Enemies (EN-uh-mees)

[Guest Chuck Woolery]

...

 

Fade in...

 

Mike Van Siclen sits on a bench in a locker room, his eyes shut, blue jeans on. A coathanger next to him displays his prize for the night... a charred pair of tights, black from the flames of the Inferno match. He leans forward, no thoughts residing in his mind... just emptiness.

 

"Jeez, Mike, you'd think you'd never lost before..."

 

"Not like this, Katelyn..."

 

"What does that mean, exactly?"

 

"You know what it means... I can't beat him."

 

"Who? Will?"

 

"Of course, Will... it's not like there's anyone else in this damn league who could give me a challenge..."

 

"And he's just better than you are?

 

"Well, yes. What the hell, you know? I mean... you try, and you work, and you sweat, and it looks like you've finally got it... I mean, jeez, Katelyn. Genesis should have been mine. Not his. Not Thor's. Not Fugue's. Mine. None of them even deserved to be there... Myers, maybe. Fugue, maybe. But Thor? And... fucking Judge? That title should've been mine two months ago, when I was screwed out of my title by Myers. That title should have been mine last month, when I was screwed out of Edwin and his let's-all-be-fair bullshit. And tonight..."

 

"Mike, baby, it was an off night... you'll get over it..."

 

Mike seems to come alive, hearing voices at the door...

 

"I'll get over it, Katelyn? How, precisely, can I get over losing to Judge... again? He shouldn't be lacing my boots. He shouldn't be polishing my boots. I'm smarter than him. I'm a better wrestler. I'm younger. I'm faster. I'm stronger. And yet, he has to come down, for what, exactly? The old son of a bitch isn't even here for comedic humor, like trying to save social security, he's actually wrestling! I mean... cripes, he's old enough to be President, and Lord knows he could run for it and win. He doesn't have shit to prove. Why the FUCK does he need to be here?"

 

"I don't know, Mike, but you could've told him, nonverbally, to make like the catchphrase and get the F out tonight."

 

"And I didn't. You don't need to rub it in, Katelyn."

 

"Oh, trust me, there's a lot of things I could rub in right now. I mean... technically, he's more sound than you, and he's just as fast. Did you even watch a tape of him before your match?

 

"Of course not."

 

"Why not? You could've beaten him if you'd known him."

 

"Babe, it's a superstition I've had for awhile. I don't have to worry about attacking their weaknesses... my strengths are enough to dominate theirs."

 

"Well, they weren't tonight."

 

"Is there a point to this? Cuz my tights are hotter than hell."

 

"Yes, there is. You blew your shot tonight, and you don't need to bitch to me about it. You need to take your ass up, and you need to get back 'your' title."

 

"And exactly how do I do this? I told you... I'm not good enough to beat Judge."

 

"Mike, you just spent the last ten minutes explaining to me every reason that you should have beaten him. You can beat him... it's just a matter of having the confidence to do it."

 

"Yeah, well, it's a bit hard to swagger when another man's got your swag."

 

"So get it back... look, I've got a mouth to feed at home, and I'm sure he'll be waiting for you at the hotel. He won't care if you win or lose, now... but do you really want your girlfriend's son being ashamed his mommy's dating a... a..."

 

"Loser?"

 

"Yes, basically. I know you don't like that, but you don't exactly look like a winner sitting on a bench, wearing your tights and sweatier than a bitch in heat."

 

"I know... look, just go back. I'll be there soon enough..."

 

"In here, Gus?"

 

"Yeah, Ben, right in there."

 

...damn reporters...

 

Ben Hardy and Gus the Cameraman knock on Mike's locker room door, and Mike simply lets out a grunt of "It's open." Smiling like the fools they are, Hardy opens the door and lets Gus and himself in. Mike stands up, brushing his hair back out of instinct as Hardy grabs his microphone and motions to Gus to turn the camera on.

 

"Ben Hardy, here with Mike Van Siclen just hours after his loss to Judge Mental. Mike, the first thing I've got to know is if you're feeling okay..."

 

Get tooled, Hardy.

 

"Of course I'm feeling okay, Ben. I mean... I just got suplexed onto a flaming rope. Hell, I'm better then great. I'm excegreat."

 

Hardy smiles. "Good to hear. Now, my next question... how will you respond to Judge's accusation?"

 

"Accusation of what?"

 

"Basically, that you were too weak in the head to set him on fire."

 

I'm going to take my right hand, knock that old bitch out, pin his fucking ass, and take my title home.

 

"Well, Ben, I'm just going to have to come at him harder next time, I guess... I mean, I'd love to punk him out right now. But you can't do that when you're me... and you've got people who look up to you and parents who say 'Damn, I wish my son could be Mike Van Siclen.' I mean, I can't tarnish my reputation for all of..."

 

A voice in the hallway calls out "You suck, Van Siclen!"

 

Yeah, you can get tooled too. I'm sure Hardy loves company.

 

Hardy chuckles. "Apparently, not everyone thinks you're a great wrestler."

 

And MacPhisto called him the best interviewer in the game...

 

"Really? Because I don't remember ever caring what they think, just knowing that they and I both know that I can beat anybody in this league."

 

Except Mental...

 

"Well, considering that you're oh-and-two against one William Hearford, I'd have to say your claims are so much hot air they could float."

 

I'd agree, but that would be a 'shoot'.

 

"And, Hardy? I'd say you sucked too, but then I'd be too wise for my own good."

 

"Well, Mike, one final question. What do you think of Matt Myers getting a title shot?"

 

I think it's fucking bullshit, but hey, I'm not making the cards, either...

 

"Good for him."

 

Yeah, I could beat him.

 

"Maybe he and I will face for the World title..."

 

God, I never thought of that... Myers, a World champion?

 

Mike smiles, on camera, as Hardy looks at him, slightly puzzled.

 

Myers wins, and I get a shot... I could beat Myers any day... JL Title, here I come.

 

"Mike?"

 

"Get reamed, Hardy... I gotta put a shirt on."

 

Hardy shrugs, turning and leaving with Gus as Mike smiles, grabbing a shirt out of his locker as we...

 

fade out...

[Guest TheBostonStrangler]

Mike, this promo is VERY good. The part I especially liked was during the conversation, where you had the bit about your strengths being good enough until now. Awesome character development right there. Could we be seeing a change from the cocky, take on all comers MVS?

[Guest Powerplay]

I'm going to take my right hand, knock that old bitch out, pin his fucking ass, and take my title home.

 

I feel out of my chair laughing at that one, and my roommate looked at my like "WTF?" That's the best promo you've ever done. Nice Character Development.

[Guest realitycheck]

Oh, pardon me, but that rocked bells.

 

I loved the character development bit off the top, almost as much as I loved the interview segment. The way you mirrored Mike's feelings and Mike's facade in the same promo was effing brill. Oh, and the "thoughts" bit was hilarious.

 

-Z

 

EDIT: And now I have all three posts on all three boards for the first time ever. Aw hell yeah!

[Secret Agent 0]

Wow awesome promo there Mike, too bad you couldn't put this excellent effort into *GASP* Showing up! Espically after you chewed Spike from one side of this galaxy to the next for doing the same thing.

 

But as for the promo..I really do dig it.

[Guest Ace309]

I love the internal monologue. It's executed unbelievably well.

 

Also, it's really cementing that MVS isn't the happy face he was at the beginning of my run, which is very nice.

[Guest Goodear]

It's a awesome promo, showing off how MVS's frustration has been building from not winnning SJL Gold. Meanwhile, he's still trying to put up the brave front to reporters while internally having bitter feelings over the whole deal. How long before MVS actually says what he is thinking? Oh my.

[Guest kelloggs]

Mike this promo gets the Franchisable seal of markout. Well written and I just wonder how much this will effect your character. Like Strangler, I love that line about strengths and weaknesses. Character growth = money.

[Guest Thoth]

It's time! IT'S TIME! IT'S SICLEN TIME!

 

*cue bad theme music*

[Guest crusen86]

Awesome. I also liked the "internal monologue", as Flesher so elegently put it. Go the plottage.

[Guest dr-smogz]

That was a great promo. I liked how you did the different colored quotes to distinguish different characters.