PROMO: "The Ghost Of Christmas Past."

[Guest Kibagami]

PROMO: “The Ghost Of Christmas Past.”

 

And so it is said-

Know the other and know oneself,

Then victory is not in danger.

Know the earth and know the heavens,

Then victory can be complete.

 

-Chapter Ten of the Sun-Tzu.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 23rd, 1997.

 

Visiting hours are over; the last guests have finally gone home. In the west wing of the Phoenix Medical Center, a young man lies comatose, his brain activity monitored as a mere formality at this point. An intern passes his room in the hallway on her way to the break room.

 

“What a tragedy,” she thinks to herself, pausing a moment to listen to the slow, rhythmic beeping of the EKG. “He must be my age, maybe younger…he’s been here so long…will he have to spend the rest of his life lying there?”

 

Beep…beep…beep…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beep…beep…beep…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beep…

 

 

 

Beep…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beep, beep, beep, beep,…

 

Startled, she enters his room. She checks the monitor…it’s working. The pulses are increasing; his brain activity is off the charts compared to last month.

 

”Is he dreaming? Is he…awake? It’s impossible, isn’t it? He couldn’t even walk, much less…how is he…even…alive?”

 

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep…

 

On December twenty-third, 1997, at 1:37am, what is left of Nathaniel Kibagami opens its eyes…

 

...and the road to redemption begins.

 

=====================================================

 

August 6th, 2002.

Somewhere in California...

 

 

It’s been another long night for the boys of All-Pro Wrestling; breaking down the ring at midnight is probably the highlight of the evening. They’ve got a four-hour drive back to Orange County with Roy to collect their meager checks, and there’s another show up the road on the 9th. Some of them have been doing this for years, and they’ve never caught a break with a larger federation-one that pays on time, anyway. It’s a rough schedule, and a rougher life, and it becomes monotonous after a while.

 

But on some nights, there are surprises.

 

A black Diablo pulls up outside the community center as Bobby Evans, Darrell “Thunderous” Johnson, Luchadore Suicida, and Smooth Mickey Barnes are loading the ring posts into the back of Roy’s pickup…

 

“Who the hell is that?”

 

”Dunno, dawg.”

 

The car pulls up directly in front of the pickup…and an eerily familiar figure emerges, one they’ve only seen on television, or so they think. Clad in black from head to toe, a simple black cane in one hand, trenchcoat flowing sporadically in the California air…and wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night…

 

The Silent One has come to APW.

 

Darrell Johnson, standing at six eight and weighing in at just under three hundred pounds, is not scared of many things, and before the Slaughterer can get a word in edgewise, “Thunderous” Johnson is six inches from his expressionless face.

 

“I’ma tell you somethin’, you sick motherfucker,” breathes Johnson. “ I dunno why your bitch-ass is here, and I don’t care much, you hear? We don’t take real well to sadistic assholes like yo punk ass, and unless you give me a DAMN good reason, me and my boys here MIGHT just get a little violent. You comprende, son?”

 

The Clansman smiles…a warm, genuine, familiar smile…and laughs in Darrell’s face.

 

“Shit, man, why must you come down on a brother like that?”

 

Johnson freezes.

 

“BOBBY! Yo, Bobby, come here, dawg!”

 

Quick as a flash, Bobby Evans is at his friend’s side. “He givin’ you some shit, Darrell?”

 

”No, man…no…”

 

The Silent One removes his sunglasses…and the faces of Bobby and Darrell pale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Holy shit, dawg…”

 

“Nathan?…”

 

”None other, Bobby. None other.”

 

The two men embrace briefly as Darrell stands open-mouthed, stare blanking at a man he hasn’t seen in more than five years. “Holy shit…Nathan, man…when’d you wake up?”

 

”About…five and a half years ago. I was…ah, overseas for a while. I’m taking all you motherfuckers out to the bar in a second, so just chill, huh? We’ll talk on the way there. I got to see Roy about some business first.”

 

Nathan heads towards the building, coat trailing behind him, as Darrell calls out:

 

”Yo, Nathan! Nathan!”

 

Kibagami turns around.

 

“Did you…find him?”

 

He nods, once. “Yeah, Darrell, I found him.”

 

”Is he…who I think…he is, now?”

 

”Yeah, Darrell.” Something flares behind Kibagami’s eyes…something cold, something vengeful. “I know who he is, and it’s time, dawg.”

 

”It’s his fucking time.”

 

=====================================================

 

Roy Dodgson turns from the canvas he’s just meticulously folded and comes face to face with a ghost.

 

“Oh, my God.” Roy blanches as the Silent One approaches him…and extends his hand.

 

”Jesus, God…as I live and breathe, Nathan…you’re walking?”

 

”Much more than that, Roy.” He puts the glasses on. “I seem more familiar now?”

 

”Holy SHIT, Nathan. YOU? You’re the fucking Silent One? When? Why? What the hell?”

 

“There’s a reason, Roy. Trust me, there is. I don’t have much time; I’ve got to catch a plane to make Storm on Friday. I came here for a couple of things.” Nathan reaches into his coat…and pulls out a check. He hands it to Roy, who looks at the amount…and damn near falls over.”

 

”Nathan…what for?”

 

”Get the boys some insurance, Roy. Don’t ever let what happened to me happen to one of them. They’re good people. They deserve better.”

 

”I…I don’t know what else to say, Nathan. Jesus, I mean…thanks. Thank you…what else do you need?”

 

Nathan pauses for a moment before he answers.

 

“I need four tapes of the Phoenix show.”

 

Roy grimaces. “What for? Christ, it’s not like you need the…wait a minute.” He pales. “You found him, didn’t you? You found Jimmy.”

 

The Slaughterer nods. “I did…and people deserve the truth, Roy. Think about what he did to you, to the boys. Have you been able to book a single thing in Phoenix since that show?”

 

”You know we haven’t.”

 

”Exactly. Give me the tapes, Roy. I’m going to make this right, once and for all.”

 

“How the hell will you do that?”

 

Nathaniel Kibagami – Damien Phillips – Silent – smiles, a familiar, eerie smile. A smile that Roy Dodgson does not entirely like.

 

“It’s really simple, actually.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I’m going to get my fucking rematch.”

 

END PROMO

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

"Thunderous" Johnson? I've got myself a new gimmick.

 

Excellent levels of everything. ::applause::

[Guest TheBostonStrangler]

Silent, excellent promo. Personally, I want to see a blowoff in some sort of way in the near future. It doesn't have to be everything, but I need something soon. Other than that, I really enjoyed this promo. Less ambiguity, and it actually ANSWERS a couple questions, which is rare for one of these promos. Keep up the good work...I'd like to see one from Edwin pretty soon.

[Guest chirs3]

Strayed a little far into "Perfect Bo" territory, I thought - Silent doesn't strike me as the "What up dawg, motherfucker" type.

 

That didn't stop it from creeping the hell out of me.

 

Very nice.

[Guest Kibagami]

He isn't, Chris. But when in Rome....you know?

 

S.

[Guest Thoth]

Hah. I loved reading this... you've been bouncing the idea off of me for ages, and it's good to finally see it.

[Guest Insanityman]

Very good work, I know that will have to last a few more months and while I don't want this excellent storyline to end... I want to see the blow off match.

 

 

 

 

 

Geezus, I thought I had IL all planned out.

[Guest chirs3]

Ah, gotcha. I thought that might've been it... it's just weird to hear Silent saying that...

[Guest AnnieEclectic]

Shheeeeeeeeeeiiiiit! lol, that was very very good, and it intrigues me where this is going, still answers questions but raises more. Who here is Jimmy? I'm not going to go all obvious and think Edwin or even Nekura / Thoth because that's just way too easy. Something's up...

 

-Annie

[Guest BA_Baracus]

PROMO (Stubby P. McWeed);

*Blink, blink*.

 

I don't get it.

 

Mothernature says..."