PROMO: United we stand

[Toxxic 0]

A few hours before Lockdown

 

Three figures stand outside the arena in the afternoon sunshine, waiting. The girl is staring at her mobile - presumably either texting someone or playing a game. One of the two men is leaned against the wall, arms crossed in a manner that somehow communicates extreme boredom and condescending superiority at the same time. And the second man... well, he’s getting a bit jittery.

 

“C’mon dude, just one?” Spike Jenkins asks, pulling out a tin. “It’s just some weed, man, it’s not like-”

 

“Spike, I’ve told you to cut that shit out,” Toxxic snaps. “You want to hang round me and do things my way, you do it all my way.”

 

“Yeah, but I still don’t see why...” Spike sulks. Toxxic sighs and rolls his eyes.

 

“Spike, that shit slows you down in the ring!” the straight-edger explains impatiently. “Plus, it makes you paranoid.”

 

“Dude, that’s just what they want you to think...”

 

The discussion on the nature of performance-enhancing substances is cut short as a taxi pulls up and two men step out. One is considerably larger than his companion, who wears a stylish suit, sleek glasses and carries a briefcase. The smaller man comes towards Toxxic, Spike and Jet while the big one pays the driver.

 

“Hi,” the briefcase-carrier beams with a smile that never reaches his eyes, extending a hand towards Toxxic. “Marcus Washington, PA. We spoke on the phone earlier.”

 

“Really? I’d never have remembered,” Toxxic comments, regarding the proffered hand with disdain. Marcus’ smile barely falters as Sean Davis comes up behind him, doing his considerable best to block out the sunshine.

 

“Hmm.” Marcus shrugs that one off and pulls his hand back. “And what can I call you, sir?”

 

“You can call me Toxxic. Like everyone else does.”

 

“Toxxic?” Marcus is still smiling in the face of enough obnoxious behaviour to convince Switzerland to launch a major offensive, but the lawyer smarm is losing its lustre. “I’m aware that’s the name you go under in this company, but...” abruptly Marcus decides to play this on Toxxic’s terms and switches to thinly-veiled sarcasm “...I take it you do have a real name?”

 

“Yes thank you.”

 

Marcus’ continued attempts at a smile wilts before Toxxic’s deadpan response, and the lawyer draws himself up before continuing. “Well, Mr... Toxxic. You mentioned earlier that you might have use for my client’s, ahem, services. I took the liberty of drawing up a provisional contract-”

 

“Wait,” Toxxic cuts him off. “There won’t be a contract involved, Mr. Washington. This is going to be more in the nature of a ‘gentleman’s agreement’.” He looks past the lawyer’s shoulder at the looming but silent form of Sean Davis. “Anyway, it’s him I’m interested in talking to, not you. Well, big man?” the term sounds almost an insult in Toxxic’s mouth, but the Straight-Edge Sensation keeps his tone neutral, “are you in or out?”

 

“You don’t have to answer that!” Marcus snaps to Sean, then repositions himself to block Toxxic’s line of vision. “Mr. Davis takes advice from me,” the lawyer tells Toxxic in a tone of thinly-stretched patience.

 

“Really?” Toxxic asks. “Well why don’t you take some advice from me... and get the fuck out of my way?”

 

Marcus bristles at that but he is gently but firmly moved aside by the form of Sean Davis, who squares up to - or more accurately, down to - the Straight-Edge Sensation. The Perfect Storm stares down from his additional five inches at the British rookie, who stares straight back up at him.

 

“Listen,” Davis says quietly, his voice level but carrying an undercurrent of menace. “If you have a problem with Marcus, you have a problem with me. And if you have a problem with me...” the big man removes his sunglasses and tucks them into his pocket, “...then I’ll take you on.”

 

“See, Mr. Washington?” Toxxic asks, not taking his eyes from the former running back in front of him. “He can make a decision without your advice after all.” One side of the straight-edger’s face quirks upwards into a humourless grin.

 

“Let’s get one thing straight, sunshine,” he informs Davis. “I ain’t scared of you, and I don’t need you... but I think it might be beneficial for all of us” his gesture takes in Marcus, Spike and Jet “if we had each other around. What do you say?”

 

Sean glances sideways at Marcus, who still looks angry... but almost imperceptibly nods his head. Sean turns back to Toxxic.

 

“OK. You’ve got a deal.”

 

“Brilliant,” Toxxic smiles, stepping back and extending his hand to the big man - and after a second, Davis takes it. “I’ll see you two gents later this evening,” Toxxic continues. “Good luck in your match.” Davis nods and walks away, followed after a second by Marcus Washington who makes no attempt this time to shake Toxxic’s hand. Spike, Jet and the Straight-Edge Sensation watch them go.

 

“Dude, why wouldn’t you tell him your name?” Spike asks curiously.

 

“Cos he’s a lawyer,” Toxxic replies. “And it’s gonna drive him nuts not knowing what name to sue me under. Besides,” he adds, turning and heading for the arena entrance, “Marcus needs to be clear that he isn’t in charge. But he should already know that he needs us more than we need him.”

 

“How come?” Jet asks.

 

“Simple. He’s a PA, but he won’t be taking much other work if he’s constantly with Sean so he needs Sean to be successful in order to make money. He might know law, and Sean might know American Football” the two Americans wince as Toxxic refuses to name their national sport in the accepted manner “but they don’t know wrestling well enough yet. We do. Without some guidance, backstage politics’ll bury ‘em in this place.”

 

“And what do we get out of it?” Spike queries.

 

“We get some backup if needed. See Spike, if someone gives us trouble, we could take ‘em down,” Toxxic explains. “But with a man the size of Sean around, people might not give us trouble in the first place. Cos for some stupid reason, people seem to think that the bigger someone, is the more dangerous he is.” The straight-edger’s eyes narrow.

 

“And you know what? They’d better prepare to be proved wrong.”

[Guest Beingz0wningj00]

Promo that creates an interest in his character, has the touch of the cowardly Brit(just a touch) and is able to slip in his catchphrase. Good enough for me. (Y)

[Dace59 0]

Character and plot development for everyone all in one promo. Good work man and now we'll have to see where this one ends up going.

[Guest Tonights Highlite]

This could be the start of an interesting stable. Toxxic comes across as a very intriguing character. He's starting to realize that no matter how good he is, everyone needs help in some way to get to the World Title. So, he's surrounding himself with some talent (well in Spike's case, he asked Toxxic, not the other way around). Sean Davies can associate himself with a proven hot commodity and Spike, even though he's battling with being like Toxxic, is getting a rub. In fact, this just gave me an interesting idea of my own. I'll have to think on it a little more before I say anything though.