“How can you even think about doing this, Colette?” Mick finally speaks, his voice soft and hurt.
Shaking her own head and refusing to look at him as she responds; “You did this Mick. You did this when you decided that restarting your career was more important to you than your family. You didn’t even come to me and tell me that you had the offer. We didn’t even sit down and discuss the option of you returning to the ring and I have to find out when your name is plastered on posters advertising for WrestleMania… Well I hope it was worth it, Mick. I hope it was worth losing your family.”
Mick lowers his head again, letting his eyes shut as he takes in a deep slow breath.
“I guess it has to be worth it, doesn’t it.”
He looks up as the papers are slide in front of him, looking down at the legal documents to cement his own divorce, his wife’s name already signed on the dotted line. He knew he had to give her what she wants, there was no point in arguing the details.
“Give me a pen.”
Clearing his throat, Mick’s lawyer leans towards him, dropping his voice to a whisper.
“Mick, don’t you think you should read it over before you sign anything?”
“Just give me the damn pen.” Mick spits out, grabbing the pen as it’s reluctantly held out to him.
With a swift and deliberate motion Mick adds his signature to the papers, tossing them across at his now ex-wife’s attorney.
“Have a nice day.” He growls beneath his breath before shoving his chair back as he stands, walking out of the room.
---
They say that there is nothing more dangerous in this world than a man who has lost everything. There comes a time when that statement rings true, but first that man has to come to grips with his reality. First he has to go through hell, hit rock bottom, and decide that he wants to claw his way back up. For some men that desire never strikes. For some men they choose to continue on a never ending spiral down into the abyss. For some men, their choices are made for them.
Jim Ross wipes the sweat from his brow as he climbs out of the cab, looking up at the old brick building they had stopped in front of. The place looked like it was falling apart and should be condemned, the entire neighborhood looked it for that matter. JR, in his black slacks, black dress shirt, and black cowboy hat stuck out like a sore thumb. He turns back to the cab, the cabbie looking up at him through the open window with a look of curiosity.
“Don’t think there’s any chance of you waitin’ down here for me is there?” JR asks.
“Hell no, pal!” The cabbie practically shouts with a laugh, stepping on the gas and speeding off down the street.
JR looks back up at the building and lets out a light sigh, moving to the front of the building, wiping some more sweat from his forehead as he does. It was only forty four degrees out, the rain stopping for the moment, hardly enough to warrant perspiration but standing in his shoes and knowing what he had to look forward to, it was no surprise that he found himself in this way. Reaching the top of the steps of the small porch, JR opens the door and lets himself inside. The first thing that hit him was the stench of old sweat socks, refried beans, chow mien, and rot all mixing into a unique blend of stomach churning putrid. Staggering back a step or two from the smell alone, Jim keeps his mouth shut to avoid the full brunt of the odor, lowering his head and moving quickly up the set of old creaking wooden stairs. On the third floor landing he stops, panting out and nearly doubling over as he tries to catch his breath. The smell wasn’t nearly as bad up here but it lingered on him still and he couldn’t wait to get out of here and into a hot shower. Turning and heading down the hall, he comes to a door marked three thirty seven, giving a brisk knock.
There is a moment of silence in the building before shuffling footsteps could be heard on the other side of the door. After a short minute the door opens, the smiling face of Mick Foley greets JR.
“Well, Jim Ross. I must say that this is an unexpected surprise. What brings you out here? Oh right, right! Come on in, come on in.”
Mick steps aside, letting JR into the small apartment, shutting the door behind them. Thanking him, JR takes a look around for a moment as he answers Mick’s question.
“Well ya know Mick, after everything leading up to WrestleMania and everything that I heard you went through right after it, I thought it might be a good idea to come out here and check on my good friend.”
JR is surprised to find a rather well kept apartment around him, half expecting it to be torn apart much like the hotel room that Mick had stayed in leading up to WrestleMania. Instead there was a nice living room laid out with what appeared to be practically new furniture. A nice sofa, armchair, coffee table sitting around a small television, bookcases lining the back wall and stuffed full of all sorts of books and DVDs. A small hallway lead towards the back of the apartment where the bedroom and bathroom where, an open kitchen on the opposite side of the living room with a bar that extends out to create a bit of a barrier between the two rooms. Mick smiles and gives JR a pat on the back.
“That’s nice of you, JR. So come on in and have a seat.” He motions to the sofa. “Get you something to drink?”
“Uh, oh no thanks, Mick. I’m fine.” He says, taking a seat on the sofa as Mick sits in the chair across from him.
“This sure is a nice place you got here.”
Mick takes a look around with a bit of a smile and a nod. “Oh yeah, thanks. Well I needed to find a place for myself since Colette decided to kick me out and hand me a divorce. She took the kids, but that’s probably for the best, no room for them with me here, especially if I’m going to be back on the road again.”
JR nods slowly. “I am sorry to hear about you and your wife splitting up, Mick. I know you took it pretty hard leading up to Mania, and I know it can take a lot out of ya too.”
“Ah, don’t even worry about it JR.”
“Come on now Mick. I’ve known you long enough to know when there’s something eating at ya. I’m not leaving here till you get it all off your chest.”
Mick hangs his head, taking in a slow breath.
“You know what, JR. My entire life people have always told me what I couldn’t do. They have always kicked me while I was down, and they have always tried to run my life for me. When I first met Colette I though she was different. Hell, she was different back then. She knew what I was going through. She believed in me when so very few others would even give me a second glance. She helped inspire me to reach for my dreams and never give up no matter what anyone said or did to put me down or keep me out.” He lets out a snort. “So in the end, I reached for those goals and dreams and I did it. Not just for myself, but for her. And then she ends up stabbing me in the back like this. Joining the people who say I can’t do what I dream. Saying that I don’t have what it takes to reach my goals. Only this time, she has my kids to use as weapons against me.”
Mick shakes his head slowly, looking up at JR with tears burning in his eyes.
“But I am going to be damned if I let her or anyone else tell me what I can’t do ever again. This time I’m reaching for those goals and dreams, not for her, but for myself. I need to be out there for me, I need to be out there for all of the people in this world who get stepped on each and every day. Who get kicked down and told that they need to learn their place in the world, that they wont be able to amount to anything. Those people out there aren’t going to take it forever. They can’t take it forever, because every person has a snapping point, JR. Everyone breaks in the end and sometimes they break down into acceptance. Sometimes the break down happens and it leaves them an empty shell of their former selves. But then there is the person who breaks and decides to use it. The person who can’t and wont take anything from anyone else. He uses that break as fuel for his fight!”
JR looks across at Mick, his mouth hanging open, a look of fright on his face.
“What exactly are you saying here, Mick?”
“I’m saying that I have decided to break down, hit rock bottom and use it to launch myself back up again. My tools are going to be the ones who believe in me. The only ones who know that I can do anything that I set my mind to. My greatest weapons will be unleashed upon the world, Mankind and Cactus Jack.”
“Mick, listen to what you are saying, they are only characters. In-ring personas that you made up, nothing more than that.”
“No JR, that’s where you are wrong. They are within me, they are a part of me and until now I have only scratched the surface of them. From now on you are going to see a sicker, more twisted version of myself than you could imagine. I have everything to prove to everyone in the world. I gave up everything to return to the business that I love and I will do everything within my power to take it by storm once again.”
“Come on Mick, we all want to see you succeed in the EBWF.”
“NO! NO, JR! You go back there and you tell them to get ready for me. You spread the word that Mankind is no longer some lovable cuddly creature sent out there to make them laugh! You tell them that he’s coming… You tell them that I’m coming, and hell’s coming with me!”
Mick shouts out, jumping to his feet and glaring at JR with fire in his eyes. JR nearly falls off the couch as he scrambles up and towards the front door of the apartment. Flinging the door open, he retreats down the stairs and out the front door to the sidewalk, panting for breath, wild eyed as he takes off down the street to find a cab.
---