Post by Damon Graves on Sept 25, 2016 21:11:43 GMT -5
Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Indianapolis, Indiana
Not *quite* Zero Hour
Scene fades in on the dressing room of two of the competitors in the opening match, Damon Graves and Aurora Knight. As Aurora stands in front of the mirror, touching up her makeup, Damon can be seen taping his fists under the watchful eye of their trainer, “Devastator” Jason Perry. The gargantuan former wrestler stands with his arms crossed, his eyes darting between both of his protégés.
Jason: Tonight’s the night, kids. Regardless of whether you win or lose, you two will walk out of here as champions.
The man once known as the Angel of Chaos turns to his mentor with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
Damon: Yeah, but it’ll mean that much more if we can walk out of that ring tonight with yet another pair of championship belts.
From the other side of the room, Aurora turns around, smiling at the two men as she walks toward them. She drapes an arm around her man, resting her head on his shoulder.
Aurora: I don’t know, Puddin. There are those that may look at us and think we’re being greedy. After all, we’re already champions.
Damon: Since when do we care what other people think? If they don’t want us to have the titles, then they’d better step it up and do something about it. Show us that they have what it takes to keep us from the titles.
Aurora smiles as Damon finishes taping his wrists. He tosses the roll of athletic tape into his gym bag before slipping an arm around Aurora’s waist.
Jason: Spoken like a true champion, Damon. They know that you two are the team to beat in this match. As it stands right now, you two are the gold standard.
Damon smirks at his mentor as he props his foot up on a nearby chair, tightening the laces of his boot.
Damon: That just means we have to fight that much harder to prove that we deserve to be champions. There’s no time to sit around and get lazy when we’ve got three other teams gunning for the same prize as us.
Aurora: Well then in that case, we’ll just have to make sure they all fall down, won’t we, Puddin?
Damon raises his hand, hooking Aurora’s chin with his finger as he smiles.
Damon: Damn right we will.
He turns to Jason, who can’t help but smile at Rebel Ink’s collective confidence.
Damon: Hey, boss… you think we have enough time to work a few more drills?
Jason: Looking for a warm up, eh?
The 6’7” titan chuckles as he gestures toward the door. Aurora eagerly bites her lower lip as Jason and Damon make their way toward the door.
Aurora: Nothing like a little appetizer to get things going before the main course…
Damon: Stop that, Harley. You’re making me hungry….
Jason: Hold onto that hunger, kid. You’re going to need it later tonight.
Damon: You don’t have to tell me twice.
Aurora: That goes ditto for me….
The veteran of the group laughs as they step out into the hallway.
Jason: Come on, you two. I’m sure there’s SOME place where we can find enough room….
The three continue their conversation down the hallway as the scene cuts out.
Boiler Room - Bankers Life Fieldhouse
9:00 pm
The sound of humming machinery fills the room as the scene fades back in, and Damon Graves can be seen leaning against the wall, his foot propped up against a pipe. He turns to the camera, a dark look in his eyes as he speaks.
Damon: Two hours…
A sneer creeps across his face as he pushes off from the wall, standing with his vest slung over his shoulder.
Damon: Just two hours remain before Redemption Wrestling launches its first ever Pay-Per-View, and we kick things off with the first of three title matches. This is the match that will set the tone for the entire rest of the night, and it’s up to Rebel Ink and three other teams to raise that bar as high as possible.
Granted, some of us seem a little more eager than others.
He walks toward the camera, keeping a steady, methodical pace as he stares intently into the camera. What little light there is shines in his eyes, giving them a sinister glint.
Damon: Not that there’s anything wrong with that, mind you. But let me first address the man known the world over as the Jew Blazer….
Language is a powerful thing, Mr. Goldstein. And in the future, it would behoove you to be careful in its use. To put that in a way that you can more easily understand: watch your mouth.
Throwing out words like “anti-Semitic” without evidence to back them up can get you into an awful lot of trouble. The cracks about your youth, your utter lack of fashion sense, or the fact that you and your partner are more concerned with unnecessary distractions did absolutely NOTHING to disparage those of the Jewish faith. Those comments were directed at you, and you alone.
But perhaps I’m speaking in a manner to which you aren’t accustomed…
Perhaps this form of expression would be better suited…
He smirks as he takes a moment to clear his throat.
Damon: GROW A FUCKIN NUTSACK AND STOP BEING A WHINY LITTLE BITCH!!!
Is that better, bucko? Does that make things a bit easier for your sensitive ears to understand? Or am I being too harsh? Welcome to 2016, Blazer. This isn’t your precious 1980s, where some roided-up asshat told kids to “train, say your prayers, and take your vitamins”. No, this is the 21st Century, and the world has lost most of its innocence. Even the superheroes of this era are a lot darker and grittier. After all, who’s more popular: a big blue Boy Scout or a foul-mouthed mercenary that can’t die? I’ll give you a hint in three words, Blazer: MAXIMUM FUCKIN’ EFFORT!
The tattooed superstar grits his teeth as the last word leaves his mouth, along with the hint of a growl.
Damon: That’s exactly what Aurora and I put forth every single time we step through those ropes. No over-the-top stupid costumes or sleazy innuendos, just a good, old-fashioned ass kicking. Respect from us is never given freely, pal; it’s earned inside those ropes, and it comes at a very steep price.
And so far, neither you, nor your “walking advertisement for abstinence” tag team partner have done a damned thing to garner even the tiniest bit of it from us. But don’t feel too bad, sunshine, nobody else involved in this match has, either….
He scoffs as he continues his slow walk amongst the pipes.
Damon: Chaos Love? I see plenty of love between the two of them on Twitter, but that doesn’t mean jack shit once the bell rings. All the sweet platitudes in the world won’t deflect a dropkick or shield you from a fist between the eyes. All in all, the both of them have said less than two dozen words aimed in our direction, and even then, they were as tame as a week-old kitten. A Disney Princess and a devil? Seriously? Is that your best attempt at an insult? My tag team partner was named after the Roman goddess of the Dawn, not some narcoleptic trophy wife. As for me, if I believed in Hell, or Heaven for that matter, I might take your words as some sort of backhanded compliment. I can be one evil motherfucker when I choose to be, but a malevolent entity from the Infernal Abyss? That’s a stretch, even for me.
But that’s still more than what’s been said about us from the ladies of The Pride. Trixie can’t even mention us by name, and Angel hasn’t been heard from since she was signed to a contract! If you want to tout yourselves as lionesses, you really oughta do a bit of research before making a statement like that. Lionesses are fierce huntresses, without any hesitance or fear. That, ladies, is the polar opposite of the two of you. Out of the respect that Avery Miles III has earned from us, I took it easy on you. I treated you with a modicum of courtesy, but I see that my somewhat chivalrous gesture was a mistake. The wrestling ring is no place for a pair of pin-up models. Timidness is going to get you eaten alive in this business, and no amount of nepotism by the promoter is going to save you once that bell rings.
Damon stops near a set of gauges. Looking over his shoulder as he leans in to read a couple of them, we can see that most of them are pressure gauges, indicating the water pressure in some of the outlet pipes leading to various parts of the building. He looks back into the camera.
Damon: Not much time left, folks. Feelings have been hurt, and bodies are soon to follow. And frankly, Rebel Ink couldn’t care less. So all of you need to put down your sippy cups, grow up, and get ready for a fight that none of you seem to be prepared for. And please do us all a favor and keep the whining to a minimum when Aurora Knight and I walk out of Indianapolis as the NEW Redemption Wrestling Tag Team Champions and add yet another chapter to our legacy…
Damon reaches over and grasps one of the many pressure relief valves within his reach.
Damon: Can any of you handle that?
He opens the valve and releases a giant cloud of steam, obscuring the camera before fading to black.
