Post by The Predator on May 28, 2012 18:25:39 GMT -6
Darkness is broken by the appearance of light. Predator stalks into his hotel room, tossing his duffel bag into a corner, exhaling deeply, and goes to look at himself in the mirror. He checks his features meticulously, making sure all wounds are bandaged and sealed and everything crevice and curve is in order. Satisfied, he steps away, only to deal with Johnny, who barges into the room like a barreling ox, puffing, fuming, and ranting.
"What the HELL, man. What the HELL did you think you were doing?"
The Predator shrugs, and sits back, down on his bed. "My job, John. Calm down."
The manager isn't hearing it, however; One can plainly tell how worked up he is, and he is clearly determined to carry this verbal assault to the end.
"I just don't...Fucking....What in the...DUDE! YOU HAD THEM! You fuck around ALL DAMN MATCH, you play like a baby in a damn sandbox, you wake up and decide to wrestle like The Predator for 30 seconds, you break a damn ladder in half and the guy you threw on it to boot, you were all set to win...What happened, man? You just let that shit slip away! You didn't go after it like you wanted it! And you go and you JUMP Matt Hawk afterwards? That's not you! What the fuck were you thinking?!"
Predator is up in a flash, relaxation falling away almost instantaneously to a sort of corded, nervous tension possessed by a cornered cougar. It is suddenly apparent how massive a man he is; In his congenial, good-natured moods, Predator seems like one of the guys, albeit an incredibly shredded one. He now seems almost completely alien, his massive stature and statuesque build dwarfing his everyman associate and backing him into a wall with sheer presence alone.
"CALM DOWN."
Johnny makes a sort of squeak, and almost curls away from the alpha display of size and potency. Predator grunts and sits back down. "I never hit my groove, John. I underestimated how hard it would be to just get back in the ring and do it all over again. By the time I hit my stride, I had used up too much energy. I thought I could just walk into that match and explode, turn on all the ruthless aggression I used to have. It didn't work out that way; I got pissed off enough to do real damage one time."
He offers a wry chuckle.
"I think I pulled my punches a couple of times, John. Like I was in the gym not wanting to hurt one of the boys. It was that kind of deal."
Johnny exhales, still shaken. "Are you, like...domesticated, champ? If you think you've lost the edge...We shouldn't be doing this comeback thing. You're one of the best ever. Don't stain your legacy with a bunch of subpar performances here at the end."
Predator looks at Johnny steadily. "I haven't lost a step physically, John. When I shifted into a real gear back there...I dominated. Just like old times. I just need to figure out how to explode like that at will during a match. I can use my skill and experience to control a situation, and when the time comes, I'll make myself see red, and I'll break people. That's about how I won in the old days; I just have to work at it now."
Johnny runs his fingers through his hair, beginning to pace.
"That's why you jumped him, isn't it? I saw that look in your eye. You were practicing being pissed."
Predator sighs. "I spent the entire aftermath of my match watching those bastards slander me and lie about me all damn week. I was ticked; Then Mr. Idol gets up and starts spewing his holier than thou bullshit on the big stage. I wanted to go shove it down their throats. Civilized Dylan would have swallowed that impulse. The Predator would have spit in their eyes and beat their asses. Considering I want to find a way to return to being the latter, I decided to go out their and kick some ass. I did. And it felt good."
John is not amused. "Dude, you know that guy is the worst kind of brute. He's going to be out for payback."
The Predator chuckles. "What's the worst he can do? Hit me with a chair? Yeah, that shit hurts, but it wouldn't be the first time. If Hawk makes sure things escalate, eventually, it'll be him and me in a ring. And then, I'll beat him. Again. Just like I did 6 years ago."
Johnny appears optimistic, all of a sudden. "You think you're just rusty? Like, with a little practice and ring time, you can just go back to being a force of nature again?"
Predator lays back and closes his eyes, the fatigue of disappointment and exertion compelling him to rest. "I don't know, John, but I'll tell you one thing; I intend to find out at Freedom."
Blackout
"What the HELL, man. What the HELL did you think you were doing?"
The Predator shrugs, and sits back, down on his bed. "My job, John. Calm down."
The manager isn't hearing it, however; One can plainly tell how worked up he is, and he is clearly determined to carry this verbal assault to the end.
"I just don't...Fucking....What in the...DUDE! YOU HAD THEM! You fuck around ALL DAMN MATCH, you play like a baby in a damn sandbox, you wake up and decide to wrestle like The Predator for 30 seconds, you break a damn ladder in half and the guy you threw on it to boot, you were all set to win...What happened, man? You just let that shit slip away! You didn't go after it like you wanted it! And you go and you JUMP Matt Hawk afterwards? That's not you! What the fuck were you thinking?!"
Predator is up in a flash, relaxation falling away almost instantaneously to a sort of corded, nervous tension possessed by a cornered cougar. It is suddenly apparent how massive a man he is; In his congenial, good-natured moods, Predator seems like one of the guys, albeit an incredibly shredded one. He now seems almost completely alien, his massive stature and statuesque build dwarfing his everyman associate and backing him into a wall with sheer presence alone.
"CALM DOWN."
Johnny makes a sort of squeak, and almost curls away from the alpha display of size and potency. Predator grunts and sits back down. "I never hit my groove, John. I underestimated how hard it would be to just get back in the ring and do it all over again. By the time I hit my stride, I had used up too much energy. I thought I could just walk into that match and explode, turn on all the ruthless aggression I used to have. It didn't work out that way; I got pissed off enough to do real damage one time."
He offers a wry chuckle.
"I think I pulled my punches a couple of times, John. Like I was in the gym not wanting to hurt one of the boys. It was that kind of deal."
Johnny exhales, still shaken. "Are you, like...domesticated, champ? If you think you've lost the edge...We shouldn't be doing this comeback thing. You're one of the best ever. Don't stain your legacy with a bunch of subpar performances here at the end."
Predator looks at Johnny steadily. "I haven't lost a step physically, John. When I shifted into a real gear back there...I dominated. Just like old times. I just need to figure out how to explode like that at will during a match. I can use my skill and experience to control a situation, and when the time comes, I'll make myself see red, and I'll break people. That's about how I won in the old days; I just have to work at it now."
Johnny runs his fingers through his hair, beginning to pace.
"That's why you jumped him, isn't it? I saw that look in your eye. You were practicing being pissed."
Predator sighs. "I spent the entire aftermath of my match watching those bastards slander me and lie about me all damn week. I was ticked; Then Mr. Idol gets up and starts spewing his holier than thou bullshit on the big stage. I wanted to go shove it down their throats. Civilized Dylan would have swallowed that impulse. The Predator would have spit in their eyes and beat their asses. Considering I want to find a way to return to being the latter, I decided to go out their and kick some ass. I did. And it felt good."
John is not amused. "Dude, you know that guy is the worst kind of brute. He's going to be out for payback."
The Predator chuckles. "What's the worst he can do? Hit me with a chair? Yeah, that shit hurts, but it wouldn't be the first time. If Hawk makes sure things escalate, eventually, it'll be him and me in a ring. And then, I'll beat him. Again. Just like I did 6 years ago."
Johnny appears optimistic, all of a sudden. "You think you're just rusty? Like, with a little practice and ring time, you can just go back to being a force of nature again?"
Predator lays back and closes his eyes, the fatigue of disappointment and exertion compelling him to rest. "I don't know, John, but I'll tell you one thing; I intend to find out at Freedom."
Blackout