Recovery in the Face of Tragedy

[Delikado/J-Noble]

The Kingdom of Pride's “Oblivion XXXI”
Singles Match: Johnny Noble vs. Kid Flanagan
March 27, 2011

We fade in to find Johnny Noble descending some stairs with a weary expression on his face as he reaches the bottom step and moves down the hallway with a quiet exhale. He continues walking past a few wrestlers and stagehands who give him looks as Noble passes by. Johnny merely ignores them all as he goes to a nearby door and pushes it open. We find it to be the main Pride locker-room, which Johnny walks inside after giving the door a half-hearted nudge shut. Seeing Johnny without his partner Debra Mason almost feels abnormal at this point, and the look in Johnny’s eyes tells us the whole story that he too is still reeling from the incident just one week ago. Johnny walks across the locker-room to a steel chair and sits down next to his locker, pulling it open and rummaging though it with one hand. Silently, Johnny sets out his ring gear and other assortments when he just appears to lose complete interest and sits there in the chair. Noble exhales heavily and runs a hand through his hair and down his face as he looks over the gear and the locker-room, of which he is currently the only occupant.

Suddenly, Johnny just appears to blow his top and gets up, immediately flinging his own gear and whatnot aside with one arm. The items scatter all across the locker-room floor but Johnny, not giving a damn, spins around and kicks the steel chair across the room where it slams into the opposite wall and then down to the floor with a bounce preceding its crashing. Finally, Johnny turns and swings his locker’s door shut, only for it to weakly creak open from the impact. Johnny responds by swinging it shut again with just as much anger. The clatter of metal on metal echoes all around the room as more items fall from Johnny’s locker, namely photos and some pages torn from here and there on endless topics. No doubt about it, Johnny Noble was beyond enraged by what happened to his partner, and the other results of the previous Super Show did NOTHING to repair his mood. Johnny reaches down and picks up the pages falling from his locker; he looks them over and finds them to be more ”In Medias Res” drivel he got from the news source.

It’s then that the locker-room main door opens and Kingdom of Pride interviewer Alex Avice pokes his head in, looking concerned with all the noise coming from this room.

Alex Avice: Johnny?

Johnny looks up from the paper in his hand to Avice and then tosses the document aside. Slowly but surely regaining his composure, Noble tiredly rubs his right eye and sighs.

Johnny Noble: What?

Avice walks into the room, looking around at the scattered belongings and the dented chair in the corner. Clearly the interviewer had been in “search for an interview” mode as he can be seen holding a microphone in his hand as he comes into view more fully now.

Alex Avice: Grief.

Johnny looks over the damage he caused and coughs somewhat awkwardly as he goes to recover his things.

Johnny Noble: What’s going on, Alex?

Alex Avice: Oh…uh…nothing, I guess. We were just hearing a lot of loud noises in here and—

Johnny Noble: Yeah, just forget it.

Johnny scoops up most of his things and places them back in his locker. The interviewer looks on as Noble goes and picks up the chair. He examines it, finding the chair took a pretty nasty dent in the process of being kicked into the solid wall like a football. The wall itself is practically unharmed, but the chair is clearly useless. Johnny walks over to Avice and places the broken chair next to the interviewer.

Johnny Noble: Here. Take this to the guys upstairs and then tell them the locker-room needs some more chairs.

Avice lowers his head as Noble carelessly drops the steel chair and goes back to his business.

Alex Avice: I’m sorry about Debra, Johnny.

Johnny has just begun to sit down when the words hit him. He initially hovers in mid-air but slowly sits down eventually and looks over at Avice with an empty shrug.

Johnny Noble: What can you do, huh?

Avice still looks sad about what happened to Debra. After last week when she assisted him in an interview, it looked like the interviewer took sort of a liking to her. Bad timing nonetheless. Johnny sighs deeply and leans back on the bench he’s sitting on, looking at the ceiling. He slowly lowers his head to Avice, who has begun to head on out of the locker-room.

Johnny Noble: You want an interview or something, Alex?

Avice’s head turns back, the look on his face showing he was not expecting that question from Johnny, especially after last week when he was so quick to shoot an interview down. Then again, given everything that’s gone down in the past month or so with Noble, perhaps he’s just become a bit lost in the madness of his career, his issues with his brother Kurt, and now the hit-and-run that took his partner out. Namely, Johnny Noble looks to have had his resolve and his pride broken and is now just looking for something…even just a quick interview. Avice gives an honest shrug as he turns around fully.

Alex Avice: Sure, if you want.

Holding the side of his head in one palm, Johnny inhales softly and tiredly. The rings around his eyes are a bit more clear to see now that Noble isn’t rapidly moving around.

Johnny Noble: Anything to break the silence, right?

Alex Avice: Uh…I guess…

Avice walks over to Noble and looks about for a place to either sit or at least make himself comfortable. He finds it in one chair that looks like it would be a better fit in a child’s play area, as it’s so tiny that Avice can barely squeeze himself into it. He does after some struggling awkwardness. Johnny looks on humorlessly as he scratches the rough patch of facial hair that’s appeared on his neck and chin.

Alex Avice: Well, uh, Johnny, I guess I’ll just start right off with what happened at Survival of the Proud. You were able to win your first match, which got you a spot later on in the Main Event, and throughout that contest, you were clearly going back and forth, back and forth, taking most of the eliminations for yourself. During the match, you also had some run-ins with your former tag team partner Eddie Nash, which is a contest most people were looking forward to, and when the time finally came, you were…well, Nash was kinda able to take all the abuse you dished out and you were eliminated last despite a valiant effort. I guess my question, John, is how was all of that last week? How are you taking all of what happened at Survival of the Proud in?

Johnny inhales heavily as he nods his head gently in understanding of the question. He thinks for a minute, reflecting back on his performance in the Super Show Main Event that he, to be fair, was impressive enough in to have deserved the spot. Yet you can tell that with the loss to his rival Nash as the outcome combined with his own distracted thoughts, Johnny’s answer will be one to hear.

Johnny Noble: I’m taking it all in as a pretty bittersweet experience, Alex. I gave it my all, I put on the best match of my career, and I showcased every level of my wrestling talent against some major odds, and it just didn’t cut it. I went into that ring with a lot on my mind, a lot of added weight, a lot of pressure on more than one level…and the result was the result because of that, I guess. But all things considered, if you realize that I’ll have been in Pride for a year come August, that I’ll have reached the first real year in my career in pro wrestling, and I was already *that*

Johnny holds up his fingers barely an inch apart to represent how close he was.

Johnny Noble: …that close to earning a title shot and then moving on to win the top prize of the company…you have to wonder just what kind of success a guy like me can come into by the time the rest of the year rolls around. So again, it’s very bittersweet for me that I wrestled in the zone that I did and then had to watch that deranged biker Eddie Nash ride off with the title shot after his choices throughout our partnership, but you can take my word for it that this thing is not over by a long shot, Alex.

Alex Avice: So are you suggesting that with Nash going on to face Josh Eagles in the future that you will be keeping tabs on who walks out of that Valiant title match as champion?

Johnny Noble: I’m saying that if I wrestle the way I did to get to the Main Event of Survival of the Proud, that I will be more knowledgeable on will and won’t work next time. That’s what I’m saying, Alex. And no, I’m not going to be a sore loser and rip into Nash for his means of going about this business. We have had our clashes for several weeks now, but I know when to step forward and say what I should toward the new #1 contender for the Valiant Championship. I will respectfully congratulate the “King of the Road” for bringing his motorcycle-riding, “badass” barroom brawling tactics into a well-respected wrestling industry’s Pay-Per-View Main Event and doing what brings him pleasure before riding off back to his gang clubhouse to do whatever else comes naturally to people like Nash and the Sons of Anarchy.

Avice sits silent for a few seconds, letting it all sink in what he’s just gotten from Johnny, who leans back until his back is against the lockers where he tries to maintain some level of comfort.

Alex Avice: I see…

Avice clears his throat while Johnny sits as he is, letting his words speak for himself and uninterested in how they are perceived by all who hear them, from Avice to Nash himself.

Alex Avice: Well, uhhh, you most certainly will be able to get right back on the wrestling road when you face off with our current Syndicate Champion Kid Flanagan tonight on Oblivion.

Johnny Noble: Indeed, I suppose going at it with the second-level champion is as good a start as any on your way back up the ladder. I’ll be honest, people have come to me in the past talking about the Flanagan name and the like, and I took a look at it. I looked at the works he does, watched his in-ring performances and out-of-the-ring acts, and I actually found it very, very interesting and enlightening. It’s been some funny and some “Simple Life” smart and edgy insanity. To be that type of person and then to be our Syndicate Champion, especially when you think back to the people who’ve held the title in the past, is topical and…well, relevant to the present Kingdom of Pride.

Once again, Johnny lets the words sink in as he rests his head against the locker and temporarily closes his eyes. No doubt the young Noble has been without sleep these past several days, and even the cold metal lockers offer some comfort that gives him a place to catch a split-second break from it all. Avice rubs his chin in thought for a few seconds before speaking.

Alex Avice: And so keeping in mind what a match like this can mean for you and your future career in Pride, are you going to be going into this contest with any additional thoughts regarding the faces that will be gunning for the next spot just as you likely will be?

Johnny’s eyes snap open and it looks like for a second he’s forgotten where he is, but he recovers the next second and is back in the interview.

Johnny Noble: I’m just going to be very interested to see the kind of show Pride’s wrestlers are going to able to put up now that Survival of the Proud is over, Alex. Not just Flanagan, not just Nash, not even just our Valiant Champion Josh Eagles. That event cut off some of the last few shaky individuals that have been wallowing though the halls unsure of what to do in Pride, and it showed. They’re gone and whoever’s left is going to have to pick it up now. Me personally? I’m anticipating the next challenges of Pride, and the next few matches that’ll be showcasing what the new talent has in its arsenal to bring to the table so many of us have already worked at building since Pride re-opened for the, what is it, the fourth time?

Avice shifts a bit awkwardly at the question, muttering a few inaudible remarks that Johnny either fails to hear or simply chooses to ignore. Most likely it’s the latter…

Alex Avice: Well, John, you certainly seem prepped to carry on after a few setbacks and personal…

Getting a look from Johnny, who knows what the interviewer is alluding to, the Avice backpedals in his comments.

Alex Avice: --a few setbacks.

Johnny makes a subtle face of contempt at Avice for even hinting at his partner like it was a topic that could be paired next to professional business in Pride, but it goes unnoticed.

Alex Avice: And so here’s wishing you good luck in your next step forward, John.

With a small smile, Avice nods to Johnny, who returns the gesture after pausing for several seconds.

Johnny Noble: Indeed.

Avice goes to get up when he steps on a piece of paper from Johnny’s locker that Noble missed and looks down at it. Johnny does the same.

Alex Avice: Sorry. Is this yours?

Johnny Noble: Yeah. Would you mind?

Avice reaches down to pick up the article, which has the ”In Medias Res” logo on it as well as a side picture of J. Adze, the runner of the specific branch Johnny visited a few weeks back (also one who could be held partially to blame for Debra Mason getting run down). Avice casually looks at the article and the photo as he goes to pass it off to Johnny.

Alex Avice: Huh. I’ve seen this guy before. He wanted to do a story about Christian Kane and his love affair with makeshift drugs a while back.

Johnny takes the paper and eyes it before quickly looking back up to Avice.

Johnny Noble: You know Adze?

Alex Avice: A little. We shared notes and event both gave a short speech at a journalist banquet about two months ago. Pretty decent guy, got along with him.

Johnny highly doubts that last part about decency, but his newfound interest in Avice’s friendship with Adze is crystal clear.

Johnny Noble: Say, Alex, you think you could set me up with a meeting with this guy Adze? Maybe even an interview or something?

Alex Avice: Another interview?! Man, Johnny, you’re certainly in that journalist spirit all of a sudden, haha! Good for you.

Johnny rises from the bench and approaches Avice, holding up the paper while also looking the interviewer in the eye.

Johnny Noble: So, can you talk to him? It’d really help me out, Alex.

Alex Avice: I don’t see why not. I’ll try and find his number and give him a call if you really want me to.

Johnny Noble: You’d be doing me a big favor, Alex. I’d appreciate it.

Avice laughs sheepishly at the kind words from Johnny. If he only knew all the details, though, he wouldn’t be laughing, which is what Johnny is counting on.

Alex Avice: Shoot, Johnny, I’ll dig it up just as soon as I can and see if we can’t get some kind of meeting.

Johnny Noble: Great. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to start preparing for my match.

Alex Avice: Right. Gotta get back on that wrestling road!

Johnny Noble: You got it…

Johnny pats Avice once on the back and then walks back to his locker to indeed start getting ready for Kid Flanagan, among other plans. Just as Avice turns to leave, Johnny looks back to him one last time.

Johnny Noble: Oh, and Alex…

Alex Avice: Yeah?

Johnny Noble: Let’s keep my name out of the conversation, alright?

Alex Avice; W-why?

Johnny Noble: Think of it as a surprise element. You can tell Adze you’re meeting up with him and bringing a star to co-interview, but I think it’d be a nice little twist if In Medias Res doesn’t know that Johnny Noble is coming to pay them a visit. You know what I mean?

Avice is at first a bit unsure of what to think, but when he really stops and thinks about it, he’s all smiles, almost to the point you could say he was giddy like a little kid.

Alex Avice: Alright, that sounds like a plan. Man, Johnny, you’re certainly looking out! See ya.

The interviewer exits the locker-room, leaving Johnny alone. The young Noble, his face solid and now more determined than ever, turns to his locker and opens it back up. He begins to rip out every piece of ”In Medias Res” material he’s gathered when the paper provided it to him and Debra Mason; every article, every file, every photo, everything. He places it next to his wrestling boots and sits down to begin pulling them on as he scans over the large amount of work lying before him. Johnny ties one boot and then holds up a photo of the ”In Medias Res” logo. He stares at it long and hard, thinking over everything that’s happened in his Pride career, and leans back in deep thought. The scene slowly fades out.

<END OF FEED>