Post by Hannah Reed on Mar 30, 2013 15:31:36 GMT -6
I suppose you’re wondering what you’re doing here this week, Steve?
Well, now perhaps you know how the rest of us feel because that is a question we’ve been asking ever since you slithered back into this company.
Ever since Rob Diamond gave you your last chance to hog the spotlight and Xander Famuarlo proceeded to knock your teeth down your throat you’ve been nothing but an irrelevance desperately clinging the dying embers of a star which once burned bright but now begins to wither and die.
Plunging you into darkness you fear more than any other, one rooted firmly away from the spotlight that you occupied for far, far too long.
We all know who you are, Steven, or at least we know how we’re meant to perceive you. You’re the legendary Steve Awesome, one of the very best to have ever laced up his boots, the most charismatic competitor of all and the face of the franchise.
The only problem is that the face has gotten ugly.
It is no longer the youthful, ambitious work of art it once was when Leonard Fox plastered it across anything that moved. Now it is worn and scarred by the ravages of time, so much so that we can see you for exactly what you are. Nothing but an old star looking for one last hurrah at the expense of those who have risen in your absence.
The only problem is that the landscape has changed since you were at your nadir.
Now there are new, youngers, fresher…hungrier, lions at the head of the food chain, you’re no longer the alpha and this week I intend to make that abundantly clear. New Championship Wrestling may have an expiry date now, something which has tempted the old flames to re-ignite in the pursuit of one last moment in the headlines, but the show will not be closing on Steve Awesome, Trent Helms, Rob Diamond or any of the other relics.
The last image anybody will associate with this company will be me holding the most important prize aloft and registering myself permanently as the one thing we all crave throughout our whole careers…
The greatest of all time.
The fact is that no matter how many accolades men like you have accumulated over the years, all of them pale in comparison with what I am about to achieve. In just over two years I will have become the longest reigning champion in the history of NCW, longer than Adam Knite, longer than Lance Ryan and longer than Falcon. Come the conclusion of Sovereign I will no longer have any equals.
I will simply be elevated above each and every one of you to prove once and for all that I am without a doubt the best wrestler that has ever graced this business.
Whilst the twinge of nostalgia may tickle the fancy of the masses who squeal with delight at all our your brethren crawling out of the woodwork for the final countdown, the rest of us, those who have been here for the past year busting our asses off, do not share their sentiments.
The fact is, seeing men like you trying to steal the glory from those of us who don’t just show up when we feel like it makes us angry.
We have paid our dues, just like you. We have broken our bodies, just like you. We have forsaken our personal lives, just like you.
Yet we’re expected to simply step aside and let you bastions of a bygone era ride back into town and strut around like you’re owed something simply because you were once a meaningful employee? That simply cannot happen.
It will not happen.
You and those you represent can hide behind your little tired out routines and your asinine catchphrases all you like, but if you want to take one final bite of the apple, you’re going to have to earn it, just like this roster have earned the right to close this company which has become our home.
You’re nothing but a peddler of broken promises.
You can guarantee that you will light up the skies like only the Face of the Franchise can, but we both know that really, you’re here to satisfy your lust for one last moment. This is about the fans, this isn’t about those who have cherished this company since day one, this is about one man, and one many only.
Steve Awesome.
I can see right through the disingenuous shroud you hide behind. You are and always have been all about Steve Awesome, you say what the fans want to hear because you live off of their adulation, their cries of love are the only thing that keeps you going because when the lights go out and the stage is taken down, you’re going to be left alone.
With nothing.
So count this as me doing you a favour, Steve. It is time for you to come to terms with your own mortality and get used to not being surrounded by fawning sycophants who cling to whatever glory you have left to live their own dreams in their world of fantasy. When Kelly Fox turns off the power, you’re going to be alone.
No more Face of the Franchise. No more superstar. No more beloved paladin of the people.
Just a man, left with nothing but memories and a broken body.
You want to do the right thing for the fans, Steven? Let the men who have kept this place going in your absence have their moment in the sun like you had so many times in the past.
Maybe then you’ll truly go down in history.
Trent Helms.
A name synonymous with a man who is capable of dragging a 5 star match out of a broom.
Believe it or not Helms, there is a reason beyond simply crushing a symbol of the past for you to be here this week. Whenever our tenures have crossed, you and I have never truly had the opportunity to face one another. Sure, we’ve had irrelevant tag matches and were part of a pointless feud between others, but we have never been able to just look each other in the eyes and just fight.
There is beauty in that simplicity and this week, we have our chance.
Do not mistake this for drooling admiration, Trent, I see you in the same light I see Steve, the only difference is that you’ve always been willing to play the bridesmaid if it meant that the fans got a scrapbook moment that would be immortalised for eternity.
Sacrifice for the greater pleasure of others can be viewed as an admirable trait, but ultimately, what has it cost you?
When anybody thinks of Trent Helms do they conjour up images of one of the most talented ring generals of all time or do they think of a glorified spot monkey who is convinced he comes from outer space? You have sacrificed personal glory for what, a permanent spot on the highlight reel? Your humility may set you apart from the selfish rank and file which are pouring back into this company for one last pay day.
Just like Steve and the rest of the jokers you hide behind a zaney façade to distract people from the real pain that eats away at you inside.
The fact that you have never and now will never be the man, the one that we all look to and admire because you spent your whole career making other people’s legacies instead of your own. You’re just another man in a sea of short term champions, you do not stand out beyond the fact that you spout unintelligible nonsense at the top of your lungs and you live the life of a B-List actor just like you’ve always been a B-List wrestler.
You know deep down that you can never address that, but you can do one thing.
You can give the people one last moment to savour and to remember you by, all you need is that one opportunity to light up the flashbulbs and create another piece of history to be idolised over. We’re all pretty easy to work out, Trent, deep down we all have one desire or another and whether you care to admit it I know that you want to give NCW the send-off it deserves.
So I am giving you your chance to impress me.
On its last legs or not, I still have sway over the buttons and I still have the ear of the only person in this company who has the power to grant people their dreams. These final weeks are the last moments for people to insert themselves into A Night Remember, the hottest card in the history of this company and we both know you want a piece of the pie.
So I am here to test you. To see whether or not you truly deserve you place at the last supper.
There is no greater litmus test in this company than me, I am the man that all of you are measured against in the eyes of Kelly Fox for she has invested her faith entirely in me, whether you agree or not. I am on course to at least equal the legends that are raised upon a pedestal and rant and rave as he did, Xander Famularo, the only man who comes close to me, forgets that I am the man who put the monster down.
I am simply a class above the rest of you in 2013 and if you want to share the spotlight in the final ever production of this company, you’re going to have to earn it.
We all know what you’re capable of Trent, but I want to see something different from you. I want to see a selfish edge that you have never possessed to prove to me that you are driven enough to finally do something for yourself. You have broken your body for others, something you are going to suffer for as you slink away into retirement, now it is time to do it for yourself.
If you’re not capable of focusing on improving your lot for once in your career, you can simply sit back stage and sulk whilst downing the cocktail of pain medication that will undoubtedly lead to your appearance of the Wikideaths feed sooner than we all expected.
Do I have faith that you will answer this call?
Honestly? No. I expect you to stick to type, just like Steve will and just like the rest of the creaky old men, but I am open to being surprised. This is a test I must administer myself to see whether or not you’re able to provide the required results.
Show me Trent that you can put your own interests first for once because you’ve paid the price physically for the glory of other men. It is admirable that you’re humble and willing to play second fiddle for the greater good, but this is the last hurrah and it is time for you to get the share of the spotlight you’ve deserved for your whole career.
You can either accept my challenge, swallow your pride and admit I am right or you can carry on being the firework that ignites other people’s most memorable moments.
The choice is ultimately yours and I’d like to think that on a professional level alone you’re capable of making the right one, but it’s hard for an old dog to learn new tricks but in this industry those that don’t are the ones that are put down.
People may think I am mad for placing myself in a situation where I am outnumbered by the icons I have mocked, but the fact is you’ve run your mouth about me and now it is time to pay the reaper. I am a greater champion than you and anyone of your ilk and I am not intimidated by any challenge, even when it comes in the form of two “legends”. You and Steve may be friends, but if you both want what you desire the most you’re going to have to throw your friendship out of the window.
I can take an ass kicking, I’ve been through enough pain in my career.
But can you and Steve live with yourselves if I decide to relegate you both to mere guests of honour in the biggest night in the history of this company because you were incapable of proving yourselves?
Can you accept the effective end of your career for the sake of putting me down?
I think we both know the answer.
Well, now perhaps you know how the rest of us feel because that is a question we’ve been asking ever since you slithered back into this company.
Ever since Rob Diamond gave you your last chance to hog the spotlight and Xander Famuarlo proceeded to knock your teeth down your throat you’ve been nothing but an irrelevance desperately clinging the dying embers of a star which once burned bright but now begins to wither and die.
Plunging you into darkness you fear more than any other, one rooted firmly away from the spotlight that you occupied for far, far too long.
We all know who you are, Steven, or at least we know how we’re meant to perceive you. You’re the legendary Steve Awesome, one of the very best to have ever laced up his boots, the most charismatic competitor of all and the face of the franchise.
The only problem is that the face has gotten ugly.
It is no longer the youthful, ambitious work of art it once was when Leonard Fox plastered it across anything that moved. Now it is worn and scarred by the ravages of time, so much so that we can see you for exactly what you are. Nothing but an old star looking for one last hurrah at the expense of those who have risen in your absence.
The only problem is that the landscape has changed since you were at your nadir.
Now there are new, youngers, fresher…hungrier, lions at the head of the food chain, you’re no longer the alpha and this week I intend to make that abundantly clear. New Championship Wrestling may have an expiry date now, something which has tempted the old flames to re-ignite in the pursuit of one last moment in the headlines, but the show will not be closing on Steve Awesome, Trent Helms, Rob Diamond or any of the other relics.
The last image anybody will associate with this company will be me holding the most important prize aloft and registering myself permanently as the one thing we all crave throughout our whole careers…
The greatest of all time.
The fact is that no matter how many accolades men like you have accumulated over the years, all of them pale in comparison with what I am about to achieve. In just over two years I will have become the longest reigning champion in the history of NCW, longer than Adam Knite, longer than Lance Ryan and longer than Falcon. Come the conclusion of Sovereign I will no longer have any equals.
I will simply be elevated above each and every one of you to prove once and for all that I am without a doubt the best wrestler that has ever graced this business.
Whilst the twinge of nostalgia may tickle the fancy of the masses who squeal with delight at all our your brethren crawling out of the woodwork for the final countdown, the rest of us, those who have been here for the past year busting our asses off, do not share their sentiments.
The fact is, seeing men like you trying to steal the glory from those of us who don’t just show up when we feel like it makes us angry.
We have paid our dues, just like you. We have broken our bodies, just like you. We have forsaken our personal lives, just like you.
Yet we’re expected to simply step aside and let you bastions of a bygone era ride back into town and strut around like you’re owed something simply because you were once a meaningful employee? That simply cannot happen.
It will not happen.
You and those you represent can hide behind your little tired out routines and your asinine catchphrases all you like, but if you want to take one final bite of the apple, you’re going to have to earn it, just like this roster have earned the right to close this company which has become our home.
You’re nothing but a peddler of broken promises.
You can guarantee that you will light up the skies like only the Face of the Franchise can, but we both know that really, you’re here to satisfy your lust for one last moment. This is about the fans, this isn’t about those who have cherished this company since day one, this is about one man, and one many only.
Steve Awesome.
I can see right through the disingenuous shroud you hide behind. You are and always have been all about Steve Awesome, you say what the fans want to hear because you live off of their adulation, their cries of love are the only thing that keeps you going because when the lights go out and the stage is taken down, you’re going to be left alone.
With nothing.
So count this as me doing you a favour, Steve. It is time for you to come to terms with your own mortality and get used to not being surrounded by fawning sycophants who cling to whatever glory you have left to live their own dreams in their world of fantasy. When Kelly Fox turns off the power, you’re going to be alone.
No more Face of the Franchise. No more superstar. No more beloved paladin of the people.
Just a man, left with nothing but memories and a broken body.
You want to do the right thing for the fans, Steven? Let the men who have kept this place going in your absence have their moment in the sun like you had so many times in the past.
Maybe then you’ll truly go down in history.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The lights of cars passing by pour through the slits in the blinds that drape down across the windows of Kelly Fox’s main office as the sound of their engines gradually fade in the distance. A few moments later the door flings open and Kelly Fox, drenched from the rain which lashes down outside, lets out a big sigh of relief as she peels the wet outer garments from her skin, reveal a relatively dry dress beneath. Taking a few steps forward she navigates around her desk, clicking a lamp on as she goes before she takes the weight from her feet as she sinks into a large leather chair before opening her eyes and looking into a shaded corner of her office.
I was wondering how long it would take for you to show up…
Roberto emerges from the dark, sitting down opposite Kelly.
I know why you’re here.
Did you assume I would just shrug this off?
No. I just hoped you might…
On account of what? Our “friendship”?
Kelly smiles mournfully.
Perhaps.
I think we both knew that wasn’t going to happen.
So, I suspect you want an explanation?
Roberto pulls a chair out from under the desk and sits down.
No, I just enjoy skulking in the shadows like a rapist.
At least you’ve not lost your sense of humour…
Cut to the chase, Kelly.
What else is there to say? I wasn’t lying to the cameras.
Oh come on, do you really expect me to believe that? You’re Kelly Fox, there is always a hidden meaning underneath the platitudes.
Believe what you like, sometimes Roberto you’re not always right.
So you’re throwing away everything your father fought hard to build because you got knocked up?
You act as if me and Adam are selfish for putting ourselves first, for once.
Act!? Do I look like I am acting?
Then perhaps, Roberto, you need to learn to get your priorities in order.
Excuse me?
Oh cut the bull****, I know you far better than you assume I do. You have an absolutely beautiful woman waiting for you at home who is utterly devoted to you, yet you have this funnel vision affixed squarely on wearing the crown. All of those promises of a happy retirement you dangle in front of her are a carrot and you know it, you tell her exactly what she wants to hear because the reality is that you need power to validate your worth to yourself. You cannot handle the idea of being remembered as a failure who never made a difference, so much so that you will pursue absolute control at any costs whilst lying to your loved ones.
Kelly leans forwards, on the attack with her passionate diatribe and Roberto remains uncharacteristically silent, slightly stunned by the outburst.
You cannot quit this business, because there will always be one more summit you need to reach, another goal you must achieve. You’ve been searching for the happiness you crave all your life and wrestling merely provides that platform.
Verona looks away, the pangs of truth eating away at him.
Do you know what Adam said to me the night you beat him in the Road to the Gold? He said it was time for you to achieve the professional happiness you always deserved through your sheer will to succeed and now I am telling you it is time you started placing more importance of your personal happiness.
Kelly sighs, rubbing her eyes as she rests her elbows on her desk.
Me and Adam are happy. And now? Now we get to indulge ourselves in that pleasure, guilt free. I always thought I owed it to my father to carry his legacy forward, at the expense of my own happiness, but now I realise that NCW has already created history, it will never be forgotten. I can pursue my own dreams and enjoy life safe in the knowledge that this company will live forever.
Kelly looks Roberto straight in the eyes, a little smiling form in the corner of her lips.
That is something I wish for you, because regardless of the past, I’ve grown to value you as a friend. You may have plenty left to achieve Roberto, including your fight for fairness and equality in a business rife in the opposite, but I want you to realise what else matters. I don’t want to see you become consumed by this business.
I won’t be…
Then it is time you learnt to prioritise correctly. Which is why I have this for you…
Pausing for a second Kelly opens a drawer in her desk and produce a document which she gently slides across to Verona.
What is this?
Kelly smiles warmly, resting a hang on Roberto’s.
Your dream. You don’t need to fight any more.
Suddenly Kelly withdraws.
Only, there is a condition.
I was waiting for the catch…
Promise that you won’t sacrifice your happiness for everyone else’s.
And if I do?
You’ll live to regret it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The lights of cars passing by pour through the slits in the blinds that drape down across the windows of Kelly Fox’s main office as the sound of their engines gradually fade in the distance. A few moments later the door flings open and Kelly Fox, drenched from the rain which lashes down outside, lets out a big sigh of relief as she peels the wet outer garments from her skin, reveal a relatively dry dress beneath. Taking a few steps forward she navigates around her desk, clicking a lamp on as she goes before she takes the weight from her feet as she sinks into a large leather chair before opening her eyes and looking into a shaded corner of her office.
I was wondering how long it would take for you to show up…
Roberto emerges from the dark, sitting down opposite Kelly.
I know why you’re here.
Did you assume I would just shrug this off?
No. I just hoped you might…
On account of what? Our “friendship”?
Kelly smiles mournfully.
Perhaps.
I think we both knew that wasn’t going to happen.
So, I suspect you want an explanation?
Roberto pulls a chair out from under the desk and sits down.
No, I just enjoy skulking in the shadows like a rapist.
At least you’ve not lost your sense of humour…
Cut to the chase, Kelly.
What else is there to say? I wasn’t lying to the cameras.
Oh come on, do you really expect me to believe that? You’re Kelly Fox, there is always a hidden meaning underneath the platitudes.
Believe what you like, sometimes Roberto you’re not always right.
So you’re throwing away everything your father fought hard to build because you got knocked up?
You act as if me and Adam are selfish for putting ourselves first, for once.
Act!? Do I look like I am acting?
Then perhaps, Roberto, you need to learn to get your priorities in order.
Excuse me?
Oh cut the bull****, I know you far better than you assume I do. You have an absolutely beautiful woman waiting for you at home who is utterly devoted to you, yet you have this funnel vision affixed squarely on wearing the crown. All of those promises of a happy retirement you dangle in front of her are a carrot and you know it, you tell her exactly what she wants to hear because the reality is that you need power to validate your worth to yourself. You cannot handle the idea of being remembered as a failure who never made a difference, so much so that you will pursue absolute control at any costs whilst lying to your loved ones.
Kelly leans forwards, on the attack with her passionate diatribe and Roberto remains uncharacteristically silent, slightly stunned by the outburst.
You cannot quit this business, because there will always be one more summit you need to reach, another goal you must achieve. You’ve been searching for the happiness you crave all your life and wrestling merely provides that platform.
Verona looks away, the pangs of truth eating away at him.
Do you know what Adam said to me the night you beat him in the Road to the Gold? He said it was time for you to achieve the professional happiness you always deserved through your sheer will to succeed and now I am telling you it is time you started placing more importance of your personal happiness.
Kelly sighs, rubbing her eyes as she rests her elbows on her desk.
Me and Adam are happy. And now? Now we get to indulge ourselves in that pleasure, guilt free. I always thought I owed it to my father to carry his legacy forward, at the expense of my own happiness, but now I realise that NCW has already created history, it will never be forgotten. I can pursue my own dreams and enjoy life safe in the knowledge that this company will live forever.
Kelly looks Roberto straight in the eyes, a little smiling form in the corner of her lips.
That is something I wish for you, because regardless of the past, I’ve grown to value you as a friend. You may have plenty left to achieve Roberto, including your fight for fairness and equality in a business rife in the opposite, but I want you to realise what else matters. I don’t want to see you become consumed by this business.
I won’t be…
Then it is time you learnt to prioritise correctly. Which is why I have this for you…
Pausing for a second Kelly opens a drawer in her desk and produce a document which she gently slides across to Verona.
What is this?
Kelly smiles warmly, resting a hang on Roberto’s.
Your dream. You don’t need to fight any more.
Suddenly Kelly withdraws.
Only, there is a condition.
I was waiting for the catch…
Promise that you won’t sacrifice your happiness for everyone else’s.
And if I do?
You’ll live to regret it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trent Helms.
A name synonymous with a man who is capable of dragging a 5 star match out of a broom.
Believe it or not Helms, there is a reason beyond simply crushing a symbol of the past for you to be here this week. Whenever our tenures have crossed, you and I have never truly had the opportunity to face one another. Sure, we’ve had irrelevant tag matches and were part of a pointless feud between others, but we have never been able to just look each other in the eyes and just fight.
There is beauty in that simplicity and this week, we have our chance.
Do not mistake this for drooling admiration, Trent, I see you in the same light I see Steve, the only difference is that you’ve always been willing to play the bridesmaid if it meant that the fans got a scrapbook moment that would be immortalised for eternity.
Sacrifice for the greater pleasure of others can be viewed as an admirable trait, but ultimately, what has it cost you?
When anybody thinks of Trent Helms do they conjour up images of one of the most talented ring generals of all time or do they think of a glorified spot monkey who is convinced he comes from outer space? You have sacrificed personal glory for what, a permanent spot on the highlight reel? Your humility may set you apart from the selfish rank and file which are pouring back into this company for one last pay day.
Just like Steve and the rest of the jokers you hide behind a zaney façade to distract people from the real pain that eats away at you inside.
The fact that you have never and now will never be the man, the one that we all look to and admire because you spent your whole career making other people’s legacies instead of your own. You’re just another man in a sea of short term champions, you do not stand out beyond the fact that you spout unintelligible nonsense at the top of your lungs and you live the life of a B-List actor just like you’ve always been a B-List wrestler.
You know deep down that you can never address that, but you can do one thing.
You can give the people one last moment to savour and to remember you by, all you need is that one opportunity to light up the flashbulbs and create another piece of history to be idolised over. We’re all pretty easy to work out, Trent, deep down we all have one desire or another and whether you care to admit it I know that you want to give NCW the send-off it deserves.
So I am giving you your chance to impress me.
On its last legs or not, I still have sway over the buttons and I still have the ear of the only person in this company who has the power to grant people their dreams. These final weeks are the last moments for people to insert themselves into A Night Remember, the hottest card in the history of this company and we both know you want a piece of the pie.
So I am here to test you. To see whether or not you truly deserve you place at the last supper.
There is no greater litmus test in this company than me, I am the man that all of you are measured against in the eyes of Kelly Fox for she has invested her faith entirely in me, whether you agree or not. I am on course to at least equal the legends that are raised upon a pedestal and rant and rave as he did, Xander Famularo, the only man who comes close to me, forgets that I am the man who put the monster down.
I am simply a class above the rest of you in 2013 and if you want to share the spotlight in the final ever production of this company, you’re going to have to earn it.
We all know what you’re capable of Trent, but I want to see something different from you. I want to see a selfish edge that you have never possessed to prove to me that you are driven enough to finally do something for yourself. You have broken your body for others, something you are going to suffer for as you slink away into retirement, now it is time to do it for yourself.
If you’re not capable of focusing on improving your lot for once in your career, you can simply sit back stage and sulk whilst downing the cocktail of pain medication that will undoubtedly lead to your appearance of the Wikideaths feed sooner than we all expected.
Do I have faith that you will answer this call?
Honestly? No. I expect you to stick to type, just like Steve will and just like the rest of the creaky old men, but I am open to being surprised. This is a test I must administer myself to see whether or not you’re able to provide the required results.
Show me Trent that you can put your own interests first for once because you’ve paid the price physically for the glory of other men. It is admirable that you’re humble and willing to play second fiddle for the greater good, but this is the last hurrah and it is time for you to get the share of the spotlight you’ve deserved for your whole career.
You can either accept my challenge, swallow your pride and admit I am right or you can carry on being the firework that ignites other people’s most memorable moments.
The choice is ultimately yours and I’d like to think that on a professional level alone you’re capable of making the right one, but it’s hard for an old dog to learn new tricks but in this industry those that don’t are the ones that are put down.
People may think I am mad for placing myself in a situation where I am outnumbered by the icons I have mocked, but the fact is you’ve run your mouth about me and now it is time to pay the reaper. I am a greater champion than you and anyone of your ilk and I am not intimidated by any challenge, even when it comes in the form of two “legends”. You and Steve may be friends, but if you both want what you desire the most you’re going to have to throw your friendship out of the window.
I can take an ass kicking, I’ve been through enough pain in my career.
But can you and Steve live with yourselves if I decide to relegate you both to mere guests of honour in the biggest night in the history of this company because you were incapable of proving yourselves?
Can you accept the effective end of your career for the sake of putting me down?
I think we both know the answer.
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Smoke drifts delicately from a beaker of coffee, circling around the ceiling of a small diner by the side of a road, a sign flickers intermittently as a waitress rushes to and fro, passing orders to customers as quickly as she can. Sat in one booth is Hannah Reed, her eyes darting across a sheet of paper in amazement as her boyfriend Roberto Verona sits opposite, slowly nursing a cup of coffee as he patiently watches his companion. Suddenly, Hannah lowers the paper, cocking an eyebrow as she looks at Roberto incredulously.
She just….gave this to you?
Yep.
Was she ill?
No.
Did you blackmail her?
No.
Are you sure?
Of course I am sure.
Hannah pauses, collecting her thought until a look of sadness washes across her face as she hesitantly continues.
Is….is Kelly dying?
Roberto lets out a laugh involuntarily.
No, not at all.
Then I don’t understand…
Roberto takes another sip.
She said it was a gift.
For what?
For me.
Why?
What is this, an interrogation?
No, it just doesn’t make any sense. After all these months of hard work, the fighting, it happens this easily?
Sometimes things happen that you least expect.
What are the conditions?
Roberto sighs, bracing himself for the coming inquisition.
My happiness.
Come again?
Kelly asked me to promise to not forsake my happiness.
What does that mean?
Long and short of it? Don’t become Leonard Fox and require a coma to find clarity.
She really thinks that it would take that for you to know when to quit?
She has a point.
How?
I have become consumed by my dreams of immortality, it is the only thing I have on my mind. Even when I am telling you that one day it’ll all be different and we will have some peace in my head I have eyes for only one thing. Power. A Legacy. Until they were fulfilled I was never going to stop.
Hannah stares at Roberto, a rush of anger causing her skin to glow red and her hairs to stand on end.
So you lied to me?
No. I want all the things we have planned, it’s just I could never see a light at the end of the tunnel which would allow me to chase that nirvana.
What about now?
Now? Now I have the keys to paradise. Everything that distracted me, kept me going down one path, has been erased. The obstacles I have fought against have collapsed. I entered this business to fulfil a dream. To remedy the ills and improve people’s lots…
Roberto lets out a longing sigh.
Change.
So this is the end.
No.
Roberto smiles.
It’s just the beginning.
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Smoke drifts delicately from a beaker of coffee, circling around the ceiling of a small diner by the side of a road, a sign flickers intermittently as a waitress rushes to and fro, passing orders to customers as quickly as she can. Sat in one booth is Hannah Reed, her eyes darting across a sheet of paper in amazement as her boyfriend Roberto Verona sits opposite, slowly nursing a cup of coffee as he patiently watches his companion. Suddenly, Hannah lowers the paper, cocking an eyebrow as she looks at Roberto incredulously.
She just….gave this to you?
Yep.
Was she ill?
No.
Did you blackmail her?
No.
Are you sure?
Of course I am sure.
Hannah pauses, collecting her thought until a look of sadness washes across her face as she hesitantly continues.
Is….is Kelly dying?
Roberto lets out a laugh involuntarily.
No, not at all.
Then I don’t understand…
Roberto takes another sip.
She said it was a gift.
For what?
For me.
Why?
What is this, an interrogation?
No, it just doesn’t make any sense. After all these months of hard work, the fighting, it happens this easily?
Sometimes things happen that you least expect.
What are the conditions?
Roberto sighs, bracing himself for the coming inquisition.
My happiness.
Come again?
Kelly asked me to promise to not forsake my happiness.
What does that mean?
Long and short of it? Don’t become Leonard Fox and require a coma to find clarity.
She really thinks that it would take that for you to know when to quit?
She has a point.
How?
I have become consumed by my dreams of immortality, it is the only thing I have on my mind. Even when I am telling you that one day it’ll all be different and we will have some peace in my head I have eyes for only one thing. Power. A Legacy. Until they were fulfilled I was never going to stop.
Hannah stares at Roberto, a rush of anger causing her skin to glow red and her hairs to stand on end.
So you lied to me?
No. I want all the things we have planned, it’s just I could never see a light at the end of the tunnel which would allow me to chase that nirvana.
What about now?
Now? Now I have the keys to paradise. Everything that distracted me, kept me going down one path, has been erased. The obstacles I have fought against have collapsed. I entered this business to fulfil a dream. To remedy the ills and improve people’s lots…
Roberto lets out a longing sigh.
Change.
So this is the end.
No.
Roberto smiles.
It’s just the beginning.
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