Post by Jimmy Zane on Mar 16, 2009 12:22:31 GMT -6
~{/SETTING\}~
The scene fades in as Jimmy Zane is seen in his car, traveling towards the next town. Traveling towards the site of Sovereign. He is just driving alone, and begins to talk out loud to himself.
~{/JIMMY ZANE\}~
Deep and dark the night flows heavy with the pain and sorrow of loss. The feeling in my gut so sickening that I want to puke it up, and never stop puking until the feeling goes away. Unfortunately for me, I have something that can't be gotten rid of by simply hurling my guts into the toilet. The sickness is obviously losing because it's what I have done for weeks on end, it seems. Losing to people like Adam Knite, and Homeless Harold. People that are in the upper echelon of superstars in nCw. If I can't beat them, then what good am I to the company? If I can't beat them, what good am I to myself? If I can't beat them, how am I my father's son? How can I be the son of one of the greatest wrestlers of all time if I can't step up my game and be the man I am supposed to be? Life is frustrating! This business is killing me one week at a time, and I have done nothing to make my situation better. I have done nothing, to stake my claim to a world title shot, and I have done NOTHING but embaress my family. To this, I say no more. To this, I say......nothing. I have no excuses for my failure. None that would reap any warrant or benefit anyway. I am a failure in my career to this point. I am a failure in this business, and I fear I may never live up to the greatness of my father. I may never live up to the hype of being the Punisher's son. Hell, I might not even live up to being a professional wrestler at all. Maybe I should just quit. Maybe I should just walk away with what's left of my dignity and what's left of my pride, if there are really such things in life.
~{/SETTING\}~
Jimmy picks up his cell as it begins to ring. He looks at who is calling and sends them to voicemail. Then a text message comes through with his match for this week on Sovereign.
~{/JIMMY ZANE\}~
This week, once again, I face off against an old friend. Third time's a charm, I guess. The previous two times didn't necessarily work out for the best for me, so what the hell will be different about this? What will make this different than every other time I have stepped into the ring with Harold? I got destroyed the first time. The second time, I got concussed to the point that I was basically in a coma! Maybe next time, I will just die in the process. Or maybe I will just be a punching bag for him again. His animalistic urges haven't been tamed by anyone here in nCw, and I don't think they will anytime soon. Maybe I should bow out gracefully and just no-show the match. I could get my Doctor to tell nCw management that I can't compete because it is in direct conflict with my injuries and would be detrimental to my health. Would I be less of a man for refusing to be beaten like a red-headed step child? Would I be less of a man for refusing to have my head kicked in, and risk permanent brain damage, or even death? What about paralysis? I don't want to be in a wheel chair with a colostomy bag for the rest of my life! Yeah, I just don't see that happening. I don't see myself being another cautionary tale for professional wrestling. Then again, I don't want to go out a failure either. I don't want to go out on a note so low, that I just drift off into the unknown without anyone caring that I left. That's not my style.
~{/SETTING\}~
Jimmy sighs and looks out at the road. A stern, cold and lifeless face of fear and doubt.
~{/JIMMY ZANE\}~
So whatever am I to do, Harold? Do I stand up to you? Face you like a man in the ring, and risk everything that I am? Everything that my father was? Do I stand up and shout to the world that I will not go quietly into the night, I will not perish without a fight! Or, do I step down, and admit that you are the better man? I can tell you right now, that the thought of you even being remotely close to better than me make me laugh. What kind of man loses everything he has because of his own stupidity, then blames it on someone else? What kind of man is so embaressed by his OWN ACTIONS that he is blackmailed in to laying a beating on one of his best friends that is so severe that he almost dies, just to keep from beind found out for who you really are? The very notion that you are the better man in this situation is almost hysterical in itself. The days and nights grow shorter for you because you feel the pressure coming down on you. You feel the weight of the world coming down on your shoulders so heavy, that it slams you to the ground, and won't let you up. It will hold you there forever if you let it, Harold, and the only way to get out from under all the drama, and all the bull****, is to tell the truth about who you are. The truth shall set you free, Harold. It will release the pain and suffering and pressure you feel every single day under that mask.
~{/SETTING\}~
Jimmy contemplates the options for a moment. Thinking of all the things that have been, and could be. He breaks his silence with one final thought.
~{/JIMMY ZANE\}~
So, upon second thought, I think I am going to extend a great deal of help to you this week, Harold. I am going to make my way down to that ring. I am going to climb in there with you, and I am going to do what I do best. I am going to fly off the ropes, and use my speed and quickness, and I am going to do something nobody else was ever able to do, Harold. I am going to unmask you. I am going to take that mask off of you, toss it out to the crowd so some kid can have a souvenir of the night that the mask came off, and Homeless Harold was exposed to be ..... (laughing) Oh, trust me, people. When you see who it is, you will be blown away. It will be so incredibily shocking that you will the silence of shock and awe will be so intense that you will think the audio feed was cut. The memories of his past will be so thick you will have to brush them away from your face. Then and only then, will you once again, feel the relief of being out from under Adam Knite's thumb. Then and only then, will you be truly...FREE. I am the truth, and the light, Harold, and as such, I am going to set you free from the chains that bind you. I will free you from the prison of shame and embaressment and release you back into a world that knows and loves you more than you ever thought possible. And when that moment is upon you, when that moment is right there in front of you, and you hear the cheers, and you hear how much the crowd loves you... that moment, your life will be new again, and you will be yourself, once again.
That will be my gift for you, my friend. A gift to make up for all the times I walked by you, and hid my eyes from your plight. From all the times I ignored your situation and just bettered my own. For that, I am truly sorry, but this week, I will make up for all of my transgressions by defeating you, and exposing you to the world for who you truly are. You will see, my friend, you will once again, be loved.
~{/SETTING\}~
Jimmy just smiles as he reaches down and turns the radio on. He finds a station that is tolerable as his car barrels down the highway. He picks up his cell and returns the text that he received. He places it back in the cupholder and continues to drive into the night as the scene fades to black.
*** FOUR HOURS LATER ****
Jimmy's car comes into view and pulls into the parking lot of the Waldorf Astoria. He pulls up to the door, and gets out as a valet runs around the car. He hands Jimmy a ticket, and Jimmy grabs his bag from the trunk and closes it. He walks into the hotel and up to the counter. The concierge was expecting him and whisks him away to the private check-in room. They do all the paperwork, and then the concierge takes him to the penthouse suite. The concierge leaves and Jimmy walks over to the window and looks out at the New York City skyline. He smiles to himself as he remembers the last time he was in New York and all the good times he and Harold had together here.
~{/JIMMY ZANE\}~
Hey Harold! Remember that time we were down in Times Square and the kids were playing the drums on the five gallon paint jugs, and you joined in? Just seeing your big ass sitting there, towering over this tiny bucket banging away. The people loved it, man. It was truly one of the funnier moments of our time together. And what about the guy who was selling watches out of his trench coat that you thought was a flasher? My god, I almost lost it when you pulled down your shorts and showed him "what time it was" so to speak. Those were good times, man.
Remember when we went into the crown of the Statue of Liberty, and you spit out the window? Then when we got downstairs, Xander was standing there pissed off because some "asshole" spit out the window and it hit him the head. I guess it served him right for being a girl, and being afriad of heights. Man, that was a fun day. The brawl in the subway terminal you started just because someone called you an old goat was one of the funniest things ever. Man, this town has taken some of the biggest blows we could have given it, and still it is standing. Standing tall above all other cities. Kind of like me, huh?
I have taken all the blows. All the punishment, and still, here I am. Standing tall and proud, like this great city. This week, in the most famous arena in the world, Harold, I will do something that has never been done before. I will do something everyone has secretly prayed for, for months. That, my friend, is remove your mask. All the good times we had here, all the bad, and all the fun will not compare to what is coming next, Harold. This city, this crowd, and this night, will belong to me. You may not remember us as friends, and you may not believe it can be done. But the one thing you will do, is REAP THE WHIRLWIND!
~{/SETTING\}~
Jimmy turns and walks out of the hotel room and shuts the door behind him as the scene fades to black.
The scene fades in as Jimmy Zane is seen in his car, traveling towards the next town. Traveling towards the site of Sovereign. He is just driving alone, and begins to talk out loud to himself.
~{/JIMMY ZANE\}~
Deep and dark the night flows heavy with the pain and sorrow of loss. The feeling in my gut so sickening that I want to puke it up, and never stop puking until the feeling goes away. Unfortunately for me, I have something that can't be gotten rid of by simply hurling my guts into the toilet. The sickness is obviously losing because it's what I have done for weeks on end, it seems. Losing to people like Adam Knite, and Homeless Harold. People that are in the upper echelon of superstars in nCw. If I can't beat them, then what good am I to the company? If I can't beat them, what good am I to myself? If I can't beat them, how am I my father's son? How can I be the son of one of the greatest wrestlers of all time if I can't step up my game and be the man I am supposed to be? Life is frustrating! This business is killing me one week at a time, and I have done nothing to make my situation better. I have done nothing, to stake my claim to a world title shot, and I have done NOTHING but embaress my family. To this, I say no more. To this, I say......nothing. I have no excuses for my failure. None that would reap any warrant or benefit anyway. I am a failure in my career to this point. I am a failure in this business, and I fear I may never live up to the greatness of my father. I may never live up to the hype of being the Punisher's son. Hell, I might not even live up to being a professional wrestler at all. Maybe I should just quit. Maybe I should just walk away with what's left of my dignity and what's left of my pride, if there are really such things in life.
~{/SETTING\}~
Jimmy picks up his cell as it begins to ring. He looks at who is calling and sends them to voicemail. Then a text message comes through with his match for this week on Sovereign.
~{/JIMMY ZANE\}~
This week, once again, I face off against an old friend. Third time's a charm, I guess. The previous two times didn't necessarily work out for the best for me, so what the hell will be different about this? What will make this different than every other time I have stepped into the ring with Harold? I got destroyed the first time. The second time, I got concussed to the point that I was basically in a coma! Maybe next time, I will just die in the process. Or maybe I will just be a punching bag for him again. His animalistic urges haven't been tamed by anyone here in nCw, and I don't think they will anytime soon. Maybe I should bow out gracefully and just no-show the match. I could get my Doctor to tell nCw management that I can't compete because it is in direct conflict with my injuries and would be detrimental to my health. Would I be less of a man for refusing to be beaten like a red-headed step child? Would I be less of a man for refusing to have my head kicked in, and risk permanent brain damage, or even death? What about paralysis? I don't want to be in a wheel chair with a colostomy bag for the rest of my life! Yeah, I just don't see that happening. I don't see myself being another cautionary tale for professional wrestling. Then again, I don't want to go out a failure either. I don't want to go out on a note so low, that I just drift off into the unknown without anyone caring that I left. That's not my style.
~{/SETTING\}~
Jimmy sighs and looks out at the road. A stern, cold and lifeless face of fear and doubt.
~{/JIMMY ZANE\}~
So whatever am I to do, Harold? Do I stand up to you? Face you like a man in the ring, and risk everything that I am? Everything that my father was? Do I stand up and shout to the world that I will not go quietly into the night, I will not perish without a fight! Or, do I step down, and admit that you are the better man? I can tell you right now, that the thought of you even being remotely close to better than me make me laugh. What kind of man loses everything he has because of his own stupidity, then blames it on someone else? What kind of man is so embaressed by his OWN ACTIONS that he is blackmailed in to laying a beating on one of his best friends that is so severe that he almost dies, just to keep from beind found out for who you really are? The very notion that you are the better man in this situation is almost hysterical in itself. The days and nights grow shorter for you because you feel the pressure coming down on you. You feel the weight of the world coming down on your shoulders so heavy, that it slams you to the ground, and won't let you up. It will hold you there forever if you let it, Harold, and the only way to get out from under all the drama, and all the bull****, is to tell the truth about who you are. The truth shall set you free, Harold. It will release the pain and suffering and pressure you feel every single day under that mask.
~{/SETTING\}~
Jimmy contemplates the options for a moment. Thinking of all the things that have been, and could be. He breaks his silence with one final thought.
~{/JIMMY ZANE\}~
So, upon second thought, I think I am going to extend a great deal of help to you this week, Harold. I am going to make my way down to that ring. I am going to climb in there with you, and I am going to do what I do best. I am going to fly off the ropes, and use my speed and quickness, and I am going to do something nobody else was ever able to do, Harold. I am going to unmask you. I am going to take that mask off of you, toss it out to the crowd so some kid can have a souvenir of the night that the mask came off, and Homeless Harold was exposed to be ..... (laughing) Oh, trust me, people. When you see who it is, you will be blown away. It will be so incredibily shocking that you will the silence of shock and awe will be so intense that you will think the audio feed was cut. The memories of his past will be so thick you will have to brush them away from your face. Then and only then, will you once again, feel the relief of being out from under Adam Knite's thumb. Then and only then, will you be truly...FREE. I am the truth, and the light, Harold, and as such, I am going to set you free from the chains that bind you. I will free you from the prison of shame and embaressment and release you back into a world that knows and loves you more than you ever thought possible. And when that moment is upon you, when that moment is right there in front of you, and you hear the cheers, and you hear how much the crowd loves you... that moment, your life will be new again, and you will be yourself, once again.
That will be my gift for you, my friend. A gift to make up for all the times I walked by you, and hid my eyes from your plight. From all the times I ignored your situation and just bettered my own. For that, I am truly sorry, but this week, I will make up for all of my transgressions by defeating you, and exposing you to the world for who you truly are. You will see, my friend, you will once again, be loved.
~{/SETTING\}~
Jimmy just smiles as he reaches down and turns the radio on. He finds a station that is tolerable as his car barrels down the highway. He picks up his cell and returns the text that he received. He places it back in the cupholder and continues to drive into the night as the scene fades to black.
*** FOUR HOURS LATER ****
Jimmy's car comes into view and pulls into the parking lot of the Waldorf Astoria. He pulls up to the door, and gets out as a valet runs around the car. He hands Jimmy a ticket, and Jimmy grabs his bag from the trunk and closes it. He walks into the hotel and up to the counter. The concierge was expecting him and whisks him away to the private check-in room. They do all the paperwork, and then the concierge takes him to the penthouse suite. The concierge leaves and Jimmy walks over to the window and looks out at the New York City skyline. He smiles to himself as he remembers the last time he was in New York and all the good times he and Harold had together here.
~{/JIMMY ZANE\}~
Hey Harold! Remember that time we were down in Times Square and the kids were playing the drums on the five gallon paint jugs, and you joined in? Just seeing your big ass sitting there, towering over this tiny bucket banging away. The people loved it, man. It was truly one of the funnier moments of our time together. And what about the guy who was selling watches out of his trench coat that you thought was a flasher? My god, I almost lost it when you pulled down your shorts and showed him "what time it was" so to speak. Those were good times, man.
Remember when we went into the crown of the Statue of Liberty, and you spit out the window? Then when we got downstairs, Xander was standing there pissed off because some "asshole" spit out the window and it hit him the head. I guess it served him right for being a girl, and being afriad of heights. Man, that was a fun day. The brawl in the subway terminal you started just because someone called you an old goat was one of the funniest things ever. Man, this town has taken some of the biggest blows we could have given it, and still it is standing. Standing tall above all other cities. Kind of like me, huh?
I have taken all the blows. All the punishment, and still, here I am. Standing tall and proud, like this great city. This week, in the most famous arena in the world, Harold, I will do something that has never been done before. I will do something everyone has secretly prayed for, for months. That, my friend, is remove your mask. All the good times we had here, all the bad, and all the fun will not compare to what is coming next, Harold. This city, this crowd, and this night, will belong to me. You may not remember us as friends, and you may not believe it can be done. But the one thing you will do, is REAP THE WHIRLWIND!
~{/SETTING\}~
Jimmy turns and walks out of the hotel room and shuts the door behind him as the scene fades to black.