Man: Well son are you going to let me in?
*There is more silence as Maniac continues to stare.*
Maniac: Don’t say that.
Man: Say what?
Maniac: Son, you’re not my dad!!
Man: Yes I am. I know you haven’t seen me in while but I am. I heard you came back to the Havoc so I got tickets to the next show.
Maniac: How do you know I’m on Havoc, hell how do you know I’m in HWA?
Man: Son…
*Suddenly the man’s face drops as he gets smacked by Maniac.*
Maniac: You’re not my father!!
*The man doesn’t get mad. He just slowly lifts his face and rubs it. *
Man: Ok why don’t you think I’m your father? Did you think I died or something I mean come on, I’m your dad.
Maniac: I haven’t talked to my dad in decades, not since child services took me away.
Man: Yah I know on October eighth when you were eleven.
*Maniac suddenly stares at the man again. His eyes get huge and an immense look of anger comes across his face. He raises his hand and goes to punch the man. The man dodges it then turns Maniac around and wrenches his arm behind his back. He then swiftly pins Maniac to the ground. Maniac now yells clearly frustrated. A look of horror now comes across his face. The screen now blurs to black and white images. A boy is getting hit and yelled at by a man. The screen now goes back to Maniac pinned to the ground.*
Man: Now come on I just wanted to talk.
*Maniac just continues to struggle. The man realizes with the age difference it’s just a matter of time before Maniac gets the upper hand. He takes one of his hands and puts it in his pocket while still pinning Maniac. He takes out a white cloth and it appears to be damp. The man takes it and puts it Maniac’s mouth. At first it takes no effect but then eventually his eyes begin to roll in the back of his head. The screen begins to blur then fade to black. The screen fades back to color and Maniac has now passed out on the couch in his hotel room. He slowly starts to open his eyes. It takes several seconds but then it hits him where he is and what just happened. He opens his eyes wide open then starts to struggle once again. This time however it isn’t his dad holding him down, it’s some rope. Maniac looks around and notices the man who claims to be his dad is sitting in the chair beside the couch.*
Man: Now son I know I don’t look that much different. You have to know I am your father. Well I am and sorry about the rope. That is just the only way I can get you to calm down and listen. It’s the only way I can talk to you. Now I know I wasn’t the best father. I was in fact a very bad father. I know I had a very bad temper and I took it out on the wrong people. I took it out on my friends and family. That bad temper that from your perspective of a young boy was so mysterious. I bet you didn’t even know the source of that temper or even if there was one. I bet you thought I was just a bad person. That temper was in fact not mysterious and had a clear source.
*The man pauses to gather his thoughts.*
Man: Son I was a wrestler. It was nothing big just some traveling thing. It was some small regional promotion. I just wanted to put some food on the table and provide for my family. That motive along with some stupidity drove me to experiment. You see during that time steroids were big in wrestling. I know it is somewhat big now but back then it was behind closed doors. Nobody knew about what went on. It was especially bad in the small promotions where it was less supervised. The rules were less strict there. Anyways I took them and eventually rose to the top. I won championships and was a main eventer in the promotion. However at home it caused rages that I took out on my family, namely you. I am truly sorry for that.
*Maniac just lays on the couch one again in shock.*
Maniac: You were a wrestler? How come I didn’t know?
Man: Well that profession wasn’t the glamorous one it is today. It was frowned upon back then. Well the well known promotion weren’t but the small ones were. It was looked on as a lower class job. I just didn’t feel you needed to know. I thought as long as the money was coming in it didn’t matter. I felt pressure to bring money in especially after your mom’s death.
Maniac: Well damn, how about the pressure not to hurt me!! Huh dad?
Man: I know I screwed up. That’s why I’m here, I wanted to apologize. I know that sounds stupid after all I did. You have to start somewhere though.
Maniac: Wait, so you were a wrestler?
*The man smirks then throws a piece of paper on the table in front of the couch. Maniac grabs it and looks at it in disbelief. The man smirks again.*
Silvio Delucci: Where did you think you got that god given ability? Yeah that’s right me. You’re a better athlete than me though. I had to work and train harder. However you just had it in you. It all came naturally to you.
*Maniac looks over at Silvio.*
Maniac: Ok I’m not going to do anything. Can you untie me now?
* Silvio starts to laugh.*
Silvio Delucci: Sure son.
*Silvio gets up and walks over to Maniac. He unties him then Maniac sits up and Silvio goes back to the chair.*
Silvio Delucci: So son do you get what I’m saying?
Maniac: Yeah I do.
Silvio Delucci: Ok now there is something I always wanted to ask you.
*Both men pause and it seems something serious is going to come up.*
Maniac: Yeah what is it?
Silvio Delucci: Ok when you arrived in HWA you were called just Maniac and now you are The Human Horror Reel. What is the deal? In my day we didn’t need some fancy gimmicky name. Like my name is Silvio Delucci and I used that. It may not have been a flashy name but that forces them to judge you on your wrestling ability. You should just be your name, Antonino Romano.
*Maniac just laughs and shakes his head.*
Maniac: Well things are a lot different now.
Silvio Delucci: Well I guess so. The HWA is a big place. Its way bigger than any place I performed in.
Maniac: Yeah I know it’s a big place. I‘ve been there for about most of my career. I just came back awhile ago.
Silvio Delucci: Oh yeah I know I’ve been watching you ever since you joined. I never miss HWA. I watch Havoc all the time. I wish that place was around when I wrestled.
Maniac: Yeah it’s a cool place. I seem to be finally getting breaks.
Silvio Delucci: Yeah I know you face Ronnie McNeil this week, he is really good. The man is a wrestling machine, a former HWA World Champion, HWA Intercontinental Champion, HoWA Grand Slam Champion , DSWA Grand Slam Champion, NIWF World Heavyweight Champion, NIWF US Champion, VWA World Champion, VWA Tag Champions, UWA World Champion, UWA N. American Champion, WXCW World Champion, NEW Northeastern Champion, NEW Xtreme Champion, PIW International/United States Champion, PIW Xtreme Champion, PIW Tag Champions, GCW King of the Deathmatch Champion, GCW Tag Champions, GCW Limelight Champion, GCW Georgia Champion, sWo X Division Champion, ERWF World Champion, EccwF World Champion, CCWA World Champion, EWW World Champion, XHCW World Champion, XHCW TV Champion, GLWA Heavyweight Champion, GLWA Highspots Champion, NWA World Heavyweight Champion, NWA William Muldoon Heritage Champion. The man has practically done it all Antonino.
.
Maniac: Yeah thank you for reminding me of that.
Silvio Delucci: Well he did. I think you can win this week though. You have improved a lot. That’s why it comes natural to you. You improved this much without help. You did it all by yourself.
Maniac: Well thanks yeah I did do it pretty much on my own.
Silvio Delucci: Yeah and you even made a company. That’s something I never could’ve done.
Maniac: Oh yeah you mean Romano Inc. Yeah we’ve been open for a little under a year now. It was just a place to handle my public relations and to manage my career.
Silvio Delucci: Oh yeah you see I never could think like that.
Maniac: What do you mean?
Silvio Delucci: You think of your career in and out of the ring. You think of the financial side.
Maniac: No actually I have people who do that. That’s what Romano Inc. is for.
Silvio Delucci: Well I didn’t even have people. The point is you think about that stuff or at least you think enough of it to get people to do it for you. If I did that my career might have gone on longer.
Maniac: What went wrong?
Silvio Delucci: Well part of the reason I stopped is like most wrestlers, my body couldn’t take it anymore. Another reason I was just a bad business man. I didn’t sell myself very well.
Maniac: Oh I see well that can be hard.
Silvio Delucci: Yeah it was.
Maniac: Well I have to get some rest. I have some training to do tomorrow for my match.
Silvio Delucci: Oh ok son well I’ll get out of your hair.
*Both men get up and walk to the door. Silvio opens it and steps through the doorway. He looks back at Maniac.*
Silvio Delucci: Look son I’m sorry for what I did to you. I don’t expect you to forgive me but I hoped this could be a start.
*There is a pause as Maniac just looks at Silvio.*
Maniac: Thanks.
*There is another pause as Silvio realizes that’s all he is going to get.*
Silvio Delucci: Ok goodnight son.
Maniac: Goodnight.
*Silvio walks away as Maniac closes the door behind him. After he closes the door he just stands there facing the door. He leans forward until his head touches the door. You can suddenly see a tear run down Maniac’s cheek. As soon he feels it he stands back up and wipes it away. He walks over to the kitchen and grabs a glass. He fills it with water and drinks it. Then he turns on the water in the sink. He cups the water with his hands and puts it on his face. This no doubt has been a shocking night for him. The most painful experience of his life has come forward to him. The bad relationship with his father has now been revealed. He has also found out he is in fact a second generation wrestler. That might have explained all the physical gifts he has along with the reason of his father's temper. A lot of things have been discovered on this night. Maniac is clearly exhausted and needs some rest. Maniac slowly walks to his bedroom and the door slowly closes following him. As the door closes the screen slowly fades to black.*
_________________________________________________
*The scene cuts to a gym where Maniac is seen on the bench press. A gym employee is standing nearby spotting him. It appears they have been at it for awhile. Maniac is drenched with sweat. Maniac finally finishes his last rep and puts the bar back on the rack.*
Gym Employee: Wow you’re looking good today Maniac.
Maniac: Oh thanks.
Gym Employee: You must’ve had a good night of rest last night.
Maniac: Well it was sure an interesting night.
Gym Employee: What do you mean?
Maniac: Well my dad paid me a visit.
Gym Employee: Oh cool.
Maniac: Not really, well it ended up being cool but normally it wouldn’t be.
Gym Employee: What do you mean?
Maniac: Well that bad childhood I didn’t want to talk about yesterday was because my dad beat me. He had a bit of a temper.
Gym Employee: Oh wow what happened?
Maniac: Well we talked and it turns out my dad was also a wrestler. He experimented with some steroids and that was the reason for the temper.
Gym Employee: Oh wow that’s huge.
Maniac: What?
Gym Employee: A second generation wrestler is a big thing in this business.
Maniac: Yeah so I’ve heard.
Gym Employee: Well did everything go ok?
Maniac: Yeah we just talked. I think he got tickets for this coming Havoc.
Gym Employee: Oh well I’m glad it all worked out.
Maniac: Yeah it’s a work in progress but yeah so far so good.
Gym Employee: Ok well you better get back to the hotel and get cleaned up; you have to go to a pre-Havoc press conference.
Maniac: Oh ok give me a few minutes.
*Maniac gets up and heads back to the locker room of the gym. As he walks through the door the screen slowly fades to black.*
_________________________________________________
*The scene cuts to a dimly lit arena lobby. You can see the glass windows shining in the night sky. The turnstiles are also in the background. Maniac is suddenly seen walking towards the camera. He is wearing a black t-shirt and blue jeans. He walks until he is in the middle of the screen. The camera then zooms in so you can see him from just his shoulders up. He waits several seconds before he begins to talk.*
Maniac: At Havoc I will show that I belong. I will live up to my hype. I will show that I’m not out of my league. I feel that last week I may have made an impression on Deas and everyone else despite in the double count out. However I want to make more than an impression. I want to make a victory. I want to win!! This week Ronnie you will find out why I am a true contender for the HWA All-Star Championship. You will find out why you should truly be concerned about me. I am I threat to you!! I am focused and I am hungry. I have an appetite for gold once again. It has been a long time since I had that gold across my waist. I have come a long way from that and that is why I deserve to hold a major title in the HWA. I have goals and aspirations. They are to become one the biggest and most decorated superstars in the history of the HWA. I will achieve those goals and right now Ronnie you are in my way. You are the current obstacle in my way to my destiny. I respect you so this will be nothing personal, just business. In a way you can feel you good, you will know that you were a stone in the path of my greatness.
*Maniac smirks before he continues to talk.*
Maniac: Ronnie, I know your moves, from watching you in the ring to watching your matches on tapes. I also know that your fellow NWO lackeys will be waiting to tear my head off the first chance they get. I’m not dumb Ronnie, that’s why I got some allies of my own, some people who like me are tired of the NWO and what they are doing to the HWA and wrestling as a whole. When we meet at Havoc Ronnie I am going to make good on that bounty, not just for a title shot but to stop you and the NWO. Ronnie I am out to win, I am going to win and there isn’t a damn thing you are any of those NOW FUKERS can do about it.
*Maniac starts to laugh as he turns and slowly walks off the screen. The screen then slowly fades to black.*
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