PROMO: It's A Mad, Mad, Mad World

[the.weej 0]

From the cold, clinging chill of Iowa to the endless sun and perpetual warmth of California, the SWF's travel schedule could catch even the most veteran members of the federation's staff by surprise. But a jarring trip from the dull midwest to the brightly coloured neon distraction of Cali was not an unwelcome one. Long beaches of glittering golden sand, fast cars, fast women, red hot temperatures and red reflections of firey sunsets on the gentle waves of the ocean. Everyone loved California.

 

"I hate this fucking place," snarls Alex Zenon, loosening his tie and unbuttoning the collar of his white shirt from within what will be used as his office inside the Arena in Oakland. Even within the enormous concrete structure, Zenon can still feel the infernal heat. A New Jersey boy thorugh-and-through, it's almost impossible for him to comprehend THESE tempratures at THIS time of year. Trying his best to block it out of his mind, Zenon returns his attention to the files set up on his makeshift desk. Match contracts, medical reviews, copies of the staium rental forms, a few letters from White Apple and Noble Gas television... nothing unusual, but never the less another daunting pile of paper that must be waded through before the day is out.

 

Zenon knows what he needs to do, and yet... he finds himself drifting back to that one folder, that one file, that one little piece of paper. Tiredly reaching out for a dossier and opening it, Zenon pulls a contract out from within, and sighs. That's all it is, really. Nothing more than a single, thin print of paper. But it might as well be made out of stone, because it is unbreakable. Untearable. Unbearable. Sadly, almost with a kind of regret, Alex's eyes drift to the matching scrawl at the bottom of the document. Next to Nathaniel Kibagami's unusually neat, simple and clean signature is Mark Stevens' impressive, wavy autograph. To think all that stops him is a miniscule amount of ink is just...

 

**knock knock**

 

The sound of someone knocking on the door frame of Alex's office snaps him out of his moping. Miserably, the commissioner turns on his heel and murmurs, "What is... oh." He pauses upon making eye contact with an unmistakable Asian face. "Annie..."

 

With half-grin on her face, Ann Onita greets Zenon with a, "Hey, Alex."

 

"I... I--come in! Sit down! I didn't think anyone would be here today," says Alex, trying to sound as friendly as possible while brushing a few folders off the long chair facing his desk. "Mainly because I didn't think anyone really knew I was here, heh."

 

"Well, I called your secretary," Ann begins, as she steps inside the tiny office and takes a seat. "She told me that you'd be in here for what's left of the day, so I figured I'd drop by. Cute redhead, by the way. Nice choice," adds Onita with a wink.

 

"Well, she's really Mark's secretary," Alex replies, leaning against his desk. "I don't he was really interested in her looks when he picked her out or whatever--more like... typing ability." Ann raises an eyebrow at Alex, who decides it may be best to change the topic. "Anyway! What do you want, Annie?"

 

"Awww... can't an old friend drop by and say hi to someone she hasn't seen in months?"

 

Alex pauses for a moment, and takes good, long look into Ann's eyes. She gives him a confused look as his face softens a little, and then... Alex sighs and shakes his head. "No. No, you can't... that's not what you want. I can tell."

 

Ann blinks at Zenon's speech, and then shrugs. "Alex, that's not... really true. I've never come to the commissioner asking for anything in my career. Stubby, King, Mark; it hasn't mattered." Ann smirks. "I'm the hardcore queen, boy. The only help I've needed with my problems are through a steel chair or a wooden cane."

 

Alex's demeanour lightens again, seemingly genuinely believing Ichiban's words. "Alright, Annie. But you have to be here for something."

 

Onita pauses, and then inspects the floor for a few minutes. "Yeah, well... this isn't really my problem, y'see. It's about Allison, Z."

 

Alex flinches at being called "Z," but he tries to ignore it. "Your twin sister, right?"

 

"Yeah," Ann nods. "Look, it's just... you know, it's just watching her. She's getting too close to Flesher, Alex; it bothers me. I mean, surely you've noticed..."

 

Alex nods as Ann trails off. "Yeah, alright. So are you worried about how that could interfere with you?"

 

"What?" mouths Annie, taken aback. "Hell no, Alex! Gods, why would I be worried about what my sister could do to me? I'm worried about what Tom could do to her! You know that bastard's a lying, slimy, manipulative..." Ann regains her composure, trailing off. "What I mean is, you saw what he did to me on Lockdown. You know what he's done in the past. Hell, Alex, you might know Tom's ins and outs better than anyone besides Frost."

 

Alex mutters something... uncivil under his breath at the memtion of Frost's name, getting a light chuckle from Annie. She continues, "Anyway, what I want your help with is... keep Allison away from Tom. Well, actually, keep Tom away from Allison until I can figure out some way to show her that he's creep through and through."

 

Zenon's face falls as Annie says this, and he scratches the side of his head irritably. "Like do what, exactly?" sighs Alex. "It's not like I can put a restraining order on Tom or something."

 

"No, but you can handcuff him!" shouts Ann. "You can't stop him from getting close to her outside the arena, but within the shows... you could put him on probation. Tell him to keep on the other side of the arena, or get tossed out! You could threaten to have his match results thrown out if he gets near her! Trust me, Alex, I can keep an eye on Ali, and--"

 

"Annie," Alex grumbles, now sitting in his desk chair and propping up his head with his hand. "That's ridiculous."

 

"Not it's NOT," pleads Onita. "Tom has a plot, Alex, and it INCLUDES swallowing up Ali whole! She's... she's a little naive, Alex, and Tom knows it. She's going to get hurt, and I need to do everything I can to stop it!"

 

"Uh-huh," drones Alex. "And exactly what evidence do you have of ANY of this? Wildchild could live on the top rope for months and still not get as many cheers as Tom's gotten since Genesis. Yeah, so he's been a dick lately, but he's oozing self-confidence. He always has. What the hell is there to suggest he's going back to the guy who headed up the M7?"

 

"Oh, I dunno," Ann begins, acidic sarcasm dripping off her words, "Maybe the fact he WALKED OUT ON HIS PARTNER LAST SHOW DURING A TAG TITLE MATCH? Maybe the fact he left me in to get kicked around for the WHOLE thing? The fact he wouldn't so much as try to let me tag out!?" Ann screams, holding up her hands. She breathes heavily for a few moments, before something dawns on her. "Alex, you... you booked that goddamn match, didn't you?"

 

"Yeah, I did," Alex starts, leaning back and folding his arms. "On the advice of your sister, no less."

 

"WHAT!?"

 

"She came in to talk to me after Storm, and she told me that she had already talked to Tom, and he was perfectly willing to let that one loss slide and try another tag match, preferably for higher stakes. She said that you were harbouring some petty resentment to Tom from the past. She didn't know why, but she knew that was sometimes your nature, and you'd probably get hot about it and make sure she wouldn't be able to ask me for this. She said that Tom was 'very cordial' and willing to work through the fact you let him get pinned in the last match. She said that eventually you'd come around, and work together to make big waves."

 

Gripping the ends of her armrests, Ann seethes with anger. The fact that her sister had... and that Tom could... taking a deep breath, Annie opens her mouth to speak. Very carefully. "And. Alex. You took her word... and didn't tell me anything... knowing FULL WELL that Tom and I were vicious enemies in the past?"

 

"I've seen nothing to suggest that Tom is reverting."

 

Annie twitches. "That... is... such bullshit! Goddamn it, Alex! I... I don't BELIEVE THIS! I can't believe you let... that Tom's let... ARGH!" Ann slams her hands into the chair, and faces Alex with a desperate expression. "You know Tom, Alex. You know what he does... how can you be so blind? Have you let Kibagami completely consume you?"Alex's eyes narrow as Onita continues. "Fuck, Alex, I'd even trust Kibagami with Ali before I'd let Tom get to her!"

 

"Now THAT is bullshit!" Alex snaps. "Kibagami would've run through your sister the first chance he got, if he could've been fucking bothered. I know Kibagami, and I know Tom, and I know you, Annie. You want Tom neutralized, and there's no two ways about that! You hate Tom, and Tom is getting in the way of what you're owed..." Ann opens her mouth to protest, but Alex cuts her short. "I have the fucking papers right here from Stevens, so don't bother trying to argue. If you can get by Tom, you've got clear sailing into that main event slot you could never get to, and the world title that's been LIGHTYEARS away from your grasp!"

 

"But Alex--"

 

"NO!" booms Zenon, jumping out of his chair. "None of this 'but Alex' shit! You think that I'm going to swat down the winningest man in SWF history for you? You think I'm going to push aside the biggest star we may have EVER had just because we were in some shitty, two-bit, 'couldn't get fuckall accomplished' mockery of the Midnight Carnival together? Or because you scored some cheapass victory over that Maori dickhead and think that's worth it!?"

 

"Alex, I--"

 

"I have a set of verbally sickening, pysically fellating prima-donnas telling me they're the best group in this fed and deserve all the accolades I can give them, and some shallow, pretentious straight-edge cocksucker saying I'm getting in his way because his ass got jobbed to the same seven foot schitzophrenic FREAK who's telling me to watch where I step or loose my whole fucking foot and a drugged up, strung out, fucking psychotic lunatic ALL breathing down my neck and telling me how to run this fucking railroad!! I have given them NO FUCKING QUARTER and you expect me to give you some kind of assinine special treatment on grounds you can't even BEGIN to motherfucking justify because... we're friends?"

 

"..."

 

"NEWSFLASH!!" Alex screams. "EDWIN MAC-FUCKING-PHISTO COULD WALK THROUGH MY DOOR, DEMAND A TITLE SHOT... and you know what? I think I'd tell him to fuck off!!" Alex pauses, breathing raggedly, and then gives Annie a scornful expression. "And... and what do you figure I'm going to say to you, huh?"

 

Ann remains deathly quiet, rather shocked by Zenon's outburst. Running a hand through his hair, he drops back into his seat, trembling with anger. Onita shakes her head, and spits out, "So that's how it is, eh, Alex?" Obviously frustrated and angry at Alex, she sighs and asks, "Just tell me one thing, then. Why in the gods name are you taking my sister's words over mine, Zenon?"

 

Alex raises up his head, strands of hair draped over his eyes. "Because... Allison has nothing to gain."

 

"I see," Ann says, quietly. With a sad, angry look, she stands up and stares at Alex. "I still don't think Tom's changed... but you have, Alex."

 

"Yeah," murmus Alex, nodding slighty. "Yeah... leave, Annie. Just get out." And without one more word, Ann Onita turns and walks out of the office of the interim commissioner. Unremorseful, unapologetic, and unbashedly, his eyes follow Annie out of the room... and then settle back down onto the contract that he'd been so fixated with before she came.

 

Back down to those two names.

 

~FIN

Edited April 18, 2004 by realitycheck

[Secret Agent 0]

!! Z promos, wow!

 

It's a pretty good one too, maybe I should get you to write all my promos for now on as well. Keep it up, Commish, I'm eager to finally see some payoff to Kibs/Zenon.

[janusd 0]

Someone mention the Midnight Carnival?

 

 

Couldn't help it, Z. More seriously, I love the promo as it shows Alex is clearly not coping well with the stresses of his job.

[Toxxic 0]

Now that promo is awesome. Lovin' it lovin' it lovin' it. And "some shallow, pretentious straight-edge cocksucker" is a great description.

 

Well, Zed is losing it. And again, I'll be very interested to see what happens after the next show...

[Ace309 0]

Thoroughly impressive. People, here's your primer on the Ann-Tom interaction, neatly wrapped in a Midnight Carnival wonton, nested in a bowl of Kibagami soup.

[Guest Suicide King]

Wow. Didn't know you still had in you, Z. Nice job.

[Lightning Flik 0]

Well, I'll be damned. Just damned.

 

That was an excellent promo Z. Definitely makes the commish not seem like the "glory" the WWE presents it to be.

 

And also, Z is going nutters! FUN STUFF!

[AnnieEclectic 0]

*applaudes*

 

that's beautiful Z, can't wait to see what happens in the non-Tom/Ann bits included in here

 

 

-Annie

[Crowe 0]

Our dictator steps to the plate and shows us all how to write a promo which not only re-establishes various character connections but also builds on and changes these connections. Nicely intertwined too. Good piece of writing. I find it kinda funny that Zenon is already cracking under the pressure of being the commish, you better settle down, boy, you got a long time to go!