Guest
Guest
 |  Subject: Allotted Time  Thu May 10, 2012 11:41 pm | |
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The camera opens to Dan and Chris standing backstage. They are only a few feet away from the stage curtain.
Chris: Why would I do that? I gave you the allotted time before. Why wouldn’t I give you the same now?
Dan: Allotted time?
Chris: Yes, we can only give you a certain amount of time for each promo you do. We can’t devote all our resources to you. I mean, you are an important part of the roster, but you aren’t THAT important…
Dan: Good so I have an hour?
Chris: Well, you HAD an hour…
Chris looks at his watch casually.
Chris: You only have about forty five minutes left.
Dan: What?
Chris: So you better hurry out there.
Chris gazes toward the curtain and so does Dan. Dan looks at Chris Matthews once more with disdain as he turns and heads for the curtain. The camera slowly follows him. The arena itself is empty of course. As they made their way down the ramp the camera panned around showing staff still setting up chairs for the audience. They eventually get to the ring and make their way through the ropes. In the center of the ring a microphone was laid out for Dan to use. He picks it up and looks into the camera.
Dan: It seems to me like some people have forgotten me…
Dan paces.
Dan: And I am not talking about the fans. I’m not talking about IWF. Hell, Rick Christian couldn’t forget about me even if he wanted to. Who am I really talking about? Steel Angel and his partner Hostyle Jones. See, as we speak Steel Angel and James are having a war on Twitter. I prefer not to get involved, I would rather spend that time preparing for the actual match at hand. But I did take a look and that is when I noticed that both Hostyle and Steel Angel are focused on James Shark. They are completely fixated on the fact that James is the IWF World Champion. They can’t see past him and the prize around his waist. I can’t blame them. I can’t blame them at all. Two rookies in the same ring with the champ. It just makes your blood run through your veins faster than you can imagine. They can feel the adrenaline just by thinking about winning against James. If one of them is able to pin the IWF World Champion, it would be a great feat. It would definitely be something to brag about backstage for sure. To beat Shark is very difficult. I know firsthand. I’ve tried two separate times to no avail. But to beat him when he is at the top of the heap? To pin him when him when he is on top of his game? That is virtually unheard of. And that is why Steel Angel wants Shark more than anything else. He wants to beat him this weekend. He wants to pin Shark himself. If that were to happen then Shark would lose momentum going into Isolation where Steel Angel can then cash in the IWF Briefcase for an IWF World Title shot. It’s definitely a smart play by Steel Angel. Ever since he won the briefcase he has threatened Shark week after week with it. He’s been bluffing day in and day out trying to get into Shark’s head. Now that Cody Taylor, Shark’s own fellow tag team champion, is out of the picture, Shark seems utterly defenseless. There will be no one to save him from the onslaught of Steel Angel and Hostyle, who seem to be on the same page. That is exactly what Steel Angel is hoping for…
Dan takes a pause as he walkes near to the ropes.
Dan: The thing is though, Shark isn’t dumb. In fact he is pretty smart. He knew you guys were a team not to be taken lightly. He knew that it wouldn’t be a walk in the park against you two. In fact you two dominated a tag team from WEW. But even you have to admit, that isn’t much of an achievement to brag about. So take a look at what he did. When he found out that Cody was injured and he had to replace him he didn’t seek out just anyone. He could have asked Corey Casey. Corey would have been an obvious choice. He is a long time veteran and has also been an IWF Champion before. He would have been a great choice, if not for one thing: it’s an obvious choice. You’ve encountered and fought off Corey numerous times. He is nothing new to you and you would be ready for him. Shark could have picked a newcomer, but what chance does that newcomer have of keeping up with you guys? That would basically be a wild card. He could have picked a handful of other people in IWF. But no, he picked me. That is the best thing he could have done, because you have played right into his game…
Dan: You played right into our game. When you saw the card you sat there and proceeded to shove your face into the screen to make sure you read it right. “James Shark and Dan Alexander”, you read. Then you read it again and again trying to make sense of it. And you know exactly why you did it. You know exactly why it confused you so much. Almost a year ago I lost the IWF World Title to James Shark. He was the only man to beat me in a singles match at that point besides Brandon Macdonald. And unlike Brandon, he completely shut me off. In fact it would be the second time he beat me. So naturally you would come to the conclusion that we would not be a stable team. You would expect us to crumble as our egos collide with one another. On top of that there is also the fact that I was also kicked out of the IWF. Yeah, my contract expired and I wouldn’t renew it, so they kicked me out but not just in any manner. No. They had Stygian drive me through a pile of flaming tables...
Dan: Do you know how much that hurts, Steel Angel? Do you know what it’s like to be Banebladed through a stack of lit, wooden tables? Then have to watch as Stygian caters to the crowd while the paramedics roll your limp body out of the arena? Do you know what it’s like for that to be the last time you are in IWF? After all the blood, sweat, and tears I poured out into this ring. After all the sacrifices I made day in and day out for this company. Do you know what it’s like to see all that go away in a matter of seconds? All of it to be rolled up lit, and then have the ashes blown directly at your face. You have no idea don’t you? Yes, everyone saw you fall several feet onto a ladder. You were almost snapped in half. Your career almost ended cause of that match. But it didn’t. No, instead you came back and you were awarded generously. Eventually you won the briefcase and you are set in place to be the next IWF Champion. You did pretty well for yourself, but I did better. I left IWF and continued my success in other companies. I won more matches than ever before and won championship titles. And despite what you think, it wasn’t because the talent was any easier. If I wanted that, I would have just stayed in IWF and challenged you. It was because during my absence from IWF, I improved myself. I became better, faster, stronger. It’s to the point where it really doesn’t take both Shark and I to beat you two. It comes down to how you want to lose. Either you get knocked out, or tapped out, that simple…
Dan looks down at the mat.
Dan: So while you are out there worrying about pinning Shark, I’m here just waiting for you to fall into the vast trap we set for you. And you may think it’s not a very good one. Right now you are mocking it. Telling yourself that it would never work. That it was stupid for me to even reveal it. But thing is, it is working. One of two things is guaranteed to happen. You either ignore what I say, or you listen to everything I say. If you ignore everything I have said so far, then you will inevitably fall into the trap and make every word I have said come true. If you actually listen and take me seriously then you will realize that this situation is virtually unwinnable. Not only will you be facing James Shark, but you will also have to deal with me. You can ignore all my past title reigns. You can ignore all my past victories. In fact you can ignore everything I have done in the past year. Take that away, and you are just left with Dan Alexander. The man who is always this close...
Dan indicates a small measure of space with his index finger and thumb.
Dan: … This close to winning. That close to beating you. No matter what the situation. No matter how and when. There is always the Armbar. And it’s waiting for you either one of you. And yeah. Maybe you will get lucky. Maybe you will escape. But few people ever do. And if you do manage to escape it’s still there. But if you forget to watch out, you will get Swagged Out.
Chris: And that’s the end of that!
Dan looks past the camera and sees Chris up on the stage. He is applauding with a faint grin on his face.
Dan: I need a few more minutes.
Chris looks at his watch.
Chris: Sorry bud. Rules are rules. You only get one hour.
Dan looks back into the camera.
Dan: As I was saying... either way you look at it, you lose. Yes, you have the briefcase and you have a chance to win the IWF Title at Isolation. I hope you do well. I really hope you do, Steel. But this Battlegrounds...
Chris: Hey, I said your time is up!
Dan ignores him.
Dan: You will not have your hand raised. Not this time. Not when you step into the ring with me. Not when you are facing championship material. Not when you have to fight both Dan Alexander and James Shark in the same night…
Chris: Shut off the camera! Shut off the fucking camera!
The cameraman doesn’t shut it off.
Dan: The match hasn’t even started and you’ve already made tons of mistakes...
Chris storms off into the back.
Dan: And even though I have to deal with Chris Matthews and the rest of the IWF shenanigans. I’m actually glad to be back. Because I get to shut your mouth once and for all. Ever since you came here you’ve done nothing but think are the best, Steel Angel. You won the New Blood title and proceeded to claim yourself in the same league as Shark and I. That is not the case. That was never the case. And at Battlegrounds you will realize the harsh and bitter truth: You’re just not that good…
All of a sudden all the lights in the arena shut off leaving Dan in complete darkness.
Dan: … Okay… shut it off.
If not for a beep, the transition from showing the pitch black room to the camera turning off would be unnoticeable. |
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