Post by Teo Blaze on Jan 17, 2016 14:15:15 GMT -5
ACT 1: Sweet Solace
The scene opens with a blistering white light, blindingly obscuring most of the screen with pure white- very little sound can be heard, save for a faint rhythmic thudding. A few moments pass, and the white slowly gives way, the thudding growing louder as the image grows clearer- a sun bleached, arid landscape devoid of life comes slowly into view, the sandy ground smooth as silk, with one notable exception. Along the desert floor are a set of indentations, one after the other, signaling footsteps. The camera zooms slowly in on the indentations, following them like a hunter tracking his prey, over a sandy dune, as a figure comes into clearer view.
Slowly trudging his way forward stands a thin, sunburned figure, emaciated as though he has been walking for days, slowly but surely lifting each leg to add but one more step to his long journey. His appearance is ragged, his clothes torn and marred by the coarse sand, his plain white T-shirt dyed a sandy brown by wind-carried detritus and his jeans ragged to knee-length shorts with torn edges. Beside him, he drags a canteen on a strap, bouncing rhythmically along the desert floor with each step, creating a constant back and forth syncopation.
Step.
Step.
Thud.
Step.
Step.
Thud.
The camera begins slowly zooming in on the figure as his steps slow, going from a constant stride to a labored crawl before coming to a stop completely. The figure stands stoic, a statue in a sea of sand as the camera zooms slowly around, focusing ever more as it arrives in front of the figure, clad in a once-shock white wrestling mask, now a dingy brown. His eyes stare forward, not looking into the camera, but staring as though he sees a great image a thousand miles away, as his mouth slowly begins to move. His lips separate, sticking together momentarily, but tearing away as the word escapes from his lips.
“Dune.”
The word hangs in the air, the sound echoing off the barren desert sands, the same word being heard in every direction, as though every grain of sand offers back its own reprisal, a chorus of mocking affirmation, “Dune” being repeated a thousand times, a million as the man continues to stare off into the empty ocean of grit and pain.
Suddenly, without warning, he drops to his knees, his eyes rolling back in his head as he loses his balance and falls face first into the waiting embrace of the Mexican desert, which welcomes the prone form with open arms.
ACT 2: Objective Reporting
The scene abruptly shifts to the interior of El Gimnasio del Sol. The usually bright building sits emptied, the cacophony and bustling of students all but nonexistent as the last few hopeful luchadors collect their belongings and make their way towards the building’s exit. Spirited discussion on the day’s training is exchanged as young men examine their progress and ever-growing craft.
Of particular interest this day, however, is the gym’s owner. In one corner of the room sits Mr. Sunshine, Teo del Sol, in a folding chair. His arms are crossed, and his demeanor is extremely serious, as though he had just received the most terrible news of his entire life. The students quietly point behind his back as he stares silently at one corner of the room- having ignored all efforts to rouse his attention or jar him from his stupor.
El Oso Blanco: What do you think it is, man?
Phoenix Starr: I don’t know. He’s been like that since this morning.
El Oso Blanco: You think that something bad happened
Phoenix Starr: Nah man, Teo’s not the kind of guy to let bad things get to him.
El Oso Blanco: That’s ridiculous! Everyone feels a little sad sometimes.
Phoenix Starr: You must be new here. Teo, he’s not like a normal guy. He doesn’t get upset, doesn’t yell, I’ve never even seen him raise his voice.
El Oso Blanco: But that doesn’t mean he can’t be sad.
Phoenix Starr: Sure it does! Dude took beatings from Kyle Kemp, Joey Flash, David Sanchez… lost teeth, lost blood, lost belts. Even lost his mask. Teo’s tough, dude.
El Oso Blanco: So what do you think it is?
Phoenix Starr: I don’t know man, but-
The students’ conversation is abruptly cut short by the sound of a television broadcast, the large screen that dominates the entryway projecting a perfectly manicured and trimmed newscaster, who offers a million dollar smile and flashes her pearly whites at the young men, as though offering an answer to their inquiry.
Female Newscaster: WCF Network has just learned that this week ever-optimistic fan favorite and WCF People’s Champion will walk into the ring with the man known only as Dune. While there is little question in anyone’s mind that Dune should be the favorite-
Boorish Newscaster: Favorite?? Dune is gonna mop the floor with this little housefly. Teo’s a flash in the pan, a one-note joke who is only volunteering to shorten his career-span by even accepting this match. The only thing we have to pick with this kind of matchup is how many BONES Teo is gonna have left when Dune’s done with him.
Sympathetic Newscaster: But Teo has done so much charity work! El Gimnasio del Sol has been holding food drives for local towns throughout Mexico, and-
Boorish Newscaster: And how much has he done for the poor American cities, huh? Save me your bleeding heart bullshi-
Female Newscaster: Gentlemen, please! This is not a political show, we are here to talk about wrestling.
Boorish Newscaster: You wanna talk about wrestling? Fine. Dune is a former World Champion. He has beaten every single person in WCF that there is to beat, and he has made it look easy. You want to stand here and try to tell me that Teo del Sol- the one who was almost killed by David Sanchez is going to stand across the ring from the most fearsome foe that WCF has ever known, the Frankenstein’s monster of strength, skill, and ferocity, and end up in anything else than a bodybag? Well I say Fuc-
Female Newscaster: That’s all the time we have right now, and now a word from our sponsor, Price Wine and Spirits. If you want a store that will get you drunk, the Price is always right!
The students all look at one another with a mixture of understanding and sadness, realizing the reason for Teo’s dour mood. They stare over their shoulder at their mentor, who still maintains the same position. Arms crossed, eyes forward. Silence.
El Oso Blanco: You think he’ll be okay tomorrow?
Phoenix Starr: I wouldn’t count on it.
The students quietly open the door and leave the building as the focus turns back towards the People’s Champion, staring in quiet apprehension at the wall in front of him.
Teo blinks a few times, stirred by his own thoughts, but quickly returns his glare to the corner.
Teo closes his eyes tight and takes a deep breath, drawing in the cool air and slowly releasing it…but keeping his eyes tightly shut.
Teo’s eyes clench more tightly shut and his lip curls into an expression of great effort as he begins breathing harder.
He slowly opens his eyes and turns his head slowly upward, before looking straight into the face of his mentor, Hector Habanero.
Hector: Mijo. We need to talk.
ACT 3: Fighting Spirit
Teo del Sol once more lies prone in the sand, his torn clothes offering no protection against the unforgiving ball of white hot flame that belts him endlessly with merciless heat. The dry red marks on his exposed skin betray the hours he has laid, his body making a deep indentation in the sand, his breathing labored and slow.
But suddenly without warning, his eyes shoot open, and he inhales, a gasping, wheezing sound that shudders him back to consciousness before devolving quickly into a choking, croaking cough. The luchador tries to move his arms, to shove himself back to his feet, but finds that despite the respite offered by the impromptu rest, that his energy has yet to return. Though his brain sends signal after signal to move, the desert has made it clear that there is no way that he’ll be able to wrench himself from its grip.
Teo shuts his eyes, reflecting as best he can on the morning’s events, the conversation that had led him all this way into the vast and empty wasteland…
Hector: Something’s bothering you.
Teo: Why would something bother me, Hector? I’m Teo del Sol
Hector: Bullshit.
Teo’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise as his mentor's look remains the same.
Teo: Hector, I-
Hector: Shut up.
Teo: But-
Hector: Shut. Up.
Teo’s mouth hangs open, the words still hoping to leap free from his mouth, but his eyes betray that he knows better, and he slowly waits for his mentor to speak.
Hector: Mijo…I’ve been watching you. Your progress has been, sensational. Only a few months in the business and already a 4-time champion. You’ve beaten men that would scare the competitors in my day to death, and you’ve overcome hardships that would destroy most men.
Teo’s mouth begins to open, but one stern look from his mentor is all it takes to silence the young luchador.
Hector: You’ve won great victories, have won titles that most men only dream of.
As if for emphasis, Hector approaches a belt rack along the wall and removes the People’s title, looking into it with a look somewhere between pride and contemplation.
Hector: But you have become lost. When you were starting, you would relish the opportunity to face someone like Dune, would jump up and cheer, slap a lion in the face just so you could get the chance to get your little ass kicked. But here you sit, worrying about losing.
Teo doesn’t even offer a rebuttal, simply hanging his head.
Hector: You know what it’s like to lose your prize.
Teo’s mentor glances over at an empty rack where the Television Title once sat, the dust creating a shadow where the belt once rested happily.
Hector: You my friend are no longer a man with nothing to lose, so you no longer are willing to risk. Are no longer willing to take a loss to learn how far you have to go.
Teo: Hector, I-
Hector: Are no longer willing to throw every ounce of yourself into a match, because if you get injured then you will lose this.
Without warning, Hector turns and smashes the belt against the ground, where it gives a loud and echoing crunch. Teo reflexively leaps from the chair, reaching out to claim the fallen gold…but pauses as he looks up and sees his mentor’s disappointed glare.
Hector: Is this why you started wrestling? To jealously guard a trinket for the rest of your life? Did you stand to Joey Flash, to Kyle Kemp because it meant that you might get something shiny out of it?
Teo’s face suddenly changes at Hector’s words, going from a look of sadness to a look of inspiration, as though his mentor’s words have awakened something within him.
Teo: No.
Hector: Did you walk into the ring with Los Tiburones, walk into a steel cage with the kind of psychopath that would just as soon break your back as shake your hand because it meant that the Television title would get to be on that wall one extra week?
Teo: No!
Hector: And did you assemble the People’s Choice, the ONLY ones who were willing to stand against the monsters in the Beach Krew because you wanted to add another trinket to that wall?
Teo: Hell no!
Hector: You’re Goddamned right you didn’t! The Teo del Sol I know, the Teo del Sol that I trained would not sit here and worry about what might happen or whether someone else might walk around with his prize, he went out there each and every night and gave his all, damned be the consequences!
Teo begins pacing feverishly, being drawn into somewhat of a frenzy by his mentor’s words.
Hector: Tell me what you are going to do this week!
Teo: I’m going to go in there and shock the world!
Hector: How are you going to do it!?
Teo: With the world at my back!
Hector: And if he tries to destroy you?
Teo: Hit him right back!
Hector slaps Teo on the chest lovingly and grabs him by the shoulders.
Hector: Yes! Yes, mijo, you are. Wins, losses, these are just numbers, just records. What matters is not the result, only that you go in and you leave everything in that ring!
Teo’s face has been consumed by an ecstatic smile, and he looks up towards the sky with hope-filled eyes for the first time in a long time.
Teo’s face contorts into a look of anguish as he shakes the thought from his head. His mentor’s drops into a look of confusion as Teo pushes away and begins walking towards one of the padded walls, driving his fist into it with a tremendous thud that echoes throughout the gym.
After what feels like an eternity of silence, he turns back towards his mentor.
Teo: Hector, I have another problem.
ACT 4: Desert Spirits
Teo’s reflection is suddenly broken as he is made aware of a sound nearby. His eyes dart open despite his weakness as he hears a strange, alien sound, a hissing almost like the sound of paper tearing, morphing into a smooth, soft ssssss.
And then… a rattling sound.
Teo’s vision comes slowly into focus, making out a sleek, evil shape approaching him, though he sees it coming the deserts unforgiving toll has rendered him immobile, and he can only watch as a serpentine face comes into view. Every impulse he has tells him to get up, to roll, to run, to do anything- and yet he is powerless.
The creature slowly moves closer and closer to his face, approaching him with what can only be described as a devious grin. The serpent finally reaches him, laying but mere inches from his face, and slowly opens its mouth, its long sharp fangs dripping with liquid death. Teo closes his eyes, and waits for the bite, for the sharp pain to come and end his life, to finish him off once and for all before Dune would get the chance…but nothing comes. Though Teo waits for what feels like an eternity, no bite, no pain, no sharp fangs digging into his unprotected flesh….only silence.
Hello Teo.
Teo’s face freezes in place immediately, mostly from confusion but also apprehension. Yet his fear is quickly overwhelmed by his curiosity, and slowly but surely he opens one eye, cracking it to observe his killer…
And Standing before him, in Italian leather shoes, a charcoal grey suit with a bright red tie, and sunglasses is… “The Plague” David Sanchez.
Teo’s voice croaks out of him in surprise, but he is barely able to form words.
Teo: No, no… you’re gone.
Sanchez: Am I? Oh don’t get me wrong, WCF certainly has no idea where I am…but then I think they’re looking in the wrong places, aren’t they Teddy?
Teo tries to force himself up, to get a better look at the man who once was his mortal enemy, the man who caused him so much grief so many months ago, but the most he can do is roll over. The David Sanchez inhales deeply from the desert air and offers Teo a cocky grin.
Sanchez: See, that’s the funny thing, isn’t it Teo? I may not be around all that much these days. But you remember me, don’t you? You still remember when I planted that Medusa’s Kiss right on you and pinned you in front of all your little fans.
Oh it was a great moment, not only because it was my rise towards the upper echelon of the WCF rankings, oh no. That was the first time that little Teddy Sunshine failed. The first time that the people realized just how human you were… And the cherry on top? You are never going to get to set it right. For the rest of your life you are going to have to know that when the chips were down and the people were counting on you, that you let them down.
Teo forces himself up to his knees, unable to stand before the figure who looks down on him with such contempt.
Teo: You cheated, stole the match.
Sanchez: I did, didn’t I? Lady Knives threw powder right between your eyes, and then bada boom, Medusa’s kiss. Pathetic, isn’t it? The people’s champion, the hero, brought down by his own weakness. You know if you’d hit her with that strap you’d probably have won that match.
Teo: I would never-
Sanchez: Wouldn’t you? Don’t tell me the thoughts haven’t crossed your mind. Don’t sit here and try to lie to me and tell me that you have never thought of what it would be like to really…cut loose. To let go. To feel that crash of steel and know that they won’t be hurting anyone anymore. Why do you think we’ve been trying to talk to you? We tried things your way, and let’s face it, it isn’t working.
Teo: I’m not like you.
Sanchez: Oh that’s right, I forgot. You’re the “good guy” the “hero” you think that because you refuse to stoop to “my level” that you are somehow better than I am. Newsflash superman- The bad guys won! The bad guys will always win. This is not. A. Fairytale. We live in a fucked up world, and the only winners are those who are willing to be as fucked up as everyone else, and thinking that you’re above it doesn’t make you better than anyone, it just puts you at a disadvantage.
The figure holds up his hand to Teo, revealing it to be covered in dripping blood. The red liquid seems to coat his fingers and palm, dripping onto the orange sand and creating little dots.
Sanchez: Your blood in on my hands, Teo. How does it feel? How does it feel to know that I took from you your very essence? That with one move, it’ll all be gone?
The figure begins changing, shimmering as though it is being teleported from another dimension. Slowly the figure changes from David Sanchez to the figure of a hulking Giant, of Teo’s opponent this week, the man known as Dune. He stands stoically, an obelisk in the desert, and the blood on his hands seems to grow in quantity. He holds his hand out and the few drops that poured become a cascade of red liquid, the combined life of Dune’s victims emptying onto the sand below before Teo’s eyes. Teo watches, picturing each victims pain, each victims fear and horror, the innocent and guilty alike falling into the waterfall- and Teo leaps to his feet in a rage!
Teo: You think you scare me, you goddamned animal?? You think that you can intimidate me by showing me these images, Sandman? I know the facts! I know that since you stepped through those ropes that there has not been a single person in the entire world who hasn’t been afraid of you! You have bent this company over and you have made it your slave, your personal stomping grounds, your yard!
You have no weaknesses, you have no fears, you have no hesitation. You are a force of nature, and we are but pebbles in the wake of the sandstorm that is Dune!
So this is it then, I should just lay down and become another number? I should just walk out there this week and become another statistic, another W in your column, another step on your way to the world title?? Hell no!
Teo slaps the mirage’s hand aside, stopping the cascade of blood for only a moment.
Teo: You can try to intimidate me, you can show me the torment that you’ve been through, the vicious animals that you have overcome, the strength that led you to one of the most dominant world title reigns in history! But you are overlooking a simple fact, sandman, and that is that you have always had the advantage!
Dune you have always been the bigger man, the stronger man, you have always been the giant in the ring crushing every weak and pitiful opponent that stood across from you! It is real easy to be the biggest kid in the playground when the other kids are all smaller than you, isn’t it? You think that your victories over people like Joey Flash or Beach Krew prove your strength??
Teo begins chuckling like a lunatic as he tilts his head towards the sky.
Teo: No! Strength does not come from being the biggest dog in the fight! You have had ONE opponent that could match your height, width, and strength, and that was Thomas Bates. How many months has it been Sandman? How many months has it been that you have been picking on smaller men, on weaker men, on men that you could throw like a touchdown pass if the mood struck you? You think that you have proved one Goddamned thing to me with those victories?
You wanna know what makes someone strong, Dune? I’ll tell you right now. It’s walking up to the impossible challenge, it’s standing across the ring from a bigger, meaner sonofabitch than yourself and letting him tear into you as much as he wants! That is where strength comes from.
Teo turns his face towards the mirage and locks his eyes right into the giant’s, his glare piercing into the glowing red orbs that stare into Teo’s being.
Teo: You know Sandman, there was a point when I looked up to you. When I started in this business you were the unstoppable superman, the great big hero who could stand alone against Anything! Dune was The. Man. I wanted to be like you, I wanted to be the one who could make myself strong enough to turn away every challenger, every goddamned lunatic who wanted only to rule the world under their thumb.
You made me step into the ring with David Sanchez, with Los Tiburones, Jonny Fly! Even with Kyle Kemp. You made me challenge myself each and every time I stepped into the ring to push myself to the very limits of my being! And why? Because I knew that if I kept pushing myself harder and harder, if I kept getting my ass kicked that one day Teo del Sol would get to be like Dune, would have the strength it would take to set the world right once and for all.
But that’s not what happened, is it Dune?
You had the strength, oh yes, there is no one who can take away what you’ve accomplished and the opponents you’ve overcome. But there was one man, one crazy crazy man who managed to expose your true colors.
You know who I’m talking about, sandman. Joey Flash. Joseph Malignaggi.
As Teo speaks, an image of Joey flash seems to appear behind the Dune mirage’s eyes.
Teo: You walked into that ring with Joey Flash just knowing, just certain! That you would prevail once more- that your strength was the key, the alpha and the omega, the thing that would keep the World title around your waist once again. But that’s not what happened. By luck, skill, or by sheer fate, Joey Flash was the better man that night. And that was it, wasn’t it? That was the moment when Dune, for just one instant, was human.
That, Dune, that is when you showed your true colors, isn’t it?
The figure cocks its head towards Teo, its face remaining expressionless, as it holds up the bleeding hand once more.
Teo: I don’t have to remind you what happened to Christian, I’m sure you take a certain satisfaction in it. That’s the Dune that sits under that mask, not the unstoppable titan, the force of nature who makes men and women alike bow before him, no.
The man under your mask is just a weak, petty child who kills because his toy is taken away!
The figure remains stoic, though a look of anger flashes across its face.
Teo: I have lost Dune, lord knows I have lost time and time again. Whether it’s a simple match on slam or giving up my Television Title to a relative rookie, I have faced more controversy in my career than you have ever had to think about. But never! In my entire career did I ever think about doing what you did.
Dune, you may think that it makes you strong to win matches. That because you’re bigger, tougher, and meaner than the rest of the roster that equates to strength. But the lord’s honest truth when you get down to it is that you have never had to push yourself like I have! You have never had to walk into a match as the underdog, to have people wonder whether it’s possible if you’re going to win!
You have a lot of things Dune, but until you have to know what it’s like to step between those ropes with a man who can tear you limb from limb you will never have my drive, my fire! There’s not a man in the world who will ever be able to make you feel like I feel right now, seeing an impossible giant in front of me, and knowing that the only way I have even a snowball’s chance is to give every single ounce of my being into winning this match!
You may be bigger than me, tougher than me, you may have more wins and more titles, more impressive records, but until you face that kind of adversity, Dune…I am stronger than you.
As Teo finishses, the mirage finally has heard enough, and grabs Teo around the throat, locking eyes with the luchador and staring daggers into his soul.
But rather than flinching or reacting with terror, Teo simply allows himself to be throttled. The image tightens its grip around his throat, veins bulging and muscles straining as the grip tightens ever more, but Teo refuses to give in.
Teo: Dune, you may have given into the darkness, but Darkness does not make a man stronger. Your strength comes from the desert, but mine comes from the sun. You are death, but I am life… And I am not afraid of you.
As soon as Teo says the words, the image vanishes into a cloud of smoke, dissipating into the air. Teo closes his eyes, inhaling deeply, finding himself alone once again in the desert. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small cellular phone, hitting the speed dial labelled “Spencer” he holds it to his ear as he observes the sun, slowly dipping below a dune in the distance.
Teo: Hello Spencer. Yeah. Yeah, send the jeep. I’m ready to come in.
ACT 5: Training Day
The Gimnasio del Sol is a complete opposite from the previous day, the arena is bustling with training, and the raucous sounds of people echo throughout the building. Teo is in the center ring, surrounded by multiple students, all of whom hold baseball bats wrapped in foam. Every few moments, one will rush forward and swing at Teo, prompting him to duck and counter with a kick or punch, always stopping before connecting of course. Hector sits at the far end, of the ring, reading a newspaper and calling out advice to his student.
Hector: How are you going to overcome his power?
Teo responds, ducking low under a clothesline-level bat.
Teo: Speed and quickness, technical wrestling. He’s going to come hard and fast, but he’s going to need space to work with have to grab on and hold on.
Teo jumps in the air, launching himself over a mid-level bat into a somersault.
Hector: He’s got a hell of a slam, too. So when you grab on and he drops you on your neck, what’s your next move?
Teo: Buy a neck brace.
As if to pay him back for his comment, a bat collides with the back of Teo’s head. Teo turns and offers sarcastic applause to his student, who is beaming like a child.
Hector: Serves you right.
Teo: Hector, you’ve seen the tapes, right? Dune is all about the intimidation moves. He comes hard and fast, and targets easily injured areas. The opponent is too worried that he’s going to end up in the hospital to think clearly about the match.
Hector: So what hospital will you be staying at?
Teo: Ha. Ha.
The bustle of the gym is broken up by the barking of a dog, and Teo grins towards the office at the adopted stray, now wearing a specially made dog-wrestling mask. The animal is upset that someone is hitting his master with bats.
Teo: Calm down Santo. I have a plan, Hector. Hear me out. Dune fights like Mike Tyson, he does come hard and fast, and he is determined to win the match as quickly as possible, but he fades quickly- especially in grappling exchanges. His only loss I’ve ever seen came when Joey Flash tapped him out.
Hector: Teo, you don’t know any submission holds.
Teo: You have a point, but what I do have is stamina and endurance. Dune is tough as week-old jerky, but the fact is he does not wrestle smart. He is a monster of a man, a hell of an athlete, and possibly the scariest one on the roster, but it’s by design. Every single thing he does, every promo, every move, it’s meant to reinforce this image of him as a monster.
Hector: He is a monster, mijo.
Teo: That’s true, but one can only be a monster for so long before they begin to get frustrated, to invest more and more energy into every shot. There is no way in hell that I’m going to let him pin me before he starts to tire. Better men than him have tried, but I’m nothing if not stubborn.
Hector: For once I agree.
Teo: Rocky Balboa knew he couldn’t beat Drago or Clubber Lang, so he let himself get beaten into a pulp before capitalizing on their weakness. I can sure as hell take a beating, if nothing else.
Hector: Wasn’t that Homer Simpson?
Teo: Hey, he almost won at the end. You know, before all the massive brain damage.
Hector: Thank goodness you don’t have to worry about that.
Teo: Why do you think I’m doing this exercise? You can’t let yourself be intimidated by anything! Dune thrives on having the mental advantage, on walking into every match knowing that he’s the bigger man, the stronger man, the tougher man. I have to be willing to fight knowing that any move could end it.
Hector stares at his student in confusion before Teo grins and turns towards the students.
Teo: Okay gentlemen, foam off. Let’s do this drill for real!
Hector stares in disbelief at Teo before going back to reading his newspaper, as the sound of baseball bats cutting through the air can be heard off-camera.
ACT 6: Twelve Minutes to Midnight
The scene now changes, bearing both the WCF and Teo TV logo, opening on a small but lavish stage. Teo stands dead center stage, his shining white mask and People’s title in their usual place. To his right sits a perfectly set table, a bright cake in the middle with a single candle in the middle, burning over the words “Happy Birthday” to Teo’s left, on the other hand, sits a tall grandfather clock, the pendelum swinging back and forth. Teo slowly tilts his head towards the camera with a perfect grin and stares dead center.
Teo: Hello Sandman. Now before we begin, I feel that I should make one thing clear. Ordinarily, when I do this kind of thing, I do my best to make sure that I have something nice to say, that I respect my opponents or their accomplishments. Something to keep myself in perspective…but you, Sandman, you have presented me with a unique opportunity. You need no introduction, you don’t need me to remind these people of just what you’ve done in this company. So, just this once, just for you. The kids gloves are coming off. I may say some things to hurt your feelings, but I know that you can take it.Still, to anyone who wants to see Teo del Sol talk about how wonderful and magical Dune is…you’re going to be disappointed.
As Teo finishes speaking, the clock lets out a loud Gong!
Teo: And so we begin. One! One man in all of my career who has been able to beat the man called Dune since he won the world title. That’s a pretty impressive resume, if you think about it. All these opponents and only one loss? I would darn near say that’s unbeatable. But frankly, you’re not quite there yet Sandman, you may think that we’ll all forget that you lost your world title to Joey Flash because you won the rematch, but for the rest of your life, you’re going to have to sit back and read about how your legacy was brought to a screeching halt by Mr. Malignaggi, and you will look back on that night for the rest of your life as the night that it all went wrong.
Gong!
Teo: Two! The number of tag team partners you had. The sentinels, Howard Black and Oculo, right? The two men who have turned their back on the man called Dune. Once they got a whiff of your true scent, once they realized the animal that they had associated themselves with, they turned and allied with your greatest enemy. Dune, I can’t say I blame them. The moment that you were faced with any kind of adversity, any kind of hint that things were not going to be alright for the Sandman, well, what can I say? You gave in, you started working for just yourself, you became the dark beast you were always destined to become….or were you always him to begin with? See the thing about Darkness Dune is that it needs as many warm bodies as it can count, because it knows that the moment light arrives, the party’s over.
Gong!
Teo: Three! Three times that Teo del Sol has stepped into the ring against impossible odds to claim gold for the people. And three times that people have said that there is no way in hell that he could do it. The Television title, the Trios Title, the People’s title? Names like Jonny Fly, Kyle Kemp, Pantheon… Now I know that people have gone out of their way to discredit these men, but I want to ask you a serious question? Why go to the effort to discredit anyone? Why not acknowledge that these are great men who have accomplished things that you or I could only dream of? It’s almost like the discreditors are trying to distract the people, trying to hide the fact that they’re…scared? No, it couldn’t be. Why would anyone be scared of Teo del Sol? Why would Dune of all people be afraid of Teo del Sol? Maybe they’re trying to assure themselves that they live in a…status quo kind of world, that maybe things don’t get…shaken up once in a while.
Gong!
Teo: Four! Four months as World Champion! Four months undefeated, four months challenging the best in the world. But the thing is Dune that for all of those four months, you never once had to come to terms with your own weaknesses. A man who never loses never learns, and you never lost. You want to know why you lost to Joey Flash, dune? It’s because you got comfortable. You got in this pattern of overcoming everyone you got thrown in there with and you never got scared, never got pushed to that limit. Dune, I have no limits. I have been pushed over and over again and I have lost over and over again, but there is not a man in this company who I do not believe can still teach me something. You think that you’re the best, and I would have a hard time arguing it, but you refuse to learn, you refuse to change. You my Sandman, you have limits.
Gong! Gong! Gong!
Teo: Five! Six! Seven! These are rather interesting numbers, aren’t they? May, June, July….the months that you held this company captive, the months that you were THE number one guy. But no matter how you try and twist it, no matter how you spin it, these are the months that you cemented your legacy as an unstoppable force, a legacy you flushed right down the goddamned toilet the moment that you took it upon yourself to take the life of another man’s son! The legacy you have built for yourself is not that of a champion, or that of a hero, no. You are a murderer. A monster! You have destroyed everything that you have worked for and you have done it all in the name of a petty grudge. Dune, you are nothing more than a pitiful excuse for a human being who can’t even bring himself to acknowledge that he has room to improve. When you finally had that chance, that moment where you lost, where you were human, you did not see it as a chance to better yourself, you saw only an uncomfortable truth! When I step into the ring with you this week, I am walking into the ring with a broken man, a man who has given up everything he had worked for, every win, every bit of honor to try and repair a broken mirror.
How did it feel, Dune? How did it feel the first time that you realized that you weren’t what you thought you were? How did it feel knowing that every single person in the world saw you lose your world title, saw you tap out, give up to another man?
Dune, this match between you and me, to you it’s just another notch in your belt, another week where you walk in and destroy some hapless nobody, but for me? This is the match of a lifetime, this is the brass ring, the dream, the reason I got into this business! You are going to see a Teo del Sol the likes of which you have never seen because now that I have seen your true colors, I know that I am only stepping into that ring with another man!
Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong!
Teo: Eight! Nine! Ten! Eleven! The numbers just keep on getting higher, don’t they Dune? They just keep climbing and climbing. You have to get more days, more months, more years added on to your streak, onto your precious record! You are a slave to victory! You are afraid of defeat! You must win!
You are Obsessed, are focused on trying to create this image for yourself, you cannot bring yourself to show even a moment’s weakness, because you are nothing more than a scared child! Unlike you, Dune, I don’t have a goddamned thing to lose this week! I am going to bring Everything! I have in my arsenal, I am holding Nothing! Back because this match is the chance once and for all to prove that Teo del Sol can stand across the ring from the man called Dune! Can walk into that ring and walk out again with his head held high! Win, lose, I don’t give a damn, I’m going to make you realize just what kind of a man you’re walking in there with!
Gong!
Teo falls silent as the clock finally reaches twelve.
Teo: Twelve. Midnight. The end. The start of a brand new day, the beginning of everything. Dune, this week we are stepping into that ring and we are going to make every person in the world realize just what this business means to both of us. Just like the new day, you will find a new beginning when I show you just how strong a loss can make a person.
Dune, I have called you everything I can think of, but I want to make something perfectly clear. You still have a chance. You have made yourself into a monster, a beast, a vicious, callous, cruel being who will destroy anyone who tries to get close to him. But deep down you are just a lost child, a frightened child who is lost in the darkness, who has reached midnight and doesn’t know what he wants to do so he lashes out, he strikes at everything around him, trying to find some escape, some way to make it all make sense again…
As Teo speaks, he raises his arms, and the stage is flooded in bright white lights, almost blinding in their brilliance. Teo turns towards the cake and looks at the camera with determination in his eyes.
Teo: Dune, this week, the sun is out at midnight. This week I’m going to show you that losses are not the end of the world, that just because you lost your belt, lost your mystique, lost your monstrousness…that there’s a better you just waiting to come out. This week, I will do my best to see you reborn, to become the Dune we all once knew, the Dune we miss.
Happy Birthday.
With those final words, Teo blows out the candle on the cake, and the entire scene instantly fades to black.
Epilogue:
The scene fades in on the backstage area in WCF, shortly before Teo’s big match. The scene is filled with noise, as the crowds outside hurry to buy concessions and various souvenirs. The monitors are filled with shining images of WCF logos and exciting action, but despite all of this, Teo del Sol sits quietly on a bench in front of his locker, a pair of headphones on his ears.
Though the camera cannot hear the music, he bobs his head rhythmically, waiting for the knock to come on the door, for the attendant to poke their head through and tell Teo that the crowd is waiting for him. He reflects on the upcoming match, and despite the fact that he is stepping into the ring with the man who had frightened him from day one, an odd peace washes over his entire body. His eyes slowly open to find the same image of David Sanchez from the desert standing across from him.
David Sanchez: You’ll give in.
Teo: Haven’t yet.
The image slowly changes, morphing between Tiburones and Kyle Kemp before coming back to Sanchez.
Sanchez: Everyone gives into me. I’m everywhere, you can’t stop it.
Teo: Can’t I?
The image touches the monitor, which quickly flashes between every single match that Teo has lost, the ref coming down for three, other people holding up the belts Teo had won.
Sanchez: Face it, you’re playing a losing game. You can act all big and tough, but deep down all it takes is one bad day, and then…
The image slowly changes into a brand new figure, and Teo finds himself staring at Teo del Sol, the only noticeable difference the number of scars across his body.
Teo: How many losses will it take, how many times will you have to be dragged through the mud before you realize that the bad guys always win?
Teo: Oh, three or four more should do it.
Teo: Ha. Fine then, go out there this evening, face Dune, face Wade Moor, stand alone against a sea of troubles, god knows it hasn’t done you any good so far.
Teo turns and glances at the People’s Championship, sitting on a table nearby.
Teo: How long is it till you lose that? You think you’re so special, but if that belt was on the line tonight versus Dune he would take it and stick it on the hood of his jeep. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you taking these matches, avoiding any competition for your precious belt.
Teo simply ignores the comment, staring towards the door.
Teo: So tonight, you’ll face Dune, the people will cheer, and you’ll be a hero. Must be nice to have it so easy, you can lose all you want and they’ll still like you.
Teo: Someone has to.
The image of Teo grins, bearing pointed teeth.
Teo: I couldn’t have said it better myself.
With that, the image slowly fades as Teo stands and picks up his title. He turns towards the camera, knowing that it couldn’t have seen the argument and thus someone thinks he’s talking to himself.
Teo: Dune. I know you’re watching. Heck, I’d be watching me too. I know that you have had a rougher time than you let on. This business, it does things to people, makes ‘em crazy. One moment you’re on top of the world and the next someone else is using your title as a coke mirror. But you can’t let yourself get dragged down into it.
You are stronger than this Dune, the one I’m facing this week, the warrior, he’s not there anymore. I’m going out there with a man who is scared to death of what losing might do, who is frightened beyond all belief that he might not be feared anymore.
Dune, it’s better to be loved than feared. The people, they want to love you, but you won’t let them, you’d rather just think about yourself, would rather chase world titles and personal grudges because that’s just the kind of guy you are.
I want to believe in a better Dune, I want to believe that this week I’m going to go out there with the man who made me fall in love with this business in the first place… but the jury is out. Either you’re going to go out there and face me like a man, leave everything in that ring and beat me fair, or I’m going to outlast you simply because it’s what has to happen for you to move on. Either way, I’m going to make you better tonight. I’m going to show you just what a man can accomplish when he has nothing to lose, when he fights not for himself, but for a love of the sport.
Win, lose, draw, Dune, we’re going to leave this match better than we entered it, and for that I would like to say thank you.
But with that being said, I’m in this 100%. You are getting pure, uncut, Teo del Sol and you are going to have to either take it or leave it, because I’m not going to walk out of that ring, am not going to leave these people until you have either killed me or my hand is raised in victory!
I am David versus Goliath, and not just because you could eat me on a sandwich, but because I have the force of good behind me! The darkness always, always! Fades before the light, no matter how much you want to believe that darkness gives you strength there’s not a damned thing in the world that the dark can do against the sun!
You and me Dune, we’re gonna do something special tonight. I hope that when it’s over, you’ll finally see the light.
With that, Teo turns and walks out of the locker room as the camera slowly fades to black.
The scene opens with a blistering white light, blindingly obscuring most of the screen with pure white- very little sound can be heard, save for a faint rhythmic thudding. A few moments pass, and the white slowly gives way, the thudding growing louder as the image grows clearer- a sun bleached, arid landscape devoid of life comes slowly into view, the sandy ground smooth as silk, with one notable exception. Along the desert floor are a set of indentations, one after the other, signaling footsteps. The camera zooms slowly in on the indentations, following them like a hunter tracking his prey, over a sandy dune, as a figure comes into clearer view.
Slowly trudging his way forward stands a thin, sunburned figure, emaciated as though he has been walking for days, slowly but surely lifting each leg to add but one more step to his long journey. His appearance is ragged, his clothes torn and marred by the coarse sand, his plain white T-shirt dyed a sandy brown by wind-carried detritus and his jeans ragged to knee-length shorts with torn edges. Beside him, he drags a canteen on a strap, bouncing rhythmically along the desert floor with each step, creating a constant back and forth syncopation.
Step.
Step.
Thud.
Step.
Step.
Thud.
The camera begins slowly zooming in on the figure as his steps slow, going from a constant stride to a labored crawl before coming to a stop completely. The figure stands stoic, a statue in a sea of sand as the camera zooms slowly around, focusing ever more as it arrives in front of the figure, clad in a once-shock white wrestling mask, now a dingy brown. His eyes stare forward, not looking into the camera, but staring as though he sees a great image a thousand miles away, as his mouth slowly begins to move. His lips separate, sticking together momentarily, but tearing away as the word escapes from his lips.
“Dune.”
The word hangs in the air, the sound echoing off the barren desert sands, the same word being heard in every direction, as though every grain of sand offers back its own reprisal, a chorus of mocking affirmation, “Dune” being repeated a thousand times, a million as the man continues to stare off into the empty ocean of grit and pain.
Suddenly, without warning, he drops to his knees, his eyes rolling back in his head as he loses his balance and falls face first into the waiting embrace of the Mexican desert, which welcomes the prone form with open arms.
ACT 2: Objective Reporting
The scene abruptly shifts to the interior of El Gimnasio del Sol. The usually bright building sits emptied, the cacophony and bustling of students all but nonexistent as the last few hopeful luchadors collect their belongings and make their way towards the building’s exit. Spirited discussion on the day’s training is exchanged as young men examine their progress and ever-growing craft.
Of particular interest this day, however, is the gym’s owner. In one corner of the room sits Mr. Sunshine, Teo del Sol, in a folding chair. His arms are crossed, and his demeanor is extremely serious, as though he had just received the most terrible news of his entire life. The students quietly point behind his back as he stares silently at one corner of the room- having ignored all efforts to rouse his attention or jar him from his stupor.
El Oso Blanco: What do you think it is, man?
Phoenix Starr: I don’t know. He’s been like that since this morning.
El Oso Blanco: You think that something bad happened
Phoenix Starr: Nah man, Teo’s not the kind of guy to let bad things get to him.
El Oso Blanco: That’s ridiculous! Everyone feels a little sad sometimes.
Phoenix Starr: You must be new here. Teo, he’s not like a normal guy. He doesn’t get upset, doesn’t yell, I’ve never even seen him raise his voice.
El Oso Blanco: But that doesn’t mean he can’t be sad.
Phoenix Starr: Sure it does! Dude took beatings from Kyle Kemp, Joey Flash, David Sanchez… lost teeth, lost blood, lost belts. Even lost his mask. Teo’s tough, dude.
El Oso Blanco: So what do you think it is?
Phoenix Starr: I don’t know man, but-
The students’ conversation is abruptly cut short by the sound of a television broadcast, the large screen that dominates the entryway projecting a perfectly manicured and trimmed newscaster, who offers a million dollar smile and flashes her pearly whites at the young men, as though offering an answer to their inquiry.
Female Newscaster: WCF Network has just learned that this week ever-optimistic fan favorite and WCF People’s Champion will walk into the ring with the man known only as Dune. While there is little question in anyone’s mind that Dune should be the favorite-
Boorish Newscaster: Favorite?? Dune is gonna mop the floor with this little housefly. Teo’s a flash in the pan, a one-note joke who is only volunteering to shorten his career-span by even accepting this match. The only thing we have to pick with this kind of matchup is how many BONES Teo is gonna have left when Dune’s done with him.
Sympathetic Newscaster: But Teo has done so much charity work! El Gimnasio del Sol has been holding food drives for local towns throughout Mexico, and-
Boorish Newscaster: And how much has he done for the poor American cities, huh? Save me your bleeding heart bullshi-
Female Newscaster: Gentlemen, please! This is not a political show, we are here to talk about wrestling.
Boorish Newscaster: You wanna talk about wrestling? Fine. Dune is a former World Champion. He has beaten every single person in WCF that there is to beat, and he has made it look easy. You want to stand here and try to tell me that Teo del Sol- the one who was almost killed by David Sanchez is going to stand across the ring from the most fearsome foe that WCF has ever known, the Frankenstein’s monster of strength, skill, and ferocity, and end up in anything else than a bodybag? Well I say Fuc-
Female Newscaster: That’s all the time we have right now, and now a word from our sponsor, Price Wine and Spirits. If you want a store that will get you drunk, the Price is always right!
The students all look at one another with a mixture of understanding and sadness, realizing the reason for Teo’s dour mood. They stare over their shoulder at their mentor, who still maintains the same position. Arms crossed, eyes forward. Silence.
El Oso Blanco: You think he’ll be okay tomorrow?
Phoenix Starr: I wouldn’t count on it.
The students quietly open the door and leave the building as the focus turns back towards the People’s Champion, staring in quiet apprehension at the wall in front of him.
Dune, huh? Shame.
Teo blinks a few times, stirred by his own thoughts, but quickly returns his glare to the corner.
Yeah, I wouldn’t want to bother, either. Dune is…what’s the word I’m looking for? Fucking Unstoppable?
Teo closes his eyes tight and takes a deep breath, drawing in the cool air and slowly releasing it…but keeping his eyes tightly shut.
Of course, if you’d just listen to me for once, we’d have a chance. Bring a pair of brass knuckles, maybe dip your gloves in some mace and sock him right in the eye. Come on, they’d never see it coming!
Of course it doesn’t have to be all that theatrical. A low blow here, a rabbit punch there…I bet he goes down reeeeal easy.
Teo begins grabbing at the sides of his head, pushing hard over his ears as though trying to block out a cacophonous noise.
Poor baby, realizing that this world ain’t all it’s cracked up to be? Figures, I always knew you were too weak to be a cham-
Teo’s thoughts suddenly drop silent. He freezes, waiting for the thoughts to return, but is offered only silence. After a few moments, he cautiously allows himself a few seconds to relax, only to realize a thick, callused hand has been placed on his shoulder.
He slowly opens his eyes and turns his head slowly upward, before looking straight into the face of his mentor, Hector Habanero.
Hector: Mijo. We need to talk.
ACT 3: Fighting Spirit
Teo del Sol once more lies prone in the sand, his torn clothes offering no protection against the unforgiving ball of white hot flame that belts him endlessly with merciless heat. The dry red marks on his exposed skin betray the hours he has laid, his body making a deep indentation in the sand, his breathing labored and slow.
But suddenly without warning, his eyes shoot open, and he inhales, a gasping, wheezing sound that shudders him back to consciousness before devolving quickly into a choking, croaking cough. The luchador tries to move his arms, to shove himself back to his feet, but finds that despite the respite offered by the impromptu rest, that his energy has yet to return. Though his brain sends signal after signal to move, the desert has made it clear that there is no way that he’ll be able to wrench himself from its grip.
Teo shuts his eyes, reflecting as best he can on the morning’s events, the conversation that had led him all this way into the vast and empty wasteland…
Hector: Something’s bothering you.
Teo: Why would something bother me, Hector? I’m Teo del Sol
Hector: Bullshit.
Teo’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise as his mentor's look remains the same.
Teo: Hector, I-
Hector: Shut up.
Teo: But-
Hector: Shut. Up.
Teo’s mouth hangs open, the words still hoping to leap free from his mouth, but his eyes betray that he knows better, and he slowly waits for his mentor to speak.
Hector: Mijo…I’ve been watching you. Your progress has been, sensational. Only a few months in the business and already a 4-time champion. You’ve beaten men that would scare the competitors in my day to death, and you’ve overcome hardships that would destroy most men.
Teo’s mouth begins to open, but one stern look from his mentor is all it takes to silence the young luchador.
Hector: You’ve won great victories, have won titles that most men only dream of.
As if for emphasis, Hector approaches a belt rack along the wall and removes the People’s title, looking into it with a look somewhere between pride and contemplation.
Hector: But you have become lost. When you were starting, you would relish the opportunity to face someone like Dune, would jump up and cheer, slap a lion in the face just so you could get the chance to get your little ass kicked. But here you sit, worrying about losing.
Teo doesn’t even offer a rebuttal, simply hanging his head.
Hector: You know what it’s like to lose your prize.
Teo’s mentor glances over at an empty rack where the Television Title once sat, the dust creating a shadow where the belt once rested happily.
Hector: You my friend are no longer a man with nothing to lose, so you no longer are willing to risk. Are no longer willing to take a loss to learn how far you have to go.
Teo: Hector, I-
Hector: Are no longer willing to throw every ounce of yourself into a match, because if you get injured then you will lose this.
Without warning, Hector turns and smashes the belt against the ground, where it gives a loud and echoing crunch. Teo reflexively leaps from the chair, reaching out to claim the fallen gold…but pauses as he looks up and sees his mentor’s disappointed glare.
Hector: Is this why you started wrestling? To jealously guard a trinket for the rest of your life? Did you stand to Joey Flash, to Kyle Kemp because it meant that you might get something shiny out of it?
Teo’s face suddenly changes at Hector’s words, going from a look of sadness to a look of inspiration, as though his mentor’s words have awakened something within him.
Teo: No.
Hector: Did you walk into the ring with Los Tiburones, walk into a steel cage with the kind of psychopath that would just as soon break your back as shake your hand because it meant that the Television title would get to be on that wall one extra week?
Teo: No!
Hector: And did you assemble the People’s Choice, the ONLY ones who were willing to stand against the monsters in the Beach Krew because you wanted to add another trinket to that wall?
Teo: Hell no!
Hector: You’re Goddamned right you didn’t! The Teo del Sol I know, the Teo del Sol that I trained would not sit here and worry about what might happen or whether someone else might walk around with his prize, he went out there each and every night and gave his all, damned be the consequences!
Teo begins pacing feverishly, being drawn into somewhat of a frenzy by his mentor’s words.
Hector: Tell me what you are going to do this week!
Teo: I’m going to go in there and shock the world!
Hector: How are you going to do it!?
Teo: With the world at my back!
Hector: And if he tries to destroy you?
Teo: Hit him right back!
Hector slaps Teo on the chest lovingly and grabs him by the shoulders.
Hector: Yes! Yes, mijo, you are. Wins, losses, these are just numbers, just records. What matters is not the result, only that you go in and you leave everything in that ring!
Teo’s face has been consumed by an ecstatic smile, and he looks up towards the sky with hope-filled eyes for the first time in a long time.
And maybe we’ll hit him with a chair afterward.
After what feels like an eternity of silence, he turns back towards his mentor.
Teo: Hector, I have another problem.
ACT 4: Desert Spirits
Teo’s reflection is suddenly broken as he is made aware of a sound nearby. His eyes dart open despite his weakness as he hears a strange, alien sound, a hissing almost like the sound of paper tearing, morphing into a smooth, soft ssssss.
And then… a rattling sound.
Teo’s vision comes slowly into focus, making out a sleek, evil shape approaching him, though he sees it coming the deserts unforgiving toll has rendered him immobile, and he can only watch as a serpentine face comes into view. Every impulse he has tells him to get up, to roll, to run, to do anything- and yet he is powerless.
The creature slowly moves closer and closer to his face, approaching him with what can only be described as a devious grin. The serpent finally reaches him, laying but mere inches from his face, and slowly opens its mouth, its long sharp fangs dripping with liquid death. Teo closes his eyes, and waits for the bite, for the sharp pain to come and end his life, to finish him off once and for all before Dune would get the chance…but nothing comes. Though Teo waits for what feels like an eternity, no bite, no pain, no sharp fangs digging into his unprotected flesh….only silence.
Hello Teo.
Teo’s face freezes in place immediately, mostly from confusion but also apprehension. Yet his fear is quickly overwhelmed by his curiosity, and slowly but surely he opens one eye, cracking it to observe his killer…
And Standing before him, in Italian leather shoes, a charcoal grey suit with a bright red tie, and sunglasses is… “The Plague” David Sanchez.
Teo’s voice croaks out of him in surprise, but he is barely able to form words.
Teo: No, no… you’re gone.
Sanchez: Am I? Oh don’t get me wrong, WCF certainly has no idea where I am…but then I think they’re looking in the wrong places, aren’t they Teddy?
Teo tries to force himself up, to get a better look at the man who once was his mortal enemy, the man who caused him so much grief so many months ago, but the most he can do is roll over. The David Sanchez inhales deeply from the desert air and offers Teo a cocky grin.
Sanchez: See, that’s the funny thing, isn’t it Teo? I may not be around all that much these days. But you remember me, don’t you? You still remember when I planted that Medusa’s Kiss right on you and pinned you in front of all your little fans.
Oh it was a great moment, not only because it was my rise towards the upper echelon of the WCF rankings, oh no. That was the first time that little Teddy Sunshine failed. The first time that the people realized just how human you were… And the cherry on top? You are never going to get to set it right. For the rest of your life you are going to have to know that when the chips were down and the people were counting on you, that you let them down.
Teo forces himself up to his knees, unable to stand before the figure who looks down on him with such contempt.
Teo: You cheated, stole the match.
Sanchez: I did, didn’t I? Lady Knives threw powder right between your eyes, and then bada boom, Medusa’s kiss. Pathetic, isn’t it? The people’s champion, the hero, brought down by his own weakness. You know if you’d hit her with that strap you’d probably have won that match.
Teo: I would never-
Sanchez: Wouldn’t you? Don’t tell me the thoughts haven’t crossed your mind. Don’t sit here and try to lie to me and tell me that you have never thought of what it would be like to really…cut loose. To let go. To feel that crash of steel and know that they won’t be hurting anyone anymore. Why do you think we’ve been trying to talk to you? We tried things your way, and let’s face it, it isn’t working.
Teo: I’m not like you.
Sanchez: Oh that’s right, I forgot. You’re the “good guy” the “hero” you think that because you refuse to stoop to “my level” that you are somehow better than I am. Newsflash superman- The bad guys won! The bad guys will always win. This is not. A. Fairytale. We live in a fucked up world, and the only winners are those who are willing to be as fucked up as everyone else, and thinking that you’re above it doesn’t make you better than anyone, it just puts you at a disadvantage.
The figure holds up his hand to Teo, revealing it to be covered in dripping blood. The red liquid seems to coat his fingers and palm, dripping onto the orange sand and creating little dots.
Sanchez: Your blood in on my hands, Teo. How does it feel? How does it feel to know that I took from you your very essence? That with one move, it’ll all be gone?
The figure begins changing, shimmering as though it is being teleported from another dimension. Slowly the figure changes from David Sanchez to the figure of a hulking Giant, of Teo’s opponent this week, the man known as Dune. He stands stoically, an obelisk in the desert, and the blood on his hands seems to grow in quantity. He holds his hand out and the few drops that poured become a cascade of red liquid, the combined life of Dune’s victims emptying onto the sand below before Teo’s eyes. Teo watches, picturing each victims pain, each victims fear and horror, the innocent and guilty alike falling into the waterfall- and Teo leaps to his feet in a rage!
Teo: You think you scare me, you goddamned animal?? You think that you can intimidate me by showing me these images, Sandman? I know the facts! I know that since you stepped through those ropes that there has not been a single person in the entire world who hasn’t been afraid of you! You have bent this company over and you have made it your slave, your personal stomping grounds, your yard!
You have no weaknesses, you have no fears, you have no hesitation. You are a force of nature, and we are but pebbles in the wake of the sandstorm that is Dune!
So this is it then, I should just lay down and become another number? I should just walk out there this week and become another statistic, another W in your column, another step on your way to the world title?? Hell no!
Teo slaps the mirage’s hand aside, stopping the cascade of blood for only a moment.
Teo: You can try to intimidate me, you can show me the torment that you’ve been through, the vicious animals that you have overcome, the strength that led you to one of the most dominant world title reigns in history! But you are overlooking a simple fact, sandman, and that is that you have always had the advantage!
Dune you have always been the bigger man, the stronger man, you have always been the giant in the ring crushing every weak and pitiful opponent that stood across from you! It is real easy to be the biggest kid in the playground when the other kids are all smaller than you, isn’t it? You think that your victories over people like Joey Flash or Beach Krew prove your strength??
Teo begins chuckling like a lunatic as he tilts his head towards the sky.
Teo: No! Strength does not come from being the biggest dog in the fight! You have had ONE opponent that could match your height, width, and strength, and that was Thomas Bates. How many months has it been Sandman? How many months has it been that you have been picking on smaller men, on weaker men, on men that you could throw like a touchdown pass if the mood struck you? You think that you have proved one Goddamned thing to me with those victories?
You wanna know what makes someone strong, Dune? I’ll tell you right now. It’s walking up to the impossible challenge, it’s standing across the ring from a bigger, meaner sonofabitch than yourself and letting him tear into you as much as he wants! That is where strength comes from.
Teo turns his face towards the mirage and locks his eyes right into the giant’s, his glare piercing into the glowing red orbs that stare into Teo’s being.
Teo: You know Sandman, there was a point when I looked up to you. When I started in this business you were the unstoppable superman, the great big hero who could stand alone against Anything! Dune was The. Man. I wanted to be like you, I wanted to be the one who could make myself strong enough to turn away every challenger, every goddamned lunatic who wanted only to rule the world under their thumb.
You made me step into the ring with David Sanchez, with Los Tiburones, Jonny Fly! Even with Kyle Kemp. You made me challenge myself each and every time I stepped into the ring to push myself to the very limits of my being! And why? Because I knew that if I kept pushing myself harder and harder, if I kept getting my ass kicked that one day Teo del Sol would get to be like Dune, would have the strength it would take to set the world right once and for all.
But that’s not what happened, is it Dune?
You had the strength, oh yes, there is no one who can take away what you’ve accomplished and the opponents you’ve overcome. But there was one man, one crazy crazy man who managed to expose your true colors.
You know who I’m talking about, sandman. Joey Flash. Joseph Malignaggi.
As Teo speaks, an image of Joey flash seems to appear behind the Dune mirage’s eyes.
Teo: You walked into that ring with Joey Flash just knowing, just certain! That you would prevail once more- that your strength was the key, the alpha and the omega, the thing that would keep the World title around your waist once again. But that’s not what happened. By luck, skill, or by sheer fate, Joey Flash was the better man that night. And that was it, wasn’t it? That was the moment when Dune, for just one instant, was human.
That, Dune, that is when you showed your true colors, isn’t it?
The figure cocks its head towards Teo, its face remaining expressionless, as it holds up the bleeding hand once more.
Teo: I don’t have to remind you what happened to Christian, I’m sure you take a certain satisfaction in it. That’s the Dune that sits under that mask, not the unstoppable titan, the force of nature who makes men and women alike bow before him, no.
The man under your mask is just a weak, petty child who kills because his toy is taken away!
The figure remains stoic, though a look of anger flashes across its face.
Teo: I have lost Dune, lord knows I have lost time and time again. Whether it’s a simple match on slam or giving up my Television Title to a relative rookie, I have faced more controversy in my career than you have ever had to think about. But never! In my entire career did I ever think about doing what you did.
Dune, you may think that it makes you strong to win matches. That because you’re bigger, tougher, and meaner than the rest of the roster that equates to strength. But the lord’s honest truth when you get down to it is that you have never had to push yourself like I have! You have never had to walk into a match as the underdog, to have people wonder whether it’s possible if you’re going to win!
You have a lot of things Dune, but until you have to know what it’s like to step between those ropes with a man who can tear you limb from limb you will never have my drive, my fire! There’s not a man in the world who will ever be able to make you feel like I feel right now, seeing an impossible giant in front of me, and knowing that the only way I have even a snowball’s chance is to give every single ounce of my being into winning this match!
You may be bigger than me, tougher than me, you may have more wins and more titles, more impressive records, but until you face that kind of adversity, Dune…I am stronger than you.
As Teo finishses, the mirage finally has heard enough, and grabs Teo around the throat, locking eyes with the luchador and staring daggers into his soul.
But rather than flinching or reacting with terror, Teo simply allows himself to be throttled. The image tightens its grip around his throat, veins bulging and muscles straining as the grip tightens ever more, but Teo refuses to give in.
Teo: Dune, you may have given into the darkness, but Darkness does not make a man stronger. Your strength comes from the desert, but mine comes from the sun. You are death, but I am life… And I am not afraid of you.
As soon as Teo says the words, the image vanishes into a cloud of smoke, dissipating into the air. Teo closes his eyes, inhaling deeply, finding himself alone once again in the desert. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small cellular phone, hitting the speed dial labelled “Spencer” he holds it to his ear as he observes the sun, slowly dipping below a dune in the distance.
Teo: Hello Spencer. Yeah. Yeah, send the jeep. I’m ready to come in.
ACT 5: Training Day
The Gimnasio del Sol is a complete opposite from the previous day, the arena is bustling with training, and the raucous sounds of people echo throughout the building. Teo is in the center ring, surrounded by multiple students, all of whom hold baseball bats wrapped in foam. Every few moments, one will rush forward and swing at Teo, prompting him to duck and counter with a kick or punch, always stopping before connecting of course. Hector sits at the far end, of the ring, reading a newspaper and calling out advice to his student.
Hector: How are you going to overcome his power?
Teo responds, ducking low under a clothesline-level bat.
Teo: Speed and quickness, technical wrestling. He’s going to come hard and fast, but he’s going to need space to work with have to grab on and hold on.
Teo jumps in the air, launching himself over a mid-level bat into a somersault.
Hector: He’s got a hell of a slam, too. So when you grab on and he drops you on your neck, what’s your next move?
Teo: Buy a neck brace.
As if to pay him back for his comment, a bat collides with the back of Teo’s head. Teo turns and offers sarcastic applause to his student, who is beaming like a child.
Hector: Serves you right.
Teo: Hector, you’ve seen the tapes, right? Dune is all about the intimidation moves. He comes hard and fast, and targets easily injured areas. The opponent is too worried that he’s going to end up in the hospital to think clearly about the match.
Hector: So what hospital will you be staying at?
Teo: Ha. Ha.
The bustle of the gym is broken up by the barking of a dog, and Teo grins towards the office at the adopted stray, now wearing a specially made dog-wrestling mask. The animal is upset that someone is hitting his master with bats.
Teo: Calm down Santo. I have a plan, Hector. Hear me out. Dune fights like Mike Tyson, he does come hard and fast, and he is determined to win the match as quickly as possible, but he fades quickly- especially in grappling exchanges. His only loss I’ve ever seen came when Joey Flash tapped him out.
Hector: Teo, you don’t know any submission holds.
Teo: You have a point, but what I do have is stamina and endurance. Dune is tough as week-old jerky, but the fact is he does not wrestle smart. He is a monster of a man, a hell of an athlete, and possibly the scariest one on the roster, but it’s by design. Every single thing he does, every promo, every move, it’s meant to reinforce this image of him as a monster.
Hector: He is a monster, mijo.
Teo: That’s true, but one can only be a monster for so long before they begin to get frustrated, to invest more and more energy into every shot. There is no way in hell that I’m going to let him pin me before he starts to tire. Better men than him have tried, but I’m nothing if not stubborn.
Hector: For once I agree.
Teo: Rocky Balboa knew he couldn’t beat Drago or Clubber Lang, so he let himself get beaten into a pulp before capitalizing on their weakness. I can sure as hell take a beating, if nothing else.
Hector: Wasn’t that Homer Simpson?
Teo: Hey, he almost won at the end. You know, before all the massive brain damage.
Hector: Thank goodness you don’t have to worry about that.
Teo: Why do you think I’m doing this exercise? You can’t let yourself be intimidated by anything! Dune thrives on having the mental advantage, on walking into every match knowing that he’s the bigger man, the stronger man, the tougher man. I have to be willing to fight knowing that any move could end it.
Hector stares at his student in confusion before Teo grins and turns towards the students.
Teo: Okay gentlemen, foam off. Let’s do this drill for real!
Hector stares in disbelief at Teo before going back to reading his newspaper, as the sound of baseball bats cutting through the air can be heard off-camera.
ACT 6: Twelve Minutes to Midnight
The scene now changes, bearing both the WCF and Teo TV logo, opening on a small but lavish stage. Teo stands dead center stage, his shining white mask and People’s title in their usual place. To his right sits a perfectly set table, a bright cake in the middle with a single candle in the middle, burning over the words “Happy Birthday” to Teo’s left, on the other hand, sits a tall grandfather clock, the pendelum swinging back and forth. Teo slowly tilts his head towards the camera with a perfect grin and stares dead center.
Teo: Hello Sandman. Now before we begin, I feel that I should make one thing clear. Ordinarily, when I do this kind of thing, I do my best to make sure that I have something nice to say, that I respect my opponents or their accomplishments. Something to keep myself in perspective…but you, Sandman, you have presented me with a unique opportunity. You need no introduction, you don’t need me to remind these people of just what you’ve done in this company. So, just this once, just for you. The kids gloves are coming off. I may say some things to hurt your feelings, but I know that you can take it.Still, to anyone who wants to see Teo del Sol talk about how wonderful and magical Dune is…you’re going to be disappointed.
As Teo finishes speaking, the clock lets out a loud Gong!
Teo: And so we begin. One! One man in all of my career who has been able to beat the man called Dune since he won the world title. That’s a pretty impressive resume, if you think about it. All these opponents and only one loss? I would darn near say that’s unbeatable. But frankly, you’re not quite there yet Sandman, you may think that we’ll all forget that you lost your world title to Joey Flash because you won the rematch, but for the rest of your life, you’re going to have to sit back and read about how your legacy was brought to a screeching halt by Mr. Malignaggi, and you will look back on that night for the rest of your life as the night that it all went wrong.
Gong!
Teo: Two! The number of tag team partners you had. The sentinels, Howard Black and Oculo, right? The two men who have turned their back on the man called Dune. Once they got a whiff of your true scent, once they realized the animal that they had associated themselves with, they turned and allied with your greatest enemy. Dune, I can’t say I blame them. The moment that you were faced with any kind of adversity, any kind of hint that things were not going to be alright for the Sandman, well, what can I say? You gave in, you started working for just yourself, you became the dark beast you were always destined to become….or were you always him to begin with? See the thing about Darkness Dune is that it needs as many warm bodies as it can count, because it knows that the moment light arrives, the party’s over.
Gong!
Teo: Three! Three times that Teo del Sol has stepped into the ring against impossible odds to claim gold for the people. And three times that people have said that there is no way in hell that he could do it. The Television title, the Trios Title, the People’s title? Names like Jonny Fly, Kyle Kemp, Pantheon… Now I know that people have gone out of their way to discredit these men, but I want to ask you a serious question? Why go to the effort to discredit anyone? Why not acknowledge that these are great men who have accomplished things that you or I could only dream of? It’s almost like the discreditors are trying to distract the people, trying to hide the fact that they’re…scared? No, it couldn’t be. Why would anyone be scared of Teo del Sol? Why would Dune of all people be afraid of Teo del Sol? Maybe they’re trying to assure themselves that they live in a…status quo kind of world, that maybe things don’t get…shaken up once in a while.
Gong!
Teo: Four! Four months as World Champion! Four months undefeated, four months challenging the best in the world. But the thing is Dune that for all of those four months, you never once had to come to terms with your own weaknesses. A man who never loses never learns, and you never lost. You want to know why you lost to Joey Flash, dune? It’s because you got comfortable. You got in this pattern of overcoming everyone you got thrown in there with and you never got scared, never got pushed to that limit. Dune, I have no limits. I have been pushed over and over again and I have lost over and over again, but there is not a man in this company who I do not believe can still teach me something. You think that you’re the best, and I would have a hard time arguing it, but you refuse to learn, you refuse to change. You my Sandman, you have limits.
Gong! Gong! Gong!
Teo: Five! Six! Seven! These are rather interesting numbers, aren’t they? May, June, July….the months that you held this company captive, the months that you were THE number one guy. But no matter how you try and twist it, no matter how you spin it, these are the months that you cemented your legacy as an unstoppable force, a legacy you flushed right down the goddamned toilet the moment that you took it upon yourself to take the life of another man’s son! The legacy you have built for yourself is not that of a champion, or that of a hero, no. You are a murderer. A monster! You have destroyed everything that you have worked for and you have done it all in the name of a petty grudge. Dune, you are nothing more than a pitiful excuse for a human being who can’t even bring himself to acknowledge that he has room to improve. When you finally had that chance, that moment where you lost, where you were human, you did not see it as a chance to better yourself, you saw only an uncomfortable truth! When I step into the ring with you this week, I am walking into the ring with a broken man, a man who has given up everything he had worked for, every win, every bit of honor to try and repair a broken mirror.
How did it feel, Dune? How did it feel the first time that you realized that you weren’t what you thought you were? How did it feel knowing that every single person in the world saw you lose your world title, saw you tap out, give up to another man?
Dune, this match between you and me, to you it’s just another notch in your belt, another week where you walk in and destroy some hapless nobody, but for me? This is the match of a lifetime, this is the brass ring, the dream, the reason I got into this business! You are going to see a Teo del Sol the likes of which you have never seen because now that I have seen your true colors, I know that I am only stepping into that ring with another man!
Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong!
Teo: Eight! Nine! Ten! Eleven! The numbers just keep on getting higher, don’t they Dune? They just keep climbing and climbing. You have to get more days, more months, more years added on to your streak, onto your precious record! You are a slave to victory! You are afraid of defeat! You must win!
You are Obsessed, are focused on trying to create this image for yourself, you cannot bring yourself to show even a moment’s weakness, because you are nothing more than a scared child! Unlike you, Dune, I don’t have a goddamned thing to lose this week! I am going to bring Everything! I have in my arsenal, I am holding Nothing! Back because this match is the chance once and for all to prove that Teo del Sol can stand across the ring from the man called Dune! Can walk into that ring and walk out again with his head held high! Win, lose, I don’t give a damn, I’m going to make you realize just what kind of a man you’re walking in there with!
Gong!
Teo falls silent as the clock finally reaches twelve.
Teo: Twelve. Midnight. The end. The start of a brand new day, the beginning of everything. Dune, this week we are stepping into that ring and we are going to make every person in the world realize just what this business means to both of us. Just like the new day, you will find a new beginning when I show you just how strong a loss can make a person.
Dune, I have called you everything I can think of, but I want to make something perfectly clear. You still have a chance. You have made yourself into a monster, a beast, a vicious, callous, cruel being who will destroy anyone who tries to get close to him. But deep down you are just a lost child, a frightened child who is lost in the darkness, who has reached midnight and doesn’t know what he wants to do so he lashes out, he strikes at everything around him, trying to find some escape, some way to make it all make sense again…
As Teo speaks, he raises his arms, and the stage is flooded in bright white lights, almost blinding in their brilliance. Teo turns towards the cake and looks at the camera with determination in his eyes.
Teo: Dune, this week, the sun is out at midnight. This week I’m going to show you that losses are not the end of the world, that just because you lost your belt, lost your mystique, lost your monstrousness…that there’s a better you just waiting to come out. This week, I will do my best to see you reborn, to become the Dune we all once knew, the Dune we miss.
Happy Birthday.
With those final words, Teo blows out the candle on the cake, and the entire scene instantly fades to black.
Epilogue:
The scene fades in on the backstage area in WCF, shortly before Teo’s big match. The scene is filled with noise, as the crowds outside hurry to buy concessions and various souvenirs. The monitors are filled with shining images of WCF logos and exciting action, but despite all of this, Teo del Sol sits quietly on a bench in front of his locker, a pair of headphones on his ears.
Though the camera cannot hear the music, he bobs his head rhythmically, waiting for the knock to come on the door, for the attendant to poke their head through and tell Teo that the crowd is waiting for him. He reflects on the upcoming match, and despite the fact that he is stepping into the ring with the man who had frightened him from day one, an odd peace washes over his entire body. His eyes slowly open to find the same image of David Sanchez from the desert standing across from him.
David Sanchez: You’ll give in.
Teo: Haven’t yet.
The image slowly changes, morphing between Tiburones and Kyle Kemp before coming back to Sanchez.
Sanchez: Everyone gives into me. I’m everywhere, you can’t stop it.
Teo: Can’t I?
The image touches the monitor, which quickly flashes between every single match that Teo has lost, the ref coming down for three, other people holding up the belts Teo had won.
Sanchez: Face it, you’re playing a losing game. You can act all big and tough, but deep down all it takes is one bad day, and then…
The image slowly changes into a brand new figure, and Teo finds himself staring at Teo del Sol, the only noticeable difference the number of scars across his body.
Teo: How many losses will it take, how many times will you have to be dragged through the mud before you realize that the bad guys always win?
Teo: Oh, three or four more should do it.
Teo: Ha. Fine then, go out there this evening, face Dune, face Wade Moor, stand alone against a sea of troubles, god knows it hasn’t done you any good so far.
Teo turns and glances at the People’s Championship, sitting on a table nearby.
Teo: How long is it till you lose that? You think you’re so special, but if that belt was on the line tonight versus Dune he would take it and stick it on the hood of his jeep. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you taking these matches, avoiding any competition for your precious belt.
Teo simply ignores the comment, staring towards the door.
Teo: So tonight, you’ll face Dune, the people will cheer, and you’ll be a hero. Must be nice to have it so easy, you can lose all you want and they’ll still like you.
Teo: Someone has to.
The image of Teo grins, bearing pointed teeth.
Teo: I couldn’t have said it better myself.
With that, the image slowly fades as Teo stands and picks up his title. He turns towards the camera, knowing that it couldn’t have seen the argument and thus someone thinks he’s talking to himself.
Teo: Dune. I know you’re watching. Heck, I’d be watching me too. I know that you have had a rougher time than you let on. This business, it does things to people, makes ‘em crazy. One moment you’re on top of the world and the next someone else is using your title as a coke mirror. But you can’t let yourself get dragged down into it.
You are stronger than this Dune, the one I’m facing this week, the warrior, he’s not there anymore. I’m going out there with a man who is scared to death of what losing might do, who is frightened beyond all belief that he might not be feared anymore.
Dune, it’s better to be loved than feared. The people, they want to love you, but you won’t let them, you’d rather just think about yourself, would rather chase world titles and personal grudges because that’s just the kind of guy you are.
I want to believe in a better Dune, I want to believe that this week I’m going to go out there with the man who made me fall in love with this business in the first place… but the jury is out. Either you’re going to go out there and face me like a man, leave everything in that ring and beat me fair, or I’m going to outlast you simply because it’s what has to happen for you to move on. Either way, I’m going to make you better tonight. I’m going to show you just what a man can accomplish when he has nothing to lose, when he fights not for himself, but for a love of the sport.
Win, lose, draw, Dune, we’re going to leave this match better than we entered it, and for that I would like to say thank you.
But with that being said, I’m in this 100%. You are getting pure, uncut, Teo del Sol and you are going to have to either take it or leave it, because I’m not going to walk out of that ring, am not going to leave these people until you have either killed me or my hand is raised in victory!
I am David versus Goliath, and not just because you could eat me on a sandwich, but because I have the force of good behind me! The darkness always, always! Fades before the light, no matter how much you want to believe that darkness gives you strength there’s not a damned thing in the world that the dark can do against the sun!
You and me Dune, we’re gonna do something special tonight. I hope that when it’s over, you’ll finally see the light.
With that, Teo turns and walks out of the locker room as the camera slowly fades to black.
