11-07-2021, 11:34 AM
Lost.
There’s no better word to describe Ricky James’ state of affairs right now, from a professional and personal standpoint.
The magical run of Ricky James, Ace Marshall, and Kandis came to an abrupt end on the October 28th episode of Breakdown in the semi-finals of the Trios Tournament. Though they only won one match together, their run as partners seemed much longer, at least to Ricky. Winning the tournament and the Trios contracts was the common goal shared by all the team members, but each team member had their own agenda.
Ace and Kandis never saw eye to eye, and that was apparent to everyone on the planet not named Ricky James. Some people could have believed the two would set aside their differences for a common goal. And they seemed to for the most part. But only someone as naive as Ricky James thought that the “bond” he had with his teammates meant anything.
Ricky thought he had a new best friend in Ace Marshall. The two had gone out drinking together. Ace gave Ricky advice. Ricky truly thought Ace Marshall of all people was being genuine and kind to him. So yes, their team lost, but Ricky felt despite this, he had a new friend.
A new friend was very important to Ricky as he has continued to struggle to distance himself from his old “friends” Lucy Huckabee Sanders and Rudy Powell. Ricky did not have much when he came to America. Lucy was his one and only friend. She brought him to America and gave him this opportunity to succeed in SCW. As we’ve stated before, Lucy took care of most facets of Ricky’s life, quickly getting him up to speed with the American lifestyle - or at least her version of it.
Lucy even married Ricky, which would prove to be the beginning of a very interesting relationship. It has been a sexless marriage, and a marriage lacking any sort of physical contact up until recently. Ricky somewhat understood the marriage was not a traditional marriage. The two were not madly in love. It was a “business decision”. But Ricky had chosen to view Lucy’s actions as incredibly kind acts, those one would only do for someone they loved. Though Lucy didn’t show it with her emotions, it was clear to Ricky she did care for him. This caused Ricky to fall for Lucy, which had blinded him to her manipulation.
In recent months, Ricky caught on to Lucy. What made the manipulation very apparent was the addition of Rudy Powell, sweaty con man “attorney”, to their group. The Silent Majority became too ridiculous for even someone as naive as Ricky to buy into. Ricky would eventually abandon Lucy and Rudy, or at least do everything he could to. Despite his desire to distance himself from them, Ricky still found himself drawn to Lucy. He still loved her.
The relationship between Lucy and Ricky took an interesting turn when Kandis decided to “work her magic” on Ricky James. With a Trios contract in site, Kandis offered her “services” to Ricky, in hopes that she could weasel a second Trios contract out of him if their team were to win. Kandis was seen by Lucy flirting with Ricky backstage. Lucy knew something was going on. Though she had rarely shown Ricky emotion in the past, this Kandis situation struck a nerve with Lucy. She began to show obvious signs of jealousy. Ricky, with a newfound sense of confidence after the first round Trios win and with the attention Kandis was showing him, called Lucy out on this. Lucy and Rudy, fearing they had completely lost control over Ricky, devised a plan for Lucy to “apologize” to Ricky and then seduce him. This plan backfired as Lucy refused to go all the way with Ricky and eventually blew her own cover. Seeing Lucy’s actions as ingenious, Ricky was enraged and immediately thought to call Kandis, before instead calling his “buddy” Ace for advice. An obviously preoccupied Ace told Ricky to essentially “go for it”, not realizing or caring that Ricky was actually talking about Kandis. This then led to Ricky publicly accepting Kandis’ “offer”, which put Lucy in tears.
Unfortunately for Ricky, the offer never came to fruition as his team lost their semi-finals match to Asher Hayes, Tommy Valentine, and Kennedy Street. Lucy Huckabee Sanders couldn’t help but get involved in the match. Much like many previous matches in Ricky’s career, a circus of distractions caused him to lose focus, with Ricky ultimately taking the pin. His team lost. There was no more need for Kandis to give Ricky attention or for Ace to give him the time of day. Their magical run was over. This was very apparent to Ace. Kandis had her own issues to deal with, especially being on opposite teams as Tommy. In an instant, Ricky quickly lost his two new “friends”.
Kandis was finished with Ricky the moment they lost. Everyone besides Ricky knew this. Ace as well. Ricky slowly regained his bearings as Breakdown went off the air. The teams made their way to the backstage area. Ricky looked around in the ring, still trying to process what just happened. Ace was gone. Kandis was gone. And Lucy was also gone. With some help from SCW officials, Ricky James made his way out of the ring and slowly back up the ramp to the backstage area.
After making his way through the curtain, still wincing in pain, Ricky James looked around his teammates. He spotted Kandis, who seemed to be on a mission, likely to go meet up with Tommy.
Ricky: KANDIS!
Ricky yelled out. Kandis briefly turned around and looked Ricky up and down before scoffing and rolling her eyes. She then turned back and continued on to meet with Tommy. Ricky stood there, a bit confused. Ricky thought he actually may have had something with Kandis. Everyone else knew her game. In Kandis’ defense, she always did this, and was very clear to Ricky what the terms of the “agreement” were. Still, with all the built up sexual tension between Ricky and Lucy, Ricky James had hoped there was something there with Kandis - or at least any woman for that matter. Not only had Ricky James lost the match - he had lost his opportunity to sleep with Kandis after already seemingly ending all hope he would ever sleep with Lucy.
One thing Ricky James has never lost in his life is his virginity. This was becoming apparent to some people. Ace Marshall had already figured it out. Ricky tried to play it off like he had had sex before, but the reality was he hadn’t. His best chance may have been winning this Trios Tournament, especially now that it seemed highly unlikely he would ever get there with Lucy. Ricky lost this chance, and Ricky found himself lost when it came to his love life.
As Ricky realized the door with Kandis was slammed shut, he tried to contact his “buddy” Ace. Ricky wasn’t really sure what he wanted from Ace - whether it was career advice, advice on women, or something else. He just needed someone to talk to. Ricky grabbed his phone and tried calling Ace. Nothing, nothing at all.
Ricky sighed and made his way to the locker room to shower, change, and gather his things. By the time Ricky was ready to leave the arena, he had made multiple phone calls and sent multiple texts to Ace. All were ignored. It seems everyone else was right about Ace. He never really cared about Ricky, but in Ricky’s eyes, he had just lost another friend.
Ricky hadn’t heard from Lucy or Rudy, but he hadn’t really cared until he realized he was alone again. Kandis and Ace had abandoned Ricky. Was Rudy right? Wow. The fat, sweaty lawyer finally got one right. Ricky began to think about this and started questioning everything that happened leading up to this Trios loss. He began to go back to the conversations he had with Ace and Kandis, and then back to the meetings with The Silent Majority. Was Ricky right when he compared Kandis and Ace to Lucy and Rudy? No, Ace and Rudy are nothing alike, nor Kandis and Lucy. But with respect to how they treated Ricky, there are certainly parallels. Ricky James, as has been the case his entire career in SCW, was being manipulated.
Ricky continued to ponder all of this as he went through the motions of leaving the arena. As Ricky walked out of the arena loading dock to his rental car, he was greeted by a group of fans hoping to catch wrestlers as they left. Ricky heard a few cheers from some young fans. A little sliver of something good for Ricky on an otherwise terrible night. Ricky smiled and waved to the young fans as he continued to walk to his car. After a few more steps, a couple other fans, probably in their 20s, yelled out to Ricky.
Fans: Hey Ricky James!
Ricky stopped and turned back to the fans. If this was the only good thing that would happen to Ricky all night, he was going to fully embrace it. Ricky smiled in anticipation.
Fans: YOU FUCKING SUCK!
The fans then bursted out in laughter as Ricky immediately frowned. One of the fans flipped Ricky off, continuing to laugh. Ricky turned, dropping his head in shame, as he continued on to his vehicle. It was going to be a long trip back home for Ricky. Ricky had lost the match, his wife, his partners, and now, apparently, the respect of some fans.
Fortunately for Ricky, the next SCW event is in his home state of Florida, with some extra time to prepare. Ricky would need all the time he could have to prepare for the upcoming Elimination Chamber match for the Adrenaline Championship. While the extra time was good from a professional standpoint, it was not good for Ricky’s personal life, as there was more time for him to sit back and dwell on his sad state of affairs without the convenient distractions of traveling to another city for another Breakdown.
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Saturday October 30th, 2021
Residence of Ricky James
Boca Raton, Florida
Two days after Breakdown, Ricky James is back home. Lucy Huckabee Sanders, who had been staying with Ricky after being dumped by her other “husband”, was nowhere to be found. Lucy had access to the home, and had apparently removed all of her belongings before Ricky was able to return. She was nice enough not to take anything belonging to Ricky, but the removal of her items and ALL of her items was very calculated.
Ricky kept to himself since returning, not that he had much of a choice. Ace still had not answered him. Ricky finally got the message with Kandis. He could not bring himself to contact Lucy, either. Despite being initially surprised that all of her belongings were gone, Ricky had a feeling this was coming with Lucy.
Ricky was all alone. He hadn’t walked out of his house since returning in the early hours of the morning on Friday the 29th. Starting to feel a bit of cabin fever, Ricky decides to step outside for some fresh air. He takes a few steps out into the front of his house, tilts his head back, and lets out a deep breath.
“WELLLLL WELLLL WELLLL”
Ricky quickly turns and sees his neighbor, Joe, whom he had been ignoring for months. Joe has a cane in one hand and a glass of whiskey in the other.
Joe: If it ain’t Ricky James….IF THAT IS YOUR REAL NAME!
Ricky looks a bit confused, but is friendly with Joe.
Ricky: Joe! Sorry, I’ve been so busy with traveling, man. How’ve you been?
Ricky tries to move closer to shake Joe’s hand, but Joe very defensively steps back and puts his cane up to stop Ricky.
Joe: MOVE ANY CLOSER AND I’LL CALL ICE!
Ricky laughs, thinking Joe must be drunk.
Ricky: Joe, come on. Stop messing with me.
Joe suspiciously looks Ricky up and down before shaking his cane at him.
Joe: I seen ya on the television, Ric….
Ricky quickly realizes he hasn’t talked to Joe since his “change of heart”. Ricky now fully embraces his Mexican background when he comes to the ring each week. Ricky attempts to explain himself, but Joe stops him.
Joe: I ain’t wanna hear it, Ric! Ya last ya damn mind boy! What’s this Mexico crap?! You’re an illegal?!
Ricky: Joe I….
Joe: You stay away from me right now! I ain’t given ya no handouts! Get the hell away from me!
Joe continues to shake his cane at Ricky while stepping towards his front door. Ricky puts his hands up to try to calm Joe, but to no avail.
Ricky: Joe, I can explain…
Joe shakes his head as he backs into his house before slamming the door closed. Ricky struggles to make any sense of the situation.
Another person in Ricky’s life lost. Sure, Joe wasn’t actually a “friend”, but for a long time, Ricky did consider him to be a role model. Ricky had distanced himself from Joe even sooner than The Silent Majority, as Joe and Lucy never saw eye to eye. It was probably a good thing for Ricky to distance himself from Joe, but in a time like this, perhaps Ricky could have used a familiar face to talk to.
With Ricky embracing his Mexican heritage, the door for Joe was slammed shut as well. Joe was stupid enough to believe Ricky was born and raised American. He would not give any immigrant the time of day, however.
Ricky had literally no one. Ricky had lost his Trios match. Lost his partners. Lost his wife. Fans were starting to turn on him. He even lost his neighbor. Now Ricky James was a lost soul.
After the interaction with Joe, Ricky makes his way back into his home. He goes into his bedroom, now covered in both Mexican and American flags, and lays down on the bed. He sits back and sighs.
“You’ve got nobody, Ricky. Nobody likes you anymore. How the hell am I supposed to go into the Chamber Match with nobody in my corner?”
Ricky rolls out of bed and goes into his bathroom. He takes a long look at himself in the mirror.
“Look at you. You’re a loser.”
Ricky slaps himself in the face. He continues to stare. He doesn’t know how he ended up in this situation, but he hates the man he has become. After a few moments, Ricky storms back into his room. He looks around at all the flags briefly before violently ripping them off his walls, beginning with the Mexican flags. He starts tearing the flags into pieces and stomping on them as they fall to the ground. He looks around at the American flags and pauses a moment, almost as if he wants to leave them intact. Ricky then lets out a scream and proceeds to pull the American flags down as well. After completing the desecration of two countries’ flags, Ricky opens his closet and pulls out his pair of wrestling tights, half Mexican flag and half American flag. Ricky stares at them for a moment before deciding he wants to destroy them as well.
Unbeknownst to Ricky, the windows of his house were open. A suspicious looking black vehicle is parked across the street from his house. A bald man sits in the driver’s seat with a pair of binoculars looking right into Ricky’s bedroom window. Keeping one hand on the binoculars, the man grabs a Mountain Dew in a Taco Bell cup from the cupholder, slurping the drink as he continues to spy. The man lets out an “ahh” as he places the drink back down and licks his yellow and brown teeth.
Meanwhile, Ricky James makes his way back outside to the front of his home, tights in hand. He carelessly tosses the tights down in the yard before heading to the back of his house. A few minutes later, Ricky emerges with a cheap fire pit. He slams the pit down in his front yard and goes back. He comes back with some firewood and drops the wood in the pit. He then goes to the back a third time, this time returning to the front with a can of gasoline and a lighter.
The man in the black vehicle (if you haven’t figured out it’s Rudy Powell by now, I don’t know what to tell you) continues to spy on Ricky, no longer needing binoculars to see the crazed man in his front yard about to start a fire. Rudy uses some already greasy napkins from Taco Bell to wipe his forehead as he bites into his Cheesy Gordita Crunch, getting cheese and taco shell fragments all over his suit.
Ricky, the furthest thing from a Boy Scout, struggles to get a fire going. He eventually is able to get the wood to catch. Dissatisfied with his fire, Ricky grabs the gasoline and pours some on it, nearly blowing himself up as flames quickly shoot up in front of him. Ricky smiles in admiration at the massive fire he has started, still somewhat contained in the pit, however. He then turns and looks back to his tights. He walks over to the tights and slowly picks them up.
Rudy Powell, who had been enjoying the show, quickly realizes what Ricky is about to do. He doesn’t think much of it until Ricky holds the tights up. Rudy’s eyes go wide as he sees the American flag portion of the tights get dangerously close to the flames. Rudy quickly exits his vehicle, bringing a mess of Taco Bell with him out of the car. Rudy then attempts to charge toward Ricky’s front yard as Ricky is about to burn his tights.
Rudy: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! AMERICAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rudy stumbles in the middle of the street and falls to the ground. Though he didn’t even come close to Ricky’s lawn, the distraction was enough to stop Ricky from burning the tights. Ricky quickly looks over to see the sweat, greasy, cheesy attorney moaning in the middle of the street. Seeing Rudy on the ground moaning has become a familiar site for Ricky, so he immediately knows who it is.
Ricky: Are you fucking kidding me?!
Ricky drops the tights and walks over to Rudy, who flails around on the ground.
Ricky: Rudy, what the hell are you doing?
Rudy’s breathing eventually returns to a normal level. He looks down at himself and grabs part of his Gordita Crunch, shoveling it into his mouth. Ricky rolls his eyes. Rudy then slowly makes his way back to his feet and tries to wipe himself off.
Ricky: Again, Rudy….what the hell are you doing?
Rudy: Saving you from doing something stupid, Ric. As I always do.
Ricky again rolls his eyes, but considering his current state of affairs, he actually gives Rudy the time.
Rudy: Ric, there’s no need to panic. No need to abandon ship. I’m your lawyer, remember? We will get that Trios match thrown out. Don’t worry about it.
Ricky: I actually am over it, Rudy. I’m over all of this.
Ricky glances back to the fire, which has died down a little but is still going strong, and looks at his tights, which are on the ground just by the fire.
Rudy: Doesn’t look like you are, son. I’m here for you, though.
Ricky scoffs.
Rudy: I know they abandoned ya, kid. I tried to tell you about Communist Kandis and that traitor Ace. But don’t you worry. Papa Rudy is taking care of it.
Ricky isn’t buying it.
Ricky: And where the hell is Lucy?
Rudy begins laughing, which does not sit well with Ricky. Ricky looks like he is about to knock Rudy’s lights out, but he restrains himself.
Rudy: You expected to see Lucy after that stunt you pulled? Forget it, Ric. She’s a woman. She isn’t going to just let that slide.
Ricky: Well it seemed like she had no problem getting involved with me during my match…
Rudy: Yeah, she got a little carried away there. WOMEN, right Ric? You can’t keep em leashed up ALL the time.
Rudy tries to playfully elbow Ricky, who is not amused.
Ricky: And what the hell was up with that hotel room stunt, huh? I know she was working with you…
Rudy smiles.
Rudy: Ahh yes. You’re still not over that either. I know that’s why you pulled that little stunt with the press conference.
Ricky: It wasn’t a stunt, Rudy. I thought Lucy was into me. I believed her. When I found out it was all one of your little charades, I just….
Rudy continues to smile and oddly nods his head in agreement.
Rudy: You love Lucy, Ric.
Ricky gets defensive.
Ricky: No, no I don’t. Not anymore. I thought I did. But when she pulled that…
Rudy: You tried to get back at her.
Ricky tries to stop Rudy, but starts to realize Rudy is actually correct.
Rudy: You weren’t ever gonna fuck Kandis, Ric! You wanted to get back at Lucy!
Ricky doesn’t interject. Holy shit, Rudy Powell is speaking some truth.
Rudy: Besides…
Rudy looks Ricky up and down.
Rudy: You ain’t MAN enough to fuck her anyway.
This initially enrages Ricky, but he is quick to calm himself. Rudy is somewhat right. Ricky may have THOUGHT he would have slept with Kandis - especially when he wanted to spite Lucy. But would Ricky ACTUALLY go all the way? He hadn’t gone all the way in his life. He had flirted, kissed, made out. But when it came to having actual sex, Ricky had no experience. All this runs through Ricky’s head as he suddenly looks incredibly defeated. He drops his head in shame as Rudy continues to grin. Rudy, well aware of how vulnerable of a state Ricky is in, tries to cheer him up in his own weird way, patting Ricky on the back.
Rudy: You will be one day, though, Ricky. It happens to some of us. It all depends on the man. Some guys do it young. 14, 15, even 13 year olds. Other guys just wait for one reason or another. If you can believe it, Rick, I was a late bloomer myself.
Under normal circumstances, Ricky would fire back with a sarcastic joke at the expense of the disgusting lawyer, but Ricky is too ashamed of his own shortcomings to speak.
Rudy: Ric, I know you thought Ace Marshall was your buddy. He was going to get you all the pussy you wanted…
Rudy stops and makes a strange noise, drifting off into some weird trance again. Ricky is still too depressed to notice. Rudy “finishes’ after a few minutes.
Rudy: Ahhh where was I? Oh yeah. Ace ain’t gonna help you, pal. But Papa Rudy, he’s here for you. I’m not just an attorney. I’m not just a manager. You know I can help you in the ring, but I can also help you in the sheets. You got lady problems, I’m your guy, Ric. Remember that.
Ricky continues to have difficulty processing everything going on. Rudy meanwhile rifles through his pockets and pulls out a slip of paper. He grabs Ricky’s hand and puts the slip of paper in it, closing Ricky’s hand around it. Ricky just allows Rudy to do what he pleases.
Rudy: Take this, Ric. It’s a special phone number. Nobody else has it. Well, none of my legal clients. Not even Lucy. You call this number when you’re ready to talk. Papa Rudy will solve all your issues….
Rudy slowly backs away toward his vehicle as Ricky just stands in front of his house in silence, holding the slip of paper in his hand.
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Sunday October 31st, 2021
Palms Plaza Olive Garden
Boca Raton, Florida
A very unsure looking Ricky James makes his way into the Olive Garden in Palms Plaza. A very friendly hostess greets him as he walks in.
Hostess: Dining in? How many?
Ricky finds himself distracted with the hostess. He looks her up and down and begins to have some sexual thoughts about her before quickly snapping out of it.
Ricky: Uh...I’m meeting someone. It’s uh…
Ricky pulls a slip of paper out of his pocket and struggles to read it.
Ricky: I’m meeting a, Mr. Washington?
The hostess thinks nothing of the fact that Ricky clearly has no idea who he is meeting. She just nods and smiles.
Hostess: Ah yes he was expecting you. Right this way, sir.
The hostess then escorts Ricky as far away from the front of the restaurant as possible to a booth. A man is waiting in the booth, but a menu is covering his face.
Hostess: Here you are, sir. A waitress will be over to you shortly.
Ricky looks around confused but reluctantly has a seat in the booth across from the man.
Ricky: Mr. Washington?
The man slowly lowers the menu to reveal it’s just Rudy Powell. Rudy has a massive grin on his face as sweat pours down his forehead onto the table. Ricky tries not to make a scene but attempts to get up quickly. Rudy grabs Ricky by the hand.
Rudy: Sit down, son.
Ricky: Rudy I thought you -
Rudy: Yes, you thought you were meeting Mr. Washington as we discussed. Let me tell you a little secret, though.
Rudy leans in close to Ricky and loudly (as only Rudy can) whispers.
Rudy: I AM Mr. Washington!
Rudy then puts one finger up to his mouth to say “Shhh”. The stench of Rudy’s breath is so foul that not only Ricky, but also others at nearby tables notice and try to waft the smell away. Ricky reluctantly plays ball with Rudy, loudly whispering back.
Ricky: Is this some sort of joke?
Rudy: I knew I wouldn’t get you here if you knew it was me.
Ricky: Well maybe you’re smarter than I thought…
Ricky anxiously looks around, but seems to have accepted his fate. He is about to have a lunch date with Rudy at one of Rudy’s favorite restaurants. Rudy tries to ease Ricky’s tension.
Rudy: Relax, bud. We’re in public. No funny business.
Ricky: Why the hell are we meeting here?
Rudy: No one will suspect anything here. Had to go some place where people don’t know who I am…
One cue, a waitress comes to the table and drops off a glass of ice.
Waitress: Your usual, Mr. Washington?
Rudy smiles.
Rudy: Yes, dear. Extra meatballs, of course.
The waitress smiles and nods before turning to Ricky.
Waitress: And for you sir, can I get you something to drink? Or are you all set to order?
Before Ricky can answer, Rudy cuts him off.
Rudy: Get my buddy a glass of ice and he’ll have what I’m having.
Ricky: I’m actually not reall-
Rudy slams his hand down on the table and awkwardly smiles at the waitress, who now seems a bit frightened.
Rudy: We’ll just take another round of what I’m having, thanks sweetie.
The waitress looks unsure but nods and grabs the menus from the table before walking away. Rudy looks around the restaurant suspiciously.
Ricky: What the hell is going on here?
Rudy takes one more look around and carefully pulls a 2 liter of Mountain Dew out of his jacket in the booth. He pours Dew into his glass of ice. Ricky has no idea what to make of the situation.
Rudy: They only serve Coke products here...you need some?
Rudy goes to pour some Dew in Ricky’s glass, but Ricky shakes his head.
Ricky: No, I’m good. I don’t drink that stuff.
Rudy puts the 2 liter away and then slugs down some Dew. He lets out a loud “ahhhhh” before grinning at Ricky and doing a terrible Matthew McConaughey impression.
Rudy: Be a lot cooler if you did….
Ricky looks repulsed as Rudy laughs.
Ricky: Can we just get down to business here?
Rudy takes another sip of Dew as Ricky pleads with him. After another “ahh” and wipe of his brow, Rudy nods his head.
Rudy: Yes, of course.
Ricky: So there is no Mr. Washington. You don’t have a guy that can help me. It’s just you….
Rudy grins.
Rudy: Do you have any other option?
Ricky sighs.
Rudy: You need someone, Ric. We all know that. You tried to go off on your own and look at what happened. You got too much going on, kid. That’s why you need me.
Ricky still seems skeptical but allows Rudy to continue.
Rudy: You got a big match next week. Adrenaline Championship. Now I know what you’re thinking. 5 other people? Conspiracy, right?
Ricky: Actually I’m not -
Rudy: RIGHT! It IS a conspiracy. But I flipped it on that O’Liar character. Unfortunately this was the only way I could get you into a title match. So I agreed with his little charade. He thinks I’m going to play ball. But I got a plan.
Ricky rolls his eyes.
Ricky: Oh yeah, what’s that?
Rudy: Well first off, you’re entering the match last.
Ricky: How are you going to make sure that happens?
Rudy: Ohhh I have my ways….
Rudy pulls out his wallet and starts flashing $1 bills.
Rudy: Mr. Washington can be VERY persuasive.
Before Ricky can respond to Rudy’s lunacy, a waitress arrives with breadsticks and salad. Not one second after placing the breadsticks down, Rudy nearly swallows one whole. The waitress places the salad down and grabs a cheese grater.
Waitress: Cheese on the salad?
Rudy (half audible with breadstick in his mouth): What do I look like, a sissy? Hell yes I want cheese!
Waitress: Alright, just say when to stop...
The waitress nods and begins grating cheese. She puts a reasonable amount of cheese on before turning back to Rudy.
Waitress: Just say when….
Rudy nods and grins, having just finished a second breadstick. The woman continues to grate, and the lettuce of the salad is becoming less and less visible. With a mountain of cheese on top of the salad, the waitress stops and looks at Rudy.
Rudy: Uhhhhh, I never said stop…
Waitress: Sir I….
Rudy gives the waitress a stern look. She frightenedly empties the entire cheese grater onto the salad, now to the point where cheese is falling out of the bowl.
Waitress: I’m so sorry, I’ll have to get more cheese -
Rudy: Alright, toots.
Rudy winks at the waitress, who looks appalled. She quickly walks away from the table. Ricky doesn’t say much, just looking at the salad in amazement. Rudy helps himself to a few handfuls of grated cheese with maybe a piece or two of lettuce and a tomato sneaking into his bowl.
Rudy: So where were we?
Ricky: The chamber…
Rudy: Oh yea. Totally unconstitutional. And unsafe. We know that thing ain’t structurally sound. But we are going to beat them at their own game, Ric. You see, not only will you be the last one to enter...they'll also have some “difficulty” opening your pod. The clock will hit zero, crowd goes nuts, but NOPE! Ricky doesn’t enter the match.
Ricky: Rudy I have to enter the match if I want to win…
Rudy: Don’t worry - the pod will be broken just until one opponent is left. Then POOF it magically opens, and you’re left with just one broken down Ace or Shilo to beat.
Ricky: Or Holly, Jordan, Minerva…
Rudy, his third breadstick now in his mouth, starts laughing uncontrollably, spewing breadstick crumbs all over the table. Ricky manages to duck as a large piece of breadstick projectiles over his shoulder onto the adjacent table. Fortunately, the table is empty. Rudy finally regains his composure.
Rudy: Ric, let’s be honest here. A woman is not going to be in the final 2 of the chamber with you.
Ricky: Are you kidding me, Rudy? Did you not see the Scaffold Scramble or the TLC Match at Rise to Greatness? A woman beat me both times…
Rudy: Hey look pal, I know you got issues with women. We’ll get to that later. I’m just saying when it’s down to Ace or Shilo, he’ll be beat down so bad, you should easily be able to pick up the scraps….
Rudy notices the scraps of breadstick on the table and begins vacuuming them up with his mouth.
Ricky: And I’m telling YOU that I’ve been in the ring with Holly and Jordan before. In these types of matches, too. They are no slouches and can hold their own with anybody…
Rudy, now with a fourth breadstick in hand, starts laughing again.
Rudy: Oh yeah, the guy who loses every big match he’s ever in knows more than ME! AHAHAHAHAHAHA
Ricky quickly gets annoyed with Rudy and starts to stand up. Rudy stops laughing.
Rudy: Whoa whoa whoa, you want my help or not?
Ricky stops, sighs, and ultimately sits back down. Rudy grins.
Ricky: I mean…I want to win of course. I just don’t think I should have to cheat to do it.
Rudy: Ric, it’s not cheating. It’s a “chamber malfunction”. And you entering last? “Random draw”. It’ll just be rigged like the 2020 election.
Ricky stops to think. He’s wanted to get rid of Rudy for months now, but with all the people in his life both in and out of SCW abandoning him, he’s realizing Rudy may be his only ally. Ricky takes a deep breath and then looks at Rudy, who has just finished emptying the rest of his 2 liter into his glass.
Ricky: Okay. Fine. I will give you a chance. One chance to work with me at Under Attack.
Rudy: You won’t be sorry, Ric.
Rudy grins again and winks at Ricky before polishing off the salad drowning in cheese.
Rudy: Where the hell is that waitress?
Rudy looks around the restaurant but Ricky snaps in his face to keep him focused.
Ricky: Hey! Rudy! Stay on topic here. Okay, we’re set for next Sunday….I think. You said you could help me with the ladies?
Rudy: Oh yeah….
Rudy reaches deep into one of his coat pockets and pulls out a pill bottle. Ricky looks apprehensive. Lucy Huckabee Sanders had previously given him unknown “medication” to help Ricky deal with visions he was having, but they really served as more of a sedative to keep Ricky under her control. He has since abandoned taking those pills and has dealt with his issues on his own. Still, Ricky wasn’t having much luck dealing with women on his own, so he keeps somewhat of an open mind.
Rudy: These babies...they’ll get ya goin. When you meet a nice lady out that you want to bone, excuse yourself to the bathroom and pop one of these Bad Larry’s.
Rudy opens the bottle and empties a few large red pills on the table.
Ricky: Yeah I’ve heard of….wait, aren’t those usually blue?
Rudy: I prefer the red pill, Ric.
Rudy winks at Ricky, who doesn’t pick up on the reference.
Rudy: Go ahead, take a couple just to try. See what they do to ya. I’d advise waiting till you got your lady you want with you, but if you wanna have a really fun night with ole’ Palmela Handerson, these will do the trick too.
Ricky looks confused, again not understanding Rudy’s reference.
Rudy: In fact, these puppies work so well, I don’t even need to use my hand anymore.
Ricky still looks confused. Suddenly Rudy leans back in his seat and closes his eyes. He begins mouthing the words “ohhh yeah”. He enters another “trance” and begins gyrating in the booth. Ricky quickly becomes repulsed.
Ricky: Oh God….
Rudy continues in his sick fantasy, ignoring Ricky. Ricky grabs the few pills off the table and pockets them before standing up and getting ready to leave, not wanting to be seen with Rudy out in public any longer.
Ricky: Alright Rudy well...thanks. I will be in touch. See you Sunday….
Rudy: Ohhhhh yeaaaaaa
Ricky looks disgusted by Rudy as he makes his way out of the restaurant, leaving the perverted, sweaty, greasy, cheese and breadstick crumb-covered attorney behind.
Ricky James just made a deal with the devil. It seems Ricky does need somebody afterall. He would rather work with Rudy Powell than have nobody by his side. While he thought he was on his own after the big win against Gavin Taylor and the first round Trios win, there were still people in Ricky’s life. Lucy and Rudy were still around for the win over Gavin. Come Trios, Ricky essentially replaced Lucy and Rudy with Kandis and Ace. Again, they are nothing alike, but Ricky still needed a male and female figure around him to really bring out his confidence. A week after thinking he was fine on his own, Ricky James has come to the realization that he will always need someone by his side, even if that someone is Rudy Fucking Powell.
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There’s no better word to describe Ricky James’ state of affairs right now, from a professional and personal standpoint.
The magical run of Ricky James, Ace Marshall, and Kandis came to an abrupt end on the October 28th episode of Breakdown in the semi-finals of the Trios Tournament. Though they only won one match together, their run as partners seemed much longer, at least to Ricky. Winning the tournament and the Trios contracts was the common goal shared by all the team members, but each team member had their own agenda.
Ace and Kandis never saw eye to eye, and that was apparent to everyone on the planet not named Ricky James. Some people could have believed the two would set aside their differences for a common goal. And they seemed to for the most part. But only someone as naive as Ricky James thought that the “bond” he had with his teammates meant anything.
Ricky thought he had a new best friend in Ace Marshall. The two had gone out drinking together. Ace gave Ricky advice. Ricky truly thought Ace Marshall of all people was being genuine and kind to him. So yes, their team lost, but Ricky felt despite this, he had a new friend.
A new friend was very important to Ricky as he has continued to struggle to distance himself from his old “friends” Lucy Huckabee Sanders and Rudy Powell. Ricky did not have much when he came to America. Lucy was his one and only friend. She brought him to America and gave him this opportunity to succeed in SCW. As we’ve stated before, Lucy took care of most facets of Ricky’s life, quickly getting him up to speed with the American lifestyle - or at least her version of it.
Lucy even married Ricky, which would prove to be the beginning of a very interesting relationship. It has been a sexless marriage, and a marriage lacking any sort of physical contact up until recently. Ricky somewhat understood the marriage was not a traditional marriage. The two were not madly in love. It was a “business decision”. But Ricky had chosen to view Lucy’s actions as incredibly kind acts, those one would only do for someone they loved. Though Lucy didn’t show it with her emotions, it was clear to Ricky she did care for him. This caused Ricky to fall for Lucy, which had blinded him to her manipulation.
In recent months, Ricky caught on to Lucy. What made the manipulation very apparent was the addition of Rudy Powell, sweaty con man “attorney”, to their group. The Silent Majority became too ridiculous for even someone as naive as Ricky to buy into. Ricky would eventually abandon Lucy and Rudy, or at least do everything he could to. Despite his desire to distance himself from them, Ricky still found himself drawn to Lucy. He still loved her.
The relationship between Lucy and Ricky took an interesting turn when Kandis decided to “work her magic” on Ricky James. With a Trios contract in site, Kandis offered her “services” to Ricky, in hopes that she could weasel a second Trios contract out of him if their team were to win. Kandis was seen by Lucy flirting with Ricky backstage. Lucy knew something was going on. Though she had rarely shown Ricky emotion in the past, this Kandis situation struck a nerve with Lucy. She began to show obvious signs of jealousy. Ricky, with a newfound sense of confidence after the first round Trios win and with the attention Kandis was showing him, called Lucy out on this. Lucy and Rudy, fearing they had completely lost control over Ricky, devised a plan for Lucy to “apologize” to Ricky and then seduce him. This plan backfired as Lucy refused to go all the way with Ricky and eventually blew her own cover. Seeing Lucy’s actions as ingenious, Ricky was enraged and immediately thought to call Kandis, before instead calling his “buddy” Ace for advice. An obviously preoccupied Ace told Ricky to essentially “go for it”, not realizing or caring that Ricky was actually talking about Kandis. This then led to Ricky publicly accepting Kandis’ “offer”, which put Lucy in tears.
Unfortunately for Ricky, the offer never came to fruition as his team lost their semi-finals match to Asher Hayes, Tommy Valentine, and Kennedy Street. Lucy Huckabee Sanders couldn’t help but get involved in the match. Much like many previous matches in Ricky’s career, a circus of distractions caused him to lose focus, with Ricky ultimately taking the pin. His team lost. There was no more need for Kandis to give Ricky attention or for Ace to give him the time of day. Their magical run was over. This was very apparent to Ace. Kandis had her own issues to deal with, especially being on opposite teams as Tommy. In an instant, Ricky quickly lost his two new “friends”.
Kandis was finished with Ricky the moment they lost. Everyone besides Ricky knew this. Ace as well. Ricky slowly regained his bearings as Breakdown went off the air. The teams made their way to the backstage area. Ricky looked around in the ring, still trying to process what just happened. Ace was gone. Kandis was gone. And Lucy was also gone. With some help from SCW officials, Ricky James made his way out of the ring and slowly back up the ramp to the backstage area.
After making his way through the curtain, still wincing in pain, Ricky James looked around his teammates. He spotted Kandis, who seemed to be on a mission, likely to go meet up with Tommy.
Ricky: KANDIS!
Ricky yelled out. Kandis briefly turned around and looked Ricky up and down before scoffing and rolling her eyes. She then turned back and continued on to meet with Tommy. Ricky stood there, a bit confused. Ricky thought he actually may have had something with Kandis. Everyone else knew her game. In Kandis’ defense, she always did this, and was very clear to Ricky what the terms of the “agreement” were. Still, with all the built up sexual tension between Ricky and Lucy, Ricky James had hoped there was something there with Kandis - or at least any woman for that matter. Not only had Ricky James lost the match - he had lost his opportunity to sleep with Kandis after already seemingly ending all hope he would ever sleep with Lucy.
One thing Ricky James has never lost in his life is his virginity. This was becoming apparent to some people. Ace Marshall had already figured it out. Ricky tried to play it off like he had had sex before, but the reality was he hadn’t. His best chance may have been winning this Trios Tournament, especially now that it seemed highly unlikely he would ever get there with Lucy. Ricky lost this chance, and Ricky found himself lost when it came to his love life.
As Ricky realized the door with Kandis was slammed shut, he tried to contact his “buddy” Ace. Ricky wasn’t really sure what he wanted from Ace - whether it was career advice, advice on women, or something else. He just needed someone to talk to. Ricky grabbed his phone and tried calling Ace. Nothing, nothing at all.
Ricky sighed and made his way to the locker room to shower, change, and gather his things. By the time Ricky was ready to leave the arena, he had made multiple phone calls and sent multiple texts to Ace. All were ignored. It seems everyone else was right about Ace. He never really cared about Ricky, but in Ricky’s eyes, he had just lost another friend.
Ricky hadn’t heard from Lucy or Rudy, but he hadn’t really cared until he realized he was alone again. Kandis and Ace had abandoned Ricky. Was Rudy right? Wow. The fat, sweaty lawyer finally got one right. Ricky began to think about this and started questioning everything that happened leading up to this Trios loss. He began to go back to the conversations he had with Ace and Kandis, and then back to the meetings with The Silent Majority. Was Ricky right when he compared Kandis and Ace to Lucy and Rudy? No, Ace and Rudy are nothing alike, nor Kandis and Lucy. But with respect to how they treated Ricky, there are certainly parallels. Ricky James, as has been the case his entire career in SCW, was being manipulated.
Ricky continued to ponder all of this as he went through the motions of leaving the arena. As Ricky walked out of the arena loading dock to his rental car, he was greeted by a group of fans hoping to catch wrestlers as they left. Ricky heard a few cheers from some young fans. A little sliver of something good for Ricky on an otherwise terrible night. Ricky smiled and waved to the young fans as he continued to walk to his car. After a few more steps, a couple other fans, probably in their 20s, yelled out to Ricky.
Fans: Hey Ricky James!
Ricky stopped and turned back to the fans. If this was the only good thing that would happen to Ricky all night, he was going to fully embrace it. Ricky smiled in anticipation.
Fans: YOU FUCKING SUCK!
The fans then bursted out in laughter as Ricky immediately frowned. One of the fans flipped Ricky off, continuing to laugh. Ricky turned, dropping his head in shame, as he continued on to his vehicle. It was going to be a long trip back home for Ricky. Ricky had lost the match, his wife, his partners, and now, apparently, the respect of some fans.
Fortunately for Ricky, the next SCW event is in his home state of Florida, with some extra time to prepare. Ricky would need all the time he could have to prepare for the upcoming Elimination Chamber match for the Adrenaline Championship. While the extra time was good from a professional standpoint, it was not good for Ricky’s personal life, as there was more time for him to sit back and dwell on his sad state of affairs without the convenient distractions of traveling to another city for another Breakdown.
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Saturday October 30th, 2021
Residence of Ricky James
Boca Raton, Florida
Two days after Breakdown, Ricky James is back home. Lucy Huckabee Sanders, who had been staying with Ricky after being dumped by her other “husband”, was nowhere to be found. Lucy had access to the home, and had apparently removed all of her belongings before Ricky was able to return. She was nice enough not to take anything belonging to Ricky, but the removal of her items and ALL of her items was very calculated.
Ricky kept to himself since returning, not that he had much of a choice. Ace still had not answered him. Ricky finally got the message with Kandis. He could not bring himself to contact Lucy, either. Despite being initially surprised that all of her belongings were gone, Ricky had a feeling this was coming with Lucy.
Ricky was all alone. He hadn’t walked out of his house since returning in the early hours of the morning on Friday the 29th. Starting to feel a bit of cabin fever, Ricky decides to step outside for some fresh air. He takes a few steps out into the front of his house, tilts his head back, and lets out a deep breath.
“WELLLLL WELLLL WELLLL”
Ricky quickly turns and sees his neighbor, Joe, whom he had been ignoring for months. Joe has a cane in one hand and a glass of whiskey in the other.
Joe: If it ain’t Ricky James….IF THAT IS YOUR REAL NAME!
Ricky looks a bit confused, but is friendly with Joe.
Ricky: Joe! Sorry, I’ve been so busy with traveling, man. How’ve you been?
Ricky tries to move closer to shake Joe’s hand, but Joe very defensively steps back and puts his cane up to stop Ricky.
Joe: MOVE ANY CLOSER AND I’LL CALL ICE!
Ricky laughs, thinking Joe must be drunk.
Ricky: Joe, come on. Stop messing with me.
Joe suspiciously looks Ricky up and down before shaking his cane at him.
Joe: I seen ya on the television, Ric….
Ricky quickly realizes he hasn’t talked to Joe since his “change of heart”. Ricky now fully embraces his Mexican background when he comes to the ring each week. Ricky attempts to explain himself, but Joe stops him.
Joe: I ain’t wanna hear it, Ric! Ya last ya damn mind boy! What’s this Mexico crap?! You’re an illegal?!
Ricky: Joe I….
Joe: You stay away from me right now! I ain’t given ya no handouts! Get the hell away from me!
Joe continues to shake his cane at Ricky while stepping towards his front door. Ricky puts his hands up to try to calm Joe, but to no avail.
Ricky: Joe, I can explain…
Joe shakes his head as he backs into his house before slamming the door closed. Ricky struggles to make any sense of the situation.
Another person in Ricky’s life lost. Sure, Joe wasn’t actually a “friend”, but for a long time, Ricky did consider him to be a role model. Ricky had distanced himself from Joe even sooner than The Silent Majority, as Joe and Lucy never saw eye to eye. It was probably a good thing for Ricky to distance himself from Joe, but in a time like this, perhaps Ricky could have used a familiar face to talk to.
With Ricky embracing his Mexican heritage, the door for Joe was slammed shut as well. Joe was stupid enough to believe Ricky was born and raised American. He would not give any immigrant the time of day, however.
Ricky had literally no one. Ricky had lost his Trios match. Lost his partners. Lost his wife. Fans were starting to turn on him. He even lost his neighbor. Now Ricky James was a lost soul.
After the interaction with Joe, Ricky makes his way back into his home. He goes into his bedroom, now covered in both Mexican and American flags, and lays down on the bed. He sits back and sighs.
“You’ve got nobody, Ricky. Nobody likes you anymore. How the hell am I supposed to go into the Chamber Match with nobody in my corner?”
Ricky rolls out of bed and goes into his bathroom. He takes a long look at himself in the mirror.
“Look at you. You’re a loser.”
Ricky slaps himself in the face. He continues to stare. He doesn’t know how he ended up in this situation, but he hates the man he has become. After a few moments, Ricky storms back into his room. He looks around at all the flags briefly before violently ripping them off his walls, beginning with the Mexican flags. He starts tearing the flags into pieces and stomping on them as they fall to the ground. He looks around at the American flags and pauses a moment, almost as if he wants to leave them intact. Ricky then lets out a scream and proceeds to pull the American flags down as well. After completing the desecration of two countries’ flags, Ricky opens his closet and pulls out his pair of wrestling tights, half Mexican flag and half American flag. Ricky stares at them for a moment before deciding he wants to destroy them as well.
Unbeknownst to Ricky, the windows of his house were open. A suspicious looking black vehicle is parked across the street from his house. A bald man sits in the driver’s seat with a pair of binoculars looking right into Ricky’s bedroom window. Keeping one hand on the binoculars, the man grabs a Mountain Dew in a Taco Bell cup from the cupholder, slurping the drink as he continues to spy. The man lets out an “ahh” as he places the drink back down and licks his yellow and brown teeth.
Meanwhile, Ricky James makes his way back outside to the front of his home, tights in hand. He carelessly tosses the tights down in the yard before heading to the back of his house. A few minutes later, Ricky emerges with a cheap fire pit. He slams the pit down in his front yard and goes back. He comes back with some firewood and drops the wood in the pit. He then goes to the back a third time, this time returning to the front with a can of gasoline and a lighter.
The man in the black vehicle (if you haven’t figured out it’s Rudy Powell by now, I don’t know what to tell you) continues to spy on Ricky, no longer needing binoculars to see the crazed man in his front yard about to start a fire. Rudy uses some already greasy napkins from Taco Bell to wipe his forehead as he bites into his Cheesy Gordita Crunch, getting cheese and taco shell fragments all over his suit.
Ricky, the furthest thing from a Boy Scout, struggles to get a fire going. He eventually is able to get the wood to catch. Dissatisfied with his fire, Ricky grabs the gasoline and pours some on it, nearly blowing himself up as flames quickly shoot up in front of him. Ricky smiles in admiration at the massive fire he has started, still somewhat contained in the pit, however. He then turns and looks back to his tights. He walks over to the tights and slowly picks them up.
Rudy Powell, who had been enjoying the show, quickly realizes what Ricky is about to do. He doesn’t think much of it until Ricky holds the tights up. Rudy’s eyes go wide as he sees the American flag portion of the tights get dangerously close to the flames. Rudy quickly exits his vehicle, bringing a mess of Taco Bell with him out of the car. Rudy then attempts to charge toward Ricky’s front yard as Ricky is about to burn his tights.
Rudy: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! AMERICAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rudy stumbles in the middle of the street and falls to the ground. Though he didn’t even come close to Ricky’s lawn, the distraction was enough to stop Ricky from burning the tights. Ricky quickly looks over to see the sweat, greasy, cheesy attorney moaning in the middle of the street. Seeing Rudy on the ground moaning has become a familiar site for Ricky, so he immediately knows who it is.
Ricky: Are you fucking kidding me?!
Ricky drops the tights and walks over to Rudy, who flails around on the ground.
Ricky: Rudy, what the hell are you doing?
Rudy’s breathing eventually returns to a normal level. He looks down at himself and grabs part of his Gordita Crunch, shoveling it into his mouth. Ricky rolls his eyes. Rudy then slowly makes his way back to his feet and tries to wipe himself off.
Ricky: Again, Rudy….what the hell are you doing?
Rudy: Saving you from doing something stupid, Ric. As I always do.
Ricky again rolls his eyes, but considering his current state of affairs, he actually gives Rudy the time.
Rudy: Ric, there’s no need to panic. No need to abandon ship. I’m your lawyer, remember? We will get that Trios match thrown out. Don’t worry about it.
Ricky: I actually am over it, Rudy. I’m over all of this.
Ricky glances back to the fire, which has died down a little but is still going strong, and looks at his tights, which are on the ground just by the fire.
Rudy: Doesn’t look like you are, son. I’m here for you, though.
Ricky scoffs.
Rudy: I know they abandoned ya, kid. I tried to tell you about Communist Kandis and that traitor Ace. But don’t you worry. Papa Rudy is taking care of it.
Ricky isn’t buying it.
Ricky: And where the hell is Lucy?
Rudy begins laughing, which does not sit well with Ricky. Ricky looks like he is about to knock Rudy’s lights out, but he restrains himself.
Rudy: You expected to see Lucy after that stunt you pulled? Forget it, Ric. She’s a woman. She isn’t going to just let that slide.
Ricky: Well it seemed like she had no problem getting involved with me during my match…
Rudy: Yeah, she got a little carried away there. WOMEN, right Ric? You can’t keep em leashed up ALL the time.
Rudy tries to playfully elbow Ricky, who is not amused.
Ricky: And what the hell was up with that hotel room stunt, huh? I know she was working with you…
Rudy smiles.
Rudy: Ahh yes. You’re still not over that either. I know that’s why you pulled that little stunt with the press conference.
Ricky: It wasn’t a stunt, Rudy. I thought Lucy was into me. I believed her. When I found out it was all one of your little charades, I just….
Rudy continues to smile and oddly nods his head in agreement.
Rudy: You love Lucy, Ric.
Ricky gets defensive.
Ricky: No, no I don’t. Not anymore. I thought I did. But when she pulled that…
Rudy: You tried to get back at her.
Ricky tries to stop Rudy, but starts to realize Rudy is actually correct.
Rudy: You weren’t ever gonna fuck Kandis, Ric! You wanted to get back at Lucy!
Ricky doesn’t interject. Holy shit, Rudy Powell is speaking some truth.
Rudy: Besides…
Rudy looks Ricky up and down.
Rudy: You ain’t MAN enough to fuck her anyway.
This initially enrages Ricky, but he is quick to calm himself. Rudy is somewhat right. Ricky may have THOUGHT he would have slept with Kandis - especially when he wanted to spite Lucy. But would Ricky ACTUALLY go all the way? He hadn’t gone all the way in his life. He had flirted, kissed, made out. But when it came to having actual sex, Ricky had no experience. All this runs through Ricky’s head as he suddenly looks incredibly defeated. He drops his head in shame as Rudy continues to grin. Rudy, well aware of how vulnerable of a state Ricky is in, tries to cheer him up in his own weird way, patting Ricky on the back.
Rudy: You will be one day, though, Ricky. It happens to some of us. It all depends on the man. Some guys do it young. 14, 15, even 13 year olds. Other guys just wait for one reason or another. If you can believe it, Rick, I was a late bloomer myself.
Under normal circumstances, Ricky would fire back with a sarcastic joke at the expense of the disgusting lawyer, but Ricky is too ashamed of his own shortcomings to speak.
Rudy: Ric, I know you thought Ace Marshall was your buddy. He was going to get you all the pussy you wanted…
Rudy stops and makes a strange noise, drifting off into some weird trance again. Ricky is still too depressed to notice. Rudy “finishes’ after a few minutes.
Rudy: Ahhh where was I? Oh yeah. Ace ain’t gonna help you, pal. But Papa Rudy, he’s here for you. I’m not just an attorney. I’m not just a manager. You know I can help you in the ring, but I can also help you in the sheets. You got lady problems, I’m your guy, Ric. Remember that.
Ricky continues to have difficulty processing everything going on. Rudy meanwhile rifles through his pockets and pulls out a slip of paper. He grabs Ricky’s hand and puts the slip of paper in it, closing Ricky’s hand around it. Ricky just allows Rudy to do what he pleases.
Rudy: Take this, Ric. It’s a special phone number. Nobody else has it. Well, none of my legal clients. Not even Lucy. You call this number when you’re ready to talk. Papa Rudy will solve all your issues….
Rudy slowly backs away toward his vehicle as Ricky just stands in front of his house in silence, holding the slip of paper in his hand.
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Sunday October 31st, 2021
Palms Plaza Olive Garden
Boca Raton, Florida
A very unsure looking Ricky James makes his way into the Olive Garden in Palms Plaza. A very friendly hostess greets him as he walks in.
Hostess: Dining in? How many?
Ricky finds himself distracted with the hostess. He looks her up and down and begins to have some sexual thoughts about her before quickly snapping out of it.
Ricky: Uh...I’m meeting someone. It’s uh…
Ricky pulls a slip of paper out of his pocket and struggles to read it.
Ricky: I’m meeting a, Mr. Washington?
The hostess thinks nothing of the fact that Ricky clearly has no idea who he is meeting. She just nods and smiles.
Hostess: Ah yes he was expecting you. Right this way, sir.
The hostess then escorts Ricky as far away from the front of the restaurant as possible to a booth. A man is waiting in the booth, but a menu is covering his face.
Hostess: Here you are, sir. A waitress will be over to you shortly.
Ricky looks around confused but reluctantly has a seat in the booth across from the man.
Ricky: Mr. Washington?
The man slowly lowers the menu to reveal it’s just Rudy Powell. Rudy has a massive grin on his face as sweat pours down his forehead onto the table. Ricky tries not to make a scene but attempts to get up quickly. Rudy grabs Ricky by the hand.
Rudy: Sit down, son.
Ricky: Rudy I thought you -
Rudy: Yes, you thought you were meeting Mr. Washington as we discussed. Let me tell you a little secret, though.
Rudy leans in close to Ricky and loudly (as only Rudy can) whispers.
Rudy: I AM Mr. Washington!
Rudy then puts one finger up to his mouth to say “Shhh”. The stench of Rudy’s breath is so foul that not only Ricky, but also others at nearby tables notice and try to waft the smell away. Ricky reluctantly plays ball with Rudy, loudly whispering back.
Ricky: Is this some sort of joke?
Rudy: I knew I wouldn’t get you here if you knew it was me.
Ricky: Well maybe you’re smarter than I thought…
Ricky anxiously looks around, but seems to have accepted his fate. He is about to have a lunch date with Rudy at one of Rudy’s favorite restaurants. Rudy tries to ease Ricky’s tension.
Rudy: Relax, bud. We’re in public. No funny business.
Ricky: Why the hell are we meeting here?
Rudy: No one will suspect anything here. Had to go some place where people don’t know who I am…
One cue, a waitress comes to the table and drops off a glass of ice.
Waitress: Your usual, Mr. Washington?
Rudy smiles.
Rudy: Yes, dear. Extra meatballs, of course.
The waitress smiles and nods before turning to Ricky.
Waitress: And for you sir, can I get you something to drink? Or are you all set to order?
Before Ricky can answer, Rudy cuts him off.
Rudy: Get my buddy a glass of ice and he’ll have what I’m having.
Ricky: I’m actually not reall-
Rudy slams his hand down on the table and awkwardly smiles at the waitress, who now seems a bit frightened.
Rudy: We’ll just take another round of what I’m having, thanks sweetie.
The waitress looks unsure but nods and grabs the menus from the table before walking away. Rudy looks around the restaurant suspiciously.
Ricky: What the hell is going on here?
Rudy takes one more look around and carefully pulls a 2 liter of Mountain Dew out of his jacket in the booth. He pours Dew into his glass of ice. Ricky has no idea what to make of the situation.
Rudy: They only serve Coke products here...you need some?
Rudy goes to pour some Dew in Ricky’s glass, but Ricky shakes his head.
Ricky: No, I’m good. I don’t drink that stuff.
Rudy puts the 2 liter away and then slugs down some Dew. He lets out a loud “ahhhhh” before grinning at Ricky and doing a terrible Matthew McConaughey impression.
Rudy: Be a lot cooler if you did….
Ricky looks repulsed as Rudy laughs.
Ricky: Can we just get down to business here?
Rudy takes another sip of Dew as Ricky pleads with him. After another “ahh” and wipe of his brow, Rudy nods his head.
Rudy: Yes, of course.
Ricky: So there is no Mr. Washington. You don’t have a guy that can help me. It’s just you….
Rudy grins.
Rudy: Do you have any other option?
Ricky sighs.
Rudy: You need someone, Ric. We all know that. You tried to go off on your own and look at what happened. You got too much going on, kid. That’s why you need me.
Ricky still seems skeptical but allows Rudy to continue.
Rudy: You got a big match next week. Adrenaline Championship. Now I know what you’re thinking. 5 other people? Conspiracy, right?
Ricky: Actually I’m not -
Rudy: RIGHT! It IS a conspiracy. But I flipped it on that O’Liar character. Unfortunately this was the only way I could get you into a title match. So I agreed with his little charade. He thinks I’m going to play ball. But I got a plan.
Ricky rolls his eyes.
Ricky: Oh yeah, what’s that?
Rudy: Well first off, you’re entering the match last.
Ricky: How are you going to make sure that happens?
Rudy: Ohhh I have my ways….
Rudy pulls out his wallet and starts flashing $1 bills.
Rudy: Mr. Washington can be VERY persuasive.
Before Ricky can respond to Rudy’s lunacy, a waitress arrives with breadsticks and salad. Not one second after placing the breadsticks down, Rudy nearly swallows one whole. The waitress places the salad down and grabs a cheese grater.
Waitress: Cheese on the salad?
Rudy (half audible with breadstick in his mouth): What do I look like, a sissy? Hell yes I want cheese!
Waitress: Alright, just say when to stop...
The waitress nods and begins grating cheese. She puts a reasonable amount of cheese on before turning back to Rudy.
Waitress: Just say when….
Rudy nods and grins, having just finished a second breadstick. The woman continues to grate, and the lettuce of the salad is becoming less and less visible. With a mountain of cheese on top of the salad, the waitress stops and looks at Rudy.
Rudy: Uhhhhh, I never said stop…
Waitress: Sir I….
Rudy gives the waitress a stern look. She frightenedly empties the entire cheese grater onto the salad, now to the point where cheese is falling out of the bowl.
Waitress: I’m so sorry, I’ll have to get more cheese -
Rudy: Alright, toots.
Rudy winks at the waitress, who looks appalled. She quickly walks away from the table. Ricky doesn’t say much, just looking at the salad in amazement. Rudy helps himself to a few handfuls of grated cheese with maybe a piece or two of lettuce and a tomato sneaking into his bowl.
Rudy: So where were we?
Ricky: The chamber…
Rudy: Oh yea. Totally unconstitutional. And unsafe. We know that thing ain’t structurally sound. But we are going to beat them at their own game, Ric. You see, not only will you be the last one to enter...they'll also have some “difficulty” opening your pod. The clock will hit zero, crowd goes nuts, but NOPE! Ricky doesn’t enter the match.
Ricky: Rudy I have to enter the match if I want to win…
Rudy: Don’t worry - the pod will be broken just until one opponent is left. Then POOF it magically opens, and you’re left with just one broken down Ace or Shilo to beat.
Ricky: Or Holly, Jordan, Minerva…
Rudy, his third breadstick now in his mouth, starts laughing uncontrollably, spewing breadstick crumbs all over the table. Ricky manages to duck as a large piece of breadstick projectiles over his shoulder onto the adjacent table. Fortunately, the table is empty. Rudy finally regains his composure.
Rudy: Ric, let’s be honest here. A woman is not going to be in the final 2 of the chamber with you.
Ricky: Are you kidding me, Rudy? Did you not see the Scaffold Scramble or the TLC Match at Rise to Greatness? A woman beat me both times…
Rudy: Hey look pal, I know you got issues with women. We’ll get to that later. I’m just saying when it’s down to Ace or Shilo, he’ll be beat down so bad, you should easily be able to pick up the scraps….
Rudy notices the scraps of breadstick on the table and begins vacuuming them up with his mouth.
Ricky: And I’m telling YOU that I’ve been in the ring with Holly and Jordan before. In these types of matches, too. They are no slouches and can hold their own with anybody…
Rudy, now with a fourth breadstick in hand, starts laughing again.
Rudy: Oh yeah, the guy who loses every big match he’s ever in knows more than ME! AHAHAHAHAHAHA
Ricky quickly gets annoyed with Rudy and starts to stand up. Rudy stops laughing.
Rudy: Whoa whoa whoa, you want my help or not?
Ricky stops, sighs, and ultimately sits back down. Rudy grins.
Ricky: I mean…I want to win of course. I just don’t think I should have to cheat to do it.
Rudy: Ric, it’s not cheating. It’s a “chamber malfunction”. And you entering last? “Random draw”. It’ll just be rigged like the 2020 election.
Ricky stops to think. He’s wanted to get rid of Rudy for months now, but with all the people in his life both in and out of SCW abandoning him, he’s realizing Rudy may be his only ally. Ricky takes a deep breath and then looks at Rudy, who has just finished emptying the rest of his 2 liter into his glass.
Ricky: Okay. Fine. I will give you a chance. One chance to work with me at Under Attack.
Rudy: You won’t be sorry, Ric.
Rudy grins again and winks at Ricky before polishing off the salad drowning in cheese.
Rudy: Where the hell is that waitress?
Rudy looks around the restaurant but Ricky snaps in his face to keep him focused.
Ricky: Hey! Rudy! Stay on topic here. Okay, we’re set for next Sunday….I think. You said you could help me with the ladies?
Rudy: Oh yeah….
Rudy reaches deep into one of his coat pockets and pulls out a pill bottle. Ricky looks apprehensive. Lucy Huckabee Sanders had previously given him unknown “medication” to help Ricky deal with visions he was having, but they really served as more of a sedative to keep Ricky under her control. He has since abandoned taking those pills and has dealt with his issues on his own. Still, Ricky wasn’t having much luck dealing with women on his own, so he keeps somewhat of an open mind.
Rudy: These babies...they’ll get ya goin. When you meet a nice lady out that you want to bone, excuse yourself to the bathroom and pop one of these Bad Larry’s.
Rudy opens the bottle and empties a few large red pills on the table.
Ricky: Yeah I’ve heard of….wait, aren’t those usually blue?
Rudy: I prefer the red pill, Ric.
Rudy winks at Ricky, who doesn’t pick up on the reference.
Rudy: Go ahead, take a couple just to try. See what they do to ya. I’d advise waiting till you got your lady you want with you, but if you wanna have a really fun night with ole’ Palmela Handerson, these will do the trick too.
Ricky looks confused, again not understanding Rudy’s reference.
Rudy: In fact, these puppies work so well, I don’t even need to use my hand anymore.
Ricky still looks confused. Suddenly Rudy leans back in his seat and closes his eyes. He begins mouthing the words “ohhh yeah”. He enters another “trance” and begins gyrating in the booth. Ricky quickly becomes repulsed.
Ricky: Oh God….
Rudy continues in his sick fantasy, ignoring Ricky. Ricky grabs the few pills off the table and pockets them before standing up and getting ready to leave, not wanting to be seen with Rudy out in public any longer.
Ricky: Alright Rudy well...thanks. I will be in touch. See you Sunday….
Rudy: Ohhhhh yeaaaaaa
Ricky looks disgusted by Rudy as he makes his way out of the restaurant, leaving the perverted, sweaty, greasy, cheese and breadstick crumb-covered attorney behind.
Ricky James just made a deal with the devil. It seems Ricky does need somebody afterall. He would rather work with Rudy Powell than have nobody by his side. While he thought he was on his own after the big win against Gavin Taylor and the first round Trios win, there were still people in Ricky’s life. Lucy and Rudy were still around for the win over Gavin. Come Trios, Ricky essentially replaced Lucy and Rudy with Kandis and Ace. Again, they are nothing alike, but Ricky still needed a male and female figure around him to really bring out his confidence. A week after thinking he was fine on his own, Ricky James has come to the realization that he will always need someone by his side, even if that someone is Rudy Fucking Powell.
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Under Attack 2021
Elimination Chamber Match for the SCW Adrenaline Championship
Holly Adams © vs. Ace Marshall vs. Shilo Valiant vs. Jordan Majors vs. Minerva vs. Ricky James
“16 feet high, 36 feet around, 10 tons of steel, 2 miles of chain, and 6 competitors locked inside. The Elimination Chamber, one of the most dangerous matches in SCW. I feel like I find myself saying that a lot now.
Man, my body has been through hell. I thought the Scaffold Scramble was the most terrifying and brutal match of my life. I returned at Rise to Greatness to conquer my fear of heights, but was subject to another brutal battle in a TLC Match. After that match I thought, ‘Maybe it COULD get worse here. I just haven’t been around long enough.’
With all the mental issues I’ve been having, it’s easy to forget about the physical toll these matches have taken on me. And now this chamber...am I ready for this? Is it really worth putting my body on the line again?
I can’t downplay the opportunity, though. There are plenty of superstars in the back that would gladly take part in this match. They’d gladly take an opportunity to be in the marquee match for Under Attack, with the chance to win the Adrenaline Championship.
It is a big match. Much like the danger involved in the match, I feel like I’ve talked about matches being the “biggest of my career” numerous times as well. I go into them all jacked up, and to Rudy’s point, I lose. Then I move on and realize, ‘Maybe this wasn’t a make or break for me.’ I thought the Scaffold Scramble meant everything, with a World Title opportunity on the line.
I lost, got injured, and took some time away from SCW. I came back at Rise to Greatness and convinced myself the TLC match for the Adrenaline Title was a make or break match. Again, I lost. I moved onto Trios and again, I ultimately lost.
Now I find myself with yet another opportunity. I don’t want to downplay the importance of the match. As I said, it is the marquee match of Under Attack. All eyes will be on us. Hell, I even made the Under Attack poster! I didn’t believe it until I saw it for myself on the bulletin board of the community college in town - a nice vandalized Under Attack poster with my eyes cut out and a penis drawn coming out of Minerva’s crotch into my mouth.
Perfect segue into my next point I guess - I don’t seem to be well-liked. After realizing Lucy and Rudy were full of shit, having to manufacture “fans” to cheer for us, I thought getting rid of them would be good for me. It seemed to be. The fans started cheering for me. I fed off their energy. I put on a great show every night, and sometimes picked up a big win here and there.
I felt like I was doing enough to be liked and respected. I know I came into Trios as the “weak link” on our team, and maybe people still feel that way now after our loss. I felt like I carried my weight, though. I felt like I BELONGED on the same team with Ace and Kandis. I felt like a true main eventer, and I felt like Ace and Kandis saw that in me.The way Kandis looked at me...the way Ace had my back...at least I thought. It’s become apparent, however, that Ace and Kandis are not my friends. They used me. Kandis laughed when she looked at me, and Ace has still not returned my calls or texts.
They’re through with me, and it seems like some of the fans are too. I know, I know. Everyone will get cheered by some and booed by others. Those fans outside the arena after Breakdown really hit me, though. I thought I was doing all the right things. I figured they would appreciate my effort. I was wrong. They said I Fucking Suck. And apparently the local college kids around here think I suck too.
I abandoned The Silent Majority, and now I have lost the support of those very fans I tried to win over by abandoning them. I lost the support of those fans as well as my teammates, who I actually thought cared about me.
I go into this match, a match where it is important to have an ally, with nobody. It would have been great if Ace meant a word he said. If Ace really wanted to be my friend. I think the two of us would have worked well together. Maybe we could have taken everyone out and gotten down to the final 2 together. I don’t see that happening now, unless it just happens coincidentally.
It really is unfortunate to not have an ally. I’ve been in the ring with Holly, Jordan, and Shilo in these types of matches. Ace as well. I have seen, and unfortunately experienced what they are all capable of. I’ve watched and seen some horrific things Minerva has done as well. Rudy may want to downplay her significance, but I certainly won’t.
I’ll be locked inside with five of the toughest competitors and most sadistic minds in SCW. Judging by some of this recent fan behavior, some people are probably paying for tickets solely to watch my ass get kicked. I’m sure others are still pulling for me, but the more I lose these big matches, the more I let those people down.
I can’t let those fans down. I can’t let myself down. I can’t waste another opportunity. I need to finally win the “big one”. But how?
Holly Adams is determined to defend her belt. She has quite the impressive reign going, and has taken out every challenger in her path, even when the odds seemed stacked against her.
Shilo Valiant knows what it takes to be Adrenaline Champion, and probably prefers the match be conducted in a structure like this - that sick fuck.
Jordan Majors has made a major name for herself in SCW, and I’m still hurting from that Scaffold Scramble beating I took from her.
Minerva again I am not as familiar with, but I do know what she is capable of, and that honestly scares me a bit.
And last but not least, Ace. My old “buddy”. The most accomplished of all my opponents. He has to be the favorite to win this.
I don’t want to spend any more time talking my opponents up, because that hasn’t really seemed to work. I just know what an incredible challenge this will be for me.
It will be tough, my opponents are great, blah blah blah. Sweet talking is not going to win me the match. I have to be honest, here. Yes I am the underdog. Yes I am losing support from fans. Yes I have nobody...so what the hell am I going to do?
I don’t have any other options. I cannot lose another big match like this. I cannot continue to lose support and respect from people. This needs to stop. And it needs to stop at Under Attack.
How am I going to conquer the Chamber and five other competitors? How am I going to overcome these odds, with seemingly no help?
I have to think outside the box. I have to swallow my pride and do something I haven’t done before in SCW. I have to take a risk...a big risk. I have to trust the least trustworthy man I have ever met in my life.
I have nowhere else to turn. No one else to go to. I am backed into a corner with only one option.
I have to make a deal with the devil. I have to make a deal with Rudy.
Maybe, just maybe, the man I thought was causing all of my issues can solve them. Maybe, just maybe, Rudy Powell can help me find myself again.
It’s my only hope. My only chance. The only way I can stop myself from becoming completely
Lost.
![[Image: QEi4Ejt.png]](https://i.imgur.com/QEi4Ejt.png)
1x SCW Television Champion
Wins:12 (Jobber, Jobber, Derek Adonis, Konrad Raab, Blake Mason, Tommy Valentine, Kelsai Adamson-Mason [TV Title win], Jay Gold [title defense], Maria Salvatore [title defense], Ace Marshall [via DQ], Gavin Taylor, Cid Turner/Selena Frost/Purity Pixie [w/Ace and Kandis, Trios 2021, pinned Purity])
Losses: 8 (Gavin/Powers, Jay Gold, Asher Hayes, Last Laugh 2020 Battle Royal [Last eliminated by Asher Hayes], Crystal Zdunich [TV Title loss], Retribution 2021 Scaffold Scramble, RTG 2021 TLC Match for Adrenaline Title, UA 2021 EC for Adrenaline Title)