PROMO: "The Art of War -- Finale."

[Guest Kibagami]

PROMO: “The Art Of War – Finale.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes…sometimes I can almost forget who I am. Where I’ve come from. Even some of the…the colder things I’ve done.

 

 

--

 

 

Like a shark that smells blood in the water, the Silent One advances…and is met with an unexpected leg sweep! Silent topples to the ground and Sydney Sky vaults to her feet with a kip-up, wincing all the same despite the support from the crowd out on the Lawn. Driving her combat boots into the ribs of the Clansman, Sky gradually forces him back against the ropes. As the Clansman pulls himself to his feet with the ropes’ assistance, the riot grrl leaps, ignoring the pounding pain in her skull, and wraps her legs around Silent’s neck, looking for the Hurricane…

 

…and is sadly disappointed, as Silent simply sits out to counter it.

 

“Merciful God!” yells Axis, and the fans are in an uproar. “Silent just Ganso Bombed Sydney Sky on what could very well have been an injured neck. Jesus, get the paramedics out here, now!”

 

Funyon, obviously uncomfortable with the entire scene, is rather grateful for Kivell’s signal to ring the bell.

 

**DING DING**

 

”Ladies and gentlemen, this match has been declared a no-contest…”

 

 

--

 

 

If I’m in the ring long enough, I stop thinking about it. For a little while, anyway.

 

 

--

 

 

“Everyone knew going in how dangerous this thing was going to be, and a couple Foley bumps, some explosives and a lot of blood later, we have a winner. And by God if they don’t deserve-“

 

Riley’s shut off as all of the lights in the arena give out, the only illumination coming from the flashbulbs of cameras and the last flickerings of the flames still being put out. That light, however, pales in comparison when spotlights begin to flash wildly over the arena, Front Line Assembly’s “Retribution (Front 242 Remix)” beginning to play over the sound system as a white fog flows forth, hovering above the arena…

 

“What in the hell…”

 

“Mark, isn’t that…”

 

“I do believe it is…”

 

The crowd realizes it as well and reaches their feet in anticipation, another golden Kodak moment awaiting them, as the fifteen or so seconds of darkness is ending abruptly as all the lights kick back on, illuminating a ring with an extra special visitor…

 

“SILENT!” yells Stevens over the roar of the crowd as the former ML world champion stands in the center of a group of Wilson, Magnifico, Thoth and Edwin. “He belongs in the JL!”

 

“Well he’s here now!”

 

“Silent’s got that cane of his and he pulls back…CANE SHOT TO WILSON! The evil genius doesn’t know what hit him and he is down as Silent spins to the other side…CANE SHOT ON MAGNIFICO! He just dropped the near-dead Mexican one last time and he turns to face Thoth and Edwin, deciding which will be his next victim unless one of them can kick into gear and stop him…”

 

“He’s not hitting them, Mark! Look!”

 

Bobby Riley, for possibly the only time in his life, is right as Silent drops the cane to the mat and simply smiles at the other two men in the ring.

 

 

--

 

 

So much has changed…the fans saw what I wanted them to see.

 

 

--

 

 

…his head snaps down, eyes fixed on Raynor, and the motions flow fluidly, instinctively, honesetly… he locks in a standing head scissors, then underhooks his arms…Edwin pulls Raynor up with the double-underhook, up so Raynor’s legs lie over the Mac Daddy’s shoulders. Then Edwin places each of his arms underneath Raynor’s elbows-

 

“Oh my God…”

 

“Mark, no… no, tell me’s not-”

 

From here, Edwin braces himself…

 

THEN THROWS EVERYTHING HE’S GOT FORWARD AND SITS OUT, SLAMMING RAYNOR’S UNPROTECTED HEAD AND NECK INTO THE STEEL CHAIR!

 

A huge roar from the crowd-

 

-followed by… silence?

 

“THE DEMONSTAR DRIVER!” shouts Mark at the top of his lungs. “EDWIN JUST PLANTED RAYNOR WITH THE DEMONSTAR DRIVER ALPHA - ONTO A CHAIR!”

 

 

--

 

 

So many mistakes that cannot be undone.

 

 

--

 

 

“You shouldn’t have come back here, if you felt like this.” Thoth leans down next to his brother. “You’re my brother, and I care about you! I want you to go back home. I want you to go home, and let me take care of this. I’d hit you again, Nathan, but I don’t think it would prove anything to either of us. I’m leaving now, Nathan, and I’m taking Janus with me. He belongs to me now. When I leave this wrong, and you find it in yourself to get up...”

 

“Don’t follow us.”

 

 

--

 

 

I used to hate the man I’ve become. I used to hate the things I’ve done – the things that have happened to me.

 

…but now?

 

 

--

 

 

”You’ll never be as powerful as me!”

 

Silent lets go of Thoth’s leg, and he falls…

 

 

--

 

 

Now, I would change nothing.

 

 

--

 

 

CRACK!

 

CRACK!

 

CRACK!

 

CRACK!

 

”SOMEBODY CALL A FUCKING PARAMEDIC!”

 

 

--

 

 

I wouldn’t change anything at all.

 

 

--

 

The screen becomes a blur of video footage – Kibagami bleeding, fighting, winning, losing; a smile is on his face in each of the video clips.

 

 

--

 

 

I took ‘Silent’ as a ring name because I thought words were useless. I thought actions were the only things that ever really mattered.

 

 

--

 

 

The videos speed up; their focus changes to shots of Kibagami as Silent, bleeding or drawing blood from others.

 

 

--

 

 

After last night, I know I was right.

 

 

--

 

 

He hoists Craven up onto his shoulders, in position for a powerbomb. Michael, who is nearly unconscious, can barely support his own weight, and he slouches backwards – his knees hooked around Kibagami’s shoulders are the only things keeping him from falling. Satisfied with Craven’s position, Nathaniel hooks both of his arms underneath Michael’s elbows and walks towards the center of the ring, stopping just above the small black “X”. The crowd, slowly realizing what is about to transpire, takes up a new chant:

 

SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-LENT…

SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-LENT…

 

“I thought you said he didn’t mean it, Mark! I thought you said he wouldn’t really do it!”

 

Kibagami looks to the left.

 

“I thought he wouldn’t, Riley. I really did.”

 

Kibagami looks to the right.

 

Mark Stevens takes a deep breath.

 

“I think I was wrong.”

 

 

--

 

 

When they saw the Demonstar for the first time…they knew.

 

Everybody knew.

 

The games are over.

 

 

--

 

 

Stevens quietly watches Kibagami make his way through the curtains at the top of the ramp, oblivious to the name the fans are chanting –

 

SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-LENT…

SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-LENT…

 

Or maybe he’s not…

 

 

--

 

 

With everything I’ve learned, with everything I’ve done…I can finally say that I am ready to get in the ring. I don’t care about my brother. I don’t care about Edwin. I don’t care about Angel or Janus or anything else that doesn’t affect my match. All I care about is being the best…until the day comes when I can’t walk out of the ring on my own any more.

 

 

--

 

 

A slow-motion replay of Kibagami’s Demonstar Driver on Michael Craven is shown, the impact recreated on film in all its sickening intensity.

 

 

--

 

 

No more books. No more stories. No more clinging to the past, hoping to set things right.

 

Things are shot to hell. I’m still alive, despite them.

 

 

--

 

 

Another replay of the Demonstar Driver, from a slightly different angle.

 

 

--

 

 

A line has been crossed. A line I drew in the sand a year ago…and the wind has finally blown it away.

 

This is Ground Zero.

 

This is my Declaration of Independence, if you will, from everything that has held me back.

 

 

--

 

 

A third Demonstar replay, this one with audio.

 

SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-LENT…

SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-LENT…

 

 

--

 

 

I have nothing left, except that which matters least.

 

The fights. Always the fights.

 

So be it, then.

 

 

--

 

 

The screen cuts to a shot of Silent standing atop a steel cage – bloodied, victorious, and defiant.

 

 

--

 

 

Heaven help us all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chaos is born from order.

Cowardice is born from bravery.

Weakness is born from strength.

 

Order and chaos are a matter of counting.

Bravery and cowardice are a matter of shih.

Strength and weakness

Are but a matter of form.

 

-Chapter Five of the Sun-Tzu

 

 

 

END

Edited August 5, 2003 by Kibagami

[janusd 0]

(Y)

[Guest Crowe]

That was the worse thing I ever read.

 

...

 

 

...

 

Excellent work indeed, Kibs. I'm sad to see the quotes go from your promos, but hey, LIFE GOES ON KIDDIES! And I like how you structure your promos.

 

IT'S ALL ABOUT STRUCTURE

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

KIDS LOVE STRUCTURE

KIDS LOVE BOXES

 

Excellent, excellent stuff. Probably the best "clips of my career" thing you've done. Ties in super-well with the Smarkdown match. I will say, though, that I think I've seen "You'll never be as powerful as me!" about 15 times this year. GET A DIFFERENT QUOTE FROM THOTHURGLEWURG

 

Demonstar 4 US Senate.

[Guest DawnBTVS]

That was very cool...good way to build up both your character as a seemingly reluctant face and Ground Zero(Y)

[Guest The Superstar]

Beautiful, Silent.

 

WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITHOUT SUN-TZU?!

[Guest realitycheck]

I didn't like it.

 

I didn't like it at all.

 

I didn't like it, mainly because I've virtually this exact same promo before. Edwin's wrong--we haven't JUST seen "You'll never be as powerful as me!" 15 times, we've seen pretty much all of these career clips before. This is, what, the third "clip" promo you've written in a few months? The fourth? I agreed when you starting doing them that they were underutilized--now I think you're overusing the concept.

 

The message Kibagami is getting across has been established in your two most recent promos, too. A new format really would've helped this feel different. As it stands, I don't think it's anything new or interesting.

 

-Z