Post by Storm on Jul 31, 2010 15:43:54 GMT -5
It’s the next day, and despite the awkward tension between himself and Daniel Boneham Stanton as the duo walks down a hallway in the Cookeville Community Center, Storm seems to be in much better shape than he was last night. Though the hour was early and Storm still sported deep bags upon his face, he was back in normal form: his eyes were no longer bleary and droopy, and he had shaven his face and re-styled his hair. With Stanton’s cowboy heels stomping the floor beside him, Storm strode forward in blue jogging pants and black sneakers, his barrel chest appearing to want to rip out of the black “Return of the Kingdom” t-shirt he wore as his shoulders swung back and forth while he walked.
The pair of best-but-often-strained friends walked without a word between them. Storm looked forward, not even acknowledging Stanton’s presence. DBS on the other hand snuck nervous glances at Storm here and again while he suspiciously kept patting or otherwise fingering his gray suit pants around the pocket without even seeming to realize he was doing so.
It was finally Stanton who broke the silence, tugging his gray jacket away from his crimson red shirt as he did so. ”Look at that, Storm…Avice is on time and ready. Things are already improved from that Pro Wrestling Fire dump!”
Storm’s eyes twitched as his pupils shifted to the side toward Stanton, but despite the clear indication he heard what his friend said he did nothing to acknowledge him. Instead, he continued his strides toward the waiting Alex Avice, who extended his right hand toward Storm. Storm scowled at Avice but did not reach out to meet the offered handshake, instead leaving Stanton to take a quick step forward and reach in, clasping Avice’s hand. Avice smiled politely at Stanton but turned to Storm, nodding.
”I suppose you just want to get this going and over with then, huh?” he asked with a nervous politeness as he eyed the large man before him. Storm responded with a grunt and a nod of his head, which Avice offered a weak smile to and then turned toward the cameraman who had been waiting and offered a signal that he was read to begin. After giving the camera man a few seconds to get rolling, Avice raised his microphone to Storm and began his interview.
“Alex Avice here, standing by with Storm, one of the eight competitors in the Last Chance Battle Royale later tonight at Return of the Kingdom for the opportunity to compete in the Gauntlet Match for the Valiant title,” he fired off rapidly as Storm rolled his eyes behind him. Not noticing, Avice pivoted his body slightly away from the camera and more toward Storm and the adjacent Daniel Boneham Stanton. ”It is clearly a monumental task before you, so how have you been preparing?”
Storm pauses to consider the question as he reflects inwardly while offering Avice another scowl. Avice stands still, holding the microphone unwaveringly as he awaits Storm’s response; it never comes, however, as DBS leans in and interjects himself.
”Woah there, boy,” he said voraciously as he cut off any response Storm might have offered. ”What my client is doing to prepare isn’t nobody’s business but mine an’ his! What’re ya doin’, tryin’ to get him to give away his secrets to his opponents? That just ain’t smart business.”
Behind Stanton, Storm eyes his friend with disbelief and disdain, his expression severe enough that it causes an observant Alex Avice to wince despite Storm’s gaze being quite clearly focused on the back of Stanton’s head.
”Now, if you’re gonna continue to ask questions like this I’ll cut this interview short faster than a Texas Ranger can draw his pistol, ya hear? I will not stand for such blatantly foolish questions, and I will take my client and we will leave this here…
Storm’s heard enough and shoulders past Stanton, positioning himself in front of the microphone as Avice glances nervously between the two and becomes aware of the awkwardness between the two. Stanton cuts himself off midsentence as he looks incredulously at Storm, who shoots him a threatening glare before turning to the camera.
”What my well-meaning friend meant to say, Alex, is that I’ve been going through my normal preparation for any event; it tends to work, so I see no reason to switch it up,” Storm states matter-of-factly and with a straight face despite the blatant lie.
Avice, with no reason to take Storm’s statement at anything but face value bought right into it and countered with a further question. ”Well, Storm, with all due respect – while that’s certainly normally a reasonable approach to things, don’t you think it may be a bit inappropriate here? I mean, this is hardly any ordinary event for you – it’s a chance to become the inaugural Valiant Champion for the new Kingdom of Pride, and to do so you’ll have to not only triumph in an eight-man battle Royale but then outlast seven other man in a Triple Threat Gauntlet match in which you’d enter first,” Avice concludes as he catches his breath. When no immediate response is forthcoming from the once again scowling Storm, he adds ”Don’t you think that this kind of nearly insurmountable challenge deserves some sort of special preparation?”
Stanton moves forward to answer the question for Storm, reaching up to adjust his gray cowboy hat as he does so, but Storm blocks his moment with a massive arm. Stanton locks eyes with Storm and offers a “What’re you doing” expression, and Storm simply responds by narrowing his eyes as if to tell Stanton to back off. Storm holds Stanton back in silence until DBS relaxes, at which point Storm uses his other hand to take the microphone out of Avice’s hand. Avice jumps back, startled and perhaps fearing for his well-being, but Storm makes no further aggressive move toward him and instead addresses the cameraman once more.
”When I need to rise to conquer monumental challenges is when I thrive, Alex, and so that neither you or the Kingdom of Pride faithful can ever forget that again, allow me to clarify what I mean,” he says with determination and a hint of growing irritation. ”Since I first started to come into adulthood I’ve taken impossible odds head on and overcome them. For three years in a row in high school I carried a football team full of talentless runts to the State Championship game. In my first outing in Professional Wrestling I debuted at the promotions largest event of the year and captured gold in my first match. I became a main event player in that same promotion, the GSB, by going one-through-thirteen in a gauntlet match to become the number one contender for the GSB World Championship.
Storm pauses for an instant and stares into the camera, his eyes glossing over as if he’s replaying past glories in his head. With the silence hanging in the air, Avice creeps toward the microphone Storm now holds and gingerly reaches a hand up to take it back. Before he can, though, Storm snaps out of whatever reverie he was in and continues.
”Just a few months ago I continued the trend. In Pro Wrestling FIRE I defeated a man I had never beaten despite multiple encounters with him to begin my rise to the top, and I then went undefeated in Pay-Per-View matches until the promotion folded,” Storm adds conclusively, relaxing his grip on the microphone and eyeing Avice challengingly as if to dare him to question his boisterous statement. Avice glances around for a moment and considers the situation and then takes the microphone as he shrugs his shoulders and bobs his Adam’s Apple up and down with a big gulp of air.
”But…” Avice begins narrowly, jerking back as if he expected Storm to strike out at him. When no such move comes save a hard stare from the large man, Avice finishes, ”In all of those situations nothing really came of it. I’ve done my research, and you never actually won a State title in high school, and in the GSB you won those tag titles that first time with a sneak attack and then lost them the next month when you had a fair match. You never captured the GSB World Title despite numerous chances as Number One Contender, and in Pro Wrestling FIRE you never even got a title shot. In fact, in pretty much everyone of those “big game” situations you choked and…”
Storm had been growing visibly more and more irritated as Avice worked through his laundry list, his eye beginning to twitch and his forehead creasing. To his credit though, Storm had controlled himself and was allowing Avice to finish. However, when Avice used the word “choke” Storm could not take it any longer and let out an animalistic roar as he grabbed the microphone in one hand and pushed Avice aside with the other, causing the Kingdom of Pride staff member to stumble to the ground. A suddenly concerned Stanton began to step forward to try to calm his friend before he did something he would regret, but Storm did not move toward the now floored Avice but stepped forward to the camera so his face was now mere inches from the lens.
”Never, NEVER accuse me of choking!” Storm literally screamed into the camera, as if he was addressing Avice himself despite the message clearly being addressed to everyone. ”I have come too far in almost 10 years in this business to fall short. I have failed in the past, and I live with that every day…every God Damned day! Storm screams as he bats the camera aside, causing the lens the shot to jostle and lose him and focus instead on the floor.
”But it is for that reason that I will prevail tonight,” he says from off screen as the microphone still picks up his voice…as well as the sound of moving air and a thump on the floor as he now kneels down and leans so he’s back in the shot, looking like a predator ready to pounce. ”What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger; too many times have those who have defeated me failed to finish the job – and for that, everyone will pay. I collect the debt the world owes me tonight, and don’t you DARE doubt that!
The shot fades, leaving the viewing audience with the parting image of a crazed and and feral 300-pounder looking ferociously right at them.
TO BE CONCLUDED
The pair of best-but-often-strained friends walked without a word between them. Storm looked forward, not even acknowledging Stanton’s presence. DBS on the other hand snuck nervous glances at Storm here and again while he suspiciously kept patting or otherwise fingering his gray suit pants around the pocket without even seeming to realize he was doing so.
It was finally Stanton who broke the silence, tugging his gray jacket away from his crimson red shirt as he did so. ”Look at that, Storm…Avice is on time and ready. Things are already improved from that Pro Wrestling Fire dump!”
Storm’s eyes twitched as his pupils shifted to the side toward Stanton, but despite the clear indication he heard what his friend said he did nothing to acknowledge him. Instead, he continued his strides toward the waiting Alex Avice, who extended his right hand toward Storm. Storm scowled at Avice but did not reach out to meet the offered handshake, instead leaving Stanton to take a quick step forward and reach in, clasping Avice’s hand. Avice smiled politely at Stanton but turned to Storm, nodding.
”I suppose you just want to get this going and over with then, huh?” he asked with a nervous politeness as he eyed the large man before him. Storm responded with a grunt and a nod of his head, which Avice offered a weak smile to and then turned toward the cameraman who had been waiting and offered a signal that he was read to begin. After giving the camera man a few seconds to get rolling, Avice raised his microphone to Storm and began his interview.
“Alex Avice here, standing by with Storm, one of the eight competitors in the Last Chance Battle Royale later tonight at Return of the Kingdom for the opportunity to compete in the Gauntlet Match for the Valiant title,” he fired off rapidly as Storm rolled his eyes behind him. Not noticing, Avice pivoted his body slightly away from the camera and more toward Storm and the adjacent Daniel Boneham Stanton. ”It is clearly a monumental task before you, so how have you been preparing?”
Storm pauses to consider the question as he reflects inwardly while offering Avice another scowl. Avice stands still, holding the microphone unwaveringly as he awaits Storm’s response; it never comes, however, as DBS leans in and interjects himself.
”Woah there, boy,” he said voraciously as he cut off any response Storm might have offered. ”What my client is doing to prepare isn’t nobody’s business but mine an’ his! What’re ya doin’, tryin’ to get him to give away his secrets to his opponents? That just ain’t smart business.”
Behind Stanton, Storm eyes his friend with disbelief and disdain, his expression severe enough that it causes an observant Alex Avice to wince despite Storm’s gaze being quite clearly focused on the back of Stanton’s head.
”Now, if you’re gonna continue to ask questions like this I’ll cut this interview short faster than a Texas Ranger can draw his pistol, ya hear? I will not stand for such blatantly foolish questions, and I will take my client and we will leave this here…
Storm’s heard enough and shoulders past Stanton, positioning himself in front of the microphone as Avice glances nervously between the two and becomes aware of the awkwardness between the two. Stanton cuts himself off midsentence as he looks incredulously at Storm, who shoots him a threatening glare before turning to the camera.
”What my well-meaning friend meant to say, Alex, is that I’ve been going through my normal preparation for any event; it tends to work, so I see no reason to switch it up,” Storm states matter-of-factly and with a straight face despite the blatant lie.
Avice, with no reason to take Storm’s statement at anything but face value bought right into it and countered with a further question. ”Well, Storm, with all due respect – while that’s certainly normally a reasonable approach to things, don’t you think it may be a bit inappropriate here? I mean, this is hardly any ordinary event for you – it’s a chance to become the inaugural Valiant Champion for the new Kingdom of Pride, and to do so you’ll have to not only triumph in an eight-man battle Royale but then outlast seven other man in a Triple Threat Gauntlet match in which you’d enter first,” Avice concludes as he catches his breath. When no immediate response is forthcoming from the once again scowling Storm, he adds ”Don’t you think that this kind of nearly insurmountable challenge deserves some sort of special preparation?”
Stanton moves forward to answer the question for Storm, reaching up to adjust his gray cowboy hat as he does so, but Storm blocks his moment with a massive arm. Stanton locks eyes with Storm and offers a “What’re you doing” expression, and Storm simply responds by narrowing his eyes as if to tell Stanton to back off. Storm holds Stanton back in silence until DBS relaxes, at which point Storm uses his other hand to take the microphone out of Avice’s hand. Avice jumps back, startled and perhaps fearing for his well-being, but Storm makes no further aggressive move toward him and instead addresses the cameraman once more.
”When I need to rise to conquer monumental challenges is when I thrive, Alex, and so that neither you or the Kingdom of Pride faithful can ever forget that again, allow me to clarify what I mean,” he says with determination and a hint of growing irritation. ”Since I first started to come into adulthood I’ve taken impossible odds head on and overcome them. For three years in a row in high school I carried a football team full of talentless runts to the State Championship game. In my first outing in Professional Wrestling I debuted at the promotions largest event of the year and captured gold in my first match. I became a main event player in that same promotion, the GSB, by going one-through-thirteen in a gauntlet match to become the number one contender for the GSB World Championship.
Storm pauses for an instant and stares into the camera, his eyes glossing over as if he’s replaying past glories in his head. With the silence hanging in the air, Avice creeps toward the microphone Storm now holds and gingerly reaches a hand up to take it back. Before he can, though, Storm snaps out of whatever reverie he was in and continues.
”Just a few months ago I continued the trend. In Pro Wrestling FIRE I defeated a man I had never beaten despite multiple encounters with him to begin my rise to the top, and I then went undefeated in Pay-Per-View matches until the promotion folded,” Storm adds conclusively, relaxing his grip on the microphone and eyeing Avice challengingly as if to dare him to question his boisterous statement. Avice glances around for a moment and considers the situation and then takes the microphone as he shrugs his shoulders and bobs his Adam’s Apple up and down with a big gulp of air.
”But…” Avice begins narrowly, jerking back as if he expected Storm to strike out at him. When no such move comes save a hard stare from the large man, Avice finishes, ”In all of those situations nothing really came of it. I’ve done my research, and you never actually won a State title in high school, and in the GSB you won those tag titles that first time with a sneak attack and then lost them the next month when you had a fair match. You never captured the GSB World Title despite numerous chances as Number One Contender, and in Pro Wrestling FIRE you never even got a title shot. In fact, in pretty much everyone of those “big game” situations you choked and…”
Storm had been growing visibly more and more irritated as Avice worked through his laundry list, his eye beginning to twitch and his forehead creasing. To his credit though, Storm had controlled himself and was allowing Avice to finish. However, when Avice used the word “choke” Storm could not take it any longer and let out an animalistic roar as he grabbed the microphone in one hand and pushed Avice aside with the other, causing the Kingdom of Pride staff member to stumble to the ground. A suddenly concerned Stanton began to step forward to try to calm his friend before he did something he would regret, but Storm did not move toward the now floored Avice but stepped forward to the camera so his face was now mere inches from the lens.
”Never, NEVER accuse me of choking!” Storm literally screamed into the camera, as if he was addressing Avice himself despite the message clearly being addressed to everyone. ”I have come too far in almost 10 years in this business to fall short. I have failed in the past, and I live with that every day…every God Damned day! Storm screams as he bats the camera aside, causing the lens the shot to jostle and lose him and focus instead on the floor.
”But it is for that reason that I will prevail tonight,” he says from off screen as the microphone still picks up his voice…as well as the sound of moving air and a thump on the floor as he now kneels down and leans so he’s back in the shot, looking like a predator ready to pounce. ”What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger; too many times have those who have defeated me failed to finish the job – and for that, everyone will pay. I collect the debt the world owes me tonight, and don’t you DARE doubt that!
The shot fades, leaving the viewing audience with the parting image of a crazed and and feral 300-pounder looking ferociously right at them.
TO BE CONCLUDED
