Gunnar Brian vs Raelis Shy

[Gunnar Brian]

The scene opens up inside a strip club. The coloured tints switch every now and again between blue, red, green and yellow making it fairly difficult for the camera to get any clear footage inside the building. Various girls wander around talking to the men at tables and the bars, each of the girls wearing little clothing, or even less. All of them clearly looking to take advantage of the males for a quick handful of cash, the men naturally looking for a quickie. As the crew stumble around with the camera a soft voice interrupt them

???: Hey hun, can I interest you in some? It won’t cost you guys much at all. ‘Specially for the good looking guy holding the camera there.

The crew continue to move as other girls periodically make similar comments and offers to them. Eventually the sea of people part enough for them to stumble into one of the less crowded and stated to be ‘VIP’ areas. Luckily the security that should be on duty seem to have left to go and get a few drinks and girls. Inside the room like area, Gunnar Brian is sat on a sofa, head in his hands staring in the direction of the camera, but his expression of boredom seems to be directed more towards two girls, both of which seem to be in their low twenties. He glances slightly and suddenly his bored expression disappears instantly and with a lift of the hand he dismisses the girls he paid for. The girls look back and shrug, not really offering any concern for the fact they had just been told their work was over despite being paid for more time. The girls shuffle past the camera, winking and waving at it in a vain attempt to advertise themselves, once again Gunnar waves his hand at the crew indicating that he doesn’t really care.

Gunnar: Carry on filming, I don’t give a shit if a couple of girls whore themselves out, it is of course only natural they flaunt what they have and how nothing but scorn for what they do not have. I also don’t give two shits if this is inappropriate for the show, I never have cared about what those parents out there think and never will. Besides, it will do those kids good to see what women do, since they see it on the internet every day.

At this point Gunnar rises from his seat and forcibly removes the last stripper from the area. The action is kept off camera but the complaints of the girl implies that no physical action was taken.

Gunnar: You may be wondering about why I picked a strip club, and if you did then that is a valid question. I just wanted to see what it was like to have girls willingly listen to my commands for a bit, nothing more nothing less. There was no sexual acts involved, that much I can assume you, but it is your choice if you believe me or not on that matter. To me it doesn’t matter, but the answer can never be a pleasing answer to you. Should you believe me and answer yourself with a ‘No’ then you must feel something for the somewhat sizable percentage of your sex that does this for a living, and the fact that in a world of free choice, they willingly do this just to scrape together a few bits of currency for the extras in life. The same extras that provide nothing more than material goods that do not stack up against the self respect they have lost in getting that money. On the other hand if you decide I am lying and it is a ‘Yes’ then to be frank, your sex is providing the disgusting and inhumane with sexual favours, again willingly. Either answer doesn’t bold well for making a generalised comment and while I am now certain you are eager to deny that the entire female race is not like the select few I have found in this place, and many places like this.

Now, moving on to the matters at hand, Raelis Shy, the United States champion. A match against me at Redemption, it is such a unique experience and nothing like anyone ever expects. You can go and ask men like Salvadore Karver, Daniel Murph and others, they try to prepare the best they can, they try to formulate a game plan for me, however they can not truly comprehend what happens in the build up to fight someone who can rightfully claim to be barely human in more than just physique. My dear, I am barely human in much more, my morals are considered barely human, my willingness to cripple myself just to land a blow is almost inhumane, my lust for blood is certainly on the borderline too. As a matter of fact, I could go to say the only thing humane about me is the very thing that others will jump to defend about themselves. The only thing humane is my physical ability, but really now, is that the thing you need to be human, or do you really need me to have that voice in my head. That voice telling me she’s had enough, that she’s already out cold and unable to feel any more pain. The same voice that tells me I have had enough, that I don’t want more… that voice, that is what I consider to be the very element that puts me on a more dangerous level than everyone else in EWE. The simple fact that I do not know when to stop, even if it should be obvious from the screams of the victim to the disapproving looks of the fans, and parents covering their children’s eyes. Well, my dear champion, I extend to you an invitation to explore what barely passes as my mind and psyche. My invitation will take you though my life, I will let you see my strengths, my weaknesses, my quirks, my mind… to you, I will become an open book.

Gunnar lets out a sly chuckle and then begins to smirk as he leans back into the plush seat.

Gunnar: Now my dear, I extend my proverbial hand to you, an invite into my world, an insight into what makes me tick. Who knows, by accepting the invite you may learn something, you may learn exactly what you need to do to stop me, you may obtain the scalp that makes your idle claims of being such a dominant wrestler valid. You my progress and continue your run right up until you become the first woman to win the world title. Who knows where it may stop, but it is not all one way traffic, it is not all to your benefit, otherwise it would be quite idiotic of me to make the offer. You may in accepting my offer find more than you bargain for, you may find my twisted and inhumane mind so horrific that once we stand in the ring, face to face, you may not see me as Gunnar Brian any longer, rather you may see me as the complete incarnation of your fears…

Of all fears…

An incarnation perhaps…

No longer human…

A being of pure darkness…

Fade.

[omgajawa]

The camera flips on while it is pointed downward, not filming anything. The cameraman and a sound guy speak to each other, deciding how to tackle their task.

EWE sent us here. She can't possibly be that mad at us for following orders can she?

Dude, we are talking about the same woman right? And with the way Lyara and the Bees are acting maybe they're all PMSing, and you know she'd be the worst. Who knows if she's really over how she was fired-

Well we have to get her promo or we lose our jobs. You saw our orders from the new boss. They're "downsizing."

Suddenly yellow robes and a pair of feet step into the frame.

I'm sorry, but she's preoccupied in meditations at the moment and is not to be disturbed under any circumstances.

Let's just get out of here man. It's cold, and we can just pin it on that wiener kid. Say we never got the notes, okay?

Well... no, fuck it man. It's not like it'll be that different from any other promo she's given. Let's go in.

Oh, I'm afraid you don't understand. I can't let you past. She has been in great service to us for the past few weeks, and for that we have to respect her wishes.

Look, I'm not losing my job over this crazy bitch. Sorry padre.

What? Padre?... Where are you... Please stop!

An audible sigh follows the hefting of the camera raised to a shoulder. The two men push their way past the robed man and enter the door of the building. As the two walk through the halls some soft ambient music is playing. The camera man follows behind the scouting sound guy, who looks into the window-walled rooms until he finds the right room. The sound guy points inside and whispers.

Okay, there she is. Let's go.

After you. I'm not interrupting her.

The sound guy looks in the window again and thinks for a moment, weighing his options. Is it too late to go back? He swallows hard and shakes his head. Unemployment is not an option. They both head toward the door, and sound guy gently pushes it open, careful to not make any noise to alert Raelis. Both go through, slowly and quietly making their way to her. Raelis faces away from them in a simple meditation pose. She wears a yellow robe much like the man outside was wearing, with her hair pulled back and a blindfold over her eyes.

The two creep slowly closer until the camera man kicks a small pot on the floor. That clattering sends Raelis jumping up, whirling around and she rips the blindfold off to view the sheepish camera man and his partner frozen in place. Her eyes dart between the two and the camera before narrowing.

I thought I gave orders not to come back here.

The new boss sent us-

Shut up man!

-for a promo Raelis! It's Redemption and you're supposed to defend-

I know quite well what week it is, I don't need you two to tell me what I'm supposed to do. That doesn't explain what you're doing bothering me when I gave strict orders that you weren't to disturb me.

Well, now that we have... do you have anything to say to Gunnar Brian?

Raelis eyes the two men some more before releasing her tense stance, and the two men can finally breathe.

I suppose I do.

She walks toward a table with a glass of water for a drink while the two men follow and prep themselves. She clears her throat and squares herself before beginning.

I understand EWE management’s concern for my silence since I was fired, but I have merely been biding my time and have been anything but idle.

I’ve thought much about what Scorch and I and others have been told, about how we’re to “step up and fight for this company.” These words come from the same company that wishes to hold me down to my championship and place people like Blade Lavigne and John Ster in tournaments for the World title. I’m told I will be oppressed; well what is this that already holds me back? I’ve had enough of a time fighting for myself, and now I’m told I have to fight for everyone else too?

I wish to be no leader of these so-called men. Let them suffer.

She puts her hand on her hip and starts a jaunt along the room, her bare feet slapping the hardwood floor. She looks at camera following aside her with paintings of various incarnations of the Buddha on the wall behind her.

Now that’s out of the way, let’s move on to this week. Gunnar Brian.

I’ve heard the arguments of animal-men before and never have the attempts of those barbarians have come to a victory. So tell me, Gunnar, what makes you so different? More rage and less regard for self-preservation? All that will serve to do is make you blind and dumb. Do you know what to do with a beast of rage Gunnar? You send him back to the lower pits of hell where he belongs.

Ah, but there is something that makes you different, isn’t there? There’s something that makes it so I can’t outright dismiss you from this belt as I have with others before. Part of it might be that you can see those that are wasting time here, trash as you used a few weeks ago. You understand just as I do that there are people who are not worthy of their time here, and you see the need to get rid of them.

More than that though, it is your reputation that I can’t dismiss. It’d be foolish of me to. That reputation of being one that has broken many women before and seeks to do the same to me. Most people would expect me to take up the cause of avenging those that preceded me, because women of the world of wrestling do so need to watch out for their kind. Men the likes of you are what make it such a hard time on us, and if I were to down you then I’d be doing all of my gender a service.

She stops gently looks down quickly, throwing out a small sarcastic laugh.

But I am no champion of my gender. Those women were weak and they probably had coming what you delivered. I know they were like the trash you referred to, and they just had to go. Truly that cause is justified enough.

My goal for this match is to make sure you and everyone else who watches, be they fans or other wrestlers or even our new owner, learns to not mistake me for one of those women you’ve beaten mercilessly before. I am not weak like those women you were in the ring with before or those whores you were in the club with. I work for my keep and I relish the opportunity to test my ability against anyone set before me. I’ve conned and I’ve fought enough to back up my rank, and I plan to prove it more than ever in this match. Bring any bullshit similarities between myself and those women, wrestlers or strippers, to light all you want but in that ring you’ll find you’re wrong.

For that reason this isn’t going to be some loss you have coming to you. You will understand that you cannot claim this as a karmic loss on any terms. It will be a win to cement my legacy as the truest United States Champion. Another earned victory for my records and another reason why the Judge endorses me for the World Championship.

She steps closer to the camera.

And though the belt seems to be acting as some kind of appeasement for the general lack of opportunities that have been afforded to the less deserving, it has been my crown jewel since I received it. Losing it would not cost me much and would only serve to push me forward, as you already know I’m sure, but it’s still principle. Everyone knows I’m willing to sacrifice much for a step forward, but why should I have to give away that which I’ve rightfully made my own when others are given so much for nothing on their part?

I can promise you all at Redemption many things will be change, but the title will not.

She waits a few moments for the cameraman to drop the camera. As he fumbles with it, she addresses the sounds guy.

There, you have your promo. You get to keep your jobs for another show.

Yeah, thanks Raelis. Are you nervous for your match?

She smiles.

Actually, I’m really looking forward to it.

[Gunnar Brian]

Gunnar: Judges endorsement. Ha. That’s a tonne of crap right there. You’d get more from an endorsement from fucking El Pollo, both figuratively and literally.

You know, it wasn’t too long ago I received a kind of endorsement from Judge, in fact it was at the last Redemption show I believe. A beast holding the world title, a man who back then wanted to destroy the company, to put everyone back in the unemployment line simply because he thought he could. Three men stood to stop him

Now champion Sal Karver,
The man you hold in such high regard, The Judge
And myself, a man who at the time had started to turn over a new leaf.

The three of us stepped up at the time to stop this beast, a task we all knew was going to be difficult, and all too quickly the task became more difficult when Sal Karver was eliminated from the contest. This effectively left us with a two on one situation, possibly one of the only times I looked to Judge for guidance and advice simply by viewing his actions for those split seconds that I could. The match wore on, then the time came when I received the biggest endorsement from him to become champion. The mere fact he gave up his own shot, a shot that at that single moment we all knew deep down he could have easily won, he gave it away, he gave it away to me of all people, I thanked him the only way I knew I could, I took the match, I took the title and I celebrated as if it was my last night in wrestling.

That’s where the good stopped…

That’s where I realised what had happened…

Judge didn’t do it for me, he did it for himself. He didn’t do it for the future as he so claims, he does it for himself. He feeds on the gratitude he gets from people like myself , yourself, T-Dog, Blade et al. He loves the fact that we all place him on a pedistral way above the rest of us. That to us he seems more of a being on a whole different level simply because of the way he acts around us to ‘help’ us as he would so quietly put it, and one day he will do the same to you too. The day you win the title is the day he disappears from your life. The day he no longer returns your calls for advice, the day he himself starts plotting your downfall, or to feed you too one of the many people you stand on to get to that point under his protection. Now I stand opposite someone in a similar position I was.

You might believe you can continue and perform as long as he tells you that you are capable of going on to greater things, and I myself have no doubt about your ability from what I have seen but I also know a hell of a lot about treachery and trickery, and Judge is one of the biggest players of those games. He will drag you down, he will degrade you once you obtain something he wants, and then all of a sudden facing me becomes more of a mercy than anything else. As we all know, putting someone out of their misery early saves a lot of pain in the long run, and I shall do just that. I’ll stop Judge from hurting you a lot more by hurting you myself here at Redemption. I’ll humble you inside the ring, beat you down, pick you up and do so just to put you down again. I’ll teach you the lesson now in the hopes that you will not have to learn it later in your dreams to obtain the world title. I’ll enjoy every second of the attack, I’ll enjoy it when I smash your face against the turnbuckle, I’ll love it when I hear your desperate gasps for air as I choke you with the ring ropes. There will never be a better sound than the crack and thud if I get the opportunity to use my cane. There is so much for me to enjoy, so much anger for me to vent. Raelis, I expected so much from you, yet you waited and delivered so little and so late too, and in knowing that it is too late to talk, too late to take offers no matter what the may be. All bets are now off ‘Princess’ the next time I see you, the next time I give two shits about you will be when we meet in the ring.

I don’t do this because I have to, I do this because I want to, and at the end of it all, when everything is all said and done, I shall be sat in the back, a chilled drink in one hand, the combination of leather and metal that passes as a title in the other, my feet up as I watch two other men I know somewhat well battle it out in the Main Event.

[omgajawa]

The same two men who shot Raelis’ promo are driving down I-94. The camera man hold the camera at the window, showing himself in the side mirror. The world outside is gray, evidence of a bitter chill in the air. You can hear the cameraman speak over the heat being cranked out of old car vents, his voice clearly affirming some excitement.

Dude I can’t believe we’re going to see Prince. I didn’t think he’d been to First Avenue since the 80’s! I guess Redemption would draw out the big names in this state. We’re so lucky you got tickets.

Yeah, we’re not going to see Prince Gary.

Uh, What do you mean?

We’re going to shoot another Raelis promo.

The car pulls off an exit ramp and a worried look in Gary’s reflection’s eyes. He turns the camera from the window to his partner.

What?! You lied to me! Why us again?

I guess she asked for us this time. I think it was my charms.

Your charms? Brian, You realize you’re talking about a woman who probably crushes nut sacks like grapes?

Strong women have a thing for me.

Whatever. I hope you like being a eunuch.

The car comes to a stop in Loring Park in downtown Minneapolis. The two spot Raelis waiting for them and start to get out of the car. Gary sighs as he reaches for the car door’s handle and looks at Brian.

Do we really have to do this?

You can tell her we’re not going to if you want.

The exit the car and head over to Raelis. She stands with a smug smile on her face, looking up at the empty trees and lake . As the two get closer she notices them in the small crowd, and turns to greet them, her smile still on her face even as she attempts to berate them a little.

It took you guys long enough to get here.

We’d have been here sooner but Gary had to take a dump.

What?

Nothing. We had a big lunch, okay? Look, can we just shoot this?

He totally fears you.

Raelis eyes Gary up and down as he steadies the camera, avoiding eye contact with her as best he can.

Mmm. Of course he does. And yes, I’m ready.

Okay then, let’s go.

Raelis wastes no more time and jumps right into it, speaking directly into the camera, directly to Gunnar Brian.

There’s much we have to go over and little time left Gunnar, so I'll make this quick.

The fact that you took your time and waited for me to speak shows me you’re not quite the threat I imagined you would be. You had more than enough time to get ahead, to say so much more, but instead you rested on what you had. That is laziness on your part, just as much as you see my previous promo as “too little too late.” But while you make that claim your own reaction betrays you. The hasty rebuttal afterwards on your part demonstrates to me the things I said did get to you, whether you want to admit it now or not.

She takes a moment and paces a bit, trying to keep warm in the chilly air.

Now there’s something I want you to understand. I’m not like you, Michael Hayden, Blade, whoever else you claimed. I don’t place Judge up on some pedestal; though he is my Royal brother, he is but another mortal man. When I spoke of his endorsement, it was to demonstrate to those that look at him with starry eyes, those that seek his attention, that their time is being wasted because it is on someone who deserves it. I am more remarkable and the very reason is because I am a dominant force in this company, something they and you are not. That’s not to say I don’t consider him a great man, otherwise there would be no sense in allying myself with him, but is he more than human? No.

And further upon that humanity, I tell you now that I’m not as naïve as you think. Don’t get ahead of yourself in thinking that I actually trust the Judge any more than I trusted James. Oh, how many times was it that I endured the very same arguments and warnings before? That James was not to be trusted, and he was an evil man, and he was only concerned with his selfish intentions. James would betray me and leave me and he was only biding his time for a better moment.

And Gunnar, what happened?

Her mouth curls into the vicious smile, without any hint of regret that she showed but a few weeks ago. She lets her smile linger a few moments before her eyes to steel signs of her satisfaction, and she goes back to being serious.

I beat him to it.

So don’t act as though I haven’t learned from others what could happen to those who trust a bit too much. I’ve learned all too well what happens to those that don’t palm a knife and keep their eyes open even among allies. I’ve been the one to sneak behind and deliver the unsuspecting blow that sent another falling, just to use the body to get a step higher. The allegiance with Judge is a smart one, but I’m fully aware of the dangers that could lie in waiting.

You only have yourself to blame for what happened in WPW. You waited for the Judge to get Dan out of the way to grab the WPW Championship. How cowardly. Blame Judge all you want for the fall of WPW, but your time as champion did nothing to inspire anyone to step up. Your loss of the belt before When Worlds Collide is hardly memorable.

And that is the difference between endorsement and getting a hand-me-down. I earned this belt with hard work and it has become impossible to take from me, so it means much more than the WPW Championship ever did in your hands. I’ve sent many men home before you because they proved themselves thoroughly unworthy, multiple times over. You’ll be joining them soon enough, because without the luxury afforded to you by the man you all love to hate you won’t be getting anything from me.

And when I get that World Championship in my hands it won’t be from means of being handed down to me. I won’t settle for letting the Judge place it upon me, as he did with yourself and T-Dog. I’ve seen what happens to those champions. Both of you had your championships gifted to you, and because of that your reigns were meaningless jokes.

She lets her last words hang. Gary takes the opportunity to shift the camera on his now sore shoulder. She shoots him a look, and continues.

So go ahead and bring all your blood thirst because you’re going to need it now more than ever. You can drag me by my hair and beat me with a cane, not because you want to but because it will be necessary. You’ll have to do it if you expect to slow me down for even a moment. I will cut you down where you stand in the ring and I’ll be gone. I’ll wear you down until I can knock your legs out from under you. It's really a shame I have to fight a cripple, but it doesn't mean I won't savor every moment as I see you crawl your way around looking for some cover from my attacks. You won’t get out of the middle of that ring though, and when I deliver my righteous steel-toed boot to your drooling face you will know that you had it coming to you for acting so high and mighty.

She looks up and breathes a deep breath before she notices Brian and Gary are getting intimidated by her rapture of violence. She laughs.

You can count yourself lucky if I let you crawl out after all of that.

She bows her head and pulls back her shoulders, feeling as though she’s exasperated herself. The two guys wait to make sure she’s done, that she isn’t going to suddenly start up again, before backing away toward the car.

So, we’ll just send this in if that’s cool with you…

If there’s nothing else…

She looks up at them and nods, then turns back to the lake. They make their way to the car, not saying anything to each other until they are inside the vehicle and away from her ears. They look to each other and Brian pulls the car out of its’ parking spot.

Dude, she totally wants me.

Gary shakes his head and shudders as he turns the camera off.

Buhhhh.