Post by Thomas Uriel Bates on Jun 26, 2016 1:29:37 GMT -5
Scene I “Bill of Rights”
Congress Hall – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Congress Hall – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
His large frame never did look quite right sitting at a desk, especially one as small as the desks in the Senate Chamber of Congress Hall. Thomas Uriel Bates sits at the desk writing with quill and ink on parchment paper. His clothing attire more befitting a Congressman than a wrestler, perhaps influenced by his actual Congressional race held not too long ago.
He seems aware of the camera, but indifferent to it. He is caught up in his work, and the camera may be there, or it may not be there, it matters not to the WCF’s strongest man. He leans back, and places the quill the ink well, allowing the ink on paper to dry. Now he acknowledges the camera, not with a smile, nor a scorn, but as a man interrupted.
Thomas Uriel Bates: Well, Happy Independence Day my friends. No, this is not quite the 4th of July, but it is the 23rd of June, a day of Independence for Britain. They have decided to cast aside the yoke of European slavery and have reemerged as its own sovereign power once again. No longer will Britain’s wealth be redistributed to the rest of Europe, to hold up failed policies of governments that would long ago have collapsed. The European Union is a cancer on the world, and Great Britain has cut out this cancer.
Bates waves his hand over the parchment.
Thomas Uriel Bates: That is what I am doing here. That has been my goal in the WCF ever since my return. I am trying to cut out the cancer that is slowly killing our beloved wrestling promotion. That cancer is its own creator; Seth Lerch and The Family.
So Seth has been sending his people to attempt to destroy me. Not too long ago I faced The Family by myself. The only decent member, James Chevalier, stepped out of the ring. Still, I faced not only Logan, not only Dag Riddik, but Seth Lerch’s team of mercenaries as well. I faced the full might of the corrupt Family.
So I do that again. This time, I face Dag Riddik at Blast, seemingly by myself. The thing is, I can’t trust him. I can’t trust Dag Riddik to be a man and face me one on one. I can’t trust Seth Lerch to keep this match one on one, and I fully expect Seth’s mercenaries to attack during the match. Who’s to say Logan himself won’t come back out? He’s been missing since our last match, and all rumors say he has fled, but what if he’s just hiding and waiting to strike? Am I giving Logan too much credit? Maybe.
The fact remains however, that Dag Riddik will not be alone. Once again, I enter the match already outnumbered. So how do I remedy this situation? Simple; I challenge Dag Riddik, and Seth Lerch, to make this a cage match.
In the cage, we can be free from interference, theoretically. In that cage, Dag, it can be just you and me. Who really gets to walk out of that cage and claim victory? Do you really need Seth’s minions to win a match, or are you willing to truly test your abilities?
Can you face me in the ring, by yourself, Dag? Can you sever your ties with Seth, for just one night? Can you be your own man, just for once? Let us get to meet the real Dagvald Riddik, let us get to know the real you.
I am working right here to ensure the WCF has a tomorrow. In doing that, I must isolate the cancer that is destroying the company, and I must treat it. Seth Lerch is lodged too deep in the WCF to completely destroy, but I must tie him down. That, Dag, is what I am doing here today.
It was here in this building that the Bill of Rights were made. It is here in this building, that the WCF Bill of Rights were made.
Bates smiles.
Thomas Uriel Bates: That’s right, I’m creating a Bill of Rights for the WCF talent roster. These rights will act as our Magna Carta, and limit Seth’s ability to randomly do away with whatever is in our contracts. It will ensure that everyone’s career is safe unless they have actually done something to warrant any harsh penalties. It will ensure that our pay is not reduced unfairly. It will ensure that we will get back on the road again. This WCF Bill of Rights will make sure that there will be a WCF tomorrow.
Dag, you’re just the stepping stone to this. You are General O’Hara, and WCF Blast is your Yorktown. General Cornwallis, Logan, is feigning illness and hiding from his shame. King George, Seth, locks himself away at his castle drowning his sorrows in the nearest bottle of wine. Dag, you have been abandoned by your family, and now you have been fed to the wolves.
Bates begins to laugh.
Thomas Uriel Bates: And Dagvald, I am very hungry.
Bates’ laughter suddenly stops, and he turns back to his parchment. He pulls the quill from the ink well, and begins writing once more. He motions away the camera, sending it away as he continues his writing.
Scene II “Help From My Friends”
Pat’s King of Steaks – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pat’s King of Steaks – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
For once, the crowd surrounding the WCF’s resident mountain was not strictly there to see him. Instead, they all gathered, Thomas Uriel Bates as well, under the white pavilion of Pat’s King of Steaks. Rather than being the centerpiece of all the action, Bates was just another guy in line, even with all the looks of admiration, and at times hate.
The line moved quick, enough to push even the WCF’s Strongest Man around like a ragdoll. The people were hungry, and the mythical aroma was hypnotizing. Bates finally arrived at the window with cash in hand.
Thomas Uriel Bates: Cheesesteak, Provolone, Without.
That was it. The order was in, money paid, and Bates was now being pushed to another window for the rest of his food. He walked to a table and sat down, pulling his Philly Cheesesteak out from the bag and unwrapping it. A smile crossed his face as he took his first bite. The smile quickly disappeared as he looked over to see a WCF Cameraman just staring at him. Bates chuckled, placed his Philly down, and looked to the camera.
Thomas Uriel Bates: Can’t even give me one moment, can you? I’ve been giving you promo after promo, but you still want more, don’t you? Of course you do, I’m the man that’s trying to take down the biggest threat in WCF history; Seth Lerch. I’m media gold, at least in the wrestling sense.
Why is that? Well, it’s simple really; I’ve went off and done the unspeakable, I’ve stood up to the boss. Seth Lerch allows his buddy Logan and his crew to run rampant in WCF, even shutting the entire company down when they felt like it. They shredded contracts of the people in the locker room, sparking contract lawsuits that forced what remained of the WCF to hold up in Reading for the past month scraping by, and not even paying some of the wrestlers. I’ve heard Tom-O-Hawk even had to sell his truck for food money. Hell Seth, the ring has been falling apart for well over a month now.
This isn’t right. The locker room, and the fans, the entire WCF Galaxy deserve far better than the way Seth is treating them now. Then Seth goes out and gives some small time legend-in-his-own-mind fluke like Logan 2.0 a multi-million-dollar contract? Clearly Seth must have thought he was giving his Hotdog is a metaphor loving stooge a friendly handout. With this type of leadership, Seth might as well become a Senator and join the rest of those nutcases crying on the floor because they don’t even know what their job entails.
Money’s tight, he should even be switching to the cheap watered down liquor, but no, he still buys top of the line booze. He even went off and hired mercenaries to watch his back and do his bidding. How much did that cost, Seth? Enough to buy Tom-O-Hawk a new car? Seth is running this company to the ground with his favoritism and his ignorance. I for one, will not stand by and do nothing.
So I stood up. One man against a Family. Then it was one man against an Army. I may be the strongest man in the WCF, but I’m still only one man. I’m outnumbered, and I’m surrounded. So what do I do?
Bates chuckles as he diverts his eyes away from the camera. He picks up his Philly and takes another bite, smiling as the roaring sound of Harley Davidson motorcycles fill the air. The camera stays focused on Bates as the engine cuts off. Bates smiles.
Thomas Uriel Bates: Glad y’all could make it.
Two men sit down at the table, their backs to the camera showing off their Dark Riders Gang MC: Nomad colors. Bates smiles one last time at the camera, as if telling it to go away. The camera obliges, leaving the three men to their meeting.