Post by Level-Two on Aug 24, 2013 16:16:01 GMT -4
One's bad trip
His eyes flickered like a light switch, while he gently swayed side ever so slightly like a wave upon a shore. Off in the distance he could see what resembled to faces void of all their features as they hid behind a thick layer of blur. The voices however, they were familiar to him.
''Hi, Lester...'' Patricia Lewis said gently, as she floated towards him. He reached out for her but a force greater than himself shoved him backwards.
''It's been a long time, Level-One...'' A deeper voice called out as he fell to the ground. ''Do you remember me?''
''Danny...'' Lester mumbled in disbelief. ''Mr. President Danny Mac...''
''How can you choose them over me, Lester!'' Patricia cried, while hovering over him. The blur that once cast a veil over her face vanished to reveal her true beauty.
''I don't know, Patricia.'' He proclaimed reaching up at her porcelain face. ''I love you.''
Suddenly her face morphed into President Mac's, a large snake like tongue slithering towards his face like a rattle snake in a foot of grass.
''No you don't, Level-One.'' President Mac hissed. ''The Extreme Wrestling Corporation welcomed you in with open arms and this is how you betray us!?''
President Mac lets out a demonic roar which separates the spirits of the two entities apart creating the perfect contrast between beauty and ugly.
''All I asked of you was to lay down for me, Lester...'' Patricia said, now crawling towards him seductively before putting her hand on his chest. ''Like I laid down for you...''
''I couldn't do it!'' Lester cried helplessly, before he tried to sit up but a big boot smashed into his chest forcing him back down onto his back.
''But it was so easy, Level-One...'' President Mac insisted. ''Though, your ego wouldn't allow you to bring yourself to it. All I wanted you to do was to lie down and let Shadow Man win but you couldn't and you ruined the credibility of my entire company in the process!''
''Fuck you, Mac!'' Lester exclaimed. ''This is a REAL sport - not your STAGED mixed martial arts entertainment bullshit! You're nothing more than a well-dressed scam artist and everyone is going to know it!''
''Why do you have to be so selfish!?'' Patricia cried in horror. ''Would it kill you to let someone else enjoy the spotlight for once? Lester, you've already done it all - what about poor CJ Gates?''
''He'll need to earn it like I did!''
''Psh.'' President Mac replied with an arrogant grin. ''You think you were immune from the scam, Lester? You think you were the ONLY one who was ever offered a price? Ha, Ha, Ha! Ask yourself how many of YOUR opponents to took the fall because we wanted them to for YOU!?
''I hate you!'' Lester screamed as he squirmed under the boot of President Mac. ''Stop your lies, stop your fucking lies Mac!''
''See, I told you all those titles are worth nothing, Lester!'' Patricia berated him out of pleasure. ''Nothing!''
In a fit, Level-One summoned enough energy to shove the boot off his chest and finally pull himself up to his feet again but quickly finds himself thrust down into an oversized chair, with a table and a contract laid out on top of it.
''It's never too late, Level-One.'' President Mac said with a sly grin, as he folded his hands in front of him. ''Take the dive against Mr. Gates and walk away from this sport once and for all. It's the only way to correct your mistakes, it's the only way to repair the damage you brought to the EWC name and the APW... well, send them my condolences.''
''Please Lester!'' Patricia begged. ''This is the only way, this is the only way you make your wrongs right again and we can spend our lives happily ever after...''
''Because if you don't, Lester...'' President Mac continued as he looked lovingly towards Patricia Lewis standing beside him. ''Let's just say, someone else will.''
''Patricia!'' Lester called out in a rage. ''You wouldn't...''
''What else am I supposed to do, Lester!?'' Patricia responded in kind, as her hand slid into President Mac's. ''I can't spend the rest of my life waiting for you to love me, I refuse to play second fiddle to your career.''
''You can't do this!'' Lester argued. ''Not with him of all people, I fucking hate him!''
''Then throw the match against, CJ.'' Patricia persisted. ''Please, Lester. Do it for me. Do it for you. Do it for us.''
President Mac turned to Patricia and stuck his snake like tongue down her throat, violently throwing her down onto the table ripping away at the fragile material of her blouse like a rabid dog...
In one final attempt to end his misery, he lunges forward throwing a hail mary blow... though, he misses completely and hits the ground...
Hard.
''Are you crazy, Lester?''
At this point, he was no longer in his dream like state. Instead, he was lying on the floor in the apartment of Kaylyn James Evans with her high heels to his throat.
''What the hell just happened?'' Lester said, legitimately confused.
''You mean you don't remember throwing a hail mary at my face like, ten seconds ago?'' Kaylyn asked, stepping away from Lester offering him a hand.
''No, not at all.''
As he went to accept her hand, she spotted a small bottle that fell out of his pocket. He saw Kaylyn's wandering eyes and tried to reach for it but once again, her reflexes had won out.
''Lester, what is this?''
''Just some medication...'' Lester said, as an afterthought. ''You know, Advil - needed it to take care of one of those nagging colds.''
Quickly, he snatched the bottle from her hands. ''Lester, you're taking heavy psychotics. That's serious. What is wrong?''
''So, you're a doctor now?'' Lester sarcastically replied before he pulled himself to his feet. ''Look, I have been having some... issues, lately. After my post match medicals with Terry Marvin the APW's top doctor and President Jeff took some concern with me and we needed to ensure I was cleared for this match.''
''So you decided to take experimental drugs?''
''Look, it isn't that simple. The LeWinter sisters felt that I wouldn't be cleared through conventional methods - so they paid off some quack to work their magic through a few loopholes. These are only temporary until we figure out a permanent solution.'' He explained.
Kaylyn James Evans took a deep breath. ''Okay, I got you. Whatever it takes, right?''
''That isn't me, Kaylyn.'' Lester insists as Kaylyn showed him to a chair. ''I can't believe I was just willing to give to give my title away to CJ Gates like that.''
Kaylyn reminded him of this when she took a seat across from him at the kitchen table. ''We all make mistakes, Lester.''
''That might be true but I need to be perfect and if perfect doesn't actually exist, than I need to be the closest thing to it.'' He insisted. ''As much as I can blame her for my title giveaway, I know the Level-One you knew wouldn't have even entertained that idea.''
''It isn't all that non-sensical, Lester...'' Kaylyn said leaning back in her chair. ''After all, you do love her don't you?''
''What do you think?'' Lester questioned her in turn. ''I mean after all this, I can't call it.''
''Well, love is a very complicated thing Lester...''
He nodded his head in agreement as the two sat in silence - it was only for a moment but it felt longer.
''She wants us to go to The Rook Islands. A beautiful place, it is. I mean, if you take out the blood thirsty pirates out of the equation. Though, I reckon it'll still take the piss out of that shithole Detroit.''
''Hmm, a risk taker.'' Kaylyn smiled. ''Sounds a bit like a girl I know.''
''All I am saying is that maybe losing to CJ Gates wouldn't be the worst thing in the world knowing what I can fall back into.''
''True.'' Kaylyn echoed casually. ''But think about what you could have in the event the result was the other way around?''
''What do you mean?''
''I'm not sure.'' Kaylyn said ever so mysteriously. ''I just don't see how losing is going to bring any good out of this situation, there has to be something better on their other side. There always is.''
''Right.''
Kaylyn Evans eyes wandered.
''How do you think she'll take this?'' Kaylyn asked, as Lester looked at her with raised brows. ''You know, how do you think she'll take you winning?''
''I don't know.'' Lester said shaking his head side to side. ''I didn't think about it much, if I did - you and the twins wouldn't be all too happy with me.''
''You know calling the wedding off wouldn't be such a bad idea. I mean, at least until you decide to retire or something...'' Kaylyn suggested.
''That's crazy talk.''
''Come on, Lester...'' Kaylyn persisted. ''If you weren't surrounded by so many women, maybe you'd stop thinking like one. Fact is, 90% of guys hate commitment - the other 9% percent end up regretting it later.''
''And the one percent?''
''I don't know, I guess they were one of the lucky ones. May the odds forever be ever in your favor?''
They both couldn't hold back a smile.
''So, are you willing to commit to me?'' Kaylyn asked raising her index finger. ''... to the LeWinter sisters and the Synndicate itself that you will not lie down in defeat?''
...
''I do.''
Do you know how to fish, CJ?
Guys like me CJ - we're born savages. Fucking sharks. We never had to learn, we just did. It was in our DNA and it was our only means to survival but guys like you, snot nosed white collar American punks like you, your just handed daddies old fishing pole. I don't know if you're familiar with the old adage CJ, but it goes a little something like this...
Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day but teach a man how to fish and you'll feed him for a lifetime.
CJ, I gave you your fucking fish. I gave it to you and what, you threw it back in the water and then spat in my face. Okay. Fine. So, I figured maybe you're one of those vegetarians or something but then you came back to me and said, I want your fish. You're a fucking comedian, aren't you? My fish? You want MY fish? No, no, no my friend... you’re going to take whatever fish I decide to give you! Take it!
Then, splash! Plop. You fucking did it again. Haha, funny right!?
Then you look at me and you tell me, it isn't enough Lester! You look me in my eye and you tell me that you want more. You want it all. No, fuck you! I am not teaching you HOW to fish, CJ. How could I when there simply isn't enough fish in this sea for the BOTH of us!? You're on your own now. You can catch your own damn fish. Now that you've pissed me off we're all going to watch you starve!
Cause after all nobody ever taught you how to fish....
You don't even know how to hunt. You lack a killer instinct. You know, it's funny you didn't accept the APW world title when I gave it to you on a silver platter seeing that you come out of a life of privilege. How cute is it that little trust fund CJ is fighting the good fight on the behalf of the little people in life? Psh. Go fuck yourself man! I wonder how many life’s you'll ruin when everyone who's invested their time, effort and money into your stock finally realizes they'll never get the return on the investment you led them to believe you were worth. Whoosh. Bang. Crash. God bless the free market, eh CJ?
The free market speaks for itself, doesn't it? With each loss it seems like shirts with your face on it are less and less visible. Shit, we both know your mom owns at least one cup with MY face on it. And I can't remember the last time where I picked up a magazine with YOUR face on the front cover, talk about an issue! The good ol' APW golden boy being left out in the dark... oh how the times have changed! If only you could just win a match when it mattered...but how about a hand of applause for the trying try hard!?
Nobody?
Close but no cigar is free of tar, CJ...
You know as well as I do that these fans love winners. While you maybe in the business of making excuses and explaining your short comings away all that matters is the bottom line. I mean you keep mentioning Johnny Chase and Terry Marvin about how they did this and that and that and this but here's the thing Ceej, NOBODY GIVES A FUCK! You cry foul until your lungs are sore but nothing ever changes. I'm still the champion, I still make the big bucks and you are treated as a loser who must justify his place on this roster. Take a look in the record books - there is no excuse column. There's nothing that is going to say Level-One wins VIA steel chair to the frontal lobe...
I may not be a very good APW world champion but at least I am brave enough to admit it. These people should be happy to see a man as humble as I am to lead the reigns here on Overdrive. I mean, if I was less like me and more like you Gates - I wouldn't even BE in this position right now. As champion, I refused to play it safe. I didn't spend my time trying to stay relevant with a series of Cindy Shannon interviews, nope. I threw myself directly into the fire. I strapped my boots and I went into battle looking for the biggest battle I could find. Unlike your champions of the past - who had a fetish for picking their challengers.
When Terry Marvin went to Asylum, I was pissed. You? You let out a sigh of relief heard by the entire world because the only thing you cared about is being the center of attention and you thought that if he wasn't here suddenly you'd become that guy. While I marched, protested and screamed at the top of my lungs alienating myself from virtually every high ranking official backstage at the mere concept of them stealing our undisputed title; you were posturing up to be that guy to get the first shot at Michael Callahan whom you KNEW was inferior to Terry Marvin! So, please - don't COMPARE me to you. There is no point of reference that exists. We are not alike; I am nothing like you!
I mean call me crazy but I think you're taking my kindness for some type of weakness - as if, you think you and I are going to have a bro moment and bond over our losses to Terry Marvin. Sure, the loss sucks. I hate it. Here's the thing though, I came out the match smelling like fucking roses compared to you and Terry Marvin came out of that match PRAYING to god he never comes that close to losing everything he's worked for ever again. You couldn't garnish one tenth of the response after he was through with you. You tell him he's defending his APW Undisputed Title against you and he's bringing Maggie along looking like she's dressed for vacation and a fucking margarita party, let's be real. Nobody takes you serious anymore.
Though, I am not laughing at you. This shit isn't even amusing to me anymore. This isn't any fun. I mean, the world heard what you had to say the first time out and boy were those some fighting words! You serious? To anyone paying attention, you spent so much time buttering me up half of the people watching probably thought we were competing for the tag team championships together at shockwave rather than facing off one on one in a five star, epic affair. You really for one second think the assassin inside me as been playing with spoons and plastic plates, instead of forks and knifes? How naive of you.
Though since you have been so civil with me, I'll do you a fucking solid. See, I have some advice for you and while I don't expect you to use it, I fully expect you to consider it.
If you think that by showing up at Shockwave imploring your conventional methods of wrist locks and choke holds will simply grant you a victory THIS time around than you have already lost! I mean, how many times are you going to put forth a SECOND PLACE effort and EXPECT things to turn out any differently? CJ, you need to go big or you're going home. You need to do whatever it takes, be it needing to grit your teeth, plug your noise and dive face first into a world of shit and not worry about the dirt underneath your finger nails if you truly want a second opportunity at GLORY.
I mean, you blame Johnny Chase for your loss the first time out but you've done NOTHING to correct the situation but count on me to do the right thing. Do you really think Johnny Chase is scared to screw you over again? I mean, you've given him no reason to. You haven't struck fear into his heart. You haven't dealt him an ultimatum. Literally, nothing changed. And now at Shockwave, he'll speak of your name with no respect. He'll portray you less of an underdog than you actually are and he'll be the voice of the people - saying the things your fans are thinking but just don't have the heart to say it to you while your signing their autographs, CJ.
And Terry Marvin? You always seem to forget that he didn't run out there to help me, he was there to screw me and somehow my win is to be devalued by you and put under a microscope despite me being a victim of a failed attempt to screw me over? Nice try, but no thanks. The ball was in your court and it isn't my fault that you decided to play super hero Gates and ended up taking your eye off the prize. It isn't a matter of luck or circumstance, it's just a matter of me being better than you and it's time just accept it.
So here I am giving you all this sound advice... why? It doesn't make any sense, right? Well, you'd be right but I do all this simply because I fucking can. Madness. I mean, did I not just spend the last month trying to give you an APW world title with my name on it and you wouldn't bite? I tell you all this already knowing that you don't have what it takes. Shit, I give you the answer just knowing you can't help but choose to be wrong. And you know what? I love it. That is the very definition of power. You know what's coming, you know what's needed to be done and you still can't and won't do anything to stop it.
You just got to be the fucking hero, don't you?
It's admirable - it really fucking is. You know what? I think I might just dedicate this title of mine to you posthumously because it's almost as if it's like... you were meant to be sacrificed. Crazy. It’s almost as if the talented CJ Gates was only ever spoke into existence to serve as nothing more than a proxy for the APW's greatest villain to continue his cartoonishly tyrannical title run! Okay, so maybe CJ Gates isn't that favorable when I lay it down like that but if Obama's drone program could win him a Noble Peace Prize, I think CJ Gates is going to be alright... right?
Look, I'm not into politics and it's probably why I chose wrestling but I want to promise you that at Shockwave there will be no more trickery. You will go down in a hail of bullets being the hero you've for so long aspired to be and that will be the end of it. And I'll do that not because I'm feeling guilty, I am doing it because you deserve it. This is what you've always wanted.
Though, I have a feeling that once it is all said and done you'll regret it all. You will spend the rest of your life wondering how life would have been if you had just said yes. As you find yourself wrestling against inferior opponents and young upstarts, you'll quickly become nothing more than a filter to my rule, the gatekeepers of my palace as you serve the era of one as a living breathing form of quality control wherein either you break down contenders before they crawl to me or they defeat you and prove to be a little bit more than the flavor of the week.
After all we have been through, perhaps it is naive of me to believe that this is the last time we're going to do this dance but I truly believe that after this I will have broken you down forever. Hell, I've already mentally drained you. You don't have a bad word to say about me and it's almost as if your... lost for words? Well, I do suppose the time for talking is through and now it's time for action.
CJ Gates you say may the best man win and to that I say, I really do appreciate the vote of confidence.
Honestly.
