Post by Donovan Basch on Mar 10, 2018 11:33:52 GMT -5
Vintners Inn
Santa Rosa, California
Scene opens outside the entrance to the Front Room, the hotel's lounge. Donovan and Danielle Basch are just about to enter the bar, but Danielle stops him.
Danielle: Spidey, they're still tailing us…
She points over to where the two “bodyguards” hired by her father-in-law Nathaniel are standing, keeping a watchful eye over her every move.
Danielle: This is starting to get downright creepy. Are they going to follow me into the fucking bathroom when I….
Donovan cuts her off before she can finish that sentence.
Donovan: No need to spell it out, Nixy. Would you like me to talk to them?
Danielle: Please….
Donovan kisses his wife on the forehead.
Donovan: I'll be back in a bit, dearest.
Donovan turns and walks over to where the two behemoths are standing.
Donovan: Good afternoon, gentlemen. Could I have a word with you?
Both men nod.
Donovan: I realize that my father is concerned for my wife's safety and tasked you with watching over her….
Man #1: That is why Mr Basch reassigned us….
Donovan: Reassigned you? From what?
Man #2: We have recently been hired as Mr Basch’s personal security detail.
Donovan: Ah. Well, that's all well and good, but your presence is upsetting my wife. I appreciate my father's concern, but my wife and I are perfectly capable of defending ourselves.
Man #1: We apologize, but we were hired to be a visible deterrent to people attempting anything rash where Mr Basch was concerned…
Donovan: (chuckling) He certainly doesn't do anything by half measures, does he?
Man #2: If you'd like, we will do our best to be more inconspicuous.
Donovan: Thank you. We appreciate that.
With that, Donovan nods and returns to Danielle, who is waiting anxiously.
Danielle: So?
Donovan: When we get home, I'll talk to my father about this, but in the meantime, they'll do their best to be more discrete.
Danielle: (sighing) Better than nothing…. Come on, we're here to relax. May as well make the best of it.
Scene fades out as the couple make their way inside the lounge.
Bodega Bay, California
Scene opens with West Coast Champion Donovan Basch sitting upon an outcropping of rocks. As the weather is cool and a bit windy, he's wearing a light jacket and has his championship belt draped across his lap. He has an almost peaceful look upon his face as the wind whips through his hair.
Donovan: Quite a bit of history in this little slice of California. Two of my favorite directors filmed some of their best work around here. But I'm not here to soak up nostalgia. No, my purpose here is much less… whimsical.
Donovan's smile fades, replaced with a much more somber one.
Donovan: Once again, Huntsman….
Do you think that your truly have my measure now?
Having faced me once before, do you feel that you’ve sufficiently refined your gameplan in order to avoid repeating the same result as last time?
I can assure you, even if you have… I’ve improved mine as well.
Donovan holds up the West Coast Championship belt.
Donovan: Former holders of this title felt that just because they had reached the pinnacle in this company that they no longer had to put forth their best effort… an attitude that I completely disagree with.
If anything, I need to work even harder now that I am the West Coast Champion, and thus far, I’ve done everything in my power to make this championship mean something. But… making the rounds with the local media only takes you so far. In order to be taken seriously, I need to actually DEFEND this championship.
And, whether you believe me or not, I would love nothing better than for our match at Hype to be a championship match….
But…
After draping the belt over his shoulder, he stands and brushes the sand from his clothing.
Donovan: You're not the number one contender for my title, Hunter.
Melina Garrison holds that distinction.
I will say this…. You put up quite the fight. I know, because I was there in the ring with both of you as the referee. And I was as good as my word; I showed neither of you any favoritism. I called that match straight down the middle, because I value the West Coast Championship that much. I'm not about to cast any doubt as to the legitimacy of my title reign by showing even a hint of impropriety.
Be that as it may, you have an issue with how I comported myself as the official. Did I put my hands on you? Yes, I most certainly did. But did you even once during your little pity party stop to think WHY?
I would like to think that you have even a small modicum of intelligence, but perhaps that is wishful thinking on my part. So, I'll spell it out for you, Hunter.
I wanted a clear-cut winner; no silly controversies. I could just as easily disqualified you and ended the match then and there, but that would make it seem like I favored Melina, and I'm not having that. My “abuse of authority” had no bearing whatsoever on the outcome of the match, other than to keep you in the match.
Treading carefully, he navigates away from the outcropping and onto flat terrain.
Donovan: Thus far, YOU are the only one whining about it. Garrison didn't complain…. Mercedes Carter didn't complain… Devlin Scott didn't complain… so your argument that I cost you the match is entirely without merit.
But I doubt that will stop you from airing your “grievances”, thus the match at Hype.
Am I supposed to be impressed with your literary references to Herman Melville’s classic tome?
“Moby Dick” was a book I read in elementary school, so mentioning it doesn’t make you an intellectual. But for the sake of argument, I’ll play along.
Donovan slowly begins to make his way along the beach, keeping his gaze set on the rolling surf.
Donovan: So, I am your white whale, Captain Ahab? Perhaps you should actually READ the novel instead of skimming through the Cliff’s Notes. Ahab’s obsession with Moby Dick winds up DESTROYING him. In their final confrontation, Ahab wounds the beast, but winds up bound to the behemoth who drags him to his death beneath the waves. Who’s to say that Ahab struck true with his harpoon? The book never reveals the ultimate fate of Moby Dick.
Donovan stops and faces the camera.
Donovan: Time to return to the realm of reality; I am much more dangerous than any sea creature. Whereas Moby Dick was driven merely by instinct, I am driven by will and have the intelligence to manifest it. I am the “one who got away”, but here I am, in your face, defying you to the last. At Hype, you'll have my undivided attention. Inside the ring, that’s NOT an enviable position. But count yourself lucky, Hunter. Unlike the ill-fated Captain Ahab, you will be able to walk away from our match….
But not with a victory….
Fade to Black