Monday July 12, 2010
ARC Arena- WhirlyBirdz Locker Room
Valparaiso, Indiana
10:48 PM Local Time
“Who dat think they better than Terrence Thompson?” the man proclaimed as he flung open the door to the locker room.
“WHO DAT?” shrieked the little girl, who stumbled across the room to leap into her father’s arms.
“Congratulations,” Cassie DeSlair said, brushing a few loose strands of blonde hair from her face as she stood up to welcome the returning warrior, fresh from his ringside battle.
Still holding Theresa, Terrence quickly scooted to the side, allowing his two companions to enter the room. Wendy Briese sulked in behind her husband, giving the nanny a silent nod. It’s obvious that while she was unhappy with the events that transpired to end the Thompson-Ojeda match, there was very little she could do about it. The man strutting in behind her was the exact opposite. Daniel Pollaski looked like the cock-of-the-walk, the smug grin on his face betraying the paramount triumph he had felt by taking out one of the most dangerous men in the PWX.
The realization of the consequences of Ojeda ever got ahold of him would come soon enough, but for now, Daniel Pollaski was basking in the glow of both his and Terrence’s victory.
“Nice going,” Cassie said to the portly manager, just a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
“Hey, the moron went after ME,” Pollaski protested. “I was just trying to defend myself!”
Even Wendy nodded in her agreement, although fairly reluctantly. “Ojeda let his temper get the best of him,” she said quietly. “He lost his focus on the match, and it ended up costing him.”
“Bah,” Terrence said dismissively. “It’s not like the result woulda been any different. There was no way John Ojeda would have been able to keep me down for three. If anything, the way it ended gave John a convenient excuse as to why he lost, so he can keep deluding himself that he actually is relevant around here.”
Dan and Cassie laughed at the remark, and Theresa, although she didn’t know the reason behind the laughter, joined in as well. Only Wendy, now sitting in a chair, remained silent. Terrence paused as he took in the account. Sure she wasn’t happy with the way the match ended, but there was something else to her, as if an unexpected weight was causing her shoulders to slump.
Something was wrong.
“Everything okay, hon?” Terrence asked quietly.
Wendy paused for just a second. Her first instinct was to smile, feign fatigue, and tell her husband that everything was okay. But too many times over the past few months, Wendy had kept quiet about an issue until it blew up in her- and Terrence’s- face. That wasn’t going to happen this time.
“We need to talk,” she finally said, sighing to her husband. “Alone”
Terrence nodded, and turned towards Dan and Cassie. “Give us a minute, would ya?” he asked.
Pollaski nodded, and picked Theresa up, complying with Terrence’s request. Cassie, looking slightly disconcerted, hesitated for just a second, then followed the portly manager out the door.
“Stay within shouting distance!” Wendy called abruptly as the door closed.
“Why?” Terrence asked, shooting Wendy a curious glance.
Wendy sighed. “I ran into Victor tonight,” she finally said.
Terrence grimaced, neither happy nor surprised at the news. “I’m surprised it took him this long to approach you. I trust it wasn’t a pleasant meeting?”
“It never is, with him. He seems to think that my recent... accomplishments are entirely because of his influence. He’s less than pleased that I disagreed.”
“I can imagine,” Terrence chuckled, knowing full well how adamant his wife could get in an argument. His cut his laughter off when he realized that Wendy didn’t even crack a smile, but looked even more miserable . “What did he do?” he finally asked.
“He openly threatened Theresa.” Wendy forced out, locking her emerald eyes into Terrence’s brown ones. “Said that he would do whatever it takes to ‘break me of my delusions.’ He threatened you and Cassie too, but...”
Terrence nodded. Wendy knew that he could take care of himself, and while she would be devastated if Cassie came to harm, it would be nothing compared to if their daughter got hurt. Feeling suddenly weary, he sank into another chair, turning to face his wife.
“What did you do when he said that?”
“I almost hit him,” Wendy confessed miserably. “But I stopped myself. I told him that he just wanted me to lose control to prove him right, then walked away.”
“Do you think he’s bluffing?” Terrence asked simply.
Wendy paused for a second, then shook her head. “Even if I did, I couldn’t afford to be wrong,” she said. “If Victor gets his hands on Ther-”
“If Victor Mandrake gets anywhere NEAR Theresa, he will die,” Terrence swore earnestly, and Wendy knew the sudden fire in his eyes left no doubt that Terrence was telling the truth.
“What are we going to do?” Wendy asked quietly, looking her husband dead in the eye.
Terrence paused, considering his options for several long seconds. When he finally spoke, it was very slowly. “We’ll take the necessary measures to protect our family. Nothing more.”
Wendy stared at her husband in blank surprise, stunned by the reserved response.
Terrence didn’t miss his wife’s shock. “Look, everytime I’ve gone after Mandrake, it hasn’t worked out. All it does is piss him off. And right now, whether or not he’s here in PWX, Victor’s attention is fully focused on his upcoming cage match against Eric Dane in Defiance. The dumbest thing in the world I could do right now is provoke him and give him a reason to come after us. Outside of the ring, I want no part of a war with Victor Mandrake.”
Wendy nodded. She didn’t either, but she couldn’t avoid the sinking feeling that one- ANOTHER one- was inevitable. “Everytime I think we’re finally rid of that horrible man, he...” she said quietly.
Terrence nodded silently, sharing her thoughts. “But Wendy?” He paused to make sure she was paying full attention to him. “I’m really glad you told me this. I know you didn’t want to worry me, but I had a right to know.”
Wendy nodded silently.
“Does anyone else know?” Terrence asked.
Wendy nodded slowly. “I told Cassie too. I tried to pass it off as little more than an irritation, but I think I scared her. It didn’t help that-” Wendy cut herself off as another memory from the night came flooding back to her. “Oh God,” Wendy said, with another agonized sigh.
“What?” Terrence asked, puzzled and concerned by his wife’s sudden deeper distress.
“Wild overheard me talking to Cassie, and he thought I was talking about him. So he confronted me. Actually, he got in my face and started screaming. I was already on my last nerve from my encounter with Mandrake, and he... well, he put his hands on me. So I hit him.”
“Jesus, you’ve been busy,” Terrence said, chuckling at the thought of Wendy’s hand smacking all the taste out of Wild’s mouth.
This time, Wendy did laugh, although it was a short burst. “I’m afraid I made us another enemy,” she said quietly.
“You didn’t do a damned thing,” Terrence admonished her. “For whatever reason, Wild took exception to us beating the Kings Among Men, and started talking shit the moment we grabbed those belts. Probably because he couldn’t win his own match at Do Or Die. But if he wants to grab a buddy and face us, let him. We’ll do more than slap him around.”
Wendy giggled a bit at Terrence’s bravado, and smiled at her husband, looking a little relieved. “You know, this communication thing’s actually pretty nice.”
“I’ve told you,” Terrence said, standing up and walking over to Wendy, hauling her to her feet as well. “Now, come on. Let’s grab the other’s and get the hell out of here.”
“You don’t want to watch Zion and Jeremiah?” Wendy asked, surprised.
“Cause Zion has a chance?” Terrence asked, grinning. “I’d rather beat the traffic.”
======================================================================
Tuesday July 13, 2010
The RV- Cockpit
Interstate 65 Near Lebanon, Indiana
10:49 AM Local Time
[They always say the early bird gets the worm.]
[That’s probably why Terrence Thompson is cutting his promo the morning after the Adrenaline show. After all, there’s not much else for him to do as he makes the three hour trip back to Indianapolis, and well, once he’s done, he’s got a whole week to train, and more importantly this week, help his wife train. Not a bad deal.]
[So we open in the cockpit of the WhirlyBirdz RV, Terrence Thompson sitting in the driver’s seat, and Wendy is shotgun, once again reading that book about the freaking Glorious Revolution. Luckily, it looks like she’s almost done with it. The rest of the gang is in the back, watching the television, which, if you squint just right, you can see a bunch of really pissed off trees chucking apples at an unfortunate quartet.]
[Wizard of Oz, yo.]
Twister: “Oops. I did it again.”
[He played with your heart?]
Twister- “Another week, another stunning upset for Terrence Thompson. It seems like its becoming the theme of my PWX career. I upset Valerie Belmont. I upset Jeremiah Belmont. I upset Valerie Belmont, again. Wendy and I upset the Kings Among Men. And now I upset John Ojeda.”
[Terrence shakes his head, as if he can’t quite understand it all.
Twister- “Seems to me that sooner or later, you gotta stop calling each and every big win I get an upset, and come to terms with the fact that I am actually THAT good. I told you all three months ago, I didn’t come here to lose valiantly. I came here to be the best in this company.”
[Smirk]
Twister- “So what’s next for yours truly? After all, I’m coming off of three big wins. My wife and I beat Chris Stern and Hollywood, and then we took the tag titles off the Kings Among Men. And last week, I showed I’m still a force to be reckoned with in singles competition by flattening John Ojeda. So do I get another chance to fly further up the rankings? A main event calibur match to prove to the world that I am the best wrestler in Pro-Wrestling X? Perhaps even a singles title shot?”
[Terrence gives almost an incredulous scoff, then shakes his head irritably.]
Twister- “No, I get Dean McDaniels. You have GOT to be kidding me. How the fuck do I even cut a promo on him? There’s NOTHING in his bio, and all we’ve seen of him over the past weeks is six minutes of him getting his ass kicked by Devon Poole and John King. What could I possibly say about that? That he sucks? Should I cut a promo on how the sky is blue, the grass is green, and fire’s hot? Spend three minutes talking about nothing but the most obvious shit known to mankind?”
[For a second, a glimmer of anger flashes in Terrence’s eyes. Then he looks over at his mirrors, navigating the RV through a lane change.]
Twister- “This guy is a walking, talking insult to professional wrestling. He’s an insult to the fans, who are forced to pay good money to watch him suck. He’s an insult to me, because now I actually have to waste a week of my career dealing with him. And he’s an insult to every talented wrestler who toils in backyards and bingo halls, waiting for their chance to shine, while this no-talent hack gets a contract. So Dean, bring your ass down to the ring, Monday, and I’ll put your career out of its misery, and by Tuesday morning, you can be off looking for another line of work.”
[Terrence again gives an irritated snort, then pauses, looking over at the red-haired woman still reading her book. Smirking just a bit, he turns back to the camera.]
Twister- “But this week really belongs to my wife, after all. Adrenaline is going to be her show. Ever since Brian Hollywood thwacked her over the head with a chair, Wendy’s been wanting a piece of him, and now, FINALLY, she gets her chance. In a way, I’ve feel sorry for our new boss, because I’ve been at the receiving end of my wife’s ire, and she actually LOVES me.”
[Upon hearing that she’s being talked about, Wendy snaps up from her book, looking over slightly at her husband. She smiles just a bit- until the last line, when she looks at her husband, obviously less than pleased at Terrence’s description at her temper. For his part, Terrence just grins, pretending to be completely oblivious to his wife’s death glare.]
Twister- “As for the rest of you lot, just watch Adrenaline closely. After Wendy takes out bossman, and I hit Dean McDaniels with such destructive force that it will leave no doubt as to the origin of my nickname, there will be no doubt as to who the emerging dominant force in Pro-Wrestling X.”
[Terrence thumps his chest, and gives another smirk, still ignoring his now-irritated wife.
Twister- “After all, haven’t I already told you all that you can’t stop us?”
[Terrence finally looks over at Wendy, and shrugs.]
Twister- “What?”
[Wendy merely rolls her eyes, and turns her attention back to her book. Terrence turns back to the camera, and flashes a wink and a small thumbs up, as the scene fades to black.]
Thursday, July 15, 2010
DEFIANCE PODCAST #1- Twister vs. Angel of Death
Sunday June 20, 2010
The Nest- Master Bedroom
Indianapolis, Indiana
9:10 AM Central Daylight Time
Already a week had passed since Summer Games, and Terrence Thompson was not over it. In what was his fourth and ultimately final chance, he yet again choked in the first round, this time by taking a cloud of chalk dust to the eyes, blinding him, and enabling that son of a bitch Zortalk to finish him off . Less than two hours later, the World Wrestling Alliance was dissolved.
The End.
For the prideful “Twister,” it was hardly a satisfying conclusion to the alliance he had made his name and career in. He had came back to wrestling with dreams of making a tremendous impact, of vaulting himself back up the rankings, headlining the big shows, even wrapping that World Title around his waist one last time. Instead, he spent the biggest match in Alliance history in the medical room, flushing out his eyes.
It was the first thing he had thought of every morning for the past six days, and today was no exception.
The one upside to the conclusion of Summer Games was that his wife’s self-imposed seperation from him had ended, and he at least got to spend the last six nights sleeping next to her. But not waking up, he realized, as he discovered Wendy no longer shared his bed. A quick glance at the clock gave him a reason- Wendy considered waking up at seven sleeping in. She likely had been up for at least a couple hours.
Oh well, better get out of bed. Today, they were driving back up to Valparaiso for another episode of PWX Adrenaline, where they would get to squash two of the worst tag teams in wrestling history.
Whoop-de-doo.
Strecthing, and scratching in a few rather particular areas under his basketball shorts, Terrence descended the staircase, heading into the kitchen. Sure enough, Wendy was already cleaning up after Theresa’s breakfast, and she gave her husband a smile as he trudged into the room.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” the young woman said, wiping off the table with a cloth, and tossing the cloth into the sink. “You sleep alright?”
“Never better,” Terrence lied, as he plopped down into a chair. “What’s this?” he asked, grabbing a manilla envelope off the table.
“Oh, Pollaski left that for you an hour ago,” Wendy said, pulling a box of Frosted Flakes from the cupboard and setting it on the table. “He said you’d know what it is.”
Given the expression on Terrence’s face, he obviously did NOT know what it was... at least until he opened it. “Oh, good!” Terrence exclaimed as he examined the contents.
“What?” Wendy asked, suddenly curious
Terrence paused, looking at the redhead, not entirely sure how she would take the news. Finally, he slid the envelope across the table, and Wendy picked it up, and perused the documents within.
“This is an application for Defiance,” Wendy said accusingly, looking up from the papers.
Terrence nodded grimly. He had a feeling Wendy, who had spent the last two months vowing Defiance’s destruction, was going to take this wrong. “Two, actually,” he finally said. “There’s one for you, too”
Wendy looked closer at the documents, and realized there in fact was one for her as well. Wendy set the papers on the table, and looked sternly at her husband. “What’s wrong with PWX?” she finally asked quietly.
“Nothing, really,” Terrence replied, shrugging. “But look at the roster Defiance carries now that the Alliance is gone. All the top stars have migrated there. Not to mention they just got a national television deal. That place is going to be a hotbed, and I think it’s worth checking out to see what they have to offer.”
Wendy stood silently, for just a second, then picked up one of the applications and tore it in half.
“I’m hoping that was yours,” Terrence said, not entirely surprised by Wendy’s actions.
“It was,” Wendy confirmed. “Terry, if you want to go to Defiance, that’s fine. I’ll support you one-hundred percent. But there’s absolutely no way I will have Eric Dane as my boss.”
Terrence nodded. “It’s not exactly cut in stone, you know. We’ll see what the offer is.”
“Dane might not even want you,” Wendy said, unable to keep the hopeful expression completely from her face.
“He will,” Terrence said firmly. “Whatever else Eric Dane is, he’s a hell of a businessman. And he knows that I put asses in the seats. He may not make me an acceptable offer, but he won’t be refusing me outright.”
Wendy’s face fell almost imperceptibly at Terrence’s logic, but she nodded quietly. “I hope you get a good one then,”
Terrence knew she was lying, but he smiled in apprecation at her attempt at supporting him. “Just be ready to spend July 4th in Las Vegas.”
“Why’s that?” Wendy asked quizically.
Terrence smiled. “Because I think I”m going to be delivering my application to Eric Dane in person.”
=================================================
Tuesday July 13, 2010
The Nest- Living Room
Indianapolis, Indiana
3:12 PM Local Time
[The Nest. The lovely two-story suburban home with a big backyard and a deck with a jacuzzi, situated in the northwestern corner of Indianapolis. So nicknamed because it’s where the WhirlyBirdz live. That’s ALMOST clever, right?]
[Terrence Thompson, one half of those WhirlyBirdz, and Defiance’s newest acquisition, is sitting on the couch, clad in a faded Indianapolis Motor Speedway T-shirt that looks like it’s been around longer than the actual track. The camera seems to be set on a tripod about five feet away.]
Twister- “So how many of you actually ever thought you would ever be seeing Terrence Thompson in a Defiance ring again?”
[Short, cheesy grin at the camera, then he slouches back on the couch.]
Twister- “I thought that was actually pretty fitting. Last time I was in a Defiance ring, I was beating the hell out of pretty much the exact same people. Only this time, Kai Lewis and his Truly Untouchables weren’t around to save their ass.”
[A slow chuckle from the Mechanical Mayhem as he remembers the “oh shit!” expression on Greer’s face as he slid into the ring.]
Twister- “Now, I’d like to pretend that I had that all planned out for months. You know, some master concoction of the mind that finally enabled me to get the last word in on Greer, Heidi and the others. But I’d be lying. The fact is, I was in the area.”
[Small shrug]
Twister- “I had just met with Dane before the show to finalize the terms on my Defiance contract, and I was walking around backstage to get a feel for how things worked around here. But I looked out at the arena, and I saw a good man, Dusty Griffith, getting the living shit beat out of him, and not a damned person running in there to help. I never got to work with the Boise Bronco, but I’ve heard enough about the guy to know that the man just didn’t deserve that. So I was just doing what needs to be done. I will say the fact that I got to rip Stevie Greer a new one was somewhat of a bonus.”
[Now Terrence breaks out into open laughter.]
Twister- “Although it was nowhere NEAR as awesome as the Sopranomaker my wife gave to him at Summer Games.”
[Terrence stops laughing with another cheesy grin, then settles back into the couch.]
Twister- “Honestly, you can call it what you want. Revenge. Me trying to make an impact. Personally, it just felt like the right thing to do. But whatever you want to make of it, the Mechanical Mayhem has signed his Defiance contract. I suppose that me willingly joining Eric Dane’s club settles matters between us, at least for now. Although the bastard did insist on me picking up the deductible for that incident with the limo last March.”
[A bit of a grimace from Terrence. Probably because he was hoping Eric had forgotten about that.]
Twister- “But I’ll make one thing clear. Despite my actions last week, I’m not here to settle old grudges. I’m not here to take revenge for what happened to the Alliance. I’m here because this is now the damned finest wrestling company in the world today, and with the new television contract from ESEN, this place is going to skyrocket into a worldwide phenomenon the likes that have never been seen. Not only do I want a piece of that pie, I want the biggest fucking slice I can cut off.”
[Smirk]
Twister- “This is the begining of a beautiful symbiotic relationship. If I want to climb to the top of this business, I need to be in Defiance. And if Eric Dane wants to truly turn his company into an icon for this sport, he’ needs me. Because for all the talent Defiance has, there isn’t a single person on this roster who can make the world sit up and take notice. Who else is there? Cancer Jiles is too unlikeable. Boston Bancroft is too full of himself, and while Aye-Vee is one hell of a wrestler, the fact is he’s just too polarizing to bring wrestling fans around the world together. I CAN be that guy. I WILL be that guy.”
[Twistermania’s about to run wild?]
Twister- “It all starts next week, in the Kennel. Home of the Gonzaga Bulldogs. One of the loudest, rowdiest arenas in the country, and I guarantee you, by the end of my match, every one of the six-thousand fans in the seats will be screaming their throats raw for more. And do you think they’ll be screaming for the Angel of Death, the president of the Official Defiance Emo-Goth Club? Hardly.”
[Another short chuckle.]
Twister- “Nothing like a surly, humorless old-timer to make your debut against. I’ll credit Aye-Oh-Dee’s experience, thirteen years is a long time to be spending in the ring, and for his size, the man is a tough little bastard. But this isn’t exactly my first rodeo, either. And I’m bigger, stronger, and more talented to boot. Still, it should be a hell of a match. Angel’s kamikaze style serves him well, and I know damn well if I overlook him, it’s going to be a short night for me.”
[Shrug]
Twister- “But that won’t be happening. The Angel of Death can struggle all he wants. Hell, he can even bring his creepy little wife down to the ring with him. The result will be the same: him lying on the ground in pain, trying to figure out which part of his body he should clutch in agony first, while I stand over him, the refereee raising my victorious hand into the air.”
[Terrence pauses for just a second, looking to the side of the camera at something. He nods quickly, then turns back to the camera.]
Twister- “Gentlemen, set your Ti-Vo’s, and brush up on your YouTube uploading skills. Because next Sunday, July Twenty-Fifth, a new era in Defiance begins. Because the man that will lead this company into the second half of twenty-ten and beyond has arrived, and what happened in Las Vegas is just the beginning. Angel, you can struggle all you want, but you won’t be stopping the Mechanical Mayhem.”
[One final smirk as the camera begins to fade.]
Twister- “No one can.”
The Nest- Master Bedroom
Indianapolis, Indiana
9:10 AM Central Daylight Time
Already a week had passed since Summer Games, and Terrence Thompson was not over it. In what was his fourth and ultimately final chance, he yet again choked in the first round, this time by taking a cloud of chalk dust to the eyes, blinding him, and enabling that son of a bitch Zortalk to finish him off . Less than two hours later, the World Wrestling Alliance was dissolved.
The End.
For the prideful “Twister,” it was hardly a satisfying conclusion to the alliance he had made his name and career in. He had came back to wrestling with dreams of making a tremendous impact, of vaulting himself back up the rankings, headlining the big shows, even wrapping that World Title around his waist one last time. Instead, he spent the biggest match in Alliance history in the medical room, flushing out his eyes.
It was the first thing he had thought of every morning for the past six days, and today was no exception.
The one upside to the conclusion of Summer Games was that his wife’s self-imposed seperation from him had ended, and he at least got to spend the last six nights sleeping next to her. But not waking up, he realized, as he discovered Wendy no longer shared his bed. A quick glance at the clock gave him a reason- Wendy considered waking up at seven sleeping in. She likely had been up for at least a couple hours.
Oh well, better get out of bed. Today, they were driving back up to Valparaiso for another episode of PWX Adrenaline, where they would get to squash two of the worst tag teams in wrestling history.
Whoop-de-doo.
Strecthing, and scratching in a few rather particular areas under his basketball shorts, Terrence descended the staircase, heading into the kitchen. Sure enough, Wendy was already cleaning up after Theresa’s breakfast, and she gave her husband a smile as he trudged into the room.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” the young woman said, wiping off the table with a cloth, and tossing the cloth into the sink. “You sleep alright?”
“Never better,” Terrence lied, as he plopped down into a chair. “What’s this?” he asked, grabbing a manilla envelope off the table.
“Oh, Pollaski left that for you an hour ago,” Wendy said, pulling a box of Frosted Flakes from the cupboard and setting it on the table. “He said you’d know what it is.”
Given the expression on Terrence’s face, he obviously did NOT know what it was... at least until he opened it. “Oh, good!” Terrence exclaimed as he examined the contents.
“What?” Wendy asked, suddenly curious
Terrence paused, looking at the redhead, not entirely sure how she would take the news. Finally, he slid the envelope across the table, and Wendy picked it up, and perused the documents within.
“This is an application for Defiance,” Wendy said accusingly, looking up from the papers.
Terrence nodded grimly. He had a feeling Wendy, who had spent the last two months vowing Defiance’s destruction, was going to take this wrong. “Two, actually,” he finally said. “There’s one for you, too”
Wendy looked closer at the documents, and realized there in fact was one for her as well. Wendy set the papers on the table, and looked sternly at her husband. “What’s wrong with PWX?” she finally asked quietly.
“Nothing, really,” Terrence replied, shrugging. “But look at the roster Defiance carries now that the Alliance is gone. All the top stars have migrated there. Not to mention they just got a national television deal. That place is going to be a hotbed, and I think it’s worth checking out to see what they have to offer.”
Wendy stood silently, for just a second, then picked up one of the applications and tore it in half.
“I’m hoping that was yours,” Terrence said, not entirely surprised by Wendy’s actions.
“It was,” Wendy confirmed. “Terry, if you want to go to Defiance, that’s fine. I’ll support you one-hundred percent. But there’s absolutely no way I will have Eric Dane as my boss.”
Terrence nodded. “It’s not exactly cut in stone, you know. We’ll see what the offer is.”
“Dane might not even want you,” Wendy said, unable to keep the hopeful expression completely from her face.
“He will,” Terrence said firmly. “Whatever else Eric Dane is, he’s a hell of a businessman. And he knows that I put asses in the seats. He may not make me an acceptable offer, but he won’t be refusing me outright.”
Wendy’s face fell almost imperceptibly at Terrence’s logic, but she nodded quietly. “I hope you get a good one then,”
Terrence knew she was lying, but he smiled in apprecation at her attempt at supporting him. “Just be ready to spend July 4th in Las Vegas.”
“Why’s that?” Wendy asked quizically.
Terrence smiled. “Because I think I”m going to be delivering my application to Eric Dane in person.”
=================================================
Tuesday July 13, 2010
The Nest- Living Room
Indianapolis, Indiana
3:12 PM Local Time
[The Nest. The lovely two-story suburban home with a big backyard and a deck with a jacuzzi, situated in the northwestern corner of Indianapolis. So nicknamed because it’s where the WhirlyBirdz live. That’s ALMOST clever, right?]
[Terrence Thompson, one half of those WhirlyBirdz, and Defiance’s newest acquisition, is sitting on the couch, clad in a faded Indianapolis Motor Speedway T-shirt that looks like it’s been around longer than the actual track. The camera seems to be set on a tripod about five feet away.]
Twister- “So how many of you actually ever thought you would ever be seeing Terrence Thompson in a Defiance ring again?”
[Short, cheesy grin at the camera, then he slouches back on the couch.]
Twister- “I thought that was actually pretty fitting. Last time I was in a Defiance ring, I was beating the hell out of pretty much the exact same people. Only this time, Kai Lewis and his Truly Untouchables weren’t around to save their ass.”
[A slow chuckle from the Mechanical Mayhem as he remembers the “oh shit!” expression on Greer’s face as he slid into the ring.]
Twister- “Now, I’d like to pretend that I had that all planned out for months. You know, some master concoction of the mind that finally enabled me to get the last word in on Greer, Heidi and the others. But I’d be lying. The fact is, I was in the area.”
[Small shrug]
Twister- “I had just met with Dane before the show to finalize the terms on my Defiance contract, and I was walking around backstage to get a feel for how things worked around here. But I looked out at the arena, and I saw a good man, Dusty Griffith, getting the living shit beat out of him, and not a damned person running in there to help. I never got to work with the Boise Bronco, but I’ve heard enough about the guy to know that the man just didn’t deserve that. So I was just doing what needs to be done. I will say the fact that I got to rip Stevie Greer a new one was somewhat of a bonus.”
[Now Terrence breaks out into open laughter.]
Twister- “Although it was nowhere NEAR as awesome as the Sopranomaker my wife gave to him at Summer Games.”
[Terrence stops laughing with another cheesy grin, then settles back into the couch.]
Twister- “Honestly, you can call it what you want. Revenge. Me trying to make an impact. Personally, it just felt like the right thing to do. But whatever you want to make of it, the Mechanical Mayhem has signed his Defiance contract. I suppose that me willingly joining Eric Dane’s club settles matters between us, at least for now. Although the bastard did insist on me picking up the deductible for that incident with the limo last March.”
[A bit of a grimace from Terrence. Probably because he was hoping Eric had forgotten about that.]
Twister- “But I’ll make one thing clear. Despite my actions last week, I’m not here to settle old grudges. I’m not here to take revenge for what happened to the Alliance. I’m here because this is now the damned finest wrestling company in the world today, and with the new television contract from ESEN, this place is going to skyrocket into a worldwide phenomenon the likes that have never been seen. Not only do I want a piece of that pie, I want the biggest fucking slice I can cut off.”
[Smirk]
Twister- “This is the begining of a beautiful symbiotic relationship. If I want to climb to the top of this business, I need to be in Defiance. And if Eric Dane wants to truly turn his company into an icon for this sport, he’ needs me. Because for all the talent Defiance has, there isn’t a single person on this roster who can make the world sit up and take notice. Who else is there? Cancer Jiles is too unlikeable. Boston Bancroft is too full of himself, and while Aye-Vee is one hell of a wrestler, the fact is he’s just too polarizing to bring wrestling fans around the world together. I CAN be that guy. I WILL be that guy.”
[Twistermania’s about to run wild?]
Twister- “It all starts next week, in the Kennel. Home of the Gonzaga Bulldogs. One of the loudest, rowdiest arenas in the country, and I guarantee you, by the end of my match, every one of the six-thousand fans in the seats will be screaming their throats raw for more. And do you think they’ll be screaming for the Angel of Death, the president of the Official Defiance Emo-Goth Club? Hardly.”
[Another short chuckle.]
Twister- “Nothing like a surly, humorless old-timer to make your debut against. I’ll credit Aye-Oh-Dee’s experience, thirteen years is a long time to be spending in the ring, and for his size, the man is a tough little bastard. But this isn’t exactly my first rodeo, either. And I’m bigger, stronger, and more talented to boot. Still, it should be a hell of a match. Angel’s kamikaze style serves him well, and I know damn well if I overlook him, it’s going to be a short night for me.”
[Shrug]
Twister- “But that won’t be happening. The Angel of Death can struggle all he wants. Hell, he can even bring his creepy little wife down to the ring with him. The result will be the same: him lying on the ground in pain, trying to figure out which part of his body he should clutch in agony first, while I stand over him, the refereee raising my victorious hand into the air.”
[Terrence pauses for just a second, looking to the side of the camera at something. He nods quickly, then turns back to the camera.]
Twister- “Gentlemen, set your Ti-Vo’s, and brush up on your YouTube uploading skills. Because next Sunday, July Twenty-Fifth, a new era in Defiance begins. Because the man that will lead this company into the second half of twenty-ten and beyond has arrived, and what happened in Las Vegas is just the beginning. Angel, you can struggle all you want, but you won’t be stopping the Mechanical Mayhem.”
[One final smirk as the camera begins to fade.]
Twister- “No one can.”
Sunday, July 11, 2010
EPISODE 26: Glorious
EPISODE 26: GLORIOUS
Monday July 5, 2010
Kemper Arena-Birdz locker room
Kansas City, Missouri
10:21 PM Local Time
With a smile, Wendy zipped up her duffel bag and slung it over her shoulder, smoothing out her street clothes as she did. Her ring gear was stowed away, not to be used for another week (although, thankfully for her opponents, it would be washed). Slinging the bag over her shoulder and glancing around to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything, Wendy took out a small mirror, and looked at her beaming visage. Fifteen minutes ago, Terrence and her had just finished their match, and the ecstatic feeling over winning her first title since her return hadn’t quite gone away yet. Unlike the situation with the WWA titles back in March, there was no controversy, just the air being let out of Michael Norcia’s lungs as two not-so-small objects came crashing atop him in rapid succession.
She smiled. They oughta use the Hailstorm more often.
Opting to leave her hair out of hits usual ponytail, Wendy brushed a few loose strands away with her fingers, and smiled back into the mirror. Finally, she swung the door open, and re-emerged from the bathroom into her and Terrence’s locker room.
And stopped dead in her tracks.
She had expected a party to be in full swing, with Pollaski having smuggled some food in, and Cassie and Theresa laughing, while all of them watched the remaining three matches of the Do Or Die pay per view. Instead, the locker room was empty save for Terrence. Like her, he had changed into his street clothes, but he sat on a chair, hunched over, staring at the title belt now held in his hands. Although she couldn’t see his whole face, she saw enough to realize that Terrence was engaged in some deep contemplation.
It wasn’t an expression she was used to seeing from her husband.
“Hey,” Wendy said, and her husband looked up from his thoughts.
“Hey,” he replied, shooting his tag partner a smile.
“I figured you’d be watching Ojeda and Szatkowski fighting.” Wendy said, grabbing another folding chair and sitting down, facing her husband.
Terrence shrugged nonchalantly.
“What are you thinking about?” Wendy pressed.
Terrence gave a short, harsh, chuckle, and looked at her, showing his wife a small, lopsided smile in the process. “I didn’t think it would hit me this hard.”
Wendy nodded. “It has been seven years.”
“Yeah,” Terrence argued, “But it hasn’t been seven years of futility. You and I both had excellent records in singles competition, and even after we retired, we had successful careers. So we haven’t held a tag title in that long... its not like we were even actively competing in the division for much of that.”
“But, Terrence,” Wendy said, smiling. She reached out, and put her hand on the belt Terrence held in his. “Whatever else we’ve done, it’s always been one of us. You were supportive of me when I ran the theater, and I was supportive of you when you raced, ,but in the end, the successes were ours and ours alone. But the tag titles, we did together.”
Terrence nodded. “I know.” He paused, looking away.
“What’s wrong, Terry?” Wendy asked.
“I don’t want this to end the way our last reign ended.” Terrence said quietly.
Wendy nodded, remembering the night of March 3, 2003 well. She and Terrence were on the rocks relationship wise, but despite their ever-growing dislike of each other, they were still the champions and forced to defend the belts. The defense against the Pharaohs of Rage had been going well, until Wendy missed a roaring elbow, hitting Terrence instead, and knocking him off the apron. Terrence, enraged, flipped her off and walked out of the match, leaving her at the mercy of the Pharaohs of Rage.
Temple Kreed and Apophis Caine weren’t known for their mercy, however, and they had a good deal of fun with Wendy before finally relieving her of her belt.
Obviously, the two had reconciled about a month later, but ever since, they had focused more on singles competition instead of tagging together, save for special events like the Crockett Cup. And while Wendy had long ago forgiven Terrence of his actions that night, she knew he had never quite forgiven himself.
Wendy gave Terrence a reassuring smile. “It won’t, Terrence. You and I were young and stupid then. We’re both too mature now to let something as silly as this break us up.”
“Are we?” Terrence asked, looking directly into her eyes.
Wendy knew that her husband was referring to their recent fights upon returning to wrestling, not to mention the three seperate occasions Wendy had left Terrence for the sake of her career. But she didn’t back down, just returned her husband’s gaze.
“Yes,” she said emphatically. “Every time I walked out that door, Terrence, I knew I was going to come back. If anything, I did what I did to keep the tension from coming between us. And even though we’ve had our fights, I never stopped loving you.”
“Nor I you.” Terrence responded.
“And its going to be a long time before I ever spend a week away from you again, I end up missing you too much.” Wendy said, getting out of her chair, and walking behind Terrence, embracing him around the neck. “But when we lose these belts Terrence, it will because a better team beat us. Not because we broke up.”
Terrence grinned as he turned into his wife’s embrace. “Or because two cheating bastards just put one over on us.”
Wendy giggled, and moved forward, closing her eyes. Their lips met, and Terrence returned his wife’s embrace, pulling her in-
“OY!” a male voice shouted, and both Birdz jumped and turned towards the now-open locker room door, Wendy losing her balance and falling on her rump.
“Thanks, Pollaski,” she snarled, picking herself off the ground. She noticed that Pollaski was carrying a grocery bag stuffed with snacks, while Cassie, who had returned to the room with him, carried a couple cases of soda. Theresa had done her part as well, carrying in a monstrous bag of potato chips that was nearly half her size.
But Dan wasn’t looking at the new champions, but rather the television, a look of utter disgust on his face. “Why the HECK are you two not watching the Szatkowski-Ojeda match?”
“We were changing,” Terrence explained, pointing to the plain red t-shirt he now wore.
“Well, you’re changed,” Pollaski said shortly, walking over and flipping the TV on. “Augh! We missed it!”
“We’ll catch the replay,” Terrence consoled, looking at the TV. “Nice! Danny won!”
Sure enough, Danny Szatkowski was celebrating on the television, which illicited a cheer from the rooms occupants.
“Good for him!” Wendy said, beaming at the TV, as Pollaski turned his attention to opening the snacks, while Cassie passed out cans of pop. “I’m sure Ojeda deserved everything he had coming to him.”
“Yeah,” Terrence chuckled. “But I bet Ojeda’s not going to be happy about losing that one. I’d hate to be the poor sap they stick him against in his rebound match.”
With that, Terrence cracked open the can of Dr Pepper Cassie handed him, and sat back on the chair, as the rest of the WhirlyBirdz settled in to watch the rest of the show.
Saturday July 10, 2010
The Nest- Living Room
Indianapolis, Indiana
8:17 PM Local Time
[Fade up.]
[Not entirely the usual scene we see as we fade into The Nest’s living room. The camera’s on a tripod, turned towards the living room’s couch. Wendy Briese is there, but she’s not sitting in her usual uber-rigid promo position. Instead, she looks quite relaxed. Wendy’s turned sideways on the couch, her back up against the right-side armrest, her bare feet resting on the middle cushion. It’s a fairly comfortable position to be reading a book in, and by George, she’s reading one. In fact, Wendy is so enthralled with her book that she doesn’t even seem to be realizing the camera’s on.]
[Good thing this isn’t, technically, her promo.]
[Another figure walks into the picture from the right-hand side, walking towards the left hand of the couch. He’s a little too close to the camera to see anything above his stomach, but given the approximate build, the NASCAR related t-shirt he has on, and the fact that this IS his house, it’s a fair bet that the new arrival is Terrence Thompson. Terrence stops, and turns towards Wendy.]
Terrence- “Hey, I need to cut my promo on Ojeda. That okay?”
[The young woman looks up from her book, and slowly nods.]
Wendy- “That’s fine.”
[Wendy brings her feet in, freeing up more of the couch space, and Terrence sits down on the left-hand side of the chair. We can see his face now, and the Mechanical Mayhem is definitely looking quite pleased with the way the previous week turned out. That ever-present sardonic smirk starts to come across Terrence’s face, but he pauses, and looks over exactly at his wife.]
Twister- “What are you reading, anyways?”
[Wendy, who apparently had (mistakenly) thought she would still be able to read while Terrence cut his interview, looks up from her book again, this time closing it shut.]
Wendy- “It’s about the Glorious Revolution of 1688. An interesting read...”
[It’s obvious from the get-go that Terrence doesn’t have a flying fuck of a clue what the hell the “Glorious Revolution” was. Wendy takes one look at the blank expression on her husband’s face, and decides to quickly explain.]
Wendy- “It was when William of Orange and his wife Mary rebelled against King James II of Britain, and deposed him within a month, it was considered one of the most finely executed Insurrections in history-”
Twister- “Until now!”
[Surprised at being interrupted, and even more surprised about her husband arguing with her on a historical matter, Wendy arches an eyebrow and looks quizzically at Terrence.]
Wendy- “Pardon?”
Twister- “It took William and Mary a WHOLE FUCKING MONTH to depose ONE king? It took you and I less than TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES to depose TWO!”
[Given the absolute dumbfounded expression on Wendy’s face, this was hardly the reaction from her husband she was expecting. Or hoping for.]
Wendy- “You’re joking, right?”
Twister- “Naw! They oughta change the name to the ‘Kinda Glorious, but not as glorious as the WhirlyBirdz because they just took regicide to a whole new level Revolution’!”
[Another pause, with Wendy again staring blankly at Terrence.]
Wendy- [wit a bit of sarcasm] “I’ll notifiy the historians.”
Twister- “That’s right, baby. The Kings are dead, and long live the WhirlyBirdz. Two honest-to-God PWX Legends couldn’t stop Wendy and I from climbing that hill. And the best part is, everyone except John Pariah and Michael Norcia saw it coming. They were so sure, so convinced that there wasn’t anyone out there that could beat them. That the mere fact that we earned our shot by beating Punch and Pie somehow meant we didn’t have a chance. And the way Norcia acted that whole match, you had to think he felt the conclusion of the contest was foregone. Until my wife spiked his head into the mat with her Vortexinator.”
[Terrence chuckles at the memory of Norcia being laid out by his desperate wife, which pretty much triggered the end of the match. Next to him, even Wendy’s managed a small smile.]
Twister- “And now the blame game’s apparently begun between the two. Pariah apparently is going to have some choice words for Norcia this week on Adrenaline. Obviously, these little encounters seldom end well, so before the fists start flying, let me make it clear that whatever Mike did, whatever John did, none of it matters. You can point the blame all you want, but in the end, it didn’t matter what you guys tried, or who you even had in that ring, because Wendy and I will destroy any two individuals put against us.”
[Wendy’s smile becomes a little strained, primarily because she obviously isn’t as much a bragger as Terrence is. However, even she has to admit that their performance at Do Or Die was nothing short of stellar. Terrence, who was originally talking to his wife, has turned his attention more to the camera, since he’s pretty much already gone into promo mode.]
Twister- “But I guess it’s back to singles competition for me this week. While my wife gets a well-deserved week off.”
[Given the expression on Wendy’s face, its obvious she’s NOT happy about being left off the card this week.]
Twister- “John Ojeda, I’ll harbor no illusions that what the Birdz accomplished at Do Or Die will have any sway over you whatsoever. From previous observations it’s fairly obvious that the concepts of ‘teamwork’ and ‘tag wrestling’ are two of the many facets of this sport that you fail to grasp.”
[Small smirk]
Twister- “The irony is, for all you eschew teamwork, for all you pretend that you’re better off alone, there isn’t a damn thing you’ve accomplished in the PWX without using something, or someone else, as a crutch. Whether it’s blackmail, tasers, whatever, you haven’t won a damn thing on your own skill and merit. And the few time’s you’ve even TRIED-”
[Terrence chuckles.]
Twister- “Well, we all saw what happened last week.”
[He saw a tape of the match, considering he was talking to Wendy in the locker room while it was live.]
Twister- “See John, at the core, you are a failure. You wrapped your entire PWX career around your bullying of Szatkowski. You threw everything you had at him to run him out of the PWX, and you couldn’t do it. In the end, after all the sneak attacks, the name-calling, the attempted kidnappings, you were the one left lying on the ground. You want to know why, after everything you did to Szatkowski, you still lost?”
[Terrence thumps his chest, right over where his heart is.]
Twister- “Because Danny Szatkowski has this. Danny Szatkowski has more heart in one capillary than you do in your entire body, John.”
[Wendy looks over at her husband, giving a derisive snort.]
Wendy- “Nice metaphor, Terry.”
[For a response, Terrence shoots her a grin, then goes back to talking to the camera.]
Twister- “Now, I’m not going to lie and say I have even more heart than Danny does. Save for the possible exception of my wife, I don’t think anyone has more heart than Danny. But where’s your heart, John? Where’s your drive to succeed?”
[Big smile]
Twister- “You don’t have it. You have talent enough, but you want everything spoonfed to you. Behind your big tough biker facade, there is a diva almost screaming to get out. I remember well, John, that night four weeks ago, when you hid in the back like a coward because you’re incapable of tag team wrestling. Anyone with HEART, anyone who’s truly cut out for this business, would have come out, and done the best he could. But no, you hid in your locker room, and played the ‘I don’t like my teamates’ card. Here’s a newsflash, John. I’m not exactly friends with Jeremiah and Jacob. But I was out there.”
[Derisive snort.]
Twister- “You see, I don’t think it’s because you didn’t like Danny. I think the REAL reason you didn’t come to the ring that night is because you were afraid. Not afraid of pain, mind you. You’ve shown that dealing with pain is one of the few things in this business you CAN do well. But you’ve built up this whole notion that you are the meanest person in the PWX. The big bad biker, John Ojeda, destroying everything in his way. But every time you lose, every time you’re the one left lying on the canvas when that bell rings, a little crack forms in your armor.
[Wendy looks at Terrence, obviously intrigued by his line of thought, while Terrence returns to his usual smirk.]
Twister- “At Do or Die, Danny put a BIG crack into your armor. And this week, I’m going to rip the whole fucking carapace wide open, and expose you for the fraud you are. Because to me, John, all you are is a pathetic weasel who can ride a motorcycle and swing various items wrapped in barbed wire. You don’t scare me, you don’t scare my wife, and you sure as hell don’t scare my manager.”
[Ah, we’ve come to that... “issue”. Terrence chuckles lowly]
Twister- “I can’t tell you whether or not Pollaski’s going to be at ringside for this match. It’s really up to him. But I can tell you that, if he does come down that ramp, there will be absolutely no interference on his part. But go after him anyways, John. Go beat up a guy with no in-ring experience because he wrote a blog. That’ll make you look REAL tough.”
[Terrence chuckles disdainfully]
Twister- “So I’ll see you in the ring on Monday, John. It sounds like you’re planning on actually showing up to face me, which admittedly is a step up. Hell, bring this new ‘owner’ you’ve developed such a hard-on for. I’d love to see who you could have wrapped so tightly around your little finger. But in the end, it isn’t going to matter, because there ain’t a damn thing either of you can do to stop the Mechanical Mayhem.”
[With that, Terrence gets up, and walks to turn off the camera, while Wendy grabs her book to resume her reading.]
Twister- [While fidgeting with the camera] “Oh, one more thing, John. That whole ‘kill ‘em all, I’m on top line?’ It really makes you sound like an advocate for necrophilia.”
Wendy- [horrified] TERRENCE!
[Twister breaks out into laughter at his own joke, and the feed cuts]
Monday July 5, 2010
Kemper Arena-Birdz locker room
Kansas City, Missouri
10:21 PM Local Time
With a smile, Wendy zipped up her duffel bag and slung it over her shoulder, smoothing out her street clothes as she did. Her ring gear was stowed away, not to be used for another week (although, thankfully for her opponents, it would be washed). Slinging the bag over her shoulder and glancing around to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything, Wendy took out a small mirror, and looked at her beaming visage. Fifteen minutes ago, Terrence and her had just finished their match, and the ecstatic feeling over winning her first title since her return hadn’t quite gone away yet. Unlike the situation with the WWA titles back in March, there was no controversy, just the air being let out of Michael Norcia’s lungs as two not-so-small objects came crashing atop him in rapid succession.
She smiled. They oughta use the Hailstorm more often.
Opting to leave her hair out of hits usual ponytail, Wendy brushed a few loose strands away with her fingers, and smiled back into the mirror. Finally, she swung the door open, and re-emerged from the bathroom into her and Terrence’s locker room.
And stopped dead in her tracks.
She had expected a party to be in full swing, with Pollaski having smuggled some food in, and Cassie and Theresa laughing, while all of them watched the remaining three matches of the Do Or Die pay per view. Instead, the locker room was empty save for Terrence. Like her, he had changed into his street clothes, but he sat on a chair, hunched over, staring at the title belt now held in his hands. Although she couldn’t see his whole face, she saw enough to realize that Terrence was engaged in some deep contemplation.
It wasn’t an expression she was used to seeing from her husband.
“Hey,” Wendy said, and her husband looked up from his thoughts.
“Hey,” he replied, shooting his tag partner a smile.
“I figured you’d be watching Ojeda and Szatkowski fighting.” Wendy said, grabbing another folding chair and sitting down, facing her husband.
Terrence shrugged nonchalantly.
“What are you thinking about?” Wendy pressed.
Terrence gave a short, harsh, chuckle, and looked at her, showing his wife a small, lopsided smile in the process. “I didn’t think it would hit me this hard.”
Wendy nodded. “It has been seven years.”
“Yeah,” Terrence argued, “But it hasn’t been seven years of futility. You and I both had excellent records in singles competition, and even after we retired, we had successful careers. So we haven’t held a tag title in that long... its not like we were even actively competing in the division for much of that.”
“But, Terrence,” Wendy said, smiling. She reached out, and put her hand on the belt Terrence held in his. “Whatever else we’ve done, it’s always been one of us. You were supportive of me when I ran the theater, and I was supportive of you when you raced, ,but in the end, the successes were ours and ours alone. But the tag titles, we did together.”
Terrence nodded. “I know.” He paused, looking away.
“What’s wrong, Terry?” Wendy asked.
“I don’t want this to end the way our last reign ended.” Terrence said quietly.
Wendy nodded, remembering the night of March 3, 2003 well. She and Terrence were on the rocks relationship wise, but despite their ever-growing dislike of each other, they were still the champions and forced to defend the belts. The defense against the Pharaohs of Rage had been going well, until Wendy missed a roaring elbow, hitting Terrence instead, and knocking him off the apron. Terrence, enraged, flipped her off and walked out of the match, leaving her at the mercy of the Pharaohs of Rage.
Temple Kreed and Apophis Caine weren’t known for their mercy, however, and they had a good deal of fun with Wendy before finally relieving her of her belt.
Obviously, the two had reconciled about a month later, but ever since, they had focused more on singles competition instead of tagging together, save for special events like the Crockett Cup. And while Wendy had long ago forgiven Terrence of his actions that night, she knew he had never quite forgiven himself.
Wendy gave Terrence a reassuring smile. “It won’t, Terrence. You and I were young and stupid then. We’re both too mature now to let something as silly as this break us up.”
“Are we?” Terrence asked, looking directly into her eyes.
Wendy knew that her husband was referring to their recent fights upon returning to wrestling, not to mention the three seperate occasions Wendy had left Terrence for the sake of her career. But she didn’t back down, just returned her husband’s gaze.
“Yes,” she said emphatically. “Every time I walked out that door, Terrence, I knew I was going to come back. If anything, I did what I did to keep the tension from coming between us. And even though we’ve had our fights, I never stopped loving you.”
“Nor I you.” Terrence responded.
“And its going to be a long time before I ever spend a week away from you again, I end up missing you too much.” Wendy said, getting out of her chair, and walking behind Terrence, embracing him around the neck. “But when we lose these belts Terrence, it will because a better team beat us. Not because we broke up.”
Terrence grinned as he turned into his wife’s embrace. “Or because two cheating bastards just put one over on us.”
Wendy giggled, and moved forward, closing her eyes. Their lips met, and Terrence returned his wife’s embrace, pulling her in-
“OY!” a male voice shouted, and both Birdz jumped and turned towards the now-open locker room door, Wendy losing her balance and falling on her rump.
“Thanks, Pollaski,” she snarled, picking herself off the ground. She noticed that Pollaski was carrying a grocery bag stuffed with snacks, while Cassie, who had returned to the room with him, carried a couple cases of soda. Theresa had done her part as well, carrying in a monstrous bag of potato chips that was nearly half her size.
But Dan wasn’t looking at the new champions, but rather the television, a look of utter disgust on his face. “Why the HECK are you two not watching the Szatkowski-Ojeda match?”
“We were changing,” Terrence explained, pointing to the plain red t-shirt he now wore.
“Well, you’re changed,” Pollaski said shortly, walking over and flipping the TV on. “Augh! We missed it!”
“We’ll catch the replay,” Terrence consoled, looking at the TV. “Nice! Danny won!”
Sure enough, Danny Szatkowski was celebrating on the television, which illicited a cheer from the rooms occupants.
“Good for him!” Wendy said, beaming at the TV, as Pollaski turned his attention to opening the snacks, while Cassie passed out cans of pop. “I’m sure Ojeda deserved everything he had coming to him.”
“Yeah,” Terrence chuckled. “But I bet Ojeda’s not going to be happy about losing that one. I’d hate to be the poor sap they stick him against in his rebound match.”
With that, Terrence cracked open the can of Dr Pepper Cassie handed him, and sat back on the chair, as the rest of the WhirlyBirdz settled in to watch the rest of the show.
Saturday July 10, 2010
The Nest- Living Room
Indianapolis, Indiana
8:17 PM Local Time
[Fade up.]
[Not entirely the usual scene we see as we fade into The Nest’s living room. The camera’s on a tripod, turned towards the living room’s couch. Wendy Briese is there, but she’s not sitting in her usual uber-rigid promo position. Instead, she looks quite relaxed. Wendy’s turned sideways on the couch, her back up against the right-side armrest, her bare feet resting on the middle cushion. It’s a fairly comfortable position to be reading a book in, and by George, she’s reading one. In fact, Wendy is so enthralled with her book that she doesn’t even seem to be realizing the camera’s on.]
[Good thing this isn’t, technically, her promo.]
[Another figure walks into the picture from the right-hand side, walking towards the left hand of the couch. He’s a little too close to the camera to see anything above his stomach, but given the approximate build, the NASCAR related t-shirt he has on, and the fact that this IS his house, it’s a fair bet that the new arrival is Terrence Thompson. Terrence stops, and turns towards Wendy.]
Terrence- “Hey, I need to cut my promo on Ojeda. That okay?”
[The young woman looks up from her book, and slowly nods.]
Wendy- “That’s fine.”
[Wendy brings her feet in, freeing up more of the couch space, and Terrence sits down on the left-hand side of the chair. We can see his face now, and the Mechanical Mayhem is definitely looking quite pleased with the way the previous week turned out. That ever-present sardonic smirk starts to come across Terrence’s face, but he pauses, and looks over exactly at his wife.]
Twister- “What are you reading, anyways?”
[Wendy, who apparently had (mistakenly) thought she would still be able to read while Terrence cut his interview, looks up from her book again, this time closing it shut.]
Wendy- “It’s about the Glorious Revolution of 1688. An interesting read...”
[It’s obvious from the get-go that Terrence doesn’t have a flying fuck of a clue what the hell the “Glorious Revolution” was. Wendy takes one look at the blank expression on her husband’s face, and decides to quickly explain.]
Wendy- “It was when William of Orange and his wife Mary rebelled against King James II of Britain, and deposed him within a month, it was considered one of the most finely executed Insurrections in history-”
Twister- “Until now!”
[Surprised at being interrupted, and even more surprised about her husband arguing with her on a historical matter, Wendy arches an eyebrow and looks quizzically at Terrence.]
Wendy- “Pardon?”
Twister- “It took William and Mary a WHOLE FUCKING MONTH to depose ONE king? It took you and I less than TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES to depose TWO!”
[Given the absolute dumbfounded expression on Wendy’s face, this was hardly the reaction from her husband she was expecting. Or hoping for.]
Wendy- “You’re joking, right?”
Twister- “Naw! They oughta change the name to the ‘Kinda Glorious, but not as glorious as the WhirlyBirdz because they just took regicide to a whole new level Revolution’!”
[Another pause, with Wendy again staring blankly at Terrence.]
Wendy- [wit a bit of sarcasm] “I’ll notifiy the historians.”
Twister- “That’s right, baby. The Kings are dead, and long live the WhirlyBirdz. Two honest-to-God PWX Legends couldn’t stop Wendy and I from climbing that hill. And the best part is, everyone except John Pariah and Michael Norcia saw it coming. They were so sure, so convinced that there wasn’t anyone out there that could beat them. That the mere fact that we earned our shot by beating Punch and Pie somehow meant we didn’t have a chance. And the way Norcia acted that whole match, you had to think he felt the conclusion of the contest was foregone. Until my wife spiked his head into the mat with her Vortexinator.”
[Terrence chuckles at the memory of Norcia being laid out by his desperate wife, which pretty much triggered the end of the match. Next to him, even Wendy’s managed a small smile.]
Twister- “And now the blame game’s apparently begun between the two. Pariah apparently is going to have some choice words for Norcia this week on Adrenaline. Obviously, these little encounters seldom end well, so before the fists start flying, let me make it clear that whatever Mike did, whatever John did, none of it matters. You can point the blame all you want, but in the end, it didn’t matter what you guys tried, or who you even had in that ring, because Wendy and I will destroy any two individuals put against us.”
[Wendy’s smile becomes a little strained, primarily because she obviously isn’t as much a bragger as Terrence is. However, even she has to admit that their performance at Do Or Die was nothing short of stellar. Terrence, who was originally talking to his wife, has turned his attention more to the camera, since he’s pretty much already gone into promo mode.]
Twister- “But I guess it’s back to singles competition for me this week. While my wife gets a well-deserved week off.”
[Given the expression on Wendy’s face, its obvious she’s NOT happy about being left off the card this week.]
Twister- “John Ojeda, I’ll harbor no illusions that what the Birdz accomplished at Do Or Die will have any sway over you whatsoever. From previous observations it’s fairly obvious that the concepts of ‘teamwork’ and ‘tag wrestling’ are two of the many facets of this sport that you fail to grasp.”
[Small smirk]
Twister- “The irony is, for all you eschew teamwork, for all you pretend that you’re better off alone, there isn’t a damn thing you’ve accomplished in the PWX without using something, or someone else, as a crutch. Whether it’s blackmail, tasers, whatever, you haven’t won a damn thing on your own skill and merit. And the few time’s you’ve even TRIED-”
[Terrence chuckles.]
Twister- “Well, we all saw what happened last week.”
[He saw a tape of the match, considering he was talking to Wendy in the locker room while it was live.]
Twister- “See John, at the core, you are a failure. You wrapped your entire PWX career around your bullying of Szatkowski. You threw everything you had at him to run him out of the PWX, and you couldn’t do it. In the end, after all the sneak attacks, the name-calling, the attempted kidnappings, you were the one left lying on the ground. You want to know why, after everything you did to Szatkowski, you still lost?”
[Terrence thumps his chest, right over where his heart is.]
Twister- “Because Danny Szatkowski has this. Danny Szatkowski has more heart in one capillary than you do in your entire body, John.”
[Wendy looks over at her husband, giving a derisive snort.]
Wendy- “Nice metaphor, Terry.”
[For a response, Terrence shoots her a grin, then goes back to talking to the camera.]
Twister- “Now, I’m not going to lie and say I have even more heart than Danny does. Save for the possible exception of my wife, I don’t think anyone has more heart than Danny. But where’s your heart, John? Where’s your drive to succeed?”
[Big smile]
Twister- “You don’t have it. You have talent enough, but you want everything spoonfed to you. Behind your big tough biker facade, there is a diva almost screaming to get out. I remember well, John, that night four weeks ago, when you hid in the back like a coward because you’re incapable of tag team wrestling. Anyone with HEART, anyone who’s truly cut out for this business, would have come out, and done the best he could. But no, you hid in your locker room, and played the ‘I don’t like my teamates’ card. Here’s a newsflash, John. I’m not exactly friends with Jeremiah and Jacob. But I was out there.”
[Derisive snort.]
Twister- “You see, I don’t think it’s because you didn’t like Danny. I think the REAL reason you didn’t come to the ring that night is because you were afraid. Not afraid of pain, mind you. You’ve shown that dealing with pain is one of the few things in this business you CAN do well. But you’ve built up this whole notion that you are the meanest person in the PWX. The big bad biker, John Ojeda, destroying everything in his way. But every time you lose, every time you’re the one left lying on the canvas when that bell rings, a little crack forms in your armor.
[Wendy looks at Terrence, obviously intrigued by his line of thought, while Terrence returns to his usual smirk.]
Twister- “At Do or Die, Danny put a BIG crack into your armor. And this week, I’m going to rip the whole fucking carapace wide open, and expose you for the fraud you are. Because to me, John, all you are is a pathetic weasel who can ride a motorcycle and swing various items wrapped in barbed wire. You don’t scare me, you don’t scare my wife, and you sure as hell don’t scare my manager.”
[Ah, we’ve come to that... “issue”. Terrence chuckles lowly]
Twister- “I can’t tell you whether or not Pollaski’s going to be at ringside for this match. It’s really up to him. But I can tell you that, if he does come down that ramp, there will be absolutely no interference on his part. But go after him anyways, John. Go beat up a guy with no in-ring experience because he wrote a blog. That’ll make you look REAL tough.”
[Terrence chuckles disdainfully]
Twister- “So I’ll see you in the ring on Monday, John. It sounds like you’re planning on actually showing up to face me, which admittedly is a step up. Hell, bring this new ‘owner’ you’ve developed such a hard-on for. I’d love to see who you could have wrapped so tightly around your little finger. But in the end, it isn’t going to matter, because there ain’t a damn thing either of you can do to stop the Mechanical Mayhem.”
[With that, Terrence gets up, and walks to turn off the camera, while Wendy grabs her book to resume her reading.]
Twister- [While fidgeting with the camera] “Oh, one more thing, John. That whole ‘kill ‘em all, I’m on top line?’ It really makes you sound like an advocate for necrophilia.”
Wendy- [horrified] TERRENCE!
[Twister breaks out into laughter at his own joke, and the feed cuts]
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