Post by C.J. Gates on Aug 18, 2013 13:35:13 GMT -4
"What to do when you're battling the unknown.
"I don't mean to say that Level One is unknown to me, but this situation is. Prior to Shockwave, every time Level One and I have stepped in the ring across from one another, it has always come at a cost. Me. Level One has always done whatever he could to make sure I suffered, whether that be before the match or during. He did everything that he could to keep me down.
"This time, however, things are different. This time, we didn't go into Shockwave throwing punches and swinging chairs. We didn't go in trying to one up the other guy or show off. We went in as amicably as you can go in knowing that you're facing one of your rivals.
"Because of that, though, there is an air of uncertainty around the match. While I want to believe that the match will be clean, that no one will get involved, I find it hard to commit to it. I find it difficult to sit down and say with one hundred percent clarity that a fair match will be fought between Level One and myself.
"But I can hope.
"And I will, because, oddly enough, this is a match up where Level One and I are looking for the same thing. Sure, he wants to prove to me how wrong I was when I didn't take his charity and walk out with the title three weeks ago, but he also wants to prove that he deserves the World Heavyweight title.
"He wants to show himself and everyone else that he still has what it takes to sit at the top of the ladder. But that is something that I am looking to do, as well. I am looking to prove that I deserve that title just as much. I am looking to prove that I can earn that title by beating Level One, that I don't need to take it when it's handed to me.
"I am looking to prove that my time at the top hasn't expired.
"Though even with Shockwave right around the corner, there is still a long way to go on that road to get to that apex. There are still a lot of hurdles to overcome, and each one of them will be put there by Level One during our match. And of course, there's the shadow of uncertainty that hovers around this match. How will Level One approach this match?
"Will he want this match to be clean?
"Will he care how he wins the title as long as he wins?
"Will he want to kill me?
"With him, it could go anyway, so I must be ready for anything. I have to be prepared for anything.
"I have to be prepared for Level One."
Friday, August 23, 2013
Fargo, North Dakota
"Shots fired! Officer down!
"I repeat, shots fired!
"Dammit, shots fired! Officer down!"
Six police cars form a semi-circle in front of the entrance to the Fargo West Business Complex. Nine police officers stand behind the cruisers, guns drawn, watching the doors. A tenth cop is being tended to by medics off to the side. Farther back, barricades have been put up to stop people from getting too close.
"What's going on?" C.J. Gates asks as he walks towards the barrier.
"There's been a shooting," one of the officers working crowd control answers. "Move along, there's nothing to see."
"I have an office in that building," Gates says. "What happened?"
The officer looks around before taking a step closer to Gates. "Witnesses say that three armed men entered the building about two hours ago. Half an hour later, three more armed men entered and that is when shots were heard. No one has come out yet."
"No one?"
"Not that we know of. No one has been seen leaving that building since three this afternoon."
"Since three?" Gates asks as he takes a step forward.
"Hold on, buddy," the officer says. "I can't let you go in there."
"But my business partner is in there," Gates says. "My friend is in there."
A single gunshot can be heard from the building, causing the people behind the barricades to scream and duck for cover. The officers ready themselves, aiming their guns at the doors and watching the windows.
"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to step back a bit more," the officer says before waving to a few nearby officers. "Come on, boys, we've got to move this line back."
Gates takes a few steps back as the officers move the line back, his eyes always locked on his office window. After the officers stop, another gunshot can be heard and Gates' eyes go wide.
"Vinnie!"
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Fargo, North Dakota
"They were there to protect you," the voice of Mrs. Gates can be heard saying through the speak phone of her sons office.
"What for?" C.J. Gates asks as he sits behind his desk. "Nothings happened."
"Yet."
Both Gates and Vincent James look to the speaker, perplexed. "Yet?" Gates asks. A long silence fills the room as both men wait for a response.
"I've said too much," Mrs. Gates finally says.
"You haven't said anything," C.J. Gates says. More silence fills the room as Gates leans back in his chair and sighs. "If you've got something to say, say it."
More silence follows before Mrs. Gates breaks it. "I shouldn't even be saying this," she begins before trailing off. "Those guys that are looking for money, well, they've become a bit more serious about wanting to be paid. That's why I sent over The Dentist and Charlie O, so that you didn't become collateral damage. I don't want to see you hurt."
"Didn't they send us a note earlier?"
"It's more then a note this time," she says. "The note was attached to a knife that was stuck in the lifeless body of my neighbors dog."
Gates and James exchange a scared look and Gates shakes his head. "Jesus Christ."
"Now you see why I sent those men?"
"I guess," Gates says. "Yeah. Jesus, mom, if you didn't get caught up in all of this in the first place..."
"I know, I know," Mrs. Gates says. "If I didn't get caught up in all of this then we wouldn't be in this situation. But it's too late to rewrite the past, C.J. All we can do now is prevent their future from coming true."
"Their future?"
Vincent James makes a cutting motion across his throat.
"They want us dead."
"Dead?" Gates says, swallowing hard.
"Dead," Mrs. Gates says. "All of us. You, me, my protection. Even Vinnie is on the chopping block."
"But I haven't done anything," Gates says, shaking his head.
"Weren't you the one that was supposed to pay?" James asks.
"That's what the note said, because my mom was too much of a-"
"Do not finish that sentence, C.J."
"For fuck's sake, mom," Gates shouts. "We wouldn't be in this situation if you would have just paid them the money when they wanted it. The money you owed them." Gates lets out a long sigh. "We wouldn't be in this situation if I would have just paid them."
"It's about more than just the money, son," Mrs. Gates says. "I've been dealing with people like this for quite some time. You have to let them know you won't be pushed around."
"Quite some time?" Gates sits upright in his chair. "I thought you only started betting on me last year?"
"I did," Mrs. Gates says. "But that doesn't mean I wasn't involved in this world before that."
"This world?" Gates asks, looking over at Vinnie. "What do you mean by that?"
There's silence on the other end of the line. "Let's just say we've had a successful enterprise for a long time. There's a reason we have the money that we do."
"From oil," Gates says.
"Not all of it."
Gates pauses. "Organized crime?"
Mrs. Gates chuckles. "You make it sound so dirty. It's not like we've been killing people every week, or dealing strictly in cocaine. We've just been doing things our own way and making sure that nobody pushes us around. It's like you and your wrestling."
"It's nothing like that," Gates says. "No ones assassinating me in the ring."
"It's more of an execution, if they get their hands on us."
Gates shakes his head. "So who else knows? Did B.J. and O.J. know?"
"No, they weren't aware of this. None of you were, until now. We weren't going to make it into a family business. We had people to take over when your father and I were gone."
"Dad being the Godfather," Gates states.
"Not quite," Mrs. Gates admits. "Your father never really wanted to get his hands dirty. He was more the accountant. I was the one who handled the hands on aspect of things and made sure that our competition knew their place."
Gates nods absently. "Then that means you're-"
"The Godmother."
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Fargo, North Dakota
"Clearing your head, huh?"
C.J. Gates looks up from his seat on the park bench to see Vincent James standing behind him. The sky is overcast and Gates lets out a big sigh.
"Trying to, anyways," Gates responds. "It's not exactly as easy as you'd think it is."
"I know what you mean," James says as he sits down beside Gates. "But you've got to try and shake it off. With everything going on with your mom, you can't lose sight of what's ahead of you."
"I know," Gates sighs and shakes his head. "Though sometimes, I wonder what the point is."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm grateful for the opportunity before me," Gates starts. "It's just, I haven't exactly had the best luck against Level One."
"I thought you said you were going to forget the past, and just focus on beating him?"
"That was the aim when we signed that contract," Gates says. "But as the days went by, I've started to think about all of it and," Gates pauses. "What if I don't win?"
"What of it?" James says. "You lose, you lose. Just means you've got to get back on the horse."
"But what if this is it?" Gates says. "What if this is my last kick at the can. There are many names looking to get a shot at the World title, and what if they all pass me by. What if I lose here and then I'm cast aside."
"I don't think you'd be cast aside," James advises. "You might not get the next title shot if you lost, but I'm sure you wouldn't be forgotten."
"Maybe," Gates says. "But then there's the topic of me not being able to beat Level One. I've got ears, Vinnie, I hear everyone talking about it. No one has faith in me to win this week because I haven't been able to beat him in the past."
"Like when?"
"Mayhem."
"Johnny Chase rolled Level One back into the ring so he could steal the win from you."
"On Overdrive when we had our rematch."
"Terry Marvin got involved," James reminds Gates. "To be honest, people are looking at it all wrong. They see you not having all the wins over Level One, but they forget that your losses have come because people have been screwing you out of the wins."
"I guess," Gates says. "Some people just don't think I have what it takes to win."
"Again."
"Again, right. I don't know, I guess because I haven't been attacking people on the regular and making sure I get my name out there, people don't really see me as a threat. They see me more as fodder for the champions to pad their reigns with some title defenses."
"Well, then do what you do best," James says. "Prove them wrong."
Gates nods. "That's what I'm hoping to do but," Gates shakes his head. "But part of me can't shake that thought. That feeling. Maybe people just don't care about what I have to offer."
"People don't care?" James says, taken back. "Every week you walk to that ring to deafening cheers, and you think people don't care?"
Gates simply shrugs.
"If that's the way you're thinking now, maybe you're right. Maybe you can't win." James gets up from the bench and takes a few steps forward. He pauses and looks up and down the pathway before turning to walk away.
"I know I give the fans hope," Gates says, causing James to stop. "I know I give them something to cheer for, but how long can that last? They get behind me, they cheer me, and then I lose. They put their faith in my ability to bring home the big prize or to stop some corrupt asshole, and I fail. How much longer are they going to care about me if I keep letting them down?"
"It's not that you're failing," James says as he turns around. "You're being screwed, and as long as you keep giving it your all, there's no reason why they would stop caring about you. You've been getting screwed out of wins for the past year and a half, and people are still cheering for you and anticipating your appearances."
"I know," Gates says. "Just, how long will it all last?"
"Don't worry about that now. Just keep doing what you've been doing and let the chips fall where they may."
"Yeah, I should."
"Focus on Level One," James advises. "Don't let anything else get you down or take you off course. Focus on beating him and taking the World title, and then go from there."
Gates sighs. "You're right. Though it's not exactly that easy."
"I know, but all you can do is what's in your control."
"If I make it."
"What do you mean?"
"You heard my mom," Gates says. "People are coming to kill us."
"Well, think of it this way," James says. "If you survive to make it to Shockwave, you would have overcome the biggest challenge you've had to face. From there, it's all cake."
"Unless I get screwed again."
"That seems unlikely," James says as he sits back down. "It looks like Level One wants to earn the title. He might want to put a hurting on you, but he wants to prove his worthiness. And because of that, I don't think anyone will stick their noses into the match."
"Hopefully," Gates says. "I've thought this way before and it didn't come out perfect on the other side. I thought Aubrey would have wanted to win the tournament on her own, but she had her buddies come down and ruin that hope. I can't rule out Level One having a trick up his sleeve."
"But they are, or were, Sindicate members with Terry Marvin. You had to expect something."
Gates cracks a slight smile. "I guess I look for the good in every situation."
"Well, make the best of this one," James says. "If you're right, and this is the last chance you have at winning the World title, you need to make it count."
"I will. At the very least, I'm going to give it my all in this match.
"I'm going to make sure that Level One earns any victory he'd gain over me.
"I'm going to make him earn the APW World Heavyweight title."
"A lot is being made about our past, Level One, and I guess there's good reason for it. I mean, as long as I've been in APW, there's always been someone who I've been compared to. There's always been you. Even when you were gone from the company, taking a bit of a sabbatical, I was still being compared to you, and people were still wondering whether or not I could match what you've done.
"I guess in some respect, I haven't lived up to any of those comparisons, and those comparisons look even worse when every picks apart our head to head matches. They look at the outcomes and they see me on the outside looking in. They see me as someone who is constantly barking up the wrong tree, someone who is always in way over their head.
"And maybe there's some merit to it. Maybe, when you break it down, I will always be that guy that couldn't break through to the top. It's only happened once, and every other opportunity before or since has come with me coming up just short. CWC Ascension tournaments, Experts True Expert title matches, APW Undisputed title matches. Even my very first Survive and Conquer appearance saw me go farther then anyone thought I would, only to see me bounced out in fourth place.
"Who knows? Maybe that trend will continue at Shockwave when you and I step into the ring with one another. Maybe I will put forth all sorts of effort just to come up short against you.
"I mean, there's history to back it up, right?
"Go back through every match where we've been on opposite sides, and the outcomes favor you heavily. You've bested me at almost every turn, whether it's tag team matches, six man tags, singles matches, fatal four ways. You've had my number and you've made me pay for any slip-ups I might have made inside of the ring. The only time I ever managed to come out on top, was at Christmas Chaos, something that I have been holding onto every time we step into the ring. I mean, why wouldn't I?
"Though I'm at a crossroads when it comes to you, Level One. With the way everything went in the weeks leading up to Shockwave, you're a different animal then you have been in the past. You're an entirely different being. Normally, those meetings over contract tables would have resulted in you decking me, or at the very least, a scuffle of some sort. You handing over the title? That would have been a tattooing across the face on any other night.
"So maybe you've changed. Maybe I should go into this match with the idea in my head that you aren't the cerebral warrior that you have been in the past. Maybe I should look at this with the idea that you are trying to change your ways, to put the whole debacle with Terry Marvin into the past. Repent your sins, in a way.
"And I could think that way, expect I was around the last time that happened, back when you were facing off against Sally Talfourd and Ryan Ruckus. And to be honest, I didn't know then - and I might not even truly know now - whether the fans were on your side because you had changed your stripes, or because Sally Talfourd gave them all the finger. I can't decide whether they actually liked you, if they actually saw some sort of redeeming quality in you, or if Ruckus was just that much of a dickhead.
"For all I know, all of the above could apply. You might have never changed your ways, it just saw that way. And seeing what happened after that, seeing what you became when you returned to APW, I don't know if I can confidently say that you are a changed man at this point in time.
"But hey, prove me wrong, Level One. Show me that you were trying to start back at the bottom because you hated what you became before losing to Terry Marvin. Show me that you wanting to get rid of the World Heavyweight title so you could earn it back the right way was a true statement. Show me that there is something new inside that head of yours.
"Otherwise, I will just continue to see you the same way, and I will just continue to see you as that menace that plays everyone like a fiddle. I will continue to be wary of you while everyone else falls for your new found charms. Of course, going into the match, there will still be an element of preparation directed at that uncertainty, but I might not be fearing for my life. At least, not as much as I have in the past.
"Because if you're truly looking to redeem yourself, then you won't be wanting to kill me. Sure, teaching me a lesson because I didn't take the title, that's something you can do, but you won't want to maim me and leave me a bloody mess inside of that ring.
"Maybe I'm giving it all too much thought. Maybe I'm making this match into something more of a psychiatrist's appointment then I am an actual title match, but you have to understand where I'm coming from, right? You have to see that you haven't exactly been the saintliest of saints coming into this contest.
"Of course, when you look at the bigger picture, we've both got a fair amount of momentum on our side. We both were fairly successful before Test for the Best before we each suffered a somewhat devastating loss. Since then, we've both managed to run the table of our opponents, with your only blip coming when you wanted to hand me the title, only to accidentally knock out the referee with it. So, really, this match should be closer then most because we are both prepared for victory. We have both run the table, so to speak, in the weeks leading up.
"And, of course, we both know how the other operates. I know that you enjoy using your size advantage, especially over someone like me, to muscle your opponents around. You use your power and your strength, but you've got finesse, too. Me, well, I'm all about speed and taking risks when risks need to be taken. I find openings and I take advantage when I can, and you know that. You also know that I am not exactly the sort of guy to just take a beating a lay down. You know that I'm the sort of competitor who will get right back up when he's knocked down.
"I guess you could say I don't know when to quit.
"But that's just the way I've had to adapt as I fought my way through the ranks. That's just the way I've had to operate and no matter where my match is on the card, I am going to maintain that. I am going to keep that going, because it allows me every chance possible to win. Not only that, but it frustrates my opponents to no end.
"It frustrates you, even if you don't choose to admit it.
"But really, that's the way it should be. I frustrate you, you frustrate me and it makes for a good match. It makes for a good fight and it allows both of us to give it our all to make sure that the winner actually deserves to be the winner. Which is what we're really here for, right? Above everything else that comes between us, everything that makes us loath one another most of the time, there is the desire to prove our worth.
"That moment is now on the horizon. Everything you were trying to prove can be proven. Everything I'm trying to prove, can be proven as well. Maybe I'll be able to overcome the odds again, or maybe I'm just doomed to continue the path I've been down the past few months when it comes to facing you. We can speculate, but there's no real telling until we step into that ring at Shockwave.
"I am going to do all that I can to make sure I am ready for anything and everything that you have to throw my way, just like I know you'll be prepared for me. I know you'll be ready.
"It's time to go big or go home."
"I don't mean to say that Level One is unknown to me, but this situation is. Prior to Shockwave, every time Level One and I have stepped in the ring across from one another, it has always come at a cost. Me. Level One has always done whatever he could to make sure I suffered, whether that be before the match or during. He did everything that he could to keep me down.
"This time, however, things are different. This time, we didn't go into Shockwave throwing punches and swinging chairs. We didn't go in trying to one up the other guy or show off. We went in as amicably as you can go in knowing that you're facing one of your rivals.
"Because of that, though, there is an air of uncertainty around the match. While I want to believe that the match will be clean, that no one will get involved, I find it hard to commit to it. I find it difficult to sit down and say with one hundred percent clarity that a fair match will be fought between Level One and myself.
"But I can hope.
"And I will, because, oddly enough, this is a match up where Level One and I are looking for the same thing. Sure, he wants to prove to me how wrong I was when I didn't take his charity and walk out with the title three weeks ago, but he also wants to prove that he deserves the World Heavyweight title.
"He wants to show himself and everyone else that he still has what it takes to sit at the top of the ladder. But that is something that I am looking to do, as well. I am looking to prove that I deserve that title just as much. I am looking to prove that I can earn that title by beating Level One, that I don't need to take it when it's handed to me.
"I am looking to prove that my time at the top hasn't expired.
"Though even with Shockwave right around the corner, there is still a long way to go on that road to get to that apex. There are still a lot of hurdles to overcome, and each one of them will be put there by Level One during our match. And of course, there's the shadow of uncertainty that hovers around this match. How will Level One approach this match?
"Will he want this match to be clean?
"Will he care how he wins the title as long as he wins?
"Will he want to kill me?
"With him, it could go anyway, so I must be ready for anything. I have to be prepared for anything.
"I have to be prepared for Level One."
--------------------------------------------
Friday, August 23, 2013
Fargo, North Dakota
"Shots fired! Officer down!
"I repeat, shots fired!
"Dammit, shots fired! Officer down!"
Six police cars form a semi-circle in front of the entrance to the Fargo West Business Complex. Nine police officers stand behind the cruisers, guns drawn, watching the doors. A tenth cop is being tended to by medics off to the side. Farther back, barricades have been put up to stop people from getting too close.
"What's going on?" C.J. Gates asks as he walks towards the barrier.
"There's been a shooting," one of the officers working crowd control answers. "Move along, there's nothing to see."
"I have an office in that building," Gates says. "What happened?"
The officer looks around before taking a step closer to Gates. "Witnesses say that three armed men entered the building about two hours ago. Half an hour later, three more armed men entered and that is when shots were heard. No one has come out yet."
"No one?"
"Not that we know of. No one has been seen leaving that building since three this afternoon."
"Since three?" Gates asks as he takes a step forward.
"Hold on, buddy," the officer says. "I can't let you go in there."
"But my business partner is in there," Gates says. "My friend is in there."
A single gunshot can be heard from the building, causing the people behind the barricades to scream and duck for cover. The officers ready themselves, aiming their guns at the doors and watching the windows.
"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to step back a bit more," the officer says before waving to a few nearby officers. "Come on, boys, we've got to move this line back."
Gates takes a few steps back as the officers move the line back, his eyes always locked on his office window. After the officers stop, another gunshot can be heard and Gates' eyes go wide.
"Vinnie!"
--------------------------------------------
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Fargo, North Dakota
"They were there to protect you," the voice of Mrs. Gates can be heard saying through the speak phone of her sons office.
"What for?" C.J. Gates asks as he sits behind his desk. "Nothings happened."
"Yet."
Both Gates and Vincent James look to the speaker, perplexed. "Yet?" Gates asks. A long silence fills the room as both men wait for a response.
"I've said too much," Mrs. Gates finally says.
"You haven't said anything," C.J. Gates says. More silence fills the room as Gates leans back in his chair and sighs. "If you've got something to say, say it."
More silence follows before Mrs. Gates breaks it. "I shouldn't even be saying this," she begins before trailing off. "Those guys that are looking for money, well, they've become a bit more serious about wanting to be paid. That's why I sent over The Dentist and Charlie O, so that you didn't become collateral damage. I don't want to see you hurt."
"Didn't they send us a note earlier?"
"It's more then a note this time," she says. "The note was attached to a knife that was stuck in the lifeless body of my neighbors dog."
Gates and James exchange a scared look and Gates shakes his head. "Jesus Christ."
"Now you see why I sent those men?"
"I guess," Gates says. "Yeah. Jesus, mom, if you didn't get caught up in all of this in the first place..."
"I know, I know," Mrs. Gates says. "If I didn't get caught up in all of this then we wouldn't be in this situation. But it's too late to rewrite the past, C.J. All we can do now is prevent their future from coming true."
"Their future?"
Vincent James makes a cutting motion across his throat.
"They want us dead."
"Dead?" Gates says, swallowing hard.
"Dead," Mrs. Gates says. "All of us. You, me, my protection. Even Vinnie is on the chopping block."
"But I haven't done anything," Gates says, shaking his head.
"Weren't you the one that was supposed to pay?" James asks.
"That's what the note said, because my mom was too much of a-"
"Do not finish that sentence, C.J."
"For fuck's sake, mom," Gates shouts. "We wouldn't be in this situation if you would have just paid them the money when they wanted it. The money you owed them." Gates lets out a long sigh. "We wouldn't be in this situation if I would have just paid them."
"It's about more than just the money, son," Mrs. Gates says. "I've been dealing with people like this for quite some time. You have to let them know you won't be pushed around."
"Quite some time?" Gates sits upright in his chair. "I thought you only started betting on me last year?"
"I did," Mrs. Gates says. "But that doesn't mean I wasn't involved in this world before that."
"This world?" Gates asks, looking over at Vinnie. "What do you mean by that?"
There's silence on the other end of the line. "Let's just say we've had a successful enterprise for a long time. There's a reason we have the money that we do."
"From oil," Gates says.
"Not all of it."
Gates pauses. "Organized crime?"
Mrs. Gates chuckles. "You make it sound so dirty. It's not like we've been killing people every week, or dealing strictly in cocaine. We've just been doing things our own way and making sure that nobody pushes us around. It's like you and your wrestling."
"It's nothing like that," Gates says. "No ones assassinating me in the ring."
"It's more of an execution, if they get their hands on us."
Gates shakes his head. "So who else knows? Did B.J. and O.J. know?"
"No, they weren't aware of this. None of you were, until now. We weren't going to make it into a family business. We had people to take over when your father and I were gone."
"Dad being the Godfather," Gates states.
"Not quite," Mrs. Gates admits. "Your father never really wanted to get his hands dirty. He was more the accountant. I was the one who handled the hands on aspect of things and made sure that our competition knew their place."
Gates nods absently. "Then that means you're-"
"The Godmother."
--------------------------------------------
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Fargo, North Dakota
"Clearing your head, huh?"
C.J. Gates looks up from his seat on the park bench to see Vincent James standing behind him. The sky is overcast and Gates lets out a big sigh.
"Trying to, anyways," Gates responds. "It's not exactly as easy as you'd think it is."
"I know what you mean," James says as he sits down beside Gates. "But you've got to try and shake it off. With everything going on with your mom, you can't lose sight of what's ahead of you."
"I know," Gates sighs and shakes his head. "Though sometimes, I wonder what the point is."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm grateful for the opportunity before me," Gates starts. "It's just, I haven't exactly had the best luck against Level One."
"I thought you said you were going to forget the past, and just focus on beating him?"
"That was the aim when we signed that contract," Gates says. "But as the days went by, I've started to think about all of it and," Gates pauses. "What if I don't win?"
"What of it?" James says. "You lose, you lose. Just means you've got to get back on the horse."
"But what if this is it?" Gates says. "What if this is my last kick at the can. There are many names looking to get a shot at the World title, and what if they all pass me by. What if I lose here and then I'm cast aside."
"I don't think you'd be cast aside," James advises. "You might not get the next title shot if you lost, but I'm sure you wouldn't be forgotten."
"Maybe," Gates says. "But then there's the topic of me not being able to beat Level One. I've got ears, Vinnie, I hear everyone talking about it. No one has faith in me to win this week because I haven't been able to beat him in the past."
"Like when?"
"Mayhem."
"Johnny Chase rolled Level One back into the ring so he could steal the win from you."
"On Overdrive when we had our rematch."
"Terry Marvin got involved," James reminds Gates. "To be honest, people are looking at it all wrong. They see you not having all the wins over Level One, but they forget that your losses have come because people have been screwing you out of the wins."
"I guess," Gates says. "Some people just don't think I have what it takes to win."
"Again."
"Again, right. I don't know, I guess because I haven't been attacking people on the regular and making sure I get my name out there, people don't really see me as a threat. They see me more as fodder for the champions to pad their reigns with some title defenses."
"Well, then do what you do best," James says. "Prove them wrong."
Gates nods. "That's what I'm hoping to do but," Gates shakes his head. "But part of me can't shake that thought. That feeling. Maybe people just don't care about what I have to offer."
"People don't care?" James says, taken back. "Every week you walk to that ring to deafening cheers, and you think people don't care?"
Gates simply shrugs.
"If that's the way you're thinking now, maybe you're right. Maybe you can't win." James gets up from the bench and takes a few steps forward. He pauses and looks up and down the pathway before turning to walk away.
"I know I give the fans hope," Gates says, causing James to stop. "I know I give them something to cheer for, but how long can that last? They get behind me, they cheer me, and then I lose. They put their faith in my ability to bring home the big prize or to stop some corrupt asshole, and I fail. How much longer are they going to care about me if I keep letting them down?"
"It's not that you're failing," James says as he turns around. "You're being screwed, and as long as you keep giving it your all, there's no reason why they would stop caring about you. You've been getting screwed out of wins for the past year and a half, and people are still cheering for you and anticipating your appearances."
"I know," Gates says. "Just, how long will it all last?"
"Don't worry about that now. Just keep doing what you've been doing and let the chips fall where they may."
"Yeah, I should."
"Focus on Level One," James advises. "Don't let anything else get you down or take you off course. Focus on beating him and taking the World title, and then go from there."
Gates sighs. "You're right. Though it's not exactly that easy."
"I know, but all you can do is what's in your control."
"If I make it."
"What do you mean?"
"You heard my mom," Gates says. "People are coming to kill us."
"Well, think of it this way," James says. "If you survive to make it to Shockwave, you would have overcome the biggest challenge you've had to face. From there, it's all cake."
"Unless I get screwed again."
"That seems unlikely," James says as he sits back down. "It looks like Level One wants to earn the title. He might want to put a hurting on you, but he wants to prove his worthiness. And because of that, I don't think anyone will stick their noses into the match."
"Hopefully," Gates says. "I've thought this way before and it didn't come out perfect on the other side. I thought Aubrey would have wanted to win the tournament on her own, but she had her buddies come down and ruin that hope. I can't rule out Level One having a trick up his sleeve."
"But they are, or were, Sindicate members with Terry Marvin. You had to expect something."
Gates cracks a slight smile. "I guess I look for the good in every situation."
"Well, make the best of this one," James says. "If you're right, and this is the last chance you have at winning the World title, you need to make it count."
"I will. At the very least, I'm going to give it my all in this match.
"I'm going to make sure that Level One earns any victory he'd gain over me.
"I'm going to make him earn the APW World Heavyweight title."
--------------------------------------------
"A lot is being made about our past, Level One, and I guess there's good reason for it. I mean, as long as I've been in APW, there's always been someone who I've been compared to. There's always been you. Even when you were gone from the company, taking a bit of a sabbatical, I was still being compared to you, and people were still wondering whether or not I could match what you've done.
"I guess in some respect, I haven't lived up to any of those comparisons, and those comparisons look even worse when every picks apart our head to head matches. They look at the outcomes and they see me on the outside looking in. They see me as someone who is constantly barking up the wrong tree, someone who is always in way over their head.
"And maybe there's some merit to it. Maybe, when you break it down, I will always be that guy that couldn't break through to the top. It's only happened once, and every other opportunity before or since has come with me coming up just short. CWC Ascension tournaments, Experts True Expert title matches, APW Undisputed title matches. Even my very first Survive and Conquer appearance saw me go farther then anyone thought I would, only to see me bounced out in fourth place.
"Who knows? Maybe that trend will continue at Shockwave when you and I step into the ring with one another. Maybe I will put forth all sorts of effort just to come up short against you.
"I mean, there's history to back it up, right?
"Go back through every match where we've been on opposite sides, and the outcomes favor you heavily. You've bested me at almost every turn, whether it's tag team matches, six man tags, singles matches, fatal four ways. You've had my number and you've made me pay for any slip-ups I might have made inside of the ring. The only time I ever managed to come out on top, was at Christmas Chaos, something that I have been holding onto every time we step into the ring. I mean, why wouldn't I?
"Though I'm at a crossroads when it comes to you, Level One. With the way everything went in the weeks leading up to Shockwave, you're a different animal then you have been in the past. You're an entirely different being. Normally, those meetings over contract tables would have resulted in you decking me, or at the very least, a scuffle of some sort. You handing over the title? That would have been a tattooing across the face on any other night.
"So maybe you've changed. Maybe I should go into this match with the idea in my head that you aren't the cerebral warrior that you have been in the past. Maybe I should look at this with the idea that you are trying to change your ways, to put the whole debacle with Terry Marvin into the past. Repent your sins, in a way.
"And I could think that way, expect I was around the last time that happened, back when you were facing off against Sally Talfourd and Ryan Ruckus. And to be honest, I didn't know then - and I might not even truly know now - whether the fans were on your side because you had changed your stripes, or because Sally Talfourd gave them all the finger. I can't decide whether they actually liked you, if they actually saw some sort of redeeming quality in you, or if Ruckus was just that much of a dickhead.
"For all I know, all of the above could apply. You might have never changed your ways, it just saw that way. And seeing what happened after that, seeing what you became when you returned to APW, I don't know if I can confidently say that you are a changed man at this point in time.
"But hey, prove me wrong, Level One. Show me that you were trying to start back at the bottom because you hated what you became before losing to Terry Marvin. Show me that you wanting to get rid of the World Heavyweight title so you could earn it back the right way was a true statement. Show me that there is something new inside that head of yours.
"Otherwise, I will just continue to see you the same way, and I will just continue to see you as that menace that plays everyone like a fiddle. I will continue to be wary of you while everyone else falls for your new found charms. Of course, going into the match, there will still be an element of preparation directed at that uncertainty, but I might not be fearing for my life. At least, not as much as I have in the past.
"Because if you're truly looking to redeem yourself, then you won't be wanting to kill me. Sure, teaching me a lesson because I didn't take the title, that's something you can do, but you won't want to maim me and leave me a bloody mess inside of that ring.
"Maybe I'm giving it all too much thought. Maybe I'm making this match into something more of a psychiatrist's appointment then I am an actual title match, but you have to understand where I'm coming from, right? You have to see that you haven't exactly been the saintliest of saints coming into this contest.
"Of course, when you look at the bigger picture, we've both got a fair amount of momentum on our side. We both were fairly successful before Test for the Best before we each suffered a somewhat devastating loss. Since then, we've both managed to run the table of our opponents, with your only blip coming when you wanted to hand me the title, only to accidentally knock out the referee with it. So, really, this match should be closer then most because we are both prepared for victory. We have both run the table, so to speak, in the weeks leading up.
"And, of course, we both know how the other operates. I know that you enjoy using your size advantage, especially over someone like me, to muscle your opponents around. You use your power and your strength, but you've got finesse, too. Me, well, I'm all about speed and taking risks when risks need to be taken. I find openings and I take advantage when I can, and you know that. You also know that I am not exactly the sort of guy to just take a beating a lay down. You know that I'm the sort of competitor who will get right back up when he's knocked down.
"I guess you could say I don't know when to quit.
"But that's just the way I've had to adapt as I fought my way through the ranks. That's just the way I've had to operate and no matter where my match is on the card, I am going to maintain that. I am going to keep that going, because it allows me every chance possible to win. Not only that, but it frustrates my opponents to no end.
"It frustrates you, even if you don't choose to admit it.
"But really, that's the way it should be. I frustrate you, you frustrate me and it makes for a good match. It makes for a good fight and it allows both of us to give it our all to make sure that the winner actually deserves to be the winner. Which is what we're really here for, right? Above everything else that comes between us, everything that makes us loath one another most of the time, there is the desire to prove our worth.
"That moment is now on the horizon. Everything you were trying to prove can be proven. Everything I'm trying to prove, can be proven as well. Maybe I'll be able to overcome the odds again, or maybe I'm just doomed to continue the path I've been down the past few months when it comes to facing you. We can speculate, but there's no real telling until we step into that ring at Shockwave.
"I am going to do all that I can to make sure I am ready for anything and everything that you have to throw my way, just like I know you'll be prepared for me. I know you'll be ready.
"It's time to go big or go home."
