Victorious

[Kurt]

Victorious

“And that’s exactly how you get on the Sindicate’s radar.”

Chris Hart smiles as the video-camera clicks off, only moments after his monologue ends. Hart’s eyes move from the camera-view to Kurt Noble as he leans against the wall.

“They’ve interfered in your matches, slandered me to no end, and attacked us both constantly,” Chris says with a smirk. “And we’re just now getting on their radar?”

“After a speech like that, absolutely,” Noble responds, grinning at Kylie Demens, who stretches while she yawns.

“I guess so,” Kylie says with a shrug. “I mean, I guess it makes sense and everything. It certainly didn’t match the intensity of a normal Nobledrive, but it’ll be good enough for a regular match like this. Maybe after a real Nobledrive from the star himself, they’ll be worried. You two should be training if you really want to-

“No.”

Noble’s response seems to shake Kylie, who faces the cold eyes of her idol.

“This is Test for the Best,” Noble declares, causing Kylie’s eyes to soften. “Chris and I are facing the APW Tag Team Champions against two of the most successful singles wrestlers in APW history. Those same men will be doing anything and everything to twist the match in their favor, ranging from Felipe DeLoren to downright crippling me. In the background, APW’s top stars will be battling for the chance to have me handed to them on a silver platter. Literally the foundation of APW will change after this event. This isn’t a regular show, and needs more than a normal Nobledrive. It need something real, something the Syndicate will actually remember when we step into the ring with them.”

“Kurt’s right,” Chris agrees. “We can’t talk this one to the finish line. What Noble-Hart needs is something to make this match, something that the Sindicate won’t see coming. Exceptional matches call for exceptional preparation.”

The trio sits together, each musing over the task at hand. Chris’s eyes flicker from side to side, while Kylie fiddles with her skirt. After a few silent moments, a grin flashes across Noble’s face.

“I’ve got it,” Noble says. “Turn the cameras back on Kylie.”

Kylie’s eyebrows raise. “But you just said a regular Nobledrive won’t cut it.”

Noble moves in-front of the camera as Chris moves away.

“Then let’s give APW something that isn’t regular,” Noble replies as he fixes his hair, flashing a grin at Chris Hart.

“Let’s give them us.”

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Action Packed Wrestling Presents…
Nobledrive!
Test for the Best Edition!

Featuring THE APW Tag Team…

Noble-Hart!

[/center]

“July 8th is going to be a very special night, Nobledrive Nation. I wish I could sit here and say it’s because the 5th annual Test for the Best Tournament conclude. I wish I could say it’s because we get to see all three brands really collide for the first time in APW history. I even wish I could sit here and say it’s because it’s the night that the next great wrestler in APW emerges. Maybe all of that’ll happen…but there’s one real reason why July 8th is going to be so special…

“Because July 8th is going to be the day that you stop believing in Kurt Noble.

“Yes, you heard it loud and clear. July 8th is the day that everyone in APW will remember as the day that belief in me died. Maybe it’ll be looked at as the day that the Sindicate stood over my broken body and claimed that the Undisputed Title was theirs. Maybe it’ll be looked at as the day that Johnny Rebel finally proved, without a doubt, that he was better than me. There are a million maybes for one night, but at the end of the night, all your beliefs in me are going to be dead.

”I don’t say this because I fear that the Sindicate is going to destroy me. Now, some of you who have watched me lose time and time again to the Sindicate might claim that, but I’ve marched into every match with my head held high. Despite the looming shadow Level-One, Johnny Rebel, and the rest of the Sindicate cast over me, I’m not afraid of them. The same reason that I don’t fear the Sindicate is the same reason why no one in APW ever has to worry about fearing the Sindicate again.

“His name is Chris Hart.

“He’s my best friend.

“He’s my tag team partner.

“He’s the reason why no one should believe in Kurt Noble anymore.

“See, beliefs are based on faith. For the last year, I’ve told APW to believe in me, with only my word to back me up. It’s always been me going up against guys like Johnny Rebel, one on one…but that battleground has changed. The Sindicate have numbers, money, and most importantly: power. When I took on the task of facing them before Mayhem, it was me against them the moment CJ Gates decided this wasn’t his fight. Suddenly…my word wasn’t looking so strong against a former multiple-time Undisputed Champion, and a man that’s personally made my life Hell since my first night in APW.

“And the Sindicate has done their best to make sure my word meant shit. The last two times I’ve stepped into the ring against L1 and Rebel, I’ve lost. I don’t hide or smear my losses. I couldn’t have asked you all to believe in me if I was a liar. I couldn’t ask you to stand beside me as I fought the Sindicate. I won’t ask you to support me, Kurt Noble, anymore. The ‘Noble’ era is over.

“Because the ‘Noble-Hart’ era has begun. It’s time to stop believing…

“And start knowing Noble-Hart.

“That begins by knowing that at Test for the Best, Noble-Hart will be associated synonymous with one word: Victory….

“And I’m not even talking about the match.

“But before we even get to the match at hand…it’s time for Noble-Hart to claim its first victory over the Sindicate. It’s time to claim a victory so significant, that it’ll differentiate us from any tag team that’s ever existed in APW. How am I going to claim such a victory? Simple!

“Chris…I’d like you sit down and finish this Nobledrive with me.”

The camera zooms out as Hart sits down next to Noble, both men smirking as they actually face one another.

“Well, that wasn’t too difficult.”

“See, we’re getting pretty good at this tag team thing already!”

The two share a high-five before turning back to the camera.

“I imagine a lot of Kurt and I’s fans are wondering what the deal is. I mean, what kind of victory is sitting down next to Kurt Noble? I’m not Rosa Parks…sitting next to some white guy shouldn’t exactly be an accomplishment, should it?”

“Wrong.”

"Dead wrong."

“Being able to sit next to one another, facing APW together not as individuals, but as a team…that’s how Noble-Hart can claim a victory even as small as this one. The difference between us and the Sindicate, the former Ass Kickers Anonymous, and every other tag team in APW history is that we don’t show you Noble-Hart by standing apart, screaming our own praises.”

“We don’t go on and on and on about what kind of a team we are…when our partner isn’t even in the room.”

“That’s not how you know Noble-Hart is a tag team. Tag teams operate on the same frequency, move in the same motion, and cover the other’s weaknesses. We don’t just look out for another when things are bad; we support the other when things are good. When you put all of this together at Test for the Best, when you put Noble-Hart against the Syndicate you come to just one conclusion:”

“The Sindicate aren’t a tag team.”

“Now don’t misquote my tag team partner Nobledrive Nation: Johnny Rebel and Level-One are two of the most prolific, destructive wrestlers in APW. Together, their disrespect of APW probably puts them in the same category as an unruly teenager that crashes their parents’ house. In fact, the two of them have worked together in a fair number of cases…”

“Including slamming my tag team partner with three finishing moves, taking advantage of one-half of the then Tag Team Champions, and throwing temper tantrums that would make Michael Harris look like little orphan Robert Blincoe asking ‘Please sir, can I have some more?’”

“But tag teams aren’t just two guys stuck together with a common goal; if you need evidence of that, see how well CJ and I worked out. Tag teams not only have the same goals, motivations, and ideals…they recognize that as individuals, they’re just half of the big picture. Tag teams are like…well, what would you say Chris?”

Chris reaches over near the chess board, and pulls out one object, showing it off for the camera.

“Tag teams are…well, like coins. It’s impossible to have a one-sided coin; just like it’s impossible to have a one-man tag team. You instantly make one side by making the other.”

“But that’s not how the Sindicate operates. The Sindicate wasn’t formed when Johnny Rebel and Level-One came together. Level-One was perfectly intent on simply running amuck in APW, pissing and moaning about being oppressed until he found someone that shared his beliefs.”

“That would be Johnny Rebel.”

“Which makes Johnny Rebel just one thing to Level-One…”

“A replaceable half. An add-on, of sorts. Level-One was intent on just finding someone, not just Johnny Rebel. Terry Marvin, Blade, even my own tag team partner received a Sindicate invitation. Kind of makes Johnny Rebel look…

“Pretty Goddamn replaceable. You can’t have the heads without the tails.

“You can’t have the heads without the tails.”

“But you can have the Sindicate without Johnny Rebel…or even Level-One.”

“But that’s not how Noble-Hart operates. We reunited to fight the Sindicate. People have been doubting me for the last two months, but if you’ve paid any attention to the last hour, Kurt wasn’t just looking for anyone with a spine to fight the Sindicate; he was looking for someone with exactly the right amount of heart. And guess who he found?”

“Exactly who I was looking for: Chris Hart. I would not be sitting here, fighting seemingly impossible competitors without the person I trust the most. That fact, the single image of Chris and I standing together is just the beginning of why you shouldn’t believe in the single entity that’s known as Noble-Hart….”

“It’s the first reason why you should know Noble-Hart.”

“But hang on Chris; maybe you are I just being snobs. Just because L1 and Rebel aren’t attached at the hip doesn’t mean they aren’t a tag team! I mean, they still operate together, right? Like when Johnny Rebel saved Level-One from tapping out to me on the May 31st Overdrive.”

“Or maybe when they both clobbered me on the last Overdrive. They sure seemed pretty well together then..."

“Or even me later that night after the Main Event! Come to think of it…I can’t think of any time that the Sindicate stood, and fought together as a team, against another team. And I mean a real team. Not CJ and I when we were barely on the same page. Not Sr. Guapo after being abandoned by his own tag team partner. When was the last time the Sindicate actually proved that they were a true tag team Chris?”

“Oh, it’s a simple answer Kurt. I think it happened…well…

“Never.”

“Bingo.”

“The thing that separates tag teams from two guys teaming together is cooperating when it counts. Anyone two guys can double team someone else. Any two guys can interfere for the other when they look bad. That’s the easy part. The hard part is stop seeing yourselves as two wrestlers with things to say…and starting to see yourself as one team with one statement to make.”

“And that means even standing up for one another when you aren’t in the spotlight…but the Sindicate doesn’t understand a Goddamn thing about this. Johnny Rebel and Level-One have shined too long in individual spotlights, that standing together under than teeny tiny light is well…"

“A damn charade.”

“A tag team looks out for another even when that spotlight is gone. Behind closed doors, would Level-One help Rebel manage his problems with Sarah? Would Rebel help keep Level-One under control when he goes ballistic? If Johnny Rebel had to have the most disgusting, hateful, downright damning things said to him…much like my own tag team partner has had said to him since coming to my aid…what would L1 say?”

“…”

“And that right there is your answer Nobledrive Nation: They would say nothing. Because as a tag team, they are nothing. Johnny Rebel and Level-One respect one another as wrestlers, but they aren’t friends. They suffer the most prominent of tag team problems: They both want to be the heads of the same coin.”

Chris flips the coin in the air, catching it and holding up the tails end to the camera.

“But that’s not Kurt and I. We support the other when life flips out of control. When Delikado outright abused Kurt’s wife, I was there.”

“And when no one believed that Chris was meant to stand beside me and fight the Sindicate, I was there.”

“When you can’t fight for one another off the cameras…you are not a tag team. When you can’t form that bond, that connection, you are not a tag team. When you can’t come together and , and *speak* as a tag team at your first title defense on arguably one of the largest shows of the year…”

“You are not a tag team.”

“But that’s just the beginning of the Sindicate’s problems. Despite all their successes, Johnny Rebel and Level-One are the kind of men that will always be too arrogant to put someone else first. In doing so, they can never really trust someone. You think Johnny Rebel ever trusted Blade? You think Level-One ever trusted…well, anybody? If you can’ trust someone when they really need you to…

“You are still not a tag team.”

“Because if Level-One and Johnny Rebel really were a tag team, they know what the most important aspect of being a team it. It’s not standing together. It’s not occasionally being buddies and letting one another crash on your couch. It’s something much deeper…and it’s revealed through two questions. If you’ll do the honor Chris….

“Johnny, Level-One…this is the moment that you find out how much of a team you really are. The first question for you Johnny…

What is Level-One’s weakness?”

Hart reaches over, and lifts up the white Queen piece.

“And for you, Level-One….”

He reaches over again, this time for the Black King piece.

“What is Johnny Rebel’s weakness?”

“Every chess piece has a weakness, even the Queen. Sometimes, being over-eager, over-zealous, and just plain overt is its own weakness. When you truly believe you are invincible…that’s how you discover just how mortal you are, and the Sindicate *is*mortal.

“See, every time I’ve faced off against the two of you, you claimed to be damn near invincible. It doesn’t matter how many times I beat you Johnny: you’ll always deny me. You’ll always claim to be better. If I were heads, and you tails, the coin could land on me ninety-nine times…but you would only see the one time the coin flipped with you up.”

"Except that tag teams can't be successful through chance alone like the flip of a coin. Yes, there's a chance that the Sindicate will walk out of Test for the Best with the victory...but if, and only if, they come to the realization they're just playing the role of partners until that glorious moment comes when Jeff bends to their will. When they know their own weaknesses, and can capitalize on them...they have a chance at victory.”

“But tag teams are even more complex than that. You have to be ready and willing to admit your greatest weaknesses so your partner can be there, ready to cover them up. I know my weaknesses: I’m arrogant, I’m rash, and my leg prevents my from being as speedy as I’d like…which is exactly why Chris is the other half of the coin of Noble-Hart. He’s patient. He’s a thinker. He’s faster than anyone in this match. For every shortcoming I have, I know Chris Hart is there to make me stronger.

“And where I lack experience, or don’t have the same obnoxious charisma as other…I know Kurt is there to make me stronger. Your weaknesses don’t seem so weak when someone’s there to hold you up.

“So…with that said, Johnny, Lester…I ask you two to take a hard look at one another and ask those questions about your weaknesses….

“If you don’t know the answers…you aren’t a tag team.

“If you don’t care about the answers…you aren’t a tag team.

“And if you really, really believe that neither of you have a weakness…

“Then you wouldn’t be a tag team.”

“And that’s just one of the continuously apparent reasons that you cannot claim a true victory at Test for the Best, even if you pin Chris and I. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been pinned by Johnny Rebel, and it might not even be the last; but what makes this match so different than Kurt Noble vs. Johnny Rebel for One Night in Hell is that this isn’t my victory. It isn’t even my loss.”

“Win or lose…this is Noble-Hart’s match. Tag Team Champions or not, this is the night that Noble-Hart returns in full force, and with one goal that will never be blocked, never be slowed, and never be forgotten:

“To destroy the Sindicate.

“Not beat.

“Not embarrass.

“Not even dethrone.

“Just destroy.

“The APW Tag Team Championships, as prestigious as they are, are just a bonus. The two of you have built yourselves up round how much gold you’ve had around your waists, and it’s an impressive amount. Overdrive titles, Undisputed titles, titles that we’ve never even heard of…that what defines the Sindicate. The two of you came together after feeling mistreated, because you felt you weren’t getting title shots fast enough. Gold is what the Sindicate cares about.

“And it’s what will help destroy the Sindicate…but not at Test for the Best. Chris and I know that the fight isn’t over when that bell rings. Maybe it’ll never be over. If you two have proven anything in your feuds with wrestlers like Sally Talfourd and even myself, it’s that grudges hold for you. They persist. You’ll never stop coming for us until we’ve hammered you to the point of extinction. And, well…"

“That’s exactly how the believing will stop and the knowing begins: Because when the Sindicate rises, Noble-Hart will be there. When the Sindicate interferes in everyone else’s business, Noble-Hart will be there. When the Sindicate finally gets within one step of the Undisputed Championship…Noble-Hart will be there…and in turn….APW will know Noble-Hart.”

“And when they do, they’ll know that this match is more than meets the eye. This is the true Test for the Best…but not to determine the best wrestler…Not to determine the best team even…but to determine whether the Sindicate or Noble-Hart is best for APW.

“So as we sit here, issuing a message to the Nobledrive Nation, they will know that what we say is the truth.

“APW will know that Noble-Hart was formed to fight, and destroy the Sindicate, however bloody the battle."

“APW will know that whatever the Sindicate throws at us, we’ll be there, ready and willing to take it to defend APW."

“APW will know that when we fight the Sindicate, we face our own personal test as a team…one that we fight for you Nobledrive Nation."

“APW will know that at the end of the night…the Sindicate should not, will not, and cannot be considered a tag team.

“And at the end of the night, when the Test is finally over…Noble-Hart will know one thing, and ne thing only:

Both Noble and Hart display the exact same grin as they speak their last Nobledrive line.

“Victory.”

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“That was impressive.”

The camera clicks off to Amy Noble’s slow clap, wiping the smiles off the faces of Noble, Hart, and Kylie! Kylie clicks off the camera before crossing her arms.

“Um, you’re not supposed to be in here,” Kylie snaps. “You can wait outside like all the other fans-“

“It’s alright,” Noble interrupts with a wave of his hand. “She’s my…wife.”

“And I’d like a moment alone with my husband, if that’s quite alright with…well, I don’t even care what your name is.” Kylie snarls, but Hart shoots her a quick glare that quickly subdues her. The two move out of the room, with Chris and Amy sharing a lightning glance. Amy smiles at Kurt as the door closes behind her, but the Undisputed Champion doesn’t return the sentiment.

“I think I know what you have to say,” Noble says. “We…haven’t really been together much since Mayhem. I know you still think I’m picking battles with groups like the Sindicate, and that I’m never going to stop, and that I'm a bad husband-“

“I know.”

Despite her pleasant tone, the words cause Noble to fidget in his seat, ducking his wife’s earth-shattering blue eyes.

“I’ve accepted that I’m never going to be able to compete with this sport,” Amy says. “You’re always going to go off to fight groups like the Sindicate. You always have, and you always will. As long as there’s a Johnny Rebel…there’ll always be a Kurt Noble to fight him.”

“You make it sound so sappy,” Noble jests lightly.

“I didn’t come here to interrupt your show or crash the party; I just came to remind you that you have friends and family that love you and just want the best for you. Don’t ever lose sight of those people…especially true friends like Chris.”

“Chris and I will always be friends,” Noble responds in a somewhat alarmed tone.

“This ridicule he’s taken, all this doubt he’s been under because of the Sindicate; he’s doing it for you. He’s doing it because he knows you’re the best for APW, not Level-One or Johnny Rebel. He’s marching into a match not a lot of guys think he can win because he knows the two of you can win it together. I guess that’s the special thing about you and Chris; separately, you’re a young kid and a middle-aged wrestler. Together…you’re the best tag team I’ve ever seen. Don’t ever forget that synergy…and the Sindicate can’t ever touch you. I envy that bond.”

“I won’t ever forget what Chris went through to get us both to this point,” Noble says, finally meeting his wife’s gaze. “Or you, for that matter. I know things are still bad between us…but I’ll fix them. Don’t believe I will…just know that I will.”

Amy feigns a smile as Noble stands up and puts his arms around her. He strokes her blond hair as the sides of their faces meet. However, a throat clearing in the background breaks up the moment.

“I seriously think you two do that every time I leave the room,” Chris says as he rolls his eyes. “But it’s nice to actually see you do it for the first time in a long time. Anyway, we need to get going soon Kurt.”

“Yeah,” Noble agrees before facing Amy.

“Give ‘em Hell guys,” Amy responds in a soft tone as she smiles warmly at both men.

“We’ll give them more than that,” Chris says as Noble looks over at the chessboard.

“We’ll give them Noble-Hart.”