AGGRESSION 57: Main Event Triple Threat - Anarky (c) vs. Copycat vs. Karl Brown
- Thread starter DBrunkGXW
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GARTHIsTheLaw
League Member
<i>(We fade in on a black-and-white security camera image. From the layout of the area surveyed and the ambient noise, we can conclude that this is the backstage area at Aggression 56. EPW Senior Referee Pat Jones paces nervously back and forth, as though expecting someone. After a few seconds, he stops pacing, and turns to look as Aaron Jones stumbles into frame, walking awkwardly and holding a hand to his head as though in pain)</i>
<b>Pat Jones:</b> Aaron!
<i>(Aaron Jones stops at his father’s call. He leans up against a nearby door, hand still to his head and looking woozy)</i>
<b>Pat:</b> Aaron, what were you doing out there? Following Copycat around like he’s some sort of prophet is bad enough, but actually getting into the ring? Why would you do that? You’re no wrestler!
<i>(Jones does not answer, but from the angle we’re seeing, it is unclear whether he is being deliberately silent or whether the beating he took in the ring has slowed his response time at the moment)</i>
<b>Pat:</b> Can’t you say something? Why did you do this? How can actually competing in the ring possibly help?
<b>Aaron Jones:</b> Dad … I know you’re loath to understand, but I was only doing what was necessary. He would not ask me to substitute for Him in the ring were He not absolutely certain that it would further His important work.
<b>Pat:</b> But <i>how?</i> What benefit is there in your getting hurt?
<b>Aaron:</b> Obviously, me getting hurt was not the ultimate goal, Dad. I would have thought that was clear.
<b>Pat:</b> Well, I don’t believe for a second that Copycat simply couldn’t make it to the arena tonight. He doesn’t leave anything to chance. There was no need for him to send you to wrestle in his place.
<b>Aaron:</b> Of course there was. There is absolutely nothing He does that does not have a specific purpose.
<b>Pat:</b> Then why was it worth it? Why put your body on the line just for the sake of punishing Anarky?
<b>Aaron:</b> “Punishing?” I’m a little disappointed that you think so little of me – and so little of Him. You thought that was about punishment? About settling a grudge? He has much more important matters to attend to than petty revenge.
<b>Pat:</b> You can’t possibly believe that, Aaron. You know as well as I do the long history between Copycat and Anarky. Hell, by now, you probably know that history even better than I do. They’ve been constantly trying to one-up each other for, what, 10 years now? For those two, revenge is never petty, not anymore. And you’re letting Copycat drag you into it.
<b>Aaron:</b> OK, if this is going to devolve into another lecture about me being dragged, or manipulated, or forced into doing <i>any</i> of the things i have done to help Him save this wretched business from itself, i’m just going to walk away now, because you’re clearly putting absolutely no effort into understanding—(interrupted)
<b>Pat:</b> OK. OK. I’m sorry. No more talk of you being manipulated. But I hope you can understand why I’m worked up about this – I just watched my son, who has no training as a wrestler, get thrown around a damn <i>cage</i> by two experienced professionals who know very well how to hurt people. And one of them was Stalker, for God’s sake! You know how dangerous he is! I didn’t want to watch anymore, but I forced myself to keep watching, just to make sure you didn’t get seriously hurt!
<b>Aaron:</b> I know this is hard for you, Dad. I don’t expect you to be comfortable with the idea of me getting hurt. Honestly, i’d be worried if you ever got comfortable with that idea. But the road to the salvation of this business is rough, and people are going to get hurt en route. He has no illusions that He will not be one of those people, and i cannot expect to be immune either. Things like this have to happen. This had to happen. And things like this will continue to happen.
<b>Pat:</b> But getting beaten up by Stalker and Steven Shane? What does that accomplish? Copycat can’t possibly have been acting in their best interests.
<b>Aaron:</b> Preserving the future of this business, as is His ultimate goal, will be in the best interests of—(interrupted)
<b>Pat:</b> You know what I mean. Their <i>immediate</i> best interests. And Copycat has made it clear, through you, that Stalker, at least, is not someone who falls into his grand vision.
<b>Aaron:</b> It is true that Stalker’s destructive behavior and delusions of grandeur do not hold any benefit for the future of this business, and that at this point, he is among those who are actively working toward its degradation.
<b>Pat:</b> So if he wasn’t trying help Stalker and Steven Shane, then he must have been trying to hurt Anarky. And in doing that, he hurt you. Can’t you see that? This is just another escalation in this endless war between Copycat and Anarky, and it has nothing to do with the cause Copycat has dedicated himself to.
<b>Aaron:</b> You’re wrong.
<i>(An uncomfortable pause follows, as Pat Jones waits for an explanation from his son that is not forthcoming)</i>
<b>Pat:</b> I can’t see any other explanation, so unless—(interrupted)
<b>Aaron:</b> It disturbs me that you think He is motivated by revenge – and that you think i would blindly follow some elaborate revenge scheme. I figured you, of all people, would realize i’m smarter than that.
<b>Pat:</b> But if—(interrupted)
<b>Aaron:</b> His all-important goal of healing this business of the disease that has infested it is more important than any personal vendetta against Anarky. He was not punishing Anarky. He was testing him.
<i>(There is a brief pause as Pat tries to come up with a response. Before he can formulate one, Aaron continues)</i>
<b>Aaron:</b> For better or worse, Anarky is the EPW World Heavyweight Champion. And as champion, he is the standard-bearer for EPW and, in many respects, the industry as a whole. If He is to work for the betterment of this business, He needs to know what kind of champion Anarky is. He knows Anarky’s ways of thinking have evolved of late, since He and Anarky last met in the ring. He needs to know Anarky’s intentions – whether Anarky intends to work to preserve the future of the business, or to allow its destruction to continue further if it will serve his own selfish goals. And to know that, He needs to know how Anarky thinks – where his instincts will take him if circumstances suddenly change, and any plans he might have are suddenly no longer viable.
<b>Pat:</b> And that’s why your safety had to be sacrificed. To test Anarky. That’s why it was necessary for you to be brutalized inside a steel cage by two men, one of whom is a dangerous sociopath – so Copycat would know whether Anarky would “do the right thing.” Did he even tell you what “the right thing” was?
<b>Aaron:</b> It’s not a test with a yes-or-no answer, Dad. It’s a study of his behavior. Every move Anarky made tonight gave some indication of his overall attitudes. Did he put too much effort into keeping me out of the ring, or not enough? Did he not do his due diligence to keep me from taking the fall when i was in the ring, or did he spend too much time trying to keep the focus on himself? Did he seek to minimize my involvement, as the least capable person in the ring, or did he try to come up with an alternative way to utilize my presence? Anarky had choices, and he didn’t have time to work through a strategy before he made them. Now, He will be able to study those choices and see what they say about Anarky as a champion – and as a man.
<i>(Pat tries again to come up with a response, but he is again unable to find one)</i>
<b>Aaron:</b> Not what you expected, is it? You couldn’t fathom a scenario in which He wasn’t acting in his own self-interest. That’s the problem with the people in the business these days, and the status quo to which they’ve become accustomed. Acting in anything other than one’s own self-interest is considered so bizarre, so inexplicable, that most people can’t even think of a situation in which it makes sense. But He has a broader vision. He makes absolutely sure that His actions are in the best interests of the future of this industry. And right now, having a worthy champion is in those best interests.
<b>Pat:</b> So what if Anarky proves himself a “worthy champion?” I suppose Copycat claims he’ll leave Anarky alone? You can’t really believe that he would pass up a chance to bring Anarky down.
<b>Aaron:</b> Absolutely. If the business is better off with Anarky as EPW World Heavyweight Champion, He will do what’s right by the business and support Anarky as EPW World Heavyweight Champion.
<b>Pat:</b> Aaron, I don’t want to accuse you of being manipulated – I swear I don’t – but if you really believe in the possibility of a ceasefire between Copycat and Anarky, you’re being naïve.
<b>Aaron:</b> If you truly believe that narrow self-interest is the only thing that can possibly motivate someone in this business, then it’s you who are naïve. You’ve spent so much time following the status quo that you’ve blinded yourself to anything outside it. You need to take a step back and re-evaluate the way you see things.
<b>Pat:</b> Aaron, I—(interrupted)
<b>Aaron:</b> See what He sees. I have. And until you can see it too, you’ll never fully understand why His work is so important – and why i must continue to be part of it.
<i>(Aaron abruptly turns and walks away at a brisk clip. Pat is left stunned, watching after his son as he walks away, visibly conflicted as to what he should do. After a few seconds, he sets off in the direction Aaron went, leaving the backstage area overseen by the security camera empty)
(After a few seconds of emptiness, the door against which Aaron Jones was leaning opens. For a brief moment, we can see Copycat peer out of the room, then glance up in the direction of the camera, before the image cuts to black)</i>
<b>Pat Jones:</b> Aaron!
<i>(Aaron Jones stops at his father’s call. He leans up against a nearby door, hand still to his head and looking woozy)</i>
<b>Pat:</b> Aaron, what were you doing out there? Following Copycat around like he’s some sort of prophet is bad enough, but actually getting into the ring? Why would you do that? You’re no wrestler!
<i>(Jones does not answer, but from the angle we’re seeing, it is unclear whether he is being deliberately silent or whether the beating he took in the ring has slowed his response time at the moment)</i>
<b>Pat:</b> Can’t you say something? Why did you do this? How can actually competing in the ring possibly help?
<b>Aaron Jones:</b> Dad … I know you’re loath to understand, but I was only doing what was necessary. He would not ask me to substitute for Him in the ring were He not absolutely certain that it would further His important work.
<b>Pat:</b> But <i>how?</i> What benefit is there in your getting hurt?
<b>Aaron:</b> Obviously, me getting hurt was not the ultimate goal, Dad. I would have thought that was clear.
<b>Pat:</b> Well, I don’t believe for a second that Copycat simply couldn’t make it to the arena tonight. He doesn’t leave anything to chance. There was no need for him to send you to wrestle in his place.
<b>Aaron:</b> Of course there was. There is absolutely nothing He does that does not have a specific purpose.
<b>Pat:</b> Then why was it worth it? Why put your body on the line just for the sake of punishing Anarky?
<b>Aaron:</b> “Punishing?” I’m a little disappointed that you think so little of me – and so little of Him. You thought that was about punishment? About settling a grudge? He has much more important matters to attend to than petty revenge.
<b>Pat:</b> You can’t possibly believe that, Aaron. You know as well as I do the long history between Copycat and Anarky. Hell, by now, you probably know that history even better than I do. They’ve been constantly trying to one-up each other for, what, 10 years now? For those two, revenge is never petty, not anymore. And you’re letting Copycat drag you into it.
<b>Aaron:</b> OK, if this is going to devolve into another lecture about me being dragged, or manipulated, or forced into doing <i>any</i> of the things i have done to help Him save this wretched business from itself, i’m just going to walk away now, because you’re clearly putting absolutely no effort into understanding—(interrupted)
<b>Pat:</b> OK. OK. I’m sorry. No more talk of you being manipulated. But I hope you can understand why I’m worked up about this – I just watched my son, who has no training as a wrestler, get thrown around a damn <i>cage</i> by two experienced professionals who know very well how to hurt people. And one of them was Stalker, for God’s sake! You know how dangerous he is! I didn’t want to watch anymore, but I forced myself to keep watching, just to make sure you didn’t get seriously hurt!
<b>Aaron:</b> I know this is hard for you, Dad. I don’t expect you to be comfortable with the idea of me getting hurt. Honestly, i’d be worried if you ever got comfortable with that idea. But the road to the salvation of this business is rough, and people are going to get hurt en route. He has no illusions that He will not be one of those people, and i cannot expect to be immune either. Things like this have to happen. This had to happen. And things like this will continue to happen.
<b>Pat:</b> But getting beaten up by Stalker and Steven Shane? What does that accomplish? Copycat can’t possibly have been acting in their best interests.
<b>Aaron:</b> Preserving the future of this business, as is His ultimate goal, will be in the best interests of—(interrupted)
<b>Pat:</b> You know what I mean. Their <i>immediate</i> best interests. And Copycat has made it clear, through you, that Stalker, at least, is not someone who falls into his grand vision.
<b>Aaron:</b> It is true that Stalker’s destructive behavior and delusions of grandeur do not hold any benefit for the future of this business, and that at this point, he is among those who are actively working toward its degradation.
<b>Pat:</b> So if he wasn’t trying help Stalker and Steven Shane, then he must have been trying to hurt Anarky. And in doing that, he hurt you. Can’t you see that? This is just another escalation in this endless war between Copycat and Anarky, and it has nothing to do with the cause Copycat has dedicated himself to.
<b>Aaron:</b> You’re wrong.
<i>(An uncomfortable pause follows, as Pat Jones waits for an explanation from his son that is not forthcoming)</i>
<b>Pat:</b> I can’t see any other explanation, so unless—(interrupted)
<b>Aaron:</b> It disturbs me that you think He is motivated by revenge – and that you think i would blindly follow some elaborate revenge scheme. I figured you, of all people, would realize i’m smarter than that.
<b>Pat:</b> But if—(interrupted)
<b>Aaron:</b> His all-important goal of healing this business of the disease that has infested it is more important than any personal vendetta against Anarky. He was not punishing Anarky. He was testing him.
<i>(There is a brief pause as Pat tries to come up with a response. Before he can formulate one, Aaron continues)</i>
<b>Aaron:</b> For better or worse, Anarky is the EPW World Heavyweight Champion. And as champion, he is the standard-bearer for EPW and, in many respects, the industry as a whole. If He is to work for the betterment of this business, He needs to know what kind of champion Anarky is. He knows Anarky’s ways of thinking have evolved of late, since He and Anarky last met in the ring. He needs to know Anarky’s intentions – whether Anarky intends to work to preserve the future of the business, or to allow its destruction to continue further if it will serve his own selfish goals. And to know that, He needs to know how Anarky thinks – where his instincts will take him if circumstances suddenly change, and any plans he might have are suddenly no longer viable.
<b>Pat:</b> And that’s why your safety had to be sacrificed. To test Anarky. That’s why it was necessary for you to be brutalized inside a steel cage by two men, one of whom is a dangerous sociopath – so Copycat would know whether Anarky would “do the right thing.” Did he even tell you what “the right thing” was?
<b>Aaron:</b> It’s not a test with a yes-or-no answer, Dad. It’s a study of his behavior. Every move Anarky made tonight gave some indication of his overall attitudes. Did he put too much effort into keeping me out of the ring, or not enough? Did he not do his due diligence to keep me from taking the fall when i was in the ring, or did he spend too much time trying to keep the focus on himself? Did he seek to minimize my involvement, as the least capable person in the ring, or did he try to come up with an alternative way to utilize my presence? Anarky had choices, and he didn’t have time to work through a strategy before he made them. Now, He will be able to study those choices and see what they say about Anarky as a champion – and as a man.
<i>(Pat tries again to come up with a response, but he is again unable to find one)</i>
<b>Aaron:</b> Not what you expected, is it? You couldn’t fathom a scenario in which He wasn’t acting in his own self-interest. That’s the problem with the people in the business these days, and the status quo to which they’ve become accustomed. Acting in anything other than one’s own self-interest is considered so bizarre, so inexplicable, that most people can’t even think of a situation in which it makes sense. But He has a broader vision. He makes absolutely sure that His actions are in the best interests of the future of this industry. And right now, having a worthy champion is in those best interests.
<b>Pat:</b> So what if Anarky proves himself a “worthy champion?” I suppose Copycat claims he’ll leave Anarky alone? You can’t really believe that he would pass up a chance to bring Anarky down.
<b>Aaron:</b> Absolutely. If the business is better off with Anarky as EPW World Heavyweight Champion, He will do what’s right by the business and support Anarky as EPW World Heavyweight Champion.
<b>Pat:</b> Aaron, I don’t want to accuse you of being manipulated – I swear I don’t – but if you really believe in the possibility of a ceasefire between Copycat and Anarky, you’re being naïve.
<b>Aaron:</b> If you truly believe that narrow self-interest is the only thing that can possibly motivate someone in this business, then it’s you who are naïve. You’ve spent so much time following the status quo that you’ve blinded yourself to anything outside it. You need to take a step back and re-evaluate the way you see things.
<b>Pat:</b> Aaron, I—(interrupted)
<b>Aaron:</b> See what He sees. I have. And until you can see it too, you’ll never fully understand why His work is so important – and why i must continue to be part of it.
<i>(Aaron abruptly turns and walks away at a brisk clip. Pat is left stunned, watching after his son as he walks away, visibly conflicted as to what he should do. After a few seconds, he sets off in the direction Aaron went, leaving the backstage area overseen by the security camera empty)
(After a few seconds of emptiness, the door against which Aaron Jones was leaning opens. For a brief moment, we can see Copycat peer out of the room, then glance up in the direction of the camera, before the image cuts to black)</i>
JLevinson
Diva Tree
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(FADEIN to the locker room post-Aggression 56. Anarky is leaning up against a set of lockers, sitting on the floor. The EPW World Heavyweight Title lies on the floor next to him. He has a half-empty Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA in his left hand.)
ANARKY: “You know, it’s a funny thing… something happens when you put that belt around your waist. Something changes. And it’s not something inside. But all around you… people start to treat you differently.
“I’m not talkin’ about the tryin’-too-hard concierges or the fans. I’m talkin’ about men like Copycat. Men like Stalker.
“See, a few months ago, these guys couldn’t be bothered with lil’ ol’ me… they had their own concerns. Their own grand machinations and designs. Their own visions of EPW’s future.
“But now… now, all of the sudden… everybody’s a critic. Suddenly, men like Copycat and Stalker find themselves in the positions of offering their unique perspectives on Anarky as Champion.
“Do I measure up, Copycat? Am I what you need me to be, Aaron? Have I jumped through enough hoops? Have I been the man you expect me to be?
“I don’t know who appointed Copycat the judge, jury, and executioner of EPW’s future. But apparently I owe it to him, and everybody else, to be something.
“Guys like Copycat… I’ll never understand ‘em. It’s never enough for them. Not enough to be a huge monster who can crush people’s skulls. No, he needed to be the Smartest Player in the Game as well. He needed to trick and connive.
“And now, in this latest incarnation, it isn’t enough… no, not enough to be smart and brutal. Now he has to pull the strings, now he has to decide all of our fate, like a benevolent or wicked God, nobody knows… but in the end, this worship, this idolization… it’s all the same.
“You are what you hate, Copycat… at the end of the day, you’re no different… it’s always been about you. Your vision. Your dream. Your idea of EPW. No room for anybody else. No room for interpretation. You will judge, and you will punished those deemed unworthy.
“And don’t think for one second that I don’t know that no matter what I do, no matter how I act, I’ve already been judged… the moment that belt went around my waist, I was unworthy, I was incapable… I’ll never measure up.
“Just look at Karl Brown. He thinks he’s different. With his refined British accent and supreme technical wrestling ability.
“Ol’ Karl… well, all he needs to do, is go out, night after night, and prove it to himself. Be the best Karl Brown he can be. And as long as he proves it to himself, he walks home happy…
“I hate to break it to you, Karl… but whether you admit it or not, you are a gifted athlete… and it isn’t enough to just TRY. You are pretty and skilled. But you need more than that to win.
“See, I wasn’t born big or strong… I was not particularly agile or technically proficient. I tried. Believe me, I tried.
“Russian leg sweep? Spinning toe hold? Wouldn’t know what to do even if I could pull ‘em off, which I can’t…
“And in case you haven’t noticed, boys… I ain’t too pretty, either.
“So me… I had to be somethin’ else. I couldn’t be the smart, conniving big guy. I couldn’t be the ring tactician with a sexy accent.
“I had to scratch and claw and eye gouge my way here. And it wasn’t pretty. And it wasn’t always fair. But like Vince Lombardi said.. it ain’t the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.
“Well I got fight in me still. I ain’t too washed up just yet.
“If it was up to me, I’d be out there every night, givin’ title shots to every punk who didn’t deserve it. Just to give them a shot. Just to remind them that it ain’t enough to want. It ain’t enough to try. And it certainly ain’t f*ckin’ enough to talk about your EPW Mission Statement.
“I ain’t First and I ain’t Sean Stevens. I ain’t so young and pretty and there ain’t no ladies linin’ up to be with me. That life is far gone for me.
“But I got somethin’ neither one of you can touch. I got the ferocity inside me… I got the will… the desire…
“I didn’t come this far to lie down, to be a pawn in someone else’s plan, to be a challenge someone uses to prove to themselves what kind of person they are…
“I should be mad, Copycat. I should be mad for the way you cost me in the KOTC tag matches. The way you manipulate Aaron. The way you’ve once again made it about your vision.
“But I’m not mad, Copycat. I know you too well to hate you anymore. I know, at the end of the day… for you, it’s about what it’s always been about. The desire to be validated… the need to be uttered in the same breath as legends… to be taken seriously as a name who has changed this industry forever.
“They don’t respect you. They don’t adore you. They don’t whisper your name along with the Dan Ryans of the world, and in the end, it has driven you mad.
“If it makes you feel any better, old friend, I assure you…
“… it’s just as lonely at the top.
“But I have no intention of stepping down quite yet. So you’re just going to have to take my word for it.
“Trust me.”
(FADEOUT as he smiles and takes a swig of beer.)
ANARKY: “You know, it’s a funny thing… something happens when you put that belt around your waist. Something changes. And it’s not something inside. But all around you… people start to treat you differently.
“I’m not talkin’ about the tryin’-too-hard concierges or the fans. I’m talkin’ about men like Copycat. Men like Stalker.
“See, a few months ago, these guys couldn’t be bothered with lil’ ol’ me… they had their own concerns. Their own grand machinations and designs. Their own visions of EPW’s future.
“But now… now, all of the sudden… everybody’s a critic. Suddenly, men like Copycat and Stalker find themselves in the positions of offering their unique perspectives on Anarky as Champion.
“Do I measure up, Copycat? Am I what you need me to be, Aaron? Have I jumped through enough hoops? Have I been the man you expect me to be?
“I don’t know who appointed Copycat the judge, jury, and executioner of EPW’s future. But apparently I owe it to him, and everybody else, to be something.
“Guys like Copycat… I’ll never understand ‘em. It’s never enough for them. Not enough to be a huge monster who can crush people’s skulls. No, he needed to be the Smartest Player in the Game as well. He needed to trick and connive.
“And now, in this latest incarnation, it isn’t enough… no, not enough to be smart and brutal. Now he has to pull the strings, now he has to decide all of our fate, like a benevolent or wicked God, nobody knows… but in the end, this worship, this idolization… it’s all the same.
“You are what you hate, Copycat… at the end of the day, you’re no different… it’s always been about you. Your vision. Your dream. Your idea of EPW. No room for anybody else. No room for interpretation. You will judge, and you will punished those deemed unworthy.
“And don’t think for one second that I don’t know that no matter what I do, no matter how I act, I’ve already been judged… the moment that belt went around my waist, I was unworthy, I was incapable… I’ll never measure up.
“Just look at Karl Brown. He thinks he’s different. With his refined British accent and supreme technical wrestling ability.
“Ol’ Karl… well, all he needs to do, is go out, night after night, and prove it to himself. Be the best Karl Brown he can be. And as long as he proves it to himself, he walks home happy…
“I hate to break it to you, Karl… but whether you admit it or not, you are a gifted athlete… and it isn’t enough to just TRY. You are pretty and skilled. But you need more than that to win.
“See, I wasn’t born big or strong… I was not particularly agile or technically proficient. I tried. Believe me, I tried.
“Russian leg sweep? Spinning toe hold? Wouldn’t know what to do even if I could pull ‘em off, which I can’t…
“And in case you haven’t noticed, boys… I ain’t too pretty, either.
“So me… I had to be somethin’ else. I couldn’t be the smart, conniving big guy. I couldn’t be the ring tactician with a sexy accent.
“I had to scratch and claw and eye gouge my way here. And it wasn’t pretty. And it wasn’t always fair. But like Vince Lombardi said.. it ain’t the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.
“Well I got fight in me still. I ain’t too washed up just yet.
“If it was up to me, I’d be out there every night, givin’ title shots to every punk who didn’t deserve it. Just to give them a shot. Just to remind them that it ain’t enough to want. It ain’t enough to try. And it certainly ain’t f*ckin’ enough to talk about your EPW Mission Statement.
“I ain’t First and I ain’t Sean Stevens. I ain’t so young and pretty and there ain’t no ladies linin’ up to be with me. That life is far gone for me.
“But I got somethin’ neither one of you can touch. I got the ferocity inside me… I got the will… the desire…
“I didn’t come this far to lie down, to be a pawn in someone else’s plan, to be a challenge someone uses to prove to themselves what kind of person they are…
“I should be mad, Copycat. I should be mad for the way you cost me in the KOTC tag matches. The way you manipulate Aaron. The way you’ve once again made it about your vision.
“But I’m not mad, Copycat. I know you too well to hate you anymore. I know, at the end of the day… for you, it’s about what it’s always been about. The desire to be validated… the need to be uttered in the same breath as legends… to be taken seriously as a name who has changed this industry forever.
“They don’t respect you. They don’t adore you. They don’t whisper your name along with the Dan Ryans of the world, and in the end, it has driven you mad.
“If it makes you feel any better, old friend, I assure you…
“… it’s just as lonely at the top.
“But I have no intention of stepping down quite yet. So you’re just going to have to take my word for it.
“Trust me.”
(FADEOUT as he smiles and takes a swig of beer.)
GARTHIsTheLaw
League Member
<i>(We fade in on an image of a darkened room. It appears to be illuminated only by the light of a television screen, though as that screen is facing the same direction of the camera, we cannot see what the TV is showing. What we can see is Aaron Jones, who sits in a chair facing the TV, its flickering light making him the only discernable object in the room. Jones keeps his eyes on the camera, not letting them drift to the screen)</i>
<b>Aaron Jones:</b> You’ve got Him all wrong, Anarky. It’s a feeling with which you must be familiar by now.
He knows how difficult it is for anyone to believe that someone in this business might have aspirations beyond his own success. He knows that His personal history – His well-documented self-absorption and ego problems – makes it even more difficult to believe that He might have such aspirations. And if anyone in EPW is likely to have a difficult time believing in His complete commitment to His stated goals, it is sure to be you, Anarky.
After all, who in EPW knows better than you the lengths to which He has gone to preserve His own personal legacy? Though He never denied the importance of the next generation in this business, as so many of its current stars have, He spent a great deal of time on self-promotion. And unlike many of His contemporaries, He was more than willing to admit it – a fact that led many to believe His ego was unnaturally inflated, when in reality, He was no worse than those others who hid their obsession with their own success behind facades of nobility, insanity or sociopathy.
He was guilty of the sin of self-promotion, as many were. But like so many others, He still acknowledged the importance of the preservation of this business. He realized that for all the glory He might achieve as part of it, it needed to continue to exist after He was gone.
You should know, Anarky. You were there. Whatever your opinions of Him, whatever your own priorities were at the time, you were an eyewitness to the last generation of competitors who still cared whether this business lived or died after they left it. If you can be taken at your word, as spoken prior to Aggression 56, you too understand that this business should be allowed to exist after you’re gone – though whether your actions will live up to your words has yet to be determined.
You at least claim to care about the future of this business. But you don’t believe that, deep down, He truly cares. You still believe He is only out for Himself.
Why?
You may be uniquely equipped to understand His past, but you are also uniquely equipped to understand His present. Because you, too, have undergone changes in your thinking in recent years, broadening your goals beyond just excessive violence. That the Anarky of 2011 can utter a sentence without wishing unending suffering upon his opponents and any others who may have wronged him would have been a heart-stopping shock to anyone who encountered you just a few years ago.
You’ve changed. You’ve evolved. You’re living proof that even the most ideologically-driven competitor can undergo, at the very least, a re-alignment of his priorities. But you cannot fathom the possibility that He might do the same.
Why?
He does not expect you to actively seek His approval as EPW World Heavyweight Champion. He has no illusions that you hold His opinion in high regard. He merely wants you to do what is right by the business, what will preserve its future.
This would not be a service to Him. This would be a service to everyone who might someday want to become part of this business – everyone who might lose that opportunity should this current generation of all-or-nothing competitors succeed in destroying the industry in favor of their own personal gain. And it would be a service to you, Anarky, because if the last memories of this once-great business are bitter recollections of its downfall, it will tarnish beyond recognition your legacy, upon which you put such great importance.
He invites you to ignore His own motives. He invites you to work toward the preservation of this business as its own reward. He would like nothing better than for the EPW World Heavyweight Champion to be aligned with His most crucial goal, whether or not that champion might choose to acknowledge the alignment of vision.
It is only because you have proven yourself so unworthy of trust over the years that He feels compelled to test you, as He did at Aggression 56. And at Aggression 57, the tests continue.
For you. For Karl “The Dragon” Brown. For EPW management. For everyone who may potentially help or hinder His ultimate goal of saving this downtrodden business from its own selfish denizens.
He needs to know if you truly see what He sees. If others see what He sees, the most drastic of his planned actions may never need come to pass.
But know this. If your own visions should run opposite to His, He is possessed of a strength of will that will bring pain upon you.
Since dedicating Himself fully to his all-important crusade, He has taken actions to which He swore He would never be reduced. Look at Dan Ryan. Look at Sean Stevens. He promised Himself He would never be the kind of competitor who destroys enemies so thoroughly.
But He broke those promises because keeping them was holding Him back from doing what needed to be done.
You warned Him, Anarky, that He will eventually become what He hates. But were you paying closer attention, you would see how ridiculous that statement is.
He already has.
<i>(Aaron continues to stare into the camera. After a couple of seconds, a hand – presumably Copycat’s – comes down on the top of the TV screen, covering the front of the camera. A moment later, we cut to black)</i>
<b>Aaron Jones:</b> You’ve got Him all wrong, Anarky. It’s a feeling with which you must be familiar by now.
He knows how difficult it is for anyone to believe that someone in this business might have aspirations beyond his own success. He knows that His personal history – His well-documented self-absorption and ego problems – makes it even more difficult to believe that He might have such aspirations. And if anyone in EPW is likely to have a difficult time believing in His complete commitment to His stated goals, it is sure to be you, Anarky.
After all, who in EPW knows better than you the lengths to which He has gone to preserve His own personal legacy? Though He never denied the importance of the next generation in this business, as so many of its current stars have, He spent a great deal of time on self-promotion. And unlike many of His contemporaries, He was more than willing to admit it – a fact that led many to believe His ego was unnaturally inflated, when in reality, He was no worse than those others who hid their obsession with their own success behind facades of nobility, insanity or sociopathy.
He was guilty of the sin of self-promotion, as many were. But like so many others, He still acknowledged the importance of the preservation of this business. He realized that for all the glory He might achieve as part of it, it needed to continue to exist after He was gone.
You should know, Anarky. You were there. Whatever your opinions of Him, whatever your own priorities were at the time, you were an eyewitness to the last generation of competitors who still cared whether this business lived or died after they left it. If you can be taken at your word, as spoken prior to Aggression 56, you too understand that this business should be allowed to exist after you’re gone – though whether your actions will live up to your words has yet to be determined.
You at least claim to care about the future of this business. But you don’t believe that, deep down, He truly cares. You still believe He is only out for Himself.
Why?
You may be uniquely equipped to understand His past, but you are also uniquely equipped to understand His present. Because you, too, have undergone changes in your thinking in recent years, broadening your goals beyond just excessive violence. That the Anarky of 2011 can utter a sentence without wishing unending suffering upon his opponents and any others who may have wronged him would have been a heart-stopping shock to anyone who encountered you just a few years ago.
You’ve changed. You’ve evolved. You’re living proof that even the most ideologically-driven competitor can undergo, at the very least, a re-alignment of his priorities. But you cannot fathom the possibility that He might do the same.
Why?
He does not expect you to actively seek His approval as EPW World Heavyweight Champion. He has no illusions that you hold His opinion in high regard. He merely wants you to do what is right by the business, what will preserve its future.
This would not be a service to Him. This would be a service to everyone who might someday want to become part of this business – everyone who might lose that opportunity should this current generation of all-or-nothing competitors succeed in destroying the industry in favor of their own personal gain. And it would be a service to you, Anarky, because if the last memories of this once-great business are bitter recollections of its downfall, it will tarnish beyond recognition your legacy, upon which you put such great importance.
He invites you to ignore His own motives. He invites you to work toward the preservation of this business as its own reward. He would like nothing better than for the EPW World Heavyweight Champion to be aligned with His most crucial goal, whether or not that champion might choose to acknowledge the alignment of vision.
It is only because you have proven yourself so unworthy of trust over the years that He feels compelled to test you, as He did at Aggression 56. And at Aggression 57, the tests continue.
For you. For Karl “The Dragon” Brown. For EPW management. For everyone who may potentially help or hinder His ultimate goal of saving this downtrodden business from its own selfish denizens.
He needs to know if you truly see what He sees. If others see what He sees, the most drastic of his planned actions may never need come to pass.
But know this. If your own visions should run opposite to His, He is possessed of a strength of will that will bring pain upon you.
Since dedicating Himself fully to his all-important crusade, He has taken actions to which He swore He would never be reduced. Look at Dan Ryan. Look at Sean Stevens. He promised Himself He would never be the kind of competitor who destroys enemies so thoroughly.
But He broke those promises because keeping them was holding Him back from doing what needed to be done.
You warned Him, Anarky, that He will eventually become what He hates. But were you paying closer attention, you would see how ridiculous that statement is.
He already has.
<i>(Aaron continues to stare into the camera. After a couple of seconds, a hand – presumably Copycat’s – comes down on the top of the TV screen, covering the front of the camera. A moment later, we cut to black)</i>
EpyonMarx
New member
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2003
- Messages
- 1,004
- Points
- 0
- Location
- Nottingham, England
- Website
- www.karl-brown.co.uk
[FADE IN to a totally black background, a small Empire Pro Wrestling TV logo in the top right corner. A few seconds pass before we hears some footsteps, and out of the distance walks “The Dragon”. He’s dressed casually in jeans, boots and a pale T-shirt. He walks slowly, straight towards the camera, and seems to be a good 5 feet off the floor. When he reaches a middling distance from the camera he stops, arms out]
Karl: This is probably how I’m meant to feel right now if rumours are to be believed. Out of the King of the Cage tournament in the first round, out of the Kings of the Cage tournament in the first round, losing all bar one match since I’ve gotten back. If you listen to some people or read some critics, I’m supposed to be feeling empty. Nothing. I’m in the longest losing streak of my career, and probably one of the longest since Ice Tre. According to some, I’ve lost my edge. I’ve taken a huge step back. I should have stayed away from wrestling and stuck to radio. According to some, all this losing is costing me something that took four years to build – a legacy as one of the best young wrestlers in the history of the business.
It’s funny to read all that, to listen to it, because for the most part the people who’ve been saying those things also say they know the way my mind works. They say they’ve followed my career, they’ve wrestled me at some point, and they’re saying that because I’m not winning, I’m not succeeding.
Odd. Because I’ve never claimed that winning was my be all and end all. But I guess it’s a difficult concept for people to understand in a society which focuses on the individual and builds people up to be either a winner or a loser. I saw it at school, I saw it at university, I see it walking down the road. People competing against each other. People saying that it’s not the taking part that matters, but the winning. Everybody from the newest wrestling blogger, to our World Champion, is saying it.
I sound like a stuck record, don’t I? But, look around me at this very moment. In this Nothing you can see exactly how much I care about winning. Winning is kind of nice, you do get a warm, glowing feeling, but winning’s never even been the second most important thing in anything to me. Back when I played rugby, I just wanted to have fun. I stopped playing rugby when it became about winning rather than getting better and enjoying your rugby. I’ve stuck at Taekwondo for 20 years, doing the same art-based discipline, because I enjoy it, and because it challenges me and pushes me further and further. I’ve been involved in wrestling, whether training for it or having matches or talking about it, for 11 years because I enjoy it. I have fun. I enjoy the challenge and seeing how much further I can get pushed. Winning has never been my major concern.
Ah, but that doesn’t fit in with Anarky’s world view. Sorry, I mistook him for someone who didn’t give the impression that he sees it as him against the world, I’ll try harder next time.
Honestly, Anarky, do you think it matters that you weren’t born eight feet tall weighing five hundred pounds? Do you think it matters that you’re not a ring technician? Do you think it makes your success seem any more impressive that you’ve done it your way and not followed the crowd?
If not, why did you bring it up?
Listen, Anarky. I enjoyed our last match. I learnt a lot about myself and my limits. And I had fun. I’m not all that fussed about losing – I’m certainly not going to take my ball and go home just because of a loss or… seven I think it’s up to. It could well be eight after Aggression. But it won’t matter to me if it’s eight losses on the trot, or I win for the second time since I came back last year.
I’m going to enjoy the challenge. I’m going to enjoy you and Copycat pushing me physically, so I can push myself mentally, and see whether I need to push through another limit. The only true competition in life anyone has is against themselves, and whether they win or lose that competition has nothing to do with wins and losses against others.
Oops, I better stop the philosophising. Copycat might claim that it’s part of what’s wrong with the business. Or Sean Stevens might. Or Uncle Tom Cobbly. It seems everyone and their canary is trying to “save” the wrestling business these days. But, and I’m addressing Copycat or Aaron or whoever’s going to be the third in this contest, let’s look at something very, very simple about the wrestling business.
Wrestling is something the masses enjoy. Why do they enjoy it? Yes, there’s spectacle, but the Transformers films Michael Bay puts out have bigger bangs, and Hollywood puts out enough films with spectacle that if that was all people wanted, they’d turn to them. And yes, there are some terrific personality clashes that create a lot of interest, sometimes lasting years, but that’s not enough.
No. Wrestling is about more. There’s something… magical about watching professional wrestling that you don’t see in other sports. Behind all the pageantry, behind the words, the bright lights and the explosions, people realise that in the ring there’s more than just brute strength involved. There’s more than technical skill, and there’s more than guts and determination. There’s something that goes beyond all that, beyond heart, that keeps us as professional wrestlers doing what we do. And the fans relate to and appreciate that. They come back and watch us week after week after week not because someone’s telling them to, or to see if the sport’s been saved, but to watch people struggle against each other and against themselves. The person who loses the match can still be a winner so long as they can honestly say, I gave it my all. Everything I had I left in the ring.
And in Empire Pro Wrestling right now, in March 2011? I can honestly say that I can look up and down this roster and say that every single person has that in them. The business doesn’t need saving… well, it does in a way.
The professional wrestling business needs saving from people claiming to be the saviour of the professional wrestling business.
We’ve never met, Copycat. But hopefully at Aggression we will – you, me, and Anarky. Because in this match it’s not going to be a test for Anarky, or a test for me. It’s going to be a test for you. Anarky I know is sure of his convictions, as delusional as some of what he says sounds to me, and I can hear that he truly believes what he says, from the bottom of his heart. You, though? I’ve been looking back, and you’re the same kind of delusional person I’ve met time and time and time again in this company. You believe your hype. You believe you’re bigger and better than you actually are, even though you are highly skilled.
But like the Sensational One, or Sebastian Dodd, or Layne Winters, or dozens of people I can name, you’ve over-reached. Your mouthpiece claims you’re here to save the business, then they themselves turn out because you can’t be bothered to lace up your boots. You want to test Anarky?
Well, here’s a test for you, Copycat. Turn up at Aggression, and wrestle. Wrestle against the current World Champion and a guy who has nothing to lose. If you don’t, you’ll prove an assumption I’ve got about you true. That assumption?
I’ll tell you at Aggression. See if you can guess it first. A little game for you, if you like.
Anarky and Copycat… it looks like if it turns out that way, I’m going to enjoy this match, win or lose.
Now to sit back and wait for the inevitable “You’re a loser, enjoy losing, loser”-esque comments.
[FADE OUT]
Karl: This is probably how I’m meant to feel right now if rumours are to be believed. Out of the King of the Cage tournament in the first round, out of the Kings of the Cage tournament in the first round, losing all bar one match since I’ve gotten back. If you listen to some people or read some critics, I’m supposed to be feeling empty. Nothing. I’m in the longest losing streak of my career, and probably one of the longest since Ice Tre. According to some, I’ve lost my edge. I’ve taken a huge step back. I should have stayed away from wrestling and stuck to radio. According to some, all this losing is costing me something that took four years to build – a legacy as one of the best young wrestlers in the history of the business.
It’s funny to read all that, to listen to it, because for the most part the people who’ve been saying those things also say they know the way my mind works. They say they’ve followed my career, they’ve wrestled me at some point, and they’re saying that because I’m not winning, I’m not succeeding.
Odd. Because I’ve never claimed that winning was my be all and end all. But I guess it’s a difficult concept for people to understand in a society which focuses on the individual and builds people up to be either a winner or a loser. I saw it at school, I saw it at university, I see it walking down the road. People competing against each other. People saying that it’s not the taking part that matters, but the winning. Everybody from the newest wrestling blogger, to our World Champion, is saying it.
I sound like a stuck record, don’t I? But, look around me at this very moment. In this Nothing you can see exactly how much I care about winning. Winning is kind of nice, you do get a warm, glowing feeling, but winning’s never even been the second most important thing in anything to me. Back when I played rugby, I just wanted to have fun. I stopped playing rugby when it became about winning rather than getting better and enjoying your rugby. I’ve stuck at Taekwondo for 20 years, doing the same art-based discipline, because I enjoy it, and because it challenges me and pushes me further and further. I’ve been involved in wrestling, whether training for it or having matches or talking about it, for 11 years because I enjoy it. I have fun. I enjoy the challenge and seeing how much further I can get pushed. Winning has never been my major concern.
Ah, but that doesn’t fit in with Anarky’s world view. Sorry, I mistook him for someone who didn’t give the impression that he sees it as him against the world, I’ll try harder next time.
Honestly, Anarky, do you think it matters that you weren’t born eight feet tall weighing five hundred pounds? Do you think it matters that you’re not a ring technician? Do you think it makes your success seem any more impressive that you’ve done it your way and not followed the crowd?
If not, why did you bring it up?
Listen, Anarky. I enjoyed our last match. I learnt a lot about myself and my limits. And I had fun. I’m not all that fussed about losing – I’m certainly not going to take my ball and go home just because of a loss or… seven I think it’s up to. It could well be eight after Aggression. But it won’t matter to me if it’s eight losses on the trot, or I win for the second time since I came back last year.
I’m going to enjoy the challenge. I’m going to enjoy you and Copycat pushing me physically, so I can push myself mentally, and see whether I need to push through another limit. The only true competition in life anyone has is against themselves, and whether they win or lose that competition has nothing to do with wins and losses against others.
Oops, I better stop the philosophising. Copycat might claim that it’s part of what’s wrong with the business. Or Sean Stevens might. Or Uncle Tom Cobbly. It seems everyone and their canary is trying to “save” the wrestling business these days. But, and I’m addressing Copycat or Aaron or whoever’s going to be the third in this contest, let’s look at something very, very simple about the wrestling business.
Wrestling is something the masses enjoy. Why do they enjoy it? Yes, there’s spectacle, but the Transformers films Michael Bay puts out have bigger bangs, and Hollywood puts out enough films with spectacle that if that was all people wanted, they’d turn to them. And yes, there are some terrific personality clashes that create a lot of interest, sometimes lasting years, but that’s not enough.
No. Wrestling is about more. There’s something… magical about watching professional wrestling that you don’t see in other sports. Behind all the pageantry, behind the words, the bright lights and the explosions, people realise that in the ring there’s more than just brute strength involved. There’s more than technical skill, and there’s more than guts and determination. There’s something that goes beyond all that, beyond heart, that keeps us as professional wrestlers doing what we do. And the fans relate to and appreciate that. They come back and watch us week after week after week not because someone’s telling them to, or to see if the sport’s been saved, but to watch people struggle against each other and against themselves. The person who loses the match can still be a winner so long as they can honestly say, I gave it my all. Everything I had I left in the ring.
And in Empire Pro Wrestling right now, in March 2011? I can honestly say that I can look up and down this roster and say that every single person has that in them. The business doesn’t need saving… well, it does in a way.
The professional wrestling business needs saving from people claiming to be the saviour of the professional wrestling business.
We’ve never met, Copycat. But hopefully at Aggression we will – you, me, and Anarky. Because in this match it’s not going to be a test for Anarky, or a test for me. It’s going to be a test for you. Anarky I know is sure of his convictions, as delusional as some of what he says sounds to me, and I can hear that he truly believes what he says, from the bottom of his heart. You, though? I’ve been looking back, and you’re the same kind of delusional person I’ve met time and time and time again in this company. You believe your hype. You believe you’re bigger and better than you actually are, even though you are highly skilled.
But like the Sensational One, or Sebastian Dodd, or Layne Winters, or dozens of people I can name, you’ve over-reached. Your mouthpiece claims you’re here to save the business, then they themselves turn out because you can’t be bothered to lace up your boots. You want to test Anarky?
Well, here’s a test for you, Copycat. Turn up at Aggression, and wrestle. Wrestle against the current World Champion and a guy who has nothing to lose. If you don’t, you’ll prove an assumption I’ve got about you true. That assumption?
I’ll tell you at Aggression. See if you can guess it first. A little game for you, if you like.
Anarky and Copycat… it looks like if it turns out that way, I’m going to enjoy this match, win or lose.
Now to sit back and wait for the inevitable “You’re a loser, enjoy losing, loser”-esque comments.
[FADE OUT]
GARTHIsTheLaw
League Member
<i>(We fade in on a shot very similar to the one that led off Aaron Jones’ last appearance – darkened room, chair in front of a flickering TV screen. You wouldn’t know this setting from the last one, but for one thing: Aaron Jones’ eyes. Whereas before, he kept them fixed on the camera, this time, they are fixated on the TV screen in front of him. Not taking his eyes from the screen, he speaks)</i>
<b>Aaron Jones:</b> It’s bizarre the way we talk about learning in this business.
So many competitors are inclined to put on an air of infallibility – the Sean Stevenses and Stalkers of the world. They would have you believe they’re as good as anyone is ever going to get – that although they keep getting better every day, they don’t really need to learn anything from their matches, because they’re already wholly untouchable.
Of course, it’s easy enough to see the reality of that kind of bravado. People like Stalker dedicate to losing matches all the time they don’t spend talking themselves up. And Sean Stevens? He thought there was nothing He, nor anyone else, could do to break him. And He proved how painfully wrong Sean Stevens was.
Karl, you’ve taken instead to talking about the importance of learning. You intend to go into Aggression 57 and come out a better man, whether or not you walk out the victor, because the experience you gain will only improve you.
But you don’t want to learn. Not really.
If you truly wanted to learn from the experience of meeting Him in the ring, you might try to understand why He has dedicated Himself to the singular goal of purging this business of the terrible infection that has overtaken it. Rather than regarding Him as just another megalomaniac bent on reshaping the world to suit his own tastes, you might take a closer look at the people who make up this current generation of wrestlers, this current roster of EPW competitors, and try to see what it is about them that is destroying this business He loves.
He is well aware that others have taken up the mantle of savior, only to be proven false prophets. On a few occasions, it has been He Himself who engineered their falls from grace. On others, all He – and the rest of the business – needed to do was step back and watch as the houses these prophets built for themselves collapsed in on them.
If your true interest were knowledge, Karl, you might examine more deeply the things He has made clear since beginning His all-important crusade. You might realize that He did not want to be a savior. He wishes that every action He has taken as part of this quest were unnecessary. He wishes He did not have to destroy His own legacy in order to save this business.
But He was willing to sacrifice everything He has done, everything He created for Himself, for the sake of this business.
You have no interest in learning, Karl. Your singular goal is to stop losing matches – no more, no less. Though you will refuse to admit it, you would be more than willing to accept a victory from which you learn nothing. You may as well go into Aggression 57 hoping both He and Anarky get into a car accident on the drive in, so you can win by forfeit. For all your talk about the importance of learning, for all your efforts to appear reasoned and introspective, your only goal is to keep hold of whatever relevance you retain – whatever glory has yet to slip through your fingers.
You refuse to believe anything He says about the dire state in which this industry finds itself because you do not believe His words will help you win. To you, any knowledge that does feed your overwhelming self-interest is not worth having.
Don’t doom yourself to that path. Don’t contribute to the degradation of this business because it might help you personally. Don’t cover your ears, close your eyes and try to shut out the kind of knowledge that will help you truly make a difference in the lives of those who would like to see this business survive.
Don’t resist that knowledge. Don’t shut out the light. Open your eyes.
See what He sees.
Listen to His words. Learn from His goals. A man with your stated interest in the artistic aspects of this industry would do well to work to make it healthy again.
At Aggression 57, let us hope that your actions match your words.
For Anarky, Aggression 57 is a test. But for you, Karl, Aggression 57 is a lesson.
It can be the first lesson that leads you toward a higher calling.
Or it can be a lesson in just how far He is willing to go to stop the self-absorbed individuals who would destroy this business for their own personal gain.
Make no mistake, Karl. You will learn an important lesson at Aggression 57.
And no matter which curriculum you choose, you will learn it very, very well.
<i>(His piece spoken, Aaron continues to stare into the TV screen. After a few seconds, his eyes drift upward to the camera. He stares into the image for only a second or two, after which a hand – presumably Copycat’s – appears from offscreen and roughly adjusts Aaron’s head so his eyes are once again fixed on the TV screen. A moment later, we cut to black)</i>
<b>Aaron Jones:</b> It’s bizarre the way we talk about learning in this business.
So many competitors are inclined to put on an air of infallibility – the Sean Stevenses and Stalkers of the world. They would have you believe they’re as good as anyone is ever going to get – that although they keep getting better every day, they don’t really need to learn anything from their matches, because they’re already wholly untouchable.
Of course, it’s easy enough to see the reality of that kind of bravado. People like Stalker dedicate to losing matches all the time they don’t spend talking themselves up. And Sean Stevens? He thought there was nothing He, nor anyone else, could do to break him. And He proved how painfully wrong Sean Stevens was.
Karl, you’ve taken instead to talking about the importance of learning. You intend to go into Aggression 57 and come out a better man, whether or not you walk out the victor, because the experience you gain will only improve you.
But you don’t want to learn. Not really.
If you truly wanted to learn from the experience of meeting Him in the ring, you might try to understand why He has dedicated Himself to the singular goal of purging this business of the terrible infection that has overtaken it. Rather than regarding Him as just another megalomaniac bent on reshaping the world to suit his own tastes, you might take a closer look at the people who make up this current generation of wrestlers, this current roster of EPW competitors, and try to see what it is about them that is destroying this business He loves.
He is well aware that others have taken up the mantle of savior, only to be proven false prophets. On a few occasions, it has been He Himself who engineered their falls from grace. On others, all He – and the rest of the business – needed to do was step back and watch as the houses these prophets built for themselves collapsed in on them.
If your true interest were knowledge, Karl, you might examine more deeply the things He has made clear since beginning His all-important crusade. You might realize that He did not want to be a savior. He wishes that every action He has taken as part of this quest were unnecessary. He wishes He did not have to destroy His own legacy in order to save this business.
But He was willing to sacrifice everything He has done, everything He created for Himself, for the sake of this business.
You have no interest in learning, Karl. Your singular goal is to stop losing matches – no more, no less. Though you will refuse to admit it, you would be more than willing to accept a victory from which you learn nothing. You may as well go into Aggression 57 hoping both He and Anarky get into a car accident on the drive in, so you can win by forfeit. For all your talk about the importance of learning, for all your efforts to appear reasoned and introspective, your only goal is to keep hold of whatever relevance you retain – whatever glory has yet to slip through your fingers.
You refuse to believe anything He says about the dire state in which this industry finds itself because you do not believe His words will help you win. To you, any knowledge that does feed your overwhelming self-interest is not worth having.
Don’t doom yourself to that path. Don’t contribute to the degradation of this business because it might help you personally. Don’t cover your ears, close your eyes and try to shut out the kind of knowledge that will help you truly make a difference in the lives of those who would like to see this business survive.
Don’t resist that knowledge. Don’t shut out the light. Open your eyes.
See what He sees.
Listen to His words. Learn from His goals. A man with your stated interest in the artistic aspects of this industry would do well to work to make it healthy again.
At Aggression 57, let us hope that your actions match your words.
For Anarky, Aggression 57 is a test. But for you, Karl, Aggression 57 is a lesson.
It can be the first lesson that leads you toward a higher calling.
Or it can be a lesson in just how far He is willing to go to stop the self-absorbed individuals who would destroy this business for their own personal gain.
Make no mistake, Karl. You will learn an important lesson at Aggression 57.
And no matter which curriculum you choose, you will learn it very, very well.
<i>(His piece spoken, Aaron continues to stare into the TV screen. After a few seconds, his eyes drift upward to the camera. He stares into the image for only a second or two, after which a hand – presumably Copycat’s – appears from offscreen and roughly adjusts Aaron’s head so his eyes are once again fixed on the TV screen. A moment later, we cut to black)</i>
JLevinson
Diva Tree
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2000
- Messages
- 707
- Points
- 0
- Age
- 43
(FADEIN to the streets of New York City during a recent gorgeous day. Men and women are jogging through Central Park. Hasidic Jews argue about the philosophy of the Torah. Immigrants excitedly walk and talk in a multitude of languages. The camera pans out and up to a high-rise near by, where Anarky stands on the edge, watching below.)
ANARKY: “The seasons change. Ebb and flow. The city breathes. And as the sun rises, and the PBR-swilling hipsters groom their mustaches, we can be sure of one thing.
“If Aaron Jones loved Copycat any more than he already does, he’d have to film his promos from the inside of a mental institution. With any luck, they’d let him cover his walls in pictures of Copycat from Tiger Beat and Teen Dream. He’s got the CopycatFever… and it’s bad.
“I’d ask Copycat what it’s like being the Justin Bieber of Empire Pro Wrestling, but, like Justin Bieber himself, he can’t be bothered to respond directly to us peasants and threatens me with a restraining order every time I try to make a friendly comment.”
(He chuckles and lights up a cigarette.)
ANARKY: “I’m sure you can take a joke, Copycat. After all, being His Most Righteous Wrestler must certainly involve having a good sense of humor, right? Because for all of Aaron’s talk about imperfection, he sure has your you-know-what jammed pretty far down his throat.
“And really, Aaron, how much can you talk without really saying anything? Am I really going to have to listen to you drone on for another 20 minutes about vague ideological beliefs that have no basis in the reality in which we live?
“We’re still not fundamentally clear about what, exactly, Copycat is saving this business from. Between all the incoherent ranting from Aaron Jones, it sounds like it’s related to people being… selfish? Or pretending to be perfect?
“Like most religious symbols, of course, you’re mostly full of sh*t. For all your acolytes’ talk, you’re even worse than the people you look down upon. At least they can be bothered to actually get on screen and talk about their beliefs.
“But not Copycat. No sir. Here’s a guy so f*cking full of himself that he’s managed to get a lackey to cut his f*cking promos for him, and he thinks he’s in some position to tell ME about what this business NEEDS.
“I mean, between Aaron Jones talking about everybody poisoning the wrestling business and Karl Brown doing a monologue about the Disney-approved Magic which occurs in the ring without even a hint of fairy dust or irony, I mean… what the f*ck?
“So I find myself in the hilarious position of being the only sane one in a 3-way dance with two men who seem to content with deluding themselves that my entire existence in this match is mostly arbitrary and unnecessary.
“Copycat wants to test me, but, let’s face it – it’s not like we’re going to know if I pass or fail. Aaron Jones will probably ramble on incoherently for 20 minutes and we’ll all be a little bit dumber for having heard it, but at the end of the day, nobody is really going to know what the hell Copycat’s doing or why he’s so f*cking certain he needs to personally save the business from some dire, vague threat that we should all be super concerned with.
“And on the other hand, Karl Brown doesn’t care if he wins or loses, cause he’s good enough, he’s smart enough, and dog-gone it, people like him. Or at least that’s what he keeps telling himself in the mirror. In his heart of hearts, like Copycat, we’ll probably never know what Karl really thinks about losing however many matches he’s lost.
“But if I had to guess, I’d say he’s not quite as content with it as he says he is. It has to gnaw at him a little. It has to make you wonder. After all, Karl, you’re only human. You can only hear so many children scream insults at you as you walk by. Americans… they’re so rude, aren’t they.
“You see, Karl, while I have always said there are more important things than titles… and there are… I also never claimed to be above getting a little pissed off that someone wiped the floor with me. Call me insecure, but the fact is, nobody likes getting their face rubbed in their own sh*t, my friend.
“When Ice Tre laid me out and left me lying in a crumpled heap… when I lost my shot at the EPW Title because some cowardly little b*tch who didn’t even wrestle here cost me…
“The rage consumed me. Someone had to suffer. Someone had to pay. So they did.
“Rage can take you far. Ask Stalker. For all his inane plans of domination, the man certainly knows how to cause a little bit of chaos. A bit of anarchy.
“But in the end… is that enough? Is it enough to interject yourself in things? So people will whisper your name? So you can wield influence and power?
“Is it enough to take on an acolyte, an insane mouthpiece who rambles on indefinitely in your favor, constantly explaining your vague plans to do something-or-other for the business which you can’t be bothered to show up to. I mean, it’s one thing to be such a primadonna that you can’t be bothered to be seen on camera, but it’s an entirely different thing to not show up for your matches. I guess nobody took out the brown M&M’s.
“Or is it enough to tell yourself that no matter if you win or lose, you are a worthwhile human being who tried hard enough and did his best and at least has the self-respect to get to sleep at night? I dunno – why don’t you walk around this city at night and ask a few of the panhandlers if trying real hard is enough. Or the lunatics on the subway who make Aaron Jones look like a sane, coherent human being.
“I can’t tell you what’s enough for you, gentlemen. I can only speak for myself.
“And for myself, it wasn’t enough to spread my rage across EPW like a virus. And it wasn’t enough to get through the KOTC Tournament. And it wasn’t enough to capture the EPW World Heavyweight Title from The First.
“I said I was tired of hearing people define themselves in terms of a belt, and I f*cking am. I said I wouldn’t let it change me, and I f*cking won’t.
“So at Aggression 57, you can forget the title, you can forget the tests, you can forget it all, because at the end of the day… the only thing you need to worry about is me.
“I define myself. And I don’t need to prove myself to Copycat, to Aaron Jones, to Karl Brown, to the fans, to anybody.
“I will define this legacy one match at a time. My legacy and EPW’s legacy both. And if you don’t f*cking like it, you can get into that ring and stop me.
“That’s all I really want from you, gentlemen. I don’t expect to be disappointed.”
(FADEOUT)
ANARKY: “The seasons change. Ebb and flow. The city breathes. And as the sun rises, and the PBR-swilling hipsters groom their mustaches, we can be sure of one thing.
“If Aaron Jones loved Copycat any more than he already does, he’d have to film his promos from the inside of a mental institution. With any luck, they’d let him cover his walls in pictures of Copycat from Tiger Beat and Teen Dream. He’s got the CopycatFever… and it’s bad.
“I’d ask Copycat what it’s like being the Justin Bieber of Empire Pro Wrestling, but, like Justin Bieber himself, he can’t be bothered to respond directly to us peasants and threatens me with a restraining order every time I try to make a friendly comment.”
(He chuckles and lights up a cigarette.)
ANARKY: “I’m sure you can take a joke, Copycat. After all, being His Most Righteous Wrestler must certainly involve having a good sense of humor, right? Because for all of Aaron’s talk about imperfection, he sure has your you-know-what jammed pretty far down his throat.
“And really, Aaron, how much can you talk without really saying anything? Am I really going to have to listen to you drone on for another 20 minutes about vague ideological beliefs that have no basis in the reality in which we live?
“We’re still not fundamentally clear about what, exactly, Copycat is saving this business from. Between all the incoherent ranting from Aaron Jones, it sounds like it’s related to people being… selfish? Or pretending to be perfect?
“Like most religious symbols, of course, you’re mostly full of sh*t. For all your acolytes’ talk, you’re even worse than the people you look down upon. At least they can be bothered to actually get on screen and talk about their beliefs.
“But not Copycat. No sir. Here’s a guy so f*cking full of himself that he’s managed to get a lackey to cut his f*cking promos for him, and he thinks he’s in some position to tell ME about what this business NEEDS.
“I mean, between Aaron Jones talking about everybody poisoning the wrestling business and Karl Brown doing a monologue about the Disney-approved Magic which occurs in the ring without even a hint of fairy dust or irony, I mean… what the f*ck?
“So I find myself in the hilarious position of being the only sane one in a 3-way dance with two men who seem to content with deluding themselves that my entire existence in this match is mostly arbitrary and unnecessary.
“Copycat wants to test me, but, let’s face it – it’s not like we’re going to know if I pass or fail. Aaron Jones will probably ramble on incoherently for 20 minutes and we’ll all be a little bit dumber for having heard it, but at the end of the day, nobody is really going to know what the hell Copycat’s doing or why he’s so f*cking certain he needs to personally save the business from some dire, vague threat that we should all be super concerned with.
“And on the other hand, Karl Brown doesn’t care if he wins or loses, cause he’s good enough, he’s smart enough, and dog-gone it, people like him. Or at least that’s what he keeps telling himself in the mirror. In his heart of hearts, like Copycat, we’ll probably never know what Karl really thinks about losing however many matches he’s lost.
“But if I had to guess, I’d say he’s not quite as content with it as he says he is. It has to gnaw at him a little. It has to make you wonder. After all, Karl, you’re only human. You can only hear so many children scream insults at you as you walk by. Americans… they’re so rude, aren’t they.
“You see, Karl, while I have always said there are more important things than titles… and there are… I also never claimed to be above getting a little pissed off that someone wiped the floor with me. Call me insecure, but the fact is, nobody likes getting their face rubbed in their own sh*t, my friend.
“When Ice Tre laid me out and left me lying in a crumpled heap… when I lost my shot at the EPW Title because some cowardly little b*tch who didn’t even wrestle here cost me…
“The rage consumed me. Someone had to suffer. Someone had to pay. So they did.
“Rage can take you far. Ask Stalker. For all his inane plans of domination, the man certainly knows how to cause a little bit of chaos. A bit of anarchy.
“But in the end… is that enough? Is it enough to interject yourself in things? So people will whisper your name? So you can wield influence and power?
“Is it enough to take on an acolyte, an insane mouthpiece who rambles on indefinitely in your favor, constantly explaining your vague plans to do something-or-other for the business which you can’t be bothered to show up to. I mean, it’s one thing to be such a primadonna that you can’t be bothered to be seen on camera, but it’s an entirely different thing to not show up for your matches. I guess nobody took out the brown M&M’s.
“Or is it enough to tell yourself that no matter if you win or lose, you are a worthwhile human being who tried hard enough and did his best and at least has the self-respect to get to sleep at night? I dunno – why don’t you walk around this city at night and ask a few of the panhandlers if trying real hard is enough. Or the lunatics on the subway who make Aaron Jones look like a sane, coherent human being.
“I can’t tell you what’s enough for you, gentlemen. I can only speak for myself.
“And for myself, it wasn’t enough to spread my rage across EPW like a virus. And it wasn’t enough to get through the KOTC Tournament. And it wasn’t enough to capture the EPW World Heavyweight Title from The First.
“I said I was tired of hearing people define themselves in terms of a belt, and I f*cking am. I said I wouldn’t let it change me, and I f*cking won’t.
“So at Aggression 57, you can forget the title, you can forget the tests, you can forget it all, because at the end of the day… the only thing you need to worry about is me.
“I define myself. And I don’t need to prove myself to Copycat, to Aaron Jones, to Karl Brown, to the fans, to anybody.
“I will define this legacy one match at a time. My legacy and EPW’s legacy both. And if you don’t f*cking like it, you can get into that ring and stop me.
“That’s all I really want from you, gentlemen. I don’t expect to be disappointed.”
(FADEOUT)