Do Your Job

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Do Your Job

Scene 1

Off Camera

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“This isn’t how I wanted it!”

Julia Braddock won her match on RIOT.  You would think that would make her happy.  You would think the fact that she won and, perhaps, put her career in IWC back on track would be a cause for celebration.  So why isn’t she celebrating?  Why is she complaining?  Why is Julia Alexis Braddock, Glenn Braddock’s newest protégé , upset over the fact that she actually won a match in the Independent Wrestling Cartel?  It’s almost as if she would have preferred to lose…

…and in a funny way, she probably would have preferred to lose.  Julia, you see, is not focused entirely on winning and losing.  Now make no mistake, winning is certainly better than losing for any athlete and Julia is no different on that front.  Julia wants to succeed and wants to do her family proud.  She wants to one day be a world champion.  But being a world champion has to take a backseat for something far important in Julia’s mind…

…redeeming herself.

Julia Braddock knows all too well the specter of the Noel Family that currently haunts her.  Julia knows of her past and she knows that she cannot escape it that easily.  She is the one responsible for assisting in brainwashing Glory Braddock, turning her into Gloria Marie Noel, Aphrodite Noel’s daughter.  Julia went on to pave a path of destruction in the IWC women’ s division, including vicious attacks on Selena Frost and reigning Queen of the Ring Champion Marina Valdivia.

Now many in the sport of professional wrestling find it difficult to believe that people can change.  That is understandable, considering the amount of politics and backstabbing that goes on in this sport.  But Julia Braddock has truly changed.  She has truly turned over a new leaf and she wishes people would give her a second chance.  That’s the thing, she has to earn that second chance.  She has to prove to the world that she has changed and that the power hungry, manipulative bitch known as Julia Noel is gone forever.  She has to prove that Julia Braddock is back and that she is here to redeem the Braddock Family name.

She fought to a standstill with Selena Frost but came up just short.  She tried to show she had changed by offering a handshake and a congratulations but Selena refused to accept the handshake, showing that she still didn’t trust Julia.  The next RIOT Julia was set to face Cassidy Haze and she had hoped maybe one more match, win or lose, would prove to the world that she had changed.  Unfortunately Silas Mason had other plans as he threw Lukas Montgomery in as Julia’s tag team partner and made it a handicap match.

Braddock tried her best to keep it within the rules and to fight fairly; Julia even tried to save Cassidy when Lukas looked to blast a prone Cassidy with the steel chair, but the referee mistook it for a cover and counted the pin.

This definitely looks bad on Julia and could very well set back her redemption process.  And if that weren’t bad enough, Julia now has to team up with Lukas Montgomery yet again and this time to face Cassidy Haze and Katelyn Buehler.

Furthermore, this is NOT the match you want if your goal is to prove that you are a changed person.

It’s backstage after RIOT has come to a close.  Most everyone has left or, at the very least, have packed and are about to leave.  Julia Braddock and her crew are the only exception.  Her trainer and uncle Glenn Braddock and her agent Henry Van Stanton have been unable to convince her to leave.  She’s still upset, as illustrated by how she paces back and forth across the floor of her dressing room, pulling at her long blonde locks of golden hair.  The contortions on her face shows just how frustrated and angry she is right now.

“Please, Julia, calm down.”

Henry begins slowly, hoping that his gentle tone will sooth Julia’s anger and angst.  The charismatic wrestling agent and promoter is wearing a purple tweed jacket, matching vest and pants, and a white button up shirt underneath the vest.  He is wearing a dark crimson bow tie because, well, bow ties are cool.  Sitting on the bench next to Henry is none other than the old warhorse himself, Glenn Braddock.  While Henry tries to appear and sound soothing and comforting towards Julia, Glenn makes no bones about his feelings.  He looks just as frustrated as Julia does.  A scowl is etched across his hardened, battled weary features.  He is wearing black pants and a black polo shirt.

“This is getting you nowhere.” Henry states definitively.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen!”

Julia stops pacing and turns to face Henry and Glenn, both of whom stare back at her, Henry with a note of concern on his face, and Glenn, by contrast, with a look of frustration on his face, a look as if he is about to kill someone at any moment and, considering his mood, that may very well happen.

“Yes and pacing the floor won’t help matters.” Henry looks down at where Julia has been walking. “You’ll create a trench and trench’s are NOT cool.”

“All I want to do is prove that I have changed but people keep getting in the way!” She narrows her brow in an sudden look of hate. “You know who I blame?”

“I’m afraid to ask…” Henry’s voice trails off.

“Your brother!” Julia points a finger at Henry, almost as if to accuse him. “It’s all his fault, you know?  He keeps sticking his nose into MY business!  He thinks I’m still his client!  He refuses to accept that I have changed!”

The female Braddock cracks her knuckles. “So maybe before I start proving to the world that I have changed, I need to beat the living hell out of him!”

“Uh, that may not be the best idea,” Henry states uneasily while his voice again trails off.

“And why not?” Julia insists. “Are you trying to protect your brother?”

Van Stanton shakes his head. “It isn’t like that, Julia, and you know it.”

“Then explain it to me!” Julia reaches out and grabs him by his oh so cool bow tie and jerks him to his feet. “Listen to me, Doctor, your brother has been a pain in my ass for a long time!  He was a pain in the ass when he was my manager!  He is even worse now that he’s following me around like some lost puppy!  He’s literally ruining everything for me!  Why shouldn’t I just rip his damn vocal chords out?”

“…you sound your uncle.”

Glenn snickers. “Is that a bad thing?”

Julia Braddock relinquishes her grip upon Henry’s stylish bow tie.  Immediately the good Doctor sets to fixing it right.  It is a cool bow tie and needs to be done right.  Julia backs away slowly and sighs deeply.

“Mason is the problem and you know it.” Julia finally says.

“I agree, my brother IS the problem, but violence is NOT the way we deal with him.  Not yet.”

“Why not?!” Julia exclaims once more. “Why can’t you go all Oncoming Storm on his ass!  I know you can!”

Henry walks of and places his hands on her shoulders. “I know I can, but that’s not how we’re going to handle him.  We’re going to try and avoid that, because we are better than him.”

“Fine, I’m better than him, great, but what am I to do in the meantime?” Julia asks, clearly getting more and more agitated as this goes on.

“What do you mean?”

“I am supposed to work with Lukas Montgomery.” Julia states stoically. “We are supposed to be a tag team against Cassidy Haze and Katelyn Buehler.  I personally could care less about Montgomery.  But Haze and Buehler?  Those are the types of people whose trust I’m trying to win back.”

Julia sighs, shaking her head. “If I win, I’m the bad guy…if I lose, it hurts my career…what’s the damn point anymore?”

Ah yes, well, that was a mistake for Julia to even utter those words.  This response from the younger Braddock prompts the elder grizzled veteran known as Glenn Braddock to shoot up off of the bench.  He quickly approaches Julia and slaps her hard across the face.  He just stares at her, stone-faced but angry while Julia rubs the stinging out of her cheek.

“What…what was that for?”

“That was to knock some fucking sense back into you.” He growls angrily.

“But…”

“No,” he shakes his head “you listen to me.  First of all, NO ONE said this journey to redemption would be easy for you.  Look at what you did as a member of the Noel Family.  It will take a lot to make up for that.”

Julia, knowing this to be true, bows her head in shame. “I know…”

“Another thing you should know is that making your start in this industry is never easy, because that’s what this is for you, really.” The grizzled veteran’s stony features slowly begin to soften. “This is a new beginning for you.  You are starting fresh.  You wouldn’t question how you were booked if you were a rookie, would you?”

Julia shakes her head. “No, but this is different.  I know why Silas Mason booked this match.”

“This is no different from anything else.  You go out there and you do your job.  You wrestle and you compete.  Don’t do it for that piece of shit Silas Mason.  Do it for yourself, do it for the fans.  It’s that simple.”

“I guess…” Julia sighs “…I guess you’re right.”

This touching moment as Glenn and Henry are attempting to make their student feel better about her situation is abruptly brought to an end as the door to the dressing swings wildly and violently open.  Mason Van Stanton storms into the room (who else) and makes his way past Glenn and Henry to Julia.

“MY QUEEN!”

Mason gets down on his knees and begins kissing her feet. “I knew you would come to your senses, Your Majesty!”

Julia tries to get her foot away but Mason has a pretty firm grip on it.  She looks pleadingly at Glenn and Henry.

“Help?”

Henry rolls his eyes as he approaches his younger brother Mason.  Henry kneels down and pulls the younger Van Stanton off of Julia’s foot.

“Let me go!” Mason whines. “I must worship my queen!”

“She is not your queen.” Henry says correcting him. “Not anymore.”

Mason scrambles back to his feet. “But you saw what she did out there!”

He grins knowingly, turning to face Julia and winking at her. “That was brilliant!”

Once again he kneels down and begins kissing her feet but this time she shakes herself free and backs away from him.

“Get away, Mason!”

“What’s wrong, my queen?” He asks innocently. “I was just worshipping you!”

“I am NOT that person anymore!” Julia insists even as Mason continues to come closer and closer towards her. “I am NOT Julia Noel.  I am Julia Braddock!”

“Braddock, Noel, whatever name you want to go by, you are still my queen.”

Julia squeezes her eyes shut tightly.  She balls up her fists.  Henry attempts to step in between but Glenn grabs his arm, stopping him from advancing.

“So what do you say, my queen?  Shall we be off?”

Mason offers his hand out to Julia.  The younger Braddock responds with a swift kick below the belt followed by a knee to the face.  Mason still isn’t felled (to his credit).  But then Mason turns around and stumbles right into a right hand from Julia that knocks him down.

“So much for no violence…” Henry says as he slaps his forehead in disappointment.

Glenn approaches Julia, stepping over Mason Van Stanton in the process.

“Don’t listen to him.” Glenn says slowly, quietly.

Mason slowly pulls himself up. “My queen…”

In one swift motion, and without even bothering to turn and look, Glenn flings his fist up, smacking Mason in the face, knocking him back down again.  This time a disappointed Henry Van Stanton helps his younger brother to his feet and helps him out of the dressing room, leaving Julia alone with her uncle.

“This is just so difficult.” Julia whines.

“I know, but no one said it would be easy for you.  You are heading in the right direction.  It may not seem that way right now but trust me, this is exactly what needs to happen.  Just continue doing your job.  Who cares what everyone else thinks.  You know you’ve changed.  I know you’ve changed.  Henry knows you’ve changed.  In time, everyone will know you have changed.”

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Do Your Job

Scene 2

On Camera

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The man standing here before us is wearing a light brown, almost cream colored, tweed jacket, a red bow tie, red suspenders, and a white button up shirt.  He is wearing black pants and black shoes.  A confident, almost smug look is etched across his face as he stares into the camera, waiting to begin.

“Hello, I’m The Doctor!  Dr. Henry Van Stanton to be precise…”

But we already knew that, right?

“…you have all observed the recent journey Julia Braddock has been on lately.  She has been trying to change her reputation.  She has been trying to prove to the world that she is a new person and that the vile, despicable person she once was no longer exists.  Some of you believe her and are giving her the second chance that she so rightfully deserves.  On that same note, I’m sure many of you are still doubting my good friend Julia Braddock’s motives.”

He nods his head.  “I can understand the doubt.  The sins of Julia’s past are well documented.  But her sins of the past are just that…the past…now I know a thing or two about time and what I can tell you about time is that we cannot dwell on the past, we have to move forward.”

“I’m not going to stand here and pretend to be pleased that Silas Mason has decided it is best booking practices to put Julia Braddock in a tag team match with someone as unbalanced as Lukas Montgomery as her tag team partner.  Unfortunately there’s no changing it and, you know what they say, sometimes you just have to play the hand that is dealt to you.  I am also not going to pretend that my brother, Mason Van Stanton, is through with Julia.”

Henry narrows his brow in a hard gaze at the camera. “I hope you prove me wrong, brother.  I hope you are smart enough to stay out of Julia’s business, because otherwise you will have to deal with me.  You will have to deal with The Oncoming Storm.  Make no mistake about it, you will NOT be allowed to interfere in Julia’s business on RIOT.  I will take care of you while she takes care of her own business.”

We switch to another scene as Henry fades away.  As we fade back into view we see someone else standing there.  That person is none other than Julia’s trainer, the grizzled veteran with the most feared eyebrows on the planet, Glenn Braddock.  The fierce trainer is wearing black dress pants, a black matching jacket, and a button up shirt.

“Do your job…”

He grunts “…those were the words I told Julia Braddock when she found out that she would be tag teaming with Lukas Montgomery to face Cassidy Haze and Katelyn Buehler.  Just do your damn job.”

Glenn shakes his head. “No, it isn’t the most ideal of situations, but she has a job to do and that job is to wrestle.  She’s not doing anyone’s dirty work.  She was booked into a tag team match where she is expected to perform, not for that ignorant piece of garbage Silas Mason, but for the fans, and for herself.  What a wrestler, or any athlete for that matter, is here for is to win.  Athletes are paid to compete and win.”

“Julia Braddock has changed and if you don’t believe it or if you just can’t accept it?  Fuck you.  No one gives two shits what you think anyway.  This is Julia’s career and she is free to do with it as she wants, she is no longer tied to any tyrant or dictator or pretend queen.  So sit back, relax, and listen to Julia BRADDOCK!”

Once again the scene fades out.  We fade back in and we see a lovely female dressed in a tight black skirt, black high heeled pumps, and a long sleeved red sweater.  Her long blonde hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length.  This is, of course, none other than Julia Braddock herself.

“I could stand here and continue with the whole begging and pleading routine, trying to get the world to believe that I have changed.  But what would be the point?  Some of you will just never believe.  I could do the woe is me routine and talk about how tough this is for me, but once again, what would the point be?”

Julia shakes her head. “There is no point to it.  None whatsoever.  It’s like my uncle Glenn says, there is only one important thing that I need to do…”

“…I need to do my job.”

“No, I don’t particularly care for the fact that I’m having to tag team with a certifiable maniac like Lukas Montgomery.  I don’t particularly like the fact that I may be in as much if not more danger from my own tag team partner as my opponents, Cassidy and Katelyn, are from my tag team partner.  Most of all, I don’t like the fact that certain people think that they can control me.”

She points a long slender finger at the camera. “Mason Van Stanton…Silas Mason…I’m looking at you two clowns.”

“You think you can control me but no one can control me.  I do what I want now.  I am free.  I am liberated.  If you think I’m still your puppet then you have another thing coming, because there are no strings attached to me anymore.  I will not do your dirty work for you.  This match on RIOT isn’t about you.  I am a wrestler and this match on RIOT is about what me, a WRESTLER, does best…and that’s wrestle…”

“Cassidy, you were right about us.  We were once controlled by other people but we both fought back, we both freed ourselves from that control and we are stronger for it.  I did my best last RIOT, I did what I could, I tried to stop that steel chair attack from Lukas…”

She chuckles “…unfortunately I also ended up pinning you.  It wasn’t my intention, I swear.  Now we find ourselves on opposite ends of a match again, this time a tag team match.   At least you won’t be facing me and Lukas alone.  At least you have Katelyn Buehler, a hell of a tag team partner, I must admit.  At least things will be fair this time.  And this time the best wrestlers will win because I will continue to do whatever I can to ensure that justice prevails.”

“Katelyn, I almost wonder why you were put into this position.  I mean, shouldn’t be preparing for Serenity?  This is your big chance not only at revenge but at the world championship.  You failed at Invictus but you’re getting a second chance and not everyone gets a second chance.  So yeah, I’m surprised to even see you here.  But regardless, you’re here and that makes you my opponent, and that makes you part of the job I need to do.”

“I am a wrestler and a wrestler’s job is to compete for the fans, for their entertainment, and to try and win.  All four of us will be competing on RIOT for the entertainment of the fans and we will no doubt put on a hell of a show for them, I have no doubt that we will steal the show, and I also have no doubt that I will do everything I can…”

She shakes her head “…scratch that.  Let me correct myself.  I won’t do ‘everything I can’ in order to win.  I will not utilize New Eden tactics, I will not utilize Silas World tactics.  Queen Julia Noel is dead and I won’t utilize her tactics either.”

She pats herself on the chest. “I am going to utilize my tactics, the tactics of a wrestler, the tactics taught to me by Glenn Braddock!  If I win, it will be because I was the better wrestler.  End of story.  If I lose?”

Julia holds out her hand. “I will shake your hands and congratulate you.  I will raise your hand in victory.  This new Julia Braddock is about respect.  And I know respect is not deserved.  Respect is earned.  Henry said I deserved something…”

She shakes her head “…I deserve nothing.  But I will continue to fight like hell to earn the respect and trust of my peers and the great wrestling fans of the Independent Wrestling Cartel.”