03-31-2020, 11:20 PM
Everyone has that one friend who has been there for them most of their life, and supported them through the good and bad times, without casting judgment for any reason. I have one of those friends who has always given me a life that I couldn't even imagine. He's allowed me to use a lot of his resources to travel between locations, made sure my family was always accommodated well and at times, safe and secure in ways we would have never been able to afford on our own. Needless to say, he's well off, rich, and honestly one who uses his wealth to care for those he's close to.
Now, he and I have had an up and down relationship over the years. We have been at each other's throats early on, and ultimately I took a top spot in a previous organization from him for the first time in my career. We continued to befriend and turn on one another for years, but after a period of time apart, we came back together and put the past behind us. We both grew, we both matured, and we realized that we really did care about one another more than we wanted to admit in the past, and we had allowed our egos to get in the way. So we decided to let our friendship grow, and we ended our time in the same business together taking care of one of our biggest rivals, and calling it a career.
Well, he did...
He knew the fire still burned in me. He knew I'd be back, and ultimately began to make my life really easy in the industry. As time has gone on, we've spoken periodically. Our communication is mostly through text, and very little face to face. He's got his business to handle, I have mine, but he does help as a spirit always around me. He's always been a conscience to me, being the only person in my life who wasn't afraid to be brutally honest, not sugar coating or fanning my ego, and simply smacking me around when I need it. So needless to say, I try not to piss him off or do something that makes him have to go all "big brother" on me. So when I actually get a call from him to fly to Sin City so "we can talk," I know something is on his mind, and is serious.
As the private jet of the Golden Nugget lands at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, it pulls up to its assigned FBO and winds its engines down. A limousine is already parked on the tarmac, and as the stairs descend from the side of the airplane, Jake Starr disembarks with a backpack over his shoulder. He walks down and is immediately greeted by the Golden Nugget limo driver, who opens the backdoor for the SCW superstar. Jake hands the man a $100 tip which is immediately declined, as the driver said Eric informed him not to accept any tips, and is paying him extra for this. Jake smirks, and puts it in his jacket pocket, telling the man to tell Eric he said to "fuck off." The driver, knowing Jake from the times driving him in the past, chuckles, and simply nods. He knows the relationship of the pair, and closes the door after Jake gets in. He quickly runs around to the front of the limo, and the worker from the FBO yells out at him.
FBO Worker: Hey... He still planning departing later this evening?
Limo Driver: As far as I know. I'll call if anything changes, and you know Mr. Rommel will ensure costs are covered as always.
FBO Worker: Oh for sure. Was just wanting to be sure we had everything stocked and ready. We appreciate his business greatly!
The limo driver nods, and hops into the front seat. He begins driving out of the private gate and onto the highway toward downtown Las Vegas. After several minutes of traffic, they reach Fremont Street and begin rounding the block to reach the private entrance to the Golden Nugget. The driver parks and hops out, letting Jake out as well. The two shake hands, and exchange brief pleasantries.
Jake Starr: I assume I will see you here in a while?
Limo Driver: Mr. Rommel told me to stay close to my phone to take you back, so yessir. Even if you decide to do something before you're ready, I'll be ready when you are.
Jake Starr: Eh... You know I wouldn't make you wait.
Limo Driver: I do, and it's appreciated, but I promise I've been made to wait longer than I'll ever admit to anyone, and I always do it with a smile.
Jake Starr: I can't even imagine some of the entitled people you deal with, especially Eric!
The driver chuckles.
Limo Driver: Mr. Rommel, honestly, is the reason I stay here. He's very direct, but he takes good care of us here.
Jake Starr: He's a good egg, even though he's an ass!
The driver, again, chuckles and puts his head in his hands, as Jake turns and walks toward the private elevator. He gives his ID to the guard, who quickly OKs Jake, and opens the doors. He steps in, and pushes the floor, telling Jake to have a good day, to which Jake responds in kind. The elevator climbs and climbs, reaching the penthouse, and opening to another guard ready to check Jake's ID. Jake, having been through this process many times, hands it to the man, and tells the guy to be sure to tell Eric to have a drink ready for him before he comes in. The guard, obviously unaware of who Jake is, and the relationship to Eric Rommel, is baffled someone would make any demands of the mogul. Jake rolls his eyes, and simply says Eric is expecting him.
The guard checks his ID and phones back into the penthouse, and is informed to let Jake in immediately. The guard confirms the order, and hangs the phone up. He hands Jake his ID back, and presses the button unlocking the penthouse door. As Jake goes to open the door he looks back at the guard.
Jake Starr: Sorry about making you uncomfortable. We're basically family. Didn't realize he hadn't passed that along.
The guard nods as Jake walks in. Jake walks through the main hallway, immediately to the main seating area that overlooks Las Vegas, in front of giant windows. As he gets within an area he knows Eric is in earshot, he calls out.
Jake Starr: EC Single Barrel, A120, on the rocks...
From another room the voice of Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel calls back.
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Why do you always fucking ruin bourbon with ice?
Jake Starr: Because I like my drinks cold, asshole!
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Then drink that Jägermeister crap, then...
Jake Starr: ... Yeah, we did that phase... I'd rather not!
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Then don't insult such fucking good bourbon!
Jake chuckles, and takes a seat, making himself at home. After a couple minutes, Eric walks out with two glasses of bourbon in hand, and hands one, with ice, to Jake.
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Be happy I don't hate you...
Jake Starr: Bless you, your excellency.
Eric sits down across from Jake, taking a drink, and setting his glass down.
Jake Starr: ... I'm still surprised you don't have a butler to do this for you.
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Meh they bring food. I get bored if I have people doing everything for me. So I control my bourbon collection!
Jake Starr: Fair enough...
Jake takes a sip.
Jake Starr: ... So what's this about? You don't call a meeting of "The Commission" like this, unless you really have something on your mind.
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: "The Commission?" If anyone is the Capo dei Capi here, it's me. You can be a soldier.
Jake Starr: Fuck you, ha ha... So seriously, what's this about? You never ask me to come here. Not even when times are special.
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: You're right. The fact is, I have never bullshit you in my life. I've never not been honest with you. Even if we were at one another's throat, we always were blunt with one another. So that's what I'm here to do.
Jake Starr: Ok... About what?
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: You gotta rethink wrestling, man...
Jake takes a sip, and is a bit confused.
Jake Starr: Rethink it? Rethink what about it?
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Your career choice, man. You need to take my offer, which will always be there, and come run the Gate, give your family some stability, and get away from the constant drama. I get you have your sister, and you believe you have it in you, but look at this year. It hasn't been good to you. It's been a fucking reality check. You're not THAT Jake Starr anymore. You're not the guy who can fly, beat people up, win with speed and power, and be the dominant badass you were. And that's not an insult. It's called age, dude. It's called reality. It's why I got out when I did.
Jake Starr: You're saying that last match, when we left Jesse in the desert, was when you realized you couldn't hang anymore? Really?
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: No... I just decided I never wanted to have a reason for people to forget that moment. You've been lucky. You've been talented enough to make a new legacy for yourself, but that was damn near a decade ago. Since then, you've been letting your legacy slowly die. Shit, people don't remember your last World Title...
Jake Starr: Beat Alistaire Allocco in the Chamber...
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Nobody remembers what titles you won, though, dipshit. People remember the match because you're a lunatic who one-ups himself everytime he turns around. They don't remember or care what you won. You do because you're obsessed with your legacy, and guess what, you're proving that by NOT leaving.
Jake nods.
Jake Starr: Exactly... I feel there is more I can do!
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: No... Subconsciously you're doing it because you realize you've fucked up a hell of a career in a place that has had more respect than ANY organization in this business. Now, you're someone everyone expects to be a "showcase" person. Like, "oh hey, that's that Hall of Fame guy who used to be a badass." You're not "Jake Starr" anymore. You're an "attraction." You're like the two-headed man, now. I mean, is that what you want to be? Is that WHO you want to be?
Jake gets riled up and exclaims back.
Jake Starr: Or do I want to be someone who NOBODY even remembers the name of, outside of the OWF and ASW circles? Dude, you talk about legacies, and what do you have in pro wrestling? Huh? A guy who literally staged a physical takeover of a fed with his buddy, at the time? A guy whose primary goal it was to piss everyone off? A guy who tried to kill a man as his final action? Yeah, we joke about it, but that's what people remember if they even know who you are. I have made myself an "attraction" for LIFE. I'm not a freak show. I'm someone people know can entertain, and that's what this business wants and needs.
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: What's my legacy? You're sitting in it. THIS entertainment industry is where I am one of the moguls, and one of the people who know by name, call for money, and beg for advice. I left the pro wrestling business because I realized that my legacy would never get bigger than it was at that moment with Jesse. I didn't have the passion to push any further, nor did I care. I eliminated my greatest enemy, and I walked off to deal with the real world, instead of the pretend world. You had an ability, and I commend that. And when I saw you come back and do so with a passion, I offered you help. I offered you my plane. Why? So you could be home as much as possible with Roeper and Mara. I knew that family unit was going to be something you still needed to cherish. Look at me, yeah I have girls in and out, but I'm here alone. I live by myself, but I never wanted a real family. So we ARE different. But I also don't sit here and want to spend all this money while you chase some dream that is really a carrot dangling in front of you that you'll never get to take a bite of...
Jake Starr: So... You're saying you're taking the plane if I don't retire?
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: No... I'm taking the plane if you don't do what is best for you and your family again. I look at you, and I can see that your legacy is ALL you're caring about. You see your sister, not as your sister, but part of that legacy. You've forgotten what is best for your family. I'm not even talking about what you did to yourself, I put that behind you, and trust that you learned all the lessons you could. I'm talking about this obsession with the business. I'm talking about you forgetting what REALLY matters in life. Like I said... Nobody remembers anything you've done lately. Everyone still remembers who you were when you came into SCW. You're on the verge of being remembered for being an old guy who everyone walked over on their way to greatness...
Jake Starr: Bullshit... This from the guy who gave up on himself. You use Jesse as a crux, now. You're the fucking jealous one. Outside of the rich asshole world, nobody knows who you are. You could walk through Atlanta's or DFW's airport and nobody would go, "HOLY FUCK IT'S ERIC ROMMEL!" They damn sure wouldn't say the name "Agent oo6." It's like you are almost jealous that I still have that name AND face recognition amongst the entertainment and sports world. It's like you want that back, and you're mad at me because I can still go out there and do it.
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Jake I don't fucking want you to be someone who holds on too long, and ends up feeling the need to work in a fucking gym, and forgets what he has right here at his fingertips. I'm offering you a simple life. A life where you don't have to get beaten up. A life where you can have your own bourbon stock and quit stealing my good shit.
Jake sighs.
Jake Starr: Dude... For once I'm enjoying my career. Wins and losses aren't everything. You say I'm tarnishing my legacy, and I may be. But it's giving me a chance to enjoy what time I have left. I mean, I get it. I'm not the guy I was. I get that part of me wants to try and still be the guy who flies around and puts my body at risk. So yeah, I have a mental aspect I need to work on, but at the same time, I'm fucking happy going out there, dude... You weren't. You were jaded throughout your career. Maybe I reinvent myself. Maybe I catch fire. Maybe I actually ENJOY being an "attraction" as you put it. But for fuck's sake... It's the same fucking decision you got to make. So let me make it on MY terms. If you want to take the plane, take the amenities, that's fine. I'll fucking fly coach. I know the one thing you won't do is take anything from Roeper and Mara, and they don't need to be brought into this. They deserve to have what they have.
Eric smiles. Jake notices it and doesn't know why Eric has gone from stern and bossy, to grinning from ear to ear, and now he's annoyed more.
Jake Starr: ... What's with the fucking smirk, Eric?
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: That's the first time you've put them ahead of yourself this whole conversation, and not me... Tells me you're not as selfish as I truly was thinking you were being...
Jake Starr: Dude... For once, yeah I am. I'm selfish about just enjoying life. And if that means you want to take shit to try and get me to agree with you, do it, but leave them out.
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Dude, shut the fuck up... I'm not taking anything. I'm telling you, I think you need to move here, still. Even if you keep wrestling, get to where Mara and Roeper can have some fun, too. Sure, you could fly your own plane then, and leave mine alone, but think about them, too.
Jake Starr: I would, but right now I'm not taking Mara away from her friends. I'm not uprooting everything we have right now, especially after what I pulled. I'm trying to recreate a sense of normalcy. Not just for me, but for everyone. I fucked up. I have to fix that by finding the regular things, the normal things, the simple things, all things, just part of life. I can't have everyone stressing again. Plus, I can't give you that much money!
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: I told you, man, the Gate is just yours. It's not something you have to "buy" from me...
Jake Starr: No I meant I can't give you money because I'd always be at the tables at your casino, and I haven't mastered counting cards yet...
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Fair enough! I'd just embarrass you in front of everyone before letting you go back to the tables...
Jake Starr: Embarrass me how?
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: One word... Trannies...
Jake's head slumps, and he picks his glass up. He leans forward to cheers his friend, who also lifts his glass.
Jake Starr: I'll make a promise to you...
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: And that is?
Jake Starr: I'll take the Gate when the time is truly right, and I won't be stubborn about it. Deal?
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Fuck that, you couldn't be stubborn on your best day...
Jake Starr: Fair point!
The two clink glasses and lean back enjoying their respective bourbons, and shitting on one another. After several hours of catching up, Jake returns to the limo, the airport, and ultimately the air back toward his home in Des Moines.
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Jake Starr: This is a first for me. This truly is uncharted territory. Why? In my entire SCW career this is the first time that I have walked out onto this edition of Breakdown having NOT competed at Retribution. Retribution was truly the night that started my career and my legacy in SCW. It was the night that I won the Adrenaline Championship and made that title something special. Not competing there for the first time in a decade is something I don't quite know how to process. I'm not angry. I'm not pitching a fit. I'm not screaming conspiracy. I'm just saying that, for once, I am in a position in SCW where I am on uncharted and uncertain footing.
So what do I mean?
Well I used to be a mainstay and a guarantee to be on pay per views. People knew they could count on Jake Starr making an appearance and entertaining. Unfortunately, this is a sign of the times. A lot of people have overshadowed me and shown the world that there are more superstars who are in a better position for that right than I am. And everyone could tell I wasn't necessarily prepared to not be inserted somewhere into the pay per view. When I went back to my locker room, I sat there and I watched my sister. I watched my sister do something that, in the end, I felt so proud about. She went out there at the same pay per view I did it at, and won the Adrenaline Championship. It felt like she was kind of taking our family lineage and pushing it to the next level. I couldn't me more excited for her, and I know she's going to probably end up being a BETTER Adrenaline Champion than I was, and I can't wait to see where she goes with it.
But what about me?
Where do I go?
How do I get myself inserted anywhere of value or meaning?
Well to me, right now, being on any show or any pay per view is going to have to have meaning for me. It's going to all have to matter. I can't be specific or pissy about where or what I'm doing. I have to appreciate whatever I am given. Effectively, I have to have the mentality I had when I first signed my contract. I'm not saying I have to be "that Jake Starr," but I was a realist when I signed onto SCW and knew I had to simply fight whatever fight that was thrown my way. I couldn't be picky. I couldn't be demanding. I couldn't be judgmental, like I was several years after that contract was signed. So I have to have that mentality for now. I have to be accepting of whatever SCW throws my way. I have to be willing to fight every fight like they matter. I can't be upset if I'm left off or set aside for someone who has been stepping up more than I have.
And that brings us to Breakdown... That brings us to a match that I am walking into with a definite disadvantage because I'm staring down two opponents who aren't going to be easy to crash through and beat. I'm looking at two opponents, one of which I have bested, but that was years ago, and one I've never crossed paths with, but know she has shown some the ability to make waves in SCW. So I have my work cutout for me. I have to face this reality that I am walking into a match as the decided underdog of the three competitors. Again, a lot of that is my own doing. A lot of that is the fact I haven't been a guy who SCW wants to entrust with some of the bigger moments yet. So while I'm at a decided disadvantage, both because of recent wins and losses, and the fact that a triple threat puts everyone at an equal disadvantage adds to mine already, this is a moment where SCW is giving me an opportunity.
Now it's on me to seize it.
I look down the barrel of two guns, one from Asher Hayes and one from Scarlet Grey. I am walking into Breakdown ready to face down two of SCW's finest, and Asher is a guy who, in the past I have had the better of. But let's be honest, that was in the past. That was early on in my career. That was when I was on a hot streak. That was a different me, and a different time. That was a different Asher Hayes. He's done a lot recently to show the world he's not the same guy he was back then, and I'm not the same Jake Starr. So I can't walk in cocky, thinking that everything is the same. I have to walk in and expect a guy who has had his share of success recently. I have to expect a guy who has shown SCW he's not only BACK, he's BACK with a vengeance.
So what does that mean?
What does it mean that I have to look at Asher differently than before?
It means I have to assume he and I have never tangled. I have to treat him just like I do Scarlet Grey. I have to treat both of these individuals like I don't know who they are, and in one case, that's true, and one case, I have to play pretend. Now, this isn't a first for me. When I came back to SCW, there were a LOT of unfamiliar faces to me on the SCW roster. Hell, when I first joined SCW, I didn't know a Goddamn soul. The difference is, I'm not willing to just underestimate and shit on everyone I face. I may not know every little aspect of my opponents game, and I may believe that I truly am a superior wrestler in this industry, but right now ego has to go out the window. I have to be the peon that many, including my friends, view me as. I have to walk in there and show the world that I can overcome the look of being an "attraction," an "old Hall of Famer" there to give the nostalgia feel, or simply a guy there to make others look more legit. I have to walk in there and fight my ass off.
It's not about wins or losses...
It's not about if this pushes me forward...
It's about proving that, no matter what happens, Asher Hayes and Scarlet Grey walk to the back and tell SOMEONE that they share a locker room with that Jake Starr isn't to be taken lightly. I have to start getting word around the locker room and word around the upper echelon that I still can put up a fight that nobody wants a piece of. I want people to know if they're going to beat ME, they're going to earn it, and feel it in the morning, and if they don't beat me, they'll realize soon enough they'll feel what it's like to lose to Jake Starr in 2020.
Listen... I may not be the same guy I used to be. I may not fly all over the ring. I may not be able to do all of the same things I did in 2009. But you know what, it doesn't mean I don't know how to fight, and fuck people up. So I have to improvise. I have to improve. I have to become Jake Starr 2020. I don't need to whine about the past, dwell on it, or in Asher's case, believe that it is going to define what happens all these years later. Instead, I have to be an evolved version of who I am. I have to be an enhanced version of who I am outside of the ring. I have to be me. I can't be a shell of myself. I can't be the guy who lives in the past anymore. So I'm going to go out there and give it my all. I'm going to do whatever it takes to make the best effort I can. If I succeed, perfect! But if I fail...
Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!
Heh!
Now, he and I have had an up and down relationship over the years. We have been at each other's throats early on, and ultimately I took a top spot in a previous organization from him for the first time in my career. We continued to befriend and turn on one another for years, but after a period of time apart, we came back together and put the past behind us. We both grew, we both matured, and we realized that we really did care about one another more than we wanted to admit in the past, and we had allowed our egos to get in the way. So we decided to let our friendship grow, and we ended our time in the same business together taking care of one of our biggest rivals, and calling it a career.
Well, he did...
He knew the fire still burned in me. He knew I'd be back, and ultimately began to make my life really easy in the industry. As time has gone on, we've spoken periodically. Our communication is mostly through text, and very little face to face. He's got his business to handle, I have mine, but he does help as a spirit always around me. He's always been a conscience to me, being the only person in my life who wasn't afraid to be brutally honest, not sugar coating or fanning my ego, and simply smacking me around when I need it. So needless to say, I try not to piss him off or do something that makes him have to go all "big brother" on me. So when I actually get a call from him to fly to Sin City so "we can talk," I know something is on his mind, and is serious.
As the private jet of the Golden Nugget lands at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, it pulls up to its assigned FBO and winds its engines down. A limousine is already parked on the tarmac, and as the stairs descend from the side of the airplane, Jake Starr disembarks with a backpack over his shoulder. He walks down and is immediately greeted by the Golden Nugget limo driver, who opens the backdoor for the SCW superstar. Jake hands the man a $100 tip which is immediately declined, as the driver said Eric informed him not to accept any tips, and is paying him extra for this. Jake smirks, and puts it in his jacket pocket, telling the man to tell Eric he said to "fuck off." The driver, knowing Jake from the times driving him in the past, chuckles, and simply nods. He knows the relationship of the pair, and closes the door after Jake gets in. He quickly runs around to the front of the limo, and the worker from the FBO yells out at him.
FBO Worker: Hey... He still planning departing later this evening?
Limo Driver: As far as I know. I'll call if anything changes, and you know Mr. Rommel will ensure costs are covered as always.
FBO Worker: Oh for sure. Was just wanting to be sure we had everything stocked and ready. We appreciate his business greatly!
The limo driver nods, and hops into the front seat. He begins driving out of the private gate and onto the highway toward downtown Las Vegas. After several minutes of traffic, they reach Fremont Street and begin rounding the block to reach the private entrance to the Golden Nugget. The driver parks and hops out, letting Jake out as well. The two shake hands, and exchange brief pleasantries.
Jake Starr: I assume I will see you here in a while?
Limo Driver: Mr. Rommel told me to stay close to my phone to take you back, so yessir. Even if you decide to do something before you're ready, I'll be ready when you are.
Jake Starr: Eh... You know I wouldn't make you wait.
Limo Driver: I do, and it's appreciated, but I promise I've been made to wait longer than I'll ever admit to anyone, and I always do it with a smile.
Jake Starr: I can't even imagine some of the entitled people you deal with, especially Eric!
The driver chuckles.
Limo Driver: Mr. Rommel, honestly, is the reason I stay here. He's very direct, but he takes good care of us here.
Jake Starr: He's a good egg, even though he's an ass!
The driver, again, chuckles and puts his head in his hands, as Jake turns and walks toward the private elevator. He gives his ID to the guard, who quickly OKs Jake, and opens the doors. He steps in, and pushes the floor, telling Jake to have a good day, to which Jake responds in kind. The elevator climbs and climbs, reaching the penthouse, and opening to another guard ready to check Jake's ID. Jake, having been through this process many times, hands it to the man, and tells the guy to be sure to tell Eric to have a drink ready for him before he comes in. The guard, obviously unaware of who Jake is, and the relationship to Eric Rommel, is baffled someone would make any demands of the mogul. Jake rolls his eyes, and simply says Eric is expecting him.
The guard checks his ID and phones back into the penthouse, and is informed to let Jake in immediately. The guard confirms the order, and hangs the phone up. He hands Jake his ID back, and presses the button unlocking the penthouse door. As Jake goes to open the door he looks back at the guard.
Jake Starr: Sorry about making you uncomfortable. We're basically family. Didn't realize he hadn't passed that along.
The guard nods as Jake walks in. Jake walks through the main hallway, immediately to the main seating area that overlooks Las Vegas, in front of giant windows. As he gets within an area he knows Eric is in earshot, he calls out.
Jake Starr: EC Single Barrel, A120, on the rocks...
From another room the voice of Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel calls back.
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Why do you always fucking ruin bourbon with ice?
Jake Starr: Because I like my drinks cold, asshole!
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Then drink that Jägermeister crap, then...
Jake Starr: ... Yeah, we did that phase... I'd rather not!
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Then don't insult such fucking good bourbon!
Jake chuckles, and takes a seat, making himself at home. After a couple minutes, Eric walks out with two glasses of bourbon in hand, and hands one, with ice, to Jake.
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Be happy I don't hate you...
Jake Starr: Bless you, your excellency.
Eric sits down across from Jake, taking a drink, and setting his glass down.
Jake Starr: ... I'm still surprised you don't have a butler to do this for you.
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Meh they bring food. I get bored if I have people doing everything for me. So I control my bourbon collection!
Jake Starr: Fair enough...
Jake takes a sip.
Jake Starr: ... So what's this about? You don't call a meeting of "The Commission" like this, unless you really have something on your mind.
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: "The Commission?" If anyone is the Capo dei Capi here, it's me. You can be a soldier.
Jake Starr: Fuck you, ha ha... So seriously, what's this about? You never ask me to come here. Not even when times are special.
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: You're right. The fact is, I have never bullshit you in my life. I've never not been honest with you. Even if we were at one another's throat, we always were blunt with one another. So that's what I'm here to do.
Jake Starr: Ok... About what?
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: You gotta rethink wrestling, man...
Jake takes a sip, and is a bit confused.
Jake Starr: Rethink it? Rethink what about it?
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Your career choice, man. You need to take my offer, which will always be there, and come run the Gate, give your family some stability, and get away from the constant drama. I get you have your sister, and you believe you have it in you, but look at this year. It hasn't been good to you. It's been a fucking reality check. You're not THAT Jake Starr anymore. You're not the guy who can fly, beat people up, win with speed and power, and be the dominant badass you were. And that's not an insult. It's called age, dude. It's called reality. It's why I got out when I did.
Jake Starr: You're saying that last match, when we left Jesse in the desert, was when you realized you couldn't hang anymore? Really?
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: No... I just decided I never wanted to have a reason for people to forget that moment. You've been lucky. You've been talented enough to make a new legacy for yourself, but that was damn near a decade ago. Since then, you've been letting your legacy slowly die. Shit, people don't remember your last World Title...
Jake Starr: Beat Alistaire Allocco in the Chamber...
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Nobody remembers what titles you won, though, dipshit. People remember the match because you're a lunatic who one-ups himself everytime he turns around. They don't remember or care what you won. You do because you're obsessed with your legacy, and guess what, you're proving that by NOT leaving.
Jake nods.
Jake Starr: Exactly... I feel there is more I can do!
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: No... Subconsciously you're doing it because you realize you've fucked up a hell of a career in a place that has had more respect than ANY organization in this business. Now, you're someone everyone expects to be a "showcase" person. Like, "oh hey, that's that Hall of Fame guy who used to be a badass." You're not "Jake Starr" anymore. You're an "attraction." You're like the two-headed man, now. I mean, is that what you want to be? Is that WHO you want to be?
Jake gets riled up and exclaims back.
Jake Starr: Or do I want to be someone who NOBODY even remembers the name of, outside of the OWF and ASW circles? Dude, you talk about legacies, and what do you have in pro wrestling? Huh? A guy who literally staged a physical takeover of a fed with his buddy, at the time? A guy whose primary goal it was to piss everyone off? A guy who tried to kill a man as his final action? Yeah, we joke about it, but that's what people remember if they even know who you are. I have made myself an "attraction" for LIFE. I'm not a freak show. I'm someone people know can entertain, and that's what this business wants and needs.
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: What's my legacy? You're sitting in it. THIS entertainment industry is where I am one of the moguls, and one of the people who know by name, call for money, and beg for advice. I left the pro wrestling business because I realized that my legacy would never get bigger than it was at that moment with Jesse. I didn't have the passion to push any further, nor did I care. I eliminated my greatest enemy, and I walked off to deal with the real world, instead of the pretend world. You had an ability, and I commend that. And when I saw you come back and do so with a passion, I offered you help. I offered you my plane. Why? So you could be home as much as possible with Roeper and Mara. I knew that family unit was going to be something you still needed to cherish. Look at me, yeah I have girls in and out, but I'm here alone. I live by myself, but I never wanted a real family. So we ARE different. But I also don't sit here and want to spend all this money while you chase some dream that is really a carrot dangling in front of you that you'll never get to take a bite of...
Jake Starr: So... You're saying you're taking the plane if I don't retire?
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: No... I'm taking the plane if you don't do what is best for you and your family again. I look at you, and I can see that your legacy is ALL you're caring about. You see your sister, not as your sister, but part of that legacy. You've forgotten what is best for your family. I'm not even talking about what you did to yourself, I put that behind you, and trust that you learned all the lessons you could. I'm talking about this obsession with the business. I'm talking about you forgetting what REALLY matters in life. Like I said... Nobody remembers anything you've done lately. Everyone still remembers who you were when you came into SCW. You're on the verge of being remembered for being an old guy who everyone walked over on their way to greatness...
Jake Starr: Bullshit... This from the guy who gave up on himself. You use Jesse as a crux, now. You're the fucking jealous one. Outside of the rich asshole world, nobody knows who you are. You could walk through Atlanta's or DFW's airport and nobody would go, "HOLY FUCK IT'S ERIC ROMMEL!" They damn sure wouldn't say the name "Agent oo6." It's like you are almost jealous that I still have that name AND face recognition amongst the entertainment and sports world. It's like you want that back, and you're mad at me because I can still go out there and do it.
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Jake I don't fucking want you to be someone who holds on too long, and ends up feeling the need to work in a fucking gym, and forgets what he has right here at his fingertips. I'm offering you a simple life. A life where you don't have to get beaten up. A life where you can have your own bourbon stock and quit stealing my good shit.
Jake sighs.
Jake Starr: Dude... For once I'm enjoying my career. Wins and losses aren't everything. You say I'm tarnishing my legacy, and I may be. But it's giving me a chance to enjoy what time I have left. I mean, I get it. I'm not the guy I was. I get that part of me wants to try and still be the guy who flies around and puts my body at risk. So yeah, I have a mental aspect I need to work on, but at the same time, I'm fucking happy going out there, dude... You weren't. You were jaded throughout your career. Maybe I reinvent myself. Maybe I catch fire. Maybe I actually ENJOY being an "attraction" as you put it. But for fuck's sake... It's the same fucking decision you got to make. So let me make it on MY terms. If you want to take the plane, take the amenities, that's fine. I'll fucking fly coach. I know the one thing you won't do is take anything from Roeper and Mara, and they don't need to be brought into this. They deserve to have what they have.
Eric smiles. Jake notices it and doesn't know why Eric has gone from stern and bossy, to grinning from ear to ear, and now he's annoyed more.
Jake Starr: ... What's with the fucking smirk, Eric?
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: That's the first time you've put them ahead of yourself this whole conversation, and not me... Tells me you're not as selfish as I truly was thinking you were being...
Jake Starr: Dude... For once, yeah I am. I'm selfish about just enjoying life. And if that means you want to take shit to try and get me to agree with you, do it, but leave them out.
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Dude, shut the fuck up... I'm not taking anything. I'm telling you, I think you need to move here, still. Even if you keep wrestling, get to where Mara and Roeper can have some fun, too. Sure, you could fly your own plane then, and leave mine alone, but think about them, too.
Jake Starr: I would, but right now I'm not taking Mara away from her friends. I'm not uprooting everything we have right now, especially after what I pulled. I'm trying to recreate a sense of normalcy. Not just for me, but for everyone. I fucked up. I have to fix that by finding the regular things, the normal things, the simple things, all things, just part of life. I can't have everyone stressing again. Plus, I can't give you that much money!
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: I told you, man, the Gate is just yours. It's not something you have to "buy" from me...
Jake Starr: No I meant I can't give you money because I'd always be at the tables at your casino, and I haven't mastered counting cards yet...
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Fair enough! I'd just embarrass you in front of everyone before letting you go back to the tables...
Jake Starr: Embarrass me how?
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: One word... Trannies...
Jake's head slumps, and he picks his glass up. He leans forward to cheers his friend, who also lifts his glass.
Jake Starr: I'll make a promise to you...
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: And that is?
Jake Starr: I'll take the Gate when the time is truly right, and I won't be stubborn about it. Deal?
Eric "Agent oo6" Rommel: Fuck that, you couldn't be stubborn on your best day...
Jake Starr: Fair point!
The two clink glasses and lean back enjoying their respective bourbons, and shitting on one another. After several hours of catching up, Jake returns to the limo, the airport, and ultimately the air back toward his home in Des Moines.
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Jake Starr: This is a first for me. This truly is uncharted territory. Why? In my entire SCW career this is the first time that I have walked out onto this edition of Breakdown having NOT competed at Retribution. Retribution was truly the night that started my career and my legacy in SCW. It was the night that I won the Adrenaline Championship and made that title something special. Not competing there for the first time in a decade is something I don't quite know how to process. I'm not angry. I'm not pitching a fit. I'm not screaming conspiracy. I'm just saying that, for once, I am in a position in SCW where I am on uncharted and uncertain footing.
So what do I mean?
Well I used to be a mainstay and a guarantee to be on pay per views. People knew they could count on Jake Starr making an appearance and entertaining. Unfortunately, this is a sign of the times. A lot of people have overshadowed me and shown the world that there are more superstars who are in a better position for that right than I am. And everyone could tell I wasn't necessarily prepared to not be inserted somewhere into the pay per view. When I went back to my locker room, I sat there and I watched my sister. I watched my sister do something that, in the end, I felt so proud about. She went out there at the same pay per view I did it at, and won the Adrenaline Championship. It felt like she was kind of taking our family lineage and pushing it to the next level. I couldn't me more excited for her, and I know she's going to probably end up being a BETTER Adrenaline Champion than I was, and I can't wait to see where she goes with it.
But what about me?
Where do I go?
How do I get myself inserted anywhere of value or meaning?
Well to me, right now, being on any show or any pay per view is going to have to have meaning for me. It's going to all have to matter. I can't be specific or pissy about where or what I'm doing. I have to appreciate whatever I am given. Effectively, I have to have the mentality I had when I first signed my contract. I'm not saying I have to be "that Jake Starr," but I was a realist when I signed onto SCW and knew I had to simply fight whatever fight that was thrown my way. I couldn't be picky. I couldn't be demanding. I couldn't be judgmental, like I was several years after that contract was signed. So I have to have that mentality for now. I have to be accepting of whatever SCW throws my way. I have to be willing to fight every fight like they matter. I can't be upset if I'm left off or set aside for someone who has been stepping up more than I have.
And that brings us to Breakdown... That brings us to a match that I am walking into with a definite disadvantage because I'm staring down two opponents who aren't going to be easy to crash through and beat. I'm looking at two opponents, one of which I have bested, but that was years ago, and one I've never crossed paths with, but know she has shown some the ability to make waves in SCW. So I have my work cutout for me. I have to face this reality that I am walking into a match as the decided underdog of the three competitors. Again, a lot of that is my own doing. A lot of that is the fact I haven't been a guy who SCW wants to entrust with some of the bigger moments yet. So while I'm at a decided disadvantage, both because of recent wins and losses, and the fact that a triple threat puts everyone at an equal disadvantage adds to mine already, this is a moment where SCW is giving me an opportunity.
Now it's on me to seize it.
I look down the barrel of two guns, one from Asher Hayes and one from Scarlet Grey. I am walking into Breakdown ready to face down two of SCW's finest, and Asher is a guy who, in the past I have had the better of. But let's be honest, that was in the past. That was early on in my career. That was when I was on a hot streak. That was a different me, and a different time. That was a different Asher Hayes. He's done a lot recently to show the world he's not the same guy he was back then, and I'm not the same Jake Starr. So I can't walk in cocky, thinking that everything is the same. I have to walk in and expect a guy who has had his share of success recently. I have to expect a guy who has shown SCW he's not only BACK, he's BACK with a vengeance.
So what does that mean?
What does it mean that I have to look at Asher differently than before?
It means I have to assume he and I have never tangled. I have to treat him just like I do Scarlet Grey. I have to treat both of these individuals like I don't know who they are, and in one case, that's true, and one case, I have to play pretend. Now, this isn't a first for me. When I came back to SCW, there were a LOT of unfamiliar faces to me on the SCW roster. Hell, when I first joined SCW, I didn't know a Goddamn soul. The difference is, I'm not willing to just underestimate and shit on everyone I face. I may not know every little aspect of my opponents game, and I may believe that I truly am a superior wrestler in this industry, but right now ego has to go out the window. I have to be the peon that many, including my friends, view me as. I have to walk in there and show the world that I can overcome the look of being an "attraction," an "old Hall of Famer" there to give the nostalgia feel, or simply a guy there to make others look more legit. I have to walk in there and fight my ass off.
It's not about wins or losses...
It's not about if this pushes me forward...
It's about proving that, no matter what happens, Asher Hayes and Scarlet Grey walk to the back and tell SOMEONE that they share a locker room with that Jake Starr isn't to be taken lightly. I have to start getting word around the locker room and word around the upper echelon that I still can put up a fight that nobody wants a piece of. I want people to know if they're going to beat ME, they're going to earn it, and feel it in the morning, and if they don't beat me, they'll realize soon enough they'll feel what it's like to lose to Jake Starr in 2020.
Listen... I may not be the same guy I used to be. I may not fly all over the ring. I may not be able to do all of the same things I did in 2009. But you know what, it doesn't mean I don't know how to fight, and fuck people up. So I have to improvise. I have to improve. I have to become Jake Starr 2020. I don't need to whine about the past, dwell on it, or in Asher's case, believe that it is going to define what happens all these years later. Instead, I have to be an evolved version of who I am. I have to be an enhanced version of who I am outside of the ring. I have to be me. I can't be a shell of myself. I can't be the guy who lives in the past anymore. So I'm going to go out there and give it my all. I'm going to do whatever it takes to make the best effort I can. If I succeed, perfect! But if I fail...
Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!
Heh!