Promo: "Mindgames"

[Above Average 0]

Joe Peters stands in his office after Smarkdown has gone off the air. The Road to Genesis is officially finished and while he has most of his matches signed, he’s been waiting on one person. The under card won’t officially be complete until he can get this one done and considering how the fans have been reacting he needs to get it booked. If he doesn’t get this signed soon he’ll have trouble really promoting it. Joe exits his office intent on finding Maddix and bringing him there when… who should arrive but the man himself.

 

“Ah, Landon,” Peters starts, ushering him back through the door. “Just the person I hoped would come by.”

 

“I came here to get a match with Gabe Drake.” Landon begins, coming through the door. Looking around he spots his would-be opponent sitting at Joe’s desk. “Why are you here?”

 

“I’m… supervising.”

 

“Mr. Drake expected that you would want a match with him and has a few requirements that he wishes for you to agree to before he will get in a ring.” Peters says, quite unsure how to say this without upsetting Landon. “How should I begin? Well-”

 

“-First things first, Maddix.” Drake cuts in. “Rule number one is that no matter what I do, you won’t lay a finger on me until our match.”

 

Landon takes pause at this. He remembers the conversation with his tag partner well. Gabriel Drake will take any chance he gets to attack him and this basically gives him free reign. And that isn’t something Maddix wants considering what happened one show ago.

 

“That’s not very fair.” Landon notes, a small chuckle coming forth. “Why would I agree to have open season on my own head?” Maddix glares at Drake, tapping his forehead. “The last time wasn’t enough?”

 

“True.” Gabe says, smirking and gives an acknowledging nod. “I guess I don’t need to do that anymore. I can just talk about you and your dirty whore…”

 

Landon’s eyes narrow. If Gabe wanted to know what gets to him, then he just found one clue. Two can play that game. “So, I guess I could talk about how Mike banged your-”

 

“-Shut the FUCK up!”

 

Anyone could tell that pissed Gabe off.

 

“How about we do this?” Joe says, praying to God that Gabe Drake doesn’t jump Landon right then and there. This should be good enough. “A gag order! I’ll give a fine of twenty-five thousand dollars if you break it! That means you can’t say anything too inflammatory—beyond the normal pay-per-view hype of course,” Joe adds. He’s got to protect his match after all. “Or attack each other until the match at Genesis!”

 

Drake pauses to think this over and then nods his head. Peters looks to Landon and gets a similar response. “Okay, that one was negotiable, but this one isn’t.” Gabe raises a second finger and his smile returns. “Rule number two is that there will be a stipulation of my choice for this match.”

 

Mike was right on the money. Apparently he remembers more about Drake than he thought. Peters once again takes this chance to jump in, hoping to defuse the situation and get the match signed as quickly as possible. After all the last part of this little pre-match meeting is going to be the hardest.

 

“Yes, Gabriel has requested that this match be held in a fifteen foot high Steel-barred Cage or else he’ll walk.”

 

“You want a Cage Match?”

 

Landon expected a stip and it does play to his opponents strengths. The Cage keeps them both at a close distance and gives a guy like Drake a natural weapon to use. Plus it’s less likely that Megan can help him in that type of situation.

 

“Is that a surprise?” Drake asks, as Maddix shakes his head no. “You’re right, it shouldn’t be. I just wanna’ make sure there’s no interference. The last time we had words-”

 

“-You mean when a psychotic bastard—that’d be you by the way, jumped me from behind?”

 

“Sure, if that’ll make you feel better, why not. During our last altercation, after I beat you senseless, I decided that I was going to break your fuckin’ leg!” Gabe ends the sentence with a snarl and much more serious expression on his face than he started it with, but just as suddenly as it arrived it has left. “Sadly, the only problem with that and it’s a big one in my book, is that Toxx decided to get involved. In a steel cage that won’t happen, Maddix. In a cage there’s nobody to get between me and you, but your own fear.”

 

Drake chuckles.

 

“Peters made sure to add Escape rules, so that once you’ve really realized what you talked yourself into, you can try and run like the little bitch you are.”

 

Joe shakes his head no at that. “I just thought it’d make for a more exciting match, Landon.”

 

Maddix stares a hole into Peters and starts to speak, but Gabe isn’t completely finished…

 

“But trust me on this, Maddix,” Drake growls. “I won’t let you get too fuckin’ far.”

 

Landon looks at Drake as if to ask, ‘Are you done?’ and then he hears annoyed sound. Drake tries to recompose himself, taking slow breaths, as he watches Landon do the “Yak-yak-yak” hand taunt. Finally able to speak, Landon begins. “That’s all fine and dandy, Gabby, but I don’t intend on trying to escape until after I’ve beaten your ass all around that Cage.” Maddix responds. “Is that all you got? I was under the impression that you’d do everything within your power to get under my skin! Shoddy one-upmanship if you ask me.”

 

“There is one last condition, Landon.” Peters adds warily, knowing it will be the toughest to get him to agree to. “Gabriel has requested that you ask him… politely, for the match.”

 

“Is this a joke?!” Maddix shouts, but Joe just shakes his head. “Fuck that! No, seriously, fuck this Peters. I’m not saying anything, except politely asking him to kiss my ass!”

 

“If you want the match, Landon, you’ll have to say it…”

 

Peters’ looks at Drake who barely contain himself, while Landon stews, looking at his potential opponent like he just asked the worst possible thing. Drake must know that he really wants this match…

 

“Can I have the match, Drake?”

 

“You didn’t say please.” Gabe says slowly. “Don’t you remember how much you appreciated it when Toxx said please?”

 

Landon grimace. Is this guy serious?! Maddix reminds himself that he was the one who was going to request this match. He wants it. Really bad…

 

“Fine, can I please have the match at Genesis, Drake?”

 

“Of course you could, but will you?”

 

Happy go lucky Landon just went bye-bye again and Gwen Stefani did such a good job of lifting his spirits. This prick has finally found the one thing to get under his skin and he hit him where it hurts. His ego. Annoyed beyond belief, Landon collects himself looks Gabe in the eyes. This is going to hurt…

 

“Okay, may I please have the goddamn steel cage match with you at Genesis?”

 

“Although I didn’t appreciate the profanity, you have your match. Now scurry along you little cockroach—I don’t want to have to crush you until Genesis.” Gabe looks down at the contract on the desk already signing it in loopy cursive as he speaks. “Actually, you need to sign that, so take your time. I’ll leave.”

 

Getting up to leave, Drake tosses the pen at Landon, hitting him in the chest while he exits with a parting word.

 

“See you at Genesis.”

 

Maddix walks over to the paper and before he signs, pauses. Peters begins to worry. God, this is one of his key under card matches. Especially in Canada where it seems that Maddix teaming with Stephens has turned him face. Landon Maddix getting face pops, who would’ve believed that. Canada really is Bizarre-o world. As Landon flips through the contract, he stops and stares at Peters. Is he not going to sign after he went through all that, Peters wonders?

 

“Megs should look at this too…”

 

And with that Landon calls Megan Skye on his cell as we…

 

FADE…

[Toxxic 0]

I like this very much. Given that when I first approached you about handling the Drake character you said you weren't sure about being able to write the menacing promos, I think you've got the hang of it pretty well!

 

And Gabe calling Maddix down on his grammar is awesome. Just awesome.