Taking a Holiday

[kaster]

After Sacrifice has ended, the cameras still roll as the audience begins to shuffle out. However, many of them remain in their seats as they watch Caleb Cannin and his new manager, Leon Kilgore, hit the ring. Kilgore holds onto Caleb’s Joker in the Pack briefcase as Cannin wields a chair and a microphone. Once The Future sets up the folding chair, he sits down. The Oakland audience boos slightly, though there is a tinge of confusion amongst them. Leon stews in the corner as Cannin puts the mic up to his mouth.



“Listen, get it all out of your systems. Boo me. I know most of you have to go home so I don’t want to waste anybody’s time.”



Surprisingly, the crowd comes to a lull as Cannin looks around the arena. He’s not dressed in his normal ring gear, nor any sort of suit. His attire consists of a white T-shirt with the IWF logo, black jeans and a pair of white sneakers. The camera closes in on his face as he smacks some gum.



“The reason I’m out here is because I have a lot of things that I need to say. Things that, frankly, would have been cut for time tonight. So I’m doing it now. Sixteen months. That’s how long I've been under contract with the Imperial Wrestling Federation. And for sixteen months, I have gotten to wrestle some of the highest-caliber wrestlers in the world. Nick Knight, Angel Blake, James Gilmore, just to name a few!”



The crowd cheers at the name drops as Cannin slowly nods. He looks down at the ground, rubbing his chin.



“For sixteen months, I have reached heights that many men don’t ever get to reach. I’ve done more in that time than most wrestlers do in an entire career. In my last match at Survival of the Fittest, I laid Nick Danger to rest and now, I can move on. I took the time off and used it to think about what is next for Caleb Cannin. To be honest, Oakland, I’m not entirely sure what’s going to come next.”



The young star looks over his shoulder and points to Kilgore in the corner.



“I’ve recruited Leon as my right-hand man. Not because I needed him, but because I wanted him to be my personal protection. I have said a lot of things, Oakland, that have pissed more people off than you’d think. When it comes to controversy, I am no stranger to dipping my toes in the water. So I wanted to have somebody by my side, just in case things went south. But, I know that there are repercussions to being lively on the microphone and I’ve had some time to reflect on the past sixteen months. So…”



The camera zooms in as he takes a deep breath. He looks down the lens of the camera before stating the following:



“This goes out to all of you here, anyone watching at home, if there’s ever been anything that I’ve said that made you angry… I apologize.”



A majority of the fans fall silent, unsure of what to make of this. Some people audibly boo the apology, though it is quickly shut out by the confused murmuring amongst the audience.



“I apologize to all of you… but I will not apologize to anyone in the locker room-”



That’s when familiar jeers and boos begin to swell from the Oakland faithful. Caleb holds up a cautious yet commanding hand to them.



“Hold on, let me finish! I will not apologize to them for speaking my mind. Ladies and gentlemen, you should never be sorry for telling the truth. I sure as hell won’t! There are people in this company, very powerful people, that need to learn when enough is enough. I have gone on record, saying that this place so desperately needs a paradigm shift to its culture. And for every step we have taken towards that shift, we took several steps back. You can be angry at me for saying it the way that I have, but you can’t be angry at me for speaking facts!”



The reactions of the crowd continue to be muddled as Cannin speaks with more conviction and passion.



“Some of the guys I mentioned earlier are part of the problem that has been poisoning this company since I got here. And the hard pill to swallow, Oakland, is that they may be people you grew up watching, just like I did! At one point, I wanted to be in this ring with those people, but now I can’t stand most of them. A decade of history for this company and it feels like we can’t move on. Sixteen months of me being here and it felt like I couldn’t move on. I had to be honest with myself so I could be honest with all of you.”



Again, Caleb turns back to Kilgore and motions for him to come forward. The big man walks over by Cannin’s side and hands him the Joker in the Pack case. Cannin holds it up for all to see.



“Sometime soon, I will cash in this contract and I will be cashing it in for the IWF World Championship. I am still ironing out some kinks with the contract but rest assured, I do not plan on leaving empty-handed. Only a select group of men have won that championship… but there can be only one that will lead IWF into a new era. His name is Caleb Cannin!”



Surprisingly, some applause and even the distant cheer can be heard from the crowd, though most are reluctant to support Caleb’s cause. Cannin hands the case to Kilgore, who heads back to the corner.



“Which brings me to next week in Anaheim! Holiday Havoc! Sabin, this crusade begins with you! It’s time for you to get a Christmas present that your Daddy could never provide! Some words of advice: the longer you continue to hitch yourself to the Angel Blake wagon, the colder his shadow will feel!”



The crowd audibly responds to the barb, going “ooh!” as Cannin looks towards the camera again.



“I have no problem taking that Television Championship away from you, which I’ll remind you was mine first! This isn’t even about the Television Championship, this is about me beating the everloving piss out of Daddy’s boy! And when I lay you out in Anaheim, maybe you’ll snap out of it and realize that all your family has done is bring you down. If you don’t want to listen to me, fine. Go ahead, stick with Angel, be the least valuable member in your tag team and the least valuable SON in your family!”



This time, people in the stands are shocked by the boldness of Caleb, letting out a prolonged “OHHH!” at the line.



“I’m not playing games! I’m certainly not playing dress-up like you! If I’ve gotten your attention, good! This is your wake-up call and I suggest you pick up at Holiday Havoc! You have one week to realize that this is not the usual Caleb Cannin branded trash talk, it’s the unforgiving truth! For sixteen months, I’ve watched you and your family take over this place like a virus. In one week, I will start administering the cure! It’s up to you, Sabin, whether you want to be cured or wallow in your sickness.”



Pulling the mic away for a moment, Cannin takes a second to look at the crowd, who shockingly don’t respond as negatively as one would expect.



“Almost one year ago, I won the Television Title and had the time of my life. Despite what you may think, I’ve changed since then. I’m continuing to adapt and evolve into someone who will eventually be ‘the guy’. Wraith, you’ve been there once. The youngest IWF World Champion in history. You understand what it means to be ‘the guy’... or so I thought. I’ll leave you with this, Oakland. One week from tonight, you all will probably be busy with the holidays. You’ll be working through some Christmas lists, I’m sure. I’ll be working through a list, too. It starts with Wraith and, I promise you, it will end when his bloodline is GONE from the IWF.”



Caleb stands up from his seat and lets the camera zoom in close. In the background, Kilgore watches on with the Joker in the Pack case.



“So, Sabin, let my words ring in your ears. Let my face show up in whatever dreams and nightmares you have. Let your split personality have something to look forward to. Then, at Holiday Havoc, you and Wraith can show me exactly why I’m right!”



The microphone drops to the mat with a thud. Cannin smacks his gum as he stares at the camera for a second longer. He turns away and exits through the ropes with Kilgore towing behind. The crowd noisily discusses the promo while Caleb walks up the ramp and through the backstage curtain.