Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2013 9:45:26 GMT -5
"Doc, I'm dying, I'm feeling compromised (feeling compromised)
and so dehumanized (and so dehumanized)
I lost my final fight to disease; I feel that this is where it ends
I need that shot to enter my vein
My Brompton Cocktail blend
’Cause I can't feel my face
I won't struggle on
In a world so cold
In a world so wrong
I'm not running away, been fighting this so long (so long)
Such a price that we pay, we gotta be so strong
in a lie...
I'm tired, induced euphoria (induced euphoria)
to help me move along (help me move along)
I wanna meet my maker in peace, I want to feel alive again
So put that smile back on my face and mix it strong my friend"
~Avenged Sevenfold "Brompton Cocktail"
Teddy Money leans back on the patio chair at Freeman's Little New York, taking a sip of the double shot of scotch in his hand, and then stares anxiously out the window of the establishment, looking for some indication that the person that he's scheduled to meet this afternoon will indeed show up as scheduled.
Teddy takes a moment to cough, and feels his face turn pale as he tastes the bile, and a bit of blood in the back of his throat.
He's getting worse. He's getting a LOT worse.
The little trip that he took with Shawn Alexander Cage and Chris Talon took a hell of a lot out of him, and he knows damned well that it likely sped up the process of his body's deterioration, and of the illness that is consuming him one cell at a time.
In truth, he probably shouldn't even be out and about on this partly cloudy morning with a cool wind blowing... he should be at home, trying to regain what was left of his strength so that he could make certain he was still around when one of the best friends that he ever had went about the business of fulfilling his destiny... a destiny that involves the decimation of a man who by the unlucky draw of hand. Got paired to go again Shawn Alexander Cage in the very first round of the opening of this tour. By the end of the tour, we will have a Legacy Champion who can then decide if he wants to cash in the gold for a shot at taking home the Canadian X Heavyweight Championship.
Teddy closes his eyes for a moment and shakes his head as he recalls the all the times he has held conversations with Shawn Cage over all of the challengers he has met face to face in the squared circle, this time he had planned to talk to Shawn about his match against Joey Edwards at The British Columbia Legacy Tour.
Teddy polishes off the double scotch in his hand, and winces slightly as a shooting pain radiates throughout his chest. With all of his will, he suppresses the urge to cough, because he knows all too well that once he starts to do so, he won't stop for a long, long time and that always ends with a huge pile of blood in the bottom of a toilet.
So, instead, he wipes some sweat off his brow, and navigates uncertainly through the crowd of young lovers toward the bar so that he can order another drink. Jessica, the diminutive brunette behind the bar, gives him a look of concern, and hesitates for a moment when Teddy orders another shot.
Jessica: Maybe you should call it a day, Teddy.
Teddy: I've only had one drink, Jessica.
Jessica: Yeah, but... you look....
Teddy: I... I'll be fine.
At that moment, Teddy feels another shooting pain in his chest, and grits his teeth in order to stifle the moan of agony that wants to tear itself from his throat.
Teddy: Maybe I'll just stick with a coffee, Jessica.
Chris: Good idea.
Teddy spins around, and stares at the hulking, muscular, shaven-skulled form of Chris Talon. Talon's got that perennially glower firmly etched on his face, but, Teddy notices something in those eyes... a look of concern, and of sympathy.
Teddy feels his stomach drop, because if Chris is displaying these emotions... or, really, any emotion other than his usual blend of intensity and anger... then he really must look worse than even he could have imagined.
Chris takes a seat beside Teddy at the bar and Teddy averts his eyes to avoid Talon's unblinking gaze. The two remain quiet for a moment, before Teddy takes a sip of coffee, and decides to break the silence that currently exists between them.
Teddy: So... talked to Shawn lately?
Chris: (sipping the beer in his hand) Yeah... couple of hours ago.
Teddy: And...?
Chris: He's good. He and that porn star.. What’s her name..? Riley Reid.. spent a couple of hours of... (smirks)... quality time... and now he's busy training for his match against that kid Joey Edwards, and getting back to the place where he needs to be... the place where he should have been all along.
Teddy: (in a distant, absent tone of voice) That's... that's good...
Chris: (arching an eyebrow) You don't sound convinced, my friend. Something on your mind?
Teddy takes another sip of coffee as he ponders this question, and of how he'll articulate his response.
Teddy: I... I just remember seeing the look in Shawn's eyes.. When we were talking about how he needed to go back to the person he used to be... I... I just remember listening to the sound of his voice when he addressed Joey Edwards a few days ago... and... I don't know... I... I just couldn't help but wonder if... if...
Chris: You're wondering if we did the right thing, aren't you. That's the reason why you called me today, wasn't it?
Teddy: Yeah... after talking to Alexis last week... I... She's still my adopted daughter, Chris...and she's still the best thing that has happened to me during the course of the sixty eight years that I've spent on this planet.
I don't want to see her get hurt... and... and... I know if Shawn does become that monster again, she'll fall victim to his rage. Shawn doesn't know that his daughter didn't die that day, and I just don't know the words to express how I can tell him that fact..
Chris: Teddy, you know just as well as I do that the good that shall result far outweighs the fact that your... well Shawn's daughter might feel a measure of pain as a result of being held accountable for the actions of what she did, it's time she pays the piper.
Shawn now has an understanding of who he really is and what he can become.
We got our friend's back, man. How is that a bad thing?
Teddy: Is he really our friend, Chris? Or are you just happy that your friend has emerged from his slumber.
Teddy watches Chris glare at him for a moment, but then that look of anger is mitigated by consideration of those words, and, to his surprise, breaks out into a chuckle as he pats Teddy on the back.
Chris: Nice to see that your illness hasn't affected your ability to call it as you see it.
(Expression turns serious) Yes... Cage is my friend... he's probably the best friend that I will ever have in my life. But, that doesn't mean that he can't be your friend, too... or the friend of anyone that is worthy of gaining his respect.
After all, it was Cage who fought tooth and nail to avenge your honor back in the old SCW days, wasn't it? It was Cage who shed buckets of blood in order to fulfill a promise that he made to you, and he is going to shed more blood to make sure Joey Edwards doesn't take the Legacy title shot away from him, that was his new promise to you.
If I thought Cage was a psychotic, violent, blood-obsessed killer, then I wouldn't have accepted your invitation to come down and speak with him. For that matter, if you thought the same way, you wouldn't have made the call to begin with, would you? Would you still hand your hand in his career choices? You were the one who helped talk him out of his retirement.
I'll say it again, Teddy. Shawn Alexander Cage now has an idea of who he really is... and what he can become. How is that a bad thing?
Teddy: It... It's not. I... I guess I really just needed some reassurance that we took the right course of action, is all.
Chris: (nodding as he smiles) Fair enough. Well, if you want further assurance, then I suggest you look up at the television, because our friend's latest promotional appearance is about to begin...
Teddy looks up, and sees Shawn, clad in his a dark pinstriped business suit, standing quietly at what appears to be an outdoor press conference, but yet no one else appears to be around but himself. As the shot pans toward him, he can note the look of cold certainty through those icy blue heartless eyes, and the certainty that's apparent in his calm, even tone of voice as he looks up, and addresses the camera before him...
Shawn: During the course of my career, I have earned something of a reputation as being somewhat of an enigma. The adjective "mysterious" is often used to describe me... likely because I never really took this all too seriously or because I tend not to raise my voice too loudly or engage in the type of chest-thumping theatrics that one normally associates with this industry... or the opponent that I am scheduled to face this week on The British Columbia Legacy Tour.
To be honest, though, every time I hear myself being described in such a manner, I tend to smile inwardly... for, there really is no mystery to what motivates me when I step inside the ring.
In the past, I have stated that there are three motivating factors that drive me to compete to the best of my ability... and to attain the level of success that I have attained during the course of my career. Those factors would be the desire to further my legacy in this industry... the desire to honor the friendships that I have forged with certain individuals... and the desire to walk into the sunset, on that final ride, with the Canadian X Heavyweight title in my hand.
Using these factors as motivation, I have been able to accomplish quite a bit during my time in the ring, hell, I even accomplished a lot in the adult film industry. The desire to further my legacy was a contributing factor in allowing me to become this federation's Legacy Champion, well the one it deserves. Brett Starr is not a honorable champion and I will prove that if he manages to retain the gold. The desire to honor my friendships allowed me to make some really strong friends both inside and outside the ring. And... There is this burning fire inside of me that I have not felt in a long time, it's refreshing to me in a way, because now I have a purpose. I am no longer a hollow husk of a man.
I expected that the desire to further my legacy would allow me to overcome whatever assaults that Joey Edwards would be willing to dish out, because after all.. The only thing he has said to offer towards his match was rambling on about fear. I was waiting for a threat to end my career... Never happened.
Granted... No one has truly been ever to take me out long term during my career, so Mr. Edwards needs to grab a number and get back in line for a second chance after I defeat him on The British Columbia Legacy Tour. The kid has a lot of heart, but he will be used as a stepping stone this time.
Nay... The mark of a true competitor... a true champion... and a true standard-bearer is how that individual reacts once he loses a match, or deals with adversity. In the past, I have proved that I was able to come back from defeat... in fact; the lessons learnt from those losses have only made me a stronger competitor. It's never about who wins or loses in the business, it's about the lesson learned.
Let's see how Joey Edwards reacts in the same situation. Something tells me that, at the end of the evening, his long list of accomplishments will mean nothing, because he lost to the person who everyone says doesn't mean shit...
It's something that he can tell his future children... that he once stepped into the ring with Shawn Alexander Cage and got his ass kicked...
Does he really think that the desire that I have... that everyone on this Jessicater has... to hold the World Title? Granted he has done it before and I have held it for twenty one times in my career, but does he really think he deserves another shot? It's time "Big Nose" let someone else in the spotlight... Did he not realize that I have shed far too much blood to get to where I am today?
Perhaps not...
Well, this week will be an interesting encounter none the less, for the simple fact that I am pitted against a man that I know rather well by watching some of his matches, and at the same time a man that I really know nothing about.
From what I can gather, what makes Joey Edwards such a dangerous competitor isn't just the fact of his size or strength... it's the intelligence and the anger that he seems to possess.
His displays of talent are well documented. One only has to watch how he decimated the likes of the challenges he met to win all of those World Championships to understand how well he can channel all of his emotions.
His intelligence, Impressive, but, then again, he knows just as well as I that there are a LOT of idiots can graduate with degrees from said institutions, yet can't pass High School.
So, we can safely say that Joey Edwards is smarter than Brett Starr. It's not much... but, it's something.
Yet, for all of his size and strength and anger and intelligence, it seems as though Joey Edwards is mistaken on a couple of key points.
He should realize that I am more than capable of matching him in terms of intelligence, and in terms of anger, too. For, while we have diverse backgrounds, it seems that we both have an understanding of what it's like to live from day to day, and of how frustrated we felt when we thought about the fact that we weren't exactly sure just when we were going to eat our next meal.
And, he will eventually realize the same thing that all other competitors who rely upon their size and strength realize when they face me... that I am more than capable of turning those supposed advantages against them, and of forcing them to come to terms with their own weaknesses in the process.
I suspect that, by the end of our encounter, Joey Edwards will come to know a little more about himself. He'll certainly have a better understanding of who I really am, as a person and as a competitor.
As the shot pans back, and the screen starts to fade, Teddy shakes his head as he listens to Chris chuckle behind him. Shawn... Cage... sounded so... so certain.... yet, Chris was right... he really didn't sound like a monster....
He really just sounded like himself.
And, as crappy as Teddy feels right now in terms of physical health, for the first time in a long time, he feels a hell of a lot better than he did in terms of what's going to happen in the future.
Chris: So... how you feeling Teddy?
Teddy: Better, Chris... a lot better.
Chris: Good... Glad to hear it. Well, I'm just about finished this beer, and you should probably head home, and get some rest. After all, you want to keep your strength so that you can watch your friend do what he does best, don't you?
Teddy: (smiling) Yeah... I do. Wouldn't miss it for the world...
Teddy continues to smile as he slowly climbs to his feet, and makes his way out of the bar.
Yeah, he thinks... the man that he just saw on TV could be his friend... the man that he saw on TV can be anything that he wants...
And, right now, that man is not going to be a Savior... He's going to be the Destroyer....
He's going to be the man that cuts a swath of destruction that will be discussed for many years to come...
And it shall run across the broken, bleeding carcasses of Joey Edwards, and Brett Starr, too if he can retain that Legacy Championship.
And Teddy really wants to watch it happen...
THAT shall be his form of motivation to keep going... for as long as he bloody well can... if he can even manage to carry on longer...
and so dehumanized (and so dehumanized)
I lost my final fight to disease; I feel that this is where it ends
I need that shot to enter my vein
My Brompton Cocktail blend
’Cause I can't feel my face
I won't struggle on
In a world so cold
In a world so wrong
I'm not running away, been fighting this so long (so long)
Such a price that we pay, we gotta be so strong
in a lie...
I'm tired, induced euphoria (induced euphoria)
to help me move along (help me move along)
I wanna meet my maker in peace, I want to feel alive again
So put that smile back on my face and mix it strong my friend"
~Avenged Sevenfold "Brompton Cocktail"
Teddy Money leans back on the patio chair at Freeman's Little New York, taking a sip of the double shot of scotch in his hand, and then stares anxiously out the window of the establishment, looking for some indication that the person that he's scheduled to meet this afternoon will indeed show up as scheduled.
Teddy takes a moment to cough, and feels his face turn pale as he tastes the bile, and a bit of blood in the back of his throat.
He's getting worse. He's getting a LOT worse.
The little trip that he took with Shawn Alexander Cage and Chris Talon took a hell of a lot out of him, and he knows damned well that it likely sped up the process of his body's deterioration, and of the illness that is consuming him one cell at a time.
In truth, he probably shouldn't even be out and about on this partly cloudy morning with a cool wind blowing... he should be at home, trying to regain what was left of his strength so that he could make certain he was still around when one of the best friends that he ever had went about the business of fulfilling his destiny... a destiny that involves the decimation of a man who by the unlucky draw of hand. Got paired to go again Shawn Alexander Cage in the very first round of the opening of this tour. By the end of the tour, we will have a Legacy Champion who can then decide if he wants to cash in the gold for a shot at taking home the Canadian X Heavyweight Championship.
Teddy closes his eyes for a moment and shakes his head as he recalls the all the times he has held conversations with Shawn Cage over all of the challengers he has met face to face in the squared circle, this time he had planned to talk to Shawn about his match against Joey Edwards at The British Columbia Legacy Tour.
Teddy polishes off the double scotch in his hand, and winces slightly as a shooting pain radiates throughout his chest. With all of his will, he suppresses the urge to cough, because he knows all too well that once he starts to do so, he won't stop for a long, long time and that always ends with a huge pile of blood in the bottom of a toilet.
So, instead, he wipes some sweat off his brow, and navigates uncertainly through the crowd of young lovers toward the bar so that he can order another drink. Jessica, the diminutive brunette behind the bar, gives him a look of concern, and hesitates for a moment when Teddy orders another shot.
Jessica: Maybe you should call it a day, Teddy.
Teddy: I've only had one drink, Jessica.
Jessica: Yeah, but... you look....
Teddy: I... I'll be fine.
At that moment, Teddy feels another shooting pain in his chest, and grits his teeth in order to stifle the moan of agony that wants to tear itself from his throat.
Teddy: Maybe I'll just stick with a coffee, Jessica.
Chris: Good idea.
Teddy spins around, and stares at the hulking, muscular, shaven-skulled form of Chris Talon. Talon's got that perennially glower firmly etched on his face, but, Teddy notices something in those eyes... a look of concern, and of sympathy.
Teddy feels his stomach drop, because if Chris is displaying these emotions... or, really, any emotion other than his usual blend of intensity and anger... then he really must look worse than even he could have imagined.
Chris takes a seat beside Teddy at the bar and Teddy averts his eyes to avoid Talon's unblinking gaze. The two remain quiet for a moment, before Teddy takes a sip of coffee, and decides to break the silence that currently exists between them.
Teddy: So... talked to Shawn lately?
Chris: (sipping the beer in his hand) Yeah... couple of hours ago.
Teddy: And...?
Chris: He's good. He and that porn star.. What’s her name..? Riley Reid.. spent a couple of hours of... (smirks)... quality time... and now he's busy training for his match against that kid Joey Edwards, and getting back to the place where he needs to be... the place where he should have been all along.
Teddy: (in a distant, absent tone of voice) That's... that's good...
Chris: (arching an eyebrow) You don't sound convinced, my friend. Something on your mind?
Teddy takes another sip of coffee as he ponders this question, and of how he'll articulate his response.
Teddy: I... I just remember seeing the look in Shawn's eyes.. When we were talking about how he needed to go back to the person he used to be... I... I just remember listening to the sound of his voice when he addressed Joey Edwards a few days ago... and... I don't know... I... I just couldn't help but wonder if... if...
Chris: You're wondering if we did the right thing, aren't you. That's the reason why you called me today, wasn't it?
Teddy: Yeah... after talking to Alexis last week... I... She's still my adopted daughter, Chris...and she's still the best thing that has happened to me during the course of the sixty eight years that I've spent on this planet.
I don't want to see her get hurt... and... and... I know if Shawn does become that monster again, she'll fall victim to his rage. Shawn doesn't know that his daughter didn't die that day, and I just don't know the words to express how I can tell him that fact..
Chris: Teddy, you know just as well as I do that the good that shall result far outweighs the fact that your... well Shawn's daughter might feel a measure of pain as a result of being held accountable for the actions of what she did, it's time she pays the piper.
Shawn now has an understanding of who he really is and what he can become.
We got our friend's back, man. How is that a bad thing?
Teddy: Is he really our friend, Chris? Or are you just happy that your friend has emerged from his slumber.
Teddy watches Chris glare at him for a moment, but then that look of anger is mitigated by consideration of those words, and, to his surprise, breaks out into a chuckle as he pats Teddy on the back.
Chris: Nice to see that your illness hasn't affected your ability to call it as you see it.
(Expression turns serious) Yes... Cage is my friend... he's probably the best friend that I will ever have in my life. But, that doesn't mean that he can't be your friend, too... or the friend of anyone that is worthy of gaining his respect.
After all, it was Cage who fought tooth and nail to avenge your honor back in the old SCW days, wasn't it? It was Cage who shed buckets of blood in order to fulfill a promise that he made to you, and he is going to shed more blood to make sure Joey Edwards doesn't take the Legacy title shot away from him, that was his new promise to you.
If I thought Cage was a psychotic, violent, blood-obsessed killer, then I wouldn't have accepted your invitation to come down and speak with him. For that matter, if you thought the same way, you wouldn't have made the call to begin with, would you? Would you still hand your hand in his career choices? You were the one who helped talk him out of his retirement.
I'll say it again, Teddy. Shawn Alexander Cage now has an idea of who he really is... and what he can become. How is that a bad thing?
Teddy: It... It's not. I... I guess I really just needed some reassurance that we took the right course of action, is all.
Chris: (nodding as he smiles) Fair enough. Well, if you want further assurance, then I suggest you look up at the television, because our friend's latest promotional appearance is about to begin...
Teddy looks up, and sees Shawn, clad in his a dark pinstriped business suit, standing quietly at what appears to be an outdoor press conference, but yet no one else appears to be around but himself. As the shot pans toward him, he can note the look of cold certainty through those icy blue heartless eyes, and the certainty that's apparent in his calm, even tone of voice as he looks up, and addresses the camera before him...
Shawn: During the course of my career, I have earned something of a reputation as being somewhat of an enigma. The adjective "mysterious" is often used to describe me... likely because I never really took this all too seriously or because I tend not to raise my voice too loudly or engage in the type of chest-thumping theatrics that one normally associates with this industry... or the opponent that I am scheduled to face this week on The British Columbia Legacy Tour.
To be honest, though, every time I hear myself being described in such a manner, I tend to smile inwardly... for, there really is no mystery to what motivates me when I step inside the ring.
In the past, I have stated that there are three motivating factors that drive me to compete to the best of my ability... and to attain the level of success that I have attained during the course of my career. Those factors would be the desire to further my legacy in this industry... the desire to honor the friendships that I have forged with certain individuals... and the desire to walk into the sunset, on that final ride, with the Canadian X Heavyweight title in my hand.
Using these factors as motivation, I have been able to accomplish quite a bit during my time in the ring, hell, I even accomplished a lot in the adult film industry. The desire to further my legacy was a contributing factor in allowing me to become this federation's Legacy Champion, well the one it deserves. Brett Starr is not a honorable champion and I will prove that if he manages to retain the gold. The desire to honor my friendships allowed me to make some really strong friends both inside and outside the ring. And... There is this burning fire inside of me that I have not felt in a long time, it's refreshing to me in a way, because now I have a purpose. I am no longer a hollow husk of a man.
I expected that the desire to further my legacy would allow me to overcome whatever assaults that Joey Edwards would be willing to dish out, because after all.. The only thing he has said to offer towards his match was rambling on about fear. I was waiting for a threat to end my career... Never happened.
Granted... No one has truly been ever to take me out long term during my career, so Mr. Edwards needs to grab a number and get back in line for a second chance after I defeat him on The British Columbia Legacy Tour. The kid has a lot of heart, but he will be used as a stepping stone this time.
Nay... The mark of a true competitor... a true champion... and a true standard-bearer is how that individual reacts once he loses a match, or deals with adversity. In the past, I have proved that I was able to come back from defeat... in fact; the lessons learnt from those losses have only made me a stronger competitor. It's never about who wins or loses in the business, it's about the lesson learned.
Let's see how Joey Edwards reacts in the same situation. Something tells me that, at the end of the evening, his long list of accomplishments will mean nothing, because he lost to the person who everyone says doesn't mean shit...
It's something that he can tell his future children... that he once stepped into the ring with Shawn Alexander Cage and got his ass kicked...
Does he really think that the desire that I have... that everyone on this Jessicater has... to hold the World Title? Granted he has done it before and I have held it for twenty one times in my career, but does he really think he deserves another shot? It's time "Big Nose" let someone else in the spotlight... Did he not realize that I have shed far too much blood to get to where I am today?
Perhaps not...
Well, this week will be an interesting encounter none the less, for the simple fact that I am pitted against a man that I know rather well by watching some of his matches, and at the same time a man that I really know nothing about.
From what I can gather, what makes Joey Edwards such a dangerous competitor isn't just the fact of his size or strength... it's the intelligence and the anger that he seems to possess.
His displays of talent are well documented. One only has to watch how he decimated the likes of the challenges he met to win all of those World Championships to understand how well he can channel all of his emotions.
His intelligence, Impressive, but, then again, he knows just as well as I that there are a LOT of idiots can graduate with degrees from said institutions, yet can't pass High School.
So, we can safely say that Joey Edwards is smarter than Brett Starr. It's not much... but, it's something.
Yet, for all of his size and strength and anger and intelligence, it seems as though Joey Edwards is mistaken on a couple of key points.
He should realize that I am more than capable of matching him in terms of intelligence, and in terms of anger, too. For, while we have diverse backgrounds, it seems that we both have an understanding of what it's like to live from day to day, and of how frustrated we felt when we thought about the fact that we weren't exactly sure just when we were going to eat our next meal.
And, he will eventually realize the same thing that all other competitors who rely upon their size and strength realize when they face me... that I am more than capable of turning those supposed advantages against them, and of forcing them to come to terms with their own weaknesses in the process.
I suspect that, by the end of our encounter, Joey Edwards will come to know a little more about himself. He'll certainly have a better understanding of who I really am, as a person and as a competitor.
As the shot pans back, and the screen starts to fade, Teddy shakes his head as he listens to Chris chuckle behind him. Shawn... Cage... sounded so... so certain.... yet, Chris was right... he really didn't sound like a monster....
He really just sounded like himself.
And, as crappy as Teddy feels right now in terms of physical health, for the first time in a long time, he feels a hell of a lot better than he did in terms of what's going to happen in the future.
Chris: So... how you feeling Teddy?
Teddy: Better, Chris... a lot better.
Chris: Good... Glad to hear it. Well, I'm just about finished this beer, and you should probably head home, and get some rest. After all, you want to keep your strength so that you can watch your friend do what he does best, don't you?
Teddy: (smiling) Yeah... I do. Wouldn't miss it for the world...
Teddy continues to smile as he slowly climbs to his feet, and makes his way out of the bar.
Yeah, he thinks... the man that he just saw on TV could be his friend... the man that he saw on TV can be anything that he wants...
And, right now, that man is not going to be a Savior... He's going to be the Destroyer....
He's going to be the man that cuts a swath of destruction that will be discussed for many years to come...
And it shall run across the broken, bleeding carcasses of Joey Edwards, and Brett Starr, too if he can retain that Legacy Championship.
And Teddy really wants to watch it happen...
THAT shall be his form of motivation to keep going... for as long as he bloody well can... if he can even manage to carry on longer...
