MAY 26, 2010
THOMPSON AUTO
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
4:48 PM LOCAL TIME
With a grunt, Terrence Thompson finished connecting the transmission to the 2007 Chevy Malibu he was working on. Slamming the hood of the car, he wiped his hands on a nearby rag and looked around the garage. With Memorial Day Weekend approaching, business had picked up substantially, with prospective travelers wanting last minute check ups before beginning their holdiay travels.
Even though his wrestling schedule prohibited him from being a full-time mechanic with Thompson Auto, he was still more than willing to come in when availible. After all, being a co-owner, he carried a vested interest in the continued success of the garage. Besides, he still genuinely enjoyed working on cars, especially when he needed to think.
And right now, he had a lot to think about.
Noticing his uncle's boots sticking out from under a minivan, Terrence walked over, smiling slightly as the man slid out on his backscooter, whatever work he had been doing now completed.
"The Malibu's done," Terrence announced, helping Stephen Thompson to his feet. His uncle was a heavyset man in his mid-sixties, with short, unkempt gray hair and a full beard. Having been orphaned at five due to a car accident, Terrence had been raised by his uncle ever since. No one would have ever given Steve a parenting award, but he had done his best, and Terrence loved him for at least the effort. Steve had given him co-ownership of the shop as a wedding present, and, to Terrence's surprise, had actually listened to his nephew's ideas, allowing them to make Thompson Auto into northwest Indianapolis' premier auto repair center.
"Great," huffed Steve, looking around at the rest of his mechanics. "I'll call the owners as soon as I finish this oil change. You oughta get going, Terrence. Get on home, and give Theresa a kiss from Uncle Steve."
Terrence hesitated. "I was gonna start on the Neon that won't start."
Steve snorted. "That piece of shit? Its gonna take half a day to even figure out what's wrong with the goddamn thing. I told the owners I wouldn't get to it til tomorrow, and they still left the damn thing here. It's almost five o'clock. Go home. I'm about to throw everyone else out anyways."
Still Terrence didn't move. "You sure? I'm gonna be in the gym tomorrow. And I'm busy Thursday. I won't be back until..."
"Yes I'm sure!" Steve retorted, adding the last of the oil to the minivan and shutting the hood. "Now either you are having an unnatural attraction to a twelve-year old Dodge, or you don't wanna go home. What'd you do to piss her off this time?"
"Nothing," Terrence replied defensively. "We've been getting along fine!"
"But..." his uncle pressed.
"I think she's gone nuts!" Terrence blurted.
"Kid," Steve said, shooting his nephew an appraising glare. "Your wife went around for four years picking fights against men twice her size, is now trying to do it again, and only now you realize she's nuts?"
Terrence snorted, then shook his head. "No... I mean... ever since she got back from Castle Mandrake she's been- different. Angrier."
"Well, you did welcome her back by clubbing her partner in the head with a tire iron. That'd piss me off, too."
"No, beyond that," Terrence insisted. "She attacked Brian Hollywood in the hallway. She NEVER gets into fights outside the ring! And her approach to Summer Games is... scary. I just want to win the damn thing, but she... she's set herself on some moral crusade to crush Defiance. She's put her faith in a man that has done nothing but hurt her, all for this nonsense about the greater good."
"Jesus, Terrence," Uncle Steve said, shaking his head. "You almost sound like you don't want her in this."
Terrence paused, biting his lip for a second. 'I want her on my side. She and I are damn near unbeatable as a team. But since Dane and Conarri started this whole 'battle for the Alliance' bullshit, its all gotten personal. She's on television going on and on about running Defiance out, and destroying the HYDRA with her own two hands. And there could be EIGHT Defiance members in that battle royal at the end, four of them HYDRA. She's putting such a big target on her back, I'm worried for what could happen to her."
Steve said nothing, so Terrence continued. "And what if, on some goddamned fluke, I get eliminated? She could be alone in that ring with Greer, Vasquez, Heidi, and Cobra. What happens then?"
Steve chewed his lip for a long while, looking at his nephew. "You want my advice?"
Terrence shrugged. "Sure,"
Steve looked his nephew dead in the eye. "I think your wife is a hell of a lot stronger than you give her credit for. But if you're uncomfortable with the path she is taking, you damn well better work that out now, and not in the middle of that battle royal."
Terrence sighed. "I suppose you're right. Okay, I'm heading home. Call me if you need help with the Neon."
Steve nodded. "Will do, and Terrence?"
"Yeah?"
"You both have had this bad habit of fucking things up because one of you was afraid to tell the other something unpleasant. If ever one of you was to break that habit, this would be a good time."
Terrence nodded. "Thanks, Steve," he said, and walked out the door.
==========================
MAY 31, 2010
CITY ROADS- TERRENCE'S CHARGER
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
2:12 PM LOCAL TIME
[It was a pretty good Memorial Day for the WhirlyBirdz. Despite being banned from participating in the barbecuing by the neighborhood watch committee due to an incident the previous year, the Birdz still had a good time at the annual neighborhood block party. That, and getting seats in a luxury box for the Indianapolis 500 had been a dream come true for Terrence Thompson]
[But on this side of the weekend, Summer Games is seeming that much closer. So, after seeing some comments by his competitors over the weekend, Terrence has decided its time he cut another promo of hs own.]
[The scene is Terrence's car, which is driving around St. Louis, where the Birdz are for tonights PWX show. Terrence is alone in the car, Wendy and the rest apparently spending the afternoon elsewhere. The camera is mounted on the dashboard, so we get a pretty good view of Terrence sitting in the driver's seat. As usual, his eyes stay mostly focused on the road, although they do occasionally flicker over to the camera for a couple seconds.]
Twister- "You know, its funny. Over the course of my first run in the World Wrestling Alliance, I pretty much did it all. I'm only one of two wrestlers in alliance history to complete the Grand Slam. I had defeated every big name in the Alliance. I won the tag titles twice with my wife, and even though it was brief, there was even a time when I stood above all as the WWA World Champion."
[Don't worry, kids. There's a point to all this rambling on about yesteryear]
Twister- "But there is one gaping hole in the resume. One accomplishment that has eluded me throughout the years. And It's not like the Summer Games Title has been just beyond my reach. Let's face it. Summer Games has not been kind to Terrence Thompson."
[Understatement of the century right there]
Twister- "So I'll come out and say it. In three entrys, never once have I made it out of the first round of the tournament. I won't bore you with the details, but lets just say there's been times when I've had bad luck, and there's been times I've dropped the ball."
"Perhaps that might be why I've come to be regarded as somewhat of an afterthought for this. I'm not Christian Light, I don't have the shiny trophy of a previous year. I'm not Victor Mandrake, I haven't imposed my will on the alliance for the better part of the past decade."
[A resigned sigh]
Twister- "So let's face it. When it comes to the Alliance, I'm a nobody. Most of the titles I've held are now defunct and forgotten, the belts kept in some storage closet to collect dust. Most of the opponents I've beaten are long gone, either retired, competing elsewhere, or, in some cases, dead."
[Poor Ulfric]
Twister- "So nobody cares about what Terrence Thompson did five years ago. I probably shouldn't have taken two months to figure that out, but I never claimed to be the brightest Christmas light on the strand."
[Or candle in the menorah, if you're Jewish]
Twister- "So instead, let's start talking about what Terrence Thompson's going to do."
"I'm going to start by playing nice with my team. That's not a hard thing to do with my wife, but with Mandrake, its going to take a little swallowing of my pride and temper. So be it. In the end, Victor and I will get to kill each other anyways, so what's a little wait?"
[A small shrug. Obviously, Terrence hasn't quite worked out all his issues with his teammates, particularily those with his wife, but he's still fully confident that come Summer Games, he and Wendy will be 100% on the same page.]
Twister- "Then, Victor, Wendy and I will destroy the boys from AW. That is, if the whole team even decides to show up. For all we know, John Kellerman's gone and gotten himself deported."
[Stupid work visa expirations]
Twister- "But at last, the great Chris Cannon has spoken. And... oh my God... he's really not the president of a fictional country? I'm completely stunned by this. I suppose next I'll be told that William Boscoe Davenport is not really an attorney, or that Cobra actually wears a mask and costume, and doesn't really look like a snake."
"So this is your great strategy, Chris? Come out and say you're not something we already knew you weren't? And then claiming that we're too busy focusing on the 'old' Chris Cannon, and not the new one? Sorry Chris, I guess I didn't get the Twitter telling me you just magically dropped your 'gimmick' last night. Fuck, I didn't even know it was a gimmick. I just figured you were mentally retarded."
[Terrence snorts in disgust and shakes his head, even as he tugs on the steering wheel, making a lef turn]
Twister- "But whether or not you're owning up to reality, unless you just underwent a magical transformation this morning, you're still the same Chris Cannon. Undersized, decent aerial skills, absolutely mediocre in every other aspect. No heart, no drive, and an inherent lack of confidence that will plague you until the day you retire. On the plus side, you'll probably be a lot less annoying, so at least its a step in the right direction."
[Terrence shoots a small smirk at the camera, mostly of mockery, but there's some encouragement there as well.]
Twister- "Then there's the enigma known as Zortalk. It's funny, but I don't think I've seen anyone put that much effort into apathy. William, you better figure out if you're in this tournament or not. Because look around you. Do you see Kellerman anywhere? Do you think Chris Cannon will honestly be worth a damn in this ring, as he struggles to reinvent himself in time for the biggest event on the calendar?"
[Pause]
Twister- "And yes, biggest, despite whatever jaded blithering idiots you've hired to say otherwise. Now, I'm sorry that Edward White was too weak to deal with the pressure of being the World Champion, but William, if you're going to listen to him, you best do it now. Because in two weeks, you and your "AWESOME" team mates will be standing across from three people who know better."
[A hint of irritation creeps into Terrence's voice here]
Twister- "Yes, three, William. You seem to have gotten it in your head that Victor Mandrake is the only one you are against at Summer Games. Wendy and I are just afterthoughts, overshadowed by the big man."
"You're not going to believe just how wrong you are on that."
[Big time]
Twister- "So sit in your chair, William. Think. Do you want this? Do you really think the pain is worth it? Because if it isn't, get the fuck out, and go back to your retail job, or lawyer firm, or whatever the hell it is you do."
"But here's some advice from me, free of charge. It's worth it. Every drop of sweat, and blood, you shed through your career, to know that you're on top, to know that you're the BEST... its worth it. But it isn't all just gloating with a title, getting publicity photos taken. Its damned hard work to be a champion, and if you're not prepared for that, then you WILL end up just like White; a bitter bitch who can only look to the negative."
[Terrence pauses for just a second, as he gathers his thoughts.]
Twister- "But I digress. After the three of us mow down Crappalachian Wrestling, then its on to the battle royal."
[Whee!]
Twister- "This is where shit gets interesting. For starters, there's the question of how long Team Mandrake can hold together? Will my alliance with Victor expire the moment the bell for the final match rings? Or will iit actually continue for as long as we both have proclaimed, ntil the three of us are the only ones left? Its actually a delicate situation. Because whoever decides to break the truce will have a significant advantage, but break it too soon, and we're left fighting each other AND the entire rest of the field."
[Another snort of derision from the Mechanical Mayhem]
Twister- "Ah the rest of the field. I'm starting to wonder if anybody even has a fucking clue what's going on around here. You got men like Bronson Box, cavorting with perennial losers like Evan Hurley in bars. You got guys like Joe Drago, who seem to think that Victor Mandrake is the only other guy in the tournament."
"And then you got Cobra. I honestly expected better of this guy. A dinosaur, snake-boy? That's all you have? I'm thirty-one, genius, and, thanks to my hiatus, I'm in better shape than most twenty-five year olds. I haven't spent the last five years getting into brutal wrestling matches on a weekly basis. My knees and back are fresh, I'm devoid of concussions. I'm now honestly in the best shape of my life."
"And I know, Jorma-whatever is coming on the thirteenth to save us all. I've got twenty bucks with Pollaski that Cobra's god turns out to be one of those fake cans of nuts with a spring loaded snake inside. But I'll keep on trembling in fear."
[/sarcasm]
Twister- "And, of course, there's Cancer Jiles. You know, Cancer, I watched your promo this morning. Then I watched it again. And again. And again. And all I can say is..."
[VERY long pause here, before Terrence risks a glance at the camera, looking fairly bewildered]
Twister- "What the fuck have you been smoking?"
[That's really all you could say to that]
Twister- "Seriously, if theres anybody out there with a degree in Cancer Jiles to English translation, PLEASE, for the love of God, give me a call. Because, I'm assuming most of that was directed at me. Something about me being a plastic suicide bomber drenched in A-1 steak sauce climbing a beanstalk to join the Egg Bandits. Or something."
[Terrence shrugs, as if dealing with Cancer Jiles hardly matters.]
Twister- "I suppose I'm just not cool enough to be able to understand Mr. COOL. Or stoned enough, even though I had to knock back a handful of Excedrin to stop my head spinning after watching that."
"So Victor, Wendy, and I eliminate all the rest, and then, its just the three of us. My wife alluded to it in her promo, and Victor said it outright in his, there was a time when Victor and I briefly set aside our differences, because we both knew that whatever happened, Kakuma was not going to enter 2005 the world champion. So we made sure to run his sorry ass out of the alliance for good before we got down to business."
[Small smile]
Twister- "Well, they've always said history is doomed to repeat itself."
"But Victor, when it comes down to just you and me, there's one thing you haven't realized. I expect a third person to be in that ring as well. Someone who hates and despises you even more than I do."
[He means his wife, Wendy]
Twister- "You might be able to beat me, Victor. You might also be able to beat Wendy. But you will NEVER beat the two of us combined. And once there is no one else left for me and Wendy to take down, and we set our sights on you, it will be your body that tumbles to the floor, while Wendy and I reign supreme."
[A smile at the thought of Terrence and his wife standing alone in the ring at the zenith of the tournament]
"Twister- And then what? Maybe Wendy and I will square off for the title. Maybe we'll just call ourselves co-champions. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. But remember this, Victor. My wife is NOTHING like you. She never will be, and if you think your bullshit has corrupted her, than you will be in for one hell of a disappointment. Because, Mandrake, as she's told you over and over..."
[Pause, Terrnce scoffs, and takes another glance at the camera.]
Twister- "The last thing she'd ever do was become anything like you."
[Fade]
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