Post by Markw on Jun 16, 2012 18:51:10 GMT -5
Loaded – The Preamble
‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’ – It’s amazing to think, that Thomas Jefferson, a key anti-slavery campaigner, himself had countless slaves during his lifetime. However like the WFWF, the USA is a country that has been built upon saying one thing and doing another.
Coming into the WFWF two years ago, Joe Bishop was but another who strived for the American Dream, a chance to pursue happiness. Unfortunately though nobody told Joseph Bishop that the American Dream only applies to upperclass rich white men. While the United States preaches freedom and liberty, throughout its history it has on countless occasions failed to provide its people with security, failed to treat its citizens equally, be it because of their race, gender or sexuality.
Joe Bishop is perched against a wall covered in graffiti, in a street which is currently abandoned due the torrential rain that’s pounding against the ground. So, typical summer weather in this little British village then. Shielding his face with his hand Bishop removes a cigarette from his pockets and draws it up towards his mouth. [/b]
“Two years ago, I was you Stone, more or less. I was a rookie, beginning to make my mark on professional wrestling, starting to make an impact in the WFWF. I quickly earned myself a shot at the National Title, just like you have. I did, what I know you’re devoting every minute of your life too right now. I won that championship you crave.”
Bishop takes a quick puff on his cigarette before chucking it into the road. Running his fingers through his hair, he pauses for a moment trying to recover his trail of thought.
“But unlike you, I know what becoming the National Champion does to a person. You see Cameron, the WFWF is a corrupt promotion, in a corrupt country and the only way to keep that belt round your waist is to know whose ass to kiss. When I first came to this country, looking to make a name for myself, I was naïve, I didn’t realise how things worked. I was just like you. I didn’t realise that just like the United States of America, the WFWF is built on the willingness to sell out your beliefs, your ideas and your friends if it makes things better for you.”
A look of sympathy appears on the Bishop’s face as he pushes his drenched hair to the side of his face.
“So what you need to understand, when I’m in that ring, doing everything I can to beat you to within an inch of your life, what you need to understand is that I’m not doing it because I hate you, I’m not taking my anger out on you, heck I’m not even trying to beat you in a wrestling match. No, I know what becoming champion in this promotion does to a man, and it’s something I wouldn’t wish on anybody and it’s because of that, that I am going to do everything I can to make sure you don’t get to your National Championship match at Survival Of The Fittest. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that rookies like you, like I once was, don’t have to endure the same crap that I’ve been put through these past two years.”
“I don’t know if it suited someone that a weakling like O’Deeves had that title, if there was no desire for an Englishman to hold the title that represents ‘The land of the free’ or if someone just had a problem with me. But I know that I was cheated out of that title”
“What you’ve got to remember Cameron, is that I’ve been dealing with pain, with suffering for my entire life. I’ve coped with my sister dying, I’ve lost my faith, my life has basically been one long car crash. Because of that I was able to deal with it when they screwed me out of the one distraction I had. How then I wonder is little old Cameron Stone, a man whose biggest worry is whether or not he wins a wrestling match once a week, going to cope when they screw him. How are you going to deal with having the one thing, that means something to you, ripped away from you?”
Joe stares intensly at his hand as he lifts three of his finger up in sequence as if mesmerised.
“I’ve been re-living those one and a half, sorry, three seconds, for almost 24 months. I haven’t been able to focus on anything but the moment that I was cheated out of something that I had worked my entire life for. I’ve let it eat away at me, twist everything, every moment of joy, into a memory, a realisation that I’m still infinitely worse off than I was when I entered the WFWF.”
“Loaded is going to be about me reasserting myself Stone, building a platform from which to move forward, to get my chance at vengeance so that I can attempt to forget about the past. Whilst I haven’t set myself a clear path yet, you are certainly the first stepping stone. You Cameron are an opportunity to help me move on to the guys I really have a problem with.”
Bishop begins to fidget at the sleeves on his jumper, unable to keep still and focusing solely on that. Again he stops for a minute or so, after forgetting his trail of thought.
“Don’t think for a second though, Cam, that I’m going to underestimate you. Afterall you’re in the same position as I was a couple of years ago, when I was beating established guys and earning myself a title shot, when I was that person I didn’t back down from anybody, I took on guys who I was expected to lose to and every one I defeated, mainly because they went into every match knowing they were going to win, because ‘Hey, it’s just some jobber’. I don’t know what’s going to happen when we step in that ring Cameron, but trust me I will do everything I can to put you out of your misery now. As much as I feel I can relate to you, don’t think for a second that I like you. I hate you, in the same way I hate the person I was when I started. Yes I was better off, financially, physically, but mentally I was nothing compared to what the WFWF turned me into.”
“I hate the naïve, kid I was. I hate the fact that I honestly believed that anybody can achieve anything with hard work, with grit, determination or just by being better than everybody else. I’m glad that I realise now how this world works. And whatever I have to do, whatever lengths I have to go to, to make prats like you reach a similar epiphany, I’ll do it.”
An aggressive looking Bishop stares onwards into the street as a car whizzes past, throwing an enormous quantity of water over Bishop who barely flinches.
“Stone, you’re showing one small symptom of a much greater disease.”
Bishop removes the cigarette packet from his packet, scrunching it up in his right hand and throwing it into the bush besides him before using the wall to lift himself up.
“At Loaded, I guess we’ll find out if you want to be cured”
OOC: It has been a while since I've done this or any writing TBH, and seeing as I wasn't exactly great at it before I hope this is alright, obviously advice/criticism would be much appreciated. Wanted to get it finished early so I couldn't use it as an excuse to avoid school work all week and I didn't think it needed to be especially long as it's basically just a (re)introduction.
