Dexter Grant vs. Marie Jones

[Konrad Raab]

2 RP Limit for singles

3500 Word Limit Per RP

Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Wednesday, October 16, 2024

[The Matt]

1 of 2
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October 19th, 2024
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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Apocalypse did not end up the way Marie Jones had hoped. She did not win the triple threat, she did not become number one contender for the United States Championship. That honor and distinction went to La Pequina Luz. Now The Phoenix finds herself at yet another bump in the road. Where does she go from here? Where does her SCW career take her? The Phoenix may currently lack a clear direction but that can all change next week on Breakdown when she goes up against newcomer, the unorthodox Dexter Grant. He has been making waves, both vocally and physically, in SCW. He has been making a name for himself and looks to make a name for himself at Marie’s expense. But The Phoenix refuses to allow herself to become simply a stepping stone for the next big thing in SCW. She will not roll over for Dexter Grant. Jones intends to put him down and in the process put her own career back on track and, hopefully, find herself in contention for championship gold of some sort.

Perhaps the reason Marie has slowed down a bit in her career has been the fact that she has been distracted? It wasn’t that long ago that she had been approached by her ex-lover, Julianne Buchanan, and asked to speak to the district attorney on her behalf, begging for leniency, trying to convince them that Julianne was not a master mind behind the crimes committed by the Inner Peace cult. After leaving Inner Peace, Marie had hoped to put that all in her rear view mirror, but her new boyfriend, an ex-convict himself, Percy Matthews, convinced her to give Julianne a second chance and help her out. Unfortunately, Marie’s good deed has put her back on the district attorney’s radar screen. In fact, the last time she spoke to the district attorney, a man named Kevin Hayden, warned her that Marie herself might face similar charges as Julianne since Marie herself was also involved with Inner Peace for a time. The idea that she might face legal repercussions due to being tricked, manipulated into joining a cult frightens Marie. But she is prepared to face the consequences head on, if necessary.

Today, The Phoenix must pay district attorney Kevin Hayden yet another visit. Just like the last time, she is obviously nervous. But she is prepared. She is ready. Marie Jones sits alone in the empty waiting room of district attorney Kevin Hayden; the fluorescent lights casting a soft glow over her. Her striking red hair falls in loose waves just past her shoulders. She’s dressed in a sleek, knee-length black dress, the fabric smooth and fitted to her slender frame, hinting at a sense of elegance. Over the dress, she wears a tailored, charcoal gray blazer with sharp lapels, giving her a professional, authoritative air. The blazer fits perfectly, emphasizing her posture as she sits with her back straight and legs crossed. Her legs are covered in sheer black stockings, which catch the light subtly, adding a polished sheen to her appearance. On her feet are classic black high heel pumps; pointed, with a thin stiletto that clicks faintly against the tile floor whenever she adjusts her position. Her hands rest lightly on her lap, fingers interlaced, nails painted a deep burgundy that complements her sophisticated look. The room itself is stark and impersonal with white walls, tiled floors, and rows of empty plastic chairs arranged in neat rows. There’s a faint hum of ventilation, but otherwise, the silence in the room feels thick, amplifying the sense of anticipation in the air. Jones glances occasionally at a wall clock, but her expression remains composed, her gaze steady. Despite the stillness, she radiates an air of readiness, as though she could spring into action at any moment.

“Ms. Jones?” The voice startles Marie and she nearly jumps. She notices that it is just she secretary, a young female, brunette. She smiles politely. “Mr. Hayden will see you now.”

“Thanks.” Marie says simply, with a nod of her head as she rises up out of her chair and slowly makes her way across the room towards the open door of district attorney Kevin Hayden. Marie has already been here once, and that was terrifying enough because she learned that Hayden was looking at potentially charging her with some of the Inner Peace crimes as well. Now she finds herself here yet again. The office is just as she remembered; large and well-lit, with tall windows that allow natural light to pour in, though heavy blinds in place. The walls are adorned with framed certificates, awards, and diplomas, showcasing the attorney’s qualifications and achievements. The centerpiece of the office is the desk. On the desk, there are neatly organized files, a computer, and a landline phone. A stack of legal documents and law books sit in one corner. An elegant brass nameplate displaying the district attorney’s name, Kevin Hayden, adds a professional touch. Pens, a legal pad, and a pair of reading glasses are carefully arranged, underscoring the importance of attention to detail. Behind the desk is a high-backed leather chair, black. Flanking the desk, on either side, are bookshelves filled with thick volumes of legal texts, case law, and state statutes. A large American flag stands in one corner of the office, symbolizing the weight of justice and the rule of law.

“Ah, Ms. Jones…” again she is startled, though not nearly as bad as last time; she turns to see Kevin Hayden. He tries to present a non-threatening, even friendly demeanor, but Marie still feels nervous knowing the implications that she may face from this visit. “...I am glad you could make it here this afternoon.” He extends his hand in a friendly gesture. Marie accepts the handshake and laughs lightly.

“It isn’t exactly a good idea to refuse an invitation to meet the district attorney, now is it?” Marie asks. Kevin chuckles and nods his head.

“I guess you’re right.” He motions to the other chairs in the room while he walks over to his desk and sits down. “Please, have a seat.” Marie nods her head and sits down, trying her best to appear comfortable and calm.

“Well I do not wish to waste any of your time, Ms. Jones. You are well known in and around Boston, you and your family are widely regarded for your wrestling skill and I would not want to keep you away from your training or your obligations to Supreme Championship Wrestling. So I will get right to the point. Have you heard from Julianne Buchanan or her brother Brandon lately?”

“I haven’t heard from Julianne since the last time I spoke with her in the park and that was several weeks ago. It was much longer than that since I last spoke to Brandon.”

“So it would be fair to say that you and the Buchanan family have no relationship any longer?”

“Absolutely not.”

“But you and Ms. Buchanan were real close. You were lovers.”

“Not anymore.” Marie shakes her head. “We went our separate ways. She’s taken her path, I chose mine. I only came here months ago to speak to you on her behalf because it was the right thing to do. Raul Alfaro was trying to paint her as an equal party to his crimes and that just wasn’t the case. Raul was the manipulator and Julianne, myself, and the other girls were his victims. I wanted to clear the air and make sure Julianne got treated fairly.”

“Fair enough.” Kevin nods his head. “Speaking of Mr. Alfaro, have you heard from him?”

“No, why would I?”

“He was recently released on bond, Ms. Jones.” Kevin says. “You and Ms. Buchanan were once two of his most faithful disciples. Perhaps he reached out to you?”

“He has no reached out and, quite frankly, I am glad he has not tried to contact me.” Marie’s expression grows angrier as she recalls the memories of Raul Alfaro and what he did to her. “I do not want to see him ever again. I want to see him get what he deserves.”

“Are you afraid of Mr. Alfaro?” Kevin asks curiously. “If you are, we could look into a protective order for you.”

Jones pauses to think. She didn’t consider a protective order before. But then again, she never thought Raul would manage to get out on bail. Somehow he raised the money to get out. Could he track her down? It is entirely possible. Marie nods her head.

“Yes, that…that might be a good idea.”

“I will see to it.” Kevin says. “Now then, my office has studied your case intensely, Ms. Jones, and we have talked long and hard about how to handle you.”

Here it comes. Marie braces herself for what might happen. Will the district attorney target her like he has targeted Julianne? Or will he leave her alone? Will her good deed go punished like all good deeds seemingly do?

“Let’’s face it, Ms. Jones, what you did in coming directly to my office, speaking to me on behalf of Julianne Buchanan, a woman who, based on our findings, you have no good reason to help, due to her twice manipulating you…”

“But she was brainwashed herself.” Marie nods her head. “As was I.”

“Yes, well, that being said, you made a good, strong case on behalf of Ms. Buchanan, so much so that our office did decide to accept an insanity plea for Ms. Buchanan’s involvement with Raul’s crimes. She might not have been the mastermind but she was working with him. That being said,” he points a finger at Marie “you were working right up there alongside Ms. Buchanan. It begged the question, if we charged Ms. Buchanan and let her plead insanity, should you not face similar consequences?”

“I can already see where this is going, Mr. Hayden, and I agree, I do need help.” Marie nods her head. “I was mentally and emotionally broken at the time; easily manipulated by Raul and molded into his twisted plaything. I may be free of his control now but I recognize that I need to deal with any lingering issues that may still be there or else I might find myself in trouble yet again. So before you go any further, I want to tell you that I have already sought out counseling.”

“You are being treated by a therapist? A psychiatrist?” He asks. Marie nods her head in confirmation. “May I know who?”

“With all due respect, Mr. Hayden, my medical business is my own private business and I would rather keep it private. However, I can assure you that this therapy I am receiving is doing wonders for my mental and emotional well being. You and the state of Massachusetts no longer have anything to fear from me and while I would much rather you not charge me, I will cooperate with whatever your office decides to do with me.”

Kevin taps his desk with his fingers. Marie stares at him, trying to get a read on him, trying to figure out what he is thinking. But he is unreadable. He has quite the poker face. Finally he leans back in his chair and sighs.

“I wish you would be more open, Ms. Jones, but I will not pry into your private matters. Furthermore, my office will not seek charges against you the way we charged Raul and Julianne.” Those were the magic words Marie had hoped to hear. She breathes a sigh of relief.

“Thank you, Mr. Hayden.”

“You’re very welcome, Ms. Jones, but I do have to tell you that your dealings with this episode may not entirely be over.”

“Oh?”

“You may be called on to testify in court against Mr. Alfaro when he goes to trial. Are you prepared for that?”

The idea of testifying against Raul Alfaro is daunting. On the one hand, he brought so much misery to her life and nearly ruined her relationship with her family. Helping to bring him down and put him behind bars would make her day. Still, having to face him in the courtroom and having to be cross-examined by his attorneys would be challenging to her mentally. It would challenge the progress she has made since leaving Inner Peace. Still, this is yet another fight that she knows she cannot run away from. Marie nods her head.

“Yes, I’m ready.”

“Very good.” He extends his hand. Marie accepts the handshake. “Then you are free to go, I believe our business here is done.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hayden.

Marie Jones rises up out of her chair and turns and walks off. First she exits his office and returns to the waiting room area. There she is pleasantly surprised to find her boyfriend, the burly rough looking biker type Percy Matthews, better known as Death’s Head, wearing his torn denim jeans, faded white shirt, and black biker jacket. Marie quickly runs up to him and embraces him in a big hug.

“Percy!” She looks up at him. “I told you that you could have waited in the car!”

“Yeah, I know, but I wanted to surprise ya.” He snickers as he looks around. “I don’t exactly fit in a place like this, do I?”

“No, you don’t.” Marie snickers. Percy wraps an arm around her as the two begin to make their way out. Percy kisses her on her cheek.

“You were brave, Marie. The district attorney was gunning for you but you still stuck up for Julianne and did the right thing. I’m proud of ya.”

“Doing the right thing isn’t always easy.” Marie admits. “Sometimes there are consequences to doing the right thing.”

“Yeah, speaking of consequences, what did the DA say?”

“Hayden? Oh he said he isn’t going to charge me with anything. But I may be called on to testify against Raul during his trial.”

“Overall a good ending.”

“Yeah, but unfortunately that means Inner Peace still isn’t fully behind me yet.” She sighs. “I guess it won’t be completely behind me until Raul is behind bars.”

“Worry about that later. Focus on healing. That’s what you got the counselor for, right?”

“Yeah, well sort of a counselor.” Marie nods her head. “Its a therapist but from a religious perspective. In fact, my mom has one.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, she does.” Marie nods her head. “And I’m surprised that she never told me about it.”

“Sometimes we have our own inner demons that we’d like to keep hidden from the world. Maybe your mom is dealing with her own inner demons? Something she wouldn’t wanna talk about?”

“You’re right, she does have plenty of skeletons in her closet.” Marie furrows her brow. Then a sly grin forms across her face. “Maybe it’s time I talk to her about it?”

[The Matt]

2 of 2
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October 20th, 2024
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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In a few short days Marie Jones will be making the trip to Canada for Breakdown and her match against the strange but deadly Dexter Grant. The Phoenix knows the importance of this match for her career. She has already had several opportunities to recapture gold and place herself back into a top spot in SCW, but thus far she has always come up short in her attempts. Now she finds herself against Dexter Grant, a strange competitor with unusual viewpoints looking to make a name for himself at her expense. The Phoenix refuses to be just a mere stepping stone for his own career. Marie knows that this is win or go home for her. She needs to win this match in order to set her career back on track. The importance of this match weighs heavily on her mind, which is part of the reason that she has decided to pay a visit to her mother, the matriarch of the Jones family, Angelica Jones. Angelica has been an advocate, a backstage politician if you will, helping to manage the careers of both Marie and Marie’s twin sister Kimberly in recent years. Marie has leaned upon the wisdom of her mother ever since she made her return to SCW several months ago. Angelica’s guidance, experience, and wisdom helped Marie navigate the rough and tumultuous waters of her return towards eventually redeeming herself and earning the trust of the fans and the locker room. She is certain that her mother will have words of wisdom that will help her take care of Dexter Grant this week on Breakdown. Yet her match against Grant isn’t the only reason that Marie has decided to pay her mother a visit. She wants information, information that only her mother can provide.

In the heart of an upscale neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, the home of the Jones family, specifically the living room of the Angelica’s modern, luxurious home radiates both warmth and sophistication. The space is expansive yet inviting, with floor-to-ceiling windows flooding the room with natural light and offering a breathtaking view of the city skyline. The walls are a soft, neutral off white color. A plush sectional sofa, upholstered in soft beige fabric, anchors the living space. It is flanked by sleek, glass-topped side tables with chrome bases. In the center of the room, a low-profile coffee table made of polished walnut wood sits atop a luxurious cream and silver geometric-patterned area rug, offering a modern contrast to the soft, comfortable furniture. Nearby, a fireplace with a marble mantel adds both warmth and elegance to the space, even though it is not currently lit. The matriarch of the family, Angelica Jones, sits on one side of the sofa. Her fiery red hair falls just below her shoulders, styled loosely to frame her face. She is dressed casually but tastefully, wearing a soft, lavender cashmere sweater paired with a black maxi skirt and simple black flats. There is an air of confidence and grace about her, as if she is accustomed to the finer things in life but remains grounded in her interactions. Next to her sits Marie Jones, with the same striking red hair, though hers is a few shades brighter, pulled back in a loose ponytail. Marie’s casual attire consists of a pale pink blouse and comfortable, dark blue jeans. She has an easygoing smile and a natural warmth, her posture relaxed as she leans slightly towards her mother.

“Don’t get me wrong, Marie, I am always happy for you to visit me. But you insisted you needed to advice, guidance.” Angelica shrugs. “I’m not sure what kind of guidance I can provide. Your next match is against…Dexter, right? Dexter Grant?”

“Yeah.” Marie nods her head. “The weird anti-social media dude.”

“Right, him.” Angelica nods her head. “Well, he’s certainly unusual, unorthodox perhaps, but honestly? As new as he is to the business, and as…well…distracted as he tends to get about pointless things like the social media crap…I would think that a multi-time champion like yourself would have no problem taking care of him.”

“Yeah, well, I thought I would have no problem defeating Waylon Creek to become SCW Television Champion and it didn’t happen. I thought I would have no problem defeating YUYO but I lost to her…twice…I thought I would have no problem winning that triple threat at Apocalypse and earning a United States Title shot, but I came up short.”

“Oh I see.” Angelica smirks. “You need a confidence boost, is that it?”

“You could say that.” Marie shrugs. “I mean, I thought I had been performing at my best but, obviously I haven’t…” her voice trails off. Angelica smiles warmly and pats her daughter on the back to comfort her.

“Take it from me, who has been in your position before. These tough times will come. You just have to try and endure them. Better times will come.”

“Really?” Marie seems skeptical, arching her brow. “I don’t know, mom. If I lose to Dexter Grant, where does that leave me going forward? CHBK has been very gracious in giving me these opportunities, opportunities I’m not sure I deserved…but if I lose to this weirdo…”

“Stop right there.” Angelica says forcefully. “You let me worry about CHBK. Dealing with him and the rest of the suits in SCW is my job, remember? Your job is to get in the ring and do what you do best, which is to wrestle. My time in this business, its quickly coming to an end. Hell, I only wrestle part time nowadays. Who wants to see a fifty year old wrestle, am I right?”

“Stop.” Marie shakes her head. “You still have plenty to contribute. You are a thirteen time world champion.”

“My time has come and gone. You and your sister, this is your time now, Marie. This is the era of Marie Jones and Kimberly Williams. I look forward to guiding you and your sister’s careers and seeing what you can accomplish.”

“Thanks, mom.” Marie says, her head bowed ever so slightly. “I just don’t want to let you down. You know? I already this family down so many times before, turned on the family, its just so…”

“No way.” Angelica shakes her head. “Stop with that talk, Marie Annabelle Jones.” Angelica says forcefully, as only a mother can. “We’ve been through this already. Your past with Inner Peace, and what they did to you, how they brainwashed you against us, that is forgotten. It is all in the past. Ok?”

“I wish it was that easy.” Marie says quietly. This comment peaks Angelica’s interest.

“Did something happen between you and the district attorney? I know you told me that you were going to speak with him again.”

“Yes, his office summoned me.” Marie sighs. “Luckily he has no intentions on charging me of any crimes due to my association with Inner Peace.”

“Well that’s quite a relief.”

“Yeah…I still might have to confront Raul, though.”

“Oh?” Angelica asks. Marie nods her head.

“Kevin Hayden says I may be called on to testify in court against Raul. So I may not be completely done with this Inner Peace debacle. But at least I can finally see some light at the end of the tunnel. You know?”

“That’s good. Very positive news.” Angelica smiles. “You know, Marie, I am proud of you. You could have easily just sat back and let Julianne suffer so much, it would be easy to do nothing, but you put yourself at risk by speaking directly to the district attorney and letting him know the truth of what really was going on at Inner Peace.”

“It’s nothing.” Marie shrugs her shoulders. “It was just the right thing to do…and maybe what God wanted me to do.”

“God, eh?” Angelica chuckles. “I never knew you to be so openly religious. I thought that was my thing.”

“You can blame your good friend Sister Maria for that.” Marie grins. “I have been visiting with her on a more regular basis lately. She’s become my…Spiritual Director.”

“Spiritual Director?” The term seems to take Angelica aback. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Marie nods her head. “Is…is there something wrong with that?”

“No. I’m just surprised. That’s all. I mean, how did this all happen?”

“Well in my first visit with the district attorney, it was clear that if they were going to accept Julianne’s insanity plea, then they may look at my own mental capacity. I was involved in the same organization she was, working for Raul just like her, so it would stand to reason that if Julianne needed mental help, so would I. Percy suggested that I get ahead of the game, get ahead of the DA’s office, and seek help for my trauma.”

“Sister Maria is that help?” Angelica asks.

“Yes. She’s helping me deal with the trauma of the past that led me to joining Inner Peace in the first place, namely my fiance Arthur killing himself. She’s helping me move on from the trauma I experienced in Inner Peace. She’s helping me move forward. That’s all. Is there a problem?”

“No, it’s just that…” Angelica sighs “...if you were seriously going to get help, then maybe you should seek out real professional help. A therapist perhaps? A psychiatrist?”

“But Sister Maria…”

“She isn’t a licensed therapist.” Angelica says. “If you wanted someone who would keep everything secret, you know you could have sought out Dr. Jennifer Warren. She has been working for our family for years. She would have signed off on any documentation you needed to keep the DA off your trail.”

“It isn’t about keeping the DA off my trail.” Marie insists. “I just need help. No offense, mom, but this family has a history, a reputation of spending time in mental hospitals. Both you and my sister were ordered by law to spend time there for one reason or another. I did not want to end up following that same path. So I got help from Sister Maria.”

“But a Spiritual Director is…it’s just different.”

“Is it?” Marie asks curiously. “I thought you were a good and proper Catholic. I thought you would be thrilled with me seeing a Spiritual Director now, especially the same one you have been seeing lately.”

“Marie…” Angelica sighs “...yes, Sister Maria has been acting as my spiritual director, but that’s different. My issues are different.”

“Different how?”

“They just are.” Angelica’s tone is no longer friendly and motherly. She seems more frustrated now. “Sorry…just…if you are serious about getting help, see a legitimate therapist, ok?”

“Yeah.”

Marie does not feel the need to continue this argument any further. She decides to drop the issue for now. Still, something seems off about her mother and Marie doesn’t like it one bit.

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On Camera
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Here we go again, Phoenix fans! I find myself back in a familiar situation; at a crossroads. I find myself not sure really where I go from here. Ever since I made my return to SCW in spectacular fashion I have had some success mixed up with some difficult setbacks and disappointing failures. I took the United States Champion Deanna Frost to her limit. But taking a champion to her limit means nothing if you can’t get the job done. I took the Adrenaline Champion YUYO to her limit…twice…but it means nothing if I can’t get the job done. I took the SCW Television Champion Waylon Creek to his limit…yes, TWICE, you’re welcome Kim…but it means nothing if I cannot get the win.

Still, there have been bright spots. I did manage to win a third Television Championship. I did win two matches in one night. I have taken on and humbled the likes of The Last Monarch and The All Star. I have proven that I still am very much capable of beating anyone on this roster at any given time if I am just given the opportunity. But opportunities are hard to come by and at the end of the day I need to earn them. I need to get back to doing what I do best and that is to just win baby.

Sorry to my fellow Patriots fans out there. I know I quoted Al Davis, but that doesn’t mean I am suddenly a Raiders fan by any stretch of the imagination! Winning, or at the very least performing at a high level, that is what I am known for in SCW. I am a former United States, Adrenaline, Television, and Tag Champion. I have already done more than enough to earn consideration for Hall of Fame status when the time comes that I hang up my wrestling boots for good. But one thing I am not and I never will be is a mere stepping stone for the next cool thing to step foot in SCW.

Dexter Grant, let’s be clear, I am definitely not saying that you are cool. You are certainly unusual with your rather strange anti-social media views. That’s fine. I have my own irrational hatred towards the Buffalo Bills. So I get it. I hate to say, unfortunately, that I do have a social media presence. I’m sure that’s a black mark in your eye. But I can honestly say that I do not spend a lot of time on social media posting pictures of myself or engaging in mindless twitter wars.

Or is it an X-War now? Thanks, Elon.

In any event, I can maybe relate to you and your strange views in at least one sense. Social media is pointless when it comes to this business. Sure, it can be a net positive when it comes to expanding your brand and promoting yourself, but at the end of the day, professional wrestling is all about one thing and one thing only…winning. Just win, baby, as Al Davis said. It doesn’t matter how much you hype yourself or how many witty one liners you throw out there on social media, if you cannot pin your opponent’s shoulders to the mat for a three or make your opponent tap out, you have done absolutely nothing. You have failed at your task.

Dexter, I am here to tell you right now that I am sick and tired of coming up short. I am sick and tired of failing. This week on Breakdown, I am going to educate you about what this wild wild west of SCW is really about when I beat you down, handing you a humbling, reality check, a similar reality check I gave to Ryan Lecavlier at Rise To Greatness. I am going to take you away from your delusional fantasy and paranoia and bring you back to reality. In short, I am going to defeat you and then YOU will be the one who has to regroup, YOU will be the one who has to figure out what comes next, and me…I will be back on track.

I am The Phoenix, right now I may be down but I am never ever out of it. Not completely. And just like the mythical Phoenix I will rise from the ashes and reclaim my spot. I will do it all at your expense, Dexter, because you are in my way and I am not going to let anyone stop me. Not even you.

[Digitox]

“I urge any parents among you to limit the screen time for your children, DO NOT let the visible threat lurking right under your noses, the big tech companies, sink their hooks into your little ones. Human attention spans are already short and only growing shorter by the day, and the more you allow your children to fall into that rabbit hole of seemingly innocent YouTube videos or fun little games that are supposed to teach them something, the more likely they are to develop attention issues among their peers! Even worse, the easier it becomes for the masterminds behind what they’re indulging in to figure out what they can indoctrinate them into believing to turn them against you and into the future drones that sink all their life savings into the pockets of a giant who’s already wealthier than they deserve to be all thanks to manipulating each and every one of you into sinking your hard-earned money into the next crypto scheme for the sake of ‘our’ future!”

Some would probably call Dexter’s efforts futile, but it wasn’t going to stop him from taking his message to the streets all the same. In his mind, the moment he stopped trying to bring awareness to the problem was the moment the human race lost its last hope. This was how he began his fight, and being a ‘big star’ in SCW now wasn’t going to stop him from remembering the core of what allowed him to get to this point in the first place. The city of Boston was known as a tech hub in the world, making it the ideal place for him to perch atop his soapbox and attempt to talk some sense into anybody willing to lend him their ears.

Sure, it helped that the recent Breakdown had taken place in this city, but Dexter still believed he had work to do before he left this place behind and followed the rest of the wrestling lemmings back to Canada for the next Breakdown.

Dexter had always thought it was a bit weird how one of the biggest wrestling promotions in the world laid out their touring schedule, considering they had just been in Canada, albeit a different province, barely a month ago for one of their big pay-per-view shows before hitting up Buffalo and now Boston only to turn right around and return to the Great White North before settling into Detroit for yet another pay-per-view. The whole thing reeked of convoluted routing designed only to satisfy a social media buzz triangulating around an area that was already becoming a political hotbed with the impending United States election, because nothing put butts in seats more than a convenient distraction from that sort of stress before pulling out and returning home to set the stage for the big presentation.

‘And these social media giants think I still don’t have their scummy strategy figured out,’ Dexter thought to himself as he continued to preach from the street corner he’d parked himself at.

Complicated and nonsensical? Perhaps, but as long as it made sense in Dexter’s head, he could find a way to weaponize it in his fight as long as he had the facts to support it.

In his mind, he had to be the savior these ignorant masses needed, because clearly no one else was going to step up and take this fight.

If nothing else, it was familiar territory that Dexter could vent his frustrations through in a somewhat healthier manner. The Breakdown that had taken place in this very city just a few days ago certainly hadn’t helped him any, that was for sure. He had tried to help Gavin Taylor see the error of his ways and give him an out where he wouldn’t have to worry about spiraling further and further into the irrelevancy that was ultimately going to drive him over the edge, and where had it led? Last week, Gavin had attacked him after his victory over another unfortunate soul too far lost to the all-devouring machine, but had Dexter retaliated? Of course not…as he had told Wendell the night he started picking this ‘fight’ with the self-professed ‘all-star,’ the endgame wasn’t senseless destruction. While the methodology may have been a tad harsh, he was truly trying to help Gavin in the grand scheme of things. If he had aimed to destroy the man, he would have returned the favor in striking during Gavin’s match over at the TD Garden, seeing as how the rules wouldn’t have dissuaded him from getting involved.

No, Dexter had let Gavin continue to prove his point all on his own, and instead of realizing the error of his ways and seeking his help, Gavin had taken the opportunity to pounce on an old rivalry in yet another desperate attempt to grasp relevancy.

‘He can’t run from me forever,’ Dexter contemplated as he wrapped up his sermon and packed up his soapbox, looking annoyed but unsurprised at how quickly his audience had dispersed and immediately got sucked back into their phones. ‘Sooner or later, they’ll all see that I’m only trying to help and they just need to unplug for five seconds and realize I’m not the enemy here.’

Maybe he could have raised more of a fuss about that convenient distraction that turned Gavin away from a prospective match with him in Detroit, but he wasn’t about to let himself become some social media bait by whining and complaining about being ignored for some pay-per-view because a ‘bigger match’ meant more chances to trend online and further push SCW’s digital agenda down people’s throats, just like the big tech overloads demanded of them. Nah, he wouldn’t play into their game, he would simply bide his time, let Gavin further torch his precious relevancy through yet another defeat at the hands of a false prophet that he set himself up for, and then he would offer his hand to help him once more and see if this time he’d be willing to listen.

For now, there were others he could turn his attention to trying to save. He’d heard of that Ryan LeCavalier woman’s comments about the hornet’s nest he’d kicked up with Gavin and felt sorry for her delusional belief that she was above needing help from this social sickness herself considering he’d been made aware of a podcast she recorded in her own pursuit of validation. There was also Marie Jones, whom he was aware would be his opponent once he finally made the trek to Ottawa, and whom he might have been hoping to see pop by his little soapbox sermon given that this was supposedly her hometown. Perhaps he could offer his detoxing services to everyone involved in the growing clusterfuck surrounding that underground title so they could see that they didn’t need to create unnecessary chaos purely just for the satisfaction of a few likes, retweets, comments and what have you. Truth be told, there was no shortage of infected individuals who were in desperate need of his help without realizing it, and all he needed to do was break big tech’s grip on at least one person within SCW’s ranks to get his chance to begin the detoxing and prove it could work for others just as well as it worked for him.

“How did it go?”

Dexter glanced up to see Wendell approaching with two coffees in hand, passing one over to Dexter to help warm him against the cold. One downside to growing up in the Bay Area, even if the past few years were spent hiding out somewhere in its wilderness, was that Dexter’s wardrobe was ill-prepared for the coming chill of autumn that he knew to expect on the east coast.

“Unsurprisingly, in one ear and out the other,” Dexter huffed before gulping down his coffee. “Almost feels like I’m drawing a crowd now just because of the spectacle of being on the SCW roster, which defeats the whole point of making it here in the first place if no one’s actually going to hear me out.”

“And Marie?” Wendell asked hopefully.

“Didn’t spot her. Maybe she already skipped town, maybe she’s been lying to everyone about Boston being where she was born and raised…maybe she decided to ignore the memo because she’s got someone in her ear hoping to keep me off her radar until the next show because I’m not supposed to be worth her time. I wouldn’t put it past her to be a byproduct of her mother’s negligence resulting in social media worming its way into her brain convincing her to also become a wrestler in the first place because it’s how she could earn her mother’s love. Can you imagine it Wendell? A whole generation of children being starved of familial connections just so they can be brainwashed into thinking they have to earn that love by doing something crazy while blatantly ignoring how it was right there for them the whole time-”

“Dexter?”

Dexter froze, and it had nothing to do with the fact that the temperature in Boston had dipped into the 40s today. His cup of coffee fell from his hands, splattering upon impact with the concrete as Wendell yelped at the scalding hot liquid now decorating his pant legs, the poor kid just barely managing to keep from dropping his own coffee. Dexter probably should have been concerned for his devoted disciple, but Wendell’s unfortunate plight was just background noise to him right now as his fists clenched, his breathing became heavier as he looked to be barely holding himself together.

“What are you doing here?”

Dexter slowly turned to face the man, who certainly at first glance looked no different than any other corporate schmuck with a suit and a briefcase that he’d seen walking the streets of Boston today. Hell, he’d seen at least 15 of them in the little crowd that formed for his soapbox speech, and yes, he’d counted merely for curiosity’s sake. This one was different however, and once Wendell was finished desperately wiping the spilled coffee from his pants, he found himself glancing back and forth between his savior and the businessman, picking up on the uncanny resemblance between them.

“I happened to have a business meeting at the Boston branch this morning. I guess it worked out since I knew you were in town for your little wrestling show and I was hopeful-”

“You shouldn’t be talking to me,” Dexter scoffed, turning away from the man. “I doubt your corporate overlords would be too pleased to see you talking with someone who’s trying to undermine their twisted little game-”

“Dex, can you please stop with all this nonsense?” the man pleaded. “My bosses don’t see you as some sort of threat. If anything, they’ve been just as worried about you as I have!”

“They should see me as a threat,” Dexter spat. “And then there’s you…why wouldn’t you just hear me out instead of shutting me down any chance I tried to have a civil conversation about what this digital disease was doing to everyone?”

“Do you even hear yourself Dex?” the man raised his voice. “We all thought it was just some phase you’d grow out of, but then you disappeared without a trace and the next thing we hear, you’re acting like some homeless nutjob preaching this nonsense? Dexter, we’re relieved that you’re alright and proud of the fact that you’ve somehow managed to become a pro wrestler, but-”

“Are you? Are you really?” Dexter wheeled around, getting nose to nose with the man. “Is it because becoming a wrestler is the first ‘normal’ thing I’ve done since graduating college? Has my concern over our family drifting apart because of the rise of social media and technological innovation as a whole not even resonated with any of you even after I went off the grid!?”

“Can you please stop making a scene?” the man looked around with concern, seeing that their argument was drawing unwanted attention.

“Why? Afraid your bosses are finally going to-”

“Damn it Dex, can’t you stop and listen to your father for just five minutes?”

Wendell let out a shocked gasp, taken by surprise at this revelation. Dexter’s father glanced over to him in curiosity, but Dexter himself paid his flunky no mind as he glared at his old man.

“Dad…do you remember when I was younger?” Dexter’s voice trembled a bit as his fists clenched tighter, his nails digging into his flesh. “How, no matter how busy you or mom were with work, you would always make time for family? Do you remember all the incredible summers we spent going on little adventures as a family through your vacations or all the family bonding we did that made us all so close?”

“I do Dex…” his father admitted. “I miss those moments so much…”

“Then why did our family start to drift apart? Why were we all suddenly too busy to spend time together? I know I was deep into college, but I still made the time, damn it!”

“Dex, life couldn’t be that kind to us forever,” his father lamented. “I got promoted, my place in the company was more important now and the raise was needed to keep a roof over our heads. Your mother had to take on extra shifts because so many of her co-workers were quitting. We tried Dex…we tried so very hard, but that doesn’t change the fact that we loved you, STILL love you, with all our hearts.”

“...then instead of just passing my sudden hatred of social media and big tech off as some weird rebellious phase, why did you never ask what brought it about?”

The tension on that street corner was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. It was far from silent by any means, but the silence you could imagine around the two men could’ve been shattered by something as simple as a pin dropping. Dexter kept glaring at his dad, expecting an answer, and all his dad could do was look away in shame.

“We can talk about it now,” he finally offered. “I can buy you a new coffee and-”

“I have other places to be,” Dexter cut him off, having his answer as he began to storm off. His dad reached out for him, but something seemed to hold him back following. Guilt, perhaps? That was the implication Wendell got before he found the man turning his attention to him.

“I, um… I should… yeah…” he stammered, pointing his thumb in the direction Dexter was heading before he quickly ran to catch up, leaving the man sighing in frustration that was maybe directed more towards himself than anything else. When Wendell caught up with Dexter, moving faster than he would’ve admittedly liked to keep pace with the Digital Detoxer’s unrelenting strides, he had to ask. “What was…?”

“None of your business Wendell,” Dexter spat, not turning to spare his follower a glance because he knew it would risk him locking eyes with his father once again.

He knew he was a walking hypocrisy right now. He’d spewed his vitriol to Wendell just a few minutes ago about children being stared of familial love and connections by this social parasite and feeling the need to earn their parents’ love…and here he was, having had that kind of love and care throughout his life, and yet he was walking away from it and keeping it cut out of his life. He knew his circumstances were far different, that he had his reasons and they were justified, at least to him. That didn’t make walking away any less painful, but Dexter knew his family weren’t on his side in this crusade of his, and he was in too deep to stop now.

Until he was sure his message had spread far enough and he could detox someone who could take up the mantle in his stead, this was his fight to lead, and the moment he gave up was the moment the human race was well and truly lost to the digital abyss forever.

In his mind, he still had to fight to save his family and everyone else, including the SCW roster, from this plague. Nothing else mattered…as painful and suffocating as that revelation was.

[Digitox]

The following DVD was delivered to SCW headquarters via mail, courtesy of Dexter Grant. Despite Dexter’s demands not to do so, the following video was extracted from the disc and uploaded for general viewing.

Perhaps it is surprising after what he provided last time that this time we get something that looks much clearer, a major step up in quality. Maybe it’s due to the limitations of being on the road and away from what he normally uses. Regardless, we find ourselves somewhere in the wilderness of Ottawa, the sun having long since set and the crickets chirping away late at night. The crackling of a fire is the only other sound that greets our ears as we, oddly, find ourselves focused on the ground beneath our feet. This doesn’t last too long, however, as our vision is soon filled by a large picture. Said picture shows the scene of Gavin Taylor being pinned by Simon Lyman at some point last year. Which of their two matches is it from? Hard to tell from the angle, but what isn’t hard to tell at all is how clear it is that Gavin lost. After a moment, the camera pulls back as we find ourselves looking over the familiar shoulder of the Digital Detoxer, who’s sitting on a log beside the fire we could hear as he just sneers down at this picture.

“The need for validation…some would say it’s a trait ingrained deeply into every human being. A psychological need for others to praise us and tell us that we’re doing a good job so we can feel good about ourselves, get that nice hit of dopamine to get through the day believing we can conquer the world. Ask yourselves something for a moment: how do you feed that addiction when things aren’t going your way? You really think mommy, daddy, your friends and so on are always going to tell you that everything’s alright, to keep your chin up and if you believe hard enough then everything will magically turn around? No, even those kinds of compliments grow stale after a while, because hearing it over and over again from the same few people is never enough. That’s the kind of thing social media as we know it today preys upon. Nobody’s really interested in what you did today or what your future plans are, but if you sugarcoat it enough then maybe you can grab some attention, get total strangers to give you some positive reinforcement that comes off entirely different than what you’ve heard before, and now you’ve got your motor running again.

Maybe you think I’m just making this up, but the facts speak for themselves. Just look at Gavin Taylor. Clearly he’s entering the twilight of his career, struggling to cobble together any semblance of victory, but if he accepts that then it’s all over. How dare the run of this supposed all-star end before he’s even truly accomplished anything of value that fans will be able to talk about years from now? That’s why he took so much offense to my attempts to help him, why he opted to attack me from behind after I showed him how it’s done. And yet, when he came up short yet again, did he finally decide to open himself up to the detoxing I know can help him? Of course not, he seized an opportunity to step back in time and try to right a wrong from his past, knowing that the hype from a third match between himself and Simon Lyman would get social media buzzing, wondering if he can finally beat this man if he tries again a year after their last encounter.

He knows he can’t get that kind of hype from a match with me. The influencers in his ear know that I am the vaccine for the cancer that is digitally infecting the minds of each and every one of you more and more by the day. To Gavin’s career, they see me as poison. In reality, I am the antidote to what’s already killing him, and sooner or later, he’ll come to terms with it once his career finds itself on life support, the last vestiges of his relevance slipping from his grasp.”

With a flick of his hand, the photo Dexter was holding is tossed into the fire. We zoom in enough to see the image being reduced to cinders, the crackle of the embers dancing into the air punctuating Dexter’s statement. Slowly, we move to almost take a seat adjacent to him, watching as Dexter leans forward, gazing into the flames in contemplation.

“I bet some of you are confused. After all, Gavin dared to attack me in retaliation for what I had to say. He was in the perfect position for me to strike back, a match where he couldn’t even benefit from a free win if I did so. And yet, I hung back, spoke my piece, and left him to fail once more all on his own. Shouldn’t I have at least thrown a temper tantrum at a prospective pay-per-view match slipping through my fingers?

At the end of the day…what does that truly accomplish?

I’m not surprised that none of you seem to fully grasp why I am here and how I choose to operate. As I’ve told my faithful follower Wendell, senseless destruction is not my endgame. Sure, it would put people into a physical state where getting on social media will be the least of their concerns, but how does that actually help anybody? I need to show people how much better off they can be if they simply listen to me, and at the end of the day, Gavin is merely one sick soul slowly dying to this digital disease. If he wants to refuse my attempts to save him, then I will simply let him destroy himself as his failures begin to mount and that dopamine high fails to keep him believing that his career in its current state is salvageable. Then, maybe then, he will understand what I’ve been telling him all along and open himself up to the help he needs, and despite his actions against me, I will still purge him of this corruptive cyber cancer.

That’s the thing, isn’t it? I’m not this psychotic monster you think I am, I’m not the bad guy at the end of the day…that’s merely the image that’s been painted of me by the big tech overlords to dissuade you from buying into what I have to say, distorting the truth because it would cost them billions of dollars and put them out of business before they continue to hurt and sell you all to further line their pockets. In that respect, my SCW record may be flawless thus far, but in terms of my actual mission I have been seemingly fighting a losing battle for many years now, making little headway in trying to get through to any of you.

Is it frustrating? Absolutely.

Am I going to cry about it in hopes that someone will pick me back up and tell me I can do it if I believe hard enough? Fuck no, I know full well that aside from Wendell at the moment, I’m practically alone in this endeavor.

But, as they say, when one door closes, another opens. And if Gavin is going to continue digging his own grave in a desperate attempt to avoid the truth I’ve laid out before him, then perhaps I can save another dopamine junkie before she crashes and burns. How does that sound, Marie?”

Dexter can’t help but laugh a bit, shaking his head as he keeps looking into the burning flames before him.

“The phoenix…the mythical bird made of fire who burned itself out on a funeral pyre before rising from its own ashes to try again anew. How many wrestlers over the years have built themselves around such an idea, painting this picture for the fans of somebody who will never stay down for long when things aren’t going their way because they can just pick themselves back up and try, try again until it all goes right? I think it’s safe to say you’re a dime a dozen in that regard Marie, but who cares because you’re of the belief that social media is pointless despite building yourself up in a way that allows for the proverbial phoenix to feed off of the attention of hashtags and trends to keep your flame burning bright, right?

Tell me something Marie: if it’s so pointless and you don’t spend too much time on it, then why do you even have an account at all? Why not cut it out of your life entirely and reap the benefits of no longer having that toxic presence downloading itself into your veins?

You said it yourself, it’s the tool of the modern age to expand and promote your brand, because how else would anybody be able to connect with Marie Jones and tell her how special she truly is so she has that fire to get back in the ring and prove she can bounce back after getting her ass kicked? Spin it however you want Marie, because I’ve heard all this trash before. None of it changes the reality that you, just like Gavin, by your own admission, are desperate for that feeling of validation in this business no matter how you get it. All that talk about how close you came to beating this champion or that one, reflecting on the wins you have gotten among the sea of defeats you’re drowning in, it’s a common tactic for people who are trying to generate sympathy so the mindless masses can take to their keyboards and their phones and send you endless messages of support, saying how much they believe in you and you can turn it all around with a win over me. Maybe even get a hashtag trending that demands SCW give you a title opportunity or else they’ll threaten to boycott the product, because they’ll never actually do it but no company would ever actually take that risk and you’ll reap the rewards from your little sob story.

‘Woe is me, I am Marie, and I don’t know what to do because I had my chance to make a name for myself and failed again. Oh, whatever will I do now, Phoenix fans?’

Boo. Fucking. Hoo.”

Dexter huffs as he stands up, reaching off to the side to grab a bucket. From the sloshing we can hear, it’s clear that this bucket is him practicing good fire safety in a forest by having water nearby to put it out once he’s done with it.

“This isn’t the so-called ‘wild west’ Marie. Those are just fancy buzzwords generated by the likes of Selena Frost and Josh Hudson to create a hashtag that will keep interest in their little pissing contest with each other until the former finally has her rematch and everyone can put their feud behind us and move on to the next big money match. The reality of Breakdown here in Ottawa this week is that regardless of the outcome, my mission doesn’t change. I don’t have to beat you to make you comprehend that I’m not your enemy, but rather your savior from the digital drivel that has clearly infected your way of thinking. If I lose, then I simply roll with the punches and find another target, just as I’ve always done with every setback I’ve faced in this desperate war I wage for the fate of the human race.

You, on the other hand…how much will Marie Jones spiral this time if she loses yet another match? How quickly will she beat herself up over a loss to the big, bad Dexter Grant so that her legions of followers can pick her back up and tell her to just try again?

I am not your enemy Marie. I am not walking into Breakdown looking to treat you like some stepping stone to further my own career. If you wish to buy into the monster I’ve been AI generated to be by the social media sycophants who want to see you put me out of my misery…then you will have no one but yourself to blame when I forcibly open your eyes and make you understand that there’s only one simple way for your phoenix to ever truly rise again and burn brighter than ever.

You, Marie, need to Disconnect…to Reconnect.”

With that, Dexter tips the bucket and douses the fire he’s been sitting at, putting it out for good and leaving us barely able to see a thing in the dark. Given that there’s nothing more to see anyway, perhaps it’s expected that we don’t linger for much longer before the video abruptly cuts.

~ ~ ~

Dexter can’t help but take a deep breath as he heads back to his truck with all that out of his system, Wendell following close behind as he reviews the footage they’ve just recorded to be sent in.

“Betting odds that SCW’s not going to listen to me and put this online just so they can make sure everyone has access to it?” he spits as he tosses the bucket into the truck bed.

“I’d say it’s a guarantee, no matter what format I put this in,” Wendell replies as he closes up the camera.

“Of course they wouldn’t listen to me,” Dexter almost laughed. “I tell them to do something and they refuse. I’m guessing it’s bad for business, or maybe they want to try and turn me and my crusade into some fancy trend to make me out like a hypocrite.”

“Maybe they just want to give your opponents a chance to actually see what you say about them so they have a chance to respond?” Wendell offered, which Dexter scoffed at.

“That’s their problem if they’re so desperate to hear someone say anything about them that they demand a chance to chase the dopamine high and it leads them into the dark belly of the digital beast.”

Dexter doesn’t waste any more time as he climbs into his truck, with Wendell scrambling into the passenger seat. The engine roars to life as the truck rumbles, ready to go, but Dexter just sits there for a moment. Wendell glances over at him, wondering if Dexter’s thinking about the chance encounter with his father from a few days ago. Truthfully, he’s noticed his savior ending up like this, staring blankly off into space and diving deeper into his own head, more frequently since that encounter, but he’s always been hesitant to reach out and offer him a chance.

But no more, he tells himself. He opens his mouth, ready to offer Dexter the chance to get it off his chest to a trusted friend.

“I know what you want to do Wendell, and I’m not talking about it with you.”

Wendell practically deflates in the passenger seat.

“Are you sure?” he still asks. “You look like you could use someone to talk to about it…”

“Wendell…” Dexter sighs. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. Lord knows you’ve been more devoted and trustworthy to me these past few years than probably anyone else I’ve ever met. Still…I don’t think you’d fully understand, and I’d rather keep my old family problems dead and buried where they belong. That Dexter Grant is dead, and if my past is going to insist on popping back up, then I’ll deal with it on MY terms if and when they agree to it.”

Wendell nods, knowing that’s probably all he’s going to get from Dexter as the Digital Detoxer begins driving the truck through the woods and back into town. Dexter doesn’t blame Wendell for wanting to help, and he truly wishes the kid could, but…if he were to be honest? Even he’s still trying to make sense of everything, and the only way he’s ever going to truly figure it all out is if he gets to open up to his family and they actually hear him out, something he doubts will ever truly happen since for as much as they love him, they’ve proven unwilling to believe that there was ever anything more to this transformation that made him the warrior he is today.

Until the impossible happens, his past is better off in the ditch he left it in…right next to what remains of Marie’s relevance if she truly wants to pick this fight with him come Breakdown.