Bedtime Story/A Re-occurring Nightmare

The scene is set on the outskirts of New Orleans, Louisiana, a lone car driving by night as the streetlights guide its path. After a few short moments, the car pulls off of the road, heading towards a torn down looking building in the middle of nowhere. The car parks in one of the unkept spaces, a familiar looking man stepping out of the driver's seat as he gazes upon the visage of his torn up gymnasium. The man remains stationary, seemingly lost in thought as he's caught off guard by continuous vibrations from his pocket. Reaching into it, he notices he's receiving a phone call. Answering it, the man then makes his way towards the front door of the building...

Robert Garland - Hello? What's up, Boss Man?

Travis Rech - Oh ya know, tha usual. Plannin' world domination, makin' everyone in tha company miserable, or at least that's what mah critics say about me. But as we both know, Ah'm jus' lookin' forward ta hour next broadcast! Some people 'ave been commentin' on ah few of mah bookin' ideas not making sense, but as we both understand tha amount of money we'll rake in will be enormous afta ah few of those blockbusters we have set inta action. Speakin' of... Ah was actually callin' ta see if yer ready for yer match against ACE's Jay Scarlet. Ah heard 'e 'ad sum powerful werds fer ya, jus' tha otha day. Seems 'e thinks 'e's got this in tha bag. Somethin' that e's very wrong about...

Robert Garland - Heh... I'm not sure you're rememberin' the same person that I am, Rech. Sure, he's an arrogant little bastard, but his skill in-ring is jaw droppin'. The man's a machine... But he's nothin' that I haven't faced before.

Travis Rech - Right! That's tha confidence that we need Garland. Ya've always been ready fer anythin', friend. It's jus' anotha' trial fer ya ta overcome. A trial that Ah wanted ta help ya prepare fer... But Ah went ta stop by an' was told ya weren't home. Told bah Nikki Lynn of all people. Curious. Are tha both of ya livin' togetha 'er somethin'? Is tha big bad monster finally lookin' ta settle down?

Rech laughs to himself, knowing the answer before Garland can respond. Meanwhile, Garland was finally at the front door of his destination, moving it aside as he steps back into his comfort zone... His familiar run down gym not thirty minutes from his cleaned up apartment.

Robert Garland - Well... You're right about one thing, Rech. I had to step out for a bit. I couldn't sleep after readin' Tara her bedtime story... There's still so much to do, and you know full well that there's still a bunch left that I have to say about this little situation of ours. Garland vs. Scarlet... Just another adventure back into the past. Heh, that seems like all my career's been about these last few years. All I've been dealin' with are these re-occurrin' ghosts that are tryin' to creep their way into my nightmares... Except with this particular battle, I chose to take part by choice. I chose to show those "fans" that I plan to stand up for what I believe in... Whether they'll listen to my words or not...

Anyway, you should know where I'm at. Feel free to stop by later if you want to share a few drinks, but for right now I need to get back into the zone. I need to bask in my element for a bit and get my thoughts out there. Basically, I'll talk to you later... And, don't worry. I'm not goin' to let this battle drift closer to their favor!

Rech agrees to give Garland his space, both men hanging up as Garland turns his attention to the remains of his once training area. Garland moves over towards the room in the back, kicking up dust with his feet and wondering why the whole building has yet to be demolished. It was here that his spent his time honing and teaching his craft... But, it was also here that he was trapped in a pit of despair that lead him to his incarceration. He could still see some of the charred furniture at the corners of the main room, Garland finally reaching the back door and turning the door knob before noticing the door had been stuck shut. After a few kicks, the door finally loosens, Garland going to turn on the lights before remembering that they haven't worked in years. Shaking his head, Garland decides to dig around in the dark for a while. Finally, he finds an old video camera, his old video diaries still in tact as he seems pleased with himself. Looking for an empty tape, Garland finally seems to grab a hold of one. With both items in hand, he makes his way back out to the main room... Setting the camera up on a nearby table and setting it to record...

Thinking deep for a few short moments, Garland finally seems ready to let his thoughts pour out... Hoping that this helps him clear his thoughts on his current situation.

Robert Garland - So this time it's Jay Scarlet. Now there's a name I haven't heard in a good long while. A man who I had the pleasure to see at the top of his game over in IPW. A man who was climbin' higher and higher on each and every card while some of us were bein' forced to keep up a very similar pace. Heh... I would say somethin' corny like "Just like old times," but the both of us know that not much good was happenin' back in that place. Perhaps you were enjoyin' yourself in those arenas, but I was trapped behind bars for the majority of my time there. I was forced to fight for nothin' more than the bank account of the bastard who rigged my trial. I was forced to go out there and, as they said, pay my debt to society through charity work with the one skill they knew I was good at... Wrestlin'!

They caged me as a beast, while everyone else was runnin' free. Of course, you could argue that all if it could be blamed on me. You could argue that it was all my fault... While I may pass the blame over to Frank Washington for throwin' me into this pit of despair... That argument of your may hold up. Maybe this is all my fault in the end... Maybe the way I've been actin' is a reflection of who I really was all along... Of who I became. Well, whoever it is that I've become, I still have that hunger for war! I still have that want to prove myself! I still have the ability to step into the ring against ANYONE and make them fear me! And that, is somethin' I will prove firsthand when the you, Jay Scarlet and I, Robert Garland... Step into the ring.

For you see, back in IPW we both know that I was the next big thing. Even with my shitty situation, I pulled myself back into the mainstream world by capturin' by The IPW Unchained Championship... Followed by their United States Title. I was poised to climb even higher... I was set to reach the top of the foodchain and finally recapture a piece of my former glory. I was goin' to be crowned the next IPW World Champion! You know it! I know it! It was just a matter of time until I grabbed hold of my future and paid tribute to my past... It was just a matter of time until I once again was the best damn thing this industry had ever seen... But that future was locked away from me at the closin' of the company. That path was closed... That path that could have helped to set me free from the life I'm livin' now. That path that could have created a very different man than the one sittin' in front of this camera... But now? Now I get another chance... Just one more chance at provin' my words! Now that I get to go to war against you... I will stand tall! I will walk away the victor... I WILL BE THE WALL FOR THE RWD! THE TALLEST OF WALLS THAT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CLIMB OVER!

Because, Jay Scarlet, no matter the past, this is where I stand now... This is what my legacy will become, for better or worse... And I will not stand to see it trampled under the feet of ACE. I will not stand to let our company fall short of this cross-promotional contest. This is why I am steppin' up to face you, my friend. This is why I'm opposin' everythin' that you are, with all of myself. You are one of the finest wrestlers I have ever laid eyes on... And to some degree, the both of us may even share similar visions of rebirth. But you will be taken out. You will fall at MY hands... And then? Then we will be one step closer to capturin' the ultimate victory. We will become one match away from claimin' that we are indeed the best... This is my end goal... And, if Frank Washington of all people can take home a victory, there is no reason why I can't stand up as well and do the very same. This company is now ridin' on my back. And, whether those "fans" love me, or hate me, I will do what's best for myself... And I will so what's best for The RWD!

The two of us are playin' part in a very dangerous game, Jay Scarlet. A game that neither of us can afford to lose. When it comes down to it, it'll be all about who wants it more... And, I expect you to bring me a world of hurt... But, you better be prepared to receive just as much back! I'll see you in the ring, Jay! I'll see you fully prepared to dish out a beatin', but I'll let you know that I can take anythin' you throw my way! I'll see you layin' on the ground beneath me as I further cement my legacy, and as I walk out of this match the victor... And... I'll see you as another conquered ghost of my past as I move further towards that re-invention and continue to pull myself out of this dark pit... As I continue to climb out of this nightmare!


With that, Garland ends his recording session. He takes one last look around his old stomping grounds, before picking the camera up and removing the tape. With one final sigh, he makes his exit towards the outside. Shutting the door behind him on the way out, Garland looks forward to doing the very same at this next edition of The RWD's Sunday Night Combat...