Post by Evan De Parker on Feb 20, 2013 21:59:39 GMT -4
”It’s interesting... A week ago, I was sitting here telling all of you that I had no idea what a hero looked like. I’ve entertained plenty of people and I’ve sent a few people home from our shows happy-- but I was never their hero. Even when I was their good guy... I wasn’t their hero. And it wasn’t because I didn’t want to be, and I’d like to think it’s not because they wouldn’t have me.
“I just never fit that bill. It was never my role. I don’t consider myself a savior, and I don’t consider myself the bad guy.
“I do bad things, because nobody ever got anything accomplished by sitting around with their thumbs up their ass. Well-- CJ Gates has, but that’s a different story for a little bit later.
“I want to tell you a different story, and it’s another story about heroes. Or... Lack thereof.”
Cold.
We coldly, and quickly blink into color, standing near Evan Envi who admires himself in the mirror, adjusting the tie on a dark-colored button-up shirt, before adjusting a blue ribbon pinned to the breast pocket.
He wears a distant, and oddly absent half-smile on his face. It seems obtuse, but fitting within the somber lull. Finally, after seconds of mindlessly adjusting the cuffs of his wrists for what seemed like upwards of a minute, he turns and throws his gaze toward his bedroom door as Michelle Weaver walks in, clad in a black dress as well. Her eyes are wet with tears and she starts to move her fingers through her hair-- but stops, remembering how perfectly it’s been made up for the occasion.
”I’m-- I probably look like an idiot. I’m crying, and I don’t even know this kid.”
Evan raises an eyebrow and nods.
”Yeah... Yeah, you look like an idiot-- but that’s not your fault, shnookums, that’s just how you look on the reg.”
Michelle sniffles, her tears abruptly coming to a halt. Evan, apparently unaware of his nerve, turns back to the mirror.
”It sucks about Robert. Like... It really fucking sucks. I wish I’d been there.”
His gaze is set downcast, but he moves his fingers along the tail of his tie, caressing the fabric, pretending to have some sort of mission in mind. Michelle knows better, and moves forward, taking his hand.
”You’ve been fixing that tie for twenty minutes. Think it’s time to go?”
”What time is it?”
”It’s nine.”
Evan nods. It appears that he wants to say something else, but finds his words caught in his throat...
Dark.
”Robert was twenty-five. He was only a year or so older than me, and when I was a kid, I remember my mom and dad would tell me that he was ‘special’ and that I should go out of my way to play with him, and make him feel welcome in our house.
“It went without saying though. Everybody treated Rob with the utmost respect. If you fucked with Rob, you fucked with all of us. He loved everybody, y’know? Sometimes I was a little jealous. Here I was-- some snot-nosed rich kid from the Eastern Shore, and I was jealous of this chubby kid with down syndrome because he was the nicest person ever. He was so cool.
“Never hurt anybody...
“I wish I could’ve been just like him, in that aspect.
“But I couldn’t. Not with my dreams.”
”I wanna thank you guys for coming.”
”Hey-- you guys are like family, Adam. You, Emma, Pop... I know I haven’t been in close contact since I joined APW, and I’m sorry, bro. I feel like shit, and--”
”No worries, my friend. We know you’re busy, and we love you for it.”
”It was a beautiful service...”
”Thanks, Michelle. Could I, um... Offer you a tissue?”
”Please.”
We blink into color again, just a few minutes post-service. Evan stands opposite a rotund, rosy-cheeked, blonde-haired fellow, earlier identified as Adam. He hands the weeping Michelle Weaver a tissue, and she quietly excuses herself to tend to her tears and consequently running make-up. Adam turns to Evan and starts to say something, but his lips curve into a smile.
”Well, look who it is!”
Evan turns and follows Adam’s gaze.
”Tyler Harrison, in the flesh!”
The second-eldest Harrison makes his way from the church into the adjacent corridors, carefully maneuvering past Adam’s friends and family. He makes his way directly toward Adam and embraces his childhood friend in a hug.
”Love ya, buddy. Sorry about all this.”
”Jeez, with all these apologies today-- I must be in a church full of murderers. Hah, fuck me, right? That’d be my luck.”
He laughs and pats both of his friends on the back.
”Catch you guys in the dining room in a few?”
”Of course.”
”We’re with you until you kick us out, buddy.”
Adam smiles warmly at the two brothers and shoves his hands into his pockets.
”Sit with us at the big table, eh? See you in a bit.”
He turns and he makes his way out of the corridor, into the aforementioned dining room. Evan uneasily turns to his older brother, who is already looking at him with an eerily “knowing” gaze, rolling back and forth from his heels to his toes.
”Long time, little bro.”
”Yeah.”
Michelle returns to Evan’s side, her eyes cleared of all tears, but still wearing the evidence in her stare. She turns and looks at Tyler, smiling up at him.
”It was nice to meet you, Tyler. Did you guys want some time to talk?”
”Not really.”
”I would actually LOOOOVE to take a step outside and have a talk with my little brother for a few minutes! About this... Tragedy.”
”Of course!”
Evan audibly groans, but Michelle just grins and places a hand on his shoulder to lean up and peck him, quickly on the cheek. She moves into the dining room through the same door Adam had disappeared into just a few moments later. He pivots, quickly turning to face Tyler again, who is already fumbling for his lighter in the pocket of his pants.
”Shall we?”
”After you.”
Tyler laughs a little and turns, moving his hands into his pockets. For a few seconds, he just stands in silence, but soon turns back to Evan with a smirk.
”Two-word answers all day, eh?”
”I guess.”
Tyler looks down, the smile still in tact and nods. Without another word, he steps past Evan and pushes the door open, stepping out of the church. Begrudgingly, Evan follows.
Dark.
”It was asphyxiation.
“Robert just... He went to the movie theater with a friend of the family and um... They went, and they saw Zero Dark Thirty and he loved it, y’know? He loved those kind of movies. He loved the army, and the military, and he was taught that these people were supposed to be his heroes. He was taught that there were an elite few in this country that were called on to protect.
“That’s what they told him.
“...I guess one thing led to another and he got a little rowdy. Maybe he put up a struggle. Maybe he swung on somebody. Maybe he didn’t. I really don’t know what to tell you about it except that it was a horrible... Horrible mistake.
“Our heroes aren’t supposed to hurt us.”
We blink into color as Tyler Harrison pops a cigarette between his lips. The cherry grows bright and fades to ash as he inhales, never taking his eyes off of his younger brother.
”Want a smoke?”
”I’m good.”
Tyler just nods, unsurprised by the response. The two are standing the front yard of the church, and are the only two outside. Most others are still mourning the loss with one another inside, or preparing to stuff their faces-- the real reason at least 25% of these jackasses showed up, if you were to ask Evan Envi.
”How did it happen?”
”Excuse me?”
”Cut it out with the two-word responses!”
”I’m sorry.”
Tyler rolls his eyes and takes another deep drag of the cigarette. Evan’s eyes remain on the small, controlled ember at the end for a few seconds, idly, before he meets Tyler’s gaze.
”He wouldn’t leave the theater. Things got out of hand. They claimed that-- that they had no alternative, but to handcuff him. And then they...”
Evan shrugs, shaping some sort of portrait for Tyler with his hands. Needless to say, Tyler doesn’t quite understand what image is being shaped before him, but continues to drag at the cigarette.
”They put him on the ground, and he freaked out. And that was it. They un-handcuffed him, and they called the ambulance, but it didn’t make a difference, really.”
Tyler lowers the cigarette and watches Evan, unflinching.
”Were you here?”
”No. I...”
He shakes his head.
”No.”
”A lot on your mind?”
”Yeah. It’s tragic. I--”
”I’m not talking about Robert.”
Evan slowly nods, once more.
”I know.”
Tyler makes his way across the field, toward the parking lot. Evan doesn’t need to do much work to match his pace, and the two stride in silence for upwards of a minute before Tyler stops at the divide between the grass and the asphalt, flicking ashes out into the parking lot.
”I know that you’re stubborn and you don’t like to talk about it when shit’s bothering you. And I know it’s... It’s uh... A rather inappropriate time to ask you about APW right now, but I never see you, y’know? You don’t call me. You don’t text me back. I mean, it took a fuckin--”
Tyler throws his hand back toward the church.
”Took a fuckin’ death to bring us together, man!”
”You’re right. It is a rather inappropriate time to ask.”
”I don’t want this to get you down.”
”Wha-- don’t want this to g-- ROBERT GOT KILLED, Tyler. I don’t have friends here in Baltimore like that... I stopped talking to all of these people months, or years ago, and now I feel like a stranger whenever I come home, and this shit-- it’s happening again.”
”Don’t.”
”Don’t what?”
”Don’t blame this on wrestling. Don’t blame this on APW. You weren’t here because you couldn’t be, Evan. If you wanted to see these people-- if you wanted to see your family-- then you would make arrangements to do that.
“You wouldn’t be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for Hollywood directors to come film your Overdrive promos. You won’t be spending days out of the week at your second fucking house in LA.
“You’d be here, visiting mom, and dad, and your children. Or you’d be in Florida visiting me or Jeff, or your fucking nephews. Jeremy barely remembers who you are, my friend. You’ve been absent. But we’ve seen plenty of you. We’ve seen all your luxurious free time. We’ve seen your talk about heroes, and how there aren’t enough of them. We’ve seen you. And I’ve seen your bullshit.
“Don’t try to bullshit a bullshitter, little brother. Rule of Harrison. Okay? Now tell me about this match this week, because I know you think you’re hot shit and you’re gonna go into this running like a house afire, and you’re--”
”You don’t care, Tyler.”
Evan looks up at him uncomfortably, cutting Tyler off mid-sentence. Tyler is looking at his cigarette, which has burned down, nearly to the filter. He tosses it into the asphalt and casts a curious gaze at Evan.
”I don’t talk to you, because you don’t care what I do. If you’re curious-- then I’m fighting CJ Gates this week. I call it a fight, because Gates is the entire reason that I’m on a mission to slaughter every single pig in APW, but you wouldn’t know anything about that, because you don’t care.”
”You’re so clueless. I know plenty.”
”You wouldn’t know that I’ve always felt that it was really important that I beat CJ Gates. When I came here-- when I signed, he was on top. I watched Kurt Noble take the Undisputed Title from CJ Gates. I watched him fall from grace. I watched him only show up when it was convenient for him.
“I hate him. I hate people like him, and I hate his fans.”
Evan clears his throat, looking down for a quick moment.
”And I’m a little emotional at the moment, so I guess I dislike him a little more than I normally would.”
”I know all of this, Evan. I watch you every week.”
”Watching me doesn’t mean--”
”--Doesn’t mean I know you, but I DID, and now I don’t, and I want you to let me in. I wanna be able to talk about CJ Gates with you. I mean... No offense little brother, but I was watching AP-Dub’ya waaaay before you were pleasing smarties in the crowd with your alliteration skills.”
This earns a chuckle from Evan, despite his attempts at hiding it.
”So you know about him?”
”You don’t give him nearly enough credit, you know.”
”He said I don’t deserve the Overdrive Title match. He told me... That nothing that I’ve done has been impressive. And-- and the worst part about it, is that he disguised all of his bullshit, and all of his fucking spiteful comments behind this facade of admiration or-- or--”
”Acting like he cared.”
”Yes.”
Evan casts another look at the church and sighs.
”He’s the white knight of APW. He’s represents everything that your everyday good-guy would. Justice... Respect... Integrity.”
He shrugs.
”And I’ve seen a million guys just like him, with just as much talent, as just as many fans. I’ve wrestled CJ Gates hundreds of times vicariously through other men and women. Sometimes I’ve lost those matches, and I’ve learned from them and I’ve tried my best to make sure that it never happened again.
“The general consensus is that I could win this match, and this sounds like the type of thing that should headline a pay-per-view event, but... But deep down, no one expects me to.”
”The people that know you the best expect you to.”
”I’m walking away with that win. When I do, there’s no denying that I’m the rightful number one contender to the Overdrive Title. No one can say I’m not. They can question CJ Gates-- but I will not have them question me.”
He pauses and laughs bitterly.
”CJ Gates could lose to Mr. Dangerous and still go onto headline Rasslemania because of who he is... Because of what he’s done in the past. Despite his mediocre performances in the present-- despite being nowhere near as interesting, nor as consistent as people like A.C. Smith, Buckson Gooch, Delikado, and myself-- he can headline Rasslemania, because he USED to be the guy.
“CJ Gates is good, but he USED to be great. He puts asses in seats, and that is why he is where he’s at. He can bounce back from anything.
“Me? No one takes me seriously, Tyler. If I don’t win, no one will.”
”Yeah? Since when do you care what other people think?”
”I’ve been trying new things as of late.”
Tyler chuckles and slaps his brother on the shoulder.
”You’re still a naive little prick... Know that?”
Evan doesn’t answer, but gives his brother a playful shake of the head. He begins to lead the way back toward the church.
”Hey, Ev.”
Evan stops and turns, waiting for Tyler to reach his side. Tyler casts a discerning look toward the wooden front doors of the church.
”I know you and Sie knew them a lot better than the rest of us. I know she’s taking it hard-- and I know you probably are too, even if you guys won’t talk to anyone else about it. And I’m sorry. And I’m sorry that you feel like shit. And I’m sorry that you care what people think all of a sudden.”
Evan keeps his gaze set on the church as Tyler says all of this.
”And I’m sorry that you feel that you can’t be yourself.”
Caught off guard, Evan turns toward Tyler with curiosity.
”Maybe if you feel that all these heroes and shit are so fake... You should do something about it, and not talk about it. Like-- immediately.”
With those words, Evan begins to lead the way back toward the church. He opens his mouth to reply...
Dark.
”I don’t like our choices in heroes.
“Alternatively, I don’t know how to be a hero.
“...So I won’t try.
“But sometimes I do wish I could change things. I wish things weren’t how they are. I wish I could’ve taken some moments back in the past and made things a little bit different. And I mean-- sometimes I feel that way about wrestling, and sometimes I feel that way about... Just... Things.”
We blink into color as Evan Envi sits before us, dressed in similar attire to earlier-- a black button-up with a black tie. He looks exhausted, and his face is notably paler than usual. He positions the camcorder in front of himself and speaks, the faintest trace of a smirk on his face.
”CJ, I just want to let you know now, that I’m glad this is happening. I’m glad that we get to do this now, before one of us starts running off at the mouth, making some wild claims that we can’t back up, right? Hahahaha, right?
“I mean-- I know I threatened to kill you on Twitter, and that was out of line, but was a completely accurate representation of what’s going to happen this Thursday on Overdrive, CJ.
"And... I don’t want you to take this literally, of course, because I’m far too famous to commit a homicide and get away with it-- I mean, come on.”
Evan scoffs and chuckles a little, but sighs and rolls his eyes toward the lens.
”But, say I beat you on Thursday, just a month away from your Rasslemania main event where you challenge dear old Terry for the big... Gold... Belt.
“You go into that match, looking like you might not exactly deserve to be there-- and I know that’s your biggest fear, so let’s cut right through the bullshit and let me explain to you what your role is this Thursday night you egotistical, main event-hogging, no-good, dirty pin-stealing, cowboy-hat-wearing, sauerkraut-smelling son of a bitch!
“You and I will have the match of a lifetime, and you’re going to look like a billion dollars. This isn’t an Undisputed Title match, and I’m not Level One, so I know I shouldn’t expect you to bring your best... Because those are the only times you do-- but I feel that you sense the importance in this match.
“I sense that you’re going to bring your A-game because you know that I’ll do anything I can to put you down. You know that if you make one wrong move in the ring, or you turn your back for just long enough, I might make-- I might make sure that you don’t make it to Rasslemania.
“And after I defeat you and I bask in the adulation of the fans and my peers, I’ll pull you to your feet, and I’ll shake your hand. I’ll walk of into the back, and I’ll disappear behind those curtains, and the next time you see me-- you’ll respect me. You don’t respect me now, so don’t you dare say you do-- but you will. I promise.
“You’ll still headline the biggest wrestling event of the year and you’ll either be the guy that dethroned Terry Marvin or... Or you’ll be one of his most decorated victims. But that speedbump-- that speedbump’s a killer.
“And you know, the weird thing about speedbumps are the slower you approach them, the rougher the ride seems to get. When you just get to it fast, and you just keep flooring it-- it’s like you barely feel it. And, CJ, the fact that you and I took so long to get here is astonishing. And... It makes things rough. Because we’ve had time to look at each other, and watch each other, and I’ve had time to grow under the APW banner while you’ve been dicking around in the middle of the Overdrive cards trying to figure out exactly who the hell it is that you are.
“And that’s not talking about you as a person... That’s your role. You role in this company.
“You were a fine Undisputed Champion, CJ. Congrats. It’s over. Your time’s done, and with the talent in this company now, I doubt you’d survive more than a week with that title around your waist. You’ve proven it-- you’ve PROVEN that you can’t deliver week-in and week-out like I do.
“You have flashes of brilliance, and they’re becoming more and more frequent, but I don’t have flashes of them, CJ-- I am the personification of it.
“I label myself as one of the best because I am one of the best and if you doubt me, I’m more than welcome to back it up.
“You discredit my win over Kurt Noble.
“You discredit my victories over Biggs.
“You discredit my victory over Terry Marvin.
“So I’m not sure what fantasy world you live in where those accolades don’t equate to championship material here on Overdrive Thursdays, but I’d be more than willing to knock you a few steps in the wrong direction and make your road to Rasslemania an absolute living nightmare.”
Evan takes a deep breath, taking a pause for the first time in his tirade. He glances at something off-camera that brings a smile to his face and turns his gaze back to the lens.
"It's time."
Dark.
"I've told you before--
"I have no idea what constitutes as a hero these days. I won't pretend that I'm a role model... But I have my own definition of a hero.
"I could explain it to you. I could born you with the details, intricacies, parallels... I could. But I'd rather show you.
"It's time for action."
“I just never fit that bill. It was never my role. I don’t consider myself a savior, and I don’t consider myself the bad guy.
“I do bad things, because nobody ever got anything accomplished by sitting around with their thumbs up their ass. Well-- CJ Gates has, but that’s a different story for a little bit later.
“I want to tell you a different story, and it’s another story about heroes. Or... Lack thereof.”
Cold.
We coldly, and quickly blink into color, standing near Evan Envi who admires himself in the mirror, adjusting the tie on a dark-colored button-up shirt, before adjusting a blue ribbon pinned to the breast pocket.
He wears a distant, and oddly absent half-smile on his face. It seems obtuse, but fitting within the somber lull. Finally, after seconds of mindlessly adjusting the cuffs of his wrists for what seemed like upwards of a minute, he turns and throws his gaze toward his bedroom door as Michelle Weaver walks in, clad in a black dress as well. Her eyes are wet with tears and she starts to move her fingers through her hair-- but stops, remembering how perfectly it’s been made up for the occasion.
”I’m-- I probably look like an idiot. I’m crying, and I don’t even know this kid.”
Evan raises an eyebrow and nods.
”Yeah... Yeah, you look like an idiot-- but that’s not your fault, shnookums, that’s just how you look on the reg.”
Michelle sniffles, her tears abruptly coming to a halt. Evan, apparently unaware of his nerve, turns back to the mirror.
”It sucks about Robert. Like... It really fucking sucks. I wish I’d been there.”
His gaze is set downcast, but he moves his fingers along the tail of his tie, caressing the fabric, pretending to have some sort of mission in mind. Michelle knows better, and moves forward, taking his hand.
”You’ve been fixing that tie for twenty minutes. Think it’s time to go?”
”What time is it?”
”It’s nine.”
Evan nods. It appears that he wants to say something else, but finds his words caught in his throat...
Dark.
”Robert was twenty-five. He was only a year or so older than me, and when I was a kid, I remember my mom and dad would tell me that he was ‘special’ and that I should go out of my way to play with him, and make him feel welcome in our house.
“It went without saying though. Everybody treated Rob with the utmost respect. If you fucked with Rob, you fucked with all of us. He loved everybody, y’know? Sometimes I was a little jealous. Here I was-- some snot-nosed rich kid from the Eastern Shore, and I was jealous of this chubby kid with down syndrome because he was the nicest person ever. He was so cool.
“Never hurt anybody...
“I wish I could’ve been just like him, in that aspect.
“But I couldn’t. Not with my dreams.”
”I wanna thank you guys for coming.”
”Hey-- you guys are like family, Adam. You, Emma, Pop... I know I haven’t been in close contact since I joined APW, and I’m sorry, bro. I feel like shit, and--”
”No worries, my friend. We know you’re busy, and we love you for it.”
”It was a beautiful service...”
”Thanks, Michelle. Could I, um... Offer you a tissue?”
”Please.”
We blink into color again, just a few minutes post-service. Evan stands opposite a rotund, rosy-cheeked, blonde-haired fellow, earlier identified as Adam. He hands the weeping Michelle Weaver a tissue, and she quietly excuses herself to tend to her tears and consequently running make-up. Adam turns to Evan and starts to say something, but his lips curve into a smile.
”Well, look who it is!”
Evan turns and follows Adam’s gaze.
”Tyler Harrison, in the flesh!”
The second-eldest Harrison makes his way from the church into the adjacent corridors, carefully maneuvering past Adam’s friends and family. He makes his way directly toward Adam and embraces his childhood friend in a hug.
”Love ya, buddy. Sorry about all this.”
”Jeez, with all these apologies today-- I must be in a church full of murderers. Hah, fuck me, right? That’d be my luck.”
He laughs and pats both of his friends on the back.
”Catch you guys in the dining room in a few?”
”Of course.”
”We’re with you until you kick us out, buddy.”
Adam smiles warmly at the two brothers and shoves his hands into his pockets.
”Sit with us at the big table, eh? See you in a bit.”
He turns and he makes his way out of the corridor, into the aforementioned dining room. Evan uneasily turns to his older brother, who is already looking at him with an eerily “knowing” gaze, rolling back and forth from his heels to his toes.
”Long time, little bro.”
”Yeah.”
Michelle returns to Evan’s side, her eyes cleared of all tears, but still wearing the evidence in her stare. She turns and looks at Tyler, smiling up at him.
”It was nice to meet you, Tyler. Did you guys want some time to talk?”
”Not really.”
”I would actually LOOOOVE to take a step outside and have a talk with my little brother for a few minutes! About this... Tragedy.”
”Of course!”
Evan audibly groans, but Michelle just grins and places a hand on his shoulder to lean up and peck him, quickly on the cheek. She moves into the dining room through the same door Adam had disappeared into just a few moments later. He pivots, quickly turning to face Tyler again, who is already fumbling for his lighter in the pocket of his pants.
”Shall we?”
”After you.”
Tyler laughs a little and turns, moving his hands into his pockets. For a few seconds, he just stands in silence, but soon turns back to Evan with a smirk.
”Two-word answers all day, eh?”
”I guess.”
Tyler looks down, the smile still in tact and nods. Without another word, he steps past Evan and pushes the door open, stepping out of the church. Begrudgingly, Evan follows.
Dark.
”It was asphyxiation.
“Robert just... He went to the movie theater with a friend of the family and um... They went, and they saw Zero Dark Thirty and he loved it, y’know? He loved those kind of movies. He loved the army, and the military, and he was taught that these people were supposed to be his heroes. He was taught that there were an elite few in this country that were called on to protect.
“That’s what they told him.
“...I guess one thing led to another and he got a little rowdy. Maybe he put up a struggle. Maybe he swung on somebody. Maybe he didn’t. I really don’t know what to tell you about it except that it was a horrible... Horrible mistake.
“Our heroes aren’t supposed to hurt us.”
We blink into color as Tyler Harrison pops a cigarette between his lips. The cherry grows bright and fades to ash as he inhales, never taking his eyes off of his younger brother.
”Want a smoke?”
”I’m good.”
Tyler just nods, unsurprised by the response. The two are standing the front yard of the church, and are the only two outside. Most others are still mourning the loss with one another inside, or preparing to stuff their faces-- the real reason at least 25% of these jackasses showed up, if you were to ask Evan Envi.
”How did it happen?”
”Excuse me?”
”Cut it out with the two-word responses!”
”I’m sorry.”
Tyler rolls his eyes and takes another deep drag of the cigarette. Evan’s eyes remain on the small, controlled ember at the end for a few seconds, idly, before he meets Tyler’s gaze.
”He wouldn’t leave the theater. Things got out of hand. They claimed that-- that they had no alternative, but to handcuff him. And then they...”
Evan shrugs, shaping some sort of portrait for Tyler with his hands. Needless to say, Tyler doesn’t quite understand what image is being shaped before him, but continues to drag at the cigarette.
”They put him on the ground, and he freaked out. And that was it. They un-handcuffed him, and they called the ambulance, but it didn’t make a difference, really.”
Tyler lowers the cigarette and watches Evan, unflinching.
”Were you here?”
”No. I...”
He shakes his head.
”No.”
”A lot on your mind?”
”Yeah. It’s tragic. I--”
”I’m not talking about Robert.”
Evan slowly nods, once more.
”I know.”
Tyler makes his way across the field, toward the parking lot. Evan doesn’t need to do much work to match his pace, and the two stride in silence for upwards of a minute before Tyler stops at the divide between the grass and the asphalt, flicking ashes out into the parking lot.
”I know that you’re stubborn and you don’t like to talk about it when shit’s bothering you. And I know it’s... It’s uh... A rather inappropriate time to ask you about APW right now, but I never see you, y’know? You don’t call me. You don’t text me back. I mean, it took a fuckin--”
Tyler throws his hand back toward the church.
”Took a fuckin’ death to bring us together, man!”
”You’re right. It is a rather inappropriate time to ask.”
”I don’t want this to get you down.”
”Wha-- don’t want this to g-- ROBERT GOT KILLED, Tyler. I don’t have friends here in Baltimore like that... I stopped talking to all of these people months, or years ago, and now I feel like a stranger whenever I come home, and this shit-- it’s happening again.”
”Don’t.”
”Don’t what?”
”Don’t blame this on wrestling. Don’t blame this on APW. You weren’t here because you couldn’t be, Evan. If you wanted to see these people-- if you wanted to see your family-- then you would make arrangements to do that.
“You wouldn’t be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for Hollywood directors to come film your Overdrive promos. You won’t be spending days out of the week at your second fucking house in LA.
“You’d be here, visiting mom, and dad, and your children. Or you’d be in Florida visiting me or Jeff, or your fucking nephews. Jeremy barely remembers who you are, my friend. You’ve been absent. But we’ve seen plenty of you. We’ve seen all your luxurious free time. We’ve seen your talk about heroes, and how there aren’t enough of them. We’ve seen you. And I’ve seen your bullshit.
“Don’t try to bullshit a bullshitter, little brother. Rule of Harrison. Okay? Now tell me about this match this week, because I know you think you’re hot shit and you’re gonna go into this running like a house afire, and you’re--”
”You don’t care, Tyler.”
Evan looks up at him uncomfortably, cutting Tyler off mid-sentence. Tyler is looking at his cigarette, which has burned down, nearly to the filter. He tosses it into the asphalt and casts a curious gaze at Evan.
”I don’t talk to you, because you don’t care what I do. If you’re curious-- then I’m fighting CJ Gates this week. I call it a fight, because Gates is the entire reason that I’m on a mission to slaughter every single pig in APW, but you wouldn’t know anything about that, because you don’t care.”
”You’re so clueless. I know plenty.”
”You wouldn’t know that I’ve always felt that it was really important that I beat CJ Gates. When I came here-- when I signed, he was on top. I watched Kurt Noble take the Undisputed Title from CJ Gates. I watched him fall from grace. I watched him only show up when it was convenient for him.
“I hate him. I hate people like him, and I hate his fans.”
Evan clears his throat, looking down for a quick moment.
”And I’m a little emotional at the moment, so I guess I dislike him a little more than I normally would.”
”I know all of this, Evan. I watch you every week.”
”Watching me doesn’t mean--”
”--Doesn’t mean I know you, but I DID, and now I don’t, and I want you to let me in. I wanna be able to talk about CJ Gates with you. I mean... No offense little brother, but I was watching AP-Dub’ya waaaay before you were pleasing smarties in the crowd with your alliteration skills.”
This earns a chuckle from Evan, despite his attempts at hiding it.
”So you know about him?”
”You don’t give him nearly enough credit, you know.”
”He said I don’t deserve the Overdrive Title match. He told me... That nothing that I’ve done has been impressive. And-- and the worst part about it, is that he disguised all of his bullshit, and all of his fucking spiteful comments behind this facade of admiration or-- or--”
”Acting like he cared.”
”Yes.”
Evan casts another look at the church and sighs.
”He’s the white knight of APW. He’s represents everything that your everyday good-guy would. Justice... Respect... Integrity.”
He shrugs.
”And I’ve seen a million guys just like him, with just as much talent, as just as many fans. I’ve wrestled CJ Gates hundreds of times vicariously through other men and women. Sometimes I’ve lost those matches, and I’ve learned from them and I’ve tried my best to make sure that it never happened again.
“The general consensus is that I could win this match, and this sounds like the type of thing that should headline a pay-per-view event, but... But deep down, no one expects me to.”
”The people that know you the best expect you to.”
”I’m walking away with that win. When I do, there’s no denying that I’m the rightful number one contender to the Overdrive Title. No one can say I’m not. They can question CJ Gates-- but I will not have them question me.”
He pauses and laughs bitterly.
”CJ Gates could lose to Mr. Dangerous and still go onto headline Rasslemania because of who he is... Because of what he’s done in the past. Despite his mediocre performances in the present-- despite being nowhere near as interesting, nor as consistent as people like A.C. Smith, Buckson Gooch, Delikado, and myself-- he can headline Rasslemania, because he USED to be the guy.
“CJ Gates is good, but he USED to be great. He puts asses in seats, and that is why he is where he’s at. He can bounce back from anything.
“Me? No one takes me seriously, Tyler. If I don’t win, no one will.”
”Yeah? Since when do you care what other people think?”
”I’ve been trying new things as of late.”
Tyler chuckles and slaps his brother on the shoulder.
”You’re still a naive little prick... Know that?”
Evan doesn’t answer, but gives his brother a playful shake of the head. He begins to lead the way back toward the church.
”Hey, Ev.”
Evan stops and turns, waiting for Tyler to reach his side. Tyler casts a discerning look toward the wooden front doors of the church.
”I know you and Sie knew them a lot better than the rest of us. I know she’s taking it hard-- and I know you probably are too, even if you guys won’t talk to anyone else about it. And I’m sorry. And I’m sorry that you feel like shit. And I’m sorry that you care what people think all of a sudden.”
Evan keeps his gaze set on the church as Tyler says all of this.
”And I’m sorry that you feel that you can’t be yourself.”
Caught off guard, Evan turns toward Tyler with curiosity.
”Maybe if you feel that all these heroes and shit are so fake... You should do something about it, and not talk about it. Like-- immediately.”
With those words, Evan begins to lead the way back toward the church. He opens his mouth to reply...
Dark.
”I don’t like our choices in heroes.
“Alternatively, I don’t know how to be a hero.
“...So I won’t try.
“But sometimes I do wish I could change things. I wish things weren’t how they are. I wish I could’ve taken some moments back in the past and made things a little bit different. And I mean-- sometimes I feel that way about wrestling, and sometimes I feel that way about... Just... Things.”
We blink into color as Evan Envi sits before us, dressed in similar attire to earlier-- a black button-up with a black tie. He looks exhausted, and his face is notably paler than usual. He positions the camcorder in front of himself and speaks, the faintest trace of a smirk on his face.
”CJ, I just want to let you know now, that I’m glad this is happening. I’m glad that we get to do this now, before one of us starts running off at the mouth, making some wild claims that we can’t back up, right? Hahahaha, right?
“I mean-- I know I threatened to kill you on Twitter, and that was out of line, but was a completely accurate representation of what’s going to happen this Thursday on Overdrive, CJ.
"And... I don’t want you to take this literally, of course, because I’m far too famous to commit a homicide and get away with it-- I mean, come on.”
Evan scoffs and chuckles a little, but sighs and rolls his eyes toward the lens.
”But, say I beat you on Thursday, just a month away from your Rasslemania main event where you challenge dear old Terry for the big... Gold... Belt.
“You go into that match, looking like you might not exactly deserve to be there-- and I know that’s your biggest fear, so let’s cut right through the bullshit and let me explain to you what your role is this Thursday night you egotistical, main event-hogging, no-good, dirty pin-stealing, cowboy-hat-wearing, sauerkraut-smelling son of a bitch!
“You and I will have the match of a lifetime, and you’re going to look like a billion dollars. This isn’t an Undisputed Title match, and I’m not Level One, so I know I shouldn’t expect you to bring your best... Because those are the only times you do-- but I feel that you sense the importance in this match.
“I sense that you’re going to bring your A-game because you know that I’ll do anything I can to put you down. You know that if you make one wrong move in the ring, or you turn your back for just long enough, I might make-- I might make sure that you don’t make it to Rasslemania.
“And after I defeat you and I bask in the adulation of the fans and my peers, I’ll pull you to your feet, and I’ll shake your hand. I’ll walk of into the back, and I’ll disappear behind those curtains, and the next time you see me-- you’ll respect me. You don’t respect me now, so don’t you dare say you do-- but you will. I promise.
“You’ll still headline the biggest wrestling event of the year and you’ll either be the guy that dethroned Terry Marvin or... Or you’ll be one of his most decorated victims. But that speedbump-- that speedbump’s a killer.
“And you know, the weird thing about speedbumps are the slower you approach them, the rougher the ride seems to get. When you just get to it fast, and you just keep flooring it-- it’s like you barely feel it. And, CJ, the fact that you and I took so long to get here is astonishing. And... It makes things rough. Because we’ve had time to look at each other, and watch each other, and I’ve had time to grow under the APW banner while you’ve been dicking around in the middle of the Overdrive cards trying to figure out exactly who the hell it is that you are.
“And that’s not talking about you as a person... That’s your role. You role in this company.
“You were a fine Undisputed Champion, CJ. Congrats. It’s over. Your time’s done, and with the talent in this company now, I doubt you’d survive more than a week with that title around your waist. You’ve proven it-- you’ve PROVEN that you can’t deliver week-in and week-out like I do.
“You have flashes of brilliance, and they’re becoming more and more frequent, but I don’t have flashes of them, CJ-- I am the personification of it.
“I label myself as one of the best because I am one of the best and if you doubt me, I’m more than welcome to back it up.
“You discredit my win over Kurt Noble.
“You discredit my victories over Biggs.
“You discredit my victory over Terry Marvin.
“So I’m not sure what fantasy world you live in where those accolades don’t equate to championship material here on Overdrive Thursdays, but I’d be more than willing to knock you a few steps in the wrong direction and make your road to Rasslemania an absolute living nightmare.”
Evan takes a deep breath, taking a pause for the first time in his tirade. He glances at something off-camera that brings a smile to his face and turns his gaze back to the lens.
"It's time."
Dark.
"I've told you before--
"I have no idea what constitutes as a hero these days. I won't pretend that I'm a role model... But I have my own definition of a hero.
"I could explain it to you. I could born you with the details, intricacies, parallels... I could. But I'd rather show you.
"It's time for action."
