The Widow and the Blaze: History Calling
Nov 21, 2021 13:57:57 GMT -5
Orret the Match Writer, Downfall, and 1 more like this
Post by Teo Blaze on Nov 21, 2021 13:57:57 GMT -5
“There’s an old saying in this sport, Regan. Perhaps you’ve heard of it. Well, less of a phrase and more of a puzzle.
What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?”
The voice comes from a strange place, shrouded in darkness for the most part, but with just enough light to make out vague shapes. Silhouetted are figures in different poses, their faces indistinguishable, but the human-like shapes hanging like shadowy watchers, beings just beyond the mortal realm surrounding a white circle of light, the only illumination in the otherwise darkened room.
“How will this year be remembered, Regan? It has been a historic year for Cruiserclash. We’ve main evented an Evolution, we’ve seen records set and history made. More and more eyes have been drawn to our brand with each passing week, an exponential growth that is unprecedented.
A year ago Cruiserclash was struggling to break free of its mold. In 2021 that mold was broken permanently, and the names on that roster turned it into something beyond what its creators had ever envisioned. 2021 deserves to be remembered as the year of Cruiserclash’s rise.
But the question remains, Regan..who is to be its representative? Which of us will be the first ever Cruiserclash representative in the finals of Wrestler of the Year? Who deserves to make history?”
Teo chuckles, adjusting his red-lensed glasses carefully, the reflection of the spotlight casting a crimson shadow all around him, just barely enough not to reveal the figures surrounding him.
“Regan, I’d be a fool to dismiss your accomplishments. You don’t win three Cruiserweight titles by being an untalented, spoiled brat of a human being, a walking, braying jackass twat whose sociopathic streak is justified in her own mind by a lineage so twisted that your family tree reads like Ripley’s believe it or not.
Oh, all of those still apply, but stay with me, Regan.
If that was all you were, I’d be dismissing your accomplishments. I’d be saying that Joey Bunga should get credit for at least two of those reigns. I’d be going into this match completely confident that you were nothing more than a paper tiger that I would breeze through on my path to history.
Your last opponent made that mistake, didn’t he?
You are not one to look past, Regan. No threat to be taken lightly. I’ve been watching you, Regan, and I must admit you fascinate me. You remind me of…”
Teo taps his cheek with his index finger, as though he is genuinely trying to make a comparison to his opponent.
“Oh yes, of course! A black widow spider. You’re familiar, no doubt? When one sets eyes on you, Regan, it is like they’re looking at that infamous arachnid. They see the size, the small frame, the delicate and intricate webs. They notice the beauty, the bright red markings cast against the beautiful dark carapace, and they cannot help but be fascinated.”
As Teo is speaking, he takes a step back, and as if on cue, right before his eyes descends one of the creatures to which he refers. Teo’s movements are deliberate and careful, as within the light, reflecting across his lenses, a small black widow spider now hangs from a silken thread, within inches of the Cruiserweight Tag Champion’s face.
“Oh yes, there is absolutely an indescribable beauty in such a creature as you, Regan. The kind of sight that you simply cannot look away from once you lay eyes upon it. One cannot help but be pulled closer. You are a mysterious intoxication, a puzzle to be solved, a gem to be unearthed. What secrets could such a creature contain?
And that is where so many before me have faltered against you. Perhaps because of your size, your frailty, even your intoxicating beauty...they have missed the most important part. Just like the black widow..? You are a hunter. A carnivore. A predator. And within your heart you carry a toxin so strong that it can fell any man or beast on this planet.
And so they let their guard down, they refuse to see the threat, they see this small, pathetic thing, and they turn their backs. Just long enough for you to sink your fangs in.”
Teo holds his hands out, carefully on each side of the spider. The small creature tenses up, slowly twirling on the hanging thread like a ballerina as a wicked smile comes over his face.
“The beauty of the black widow is that by the time you realize the danger you’re in, it’s already too late. Their venom is in your veins, and you carry your avarice to the grave. Your size, your strength, your every advantage over this creature...all rendered useless by your own pride. A single bite, and your fate is sealed, all because you failed to notice the danger you were in.
That is your strength, Regan, that is what makes you deadlier than men two, three times your size. They fail to give credit to just how deadly your bite can be.”
Teo’s eyes and smile narrow behind the frames of his glasses as he moves slowly, deliberately, his hand inching ever closer. Even the slightest sudden move could provoke the spider that now hangs before him.
“But Regan, there’s one thing that the spider never considers. One thing that people never seem to remember about the deadly, deadly black widow.
When you give it the respect it deserves? When you approach it carefully, and take away its weapons? When you are prepared for what it can do?”
Teo’s hand crosses over the silver thread, far enough to catch the spider off guard, and as he moves, the black widow now dangles from his hand. The room is filled with gasps from the silhouetted audience, fearful whispers mingling with startled gasps as Teo suspends the creature in midair in front of him.
“You remember just how frail, just how mortal that killer is. You can never turn your back on such a creature, never take your eyes off of it.
But you need not fear it.
After all, one of nature’s most deadly creatures is also one of its most vulnerable. It needs to be disregarded, it needs its killers to let their guard’s down, to even think of sparing it. That is the fatal mistake, Regan Voorhees.”
Teo’s eyes almost sparkle behind his glasses, the fragile creature dangling helplessly before him, perfectly reflected in each blood red lens.
“You are strong, Regan. You are vicious, and you are dangerous. But you are also vulnerable. You are fallible. You are fragile. That is the best kept secret of Regan Voorhees.
And you know it.
That is why you came to Action Wrestling. That is why you let a toad like Bunga into your presence, that is why you so desperately pursue the Cruiserweight Championship. Everything you’ve done in this company from day one has been to hide that weakness, that vulnerability from the world. All one fantastic passion play to keep us from recognizing that you are little more than a frightened girl trapped in the shadow of a legacy that she can never live up to.
Just like this poor little killer, Regan. The worst enemy, the greatest threat you could ever face is someone who sees your poison, someone who has seen other killers before. Someone who sees a black widow across from them?
And squashes it without a second thought.
Regan Voorhees. You are beautiful, you are deadly, and you are a master at letting one distract from the other.
But you are no immovable object.
So what happens when an unstoppable force meets Regan Voorhees?”
Teo chuckles, using his free hand to move his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
“The spider gets squashed.”
The camera slowly pans around, one final time reflecting on the helpless black widow reflected in the lenses that frame Teo’s smiling face.
“And let me tell you, I’m not entirely sure that hospital actually served food! I had an apple that tasted like wax!”
“That was wax, Andre. They put a bowl of decorative fruit next to your bed.”
“I’m still not sure I follow. But yes, I will be released before you know it! Had to be monitored, you know how it is. But I’ve been watching your progress on the telly in the meantime! Thank the gods the hospital allowed that bit of common courtesy. All the way to the semifinals, and past the world champ no less! You’re going to start making your tag partner jealous.”
“I wouldn’t be here without you, buddy. I’m doing this for us, not for me. This is not the year of Teo Blaze, it’s the year of the Gents!”
“Always so humble, and always getting ahead of yourself. Don’t forget you’ve got Regan Voorhees next!”
“Boy you have been keeping up!”
“So what’s the gameplan? You know you’re out of practice in singles matches, and she’s won three belts to our five.”
“Oh believe me, I know. But you know Andre, there’s a bit more to the puzzle than lets on. She’s got all the vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the world, but let’s not forget her biggest flaw.”
“That unconvincing dye job?”
“Second biggest flaw. It’s her narcissism, mate. Oh don’t get me wrong, with some of the egos in that locker room we’ve got enough hot air to float multiple zeppelins, but it’s not an ego thing.”
“It’s not?”
“Oh she has that too, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about Regan’s tunnel vision. She is in Wrestler of the year for exactly the wrong reason.”
“Oh?”
“She’s in it for number one. She wants Wrestler of the Year so she can finally get the recognition she thinks she deserves. It must drive her completely insane that despite being consistently in the main event of Cruiserclash, despite three Cruiserweight Title wins, all anyone can focus on is the shortcuts she took and the car crash of Joey Bunga. It drives her insane that people just can’t seem to understand her greatness, the majesty of the Voorhees name.
This tournament represents her chance at validation, a chance to prove to the world that her year wasn’t a fluke. All of the lying, all of the cheating, the manipulation, the humiliation, the losses and the embarrassment that Regan faced in 2021? It can all be erased with just one more win. Just one more prize and she’ll be able to gloss over all of the doubts, all of the skepticism of her otherwise tarnished legacy. She does not care about her brand, about that locker room, about her fans! She just sees another trophy for the case, another coat of paint to cover over her faltering legacy!”
“Preach!”
“And Andre, call me crazy, but Cruiserclash deserves better than Regan Voorhees! These people deserve better than Regan Voorhees! Cruiserclash has earned the right to be represented by someone who is going to fight on its behalf, not just on their own! Cruiserclash deserves someone who has shed blood, sweat, and tears to elevate it! Someone who took a pair of championships, symbols of the brand, and turned them from a forgotten toy into one of the most sought after prizes in the company!”
“And set multiple records in the process!”
“Someone who is capable of thinking beyond their own wants. Someone who fights not for themselves, but for their friends. Their fans. Someone who the people want to believe in, who actually gives a damn what they think.
The people deserve better than Regan Voorhees.”
“That’s why you’re fighting, eh?”
“Mostly. There is one more thing.”
“Oh?”
“I’m fighting for the Gents, too. You lept off of that cage without a second thought so that I could finish that match at Spookyclash. It’s because of you that I get to fight in this tournament.”
“You’d have done the same for me.”
“Damn straight I would. Even though you can’t be in the ring with me, you, the Gents, the fans, all of it. That’s the reason I’ve made it as far as I have. So, if you ask me why I want to go to Turmoil? It’s because I want to pay back that faith.
Every single person that even for a single match looked at Teo Blaze and saw something I couldn’t see in myself. Every voice that ever chanted for the Gents, every T-shirt and hamburger sold, every voice who joined in chorus to call our names!
I could never put myself on a pedestal, but I have been lifted onto it by their support, by their love, by their belief.
And I want to show them it was all worth it. I want them to know that I heard each and every one of them, and I want them to know they were the reason why the Gents made history.
And I will be damned if I let Regan take that away from them. As long as I can draw breath, as long as I can still lift a finger, as long as blood and adrenaline are pumping through my veins, spurred on by their cheers! I cannot be stopped.
Regan is not stepping into the ring with Teo Blaze alone, oh no. She will be standing across from you as well, and behind me will be every fan, every voice, every man, woman, and child like a tidal wave!
And we will fight as one. We will take history and we will accomplish the impossible.
I could never do it alone.
But when I step into that ring, I won’t be.”
The voice on the other end of the receive is silent, pensive, as Andre seems to be considering Teo’s words, but also realizing that there is nothing more to add.
“Thank you for the talk buddy, can’t wait to see you back in the Gym.”
“I’ll be there, Teo. You couldn’t keep me away if you tried.”
The Gents share a mutual laugh as the scene and the phone call slowly fade in volume.
The scene has changed substantially now- where before Teo stood in darkness, upon a stage surrounded by viewers, he now is surrounded by sunshine, lush green grass beneath his feet. It is a beautiful city park, mere blocks away from the Colonial Life Arena. As Teo walks along the grass, the sounds of nature surround him, birds tweeting, the leaves rustling. His eyes are closed as he lets the sunshine wash over him, but he seems to notice the camera as it approaches, and he turns towards it with a smile.
“Beautiful, no? You know, I think with all of the stress of life, and the pressures of our profession, we sometimes forget just how amazing of a planet we live on. Take a look at the marvels that exist around us, just waiting to be discovered.”
As if to accent his point, a small flower, carried by the wind, floats by in front of his face.
“Regan Voorhees, you are a puzzle. You have so many flaws, so many faults. You are spoiled, entitled, arrogant, self-centered, manipulative, sociopathic, whiny, overly emotional, insecure, narcissistic, never satisfied, incapable of functioning anything close to resembling a normal human being…
...and yet here you are, in spite of it all. Not Lissie Hope, not Corey Black, names that would have been on anyone’s short list to be in the finals.
Just you, Regan, and me.”
Teo pauses in his stride, another gust of wind causing a loud rustling at the assertion.
“But do you know what drives me crazy, Regan? Do you know why you just piss me off?
It’s because I can’t trust you.
I cannot trust you to walk into Turmoil as Cruiserclash’s representative, I cannot believe that you would be the one to carry all of our weight on your back.
Do you realize the scope, the scale, the magnanimity of this moment? In your wild pursuit of your own ambitions, you have stumbled into a history making moment. Our names will be written on the pages of history, as the pair that picked up Cruiserclash on its back and made 2021 the year that we would not be ignored.
Do you even comprehend that? Somewhere in that rich girl brain of yours, while you are busy getting off on your own genealogy, while you are happily showing the world how great your family is, do you realize the opportunity that is before us?
And it’s an opportunity that you, Regan, will inevitably squander. You will be so busy basking in your own glory, in how proud you are of winning that recognition as Cruiserweight Superstar of the year- That you will let yourself get blindsided like you always do.
It’s what you do. It’s what you have done over and over again in 2021.
I cannot let you squander this, Regan. I cannot let your ego be the reason why Cruiserclash misses out on history. You want into wrestler of the year to prove something to yourself, to your family, you want the world to finally take Regan Voorhees seriously.
You want this Regan, for yourself. You want this to be seen as the year of Voorhees.”
Teo’s eyes narrow, his fists clenching tightly at his side, as though he is holding back a scream of frustration.
“You know my name, don’t you Regan? You must have seen it. Teo Blaze.
Tell me, Regan...what do you know of fire?”
Teo’s eyes seem to flash behind the red lenses, a trick of the sunlight, or perhaps…
“It’s a misunderstood thing, to be honest. People see a flame and they wish to quash it, put it out. They know that fire can be destructive if allowed to grow out of control.
So why would I choose to name myself after something so vicious, so destructive?”
Teo’s mouth twists into a wicked grin, tapping his temple with a pair of fingers, as though the question asked is inherently missing the point.
“What people forget is that fire only wants to help. Think of what a flame can give us- heat, warmth, power. It can forge iron, it can shape steel, it can provide nourishment. A flame wants only to help those who need it.”
Teo reaches into the pocket of his coat, and seems to be searching for something, but his focus on his words does not waver.
“But ultimately, while a flame can provide, it must be kept under control. It cannot be left unchecked. It cannot help itself, it always wants to grow stronger, to burn brighter! And for every bit it consumes, it becomes stronger until it is unstoppable!
I have a fire in my heart, Regan. And every day, every moment I see someone like you, a pathetic excuse of a human being desperately grabbing at any accomplishment, holding up their wealth and status as a flag honoring their own insecurity, waving around wine lists and fashion trends to distract from the fact that they are little more than a scared little girl who is one embarrassment away from cracking under the pressures of her own legacy! A child who knows in her heart that she can never reach the pedestal she desperately begs to be put upon! When I see a creature so lacking in personal strength and character that they are willing to ally with a greasy sycophant like Bunga, and just as easily toss him aside when he has outlived his usefulness?
I do not see Regan Voorhees.
I see kindling for the fire.
When I look at you, a feeling of disgust wells up in my throat, and my heart cries out in anger, in fury! That you are allowed to walk on this earth! That flame wants nothing more than to see you consumed, destroyed and forgotten! Left to the trash bin of history, a page in a book burned like the ancient libraries of egypt! To burn away every scrap of your fraudulent legacy until the name Regan Voorhees is nothing but ash! A name spoken only in hushed tones of a time best left forgotten!
After all...a flame wants only to help those who need it.
That flame is why I carry the name Blaze. Because that fire is what drives me, that flame in me wants to provide warmth, light. It wants to make the world a better place. But it is still a flame, and some days it takes all I have not to give into the temptation. To keep myself from burning away every single bit of filth that is allowed against all reason to persist on this earth.”
As Teo speaks, he removes the object from his pocket, a small glass jar, holes poked in the lid, containing a very familiar, and very frightened looking black widow spider.
“Regan, I see a chance in history. I see a chance for that flame to be the spark that ignites Cruiserclash, turns it into a beacon the likes of which has never been seen in AW history. My flame can be what sets off an inescapable reaction.”
Teo twists the lid off of the jar, placing it in the grass by his feet.
“Your fate is in your hands, Regan. You may be a predator, a killer. You may, like the black widow, be one that consumes those who would otherwise ignore it.
Regan. I know of your strength, I know that you are more than you let on, and that your bite has toppled giants.
But what can poison do to a flame?
The closer you get to that flame, the more you try to fight it, the faster you will be consumed by it. I have fought my entire life to keep it under control, but I feel it, Regan. I feel change in the air, I feel history calling. It only needs that spark.
I will not let you shut out the light. I will not let your personal desires, your wants, your vendetta take that from the world. I can not afford to hold that fire back this time, and if you make me, I will let it burn you away. You will be reduced to nothing more than a memory of a failure, the ghost of ambition wrongly directed.
I owe that much to the people. They deserve that much. They will not let me hold it back this time, not with so much on the line. I cannot afford to be anything less than the flame requires! Not this time! I refuse!”
Teo stares at the spider, locking eyes with it before turning his back on it to walk away. The creature stares at him, realizing that it could bite his leg in an instant, as it had so many before.
But it hesitates.
“Take the easy way out, Regan. You’re used to it. It suits you. I will never fear your bite, but I do pity the poison it contains.
2021 is not your year, Regan. No, it is our year. When I go to turmoil, and I raise that trophy over my head, it will not be for myself, but for all of us.That will be the spark!
And it’s your choice whether you would stand and be consumed by the flames, or live to see what comes next.
But don’t try to stop the Blaze.
That’s how people get burned.”
As Teo begins walking away, the camera slowly pans down onto the black widow spider, now perched on the rim of the glass jar. It seems to consider pursuing its capturer, but as the moments pass, it instead turns, leaping into the grass and disappearing from view.
After all, trying to stop him would cost the spider its life.
With that thought, the scene slowly fades from view as Teo hums to himself, walking towards the arena and into history.
What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?”
The voice comes from a strange place, shrouded in darkness for the most part, but with just enough light to make out vague shapes. Silhouetted are figures in different poses, their faces indistinguishable, but the human-like shapes hanging like shadowy watchers, beings just beyond the mortal realm surrounding a white circle of light, the only illumination in the otherwise darkened room.
“How will this year be remembered, Regan? It has been a historic year for Cruiserclash. We’ve main evented an Evolution, we’ve seen records set and history made. More and more eyes have been drawn to our brand with each passing week, an exponential growth that is unprecedented.
A year ago Cruiserclash was struggling to break free of its mold. In 2021 that mold was broken permanently, and the names on that roster turned it into something beyond what its creators had ever envisioned. 2021 deserves to be remembered as the year of Cruiserclash’s rise.
But the question remains, Regan..who is to be its representative? Which of us will be the first ever Cruiserclash representative in the finals of Wrestler of the Year? Who deserves to make history?”
Teo chuckles, adjusting his red-lensed glasses carefully, the reflection of the spotlight casting a crimson shadow all around him, just barely enough not to reveal the figures surrounding him.
“Regan, I’d be a fool to dismiss your accomplishments. You don’t win three Cruiserweight titles by being an untalented, spoiled brat of a human being, a walking, braying jackass twat whose sociopathic streak is justified in her own mind by a lineage so twisted that your family tree reads like Ripley’s believe it or not.
Oh, all of those still apply, but stay with me, Regan.
If that was all you were, I’d be dismissing your accomplishments. I’d be saying that Joey Bunga should get credit for at least two of those reigns. I’d be going into this match completely confident that you were nothing more than a paper tiger that I would breeze through on my path to history.
Your last opponent made that mistake, didn’t he?
You are not one to look past, Regan. No threat to be taken lightly. I’ve been watching you, Regan, and I must admit you fascinate me. You remind me of…”
Teo taps his cheek with his index finger, as though he is genuinely trying to make a comparison to his opponent.
“Oh yes, of course! A black widow spider. You’re familiar, no doubt? When one sets eyes on you, Regan, it is like they’re looking at that infamous arachnid. They see the size, the small frame, the delicate and intricate webs. They notice the beauty, the bright red markings cast against the beautiful dark carapace, and they cannot help but be fascinated.”
As Teo is speaking, he takes a step back, and as if on cue, right before his eyes descends one of the creatures to which he refers. Teo’s movements are deliberate and careful, as within the light, reflecting across his lenses, a small black widow spider now hangs from a silken thread, within inches of the Cruiserweight Tag Champion’s face.
“Oh yes, there is absolutely an indescribable beauty in such a creature as you, Regan. The kind of sight that you simply cannot look away from once you lay eyes upon it. One cannot help but be pulled closer. You are a mysterious intoxication, a puzzle to be solved, a gem to be unearthed. What secrets could such a creature contain?
And that is where so many before me have faltered against you. Perhaps because of your size, your frailty, even your intoxicating beauty...they have missed the most important part. Just like the black widow..? You are a hunter. A carnivore. A predator. And within your heart you carry a toxin so strong that it can fell any man or beast on this planet.
And so they let their guard down, they refuse to see the threat, they see this small, pathetic thing, and they turn their backs. Just long enough for you to sink your fangs in.”
Teo holds his hands out, carefully on each side of the spider. The small creature tenses up, slowly twirling on the hanging thread like a ballerina as a wicked smile comes over his face.
“The beauty of the black widow is that by the time you realize the danger you’re in, it’s already too late. Their venom is in your veins, and you carry your avarice to the grave. Your size, your strength, your every advantage over this creature...all rendered useless by your own pride. A single bite, and your fate is sealed, all because you failed to notice the danger you were in.
That is your strength, Regan, that is what makes you deadlier than men two, three times your size. They fail to give credit to just how deadly your bite can be.”
Teo’s eyes and smile narrow behind the frames of his glasses as he moves slowly, deliberately, his hand inching ever closer. Even the slightest sudden move could provoke the spider that now hangs before him.
“But Regan, there’s one thing that the spider never considers. One thing that people never seem to remember about the deadly, deadly black widow.
When you give it the respect it deserves? When you approach it carefully, and take away its weapons? When you are prepared for what it can do?”
Teo’s hand crosses over the silver thread, far enough to catch the spider off guard, and as he moves, the black widow now dangles from his hand. The room is filled with gasps from the silhouetted audience, fearful whispers mingling with startled gasps as Teo suspends the creature in midair in front of him.
“You remember just how frail, just how mortal that killer is. You can never turn your back on such a creature, never take your eyes off of it.
But you need not fear it.
After all, one of nature’s most deadly creatures is also one of its most vulnerable. It needs to be disregarded, it needs its killers to let their guard’s down, to even think of sparing it. That is the fatal mistake, Regan Voorhees.”
Teo’s eyes almost sparkle behind his glasses, the fragile creature dangling helplessly before him, perfectly reflected in each blood red lens.
“You are strong, Regan. You are vicious, and you are dangerous. But you are also vulnerable. You are fallible. You are fragile. That is the best kept secret of Regan Voorhees.
And you know it.
That is why you came to Action Wrestling. That is why you let a toad like Bunga into your presence, that is why you so desperately pursue the Cruiserweight Championship. Everything you’ve done in this company from day one has been to hide that weakness, that vulnerability from the world. All one fantastic passion play to keep us from recognizing that you are little more than a frightened girl trapped in the shadow of a legacy that she can never live up to.
Just like this poor little killer, Regan. The worst enemy, the greatest threat you could ever face is someone who sees your poison, someone who has seen other killers before. Someone who sees a black widow across from them?
And squashes it without a second thought.
Regan Voorhees. You are beautiful, you are deadly, and you are a master at letting one distract from the other.
But you are no immovable object.
So what happens when an unstoppable force meets Regan Voorhees?”
Teo chuckles, using his free hand to move his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
“The spider gets squashed.”
The camera slowly pans around, one final time reflecting on the helpless black widow reflected in the lenses that frame Teo’s smiling face.
=============================
Meanwhile, on a phone call far away…
“That was wax, Andre. They put a bowl of decorative fruit next to your bed.”
“I’m still not sure I follow. But yes, I will be released before you know it! Had to be monitored, you know how it is. But I’ve been watching your progress on the telly in the meantime! Thank the gods the hospital allowed that bit of common courtesy. All the way to the semifinals, and past the world champ no less! You’re going to start making your tag partner jealous.”
“I wouldn’t be here without you, buddy. I’m doing this for us, not for me. This is not the year of Teo Blaze, it’s the year of the Gents!”
“Always so humble, and always getting ahead of yourself. Don’t forget you’ve got Regan Voorhees next!”
“Boy you have been keeping up!”
“So what’s the gameplan? You know you’re out of practice in singles matches, and she’s won three belts to our five.”
“Oh believe me, I know. But you know Andre, there’s a bit more to the puzzle than lets on. She’s got all the vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the world, but let’s not forget her biggest flaw.”
“That unconvincing dye job?”
“Second biggest flaw. It’s her narcissism, mate. Oh don’t get me wrong, with some of the egos in that locker room we’ve got enough hot air to float multiple zeppelins, but it’s not an ego thing.”
“It’s not?”
“Oh she has that too, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about Regan’s tunnel vision. She is in Wrestler of the year for exactly the wrong reason.”
“Oh?”
“She’s in it for number one. She wants Wrestler of the Year so she can finally get the recognition she thinks she deserves. It must drive her completely insane that despite being consistently in the main event of Cruiserclash, despite three Cruiserweight Title wins, all anyone can focus on is the shortcuts she took and the car crash of Joey Bunga. It drives her insane that people just can’t seem to understand her greatness, the majesty of the Voorhees name.
This tournament represents her chance at validation, a chance to prove to the world that her year wasn’t a fluke. All of the lying, all of the cheating, the manipulation, the humiliation, the losses and the embarrassment that Regan faced in 2021? It can all be erased with just one more win. Just one more prize and she’ll be able to gloss over all of the doubts, all of the skepticism of her otherwise tarnished legacy. She does not care about her brand, about that locker room, about her fans! She just sees another trophy for the case, another coat of paint to cover over her faltering legacy!”
“Preach!”
“And Andre, call me crazy, but Cruiserclash deserves better than Regan Voorhees! These people deserve better than Regan Voorhees! Cruiserclash has earned the right to be represented by someone who is going to fight on its behalf, not just on their own! Cruiserclash deserves someone who has shed blood, sweat, and tears to elevate it! Someone who took a pair of championships, symbols of the brand, and turned them from a forgotten toy into one of the most sought after prizes in the company!”
“And set multiple records in the process!”
“Someone who is capable of thinking beyond their own wants. Someone who fights not for themselves, but for their friends. Their fans. Someone who the people want to believe in, who actually gives a damn what they think.
The people deserve better than Regan Voorhees.”
“That’s why you’re fighting, eh?”
“Mostly. There is one more thing.”
“Oh?”
“I’m fighting for the Gents, too. You lept off of that cage without a second thought so that I could finish that match at Spookyclash. It’s because of you that I get to fight in this tournament.”
“You’d have done the same for me.”
“Damn straight I would. Even though you can’t be in the ring with me, you, the Gents, the fans, all of it. That’s the reason I’ve made it as far as I have. So, if you ask me why I want to go to Turmoil? It’s because I want to pay back that faith.
Every single person that even for a single match looked at Teo Blaze and saw something I couldn’t see in myself. Every voice that ever chanted for the Gents, every T-shirt and hamburger sold, every voice who joined in chorus to call our names!
I could never put myself on a pedestal, but I have been lifted onto it by their support, by their love, by their belief.
And I want to show them it was all worth it. I want them to know that I heard each and every one of them, and I want them to know they were the reason why the Gents made history.
And I will be damned if I let Regan take that away from them. As long as I can draw breath, as long as I can still lift a finger, as long as blood and adrenaline are pumping through my veins, spurred on by their cheers! I cannot be stopped.
Regan is not stepping into the ring with Teo Blaze alone, oh no. She will be standing across from you as well, and behind me will be every fan, every voice, every man, woman, and child like a tidal wave!
And we will fight as one. We will take history and we will accomplish the impossible.
I could never do it alone.
But when I step into that ring, I won’t be.”
The voice on the other end of the receive is silent, pensive, as Andre seems to be considering Teo’s words, but also realizing that there is nothing more to add.
“Thank you for the talk buddy, can’t wait to see you back in the Gym.”
“I’ll be there, Teo. You couldn’t keep me away if you tried.”
The Gents share a mutual laugh as the scene and the phone call slowly fade in volume.
=============================
The scene has changed substantially now- where before Teo stood in darkness, upon a stage surrounded by viewers, he now is surrounded by sunshine, lush green grass beneath his feet. It is a beautiful city park, mere blocks away from the Colonial Life Arena. As Teo walks along the grass, the sounds of nature surround him, birds tweeting, the leaves rustling. His eyes are closed as he lets the sunshine wash over him, but he seems to notice the camera as it approaches, and he turns towards it with a smile.
“Beautiful, no? You know, I think with all of the stress of life, and the pressures of our profession, we sometimes forget just how amazing of a planet we live on. Take a look at the marvels that exist around us, just waiting to be discovered.”
As if to accent his point, a small flower, carried by the wind, floats by in front of his face.
“Regan Voorhees, you are a puzzle. You have so many flaws, so many faults. You are spoiled, entitled, arrogant, self-centered, manipulative, sociopathic, whiny, overly emotional, insecure, narcissistic, never satisfied, incapable of functioning anything close to resembling a normal human being…
...and yet here you are, in spite of it all. Not Lissie Hope, not Corey Black, names that would have been on anyone’s short list to be in the finals.
Just you, Regan, and me.”
Teo pauses in his stride, another gust of wind causing a loud rustling at the assertion.
“But do you know what drives me crazy, Regan? Do you know why you just piss me off?
It’s because I can’t trust you.
I cannot trust you to walk into Turmoil as Cruiserclash’s representative, I cannot believe that you would be the one to carry all of our weight on your back.
Do you realize the scope, the scale, the magnanimity of this moment? In your wild pursuit of your own ambitions, you have stumbled into a history making moment. Our names will be written on the pages of history, as the pair that picked up Cruiserclash on its back and made 2021 the year that we would not be ignored.
Do you even comprehend that? Somewhere in that rich girl brain of yours, while you are busy getting off on your own genealogy, while you are happily showing the world how great your family is, do you realize the opportunity that is before us?
And it’s an opportunity that you, Regan, will inevitably squander. You will be so busy basking in your own glory, in how proud you are of winning that recognition as Cruiserweight Superstar of the year- That you will let yourself get blindsided like you always do.
It’s what you do. It’s what you have done over and over again in 2021.
I cannot let you squander this, Regan. I cannot let your ego be the reason why Cruiserclash misses out on history. You want into wrestler of the year to prove something to yourself, to your family, you want the world to finally take Regan Voorhees seriously.
You want this Regan, for yourself. You want this to be seen as the year of Voorhees.”
Teo’s eyes narrow, his fists clenching tightly at his side, as though he is holding back a scream of frustration.
“You know my name, don’t you Regan? You must have seen it. Teo Blaze.
Tell me, Regan...what do you know of fire?”
Teo’s eyes seem to flash behind the red lenses, a trick of the sunlight, or perhaps…
“It’s a misunderstood thing, to be honest. People see a flame and they wish to quash it, put it out. They know that fire can be destructive if allowed to grow out of control.
So why would I choose to name myself after something so vicious, so destructive?”
Teo’s mouth twists into a wicked grin, tapping his temple with a pair of fingers, as though the question asked is inherently missing the point.
“What people forget is that fire only wants to help. Think of what a flame can give us- heat, warmth, power. It can forge iron, it can shape steel, it can provide nourishment. A flame wants only to help those who need it.”
Teo reaches into the pocket of his coat, and seems to be searching for something, but his focus on his words does not waver.
“But ultimately, while a flame can provide, it must be kept under control. It cannot be left unchecked. It cannot help itself, it always wants to grow stronger, to burn brighter! And for every bit it consumes, it becomes stronger until it is unstoppable!
I have a fire in my heart, Regan. And every day, every moment I see someone like you, a pathetic excuse of a human being desperately grabbing at any accomplishment, holding up their wealth and status as a flag honoring their own insecurity, waving around wine lists and fashion trends to distract from the fact that they are little more than a scared little girl who is one embarrassment away from cracking under the pressures of her own legacy! A child who knows in her heart that she can never reach the pedestal she desperately begs to be put upon! When I see a creature so lacking in personal strength and character that they are willing to ally with a greasy sycophant like Bunga, and just as easily toss him aside when he has outlived his usefulness?
I do not see Regan Voorhees.
I see kindling for the fire.
When I look at you, a feeling of disgust wells up in my throat, and my heart cries out in anger, in fury! That you are allowed to walk on this earth! That flame wants nothing more than to see you consumed, destroyed and forgotten! Left to the trash bin of history, a page in a book burned like the ancient libraries of egypt! To burn away every scrap of your fraudulent legacy until the name Regan Voorhees is nothing but ash! A name spoken only in hushed tones of a time best left forgotten!
After all...a flame wants only to help those who need it.
That flame is why I carry the name Blaze. Because that fire is what drives me, that flame in me wants to provide warmth, light. It wants to make the world a better place. But it is still a flame, and some days it takes all I have not to give into the temptation. To keep myself from burning away every single bit of filth that is allowed against all reason to persist on this earth.”
As Teo speaks, he removes the object from his pocket, a small glass jar, holes poked in the lid, containing a very familiar, and very frightened looking black widow spider.
“Regan, I see a chance in history. I see a chance for that flame to be the spark that ignites Cruiserclash, turns it into a beacon the likes of which has never been seen in AW history. My flame can be what sets off an inescapable reaction.”
Teo twists the lid off of the jar, placing it in the grass by his feet.
“Your fate is in your hands, Regan. You may be a predator, a killer. You may, like the black widow, be one that consumes those who would otherwise ignore it.
Regan. I know of your strength, I know that you are more than you let on, and that your bite has toppled giants.
But what can poison do to a flame?
The closer you get to that flame, the more you try to fight it, the faster you will be consumed by it. I have fought my entire life to keep it under control, but I feel it, Regan. I feel change in the air, I feel history calling. It only needs that spark.
I will not let you shut out the light. I will not let your personal desires, your wants, your vendetta take that from the world. I can not afford to hold that fire back this time, and if you make me, I will let it burn you away. You will be reduced to nothing more than a memory of a failure, the ghost of ambition wrongly directed.
I owe that much to the people. They deserve that much. They will not let me hold it back this time, not with so much on the line. I cannot afford to be anything less than the flame requires! Not this time! I refuse!”
Teo stares at the spider, locking eyes with it before turning his back on it to walk away. The creature stares at him, realizing that it could bite his leg in an instant, as it had so many before.
But it hesitates.
“Take the easy way out, Regan. You’re used to it. It suits you. I will never fear your bite, but I do pity the poison it contains.
2021 is not your year, Regan. No, it is our year. When I go to turmoil, and I raise that trophy over my head, it will not be for myself, but for all of us.That will be the spark!
And it’s your choice whether you would stand and be consumed by the flames, or live to see what comes next.
But don’t try to stop the Blaze.
That’s how people get burned.”
As Teo begins walking away, the camera slowly pans down onto the black widow spider, now perched on the rim of the glass jar. It seems to consider pursuing its capturer, but as the moments pass, it instead turns, leaping into the grass and disappearing from view.
After all, trying to stop him would cost the spider its life.
With that thought, the scene slowly fades from view as Teo hums to himself, walking towards the arena and into history.