DURING RIOT - Cort/Jehst

[Justin Jehst]

We arrive backstage, somewhere in the nebulous OCW backstage area that can really be anything needed at the moment. How convenient. This time it’s a locker room. Cort Marshall sits, intently watching a TV playing back some tag team matches from OCW’s past. Next to it stand stacks of videotapes, all labeled in tape and marker. Among them we see many names from OCW’s past, as well as the current crop of competitors.

 

Cort is drinking from a juicebox as well… something his partner, Justin Jehst, notices as he enters the room.

 

Jehst: I have a few questions.

 

Cort looks up.

 

Cort: Huh? Oh. Yeah, I’m trying to cut down on the booze. Doc says it’s fattening me up… might be I should lose some weight and gain some speed, y’know? If I was just a little faster… could have avoided that spear. Could have actually kept a title for once.

 

He finishes the box and it bubbles loudly. He grunts and tosses it in a trash can.

 

Cort: … This stuff ain’t the same. You know any zero-calorie alcohol?

 

Jehst: Well, vodka.

 

Cort: Eurgh. Not my style. Anyway. Just catching up on some tag team wrestling. It’s been so damn long since we’ve had a chance in the ring. Wanna make sure I brush up my fundamentals.

 

Jehst: You’re right. We’ve got two guys who’ve done a lot here, one’s even the current Pride...er, sorry, but he is the champ! We’ve gotta keep on our game to face those two - and I’m all pumped up on bicep curls and Tarantino flicks baybay! *DOUBLE-BICEP POSE*

 

Cort: Damn right. I want to save some face after Clash… and maybe convince management to let me have another shot before I get older and grey… er.

 

Jehst: Well, looking back at their history, it seems they don’t particularly get along - they’re no Bill and Ted in the friendship department. Both a little bit on edge, aggressive...Maybe we use that.

 

Cort: Mental stability ain’t their fortes, no. Speaking of… I’m worried about you and Morrison. He’s gone full on Batman villain crazy, and I’m not sure you’re Machiavellian enough to pull off any Bat-plans. I think we should stick together more--not saying I need to follow you in to piss, but if you got another stalker, might as well have backup.

 

Jehst: Yeah, I’m still figuring that out. I don’t want this to turn into another episode of Leo Grimm - I don’t like the boiler room; it stinks!

 

Then, the tape on the TV runs out and Cort reaches to eject.

 

Jehst: Next question--why are these all on tape?

 

Cort shrugs.

 

Cort: Old matches.

 

Jehst: This company started in *two thousand and five.*

 

Cort shrugs again.

 

Cort: Old man! Recorded ‘em myself. Somehow, everything looks better in 480p…

 

Jehst: You gotta take off the nostalgia goggles.

 

Cort: But without them I can’t read nutrition facts!

 

Jehst facepalms and then looks over on the table top. He sees a manilla folder with a “JEHST” stamp on the front.

 

Jehst: Ah, Cort, is that my loan paperwork for my new apartment?

 

Cort looks over, confused.

 

Cort: Ah, nope, didn’t see that when I came in.

 

Jehst opens it and his eyes widen with concern. He tosses pages and photos from the folder onto the table. Pictures of the symbol MMM showed him, photos from films including the symbol, newspaper articles from red carpets, etc, all showing the symbol.

 

Jehst: I have no idea what’s going on here, but we need to figure this out before things get even crazier with this guy.

 

Cort: You’re damn right - we need to crush this up front.

 

Jehst tosses the folder onto the table as the scene fades out.