Rook Black
Live Long and Pants.
(FLASHBACK: Oklahoma City, Reloaded, after the show.)
National Guardsman #13
Responsibilities: Custody of the National Title
(FADE IN: A cold arena floor, with a guy in his underwear handcuffed into a hog tie, duct tape over his mouth. He has bruising and contusions on his head and face, and appears to be knocked out. I assure you this is not a Castor Stryfe production. A shadow falls over him.)
Voice: I’ve found him. Over.
(FADE OUT.)
National Guardsman #19
Responsibilities: Training, Nutrition, and Sports Medicine
(FADE IN: #19 Kneeling over #13, he’s got the tape off of him and is checking his airway. Examining the handcuffs, #13 had been attached to a pipe.)
Voice: Let me get in there.
(FADE OUT.)
National Guardsman #24
Responsibilities: Tools & Armory
(FADE IN: #24 snapping #13 handcuff chains with a pair of wire cutters. They carefully turn him over onto his back, #19 cradling his head to protect #13’s neck.)
NG19: “Concussion, at least.”
ROOK: “Oh ****.”
(PAN OUT: Rook Black arriving with #22. Rook hasn’t showered yet, and is still a mess from the match.
ROOK: “Does he know what happened?”
NG22: “Do you know what happened? Do you know who that was?”
(Rather fearlessly, NG22 glares at Rook and stepts right up into his face.)
NG22: “If you know something about who that was masquerading as 13, I suggest you tell us right now.”
VOICE: “Knock that off.”
(FADE OUT)
National Guardsman #12
Responsibilities: Coordination and Direction
(FADE IN: NG12 has stepped between Rook and NG22, and NG22 has been backed up against the cinderblock wall. An editing time jump has excluded most of the exchange between them.)
NG12: “Is that clear?”
ROOK: “Hey, you don’t need to be so hard on-.”
NG12: “No one asked you.”
ROOK: “Well, no, but I’m part of this and-”
NG12: “No, you are not part of this.”
(NG12 turns to regard rook. Upon close examination #12 appears to be older than the rest of the crew, but not noticeably so due to his shaved head and lack of facial hair. His ethnicity might possibly be Latino, but it’s hard to tell for certain.)
NG12: “You had a win tonight. You get to go home happy. We-”
(#12 turns his head to talk over his shoulder at #22)
NG12: “-as a single effective unit, were humiliated.”
ROOK (With clarity): “You’re the leader.”
NG12: “But not your leader, and you’re not mine. So keep your focus on the things that concern you, and leave this situation to us.”
ROOK: “I’m just concerned about-”
NG12: “No you’re not. You are nominally concerned, superficially concerned.”
(Rook’s facial expression becomes blank.)
NG12: “Yeah, that’s the real you. No, Rook Black, we’ve been hanging around you too long not to notice how you actually operate. Your concern comes from a calculated decision to show it. It’s interest in our functionality as a unit that has your back, or it’s your interest getting us to like you and trust you, or maybe both, or another reason in that twisted brain of yours. But only genuine people have genuine concern, sociopaths like you have to fake it, try and fool people into thinking you’re just like others.”
ROOK: “I never claimed to be-.”
NG12: “Yeah, but you sure don’t disclose that you’re not, do you? And the trouble for you is like the old saying, `you can’t fool all the people all the time’, isn’t it?”
ROOK and NG12 glare at each other. NG12 looks judgemental. ROOK looks dispassionate.
ROOK: “Acting from my own interests in #13’s health and well being as they contribute to my own plans and intentions, is he okay?”
NG12: “Twenty-two will tell you as soon as we know.”
ROOK: “That’s fine.”
NG12: “Who was the impostor?”
ROOK: “I don’t know.”
NG12: “Would you tell me if you did?”
ROOK: “I might. There’s some clues to review, and if it come to me later, I’ll decide whether or not it’s in my interest for you to know. On the other hand, these things are always revealed eventually, so to find out all you really have to do is just wait.”
NG12: “Find somewhere else to be. Oh-two will keep you company. I need to see to my people here, and I’d prefer not to do that with your creepy presence hanging over us.”
ROOK: “Fair enough.”
NG12: “Fair doesn’t enter into it, son. Some of our guys are younger, and hope to break into the business with this. I don’t like that they look to you for how a wrestler should behave and act. What’s worse is that you’re apparently successful. It’s not fair that part of our standing orders are to work toward making the National Title, and subsequently you, look good. It’s like making a wax dummy appear lifelike. Or even making a robot seem like a man.”
ROOK: “Heh.”
NG12: “Yeah, that one was for free. Get lost. We’ll get back with you later.”
National Guardsman #13
Responsibilities: Custody of the National Title
(FADE IN: A cold arena floor, with a guy in his underwear handcuffed into a hog tie, duct tape over his mouth. He has bruising and contusions on his head and face, and appears to be knocked out. I assure you this is not a Castor Stryfe production. A shadow falls over him.)
Voice: I’ve found him. Over.
(FADE OUT.)
National Guardsman #19
Responsibilities: Training, Nutrition, and Sports Medicine
(FADE IN: #19 Kneeling over #13, he’s got the tape off of him and is checking his airway. Examining the handcuffs, #13 had been attached to a pipe.)
Voice: Let me get in there.
(FADE OUT.)
National Guardsman #24
Responsibilities: Tools & Armory
(FADE IN: #24 snapping #13 handcuff chains with a pair of wire cutters. They carefully turn him over onto his back, #19 cradling his head to protect #13’s neck.)
NG19: “Concussion, at least.”
ROOK: “Oh ****.”
(PAN OUT: Rook Black arriving with #22. Rook hasn’t showered yet, and is still a mess from the match.
ROOK: “Does he know what happened?”
NG22: “Do you know what happened? Do you know who that was?”
(Rather fearlessly, NG22 glares at Rook and stepts right up into his face.)
NG22: “If you know something about who that was masquerading as 13, I suggest you tell us right now.”
VOICE: “Knock that off.”
(FADE OUT)
National Guardsman #12
Responsibilities: Coordination and Direction
(FADE IN: NG12 has stepped between Rook and NG22, and NG22 has been backed up against the cinderblock wall. An editing time jump has excluded most of the exchange between them.)
NG12: “Is that clear?”
ROOK: “Hey, you don’t need to be so hard on-.”
NG12: “No one asked you.”
ROOK: “Well, no, but I’m part of this and-”
NG12: “No, you are not part of this.”
(NG12 turns to regard rook. Upon close examination #12 appears to be older than the rest of the crew, but not noticeably so due to his shaved head and lack of facial hair. His ethnicity might possibly be Latino, but it’s hard to tell for certain.)
NG12: “You had a win tonight. You get to go home happy. We-”
(#12 turns his head to talk over his shoulder at #22)
NG12: “-as a single effective unit, were humiliated.”
ROOK (With clarity): “You’re the leader.”
NG12: “But not your leader, and you’re not mine. So keep your focus on the things that concern you, and leave this situation to us.”
ROOK: “I’m just concerned about-”
NG12: “No you’re not. You are nominally concerned, superficially concerned.”
(Rook’s facial expression becomes blank.)
NG12: “Yeah, that’s the real you. No, Rook Black, we’ve been hanging around you too long not to notice how you actually operate. Your concern comes from a calculated decision to show it. It’s interest in our functionality as a unit that has your back, or it’s your interest getting us to like you and trust you, or maybe both, or another reason in that twisted brain of yours. But only genuine people have genuine concern, sociopaths like you have to fake it, try and fool people into thinking you’re just like others.”
ROOK: “I never claimed to be-.”
NG12: “Yeah, but you sure don’t disclose that you’re not, do you? And the trouble for you is like the old saying, `you can’t fool all the people all the time’, isn’t it?”
ROOK and NG12 glare at each other. NG12 looks judgemental. ROOK looks dispassionate.
ROOK: “Acting from my own interests in #13’s health and well being as they contribute to my own plans and intentions, is he okay?”
NG12: “Twenty-two will tell you as soon as we know.”
ROOK: “That’s fine.”
NG12: “Who was the impostor?”
ROOK: “I don’t know.”
NG12: “Would you tell me if you did?”
ROOK: “I might. There’s some clues to review, and if it come to me later, I’ll decide whether or not it’s in my interest for you to know. On the other hand, these things are always revealed eventually, so to find out all you really have to do is just wait.”
NG12: “Find somewhere else to be. Oh-two will keep you company. I need to see to my people here, and I’d prefer not to do that with your creepy presence hanging over us.”
ROOK: “Fair enough.”
NG12: “Fair doesn’t enter into it, son. Some of our guys are younger, and hope to break into the business with this. I don’t like that they look to you for how a wrestler should behave and act. What’s worse is that you’re apparently successful. It’s not fair that part of our standing orders are to work toward making the National Title, and subsequently you, look good. It’s like making a wax dummy appear lifelike. Or even making a robot seem like a man.”
ROOK: “Heh.”
NG12: “Yeah, that one was for free. Get lost. We’ll get back with you later.”