Rungs by rungs I scales.. He's coming to get me, Doc is coming to get me, and this is absopositively the only way.. The only way to stop him, the only way to escapes him, 'cos if he gets me, then he'll hurt me.. he'll beat me, and The Jackrabbit hates being beated.. I does lots of things in my life, peoples say they's dumb and irresponsiveble. They says I say stupid words. And maybes some of these things are true, but people can never ever ever ever say that The Jackrabbit likes getting beated. Winning stuff is my favourite game. But if I don't climb now, if I don't put this hand over this hand over this hand and go up this cage, then I won't be winning any games. The Cowboy Nurse is vicious like a Chihuahua that got kicked in the face. That happened once.. don't ask me, it just did, okay? I look down and I can see The Cowboy Nurse below me now.. wait, below me? But does that mean? That means I's not on the floor... oh goodness, I's not on the floor, not even a little, I'm up in the sky, I'm high up in the sky, I could fall, if I let go of this cage I'll fall, I'll fall to the ground, all the way, falling and falling and landing... landing on Doc... landing on his face... and smashing his face to little pieces. I could smash Doc's face to little pieces. He probsably wouldn't like that. He probsably wouldn't wanna get to know Lil Ol' Jackrabbit anymore then... In fact, he'd probsably lie there motionless for three little slaps on the ring mat... All I'd have to do is let go of this cage... All's I'd have to do is fall... * * * Once, this bell rang out, a symbol of hope for its people, free and independent. At liberty. But now it was enshrined, surrounded by interminable sheets of glass, a monument. A relic. The crowds surround it, like every historical shrine on Earth, staring and gawping, their camera-phones flashing. "The Liberty Bell of America, huh?" Stevie Guile does not have his camera-phone out, nor does he gawp. Attired as always in the crumpled grey suit that has seen better days, his baseball cat sits at an angle, sulfur yellow to match his tie "Guess we've all got a reason to feel liberated, right 'Rabbit?" The Jackrabbit is walking along a rail that keeps the bell out of reach of the general public, and keeping an impeccable balance. There is a shine to his face that has been missing in recent weeks, the corners of his lips reach that uncanny smile like they've been unable to since Blood Bath. Clad in his blue plaid long-shorts and black OWF Rise Or Fall t-shirt, there is a spring to his step and he hops from one railing to another. "Methinks he likes me, don'tchyaknow? The Cowboy Doc really likes me! This is the end of the beginning of a very prettiful relationship, ha ha ha ha haaaa!" "And then it just got completely smashed up.." Stevie is looking again at the bell, the thick cut that runs down its centre, slicing the word "Philad" in half. Philadelphia, a combination of two Greek words, meaning love of a brother. "Brotherly love.." "Well, possiblys! But I think maybes we'll work towards that, don'tchya think? He saved me from Tal though, that's a first step! Big brothers save little brothers from psychoticised philosophoprists, don't they? That's pretty standard! Tal needs to understand.. Oh, Tal, why Tal? Don't you see... don't you see how special it was..." "It's so special, isn't it Jayjay?" The year is 1976, and a young boy and his parents have come to this place together, to stare upon the bell that rang liberty to the people of America. It is housed in the Liberty Pavilion now, but it means the same to the people as it always will. There are no camera-phones flashes, but the Liberty Bell glistens as much as it ever did in the future. The boy is well built for his age, a tidy blonde mop atop his head, a blue t-shirt tight to his frame. He swings on the railing as his parents watch on. His mother is fair-haired like he, a tall and thin woman with a kind face. Her eyes never leave her child, which compensates for the father. A well built man with dark hair and a dark beard, his eyes fixate only on the historical artifact in front of him, regardless of the glances that the boy gives him. "But it's just a bell, Mom! I've seen it a thousand times, why does everyone crowd around.." asks the boy who will one day be The Jackrabbit. "Not everybody lives in Philadelphia, Jayjay.. people have come from all over the country to see this bell. It's a sign of liberty, of freedom to the American people.." his mother states, absently reaching down to fix his collar. Jay ducks away from her hand, but she pulls him close and fixes it regardless. "It was the first bell to ring out the Declaration of Independence," his father adds, flatly. "Yes, the first sign that the people knew they were truly free." "What does that mean, Mom? To be free?" "It means..." she pauses, ponders. Jay is still on the railing now, looking up at her as his father moves around to further inspect the bell he has admired a dozen times before. "It means to be allowed to shape your own destiny. To follow your own dreams, achieve your goals." "It means you can be who you are, no matter what." His father's words echo and fade, their faces crackling into a memory lost even to the two men who hold it. The bell is gone now, left to its chime-less new existence. Stevie Guile has led his companion to a less populated area, to a district in downtown Philadelphia, The Golden Triangle. In the distance, the rush can be heard where the two rivers meet, but the two men aren't focused on running water. "D'ya think Evie Deli-Custard and Foxie Loxie have sisterlely love, Stevieo? I'm not especially sure they even really know each other is there, y'know! Ha ha haaa! Can you love something if it's not there, I wonders that, I wonder it lots. Y'see, they's both have boytoys to play with, and they play lots, but they don't play much with each other, not like Doccy and The Jackrabbit! Methinks all the best tag teams are the ones that play together, don't matter what game Stevieo, any game will do, but the best game is the one where the girlys get dropped on their brains! The Cowboy Doc has got some great moves for brain-droppin', he likes his Rod of Achoofullus. Do you like Doc's Rod, Stevieo? I love his Rod, and when Doc gets his Rod onto Foxie or Evie, we allllll know what's gonna happen! Ha haaa! Do you know what's gonna happen? Let me tell you, let me tell you and all the Rabbit Fans worldwide, and beyond. The Unorthodox One.... that's me!.... and The Cowboy Doc.... that's not me!.... will be rising up the gold, whilst Team THEM are falling down. Rising that gold up into the sky, rising it up for all to see that no one.. and The Jackrabbit means all of the no ones... can stand in the way of Fus-.. ..of The Jackrabbit and The Doc." "'Rabbit, you know what man, I don't think anyone's even doubting it. These people will come out, they will call you and Holloway the underdogs, but they fail to see the truth. They fail to see how badly you guys are being overlooked. You've been in this game a long time, 'Rabbit. And Doc's cutting his teeth, but nobody can question his ability. That man has a knack for hurting people, like it's in his blood or something. I guess livin' in Tombstone does that to you. Eva and Moxie have taken their eyes off the ball this time, 'Rabbit. They got lucky at Blood Bath, but that kind of complacency can only get a pass so often. Those girls want to stop worrying about their love lives, stop worryin' about adding Eclipse's title to their carry cases, and start seeing what's staring them in the face. And that's two hungry newcomers that are chomping at the bit for a taste of OWF gold." "Silly Stevieo, you don't chomp on the gold, ha ha haaaa! That's what ice-creams are for! Gold belts is good for only one thing, and it's one thing that Deli-Custard and Foxie Loxie have completelyutterlytotally forgotten to do. Gold belts is good for sitting on and sliding down hills, weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaa hah ah haaaa!" The Jackrabbit immediately demonstrates his point by grabbing a trash can lid from the nearest yard and, with a running start, jumps onto it to go hurtling down the alley. A cat screeches as it dives out of the way to save its life, and Stevie begins a slow walk in his companion's direction. He stops, momentarily, when he hears the loud crash and the clatter of metal. The look on his face doesn't even appear slightly surprised. Stevie Guile is a man with unrivalled patience, honed from years of association with the man they call The Unorthodox One. Eventually Stevie arrives at the point where The Jackrabbit has crash-landed, upside down and with one leg pointing upright into the air. The trash-can lid is spinning next to him. A cat is licking his face. "Again, again!" "Come on, get up. We're not done here.." Stevie pulls The Jackrabbit to his feet, needing both arms to support the larger man's weight. He doesn't bother informing his friend that his t-shirt has spun awkwardly around, or that one side of his shades are now missing a lens. "Stevieo, are you a 'Rabbit Fan?" "You know I am, of course I am, why the hell would you ask that?" "Why don't you have a Jackrabbit drinks-coaster?" "What? Do they even m-" "You has a Foxie Loxie coaster." "I do n-.. oh, you mean that! Dude, OWF sent a Moxie CD to everyone on the payroll..." "It's okay, Stevieo. I unnerstand, everyone loves Foxie! It's why they all have Foxie coasters! But not me, Stevieo, not The Jackrabbit! You'll never catch The Jackrabbit with a Foxie Loxie coaster, you know why? S'because The Jackrabbit doesn't drink coffee, of course! Oooooh that gives me an idea, Stevieo!" "Oh, marvellous....." "We must go, we must go at once! We must go and steal all of Foxie and Evie's coffee! Y'see, methinks that being a big Holy Wood superduperstar means that Foxie must drink a bazillion coffees, and Evie MUST be drinking coffee for her to keep rambling on and on and on and on and on like she does, ha ha haaaa. I'm ninety-twelve percent sure nothing she says makes any fundinglin' sense, y'know! That's a fact! This is a mahoosive mission, Stevieo, we can't do this alone! We must get help! I'll ask Tal if he'll... Oh.. Tal. Why'd you do it, Tal? Why? We had a shaky past, didn't we chum? I knows The Jackrabbit didn't always like admitting.. didn't always believe it, p'raps! But we had spats, sometimes. Now and then! I guess when I showed up in Gee Dub Oh, maybes I said some things, did some things... but those are behind us, Tal! Nobody thought we'd put them things beside us and under us and over us, but we did! We became the bestest Tag Team in the history of Ehch Ess Dub! We became the bestest Tag Team in the history of En El Dub! Ha haaa! We could do it in Oh Dub Ef, Tal. Nobody is better than Fusion, you always said that, always! So when The Jackrabbit is putting that gold over The Jackrabbit's head at Fall Or Rise, Tal.. It will be in memory of you. In memory of us... Downtown Philadelphia of 1983 stretches out, this very neighborhood, this very block. This is still the Golden Triangle, but not the area between two colliding rivers. This is The Golden Triangle Gym, home to a world of shiny new mats and punchbags, the latest in weight-lifting machines, and a recently assembled wrestling ring. This is absolutely the grandest sight that has met the eyes of two young boys. One with that familiar tidy blonde mop, the taller with scruffy dark hair. In their joy, a playful shove is shared. This is the realization of a long dream. This is the realization of the shared dream that has kept these two together for so long. "This is it, buddy," says the boy that will grow to be Talon. "So, am I kicking your ass first?" asks the boy that will become The Jackrabbit. "I'd love to see you try." "Be careful what you wish for, big man." The pair laugh, and the laughing continues as they make their first venture into the ring. Coach Harris shows them the ropes, so new that they have no give at all and leave welts in the flesh of the new recruits. They're fresh, he says, like his students. First there are headlocks, and armbars. Collar and elbow tie-ups. Back bumps and hip tosses. He neglects to show them how to take a fall. Body slams, irish whips, suplexes. Saul uses the camel clutch on Jay. Jay practices the sleeper hold on Saul. Still, the boys can't take a fall. "One day, they'll call me the North American Champion!" "Oh yeah? I'll be the Canadian Champion!" "Hardcore Champion!" "Television Champion!" "Tag Team Champion!" "Tag Team Champion!" "Yeah�" "Tag Team Champions�" "That would be neat." As the years tick away, The Jackrabbit and Stevie Guile are found staring at the Golden Triangle Gym. It's dilapidated now, the paint is peeling and to read the sign, it is now known as the Go d T i ngle Gym. Through a broken window, both men can see that there are no longer any punching bags, the rusting weight machines are outdated. The ropes on the old wrestling ring have fallen loose, the plastic withered and frayed from use. "I'm sorry, 'Rabbit.." "I.. I remember here.." "Yeah�" * * * It's closing time at Jester's, and a young woman is watching the entrance with wistful eyes. She watches the drunks as they are evicted, last call was an hour ago and it's home time for these hapless adventurers. She wears a black strap-top with a bleeding heart on it, her hair is down in a pair of pigtails, blue and purple and pink. Vanilla sits on the pavement, eyes transfixed on the bar. Her mind wanders, but she hasn't drank a drop, not tonight. Vanilla is sixteen years old now. Jester's was known by a different name then, she'd heard about the place from Alex down the park. It was called The Rogue's Gallery, the coolest bar in town and anybody who was a somebody went there on a Friday night. Alex's cousin worked the doors, he'd let a girl like her in, no problem, no questions asked. All she had to do was show up, Alex would show her a good time. Vanilla is eighteen years old now. All the guys and girls gather at The Rogue's Gallery on a Friday night, dressed to the nines and with the intent of staying past last call. She hated the drink though, it made her feel ill the next day and nobody could dance well with a hangover. Well, nobody but her sister Cassie but she hadn't thought about her in years. She was off now, travelling the world, God knows where. Spyke was Vanilla's world now, Spyke hooked her up with the kick she needed on a Friday night, she was Spyke's girl. That's what he told her. She'd dance all night with him and the gang, Skullz and Dollybird and Pistol. Danced in a kind of way that Cassie never would, not that she thought about her sister these days. She was Vanilla now, an ironic name for a girl who wasn't vanilla at all. A jab in the eye of everyone who wanted her to be normal. But she didn't need those people anyway, Vanilla had Vanilla. Vanilla and the gang dancing the night away whilst they were still on the high. The guys would eye her up, pretend to know her to get close. Spyke beat up some guy called Alex the other day, whoever the hell he was. Vanilla didn't care, that's what she said. She checked on him when the gang weren't watching though, made sure he got home alright. Still, he shouldn't have looked at her like that. She was Spyke's girl, after all. Vanilla is twenty years old. There is no gang anymore, that whole thing really didn't last long. She'd always looked the part, spoke the part, but the angst just wasn't her style, the drugs weren't for her. She was Spyke's girl, for a while. Well, one of Spyke's girls. She told herself she'd left the gang; the gang had left her. Whichever way, there's no gang anymore. There isn't even any dancing, dancing with the withdrawals never really worked out. She'd never looked the part, anyway. She'd gone to the club one night, just to see. But it was some place called Jester's now, there was nothing for her here. Maybe she'd go travelling. Alone, this time. After all, Vanilla had Vanilla. And she'd come to realize that being Vanilla wasn't a bad thing after all. * * * The high rise building has become an icon, an image burnt into the minds of wrestling fans across the globe. It could be any apartment block in the world, with that fire escape spiraling down the side. But to them, and to the two men who made it famous that night, it will always be a single place of significant meaning. "I can't do it, I can't do iiiiit!" The birth place of The Jackrabbit, the man whose mind was torn from him, whose body was thrown from that fateful, fatal height. The birth place of Talon, the man who lost everything to the despair at what he had done, the guilt that tore at his soul. The separation of two men who had sworn friendship for life. "Yes, you can, you can!" To others, it is just an apartment block. "Just think of Altitude O!" Vanilla has been brought along to this inauspicious place, a pink shawl wrapped around her black strap-top to keep her shoulders from the wind. Fifteen feet in the air, just paces from the place that Jay once fell to his demise before The Jackrabbit was born. And yet here he stands again, in his trademark long-shorts, an OWF t-shirt, and the silver neck-chain he was given by someone special a lifetime ago. There is fear in this man's eyes, a trepidation like none he's ever had before. Comparatively, he seemed calm at Pool of Blood. "Okay okay okay, The Jackrabbit has faced all his fears, they've all gone away, home time now, home time!!" A wrapped hand lays gently on his shoulder, and he glances across at- "Talon?" Doc Holloway shakes his head. His dark brown hair whips his face in the heavy wind, his gold cross flutters against his chest. "This won't work, Doc. You know he hates it here.. let's just go." Doc Holloway shakes his head again, his eyes finding the ledge, and Vanilla immediately starts as she realizes his meaning. "We don't have to do this, it only takes one of you to win Altitude O. You can do it, you can get the pin, let JR stay on the ground.. what'd ya say?" "That ain't how this goes." The Jackrabbit turns around at the growl of the dispassionate voice, and Talon's eyes burn right back into him. The Jackrabbit yells out, scarpering away from the edge, but The Enigma intercepts, grabbing his former friend by the throat, forcing him backwards. Backwards to the precipice, where Jay fell to his death, where Jay was wiped from existence forever. "Do you see me laughing? You're like a child." Doc pushes The Jackrabbit off him, a look of surprise flickering across his face. He rubs at his throat where clawing fingers had grabbed it, and The Jackrabbit whimpers, almost a forced laugh, staring at his own hand and backing again towards the edge of the building. The wind buffets around the arms and torso of The Unorthodox One as he steadies himself. Slowly, he lets his gaze drop, sees the ground below him, so far below him, so far down, all the way down. This is where he rose, this is where The Jackrabbit came to be, where all this madness began. Talon's hand rests on The Jackrabbit's head, and a thousand silver memories explode to the forefront. Mother, father, the girl he once loved. The beach, the bar, the ring. "No Saul, no! Not again, ha haaaaa ha! Please not again, ha haa!" "Oh keep it up, laughing boy. Keep it up." Talon has him at the edge again now, suspended above the abyss. The abyss that consumed Jay, and in his place was born The Jackrabbit. Into the depths went a boy, and out came a man, a maniacal, sadistic man that hurt people instead of himself. A man that laughed in the face of adversity, a man that defeated monsters, a man that tasted victories and won accolades. A Jackrabbit. "You were nothing, Jay. Or worse than nothing. You were normal, with the hopes and fears of a normal man. On that night you experienced terror and for the cheap price you ascended beyond mere mortals. Your fear and paranoia became focused on the pinnacle and you were finally able to live the life you were promised. The life of true freedom. The fall. It made you." "It.. made me." And The Jackrabbit raises his boot, stepping up onto the ledge, staring out into the chasm. Unafraid. "It made me!" He forces his foot out over the side of the high-rise, feeling the current around it, grinning at the realization of what is to come. He would step off, he would be reborn again. "Jackrabbit, no!!" "Ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaa.." The laughter drowns out Vanilla's scream. Doc's wrapped hand grabs The Jackrabbit by the collar, dragging him back from the ledge in a vice grip. His mouth twists up, a parody of a smile. "No more. I think we got this."