AS46: Drake Callahan vs. Blade vs. Phoenix vs. Gordito - King for a Day Qualifier

[Ty Burna]

After all the card changes last week, Drake Callahan missed out on the opportunity to qualify for the KFAD Elimination Chamber. This mistake has been rectified as he gets his chance but this time he'll have to take on three men who failed to qualify for it the first time around and all are hungry in getting into the chamber. Callahan has been on a roll as of late but can he make it through three other men: one being a disgruntled Blade who suffered a loss to his rival Rush; another in Gordito who hasn't been hitting the ball as of late; or Phoenix, the man who Callahan faced twice before and is looking to extract revenge.

Deadline is Wednesday, April 4th at 11:59 PM EST.​

 

[Blade]

Blade walks through the halls, Hammond and Overlast walking behind the night of Ascension. They look with some concern at their leader whose face is stony and cold while occasionally taking a drag from his cigarette. As he walks through the halls swiftly, various crew members and other wrestlers look at Blade with some fear as if he will snap at them at any moment. As he walks past various ground floor offices, Vance Bateman watches him coming.

Bateman: Blade, I need a word with you.

Blade: No, you don’t.

Blade walks past Bateman, leaving the co-owner looking livid. Hammond and Overlast stare at their feet as they pass Bateman, not daring to make eye contact with him. As Blade continues down the halls, it’s the interviewers that feel the wrath next.

Rebecca Serra: Hey, the audience wants to know what’s going on with you?

Blade: Then the audience is who I will talk to. I don’t need you to be the middle man! You’re not worth my time anymore.

Rebecca looks genuinely hurt as Blade continues towards Gorilla Position. Even the likes of Showtime and Wasabi Toyota seem somewhat apprehensive as Blade storms past. He reaches Gorilla position and grabs the producer by the arm and pulls him forward.

Blade: Hit my music. Now.

Producer: What? Why? The crowd has just started coming in. Most are still queuing or at the concession stands.

Blade: I don’t care.

Producer: The show doesn’t go on the air for another hour… No one will see this at home.

Blade: Then turn the cameras on and post it on WZCW.com. Something tells me the smarks will enjoy this.

Producer: I need confirmation from Mr Bateman or Mr Burna for that.

Suddenly, Ty Burna appears out of the shadows as if from nowhere.

Burna: Do what Blade asks, if only because I’m curious of what you’ll say during your time of desperation.

Blade lets go and the producer rubs his arm before bringing up Blade’s music on the PA system and playing it. Blade doesn’t say anything, but gives a stiff nod of thanks to Burna, who returns it, perhaps sarcastically. Blade holds up a hand, letting Overlast and Hammond know he wants to go out alone. He turns around and walks out through the curtain. He stands on the stage and looks around; a hundred people at most in their seats. But those few people let out an audible collective cheer, if only out of surprise for Blade’s unexpected entrance. The small crowd stops talking amongst their crowd and start jumping up and down, which looks somewhat comical due to how spread out the people appear with such small attendance so far. As Blade walks down the ramp, a couple of cameramen run past him to quickly set up their equipment. Blade slides into the ring and a crew member setting up the announce tables hands him a microphone. He taps the top to make sure the microphone is on, which it is. More people have filed into the seating area of the arena now, realising Blade’s music wasn’t just a sound check. Blade raises the microphone to his lips and hesitates, weighing his words carefully.

Blade: Every one of you and everyone backstage knows I’m not a humble man. I’m confident, to the point of cocky. I make excuses sometimes and I’m convinced that I will become the WZCW World Heavyweight Champion. But I’m going to come out and say that last week, Rush beat me. I, and only I, am going to take the blame for this defeat. He was the better man on the night.

Most of the crowd grin or lean forward, expecting Blade to make a snarky remark or insult Rush, breaking the illusion of sincerity. But it doesn’t come.

Blade: I don’t know if Rush hit my head so hard I lost the part of my brain that I suddenly started seeing myself more clearly or it’s something in the water here, but something happened to me during that match. All my mind games didn’t work and possibly even backfired on me and I lost. I feel like I’m losing my mind lately between my performance at the Lethal Lottery and the loss to Rush. I said that if I didn’t win the Lethal Lottery, I would most likely step back from wrestling. And, if nothing else, I am a man of my word.

The crowd, now at least half of the capacity, are sitting in silence. They can’t quite believe what they’re hearing.

Blade: I put so much into the importance of the Lethal Lottery, I convinced myself I had to win to the point where losing was practically unthinkable. Yet that was what happened. I thought winning the Lethal Lottery was a given so I got complacent and I couldn’t get the job done. I wouldn’t have won even if Rush hadn’t been there. I admit that. So I’m going on record right now. You’re all here to witness it and there are cameras to record it. If I don’t win at Kingdom Come in the King For a Day… I am going to step back from wrestling.

The crowd let out a collective gasp. Blade isn’t exactly popular, but no one wants him to leave.

Blade: I have tried so hard to get the World Title match that I feel I deserve: And I feel I do deserve a chance at the World Title, but I don’t deserve it to just be handed it to me. I’ve tried to get that title shot and I have failed more than once. Blaming everyone else is something I can’t do anymore, so if I fail this time… I will need to take a good hard look at myself. I am saying this now because it’s unfair to spring this on the fans and management after Kingdom Come if I do lose. And I’m genuinely sorry it’s come to this…

The fans start to cheer a bit now, their respect for Blade is obvious.

Blade: Overlast and Hammond will be fine without me, they’re strong and they can get by without me. But I have a message for Phoenix, Gordito and Callahan… I will leave if I lose at Kingdom Come. But there’s no way in hell I want to leave and there is no way in hell I’m going to lie down when I have a chance to go to the biggest event on the wrestling calendar and steal the goddamn show.

The crowd give a mixed response now as they recall who Blade really is.

Blade: I have faced every one of you in past and I have beaten every one of you decisively and I sure as hell can do it to all three of you at once. Leaving if I lose at Kingdom Come is my choice. At the end of the day, I’m the best wrestler in this company and none of you are worthy enough to affect my path to Kingdom Come regardless of the result on the night. You may make your alliances and you can team up to take me out. But the best wrestler will still prevail. The best wrestler will overcome the odds. The best wrestler will still go on to Kingdom Come. And believe me when I tell you… I am that wrestler.

Blade drops the microphone and breathes deeply as the crowd give a loud, but still mixed, reaction.

 

[Thriller Ant]

The scene opens in a wooded area. The picture quality is not as high as what is expected from WZCW productions and the camera is quite unsteady as it pans around the forest. It continues panning until it stops to focus on Phoenix, sitting on the forest floor and holding the camera in his right hand.

I love coming to this forest to reflect and meditate after a loss, especially at this time of year. It’s easy to feel like the world is ending, especially after a match like last week where a King For a Day spot was on the line. No matter how bad it gets, however, spring will come around, and everything will bloom once more. A loss hurts, but everything will brighten up soon enough.

The camera shakes violently, and it seems as though Phoenix is now standing and walking down a clearly defined path through the forest.

I get an opportunity for just that to happen this week, in a four-way match for a King For a Day spot. My three opponents in the match could not be more interesting to me. I’ve had quite a few new experiences since I made my return to WZCW, but this week, I face off against three men I have crossed paths with in my past.

A path comes up to Phoenix’s left after he walks a bit further. He stops, and we can see that the path looks like it has been used both recently and frequently.

First, we have Drake Callahan. I don’t want to spend too much time talking about Drake, because our pair of matches from earlier this year speak for themselves. Those matches are definitely still in the front of my mind, and I won’t make the mistake of overlooking him.

Phoenix resumes walking and soon, another path appears to the right and he stops walking. This one is clear and goes gently uphill, until it appears to have been washed out near its visible apex.

Meltdown 47. The culmination of the Gold Rush tournament to find a new challenger during Ty Burna’s year-long reign. I had defeated two of WZCW’s best, Showtime and Everest, to get to this point. The only obstacle left between me and a World Title match at Apocalypse was Gordito. At that point, he was little more than a Mayhem guy riding a wave of momentum to the finals of the tournament. I was confident that I would be the one to win and get the title shot. And then, I lost. Gordito went on to face Ty, and the closest I’ve come to the World Title since are Lethal Lottery matches and King For a Day qualifiers.

Gordito became a major player in this company at my expense. Now, once again, we share a ring with an opportunity at a career-changing match in the balance. This time, however, we could not be farther on the opposite end of the momentum scale from our last matchup. Make no mistake though, Gordito can beat anyone at any time.

Phoenix resumes walking. Another path comes up to the right. As Phoenix stops, the path becomes visibly rocky, with various inclines and declines.

And finally, we come to Blade. What a strange few weeks we had. On the 17th episode of Ascension, we had a great match, with you coming out victorious. Then, we formed a partnership that didn’t go exactly as we had planned, to say the least. Finally, I beat you in a first blood match at Unscripted and you beat me in a no DQ match on Meltdown 50 that ended our time together. Even though the time we spent interacting was short, I haven’t had anyone other than Garth push me as far and as hard as you did.

You’ve finally gained some followers, but still haven’t reached that success you think you deserve. I know you are talented; that’s why I wanted to work with you way back when. Your ego, however, has always been your downfall and I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what gets you again on Ascension. If you have your head straight, though, you may be the most dangerous man in the match.

Phoenix resumes walking. Soon, he comes upon a fork in the path. The two choices: left or right.

Only one spot is available on Ascension for four of the most talented men in WZCW. Four men whose histories in this company intertwine like the branches and paths throughout this forest will get an opportunity to earn a guaranteed WZCW Title match on the biggest stage of them all. The other three have to figure out a new way to try to make it onto Kingdom Come. One path leads to glory, the other leads to desperation. As much as I love this forest, let’s hope I end up taking the one that doesn’t bring me back here next week.

Phoenix takes one step forward as the screen cuts to black.

 

[Harthan]

A million and one thoughts race through Drake Callahan’s head as he sits in the back of the cab taking him to the arena for Ascension. Did they really land on the moon? Should I have been a spaceman? Are spacemen real? Is the Real World still on? Is the stove still on? I hope my apartment isn’t on fire. Fire sure is pretty, though. Pretty like flowers, or sunshine, or… His eyes stray to the right of him and land, ever so briefly, on Kate, riding in the cab with him. She has her head leaned against the window, idly staring as the city rushes by and raindrops fall. Pretty like Kate.

Drake swallows and looks away, taking in the blur of a city for himself. Traffic was light, Kate having suggested they travel to the arena early today. Drake had been rather taken with the idea of exploring the bars, as was his wont, until someone on the production team called him and told him he had about thirty minutes till showtime. When he ran this idea by Kate during their lunch...Meeting? Date?...encounter…she had seemed less than thrilled and insisted they travel to the arena immediately afterwards. Drake had contented himself with a bottle of the restaurant’s finest wine, which had helped a little. Kate had disapproved, but it hadn’t stopped her from having several glasses herself, he’d noticed.

Thinking of her again, he glances back. Every time he looked at her, it felt like someone had kicked him in the gut, but in a good way. He was working on his metaphors. He knew he loved her, already, which was the good part. He didn’t know anything more than that, however, and he suspected that was the primary origin of the kick in the gut. What did she see in him anyway? He had some money, sure, could make a lot more if things started going well in his future. But she didn’t seem like that kind of a girl. Part of him worried she just felt sorry for him and didn’t know how to break it off. He saw, sometimes, when she didn’t think he could, the look in her eyes - panicky, like she wanted to run away but couldn’t. That almost made him sick. But other times her eyes were…so different. She’d look at him, and he’d look back, and there was nothing between them but the air, and it was perfect. He didn’t know what to make of any of it. It didn’t help that Joe kept telling him to drink less. He needed to drink more now than ever.

“What are you looking at?”

“Eh?”

Drake shakes his head a little and realizes he’s been staring at her the entire time he’d been running through those thoughts.

“Oh. Er. Nothing.”

He gives a weak grin. Kate is eyeing him suspiciously. She gets a mischievous grin on her face.

“Oh, so I’m nothing now, is that it?”

“What? No, that’s not it, er…”

“No, no, I see how it is, you don’t want me here anymore, clearly.”

Drake opens his mouth but no sound comes out. He can only gape dumbly. Kate’s smile fades for a moment before she bursts out laughing.

“You’re too easy, Drake, honestly, you take all the fun out of it.”

She settles back in her seat and looks out the window for half a second, but flicks her gaze back at Drake, who’s still staring like an idiot.

“Is something really wrong?”

Drake collects himself rapidly.

“No, uh, no, not at all. Ha ha. Funny.”

He puts on a grin he knows must look as fake as a clown’s.

Kate raises an eyebrow and her smile drops.

“Alright, really, what’s going on?”

“Nothing! Nothing…”

Kate sits up, her eyes now intent.

“No, I don’t think so. There’s something going on in that dinosaur brain of yours. Spit it out.”

Desperately reaching for something, he says:

“Uh, maybe this isn’t the best place?”

He jerks his head toward the cab driver.

Kate takes a long look at the driver too, before settling back with a frown.

“Fine, but this isn’t over. “

Drake sighs and relaxes back in his seat.

“Hey, buddy, how much further?”

“Ten blocks. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Drake grunts back and settles into looking out the window. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices Kate snatching glances at him every now and then, but he steadfastly ignores her until they arrive. The cab driver pulls into the arena’s designated area for the WZCW talent that evening. Only a small side door presents itself as an entrance point, with no covered area for unloading immediately accessible to them. The driver turns around and shrugs.

“Sorry. This is the best I can do.”

Drake pays the fare and steps out into the pouring rain. Kate exits and opens up her umbrella.

“Ugh, it’s terrible out.”

Drake walks over next to her.

“Drake, what are you doing? You’re getting soaked.”

She moves toward him with the umbrella, but he sidesteps.

“Don’t worry about it. Rain isn’t so bad. Your umbrella’s too small anyway, no room for both of us.”

Kate narrows her eyes suspiciously, but shrugs.

“Whatever you say.”

She walks hurriedly toward the door. Drake, an odd mood taking him, stares up at the sky and the rain coming down at him. He stands there for several seconds before Kate calls at him from over by the door.

“You coming? Or you intend on getting completely drenched before we go in?”

Drake barely hears her, intent only on taking in the rain. He feels…something…a memory, or a memory of a memory, but something, stirring. But he can’t grab on to it, no matter how hard he tries. Just the vague feeling that the rain was important, somehow, and the idea that he should probably keep standing there until it came to him. Until a punch came at him and struck him in the shoulder, jarring him out of his reverie.

“Hey! This is ground control to Major Drake. All systems go up there?”

Kate looks half concerned, half angry as she brings Drake back to his senses.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Let’s get inside. It’s raining out here, Kate.”

He starts walking merrily to the door, leaving a frustrated and confused Kate almost ready to punch him again. She closes the distance quickly and matches Drake’s stride.

“Did you drop acid or something before you met up with me? You are acting really weird today.”

“No, I’m very careful not to drop acid when I handle it. It’s very corrosive. But of course, it’s been ages since I worked with Dr. Rosenblatt. Oh, what wild times we had uncovering the mysteries of the elements...and fighting ghosts.”

“How much of that did you just make up?”

“About 90% of it.”

“You’re impossible.”

They reach the door and he opens it for her. She steps inside and he joins her, shaking off his wet hair like a dog.

“I’ll tell you what’s impossible – flying. Trust me, I’ve tried an awful lot of times, and no matter how many times I try, I just can’t miss the ground.”

He rubs his head, painful memories returning.

“Good of you to show up.”

A voice from the shadows says.

Kate starts a little and Drake looks around, recognizing the voice.

“Joe? Is that you?”

“Of course it is. We were supposed to move on to cardio about six hours ago, before you went gallivanting off.”

Joe emerges from a darkened hallway and gives Drake a menacing glare. He shifts it over to Kate.

“And I suppose this is why.”

Kate looks confused for a second, but quickly figures the situation out.

“Drake, did you skip out on training to come have lunch with me?”

“Well, that’s one way to put it.”

Joe punches him in the shoulder, which at this point was starting to get awfully bruised.

“The other way to put it is that you’re an idiot. I prefer the latter.”

Drake pouts, looking for sympathy from two entirely unsympathetic faces.

“It’s not a crime to eat lunch with my girlfriend.”

Kate coughs and looks away as Drake realizes what he’d said. Joe raises an eyebrow, but says nothing about it. He rapidly changes the subject.

“I told you to stop lying to me. And yet, you told me you’d train all day with me, and here we are, with only a morning’s worth of training. I’m very disappointed, Drake.”

“Look, Joe, you and I have a different definition of day. I can’t get up at 7:30! I didn’t even know that was a real time until today. I thought it was just something from the movies.”

Joe sighs.

“It’s like dealing with a child sometimes.”

Kate chuckles.

“Tell me about it.”

Joe looks over at her with the slightest possible intimation of a smile on his face.

“So, you’re the girl, eh?”

“I prefer Kate.”

She offers her hand.

“Kate Stanton.”

Joe takes it and replies in gravelly tones:

“Joe.”

“Joe…?”

Joe, without releasing her hand, says only:

“Joe.”

Kate pulls back her hand and shakes it just a little.

“Alright, Joe it is.”

They return their attention back to Drake.

“Y’know, 7:30 wasn’t so bad. They had food, TV, almost everything. It was almost like the real world. They have it pretty good there.”

“I’m glad you think so. We’ll be starting at 6:30 from now on.”

“What! But that’s drinking time!”

“Now it’s running time. Enjoy. Now follow me, we’re behind schedule and I arranged an interview for you in about fifteen minutes. I found a room we can use to prepare for your match tonight. Let’s go.”

Drake swallows nervously at the reminder of his match tonight. He’d been trying to avoid thinking about it, and what it meant. The most important match of his career so far. Win, and he was one step closer to the dream. Lose…

He follows Joe in silence with Kate at his side. Perhaps sensing his trepidation, she offers her hand with a smile. Drake takes it gladly, and they follow Joe together the rest of the way. He enters a small room bare of furniture, but clean and with a light that Joe immediately flips on.

“Welcome home.”

Kate smiles at Drake and disentangles herself. She moves over to the corner of the room and slides down, sitting. Drake leans against the wall with both hands out, pushing against it. Joe grunts.

“You alright?”

No. “Yeah.”

Joe remains emotionless. “Alright. I’m going to go find the girl. Meantime, girl, I have a job for you.”

He points at Kate. Caught off guard, Kate manages:

“Hm?”

“There’s more to being successful than training all day. You need to be an all around superstar. You seem like a bright girl. You up to date on all the, uh, Facespace, Tweeter, that kind of thing?”

Kate smiles a little bit before she sees the way Joe’s looking at her. Stifling it, she says:

“Yeah, I’ve got all those. Why?”

“He needs to learn how to use them. It’s the way of the future. He’s ever gonna be a superstar, he needs to have them. Teach him. You can start now, finish later. Whatever. Just get it done.”

A little resentful of being ordered around, Kate almost answers sarcastically, but it was a good idea, so she only says:

“Yeah, fine.”

Joe nods and exits without another word. Drake, meanwhile, hasn’t moved from his position and looks even worse.

“Drake. You’re not yourself today. Just sit down and talk to me, alright?”

Drake looks over at her and nods. He slowly, shakily sits down next to her.

“This is about your match?”

And you. “Yeah.”

“Just talk to me about it.”

Drake heaves a deep sigh.

“Kate…I have no idea what I’m doing. I blew it in the lottery. So what if I won a handicap match last week? I’m in way over my head. I could have handled Bowen one on one, Kate. I really could have. I understand Bowen. He and I, two Mayhem champions…it would have been simple. But this…this is so different. First off, regardless of who’s in it, it’s a four way, which gives me terrible odds. Second, all of these guys have already lost a qualifier.”

Kate smiles encouragingly.

“But that’s a good thing, right?”

Drake shakes his head furiously.

“No, you don’t understand. All of them have had a practice match. A tune up. They gave all they had to qualify and failed, but now they get another chance. They’re going to be like hyenas in there. They know what it takes now. Me, my tune up was teaming with Everest to take out a confused Barbosa. I haven’t got any idea what I need to do to win. And then there’s the competition. Sure, I beat Phoenix twice, but in a four way, he’s going to be a different animal. Gordito is a top dog and he can beat anyone on any given night. And then…there’s Blade. He pinned me clean in the middle of the ring and tossed me out of the Lottery. I sure as hell don’t know how to beat him, but he knows how to beat me.”

He shakes his head in despair.

“I’m done. I’m screwed. I’m going to lose one way or another, and then what? Do I even make it to Kingdom Come? Do I even care?”

Kate listens stoically. When he’s done, she takes his hand.

“Drake…I can’t tell you how to beat these guys. But I can tell you what I do know. I do know that if you go into this match with this attitude, then you are done. If you give up before you even try, you might as well quit.”

Drake laughs gloomily.

“Thanks.”

Kate shakes her head.

“I’m not done. We’ve only been together a little while, Drake, but…there’s something special about you that I know none of them have. You all have a passion to win, sure. You all want to be world champion. You’re all great wrestlers and you’re all some of the best the game has to offer. But what you have Drake, is heart. Gordito is just looking for the next thrill. Phoenix is aimless. And Blade just wants the glory. I know why you want to be champion, Drake. You want it because you love to fight, you’re determined to be the best, and because you have no end of passion for what you do. Just believe in that, and you can’t lose.”

She smiles widely at him as their eyes meet.

“And, if that isn’t enough, you also have one hell of a girlfriend.”

And she leans in to kiss him.

Sometime later, the door opens and Joe drags in Stacey Madison, squawking all the while.

“I’ve told you a thousand times, you Neanderthal, your appointment is with Rebecca –“

Drake and Kate rapidly detach themselves from a rather embarrassing scene and stand up, brushing themselves off. Joe stares at them coldly, but Stacey’s jaw drops open in disgust.

“Okay, it’s one thing to drag me here for an interview with this imbecile, but I get here and two are making out on the floor? This is absurd. I am a professional journalist.”

Drake coughs furiously and Kate blushes, looking away.

Joe cuts in.

“Keep that to yourself, will you Drake? The whole world ain’t interested. Now, girl –“

“My name is Stacey!”

“-girl, you have a job to do here. Get to it.”

Stacey almost screams, but contains herself.

“What, without cameras?”

“Go get cameras. Be back here in less than five minutes.”

“I do not answer to you, old man!”

“Four minutes, fifty seconds.”

Stacey fails to contain her scream of frustration this time as she exits the room. A few awkward minutes pass with no one in the room making eye contact with one another until Stacey returns with a small camera crew.

“Good. Now, get to it, girl.”

Stacey stares at Joe in such a fashion as to suggest she will murder him slowly, but returns her attention to Drake, who gives a sheepish grin.

“Uh, sorry, Stacey. He’s a little…that.”

“Save it. You, turn the cameras on. Let’s get this over with.”

Just a few moments ago nervous enough to vomit, Drake now finds himself shaking with anticipation, excitedly thinking through all the possibilities of his match and almost tasting the victory. Stacey steps up with a microphone and the cameramen give the signal.

“I’m here now with Drake Callahan, competing tonight in a four way match where the winner will qualify for the King for a Day match at Kingdom Come. Drake, what do you think is the key to winning this match?”

“Surviving the chaos, which happens to be something I’m an expert at. This is less a wrestling match as it is a bar room brawl, and I’ve seen plenty of bar room brawls. It doesn’t matter how strong you are, or how fast you are. What matters is being aware at all times and watching your back constantly. That, and a few strategically placed beer bottles to the skull. That usually helps.”

He gives a wide grin.

“Charming. Tell me what you think of your competitors.”

Drake raises a hand and one finger.

“Gordito. In a different world, you and I could have been close friends. Tag team partners, even. You and I both appreciate the value of a good party and know that life can’t be taken so seriously all the time. But no matter how much I like or respect you, tonight, you’re in my way. I can beat you, Gordito. It won’t be easy, it won’t be clean, but when it comes down to it, you’re nothing but a poor man’s Drake Callahan.”

Stacey looks taken aback at the strong language. Drake continues, raising a second finger.

“Phoenix, I beat you clean twice. You can think you’ve learned from them if you want, but it won’t matter. I’ve only gotten better since then. You’re trying to find the right direction in life, but you took a wrong turn somewhere, because you’re about to run into me. Phoenix, tonight, you’re going down in flames.”

Stacey groans and Drake blinks, taken out of the zone. “What?”

“Did you just think of that?”

“Er, I may have been up just a little bit coming up with some lines…”

“Never pursue a career in writing.” She sighs and rubs her temples. “Carry on.”

Drake clears his throat and raises a third finger.

“Blade…”

He falters for a moment and lowers his hand, but suddenly Kate is at his side and puts her arm around him. He looks into her eyes, and understands.

“Blade. I understand you. You might be afraid of that, you might hate that, but I do. I really do understand you. You put everything you had in the Lottery; so did I. You lost; so did I. And now you feel like giving it all up if you can’t win at Kingdom Come, if you can’t be King for a Day…if you can’t be the world champion. And I feel the same way. We’re not so different after all, Blade. But where we do differ, Blade…well, a very special person pointed out to me where we’re different. You want to be champion because it means that no one else will be, Blade. You want to hold the title so they can’t. You want to hold it in front of everyone’s face and show to them that you are better than they are. You want to be king of the mountain. You want to be top dog. You want to be the big man on campus. But you want it for all the wrong reasons. You want glory, you want fame, you want fortune, but deep down, your true obsessions isn’t with being your best…it’s with being simply better. You just want to be better than the rest. And that’s where you went wrong. Because if you can’t be better than everyone else, what are you? You’ve failed at everything you’ve defined as desirable. But I want to be world champion for a very different reason, Blade…I want it to prove something to myself. I want it to show myself that I am the best I can be. I want to be champion so that I can hold it in the mirror, look back, and say, ‘I did it.’ You want to hold it to the world and say, ‘I did it.’ You’ve set yourself up for failure, Blade. You need the world to approve of you, and so the world can beat you. But all I need is me, and the only person that can beat me is me. I don’t ever have to stop. But you’re in a corner, and you’re done as soon as the world gives up on you.”

Stacey, professional that she is, doesn’t leave her jaw hanging open but can’t help her wide eyes. Drake and Kate, however, are only smiling. He looks at her and they share one more kiss on camera.

“Tonight, on Ascension, I’m taking the first step on a journey that ends with the world championship. And beginning tonight, the only man that can beat Drake Callahan…is Drake Callahan.”