Conflict Of Interest

[Xtreme]

The scene opens on an orange glow, flickering against a dark background. The camera zooms out a bit, revealing a raging bonfire in the middle of... Oh, who the hell cares? The silhouette of a face is seen through the flames, glaring through the lens.

Week one, victory. First pay-per-view, a hard fought loss. Second week, take someone to their limits, only for them to turn the tables. Week four, tag up with this formidable competitor and win.

Only to be attacked by a couple of sore losers. Fucking punks.

The silhouette leans back, what appears to be strands of hair falling to each side. One can hear the figure take a breath, focusing back on the camera.

Punky Brewster. Dagwood. Andre gets his chance to avenge your cowardly attack this week. Andre gets the chance to do to one of you what you did to is last week.

But me??

I have to fight alongside you.

Lucious exhales, one can almost hear a grunt. He shakes his head, breathing heavily as he continues.

Now I find myself torn. Do I face a man I have come to respect, denying him justice to gain a victory? Or do I sacrifice a notch on my win column to aide him in getting vengeance?

Dinkydick, you'd better hope and pray I decide on the former. I swear on everything I love, if you don't give me a legitimate reason to help you this week, you can already start blaming me for dropping you like a bad habit and leaving you for Holmes to polish off. You've gone and pissed me the fuck off, Dumb as a Brick. And I don't forgive easily.

Lucious takes a moment, gathering his thoughts. A deep breath, he turns back to the lens. The fire in his eyes burns harder than the flames before him.

And then there's my other partner. A man I wholly despise on a molecular level. A holier-than-thou egomaniac who stands for everything I can't stand. Bernard "Rotten-To-The" Core. This worthless, arrogant prick gets himself a lucky shot and pins Andre to win Torneo Cibernetico, and he suddenly thinks he's somebody.

You fucking ass.

First off, don't get so uppity about falling short in a title match. Shit happens, fucking flush. Did you see me bitch and moan when Andre beat me for the TV Title contendership? Hell no. I'm a MAN. I see it as a chance to look inward, figure out where I'm lacking, and work to overcome. You? You lose a title match, and you bitch like you're writing Taylor Swift's next hit.

Lucious shakes his head, almost grinning as he stares through the flames.

I should have won! I should be the champion! I have sand in my vagina!!

GET. THE FUCK. OVER. IT.

How about you do what all the smart people in this country are doing? Drop Common Core thinking and go back to basics. You know, the same basics that get you the same answer only four times faster.

Let me slow this down in case your brain isn't working fast enough to keep up.
YOU failed. YOU fucked up. YOU fix YOUR problem and stop blaming everyone else for YOUR idiocy.

A moment passes, Lucious looks skyward. Time passes, Lucious looks back down, almost laughing.

Look at me. I have an 8-man tag team match this week, and I'm spending all my time tearing down my own partners. Though, is it any real surprise that I'd rather tear down my 'allies' in whom I have nothing but disdain, than to rip apart my adversaries in whom I have SOME modicum of respect?

I mean, Andre Holmes. Everyone knows after my speech last week that I respect him as a competitor. And I wasn't just buttering him up; he's a talented individual and he has done enough to earn the respect I have for him. Another match against him would certainly be just a chance to even out our checklist. But again, considering how things went after our match last week, I'm more worried about us getting retribution against those who violated us.

Bonnie Blue, Grayson Pierce... These two came to Andre's aide last week after I'd been double teamed. Do I hold a grudge about the fact that they didn't show up sooner? Naw. They gave Andre and I the chance to fight back, to defend ourselves. To prove our worth. There's no way they could have known those two cowards would regroup so quickly to attack us.

Bonnie, Grayson, I thank you for coming out when you did. Had we been placed together under different circumstances, I would be more than happy to go all-out and prove myself. Unfortunately, I'm not even certain yet which side I want to help.

Lucious brushes his hair back, taking a moment to think. He doesn't even bother looking at the camera as he thinks aloud.

Help a couple of people I hate so I can notch a win.

Help my opponents take down my partners in an effort to gain a moral victory.

Face Andre and his partners in the spirit of competition...

Or back down and let my pride lead me to defeat by association.

Drop Andre. Drop Bonnie. Drop Greyson. Drop Demarcus. Prove my worth.

Or turn on Gagzondick and Core in an odd sense of justice?

A shake of the head. A shrug. Lucious sighs, looking up.

Guess you'll have to find out at Slam. See you all there.

Lucious stands, walking off. The camera stays on the blazing fire, the scene fading to black.