Promo: The Message

[frisco 0]

Bob Riley walked nervously down the dark streets of Denver. He glanced at his watch to find it was half past Midnight. As a slight rain began to fall he reached into the pocket of his long wool overcoat to retrieve a crumple piece of paper. Written on the paper was a barely legibly address:

 

Overstreet Tavern

1608 Turner Street

Denver, CO

 

Riley glances down the road as he shoves the paper back into his pocket. In the distance he can see the blue lights of a bar beckoning him in the distance. Riley fastened to top button of his overcoat to shield him from the cold November air, then heads towards the bar.

 

 

 

 

 

Inside the Overstreet Bar a few dozen patrons scurried back and forth to their seats. The bar was dimly lit and Riley had to look long and hard to find who he was looking for. After scanning the bar for several minutes he spotted his target sitting at a corner table

About 50 feet away. The unmistakable visage of the ever controversial Frisco was seen sharing a late of Mozzarella sticks with the ever-lovely Candace. Riley quickly crossed the bar area and approached the table.

 

“You know, we could have done this at my bar” Riley barked as Frisco motioned for him to have a seat.

 

“Sorry Robert” Frisco replied as he dipped his Mozzi stick into a bowl of thick Marinara sauce. “But I know all about the type of bars you go frequent”

 

Riley frowns indignantly as he takes his seat at the table. Candace smiles politely at her former tormenter as Riley focuses his attention of the infamous manager.

 

“What did you want to give me that was so important?”

 

Frisco finishes his Mozzi stick as Riley waits patiently. After an interminable delay Frisco reaches down to his side and comes up with a VHS tape. The tape is still in its factory packaging with a white handwritten label fastened to its side. The label merely says…

 

Toxxi

 

“I want you to get this to Toxxic” Frisco states with a trace of a smirk on his face. “I’m sure he’ll find it very interesting”

 

Riley takes the tape and looks at Frisco with a look of bewilderment in his eyes.

 

“Why the hell don’t you just mail it?”

 

“It’s much too important. I want to make sure he gets it” Frisco responds. “He probably has one of his Revolution Zero’s pick up his mail. Those guys can’t wipe their ass without a map!”

 

Riley stuffs the tape into his pocket. He once again fastens the top button of his overcoat as he prepares to head out into the cold. Frisco turns his attention back to his Mozzarelli sticks and the lovely Candace. Riley considers getting a gin and tonic from the bar before he leaves. It might help settle his nerves after the long night at SWF Lockdown.

 

 

Over at the bar Riley finishes his third gin and tonic. The booze is smooth and seems to be less watered-down than at most bars. In the bar ground soft Jazz plays from a live band. A rather heavy young woman is on stage belting out a passable version of “When Sunny gets Blue.” As Riley focuses his attention on the woman he fails to notice a huge man taking a bar stool right next to him. After a moment of listening to the singer Riley can feel a warm breath breathing down his neck. At first he tries to ignore it, and then he feels the need to vent on this person who is intruding into his interpersonal space. Riley takes a swig of his drink, then turns to address the intruder.

 

“Look buddy…” he starts, and then the words freeze in his throat.

 

Sitting inches away is the unmistakable Carnage. The SWF resident Psychopath is leaning over from his stool with a crazed look in his eyes. Riley can immediately feel his heart fluttering as the maniac looks ready to explode.

 

“Oh…hi Carnage…good match tonight!” Riley sputters, immediately realizing he probably should not have mentioned Carnages loosing effort in the ring.

 

“Nice seeing you…gotta go!” Riley continues as he leaps off the bar stool and hurries to Frisco’s table. The controversial manager is found chatting animatedly with his lovely Asian friend. She glances over at Riley with a look of surprise on her face.

 

“Damnit Frisco that crazy bastard Carnage is here…I think he’s pissed at me!” Riley blurts as he watches Carnage from the corner of his eye.

 

“For your sake I hope not” Frisco offers as he fails to even look at Riley. In the distance the SWF maniac can be seen getting off his stool and heading towards Frisco’s table.

 

“Dammit!” Riley barks as he sits down on the vacant bench across from Frisco and Candace. “He’s coming after me…I’m gonna die!”

 

A sinister smile flashes over Frisco’s face as Carnage walks over to the table. The former Hardcore Gamers champion stand motionless at the end of the table. Frisco appears less than impressed as he picks up yet another Mozzi stick, this time offering it to Carnage.

 

“Hungry?” he asks as Carnage takes the stick and slips it between the thin steel rails that cover the mouth opening in his mask. The maniac then takes a seat next to Riley at the table.

Riley looks on in stunned disbelief as the madman is seated inches away from him. Candace takes a napkin from the table and wets it with her tongue. She then slips it into Carnages mask to wipe a gob of Marinara sauce dripping from the mouth of the monster.

 

“Oh don’t be so damned surprised!” Frisco states as he turns his attention to Riley. “Of course I manage Carnage. Hell I’m the one who bought him here in the first place!”

 

Riley continues to listen in stunned awe.

 

“Carnage was a natural. A Russian Olympic wrestler who had some mental health issues when he defected to the United States in the late 80’s. He was sent to a mental hospital, but by cultivating some connections I have I was able to get him released to my custody”

he continues. “Hell I even got him a job in the SWF. A perfect fit for him I might add”

 

Riley shakes his head in disbelief.

 

“How come your name never came up in the press?”

 

“It did” Frisco responds. “I’m name withheld.”

 

Riley appears quite nervous as he glances over at the larger than life Carnage.

 

“I really do have to go” Riley mutters. It become clear Riley does not dare ask Carnage to move so he can get out of the table.

 

“Could you let the little man out?” Candace asks Carnage, who glances over at Riley with a highly intimidating look in his eyes. He slowly gets off the table giving Riley a chance to make a quick exit from the bar. He takes full advantage of his opportunity.

 

 

 

 

One hour later

 

 

 

Riley takes his overcoat off as he enters his condo. The smell of scented candles in the air helps settle the nerves of the SWF commentator. He walks to his fridge and takes out a cold wine cooler as he sits at his kitchen table. Riley can feel his heart still pounding as he drinks the beverage. As he glances across him immaculately clear kitchen a thought flashes across his mind…the tape!

Riley hurries to him jacket and pulls out the video Frisco gave him at the bar. He quickly removes the thin elastic band that secures the tape to the package, and then shoves the tape into his JVC Video recorder. As the tape begins to play he walks over to his couch and takes a seat to watch the presentation.

 

The image is pretty choppy first, and then settles down. A blue screen quickly shifts to a surprisingly clear image of Frisco sitting on an oversized leather recliner. In the background the unmistakable Carnage is seen glaring at the camera with the ever-present maniacal look in his eyes. Candace is sitting on the arm rest of the chair rubbing Frisco’s somewhat undersized shoulders.

 

“Toxxic…we finally get to meet. It’s not a face to face meeting, but I guess it will have to do” Frisco starts as he looks into the camera with a shit eating grin on his face.

 

“You know I’ve been looking at this match for a long time. The Straight-Edged sensation vs. the SWF Resident Psychopath. I have to say I’m looking forward to it. New York here we come!

You see we’re back in the United States now. Better still we’re in New York…the big apple…no more freakin’ merry ol’ England. We’re going to Manhattan…”

 

A quick grin flashes over Frisco’s face.

 

“Welcome to My world!”

 

“Now I know you feeling pretty confident today. Hell Carnage is on a losing street…he lost to your flunky Sacred at Lockdown, he lost at Ashes to Ashes..You may even think you stand a chance to beat him at Smarkdown. I’m personally glad you feel that way. It’s all part of my master plan…”

 

Frisco looses his train of thought for a moment as Carnage starts behaving erratically in the background. Candace quickly gets up and gives the massive mad man a quick hug. This seems to sooth the monster, as Frisco continues with his soliloquy.

 

“The thing you don’t know is in the last few matches I made sure I gave Carnage all his medication. He was actually somewhat subdued in the ring. After allowing him to wrestle unmediated against Sly and Andrea…when he kind of went crazy a bit…I decided it was not a good idea to allow him to wrestle like that so close to our big match.

I want Carnage to save all his pent up frustration and aggression for one man…for one match…all for you, Toxxi”

 

Frisco pauses to reach over and pick up a drink from the side of his chair. He takes a long sip of the White Russian, and then continues…

 

“You see I’ve watched you with great interest. You come out with that gobbly, shitty Gel in your hair and you always have that idiotic lopsided grin on your face…prepare to be proven wrong…yada yada yada…”

 

Again Frisco takes a sip from his drink.

 

“But in reality…and you know this as well as I do…your scared shitless. Your freaking terrified every time you step into that ring. You know as well as I do your at best an over rated cruiser weight. Well Toxxi Carnage is no freaking Cruiser weight. He’s a damn monster! You say…Prepare to be proven wrong?... I say…prepare to be pronounced…dead!”

 

Again Frisco takes a sip as Carnage appears ready to explode. He is glaring at the camera with an absolutely psychotic look in his eyes that only seems to be calmed by Candace who is now standing on the arm rest and massaging the massive shoulders of the monster.

 

“When Carnage steps into the ring at Smarkdown…I’ll be sure to withhold his medication…no Clonapin, no Thorizine, not even a baby aspirin. He’ll be ridiculously out of control. He’ll be so crazy he’ll make Janus…”

 

Frisco does a quick headtilt of his own

 

“…seem as calm as a Church mouse!”

 

Once again the shit eating grin flashes over Frisco’s face.

 

“You’ve never been in the ring with anyone like Carnage. Now I’ll grant you he is not a particularly skilled technical wrestler these days…He won’t be giving you a nice Olympic style match like Flesher would…”

 

Once again Frisco sips from his drink

 

“He will basically be a stalk raving man lunatic from the start of the bell to the end of the match…which should not be to long. Even I am not sure what he is capable of doing in this match. I don’t expect it to be a technical masterpiece…”

 

“I expect it to be a bloodbath!”

 

The camera zooms into an uncomfortable close up of Frisco’s face.

 

“Sleep well”

 

Fade to black

[Toxxic 0]

Interesting... very interesting...

 

But of course - an 'Olympic-style' match like Flesher would do is what Toxxic HATES. He can't mat wrestle for shit. He's an overblown spot monkey who just happens to specialise at beating wrestlers bigger and stronger than him.

 

Bring it, Frisco. You've proved you're not such an arse after all... now let's see what you've got...

 

*hurries off to write*