PROMO: Driving the nail deeper

[Toxxic 0]

Time: A few hours after Lockdown

Place: A hotel room in Raleigh, NC

 

“Hello Todd.”

 

The face in the screen is a little too close and a little too blurred at first, but it quickly resolves into the familiar features of the Straight-Edge Sensation, Toxxic. The Brit moves back from the camera to reveal not only the eyeliner and spiky black hair, but also the golden glint of the SWF World Heavyweight Championship slung over his right shoulder as he sits in a chair.

 

“If I know anything about a wrestler, then you’re thinking about Lockdown,” Toxxic begins. “You’re thinking about how close you came to winning that ICTV Championship, the second-highest honour this company owns. After a couple of months with the Hardcore Gamers’ Title - and a very impressive couple of months as well, I might add - you might have felt that you were ready for something more. You might have felt that you were ready to step up a level. Todd, don’t get me wrong; I’ve held that belt that you have right now, and I know the dedication it takes to defend it... but all the same, you wouldn’t have put in the performance that you did if you hadn’t wanted the bigger prize. Of course,” Toxxic adds, the right side of his face creasing up in his trademark lopsided grin, “when I was Hardcore champion it didn’t take me long to add the ICTV belt as well - but then you’re not me, are you Todd?”

 

The straight-edger casually removes the World Title from his shoulder and rests it in his lap, the black nail varnish on his hands contrasting with the sheen of the precious metal. It’s been just over a week since Toxxic won this belt for the third time, and he still doesn’t seem to want to let it out of his sight.

 

“If you were me,” Toxxic starts again, “you might have already had second thoughts about taking your lead from Landon Maddix. Do you remember our conversation that night at the Panarchy Frat House? In a squalid, smoky, beer-soaked building - and you must have hated that as much as me, fellow straight-edger as you are - you beat off Mak Francis to retain your title, and I beat Sacred to win mine. But I also told you that sooner or later Landon would stab you in the back, and that I would laugh; on Lockdown, Todd, I was laughing.”

 

The Straight-Edge Sensation pauses for a moment to reach down beside his chair; his hand comes back up clutching a can of Frost brand cola, which he takes a couple of gulps from and then sets down again. Toxxic is in no hurry; he wants to get his point over in exactly the way he intends to.

 

“Landon Maddix doesn’t care about Martial Law. Landon Maddix doesn’t care about bringing me down, unless that also involves taking my title. Let’s look at your match,” the Brit says, waving one hand vaguely, “the guy had nutshot you within the first couple of minutes. He had his feet on the ropes to beat you, and you’re his friend. You accepted that, because you know who Landon is, but Landon couldn’t have known that you’d be that accommodating. He was risking the equilibrium of Martial Law, and for what? A title that would have stayed with Martial Law no matter who won. A title that he doesn’t need, because in a week’s time he’s challenging for my belt. Landon should have kept it nice, kept it friendly, not worn himself out and if that involved losing the belt… he should have lost it. Landon needs to focus on me, not being ICTV Champion until he retires. And just think,” Toxxic continues, “what holding that belt would have done for you. Todd Cortez, double champion, one of those belts being the ICTV Title - that belt is your passport to the main event, my friend. A month or two with that and you could convince Creative Control that you deserve a shot at the World Championship. That would make two Martial Law members to take this away from me, not one. Landon just killed your chance of doubling the odds in your favour.”

 

Another few gulps from the can, until it’s totally drained. With a satisfied sigh, Toxxic crushes it in his fist and throws it towards the screen - it flies past the camera lens and a muffled *clang* is heard, presumably it hitting a bin.

 

“Todd, you know what I’m trying to do,” Toxxic says. “As I told you in Hanover, I’m trying to turn you against Maddix to make my life easier. See, I’m honest - that’s more than he is. But the other thing is that, like I said at Panarchy, just because I’m trying to turn you against him doesn’t mean that what I’m saying isn’t true.” The lopsided grin returns, with a slightly more sinister edge this time. “Watch the match again. Look at how Megan reacts. She knows that what Landon’s doing isn’t the best thing for Martial Law, and you can see it. Sooner or later you’ll see it for yourself, but here’s the crucial point; it’s in both mine and your best interests if you see it sooner, rather than later.”

 

“One last thing,” Toxxic says, the smile disappearing again and his steel-grey eyes boring into the screen. “Take a look at Landon. He a kid who’s just turned 21; happy, bouncy except for the occasional hissy fit over Clark or maybe Chris Card. He’s our age, more or less, but he’s a hell of a lot more immature. He still treats this as a game - which is great in a way, but you have to know that you’re going to need to be playing seriously to take me down. Landon’s beaten me before, but guess what; I’m back on top, and he’s chasing me again. He’s going to have to do more than beat me to get rid of me, and I’m not sure if he can… but a man who took Dace Night to hell in a Cage match, and a man who put Spike through a table with the Riot Act Plus, and a man who walked broken glass over Mak Francis’ face… that man could have a shot. You strike me as a bad enemy Todd, but at the moment you’re always one step back in the queue.” The Straight-Edge Sensation places the title belt back over his shoulder and leaves his chair, coming forwards until his face fills the whole screen.

 

“Look at the kid, Todd. Think he can do it? We’ll see at From The Fire.”

 

Toxxic’s hand briefly appears and then disappears again, and the screen goes blank.

 

******************************************

 

After he turns the camcorder off Toxxic sits down at the laptop that’s hooked up to it on the bed of his hotel room, puts a blank DVD in the drive and clicks ‘burn’. A couple of minutes later the shiny disc re-emerges and he places it into an unmarked hard case, which then receives the words ‘PLAY ME’ written on it in permanent marker. The case is dropped into a padded envelope and the words ‘FAO Todd Cortez, c/o SWF Head Office’ followed by the address of his employer is written on in the Straight-Edge Sensation’s handwriting, markedly scruffy for someone who - when calm, at least - is so well-spoken. Toxxic sticks down the flap of the envelope and places it on his bedside table for mailing tomorrow… then stops as a memory resurfaces.

 

‘Your time in the Federation is done. You don’t belong here anymore. And I will not tolerate your presence, getting in my way when I have my own business to attend to.’

 

Toxxic remembers speaking those words into this same camcorder, although only vaguely. It was the night he had lost the ICTV Title to Janus for the second time; he was suffering from sleep deprivation, blood loss - having been thrown through the plate glass doors of the General Motors Place in Vancouver by the then-World Champion, Nathaniel Kibagami - and the after-effects of an ADF II from a ladder. That recording went to Kibagami’s home in Phoenix. Toxxic hadn’t thought about it since; he doesn’t even remember half of what he said, and his meetings with the River Dragon from then on hadn’t been ones for idle discussion. But he remembers what happened not too long after; the match that retired Nathaniel Kibagami from active competition, apparently for good. And he remembers what happened after that match at 13th Hour, because the following SWF Storm was the show on which Spike Jenkins, fresh off a Cage match loss for the Cruiserweight Title, had decided to try and shut the mouth of the Straight-Edge Sensation. Commissioner Zenon had barred them from wrestling, beat-up as they were, until Lockdown… and on Lockdown, Toxxic had beaten Spike Jenkins and the first seeds for the birth of Revolution Zero had been planted. Now the leader of Revolution Zero is about to face his first ever follower again; Toxxic knows how mad Spike is going to be, and he has just remembered what that same anger allowed him to do.

 

*beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep*

 

*rrrring-rrrring*

 

*click*

 

‘Card.’

 

“Chris, it’s Toxx,” the World Champion says, lying back on his bed.

 

‘Eh oop mate, how’s it going?’

 

“Yeah, alright,” Toxxic answers. “Look - I think I’d better work a bit more on blocking the Dragon Clutch, since Spike and Landon both use it.”

 

‘No problem chief, I know a good gym in the area, we can do it there. Anything else you want to cover?’

 

“Yeah,” Toxxic says, thinking about the velocity of Spike Jenkin’s foot as it whistled past Mak Francis’ head. “Better get a bit of practice on dodging kicks, too…”

[Secret Agent 0]

You are such an evil bastard, Toxxic. Anyway, good promo, I can't wait to see if Cortez falls for it or not.

[The Ill One 0]

Well done Toxxic and I'm hooked on this. It's such a refreshing approach for Toxxic to straight out tell his plans but reminding it rings true.

[Toxxic 0]

Well you know, it just makes sense to me. I mean, who would REALLY believe that Toxxic would ever have Todd's best interests at heart? But if I can find an angle that can be seen as true from one viewpoint at least and be honest about it, it works.

[Ace309 0]

I'm incredibly impressed that, presumably without studying, you're approximating the storyline that led up to Raynor-MacPhisto.

[Toxxic 0]

I'm aware that Silent worked on Raynor until he turned on MacPhisto, although I'm not sure of the exact details. The thing that I may eventually play up is that (as seen in my promo 'Reflections' from before my first World Title win) Toxxic realises that he's mirroring what Kibagami has done, and due to his intense hatred of the man is determined not to be like him.

 

It seems he's failing...

[Ace309 0]

Listen, I caught that and you caught that.

 

If anyone else didn't, I insist you ignore them and continue writing the angle for my amusement.

[Toxxic 0]

'The SWF - recycling our storylines since we ran out of ideas'