Post by Skyler Striker on Nov 24, 2006 19:17:44 GMT -5
War is a series of catastrophes that results in a victory.
Georges Clemenceau
The scene begins outside what look to be ruins of a very large city. Completely isolated, on the shelf of a mountain, snow covering the very tips of that mountain. The city is crumbling, and has mould all over it. A few birds fly through the air, twittering happily as they fly and twirl playfully in and out of the holes in the walls and roofs of the city. The entrance to the massive city has a large archway, which is the only thing not crumbling – it looks as if it has been erected more recently than the city, although it is still old, as the report states that the archway was erected by the people who explored the city about a thousand years ago, although even the report is vague, as not much is known. One thing the report does have that is accurate is the translation of the runes inscribed on the archway, which in English, read:
‘You Can’t Win’.
The report in question is an individual’s research on the city. The individual in question is Skyler Striker, who is standing outside the city, the wind from the altitude blowing around him, yet he does not feel the cold. Skyler walks into the city, surveying it carefully with his eyes. He walks up the nearest set of stairs which lead to the battlements of the city, and heads to the edge of those battlements, looking out at the countryside before him. It is not so much a countryside as it is an urban jungle, the new city stretching out before him, almost to the horizon. It is night time, so the city lights are all on, yet where Skyler is, there is only the dim light of the candle lamp which Skyler holds. The sky, while dark, still holds enough light for Skyler to look around and still see, so he tosses the lamp off the battlements, and we can hear it break on the outer edge of a clump of rocks outside the city. Skyler puts his hands on the battlement walls and speaks to the sky, still wearing his sunglasses as if it is daytime.
SS: Long ago, there was a war fought for this city. Two armies fought – the invaders, from outside this city, and the defenders, with a much smaller force, who protected their homeland.
[[Flashback]]
The two armies engaged at the city gates, fighting with every muscle in their bodies to either take or hold the city so prized. Soldiers were slain left and right, yet they kept fighting into the night, and the day, and the night again, and the third day. On that third day, the defenders, worn out, yet with the fight still in their hearts, made one last attempt to win back their home. They charged out of the gates and destroyed the surprised invaders. Once they realised they had won, they celebrated. Six months later, they left the city, going to conquer new towns and bigger armies, led by a man called Hero. One man stayed behind, because he was against the idea of Hero leading his people away from safety. He was left to live and defend the city by himself – an impossible task. The city they left crumbled. It grew old and fell, but remained there as a legacy to the defenders and their efforts. Explorers came and erected an arch to make sure no-one forgot the city, but it kept growing older and decayed more. Eventually, a new city was built nearby and that attracted all the visitors, leaving the city in ruins forever.
[[Reality]]
Lack of loyalty is one of the major causes of failure in every walk of life.
Napoleon Hill
SS: The people who left the city were fools. They protected their homeland yet left it afterwards, and for what reason? To prove they were the best? They left their loyalty behind as well. They left one young man to die here. No one man is capable of defending a city. Yet that man did, defending with all his heart what he believed in. True, there were no armies that required him to fight, but he defended its pride. Just like everyone has left me – yet I’m still here. I’m still defending my pride.
Skyler walks away from the battlements, jumping back down to the floor below with great agility. He walks in and out of the many rooms, fascinated by their antique look. One room holds the remains of a bird’s nest, another is missing a wall yet through the gap in the wall we can see the city once more, afire with the lights. Skyler stops at this gap and stares at the city, almost angry at it, yet still controlled and amazed.
SS: The new city – the people who left didn’t build it, but they had to go and fight. They had to take a new land for their own. Of course, they made a massive mistake. They went for the top dog of the land. And failed, of course.
[[Flashback]]
The former owners of the city said their goodbyes to it and left in search of a new land. They took some small towns and villages but none big enough to sustain them. They were too large and too man at a certain point that they could not go back to their former home, so they tried to take down the biggest city in the land. Their siege failed miserably. Led by a man calling himself ‘Hero’, the big city’s walls and soldiers repelled and killed every last man save Hero. Hero was taken captive and converted to the king’s side, adorned with gold and jewels as if he had always been one of his own.
[[Reality]]
Heroing is one of the shortest-lived professions there is.
Will Rogers
SS: Hero. Danny Vice. The man who had nothing, and gained everything. The PWA World Championship, the WCF Tag Championships, and still going higher. Danny – you’ve got the world on your side. And now you’re faced with a decision – who do you support? Your worst enemy, or the ‘king’ Jack of Blades that you’ve just joined forces with? Think about it, Danny – we have the history. You know what it’s like to be in my position. You were the Vagrant. Now you have everything, and I’m the one with nothing. You must understand what it feels like to be me! But regardless, if you do make the right choice and judge this match fairly, then you can bet one thing – Jack of Blades will not leave the same as he went in.
Skyler speaks with a passion so intense that he almost begins to cry out of anger. His eyes grow an insane fiery red, his veins tense, his words become vicious and directed harshly at Jack of Blades. Skyler looks as if he might explode with rage as he speaks.
SS: Blades: I will not lose. The Crusade must continue, no matter what the cost to me. I have to win this – and that drive is what will cause me to win this. In a few days, King, I will cut you down for taking my daughter, my, my life, and the WCF Hardcore Championship.
Skyler moves away from the gap in the wall and once again climbs a set of stairs, and turns up another set, to reach the top floor of the city. There are numerous rooms here, but one is prominent, and we can still see the faded runes and murals which decorate the beige-yellow walls. Skyler walks into this one and one mural has been preserved by the explorers – glass covers it, easily breakable, yet it has protected the wall from the ravages of time. The wall shows what the purpose of this room was – a throne room. The mural depicts a red throne, made out of jarrah wood and carved exquisitely. The leader sits at this chair in front of a desk of advisors, many colourful foods adorning the table. Skyler examines it through the glass and sighs.
SS: An the tale continued. Having converted Hero, the king wasn’t about to stop..
[[Flashback]]
With Hero now on his side, the king had power over a large amount of the land. Everyone who tried to take his land was forced right back out. The defender, who had stayed in his city alone, realised that the king was becoming too powerful. So he set out on a quest – to kill the king no matter what the cost. He journeyed for weeks towards the king and his city. Eventually the king heard of this and did some research, and went into the city, bringing back a young girl – the defender’s daughter. She, too, was converted. When the defender arrived and challenged the king, he saw his daughter there, scorning him, and he hesitated. The king took a swipe with his sword and cut a large gash in the defender’s leg. The defender steeled himself and after a long, hard battle, cut down the king, finally resting and knowing he had done good.
[[Reality]]
Victory belongs to the most persevering.
Napoleon Bonaparte
SS: And so will the journey end. The defender of the city overcame the obstacle that had stood in his way for so long – the king and his power. In the same way, Jack of Blades, I will end you this Sunday at Revenge. You have my daughter. You have my life. You sit up there as a king on your Hardcore throne, but that should be me. So come Sunday, I’m finally going to get the one thing I deserve – revenge. Then the Crusade will end and I will be done. Nothing matters except that title, my daughter, and my life. Don’t expect anything easy from me, Jack. I’m not expecting any from you.
Skyler moves to the other item surrounded by glass – that same wooden chair, still exquisite and solid, jarrah polished. A polished wooden sceptre and crown are also on a stool next to it. He pulls back and superkicks the glass, the front wall of which shatters. Skyler brushes the glass aside and sits in the throne, adjusting himself to be comfortable. He sits there for a few seconds before standing and walking back out of the throne room. Instead of walking down the stairs, Skyler jumps to the floor, rolling as he hits the ground so as to not injure himself. He stands and brushes himself down before walking out of the entrance to the city and turning back to look at the arch.
SS: Defended yet lost… Here’s a message to anyone who thinks I can’t do it.
Skyler thinks to himself for a minute, and reads the runes once more, which read:
‘You Can’t Win’.
Skyler laughs to himself and picks up a rock, putting a line through the old runes and carving runes of his own underneath the old ones. The whole thing reads in English:
You Can’t Win.
Watch Me.
Skyler finishes writing and throws the rock into the city, and we hear a brief clattering. Skyler turns away from the city and walks back towards the bright metropolis, the only lights in the now dark night sky as the scene ends.
Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things.
Denis Diderot
Georges Clemenceau
The scene begins outside what look to be ruins of a very large city. Completely isolated, on the shelf of a mountain, snow covering the very tips of that mountain. The city is crumbling, and has mould all over it. A few birds fly through the air, twittering happily as they fly and twirl playfully in and out of the holes in the walls and roofs of the city. The entrance to the massive city has a large archway, which is the only thing not crumbling – it looks as if it has been erected more recently than the city, although it is still old, as the report states that the archway was erected by the people who explored the city about a thousand years ago, although even the report is vague, as not much is known. One thing the report does have that is accurate is the translation of the runes inscribed on the archway, which in English, read:
‘You Can’t Win’.
The report in question is an individual’s research on the city. The individual in question is Skyler Striker, who is standing outside the city, the wind from the altitude blowing around him, yet he does not feel the cold. Skyler walks into the city, surveying it carefully with his eyes. He walks up the nearest set of stairs which lead to the battlements of the city, and heads to the edge of those battlements, looking out at the countryside before him. It is not so much a countryside as it is an urban jungle, the new city stretching out before him, almost to the horizon. It is night time, so the city lights are all on, yet where Skyler is, there is only the dim light of the candle lamp which Skyler holds. The sky, while dark, still holds enough light for Skyler to look around and still see, so he tosses the lamp off the battlements, and we can hear it break on the outer edge of a clump of rocks outside the city. Skyler puts his hands on the battlement walls and speaks to the sky, still wearing his sunglasses as if it is daytime.
SS: Long ago, there was a war fought for this city. Two armies fought – the invaders, from outside this city, and the defenders, with a much smaller force, who protected their homeland.
[[Flashback]]
The two armies engaged at the city gates, fighting with every muscle in their bodies to either take or hold the city so prized. Soldiers were slain left and right, yet they kept fighting into the night, and the day, and the night again, and the third day. On that third day, the defenders, worn out, yet with the fight still in their hearts, made one last attempt to win back their home. They charged out of the gates and destroyed the surprised invaders. Once they realised they had won, they celebrated. Six months later, they left the city, going to conquer new towns and bigger armies, led by a man called Hero. One man stayed behind, because he was against the idea of Hero leading his people away from safety. He was left to live and defend the city by himself – an impossible task. The city they left crumbled. It grew old and fell, but remained there as a legacy to the defenders and their efforts. Explorers came and erected an arch to make sure no-one forgot the city, but it kept growing older and decayed more. Eventually, a new city was built nearby and that attracted all the visitors, leaving the city in ruins forever.
[[Reality]]
Lack of loyalty is one of the major causes of failure in every walk of life.
Napoleon Hill
SS: The people who left the city were fools. They protected their homeland yet left it afterwards, and for what reason? To prove they were the best? They left their loyalty behind as well. They left one young man to die here. No one man is capable of defending a city. Yet that man did, defending with all his heart what he believed in. True, there were no armies that required him to fight, but he defended its pride. Just like everyone has left me – yet I’m still here. I’m still defending my pride.
Skyler walks away from the battlements, jumping back down to the floor below with great agility. He walks in and out of the many rooms, fascinated by their antique look. One room holds the remains of a bird’s nest, another is missing a wall yet through the gap in the wall we can see the city once more, afire with the lights. Skyler stops at this gap and stares at the city, almost angry at it, yet still controlled and amazed.
SS: The new city – the people who left didn’t build it, but they had to go and fight. They had to take a new land for their own. Of course, they made a massive mistake. They went for the top dog of the land. And failed, of course.
[[Flashback]]
The former owners of the city said their goodbyes to it and left in search of a new land. They took some small towns and villages but none big enough to sustain them. They were too large and too man at a certain point that they could not go back to their former home, so they tried to take down the biggest city in the land. Their siege failed miserably. Led by a man calling himself ‘Hero’, the big city’s walls and soldiers repelled and killed every last man save Hero. Hero was taken captive and converted to the king’s side, adorned with gold and jewels as if he had always been one of his own.
[[Reality]]
Heroing is one of the shortest-lived professions there is.
Will Rogers
SS: Hero. Danny Vice. The man who had nothing, and gained everything. The PWA World Championship, the WCF Tag Championships, and still going higher. Danny – you’ve got the world on your side. And now you’re faced with a decision – who do you support? Your worst enemy, or the ‘king’ Jack of Blades that you’ve just joined forces with? Think about it, Danny – we have the history. You know what it’s like to be in my position. You were the Vagrant. Now you have everything, and I’m the one with nothing. You must understand what it feels like to be me! But regardless, if you do make the right choice and judge this match fairly, then you can bet one thing – Jack of Blades will not leave the same as he went in.
Skyler speaks with a passion so intense that he almost begins to cry out of anger. His eyes grow an insane fiery red, his veins tense, his words become vicious and directed harshly at Jack of Blades. Skyler looks as if he might explode with rage as he speaks.
SS: Blades: I will not lose. The Crusade must continue, no matter what the cost to me. I have to win this – and that drive is what will cause me to win this. In a few days, King, I will cut you down for taking my daughter, my, my life, and the WCF Hardcore Championship.
Skyler moves away from the gap in the wall and once again climbs a set of stairs, and turns up another set, to reach the top floor of the city. There are numerous rooms here, but one is prominent, and we can still see the faded runes and murals which decorate the beige-yellow walls. Skyler walks into this one and one mural has been preserved by the explorers – glass covers it, easily breakable, yet it has protected the wall from the ravages of time. The wall shows what the purpose of this room was – a throne room. The mural depicts a red throne, made out of jarrah wood and carved exquisitely. The leader sits at this chair in front of a desk of advisors, many colourful foods adorning the table. Skyler examines it through the glass and sighs.
SS: An the tale continued. Having converted Hero, the king wasn’t about to stop..
[[Flashback]]
With Hero now on his side, the king had power over a large amount of the land. Everyone who tried to take his land was forced right back out. The defender, who had stayed in his city alone, realised that the king was becoming too powerful. So he set out on a quest – to kill the king no matter what the cost. He journeyed for weeks towards the king and his city. Eventually the king heard of this and did some research, and went into the city, bringing back a young girl – the defender’s daughter. She, too, was converted. When the defender arrived and challenged the king, he saw his daughter there, scorning him, and he hesitated. The king took a swipe with his sword and cut a large gash in the defender’s leg. The defender steeled himself and after a long, hard battle, cut down the king, finally resting and knowing he had done good.
[[Reality]]
Victory belongs to the most persevering.
Napoleon Bonaparte
SS: And so will the journey end. The defender of the city overcame the obstacle that had stood in his way for so long – the king and his power. In the same way, Jack of Blades, I will end you this Sunday at Revenge. You have my daughter. You have my life. You sit up there as a king on your Hardcore throne, but that should be me. So come Sunday, I’m finally going to get the one thing I deserve – revenge. Then the Crusade will end and I will be done. Nothing matters except that title, my daughter, and my life. Don’t expect anything easy from me, Jack. I’m not expecting any from you.
Skyler moves to the other item surrounded by glass – that same wooden chair, still exquisite and solid, jarrah polished. A polished wooden sceptre and crown are also on a stool next to it. He pulls back and superkicks the glass, the front wall of which shatters. Skyler brushes the glass aside and sits in the throne, adjusting himself to be comfortable. He sits there for a few seconds before standing and walking back out of the throne room. Instead of walking down the stairs, Skyler jumps to the floor, rolling as he hits the ground so as to not injure himself. He stands and brushes himself down before walking out of the entrance to the city and turning back to look at the arch.
SS: Defended yet lost… Here’s a message to anyone who thinks I can’t do it.
Skyler thinks to himself for a minute, and reads the runes once more, which read:
‘You Can’t Win’.
Skyler laughs to himself and picks up a rock, putting a line through the old runes and carving runes of his own underneath the old ones. The whole thing reads in English:
Watch Me.
Skyler finishes writing and throws the rock into the city, and we hear a brief clattering. Skyler turns away from the city and walks back towards the bright metropolis, the only lights in the now dark night sky as the scene ends.
Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things.
Denis Diderot
