Post by Frequent Flyer Miles on Jan 25, 2021 18:17:05 GMT -5
Somewhere in the UK
January 25, 2021, 6.15PM Local Time
'This is stupid.'
Yup. Not going to disagree there.
'I mean, if they think she's the right person to go after your title...'
...yup.
'...and this is a Supercard coming up...'
Exactly.
'...then why don't they just...?'
...yeah. Beats me, too.
'Know what I'm Saiyan?'
'I do know what you're Saiyan, Iz. And you're right. It is kind of dumb. They should have let me put my title up.'
'Yeah, they---wait, what do you mean, let you?'
'I mean, I asked. And they said no.'
'You asked?!'
'Yup.'
'And they said no?'
'That's what I just said.'
'Holy moly, Miles! What the heck do you want that belt for? To hold your pants up with?!'
'Uh...it's kind'a heavy for that. Just say---'
'---I was being sarcastic, genius.'
'Oh.'
'That's right. Oh. As in, oh crap, I'm the World freakin' Champion, why didn't I just make them let me defend my title?''
Oh, boy. Here we go again.
'Teags, I told you---'
'---nah. Nah. You told me a World Champion shouldn't be a whiny self-centered little butthole. And I agree with you. We both agree with you. This is different, though...!'
'Oh yeah? How?'
'What do you mean, how?! Because, one, you want this to be a title match, and two, you want it to be a title match because you think the girl deserves it. You're not thinking of yourself, you're thinking of her. Which means you're not being a self-centered little butthole. Which makes it OK for you to speak up and say you want this to be for the title.'
...she's got a point, actually.
'Yeah...I guess...but...'
'You guess, but...? But what? Butt-hole? Butt-face?'
'Teagan...'
'I mean, what can there possibly be to guess? I just dropped a logic-bomb in your face! Why are you even still trying?'
'Because, it's not that freaking simple! OK?'
'No. Not OK. Why isn't it that freaking simple?'
'Because...'
...how do I explain this so they'll get it...?
'...because, it's not enough to just have good intentions.'
'Oh really?! And why's that?! Please enlighten us, O Wise One!'
Sigh...
'Because, there's more people to think about than just me and Cartier.'
'Yeah. Like the fans. Who'd love to see a title match in their hometown. That you guys are coming to this one time, and probably never again...'
Ugh. She's making this really difficult!
'Teagan, could you do me a favor?'
'What?'
'Could you stop being right for two seconds so I can make my case?'
There. At least that made them laugh.
‘All right, Dorkmeister. Go on.’
I’m just going to pretend I didn’t hear that.
‘Well, as I was saying, you’re right about everything you’re saying…and you’re even right about me maybe, possibly being able to do something about it…but you know…at the end of the day, this is still my job. And as my job, I’ve got to do what my bosses tell me to do.’
‘But Miles…!’
‘Wait a second, Iz. I’m not finished. I gotta say this. Listen…if this was still Mr. Scalia’s grocery shop back in Battle Mountain, and Mr. Scalia told me to do something, and I answered back, or just did whatever the heck I wanted…I’d probably get in trouble, right? And I’d deserve it. Right?’
‘Uh…yeah, but…’
‘..but what? Butt-wipe? Butt-face?’
‘…ha-freaking-ha. Funny guy.’
I couldn't resist.
I couldn't resist.
‘No, I mean…it’s the same here. Just because I do a good job, and people respect me and stuff, doesn’t mean I can just start doing whatever. I’ve still got bosses to answer to. And I’ve still got to do what they want. No matter if I like it or not. You know?’
‘Uh…not really. You’re not just some random employee. You’re---’
‘---Employee of the Month.’
‘You said store manager the other week…’
‘Whatever. A store manager is still an employee. Only way I could really call the shots is if I was store owner. You know…if I actually owned Revo. But I don’t. So I’m not. And I can’t.’
‘Weeeeeellll… You do get huge freakin’ paychecks… Just sayin’, you save up a few of those and maybe you could…’
‘…nah. I’m good.’
‘DUDE…!’
‘Listen…guys…it’s not that important. Seriously. I mean, it’s dumb, and I’d rather give Cartier what she wants, but, you know…I can work with this.’
‘Oh really? ‘Cause I don’t think you’re seeing the big picture here, my guy.’
The big picture?!
‘What big picture?’
‘Well…lemme put it to you this way. Imagine you lose tomorrow.’
‘Tea-gan!’
‘What? I’m just saying imagine!’
‘…knock on wood, but yeah.’
‘OK. Imagine that happens. Now Diamond Girl has bragging rights. Now she can go around running her mouth about how she beat the World Champion, and she would be holding his title right now, if the bosses hadn’t been chicken, or whatever. And you can’t do jack about it, ‘cause she’s right. Get what I’m saying, my dude?’
Yeah. I get it. And she’s right again.
‘Now let’s imagine you win…’
‘Thank. You!’
‘…shut up, Iz. I’m tryna talk to your man over here.’
‘Hey…easy, Teagan. She was just being supportive.’
‘Of course you thought it was for real. C’mon, guy! How do you not know how me and Iz work by now?’
‘Whatever. You were saying?’
‘Oh yeah. Right. Imagine you win. Which is probably totally gonna happen, thank you, Izzy. Now. In a title match, you keep your title, and that’s all she wrote. Like the Foo Fighters would say, ’done and onto the next one’. But here? Here, even if you win, you can’t be done and onto the next one. Because again…she wasn’t taking it seriously, she didn’t need to, it wasn’t a title match, why would she try her hardest when she was fighting for nothing…you get where I’m going with this?’
‘Uh…yeah, but…’
‘…and if the World Champion wasn’t chicken, he would have put it up…’
‘OK, Teagan. I get it. And you’re right. I agree. But what do you want me to do about it? What can I do about it? The match is booked. The show’s in less than a day. I can’t just go and find Ms Moore and ask her to make it a title match!’
‘Um…why not?!’
‘Because, it would mess up the entire show!’
‘Uh, no it wouldn’t. It would still be the same match. Just with some extra stakes and stuff.’
‘And probably on Main Event…like it should’a been all along…’
‘…yeah, that too. But, y’know. No biggie, anyway. Besides, people like surprises like that. They announce it on the show, people are happy, you guys have your match, you beat her, get done with her, bada-bing, bada-bang, wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am, everybody goes home happy. What’s not to like?’
‘Uh…how about the people who are on Main Event now?’
‘Uh…sucks to be them? I mean, they’re not the World Champion, so…’
‘That’s not really right, though, is it?’
‘Whatever, man. It’s like that old Italian dude said. The end justifies the beans.’
‘Means.’
‘Say what?’
‘The means. The end justifies the means. Not the beans.’
‘Oh. Ohhhhhh. So that’s why that saying never made sense to me!’
Oh, Teagan. Never change.
‘Whatever, though. I’m still right.’
‘Not really… I mean… What if they did that to me? Change an event on the fly and bump me out of Main Event? Would you think that was fair?’
‘Uh, NO?! That would totally suck!’
‘Well, there you go…’
‘That’s different, though! You’re the World Champion! You deserve to be on Main Event!’
‘More than these guys do?’
‘Uh…yeah…?’
‘Why?’
‘Because, Miles…!’
‘Because what?! Because I won the right matches? Because I have a belt? So, what, that makes me more of a person than them?’
‘Not more of a person. Just a better person.’
‘You mean a better athlete…’
‘Whatever. Just better.’
‘…not really. I mean…I’m sure there’s a whole bunch of things they’re way better than me at. Even wrestling things. I mean, all I can really do is...’
‘…fly? Yeah. We heard.’
I see what she did there. Cute.
I’ve still got to say this, though.
‘Look, guys, the point is…we’re all just people. You know? I’m not owed anything. And I’m sure not owed a Main Event every time. We’ve been over this!’
‘Yeah, yeah…OK. What about the other thing, though?’
‘…what other thing?’
‘Uh…the match? Like, duh!’
‘Oh. Yeah. That.’
‘Yeah. That. What you gonna do about it?’
‘What am I going to do about it?’
‘That’s what I just asked you, yeah.’
‘I’m going to...make a video, that’s what. Anybody seen Run?’
‘…wait, that’s it?!’
‘Um…yeah? What else did you guys expect?’
‘Uh…we’ve just been over this, Miles. Pulling rank? Using your clout? Were you even listening?’
‘Oh. Yeah. No.’
‘What do you mean, no?’
‘I mean, no, I’m not going to do that. I’m going to take the booking, have the match, and not mess anything up for anybody right before the show just for my own benefit. But first, I’m going to make a video. Anybody seen my brother?’
‘But---’
‘---well?’
‘…he’s downstairs in the restaurant with your Dad.’
‘Thanks. See you guys later. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.’
‘Wait, Miles---’
I hate to do this. Leave them hanging like this. But if I didn’t put an end to it, we would be sitting there the rest of the night, just going round in circles. And personally, I have more important things to do. Like tell my next opponent exactly how I feel about our match.
--------------------------------------------------------
Somewhere in the UK
Ten Minutes Later
Ten Minutes Later
‘This is stupid.’
That felt like a fitting way to start. Besides, I still agree.
‘That’s what my girlfriend said when she saw the card for New Year’s Daze, and I gotta say…I agree with her. This is stupid. Here we are, the World Champion and his challenger, on a Supercard, in front of a crowd that’s seeing us live for the first and maybe only time…and we’re having a non-title match. What gives, right? This should totally be for the belt! I mean, it’s like my friends said - this way, if I lose, I look dumb, if you lose, there’s no closure, and either way the fans don’t get what they want. Nobody really wins.’
Yeah. I still agree about that too.
‘So why isn’t it for the belt? Well…to be honest…I don’t know. It sure isn’t because I didn’t ask. I did. I wanted to put my title up. But Ms Moore and the rest of the Board wouldn’t let me. They said it wasn’t time yet. They said it was too soon. I have to respectfully disagree about that, but hey – when somebody’s paying your salary, you swallow your pride and do what they want you to. So tomorrow night, that’s what I’m going to do.’
Sorry, Teagan – I haven’t changed my mind on that, either.
‘Don’t get me wrong, though, Cartier – just because there’s nothing up for grabs straight away, doesn’t mean this is not a big match. For you and for me. I mean, it’s you who’s got to prove yourself…prove you deserve a shot at my title…but that doesn’t mean I can slack off. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – being the World Champion doesn’t mean I get to phone it in every time my belt isn’t on the line. That’s what a crummy Champion does. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t think of myself as a crummy Champion.’
Run doesn’t think so, either. Then again, I didn’t think he would.
‘So Cartier…I’m going to say to you what I said to Jace Knight Myers last week. If you come in tomorrow night expecting me to be coasting…you’re going to be in for a big surprise. If you think I’m going to let my guard down just because I have nothing to lose…you’re wrong. In more ways than one. ‘Cause see, Diamond Girl…I do have something to lose. A whole lot of face. A whole lot of reputation. And those are two things I do not want to lose. So, tomorrow night, in that ring…I’m going to do what it takes to make sure I don’t.’
Run liked that too. Good.
‘Cartier…you have a heck of a chance here tomorrow night. I’m not unbeatable. No one is. And you’ve proven multiple times that you’re good enough to hang with anybody – let alone a scrawny little Average Joe from the Armpit of America. I don’t like the way you go about things…seriously, why can’t anybody in wrestling ever ask for what they want, y’know? But facts are facts: you’re good enough. You deserve this.You know that, and I know that. But tomorrow night…it’s up to you to prove it. It’s up to you to put your money where your mouth is, and go out there and beat me and get your shot. Prove everyone right about you. Prove me right about you. You do that, and next time we meet, this belt’s going to be right here waiting for you. Just don’t expect me to make it easy for you. I got my own pride to keep hold of.’
Yeeeeaaah! I’m on a roll here!
‘Cartier…tomorrow night, at New Year’s Daze…bring it to me. Your best. Everything you’ve got. Tomorrow night, go out there and be fierce. Be savage. Be a queen. You do that, and win or lose, I’ll raise your hand after the bell. Because if you do that, you’ll already be a winner in my book. But let me tell you this, as well: you try to cheat? You try to cheat, and I’ll just make double sure you never get so much as a whiff of my belt, ever again. You try to cheat, Cartier, and you’ve already lost. Because you know how the saying goes: cheaters never prosper. And tomorrow night…I’m going to make sure you don’t.’
All right – let’s end this with a bang.
‘Cartier…tomorrow night…you have a choice. Tomorrow night, you can be a diamond…or you can be a dud. It’s up to you. Because me? Whatever happens, I'll still know who I am. And what I am.
I’m little old Miles.
The Revo1 World Champion.’
‘….and CUT! Bro, that was amazeballs! I can’t believe you pulled that off with no script! I mean, it was—’
‘---Run, how did you know I wasn’t going to keep going?’
‘---oh crap. You weren’t, were you? ‘Cause that was like, the perfect ending point!’
‘Nah. I wasn’t. Just messing with you, little bro.’
‘Oh. Yeah. Right.’
‘Now…what do you say we go find Dad? That stuff you were eating looked amazing. I want to try some.’
‘Bro – it was amazing! So freaking gross!’
‘I bet it was. So c’mon – the sooner we find Dad, the sooner I can find out for myself…’
FINAL WORD COUNT: 2484