Post by Jackie "Bandit" Layton on Apr 19, 2019 18:13:58 GMT -7
Off-Camera
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Sang Réal Bar & Grill
New Orleans, Louisiana
12:57 PM CDT
With the sun shining high above the few clouds moving in, it was shaping up to be a pleasant and productive day. As was her usual when not engaged in wrestling activities, Jackie “Bandit” Layton was out scouting possible business investment opportunities both for herself and for the Shieldmaidens as a whole. As a consultant in this area, Bandit was able to check into things without having the official backing of the MC, thus she could proceed with whatever meeting was called for without making others feel like a gun was being waved in the meeting participants’ faces.
This arrangement had seen her through checking out business in New York, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Asheville and New Orleans, ranging from tattoo parlors, bars, straight real estate, several empty warehouses, a former drug rehabilitation clinic and several restaurants that tried to sell her on helping them become chained franchises. Of the lot, only two, a bar in Denver called Ye Olde Tavern that had been found by the Shieldmaidens’ Sergeant-At-Arms, Ophelia “Widow” Blaque-Donnely, and a building in New Orleans that had been turned from a sad empty warehouse into an entertainment complex that rivaled some national chains with a video game arcade, miniature golf, twenty screen movie theater, bowling alley, full-service wet bar and several restaurants that had been named “The Palladium.”
Given the relative success of those two ventures, both were making good money though neither was the type of runaway success that would gain media exposure, Bandit had been sent to check on another one here in New Orleans called Sang Réal, a bar and grill that would seem to be located ideally for good business. As she takes in the sight of the outside, Bandit nods to herself, making small notations into her phone until the device itself rings, almost seemingly registering a complaint at the usage. Bandit smiles at the name on the screen and answers the call.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Cor?
She nods slowly and glances to her right.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Around the corner, bout a block. Yeah, see you in a minute then.
The call ends and Bandit heads over to her mustang and waits. The car, a gold and black 2018 model given to her by fellow wrestler, ex-girlfriend and current Shieldmaiden prospect Eavan Maloney, tended to make business dealings go better than using her bike. A minute later, a younger blonde woman, seemingly a smaller, younger version of her, arrives.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Corrie? What’s wrong?
The younger woman, her younger sister, Corrie Layton, exhales heavily.
Corrie Layton: Some guy in a suit marched up to me, started reading out everything there was to know about me…
Bandit nods slowly, knowingly.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Full name, birthdate, place, mom and dad’s names, me…
Corrie nods, stunned and a little spooked that her sister would know this so exactly.
Corrie Layton: Then he asked me if I’d been on any ski trips lately.
Bandit crosses her arms, shaking her head in anger.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Fucking asshole!
Bandit’s anger only seems to fuel her sister’s panic level.
Corrie Layton: He knew where Mom was! Asked how long until I joined her there given our family history, threatened to have me tested!
Bandit frowns, confusion mixing with her anger.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Why would he have you tested?
Corrie shrinks away from her sister, looking very much like a small child that’s just been caught doing something they know they should not have been doing.
Corrie Layton: I…
Knowing that look in her little sister all too well, Bandit nods pointedly.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Cor, what happened?
Corrie shrugs, visibly trying to change the subject.
Corrie Layton: Who said anything happened?
Bandit just glares right through Corrie.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: An officer of the law threatened to have you drug tested and you’re actually afraid of it despite not having a job or a clause in your trust so it has to be something else…
Caught off-guard by this analysis, Corrie searches her mind for an answer that will get her out of the doghouse in a hurry.
Corrie Layton: I…
As Corries continues to search for an answer they both know is never coming, Bandit nods even more pointedly.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Cor, spill it! What the fuck happened?
Seeing that determined look in her older sister’s eyes, Corrie’s mouth falls open in shock. This was a new expression for her to see.
Corrie Layton: I’m… on probation…
Bandit closes her eyes as comprehension starts to wash over her.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Fuck…
Corrie quickly grabs onto Bandit’s arm with both hands, pleading with her sister.
Corrie Layton: I’m… please don’t tell Mom!
Bandit pushes away, shoving Corrie’s hands aside.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Mom doesn’t know?
Corrie shrugs as if the answer should be obvious.
Corrie Layton: She’s been in rehab…
Bandit cocks her head to the left.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: How did you get on probation?
Corrie shrinks back against Bandit’s car even more than she did earlier, seemingly trying to crawl into the small pothole next to it in order to disappear.
Corrie Layton: DUI…
Bandit’s eyes go wide in both shock and disappointment.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: You got busted?
Exhaling heavily, Corrie steels herself for the assault that is sure to come when she finishes her explanation.
Corrie Layton: I went a model party and got loaded and thought I could still drive home. I clipped a stop sign and spun out a block from my apartment. Cop watched me do it so I had no time to run or anything…
Bandit barely blinks.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: What all were you on?
Corrie starts to shrink back against the car yet again.
Corrie Layton: I…
Bandit nods as she did earlier.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Corrie, what all were you on?
Shame and guilt seem to poor down on Corrie from every inch of her being.
Corrie Layton: Same stuff you and Mom liked…
Bandit’s head droops, her eyes closing in shame as much as anything else. Their family’s history of drug and alcohol abuse was almost as rich as their individual trust funds that had been paid for by their father’s whiskey fortune.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: So, you were drunk, flying high, did you have more in the car?
Corrie nods sadly.
Corrie Layton: Yeah, they got me for possession of somethin’ that was gone…
Bandit opens her eyes and glares at her sister.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Cor, this is not a time to be funny! What all did they have on you?
Corrie barely nods, knowing it’s too late to hide it now.
Corrie Layton: Underage DUI, careless driving, reckless driving, failure to stop at a stop sign, possession of a controlled substance…
Bandit nods, quickly doing some calculations in her head.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Let me guess, you got to plea bargain because you’re eighteen, rich, white and swore on a stack you’d never do it again?
Corrie nods, seemingly starting to become hopeful that she’s not in as much trouble as she previously feared now.
Corrie Layton: Lawyer said all I had to do was pay a fine, go to some stupid class and stay down for a couple of years and everything would be cool!
Bandit nods as she continues to do calculations in her head.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: You know underage DUIs don’t come off your record, right?
Corrie starts to nod, shrugging while looking around for another way out.
Corrie Layton: They let me plea down to possession and a couple of moving violations. I paid a fine, surrendered my license for a year, went to that class and got five years probation.
Bandit pinches the bridge of her nose and then nods, allowing her hand to drop back to her side.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Let me guess, they can drug test you and if you pop positive, probation gets revoked and you do the nickel for DUI?
Corrie nods.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: And… you would test positive, right?
Stammering slightly, Corrie shrugs somewhere between confused, distracted and disheveled.
Corrie Layton: Maybe, I don’t…
Bandit’s eyes flare with almost parental anger.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Corrie!
Corrie’s hand fly up to try and slow down the onslaught.
Corrie Layton: I don’t know if it’s been long enough yet! I might not!
Once again, Bandit’s eyes close as her head droops in stunned disbelief.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Shit…
Her bottom lip trembling in fear, Corrie gently grabs at her sister’s forearm.
Corrie Layton: Am I going to jail?
Bandit sighs.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Not if I can help it. Come on, we’ll go ask Alé and RJ what to do.
Corrie starts to smile.
Corrie Layton: Okay!
Bandit nods forcefully, an accusing finger pointed into her face.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: You promise me right now, no bullshit, that you have nothing on you… yes?
Corrie nods, the smile suddenly shocked off her face.
Corrie Layton: Nothing, I swear.
Bandit leans back, nodding slowly.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Don’t make me get Widow to search you. If you bring anything into the clubhouse, they will kick your ass! That’s a hard and fast rule, you hear me? We will not endanger Lyric’s sobriety because of this kind of bullshit, you understand?
Corrie nods slowly but Bandit is unconvinced.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Cor, if you have anything on you, dump it now. Go in and flush it in that place right there if you have to.
She nods, pointing to the Sang Réal Bar & Grill.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: You bring nothing into the clubhouse…
Corrie nods, turning out her pockets to prove there’s nothing there. Bandit glances around and squeezes her sister’s shirt, pants and then checks her socks.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Ok, come on…
Corrie nods as the two climb into the mustang and drive off towards the clubhouse and possible salvation.
On-Camera
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Shieldmaidens Warehouse Gym
New Orleans, Louisiana
8:13 PM CDT
The camera opens upon Jackie “Bandit” Layton standing near the wall by the door under a black banner with the white lettering of the Shieldmaidens’ logo on it. She walks over, grabs a chair and walks it to the spot where a second chair sits with a banner draped over it that reads “Rampage” in bright green lettering. She sits down on the second chair and lest the camera gets a good long look as she stares at the green lettering for a while, her hands on her blue jeans, her plain white t-shirt somehow looking even brighter sitting between the bright green on the banner and the black of her Shieldmaidens kutte.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: You really think you’re a god, don’t you?
She starts to nod but then holds her hands up to beg forgiveness.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Oh, sorry, my mistake, that g should be capitalized, shouldn’t it?
She nods, holding out her right hand towards the green banner as if begging both pardon and for an extra minute.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: You’re not “a” god, you’re “THE” God, right?
Her hand lowers and Bandit rests hr elbows on her knees again as she nods slowly to herself. A few seconds of silence pass and then she looks back up to the green lettering.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: I have to admit, when I was sitting around talking with my Maiden sisters, several of them told me to just shoot off your name for this because, come on, isn’t that obviously what should happen? We go movie reference versus movie reference from our names and since mine is generally considered cooler…
She shrugs almost apologetically.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: But, I was like, why? So I can watch you roll your eyes and think less of me than before you started?
She nods as if the answer delivered was obvious.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Come on, we already know you’re gonna call me weak just on principle because you’re a lone wolf and I ride with the pack.
Gritting her teeth, she shrugs, again almost apologetically.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Yeah, that was the problem I could find right off with that whole wolf and sheep thing from Stranglemania. Wolves are social creatures that work best when they have a pack. They do everything together with that pack. They hunt, they fight, they work, they play, they do absolutely everything together. It’s how they live, it’s how they survive. Lone wolves don’t usually last long and they definitely don’t get to eat many sheep, no matter how many old cartoons or fairy tales you’ve heard about it.
She pauses and then nods acknowledgingly.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: But let’s go with your analogy anyway, that means you’re gonna look down on me for being a sheep even though I’ve done pretty well carving out a career for myself working as a team with others. I won team championships with Widow that we really never lost. Chris Mosh might remember that differently but that’s because it weasd disputed when the bossman there decided to do exactly what some people say the one here should have done after our first night in the company and fired a couple of us to try and send a message.
She shrugs, almost laughing.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Only message that got send then was that we’re the pack that’s kind of like a hydra. Get rid of one, there’s gonna be three more jumping on you. I won those championships again with the Titaness as my partner and we never lost them ever again. The company closed before they could find the ones to take us down. That guy was so afraid of some of our pack, he only let Psycho wrestle once and…
Again, she shrugs while snickering.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: You’ve seen here why that might have been with the way she has those little outbursts at times, but, this isn’t about Psycho…
Pausing, she nods in acknowledgement again.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Or Widow…
Another pause, another nod.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Or Titaness…
One more pause and one more nod.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Or Bullet, Bruiser, Zombie or RJ… is it?
Shaking her head, Bandit can’t help but smile.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: No, in fact, you would be the first to remind me this is about you and the glory that should always be thrown your way.
She raises her hand, her index finger extended, wagging slightly as if Bandit is too excited to keep it still.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: The problem with telling everyone how awesome you are, telling them how you’re the one and only, how you are the only one worthy of worship and devotion is that eventually you prove that wondrous axiom…
The smile fades off Bandit’s face.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: If you can make god bleed, people will cease to believe in him.
Reaching out, she pats the other chair.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: And do you know what happens to a god that nobody believes in anymore?
She sits back in her own chair, a knowing smirk crossing her face.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: They start to diminish, the light they used to exude fades away until nobody even remembers to look up and call them anything. And now, there is blood in the water…
Bandit stands up, glaring down at the empty chair before her.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: We sit at the twilight of the gods… or, in your case…
She nods stiffly to it in acknowledgement.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: The twilight of a wannabe god that honestly seems like the biggest thing anybody should say about you is that you give no effort whatsoever.
She points accusingly at the Rampage banner.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: They called you for that team match at Stranglemania and you treated it as if you were slumming with the mortals. If you were really the god you claim to be, you could have shown up and dismantled all the other teams by yourself. Since that did not happen, we all got to witness you show you are not what you claim to be and now, you get to be my first match on Rampage and…
Glaring ever more fiercely, Bandit nods, pointing momentarily to her eye.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: I can almost see where this is gonna go before you even get around to doing whatever it is you are gonna do. You’re gonna find multiple ways to call me weak, you’re gonna say I made the ultimate mistake and that you’d kick every one of our asses at the same time if you were only given the shot even though we know that’s as much a load of hot air as pretty much anything else you say! Well, I’m here to tell you a lot of people have said that and do you know how many have actually been able to do it to me?
She nods, waiting for the answer.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Do you know how many have pinned my shoulder for the 1, 2, 3? Do you know how many have made me tap out?
She nods harshly.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: That’s right, your full of shitness, none of them! When it comes to Rampage, you get the chance to end that run and I get the chance to make god bleed again! I’m gonna make you wish you you worked as hard as you were talented…
She waves her hand dismissively at the chair, turns her back on the camera and starts walking towards the door.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: It’s time to show you who the wolves really are!
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Sang Réal Bar & Grill
New Orleans, Louisiana
12:57 PM CDT
With the sun shining high above the few clouds moving in, it was shaping up to be a pleasant and productive day. As was her usual when not engaged in wrestling activities, Jackie “Bandit” Layton was out scouting possible business investment opportunities both for herself and for the Shieldmaidens as a whole. As a consultant in this area, Bandit was able to check into things without having the official backing of the MC, thus she could proceed with whatever meeting was called for without making others feel like a gun was being waved in the meeting participants’ faces.
This arrangement had seen her through checking out business in New York, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Asheville and New Orleans, ranging from tattoo parlors, bars, straight real estate, several empty warehouses, a former drug rehabilitation clinic and several restaurants that tried to sell her on helping them become chained franchises. Of the lot, only two, a bar in Denver called Ye Olde Tavern that had been found by the Shieldmaidens’ Sergeant-At-Arms, Ophelia “Widow” Blaque-Donnely, and a building in New Orleans that had been turned from a sad empty warehouse into an entertainment complex that rivaled some national chains with a video game arcade, miniature golf, twenty screen movie theater, bowling alley, full-service wet bar and several restaurants that had been named “The Palladium.”
Given the relative success of those two ventures, both were making good money though neither was the type of runaway success that would gain media exposure, Bandit had been sent to check on another one here in New Orleans called Sang Réal, a bar and grill that would seem to be located ideally for good business. As she takes in the sight of the outside, Bandit nods to herself, making small notations into her phone until the device itself rings, almost seemingly registering a complaint at the usage. Bandit smiles at the name on the screen and answers the call.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Cor?
She nods slowly and glances to her right.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Around the corner, bout a block. Yeah, see you in a minute then.
The call ends and Bandit heads over to her mustang and waits. The car, a gold and black 2018 model given to her by fellow wrestler, ex-girlfriend and current Shieldmaiden prospect Eavan Maloney, tended to make business dealings go better than using her bike. A minute later, a younger blonde woman, seemingly a smaller, younger version of her, arrives.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Corrie? What’s wrong?
The younger woman, her younger sister, Corrie Layton, exhales heavily.
Corrie Layton: Some guy in a suit marched up to me, started reading out everything there was to know about me…
Bandit nods slowly, knowingly.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Full name, birthdate, place, mom and dad’s names, me…
Corrie nods, stunned and a little spooked that her sister would know this so exactly.
Corrie Layton: Then he asked me if I’d been on any ski trips lately.
Bandit crosses her arms, shaking her head in anger.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Fucking asshole!
Bandit’s anger only seems to fuel her sister’s panic level.
Corrie Layton: He knew where Mom was! Asked how long until I joined her there given our family history, threatened to have me tested!
Bandit frowns, confusion mixing with her anger.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Why would he have you tested?
Corrie shrinks away from her sister, looking very much like a small child that’s just been caught doing something they know they should not have been doing.
Corrie Layton: I…
Knowing that look in her little sister all too well, Bandit nods pointedly.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Cor, what happened?
Corrie shrugs, visibly trying to change the subject.
Corrie Layton: Who said anything happened?
Bandit just glares right through Corrie.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: An officer of the law threatened to have you drug tested and you’re actually afraid of it despite not having a job or a clause in your trust so it has to be something else…
Caught off-guard by this analysis, Corrie searches her mind for an answer that will get her out of the doghouse in a hurry.
Corrie Layton: I…
As Corries continues to search for an answer they both know is never coming, Bandit nods even more pointedly.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Cor, spill it! What the fuck happened?
Seeing that determined look in her older sister’s eyes, Corrie’s mouth falls open in shock. This was a new expression for her to see.
Corrie Layton: I’m… on probation…
Bandit closes her eyes as comprehension starts to wash over her.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Fuck…
Corrie quickly grabs onto Bandit’s arm with both hands, pleading with her sister.
Corrie Layton: I’m… please don’t tell Mom!
Bandit pushes away, shoving Corrie’s hands aside.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Mom doesn’t know?
Corrie shrugs as if the answer should be obvious.
Corrie Layton: She’s been in rehab…
Bandit cocks her head to the left.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: How did you get on probation?
Corrie shrinks back against Bandit’s car even more than she did earlier, seemingly trying to crawl into the small pothole next to it in order to disappear.
Corrie Layton: DUI…
Bandit’s eyes go wide in both shock and disappointment.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: You got busted?
Exhaling heavily, Corrie steels herself for the assault that is sure to come when she finishes her explanation.
Corrie Layton: I went a model party and got loaded and thought I could still drive home. I clipped a stop sign and spun out a block from my apartment. Cop watched me do it so I had no time to run or anything…
Bandit barely blinks.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: What all were you on?
Corrie starts to shrink back against the car yet again.
Corrie Layton: I…
Bandit nods as she did earlier.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Corrie, what all were you on?
Shame and guilt seem to poor down on Corrie from every inch of her being.
Corrie Layton: Same stuff you and Mom liked…
Bandit’s head droops, her eyes closing in shame as much as anything else. Their family’s history of drug and alcohol abuse was almost as rich as their individual trust funds that had been paid for by their father’s whiskey fortune.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: So, you were drunk, flying high, did you have more in the car?
Corrie nods sadly.
Corrie Layton: Yeah, they got me for possession of somethin’ that was gone…
Bandit opens her eyes and glares at her sister.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Cor, this is not a time to be funny! What all did they have on you?
Corrie barely nods, knowing it’s too late to hide it now.
Corrie Layton: Underage DUI, careless driving, reckless driving, failure to stop at a stop sign, possession of a controlled substance…
Bandit nods, quickly doing some calculations in her head.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Let me guess, you got to plea bargain because you’re eighteen, rich, white and swore on a stack you’d never do it again?
Corrie nods, seemingly starting to become hopeful that she’s not in as much trouble as she previously feared now.
Corrie Layton: Lawyer said all I had to do was pay a fine, go to some stupid class and stay down for a couple of years and everything would be cool!
Bandit nods as she continues to do calculations in her head.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: You know underage DUIs don’t come off your record, right?
Corrie starts to nod, shrugging while looking around for another way out.
Corrie Layton: They let me plea down to possession and a couple of moving violations. I paid a fine, surrendered my license for a year, went to that class and got five years probation.
Bandit pinches the bridge of her nose and then nods, allowing her hand to drop back to her side.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Let me guess, they can drug test you and if you pop positive, probation gets revoked and you do the nickel for DUI?
Corrie nods.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: And… you would test positive, right?
Stammering slightly, Corrie shrugs somewhere between confused, distracted and disheveled.
Corrie Layton: Maybe, I don’t…
Bandit’s eyes flare with almost parental anger.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Corrie!
Corrie’s hand fly up to try and slow down the onslaught.
Corrie Layton: I don’t know if it’s been long enough yet! I might not!
Once again, Bandit’s eyes close as her head droops in stunned disbelief.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Shit…
Her bottom lip trembling in fear, Corrie gently grabs at her sister’s forearm.
Corrie Layton: Am I going to jail?
Bandit sighs.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Not if I can help it. Come on, we’ll go ask Alé and RJ what to do.
Corrie starts to smile.
Corrie Layton: Okay!
Bandit nods forcefully, an accusing finger pointed into her face.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: You promise me right now, no bullshit, that you have nothing on you… yes?
Corrie nods, the smile suddenly shocked off her face.
Corrie Layton: Nothing, I swear.
Bandit leans back, nodding slowly.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Don’t make me get Widow to search you. If you bring anything into the clubhouse, they will kick your ass! That’s a hard and fast rule, you hear me? We will not endanger Lyric’s sobriety because of this kind of bullshit, you understand?
Corrie nods slowly but Bandit is unconvinced.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Cor, if you have anything on you, dump it now. Go in and flush it in that place right there if you have to.
She nods, pointing to the Sang Réal Bar & Grill.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: You bring nothing into the clubhouse…
Corrie nods, turning out her pockets to prove there’s nothing there. Bandit glances around and squeezes her sister’s shirt, pants and then checks her socks.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Ok, come on…
Corrie nods as the two climb into the mustang and drive off towards the clubhouse and possible salvation.
On-Camera
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Shieldmaidens Warehouse Gym
New Orleans, Louisiana
8:13 PM CDT
The camera opens upon Jackie “Bandit” Layton standing near the wall by the door under a black banner with the white lettering of the Shieldmaidens’ logo on it. She walks over, grabs a chair and walks it to the spot where a second chair sits with a banner draped over it that reads “Rampage” in bright green lettering. She sits down on the second chair and lest the camera gets a good long look as she stares at the green lettering for a while, her hands on her blue jeans, her plain white t-shirt somehow looking even brighter sitting between the bright green on the banner and the black of her Shieldmaidens kutte.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: You really think you’re a god, don’t you?
She starts to nod but then holds her hands up to beg forgiveness.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Oh, sorry, my mistake, that g should be capitalized, shouldn’t it?
She nods, holding out her right hand towards the green banner as if begging both pardon and for an extra minute.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: You’re not “a” god, you’re “THE” God, right?
Her hand lowers and Bandit rests hr elbows on her knees again as she nods slowly to herself. A few seconds of silence pass and then she looks back up to the green lettering.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: I have to admit, when I was sitting around talking with my Maiden sisters, several of them told me to just shoot off your name for this because, come on, isn’t that obviously what should happen? We go movie reference versus movie reference from our names and since mine is generally considered cooler…
She shrugs almost apologetically.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: But, I was like, why? So I can watch you roll your eyes and think less of me than before you started?
She nods as if the answer delivered was obvious.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Come on, we already know you’re gonna call me weak just on principle because you’re a lone wolf and I ride with the pack.
Gritting her teeth, she shrugs, again almost apologetically.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Yeah, that was the problem I could find right off with that whole wolf and sheep thing from Stranglemania. Wolves are social creatures that work best when they have a pack. They do everything together with that pack. They hunt, they fight, they work, they play, they do absolutely everything together. It’s how they live, it’s how they survive. Lone wolves don’t usually last long and they definitely don’t get to eat many sheep, no matter how many old cartoons or fairy tales you’ve heard about it.
She pauses and then nods acknowledgingly.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: But let’s go with your analogy anyway, that means you’re gonna look down on me for being a sheep even though I’ve done pretty well carving out a career for myself working as a team with others. I won team championships with Widow that we really never lost. Chris Mosh might remember that differently but that’s because it weasd disputed when the bossman there decided to do exactly what some people say the one here should have done after our first night in the company and fired a couple of us to try and send a message.
She shrugs, almost laughing.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Only message that got send then was that we’re the pack that’s kind of like a hydra. Get rid of one, there’s gonna be three more jumping on you. I won those championships again with the Titaness as my partner and we never lost them ever again. The company closed before they could find the ones to take us down. That guy was so afraid of some of our pack, he only let Psycho wrestle once and…
Again, she shrugs while snickering.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: You’ve seen here why that might have been with the way she has those little outbursts at times, but, this isn’t about Psycho…
Pausing, she nods in acknowledgement again.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Or Widow…
Another pause, another nod.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Or Titaness…
One more pause and one more nod.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Or Bullet, Bruiser, Zombie or RJ… is it?
Shaking her head, Bandit can’t help but smile.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: No, in fact, you would be the first to remind me this is about you and the glory that should always be thrown your way.
She raises her hand, her index finger extended, wagging slightly as if Bandit is too excited to keep it still.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: The problem with telling everyone how awesome you are, telling them how you’re the one and only, how you are the only one worthy of worship and devotion is that eventually you prove that wondrous axiom…
The smile fades off Bandit’s face.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: If you can make god bleed, people will cease to believe in him.
Reaching out, she pats the other chair.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: And do you know what happens to a god that nobody believes in anymore?
She sits back in her own chair, a knowing smirk crossing her face.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: They start to diminish, the light they used to exude fades away until nobody even remembers to look up and call them anything. And now, there is blood in the water…
Bandit stands up, glaring down at the empty chair before her.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: We sit at the twilight of the gods… or, in your case…
She nods stiffly to it in acknowledgement.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: The twilight of a wannabe god that honestly seems like the biggest thing anybody should say about you is that you give no effort whatsoever.
She points accusingly at the Rampage banner.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: They called you for that team match at Stranglemania and you treated it as if you were slumming with the mortals. If you were really the god you claim to be, you could have shown up and dismantled all the other teams by yourself. Since that did not happen, we all got to witness you show you are not what you claim to be and now, you get to be my first match on Rampage and…
Glaring ever more fiercely, Bandit nods, pointing momentarily to her eye.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: I can almost see where this is gonna go before you even get around to doing whatever it is you are gonna do. You’re gonna find multiple ways to call me weak, you’re gonna say I made the ultimate mistake and that you’d kick every one of our asses at the same time if you were only given the shot even though we know that’s as much a load of hot air as pretty much anything else you say! Well, I’m here to tell you a lot of people have said that and do you know how many have actually been able to do it to me?
She nods, waiting for the answer.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: Do you know how many have pinned my shoulder for the 1, 2, 3? Do you know how many have made me tap out?
She nods harshly.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: That’s right, your full of shitness, none of them! When it comes to Rampage, you get the chance to end that run and I get the chance to make god bleed again! I’m gonna make you wish you you worked as hard as you were talented…
She waves her hand dismissively at the chair, turns her back on the camera and starts walking towards the door.
Jackie "Bandit" Layton: It’s time to show you who the wolves really are!
