Post by biggs on Oct 25, 2009 20:08:23 GMT -4
Sunday, October 18
Tokyo, Japan 9:37 pm
Gary Biggerstaff is seated at the desk in his hotel room. He has a pen in hand, and is writing a letter.
Slade,
I just wanted to let you know how guilty I've felt over what I did to you at Shockwave. I tried to justify drenching you with lighter fluid by saying that I was merely trying to prevent my friend from suffering the same fate. But the simple fact of the matter is that I took it too far. As much as I would like to blame Max Carter for making the match a Blaze of Glory match, I was the one who made the choice to use a Super Soaker to cover you in lighter fluid. I was the one who made the choice to cause you to suffer burns all over your upper body. And while you made a rather quick recovery, it doesn't change the fact that I crossed a line that I should not have.
I wanted to take this opportunity to formally apologize for my role in preventing you from earning your lively hood for a couple of weeks. I wanted to apologize for causing you the severe pain and trauma inherent in receiving burns such as yours. I know that you don't like, you have no reason to trust me, but I felt that I needed to apologize. Whether you forgive me or not, it's up to you. I don't really expect you to. Just know that I have felt remorse for what I've done, and hope that I will be able to show more self control in the future.
-Gary Biggerstaff aka Biggs
Right as Gary finishes the letter, the “Spaceman” ring tone from his cellphone can be heard. He pulls it out of his pocket, flips it open, and begins to talk.
Gary: Hey Jay! What's up man?
Jay: Hello Gary. I needed to talk with you immediately.
Gary: If it's about the fact that I hadn't called yet, it's because I was just finishing up my apology letter to Slade about the barbecue incident...
Jay: That's good, but it's much more serious than that.
Gary: Why, what happened?
Jay: Well, the Church board and the elders called me into a meeting with them, and it turns out that your actions at the pay per view were already brought up to them by a concerned member of the church. They had asked me if you had told me about it, and I told them yes, that you had been open with me and confessed your sin, and that you were in the process of repenting from it.
Gary: Okay...
Jay: They asked me when you had told me, and I was honest with them, that it took you several weeks to get to the point where you would talk about it.
Gary: So what does this mean?
Jay: It really bothers me to say this, but the Church board and the eldership decided that you are a hazard to others in the church, that you put others at risk. I tried to plead with them on your behalf, to convince them that you were changing for the better, that you were making efforts to grow, but they wouldn't have any of it. They told me effective immediately, that you have been disfellowshiped from our church...
Gary: What!? That's outrageous! Don't I get a chance to explain myself? Doesn't this go against the model of church discipline spelled out in the Bible? I mean, I can understand why they'd be upset about what I did, but to not even talk about with me! That's bogus, and not biblical!
Jay: I agree with you, but unfortunately, I could not sway them. When they told me that you had been removed from the church, I brought up the same exact points, even bringing up 2 Corinthians 2:5-11
“If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent—not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”
I feel that you've been wronged, and I asked them to give you a chance to at least talk with them. I let them know that you're out of the country until after the pay per view, but even so, they're set on excommunicating you.
Gary: What if I was able to be in Seattle tomorrow night? Would you be able to get me into a meeting with them?
Jay: I'll see what I can do!
Gary: Thanks for the heads up, Jay. And also, thanks for being such a loyal friend. I'm going to need your help so much when I get back there.
Jay: No problem. I appreciate the seriousness you're handling this with. I'll see you later.
Gary: Thanks again.
Gary hangs up, and quickly dials another number. The phone rings a couple of times before it's answered.
Gary: Hey Prez Jeff, this is Biggs. I hate to do this to you, but I've had a bit of an emergency that I need to tend to immediately in Seattle. Would it be possible for you to take me off of the house shows up until Thursday night?
President Jeff: It's going to really hurt not having you at those shows, Biggs, but you need to do what you've got to do. Go ahead and take care of your business. I'll see you when you get back!
Gary: Thanks a lot Prez! I appreciate this more than you'll ever know!
At this point, Gary starts to pack his bags frantically, and tosses the letter he wrote to Slade in his laptop case, before placing it in his suitcase. Once packed, Gary exits his room, locks the door, and quickly knocks on Cyrus' door across the hall. It takes a few loud knocks from Gary before Cyrus finally answers, cracking the door barely open.
Cyrus: What is it, man?
Gary: Well, buddy, I got some urgent business that I have to take care of in Seattle asap. I just wanted to let you know that I won't be back in Japan until the Thursday before the pay per view.
Cyrus: Couldn't you have just left a message?
Gary: Well, I thought it'd be better to tell you in person...
Cyrus: When it took me so long to answer, didn't you think it might be because I was in the middle of something you'd consider sinful with the local ladies?
A flushed look comes over Gary's face.
Gary: That's more than I needed to know. Just make sure you're being safe about it...Still, I'm getting ready to hop on my private jet and skedaddle back to the states. I'll see you in a few days, partner.
Cyrus: Alright. Just make sure you're ready for our match next week!
Gary: Undoubtedly.
The two men give a fist bump through the cracked door, and Gary turns to hurriedly make his way down the hall.
Monday, October 19
Seattle, Washington 7:30 pm Pacific Time
Gary Biggerstaff and Jay Whitaker are at their Church building on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle. They are sitting across the table from five older men, all of whom comprise the Church Board and Elders. The room is well lit, with brown carpet and white walls. The window frames are brown to match the carpet, and have a slightly baroque design to them, while the windows are yellow stained glass depicting different portions of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The room has an inviting presence to it normally, although Gary feels very uneasy at the moment.
The three members of the board are seated to the left and the two elders are to the right. The man on the far left is a middle aged man by the name of Bill Grubberman. He has brown hair and a beard, and is slightly on the chubby side. Next to him is Marcus Schmitt, a black man who is a bit older, with graying hair and a stern demeanor. In the middle is the head of the board and lead pastor for the church, Scott Greenspan. He wears glasses and has blond hair that is fading a bit with age. He's of a thin build, with arching eyebrows and a slightly wrinkled face. The next person over is the first elder, Ron Smith, who is quite old, quite portly, and has an amiable laugh, much like one would imagine Santa Claus having. In fact, Ron appeared to look very much like Good Ol' Saint Nick, a fact which delighted the younger members of the church family. To the far right is a skinny, almost decrepit old man by the name of Warren Olin. Warren has a reputation for being strict on scriptural interpretations, and was the one who led the charge to get Gary Biggerstaff removed from the church. Gary has on black slacks, a blue shirt and tie, as well as a nervous look on his face. Scott starts the precedings.
Scott: Well, Gary, we know that you've done a lot for the church through your financial contributions and the others ways that you've served the church, and we acknowledge the fact that you have come with all due haste, but the simple fact is that your actions present a very real danger to not only yourself, but the spiritual health of our church body. I'm sure that you understand the notoriety that you have amongst our members due to your career, and how many younger members of the church family really look up to you for what you do. It's kind of like how the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:20 how as members of the church we're all ambassadors of Christ. With your career, you're a bit more visible than a lot of us, and we fear that you have been a negative influence to many of our members.
Gary: I can understand all that, how you may feel that way, but what really bothers me is that none of you bothered to talk to me about it before you made your decision! That's just flat out bull!
Warren: Watch your language! That was too close for my liking!
Gary: (sarcastically) I'm sorry if I'm a little heated, but simply put, you were wrong to go about this the way that you did! Doesn't this church teach about the grace of God, and how we're supposed to forgive one another?
Scott: We're not here to judge you, Gary, we're here to try and look out for your best interests and the best interests of the church. While we know that you've done a lot to help us out, we have to weigh whether its worth it based on your actions. Even if it's just a show, how can you willingly go about dousing another human being with lighter fluid? How can you claim to be a Christian, yet do such dastardly things?
Gary: (Raising his voice) Listen, Biggs is just the character I play on TV. He's not me!
Warren: Really? If that's the case, why don't you just change your character?
Gary: If you want to know the honest truth, it's because I feel that the Biggs character helps me to be a better man, because it gives me an outlet to exercise the parts of me that I quite frankly don't like. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a perfect person, but by golly, I'm trying my darnedest! By being able to get rid my jerky behavior in a forum where it's not only acceptable, but also pretty much required, it prevents me from using those behaviors in other settings. Also, it's no fun being the good guy...
Warren: That seems like nothing more than an excuse to justify your continual sinful behavior! You have either two options if you want to stay a member of this church, become a good guy, or quit wrestling altogether! If it were up to me alone, you would have been kicked out long ago!
Gary is starting to fume with anger, and Jay has a concerned look on his face. Scott and the rest of the board are all very tense as Gary and Warren glare at one another. After a few moments, Scott breaks the silence.
Scott: Warren, I think you may be overstepping your bounds a bit by issuing an ultimatum such as that. Still, Gary, there are some very real issues that you need to work through here if you're to maintain membership in our church body. Just like Jay, we want you to have nothing but success in your walk with God, but in all honesty, we have to look about for the well being of the whole over the well being of an individual...
Gary: (Yelling) So you're just going to kick me out rather than trying to help me?! What kind of asinine logic is that?
Jay pats Gary on the back.
Jay: Let me take this, bud, you're losing control here...
Gary: No! I can speak for myself!
Jay is taken aback by Gary's outburst, and has a puzzled expression across his face. The members of the board and the two elders show varying degrees of shock, except for Warren, who has a slight smirk on his face.
Gary: You men are nothing but a bunch of cowards who are hiding behind a facade of “church discipline” just because you disagree with what I do for a living! So what if I fight for money? It's something that God has blessed me with the talent to do, and while I will admit that there have been some times where I've let myself go into a deep dark place that I never thought I'd go before, the fact of the matter is that I am learning how deal with these emotions, with these thoughts, and am making a concentrated effort to continue to wrestle while having an amazing relationship with God! You are too closed minded to try and work with me!
Scott: Gary, I'm sorry, but that's enough! Unfortunately, after talking with you, you have only helped to confirm our prior decision to remove you from our church membership. We hope that you will one day repent, but until then, you are not welcome here.
Intense anger comes over Biggs, followed quickly by a wave of defeat. He has a dejected look on his face as Scott's words continue to sink in. Jay rubs his face with his hand, showing immense sadness at the decision of the board. The Board and Elders get up and leave the table, while Gary and Jay just sit there. Warren can't disguise his joy at the decision, even if he wanted to. As they exit the room, Gary and Jay sit at the table in a stunned silence. After about 10 minutes of just sitting there, Gary speaks.
Gary: What just happened? What did I just do?
Jay: You let your anger get the best of you, and it cost you. But I'm not going to give up on you at all. No matter what, Gary, I'm going to do whatever I can to help you get restored!
Gary's dejections shifts back to a strong sense of anger.
Gary: I don't care...
Jay: What?
Gary: (In a raised voice) If those men can claim to be Godly men, and yet treat me that way, how can I trust their leadership? How can I even trust God when he allows people like that to so pervert his word to fit their agendas? I don't need any part of this...
Jay: You don't mean that! You can't mean that! Don't let their sin turn you away from God! You can still have a fulfilling relationship with God!
Gary: I don't want it anymore, not after what just happened. Thanks for being such a good friend for me these past few years Jay, but I can't do this anymore. If the church is going to throw me under the bus like this, then I have absolutely no desire to have any association with it.
Jay: This is just a knee jerk reaction! We can work through this!
Gary: You can try if you'd like, but I'm done.
At this point, Gary gets out of his chair, and exits the church building, leaving Jay to sit by himself at the table. Gary whips out his cellphone and tells the person on the other end to ready his plane as he walks through the chilly night.
Several hours later, as he's on his private jet, Gary pulls out his cellphone again, and dials in Chris Cyrus' phone number. After a few rings, Cyrus answers.
Cyrus: Hey Biggs, what's up?
Gary: I'm on my way back to Japan. It'll be about 10 hours before I get there, but if you could let President Jeff know that I'll be ready to go for the Wednesday night show, it'd be much appreciated.
Cyrus: No problem partner. So I'll see you tomorrow?
Gary: Most def. Later bud.
Gary hangs up and goes to place his phone back in the pocket of his laptop bag. He then notices the letter he had written to Slade sticking out of the front pouch. Grabbing the piece of paper with his right hand, Gary takes a quick look at the letter before tearing it to shreds.
***
Airing Thursday, October 22
Depeche Mode's “Space Walker” plays as the words First Contact flash across the starry background. The screen shifts to Biggs in his full wrestling gear, with the APW Overdrive Championship clasped around his waist. Chris Cyrus is standing next to him, clad in his ring gear as well, with his Overdrive Championship slung over his shoulder. Biggs has a very foul look on his face as he begins to speak.
Biggs: Welcome one and all to the hottest wrestling webshow of all-time, Biggs' First Contact! I am, of course, Biggs, and because it was so nice, I thought I'd do it twice, once again I am joined by my fellow member of the Axis of Awesome, Chris Cyrus! This being a pre-pay per view installment, I'll obviously be talking about the upcoming One Night In Hell show live from Tokyo, Japan this Sunday! But the simple fact of the matter is that while it promises to be another huge PPV offering from the greatest wrestling promotion on the earth today...
Cyrus: You know why it's the greatest wrestling promotion? Cause we're in it!
Biggs: True, but back to what I was saying, even though this show has a ton of potential, that a grave injustice has been brought upon Chris Cyrus and myself, not to mention our respective titles, as we have to defend them in a the first ever Double Title Tag Team Ladder Match at One Night In Hell!
Cyrus: Seriously, what kind of crack of Max Carter on in making this match? Whatever it took for him to think this match was a good idea must be some powerful s***! But what can we expect from a man who has continually done everything in his power to try and force me to break my anti-hardcore policy! I know that he's upset that I keep showing the superiority of pure, technical wrestling over the garbage that my opposition calls a “wrestling style,” but let's face it Max, you can put me in any type of match you want, but you can't force me to wrestle it the way you want me to!
Biggs claps his hands for his partner, and then speaks himself.
Biggs: Max, we know that you're none to thrilled about us holding two-thirds of the titles here in APW, but it's going to take more than stacking the deck against us in order to aid the AKA to make us relinquish our titles! You've booked us in one of the most dangerous, unpredictable matches around, a ladder match! And what's more, both of our belts are on the line, so one fluke opportunity is all our opponents need take our titles! But that's not going to happen, not by a long shot. Quite simply, Max Carter, you've backed the wrong horse, err..horses in siding with the AKA! At Shockwave, you put Cyrus and myself in matches that we weren't supposed to win. And despite this, I emerged from the Steel Cage Match the new APW Overdrive Champion, and Chris Cyrus retained his Xtreme Championship after lighting Slade up like the Fourth of July! You can give the AKA any advantage that you want to, the fact remains that at One Night In Hell, as a unit, we will overcome the supposed odds once again! Why?
Cyrus: Because we're AWESOME!
Biggs: Now onto our opponents at One Night In Hell, I'm talking about the A$$ Kissing A$$holes themselves, Shadow and Slade Craven!
Cyrus: Woah, you just cussed there! You don't normally swear!
Biggs: It's not a big deal. Anyways, back to what I was saying, the AKA has been nothing but a thorn our collective side, as they have done absolutely nothing to earn their shots at our APW Overdrive and Xtreme Titles. I mean, Shadow was unable to beat me in the obligatory rematch from Shockwave, and all Slade did was chase Cyrus out of the ring after Cyrus earned a victory! If failing to win a championship and popping out of the crowd to try and play graba** with somebody is all it takes to get a title shot these days, well then it really doesn't take much then, now does it?
Cyrus: For shame!
Biggs: Indeed. But still, I can't help but look forward to proving Shadow wrong once again. Because you see, despite the fact that I flat out beat Shadow for the APW Overdrive Championship at Shockwave, he has done nothing but continually disrespect me by trying to discredit my title reign as APW Overdrive Champion! Shadow, I got one question for you, and that question is why? I can understand that you'd be bitter at how much more of a quality champion I am than you, but that doesn't give you the right to bad mouth me, and try to claim that you'd make a better champ than me. Let's look at the facts here, Shadow. In your five plus month run as Overdrive Champion, you had a total of two successful title defenses. You continually were content to just fight the new guys, padding your record, while avoiding defending your championship. Me, on the other hand, I not only successfully defended it in a three man gauntlet match, which admittedly was just to poke fun at you, it still counts as a legitimate title defense, but then I also got what insiders like to call a signature victory over a former APW World Heavyweight Champion, Michael Lively! And then I went on to face you the very next week in yet another title defense! And while I got myself disqualified in that match, it's because your friends came out and posed enough of a threat to influence the outcome that I did what I had to to spare us the pain and suffering of another boring, bloated, ultimately worthless Overdrive Title Run for you, Shadow. In three weeks, I had as many title defenses as you did in over five months. Who do you think does this belt more justice? You'd have to be crazy to think that you are more worthy of the opportunity to elevate this belt than I am, Shadow. But then again, maybe it's too much to expect from you to actually have a coherent, rational thought. I mean look at the company you keep! Any guy who would put up with a drunken loser like Slade Craven has to have something wrong with his head!
Cyrus: Amen to that, brother!
Biggs: Slade, don't think for a second that I feel the slightest bit threatened by your presence in this ladder match. I know you've made a name for yourself by being a reckless, crazy son of a gun who'd do anything to send the fans home with a smile!
Cyrus: You mean like the services he gives male fans for a nickel in the back alley?
Biggs: I wasn't trying to go there, Cyrus. Remember, we don't resort to gay jokes like our hapless, crass, unimaginative opponents. It's beneath us. Even if it's true.
Cyrus: Aw man!
Biggs: But back to Slade Craven, I know that there's a lot at stake for you in this match. Not only would winning the match give you your first taste of gold here in APW, but I bet deep down inside, it would also give you some measure of revenge for what Cyrus and I did to you at Shockwave, setting you on fire, and causing you to suffer several burns all over your body. On that note, Slade, I did want to tell you that I'm sorry for my actions at Shockwave. I want to let every person watching this great program that I am sorry what I did. I want you to know Slade, that I'm sorry that I didn't use more lighter fluid! The fact of the matter, Slade, is that you are nothing more than a parasite who tries to ride on the already short coattails of Shadow. Without him, you'd be nothing. With him, you're hardly anything at all. And I know that you have a tendency to try and steal the show, to try and make that highlight reel moment each and every time you wrestle in one of these types of contests, I guarantee you that if you try to pull that on the Axis of Awesome, we'll make me you pay dearly. If by some weird fluke, you find yourself in a position to win the match, you should take it, Slade, because we don't give those types of opportunities, we simply don't. Shadow and Slade Craven, despite the fact that Max Carter has shown blatant favoritism towards you lazy, untalented hicks, you don't deserve to hold our titles! And you won't, because even though Cyrus will hold to his non-hardcore vows, we are more than dangerous enough that the only thing we'll need the ladder for is to climb up and reclaim what is rightfully ours. At One Night In Hell, The Axis of Awesome will further cement it's reputation as the premiere faction in APW today, and the AKA will show themselves to be just as pathetic as we though they were. But then again, it's kind of hard to not be pathetic when your opponents are quite simply out of this world!
Cyrus: There's nothing you can do about that!
The screen behind Biggs and Cyrus shifts to show the One Night In Hell logo.
Biggs: Now for the part of the show where I give my pay per view picks! First up, we have The Drunken Irish Stereotypes...I mean the O'Connor Brothers against two guys who just walked in off the street, Scott Rock and Mark Moment, in a barbed wire rope match! Now this seems to be gimmick booking for the sake of gimmick booking, but I'll give President Jeff the benefit of the doubt on this one, because it's going to be so gosh darn brutal and fun to watch! Either way, some loser's going to get ripped to shreds! Because of their high tolerance for pain due to excessive alcohol consumption, I'm picking the O'Connors to win this one!
Cyrus: After that is the Sadistic Match between Jason Royce and Assassin, where in order to win the match, you have to make your opponent bleed before going for the pinfall or submission. Biggs and myself have owned both of these suckers before, so we'll flip a coin to see who wins this one! Heads it's Royce, tails, Assassin!
Biggs flips a coin.
Biggs: It's tails. Assassin it is! After that, we got BDC vs. Lively in a Dog Collar Match! Even though I did get my signature win over Lively a few weeks ago, I still think that he's one talented customers, despite his lack of tact, and there's no way a decrepit old man like BDC will be able to win this contest!
Cyrus: After that, it's our match, which we're obviously going to win!
Biggs: Obviously. And after that, Victor Hades takes on Jesse Nuñez in a Casket Match! Hades is one sick freak, and an impressive wrestler to boot, so my money's on him to pick up the win!
Cyrus: Finally, we come to the Hell in a Cell match between Level-One and Pence Weatherlight for the APW Championship!
Biggs: There's no way that Level-One is going to be embarrassed by that self-serving pharisee, Pence. While Pence doesn't really care about the fans, he's so concerned with keep the facade that he does up that he lacks the killer instinct needed to win a match like this against a champion the caliber of Level-One!
Cyrus: For those of you who need a quick recap, we picked the O'Connor Brothers, Assassin, Michael Lively, us, Victor Hades, and Level-One!
Biggs: Of course, our match will be the best on the card, but we can't stress enough how awesome of a show this is going to be! That's why I'm giving it my Shameless Plug of the Week! If you haven't already made plans to, just order the freakin' pay per view! Until next time, the is Biggs...
Cyrus: And Chris Cyrus!
Biggs: ...Signing off from First Contact. Remember, keep watching the stars!
The screen fades to black as the APW Copyright appears at the bottom of the screen.
Tokyo, Japan 9:37 pm
Gary Biggerstaff is seated at the desk in his hotel room. He has a pen in hand, and is writing a letter.
Slade,
I just wanted to let you know how guilty I've felt over what I did to you at Shockwave. I tried to justify drenching you with lighter fluid by saying that I was merely trying to prevent my friend from suffering the same fate. But the simple fact of the matter is that I took it too far. As much as I would like to blame Max Carter for making the match a Blaze of Glory match, I was the one who made the choice to use a Super Soaker to cover you in lighter fluid. I was the one who made the choice to cause you to suffer burns all over your upper body. And while you made a rather quick recovery, it doesn't change the fact that I crossed a line that I should not have.
I wanted to take this opportunity to formally apologize for my role in preventing you from earning your lively hood for a couple of weeks. I wanted to apologize for causing you the severe pain and trauma inherent in receiving burns such as yours. I know that you don't like, you have no reason to trust me, but I felt that I needed to apologize. Whether you forgive me or not, it's up to you. I don't really expect you to. Just know that I have felt remorse for what I've done, and hope that I will be able to show more self control in the future.
-Gary Biggerstaff aka Biggs
Right as Gary finishes the letter, the “Spaceman” ring tone from his cellphone can be heard. He pulls it out of his pocket, flips it open, and begins to talk.
Gary: Hey Jay! What's up man?
Jay: Hello Gary. I needed to talk with you immediately.
Gary: If it's about the fact that I hadn't called yet, it's because I was just finishing up my apology letter to Slade about the barbecue incident...
Jay: That's good, but it's much more serious than that.
Gary: Why, what happened?
Jay: Well, the Church board and the elders called me into a meeting with them, and it turns out that your actions at the pay per view were already brought up to them by a concerned member of the church. They had asked me if you had told me about it, and I told them yes, that you had been open with me and confessed your sin, and that you were in the process of repenting from it.
Gary: Okay...
Jay: They asked me when you had told me, and I was honest with them, that it took you several weeks to get to the point where you would talk about it.
Gary: So what does this mean?
Jay: It really bothers me to say this, but the Church board and the eldership decided that you are a hazard to others in the church, that you put others at risk. I tried to plead with them on your behalf, to convince them that you were changing for the better, that you were making efforts to grow, but they wouldn't have any of it. They told me effective immediately, that you have been disfellowshiped from our church...
Gary: What!? That's outrageous! Don't I get a chance to explain myself? Doesn't this go against the model of church discipline spelled out in the Bible? I mean, I can understand why they'd be upset about what I did, but to not even talk about with me! That's bogus, and not biblical!
Jay: I agree with you, but unfortunately, I could not sway them. When they told me that you had been removed from the church, I brought up the same exact points, even bringing up 2 Corinthians 2:5-11
“If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent—not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”
I feel that you've been wronged, and I asked them to give you a chance to at least talk with them. I let them know that you're out of the country until after the pay per view, but even so, they're set on excommunicating you.
Gary: What if I was able to be in Seattle tomorrow night? Would you be able to get me into a meeting with them?
Jay: I'll see what I can do!
Gary: Thanks for the heads up, Jay. And also, thanks for being such a loyal friend. I'm going to need your help so much when I get back there.
Jay: No problem. I appreciate the seriousness you're handling this with. I'll see you later.
Gary: Thanks again.
Gary hangs up, and quickly dials another number. The phone rings a couple of times before it's answered.
Gary: Hey Prez Jeff, this is Biggs. I hate to do this to you, but I've had a bit of an emergency that I need to tend to immediately in Seattle. Would it be possible for you to take me off of the house shows up until Thursday night?
President Jeff: It's going to really hurt not having you at those shows, Biggs, but you need to do what you've got to do. Go ahead and take care of your business. I'll see you when you get back!
Gary: Thanks a lot Prez! I appreciate this more than you'll ever know!
At this point, Gary starts to pack his bags frantically, and tosses the letter he wrote to Slade in his laptop case, before placing it in his suitcase. Once packed, Gary exits his room, locks the door, and quickly knocks on Cyrus' door across the hall. It takes a few loud knocks from Gary before Cyrus finally answers, cracking the door barely open.
Cyrus: What is it, man?
Gary: Well, buddy, I got some urgent business that I have to take care of in Seattle asap. I just wanted to let you know that I won't be back in Japan until the Thursday before the pay per view.
Cyrus: Couldn't you have just left a message?
Gary: Well, I thought it'd be better to tell you in person...
Cyrus: When it took me so long to answer, didn't you think it might be because I was in the middle of something you'd consider sinful with the local ladies?
A flushed look comes over Gary's face.
Gary: That's more than I needed to know. Just make sure you're being safe about it...Still, I'm getting ready to hop on my private jet and skedaddle back to the states. I'll see you in a few days, partner.
Cyrus: Alright. Just make sure you're ready for our match next week!
Gary: Undoubtedly.
The two men give a fist bump through the cracked door, and Gary turns to hurriedly make his way down the hall.
Monday, October 19
Seattle, Washington 7:30 pm Pacific Time
Gary Biggerstaff and Jay Whitaker are at their Church building on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle. They are sitting across the table from five older men, all of whom comprise the Church Board and Elders. The room is well lit, with brown carpet and white walls. The window frames are brown to match the carpet, and have a slightly baroque design to them, while the windows are yellow stained glass depicting different portions of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The room has an inviting presence to it normally, although Gary feels very uneasy at the moment.
The three members of the board are seated to the left and the two elders are to the right. The man on the far left is a middle aged man by the name of Bill Grubberman. He has brown hair and a beard, and is slightly on the chubby side. Next to him is Marcus Schmitt, a black man who is a bit older, with graying hair and a stern demeanor. In the middle is the head of the board and lead pastor for the church, Scott Greenspan. He wears glasses and has blond hair that is fading a bit with age. He's of a thin build, with arching eyebrows and a slightly wrinkled face. The next person over is the first elder, Ron Smith, who is quite old, quite portly, and has an amiable laugh, much like one would imagine Santa Claus having. In fact, Ron appeared to look very much like Good Ol' Saint Nick, a fact which delighted the younger members of the church family. To the far right is a skinny, almost decrepit old man by the name of Warren Olin. Warren has a reputation for being strict on scriptural interpretations, and was the one who led the charge to get Gary Biggerstaff removed from the church. Gary has on black slacks, a blue shirt and tie, as well as a nervous look on his face. Scott starts the precedings.
Scott: Well, Gary, we know that you've done a lot for the church through your financial contributions and the others ways that you've served the church, and we acknowledge the fact that you have come with all due haste, but the simple fact is that your actions present a very real danger to not only yourself, but the spiritual health of our church body. I'm sure that you understand the notoriety that you have amongst our members due to your career, and how many younger members of the church family really look up to you for what you do. It's kind of like how the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:20 how as members of the church we're all ambassadors of Christ. With your career, you're a bit more visible than a lot of us, and we fear that you have been a negative influence to many of our members.
Gary: I can understand all that, how you may feel that way, but what really bothers me is that none of you bothered to talk to me about it before you made your decision! That's just flat out bull!
Warren: Watch your language! That was too close for my liking!
Gary: (sarcastically) I'm sorry if I'm a little heated, but simply put, you were wrong to go about this the way that you did! Doesn't this church teach about the grace of God, and how we're supposed to forgive one another?
Scott: We're not here to judge you, Gary, we're here to try and look out for your best interests and the best interests of the church. While we know that you've done a lot to help us out, we have to weigh whether its worth it based on your actions. Even if it's just a show, how can you willingly go about dousing another human being with lighter fluid? How can you claim to be a Christian, yet do such dastardly things?
Gary: (Raising his voice) Listen, Biggs is just the character I play on TV. He's not me!
Warren: Really? If that's the case, why don't you just change your character?
Gary: If you want to know the honest truth, it's because I feel that the Biggs character helps me to be a better man, because it gives me an outlet to exercise the parts of me that I quite frankly don't like. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a perfect person, but by golly, I'm trying my darnedest! By being able to get rid my jerky behavior in a forum where it's not only acceptable, but also pretty much required, it prevents me from using those behaviors in other settings. Also, it's no fun being the good guy...
Warren: That seems like nothing more than an excuse to justify your continual sinful behavior! You have either two options if you want to stay a member of this church, become a good guy, or quit wrestling altogether! If it were up to me alone, you would have been kicked out long ago!
Gary is starting to fume with anger, and Jay has a concerned look on his face. Scott and the rest of the board are all very tense as Gary and Warren glare at one another. After a few moments, Scott breaks the silence.
Scott: Warren, I think you may be overstepping your bounds a bit by issuing an ultimatum such as that. Still, Gary, there are some very real issues that you need to work through here if you're to maintain membership in our church body. Just like Jay, we want you to have nothing but success in your walk with God, but in all honesty, we have to look about for the well being of the whole over the well being of an individual...
Gary: (Yelling) So you're just going to kick me out rather than trying to help me?! What kind of asinine logic is that?
Jay pats Gary on the back.
Jay: Let me take this, bud, you're losing control here...
Gary: No! I can speak for myself!
Jay is taken aback by Gary's outburst, and has a puzzled expression across his face. The members of the board and the two elders show varying degrees of shock, except for Warren, who has a slight smirk on his face.
Gary: You men are nothing but a bunch of cowards who are hiding behind a facade of “church discipline” just because you disagree with what I do for a living! So what if I fight for money? It's something that God has blessed me with the talent to do, and while I will admit that there have been some times where I've let myself go into a deep dark place that I never thought I'd go before, the fact of the matter is that I am learning how deal with these emotions, with these thoughts, and am making a concentrated effort to continue to wrestle while having an amazing relationship with God! You are too closed minded to try and work with me!
Scott: Gary, I'm sorry, but that's enough! Unfortunately, after talking with you, you have only helped to confirm our prior decision to remove you from our church membership. We hope that you will one day repent, but until then, you are not welcome here.
Intense anger comes over Biggs, followed quickly by a wave of defeat. He has a dejected look on his face as Scott's words continue to sink in. Jay rubs his face with his hand, showing immense sadness at the decision of the board. The Board and Elders get up and leave the table, while Gary and Jay just sit there. Warren can't disguise his joy at the decision, even if he wanted to. As they exit the room, Gary and Jay sit at the table in a stunned silence. After about 10 minutes of just sitting there, Gary speaks.
Gary: What just happened? What did I just do?
Jay: You let your anger get the best of you, and it cost you. But I'm not going to give up on you at all. No matter what, Gary, I'm going to do whatever I can to help you get restored!
Gary's dejections shifts back to a strong sense of anger.
Gary: I don't care...
Jay: What?
Gary: (In a raised voice) If those men can claim to be Godly men, and yet treat me that way, how can I trust their leadership? How can I even trust God when he allows people like that to so pervert his word to fit their agendas? I don't need any part of this...
Jay: You don't mean that! You can't mean that! Don't let their sin turn you away from God! You can still have a fulfilling relationship with God!
Gary: I don't want it anymore, not after what just happened. Thanks for being such a good friend for me these past few years Jay, but I can't do this anymore. If the church is going to throw me under the bus like this, then I have absolutely no desire to have any association with it.
Jay: This is just a knee jerk reaction! We can work through this!
Gary: You can try if you'd like, but I'm done.
At this point, Gary gets out of his chair, and exits the church building, leaving Jay to sit by himself at the table. Gary whips out his cellphone and tells the person on the other end to ready his plane as he walks through the chilly night.
Several hours later, as he's on his private jet, Gary pulls out his cellphone again, and dials in Chris Cyrus' phone number. After a few rings, Cyrus answers.
Cyrus: Hey Biggs, what's up?
Gary: I'm on my way back to Japan. It'll be about 10 hours before I get there, but if you could let President Jeff know that I'll be ready to go for the Wednesday night show, it'd be much appreciated.
Cyrus: No problem partner. So I'll see you tomorrow?
Gary: Most def. Later bud.
Gary hangs up and goes to place his phone back in the pocket of his laptop bag. He then notices the letter he had written to Slade sticking out of the front pouch. Grabbing the piece of paper with his right hand, Gary takes a quick look at the letter before tearing it to shreds.
***
Airing Thursday, October 22
Depeche Mode's “Space Walker” plays as the words First Contact flash across the starry background. The screen shifts to Biggs in his full wrestling gear, with the APW Overdrive Championship clasped around his waist. Chris Cyrus is standing next to him, clad in his ring gear as well, with his Overdrive Championship slung over his shoulder. Biggs has a very foul look on his face as he begins to speak.
Biggs: Welcome one and all to the hottest wrestling webshow of all-time, Biggs' First Contact! I am, of course, Biggs, and because it was so nice, I thought I'd do it twice, once again I am joined by my fellow member of the Axis of Awesome, Chris Cyrus! This being a pre-pay per view installment, I'll obviously be talking about the upcoming One Night In Hell show live from Tokyo, Japan this Sunday! But the simple fact of the matter is that while it promises to be another huge PPV offering from the greatest wrestling promotion on the earth today...
Cyrus: You know why it's the greatest wrestling promotion? Cause we're in it!
Biggs: True, but back to what I was saying, even though this show has a ton of potential, that a grave injustice has been brought upon Chris Cyrus and myself, not to mention our respective titles, as we have to defend them in a the first ever Double Title Tag Team Ladder Match at One Night In Hell!
Cyrus: Seriously, what kind of crack of Max Carter on in making this match? Whatever it took for him to think this match was a good idea must be some powerful s***! But what can we expect from a man who has continually done everything in his power to try and force me to break my anti-hardcore policy! I know that he's upset that I keep showing the superiority of pure, technical wrestling over the garbage that my opposition calls a “wrestling style,” but let's face it Max, you can put me in any type of match you want, but you can't force me to wrestle it the way you want me to!
Biggs claps his hands for his partner, and then speaks himself.
Biggs: Max, we know that you're none to thrilled about us holding two-thirds of the titles here in APW, but it's going to take more than stacking the deck against us in order to aid the AKA to make us relinquish our titles! You've booked us in one of the most dangerous, unpredictable matches around, a ladder match! And what's more, both of our belts are on the line, so one fluke opportunity is all our opponents need take our titles! But that's not going to happen, not by a long shot. Quite simply, Max Carter, you've backed the wrong horse, err..horses in siding with the AKA! At Shockwave, you put Cyrus and myself in matches that we weren't supposed to win. And despite this, I emerged from the Steel Cage Match the new APW Overdrive Champion, and Chris Cyrus retained his Xtreme Championship after lighting Slade up like the Fourth of July! You can give the AKA any advantage that you want to, the fact remains that at One Night In Hell, as a unit, we will overcome the supposed odds once again! Why?
Cyrus: Because we're AWESOME!
Biggs: Now onto our opponents at One Night In Hell, I'm talking about the A$$ Kissing A$$holes themselves, Shadow and Slade Craven!
Cyrus: Woah, you just cussed there! You don't normally swear!
Biggs: It's not a big deal. Anyways, back to what I was saying, the AKA has been nothing but a thorn our collective side, as they have done absolutely nothing to earn their shots at our APW Overdrive and Xtreme Titles. I mean, Shadow was unable to beat me in the obligatory rematch from Shockwave, and all Slade did was chase Cyrus out of the ring after Cyrus earned a victory! If failing to win a championship and popping out of the crowd to try and play graba** with somebody is all it takes to get a title shot these days, well then it really doesn't take much then, now does it?
Cyrus: For shame!
Biggs: Indeed. But still, I can't help but look forward to proving Shadow wrong once again. Because you see, despite the fact that I flat out beat Shadow for the APW Overdrive Championship at Shockwave, he has done nothing but continually disrespect me by trying to discredit my title reign as APW Overdrive Champion! Shadow, I got one question for you, and that question is why? I can understand that you'd be bitter at how much more of a quality champion I am than you, but that doesn't give you the right to bad mouth me, and try to claim that you'd make a better champ than me. Let's look at the facts here, Shadow. In your five plus month run as Overdrive Champion, you had a total of two successful title defenses. You continually were content to just fight the new guys, padding your record, while avoiding defending your championship. Me, on the other hand, I not only successfully defended it in a three man gauntlet match, which admittedly was just to poke fun at you, it still counts as a legitimate title defense, but then I also got what insiders like to call a signature victory over a former APW World Heavyweight Champion, Michael Lively! And then I went on to face you the very next week in yet another title defense! And while I got myself disqualified in that match, it's because your friends came out and posed enough of a threat to influence the outcome that I did what I had to to spare us the pain and suffering of another boring, bloated, ultimately worthless Overdrive Title Run for you, Shadow. In three weeks, I had as many title defenses as you did in over five months. Who do you think does this belt more justice? You'd have to be crazy to think that you are more worthy of the opportunity to elevate this belt than I am, Shadow. But then again, maybe it's too much to expect from you to actually have a coherent, rational thought. I mean look at the company you keep! Any guy who would put up with a drunken loser like Slade Craven has to have something wrong with his head!
Cyrus: Amen to that, brother!
Biggs: Slade, don't think for a second that I feel the slightest bit threatened by your presence in this ladder match. I know you've made a name for yourself by being a reckless, crazy son of a gun who'd do anything to send the fans home with a smile!
Cyrus: You mean like the services he gives male fans for a nickel in the back alley?
Biggs: I wasn't trying to go there, Cyrus. Remember, we don't resort to gay jokes like our hapless, crass, unimaginative opponents. It's beneath us. Even if it's true.
Cyrus: Aw man!
Biggs: But back to Slade Craven, I know that there's a lot at stake for you in this match. Not only would winning the match give you your first taste of gold here in APW, but I bet deep down inside, it would also give you some measure of revenge for what Cyrus and I did to you at Shockwave, setting you on fire, and causing you to suffer several burns all over your body. On that note, Slade, I did want to tell you that I'm sorry for my actions at Shockwave. I want to let every person watching this great program that I am sorry what I did. I want you to know Slade, that I'm sorry that I didn't use more lighter fluid! The fact of the matter, Slade, is that you are nothing more than a parasite who tries to ride on the already short coattails of Shadow. Without him, you'd be nothing. With him, you're hardly anything at all. And I know that you have a tendency to try and steal the show, to try and make that highlight reel moment each and every time you wrestle in one of these types of contests, I guarantee you that if you try to pull that on the Axis of Awesome, we'll make me you pay dearly. If by some weird fluke, you find yourself in a position to win the match, you should take it, Slade, because we don't give those types of opportunities, we simply don't. Shadow and Slade Craven, despite the fact that Max Carter has shown blatant favoritism towards you lazy, untalented hicks, you don't deserve to hold our titles! And you won't, because even though Cyrus will hold to his non-hardcore vows, we are more than dangerous enough that the only thing we'll need the ladder for is to climb up and reclaim what is rightfully ours. At One Night In Hell, The Axis of Awesome will further cement it's reputation as the premiere faction in APW today, and the AKA will show themselves to be just as pathetic as we though they were. But then again, it's kind of hard to not be pathetic when your opponents are quite simply out of this world!
Cyrus: There's nothing you can do about that!
The screen behind Biggs and Cyrus shifts to show the One Night In Hell logo.
Biggs: Now for the part of the show where I give my pay per view picks! First up, we have The Drunken Irish Stereotypes...I mean the O'Connor Brothers against two guys who just walked in off the street, Scott Rock and Mark Moment, in a barbed wire rope match! Now this seems to be gimmick booking for the sake of gimmick booking, but I'll give President Jeff the benefit of the doubt on this one, because it's going to be so gosh darn brutal and fun to watch! Either way, some loser's going to get ripped to shreds! Because of their high tolerance for pain due to excessive alcohol consumption, I'm picking the O'Connors to win this one!
Cyrus: After that is the Sadistic Match between Jason Royce and Assassin, where in order to win the match, you have to make your opponent bleed before going for the pinfall or submission. Biggs and myself have owned both of these suckers before, so we'll flip a coin to see who wins this one! Heads it's Royce, tails, Assassin!
Biggs flips a coin.
Biggs: It's tails. Assassin it is! After that, we got BDC vs. Lively in a Dog Collar Match! Even though I did get my signature win over Lively a few weeks ago, I still think that he's one talented customers, despite his lack of tact, and there's no way a decrepit old man like BDC will be able to win this contest!
Cyrus: After that, it's our match, which we're obviously going to win!
Biggs: Obviously. And after that, Victor Hades takes on Jesse Nuñez in a Casket Match! Hades is one sick freak, and an impressive wrestler to boot, so my money's on him to pick up the win!
Cyrus: Finally, we come to the Hell in a Cell match between Level-One and Pence Weatherlight for the APW Championship!
Biggs: There's no way that Level-One is going to be embarrassed by that self-serving pharisee, Pence. While Pence doesn't really care about the fans, he's so concerned with keep the facade that he does up that he lacks the killer instinct needed to win a match like this against a champion the caliber of Level-One!
Cyrus: For those of you who need a quick recap, we picked the O'Connor Brothers, Assassin, Michael Lively, us, Victor Hades, and Level-One!
Biggs: Of course, our match will be the best on the card, but we can't stress enough how awesome of a show this is going to be! That's why I'm giving it my Shameless Plug of the Week! If you haven't already made plans to, just order the freakin' pay per view! Until next time, the is Biggs...
Cyrus: And Chris Cyrus!
Biggs: ...Signing off from First Contact. Remember, keep watching the stars!
The screen fades to black as the APW Copyright appears at the bottom of the screen.
