The sounds of the city of New York, New York wake Ichabod from his deep sleep. He stirs in the bed after the long night he spent with almost no sleep. He gets up and stretches, stopping suddenly as a burning pain rips through his neck. The injuries are healing, whatever Wicked D did to him, he knew how to do it without inflicting major damage, and yet still get rid of SAM. Ichabod is still wary of SAM, but he feels that he is gone from his head at least.
Ichabod walks into the living room of the apartment and searches for his cigarettes. He finds them on the coffee table and pulls one out. He lights it up, still coughing a bit from the weeks of withdrawal. Knowing that Deidre wouldn't be back from her training at the gym for a while, Ichabod flips on the television and turns it to WOW 24/7 television. He watches as the producers replay the promo Smoke Dawg cut last night.
"SAM.....Ichabod....whatever he'll call himself next week has already been shown the losers way in a match against me. Hell, I wasnt even sure who I was in that match and still defeated him. So what if he believes he is being controlled or whatever kiddy game he is playing with himself....I dont care. Triple X screwed up picking someone that believes they are someone else, I know thats for sure."
Ya know, its kind of funny, Smokey, how you can attribute that great victory solely to yourself. At that point, you knew you were Smoke Dawg. I knew you were Smoke Dawg. Hell, everyone knew you were Smoke Dawg. You can deny it all you want to, but you were well aware of who you were, because when we met in that gym, you spoke things you couldn't have possibly spoken had you not been Smoke Dawg, or had you not known your past. But that's not the point. I remember that match well. Strap Match from hell was it not? Turnbuckles filled with explosives, and since we both slammed each other into two turnbuckles, the match continued on as a falls count anywhere, right? I remember us being in the back, I had just kicked out of your weak-ass powerbomb, and lo and behold, B-Pac comes out of no where and levels me with a baseball bat. Then, and only then, did you stick my shoulders down for the three count. Ah, it seems a little cheaper now that we all remember how you didn't earn that win, eh Marcus? And what then? You went on to be defeated by that very same man, B-Pac, for the barbedwire crown. I think it is you who screwed up, Smokey, picking two men for your team that you know can beat you, that have beat you in the past. Triple X knew what he was doing when he picked me, because he knows that SAM, or Ichabod, I am possibly the most determined competitor in this sport.
Ichabod extinguishes his cigarette and grabs a piece of notebook paper and a pen. He scribbles a not to Deidre, telling her that he had a few things to take care of, and that he'd see her maybe sometime later in the week. With that he stands up and leaves the apartment, taking the elevator down to the ground floor. He exits the building and begins walking down the busy street in the upper west side of New York. As he walks he thinks back on what Smokey has said.
Ya know, its just like you to think anything beyond your mental grasp is just a kiddy game, Smokey. What happened between SAM and myself is something you'll never understand, even if I lay bare the details for you. No, you are far to self absorbed in what you are doing, in what you want, to ever care about anything that is going on in this world with anyone else. You are so blind to anything but what you want that you don't even see the possible downfall of your team. I'm sure that they both know that if you make it to round two, screw them right? You'll give them less than a respectable match, pulling everything you possibly can to crush the both of them, not letting them have the chance to earn what you don't even deserve.
Its funny, I had always thought that every installment of the ORS would just be another mock up of the first, with every person living in the Wafer Shadow. But it seems that you are trying to take that honor for yourself. Sure, its ok for B-Pac to be in the ORS, but only if he doesn't get in your way, right? If he were to win that undisputed title, what then? Would you congratulate him on something he's deserved for a long time? No. You would begrudge it of him simply because you'd have no title at all, and you can't stand for one of your own to have what you don't.
Pac, you made a mistake joining with Smoke Dawg. Wafer being my old tag team partner, I could probably have easily been in the ORS, but no, I know how it works. Someone is the self-proclaimed leader and fuck everyone else. Its always been that way. I'm proud to stand next to the Elite, the very stable you helped to resurrect and then abandoned. But hey, do what you think is right, I can guarantee that Smoke Dawg will do everything in his power to stop you from getting the Undisputed Title, and if he fails, he do everything he can to take it for himself. If you really do go way back with him as you both say you do, then you ought to know that by now.
Ichabod arrives at the address Deidre had given him last night. Its a parking garage. Ichabod walks in and looks around, and there he sees it. The Monster in all its glory. Ichabod goes over to it and pulls from his pocket the set of keys he took from the apartment earlier. He fits the key into the door lock and opens it up. There on the passenger seat is a bag of gear. The entire interior smells of a new vehicle. Ichabod climbs up inside and fires it up. He smiles as the engine roars, and without anymore hesitation, backs it out of its parking space and drives out onto the street. Deidre had somehow managed to secure the truck after SAM had taken over Ichabod more than a month ago, and here she had kept it safe until the time was right.
Hours later, Ichabod is driving Interstate 77 toward South Carolina. He take the interchange at I-85 and heads south toward his home state. As he drives along, he flips on a monitor in his dash, and listens to the promo from Triple X that was also cut last night.
Cheapshots Hey you're the one who picked Ichasam. I don't know why..but hey, you're the world champion.
Triple X I picked Sam, because I know he can, and will perform one hundred percent.
Cheapshots You know Ichabod can, you know jack about Sam.
Triple X I've seen enough of Sam to know he's going help take us to the next round.
Cheapshots Then possibly walk away with my..er I mean the undisputed title?
Triple X I've put all of this into perspective my cheapish friend. Sam will give us the leverage to pull through, but he won't be able to pull a two on one if you know what I mean
Cheapshots smiles as he realizes X's strategy
Cheapshots So once we get to the second round, we put Ichasam out of business.
Triple X Hey he should be thankful he's even in Ring Wars at all. Dick Gazinya deserves a spot more than he does. Atleast he's getting SOME main event recognition.
So, it seems as if there may be some doubt on Team World Title. Boys, boys, boys. We can't be having that. Cheapshots, I assure you that I am fully Ichabod, and that I will be one hundred percent for Ring Wars. Whether it be alongside the two of you, or whether it be against the two of you, Ichabod is going to be much more than a handful. You both know what I am capable of, and neither of you know my limits. X was very wise in picking me for the team, it is true that I will be an important factor in carrying this team on to round two.
But hold on now, this business of a double team on Ichabod after we've secured the IC title, this isn't going to fly too well. I have a lot of respect for the both of you, but you may kill that if you cheapen that match with a double team. I know you both better than that, and I know that at least you, Triple X, share with me a common want of something that will be looked upon with no regrets. I pose a question for you, can you take Cheapshots and I? Can Cheapy take Ichabod and Triple X? Lets not limit ourselves to using each other to get to the top, as Smoke Dawg will do with Wafer and B-Pac. We are a team, at least for now, and I know there is some measure of respect between the three of us. As any team I've ever worked with in the past knows, a match with your team allows for one of two things, and thats respect, or a screw job. I've done both, and the rewards of a screw job are sweet, but fleetingly. It gets you what you want, but it eventually turns around to bite you in the ass. But the rewards of a respectable match with no regrets are everlasting.
As Ichabod gets to central Spartanburg, he takes the exit to I-26 and heads east toward Myrtle Beach. He clears his throat and continues.
Maybe this means nothing to you, but it means a whole lot to me. When I found out that I had been picked for Team World Title, and picked to take out the ORS along with two of the top competitors from the Elite, it said something to me. It said, "Ichabod, its all been worth it." I have no regrets in my career, and I don't want to start having them now. I'm proud to be a part of this team. Don't make me regret it, and sure as hell don't make yourselves regret picking me. You see, I'll stand with you, I'll carry us on to the second round, but if you turn this into a screwjob, there'll be consequences waiting in the wings for the both of you. Am I threatening you, you might ask. Here's a better question... do I have a reason to?
I have a challenge for you as well. Triple X, Cheapshots, I know that both of you are great competitors. You must also know that I am great, for two reasons. First of all, you picked me for your team. Secondly, your worried enough about how I'll play into the second round that you've made a strategy for taking me out once I've helped you dispose of Team Intercontinental. Prove to me how great you both are... make this every man for himself in that second round. None of this two on one crap.
Ichabod arrives in Myrtle Beach well after dark. He checks into a hotel to get some rest from his trip. Tomorrow he'll go and visit with an old friend, and finally go check on his old home. For now, he will sleep with dreams of gold dancing in his head.
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