Promo: At Any Cost

[Guest TheBostonStrangler]

The Magnificent Seven locker room is empty, a silence hanging over the room. As the hum of the fluorescent lighting continues on, numbing even those with infinite patience, the door to the bathroom swings open, and the Boston Strangler steps out into the open, with a small black kit in his hands. He rubs his bicep, slowly massaging the muscle as he slowly walks over to his locker. Strangler places the kit on the top shelf of his locker, and stares into the mirror hung in the back of his locker. A freshly shaven face stares back at him, blinking as he admires the job. As he turns, the door opens to the locker room, and TNT comes walking in, followed closely by Chris Wilson. Strangler whirls around, startled by the noise, as TNT comes walking over to Strangler.

 

“Yo, Strangler, you mind if I borrow some shaving stuff? I left my kit back at the hotel, and I gotta clean myself up a little bit.”

 

Strangler replies without even looking up: “Nope. Don’t have my shaving stuff.”

 

TNT’s face is covered with confusion. “But you look like you just shaved…”

 

“Did it at the hotel.”

 

“…and isn’t that your shaving kit right there?”

 

Strangler looks at TNT, slightly annoyed. “Fine. But don’t go rooting through all my shit with your grubby little hands. Just grab a disposable. Everything you need’s on top, so try not to mess up all my stuff by rummaging through it, OK?”

 

TNT’s face lights up, although a slight hint of consternation remains on his face. “Fine, man. Whatever. Just need to get rid of this 5 o’clock shadow!”

 

TNT snatches the kit off the shelf in the locker and walks briskly into the bathroom, leaving Chris Wilson and Strangler alone in the locker room. Wilson grabs a pair of boots out of his locker and sits down on a folding chair. As he starts to remove his sneakers, Wilson glances over towards Strangler, who is staring out into nothingness, staying perfectly still and perfectly silent. “Hey, Strangler, what are you up to right about now?”

 

Strangler snaps out of his stupor and stares up at Wilson, a look of surprise from the intrusion into his mind. “Oh…nothing. Just thinking about how everything was worth it to beat Taylor.”

 

Wilson cracks a small smile of understanding. “Yeah…it’s hard to do, but all the stuff you gotta do, you gotta do. You aren’t still bothered about getting him arrested, are you? I mean, it’s really not that bad….no plastic explosive involved or anything!”

 

Strangler’s face remains in a rather melancholy fashion. “Yeah…that stuff wasn’t too bad. Not bad at all.”

 

As Wilson opens his mouth to speak again, a loud crash comes from the bathroom, followed by the sounds of small object falling against the cold tile floor. Strangler glances indifferently toward the bathroom door as Wilson’s face morphs into a look of disbelief. “That kid is SUCH a klutz…it’s amazing he hasn’t paralyzed anyone in the ring yet” murmurs Wilson. Strangler smiles ever so quickly before the trademark indifferent stare returns to his face. As Strangler reaches back into his locker and grabs a bottle of Pepsi MAX, TNT comes walking out of the bathroom, a look of shock in his face. In his hands, he holds the contents of Strangler’s shaving kit, all completely taken out of the bag. Strangler looks up, with a look of alarm running across his face.

 

“What the hell did you do, you fucking moron?”

 

TNT, still wearing the look of shock, starts to explain himself: “Well, I grabbed the razor, and had started to spray the shaving cream into my hand when I knocked a cup over with my elbow. I lunged for the cup, and knocked over your shaving kit…”

 

“You FUCKING MORON! Why the FUCK did you do that?”

 

Chris looks over, surprised by the intensity of Strangler’s reaction. “Strangler, calm down. It’s just a shaving kit. Jeez…”

 

Strangler’s face is still bright red, masked in anger. “No, it’s not OK, it’s…”

 

TNT cuts in, looking very determined to make his point. “You’re damn right it’s not OK! As I was cleaning up the stuff that fell out….I found this.”

 

TNT holds out his hands, exposing a small black package. Chris Wilson stares at TNT, looking nonplussed. “OH NO! It’s….A PACKAGE! Run!”

 

TNT’s desperate look silences Chris Wilson, who now wears a look of concern. “Um…TNT….what’s in that package?”

 

TNT opens the package, revealing a set of half-filled syringes. Chris Wilson practically leaps out of his seat and bolts over to TNT. He stares down, looking at the 8 syringes, filled with a clear liquid. Wilson looks over to Strangler, a glimpse of disbelief and rage in his eyes. “Strangler, what the FUCK is this?”

 

A dumbstruck Strangler fumbles for words, trying to explain himself. “Wha…I…dude, that’s not mine…”

 

“STRANGLER! You have THREE seconds to explain yourself!”

 

“Well….I….” Strangler sighs, then starts, as Wilson taps his foot impatiently. “Well, I started in August. I was losing a lot. Erek Taylor was messing with me. I needed an edge. He kept talking about how his edge was the fans….what did I have? I needed to do something…so I started with the steroids. I figured that I was already the biggest, strongest guy in the league, now that Thugg’s gone and all. This would make me massive. I’d be stronger than anyone in this league.”

 

Wilson’s face is completely shocked. “But Strangler…you…you…”

 

Strangler’s face, filled with the look of defeat, looks up at Wilson. Strangler, with a tear forming in the corner of his eye, continues on: “Well, I got to the point where I told Taylor I was willing to do whatever it took to win. And then, I started to believe it. I got him arrested. But that wasn’t enough…because I needed to fight him. I needed to break his body and spirit…so I turned to the steroids. And it worked! I got rid of Taylor! I saved us, Wilson! Taylor can’t touch us from Anaheim!”

 

Wilson looks at Strangler, a look of confusion on his face. “Strangler, what are you talking about?”

 

Strangler’s desperation increases as he raises his voice: “Chris, you brought me back to the SWF! When the Clan cast me off, you believed in me! YOU BELIEVED IN ME! And I wanted to be your friend! But Erek Taylor…he wanted me to look bad! He didn’t want us to be friends! So the only way to stay friends was to get rid of Erek Taylor! And now he is, and we’re happy! Don’t turn me in…we’re friends! Right, Chris?”

 

Chris steps back, bracing himself against the locker. His shellshocked gaze meets TNT, who returns the look with an apprehensive look. Chris takes the steroids into his hands and stares down at the tiny plastic syringes before locking eyes with Strangler. Strangler’s pleading look forces Wilson to turn away.

 

“Strangler, no. You need help. You need to get out of here and into some rehab for these. You also need to figure out that we’re stablemates. You’re someone who got cast off, and I salvaged you. I used your talents to get me closer to my goal. I wanted the World Title. You helped me get the matches for it. Strangler, we AREN’T friends. I have no friends in this league. You were a means to an end.”

 

Strangler looks crestfallen as he stares at Wilson, who paces back and forth, still holding the steroids in his hand. Suddenly, the door to the locker room opens, and TNT walks in, followed by SWF staffers. Strangler looks around, a wild glint in his eyes. The head staffer approaches, tucking his clipboard under his arm. “Mr. Strangler, Mr. McWeed would like to see you in hi…”

 

Strangler drops the man with a hard right to the jaw. The rest of the staffers leap forward, trying to restrain Strangler, but the Bostonian giant starts flooring all of them with punches, kicks, and anything else he can muster. Suddenly, Chris Wilson swings a chair into the back of Strangler’s skull. Strangler wobbles forward, and slowly turns, looking at Chris with a frantic look on his face. Chris just looks at Strangler and grins before swinging the chair forward and connecting with Strangler’s forehead.

 

*******

 

“…today, the SWF announced that superstar Albert Katowski, a.k.a. Magnificent Seven member the Boston Strangler, had been released due to problems arising with his alleged abuse of steroids and had entered a rehab facility near Boston. SWF spokesperson Mark Stevens said that it was a sad day for the company, and that he hoped Albert would be able to conquer his demons. He also went on to say that the door in the SWF is always open to any and all who can compete at a world class level and be ambassadors of the profession, leaving open the possibility of a possible return to the ring by Strangler…”

 

The TV goes silent, slowly fading to black. As the room falls into darkness, a giant, sitting alone on a bed in Danvers, Massachusetts, stares off into the night sky, alone with his thoughts.

 

 

Now I see it….I see it all so clearly now. Chris wasn’t my friend…no one was my friend. There’s only one person to rely on…myself. Well, you heard Stevens. He said the door was open. And I’ll be back. Oh, I’ll be back. And Wilson, he may not be there. But someday, he’ll be back. They ALWAYS come back. And when he and I meet up again, mano a mano, I’ll show him the mistake he made. They’ll pay…they’ll all pay.

 

Fin.

 

 

OOC: Well, school just kinda came out of nowhere, and I decided that getting good grades and getting into a good school was more important that becoming the next SWF ICTV Champion. I know, I know, I have my priorities all screwed up, but that’s the way it works sometimes. I do plan on returning someday, but it won’t be anytime soon. Until then, good luck to all. Props go out to:

 

Erek Taylor, for tearing down the house with me in one of the best SWF feuds of the year, and the best feud I’ve ever been in.

 

Stubby, Thugg, and King: For putting up with me. I asked for a lot of extensions, lost a lot, asked for feedback a lot, and no-showed a good deal, more than I should have. They never complained, and I give them a ton of credit for that.

 

Chris Wilson: For giving me an opportunity to shine in the M7. The stable was a hell of a lot of fun, by far the best stable I’ve ever been in, and it gave me the opportunity to participate in the stable wars.

 

Jay Dawg: The bastard broke my Hardcore title reign record. Good to see someone who truly deserves the record holding it.

 

I ain’t going anywhere, so I’m not saying any goodbyes. I’ll still be on the boards, I’ll still do work with the SJL, and I may be doing stuff with the WF as well. I got time to be a part of this place, but just not enough to be one of the guys writing. I can’t wait to see Genesis III….it’s a great regret I can’t be a part of it, but I just don’t have the time…so good luck to all. And the Patriots own the Steelers. w3rd.

[Guest ErekT2k]

Your name is Albert? Albert?

 

 

Oh dear god don't tell me you have a hairy back.

 

Anyways, you can come into my retirement home. It's so fancy, you'll love it. And we did tear the house down. It was the best feud in my career and it's sad to see you go. But meh, doesn't everyone go sometime?

 

Don't worry, big man, we'll come back and we'll tear the house down again.

[Guest Rabbi_wilson13]

Typical Strangler awesomness, even as he goes out. Sucks to see you go, by Massachusetts friend, and please, thank you. When I was coming back, you said you'd come back as well, and you really took the ball and ran with it while I was in D.C. Not to mention the simply awesome feud with Erek. You didn't agree with my ways most of the time, but you always respected them and thats what counts.

 

Helluva job, man. Sucks to see you go, and its good to know that there's already a post retirement tour getting set up to beat me up by fellow retirees.

 

*clinks a toast to TBS*

 

To a great wrestler who we hope to have back in the near, near future.

[Guest redbaron51]

he goes out, yet on something so original in this entire federation has ever seen.

 

steriods and rehab...

 

strangler shall be missed

[Guest Beingz0wningj00]

Although tough to see you go, that was a nice and original way of going out. I think Suicide is the only one to do something so realistic before, which is a nice change.

 

 

Good stuff mon ami... but as you go... just remember...

 

 

I broke your record! BONG! Teach you to beat me.

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

You were right when you said you had a good way to go out. I'm very impressed...and disappointed to see you go, but hey, you had a nice run of it. We'll be waiting for you when you get "clean," big guy.

[Guest kelloggs]

Wow that was a great promo...and many thanks to you for making one of the most enjoyable feuds I've ever read. That thing was gold...and the steroids use was a great explaination. Just F'n Unbelievable... all of it. Enjoy the retirement home with Erek for now. Peace Strangler.

[Guest Coffin Surfer]

I think it's funny that M7 will force Strangler to rehab, but turn a blind eye to my roid freak character. Still great promo, and it sucks when anybody leaves.

[Guest Perfect_Bo]

Come back soon so we can finally do what we talked about back then...

 

Bo

[Guest Thoth]

You forgot to thank Iceman. Remember the Alley? Sigh... I'm just kidding. Sucks to see you go... but you know what? You were good. And you'll be remembered.

 

And you'll be back.

[Guest TheBostonStrangler]

Thoth, you see, if I wanted to thank Iceman, then I'd have to devotes hours of time to truly convey the awesomeness that was Iceman and the Alley. I believe that the incredible qualities of the Alley are beyond mere words of the mortal realm, and therefore should best be left to the annals of history. Or it's that ALLEY PRIDE! is an oxymoron. But it's all good.

 

Thanks for all the good wishes, everyone. I plan on coming back someday, but I never make guarantees. But as I always say, they always come back.

[Guest AnnieEclectic]

Damn, I finally come to the stable, and y'all get your ass out. We WILL team up someday Strangler

 

Anyway, I understand the school thing, good luck and enjoy life, stick around, don't fuck any goats, blah blah blah

 

-Annie

[Guest TheBostonStrangler]

No goat fucking? Well, I might as well just become a fucking NUN! How do you expect me to have any fun? Stupid lesbian, just doesn't get it. But Annie, if you want, I have a way we could have some fun...

 

 

 

 

(Y)(Y)(Y)!

[Guest chirs3]

Oh nuts. I didn't even see this promo when I ran through the boards a while ago.

 

Damn you, Strangler, you can't leave now. Because... they're like... the Magnificent Six now. And that's just silly.

 

I liked the new take on leaving - first drug angle I think we've had. A fine send-off promo.

 

At least there's a window for you to come back and kick serious ass... not mine, mind you, but other peoples.

[Guest BA_Baracus]

PROMO (Stubby P. McWeed);

"[stubby reads the promo.]

 

Hmmm...I see, I see.

 

[stubby books Strangler for Storm]

 

Mothernature says..."