5:32

[A Happy Medium 0]

It is an oxymoron. It is a cold snowy night in Texas’ Metroplex of Dallas and Fort Worth. Somewhere in the area sits a house. Inside the modest house sits young veteran Munich. In the living room of this darkened house he sits, body illuminated by the fire roaring from his gasoline powered fireplace, as it is too small to be a practical wood burning one. Munich sits hunched over, cigarette curled around his fingers. A moderately filled ash tray sits on an end table to his right. In between drags of his smoke, the Texan stares into the fire. He watches different waves of fire ascend and descend, but never die. Munich finishes his practice of his unhealthy habit, and smothers another cigarette into the burnt glass container. He leans back in his chair and breathes a sigh of boredom. After smack his lips together a few times, his ears twitch as he hears a rumble of footsteps made upstairs, most definitely made by a visiting family member making a trip to the bathroom in the early morning hours. The host can’t help but hear an audible yawn escape from the visitors’ lips upstairs.

 

“Ah…FUUCKK!”

 

Munich yawns as he cusses. He damns the phenomenon of yawns traveling from person to person. Suddenly, Munich feels a rumbling in the right leg of his pants. The rumbling is soon followed by a computer generated version of “Bittersweet Symphony”. Shifting in his recliner, Munich fishes his cell phone from his pocket. He focuses, looking into the screen.

 

“Pete.”

 

Munich accepts the call.

 

“Hey, what’s going on, Pete?”

 

“Hey ya, Munchie! I’m just here, fraternizin’ with the family. It’s Christmas ya know.”

 

“Yes, I am quite aware of this fact. I’ve got a few houseguests myself. By the way, I haven’t talked to you in a while, so I wanted to congratulate you on your engagement with Sydney, man.”

 

“Thank ya, buddy. Here let me get Sydney on.”

 

“Hey can you wait a moment, I need to get outside so I don’t wake anyone.”

 

“Sure thing. She can wait a few.”

 

Munich gently places his cell phone on the end table and rises from his chair. He shuffles over to the side of the fireplace, finds the gas knob, and proceeds to deprive the fire of fuel. After watching it go out, Munich walks over to the nearby coffee table and grabs his hoody. After throwing it on, he grabs his cigarettes and lighter from the end table along with the cell phone, and proceeds to walk to the front door. After awkwardly pulling on his vacant yet still tied up shoes, Munich gets outside onto his front porch. Snowflakes plummet onto his bushes, and make the Christmas lights that won’t be taken down until March at the earliest, much more powerful and brighter. The owner of this house deftly lights up a cigarette, and then goes back to his phone call.

 

“I’m back.”

 

“Hey. Sydney says hi.”

 

“She get tired of waiting?”

 

“Yup”

 

“I never was one for speed.”

 

“You used to be, until that bid’ness with the leg and all.”

 

Munich chuckles, not at the memory of his leg flopping around in front of a few thousand people, but rather for Pete saying bid’ness again. He would always chuckle when he heard it.

 

“You like it when I say business in that way.”

 

“Yep.”

 

“Well, Munich. I’m moving on up in the WF. You’re talkin’ to the new play b’ play man, baby!”

 

“Wow! Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year, Pete!”

 

“It’s funny how I got the job, too. Comet, o’ course, wasn’t fired. Instead he gave the post in favor of going to Southeast Asia to help clean up and be a hero after the earthquake.”

 

“Comet’s a good guy. He gave up a job much easier than consoling loved ones and mending the land of that terrible disaster.”

 

“He cares about other people more than himself.”

 

“An altruistic individual, he is. Makes me wonder, though. I feel, I guess you could say blessed. We were going over to that region for an international show in a few weeks.”

 

“Mother Nature is watching over us, Brotha’.”

 

“Yeah….and not those poor people.”

 

Munich trails off, not knowing how to change such a hard subject.

“King is the color commentator.”

 

“King of Hearts? Suicide King? What about Bobby? Did he go with Comet?”

 

“Nopers. The board just outright fired his ass. They wanted somebody more popular with the ladies at the table with me”

 

“Poor Bobby.”

 

“So, Munchie…you’re back. What’re your plans for the new year?”

 

“Stay relevant, actually. The leg bothers me a lot these days. It’s hard to compete.”

 

“Munch; you’re a leader. The leg shouldn’t stop you from bein’ what you could’ve been years ago. After all, you kept X Force Nine together with me back in the ’01. You held the title and we’re the most dangerous and revered youngster this….bid’ness has ever known. Keep competin’ and you will get results.”

 

Munich takes a sharp drag of his cigarette.

 

“You’re right. I look around the locker-room, and suddenly I’m the veteran, surrounded by younger guys. I just need a few matches and I can…be a leader.”

 

“You still smokin’?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“It’s gonna shorten your career. You should start by quittin’ those.”

 

“I’ll take it under advisement. Also, I don’t plan on wrestling in my sixties with my man titties flopping everywhere.”

 

“Haha. You never know. Say, have you ever thought about buildin’ up a stable with a group of these youngsters?”

 

“Of course I have. My best days were in X Force Nine, but well….”

 

“But what?”

 

“Those days have passed. You can’t build a stable of fan favorites anymore. Cohesion is not possible. Everyone is self serving. Trust me. If I could, I would make up a new stable. But once again, I need something to promote this new stable, like a belt.”

 

“Well, son, why don’t ya bring back the EUS Title again?”

 

“No chance. It is staying up on my mantle til the day I die.”

 

“Well, you blew the USJL and Hardcore titles at Sleigh Ride.”

 

“Woah…I just came up a bit short in that one!”

 

“Right…well, what about the ICTV?”

 

“I’ve been thinking about that one. Landon has the title right now, correct? Well, he is also the World Champion, and I don’t think the people in charge want him holding the two most prestigious titles. Somehow, the title is going to someone new, and I want to be that someone.”

 

“That’s the spirit, Munchie! Are you gonna think about a new stable if you get your hands on the belt?”

 

“Maybe. It’ll give me a higher ranking in the federation and would make the recruitment easier. I’ll still have reservations regarding the long term life of a new stable, but hey; never say never. I never would have thought three years ago that you would be the voice of this place, but look at you now.”

 

“Exactly. You never know what will come your way. I’d love to leave ya with a nice proverb or something but Sydney wants me off the phone, so you take it easy Munich. I’ll see ya at work next year.”

 

“Alright then. Merry Christmas, Pete. Goodnight.”

 

“Merry Christmas, Munich.”

 

Munich hits the little red button on his phone, as he flicks his cigarette into the snow covered ground. Looking at his phone after a yawn, the phone reads “5:32”.

 

“Thank God for free nighttime minutes.”

[Toxxic 0]

Munich leading a stable... interesting. Thanks for the promo though; if nothing else, it will give me an idea on how LDP speaks.