Fade In
* We open in the middle of a poorly lit church where two large covered objects are found resting on the sanctuary. A variety of memorial candles are found placed on the floor and behind the objects similar to something from a funeral. An organ begins to play the opening to “Ave Maria” as a cloud of smoke moves into view from the left hand side of the frame. A few seconds later viewers gain sight of Michael James as he enters the frame dressed like a modern day reverend. He has the freshly polished HWA All Star Championship draped over his shoulder. He looks up at the camera with a Cuban cigar gripped between his teeth. He removes the cigar and adjusts his sunglasses *
Michael James: Today, we are gathered here to celebrate the memory of two men who are not with us anymore. Stu E Price and Judas Mercury.
* James removes the tarps from the objects to reveal them as framed images of Stu E Price and Judas Mercury. He turns back towards the camera and drops the tarps on the floor *
Jason: What do you mean they’re not with us anymore? I talked to Price just a few hours ago and he seems to be doing fine.
* The camera pans to the opposite side of the church to show a collection of empty pews. One half of the HWA commentary team, aka Jason, is found sitting alone at the very front. James removes his sunglasses and places them inside of his robe *
Michael James: Is this my story or yours, Jay?
Jason: Yours, apparently. I’m just getting paid to sit here and listen.
Michael James: Exactly.
Jason: Who died? I don’t see a casket anywhere. Or a dead body for that matter.
Michael James: That’s because caskets are a waste of money. You gonna let me do this or do I have to bury three of you today?
Jason: Yea, yea. Get it out of your system.
* James scratches his head for a second as he looks across the church at Jason. The footage jump cuts to a shot of Jason sitting on the same pew with his entire body wrapped in duct tape. He twitches around as much as he can but is helpless under the thickness of the duct tape. The camera pans back to Michael James as he takes a drag from his cigar and grows a smile on his face *
Michael James: Now. As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, we are here today to celebrate the lost lives of two men who aren’t with us anymore. Two men, who at one point or another may have had a positive outlook on life, now settle as being nothing more than an opaque silhouette of the men they used to be. And who is to blame for their sudden departure from the general population? Me? I don’t think so. Because even if I was the man to put both of these insecure douche bags into the ground when no one else could it still doesn’t give them any justifiable reason to blame me for any of their prior failures. If they failed to deliver, it wasn’t my fault. If they failed to live up to their own expectations, it’s not my problem. I never fail to live up to my own expectations so I can’t relate with either one of them or their pathetic losses. I’m not going to be anyone’s scapegoat no matter what I’ve done in the past. In this business you can’t trust anyone so from my point of view I was simply doing everyone else a favor by taking two obnoxious assholes out of the game. They were well aware of my capabilities so they could have quit when they still had the chance. They could have quit but they didn’t and most people can admire that. I’m not one of those people. I don’t admire or respect either of those weak mother####ers because they haven’t earned it. To be completely honest with you, Stu E Price and Judas Mercury are dead to me.
* James reaches inside of his pocket and pulls out a bottle of lighter fluid. He begins spraying the fluid onto the framed images *
Michael James: They’re dead to me just like they’re dead to everyone who considered them to be actual competition. I don’t care who they once were or what they may have managed to do in the past. In my eyes Price and Mercury will always be useless pieces of mid card shit. I’m above them both and I’ve proven it on multiple occasions. There is nothing left to do but put them in my rear view while I move on to bigger and better things.
* James pulls a Zippo lighter from his pocket and releases the top cover. He flicks the wheel with his thumb and brings the flame towards the image of Stu E Price. Michael James pulls his hand away as the image is seen going up in flames *
Michael James: Judas, well, your situation is a bit different. Unfortunately, at Blood, Sweat and Tears you were tossed into a match that you had no chance of winning. Because let’s face it Mercury, you’re not championship material. You will never be so to think you are is just plain stupid on your part. But you’re used to that, aren’t you Judas? You’re used to having opportunities handed to you when you know you haven’t done a ####ing thing to earn them. That’s why you will always lose. Because that’s the only thing you know how to do better than the rest of us. That’s why people like you and Stu E Price have no possible future in this business. On the upside, you may have finally found something you’re actually good at. It’s just a shame that your new found abilities aren’t going to work the way you may have originally planned. Instead of helping you to reach some sort of advancement in the company your so called talent has done nothing more but held you back. If you look at it from my perspective your career has been very similar to a train wreck. People don’t like watching you assassinate your own character but at the same time they can’t look away. I’ll even come out and admit it. Watching you lose is fun for me, Judas. It’s as entertaining for me as it is for the people who are witness to your self provoked public humiliation. Anytime you decide to cut another one of your pathetic promos it’s just another foot in the grave. Just another donation of failure contributed towards your withering career.
* James takes a drag from his cigar and pulls it away from his mouth. He uses the cigar to ignite the lighter fluid on the framed image of Judas Mercury. The image is left as nothing but a smoking pile of burnt paper, plastic and debris. The flames coming from the image of Judas begin to shoot flammable embers onto the sanctuary *
Jason: It’s getting kind of hot in here, James.
* He says from underneath the duct tape as he watches the rising flames with a look of fear in his eyes. Sweat drips from his brow as Jason twitches around trying to free himself from the duct tape mummy wrap. Michael James turns back to the camera *
Michael James: And you, Parker. Don’t think for a second that I forgot about you. If that’s the case then you obviously don’t know dick about Michael James. If you have been watching over the past few weeks you would know what happens to people who try the get the best of me. Price and Mercury tried and look where they are now. At the back of the ####ing line trying to find a way to recover from the humiliation they suffered at the hands of the Personification of Perfection. Is that where you want to be, Parker? Do you want to throw away everything you have accomplished for the sake of your own ego? If so, I’m not going to stop you. If you want to make fatal mistakes that could possibly lead you into an early retirement, be my guest. I will have no problem taking you out of the game like I did to so many others. That’s what I do, Parker. Ask anyone around the locker room and they will tell you that I am the last person you want to #### with. Ask Price and Judas Mercury. They will all tell you the same thing. They will tell you that going to war with Michael James only has one possible outcome. They will testify that I’m a man who refuses to lose and cannot accept failure as an option. I’m nothing like you, Parker. I’m a champion. I’m a rare breed in the HWA where you’re just another carbon copy of the same tired bullshit we’ve seen a million times before.
* James takes a drag from his cigar as he gradually begins walking down the steps towards the church floor *
Michael James: If you haven’t leaned by now, Parker, you should know that I’m a man of my word. I take this business very seriously and I don’t take kindly to disrespect from assholes like you. I don’t appreciate you trying to become the center of attention at my expense.
* Michael James casually walks by the pew as Jason continues to struggle underneath the mummy wrap. James begins walking down the aisle with the cigar gripped between his teeth. Michael James approaches the exit of the church. He turns around and faces the camera as he removes the cigar from his mouth *
Michael James: Because as you can see Parker, unlike you, I did exactly what I said I was going to do at Blood, Sweat and Tears. I put to rest the useless ego of Stu E Price while earning my first legit championship since stepping foot into the company only a few months ago. How about you, Parker? How many championships have you earned lately? None? Well, then I guess it’s safe to say that I’m doing a hell out a lot better than you. To be honest with you it was downright painful watching you lose to Senester the way you did. I mean, why show up at all if you’re just going to tuck tail and run? It made no sense to me but then again this is Butch Parker we’re taking about. A man with no serious intentions of success no matter how much bullshit he wants to spew from his mouth. A man who will NEVER get another shot at the HWA World Championship no matter what excuses he wants to pull out of his ass. At Blood, Sweat and Tears, you ####ed up. You turned your back on the last opportunity you will ever have to be the best in the company. That, my incompetent friend, was a mistake you’re going to live to regret. You just have to see it from my point of view. You turned your back on the world championship in exchange for what, Parker? A cross eyed crack##### who is pregnant with some kid that doesn’t even belong to you? Seriously. What the #### is going through your head?
* James takes the last drag from his cigar and he snuffs it out. He places it inside of a tin case and places it inside of his robe. He pulls out his sunglasses and casually places them onto his face. He turns his attention towards the rising flames. We notice a reflection of the fire in the lenses of his shades *
Michael James: Are you really this vulnerable? Or is it just plain stupidity? As usual, it makes no difference to me. As you can see from the fifteen pounds of gold draped over my shoulder, I have more important things to worry about than you. I’m the HWA All Star Champion and that means my company stock just went through the ####ing roof. I told you before, asshole. I’m the future. You’re the past. Get used to it. I’m the next big thing because I have ####ing earned it. What have you done lately? Nothing. That’s what. You talked a big game for weeks just to lose like a b###h at Blood, Sweat and Tears. You could have just listened to me and quit while you were behind. But you didn’t want to do that. You wanted to prove to the people that you were the hero they have been waiting for. That you were as the cliché goes, the “peoples champion”. I hate to break it to you Parker but true heroes don’t run and hide like you did at Blood, Sweat and Tears. They do what they have to do in order to achieve victory. If anyone is a hero, it’s Michael James. If anyone deserves recognition, it’s me. You might not like it but that’s just how things are at this point in time. I’m the champ and you’re the chump. It’s like I said before. Get used to it or get the #### out of dodge.
* James turns his back to the camera and makes his exit through the front doors. We cut back to Jason who appears to be in panic mode due to the flames surrounding the pew where he is seated. The scene cuts to static *
White Noise
Message Thread
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