Post by Andrew Jacobsen on Jun 2, 2010 23:50:56 GMT -6
Open up on Andrew Jacobsen sitting in the waiting room of Leonard Fox's office at nCw Headquarters in Houston. He wears a button-up black shirt and khaki dress pants, a sharp contrast to his usual casual clothing. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat, looking over to Leonard's secretary. She looks up at him, bored, and looks back down at her paperwork, continuing to write. After a few moments, the phone rings and she picks up, answering with the stereotypical “smoking disinterested secretary” voice.
“Yes?...I'll let him know...okay.”
She hangs up, turning to Andrew. He winces, anticipating something harsh. Instead, she just addresses him in the same monotone, leaving him rather confused.
“Mr. Fox will see you now.”
Shamefacedly, Andrew stands up and opens the door to Fox's office. He walks in to see Leonard reviewing the footage of Andrew bullying Chad Lights from his last promo. Fox pauses it on Chad's prone form after Andrew stalked off and turns around, facing him.
“And just what the hell was that? Chad Lights is a contracted employee of nCw, and I won't have you shoving around the staff like that. Your friend Danielson already attacked Jason Dunn, and now you're abusing Mr. Lights? Give me one good reason I shouldn't suspend you without pay right now.”
Andrew bows his head in shame, trying to explain away his actions.
“Sir, I apologize. Please, don't suspend me. If you do, then you'll be denying the fans an advertised match for Reborn. Sir, I know I screwed up, but I just want you to kn—”
Leonard cuts him off with an upraised hand, much the same as AJ did to Chad.
“Sit down and let me explain something to you, son.”
Andrew sits down, very confused. Leonard leans forward over his desk, addressing him with precisely zero sympathy in his voice.
“You're on the preshow for a reason. You've been slipping in the last few weeks, and I couldn't risk having you bomb on a program the fans paid money for. Venom's right. You're main-eventing the preshow, but that's just it. The preshow. If you can put on a solid performance and not attack my staff again, I might consider letting you on the Picture Perfect card. Might.”
Andrew explodes with indignance.
“Sir, how can you be siding with the Young Guns? They're full of themselves, and they're assholes, and they're—”
Andrew gets cut off again by Leonard, who obviously has no patience for this bullcrap that Andrew's trying to pull.
“They're right. You had no business sticking your nose in their affair with Zelda. If I were you, Mr. Jacobsen, I would stop trying to make yourself a hero and stick to wrestling. Now, unless you have any more half-cocked accusations you would like to throw my way...get out of my office. Consider yourself the luckiest man on the planet that I didn't hand you your walking papers.”
Andrew opens his mouth to protest, but Leonard silences him.
“I said OUT. Before I change my mind.”
Andrew walks out quietly, but pauses in the doorframe when Leonard clears his throat.
“Of course, if you were to, say...speak to me about joining the Front Office, your chances of being at Picture Perfect could increase substantially...keep that in mind, Andrew.”
AJ nods, walking out of the office and shuddering. He passes by the secretary, walking out the door, and shakes his head. Andrew turns and walks down the hall, looking back at where he came from.
“...is that how low I've fallen? Groveling to the boss not to get fired? That's it. I'm not pulling any crap like that again. I don't need to be some pseudo-badass who abuses people for kicks. I'm Andrew Jacobsen. I'm the guy the kids can look up to...or could look up to, anyway. Venom, I know that it sounds cliché and stupid to you, but I really want to be a role model. And I can't be one when I'm shoving people around. Thanks for reminding me of what I'm supposed to be and what I'm not.”
He smiles, walking down a hall. Some of the staffers recognize him and wave, and he waves back to every one. Andrew grins a big grin as he walks, the cameraman following him dutifully since he left Leonard's office.
“And the first lesson for everyone watching is not to overreact. You know, when someone says something and you're affected by it, you can react. That's normal, that's okay. But if you want to go off the deep end with your reaction, you're taking it too far. Take Venom, for instance. I insulted his intelligence and he decided that he should theme his entire promo around that. Classroom, dunce cap and all. You're right. I was being a bully. And you're also right that I should leave that job to your goon squad. After all, why intimidate a fully-grown man when you can gang up on a girl that can't even go buy alcohol?”
He sighs, shaking his head as he walks to the elevator banks and calls one. Andrew looks around, waiting for the elevator to come, and checks a notecard he had in his pocket.
“Okay...I better have this number right. Venom, part of being a better person than you were is knowing how to admit you were wrong and apologize. It isn't something I've always been great at, but I learned that I have to know how to do it. Venom, I'm not going to apologize for anything I said to you. But I will correct myself. You're not stupid, you're just a jackass. Like so many other people in this world. I want to see the best in everyone, but it's guys like you that make it so freakin' hard to.”
The elevator arrives, and AJ walks in with the cameraman. He punches a floor's button and the doors close. Andrew settles back against the wall of the elevator, sighing.
“Damn, I hate the heat...I know that I should probably be saying more interesting things, but frankly at the moment I can't think of anything. I'm focused on making amends. Well, you said you'd set a trend of Young Guns being victorious on the pay-per-view. I have to disagree with you. I've got a gut feeling that both Velez and JFK are going to crash and burn in their matches. Xavier's a great wrestler, and I know how insanely unpredictable DDK can be. Doc? I figure he'll be the only Young Gun to walk out of Reborn with a win. Damn shame, but oh well.”
The elevator arrives at its destination, doors sliding open, and Andrew walks out, heading down a hallway. He pauses before a door whose nameplate the camera conveniently doesn't catch. He knocks on the door, and when he receives a muffled reply, he opens the door and walks in. Chad Lights looks up from his desk in his small office and groans, burying his face in his palm.
“What is it, Andrew? What do you want to call me this time?”
Andrew coughs, looking to the side for a moment before looking back at Chad.
“I wanted to apologize for insulting you so many times and shoving you around. You get paid to do what you do because you're good at it. I'll be willing to take you out for a round or two of drinks so we can kill some of the tension that I've been building up between us. The point is, I'm sorry, man.”
Andrew extends his hand to offer a handshake. Chad looks up, pondering for a second before taking it and shaking.
“Thanks, Andrew. I'll have to take a rain check on the drinks, I've got a lot of backlogged work to take care of. Maybe after the pay-per-view?”
Andrew nods, relieved, and grins.
“Maybe. Hopefully I'll be celebrating a win with you. Good luck with the workload, Chad.”
Andrew walks out of the office, closing the door behind him, and looks to the camera.
“Forgiveness is a powerful thing...Venom, I want you to know that you're getting the two-time X-Division Champion. You're getting the man that beat Gib. You're getting the best of me this week. So bring your best. I'll bring mine. And may the best man win.”
He tosses off a small salute to the camera, walking off as we fade out.
“Yes?...I'll let him know...okay.”
She hangs up, turning to Andrew. He winces, anticipating something harsh. Instead, she just addresses him in the same monotone, leaving him rather confused.
“Mr. Fox will see you now.”
Shamefacedly, Andrew stands up and opens the door to Fox's office. He walks in to see Leonard reviewing the footage of Andrew bullying Chad Lights from his last promo. Fox pauses it on Chad's prone form after Andrew stalked off and turns around, facing him.
“And just what the hell was that? Chad Lights is a contracted employee of nCw, and I won't have you shoving around the staff like that. Your friend Danielson already attacked Jason Dunn, and now you're abusing Mr. Lights? Give me one good reason I shouldn't suspend you without pay right now.”
Andrew bows his head in shame, trying to explain away his actions.
“Sir, I apologize. Please, don't suspend me. If you do, then you'll be denying the fans an advertised match for Reborn. Sir, I know I screwed up, but I just want you to kn—”
Leonard cuts him off with an upraised hand, much the same as AJ did to Chad.
“Sit down and let me explain something to you, son.”
Andrew sits down, very confused. Leonard leans forward over his desk, addressing him with precisely zero sympathy in his voice.
“You're on the preshow for a reason. You've been slipping in the last few weeks, and I couldn't risk having you bomb on a program the fans paid money for. Venom's right. You're main-eventing the preshow, but that's just it. The preshow. If you can put on a solid performance and not attack my staff again, I might consider letting you on the Picture Perfect card. Might.”
Andrew explodes with indignance.
“Sir, how can you be siding with the Young Guns? They're full of themselves, and they're assholes, and they're—”
Andrew gets cut off again by Leonard, who obviously has no patience for this bullcrap that Andrew's trying to pull.
“They're right. You had no business sticking your nose in their affair with Zelda. If I were you, Mr. Jacobsen, I would stop trying to make yourself a hero and stick to wrestling. Now, unless you have any more half-cocked accusations you would like to throw my way...get out of my office. Consider yourself the luckiest man on the planet that I didn't hand you your walking papers.”
Andrew opens his mouth to protest, but Leonard silences him.
“I said OUT. Before I change my mind.”
Andrew walks out quietly, but pauses in the doorframe when Leonard clears his throat.
“Of course, if you were to, say...speak to me about joining the Front Office, your chances of being at Picture Perfect could increase substantially...keep that in mind, Andrew.”
AJ nods, walking out of the office and shuddering. He passes by the secretary, walking out the door, and shakes his head. Andrew turns and walks down the hall, looking back at where he came from.
“...is that how low I've fallen? Groveling to the boss not to get fired? That's it. I'm not pulling any crap like that again. I don't need to be some pseudo-badass who abuses people for kicks. I'm Andrew Jacobsen. I'm the guy the kids can look up to...or could look up to, anyway. Venom, I know that it sounds cliché and stupid to you, but I really want to be a role model. And I can't be one when I'm shoving people around. Thanks for reminding me of what I'm supposed to be and what I'm not.”
He smiles, walking down a hall. Some of the staffers recognize him and wave, and he waves back to every one. Andrew grins a big grin as he walks, the cameraman following him dutifully since he left Leonard's office.
“And the first lesson for everyone watching is not to overreact. You know, when someone says something and you're affected by it, you can react. That's normal, that's okay. But if you want to go off the deep end with your reaction, you're taking it too far. Take Venom, for instance. I insulted his intelligence and he decided that he should theme his entire promo around that. Classroom, dunce cap and all. You're right. I was being a bully. And you're also right that I should leave that job to your goon squad. After all, why intimidate a fully-grown man when you can gang up on a girl that can't even go buy alcohol?”
He sighs, shaking his head as he walks to the elevator banks and calls one. Andrew looks around, waiting for the elevator to come, and checks a notecard he had in his pocket.
“Okay...I better have this number right. Venom, part of being a better person than you were is knowing how to admit you were wrong and apologize. It isn't something I've always been great at, but I learned that I have to know how to do it. Venom, I'm not going to apologize for anything I said to you. But I will correct myself. You're not stupid, you're just a jackass. Like so many other people in this world. I want to see the best in everyone, but it's guys like you that make it so freakin' hard to.”
The elevator arrives, and AJ walks in with the cameraman. He punches a floor's button and the doors close. Andrew settles back against the wall of the elevator, sighing.
“Damn, I hate the heat...I know that I should probably be saying more interesting things, but frankly at the moment I can't think of anything. I'm focused on making amends. Well, you said you'd set a trend of Young Guns being victorious on the pay-per-view. I have to disagree with you. I've got a gut feeling that both Velez and JFK are going to crash and burn in their matches. Xavier's a great wrestler, and I know how insanely unpredictable DDK can be. Doc? I figure he'll be the only Young Gun to walk out of Reborn with a win. Damn shame, but oh well.”
The elevator arrives at its destination, doors sliding open, and Andrew walks out, heading down a hallway. He pauses before a door whose nameplate the camera conveniently doesn't catch. He knocks on the door, and when he receives a muffled reply, he opens the door and walks in. Chad Lights looks up from his desk in his small office and groans, burying his face in his palm.
“What is it, Andrew? What do you want to call me this time?”
Andrew coughs, looking to the side for a moment before looking back at Chad.
“I wanted to apologize for insulting you so many times and shoving you around. You get paid to do what you do because you're good at it. I'll be willing to take you out for a round or two of drinks so we can kill some of the tension that I've been building up between us. The point is, I'm sorry, man.”
Andrew extends his hand to offer a handshake. Chad looks up, pondering for a second before taking it and shaking.
“Thanks, Andrew. I'll have to take a rain check on the drinks, I've got a lot of backlogged work to take care of. Maybe after the pay-per-view?”
Andrew nods, relieved, and grins.
“Maybe. Hopefully I'll be celebrating a win with you. Good luck with the workload, Chad.”
Andrew walks out of the office, closing the door behind him, and looks to the camera.
“Forgiveness is a powerful thing...Venom, I want you to know that you're getting the two-time X-Division Champion. You're getting the man that beat Gib. You're getting the best of me this week. So bring your best. I'll bring mine. And may the best man win.”
He tosses off a small salute to the camera, walking off as we fade out.