Death.

[Falcon]

Death

"You can't kill me.. I'm Immortal."

"Sounds real good doesn't it. I say it more as a dare than an actual statement. I have no delusions that I will actually live forever, or that nothing is capable of killing me. It started as sort of a middle finger gesture to the early opponents of my career, most of whom thought they were super bad ass, who in one way or another invariably said they would kill me. There were three general reasons for this."

"I'm evil, and killing you is something I just do."

"Yeah, right. People die in the wrestling business all the time. From age and injuries sustained combined with drug use, both recreational and medical. But very few die in that ring. And if everyone who said they were gonna murder someone actually did, nobody would wrestle except felons."

"I'm gonna kill you cuz I like to inflict pain, and I'm crazy."

"Uh huh, sure. I'm sure that sounds real threatening when you're standing in an elementary school parking lot trying to terrorize third graders, but in a business where pain is part of the game, you're just blowing smoke. Besides there's clubs for that kinda thing, isn't there?"

"I'm gonna kill you cuz I'm gonna imagine that you're are someone else I hate."

"This is just a douchebaggey reason, popularized by one Brad Kane. This says several things about your character. It says.. Someone whine wronged whine me whine and whine I whine hate whine them whine. It says you can't be a man, and you can't be a professional. If you can't compartmentalize your mind, you should go back to the clubs and write poetry and watch Twilight... and get the hell out of my ring."

"I don't want to be immortal through my works. I want to be immortal by not dying."
-Woody Allen

"A lot of people have told me they were going to kill me. A lot of men have told me that I'm going to die. And one day, I will. But I'm far from done. I'm not one for finding the most inspirational words, but here's a quote from me that I think may just live on after I go."

"I'll sleep when I die, and I'll die when I'm done."
-Kyle Braddock

Now, as I lay here in the dark
And I think back to the start
I know some things have to end
For the next one to begin
I walk alone, free at last
I feel the pressure letting go
From the very bottom of my soul
Flesh and bone, fall to past
Light the ashes in the rain
And fade away

---------------------------------
Misery

I awoke in pain. Horrible pain, like nothing else I've ever felt before. Every nerve was on fire, but I didn't feel like I had any control. My arms felt too heavy to move, my fingers wouldn't wiggle no matter how hard I tried. My legs felt the exact same way. Even my eye lids felt like paperweights sitting on top of my face. My entire body was numb and immovable, but each milimeter of my skin felt like it was being torn off my body with pliers. Nothing filled my ears except silence as I lay there and suffered, unable to move, unable to see, unable to breathe. I had begun to focus on what had happened instead of the pain when a voice broke the silence.

"My god..."

Was it my mother? Or my sister? Or Serenity? It was hard to tell, they sounded so much alike. But the most important question is why had she said that?

"I knew this would happen."

That was definately my mother. But what was she talking about. I wanted to open my eyes to see, but they wouldn't move.

"He just collapsed in the ring, and died shortly after."

That sounded like Leon.. the nCw medic. But, what...? I'm dead? Impossible. I can still think, I can't be dead. It's not possible.

"But of course you're dead."

It's my funeral

My own voice assaulted me. I still couldn't move or feel anything except pain. I wanted to shout, but the sound just reverberated inside my own head. There's no way I'm dead!

"You died in the ring, exactly as you hoped. So sad.. heart failure they said was."

Welcome you all

My last physical came back fine, you're just bull****ting me.

"I wish I was. It offends me you think I'm kidding. You're dead, now I'm dead. What's there for me to gain by bull****ting you?"

This is the end of the line

Then why am I in pain? Why do I still feel everything if I'm dead? This doesn't make any sense!

"How do you know what death is like? Someone else you know experience it and come back? Didn't think so. This is what death is, for all eternity. Get used to it."

So thank you for coming along

This is Bull****!

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Just be lucky you're not being cremated, that would really suck. Like being dead doesn't suck enough."

My time has come

But.. when..? I know how now, I guess. But when..?

"Last time I checked it was early in the a.m. on the fourteenth.."

I don't wanna leave you behind

But that's...

"Couple hours after Battlegrounds..."

But this one I'll do on my own

----------------------------
Awaken

(Falcon woke up, almost panicking until he realized where he was. He looked around the hotel room in Texas, until his eyes settled on the svelte figure beside him in the bed. She was sleeping soundly, undisturbed by the fact that he had suddenly sat bolt upright. She was always so calm, like she had always told him he was. He slid out of bed, and walked toward the window.)

Falcon: I swear, I cause my own nightmares. I know that dream means I'm afraid of dying this weekend. I'm afraid of leaving behind everything that I have now, or everything I might have. Is it because of you, Adam? Or just my own reminder than I'm not getting any younger? I can't tell anymore. The vision is so blurred that it makes me forget where I am sometimes. There's too much I have left to accomplish to worry about death yet, even at your hands.

(Falcon took out his cigarette pack from his pants pocket, then hesitated, and put it back down on the table.)

Falcon: Maybe not the best idea right now.

(He turned back to look at Serenity, still asleep in bed.)

Falcon: This isn't really about you and me, is it Adam? It's about nCw. As the future son in law of the owner, you're held to a higher standard. An rich man like Leonard Fox would make certain his daughter chose the best man possible. And looking at your shoulder, you seem to be the best man in the company right now. And if that truly is the case, you have nothing to worry about. But I wonder if you're that confident when the cameras are off. Don't bother with the semantics about yes or no, because I don't need to know. Not sure I want to know either. All I know is that we are days away from finding out if the future of this company lies with you..

Or with me...

(Fade.)

I don't wanna leave you behind
But this is the end of the line
It's My Funeral