Have you ever lost somebody you loved? I have. Have you ever experienced the torment, the pain that comes along with losing a person that was always close to you, spent every second growing up with you? Yes, Ive experienced it. So has Johnny Scumm. The sadist that beats people down for a living, lost his little brother. At the age of 15, the only family member that ever stayed close to him was no more. When little Johnny was out finding any old house that he could stop in, the 13 year old Christopher was out there, looking to find where his brother had got to. Now edging 30, Scumm visits the grave of his brother without fail, on his birthday.
Hey Chris, what a year its been.
See, while Chris was a kid who was happy in his family, he still had to find his big brother. After all, Chris seemed to be the only person (To this day, that isnt his partner) that Scumm ever got on with. If he was sleeping in a cardboard box, you could guarantee that at least once, Chris would come on down with someone to make his brother smile. Smiling wasnt one of his strong points, but if youre given a bottle of water, something to eat or even a book
its bound to buck you up a little.
So, Im back. Happy birthday bro. Its been difficult this year and I didnt think Id make it, but here I am.
The fall came one night, when Johnny had taken refuge at the side of the motorway, one winter evening. You should know that visibility in snow is a bastard at the best of times, but when youre a 13 year old boy running around at the speed of light (Well, Chris always thought he could run fast), those crisp, cold white flakes start hitting you in the eyes worse than you could imagine.
I still think of that day you know. I remember your voice, in the distance. It pains me Chris, but youre always in my mind. There isnt a day that goes by where I wish it could be different and you could be here, watching me take reign over WZCW. You know, youre the reason I do this today. I take people down, I hurt people because they hurt you.
That 15 year old boy could hear his younger brother calling his name, 4 lanes across from where hed made his home that night. Peering above the piece of sheet metal, he saw the tiny figure, being lit up by the headlights of cars speeding on by.
I told you to go home. Ill never know to this day whether you chose to ignore me or not.
Have you ever shouted at somebody and theyve chosen to take no notice of it? This was one of those moments, but with the worst possible outcome. Shouting out over & over Go home, Chris! Ill be fine! seemed to have no effect on an eager kid. His mind took over his actions and before anybody could stop him, the 13 year old Chris was sprinting over to give his brother the bread roll hed been holding in his pocket. It was still slightly warm which surprised Chris, seeing as hed been running around in the snow.
You made the wrong decision. I regret ever taking myself over there. You never would have followed otherwise!
This was the kind of torture that Scumm put himself through, year in and year out. See, before he could reach the final lane, Chris was taken down. A careless driver mixed with blurred vision on both parties led to a fatal accident that ended up taking a young boys life. When he heard the noise, Johnny ran out to see what had happened. He saw his brother, laying there. Its hard enough to come to terms with the loss of life just from somebody passing on the news, but when youre witnessing it firsthand then its an entirely different ballgame. Tears came streaming down the boys face, as he put his arm over his brother, who was turning colder by the second. Eventually, he spotted his brothers arm held in the pocket. In the pocket, a single bread roll.
It was still warm. I wont ever forget the moment that I realized why you were coming over to see me. I stayed with you, laid with you until the ambulance turned up. But as soon as the medics jumped out of the truck I was gone from the scene. Finding out where theyd laid you to rest was the hardest part, but Ive not missed a year coming to see you since.
See, Chris would have loved to see Johnny wrestle. It was Chris that started to call his brother Johnny first, at the age of 11.
This is all for you bro. What Im doing now, I do it because I want my brother watching down on me, winning the gold. All my hate, it all stems from that one night. Not a single person will ever be on my good side, not that I have one.
Touching his forehead down to the ground, Scumm speaks to the grave.
Brother, there are only two people in the world that I can say these words to.
He kisses the ground before looking up, towards the gravestone.
I love you Chris.
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Tonight, I set my own future.
He was right. It was the night of the Lethal Lottery and Scumm, sat cross-legged on a bench in the locker room, was able to turn WZCW on its head in just a few hours. First, he would face Garth Black in a No Disqualification match to see who would move on to challenge Chris K.O for the EurAsian Title. After that, he was set to be one of thirty men that would enter the Lethal Lottery, to compete for a WZCW World Heavyweight Title shot. To call his night important would be an understatement.
Youre not alone though, Johnny.
A hand taps him briefly on the shoulder, as if to attempt to relieve his stress. His other half, Claire had been seemingly stuck to his side like a Siamese twin.
I know that. Now
onto tonight. Lets look to the Lethal Lottery match itself. Twenty nine other men will take me on to be adorned with the glory of going on to face the WZCW Heavyweight Champion at Kingdom Come.
Now THAT sounds good!
The wrestler lets out a small chuckle, before turning to his partner and shaking his head slowly.
You see, I know what I can do out there. I fight, I break bones and I bloody noses. When someone tries to take me down, I fight back and make sure that Im the one thats left standing. This will be the biggest fight, the biggest match of my career. That in itself is saying something. But nobody else deserves it, nobody needs it as much as this man right here.
Deluded? He could well be, but this man has never held a title, never pulled his finger out far enough to get the victory in any big match. Slapping his hand on his leg, Scumm turns back to face the floor.
Im not doing this for anyone, but myself. Nobody wants to see me win the Lottery and when I do, I wont care what they think about me. My life hasnt been built on pleasing people after all. You see though, before I get to the Lottery, I need to take out the main target
Garth Black.
When Scumm returned to WZCW, he defeated Garth Black in his first match. Ever since, Black seems to have been the target that Scumm wanted to hit. The bullseye that he always needed to reach, Garth had taken multiple beatings but only the other week, managed to get one over on Scumm and beat him, bringing them level in their victories.
Black proved to me the other week that no matter what I do to him, theres always a slight chance that Ill end up being the one that doesnt come out on top. However, this time its different.
Chris K.O was without a competitor. It was because of this that he wasnt going to defend his title at Lethal Lottery. Instead, two men were going to fight to be given the honour of fighting him
at a later date.
Its pathetic. You know, put K.O straight into the Lottery, and dont make him defend his title. Make me pull double duty, but give the champion a chance at the big prize without having to put any work in beforehand? Fuck you WZCW. I dont even need to fight Black for the right to face K.O really, we all know that when it comes down to it that Johnny Scumm is the right choice for somebody to take down Chris K.O
He takes a quick pause, enough to give him the time to stand back up.
You see, life has taken from me. Its only ever taken. But for once, its going to give. Im not going to give back, because with everything that Ive lost there isnt anything that I have to give it. So when I take the opportunity of gold away from Garth Black, I then go into the Lethal Lottery match itself. There, I become the Number One contender to the WZCW Heavyweight Championship.
The almost silent Claire begins to clap quietly, over in the corner.
After that, Ive got the opportunity to become a double champion. Im going to do it. But thats the future. Tonight, it is officially the time for me to start gaining back what Ive lost in the past. Everything thats been taken from me. Lives, opportunities, chances at becoming something. These are all things that Im going to start taking back. You see, when Garth steps into a match with no disqualifications, hes stepping into a world of pain. When I strike him with a chair, or whip him in the chest with a kendo stick, he will feel it. When I rake his face unprotected against the ropes
or I choose to smash it into those steel steps surrounding the ring and make him see red, hell know the pain that Im putting him through is real.
YES! YES! YES! Oh Johnny, you really have a way with words.
Just you wait when I put those words into reality Claire. Garth isnt getting into this with me just so I can take my title match against K.O. Hes going into this so I can take his life. If I fail at that, well at least he wont be able to walk when Ive had my way with him. After that, twenty nine men will drop before me, leaving me the last standing. The future is set. My future is set.
The raging superstar begins to slip his foot into one of his wrestling boots, starting to lace up ready to face the action.
Tonight is the night that I take back. I dont care to feel pain, as no pain matches that of what Ive felt previously. If they want to face scum
come and find Johnny.
