Post by Evan Andrews on Jul 10, 2010 15:11:52 GMT -6
The weather in Halifax has been exceptionally hot as of late, and this afternoon isn't any different from the ones that have preceded it. It's easily over ninety degrees in the shade, and considerably warmer in the spot where Evan Andrews is currently standing. This spot happens to be located directly beneath the scorching summer sun, in front of the simply gray headstone that marks his father's final resting place.
As Evan stands in front of his fathers' grave, he isn't thinking about the blistering heat, or the sweltering air that he breathes into his lungs with deep gulps. Instead, his entire attention is focused upon the fact that this is the first time that he's visited this location in a long, long time. He knows that part of the reason for this is because he never really had a healthy relationship with his father- in fact, most of his memories of David Andrews involve the older man's fist being propelled in the direction of his face.
But there's another reason why he hasn't been here for so long, and that's because these visits always serve to remind of the fact that in many ways, he is his father's son.
More than anything else, Evan desperately wants to avoid the possibility that he'll become the same type of abusive, embittered bastard that his father was...Especially given that he recently fathered a son of his own. Yet, every now and then, something will cause him to lash out at people the way his father used to...And even though Evan generally uses words to express his anger, rather than his fists, the results aren't any less destructive.
The latest example of this took place a couple of days ago, when he and Brad Kane were engaged in their latest sparring session. His friend made an innocuous, off-handed remark about the opponent Evan's scheduled to face at the Picture Perfect PPV...And Evan's reaction to this comment has remained front and center in his mind ever since that moment...
Closing his eyes, Evan takes another deep breath, releases in an extended sigh, and drifts back in time so that he can relive that memory once more and make better sense of what happened during the course of that conversation .
*******
Two days earlier...
"You ready, Evan?"
Evan nods his head as he stands inside the ring that's located in the Kane Mansion's gym and prepares to strike the pair of speed mitts being held by his friend to prat ice a few new strike sequences that he plans to use against the man formerly known as Lance Ryan when the two of them meet inside the ring.
Brad: Good. You had better be ready. Lance Ryan is one of the toughest and most talented competitors that you're ever going to meet inside the ring.
Evan feels his jaw tighten with annoyance as he lances a blistering strike combination into the mitts held by his best friend.
Evan: His name's not Lance anymore, Brad. He goes by Stefan...Stefan Rzany.
Brad: Evan, I don't care what he wants to call himself...He's still a legend. There's a reason why he's won so many world championships, and why-
Evan: I'm aware of what he's accomplished...
Brad: Then you know that regardless of what name he uses, he'll be the greatest challenge that you've faced since your return to in ring action.
Lance...Stefan...May be going through a rough patch, but if he gets his **** together I know he's still capable be making another run toward the top. And ,even tough we aren't nearly as tight as we once were, I still wouldn't mind seeing that happen.
Be nice to see him get back to the place where he was at before...
Evan watches Brad's eyes fill with memories, and feels his own eyes grow hard as he stares daggers toward his friend.
Evan: I see...
So, I take it that you'd feel actually feel some measure of regret if he were to lose the math that he's about to have against me this week at the Picture Perfect PPV...
Brad ceases his movement and levels a quizzical stare toward his friend, but before he can issue his reply, Evan interrupts and addresses him in an increasingly cold tone of voice.
Evan: I take it that you'd feel some measure of sadness if I were to not only defeat Stefan, but also issue a beating that's so comprehensive that it would prevent him from being able to regain his former position at any point in the months and years to follow...
Brad: Evan...All I'm saying is that...
Evan: All you're saying is that you wish nothing but the best for a man who currently has no time for you, Brad. That's what you were saying...right?
Brad: Evan...Lance ...
Evan: Stefan...
Brad: Whatever! All I'm saying is that he was once my best friend, and you can't expect me to forget that.
Evan: Did you forget the fact that I'm currently your best friend, Brad? Were you too busy reliving the "good old days" to take that into account...
Or could this be due to the fact that you consider me to be less of a friend, and more of an expendable resource that you can use to help fend off the forces of The Front Office and the Young Gunz.?
For a moment, Brad stands there in silence with his mouth agape and his eyes wide in shock, before he features transform into a mask of indignation and anger.
Brad: Dude...what the...!? Who are you to speak to me that way? Who the hell are you!?
Evan: Who am I?
You know, Brad...That's actually a pretty good question that you just asked of me...
And, you know something funny?
I'm pretty certain that man formerly known as Lance Ryan and currently known as Stefan Rzany is sitting in his filth-ridden rat trap of an apartment and asking the same thing...
He's asking himself who Evan Andrews really is...And, in order to determine its answer, he searches through my biographical profile and decides to key in upon a few facts that have become apparent in his previous promotional appearances. He notes that I've become the type of devoted family man that he once was, and that I've a friendship with you that's similar to the one he had...
He takes all that consideration, arrives at the conclusion that I'm little more than a second rate imitation of the person he once was, and ultimately decides that in the scheme of things that Evan Andrews really isn't someone that that concern him all that much...
Well, this week, he's going to find out just how mistaken he was to base his opinion of my capability on this assumption.
Because there's a whole lot more to Evan Andrews then his friends and family, and the fact that he once wore a mask and wrestled under the name of Terminus.
There are a few other things that need to be considered before one can truly make an assumption about who I am. For starters, one needs to take into account the sense of anger that I feel about the abuse I suffered during my childhood- and the obsessive need to prove myself that resulted from these experiences.
I initially assumed the role of Terminus after the previous incarnation was injured because I thought it would be the best way to express these emotions. But, over time, I've come to realize that I can do so just as well without feeling the need to wear that particular piece of head gear.
Unlike the opponent that I'm facing this week, who relies upon multiple identities to express how he feels, I've come to terms with the person that I was, have become, and will continue to be going forward.
I've arrived at a point in my life where I can fuse all of the experiences that I've had as a child, and as Terminus, and as a family man into a single identity...And, this week, your opponent is going to have a greater understanding of what it contains.
He'll have a greater understanding not only of the person who developed into a loving husband and father, and a close friend to someone he once considered a brother...But also of the fierce, fiery competitor who can draw upon his memories and experiences to defeat someone in a variety of different ways.
Yeah...This week, at Picture Perfect, Stefan Rzany is going to learn a whole lot more about who I really am...
And he's going to find that lesson to be very painful...
Very painful, indeed...
The two men stand in silence for a moment, with Brad regarding Evan through wide eyes and his mouth agape, before swallowing hard as he forces a few words out of his throat.
Brad: Evan...I don't know what to say...
Evan: Just tell me you'll understand when I begin to adopt a more assertive approach to eliminating our enemies...and potential enemies...In the weeks that follow. Just understand that this is my way of expressing who I am by taking this course of action...
Brad: I...I'm not sure if I can, Evan...
Evan lets out a sigh and shakes his head as he exits the ring and begins to walk out of the gymnasium, offering a final comment as he leaves...
Evan: Well, maybe you can't, Brad...But I know someone who can...and It think it time we had a long overdue chat...
********
Evan opens his eyes and returns to the present, and takes another deep breath before addressing the remains of the man that lies before him in a distant tone of voice...
Evan: Hi....
It's been a while since I've seen you....And a lot has changed since that time. I became a father myself, and ever since Bradley Jason Andrews was born, I've been scared to death of the fact that he would have have similar relationship with his father to the one I had with you...
For the longest time, I didn't want that because I was of the opinion that your legacy was purely one of pain and suffering, and I wanted my legacy to be something different...Something a bit more positive.
But...After giving the matter a lot of thought, I've come to realize that perhaps your legacy can be transformed into something of value. Perhaps if I utilize the anger that I've felt toward you toward accomplishing something constructive and helping out the people that I care for, I can create an example that my son will be happy to follow..
Evan takes a snapshot of his newborn son and stares at it for a second before placing it against the bottom of the grave...
Evan: Because, when it comes down to it, there's no way that we can escape our past...Ultimately, it needs to be embraced before we can move forward into the future.
That's something that I intend to teach the opponent I'll be facing this week, because it's a lesson that he desperately needs to learn...
And that's something that I intend to teach my son when he comes of age...
In the same way that you taught me, Dad...
In the same way that you taught me...
With that, Evan Andrews offers a final nod toward his father, and turns his back to his past, and toward a future where this lesson can be applied....
(Fade)
As Evan stands in front of his fathers' grave, he isn't thinking about the blistering heat, or the sweltering air that he breathes into his lungs with deep gulps. Instead, his entire attention is focused upon the fact that this is the first time that he's visited this location in a long, long time. He knows that part of the reason for this is because he never really had a healthy relationship with his father- in fact, most of his memories of David Andrews involve the older man's fist being propelled in the direction of his face.
But there's another reason why he hasn't been here for so long, and that's because these visits always serve to remind of the fact that in many ways, he is his father's son.
More than anything else, Evan desperately wants to avoid the possibility that he'll become the same type of abusive, embittered bastard that his father was...Especially given that he recently fathered a son of his own. Yet, every now and then, something will cause him to lash out at people the way his father used to...And even though Evan generally uses words to express his anger, rather than his fists, the results aren't any less destructive.
The latest example of this took place a couple of days ago, when he and Brad Kane were engaged in their latest sparring session. His friend made an innocuous, off-handed remark about the opponent Evan's scheduled to face at the Picture Perfect PPV...And Evan's reaction to this comment has remained front and center in his mind ever since that moment...
Closing his eyes, Evan takes another deep breath, releases in an extended sigh, and drifts back in time so that he can relive that memory once more and make better sense of what happened during the course of that conversation .
*******
Two days earlier...
"You ready, Evan?"
Evan nods his head as he stands inside the ring that's located in the Kane Mansion's gym and prepares to strike the pair of speed mitts being held by his friend to prat ice a few new strike sequences that he plans to use against the man formerly known as Lance Ryan when the two of them meet inside the ring.
Brad: Good. You had better be ready. Lance Ryan is one of the toughest and most talented competitors that you're ever going to meet inside the ring.
Evan feels his jaw tighten with annoyance as he lances a blistering strike combination into the mitts held by his best friend.
Evan: His name's not Lance anymore, Brad. He goes by Stefan...Stefan Rzany.
Brad: Evan, I don't care what he wants to call himself...He's still a legend. There's a reason why he's won so many world championships, and why-
Evan: I'm aware of what he's accomplished...
Brad: Then you know that regardless of what name he uses, he'll be the greatest challenge that you've faced since your return to in ring action.
Lance...Stefan...May be going through a rough patch, but if he gets his **** together I know he's still capable be making another run toward the top. And ,even tough we aren't nearly as tight as we once were, I still wouldn't mind seeing that happen.
Be nice to see him get back to the place where he was at before...
Evan watches Brad's eyes fill with memories, and feels his own eyes grow hard as he stares daggers toward his friend.
Evan: I see...
So, I take it that you'd feel actually feel some measure of regret if he were to lose the math that he's about to have against me this week at the Picture Perfect PPV...
Brad ceases his movement and levels a quizzical stare toward his friend, but before he can issue his reply, Evan interrupts and addresses him in an increasingly cold tone of voice.
Evan: I take it that you'd feel some measure of sadness if I were to not only defeat Stefan, but also issue a beating that's so comprehensive that it would prevent him from being able to regain his former position at any point in the months and years to follow...
Brad: Evan...All I'm saying is that...
Evan: All you're saying is that you wish nothing but the best for a man who currently has no time for you, Brad. That's what you were saying...right?
Brad: Evan...Lance ...
Evan: Stefan...
Brad: Whatever! All I'm saying is that he was once my best friend, and you can't expect me to forget that.
Evan: Did you forget the fact that I'm currently your best friend, Brad? Were you too busy reliving the "good old days" to take that into account...
Or could this be due to the fact that you consider me to be less of a friend, and more of an expendable resource that you can use to help fend off the forces of The Front Office and the Young Gunz.?
For a moment, Brad stands there in silence with his mouth agape and his eyes wide in shock, before he features transform into a mask of indignation and anger.
Brad: Dude...what the...!? Who are you to speak to me that way? Who the hell are you!?
Evan: Who am I?
You know, Brad...That's actually a pretty good question that you just asked of me...
And, you know something funny?
I'm pretty certain that man formerly known as Lance Ryan and currently known as Stefan Rzany is sitting in his filth-ridden rat trap of an apartment and asking the same thing...
He's asking himself who Evan Andrews really is...And, in order to determine its answer, he searches through my biographical profile and decides to key in upon a few facts that have become apparent in his previous promotional appearances. He notes that I've become the type of devoted family man that he once was, and that I've a friendship with you that's similar to the one he had...
He takes all that consideration, arrives at the conclusion that I'm little more than a second rate imitation of the person he once was, and ultimately decides that in the scheme of things that Evan Andrews really isn't someone that that concern him all that much...
Well, this week, he's going to find out just how mistaken he was to base his opinion of my capability on this assumption.
Because there's a whole lot more to Evan Andrews then his friends and family, and the fact that he once wore a mask and wrestled under the name of Terminus.
There are a few other things that need to be considered before one can truly make an assumption about who I am. For starters, one needs to take into account the sense of anger that I feel about the abuse I suffered during my childhood- and the obsessive need to prove myself that resulted from these experiences.
I initially assumed the role of Terminus after the previous incarnation was injured because I thought it would be the best way to express these emotions. But, over time, I've come to realize that I can do so just as well without feeling the need to wear that particular piece of head gear.
Unlike the opponent that I'm facing this week, who relies upon multiple identities to express how he feels, I've come to terms with the person that I was, have become, and will continue to be going forward.
I've arrived at a point in my life where I can fuse all of the experiences that I've had as a child, and as Terminus, and as a family man into a single identity...And, this week, your opponent is going to have a greater understanding of what it contains.
He'll have a greater understanding not only of the person who developed into a loving husband and father, and a close friend to someone he once considered a brother...But also of the fierce, fiery competitor who can draw upon his memories and experiences to defeat someone in a variety of different ways.
Yeah...This week, at Picture Perfect, Stefan Rzany is going to learn a whole lot more about who I really am...
And he's going to find that lesson to be very painful...
Very painful, indeed...
The two men stand in silence for a moment, with Brad regarding Evan through wide eyes and his mouth agape, before swallowing hard as he forces a few words out of his throat.
Brad: Evan...I don't know what to say...
Evan: Just tell me you'll understand when I begin to adopt a more assertive approach to eliminating our enemies...and potential enemies...In the weeks that follow. Just understand that this is my way of expressing who I am by taking this course of action...
Brad: I...I'm not sure if I can, Evan...
Evan lets out a sigh and shakes his head as he exits the ring and begins to walk out of the gymnasium, offering a final comment as he leaves...
Evan: Well, maybe you can't, Brad...But I know someone who can...and It think it time we had a long overdue chat...
********
Evan opens his eyes and returns to the present, and takes another deep breath before addressing the remains of the man that lies before him in a distant tone of voice...
Evan: Hi....
It's been a while since I've seen you....And a lot has changed since that time. I became a father myself, and ever since Bradley Jason Andrews was born, I've been scared to death of the fact that he would have have similar relationship with his father to the one I had with you...
For the longest time, I didn't want that because I was of the opinion that your legacy was purely one of pain and suffering, and I wanted my legacy to be something different...Something a bit more positive.
But...After giving the matter a lot of thought, I've come to realize that perhaps your legacy can be transformed into something of value. Perhaps if I utilize the anger that I've felt toward you toward accomplishing something constructive and helping out the people that I care for, I can create an example that my son will be happy to follow..
Evan takes a snapshot of his newborn son and stares at it for a second before placing it against the bottom of the grave...
Evan: Because, when it comes down to it, there's no way that we can escape our past...Ultimately, it needs to be embraced before we can move forward into the future.
That's something that I intend to teach the opponent I'll be facing this week, because it's a lesson that he desperately needs to learn...
And that's something that I intend to teach my son when he comes of age...
In the same way that you taught me, Dad...
In the same way that you taught me...
With that, Evan Andrews offers a final nod toward his father, and turns his back to his past, and toward a future where this lesson can be applied....
(Fade)