on multiple levels.  For Emma, she's only seen her brother in a role where he was her protector and giver.  He was, essentially, a providing figure, when her father and mother were running The Compound.  And now he's providing a care to someone else in a manner she has never seen.

In the same like Hailey has always been the one to watch my back.  She was the one person who I could trust to protect me at all times, and always be by my side, and now there is this secondary distraction in her life, which is love.  It's something I don't know how to contend with, or even IF I have to contend with it.  All I know is it COULD become a distraction for her and what we have always said our ultimate endgame was.  It was always the two of us taking over and rewriting the history books in the way it should have been from the start.  Instead, now I wonder if that is the case.  Am I alone in this fight, now?  Is it the two of us when she can breakaway?  How long has this truly been the case because if it's been a long time, she's shown she can balance it, and I'm overthinking.

That's where I just sit there and continue to waffle back and forth, questioning everything, overthinking everything, and wondering where Emma and I go from here...

And that also represents where I've been since the day the reality of the situation came forth.  I've just been going through the motions.  I've been fairly quiet on the situation, and the tension in the duplex has been something that, as the saying goes, you could cut through a knife, like butter.  But we haven't not spoken.  We haven't purposefully acted different.  But there has been a distance between the two sides of the situation, Emma and I, and Ethan and Hailey.  There's been this cloud we could all feel lurking over our heads, and I can safely say I speak for the four of us when I say, nobody likes it.  The situation became so awkward, so fast, nobody was able to process it in a manner that would create a logical reasoning.

Sure, Emma and I "get it..."  It's human nature...

Sure Ethan and Hailey understand why we are weirded out... We walked in on them "doing the deed..."

But the fact is the cloud hangs and nobody has known how to pierce through it to let the sunshine of normality finally shine back through.  And it's something that has gotten me to the point of feeling like SOMETHING has to be done, one way or another, to either start a mending of fences, start a shining of light on the situation, or changes need to come about, and do so quickly.  I have too much on my mind, and Emma is stressing way too much for my liking, to let this continue to be the festering plague about our house...

It's been, what feels like, a millennia since Emma and Kirsten walked in on Ethan and Hailey having sex, and the pair revealing their relationship to them.  Since then, things have been tense, to the point where everyone feels like their walking on eggshells, and the frustration among all parties is growing at a rapid pace.  For Emma, she doesn't want to lose her brother's safety and guidance.  For Kirsten, she doesn't want to lose her "right hand woman" who has taught her how to be herself, and also been by her side.

Conversely, Hailey and Ethan are on the same page of simply not knowing how to continue to pursue their relationship in front of the other two, and have resorted to almost acting like strangers to one another.  It is something that has been painfully obvious to Kirsten, who, still having the instinctual nature of "The One," and the need to "protect and monitor everything," has heard the pair sneaking between rooms, like adolescents, at night, in order to have their time together.

Ultimately it's been something that has been like a constant tapping on her shoulder, growing in annoyance, and making her ready to explode.  But she knows that would be detrimental.  She knows that would drive the wedge further.  She knows she needs to talk to Hailey on her own, in a way that only the two of them can do.  In order to do so, she asks Hailey for help outside, to handle some "issues" she's seen with their vehicle.  Kirsten is not wise in the ways of mechanics, whereas Hailey is, and Kirsten knows this wouldn't be something that would create any tension, and immediate help.

After asking for assistance, the pair agree to do so after dinner one night, and as the group finishes their meal, Kirsten walks outside first, to pretend to get the car in the situation where the issue is, while Hailey helps clean up.  Once she finishes, Hailey emerges from the duplex, and approaches the car, where Kirsten is simply sitting on the hood, waiting for her, which Hailey is quick to realize was a ruse to get her alone.

Hailey Brooks: I'll give you credit, you actually made me believe something was wrong with the car...

Kirsten Scott: We know one another well enough to play the right mind games to get what we want...

Hailey Brooks: Well, I'm not dumb... And I'm not running from a confrontation, either.  You and I both know things aren't just peaches and cream in there because of Ethan and I, and we both know you and I needed to talk... So I'm not going to huff off, and feel like you lied to me.  I'm actually more impressed you pulled it off without me catching on...

Kirsten Scott: Again... It isn't like we don't know one another...

Hailey Brooks: Yes... And now you have me here... So I suppose the floor is yours to talk...

Kirsten sighs, and stays seated on the hood of the car, trying to keep her composure and not be as confrontational as she would like to be in her mind.

Kirsten Scott: My real problem is why?  Why didn't you just be honest with me?  Emma, I get it... She's sensitive to many things and this is definitely one of them.  She sees it as you "stealing" her brother.  Her brother, no matter how much she trusts me, was effectively a father figure to her.  The only male figure that cared for her and her safety.  You take that from her, she's lost again...

Hailey Brooks: But I'm not...

Kirsten Scott: I get that... She doesn't... Which is why I don't get why you just didn't come to me first and be honest... We could have figured out how to break the news to her in a manner that she could comprehend.  Instead, she's lost, again... And Ethan talking to her isn't going to magically pull her out of that.  Not until she SEES she's not alone...

Hailey's head drops, and she takes a deep breath before looking back up.

Hailey Brooks: You're right... I get it... I should have told you...

Kirsten Scott: But do you?  Did you think big picture?  I'm not saying big picture can't include that relationship, but what about you and I?  What about me knowing I have the ONE PERSON who has physically and mentally had my back for all of these years there?  What if you decide you'd rather hang back instead of be there with me when I need you?  What if I'm going out there like I am in like a week, where it's my moment to basically solidify everything we ever wanted, and you decide that's maybe a special weekend for you two, and you need to stay back?

Hailey takes a step toward Kirsten, aggressively.

Hailey Brooks: Woah... Stop it right there.  Stop it right, the FUCK there... I get it.  You're right about Emma.  I get it.  You're right to have doubts about you.  But I want you to think about something.  I want you to think LONG and HARD about something... You, you don't know how long this has been going on.  You don't know if it's been a week, a month, or hell, even a year.  You don't know if it started right when we moved into this place, and he and I just got drunk one night and hooked up.

Kirsten makes a face, showing a bit of disgust.

Hailey Brooks: ... Put your expressions away and listen...

Kirsten takes a breath and just looks at Hailey.

Hailey Brooks: ... The fact is, you don't know all of the details.  But you want to know what you DO know?  You want to know where you can look, and see that what he and I have, isn't jeopardizing anything?

The fucking history books, Kirsten...

You don't know how long this has been happening, yet I've been by your side through thick and thin, and you've NEVER questioned it, nor have I ever ONCE backed out of my commitment to being there.  So you KNOW... You should FEEL... For fuck's sake, you should TRUST that I will be there, by your side, like I always have been because HISTORY tells you I will...

Kirsten Scott: But history doesn't tell us that we knew.  That history, you're talking about, is that the history of you keeping a secret?  Or is that the history of you now knowing you can have some time because you two have a special occasion, event, date, or whatever, together, that is so important that it leaves me ALONE?

Call me greedy... But I'm sorry... I don't tend to have a lot of friends out there ready to jump into the fray if the numbers game gets involved, do I?

So how do I know that sometime you won't just tell me you can't go somewhere, and be there with us on the plane, so we know things are OK?  How do we know that your mind won't be cluttered and be thinking of other things when we need your focus?

Hailey throws her arms to the side in frustration.

Hailey Brooks: For fuck's sake Kirsten, what do you want me to do to "prove it" to you, huh?  Do I need to take another bullet for you, like I did at The Compound?  Do I need to just tell Ethan to go fuck off, and then Emma be completely lost?  What is it, huh?  How am I supposed to magically make the future present itself to you, right now, so we can skip back into OUR home... OUR HOME... Like none of this shit matters anymore?

Kirsten Scott: I don't know because you're the one who created this whole shroud of secrecy in OUR HOME, now didn't you?  So the onus of proof that this shit isn't going to cause problems in the future isn't on me to decide, it's on you to figure out.  You HAVE to be there by my side because it's your Goddamn responsibility!

Hailey takes another step toward Kirsten, again in an aggressive manner.

Hailey Brooks: Do you REALLY believe that I am incapable of separating my personal life from my professional life?

Kirsten pushes herself off of the hood and gets directly in Hailey's face.

Kirsten Scott: I'm more concerned right now when OUR FRIENDSHIP went from being personal to simply, as you say, "professional..."

Hailey grits her teeth, realizing she misstated her point, and spins around and angrily walks off toward the duplex.  Kirsten's head slumps.  She realizes that both had let their emotions take charge, creating a far more hostile environment than they originally had.  She sits back down on the hood and sighs.

Along the sidewalk, in the darkness where this whole confrontation had taken place, a random person walks by and, very much obviously on purpose, drops a piece of paper in front of her.  She is quick to scoop it up, and turn toward the figure.

Kirsten Scott: Hey... You dropped this... HEY!

The person ignores her, continuing to walk off into the night.  Kirsten looks at the folded paper which simply says, "open when you're ready."  She looks back in the direction of the person who has completely disappeared into the night, but decides to open it anyway.  As she reads it, she quickly realizes it falling in front of her was no accident.

"Your future is bright.  I see it.  The world sees it.  Your friends see it.  But the question is, do you see it?  You have created a mystique around you, focusing on eliminating the past to create the present.  Well maybe it's time for the past to rise from the ashes and help give you the tools you need?

WE are always around.

WE are always watching you.

You are someone reminiscent of a disruption in the Matrix that once happened many years ago.  And when you're ready to take the next step and really rock the boat, and cause a little chaos, maybe the past can help you dictate YOUR future as well?

-- Another 'ONE'"

Kirsten looks at the note with confusion, looking around at the idea of being watched, and in the darkness of the night having her eyes begin to play tricks on her, seeing apparitions apparently appear as shadows before disappearing again.  She wads the note up in her fist, angry someone may be trying to also play head games with her, but does not discard it.  Instead she puts it in the pocket of her hoodie before, with the same frustration as Hailey, beginning walking back toward the duplex, wishing the conversation had come with a more positive return.

But now her mind is also wondering what the note meant, and how it knew about her desires of past, present, and future.  The combined frustrations lead her to stop, just short of the wooden staircase leading to the top of their duplex, and punching it with all her might, sending an echo that could be heard reverberating down the street.  The neighbors open their door, to see Kirsten, asking if she's OK, and Kirsten assures them she is, she just is having a very hard day.  The neighbors offer her to come in, but she refuses, saying she just needs to get in bed and try and rest, and start tomorrow fresh.  The neighbors reiterate that if she needs to talk tomorrow, their door will always be open, stating how wonderful they have been as neighbors.  Kirsten thanks them before making herself act "adult like" and walk into the top floor of her duplex, and head straight for her room to try and process everything.

---------------------------------

{PROMO}

Unlike previous promos where she has been looking out above the livestock, above nature, above everything that is considered beneath the human race, this time, she is in the midst of them, with the eclipse happening over head.  She stands beside the flock of cows, who are completely oblivious to her presence, minus the ones she is next to, who occasionally crane their neck backward to sniff, while continuing to flick their tails in both directions to swat the flies from them.

Kirsten reaches out to touch one on the back, who is initially stunned, but then afterward resumes its chewing of cud, and standing in the middle of its herd, whereas Kirsten begins to speak, again knowing the camera is there, and wanting to continue to show her more "Zen" feeling as of late, with what has been surrounding her all along.

Everyone's eyes are finally where they belong.  Everyone's eyes are finally looking at a new generation of talent in Supreme Championship Wrestling, and honestly, if I were honest, I would say I'm honored to be the torch bearer...

But the question is, what does that mean?

What does it mean to be a torch bearer in Supreme Championship Wrestling?

Short answer... It's simple... It defines the next generation...

If history serves its purpose and defines the future, SCW has always been defined by the new person who is willing to carry its torch and take the reigns from those above them.  You had the days of Greg Cherry and Jason Wheeler and CHBK and Xander Valentine, fighting over who would be that initial torch bearer of the organization.  From there, it was the one man, and I will emphasize one man, who really polarized the institution in Jake Starr, and he carried it until SCW really entered the phase where, I contend, I came in in 2022, as someone who wanted to change the reality.

The fact is, there were many who wanted to carry the torch.  David Helms, Syren, the family of Streets, the various incarnations of "Infamous," the various fuck-buddies who were intertwined with one another.  They All decided that they were the "rightful" torch bearer, but instead of carrying it with honor what did they do?  They let the torch of SCW hit the ground and begin to snuff itself out.  They effectively let SCW come to a point where its light almost DIED at the expense of their petty, dick-measuring battle.  SCW almost came to an END because they were not willing to accept that, maybe, just maybe, they were not the best of the best and not the one who was responsible for carrying that torch?

I think the latter is the case because let's be real... For the bulk of them, where are they now?

Where are these "dominant legends" of SCW?

Why aren't they here defending SCW's honor?  Why aren't they here defending THEIR honor?

The fact is, we all know why.  We all SEE why.  We know why these people couldn't handle the REALITY of the situation.  They couldn't do something that required them to put their legacies, their careers, their EVERYTHING on the line, in order to define themselves as the ULTIMATE torch bearer of SCW.  They couldn't do what was necessary to reach the likes of, honestly, Jason Wheeler and Jake Starr, and being the undisputed FORCE in the industry.

Kirsten pats the cow on the hind quarters and begins to walk toward the head, and the cow, initially begins to move away until realizing Kirsten was the one approaching it, and instead simply resumes its complete lack of caring that she is around.

At that point, it was the biggest, "no mine is bigger," competition that SCW had ever seen, and the problem was, management couldn't do anything about it.  Management couldn't go out there and tell you "whose was bigger," because it was what they thought would prove themselves superior but like I have said since the day I arrived in SCW, it was the reason Supreme Championship Wrestling began its own downward spiral into a period where it was the, pardon the pun, "Supreme," entity, and started to become a political patriarch of how organizations should never allow itself to be run by the inmates of the asylum, and thankfully... THANKFULLY... Before it allowed itself to become one of those corrupted prisons run by cartels on the inside, it pulled the trigger and said two epic words...

FUCK YOU!

And these two words were the "Bat Signal" to someone like Kirsten Scott, to someone like "The One," to come in and begin to change the landscape and call out the bullshit that had been running amok, and be the one who decided it was her job to fuck with the "establishment" and finally begin to change things.  It was the ultimate "Bat Signal" to someone like me to come in, and disturb everyone who had simply accepted the status quo and make them realize that SCW doesn't stand for that bullshit, and instead, is the organization that has been the SHINING STAR in the black sky of organizations who can't PROVE that their talent is best.

So I did just that, at 2022's Taking Hold of the Flame...

I did that throughout 2022, and 2023...

And now... NOW... It's my turn to officially do the same in 2024...

She holds up one finger, before continuing.

But before I say why, I have to be honest...

Selena Frost was one of those members I referenced who were, at one point, measuring her dick compared to the rest... But she has proven herself, to me, and I'll be blunt, to the SCW audience, as someone who didn't live in that world that the "dick-measuring" competition lived, in the mid-2010s.  She continued to evolve.  She continued to grow.  She she continued to become someone who was willing to wait until the time was right to fully ESTABLISH herself as one of the, if not THE torch bearers of SCW.

And I will give her the full credit for that...

Selena was someone who, in hindsight, I thought was one of "that generation" who simply ran to the copy machine and made a copy of someone else, but instead, she established her and Deanna as different, even though living in a world that I would have considered part of the "tainted" days of SCW."  Instead she's shown herself to be willing to not run away, not throw a hood over her or his face, and try and hide from the fact that they only succeeded because of what carbon copy they made themselves out of.  Instead, Selena Frost, she established herself as someone who was a serious talent and is now established at the top of the mountain in SCW as its World Champion...

And it's not because of politics...

It's not because of copies of others...

It's because Selena Frost has escaped the drama and politics and become something she DESERVES...

And Selena... I acknowledge that... And I acknowledge how much of a RESPECTABLE champion you are, after Breakdown...

One cow nudges Kirsten and makes her smirk in a very natural way.  It catches her enough off guard where she stumbles into the cow she was initially paying attention to, and in turn shifts her attention toward the cow seemingly begging for equality.  This world in nature is one place that Kirsten has found much more solace in, as it is devoid of politics and devoid of her needing to be told she has to be an authority figure in it.  So small gestures like that of a cow wanting attention play to her internal soft side, which is where she feels the most comfortable to be open and not have to fit in a "role."

Selena... The facts are on the table and we both know them.  You and I, you, Deanna, and I, we have been through the gamut together.  It was extremely bitter at first.  I assumed the worst with you and Deanna, and I'm woman enough to say I was wrong.  I'm willing to admit where I looked at the surface and not beyond... And both of you have proved otherwise.  To that, I'm woman enough to admit that I'm sorry, and I don't put you in the category of the "others" I wanted to take out any longer.  Instead, who you both are... Is simple...

You're my opposition!

Now from me, and from our history, that may sound like something you don't believe, or flat out sound like bullshit.  But I assure you it isn't.  You see, Selena, you and Deanna, these past couple Breakdowns have done things to show that you're not of the kind to make yourself "easy winners."  I know you both had to bite your lip to do so, and I know it wasn't what you WANTED to do, but the fact is, you showed a lot of integrity.  You showed a lot of the ONE THING that I came to Supreme Championship Wrestling to stand up for.  And no matter our background, I am not above acknowledging it, and saying it shows a lot about the true character inside both of you.

And for that, I will not hesitate and say thank you...

But the reality of the situation is that what you hold, what you covet, what you CHERISH, is something that I have been seeking after since the day I entered my name into the Taking Hold of the Flame battle royal, as a complete unknown... As someone everything laughed at... As someone nobody believed in... And where did I finish?  I finished among the top and I did so with gusto in a way that most newcomers only dream of.  I showed up, and I showed out.  And from that day forward I put SCW on BLAST that there was someone here planning to throw this whole company into disarray in order to bring it back to where it belonged.

And I did just that...

And I will continue to do just that...

Selena, I don't look at you as any kind of "joke" of a champion.  You have EARNED your right.  You have EARNED your title.  You've done EVERYTHING against EVERYONE who has crossed you, and I'm going to be someone who falls, on paper, somewhere in the middle to lower rankings of people who you have had to defend against.  And I know that.  I know that I am not someone who should be taken AS SERIOUSLY as those like the Hall of Famers and top dogs you have defended against.  I should be that easy check mark you have, that easy notch in your bedpost, if you're kinky, that guaranteed WIN, that you have on your plate that you have ZERO worries about.  There's only one major problem with that...

I've NEVER been ANYONE's easy out, in this business...

And Selena... It isn't beginning with you!

Kirsten leans along the side of a very large cow in the herd, not phasing it in the least, but acting as a leaning post for her.

You see Selena, what I am for you is something far different.  I am not just another person who is going to tout their resume and give you all of these reasons that have happened in the past to justify why your title reign will end at Taking the Leap.  Hell, the name itself, it is indicative of the reality of what is at stake for me because I'me the one doing JUST THAT!  I'm taking the leap.  I'm getting the opportunity of a LIFETIME.  I'm getting the chance to have you and I play the ultimate game of chicken and see who wins.

It's not about the past, anymore...

It's not about SCW's political age, in relation to your title reign...

No this is you and I.  This is the movie Tremors, only one of us gets to be Kevin Bacon and one of us gets to be the Graboid, outsmarted.  And the question lies on who is who?  Which one of us will be the one to plunge to our death, while the other simply steps to the side, and watches as the terrifying being is finally killed?   And I know, if you look deep down, as a PERSON, you'll know that the answer isn't as easy as you think because you know the PERSON that I am.  You know what I have done to you and Deanna in the past, and you can take that memory and remind yourself how it reminds you of your past.  But you can also look at that metaphor and think about how it will relate to your future as well...

Because you've had my number...

You've been the one to outsmart humanity, as the Graboid, haven't you, Selena?

But what about now?

What about today?

What about tomorrow?

What about the pay-per view?

What if you're isolated and the last one standing, like in the movies?  What if I'm Kevin Bacon, and I'm your last chance to prove your superiority?  What if that moment ends with you flying off a cliff to your demise?

Seriously, metaphorically, what if?

Kirsten pulls her vape out and takes a hit.

.

Selena, you've faced the best of the best in this business, and you've held onto that belt with a tight grip.  You've proven yourself worthy.  I'm not challenging that.  I'm challenging the fact that I know you'll look at me as a lesser of evils that have crossed your path in recent days, and you've been able to overcome.  I challenge you that you look at me as inferior.  But let me remind you that history shows that when you question the underdog, World War I, World War II, hell the Declaration of Independence, those moments ended up with those who were more willing to give EVERYTHING UP for the GREATER CAUSE landing victories in ways nobody saw possible.

And while I don't pretend, or even act like, my match with you is on part with those, I simply make sure you know that they tell me that no matter how much everyone counts against me, no matter how much people assume you will win, I am going to give Vegas a reason to put money on me and make sure that in the end it pays off...

Because I'm coming for your belt...

I'm coming for your status...

I'm coming for everything you may STILL represent in SCW...

See I still respect you and I still give you credit for not being one of those who played the political card, it's time for any remnant to be sent by the wayside, and rushed upstream.  It's time for YOU to understand that I am not just some undercarriage of some male nutsack you're being forced to face, but instead, I'm the TRUTH that will end your reign, and continue to end the scum that still coats the walls of every SCW locker room!  You know, like I do, you're still part of that TRUTH of SCW's past, and I'm the TRUTH of its future... Like taxes... Death... AND "THE ONE" KIRSTEN SCOTT!

---------------------------------

{1-2 SAMUEL: Chapter Four}

What's in a note?

This has been something plaguing me since Hailey and I had our little dust up because it was so random, yet, so pointed directly at me.  Or at least, that is how I perceived it.  I've tried pushing it to the back of my mind, but unfortunately that has been a consistent failure.

I mean, who was this person?

Why would they drop this note, and disappear into the night, and not just ask whatever they actually wanted to know or convey right then and there?  Why be so creepy and mysterious?  Why not just approach me and handle business right then and there?  It's things like that that drive me nuts, and truly know how to get inside my head.

Or was it just a note?

Was it just meant to psych me out and get in my head?

I NEED ANSWERS!

As Kirsten has retreated to her safe space, their balcony, where she can simply listen to the sounds of solitude that is nature, her mind races, no matter how much she tries to relax.  The cows, the frogs, the crickets, none of it is calming her down as much as it normally does.  She has been out for several hours trying to clear her mind, and nothing has been helping...

But then she starts to hear something out of her left ear, that isn't nature, and is definitely out of the ordinary.

She leans forward in her chair, looking over the balcony, and begins to see a shadowy figure walking around the side of her duplex.  It is obvious this person was doing everything they could in order make enough noise to catch Kirsten's attention.  She cannot make out any features of the individual, and quickly stands up.  This causes a noise that makes the figure stop and Kirsten can see it turn its head in her direction.  It also makes enough of a movement in the dark for her to discern it is motioning for her to come down.

She isn't dumb, and isn't going to just follow some creep around her building.

Kirsten Scott: ... The fuck are you?

The person responds with a male voice.

Random Man: I'm the only other "ONE" you will ever meet...

Kirsten's eyes go wide, as she immediately catches the reference to the note dropped in front of her.  The reference is enough to immediately make her charge inside and shut the door behind her, blasting by everyone who is sitting and watching a fight on TV.

Kirsten Scott: I'll be back... Going out front for a bit...

She continues to charge toward the front door, and Emma is immediately concerned.

Emma Taylor: Everything OK?

Kirsten storms to the door, and outside but not before answering.

Kirsten Scott: It's fine... I just saw something I want to get a closer look at...

As the door closes, Emma replies in delay.

Emma Taylor: Umm... Ok... Let us know if you need anything?

This rushing movement of Kirsten immediately catches the eye of everyone, and does make Hailey extremely concerned, knowing they have had a lot of tension between them since they spoke.  She still feels deeply for her best friend, but is initially trusting in that Kirsten said she wanted to go look at something by the creek, since nature is one of her "safe spaces."

Kirsten slowly begins to walk down the staircase of the duplex, and then makes her way around the corner where the shadowy figure has not moved, and is at a safe distance from Kirsten herself.  The man wastes no time in acknowledging her presence.

Random Man: Hey... I'm good you actually came down...

Kirsten's hesitation to the whole situation is still on point.

Kirsten Scott: So who are you, and what in the hell do you want with me?

The man stands with his hands in his pockets, simply to avoid taking a controversial position.

Random Man: Honestly... The same thing as you...

Kirsten Scott: OK, you cryptic ass, what is that, exactly?

The man can be heard chuckling at Kirsten's hostility.

Random Man: ... To bring down the corruption, and there be a rise of a new generation in this business...

Now Kirsten is even more confused than she was before.

Kirsten Scott: And why in the HELL would you want the same thing as me?  Huh?  And more importantly HOW and WHAT would you know about my desires?

The man takes a step forward, which immediately forces Kirsten to take a step back and prepare for some kind of conflict.  The man pauses.

Random Man: Relax... I'm not here for any kind of altercation, I was simply bringing myself more into the light... Step back until your comfortable so I can do just that, sound ok?

Kirsten takes several steps back, as the man begins to approach the light, with his legs slowly beginning to take shape, followed by his torso, as he continues to explain himself.

Random Man: You ask why I'm here, because I, too, once fought for a cause very similar to you... And for a period... I was pretty fucking successful...

As the light illuminates his face, Kirsten's eyes go wide as she is now face to face with SCW Hall of Famer, Jake Starr, and he continues...

Jake Starr: ... But sadly there came a point when Father Time, versus the political patriarchy, took my momentum away from and thus it created the disaster that you have come out so vehemently trying to destroy.  It's why I said I was the only other "ONE," you would ever meet in this business.  Because I am the "ONE Social Misift Remaining..."

Kirsten is still in shock at the sight of Starr there, but doesn't hesitate in rationalizing everything going on.

Kirsten Scott: Then why the HELL are you here, now?  How did you find me?  And why are you singling me out when you were someone who always bragged about doing shit on your own as well?  Huh?  Why is it magically you coming to me for help?  Wh...

As she goes to continue her "Spanish Inquisition," Jake holds his hands up to stop her.

Jake Starr: Can you calm down for five seconds, to let me speak?

Kirsten signs, and nods, as Jake proceeds.

Jake Starr: Thank you... You see, you relit a fire under my ass to fight a war that you brought back from the dead for me.  You effectively reminded me who I was, why I did what I did, and what there was left to do.  But the problem is, I can't do it anymore.  I am too old to go waging war against a collective, political, agenda, in SCW, and I felt that maybe, in some way, there was a for me to impart my knowledge into you to HELP YOU take those next steps, to ensure you succeed in what you're trying to exterminate.

I've been in the trenches, Kirsten.  Just like you have these past couple years.  And I thought you'd fizzle out, but you didn't.  And I thought that maybe, with my help, you could be the one to succeed in that goal...

Kirsten Scott: Yeah sorry, old man, I'm not here to be someone's lackey, to carryout their bidding, just so they can feel some semblance of accomplishment.  I am a little past that idea.  So, no thanks... Go find someone else...

She goes to walk away and Jake laughs, audibly, which stops her.  She slowly gazes back in his direction, very annoyed that he would laugh at her honesty.

Jake Starr: You're not doing my bidding, Kirsten.  I'm offering a chance for you to have a leg up in order to do your OWN bidding.  I'm offering insight.  And the truth is, I may be older and can't fight this war on my own, I still know how to do one thing well, that I became synonymous for... I can swing a chair like a motherfucker, if the numbers game ever decided to creep into the fight.

And don't get me wrong... I'm not here to change you... Hell... Why would I change something that inspired ME to come here, tonight, and the other night as well?

Those words catch Kirsten off guard.

Kirsten Scott: I... I inspired you?  Why?  Why would some nobody do that?

Jake smirks again.

Jake Starr: Nobody's taken on management there, since I did.  And nobody's taken them on, so head on, since me either.  Everyone has been fearful of the backlash, or the political involvement.  You're the first person to step up and call bullshit where it was, and where it still lasts.  You were the first person to say you were there to serve a purpose, and it being not for your own gain, but to prove a fucking point.

And then you're willing to share parts of your life that brought you to that, and then on top of it, you say you've been blacklisted in places in life because you didn't stand down from what you believe in?

You claim to be a historian of SCW, and someone who wants to restore it to its greater days.  Right?

Kirsten Scott: Right...

Jake Starr: Then who was I, HUH?!  Who was Brandon Evens?!  Who Was Bane?!  We were the ones blacklisted everywhere and SCW gave us a chance to redeem ourselves and do what we wanted to.  It was a moniker we embodied, and yeah, you do too.  And I envy that you carry it in today's world, where it takes a MARTYR to actually stand up for what's right, and not just let the bitching loudmouths dictate the world.

So I see "IT" in you.  And I'm not here to change it... Instead I am here and I want to give it one little EXTRA push to know that it an succeed and do something I couldn't, and nobody else could, because they didn't have the drive.  I wanted to come to you and tell you that what you're doing isn't just some hill to die on, but one to take the high ground, and tell those pieces of shit who want to still run the show, just like Obi-Wan, "It's over!"

The fact is, your actions, you not caring about the reactions, the backstage politics, hell the reactions backstage from those who like X, Y, or Z, about if you acted right or wrong, showed something in you that I wish I had back in my fay, and all I want to do, simply, is add a little fuel to the fire.  I want to naturally enhance what is there and let that rawness of what Kirsten Scott brings to the table shine for WHAT it is...

Kirsten is confused.  On one hand, this seems like a legit offer.  Like someone wanting to cultivate raw talent and make it into what it COULD BE, but on the other, and knowing the history of Jake Starr, she knows there is always the possibility of him wanting something equal in return.

Kirsten Scott: And what do you want?  I'm not dumb, here... You and I both know I know SCW and its history, and the almighty Jake Starr ALWAYS asks for something in return...

Jake shakes his head, while keeping his eyes focused on Kirsten.

Jake Starr: Believe it or not, I have no endgame in this.  For me there is a hope that what I tried to do could one day be carried out by someone better, and more successful, but have resources to protect them from the numbers game.  All I want is to see you succeed in erasing them from the culture, especially when right now, they're eating themselves our of existence.  And if you can be that ultimate linchpin that pulls the plug on them destroying themselves, and I just simply say I made sure YOU could do it, then that modicum of help would be all that I ask in return...

Kirsten's eyes roll further back in her head than if she had been knocked out.

Kirsten Scott: You're full of fucking SHIT and we both know it...

Jake smirks.

Jake Starr: OK... OK... If you want me to ask for anything, then I'd say I ask for one time with Xander Valentine, who is someone who really ruined something special for me in my career.  So if helping you gets me to him, sure, I'd take it.  But if you think that's too much to ask, then I would say fine, I'll help you anyway, but asking for his head on a platter is something minor compared to the bigger picture YOU have at stake, that I'm offering to help with...

And if that is the case, I'm wasting my time...

Kirsten Scott: I told you you wanted something!

Jake's head drops, and he shakes it with his known smirk on his face.

Jake Starr: Really... REALLY?!

Kirsten Scott: I know it ALWAYS starts with something trivial, then it expands and grows to more... Especially with you...

Jake gets more aggressive in his tone.

Jake Starr: And what more could I ask YOU for, huh?  Especially at my age, and my time away from SCW?  What could YOU offer me?

Jake, quickly begins to approach her, taking a more aggressive pose.

Jake Starr: What do you have that an old fucker like myself could have, that a young, and up and comer, like Kirsten Scott could offer?  What is it I could demand, huh?  There is NOTHING there.  It's why I am here.  I told you that what you have done over these past two years, what you have said, how you have done it, it's INSPIRED me.  It didn't make me think I could USE you.  It made me get my ass up off of my comfy ass chair and come to see you.

I was enjoying the occasional appearance for autographs and signings...

I was enjoying doing simple things that didn't hurt...

And then here comes this person who begins to speak a truth that I hear in the deepest parts of my body, and it makes me want to take it upon myself to DO SOMETHING about it.  It makes me want to HELP.  It makes me want to seek YOU out.  It shows me that maybe there is a generation in this business I can help mold to not just suck up to the big dicks around them, and instead say "fuck the system" and make it their own.  It tells me that there is STILL a feeling inside the industry where people want to not just have everything be done a certain way, or by a few certain people.  It tells me that the IDEA of being DIFFERENT is still relevant and it's time to tell those who want to ruin it, "FUCK YOU!"

A noise comes from the side as footsteps are heard coming from the stairway of the duplex.  A voice cries out.

Hailey Brooks: HEY!!!

Both Jake and Kirsten turn in the way of Hailey, who is coming down the stairs, and ultimately heading in their direction.

Hailey Brooks: What in the FUCK is going on here?  And more importantly, why are YOU...

Hailey looks at Jake.

Hailey Brooks: ... of all people HERE on OUR property?

Kirsten Scott: He's here because he's realized we have an opportunity to...

Hailey is quick to shut her down.

Hailey Brooks: The fuck WE don't.  I wasn't asking you, I was asking HIM!

She begins to approach him in a manner, ready to engage in a physical confrontation, but stops short being directly in his face.

Hailey Brooks: ... You're here trying to take control of her, aren't you, you fuck?

There is a rustle behind Hailey and Kirsten pulls her back and faces her down herself.

Kirsten Scott: ... The FUCK he is!  And more importantly, nobody "controls" me, PERIOD!  I am an independent woman, just like you are, with your sexcapades with Ethan.  I can make decisions on my own, just like you can, am I right?

Jake is quick to intervene between the two.

Jake Starr: Both of you stop... Please...

Jake's calm demeanor is one that actually makes both look in his direction.

Jake Starr: ... I don't know what you two have going on, and that's not my business, but I'm not here to take one from another.  Instead, I am here to impart knowledge into you both.  And yes that includes you, Hailey.  Because, the fact is, you're as important to this as Kirsten is.  But Kirsten is the primary in the actions piece...

The fact is, I'm here to impart what I know about SCW on you both.  For Kirsten, it's about how to handle the in-ring, the politics, the stupidity, but for Hailey, it's much different.  Your role is much more important because you have to be able to support her in everything she does or doesn't do, and have to be sure she is safe 100% of the time.  You two have to trust in one another.  You two have to do the one thing I didn't have...

You see, With me, yes, I had Brandon Evans by my side.  But he was so wrapped up in his personal DEMONS, not his personal issues, that he was there, but he wasn't, if you two get my drift.  You two have to understand that whatever this personal issue is that everyone and their dog can see, is not going to impact you professionally.  And that is work on BOTH of your ends.  Brandon and I, we knew we would never establish that because of our past.  Our past was too shaken.  So we found a common ground personally.  You two still are lucky to have both.  You two can barely look one another in the eye, but I can see, it isn't because one of you tried to off yourself in the other's bathroom.

I can see it's ultimately a trivial issue where someone has to be the one to simply say "grow the fuck up..."

Hailey jumps into Jake's face.

Hailey Brooks: You're fucking saying me having a relationship with someone inside our home is something childish, and I need to grow the fuck up from that?  Do you know how fucking old I am to make my own decisions?  Am I not a grown up?  Am I not old enough to decide for myself.

Jake puts a finger in her shoulder and pushes her backward while chuckling.

Jake Starr: By the way you just acted, I guess the biggest question is, you tell me, huh?

Hailey begins to look back and forth between Kirsten and Jake, and begins to make inferences about the situation as a whole.  She looks directly at Kirsten.

Hailey Brooks: This...?  This is what you do when we have issues now?  You basically find ways to push me out of the way by bringing someone else in to do what WE set out to do?

Jake Starr: Actually I...

Hailey turns to Jake.

Jake Starr: Just shut the fuck up Jake... In fact, fuck you both... I'm a grown ass woman just like you Kirsten, and I'm allowed to make my own PERSONAL decisions, as well as fight for my role in this "family," as you so once put it, as a whole.  So know this... Both of you... This... This thing... Here... Whatever it is... Not happening.  Not on on my watch, and not as long as I have a say in it.  I MADE you, Kirsten.  I DEVELOPED you!  And I will continue to do that until you fully define the woman you are DESTINED to  be...

This assertion makes Kirsten immediately defensive and off guard, and Jake quickly raises a finger at her to stop and not react.  Hailey, seeing Kirsten responding to Jake's suggestions, becomes more enraged, turning back toward the duplex, and storming off, still cursing at the two of them, until the sound of a door slamming is heard.  Kirsten looks at Jake and wants to pursue her, Jake holds his hand up.

Jake Starr: Let her go for right now.  This is what NEEDS to happen so Hailey, like you, can come full circle, and she can be exactly what she said she wants to be for you.  I'm not here to replace her.  In face, she's part of why I'm here.  You need someone by your side long term, and like I said, age isn't on my side.  Hailey is that person.  Hailey is that "muscle" you need beside you when battles come.  But she has to realize that role, and learn to begin to handle her business, privately and professionally, separately.

Kirsten Scott: And if she doesn't?

Jake Starr: This is where age and personal issues between "family members" is where I thrive.  I've fought with my closest friends my whole life over personal and professional things.  In the end, it was for the better because it strengthened us, and it made us understand one another as people better.  If you're going to rise in this business, you need someone like me to simply guide the two of you, and then watch you fly out of the nest on your own.  Because it's a world you stepped into greener than a 1/8th from a dispensary.  You're two years in, and now the work HAS to begin on taking this raw version of you two, and making you into what I CAN SEE is the future of this business...

And no... Before you ask, you guys aren't the next iteration of "Social Misfits."  This is your path.  Sure, we may have had similar values, but you're not who we were, and trust me, for your sake, that's a good thing.  But what I think you could be, is something BIGGER, and more transcendent than we ever were...

Just think about it...

Jake approaches her and hands him another piece of paper, this time simply with his phone number on it.

Jake Starr: And tell Hailey, when you're ready, she better be ready too, because that's when she'll get to hear what I have to say...

Jake then proceeds to walk toward the same sidewalk he dropped the note off on originally, and once again, disappears into the night.  Kirsten is completely confused about how to even process everything that just happened, both with Jake, and with Hailey.  She also is a bit perplexed on what provoked Jake to truly appear, and single her out.  None of it makes anymore sense than it did, and now she has her best friend absolutely livid at her on top of it.

Was that supposed to happen?

Is this all part of the agenda, like he said?

Is he being honest or is this some elaborate plan to get his way back into the business he claims to be too old for?

All she does know is she is about to walk into a house where questions are going to be mounting, and she's going to have to answer to them all.  She'll have Emma's confusion on who Jake is, Ethan's likely anger that his girlfriend is upset, and Hailey who is beyond perturbed, to say the least.