A winter's day
In a deep and dark December;
I am alone,
Gazing from my window to the streets below
On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

The scene opens to show a dimly lit living room, with the only light coming from a big, flat screen television. On the couch we see the man who sent waves thru XWF on the latest edition of Monday Night Madness, by practically declaring war on the entire roster, John Brown. He's dressed in his usual garb: Wrangler jeans, a pair of black low top Chuck Taylor All-Stars, and a black shirt that simply says "DRUG FREE" in red across the chest. He appears to already be researching his debut opponent, The Rock. The camera primarily stays focused on John, but you occasionally get flashes of the in-ring action.

The Rock||Dwayne Johnson||The Rock
Well, since The Rock's baby left him; he found a new place to dwell. It's down at the end of Jabroni Drive at...Smackdown Hotel-lalalalalaaaa!

While entirely entertaining and original on the microphone and a truly fierce in ring competitor that John knows he respects on some level, he doesn't let go a chuckle or even a mere smile as The Rock precedes to beat Mankind some more. The Rock better not be arrogant enough to ever pull something like this on John, because that's exactly when John would strike most viciously. John grabs the remote to the television and pauses it momentarily as his cell phone rings.

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
Who in th-

Before he can even spit out the entire phrase, he sees the name and contact image, and a morbidly sad look takes hold of his face. He sets the phone down beside him on the couch, sort of debating what to do within himself, before getting up and walking out of the living room. He flips on a few lights in the house, to reveal that it's actually a pretty nice house; not the kind you'd expect him to live in when you see his clothes and tattoos. He climbs the stairs up to the second level of the house and enters a door, shutting it behind him, as we fade back to black.

I've built walls,
A fortress deep and mighty,
That none may penetrate.
I have no need of friendship; friendship causes pain.
It's laughter and it's loving I disdain.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

The picture slowly fades back in, showing John Brown coming back down the stairs, now wearing black Nike basketball shorts and a pair of black and red New Balance running shoes to match the shirt. He's got his phone, which we saw earlier, in a case so it can clip to his shorts; a pair of black Beats by Dr. Dre headphones plugged into it and sliding over his ears. He wastes no time opening the front door and taking off at a brisk jog down the streets of Los Angeles, California. He passes a few other people doing the same on the first few streets he jogs through and all parties wave and smile, sort of as a sign of encouragement, as they pass by. From then on, he is the only of his kind on the streets that he sees. Everyone else is talking on their phones or entering some business establishment as John just keeps on running. After a good 30 minutes straight of alternating between running and jogging, he finally reaches his destination: Griffith Park, a prominent park in Los Angeles. John looks around as he sits down on the ground to recovery from his run, seeing many families and couples walking around the park, and wonders if ignoring his earlier phone call was a good idea. As if his life were some big Hollywood production or a novel, as he mulls this over, he hears a voice call his name from close behind.

||???||
John-fucking-Brown!

The voice is all too familiar to John, who cringes a bit upon hearing it. He twists his torso around, putting a hand up to block the sun from his eyes, and there she stands.

The Witch||Jey Salem||The Witch
Do you not know how to answer your phone or something, punk?

John slowly pulls himself to his feet, trying to appear somewhat happy and shocked to see her. The shocked part is easier to play as he genuinely was surprised by her appearance. She obviously didn't run here like John did. Not a drop of sweat on her brow, and her attire is certainly nothing to workout in: a lime green tank top, skin tight Tru Religion blue jeans, and a pair of green Nike Kobe VII's. Her long brown hair is pulled back into a ponytail. She closes in on John, seemingly unaware of his slight awkwardness at the moment.

The Witch||Jey Salem||The Witch
What? Cat got your tongue?

They both share a light laugh as John finally shakes off the shock of seeing her.

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
Uh...no. I'm just...what...when did you get in town?

The Witch||Jey Salem||The Witch
Today! That's why I called you. I was coming through town, and I thought we could catch up, if you weren't too busy?

She gives John one of those smiles that he was never able to say no to, causing him to scratch his head and let out a small sigh.

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
Well, I don't know...maybe. I've gotta finish this run and I have a match to get ready for next Monday...

The Witch||Jey Salem||The Witch
It won't kill you! Come on! You can run more later...I'll give you a ride to your place so you can clean up and we can go get something to eat.

Suddenly a rumble begins in John's stomach, as if it were destined, basically making it impossible to say no.

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
Well...okay. I suppose s-

The Witch||Jey Salem||The Witch
Woo! Let's go!

She grabs John by the arm begins leading him to her car. When they arrive before it his jaw drops at what he sees. A 2012 Rolls-Royce Ghost? At this point John can't recall which of them changed, leading to their past frictions and current awkward encounters. Jey unlocks the driver-side door, then the passenger-side, before they both climb in. John quickly buckles up, unlike Jey, who just starts the car up and goes. As the car starts "In Vein" by Rick Ross ft. The Weeknd begins playing quietly in the background.

"I don't got a single sober vein in my body
I don't got a single sober vein in my body"

John chuckles, shaking his head at the musical choice as he deposits his headphones into the glove box.

The Witch||Jey Salem||The Witch
I assume you still live in the same house...right?

John simply nods, looking out the windshield at the cars passing from both directions and moving just ahead of them.

The Witch||Jey Salem||The Witch
I figured so.

About halfway through the ride, the awkwardness has yet to extinguish itself. They used to be so casual and fun around each other, but somewhere along the way they just lost touch with who the other person was, or had become.

The Witch||Jey Salem||The Witch
I saw you on TV the other night, ya'know. XWF Monday Night Madness. I always enjoyed listening to you on the microphone. More so, without the straight-edge militant talk, but you're still just as entertaining as ever.

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
Well, thank you...I guess. I'm not really concerned about entertaining people right now. I have to focus o-

The Witch||Jey Salem||The Witch
On The Rock. Yeah, that'd be wise, but we both know that once you gain control in the ring you'll start showing off and getting cocky again. Whether that's going to be a good thing or a bad thing...I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

She was right, as usual, about John. As soon as The Rock was weakened John would begin mocking him, berating him verbally, and displaying his in-ring superiority by both flashy and technically crisp moves. That has allowed his opponent to defeat him a few more times than John likes to admit aloud, but these moments still resonate strongly in John's mind.

The Witch||Jey Salem||The Witch
You worried about losing?

John scoffs at this remark, not having even considered defeat at that point.

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
Did you really just say that?! Me? No-no-no. I will NOT lose. There is no way that I will let that degenerate drop that ridiculous elbow on me. I'm going to make an example of Dwayne. That's a promise.

The Witch||Jey Salem||The Witch
I'm just saying...the last time you were in the ring, you were moments away from winning the XWA World Championship, but you let that slip right through your fingertips. You had Orlando beat, but you couldn't finish it off. That's all I'm saying, babe.

Ah, Chris Orlando. The Problem. That he truly was. He was a massive thorn in John's side on his quest to XWA World Championship glory. He had Orlando unconscious, locked in a Dragon Sleeper, ready to claim his prize. Unfortunately for John, Orlando somehow awoke in time to escape the move with vicious knee strikes and hit him with the "Problem Solver". Arguably the worst night of J-wait...did she just call him "babe"? There was no time to really process this for the moment as they turned into the driveway of John's home. He shook his head, trying to unscramble his brain abit as the car came to a stop and was promptly cut off. John opened his door and climbed out as the two walked side by side to the front door.

Don't talk of love,
But I've heard the words before;
It's sleeping in my memory.
I won't disturb the slumber of feelings that have died.
If I never loved I never would have cried.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

The scene re-opens to show Jey Salem sitting on the same couch that we saw John on in the beginning of all of this, watching some of the footage John was studying. Footsteps can be heard coming closer to the living room and before long John can be seen standing in the archway from the hallway into the living room. He's wearing an old black and green "Next Generation" shirt, featuring him, Eric Price, and Jey Salem herself, black Nike sweatpants, and his usual Chuck Taylor All-Star basketball shoes. She finally looks over at him, after pausing the screen, with a smile. He points to the shirt showing himself holding up the XWA International Championship, one of the XWA Tag Team Titles, Eric Price holding the other Tag Team Title, and Jey raising both of their arms in victory.

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
Remember these days? Huh?

They both chuckle lightly as John slaps the corner of the archway.

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
You ready to go?

John points to the front door with his thumb, expecting to get out of here and, hopefully, back alone quickly as possible. Jey jumps up off the couch and walks over to him, grabbing his arm, looking at him with her best pouting face.

The Witch||Jey Salem||The Witch
I got a better idea! How about we stay here and watch this footage? We can order in or something.

This is what he dreaded happening when he saw he face pop up on his phone today. He sighs, looking down at the floor, not knowing what to do.

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
I'm not sure that's too good of an idea. I have an interview to do tomorrow, and...well...honestly...why? I haven't seen you in two years, Jey. Why are you even here?

Jey essentially ignores the second half of his response, still just trying to sell him on her idea.

The Witch||Jey Salem||The Witch
Why not?! It'll be like old times! Better yet, instead of ordering out...I'll make *our* meal. How can you say no to that!?

She pokes him in the ribs a few times, smiling up at him, until he grabs her hand...already regretting his next statement.

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
Okay. Okay. You win. You know where the kitchen is.

She yelps with joy and throws her arms around his neck, hugging him. He lightly hugs her back, and walks to the couch as she heads to the kitchen. He grabs the remote and presses play, continuing to watch The Rock though his thoughts are elsewhere.

Messiah Complex||John Brown's Mind||Messiah Complex
Why is she here? Why in the hell did she call me "babe"? Did she forget our last conversation? It was 2 years ago. Maybe she did. Who knows. How did she know where to find me? She's gotta have something up her sleeve. Why would she just reappear after all this time?

John shakes his head, trying to do the same to his thoughts, as he grabs his pad off of the coffee table. He begins focusing in on the footage, continuing his notes.

Good Ol' J.R.||Jim Ross||Good Ol' J.R.
Tremendous impact by The Rock, knocking down The Game!

The action continues back and forth for a few minutes between The Rock and Hunter, with John making note of every movement Rock makes, as if he were preparing an impersonation of his in-ring style. John briefly looks up from his pad and the footage, to see Jey re-entering the room with two bowls with forks. She sets them down on the coffee table, before plopping down on the couch next to him, with her feet curled beneath her.

The Witch||Jey Salem||The Witch
What's this you're working on?

She snatches the pad out of his hands, analyzing it with interest.

The Witch||Jey Salem||The Witch
Holy hell! Have you written out reversals for every single move he knows?!

John snatches the pad from her hands, not too amused, and resting it in his lap.

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
Sort of...I've noticed opportunities for reversals that are simple, yet I've never seen one opponent of his do. Say, he goes for that float-over DDT? Well, he's gonna float directly into a spinning back elbow. Just things of that nature. I'm not going to give him a chance to electrify the audience.

John smirks arrogantly at his detailed genius, while Jey grabs it again, reading more of his reversal list.

The Witch||Jey Salem||The Witch
That's actually a good idea. You can't let him get any momentum rolling. What about that elbow? How would you handle that?

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
That's simple...there's plenty of ways to avoid it. A kick to the head, a hand up to trip him in that stupid jump he does over you...move? Anything. The one I'm really excited for, and hope to use is the one for the "Rock Bottom".

Jey sits his pad down on the coffee table, and replaces it in her hands with the bowl containing "their meal": chicken flavor Ramen Noodles with hot sauce.

The Witch||Jey Salem||The Witch
What is it?

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
I've got this new submission finisher, where I could take his arm tha-well...it'd be easier to just show you.

John grabs the bowl out of Jey's hand, placing it back on the table, and grabs her arm. Jey gulps down a mouthful of chewed noodles as John places her arm in position, as if she were going to Rock Bottom him. He slowly takes her arm with his free hand, pulling it towards her, bending it at the elbow so that her hand his at the back of her neck, and wrapping his other arm around her neck. He lightly torques back a little, showing where the pressure is placed from the move.

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
See? Like th-

Suddenly, she turns her face to him and plants an unexpected kiss on his lips. It takes John a minute to comprehend what's going on, but when he does he releases her and pulls away from her. Both of them sit in silence on the couch for a moment, heads down, not knowing what they're supposed to say to the other.

The Witch||Jey Salem||The Witch
I'm...ugh...I'm so sorry. That was stupid. It's been two years...I don't kno-

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
I think it'd be better if you left right now. I'll call you tomorrow, but for now just...just go.

This wasn't how Jey had planned for tonight to go, but she understood John's wishes. She slowly raises up from the couch and walks toward the archway. We see John sitting on the couch with his head in his hands as we hear the door shut. He raises his head up, pushing his hair back, as the car door can be heard shutting. The scene slowly begins fading to black as the car can be heard starting and the tires screeching.

I have my books
And my poetry to protect me;
I am shielded in my armor,
Hiding in my room, safe within my womb.
I touch no one and no one touches me.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

The scene opens on a packed arena in New York City, New York at Madison Square Garden. There is a match going on in the middle of the ring, and the crowd is going apeshit. The ring is covered in fresh and dried blood alike, littered with weapons, and there are two bodies down in the middle of the ring. One of the bodies is, current XWF Monday Night Madness wrestler, John Brown. The other is Chris Acid, arguably one of the greatest technical wrestlers of all-time and one of two mentors to John Brown. The date: April 24th, 2011. GCW Presents: Immortality! Both men have made their way to their feet, dripping sweat and blood as the crowd chants "Let's Go Brown! Let's Go Brown!". John finally answers their cries by attempting a roundhouse kick, but Acid ducks and catches Brown with a kick below the belt. John hits his knees immediately, Acid falling back to the turnbuckle, reveals a devilish grin to a booing audience. He slowly gathers himself as he walks toward John, gripping the top rope tightly. Acid grabs Brown by the hair, pulling him to his feet, and places his head between his thighs. Acid does the "X" taunt above his head, signifying this match is about to come to a close. He lifts John up into a powerbomb position, but Brown swings out, and nails a DDT onto a wide spread pile of thumb tacks. The crowd pops heavy as both men scream in agony. Brown's back is full of tacks, and the adrenaline of this causes him to spring up to his feet. He screams out to the audience, causing them to roar as loud as possible. Acid's left side of his face and head is penetrated all over with the tacks, but somehow he's slowly managing to climb to his feet after what has obviously been a brutal match on both men. John turns to see an upright Chris Acid and wastes no time, walking up behind him and lifting him into an Argentine backbreaker rack. Acid appears to be out, despite getting to his feet, and John holds him on his shoulders to play to the crowd for a moment. At the drop of a dime, Acid is thrown into the air above Brown's shoulders and as he comes down, John's left knee catches him flush in the back of the skull. Acid hits the mat in a heap, clearly finished as John spends a few moments gathering himself. He slowly crawls over to Acid, slowly turning him over, and draping himself across Chris' chest.

1!

2!

3!

The video quickly distorts and goes to static for a few moments. The video turns to a black screen and fades into the present day. We see John Brown sitting in a black fold-out steel chair wearing his same outfit from Madness, but returning to the purple "Macho Madness" shirt he donned while challenging The Rock. Across from him sits the XWF's interviewer Steve Sayors. The camera maneuvers to the side, to show both men.

Interviewer||Steve Sayors||Interviewer
Hello, all! Steve Sayors here, XWF.com exclusive video! My guest at this time, the man you just witnessed ending the career of Chris Acid 3 years ago live on pay-per-view. The man who will face The Rock live on XWF Monday Night Madness: John Brown! Now, let's get directly into it, John. How big was that night? How did it feel to end the career of your mentor?

John casually takes a sip from a bottled water, lightly smirking and laughing on the inside at that question.

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
What kind of a question is that, man? How stupid are you? "How did it feel to end Chris Acid's career?" How do you think it felt? It was the biggest night of my career. That match was bigger than any title I had won up to that point. I ended the career of undoubtedly one of the top 10 All-Time greats. Me. John Brown. The student became the teacher. Simple as that. I made my name and truly began building my legacy that night.

Interviewer||Steve Sayors||Interviewer
Well then...let's move forward. Let's talk about the present. Before we get into your next opponent, on Monday night you sat in the ring and said "Your reckoning has arrived." Care to elaborate on that statement?

John rolls his eyes, scoffing at how elementary Steve's questions are.

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
The answer lies within the word itself. What kind of question is this? A reckoning is like a bill. A settlement. Therefore, I am the reckoning of XWF. The XWF must pay for it's sins and it's filth that it spoon feeds to these people. I am the collector of this debt. I am the righter of these wrongs. I am the XWF's Savior...Messiah, if you will.

John smirks, letting it be known that he truly considers himself to be the Messiah of the XWF.

Interviewer||Steve Sayors||Interviewer
Alright, well...you also have made it known that you have a genuine distaste for Hollywood Hogan. Why?

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
Why? The real question, to take a page from the book of Paul Heyman, is why not?! What has Hulk Hogan done to earn the respect of ANYONE?! He's a proven liar. He is proven attention whore. He influenced an entire generation of children to work hard, train, say their prayers, and take their vitamins. Normally that would be admirable...but, we all know he was shooting more steroids into his ass than it should be humanly possible to. He is now, at this moment and time, a geriatric mummy that SOMEHOW manages to get another World Championship. Is the competition in the XWF really that weak? That sparse? How does Hulk Hogan even get through the front door without breaking a hip? Come on, man. He's a disgrace to anyone that's ever stepped into a professional wrestling ring with an IQ over 12 and more than 5 moves. Fuck Hulk Hogan. Fuck Hollywood Hogan...and fuck Mr. America too.

John flips the bird directly into the camera with a smile, before taking another drink of water.

Interviewer|| Steve Sayors||Interviewer
Alrighty then. Now, the big question everyone is wondering...why did you challenge The Rock, specifically out of everyone in the XWF, to your debut match?

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
Ah...finally, we get down to business. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Let me break this down as simply as possible. The Rock comes into XWF around the same time as me. He has yet to have his debut match, and neither have I. Most people would say, "Well, I want to see if I can beat this guy, this big-time superstar." That's not what John Brown says. How dare he come into this company, acting as though everyone backstage and in the audience should bow down at his feet. I bow before no man. I am not "a"...I am THE wrestling God. "Who in the blue hell are you"?! Really? If you don't know who I am..you will learn soon enough. I forgive Dwayne, fore he knows not what he does. He will come to understand that I am on a mission to save weak people such as himself and his "millions, and millions of fans". He will feel the wrath of God touch him. He will feel the heat of Hell's flames burn his soul alive Monday night. Through the pain of battle and the anguish of defeat, he will understand that the only way to survive in this new world that I am creating, is to follow my teachings. Follow my lifestyle. Free yourself from your vices and join me on the path of purity. I will either convert The Rock and accept him into my flock with open arms...or I will break his spirit, eat his soul, and condemn him to the depths of Hell. The choice is up to Dwayne.

Interviewer||Steve Sayors||Interviewer
So, The Rock is merely the first victim of your modern day Crusade? Also, what's your strategy taking on such a powerful, energetic competitor such as Rock?

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
Precisely. He's the first in a very long list. As for my strategic plans...it's simple. He's going to try and get fired up, get momentum rolling. That's what he does. I, on the other hand, am a lethal striker and a excellent technician. We're both going to go in trying to do our respective things. But, once I start throwing these kicks all over and locking in all these submissions...will Dwayne be able to survive? The answer is: no. I'm not expecting to end things quickly. No, I want to make sure that Rocky, all of his fans, and the rest of the locker room understand just how much better than him I am. If he had any real sense he'd just stay home. If he steps into that ring with me on May 12th, chest swelling full of pride and energy...he will leave full of regret and self-doubt.

John runs a hand through his hair as Steve Sayors reads through his notes.

Interviewer||Steve Sayors||Interviewer
Okay, well, just one last question. This question is the reason why I've only asked you two question about your upcoming match. The Rock, so far has kept hush about all of this...why do you think that is?

The Messiah||John Brown||The Messiah
I'm shocked. Usually this man could go on, and on, and on, and on, and on for days! Yet now...not a peep. I imagine it can only be one thing. One thing alone. Fear. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson fears his reckoning. He fears John Brown. Plain and simple. Now, are we done here?

Interviewer||Steve Sayors||Interviewer
Yes. That's all for this interview, folks. I'd like to thank John Brown for stopping by and giving us some of his time.

Steve Sayors and John both stand up, John taking a drink from the water as Steve extends a hand for them to shake, presumably for the camera. John looks at Steve's outstretched hand with a smirk and spits some of the water, still held in his mouth, in Steve's face before walking off. The crew cut the footage and a few people rush to Steve with towels and apologies, for whatever reason.

Interviewer||Steve Sayors||Interviewer
What a fucking douche! I hope The Rock lays the smackdown on his ass...this is bullshit. I can't work like this!

Steve storms off in anger, knowing him getting punked by Brown will most likely end up in the final version of the interview. John has just opened the front door to the building, walking out into the warm, sunny weather with a smirk. He pulls out his cell phone and that smirk disappears when he looks down and sees 10 unread text messages all from the same person: Jey Salem. His thumb hovers over the call button, not sure if he even feels like dealing with this right now, as the scene fades into darkness.

And a rock feels no pain;
And an island never cries.