A Man Of My Word
In Studio
/Scene Opens\
[on-camera]
My body ached, still, from the fight that Fenris and I had at Climax Control. There were many bright sides to that though as I smiled through it all. One bright side is that my ears had quit ringing. To gain the trust and respect of someone like Fenris was important. Not to some perhaps but it was to me, to me he was the measuring stick of Sin City. Not many here could say that they went toe to toe with The White Wolf and came out better for it. The camera had been recording, I’d edit out the silence later. I looked up at the camera and smiled.
That moment, when you lose but you still win. The fight that Fenris and I had was an absolute show stealer. It was a fight that will be remembered around here for a long time, but that’s just one man's opinion. The more important aspect of this was that I got the opportunity to keep my word to Sin City’s Alpha.
I take up the Singapore Cane that’s propped against the chair I sit and hold it across my lap.
Now then, David, should you want your property back, all you have to do is come talk to me at Climax Control Three hundred and ask politely, then I’ll let you have your toy back.
Setting the cane aside, I lean forward, elbows resting on the knees of my freshly starched denim jeans. The button down I wore had the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, so I felt the stiffness of the denim against my skin. I smiled again.
Much like I was chosen to face the Internet Champion, whoever that might be at Into the Void. We now know that will be O’Malley. I was chosen as a partner for J2H. Not by management but by the man himself. His randomness can be a bit amusing and I’ll be the first to admit that he likely didn’t want me as a partner but here we are. Then again, to go after Ryans, I doubt he cared who it was that he had as a partner. Doesn’t bother me in the least. It’s all about opportunity.
I lift up and lean back in the chair, I cross my left leg over the right, resting my left ankle on my right knee. Giving a very casual look as I allow my arms to rest on the arms of the chair.
It provides opportunity not only for him but for me. O’Malley and I already know we’ll be meeting at into the void for the internet title. We also know that it will be highly competitive. Although I doubt he’d be willing to admit that. This is yet another opportunity for me to prove I belong. Whether we pin Ryans or O’Malley doesn’t make a bit of difference. One of them will get pinned. Whether it’s by me or my tag team partner, who I know when he cuts his promo…
I roll my eyes.
We’ll get to hear more about how great he is. You could try to deny him his due but that’s just stupid. He is one of, if not the most decorated wrestler in the history of this company. A man who not only deserves respect but demands it. Right, wrong or otherwise, he is who he is. He doesn’t care what others think and I’m much of the same mind. I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks of what I do or whether I’ve earned anything in their eyes. I said it not long ago, and it’s the same thing that J2H said to Fenris.
Uncrossing my legs, I stand up to my full height.
You’re opinion of me doesn’t fucking matter. It’s your opinion and it’s none of my business. If you start buying into that particular game, you only hurt yourself when you believe their bullshit. The opinion of others simply doesn’t matter. Each person has to do what’s best for themselves. At the end of the day, you have to live with the things you’ve done, they don’t. Don’t just say you want to be better, to do better, be who you say you want to be. Don’t make excuses for the things you do. I do things the right way, that doesn’t mean I’ve never done it another way. I can be that guy, but I choose not to be. See the difference O’Malley?
Fade
The Grand Opening
The Bane Garage, Las Vegas, NV
/Scene Opens\
[off-camera]
A grand opening for a business is a big deal, especially when it’s our grand opening. This is something that Amber and I had dreamed about for a long time. Something we were both damn good at and have a real passion for. The sound of impact wrenches filled my ears while the smell of various fluids associated with the motors filled my nostrils. I smiled as I saw Amber, with a grease smudge on her right cheek and a beatific smile on her face. Her joy made me smile, we were still newly married so everything about her really, made me smile.
“Coffee”, she smiled taking the cup of black coffee from me as I offered it. It was still early morning and we had many of the locals here to talk to us, or I should say challenge our knowledge of the bikes we were proposing to work on. We simply smiled and answered their questions. We sipped coffee with them and answered their questions, to the satisfaction of many and to the chagrin of others who were sure they would stump us. A shared smirk and fist bump sent most would be party crashers on their way. It was the gentlemen on the nineteen sixty “Bonnie” that really took the cake though. This is a machine that embodies the phrase “classic bike”.
In an even baritone the older gentleman, who had white hair that was so white it was damn near a platinum blonde. His handlebar mustache matched the hair on top of his head. He had an easy going way about him which seemed to put Amber at ease but it raised all kinds of red flags in the back of my mind. “I mean, I don’t expect anyone here to know anything about my machine, honestly.” He stated in a very matter of fact way. This annoyed me for the obvious reasons.
“Oh yeah?”, I said in a very coy manner. He sneered at me after I said it.
“Yeah, especially not someone who doesn’t have grease under their nails.”, he said in an irritated tone. I looked down at my fingernails and he was right, I’d been out running errands that morning and hadn’t been able to work on a single bike yet.
“Well then, let’s start with this...For some, Triumph is the first and last name in motorcycles. Depending on who you ask, it's the very best motorcycle ever built. Triumph Bonneville made its first appearance in 1959, the Triumph Bonneville was named after the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, where it shattered numerous land speed records. We’re talking about a machine that easily reached speeds of up to 115 miles per hour, which for the time was crazy. Especially when we’re talking about the time, in the late 1950s and early 1960s. She was nicknamed the “Bonnie.” by those who truly appreciate her and loved her.”
The look of shock on his face was priceless, so I continued, “See that “V-Rod” over there?” I asked him in my own matter of fact way. He looked over to where I pointed and nodded. “Amber and I tore that one down and rebuilt everything in a day.” I looked over at where his Triumph Bonneville sat up on its kickstand. “What’s the story of your Bonnie?” I asked him genuinely intrigued that he would bring it in. He looked over at the glorious machine and smiled.
“Sometimes, it gets stuck in a high gear, and won’t downshift properly.”, He said in a more somber tone than he probably intended. I understand though, these machines are as much a part of the person's life as their kids are sometimes. Hell, if we’re honest, in some cases they are more important.
“Common enough, you’re a long time rider, or at least that’s my guess, so I won’t insult you with improper downshifting. Ever had to lay her down?” I asked him in earnest because I had a hunch I knew what the problem was. He nodded sagely at the question.
“I was in Dallas when that damn snow storm hit.” He started to say. “Sorry for cutting you off, you lay it down on the left side?” He motioned for me to follow him. I walked out to where the bike was and saw the still unrepaired scratches along the left side. My respect for this guy was sinking fast, but I don’t know his story so I’m trying hard not to judge. I see where the shifter looked like it was partially bent, which meant the spring inside was probably damaged as well.
“Looks like the shifter got damaged, which means the spring inside is probably damaged as well.” I said to him as I pointed at the slight bend in the shifter. “there’s a spring in the shifter that keeps its arm against the shifter detent. When it’s working right, the detent engages in preparing for the next shift.If this return spring is broken, the detent spins without engaging, and the shifter shaft would not be able to rotate the shifter drum.”
He looked at me and smiled, “My name is Sam.” he said as he reached out to shake my hand. “Mr. Bane I owe you and your wife an apology.” I shook his hand in return, “I’m Mac and this is Amber.” She shot him a smile as well, trying to put him at ease, but I could see the storm behind those eyes. This old fella dodged a bullet and he just wasn’t aware of exactly how lucky he was. I waved him off, “No problem at all Sam, did you want us to work on it?” He allowed a long slow breath to escape him and finally nodded. “I’d appreciate that. She belonged to my wife and I’d like to get her running and in top shape as soon as possible.”
I smiled at him, knowing how things become sentimental. “She’ll be ready by Saturday, go see Johnny at the desk and he’ll get everything sorted, including the price. I don’t like surprises, and our customers shouldn’t have any.” I told him in a conspiratorial manner. He returned my smile and headed towards the lobby. It may have been my imagination but he seemed to have a pep in his step as he left us. I turned and looked at Amber, her eyes had welled a bit at the mention of his wife who had obviously passed being the owner. “Well Red, we have our work cut out for us.” I said to her in a way that I hoped spoke of the joy I was feeling. Judging by the smile on her face I’d say it was obvious.
Fade.
The Grand Opening Part 2
The Bane Garage, Las Vegas, NV
/Scene Opens\
[off-camera]
A few hours later…
There are few things that make me as happy as being in the ring and facing a worthy opponent. Working on bikes, especially classic motorcycles, that was a close second. It required patience and a steady hand working on some of these older machines. I always found it ironic that the things I enjoyed doing were done with a methodical approach. Whether it was dismantling an opponent or refurbishing a great old piece of iconic machinery. Each of these things brought me great joy.
A shadow fell over me as someone stood behind me, “is it what you thought?” came Amber’s question about the shifter I was working on. I looked over my shoulder and winked at her, holding up part of the spring, “Yes ma’am.”, then another piece of it. “Broke into three different pieces.”
“Oh, shit” she muttered almost under her breath. I laughed at her response as she came around to get a closer look.
“It gets worse actually”, I say to her, causing her eye brows to go up. “Uhoh…’ was her response to me.
“Yeah, there are no kits for this bike.” I said flatly as I continued on putting the new pieces into place. “Then how?....you shit, you fabricated them didn’t you?” I smiled at her and blew her a kiss. “Yes ma’am.”. She rolled her eyes and laughed, as I continued to place the new pieces together in the chamber. She came back around and looked at the pieces assembled in the housing and smiled. “That’s some damn fine work.”, she said admiring my handy work. I smiled at her again, “Why thank you, I bet you say that to all the boys.”. With an amused look on her face she said to me, “Why yes, yes I do.” As she sauntered away I just kept thinking, You’re one lucky sumbitch Mac.
Fade.
Final Word
In-Studio - Saxon Hotel
/Scene Opens\
[on-camera]
They labeled this a special attraction. Interesting name for it, I’ll say that much. That’s not to belittle the match at all, it is a showcase after all. A showcase for J2H and Kris Ryans, in their own opinion it’s the last of anything that they feel needs to be settled. A showcase for myself and O’Malley as well. He’s the reigning and defending Internet Champion. I’m the man that wants to take away that title.
Kris and I have sort of been in a match together, not really a match of course. That swamp obstacle course bullshit but a loss is still a loss after all. It took me three days to get the smell of that match out of my hair and nose. I’ll be honest, to this day I still believe that had they given Amber and I a proper shot at the mixed tag straps, we would have taken the Black Sheep out and been the new champions. Not taking anything away from Kris or Mikah, that’s for damn sure. They were great champions. I know that Kris likely thinks I don’t like him and that’s simply not true. I have great respect for you as a competitor and I would have loved to have had a match against you one on one for the world title. You were without a doubt one of the best as world champion. You represented the company well, unlike the jackass known as Jack Washington.
O’Malley, this is the first time we will face off in a wrestling ring. Back when you were the roulette champion we were scheduled to face each other. You lost that belt to Kedron Ross, so we never got the chance to see if you could back up all your talk. I remember very well, early in the blast from the past, you said I wouldn’t do shite in that tournament and even if I did win it all, I still wouldn’t do shite. I could be pissed off and run you down about not doing shite with the opportunity you had but I won’t. Not because of any other reason than it brings me down to your level. You seem to have a real problem Chief. The problem is that you can’t get out of your own way. You keep self-destructing like a professional. Like it’s become your life’s goal to fuck up every good thing you’ve got going for you.
In spite of all of that, you’ve earned my respect O’Malley, whether you believe it or not. I know you don’t care but I’m going to say it here. I think you need to hear it personally. The reason I have respect for you is because of your tenacity and your never say quit attitude. All that pissing and moaning you did on social media? I didn’t buy into it, I felt like it was all for show, just so the boss would throw you a bone. I say good for you. I mean we all do what we have to in order to make sure we stay relevant right? Augustino didn’t deserve to hold that belt, we both know that. That’s reserved for warriors. The real fighters of this company should be the ones going after the top belts.
That’s a couple of weeks away though and I’m not going too far ahead of reality here. The reality is, we have to get through this match. A match that won’t settle anything at all for any of us involved. This is the primer for the explosion that’s going to occur down the road. The real story is that J2H couldn’t wait six months to start his campaign on Kris. He’s a man who’s been accustomed to either getting what he wants or someone giving it to him without his asking. He’s my partner for this tag team match, and a damn good one. As for the “don’t fuck up” comment, I’ll do my best but I make no promises. I know that I should have left the sarcasm switch turned off but I just can’t help myself sometimes. I wouldn’t worry too much Chief, I think as a team we’ll be okay.
Mostly.
Maybe..
Ish…
Fade.
