Post by Lucas 'The Icon' Thames on Jan 17, 2021 9:14:34 GMT -6
Lucas and Josie are sat on the beach once more when suddenly Lucas’s phone rings. It’s Peter Vaughn.
Lucas: Peter… Hi. What’s up?
Peter: Hi Lucas. Mr. Zybala has asked that you meet him… yeah I’m talking to him now…
Lucas: Mike?
Peter: I’ve got you both on the line – this is really weird. Why can’t you just call Lucas?
Lucas: Pete, what’s going on?
Peter: I – UGH. This is getting too difficult! Why’s it have to come from me?
Lucas: I really don’t follow…
The line goes quiet for a moment and Lucas looks on very, very confused. He’s about to hang up when Peter Vaughn finally sighs.
Peter: Lucas… do you know the theatre in downtown Key West?
Lucas: Yeah, I do.
Peter: Good. Mr. Zybala says to meet him on the stage.
Lucas: Uh… OK. Why didn’t Mike just call me?
Peter: I DO NOT KNOW!
The line goes dead. Lucas looks at Josie dumbfounded.
Josie: What’s up?
Lucas: I don’t actually know…
Josie: Huh?
Lucas: I know. I’m just as clueless as you are right now… Babe I know how we’ve got stuff going on right now with Nigel but… Fancy a trip to the theatre?
Josie: It’s 11am…
We fade out
-----=----------=-----
We open once again to the theatre in downtown Key West Florida where Lucas and Josie find Peter Vaughn on the street outside the theatre beckoning them over.
Peter: Thank Heavens you made it!
Lucas: Of course. Is everything OK?
Peter: Uhhhh…..yeah.
Lucas: Peter….
Peter: Alright. Between you and I?
Lucas nods.
Peter: Mr. Zybala is a little crazy right now and apparently it’s all because of you.
The three walk through the door of the theatre, into the main room with the largest stage. Rise of the Valkyries is playing over the speakers as we see Mike Zybala on the stage shadow fencing....?
Zybala: ‘If I must strike you dead, I will!’
**Zybala switches sides** Woosh!
Zybala: ‘A hit! A very palbable hit!’
**Zybala switches sides again** Woosh!
Zybala: **Cough Cough!** Oh sweet oblivion! -
Before Zybala can continue he spots Lucas Peter and Josie waiting.
Zybala: Oh, Lucas! There you are!
Lucas: Hamlet? Really?
Zybala smiles as he puts his arm around Lucas’s shoulders.
Zybala: Hello Josie.
Josie: Hi.
Zybala: Listen, Luke… can I call you Luke?
Lucas: Yeah of course.
Zybala: Great! Great. Listen… we’ve done great so far as a team. Life Before Death is really coming on in leaps and bounds. I mean check out this new Life Before Death t-shirt that I’ve had made.
Peter: Available at GCWAShop.com!
Peter Vaughn holds up the NEW Life Before Death t-shirt to the camera. It’s navy/midnight blue with cartoon versions of Mike Zybala and Lucas hitting a superkick and Lights Out roundhouse kick on a dazed cartoon Peter Vaughn. Peter Vaughn looks down and notices the picture.
Peter: Hey, wait a minute… I don’t remember that being part of the design…?
Zybala brushes this aside hastily and Lucas smiles.
Zybala: It was a prototype, Pete. The point is Luke, that while we’ve been doing fantastically well, our matches have admittedly been against Thunder and Lightning and the Greek Gods… You see where I’m going?
Lucas: Well everyone is good on any given night, Mike…
Zybala: True, true… but WE are better – you see? We’re Life Before Death! The team that’s going to rule the tag team division! It’s just um…
Lucas: What?
Zybala: Walk and talk? Follow me backstage…
Lucas: OK…
Lucas, Mike Zybala, Peter Vaughn and Josie all head behind the stage into a dressing room. In the centre of the dressing room is a chair. There is also a sofa up against the wall nearest the door so Josie sits down.
Zybala: Sit down, brother.
Peter Vaughn goes to sit down in the chair and Zybala nods at Peter in Lucas’s direction.
Peter: Oh! Right. Right, right, right, right, right…
Confused, Lucas sits down in the chair as Peter Vaughn sits down next to Josie and she smiles at him.
Josie: Hi.
Peter: Hi.
Zybala: See Luke, the thing is… you’re a hell of a wrestler – there’s no doubt about that, right Pete?
Peter Vaughn nods enthusiastically.
Peter: Oh, without a shadow of a doubt. I don’t know how many times you’ve kicked my ass down at the gym.
Lucas folds his arms, not really sure where this is heading.
Lucas: I’m sensing a ‘but’ coming…
Zybala: It’s your personality, man. We need to bring it out! I mean you’re in the GCWA now, where stars shine their brightest! You’re not in some crummy bingo hall in the ass end of nowhere now, Luke!
Lucas: Um… I’ve got one word for you.
Zybala: Mmm?
Lucas: Outsiders.
Zybala: What about Outsiders?
Lucas: It’s a backyard fed!
Zybala nods his head, conceding.
Zybala: OK. Alright. But this week we’re facing a team that calls themselves S.E.X. for crying out loud. We’re against a guy who is like 107 years old and a guy who thinks he’s a space alien.
Peter: Don’t forget Space Cowboy…
Lucas: Oh yeah, the live horse… OK…
Lucas sighs heavily.
Lucas: So… what did you two have in mind?
Peter Vaughn stands up and shuffles into shot as we get a view from Lucas’s perspective as Mike Zybala and Peter Vaughn stare down at him (and us) with huge grins on their faces.
Zybala: Glad you asked! Peter?!
Vaughn: Mr. Zybala?
Zybala: The box!
Lucas grimaces as the camera goes back to normal and we get a shot of the big guy’s face.
Lucas: I’m uh… I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?
Peter Vaughn has since got a huge costume box from a nearby cupboard and starts pulling out costumes. One is a Marylin Monroe type dress and blonde wig. Peter puts the wig on Lucas’s head as Zybala stands there shaking his head.
Zybala: Mmm. No.
Lucas: Get. This. Off. Of. Me. Now. PLEASE!
Zybala: He’s right. Not the look we’re going for. Besides… we don’t want to offend anybody.
Peter takes the wig off of Lucas and swaps it for a pirate hat complete with skull and crossbones picture on the front.
Peter: Pirates vs. Aliens!
Lucas: No.
Peter: Wasn’t there a movie called that?
Zybala: That was Cowboys vs. Aliens, Peter.
Peter: Oh. OK…
Zybala: But again… I’m not really feeling this either… No. We need something that will compliment you and I Peter. You in your dishevelled suit for example.
Peter Vaughn nods and pulls out a suit and hands it to Lucas.
Lucas: I don’t really like suits but after what you’ve put me through today, this is definitely more like it.
Lucas takes the suit from Peter and starts to put it on. In a moment of Television Magic, his hair has also grown out.
Lucas: Mmm. What do you think, Josie?
Josie: Very smart.
Josie smiles at her fiancée while Peter and Zybala look on unconvinced.
Zybala: Hmm. No… No… This is no good. Why don’t we take a break for now and come back to this later…?
We fade out once more
=-------=------=
We next fade in to Lucas Thames, Mike Zybala, Peter Vaughn and Josie in the seats of the stage area of the theatre with Zybala sighing.
Zybala: Well this didn’t go to plan did it? We need to go into the match with S.E.X. with just as much craziness and kookiness if we’re gonna have any chance of beating them.
Peter: Though they do have a spaceship so…
Josie: A spaceship?
Lucas sighs heavily and rubs a hand on Josie’s leg.
Lucas: It’s a long story honey. But look… why do we have to come up with some crazy scheme to get a leg up on S.E.X.?
Peter Vaughn and Mike Zybala snicker at this remark and even Josie has to smirk at little.
Lucas: Oh, you know what I mean! Why can’t we just beat them on merit and see just who the better man is?
Zybala: Did you see their video?
Lucas: Not yet.
Zybala: They are out galivanting around the galaxy looking for Major Helmet! Nope… It’s got to be fighting fire with fire. Or...at least crazy shit with crazy shit. Besides Luke… like I said we need to get your personality up to GCWA standards man.
Lucas: I prefer to let my wrestling do the talking. I always have…
Zybala: Oh I know. I know. But like I said, you’re in the big leagues with GCWA now. You need a personality to match.
Lucas: Flipping around doing crazy shit isn’t my style…
Zybala: You’re too big to flip! But no… regardless of that I think we can get it out of you. It’s buried in there somewhere Luke. We just have to find it! Come on… let’s get back to it.
Lucas shakes his head unable to comprehend why Zybala doesn’t let Lucas let his wrestling do the talking as it used to be. As it is. Still, he likes Zybala so he rolls along with it, one more time and stands up.
Lucas: OK. OK, fine. No more dresses!
Zybala and Peter Vaughn smirk at one another.
Lucas: Mike… Peter…
Zybala raises his hands in innocence.
Zybala: OK! No more dresses! Let’s go.
The four of them head back to the dressing room and try to find a way to bring Lucas’s personality to the forefront.
We fade out to black.
=---------=--------=
Lucas: S.E.X, We of Life Before Death called you out because we wanted our first true test as a tag team in the GCWA. And let’s face it – Mike and I could think of no-one better than Sports Entertainment Xpress – especially since you’ve got rid of that darkness within your hearts and are no longer the Nefarious Wrestling Outsiders. Terry, as a closet Thunder-maniac, it’s good to see you in the old red and yellow… brother.
Though I can’t speak for Mike, personally, it’s nice to hear that you have all the respect in the world for us but make no mistake that’s no reason to go easy on myself and Mike. I know you won’t – I damn sure as hell know that Space Lord won’t and trust me when I say, that’s just fine for Mike Zybala and I. However… Terry, I say this with all the respect in the world but I think that a little dementia is kicking in for you. Life Before Death have only been together for the past few weeks – we haven’t had our shots at tag gold just yet. Matter of fact we’re 2-0 in our matches together and after this Friday on Inferno, it’s going to be 3-0 because Mr. Marshall, the train of Life Before Death is not going to be derailed just because one legend of the wrestling business and one Intergalactic Space Wrestling Champion say so.
You see… One way or another, Xpress… it’s not going to be me or Zybala looking up at the lights, no… no, no, no. But it WILL be one of you two lasting less than FIVE seconds when I’m tapping either one of you out! Make no mistake about it my friends... I respect the two of you also, but as you say yourself Terry… we’re not going to let respect get in the way of our match come Friday. Space Lord, it’s good that you’ve finally learned how to cry… because when I lock in the You Either Tap Or You Break? You’re gonna really find out just what crying REALLY is! Give us that fight that only S.E.X. can because we expect nothing less than your best at the show. So, Terry… Space Lord? Make sure that you bring that best, because Life Before Death? We certainly are.
=---------=---------=
Word Count: 1,966
Lucas: Peter… Hi. What’s up?
Peter: Hi Lucas. Mr. Zybala has asked that you meet him… yeah I’m talking to him now…
Lucas: Mike?
Peter: I’ve got you both on the line – this is really weird. Why can’t you just call Lucas?
Lucas: Pete, what’s going on?
Peter: I – UGH. This is getting too difficult! Why’s it have to come from me?
Lucas: I really don’t follow…
The line goes quiet for a moment and Lucas looks on very, very confused. He’s about to hang up when Peter Vaughn finally sighs.
Peter: Lucas… do you know the theatre in downtown Key West?
Lucas: Yeah, I do.
Peter: Good. Mr. Zybala says to meet him on the stage.
Lucas: Uh… OK. Why didn’t Mike just call me?
Peter: I DO NOT KNOW!
The line goes dead. Lucas looks at Josie dumbfounded.
Josie: What’s up?
Lucas: I don’t actually know…
Josie: Huh?
Lucas: I know. I’m just as clueless as you are right now… Babe I know how we’ve got stuff going on right now with Nigel but… Fancy a trip to the theatre?
Josie: It’s 11am…
We fade out
-----=----------=-----
We open once again to the theatre in downtown Key West Florida where Lucas and Josie find Peter Vaughn on the street outside the theatre beckoning them over.
Peter: Thank Heavens you made it!
Lucas: Of course. Is everything OK?
Peter: Uhhhh…..yeah.
Lucas: Peter….
Peter: Alright. Between you and I?
Lucas nods.
Peter: Mr. Zybala is a little crazy right now and apparently it’s all because of you.
The three walk through the door of the theatre, into the main room with the largest stage. Rise of the Valkyries is playing over the speakers as we see Mike Zybala on the stage shadow fencing....?
Zybala: ‘If I must strike you dead, I will!’
**Zybala switches sides** Woosh!
Zybala: ‘A hit! A very palbable hit!’
**Zybala switches sides again** Woosh!
Zybala: **Cough Cough!** Oh sweet oblivion! -
Before Zybala can continue he spots Lucas Peter and Josie waiting.
Zybala: Oh, Lucas! There you are!
Lucas: Hamlet? Really?
Zybala smiles as he puts his arm around Lucas’s shoulders.
Zybala: Hello Josie.
Josie: Hi.
Zybala: Listen, Luke… can I call you Luke?
Lucas: Yeah of course.
Zybala: Great! Great. Listen… we’ve done great so far as a team. Life Before Death is really coming on in leaps and bounds. I mean check out this new Life Before Death t-shirt that I’ve had made.
Peter: Available at GCWAShop.com!
Peter Vaughn holds up the NEW Life Before Death t-shirt to the camera. It’s navy/midnight blue with cartoon versions of Mike Zybala and Lucas hitting a superkick and Lights Out roundhouse kick on a dazed cartoon Peter Vaughn. Peter Vaughn looks down and notices the picture.
Peter: Hey, wait a minute… I don’t remember that being part of the design…?
Zybala brushes this aside hastily and Lucas smiles.
Zybala: It was a prototype, Pete. The point is Luke, that while we’ve been doing fantastically well, our matches have admittedly been against Thunder and Lightning and the Greek Gods… You see where I’m going?
Lucas: Well everyone is good on any given night, Mike…
Zybala: True, true… but WE are better – you see? We’re Life Before Death! The team that’s going to rule the tag team division! It’s just um…
Lucas: What?
Zybala: Walk and talk? Follow me backstage…
Lucas: OK…
Lucas, Mike Zybala, Peter Vaughn and Josie all head behind the stage into a dressing room. In the centre of the dressing room is a chair. There is also a sofa up against the wall nearest the door so Josie sits down.
Zybala: Sit down, brother.
Peter Vaughn goes to sit down in the chair and Zybala nods at Peter in Lucas’s direction.
Peter: Oh! Right. Right, right, right, right, right…
Confused, Lucas sits down in the chair as Peter Vaughn sits down next to Josie and she smiles at him.
Josie: Hi.
Peter: Hi.
Zybala: See Luke, the thing is… you’re a hell of a wrestler – there’s no doubt about that, right Pete?
Peter Vaughn nods enthusiastically.
Peter: Oh, without a shadow of a doubt. I don’t know how many times you’ve kicked my ass down at the gym.
Lucas folds his arms, not really sure where this is heading.
Lucas: I’m sensing a ‘but’ coming…
Zybala: It’s your personality, man. We need to bring it out! I mean you’re in the GCWA now, where stars shine their brightest! You’re not in some crummy bingo hall in the ass end of nowhere now, Luke!
Lucas: Um… I’ve got one word for you.
Zybala: Mmm?
Lucas: Outsiders.
Zybala: What about Outsiders?
Lucas: It’s a backyard fed!
Zybala nods his head, conceding.
Zybala: OK. Alright. But this week we’re facing a team that calls themselves S.E.X. for crying out loud. We’re against a guy who is like 107 years old and a guy who thinks he’s a space alien.
Peter: Don’t forget Space Cowboy…
Lucas: Oh yeah, the live horse… OK…
Lucas sighs heavily.
Lucas: So… what did you two have in mind?
Peter Vaughn stands up and shuffles into shot as we get a view from Lucas’s perspective as Mike Zybala and Peter Vaughn stare down at him (and us) with huge grins on their faces.
Zybala: Glad you asked! Peter?!
Vaughn: Mr. Zybala?
Zybala: The box!
Lucas grimaces as the camera goes back to normal and we get a shot of the big guy’s face.
Lucas: I’m uh… I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?
Peter Vaughn has since got a huge costume box from a nearby cupboard and starts pulling out costumes. One is a Marylin Monroe type dress and blonde wig. Peter puts the wig on Lucas’s head as Zybala stands there shaking his head.
Zybala: Mmm. No.
Lucas: Get. This. Off. Of. Me. Now. PLEASE!
Zybala: He’s right. Not the look we’re going for. Besides… we don’t want to offend anybody.
Peter takes the wig off of Lucas and swaps it for a pirate hat complete with skull and crossbones picture on the front.
Peter: Pirates vs. Aliens!
Lucas: No.
Peter: Wasn’t there a movie called that?
Zybala: That was Cowboys vs. Aliens, Peter.
Peter: Oh. OK…
Zybala: But again… I’m not really feeling this either… No. We need something that will compliment you and I Peter. You in your dishevelled suit for example.
Peter Vaughn nods and pulls out a suit and hands it to Lucas.
Lucas: I don’t really like suits but after what you’ve put me through today, this is definitely more like it.
Lucas takes the suit from Peter and starts to put it on. In a moment of Television Magic, his hair has also grown out.
Lucas: Mmm. What do you think, Josie?
Josie: Very smart.
Josie smiles at her fiancée while Peter and Zybala look on unconvinced.
Zybala: Hmm. No… No… This is no good. Why don’t we take a break for now and come back to this later…?
We fade out once more
=-------=------=
We next fade in to Lucas Thames, Mike Zybala, Peter Vaughn and Josie in the seats of the stage area of the theatre with Zybala sighing.
Zybala: Well this didn’t go to plan did it? We need to go into the match with S.E.X. with just as much craziness and kookiness if we’re gonna have any chance of beating them.
Peter: Though they do have a spaceship so…
Josie: A spaceship?
Lucas sighs heavily and rubs a hand on Josie’s leg.
Lucas: It’s a long story honey. But look… why do we have to come up with some crazy scheme to get a leg up on S.E.X.?
Peter Vaughn and Mike Zybala snicker at this remark and even Josie has to smirk at little.
Lucas: Oh, you know what I mean! Why can’t we just beat them on merit and see just who the better man is?
Zybala: Did you see their video?
Lucas: Not yet.
Zybala: They are out galivanting around the galaxy looking for Major Helmet! Nope… It’s got to be fighting fire with fire. Or...at least crazy shit with crazy shit. Besides Luke… like I said we need to get your personality up to GCWA standards man.
Lucas: I prefer to let my wrestling do the talking. I always have…
Zybala: Oh I know. I know. But like I said, you’re in the big leagues with GCWA now. You need a personality to match.
Lucas: Flipping around doing crazy shit isn’t my style…
Zybala: You’re too big to flip! But no… regardless of that I think we can get it out of you. It’s buried in there somewhere Luke. We just have to find it! Come on… let’s get back to it.
Lucas shakes his head unable to comprehend why Zybala doesn’t let Lucas let his wrestling do the talking as it used to be. As it is. Still, he likes Zybala so he rolls along with it, one more time and stands up.
Lucas: OK. OK, fine. No more dresses!
Zybala and Peter Vaughn smirk at one another.
Lucas: Mike… Peter…
Zybala raises his hands in innocence.
Zybala: OK! No more dresses! Let’s go.
The four of them head back to the dressing room and try to find a way to bring Lucas’s personality to the forefront.
We fade out to black.
=---------=--------=
Lucas: S.E.X, We of Life Before Death called you out because we wanted our first true test as a tag team in the GCWA. And let’s face it – Mike and I could think of no-one better than Sports Entertainment Xpress – especially since you’ve got rid of that darkness within your hearts and are no longer the Nefarious Wrestling Outsiders. Terry, as a closet Thunder-maniac, it’s good to see you in the old red and yellow… brother.
Though I can’t speak for Mike, personally, it’s nice to hear that you have all the respect in the world for us but make no mistake that’s no reason to go easy on myself and Mike. I know you won’t – I damn sure as hell know that Space Lord won’t and trust me when I say, that’s just fine for Mike Zybala and I. However… Terry, I say this with all the respect in the world but I think that a little dementia is kicking in for you. Life Before Death have only been together for the past few weeks – we haven’t had our shots at tag gold just yet. Matter of fact we’re 2-0 in our matches together and after this Friday on Inferno, it’s going to be 3-0 because Mr. Marshall, the train of Life Before Death is not going to be derailed just because one legend of the wrestling business and one Intergalactic Space Wrestling Champion say so.
You see… One way or another, Xpress… it’s not going to be me or Zybala looking up at the lights, no… no, no, no. But it WILL be one of you two lasting less than FIVE seconds when I’m tapping either one of you out! Make no mistake about it my friends... I respect the two of you also, but as you say yourself Terry… we’re not going to let respect get in the way of our match come Friday. Space Lord, it’s good that you’ve finally learned how to cry… because when I lock in the You Either Tap Or You Break? You’re gonna really find out just what crying REALLY is! Give us that fight that only S.E.X. can because we expect nothing less than your best at the show. So, Terry… Space Lord? Make sure that you bring that best, because Life Before Death? We certainly are.
=---------=---------=
Word Count: 1,966