MAY 19, 2010
CORNER OF MAIN STREET AND HIGHWAY 228
MARS, PENNSYLVANIA
11:43 PM LOCAL TIME
Terrence Thompson drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, impatiently looking at the red light glaring at him from across the intersection. Why the hell hadn't the censor kicked in? There hadn't been any cross traffic for nearly two minutes, but that goddamned light remained steady, unchanging. Finally, the green light flashed on, and Terrence rolled his cherry-red 1971 Dodge Charger into the intersection, turning left on Highway 228, and heading out of Mars, the small town one hour north of Pittsburgh that had been the site of the latest (and soon to be revealed as the last) Appalachian Wrestling show.
Terrence looked over at his wife, sitting in the passenger seat and looking quietly out the window, her flame-red hair glinting in the headlights of oncoming cars. He couldn't see her face, and he wondered what she was thinking. It had been a long couple of days, ever since he had rammed a tire iron into Victor Mandrake's skull during the Tag Wars semifinals. Wendy hadn't said a word to him for nearly a full day after she had stormed up the ramp, and when she finally did speak, it was to scream at him. He suppose he couldn't blame her- she had just been laid out thanks to a Brian Hollywood chair shot, and her patience had met its end.
After she had calmed down, the two had finally gotten to talking. While Terrence couldn't bring himself to apologize for leveling Mandrake, even he had to admit that he had picked just about the worst possible time to do it. Wendy had accepted his 'apology', then insisted that they leave immediately for Pennsylvania. While Terrence had balked at first, he realized that being back on speaking terms with his wife was a good thing, and, well, he did owe her.
Terrence had been neither surprised nor happy that the reason for Wendy's insistence they go to Pennsylvania was to meet with Mandrake. The meeting had gone as expected, Terrence and Victor trying to get at each other in a rage, while Wendy desperately tried to play peacemaker. Only after attacking both men, and leaving them sprawled on the concrete (where the hell did she learn to do that?) was civility finally introduced to the confrontation. After Terrence had given a half-hearted apology, and Victor accepted with the same level of enthusiasm, Mandrake had offered Wendy a chance on his Summer Games team. To his dismay, she accepted.
To his utter shock, it was on the condition that he was the third member. Even more surprising, Mandrake had agreed, albeit reluctantly.
Terrence looked over at his wife, who remained looking out the window, her arms folded over her chest. He knew she was thinking, but about what? Was she still angry about him over tag wars? He decided to test the waters.
"So, good thing Ronnie won, eh?"
Wendy finally stirred, turning to look at him, and nodding. "I'm happy for him. If anyone deserved to be the one to beat Cobra, it was him."
She turned back to the window, and again, silence reigned over the car. Terrence racked his mind, looking for another lead in, hoping to get some semblance of conversation going with his wife, but nothing came to him.
Fortunately, Wendy turned to him first.
"Do you think that was too easy?"
"Huh?" Terrence asked, looking over at his wife in confusion.
"Victor allowing you on the Summer Games team. Do you think he gave in too quickly? I had planned on at least threatening to decline his offer before he gave in."
"Plan?!" Terrence stared at his wife, dumbfounded, then remembered he was driving and returning his gaze to the road before he put the car in a ditch. "You had a plan? You knew he was going to invite you on his team?"
Wendy nodded. "Did you honestly think I had us drive all the way to Pennsylvania so you could apologize to Victor Mandrake?" When Terrence didn't respond, she continued. "One night when I was at Mandrake's castle, I overheard Victor on the phone. It sounded like he was strong-arming someone in the Alliance to grant him his own Summer Games team. Then he told me he wanted to speak to me about Summer Games, and well, I can put two and two together. I figure he would have asked me at Tag Wars, until you... did what you did."
Terrence thought back to the night of Tag Wars, with Wendy screaming "You ruined everything!" at him.
"So that's why you were so angry with me," Terrence mused. "You figured Mandrake would be less likely to accept me after I rammed him with a tire iron."
Wendy shook her head. "No, I wanted to win that tournament, especially if it meant destroying HYDRA in the process. I would have liked a third world tag title reign. But you're right, your interference complicated matters. That's why I'm so concerned about how easily I convinced Mandrake to let you join."
Terrence shook his head. "Why do you want me on his team? Why would you want either of us on his team?"
Wendy paused, looking out the window and gathering her thoughts.
"Victor's become infatuated with me. I honestly think hebhl truly believes Ulfric's suicide was my fault, and he's trying to get me to atone for it. But the moment he interfered during our match against each other, I knew that there is absolutely no way he would ever leave us alone. That's one of the reasons I agreed to team with him, and go to his castle. If I kept refusing him, he would have turned real nasty. He was prepared to blow Megan's brains out two months ago, just to get me to team with him. I didn't want him to go after her again, or someone else."
Terrence nodded quietly, all the while wondering why someone didn't just kill Victor Mandrake and be done with it. "You said 'one of the reasons.'" Terrence asked. "How many reasons are there?"
Wendy paused for a long while, and took a deep breath. "Three."
"Care to share the other two?"
Wendy thought for a second, then nodded.
"You and I have always known that my biggest weakness is dealing with opponents that are much larger than me. The alliance has changed since we were last in it, Terry. There's no more cruiserweight division for me to hide in anymore. Either I have to learn to beat heavyweights, or I'm going to get hurt. I can't just jump off the ropes and turnbuckles a hundred times and clamp on a submission or two to get wins anymore. I was offered training by a man I had never been able to even be competitive against. I'd have been a fool to past that up."
"What about me?" Terrence asked, sounding slightly offended. "Why couldn't you have trained with me?"
"Because you love me too much, Terrence. You're afraid to hurt me, and every time we spar, I can tell you hold back. I knew going into Castle Mandrake that Victor wouldn't care if I was hurt, or tired, or frustrated. He'd kept throwing me around until I got it right. With him, it was either learn, or experience more pain."
Terrence scowled, remembering the other night at Tag Wars, watching his wife standing on the apron, grimacing at her sore back. "And this training regime, did it work?"
Wendy scoffed. "It seemed to earlier tonight."
"Point taken," Terrence muttered, wincing at Wendy's heavy-handed attempt to keep him and Victor from each other's throats. "What's the third reason?"
"Victor Mandrake hates Eric Dane."
"So?" Terrence snorted. "Who doesn't hate Dane?"
Wendy shook her head. "You don't understand. Mandrake HATES Dane. I always knew there was bad blood between them, but when I was at the castle, we talked about why Victor had done what he did to so many people over the years. When I breached the subject of Dane, Victor..." she trailed off.
"What?" Terrence pressed.
"He lost control." Wendy said, shuddering at the memory of Victor's outburst. "I had never seen him like that. It was frightening. But it made me realize one thing- his desire to destroy Defiance isn't an act, or even an attempt at a power grab. He wants to wipe that federation off the face of the Earth. In that, his goals and mine are aligned."
"Look, hon." Terrence said, turning off the highway onto another road. "I don't want Dane to take over the Alliance either, but you sound like you're making this personal."
"It IS personal, Terrence," Wendy said fiercely. "I'm sorry, but you don't know what it was like that night. The humiliation, fear, and helplessness I felt being held down. And the fans..."
Wendy looked away, back out her window. When she spoke again, her voice was breaking. "The fans were cheering for it, Terrence. What kind of sick and twisted place would encourage fans to cheer for something like that? I want Defiance shut down. I want HYDRA to pay for their actions, and the rest of their talent scattered.”
“And that’s why you wanted me to be the third member, because you knew I’d be willing to help you in this.”
Wendy shrugged. “In a way. I know how important Summer Games is to you, Terrence, and, from the looks of things, there won’t be a Team PWX, so you more than likely would have been sitting out. But yes. The reason why we came back was to stop Defiance from taking over the Alliance. If we’re going to stop them, it’s going to be at Summer Games. You’re the one I want to team with. Being with Victor’s merely a necessity, but when it boils down to it, you have always been, and will always be, my partner, both in the ring and in life. Am I wrong in wanting you to be there when I make my stand?”
“No, I suppose you’re not,” Terrence admitted.
“But Terrence, you NEED to learn how to cooperate with Victor.” Wendy continued. “Until Dane and his goons have been run off, we have to work together.”
“I’m sorry,” Terrence said. “But everytime I think of the guy, I just can’t stop thinking about what he’s done to you… to us.”
Wendy nodded quietly. “But we have to think about the greater good. Whether or not you want to admit it, Mandrake is not the biggest evil in our lives right now. But Terrence, if Summer Games goes according to plan, there will come a time when the three of us will be standing alone in the ring, every other team vanquished.”
Wendy looked over at her husband, and even in the darkness, he could see the smile of grim determination on her face.
“And then, with the entire world watching, the two of us can make Victor Mandrake pay dearly for everything he’s done to us.”
=====================
MAY 26, 2010
THE NEST- BACKYARD
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
4:12 PM LOCAL TIME
(Ah, the traditional American suburban backyard. What a lovely setting to shoot a promo in late May. We're on the deck off the back of the Thompson family house. Its a pretty large deck, albeit only about five feet above the backyard. There's a fair amount of patio furniture, a table, several chairs, a gas grill. Wendy Briese is sitting in one of the chairs, a nice, tall, frosty glass of iced tea on the table next to her. Even the ever-modest has to make concessions when the mercury rises, and Wendy's elected for a white sleeveless ruffled tunic style top, and a pair of khaki shorts that run about two inches above her knee.)
(Yes, ABOVE her knees. As in, you can see them. Check out Wendy Briese, vamping it up for Summer Games!)
Wendy- “You know, its funny. I’ve spent a total of four years active in the World Wrestling Alliance, and this is the first time I’ve ever entered the Summer Games tournament. Every year, one reason or another has come up and kept me out of the Games. I suppose I picked one heck of a year to make my debut. I’ve seen larger fields than this year’s twenty-four, but I think everyone can agree that this may be the biggest Summer Games in history.”
(Wendy's sitting fully erect in her chair, looking directly at the camera. Her flame-red hair has been allowed to fall free today, the tresses falling down to her upper back. As she speaks, she brushes an errant strand from her eyes)
Wendy- “No longer is it about carrying a trophy back to your home region and boasting that you are the best. This year, it won’t just be reputations and bragging rights on the line. The very future of professional wrestling hinges on the outcome of this tournament. On one side, you have those, like me, who are dedicated to the Alliance. On the other, you have Defiance, which is trying to destroy everything this place has been about for the past eleven years. And the deck is stacked in Defiance’s favor. There may be only one “Team Defiance,” but three teams are pretty much made up of Defiance dedicated wrestlers, the only exception being Christian Light on team CAL.”
“In addition, a fourth team was given to a departed region, just to give the HYDRA a free pass to the finals. That means pretty much half the teams in Summer Games are devoted to a single federation. Eric Dane has played his cards well, with eight fanatics loyal to him ready to crown him king of the wrestling world.”
“But there is resistance, and it will be fierce when the war finally begins. Cito Conarri has picked a wonderful team. Ronnie Long and Adrien Cochrane have embodied the spirit of what the World Wrestling Alliance should be. Both are hard working, dedicated men who have always done what they felt was right, regardless of the odds and the consequences. Ronnie Long deserves to enter Summer Games with that world title around his waist, and I’m so happy that he beat that arrogant jerk Cobra on Appalachian Wrestling’s final show. Adrien Cochrane may not have had the same success, but I’ve always valued loyalty to your friends and your causes, and Adrien is as loyal a man as you can get. I hope both do well in the tournament.”
(Wendy gives a slight smile at her brothers in arms against Dane)
Wendy-“The other main aspect of the resistance is… Team Mandrake.”
(Slight scoff)
Wendy- “Yes, for the second time in a month, I will be joining forces with the same man who six years ago imprisoned me in a dungeon. I regret that our trip to Las Vegas ended on such a sour note, and I will admit that the three of us have some issues we need to work through if we hope to run Defiance out of Summer Games. But rest assured, on June 13th, from the moment the opening bell rings until the three of us are the only ones left standing in the ring, Victor Mandrake, Terrence Thompson, and Wendy Briese will be working together. All three of us know that the stakes are too high for us to let our personal issues get in each other’s way.”
(Pause, and Wendy's looking a little anxious)
Wendy- "At least I hope so."
(That would be why)
Wendy- "I suppose I'm hardly in an enviable position. On one side of me is my husband, good hearted but way too prone to letting his emotions get the better of him. On the other side, one of the most ruthless, cold, and calculating villains ever to set foot in a ring. I would seem like getting them to work together would be an impossible task, especially given their history. But once before, Terrence and Victor put aside their differences for the sake of the WWA, and I have faith that they will do it again."
"It's most unfortunate that we have drawn Appalachian Wrestling in the first round. That means two of the pro-alliance teams will be forced to take each other out. But one of the challenges of Summer Games is that you have to be ready to take on anybody, and if fate decrees we have to eliminate AW, then so be it."
(Wendy gives a small smile that looks almost apologetic)
Wendy- "I see a lot of myself in John Kellerman, actually. Both of us employ a speed oriented attack, and make up for our relative lack of size with a technical prowess. And although I'm not an immigrant, my parents' were, so I know a little about the struggles one deals with in getting accustomed to a new land."
(Even though Kellerman came to America to have a better life, and Wendy's parent's hopped the pond because Scotland Yard was investigating her dad for ties to Irish terrorists. Six of one, half a dozen of the other, really.)
Wendy- "But when I look at Chris Cannon, I can't help but feel sorry for him. I don't think you have to look closely to see that Chris is obviously an insecure man, and he hides that insecurity under a mask of arrogance. It's a shame, becuse Cannon is obviously a talented wrestler, but he prefers to live in the delusions of his fantasy world than face the harshness of his reality."
"Zortalk is..."
(Wendy pauses, racking her brain for a word to describe William Boscoe Davenport.)
(Unfortunately for her, there is no word to describe William Boscoe Davenport.)
(Except maybe 'weird')
Wendy- I can honestly say that I've never seen anyone quite like him. He almost reminds me of Dragon Jones... except he actually wins. But of the three wrestlers on team AW, he has the most accomplishments to his name, so despite his eccentricities, he obviously has talent."
"It should be a tough first round, but I'm confident that the three of us can get by intact. And then it's on to the battle royal. And then, my true work in this tournament begins."
(Wendy's compartively amiable attitude disappears, and she turns serious as she gets to Defiance)
Wendy- "When it comes down to it, I suppose I care very little about most of the individuals representing Defiance. They are on Eric Dane's payroll, and that makes them my enemy. Honestly, in the end, I think Defiance's worst enemy will end up being itself. Men like Cobra, Cancer Jiles and Aaron Vasquez are incapable of seeing the bigger picture because they are so wrapped up in their own selfishness. Does anyone think Cancer won't use a chance to injure Aaron Vasquez, and weaken him for their upcoming title match?"
(Wendy holds up three fingers)
Wendy- "There are only three members of Defiance that I care about on an individual basis. The first is Joe Drago. Even before Tag Wars, I had respected Joe as a phenomenal competitor, even though I don't quite care for the company he keeps. He comes off as cold, but you can see he has a genuine love for this sport, and the spirit of competiton. If only more of Defiance would follow his example. I was honored to face him at Tag Wars, and I look forward to meeting him in the ring at Summer Games. And hopefully, when all this madness is over, he and Jesse will be up for letting the WhirlyBirdz take a shot at their new titles."
(She drops one finger, leaving two, and her gaze hardens even more)
Wendy- "It's almost funny to watch Steven Greer at his council meetings. He fancies himself the leader of some selective cabal, while in reality, he is what he's always been- a cowardly worm who is forced to gravitate to someone else for protection, whether its Tyrone Walker, Eric Dane, or Cobra."
"And twice now, while doing the bidding of his masters, Greer has managed to humiliate me. And yet, he and I have never faced in the ring outside of that massive scramble in Defiance. But if we meet in the finals, there will be no hole left for that rat to crawl into. I have not forgotten about the Faygo Shower, and I most certainly have not forgotten the night of my return. It will be my pleasure to send Steven over the top rope and to the floor."
"But as much as I dislike Stephen Greer, there's another member of the HYDRA that is even more repulsive than he."
(Deep breath)
Wendy- "Heidi Christenson"
(Wait... what?)
Wendy- "Yes, Heidi. Before I came back, all I ever heard about Heidi was what a wonderful person and wrestler she was. When I was training to make my return to the ring, Heidi was one of the people I was most looking forward to getting into the ring against."
(A small smile, although the fire now dancing in Wendy's eyes indicates she is not amused.)
Wendy- "Well you can bet I'm really looking forward to facing her now, but not for the same reasons."
"See, I knew Stephen Greer was slime, and Johnny Lightning was a pig. And Jeff Andrews had just turned his back on his best friend, and a man who does that knows no limits to his depravity."
"But, Heidi, she was in that ring, watching every woman's worst nightmare being played out before her. And she wasn't even content to simply stand by and watch, she joined in. What woman would EVER advocate the degradation and defilement of another woman, especially one she had never met before in her life?"
(Wendy's now in full crusade mode, and obviously still quite angry about the Defiance finale)
Wendy- "And why, does Heidi say? Because she was tired of being a 'role model'? What kind of idiotic, childish reason is that?"
"Heidi Christenson is a traitor. She is a traitor to her ideals. She is a traitor to her friends. And she is a traitor to her gender. And for that, I hate her."
(Hate?)
Wendy- "Yes, hate. There are very few people in this world that I despise, that I honestly desire to hurt and leave broken in a bloody heap. Heidi Christenson, for her pathetic actions, and her pathetic rationale, has made the list. She wants to get her hands on me again? Fine, and its a shame she never got the chance at Tag Wars. But at Summer Games, the only escape Heidi will have from me will be over that top rope, and by the time I'm done with her, that eight foot plunge to the concrete floor will be a blessing."
(A short pause, as Wendy takes a couple of deep breaths, not wanting to just start screaming at the camera.)
"Victor says that I'm no longer forgiving, that my altruism is gone. He is wrong. But there is a prerequisite for forgiveness- remorse. I've seen no remorse, and therefore, there will be no forgiveness."
(Pause)
"For anyone in Defiance."
(Fade)
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