-Wednesday, August 24 2016, 11:48 PM PST-

I sit on the bench still on edge from the events that had transpired earlier in the evening, my forearms resting on my knees, my hands held tightly in fists within the replacement gauze the emergency response team had had to redress following my assault on both landlord Rudy Enriquez and the fire fighter who'd attempted to break it up. The blood from my split knuckles that had seeped through the fabric has dried and stained to a brown hue.

Adrenaline still courses through me despite having been placed in the San Bernardino County Sheriff Phelan Substation drunk tank/chilling chamber about an hour ago.

There's soot smeared on my face, hands and clothes; the scent of the most heinous campfire in my personal history wafts from my person. I'm still in the mood to fight- no, not to fight...to maim.

To Murder.

The door opens.

"How we doin'?"

Without moving my head my eyes track to the open door and the young Deputy Rodgers speaking.

"Fine."

"You...don't sound fine. You don't look fine either Mr. O'Connor."

"I said I'm-" I cut short my angry response. I breathe. "I'm fine."

"Alright, well...we'll be keeping you overnight. Give you some more time to calm down. I know you've been through a lot tonight-"

You don't know shit.

"-and we understand you...lost your head a lot like what happened last Christmas. Mr. Enriquez won't be pressing charges, neither will we or the fire department. We just need to know you won't be doing anything stupid when we let you go. Ok? Sit tight, get some rest. All things considered you're a lucky man not to be facing prosecution Mr. O'Connor. You're lucky you weren't in that trailer."

Deputy Rodgers closes the door. I listen to his boot heels echo down the hall.

Lucky? I'm LUCKY!? It's not O'Connor, it's Caedus...and the Enriquez family will be lucky to survive my wrath.

'Give yourself some separation of time. Wait. Plan.'

Oh I will......I will......

TBC
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The Calm Before the Storm"




-Thursday March 16 2017, Oakland, CA 9:28 AM PST-


I'd first opted to take the first available flight following the events of Lethal Lottery IV's third round. (Opted is the wrong word; I'd had no _choice_, along with every other member of the roster scheduled to compete in Oakland, in _attempting_ to snag the first available _escape_ from the hellhole of Croatia if I intended to defend my XWF Television Championship.

Imagine my disdain at discovering there WERE no flights from Zagreb to either Oakland or San Francisco. Imagine my turnaround from despair to ecstatic as my one time tag partner Trax told me he'd simply teleport me back home on his way to his own residence. Amazing. I count myself MORE than lucky to know the guy, the Superman of the XWF.

Reminding me all too much of The Watchmen's Dr. Manhatten, I find myself materializing in an amber flash just outside the Best Western Plus hotel, not far from Oakland's Oracle Arena, the next venue for Fucking Savage.

Shit...I could get used to this kinda thing. I wonder if Trax has a bff?

I ignore the agape jawed stares from the pedestrians and hotel residents and enter.

I check in on an open reservation made by the XWF brass (they'd expected my arrival for Friday).

I make myself at home in the room, unpacking, showering.

I sign on to the official XWF site...to see no response from Muddy Waters.

'Oh ok...so when he was online earlier this morning during the 7 o'clock hour and you monitored him apparently in the midst of uploading his first promo he must've decided against it in favor of uploading by midnight and deadline bombing you.'

Oh indeed...and I know exactly what to do in reaction.

As always, I ready my phone for promo.

..................................

"Muddy you continue to surprise me with these...gutless tactics of yours. What's the plan, pussy, upload your first promo by midnight in the hopes I'll not notice, not upload a second and let you corner me into being able to release only a two for two as you seem to be doing? I don't think so, sucker, Jim Caedus is no one's fool. If anyone thought you possessed the talent to take me down with words head on they sure as FUCK doubt it now. You obviously DON'T hold the key to crushing Caedus...and unfortunately for you, strategies such as the one you're relying upon NOW have fallen short in the past against me and shall continue to do so once I've uploaded this with a twist up your trailer trash twat.

I find myself having to ask this same question of all my opponents...just who exactly is it that you think you're facing? Have I given you any reason to believe I'm faltering? Have I led you to believe I'm tiring and losing my grip on the reigns of my TV title reign? Are you theorizing that just because you're a well-rested lazy fuck you're gonna be able to capitalize on what you perceive as my inability to contend with you at 100% both in promo and in the ring? Are you that blind, bitch? Do you really believe I'm NOT quite used to and content with my hectic schedule to the point that I'll stumble and allow you to sneak around me for a win? Do you TRULY fool yourself into thinking my XWF Television Championship doesn't mean enough to me to launch my full-scale assault on a punk like you? I wouldn't give a shit if this was a NON-TITLE match we're entering, Muddy, I'm not the one to try and outplay and outwit. I take every single bout I've been booked into as the most important match of my current career...ESPECIALLY if the surname 'Waters' is attached as my opponent.

Of course...you're no Dolly. You may have spawned that amazingly courageous and talented young lady but your semen and last name are the only significant aspects you share with her. How does it feel to be told your daughter has bigger balls than you do? How does it feel to KNOW it's the truth? How does it feel to undoubtedly have conversed in private with your inner circle of best buds on the subject of how easily you'll show Caedus can be taken down only to watch as I shove this second of three down your throat past the sheep spurt oozing it's way to stomach acid central? That nagging itch you feel at the back of your egomaniacal mind...that's fear. Fear of doubt. Fear of lackluster ability and truth. Fear of Jim Fucking Caedus.

You can go right ahead and torpedo the notion of uploading at noon instead choosing to use THIS as well as ammo for one huge Muddy Waters epic at the end in which you attempt to out do me on all fronts. Feel free. I told you, I'm not afraid of you, I'm not afraid of what I KNOW you can do...I'm not afraid to face whatever oral onslaught you unleash in a vain attempt to show off for the boys. With the obvious exception of the one and only time I've been ambushed and murdered by a friend, like every bully and sneaky fuck before you the reaction and conclusion will be the same. Jimmy flips the tables, Jimmy knocks someone out, Jimmy proves them all wrong. Same old story...and yet to me, it never gets old. Why should it? The reason I enjoy challenge is because I have a chip on my shoulder bigger than the Bourbs, a weight around my neck heftier than a half ton and a self esteem that begs for overcompensation. Problem is, when _I_ overcompensate it tends to redefine as übercompensation and that's exactly what led to me to the first rung of success here in the XWF and has propelled my ass upward ever since.

Some may believe my remaining Television Champion is preventing me from further greatness. I disagree. The longer I hold onto a strap known to change hands regularly speaks to the power of the man holding it. I'm unsure as to where I'm able to check into the history of the belt on the official site but at this point I'm pretty curious how I measure up to past champs in context. Once a man, or _woman_, greater than YOU, Muddy, has finally relieved me of the Television Title I'll be moving on to greener pastures as one helluva contender and XWF legend in the making. You don't understand what it means to shoot for the stars. If you did, you wouldn't be pussyfootin' around like a dope addict awaiting an easy target to rob. I thought Cadryn brought shame to my strap...you're far worse. You bring shame both to the Television Championship and the title of father. Double-whammy for Dolly's daddy.

And don't get me wrong, I've been in the ring with you once already. We've already met on the lanes of linguistics, between the ring ropes... I know you'll be handing a hardcore manhandling to this pinnacle of panhandling and that's fine. I enjoy a bloody brawl as much as the next socio-psychopath. What YOU need to realize is beyond that...as I've told my challengers in the past...I'm not going to allow you to take the title from me and I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen. Period. This is my strap, Muddy, Savage is my world, my colosseum. I'd much prefer a clean win and shall be aiming for it...but if I feel like you're edging too close to victory in the match for my comfort I'll simply smash a fucking steel chair over your head like I did to Benito, lowblow you even...and hope Mika Hunt or whomever might ref won't notice. Don't you understand what you face in pursuit of successfully removing me as champ? You already have to try and top me in verbal viciousness and quality but when we hit that ring you're gonna hafta out-wrestle me within the confines of a time limit and rules. Hell, I'm not quite sure why I chose to run out last week to the aid of Graves and joined in with he, Cadryn, Tidbits and Main in pissin' on Colton Kato but that as well should give you pause. What if one of those four decides to repay the favor? Do you like those odds, Muddy? You can't out-cheat a dirty fuck like me, you can't demolish me with my being shorter, more powerful and heavier than you...what exactly is it you're hoping will give you an edge here? Your refusal to face me and exchange blows? It ain't enough, idiot. Fuck a sneak. I'm Jim Caedus and THAT'S enough to retain against a spineless pussy like Muddy Waters. See you for the third and final strike."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I spend a few minutes shining up the Federweight and Television Titles before placing them onto the room's second bed pillows.

I lay on the other, settling in for a rest.

TBC