Trial at the T(r)oll Bridge

“I knew this was a terrible idea!”

“Shut up. No you didn’t! I think you were more excited than me!”



The scene opens on a Rainbow Bridge over the Seine River. We can’t see anyone walking on it, though. Even the camera appears confused. Soon enough though, we see Xavier Coldwater, he leaned over one side of the bridge, gripping onto a hand.



“You didn’t see the look on your face! Think I was going to let you do this alone? Evidently, if I did, you’d flow downriver and some Mounties would have to find you.”



It’s revealed that the hand he was gripping onto was his best friend, occasional manager, occasional in-ring competitor, Leigh Haught. She was dangling off of Coldwater’s arm precariously over the water. She attempted pull herself up, but her hand slipped because of the fabric of his sleeve. Still, he caught her, curling his arm more this time. She was able to climb higher this time, enough to reach a second extended arm.



Xavier pulled Leigh until she was upside down in the air. She was suspended there for a few moments before her feet touched solid ground again and X was able to let go. Both friends wrung their hands. It wasn’t exactly warm outside. It was December in Manitoba. “You’re so lucky I’m so cool under pressure.” Xavier turned toward the camera with a confident smirk. He hip-checked Leigh, who clearly was about to interject. Despite what just almost happened to his best friend, Xavier did not hesitate to hop up on the ledge, casually sitting on it, back facing outward, looking at the camera. Leigh looked to prepare herself, just in case anything happened. Xavier though, gave a reassuring, borderline cocky nod.



“Out of all the places to talk to the RevoOne faithful, this week, I wanted to do it here. On this bridge.”



“But why, Xavi?” Leigh asked, with all the enthusiasm of a high school theatre rehearsal.



“I’ve made two in-ring appearances since the dawn of Legacy’s new age. Each time has been a pleasant surprise. Don’t think I’ve not heard, and very much appreciated the fan support. A good performer knows that it’s about getting fans on their feet. All our time in the circus drilled it in my mind that my worst fear is letting a crowd be bored, and regret that they bought tickets. So in that sense, I’m proud of my work.”



“Yeah, but…” his redheaded companion started, rolling her eyes. “If you want to be a good WRESTLER, we gotta start winning. You gotta start winning.”



Xavier nodded, knowing she had a point. “I impressed the brass enough that first week to luck into a number one contender’s match.”



“And then?”



A black and white filter fell over the screen and stock “sad” music began to play.



“I put in an effort, I tried really hard, but I failed. I lost. Amber Payne was the better wrestler that night. No ifs, ands, buts, excuses, no anything. It’s 100% fact.”



He popped up off the ledge back onto his feet. The colour returned to the screen and music went the “sad” tone to a more upbeat one. “I could hang my head, I could live in that anger like other wrestlers out there. People tend to like the angry, intense type, who have these long speeches about how failure stays in their hearts and casts a dark cloud over them permanently. That’s not me though! That’s Ms. A-Dark-Fire-Burns-in-Me over here.”



“HEY-!”


The “downer” visual effects returned for just a moment when it panned to Leigh, but faded away just as quickly as Xavier became the focus again.



“I’m not the type that will let anger, hatred, fear and failure live in their heart. If ya boy, Big Xavi Cool is gonna die early, it won’t be from self-loathing, self-destructive, crisis of confidence. It’ll probably be from physically tempting death one too many times.”



A graphic flashes on the screen promoting Xavier’s upcoming match with Darius Alexander.



“Wouldn’t you believe it. I got put right back in the same spot.”



Xavier holds up two fingers, then another..



“Now two-maybe three actually. Three things;

One, I’m not turning down a second shot. It tells me that they believe in me, and they trust me.

Two, despite how it seems, I’m not a fan of handouts, so, I gotta show up and show out I'm not about to throw away my shot. I gotta prove that I deserve it, and I will.

And three? This position I’m in kinda makes me feel like a troll guarding a bridge. On the other side? A Rising Star Championship match. ARE YOU WORTHY? Pay me the toll fee. Answer three riddles, make me tap three times, pin me for the three and you shall pass. Good luck on the other side!”



By now, Xavier stood in the middle of the bridge. “Let me ask you, watching this. You look at me, you’ve seen me compete. Am I a troll? Do I look like I belong as a stepping stone to be walked over? Leigh and I, we have higher goals than that. We didn’t take up wrestling as teenagers to be bridge trolls!”



Leigh made her way alongside him. “We didn’t come here to be gatekeepers, we came to be gate crashers!”



“Now Mr. Darius Alexander, I’m gonna be honest with you, We don’t know much about you, but from what we did find about you?

Nothing of note, as of late, so it looks like a losing streak has to end.” From behind Leigh, we see Xavi point to himself.



“A Powerhouse in the ring, a real strongman brute!”



“Hate to tell you, buddy. But trust me. Where we came from? No one CAME to a show to see the strongman. Sure, maybe one or two in the audience might be a fan, but on the whole? Strong folk? Boring.”



Leigh taps her mouth in a yawn gesture.



“The daredevils, contortionists, fliers, tightrope walkers and trapeze artists? Like us? Every jaw fell, no one sat still. All the cheers were for us.

Darius, being strong is great! And hats off to you. But if that’s your only trick?” Coldwater shook his head and sighed. “I’ve got speed, striking, balance, stamina, even some strength myself. Most importantly though? I’ve got heart. So you can show up with all the strength and anger in the world. If you think that’s enough? You aren’t gonna be some big, angry, awe-inspiring strongman. You’re just gonna be a straight up clown, bro.”



The pair looked at each other.



“That everything?”



“Well, there was one more thing…”



“Oh right! Prosecutor!



Mr. Alexander, wow! Prosecutor! Not even just a lawyer, that’s impressive! But here’s the deal, as a prosecutor, you got to go around, condemning everybody you could. Even after you traded the courtroom for a wrestling ring you STILL need to go around and insist that you speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But you know what that tells me? Someone so desperate to scream to the world that their word is law? That their word is the truth? It tells me-“



“YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!” Leigh interjected, startling even Coldwater.



He laughed, then nodded. “Darius, you held a very lofty position. That leads us to wonder why you aren’t in it anymore. You’re still a young buck, and that paycheck? Pretty fucking steady, bro. Maybe, you have to be so noisy and vicious to try to convince us all that your truth is the real truth because you can’t handle the real truth. The REAL truth? You couldn't hang in the courtroom, and you can’t really cut it in the ring. The REAL truth? Even though you like to play judge, jury and executioner your word isn’t law. Tomorrow in Legacy, it’s you that’s on trial. It’s you that has to prove you deserve the title shot.”



“The verdict?”



The pair go to either barrier on the bridge, tiptoeing to the end of the bridge. This time, Leigh never slipped and they both make it safely. The two pose, Xavier front flipped, landed on one knee. Leigh beside him, laid atop her knees into a backbend bridge.



“It’s simple, you shall not pass. You are not worthy, and the opportunity will be mine."


“Case. Closed.”



Both of Mercury Reborn wink as the scene fades.