HARDCORE: A Way of Life! Part 1

["The Hardcore Enigma" Big J]

Prologue of a Warrior

It is merely hours away from Oracle, backstage in an unmarked dressing room...

Inside the room is dimly lit with two leather chairs, a digital clock on the wall, a big screen television set, mini-fridge, and a coffee table with a spread of video games, bongs, pipes, and high grade strains of medical cannabis laid upon it. One of the two chairs is cloaked by the darkness, only showing the very edges of the chair. A hand appears out of the darkness, grabbing a glass pipe off the table, followed by a bag of Sour Kush, and then a lighter. Shortly after the flick of the lighter can be seen in the darkness just as the clock strikes 4:20 PM and you immediately hear the bubbling of the bong water. The small lighting goes out and thirty seconds later a large cloud of smoke engulfs the room as the door flies open and in runs a young man wearing a black and red suit, followed by an OW Camera Crew.

: Boss! Boss! I got the camera crew you wanted for the interview. Shall we get started?

A small cough can be heard from the darkness as the man clears his throat and ignoring the man takes another hit off the bong as the crewmen get the cameras set up.

: Sit your ass down Joey and finish this bong rip with me first. Those guys are getting set up and know what they are doing!

Joey Suicide: Okay Boss!

The young man referred to as Joey sits down in the empty leather chair and grabs the bong and lighter from the hands that reveal themselves temporarily from the shadows. Joey lights the bowl, and starts toking at the bong until you hear the ashes suck into the water chamber. Joey puts the bong and lighter on the table before exhaling a huge cloud of smoke at the camera just as the crewman pushed record. The cloud continues to engulf the camera view as he begins coughing hard and a hand comes once again out of the darkness and pats Joey on the back hard.

: Damn Joey! Didn't mean for you to attempt to kill yourself.

The man in the shadows chuckles as suddenly a light comes on next to him from a lamp he had just turned on revealing a man of great stature and girth sitting comfortably in the other leather chair with a grin on his face and eyes squinting in the light. As the light more clearly shows the mans features, he is to revealed to be Jeremy Masters also known as "The Hardcore Enigma" Big J in the wrestling world whom sits there like a powerhouse of irresistible force.

The cameraman points at Joey to signify that they have the camera focused and the microphones in place. Joey sits up straight and adjusts his tie before facing his boss and friend, Big J.

JS: So where do you want to start with this boss?

Big J: I suppose although this is supposed to be an interview for OW.com, but this requires no questions only listening...

Joey nods silently as he sits back to listen to a story he has heard several times before as Big J clears his throat loudly.

Big J: The story of who I am and what makes up my principles in both life and in the squared circle may not be a surprising one, it more than likely isn't the best story ever told neither, but if there is anything my story is, it is interesting. First the boring notes, raised by my grandparents in a Pentecostal Christian home and knew nothing of the real world except that which I was taught at school and by my grandparents. My childhood for the most part was uneventful until my teenage years when my grandparents got sick and then died in turn. My grandfather in 1995 from a rare blood disease and my grandmother from her fourth bout with cancer. It is after that that my life started to go south. My younger brother, my mother, and I are for the first time since we were babies are forced to move to the other side of town, dealing with a mother whom had no idea how to raise her sons. Many of nights I would spend fighting her piece of shit drunkard boyfriends from beating her up. They would go at her, I would go at them, they would attack me and get the advantage being a adult and me just a stupid kid, so my mother of course would attack them to get them off of me. The constant vicious cycle of my teenage life of my fighting dumb asses at home and at school with people who would give me slack for big a heavyset kid, and wastes of human material meanwhile my mother was mostly never around anyway, working four jobs, usually me working at least one part time job and yet we always seemed to be behind on everything. So yea, my life was shit, I had to play a partial provider, care taker for my mentally slow younger brother, and all at the same time deal with moronic stupidities of teenage life. However all of my destinies would change on a single day in my senior year of high school. My grandmother passed at this point and by that time I hated the world, thought God was just a big fat lie and got into lashing out during wrestling matches held by certain members of the student body during lunch break. My younger brother, Matthew aka "Maddawg" and I were out in the field with a few said students all taking on random opponents. My younger brother has our friend Rob in his grasp with a chokeslam and elminates him from the match, but as soon as my brother stood up he got super kicked right in the chin by a short toned kid. He bends over my brother whom looks up at him and says "Hi! I'm JJ!" and my brother responds with his name before passing out. Needless to say I took the opportunity to eliminate someone my self and went into a full charge going for my NOW patented War Machine Impact, but to my surprise just as I land the spear, his elbow hits me square in the heart, and JJ locked in a reverse dragon sleeper. He doesn't let go regardless of what I try so I have no choice but to tap out. Once to my feet again I inquire how he saw that coming when nobody had gotten up or reversed that before. It was simple, he explained that he had been trained as a professional wrestler by the Hart Family in the dungeon while traveling to different blind schools in North America. To my astonishment after getting know JJ over the next few weeks, this kid was mostly blind and color blind, and yet he had the ring awareness of Ric Flair. That is where my training began with this blind kid whom took me under his wing and since he was trained by some of the best in the biz for free and even behind the scenes wrestled for some Indy Federations in Washington State. It was during his training that I began to see my life as a HARDCORE WAY OF LIFE, for throughout all my struggles, trials, and tribulations, I was still a caring and hard working boy whom was becoming a man that regardless took care of his family and his friends.

Big J clears his throat loudly as he reaches into his front pants pocket, pulls out a pack of blunt papers, opens the bag still on his lap from the previous rounds, and starts breaking up a fat nugget between his fingers. J slides a paper out of the pack, holds it between his fingers, and then evenly spreads the bud crumbs along the paper. He continues talking as he begins rolling.

Big J: Obviously since my teenage life began, it had never been easy, but what I experienced through all that time couldn't even begin to prepare me for what my new teacher, JJ Crawford had in store for me. However we will learn more about that in the next segment.

J goes quiet as he finishes rolling the blunt and Joey looks at him waiting for Big J to continue talking, but instead J, just puts the blunt in his mouth, lights it, and takes a big drag. As the smoke fills the air, Joey finally speaks up.

JS: Um, Boss? Is that it?

Big J looks over at Joey indignantly and forcefully puts his hand out, passing the blunt, and blowing the smoke in Joey's face.

Big J: Hell no I am not done, but the rest of the story can fucking wait. For now I do believe we are here in Odyssey Wrestling for a match are we not?

Joey quickly takes the blunt, tokes a bitch hit, and then quickly tosses it back at J. Joey exhales hard again covering the camera with smoke and the only thing you can see is the joint flying across the room hitting the back wall. It hits the ground and rolls back toward Big J. J bends down and picks it up off the floor. He looks at it closely before putting to his lips again. He grins as the end glows red. As the smoke clears further, Joey recomposes himself, sits back down, and clears his throat loudly before immediately opening the mini-fridge, grabs a bottle of water, and slams it shut. As fast as he can Joey turns the cap off the bottle, and starts chugging it down.

Big J: Damn Joey! You and I have had many pow-wows before and I swear... you choose during this first interview in O.W. to smoke like a bitch?!

J chuckles to himself a bit as Joey polishes off the bottle of water. Joey tosses the empty bottle aside as he gasps for air and then clears his throat loudly. He takes a few deep breaths as J returned to smoking the blunt to himself.

JS: Yea, you are tagging with someone called Draco Kilgore.

Big J: Who?

JS: Some 34 Year Old idiot who decided to ruin his life at one point in time, but considering the rest I read I think you might want to discover the rest for yourself. You two might actually get along.

Big J looks at Joey quizzically as Joey chuckles to himself for a moment.

Big J: WHAT THE HELL is so funny Joey?!

JS: I'm sorry Boss, but this guy is simply looking for a second chance at life at that's what you gave me. Also he's been pretty much alienated by his family as I was too. I really think he just needs someone to teach him, believe in him, and coach him as you did for me. Someone to hone his pain, anger, and heart into something useful. You've always told me since we first met that sometimes all a guy needs is a push in the right direction and sometimes it is God whom leads us to those whom need it. Well maybe tag teaming with this guy in your first match isn't just some random chance?

Big J: Looks at Joey in straight in the eyes as he puts the blunt out in the ashtray on the table and grins at him.

Big J: Maybe so Joey, maybe so! However we can only put our hand out, it is he whom must except it. Otherwise he cannot really learn. All I did for you Joey was give you a friend, shelter, some new clothes, and a single opportunity. The rest you had in yourself already, you just needed to let it shine.

JS: WOW BOSS! Thank You!

Big J: Hey, thank yourself. YOU DID IT! Now back to the tag team match. Who are we facing Joey?

JS: Vigilante and Damage.

Big J: Who was that first one?!

Big J looks at Joey with a stern look on his face.

JS: Um... Vigilante.

Big J: Are you sure it is thee, VIGILANTE? Yo Vig! I knew a man back in my early days whom was known as Vigilante, so my question is are you he or just some punk ass bitch poser? The Vigilante I knew was a man who used to be able to take me to my limit and I him. We had nothing but respect for one another and since I have not seen you face to face here I guess I'll just have to wait until Oracle to find out. However I warn you now that if you aren't the REAL Vigilante I will know and you will have to prove to me that name you carry you truly deserve. Yes I may sound judgmental, but I've been in this business for 12 long years and have achieved at one point or another every honor professional wrestling can possibly bestow, so I think I've earned that right.

J grabs the remote control off of the table and turns on the television. On the screen by some dumb chance happened to be Vigilante's match from last week. Big J watches his motions, reactions, and movements for a few minutes before scratching his chin goatee.

Big J: Well, well, well...video is a great motivator in proving identity, but still I prefer an up close and personal view.

JS: What about Damage?

Big J: What about him Joey?

JS: Well he shows no respect at all? Except a small bit to Vigilante for saving his ass once.

Big J: Well I guess I'll just have to earn his respect now won't I Joey. He may not know whom I am now, but he will soon enough because there are people who do know me and have known me. However I don't need vouching for, I make my own paths in life and whether Damage knows it or not he is facing more than I think he realizes he can handle. Throw all the insults he wants, throw temper tantrums like a little girl, and try believe he knows the true meanings of emotions.

JS: Uh Boss... I think you lost me there. Do you really underestimate Damage?

Big J: Is that what I said Joey? NO! What I said was is that this boy will soon find out the realism of what he faces coming. He can continue to live under the delusion that he is facing some jobber that just showed up on the Odyssey Wrestling scene because after all is said and done he will wake up to a whole new world. One where he knows the meaning of my name and will show respect and we will see if he can earn mine in return.

Big J stops for a second and looks up at the clock as time keeps slipping away closer to showtime.

Big J: Here's the long and short of it gentlemen, I have spent my entire life giving my blood, sweat, tears, and at many occasions my very soul to this business in matches so brutal I doubt you can conceive of them. YES I'm sure this establishment will prove to become one of my absolute favorite battle grounds, but if there is one thing The Hardcore Enigma can always do is turn things up one more notch. Now whether or not my tag team partner shows up or whether or not you two can work as a team makes no matter to me because I am always prepared for any possible situation. If each team can work together because if you can't, you two will assuredly lose because it will not matter whether or not Draco shows up to help me, it will matter whether or not you two can prove yourself against a living, breathing, monster whom once in that ring doesn't stop until the bell rings again with me getting the 1...2...3!

With that Big J stands up, walks over to the door, and opens it up.

Big J: Now, if you guys don't mind getting lost I need to get out of my street clothes and into my gear.

With that Joey stands up, the camera crew pick up the camera and single file head out the door starting with Joey. As the guy with the camera tries to leave the room and Big J stops him, grabs the camera and looks into it deeply.

Big J: OH! And Damage.... everyone knows the true color of anger and rage is GREEEEEN!

Big J continues to stare into the camera and his deep emerald eyes begin to glow in the light. The camera man again tries to escape, but Big J grabs him again, puts the camera back in his hands, and then boots him out the door.

Big J slams the door shut behind them and the scene fades as Big J begins grabs his duffelbag, and unzips it.