The King's Speech.

“My dreams became a reality.”

As the opening scene begins within the Prince’s Penthouse within the Wrestleworld Capital, we’re greeted with the sight of the now claimed King of Wrestleworld as he’s found at his built-in bar. In his hand, the usual alcoholic beverage in his hand of a Jack Daniels whiskey. The Irishman is dressed to the nines in his finest REISS black suit with a white and gold waistcoat and a black tie to add with the dressing code, he adds in a sphere of ice and then another into the glass of whiskey- taking one swig from the small glass before placing it down onto the counter with a soothing tone whispering through his lips.

“I told everyone that at Dreamworld, one man wasn’t going to walk out alive. I told everyone that at Dreamworld, I will stand tall over Wraith and murder him. I promised everyone at Dreamworld that those demons inside of me will finally be free and so will I. This past couple of weeks since Dreamworld have been eventful for sure and whilst I might not stand here with any awards, I’m glad to be standing here alive. Everything that happened in that match took a lot out of me, and to be frank, it took a lot out of everyone- as did the main event. I had a feeling that something was going to happen, and we weren’t going to like it, which we don’t. Stephanie Matsuda holds the American Dream Championship, Claudia Michaels hasn’t been seen in a while, Lannister has been suspended due to his actions, Cash and Sakura are fired and gone from Wrestleworld, The Professional is dead. I’m the only one left. I’m the only one able to stand here as an Underworld member.”

He sighs as he brushes his fingers through his dark grey hair as he leans forward and brings his hand to his chin, gently stroking it as he looks dead into the camera’s lens.

“The last of the dying breed, the last of the Underworld, I’ve been left with a legacy awaiting for a new trial but to be honest with you, the path of the Underworld isn’t something I want to take anymore. I want to make my own trail, I want to create my own path and that is what I have in mind for Book Two. See, being free of my demons with Wraith now being dead was one thing. Being free of the chains that held me back from anything in this goddamn island, being free of the chains that held me back from ever showing my true potential, being free of the chains that Claudia had wrapped me around. I don’t mean for it to come off as mean as it should but I felt locked in, I felt trapped and without her around to boss me around, to tell me what to do, to hold me back from ever trying to succeed- I can finally do what I wanted to do since I came back.

And that is to stand tall over everyone and anyone who dares to cross my path.”

Maverick lets out a small chuckle with the additional smirk written on his face, amused with the words he had spoken as he looks to his right, peering out through the window and seeing the nightlife of the capital of Wrestleworld in bright colours. It was as if it was a synthwave city had come to life and Maverick was living in it, which of course left a smile on his face.

“This island needs a leader, it needs someone who can hold their ground, which is where I come in. See, this island is desperate for a leader who they can trust and a leader that can provide them with the essentials that they need- they need a king.”

He reaches down behind the bar and pulls out a crown of sorts, made of solid gold with multiple different coloured jewels etched into the metal, one that very closely resembles the crown that Tristian Killebrew once wore during his time as the King of The World. Maverick holds the crown with both hands, looking down at his own reflection in the shine of the gold.

“King Maverick. It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? It rolls off of the tongue perfectly and I absolutely love it. I love and adore the name of King Maverick- and soon everyone will be calling me that, as soon as the next chapter comes around, that’s what everyone will be calling me. See, when the former king dropped his balls and his crown before walking out the door and deciding to never come back, he left everything to nothing and dropped that crown right at the exit for someone to pick up. For me, I just happen to be that lucky son of a bitch who actually picked it up when I had the chance instead of letting someone else become the king. Could you imagine what it would be like if I let someone else hold this specific crown?

I could have left it to the likes of Colt Montoya, or someone like Reginald Dampshaw, hell, even someone like Reno Dumont. What would have happened if you had Reno Dumont as the king of this island? It would have burned down within an instant. It would never survive under his orders. But with me? You are safe. You are helped and in good hands. That is a promise I can make on my behalf. When I found this crown being left on the floor backstage of Dreamworld, I knew I had some massive footsteps to walk in when I placed that crown on the top of my head. I knew there was going to be some people who would challenge me in saying that I don’t deserve the name of “King” or even this crown because I never won it legitimately. I won’t tell you that you’re wrong- but I’m all fairness, your former king dropped this and ran because he couldn’t have the balls to do something about himself.”

Maverick places the crown gently down beside him and pick up his glass of whiskey, pulling out the bottle of Jack Daniels from behind him to pour into the glass once more for a refill- all the way to the brim is how he filled it, those same spherical chunks of ice still in the glass from earlier.

“Tristian didn’t care for what this crown meant to him, after he lost to Havoc again, he didn’t care at all for what he did as King of The World. Me though? I care enough to continue on the legacy of the crown that represents the King of The World- because that’s exactly who I am. I stand before you as the true King of The World, King Maverick is never going to leave anytime soon.”

He begins to laugh as he takes a swig from the whiskey glass, downing it in one before placing the glass back down onto the counter. That soothing sound whispering through his lips once more as he smiles from ear to ear in the delight of everything happening around him. Everything was going right in the world for Maverick like he was living in his own dream state- his own fantasy.

“Now, with that said, I think it’s time we talked about business. Book Two has begun and a new chapter is upon us. I have the privilege of teaming with such a strong force of men by my side that it makes me feel more secure about a win more than anything I’ve ever felt like a member of The Underworld. Take a look at my squadron of hungry men looking to feast. Ares Vendetta- a former member of World’s Finest and someone who showed their true colours when he walked out of Trials of Seven at Kingdom Come. People questioned if he was aligning himself with The Underworld but even himself waited for the right moment to align with a real leader like me because he knew I wouldn’t hold him back on anything as Claudia did. Then we have Jay Jones, a man I know somewhat about but from what I’ve seen from him, I’ve been more than impressed as of late. The man has some talent, untapped potential, and with my help, I’m sure enough that I could help bring him to a new light. I could help him make sure that when he decides to take that shot at Stephanie Matsuda, he’s going to give it his all and beat her down senseless.”

Maverick once again smiled from ear to ear, knowing all to well the next man he was about to mention.

“And finally- Drago Santiago. Oh my, Nathaniel, it has been way too long since we’ve met. Over a year now, hasn’t it? Over a year. The time flies when things get in the way and people push you apart. For those who are out of the loop, this is someone I’ve had the chance to recruit into a stable I ran sometime last year named “The AWF Icons”. I recruited Nathaniel right after his debut match in Ascension Wrestling Federation and thought to myself that what I was looking at was nothing more than the future and someone I knew I could trust. Someone I knew could and would eventually become something bigger than me- we became XHF Tag Team Champions in our second match ever together as a team, that’s the sort of chemistry we had and we remained a dominant and unstoppable force until I departed ways a couple of months later. No matter what federation, company or anywhere we went- we were undefeated, unstoppable, we were godly. Nothing nor anyone could ever take that away from us.”

His smiles would soon turn to a more stern and serious look within an instant as if something had snapped in The King.

“But of course, there’s those who think not everything is right in the world, like they want to take whatever they can grasp it and make it all look good for them on paper but in reality, it’s the delusional babblings of a dumb fucker who can’t even take the time to do some simple fucking research. Reno Dumont, tell me what the fuck you are trying to prove by saying I could never get along with either Jay Jones or Nathaniel? Are you losing your mind by just spouting out random bullshit from your mouth in the hopes that you make some fucking sense with the words that you speak? You’re going to stand there and tell me that myself and Jay Jones couldn’t get along because we’ve got different goals? You’re going to stand there and tell everyone that Maverick and Drago Santiago could never get along? I can already hear the laugh coming from Nathaniel once you spoke of that. I can already hear the laugh of the fans that watch to see what kind of bullshit you’re spouting out this week.

They’re not laughing with you, Reno, they’re laughing at you.

Reno, you must be either that really fucking stupid to not even bother your arse to take a quick google search and see my and Nathaniel’s past before making such quick judgements or you are just that jealous of the fact that within six months of us teaming- Maverick and Drago are the teams that you and Nobi wished you were. That says a whole lot, Reno, because I know it’s true. I know all too well it’s very true. You’ve been coming at me all over twitter trying to one-up me with achievements that barely have any standings as legitimate. You’re saying that you’re a Hall of Famer but by god, there are times where I look at you and wonder how the fuck did this man get a so-called Hall of Fame spot for being as bad as he is? You know why I think I’m far superior to you, why I think I’m more talented than you, why I think you are nothing compared to me- it’s because I know I’m right. It’s because I know where my standards are, how high the bar goes when I compete but when I have to go head to head against you- I’ve to lower the bar a little just for you to even get one lucky shot in on me. That doesn’t say a lot about me, but it says a whole lot about you.

But continue to tell people how you and Nobi will soon become the Campeonatos de Parejas but just know one thing, Reno. If myself and Drago decided we wanted those titles too, we’d destroy you. We’d decimate both of you without even single care in the world about either of your well-beings. Nathaniel and I have that chemistry, we have that same mindset that scares people because we don’t care about anyone until we are on top. We have that ability because we are a legit fucking Tag Team whilst you and Nobi are nothing more than make-believe.”

Maverick sighs as he begins to pour out another glass of whiskey, this time it doesn’t reach the brim- very different feel for Maverick as he leans into the counter with that same stern look on his face. He looks over at the crown that rests right beside him, attempting to smile but he can’t bring himself to do so.

“And what about your partner, Reno?

I’m sure Nobi has a very modest way of words, he likes to think he’s being the nice guy but acts a little bit tough- then again, this is the same Nobi that used such profanity like the word “retarded” and he’s the supposed role model? I’m sure parents in this day of age would never want their child to be taught those same words because their hero said the same thing all because he got a little bit angry and emotional. Nobi, I always appreciate the kind and honest words from you, they do warm my heart but come on now- I'm sure we’re aware of the fact that I am very earning of what I walked away with at Dreamworld. I had won fair and square, and you’re right, I’ve not had Jaywalker come and take it from me. I doubt he would either- because he won’t dare to, I've earned this more fairly than anyone else has

Now I can assure you I never wore The Professional’s mask during that bout, I had my own worries to deal with than your match. But you see, Nobi, I know exactly what makes you tick and what sets you off. Remember a while back when we had that Outlaw Rules Match? I’ll admit that you might have given me a beating that I probably deserved but you know how the end result turned out for you? You lost. You were that angry with me that it was easy to just turn it around and use it against you. Imagine what I could do to you again if that were to happen? Nobi, just because you walked out of that match alive, didn’t mean you walked out of it unscathed. I know exactly where those cuts are, I know that those are some fresh wounds that would just be the sweet spot to hit and put you down with ease. You’re not exactly “bulletproof”, Nobi. Nobody ever is. If I have to be the one to show you that then I gladly will.

With all due respect, Nobi, parodying The Avengers doesn’t make you a stronger team. It just makes you look twice as stupid as you already look and trust me, with Reno by your side, it wasn’t that hard to label you it, to begin with.”

He begins to swirl the glass around, watching its contents within the glass spin with the ice spheres. Watching it happen finally brings a slight grin to the face of the Irishman as he takes his swig from the glass and leaves it empty once more.

“April and Stephanie. The power duo that was able to dethrone Claudia Michaels for good. You finally knocked her off of her own porch and you know what- I couldn’t have been prouder of the two of you. April, darling, I’m sure it was a bit tough seeing that opportunity of yours fade and crumble but I’m sure the time will come but for now, you need to worry about Hana more than Stephanie. Because, April, you’ve made that match prove your worth to World’s Finest by showing who you really belong to and that’s being Matsuda’s lackey whilst she’s reigning as the champion. That could have been you, and you know this, but you let her have that win and you let her become the first-ever champion. Remember when I said I was being held back by the chains of Claudia Michaels? This is exactly how you’re being felt right now- Stephanie has you wrapped around her finger, she always has and always will be and you’re not like that at all. I know this. You know this. Everyone in the world knows this.

Tell me why you are letting her walk all over you for the sake of letting her have the top spot- are you still hopeful that she’ll give you a shot at the title sometime down the line? Was that the deal you two made before the match had begun? April, I thought you would have known better than this. I thought you would have known so much better than this. You’re going to let her walk all over you and for what, April? For a shot at something, she might not even have before she gets back around to you? Stephanie has challengers lined up here there and everywhere, by the time she’s done. Now, I wouldn’t say that she won’t make it to get that chance to face you and let you have that fair fight but there’s always option C, and it’s the best one yet.”

Maverick reaches down behind the bar once more, smiling and grinning from ear to ear as he pulls out the blue sapphire briefcase he had taken from the body of Wraith. He places it down onto the counter and looks back into the camera, a smile still on his face.

“People like to complain that I’ve taken something that doesn’t even belong to me rightfully and to that I say- I won it fair and square. Wraith couldn’t even stand up after our match, albeit, he’s definitely not standing anymore. But here I am, the holder of the Sapphire Briefcase that holds a contract to an American Dream Championship match at any time and any place. I can do whatever I want with this, I can use it whenever I want to! And to those who think there isn’t anything inside-“

Maverick unlocks and opens the case, showing the paperwork that reads “American Dream Championship Contract”, a smile continues to show on the face of The King as he closes and locks the case back up.

“Stephanie Matsuda. I know that you had your shining moment at Dreamworld and now the whole world is after you, challengers are lining up from the left and to the right, all of them looking to become the American Dream Champion and I know you’ll do anything you can to make sure that you defend that belt with pride and honour for the American Dream but here’s the thing- sometimes I can be a little bit impatient when it comes to things that should be mine by now and that title there in your possession. Clearly- it should be mine. You watched me chained by Claudia and not able to even get a taste of Championship gold or even a match of any kind. Which is why I have this briefcase, and I will look to cash in on you or whoever is the American Dream Champion at the time of it happening. Now, I can wait a good long while or I can do it as soon as possible. It’s simple, it’s cunning, it’s genius. I play the mind games and when you least expect it, I get to finally sink my teeth into you and take what is rightfully mine.

Stephanie, it can happen at any given point and any given day- you’ll need the eyes in the back of your head because patience is running low and I feel the need to hold some gold once again. Just know that when you come at the king, you best not miss and I can assure you that when I cash this in- I will not miss at all.

I wouldn’t say that unless it were true.”

The lights fade as does the scene before we cut to black.