Unknown: Stepping Out Of The Shadows
Jun 6, 2021 18:00:08 GMT -5
Marcus Welsh, petervaughn, and 2 more like this
Post by BRIM on Jun 6, 2021 18:00:08 GMT -5
We fade into a view of a fifty inch television screen that displays Duce Jones and Krayzie celebrating their big OCW Tag Team Championship win over the Dravers and R.O.S.E at Redacted. Watching the screen are none other than Byson and Brim. They’re both seated on a horrible looking dingy beige colored couch. The room that they’re in is in desperate need of remodeling but both men appear to be nestled comfortably within the area.
“Ugh.. Duce would never shut up about this shit.. How he and Pop had won gold together.” Byson said with disdain in his voice.
Brim chuckles, looking over to him before setting his attention back on the screen.
“You sound jealous.. Haha..”
“Not necessarily that.. he just didn’t have the same enthusiasm when we won the GCWA Tag Team Championships.. He was always so blah about the situation.”
“You and I both know that Duce was dealing with a lot of shit back then. The shit with the Angels of Vengeance, the school getting burned down, death, violence, not to forget.. he was beating himself up about the fact that I had taken that charge for him.”
“Right, then there was Zybala.”
We now realize that they are watching the recent episode of Piledriver as Cheasy M begins to discuss the Xavier Lux/Scorpion mishap. Shortly, it goes to commercial break. Brim stands up from the couch.
“Right, Zybala.. heh.. I remember that one night, when I helped you beat that guy.”
Byson laughs. “Hell yeah, it was one of my first matches alone. He acts as if it never happened though..”
Brim begins to head out of the room. “I don’t blame him, who would ever admit to losing a match against you? Hell you only had like five moves in your arsenal.”
The third episode of Piledriver comes back onto the screen, Byson continues to watch on while Brim moves towards an area that has a refrigerator. Opening the door, Brim searches through the non-lit refrigerator, grabbing a jug that contains what appears to be water. Without hesitation, he begins to chug, devouring half of the pitcher with four gulps. He sets it back into the refrigerator and closes the door.
Brim takes a moment to let the water settle, looking around at the horrible conditions of what he labels a living environment. He leans his back against the wall next to the refrigerator and runs his fingers through the short locks that rest on top of his head.
“Fuck, man..” Brim says silently to himself.
“Oh shit!”
Brim hears Byson say as he goes back into the ‘entertainment’ area. Very loose on the entertainment.
“What’s up, B?”
“Somebody took out that Puffer guy and Xavier Lux just crashed through the studio! This shit’s getting good but it's back on commercial though.”
“Man.. I actually thought something had happened..”
“I mean, he is one of your opponents at Quarantined.. so there’s that.”
A vignette for Outcast comes across the screen. It catches Brim’s attention.
“So what do you know about him?” Brim questions, pointing at the screen before it goes to another ad.
“Who? The old guy?”
“Yeah..”
“The old guy is fucking crazy..”
“That’s it?”
“What more is it that you need to know? The man is in his fifties, probably older and puts his body through unnecessary pain, simply because he can’t let this wrestling thing go. Those are the most dangerous men in this business.”
“So I need to keep an eye out for him?”
“Don’t take him lightly if he crosses your path.”
“What about Lux? Didn’t you and Duce have a tag match against him and the other guy?”
“You mean Marcus and yeah, we fought them.. and we were well on our way towards beating them but that prick Zybala butted his nose in our business, just like he did whenever Duce was in the ring.”
Brim nods understandingly.
“So what was the deal with that guy?”
Byson shrugs.
“The only thing that I could think of was that he was a hater. He had it out for the Duce, the first moment he set foot in GCWA. Hell, a lot of guys were calling Duce out around that time. But Mike.. Mike made it his personal mission to see my brother’s downfall.”
“Hmm.” Brim strokes at the few chin hairs that he has. “I remember Duce always saying that he wanted that shit to be over..”
“Yeah.. He was taking it kinda hard, basically overcame him. It came to a point where that’s all that he would ever talk about, getting rid of Mike Zybala.”
“Look at him now..”
They both grow quiet, maybe in a moment of silence for their missing brethren. Piledriver continues to play on the screen as both men sit there, zoned completely out. Brim soon snaps out of it.
“So, have we gotten any closer to finding out what those fuckers did to Duce?”
Byson sits up a bit on the couch, he is long gone from his Armani suit wearing days, opting for a cheaper, non-name brand of formal wear.
“Well my sources are saying that the AoV, most definitely took him but there are a number of locations that he could possibly be.”
“So.. what’s the word on that?” Brim questions eagerly.
“Nothing, so far but don’t worry, I got my best men working on figuring out where he is.”
Xavier’s rage catches them by surprise as they both turn their attention back towards the television. They watch on in amusement as Xavier gets ‘physical’ with Cheasy M.
“Dude got some serious daddy issues.”
“Preach.” Brim says in agreement.
The interview continues on before ending a good ten minutes later when Lux walks off stage and ANOTHER ad plays.
“Why am I doing this again? Duce is really the one who has something to prove against these guys, not me.”
“Well, they asked for you?”
“By name?”
Byson looks around suspiciously before responding. “Yeah…” He nervously smiles.
“You look like a motherucka who’s lying.”
“Okay, maybe they didn't ask for you specifically but they did mention you. They remembered seeing you around us in GCWA and wanted to know what you could do. Then they threw the custodian’s name out there and I was hooked. Besides, you wouldn’t shut up about that scar that he gave you.”
Brim simply stares over at Byson.
“Y’know… If I didn’t know you, I would half ass believe that bullshit but I guess it is what it is now. True, I wanna shove Vaughn’s own mop up his ass and I may have my own feelings towards Zybala but I’m starting to see what the bigger picture is here.”
“OCW World Championship?” Byson questions, hoping that he’s right.
“Hell yeah, most of these guys in this match seem to have their heads so far up their own asses that the OCW World Championship is probably the second most important thing on their mind. Lux and Outcast got their beef, Zybala’s too busy making B rated films. Vaughn’s probably still trying to climb that mountain. Houston might have his head on straight but those charities might overtake him and Curt.. I think he misses his monkey more than he misses this business.”
“Exactly, the field is easy pickings.”
Brim shoots a glare at Byson.
“Nothing in life is fucking easy, don’t you ever forget that shit. Every one of these men have accomplished great things within this business in their own rights. I can’t take any of them lightly.”
“Even Dylan?”
“Who?”
“Dylan Thomas..”
“Who?”
“Perfection Personified..”
“You’re losing me brother.”
“Remember, we told you that he had to get help from Leonardo DiCaprio to beat Duce.”
“Awe shit, the idiot with the fine ass wife!”
“I mean if you're into top-heavy women.”
“You can’t even front, you’ve stared at those titties a few times.”
“I think I was more concerned with why her ass looks like an ironing board. If you ask me, her tits are faker than this body that I walk around in.”
Brim snickers.
“Don’t be talking about her like that man.”
“Hell you would think that with just having a baby, she’d at least have those mother bearing hips.”
“Man you’re crazy..” Brim waves his arm dismissively at Byson. “Fuck it, I’m about to go get some fresh air.”
Byson nods, continuing to watch Piledriver. Meanwhile, Brim has walked off, his path leading down a poorly lit corridor. The walls are made with reinforced steel, giving the area an extra dull look. He soon comes towards a staircase made from cement. The stairs are fairly small for a man of his stature but he pays it no mind and heads up. Climbing up about ten stairs, he now makes it to a ladder. With a deep sigh, he looks up.
“I’ll never get used to this shit.”
With much regret and indignation, Brim makes his ascent up the ladder. Rung after rung after rung after.. *SNAP*
“OH SHIT!”
A rung cracks under his weight and he almost tumbles horribly towards the earth before tightly gripping onto the upper rungs, to keep his balance. He finally sustains himself and finishes making the climb before coming to what appears to be a manhole cover. He shoves against it with all his might and is greeted by the rays of the sun. Climbing fully out, he takes a moment to take it all in. The sound of the birds chirping, the fumes of the fog from the nearby factory. The area is surrounded by trees, the ground covered by dried up leaves from the past fall. He stretches a bit before taking a walk, headed in no particular direction.
“Crazy how life can swing it’s hand in any direction that it wants. A little less than a year ago, I was confined within four walls, isolated and too myself. Now, I’m confined within four walls with a motherfucka who’s only concern is looking nice in a suit. Like we could really go anywhere.. but the guy isn’t all bad. I mean, he did help me get the opportunity of a lifetime..”
Brim stops and begins to think to himself.
“Is this really the opportunity of a lifetime though?”
Brim continues to walk.
“On one hand, I haven’t had that true opportunity to show the world what I could do. Hell, the Sanatorium was for hardcore WWH fans who appreciated the product that they put out there. But if I was being honest, Outsiders had better production value. Either way, that’s the past, this is the present and we are wondering what the future holds. And if I’m being honest, that future isn’t very bright. Especially for the seven other competitors in this match. See, I might not know much about them but the flip side of that is that they have the slightest clue of what I’m capable of.. the only things that I’ve been hearing are comparisons to Duce. And from the old matches that I’ve been watching, Duce has beaten a fair amount of these guys.. Single handedly… He didn’t have to team up with no one special like Zybala did when he asked Ed and Vaughn for help. He didn’t need actors like Dylan. He stepped the fuck up and did his job like a grown man. And if that’s what I’m compared to, I’m gonna need them to stop because I’m something much worse.”
Brim takes a moment to collect his thoughts.
“See Duce cared about the integrity of this business, whereas me.. I could give a fuck less about it. Come Quarantined, I don’t give a fuck who they put in front of me. Dylan, cool I’m gonna show him that he’s not perfect. Vaughn, where I’m from, it’s always an eye for an eye. Ed, he’s gonna realize that that rocket ship is outta commission and my foot is gonna be his only transportation to the moon. Outcast, bless his heart.. Lux, when I’m done with him, he’s gonna need a hug from that father figure that he so desperately desires. Curt, he’s gonna realize that this was his final run-in.. And Mike, let’s just say, burying Duce will be the last thing on his final career highlight tape. You know, the one that they give motherfuckas who make it into the Hall of Fame… not saying that Mike’s Hall of Fame material but I’ve seen crazier shit happen in life.”
Brim hears a shuffle through the leaves, turning to see that it’s Byson who has also left the bunker.
“We’ve all got our own shadow to step away from and I’m starting to see that it’s Duce’s. Which is fine by me because one way or another, by the time this is all over. Nobody’s gonna be talking about Duce.”
“Ugh.. Duce would never shut up about this shit.. How he and Pop had won gold together.” Byson said with disdain in his voice.
Brim chuckles, looking over to him before setting his attention back on the screen.
“You sound jealous.. Haha..”
“Not necessarily that.. he just didn’t have the same enthusiasm when we won the GCWA Tag Team Championships.. He was always so blah about the situation.”
“You and I both know that Duce was dealing with a lot of shit back then. The shit with the Angels of Vengeance, the school getting burned down, death, violence, not to forget.. he was beating himself up about the fact that I had taken that charge for him.”
“Right, then there was Zybala.”
We now realize that they are watching the recent episode of Piledriver as Cheasy M begins to discuss the Xavier Lux/Scorpion mishap. Shortly, it goes to commercial break. Brim stands up from the couch.
“Right, Zybala.. heh.. I remember that one night, when I helped you beat that guy.”
Byson laughs. “Hell yeah, it was one of my first matches alone. He acts as if it never happened though..”
Brim begins to head out of the room. “I don’t blame him, who would ever admit to losing a match against you? Hell you only had like five moves in your arsenal.”
The third episode of Piledriver comes back onto the screen, Byson continues to watch on while Brim moves towards an area that has a refrigerator. Opening the door, Brim searches through the non-lit refrigerator, grabbing a jug that contains what appears to be water. Without hesitation, he begins to chug, devouring half of the pitcher with four gulps. He sets it back into the refrigerator and closes the door.
Brim takes a moment to let the water settle, looking around at the horrible conditions of what he labels a living environment. He leans his back against the wall next to the refrigerator and runs his fingers through the short locks that rest on top of his head.
“Fuck, man..” Brim says silently to himself.
“Oh shit!”
Brim hears Byson say as he goes back into the ‘entertainment’ area. Very loose on the entertainment.
“What’s up, B?”
“Somebody took out that Puffer guy and Xavier Lux just crashed through the studio! This shit’s getting good but it's back on commercial though.”
“Man.. I actually thought something had happened..”
“I mean, he is one of your opponents at Quarantined.. so there’s that.”
A vignette for Outcast comes across the screen. It catches Brim’s attention.
“So what do you know about him?” Brim questions, pointing at the screen before it goes to another ad.
“Who? The old guy?”
“Yeah..”
“The old guy is fucking crazy..”
“That’s it?”
“What more is it that you need to know? The man is in his fifties, probably older and puts his body through unnecessary pain, simply because he can’t let this wrestling thing go. Those are the most dangerous men in this business.”
“So I need to keep an eye out for him?”
“Don’t take him lightly if he crosses your path.”
“What about Lux? Didn’t you and Duce have a tag match against him and the other guy?”
“You mean Marcus and yeah, we fought them.. and we were well on our way towards beating them but that prick Zybala butted his nose in our business, just like he did whenever Duce was in the ring.”
Brim nods understandingly.
“So what was the deal with that guy?”
Byson shrugs.
“The only thing that I could think of was that he was a hater. He had it out for the Duce, the first moment he set foot in GCWA. Hell, a lot of guys were calling Duce out around that time. But Mike.. Mike made it his personal mission to see my brother’s downfall.”
“Hmm.” Brim strokes at the few chin hairs that he has. “I remember Duce always saying that he wanted that shit to be over..”
“Yeah.. He was taking it kinda hard, basically overcame him. It came to a point where that’s all that he would ever talk about, getting rid of Mike Zybala.”
“Look at him now..”
They both grow quiet, maybe in a moment of silence for their missing brethren. Piledriver continues to play on the screen as both men sit there, zoned completely out. Brim soon snaps out of it.
“So, have we gotten any closer to finding out what those fuckers did to Duce?”
Byson sits up a bit on the couch, he is long gone from his Armani suit wearing days, opting for a cheaper, non-name brand of formal wear.
“Well my sources are saying that the AoV, most definitely took him but there are a number of locations that he could possibly be.”
“So.. what’s the word on that?” Brim questions eagerly.
“Nothing, so far but don’t worry, I got my best men working on figuring out where he is.”
Xavier’s rage catches them by surprise as they both turn their attention back towards the television. They watch on in amusement as Xavier gets ‘physical’ with Cheasy M.
“Dude got some serious daddy issues.”
“Preach.” Brim says in agreement.
The interview continues on before ending a good ten minutes later when Lux walks off stage and ANOTHER ad plays.
“Why am I doing this again? Duce is really the one who has something to prove against these guys, not me.”
“Well, they asked for you?”
“By name?”
Byson looks around suspiciously before responding. “Yeah…” He nervously smiles.
“You look like a motherucka who’s lying.”
“Okay, maybe they didn't ask for you specifically but they did mention you. They remembered seeing you around us in GCWA and wanted to know what you could do. Then they threw the custodian’s name out there and I was hooked. Besides, you wouldn’t shut up about that scar that he gave you.”
Brim simply stares over at Byson.
“Y’know… If I didn’t know you, I would half ass believe that bullshit but I guess it is what it is now. True, I wanna shove Vaughn’s own mop up his ass and I may have my own feelings towards Zybala but I’m starting to see what the bigger picture is here.”
“OCW World Championship?” Byson questions, hoping that he’s right.
“Hell yeah, most of these guys in this match seem to have their heads so far up their own asses that the OCW World Championship is probably the second most important thing on their mind. Lux and Outcast got their beef, Zybala’s too busy making B rated films. Vaughn’s probably still trying to climb that mountain. Houston might have his head on straight but those charities might overtake him and Curt.. I think he misses his monkey more than he misses this business.”
“Exactly, the field is easy pickings.”
Brim shoots a glare at Byson.
“Nothing in life is fucking easy, don’t you ever forget that shit. Every one of these men have accomplished great things within this business in their own rights. I can’t take any of them lightly.”
“Even Dylan?”
“Who?”
“Dylan Thomas..”
“Who?”
“Perfection Personified..”
“You’re losing me brother.”
“Remember, we told you that he had to get help from Leonardo DiCaprio to beat Duce.”
“Awe shit, the idiot with the fine ass wife!”
“I mean if you're into top-heavy women.”
“You can’t even front, you’ve stared at those titties a few times.”
“I think I was more concerned with why her ass looks like an ironing board. If you ask me, her tits are faker than this body that I walk around in.”
Brim snickers.
“Don’t be talking about her like that man.”
“Hell you would think that with just having a baby, she’d at least have those mother bearing hips.”
“Man you’re crazy..” Brim waves his arm dismissively at Byson. “Fuck it, I’m about to go get some fresh air.”
Byson nods, continuing to watch Piledriver. Meanwhile, Brim has walked off, his path leading down a poorly lit corridor. The walls are made with reinforced steel, giving the area an extra dull look. He soon comes towards a staircase made from cement. The stairs are fairly small for a man of his stature but he pays it no mind and heads up. Climbing up about ten stairs, he now makes it to a ladder. With a deep sigh, he looks up.
“I’ll never get used to this shit.”
With much regret and indignation, Brim makes his ascent up the ladder. Rung after rung after rung after.. *SNAP*
“OH SHIT!”
A rung cracks under his weight and he almost tumbles horribly towards the earth before tightly gripping onto the upper rungs, to keep his balance. He finally sustains himself and finishes making the climb before coming to what appears to be a manhole cover. He shoves against it with all his might and is greeted by the rays of the sun. Climbing fully out, he takes a moment to take it all in. The sound of the birds chirping, the fumes of the fog from the nearby factory. The area is surrounded by trees, the ground covered by dried up leaves from the past fall. He stretches a bit before taking a walk, headed in no particular direction.
“Crazy how life can swing it’s hand in any direction that it wants. A little less than a year ago, I was confined within four walls, isolated and too myself. Now, I’m confined within four walls with a motherfucka who’s only concern is looking nice in a suit. Like we could really go anywhere.. but the guy isn’t all bad. I mean, he did help me get the opportunity of a lifetime..”
Brim stops and begins to think to himself.
“Is this really the opportunity of a lifetime though?”
Brim continues to walk.
“On one hand, I haven’t had that true opportunity to show the world what I could do. Hell, the Sanatorium was for hardcore WWH fans who appreciated the product that they put out there. But if I was being honest, Outsiders had better production value. Either way, that’s the past, this is the present and we are wondering what the future holds. And if I’m being honest, that future isn’t very bright. Especially for the seven other competitors in this match. See, I might not know much about them but the flip side of that is that they have the slightest clue of what I’m capable of.. the only things that I’ve been hearing are comparisons to Duce. And from the old matches that I’ve been watching, Duce has beaten a fair amount of these guys.. Single handedly… He didn’t have to team up with no one special like Zybala did when he asked Ed and Vaughn for help. He didn’t need actors like Dylan. He stepped the fuck up and did his job like a grown man. And if that’s what I’m compared to, I’m gonna need them to stop because I’m something much worse.”
Brim takes a moment to collect his thoughts.
“See Duce cared about the integrity of this business, whereas me.. I could give a fuck less about it. Come Quarantined, I don’t give a fuck who they put in front of me. Dylan, cool I’m gonna show him that he’s not perfect. Vaughn, where I’m from, it’s always an eye for an eye. Ed, he’s gonna realize that that rocket ship is outta commission and my foot is gonna be his only transportation to the moon. Outcast, bless his heart.. Lux, when I’m done with him, he’s gonna need a hug from that father figure that he so desperately desires. Curt, he’s gonna realize that this was his final run-in.. And Mike, let’s just say, burying Duce will be the last thing on his final career highlight tape. You know, the one that they give motherfuckas who make it into the Hall of Fame… not saying that Mike’s Hall of Fame material but I’ve seen crazier shit happen in life.”
Brim hears a shuffle through the leaves, turning to see that it’s Byson who has also left the bunker.
“We’ve all got our own shadow to step away from and I’m starting to see that it’s Duce’s. Which is fine by me because one way or another, by the time this is all over. Nobody’s gonna be talking about Duce.”