Post by Chaos Stryke on Nov 18, 2012 15:53:39 GMT -4
We open to a blank video feed. For several moments there is only silence, but we then hear the sound of a phone receiver being lifted and the dial tone. We hear the buttons being pressed as a number is dialled, then silences falls again for several more moments. The silence is then broken by the familiar voice of Logan Alexander.
Hey, it’s Logan. First and foremost, I want to apologize for the last couple of weeks. I haven’t been the most supportive partner for you since One Night in Hell. I’ve just… been trying to figure out where I went wrong.
Two and a half weeks ago when we were getting ready for that title match I honestly thought I was going to roll through the competition, yourself included, and walk out as the champion. When I didn’t… I was disappointed. I was frustrated that I couldn’t do what you did that night. I couldn’t last in the ring. I didn’t even make it to the halfway point before I made my exit and had to take that long walk down the aisleway. All I could do was wait to see if you could prevail. I wasn’t surprised when you did. When the dust settled in that Last Man Standing match… there were none. There was only a woman who proved to be greater than them all.
Time and again you’ve proven it. No one has been your equal in the ring. I’m not sure if you’ll find anyone on Meltdown that truly is.
I saw that… and I began to doubt if you needed me at your side. I didn’t want to stand by you and be viewed as someone trying to get some of the glory that you had earned, which is how some people in APW view me. I didn’t want it to be assumed that your success was only because I was there either. Ever since your cage match, people have this impression that you’re doing things my way… like you’re some sort of puppet whose strings I’m pulling.
I was letting these things and my own insecurity get to me and I was pushing you away as a result. I wanted time and space to work out my own problems, without considering the fact that you might have problems you’d want my help with. I know its put some strain on us and our team and it’s given you reason to doubt me… and for that I’m sorry.
I’m not going to turn my back on M&M. Last week… we did a good job together, like always. I know we have a good chance of pushing through this tag tournament and I’ll be there with you the whole way, win or lose. This week isn’t going to change any of that. This is our third match facing off against one another… and our first one on one match.
Fight for all you’re worth this week. You deserve to carry the championship and I know that you’ll defend it with pride like a truly deserving champion should. I don’t expect us to speak directly until Monday night… and maybe not even then. I don’t know what might happen out there given the circumstances… but I wish you good luck all the same, and just remember that no matter how things end in this match, I’ll still be there as your partner afterwards.
Take care, Aubrey.
There’s a brief pause, then we hear the phone sliding back into its cradle and Logan letting out a quiet sigh.
After a few more moments, we’re treated to a new scene as the camera blinks to life. The now familiar sight of the interior of the Alexander home comes into view as the camera makes its way through the living room towards the sliding doors along the back wall. We can see that it’s daytime, probably afternoon. The door slides open, and the camera moves outside. The view pans and we find that the person holding the camera is standing on a relatively spacious, and mostly unused, deck behind the house. The number one contender to the North American championship leans against the back railing and looks across the yard, dressed in a jacket, jeans, and sneakers as a breeze moves past, ruffling his hair slightly. The sliding door is heard closing again and Logan offers the camera glance.
So… is the soon to be North American champion considering his upcoming match, or is he just contemplating finally getting out there and raking the leaves in his backyard?
Logan snorts softly and smiles.
Well, I’m considering getting out there and cleaning the yard to some extent. I don’t know what the soon to be North American champion might be doing though.
Still not sure about that match I see.
I can’t take anything for granted about this match… especially this match. Facing Aubrey is one thing. Facing her for the title is another. And facing her for the title with a referee who has questionable motives at best makes this impossible to call. I could wrestle a flawless match on Monday night, but if Sienna decides that she doesn’t want to call the match, it won’t really matter at all will it?
Ah. So that’s what’s really bothering you now.
He looks to the camera, appearing mildly concerned.
Well… yeah. I am looking forward to competing against Aubrey. I know it’ll be a really good test for the both of us. It’s for the title and there’s probably going to be at least a little pride on the line, but there’s nothing personal between us. It would have been a match that regardless of how it concluded I’d probably be able to look at it and be proud of it. Aubrey would still be the champion or I’d get a chance to see what I can do with it. If I lose, it confirms a few things for me and I’ll move on. If Aubrey was to lose, she might very well be back in the number one contender’s spot before the end of the month because she’d want the belt back.
He sighs and hangs his head.
This might be my only shot at the title. And now it might not even be a fair match. Sienna’s been playing games with us for the last few weeks, and now we’re stuck with her calling the shots. The odds heavily favour her costing one of us the match, but who knows what her end goal is this week.
I don’t think you’ve ever told me about her, even though you two seems to have history.
He looks over at the camera.
Well… we were friends once about five years ago. I think I only ended up meeting her cause Evan Envi, back then Evan Heir, and I had four pretty good matches in a two month period and she started showing up with him a short time after. I’m sure a lot of people had Sienna and I pegged as an item shortly after that summer as we spent a lot of time together before and after my matches.
You know… this story sounds fairly familiar.
Logan chuckles softly.
I’d hope so. We played out a similar story a couple of years ago after all. Aubrey and I are doing similar too.
Yeah… and you’d just better be careful about where this one goes mister. I know where I can find you most hours of the day.
He backs up a step, holding up his hands.
You know you can trust me on that one. Don’t mind the APW rumour mill.
Uh huh. So what happened with you and Sienna anyway? How did you end up here?
He moves back to the railing, lowering his hands back down.
Her family’s nemesis, Jason Storm, got involved. I swear his whole goal seemed to be to tear the Harrison family to pieces. That was a man with a grudge… and looking bad, it’s hard to deny his success. He wasn’t one of my biggest fans either, so he went after Sienna as a way to get to Evan and me at once. I didn’t take the bait. Evan did… and so did Sienna.
What do you mean?
If you think Envi has been volatile now, you should have seen him then. Sienna… I still don’t know what she was thinking, but she went back to Jason after all he did to her. Evan was her brother. I was one of her closer friends there. So when she did that, I gave up on her. Within weeks she was solidly in Jason’s camp anyway, so I know I hadn’t lost out on anything meaningful. I lost most of my respect and all of my trust in her then. Now look where we’ve ended up.
He shakes his head and glances away.
A chance meeting in APW and I saw the tension in you when you first met her there. I always wondered just what had gone on there.
Well, now you and everyone else who ends up seeing this will know the gist of the story. It doesn’t make it any easier to formulate a solution to the problem, though.
Clearly. All I can say for sure is that things aren’t going to go easily for you this week. Maybe it would just be best for you to focus on what you can control. Bottom line is that you have a championship match this week and your partner is your opponent.
Yeah… It’s just this match feels like it’s going to be very important for me going forward and there are just so many variables this time. It’s too much chaos to prepare for.
You tend to find a way.
Logan snorts softly and smiles again.
All my family and friends seem to say so. Guess I’d better get to work then.
He looks at the camera, nodding slightly, then moving past it. The camera angles downward and the scene fades out.
It’s later in the evening, and we find Logan sitting on the steps of the deck with the camera out in the yard ahead of him. He runs his fingers through his hair before looking up at the camera. He lets out a breath, forming a cloud of white in the cold, which floats away.
Logan Alexander versus Aubrey J. Parker for the North American championship with Sienna Harrison as the guest referee. It’s a match I’m happy to have, with a prize that I wasn’t very eager to be after, and with a referee I cannot trust. For the better part of a week, I’ve had a bad feeling about this match… Knowing that Sienna had a hand in deciding the stipulation didn’t sit well with me. Once the official card was released… I finally realized just how much trouble I was in for.
He reaches up and rubs the bridge of his nose. He looks concerned, as he had been earlier about this situation.
Two weeks ago, I found myself thrust into this unexpected position. I wasn’t looking to become the top contender, but I know that sometimes you have opportunities thrust upon you when you least desire them. I decided that I would embrace this opportunity. It’s just another challenge for me and I could see how I compare with the champion.
I admit that I’ve gotten curious about just how much better Aubrey has gotten in the last couple of months. We’ve been in the ring a couple of times already, but we never really had a chance to compete against one another since both matches had other people involved for us to worry about. This was going to be our first opportunity to size one another up, because we’d both like to know how good the other is. I’m already looking at this match as a learning experience for us as a team. We can learn about any problems we have and work to improve them, which will make us even better as a team.
People seem to have the strange idea that this match is going to be the wedge that drives us apart. That the North American title is going to make us jealous of one another. I was the experienced veteran when we came to APW and now I’m standing in the shadow of my partner, who is perched at the apex of the mountain I am currently climbing. Do I want to be where she is? Certainly. I would like to be the champion if I prove myself capable of it. I wasn’t ready three weeks ago, but I might be now. Am I jealous of her success? Of course. She did what I couldn’t. I wanted to be the champion and I was so sure I would be a month ago. I ended up as another guy that couldn’t get the job done and no one likes to be thought of as that.
But for me, this is all just part of being in a team. Someone is always the best out of the group. I got used to the feeling of being the best one in other groups I was part of, but not being the best here, just pushes me to try and get better. My jealousy and insecurity don’t make me lash out at my partner. They make me want to catch her and become her equal. Other people don’t get that.
Logan smiles to the camera which looks forced. He seems tired.
Aubrey… I know that you understand that though. Or at least I hope you do. We know each other well. It’s what makes us such a great team. Now we’re in a position where we’re going to have to bring all of that knowledge against one another.
You know I’m not like any of your other competitors Aubrey. I don’t look down on you because you’re a woman. I don’t let myself get distracted by fantasies about you like the majority of the male roster. I can’t even let myself believe that my experience is going to be a decisive advantage against you. Almost every single one of your opponents to this point have refused to give you the respect you deserved and acknowledge the fact that you are as good as you say you are. You’ve beaten everybody that has been put in your way. Thus far, I have been the only person to face you and claim a victory… but I know that you beat me when it really mattered. Yet neither of us has beaten the other directly… but that is going to change.
I’m coming in against you more focused than any of your previous competitors. I’m not focused on the title though. I want to beat you Aubrey, but not because of the championship. I want to prove something to myself and everyone else. I already know I’ve been dismissed in this match by as a long shot, and that only encourages me to try harder and see if I can prove everyone wrong again. It’s nothing personal between us, but I have to go out there and try to beat you decisively… regardless of the external factors involved.
I’m going to be ready to exploit every weakness I’ve seen in your form. I haven’t had much to do other than study our matches to see what you have done right and I haven’t. I need to change things up against you and try being harder for you to predict while being ready to adjust when you do the same. Most importantly, I need to raise my drive to win to match yours. I’ve seen the way you clutch the championship Aubrey… The same way Evan did and Lively did. No matter how confident you show yourself to be, you’re constantly being gnawed on by doubt. Even after beating Krunk three times, you still seemed unsure when you had to defend the title against him. You’re always worried that the next time you step into that ring, everything will fall apart. The pressure gets a bit higher every time and sooner or later, you’re going to crack.
That really leaves me with few options. Either help you become something tougher that can handle it, or relieve you of the burden. So I’m going to have to push as far as I can go to take you as far as you can go using everything I can against you, as well as everything I know about you. I don’t do this for myself either. I do this for you, and for us. I will do what I can to win the championship from you, because you will try even harder to keep it. Show everyone how badly you want to keep the title.
He smirks at the camera, this looking more genuine. He slowly stands up, looking down towards the camera.
I can honestly say I believe this will be one of the hardest fought matches I’m going to have in APW. On paper this match could be considered a toss up, but that’s giving myself a lot of extra credit. In reality, this match is going to test me in more ways than I’m probably expecting. Aubrey is a formidable opponent, but the referee will be something else entirely. I feel this match will hinge entirely on what Sienna decides, so this match may already be over. Regardless, I’m going to do everything I can, because anything could happen.
All that is certain is that Aubrey and I are going to give each other the hardest fight we can and when this match is over, one of us will leave as the champion, but we’ll still be a team. That doesn’t change no matter what comes our way.
I’ll see you on Monday partner.
Now looking more resolved to take on the challenge before him, Logan offers a final nod to the camera, then the scene fades to black.
Hey, it’s Logan. First and foremost, I want to apologize for the last couple of weeks. I haven’t been the most supportive partner for you since One Night in Hell. I’ve just… been trying to figure out where I went wrong.
Two and a half weeks ago when we were getting ready for that title match I honestly thought I was going to roll through the competition, yourself included, and walk out as the champion. When I didn’t… I was disappointed. I was frustrated that I couldn’t do what you did that night. I couldn’t last in the ring. I didn’t even make it to the halfway point before I made my exit and had to take that long walk down the aisleway. All I could do was wait to see if you could prevail. I wasn’t surprised when you did. When the dust settled in that Last Man Standing match… there were none. There was only a woman who proved to be greater than them all.
Time and again you’ve proven it. No one has been your equal in the ring. I’m not sure if you’ll find anyone on Meltdown that truly is.
I saw that… and I began to doubt if you needed me at your side. I didn’t want to stand by you and be viewed as someone trying to get some of the glory that you had earned, which is how some people in APW view me. I didn’t want it to be assumed that your success was only because I was there either. Ever since your cage match, people have this impression that you’re doing things my way… like you’re some sort of puppet whose strings I’m pulling.
I was letting these things and my own insecurity get to me and I was pushing you away as a result. I wanted time and space to work out my own problems, without considering the fact that you might have problems you’d want my help with. I know its put some strain on us and our team and it’s given you reason to doubt me… and for that I’m sorry.
I’m not going to turn my back on M&M. Last week… we did a good job together, like always. I know we have a good chance of pushing through this tag tournament and I’ll be there with you the whole way, win or lose. This week isn’t going to change any of that. This is our third match facing off against one another… and our first one on one match.
Fight for all you’re worth this week. You deserve to carry the championship and I know that you’ll defend it with pride like a truly deserving champion should. I don’t expect us to speak directly until Monday night… and maybe not even then. I don’t know what might happen out there given the circumstances… but I wish you good luck all the same, and just remember that no matter how things end in this match, I’ll still be there as your partner afterwards.
Take care, Aubrey.
There’s a brief pause, then we hear the phone sliding back into its cradle and Logan letting out a quiet sigh.
After a few more moments, we’re treated to a new scene as the camera blinks to life. The now familiar sight of the interior of the Alexander home comes into view as the camera makes its way through the living room towards the sliding doors along the back wall. We can see that it’s daytime, probably afternoon. The door slides open, and the camera moves outside. The view pans and we find that the person holding the camera is standing on a relatively spacious, and mostly unused, deck behind the house. The number one contender to the North American championship leans against the back railing and looks across the yard, dressed in a jacket, jeans, and sneakers as a breeze moves past, ruffling his hair slightly. The sliding door is heard closing again and Logan offers the camera glance.
So… is the soon to be North American champion considering his upcoming match, or is he just contemplating finally getting out there and raking the leaves in his backyard?
Logan snorts softly and smiles.
Well, I’m considering getting out there and cleaning the yard to some extent. I don’t know what the soon to be North American champion might be doing though.
Still not sure about that match I see.
I can’t take anything for granted about this match… especially this match. Facing Aubrey is one thing. Facing her for the title is another. And facing her for the title with a referee who has questionable motives at best makes this impossible to call. I could wrestle a flawless match on Monday night, but if Sienna decides that she doesn’t want to call the match, it won’t really matter at all will it?
Ah. So that’s what’s really bothering you now.
He looks to the camera, appearing mildly concerned.
Well… yeah. I am looking forward to competing against Aubrey. I know it’ll be a really good test for the both of us. It’s for the title and there’s probably going to be at least a little pride on the line, but there’s nothing personal between us. It would have been a match that regardless of how it concluded I’d probably be able to look at it and be proud of it. Aubrey would still be the champion or I’d get a chance to see what I can do with it. If I lose, it confirms a few things for me and I’ll move on. If Aubrey was to lose, she might very well be back in the number one contender’s spot before the end of the month because she’d want the belt back.
He sighs and hangs his head.
This might be my only shot at the title. And now it might not even be a fair match. Sienna’s been playing games with us for the last few weeks, and now we’re stuck with her calling the shots. The odds heavily favour her costing one of us the match, but who knows what her end goal is this week.
I don’t think you’ve ever told me about her, even though you two seems to have history.
He looks over at the camera.
Well… we were friends once about five years ago. I think I only ended up meeting her cause Evan Envi, back then Evan Heir, and I had four pretty good matches in a two month period and she started showing up with him a short time after. I’m sure a lot of people had Sienna and I pegged as an item shortly after that summer as we spent a lot of time together before and after my matches.
You know… this story sounds fairly familiar.
Logan chuckles softly.
I’d hope so. We played out a similar story a couple of years ago after all. Aubrey and I are doing similar too.
Yeah… and you’d just better be careful about where this one goes mister. I know where I can find you most hours of the day.
He backs up a step, holding up his hands.
You know you can trust me on that one. Don’t mind the APW rumour mill.
Uh huh. So what happened with you and Sienna anyway? How did you end up here?
He moves back to the railing, lowering his hands back down.
Her family’s nemesis, Jason Storm, got involved. I swear his whole goal seemed to be to tear the Harrison family to pieces. That was a man with a grudge… and looking bad, it’s hard to deny his success. He wasn’t one of my biggest fans either, so he went after Sienna as a way to get to Evan and me at once. I didn’t take the bait. Evan did… and so did Sienna.
What do you mean?
If you think Envi has been volatile now, you should have seen him then. Sienna… I still don’t know what she was thinking, but she went back to Jason after all he did to her. Evan was her brother. I was one of her closer friends there. So when she did that, I gave up on her. Within weeks she was solidly in Jason’s camp anyway, so I know I hadn’t lost out on anything meaningful. I lost most of my respect and all of my trust in her then. Now look where we’ve ended up.
He shakes his head and glances away.
A chance meeting in APW and I saw the tension in you when you first met her there. I always wondered just what had gone on there.
Well, now you and everyone else who ends up seeing this will know the gist of the story. It doesn’t make it any easier to formulate a solution to the problem, though.
Clearly. All I can say for sure is that things aren’t going to go easily for you this week. Maybe it would just be best for you to focus on what you can control. Bottom line is that you have a championship match this week and your partner is your opponent.
Yeah… It’s just this match feels like it’s going to be very important for me going forward and there are just so many variables this time. It’s too much chaos to prepare for.
You tend to find a way.
Logan snorts softly and smiles again.
All my family and friends seem to say so. Guess I’d better get to work then.
He looks at the camera, nodding slightly, then moving past it. The camera angles downward and the scene fades out.
It’s later in the evening, and we find Logan sitting on the steps of the deck with the camera out in the yard ahead of him. He runs his fingers through his hair before looking up at the camera. He lets out a breath, forming a cloud of white in the cold, which floats away.
Logan Alexander versus Aubrey J. Parker for the North American championship with Sienna Harrison as the guest referee. It’s a match I’m happy to have, with a prize that I wasn’t very eager to be after, and with a referee I cannot trust. For the better part of a week, I’ve had a bad feeling about this match… Knowing that Sienna had a hand in deciding the stipulation didn’t sit well with me. Once the official card was released… I finally realized just how much trouble I was in for.
He reaches up and rubs the bridge of his nose. He looks concerned, as he had been earlier about this situation.
Two weeks ago, I found myself thrust into this unexpected position. I wasn’t looking to become the top contender, but I know that sometimes you have opportunities thrust upon you when you least desire them. I decided that I would embrace this opportunity. It’s just another challenge for me and I could see how I compare with the champion.
I admit that I’ve gotten curious about just how much better Aubrey has gotten in the last couple of months. We’ve been in the ring a couple of times already, but we never really had a chance to compete against one another since both matches had other people involved for us to worry about. This was going to be our first opportunity to size one another up, because we’d both like to know how good the other is. I’m already looking at this match as a learning experience for us as a team. We can learn about any problems we have and work to improve them, which will make us even better as a team.
People seem to have the strange idea that this match is going to be the wedge that drives us apart. That the North American title is going to make us jealous of one another. I was the experienced veteran when we came to APW and now I’m standing in the shadow of my partner, who is perched at the apex of the mountain I am currently climbing. Do I want to be where she is? Certainly. I would like to be the champion if I prove myself capable of it. I wasn’t ready three weeks ago, but I might be now. Am I jealous of her success? Of course. She did what I couldn’t. I wanted to be the champion and I was so sure I would be a month ago. I ended up as another guy that couldn’t get the job done and no one likes to be thought of as that.
But for me, this is all just part of being in a team. Someone is always the best out of the group. I got used to the feeling of being the best one in other groups I was part of, but not being the best here, just pushes me to try and get better. My jealousy and insecurity don’t make me lash out at my partner. They make me want to catch her and become her equal. Other people don’t get that.
Logan smiles to the camera which looks forced. He seems tired.
Aubrey… I know that you understand that though. Or at least I hope you do. We know each other well. It’s what makes us such a great team. Now we’re in a position where we’re going to have to bring all of that knowledge against one another.
You know I’m not like any of your other competitors Aubrey. I don’t look down on you because you’re a woman. I don’t let myself get distracted by fantasies about you like the majority of the male roster. I can’t even let myself believe that my experience is going to be a decisive advantage against you. Almost every single one of your opponents to this point have refused to give you the respect you deserved and acknowledge the fact that you are as good as you say you are. You’ve beaten everybody that has been put in your way. Thus far, I have been the only person to face you and claim a victory… but I know that you beat me when it really mattered. Yet neither of us has beaten the other directly… but that is going to change.
I’m coming in against you more focused than any of your previous competitors. I’m not focused on the title though. I want to beat you Aubrey, but not because of the championship. I want to prove something to myself and everyone else. I already know I’ve been dismissed in this match by as a long shot, and that only encourages me to try harder and see if I can prove everyone wrong again. It’s nothing personal between us, but I have to go out there and try to beat you decisively… regardless of the external factors involved.
I’m going to be ready to exploit every weakness I’ve seen in your form. I haven’t had much to do other than study our matches to see what you have done right and I haven’t. I need to change things up against you and try being harder for you to predict while being ready to adjust when you do the same. Most importantly, I need to raise my drive to win to match yours. I’ve seen the way you clutch the championship Aubrey… The same way Evan did and Lively did. No matter how confident you show yourself to be, you’re constantly being gnawed on by doubt. Even after beating Krunk three times, you still seemed unsure when you had to defend the title against him. You’re always worried that the next time you step into that ring, everything will fall apart. The pressure gets a bit higher every time and sooner or later, you’re going to crack.
That really leaves me with few options. Either help you become something tougher that can handle it, or relieve you of the burden. So I’m going to have to push as far as I can go to take you as far as you can go using everything I can against you, as well as everything I know about you. I don’t do this for myself either. I do this for you, and for us. I will do what I can to win the championship from you, because you will try even harder to keep it. Show everyone how badly you want to keep the title.
He smirks at the camera, this looking more genuine. He slowly stands up, looking down towards the camera.
I can honestly say I believe this will be one of the hardest fought matches I’m going to have in APW. On paper this match could be considered a toss up, but that’s giving myself a lot of extra credit. In reality, this match is going to test me in more ways than I’m probably expecting. Aubrey is a formidable opponent, but the referee will be something else entirely. I feel this match will hinge entirely on what Sienna decides, so this match may already be over. Regardless, I’m going to do everything I can, because anything could happen.
All that is certain is that Aubrey and I are going to give each other the hardest fight we can and when this match is over, one of us will leave as the champion, but we’ll still be a team. That doesn’t change no matter what comes our way.
I’ll see you on Monday partner.
Now looking more resolved to take on the challenge before him, Logan offers a final nod to the camera, then the scene fades to black.
