PROMO: "Speak No Evil."

[Guest Kibagami]

PROMO: “Speak No Evil.”

 

”Therefore—

Not knowing the strategies of the feudal lords,

One cannot ally with them.

Not knowing the form of mountains and forests,

defiles and gorges, marshes and swamps,

One cannot move the army.

Not employing local guides,

One cannot obtain the advantage of ground.”

 

-- from Chapter Seven of the Sun-Tzu.

 

 

 

 

 

She sits alone in the locker room, a thoughtful look on her face, as she packs the last of her things into a black gym bag and prepares for the long drive home. Outside the locker room door, the occasional footsteps and snatches of conversation can be heard, but not very often – a good deal of the staff and most of the workers have already moved on to the next town. The PPV is only a week away, but tensions are already running high.

 

She begins to zip the bag shut, pauses, and takes out her CD player. She hadn’t gotten all the way through that They Might Be Giants mix Annie had made for her (she was very friendly, Angel had decided; she always seemed to want a hug or…well, Nathan said she was just…very friendly), and she’d need something to keep her occupied on the way home. She usually had Nathan to talk to, but…

 

The door to the locker room suddenly bursts open, and an unfamiliar man rushes into the room, a harried look on his face. Jolted out of her reverie, Angel lets out an involuntary gasp and drops her gym bag, sending CDs scattering across the floor. Almost as startled by her presence as she is by his, the young man jerks his head towards her, then to the CDs on the ground, and immediately kneels to the ground and begins picking them up.

 

“Oh, damn it – I mean, excuse me, I’m sorry, I was looking for Si – er, I was looking for Nathan, and I didn’t know if he’d left and I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, here, let me help you with those, I really didn’t mean to –“

 

She giggles a little, and he looks up at her, his arms half full of CDs and crystal cases. “It’s okay, really,” she says, still giggling. “I’m not sure where he’s at right now. Oh, thank you,” she says as he hands her the CDs, stacked a little haphazardly, but for the most part intact. “You know, if it’s that important, I can just tell him later, if you’d like.”

 

His eyes shift to the floor. “No, no, that’s all right. I just wanted to congratulate him on his, ah, on his spot in the Clusterf…in the match next Sunday.”

 

“Oh, the Clusterfuck…” She grins a little as his eyes widen a bit, somewhat surprised at how easily the word rolls off of her tongue. “Right. I hadn’t seen the card. What number did he end up drawing?”

 

“You hadn’t heard?” The man’s eyes gleam. “He’s doing an interview about it right now. Sil – Nathaniel’s the first man in.”

 

Angel gasps. “Oh, damn it!” She eyes her new acquaintance carefully, sizing him up as best she can. “And why, exactly, is that good news?” she demands of her visitor.

 

“Well,” he stammers, “We’ve all got a shot at winning the match, but…” He hesitates a little, perhaps grasping for words… “Well, the guy, or, um, the girl, of course…it’s just that the person who draws number one, they still have a shot, you know? Just like the rest of us, and, well, if he can win it…and I think he can,” he adds as Angel’s eyes narrow a little bit more, “Well, it’s just that much more impressive to everybody, if he wins.”

 

“I guess so, but I still don’t see why it’s worth congratulations. Maybe I’m biased, you know, but I just don’t understand why…” Angel’s frown gradually turns into a smile of recognition. “Oh, wait a minute. I know who you are!” She thrusts her hand into his, shaking it firmly and further befuddling the disheveled young man. “You’re Z, aren’t you?”

 

Alex grins a little bit despite himself. “Yeah, that’s me. My name’s Alex, by the way.”

 

“Oh, sure, sorry about that.”

 

“No, no, I get it all the time. You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to get people to forget an old name once you’ve used it as long as –“ He stops in mid-sentence and begins to blush a little as he sees Angel giving him that special look that women like to use when a man says something ignorant and isn’t fully aware of it. “Oh…yeah…um, look, I’m sorry about that.”

 

“It’s okay. I’m starting to get used to it, actually.” She smiles, but even in Alex’s agitated state, it’s obvious how forced it is. “I mean, he’s told me a lot of things about how…about how he, you know. Used to be.”

 

“Yeah. It’s…awkward, isn’t it.”

 

“Oh, you’ve got no idea. I mean, everybody’s been really nice to us since he came back, but people keep asking me, ‘What’s he like, is he different, how does he treat you…’, as if I would stick around if I was being tortured or something.” She scoffs, dismissing the subject.

 

“But…” Zenon stares at the ground again. “I mean…if you don’t mind me asking, uh, Ms…”

 

“You can just call me Angel, you know. I had it legally changed.”

 

“Really? That’s…fascinating.” Zenon’s attention snaps back to Angel – maybe a little too attentive, as she casually takes a step back from her new “friend”.

 

“I’m sorry, I just…well, um…how does he treat you?” he stammers. “I know, I don’t have any right to ask, it’s none of my business, but…I just was wondering…”

 

“He’s amazing, really. He’s done more for me than I can possibly tell you.”

 

Alex looks at her questioningly. “He…he did? I mean, he does?”

 

“Yes. Yes, he has.” She smiles again, a genuine smile this time. “And I really don’t mind talking about it, Ze – Alex, excuse me,” she giggles, and he chuckles a little bit, too. “I understand that you’d be curious. Everybody’s still got their impressions of him from, um, from before. I mean, I saw that cage match you had with him, and the hardcore match before that. If anybody has a reason to question Nathan, it’s probably you…oh, I’m sorry.”

 

Alex’s grin has turned to a scowl. “No, really, it’s fine. It’s just…not something I like to talk about.”

 

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

 

“Oh, you didn’t, really. I just…well, while I’m here…damn it, there’s no tactful way of saying this.” Zenon kicks at the bench where Angel’s gym bag still rests, half-opened, and turns from her. “I just…” He turns sharply back, a pleading look on his face. “I just don’t trust Silent very much, and I’m concerned about your safety.”

 

There is an awkward pause as Angel waits for Alex to laugh, to say that he’s kidding…but his expression doesn’t change. She takes a deep breath, closes her eyes momentarily, and tries not to sound angry…and fails miserably.

 

“You really think…look, listen to me, Alex. Nathaniel has been nothing but fantastic for me ever since I met him, and I’m sure you have your reasons, and it’s nice of you to be concerned, but I can take care of myself, and I know Nathan pretty well, so I don’t think—“

 

“NO!” he shouts, cutting her off, and Angel is too stunned to be angry. “No, you do NOT know him, and neither do most of the people in this company, so DON’T try and tell me that you do. DAMN it, I’ve been trying to tell people, but they just don’t LISTEN to me.” Alex begins pacing back and forth across the locker room, an intense look on his face. “Silent is—“

 

“Nathaniel.”

 

“No, SILENT! Jesus Christ…I don’t know why people refuse to use his goddamn NAME!” he shouts, maybe a little louder than he intended, for Alex seems to realize what he’s doing. He quiets down a little, but the same insistence is present in his voice. “Silent is one of the most manipulative people I’ve ever met, and he’s probably an even better liar than he is a politician. He makes Chris Wilson look like a guilty Catholic at confession. The things he told people about Edwin…about Edwin…” Zenon shakes his head. “Anyway, the point I’m trying to make is that no matter what he tells you, no matter what you think about him, no matter what you think he’s done for you…you do not know that man at all.”

 

“Alex, I think you need to calm down. I don’t know if this is some weird grudge you have against Nathan or something, but I’m not impressed, and I think you should probably lea –“

 

“It’s NOT a grudge,” he hisses. “It’s the truth. Whether you want to believe it or not, it’s the goddamn truth. Look, I’ll prove it. You’ve never seen any of his matches from the Junior League, have you? They’re on a regional channel, so you probably haven’t seen them. I’m positive he hasn’t shown you any tapes.”

 

“No, he hasn’t.”

 

“Well then,” Zenon proclaims, a hint of triumph creeping into his voice, “You don’t know about what happened to Sydney Sky.”

 

“Sydney who?”

 

“Sydney Sky was the only woman in the JL for quite some time. She was very impressive, especially given her competition – she gave Danny Williams a run for his money on several occasions. Anyway, a lot of people agreed that she was probably going to be bumped to the SWF soon.”

 

“That’s fantastic, Alex, but I don’t see what that has to do with Nathan.”

 

Alex sneers. “Oh, it has everything to do with him. In fact, Silent is the reason Sydney is in a wheelchair right now.”

 

Angel pauses, her face suddenly very pale. “She’s in…Nathan did…excuse me?”

 

“See? I knew he hadn’t told you, I knew he hadn’t,” Zenon exclaims, getting visibly excited. “About a month after he came back from whatever hellhole he was hiding in, Silent had a match with Sydney Sky…and he broke her fucking neck.”

 

“Was it an accident?”

 

“It was a Ganso Bomb, Angel. It was a fucking Ganso Bomb. Do you know what a Ganso Bomb is?”

 

“Well…sort of.”

 

“It’s when you pick someone up for a powerbomb, but instead of throwing them down, onto their back, you let them hang down, putting their head right about here –“ Zenon motions to his knees, “And you drop them right on their head. It’s banned in most places because it’s so lethal. But that didn’t stop Silent. He didn’t even hesitate to do it…broke her neck, right there in the middle of the ring.”

 

Angel sits down on the bench, next to her gym bag, obviously disturbed by the news. “That’s…I didn’t know…” She looks up at Alex. “You know, I’m glad that you told me, Alex…”

 

“See, see?!? Do you understand what I’m trying to say? You can’t trust him, Angel. He’s insane. He’s a lying, cheating, violent…he’s a goddamn menace, that’s what he is, and he’ll tear your throat out as soon as look at you, and it doesn’t matter whether you think you love him or not. I’m glad that you’re at least willing to listen to reason when it comes to –“

 

“I’m not finished, Alex.”

 

Alex pauses, looking a little perturbed at being interrupted in the middle of his diatribe. “What, what?”

 

“I’m not ignoring what you’ve told me; in fact, I think Nathan and I are going to have a long talk when he gets home from the Clusterfuck. But I love him, Alex, and I do trust him. And I certainly don’t appreciate you trying to undermine that trust, no matter how well intentioned you might…or might not be. I don’t think you’re giving him a fair chance, Alex, and–stop looking at me like that. I don’t think you’re giving him a fair chance, and I’m really not interested in any more of your horror stories. If Nathan needs to tell me something, I believe he’ll tell me himself. He doesn’t need any help, thank you anyway.”

 

SLAM!

 

Angel nearly jumps off of the bench as Alex slams his fist into a locker, visibly denting it and cutting open two of his knuckles.

 

“I KNOW HE DOESN”T NEED HELP!” he yells. “I’m not trying to help HIM!” Zenon begins pacing again, a little faster than before. “He’s already started, don’t you see? He’s manipulating you. It’s not just you, either; he does it to everybody. He’s making you feel secure with him, just like he’s doing with everyone else, until he can…until…”

 

”Until he can what?” she snaps. “Until he can what, goddamn it? This is bullshit, Alex. Just because you took a fall off a cage and you think you’re the only person that’s ever happened to,” Angel sneers, “You come in here with your half-ass theory about Nathan manipulating everyone and everything and you expect me to listen to you when you can’t even come up with a reason? Get a fucking clue, Alex.”

 

An exasperated Alex Zenon takes a deep breath. “Angel, I still don’t think you really understand,” he says, trying his best to affect a patient tone, “I don’t know exactly why he’s doing what he’s doing, especially to you, but…he broke a woman’s neck for no reason at all, Angel. Doesn’t that mean anything to you? Doesn’t it at least make you hesitate a little bit? You don’t know…you just don’t know how angry he can get.”

 

Angel snaps her head up towards him, ready with a curt and angry reply…but suddenly, she smiles at him. “Actually, Alex, I’ve got a really good idea of how angry he can get. I mean…he gets so pissed sometimes, it’s kind of frightening.”

 

“…really?”

 

“Oh, yes. You have to see it to believe it.” She giggles again, and Zenon’s eyes widen a little as he begins to understand her point. Angel nods her head, motioning to something just behind Alex.

 

“Like right now. Oh, God, Alex, I think he’s going to burst a vein. Hee hee hee…Christ, he’s upset!”

 

Before Alex Zenon can formulate an extensive, well thought-out argument that details why an angry Silent is a very bad thing, he finds himself slammed back into a row of lockers, his shoulders pinned to the locker doors by an extremely irate Nathaniel Kibagami.

 

“Alex. Pal. Buddy,” yells Kibagami a little too loudly, slamming Zenon’s shoulders back into the lockers to emphasize each word, “Have you got a minute? You do? That’s great, Alex, because we’re going to have a very brief, but very important talk.” Nathan flashes a grin – the sort of grin that usually means something violent is about to happen. “Now then, Alex. What in the hell are you doing in my goddamn locker room?”

 

Zenon manages a weak smile. “Well, Silent, I just stopped by to congratulate you on your spot in the Clusterfuck match on Sun –“

 

SLAM!

 

Alex’s words are cut off, along with his breath, as Nathan slams him back into the lockers once more. “It’s funny you should mention that, Alex. I just got back from King’s office, and he was telling me how persuasive you were when you were asking him to put me in first. How it would be good for ratings, and how I would interact with the Magnificent Seven, and all this other boring bullshit –“

 

“Nathan?”

 

Kibagami locks over his shoulder. “Yes, dear?”

 

“You’re denting that locker.” She smiles.

 

SLAM!

 

SLAM!

 

He grins. “Yeah, I guess I am, aren’t I?” Nathan turns back to Alex, who is desperately trying to squirm free. “Now then. Alex. You need to get yourself some counseling, you need to buy yourself some relaxation tapes, you need to watch some Oprah, you need to do whatever it is you do to deal with things that happen to you in your life, okay? You do whatever the hell it is that you do, and you leave me alone, you little bastard. I’m already annoyed with you as it is, and I don’t want to find you telling my girlfriend here horror stories every time I turn around. Are we clear on this point?”

 

Alex glares defiantly at his captor…then shifts his gaze to Angel, as if to say, “Do you see what I mean?”

 

SLAM!

 

“You look at ME when I’m talking to you, kid. You’ve bothered Angel long enough with your bullshit. Now, do we have an understanding? Because if we don’t—”

 

SLAM!

 

“We can take this outside.” Nathan grins as only he can, staring daggers at an uncharacteristically angry Zenon. “You’re nothing special to me, Alex Zenon. You play your pranks on somebody who isn’t going to beat you from pillar to post…again…from now on. Clear?”

 

Alex remains quiet.

 

SLAM!

 

“GODDAMN IT, Alex! Do you understand me?”

 

Zenon grins weakly at Nathaniel. “Oh, sure, we’ve got an agreement.”

 

”Good.” Kibagami releases Alex’s shoulders, and turns to pick up Angel’s bag…

 

“I just wanted to make sure, you know, that Angel knows you could change your mind about her any time and break her neck just like you did Sydney’s, you sick fucking piece of—“

 

WHAM!

 

In one fluid motion, Nathan spins back towards Zenon and drives the point of his elbow squarely into the side of Alex’s nose. Blood spurts all over Alex’s shirt as he stumbles back into the lockers and falls squarely on his ass, a dazed look on his face as his mind begins to register what, exactly, just hit him.

 

“My God, Nathan, I think you broke his nose!”

 

“No, baby,” says Kibagami, in a calm, almost serene voice. “If I wanted to break his nose, I would’ve hit him flush in the nose, not on the side.” He picks her back up off of the floor, ignoring the bloody Zenon entirely. “Let’s go ahead and get out of here before I do something unpleasant. Alex went and made me angry; I think I could use some fresh air.”

 

Angel barely gives Zenon a second glance before following Nathaniel out the door. “Honey, did you remember to bring the CD player?”

 

“I did. You have batteries for it?”

 

“See, that’s the thing. I was wondering if you’d brought—“

 

The door swings shut behind her, cutting off the conversation and leaving Alex Zenon alone in the longer room, dazed, bleeding, and a little embarrassed.

 

But as he pulls himself to his feet, blood dripping from his nose, he smiles to himself.

 

“I knew he hadn’t told her,” he whispers.

 

 

 

END

[Guest 5_moves_of_doom]

I want two follow up promos called "See No Evil" and "Hear No Evil" right away, good sir.

 

And Alex, careful when you hit those lockers, you could really hurt yourself you know!

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

So that was sweet.

 

Weaselly heel Z? Miss Elizabeth or not? Shades of grey! And my name! God, it's the best promo ever. Seriously, Silentagami's dialogue is spot-on bad-ass slick face, and I love it like a chihuahua on amphetamines loves a man-sized Beggin' Strip. And Z is the everyman we can all identify with because he kinda wants to bone the hot chick and kinda wants to protect the hot chick and wants people to understand him, but has his good intentions marred by a layer of rage and grudge...ace. Keep it up and you guys have what could be the best character interaction/rivalry in a long time.

 

I think you gentlemen just need to get on the New Order train, because they've got an album that I think fits this developing tale perfectly: Power, Corruption, and Lies.

[Guest realitycheck]

Not bad, not bad at all.

 

When you first showed me the draft of this promo, I was kinda' middling on the way you handled the characters... as I said, I'd planned to do it a little differently.

 

But you know, after reading what Edwin said, I think you did a better job with the entire premise and characters than I ever could've. Kudos on a great promo. Now, let's keep this biznatch rollin'...

 

-Z

[Guest WrestlingDeacon]

This reminds a bit of the Frost/Sky/Tod angle we had working down in the JL. This is just more fuzzy. That's right, Nathan, fuzzy. Deal with being fuzzy.

 

This is without a doubt the best promo of Kibagami's I've ever read. The character interaction and dialogue is great and spot on. It also helped me, who was asleep at the wheel, to get a good since of the Angel character and I like the Miss Elizabeth aire she's got going on. My two quibbles would be that it's a little long for what it is and you take too long to reveal who Angel is talking to. It's not like Zenon is in the shadows or something, he's right there and you with hold the information purposely as a false enticement to the reader. That's a writing workshop thing.

[Guest Suicide King]

This promo was fantastically written, I agree. I'm not sure I quite like how heelish Z was made out to be, but heck if Silent likes it and Z likes it, I guess I've got nothing to stand on here.

[Guest kelloggs]

Now I see why he stalls on all of his promos for weeks at a time. It just makes them that much better. I first thought that Z was playing a little too much over on the heel side of tweener, but in reality when you legitamently HATE someone that tends to happen.

[Guest Ace309]

I'm going to reserve comment until I see where this goes.

 

I'm intrigued. I'm impressed. I want to see more.

[Guest Powerplay]

I think the worst part about reading this promo is the fact that I'll never be able to touch this writing. Incredible stuff, and we are shoved into yet another feud with massive gray areas.