Post by kaster on Dec 4, 2023 5:03:24 GMT
Blood rolls down Tyson Everest’s face as he shuts his eyes. Right now, there is no pain, at least not physically. All he can feel is shame. When he opens his eyes, he sees Charlie Van Ruth sitting next to him. He’s equally battle-torn, with blood going all the way down his chest. The Kings of Flight sit in silence, knowing their loss is a brutal one.
“I did it again-”
“Don’t. You did nothing wrong.”
“I did nothing wrong? Then how come we didn’t take the W out there, C? Huh?!”
“Because they baited us into their wheelhouse. They had the numbers on us. They wanted to take it to the extreme. We were too blind to see that.”
“But we almost had ‘em anyways…”
“You’re right. That’s why we won’t lose next time.”
“Next time? You think they’re gonna want a next time? They got what they wanted out of us. What’s left to do?”
Charlie puts a hand on the back of Tyson’s head, pulling him in. The friends now are head-to-head with each other as Charlie speaks with confidence.
“We do what we always do. Adapt. They might think this is over… but it’s not. Not until they say our names with respect. Listen to me, Ty. It’s not your fault that we lost tonight. It wasn’t your fault last year. I won’t let you carry the burden we’re supposed to share. You’re the man. The man. Do you believe me?”
The frustration and guilt on Tyson’s face is clear as day. He locks eyes with Charlie and deliberates over his little rally speech.
“I’m the man.”
“Damn right. We’re the Kings of Flight for a reason. We always bounce back, no matter what.”
Tyson nods before wiping his face with a towel. Red stains cover most of the towel, but the mere thought of the towel is what scares him. He remembers last year’s Survival of the Fittest. How agonizing it was. Even though he fought a war only moments earlier, at least he is still standing. He can’t say the same for last year. But that was the past, this is now. And there is never a better time than now.
“Next time we see ‘em, I’m bringing a damn fork to jab in their heads.”
He looks over at Charlie, whose grin turns into a chuckle. Tyson pats him on the back as he joins in on the laughter.
“It’s almost like attempted murder. A fork? Out of everything? Imagine getting locked up for using a fork on a guy.”
“If only we could lock up one of them right now and throw away the key, then we’d be talking…”
While Charlie hangs his head in exhaustion, he perks up upon hearing Tyson’s words.
“Ty… I think I’ve got an idea.”
Tyson Everest walks into a local barber shop on the streets of Portland. He’s all smiles as he greets the barber, who sits him down and begins to work away on trimming his hair. A large bandage is stuck onto his forehead while he covers a minor black eye with a pair of sunglasses. He looks into the barbershop mirror as the camera begins to roll.
“Survival of the Fittest… did it go how we expected? No. But that’s ‘cause we expected it to be a two-on-two, not a two-on-three. They gonna call themselves a real team when they need a third person to help ‘em out. Savage By Nature is more Scared By Nature. We rushed in and wanted any way to get ahold of them. I got a fork stabbed into my head, Charlie got his eyes covered in that damn mist. We got put through the ringer. But guess what?”
“We’re still here and it is FAR from over.”
“Once y’all try to challenge Sanguis Immortalis and lose again, then you can come back and get yourselves a little bit of humility. Lord knows you need it more than most. I don’t make excuses, but I think there’s a bit of business that needs to be settled between us. But that’s a different story for a different time. I gotta talk about my opponent for Odyssey. I guess they loved my match against Terrella so much, they wanted to stick me back into singles competition. So… what’s up, HIJOU? All caps when you spell the name, right? I don’t usually go up against women, but I am open to any and all competition that comes my way. That’s what I got into this company for. They say that you’re some sorta Japanese sensation. From the way I’ve seen you treat people, I don’t know if there’s anything sensational about you. In fact, you remind me a lot of Stephen Terrella. Someone who thinks they can smack people around and feel like they’re owed somethin’. Well, if you ain’t caught up on current events, I beat Stephen Terrella one-on-one. I can do the same to you, girl. You hit hard, you hit fast but I haven’t seen anyone on this roster that can’t hit hard and fast. You got that Strong Style, but I got that Speed Style. I’ll be runnin’ circles around you and you won’t have time to figure out what’s comin’. I’m not sure how they do things in Japan but when you’re in the ring with me, you are gonna have to keep up. If you don’t, then you get lost in the shuffle. So if you can hit hard, cool. That’s only gonna get you so far. I’ve got everything I need to beat you. I got the speed, the fluidity, the support. Especially the support of the fans. I’ve got them all in my corner.”
“The only thing you got in your corner is your smokes.”
“And that don’t make much sense to me, ‘cause your lungs are gonna be dying if you puff one up before our match. Maybe they don’t got those anti-smoking ads in Japan. To be honest, HIJOU, I’m not exactly in the best mood for our match. I got this big ass gash in my head that’s still recovering, I had to skip Thanksgiving just to get my ass beat and I didn’t even get to enjoy victory. I’m actually pissed off just talkin’ about it. So I don’t think you understand or really care where I’m coming from, but that don’t matter. All that matters is me being pissed off is bad news for you. I’m gonna act like you’re Stephen Terrella or maybe even that Widow bitch. When I do that, every hit is gonna be a little bit harder. Every jump off the ropes is going to have that extra velocity to it. Every single step I make in that ring is going to have that killer intent. I ain’t even mad I have to do a match after the pay-per-view. I’m glad ‘cause that means I got an outlet for my frustration. You just happen to be the victim of it. And it sounds like it couldn’t have happened to a nicer person. When it comes down to it, this ain’t personal. If you wanna try and make it personal, that’s all you. I’m just gonna go in on Tuesday and keep all the fans on the edge of their seats. That’s what I try to do every time I’m out there. What are you doin’? Bullying people? Talking shit? Go ahead and do that, see how far it gets you. And when you realize that it ain’t gotten you anywhere, then you can maybe have a little bit of respect. Maybe. Or you’ll just be like most people I’ve seen in my life and never try to change for the better. You wanna be complacent and stuck where you’re at. ‘Cause that’s where you think you’re at your most powerful. Sometimes power don’t come in a gift-wrapped box with a little bow on it! It comes from working hard, grinding every day and being able to look at yourself and feel good about it!”
“Some days, I don’t even feel good about it.”
“But that’s ‘cause I’m working on it. I don’t take any of this for granted. Not like some other people. If I went back in time and told eleven year-old me that I would get to do this as my job, he would’ve freaked the hell out, man. That was his dream. I’m livin’ his dream and I’m livin’ so many other people’s dreams right now. People who might not have the chance to do this. If people get to live that through me, then that’s all I ever need. But there are people like you, HIJOU, who try to trash the people and trash other wrestlers who don’t deserve it. Those are the ones that I don’t mind getting in the ring with over and over again. I don’t care if I have to put my body through hell, as long as I get to inspire people, that’s what’s important to me. I already did put my body through hell at Survival of the Fittest. And I’m still kickin’ like I don’t got a scratch on me. I’m still able to wrestle you and that’s all I need. And you probably gonna underestimate me ‘cause what, I’m a tag team guy? Girl, please. The last person who did that got pinned to the mat one-two-three. They called it an upset, but I called it karmic justice. The same is gonna happen to you if you ain’t careful, HIJOU.”
“You gonna have to keep climbing and climbing, but you still won’t be able to reach the peak of Everest.”
The haircut is finally finished as Everest smiles at his reflection. He looks good, save for the temporary wound on his head. As he walks out of the barbershop, he meets Charlie Van Ruth on the street corner.
“So, HIJOU, huh? Tough break…”
“Yeah, but it’s gonna be alright. What about you?”
“They didn’t have anything for me! I guess I’ll be walking you down to the ring.”
“Hey, maybe I can get another W and challenge for the TV title like you did!”
“You remember how that ended, right?”
“You never did get him back for that, did you?”
“Nope. The focus has been on those tag team championships.”
“Right, right… and Sanguis Immortalis.”
Charlie slowly nods his head.
“We’ll get them eventually. All we have to do is keep doing what we’re best at. Love the haircut, by the way.”
“Thanks! You ain’t lookin’ too bad yourself with your designer clothes. Did your pops buy that for you?”
Charlie rolls his eyes as Tyson snickers.
“C’mon, bro, it’s just a joke! Besides, you should really hit 'em up. See how they're doing and everything.”
“It's complicated, okay? Just… let’s get ready for your match. Come on, we should hit the gym.”
Tyson groans.
“You always tryin’ to hit the gym. Whatever…”
The two walk down the sidewalk, side-by-side as the camera cuts out.
“I did it again-”
“Don’t. You did nothing wrong.”
“I did nothing wrong? Then how come we didn’t take the W out there, C? Huh?!”
“Because they baited us into their wheelhouse. They had the numbers on us. They wanted to take it to the extreme. We were too blind to see that.”
“But we almost had ‘em anyways…”
“You’re right. That’s why we won’t lose next time.”
“Next time? You think they’re gonna want a next time? They got what they wanted out of us. What’s left to do?”
Charlie puts a hand on the back of Tyson’s head, pulling him in. The friends now are head-to-head with each other as Charlie speaks with confidence.
“We do what we always do. Adapt. They might think this is over… but it’s not. Not until they say our names with respect. Listen to me, Ty. It’s not your fault that we lost tonight. It wasn’t your fault last year. I won’t let you carry the burden we’re supposed to share. You’re the man. The man. Do you believe me?”
The frustration and guilt on Tyson’s face is clear as day. He locks eyes with Charlie and deliberates over his little rally speech.
“I’m the man.”
“Damn right. We’re the Kings of Flight for a reason. We always bounce back, no matter what.”
Tyson nods before wiping his face with a towel. Red stains cover most of the towel, but the mere thought of the towel is what scares him. He remembers last year’s Survival of the Fittest. How agonizing it was. Even though he fought a war only moments earlier, at least he is still standing. He can’t say the same for last year. But that was the past, this is now. And there is never a better time than now.
“Next time we see ‘em, I’m bringing a damn fork to jab in their heads.”
He looks over at Charlie, whose grin turns into a chuckle. Tyson pats him on the back as he joins in on the laughter.
“It’s almost like attempted murder. A fork? Out of everything? Imagine getting locked up for using a fork on a guy.”
“If only we could lock up one of them right now and throw away the key, then we’d be talking…”
While Charlie hangs his head in exhaustion, he perks up upon hearing Tyson’s words.
“Ty… I think I’ve got an idea.”
Tyson Everest walks into a local barber shop on the streets of Portland. He’s all smiles as he greets the barber, who sits him down and begins to work away on trimming his hair. A large bandage is stuck onto his forehead while he covers a minor black eye with a pair of sunglasses. He looks into the barbershop mirror as the camera begins to roll.
“Survival of the Fittest… did it go how we expected? No. But that’s ‘cause we expected it to be a two-on-two, not a two-on-three. They gonna call themselves a real team when they need a third person to help ‘em out. Savage By Nature is more Scared By Nature. We rushed in and wanted any way to get ahold of them. I got a fork stabbed into my head, Charlie got his eyes covered in that damn mist. We got put through the ringer. But guess what?”
“We’re still here and it is FAR from over.”
“Once y’all try to challenge Sanguis Immortalis and lose again, then you can come back and get yourselves a little bit of humility. Lord knows you need it more than most. I don’t make excuses, but I think there’s a bit of business that needs to be settled between us. But that’s a different story for a different time. I gotta talk about my opponent for Odyssey. I guess they loved my match against Terrella so much, they wanted to stick me back into singles competition. So… what’s up, HIJOU? All caps when you spell the name, right? I don’t usually go up against women, but I am open to any and all competition that comes my way. That’s what I got into this company for. They say that you’re some sorta Japanese sensation. From the way I’ve seen you treat people, I don’t know if there’s anything sensational about you. In fact, you remind me a lot of Stephen Terrella. Someone who thinks they can smack people around and feel like they’re owed somethin’. Well, if you ain’t caught up on current events, I beat Stephen Terrella one-on-one. I can do the same to you, girl. You hit hard, you hit fast but I haven’t seen anyone on this roster that can’t hit hard and fast. You got that Strong Style, but I got that Speed Style. I’ll be runnin’ circles around you and you won’t have time to figure out what’s comin’. I’m not sure how they do things in Japan but when you’re in the ring with me, you are gonna have to keep up. If you don’t, then you get lost in the shuffle. So if you can hit hard, cool. That’s only gonna get you so far. I’ve got everything I need to beat you. I got the speed, the fluidity, the support. Especially the support of the fans. I’ve got them all in my corner.”
“The only thing you got in your corner is your smokes.”
“And that don’t make much sense to me, ‘cause your lungs are gonna be dying if you puff one up before our match. Maybe they don’t got those anti-smoking ads in Japan. To be honest, HIJOU, I’m not exactly in the best mood for our match. I got this big ass gash in my head that’s still recovering, I had to skip Thanksgiving just to get my ass beat and I didn’t even get to enjoy victory. I’m actually pissed off just talkin’ about it. So I don’t think you understand or really care where I’m coming from, but that don’t matter. All that matters is me being pissed off is bad news for you. I’m gonna act like you’re Stephen Terrella or maybe even that Widow bitch. When I do that, every hit is gonna be a little bit harder. Every jump off the ropes is going to have that extra velocity to it. Every single step I make in that ring is going to have that killer intent. I ain’t even mad I have to do a match after the pay-per-view. I’m glad ‘cause that means I got an outlet for my frustration. You just happen to be the victim of it. And it sounds like it couldn’t have happened to a nicer person. When it comes down to it, this ain’t personal. If you wanna try and make it personal, that’s all you. I’m just gonna go in on Tuesday and keep all the fans on the edge of their seats. That’s what I try to do every time I’m out there. What are you doin’? Bullying people? Talking shit? Go ahead and do that, see how far it gets you. And when you realize that it ain’t gotten you anywhere, then you can maybe have a little bit of respect. Maybe. Or you’ll just be like most people I’ve seen in my life and never try to change for the better. You wanna be complacent and stuck where you’re at. ‘Cause that’s where you think you’re at your most powerful. Sometimes power don’t come in a gift-wrapped box with a little bow on it! It comes from working hard, grinding every day and being able to look at yourself and feel good about it!”
“Some days, I don’t even feel good about it.”
“But that’s ‘cause I’m working on it. I don’t take any of this for granted. Not like some other people. If I went back in time and told eleven year-old me that I would get to do this as my job, he would’ve freaked the hell out, man. That was his dream. I’m livin’ his dream and I’m livin’ so many other people’s dreams right now. People who might not have the chance to do this. If people get to live that through me, then that’s all I ever need. But there are people like you, HIJOU, who try to trash the people and trash other wrestlers who don’t deserve it. Those are the ones that I don’t mind getting in the ring with over and over again. I don’t care if I have to put my body through hell, as long as I get to inspire people, that’s what’s important to me. I already did put my body through hell at Survival of the Fittest. And I’m still kickin’ like I don’t got a scratch on me. I’m still able to wrestle you and that’s all I need. And you probably gonna underestimate me ‘cause what, I’m a tag team guy? Girl, please. The last person who did that got pinned to the mat one-two-three. They called it an upset, but I called it karmic justice. The same is gonna happen to you if you ain’t careful, HIJOU.”
“You gonna have to keep climbing and climbing, but you still won’t be able to reach the peak of Everest.”
The haircut is finally finished as Everest smiles at his reflection. He looks good, save for the temporary wound on his head. As he walks out of the barbershop, he meets Charlie Van Ruth on the street corner.
“So, HIJOU, huh? Tough break…”
“Yeah, but it’s gonna be alright. What about you?”
“They didn’t have anything for me! I guess I’ll be walking you down to the ring.”
“Hey, maybe I can get another W and challenge for the TV title like you did!”
“You remember how that ended, right?”
“You never did get him back for that, did you?”
“Nope. The focus has been on those tag team championships.”
“Right, right… and Sanguis Immortalis.”
Charlie slowly nods his head.
“We’ll get them eventually. All we have to do is keep doing what we’re best at. Love the haircut, by the way.”
“Thanks! You ain’t lookin’ too bad yourself with your designer clothes. Did your pops buy that for you?”
Charlie rolls his eyes as Tyson snickers.
“C’mon, bro, it’s just a joke! Besides, you should really hit 'em up. See how they're doing and everything.”
“It's complicated, okay? Just… let’s get ready for your match. Come on, we should hit the gym.”
Tyson groans.
“You always tryin’ to hit the gym. Whatever…”
The two walk down the sidewalk, side-by-side as the camera cuts out.
Well howdy there pardner.