Post by C.J. Gates on Aug 6, 2015 19:52:40 GMT -4
"So who saw that coming?
"I'm pretty sure if anyone raised their hand, they would be lying. I mean, how could you have known that I would end a match in that fashion. When was the last time I allowed one of my matches to end in that fashion? Even if I was getting destroyed in the ring by two, three, four people, I still made sure I was able to get up.
"The same couldn't be said for Fisk, though maybe she was smart. Play dead and the two attackers will back away because they feel as though their job is done. Of course, Gooch and I aren't that stupid. We know that there is still more fight in Arkia Fisk.
"Of course that's a wrinkle in itself. Me and Gooch teaming up? Another blindside that nobody saw coming. Well, maybe some people had ideas of it being a possibility, but I doubt they thought we'd actually go through with it.
"But we did.
"And now we find ourselves pitted in the main event against two men who are very high on themselves and my old buddy Sally Talfourd. But to me, nothing on that side of the ring is new to me. These are people I watched from afar when the APW was rocking. There are no mysteries on that side of the ring.
"Not like there are on ours. I mean, look at us. You've got the wildcard Crusher Crenshaw, the intimidating Buckson Gooch and the unpredictable C.J. Gates. And that unpredictability is something that never changed in me because to this day, you never really know what I am going to do once I am in that ring and now, I am doing it without a care in the world.
"And that will be the key to their success. Can they prepare themselves enough for that unpredictability? Can they prepare for the unexpected? Can they train themselves for what they do not know?
"Only time will tell."
-------------------
C.J. Gates grabs his cell phone off of his office desk, and picks up his duffel bag. He turns to head for the door but before he gets there, the office door opens and Vincent James walks in.
"Going somewhere?" James asks, looking at Gates holding his duffel bag.
"Was just heading out. Have to be in Portland for Deception."
"Right," James nods. "I keep forgetting you're back in that business."
"Well it's not for everyone that's for sure."
"Is that why you kept me out of things again?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The muscle," James says. "You could have just asked me to help you out but instead you went to Buckson Gooch."
"Well Gooch and I see eye to eye."
"And we don't?" James scoffs.
"We do, but you just seem more comfortable here, taking care of security for the company."
"I guess that's fair."
"Besides," Gates starts. "You never showed an interest before in the wrestling world."
"That's true," James chuckles. "I'm really just busting your balls. What time do you have to leave at?"
"Whenever," Gates says. "I'm taking the company jet so whenever I'm ready to go pretty much."
"And what's your match?"
"I'm teaming with Buckson Gooch and Crusher Crenshaw-"
"Who?" James interrupts.
"Gooch. He's the guy from-"
"No, not Gooch, Crenshaw. Who is he?"
"I don't know," Gates says with a shrug.
"You don't know?"
"Nope," Gates says. "I mean, I know of him. He's got a handler and is basically being hired out to do certain things and fight certain opponents. Part of me wonders if he is really into it or if he is eventually going to rebel against his handler or whatever and just snap. Straight up snap and start knocking people out left, right and center, regardless of their race, gender or sex."
"So he's a loose cannon, gotcha."
"I like to call him a wildcard but loose cannon works too. In any case, we're facing off against Jair Hopkins, Anthony Bailey and Sally Talfourd."
"Sally Talfourd," James whistles. "That's a name I haven't heard in awhile."
"Yeah, well, her and I haven't exactly crossed paths all that much the past little while. Since my first year really. Not that it matters because nothing has changed."
"You never know."
"Oh, I know," Gates says. "I know that I am still as talented as I was then and still as capable as ever to beat her inside the middle of the ring. She doesn't see it but eventually her eyes will become unclouded and she will see just how much better than her I am."
"Ah, well that makes sense."
Gates nods. "But I've got to start heading out. I've got an important meeting to get too. Have to hammer out a contract, keep that new partnership in line so we can take care of business this week."
"Fair enough," James says. "Say hi to Gooch for me."
"Will do."
Gates, duffel bag in tow, exits the office as James sits down in one of the couches.
-------------------
"It's a whole new world!
"All of that pressure is off of my shoulders. That feeling of needing to satisfy the fans is no longer a worry for me. Putting on a good match, standing up against all of the assholes who won't listen to anything that doesn't come out of their own mouths, all of that is no longer a worry to me.
"Of course I've heard the backlash about what happened. I've heard the people that would claim I am one of the people I spoke of, one of the people who wouldn't listen to anything if it didn't come out of their own mouth. I've heard the people calling me a turncoat, a blemish, a fucking stain on the entire federations reboot. I've heard it all and through it all, you know what I did?
"I smiled.
'I mean, why wouldn't I? It shows me that those people out there, they are actually paying attention. That they are actually looking at me and seeing that I am not just blowing smoke. The one fear that a lot of people have, is that fear of being forgotten. I never thought I'd be forgotten but to know that everyone is paying attention and hates me for what I did last week. It's music to my ears.
"I'm sure Arkia doesn't think that. Somewhere she's probably seething, waiting to ring my neck for what was done to her. Ruining a good match all for the sake of stomping her down to the ground. Well boo-fucking-hoo. If she cared that much she wouldn't have turtled and done nothing. She would have fought back against me and Gooch. She would have done something to try and make it seem like she cared.
"But now that task is sent to my opponents for this week. Or I guess I should say our opponents. They are the ones that have to make it look like they care and they are the ones that have to do something and not just turtle away.
"It's funny though. In my time here in APW, I was that White Knight, they one man standing up against everyone that was rebelling against authority. I was the only one that stood tall against everyone. And now, Sally Talfourd, Anthony Bailey and Jair Hopkins have that honor, but you know what separates them from my days as the White Knight?
"I was alone. They have each other and have had each other but whenever I took on the likes of Lester Only, evil Kurt Noble, wicked Sally Talfourd, despicable Johnny Rebel, I was alone. Sure, eventually Biggs had my back but for the majority of my time in APW, I was the White Knight against everything. Everyone else had their trios and groups, but I was alone.
"So maybe thats part of why I have done what I have done. Maybe I was sick of being the only one sticking up for everything in APW. Maybe my disgust with everything extends more then just putting on a good match.
"But guys like Anthony Bailey and Jair Hopkins wouldn't understand that. Jair is more worried about how many titles he has to his name and the accolades he has, not to the amount of work he's putting in to make APW a batter place. And sure, maybe that matters but damn, at some point you've got to pull your head out of the sand and realize there's more to it all.
"Should I care about that? Probably not. I mean, let them live in a world of delusion where everything material matters. Let them get lost in the cloud and think of themselves as some supernatural beings. You've never seen me doing that. Never once when I was donning that mantle and fighting for whats right.
"Truthfully though, what Hopkins and Bailey do in their spare time is none of my concern. I was using it as a springboard to illustrate the point that the two of them are going to strut around like they own the place, like they are better then me, but they aren't. I mean, they have nothing to measure up against. We've never fought in the ring, so they have no basis. They just think they are superior. Better than me. And why? Because I did what was right and stuck to my guns and attacked Fisk at the end of our match? Is that it?
"I expect better from them, but then again, they are just the errand boys, right? They are just the two guys stuck in a tag team dilemma. I remember back when Bailey had promise. When he had some sort of motivation to be something in APW. Winning World titles and kicking ass all over the ring. Where did that guy go? Where did he end up disappearing to?
"Who knows where. But that's just another reason why I'm better then the Promise.
"I didn't disappear, I stuck around. I was in the thick of things from start to finish. The name of C.J. Gates could always be heard around the water cooler. And even when I was working with Biggs, my name was never shortened to my tag team headline.
"As I said though, I don't necessarily care about the two of them."
-------------------
C.J. Gates steps out of the office building with his bag over his shoulder. He pulls out his cell phone, punches in a number and then raises it up to his ear.
"Hey," Gates starts. "Is it all set up?" He pauses and awaits the answer, nodding as he does. "Excellent, then let's get everything ready. I want this to all go down smoothly. I don't want to end up failing at this, I've got my sights set on big things!" Gates chuckles slightly. "Even better. I'll see you soon."
Gates cancels the call and puts his phone away as a black car pulls up to the curb. Gates opens the back door, tosses his bag into the back before climbing in himself.
-------------------
"Who am I forgetting? Ah right, the big fish in this match Sally Talfourd.
"We've definitely had our battles Sally, and we've had them on both sides of the coin. We've battled, we've tussled, we've taken each other to the woodshed and back, but in the end, who was the one standing tall? Who got the last laugh?
"Me.
"And in grand fashion too, beating you to advance in the Test for the Best tournament. Ending your hopes of being the champion. Ending your dreams of domination right where they started. Now the roles have reversed but the result will still be the same. I will still come out on top, standing tall, head held high, walking through the dust to come out as the victor. It's as simple as that and there's nothing that you can really do to stop it from happening again. And you want to know why?
"Because I'm better than you. I'm better than you and I'm not afraid of your little errand boys. I'm not afraid at the twins who would do anything you asked of them. I'm not afraid of your popularity riling the fans up against me. I know the fans are going to be against me and I'm quite alright with that. I've come to terms with it, used it as toilet paper, and moved on.
"Right now all I'm worried about is beating you, Sally. Making sure that you are once again reminded why I am better than you. And if I have to do so in the same fashion as Fisk, then so be it I will. I will basically prove to you why I am better.
"I will prove why I am better then the three of you.
"You've all been given an opportunity here, and I think you aren't up to the task. I mean, look at who you're up against. Three guys who are hungry to prove the three of you wrong. The three of us are going to show you just why you have no chance at winning this week. We are going to show you just why we are superior in all ways. I mean, I know I'm superior to Sally, I know I'm superior to Bailey and I'm pretty sure Jair Hopkins can't hold a candle to me.
"And I will prove it at Deception.
"I will prove it when I go big and send the three of you home."
"I'm pretty sure if anyone raised their hand, they would be lying. I mean, how could you have known that I would end a match in that fashion. When was the last time I allowed one of my matches to end in that fashion? Even if I was getting destroyed in the ring by two, three, four people, I still made sure I was able to get up.
"The same couldn't be said for Fisk, though maybe she was smart. Play dead and the two attackers will back away because they feel as though their job is done. Of course, Gooch and I aren't that stupid. We know that there is still more fight in Arkia Fisk.
"Of course that's a wrinkle in itself. Me and Gooch teaming up? Another blindside that nobody saw coming. Well, maybe some people had ideas of it being a possibility, but I doubt they thought we'd actually go through with it.
"But we did.
"And now we find ourselves pitted in the main event against two men who are very high on themselves and my old buddy Sally Talfourd. But to me, nothing on that side of the ring is new to me. These are people I watched from afar when the APW was rocking. There are no mysteries on that side of the ring.
"Not like there are on ours. I mean, look at us. You've got the wildcard Crusher Crenshaw, the intimidating Buckson Gooch and the unpredictable C.J. Gates. And that unpredictability is something that never changed in me because to this day, you never really know what I am going to do once I am in that ring and now, I am doing it without a care in the world.
"And that will be the key to their success. Can they prepare themselves enough for that unpredictability? Can they prepare for the unexpected? Can they train themselves for what they do not know?
"Only time will tell."
-------------------
C.J. Gates grabs his cell phone off of his office desk, and picks up his duffel bag. He turns to head for the door but before he gets there, the office door opens and Vincent James walks in.
"Going somewhere?" James asks, looking at Gates holding his duffel bag.
"Was just heading out. Have to be in Portland for Deception."
"Right," James nods. "I keep forgetting you're back in that business."
"Well it's not for everyone that's for sure."
"Is that why you kept me out of things again?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The muscle," James says. "You could have just asked me to help you out but instead you went to Buckson Gooch."
"Well Gooch and I see eye to eye."
"And we don't?" James scoffs.
"We do, but you just seem more comfortable here, taking care of security for the company."
"I guess that's fair."
"Besides," Gates starts. "You never showed an interest before in the wrestling world."
"That's true," James chuckles. "I'm really just busting your balls. What time do you have to leave at?"
"Whenever," Gates says. "I'm taking the company jet so whenever I'm ready to go pretty much."
"And what's your match?"
"I'm teaming with Buckson Gooch and Crusher Crenshaw-"
"Who?" James interrupts.
"Gooch. He's the guy from-"
"No, not Gooch, Crenshaw. Who is he?"
"I don't know," Gates says with a shrug.
"You don't know?"
"Nope," Gates says. "I mean, I know of him. He's got a handler and is basically being hired out to do certain things and fight certain opponents. Part of me wonders if he is really into it or if he is eventually going to rebel against his handler or whatever and just snap. Straight up snap and start knocking people out left, right and center, regardless of their race, gender or sex."
"So he's a loose cannon, gotcha."
"I like to call him a wildcard but loose cannon works too. In any case, we're facing off against Jair Hopkins, Anthony Bailey and Sally Talfourd."
"Sally Talfourd," James whistles. "That's a name I haven't heard in awhile."
"Yeah, well, her and I haven't exactly crossed paths all that much the past little while. Since my first year really. Not that it matters because nothing has changed."
"You never know."
"Oh, I know," Gates says. "I know that I am still as talented as I was then and still as capable as ever to beat her inside the middle of the ring. She doesn't see it but eventually her eyes will become unclouded and she will see just how much better than her I am."
"Ah, well that makes sense."
Gates nods. "But I've got to start heading out. I've got an important meeting to get too. Have to hammer out a contract, keep that new partnership in line so we can take care of business this week."
"Fair enough," James says. "Say hi to Gooch for me."
"Will do."
Gates, duffel bag in tow, exits the office as James sits down in one of the couches.
-------------------
"It's a whole new world!
"All of that pressure is off of my shoulders. That feeling of needing to satisfy the fans is no longer a worry for me. Putting on a good match, standing up against all of the assholes who won't listen to anything that doesn't come out of their own mouths, all of that is no longer a worry to me.
"Of course I've heard the backlash about what happened. I've heard the people that would claim I am one of the people I spoke of, one of the people who wouldn't listen to anything if it didn't come out of their own mouth. I've heard the people calling me a turncoat, a blemish, a fucking stain on the entire federations reboot. I've heard it all and through it all, you know what I did?
"I smiled.
'I mean, why wouldn't I? It shows me that those people out there, they are actually paying attention. That they are actually looking at me and seeing that I am not just blowing smoke. The one fear that a lot of people have, is that fear of being forgotten. I never thought I'd be forgotten but to know that everyone is paying attention and hates me for what I did last week. It's music to my ears.
"I'm sure Arkia doesn't think that. Somewhere she's probably seething, waiting to ring my neck for what was done to her. Ruining a good match all for the sake of stomping her down to the ground. Well boo-fucking-hoo. If she cared that much she wouldn't have turtled and done nothing. She would have fought back against me and Gooch. She would have done something to try and make it seem like she cared.
"But now that task is sent to my opponents for this week. Or I guess I should say our opponents. They are the ones that have to make it look like they care and they are the ones that have to do something and not just turtle away.
"It's funny though. In my time here in APW, I was that White Knight, they one man standing up against everyone that was rebelling against authority. I was the only one that stood tall against everyone. And now, Sally Talfourd, Anthony Bailey and Jair Hopkins have that honor, but you know what separates them from my days as the White Knight?
"I was alone. They have each other and have had each other but whenever I took on the likes of Lester Only, evil Kurt Noble, wicked Sally Talfourd, despicable Johnny Rebel, I was alone. Sure, eventually Biggs had my back but for the majority of my time in APW, I was the White Knight against everything. Everyone else had their trios and groups, but I was alone.
"So maybe thats part of why I have done what I have done. Maybe I was sick of being the only one sticking up for everything in APW. Maybe my disgust with everything extends more then just putting on a good match.
"But guys like Anthony Bailey and Jair Hopkins wouldn't understand that. Jair is more worried about how many titles he has to his name and the accolades he has, not to the amount of work he's putting in to make APW a batter place. And sure, maybe that matters but damn, at some point you've got to pull your head out of the sand and realize there's more to it all.
"Should I care about that? Probably not. I mean, let them live in a world of delusion where everything material matters. Let them get lost in the cloud and think of themselves as some supernatural beings. You've never seen me doing that. Never once when I was donning that mantle and fighting for whats right.
"Truthfully though, what Hopkins and Bailey do in their spare time is none of my concern. I was using it as a springboard to illustrate the point that the two of them are going to strut around like they own the place, like they are better then me, but they aren't. I mean, they have nothing to measure up against. We've never fought in the ring, so they have no basis. They just think they are superior. Better than me. And why? Because I did what was right and stuck to my guns and attacked Fisk at the end of our match? Is that it?
"I expect better from them, but then again, they are just the errand boys, right? They are just the two guys stuck in a tag team dilemma. I remember back when Bailey had promise. When he had some sort of motivation to be something in APW. Winning World titles and kicking ass all over the ring. Where did that guy go? Where did he end up disappearing to?
"Who knows where. But that's just another reason why I'm better then the Promise.
"I didn't disappear, I stuck around. I was in the thick of things from start to finish. The name of C.J. Gates could always be heard around the water cooler. And even when I was working with Biggs, my name was never shortened to my tag team headline.
"As I said though, I don't necessarily care about the two of them."
-------------------
C.J. Gates steps out of the office building with his bag over his shoulder. He pulls out his cell phone, punches in a number and then raises it up to his ear.
"Hey," Gates starts. "Is it all set up?" He pauses and awaits the answer, nodding as he does. "Excellent, then let's get everything ready. I want this to all go down smoothly. I don't want to end up failing at this, I've got my sights set on big things!" Gates chuckles slightly. "Even better. I'll see you soon."
Gates cancels the call and puts his phone away as a black car pulls up to the curb. Gates opens the back door, tosses his bag into the back before climbing in himself.
-------------------
"Who am I forgetting? Ah right, the big fish in this match Sally Talfourd.
"We've definitely had our battles Sally, and we've had them on both sides of the coin. We've battled, we've tussled, we've taken each other to the woodshed and back, but in the end, who was the one standing tall? Who got the last laugh?
"Me.
"And in grand fashion too, beating you to advance in the Test for the Best tournament. Ending your hopes of being the champion. Ending your dreams of domination right where they started. Now the roles have reversed but the result will still be the same. I will still come out on top, standing tall, head held high, walking through the dust to come out as the victor. It's as simple as that and there's nothing that you can really do to stop it from happening again. And you want to know why?
"Because I'm better than you. I'm better than you and I'm not afraid of your little errand boys. I'm not afraid at the twins who would do anything you asked of them. I'm not afraid of your popularity riling the fans up against me. I know the fans are going to be against me and I'm quite alright with that. I've come to terms with it, used it as toilet paper, and moved on.
"Right now all I'm worried about is beating you, Sally. Making sure that you are once again reminded why I am better than you. And if I have to do so in the same fashion as Fisk, then so be it I will. I will basically prove to you why I am better.
"I will prove why I am better then the three of you.
"You've all been given an opportunity here, and I think you aren't up to the task. I mean, look at who you're up against. Three guys who are hungry to prove the three of you wrong. The three of us are going to show you just why you have no chance at winning this week. We are going to show you just why we are superior in all ways. I mean, I know I'm superior to Sally, I know I'm superior to Bailey and I'm pretty sure Jair Hopkins can't hold a candle to me.
"And I will prove it at Deception.
"I will prove it when I go big and send the three of you home."