The Gallery.
C.J. Thorpe follows behind Jackson Cade as they search for Jasper Redgrave. C.J.’s intense voice narrates over the tense ambiance.
Life… life is all about seconds.
Every tick of the clock, counting down the moments that make us or break us.
I was the second son, always in your shadow, Jacky, always fighting for scraps you left behind at the table. I thought being second meant I’d never shine like you, never step out from the specter of Jackson Cade.
But life, it’s funny, ain’t it? It teaches you that sometimes, all it takes is a split second to flip everything upside down.
Like that time I tried to do the right thing—ended up in chains on Death Row.
But here’s the kicker about those damn seconds—they sometimes circle back around, give you a shot at redemption.
This? This is my second chance. I ain’t wasting it, not for anything, not for anyone.
The brothers pause, glancing around a corner.
And then there’s you, Jackson.
First son.
First in line for glory, for Dad’s pride, for everything that was supposed to be out of reach for a kid like me. You were never second for anything.
Your split second of heroics? Barely put a dent in your life. Redgrave lived. You were demoted, sure, but then—bam!—Sheriff Jackson Cade.
You got your second chance served on a silver platter.
But this ain’t about silver spoons no more. We ain’t kids scrapping over daddy’s attention.
We’re men, armed and dangerous, hunting in the dark.
And we ain’t just fighting over any old thing—we’re fighting over the World fucking Championship.
Yeah, I’m still the second son, but guess what? Now I’m the one everybody’s talking about.
That split second when I stood up to Narcissa Balenciaga, took the championship from her hands? I didn’t fall upward like you always did, Jacky. I climbed.
Every. Damn. Step.
C.J. suddenly draws his gun, aiming it right at Jackson’s head.
That’s why we’re stalking through these shadows, gunning for Jasper Redgrave like it’s gonna change anything. Like it’s gonna bring back what you think you’ve lost.
So now, here we are.
You, about to make another split second choice.
Me, deciding if the second son becomes the first tonight.
Your second chance? It’s just a countdown. Because it’s not about doing the right thing anymore, Jacky.
It’s about survival. It’s about legacy.
You’ve lived a charmed life, brother.
Always the hero, the first son. Daddy’s love. The badge. It was all yours.
Was.
He cocks the gun, its metallic click echoing.
Look around, brother. Absorb every second.
The second chance you squandered.
The second son standing over you.
The split second you lose everything.
Because tonight, I don’t just strip you of that title. I strip you of your legacy, your dignity, everything you thought was yours by divine right.
When the dust settles, it won’t be Jackson Cade they remember. It’ll be the shadow you live under for the rest of your forgotten days.
At Chain Reaction, I’m not just your brother.
I’m your ending.
BANG!