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2:30 PM, On a Tuesday
Cameron, NC
Off-Camera
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bzzzt.
bzzzt.
bzzzt.
Why couldn’t his sister just leave him alone? Didn’t she understand he had his own issues to deal with, and that just maybe he didn’t want his sister keeping tabs on him wherever he went? He had flown back home to North Carolina just to get away for a bit, and she just wouldn’t stop calling. Well, she could try all day, he wasn’t answering anytime soon. It was almost lunchtime in California, hopefully Ace was taking her out or something, so she could bother him for a while. Plus he brought his new girlfriend Cassie along, and planned to introduce her. Victoria could go to voicemail for now.
He didn’t really know why he had flown home, but he just felt he needed to for a while. With a big match against Havoc coming up, it could just be him wanting return to his roots.
raprapraprapraprap
No answer from the door, maybe his mother wasn’t home. Her car wasn’t in the driveway, but she usually parked in the garage. He knocked again, and got nothing. Nearby the doorway on a small stand was a pewter figure of a lion laying down on a rock, Vincent picked it up to retrieve the spare key underneath, and let himself inside.
[Vincent] Mom? Are you home? It’s Vincent, and I brought someone for you to meet.
No answer. She must have gone somewhere, grocery shopping maybe. Speaking of which, he was a bit hungry, at her request, he directed Cassie to the bathroom, and headed to the kitchen. The fridge was pretty well stocked, so the grocery shopping theory held little water. Well, wherever his mom was he was sure she’d be home soon, he gathered together the ingredients to make a turkey club sandwich, and began the assembly process when he heard the voice, his fathers voice.
[Vincent Sr.] Raiding the refrigerator again son?
The knife Vincent was holding clanked to the ground, his father passed away some five years ago now, this was impossible, yet as he turned..there he was, Vincent Sr.
[Vincent] ….Dad?
[Vincent Sr.] Been a while hasn’t it?
[Vincent] But..you’re dead.
[Vincent Sr.] And yet here I am.
[Vincent] How is this possible?
[Vincent Sr.] That answer lies only inside of you.
None of this made sense, he shouldn’t be able to be speaking to his father like this. Yet there his father was, standing before him in the family kitchen. He had to be going crazy or something.
[Vincent Sr.] I’m proud of you, you know. You and your sister both. I know both of you are on a bumpy path at the moment, but it happens to all of us. I believe you both can turn this around. You can defeat Havoc at Shogun, and your sister will pull herself out of the funk she finds herself in.
[Vincent] And what if I don’t? What if I fail once again against Havoc. I need to pull my career out of this stagnant place it’s been in, just as much as Victoria needs to figure out how to get her first victory. The Revolutionaries can’t win their battle on Renee Jonae alone. She needs us to step up, and currently my sister and myself are not achieving that. If I can’t regain the Affliction Championship, then I don’t know where my career goes from there. Maybe everything Havoc says about me is right.
[Vincent Sr.] You know that isn’t true. Don’t let Havoc get into your head now. Did you see that rant of his a few weeks ago. He’s on edge and you’re getting into his head more than he lets on. You need to stop thinking about what happens if you lose, and start thinking about what happens if Havoc loses.
[Vincent] That’s a big if.
[Vincent Sr.] And you need stop with that self doubt nonsense. You’re better than that and you know it. Havoc sees you as a joke, not taking you seriously. You need to show him that how mistaken he is, that you are to be taken seriously. Losing his championship to you right now, would demoralize him.
[Vincent] I just don’t know if I can truly get it done. I’ve tried, and I’ve tried. I’m starting to wonder if I have what it takes anymore. I just fill myself with this false confidence, knowing deep down I probably won’t get the job done.
[Vincent Sr.] That simply isn’t the truth, and it’s your own lack of confidence that’s holding you back. Havoc is human just like you, and he’s fallible just like you. But if you keep doubting yourself, then you will continue to come up short.
[Vincent] Seems like Victoria is the one who should be hearing this.
[Vincent Sr] Don’t bring your sister into this, this is about you. Your sister is doing the best she can and had her own career to focus on.
[Vincent] Yet she keeps sticking her nose in mine.
[Vincent Sr] She just cares is all, you should take it easy on her. She’s doing what she can. The Lyons girls tend to be like that, I went through it with your mother.
[Vincent] I know...and I guess I’m worried about her too. I don’t think she’s taking these losses well.
[Vincent Sr.] You just need to be there to support her, but don’t lose focus of yourself.
[Vincent] It’s not easy.
[Vincent Sr.] It’s not supposed to be easy. Just get it together, focus and take home that championship for the second time.
[Vincent] I’ll try.
[Vincent Sr.] No. Don’t try. Only do.
Vincent nodded.
[Vincent] Yeah, I get it. Find that confidence in myself again, and Havoc will be a cakewalk. I can put an end to him. I know I can.
This time a feminine voice responded, it was Cassie.
[Cassie] Vincent?...Who are you talking to?
Vincent looked around, he could no longer see or hear his father in the room, it was as though he was never there at all.
[Vincent] Oh..uh, nobody. I’m okay...want em to make you a sandwich?
Maybe he was going crazy, but he didn’t need to tell his new girlfriend that he just had a full on conversation with his deceased father. In fact he probably should keep that away form Victoria as well, he didn’t need anyone thinking he was going crazy.
[Cassie] Yeah, a sandwich sounds nice.
Vincent smiled back at his new lady, and after a small romantic embrace, he assembled both of their sandwiches, and the two spent the rest of the afternoon Netflix and chilling. Before leaving the home later than evening, he left a note on the kitchen table for his mom in case she wondered where all the turkey went.
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11:30 PM, On a Tuesday
Cameron, NC
Taped for WWH.com and all its affiliates
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Ashes of The Wake would probably call it something like taking his ball and going home. To VIncent, he really just wanted to get back to his roots, go back to the place he grew up and maybe find that extra edge he needed to finally defeat Havoc.
He took to setting up a camera, late at night in the wooded area behind his family's North Carolina home. It’s quiet, save for the few owls and the sudden crunch of leaves, beneath Vincent's feet as he emerges from the darkness behind some trees.
[Vincent] So before I can get to Havoc, I have to tangle with the mini-boss. Nikki Caldwell. Havocs little pet. Last week, we showed you that The Revolutionaries are not afraid to take the fight to you. We will continue to stand tall in these dark times. It’s not all just Ashes of The Wake, there’s darkness everywhere. Sah’ta Thor is being mysterious and possibly looking to create his own army, and now this Thomas Bane fellow sends a cryptic threat to end Dystopia? WWH needs heroes now, more than ever and I will do everything in my power to step up and be one of those heroes.
Vincent takes a moment to let his words settle in, keeping an obsession in his eyes that we’ve seen over the past few months.
[Vincent] It seems I have found myself in the middle of some sort of family affair. You mentioned before our last encounter about my sister and I being too close, like we haven’t heard that tired old joke before. But at least we get along...generally. We are sort of going through a rough spot since last Dystopia, but it’s nothing like you and your brother V is it? I saw what happened on Sanatorium, and those alligator tears don’t fool me. You loved every second of what you did to your brother. I ask you Nikki, was it all to please Havoc? Because that’s what I think.
Vincent sighs, and leans back against a nearby tree.
[Vincent] Either way, he’s probably pretty pissed off, and now he’s reffing our match. I’m not too concerned about it. I have no ill-will to your brother and as far as I know he has none for me. V can do as he wishes, so long as he keeps it out of my way. Truthfully, it’s you who needs to be concerned, it’s pretty safe to say this one looks to be in my favor. Now, if you think that means I’m just going to take it easy, you’re wrong. Understand that as long as you stand with Havoc and are part of Ashes of The Wake, you are my enemy and you need to be eliminated, or at least sent back to Sanatorium where you can be champion of the crazy people.
Vincent's eyes shift to the side, he's remembering something from earlier, he shakes it off however.
[Vincent] This is a match Havoc needs to watch close, because I am going to put down his ward, his sidekick, his whatever the fuck you want to call it. So I just hope he watches close as I once again send you back to him, your head hanging in defeat. I hate Havoc and everything he stands for, and I’m tired of him treating me and anyone who chooses to associate with me like a joke. Sure, there was a time when I used people like Bill and Simon to do my own bidding, but that isn’t me anymore. I never said I was perfect. I’ve made my mistakes, but I’m on a different path now, and I assure you I am keeping with my balance, never moving too far into the light, but also never getting too lost in the darkness.
The camera flashes on a side profile of Vincent's painted face, where the word BALANCE is scrawled across his cheek, it quickly cuts back to the front facing shot from before.
[Vincent] There’s chaos all around us it seems, but through it all I will prevail. The Revolutionaries will prevail. I will defeat Havoc, Renee will win Shogun, and my sister will continue to be relentless despite her recent shortcomings.
Victoria wasn’t going to like that he was going with Renee to win Shogun, but what did she expect? If he couldn’t be honest about it, then he wasn’t really helping Victoria at all.
[Vincent] Whatever is going on with you and your brother, is between the two of you. My business is with Havoc, and intend to make an example out of you. Understand this Amazon, you are stepping into MY jungle and here, the lion reigns as king.
The camera flash zooms into a closeup of Vincent's face.
[Vincent] When I’m done with you Nikki Caldwell, you run back to Havoc. You run back and you tell him that Vincent Lyons Jr is a changed man, and you tell him he needs to be scared because The Young Lion is on the prowl, and his hunger can only be satisfied by feasting on a king. The Revolution will be successful, and the Ashes of The Wake will fall.
The camera flash zooms back out, to Vincent, who is firmly holding his fist tot he sky, he stays in position until the scene fades to black.
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