Owen Lee vs. Polly Playtime

[Owen]

14th July 2021

Toronto

Owen sits in the reception area of SCW Headquarters, nervously picking at his fingers. When Daisy said that he may not appreciate her methods, he was beginning to understand why. When he’d woke after the first good night’s sleep, he’d had in a while, he’d believed he might be training, Daisy eager to get him back in the ring. What he didn’t believe was that he would be almost immediately bundled into a Taxi and sent to the airport to meet with Olek D. at SCW HQ. As he’d arrived, it had taken every inch of his being to get out and walk up to the reception. But in the back of his mind had been one thing. He couldn’t let Daisy down; he’d let too many people down already. She was all he had, and he was going to play this by the book, even if it meant swallowing his pride.

“You can go in now…”

The Secretary shouts over to Owen, and he gets to his feet, straightening his clothes and heading in the way he’d been directed. With a deep breath he opens the door and steps inside, his eyes widening almost immediately. 

Owen: Err, you’re not Olek.

Man: Very astute of you. Olek is concentrating on other things right now and has left me to deal with this situation. Please, take a seat Mr. Cruze.

He hated being called that, more so now than before. He also wasn’t keen on this guy’s condescending nature, but he remains calm. The quicker he could get out of here the better. He sits down, ignoring the urge to place his feet on the guy’s desk.

Man: My name is Edward Robson and I have been given full authority to conclude this sorry affair.

Owen: Bossman didn’t want trampling on again I take it?

The words were out before he could stop them, such was his disdain for all things SCW, and indeed Olek D..

Edward: I assure you; he would have loved to have been here today to see you eat humble pie, but he simply had better things to do with his time. 

Owen: So, he sent one of the minions who had nothing to do huh? Figures. I’d be offended… if I gave a shit. Can we just get on with it?

Edward: Of course. So…

He takes a folder from his briefcase, and from that folder a piece of paper, which he slides across the table.

Edward: This is the terms of your fine, the reasoning’s as to why the company feels this course of action is required. 

Owen picks up the paper and looks at it almost disdainfully. It wasn’t like he couldn’t afford it having sold his clothing line only a few months ago, added to the funds from his house sale that had now gone through.

Owen: Cool, I’ll get that sorted.

Edward nods his head, a smile on his face born from the fact he felt he was doing the SCW’s work. He never thought he’d be giving this amount of responsibility but here he was. He pulls another, thicker bundle of paper this time, held together with a paper clip at the top.

Edward: Once those funds have gone through and the company is satisfied, this will then form the basis of your new contract with Supreme Championship Wrestling. I’m sure you will find that even with your recent actions and subsequent ban from wrestling, we have been more than generous towards you.

He pushes the contact across the table, Owen picking it up and reading it, almost bursting out into a laugh.

Owen: And this is Olek’s offer, after all I have done for this company?

Edward: No, as I confirmed at the start of this meeting, I have full authority.

Owen: Thought so, not even Olek could be as disrespectful as to make me an offer like this. I’m one of the biggest draws this company has. My merchandise sales are through the roof year on year. I’m one of the most marketable competitors in the world and THIS is what you think I’m worth?

For the first time Edward seems to get a little flustered and out of his comfort zone.

Edward: You assaulted the highest-ranking figure in this company Mr. Cruze. For that, you may not be as marketable as you seem. Your popularity has taken a visible nosedive over the past few months and as such, yes, that is what we think you are worth, and you would be well advised to sign your name today, before we change our mind.

Owen: Would I?

Edward: If you wish to compete for Supreme Championship Wrestling, then yes you would.

Owen is now getting to the point where Edward is starting to annoy him. His tone, and his actions proving Owen’s every word, that SCW didn’t care about him, and he had become expendable once they had gotten what they wanted from him. With his net worth, it wasn’t about the money, far from it. It was all about respect, and right now, he felt less than respected, regardless of what he had done in the past. 

Owen: You know something bro, there was once a time when I would have literally bent over this desk and let you have your wicked way with me for a contract like that. I would have taken the shit that this company has put me through ten times over. But you see, I don’t need this company anymore, and I’m guessing that Olek is of the opinion that he doesn’t need me either. So, how’s about, instead of me signing this worthless piece of paper, you get the calculator out and work out how much it will take me to buy myself out of my current contract. Then, add it to the fine and email me the numbers… I’ll even promise to pay it, no matter how much it is. 

Owen leans forwards, looking Edward right in the eyes.

Owen: Because I AM done with this company sunshine, and I’m never coming back. And believe me, it’s entirely your loss.

Owen gets to his feet, and pushes in the chair before heading towards the door, Edward getting to his feet, knowing the meeting had gone sideways

Edward: Are you sure we can’t come to an agreement?

Owen smirks at the guys obvious change of tune, maybe Olek wasn’t expecting this, maybe he was, but it certainly didn’t matter either way. He turns, and raises his middle finger, grinning from ear to ear.

Owen: There’s your agreement, I’ll expect your email before the end of the day.

He opens the door, with every intention of leaving it at that, but he turns once more.

Owen: Say Hi to Olek for me, won’t you?

With that he shuts the door and walks past the receptionist without even acknowledging her. He meant what he said, no matter the value he would pay it, to get himself away from a company he firmly believed had almost ended his career and left him believing that this was no longer what he wanted. And he would NEVER go back. EVER

13th January 2022

Unknown Location

Owen sits on a sidewalk, looking up at the stars and the moon in the night sky. He seems calm, relaxed, and in a good place right now. Bringing his eyes down from the sky, and looking directly into the camera lens he salutes, before he starts to speak.

/RECORDING

“I didn’t deserve that.”

He smiles, his words giving the impression that he is troubled by something when he isn’t.

“The reaction from the crowd as I had my hand held aloft in victory… that was a shock.”

He looks at the concrete for a moment before he continues.

“Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate it, truly I do. But the fact remains that there is still so much that I need to fix. Drake was the beginning, an almost inevitable result borne from Hemingway obviously failing to understand the assignment he’d been given. But this is only the start, there is so much still to do.”

He grins again, whilst nodding his head.

“We move.”

Owen wrings his hands together in front of him, showing both his determination to succeed in his quest whilst also his need to warm them in the night air.

“But how does it feel Drake, knowing that you failed the one job you’ve been given of late. If people get in the Jackal’s business, they are forcibly removed from their way, that’s the way the blurb reads is it not? You were supposed to do one thing Drake, beat the guy that had been away from SCW for six months and make him regret him ever coming back. And you failed… categorically. Now, Kandis must clean up after you, as she has on so many occasions. Kandis steps up to the plate to stop me in my tracks before my return starts to gain some momentum. And perhaps she will, there is no doubting that she is, at least these days, an extremely talented girl who has learned from the mistakes of her past. But Drake, how sure of your place are you right now in the Jackals? Is it not with a certain sense of inevitably that you now come to work knowing that it is only a matter of time before you cease to be useful to the cause and you go the way of the ‘Konrad’? Don’t misunderstand Drake, I’m not saying I care, because I don’t. People like you don’t deserve sympathy, whether you need it or not. What I AM saying is that you must have known this would happen since Day One. Tommy and Kandis are bonded together, in that there is no doubt, but anyone else that joins them is nothing more than a tool. Only there should they be required to assist the two of them in getting what they want. Get out of there or pay the price. Make your move towards ensuring that the Jackals are confined to history forever as a forgettable moment in the history of SCW. At least then bro, you may be remembered for something when this sorry tale is told in the future.”

Owen shrugs his shoulders, wasn’t his problem.

“And speaking of you Kandis, I saw you getting acquainted with Shaun on Breakdown, and you move pretty quickly to get what you want. I like that. And I gotta say, it was good seeing how things are going to be around here with Shaun pulling the strings. I got in your business; you’ve been given the opportunity to make me pay for that decision. Do I hold Shaun responsible for that decision? Nope. Do I blame him for putting me in the firing line? Nope.”

He points at his chest.

“I was the one that did that Kandis. The moment I ran down that ramp and started swinging at anything that defined itself as Jackal. I don’t care that I’m facing you at Body, Heart and Soul Kandis, and do you know why? It was all a part of the process. Who would those people that I let down so badly most like eradicated from SCW? Who is STILL hurting the company that I cast aside with literally no thought for what I was doing six months ago? Both time the answer is the Jackals. Screw your motives, what matters is you crave success, and you don’t give a shit who you hurt doing it. I need to prove that I have learned from my mistakes, and will stop at nothing to get pack those people’s faith in ME. Why did I go up against a group who will have the number game at every turn? Sounds crazy right? And I guess it is. The answer is simple, sacrifice. Sacrifices must be made, for me to claim back my name, and who I am. Regardless of the odds, it’s something I simply HAD to do.”

A deep sigh escapes his lips, and his closes his eyes for just a moment, still speaking.

“Which brings me to you Polly Playtime. And I apologize for the delay in getting to you, lot’s going on right now hun. But don’t for one second believe that my focus isn’t all over you and what you are trying to achieve right now in this company. Because although I need to rebuild peoples trust in me and who I truly am, at the same time I realize that when it comes to SCW, I stand right now on the bottom rung of the ladder. Imagine that for a second Polly, a former World Champion able to come out here and say that. But why not? After all, that IS my reality. But you won’t be able to imagine that will you? Because you’ve never been there. Before I left, you were pretty much in the same position you are now, banging on that glass ceiling and trying everything to break through. That’s not a bad thing Polly, it takes time, and sometimes years to achieve your ‘level’, not everyone can become World Champion at nineteen years old…”

He laughs, clearly joking.

“But that’s not really my point. My point is that the last time we faced off, I was clearly in the main event and championship picture. I was facing THE very best this company has to offer, and regularly beating the top names. Right now, I am not that person. I am firmly at the bottom, looking up at you, whilst at the same time knowing I can beat you. Do you know how hungry that makes a person Polly? Knowing you are better than someone, whilst accepting that right now their standing is on a higher level than yours. I’m not saying I’m an underdog Polly, I’m clearly not that. What I am saying is I’m not looking at titles right now like I was before. I’m not looking at Selena Frost, or CID and think I should be facing them. I’m looking at YOU, warning YOU that I am coming to take YOUR place. Drake, you, Kandis… regardless of feeling, or emotion, all part of the same purpose. Getting me back where I was one year ago before the rot set in. 

And by ‘rot’ do you know what I mean Polly?

I mean, the love I had for this business was non-existent. Everything that I had felt for this business, the fans, my colleagues and friends… it had all gone. I was on a spiral, and worse still, I was failing to heed my own words. I don’t know how many times I’ve said it over the course of my career Polly, but I’d always been a believer that when things were going wrong, you looked at yourself. You looked in the mirror, and you embraced what you see. 

I got away from that.

I started blaming others, people that were blameless. I blamed the company, the people that had been with me whilst I made my reputation. They were at fault, not me. They needed to pay. OLEK needed to pay. You know, looking back, maybe a little piece of Giovanni Aries made its way into my blood stream. Perhaps he was the one who turned my head. But I don’t blame him, I blame me. I blame myself for not being strong enough to realize that his meanderings were nothing more than bullshit. I blame myself for throwing away the work ethic I was known for and started down the dark path I’d berated so many for. The EASY path. Thankfully I was stopped, before the effects became irreversible. Thankfully someone cared enough to take me in, straighten my mind, and bring me back from the abyss.”

He chuckles to himself

“Why am I saying this Polly?

What does this have to do with you?

Simple.

Do not make the mistakes that Drake Hemingway did in believing that I am the same person that you faced all those months ago. Please, don’t think that by watching a few hours of footage you are going to know how to combat whatever I do when we step in the ring on Breakdown. The high flying, high risk individual that won the World Championship, Tag team Championship amongst other accolades hasn’t gone, I am still able to take do that if the situation needs it, but I am far more levelheaded, and a more rounded competitor than I ever was, capable of existing in any environment I am placed in… an evolved version of what was. Evolution isn’t putting on a pair of fairy wings Polly, it’s improving to the point that you are able to take each step confidently. In time, I will achieve my goals and reach the top, but right now, it’s YOU that I must defeat. And Polly, that is exactly what I intend on doing.”

Owen gets to his feet, shoving his hands into his pockets

“And you’ll dispute that, and make your own claims about your imminent victory because after all, that’s what we do isn’t it? I make claims, you make counter claims and then on the show someone proves that they were the ones in the right. But you see that’s the thing, I don’t assume victory. I didn’t against Drake, I won’t against you, and I certainly won’t against someone who’s been dominating most of the time whilst I’ve been away in Kandis. That’s where being level-headed comes in, something I learned from a good friend in another wrestling promotion. The fact that no matter who you are, even if you are a fabled Icon, loved by all even with a penchant for lies and deceit, you still lose some. No fuckers perfect. 

That’s why I am here. 

Losing to Drake wouldn’t have changed anything. Losing to Kandis won’t. Losing to you might be hard to take, but take it I will, as a RE-learning curve as I make my way to where I want to be. I’m not going to go off the rails again. I’m not going to be looking towards management, even dear old Shaun, if I fail. I won’t find myself drowning in another pit of despair like the daily mocked Calamity Cruze.”

He shakes his head confirming the fact.

“I’ll fight.

And that is the biggest difference of all now Polly, I’m not just a wrestler, I’m a fighter. I’m willing to fight for anything and everything that I am about to achieve. Everything I do from this point; I will work for. Everything I achieve I will have earned. And that’s the thing Polly, I listen to you, and I don’t hear anything like that desire. I watch you work, and I don’t see someone who wants to be the very best in the business, or at least someone who is willing to get as far as she possibly can. I see someone with talent, yes. I see someone with character, yes. What I don’t see is someone with the determination to succeed, that courses through your veins like it does with someone like me. Oh, right now I know my place Polly, but make no bones about it, I won’t ever be satisfied sitting at the bottom of any pile. Not a chance. I will succeed, I will be worthy, and I will be champion again. On that you can mark my words. So, no offense Polly, I don’t care which persona you bring to the ring, all that I see right now is an obstacle. Another obstacle that must be overcome to ensure that my redemption is one step closer. Give it your all, everything you have. Spill your guts, spit your venom, and make this match one of the most hyped on Breakdown if you want. Do it, please I beg of you. Coz I don’t come to play Polly, and I don’t come to lose. I step into that ring right smack bang in the middle of the United Center in Chicago with one sole intention. Building on what I did to Drake Hemingway, and making it abundantly clear to all those in attendance, and those streaming online, that I am once again someone to be reckoned with. Someone who cannot be taken lightly. Someone who now has all the tools in his arsenal to not fulfill someone else’s legacy, but to build my own...”

He looks up at the sky once more, admiring its beauty.

“Dispute that if you will. Refuse to accept that as truth if that feeds your ego. It doesn’t really matter. All you need to know is that I’m here, and I’m taking back my name, one step at a time. 

Polly Playtime, you ARE that next step. 

Enjoy YOUR place, in MY history.”

He winks at the camera, as the scene slowly fades.