The Final Hours Start

[Delikado/J-Noble]

The Kingdom of Pride's “Oblivion XXXII”
Main Event: Johnny Noble vs. Jason Phoenix
April 3, 2011

The scene opens inside the In Medias Res office of Jabyr Adze. Presently, the man himself is sitting in his chair scribbling down some numbers while silently reading them off his computer. A half-smoked cigar rests in an ashtray, and other documents litter much of the desk space, and yet Adze looks preoccupied with just this small sheet of numbers before him. Suddenly, his office phone goes off and he looks to it, pressing a button to stop the ringing and replace it with silence.

Mr. Adze: Yes, Ursula?

The voice of Adze’s receptionist comes through the speakers seconds later.

Ursula: Mr. Adze, there’s a Mr. Avice here to see you.

Adze finishes his writing and places down the pen.

Mr. Adze: Yes, send him in.

Ursula: Yes, sir.

Adze presses the button again to shut off the speaker and looks to the door. He reaches for his cigar and takes a puff as the preceding door to his office can be heard opening. Two voices are heard discussing something before the door can be heard shutting a second later. A knock is heard on Adze’s door.

Mr. Adze: Enter.

The main door opens partially and Alex Avice pokes his head in, looking as harmless and oblivious as he’s ever looked.

Alex Avice: Hey, Jabyr.

Mr. Adze: Alex, my boy, come in.

Avice nods and pushes the door open fully, revealing Johnny Noble standing behind him! Adze’s smile fades slowly as he lowers his smoking cigar back into the ashtray. Both Noble and Avice walk into the office with Johnny shutting the door last and they walk to the desk near the back of the office where Adze is seated with a face that looks like it could be chiseled out of solid stone that’s how much emotion is displayed.

Mr. Adze: And I see you brought that…ahem, “guest” you spoke of on the phone.

Alex Avice: Oh.

Completely unaware of the history between the two men, Avice turns to Johnny and makes a gesture like he’s giving an introduction.

Alex Avice: Johnny, this is In Medias Res journalist Jabyr Adze. Jabyr, this is the Kingdom of Pride’s Johnny Noble.

Mr. Adze: Yes…I can see that now…

The noticeable bitterness in Adze’s voice is clear now, as Johnny was the last person he would have expected to come though his door again. Johnny, on the other hand, looks all business as he walks to the desk and stands before it in his sports jacket and slacks. He carries a briefcase in hand and doesn’t look too keen on letting it go, even as he reaches out to shake Adze’s offered left hand with his right hand. Avice sits down looking just plain old giddy due to thinking of the promised co-interview that is to come.

Alex Avice: Well, haha, I guess we should get started. This is so exciting, isn’t it, Jabyr? Hey, you remember that speech we both gave at the banquet?

Mr. Adze: No.

Avice’s smile lessens a bit, but he doesn’t seem too upset. Meanwhile, Adze and Johnny continue to flash each other glances. One shows subtle bewilderment and genuine surprise while the other is nothing less than judgmental and pinning of blame.

Alex Avice: Okay then, so no doubt In Medias Res has had some run-ins with the Noble family in the past, eh, Jabyr? Hahaha!

Noble and Adze continue to stare each other down, even as Adze takes a puff of his cigar and blows smoke out of the corner of his mouth.

Mr. Adze: Indeed.

Avice reaches into his pocket and pulls out a notepad that he’s prepared for the interview. He pads his pockets for a few seconds and then frowns.

Alex Avice: Shoot. I forgot my pen in the car, I guess. Do you mind if I borrow one, Adze?

Mr. Adze: Of course not, Alex.

Adze picks his pen up from the paper he was writing on and goes to pass it to his journalist amigo…when Johnny takes it from his hand in mid-air. It’s not a snatch. He doesn’t rip it from Adze’s hand with any inclination of violence or bad intent of any sort. It’s almost as if he just assisted Adze by pulling the pen from his index and middle finger. Adze’s eyebrows cock in surprise at first, but his face hardens up as he and Noble lock eyes for a split second. No anger, no warped expression to throw him off. Johnny just gives the man a split second unblinking look and then calmly passes off the pen to Avice, who missed the whole moment between his fellow interviewer and the interviewee. Silence lingers in the office for a few seconds as Avice earnestly flips through his notepad, Johnny calmly sits in his chair with the briefcase he carried with him resting in his lap, and Adze takes a heavy puff of his cigar and taps the ashes into the tray.

Alex Avice: Ah, here we go!

Avice flips to the set of questions he has all lined up and turns to Johnny.

Alex Avice: I guess I’ll go first. You ready, Johnny?

Johnny stares at Adze for a few seconds and then turns to Avice, giving him a made-up grin of eagerness to get on with the interview.

Johnny Noble: Ready.

Alex Avice: Alright. So first off you’re going right from the Syndicate Champion to the man who just faced Josh Eagles for the Valiant Championship at ‘Survival of the Proud.’ That man is, of course, Jason Phoenix. Now, after what you said last week on how you would be making your way back up the wrestling ladder and how you were going to fight back to the top of Pride’s caliber after you came so close to becoming #1 contender, I would say this is a pretty impressive start to carrying out those words. More or less, you—and I don’t like to use your brother’s word as I reckon you have your own way to describe it—but you flat out dominated Kid Flanagan last week. And so here you are now with that big boost after defeating the Syndicate Champion, and this week on Oblivion you’re face the former #1 Contender for the richest prize in this business. Seems to me you’re not taking a break, huh?

Johnny gives a little shrug and lift of the eyebrows as he takes in the question. Like a pro, despite having his own agenda here, Noble is quick to respond with a clear tone and improvised response.

Johnny Noble: You know, Alex, after having a match like the one I had at Survival of the Proud, followed immediately with a match against the only Syndicate Champion in this new version of the Kingdom of Pride, some people would take time off. Even if it was just for a week, they’d ask for time off. Because if you think about it, they would have had three big-time matches in a two week period against a variety of individuals. They haven’t always had time to mentally prepare, and their body can only build itself up for so much before they just have to kick it into overdrive and wrestle with a bit of that unknown factor playing over their head, you know? Therefore schedules like this can tire people out and the days may come when they ask for a period of time off. But, uh, I’m not, say the man supposedly “hunting” the Valiant Champion right now. I don’t just go around, wrestle a bit here and there, shake hands with a few people, and then take time off. ESPECIALLY if I’m in a position where I could be the next Valiant Champion of this company. You just can’t afford that, I know I can’t afford that, and so all I can do is use the brief time in between matches to recover and then jump back into the ring for the next one which, as you said, is against Jason Phoenix.

Avice, nodding and writing down some of Johnny’s comments no doubt for an article or something, fails to notice the glare Noble flashes Adze. The In Medias Res journalist merely looks away and twirls his cigar in hand.

Alex Avice: Adze, you got anything you want to say now?

Mr. Adze: No, no. You go ahead and ask what you want and I’ll see if I can’t find my notes in the meantime.

Adze starts to stand and walk over to a nearby filing cabinet. Johnny watches him the whole way with suspicion on his face. Meanwhile, Avice goes to his next question.

Alex Avice: Okey doke, then. I guess I’ll jump right into it and ask you just what your views of Phoenix extend to.

Johnny looks back to Avice and gives a little grin as he releases his briefcase and lays it down in his lap sideways while rubbing his hands together.

Johnny Noble: Well, he’s “that guy” who came out of nowhere and faced Josh Eagles three, four times and dropped the ball each and every instant he got into the ring with our Valiant Champion. Don’t know how that can happen so many times, how he can get so many chances after the slip-ups he’s suffered, but I don’t generally take much focus on someone like Phoenix and the opportunities he gets because he’s…a character, more or less. He’s an entertainer in a wrestling world, and I guess my views could start there, Alex.

Avice lightly winces at some of the blunt (yet truthful) remarks toward Phoenix.

Alex Avice: Huh, I see. So he—

Johnny Noble: He wears wrestling gear like other wrestlers do, he competes in the ring like guys like me do, he probably gets the same type of pay I do *sarcastic mumble*lucky bastard…*sarcastic mumble*

Both men give the comment a quick laugh which is shared with Johnny looking to Adze once more. The journalist can be seen going through a cabinet with a few noticeable droplets of sweat on his brow as he looks back to them and grins himself despite not actually knowing what said laughter is for. Johnny looks back to Avice with his “interview zone” face.

Johnny Noble: But he’s kind of what you would perceive as a small-time character number in a history making company like the Kingdom of Pride. Honestly, just from what I can tell, and from what I’ve picked up from watching him in and outside the ring combined with snippets here and there from other people on the roster, nobody really knows what Jason Phoenix does in this business. He speaks out plenty of times about pain and fiery pits and he ships it off as a day’s work on the job. Of course, it takes more than vague talk in order to make it in an industry like this, which is why Phoenix has gotten what he’s gotten each time he steps in the ring. The talk is fun, finding ways to express yourself, however questionable or violent they may be, but eventually you’re going to get burned on your own deal. You can talk of fire and rebirth, the “phoenix rising from the ashes” scenario, but it’s mantra you can pick up from anyone, any kind of crazy, if you look in the right place. Crazy’s fine in its own way, though. Sometimes it takes a larger desire to do damage to make a great match in pro wrestling, and I welcome the challenge…I’m just expecting more from someone who comes into this particular side of wrestling and receives so much, makes so many claims, and is pushed so far with seemingly so little they initially bring to the plate. You have to earn it, and that’s something I’ve been all about since coming here to Pride.

Avice writes out short lines of the extended response with an eager face. He looks up to Adze, who continues to stand by, almost looking like he’s intentionally keeping his distance.

Alex Avice: Adze, you got anything you want to say now?

Adze looks away from his preoccupation and gives a shaky nod of the head.

Mr. Adze: Not yet. You keep going, you’re doing great, kid.

Johnny Noble: Actually…

Johnny rises from his chair and walks over to Adze, who looks to the approach Noble with a lifted eyebrow of hesitation. Noble, mostly for show toward Avice, smiles and pats Adze on the back.

Johnny Noble: I welcome whatever In Medias Res has to say or ask me. It doesn’t have to be a set up question or response. Just speak naturally, sir, and I reckon things will go just fine.

Mr. Adze: I’d really prefer my notes. Now, if you don’t mind, you’re kind of in my personal space.

Johnny gives Adze a second, heavier pat on the back which causes Adze to drop a folder on the floor and scatter some articles. Avice watches as Johnny helps pick up the pages and hand them back. Noble then looks to Avice.

Johnny Noble: You know, Avice, I know this isn’t what the idea was, but could you perhaps wait outside for a bit while Adze and I do our part of the interview? I figure he’d just prefer to do one-on-one so as not to have his questions hover around compared to yours, you know?

Alex Avice: Uh…I-I guess…

Johnny nods in approval.

Johnny Noble: Don’t worry, I’ll fill you in on whatever he asks me.

Mr. Adze: Actually, Alex, you don’t have to-

Johnny’s heavy pat silences Adze further. Avice begins to collect himself up as he prepares to leave.

Alex Avice: Sure, Johnny, I get ya. I’ll just go grab a sandwich at that deli we passed on the way over here and meet you back here in a bit for the rest of the co-interview. Sound good?

Johnny Noble: Sounds excellent.

Avice nods with a smile as he walks out of the office, shutting the door behind him. Johnny’s grin fades as he pushes Adze back into his chair. He then walks across the office and locks the door before spinning back around to face the In Medias Res journalist, who wears a reluctant look on his face as Noble picks up his briefcase and opens it in the chair he was sitting in a few moments ago. Adze doesn’t see what Johnny is looking for in the briefcase until he’s already pulled it out and lifted it in the air. Johnny slams the paper down before Adze and points to it with an aggressive finger.

Johnny Noble: Take a look at this, Adze. It’s a list of every appointment and every encounter we had previously in which you passed off illegally acquired documents to third parties. Your name, and your company’s name, is plastered all over it. If you want to see those names get wiped off, you better start telling me what the hell you’re doing and you better start filling me in.

Adze rolls his eyes in disbelief as Johnny goes back to the briefcase and pulls out a stack of papers in which he begins to systematically toss onto the desk. Some pages have photos, some have graphs, and some are news articles on a variety of subjects, most of them in the wrestling scene of PWF, UWL, Pride, and so on. An x-ray of an injured leg, in addition to a report on medication overdoses, addictions, and roid rage, is one of the first to get called off.

Johnny Noble: What the deal is with the Oxycotton? The leg injury and follow-up rehab?

A group photo of Kurt Noble, his old manager Robert Banks, and Pro Wrestling FIRE owners Aiden Bamford and Jay T. Nitro falls onto the desk. Adze flashes it a single glance and then loses interest.

Johnny Noble: What’s with the PWF letting Kurt off so easily despite all the damage he did while he was under their watch? Who were the types of people my brother came to do business with before this scene came up, back in this “Quixotic Wrestling League” he ran? Associates, partners, anything?

Mr. Adze: Hell if I know. Your brother wasn’t exactly a record keeper back then, which is probably why that place went under…

Johnny loses his cool for a minute and slams the entire briefcase down on the desk, causing Adze to jump simply out of instinct. The heavy clatter echoes in the room, making the experience that much less pleasant. A wedding photo can be seen among the pages floating out of Johnny’s briefcase.

Johnny Noble: My sister-in-law, Amy, where the hell is she now? I’m sure you arrogant jackasses picked her brain a bit and tailed her around for a bit to get info on Kurt!

Adze chooses to defiantly remain silent. He looks at the briefcase, realizing now just how much of his company’s reports and articles on Kurt Noble he really did copy and pass along to Johnny. Sure, much of it is propaganda and snooty paparazzi material, but some of the data he spots in the case isn’t exactly easy to obtain unless you’ve got some nasty sides of the law and office on your side. Johnny slams his hands down on Adze’s desk and leans forward a bit to look the man in the eyes.

Johnny Noble: Illegally obtaining information, going WELL beyond restraining orders just to get the “scoop”, bribery lists a mile wide...

Adze slowly inhales and exhales, his face turning red in both anger and frustration at the situation he’s in and at Johnny. The young Noble growls with his own anger and frustration nearly building to a breaking point. Adze looks up from the evidence in front of him and gives a hopeless shake of the head. Noble slams his hand down on the desk as his eyes widen.

Johnny Noble: Say something, damn you! Talk. To. Me!!

Johnny glares a venomous hole into Adze as his fingers clench and unclench on the side of Adze’s desk. The beeping sound is heard from the man’s office phone as his receptionist tries to get into contact with him.

Johnny Noble: If this keeps up, Adze, people are going to start taking hits. Big ones. Guys in this business who don’t deserve it. Pride’s nearly dead at this point already because of the damnable suits behind it and trash like you staying still and quiet to save your own ass is only going to put it out of business and kick honest men and women out on the street. It’s a business, I get it, but when I have my own personal ties in this, my own blood being the figurehead tearing down a good business, I’m not at liberty to just let things be because it’ll haunt me, it’ll haunt my family’s name for generations to come. Kurt Noble is an assist to your company, he’s your pal, he’s a boss of all things in this territory, and he’s my FUCKING brother!!

At this final comment, perhaps the most painful truth of all, Johnny Noble shoves the desk aside and rips Adze from his chair. This isn’t like the pen where Johnny calmly took it like he was innocent and just a habit of courtesy. Johnny’s all emotion now as he shoves Adze to the wall back-first and looks him dead in the eye. Just then, Johnny opens his sports-jacket to reveal an undershirt that is carrying old bloodstains on it. He pulls the shirt out for Adze to look at as he speaks in a harsh tone.

Johnny Noble: Take a good look, Adze. You remember the woman who was with me a while back in your office? You remember Debra Mason?

Mr. Adze: S…sure…

Johnny Noble: This right here is her blood. At this particular time, she’s lying unconscious in a hospital bed, breathing from a tube, and fighting to stay alive after a car mercilessly ran her down two weeks ago. It’s something she might not win and I had to call her parents up in Canada, who have no way of getting down here to see their daughter and be with her in her time of need, to tell them that. And it all came about because you passed along our names and the important info to Kurt Noble…and he acted on it.

Adze’s firm eyes narrow as he is seemingly forced to take the blame for what happened to Debra. Johnny slowly backs up and gives Adze some air as he exhales heavily and fixes his shirt. An urgent knock is heard on the main office door.

Ursula: *worried* Mr. Adze? Is everything okay?

Mr. Adze: Fine, Ursula!

Johnny looks between his briefcase and Adze.

Johnny Noble: Just…just tell me why. Why did you do it, Adze? Did you think I wasn’t going to hold up my end of the bargain? You thought I’d turn on you so you set me up and sold your soul to my brother for some extra safety?

Adze remains silent. After several moments of waiting for an answer and realizing he’s not getting one, Johnny sighs and turns back, angrily clipping his briefcase and then heading for the door.

Mr. Adze: I didn’t betray you, kid. Not on purpose anyway. I only did what the text message told me to.

Johnny stops and slowly looks back with a look of surprise on his face.

Johnny Noble: What text…?

Mr. Adze: *shrug* Said they were one of your people. I didn’t get a name. They just sent me a text message saying to personally bring the files you wanted over to some area outside Cookeville, which I did, and then I passed it all along to some guy in what I was told was an outside office of your brother. He paid me, and that was that. Anything that happened after I did what I did is not my cross to bear. As far as I’m concerned, I was giving the stuff to you…

Johnny’s eyes narrow as his surprise only grows by the second.

Johnny Noble: So you didn’t give anything to Kurt…?

Mr. Adze: No, sir, I did not.

Johnny walks back over to Adze with a newfound drive in his eyes now.

Johnny Noble: A different office outside Pride? My brother has one?

Mr. Adze: I guess so. I didn’t get to look inside, sadly.

Johnny Noble: Where?

Adze crosses his arms, his sold defiance never letting loose. Johnny’s temper flares one last time as he slams his hand on the wall a few inches from Adze’s head repeatedly until the crashing of skin on hollow wall is all that is heard before Johnny yells out in anger.

Johnny Noble: WHERE?! WHERE?! WHERE IS IT, YOU SON OF A BITCH?!!

Adze slowly inhales and exhales before answering with a roll of his eyes and a tilt of his head.

Mr. Adze: I don’t know where. Off-hand, at least. But I wrote it down somewhere and I’ll find it…if not just to get you out of my hair once and for all…

Johnny takes a deep breath as he stares a fiery hole into Adze and the scene cuts to black…

<END OF FEED>