- Event: Chaos 021
HI JOEBERG IT IS MY JERBOI GREAT SCOTT.
LEE BEST JUST PERSONALLY CALLED ME TO REMIND ME THAT I HAVE TO BEAT YOUR ASS THIS WEEK WHICH WAS VERY NICE OF HIM BUT I PROMISE YOU THAT I REMEMBERED. I HAVE JUST BEEN A VERY BUSY SCOTT DOING LOTS OF PERSONAL APPEARANCES AND BEING SCANNED FOR THE NEW OCTANE WRESTLING VIDEO GAME NOW THAT I AM OCTANE EXCLUSIVE.
THAT’S RIGHT I AM EXCLUSIVE.
I QUIT PRIMETIME WRESTLING AND SAID GOODBYE TO MELVIN AND HIS SECRETARY LINDSZIY ON ACCOUNT OF ALWAYS GETTING A RAW DEAL AND THEM NEVER LETTING ME COMPETE FOR THE IMPULSE IS CANCELLED CHAMPIONSHIP. SO NOW I AM FULL TIME IN OCTANE WRESTLING WHERE I AM AN UNDEFEATED CHAMPION WHO IS UNDEFEATED AND HAS NEVER BEEN BEATEN. I DO NOT INTEND FOR THAT TO CHANGE THIS WEEK MR. JOEBERG SO IF YOU HAVE ANY FUNNY IDEAS ABOUT BECOMING THE HOT VEE CHAMPION THEN PLEASE LET ME GET AHEAD OF THOSE AND TELL YOU THAT IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
CE N’EST PAS POSSIBLE MON AMI.
THAT IS FRENCH FOR YOU CANNOT TAKE MY CHAMPIONSHIP BECAUSE I AM GREAT SCOTT.
IT HAS BEEN AWHILE SINCE I HAD A SOLO MATCH SO I AM TRYING TO REMEMBER WHAT STUFF ABOUT MY LIFE YOU KNOW ABOUT AND WHAT STUFF IS NEW. DID I ALREADY TELL YOU ALL ABOUT GREAT SCOTT JR WHO IS MY BABY THAT GOT LEFT WITH ME WHEN HIS MOM DIED? I THINK THAT I DID BUT THERE IS A LOT IN MY LIFE TO REMEMBER. ANYWAY I DEFINITELY HAD THE SEX AND MADE A BABY AND NOW I AM A SINGLE DAD SO THAT IS PRETTY COOL. GREAT BEAR GOT A JOB ON A NETFLIX SHOW SO HE HAS NOT BEEN AROUND MUCH WHICH MAKES ME SAD. BUT IT MIGHT BE FOR THE BEST BECAUSE GREAT SCOTT JR. IS ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED OF HIM WHICH IS SILLY BECAUSE HE IS GREAT BEAR HE IS NEVER MEAN TO ANYONE EXCEPT FOR JABRONIS WHO TRY TO TAKE MY HOT VEE.
SO NO GREAT BEAR THIS WEEK JOEBERG.
YOU ARE GETTING OFF EASY.
BUT NOT THAT EASY. BECAUSE EVEN WITHOUT MY BEAR I STILL HAVE MY GLARE AND MY SCOTTACANRANA WHICH IS THE MOST DEVASTATING MOVE IN ALL OF PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING OUTSIDE OF THE SURPRISE ROLL UP. ONLY ABOUT SEVENTEEN PEOPLE HAVE EVER KICKED OUT OF IT WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A LOT AND KIND OF IS A LOT BUT AS THE FRENCH SAY “C’EST LA SCOTTACANRANA” AND THAT IS JUST WHAT HAPPENS SOMETIMES. BUT REGARDLESS YOU WILL NOT BE NUMBER EIGHTEEN MR. JOEBERG. I HAVE BEEN TRAINING REALLY HARD WITH stronk daddy TO GET HIM BIG A STRONK AGAIN AND DRINKING LOTS OF LIQUID STRONKUMMS SO I AM BASICALLY JACKED TO THE TITS RIGHT NOW. I AM BIGGER STRONKER AND FASTER THAN I HAVE EVER BEEN BEFORE AND I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT TIME TO TRAIN AND GET READY FOR MY NEXT OPPONENT.
THAT’S YOU BY THE WAY.
YOU ARE MY NEXT OPPONENT.
YOU HAVE DONE A LOT OF BIG THINGS IN OCTANE WRESTLING JOEBERG. YOU WERE THE WORLD CHAMPION. YOU WERE ONE OF THE JOHNNY CASH GUYS. YOU DID A LOT OF PODCASTS. I DO NOT SLEEP ON ANY OF THOSE THINGS. I ONLY SLEEP ON BEDS AND LARGE BEAN BAGS ACTUALLY BECAUSE I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY LOWER BACK AND MY POSTURE IS NOT ALWAYS THE BEST. SO YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT WHEN YOU STEP INTO THE RING WITH GREAT SCOTT THAT HE WILL BE WELL RESTED ON A SERTA MATTRESS AND WILL BE TAKING YOU VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY SERIOUSLY SIR. AND WHY WOULDN’T I?
YOU ARE A HALL OF FAMER.
I AM PRETTY SURE ANYWAY.
I AM LIKE 90% SURE THAT YOU ARE A HALL OF FAMER BUT YOU HAVE YOUR OWN UNIVERSE AND SOMETIMES IT GETS CONFUSING TO ME. BUT SINCE I AM NOT SURE I AM JUST GOING TO ASSUME THAT YOU ARE IN THE HALL OF FAME AND TREAT YOU ACCORDINGLY BECAUSE LIKE I SAID YOU ARE NOT A MATTRESS OR A VERY LARGE LOVESAC BRAND BEAN BAG CHAIR. AFTER ALL THIS TIME I ADMIT THAT IT IS GETTING HARDER AND HARDER TO DEFEND THE HOT VEE CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK IN AND WEEK OUT JOEBERG. IT DOES NOT FEEL LIKE THE STAKES ARE GETTING HIGHER AND I AM RUNNING OUT OF NEW OPPONENTS. I AM NOT EVEN ONE HUNDRED PERCENT SURE THAT WE HAVE NEVER FACED EACHOTHER BEFORE… I WAS PRETTY SURE I FACED YOU BACK IN DECEMBER BUT IT TURNS OUT THAT IT WAS THAT RACE TRAITOR ADAM ELLIS AND ALL THIS MVW UNIVERSE STUFF BLENDS TOGETHER FOR ME SOMETIMES SO I LOST A SOLID CHUNK OF MY PROMO ABOUT HOW I WAS FACING YOU AGAIN AND IT TURNS OUT THAT WAS A LIE.
I AM SORRY FOR LYING.
I BACKSPACED IT ALL I PROMISE.
WHAT I AM SAYING IS THAT WHILE I AM ETERNALLY PROUD OF WHAT I HAVE DONE WITH THE HOT VEE CHAMPIONSHIP AND I AM MAYBE NOW THE LONGEST REIGNING CHAMPION OF ALL TIME, I FEEL LIKE THERE IS MORE THAT I CAN DO NOW THAT I AM OCTANE WRESTLING EXCLUSIVE. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO BE THE WORLD CHAMPION SOMEDAY. AND I AM NOT A DUMB SCOTT, JOEBERG. I KNOW THAT BEATING A PROBABLY HALL OF FAMER LIKE YOU IS WORTH A LOT TOWARD FINALLY REALIZING MY DREAMS OF HOLDING A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP THAT I DID NOT BUY FROM THE INTERNET WITH MY OWN MONEY. SO I AM NOT LOOKING TO JUST RETAIN MY TITLE THIS WEEK JOE… CAN I CALL YOU JOE?
NO, MR. JOEBERG SOUNDS MORE RESPECTFUL.
I AM NOT JUST LOOKING TO RETAIN MY TITLE MR. JOEBERG. I AM LOOKING TO SEND A MESSAGE TO PIRATE GOD AND HIS WHOLE CREW AND LET THEM KNOW THAT I AM READY TO TAKE MY PLACE AT THE HEART OF OCTANE WRESTLING. THAT I AM READY TO FIGHT CHRISTOPHER THE AMERICAN FOR THE OCTANE WRESTLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. THAT I CAN BE THE FACE OF THIS ENTIRE COMPANY.
BECAUSE I AM GREAT SCOTT.
I AM THE GREATEST HOT VEE CHAMPION EVER.
AND I AM NOT YOUR AVERAGE JOE.
————
“You are never going to be the HOW World Champion.”
The CEO of High Octane Wrestling doesn’t even look up from his paperwork, as he casually dismisses Scott Gratesburgh with a flourish of his hand.
He’s a hard man to be dismissed by, especially regarding this particular subject. As the most decorated HOW World Champion in company history, Michael Lee Best has spent more days with the championship and held it more times than anyone else on the roster has even come close to dreaming of. To have that man not even look into your eyes when he tells you that you will never achieve literally even one tenth of what he’s achieved is a hard moment in anyone’s career.
Well, almost anyone’s.
GREAT SCOTT: FUCK YOU MAN. YOU ARE NOT THE BOSS OF ME.
This time, Michael actually looks up. The disdain on his face is palpable, nearly creating a fog of contempt in the space between the two men.
MIKE BEST: I literally am the boss of you, Scott. I’m the fucking CEO.
He looks GREAT SCOTT up and down, already exhausted of the 5’11” brick shithouse that has been making a mockery of his company for nearly a year.
MIKE BEST: Look, I’m not saying you don’t have what it takes. I’m just telling you that it’s not happening. America is the champion, you’re both in the Final Alliance, and we aren’t doing that hacky in-fighting bullshit. You’re the High Octane Television Champion. That title has had a long, weird, kind of embarrassing road, and you’ve managed to build it back up into something worth holding onto. So focus on that. Hold on to it. Keep it worth a fuck.
He reaches out a hand, posting up to give Gratesburgh a fist bump. He doesn’t really want to do it, but he figures it will get the annoying but useful idiot out of his office.
Except GREAT SCOTT doesn’t bump him back.
GREAT SCOTT: YOU STARTED YOUR CAREER AS THE HOFFSEA CHAMPION BUT THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU. THEN YOU GOT THE NIKON CHAMPIONSHIP BUT THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU. THEN THE DRUGS TITLE BUT THAT WASN’T ENOUGH FOR YOU EITHER. IT WAS NEVER ENOUGH FOR YOU UNTIL YOU WERE THE OCTANE WORLD CHAMPION TEN TIMES. YOU TRAINED ME. YOU TOLD ME TO NEVER GIVE UP. YOU TAUGHT ME HUSTLE LOYALTY AND–
MIKE BEST: Finish that sentence and I will fucking kill you.
GREAT SCOTT: THE POINT IS THAT YOU MAY HAVE TAUGHT ME TO WRESTLE AS A JOKE AND YOU MAY HAVE JUST WANTED MY MONEY AND MAYBE YOU THOUGHT I WOULD NEVER BE ANYTHING. BUT THE THING YOU REALLY TAUGHT ME IS THAT YOU SHOULD NEVER SETTLE FOR WHAT YOU HAVE. I LOVE THIS COMPANY AND I LOVE THE HOT VEE CHAMPIONSHIP AND I LOVE DEFENDING IT. BUT I WANT MORE AND I THINK I CAN ACHIEVE MORE. PLEASE AT LEAST GIVE ME A SHOT AT GETTING A SHOT AT GETTING A SHOT MIKE BEST. WATCH MY MATCH AGAINST JOEBERG THIS WEEK. WATCH ME KEEP THIS HOT VEE TITLE WORTH A HECK. SEE HOW MUCH I CARE ABOUT DOING A GOOD JOB OUT THERE. AND THEN GIVE ME A CHANCE AT LEAST. EVEN IF I LOSE I JUST WANT A CHANCE.
While the CEO’s instinct is to knee this man in the face and then drag his lifeless body back into the hallway, he stops to give the request at least a moment of consideration. Scott Gratesburgh was an idiot, but again, he was a useful one. A weapon of pure, unbridled Id and chaos– the idea of having him on a short leash with the promise of an impossible prize isn’t the worst idea in the world.
The disgusting smile of a car salesman falls over Michael’s face.
MIKE BEST: You know what, Scott? Okay. Alright. That’s reasonable. Now we’re talking reason, here. A shot at a shot at a shot. Let me tell you what we’re gonna do.
He puts his arm around the young man, stealthily leading him toward the door as he speaks.
MIKE BEST: Joe Bergman… him and the Highwaymen pissed me off last year. Lot of bullshit to deal with. I’m not over it yet. So I don’t want you to go out there and “show me how hard you can work”, Scott. I want you to go out there and fucking maim Joe Bergman. I want you to destroy him. Rip his shoulder out of his fucking socket and beat him to death with his own severed arm. I don’t give a fuck, just fucking obliterate him. You do that for me… well, this is your shot at a shot at a shot. After that, we can talk about a shot at a shot. You feel me?
GREAT SCOTT: JOEBERG SEEMS LIKE A DECENT GUY. I DON’T KNOW THAT HE DESERVES TO GET BEATEN TO DEATH WITH HIS OWN ARM OR ANYTHING. BUT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO HIT HIM A LITTLE HARDER IF THAT PROVES THAT I HAVE WHAT IT TAKES.
The smile falls instantly from the face of the CEO, who in a flash shoves GREAT SCOTT up against the door to his office. He snarls, getting his face about an inch from Gratesburgh’s, narrowing his eyes.
MIKE BEST: You walked into my fucking office and asked me for a favor. Did I hunt you down? Did I come out to your stupid bus and say “Hey Scott, kill a guy for me?” NO. You want your shot, then FUCK HIS SHIT IN HALF. DOES IT HELP WHEN I YELL, SCOTT? DO YOU UNDERSTAND IT BETTER THAT WAY YOU SPECIAL FUCK?
He shoves GREAT SCOTT backward into the door, letting him go hard. The HOTv Champion stumbles backward, swallowing tightly as he looks back at Mike Best and softly nods his head.
MIKE BEST: Do it or don’t, I don’t give a fuck. But if you don’t leave him in a pool of his own fucking blood, don’t come back in here again. Because I will fucking kill you myself, and I am not exaggerating. Do we have an understanding?
The HOTv Champion doesn’t know what to say, at first. Joe Bergman has never done anything to hurt GREAT SCOTT. He’s never even said anything particularly rude. For all his matches in HOW and PRIME, Scott has always tried his hardest to win… but he’s never gone out of his way to hurt anyone (except for all the dick kicking, but let’s face it, that was very well deserved). He thinks about GREAT SCOTT JR. at home… thinks about the dreams he’s had since childhood… thinks about everything that he could achieve, and the fact that Michael Lee Best might be the only way he can ever achieve them.
Was it all worth hurting an innocent man?
Averting his eyes from the CEO, GREAT SCOTT softly nods his head.
He opens the office door, disappearing back out into the hallway of the High Octane offices. The CEO is left once again alone and at peace, as the rage falls from his face… it’s replaced by a dumb smirk, as he shakes his head.
MIKE BEST: Fucking dummy. I don’t even book the matches.