Post by J on May 14, 2021 14:41:48 GMT -5
//On Camera//
We are treated to what at first sight looked like a mixture of a private investigator’s office in those film noir classics and Don Corleone’s office from the Godfather, except it was all set up along what seemed to be a wrestler’s locker room. A big chair turns and behind the massive desk we see the seated Luther Thunder dressed in black, suit, slacks, shirt, tie and jacket the whole deal. Nice and plain yet clearly tailored to fit him, not some off the rack bargain bin purchases or chain shop markdowns. He sits there with a warm, almost friendly smile on his face.
LUTHER THUNDER
Welcome, so glad you could find time within your busy life to join me, please have a seat.
He gestures and the camera actually lowers as if someone sat in a chair across from him, we see glances of the items on the table, a stylish vintage table lamp, ashtray so clean it shines in the light and a plaque which read “I’m kind of a big deal” when he sees us looking at it the big man seems a bit taken that.
LUTHER THUNDER
Don’t take that too seriously, I gave Esme free reign in decorating the place, it never hurts to have support from those closest to you, am I right? Anyway, back to business and the reason you probably came here, right? Hey!
He slams his palm down and the camera jumps and focuses on him again.
LUTHER THUNDER
Pay attention, this is important. You see the eleventh episode of Revolution is not just like any other night on a wrestling event, it’s not even like any other night in UPRISING. I am in the Main Event which may or may surprise you but what should be no surprise to you or anyone else is who is there with me.
He pulls out a black & white 8x10 and lays it on the table, camera catches a familiar face there.
LUTHER THUNDER
Know who that is? Of course you do, how could you not know? That’s Matthew Knox, The Raven. He’s also what people in this business of ours could consider kind of a big deal, now he may not look like it to those who don’t know him. However anyone who has kept at least one eye open in this company knows that Matt Knox is not afraid of anything or anyone. He’ll pick fight the biggest, meanest and the ugliest all at once or in succession in case it happens to go to a specific person and as long as I have been aware of his existence in this company, he has had his eye on me. Well not just me per say. You see Brother Knox didn’t sign up in time to be part of the original tournament to crown the very first UPRISING champion and of course they say hindsight is 20/20 but I’d wager if he had been around from the start, from day one. The end reason could have been different, well if not a whole different, maybe the route to it would have been at least.
Was that a hint of a smirk on the Dutchman’s face as he leans back in that massive chair of his, seeming surprisingly relaxed as he goes on his voice had a undertone to it the kind a big cat say a tiger or a lion could have made.
LUTHER THUNDER
I know there’s bound to be those of you who wonder “why Knox? The fudge has he ever done? What’s the frickin’ big deal about a guy who paints his face, broods and picks fights on social media?” Well let me educate you a bit about Matt Knox, what he is doing is portraying you all one side of himself and existing as a completely other one. See while everyone focuses on the little parlor tricks, the face paint, the broody attitude and the loud, obnoxious shouts at anyone who shows up..he is there laughing at you, all of you. Because as long as the Raven can lure you in, he can just perch himself on a branch or a ledge, watch your own anger, your hubris, your false sense of security strangling every ounce of fight, every bit of life out of you, and when you lay there, helpless, gasping for breath, fighting to keep your conscience the last thing you will see is that raven swoop in, before it pecks your eyes out. Now that may seem a bit exaggerated, melodramatic even but is the truth though. Knox is the kinda bird whose feathers might not be as shiny as they used to be, his eyesight might not be what it used to be and he may just may not be as quick as he used to be but he’s a different kind of raven because he outlived the other ones. The cocky young ones who crooned and croaked around, fluffing themselves up, getting into fights over nothing and once the competition cut culled down, it gave our dear friend Knox, our very special bird, more room to spread his wings.
He smiles even if just for a moment.
LUTHER THUNDER
Did I get it right Knox? Am I even close? Oh you don’t have to tell me if I am. I would actually be a bit disappointed if you did, because that isn’t your modus operandi is it Knox? Giving out your gameplan or your tricks of the trade, if everyone knew how magic happened there wouldn’t be so good “real magicians” making the money, right? Any fool can learn a few card tricks and hide a quarter but you want to be the Houdini, The best of the best illusionist, magician, charlatan..depends which side of the score you are in, doesn’t it? See, I do like you Knox. I really do. I think in different circumstances, in a not so very different place and time you and me could have been even friends, cohorts if you will, alas fate had it planned a bit different and here we are now. You and me, opposite each other for a night that may just be the biggest one you have had in..13 years? Really? Nah that can’t be, thirteen years ago I was on my second year in the business. You haven’t been in a title match since? I mean I didn’t start with the world titles but I’ve had a few since, and been in even more matches for them. Not that I keep count or anything but it just baffles me to think that someone of your talent, your presence, shall we say your caliber has really been that long away from the bright lights and the big shows? A tragedy if true, honestly even the Greeks couldn’t have written it better.
He shakes his head and we can almost see the disappointment in his face when he looks back up at the camera.
LUTHER THUNDER
I’ve said it for a long time that this world of ours is a cruel place and that we are living such tragic times but honestly? Between you and me? Brother Knox I feel humbled, humbled and privileged to be the man who welcomes you back from the darkest of shadows to the brightest of the lights. Just hope you don’t get blinded because should this match not go the way you are hoping for I’d hate to see such a seasoned smith of the ring, a grizzled veteran of the squared circle resorting to some excuse like you weren’t ready or something like that. Not that you would do it of course, someone else probably would jump at the chance to roll the blame on someone else, the promoter, the business as a whole, backstage politics or some such but not you. Because you are better than that. You are Matt Knox after all The Raven, soaring the skies above the bullshit..that’s our Raven. Don’t get me wrong here Knox, 13 years is a long stretch in anyone’s career but for you to lay it out there for the whole world to see just a while before the actual match happens, shows that you care, that in your heart of hearts you are honest about who you are and what you are going for and for a man such as myself, facing someone like you on your big night, that is an honour, just don’t expect me to go easy on you or just lay down and let you win or something even my respect and admiration for your determination and tenacity has a limit.
Luther chuckles a bit before he sits up and his voice changes to something more sinister, colder, poisonous even.
LUTHER THUNDER
Which is why I find it very interesting that as of late you have had this sudden change of heart towards myself and the way you interact with me, because I remember, very well how after showing up to Reno you had all sorts of un little quips and jokes thrown my way and at my wife. You and your pal Don Tirri were having a good laugh about it too, also someone who happened to face me for the UPRISING Championship not that long ago and I do think even you remember how that turned out. Sure if you can remember stuff about 13 years ago thinking back to CORONATION should not be that much of a task, February..to May and your whole view of me changed. Why do you suppose that is Matt? You were so sure of beating whoever walks out of CORONATION with the championship, it didn’t matter if it was me or Tirri, right? Something along those lines at least. Well as everyone knows by now, it wasn’t Don Tirri who won that night. If anything Don Tirri learned a very valuable lesson that night it reaffirmed his faith in my talent. You see Matt, Tirri doesn’t like me and he probably never will, but yet he chooses to be on me over you. His pal, his friend, his buddy. You two have been having drinks, pancakes or whatever, shooting the breeze talking about your big matches I’d assume, something like that. Whatever you “boys” do on your time off, yet this whole time. This whole time your friend Tirri has been hoping that I keep that UPRISING title, because he wants to beat me for it himself he says, but what if? And this is just me wondering here Knox, what if your friend Tirri wants me to beat you and everyone else not so he could “beat me” for the belt but to prove that he is just as good or bad as the rest of you..or that at the very least none of you are any better than him.
Luther taps his temple a bit with his index finger.
LUTHER THUNDER
Pretty smart for Tirri right? Wrong, he’s an old dog just like you Matt. He has been in this business pretty darn long too and knows a thing or two about what to do in the ring and a whole laundry list more of what not to do in the ring. If there is something Don Tirri is great it is being a bad example, a living embodiment of what not to do in this industry and yet, he’s swimming in championship shots lately, everywhere you turn, every gosh darn fed you see poppin’ up Don Tirri is there challenging for this, that and those titles. He is here, there and everywhere and he keeps getting those shots. One of these days Matt, he will win. He has to, just a matter of time and place, of when and where. Now what you want to do of course is beat me, right? That much is a given, you don’t need Sherlock Holmes to decipher that mystery do you? Yeah nothing to it but let me tell you something you don’t want to just beat me for the UPRISING championship do you? You don’t even want to beat me for the UPRISING title before Solstice to leverage yourself a spot in the chamber oh God no. This is going to sound really silly to most people and I bet you would never admit it being true but you want to beat me to prove Don Tirri wrong.
Thunder nods, we see a gleeful twinkle in his eye.
LUTHER THUNDER
Because you hate the fact that he does not have such faith in you and your abilities as he does in mine. You two are friends you two take turns mocking and kicking around those who wouldn’t dare to put up a fight against either of you, you two should be borderline tagging to go against Amber and Mac, that is just how close you two are yet even he, even Tirri the habitual self confessed chokeartist and fuckup does not think you would stand a chance in beating me, well not enough of a chance that he’ll make money on it. If it makes you feel any better though Matt, I’m sure the pair of you can grab some drinks afterwards he can buy you a double with the winnings he got from betting me against you. But people do have this fondness for you Knox, I said it myself earlier that I do like you and admitted that in different circumstances you and me could have been on the same side. Even Supreme Machine the monster who has no friends and even fewer regrets of what he does to anyone in his path, asked me to make sure that you would be able to compete at the match with him at Solstice. Now I am not afraid of SuMa I am not scared of him, but I am smart enough to know from experience that while being on the same side with him, even in the same group is not a guaranteed card of safety it is a heck of a lot better than being on the side opposing him. So if he chooses to grab you, choke you, pluck every last feather off you or whatever at SOLSTICE, so be it.
He puts his palms down on the table lid.
LUTHER THUNDER
Because I am not a monster, Brother Knox. I am not some sort of a beast or a brute who goes around intimidating and devastating others leaving destruction in my path, never claimed to be one and never will. Because I am just a man, a humble man at that. I don’t need to cling on to my accolades and accomplishments for dear life. My actions speak for themselves and by now anyone who comes at me and doesn't know who I am and what I am capable of? Well it hardly is my business to educate them is it? You and SuMa are an odd pair though, I remember you getting hot and bothered when he brought your family into this dance of yours, when he made threats and jested at your expense at your family’s expense and you did not like it did you Knox? Not one bit, which is understandable, who would? What I find ironic is that even just a short while ago you chose to join in with Don Tirri to throw a veiled jab at my wife, my family. Now how does that make you feel, Brother Knox? Maybe you understood the error of your ways when you admitted of your past transgressions over social media and all that and since I am but a man who is also human and prone to make errors now and then, instead of holding up a petty grudge and making this into a new blood feud for you to tangle with, I am going to be the bigger man, better man and forgive you. Hear me Brother Knox? I am forgiving you for the immature, slanderous and completely untrue and disgusting accusations about my sweet, darling wife. Because I want this match of ours to be about what all this should truly be at it’s very core.
He leans back in that chair opening up his arms as if to testify.
LUTHER THUNDER:
Honesty, compassion and fair play!
Luther smiles putting his palms together.
LUTHER THUNDER
Can’t wait to see you out there on Saturday May 15rh..brother.
With that we fade to black.