Post by Evan De Parker on Apr 25, 2013 7:27:57 GMT -4
"Shakin' all over..."
April 20, 2013
Austin, Texas
”I always thought that I’d seen angry men, and bitterness in my fifty-six years. I thought that I was one of the ones that hadn’t been spared-- and that I’d seen anger and darkness from people like my employers... Experienced it from former friends that had turned to lives of drug or crime. I thought I’d seen the worst.”
From darkness, we blink into color, revealing the fifty-six year old face of Samuel Harrison. A large section of his face, on the right side, is discolored, showing where fresh skin is growing on his bronzed flesh-- courtesy of a burn sustained by his own son, Evan, over six months prior.
”I never thought I’d see it from my own son. I never thought I’d see the day where you would not only aim to strike me in anger, but... To actually harm me. In spite of your profession, I know I didn’t raise you to bring harm upon anybody. Yet, I see it from you on a regular basis. I’ve experienced it.”
In another shot, we see that we’re seated inside a hotel room, presumably in Texas judging by the pictures and posters adorning the walls of the hipster-esque hotel suite, proudly displaying images and representations of the “Lone Star State.”
”I’m glad that you’ve invited me here for lunch. Your friend was very lovely, and I hate to leave before she returns for a proper goodbye, but I think I’ve worn out my welcome.”
”Oh, Dad, come on! Things were just getting good. We were about to talk about my career... Lady Overdrive... My match this week--”
Mr. Harrison interrupts by clearing his throat. ”Lady Overdrive. That’s another thing.”
Evan casts a glance from the hotel suite’s kitchen, into the living room where Lady Overdrive sits atop one of the pillows on the couch.
”It’s an unhealthy relationship. It’s an evil one.”
”Evil?! You’re making leaps, Father. Leaps!”
”Mr. Callahan made some pretty valid points last week. You’ve developed an unhealthy attachment and the moment you lose it, you’ll spiral out of control yet again. Maybe next time instead of throwing boiling coffee in my face, you’ll pull a knife on your mother!”
”You’re trying to call me crazy, but you’re the one that sounds like a fucking lunatic.”
”Your history’s bad, son, and you’ve become just as bad as you’ve been portrayed for the past year.”
Evan laughs and slides his chair away from the table, rising to his feet. He throws a hand up in astonishment and turns, pacing away from his father.
”I’m not the bad guy! I’m here on my own free time, speaking to people from West and inspiring them! On Monday, I head to Boston to speak at elementary schools and colleges! I’m doing the world a service, and you’re calling me the bad guy?”
Mr. Harrison laughs and shakes his head, glancing down at his empty mug which was once filled with tea.
”You’re in Austin for the same reason your mother and I are. For the same reason Sienna and Tyler are: to see Jefferson’s new baby girl. For whatever reason, you’re... Haha... Ashamed of your family, so you disguise it as charity work. And that’s your business, son. I wouldn’t try to take anything away from you for that.” He pushes his chair away from the table. ”But it’s a bit disappointing to know that no matter how hard we try, this family isn’t good enough for our youngest son-- or our only daughter. You’re more concerned with money, and fame, and...”
Evan and his father both turn toward Lady Overdrive, simultaneously. Evan eyes his father for a moment and then shakes his head.
”That’s not true.”
”You don’t need to feed me hot air.”
”Why are you such a dick, dude?”
”Why... Am I... You know-- I could ask you the same question, son, but unfortunately I know the answer. And it’s because you taught yourself to be because you thought that’s what you had to do to survive, and that’s sad.”
Evan cringes a bit, as if his father has just driven something into his heart. He turns away from him, looking again toward Lady Overdrive, and growing warm with that odd, and guilty sense of comfort that accompanied any gaze shot her way.
Mr. Harrison takes notice of the stare and sighs, audibly. He gathers his hat and nods to his son to silently inform him that he’s going to leave, but as he pivots to make his way to the door, he is cut off by a scoff-- a scoff from his son, followed by words that he wouldn’t have heard had the hotel suite not been dead-silent.
”I’m not sorry, you know. I’m not sorry for what I did to you.”
”I know.”
Evan turns away from Lady Overdrive, sighing as he looks at Mr. Harrison.
”You never, like... Respected me, or any of my decisions. And you’re my DAD, dude. You were supposed to look out for me and-- and warn me and protect me against all the bullshit in the world, and you never did. You wanted to see me fail, because I didn’t wanna be a doctor, or a lawyer, and you think I’ve fucked up. No matter how well I do in APW or this business in general, you’re gonna see me as a fuckup. You probably see Sienna that way too.”
”I don’t--”
”She looked out for me. She always has.” Evan frowns and falters for a moment. ”Besides that one time she slammed my head into my locker room door and cost me the Xtreme Championship... But... Y’know, whatever. Shit happens.”
”Your mother and I have always supported you. We just--”
”Wanted something more?”
”What we wanted was for our children to become good people! It seems like two of them don’t give a damn about that though, and I’m tired of hoping for the best! I’m tired of it! Every time I see you, I think something has changed, but it hasn’t. You’re still a horribly misguided, angry young man.”
Evan Envi’s face turns red with anger and he takes a single step toward his father, but freezes as he hears a key slide into the door. It’s pushed open and Jenny Knite steps inside, a bag of groceries in hand and a broad smile on her face.
”Hey!”
Mr. Harrison looks at his son in solemn silence for a few moments and then nods to him, turning and giving Jenny a warm smile. ”I was just leaving. It was very nice to meet you, young lady. Until next time, yes?”
”Oh-- oh, it was so nice to meet you too, Mr. Harrison! Are you sure you have to go so soon?”
”Yes. You guys have a good night.”
Jenny embraces the man in a polite hug between acquaintances, and then Mr. Harrison moves past her, sliding his hat onto his head as he strolls out of the suite. Jenny turns, giving Evan a curious glance as his father exits, but Evan’s face remains expressionless.
”Everything alright?”
”Fantastic.”
Jenny wears the look of a woman that is unconvinced and unimpressed, but she smiles and moves forward, placing a hand on his shoulder.
”Where’s your head, Ev?”
She doesn’t have to wait long for an answer. Evan is already striding toward the couch, where he picks up Lady Overdrive. He holds it against his chest and turns back to Jenny with a look of satisfaction.
”My head’s right here.”
”Good.” She stops. ”Our flight leaves in the morning.”
”Are we taking the jet?”
”We are...”
Evan narrows his eyes at her, with the slightest traces of a whine evident in his voice as he inquires his agent and manager once more, already fearing he’d know the answer. ”There’s a ‘but’ isn’t there?”
Jenny offers her greatest effort toward an innocent smile. ”Sienna and Tyler are coming along.”
Evan Envi is not amused.
”That’s the stupidest joke I’ve ever heard, and I want you to cut it out, right now.”
”Okayyyyy.”
Her silence inspires nothing from Evan other than a loud groan-- an audible admission of reality, and defeat.
April 21, 2013
Austin, Texas
”Amy Zing?!”
Evan Envi yawns and throws one of the last stray articles of his clothing into a suitcase and glances up at his sister, APW Meltdown’s own General Manager, Sienna. She is standing in front of him, dressed in a pair of shorts and a peach-colored tank top, staring down at a sheet printed by Evan just moments ago, displaying the tentative Overdrive program.
”When we land in Maryland, it’s not gonna be tank-and-shorts weather, y’know.”
Sienna doesn’t seem to hear her brother’s warning, but is nearly-mindlessly removing his wrinkled and crumpled clothing from his bag, folding it neatly before placing it inside again.
”She doesn’t deserve to be the Overdrive Champion, Ev. And she’s-- she’s a-- she’s not even a decent human being!”
”Still mad because she kicked you in the head before Rasslemania?”
Silence, and a bitter ”hmph!” are all that follow, and Evan chuckles a bit in response.
”I’ll take that as a ‘yes’ then.”
Sienna raises an eyebrow and folds another one of Evan’s shirts, not bothering to meet his eyes. ”You should worry about making sure she doesn’t kick you in the head.”
”That won’t happen.”
”Hah...” Sienna throws the shirt into Evan’s suitcase and gives him an amused glance. ”And what makes you so sure about that, you cocky bastard?”
”My moves are just too damn good. She’ll never get a chance!”
Sienna laughs and shakes her head.
”Don’t take her lightly, baby bear.”
”Yeah, yeah...” Evan rolls his eyes and speaks in an exasperated tone. ”I mean, I get it though. She’s crafty, and she’s quick, and she was a big deal over on Meltdown. Hell-- we’ve had a lot of big deals come over here from Meltdown, haven’t we?”
”But--”
”But, luckily for you, Sienna, I have a bit of an incentive this week. Amy’s after something of mine.
“Amy thinks that she has the potential to overthrow me this week and take Lady Overdrive away from me, and whether the can or she can’t, I take offense to that line of thinking. I’m gonna do something that you weren’t able to, and I’m gonna put the bitch down for even considering coming near her.”
”Coming near her? Who’s ‘her’?” Sienna gestures toward the bathroom, where the sound of the shower can be running. ”Jenny?”
”No.” Evan nods toward Lady Overdrive, who is currently seated on top of his gym bag. ”Her.”
”Oh-- God, you call it a ‘her’?”
Evan sighs and repositions himself, shrugging a little, clearly not in the mood to explain himself.
”It’s not even important.”
Sienna stops for a moment to ponder her next words.
”Wanna know where I went wrong?”
”Where’d you go wrong?”
”I gave her a chance.”
”Why?”
”Because I didn’t really think she had it in her to become anything. And I don’t know if Amy’s ever going to hold a championship, or win any big, spectacular match, or even have that moment that really defines her as a prominent Megastar, but... But she got a taste of that at my expense. Because I treated her like someone that didn’t know this business-- like somebody that didn’t belong here.”
The water blasting from the shower stops. Now, the only sound is the gentle buzz of the television coming from the bedroom Jenny had been staying in throughout their stay at the hotel.
Evan’s eyes drift over to Lady Overdrive again and then rest back on his sister, who is also looking off to the side at “The Lady.” She clears her throat.
”Don’t let her win.”
Evan pushes himself up from the couch and moves over to his bag, bending down to scoop Lady Overdrive up onto his arms, cradling her like a baby or a small animal. He pivots, lazily swinging back toward Sienna and greets her with a grin.
”I can’t afford to do whatever the hell it was you were doing last month on Meltdown. I’m not here to toy with Amy Zing, or play games with her-- just like I’m not trying to toy with Buckson Gooch.
“This is serious business, Sienna. This is your job, but this is my life. And you probably didn’t realize it, but this is Amy’s life too.”
He takes a mental picture of the near-comical look of frustration that’s crossed Sienna’s face, and gives her a small smirk in return.
”I know that it was kind of difficult for you to see that over there with your head stuck up Robina’s ass, eh?”
”Why must you insult me?”
”I dunno. It’s fun, I guess.” Laughter follows his response, but Sienna doesn’t greet Evan with much amusement. Instead, she holds out her hands.
”Can I hold it? ...Her?”
Evan stands upright, immediately going on the defensive. ”Why?”
”I want to see what makes her so great.”
For a moment, the two siblings stare at each other with Evan waiting for the punchline, but it never comes. Evan sighs upon realizing that she’s serious and nods, moving across the room to Sienna, who’s still seated. He lowers Lady Overdrive into her hands and she holds her as Evan had earlier. She looks down at the championship, examining and silently critiquing every bump and groove in her design. Her hands move over the plates and then over the leather before she smiles up at Evan.
”Gonna hold onto her?”
”If I beat Amy at Overdrive, then I have to assume Buckson Gooch versus Evan Envi at Mayhem is as good as finalized.”
”...Is that supposed to answer my--?”
”That’s a match that I’ve invested a lot of time into... It’s something I’ve put a lot of thought into. I--.”
Evan stops, abruptly, as if he’d considered saying something else for a fraction of a second.
”I’ve thought about it every day. I don’t wanna ruin that by choking in a match against Amy-Fucking-Zing. Call it a personal thing.”
Wrapped in a robe, furiously manipulating her hair with a towel, emerges Jenny Knite from the bathroom.
”I’ll be ready in ten, guys!”
”No rush.”
Jenny disappears into the bedroom and Sienna immediately turns her focus back toward Evan, still holding Lady Overdrive with a maternal-like delicacy, though Evan makes sure his eyes never leave her arms.
”Look... I won’t underestimate her, but if you think losing was ever an option, you were kidding yourself from the start.”
”I hope.”
”I’ll take her seriously. And not just for you...”
”I know, I know-- for her.” Sienna hands Evan Lady Overdrive as she says it, and Evan accepts her into his right hand with a chuckle.
”And for the good of the business. You know all about that, right? Gooch and Envi at Mayhem-- that sells. Gooch and Zing? Who wants to pay the money to see that beating again? We’d lose half of our feminist demographic and be the single-handed cause of bra burnings across America, and I refuse to be the cause of a national incident.”
”Spoken like a true corporate douchebag. God... I’ve taught you so well.”
Evan rolls his eyes at the statement, but is caught off guard by the next one, evident by the look of shock written across his face.
”So how was your little date with daddy yesterday?”
”What?!”
”Baby bear, I know like, everything.”
Evan chuckles at the statement. Often times, he thought it to be true. Perhaps it’s a little brother thing.
”It didn’t go so hot.”
”What was it about this time?”
”About how I’m bitter and angry, and the spawn of Satan and whatnot. Not too far from the usual.”
Sienna laughs-- a guilty laugh that she had attempted to stifle. ”But you are, aren’t you?”
Evan smirks.
”Worse.”
For a moment, Sienna continues to laugh, until eventually, Evan’s laughter fades. Sienna’s is only a few seconds behind and she clears her throat, taking a deep breath before she addresses her brother again, thrown off by his long, uninterrupted stare, directly into her eyes.
”Well, don’t take that out on Daddy. Or my eardrums, with your bitchin’ and moaning. Take it out on Amy.”
”Lady Overdrive and I have our own issues with Amy. I think I wanna take this out on your eardrums.”
”You’re a douchebag, to the power of like, eight.”
”Yeah, well, everyone in the locker room whispers about how you’re a slut.”
Sienna gasps. ”Evan!”
”Truth hurts, bitch. Negotiate my pay-raise and we’ll see about getting the guys in the back to stop leaving your number on bathroom stalls across South America, eh?”
Sienna’s face turns red, and her phone vibrates-- prompting a wince, simply due to the poor timing.
”I don’t have that kind of pull, dickbreath.”
”Bullshit! I know for a FACT you sleep with Duvall.”
”Evan!”
Evan and Sienna turn toward the hallway as Jenny Knite steps out, now dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top-- similarly to Sienna-- though still attempting to dry her hair with a towel.
”Where is your head?!”
”Like... seventy-five percent on this match, twenty-five percent on makin’ some goddamn money, and you’re actually experiencing that twenty-five percent right now.” Evan turns his head back toward Sienna and calmly addresses her. ”Sienna, will you see about my money?”
”I’m not doing shit for you.”
”The hell happened?!”
”She’s mad. Because Amy Zing kicked her in the head.”
”...What?”
”I’m mad because you talk to everyone like they’re inferior. You treat people like dirt. And you always get away with it.”
”WHAT?! So do you, bitch!”
”Yeah, but at least I know I do it. Do you REALIZE you’re an asshole, Evan Harrison?”
”What?!”
Sienna sighs and takes a deep breath, raising a hand. ”I’m going to be sharing a jet with you. Let’s not let this escalade into a fight.”
Evan’s eyes widen in disbelief. Jenny looks between the two and smiles, clapping her hands together.
”Don’t we all feel better now?!”
Neither Evan nor Sienna respond... However, one of the other suite bedroom doors open, where Tyler Harrison emerges, adjusting his shirt as he steps into the presence of the three for the first time.
”Good morni--!”
”Shut up, Tyler.”
April 25, 2013
Caracas, Venezuela
We are introduced to a scene in grainy film, courtesy of a handheld video-camera. Evan Envi grants the lens a half-smile.
”You’re all in for a treat tonight.
“You’re going to witness the birth of a star and her name is ‘The Hong Kong Sensation’ Amy Zing. She’s my opponent in a contest where my Lady Overdrive is on the line in the main event-- a right Amy apparently won by winning a match last week-- and she’s going to be a handful. I know it.
“I’ve seen Amy Zing break grown men with the Fenghuang Kick. I’ve seen her put down champions, and she even took out my own sister with the move. It’s deadly. It’s accurate. And unfortunately, you won’t be seeing its pinpoint accuracy this week.
“There won’t be a Fenghuang Kick, and there won’t be a cause for celebration in Caracas because of the upset victory of the century. Instead, Evan Envi will march into Leones de Caracas, wrestle ‘The Hong Kong Sensation’ in a classic, and march right back out with Lady Overdrive right where she should be... Around his GORGEOUS WAIST! There’s no room for Amy Zing in that ending because Amy Zing has no place in that ending.
“And it’s definitely not for a lack of trying, because what Amy Zing lacks in common sense and intelligence, she makes up for in heart and raw wrestling skill, which is a good combination, innit? I mean heart... Skill... Those are the things it’s really all about. Glory comes after.
“Unfortunately for you Amy Zing fans, I have the full package, and I’m simply unstoppable.”
A small sigh escapes his lips.
”I feel that you’re not aware of the bond that Lady Overdrive and I have formed since Rasslemania and the kind of relationship we have, since you seem to think that you in some way, are Lady Overdrive-- so let me catch you up, Amy.”
Evan moves out of frame for a few seconds and a light ruffling is heard. He returns to the camera, sitting a few inches farther back than before so he can hold up the APW Overdrive Championship, displaying it proudly for a few moments before he lies it across his right shoulder.
”The Lady and I made a decision, weeks ago, that we wouldn’t find ourselves out of each others’ sight. A few weeks ago, there was a large, evil man living in the shadows that stepped out into the light with the sole intent of STEALING her from me, so I put him down. And this man... Hah, he whined and he complained for days, and he threw out every excuse in the book-- even claimed that the company bribed him to lie down for me.
“He hasn’t been able to get quite back on his feet since. He probably never will again. His career was ruined by my hand, and under the invasive eye of the Lady.
“Before that, she and I shared this damn-near psychic bond because she drove me to do horrible, horrible things to Mark Mania. I cost him his friends, his employees, the trust and respect of his family, his championship, and his career. He never bounced back. He never recovered.
“I broke him, Amy. And why wouldn’t I do the same to you? What do you have to offer that would protect you? Hm?”
Evan laughs and rolls his eyes.
”I admire you for your passion, and the things you’re able to do out there in the ring-- but there’s no way in Hell you’re leaving Venezuela as the Overdrive Champion.
“You don’t have the drive to take you to the level that I’m at, Amy. You tell the world that you think you can win, but you so easily accept the grim, harsh reality that you might lose. I might drive all the life out of you tonight, just as easily as you might actually be able to kick my head off. The difference is, I know I can-- and I intend to. You’re just gonna go out there to try. To see. You’re hoping for the best... But I’m expecting it.
“I’ll break you. Amy Zing, and it has nothing to do with my sister, because I couldn’t care less about the history or the girl-feud you two have going on between you.”
Evan points a stern finger into the camera.
”I care about protecting the thing that means more to me than anything else that I could ever dream of.”
He gently pats the face of the APW Overdrive Championship.
”Tonight, there won’t be a second where I let you breathe on that mat. There won’t be one moment that I’m not on top of you, trying to choke the life out of you-- beat it out of you, all to protect her.
“There are no lengths I’m not willing to go to, Amy, and just like Shadow, just like Mark, you’re destined to find out tonight, so I hope your positivity with you.
“You’ll be needing it.”
He glances down at Lady Overdrive once more, and he trails off into a thoughtful look before he smiles slightly and leers into the lens.
”Good luck, Amy.”
He reaches forward, obscuring our vision of the world, before we fade to black.
K.O.D.
