time: tuesday, bar close

day: april first

place: bailey's bay, bermuda; sand & pebble tavern.

(Joe is outside, waiting in my car. He's severely pissed, as I imagine he wants to get back to the house, go to sleep, and get on his plane home already. I bring up my video camera from my seat in the booth and put it in the table. I hit record.)
VIRUS: What can you expect? I make one mistake, and I pay for it. It happens; time to time, everybody does it. But, I'm not going on camera with multiple cuts and bruises on my face, so there's one up-side. I can't say I'll expect the come out the same way this week, though. I fully expect to bleed rivers, but rest assured Corey will bleed even more.

(I take a deep breath and turn my head to Joe in the car. He's looking out to the side, into the Bermuda wilderness. I can see tears.)

VIRUS: Whatever happened last week, Corey, it doesn't matter. Do yourself a favor and don't bring it to light. I have my chance for plenty of retribution at RPM. But, you have to know I won't be making any mistakes against you. I will bring perfection and everything that comes with it, and I will slam you into infinity. I have been waiting desperately for this match and I have finally gotten my wish.

Main Event. No Disqualification. You across from me. It doesn't get any better; for you, it couldn't get any worse.

You've done enough damage, caused enough pain, and distracted me enough to warrant such a match and such a beatdown. The last time we met in the ring, I was just sending you a message.

This time, I'm going to bring the war to your doorstep. No messages, no warnings; the time for that has passed. You are simply going to be right in the middle of everything and violence will consume us, and blood will be the color of our skin.

Do not doubt my hand will be raised at the end, and I will have finally put my demons to rest. This is the end of the line for you, Corey. You might as well opt out of the main event at RPM, because chances are you won't be able to walk down to the ring to compete.

You are going to wish you had never gotten involved with my family.

Here's to the beginning of your end.

(I take a drink of my beer.)

VIRUS: Speaking of beginnings, I see Lex has decided to join the ranks here in Pioneer Wrestling. I hadn't thought about you in years now, but seeing your face and hearing your name brings back a variety of memories.

Some dreadful, some worth remembering. The latter are few in numbers, though.

I really hope you're not here to create more dreadful memories. I don't care about being across the ring from you; I've done that dance a few times, and haven't always come out victorious. I hope you're not here to dig up the past, and from what I've seen, you're simply talking about the tip of many icebergs. Keep it at that, Lex. People here don't want history lessons, especially the people who were apart of that history.

I can only hope you're here to pick up a paycheck, and simply exist. If it were my decision, I'd let you rot in the streets of Forgotten, USA. But it's not my decision...and be fortunate our beloved commissioner took it upon himself to put your history aside and let you collect a paycheck.

Seven years ago you took horror to a level nobody wants to fathom, and if I catch wind of anything like that here in the now, I will bury you.

By God, I will bury you.

(First Corey, then the MoA, now him. The list of enemies grows by the second.)

VIRUS: But up to the plate now is Corey. He will be my priority this week. You don't stand a chance, kid. You really don't. I'm sorry if you feel you do, because you bested The Phoenix in the Who's the Man finals. Sorry, but the only reason you got there was because of me, and what my plan was. I let you continue, Corey, and you capitalized on my generosity.

Good for you.

I guarantee if I wasn't so consumed with hatred for you and wanting to make things right, I would be the franchise. I would be in the main event at RPM. I would be World Champion.

But, I'm destined for different things. Better... or worse... only time can tell. Here in the now, I'm destined to face you in the ring, and destroy you. That's what I'm destined for, whether you like it or not. Whether you become World Champion or not, you will not win this week. So if you do happen to capture that title, I want you to think about how you lost to me this week... and how a better man could've been holding that belt.

I'm sure you'll think about that a lot.

However, before you even say anything, you're right. I made a decision to use those brass knuckles, because I was and still am consumed by destructive violence towards you.

But this time, you can't hide behind that. There are no disqualifications, so if I want to break your jaw, I will do so and not risk losing to you. It's not like I'm in the hole now, though, because we're technically one and one, if you recall my brief stint in the PHW. You didn't stand a chance against me then, and guess what? The only thing that has changed is that we hate each other.

It won't prove enough for you, however, because you're still slower than me. You're still weaker than me.

And I'm still better than you.

Nothing can change that.

(A smirk.)

VIRUS: I can't wait for Friday, Corey. It's something I've been longing for. I've been wanting to get in the ring with you and punish you. I've been wanting to get a chance at breaking you in half, and pinning your lifeless body for the one, two, and three.

The things that I want.

I do not forgive.

I do not forget.

Don't play with me because you're playing with fire.

(fade.)