Post by rocketmanedh on Nov 7, 2019 22:16:46 GMT -6
The scene opens up in the dark. A light comes on and slowly swings back and forth. As the camera adjusts to the new light, a dingy basement comes in to view. There is a chair in the middle of the room. In the chair, sits Ed Houston. His hands are behind his back, tied together with a piece of thick yellow rope. He slowly starts to move, his body taut as he tries to struggle against the rope. A voice is heard off-camera.
Voice: “He’s awake.”
Another Voice: “Finally. Jesus. Let’s get this over with.”
Ed looks around wildly. “Who is that?”
The voice slaps Ed across the face. “Shut up.”
Houston: “Where am I?”
The other voice: “He said shut up.” Ed receives another slap across the face.
Houston spits. “I feel like I’m in a bad three stooges skit.”
Voice: “Oh, you’ll be feeling about dumb as they are when we’re through with you.”
Houston: “I’ll have you know that I do know a certain superhero.”
Other Voice: “I’ll have you know that we don’t give a rat’s ass.”
Houston: “Then why don’t you tell me why I’m here so we can move on with our lives.”
Voice: “We are here because you picked up a certain wrong bag the other day.”
Houston: “Oh yeah at that sports book. I didn’t even notice I did until a few hours later.”
Other Voice: “Unfortunately for you, that bag contained a certain ticket that a certain individual purchased that cashed for a very valuable underdog.”
Houston: “Sounds like a good bet for that guy.”
Voice: “It would be but we are unable to find the ticket that confirms the transaction and the person that took the bet is less than reputable.”
It clicks for Ed at that comment. “Oh my god. This is a mafia shakedown.”
Other Voice: “Keep it easy there. We don’t appreciate labels.”
Houston: “Listen, I’m sorry but I don’t know what you guys are talking about.”
Voice: “We find that a little hard to believe. We searched your hotel room.”
Houston: “You were in my hotel room?”
Other Voice: “Of course. How did you think you got here? Don’t be dramatic though. Getting into hotel rooms is kind of our thing.”
Houston: “That’s pretty weird.”
Ed gets slapped again as the first voice speaks. “No, it’s not. Anyway, we found the bag that you stole but we haven’t found the ticket.”
Houston tries to shrug through the rope. “I don’t know what to tell you.”
The first voice takes a deep breath. “We figured you’d say something like that."
Other Voice: “Our boss did too. You know, the guy that you threw a drink at the other day.”
Houston looks defensive. “It was an accident.”
Voice: “Our boss doesn’t care. All he wants is that ticket.”
Houston: “I don’t have the ticket.”
Other Voice: “Then our boss has another idea.”
Houston: “What?”
Voice: “We know who you are, Ed Houston.”
Other Voice: “We know that you’re a wrestler for GCWA and your odds heading into your match at that High Rollers event aren’t great.”
Houston: “I know. I’m going to prove them wrong.”
Voice: “No you’re not. You’re going to take a dive.”
Houston: “To hell I am.”
Other Voice: “You are or our boss is going to have a word for you. And you don’t want that to happen.”
Houston: “I’m not scared of him. He can’t be that competent if you employees you two.”
Voice: “I’m so tired of you. God no wonder people try to beat you up every chance they get.”
The other man leans back to slap Ed again but Ed seizes the moment. He manages to rock the chair to the ground. The resulting impact breaks the top of the chair. Before either man knows what’s happening Ed is on his feet. One man lunges at him to which Ed quickly side steps.
The man crashes into the concrete wall of the basement. The other man looks on in shock. He tries to run into Ed but gets hit with a superkick. It knocks the man out cold. Ed sprints up the stairs. He doesn’t even try the lock on the door. Instead, he decides to bust through the door. He exits the rundown house.
As he tries to get a sense of his surroundings he can’t help but mutter. “I sure hope what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” Ed tries to hail a car in the sparsely populated street as the scene fades to black.
Bullies try to get inside your head but all it takes is standing up to them once and they creep away. The Incredible One is a great example of this. He started out trying to be a dominant force by attacking me behind my back. All it took was standing up to him one time for him to run away. He’s been so quiet since I cost him his match against Peter the Janitor. Sure he might have attacked me once since then but that doesn’t bother me. It was just like when these guys were slapping me. It didn’t hurt. It didn’t really affect me. It made them feel big and strong but in the end, that was their downfall.
All it took this week was the thought of getting his kicked in for him to go silent and that’s okay. I know your just a bully TIO and I’ve spent my entire career, my entire life standing up to those bullies. At High Rollers, I might have the odds against me. I might the entire Las Vegas mafia against me but that is just fuel to the fire. It will propel me to new heights and when the count gets high and my legs get wobbly, it will allow me to stand up and fight some more. When I knock you down to the ground, you’re going to do what every bully in the history of society has done, you are going to crawl up into a little ball and stay down. TIO you had a chance to be something special here instead your going to flame out faster than a shooting star and GCWA universe will move closer to the Age of Ed Houston.
Voice: “He’s awake.”
Another Voice: “Finally. Jesus. Let’s get this over with.”
Ed looks around wildly. “Who is that?”
The voice slaps Ed across the face. “Shut up.”
Houston: “Where am I?”
The other voice: “He said shut up.” Ed receives another slap across the face.
Houston spits. “I feel like I’m in a bad three stooges skit.”
Voice: “Oh, you’ll be feeling about dumb as they are when we’re through with you.”
Houston: “I’ll have you know that I do know a certain superhero.”
Other Voice: “I’ll have you know that we don’t give a rat’s ass.”
Houston: “Then why don’t you tell me why I’m here so we can move on with our lives.”
Voice: “We are here because you picked up a certain wrong bag the other day.”
Houston: “Oh yeah at that sports book. I didn’t even notice I did until a few hours later.”
Other Voice: “Unfortunately for you, that bag contained a certain ticket that a certain individual purchased that cashed for a very valuable underdog.”
Houston: “Sounds like a good bet for that guy.”
Voice: “It would be but we are unable to find the ticket that confirms the transaction and the person that took the bet is less than reputable.”
It clicks for Ed at that comment. “Oh my god. This is a mafia shakedown.”
Other Voice: “Keep it easy there. We don’t appreciate labels.”
Houston: “Listen, I’m sorry but I don’t know what you guys are talking about.”
Voice: “We find that a little hard to believe. We searched your hotel room.”
Houston: “You were in my hotel room?”
Other Voice: “Of course. How did you think you got here? Don’t be dramatic though. Getting into hotel rooms is kind of our thing.”
Houston: “That’s pretty weird.”
Ed gets slapped again as the first voice speaks. “No, it’s not. Anyway, we found the bag that you stole but we haven’t found the ticket.”
Houston tries to shrug through the rope. “I don’t know what to tell you.”
The first voice takes a deep breath. “We figured you’d say something like that."
Other Voice: “Our boss did too. You know, the guy that you threw a drink at the other day.”
Houston looks defensive. “It was an accident.”
Voice: “Our boss doesn’t care. All he wants is that ticket.”
Houston: “I don’t have the ticket.”
Other Voice: “Then our boss has another idea.”
Houston: “What?”
Voice: “We know who you are, Ed Houston.”
Other Voice: “We know that you’re a wrestler for GCWA and your odds heading into your match at that High Rollers event aren’t great.”
Houston: “I know. I’m going to prove them wrong.”
Voice: “No you’re not. You’re going to take a dive.”
Houston: “To hell I am.”
Other Voice: “You are or our boss is going to have a word for you. And you don’t want that to happen.”
Houston: “I’m not scared of him. He can’t be that competent if you employees you two.”
Voice: “I’m so tired of you. God no wonder people try to beat you up every chance they get.”
The other man leans back to slap Ed again but Ed seizes the moment. He manages to rock the chair to the ground. The resulting impact breaks the top of the chair. Before either man knows what’s happening Ed is on his feet. One man lunges at him to which Ed quickly side steps.
The man crashes into the concrete wall of the basement. The other man looks on in shock. He tries to run into Ed but gets hit with a superkick. It knocks the man out cold. Ed sprints up the stairs. He doesn’t even try the lock on the door. Instead, he decides to bust through the door. He exits the rundown house.
As he tries to get a sense of his surroundings he can’t help but mutter. “I sure hope what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” Ed tries to hail a car in the sparsely populated street as the scene fades to black.
Bullies try to get inside your head but all it takes is standing up to them once and they creep away. The Incredible One is a great example of this. He started out trying to be a dominant force by attacking me behind my back. All it took was standing up to him one time for him to run away. He’s been so quiet since I cost him his match against Peter the Janitor. Sure he might have attacked me once since then but that doesn’t bother me. It was just like when these guys were slapping me. It didn’t hurt. It didn’t really affect me. It made them feel big and strong but in the end, that was their downfall.
All it took this week was the thought of getting his kicked in for him to go silent and that’s okay. I know your just a bully TIO and I’ve spent my entire career, my entire life standing up to those bullies. At High Rollers, I might have the odds against me. I might the entire Las Vegas mafia against me but that is just fuel to the fire. It will propel me to new heights and when the count gets high and my legs get wobbly, it will allow me to stand up and fight some more. When I knock you down to the ground, you’re going to do what every bully in the history of society has done, you are going to crawl up into a little ball and stay down. TIO you had a chance to be something special here instead your going to flame out faster than a shooting star and GCWA universe will move closer to the Age of Ed Houston.