Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

[Ryan Blade]

{Open up on an overhead shot of Ryan Blade's mother's house on a particularly nippy Autumn day. A breeze blows through the yard and leaves tumble down from the trees and land on the ground. As the camera moves down, we see the Man of Steel Champion, Ryan Blade, and his brother, Chase, sitting in the backyard on a wooden swing between two trees. While the swing gently sways back-and-forth, the two brothers sit in silence.

Everyone knows Blade and his brother have a weird one-sided feud relationship, but they've been trying to work on it for the sake of their mom's health. Then again, Chase has never felt any ill-will towards his brother. It's always been Ryan who gives the other the cold shoulder.

But being back at their childhood home, together, is such a rare occurence for the two brothers that Chase can't help but smile as he sees the leaves gathering in the yard.}

Chase: "Hey Ry. Remember that Fall when we raked up all the leaves from every yard on the block for free just so we could bring them back here and try to make the biggest pile in the world?"

{Blade looks over at his brother.}

Ryan Blade: "Yeah. What about it?"

Chase: "That was fun, wasn't it?"

{Blade turns his head back and looks out towards the yard.}

Ryan Blade: "Free labor. Yeah. Really fun."

Chase: "Oh come on, bro. You know we had fun. Mom was pissed when she got home from work and saw the entire backyard was one big leaf pile, but then after she got over that, she jumped in there with us."

{Chase sighs to himself.}

Chase: "That was probably the most fun I've ever had. Just you, me, and god knows how many pounds of leaves."

Ryan Blade: "Aren't we too young to be talking about the good ol' days? If my legacy is the biggest leaf pile in Virginia history, I'm going to be a pretty bitter old man."

Chase: "The Man of Steel is too big time to reminisce with his big bro now?"

{Chase says this while reaching over and giving his brother a noogie, messing up Ryan's hair. Blade pushes Chase's arm away and scoots to the end of the swing while fixing his hair.}

Ryan Blade: "Grow up, dude."

Chase: "Jesus. What's up with you, Ryan? I get that you and I aren't he best of friends or anything, but you're being a dick."

Ryan Blade: "Sorry I'm not all smiles and giggles like you are, but I've got a lot going on. I've got mom's deal... my girlfriend embarassed me and turned down my proposal... her sister's always lurking around... and now I've got you all up in my business."

Chase: "Well there's nothing you can do for mom besides be here for her. And as for me being annoying... I'm you're brother. I want to know what's going on in your life, man."

Ryan Blade: "I can tell..."

{Ryan doesn't really know why he's so hostile against his brother. He doesn't hate him. Far from it, in fact. He just.... he doesn't know how to treat the guy. He's always felt the need to compete against his brother; in sports, for affection, and in general. And even today, the competition hasn't stopped.}

Chase: "But as for the Chelsea thing, just keep your head up, brother. It's not like you guys broke up or anything. Give it some time... maybe a couple of years... and I'm sure she'll be itching to marry you. You guys are just too young for that kind of commitment right now."

Ryan Blade: "I really don't need relationship advice from you. Need I remind you about how your relationship ended with that chick Lindsey?"

Chase: "Sydney, and no. No you don't."

Ryan Blade: "Exactly. So don't try and tell me about relationships or how I should be doing things. You're just as much of a screw-up as I am. If not more."

Chase: "Look... little brother.... You have to learn to take advice. Whether its' my advice or whoever's... at some point you have to start listening to and trusting people. I mean... good grief, Ryan. I'm your brother and you still treat me like shit. And I've accepted that, but this 'me against the world' attitude you've got isn't going to get you anywhere."

{Chase reaches over and puts his hand on his brother's shoulder.}

Chase: "Whether you listen or not... whether you like it or not, I'm still going to be there at every turn to try and help you however I can. Other people are going to try and help you too."

{The blonde older brother of the Man of Steel stands up and looks down at Blade.}

Chase: "Let them. You can't do this on your own."

{He turns to walk away, but Ryan's voice can be heard.}

Ryan Blade: "Chase...."

{Chase turns.}

Chase: "Yeah, Ry?"

Ryan Blade: "You know what might cheer mom up?"

{The Man of Steel stands and grabs a rake that was leaning against the tree.}

Ryan Blade: "You know how much she hates it when the yard is covered in leaves."

{Ryan extends the rake out to his brother, who laughs to himself and takes the rake. Blade then grabs another rake and holds it in his hands, looking down at it.}

Chase: "Yeah. I bet she'd like that."

{The brothers get to work on the yard as we move to a shot of the house and see the boys mother looking out through the kitchen window with a smile on her face, wiping away a tear that trails down her cheek. We fade out as a pile begins to take shape in the center of the yard.}

____________________________________________________________________


"I've never really been the kind of guy who works well with others. Don't get me wrong; I'm not a loner or anything like that... I just don't like to share the spotlight. That's the way it's always been, in school and in life. People like to piggyback on my awesomeness, and that just doesn't set will with me.

But I guess now that I'm supposed to be all grown up and adult about everything, I say bring it on. I've got a team watching my back at home, and now here in IWF I've got Xavier Cross mentoring me, and teaming with me.

I just hate that I have to rely on somebody else to be successful.

Because I don't know if you've noticed, but I've kind of been killing it by myself.

I guess if I have to team with someone, Xavier Cross would be the best choice. He's a veteran. He's been in the game long enough to live through a bunch of different wrestling companies, and he's held titles everywhere he's been. Cross is the only guy right now who can claim to be a two-time champion in IWF, so I guess that's something too, right?

Make no mistake about it, I don't want to put my career in the hands of anyone other than myself, but for one night, I will count on you, Xavier. I'll count on you not to ride on my coattails, but to lead us to victory. You're the mentor, and I'm the mentee.... you lead and I'll follow. But when the time comes and we need to get that big win.... don't ruin it for us.

Monday night, we're a team. Honourbound? They've been teaming up since day one. They came together and decided to work together as a team for the greater good of both guys, and to conquer the tag team division.

Or.... I mean.... that was the plan, wasn't it?

Because all I've seen so far is a guy in a mask... and now another guy in a mask who haven't done a damn thing so far. You came in with the 'fight with dignity', 'eat vitamins and be fair', 'google safesearch will remain on' attitude with all intentions of being the example of honor.

HONOR. No 'u'. This is America.

It didn't take long for you two honorable fellows to abandon all of that talk and turn to the darkside. The results you were looking for didn't come, and now you're all dark and emo and sad because nobody cares about you and you look like a dope in a mask and everyone thought you were boring before but all you wanted was a chance to be a nice guy, well screw that we're going to show them they were wrong by listening to Dashboard Confessional and watching Low Winter Sun on AMC.

(gasp for air)

Run on sentence, but you get the point.

You see, you two are just as big of frauds as everyone else around here. You don't really believe in honor... you believe in winning. You believe in destroying your opponents at all costs. There's no honor in what you're doing, Honorbound. Attacking Joe Everyman because your face got a little burnt?

Rub some aloe on that bitch and suck it up.

I don't doubt you between the ropes, Cable. You've already shown us all what you're made of in there. Pre-sadface or post-sadface, you're a threat. You came a hairlength away from the Imperial Title, and half a hairlength from the Tag Titles. You put Cable Arcane in the ring with 90% of the IWF roster and he's going to come out on top.

And even though you got your revenge on Joe Everyman for beating you at Lineage... what did you really get? That's as hollow a victory as you could ever hope for. Because even though you're standing here today with partially charred smirk on your face talking about your accomplishments and how tough you are... Everyman was still the first Imperial Champion. InFamous were still the first Tag Team Champions.... Bushido won the Cruiserweight Belt first.... and you're just the most prolific loser we've got.

The Buffalo Bills from the early nineties look at you and cringe.

Somehow despite all of these misteps and blunders, you still manage to overshadow the original masked man with the name I can't pronounce.

What the hell sound does 'G-J' make?

Gjenrei?

I just wanted to call you 'Masky', but they insisted I buy a Rosetta Stone.

What's your deal, man? Your tag team partner strike out on his own and get all of these big opportunities, and you're just going to sit there and take it? Where's your sense of pride? Where's your self-worth? Well, I guess when you hide your face under a mask, you must not have a lot to be proud of in the first place, do you?

Seems to me like this 'team' has fractured right down the middle. One guy has had shot after shot at every belt imaginable, and the other is sitting, like Baby, in the corner of obscurity.

Now your partner comes slinking back to you and you're just happy to see him back so you can be semi-relevant again. He promises you you're his everything and that he'll never leave you again, but you just know the next time a gold belt shines in his direction, he's going to run off on you again.

As much as you want to convince yourself it'll be different this time, he's still going to hit you, you battered wife, you.

What Honorbound needs to realize is that they're better together than they are apart. Sure they didn't get it done as a team either, but at least they'll have each other to fall back on when things go sour. The singles world is a strange and dangerous place for guys like you. Guys like Xavier Cross... like Ryan Blade... we're sharks. We're looking to devour you the second you even dip your toe into our water.

And just when you thought it was safe to go for a swim? Jaws music.

So while we may be entering your tag team domain on Sacrifice, you have to remember that a team can be greater than the sum of its' parts... but when you've got the two best parts in the business, there isn't a team going that could stand up to that.

When you step into that ring on Monday night, bring your honor.... fight with honor. See how far honor can get you.

Because while you're fighting with honor, I'll be using my fists.

I'd rather be hit in the face with honor any day."