Post by Skyler Striker on Mar 9, 2007 19:58:32 GMT -5
Control is an element which society tends to rebel against. For example, if your mother tells you not to jump into the pool because you’ll get wet, what are you going to do? You’ll jump into the pool because basic human instinct will drive us to rebel against people telling us we can’t do whatever it is that is so dangerous to us. For the Jamaicans in Cool Runnings, it was the world telling them that Jamaica could not possibly win a winter Olympics event. For David, it was the king of Israel telling him he couldn’t defeat Goliath. For Skyler Striker, it was his father telling him he could never become a wrestler. According to the theory of rebellion, this would drive Skyler to prove his father wrong and become a wrestler. Not that one would know it by looking at Skyler at this point in time. Skyler is sitting in the stadium of a cricket game in Western Australia – the home team Warriors vs. the Victoria Bushrangers. Not that it matters who is winning, as Skyler is enjoying a few moments of peace before his match with Outcast at Slam. He looks up as Jade Striker comes running up the row of chairs to him, although she does not disturb anyone as the stadium is not populated to the brim. Only the relaxed or the true fans have come to watch the game, as it is midway through the season and the Warriors are performing at an average level. Nevertheless, Jade gets to Skyler and sits on the seat next to him.
Jade: Anything interesting happening, father?
Skyler: Not really. Nice and relaxing, though.
Jade: We picked up something on the Opponent Surveillance System. A conversation between Ortega and Outcast. The general idea was that Outcast thinks your origins are causing you to forget about the future, that he is more hardcore than you, he has more resilience, etcetera.
Skyler takes a drink from his can of cola and takes a deep breath before turning to Jade.
Skyler: More resilience? Did he state something specifically?
Jade: Yes. He claimed that he took a beatdown from the ToT and Reckless Jack and still stood.
Skyler: The Team of Treachery? They could have beaten up an ant and he still would have stood. I took a beatdown from Danny Vice – who in his own right is far more of a fighter than Outcast, RJ or the Team of Treachery which he joined afterwards – and stood in a Hell in a Cell match. Don’t tell me about resilience. As for being more hardcore than me… I don’t even need to answer that claim, do I? I’ve proved over and over again that I deserve to be Hardcore Champion. I beat Jack of Blades for it in the first place – has Outcast ever beaten Jack? I defeated Vice in a Hell in a Cell match to retain it – has Outcast ever defeated Vice? OR stepped inside a Hell in a Cell?
Suddenly, everything freezes. The cricket pitch, the players, the crowd, Jade, everyone except Striker stops. Skyler looks around, confused. The next thing to speak is a voice – it has three tones, one female, one male, and one that does not seem to be even human.
??: You know, Skyler, they say pride comes before a fall. Allow me one quick piece of advice to give you – Outcast beat you down last week. Leave it in the past and thank him for the crutches.
Skyler: What? Crutches? What are you talk…
The world returns to normal and the voice disappears.
Skyler:…ing about?
Jade: What, father?
Skyler: That was weird.
Jade: You might want to return your mind to Outcast, father. Technically he’s right, and you do underestimate him. You’ve barely said a word about him.
Skyler: Why? Do I need to trash talk him? I shouldn’t have started before. I treat all my opponents as if they are the biggest threat to me now. Outcast has main evented more than his fair share of shows. I’m aware of that. But this time, I’m the star on the rise. As for the future… my past is what makes me who I am, and now that I’ve established that, I…
This time, the voice interrupts without freezing everything, although it appears only Skyler and Jade can hear it.
??: I suggest you take my advice, Skyler. And have you truly established your past? Think about it…
The voice leaves for good this time, and Jade looks around, trying to measure where it came from or whose it was.
Jade: Was that you were saying was weird earlier, father?
Skyler: Yeah… except last time it only spoke to me.
Jade: What advice was it talking about?
Skyler: It said to thank Outcast for the crutches. But I haven’t got crutches. What did it mean?
Jade: Well, sometimes wrestlers use crutches to hit their opponents with. What did Outcast leave you with last week?
Skyler: He left me with nothing, effectively, except for the knowledge that that stupid fan or whoever it is might interfere again.
Jade: Then use that, father. That’s going to be the key point in the match – use it to your advantage instead of Outcast’s.
Skyler sighs as the scene fades away.
Jade: Anything interesting happening, father?
Skyler: Not really. Nice and relaxing, though.
Jade: We picked up something on the Opponent Surveillance System. A conversation between Ortega and Outcast. The general idea was that Outcast thinks your origins are causing you to forget about the future, that he is more hardcore than you, he has more resilience, etcetera.
Skyler takes a drink from his can of cola and takes a deep breath before turning to Jade.
Skyler: More resilience? Did he state something specifically?
Jade: Yes. He claimed that he took a beatdown from the ToT and Reckless Jack and still stood.
Skyler: The Team of Treachery? They could have beaten up an ant and he still would have stood. I took a beatdown from Danny Vice – who in his own right is far more of a fighter than Outcast, RJ or the Team of Treachery which he joined afterwards – and stood in a Hell in a Cell match. Don’t tell me about resilience. As for being more hardcore than me… I don’t even need to answer that claim, do I? I’ve proved over and over again that I deserve to be Hardcore Champion. I beat Jack of Blades for it in the first place – has Outcast ever beaten Jack? I defeated Vice in a Hell in a Cell match to retain it – has Outcast ever defeated Vice? OR stepped inside a Hell in a Cell?
Suddenly, everything freezes. The cricket pitch, the players, the crowd, Jade, everyone except Striker stops. Skyler looks around, confused. The next thing to speak is a voice – it has three tones, one female, one male, and one that does not seem to be even human.
??: You know, Skyler, they say pride comes before a fall. Allow me one quick piece of advice to give you – Outcast beat you down last week. Leave it in the past and thank him for the crutches.
Skyler: What? Crutches? What are you talk…
The world returns to normal and the voice disappears.
Skyler:…ing about?
Jade: What, father?
Skyler: That was weird.
Jade: You might want to return your mind to Outcast, father. Technically he’s right, and you do underestimate him. You’ve barely said a word about him.
Skyler: Why? Do I need to trash talk him? I shouldn’t have started before. I treat all my opponents as if they are the biggest threat to me now. Outcast has main evented more than his fair share of shows. I’m aware of that. But this time, I’m the star on the rise. As for the future… my past is what makes me who I am, and now that I’ve established that, I…
This time, the voice interrupts without freezing everything, although it appears only Skyler and Jade can hear it.
??: I suggest you take my advice, Skyler. And have you truly established your past? Think about it…
The voice leaves for good this time, and Jade looks around, trying to measure where it came from or whose it was.
Jade: Was that you were saying was weird earlier, father?
Skyler: Yeah… except last time it only spoke to me.
Jade: What advice was it talking about?
Skyler: It said to thank Outcast for the crutches. But I haven’t got crutches. What did it mean?
Jade: Well, sometimes wrestlers use crutches to hit their opponents with. What did Outcast leave you with last week?
Skyler: He left me with nothing, effectively, except for the knowledge that that stupid fan or whoever it is might interfere again.
Jade: Then use that, father. That’s going to be the key point in the match – use it to your advantage instead of Outcast’s.
Skyler sighs as the scene fades away.
