Post by Marcus Thomas Brody, M! T! B!! on Aug 25, 2011 19:42:15 GMT
"Shit!"[/color]
My frustration rang through the empty locker room. I ploughed a taped fist into the first locker I saw. And with my mean right hook (and the cheap arse metal used to make these lockers) the dent I left was remarkable. I pulled my fist out and pressed my forehead against the cooling steel.
"Two in a row!" I grunted with chagrin. "I go a whole year without being pinned and now... two pay-per-views on the trot... pinned!"[/color]
I took a few deep breaths as I went over the match in my head. I struggled to keep my eyes open as the sweat trickled down my my hair and into them. I put all my weight on my hands and my head as I leaned on the lockers.
"How did James beat me?"[/color] I wondered. It was hard to figure out. I mean, I had him defeated. I hit the Su-Prey. I could have sworn I did. How did he pull it out of the bag? But that wasn't the point. The thing was that he won... and I lost. So much for a perfect league run.
"First I'm out of Jealousy. First round. And now my partner beats me. What happened?"
"Ya let him get the better of ya."[/color]
I knew that voice. Well, of course I did. I lived in Sandy Strachon's house. His usual grin wasn't there. He sported a clear look of disappointment on his face.
"What was with ya, MTB?"[/color] he snarled. "I'm payin' good money for ya and that's how ya repay me? Losing!"
"I gave it my all, Sandy."[/color] I proclaimed.
"Who cares? Ya lost. It's goin' down in history that James Stall beat ya."[/color]
"What can I do about that?"[/color]
I found one of the leather chairs they'd put in my locker room and slopped myself down into it. Sandy was still looking at me sternly.
"Ya can't change the result. But there is one thing ya can do."[/color]
"And that is?"[/color]
"Show me ya deserve this private locker room and all the perks I've negotiated for ya. What's the point in stickin' my neck out for ya when yer not gettin' results?"[/color]
Unfortunately for me, he had a point. Only a winner should be getting these privileges I got. I just sighed at him.
"Lucky for ya, yer gonna get a chance to redeem yerself on Live-Wire."[/color]
"Who am I facing?"[/color]
"Roman Mason. The Board told me before."[/color]
"You know who the Board is?"[/color]
Sandy's disappointment vanished and his trademark grin was back. He must have known something. So that might have been how I've been getting all this stuff. I was sure Pain wouldn't have allowed me to have a locker room to myself, but if Sandy knew the Board of Directors, it made a lot of sense. All Sandy did was nod.
"I do, but I can't tell ya. They've said they're gonna show themselves on Live-Wire."[/color]
He raised those unmatchably thick eyebrows and swaggered out of the locker room, leaving me with my thoughts.
"Roman Mason, huh?"[/color]
This rookie had literally come in with a bang. I mean, the kid shot at the man to beat in the League, Timothy Edward Vortex. Get it? Why was I calling him a kid when he was older than me? Meh, who cares? This chap didn't live up to his nickname at all. "Made" Roman Mason? He was none for two in FWF. Ross Walker had made quick work of him, and my time-travelling rival had vanquished him comfortably earlier on. This match would be a true test of my mettle. This coming Live-Wire was crucial. It would be 362 days since I'd last won a match by myself. About as long as my title reign. Without a defence, that meant I'd be hitting a year, and I'd soon be nearer to Predator's 412-day run as World Heavyweight Champion...
But what had I proven in that time? That I was the weak link in The New Direction? That I couldn't hack it in the ring on my own? Live-Wire on August 25th was now more important than Genesis. If I couldn't defeat Roman Mason, then what was the point? I'd go down in history as a failure. And my dad... my dad with his Jealousy Tournament triumph! Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he still had what it takes in 2011. Maybe I was heading in a wrong direction? Maybe... just maybe, I should focus more out there. Maybe I should not distract myself! This was a new direction, pardon the pun. A new direction to success and and new direction to becoming the best! And the start of it... Live-Wire. But who was on the Board??
"Maybe just focus on redemption."[/color]
[/color]
My frustration rang through the empty locker room. I ploughed a taped fist into the first locker I saw. And with my mean right hook (and the cheap arse metal used to make these lockers) the dent I left was remarkable. I pulled my fist out and pressed my forehead against the cooling steel.
"Two in a row!" I grunted with chagrin. "I go a whole year without being pinned and now... two pay-per-views on the trot... pinned!"[/color]
I took a few deep breaths as I went over the match in my head. I struggled to keep my eyes open as the sweat trickled down my my hair and into them. I put all my weight on my hands and my head as I leaned on the lockers.
"How did James beat me?"[/color] I wondered. It was hard to figure out. I mean, I had him defeated. I hit the Su-Prey. I could have sworn I did. How did he pull it out of the bag? But that wasn't the point. The thing was that he won... and I lost. So much for a perfect league run.
"First I'm out of Jealousy. First round. And now my partner beats me. What happened?"
"Ya let him get the better of ya."[/color]
I knew that voice. Well, of course I did. I lived in Sandy Strachon's house. His usual grin wasn't there. He sported a clear look of disappointment on his face.
"What was with ya, MTB?"[/color] he snarled. "I'm payin' good money for ya and that's how ya repay me? Losing!"
"I gave it my all, Sandy."[/color] I proclaimed.
"Who cares? Ya lost. It's goin' down in history that James Stall beat ya."[/color]
"What can I do about that?"[/color]
I found one of the leather chairs they'd put in my locker room and slopped myself down into it. Sandy was still looking at me sternly.
"Ya can't change the result. But there is one thing ya can do."[/color]
"And that is?"[/color]
"Show me ya deserve this private locker room and all the perks I've negotiated for ya. What's the point in stickin' my neck out for ya when yer not gettin' results?"[/color]
Unfortunately for me, he had a point. Only a winner should be getting these privileges I got. I just sighed at him.
"Lucky for ya, yer gonna get a chance to redeem yerself on Live-Wire."[/color]
"Who am I facing?"[/color]
"Roman Mason. The Board told me before."[/color]
"You know who the Board is?"[/color]
Sandy's disappointment vanished and his trademark grin was back. He must have known something. So that might have been how I've been getting all this stuff. I was sure Pain wouldn't have allowed me to have a locker room to myself, but if Sandy knew the Board of Directors, it made a lot of sense. All Sandy did was nod.
"I do, but I can't tell ya. They've said they're gonna show themselves on Live-Wire."[/color]
He raised those unmatchably thick eyebrows and swaggered out of the locker room, leaving me with my thoughts.
"Roman Mason, huh?"[/color]
This rookie had literally come in with a bang. I mean, the kid shot at the man to beat in the League, Timothy Edward Vortex. Get it? Why was I calling him a kid when he was older than me? Meh, who cares? This chap didn't live up to his nickname at all. "Made" Roman Mason? He was none for two in FWF. Ross Walker had made quick work of him, and my time-travelling rival had vanquished him comfortably earlier on. This match would be a true test of my mettle. This coming Live-Wire was crucial. It would be 362 days since I'd last won a match by myself. About as long as my title reign. Without a defence, that meant I'd be hitting a year, and I'd soon be nearer to Predator's 412-day run as World Heavyweight Champion...
But what had I proven in that time? That I was the weak link in The New Direction? That I couldn't hack it in the ring on my own? Live-Wire on August 25th was now more important than Genesis. If I couldn't defeat Roman Mason, then what was the point? I'd go down in history as a failure. And my dad... my dad with his Jealousy Tournament triumph! Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he still had what it takes in 2011. Maybe I was heading in a wrong direction? Maybe... just maybe, I should focus more out there. Maybe I should not distract myself! This was a new direction, pardon the pun. A new direction to success and and new direction to becoming the best! And the start of it... Live-Wire. But who was on the Board??
"Maybe just focus on redemption."[/color]
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