"Ah, dammit, it still hurts."

We open in to see Jakob Davis- who successfully debuted in a spectacular fashion on Savage Saturday Night, destroying Mike Randez in the opener and inserting his name into the Intercontinental Championship picture- holding his jaw in pain as he sits up in his bed in his hotel room. There's a large crack sound as he moves his head and face, trying to get some feeling back into there. He could still remember the scuffle he got into after the Main Event on Savage, how Makaveli began savagely beating down his father while Jakob himself got nailed in the jaw by the current reigning IC Champ himself, Ophelia McVeigh.

Jakob preferred his debut to go over a much more... slower process. He preferred to slowly work his way up the card, and even then not go for a title. He didn't want to have the spotlight shined on him, essentially have him become a celebrity. He didn't want to have his every action dissected by the public eye, he didn't want to have paparazzi chasing him everywhere, he didn't want to have a life like that. But his father, of course, didn't see it like that. His father always pushed him towards the spotlight, and although Jakob never got a conclusive answer out of the guy, he always had an inkling of an idea.

Jakob got out of bed and looked over in his father's bed, expecting to see him sleeping-- only to not find him there. Instinctively, Jakob reached out for his phone, thinking his father went out for a drink to celebrate his first managerial outing. Grabbing the phone, there was something that stood out to him.

11:37 A.M. 4 Missed Calls: Mom, Gavin, Dad (2) 4 Missed Messages: Gavin: HOLY SHIT YOU'... Mom: Good job on yo... Dad: heading out to... Gavin: I still can't...

Jakob deadpanned- of course Gavin had to text him when Jakob had to look for his father. Gavin was Jakob's best friend, a childhood confidante whom he could always rely on. Of course, Gavin had his own share of problems too, mainly that he was highly impatient. He hit Gavin's messages to see what he sent.

Gavin: HOLY SHIT YOU'RE IN THE XWF! WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?! 8:15 P.M., June 5th Gavin: Still can't believe you're in the XWF... and you still haven't told me! :( 10:15 A.M, June 6th

Of course. In the heat of the moment with him suddenly thrusted into the XWF as a result of his father's wishes, Jakob hadn't had enough time to tell a lot of people. He had to go through his attire, his wrestling music, his contract, all sorts of tiring things that left Jakob with only enough time to eat, sleep and shit. He made a mental note to talk to Gavin as soon as he knew just where on Earth his father was. On that note, Jakob pressed back and went to his father's text message sent earlier.

Dad: heading out to gamble w/ some friends, didn't want to wake u up. if i'm not back in the morning be sure to call me. 1:06 A.M, June 6th

Figures that Jakob's father would go gambling. He needed something to fill his time, a new addiction to feed on, and he found gambling to be a perfect substitute for wrestling. He drew parallels to wrestling, saying similarly to how the fate of your poker games depends on the dealer, the fate of your wrestling career depends on the booker. Jakob immediately went back and called his dad, the loud buzzing signifying that the phone was ringing going off three times before Tim picked up.

"Mmmm... hello?" Tim's voice was remarkably quiet, perhaps signifying he was currently dealing with a hangover. Jakob sighed; he had no patience right now. He was booked in the Rumble for next Savage, and not to mention he was booked in for an interview with Steve Sayors, so of course Jakob needed his manager with him.

"Dad, where are you? It's almost 12, the interview is in two and a half hours," Jakob said, trying to get to the point quickly.

The sound of clicking can be heard for a few seconds, and then a brief silence. Then, as suddenly as it ended, the conversation picked right back up again. "I- interview?" Tim snorts, most likely out of tiredness as he's trying to get his body back into the swing of things, before saying, "Uhhh...that's today?"

"Of course that's today! Where are you so I can pick you up?" Jakob shouted, exasperated.

A moment of silence can be heard on the phone, before Tim says, "...I don't know."

"That's not what I need to hear right now," Jakob groaned.

"Well, that's the answer you're getting! I don't know where I am, but that's not important! You're the moneymaker here, you gotta do the interview yourself!" Tim finally began shouting, followed by an 'ah', implying that he had a sharp pain in his head, which furthered Jakob's assumption that Tim was dealing with a hangover.

"Uh, Dad, are you crazy? You essentially implied that I was garbage at cutting promos." Jakob questioned.

A brief moment of uneasy tension occurred before the conversation continued. "Alright, look. I've been snoopin' around, reading on XWF show review boards. Trying to see what the fans think about you." Tim rambled.

"And your point is...?" Jakob pressed on.

"I'm getting to that, relax. My point is that the fans think that you're just a vanilla midget." Tim finished.

"Wait, what?" Jakob was shocked. Sure, he might not be the most colorful of people to interact with, but to be known as the same term that Kevin Nash referred to the likes of Rey Mysterio and Dean Malenko during the Monday Night Wars in WCW, when he underrated their abilities to the highest degree? It was absolutely ludicrous.

"Eh, they might have a point," Tim yawned.

"WHAT?!" Jakob yelled into the phone. Just like that, his father hung him out to dry.

"Ow, hey man, watch the volume." Tim whispered back, thus confirming in Jakob's mind that Tim did, in fact, have a hangover.

"No, I will not watch the volume, 'man.' How am I a vanilla midget?!" Jakob said, frustrated.

Tim then took the lead in the conversation and didn't let Jakob say a word as he continued. "Well, you're pretty generic. Prove me wrong by going to the interview and show off some of that personality of yours. Even if you won't do it to prove me and the fans wrong on this one, you're going to go because I'm your father, and I'm going to beat you if I find out you no-show. I'll call you when I find out where I am. Now then, goodbye."

"B-but--" Jakob stammered, however--

Click.

"Nngh..." Great. Without being able to get in a word edgewise, Jakob was now forced to go to an interview or risk a severe beating. Maybe it won't be so bad? Jakob thought? Sighing to himself, he quickly got out of the hotel room. Remembering that he had to call Gavin, he swiftly dialed the number.

"Erm, hello?" came the ever-so-familiar British tone.

"Gavin?" Jakob asked.

"Jakob?" Gavin questioned. "That's you?! Oh bloody hell, mate, where've you been? I've been trying to call you for ages now!"

"So I've heard. What's up?" Jakob was trying to make small talk, however he paid for that as Gavin literally exploded with words.

"What's up? What's up? Dude, I saw you on my favorite show. You fucking demolished a no-name j0bber, and now you're competing for both the Anarchy and the Intercontinental Championships in your second week here. What's up does not begin to describe the feelings coursing through me right now. Anyway, aren't you off for an interview?" Gavin said.

Jakob blinked due to the large amount of functioning his hearing senses were forced to do before saying, "Erm, yes I am."

"Hell yeah! Where's it at? I gotta meet the people there. Steve Sayors, potentially meet some of the superstars like Peter Gilmour, Frodo Smackins and Vinnie Lane? It's a dream come true!" Gavin raved.

Jakob's eyes widened, knowing he had to quickly put down Gavin's fantasy before it got out of hand. "Oh, no no no. Sorry man, but that's a no-go. You aren't considered my manager, therefore there's no way they're letting you in."

"Too late. I'm coming now," Gavin chuckled. Jakob deadpanned as now he knew that one way or the other Gavin was going to sneak in, the guy was that dedicated. "Where's your dad? Surely I can talk to him and make me your spokesperson for while we're in there."

"Gavin, you and I both know my dad doesn't like you," Jakob said, trying to steer the conversation away from his Dad's mysterious disappearance. Not to mention, he was also telling the truth.

"Nonsense, you know your dad and I are good chum-" Jakob quickly interrupted Gavin.

"Remember the football incident after 8th grade graduation?" he reminded Gavin.

"Oh, erm... he knows that was an accident! Eheh... Besides, it's not like I could have known he was going to look away at that precise moment! I already told him I was sorry for giving him a black eye!" Gavin moaned.

"Uh- huh. Well, I gotta go. Interviews and all. Who knows, I may try sneak you a backstage pass for the next show. Anyway, good-bye," Jakob calmly said, hanging up the phone before Gavin could speak, just like his father did to him before. Huh. No wonder he did that, Jakob thought. Not letting anyone say anything was a powerful tool.

Before Jakob got into his car, his phone came alive with a text from his father:

Dad: jakob, we need to talk

Jakob was perplexed. What was this about? He quickly texted his father back, wondering if he figured out where he was.

Jakob: Yeah, Dad? Dad: u wanna go 2 the top, right? You: Top of what? Dad: xwf, moron. u wanna become uni champ, right?

Jakob stopped dead in his tracks and weighed his options. Where did this come from? How did his father find out that he didn't want to have the spotlight on him at all times? Thinking of what to say, he eventually continued.

You: Of course, Dad. Like Mom said, I kinda have to make you happy here. Dad: didn't ask what ur mom thought. asking u here. You: Well, yeah Dad. We're gonna become the Universal Champion now on a slow rise to the top. Together. Dad: good 2 know. just making sure

Well, that was random, Jakob thought as he went into his car to drive to the interview site.