Coercion: Introducing Contestants #11 and #12

[PIC]

~Pedestrians scurry to and fro on the downtown streets of Chicago, bundled tightly with temperatures dipping into the upper 30s. Millennium Park is unusually quiet, and the streets are relatively calm for what many would consider rush hour. Around the corner Matt Meyhu stands outside the Phoenix Fitness Center on N. State Street. Noah Mendoza stands a few feet away, camera in hand, as Meyhu strikes several poses in an attempt to get the best shot possible.~

Meyhu: This is it, Noah Mendoza. This is where the man became the Marvel.

~Noah Mendoza nods and mumbles something about already having the shot he needs, but Meyhu continues to pose a few more times just to make sure. The two make their way into the private gym and are greeted by a lovely young lady at the front desk, likely in her mid-20s. Her tight physique and other desirable qualities quickly catch both men’s attention. Meyhu stares a few uncomfortable seconds at her… name tag, before speaking.~

Meyhu: Hello there, Katie. I’m ‘The Marvel’ Matt Meyhu, but you already knew that.

Noah: And I’m—

~Meyhu cuts Noah Mendoza off.~

Meyhu: Let’s not bore the beautiful lady with details, Noah Mendoza.

Katie: Wait! THE Noah Mendoza? The documentary you did on that kid who was trapped in a well for 23 days was the best thing I’ve ever seen!

~Katie shifts in Noah Mendoza’s direction, but Meyhu slides between the two.~

Meyhu: Yes, this is Noah Mendoza. World class documentarian who has been given the greatest of all muses for his next masterpiece: me, ‘The Marvel’ Matt Meyhu!

~Katie seems uninterested.~

Katie: I’m sorry, who?

Meyhu: Chicago’s golden child? The Marvel? Lime Time? None of it? You’ve never heard of Matt Meyhu? Is it April 1st already?

~Katie thinks for a moment as she furrows her brow. Meyhu chuckles to himself in disbelief.~

Katie: Now that I think of it… I do know who you are!

~Meyhu smiles and punches Noah Mendoza in the shoulder.~

Meyhu: See, Noah Mendoza. I told you I’m famous around here.

~Katie pulls a large book from under the desk and begins flipping through the pages. She eventually stops and runs her finger down the page like they do in the movies.~

Katie: Here it is! Matt Meyhu! You owe $3,500 in unpaid gym membership fees.

~Meyhu’s face reddens. He looks at Noah Mendoza, perhaps noticing for the first time that he’s been filming the entire exchange.~

Meyhu: I, uh… let’s go ahead and turn that camera off, Noah Mendoza. We don’t want poor Katie’s complexion getting washed out in this terrible lighting.

~Reluctant, Noah Mendoza obliges and turns the camera off. Meyhu, still flushed, turns back to Katie.~

Meyhu: There must be some mistake. Perhaps the Meyhu you’re looking for is my father. My parents are out of town this week, which is unfortunate, because they’re about to miss the latest, greatest victory of my illustrious wrestling career! You know what, send the bill to Megan Meyhu. M-e-g-

Katie: You’re a wrestler?

~Meyhu scoffs.~

Meyhu: I’m not a wrestler, Katie. I'm THE wrestler! That’s why Noah Mendoza wants to film a documentary about my life. To showcase the single greatest career the game has ever seen! You think this guy makes a documentary about any old wrestler?

~Katie catches Noah Mendoza rolling his eyes behind Meyhu.~

Katie: Whatever. I guess I’m just surprised to see so many wrestlers coming through here today. It’s kind of unusual.

Meyhu: There’s another wrestler here? Who?

~Katie shrugs, but points to the corner of the large open room where weights are clanking together. Meyhu begins walking toward the noise, unaware of Katie subtly slipping Noah Mendoza her number on a slip of paper. As Meyhu closes in on the noise, he sees a familiar face on the bench press, now struggling to push up his last few reps. Meyhu smirks as he circles behind the bench.~

Meyhu: Need a spot?

~The man on the bench grunts as he pushes up the weight for the last time, his arms shaking and nearly giving out. Just before the bar drops back down, Meyhu grabs it and lifts it easily up and onto the rack. The man immediately grabs at his neck as he curses under his breath. He sits up, and we see our first glimpse of the 1/3 owner of TRIAD and two-time OCW Champion, PIC.~

PIC: Thanks brother.

~PIC turns around to see that his hero is none other than Matt Meyhu. He quickly jumps off the bench and stands in a defensive position, still clutching at the back of his neck. Meyhu doesn’t move at all.~

Meyhu: Always happy to help any old wrestler out, Steve.

~Noah Mendoza, sensing the growing tension between the two OCW icons, pulls the camera back out and begins filming.~

PIC: What are you doing here?

Meyhu: What? You don’t enjoy someone showing up unannounced and disrupting your business?

PIC: If you’re talking about Manhattan, I just wanted to make sure things were even. I know what Bifford is capable of, and I sure as hell know what you’re willing to do to steal a win—

~Meyhu laughs.~

PIC: What?

Meyhu: You’re still upset about that? The Illuminatus was a year ago.

~Whether a product of the struggle he just had with a barbell or Meyhu’s ego, PIC’s face begins turning bright red.~

PIC: You don’t get it, do you? I may not like what you did in that pyramid, but business is business and I can look past that. But what I can’t look past, what I’ll NEVER get past, is you walking away and treating the OCW Title like it meant nothing. The same belt I spent a year pouring every ounce of my blood, sweat, and tears to win. I was there, Matt, week in and week out. I carried that company on my back and you’ll never hear me complain one bit. I’d do it again. But you, you’re just a coward. Why did you even agree to come back to OCW in the first place? And now, why TRIAD?

~Meyhu begins to stew. He didn’t think PIC could strike a nerve like he did, but he’s flustered. He attempts to regain his composure.~

Meyhu: Steve, guys like you will never get it. I’m Matt Meyhu. I'm a prize fighter. All I do is win. I saw your little title reign, and I heard the whispers that you might be on my level. Some even said you might have surpassed ‘The Marvel’. So I showed up at the Illuminatus, beat you, and took your title. And when I realized it was all that easy, well, there wasn’t much reason for me to stick around.

~PIC grits his teeth, trying not to come across the weight bench that forms a makeshift barrier between the two.~

PIC: OCW meant that little to you? Welsh disappeared and the first thing you did was bounce, leaving the company without its champion. The company ended up folding because of you.

Meyhu: You don’t know anything about me, or about what OCW means to me. I won that title twice before you made your little comeback. I put that place on the map. For years, I was OCW. Wrestlers flocked from every corner of the business for a shot at me. I hated to see it go under, so much so that when Jock Reasoning came calling about ‘OCW Survivor’, Lime Time signed on the dotted line!

~Noah Mendoza zooms in on the look of shock etched on PIC’s face. Meyhu is all smiles as he seems to have caught PIC off guard.~

Meyhu: That’s right. Not only will I be winning the Wit Trials, then heading on to my SECOND win inside of the Great Illuminatus, becoming the only man on earth worthy of uniting the TRIAD, but I’ll end the year cementing my legacy as the greatest wrestler of all time… Not that there was really any question to begin with.

~With that, Meyhu walks past PIC, smacking him on the shoulder. PIC seizes up as he winces in pain.~

Meyhu: See ya at Harvey’s place.

~Noah Mendoza shuts off his camera and follows after Meyhu. Matt gives a finger gun to Katie as he exits the building. Katie does the ‘call me’ gesture to Mendoza as he follows suit. Meanwhile PIC sits down on the bench, dropping his head into his hands. He’s tired; physically and emotionally. The toll of being forced to retire and the realization he may never again do the only job he ever truly loved weighs heavy on his chest. After a moment to himself, he lets out a large exhale, reaching for his phone. He scrolls through his contacts, clicks on a name, and brings the phone to his ear.~

PIC: Jock Reasoning… it’s PIC. I’ve changed my mind.

[zybala]

The Wrestling Inquisition rides again!!