Post by Rated R on Jun 10, 2010 18:59:23 GMT -5
Trace Demon paces through his locker room, just an hour before his big match against Alex Sean at Superbrawl. The locker room is quiet, just the way Trace Demon wanted it. He wasn’t in the mood today for his usual pump up music, it just didn’t feel necessary.
I miss the music.
Trace Demon spins around and finds himself staring someone in the face. Somebody that he is very familiar with. He smiles to himself, not a big smile but a smile of a man who suddenly seems to understand everything.
Are you nervous?
Surprisingly not. I should be, I understand that. My opponent is one of my greatest rivals, the setting is the greatest show in this company, and the match is for the biggest prize in the sport. There’s definitely something bloody wrong with that fact that I’m not nervous.
You’ve grown, you’re different now to the man you once were. I don’t even recognise you compared to the man you once were.
Is that such a bad thing? I’ve changed; I’m at the top of the world right now, a far cry from the man I was when I entered this company. The man I was during my first year here.
Thing’s change, they develop. You’ve flourished in this environment, become a man of action.
And man, it feels glorious.
But it’s never been like this before, so why should I really expect it to continue? It’s not like my past has been full of bright lights and great times down at the beach, I mean I don’t live on the set of 90210 after all.
In fact, it’s always been the opposite, as far back as I can remember.
Bring on the life story.
What?
You always do this, you always lament on how terrible your life was.
It was pretty terrible. I was blessed with a family who didn’t care, who’d given up on life. It’s no way for a kid to be raised, but I survived, I persevered and I prospered.
Look at where they came from, a small crappy apartment in one of the lower income areas of New York, it wasn’t exactly glamorous, you can’t expect them to have the time of their life there.
Nobody said it was glamorous; it didn’t need to be for them to be good parents. They could have made the effort, could have helped me and my sister, taught us right from wrong, put us on a good path instead of the path I ended up on.
Faith never ended up on your route though, she got out of there the same as you, but she worked on making something out of herself.
She never started drinking.
Point taken.
We were brought up around a routine of dad getting drunk and dishing out beatings and mom doing nothing to stop it. I became used to it, I thought it was normal, I can’t count the number of times I wish he had just died.
He did.
Years later and of no consequences to me, I was long gone by then.
So what are you complaining about? You got away, and they’re nothing more to you now than a bad memory.
Because they began it all, they started everything. I’m not going to say that I haven’t done horrible things, that I haven’t wrecked lives and made bad choices, because I have. But maybe none of it would have happened if it wasn’t for them.
So you’re blaming your parents now for your drinking, for your hatred, for everything. They’re the only reasons you turned into that person?
We both know that isn’t true.
Everybody knows that isn’t true. Even Alex Sean knows that isn’t true.
Alex Sean probably thinks that Gossip Girl is good television, his opinion isn’t exactly valid.
Fine, shall I tell you why you did the things you did? Why you hurt the people you hurt?
Go ahead, let’s hear it.
It’s because you drank, and drank, and just kept drinking. You didn’t care who you hurt because the only person who mattered to you was you. You did what you wanted no matter who it hurt and you didn’t care.
You think I don’t know that? I’ve spent the past year living with that knowledge. The drink ruined me, turned me into some delusional sociopath who believed in religion, hellfire and secret government operations.
You sound like some corny comic book character.
I wish it was that easy.
So tell me what’s changed? Why did you go out into that ring two shows ago and tell everyone you’re a changed man?
Because it’s the truth. Because I have changed.
And what changed you?
I stopped drinking, I started living, I realised the truth.
Which is?
That I was sick of living in hate, I wanted to be free, I wanted to go out there every night and perform because it’s what I enjoy. I don’t care about power, I just care about the thrill.
So you’re going out into that ring not because you want to win, but just because you enjoy being there.
Exactly.
And what about Alex Sean?
What about him?
You really think he’s just going to stand by and let you have your moment of glory?
It’s not about glory, it’s about proving myself, it’s about enjoying the thrill. Win or lose I’m leaving that ring tonight a legend, whether it be for walking out as the WFWF World Champion, or whether it be for putting on one of the greatest matches in the history of wrestling, I will walk out a legend.
He’s going to come at you hard and fast, try and catch you off guard, work at the weakspots. He’s a methodical one.
I know, I’ve done my research. I’ve scouted him out every time he steps in the ring, the same as I do with everyone in the WFWF. I know what to target, I know how to defeat him, I know how to win this.
And how exactly is that?
It’s simple when you think about.
Then why don’t you tell me?
I’m going to fight harder than him. No matter how many times he tries to put me down I’ll keep standing up. No matter how many times he injures me there will always be another bone in my body willing to break so that I can win this match. And do you know why?
I’m sure you’re going to tell me.
Because I bloody well can. Alex Sean is going to walk out there expecting a fight but what he is going to get is a war. Everything I have, every move I know, I’ll use it all and then some to defeat him and all because I can. Why live life if you’re not going to do what you’re capable off? That’s just a wasted existence. That’s what Alex Sean doesn’t realise about me yet.
He doesn’t understand that I will fight until my heart stops beating just to try and beat him, and it’s all because I can humanly do that. I’ll do anything it takes to win, I always have, but now I’m doing it right. No more underhanded tactics, no more cheap shots, I’ll beat him fair and square and he won’t even see it coming.
You really think you can outfight him?
I’m not just going to outfight him; I’m going to outthink him. I’ve proven time and time again that I am one of the smartest people in this company, and I have an unimaginable tolerance for pain if need be.
So what your saying is?
I will walk into that ring as the WFWF World Champion, and no matter what I walk out as, I will have taken Alex Sean to the limits.
Trace Demon lifts his head and sees his own reflection in the mirror, a grin forming across his face. The reflection grins back at him and it is at this moment that Trace Demon realises exactly what is going to happen tonight.
He is going to put on the most exciting performance of his lifetime.
I miss the music.
Trace Demon spins around and finds himself staring someone in the face. Somebody that he is very familiar with. He smiles to himself, not a big smile but a smile of a man who suddenly seems to understand everything.
Are you nervous?
Surprisingly not. I should be, I understand that. My opponent is one of my greatest rivals, the setting is the greatest show in this company, and the match is for the biggest prize in the sport. There’s definitely something bloody wrong with that fact that I’m not nervous.
You’ve grown, you’re different now to the man you once were. I don’t even recognise you compared to the man you once were.
Is that such a bad thing? I’ve changed; I’m at the top of the world right now, a far cry from the man I was when I entered this company. The man I was during my first year here.
Thing’s change, they develop. You’ve flourished in this environment, become a man of action.
And man, it feels glorious.
But it’s never been like this before, so why should I really expect it to continue? It’s not like my past has been full of bright lights and great times down at the beach, I mean I don’t live on the set of 90210 after all.
In fact, it’s always been the opposite, as far back as I can remember.
Bring on the life story.
What?
You always do this, you always lament on how terrible your life was.
It was pretty terrible. I was blessed with a family who didn’t care, who’d given up on life. It’s no way for a kid to be raised, but I survived, I persevered and I prospered.
Look at where they came from, a small crappy apartment in one of the lower income areas of New York, it wasn’t exactly glamorous, you can’t expect them to have the time of their life there.
Nobody said it was glamorous; it didn’t need to be for them to be good parents. They could have made the effort, could have helped me and my sister, taught us right from wrong, put us on a good path instead of the path I ended up on.
Faith never ended up on your route though, she got out of there the same as you, but she worked on making something out of herself.
She never started drinking.
Point taken.
We were brought up around a routine of dad getting drunk and dishing out beatings and mom doing nothing to stop it. I became used to it, I thought it was normal, I can’t count the number of times I wish he had just died.
He did.
Years later and of no consequences to me, I was long gone by then.
So what are you complaining about? You got away, and they’re nothing more to you now than a bad memory.
Because they began it all, they started everything. I’m not going to say that I haven’t done horrible things, that I haven’t wrecked lives and made bad choices, because I have. But maybe none of it would have happened if it wasn’t for them.
So you’re blaming your parents now for your drinking, for your hatred, for everything. They’re the only reasons you turned into that person?
We both know that isn’t true.
Everybody knows that isn’t true. Even Alex Sean knows that isn’t true.
Alex Sean probably thinks that Gossip Girl is good television, his opinion isn’t exactly valid.
Fine, shall I tell you why you did the things you did? Why you hurt the people you hurt?
Go ahead, let’s hear it.
It’s because you drank, and drank, and just kept drinking. You didn’t care who you hurt because the only person who mattered to you was you. You did what you wanted no matter who it hurt and you didn’t care.
You think I don’t know that? I’ve spent the past year living with that knowledge. The drink ruined me, turned me into some delusional sociopath who believed in religion, hellfire and secret government operations.
You sound like some corny comic book character.
I wish it was that easy.
So tell me what’s changed? Why did you go out into that ring two shows ago and tell everyone you’re a changed man?
Because it’s the truth. Because I have changed.
And what changed you?
I stopped drinking, I started living, I realised the truth.
Which is?
That I was sick of living in hate, I wanted to be free, I wanted to go out there every night and perform because it’s what I enjoy. I don’t care about power, I just care about the thrill.
So you’re going out into that ring not because you want to win, but just because you enjoy being there.
Exactly.
And what about Alex Sean?
What about him?
You really think he’s just going to stand by and let you have your moment of glory?
It’s not about glory, it’s about proving myself, it’s about enjoying the thrill. Win or lose I’m leaving that ring tonight a legend, whether it be for walking out as the WFWF World Champion, or whether it be for putting on one of the greatest matches in the history of wrestling, I will walk out a legend.
He’s going to come at you hard and fast, try and catch you off guard, work at the weakspots. He’s a methodical one.
I know, I’ve done my research. I’ve scouted him out every time he steps in the ring, the same as I do with everyone in the WFWF. I know what to target, I know how to defeat him, I know how to win this.
And how exactly is that?
It’s simple when you think about.
Then why don’t you tell me?
I’m going to fight harder than him. No matter how many times he tries to put me down I’ll keep standing up. No matter how many times he injures me there will always be another bone in my body willing to break so that I can win this match. And do you know why?
I’m sure you’re going to tell me.
Because I bloody well can. Alex Sean is going to walk out there expecting a fight but what he is going to get is a war. Everything I have, every move I know, I’ll use it all and then some to defeat him and all because I can. Why live life if you’re not going to do what you’re capable off? That’s just a wasted existence. That’s what Alex Sean doesn’t realise about me yet.
He doesn’t understand that I will fight until my heart stops beating just to try and beat him, and it’s all because I can humanly do that. I’ll do anything it takes to win, I always have, but now I’m doing it right. No more underhanded tactics, no more cheap shots, I’ll beat him fair and square and he won’t even see it coming.
You really think you can outfight him?
I’m not just going to outfight him; I’m going to outthink him. I’ve proven time and time again that I am one of the smartest people in this company, and I have an unimaginable tolerance for pain if need be.
So what your saying is?
I will walk into that ring as the WFWF World Champion, and no matter what I walk out as, I will have taken Alex Sean to the limits.
Trace Demon lifts his head and sees his own reflection in the mirror, a grin forming across his face. The reflection grins back at him and it is at this moment that Trace Demon realises exactly what is going to happen tonight.
He is going to put on the most exciting performance of his lifetime.
