-I Am Jack’s Wayward Reflection-
(Jack Russow has a weird little quirk...surprise, surprise. But THIS particular quirk is trying to find the single worst movies mankind has ever created and daring those closest to him to try and make it all the way through...his current target?
Alanah O’Connell.The epitome of what you can call less than a movie he’s subjecting her to?
Birdemic: Shock And Terror.We open with a shot of Jack sitting in the windowsill looking out over the bustling metropolis of Osaka...we hear stiffly delivered lines as we pan to show Alanah O’Connell snuggled on the couch cuddling a disinterested Pipsqueak the Papillon. Laying to the left of her with her head resting ever so gently on her mommy’s leg lies sweet Lady. And completely sprawled out in the corner upside down grunting in his sleep is the less than enthused Potato.)
Waitress on Movie at overblown decible level: HI!
Alanah O’Connell: JESUS! What the...why was that so loud!? Why does she have an acce-WHY IS HE CHASING DOWN A RANDOM WOMAN ON THE STREET!?
(Jack smiles as he flips through a photo album he promised Emma Russow he’d carry with him on tour so he never forgets where he comes from...he looks at the first picture of Star Stormz holding him while a frazzled Levi scrambles for a bottle.)
Jack Russow: This was my first day in PWSi. Little did I know what was waiting for me…
(He flips the page and he sees a sweaty Levi holding him in the ring, sitting him on the fallen body of a former PWSi competitor who will not be named...we’ll just say it rhymed with...Tonicbaker. Jack chuckles slightly at the sight.)
Jack Russow: Whattya know! My first ever official win in a professional wrestling ring. See for those who don’t know the history? My dad came into this company...newly widowed. See, not a lot of you know this but Emma Russow isn’t my biological mom. My mom’s name was Elise. She died giving birth to me. From what I hear? She was tough as nails...former MMA fighter in her own right. Emma was her training partner...dad was struggling...Emma stepped in to help cause she promised Elise. One thing lead to another and...well...when ya spend so much time together...and ya know each other so well. See both of ‘em claim, my hand to God, that mom came to them in separate dreams and told them it was okay. I know, I know...sounds pretty hokey right? *shrugs* What can I say, man? This is my life.
(Jack runs a thumb over the picture.)
Jack Russow: So dad got matched up with this dude...and this dude said that dad not only didn’t belong in PWSi...he didn’t belong in a ring AT ALL. Well...he didn’t know much about bein’ a dad...but he was a 29 time Heavyweight champion, over ten year vet. So dad knew he had to make an impact...so he told the guy “Yeah? Well YOU’RE so outta my league, my KID could beat you!” and so! The match comes...Dad just absolutely DECIMATES the guy. Just no chance in Hell...and to prove his point, he slid outta the ring and went to Emma in the front row...he scooped me up, he climbed us back into the ring, he sat me on the guy’s chest and made the ref count the one, two, three! And BOOM, baby! Jack Russow is the youngest competitor to ever win a PWS sanctioned match!
Alanah O’Connell: WHAT THE BLEEDIN’ HELL KINDA CELEBRATION WAS THAT!? WHO SELLS A COMPANY FOR A BILLION DOLLARS EVEN!? WHAT DO THEY EVEN SELL!? WHY...IS THIS CALLED BIRDEMIC...AND I AIN’T SEEN A SINGLE BLEEDIN’ BIRD!?
(Jack silently laughs at her losing her mind over the trivial dullness of what he’s putting her through as he flips the album. He sees the picture of his father...draped as King of the Ring. And standing next to him his mother...draped as Queen of the Ring. They looked magnificent...like ACTUAL royalty.)
Jack Russow: Nah see this...THIS was a big one. Mom and Dad...King and Queen of the Ring at the SAME TIME...man, that was huge. “The PWS Power Couple” and bruh, were they ever. There were plenty of couples lined up that took exception to that...challengers for the throne as it were. They didn’t just win King and Queen of the Ring at the same time...they took their title shots and became CHAMPIONS at the same time! Like...HOLY SHIT!!! Who even DOES that, y’know!?
Alanah O’Connell: WHY IS THIS BITCH HALF NAKED!? WHAT ARE THEY DO-THAT’S NOT HOW YOU...WHAT’S WITH THE FOOTSIE THING!? WE ARE LIKE 40 MINUTES INTO THIS MOVIE AND THERE’S NO GOSH DARN BIR-OHHHH MY GOD...WHY...WHY ARE THE- JACK, SERIOUSLY. THE BIRDS ARE DIVE BOMBING AND IT’S MAKING AIRPLANE SOUNDS!!!
(Jack closes the album and calmly gets up walking over and kissing her on the forehead as Pip silently glares at him because Alanah is holding him like a baby and he’s telling Jack he better not dare interfere with his lovins time. Jack winks at him and whispers in Alanah’s ear…)
Jack Russow: ...just wait til you get to the finale, my love...I’ll be right back.
(Jack saunters into the bedroom part of the villa as he gives one last loving look towards everything in the world that makes him okay...he slowly closes the door then rests his head against it.)
Jack Russow: Memory lane. Is closed for renovations.
(Jack turns around with an absolutely menacing glare on his face as he walks over to the bed with a bit of pep in his step and starts sorting his ring gear.)
Jack Russow: I wanted to wait until it was just me...and the camera. I wanted to distract her so she would be out of earshot because here’s the thing, “Milo”...Alanah actually likes you! You beat the ever-loving fuck outta each other and she took your title...but she still likes you.
...but
me?(Jack viciously throws his kneepads against the pillow as he leans onto his suitcase glaring out the window ahead of him.)
Jack Russow: That was my dad’s memory lane. That was the past...I’M supposed to build off of. D’you wanna know...what MY memory lane is “Milo”? My memory lane is you...taking each and every shortcut you could find. MY memory lane...is you being an outright PRICK to me all throughout training because of my LAST NAME. MY MEMORY LANE...IS YOU...PURPOSEFULLY FAILING TO CATCH ME ON A DIVE. D’you think I’d forget all that, Milo? D’you think it was all gonna just be...let bygones be bygones?
(Jack runs his hands through his hair as he starts getting a little more wild with it now.)
Jack Russow: See I’ve sucked it up and I’ve played nice because you and Alanah have a lovely little respect for one another...groovy. You and my best friend Mack seem to have a history of trying to kill each other so HEY! PINTS ALL AROUND RIGHT!? But you...and me?
...nothin’...there’s NOTHIN’ there…
Jack Russow: See...I graduated my dad’s school...and I went RIGHT in to two others. And I did it all under a fake name because I would have FLASHBACKS...of YOU...and you detested me for the STUPIDEST REASONS you BABY-OILED FUCKWIT!!! You hated me because I was a RUSSOW...that fact alone made that class ten times harder for me. Did you think “THE ICEMAN LEVI RUSSOW” was gonna take it easy...was gonna let his own LEGACY be ill-prepared? No no no...I put in TWICE the amount of work, endured TWICE the amount of punishment, and earned TWICE the amount of degradation from mealy-mouthed pricks like YOU. So that’s step one...I was a Russow.
(Jack gives a kinda cocky chuckle illuminating on step number two.)
Jack Russow: Step number two...Bella. You hated me...because Bella and I were best friends, we had a connection, we shared EVERYTHING together. And you kept nipping at her heels like a horny little shih tzu. And I told her...I BEGGED her...NOT to give you the time of day so naturally? She gives you the time of day. That’s fine. But here’s the thing “Milo”...d’you know...WHY she gave you the time of day?
...to make ME...JEALOUS.
Jack Russow: She wanted ME, Milo...NOT you. YOU...were a pawn in her plan to GET to me. And honestly? The thought had crossed my mind multiple times...I mean why not? We’re both immensely attractive. We know everything about each other ANYWAY. It was almost like...we were ALREADY together. But the one thing I regret...is the hurt in Bella’s eyes...from the one thing none of us saw comin’
*From The Other Room*
Alanah O’Connell: ...SO THE COWBOY PULLED A GUN AND INSTEAD OF STEALING THE GAS HE COMMANDED THEY LET HIM PAY THEM FOR IT!? WHAT THE HEC- DID A FALCON JUST DO A FLY-BY AND SLIT HIS THROAT!? JACK ALEXANDER RUSSOW WHAT IS THIS!?!?!?
(Jack looks towards the door and the warm smile crawls across his face once more.)
Jack Russow: I met...the single most important part of my life...seemingly out of nowhere. And with me no longer in contention? You just looked...like a neutered, dejected little asshole. You couldn’t even close the deal when I was out of the picture because when she actually had to pay attention to you she FINALLY saw you as the slack-jawed prick you actually were! And so she moved on to the next person she thought would catch my attention...to boil my blood...to make me angry! But it didn’t matter...Malachi was twice the prick you were...but he didn’t matter...and you DEFINITELY didn’t matter…
…’cause I had ‘lanah.(Jack stares into the mirror behind him turning around.)
Jack Russow: ...and now I have to show the world...but the world doesn’t matter. It’s not them I have to earn the approval of. I have to show my FAMILY...my uncles...my siblings...my mother...and especially my father. That I DESERVE to use the last name “Russow”, I DESERVE to wear my father’s old ring jacket, I DESERVE...to be the NEXT GENERATION OF PWS. Do you see? Can you even FATHOM...the PRESSURE I’m under to deliver right now? The Sword of Damocles is swinging over my neck and it has “RUSSOW” engraved right into the hilt of it. I...HAVE...TO WIN.
(Jack slaps the counter twice and flings himself back towards the camera.)
Jack Russow: So where...does that leave me and you, “Milo”. I spilled...a LOT of bad blood in this little diatribe. I opened Pandora’s Box on every single harsh feeling of resentment and vengeance I’ve wanted to extract on you from the beginning and NOW? NOW I get my chance. And I’d like to THINK...that all that bad blood...all that tension...all that history could be charged and left in that ring...and I could finally see you as an equal. MAYBE even...as a friend.
...because you’ve changed, Miles. You’ve changed...for the better. You’re not the snot-nosed cocky shitheel I met a year or two ago. You’ve done...GREAT things. And you even offered to have our backs in the war against Syn and for THAT...you DO have my respect. But my acceptance? My adoration? My commendation?
...kid...you gotta come earn it. See you out there.
Alanah O’Connell: Oh for Heaven’s sake...THIS WAS ALL AN EDUCATIONAL VIDEO ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING!? JACK ARE YOU EVEN KIDDING ME!? GET OUT HERE. GET. OUT. HERE. WE ARE WATCHING LOVE, ACTUALLY. AND THEN WE’RE WATCHING A WALK TO REMEMBER. AND, AND, AND...AND THEN I’LL THINK OF ANOTHER! AND YOU DO *NOT* GET TO COMPLAIN *OR* FALL ASLEEP!
(Jack shoots one last cheeky wink into the camera as he throws his head back and strained croaks out…)
Jack Russow: Yes dear...coming dear…
(Jack turns and walks out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him as we fade to black.)